A Homily 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, Sarah Karchunas, Maria Laiseca Youth Ministry Joey Harvey, Director 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 Kirk Harris Young Kim, Alex Trejo COMMUNITY LIFE Nursery Coordinator: Anne Salazar Bingo: Friday at 7:30 p.m Welcome Newcomers If you would like more information on our Parish Community, please visit A Homily by Pope Francis Pope Francis reflected on the fact that being Christian is not a social status. Pope said Christians must be witnesses of obedience to God, like Jesus was. Pope Francis quoted Peter s words before the Sanhedrin when he said You must obey God rather than men." Peter and the Apostles had been freed from prison by an Angel, and forbidden to teach in Jesus s name. And yet the high priest said You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us. In order to better understand this event the Pope also referred to the Book of Acts regarding the early months of the Church which describes a growing Christian community and many miracles. There was the faith of the people, he said, but there were also wily people trying to take advantage of the situation and wanting to make a career for themselves like Hananiah and Sapphira. The same kind of dynamics take place today, the Pope noted, and there are those who despise God s faithful people. Turning back to the reading of today, the Pope said that Peter, who out of fear had betrayed Jesus on Holy Thursday, this time courageously answered the high priest saying that we must obey God rather than men." This answer, he said, makes it clear that "a Christian is a witness of obedience" as Jesus was, when in the garden of Gethsemane, he addressed these words to the Father: not my will but yours be done. "The Christian is a witness of obedience; if we are not on this path and growing in our witness we are not Christians. We must at least walk this way he said. The Pope pointed out that Jesus is not the testimonial of an idea, of a philosophy, of a company, of a bank or of power: he is a testimonial of obedience. However, Francis explained, to become a witness of obedience we need the "grace of the Holy Spirit". "Only the Spirit can make us witnesses of obedience. It s not enough to listen to spiritual guides or to read books. all that is fine but only the Spirit can change our heart and make us witnesses of obedience he said. The Pope said it is a grace we must ask for: Father, Lord Jesus, send me your Spirit so that I may become a witness of obedience, that is, a Christian. Francis also said that to be witnesses of obedience implies consequences, as narrated by the First reading; in fact, after Peter's response, the high priests wanted to put him to death: "Persecutions were the consequences of this witness of obedience. When Jesus lists the Beatitudes he ends with the words Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you he said. And pointing out that the cross cannot be taken away from the life of a Christian, the Pope said being a Christian has nothing to do with social status, it is not a lifestyle that makes one feel good; being a Christian means being a witness of obedience and the life of a Christian is full of insults and persecutions. Pope Francis concluded his homily saying that in order to be witnesses of obedience like Jesus, it is necessary to pray, to recognize that we are sinners with much worldliness in our hearts and to ask God for the grace of becoming witnesses of obedience" and to not be afraid when we are insulted and persecuted "because as the Lord said: the Spirit will tell us what to answer." 2

3 Events & Meetings This Week SUNDAY, MAY 7 FOOD DRIVE COFFEE & DONUTS 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Children s Liturgy of the Word: Grades 1 & 2 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Nursery: 2-5 years: PAC MONDAY, MAY 8 9:00 AM, ESL 4: Outreach Center 1:00 PM, Rummikub: Outreach Center 7:00 PM, High School Bible Study: Upper Room 7:00 PM, Job Networking: Rec Room 7:00 PM, Scout Troop 1146 Court of Honor: Family Center TUESDAY, MAY 9 9:00 AM, ESL 4, Outreach Center 9:30 AM 7:30 PM, Adoration: Chapel 9:30 AM, Quilters: Room :00 AM, Scripture Study: Den 10:00 AM, Holy Hour Rosary for Respect Life: Chapel 3:00 PM, Divine Mercy Chaplet: Chapel 4:00 PM, Holy Hour Rosary for Vocations: Chapel 7:00 PM, Rosary: Chapel 7:00 PM, RCIA: Epiphany Room 7:00 PM, Scout Troop 1288: PAC 7:30 PM, Evening Prayer: Chapel WEDNESDAY, MAY 10 9:30 AM, Called to be Mom: Family Ctr. 5:30 PM, Contemporary Choir: Church 7:00 PM, Adult Choir Rehearsal: Church 7:00 PM, Come and See New Curriculum Night: Epiphany Room 8:00 PM, Young Adult Bible Study: Den THURSDAY, MAY 11 9:00 AM, ESL 4: Outreach Center 10:00 AM, Caregiver Support Group: Outreach Center 10:00 AM, Gathering Place: Family Center 6:30 PM, Financial Peace Legacy: Room 403 6:30 PM, Spanish Bible Study: Rec Room 7:00 PM, Adult Confirmation Class: Den 7:00 PM, Line Dancing: Great Room FRIDAY, MAY 12 9:30 AM, Ladies Club: Family Center 7:30 PM, Bingo: Family Center SATURDAY, MAY 13 10:00 AM, Baptism Preparation Class: Family Center Baby Bottle Distribution After Mass SUNDAY, MAY 14 Baby Bottle Distribution After Masses 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Children s Liturgy of the Word: Grades 3,4,5 Nursery Closed 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 Joan McManamy Forever Young Barbara Hajjar, Clare Snow Please join us our monthly open meeting of the vocations committee...your thoughts are important to us! Did you know that Epiphany has a committee made up of parishioners who meet monthly to encourage vocations within our community? If you are interested in learning how you may be able to assist us in this ministry, please consider coming to our next meeting every second Thursday of the month. We meet in the main conference room of the parish office from 7:00PM to 8:00PM. Call Deacon John Evanoff at or john@epiphanycatholic.org to find out more. 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, 3

