With just over 10,000 gifts to date, Generations of Faith continues this fall in many of our Block 1 parishes. Campaign volunteers have assisted by bringing the message of Generations of Faith to their fellow parishioners. Dan O’Byrne serves as the general chair for the campaign in St. Anastasia, Douglaston, and shares his experience serving on his parish’s campaign team:

Tell us a little about yourself – what parish do you belong, how long have you been a parishioner and what do you like most about your parish and pastor?

I am 29 years married to my wife Mary with three children. We have been St. Anastasia parishioners since we moved to Douglaston from Woodside in 1995. The strong sense of community we have here is the thing I love most about the parish, which is Christian in and of itself.
Being able to have our children go to church at St. Anastasia has given them a sense of place that I hope will help them keep their feet on the ground, no matter where they go or what they do.

Why did you want to get involved working on the Generations of Faith campaign?

When approached by Msgr. Anthony Sherman, our pastor, we considered what we had done in 20 years at St. Anastasia. As a parishioner, I considered the proposition as a moment when contributing more of my time and effort might make a meaningful contribution and benefit our Church as a whole. I am very optimistic for the future of the Church and Catholicism, and this experience has been no different.

What have you learned about your pastor, parish and community from working on Generations of Faith?

Our pastor is a mercurial talent, which became especially clear when it’s something he’s committed to and believes in. He wove this campaign and committee together with such strength and faith, that it actually renewed my faith in the most unique way. It’s kind of hard to explain but in the early stages as we met, he did not have all the answers… and he didn’t make them up. With some things he said, “Leave it to God” and we did and it all succeeded!

Why would you encourage others to volunteer on their parish committee?

The reward is difficult to verbalize, but it just feels good to do this work for the future of the Church. I would encourage people to get involved in the Church every way they can. If we get the right people to step forward, that is the key to success and the successful re-kindling of young people’s interest in our parishes and the Catholic Church.

What has been most gratifying for you about serving on your parish’s campaign committee?

Doing the work is one thing but for me, succeeding makes it all worthwhile. Having seen Generations of Faith succeed, it will now be really wonderful to see the tasks accomplished that the campaign has set out to achieve over the coming years.