St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Newsletter — January 2022

Saint CATHOLIC CHURCH We Are Blessed with Opportunities to Embrace Contents: 2 Stewardship: New

Year’s Resolutions

3 A Big Year Ahead

For Our Parish In 2022

4 Birthright: A Ministry

of Compassion and Dignity for All

6 The Feast

of the Epiphany Celebrating the Revelation of God to Mankind

7 The Early Childhood

Development Center: Joyfully Teaching and Forming Children in the Faith

JANUARY 2022

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new year is often the perfect time to take an inventory of our life, evaluate what we do well and when we are the happiest, and consider the ways we can improve ourselves. Here at St. Francis Xavier, a new year is an opportune time to do the same thing as a faith community.

“2020 and 2021 will go down in history as difficult times for our parish and many families and individuals in our community,” says Fr. Brian O’Brien. “But with God’s help, we made it through and things are looking brighter.”

Indeed, with over 30 people initiated into the Church, dozens baptized and dozens of couples married, 2021 was an exciting year of celebrating the sacraments at St. Francis Xavier. Our community continues to serve those in need through Catholic Charities, Love Thy Neighbor, and supporting the Center of Family Love. Through these examples of service, we encounter the Lord and grow with Him. In turn, we will only grow closer to the Lord as we continue to serve in the parish and community this year. continued on page 5

Saint CATHOLIC CHURCH

Stewardship: New Year’s Resolutions

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he New Year has arrived, and we have all been busy making — and trying to keep — our list of New Year’s resolutions. Many of us choose resolutions geared toward health and fitness. After all, possessing good overall health is critical to our well-being. Others may try to avoid a particularly bad habit.

Maybe you need to quit smoking or stop swearing. Still, many of us plan things we have always wanted to do, but never get around to doing.

As the days of January continue onward, however, many of us find the inspiration of keeping our goodintentioned resolutions to be fading fast. By the end of the month, most of us have given in to our temptations and returned to our old ways. We are only human, right? Discouraged by this yearly failure, many of us don’t even bother making New Year’s resolutions anymore, especially if we feel like we won’t succeed.

Maybe our failures lie in both how we make our resolutions and what resolutions we actually choose. What we need to understand is the “root” of our resolution. For example, if you resolve to eat less candy to drop those recently added holiday pounds, is the “root” of your resolution a selfish one — wanting to look better since you overindulged? Are you genuinely seeking to stop giving in to each “sweet tooth” craving by practicing mortification — giving up of a personal pleasure to glorify God? If the “root” is a selfish one, only to benefit yourself,

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then it is often difficult to keep in the long run. However, if we are trying to glorify God, our mission is much more important and worth keeping.

Tying your New Year’s resolutions into the principles of stewardship — giving of your time, talent and treasure back to God — is a great way to ensure that the “root” of your resolution is right on track! For instance, resolving to pray each evening before going to bed glorifies God, brings you peace before slumber, and allows you to grow in your relationship with Christ. The “root” is pure. Your desire to keep it will be stronger and make it easier for you to keep. In the same way, resolving to return your talents to God by helping others in need is an excellent choice in creating a selfless resolution with the right “root.” Furthermore, resolving to re-evaluate your finances is also extremely important, and the beginning of a new year is a great time to do it. Are you giving back to God out of gratitude for all He has given you, or are you merely dropping a dollar or two in the collection basket just to feel good about yourself?

If you are not where you would like to be as a good steward — either with sharing your time, talent or treasure — you can resolve to do better. The New Year is a perfect opportunity to start anew and become the good steward that God desires each of us to become.

And when we choose selfless things that build His kingdom instead of ours, we are sure to not only stay on track, but to succeed!

A LETTER FROM OUR PASTOR

A Big Year Ahead For Our Parish In 2022 Dear Parishioners, erry Christmas! I love saying that even into January as we’re still in the Christmas season in these early days of the month. But it’s also the new year, 2022. A friend of mine recently said, “I’m still trying to process 2020!” We had a good laugh.

But it is 2022 and we have big plans at the parish to continue to help you Encounter the Lord, Grow with Him, and then Go and make disciples. Our new Director of Evangelization and Formation Jessica Petter will be leading us in a parish-wide Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. During Lent, we’ll focus on the Scriptures. This summer we’ll have a ton of opportunities for Xavier Kids and Xavier Teens to grow in their faith. I can sum it up by simply saying that 2022 has the potential to be our best year yet!

