A Wish-List from a Parish Priest

A parish priest from the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, is working to raise funds for one of the two parishes he staffs. Holy Rosary Parish has great financial need. With Father”s permission, I am re-posting his wish list here. There is no better time to give to such a worthy cause than during the Christmas season. Please do what you can to help here and follow updates on the cause here. Father Jerabek”s original appeal is below.

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The PayPal Giving Fund announced recently that, from “Giving Tuesday” (December 2) until December 31, it will add a one percent (1%) match to gifts made to all approved charities.

In order hopefully to take advantage of this offer, I registered Holy Rosary Parish as a charity recipient. Holy Rosary is the smaller of the two parishes that I administer. And it currently has great financial needWould you consider making a tax-deductible* donation as part of your year-end giving?

Here is a photo I took just this afternoon of the interior of our historic church:

Decorated for Advent with donated decorations (with the exception of the two fresh roses for the Blessed Mother, which are purchased each week).

This small church with a small congregation is one of five buildings on a campus where great works of charity take place. In the 125-year-old wooden church, Holy Mass is celebrated every Wednesday and Sunday, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place on First Fridays. Exiting the church and turning left, one comes to the Youth Oratory, where area youth (in one of Birmingham’s most difficult neighborhoods) come after school to receive tutoring assistance for their homework, to have a safe place to hang out, and to play on the adjoining basketball court. The next building after the basketball court is the Rectory, where our two caretakers (who receive no remuneration) live and so help keep our campus safe. The next building is the Clothes Closet trailer, where area residents may go to receive clothing, household items, and personal hygiene items. Then, there is the Food Pantry, where local families can receive a large box of food once per month – and it’s not just canned goods, either, but also bread, meat, and vegetables. Currently we feed over 1,000 people per month (300 boxes).

Behind all of these buildings is our great work-in-progress, the Soccer Field, where our U-10 and U-12 teams practice during the Fall and the Spring. Soon the parish will also boast of a Reading Room and a special Program for Girls.

If it weren’t for the prayers and support of our parishioners and friends, the large group of dedicated volunteers that we have, and the many generous benefactors we have had over the years and currently have, none of the above would be possible. We only have one paid staff person (plus 1/4 of my diocesan salary), so our administrative overhead is extremely low. Even still, there is more to be done, and we are at a time of particular need.Would you consider helping?

Here are some of the items on our present “wish list”, to give you a sense of what we are saving and planning for:

Church
* Set of vestments for weekly use in all liturgical colors: total cost approx. $1,000
* Cope, stole, and humeral veil for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament: approx. $300
* Matching bronze candlesticks, crucifix, & missal stand for altar: cost approx. $2,600
* Monstrance with Trinitarian motif that matches our high altar: cost approx. $2,900
* Tabor stand for monstrance: cost approx. $800

Youth Oratory
* Religious-themed wall decorations (walls are currently bare): approx. $500
* Annual cleaning supplies: approx. $300
* Annual snacks and other premiums for the youth: approx. $500

Rectory
* No current extraordinary needs

Clothes Closet
* Cash donations to buy items to supplement our in-kind donations

Food Pantry
* Cash donations to go toward our Equipment Fund, for the repair and replacement of our freezers, refrigerators, and cooler
* Cash donations to help us buy food to supplement what is donated, so that we can continue help all who come to us with need each month

Soccer Program
* Bleachers for our field: cost not yet determined, will be several thousand dollars
* Cash donations to help us with our two end-of-the-season team banquets, occasional treats for team morale, etc.

Reading Program
* Cash donations toward the long-term development of this important program

Girls Program
* Still in early planning stages

These are just some of our special needs and wants; we also have our regular operating expenses and maintenance expenses.

Would you consider helping? Should you have any questions, please feel free to email Father Bryan Jerabek at holyrosarybirmingham@gmail.com. It is our privilege and duty to pray for our benefactors. We are grateful for the many people who help us. We especially need your prayers. Please help us! Thank you!

And a little more about the parish:

Holy Rosary Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, located at 7414 Georgia Road, Birmingham, AL 35212. Its web site is holyrosarybirmingham.com. Mass is celebrated on Wednesday morning at 8:00am and Sunday morning at 8:30am (with Confessions at 8:00am). The parish was staffed by the Salesians of Don Bosco for over 50 years, until February 1, 2014, at which point it reverted to the Diocese, which is now carrying forward the good work done by the Salesians and reaping the fruits of their generous labors in the vineyard of the Lord. The parish is a beacon of Christ’s light in the poverty-stricken Gate City area of Birmingham. If you should have any questions, or if you would prefer to donate by mail, please contact the Parish Administrator, Rev. Bryan W. Jerabek, J.C.L., at holyrosarybirmingham@gmail.com.

Rachel Zamarron

Rachel Zamarron

Rachel is a wife, Catholic, and cowgirl. Married to her sweetheart Sam, the two of them are enjoying the adventures of life hand-in-hand.

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