Parish Newsletter Winter 2016

Transcription

1 St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church Parish Newsletter Winter 2016 Fr. Shiju Thuruthiyil, OSH Administrator Fr. Ildefonce Mapara, OSB In residence Dr. Paul Hillyer Deacon Julie Kraan Office Manager Mary Holder Dir. Religious Education Dir. Youth Ministry Vic Scaravilli Dir. Adult Education Deb Scaravilli Dir Music Jennifer Snoozy Fertility Care Practitioner Eddie Tofell Maintenance office@piusxkf.com Web Site: Phone: (541) Bristol Avenue Klamath Falls, OR Newsletter Editor Benjamin (Ben) Quen bquen01@gmail.com Volume 2016 Winter Issue Dear Parishioners, January 2016 Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of the International Catholic Stewardship Conference in Boston, proclaimed that: The promotion of the practice of stewardship is important for the mission of the church and for the spiritual well-being of each individual. Everyone benefits from the sacrificial gift one makes of time, talent, and treasure. Therefore, please accept my encouragement for your efforts and my prayers that your upcoming annual parish stewardship renewal will be a stimulus to the practice of stewardship in all your parishioners. I, your pastor, cannot say it better than the Holy Father. Consider also a shorter definition of a Christian Steward: Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christian disciple who recognizes and receives God s gifts and shares these gifts in love of God and neighbor. Or shorter yet: Joyfully receiving and Sharing. A Stewardship Way of Life is not a new concept in the Church. How about this statement from St. Ignatius Loyola: Human beings were created to praise, reverence, and serve God, our Lord, and by this means to save their souls. The other things on the face of the earth are created to help humans in training the end for which they are created. Hence, they are to make use of these things in as far as they help them in the attainment of their end, and they must rid themselves of them in as far as they provide a hindrance to them...our one desire and choice should be what is more conductive to the end for which we are created. For the past several months our Parish Pastoral Council has been reflecting and planning with me how best to encourage our parishioners to offer their gifts to God and our parish community. As St. Paul said in Corinthians, each individual has a unique gift which he or she is able to offer. I am very grateful for the generous gifts of prayer, talents and financial support that you share with our parish family. I encourage you to look for greater opportunities and to share more in the coming newsletters and to be involved in the parish stewardship programs this year. May God s generous blessings continue to be accepted by you with praise and thanks and may you experience the joy of using the gifts given to you for His mission. Sincerely your Pastor, Fr. Shiju Thuruthiyil OSH Vision Statement To increase the disciples of Jesus Christ within our parish and community.

