Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church Newsletter — December 2020

december 2020

Ministry Profile:

NEWCOMERS WELCOMING/HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE Inside

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Helping People to Find a Second Home at Our Parish

t’s usually a little awkward to go somewhere new, especially when you don’t know anyone.

3 Unwrapping the Gift It can be a challenge to meet new people and feel of Stewardship connected to a new place. However, here at Our Lady Star of the Sea, we hope that from the first 4 The Stephen Ministry: moment someone steps through our doors, they Providing One-on-One feel welcome and at home in our community.

Care for God’s People “I grew up a cradle Catholic in the northeast,” says parishioner Nancy Vella, who coordinates the Newcomers Welcoming/Hospitality Committee.

6 Begin the Journey “We were extremely reserved — you zipped into Home for Christmas church without looking at anybody and you zipped out as soon as you could. Now, my husband and I, we 7 The Beaches Catholic go to church and we love going to church because Young Adults not only is it our time with the Lord, but it’s our Community In the Midst time with our friends and our family. I would like of a Busy World, Diving everybody to have that same experience.”

Parishioner Rob Vella serves at the monthly Deeper into the Faith The Newcomers Welcoming/Hospitality welcome table in the back of the church.

Together Ministry serves to help ensure that new parishioners can connect within our parish family. Once a month, they host a table in the back of the church, providing an opportunity for new parishioners to register and have their questions answered.

“Our purpose is to reach out to new parishioners, to welcome them, to say, ‘We’re glad you’re here! What can we do to help you?’” Nancy says.

Each month, the members of the committee also divide up a list of newly registered parishioners and reach out to them, either by phone, email, or a 545 A1A North note in the mail. In pre-COVID times, the committee has also hosted Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 a newcomers’ social twice a year. Not only is it an opportunity for (904) 285-2698│www.olsspvb.org continued on page 2

Newcomers Welcoming/Hospitality Committee continued from front cover

new parishioners to enjoy wine and cheese with other newcomers, but they are also able to meet members of the Parish Council, the pastor, and other ministry leaders.

“It’s such fun,” Nancy says. “It’s a social and a networking kind of thing — it’s a nice time.”

Many of those who serve as part of the Newcomers Welcoming/Hospitality Committee also serve as greeters at Mass.

“My husband and I love opening doors for people,” Nancy says. “You truly do put a smile on people’s faces, so they’re coming into church feeling good about it and we feel good about it, too. It’s a nice thing to do.”

At the end of the day, Nancy hopes that the efforts of the committee will help to assure our new members that they made the right choice in joining our community.

“We want them to feel comfortable, to feel happy, and that they made the right decision,” she says. “Choosing a parish, it’s difficult. We want people to realize they we’re a welcoming parish, we’re happy they’re here and we want them to be part of our community, part of our family.”

Nancy encourages her fellow parishioners to consider becoming involved in the committee, helping others to feel welcome and at home.

“When you truly welcome somebody, whether it’s into your home for a meal or at church, you feel good about it,” Nancy says. “You’re getting as much out of it as the other person. It’s good for everybody.”

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.

“It starts with a smile, just looking at each other,” Nancy says. “I hope every person we look at feels God’s love.”

“We want them to feel comfortable, to feel happy, and that they made the right decision. Choosing a parish, it’s diff icult. We want people to realize they we’re a welcoming parish, we’re happy they’re here and we want them to be part of our community, part of our family.” — NANCY VELLA

For more information, or to become part of the Newcomers Welcoming/Hospitality Ministry, please contact Nancy Vella at 904-710-3723 or vellapvb@gmail.com.

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A Letter from Our Pastor

Unwrapping the Dear Parishioners,

Gift of Stewardship

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ost people associate stewardship days for regretting my misunderstanding with giving. Some think it is of the stewardship way of life are over. a desperate plea by the church asking Stewardship conversion changes all of parishioners to give some of your time, that, and the reverse is now true. The more talent and treasure to a worthy cause. Some time, talent and treasure that I can give, think it is a noble gesture that identifies the more content and joyful I truly am. a faithful steward, a common occurrence When is the last time you unwrapped a this time of year. And for some, it is an gift that gave you so much peace of mind understanding that the stewardship way and heart? Maybe you have never been of life brings joy and blessings to the giver aware of receiving such a gift, or maybe by returning a portion of the gifts he or God is just waiting for you to unwrap she has received from God. what He has always wanted you to have.

