Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Newsletter — January 2022

JANUARY 2022

Our Lady of Lourdes CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Children of God Ministry: Providing Essential Education, Connecting to an Important Need

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early half of Guatemalans live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. Guatemala has a population of about 18 million and is also one of the top countries in terms of childhood malnutrition. The gap between the poor and wealthy is vast. Also, girls in Guatemala are treated as second-class citizens. A group of Dominican Sisters, Dominicas de La Anunciata, in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, is working to ensure girls have access to education from kindergarten to high school at the School of the Anunciata. Some of the girls live in dormitories across the street. Here at Our Lady of Lourdes, we’ve been financially supporting the sisters’ work for more than 20 years.

“Here in the United States, access to education isn’t something we really even need to think about,” says Kathleen DeRubio. “That’s not the case in Guatemala.”

Our parish’s Children of God Ministry started with a dream and vision of Kathleen’s husband, continued on page 2

The Children of God Ministry Allan DeRubio, in the year 2000. Allan was born and raised in Guatemala. He became a United States citizen at the age of 21. For many years, he yearned to do something for the people of Guatemala. Part of his vision was to start with a painting. He traveled to Guatemala and commissioned Sister Donna Korba to complete a painting, which still hangs at Our Lady of Lourdes. This started the relationship with the School of the Anunciata.

“The way out of poverty is education,” Kathleen says. “These girls get to eat decent food, receive room and board, and education. These girls wouldn’t be in school if they weren’t getting support like what we offer. This is all part of taking care of each other. That’s what the Lord asks of us.”

Parishioners at Our Lady of Lourdes have continued to support the school financially. Thanks to generous donations, we continue to send about $6,000 to $9,000 to the school every two months.

Unfortunately, Allan could not witness the continued fruits of the relationship, as he passed away in 2012 at the age of 64. But Kathleen knows his legacy lives on through this ministry.

“Allan was so loved by our parish,” Kathleen says.

“People have been so generous to this ministry. It’s been a beautiful way to carry on Allan’s legacy.”

Over the years, Allan and Kathleen led many trips to Guatemala. Some were to meet the people, while others were to help with medical and dental needs. Throughout several trips, one of Allan’s dreams — to add on to the school — came to fru-

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ition. Parishioners and others on the trip added a teacher’s lounge, office and additional classrooms.

The classrooms are used for college preparation for female students. This is an opportunity these women would have never had otherwise if not for the school and the sisters.

The work of this ministry has been impacted a bit by the pandemic — Kathleen previously organized Guatemalan coffee and chocolate sales after Mass. She would love to get this part of the ministry going again, with a bit of help. The money raised went straight to the sisters.

Kathleen would also love to have help in planning trips to Guatemala, with the goal of seeing the trips start up again. The trips serve the purpose of building relationships and helping with the needs of the school and sisters.

“This ministry shows that people in our parish want to connect to a need in a developing country,” Kathleen says. “When we give to the sisters, this is a direct connection. The money goes right to where it is needed, and they send an update every month.”

Kathleen would love to connect with parishioners who want to lend a hand in the Children of God Ministry. It means so much to her to honor Allan in this way.

“When I think about Allan, I think he has got to be pleased,” she says. “He has to be smiling. He knows he did something important in his life and that’s pretty cool.”

“The way out of poverty is education. These girls get to eat decent food, receive room and board, and education. These girls wouldn’t be in school if they weren’t getting support like what we offer. This is all part of taking care of each other. That’s what the Lord asks of us.” - Kathleen DeRubio If you would like to learn more about the Children of God Ministry, please contact Kathleen DeRubio at katmcd8@gmail.com or 919-656-1512.

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A LETTER FROM OUR PASTOR

START 2022 WITH A CLEAN SPIRITUAL SLATE Dear Parishioners,

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he month of January gets its name from Janus, the ancient Roman god of doors and gates. His image was always carved or painted with two faces, one looking forward and the other backward.

This reflected, of course, that you can go either out a door or in through one.

From this very specific function, his role was generalized to include all beginnings and new endeavors.

Because of Janus’s place in the Roman pantheon, it seemed natural to the Romans to name the first month of the civil year after him. (The Church year began back with the First Sunday of Advent on November 28 th .) And although we no longer worship the pagan gods of the ancient Romans, the name has stuck down the centuries.

But we’re not immune to the human instinct that moved the Romans to name the first month after Janus. His double countenance, facing forward and backward, reflects how we approach the coming of each new year.

The last week of the old year finds the newspapers and TV programs giving a glance back at the past year (“the 10 best, or worst, movies of…” and such) along with predictions of what the new year will bring.

Just like the secular world does — Janus-like — we both look back at our own successes and failures, happy events, and sad ones, during the year just ending and also forward to the new year as we prepare our resolutions.

When we reflect back at the blessings we’ve received, our hearts should be filled with gratitude.

And blessings there have been, no matter how difficult the year has been. But for most of us there have been failures and failings, too. That calls for repentance, and perhaps a trip to the confessional – but God, who makes “all things new” (Rv 21:5), will then give us a clean spiritual slate to begin the new year with.