4 LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK SPECIAL REMEMBRANCES Saturday, May 6 Vigil-Fourth Sunday of Easter 5:30 PM Zita Briksnis Sunday, May 7 Fourth Sunday of Easter 8:00 AM Jon Evanoff 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM John Amabebe 5:30 PM Mary Reuter Monday, May 8 Easter Weekday 9:00 AM Jon Evanoff Tuesday, May 9 Easter Weekday 9:00 AM Clara Goertz Wednesday, May 10 Easter Weekday 9:00 AM Consuelo Esponda Thursday, May 11 Easter Weekday 9:00 AM Mary Helen Davis Friday, May 12 Easter Weekday 9:00 AM Rose Ann Callegari Saturday, May 13 Vigil-Fifth Sunday of Easter 5:30 PM Catherine Lillis Sunday, May 14 Fifth Sunday of Easter 8:00 AM Anna Marie Mercaldi 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM Alice Bauer good health: PRAYER LIST FOR THE SICK Please keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers this week as we wish them a return to Jason Sides, Hailey Williams, Maria Mercedes Enriquez, Janet Cuccia, Chester Bourgeois, Theresa McCluskey, Steve Chambers, Jackie Alfonso, Colette Johnecheck, Celia Tovar, Carson Hill, Rosita Alegre, Charlie Helms, Sandra Lucio, Linda Christine, Marlene Kirker, Don & Victoria Anderson, Bessie Polasek, Damon Mikosh. 5:30 PM Jeff Thaler To make a request for someone to be on our prayer list, please call the parish office at 281- Please pray for our military men and women. Liturgy & Prayer READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Acts 11:1-18; Ps 42:2-3; 43:3, 4; Jn 10:11-18 Tuesday: Acts 11:19-26; Ps 87:1b-7; Jn 10:22-30 Wednesday: Acts 12:24 13:5a; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Jn 12:44-50 Thursday: Acts 13:13-25; Ps 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27; Jn 13:16-20 Friday: Acts 13:26-33; Ps 2:6-11ab; Jn 14:1-6 Saturday: Acts 13:44-52; Ps 98:1-4; Jn 14:7-14 Sunday: Acts 6:1-7; Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19; 1 Pt 2:4-9; Jn 14: Your loved one s name will appear on our prayer list for six consecutive Sundays. If a longer period of time is needed, please call the parish office to renew your request. Are you interested in becoming a Lector? Lectors proclaim the Scripture during mass. Lectors are required to be able to speak clearly to communicate the Word of God to all people. If you feel called to this ministry, contact the parish or sign-up online Attendance at 1 of the following sessions is required May 1:00PM or June 1:00PM Registration Link: epiphanycatholic.org/ministry-training-events Or contact Dominick Aquila at the parish offices 4

