The Grapevine - December 2018 by St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

Grapevine the St. Francis

December 2018

A Clear Path of Discipleship If you’ve ever thought about growing in your faith, or getting involved at Church, you know that it can be a little overwhelming. What class should you join? What ministry to get involved in? Where do I start? There are thousands of great Catholic books, courses, and programs out there. It can be hard to make a decision. You may realize you start a few things, only to get burnt out or frustrated. Church shouldn’t be overwhelming. That’s why we created the Clear Path of Discipleship. We’re trying to make Church simple by providing you with some guidance on your journey of faith. The Clear Path of Discipleship is divided into three steps: Encounter, Grow, Serve. We’ve created and selected a few pivotal classes, programs, and experiences we feel are vitally important.

ENCOUNTER You encounter Jesus and a life-changing personal relationship with Him.

GROW SERVE

You grow as a disciple with other disciples.

You serve in Jesus’ mission for the Kingdom with your unique gifts.

HOW ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI FORMS MISSIONARY DISCIPLES:

It is our deep conviction and prayer that every parishioner and every person in Grapevine will encounter Jesus Christ, grow as a disciple, and learn to serve with their unique gifts and talents.

DISCOVER CHRIST A series meant to help you wrestle with the big

We hope that by starting the journey of faith at the beginning, even if you’ve been Catholic your whole life, you’ll experience your faith come alive like never before.

IN MINISTRY & ON MISSION We believe that God wants

questions in life, share your thoughts and questions, and explore the invitation to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

GROW GROUPS These groups are made up of individuals who have encountered Jesus and are ready to commit to structured and deep transformation as a disciple pursued with other disciples.

every member of our Church to serve others in the Church through ministry and that He calls His disciples to be a sent outside the Church on mission. Our vision is that every member is a minister and every disciple is a missionary.

LEARN MORE & START YOUR JOURNEY: sfatx.org/path A NEWSLETTER OF ST FRANCIS CATHOLIC CHURCH • 861 WILDWOOD LN, GRAPEVINE TX • SFATX.ORG

FROM THE PASTOR Dear Parish Family,

OFFICE HOURS Monday - 9:15 am - 8:30 pm Thursday (closed for lunch from 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm)

Friday Sunday

9:15 am - 12:00 pm 8:30 am - 12:30 pm

CHURCH HOURS Monday - Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

8:00 am - 8:30 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 7:00 am - 5:30 pm

MASS SCHEDULE WEEKENDS (nursery/guardería) Saturday Vigil 5:00 pm Sunday (no nursery) 8:00 am 10:00 am (en español) 1:00 pm 4:30 pm WEEKDAYS Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday

8:30 am 6:00 pm 8:30 am 8:30 am

St. Francis of Assisi Church

861 Wildwood Lane Grapevine, Texas 76051 817.481.2685 // 817.488.3169 (f)

sfatx.org //

Thanks for reading the next instalment of The St. Francis Grapevine. We’ve had an eventful last few months at St. Francis. Our catechesis classes are in full swing and they are going very well. This year we are welcoming a new Middle School Youth Minister, Sam Ford, onto our staff. He is going to be an amazing addition to an already great formation team. We are now in our fourth year of having Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori based religious education program. We had around 20 women from our parish who attended the multiweek training session for CGS catechists, and we are looking forward to expanding CGS to more grades in the future. Laura Nelson, our CGS director, is doing an amazing job of overseeing and directing this amazing program that will transform Catechesis for our young people. Edmund Mitchell has changed roles on the staff and is now the Director of Catechesis and Evangelization, overseeing both the youth catechesis and parish-wide formation for adults and families. His department, and the entire staff, is working diligently to communicate a Clear Path of Discipleship here at St. Francis so that every member can journey deeper into their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Please keep your eyes out for upcoming Evangelization and Catechetical opportunities for adults and families. We have had a very successful Capital Campaign and I’d like to thank everyone who has supported it thus far. We still have a little ways to go until we reach our goal, but we have had a great start. If you have not participated in the campaign yet, please consider making a commitment to the future growth of our parish. Many other exciting things are happening at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Please keep updated with everything we are doing by frequently visiting sfatx.org, joining our community on Facebook, and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@StFrancisTX). And, please keep praying for the parish of St. Francis of Assisi. God bless, Fr. James Flynn Pastor

