Sport is not only a form of entertainment, but also — and I would say above all — a tool to communicate values which promote the good of the human person and contribute to building a more peaceful and fraternal society. – Pope Francis
As we discussed last week, our Parish Family is transforming our focus and efforts with persistent programs in three core areas in the upcoming year. We need your help planning for our future Social and Spiritual programs, Sports and Wellness activities, and Music and the Arts. The survey that will be released in May will include the specific options we will have for every age group and will have the opportunity for you to provide your feedback on the programs based on your interests. These programs will start in the fall and winter of this year, so your feedback is essential now so we can pick the programs and activities that interest you.
The next category of programs we will focus on is: Sports and Wellness Programs
We have spent significant time describing why Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) is a core effort for our Parish Family. It is still shocking to people when we describe the fact that there is not a single active CYO in Florida. So many remember playing sports under the banner of their CYO as children, myself included. It is an inexpensive and supportive sports environment that puts teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play before the scoreboard. With volunteer coaches and mentors, CYO can bring the entire community together to help, as Pope Francis points out, “contribute to building a more peaceful and fraternal society.”
Every age group can benefit from physical fitness activities. We will be developing additional opportunities for wellness for our Parish Family and our community that are 3, 30, 103 and every age in between. Some of those programs may include stretching and calisthenics, pick-up basketball games, bocce, cooking demonstrations, and futsal. All of these activities promote healthy and active living, which is essential for spiritual wellness.
While the money has been pledged in our Build Our Future, Serve Our Past capital campaign to build our Life Center and some of our other urgent needs, we still need our entire Parish Family to give in order to reach our additional goals, including the detailed execution of the above programs. If you have any questions, please contact Joe Lichwalla, the Campaign Coordinator at 239-495-2001 or email: [email protected].
You can also learn more information about the Campaign at: www.sjecc.com/future