St. John Before the Latin Gate Catholic Parish Newsletter — December 2020

Contents 2

Begin the Journey Home for Christmas

3 Unwrapping

the Gift of Stewardship 4 Supporting

St. John

Catholic

School and

the Value of

Catholic Education 6 Adult Bible Study

Developing a

Closer

Understanding

of God

DECEMBER 2020

St.John

Before the Latin Gate Roman Catholic Church

Enhancing the Beauty of Our Faith with the Help of the

T

Flower Committee

hanks to the Flower Committee, our parish building is touched by the life, color, and beauty of flowers and plants throughout the year.

“A priest once said that flowers and plants add to the beauty of the sanctuary,” says Sharon Janda, who coordinates the Flower Committee. “I agree with him! They draw parishioners into the Mass and help them focus on its purpose, which is to glorify God. Flowers bring a softer side to the Mass, create a more prayerful atmosphere in the church, and help to unify our parish family.”

What’s more, flowers can remind us of the Flower Committee members Renae Elmenhorst, Sabrina Gelado, love that the Blessed Mother has for us.

Sharon Janda and Janie Keleher “Flowers remind us of Mary, and of the more simplistic beauty found in everyday things,” Sharon says. “When we put out flowers, we make a sort of Marian offering. They reflect her beauty. When we place them at the foot of the altar, it is a reminder to us of Mary being at Jesus’ feet. When we put them at the foot of the cross, it speaks to us of how Mary prayed at the foot of the cross.”

The committee members enjoy setting out floral arrangements in honor of the seasons of the liturgical year, as well as in commemoration of special occasions in people’s lives. The floral arrangements reveal to us God’s goodness and creativity. continued on back cover

Christmas

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, 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.

You have read this entire article and have received a personal invitation to begin the journey.

Accidental? Not a chance.

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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A Letter From Our Pastor

Unwrapping the

Gift of Stewardship

Dear Parishioners,

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ost people associate stewardship with giving. Some think it is a desperate plea by the church asking parishioners to give some of your time, talent and treasure to a worthy cause. Some think it is a noble gesture that identifies a faithful steward, a common occurrence this time of year. And for some, it is an understanding that the stewardship way of life brings joy and blessings to the giver by returning a portion of the gifts he or she has received from God. At Christmas, when it is most common to give or receive gifts, should this not also be a time when the stewardship way of life becomes the gift that is unwrapped by our consciousness and treasured by our faith?

After all, the first gift of Christmas was the gift of God’s own Son. For those who may still be struggling to truly understand the stewardship way of life, that may be a concept that is difficult to accept, even at this time of year. But by living the stewardship way of life, it makes perfect sense to me. And during this season of faith, the gift of stewardship remains one of the blessings of my life as a Catholic, as a priest and as a pastor.

Before fully embracing a life of stewardship, I could justify wasting my time with less-thanworthwhile activities. I could rationalize withholding my talents, because I often thought somebody else would always step up and take care of things instead of me. I restricted or limited sharing my material resources, thinking it wouldn’t make a difference — 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 in what I did with my time, talent and treasure. But the days for

regretting my misunderstanding of the stewardship way of life are over.

Stewardship conversion changes all of that, and the reverse is now true.

The more time, talent and treasure that I can give, the more content and joyful I truly am. When is the last time you unwrapped a gift that gave you so much peace of mind and heart?

Maybe you have never been aware of receiving such a gift, or maybe God is just waiting for you to unwrap what He has always wanted you to have.

Perhaps it is the gift God wants you to have this year for Christmas.

The catalyst for stewardship is gratitude. And, as we recognize that all we have is a gift from God, it lights up our gratitude as if it were a large Christmas tree with too many lights on it to be counted. All we can do is look at it with wonder and awe, thankful for what we see, what we have, and the opportunity to give back something in gratitude. It is more than just a spirit of “holiday stewardship” that seems to be so common this time of year. It is the core of the stewardship way of life, and once that gift is unwrapped, our conversion takes hold and our lives are transformed into faithful stewardship intended by our God. I hope and pray that you and your family will be blessed during this season of God’s grace, unwrapping the gift of stewardship in your lives and finding joy and peace — both during this season of grace and all year long.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. John O’Neill Pastor 3

SUPPORTING

ST. JOHN CATHOLIC SCHO

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o say that the past year has been a rollercoaster for our parish school would be quite the understatement! However, amidst all the challenges and victories, and endless growth opportunities, we have come to know with even more certainty the value of Catholic education for our students, and the importance of supporting our school as a parish community.

There are several ways in which you can help our school continue to flourish, both as the end of the tax year approaches, as well as throughout 2021.

GO for Catholic Schools is an opportunity to turn your Oklahoma state income taxes into scholarships for Catholic school students.

