Hello friends!
As we begin this most holy season of Lent, there are many things that I wish to highlight in this bulletin. Some of these things will certainly have to do with how to make this Lent a powerful and fruitful time; other things are more of a general, yet still very important, nature.
First, the annual Catholic Charities Appeal for 2022 is well underway and some of you have already sent in your contributions…thank you for your generosity! The work of Catholic Charities in Western New York cannot be overstated and they rely, each year, on the very kind support that you offer them. Please consider making your annual contribution soon so that the good work carried out can continue uninterrupted. For your convenience, you may place your Catholic Charities contribution into the specially marked envelope (that was mailed to you) and drop it into the collection basket at weekend Mass. You may also mail the contribution directly in yourself, or bring it to the parish office at your convenience. Once again, thank you for your charity and kindness!
Our Divine Mercy Mission Renewal begins this week, on Monday evening. Gathering in the main church at 7pm, you and your families are invited to an evening of prayer, song, praise, and a special talk delivered by a guest speaker. After we have concluded in the church, the evening of Mission Renewal continues in the Fr. Cotter Hall, where there will be discussion, reflection, and faith-sharing about the central theme of that night’s talk. Of course, no church gathering would be complete without food and drink, and this will certainly be part of the evening’s festivities and fellowship. These nights of mission (the Mondays of March – March 14th, March 21st, March 28th) are open to ALL GOD’S PEOPLE, whether they are parishioners are not. Please invite your families, friends, and neighbors to join us for 3 special evenings!
Finally, all parishes are being asked to take part in a survey to help gauge the needs of individual faith communities. This survey is part of the ongoing Road to Renewal process, and will serve as a tool for assessing strengths and areas of future growth. The diocese is asking that each parish provide at least 10% parishioner participation. Want to help us out here at Blessed Sacrament and actively contribute to the assessment of our many strengths? Then please consider participating in this survey! The survey should be no longer than 15 minutes and is really easiest to complete online. This particular survey is being sponsored by the Catholic Leadership Institute and is called the Disciple Maker Index Survey. Below is the link, which is specific to each individual parish. Once you enter the portal and complete the survey with this link, it will be tallied and calculated for our parish of Blessed Sacrament specifically. So please, do not use a link from a neighboring parish, or a link posted in another parish bulletin.
https://portal.catholicleaders.org/d/ygbg7y
There are hard copies of the survey available in the sacristy and you may come before or after Mass to take one. Please be sure to return it in a timely manner. An email “blast” (or mass email) was sent out to parishioners this morning containing the above link. If, for some reason, you don’t receive the email, please call the parish office and provide us with your name and email address and we will be happy to send an email containing this link. Finally, if you would like to complete this survey online, but are not able to do so at home, please call the parish office. We would be happy to have you schedule a time when you can come to the parish office and someone will be happy to assist you in completing the online version of this survey. Thank you for your participation and assistance!
~ Fr. Martin Gallagher
Blessed Sacrament Church 