At Christmas, when it is most common Perhaps it is the gift God wants you to to give or receive gifts, should this not also have this year for Christmas. be a time when the stewardship way of The catalyst for stewardship is gratitude. life becomes the gift that is unwrapped And, as we recognize that all we have is a by our consciousness and treasured by our faith? After all, gift from God, it lights up our gratitude as if it were a large the first gift of Christmas was the gift of God’s own Son. Christmas tree with too many lights on it to be counted. All For those who may still be struggling to truly understand we can do is look at it with wonder and awe, thankful for the stewardship way of life, that may be a concept that is what we see, what we have, and the opportunity to give back difficult to accept, even at this time of year. But by living the something in gratitude. It is more than just a spirit of “holiday stewardship way of life, it makes perfect sense to me. And stewardship” that seems to be so common this time of year. It during this season of faith, the gift of stewardship remains is the core of the stewardship way of life, and once that gift one of the blessings of my life as a Catholic, as a priest and is unwrapped, our conversion takes hold and our lives are as a pastor. transformed into faithful stewardship intended by our God. Before fully embracing a life of stewardship, I could I hope and pray that you and your family will be blessed justify wasting my time with less-than-worthwhile activities. during this season of God’s grace, unwrapping the gift of I could rationalize withholding my talents, because I often stewardship in your lives and finding joy and peace — both thought somebody else would always step up and take care during this season of grace and all year long. of things instead of me. I restricted or limited sharing my material resources, thinking it wouldn’t make a difference Sincerely yours in Christ, — 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 Msgr. Keith Brennan in what I did with my time, talent and treasure. But the Pastor

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THE STEPHEN MINISTR Providing

n the book of Acts, the twelve apostles realize that having immersed themselves in spreading the Gospel and building God’s Church, they have sometimes neglected to provide immediate, personal care to some of the most vulnerable individuals among them. Thus, they ask seven men to fulfill this essential role, with St. Stephen the first to be commissioned for this type of ministry. Today, thanks to the Stephen Ministries, laypeople around the world can answer this Gospel call to serve others in a very special way.

Pastoral Associate Sister Lucy Clynes first had the inspiration to bring the Stephen Ministry to our parish a couple of years ago. Recognizing a need for more intensified support for our lay pastoral ministers, she approached the diocesan Office of Family Life about bringing this ministry here. This year, Our Lady Star of the Sea is blessed to be one of several parishes to receive a grant through the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese for the establishment of a Stephen Ministry in our parish.

As Sr. Lucy explains, this ministry is primarily one of accompaniment.

“The Stephen Ministry provides training and then support to those who will go out to the homes and the LouAnne Hawkins (pictured here with her children, Annie and Wil) prisons,” she says. “It’s providing that listening ear and is the parish lead for our new Stephen Ministry. understanding heart as we’re invited to do as a Church, bringing the Eucharist and maybe even connecting people pastoral care. Today, congregations in all 50 United States with some services. The Holy Father says we have to be a and 30 other countries have Stephen Ministry programs.

Church of accompaniment, so it’s a way of accompanying This fall, parishioner LouAnne Hawkins attended a these minsters as they offer others support.” five-week virtual training session through the St. Louis The Stephen Ministries organization was founded in Stephen Ministries office to become the “parish point 1973 by the Reverend Dr. Kenneth Haugk. As a pastor person” for this ministry at Our Lady Star of the Sea. with a graduate degree in clinical psychology, Dr. Haugk LouAnne is a natural fit for the role, having a higher was passionate about providing quality, personal care to education degree in counseling and a background as a parishioners who were hurting. When he realized that professor of research methods for psychology. What’s he, as just one individual, was unable to meet the needs more, LouAnne recently completed the diocesan of his entire congregation, he began training laypeople in ministry formation program.

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RY: g One-on-One Care for God’s People LouAnne is looking forward to being able to serve our parish in this new capacity.

“When I was going through the ministry formation program, I became a lot more aware of a theologicalbased compassion and engagement with my fellow parishioners,” she says. “I saw many opportunities where I tried to be supportive or help individuals where I could, but I also saw much more need than any one person or two people could meet. Our priests are amazing, but there are only so many of them, and this ministry will enable us as a community of followers to be able to support one another more effectively.”

With the training she has received, LouAnne is now able to train the Stephen Ministry volunteers in our parish.

These individuals provide loving care for individuals who are going through a difficult time, such as a death in the family, a divorce, or another life-changing experience.

While the ministers do not provide counseling, they do offer a confidential, trained listening ear, and can inform care receivers about other helpful resources.

As our Stephen Ministers live the Gospel call to serve God’s people in a special way, they are sure to be a witness of His Love to many.

“This ministry enables us to help and serve each other, and then that spreads the Word of Jesus Christ out in the community,” LouAnne says. “It just has so much potential to help the lives of many parishioners, and as they pay it forward and help others, it can have an exponential effect on the lives of the community.”

As always, there is a great joy to be found in giving of oneself. As LouAnne reflects on serving with the

Stephen Ministry, she knows that she and the other volunteer ministers will no doubt experience countless blessings as they act as the compassionate hands and feet of Christ here on earth.

“One of the things that made me interested in the ministry is this type of incarnational theology in which we are embodiments of Jesus Christ doing His loving work,” she says. “We are the body of Christ, we are the ones out there doing His work for Him. I’m very blessed God has given me this opportunity to do His work — I really just feel blessed.”

