Christmas is a special time of the year. We enjoy the traditions of baking cookies, decorating our Christmas trees and singing along to the songs on the radio. Another thing we enjoy is the antics our pets come up with during this festive time of the year! We thought we’d show you some of our favorite moments from years past with our fur family!
Saint Nicholas Day
Observed December 6th
Giving Tuesday!
It all starts with Thanksgiving Eve. People are traveling, visiting family and ready to feast on turkey. Then we celebrate with a large meal on Thanksgiving, and prepare to shop until we drop on Black Friday. Over the past decade or so, Small Business Saturday has helped the mom and pop shop businesses thrive during the holiday season. Next is Cyber Monday where we search for the best deals on line. And last, but not least is Giving Tuesday. It’s a fairly new concept that is paving ways for a different kind of gift giving.
Travel for the Holiday’s
Thanksgiving is perhaps one of the busiest travel holidays of the year. College students are coming home for the first time since the beginning of the semester, friends and family are flying in from out of town and roads are busier due to the long holiday weekend. Are you one of the millions travelling this Thanksgiving? If you are, Parish Giving is here to help!
Food Banks and Thanksgiving: The Importance of Giving during the Holiday’s
The holiday’s; it’s a time of the year most of us look forward to. Big dinners, the house is warmed with a turkey in the oven, and your family is gathered around the dining room table giving thanks for their blessings of the past year. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to provide that hot turkey, delicious pies, or even a warm home. That is where Food Banks, Soup Kitchens, and St. Vincent de Paul society comes in. You are provided with either the essentials to help you with your family meal, or a place to eat and enjoy conversation with others in your community.
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Vote
Have A Vision?
All Soul’s Day
“And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen”.
Halloween: To Trick or Treat, or Trunk or Treat?
Pumpkins, leaves changing colors, less daylight; all of this can mean one thing – Halloween is quickly approaching! Children will be dressed as a pumpkin, their favorite superhero/character, a ghost, etc. School parades, tricky trays and the ever popular trunk or treat and trick or treats! This leaves the question of which is better: to trick or treat, or to trunk or treat?
Growing up, you’d see the PSA’s on trick or treating on the television this time of the year. We were told to always make sure you trick or treat with an adult, and to always dump your candy at home and have your parents check it prior to consumption. Needless to say, I always thought this was so my parents could take the candy they liked, and I’d be stuck with the popcorn balls and pretzels (don’t worry; they only took the Mary Jane’s!). With trunk or treat, there are not as many worries for parents.
Most trunk or treats are organized by either a school or a church. They gather in their parking lot, and have their vehicle trunks decorated. Sometimes there is a theme, other times you just decorate for Halloween or the season. Pumpkins and scarecrows are often a popular choice! Then comes the fun part! Games, prizes and candy!
It wouldn’t be Halloween without some fun and games! Those who decorate their car often make up fun games for the children who visit them. It can be as simple as a bean bag toss, or as messy as bobbing for apples! If a child wins the game, they are often given a prize or extra candy! Most probably opt for the extra candy, but it’s the decorator’s choice!
Trunk or treat also helps to bring the community and the Parish together. Connecting church and community together is a great way to bring fun and safety to those with a young family. Your children are in a safe environment, where they can go from car to car without major worries.
As you can see candy is involved in both trunk or treating and trick or treating. The trunk or treat has a controlled environment where most people know one another; there is more trust with the parents that the candy will not be tampered with, and that it is in a safe, well lit area. What kids like the best is that trunk or treats are not held on Halloween, but rather the weekend before. That means they are able to acquire extra candy! It’s a win-win for both parent and child.
Now, don’t think that Parish Giving is not able to assist with your parish’s trunk or treat! We have our forms that make signing up convenient for everyone involved! All you need is 5 minutes out of your busy schedule to sign up, and a form of payment if needed! You’ll receive a confirmation in your email that it was a success and you’re all done. We know you have other things to do during your day, so we wanted to make signing up for events one less hassle!
Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!
Youth Ministry: How You Belong in the Church
Often times once you are confirmed in the church, you may struggle with a reason to attend Mass anymore. You feel as though you have learned enough through Religious Education, and that attending Mass will not provide any real benefit to your life. That is simply not true. As we mature, our minds widen. That is why it is important to attend Mass and allow our minds to develop with Catholic teachings. Youth Ministry (YM) allows us to do so.
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Time, Talent and Treasure
Sharing Your Abilities with the Community
We thought we’d offer a different kind of blog for you this week; something about the community. As you know Parish Giving is a part of John Patrick Publishing. Since many parishioners notice their phone number on the back of the bulletin, JPP often receives phone calls from parishioners about needing a handyman service. We politely direct them to their parish office and ask them speak to someone who takes care of the bulletin and have them put an announcement in for them. This brought up the idea of sharing your abilities with those in your community so you can help make it a better place.