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Ann Kulkus has been a parishioner at St. Margaret of Cortona Church in Rotterdam Junction since the 1950s, but she said there has never been a more exciting time to be a parishioner than right now.

"It's vibrant, exciting and growing," she said.

As a result of the "Called to be Church" pastoral planning process in the Albany Diocese, St. Margaret's parish became a mission church of St. Joseph's Church in Schenectady.

A mission, as defined by Called to be Church, is a community of the faithful, generally not large enough to be a vital and viable parish on its own. A mission is placed under the administration of a specific parish.

Becoming a mission of St. Joseph's has led to some positive changes at St. Margaret's: for instance, a folk group has been formed to provide music for the Sunday morning Mass. "The folk group has brought a lot of excitement," Mrs. Kulkus told The Evangelist.

St. Margaret's has also begun to grow, with Catholics coming from closed parishes like St. John the Baptist and Immaculate Concep-tion in Schenectady.

Kay Skelly, director of religious education at St. Margaret's, said the church is also drawing parishioners from Niskayuna, Glenville, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. She said there are 134 families from five school districts registered for religious education this year.

St. Margaret's recently hosted a "ministry fair." More than 50 people turned out to learn about approximately 20 ministry opportunities at the church, Mrs. Skelly said.

With the influx of new parishioners, there has been an interest in new ministries as well as reviving older ones. Through a new visitation ministry, Mrs. Kulkus said, parishioners are visiting the homebound and those in long-term care facilities.

St. Margaret's has also started a prayer shawl ministry. Parishioners knit blankets for those in need of prayer. Ministries that remain popular include the prayer line, service at a local soup kitchen, the Christmas giving tree and the senior meal program.

The mission church is also working on reviving its spaghetti supper. It had once been popular, but declined. Both women said there is an interest once again in sponsoring the community event.

"There is definitely more excitement," Mrs. Skelly said. "People are doing different things."

(10/28/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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