To the Parish Family and Friends of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Every day I find myself in awe of the spirit, holiness, and life on our campus. Every Sunday, we have new faces that join us in worship. We have grown an impressive 90% of registered families since breaking ground on our beautiful Cathedral, and we have seen a rise in individual members of 69%. Ministries abound full of life and hope for those involved and those they serve. Formation that spans all ages equips and encourages all of God’s people to be disciples that form disciples. I try not to take the whole experience for granted. Yes, our call is to go far beyond our Sunday experience and what happens at 711 S. Northshore Drive, but I would like to invite you to join me both looking around on Sundays with a bit of wonder and at the same time not taking it for granted. God has blessed each of us and called us to be a part of the Body of Christ.
I am incredibly grateful to have a faith-filled community that truly takes to heart the message of the Gospel. I want to thank each one of you who has supported our parish in the past, present, and future. Every contribution we receive serves to sustain the breadth, health, and future of the ministry here. September is the time we express as a church our gratitude for all the Lord is doing and prayerfully discern our commitment looking ahead to 2023. Celebrating God’s blessings and grace is a cornerstone of our community’s identity.
As we move forward into 2023, we look at not simply maintaining our parish but instead, we are emboldened to reach out to all within our parish boundaries. We want everyone to know that the Cathedral is a place where all are welcome because Christ is most fully present here. We believe it is a very exciting time for our church to discern initiatives, commitments, and convictions as we strive to answer God’s call to be the Body of Christ for one another so together we can be the Body of Christ in the world.
I ask that you prayerfully consider your commitment to the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. If you are already a faithful steward and pledge each year, please consider increasing your pledge. Even a tiny amount makes a big difference. If you have never given before, or if it has been a while, consider beginning the spiritual practice of generous, consistent, and disciplined giving. Our Stewardship weekends will be on September 10 & 11 and 17 & 18, but you can always commit early by using the links below. Pope Francis said, “God, who cannot be outdone in generosity, still uses you and me to help our brothers and sisters.” Thank you for your faithful support; it is a true joy to journey alongside you.
In Christ,
Fr. David A. Boettner,