 Fr.
Tom's Tomes January 29, 2006
This week we celebrate National Catholic Schools Week. Catholic Schools have been a part of the Catholic Church since the early part of our Country’s early history. Catholic Schools were established to provide an education for children of the Catholic faith in order to provide them with an education to improve the quality of their lives. Catholic schools provided a way for students to receive an education to get better jobs for the many immigrant children in our country. St. Columban is blessed to have a Catholic grade school. The history of Bishop Hogan school only goes back to the 1950's, but Catholic schools at St. Columban goes further back to St. Joseph’s Academy and the grade school associated with the parish. Many of our current and past parishioners were educated through the Catholic school system. Throughout the history of St. Columban parish there has always been sacrifices made by the parish and parishioners to provide for Catholic education. In our current time of operations of the parish it has been no different than in the past. Yes, we as a parish do make sacrifices for Catholic education and it is a value for the Catholic Church. This ministry of the parish along with all other ministries of the parish are very important. The difference Bishop Hogan School makes is the ability for the teachers to teach about God in our school. Religion classes are held daily to pass on the gift of faith. In our world today, the most important part of a person’s life is their knowledge, love and relationship with God. It is through this relationship we realize our importance to God. Not only do we develop the relationship with God but we also are the ministers of God in our world today. We make the love of God present among the people of the world. As children discover the importance of God in their lives they are able to make the presence of God’s love known to others. This year through the generosity of the people of St. Columban we purchased a new series of Catholic religion books. The Catholic religion books are used both in the school and in the CCD program. At the end of the year the religion books will go home with the students so they may keep and use them throughout the summer. I am aware that all of our budgets are tight. I do invite each and every parishioner to be a steward of the gifts which God has given to each one of us. As a steward of God, the Old Testament calls us to return the first 10% of what we make back to God. Traditionally the way we break this down is to ask people to give 5% to the parish, 1% to the Diocese and 4% to charities of the person’s choice. At St. Columban we need the support of the people of the parish. Last year 166 families donated nothing by the way of the Sunday envelope to supporting the parish. I know many people give to special needs and requests of the parish and school, but there is a need to first of all support the parish through your 5% tithe to the Church. The past couple of weeks the collection has been way down and we are not meeting the financial bills of the parish. I need your support to turn the financial condition of the parish around. Please, I invite you to continue or start your support of St. Columban’s parish ministries. |