#AskFrFlynn Video Series If you haven't been following along with the #AskFrFlynn video series on Facebook, the episodes are now available for viewing on our website. The series will continue in the spring, so catch up on the videos and ask your question now at: sfatx.org/askfrflynn

Parish happenings PARISH HAPPENINGS

35TH ANNUAL

2018

Christmas Concert

Advent & Christmas

DECEMBER 9 • 7:30 pm

Come one, come all! Come for a magical night of musical celebration! This annual event, attended by 1000+ parishioners and friends, is the ideal way to get into the spirit of the season! We’ve been working on this since June –selecting the music and orchestra, and practicing, practicing, practicing– to ensure a very special evening for you! It’s a labor of love. This year’s program will be extra-special. In addition to the Adult Choir and Spanish Ensemble, we will feature an orchestra-only piece, and our most gifted singers in solos, duets and trios with exceptional accompaniment from our own talented St. Francis musicians and orchestra. The musical selections range from traditional to contemporary, from the ethereal beauty of Dan Forrest’s See Amid the Winter Snow, to the whimsical Walking in the Air from “The Snowman”, to the contemporary Sweet Little Baby Boy with its jazzy sax solo. There clearly is something for everyone. Tickets are $5 per person/$20 per family, and available at the church office, from any choir member, and after weekend masses beginning Nov. 24/25. Childcare is available with reservation – contact the church office.

DEC

FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION — A Holy Day of Obligation — DEC

DEC

9:00 am Day Mass

7:30 pm 35th Annual St. Francis Christmas Concert

DEC

7:00 pm Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass

THAT 1 THING ADVENT MISSION with Michael Gromley DEC

17 DEC

DEC

6:30 pm Session 1

DEC

6:30 pm Session 2

7:00 pm Taizè Prayer

Christmas Masses

4:00 pm 4:00 pm

7:00 pm Midnight DEC

9:00 am 11:00 am

Children’s Candlelight Mass Live Stream of Children’s

Mass in Family Life Center

Carol Service begins at 11:30 pm

Spanish with Mariachi

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

— A Holy Day of Obligation — DEC

A new exciting initiative at St. Francis provides short relevant workshops after the 10am Mass on Sundays. This is a perfect opportunity for parents who have children in Sunday morning catechesis class or any parishioner to go enjoy some coffee, donuts, a short relevant teaching, and meet other adults looking to grow in their faith. There will be several one or two part series throughout the fall and spring, so be sure to check out upcoming topics and RSVP at: sfatx.org/adultseries

6:30 pm Vigil Mass

DEC

So put this on your calendars! You don’t want to miss it!

ADULT MINI-SERIES

7:00 pm Advent Reconciliation Service

6:00 pm Vigil Mass

JAN

10:00 am Day Mass

The parish offices will be closed Friday, December 21 beginning at noon until Thursday, January 3. Daily Mass will be celebrated at the usual times except January 1, but no adoration will be held.

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Ministry spotlight

The Serra Club: Working for Religious Vocations

It’s rare nowadays for a parish to have two or more priests assigned to it. We have a second priest in residence, but in reality, we have only our pastor who celebrates Masses on weekends and weekdays, who alone presides at weddings and funerals and directs a staff of a dozen or so. And he cares in many other ways for over 3,000 families.

What’s the solution to the shortage of priests? Not so simply—recruit more young people to be trained for the priesthood. And who’s doing that? Not many. But among them is the Serra Club, a worldwide, Catholic organization that began in 1935. Serra’s mission is to sustain existing and promote new vocations to the Catholic priesthood and religious life. Here at St. Francis the Northeast Fort Worth Serra Club meets monthly and draws members from our parish and the other five in the northeast deanery. All members are adult Catholics, strong in their faith, who want to work for vocations. They were attracted to Serra like Mary Elwood who said she joined because, “the Catholic Church is so in need of priests and I wanted to help in any way I could to nurture the brave seminarians and our priests who have answered God’s call.”

