April 26, 2017

Potsdam – The Diocese of Ogdensburg will host Sheri Wohlfert of the Catholic Hospitality Training Institute for a day-long parish hospitality workshop June 3 at SUNY Potsdam.

The goal of the workshop, “Entertaining Angels,” is to train parish staff, commissioned lay ministers, parish volunteers and regular parishioners to create a welcoming environment in parishes. 

“So often, people visiting or looking to join a parish are made to feel like outsiders who are unwelcome rather than our brothers and sisters in Christ,” said Marika Donders, diocesan director of the New Evangelization.

“We have all heard stories of people who went to a parish and no one said hello or inquired who they were,” she said.

“Worse yet, it is not unheard of that when visitors come to our parish, and they sit in ‘our’ pew, we sigh and or even feel annoyed and angry with them.,” she said.

“We have all heard stories of individuals who have called or visited a parish office only to made to feel like they have interrupted the secretary or been treated like they were in a government office because they hadn’t filled out the parish registration form,” she said.

“The opposite is also true,” Donders continued. “We have all visited parishes where we were welcomed, made to feel special or simply were made to feel at home.

“A hospitable community doesn’t ‘just happen,’” she said. ”Hospitality takes effort and intentionality and work.  It isn’t just the responsibility of a select few on a hospitality committee. It requires each and every one of us and we can all do better. 

“Hospitality is the first step to evangelization,” the evangelization director said. “Come and learn what makes a good parish a great welcoming parish so that your parish can become a center of evangelization and Christian formation.'  

The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 in the Potsdam Student Union Multipurpose Room, 44 Pierrepont Ave.
The cost is $35 per person for lunch and materials.

Registration may be made through www.rcdony.org/hospitality. 

Further information is available on that website or from Donders at mdonders@rcdony.org.