A Reflection by Pope Francis

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2 PARISH CLERGY Rev. Tom Lam Administrator Rev. Martins Emeh, J.C.L. Parochial Vicar Deacon John Evanoff Pastoral Associate Deacon Don Kish PARISH STAFF Business Manager Lu Hill Administration Gerry Broussard, Misha Gabriel, Dan Stamps, Mary Tran Religious Education LouAnn Svoboda, Director Dave Clark, Charlotte Fulton, Becca Hammock, Maria Laiseca Youth Ministry Joey Harvey, Director Matt Kiernan Parish Life Ministry Dave Clark, Director Music Ministry Christian Mondragon, Director Adrienne Copeland Liturgy Ministry Dominick Aquila, Director Outreach Ministry Schottsie Hill, Director Lisa Gilkeson Facilities Manager Vince DeBonis Christian Cholico, Young Kim, Alex Trejo COMMUNITY LIFE Nursery Coordinator: Anne Salazar Bingo: Friday at 7:30 p.m Welcome Newcomers For more information about our parish please go to our website A Reflection by Pope Francis God s mercy opens our hearts and wins over everything. Recalling the story of the prophet Jonah who was a stubborn man who wanted to teach God how to do things, Pope Francis described Jonah as sick with rigidity, a starved soul. In the Bible story, the Lord asks Jonah to convert the city of Nineveh. First the prophet refuses to do so and runs away; then he carries out God s orders and he does it well. But still, Jonah is angry and indignant because the Lord shows forgiveness towards the people who, with open hearts, showed repentance. Rigidity is an obstacle. Those who have stubborn souls do not understand what God s mercy is. They are like Jonah; they do not know how to open their hearts to the Lord. They are faint-hearted with little hearts that are closed to mercy and attached to issues of naked righteousness. They forget that the justice of God became flesh in his Son, it became mercy and forgiveness; they forget that God s heart is always open to forgiveness. Something else they forget is that the omnipotence of God is manifested primarily in His mercy and forgiveness. It is not easy to understand God s mercy, it is not easy. Much prayer is needed because it is a grace. And we are so accustomed to the titfor-tat attitude. That kind of attitude that implies that justice means paying for what you did, but Jesus paid for us and continues to pay. Referring again to the story of Jonah, Pope Francis said that God could have abandoned the prophet to his stubbornness and to his rigidity. Instead, he went to talk to him and convinced him; he saved him just as he saved the people of Nineveh. The God of patience who knows how to open hearts. He is the God of patience, He is the God who knows how to give a caress, who knows how to open hearts. The message at the heart of the prophetic Book is to be found in the dialogue between prophecy, penance, mercy and faintheartedness or stubbornness. And it is in the fact that God s mercy always prevails because His omnipotence is manifested in His mercy. I advise you, Francis concluded, to read the Book of Jonah today: it is very small, only three pages, and see how the Lord acts, how His mercy transforms our hearts, and thank the Lord for being so merciful. 2

