From the Desk of Father Jason - April 19, 2026

Dear Saint Francis Xavier Parishioners,

Saint Francis Xavier’s mission statement is “To follow and worship Jesus Christ by sharing the Gospel.” The three things we do are discipleship, worship, and evangelization.

In order to evangelize, form disciples, and to enter as fully as possible into worship, people need to feel like that are wanted and eventually belong. Hospitality is essential to this.

One of the ways I have personally been trying to foster a culture of hospitality is by greeting people who enter from the south and north entrances before Mass and those exiting the west entrance after Mass.

Another way we as a parish exercise hospitality is by saying hello and introducing ourselves to those people around us before Mass. Thank you very much for doing that.

Ideally, throughout a person’s visit to St. Francis Xavier, I would hope that they are welcomed four times.

To work toward this ideal, I am beginning a new ministry, the ministry of greeter. Greeters would be distinct from ushers. They would greet people as they come through the entrances into the building. Some of the parish council members have already started this ministry. We need more people.

What does the greeter do? They say hello to those entering the building. What is the time commitment? Arrive at Mass twenty minutes early once every three weeks. Who can do it? Individuals and families with an ability to greet. Be nice.

Each entrance would have an individual or a family assigned to it. This means we would need three individuals and/or families per Mass. If we do a three-week cycle, I am looking for a total of twenty-seven individuals/families to commit. I want to thank you in advance for your yes!

Greeters are essential to beefing up the hospitality of our parish and being the living example of Jesus Christ to others in De Pere.

Sincerely through Jesus,

Fr. Jason