Grapevine the St. Francis
March 2016
DEC 08
2015
NOV 20
2016
Jubilee Year of Mercy WAYS TO ENCOUNTER GOD’S MERCY
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION. “How much wrong we do to God and his grace when we speak of sins being punished by his judgment before we speak of their being forgiven by his mercy,” Pope Francis said during a homily at a Mass before opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s to usher in the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. In addition to regular weekly confession times and the parish Lenten Reconciliation Service, Fathers Flynn, Eugene and John are holding additional regular hours during Lent. See the website for time information. If you have not been to confession in a long time, these priests are available to meet with you. Just call the office to schedule an appointment. PILGRIMAGE. As Pope Francis has asked, we will be scheduling a pilgrimage this summer to one of the principal churches in Texas designated for the celebration of the Jubilee Year. Watch the website for more information. During the Jubilee Year, pilgrims coming to and entering the doors at these churches can receive a plenary indulgence by meeting the usual conditions of going to Confession and receiving Eucharist within a week’s time, saying the Creed and praying for the Pope and his intentions. Our local diocesan church is Our Mother of Mercy in Fort Worth. CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY. Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead. SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY. Counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offences, bear patiently those who do us ill, and pray for the living and the dead.
MORE INFO:
sfatx.org/mercy
A NEWSLETTER OF ST FRANCIS CATHOLIC CHURCH • 861 WILDWOOD LN, GRAPEVINE TX • SFATX.ORG
FROM THE PASTOR
OFFICE HOURS Monday - 9:15 am - 8:30 pm Thursday (closed for lunch
Friday Sunday
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm)
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 8:00 am 10:00 am (en español) 1:00 pm 4:30 pm WEEKDAYS Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday 1st Saturday
8:30 am 6:00 pm 8:30 am 8:30 am 8:30 am
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
861 Wildwood Lane Grapevine, Texas 76051 817.481.2685 // sfatx.org
2016 is already upon us and I pray everyone had a wonderful Advent, Christmas, and New Year. I would like to thank the hundreds of people that worked so hard to make our Christmas celebrations this year so beautiful and fruitful. The choir did an amazing job at the Advent concert and really helped us prepare for the celebrations of Christmas. Our Preschool also had a concert that was very beautiful and entertaining. The Church looked incredible for Christmas and I’d like to thank all those who helped in decorating the Church. It was a fitting celebration of the birth of Christ and a closing of another year. Now we are in the season of Lent — a time of prayer, fasting and alms giving that helps us prepare for the celebration of Easter. The 3rd Annual Mardi Gras Chili Cook-Off was a huge success and I’d like to thank the MOMs Group, the Knights of Columbus, the Padre Pio Prayer Group, and all of those who volunteered at this fun-filled event. It gets bigger and better every year. Now we are looking forward to the Spring and Summer, and there are many things happening at St. Francis. We will soon celebrate First Communions, the Rite of Initiation for those in RCIA, and Confirmations. Our young adult group is now up and running and has some great events planned for the near future, and our youth group has lots of great things planned for the Spring and Summer. Please check our website for all that is going on at St. Francis and sign up for Flocknotes, Twitter and Facebook. God bless and I hope you enjoy the 4th installment of the St. Francis Grapevine. Fr. James Flynn Pastor
Join the St. Francis of Assisi
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PARISH HAPPENINGS Are you selfish, self-centered, or proud? If your answer is yes, welcome to the human family, for whom Christ died. These ailments to our spiritual health are among the very qualities that Lent is meant to cure. Our life with Christ is a journey of conversion, and Lent is a special journey within the journey that keeps us on the right track. It’s a time to re-examine our lives and check our priorities. “Lent,” meaning “Spring,” is a sort of spring-cleaning of our souls, or a spring forward in our journey of conversion. This 40-day observance of deeper prayer, fasting, and almsgiving helps prepare us for THE CURE FOR the awe-inspiring events of Holy Week and the highest feast of the Church, Easter, WHAT AILS YOU where we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. Furthermore, Lent prepares us for another awe-inspiring event, our own resurrection. It helps turn us outward, to love Find out about Lenten God and neighbor in a selfless and self-giving way – as God loves us. What else is this activities at St. Francis: fleeting life for if not to prepare us for eternal life with God? Our future with God is sfatx.org/lent determined by our present with Him. We can’t expect eternal life with Him if we don’t live with Him now.
:
If You Build it, Will They Come?
