St. Agnes Catholic Community

Transcription

1 St. Agnes Catholic Community A Perpetual Adoration and Stewardship Parish 15th Sunday in ordinary time July 16, 2017 PARISH OFFICE 3966 Chestnut Ave. Concord, CA Tel: (925) Fax: (925) Office Hours: 9:00am - Noon * 1:00pm - 4:30pm, Monday-Thursday Website: * stagnesoffice@comcast.net Instagram: stagnesparishconcord * 1

2 MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 5PM Sunday: 7AM, 9AM, 10:45AM & 5PM Daily Mass in the Chapel at 8AM Monday - Saturday (Communion Service on Wed.) Confessions: Saturday 3:30PM PASTORAL STAFF Pastor Rev. Fr. Johnson Abraham chemans@gmail.com Deacons Bill Drobick deaconbill3@gmail.com Tony Reyes deacontonyr@gmail.com Business Manager Marlene McCann marlene.stagnesparish@gmail.com Director of Religious Education Lila Rutkowska lilar.stagnesparish@gmail.com Secretary-Religious Education Donna Cassianos donna.stagnesparish@gmail.com Director of Music Ministry May Hembrador may.stagnesparish@gmail.com Liturgical Musician Lily Melendrez Youth Ministry Coordinator Linda D Souza lindastagnes@gmail.com Bulletins Please submit your articles to: donnaroberts1956@gmail.com Pastoral Council Chair Linus Farias linusfarias@sbcglobal.net SCHOOL OFFICE 3886 Chestnut Ave., Concord Tel.: (925) Office Hours: 7:30-4:00 M-F Principal: Jill Lucia jlucia@csdo.org Secretary: Ana Kelley akelley@csdo.org Website: We Are Asked To Understand and Act Upon It Whenever I hear the Gospel of the farmer who goes out and sows seeds, and the seeds fall on different places on the ground, I always think about the fact that this Gospel does not need to be explained. There is an answer to every question on where the seed falls. The problem is, Jesus explains this Parable very clearly, and we still don't get it. The first question we have to ask ourselves is, do we understand what Jesus is teaching? And if we do, are we willing to act upon that teaching? This is a question we need to ask every time we hear a Gospel proclaimed. There is no doubt, that as clear as the Word of God can be, it is a struggle to follow. The Word goes against the grain of society and, therefore, our grain. We would rather follow the crowd rather then the way of the Lord. Let us first take the seeds that will seldom or never bear fruit. "The first of the seeds fell on the path where it was eaten by birds. Yes it fed the birds but did nothing for humanity. "The second fell on rocky soil, where it had no chance to grow; it did not have a chance. The third fell among thorns, but the thorns grew up and choked it. Did any of these scatterings have a chance? With God, all things are possible. I am reminded when I was a child we had a herb garden, the parsley would always go to seed, and birds would eat the seeds, yet some of the seeds eaten would fall out of the birds mouth and reseed and parsley would grow in other parts of the yard where it was not planted. One could say, what is sometimes taken away can return in new and better ways. Having a yard means caring for it and clearing shrubs so things underneath it can get light and grow. Those seeds that fell among thorns can still have a chance if we are willing to do some work in our spiritual backyards. At last we hear about the seeds that fell on good soil and produced much fruit. Jesus goes on to say, "to anyone who has much, more will be given." What are we to do with what we have been given? The fruits Jesus is speaking about in the parable are the fruits of Love, Peace, Joy, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Truthfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. For those of us who benefit from a good harvest of life, we need to share and help bring out the fruits in others. God gives many the gift of fullness so that they can teach others to find fullness in themselves. There is no doubt the gifts of Peace, Joy, Love, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Truthfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control are needed in our world. God gave us gifts to share. The scriptures were written so we can Understand and Act on it. This is the call of every Christian. Let us take up the challenge to bear fruit and share it so others may have what God has given us. Fr Jeffrey J. Finley, C.PP.S. SUNDAY COLLECTION FOR JULY 9: $9, Building Fund: $2, Includes Faith Direct Giving We thank you for your Stewardship. 2