3 Events & Meetings This Week SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 Coffee & Donuts: Family Center Troop 1146 & 1288 Greenery Sale 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Nursery: 2 5 years; PAC 3:30 PM, Marriage Support Group: Outreach Conference Room 3:30 PM, Elementary Faith Formation 3:30 PM, Junior High Faith Formation 7:00 PM, High School FF/Confirmation MONDAY, OCTOBER 16 1:00 PM, Rummikub: Outreach Center 1:00 PM, Ladies Club Book Club: Room 404 6:30 PM, Handbell Choir Rehearsal: Church 6:30 PM, KC s Meeting: PAC 7:00 PM, Scout Troop 1146: Great Room 7:00 PM, James, Pearls of Wisdom: Epiphany Room 7:00 PM, Job Networking: Rec Room TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17 9:00 AM, ESL Class: Outreach Center 9:30 AM, Quilters: Room 411 9:40 AM 7:30 PM, Adoration: Chapel 9:45 AM, Angel Tree: Outreach Center 10:00 AM, Holy Hour Rosary for Respect Life: Chapel 10:00 AM, Scripture Study: Den 3:00 PM, Divine Mercy Chaplet: Chapel 4:00 PM, Holy Hour for Vocations: Chapel 4:45 PM, Elementary Faith Formation 4:45 PM, Junior High Faith Formation 7:00 PM, Rosary: Chapel 7:00 PM, Youth Advisory Committee: PAC 7:00 PM, RCIA: Epiphany Room 7:30 PM, Vespers & Benediction: Chapel WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18 10:00 AM, Revelation Bible Study: Den 4:45 PM, Elementary Faith Formation 5:30 PM, Contemporary Music Rehearsal: Church 5:30 PM, Children s Choir: Music Room 6:30 PM, Elementary Faith Formation 6:30 PM, Junior High Faith Formation 6:30 PM, High School FF/Confirmation 7:00 PM, Adult Choir Practice: Church 8:00 PM, Young Adult Bible Study: Upper Room THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 9:00 AM, ESL Class: Outreach Center 10:00 AM, Women s Endow Group: :30 PM, ELC Knitting Group: Room 404 2:00 PM, Citizenship Class: Outreach Ctr. 6:30 PM, Spanish Bible Study: PAC 6:30 PM, Men s Food & Faith: Room 412 7:00 PM, Walking Through Grief: Outreach Center 7:00 PM, Line Dancing: Great Room FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 11:30 AM, Forever Young: Family Center 7:30 PM, Bingo: Family Center SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 No Events Scheduled SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22 Troop 1288 Greenery Sale 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Nursery: 2 5 years; PAC 12:30 PM, Harvey Fellowship Lunch: Family Center 3:30 PM, Marriage Support Group: Outreach Conference Room 3:30 PM, Elementary Faith Formation 3:30 PM, Junior High Faith Formation 7:00 PM, High School FF/Confirmation Come work for the church! Epiphany of the Lord is looking for a part- me recep onist for the front office to work Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. This is a temporary posi on beginning in November 2017 and ending in mid-march To apply, please send an to Lu@EpiphanyCatholic.org. Baptisms Please contact parish office for preparation classes. Baptism Session for Parents 2 nd Saturday of February, May, August, November 10:00 AM Noon To register call LouAnn Svoboda ( ) Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) For information call LouAnn Svoboda ( ) Sacrament of Marriage Must be a registered, active member of the parish at least six months. Contact parish office eight months before wedding to begin preparation. Finance Council Chair Denny Dellinger Pastoral Council Chair Tom McGeehan Knights of Columbus C.J. Hattier, Grand Knight St. Vincent de Paul Society Cynthia Viator Ladies Club Sharon Yohe Forever Young Norma Lopez, Mary Davis Bulletin Deadline The deadline for article submission is Thursday at noon (ten days before publication). Your article can be sent to gerry@epiphanycatholic.org. Check our website for Liturgical & Faith Formation Schedules. epiphany@epiphanycatholic.org Child s Play Learning Center, Alyce Gabrysch, Director, ; Fax; childsplaykaty.com 3

