A Thank You Is Not Enough

Allow me to begin the New Year repeating my gratitude for so many of you and your contributions to our community of faith. I am not speaking only, or primarily, about monetary contributions. I am remembering the celebrations of the last month, and beyond, when we remembered our deceased loved ones in early November, celebrated our Patron Saint Willebrord, gave thanks on Thanksgiving Day, decorated the church for Advent and began our Advent journey together, celebrated our patronal feasts of Mary Immaculate and Our Lady of Guadalupe, invited young and old to share works of art, music, and other talents on video, gave generously to the Giving Tree ministry in order to feed hungry families (more than 80 families!!), prepared for Christmas by praying the rosary and participating in “The Posadas, and celebrated the great feast of our Savior’s birth on Christmas Day. The decorations are once again beautiful and festive!

I would like to thank all the ministers and volunteers in the parish who have faithfully continued to offer their time and talents in order to facilitate our liturgies and times of prayer. We cannot count the number of volunteer hours given to various ministries like the Giving Tree, decorating the church, serving the poor and hungry, managing the video and audio recordings, keeping “Facebook Live” functioning as well as we have, providing music and leading the singing at Mass, etc. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, many good people stepped forward and took some risks in order to make the feast days and holy days to be something special.

I pray that the family of faith of St. Willebrord knows the abundant blessings of God which we have received. We have been given special ministries in downtown Green Bay – offering Masses to many people who are not members of St. Willebrord Parish but who find comfort here, both the poor and the powerful; providing places of prayer in our church, near the statue of the Pieta, and outside by the grotto; giving a place of rest, welcome, and comfort to the homeless, tired, and hungry; providing a stable community of faith, a place of worship, and ministries to the Hispanic community; and many other useful ministries and opportunities.

May our parish community let go of any intolerance, racism, discrimination, greed, and condemnation of the other. May we instead grow in charity, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, inclusion, hospitality, and every other good gift that God has given us!

Peace, Fr. Andy