Recently, I attended the funeral of my college roommate’s mother – Beth, whom I had known since we moved into the dorm so long ago. Beth lived a full life of 97 years. The funeral was in my friend’s hometown family parish, and it was wonderful to join her family to celebrate her mom’s life. Coincidently, it was Homecoming weekend at the local Catholic High School.
The presider reminded us that as Catholics, we don’t walk alone, and that the funeral liturgy was also a Homecoming. This was certainly true for Beth’s immediate family who were surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins of all generations and friends. The power of a faith community in this important moment of remembrance really struck me.
I have seen and experienced this sense of homecoming and belonging so often at The Basilica. It happens when families meet with our staff to plan a service to celebrate the life of a loved one. This happens during the planning and preparation of liturgical celebrations of life events like weddings, the Baptism of new babies, and 1st Communion.
We don’t walk alone. A longtime friend who has volunteered in many capacities, is new to The Basilica’s Emmaus Ministry – this is a ministry of listening and being present to those grieving or experiencing a challenge on life’s journey. Her experiences have had a strong impact on her. She shared that she gets more out of this ministry than those she is serving. Even though she is a long time parishioner, she has made new, strong connections with other volunteers that she hadn’t known before.
Across our parish, volunteers come together to serve others – at Liturgies as Ministers of Hospitality, Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors. They sing in our choirs, and volunteer as mentors in our many outreach and supporting ministries. They help with our art and justice offerings. Other volunteers serve as catechists teaching our children in The Basilica’s faith formation programs, helping them learn about our Catholic faith and prepare for the sacraments.
Last weekend, Fr. Griffith opened our annual fundraising appeal for The Basilica Fund and asked for your financial support. Dollars committed support the Emmaus Listeners and our many impactful ministries led by teams of dedicated volunteers and staff. These ministries offer spiritual support, welcome and belonging to thousands of people every year and help people find a place of refuge at The Basilica.
The truth is simple. We can’t sustain and grow our ministries and outreach without your financial support.
If you haven’t made a pledge or recurring gift commitment, we ask that you prayerfully take this step today. Recurring gifts are easy to set up and are safe and secure. You can do this online at mary.org/give to be paid through an automatic withdrawal from your bank account or via credit card. Most people chose an amount to make a monthly financial commitment, while others chose to give weekly, or annually.
If you have been a long time financial supporter of The Basilica Fund – thank you for all your past support. Please consider increasing your gift by 10% this year, or what ever works for you personally.
Only with your financial support, will our parish continue to be a beacon of hope, a place of welcome and peace, and an advocate for justice.
Terri Ashmore
Managing Director of Mission Advancement
The Basilica of Saint Mary
Executive Director of The Basilica Landmark