What does it mean to be a parishioner of Saint William?

What does it mean to be a parishioner of Saint William?  

According to the Church, a parishioner is an individual or family that either lives in the geographical boundary of a parish assigned by the diocese or is registered. As pastor, it is a privilege and gift to minister to so many, both Catholic and non-Catholic alike.  

Others of us may identify as parishioners of Saint William after receiving a sacrament from this parish. Perhaps it was at St. William where your children (or you) were baptized, received First Holy Communion, or were confirmed or married. A parish is a place where we gather to worship God. It is also where we minister, serve one another, grow in knowledge of our faith, and deepen our relationship with the Lord.  

What are we called to do? 

In last week’s letter, I introduced three anchors that are central to our parish mission. First, facilitating an encounter with Christ for our parish family and neighbors is essential. 

When we encounter the Lord, a metanoia (a transformative change) takes place in our hearts. An encounter with Christ can take many forms, often unexpected and deeply personal. Perhaps we experienced a moment of grace and peace in our lives that reminded us of His constant presence, offering us hope and the strength to continue on our healing journey.  

As parishioners, are we seeking to help others do the same—to encounter Jesus? Secondly, do we foster a commitment to our parish through our time, talent, and treasure? Are we encouraging and being witnesses to others in doing the same? And lastly, are we working toward making disciples of Jesus Christ both within our parish and beyond? As Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave the divine mandate to, “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). Let us continue to reflect on these anchors and how we can implement them in our lives here at St. William, in our homes and communities. 

We must be intentional in the way we live out our faith. 

Being a parishioner ultimately comes from within. Reflecting on our parish mission through these anchors is an opportunity for us to come together as a parish family and renew our commitment to St. William. When I enter our church and observe the beauty of the artwork, stained-glass windows, and architectural design of our parish campus, I am grateful to God for the gift of St. William. The diversity of our parish is truly a blessing and reflects the beauty of the Catholic Church. 

As your pastor and parishioner of Saint William, you can count on me to continue serving our parish to the best of my ability and invite you to do the same.  Can I count on you? I invite all of our parish family to stand together and declare, “You can count on me!” and live as one Body of Christ building the Kingdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Ad Jesum per Mariam, 

Fr. Francisco Rodriguez III 
Pastor