Letter from the Pastor
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Visitation Parish is the spiritual home for almost 3,000 families. In my brief time as your pastor, I have come to know you as a community firmly grounded in the Catholic faith and deeply committed to this parish.
Our fundamental mission as a parish family is to lead all people to the Lord Jesus by celebrating the sacraments, educating our people in the truths of our faith and providing for those with physical, emotional and spiritual needs. With this purpose in mind, our parish offers many and varied ministries and programs which engage and serve hundreds of people. To do this work effectively requires that we have functional and ample facilities. While we accomplish a great deal with the limited space and outdated buildings we now have, I have repeatedly heard parishioners express their desire to make improvements to our facilities that will enable the parish to better meet current needs, as well as prepare for those of future generations.
In response, a preparation process was conducted last year, through which many of you expressed a readiness and willingness to begin a capital program to update our campus, making it more accessible and creating more space to support our programs and ministries. You also made it clear that as we move forward, we should seek a comprehensive solution, rather than a quick fix, in addressing our campus needs.
Over the past nine months, our Building Task Force, in collaboration with the architectural firm of Dahlquist and Lutzow, has carefully studied the needs expressed in the preparation process. They have developed a Master Plan that works for us now and for the future of our parish campus. It is configured in a phased approach, designed to serve our greatest needs upfront.
Of course, the success of this endeavor depends on the parish having the financial resources to bring our plans to fruition. My request is that each parishioner makes the time to learn about this project. My prayer is that every member of Visitation Parish will want to be part of the Building for Our Family of Faith campaign. Your gifts to the Church are personal but ultimately gifts to God, a response of your faith and a gift of love for all that the Lord has done for you.
Please ask Our Lord to direct you in your generosity and do what you can to help make this campaign a success. Through your prayers, support, and financial commitment, you join yourself to all those parishioners, past and present, who by their sacrifices and efforts are part of the heritage of faith that has made Visitation Parish such a strong Catholic presence in Elmhurst for over 50 years.
Please pray that through the intercession of Our Lady of Good Remedy and St. Joseph, that God may guide and direct our efforts in this building campaign to serve the needs of our family of faith. May God bless you abundantly for your generosity.
Sincerely in Christ,
Reverend Joseph M. Siegel
Pastor
Visitation Parish is the spiritual home for almost 3,000 families. In my brief time as your pastor, I have come to know you as a community firmly grounded in the Catholic faith and deeply committed to this parish.
Our fundamental mission as a parish family is to lead all people to the Lord Jesus by celebrating the sacraments, educating our people in the truths of our faith and providing for those with physical, emotional and spiritual needs. With this purpose in mind, our parish offers many and varied ministries and programs which engage and serve hundreds of people. To do this work effectively requires that we have functional and ample facilities. While we accomplish a great deal with the limited space and outdated buildings we now have, I have repeatedly heard parishioners express their desire to make improvements to our facilities that will enable the parish to better meet current needs, as well as prepare for those of future generations.
In response, a preparation process was conducted last year, through which many of you expressed a readiness and willingness to begin a capital program to update our campus, making it more accessible and creating more space to support our programs and ministries. You also made it clear that as we move forward, we should seek a comprehensive solution, rather than a quick fix, in addressing our campus needs.
Over the past nine months, our Building Task Force, in collaboration with the architectural firm of Dahlquist and Lutzow, has carefully studied the needs expressed in the preparation process. They have developed a Master Plan that works for us now and for the future of our parish campus. It is configured in a phased approach, designed to serve our greatest needs upfront.
Of course, the success of this endeavor depends on the parish having the financial resources to bring our plans to fruition. My request is that each parishioner makes the time to learn about this project. My prayer is that every member of Visitation Parish will want to be part of the Building for Our Family of Faith campaign. Your gifts to the Church are personal but ultimately gifts to God, a response of your faith and a gift of love for all that the Lord has done for you.
Please ask Our Lord to direct you in your generosity and do what you can to help make this campaign a success. Through your prayers, support, and financial commitment, you join yourself to all those parishioners, past and present, who by their sacrifices and efforts are part of the heritage of faith that has made Visitation Parish such a strong Catholic presence in Elmhurst for over 50 years.
Please pray that through the intercession of Our Lady of Good Remedy and St. Joseph, that God may guide and direct our efforts in this building campaign to serve the needs of our family of faith. May God bless you abundantly for your generosity.
Sincerely in Christ,
Reverend Joseph M. Siegel
Pastor