Update on the Welcome Ministry at St. Patrick
According to Matthew Kelly, a Catholic author and owner of Dynamic Catholic, a Catholic publishing company, the four signs of a dynamic Catholic are prayer, study, generosity, and evangelization. Dynamic Catholic began with a simple dream: to help ordinary people discover the genius of Catholicism. Efforts to fulfill this dream occur through speaking engagements, the publication of books, and weekend experiences like Welcome Weekend. Kelly’s mission for Welcome Weekends was to help grow Catholics and their parishes. He aimed to transform parishes by increasing the number of highly engaged Catholics by 1 percent for seven years. St. Patrick supported the mission of this ministry, adding it to our formation opportunities in 2018.
The Welcome Weekend at St. Patrick has served hundreds of Catholics and has helped transform the hearts of the men and women involved. These personal transformations have not only helped the individuals but also our parish, turning it into a more dynamic community full of more engaged Catholics. Our parish is profoundly and eternally grateful for the men and women who have made themselves available to God through Welcome, and we can all take pride in the positive impact.
Parish leadership, in collaboration with the Welcome Continuation Committee, has stepped back from the Welcome Ministry to assess its position within our community. Participation has steadily declined, making hosting and maintaining every weekend experience more challenging. We chose not to ignore these facts and proactively engaged in difficult discussions about this ministry and its future. Ultimately, our loyalty and love for Welcome have led us to make a tough decision regarding the ministry’s future.
After careful consideration, evaluation, and prayer, we have concluded that the Welcome Ministry has fulfilled its purpose. We expect this message to be received with mixed emotions. This change does not negate Welcome's significant impact on our parishioners and community. Instead, we follow Welcome’s example by believing that God is a God of purpose, and we open ourselves to growing in God’s love by setting aside our desires, preferences, and pride. Through this, we are open to God’s possibilities, never closing ourselves off to any outcome, even when the outcome is unexpected or difficult to receive. We trust that this outcome will not prevent the Welcome Ministry's spirit from being carried into our future endeavors.