In the Metroplex, Serra’s most significant activity is the annual Vocation Awareness Program. This June event draws young women and men to an all-expense-paid weekend to discern what a career in religion is like. It costs the seven clubs almost $28,000 to conduct. Serra supports our 28 seminarians in their formation with prayer, sending greeting cards on birthdays and at Christmas and Easter and “care” packages when the seminarians report for the start of school. Serra helps all parishioners of the six parishes observe the national vocation events like Priesthood Sunday (last Sunday in October), an occasion to thank our priests for their vocation. Part of every club meeting features a guest speaker addressing interesting topics of the Catholic faith for instance: the prison ministry, Catholic Charities, how chaplains help the military keep moored to their religion. Other topics have been: the work of the diocesan tribunal and how a family helped its son become a priest. If you’d like to do more to keep the priests we have and help recruit new clergy, the Serra Club offers you that chance. For info, contact Larry West, teacherhelper@gmail.com.

YOUTH CATECHESIS & YOUTH MINISTRY

The Sound of Silence

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Explained: A Series with Laura Nelson of Children's Catechesis “It’s so quiet in here!” That’s something people often say when they encounter the children as they work in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) classroom, often called an “Atrium”. Parents find it hard to believe that a group of 15 children, ages 3 to 6 years old can be calm and quiet for an hour and a half. They will say things like, “Maybe your child can be quiet for that long but my child…” I smile when I hear these things because I remember thinking the same things myself when I first encountered CGS. I was skeptical that “real” children would respond to this method in the beautiful way that I was hearing about. But, the reality is, the children thrive in the quiet that we give them in the Atrium. They have time to breathe and calm themselves after a long day at school. That’s something we all need in our fast-paced world. For the children and the catechists who lead the group, the weekly time in the Atrium is like a small retreat where they can get away from the noise of life to reconnect with God. The silence isn’t there for the sake of the catechists, although they do enjoy it. No, the silence is intentionally created for the children. We tell them at the beginning of the year that we use a special voice in the atrium so that we can listen to God’s voice. That, often, we can’t hear God’s voice with our ears but that we must use our hearts to hear him. The children understand this intuitively and eagerly offer their silence to draw closer to God.

THE FALL IN REVIEW: Having Fun, Encountering Jesus & Launching DISCIPLESHIP

GROUPS

Young Church kicked off the year with a blast! 350lbs of powder paint, 150 teens, and great message about how God loves us and calls us each to follow him. We spent the following weeks discussing some of life’s biggest questions: Who are we? Where do we come from? What is God’s plan for our lives? And concluded our first series with an awesome night of Eucharistic Adoration and an amazing Connor Flanagan concert. The semester will wrap up with a series on God’s Mercy and culminate in the Parish Advent Mission when Michael Gormley (Gomer) comes to visit St. Francis December 16-18. In other Young Church news, we have official relaunched Discipleship Groups for all teens ready to take the next step in their faith. Discipleship Groups are made up of 5-12 teens of the same gender and led by two trained adult volunteers. We believe this is how God is going to move the needle forward in truly building up the Young Church. For more information about Discipleship Groups, visit sfayoungchurch.com.

We occasionally play a game in the Atrium called “The Silence Game”. We practice making silence with the children and ask them to listen for God’s voice. After the silence is broken, we ask the children what they heard or what God said to them when they made silence. Recently one child here at St. Francis told their catechist, “He said that He loves me.” Now, that’s a beautiful thing for anyone of any age to hear! There’s so much more to the Atrium besides the quiet atmosphere but without the quiet, the rest of our method wouldn’t be possible.

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ISI

ST. FR

SCHOOL NEWS CIS OF A N A

P RESCHOOL Our Parish Preschool is off to a great start this year! Here are a few pictures from some of the fall highlights, including our Pet Blessing, vsit from the local Fire Department, Pumpkin Patch, and Halloween Parade and Party. Please stop by and visit us to see the wonderful things that go on in Preschool!

