Website: FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME July 5, 2009

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Liliana Campbell
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1 Dear Friends, As we celebrate our country s independence this weekend we are reminded, as we see the atrocities being committed in Iran, of just how precious our freedom really is. Young men and women being murdered simply because they want what you and I so often take for granted. Yes, the weekend will be marked with parades, picnics and fireworks, but isn t it much more than that? We live in a country where everyone can speak out, disagree and even peacefully protest. We live in a country that is not perfect. This weekend when we see our flag and hear - or sing - our National Anthem let us not forget all that we have as Americans, and also say a thank you to our God, the source of all of our blessings. HISTORY OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, wrote the original Pledge of Allegiance in It was first published in the September 8, 1892 issue of Youth s Companion, a weekly magazine, then published in Boston. Bellamy was chairman of the subcommittee of the National Education Association and developed a flag-raising ceremony and flag salute to accompany the Pledge. His original pledge was: I pledge allegiance to my Flag And the republic for which it stands, One nation indivisible With liberty and justice for all. In 1924 the National Flag Conference, under the leadership of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Legion, changed the words of the Pledge to the flag of the United States of America. In 1954 the words under God were added by an act of Congress. I pledge allegiance to the Flag Of the United States of America And to the Republic for which it stands One Nation under God Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. HISTORY OF THE FLAG Born Elizabeth Griscom, Betsy Ross was the eighth child of seventeen in a family of Quakers. Following an education in Friends (Quaker) School, Betsy did an apprenticeship as an upholsterer, which in that day performed a wide variety of tasks involving sewing, including flag making. She fell in love with John Ross, an Episcopalian. The Quakers, considering interdenominational marriages to be bad, read Betsy out of the Quaker meeting house, cutting her off completely from her religious community and her family. Betsy Ross sewed it, but who designed the first U.S. flag? The answer, according to the experts at the Betsy Ross house, is that it was possibly designed by Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The stars on the flag were in a circle so that no one colony would be viewed above another. It is reported that George Washington said, Let the 13 stars in a circle stand as a new constellation in the heavens. Betsy Ross prayed in the pew next to George Washington and was a niece of George Ross, so it s not hard to believe that the members of the Flag Committee, formed by the Continental Congress, would call upon Betsy Ross to make the flag. Have a good week.

2 Who is Mark? A couple of weeks ago, the Church entered the season known as Ordinary Time. During these weeks the Gospel that we hear read on Sundays has been written by St. Mark. The thought came to mind that it might be of interest to learn just who Mark was, and some of the details which make his gospel different from the others. Mark mentions many of the very real human emotions that Jesus showed during his ministry such as anger (3:5), and sympathy (6:34), as well as surprise (5:30) and sadness (14:34). Mark s gospel also contains a sense of secrecy, with Jesus often cautioning those whom he has helped, not to tell anyone (1:44). As for Mark himself, second century writings by church leaders indicate that he served as Peter s interpreter. It is also noted that he is the John Mark who is mentioned in Acts of the Apostles and who traveled with Paul on his first journey. It is said that Mark s gospel, written around the year 70 AD was the first of the four gospels. This is based on the fact that verses from his gospel can be found in the Gospels written by Matthew and Luke. While it is not known for sure where the gospel was written, modern scripture scholars believe that it was written in Rome. St. Mark s feast day is April 25 th. Monday, July 6 ALLEN FISCHER :30am - Fr. Martin Tuesday, July 7 RUTH JAHODA :30am - Fr. Martin Wednesday, July 8 JOHN TALARICO :30am - Fr. Martin Thursday, July 9 LORENE BOERNER :30am - Fr. O Keefe Friday, July 10 PATRICIA BRODERICK :30am - Fr. O Keefe Saturday, July 11 PAUL GOULD :00am - Fr. O Keefe GEORGETTE PUN SEIDE....5:00pm - Sunday, July 12 PARISHIONERS :30am - MARION DENNISON...9:00am - DOROTHY O BRIEN :00am - CONCETTA ROSA :45pm - Altar Flowers In Loving Memory of Jack Reagan From Pat and Steve Hisler And In Loving Memory of K. K. Yung From Diana Huynh Is your marriage in trouble? Retrouvaille can help, please call or visit We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Please answer God s call and extend the love for the Lord and his Church to the children of Nativity. Plans are being made for the religious education school year. Catechists, Assistant Catechists, Substitutes, and Babysitters are needed. The Volunteer Application form is available in the Religious Education Office, at website: on the Nativity CCD tab click on Volunteer, or call the Religious Education Office at Student Registration for is now open. Class placement is on a first-come, first-served basis according to the date the registration form is received in the Religious Education Office. Return a completed Student Registration form with payment as soon as possible to increase the chance of placement in your first choice session. Important: registrations will not be processed without a copy of a student s baptismal certificate included with the form (including students baptized at Nativity) unless the baptismal certificate is already on file in the Religious Education Office. Forms are available in the Religious Education Office, on the community board in the church vestibule, or at on the Nativity CCD tab click on Student Registration. Thought for the Week I ve never thought in terms of a traditional career. I think of a professional life as one pearl added to the next, making a beautiful necklace you can look at in the end. Sharon Patrick

