Parish Picnic and Festival Kickoff - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic

Parish Picnic and
Festival Kickoff
For our Festival Kickoff Weekend,
we will be selling Festival T-shirts, Major Award tickets and
our pre-tickets sales for our basket booth ~ 50 tickets for $20.
This special price is only offered from July15th through August 12th.
Mark your calendars and plan to join us for family ~ fun ~ fellowship.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish
5890 Buckwheat Road
Milford, Ohio 45150
Setonotes is a publication of St. Elizabeth
Ann Seton Parish and is intended for all
friends and parishioners of St. Elizabeth
Ann Seton. Parish groups who wish to
submit articles or pictures for publication
in Setonotes must submit the information
to the parish office by the 15th of each
month for publication the following
month. If you have questions or comments
regarding Setonotes, please contact the
parish office at 575-0119.
Editorial/Contributing Staff
Fr. Michael L. Cordier, Pastor
Valerie Hofmann
Sue Boruszewski
Patty Norris
Carol Grace
Terri Imming
Margaret Bergh
Catherine Fasano
Layout and Design
Angela S. Foulks – ASF Creative
Address Service Requested
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish
Join us on Sunday, July 15th, at 1:00pm for our annual Parish Picnic.
Again this year, we will be having a Pig Roast,
donated and prepared by Lehr’s Meat & Catering.
The Men and Ladies of Seton will be on hand to setup and
serve you, and the Knights will provide our beverages.
We ask that you bring salads, side dishes, and desserts;
A-H desserts ~ I-P salads ~ Q-Z side dishes
2012 Seton Parish Festival
Volume 11, Issue 4
July/August 2012
Mark your calendar for August 17, 18,
and 19 to join in the fun at the annual
SEAS Parish Festival. This year’s committee has been making plans for a
weekend of fun, faith, and fellowship
for all ages. Back are many of your
favorites and new attractions have been
added.
Festival Book Fair ~ Save Your Books!
Back by popular demand, the Book Fair
will return to the Festival. Please look
over your home libraries and bookshelves for any gently used hardback
books you’re able to donate to the book
fair. We’re in need of all categories
including: children’s, religious fiction,
non-fiction, historical, mystery, etc.
Watch in the next few weeks for details
on book drop off.
Check out our website,
www.setonmilford.org. for updated
information about the festival.
Interested in Sponsoring a Booth, or
donating for our Bid and Buy Auction or
Basket Raffle? Find more information
or donation/sponsorship forms, go to our
parish website, www.setonmilford.org.
Please consider donating your time to
help make this event a success. Workers
are needed in many areas. As we get
closer to the festival weekend, signup
sheets will be available at each Mass
or you can contact the parish office.
Many hands make the job easier for all.
Greg and Ruth Brothers
Festival Chairs
New to Seton’s festival will be a Video
Trailer – 16 kids for 15 minute intervals
with a variety of XBox games.
Festival Hours:
Back this year ~ Kid’s Grand Prize
Raffle ~ only better, we will have a
winner each day! Also bringing back
many of the old favorites ~ our famous
Chicken Dinner, Doll Auction, Used
Book Sale, Bid or Buy, Basket Booth
and the All-You-Can-Ride bracelet.
Friday, August 17th
6:00 pm to 11:30 pm
Saturday, August 18th
6:00 pm to 11:30 pm
Sunday, August 19th
1:00pm to 9:00 pm
Festival Donations/Sponsors
It’s Right Around the Corner!
We are now seeking donations from
parishioners for the Festival Bid & Buy
and Basket booths. Please review the
opportunities for businesses and families
to donate goods, services or dollar donations on the insert in today’s bulletin.
Bid and Buy is a great way to showcase
your handiwork or to donate gently
used household items to the festival.
Please contact Julie George with questions or donations (965-0207).
Bandstand Feature
Friday Night:
My Sister Sarah
Saturday Night:
The Rusty Griswold's
Sunday Afternoon:
Dartech Sounds (DJ)
Sunday Evening:
The Romans
Sponsorship/Donation Form
To benefit St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish
August 17-19, 2012
Company/Family Name:
Contact Name:
Address:
From
the Pastor’s Desk...
Telephone:
Number of Chicken Dinners (Sponsors Only):
DONATIONS
SPONSORS
Dear People of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish,
The summer months are here, and for many, it is a time of vacations and weekend trips.
We hope and pray that everyone has a safe and happy summer.
