The St. Joseph BEACON - St. Joseph Catholic Church
Transcription
The St. Joseph BEACON - St. Joseph Catholic Church
Volume I, Issue 3 SUMMER 2012 The St. Joseph BEACON Enlightened Communication for our Parish Family SUMMERTIME IS A GIFT FROM GOD GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY HIS BEAUTIFUL CREATION “You will keep perfect peace in him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3-4) As the summer season is upon us, possibly providing us with opportunities for rest and Rev. Fr. Denzil relaxation and time for reVithanage, Pastor flection, and as we seek a little peace and tranquility away from the busy routines of our lives, the prophet Isaiah reminds us that true peace comes when we put our complete trust in God. For if we completely trust in Him, he will give our lives a sense of rightness and restful wholeness. Yet it is not a blind trust we have, we trust Him because of who He is, because “ in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock!” His nature and power are unchangeable and His love for us was demonstrated and sealed in the cross of Jesus Christ. So we need not be anxious today, and worry about the issues facing each of us, if we take our issues to the Lord and say “I trust you and whatever you lend me to do in this situation I will do.” Then God takes responsibility for our circumstances and whatever outcome He chooses to bring, our hearts will be at peace, resting in Him. We are always safe and secure if we put our trust in the everlasting Rock. He will never let us down or betray our trust in Him. And as we go about our summer activities- family reunions and gatherings, family vacations and cookouts, we might also take time out to reflect on how we might build up God's kingdom in our own St. Joseph parish family. For we are all stones, with Christ as our cornerstone, the immovable Rock in whom we trust. St. Peter instructs us in his first letter that Christ is “a living stone” and we are “like living stones” to build up the Kingdom of God within us and around us. So let us contemplate how God may be calling each of us to take a more active part in our parish life and ministries, for there is a place for everyone to contribute their time and talents according to their own particular circumstances and abilities. Ask yourself: have I been interested in taking part in a particular ministry or organization? If not, then maybe now is the time to step forward. If I am already active in the parish, is there maybe even more areas in which I could use my talents in service to God and others? With Christ as our cornerstone, our Rock, let us put our trust in Him and build up His Church one stone at a time, that we may have peace and a sense of purpose in our minds and hearts. Something to think and pray about this summer…Amen I am very happy to have returned to Marshall and the St. Joseph’s parish for the summer, from my studies in Rome at the North American College (NAC). This semester I finished my STB (Sacrae Theologiae Baccalau- Faith Formation 2 Parish Ministries 2 sity, where I will study Christology for the next two years. As well as aca- Outreach Ministries 3 demic work the students in my class at the NAC are preparing for ordination School News 4 to the Diaconate in October. I was named chairman of the Liturgy Committee Fr. Carlos 5 and have been working with my classmates on the liturgical details for the We Ask Father 6 Universal Church News 6 Reflections 6 Upcoming Events 7 reus) degree from the University of the Holy Cross (Opus Dei). I have been given approval to begin my Licentiate studies next fall at the Lateran Univer- Seminarian Matthew Stehling Inside this issue: ordination as well as other liturgies and holy hour that will be celebrated during Diaconate Week when guests from all over the United States and Australia, as well as Europe, come to Rome to share in our ordination to the diaconate. I am looking forward to spending these summer months at St. Joseph and I will be assisting with many of the activities here in the parish. I plan to give a series of classes in August, assisting with Totus Tuus and will be helping the Sunday Morning Adult Faith It's not really about GOING to church, it's about COMING to LIFE! Formation group that meets in the Parish Hall. stjosephmarshall.org Page 2 THE ST. JOSEPH BEACON Summer 2012 THE MINISTRIES OF FAITH FORMATION Liturgy/Choir Ministry Parish Youth Happenings—REC TEAM Nancy Vines Benjamin and Holly Cantu Do you like to sing and make music? How does making music in the house of the Lord sound to you? Then serving in the choir is the place for you. Youth Choir practice is Wednesday evenings 6:15-6:50 pm and Adult Choir practice is