Our Lady of Hope Parish Newsletter — December 2021

Dec ember 2021

Our Lady of

HOPE C AT H O L I C C H U R C H

INTRODUCING Our New Parish Stewardship Newsletter Dear Parishioners,

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am pleased to present to you our new parish newsletter!

This newsletter will help us learn how the stewardship way of life is a disciple’s response to the call to know, love, and follow our Lord Jesus Christ. Every month we will share stories that will help us better understand who we are as Catholics and individual members of God’s family. The upcoming issues will feature activities and events happening within the Our Lady of Hope community and how these will help change hearts, minds, and lives as through them we grow closer to Christ and to each other. With each article, we will see how Christ is at work within us and our community as we more intentionally engage the stewardship way of life.

I hope that this newsletter will be a meaningful way to continue learning more about our faith. As we learn more about our faith and how our fellow parishioners are living their faith out in our community, it will bear much fruit and inspire you to consider how you can be more involved in the life of our parish — for some, perhaps this will be an opportunity to try new things.

This newsletter will help increase communication as we feature events that are coming up and share a lot of infor-

mation with you. But I also want to hear from you! In the spring of 2022, we will be conducting a comprehensive parish survey. The survey will be mailed to each home — I ask you to take the time to complete the survey and return it as soon as possible. Your feedback is important to me and will help me and parish leadership better understand your thoughts about our parish. This survey will enable us to pave the way for our future.

Another important step in our stewardship journey will be our Annual Stewardship Renewal that will happen in January 2022. The Renewal is our annual chance to ask ourselves how we prioritize the way we use God’s gifts in the Church. We will make written commitments to ourselves and to God concerning how we will be more devoted with our use of time (using our time on earth wisely; making time for personal prayer, family prayer, and quality time with friends and loved ones); talent (using our God-given gifts to strengthen the Church through service to parish

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Our Lady of

HOPE

C AT H O L I C C H U R C H

What Does

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Stewardship Mean?

hat comes to mind when you hear the word “stewardship”?

Do you think of it as just another way to talk about money? Do you quickly dismiss it as a notion that has nothing to do with being Catholic?

Stewardship is actually a concept that is Scripturally-based and is vital to our life as Catholics. God tells us, in the very first book of the Old Testament, “Be fertile and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and all the living things that move on the earth” (Gen 1:28).

What does that mean to us today?

It simply means that God is telling us, “This is yours, so take care of it.” One of the first things God tells us to do is to be good stewards of the gifts He has entrusted to us!

The Old Testament is not the only place where we can find references to stewardship. Indeed, of the 36 parables in the New Testament, more than half of them deal with time, talent, possessions, or money. Therefore, if Jesus spoke of stewardship that much, it should be a very important part of our lives!

As Catholics, we refer to the three facets of stewardship as “time, talent, and treasure.” Although these are three concrete ways to express and measure

stewardship, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops tells us that stewardship is part of discipleship.

Stewardship is a way of responding to God’s call in every aspect of our lives.

The Scriptures and Church traditions teach us one important point that cannot be overstated — that stewardship is primarily based on our need to give in gratitude, not on the Church’s need to receive. Of course, both the Catholic Church and our particular parish will always need money. However, we are not asked to give simply to defray costs and fund charitable programs. We are instead asked to remember our need to gratefully return a portion of our time, talent, and treasure

to God, recognizing all that He has given to us.

It is important to remember that stewardship is a way of life, and not a program. True Catholic stewardship involves an ongoing call to live as followers of Christ. It takes time to find and define personal goals. You can begin by examining your commitments to the parish. How do you live your faith in your daily life with your family and friends?

How much time do you spend in daily prayer, going to Mass, or being involved in parish ministries and activities? What percentage of your income should you give back to God every week? What talents do you have that could be used to strengthen our parish family?

In the coming months, we will be increasing and intensifying our education and communication on stewardship. We will be developing a better understanding of how stewardship is a way of responding to God’s call to discipleship. And with God’s help, changes will occur in each of our hearts as we devote ourselves to a stewardship renewal within our parish. Examine how you are currently responding to God’s call to stewardship. If God called you home tomorrow, would He proclaim, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”?

