ISSUE 366 AUGUST 2017 ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH Newsletter SHANNON MORGAN ~ EDITOR The new school year is quickly approaching and for some it has already begun. With every new academic year there is always great anticipation. Students are eager to see old friends and share their memories of summer, and teachers are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to teach again. But with all of this excitement, the challenges that come with school loom ahead. Homework, grading, and busy schedules are all imminently close. Luckily for us, God provides us with heavenly friends to help us through these academic challenges: the saints! As the new academic year begins I invite you to reflect on a few saints that can help enhance your educational experience and save you a lot of stress. St. Thomas Aquinas - Patron of students and all universities St. Ursula Patron of Catholic education St. Joseph Calasanctius Patron of schools St. Joseph of Cupertino Patron of students St. Cassian of Imola Patron of teachers
Dear Parishioners, Father Joe Marconi Everyone has dreams of living forever. People at times will do crazy stuff to deny death and try and stay young forever. For us guys, we do tend to lapse into a mid-life crisis and work exceedingly hard to return to our youthfulness. We at times dye our hair, go do the fake bake thing at the local spa or try and wear those tight waist-wraps to make our waist look smaller which is harder than sucking in our guts. My mid-life crisis will be trying to style my hair in a mullet while wearing bell bottoms in my 90 (so cool). Eventually Father Time will catch up with all of us and the more we try to look younger as we get older the more it seems to be out of place. This attitude seems hopeless but living forever isn t out of reach, it is possible. In August we will be celebrating the greatest event in human history next to the resurrection of Christ himself the Assumption of our Blessed Mother. We re celebrating the actual occurrence of a woman s body being raised from the dead and united with her soul. God looked with favor on her lowliness and raised her up to be her perfectly beautiful self as a person, as a woman and as a mother. Words cannot express the joy she felt in being reunited with her Son whom she was able to hold again. The last time she was able to hold her Son was when he was taken down from the cross. She once held his beaten and bloody body on earth now she can hold him perfectly restored in the kingdom of Heaven. Her happiness is now complete. Her happiness gives us hope. This belief was celebrated by Pope s and priest for over a thousand years but it wasn t until 1950 that Pope Pius XII made it dogmatically true. In his document, Munificentissimus Deus (say this fast 3 times) He says having completed the course of her earthly life was assumed body and soul in heavenly glory. His power of infallibility was given to him by our Lord himself where Jesus told Peter at his confession. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Mt 16: 19). This authority through divine intervention by the Holy Spirit was also extended to his successors. God s love didn t end with Mary. God so desires to share his kingdom with all his children and on the last day all our sorrows will be turned into joy when we too will be united with our bodies and we will be holding our loved again forever. I can t wait until the day when I m dancing next to Elvis Presley singing blue suede shoes being played by Mozart and Buddy Holly. Yes, we too will live forever and we won t even have to dye our hair for it.
AUGUST 01 Kathryn Brickey 14 Shannon Shelton 24 Kaitleen Toh 02 Michael Dennis 14 William Warfield 25 Rebekka Coody 04 Eva Marie Harrison 15 Grace Ann Cole 25 Pat Elmore 04 Kellie Nguyen 16 Delbert Bateman 26 Sky Doloroso 04 Linda Walker 16 Kerry Ellen Campbell 26 Raymond Pascale 05 Robert Lewis 16 Ruby Savage 27 Hannah Cole 05 Sandra Taylor 17 John Fakouri 27 Annalin Dean 06 Bonnie Coody 17 Michael Kline, Sr. 28 Gregory Mattics 06 Lawrence Fikes 18 Judy Reese 29 Jacob Dedman 08 Mike Cash 19 Aric Jones 29 Conner Saffold 08 JoAnn Kongenske 20 Elaine Dial 08 Matthew Nguyen 20 Carol LaFrance 08 Donna Renfro 22 Mart Dean 09 Joey Gieringer 22 Thomas Dennis 09 Darlena Roberts 22 Gwen Hicks 09 Beth Turchi 23 Sue Batzos 10 Isabella Soto 23 Teresita Goodman 11 Carolyn Ferguson 23 Thomas Kauffman 14 Walter Cole, Jr. 24 Heather Yuratich 14 Lee Forestiere 24 Robert Failla 14 Cameron Morgan 24 Daniel Roberts 03 Gene & Carol Hastings 05 William & Dottie Austin 05 Walter & Jennifer Cole 06 David & Sandra Taylor 10 Sunny & Chermine Abraham 12 Carl & Jan Patterson 15 Eddie & Elizabeth Rinchuso 15 Thomas & Joyce Yuratich 16 James & Betty Belvedresi 17 Raymond & Debbie Yount 18 James & Louise Gross 18 Dave & Margie Nanak 18 Jeff & Pam Winkler 21 Thomas & Elaine Dial 22 Michael & Stephanie King 27 Rafael & Noera Jacinto
June 3 rd - Joseph Carmine from St. Mark's Council became a 4 th Degree Knight and joined Pine Bluff's Assembly 26. July 17 th - A joint installation of officers for Council 1153 and Assembly 26 occurred. Presiding officers from the Arkansas State Council District Master for the 4 th Degree Newton White and District Deputy for District 3 Greg Mattics conducted the installation. July 24 th - A pilgrimage was made to Mother Agnes Hart's grave site at St. Mary's Church in Plum Bayou. Fr. Clayton Gould celebrated Mass. Knights from Council 2780 (Stuttgart, AR), Council 1153 (Pine Bluff, AR), and Assemblies 26 & 2401 were in attendance along with their wives and friends. July 30 th - Kick off the fiscal new year for the Knights of Columbus with a 5 th Sunday Rosary. The Altar Society will be serving lunch immediately following 11:00am Mass in Gallagher Hall. The next 5 th Sunday Rosary will be October 29, 2017. July 30 th - The Knights of Columbus have a kiosk in the church with numerous books that promote Building the Domestic Church. Please come visit, explore, take some home, and share them. August 12 th - Venerable Fr. Michael McGivney's birthday (founder of the Knights of Columbus) Why you should become a Knight: Becoming a Knight of Columbus can transform your life. As a Knight, you have the opportunity to support our parish, give back to our community, grow in your faith and gain exclusive access to our top-rated insurance program to protect your family. These are just some of the reasons to become a Knight. We are a band of brothers, a network of men in communities around the world dedicated to doing good in the service of God and our neighbor. Interested? Please contact Grand Knight Mike Lambert (sdlamb@prodigy.net), District Deputy Greg Mattics (smokiegreg2000@yahoo.com) or any other Knight of Columbus. "Young people need the light of watchful guides to lead them on the path of salvation." -- St. John Baptist de la Salle
THIS Mass MONTH IN August 06 FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 2 Pt 1:16-19 Matt 17:1-9 August 13 NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 1 Kgs 19:9, 11-13 Rom 9:1-5 Matt 14:22-33 August 20 TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Is 56:1, 6-7 Rom 11:13-15, 29-32 Matt 15:21-28 August 27 TWENTY FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Is 22:19-23 Rom 11:33-36 Matt 16:13-20 412 WEST 6 TH AVENUE P. O. BOX 7434 PINE BLUFF, AR 71611-7434 St. Joseph Catholic Church