3 Faith and Spirituality DAILY MASS IN THE CHAPEL Monday - Saturday at 8:00 AM. (Communion Service on Wed.) PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION - Chapel Contact Sumner or Veronica Peery at for scheduling. FOR ADULT LEARNING: SCRIPTURE SHARING - Currently on summer break. FOR MINISTRY: PRAYER TREE - A ministry of people who pray specifically for those who are ill. Please notify the parish office if you or a member of your family are in, or going into, the hospital. HELPING HANDS: Please call Gloria Schafer MARTINEZ SHELTER MEALS: Plan a meal for 35 residents. Purchase & prepare food; serve dinner at the shelter. Please contact to volunteer: Anne Kurylo, or Anne.kurylo@gmail.com. ST. VINCENT DE PAUL MINISTRY Please contact the St. Vincent de Paul Hotline at (925) , Ext MINISTRY TO THE SICK: Please call Naomi (925) CARING HANDS-JOHN MUIR HEALTH: Contact Stacy Appel by at Stacy.Appel@johnmuirhhealth.com. BISHOP S APPEAL REPORT As of June 29, St. Agnes has contributed $19,830 to the Bishop s appeal. This represents 45 donors and is 57.14% of the goal of $34, Thank you to all who contributed. We recognize that this is in addition to the Diocesan Campaign Pledge. It is not too late to make a contribution if you have not already done so. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Two centuries ago, Archbishop John Carroll worried that Americans would not appreciate the linguistic veil over our worship, and asked that the liturgy in the new United States be in English, not Latin. How did our liturgy come to be in Latin in the first place? In the first century, the dominant language in the regions where the church first flourished was Greek. Today in much of the world, almost everyone speaks at least a bit of English. Recently, the European Union even considered making English its official language, a curious proposal since only two English-speaking countries are members. Just as English is a unifying language today, it was hard to function in the ancient world without a smattering of Greek. Even the word Eucharist comes from the Greek for thanksgiving. For a long time, Greek was the language of worship, even in Rome. Slowly, society in the west shifted to a bias for Latin and against Greek. Latin first appeared in public prayer at the end of the second century, in the colonial outposts of North Africa. Soon, Latin became the language of culture, and so as fixed prayer forms were written, they were transmitted in Latin. From Rome and Africa, over the next four centuries, the new liturgical language of Latin spread north to Gaul and Britain. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. PRAYER CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING! PLEASE PRAY FOR HEALING FOR: Ron Artale April Azucena Mary Brennan Amalia Bunge Ana Bunge Trinity Cereghino George Conlow Marie Costa William Cumins Anthony Davi Kevin Dever Dave Dewan Stephen Dixon Jim Farrington Le-Chi Feng-Hsiang Judy Guarina Anna Hennessy Maria Hills Sharie Hunter Ken Klovee Camila Koven Travis Lash Joel Manalang Jean McCarthy Marv McKean Joshua Monitz Tom Mullegue Edward Nettelman Mary Perez Natalie Petrini Micah Pilkerton Phyllis Ray Ellie Rowe Gina Rubin Jack&Maureen Ryan Greg Scaletti Connie Schulte Margaret Scott Rick Smith Barbara Buscaglia Strihlitz Linda Taylor Petti Thall Carolyn Thompson Yvonne Ester Van Wissekerke Pat Weisinger Catherine Werner Brenda Woodshed If you need to add or delete a name to the above list, please call the church office. 3