Wednesday evenings 7:008:00 pm in the choir loft. There are many ways that we can serve God. If you are interested in becoming involved in any of the ministries listed in the Sunday Bulletin or those highlighted in these pages, please call the church office at 903-9352356, leave your name and number and someone will gladly contact you. Tantum ergo Sacramentum “The singular most serious problem facing the Church today is loss of faith in the Real Presence.” —Very Rev. William Casey, CPM Sunday Morning Adult Faith Formation St. Joseph's Youth Group has been renamed the "R.E.C. T.E.A.M.", which stands for Really Enjoying Christ, Teens Engaging Actively in Ministry. The youth program aims to help the youth strengthen their faith through social, service, and spiritual activities. Our goal is to have the youth become more active in the church and in the community, all the while having fun learning more about their faith and building upon their relationship with God. The high school REC TEAM is open to all youth who are in 9th - 12th grade and meets at Chili's Parish Youth House on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. The Jr. REC TEAM, for those youth in 5th 8th grade (Jr High/MS), meets on Thursday evenings from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM at Chili's. Gerald Duvall St. Joseph’s offers many activity choices for you to explore your Catholic faith. One of these choices is the Sunday Morning Adult Faith Formation group. The group welcomes everyone who would like to gain a deeper perspective on our Catholic faith through reflection, discussion, and social interaction. This “class” provides a forum to help you to become more familiar with scripture, learn more about our Church, our Lord and His Sacraments. Our group discussions are guided by Reflecting on Sunday’s Readings provided by Emmaus Journey (found at www.emmausjourney.org). As adults, our discussions generally tend toward families, careers, and other influences from the choices we make in our lives. Regardless of where we are in our personal faith formation journey, we learn together how scripture and prayer can help us to more fully commit our lives to Christ. Vacation Bible School Charlotte Smith We have Totus Tuus coming up in July. This is a Vacation Bible School for grades 1-12 that is only for youth and is completely Catholic. Totus Tuus means “Totally Yours.” This year the youth will be studying the Creed and the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. During discussions, one doesn’t have to be asked to speak…it simply happens. We do our best to create and maintain an atmosphere where interactions occur in the spirit of love. Come, give our group a try. Regular attendance is encouraged, but not committed. There is a chair waiting with just your name on it.…we even provide the coffee (and occasionally, donuts!). Grades 1-6 will be from 9am until 3pm Monday thru Friday, and grades 7-12 will be Sunday thru Thurs, 6-10pm all at the parish hall. Our Seminarian Matthew Stehling will be leading this class during this summer. Please come and participate in our lively theological discussions! The group meets 9:00—10:00 a.m. Call the church office at 903-935-2536 or Gerald Duvall at 903-938-1733 for more information. During the period July 14-20, the team will be speaking at all the Masses, as well as at a parish social on Wed, July 18th. Please pray that our diocese will soon have a new Shepherd. Summer 2012 Page 3 THE ST. JOSEPH BEACON THE MINISTRIES OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL NEWS St. Joseph’s welcomes back Cindy Kopecky as the Learning Center Director. She received her Bachelor Degree in Education from the Texas A&M University, Texarkana, in May. In addition to her duties as Director, she will be teaching classes. Congratulations, Cindy, from everyone at St. Joseph’s!! In other school news: Applications are being taken for faculty positions. For information call the school office at 903-935-5502 or church office at 903-935-2536. Summer school is in full swing and the children are learning about good citizenship and the Christian way of life. A parent meeting is scheduled for July 10th at 6:30 p.m. There will be an orientation for the parents to become familiar with the school’s structure and how their children will benefit from their Catholic school experience. All of us at St. Joseph Catholic School and Parish wish Agnes Verhalen a very happy 90th!! birthday on July 13th. Agnes has been a lifelong staunch and faithful advocate for Catholic Education. God bless you, Agnes, from all of us!! Enrolling now for Fall Pre-K thru 4th Grade To enroll, visit the school at 2307 S. Garrett, or call us at 