The faith community of St. Joseph is a witness to the love of Christ by living out the Gospel values and our baptismal promises in the world. We work to accomplish this through the use of our gifts of time, talent and treasure as we serve God and one another in the many parish ministries found in our parish family.
Answering our Baptismal Call
According to Vatican II,
"every baptized Christian is incorporated into Christ and shares in His Priestly, Kingly, and Prophetic Office. By virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation all are called by Christ to fulfill their right and duty to build the Kingdom of God here on earth by reflecting God’s Presence to the world. "
In the sacraments one acquires the attitude of Christ, so one’s ministry becomes an extension of Christ’s Ministry. All of us have our own special roles based on the gifts bestowed on us at Baptism. By living into the fullness of these gifts, we live out our Baptismal Promises.
“Hence, the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvelously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them.”
Answering the Call at St. Joseph
Such fruits are most evident in: worship, spiritual, community, education, ministry to the sick & elderly, outreach, youth, family life, communication, and others. Each ministry under these headings is equally important in the communal and spiritual life of the parish.
New parishioners have continually expressed how they have been welcomed and drawn to a fuller participation through the example of those who are already living their faith by serving their church. Our Ministry Members have come to this understanding of their faith through the empowerment and full support of our pastor, Father Rickey Valleroy and his entire staff. Adult faith formation has been a growing priority. The results are a faith-filled community who give willingly in Christ’s Name.
We can attest to the generous spirit and right intentions of our parishioners. Their response to the needs of our parish family and the larger community give witness to their growing awareness of the Gospel message.
This message challenges all to live into their true giftedness, which is passed down to our children, whose own participation as Altar Servers, Lectors and in service-oriented projects is a witness in itself. United with Christ, both young and old take part in sharing the reality of the sacraments with others. All the good works they do are done for the greater glory of God.
Our goal always is to return to our Christian Mission – to bear witness to God’s Kingdom. The only way, of course, our ministries can be truly faithful to this goal is to hear and heed Jesus’ words:
“This is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.”
It is the purpose of the Christian Service Commissions and all its committees/ organizations to promote and coordinate programs that will guarantee all God’s children in the worldwide community, in the local community and especially within the parish boundaries, justice and charity in full measure.
It has the responsibility of enabling members of the parish to respond to the social justice problems of today. It also concerns itself with the physical, mental and emotional needs of the people of the parish, giving special care to the poor, the lonely, and the aged.