2 Page 2 I m sure you re aware that St. Pius X has a Pastoral Council. So what is the purpose of the Pastoral Council? In accordance with Canon Law, the Parish Pastoral Council is a consultative body that makes recommendations to the Pastor. The pastoral council is the organization responsible for creating, reviewing and updating the parish mission and vision statements and the parish strategic plan that guides the parish in its mission. The pastoral council investigates pastoral matters under the leadership of the pastor, ponders them and draws practical conclusions. Members of the Pastoral Council are At Large Members - Aaron Croxford, Steve Harper, Tami Lucht, Liz Maddalena, Terri Pang, Ben Quen, and Ed Tuhy. In addition the Ex-Officio members are Deacon Paul Hillyer, Mary Holder, Julie Kraan, Vic Scaravilli, and Jennifer Snoozy. If you have any concerns or recommendations about the parish, please bring it to the attention of one of the members who in turn will bring them to the attention of the Pastoral Council and/or Father Shiju. Under the leadership of Father Shiju, 2015 was a year of development for the Pastoral Council. We started off with making a minor revision to the existing Parish Mission Statement which defines what we do as a parish. Then we developed a Parish Vision Statement which defines what we, as a Parish aspire to be. Having these baseline statements, we then defined the Parish Core Values, which supports the vision, shapes the culture and reflects what we value. Lastly, we developed a Parish Strategic Plan which allows the parish to unify around a shared mission, vision and set of goals. The purpose of the strategic plan is defined in the Introduction section of the plan; The Parish Strategic Plan is not the Pastoral Council s plan but a plan for St. Pius X. Every ministry and employee of St. Pius X needs to embrace and implement the plan. Whether the goals are new or old, achieved or proposed, success of this plan depends on every person in the parish. Every parishioner needs to keep the plan on the forefront of their mind whenever exercising their function as an individual or a ministry. This will allow us to focus the energy, resources, and time of everyone in the parish in the same direction. Within the strategic plan there are seven (7) main goals, seventeen (17) objectives, and sixty-three (63) tasks of Parish Newsletter which involve many if not all of the ministries in the parish. If you re interested in the details of the Strategic Plan, please visit the parish web site open the Religious Education tab and CLICK HERE next to the option also brought a greater emphasis on Stewardship, which happens to be one of the goals in the strategic plan. Stewardship is a way of life, a life of accountability and responsibility acknowledging God as Creator and Giver of all. Stewardship involves responsible management of our God-given resources of time, talent, and treasure. Stewards as disciples of Jesus Christ see themselves as caretakers of all God's gifts. Gratitude for these gifts is expressed in prayer, worship, offering and action by eagerly sharing our gifts out of love for God and one another. It s exciting to hear that many of our ministries are incorporating Stewardship in their various activities. Now that we re beyond the development stage, it s time to implement the strategies. It starts with every one of us to take the time and evaluate our involvement in the Parish as an individual and as a ministry. Then we need to ask ourselves, Am I doing everything I can to make a difference in the Parish?

3 Volume 2016 Winter Issue Five members of the Youth Group and two supervisors recently painted the exterior of the Rectory garage. The Finance Committee greatly appreciates the commitment of the following students (and others) for volunteering their services to the church: Anna Edwards Kristen Scott Spencer Tice Mathew Edwards Anthony Kraan During our recent Sunday Faith Forums we have heard about our revised Mission Statement for the Church, what Stewardship (built upon the Foundation of Christ) entails and how to live it in our daily lives. For the supervisors, this project proved to be more than just an exercise in manual labor. It was an experience to see these youth come together and to move this project from their minds to their hearts. Let s consider Stewardship points as recently presented by the Vocation Committee during our most recent Faith Forum: Stewardship is not just a labor activity required by the church and/or parents. From the supervisors (and Finance Committee) standpoint, the students did not view this as just an activity to generate money for their own use; although this was also an indirect benefit. Paint was provided by a parishioner, in exchange for donated labor by the students. Each year students attend the Steuebenville Youth Conference. Cost of the retreat is paid: 1/3 by the student; 1/3 through fundraising activities and 1/3 by the parish. What was unique about the painting project is that all required funds were collected prior to this project/conference. Students painted the garage because it assisted the parish in reducing future costs. They indicated the Parish is always there to assist us, so it felt good to be able to assist the Parish. They also stated that various conference attendees may not have had the ability to raise their required share of cost to attend and that this project could assist them. A parishioner provided added incentives to the students. For each of their favorite bible Parable s they could provide during the project, the student would earn an additional contribution. (It was good that a limit was placed on the number of Parables because otherwise the parishioner would have been indebted.) Every student researched and presented the Parables. What is amazing is how much they knew and understood the real meaning not just the words. Their thoughts were from the heart, prompted by the Holy Spirit. During this activity, it was inspiring to see the interactions (i.e., fellowship) among the students. They laughed and shared ideas as they painted the garage and sometimes each other. The benefit the supervisors received from the students attitude, generosity and faith expressed through this project is far greater than expressed herein. Principles of Ownership, Responsibility, Accountability and Reward -- to each other, the Parish and God -- were exemplified by the students in this process. Their actions were inspiring. Again, this project was not just about raising money, although in the end it saved the Parish about $2,000 all from Time, Talent and Treasures of five students volunteering to work 4-hours each. Most importantly, we realize these types of commitments to the church do not occur in the mind only -- they benefited the church as they came through the heart. Many times numerous parishioners volunteer their time, talent and treasures in assisting the church. Sometimes, they receive little thanks, gratitude, or acknowledgment for even the smallest things they do for each of us. We may sometimes overlook a thank you deserved, but we know Christ doesn t miss anything. Matthew 25:40: He will answer them, Amen I say to you, what you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Page 3 Mass Times Saturday Vigil 5:00 pm Sunday 9:00 am Daily (Mon-Fri) 8:30 am (Check bulletin for exceptions) Other Times Reconciliation Saturday 3:00 pm 4:00 pm or by appointment ( ) Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 1st Friday of the Month 9:05 am 5:00 pm Office Hours Monday Friday 8:00 am 4:00 pm