903-935-5502. KUDOS TO THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS & CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS We, the St. Joseph Community, thank you, Knights of Columbus and Catholic Daughters, for the fantastic 4th of July celebration you hosted for all of us. The food was fantastic and the fireworks fabulous. Fun was had by all!! Also, a great round of applause and thanks to the Knights of Columbus’ video crew for their dedication and hard work filming our St. Joseph Mass each week. The video film crew members are: Lloyd Curry, Brett Mayo, Brett Noble, and David Zielgler. When you see these Knights, let them know you have seen their wonderful skills at work!! The St. Joseph Mass is available at Channel 19 on local cable television and online at www.stjosephmarshall.org. THE GABRIEL PROJECT Juanita Cantu The key to the future is within the mind of your child. The volunteer members of this project see in the birth of each baby a fresh expression of God’s unfailing love. They offer immediate and practical help to any woman faced with a crisis pregnancy. Hail, Flower of Carmel, Hail, Fruitful Vine, Hail ever Immaculate Queen, in whom all virtues shine! A Rose for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (July 16th) O Mother mild, implore your Son to hear our prayers now and at the hour of our death. Helping Mother and Child for the Love of Jesus To ask for help, offer your assistance, or for more information, contact Juanita Cantu at [email protected] or call 888-300-5112. THE ST. JOSEPH BEACON Summer 2012 Page 4 St. Joseph’s Family Collage! APRIL — JUNE 2012 St. Joseph Jason Keith Wilcox & Sara Lynne Emery Weddings Indy Roth & Michael Fenton Gavin Woodward Addison Woodward Karina Sauedo Miguel Zepeda David Ramirez St. Joseph Births and Baptisms Cody Tlatoa Brandon Mendez Mario Tovar Oliverio Benitez Baltazar Lizeth Benitez Baltazar Agustin Tlatoa Julissa Bueno Hryan Becerro Billy Becerro Continued Page 5 In Memoriam News from the Development Office Mary Heater The Development Office had a very busy start since its announcement as part of St. Joseph’s parish administration. In order to meet our first goal of improved communications, we produced the Beacon newsletter and then we accomplished a major over-haul of our web site that we introduced to you May 27th. Please give us your comments and suggestions to make it better and how it is helping you to know your parish. Don’t be shy, this is your website, too. We want to show a welcoming spiritual presence to everyone, including visitors that might be attracted to “coming home” to the Catholic faith because of how we present our parish to the World-Wide Web! Our second goal is The 3rd Annual “We Love Our School” Pledge Campaign that kicks off July 22nd. Our goal for the campaign this year is not only to accept pledges, but to start and fund a St. Joseph School foundation/endowment that will welcome continued donor participation in the life of the church and the school and encourage charitable investments to grow church and school fiscal resources. Funding for scholarships and tuition assistance is of grave concern in order to encourage all parents to provide Catholic academic and spiritual education for their children. (For information on the Foundation, call the office at 9033-935-2536) Geraldine Elliott Merrill Elliott Kay Shaw ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND FOOD PANTRY MINISTRIES Cathy Lay On May 6, Catholic Charities of East Texas sponsored a presentation, “Come and See,” at St. Joseph’s by author Linda Schaefer on her experiences with Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta for its annual fundraiser. Dinner and a book signing followed her emotional presentation. There is no better way than to make a generous donation for the poor in our community than through the St. Joseph Catholic Charities. Also, it is easy and convenient to stop by the Church and make a food or money donation for the Food Pantry at the Church office. Contact the church office at 903-935-2536 if you are interested in serving with any of the Parish ministries profiled in this month’s newsletter. Summer 2012 The St. Joseph BEACON Comunidad Hispana-Parroquia de San Jose, Marshall, Texas Births and Baptisms Continued from Page 4 Rev. Carlos O. Rangel, Parroco Asistente Kevyn Vences Jeeily Vences Con carino y mucho gusto les comunico la marcha de nuestra comunidad. Pero antes, quisiera darle gracias al buen Dios del amor, a nombre de toda la comunidad. Muy copiosamente nos abundan las bendiciones celestiales a todos los creyentes, que confesamos a Cristo Jesus como nuestro Salvador y Redentor personal. El como la segunda persona de la Santisima