A look at our Coffee & Donuts Ministry at Divine Redeemer! Living the Spirit of Hospitality and Fellowship to Bring Our Parish Family Together After Masses.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jessus tells us, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me... Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine you did for me" (Matthew 25:35-40). This is a bold statement! Jesus literally tells us that whenever we welcome one another with Christ-like love, we are welcoming Him. We are serving Him by serving others. In turn, we see the importance of making people feel like they belong, and they are loved. Hospitality is key to everything we do as Christians. This begins right here at home, in our own parish family!
With this in mind, Fr. Jason Keas decided that instead of offering donuts, bagels, coffee and juice after Mass only twice a month, these should be offered weekly.
"The parish is like a secondary family, and it is important for us to get to know one another," Fr. Jason says. "It helps to build that family atmosphere within the parish so that then when things come up and people need help, we are eager to reach out and help them. It is also important that people who are new to our parish feel welcomed so that this feels like home to them. That is a big part of what it means to live stewardship."
For years, Fr. Jason has orchestrated this continental breakfast of sorts after the 8am and 11am Mass twice a month. Recently he has decided to increase the frequency of these gatherings, and we will not have donuts and bagels after the 8am and 11am Masses every week.
"I feel like it is important for us to do this every weekend, because it promotes community among parishioners," Fr. Jason says. "People seem to really enjoy it. There are even some people who stay and talk with one another for an hour after Mass!"
And while Fr. Jason is excited about increasing the frequency of this hospitable ministry, he could use more help. Currently, he is carrying the bulk of the load to make this happen by ordering and picking up all the food and drinks. The, with the help of parishioners, he setups up beforehand and cleans up afterward. Fr. Jason says that while there are parishioners who offer to help with the setup and cleanup, the ministry isn't organized in such a way that people are assigned to do so. So, there are times when he has minimal help.
"I would love to get more help with this ministry," Fr. Jason says. "It would be great if we could have someone in charge of scheduling people to serve every week."
Consider serving the Coffee & Donuts Ministry. This simple act of service is a tangible way to offer Christ-like love to our fellow parishioners. May we all find the time to welcome Christ in one another.
"This is a great way to get to know people here at Divine Redeemer and to give of yourself in service to others," Fr. Jason says. "The more that we give to others, the more we appreciate what has been given to us."
If you are interested in serving on this ministry, please sign up at Parish/School: Coffee & Donuts Ministry (signupgenius.com) or contact the parish office at 719-633-5559 or Veronica Frias at vfrias@divineredeemer.net.