Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church Newsletter — July 2022

july 2022

Our Lady of the

Assumption Pa r i sh

Meet Parishioner Cathy Apker Inside 2 Stewardship: A Need to Give

3 We Provide the Gifts, God Performs the Miracles

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The Gift of Eucharistic Adoration Encountering Christ through Adoration Opportunities at Our Parish

6 Getting to Know The “Summertime” Saints

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Parish Dinners Foster Community Stewardship, Serving More Than Just Good Food “The Camaraderie is Priceless”

5057 Cottage Way Carmichael, CA 95608 (916) 481-5115 | olaparish.net

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Embracing the Joy of Serving God and Others Through Stewardship

athy Apker felt such a void in her life when her husband passed away. He hadn’t been Catholic, and during their married life, Cathy didn’t attend Mass. She felt that it was time to return to the Church.

“Today, I’ve been an active participant at church for about two and a half years,” Cathy says. “Since I live by myself and don’t have anyone I’m responsible for at this point, I spend a lot of time in church attending various services. It’s very rewarding to set up the altar for Mass and receive Communion every day.”

When Cathy became an active member of the faith community, she noticed one woman who was particularly involved and always “flitting about” being helpOur Lady of the Assumption’s ful. Cathy told her that if she ever needed some help, Catherine A. Apker like someone to be a lector at Mass, she would be happy to do so.

“I think before getting more involved with parish life, you can just start with asking if help is needed,” Cathy says. “The next day I was invited to be a lector, and I’ve been a lector ever since. It started with just asking. I am also now a Eucharistic Minister.”

One ministry that Cathy finds particularly rewarding is the Bereavement Committee. The members of that committee help families with planning for a funeral and are there with them throughout the process.

“I find that very rewarding,” Cathy says. “Obviously having been through that recently myself, I understand the stress that comes with it and that sense of not knowing what you need to do. It’s important to have someone help you through that.”

The Gabriel Project is another ministry Cathy enjoys. Through this ministry, members help women who are pregnant and who might not continued on page 5

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S T EWA R D S H I P : A Need to Give

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. He gave of

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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.

A Letter from Our Pastor

Dear Parishioners,

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We Provide the Gifts, God Performs the Miracles

t is human nature to try to neatly place things into categories. If we categorize the miracles performed by Christ, the two largest groupings might fall under the headings “Healing” and “Feeding.”

This is exactly what we are about here at Our Lady of the Assumption. At the base of all our liturgies is the Eucharist, when we come together in communion with the Lord and with one another to be both fed and healed. Even one of Christ’s most famous miracles — the Feeding of the Multitude — involved both healing and feeding from a spiritual and a literal perspective.

The reason the large crowd gathered was because Jesus’ reputation as a healer had spread and grown.

He felt compassion for that crowd, which is another way of saying He loved them and felt sorry that they were hungry due to their willingness to sit and be with Him for so long. Recognizing it was late in the day and that many of them had not eaten, Jesus literally fed them — but that day, He didn’t stop with physical nourishment. He also fed them spiritually with His words, and simultaneously, healed their wounded hearts by preaching a message of hope and forgiveness in the midst of a dark and hardened world.

The narrative of Christ taking a small amount of food and using it to feed thousands is familiar to all of us. It is reported in all four Gospels. However, I would like to highlight one aspect of that miracle.

It all started with one boy who was willing to share what little he had. Because the boy made the gift of his fishes and loaves, the Lord took it and multiplied it many times over, nourishing so many more people than what that little bit initially could.

Isn’t that what we as a parish are called to do? We make gifts of our time, our talent, and our treasure as good stewards — but nevertheless, it is God who takes those gifts and performs miracles with them. Our goal is to give what we have so that Christ might use it, multiplying it to feed, to heal and draw a multitude of people closer to Him. The reality is that without the gifts, there can be no miracles, and without miracles, we are a hungry and broken people. Christ has come to renew, nourish, fulfill, and restore — and that, brothers and sisters, is what Christianity is all about.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father Eduino Silveira Pastor

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The Gift of Euch

ENCOUNTERING CHRIST THROUGH ADO

O

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n any given Tuesday or Thursday, people who stop

by Our Lady of the Assumption and visit the chapel will be greeted by the devotion of Eucharistic Adoration.

What began as simply an opportunity for parishioners to enter into quiet time with the Lord has now become a refuge from the chaos of some parishioners’ daily lives.

“I seek out adoration,” says Kimberly Sax, one of the parishioners that helped found our Eucharistic Adoration program.

“The Mass is a beautiful place to engage our faith within our community, but I feel adoration is the time I am drawn into the significance of the Eucharist and grow spiritually. The host exposed in the monstrance is the Real Presence of Christ, and adoration is an opportunity for us to spend quiet time in utmost reverence and respect of our Lord.”

