Saint Michael Parish Newsletter — November 2021

What’s Inside: 3

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Exodus 90 and Magnify 90 Programs Refocus Hearts and Minds on God

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Hospitality: The Cornerstone of Stewardship

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Grief Support Ministry: A Place to Find Strength, Healing, Friendship and Faith

Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Time

NOVEMBER 2021

Funeral Ministry and Our Cemetery: Ensuring Support for Bereaved Families

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ny of us who have lost a loved one knows there are so many details that require attention — from the reading choices to the burial. As family and friends gather to mourn, it means so much for the bereaved to not have to worry. The Funeral Coordinators at Saint Michael Parish stand ready to walk families through the funeral planning process.

Jeannine Granberg, Joan Joanis, and Kathy Steinbrecher are a few of our Funeral Coordinators in the Funeral Ministry. They all appreciate being able to serve families who are going through great loss — it’s a way to offer a listening ear and emotional support.

“The opportunity to be a conduit of God’s compassion and love is always a blessing both to those who give, as well as those who receive,” Kathy says. continued on page 2

Funeral Coordinator Jeannine Granberg lights candles at a recent funeral.

Funeral Ministry and Our Cemetery The funeral planning process can be quite stressful since a family may feel emotionally overwhelmed.

Thus, Funeral Coordinators can help with the decisions.

“Ministering to people in their time of grief is one way that SMP says, ‘We care about you,’” Jeannine says.

“It is important to minister to people in their times of grief because they are often feeling overwhelmed and even lost,” Joan adds.

The gift of this ministry was clear to parishioners Jim and Nancy when they planned a funeral for a close family member. Their Funeral Coordinator was there at every step of the planning process.

“We all felt so much love, comfort, and healing for how beautiful the funeral Mass turned out,” they said.

“Thank you for all the details and work you offered our family to ensure it all came together. This truly was a gift to us and other parishioners.”

The Funeral Coordinators consider this ministry to be more than just funeral planning — it’s a ministry of hospitality, too. Often, the Funeral Coordinator doesn’t know the family. This allows them to get to know one another. In addition, the family members may not be practicing Catholics — so being welcoming or loving in this time of need might be one way to bring them to the faith.

“We welcome all to witness the assembly of the faithful, to hear and sing the hymns, to listen to the inspired Word of God, and perhaps pray with our prayers,” Kathy says. “I love knowing that through this experience, a person attending the funeral may feel such a welcome and comfort that may discern a greater place for God in their lives.”

“People of all faiths attend funerals, and through the welcoming spirit at SMP we serve as a conduit for people to see the love of God,” Jeannine adds.

While everyone is welcome to serve as a Funeral Coordinator, there are many additional ways to get involved in this ministry.

A great way to start is by volunteering in a liturgical

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ministry for funerals. This is one way to witness how funerals are performed. Kathy also invites parishioners to attend funerals as a way to show solidarity with the family. We can also pray for all the SMP parishioners who have died and their families. Volunteers may also step forward to help with funeral lunches when the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed.

Steward for Community Outreach Kellie Patton oversees this ministry at SMP. She appreciates being part of this work and invites others to get involved.

“This is a beautiful ministry, and I cherish working with families as they honor and grieve their loved one,” she says.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SAINT MICHAEL PARISH CEMETERY

Established in 1886, Calvary Catholic Cemetery is a quaint cemetery located in Tumwater. It is beautifully landscaped, with manicured lawns and mature shade trees that create a serene setting. It was sold to the parish in 1909 and contains many pioneer headstones registered by the Tumwater Historical Society.

Calvary Catholic Cemetery is owned and operated by the parish community and is 3.1 miles south of SMP.

Please join us on Tuesday, November 2, at 6:30 p.m. for Evening Prayer as we gather together to pray for those who have recently passed.

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A Letter From Our Pastor

Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Time My dear sisters and brothers,

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ovember is such a wonderful and blessed month. It is in many ways a very busy month with holy days and holidays.

For us in the Northwest, it is also a month of wind and rainstorms, leaves falling, gutters and drains clogging, the occasional branch falling, and even sometimes losing power.

In all of that, we are called to recognize the presence of God in every moment.

As Catholics and as citizens, the month of November is marked with memory. We begin the month celebrating All Saints’, remembering all those who lived faithful lives, and now celebrate in heaven as the Church triumphant. November 2 is much more somber, All Souls Day, when we remember our beloved dead and feel the tinge of grief as well as the solace of gratitude for the gift of their lives.

November 11 finds us celebrating Veterans Day to honor and thank all those men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces. Indicative of the importance of this day, every year at 11 a.m. Eastern, the president of the United States in a solemn ceremony, lays a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

For us locally, November 11 is also the feast of St. Martin of Tours, the patron of St. Martin’s Benedictine Abbey and University. It is a time of celebration and rejoicing for the monks and the work that they began in 1895.