Please mark your calendars and join us on Sunday, July 15th, for our annual parish picnic.
This year, we will have it immediately following the 12:00 noon Mass. We will gather in
the parish shelter for food, refreshments, fun, and fellowship until 4:00pm. It is a good time
for our parish family to gather and have a good time.
The parish festival will be held August 17th, 18th and 19th. Please plan on joining our
fellow parishioners for hours of fun and entertainment. It is the major fundraiser of the
year for our parish. Our festival committee is working hard to make this year’s festival
another success. Please watch for opportunities to volunteer, and as usual, please pray
for good weather.
Finally, please remember what Blessed Pope John Paul II wrote: “The Church draws her
life from the Eucharist.” Spread this Good News, evangelize your family, friends and
neighbors by listening to what they have to say, sharing your story of how your faith has
helped you, and when the time is right and inspired by the Holy Spirit, invite someone
to Sunday Mass.
God bless you,
Fr. Michael L. Cordier
Email:
•
•
•
•
Recognition in parish bulletin inserts
Festival Newsletter Recognition (1600 families)
Company/Family name on Sponsor Board
Chicken Dinner vouchers (Sunday, Aug 19)*
TENT SPONSOR (3 Available)
Large Tent Banner displayed all 3 days
❑ $1,000
GAMING SPONSOR (1 Available)
❑ Gift Item
Value:
Description:
❑ Gift pick-up requested
❑ Service:
Large Banner displayed at Gym Entry all 3 days
Value:
❑ $1,000
Description:
CHICKEN DINNER SPONSOR (1 Available)
Large Banner displayed at Café Entry all 3 days
❑ $1,000
BANDSTAND SPONSOR – (4 Available)
3’ x 20’ Banner, Main Stage displayed all 3 days
❑ $500
❑ Certificate enclosed
❑ Gift Certificate:
Value:
Description/Restrictions/Exclusions/Expiration:
BOOTH SPONSOR
Banner on Festival Booth displayed all 3 days
❑ $300
*Please indicate number of Chicken Dinner
vouchers in space above.
Office Use Only:
Item #
Date Entered
Entered By
Acknowledgement Sent
2
Setonotes • July/August 2012
❑ Certificate enclosed
Forward payment and form no later than July 30, 2012
Questions?
Julie George, 965-0207
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish
5890 Buckwheat Road
([email protected])
Milford, OH 45150
www.setonmilford.org
2012 Festival Donor Sponsor Form
Financially Speaking...
New Parishioners
Baptisms
Designated & Special Collections and Other Income: Fiscal Year 2011 - 2012
We are a very generous parish! Each year, we have designated and special collections to help others in
need. Below is the list of your contributions to these collections. Thank you for your support throughout
the year to these vital appeals.
Christopher and Maranda Bowen
Adam and Christina Thompson
Michael and Angela Kraeutle
Lucas and Brittany Reineck
Kiara Brandt, granddaughter of Wayne and Ann Keck
Kamron Brandt, grandson of Wayne and Ann Keck
Peyton Mya Hollander, daughter of Justin and Elizabeth
Paxton Mateo Kassner, son of Brent and Clara
Ryder Thomas Linz, son of Matthew and Elizabeth
Michael Sean Burke, son of Jamie and Cynthia
Wyatt Greyson Thompson, son of Adam and Christina
Archdiocese of Cincinnati Designated Collections:
Mission Sunday – Oct. 2011: $ 2,984
Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) – Nov. 2011: $ 2,295
Religious Retirement – Dec. 2011: $ 4,038
Ash Wednesday – Feb. 2012: $ 2,080
Catholic Ministry Appeal (CMA) – Mar. 2012: $ 21,890 pledged
Good Friday – Apr. 2012: $ 1,643
Operation Rice Bowl – Apr. 2012: $ 1,141 (loose coins collected by PRP children)
Catholic Relief Services – Apr. 2012: $ 1,766
Holy Father / Peter's Penance – June 2012: $ 1,551 (to date at print)
Special Collections / Service to Others:
Ed Colina Scholarship Fund – Jul 2011 Golf Outing & Feb. 2012 collection: $ 8,919
St. Vincent de Paul – FY 2011 – 2012: $ 73,214 (to date at print)
Relief for Moscow Tornado Victims – Mar. 2012: $ 5,016
Deaths
Keith Michael Reed
Brogan Matthew Howard
Danita Hansman
Joseph Andrew Lieber
Other Income:
Abitibi Paper Bin recycling: $ 337 (to date at print)
M & R Aluminum Can recycling: $ 58 (to date at print)
Don't forget drop off your paper to be recycled on your way into school or to church in the parking lot
Abitibi (green & yellow) bins, make it a weekly habit! All paper, magazines and books accepted with the
exception of phone books. Aluminum cans & foil can be saved and taken to M&R recycling on Rt. 28,
mention to the cashier to add your proceeds to Seton's account.
