Each week we will be publishing stories from our parishioners about what 300 Ways means to them. Here are a few of their stories. If you would like to publish one you can contact Ashley Wilkerson at: ashleysjpc@gmail.com
Be Ready to Meet People Where They Are By Peter and Kim Cahill
Kim and I joined St. Vincent de Paul society in 2015. During the training that we received to become Vincentians, a member from another parish who was attending the training and had herself been a Vincentian for some time offered the following advice. She said “be ready to meet people where they are.” I remember thinking at the time …what a powerful statement. I have never forgotten those words. 
As members of this parish and as Vincentians we meet many people. Each individual child of God has a unique life story just as they were uniquely created by God. People that call SVDP seeking assistance have faced significant challenges in their lives. They have made questionable decisions. They have in many cases been judged by their fellow man often based on incomplete information. They understand the sting and pain of being judged by others and yet they come to us seeking food, shelter, help with paying a household bill or someone who will listen. As we meet these strangers we too are caught up in our own judgment of them and the lives that we see them living. And I recall the words “be ready to meet people where they are.”
God has blessed me abundantly. I do not thank God enough for all He has done for me. As a Vincentian I believe I am taking a bit of this parish with me. I believe I am taking God with me. The truth is that 80% do the people that we assist are not members of any church. Most have not been in a church in years. Some will pray with us. No one has ever told me that they do not want to pray but many have said they do not know how to pray. So I will say a prayer or read a Psalm. Sometimes when I am done I will look into their eyes and there will be tears. They will say thank you, or tell me how much they appreciate the food I brought them…. the food YOU bought for them. But their thanks goes much deeper I believe. They are saying thank you for not judging me. Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for meeting me where I am. Kim and I will be 1 of the 300. We hope you will join us. We also hope you will prayerfully consider learning more about St Vincent de Paul and the work we do. We need your help. It is not glamorous work. Not every visit is life changing. Sometimes you will question the sincerity of those seeking help. But with Gods help you met that person where they were at. Just as God planned. It is life enriching. It is life changing.
I Found My Church Home! By Laura Hooper
Hello! My name is Laura Hooper. In 2014 I moved to Owensboro from Illinois after losing a job and realizing that I was sinking into a “black hole” so to speak. I had hit rock bottom and knew I needed to make a 
serious change in my life. In 2015 I made a new year’s resolution to find a church and to have a relationship with Christ. I then started attending Mass on a regular basis at Sts. Joseph and Paul with my friend Laura Young Shoulders. In the summer of that year we attended Journey Home. We were sad when the program ended because the overwhelming feeling of family, sense of belonging and outpouring of support and love made me realize that I was no longer an orphan. I had found my church home! That was my segway into RCIA. I was confirmed at the Easter vigil in 2016. To be confirmed in Christ was the most profound moment of my life!
I moved back to Illinois a few months after my confirmation. I cried at Mass every week because I deeply missed my home. I prayed and had many people from Sts. Joseph and Paul praying for my return home. A few months ago I got the opportunity to move back to Owensboro and reunite with my faith family and friends. The parishioners of Sts. Joseph and Paul changed my world and gave me a home. Thank you! Everything we have comes from God’s hands & it is our responsibility to share with our brothers & sisters what He has given to us. Let’s use this opportunity to give back to our church & help our faith family grow! Will you join me in being a part of the campaign “300 Ways We Change the World”? I invite you to share your story and give financially to this fall fundraiser.
Love in Christ! Laura Hooper
Welcome Everyone Home to the House of God By: Joanne Mason
Hello! I am Joanne Mason my husband Frank and I have been apart of the Saint Joe and Paul family for over 30 years. And yes I said family because that is what this church means to us. The first time we came to Joe and Paul there was and still is today a deep sense of coming home to a large family reunion where each person feels the presence and spirit of God when you enter the doors. 
Frank and I still talk about how Ms. Rita Fahrendorf tapped us on the back of the shoulder and asked where we were from and so graciously welcomed us to mass and after mass spent time talking with us and invited us to come back. Being a part of this community of believers has helped me to have a closer relationship with God and has taught me to think of others before myself. That’s one of the reason I take part in the many ministries we have here at St. Joseph and Paul. It allows me to use my time, talent and treasure. When I make baptismal stoles not only am I using my time and talent but I am placing the mantle of God upon a new creation. When I lector or sing in the choir, I am sharing the Word of God. The Welcome Center allows me to welcome everyone home to the house of God. When we give we are supporting and helping to build the Kingdom of God. By doing these things I am helping to change the world and it allows others to see the love of God thru and in me. Gloria Steinem said “It is more rewarding to watch money change the world then to watch it accumulate.” So today I am inviting you to help change the world by being 1 of 300 to give a one-time gift of $100 to our Fall Campaign 300 Ways We Change the World. Thanks and be blessed.
