Saint Rita Catholic Church and School in Webster, NY

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Why We Give

Thank you to all who have responded to our United in Faith and Community initiative! If you have not responded yet, we encourage you to take time to prayerfully consider your offertory gift to Saint Rita and then complete the blue Response Card and return it by May 8. You may drop it in the collection basket, the donation slot in the Narthex, at the Parish Office, or complete it online.

“Why we give … St. Rita Church and School have been such an integral part of our lives for over 25 years. We are truly grateful for the staff and many caring individuals that have and will continue to support our faith journey. We have been blessed in so many ways and recognize the importance of sharing our gifts with those in need and to support St. Rita parish. In the grand scheme, what we offer is small relative to what we receive from our Lord on a daily basis.”

How can we help to build our community of faith at St. Rita?

Here are a few suggestions for helping to grow Mass attendance, ministry participation and to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ’s saving grace:

1. We can talk to others about the importance of the Mass / Eucharist in our own lives.

2. We can contribute to making Saint Rita a warm, friendly welcoming environment to all.

3. We can reach out to others and make a personal connection and let our witness and joy do the “talking”.

4. We can be attentive to the needs of those who have either left Saint Rita Church or are unchurched.

Here is something to think about … If you went to an amazing restaurant where the food and service were the best you ever had and the price was very reasonable – do you tell anyone else about it or keep it to yourself? Most likely you are happy to bring it up in conversation with others. Now how about applying that logic to the Eucharist (the absolute BEST meal on earth)?

Miraculous Growth

When we kicked off United in Faith and Community, I mentioned the miraculous growth St. Rita has experienced over the last several years, flowing from the inspiration and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

Here are some more ways we have grown and built on the strong foundation of our parish and school:

We started live-streaming Masses and other events and use the screens in church as aids to participation.
We installed new security measures: cameras and electronic entry in the school and parish buildings.
We took part in the worldwide Synod process and continue to follow its example of prayerful listening.
Members of our “Reach Out” ministry are providing educational, spiritual, and social opportunities for all age levels through events such as Bingo Night and Square Dancing, small gifts at Masses, and writing letters or dropping off care packages to stay connected.
We have seen the birth and growth of St. Rita’s Racial Justice Ministry.
St. Rita is working together with four other Churches to provide a free community meal in Webster every week.
Our music ministry has grown in spirit and vitality to include the children’s Angel Choir and Tone Chime Choir, in addition to over 45 adult musicians.
Our school community is growing, as we have reached 245 students for next school year.
St. Rita Reads, ChristLife, Bible Study, Topics with Fr. Tim, and our Lenten Reflection Series provide opportunities for sharing faith, learning, and growing as a community, often including a meal together.
Our expanded Buildings and Grounds Committee has been working hard to assess, update, and repair many areas of our campus, include painting, carpet, outlets, closet organization, and parking lot maintenance.
Our long-running Fiesta and Sunday morning Breakfasts have returned, joined by School Spirit Donut Sundays.

United in Faith and Community is the next step in this miraculous growth. Your increased gift to the parish will support this growth and allow us to continue to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

~Fr. Tim

Please prayerfully consider your offertory giving and return your Response Card (sent to parishioners in the mail or available in the Narthex) by May 8, 2024. You can also fill out a response card online here and see additional information about the initiative.

Thank you for your support of this important initiative!

United in Faith and Community

What is St. Rita “United in Faith and Community”?

United in Faith and Community is a multifaceted initiative at St. Rita to strengthen our parish. The primary goals of this initiative are to increase Mass attendance, ministry participation, regular financial support, and to ensure the continued long-term growth and success of St. Rita church and school.

Why is St. Rita undertaking this initiative?

Over the past five years, we have all been through some challenging times – the Global Pandemic, the Diocese of Rochester bankruptcy, economic and other changes. St. Rita Parish is bouncing back from these tough times with a renewed faith and vitality. Engagement in our ministries is growing again, opportunities for education of all ages and fellowship have increased significantly, we have started five new ministries for education, hospitality and service, our school enrollment is up by 36%, and we are starting to see a slight uptick in Mass attendance.

While there are many positive signs at St. Rita, two areas, Worship Attendance and Offertory Collections have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. United in Faith and Community is the initiative to communicate and address these concerns while encouraging our parish community to join together in faith and fellowship and to especially experience the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist at Mass.

What are the goals of “United in Faith and Community”?

Increase our average weekend worship attendance by 200 people and our average weekly offertory collections by $2,500.

How can you help us reach these goals?

Help us also to build our community of faith. Please invite your families, friends, and neighbors to join us at St. Rita for Mass, for fellowship, for spiritual support, for education (adult and youth) and for service.

Thank you for your support of this important initiative!

A Parent's (and Grandparent's) Prayer

As our granddaughter makes her First Communion this weekend, Chris and I are filled with a sense of hopefulness and joy that, as crazy as the world can seem at times, indeed all shall be well. Over the next month, as more and more of our youth experience the joy of First Communion and Confirmation, I encourage us to keep them in our prayers. I found this one from Loyola Press that seems to hit the mark!

Loving God,
You are the giver of all we possess,
the source of all of our blessings.
We thank and praise you.
Thank you for the gift of our children.
Help us to set boundaries for them, and yet
encourage them to explore.
Give us the strength and courage to
treat each day as a fresh start.
May our children come to know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent.
May your Holy Spirit help them to grow in faith, hope, and love,
so they may know peace, truth, and goodness.
May their ears hear your voice.
May their eyes see your presence in all things.
May their lips proclaim your word.
May their hearts be your dwelling place.
May their hands do works of charity.
May their feet walk in the way of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord.
Amen.

Much love,
~Deacon Jim

Eucharistic Communion and Seeing Those in Need

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that receiving the Eucharist “commits us to the poor” (1397). Why is this so?

Receiving the Eucharist means that we enter into union with the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. And being in Holy Communion with Jesus himself means something profound. Let’s consider one facet of this great mystery.

The Eucharist is Jesus himself. He is the Eternal Word, living in Trinitarian communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit. But out of love for us, in order to save us from sin and death, the beloved Son of the Father chose to take upon himself a radical poverty: the weakness of the human condition of his beloved creatures.

Continue reading this article by Dr. James Pauley here.