The Old Testament is not the only place where we can find references to stewardship. Indeed, of the 36 parables in the New Testament, more than half of them deal with time, talent, possessions, or money. Therefore, if Jesus spoke of stewardship that much, it should be a very important part of our lives!

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Jubilee Christmas:

Sharing the Joy of the Season and Lifting Spirits of those in Need

Our Lady of Hope is blessed to be part of a community-wide program called Jubilee Christmas that brings joy to those in need, lifting their spirits and honoring their dignity.

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hristmas is just around the corner! As we prepare our hearts and our homes for the birth of Christ, we must also look to our neighbors in need. Our Lady of Hope is blessed to be part of a community-wide program called Jubilee Christmas that brings joy to those in need, lifting their spirits and honoring their dignity.

“The Outreach Committee saw a huge need in our community for this ministry,” Teresa Joyce says. “So they went around to all the area churches and asked if they’d be interested in assisting in this event and everybody jumped on board.”

Teresa coordinates our parish’s role in Jubilee Christmas. We are one

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but as we have done for the past 12 years, our parish will take the time to care for those around us.

of many area churches that participate, allowing us to make a greater impact on the community. Our job at Our Lady of Hope will be to purchase gifts in three price ranges for children of different ages. You will find ornaments on the Christmas tree at church that provide an age, whether the recipient is a boy or girl, and a price range or with a dollar amount to fund the purchase of gift cards. All of the gifts we purchase will go to a large event center for organization and display.

During their scheduled time slot, parents who have been invited can come and choose one gift from each price range for each of their children.

Parents will be able to wrap the gifts continued on page 5

“The Outreach Committee saw a huge need in our community for this ministry.

So they went around to all the area churches and asked if they’d be interested in assisting in this event and everybody jumped on board.”

— Teresa Joyce 3

Our Lady of

HOPE

C AT H O L I C C H U R C H

Honoring Our Lady of Guad

Our community gathered to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe.

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hen our Associate Pastor Fr. Juan Ramirez looks back at his childhood, he remembers the prominent, influential role that the Blessed Mother had in his culture.

“I am from Mexico, and when I was growing up, I remember Our Lady of Guadalupe was always there for us,” he says. “Our Lady of Guadalupe revealed herself to the indigenous people of Mexico, and therefore her role as a spiritual mother to us is so important. We really see her as our interceding mother, always willing to bring us closer to Christ.”

Now that he has come to the United States, he still cherishes Our Lady of Guadalupe and unites his heart to all of those who do so as well.

“The motherhood of Our Lady of Guadalupe is something that is so important to Mexicans as well as to Hispanics in general,” Fr. Ramirez says. “In order to honor her, we celebrate her feast day on Dec. 12 in a very special way.

It is essential to carry on this devotion in America as well — it is not just for those who live in Mexico. St. John Paul II named Our Lady of Guadalupe patroness of the Americas. This is significant because we need to realize that she is not just for Mexicans, but also for all of those who live on this continent.”

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“I am from Mexico, and when I was growing up, I remember Our Lady of Guadalupe was always there for us. Our Lady of Guadalupe revealed herself to the indigenous people of Mexico, and therefore her role as a spiritual mother to us is so important.

We really see her as our interceding mother, always willing to bring us closer to Christ.”

— Fr. Juan Ramirez

As a sincere priest of God, he is grateful for the opportunity to make the beauty of this meaningful devotion alive in the midst of our parish family through our annual Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration, which will take place this year on Sunday, Dec. 12. Normally, the celebration opens with a 10 a.m. bilingual Mass, meant to replace the 9 and 11:15 a.m. Masses. After Mass, there is a celebration in the school gym that features traditional Hispanic food and Mariachi band music. At times, there are dancers that perform Aztec dancing as people dine. The food and flowers for the celebration are generously donated by various Hispanic and non-Hispanic parishioners. The setup, serving of the meal, and cleanup are done by the Hispanic members of the Christ Renews His Parish group.

“It is a great time of fellowship, as well as an opportunity to come together as a community and have a good time sharing our faith, gifts, and talents,” Fr. Ramirez says.

This year, the Hispanic Ministry of our diocese has graciously purchased an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from the basilica in Mexico. On Dec. 11, Most Rev. Bishop Joseph Siegel will bless the image and place it by the main altar at St. Benedict Cathedral.

dalupe as One Parish Family

The Our Lady of Hope community shared in a wonderful celebration.