Valerie Hofmann
KROGER REWARDS PROGRAM
Have you heard? Kroger’s Community Reward Program is
now a part of your Kroger Plus card. To find out how to sign
up for this new program, you can go to our parish website,
www.setonmilford.org to see what each household needs to do
to benefit the parish with your purchases. Note that registering your Kroger Plus card and adding the parish ID #80157
under Community Rewards will not take anything away
from your personal Kroger points, i.e. gas rewards.
Questions? Please call the parish office.
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Setonotes • July/August 2012
Setonotes • July/August 2012
3
The Imitation of Christ
Yesterday Morning
My spiritual advisor suggested I read one of the great
spiritual classics of Christianity. He suggested the
book The Imitation of Christ, written by Thomas
Kempis. I had the book, but had never read it.
So I started but stopped after a while. He kept
encouraging me, and I began again, and now
I am beginning to understand why it is one of the
Great Books of Christianity. Following are some
excerpts from the introduction:
The Imitation of Christ is the most famous and most
beloved Christian devotional book ever written. By
1471, the year of Thomas Kempis death, the book
had been so frequently hand copied and passed from
monastery to monastery, that there are some 750
manuscripts of the medieval classic extant today.
By 1779, there were at least 1800 editions catalogued.
Today, it has been translated into more than 50 languages.
The Imitation is made up of four distinct and independent treatises/books, written at different times,
perhaps between 1420 and 1427. The work seems to
have been composed for the spiritual benefits of the
young religious at Mount St. Agnes monastery.
Thomas’s four treatises were not intended as a theological exposition of the spiritual life; rather, he merely wanted to give his monks a series of meditative
reflections on that life, pointing out how they could
effectively pursue virtue, advance in the interior life,
and attain union with Christ. He makes no appeal to
our power of reasoning, but directs his words to our
hearts and our desire to imitate Jesus Christ. In The
Imitation, we neither seek intellectual stimulation nor
new knowledge, but look for strength and encouragement to continue our resolve to be devout and holy.
Book One invites us to seek what is true, interior, and
eternal. Book Two continues and advances the theme
of book one – the kingdom of God is found within us,
and is attained only by a union with God through
Christ. Book Three builds on the earlier books, but
love and grace are now spoken of with greater frequency, and the desire to ascend to God and to enjoy
the divine delights. Book Four is much different from
the first three books. It is presented as the pinnacle of
the doctrine contained in The Imitation. The Christian
is now aware that the union he desires with God is
sacramentally achieved on earth whenever he partakes
of Christ’s gift of His Body and Blood in the
Eucharist. The disciple manifests his deep affection
for Jesus and expresses his awareness that his growth
in the spiritual life is further and enhanced by his reverence and love for the Blessed Sacrament.
Only the Bible has been more influential as a source
of Christian devotional reading than the book, The
Imitation of Christ. This mediation on the spiritual life
has inspired readers from St. Thomas More and St.
Ignatius Loyola, to Thomas Merton and Pope John
Paul. No book has more explicitly and movingly
described the Christian ideal: “My son, to the degree
that you can leave yourself behind, to that degree will
you be able to enter into Me.”
Fr. Michael L. Cordier
4
The group is smaller at weekday Mass, the church
calm and still. It’s so quiet that it’s almost lonely.
Sometimes I can sense God in the silence, sometimes
I only notice the people around me. I love those seven
minutes at the kneeler, just enough time to quiet my
mind before Mass. Rushing to get ready for work and
grabbing leftovers makes me nervous that I’ll be late.
Usually I see Father in the servers sacristy, reminding
them when to ring the consecration bells, and how to
move to one side for communion. I’m amazed that Fr.
Cordier avoids using an adult wherever possible and
doesn’t assign the most practiced servers to assist
him. I get a kick out of those youngsters. Some fiddle
with the knot around their waist, others tip their heads
back and look at the stained glass. A number of them
yawn and stretch, and most of them need tissues.
see how many items they can carry in one trip. Twice
I’ve been behind them to see the top of the pile slide
down to the floor. What will happen after we change
the flooring and take up the carpet?
