Works of Mercy: Strengthening Our Mission of Service

A Message From Parish Leadership:

In the bulletin this month we are sharing Mission Goals in the weekly bulletin articles. These four goals are the fruit of months of dialogue and discernment about the mission of our parish. We, as parish staff, pastoral council, and finance council, look forward to laboring with you in striving to meet these goals in the year ahead and beyond.

Our third mission goal is to enhance the structure of our local and international charitable ministries. We have a long history in our parish of serving spiritual and material needs in our community and throughout the world. Working together for the sake of the Common Good has been a hallmark of Saint Patrick Parish’s presence within the Hudson community.

We desire to sustain a visible presence in the community through our charitable work. However, we need to make efforts in the next year to more clearly identify areas of need that we are best suited to assist and help current and new leaders discern the best ways they can serve. Rather than simply function as a charitable NGO, we wish to participate wholeheartedly in the Church’s corporal and spiritual works of mercy for the sake of the vulnerable.

Our parish co-patron Blessed Solanus Casey was known to say: “I have two loves: the sick and the poor.” Connecting an individual or family in need with material resources is a beautiful act of kindness. We hope to take the next step by truly forming relationships with those whom we serve and those whom we serve alongside. We want every person who serves with us and is served by us to walk away with the experience of being seen, known, and loved.

We offer an abundance of opportunities for individuals to give financially and you respond generously. However, we have heard recently that it can be difficult for a parishioner – new or experienced – to know how best they can volunteer in service opportunities through our parish. We want to create better pathways where individuals can give their time and talent. Our parish pastoral council will be coordinating a calendar with updated contacts and information that will help streamline the many opportunities we have to engage parishioners and community members in service. 

We will also make consistent efforts to regularly share “Mission Moments” through our parish communication channels that provide stories and multimedia which highlight the experiences where our parishioners serve. This regular communication will culminate in a new report of service that will be published annually.