This year, on November 25, we celebrate one of our most beloved holidays, Thanksgiving. It is a day that was based in faith from its very beginnings, and it is an indication of how much we have to thank God for in terms of the gifts we have received — our lives, our families, our church, our Lord and Savior — everything we are and everything we have. Unfortunately for many, the faith aspect of gratitude and thanksgiving has been pushed aside by overeating, too much football, and the extravaganza and frenzy of preparing for Black Friday that now begins on Thanksgiving day itself. It is so important for us not to lose the holiness of this holiday.

No sooner are our Thanksgiving Day celebrations concluded, we begin the glorious season of Advent on Sunday, November 28. This prepares us for and leads us to Christmas, the Feast of the Incarnation, God becoming man.

Indeed, this is both a busy and extraordinary time of the year! There is, of course, much more on which we

could focus and about which we could think, meditate and pray. We are blessed during this time that so many of us are in small faith-sharing groups, praying with one another and delving into the beauty of sacred Scripture.

From a stewardship perspective, I invite you to not only participate and focus on all the particular things that are about to happen but also to pray about one of our special gifts — the gift of time.

Time is a gift. It is a gift that we all receive from God in an equal amount — 24 hours every day. It is precious because it is a non-renewable resource. Although much of our time is committed because of family responsibilities, work responsibilities, or simply personal needs, we have an element of free will with how we spend a certain amount of time.

As faithful stewards and disciples of Jesus Christ, it is important for us to spend time each day in prayer, deepening our relationship with Jesus Christ. In prayer, thanksgiving, and communal worship, as well as acts of mercy and ministry, we draw closer to the One who loves us into being and sustains us at every moment.

Our time is perhaps more precious than any material gifts we received from the Lord. During this month of November and into the Advent season, let us reflect upon this precious gift. Let us pray and think about how we use this gift, cultivate this gift and share this gift. Is the Lord calling you to spend more of your time with Him in prayer, alone and together with your spouse and family? Is the Lord inviting you to spend more of your time in service to the Church or the wider community? Is the Lord asking you to spend more time in gratitude and thanksgiving amid all the challenges that you face each day?

The gift of time — what an extraordinary gift from the Lord.

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

Fr. Jim

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Exodus 90 and Magnify 90 Program A

s Catholics, we are called to be in the world, but not of the world — and sometimes, we need that little extra push to strengthen our relationship with the Lord among all the distractions of our everyday lives. Through the Exodus 90 and Magnify 90 programs, men and women can drown out the noise, deepen their prayer lives, and grow in fellowship with their brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Exodus 90 (for men) and Magnify 90 (for women) are intense 90-day journeys that focus on the depths of your prayer life,” says Andrew Goldstein, who leads men’s groups for Exodus at the parish. “Exodus 90 gathers men into an intense experience of prayer, asceticism, and fraternity as they follow the journey of Moses and the Israelites through the desert from bondage to freedom. Magnify 90, the women’s companion program to Exodus, centers around the feminine genius, bringing women into a deeper awareness of virtue.”

“Each week focuses on a different virtue, and a different woman saint for each virtue,” says Jackie Shirley, who leads women’s groups for Magnify at the parish.

“Both of these experiences have grown organically from a few families that were interested in it four years ago,” Andrew adds. “They have since guided hundreds of men and women into a deeper prayer life.”

The ministry meets once a week over a 90-day period, which usually coincides with Lent, but can also take place during other times of the year.

“Both Exodus and Magnify are rooted in daily reading and reflection,” Andrew says. “Each has a different set of asceticisms to follow — for men, abstaining from screens, snacks, alcohol; taking cold showers; a daily holy hour, and extra times for Mass and confession.”

“For the women, 30 minutes of prayer is required daily including Mary’s Magnificat, Litany of Humility and Trust, as well as the Rosary. We also abstain from snacks between meals, screen time, alcohol, and meat on Fridays,” Jackie says. “There are different choices for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding who may not be able to fast or abstain, which is awesome because it makes Magnify accessible to all women — you’re never called to do

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anything you can’t physically do.”

The program includes asceticisms to help participants evaluate what things may be taking their focus away from God. By removing these distractions completely, participants can more clearly see where they struggle and directly address those struggles.

“None of these things, like snacking or TV, are inherently evil, but we don’t always realize that we make them into idols,” Jackie says. “They put our relationship with God on the back burner, and we fill ourselves with things in this world that may not be very good for us. To listen to what God is saying, you have to clear your head of the things that are taking your mind off of Him. The specific asceticism you need might not be on the list, but going through Magnify 90 will show you what you need to take away from your life so that you can hear God. It’s similar to what we do during Lent — it reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. It doesn’t mean we’re going to do it this way forever, but it’s all about creating a more balanced life.”