The girls appear to float back up the aisle, no longer
two separate people, but seeming to know the
thoughts of the other. Often they have the same hairdo; both with bangs, or both with ponytails. These little coincidences remind me of our kinship, that we are
all here together as children of God.
There is something wonderful at St. Elizabeth Seton
every day. Some days I laugh about it, sometimes I
can’t find words to describe it. No matter what happens with the carpet, I love being part of it.
Christina Young
At the age of ten, I wasn’t allowed to touch fire, so I
imagine it a thrill to snuff the altar candles after Mass.
Rarely will they take off their alb after recession,
most servers stay in character to bring the communion
cups back to the sacristy. The boys especially love to
Festival Donation Board
RCIA with Children
Parents of children who are in third grade or older
who, for whatever reason, have not participated in
religious education are invited to consider the RCIA
with Children program. This program provides an
opportunity for learning about the faith, experience
prayer and opportunities for conversion, and form
friendships with other children who are interested in
“I wish I could remember the homily.” I say this after
most every Mass. Then feelings of love wash over me
and I feel completely at peace. This is what Christ
wants for me, not just the words of instruction, but the
feeling of being loved. I go to Mass as often as I can
to get that feeling again.
learning about the Catholic faith. A new group is
forming and will begin study in September. Interested
families are invited to call Margaret Bergh (646-2348)
for more information.
Setonotes • July/August 2012
Margaret Bergh
The Donation Board for this year’s festival will soon
be in the narthex!! There are hundreds of items needed to run a festival and any donation you can make
eliminates the need for us to purchase these items,
thus resulting in a more profitable event. Please consider choosing a tag or two from the board. Simply
purchase the item on the tag, and place it in the box
under the donation board in the narthex after Mass, or
drop it off at the parish office during office hours. All
items are needed by August 5th unless otherwise indicated. Please address any questions to Andrea
Callahan at 722.1279.
Andrea Callahan
Setonotes • July/August 2012
13
SonRise National Park VBS Points Kids to Jesus!
First Holy Communion
National Park VBS took place June 18 – 22 at St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton School, a joint venture with St.
Andrew Parish. One hundred and fifty-eight children
took advantage of the program this year! Great fun
and growth in faith took place with the help of 74
adult and teen volunteers.
During the week the children participated in service
by learning about others in need, reaching out to them,
and bringing in a variety of items to be shared with
Stepping Stones, CISE schools, The Hope Emergency
Center, St. Vincent de Paul Pantry and schools in
Brazil started by Sr. Dorothy Stang.
Each day focused on a different Bible story and truth
about our faith. On the first day, they heard how
Jesus calmed the stormy water and reflected on how
we have True Peace with Jesus. Day two’s story was
Jesus feeding 5,000 people! We were reminded that
Jesus knows what we need to face any situation.
On day three, we thought about Jesus being tempted
in the desert. By His example, Jesus teaches us to
depend on God when we face temptation. Day four,
we heard that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and that he
gave his life for us. We also reflected on how He is
still with us in the great gift of the Eucharist. Finally
on Friday we listened to the story of Paul and Silas
in prison and learned that with Jesus with us we can
have hope in any difficult circumstance we find
ourselves in.
National Park VBS was a fantastic week for our children. The parish is grateful for the able leadership of
Lisa Fridley and her team of VBS volunteers. They
made the week memorable for all who participated.
We welcomed many young parishioners to the Table
of the Lord in May as they received their First Holy
Communion. These youngsters spent the year preparing for this step of faith and now are regularly sharing
in this great gift Jesus left us. Many members of our
community facilitated this process. We would like to
recognize and thank the members of the 2012 First
Reconciliation + First Holy Communion Committee,
the second grade teachers in SA/SEAS and the PRP
program, Linda Johns, the 5:00pm and Youth/Young
Adult Choirs who sang for the celebrations, and the
parents who served as ushers at the various Masses.
Margaret Bergh
Margaret Bergh
Enjoying VBS 2012 are
Emily Fridley, Izzy, Emily and Will Caton
Fr. Cordier with Alex Longwell
on his First Communion Day
First Communicants from May 12, 2012 Mass
Thank You Mrs. Barbara!