5 Parish Life The Epiphany Ladies Club will hold our last mee ng before breaking for the summer on May 12 at 9:30 AM in the Family Center. A er a brief induc on of new officers, Mike Fitzgerald will give us ps and strategies for financial planning. Come join us! If you have any ques ons, please contact us at epiphanyladiesclub@gmail.com. Also, ELC would like to thank TJ Covino of Inkblots for s tching all the embroidery for our parish Bap smal Bibs. This is the second year he has helped us and we really appreciate it. FOREVER YOUNG invites you to join us on Friday May 19th at 11:30 am in the Family Center for a covered dish lunch. Our guest speaker will be Edith Woltman RN. She will speak about Emergencies: What to do when someone has a Heart Attack or Stroke. This will be our last meeting until September. Make me for family fun this summer. Join us for Family Fun Nights every Wednesday in June from 6:30pm-8:30pm in the PAC. Each week will feature a movie on our big screen, a smorgasbord of games and tummy ckling snacks. Dinner will also be served each week for $5 per family! Sunday: Coffee & Donuts Family Center Monday: Rummikub 1pm in the Outreach Center Tuesday: Quilters 9:30am in the PAC Wednesday: Called to be Mom 9:30am in the Family Center Thursday: Line Dancing 7pm in the PAC Friday: Ladies Club 9:30am in the Family Center Friday: Bingo 7:30pm in the Family Center Bryan & Cynthia Nguyen, Caritas Mkulasi, Luke & Roxanne Vergas, Fernando & Dana Labaronne, Tavish & Toukam Rachad, Anita Latumena, Gilbert & Veronica Garza, Celestino & Frances Belen, Theodore & Valerie Ngassa Dave Clark and his Parish Life team are making plans for developing parish activities and gatherings that will help grow community among our members. Some ideas on the table are various groups geared toward different life stages and needs like a singles group for the over 55 crowd or a young couples fellowship group. A few events that have been mentioned are an old fashioned family hoe down/square dance, an A.D. Players performance, or Epiphany Idle. If you have a suggestion for an activity that will help our community connect with each other, please let us know by ing Dave Clark in the Parish Life office. (dave@epiphanycatholic.org) We can t make any promises that your idea will come to fruition, but know that we are working diligently to help our parish be a hub for friends to gather. 5

6 Our Stewardship Stewardship April 29/30 Sunday Offering $31, Home Missions $ St. Vincent de Paul Society $737 Registered Households 6,649 And Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ ACTS 2:38 The word repent means to turn from sin, to change our actions. When it comes to change, do we take responsibility for change or do we think that others have to change instead? Change that is permanent comes from within, we must take control and be disciplined. Remember though that we are not alone, Jesus is there to help lighten the load. 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 If you are busy and have a long to do list, then let Epiphany s on-line giving program make your life easier! Faith Direct is our parish s e-giving program. Just enroll and your regular offerings to Epiphany are automa cally deducted from your checking account or billed to your credit card. It s secure and easy to use! You can also use Faith Direct for second collec- ons and dona ons to our new Catholic school. Visit or find their link on Epiphanycatholic.org. Remember Epiphany s parish code is: TX 613 Faith Direct also has a free App for your phone! It is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play for Android users. The App allows parishioners to access their account any me, anywhere! Thank you for your con nued support of our parish family! GO MAKE DISCIPLES 2017 DIOCESAN SERVICES FUND If you have not already offered your pledge in this year s Diocesan Services Fund, please do so today. DSF 2017 is focused on Go Make Disciples, in which your gifts will benefit the Archdiocesan ministries that serve thousands and thousands of our brothers and sisters in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Through your generous support of DSF, we bring Christ s comfort and care to the many pressing needs that cannot be addressed individually or by one parish alone. Our parish goal for 2017 is $398,000. With every parish family s full participation, we will surely exceed this amount and do our share to help so many in need, advancing the work of the church in our community. To give online, please visit For those of you who have already responded with a gift, please accept our sincere gratitude. 6

