The Rector's Corner

Dear People of Emmanuel Memorial Church:

This past weekend, I traveled to Chicago for the graduation of
Brad Pace from Seabury-Western seminary. I must say that I
have a new sympathy for those who sit on a hard oak pew for
a two-and-a-half hour ceremony.

While in Chicago, I filled up with gas at a station in downtown
Chicago. I paid $ 4.39 per gallon. That got my attention!

In the last few months as gas prices and grocery prices have
edged up, we have had an increasing number of persons
coming to the parish office door asking for assistance with
gas and grocery purchases. My own experience of a “gulp”
at paying high gas prices has made me aware of how the
current economic situation is putting the pinch on those who
live at or below the poverty line. I’m not one of them, but
I have been made aware of how persons who are trying to
make it on limited incomes are falling behind in these tough
economic times.

The persons who come to the parish door seeking assistance
are most often persons with whom we have some history.
We know they are “for-reallys” who are not out to scam
anyone, but are just trying to get by. Others are referred to us
by local agencies. These are persons who do not meet other
guidelines for funding and would otherwise fall-through-thecracks.
Some are students who are sent to us by their church
back home. Persons new or unfamiliar to us are screened
as best we can to insure that their need is on the up-andup.
In these cases, we most often pay directly to utilities or
other companies known to us – or take them directly to a
gas station and add gas to their car tank on the church credit
card. In order to assist the largest number of persons, most
often each person is assisted with not more than $ 20 per
month – about five gallons of gas.

The number of persons assisted on any given day or week
varies widely. The weather, time of the month (at the end of
a pay period) and other factors affect how many persons stop
by. Some make an effort to return funds to the church when
they are able. All funds used to assist persons who come to
the church door come from the Discretionary Fund.

At the most recent Vestry Meeting, I requested, and the
Wardens and Vestry granted permission for me to make you
aware of this growing need in the form of persons who come
to your church door seeking assistance Persons wishing to
assist those in need through the Discretionary Fund can do so
in a variety of ways.

1) ALL loose-plate offering (cash not in an envelope) at the
8 a.m. Sunday Mass goes to the Discretionary Fund (as per
canon).

2) All loose-plate offering at the 10:15 a.m. Sunday Mass
ONLY ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH goes to the
Discretionary Fund (as per canon).

3) All funds placed in the Alms Basin in the Lady Chapel go to
the fund.

4) All checks made out to the church with “Discretionary
Fund” on the memo line, and all cash in an envelope marked
for the fund also go to the fund.

In these economic times, please consider helping those at
the lowest end of the economic scale. The persons helped at
your church door are those who are doing their best to make
it out of poverty. Perhaps consider donating the equivalent of
one tank of gas this summer. Please also remember to bring
in canned goods and staples for the food pantry.

Remember how Our Lord responded when asked, “when
did we see you homeless, or naked, or hungry?” When you
have helped the persons who come to your parish door, you
have helped Jesus himself. Thank you, in advance, for your
continuing generosity.

Faithfully,
(The Reverend Father) Alan A. Herbst, Obl. SSJE
Rector