Living Rosary Oct. 2018

MORE INFO: sfatx.org/preschool

Red Ribbon Week

Upcoming Events December

• Campus Fun Day for 2 & 3 year olds Dec. 17

January

• Campus Fun Day for

Learn, serve, lead 2018 National Junior Honor Society

Football & Volleyball

2 & 3 year olds Jan. 14 • Open House - Jan. 31 • New Family Registration

February

• Campus Fun Day for 2 & 3 year olds Feb. 11 • Parish Pre School Visits

95% GPA

For more info: 817-421-8000 x 121 or Admissions@holytcs.org 3750 William D. Tate Avenue • Grapevine, TX 76051 • www.holytcs.org

STAFF Q&A

MINISTERIO HISPANO BRETT METZLER

Brett, a seminarian for the Diocese of Fort Worth, is spending his pastoral year here at St. Francis. As the newest (although temporary) staff member, we wanted share a bit about him with the parish: Describe your role AT THE PARISH. Primarily I have a role of presence and observance. I am here to get to know the life of the parish, which includes the life of the people, the staff, and the pastor. Tell us a bit about your BACKGROUND. My parents, Tammy and Mike, live in Denton, and I have one sister, Erika. All of my family is Catholic, loves the Lord deeply, and are very active in their churches, which is a great blessing. I went to high school at Liberty Christian in Argyle. Then, I attended Texas A&M, where I received the call to the priesthood. After a year there, I spent four years at St. Joseph Seminary getting a degree in philosophy. I am currently in the middle of my graduate degree in theology at Theological College in Washington D.C. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE Food? My favorite food is steak. I love Mexican, Asian, etc, but, at the end of the day, steak will always win out. FAVORITE BOOKS? My favorite books are the Lord of the Rings, the Great Divorce, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Story of a Soul, He Leadeth Me, and the Everlasting Man. FAVORITE PLACE YOU HAVE BEEN? Los Lomas in Escipulis, Guatemala. I went there on a mission immersion trip while in seminary in Louisiana. I fell in love with the simplicity and faith of the people, as well as the beauty of the country. What'S A Favorite Bible Passage? What God says to Adam and Eve right after they fall: “Where are you?” It reminds me that from the very beginning, God has been looking for us to bring us back, and we have been the ones hiding. What is your fAVORITE THINGS TO DO ON YOUR DAYS OFF? Anything outdoors - hiking, fishing, climbing, as well as any and all sports. As long as I am outside, I enjoy it. What is AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF? An interesting fact about myself is that I am a ping pong fanatic. I will destroy any and all challengers in ping-pong, except for my brother in law…who recently beat me.

GENEROSIDAD: DAR A LOS DEMÁS LO MEJOR Fuente: Catholic.net

La generosidad es la virtud que nos conduce a dar y darnos a los demás de una manera habitual, firme y decidida, buscando su bien y poniendo a su servicio lo mejor de nosotros mismos, tanto bienes materiales como cualidades y talentos. La solidaridad es una determinación firme y perseverante de empeñarse por el bien común; no es un sentimiento superficial por los males de tantas personas cercanas o lejanas, sino una actitud definida y clara de procurar el bien de todos y cada uno. Sentir la felicidad de los demás como propia, porque esto nos hará más felices en la vida porque compartiremos no sólo los propios éxitos y logros sino los de los demás. Sólo se podrá ser realmente feliz haciendo felices a los demás, preocupándonos por los otros aún si nosotros mismos nos encontramos en el sufrimiento. Y como fruto de esta comprensión y convencimiento, nos comprometemos con los demás, viviendo la generosidad y la solidaridad Somos responsables de la felicidad de los demás, que lo que hagamos o dejemos de hacer siempre tendrá repercusiones positivas o negativas en los que nos rodean, y como fruto de este convencimiento debemos optar por participar buscando siempre el bien común. ¿Por qué nos interesa fomentar la virtud de la generosidad? "Porque experimentaremos que hay más alegría en dar que en recibir" ( Hechos 20:35 ), y podremos optar por una vida de generosidad que nos brindará una mayor felicidad y realización personal. Muchísimas gracias por colaborar con la Campaña Capital para la construcción de un nuevo edificio multiusos y otras reparaciones en la Iglesia. Siempre son bienvenidas sus donaciones para este gran proyecto. Dios bendiga su generosidad.

CALENDARIO DE EVENTOS PARA DICIEMBRE 12 de Diciembre Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe A las 7:00 p.m. Misa con Mariachi, danzas y enseguida recepción en el gimnasio.