4 Page 4 Parish Newsletter WHAT IS THE YEAR OF MERCY? The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy is a remarkable occasion during which the entire Catholic Church, under the humble leadership of Pope Francis, opens wide the doors to the saving mercy of Christ. The Year of Mercy is celebrated from December 8th, 2015 the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the 50th anniversary of the closing of Vatican II to the Solemnity of Christ the King on November 20, During this special period of time in the Church, Pope Francis calls all Catholics to be profound witnesses to mercy and to "find the joy of rediscovering and rendering God's fruitful mercy, with which we are all called to give comfort to every man and every woman of our time." WORKS OF MERCY Pope Francis has asked us to rediscover the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Throughout the Gospels Jesus admonishes us to follow his example, an example that sets down tangible ways we might better serve our brothers and sisters in need. As its name implies, the Corporal Works are directed toward serving the body: corpus, in Latin, means body." The Works of Mercy are not new to the Catholic Faith, they can be found in the teachings of Jesus. In subsequent newsletters, we ll expand on the Works of Mercy and provide examples on how you can live them in your daily lives.

5 Volume 2016 Winter Issue Page 5 The 40 days of Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, February 10th. Lent is one of the most important seasons of the year. Lent prepares the faithful for Holy Week, for those sacred days in the Church calendar when we celebrate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. When the Church enters into the Lenten Season, we must look upon the role Lent plays in the life of the Church as well as that of the individual. Traditionally there are three pillars of Lent; Fasting, Prayer, and Almsgiving. However, as described above there can be a fourth pillar, and that is Conversion. Much of the focus of Lent is on conversion turning one s life over to Christ and living the way He calls us to. Such conversion and radical change requires self-denial. We want things that we should not want. St. Paul recognizes this in his letter to the Romans when he says, What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate. Every person born with Original Sin faces this same dilemma at some point in their spiritual journey. Lent provides the opportunity to refocus one s thinking on how to grow closer to God and farther away from evil. Fasting The essence of fasting is not about food or the lack of it but instead about sacrifice for the benefit of our spiritual lives. The focus of sacrifice or self-denial such as from food, should not be on the object of sacrifice, but rather to move distractions out of the way from our view of Christ. To draw upon symbolism of the Church, the light of Christ should not be blocked or distorted by worldly things, even necessary things such as food. By focusing upon the spiritual, one s heart and mind is more properly aligned with that of Christ. Prayer All Catholics are called to a life of prayer that is both diverse and rich. A diverse prayer life includes both personal and corporate prayer, in which the faithful grow closer to both Christ Himself, as well as to the Church He founded. During Lent our prayer life should not only grow, but it should focus upon the areas of life in which we might have fallen short of God s expectation in other words, where we have sinned. Almsgiving Almsgiving, while often mentioned but not considered as part of the Lenten observance, is certainly not the least of the four and is often completely misunderstood. As with fasting and abstinence, almsgiving is an act of self-denial since these funds are made available for others rather than for self-use. Simply put, almsgiving is an expression of charity and assistance extended to the needy. It is no secret that there are many in our world who go hungry, are not given proper medical care, and have an array of varying needs that go unmet. The Church works diligently to provide for the spiritual and physical needs of each individual.

