St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Newsletter — May 2021

Saint Francis F rancis Xavier CATHOLIC CHURCH

Saturday MorningRosary

L eaning

Contents: 3 Pentecost: The “Birth” of Stewardship

4 Introducing Our New Children’s Minister, Jacob Farni Led by God’s Providence

6 The May Crowning

Celebrating the Coronation of Mary

7 Catholic Charities

Stillwater: Bringing Education to Those in Need

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P

erhaps now, more than ever, we can all appreciate the steady rhythms of life that bring a sense of calm and normalcy. For many, prayer is one of those things that brings a sense of profound comfort amid a seemingly everchanging world. For those who gather every Saturday morning to pray the Rosary together, inviting the Blessed Mother into their lives brings a feeling of peace.

“It’s just reassuring that we’re sustained by our Blessed Mother,” says parishioner Kevin Larios, who coordinates the group.

“There’s something about getting up on Saturday morning and going and saying the Rosary. This is just another important routine that I thrive on — I’ve got to have it.”

Except for a brief period at the beginning of the pandemic, the group has continued to meet in person — masked and socially distant — every Saturday at 8 a.m. in the continued on page 2

MAY 2021

Group:

Every Saturday morning at 8 a.m., a group of parishioners gathers to pray the Rosary together.

Saint

Francis Xavier CATHOLIC CHURCH

Saturday MorningRosary

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on the

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B lessed Mother

continued from front cover church. On the first Saturday of the month, they pray a unique form of the Rosary, which includes additional reflections, to aid in prayer and meditation on the Mysteries of the Rosary.

“It’s a beautiful Rosary, it really is,” Kevin says of the First Saturday devotion. “It helps me go deeper into each of the mysteries.”

Praying this version of the Rosary has influenced the way that Kevin prays, even when not with the group.

“It probes deeply into each mystery and expands upon each Hail Mary,” Kevin says. “You go deeper into each mystery.”

Although parishioners are certainly encouraged to pray the Rosary on their own at home or join in the parish livestream Rosary each evening, for some there is something special about gathering in person.

“I find it very satisfying and fulfilling to be able to pray with others, to our Blessed Mother,” Kevin says.

The group does miss their weekly post-Rosary breakfast fellowship, however, and looks forward to when they will be able to socialize that way again.

“We visit for a little while before and after the Rosary, there in the narthex, but it’s just not the same as sitting around a dining room table and chatting and sipping coffee,” Kevin says. “We miss that.”

Praying the Rosary has become an important

part of Kevin’s prayer, meditating of the Mysteries of the life of Christ and the Blessed Mother, as well as interceding for the needs of those he loves.

“It’s repetition, but you’re meditating at the same time,” Kevin says. “You’re not just rattling off words, but you’re prayerfully meditating and reflecting on the Mysteries. Your mind may wander but as you say the prayers, but it allows you to get focused. I’m reflecting on that scene as I’m praying the prayers.”

The weekly Rosary is also an opportunity for the group’s members to share in the parish’s mission of evangelization, by inviting others to deepen their faith and relationship with the Blessed Mother.

“There are always opportunities to invite others to join us in praying the Rosary,” Kevin says. “It might be a family member, co-worker, neighbor, or maybe that friend who is not Catholic, but had inquired about what the Rosary is all about. Extending that invitation to come along at the next available Saturday is a great example in helping fulfill the parish’s mission of evangelization.”

Kevin encourages fellow parishioners to consider joining the group for prayer. He hopes that even if people aren’t familiar with how to pray the Rosary, they will come, and those present will help them learn along the way.

“All are welcome to come pray with us on Saturday morning,” Kevin says.

If you would like more information on the Saturday Rosary group, please contact Kevin Larios at klarios357@earthlink.net or 405-780-3009.

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A LETTER FROM OUR PASTOR

Pentecost: The “Birth”

of Stewardship

Dear Parishioners,

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s we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost on May 23, which is one of the most significant events in the life of the Church, I can’t help but relate the outpouring of the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the first disciples as “the birth of stewardship.”

As a stewardship parish, we have come to understand it in our personal lives and our parish life as the work of the Holy Spirit, active and inspiring us to be the disciples Jesus called us to be, just as He did those very first disciples. It just makes sense to once again realize and acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit in our decisions to be authentic disciples of Jesus Christ.

As every parent knows, birth brings new life to every family, and the “birth of stewardship” here in our parish has brought new life to us, personally and communally, and continues to do so. We had a “Pentecost event” when the message of stewardship was first brought to our parish, and it hasn’t been the same since. Many curious people of our parish and from around the country ask the question, “How did all of this begin?” The only answer is, “moved by conversion, we knew stewardship was going to be the ‘plan’ for our future as disciples and as a parish.” It makes sense.

