On a recent Sunday I was standing in the sacristy alone when I was struck by an immense wave of gratitude. The whole congregation of St. Cecilia was waiting for me to begin the Mass. The visiting Priest and altar servers had already departed for the back of the Church to process. For some reason that morning, the knowledge that the Mass would not start until I, the lector, entered the sanctuary and approached the lectern made me feel acutely aware of my role in our eucharistic celebration. 

I felt the pure gift from God that is our participation in the Holy Mass as the baptized people of God. In that moment, I knew that I wanted to share that feeling with the readers of the Register. I wanted to invite everyone to consider what gifts they might bring to their parish – to consider becoming lectors, ushers, altar servers, choir members, or eucharistic ministers.

Of course, what we can do to enrich our parish communities is not limited to the celebration of the Eucharist. There are so many ministries that make our parishes vibrant. There are ministries that serve the parish community such as sacramental preparation for our young people. There are also ministries that serve the wider community, e.g., the Rosary Apostolate, St. Vincent de Paul, social justice ministries and ministries to the sick.

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My father was in Markham Stouffville Hospital for a week after suffering a stroke (a mild one, thanks be to God). I was with him when Sandra and Barb from nearby St. Patrick’s Parish came by to visit. We shared a special moment to pray together and receive communion. There were 45 people on their list to visit that day! The experience made me proud to belong to the Church.

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Some ministries serve both the local parish community and the wider community. The Catholic Women’s League and the Knights of Columbus are good examples of these. I would also be remiss if I did not mention my own organization, Development & Peace – Caritas Canada (DPCC), in this regard. The bishops of Canada recognized the importance of parishes to our mission at DPCC in their Pastoral Letter for our 50thanniversary in 2016, entitled, “Toward the Future, United in Faith and Trust.” It is worth quoting a length:

“The success of Development and Peace - Caritas Canada is largely dependent on the work that takes place at the grassroots level with the faithful in each diocese, eparchy, parish and religious house throughout Canada. Local involvement is vital – for the Church itself as well as for all work on behalf of justice and peace. The importance particularly of strong parish involvement must never be underestimated – both in our own country and in the Global South. The engagement and collaboration of the community of faith is necessary for every Catholic justice and peace agency – and in the same way charitable and social justice activities are essential for the Church in proclaiming the Gospel. This local presence and involvement must be promoted and encouraged – by bishops, parish leaders and Development and Peace - Caritas Canada – if it is to sustain itself as a vital Catholic organization dedicated to justice, peace and solidarity.”

This fall, as part of our On Track for Justice campaign, we will carry out a membership drive in parishes across Canada. We are especially looking for members who are willing to bring our Gospel-driven mission of international solidarity to their parish communities. While I wish I could say that every parish in Canada has at least one parishioner who is a DPCC member dedicated to this task, the truth is that we still have far to go to reach that goal. 

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While it is clear how DPCC as a parish ministry serves the wider global community by reaching out to the poorest of our brothers and sisters in the world, it may be less clear how that ministry also serves our own parishes. I believe that DPCC has a particular charism to help form people in the Catholic Social Teaching that drives our work in the world, by offering formation opportunities and resources in every parish.

My challenge is not simply to join us at DPCC. The real challenge is to get involved in your parish! I am sure many readers have heard a little voice in their heads to respond to one invitation or another they have heard on a Sunday. I pray that today is the day you answer the call.