6 Page 6 Parish Newsletter The High School Youth Group had an amazing time last summer during their annual trip to the Steubenville Northwest Conference, Limitless in Spokane Washington. Generous donations from parishioners helped make the trip possible and those who attended are truly grateful. Fundraising has already begun for their conference this summer, the theme is Thirst. Each year the group hosts a Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction. This year s event will take place on Saturday, January 30 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Please mark your calendars and plan on joining us for this fun event. Remember that if you can t attend this event, fundraising events will continue throughout the year. Steubenville Northwest Conference 2015 Diocese of Baker Group Some of the Guys hanging out! This year the Diocese entered into a partnership with Life Teen for High School Youth Ministry. This program, approved by Bishop Liam Cary, covers a variety of topics that engage teens through a creative way that utilizes relevant Catholic resources. This large-group Catechetical model is based on USCCB s framework for Catechesis, supplies resources for retreats, small groups discipleship, bible studies, social media, and the list goes on.

7 Volume 2016 Winter Issue Page 7 The children in grades Pre K 8th have started off this year with a challenge. The children are eagerly earning stickers in various ways in and outside of their classrooms. Stickers are earned for attending Mass, attending class, learning their prayers and bible verses. They are also earning stickers when their parents attend adult education classes and faith forums. At the year end BBQ, all the stickers they earn will be converted into tickets to be spent at our Carnival. There are many opportunities for adults to grow in the faith at St. Pius X. For those who cannot attend one of the many classes, take advantage of the CD rack located in the vestibule of the church. A variety of CD s are offered on several different topics by dynamic speakers that will allow you to learn more about the Catholic faith. Listening to a CD while you are driving or engaged in other activities, can deepen your understanding of the faith, which will enrich your communications with your children, friends and others who may ask you about your faith. On October 9th and 10th, the women of the Southern Deanery gathered for a Fall Retreat at St. Pius X. The theme was, Conceived in Heart: Faith Lessons from our Blessed Mother. It was presented by Marie Bricher from St. Paul s Parish, Eugene. Eighty women attended the Friday evening/saturday morning retreat. Great teaching, heart-warming fellowship and delicious food were enjoyed by all. St. Pius X hosted women from Eugene, Medford and Lakeview along with our sisters from Sacred Heart, St. Augustine, and St. Francis Cabrini. Mary Lou Kranenburg along with a team of women planned and organized the retreat. Plans are underway for a 2016 retreat. Please contact Mary Lou Kranenburg at kmkranenburg@gmail.com for details. We hope you will plan to join us! Southern Deanery Fall Retreat 2015 Group Photo

8 Page 8 Parish Newsletter The Adult Choirs that sing at the Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass are always looking for more members. People who have singing experience are encouraged to participate as your schedule allows. Come and sing with us. We can easily determine if your voice blends with ours. Waiting for Love Advent Program Our Kids Choir presented an Advent program, Waiting for Love, to the parish on December 5th and 6th. The songs and poetry brought to life the story of redemption through Christ s Incarnation. The 35-minute program encouraged the audience to sing along and join their voices to the story. A soup supper preceded the Saturday program provided by members of the Men s Club and Altar Society. Donuts and coffee preceded the Sunday program provided by the Pastoral Council. Members of the Kids Choir are Zach Duran, Annie Kugler, Star Murillo, Esme Murillo, Lisa Lucht, James Donahue, Aiyanah Lopez, Annaliese Jantzer, Bree Villegas, and Kaylee Pang. The Kids Choir meets Tuesday evenings in the Parish Hall from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm and we are always looking for new members. We will be preparing to sing at various masses. Theology on Tap A great start to Theology on Tap! Seventeen young adults met together for the first time on November 5th in the Upper Room of the Creamery in Klamath Falls and for a second time on December 10th at Wingers, for talks and presentation of the church s teaching on The Theology of the Body. Participants came together from OIT s Newman Club, Sacred Heart and the Young Adult Group from St. Pius X Parish. Good food, fellowship, active discussion and a dynamite presenter were the norm at our meetings. Tommy Schultz, from the Diocesan office, travels from Bend each month to offer the presentation, lead discussion and encourage deeper reflection on living the faith. Our Theology on Tap Group meets again January 14th for another shared time at the Creamery s upper Room to wrestle with and enjoy this time together learning about our faith through this wonderful topic. Please come and let us get to know you! If you are interested, we will continue meeting on the second Thursday of each month, through May. Check out our Parish bulletin, the Parish website, or for more information call Ipo Ross ( ) or Mary Holder at St Pius X ( ). God bless you and we hope you will come and join us for our monthly gathering Theology On Tap. If you are 19 to 30-ish, studying, working, single or married you are invited to come together in community from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm the other Thursdays of the month. Share a meal, reflect on Sunday scripture readings, pray, and support one another.