Del 16 al 23 de Diciembre Posadas Navideñas

A las 6:30 p.m. Organizada por Ministerios y Grupos de la Iglesia. Mas información en los próximos boletines de la Iglesia. the St. Francis

Grapevine

Staff Blog Samplings The Importance of Invitation Laura Nelson Coordinator of Children's Catechesis

Imagine there’s a party and all of Grapevine and Southlake are buzzing with excitement about it. You wait for your invitation to arrive so that you can be among the throng and enjoy the memorable event with your neighbors. But, the invitation never comes. And you’re left wondering why you were excluded. If only you had received an invitation, you would have gladly attended and been a part of the community. Sometimes the invitation arrives and we don’t accept it. Maybe it’s out of disinterest in the event. Maybe it’s due to illness or a conflict on our calendar. Or, maybe fear and anxiety keep you from leaving the safety and comfort of your home to become part of the activity and action. But, at least you got invited. It was your choice to accept it or not. In our work with the children of St. Francis through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, invitation is key. We invite the children to join us to hear about something new. We try to encourage them to participate by piquing their curiosity. But, it’s up to them to accept the invitation or not. We honor their “no” as much as we honor their “yes”. From the outside, this can seem like “free-range catechesis” but it’s far from that. The children know that everything we do in the Atrium is about God. So, they are allowed to choose any work in the space as long as they’ve been shown how to use and they continue to use it correctly. But we continue to invite them to experience new presentations and to dive into deeper meditation about old ones. The fact is, we don’t know what’s going on in their hearts and minds. Perhaps a child continues to work with the same material over and over again because they are still trying to wrap their heads around the deep spiritual truths contained within. Perhaps they just like the look and feel of the materials in their hands. Or, maybe they just had a bad night’s sleep and can’t take in something new right now. The fact is,

we often don’t know why a child says yes or no to an invitation. Children are a mystery. God is a mystery. In the Atrium, we try to join the two together so that the child may encounter God in a way that is meaningful to them in a timeline that they can handle. But invitations aren’t just for parties or for the children in the Atrium. All of us are invited by Christ into a deeper relationship with Him no matter our past or our present. And, we are called to imitate Christ by inviting others into that relationship with Him. They may say yes. If so, we rejoice as the Body of Christ. But, they may say no. So, we let them say no. We honor their “no” the same way we honor their “yes”. But, we keep inviting them. Jesus is inviting you to a deeper relationship with Him. He’s inviting you to embrace your role as a part of the mystical Body of Christ. What’s your answer going to be?

The Gift of the Child Jesus Brett Metzler Seminarian on Pastoral Year

Throughout my childhood and adolescent years, when advent season would roll around, I would always be struck with the same excitement. I was excited for everything that came with the season of Christmas. The songs, smells, foods, and most importantly the presents! I would celebrate my excitement all the way up until the great day, the day the presents came. I would wake up in the morning, rush into the living room, and spend the next 40 minutes opening presents. And every year, after these forty minutes, I can distinctly remember feeling somewhat empty. The presents were opened, my gifts had already begun to loose their savor, and life seemed to be back to normal. You could almost say there was a certain shock that such excitement could come to such an abrupt halt. - continued on next page -

Let’s Get Practical. Sam Ford Coordinator of Middle School Ministry

I have a confession to make. As someone who, to oversimplify my own job, talks about having a relationship with Jesus for a living, I sure do find prioritizing prayer to be difficult. I’m sure a lot of you can relate; how many times have you felt like you’d rather be doing literally anything other than spending time with God in prayer, or even going to mass on Sunday? You know you should be making some time every day to give thanks to God and seek his face and learn to hear his voice, and yet anything else seems better in the moment. Making time for prayer is hard. However, if I know anything about prioritizing prayer, it’s this: the more I carve out a consistent routine of prayer in my daily schedule, the more I find myself after a while wanting to pray more. It’s crazy, but it’s true. What it really comes down to is consistency. When I place myself in the presence of God on a daily basis, when I’m rooted in Sacred Scripture and the Liturgy daily, and when I confess that I need God and his grace and mercy daily, everything in my life begins to find its proper This pattern continued until my first Christmas morning after entering seminary. Instead of waking up and immediately rushing into the living room, I woke up early in the morning, while it was still dark, grabbed the manger scene and a candle from beneath the tree, and went to a quiet part of the house. I opened the bible to the story of the nativity and prayerfully read through it two or three times. After this, I simply sat there, gazing at the child Jesus in the manger. I remember encountering a peace I had never yet experienced. It was as if I entered into the night of the actual nativity, and with the shepherds and the holy family, gazed at the REAL Child Jesus, the prince of peace, lying in the manger. At that moment, nothing else mattered.

