Page 4 - Annual Report to Parishioners RTP 2024 - 8 Page v3_Neat

Fruits of Your Giving

Parish Life

Our Parish Life was full of celebrations and sharing of the blessings SSTM received over this past year! In the
various seasons of the year, we hosted Coffee & Donuts on the Plaza and in the Social Hall. Our C&D hosting
groups shared their ministries with the parishioners and guests in a very social way. Old friendships and new were
blossoming. The Saturday Night Socials were growing again. These light dinners were an introduction to our parish
for many guests visiting for the first time, and connections were made around the tables. Volunteers supplied the
food & beverages; The Holy Spirit supplied the rest…

Growing in love with our Catholic faith through the Mass overflowing into our social & cultural celebrations is a
hallmark of our Parish Life. With our Vietnamese, Filipino & Hispanic communities, celebrations of Our Lady of
LaVang, Simbang Gabi, Our Lady of Gudalupe (Las Posadas) Masses
expanded. Parishioners joined with dances, music, pinatas and food for
all to enjoy together. Our Women’s Guild also supports our parish
families by hosting receptions following the funerals of their loved
ones.

A gift from the Knights of Columbus and other parishioners who joined
in the Parish Block Party was an entertaining & tasty event during the
summer of ‘23. We had delicious food cooked by the Knights and
Terrific Tuesday Meals teams. Great music was the backdrop to the
games and laughter that filled the grounds!

The three celebrations of Ordination receptions were the finale of the year! We celebrated the Diaconate
Ordination of our own Joseph Tapia-Beeman in May. In June we celebrated Ordination anniversaries of 50 years for
Fr. John Madigan, former pastor of SSTM and 19 years for Fr. Ed White and his 18 years at SSTM. We had so many
opportunities for volunteers to help with music, food donations, serving, setup and cleanup. Folks responded with
love and joy! The Holy Spirit was flowing through our hearts with exultation! Parish Life was overflowing…

Faith Formation

Kindergarten – 5 Grade: Children and Family Ministry
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It’s a joy to help children know God. Parents are on the front lines of this mission, navigating a culture that fights
against faith! Our goal is to support them in helping children know God, live His Word, and engage in their
Catholic community. The core of this year’s formation was weekly home study, supported by monthly classes at
church, family Masses, and – new this year – Friday Family Fun Nights!

At the fun nights, we provided free dinner, opportunities to meet
other families, and activities that helped all grow in faith and
community. Families chose their activities for most events and
decided how long to stay. Our two largest nights were an Advent
celebration (110 people) and a farewell party for Fr. Ed (75 people).

Our sacrament group was smaller this year, with 33 children
receiving their First Eucharist and 4 children receiving full initiation
(Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation) at Easter Vigil.

During this post-covid time, it has been difficult to find volunteers willing to commit. We did however, add 6 more
weekly volunteers, giving us a just-right team of 10! For fun nights, we added many more food helpers, teens, and
3 more catechists. For bible camp, we had 22 adults and 30 teens who supported 59 campers! The Lord has
blessed us as our team grows, centered on community, prayer, leadership, and commitment to our faith.