I’d also like to challenge you to include your grateful response to God as you make your resolu-

tions for the new year. You don’t have to wait until you fill out a commitment card to decide this is the year when you’re actually going to attend Mass once a week in addition to Sunday (or begin worshiping every Sunday if you haven’t been doing so) or to pray the Rosary every week or to begin regular prayers with your family. Include in your resolutions how you are going to get involved in some ministry in the parish or some service to the community, and then do so. Decide to become more faithful in your financial stewardship if your treasure commitment is less than it should be.

Look forward to the new year and bring Christ and his Church to the center of your resolutions. Then see what a good year it will be, with God at the center! As I’ve said many times before, the best of you is yet to come. Let this be the year that we take our walk with the Lord to the next level.

May God bless you abundantly throughout this new year.

In Christ,

Fr. Patrick Keane Pastor

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CATHOLIC SCHO Celebrating the Spirit and Many

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nce a year, Catholic schools throughout the whole nation set aside an entire week to celebrate the gift of Catholic education. Here at Our Lady of Lourdes, we have a lot planned to make Catholic Schools Week special for the staff, students, and parish community. Chris Sutton, Principal of Our Lady of Lourdes School, thinks of this week as a sort of spiritual Spirit Week.

“It’s a Catholic Spirit Week,” Mr. Sutton says. “It’s a nationwide celebration of Catholic schools. Catholic schools are relatively small, but their impact is powerful.”

While the school will have plenty of fun to celebrate — with dress-up days and all you might expect from a spirit week — Catholic Schools Week is also a reminder of what makes a Catholic education unique.

“One of our mottos might be ora et labora, pray and work,” Mr. Sutton says. “We are going to pray together and we’re going to have community. We

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rely on the perfect example, the perfect teacher — Christ is the inspiration for every teacher and staff member. He is the guide of the teachers and inspiration of the students.”

A Catholic education teaches to the whole person, forming the heart, mind, and soul of each student. A Catholic school stands on the foundation of the faith first, then offers academic excellence. All of it is rooted in a spirit of service.

“Christ came to serve, not be served,” Mr. Sutton says. “Christ said, ‘Feed my sheep.’ As Christ does, we follow that example.”

Throughout Catholic Schools Week, we will celebrate our entire community by showing our gratitude for all the people who work together to make our school a success. One day will focus on teacher appreciation, another day will highlight our volunteers, and on another day we will celebrate the students themselves.

Traditionally, the school hosts an Open House,

OLS WEEK 2022: Blessings of Catholic Education Art Show, and Science Fair, each of which showcases the hard work of the students. The community will be welcome to come and see the fruit of the students’ labor and get an inside look into what goes on at the school.

Mr. Sutton sees his work at Our Lady of Lourdes as a ministry — having the opportunity to work in a place where faith is central is a huge blessing.

“It’s responding to Christ’s call to serve one another,” he says. “I can live out my faith and be able to point to what saves me.”

He hopes that this blessing is shared by everyone, staff and students alike. At the end of Catholic Schools Week, Mr. Sutton hopes his students come away with a deeper understanding of their value and dignity.

“I hope they take away that they are loved, they are cared about, and that their life is respected,” Mr. Sutton says. “You’re made in the image and likeness of God.”

If you would like to learn more about Our Lady of Lourdes School, please visit the school website at www.olls.org.

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STEWARDSHIP:

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The Four Pillars

ou’ve heard about the three Ts of stewardship, but what about the four Ps? The three Ts – Time, Talent, and Treasure – describe the personal gifts we offer to the Church.

The four Ps are the Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship described by the renowned pastor Msgr. Thomas McGread. They are the hallmark of a stewardship parish – Hospitality, Prayer, Formation, and Service. Let’s take a look at each of them to understand how we can improve in each area.

Hospitality Christian Kindness “When I was a stranger, you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). The Gospel teaches that whenever we welcome the least of our brothers or sisters, we welcome Christ Himself. That is why the first mark of a stewardship parish is hospitality. Being friendly is one of the first ways we can be Christ-like toward others.

Modern Catholic parishes are often so large and have so many Masses that many parishioners don’t know one another. To create a sense of community, be sure to smile and greet others as you enter and exit the Church. Let’s try harder than ever to be a welcoming community.

Prayer Heart-to-Heart with God “Do not become so involved in the work of the Lord that you forget the Lord of the work,” a seminary professor once taught. In other words, don’t get so caught up with parish projects and outreach efforts that you forget to draw aside to spend time with God in prayer. Every great saint has taught that prayer is the most essential component in the life of the Christian. Through prayer, we nurture our most important relationship – the one that will last for all eternity.

A healthy prayer life should include communal prayer such as Mass, as well as personal prayer and family prayer. The two biggest obstacles to prayer are lack of time and lack of understanding of how to pray. We have to schedule time for prayer just as we would for an important appointment. And we have to learn how to pray from other people. Many saints have written spiritual books that describe different methods of prayer.