context and priority, and I find peace - real peace. When I don’t make time for God, I notice that I feel overwhelmed much more quickly. I feel less at peace. Over time, consistency in prayer becomes familiarity and deep, abiding friendship with God. God loves us with an infinite, yet profoundly personal love. He desires to be known by us and to be loved by us not in some abstract way, but in a deeply personal way. If we fall in love with God, that changes everything. “Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in Love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J. (1907-1991) fulfillment AND a longing for more. This image stays with me to this day. When times of anxiousness, fear, and the cross come upon me, I can always enter in prayer to that moment by the manger, the moment when the world stood still. Advent is a season of excitement and anticipation. However, as humans made in the image of God, this excitement is aimed at more than toys, clothes, and gifts. It is aimed at the one in whom our hearts find rest. It is aimed at Jesus Christ. We will always walk away with a certain lack if we allow our longings to rest on material things. Our true fulfillment, our true joy, our true excitement and peace can only ever be found in Jesus Christ.

That morning, after opening presents, there was no empty feeling. In fact, there was a longing and a joy that I had never experienced on Christmas before. I wanted to go back and gaze more at the manger scene. I wanted to spend more time with Christ in his crib. It was a peace that at the same time carried with it a the St. Francis

Grapevine

St. Francis Families What is a favorite scripture passage for your family? One favorite is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." It reminds us to keep God first and to remember his goodness is always at work even when things are a little tough.

VelascoFamily Tell us a bit about your family. There are 5 of us: Tony, Kate, Luisa, Michael and Nicolas. Luisa is a freshman studying physics at The University of Dallas, Michael is a junior at Flower Mound High School and is a member of the water polo team. Nicolas began Founders Classical Academy as a kindergartener this year. Tony is a dad and software engineer and Kate is a mom and runs a small business from home. Do you have any fun or interesting family traditions? During Advent we do a novena in Spanish to Baby Jesus with our family members in Garland and Plano. Each night from the 16th through the 24th, we meet, pray and sing to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ Child. What is an interesting fact about your family that people may not suspect or know? Tony is from Colombia and Kate’s folks emigrated from England… so we take our coffee and tea very seriously! What is one way your family prays together? We pray at meals, pray family rosaries, night time prayers and random prayers for whatever is going on that day that could use some extra blessing or assistance.

What drew you to St. Francis of Assisi Parish? Kate’s brother brought us to St. Francis. He and his wife wanted to come to mass and we told him we would meet them anywhere. He lives in Grapevine and suggested St. Francis. We showed up and he didn’t! We stayed because of the warm atmosphere and because we felt at home. What mass does your family typically attend and what parish ministries are your family involved in? We usually attend 4:30pm on Sunday, but we sometimes attend the 8am, too. We have led the Marriage Sponsor ministry for the last year or two, but have been involved as a sponsor couple for about 7 years. We have been involved with Christ Renews His Parish and enjoy serving in various ways at mass—Tony is an Altar Assistant and EM and Kate and Luisa are Sacristans. Michael is an Altar Server. We are also involved in Young Church and Discipleship and Tony is a Knight. Nicolas participates in CGS. What do you love most about the parish? St. Francis is our home away from home. Our friends at St. Francis help us to love Christ better and we are so thankful for their love and support. These featured families, along with all our parish families, contribute to what makes St. Francis a thriving community. We are honored they call us home. To nominate a family to be featured, email Dani Milliken at dmilliken@sfatx.org.

Outreach in ACTION A SEASON OF GIVING: BASKETS & ANGEL TREES While we are all preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations with our families, our St. Francis Outreach is doing the same — only they are helping over 300 families prepare! This includes providing Thanksgiving and Christmas meal baskets for families who might not have a celebration without them. “We allow them to enjoy the holiday season, rather than worry about how they will provide a meal or gifts for their children.” says Mary Molini, Director of St. Francis Outreach. These families also benefit

from our St. Francis Angel Tree Program. “Children receive a new outfit, complete with shoes and a coat, along with a special toy. We also give the parents gift cards, so they have some freedom to purchase what their family needs in addition to what we provide.” All St. Francis families are encouraged to bring food items for the baskets, pick up an angel ornament (or two), or give gift cards in small amounts ($20-30). “These families appreciate your generosity more than you can imagine. Thank you for your support!”