9 Volume 2016 Winter Issue Page 9 Do you have or have you had a Priest, Religious Brother or Religious Sister in your family? The Vocations Committee asked that question of all our parishioners last fall. This winter quarter we will focus on those who answered YES to that question and share their answers with you. The 12 parishioners who answered counted 9 PRIESTS and 10 RELIGIOUS SISTERS among their relatives. They were asked What is/was it like to have a priest/sister in your family? What advice would you give to someone considering such a vocation? What would you say to family members of someone considering a vocation to ministry in the Church? We will be sharing those answers with you through the bulletin board in the Parish Hall over the coming months. Many of you know the Vocations Committee through its activities with the children and youth (poster contests, letters to seminarians, presentations), past Faith Forums, the monthly Holy Hour (the 4 th Wednesday of each month, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel), the Vocations Crucifix program (weekly in your home; sign up in the Vestibule of Church), our homebound prayers with visits and cards, and related activities. Questions, ideas, suggestions, visitors are always welcome. We meet the 3 rd Sunday of each month in the Parish Conference Room. Special THANK YOU to the 21 couples who shared their 25 th and 50th wedding anniversaries, pictures and advice with us. YOU SPOKE THE HOLINESS OF THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY TO ALL OF US, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL. Those of you who are interested, the presentation delivered by the Vocations Committee on January 10, 2016 at our Faith Forum can be found on the Parish Web Site under the Vocations tab; the presentation emphasizes that Vocations, Discipleship and Stewardship are closely linked and a way of life for all Catholics. Great fun was had by all on December 31, 2015! We played a Bunco game after the Vigil Mass until 10:30 pm with lots of fellowship, food and fun. It was a great time for multiple generations to mix and enjoy each other s company. Father Shiju won the pot for most natural buncos, Samantha Clark for the most wins, Angela Bradbury was the biggest loser and Terri Pang won the you showed up prize! We hope you will plan on joining us next year as we ring in the New Year with the Holy Spirit! This women s book club reads and then discusses a spiritually-based book several times a year. The pick for the March discussion will be 7 Secrets of Confession by Vinny Flynn. In this book, the author explores 7 key truths about the great spiritual beauty, power, and depth of confession. He shows that confession is more than just having to do something to receive the Eucharist, but rather a way to encounter Jesus so you can begin an exciting personal journey to healing and holiness. Details will follow in the bulletin about the day and times of the morning and evening discussions.

