Cathedral of Christ the King Newsletter — July 2021

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MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Inside JULY 2021

The Encounter School of Ministry:

A Transformative Faith Experience

J

oan Root felt like she had received strong catechesis throughout her life. In addition to an upbringing in a Catholic home, Joan now has a Master’s in Catholic Pastoral Studies and went through five years of deacon formation with her husband.

But there was something so different about going through the Encounter School.

“It has been a transformative experience, and I want everyone to know about this,” Joan says. “In my personal prayer life each day, I’ve learned to hear the Lord in a way I never have before. I’ve connected with Him.” The Encounter School of Ministry exists to equip Joan Root, Director disciples in showing “the love of God through the power of the Lexington Campus of the Holy Spirit in their sphere of influence.”

“We’re called to make disciples of all nations and we do this through manifesting Christ to the world,” Joan says. “We have the authority to do this through our Baptism.”

Today Joan is the Director of Encounter’s Lexington campus, which will begin this September, and will be the only Encounter campus in Kentucky.

For our faith community and for Joan, the origins of the Encounter School are intertwined with the Charismatic Prayer Group, which began as a small group of people praying together.

“The Holy Spirit took over, and now we have about 180 people connected to the prayer group,” Joan says. “We’ve moved into streaming it about twice a month. Much of the leadership team from the prayer group are now involved with Encounter.” continued on page 5

2 Stewardship: A Need to Give 3 What Is the Real Purpose of Our Lives?

4 The Special Events Team: Working Together to Build Great Experiences in Our Parish 6 What Does “Red, White, and Blue” Mean to You? 7

Compass Catholic Ministries Offering a Path to the Stewardship Way of Life

Connection A Need to Give STEWARDSHIP The

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hen the church needs a new roof or the local food bank needs donations, we jump at the chance to give for the sake of the need.

It’s part of our human nature — we identify a need, and we want to give of our time, talent and treasure to help.

But as a stewardship people, we are called to give of ourselves not simply because the Church has needs, but because each of us has a need to give. As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states in its pastoral letter on stewardship, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, “We need to give our money to individuals and families in need, to the Church, and to other worthwhile charitable organizations because giving money is good for the soul and because we need to return thanks to a loving God for all of the many blessings each of us has received” (67).

As fellow members of the Body of Christ, created in God’s image, we should strive to go beyond simply co-existing with one another on earth. The life we live should be fueled by love for each other. This love should dictate how we live — by giving of ourselves.

Jesus Christ showed us the perfect example of this self-giving love when He died on the cross. His death was a completely selfless act.

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Title

Title He gave of Himself for our sake, offering us —

through that gift — life everlasting.

As Christ’s disciples, we follow His example, and we give of ourselves for the sake of others, out of love and an inherent need to give.

That’s not to say that we gain nothing through our gifts. In fact, in His goodness, God sees to it that we do. Most of us have experienced what happens when we give of our time, talent or treasure. We feel as though we get more out of it than we give. If you speak to someone who serves at the soup kitchen or someone who has made it a regular practice to tithe to the Church, you are likely to find that he or she feels blessed to be able to give.

As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops points out, “To be a Christian disciple is a rewarding way of life, a way of companionship with Jesus, and the practice of stewardship as a part of it is itself a source of deep joy.

Those who live this way are happy people who have found the meaning and purpose of living” (Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, 21).

Find out for yourself. Get involved in a ministry. Make a commitment to put some money in the collection basket next Sunday.

Don’t wait to find out if there is a need — give of yourself right now. You will be richly blessed for doing so.

WHAT IS THE

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Real Purpose OF OUR LIVES?

o you ever think about your purpose in life? There may be days and times of frustration when you think, “What am I really supposed to do? What does God want me to do? Why am I here?” For eons, philosophers have considered these very questions and written about them.

But the truth is that we, as Catholics, already know the answers.

When we consider the many facets of life in our parish community, there are numerous activities and endeavors that go beyond attending Mass. From fundraising efforts, to social outreach/service, childcare and more, there are many ways in which we serve our community.

Yet, as we undertake these important pursuits — both within and outside of the parish — we must always remember that our ultimate goal is salvation. After all, the only reason we exist, the only reason our Church exists, is the same as the reason Jesus joined us and became a part of us here on earth — He came to save humanity.

We use the term the “body of Christ” to

describe the Church with Christ as the head.

We are all parts of that body, and the parts of the body must move in the same direction as the body itself — it simply won’t function if the parts are moving in different directions.

We are all in this together.

