Since arriving at Sacred Heart Church as pastor in July, Father Joseph Keough has observed that some changes need to be made to make the parish more in tune with modern day living. Father was pleased by the turnout for the Christmas Carol Sing followed by the blessing of the outdoor creche and lighting of the Christmas tree. This one event stands out in Father’s mind as an event that brought together parishioners and organizations within the church. When several senior members who attended mentioned to Father that they were delighted to see the young children enjoying the evening, he realized that there had been more baptisms than funerals over the past year, and that the parish needed to reach out to the younger families of the church. According to Father these young families are looking to practice their faith and to pass it on to their children. They are looking for family- based events that recognize their busy lifestyle. It will be a priority to enlist their support and to listen to their needs and ideas.
Father has also decided to rename the Cry Room as the Children’s Chapel. He always wondered since childhood, why there was a room in the church to make kids cry! With the new heating system for the area, this room is available to anyone who wants to use it, and Father hopes it will be used for prayers rather than tears.
A resource for the whole parish family is an online support and faith formation program called FORMED.org. created by the Augustinian Institute. It is a collection of Catholic faith-based podcasts, videos and tutorials. Information is available in the weekly bulletin and Facebook page (Sacred Heart, Suffield, CT) and soon will be linked to the parish website. FORMED allows anyone interested in finding out more about topics in the faith or looking for faith-based entertainment to view the information on their schedule on their phones or other electronic devices.