What’s the best part of the Welcome Warmly Team here at St. Raphael? If you ask Kristin Rosario, she’d say, “I’ve gotten to meet so many people and put a name to faces I’ve seen every weekend for years.” 
Kristin has been a parishioner for many years and she often felt that there wasn’t enough “warmth.” When she heard that a new welcoming ministry was being developed at St. Raphael, she put her thoughts into action. She was one of the first to sign up! 

Moved by the opportunity to be a friendly face welcoming people into a warm environment, Kristin sees God’s grace moving through her when her “hello” brings a smile to someone’s face. She shares a story of a person who told her that they always felt alienated by the groups of people chatting in the Atrium. This person felt like an outsider because they weren’t in a “group.” Now this person feels comfortable and part of a community because someone recognizes them when they come to Mass. Another woman shared that, because of the warm welcome she now receives, she’s joined St. Raphael as a parishioner. 
Welcome Warmly Team members do more than just say hello, though. Kristin once helped a guest who rode her motorcycle to Christmas Midnight Mass. It was cold and she had a heavy coat, hat, gloves, and helmet and was concerned about leaving the items in a safe place out of the way of other worshipers.  Kristin found a place in the Welcome area where the items would be safely hidden, yet available when she needed them after Mass for his ride home. 

“I like to think of it as if I’m welcoming people into my home,” says Kristin. “I want to make their experience is as warm and comfortable as I can. It brightens my day to put a smile on someone’s face and let them know that I see them.”