ONE of the desired qualities of a parish like Greythorn is a spirit of openness and friendship. We are small enough to know each other yet, at times, we can miss the chance to greet newcomers.
There is nothing I can do about that. But you can. When new faces appear, even new families, making the effort to greet and establish contact is important. Let us all be aware of this as the parish slowly transitions through the generations.
A very interesting development has been the practice of parishioners visiting parishioners. This is particularly important as people spend more time in their home; become less mobile or move to aged care facilities.
There are regular visits from parishioners and the St Vincent De Paul society is assuming a greater role in this ministry.
I think that it is an excellent initiative and I encourage parishioners to be aware of people who would appreciate a visit and make the effort to do so. I means so very much to those who do not/cannot move around as they once could.