7 EPIPHANY BINGO - As a result of the dedicated work of all the Bingo volunteers and the tremendous support of the players in 2016, net proceeds from the year in excess of $60,000 have and will be distributed and split between local charitable organizations, Epiphany outreach, and to the catholic school capital campaign. We invite all parishioners to come join us again for Bingo in Friday night Bingo has started again. As always MAXIMUM CASH PRIZES of $2500, allowed by state law, are given away at EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT BINGO. This includes a $750 final game jackpot prize each night. What a great way to spend an evening with friends or family, and at the same time help to provide funds to many local charitable organizations. The bingo window and concessions open at 7:00 and the games begin at 7:30 with 4 earlybird games and 8:00 for the regular games. We have increased the prize amounts for the earlybird games, so come early. The Bingo volunteer group still has a need for a few more volunteer members on each team, including for the concession area. Check out the Bingo link on the Epiphany website for the bingo calendar, and more information on games, concessions, and how to join our volunteer team. EPIPHANY YOUNG ADULTS: Join our growing ministry by attending one of our upcoming events (including Bible Study, Service and Fellowship). Check us out on Facebook (@EpiphanyoftheLordYoungAdults) for more info and a schedule of upcoming events! If you would like to advertise your business in the Church Bulletin please contact: Kathy Konter, Parish Consultant, for J.S. Paluch Company at Around the Archdiocese The Annual Polish Festival will be held on May 5-7, 2017 at Our Lady of Czestachowa Catholic Church located at 1731 Blalock Road, Houston, Texas Plan on attending for a weekend of cultural experiences including musical performances, traditional Polish food, beer and desserts, and a new children s activity featuring an interactive tour of Poland. Times are Friday 5/5: 4pm 10pm; Saturday 5/6: 10am 10pm; Sunday 5/7: 10am 6pm. For more information visit HoustonPolishFestival.com. Marriage Encounter Like on the journey to Emmaus we are often blind to seeing Jesus walking with us in our marriage. A Marriage Encounter weekend can help you to learn how to find and recognize Jesus in your married life. The next two weekends will be presented May 19 21, 2017, and June 9 11, Find out more or sign up at: or call (713) CATHOLIC FAMILY RETREAT WEEK- END GETAWAY Looking for a weekend escape with your family to experience God s graces without the distractions of the secular world through faith, fun, and fellowship with other amazing families? Join the annual Memorial Day weekend retreat (May 26 th 28 th ) at the beautiful Circle Lake Family Retreat Center in Pinehurst, Texas, just 15 miles from downtown Houston. The weekend includes Mass, Reconciliation, and Adoration as well as other Catholic faith based activities and free time for swimming, canoeing, and enjoying the beauty of nature with your family. The cost is $100 registration fee per family plus $350 for a furnished cabin for 2 nights and 3 meals. Availability is limited, so contact Scott and Gina Bergeron at for more information or visit our website at to register. 7

8 Outreach Ministry Outreach Events in May: Regular Meetings: Mon. Epiphany Job Networking at 7 pm in the PAC; Tues. Respect Life Rosary at 10 am in the Chapel. May 7: Food Drive May 7: Marriage Support Group May 11: Gathering Place May 11: Caregiver Support Group May 11: Dave Ramsey Legacy May 13/14: Baby Bottle distribution See for details. FOOD DRIVE today Boy Scout Troop 1146 is collecting non-perishable food and personal care items for Epiphany Food closet. Items can be brought to either parking lot after morning Masses, today. We appreciate all of your help in keeping our food closet well stocked. We are especially in need of cereal, chili and peanut butter this month. Clinic Care Kits Through the generous donations of our parishioners, we were able to assemble and deliver 362 Clinic Care Kits. We would like to say thank you to all who donated and to our tireless volunteers that assembled the kits to be given to Krause Children s Center, Christ Clinic and our own St. Vincent de Paul. Thank you again to all who participated in this wonderful project. Marriage Encounter Weekend If you ve been wondering what you can do to give your marriage a boost, consider going on a Marriage Encounter Weekend. There is one coming at a Houston Energy Corridor Hotel May Go to for more information or to register online now. THE GATHERING PLACE The Gathering Place provides social time for persons with mild Dementia, Alzheimer s, and Parkinson s. Our next event will be on Thursday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. If you can help once a month OR are a primary caretaker and need some respite, please call Carmen at Caregiver s Support Group May 11th from 10 to 11:30 am in the Outreach Center If you are feeling overwhelmed by the demands of caring for someone with an illness or disability you are not alone. Come join us as we share the care giving experience, support one another and develop resources to assist you, the caregiver. For more information please call Outreach at Baby Bottle Blessings Mother s Day Weekend, May 13/14!! We would appreciate your involvement and ask you to make a difference by participating in our Baby Bottle Blessings promotion. It s really simple it s called Baby Bottle Blessings because we distribute empty baby bottles on Mother s Day weekend (May 13/14) and ask you to fill the bottles with spare change and/or checks. In this case your spare change can truly change a life! Please return them on Father s Day weekend (June 17/18). Come by the Outreach Center to get a bottle if you are out of town for Mother s Day. Donations will be distributed between the Archdiocese Gabriel Project, the Catholic Charities Adolescent Pregnancies and the Pregnancy Help Center. 8