3 Thank You for the Baby Gifts In June, we joyfully welcomed into the Church Because of the generosity of the Nativity parishioners, the most vulnerable of our community members were tremendously blessed last month. Infants and their families received numerous items of clothing, formula, toys, and more. The items will be distributed through various community organizations including Catholic Charities, ECHO, A Woman's Choice, Mariah House, Lorton Community Action Center, Birthright of Manassas and Tepeyac Divine Mercy Clinic in Fairfax. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your spirit of giving. The Women of Nativity PRO-LIFE CORNER Peace starts with a smile. Irene Lagan These self-evident truths are as true today as they were 233 years ago. All men are created equal and they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that include Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The unborn are children of God and citizens of this country and should be equally protected under the Constitution of the United States. As we celebrate the birthday of our country, let us pray that all unborn children have their birth day, Happy Birthday, America! The GABRIEL PROJECT supports women who are facing a crisis pregnancy and need help. Contact or gabrielproject@arlingtondiocese.org. You are not alone! (Gabriel Project is a crisis pregnancy program open to all and sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Arlington.) Pro-Life Rosary-A prayerful, peaceful and public gathering of friends and neighbors who pray the rosary for one hour takes place on Saturdays at 10:00 am on Rolling Road across from Kings Park SC Giant Food. Please call Jane Hamilton, for more information. Brandon Alexander Leiva, Tyler Joseph Yates, Kaylee Dakota-Michelle Allen, Gabriela Patricia Villacorta, Gabriel David Huajardo, Diego Huajardo, Mateo Fernando Herrera, Noah Ernest Toy, Mattias Rodriguez, Timothy Gingery Gensure, Carla Alena Ribeiro, Victoria Camilla Deza, Ella Maureen Werner, Harper Rose Andresen, Nikolas Christopher Jackson. This year marks the 35th Anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Arlington and a special diocesan Mass will be celebrated on August 13, 2009, at 7:30pm at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More. Bishop Loverde s hope is that each parish is represented. Seating is limited for the Anniversary Mass, so a ticket system similar to the one for the Pope s visit will be implemented. If you wish to attend the Mass, please call the office ( ) to put your name on the lottery list. Each parish will get a limited number of tickets. Requests for tickets must be in no later than July 12th. EWTN S Family Celebration in Birmingham! You are invited to attend EWTN Global Catholic Network s Family Celebration in Birmingham, AL on August 8th and 9th, This free, no tickets required event will feature talks by Fr. Wade Menezes, Marcus Grodi, Raymond Arroyo and others. Check EWTN s website at for details or call , Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT. NATURALIZATION CLINIC July 11, 10am-2pm, ( Dale City Recreation Center (14300 Minnieville Rd. Dale City, VA 22193) Virginia New Majority, a non-profit organization located in Alexandria, VA, will be holding one of their regularly scheduled, one-stop clinics to assist Legal Permanent Residents to complete citizenship applications and to sign up for English classes and Democracy School courses. Pre-registration recommended. For more information, please visit their website ( or call Zaynab Aden at extension 317. Crisis Pregnancy Centers Phone Numbers Catholic Charities National: CARE-002 Catholic Charities Local: A Woman s Choice: Gabriel Project: LIFE LINE SCREENING.. On Wednesday, July 29, 2009 Life Line Screening will take place here at Nativity. The screening will take place in the parish hall from 8:00am to 5:30pm. Pre-registration is required. Call for an appointment.

The Legion of Mary is an association of Catholics who strive for personal spiritual growth through prayer, study of the faith and spiritual works of mercy.

For more information call Sandy Giglio (day group) 703-440-0215 or Jane Hamilton (evening group) 703-646-5051. PRAYER SHAWL MEETING.

Come and bring your project to work on or learn how to make a prayer shawl for someone who is seriously ill.

