I believe this church, parish, and school help us all to grow in faith and grow closer to God. It has been a blessing to our family in so many ways, and I want to make sure it is here to continue blessing families in the future and helping them on their journeys following Christ.
As I reflected on these questions, the words of a sign that hangs on the wall during a scene in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” came to mind –
“All you can take with you is that which you’ve given away.”
Please share a moment, ministry or experience at St. Francis Xavier that had a lasting impact on your faith or your family?
I’ve been attending Men’s Fellowship on Wednesday mornings for more than a decade. There are lots of reasons why I enjoy attending, but at bottom it’s because I have a better week when I do. We’ve studied many books in the Bible and focus on the weekly readings during Advent and Lent. But there’s a reason it’s called Men’s Fellowship and not Men’s Bible Study. It is because that hour is more than reading and discussing the Bible; it’s about exploring our Catholic faith, learning from one another and supporting one another in our faith journeys.
Why do you believe St. Francis Xavier is important to Mountain Brook and the surrounding communities?
Sitting on the edge of Mountain Brook, Crestwood, Birmingham, and Irondale, SFX serves diverse communities who, in many instances, otherwise would not interact on a regular basis. The diversity alone benefits SFX’s members, particularly its young members.
What traditions, ministries or values of our parish do you hope will continue for years to come?
Men’s Fellowship, Children’s Liturgy, and tamale sales!
What excites you most about the Capital Campaign and the projects it will support?
I’m excited to see the facilities outside of the main church be updated to a point where members will look forward to using them and to see the increased functionality open even new opportunities for the parish to gather in groups.
How do you hope these improvements will benefit future parishioners, families and students (school and PSR)?
SFX parish is stronger when SFX School is stronger (and vice versa).
If you were speaking to another parishioner who is on the fence on whether they should support this campaign, what would you tell them?
You will have zero regrets participating in this campaign. Fr. Joe and the rest of the leadership team have taken a thoughtful, realistic, and conservative approach to the campaign and the planned projects that will result from the campaign and the entire parish will gain from the improvements.