4 Liturgy & Prayer PRAYER LIST FOR THE SICK LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK SPECIAL REMEMBRANCES Saturday, October 14 Vigil-28th Sunday in O. T. 5:30 PM Rafael Rubio Sunday, October 15 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00 AM Charles Vivien 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM Doris Karpuk 5:30 PM Stella Walsh Monday, October 16 Weekday 9:00 AM John McGrath Tuesday, October 17 St. Ignatius of Antioch 9:00 AM Stacie Long Wednesday, October 18 St. Luke, Evangelist 9:00 AM Katie O Beirne Thursday, October 19 Sts. John de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues 9:00 AM Elizabeth Rojas Friday, October 20 Weekday 9:00 AM Wilbert Leon Kainer Saturday, October 21 Vigil-29th Sunday in O. T. 5:30 PM Astle Parker Sunday, October 22 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00 AM Maria Santos 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM Paul Ny 5:30 PM Dorothy Freedman READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Rom 1:1-7; Ps 98:1-4; Lk 11:29-32 Tuesday: Rom 1:16-25; Ps 19:2-5; Lk 11:37-41 Wednesday: 2 Tm 4:10-17b; Ps 145:10-13, 17-18; Lk 10:1-9 Thursday: Rom 3:21-30; Ps 130:1b-6ab; Lk 11:47-54 Friday: Rom 4:1-8; Ps 32:1b-2, 5, 11; Lk 12:1-7 Saturday: Rom 4:13, 16-18; Ps 105:6-9, 42-43; Lk 12:8-12 Sunday: Is 45:1, 4-6; Ps 96:1, 3-5, 7-10; 1 Thes 1:1-5b; Mt 22:15-21 Please pray for our military men and women. Please keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers this week as we wish them a return to good health: Jason Sides, Theresa McCluskey, Steve Chambers, Jackie Alfonso, Colette Johnecheck, Lionel Rivas, Margaret Braun, David Braun, Bob Hague, Chester Bourgeois, Will McKenzie, Hector Segura, Sr., Glenda Garnett, Mary Stier, Neil Siedel, Bill Weber, Sr., Gildardo Jimenez., Dennis Donlan, Patricia Onubogu, Obinna Onubogu, Michael Onubogu, Lola Odedina. Men s Retreat If you have ever played a sport or watched others, you understand the concept of a time out. A time out can be a critical part of whether a team wins or loses the game. Sometimes the time out is called because things aren't going well. Other times it's because the players are worn out and exhausted, and another reason may be because they need guidance. A retreat can be like a time out. Sometimes the players know it and call the time out and sometimes it's the coach, and that coach may be sitting right next to you. Holy Name Retreat Center is located in West Houston and offers Men's and Women's Retreats. Our men's parish retreat weekend is October It starts on Friday night and finishes by noon on Sunday. You can get more information by contacting Deacon Don Kish at , or go to 4

5 Parish Life This month we will have an old fashioned Pot-Luck dinner followed by Epiphany s own version of: Our young adult Bible study continues this week on Wednesday at 8pm upstairs in the PAC. This week we are talking about Mary. FOREVER YOUNG LUNCHEON Date: Friday, October 20 Time: 11:30 a.m. Place: Family Center Boy Scout Holiday Greenery Sales Orders will be taken for Holiday Greenery the weekends of October 14/15; October 28/29 and November 4/5 before and a er all masses. We accept cash, credit card or checks at the me of order. If you would like to place an order via phone, please contact the parish office at Product delivery will be December 2/3 a er all masses. A gathering for people who are Single and over the age of 50. Our next gathering will be Oct. 21 at 7pm in the PAC. We will be watching a movie and enjoying movie theater eats. Bring your favorite snack to share with the group. Everyone over age 55 is invited for a Pot Luck Luncheon and entertainment. Bring your favorite recipe to share with your fellow friends. Come early (11:00 am) to review the theatre trips and local trips offered as well as have time to pay your annual dues and pick up your name badges. If you have any questions, please contact the parish office at We welcome into our community: Douglas & Jenny Alexander, Eduardo & Jennifer Amesty, Nelson & Grace Anyanwu, Michael & Brigitte Black, Sebastian & Andrea Borgarello, Mary Bork, Patrick & Souza Campbell, Evencio & Inis Contreras-Herrera, Brendan & Katherine Crotty, Andrew & Tara Donovan, Jorge & Sandy Fereda Govea, Timothy & Laura Gallic, Maria Garcia, Ruben & Ivette Gonzalez, Egar & Maryana Handam Morales, Irvin & Sarah Hernandez, Coy & Beth Holman, Boniface & Vivian Igboalisi, Michel & Alessandra Lemos, William & Kelly Lipscomb, Michael & Roberta Lopez, Trieu & Thy Mai, Bernet & Adhara Manikadass, Matthew & Zulema Nall, Roberto & Flor Paz, Kevin & Oniika Peters, Alam & Zaida Quintero, Jose & Vianney Rivera, Andrew & Lauren Super, Emilio & Sandra Ugarte, Justin & Maria Wilson. 5

