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My father passed away this summer after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. This was a very difficult time for our entire family. We were amazed and deeply touched by the number of St. Joseph’s parishioners who made the 100 mile trip to attend his funeral and prayer service or sent cards, meals and memorials; offering comfort and support. As we look back, we are certain there is no way we would have built the deep relationships with these families if we hadn’t been active in various ministries and faith sharing groups at St. Joseph’s over the past 20+ years. We give a few hours to the church each week, but what we get in return is immeasurable. We have deepened our faith through teaching faith formation, lectoring, distributing communion, serving on various committees and singing in choirs; but more importantly, we have built lifelong friendships with people who are there to help when we need support and are there to celebrate in times of joy. We can’t imagine our lives without this community. With a busy family, sometimes it’s hard to find the extra time and energy to add something else to our plates and sometimes we feel unworthy or ill equipped to take on different ministries. But somehow the Holy Spirit steps in and makes it all work out. We truly believe that all we have is gift from God and that in sharing our gifts, we are blessed beyond measure!