Dear Disciples of Christ at Holy Spirit, St. Helen’s, and St. Mary’s,

I’m blessed to have another week here under my belt. Little by little, I’m starting to get to know you, your names and your stories, and I’m starting to see your personalities come out a little more each day. It has been a great blessing for me.

I want you to know that everything I’m learning about you, I’m bringing with me to prayer. As I hear about your lives and your families, your hopes and your struggles, I bring those things before Jesus. I’m asking Him to help me see you and hear you as He does, and for the wisdom and discernment to lead you closer to Him. I’m also blessed to hear the many ways the Holy Spirit is already moving in your lives and in the life of our parish.

As I continue to settle in, I’m really looking forward to meeting more of you and getting to know you beyond a quick conversation before or after Mass. In my experience, I’ve often found that one of the best ways to get to know people is around the dinner table. I especially love being invited into people’s homes, meeting families where they are, sharing a meal together and simply getting to know one another on a more personal level.

Of course, I recognize that I am just one person, and there are a lot of you! So, if you’d be to help me out, I have an idea.

I’d love to be invited to dinner at your house, but with one request: would you also invite three or four other families to join us? It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, the point is simply to spend some time together and give me an opportunity to get to know you.

Bonus points if you invite a family you’ve never had over to your house before, or perhaps a family that comes from a different parish of origin than you! I think this could be a great opportunity not only for me to get to know you, but for all of us to continue getting to know one another as one parish family.

If you’re interested in hosting one of these dinners, please speak to me personally first so that we can find a date and time that works for both of us. You’re also free to email me at frstevencaraher@gmail.com.

Know that you are always in my prayers. May God bless you, and may the Lord protect you and guide you throughout this next week.

Peace, Father Steven Caraher