For some, like me, it took a conversion of sorts to move us from unbelievers to believers, and from fear or suspicion to courage and confidence in the values and ideals of stewardship. Reading the accounts of the Acts of the Apostles, it wasn’t much different for them. Their experience is our experience and continues to encourage us to be open to the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. That “Spirit” renews the “Pentecost event” in each of us, as we practice discipleship as we know it

through the stewardship way of life.

Also, as with each new birth, the life that begins needs to be nourished, nurtured and loved.

Through our understanding of the four pillars of parish stewardship — hospitality, prayer, formation and service — we each are called to nourish, nurture and love our parish family with the gifts we bring to each other. As well, without ever really knowing how much of an impact we have on each other’s spiritual lives, we trust the Holy Spirit to continue the “good work of faithful stewardship” in each of us and to those around us. Isn’t that what the first Pentecost event started, and isn’t that what you see in our parish, especially since our own “birth of stewardship”?

God has blessed our parish family and continues to do so, as the Holy Spirit continues to pour out gifts upon us and send us forth to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. As we grow and mature in our stewardship efforts, how fortunate we are that the stewardship way of life has become our way of life. May we always give thanks to God for the Holy Spirit’s gift to each of us — for, when we do, it seems only natural to be inspired to live discipleship as it was intended to be lived in the first disciples and in each of us.

In Christ,

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

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Saint

Francis Xavier CATHOLIC CHURCH

introducing

B

y now, many parishioners have likely noticed a new smiling, energetic face around the St. Francis Xavier campus.

We are pleased to welcome Jacob Farni as our Children’s Minister! Jacob brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position, as well as the most important quality in a faith formation minister — a great passion for helping others grow in their faith through meaningful personal encounters with the Lord.

Jacob grew up on a farm in western Oklahoma. His family attended St. Matthew Catholic Church in Elk City, and Jacob went to a small school in Canute. Still today, he likes to call his grade school a “public Catholic school” because the majority of his teachers were Catholic. While going to Mass and receiving the sacraments was always an important part of his life, Jacob had never really considered applying to a Catholic university until he learned that he would be able to play college basketball if he went to St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee.

Jacob may have gone to St. Gregory’s for the basketball, but he graduated four years later having gained so much more.

“It was God putting me in the right place at the right time,” Jacob says of his college experience. “The monks there were amazing, and I had really faithful friends. By my sophomore year, I had this kind of reconversion. I just realized what I believe and how amazing it was.

My heart moved from being almost obsessed with basketball to a passion and zeal for the Church, and I knew that ministry was something I had a talent for.”

This realization led Jacob to the position

Jacob Farni is the new Children’s Minister at St. Francis Xavier.

of Director of Religious Education at his home parish of St. Matthew. He loved forming children in the faith so much that after three years, he began to wonder if God was calling him to one day be able to offer them the sacraments by following a path to the priesthood. Jacob explored that possible vocation at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary.

After a year of seminarian studies and a lot of prayer, Jacob discerned that lay ministry in the Church was his true calling. Not long after making that decision, he realized just how perfect God’s plans for him really were.

“It was God’s providence that led me to St. continued on page 5

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Led by

Our New Children’s Minister,

Jacob Farni

y God’s Providence Francis Xavier,” says Jacob. “Fr. O’Brien told me that the parish had put out the notice for the Children’s Minister job opening before the lockdown but hadn’t found what they were looking for.

So they had closed it and then reopened it again in October, right when I discerned out of seminary. If that’s not God’s grace, it’s hard to say what is!”

As soon as Jacob started as our parish Children’s Minister, he could see that great things were happening in our faith community. This became even more evident when Jacob had the opportunity to join a trip that our RCIC — Rite of Christian Initiation of Children — students took to meet the bishop.

“That was an amazing day with a great group of kids,” Jacob says. “Seeing all the work Fr. O’Brien and Stacy and the staff are doing for evangelization is so energizing. A lot of these kids are in families where the whole family is coming into the Church, and that was really incredible to see.”

One of the highlights of being a Children’s Minister is witnessing a time of great spiritual growth in our youngest

parishioners, especially as they prepare to receive the sacraments.

“I love First Communion preparation,” Jacob says. “You have the most fun, and you can see the children’s excitement.

The second-graders prepare for First Reconciliation the first semester and then focus on the Mass and the Eucharist, getting ready to share a meal as a family of God. Our catechist has been doing this for 15 years and is just amazing.”

Energized by the many ways he has seen the Spirit moving here at St. Francis Xavier, Jacob feels blessed to be serving our parish families and children as the Children’s Minister.

“Our parish motto is, ‘Encounter Jesus Christ, form a relationship with Him, and go make disciples,’” he says.

“My goal with the kids in pre-K through fifth grade is to get back to the basics, teaching children that God loves them and He sent His Son to be with them. My goal is to lead them into an encounter with Jesus so that they know His love and can go to Him at any time. I want to give them the opportunity for that encounter and growth.”