This Oklahoma income tax incentive allows individuals, married couples and businesses to earn a state income tax credit worth up to 75 percent of the amount contributed to Catholic schools, through GO. Up to 90 percent of these donated funds go directly to helping our students at St. John Catholic School when you designate us as the primary recipient, and the remainder will go to Catholic schools in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. Last year, St. John School received $139,000 from GO for Catholic Schools, all of which went towards scholarships for our students.

“The beautiful part of this is people are supporting the scholarships for students to go to Catholic 4

Fr. John O’Neill, the St. John School administration, and our first-grade students receive the GO for Catholic Schools check.

schools, to get a faith-based education, even if they’re not Catholic,” says Elizabeth Thrash, Director of Development and Mission Advancement.

Although you can do it at any time during the year, the end of the year is the perfect time to create your account and donate to GO for Catholic Schools, applying it to your 2020 taxes. The process is simple and only takes about 15 minutes. Please visit: www.GOforcatholicschools.com to learn more and get started.

Our annual Gala will look a bit different this year, taking the form of a virtual celebration on

Saturday, Jan. 30. There will be an online raffle for five big-ticket items, the return of the auction of classroom projects and a few other surprises. The virtual format will allow us to share it with others not living locally, and participation will not rely on purchasing a ticket.

“The virtual event will be fun and entertaining. We’ll have prerecorded entertainment with students and music artists, and testimonies and things like that,” Elizabeth says. “It will be a great event.”

In the past, the funds raised from the Gala have gone to projects such as technology, play-

OOL AND THE VALUE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION ground completion, and teacher’s salaries.

Parishioners can also contribute to our school at any time through online giving at www.sjcs-ok.org/giving. Parishioners can choose options such as “Adopt-a-Student,” designate a monthly gift or contribute to a particular project.

There are also ways that parishioners can optimize their donations, especially for those who are already giving to the parish each month as part of their tithe, through employer matching gifts.

Employers are unable to match gifts directly to churches — however, they can match gifts made to schools, including St. John Catholic School “Whatever parishioners are giving to the church, some of it is going to the school, because the school is a ministry of the church,” Elizabeth says. “If a parishioner is an employee or retiree of an employer that matches their donations, then it doubles the parishioner’s donation. Employers cannot match a donation to the church, but they will give it to our school.”

Many employers will not only

“St. John Catholic School is continuing the Catholic faith and students are learning how to love others, and learning about the world and serving others.

All of those things are so much needed, especially with our youth being our future. It’s so important.”

— Elizabeth Thrash, SJS Director of Development & Mission Advancement match financial donations but will make donations on behalf of those who volunteer their time, as well.

Currently, this program is already set up with ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, and ONE Gas. Last year, with these types of grants, donations, and matching corporate gifts, the school received $240,000 for general support, Adopt-a-Student, playground equipment, and COVID expenses.

Legacy giving is another way to support our school and ensure that our faith continues to be passed on, for many years to come.

“Through legacy giving, you make your legacy one of compassion,” Elizabeth says. “By including St. John School in your will and/or Financial Planning, your legacy is keeping and sustaining a faith-based education. We’re trying to not only meet the needs of

the school today or even next year, but for future generations.”

Parishioners are also encouraged to donate to our school through Amazon Smile and Financial Advisor funds and accounts.

Being an ambassador for our school is also an important way to support us, sharing our mission, and needs with others in the community.

“If you’re thinking, ‘I committed to stewardship, how can I do that?’

These are some ways you can help the school,” Elizabeth says.

“St. John Catholic School is continuing the Catholic faith and students are learning how to love others, and learning about the world and serving others,” she adds. “All of those things are so much needed, especially with our youth being our future. It’s so important.”

For more information on St. John School, or for questions on how to take advantage of any of these opportunities to give to our school or optimize your donation, please call the school office at 918-336-0603, or email Director of Development and Mission Advancement Elizabeth Thrash at ethrash@sjcs-ok.org.

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Adult Bible Study I

n the Gospel, Jesus makes clear closer walk with Christ. that He does not intend for our “You’ve probably heard people spirituality to be an individual make the comment, ‘I’ve read the endeavor. Instead, He promises Bible front to back three times,’” us to be present in a special Jim says. “And I say, ‘What are way every time we choose to you going to do to understand it?’ experience prayer, worship, and It’s very difficult to understand faith formation in community on your own because there is a — “For where two or three are problem with the translation of gathered together in my name, language, the customs of those there am I in the midst of them” times versus now, and so on. If (Matthew 18:20). you don’t have somebody to guide Here at St. John Before the Jim Fangmeier is the facilitator of you through it, it’s awfully hard our Adult Bible Study.