I’m so pleased that we’re featuring Birthright of Stillwater and the exceptional work they do in helping new moms and women in crisis pregnancy to choose life. This is truly the work of God! The leadership of Birthright of Stillwater is almost entirely made up of our parishioners and we have the privilege to financially support this pro-life work in our local community, Finally, I hope you’ll pray for our Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) as they celebrate Catholic Schools Week. This is a nationwide celebration aimed at supporting and making known the AMAZING work being done in Catholic schools around the country. We are blessed with a great preschool under the leadership of Claudia Ogrin and a very talented staff.

Maybe our ECDC could be the foundation for a larger Catholic school? Let’s pray and see if that’s God’s will for us.

Have a great January! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

M

In Christ,

Very Rev. Brian O’Brien Pastor, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church

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Saint CATHOLIC CHURCH

Birthr

A Ministry of Compassio

Jeanne Campbell, Joyce Pool and Joshua Hawkins serving with Birthright

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s Pope St. John Paul II once said, “I plead with you — never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” Birthright of Stillwater is doing their part to follow this command as they provide essential help to women in our community.

An unexpected pregnancy is a time that is often filled with fear, discouragement, and hopelessness for these women. But Birthright is there to support, encourage and give them hope.

Birthright is a national charter but it is also a part of the ministries and stewardship of St. Francis Xavier. The parish

supports the Birthright center and is a source of support and evangelization for the women that they encounter. The board is made up of parishioners from St. Francis Xavier, and the center is supported by the parish as well as several other churches and groups in the community.

“The message of Birthright is that of love,” says Jeanne Campbell, who has served as director for nearly two years.

“Every baby has the right to be born. We show love to others like Jesus did and offer compassion to others with a servant’s heart.”

The center provides counseling services to pregnant women and helps to make them aware of their options. Assisting the women with important needs — from housing to education and helping connect them to essential services that they need as well — the center typically supports the families for two years.

“We have around 20 volunteers between the ages of continued on page 5

If you are interested in volunteering with Birthright, please contact 405-377-5683 and ask to speak with Joyce. Donations may be dropped off during office hours — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesday, from 3 to 6 p.m. Arrangements can also be made to pick up donations by calling the office.

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on and Dignity for All 18 and 91,” Jeanne says. “We have a hospitality committee that provides food and refreshments for our classes and educational sessions once a quarter. These classes include life skills such as budgeting and applying for jobs. We have some fun classes, as well. We also just started a group on emotional wellness.”

This ministry is truly doing

God’s work to provide dignity to all human life. As Birthright supports the mothers through these difficult times, it also gives dignity and humanity to the unborn children.

“We see that we are doing the Lord’s work and He guides us,” Jeanne says. “Sometimes we struggle to figure out where we will get the money for something or trying to

figure out how we will make something work. Yet, He always provides. It really is truly amazing to see how faithful He is in this work.”

The generosity of the parish is a huge blessing. Birthright is always looking for prayers and more volunteers. Pull-up diapers and wipes are always needed.

Presently, they are in need of boys’ clothes and maternity clothes.

continued from front cover “Looking ahead to 2022, I am most excited for our January parish-wide Marian Consecration, the continued growth of RCIA, summer activities, and moving our stained glass window project forward,” Fr. O’Brien says. “In fact, I would not be surprised if we pass the 1,000-household mark in registered families by the end of this year.”

There are so many opportunities for parishioners to participate in ministries and other parish offerings in both English and Spanish. The Marian Consecration this month was facilitated by Jessica Petter, our new Director of Evangelization and Formation. Fr. O’Brien will also be offering a short series on The Gospel of Life, St. John Paul II’s 1995

encyclical on life issues. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament continues to grow, as do the Xavier Kids and Xavier Teens programs, and our ECDC. Engaging in these opportunities and more in-person activities like Bible studies will foster further growth and participation in our faith.

Although it is sometimes too easy to become stagnant in our routines, let us take this new year as an opportunity for each of us to add something new to our faith lives.

“Dive in!” Fr. O’Brien says. “There is nothing more important than our relationship with the Lord. Ask yourself, ‘Do I take my relationship with Christ seriously?’ If not, something needs to change. We must encounter Him over and over again. 2022 is the time!”

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Saint CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Feast of the Epiphany Celebrating the Revelation of God to Mankind

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hile “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is one of the most popular and widely recorded Christmas carols in America and Europe, its lyrics are rarely recognized as referring to the 12 days that stretch from Christmas Day on Dec. 25 until the glorious Feast of the Epiphany.