10 Page 10 Parish Newsletter This section of the newsletter will address questions frequently asked by both Catholics and non-catholics about our faith. Knowing the answers will help you to grow in your faith. Initially, we ll start with some of the basics and continue with other subjects in subsequent newsletters. Why do Catholics bless themselves with Holy Water? Most Catholics are familiar with the practice of entering their church, dipping the fingers of their right hand in the font with holy water, and making the Sign of the Cross. Catholics repeat this ritual on leaving the church. The holy water in the font is holy only insofar as it has been blessed (or sanctified) by a priest. The water itself is not magic. Its power depends on the prayers, faith and devotion of the person who uses it. In making the Sign of the Cross with holy water, one expresses faith in God as Father, God as Son, and God as Holy Spirit and asks God's blessing in the name of the same three divine persons. This ritual action of blessing oneself also serves as a reminder of one s baptism. Why do Catholics Make the Sign of the Cross? The sign of the cross is a beautiful gesture which reminds the faithful of the cross of salvation while invoking the Holy Trinity. Technically, the sign of the cross is a sacramental, a sacred sign instituted by the Church which prepares a person to receive grace and which sanctifies a moment or circumstance. Along this thought, this gesture has been used since the earliest times of the Church to begin and to conclude prayer and the Mass. When you make the sign of the cross, do it deliberately, not hurriedly, not sloppily but carefully and with reverence. The deepest mysteries of our faith are contained in this gesture. Remember to use your Right Hand. Why do Catholics Genuflect? The reason we genuflect is to acknowledge and to show reverence (respect) to the Divine Presence of Jesus in the Tabernacle. The proper way to genuflect is: Facing the Tabernacle, you kneel on your right knee and rise to a standing position. The right knee must touch the floor. Refer to the figure on the left. We genuflect before entering the pew and again when we leave the pew to exit the church. We also genuflect when we are walking across the church and cross in front of the Tabernacle. At St. Pius X the Tabernacle is located to the left of the Naïve as shown in the figure to the right.

11 Volume 2016 Winter Issue Page 11 The following parishioners and loved ones of St. Pius X passed away in Let us continue to pray for their souls. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord 2 Corinthians 5:8 Mary Ellen Bair Christopher Anthony Fabrizio Margaret Rhodes Joseph John Bair Alvin Augustus Ketcham Terry Dean Sherrill Darlene Mae Beard Raymond John Mauch Alice Jean Sowers Sharon Lee Buergler Theodore Jacob Nick III David Waranka Robert Bryce Coleman Carol Pinkerton James Kent Ward Planning a Catholic Funeral Yes it s a difficult subject that many people would rather avoid and not discuss. But the reality is that every one of us at some time will be faced with deciding what to do after the passing of a loved one. If there has been no pre-planning decisions made, the family will be making decisions under difficult circumstances and in a short time frame. However, if the loved one had completed all the pre-planning decisions prior to their passing it would relieve the family of the confusion and agonizing decision making during their time of bereavement which could involve a funeral home, cemetery and Church. Typically, most people think of pre-planning to include only the Funeral Home and Cemetery. But as Catholics, the Catholic Funeral Rites are just as important and often overlooked. Parishioners of St. Pius X have the opportunity to pre-plan their Funeral Rites utilizing the PLANNING A CATHOLIC FUNERAL booklet available in the rectory. If there are specific questions you can t answer from the booklet, you should make an appointment with Father Shiju who will be able to assist you. We owe it to our families to have all our funeral planning complete while we are cognitive to make those decisions. Consider it as a wonderful gift to your family, while ensuring that your desires are respected. While there are different cemeteries one could consider when preplanning for a funeral, Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery is the only True Catholic cemetery in Klamath County. So why should Catholics be buried in a Catholic Cemetery? All through life, the Catholic Church is present to the living by baptizing their young, celebrating their growth and development, blessing their marriages and praying for them during times of illness. Since death is a natural part of life, it is only fitting that the Catholic community be present at the time of death. Death, as seen through the eyes of a Christian, is not the end; it is simply a natural passageway to everlasting life. Burial in a Catholic cemetery is a statement of continued belief in that everlasting life, even in death. As people of faith, our burial places share an important meaning for us, since they are sacred places. Each visit to the cemetery is a reminder to us of the love, fellowship and faith that we shared with our deceased family members and friends. It is also a reminder to us of our own mortality and belief in the Resurrection. Consider Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery as your final resting place. Our Cemetery Manager, Ipo Ross is always available to assist you and can be reached at (541)

12 St. Pius X Catholic Church Mission Statement St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, within the Diocese of Baker, is a community of Catholic Christians who are united by God, formed by the gospels, strengthened by the sacraments and the liturgy as well as the teachings of the Catholic Church. We are committed to evangelization and education. We encourage a greater commitment to love and follow Christ, by living out the Catholic faith and to promote peace and justice in our parish, our community, and our world. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we pledge ourselves to pursue this mission through participation in the liturgical, sacramental, educational, and social ministries of the Church.