All parishioners are more than welcome to attend this year’s celebration.

All parishioners are more than welcome to attend this year’s celebration.

“We see it as an opportunity for the Anglos and the Hispanics to come together to celebrate the Mass, our Catholic faith, and Our Lady of Guadalupe,” Fr. Ramirez says. “We need to embrace her together because she brought us God’s message, as brothers and sisters. I encourage everyone, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, to come and check it out. Everyone is welcome!”

If you would like more information about this celebration, please listen to future parish announcements or call the parish office at 812-254-2883.

Jubilee Christmas continued from page 3 themselves. Children up to age 11 will receive physical gifts, whereas teens ages 12-15 will receive gift cards so that they can purchase both a gift and something necessary for themselves.

Buying gifts and donating money is not the only way to help with Jubilee Christmas. We also need lots of volunteers to pray, bake cookies, decorate or assemble gift bags.

Volunteers at the event center serve as ambassadors to help the parents shop and they dress in colorful Christmas clothes and perhaps some twinkle lights or reindeer antlers — anything to share the festive mood!

“You don’t have to purchase anything,” Teresa says. “You can just volunteer and your heart is filled with joy.”

Our parish usually provides gifts for about 60-70 children. With all of the gifts and blessings that we have in our lives, giving back to the community at Christmastime is a

beautiful way to share those blessings.

“It’s not just about giving money,” Teresa says. “Some people have fallen on hard times.”

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but as we have done for the past 12 years, our parish will take the time to care for those around us.

“It’s heartwarming and it’s uplifting,” Teresa says. “And it’s a need for our community.”

Everyone can help by taking an ornament from the tree and buying gifts for Jubilee Christmas. If you would like to volunteer in other ways, please contact Teresa Joyce at tjoyce@evdio.org or by calling the parish office at 812-254-2883.

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Our Lady of

HOPE

C AT H O L I C C H U R C H

The Sign of the Cross:

A Powerful Prayer Tradition in the Catholic Church

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ince we say and make the Sign of the Cross so often, it may easily become a rote, perhaps even thoughtless, action. However, it is important to remember that the Sign of the Cross is much more than a simple gesture. Even in its most basic form, the Sign of the Cross — accompanied by the spoken or unspoken words “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” — is a prayer, a creed stating our belief in the Holy Trinity, the dual nature of Jesus Christ, and the dependence of our salvation on His crucifixion and resurrection.

In addition, making the Sign of the Cross is an indication of a willingness to take up our own cross and suffering for the sake of Christ. The prayer is considered one of the greatest weapons against Satan and all demons, and an added strength against the temptations of the flesh.

In the Roman Catholic Church today, the Sign of the Cross is typically made with either three fingers or an open hand touching first the forehead, then the chest, followed by the left shoulder and then the right (in the Eastern Church, the right shoulder is touched before the left).

The concept of making a sign, or “setting a seal,” upon the forehead of those who place their faith in the Lord appears in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible — see Ezek. 9:4 and Rev. 7:3, 9:4, and 14:1.

Early versions of the Sign of the Cross were traced on just the forehead, using the thumb and forefinger held together in the shape of a tiny cross. We still see this version of the blessing performed during Baptisms (with the cross traced on the infant’s forehead) and on Ash Wednesday (with the cross traced in ashes on the foreheads of the faithful). Similarly, when the Gospel is read during the Liturgy of the Word, the priest or deacon leads the congregation in forming this small cross on the forehead, mouth, and chest, indicating a willingness to keep the Word of the Lord in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts.

There is no doubt that our early Church fathers were strong believers in the sanctifying power of the Sign of the Cross. A second-century ecclesiastical scholar, Tertullian, and a third century saint, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, both wrote about the necessity of performing the Sign of the Cross at

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one’s waking and one’s lying down, at entering and leaving a room, at mealtimes, and more. St. Augustine also referenced the importance of marking the cross on the faithful’s forehead during the administration of the sacraments.