For centuries, we as Catholics celebrated this feast as the commemoration of the coming of the Magi on Jan. 6, but the decision was made a number of years ago (at least in the United States) to celebrate Epiphany on the Sunday that falls between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8.

But exactly which “manifestation” of Christ Jesus do we recognize on the Feast of the Epiphany? The Western Church reserves Jan. 6 as the commemoration of the coming of the Magi. These three men, traditionally named Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, travel in haste towards the Christ Child and remain an undying testimony to the long pilgrimage of peoples in search of salvation.

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On the Feast of the Epiphany in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged that this celebration elucidates not only man’s pilgrimage towards God, but also God’s pilgrimage towards man in the person of Jesus Christ.

He spoke of the glorious incarnation with these words: “It was out of love that He made Himself history in our history.”

On the Feast of the Epiphany, therefore, we come to realize that we are all on a pilgrimage towards Christ, the source of salvation. This pilgrimage is unique to each and every man, but results in a universal and dynamic experience — a constant “growing closer” between God and man. It is for this opportunity that we rejoice!

In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “Happy are those who, while possessing the truth, search more earnestly for it in order to renew it, deepen it and transmit it to others. Happy also are those who, not having found it, are working toward it with a

On the Feast of the Epiphany, we come to realize that we are all on a pilgrimage towards Christ, the source of salvation.

This pilgrimage is unique to each and every man, but results in a universal and dynamic experience — a constant “growing closer” between God and man. It is for this opportunity that we rejoice! sincere heart. May they seek the light of tomorrow with the light of today until they reach the fullness of light.”

Now when asked: “What occurs on the 12th day of Christmas?” we can respond with joyful certitude: “Epiphany!”

The Early Childhood

Development Center: Joyfully Teaching and Forming Children in the Faith

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s Pope Francis once stated to a general audience, “Children are the joy of the family and of society.” At St. Francis Xavier’s Early Childhood Development Center, we take the formation of our children seriously. Young children bring life into our church and watching our children grow in faith and knowledge is a joy for our teachers.

Years ago, before the new church was built, Amy Crawford’s children attended St. Francis Xavier’s preschool program. Now, Mrs. Crawford is back for her fourth year teaching in the 2-year-old classroom. While she also has experience working in public school, Mrs. Crawford has found that teaching in a Catholic school brings a particular joy to her work.

“I love being able to get a few reminders every day of why we are all really here,” Mrs. Crawford says. “I love being able

Amy Crawford with her class of 2-year-olds

to pray with the kids.”

While many of the families who send their children to the program aren’t Catholic, Mrs. Crawford says that they are all incredibly respectful and it is understood that the teachers will be praying, teaching the faith, and talking about Jesus.

“For parents, it might be their

first time in a church setting,” Mrs. Crawford says. “I realized that the way I behave and the things I say are observed. It’s made me want to be better and do better so I can help those children and families.”

As Mrs. Crawford teaches the 2-year-olds to pray and make the Sign of the Cross, she also continued on back cover

“I love hearing their prayers. They’re showing that they realize people need to be prayed for. Hopefully we are setting a foundation for these children that they’re going to continue to grow on to become their own disciples of Christ.” — Amy Crawford

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Saint CATHOLIC CHURCH St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church 711 N. Country Club Rd • Stillwater, OK 74075 Web: www.SFXStillwater.org Phone: (405) 372-6886

The Early Childhood Development Center continued from page 7

gets to hear the humorous things they pray for, like a cartoon character that had a bad day.

“I love hearing their prayers,” she says. “They’re showing that they realize people need to be prayed for. Hopefully, we are setting a foundation for these children that they’re going to continue to grow on to become their own disciples of Christ.”

Teaching has left its mark on Mrs. Crawford. Working in a Catholic school has provided her with the wonderful opportunity to grow in her own faith.

“It’s taught me compassion and patience for sure,” Mrs. Crawford says.

“It’s made me stronger in my faith and I rely on my faith in different situations throughout the day. I’m very thankful.”

In particular, Mrs. Crawford loves seeing how quickly the children learn, and she has found teaching to be incredibly rewarding.

“I love the individual teaching moments that I hadn’t planned for,” she says. “These children are so special and I’m so thankful that I get to be a small part of their early education.”

If you would like to learn more about the Early Childhood Development Center, please visit the website at www.sfxstillwater.org/ecdc or call the center at 405-334-5154.

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