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December 7, 2014This year our parish will include three (3) organizations to benefit from our Advent Giving Tree collection; Neighbors In Need, Malta Mobile House of Care, and the Parish Legacy Fund:
1. Neighbors In Need assists Saint Catherine of Siena members and other neighbors who find themselves in difficult times due to the economy. Over the last year your generous donation to this fund has enabled the parish to buy food gift cards from Stop & Shop, oil for the furnace, gift cards for prescriptions at CVS, help with CL&P bills and CNG fuel bills, auto repair bills at local stations, Emergency Room co-pays and bills for a child without health coverage. From helping the elderly, to families struggling, to a small child’s health care needs, to purchasing a local shelter a much needed stove—your generosity has made a huge impact right here in the Simsbury area;
2. Malta Mobil House of Care provides free medical diagnostics and follow-up treatment, including medicines, to the poorest of the poor and to working families without medical coverage. The volunteer doctors, nurses and other health care providers see more than 30,000 local patients—those who do not even
qualify or cannot afford health insurance, even under the Affordable Health Care Law. The Knights of Malta Foundation has equipped three Winnebago-like vans as mobile emergency rooms stocked with medicines, equipment, compassion and hope. For those needing more extensive health care, such as surgery, agreements between the Malta Foundation and doctors at St. Francis Hospital make it all happen…along with your generous donations. Over the past few years, as St. Catherine of Siena has joined with the Knights of Malta in this vital mission and ministry, our parish has become one of the larger parish-based supporters of this project. Many folks from beyond our community are blessed greatly by your support; and,
3. The St. Catherine of Siena Parish Legacy Fund is a parishioner-overseen fund to provide long term financing for the ministries of St. Catherine of Siena. Parishioners may donate money directly to this Fund, or may include the PLF in their estates, to provide funding for our ministries such as the Feed the Hungry Youth Group, Pantry Partners, or any other ministry or club— from Comitas to our Youth Group to our music ministry—in order to secure their long term activities and outreach. The donation amount is not only up to the parishioner, but also allows the parishioner to decide where and how the money will be spent.
Our parish is blessed with so many generous members who are willing to include neighbors and strangers in their giving—something many other parishes are unable to do and many folks are unwilling to do. Because of this generosity, so many others benefit and are cared for. I want to personally thank you for all that you are willing to do, and hope that you know that I always keep the people of St. Catherine in my prayers: May God continue to bless you and those you love for your Christ-like hearts. A special thanks to Karen Carew who organizes and oversees this annual project.
