From the Desk of Father Jason - October 12, 2025
Dear St. Francis Xavier Parishioners,
A Christian steward is a believer in Jesus who recognizes that all they have comes from God and that life is a loan. We invest our lives through prayer, service, and sharing.
We pray. We pray communally at Mass each weekend and Holy Day of Obligation. We pray individually through talk with God, reconciliation/confession, and the Holy Bible.
We serve. First, we serve through the ministries of the Mass. This type of service is essential for the proper worship of the Lord God through Jesus Christ. Unless we are prevented, we should volunteer at a ministry at the Mass. If everyone does this, then the burden of serving does not fall as heavily on a group of the few.
But in addition to serving at Mass, we also serve through the parish in other ways. There are many ministries under the umbrella of St. Francis Xavier Parish. Some serve the spiritual needs of parishioners, others the material needs of the community, and still others serve in order to help me run the parish.
Being a part of St. Francis Xavier Parish makes us not just members, but “member ministers.” If ministry were restricted just to the clergy, not as much will happen to build the Kingdom of God. But if all parish members take up ministry, the Kingdom of God will become more fully present in De Pere and the glory of God will be shown forth
Please consider the ministries on the back of this letter. What does your time and talent allow? What can you do to build up God’s kingdom today?
Other news. Last week I wrote about the Diocesan Regional Planning Process for the cities of Green Bay and De Pere. What is it? It is a process designed to realign and reconfigure our parishes so they can remain vibrant and sustainable well into the future. Why are we doing it? We face challenges: 1.) Too many weekend Masses compared to attendance leading to strains in resources and weaking community life, 2.) A growing Hispanic population which needs priest who can serve culturally and pastorally, 3.) Priests are burden with building management and have less time for ministry and evangelization, 4.) Fewer priests available to meet parish needs. What is the goal? The goal is to establish a mission-driven path forward that creates stronger parish communities, supports the well-being of the clergy, makes effective use of resources, and ensures that the Church remains focused on its essential mission: the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sincerely through Jesus,
Fr. Jason