Do you have any fun or interesting family traditions? We celebrate each other on the dates of our baptisms and make it a very special day to talk about and remember how special the day was and how special this sacrament is.

WalzFamily Tell us a bit about your family. We have been parishioners at St. Francis for four years. Nick and Alyson have been married for 10 years and have two beautiful children – Caroline (7) and Luke (4). We have been residents of Flower Mound for almost 10 years. Caroline is in first grade and loves reading, movie nights and gymnastics! Luke loves playing soccer, Legos and super heroes. Nick and Alyson are graduates of Texas A&M (class of 2002 & 2003). We love watching Aggie football, spending time with family, music and hanging out at the lake. Nick is a Senior Project Manager for Balfour Beatty Construction in Dallas. Alyson currently stays home with Caroline and Luke, but previously worked in corporate marketing. In her spare time, Alyson sells children’s books and volunteers for Lovepacs in central Lewisville – a non-profit that feeds children in need in Lewisville ISD during the school year. What is an interesting fact about your family that people may not suspect or know? Nick was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1993, his family moved to Texas as fast as they could! They lived in Flower Mound and attended St. Francis of Assisi. Nick received his Confirmation from Fr. B in 1996. Alyson and Nick met in Dallas, after college, and started attending St. Rita’s together. Alyson went through the RCIA program in 2005.

What is one way your family prays together? We always pray before our meals and at bedtime. At dinner, we’ll let the kids lead the family in prayer. We’ve recently been praying for our seminarians. We talk to our kids about how important their role is and how it’s so important for the future of our church. What is a favorite scripture passage for your family? We really love 1 Corinthians 13: 4-13. We have this scripture framed in our home. It is a beautiful scripture and wonderful reminder to each other and to our children of God’s love for us. What mass does your family typically attend and what parish ministries are your family involved in? We usually attend 10am on Sundays. Alyson is a Catechist for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. Caroline and Luke both attend CGS, too! Alyson is also is a member of the St. Francis Moms Ministry and has volunteered for VBS the last two summers. One of Nick and Caroline’s favorite things to do is attend the Daddy-Daughter dance each year. What do you love most about the parish? There are so many reasons we love St. Francis, it’s hard to say what we love the most. It’s such an amazing community and we have met so many wonderful families! Fr. Flynn is always so inspirational and filled with the Holy Spirit. Everyone from the nursery staff to the religious education staff are all wonderful! How would you explain our parish if you were to explain it to an outsider or fallen away Catholic? St. Francis of Assisi is warm and welcoming. The people of this parish, from Fr. Flynn down to each and every parishioner, make this parish feel like home.

OUR FAITH • OUR FAMILY • OUR FUTURE

TENTATIVE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE

MAY 2019 | Start renovation on the Church sanctuary, bathrooms I would like to thank all of those who have contributed to the “Our Faith, Our Family, Our Future” Capital Campaign; your support is a blessing and confessionals. Mass in the FLC during this time. to our parish! I’d also like to thank all the many volunteers who solicited AUG 2019 | Finish Church renovations and begin FLC renovations donations, made phone calls, stuffed envelopes and supported the many (bathrooms, new paint and carpet in classrooms). activities involved with the campaign, especially our chairpersons: Justin MID-2020 | Begin construction on the new building, with and Sara Engler, Thomas and Joan Pruit, and Mark and Cecilia Winters. Without everyone’s tireless effort, we would never have been able to have classrooms and Adoration Chapel. such a successful campaign. We have currently raised over $3.5 million, about $1million short of our goal. We are going to continue to raise money MID-2021 | Finish new building and resurface the parking lot. and determine options for the new formation building. In any case, we will Stay updated & make your pledge: sfatx.org/campaign proceed with its construction, complete with an adoration chapel, in 2020. I am confident in the generosity of our parishioners. God bless, Fr. Flynn the St. Francis

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