CO-CHAIRS: ANNETTE SNODGRASS AND TOM SNODGRASS
The Outreach team represents St. Catherine of Siena’s outreach ministries. Our team identifies the needs of our community, ensuring that our parish programs are effective in meeting those requirements. We work to promote the various ministries, reaching out to all parish members, allowing the ministries to evolve and support those efforts. We coordinate, strengthen and empower members of our parish community to reach out by modeling Christ in building bridges to our brothers and sisters in need.
The outreach team meets monthly with the Pastor to evaluate and review the progress of past events, current programs and future activities. We offer ways to bring our community to others through the Eucharist, in times of sorrow, in times of support, through prayer and service, and by providing resources to meet basic needs of individuals and families. Through collaborative efforts with liturgy, community life, parish administration and formation, we seek to strengthen our parish community.
The areas that the Outreach Team oversees include:
- Bereavement – Assists the bereaved family by providing a reception following the funeral.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the Sick – Trained and commissioned to bring the Eucharist to the ill and infirmed residents of our parish whether at home, hospital, assisted living, or nursing home.
- Gabriel Angels – Trained and commissioned to help young women in crisis pregnancy situations with emotional and spiritual support, understanding and concern, immediate and practical assistance, pregnancy information, community resources, clothing and baby items.
- Grief Journey – Offers support and companionship to those grieving and mourning.
- Mission Council – Helps members of our community to respond to the call of God to assist the Church in her mission either locally or abroad.
- Metrocrest Social Services – Assists this social service agency volunteering in the center’s pantry and thrift store.
- Physically Challenged Support Group – Building deeper relationships with those who face debilitating physical challenges by offering a support system based on Christian values.
- Prayer Line – On a daily basis, prays for the intentions of members of our parish, families, friends, and others in the community and wider community who are ill, dying, or who are facing personal trials and needs.
- Respect Life – Promotes the sanctity of human life from conception until natural death by educating parishioners on all pro-life issues as taught by the Church, through active involvement in right to life activities and events, as well as informing them on decisions reached by the government on right to life issues.
- Shawls of Comfort and Joy – Ministry of crocheting or knitting shawls to be given to people for various reasons such as grief, illness or to mark a happy occasion such as births, baptism or marriage. The shawls are blessed before they are given to the recipients.
- Special Needs – Ministry helps the elderly or ill with meals, haircuts, grocery shopping, doctor appointments, hospital drop off and pick up, yard work, or light housekeeping either one time or on call as needed.
- St. Vincent De Paul Society – Non-Profit social service organization of trained ministers who provide short-term assistance to those falling upon hard times and personal crisis, while preserving the individual’s self-esteem, regardless of their race or religion.
For information on social justice and outreach ministries within the Fort Worth Diocese, not covered in our parish, search the diocesan website: www.FWDioc.org or call the main number (817) 560-3300.