Adoration at OLA has been around for many years and is an experience about which all are invited to learn and even make a part of their schedule. After the 8 a.m. daily Mass on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Eucharist is exposed in the chapel until 7 p.m. Parishioners are welcome to stop by anytime or make a commitment to a particular day and time each week. Commitments can be made in one-hour or half-hour increments with Don Thamer, our current adoration coordinator.

“My wife and I began going to adoration regularly as a Lenten commitment many years ago,” Don says. “When we got to the end of Lent we realized it was such a good thing, so we continued going every week and continue to see the gifts in our lives from going.”

Anyone that visits adoration is welcome to sit quietly, read a book, pray the Rosary or Divine Office — whatever suits them to spend time with the Lord that day. No two adoration experiences are alike, and in that is some of the beauty of this gift of adoration.

“I remember hearing once the idea that Jesus is your friend, someone you ought to spend time with,” Don says.

“I took that idea to heart and adoration is one of the best times each week for me to connect with Him and feel the Holy Spirit, even more than daily prayer.”

Adoration is also likened to the challenge of Jesus to the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before He was crucified. As we read in Matthew’s Gospel, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?” From then on, the apostles stayed awake and accompanied Christ on His journey to the crucifixion. Now we are given the chance to “keep watch” with our Lord and enter into the peace and stillness in His presence through the gift of adoration.

Don and Mary Ellen Thamer

Darren and Kimberly Sax

haristic Adoration

RATION OPPORTUNITIES AT OUR PARISH Ideally, each hour of adoration has at least two people “For anyone considering stopping by, please do,” Kimpresent to stay with our Lord. Right now we have openings berly says. “Know you are always welcome — even if it’s 15 for various hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a second minutes of your day between errands to celebrate a joy in person to accompany our Lord and commit to weekly time life or mourn a sorrow. Each time I go, I feel my burdens with Him. Additionally, Don is always looking for peo- for this world lifted and draw closer to God. I want for all ple to be on the substitute list in case things come up and of us at OLA to consider making this a part of your regular someone is unable to make their commitment. schedule. You will be rejuvenated and filled with peace.”

Anyone interested in pledging to spend time with our Lord through a weekly adoration commitment is invited to call Don Thamer at 916-549-7195 to schedule a time. Appointments are not necessary for drop-in visits. Please join us for adoration when you are able.

Meet Parishioner Cathy Apker know where to turn for support. This usually begins with two ministry members or “angels” visiting with the expectant mother and listening to her situation and needs.

Cathy remembers visiting an Afghan family in need of a bathtub and a stroller among other things. They took a Bible and a rosary with them.

“Only the husband spoke English, so he translated for his wife,” Cathy says. “They were Muslim, and we took off our shoes when we entered their home. I suggested reading the Bible might be a good way of learning English, and he said he liked learning about history and asked to keep the Bible when we left.”

Cathy has been part of the OLA Living the Word Bible study group and is a regular participant in Eucharistic Adoration. She also teaches seventh-grade faith formation classes.

“They’re always looking for adults willing to give of their time to teach,” Cathy says. “I spent a lot of time preparing because I had never done it before, but it’s wonderful to know you’re making a difference in the lives of the children.”

continued from front cover

Cathy comes from a family of eight children and raised five of her own children who now live across the United States, as well as three stepchildren. She describes herself as an “introvert” and enjoys baking sweet breads and sharing them with our faith community and her neighbors.

“As an introvert, I don’t go out of my way to engage other people often, but if there’s something I think I can help with, I’m more than willing to do so,” Cathy says.

“Do something small like help decorate the church for the holidays. Then you’ll start meeting people, and you can be part of the group making a difference.”

“If there’s something I think I can help with, I’m more than willing to do so.

Do something small like help decorate the church for the holidays. Then you’ll start meeting people, and you can be part of the group making a difference.”

— CATHY APKER

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GET T I NG TO KNOW T H E

“Summertime” Saints

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St. Christopher

St. Joseph of Cupertino

St. Brendan the Navigator

St. Adjutor of Vernon

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chool is out, and summer is now in full swing. The days are longer, warmer and filled with plenty of fun summertime activities.

This summer, as we take family vacations, gather with friends and loved ones for barbecues, spend time by the pool, and enjoy all of the usual summertime activities, we can also take the time to reflect on some of the saints who are associated with the summer.

Family vacations are perhaps the most iconic of all summertime activities. Although there is no patron saint of vacations, there are a number of saints associated with traveling. One of the most popular is St. Christopher. According to his story, St. Christopher was an extremely tall and strong man who served Christ by helping people cross an especially dangerous river.

That is why many people wear St. Christopher medals while traveling — to ask for his blessing and protection.

For those of us who are taking road trips this summer, there is St. Frances of Rome, the patron saint of cars and drivers. While St. Frances died well before cars were invented, her story says that her guardian angel went ahead of her when she traveled at night and lit the road with a lantern to keep St. Frances safe.

There are also saints we can look to when traveling by plane. St. Joseph of Cupertino was a Franciscan friar who is said to have frequently and miraculously levitated off the ground during intense prayer sessions. Because of this levitation, he is recognized as the patron saint of air travelers. St. Therese of Lisieux is also associated with aviators and flying.

If you are going on a cruise this summer, you can ask for the intercession of St. Brendan the Navigator, an Irish monk who founded the Clonfert monastery and monastic school, and is the patron saint of mariners and sailors. He and his brothers sailed the Atlantic Ocean and evangelized on a number of islands, and may have even reached the Americas.

Another favorite summer activity is swimming. Whether you choose a pool, a lake or the ocean, seek the intercession of St. Adjutor of Vernon, a knight who was captured in the First Crusade. His captors tried to force him to give up his faith, but St. Adjutor escaped by swimming to his freedom. For this reason, he is the patron saint against drowning, and for drowning victims, sailors and swimmers.

The summer is also a time of amusement and enjoyment. One of the biggest national celebrations of the summer is the Fourth of July. For this type of summertime activity, we look to St. Barbara, the patron saint of fireworks.

There are also a number of saints with feast days during the summer. The feast day of St. Anne, the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus, is celebrated on July 26. July 31 is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who is also associated with stewardship. These are just two of the many saints whose feasts we celebrate this summer.

No matter what kinds of activities we choose to enjoy during the summertime, let us remember to honor the saints who have gone before us, and give their intercession for us as we walk through our own journeys of faith.

Parish Dinners Foster Stewardship, Serving More Than Just Good Food

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“The Camaraderie is Priceless”

t was 15 years ago that our pastor asked the Social Committee to reach out to our parishioners to see what they wanted — with the question, “What’s missing?” — from parish life.

“The people said, ‘getting together,’” says Joan Cotton, committee coordinator. “Sometimes we come to Mass, and just leave, the people said. It’s been really important to bring the parish together. So we do dinners, four a year, and periodically we’ll add one on. It has really helped the parish when we did this. You get to know the people you’d see at Mass — that is really the important part.”

There is no charge for the quarterly dinners, although a donation box is at hand.

“The point is not to make money, but to come together in friendship and love,” Joan says.

Bob Cesario serves as the chef for the dinners, while Pat Anderson leads the decorating group. The other committee members take on the required tasks to put the dinners together. Preparations begin two days before the dinner itself.

Besides Joan, Bob, and Pat, committee members include Don Cotton, Ryan Breault, Nancy Arndorfer, Maggie Schlesinger, Jane Mouton, Pat Debruyn-Laumer, Fran Rider, Fran Bogetich, and Dale and Peggy Stradford.

“It’s a good committee,” Joan says. “We all work well together.”

To celebrate the Aug. 15 Feast Day of Our Lady of the Assumption, a dinner is held in August; a Harvest Festival dinner takes place in late October-early November; the Pasta Dinner is held in January; the continued on back cover

OLA Social Committee

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5057 Cottage Way Carmichael, CA 95608 (916) 481-5115 | olaparish.net MASS TIMES: 8:00 a.m. Daily Mass Monday-Friday and first Saturday Saturday 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass Sunday Mass 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. *See website for diocesan and county guidelines.

Parish Dinners continued from page 7

Lenten Fish Fry completes the cycle. The dinners are held in the church hall after the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass, with the exception of the Fish Fry that is held on a Friday.

“The Fish Fry is very popular,” Joan says. “At the end of the dinner, we go to the church and the Faith Formation students present a living Stations of the Cross.

It really brings the parish together. They love to see the children doing things.”

For Bob Cesario, serving on the Social Committee holds personal significance.

“With my family, I’ve been a parishioner since 1953, and it’s very sentimental for me to get involved,” Bob says. “One thing I’ve learned is, food is a common

denominator and brings everyone together. The camaraderie is priceless.”

Bob grew up in a family Italian restaurant, so cooking for the dinners comes naturally to him.

“I do the pasta and meatball dinner in honor of my mom’s meatball recipe,” he says. “That’s special, but I enjoy all of the dinners throughout the year.”

Bob agrees that the Social Committee’s work is certainly rooted in stewardship. When the dinners were added to the parish events, our parishioners have been brought together under the parish stewardship pillars of hospitality and service. The committee works to reach out to all in our parish community, and special care is given to include the parish elders in the dinners.

Anyone who is interested in joining the Social Committee may contact the parish office at 916-481-5115.