Remember to Help Others

      ANNIVERSARY:  Let us remember that on December 12th, 2016, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the parish community will celebrate its 25th anniversary since the Spanish-speaking Catholics were welcomed into the parish family. In 1990 Norbertine Fr. Harvey Toonen and others approached then pastor, Ken DeGroot, in order to ask if the Hispanic community could regularly worship in the church at St. Willebrord. The initial discussion moved forward among parish leadership culminating in the remarkable decision to incorporate the Hispanic community into the parish. St. Willebrord Parish began to offer Mass and moved toward full parish ministry to Spanish-speaking families and individuals. The parish family marked the initiative on December 12, 1991. Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pray for us!   

      ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SEASONS: We have good cause to remember those who have material and other special needs. As Christmas nears, our parish again adopted nearly 50 families and over 150 children to be served by the Giving Tree. We also have given the names of several families to other parishes who desire to help. Furthermore, we have intervened for some anonymous individuals who want to help those in need. Later in December we will organize the gifts along with food items such as poultry, canned goods, rice, potatoes, and some household supplies. For many years the law firm next door to the parish (Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry) generously has donated household goods to help families at Christmas. We are grateful to them. Our parish is not home to the most affluent in the area, but I am impressed by the willingness to extend a hand of love to those in need.

      The on-going assistance our parishioners supply to those in need is a further witness to Gospel love. Throughout the year, on a weekly basis, we are providing food through our Food Pantry. Additionally, we are feeding more than 200 meals once a month at N.E.W. Community Shelter. This is a good and necessary activity. We are doing no more than we are obliged to do.

      AGREEMENT: Finally, I want to repeat something that I wrote about recently. The Norbertine sisters in Toro, Spain, are interested in having an agreement with us whereby we pray for each other. They are in need of vocations to join them in their life of prayer and work. We are in need of those who will pray for us and for our needs, constantly. The sisters want to do this. I would love for someone to take initiative and formulate an agreement. Let me know if you are interested.  

Peace, Fr. Andy