St.
Patrick’s P A R I S H Lectors Ministry:
I n si d e T his I ss u e : 2 Stewardship: A Need to Give 3 We Provide the Gifts, God Performs the Miracles
4 Altar Servers: Young
Parishioners Sharing Talents with God and Parish
6 First Communion Recap 7 Meet Parishioner Mary Grace Tassone Blessed to Serve and Be Involved in Parish Life
J U LY / AU G U S T 2 0 2 2
Faithfully Proclaiming God’s Word
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n recent years, studies showing the benefits of reading aloud have sparked a resurgence in this form of education and entertainment. These benefits extend well past childhood. Reading aloud improves memory, retention of information, and understanding for adults as well. The reading of passages from the Bible during the Mass began in the first years of the Church. Before the Bible was compiled, Christians gathered together to read the letters from St. Paul, read from the Old Testament, and hear the stories of the life of Christ. They celebrated the Last Supper, thus forming the liturgy that we now celebrate as the Mass. Printed Bibles didn’t become available until the middle of the 1400s. As a result, for most Christians, hearing God’s Word proclaimed at Mass was the only access that they had to the Bible. For Gere Welden, a former English teacher, reading aloud to her children and her students was an important part of her life. And later, reading the Word of God aloud to her fellow parishioners was a natural step. “I have always loved reading aloud,” Gere says. “I knew how
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St.
Patrick’s P A R I S H
Stewardship: W
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 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 2
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 L e tt e r F r o m F ath e r
Miracles
We Provide the Gifts, God Performs the Dear Family,
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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 St. Patrick’s. 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. Your Father in Christ,
Fr. Estrella Pastor
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St.
Patrick’s P A R I S H
Altar S
Young Parishioners Sharing Ta T Altar servers at 2022 Easter Vigil
Altar servers assisting during Palm Sunday
St. Patrick’s altar servers
he sacrifice at the altar is the most important part of the Mass, and the Eucharist is at the center of the Catholic faith. Altar servers have an amazing opportunity to see everything up close and help facilitate the Mass. All ministries are important, but in these ministries, young men assist at the altar and show reverence and respect for the Mass. Liz Cruz coordinates the Altar Server Ministry at St. Patrick’s. She and her husband, Ryan, are parents to four sons and a daughter — two of their sons are altar servers. Liz is very passionate about this ministry and how it lays the groundwork for a lifetime of faith for the young men of our parish. “This ministry fosters engagement in the Mass, fellowship, vocation awareness, and a place to grow and learn from Father and one another,” Liz says. Raised here at St. Patrick’s, Liz and her three sisters sang in the choir and served as lectors. Her brother, Joe, was an altar server — Liz witnessed the impact this ministry had on Joe. When Liz and Ryan moved back to the area in 2014, they went to several different Catholic Churches. One of the reasons they came back to St. Patrick’s was the Altar Server ministry. “We were desperate for our sons to be a part of a thriving, well-trained, altar-serving community at their critical ages, to draw them deeper into their faith and understanding of the Mass,” Liz says. “I was thrilled that Father was facilitating that at St. Patrick’s.”
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“The altar servers experience the Mass from a completely different perspective. The knowledge they gain about the parts of the Mass, the workings of the Mass and the organization of everything on and off the altar is truly incredible.” — LIZ CRUZ 4
Servers:
Talents with God and Parish Altar servers at St. Patrick’s are typically invited by Fr. Estrella. Interested young men can schedule a time with their parents and Fr. Estrella to see if the ministry would be a good fit. Liz and Fr. Estrella coordinate the training for new servers. Serving at the altar is a vital ministry that should not be taken lightly. “By prayerful reflection and Father's invitation, this, in my opinion, is the number-one ministry for young men to get involved in to serve their parish,” Liz says. “There is a true desire to move up in ranks in the altar serving ministry, which goes hand-in-hand with increased holiness, reverence, and a desire to serve others.”
Liz adds that the servers set the tone for the congregation. They also learn a lot along the way. “The altar servers experience the Mass from a completely different perspective,” she says. “The knowledge they gain about the parts of the Mass, the workings of the Mass, and the organization of everything on and off the altar is truly incredible.” Liz and Ryan look forward to seeing all of their boys help Fr. Estrella by serving at the altar. “I am very passionate about the young men in our parish, and Catholic young people everywhere, serving their parish in any capacity that they are able,” Liz says.
If you would like to learn more about becoming an altar server, please contact Liz Cruz at 530-798-1531 or lizzy.guerra@gmail.com.