6 Parish Life Continued Frostyfest 2017 Booths are still available for the Frostyfest Craft Show to be held Saturday, December 2, All items for the show must be hand made by the vendor. For an application and rules please visit epiphanycatholic.org. For additional information, please contact the parish office at Catholic Schools Open House Early Childhood Open House! Tuesday, October 19, 2017 from 9:30 11:00 a.m. ST. JOHN PAUL II CATHOLIC SCHOOL, 1400 Parkway Plaza (near Briar Forest and Eldridge), invites families interested in Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd grade to our Early Childhood Open House on Tuesday, October 19, 2017 from 9:30 11:00 a.m. Go to the for more information including a schedule of events and how to RSVP. For questions, call the front office at Open House! Sunday November 5, 2017 from 1pm-3pm Please plan to attend and see why it s a great day to become a Lion! You will have the opportunity to learn more about our college preparatory curriculum, tour the campus, meet faculty & administration as well as current students & parents. For more information visit our website at call the Main Of ice at or admissions@sj23lions.org W. Grand Parkway N. Katy, Texas

7 Our Stewardship Music Ministry Adult Choir Stewardship October 7/8 Sunday Offering $30, Mission Sunday $14, St. Vincent de Paul Society $1, Registered Households 6,657 My God will supply whatever you need - PHILIPPIANS 4:19 God really does provide for those who are grateful and generous. This is very difficult for people that don t live a stewardship lifestyle to believe. People are skeptical and say it s just coincidence. If you are skeptical, try living a stewardship lifestyle for just one month be generous with your gifts of time, talent and treasure and see how God provides for your needs. DSF REPORT Parish Goal $398, Amount Pledged $297, Amount Paid $265, Number of Pledges 707 REMINDER: Please remember to put your envelope number on your contribution check if it is not in your church envelope. If you donate cash it must be in an envelope with your envelope number on it to receive credit. If you do not know your number please call Mary at The Adult Mixed choir is seeking new members as we prepare for the Advent and Christmas seasons. The choir sings at 9:45 a.m. and consists of male and female voices. If you love music and have some choir experience, please consider being a part of this growing group or if you are new to choir and would like to try out, please contact Christian Mondragonchristian@epiphanycatholic.org, Join the Epiphany Handbell Choir for our season Rehearsals are on Mondays 7:30 9:00 pm We ring at one Mass per month as well as all major liturgies. We have a great time making music together! Ringing and music reading experience is helpful but not required. Contact Director Paul Jurick (pjjurick@swbell.net) for more information. Respect Life Bulletin Board Take My Hand, Not My Life October is Respect for Life Month! Please take me for extra prayer and consider par cipa ng in one of our ac vi es to promote Life!! Day of Prayer and Adora on is Thursday October 26. Sign up in the narthex to spend an hour with the Blessed Sacrament to pray for the end of abor on and crea ng a culture of Life! 7 th and 8 th graders are invited to par cipate in a 2 part series on Saint Pope John Paul II s Theology of the Body from 1-5pm on October 15 th and 22 nd in the PAC. To register, go to h p:// For ques ons about either of the above ac vi es contact the Youth Office at

8 Outreach Ministry Outreach Events in October: Regular Meetings: Mon. Epiphany Job Networking at 7 p.m. in the PAC; Tues. Respect Life Rosary at 10 a.m. in the Chapel. Oct 15: Gift of Marriage Oct 19: Walking through Grief Oct 22: Gift of Marriage Oct 26: Respect Life Oct 26: Walking through Grief Oct 29: Gift of Marriage See for details. Epiphany Family Just a li le over a month ago several of our parishioners were devastated by Harvey. Here in Outreach we know that it will be a long road back for some of you. Please visit our website under Harvey Relief and let us know what we as a parish can do for you. We are providing the following: Non perishable food, meals Personal care items Diapers and baby food Cleaning supplies A list of contractors, plumbers, electricians, etc. Laundry Service Financial Aid Copies, faxing and envelopes Parishioner needs a ride to Mass If you are able to bring an elderly parishioner to Mass on Sundays from the Provincial and Kingsland area, please call Lisa in Outreach Thank you. The Gift of Marriage Going to the chapel, and we re gonna get married...what happens after that? Learn how to put the song back into your marriage, or share your tips of the trade with others by attending The Gift of Marriage, a ministry which offers support for married couples. Join Richard Yohr LPC, as he leads the group on the following Sundays from 3:30 to 4:45pm. October 15 October 22 October 29 For more details, call Lisa at To arrange for babysitting, nursery@epiphanycatholic.org before noon on the Friday prior to the meeting. Bereavements Meetings On the first Monday of each month (except Holiday weekends) we will once again have Bereavement Support meetings. The next meeting will be on November 6th at 6:30 pm. Our Bereavement Support team offers a supportive environment and invites you to share your memories and feelings with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one. THANK YOU SEPTEMBER BLOOD DONORS!!! We had a total of 30 people donate blood at our September drive! A special thanks to our first time donors and to donors who were willing but had to be deferred this time. We appreciate all of you and the dedicated Blood Drive Coordinators & members who make this happen!!! When donating at other times or locations, remember Epiphany s Donor Group # is

