St. Joseph has a number of dedicated volunteer groups that play an important role in our parish life. These groups form a special corps of friendship, giving, and outreach within our parish community—a personal type of generosity that emphasizes activities of faith and fellowship. Those who volunteer follow our mission statement performing key services for the church. And the parish could not function as well as it does without them.

Some of these volunteer opportunities require preparation, such as volunteering for one of our liturgical ministries, while others may be more social in nature. Yet all of them comprise the essence of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Whether you call it satiation of the soul, a glimmer of the heavens, or a feeling of knowing good things are being accomplished through simple acts, volunteering will brighten your days.  As St. Francis so aptly put, “For it is in giving that we receive.”

Another way to look at giving is how you might share your own talents and gifts with more personal approach to generosity. I take your hand and you will take mine. We are all a community of friends here at St. Joseph, and we would like to have all of you involved in our parish community beyond just attending weekly Mass. By reaching out to others as part of our parish outreach programs or as a member of a parish social group, you will receive something special in return.

We have much to offer at St. Joseph and many ways to participate. We support programs for individuals who are suffering through personal or financial difficulties or other challenging events as well as programs that are more social in nature. A smiling face, an engaging conversation, a request for prayer, assisting with a parish fundraiser –all of these things will provide you with a sense of fellowship and a unity of purpose. They form a circle of friendship, support, and inspiration to affirm our parish community as one that values our Catholic faith and each parishioner who worships here.

If you have never participated in a parish program, consider it. Once you take a leap of faith and move forward with a volunteer group that might interest you, you will be surprised at the new things you’ll learn, not only about yourself but about others you meet. In your volunteering, you will be putting your faith in action.

Be encouraged by words of St. Francis: “Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

Here are some volunteer opportunities you might consider: