Holy Family Cathedral Newsletter — December 2020

DEC 2020

In This Issue: 2 Stewardship: The Four Pillars 3 Unwrapping the Gift of Stewardship 4 Meet Seminarian Luke Bland: Following God’s Call, Wherever it May Lead 6 Understanding the Role of Sacramentals in Our Faith 7 Holy Stitchers Ministry Celebrates Baptisms and Welcomes Families, One Stitch at a Time

HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

The Newcomers Ministry: Helping People to Find a “Second Home” at Holy Family Cathedral

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here is something special about gathering around a table for a meal.

Whether it’s a festive holiday dinner with extended family or a low-key Friday night pizza, food has the power to bring people together and help them to connect and build relationships. Even in Jesus’ life and ministry, there is a theme of people gathering together, to “break bread.”

“In Scripture, Jesus was always sharing a meal, even cooking over a charcoal fire on the shore, to bring people in,” says Maureen Petty, who serves as part of our recently formed Newcomers Ministry. “Hopefully that is what we are doing.”

The Newcomers Ministry, which began in the fall of 2019, hopes to help new parishioners feel welcomed and connected within our parish family. Although currently on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry offers a quarterly Newcomers Brunch as an opportunity for those Parishioners Maureen and Scott Petty love to make new who are new to the parish to meet other new parishioners, as well as to be parishioners feel welcome at our Newcomers Brunches. greeted by the friendly faces of our rector and members of this committee.

For those who serve in this ministry, it’s an opportunity to reflect the love of Christ through hospitality.

“Hospitality is the most important aspect of building community and growing the parish,” says Maureen, who serves along with her husband, Scott. “The Cathedral is a very special place. We have been members for over 35 years and we want to share our love of the Cathedral and its ministry with the new members.”

The informal brunch has been held in the church rectory Community Room — however, upon completion of our renovations, this will likely move downstairs to the newly remodeled parlors. The event typically takes place on a Sunday morning and is hosted by three couples who set up and cook for the brunch, as well as greet and get to know new parishioners. continued on back cover 8TH STREET & BOULDER AVE • TULSA, OK 74119 • (918) 582-6247 • TULSACATHEDRAL.COM

HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL STEWARDSHIP:

The Four Pillars Y

ou’ve heard about the three Ts of stewardship, but what about the four Ps? The three Ts – Time, Talent, and Treasure – describe the personal gifts we offer to the Church. The four Ps are the Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship described by the renowned pastor Msgr.

Thomas McGread. They are the hallmark of a stewardship parish – Hospitality, Prayer, Formation, and Service. Let’s take a look at each of them to understand how we can improve in each area.

Hospitality Christian Kindness “When I was a stranger, you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35).

The Gospel teaches that whenever we welcome the least of our brothers or sisters, we welcome Christ Himself. That is why the first mark of a stewardship parish is hospitality. Being friendly is one of the first ways we can be Christ-like toward others.

Modern Catholic parishes are often so large and have so many Masses that many parishioners don’t know one another. To create a sense of community, be sure to smile and greet others as you enter and exit the Church. Let’s try harder than ever to be a welcoming community.

Prayer Heart-to-Heart with God “Do not become so involved in the work of the Lord that you forget the Lord of the work,” a seminary professor once taught.

In other words, don’t get so caught up with parish projects and outreach efforts that you forget to draw aside to spend time with God in prayer. Every great saint has taught that prayer is the most essential component in the life of the Christian. Through prayer, we nurture our most important relationship – the one that will last for all eternity.

A healthy prayer life should include communal prayer such as Mass, as well as personal prayer and family prayer. The two big-

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gest obstacles to prayer are lack of time and lack of understanding of how to pray. We have to schedule time for prayer just as we would for an important appointment. And we have to learn how to pray from other people. Many saints have written spiritual books that describe different methods of prayer.

Formation Continuous Conversion Pope John Paul II always emphasized ongoing conversion.

From childhood through adulthood, our whole life must be a process of drawing closer to God. He never stops calling us forward to learn more and to examine ourselves more deeply.

Very often our society values material things more than interior virtues. But as personal experience shows, when we finally acquire the car or house or “toy” that we wanted so badly, it doesn’t really satisfy. On the other hand, we don’t tend to desire spiritual virtues with the same kind of longing, but when we actually have them, we find them far more rewarding than material things.

Service Love in Action “Amen I say to you, whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). This Scripture was one of St. Teresa of Calcutta’s favorites. Each time she picked up a poor and hungry child, she knew she was ministering to Christ.

While we may not view ourselves as saints, we too are called to such heroic service right within our own community. As St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “To be a saint is not the privilege of a few, but the duty of everyone.”

We have many service opportunities right here within our own parish. If you have the willingness to serve and take the initiative to find where you are needed, you’ll find that there is no end to the families and individuals who truly need help. How can you reach out to them in love?

DEC 2020

A Letter from Our Rector

Unwrapping the Gift of

Stewardship

Dear Parishioners,

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ost people associate stewardship with giving. Some think it is a desperate plea by the church asking parishioners to give some of your time, talent and treasure to a worthy cause. Some think it is a noble gesture that identifies a faithful steward, a common occurrence this time of year. And for some, it is an understanding that the stewardship way of life brings joy and blessings to the giver by returning a portion of the gifts he or she has received from God. At Christmas, when it is most common to give or receive gifts, should this not also be a time when the stewardship way of life becomes the gift that is unwrapped by our consciousness and treasured by our faith? After all, the first gift of Christmas was the gift of God’s own Son. For those who may still be struggling to truly understand the stewardship way of life, that may be a concept that is difficult to accept, even at this time of year. But by living the stewardship way of life, it makes perfect sense to me.

And during this season of faith, the gift of stewardship remains one of the blessings of my life as a Catholic, as a priest and as your rector.

Before fully embracing a life of stewardship, I could justify wasting my time with less-than-worthwhile activities.

I could rationalize withholding my talents, because I often thought somebody else would always step up and take care of things instead of me. I restricted or limited sharing my material resources, thinking it wouldn’t make a difference — or worse yet, I thought others could afford to give more than me, because I believed I had already given enough. As each day passes, I remind myself often of how wrong I was in what I did with my time, talent and treasure. But the days for regretting my misunderstanding of the stewardship way of life are over.

Stewardship conversion changes all of that, and the reverse is now true.

The more time, talent and treasure that I can give, the more content and joyful I truly am. When is the last time you unwrapped a gift that gave you so much peace of mind and heart? Maybe you have never been aware of receiving such a gift, or maybe God is just waiting for you to unwrap what He has always wanted you to have. Perhaps it is the gift God wants you to have this year for Christmas.

The catalyst for stewardship is gratitude. And, as we recognize that all we have is a gift from God, it lights up our gratitude as if it were a large Christmas tree with too many lights on it to be counted. All we can do is look at it with wonder and awe, thankful for what we see, what we have, and the opportunity to give back something in gratitude. It is more than just a spirit of “holiday stewardship” that seems to be so common this time of year. It is the core of the stewardship way of life, and once that gift is unwrapped, our conversion takes hold and our lives are transformed into faithful stewardship intended by our God. I hope and pray that you and your family will be blessed during this season of God’s grace, unwrapping the gift of stewardship in your lives and finding joy and peace — both during this season of grace and all year long.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Gary Kastl Rector 3

HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL MEET SEMINARIAN LUKE BLAND:

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hen Luke Bland was a child attending services at the Methodist church right up the street from our cathedral, he could have never guessed that the Lord would someday call him home to the Catholic Church he had so often walked right past! Yet today, Holy Family Cathedral has become his home parish and spiritual support network as he begins his studies at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in

Seminarian Luke Bland 4

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St. Louis. Luke’s path to a deep faith is an inspiring story of the Father calling one of His beloved children home.

While Luke was raised Methodist, his family did not discuss God or faith outside of the Sunday services.

Without a real foundation in the faith, Luke turned his back on Christianity when he became a teenager. Only later, when he was dating a Catholic in college, did things begin to change.

“I had a Catholic girlfriend at the University of Tulsa who really knew her faith and how to talk about it, how to present it in a sophisticated and well-thought-out way,” Luke says. “She explained that there is a long intellectual tradition behind the Church and its doctrine. I had never encountered anybody who had believed in God and was really smart and could sum it up for me. She showed me that believing in God could be deep and sophisticated and thoughtful —that God is Truth itself and Love itself and all of these bigger philosophical things.”

Once Luke was ready to accept the faith on an intellectual level, God began working on his heart. Soon, Luke realized that it wasn’t enough to keep God as an idea — instead, he wanted to have a true relationship with Him. As Luke recalls, the more he “showed up” for the Lord, the more he was called to make a transformative change.

“It became about relationship and a deep embrace between Father and son,” Luke says. “It’s so beautiful, really. I first realized it was true intellectually, but then it was also true in a way that I didn’t even know it needed to be. I didn’t know I was broken until I was loved by God. I didn’t even know my heart was longing for a Father in heaven, but it was.

“So now, in addition to the intellectual sense of God, I’m also His son, and that’s an identity that goes so deep that it’s not even about the intellectual argument anymore,” he continues. “I’ve realized who I am in my heart of hearts. And if I’m His son, I want to live in His house, which is the Catholic Church.”

Having experienced this profound conversion of mind, heart and soul, Luke enrolled in the RCIA process at the beginning of his junior year of college in 2017.

It was only then that he learned he had already been

DEC 2020

wing God’s Call, Wherever it May Lead baptized in the Catholic Church as an infant, in keeping with the traditions of his mother’s South American family. Luke was able to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion in January of 2018 and was then confirmed at the Easter Vigil Mass.

For Luke, his full reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil was a moment of indescribable grace.

“That I could go from thinking Christianity was ridiculous to thanking God on my knees for bringing me home is just a sign and testament to God’s mercy,” he says. “I think of the prodigal son — I had walked away, I had made fun of Christians, but in love and mercy He brought me home, because that’s what a good Father does.”

The summer following his junior year, Luke went out to California for a job designing marching band shows with the idea of turning the summer job into a future career. However, he soon felt the pull to build his future in the Church. Initially, he contemplated working in youth ministry or for a program such as FOCUS, but was

eventually drawn to the seminary and a possible vocation to the priesthood.

Throughout his conversion experience, Luke was attending Masses and activities at the University of Tulsa Newman Center. However, on school breaks he would come to Mass at our cathedral. With its beautiful liturgies and inspiring priests, Luke has always enjoyed our faith community, and he was pleased when Fr. Kastl invited him to make Holy Family his home parish.

This fall, Luke has found his time at KenrickGlennon Seminary to be a blessing as he gets to know his heavenly Father better and make connections with his fellow seminarians. He is thankful for the support and prayers of everyone at Holy Family and looks forward in faith to following God’s call, wherever it may lead him.

“I just kept falling in love with God more and more and more,” Luke says. “Giving my life for Him is not just something I’m willing to do, but might just be the best thing I could do, and the path to happiness. It’s a joy to even be able to say these things.”

Advent & Christmas Schedule During Advent — adoration and confession on Saturday afternoons, beginning at 3 p.m. until the 5 p.m. Mass.

December 24 Christmas Eve Masses, 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

December 25 Christmas Midnight Mass, 12 a.m.

Christmas Morning Masses, 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God December 31 — 6:30 p.m. Vigil Mass January 1 — 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

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HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL Understanding the Role of Sacramentals in Our Faith

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ost Catholics are familiar with the idea of sacraments in the Church, of which there are seven. Sacraments are the foundation of the spiritual life for an individual and the Church. Sacraments are sources of grace — God’s very presence in our lives and unmerited favor from God. They are signs of God’s love, and these signs make present what they signify. Although a person benefits — receives the gift of grace — from the sacraments regardless of whether he or she is well disposed to them, one must cooperate with what the Spirit is doing in the sacrament to receive its full benefit.

Sacramentals are different. These are also sacred signs that can build holiness, but they do not work on their own. One must be aware and fully conscious of the sacred action. Sacramentals sanctify us to get the most benefit from the Sacraments (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1667). Sacramentals are given to us to make holy certain actions in life and life’s circumstances. There are many such sacred signs that are reminders to us of God. The sign of the cross is perhaps one of the most fundamental of these signs, and for Catholics, this invocation is done at the start of every sacred action and prayer. Holy water is a sacramental, as it reminds us of our Baptism. By dipping our fingers into holy water and making the sign of the cross, we are combining two foundational symbols of the Christian life and the Paschal Mystery — the passion, dying and rising of Christ — and bringing them to life in us.

The exchange of peace in the Mass — and at other Catholic rites — is another example of a sacramental. By making some kind of meaningful sign of peace, we are giving the peace of Christ to another person. The chalice and other sacred vessels at Mass also are sacramentals, as they remind us of what they are to contain — the very Body and Blood of Christ.

It might be helpful to organize the types of sacramentals into categories, as author Michael Pennock lists in This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults: “Actions (blessings; genuflections; the sign of the cross; bowing one’s head at the name of Jesus; church processions); Objects (candles; holy water; statues and icons; holy pictures; blessed ashes; palms; rosaries;

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relics; incense; vestments; scapulars; church buildings; crosses; religious medals); Places (the Holy Land; Rome; Fatima; Lourdes; the National Shrine in Washington, D.C.; and other places of pilgrimage; chapels, retreat centers, and even Catholic cemeteries); Prayers (short prayers we say throughout the day; grace before and after meals; prayers at rising and going to bed; praying the rosary, praying a host of other traditional Catholic prayers and devotions); Sacred Time (liturgy; holy days; feasts of saints; your saint’s name day; special days of prayer; fasting and abstinence; retreats, etc.)” (This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults, 176-177).

“Sacramentals…prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it” (CCC 1670). In a word, sacramentals, through the prayer of the Church, bring us to holiness in Christ. All devotions of piety, including sacramentals, should point us toward the liturgy of the Church, a connection to a local parish community, and to the Eucharist (CCC 1675).

The Church, through Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, has given us these sacred signs to lead us in holiness, and to better recognize an authentic Christian life. How many sacramentals can you recognize in your life? Probably more than you think.

DEC 2020

Holy Stitchers Ministry

Celebrates Baptisms and Welcomes Families, One Stitch at a Time

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he Sacrament of Baptism is full of symbols — from water to oil — that paint a picture of cleansing and forgiveness. Here at Holy Family Cathedral, a dedicated group is working to create a special item full of symbolism — one that parents can keep to always remember their child’s Baptism.

The Holy Stitchers Ministry makes and embroiders the white garment that is placed on the infant after they are baptized. The members also help with any alterations to vestments. The handmade garments include several designs, including a seashell with water and the words, “Child of God.” They also say “Holy Family Cathedral.”

Kaye Ellis, who helps coordinate this ministry, is thankful to use her talents in sewing and embroidery to serve our Lord. Newly retired from Tulsa Community College, Kaye was looking to get more involved at Holy Family Cathedral. When she learned about Holy Stitchers, she knew it would be a way to get involved, do something she loves and meet more people.

“It’s so nice for the parents to leave with something that will be a memento of this beautiful sacrament,” she says.

Baptism of a child could be one of the first sacraments a couple celebrates at the Cathedral. This makes it all the more important to make the sacrament special and meaningful.

“This is a way for the parish to welcome a family and welcome new members,” Kaye says. “It’s something they get to keep.”

This ministry is relatively new, and members didn’t have many opportunities to meet before the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put a stop to group gatherings for the time being. However, for now, Holy Stitchers members continue to make the garments at home.

“We look forward to meeting again as a group when it’s safe to do so,” says Kaye.

The fellowship component is a huge part of this

“This is a way for the parish to welcome a family and welcome new members. It’s something they get to keep.” — KAYE ELLIS

Holy Stitchers gathered to make white baptismal garments prior to the pandemic.

ministry. Kaye says a wide range of people, from teenagers to senior citizens, were interested in getting involved. Some wanted to make the garments, while some wanted to embroider, and others wanted to get involved to learn both.

“When we can meet as a group, it’s the opportunity to be with other people that share my faith in a more informal setting than just going to church services,” Kaye says.

If you would like more information on the Holy Stitchers Ministry, or to become involved, please email Kaye Ellis at kaye.phelps@yahoo.com or call the office at 918-582-6247.

Please note, Kaye is also looking for those with talents in alterations to help with vestments.

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PO Box 3204 • Tulsa, OK 74101-3204 (918) 582-6247 • tulsacathedral.com

The Newcomers Ministry Maureen hopes that the quarterly brunches will give new parishioners a place to start, in terms of building connections and getting involved in the life of the parish. It can often be intimidating to volunteer in a new setting, but hopefully, by meeting and getting to know members of our parish family, newcomers will begin to feel at home at Holy Family.

“I hope that they feel a sense of belonging,” Maureen says. “It’s very important that every parishioner looks upon Holy Family as their spiritual home. As their home, they will want to take ownership, work to meet the needs of others, and hopefully become involved in other volunteer opportunities.”

Maureen encourages her fellow parishioners to consider becoming involved in the committee, helping others to feel welcome and at home in our parish community. Volunteers are needed to cook and greet at the brunches, as well

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as those who want to make financial donations, send invitations or make follow-up phone calls to new parishioners.

She encourages those who are unsure to come to check out a Newcomers Brunch, to see what it’s all about.

“Just come be our guest at the next Newcomers Brunch,” Maureen says. “We can visit, and start to form friendships. I’m excited to be able to get to know these folks. If you’re hesitant, come to an event and I think you would find it to be really fun.”

She reminds us that whether or not people feel drawn to become a part of this ministry, all of us have a role to play in helping others to feel welcome at the parish.

“This is our parish,” Maureen says. “It’s not just the deacons and the priests. We have to take ownership of it. I love this idea of stewardship.”

If you would like more information, or to become part of the Newcomers Ministry, please contact Maureen Petty at 918-671-2538 or maureenpetty@yahoo.com.