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the widows mite
The stained glass window on the left side of the church (2nd from last) depicts the story of the "Widow's Mite". Jesus uses this story to teach about sacraficial giving.
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
(Luke 21:1-4)
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St. Luke the Evangelist Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Worcester. We strive to learn, teach and joyfully live the fullness of our Faith and serve God and our neighbors in charity and truth. We faithfully celebrate the Sacraments, pray together as a community and give generously of our time, talent and treasure to live and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our daily lives.
We do this by trying to live A Generous Way of Life via
Our Sharing First Program
Our Outreach Initiatives
Ministries that Serve our Faith Community -
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Sharing First - Helping Neighbors in our Region and the World
What is the Sharing First program?
“Sharing First” is the heart of our approach to managing our parish finances. Sharing First is a commitment of our Saint Luke family to designate the first 10% of our Sunday collection each week to supporting the needs of the poor through the corporal works of mercy.
How will this help St. Luke’s strengthen it Stewardship and why?
Through the Sharing First program, Saint Luke’s gives the first ten percent of the Sunday Collection to those in need. While we certainly have many needs of our own, we as a parish community have been blessed with so much. Sharing a very significant and specific amount shows God our gratitude for all He has provided, and it is also a visible sign of our trust in Him to provide us with all we need. It is our hope that this model of sacrificial giving inspires your level of participation in this faith-filled act.
How is my Offertory Gift Used?
The primary goal of the Sharing First program is to assist agencies and programs that contribute to those in need by using ten percent of the Sunday collection for this purpose. Those receiving assistance may or may not be from our parish. Several “Shares” in each calendar year will be designated to the broader commitments of the Catholic Church in the diocese and in the nation to support organizations such as Propagation of the Faith or World Mission Sunday. The funding support for these causes will now come from the Sharing First program in lieu of second collections.
Ninety percent of every dollar contributed to the Sunday collection is used for parish commitments. These funds are used to meet the Spiritual, Operational, Educational, Social and Capital needs of the parish, as in the past.Since January 2013 our Saint Luke Family has given
$358,889
from our Sunday collection through our Sharing First commitment to support the Corporal Works of Mercy in our Parish, our Worcester diocese, our country and around the world.
Saint Luke's “Sharing First” Mission to the Poor
at Home and Around the World
38% Westborough $128,429
25%Central Mass $88,516
19% National $68,443
20% Missions $73,588
“Sharing First” is based on the principle that God has assumed the initiative by loving us first. The disciples of Jesus are in turn expected to live a life of sacrificial love, especially by assuming a special
initiative in the care of the poor.
Quite simply “Sharing First” is the commitment of Saint Luke Parish to give the first dollar of every ten dollars that we receive in our Sunday
collection to the poor. The first bill paid each week is given to those needier than ourselves. The care of the poor is not to be done with what is left over after we have done our daily business. It must be a first commitment with the trust that God will honor our generosity.Some of the groups that we help through Sharing First include:
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Catholic Charities - Diaster Relief
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Annual Catholic Schools Appeal
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Church in Latin America
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Outreach - Helping Those going through Difficult Times
Our outreach and support minitsries put into practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
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We feed the hungry through our Mustard Seed outreach. Our Parish provides a meal on the first Friday of every other month. We solicit, collect, deliver, and serve the meals at the Mustard Seed soup kitchen.
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We visit the sick. Over 50 of our parishioners visit nursing home residents, Whittier rehabilitation hospital patients and our homebound each week. In addition our pastoral associate Julie Basque checks in weekly with the three Worcester hospitals to see if any of our parishioners requested a visit.
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We help the poor through the Appalacia Service Project (ASP). The ASP is a Christian ministry, open to all people, that inspires hope and service through volunteer home repair in Central Appalachia. Our annual giving tree program provides Christmas presents to families in need. The Women of St. Luke's provide Thanksgiving baskets and other food donations to those in need.
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We comfort the sorrowful through our breavement support groups. These groups provide support those griving over the loss of a loved one.
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We provide instruction through our youth faith formation and adult studies programs.
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Ministries - Serving our Faith Community
Our numerous Liturical, Music, Pastoral, Youth and Adult Faith Formation ministries help us live the fullness of our Faith and serve God and our neighbors in charity and truth. These ministries help us to faithfully celebrate the Sacraments, pray together as a community and give generously of our time, talent and treasure to live and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our daily lives.
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"We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before God, our Father"
(I Thessalonians 1: 2-3)
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."
(John 22: 21)