When our lives are complete, we do not base our success or failure on how much money we have, or whether or not we are famous. Nor does our success or failure depend upon the difference between health and sickness, or pleasure and pain, or even being nice or nasty. Rather, it is the difference between being saved and not being saved.

We fondly remember our family members who have passed away, and we may wonder if they ever fully realized that salvation was the answer to so many of our questions in life.

We are apt to use the term “the communion of saints” in many ways in our Church.

Someday, we will know more about the “communion of saints” and how it all works.

In the meantime, we pray for everyone who has gone before us, hoping they have made it home.

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THE SPECIAL EVENTS TEAM: Working Together

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The retirement dinner for Sister Georgette

Fr. Paul giving a toast to commemorate CTK’s 75th Anniversary

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magine if everyone in the whole world spent time out of their day, week, or month doing something for someone else — the would be a very different place! We are blessed to live among people at the Cathedral of Christ the King who do give of their time to make our world a better place.

Catherine Nalli is thankful to have a good group working with her to make sure every event at the Cathedral is a great one. The ministry is called the Special Events Team, and Catherine began leading the group when it became its own ministry, an extension of the Parish Life Committee.

For Catherine, the importance of serving others is beautifully expressing in a quote from Pope Francis: “Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruit; the sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other. No matter how difficult it is... Life is good when you are happy; but much better when others are happy because of you.”

With this concept very much in mind, the Special Events Team handles anything at the Cathedral during which an event takes place — from priest anniversaries to receptions and donor events.

“I am so blessed that I have an army of people I can count on,” Catherine says. “They all make my job so much easier.”

The team was set up to host several events for the 75th anniversary of the parish — however, most of the events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Catherine looks forward to a time when things return to normal.

But there were a few creative and safe events that took place over the past year, such as Fr. Paul Prabell’s ordination anniversary. Twelve women committed to dropping off gifts like food, balloons, and flowers at the rectory. In addition,

to Build Great Experiences in Our Parish there was a champagne toast with bell-shaped cookies for the completion of the bell tower.

There are always new people getting involved in this ministry, and Catherine is ever grateful for their fresh ideas. The team has been outstanding,

dependable, and generous. When it comes to determining if an event has been successful, Catherine has an easy test.

“If you see smiling, happy faces, you know it’s going well!” she says.

If you would like to get involved on the Special Events Team, please call the parish office at 859-268-2861.

The Encounter School of Ministry A prayer group member knew some people from Encounter and invited them to come and do a School of Healing. It was a wonderful experience with solid catechetical background on accessing the gifts of the Spirit.

“Sometimes people have a preconceived idea of what they think the charismatic renewal is, but it is not something just for a particular group of Catholics or Christians,” Joan says. “Accessing the gifts of the Spirit is what Christ wants for all baptized believers.

It will illuminate and strengthen your life at home, at church, and work.”

Joan enrolled in the Encounter School at the campus in Cincinnati and began driving a few hours a week to attend. The program has a two-year curriculum that has been vetted by multiple theologians. Each year is divided into four quarters, with one evening class a week throughout the traditional academic year.

“We begin with worship and then the teaching for the night,” Joan says. “You can review the entire curriculum on the website. The first quarter, for example, focuses on ‘identity and transformation.’”

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The COVID-19 pandemic began while Joan was finishing her first year, so the program shifted to a virtual format. Then, Joan submitted a form that she believed was a request for a team to come to Lexington to host the Encounter School.

“Actually, the form was for a director to put together a school in Lexington,” Joan says. “Now we are onboarding a local team and have been since September. This team will include Lavinia Spirito, Deacon Tim Weinmann, Debbie Graviss, Rebecca Whitney, Shawn Waddle, Robin Beard, Samuel Awuah, and Shelley Parkerson.”

The Lexington campus will be based at the Cathedral of Christ the King, and the school will begin hosting in-person classes on Sept. 14.

Joan hopes that many local people from our faith community will want to grow and understand their Baptism differently.

“It is open for anyone interested in becoming a disciple of the Lord and accessing the gifts of the Holy Spirit,” Joan says. “Come know your faith better so as to proclaim it.”

If you would like more information about the Encounter School of Ministry and the Lexington campus, please reach out to Joan Root at joanroot@gmail.com or 859-699-0937. You may also visit www.encounterschool.org/lexington 5

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What Does “Red, White, and Blue” Mean to You?

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lthough our nation’s real independence began at the end of the Revolutionary War on Sept. 3, 1783, President John Adams originally thought that the anniversary would be marked on July 2, the day in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence from Great Britain. Ultimately, Americans chose to commemorate the birthday of the United States on July 4, the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted and approved.

