October is Respect Life month! We are called to be signs of hope to all people, especially those whose goodness, value, and dignity are undermined. As members of the Body of Christ, we carry this hope with us as we continue Jesus’ mission on earth… We have been entrusted with a message of hope for the woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant or for the man diagnosed with a terminal illness. At these challenging moments, we must bring God’s presence, witnessing to His love, and inspiring a renewal of hope in those whose hearts are burdened. USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities Respect Life Reflection: “Life: Our Sign of Hope"

As shown in the Stewardship Report, published in the September 28 bulletin, St James Parish ran a $100,000 deficit in the year ending June 30, 2025. To help close the budget gap, we are looking for help in the following areas:
1. Invite your friends to Church – We need to increase our outreach to the community, consistent with our mission.
2. Prayerfully consider how you might be able to significantly increase your level of giving. While every little bit helps, we need a significant increase in the level of donations (in the range of 20%.
3. Volunteer to replace contract services as follows:
• Clean the Church and School on a rotating basis starting January 2026 – We would hope to get enough volunteers to establish weekly rotation teams to clean the Church and School. If we can get enough volunteers, this might be a one week per month commitment.
• Spring/Summer/Fall Grounds Maintenance – We are looking for volunteers to help with grounds maintenance (grass, weeding, mulching, trimming) beginning March 2026.