9 Adult Faith Formation Catechist Modules Empower our Faith Formation catechists to be knowledgeable and successful with the lesson plans our parish is implementing this year to maintain compliance with Archdiocesan guidelines: Assessment Strategies Monday, October 30 7:00-9:00 p.m. Upstairs in the Parish Activity Center. RSVP to Maximum attendance is 30 people. INFANT BAPTISM PREPARATION A Baptism Preparation Session for parents and godparents will be held on Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. until Noon in the Family Center. Parents must attend a baptism preparation session before scheduling their child s baptism. Call to register for this preparation session. The next opportunity to attend a baptism class at Epiphany will be on Saturday, February 10, Check It Out! DISCIPLESHIP: TAKING THE WORD TO HEART The National Catholic Bible Conference was held at St. John Vianney in Houston in May, CD s from the speakers presentations are now available for check-out at our Reception desk. Listen to nationally recognized speakers such as Jeff Cavins, Fr. Mike Schmitz, and Dr. Edward Sri as they inspire you to live out your calling as a witness to God s unfailing love for every person in your life. Audio CD s are available for one-week checkout at no cost - only one CD at a time please! Great to listen to while driving! In 1971, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship completed a survey of the presidents of the national liturgical commissions around the world. How were children doing in the liturgical reform? Probably to their surprise, the cardinals learned of special weekday Masses for children designed to teach them how to participate on Sunday, Masses with separate components for children. The decision was made quickly to develop adaptations for Masses where children were a majority of the assembly. Changes would include a simpler structure, understandable texts, a simplified Lectionary, more active participation, and most surprisingly, new Eucharistic Prayers. By 1973 the work was done, and with very specific advice from Pope Paul VI, including the need for two new Eucharistic Prayers, the Directory for Masses with Children was published on December 20, a timely Christmas gift for the children of the world. The prayers are the first to be written fresh in a modern language not Latin, but French and German then translated into English, Italian, and Spanish. With a sense of caution, these new prayers were approved for three years, until 1977, but it soon became apparent that they had truly been embraced. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. 9

10 Elementary Faith Formation Epiphany Youth Ministry Registration is officially open for our 9th and 10th grade retreat November 17-19! You can register online at Home Based faith formation materials are available in the faith formation office from 8:30am until 4:30pm. They can also be available by appointment only during Tues. Wed., and Sun. faith formation sessions. When you come and pick up your materials, please plan to spend a few minutes with a staff member so you can receive instructions for the new program. Sunday Oct. 15th Tues/Wed Oct. 17/18 Unit 1 Assessment of Who is Jesus Christ? and World Mission Rosary. Unit 2 How do we know and love Jesus Christ? E.Q. 1: How does praying help me to know and love Jesus Christ? Did you miss your Confirmation service project? Need service hours for school? Want to help in youth ministry? Check out our service opportunities on SignUpGenius.com You can access our list of signups from There are so many great movies to see in the theaters. If you want to be more informed about the ones you take your children to see check it out first at It will give you all the information you will need to help navigate the hype and let your faith play a role in picking a great flick. 10