4 The Legion of Mary is an association of Catholics who strive for personal spiritual growth through prayer, study of the faith and spiritual works of mercy. Members meet once a week for prayer, discussion and planning, and perform two hours of spiritual work each week, such as teaching CCD, visiting the sick and the Pilgrim Virgin Statue visitation. For more information call Sandy Giglio (day group) or Jane Hamilton (evening group) PRAYER SHAWL MEETING.The next daytime meeting will take place in the APR on Monday, July 20th at 9:30am. The evening meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 15th at 7:00pm in the APR. Come and bring your project to work on or learn how to make a prayer shawl for someone who is seriously ill. For more information call Toni Rausch, ; Flo Grike, or Joanne Dezzutti, Thank you parishioner s for your overwhelming support of the Houses for Haiti Quilt Project. We were able to raise $2600.enough to build a house in Haiti. The lucky winner of the quilt was Ross Amico. Dottie Rossi and The Spack Family took home the crystal figurines. A heartfelt thanks to the quilt maker, Patty Bell. With the milk of human kindness, there should be no such thing as skim. Steve Johnson, Journalist The Sunday TV Mass, on air for over 55 years in the Washington metropolitan area, is moving to a new channel and time starting July 5, The Mass, which has been airing on WHUT-32 at 8:30am, now airs every Sunday on WDCW-50 ( The CW ) from 10:30am-11:00am. More information is available at SPECIAL COLLECTION.JULY There will be a special collection for the Propagation of the Faith on July 11th -12th. Father Jack O Hara will talk about the Missions in the Dominican Republic. Checks should be made payable to Church of the Nativity, indicating Missions in the Dominican Republic on the memo line. ESL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The Nativity ESL (English as a Second Language) Program for Spanish-speakers invites parishioners to join the teaching staff for next year. Classes meet in Nativity school Saturdays from 10:00am to 12:00pm and Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 to 9:00pm from September through May. We invite volunteers who are interested in serving our parish s Hispanic community to join us. Proficiency in Spanish is not required to teach in the program. We especially encourage those who might be interested in part time (less than 2 hours per day/night) or occasional substitute teaching. To volunteer or to get more information, please call Ben Jacinto at or Bob Clark at

5 The 6th Annual Divine Mercy Gala on November 14, 2009 is our chief fundraising event of the year and we rely upon generous donations to fund the charitable healthcare operations of Tepeyac Family Center (pro-life OB/GYN, Fairfax, VA) and DMC Pharmacy (pro-life pharmacy, Chantilly, VA). For our live and silent auctions we welcome items and services both big and small. Monetary donations and sponsorships to help offset the costs of the Gala are also greatly appreciated. If you are interested in donating to the Divine Mercy Care Gala please contact Anna Schiavone x 301 or gala@divinemercycare.org. Visit us at for more information. Forthcoming Programs at Dominican Retreat House Advance Reservations Necessary July Women of Al-Anon-Share Experience, Hope and Strength, Friday 7:30pm - Sunday 1:30pm July Prayer Methods in the Christian Tradition Weekend Retreat for Men and Women, Directed by Sr. June Fitzgerald, OP and Phil Stone, Graduate, Shalem Institute, Friday 7:15pm - Sunday 1:30pm July Silent Retreat: Quiet, to hear the Voice Within, open to men, women religious and lay persons. Directed by Sr. Mary Ellen Brady, OP; Sr. June Fitzgerald, OP and Fr. Bill Wyndaele, CICM. Tuesday 7:30pm - Sunday 3:00pm. September 4-6..Weekend for Senior Women, directed by Fr. Donald Heet, OSFS. Friday 3:00pm - Sunday 1:30pm September Charismatic Retreat for Women and Men. Directed by Fr. John Gordon, Friday 7:15pm - Sunday 3:00pm For more information call or visit My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. If you think you may be called to serve Jesus as a priest, deacon or in the consecrated life, consider the power of His grace at work in you. Call Father Brian Bashista (703) or write: b.bashista@arlingtondiocese.org. Sunday, July 5 2:00 pm...baptisms (CH) Monday, July 6 8:00 pm.aa Meeting (APR) Tuesday, July 7 9:30 am..bible Study (APR) Wednesday, July 8 7:30 pm Legion of Mary (GR) 7:00 pm Hispanic Prayer Group (SC) 7:30 pm Bible Study (RM. 9) Thursday, July 9 9:30 am...craft Group (APR) 7:30 pm...venture Crew (RM. 4) 7:30 pm Prayer Group (APR) 7:30 pm...bsa Troop 1100 (PH) Friday, July 10 10:00 am...legion of Mary (APR) Saturday, July 11 9:00 am.mass (CH) 10:00 am.dog Obedience Class (PL) 7:00 pm.hispanic Mass (CH) REMINDER: IN JUST THREE WEEKS Nativity s Annual Yard Sale for Charity Saturday, July 25, 2009, 9 AM 3 PM Remember to save all those treasures you no longer need for donations starting July 16th FOR INFORMATION CALL OR FURNITURE PICK-UP ONLY: Need info flyer on what is acceptable/unacceptable? GK7992@vakofc.org and place KOC Flyer Request in subject line

Website: FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME February 8, 2009

Website: FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME February 8, 2009 Dear Friends, I am really dating myself, but I still recall when I was in grammer school in Providence, Lincoln s Birthday, February 12th and Washington s Birthday, February 22nd were holidays. Two days