As St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Preschool ends another school year, it also brings to a close
thirteen years of working with the preschool children for Mrs. Barbara Miller. I would like
to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Barbara for all her compassion, nurturing and
dedication she has given to the children and our program over the years. She will be
truly missed, but we wish her well in her future endeavors.
God Bless you Mrs. Barbara and Thank You for being part of our staff for 13 years!
Terri Imming
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Setonotes • July/August 2012
Setonotes • July/August 2012
5
Time to Register for the Parish Religion Program (PRP)
Ladies of Seton
Summertime is here and parish families are enjoying
a well-deserved break from the schedule and activities
of the school year. While we all love to relax, let’s be
sure to take care of fall details that need our attention
now. One of the most important is registering your
children for the PRP program that begins in September.
The last few meetings of the Ladies of Seton have
been social events. In April, games were played with
chair volleyball being the favorite for participants, as
well as onlookers. In May, 20 women attended and
enjoyed dinner at the Copper Blue restaurant in
Milford. A planned trip to Our Lady’s Farm in
Falmouth, Kentucky is the activity for June. We will
help support and set up for the parish picnic in July.
Returning PRP families received a registration packet
in May and several families have registered already.
That has been very helpful in planning for next year’s
program. If you are a returning family and have not
done so, please take the time this week to complete
your registration form and submit it with payment.
The deadline for returning families to register without
incurring a late fee is July 15th. After this date a
$25.00 late fee will be assessed. Please register today
and avoid the fee and help us plan for a good year.
Are you new to the parish? If so, pick up a packet in
the narthex, website, or parish office, complete the
forms and return to the parish via the mail or collection basket. Our religion program meets on Sunday
mornings from 9:00 until 10:15am. (A home school
option is available for those families who are not able
to attend on Sunday.) Preschool classes are also
available for children from three years old through
kindergarten. If you have questions, call Margaret
Bergh at 646-2348 or email me at [email protected].
Psalm 67
O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the people,
you guide the nations on earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has yielded its fruit
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
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Setonotes • July/August 2012
Margaret Bergh
The organization has made a donation toward the
Early Bird Drawing held in July, also the Ladies have
sponsored a booth at the parish festival, and will set
up and work the dessert table at the festival dinner on
Sunday.
Annette Hudson
SMILE News
We have a group of 25 students and adults traveling to
Chicago, Illinois for our summer mission trip June 2330th with Young Neighbors in Action. The group has
been actively fundraising and preparing for this journey and is excited for what service we may be able to
provide. Special thanks to all who have helped us
with this endeavor. Please keep all of us in your
prayers during this time. A welcome home event will
be held on Sunday, July 8th, at 7:00pm at St. Andrew
in the Church Hall. All are welcome to join us to look
at pictures and hear our stories.
SMILE is continuing to go to summer Adoration.
Feel free to join us any Friday at St. Elizabeth Ann
Seton between 11:00am-noon, with lunch following in
the pavilion. RSVP is necessary for lunch.
Mark your calendars for our SMILE kick-off event for
the 2012-2013 school year. This will take place on
Sunday, September 16th, at St. Andrew.
Release forms will be distributed through St. Andrew
School and PREP/PRP classes at the beginning of the
year. This release form will be kept on file for all
local Youth Group events (meetings, dances, service
projects, etc.). Every person interested in participating in a Youth Group event will need to complete a
form. Thank you in advance for filling these out and
returning them early. Call the Youth Office if you
have any questions.
Catherine Fasano
The Youth Group has a game night at SEM Villa
scheduled for August 16th. Come play games with
the residents from 6:30-8:00pm.
PRP Program Seeking Volunteers
Registration is underway for the 2012 – 2013 PRP
school year. The Parish Religion Program (PRP) is
looking for a few new volunteers in the preschool area
and elementary grade level classrooms. If you enjoy
working with children, have a desire to share your
faith with others, or just want to learn more about the
program, contact Margaret Bergh to learn what opportunities are available.
the help of a strong curriculum. You don’t have to
have a child in the program to volunteer. All parishioners are invited to consider if God might be calling
them to this ministry. Please contact Margaret Bergh
at 646-2348 or [email protected] to discuss the
possibilities!
