Supporting Our Parish Family This Christmas
Just when we all thought we had seen as many challenges as could be thrown at a Parish, God provided us all yet another opportunity to come together as an even stronger and more resilient community with the current COVID-19 Pandemic. Our response was immediate and proactive. Our streaming of Masses began the very first day the Bishop suspended public access to the Church. It is now seen as the preeminent local Parish virtual Mass environment in the area, and we are watched in 18 different countries and in 45 of the 50 states. Our priests continued to visit the sick, aged, and dying, even at the risk of their own exposure. Our offices never closed. The dedication and devotion of our staff shown through our actions by developing and executing a safe, healthy, and faith engaging environment, including visitation and then Masses for hundreds a weekend, spread out over multiple locations, serving over 400 youth weekly (both in person and virtual options), and ensuring essential programs can recommence on campus. We are a truly blessed Parish Family.
One component of this environment that has been significantly impacted, however, is the giving of the community. Recently, we have had recent weeks where our collections are nearly 50% lower than the year before. There are many reasons for this reduction, and we have responded by lowering our expenses as a parish dramatically so we can stay “in the black”. However, we would ask, especially now at Christmas, a season of giving, that you prayerfully consider supporting our Parish Family.
If you happen to be watching virtually this Christmas, or would like to make a gift via a credit card once you decide, please visit our online giving site: https://stjohntheevangelist.weshareonline.org/Christmas
Giving online is a great way to serve our Parish Family, even when you are not able to attend in person, or if you are one of our friends that do not normally come to Naples. If you have any questions on how to set up persistent online giving, please contact our Front Office during our Business Hours and we can assist you.