As the parish Family of Mary Help of Christians in
Chester, Illinois, we recognize that each of us shares,
by virtue of our Baptism, in the life of Christ as
priest, prophet and king. In accepting our mission to
carry on the Lord's work, we see our challenge to be
that of reaching out by word and example to help
people of ALL AGES feel welcome and at home in our
parish family.
This task of evangelizing, of inviting others to know
the peace and love of Jesus through our parish is
realized in several ways. FIRST, because we are
called to worship, our parish emphasizes good
liturgical celebrations, inviting all to participate
through the use of various ministries, environment
and music. SECOND, because we are called to share
the faith within our families, the parish and the
community at large, we see the need to provide
programs from birth throughout a person's lifetime,
striving always to be a nurturing, healing, and
forgiving community. THIRD, because we are called
to service, we strive to reach out to parishioners in
need, especially the sick and the homebound. This
call of service is also to the world at large where we
need to be aware of issues of justice and peace,
trying to respond to them as best we can through
prayer and action.
| PARISH MISSION STATEMENT |
