Giving in Gratitude
Giving in Gratitude this Season
I know the pandemic has impacted the finances of many members of our community. Like our families, our parish is facing difficulty in paying our bills. Our church is blessed by the significant support it has received from our Pueblo leadership. Our beautiful facilities and their upkeep and maintenance are generously provided by the Pueblo. We are blessed by the fact that the majority of our activities are overseen by volunteers who give us their time and talent. However, as a separate non-profit organization, we are still responsible for many day-to-day expenses including salaries and benefits, program materials, and certain utilities.
I would never expect a family to put giving to the church above providing for the basic needs and wellbeing of their home. What we give in no way impacts the right we have to services from the Church, and what or how we give does not reflect how much God loves us. However, sharing the resources we have is one way to give thanks for the blessings God has bestowed on us. Giving is a way to recognize our connection to and participation in something much greater than ourselves. The significance of any gift is not in its size—some of our most dedicated givers only share a small amount each month. The significance of a gift is in the intention of the heart that has shared it.
We are all capable of giving. Some of us give of our time, others talent, and others treasure and some all three. One gift that we can always offer is the gift of prayer. Even if you are not able to make a physical gift, we can never underestimate the power of prayer. Please pray for the wellbeing of our community and parish.
The beauty and the challenge of church ministry is that it is dependent on the generous hearts of the community that forms the Church. We are the Body of Christ, and as such our strength depends on all of us. What we offer may feel small or insignificant as an individual, but when we give together we see the power of what God does through the unity we share as a community of faith. In our giving and receiving we recognize that everything we are and everything we have is a gift from God given in service to him.
I am so grateful for the profound generosity of so many in our community. I know your gifts are not given without sacrifice. I trust God will continue to care for and watch over us all.
In gratitude,
Fr. Graham
Opportunities to Give
Giving Tuesday
We all know of the spending craze that happens after Thanksgiving: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, etc. What many of us may not know about is Giving Tuesday. This day gives us the opportunity to give back to the important organizations and groups in our lives. This year Giving Tuesday is on December 1st and our parish will be participating!
You can invite friends and family to contribute as well!
· Visit www.santafe.igivecatholic.org
· Search for “St. Augustine” under parishes or “Isleta” under location
· Select our parish and make a one-time contribution!
· You can also find links on our website and facebook
Regular Collection Envelopes
As we have not been able to gather in person to celebrate the Mass, many of our parishioners have not been able to bring their usual contributions. You are still welcome to mail your contribution to the parish or drop it off at the office. If you don’t have an envelope number and would like us to track your contributions for tax purposes, please contact the office.
Online Giving
If you are tired of writing checks or are not able to mail or deliver contributions, but you still want to give, try our new online giving!
· Visit www.isletachurch.org/give
· Make either a onetime donation or a recurring gift.
· You can use a credit card, bank account withdraw, and other options
