DISCIPLE: Where Much Is Given, Much Is Expected

NOTE: This column appears in the Fall 2023 issue of the DISCIPLE newsletter. If you aren't receiving DISCIPLE, call the parish office at 763-497-2745 to register or update your contact information.
 

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It is a great blessing for a priest to be in a thriving parish like St. Michael, but it comes with its own kind of pressure. As Jesus warns His followers: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more” (Luke 12:48).

This issue of DISCIPLE provides an update on our parish and school, including our finances and our plans for the future. The generosity of parishioners like you over the past three years has yielded a new social
hall, gymnasium, and meeting spaces; a beautifully decorated church; and a vibrant community that continues to grow and attract new people to our parish and the Catholic Church. You have entrusted a great deal to us, and you deserve to see the fruits of your giving.

But as much as we owe you an update, we owe God much more. After all, He is the source of every gift you have shared with us and every spiritual or material good that has resulted. God is the source of our more, and He expects more in return.

That is why we continue to push forward. In the following pages, you will find updates on our debt situation, the future of our school and our historic church, new staff, and a new ministry—as well as photos from a very full and active summer. Hopefully, this provides you with renewed excitement to get involved in all of the great things happening here in St. Michael!

Authentic Catholic culture is attractive because it is good, beautiful, and, most importantly, true. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, and as St. John Paul II famously proclaimed, “This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel. It is the time to preach it from the rooftops.”

God bless you and your families!

Father Brian Park
Pastor
 

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Stayed tuned in the next several days for questions and answers about specific parish priorities here on our homepage, Facebook, and Instagram!