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Zone of Ministry

Written by Aidee Boesen on . Posted in From our Pastor:.

The homeless, the hungry, those in financial crisis, the alcoholic, the grieving, the imprisoned, the sick, those who are actively dying, immigrants in jeopardy of deportation, married couples in conflict, young and old struggling with a crisis of faith, pregnant teenagers, worried parents, donors wanting to help people in need, parents seeking Baptism and other Sacraments for their children, engaged couples seeking the Sacrament of Marriage, prayerful people who remain for long periods in the church praying, etc. Just this week I have met someone in every one of those categories. These are our parishioners, or they are those who live in our zone of ministry, i.e. downtown Green Bay. We do not necessarily ask any of the above persons if they are Catholic. We simply try to respond to their need, or express gratitude for their generosity.

The people whom I have met are YOU and your family of faith! These are our sisters and brothers in the family of St. Willebrord whose limits are far reaching. People come to St. Willebrord Parish from Sturgeon Bay in Door County and all the way around the Bay to Oconto Falls. They come from all parts of Green Bay and out to Denmark and down to Wrightstown and out to Seymour. This is our family. It includes many people looking for a place of welcome without questions. At our 5:00 p.m. Mass on Sunday, we have between 150 and 400 people participating at Mass and no more than 50 are members here!

The ministry that we do at St. Willebrord is the ministry that you have asked for and to whom you have told the parish staff to minister. The Good News of Jesus Christ, in service of Jesus’ commandment to love one another as he has loved us, compels us to reach out and to respond to those people to whom I refer above.

I pray that we can see that EVERYONE deserves to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Sometimes we will hear the Good News proclaimed from the pulpit of the church. Many times we will see and hear the Good News in the hallways of the parish, in the church parking lot, at the local homeless shelters, in hospital rooms, at funeral homes, and in your own homes. Let us share the Good News with joy, everywhere we are able.

Peace, Fr. Andy