Dear Fellow Follower of Jesus Christ,

Ours is a Catholic Community which seeks to strengthen our relationship with God and all people through acts of charity, justice, and love proclaiming the Gospel, sharing the Eucharist and developing our ministries. Over the past year, we have worked very hard to be good stewards of our collective blessings. As the result of much planning, we have paid down our parish loans and renegotiated our bond interest saving thousands of dollars in interest for the coming years. We can be proud of our efforts to achieve financial stability and allow our community to continue growing as we serve the many needs of our parish.

We very much depend upon the support of every one of the of the parishioners which make up Saint Theresa of Avila parish. Everyone’s individual offering joins together to make a difference in the lives of so many people. We offer ministries to Pre-school age children, to our youth learning their faith, to the bereaved, to those in hospitals, homebound or in nursing homes, to the dying, to the poor nearby and abroad and to adults seeking spiritual enrichment. What a blessing it is for all of us to join together every Sunday to thank God for the gifts of our lives.

I am writing to invite each household to make a stewardship pledge so that the ministry of the Lord can continue to grow our in our parish. Your pledge will be a significant part of the effort we share to make the Reign of God just a little more visible in our neighborhoods, country, and our world.

Stewardship has been an integral part of our parish from its conception ten years ago, and it is our hope that this year we can build upon this good foundation.

I ask you to prayerfully reflect on the ways in which God has blessed you. Please consider adjusting your weekly offering to reflect the goal of returning 5% of your household income to the ministry of the Lord in our church. Whatever gift you give is appreciated but your willingness to sacrifice moves us forward.

So why should you support this Love-Serve-Give...Intentionally Stewardship campaign? Because as intentional disciples of Jesus Christ we cherish what went before us and honor what is ours to care for now. That is just who we are as a parish.

Through our worship, our growth, our times of joy and even our times of sorrow we remain steadfast in our faith and true to our Catholic tradition. May the Lord bless you and let’s be praying for each other.

Yours in Christ,