“It provides men the opportunity to be formed in faith by chipping away at our vices and our deepest struggles as modern-day men,” Andrew says. “It cuts straight to issues of over-drinking, pornography, lustfulness, gluttony, over-eating, lack of exercise, lack of free time, exhaustion, not feeling connected to God, and so on. These are things that so many men experience year after year, and without an intense regimen to address these things, it’s easy to let them run the daily lives of men. The program

ms Refocus Hearts and Minds on God provides a path toward a life where these issues are conquered through prayer, disciplined living, and through fraternity with other men in a similar phase of life.”

Fellowship is a key pillar to both programs, and both Jackie and Andrew have experienced that camaraderie and solidarity.

“Our groups meet every week and discuss how the week before went,” Jackie says. “We talk about how God was speaking through the readings and prayer, as well as in our everyday lives. We have so many God sightings, and there is so much laughter and tears. It’s so beautiful to see how God is working in the lives of others and to share in each other’s struggles and joys. Through Magnify, I have become close to women I would never have met before — even though we had to meet on Zoom, it was still great to see these women every week.”

“In our ultra-comfortable modern-day society, it’s kind of unthinkable that a group of men would take ice-cold showers every morning on purpose,” Andrew says. “There’s a brotherhood through this kind of purifying experience. Men meet together weekly to discuss their journey, and coordinate time to attend adoration and Mass together. Past fraternities have also coordinated group hikes, polar plunges in the Puget Sound, home renovation and farming projects, service projects, and more.”

Over the last four years, over 100 men have completed at least one Exodus 90 program. Although Magnify 90 only started at the parish last year, shortly before the onset of the pandemic, three sessions have run so far. Some participants do the program once, others continue the exercise well beyond the 90 days, and others elect to do the program every year leading up to Easter. Andrew and Jackie recommend the programs to anyone hungry for an intense restart on their faith journey.

“A friend mentioned Exodus 90 to me five years

ago, and I thought he was crazy for taking cold showers every day and carving out time to pray a daily holy hour,” Andrew says. “Eventually, though, this friend wore me down and invited me to Exodus 90. My first journey through the 90 days changed my life. I realized how much I was trying to control everything around me instead of submitting to God’s plan, and how much I relied on vices like Netflix to cope with stress and anxiety. Ultimately, Exodus 90 gave me tools to rightly order my relationship with God and with my family. If you’re interested in going on this journey, prayerfully consider your ‘why’ — what is drawing you to this, and what do you hope to gain on the other side of 90 days? Your ‘why’ is the most important first step on this journey, and will be an anchor for you as you journey toward freedom and a deeper relationship with God.” “Andrew approached me in December of last year and asked me if I wanted to do Magnify 90,” Jackie says. “I agreed to do it but at first, I was kind of kicking and screaming! In the end, though, it was the most beautiful experience I’ve ever had. It gave me friends I never would have met before, and God really challenged me personally. It was such a renewal for me.”

If you feel like you might be spiritually in a desert, or if you’re hungry for community and hungry for God, or if you’re looking to seek out holiness and form virtuous friendships, then the Magnify and Exodus ministries are for you.

“We’re always being called to grow in holiness, and we all struggle — in a world that is super dark, it can be really difficult,” Jackie says. “These programs take you on a journey of refocusing on Christ, and how we are called to be a light to the world in a journey of darkness. If you’re willing to be vulnerable and put the work in, you will hear God speak. You will see Him working in magnificent and miraculous ways, and there is nothing more beautiful than that.”

New programs for Exodus 90 and Magnify 90 will begin in the new year! For more information, please contact Andrew Goldstein at agoldstein@saintmichaelparish.org or Jackie Shirley at jshirley@saintmichaelparish.org.

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H O S P I TA L I T Y:

The Cornerstone of Stewardship T

he dictionary defines “hospitality” as “the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.”

A Christian worldview can refer to hospitality as “Christian kindness.”

We see the effects of hospitality – or the lack thereof – time and time again throughout the Bible. Christ speaks of hospitality in Matthew’s Gospel when He says, “When I was a stranger, you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). The Old Testament told of the Israelites, as they wandered the desert for 40 years in search of hospitable environs. Even the Holy Family spent ample time searching for shelter before the birth of Our Lord.

It is safe to say that hospitality is, and most likely has always been, of great importance to people everywhere. Modern hotels and hostels often use the image of a pineapple to advertise their special brand of hospitality. There is no doubt that in ancient times, the distant lights of an inn or tavern struck a chord of hope within weary travelers’ hearts.

Indeed, hospitality’s meaning has not diminished at all over the years, decades, and millennia.

Christians view the presence of hospitality as meaning the difference between calling others “guests” and “strangers.” Guests are welcomed with open arms and warm smiles, but strangers aren’t.

