In
this Easter Season and Easter Octave, we often express our thanks with Psalm
118 – “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
And,
I thank you – our parishioners, the People of God of Our Lady of Lourdes for your
presence – and support – for years and decades – that with God’s help have helped to make this day, to
complete our joy.
HOMILY - SUNDAY MAY 3, 2015
[__Section_01__]
This is the day the Lord has made.
In
our 2014 centennial – on November 9 – we rejoiced in the establishment and the
current existence of our spiritual home.
We rejoiced that we were established – inspired by the Holy Spirit – as
we read in our mission statement.
And
we rejoice that this mission continues today.
I
am speaking this Sunday on the subject of our “We Are Living Stones” capital
campaign which is also featured in our bulletin this Sunday and in the pledge
envelopes which are in our pews.
This
campaign – the Living Stones campaign – is meant to assist us in the continuity
of our mission, and we might recall and associate this mission with many who
have given and gone before us.
We
thank and remember always our priests and clergy – especially Monsignor Joe
Petrillo and Deacon Ernest Abad – for their leadership and contributions to
build up our parish. Certainly, all of us will associate the ministry, the
Mass, the service at the altar with their salutary witness and example, and the
witness of many priests and deacons of Lourdes.
When
we envision the church, we associate certain places and objects with people
whom we honor – and we have honored them by our gifts to build up the church in
many ways including – for example, vestments, the Grotto, the paver-stones at
the Grotto, the Daily Mass chapel, entrance ways, doorways. Many friends and members of our family who
have gone before us have contributed by their dedicated labor and generous
monetary gifts.
There
are many contributors who built Our Lady of Lourdes starting in 1914 … by their
gifts and by their own 2 hands….and many are still doing so, this year and this
week.
With our magnificent church edifice,
of 1964, many have given us a beginning, a very healthy start in life. There are many contributors who built this
church of Our Lady of Lourdes. I invite you to be one of the many investors who
continue to build it.
[__Section_02__]
In this campaign, we are endeavoring to raise money for our parish and
for ministries overseen directly by the archdiocese.
Gifts to this campaign are shared between the parish and
archdiocese. This endeavor would enable LOCAL capital improvement at Lourdes
while supporting the regular Works of Mercy Appeal of the archdiocese
(e.g., Catholic schools, tuition assistance for Catholic school students, charitable
outreach to the poor and other ministries).
While the “Works of
Mercy” appeal and similar archdiocesan appeals come around every year, this
LIVING STONES campaign is a special endeavor to raise funds for both
archdiocesan ministries and for Lourdes. The campaign is over 4 years:
2015 – 2018.
We invite everyone to
pledge and consider a sacrificial gift for this special campaign.
___(2) OUR
GOAL. Our Total Campaign goal is $354,369.
In this first year only
(2015) of the campaign, “Living Stones” and “Works of Mercy” are linked. This
means that the first $29,000 of the $354,369 GOAL goes toward the Works of
Mercy appeal. The parish of Lourdes receives 50% of all money raised
above $29,000. And, if we surpass our GOAL, Lourdes receives 60% of all
money during 2015-2018.
WHAT IS EXCELLENT NEWS
IS OUR INITIAL PLEDGES EXCEED $29,000 AND THUS SATISFY THE WORKS OF MERCY
APPEAL FOR 2015. We have
initial pledges totaling just over $95,000 (ninety five thousand dollars). ]]]]
Yes, every one of our gifts is welcomed. In fact, we will
strengthen our community not only by the dollar amount but also by the number
of donors.
[__Section_03__]
When you contribute, when I contribute, we invest ourselves, we make a
commitment ..and we long for – we pray for – this commitment to be realized, to
be completed.
Your gift for the next 4 years will
certainly be with us and remain a gift for much longer interval.
We want to be in it to win it – for
the Holy Spirit – for the next 10, 20, 50 years and more.
As a sacrificial gift, I invite you
to consider, perhaps, that a generous gift is one that enables Lourdes to
speak, to speak the Word of God, to carry on the basic message of communicating
God’s word.
We are asking everyone to consider a
sacrificial gift and hope that the pledge chart on the flyer in the bulletin
would be helpful – there is also a pledge chart on the pledge envelope.