Margaret Bergh
The PRP program meets on Sunday mornings during
the school year from 9:00 – 10:15am. Each grade
level has two teachers who deliver the lessons with
Setonotes • July/August 2012
11
St. Andrew - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School
VIRTUS – Child Protection Program:
Over the course of the next few months, you will
be hearing about changes to the Child Protection
Orientation that all volunteers and employees must
take part in. Over the past 10 years, there have been
updates and changes to the program however; those
who are currently approved have never been asked to
retake the class or attend an update. In the summer
of this year, the Archdiocese is implementing a new
Child Protection program that is a national recognized
program named Virtus. All Seton employees and
volunteers who work with children will need to
be retrained in this new program.
Highlights for Virtus: www.virtus.org
• Nationally recognized training program
• Comprehensive program that is always updated
• Better, stronger program than the Archdiocese’s
own stand-alone program
• Continued Education – monthly news bulletins
come to your email
• Adult Programs – ways to identify abuses,
what to do, etc
• Programs can be used in our school – addresses
bullying, safe touching, etc
Congratulations to the Eighth Grade Class of 2012
Austin Gabriel Angeline, Colleen McQuaide Barbara, Matthew Robert Barbara, Meghan Bohannan Bees,
Anna Margaret Bollinger, Emma Kathleen Bowling, Megan Elizabeth Brinkworth, Bethany Addison
Brownfield, Jason William Bruggemann, Nathan Samuel Whitton Bush, Zachary Thomas Callahan,
Kennedy Marie Castelli, Lindsay Noelle Cunningham, Grace Sullivan deJesus, Lauren Elizabeth Devolve,
Megan Elizabeth DiSalvo, Chandler Reed Dixon, Lauren Nicole Dundon, Shane Greyson Estes, Chad
Henry Evans, Nadeem Joseph Farhat, Madeline Marie Farlow, Christopher Patrick Fath, Ashley Carolina
Foulks, Jenna Marie Gerbus, Mitchell Joseph Hartwell, Jordanne Marie Hazenfield, Trenton Michael
Hemmert, Nicholas Alvin Heuker, Alex Patrick Holbert, Jared Lee Holbert, Logan Alexander Holtman,
Yvonne Marie Kelly, Andrew William Krsacok, Madeline Rose Leesman, William Reed Leesman,, Zachary
Michael Lorenz, Morgan Virginia Mains, Salvatore Vincent Marino, Sean Patrick Masterson, Sierra Morra
Meyer, Victor James Miller, Sarah Lynn Moeller, Nora Margaret Oliver, Kyle Brian Payne, Lauren Marie
Pearson, Maya Barbara YI Ruiming Pentecost, Clayton Joseph Peterson, Joshua David Poole, Margaret
Jean Rendell, Jacob Christopher Round, Jackson Paul Sager, Joseph David Sorensen, Grace Elisabeth
Strotman, Mark Joseph Swing, Emily Marie Vuotto, Duncan Christopher Weir, Trent Patrick Wenker,
Maxwell Wright Westerkamp, Elizabeth Rosemary Woodard, Hannah Elizabeth Wuerfel.
This program starts in June 2012 and Seton expects to
be fully implemented within a year. As the facilitators
are trained throughout the Archdiocese, we will send
our representatives to be trained and then they will
begin training our employees and volunteers with the
Virtus Child Protection program. We will prioritize
our volunteers and employees so that we are all
trained.
Please remember that all regular volunteers who meet
the following criteria will be expected to be trained in
the new program.
A “regular volunteer” is an adult who is not
a cleric or employee (catechist, scout leader,
coach, server coordinator, etc.) who functions
in a regular relationship with children. This
includes interns, student teachers and others
in similar capacities.
A regular volunteer is one who has contact
with children more than three (3) hours
a month, or has contact with children more
frequently than once a month, or participates
in an overnight event with children. It does
not include the occasional volunteer, such
as a driver or chaperone for individual
activities that are not overnight.
We welcome the changes to the Decree on Child
Protection even though it will be challenging to
implement. We thank you in advance for your
patience and understanding as we implement the
Virtus System this fall. Please look to the bulletin,
Setonotes and the website towards the spring for further communications. Additional information will be
sent to Ministry heads where applicable. If you have
questions, please feel free to contact me at the parish
office.
Valerie Hofmann
We anticipate that the school teachers, PRP teachers
and employees will be trained prior to the start of
school in mid-August. We will then follow with “regular volunteers” - school parents, boosters, coaches,
scout leaders and VBS etc. We welcome Christine
Yankowsky who has been hired to help us implement
the new program and facilitate future trainings.
