Saint Michael Parish Newsletter — July 2022

What’s Inside: 2

Stewardship: A Need to Give

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We Provide the Gifts, God Performs the Miracles

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Parish Community Welcomes Fr. Kyle Poje Sharing God’s Call and “Adventure of Life” with Our Faith Family

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Getting to Know the “Summertime” Saints

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Sacrament of Confirmation: Students Sealed with Gifts of the Holy Spirit

JULY 2022

MEET THE SCHWAN FAMILY Growing and Sharing in Faith Together H aving looked into strong school options for their family, Ryan and Emily Schwan enrolled their daughters at Saint Michael Parish School for fall 2020.

“We fell in love with school and parish, and it helped bring my husband and I back to our Catholic faith,” Emily says. “We decided we wanted the girls baptized in the Church also.”

Lila, 6, received the Sacrament of Baptism in January, and Sadie, 8, had her Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil this past April.

Sadie’s full reception into the Church was a wonderful experience for her and the whole family. She also took the RCIA course to prepare for the event.

“Most of her learning about Catholicism is done during school, but we Emily and Ryan Schwan were grateful to have their daughters, Lila and Sadie, receive their had some special Masses to attend and, sacraments this past year. of course, the Easter Vigil,” Emily says.

The Easter Vigil was a particularly exciting experience for the Schwan family, as they had the opportunity to witness Sadie receive her sacraments

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S T E WA R D S H I P : A Need to Give W

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

We Provide the Gifts, God Performs the Miracles My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

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s we journey deeper into summer, a look back and a look forward.

During June, we focused on the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. With adoration at the end of every Mass and time spent in quiet prayer, we wanted to emphasize the importance of making a commitment to 24/7 adoration in our parish. We were not merely looking to fill the slots, but rather to transform our parish evermore in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. If you have not done so, please pray about making a commitment to one hour a week in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

Not only will it enrich your life, but it will also deepen the faith life of our community. We all need deeper trust, hope, and joy as we face the challenges before us.

After being unable to do so for the past few years, will celebrate “Mass on the Grass” on July 17, at 5 p.m.

Please join us for Mass and the picnic afterward. This is an opportunity for us to grow in fellowship as a community of faith. Every time we have done this in the past, it always reminded me about one of Jesus’ most incredible miracles, feeding the multitude — physically and spiritually. Have you ever noticed how the two are always tied together?

The reason the large crowd gathered was that 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 did not 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 amid 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 and is recorded in all four Gospels. 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 that little bit initially could.

Is this not what we as a parish are called to do? We make gifts of our time, our talent, and our treasure as good stewards. Yet, it is God who takes those gifts, multiplies them, and performs miracles with what we offer.

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 is what Christianity is all about.

In Christ, through the intercession of Blessed Pier Giorgio, I love you.

Fr. Jim

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OUR PARISH COMMUNITY W

Sharing God’s Call and “Adventur

If Fr. Kyle Poje could tell parishioners one thing about himself that they would remember, it’s that he feels very blessed to be a priest. He is so thankful that God called him to the vocation of the priesthood.

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f Fr. Kyle Poje could tell parishioners one thing about himself that they would remember, it’s that he feels very blessed to be a priest. He is so thankful that God called him to the vocation of the priesthood.

Joining us in early July, Fr. Kyle Poje spent the last year studying at Casa Santa Maria in Rome and, before that, attended the Pontifical North American College. He was ordained in May 2021 at St. James Cathedral and returned to Rome for one year of post-seminary education.

With a father in the Air Force, Fr. Kyle Poje and his six siblings moved around a lot throughout the United States, with a stint in Europe. He considers his hometown to be Spanaway. He can’t wait to start

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here at Saint Michael Parish — this is his second parish assignment, as he spent last summer serving Holy Innocents in Duvall and St. Jude in Redmond.

Although Fr. Kyle Poje has enjoyed his time in Rome, he’s very excited to return to the United States because “home is home.” While in Italy, he did a lot of traveling, including seeing most of the country, along with Ireland, Poland, Croatia, France, Germany, and Portugal. His family came to visit during his second year, but it was challenging for them to go again due to the pandemic.

“It was such a cool opportunity to see the churches of other countries,” he says. “I enjoyed being able to travel.”

Fr. Kyle Poje has some hobbies that most people

WELCOMES

FR. KYLE POJE

re of Life” with Our Faith Family don’t associate with a priest, including surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding. He’s been skateboarding since the age of 7 and enjoys the opportunity to meet people through the sport.

“You meet other skateboarders, and you feel like you are on the same social sphere,” he says.

“Conversation happens easily, and you meet friends.”

Besides “board” sports, Fr. Kyle Poje enjoys literature, soccer, running, photography and videography. He takes his best advice from two great saints — St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. Thérèse de Lisieux.

