St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish of Lumberton
Parish Social Ministry Resources
Service Spotlight:
For the month of January, a total of 139 lbs of nonperishable items were donated to our local Christian Care Center in Lumberton. As a reminder, there are collection boxes by the main entrance and the Gift Shop where you can place any items you would like to donate. / Durante el mes de enero, se donó un total de 139 libras de artículos no perecederos a nuestro Christian Care Center local en Lumberton. Como recordatorio, hay cajas de recolección en la entrada principal y en la tienda de regalos donde puede colocar cualquier artículo que desee donar.
Many of us spent the Christmas season in warm homes enjoying food and gifts with friends and loved ones, but some of our neighbors weren’t so fortunate. Please consider sharing your time and treasure at one of several local food pantries, soup kitchens, or shelters.
For more information on shelters and emergency food service operations in your area, please visit www.homelessshelterdirectory.com.
For Catholic-specific ministries in our diocese, visit www.catholiccharitiesraleigh.org
Ways to Help:
Clothing/Food/Supplies for the Needy: Because Jesus identifies closely with the “least of these,” we must remain vigilant in our service to those in need. Please consider as part of your weekly offering any supplies, including non-perishable food, new or gently used clothing, toiletries, etc. Also, if you or anyone you know is in need of these supplies due to hardship, please contact Andrew Bowen for arrangements.
What is Parish Social Ministry?
The parish is where the church lives. Parishes are communities of faith, of action, of hope. They are where the gospel is proclaimed and celebrated, where believers are formed and sent to renew the earth. In addition, our parish communities are measured by how they serve “the least of these” in our parish and beyond its boundaries– the hungry, the homeless, the sick, those in prison, the stranger (Matthew 25:31). Our local families of faith are called to “hunger and thirst for justice” and to be “peacemakers” in our own communities (Matthew 5:6, 9). A church cannot really proclaim the gospel if its message is not reflected in its own community life. The biblical call to charity, justice, and peace claims not only each believer, but also each community where believers gather for worship, formation, and pastoral care. Parish Social Ministry is how our local parishes are organized to serve those in our midst and around the world in the areas of charity, justice, and peace. We cannot be truly “Catholic” unless we hear and heed the Church’s call to serve those in need and work for justice and peace. We cannot call ourselves followers of Jesus unless we take up his mission of bringing “good news to he poor, liberty to captives, and new sight to the blind” (Luke 4:18). The framework provided by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops asks us to examine each of the following areas in our local parishes with social ministry in mind: Prayer and Worship Preaching and Education Family, Work, Citizenship Outreach and Charity Legislative Action Organizing for Justice Global Solidarity
- See more at: http://www.dioceseofraleigh.org/offices/human-life-and-dignity/social-ministry/parish-social-ministry#sthash.zxEVvEXr.dpuf