Latin Gate, we are blessed to to understand what the Bible is have a Bible study group that offers parishioners saying. So together, we try to clarify things so an additional opportunity to learn and grow in that there’s a better understanding of what’s their faith together. Our Adult Bible Study is going on.” facilitated by Jim Fangmeier. Jim has been a Last year, our Adult Bible Study followed the participant in Bible study groups for close to 50 Book of Revelation. In previous years, the group years, experiencing firsthand the many benefits covered the Book of Acts, the Gospel of John, of this continued faith formation. and more. With the hopes of resuming meetings “By studying and understanding the Bible, in 2021 after a long break due to COVID-19, people develop a closer understanding of God,” Jim plans on facilitating a study that covers the Jim says. “Even in Catholic school, we were history of the chosen people of God from Genesis taught the religion for a child’s intellect, and through the Gospel of Matthew. many of us never received the instruction on an There is no cost for the Bible study other adult level. The Scripture is an integral part of than the purchase of a workbook. The meetings Catholic teaching, and it will all fit together for have a very open and welcoming atmosphere, you and delve right into the pinnacle of worship, so participants can feel relaxed and comfortable which is the holy sacrifice of the Mass.” sharing their thoughts and questions with the In addition to increasing our “book” knowledge group. of the faith and Catholic doctrine, making the time Over the last several years, our Adult Bible to read and learn about the Bible — especially Study has grown from a relatively small number in a group setting — is a great way to develop a of people to over 25 regular participants! Jim is 6

Developing a Closer Understanding of God quick to thank the many people in our parish who come together to make these faith formation opportunities possible.

“We have the support of our priests and deacons,” he says. “Fr. John is really great at being available when I talk about what I want to do, and he is very cooperative and supportive.

Also, Sandy Pickett has another adult group that meets in the afternoons for those who don’t want to be out in the dark. Credit also goes to my predecessors in facilitating this group. No man is an island — it takes the work of everybody.”

Jim hopes that many parishioners will come check out our Adult Bible Study once it is up and running again. After all, there is nothing quite like the feeling of gathering to dive in and explore the Word of God together as a group!

“If I do my job well and the material is good, people get excited about it,” Jim says. “The high point is when everybody is really working together and talking a lot about the subject. Sometimes people will ask a question, and off you go with multiple conversations! You get a lot of views, and people have really good ideas. That is always exciting.”

Our Adult Bible Study is hoping to resume its usual Monday evening meetings soon. For more information, please contact Jim Fangmeier at 918-333-0023 or jfangm@aol.com.

Advent and Christmas Schedule December 3 The Mass for the Vulnerable on Thursdays will move from noon to 11 a.m.

December 24 5 p.m. — Mass 10 p.m. — Mass

December 10 6:30 p.m. — Spanish Advent Penance Service

December 25 10:30 a.m. — Mass 1:30 p.m. — Spanish Mass

December 15 5:30 p.m. — Advent Penance Service

January 1 10:30 a.m. — Mass 1:30 p.m. — Spanish Mass

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715 S. Johnstone Ave. | Bartlesville, OK 74003 ​ Office: (918) 336-4353 | www.stjohn-bartlesville.org

Flower Committee continued from front cover “We like to do different arrangements for the different liturgical seasons,” Sharon says. “We put out poinsettias for Christmas and lilies for Easter.

We try to make sacramental Masses — such as for Confirmation — and Masses in honor of graduation extra special by putting out nicer arrangements as well. And although we don’t have flowers out every day of the year, we always have live plants.”

The Flower Committee includes a small group of volunteers that order, water, and care for the flowers displayed inside the sanctuary and chapel.

“I am so grateful for the help of the other committee members — Renae Elmenhorst, Sabrina Gelado, and Janie Keleher,” Sharon says. “We enjoy each

other’s company and have a lot of fun. Being part of the Flower Committee is a wonderful fellowship opportunity.”

Sharon has found the ministry to be spiritually enriching as well.

“Sometimes, we work alone to set up the side altars, or arrange some flowers by ourselves on our own time,” Sharon says. “This gives us an opportunity to spend some quiet time in God’s presence.”

The Flower Committee is part of the St. John’s Women’s Association, which also contributes to the Altar Flower Fund.

“I look forward to new members joining us during the annual stewardship renewal,” Sharon says.

For more info, contact the parish office at 918-336-4353 or note your interest on your stewardship commitment card. If you would like to contribute to the Altar Flower Fund, please do so through the parish office.

LITURGY SCHEDULE Saturday: 5 p.m. | Sunday: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. (en Español) Tuesday: 7 a.m. | Wednesday: 5:15 p.m. | Thursday: 7 a.m., 11 a.m. (vulnerable population),, 7 p.m. (en Español) Friday: 8:15 a.m. (School only Mass), St. James at 8:30 a.m., Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dewey at noon Reconciliation: Saturday: 4-4:45 p.m. | Sunday: 12:30-1:15 p.m.