The Saint James Men of Charity sponsored a Parish Ministry Fair Sept. 22, with the help of the Knights of Columbus Council #2363, BOLD Youth Ministry, and many others; the first in almost ten years. Saint James Church is blessed with about 30 active ministries, serving and engaging parishioners of all ages – toddlers, to teens, to adults and seniors. A postcard was mailed to more than 600 families, targeting those who registered in the parish over the past five years, and inviting them to come learn about ways to join in the life of the parish.
Rich Vieser, from the Men of Charity who spearheaded the event, said, “We were very pleased with the response. Many parishioners attended and expressed interest in getting involved. A lot of our Ministries will benefit from the fair and our parishioners now have a greater appreciation of all that St James has to offer. It was a great way to begin the fall season.” Al Patterson, also of Men of Charity, added, “We know that the unsung heroes of parish life like the music ministry, the ushers, altar servers and more need more participants. We have such a strong base of enthusiastic leaders at St. James who are ready to share the joy of what they do.”
And joy there certainly was. The ministries all put thought and care into setting up their tables to best showcase their missions as visitors were treated to balloons, posters, handouts, booklets, rosaries, and homemade baked goods. John Gregor got involved with the Transportation Ministry which provides rides to medical appointments because “he knew it was such a fundamental need.” He and his co-coordinator Deborah Brievogel have been providing more than 100 rides per year.
The Ministry Fair provided an array of choices providing opportunities for parishioners to deepen their faith, become more involved in the parish, help others, and make new friends. What a joy it was to be together as a parish family.