“This ministry enables us to help and serve each other, and then that spreads the Word of Jesus Christ out in the community.

It just has so much potential to help the lives of many parishioners, and as they pay it forward and help others, it can have an exponential effect on the lives of the community.”

— LOUANNE HAWKINS

Are you interested in learning more about the Stephen Ministry at Our Lady Star of the Sea? If so, please contact Sr. Lucy Clynes at 904-285-2698 or srlucyclynesdw@olsspvb.org.

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BEGIN THE JOURNEY HOME FOR

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hrist was born the son of a poor carpenter. This was by no means an accident. His birth was the culmination of salvation history, as it profoundly revealed the glory of God. Infinite power and wisdom took the form “of a servant, coming in human likeness” (Phil 2:7) — not as a warrior, but a poor and vulnerable babe.

Every aspect of Christ’s birth, from the three kings to the swaddling clothes, carries meaning. The proclamation of the angel, therefore, is also important: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Lk 2:10). This message, meant to be for “all the people,” was announced to a group of shepherds in a field out in the middle of nowhere. Was this accidental? Not at all.

The shepherds, who received a personal invitation to greet Christ at the manger, reveal that God’s love extends beyond boundaries of distance and transcends social classes. Unlike persons of this world who yearn to gain recognition with those of influence, wealth or beauty, Christ cries out to the lowly in society — to the shepherds in the distance. He reaches out in love,

Christmas

desiring a relationship with every single person, no matter their status. This is the “good news of great joy for all people” — Christ was born for us all.

Christmas is the perfect time for distant shepherds to begin the journey home. The angel’s greeting extends to all those who feel estranged from the Church or numb to God’s love. Those who have fallen away from the faith can be comforted by these words: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord” (Lk 2:10-11).

Be not afraid. The Christ Child awaits your arrival.

Begin the journey back to Christ by drawing near to His body, the Church. Through prayer and the sacraments, you will discover the great joy that accompanies a relationship with God. Take a moment to ask the Lord to bring peace to your heart and guide you in love towards Him. Please join our parish family for the final preparations of Advent, as well as the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses.

Unlike persons of this world who yearn to gain recognition with those of influence, wealth or beauty, Christ cries out to the lowly in society — to the shepherds in the distance. He reaches out in love, desiring a relationship with every single person, no matter their status.

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The Beaches

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Catholic Young Adults Community In the Midst of a Busy World, Diving Deeper into the Faith Together

s Catholics, we know that faith is ultimately best practiced in community. In fact, Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

With this important community aspect in mind, our parish, along with St. Paul’s in Jacksonville Beach, is a part of the Beaches Catholic Young Adults community, or BCYA, for parishioners ranging from late teens to 30s.

“It’s important to have a group like BCYA to dive deeper into your faith and meet other like-minded young adults,” says member Lauren Harrison.

For today’s young adults, being Catholic in our society can at times feel lonely. Thus, the BCYA mission is to “serve the Catholic young adult population at The Beaches through service, socials and spiritual development and to engage young adults in parish life through increasing awareness of parish events, encouraging regular reception of the sacraments and supporting evangelization efforts.”

Members have used the time during the COVID-19 pandemic to meet virtually for coffee hours, speakers, and a Thursday Bible study. Before the pandemic, regular meetings were held on Thursdays at Our Lady Star of the Sea and St. Paul’s. The group has a monthly Holy Hour on the first Friday of the month at Our Lady Star of the Sea, with a social to follow. The socials will resume after it is deemed safe to gather.

While BCYA ministry coordinator Mary Kate Phillips misses the opportunity to meet in person, she is glad the members still have ways to connect virtually. This ministry is certainly an important part of her faith life.

“This group allows for young adults to connect and deepen their relationship with Christ, as well as support each other on their faith journeys,” she says. continued on back cover

The annual Friendsgiving event, held in honor of Thanksgiving holiday

Virtual Coffee Hour with the BCYA

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The Beaches Catholic Young Adults Community continued from page 7

Mary Kate is especially thankful for the opportunity to meet people she never would have met otherwise if not for BCYA. In turn, she has formed friendships that are genuine and Christ-centered — which is not always easy to find.

“When I graduated college and moved to a new city, it was hard because I was disconnected from the faith community I had in school and from growing up,” Mary

Kate says. “I knew I needed community to help me be successful in living out my Catholic faith.”

Serving as an essential avenue to connect adults to their parish community and encourage stewardship, the BCYA is truly a great ministry for young adults to help live out their faith in their parish.

“Anyone who is looking to meet people and know Jesus more should join,” Lauren says.

If you would like more information about BCYA, or to get involved, please contact Mary Kate Phillips at marykate.phillips5@gmail.com or 314-221-2111.

For Our Current Mass schedule, please visit our website at www.olsspvb.org.