4 Mass Intentions Saturday, July 15, :00 p.m. Sally Mijares Repose Jesus Orozco Repose Yvonne Ester Van Wissekerke Spec Int. Sunday, July 16, :00 a.m. Ray Asselin Repose 9:00 a.m. Jean McCarthy Special Intention Yvonne Ester Van Wissekerke Spec. Int. 10:45 a.m. Rolf & Josefine Stolz Repose Deceased Members of the Lo Grasso Family Repose George Conlow Special Intention 5:00 p.m. For the People of St. Agnes, Living and Deceased Monday, July 17, :00 a.m. Ray Asselin Repose Tomas Legaspi, Jr. Repose Jean McCarthy Special Intention Tuesday, July 18, :00 a.m. Joe Cornella Repose Carmen Santos Repose Wednesday, July 19, :00 a.m. Communion Service Only Thursday, July 20, :00 a.m. Claudia Rodriguez Special Intention Yvonne Ester Van Wissekerke Spec Int. Friday, July 21, :15 a.m. Jaime Rodriguez Repose Luis Eduardo Garzon Cabrere Spec Int Johanna Esther Rodriguez Espinel Special Intention Saturday, July 22, :00 a.m. Jean McCarthy Special Intention 5:00 p.m. Yvonne Ester Van Wissekerke Spec Int. Sunday, July 23, :00 a.m. Ray Asselin Repose Jean McCarthy Special Intention 9:00 a.m. Ray Asselin Kathleen Kay Saw Repose Yvonne Ester Van Wissekerke Spec Int. 10:45 a.m. For the People of St. Agnes, Living and Deceased 5:00 p.m. Leland Eller Repose Chelsey & Nyssa Van Scyoc Spec Int.. Maricar Villanueva Special Intention Calendar for the Week Parish Events and Meetings Sunday, July 16, 2017 Monday, July 17, :00 p.m. Knights of Columbus Business Meeting Church Hall Tuesday, July 18, 2017 Wednesday, July 19, :00 a.m. Communion Service Chapel 7:00 p.m. St. Vincent de Paul A.R. Thursday, July 20, :00 p.m. CYO Meeting G.P. Friday, July 21, :15 a.m. Daily Mass Chapel 6:45 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet Chapel Saturday, July 22, :30 a.m. Lector Practice Church SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Tuesday: St. Camillus de Lellis Thursday: St. Apollinaris Friday: St. Lawrence of Brindisi Saturday: St. Mary Magdalene READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Ex 1:8-14, 22; Ps 124:1b-8; Mt 10:34 11:1 Tuesday: Ex 2:1-15a; Ps 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34; Mt 11:20-24 Wednesday: Ex 3:1-6, 9-12; Ps 103:1b-4, 6-7; Mt 11:25-27 Thursday: Ex 3:13-20; Ps 105:1, 5, 8-9, 24-27; Mt 11:28-30 Friday: Ex 11:10 12:14; Ps 116:12-13, 15, 16bc, 17-18; Mt 12:1-8 Saturday: Ex 12:37-42; Ps 136:1, 23-24, 10-15; Jn 20:1-2, Sunday: Wis 12:13, 16-19; Ps 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43 [24-30] 4

5 Parish News and Activities FRUIT OF THE WORD ST. AGNES LUAU DINNER DANCE The 2017 Luau Dinner Dance, sponsored by the St. Agnes Fil-Am Community, will be on Saturday, August 12, 2017, from 6:30-10:30 pm to be held at the St. Agnes Church Hall. This is a parish-wide event that promises a night of good food, dancing, socializing and a chance to win major raffle prizes. Tickets are $25 per person and are on sale after Masses at the Welcome Table or Monday through Thursday at the Ministry Center. For more information, contact Precy Fiscus at (925) SUMMER MASS ATTIRE This is a friendly reminder (not a reprimand!) that you consider your clothing options before coming to Mass. While the summer temperatures may be very warm and it is certainly not necessarily to wear a suit jacket, please dress modestly when attending Mass. No skimpy shorts or tank-tops, please. Ensure your clothing is clean and tee-shirts don t contain inappropriate messages. We want to make sure everyone s attention remains on Christ and the Mass. Thank you. BLESSING OPTION If you are not Catholic or currently not in a position to receive Communion, we encourage you to still come forward at Communion time and receive a blessing. Just cross your arms in front of your chest, palms down, and receive grace through a blessing from the priest or Eucharistic Minister. INTERESTED IN BECOMING CATHOLIC? If you are interested in becoming Catholic, RCIA classes begin in the Fall. They are weekly and culminate with Sacraments received at the Easter Vigil Mass. If interested, contact Deacon Bill Drobick by at deaconbill3@gmail.com. The seed is the word of God. The agricultural metaphors in all of today s readings give richness to the message that the word of God, cultivated in our hearts, bears much fruit in our lives. Creation itself awaits the redemption of all, even as our bodies await the resurrection. Just as we will rejoice in the fulfillment of God s word, so will all of creation sing for joy in the Reign of God. The word of God is effective and holy; it brings about exactly what it says. It is not futile or empty, but rich in meaning for those who hear and are healed. Those who hear the word of God and keep it will, with all creation, bear much fruit and sing for joy. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. ROSARY MAKERS will not meet in July. We meet again August 2nd from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon in the Ministry Center. Come and visit and learn how to make rosaries for Our Lady and the Missions. It s a rewarding and fun hobby. If interested, contact Doris Da Silva at or fredolldasilva@gmail.com. All are welcome! FAIR TRADE: There will be no Fair Trade sales in July. If you need anything, please call Pat Jung at Thank you for your continuing support. See you August at our next sale! Enjoy your summer! SHARE: Thanks to all who are contributing to our SHARE baskets at the church doors. All non-perishable food items are always welcome. The July highlighted items are: Macaroni and Cheese and rice. CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS JULY 16 Baptisms, 12:15 p.m., Church 5

