When we were at a parish during a stint in Northern Cal, we were invited to and later led a welcome dinner. This dinner was to welcome new parishioners. It was a pot luck and would be an opportunity for new folks to meet the priests and other community leaders.
Well, Lynn and I always liked that dinner, and the welcoming atmosphere of that parish. Let’s face it, Catholic parishes are not all that welcoming. Too many people come to church and leave. I think some of our protestant brothers and sisters get the community part better. My theory for this is that when you don’t have the Eucharist, one must rely solely on the community for nourishment.
Anyways, we did our first installment of this dinner at our current parish. I can’t say it was a smashing success, but it was not a failure either. We learned a few things, and have some ideas for marketing it next time. We really enjoyed it, as did the people who attended. We just wished there had been a larger turn out.
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