What does this mean for us as Roman Catholics?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “The love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity” (2239).

As a parish community, we are called by God to respond to this duty to the best of our ability. So, where do we start?

The Second Vatican Council document, Apostolicam Actuositatem, states that “In their patriotism and in their fidelity to their civic duties, Catholics will feel themselves bound to promote the true common good: they will make the weight of their convictions so influential that, as a result, civil authority will be justly exercised and laws will accord with moral precepts and the common good” (14).

By living our lay vocation and permeating the secular world with Catholic values, we genuinely honor God and neighbor. As “lamps shining before men,” we need to let our moral convictions – no matter the courage it may take – shine forth to be a guiding light for the world, often left vulnerable in the darkness.

Our commitment to a rightly ordered Catholic patriotism begins with our commitment to the formation of our Christian conscience. We must enrich ourselves with the Church’s teachings on the value of human life, the sacred institution of family, Catholic social and moral teachings, Catholic civil duties, and anything that further pertains to the living out of our Catholic faith in our nation today.

Once we have done this, we will be able to act upon it. As St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Today, more than ever, we need to pray for the light to know the will of God, for the love to accept the will of God, for the way to do the will of God.” This year, let us give our hearts to carrying out this mission of an authentic Catholic patriotism under God. Our nation was founded under God. Let us not allow this precious heritage, this source of true life and liberty, to be lost. Its preservation relies on each one of us.

Compass Catholic Ministries Offering a Path to the Stewardship Way of Life

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o fully embrace stewardship, we must have a clear understanding of our financial situation and habits. But if we lack that understanding, we hesitate to step forward to support our parish. Katie Sheppard, our parish Director of Advancement, recognized this problem and found a solution — Bible studies through Compass Catholic Ministries.

“How do we get people to support our parish if they don’t feel the freedom to donate or understand the biblical principle behind it?”

Katie says.

We hear the term “financial freedom” a lot lately. The secular world wants you to believe that it means having the money to spend it how you want. However, true financial freedom is managing your resources in a way that is pleasing to God. “You can’t effectively do that if you are worried

about debt, preoccupied with having enough, or consumed by the next expense or purchase,” Katie says.

All of our gifts, including our financial resources, are on loan to us from God to use in gratitude to bless others. Katie identified Compass Catholic Ministries as an organization that offered financial courses founded on biblical teachings. Currently, there are two programs offered at Christ the King. “Set Your House in Order” is a five-week program and “Faith and Money Matters” is a six-week program.

These are small-group studies led by a facilitator. The sessions each are offered two to three times a year. Classes are also offered online on the Compass Catholic Ministries website at www.compasscatholic.org. “‘Faith and Money Matters’ is a Bible study that helps you look at your finances through a continued on back cover

“What we do with money is psychological. You become more aware of the ‘why’ behind the way you spend, save, invest and donate money — it all goes back to trusting God. There is no judgment in the class and no financial information is shared. It is a safe space to talk about money.”

— KATIE SHEPPARD, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

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299 Colony Blvd. | Lexington, KY 40502 cathedralctk.org | (859) 268-2861

Compass Catholic Ministries

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Catholic lens,” Katie says. “You create a spending plan and establish goals to hit certain milestones — saving for retirement, establishing a safety net, or saving for college.”

This class looks at our motivations around money, saving and investing, as well as spending.

“What we do with money is psychological,” Katie says. “You become more aware of the ‘why’ behind the way you spend, save, invest and donate money — it all goes back to trusting God. There is no

judgment in the class and no financial information is shared. It is a safe space to talk about money.”

“Set Your Home in Order” helps you order your affairs and start to look at estate planning.

“You update your records, assemble passwords, make sure you have a healthcare directive, a power of attorney, a will, and a funeral plan,” Katie says.

“It’s a very popular class and is a gift to your family members. By taking the class, you are actually embracing and not ignoring what needs to be done.”

Parishioners are invited to become class facilitators but are advised to take the classes themselves. There is a training manual available. Compass Catholic also offers free money coaching services to help support you along the way.

LITURGY SCHEDULE

Saturday Vigil - 5:00 p.m.|Sunday - 7:30 a.m.; 9:00 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Daily (Monday to Saturday) - 8:00 a.m.|(Monday to Friday) - 5:30 p.m.

Reconciliation: Wednesday 4:45 - 5:20 p.m., Saturday 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. | First Sunday of the month 8:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.