6 Brothers, et al, A NOTE OF THANKS FROM THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS GRAND KNIGHT I just want to send a note of thanks for a job well done. The 4 th of July BBQ was a huge success. We had 25% more people attend this year than last year. I attribute this increase to the many People involved. Toni Garcia test marketed Facebook and got over 50 views and responses. One of the Knights sent out the flier to his Database and got a response from 2 people to enjoy the festivities. Another Brother went to Oakland and got the Liquor license. The License was well used. A knight took it upon himself to hand out fliers at the church, and this was warmly received. The lectors announcing at weekly mass and Father Johnson announcing it at Daily mass added to the excitement. At the Event, Linda D Souza & David Wood provided the Games that were well used. Brother King provided the music, and his selections were spot on. Brother Earl did what he does best the cooking, and no one went away hungry. Brother Jeff, Brother Michael, Brother Gary, Brother Tom and Brother Carlos served up all the food, drinks and fun. Brother Bob brought his Model A and had a great time talking about it and showing it off (I love the Eyes in the headlight). Brother Ron kept us accountable by verifying every dollar that came in. Brother Stephen brought his gang and did a great job of cleanup. Pictures of the event are available on the Church website I want to thank Father Johnson for allowing us to have the event and spending time with all the happy participants. Now we are setting our sights for what is coming up next. We have two Crab Feeds coming up (one at the beginning and one at the end of the season). We are gearing up for the Fil-Am Dinner Party, the School s 50 th Birthday and monthly First Friday Dinners. Thanks, Frank Mazzuca, Grand Knight, St Agnes Council # RACHEL S VINEYARD RETREAT September 22-24, 2017 Has abortion left you with a broken heart? Rachel s Vineyard is a safe place to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion. The weekend offers a supportive and non-judgmental environment to transform the pain of the past into love and hope. We encourage women, men and couples to attend. For retreat details, contact: Gloria Maldonado: or afterthechoice@oakdioadmin.org. Co-sponsored by the Diocese of Oakland s After the Choice Ministry and the Diocese of Stockton s Project Rachel Ministry. Community Activities THANKSGIVING MASS FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS Saturday, September 30, :00 a.m. Mass, followed by reception The Cathedral of Christ the Light 2121 Harrison St., Oakland, CA We encourage all who provide healthcare services, direct and administrative, to attend this multicultural Mass, as we celebrate your energy, dedication and generosity. Bishop Michael C. Barber will be the celebrant. For more information, contact Sandra Martinez at , smartinez@oakdiocese.org. Details, updates and invitations are on-line at www/oakdiocese.org/blessing Healers. 6

7 . The Knights of Columbus sponsored a very well-attended barbeque on July 4th. It was fun! Thank you to all who set up, cooked, played games with the children and cleaned up. 8