Lectors Ministry
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important it was. I loved to read to my young children and my students. You gain an appreciation for the written word when you hear it and experience it with all of your senses.” Having become a lector 25 years ago, Gere has been coordinating this ministry for the last 20 years. “The gifts of faith, intellect, and love really intensify when you are preparing to read at Mass,” she says. “You realize that you get to be the mouthpiece of God and it is stunningly powerful. I love the Bible verse ‘The Lord has given me a welltrained tongue’ (Isaiah 50:4). As a lector, we bring the
Word alive. When it is spoken aloud, it brings another dimension compared to just reading it.” Training for lectors takes place on a one-on-one basis. Those interested in becoming a lector meet with Gere at the church and undergo individual training to learn the processes and practice reading the Scriptures. “There are people who speak well and are not fearful of public speaking,” Gere says. “But many of us are nervous because we want to do well. We need those who proclaim the Word. When your focus is on Him, you get over those nerves quickly.”
If you would like to get involved in the Lectors Ministry, please contact Gere Welden at gerewelden@comcast.net or 530-638-2647.
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St.
Patrick’s P A R I S H
First Communion:
Blessed to Receive Christ in the Eucharist Several of our young parishioners celebrated their First Communion in May, receiving Christ in the Eucharist for the first time. We are blessed to share this joyous occasion with the children and their families.
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Meet Parishioner Mary
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Grace Tassone
Blessed to Serve and Be Involved in Parish Life
hen Mary Grace Tassone was just “Being involved was a natural thing 5 years old, her family — her because of the way our parents taught parents and, at the time, six siblings us,” Mary Grace says. “I enjoyed — moved to California from being involved in everything. Michigan. She ended up having I think my favorite part was nine brothers and two sisters. bringing Communion to those Later, Mary Grace spent that couldn’t make it to Mass. three years studying nursing I was able to do this around — then in 1956, when her my nursing schedule.” mother passed, she came In addition to being home and helped raise her involved in the parish, five younger brothers. Her Mary was an OR nurse for father worked a lot in San 50 years. She had to learn Francisco, so Mary Grace often over the years how to balance spent time at home with the her demanding work schedule younger kids. with her desire to be involved in “I’m not sure if I raised them, or parish life. if they raised me,” Mary Grace says. “I “It wasn’t that hard to balance was a little more ‘old school’ and I learned because I wanted to be involved,” Mary Mary Grace Tassone a lot from the five of them.” Grace says. “I made sure I did my work Over the 80 years that Mary Grace duties, and then in my free time, I did has been a parishioner at St. Patrick, she has been whatever I could to help the parish.” involved in many different ways. When she was Mary Grace also spent two years in Lourdes. She young, she played the organ until the parish got a went to study a special vocation for single women professional organist. She sang in the choir, served as that, at the time, was not commonly known in the a lector, and was an Extraordinary Minister of Holy United States. There, she studied and learned about Communion. She also helped take Communion to the Church. To this day, she still has a strong devotion the sick, homebound, and those in nursing homes. to Our Lady of Lourdes and tries to listen to the Over the years, she helped the parish in any way she Rosary when it is streamed on her iPad from Lourdes. was able. Seven years ago, when Mary Grace was helping continued on back cover
“It wasn’t that hard to balance because I really wanted to be involved. I made sure I did my work duties, and then in my free time, I did whatever I could to help the parish.” — MARY GRACE TASSONE
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St.
Patrick’s P A R I S H 235 Chapel Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-2347 stpatrickgrassvalley.org
Parishioner Mary Grace Tassone to unlock the church for 7:30 a.m. Mass, she was struck on the head. She doesn’t remember much of the details, but she ended up in the hospital for a year with a traumatic brain injury. “I tried to go home for a year,” Mary Grace says. “But, I had a seizure and ended up at Golden Empire Nursing and Rehab Center. Nobody expected me to leave there, but I think the Lord did not want me to stay there and had something else for me to do. I was able to leave on Dec. 31, 2021. “Now I live at Atria, which is residential living,” she adds. “I get my own studio apartment, which I love because I have more freedom. I don’t have a roommate, which means I get my own space. My sister and my niece have helped me get it all organized.”
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Mary Grace still goes back to the parish occasionally for funerals or special events. And she still loves the parish. “Even though I forget a lot and I don’t remember a lot, when I get to go back, I meet people that I can all of a sudden recognize, so it is wonderful to go back,” she says.
MASS SCHEDULE Monday-Saturday: Daily Mass at 8:30 a.m. | Saturday Vigil Mass: 5 p.m. | Sunday Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. (Spanish)