Church is a Place of Togetherness By: Eric and Angela Glahn
We are Eric and Angela Glahn. We have been members at St. Joseph and Paul Parish for 16 years. We have 2 sons, Evan, age 13, and Aaron, age 12. Eric’s family has been members of this church family for decades, with Eric’s parents, Tony and Virginia Glahn, getting married at this church in 1956. Both of our children were Baptized, 
received Reconciliation, and First Communion at this parish. We intend for them to receive their Confirmation here. Our children also go to Catholic Schools with much needed support from this parish. Since our immediate family became members of the parish in 2002, we have always tried to give what we can but have ended up receiving more in return. Our family’s intention is not to give to the church expecting “things” in return. We give because it is the right thing to do in support of our church’s ministries. We feel that it is important to support our church not only through the easy times, but especially the times of transition or difficulty. We see our church as a place of togetherness. The ministries of this church are important for this togetherness, from the mass and the message of the Gospel and Eucharist, to the Sacraments provided that unite the church family, and to the education of the children, including the Catholic Schools, Faith Formation, and RCIA. These ministries enable the members to become stronger messengers of the Word of God. This is the foundation of the Catholic Church and of our Faith. Our family intends to be 1 of the 300 to support our parish now. We hope this additional contribution allows others to receive blessings such as the continued blessings given to us from God and our church family. Please consider contributing to this campaign to keep St. Joseph and Paul vibrant in the important ministries that hold our parish together.
Continued Blessings, The Glahn Family
I Met People of Deep Faith By: Mary Haynes
To my brothers and sisters at Sts. Joseph and Paul, we have a great parish because we have great people here. At a certain point in my life, I realized I was missing 
something. I wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere and was a part of something bigger than just my home and family. So, I started to volunteer. I was asked to join a ministry to help welcome people to our parish, and I met people who were willing to put in lots of time and effort to find ways to do that. They wanted our parish members to feel like family. I volunteered to help at bereavement meals and found a large group of people willing to give up their day to help ease the hurt of others who were going through a loss. I volunteered to work in the parish office and found a dedicated staff who put in countless crazy hours to provide for the spiritual needs of our people. I came to discover how many requests are made for help every day, and also how many of our parish members stand ready to provide that help if needed. I joined a small group and met people of deep faith who are trying to become what God wants them to be. This is especially good because it’s a source of hope for our future, as Catholics and as people. I am constantly amazed at the awesome, loving, and generous people we have here and I’m proud to be a part of it! Let’s keep changing the world!
I Am Forever Grateful By: Terri Zborowski
My name is Terri Zborowski and I have been a member at Sts. Joseph & Paul for three years. I grew up in a large Catholic family and went to catholic schools for K-12. My faith has always been woven into me and is what makes me who I am today. When my husband Adam decided to join the church after we married in 2009, I 
couldn’t have been happier. At the time we lived in Winchester, KY and belonged to a tiny (but mighty) parish that shared a priest with a neighboring town. Upon moving back to Owensboro in 2012 we struggled to find a parish that didn’t make us feel “lost in the shuffle”. Nothing felt right and I could tell our spiritual life was not growing. On a random November night in 2015, we went to Sts. Joseph & Paul for 6pm Mass. We both felt so welcomed and could feel the Holy Spirit moving within the people, parish, and ourselves. We both agreed that night that we found our home, our parish family, and we never looked back. Sts. Joseph & Paul means more to my family than I can really put into words. This parish challenges me to live a life of holiness, generosity, and faith. I am a better wife, mom, daughter, teacher, sister, and friend because of this parish. My family is 1 in 300 because we know that God will see our generosity and multiple it tenfold to help others grow closer to Christ. I teach the children of Faith Formation and the children at Children’s Liturgy because God gave me the gift of teaching and I know in my heart that our God given gifts are meant to be shared. I change the world each time I get the opportunity to share the message of Jesus with the wonderful children of the parish. I change the world by making disciples, and for that, I am forever grateful.