Trinidad, nos ha revelado al Padre de los Cielos, y al Espiritu Santo, que ahora guia muy sabia y compasivamente a su Iglesia. Kalei Vences-Cavillo Ian Plaka Lillie Harman Yuliza Morales Christian Hernandez Ericka Briseno Kaitlyn Taylor Alan Taylor Ella Dean Landry Dean Yahir Ruiz Veronica Domingues Kaitlyn Trevino-Montes Ricardo Duran-Luna Page 5 Como comunidad de fe, esperanza y caridad, veo, como pastor asistente, que a pesar de tantas carencias y limitaciones y retos, nuestra alimentacion espiritual sobrepasa esas carencias. Dios nos acompana en nuestras alegrias y tristesas. Esta presente de manera muy singular en la celebracion de todos los sacramentos, signos preclaros de su presencia viva y comunitaria. Liturgicamente hablando, hemos dado el paso firme y fiel al periodo del tiempo ordinario, habiendo celebrado muy devotamente y llenos de fe, las fiestas solemnes de Pentecostes, en la cual se hacen vibrar y recordamos la abundacia de sus frutos y dones, a traves de todos los ministerios, que vemos activos en la vida cristiana de cada fiel. Por ahi esta una foto, dentro de esa gran celebracion, que bien nos recuerda la naturaleza de nuestro ser y quehacer de Iglesia de bautizados, y por ende, enviados a esparcir y sembrar la "semilla de Reino". Asi como los primeros apostoles y discipulos de la Iglesia primitiva fue enviada a proclamar con la vida y obras el Evangelio a todas las gentes, asi hemos sido enviados nosotros en estos tiempos de gran turbulencia y desafio, pero sobreabundante en amor misericoridioso, para aquel que acoja y le busque en el sacramento del perdon. Otra de las fiestas que hemos disfrutado grademente es la fiesta de la Santisima Trinidad, que nos recuerda que asi como Dios es "comunidad" perfecta, asi nos llama a serlo tambien nosotros, uniendo todo nuestro amor y esfuerzo para alcanzar la meta, el cielo ganado por Cristo y prometido. Ahora bien, hemos celebrado la gran fiesta del Corpus Christi, llenos de fervor y devocion al cuerpo de Cristo, exaltandole y alabandole, glorificandole como se merece, puesto que es nuestro alimento imperecedero del "camino a la vida". Nos seguimos concentrando a la vez en otras actividades de los varios grupos apostolicos, existentes en nuestra dinamica parroquia de San Jose. Los Guadalupanos, los Cursillistas, el Grupo de Oracion, los lectores, los Ministros Extraordinarios de Comunion, Monaguillos, Coros, servidores de la colecta, hospitalidad, y otros que no menciono por falta de espacio, les agradecemos infinitamente su apoyo a la vida parroquial, y a la evangelizacion y catequesis de unos para con otros. O almighty and eternal God, Shepherd and Ruler of all your faithful, look favorably on your servant, Pope Benedict, whom you have made Chief Pastor of your Church. May his words and example be for those over whom he is placed, be directed by your grace so that he and all his flock may together attain everlasting life. Amen Gracias por todos los sacrificios y grandes esfuerzos que algunos realizan con ese afan de crecer y aumentar mas cada dia en ese amor y conociemiento de la Fe cristiana. Toda esa accion apostolica, nos lleva y conecta con la accion apostolica y espiritu de entrega de los primeros cristianos, y cristianos de todas las epocas. Porque estamos convencidos que no es obra nuestra sino de Dios Padre Hijo y del Espiritu Santo, inspirada en nuestro corazon, y solo tratamos de corresponder de la mejor manera posible para la gloria de Dios y santificacion de sus miembros. Dios en su bondad, siga bendiciendo a cada uno, especialmente a aquellos que mas se olvidan que tienen un lugarsito en el corazon de Maria la Madre de Dios y en el corazon de su Hijo, que sigue dando su Vida por ti. Atte. Rev. Carlos O. Rangel Summer 2012 Page 6 THE ST. JOSEPH BEACON NEWS/ISSUES FROM THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH US Bishops Back Obama Immigration Decision Protects Those Who Entered Country as Children In June, a decision by President Barack Obama to defer deportation for all young people eligible under the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was welcomed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. "This important action will provide protection from removal and work authorization for a vulnerable group of immigrants who deserve to remain in our country and contribute their talents to our communities," said Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration. Also, Archbishop Gomez urged elected officials of both parties to take this opportunity to work together to enact this important law, which would give these youth a path to citizenship and a chance to become Americans. The U.S. bishops' conference also stressed the need for "bipartisan efforts to enact comprehensive and humane reform" to fix the country's "broken immigration system." 