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Formation Continuous Conversion Pope John Paul II always emphasized ongoing conversion. From childhood through adulthood, our whole life must be a process of drawing closer to God. He never stops calling us forward to learn more and to examine ourselves more deeply.

Very often our society values material things more than interior virtues. But as personal experience shows, when we finally acquire the car or house or “toy” that we wanted so badly, it doesn’t really satisfy. On the other hand, we don’t tend to desire spiritual virtues with the same kind of longing, but when we actually have them, we find them far more rewarding than material things.

Service Love in Action “Amen I say to you, whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).

This Scripture was one of St. Teresa of Calcutta’s favorites. Each time she picked up a poor and hungry child, she knew she was ministering to Christ.

While we may not view ourselves as saints, we too are called to such heroic service right within our own community. As St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “To be a saint is not the privilege of a few, but the duty of everyone.”

We have many service opportunities right here within our own parish. If you have the willingness to serve and take the initiative to find where you are needed, you’ll find that there is no end to the families and individuals who truly need help. How can you reach out to them in love?

M E E T B O B A N D K A T H Y K L E I N: Living Life to the Full for Jesus

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or the past 24 years, we have been blessed to have Bob and Kathy Klein as an integral part of our parish family. Whether it is worshiping Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration or saving the lives of unborn babies through the Pro-Life Ministry, their hearts are invested in bringing Christ’s love to the world around them.

“Soon after joining the parish, it felt very natural for us to get involved in the Pro-Life Ministry, and that remains our main focus now,” Kathy says. “Our favorite way to be involved in the parish is by offering parishioners ways to support the dignity of life. However, we also help out Birthchoice pregnancy care center, serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Communion, and are auxiliary members of the Legion of Mary.”

Over the years, the Kleins have found that by giving their time generously to prayer, they will be abundantly blessed in return.

“We have grown closer to Christ through our involvement with the Adoration Chapel Ministry,” Bob says. “We have been going to adoration since it began and we continue to go weekly as committed adorers.

There have been many answered prayers within our family thanks to adoration. Our daughter, Elizabeth, is a perfect example and testament to the power of prayer and faith in our lives. She is now 29, works as a fourth-grade teacher, and is engaged to be married in October of 2022. We are so happy for her!”

Furthermore, they also enjoy taking part in our parish suppers, Holy Week liturgies, Advent Penance services, and First Sunday Coffee and Donuts.

By being active in our parish family, they have discovered the beauty of the Catholic faith and many of

The Klein family

the blessings that come along with it.

“All of the things we do with the parish bring us a sense of community,” Kathy says. “We especially experience profound fellowship with our fellow parishioners by being very involved in the Pro-Life Ministry. They support what we do. The positive feedback they give us makes us stronger and helps us know we are doing the right thing. Further, hearing

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All of the things we do with the parish bring us a sense of community. We especially experience profound fellowship with our fellow parishioners by being very involved in the Pro-Life Ministry.

They support what we do. The positive feedback they give us makes us stronger, and helps us know we are doing the right thing. Further, hearing back from Birthchoice about babies that are saved reminds us that we are doing what God wants all of us to do. We believe that it is a testament to the power of hard work, faith and prayer.

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Kathy Klein

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2718 Overbrook Drive | Raleigh, North Carolina 27608 919-861-4600 | ourladyoflourdescc.org

MEET BOB AND KATHY KLEIN

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back from Birthchoice about babies that are saved reminds us that we are doing what God wants all of us to do. We believe that it is a testament to the power of hard work, faith, and prayer.”

As faithful stewards of God’s great gift of life, the Kleins embrace His charity and goodness in an extraordinary way.

“Our Pro-Life Ministry promotes the Church’s teaching regarding the dignity of life from conception to natural death,” Bob says.

Some of the many activities in which the ProLife Ministry participates include the following: Bumper Sticker Sunday; the Novena of Divine Mercy at A Woman’s Choice on Drake Circle; the Raleigh March for Life; the Pro-Life Rosary before

our parish Masses; the Holy Hour on the third Sunday of each month in the Adoration Chapel; the annual Life Chain in October; the annual Run for Life; and the Birthchoice Baby Shower. They also organize buses for people to attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C. When asked why they believe it is so important for Catholics to be involved in pro-life ministry work, especially at this time in our nation and world, Kathy offers her perspective.

“Changing hearts and minds takes one prayer at a time,” she says. “There are so many great pro-life opportunities available through our parish, which can help save lives and strengthen families. All are welcome to join us!”

For more information, please contact Bob or Kathy Klein at 919-815-3237 or blk4jmj@gmail.com. If you are interested in attending the D.C. March for Life, please contact Kathy at 919-815-1369 or at blk4jmj@gmail.com.

Mass Times

SATURDAY VIGIL, 5:00 PM | SUNDAY, 9:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM Spanish, 5:00 PM MONDAY, 8:00 AM | TUE — FRI, 8:30 AM | THURSDAY, 6:30 PM Spanish Confession Times: WEDNESDAY, 12:00 PM | SATURDAY, 3:00 PM