The gift each of us makes is a
personal contribution … and a conformity – or conformance with a pre-determined
formula.
Each of us will make gifts of
different amounts… but all of us can make a sacrificial gift. And, you also
make a gift by your prayers for our parish for the next 4, 40, and 100 years.
Yes, for every gift of your time,
talent and treasure, I greatly appreciate your generosity to Our Lady of
Lourdes Church
[__Section_04__]
And, we appreciate your
consideration of these needs which we have identified as capital projects for
Our Lady of Lourdes –
(4.1) Church Organ - Our church
organ has gone beyond its usual life span and is currently maintained through a
service contract. A new church organ
would improve our excellent music program and support our adult and children’s
choir. Our parish already attracts new visitors through our Christmas Concert
and through choral singing for Sundays and Feast Days. The quality of the choir
and music may be deciding factors for individual and families in their
selection of a parish. All of us are enabled
through music to engage fully and consciously in liturgical prayer. Our
music and our choir are instruments of evangelization and outreach for new
visitors! We want to keep both in tune!
(4.2) Church Carpeting-
Replacement is necessary to ensure safety and to enhance the beauty of
our worship space. We have magnificent brick, marble and wood throughout the
church. All of these materials will last for many decades. We have also
recently made waterproofing repairs to ensure the integrity of the roof for
years to come. The carpet has sustained water damage and wear and tear over the
years. We also want to welcome new
visitors with a beautiful foundation!
(4.3) External Infrastructure - Our property and grounds including pathways,
lighting and parking need incremental improvement. This will benefit both you, our parishioners,
and our visitors. Our location and size enable Lourdes to be a vibrant landmark
for both civic and spiritual events. Incremental improvements will keep you,
our parishioners, safe and also be attractive to new visitors. We want to make Lourdes a vibrant center
from the inside of the building to the outside. Your investment will help us
maintain our beauty in the downtown center!
EXAMPLE / HIGHLIGHT -
Our property enables safe arrival and departure of you, our parishioners
and visitors. Its size also makes Lourdes an important center socially,
spiritually, economically. Our property
is attractive for large gatherings such as the West Orange St. Patrick’s Day
Parade and related events.
CONCLUSION -- Not everyone can
give the same amount, but everyone can make a sacrificial offering. We recognize that gifts will differ.
Nevertheless, all pledges and donations are welcomed, needed, and greatly
appreciated. Every family has different
circumstances. I only ask that you consider a pledge that reflects the
blessings God has already bestowed upon you and me, upon the parish of Our Lady
of Lourdes, for this century and the next.
PLEDGE
EXPLANATION ---
PLEDGE
ENVELOPE OVERVIEW
And …so
the moment you have all been waiting for …the pledge envelopes / in your pews
// and pens.
We are
inviting your pledge today, considering that you and I have had some time over
the past few weeks to understand the need, see the video and hear the testimony
of our parishioners and committee members – Joe Riopel, Carol Ford, and Jeff
Salazar.
Please
note that pledges are always welcome even after this Sunday May 3rd.
I just
want to explain some of the pledge card – we will take up a second collection
this Saturday-Sunday of your pledge envelopes.
Thank
you to those who might have brought their pledge card from home You can
certainly place this in the special SECOND collection. And those who have sent
their pledge in already.
For
those of you who have sent in your pledge, please know that you are not being
asked at this time for any “additional pledge” or a second pledge. You may fill
in a card – and simply indicate ….your name, address, phone number, and a note
“I already sent in my pledge”
Please
note that your pledge is not a legally binding contract and may be adjusted to
a higher or lower amount if your circumstances were to change.
You may
… if you wish …
·
make
an optional down payment toward your pledge
·
inform
us when – exactly – you wish to start making payments.
·
This
is a request – today – for a pledge ..not for any paid gift.
·
You
may make your pledge by having an amount billed to your credit card every
month.
·
The
We Are Living Stones Campaign will provide updates/statements to you –
record-keeping – with reminders – either monthly, quarterly, annually, or
semi-annually or in the interval that you determine. You will also receive an
end of year statement for your IRS tax return and tax deduction. You will receive this end of year statement regardless of the method
chosen – either check or credit card or other electronic means.
Thank
you for your attention and thank you for all your support and prayers for
Lourdes.
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