It is likely that the sign transformed from the tiny cross on the forehead to the larger, full-body cross used today sometime in the fifth century, when heretics began questioning both the dual nature of Jesus Christ — fully human and fully divine — and the unity of the Holy Trinity. Believers in these crucial Church doctrines began forming the cross with three extended fingers (representing the Trinity), keeping the ring finger and little finger pressed down into the palm (representing Christ’s dual nature), and tracing a cross on their entire upper body so there could be no mistaking the gesture.

Today, the Sign of the Cross still figures predominantly in our prayer life as Roman Catholics. We commonly perform it upon entering a church; at the beginning and end of the Catholic Mass, a Benediction, or the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament; when opening and closing our personal prayers; at mealtimes; and when passing by a Catholic Church (in recognition of Christ, present in the tabernacle).

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, the frequent, intentional use of the Sign of the Cross can help the faithful dedicate each day to the glory of God and provide strength in the face of trial and temptation (2157).

Eucharistic Adoration: Putting Our Relationship with Jesus First

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n Matthew Chapter 26, Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, before His crucifixion. Peter and the two sons of Zebedee fall asleep — Jesus asks them, “So, you could not keep watch with me for one hour?”

How fitting it is that we have the opportunity to keep watch with our Lord 24 hours per day, seven days a week here at Our Lady of Hope.

Eucharistic Adoration means the Blessed Body of Christ is exposed in what’s called a monstrance. The Blessed Body of Christ cannot be left alone when exposed.

Thanks to a large group of committed adorers, or those who cover the same hour each week, we’ve been blessed with Eucharistic Adoration at Our Lady of Hope since 2005.

Joyce Schwenk is the coordinator for the chapel, helping with scheduling and filling in when needed. She and her late husband, Fred, were in a group that helped get adoration started. Joyce has committed to three hours per week since adoration began.

She spends her time praying a Rosary and reading books from the Adoration Chapel library.

“I like to just sometimes sit there

and take in the quiet,” she says. “It’s a safe place to go to be still.”

Jesus asked us to keep watch with him for an hour. Joyce asks that we all answer his request, and that parishioners commit to an hour per week. If that won’t work, consider becoming a substitute or just stopping in the chapel to spend time with Jesus when you can.

While it can be challenging to fill all the hours with committed adorers, Joyce admits God has taken care of the chapel all along. For those who need to miss their hour due to a vacation or a scheduling conflict, there are plenty of substitutes who are willing to help. Joyce also is happy to help.

“I really don’t know what I would do without adoration in my life,” Joyce says. “We need to make time for our Lord, not just at Sunday Mass.”

The blessings that Fred and Joyce received through adoration are many.

When Fred was diagnosed with cancer, he went to his 2 a.m. adoration hour and asked that the Lord go lightly on him in terms of pain and sickness. Fred lived for four years after his diagnosis and didn’t deal with much pain. For Fred and Joyce, this was a miracle.

“In adoration, the Lord gives us hope and that’s what we need. We need a lot of hope right now and a lot of prayers for the world right now. You have to believe the Lord will answer your prayers. They may not be answered in the way you want, but He does answer them.” — Joyce Schwenk

We have the opportunity to keep watch with our Lord 24 hours per day, seven days a week here at Our Lady of Hope.

“In adoration, the Lord gives us hope and that’s what we need,” Joyce says. “We need a lot of hope right now and a lot of prayers for the world right now. You have to believe the Lord will answer your prayers. They may not be answered in the way you want, but He does answer them.”

There is plenty of sanitizer, wipes, and spray, for those who want to make sure the chapel is safe and clean. The chapel is also kept clean during the week.

To commit to an adoration hour, please contact Joyce Schwenk at schwenk2@nwcable.net or 812-698-1766.

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Our Lady of

HOPE

C AT H O L I C C H U R C H

315 N.E. Third Street Washington, IN 47501 812-254-2883 www.ccwash.org

New Parish Stewardship Newsletter continued from front cover

ministries and other activities), and treasure (the wise and just management of our financial resources; giving a proportionate amount of my income to the parish).

As we strive to develop stewardship as a way of life at Our Lady of Hope, the support and involvement of each individual parishioner are necessary to sustain the life of our parish. All of you have a place here, and all of you have a role to fill in the life of the parish as we live our lives as disciples of Christ.

May the Holy Spirit renew and refresh all of us as we work together to build our parish family through the use of our time, talent, and treasure.

In Christ, Fr. Paul Ferguson Pastor