20-June-2012 -- ZENIT.org News Agency We Ask Father: Q: How many titles are there for Mary? A: The Marian Library/International MarianResearch Institute at the University of Dayton, Ohio, lists 6,000 titles for mary in its online database — everything from “Blessed Mother” to “Cause of our Joy.” (NCR, June 20, 2012) The titles we are most familiar with are: Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Our Lady of Fatima Our Lady of Lourdes Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Good Counsel “Mary, Mother of God, pray for us” R E F L E C T I O N S We would all say that we desire to hear the Lord’s will for us in our lives. Which career path does the Lord want me to take, or which person is the right one for me, or how do I just follow the will of God in the daily activities of my life? We all face these questions, but we often don’t hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us. One way we can better hear the voice of the Lord is taking some time out of our daily to stop and smell the proverbial roses. Everyday we are bombarded with email, phone calls, text messages, facebook, twitter, TV shows, radio… the list goes on its no wonder that we can’t hear that “still small voice” 1Kings 19:12. The Lord speaks to us, He is constantly calling us to Himself, to live lives of holiness and grace. The summer months are a good time to cultivate in ourselves an interior silence, to make some room, to clear out some of the other noise in our lives so that we can hear the whispers of the Lord. Silent time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is an ideal place to listen to God, but even at home or at work we can take even a short time to put aside the worries and noise of the day and turn to the Lord, listening and waiting for the Lord’s Will to be revealed. ~ Matthew Stehling A raffle drawing for this beautiful 50”x 50” handmade quilt by Ro Simmons of Tyler will be held at the TDCCW General Assembly in Tyler, Texas, on Saturday, October 6, 2012. Tickets are $2.00 each, available from Catholic Daughters members. Also, you may download as many tickets as you may want from the webpage: http://www.dioceseoftyler.org/women. Please make checks payable to TDCCW. Return your check and tickets to Juanita Cantu, Cathy Lay, or Mary Heater. Enter as many times as you wish. You need not be present to win. TYLER DIOCESE COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN http://www.dioceseoftyler.org/women ROSES FOR ROME A benefit raffle for the seminarians of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas An affiliate of the National organization that recognizes all Catholic Women in the Diocese of Tyler as members. Please visit our website for 2012 events. Our Lady of Good Counsel, Pray for us Summer 2012 The St. Joseph BEACON Page 7 S T. J O S E P H C AT H O L I C C H U RC H Office Hours: 8:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m. Phone: 903-935-2536 Fax: 903-938-1591 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.stjosephmarshall.org 410 N. Alamo Boulevard Marshall, TX 75670 Under the same Management SERVING HARRISON COUNTY AS A PARISH SINCE 1874 for over 2,000 years. * * UPCOMING EVENTS—SUMMER 2012 * * JULY-AUGUST July SEPTEMBER September 14-20 16 22 VBS — Totus Tuus KC Social We Love Our School pledge campaign kick- off 29 after 29 KC Spaghetti Dinner 10:30 Mass KC Blood Drive — Parish Hall 3 10 15 16 22-23 24-26 Labor Day. Office CLOSED CDA Meeting. 7:00 pm CDA Installation of Officers Mexican Fiesta! KC Barbeque John Michael Talbot—6:30 pm August 6 12 Staff Retreat —- Office CLOSED “We Love Our School” pot luck banquet. 6:30 The list of routine weekly and monthly meetings and Mass times are available in the Church Weekly Holy Day of ObligaThe Assump- Bulletin pm 15 tion. St. Joseph Church Office Directory: Fr. Denzil Vithanage, Pastor Office Administrator: Melanie Hughes Fr. Carlos Rangel, Asst. Pastor Deacons: John Sargent, Santiago Suarez, Felipe Pena, & Magadaleno Aguirre School Principal: Wanda Robinson School Director (ELC): Cindy Kopecky Director of Faith Formation: Charlotte Smith Director of Music and Liturgy: Nancy Vines Development Director: Mary Heater Newsletter Staff: Fr. Denzil Vithanage, Editor Mary Heater, Asst. Editor Melanie Hughes, Office Administrator Contributors:: Matthew Stehling Fr. Carlos Rangel Nancy Vines Charlotte Smith Cathy Lay PLEASE OFFER YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR ARTICLES OF INTEREST TO OUR ST. JOSEPH PARISH FAMILY BY WRITING THEM ON THIS FORM AND SENDING TO The St. Joseph BEACON AT THE CHURCH OFFICE