Responding with Grace: Strengthening Connections and Support at Our Catholic Parish - July 30, 2023

When you call St Austin Church you have often been able to get a live person
answering the phone. That is rather unusual and distinguishes us from many other parishes. However, the number of calls we receive each day seeking help and financial assistance has steadily increased, to the point that it is severely hampering the work of our wonderful receptionists. And mostly what the receptionist does, in addition to listening, is to refer the person calling to an automated response line where they can leave their name and contact information and instructions on how to proceed. A parishioner volunteer from our St. Vincent de Paul or Outreach to Persons in Need ministries then responds with a callback or an email.

Because of the increased call volume, we need to have our receptionists work smarter.  So by the time you read this, I hope that when you call the parish office number, 512-477-9471, you will receive an automated voice response. This automated voice will give you three options, one in English, one in Spanish, and one to talk to the receptionist.

While I am reluctant to move in this direction, I recognize the need to better handle the increased call volume, especially the increase in calls requesting help and assistance.

On a similar note, with our upcoming school and church moves, we ask that for
the time being you hold onto any in-kind donations you may have for our
ministries, such as toiletry and baby items. We are grateful for your generosity,
but we cannot manage these extra items until several weeks after we move into our new facilities.

We strive to be a welcoming parish that practices love in action. We have to use the resources we have, including the time of our receptionists and staff, to best respond to the calls we receive and the items we already have to move. Thank you for your understanding as we make these changes. God bless!