Guests feel the genuine love present in a hearty

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welcome, but strangers don’t. Guests often return for second or third visits, while strangers don’t.

As a parish, do we find ourselves surrounded by guests, or burdened by strangers?

Hospitality is, in many respects, a mindset. The same person may be treated as a guest at the church just down the road, but as a stranger here.

Matthew’s Gospel tells of Christ as He reveals a profound truth about hospitality: “When I was a stranger, you welcomed me.” That is, “I used to be a stranger, but you fixed that when you welcomed me.”

It’s a classic example of before-and-after. All it took was a change of heart.

Stewardship holds hospitality as an immensely important concept. Remember the “Three Ts” of stewardship – Time, Talent, and Treasure? Well, there are also “Four Ps,” the Four Pillars of Stewardship – Hospitality, Prayer, Formation, and Service. Hospitality is mentioned first. Why? If not for hospitality, none of the other pillars will ever take hold. Hospitality is the cornerstone of stewardship because it opens the door to a person’s heart and allows them to receive joy, grace, and love.

Hospitality must become second nature if stewardship is to truly take hold within a parish. So, when a stranger visits our parish, welcome them as a guest. Perhaps one day, they’ll pay us a second visit.

Grief Support Ministry:

A Place to Find Strength, Healing, Friendship and Faith

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ime and time again, the Grief Support Ministry has worked little miracles amid our parish family.

“Once, there were two ladies who came to our group alone, without knowing each other previously,” says Steward of Pastoral Care Benedetta Reece, who coordinates and leads Grief Support cycles of meetings. “They soon discovered that they were both grieving the loss of their husbands, that they lived within walking distance from each other, and that they both liked to quilt. They quickly became good friends after that!”

The Grief Support Ministry is a faith-based support group that serves anyone who is undergoing grief in any way. Parishioners Donnell Powell, Bill Moreland, and Carolyn Jones help Benedetta lead cycles of grief support meetings “This group isn’t to provide therapy, but to show you what faith can do in your life,” Benedetta says. “ The purpose of our ministry is to help people break their grief open to be aware of and share the stumbling blocks that make their heart heavy, and to see how their faith can help them face and deal with what they find most difficult to overcome.

It also provides a setting where they can find companionship. Too often people grieve alone and in silence, without realizing that unattended and unspoken grief grows roots. Being part of a group helps them realize that they are not alone on their path and that sharing feelings and holding on to each other in faith refills us with the strength that only God can provide.”

Through this beautiful ministry of hope, people find the strength, healing, faith, and friendship they

Steward of Pastoral Care Benedetta Reece

need to travel the journey to heaven.

“Through our ministry, we have seen faith coming back into people’s hearts,” Benedetta says. “There have been some people who had lost their faith, but after spending time with our group, returned to it.”

The Grief Support Ministry was founded a little over 11 years ago, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit at work in Benedetta’s heart.

“At that time, I was working part-time as Coordinator for Pastoral Care Ministries, and a parishioner approached me and asked why we didn’t offer support for those who are grieving,” Benedetta says. “She asked me about it in such a deep and continued on back cover

“The purpose of our ministry is to help people break their grief open to be aware of and share the stumbling blocks that make their heart heavy, and to see how their faith can help them face and deal with what they find most difficult to overcome. It also provides a setting where they can find companionship. Too often people grieve alone and in silence, without realizing that unattended and unspoken grief grows roots. Being part of a group helps them realize that they are not alone on their path and that sharing feelings and holding on to each other in faith refills us with the strength that only God can provide.” — Benedetta Reece, Steward of Pastoral Care 7

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Grief Support Ministry

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simple way. Afterward, I went home and thought about it, and later asked Fr. Jim about the idea.”

Opening her heart more and more to this inspiration, Benedetta rose up and became equipped for the task laid before her.

“Even though I had a great urge to help those who are grieving, I realized I didn’t have any experience or knowledge to start this kind of ministry,” she says. “So I decided to do some training, and I also consulted various parishioners who knew about grief support.”

Two years ago, the ministry was radically transformed in a wonderful way.

“When I felt confident about what I was doing, I opened up the ministry so that it would not only serve our own parishioners but also anyone, not just Catholics, in the community who is in need,” Benedetta says. “It is now there to help not just those who have lost a loved one, but anyone with a heavy heart, such as those who are grieving from a personal health diagnosis, the loss of a job, or marital troubles. It is a very diverse group!”

The Grief Support Ministry usually meets on Saturdays after the 9 a.m. Mass for a couple of hours until about noon. In the summertime, they meet on weekday evenings.

Following each meeting, they go out to eat or enjoy a potluck. If you would like more information about this beautiful ministry of God’s mercy, please contact Benedetta Reece at 360-292-7143.

WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE Saturday: Vigil 5 p.m. | Sunday: 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 5 p.m.