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February 17, 2024Over the course of the next month, we will be choosing a name for our family of parishes. I want to emphasize that this family name does not take the place of the parish name. Each parish will still be known as St. Bonaventure, St. John the Evangelist, the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and Oratory of the Sacred Heart. The family name will be chosen in three stages. The first stage will be asking all parishioners in each parish to submit their idea for a name (there will be slips of paper in each parish and a ballot box in the back of each parish for two weeks). The second stage will be taking all the selections to each parish council/cabinet and narrowing the choices down to 6 selections. Finally, six choices will be taken to all parishioners for final vote.
This week I am asking you to think of and submit your idea for a family name. The criteria for a family name (from Road to Renewal website) are…
1. It embraces all parishes within the Family.
2. It is something all parishes can relate to in some way.
3. It can be a name that reflects historical significance, geographical features, or acronyms that represent the parishes. (example: Beloved Disciples of Christ the Lord… for the family of parishes that represent Bowmansville, Depew, Cheektowaga and Lancaster)
4. The name cannot be a Saint’s name, so as not to confuse the Family name with the parish names.
If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me ([email protected]) or call any of the parish offices and leave a message for me to call back. I understand that I have only been with your communities for a month and it seems like we are moving fast, and there are still a lot of questions which many of you have. More importantly, I am still doing my best to try to get to know everyone, but it is taking time. I am hoping the season of Lent will offer opportunities for fellowship. I sincerely ask for your prayers for myself, Fr. Mike, Fr. Peter and the parish communities as we journey together.