9 Adult Faith Formation INFANT BAPTISM PREPARATION Expecting a new baby? Or, do you have a little one who has not yet been baptized? Have you been chosen to be a Godparent? A Baptism Preparation Session for parents and godparents will be held on Saturday, May 13, 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, August 12, VIRTUS (Protecting God s Children) focuses on educating teachers, parents, and other adults who interact with children about sexual abuse and providing them with information to help prevent abuse. This takes place in awareness sessions led by trained facilitators. The awareness sessions consist of videos, worksheets, and discussions. Original training session will be held at Epiphany Saturday, June 3, from 9:00 Noon in the Parish Activity Center (PAC). Pre-registration is mandatory at A valid identification must be presented at check-in. No late admittance is allowed. If you are over 18 and active in ministry at Epiphany, you must be VIRTUS trained. All adult parishioners, ESPECIALLY PARENTS, are encouraged to be VIRTUS trained! Questions? Need assistance with the registration process? Call the Faith Formation Office at No walk-ins! Become part of the solution by making yourself aware of abuse in our society that affect youth. The fact that many monastic churches do not have a prominent tabernacle shapes the patterns of liturgical prayer. Monastic communities often protect the ancient value of receiving from the same sacrifice, meaning that the communicants are assured that what they eat and drink in the Holy Mysteries actually comes from the same celebration. It surprises many to learn that the Church does not foresee, nor does it provide for, Communion of the faithful from the reserved Sacrament. Liturgical laws have long defended your right to receive from the same sacrifice, the same Mass, that you attend. At one time, of course, the bread for the Eucharist was the ordinary bread of the day, except unleavened, probably prepared at home. It was broken and distributed to the faithful. Early on the loaf itself was referred to as the hostia in Latin, meaning the sacrifice, the same word for the sacrificial animal in Jewish worship, and for Jesus as the Lamb of God. By giving his life on the cross, Jesus became the hostia for us. To this day in the Greek Church, one of the tasks of the priest s wife is to bake the bread for the Divine Liturgy, sometimes in a bakery oven dedicated to that purpose and called a Bethlehem. Today s familiar individual hosts first appeared in the eleventh century at about the time when tabernacles were coming into use. The turn away from bready bread allowed the hosts to be reserved since they did not spoil like regular bread, and made the annual Easter duty counts easier. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Support Our Advertisers Thank you to our advertisers for making our bulletins possible. We encourage you to patronize these businesses. Please tell them you saw their ad in our bulletin. 9

10 Elementary Faith Formation Epiphany Youth Ministry Confirmation Celebrations May 23 and June 13, 2017 REHEARSALs Thursday, May 18 and Thursday, June 8, 2017 Time: 7:00-8:00 PM Place: Main Church The search for catechists has begun for the 2017/18 faith formation year. If you are Catholic. If you practice your faith regularly. If you have ever thought about getting involved at church, then working with our children might be a ministry for you. We invite you to Come and See what being a catechist is all about on Thursday, May 10th. We ll meet in the PAC at 7pm. Operation Rice Bowl is over. If you didn t get to turn yours in during Faith Formation, please bring them by the parish office. EpiphanyCatholic.org/AYC Class of 2017: Join us for Sunday Liturgy on May 28th at 5:30 p.m. A reception will follow in the Family Center. Knights of Columbus will present the recipients of the 2017 Senior Scholarships. 10

11 CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS : Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Community 1530 Norwalk Dr., Katy, TX PHONE INFORMATION SHEET CONTACT PERSON Gerry Broussard #1 #2 SOFTWARE Microsoft Publisher 2016 Adobe Acrobat XI Professional Windows 7 Professional Service Pack 1 PRINTER HP LJ Color M351-M451 PCL6 NUMBER OF PAGES SENT 1 through 11 SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION May 7, 2017 TRANSMISSION TIME Tuesday, 12 PM SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS 11