The 10th Annual SASEAS School Golf Scramble will be held on August 10th, at the Cedar Trace
Golf Club, 12:30pm Shotgun Start. You can register online at www.saseasschool.org. Sponsorship
opportunities can be found at our website. Please join us on the 10th for a great time!
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Setonotes • July/August 2012
Setonotes • July/August 2012
7
Is Everything That Happens God’s Will?
It seems that we have had an overabundance of
tragedy and grief in our community. We have
mourned the loss of parishioners, friends and family
to unexpected, sudden death. We have also watched
as family members have died from prolonged illness.
In my life my own father died unexpectedly several
years ago, succumbing to infection after being evacuated after spinal surgery while hurricane Charlie
threatened the coast of Florida. I have lost an infant
granddaughter and agonized through a son’s deployments in the War in Iraq. I read the paper.
Sometimes it seems the world has gone mad.
A few days ago a friend, mentioning these realities
and others like them asked me…Is everything that
happens God’s Will? Not an unusual question in
times of shocking grief or trial. I am not a theologian,
just a humble catechist, but I would like to answer
this question in my own simple way reflecting on the
Truth revealed by Christ and given to us by the
Church.
The answer is “yes”, in a broad sense. Everything
either reflects God’s permissive will or His ordaining
will. Understanding the difference is critical to understanding how the world works.
God created all things good, His is never the author of
evil or sin, yet there is sin and evil in the world. In
understanding this we can understand and distinguish
the two different ways in which His will operates.
His ordaining will is what He ordains for us, that is
what He intends for us. God only intends the good
for us. He calls us to the good, He gives us everything we need to embrace it. He wants us to be
happy. Here’s the catch, we have the freedom to reject
the good. That is, God permits us to reject Him if we
really want to. He allows us to act freely, He does not
constrain us. This is the basis for discussing His permissive will.
When we choose the good, the true or the beautiful,
we choose freedom, we choose God. When we
choose against the good, the true or the beautiful,
we choose slavery. We choose against God.
Before the fall of man, mankind was both immortal
and impervious to suffering. Our first parents were
created so that they wouldn’t suffer any loss, couldn’t
be injured, and couldn’t be killed. We are only
adversely affected by natural events because our
father and mother, Adam and Eve, chose to reject the
power to remain unaffected. They didn’t want God’s
grace, His protection, so out of respect for them and
us, God doesn’t extend as much protection as we
would otherwise get. We are no longer immortal, we
are no longer impervious to harm, pain and suffering.
Now, God is very generous, so He generally protects
us from many things anyway. Still, we are able to
experience pain and loss to a degree we are not really
equipped to handle. How can this problem be solved?
God solves it by allowing pain and loss to become a
means by which we can be made whole. It would be
better if this was not the case, but through original
sin, humanity trapped itself into this situation.
God gave us radical freedom and he respects how we
choose to use it. But through the suffering and death
of Christ, God changed the nature of suffering and
loss. Suffering has now taken on its own salvific
power and meaning. When joined to the suffering of
Christ it can redeem the world.
Pain is still a natural evil, it is not good, and we don’t
“ask for it” when accident or natural disaster strikes.
Through original sin we gained the dubious ability to
suffer in extraordinary ways, by the Cross we gained
the extraordinary ability to turn this suffering into
work that helps to heal what is wrong with the world.
Through these natural evils, the worst of which are
suffering and death, God can pour out His grace and
repair the damage and destruction we experience as
well as the damage caused to the world.
God does not cause natural disasters, we are subject to
them. But if we permit Him to do it, god can use
those disasters to change us. When we are fully
changed, such events will again no longer be disasters. Death will be swallowed up in victory.
Major Award Raffle
$10,000 Grand Prize
Raffle tickets have beeen mailed to all parishioners,
and this year we are adding a 2nd Early Bird Drawing!!
Only 1200 tickets to be sold ~ 22 Prizes in all, so buy your tickets early!
1st Early Bird Drawing will be drawn at our Festival Kick Off during
the Parish Picnic on Sunday, July 15th, at 3:00pm.
Winner will receive one-full year tuition at SASEAS School, or $3,000!
2nd Early Bird Drawing for $1,000 will be held on August 12th
after the noon Mass.
Thanks to our 2012 Early Bird Raffle Sponsors
Knights of Columbus Fr. Wenzel Council
Ladies of Seton
Men of Seton
SASEAS School Boosters
SASEAS School PTO
Patty Norris
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Setonotes • July/August 2012
Setonotes • July/August 2012
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