“St. Teresa said, ‘Do small things with great

love,’” he says. “I think my life’s work is to do this. St. Thérèse spoke similarly as she taught her ‘little way.’

If I could just be like these two, I think my life’s work would be complete.”

Fr. Kyle Poje can’t wait to meet people at SMP and spend time with families. He looks forward to being rooted in community life, especially after living in Rome for five years.

“I believe I have a lot to learn in the priesthood, and I have a lot to learn from other people,” he says. “I’m all-in on the adventure of life that God has called me on. I look forward to sharing it with a great Catholic community.”

“I believe I have a lot to learn in the priesthood, and I have a lot to learn from other people. I’m all-in on the adventure of life that God has called me on. I look forward to sharing it with a great Catholic community.” — FR. KYLE POJE

MEET THE SCHWAN FAMILY and take the next step on her journey of faith.

“The Easter Vigil was wonderful for our family,” Emily says. “We were hesitant about the late night and having little ones, but there was so much love, joy, and tradition that they stayed wide awake and eager to participate.”

Lila’s Baptism was also a special and memorable moment for the Schwan family.

“It was very special to witness our daughter’s Baptism with our family, as well as the special bond she will forever have with her Godparent,” Emily says. “Watching the joy and peace in our daughter’s eyes was such a blessing.”

Seeing their daughters received into the Church was special and important in the Schwans’ faith lives.

Both Ryan and Emily had been raised Catholic, but coming back to the Church and witnessing their girls’ experience has been significant for them.

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“It was important for them to receive these sacraments,” Emily says. “It’s been very special for my husband and I to come back to the Church and see everything through our children’s eyes and have them immersed in our Catholic faith at the school.”

In addition to the reception of sacraments, Emily says that it’s also been special to see their daughters learn and grow in their faith through their Catholic education at school and in RCIA. The girls are constantly learning at school and coming home to tell their parents about a saint they have studied or other important lessons they’ve received.

“With our daughters being in school, my husband and I are actually being reminded of and even learning more than we ever knew through our children, which is wonderful,” Emily says.

“It’s been very special for my husband and I to come back to the Church and see everything through our children’s eyes and have them immersed in our Catholic faith at the school.” — EMILY SCHWAN 5

Getting to Know the “Summertime” Saints

S 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.

Sacrament of Confirmation:

Students Sealed With Gifts of the Holy Spirit S

unday, June 9, marked a milestone for many of the young people in our parish as they received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Sammy Peterson was one of the young parishioners who received this sacrament. Sammy, an eighth-grader at Saint Michael Parish School, spent the last year preparing for her confirmation.

The last few years were difficult for Sammy and her classmates as they dealt with the effects of COVID-19 on top of the regular pressures of school. But through it all, Sammy found that her faith offered some peace. It was during this time that she met her Confirmation sponsor and came into a leadership role that would influence her choice of Confirmation saint. The relationships she fostered in her Confirmation class small

group and the time of reflection she found in the Confirmation retreat have all impacted her faith as she prepared to be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Sammy’s Confirmation class was a mix of various-aged students from the parish, but her small group consisted of classmates she knew.

“We got to talk a lot about our experiences in our faith,” Sammy says. “They were people I had known for a long time so I could be open with them about my faith. I think that made it easier for us all.”

For her Confirmation saint, Sammy chose a saint with whom she has a long history.

“I chose St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta,” Sammy says. “When I was in second grade, I wanted to join continued on back cover

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Sacrament of Confirmation the Sisters of Charity. When I was in sixth grade, I became a member of her saint house at school.

This past year, I was chosen to be a leader of the house. She was a really influential part of learning about my faith and I want her to continue to be a part of my life and intercede for me.”

The Confirmation retreat, a weekend held at Black Lake Bible Camp, was a chance for Sammy to step away from the busyness of her life and focus on her relationship with God. “The time before the retreat was a really stressful point, but at the retreat, I could let all the stress go and focus on my faith and what is good for me,” Sammy says.

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Sammy had the opportunity to hear a talk given by her sponsor, Hallie Sites, who has helped Sammy grow in her personal life and her faith life. She was also able to spend time with others who were preparing for Confirmation, as well as experience time for prayer and adoration.

“The deacon came and held the Host in front of us,” Sammy says. “That was a really powerful experience. I always end up crying.”

After their year of preparation, Sammy and her classmates are ready to take the next step in their life of faith. The gifts of the Holy Spirit will bless our parish and the Church through these young people!

“We got to talk a lot about our experiences in our faith. They were people I had known for a long time so I could be open with them about my faith. I think that made it easier for us all.” — SAMMY PETERSON WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE Saturday: Vigil 5 p.m. | Sunday: 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 5 p.m.