My goal with the kids in pre-K through fifth grade is to get back to the basics, teaching children that God loves them and He sent His Son to be with them. My goal is to lead them into an encounter with Jesus so that they know His love and can go to Him at any time. I want to give them the opportunity for that encounter and growth. — Jacob Farni

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Francis Xavier CATHOLIC CHURCH

The

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May Crowning

Celebrating the Coronation of Mary

or many Catholics, May Crownings of statues or icons of the Blessed Mother have become rites of spring. Like flowers blooming or Mother’s Day, this annual Marian devotion reminds us that the cold of winter is behind us, and it ushers in a month during which the Catholic Church pays special homage to Mary as the Queen of Heaven and Mother of God. Generally taking place during the first weekend of the month, May Crownings bring children — often, recent First Communicants — out in their Sunday best to participate in processions and adorn statues of the Blessed Mother with crowns of f lowers or actual gold crowns. Additionally, the children often place roses at her feet, and Catholics carry out similar practices in their homes by placing roses around statues of the Blessed Virgin, or even adding ornamentation to images of Mary.

But where did this practice come from, and how did it develop into the tradition that we currently know and love?

The Coronation of Mary had been a popular subject in European art and literature for centuries, but the tradition of the May Crowning can be most accurately traced back to the late 16th century. Perhaps inspired by the practice of adding ornamentation to Marian icons that had been carried out by some Eastern churches, Pope Clement VIII added two crowns to the icon of Mary with the Infant Jesus in the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. The crowns were eventually lost, but were replaced by Gregory XVI in 1837 in a rite that was to become the standard practice for crowning.

While the May Crowning is not an official liturgical celebration on the Church calendar,

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it is an important practice in honoring Mary as the Queen of the Universe, and its imagery is especially influential in the faith formation of children. As Liz Kelly writes in May Crowning, Mass, and Merton and Other Reasons I Love Being Catholic, “One of the defining aspects of being Catholic is devotion to Mary. I favor no Marian celebration more highly than May Crowning, the feast that recognizes Mary as queen of heaven and earth. To a person of any age, this is a mighty big title, but to a child of five or six or seven, it expands to enchanting, magical proportions. How many queens does one get a chance to meet in a lifetime, much less crown?”

This year, make a special effort to honor the coronation of Mary through participation in a personal or public May Crowning devotion.

Stillwater:

Catholic Charities Bringing Education to Those in Need

W

hen it comes to job opportunities, not having a high school diploma or GED can be a big hindrance. In particular, this lack of education often impacts our friends and neighbors in minority groups.

Catholic Charities Stillwater volunteers work to close this education gap so that people across all groups can have equal opportunities. The center is located at the former St. Francis Xavier Church at 601 S. West, Stillwater.

Mike Fitzgerald has been working with Catholic Charities for about a year. He coordinates all of the activities at the center, administers the various tests that are offered, and teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) with his wife, Robin.

“We are waging war on the last form of discrimination, educational racism,” he says.

All students in the ESL classes are St. Francis Xavier parishioners. The available tests are the GED and HiSET test, which is similar to a GED but more flexible. Free childcare is offered by volunteers at the center for children ages one and up. Mike notes many of the students are mothers.

Volunteer Guy Palladino and St. Francis Xavier Operation Manager Sheryl Lacy visit the Catholic Charities center.

“Time, talent, and treasure — it is our obligation to serve in these three ways,” Mike says.

“Volunteering with Catholic Charities is a way that qualifies for all three. There isn’t anything that is hard — it’s like working with your children on their homework. Just showing up and being there is the biggest part.”

The GED classes are a bit more work to teach, but Mike says anyone with basic schooling can be trained.

When we offer someone the

opportunity to further their education, we offer so much more than just a one-time gift.

The gift of education is one that keeps on giving.

“Showing Christ’s merciful love is the easiest and most important part of my ministry,” Mike says.

For Mike, it is enjoyable to make learning fun and to help people reach the “aha!” moments, where they suddenly understand a concept. The ESL classes are a two-hour commitment each Thursday. continued on back cover

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Saint

Francis Xavier CATHOLIC CHURCH

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

Catholic Charities Stillwater continued from page 7 The classes cover practical concepts, and volunteers help with pronunciation and practice. Mike’s goal is to create a community through these programs.

“We make it fun with things like a homework assignment where the students are asked to watch a movie in English and listen to one song in English and tell the class about it the following week,” Mike says.

Mike believes in the importance of this work because data shows those with a high school diploma or GED can make more money per year than those without. Education just opens the door for more opportunities.

If you can’t get involved in teaching, Catholic Charities needs donations to support their work. In 2020, $62,000 was raised at St. Francis Xavier.

Every dollar stays in Stillwater. Mike is so appreciative to all those who have given.

If you would like to get involved as a volunteer, please contact Volunteer Engagement at 918-508-7125 or email volunteer@cceok.org.

ONLINE GIVING:

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