To the Editor:

Sorry we mssed you. If you live in the Potsdam and Colton areas you may find a “Sorry We Missed You” card on your door the first or second week in June. The Catholic Communities of St. Mary and St Patrick will be doing their part to visit every household within the diocese regardless of the occupant’s religious affiliation.

Our mission, initiated by Bishop Terry LaValley and described in the Watertown Daily Times (4.19.15), is inspired by Pope Francis’ urging for the church to reach out to others.

Our efforts to reach every household in our parishes will begin on May 31 and continue through June 14. Catholic Community visitors from Potsdam, Pierrepont, Colton, Stockholm, and Parishville will conduct their visits in June.

By visiting every home in our area, we hope to let all the people of the North Country know that the church is nearby and willing to assist in any way. We are not preaching or trying to convert. We are asking baptized Catholics to complete a card which will update our records. The information we gather on the census card is strictly confidential and will remain within our parishes.

But as importantly, we are actively listening to concerns of everyone we visit. We aim to listen and communicate all concerns anonymously so that our church and our community at large will benefit from this outreach.

Faye Simmons

Catholic Communities of St. Mary and St. Patrick Census