Our parish is starting a new ministry to help meet the specific needs of our Young Adults, ages 18-39 according to the U.S. bishops. This age range features the most diverse, most transitional, busiest, and often most overwhelmed group in the Church today. We have an excited team of leaders that hope to provide young adults a variety of opportunities to build relationships, grow in their faith, and to feel at home in our parish family. Stay tuned for many events to come and find out more online: sfatx.org/ministries/young-adult-ministry/
Father - Daughter Dance
JANUARY 29, 2016
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MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT PARISH HAPPENINGS
Hospitality Ministry:
THE MARYS AND MARTHAS OF ST. FRANCIS
If food is the way to the heart, then the St. Francis Hospitality Ministry has the correct recipe for serving the parish. This ministry of approxamitely 65 men and women provides corporal and spiritual works of mercy for our parish, priests and families, by hosting funeral receptions, dinners, and hospitality service for meetings or classes. "Our purpose is to provide a welcoming environment for the families who are feeling the loss of a family member. Our thought would be that they would have a place to meet, share memories, and gather for a home cooked meal together," says Bernice Hobday, the ministry coordinator. "They don’t have to cook or clean their homes. We provide the place, the meal and the cleanup. We pray for the family and offer our condolences. Many stop by the kitchen to say 'thank you.'" The group also provides meals for priests and clergy who visit our parish regularly for penance services, episcopal visits, and vocations dinners. "If we provide a good meal, they will come back, right?" says Bernice. According to Fr. Flynn, the priests of the area are
extremely appreciative of the hospitality provided to them at our parish, often saying our meals are some of the best. The group also assists the Knights of Columbus, when needed, for their receptions and activities and regularly cooks for the RCIA meetings. "Since we are blessed with so many volunteers they are able to serve on a rotating schedule; many hands make light work. We have the luxury of couples who serve. I think it is like having a party with a group of friends to help," states Bernice. Anyone interested in table setting and décor, meal planning, food preparation, serving, greeting, serving, replenishing, or clean-up are welcome. "Our volunteers say they enjoy working in the ministry as they are in service to our parish family. We really enjoy calling each other the Marys and Marthas of the Kitchen."
As St. Catherine of Sienna so eloquently stated, "If you are what you should be, then you will set the world on fire." This is the purpose of the St. Francis of Assisi Vocations Committee — to pray for the youth of our parish who are discerning who they are and to promote a greater awareness of vocations to priesthood and religious life as a potential call. Most noteably, this ministry promotes the Vocations Cross Program, which encourages families to spend a week praying for vocations in a special way (more info: sfatx.org/vocationcross/). They also promote attendance at the Serra Club's June Vocation Awareness Program and help show appreciation for our current clergy and seminarians through spiritual bouquets and cards at Christmas and Easter. "We encourage our parish priests so they know their parishioners support them with love and tangible aid," says Ernie Doclar, the ministry coordinator. "By enlisting parishioner participation in vocation events, the committee hopes to cultivate a constant supply of young men and women being formed as priests and religious who will keep the Church alive." The St. Francis Vocations Committee is also part of a larger organization — Serra Club International. The new regional group is being organized from six parishes in the northeastern part of our diocese and has been meeting regularly at St. Francis to increase vocation awareness activities in this area. "Generally, Serra undertakes more involved vocation activities because of a larger membership and more financing available. They meet formally and often have guest speakers. Everyone is welcome!" To find out how you can help promote vocations at St. Francis, contact Ernie Doclar at janeandernie@verizon.net or 817-481-2198.
MINISTERIO HISPANO Desde diciembre pasado, La Virgen peregrina visita las casas de algunas familias. Nuestro objetivo principal es promover el rezo del Santo Rosario en familia para pedir por la Iglesia, el Papa, la familia y las vocaciones a la vida sacerdotal y consagrada. Los participantes principales son las familias que semanalmente asisten a las pláticas para Padres de los niños que recibirán la primera comunión. Tenemos 20 familias que reciben a la Virgen Peregrina. ¡GRACIAS A TODOS LOS QUE ESTAN PARTICIPANDO!
TALLER DE ORACIÓN Y VIDA
Otro gran logro es la realización del Taller de Oración y Vida. Los Talleres de Oración y Vida, reconocido y probado por la Santa Sede en 1997 y confirmado, según Decreto de Aprobación dado por el Consejo Pontificio para los Laicos el 4 de octubre de 2002. Los participantes deberán perseverar en su asistencia por 14 sesiones. Los talleres de Oración y Vida son una nueva forma de evangelización, más viva y con una visión más positiva de lo que se ha mostrado siempre. Por eso decimos con pleno convencimiento que los Talleres de Oración y Vida son una respuesta al mundo de hoy. Y La Iglesia de San Francisco de Asís en Grapevine ofrece esta oportunidad. Actualmente los participantes son 28. Animo y Adelante.
PROGRAMA SAN FRANCISCO DE SALES: FORMACIÓN PARA CATEQUISTAS
El objetivo de este programa de formación es ayudar a los catequistas en su ministerio de catequesis. El programa de formación básica para el catequista san Francisco de Sales consta de nueve lecciones divididas en cuatro partes distintas. Este curso presenta los principios catequéticos y la práctica de métodos que el catequista podrá aprender para enseñar la fe. FELICIDADES A LOS 37 CATEQUISTAS que están participando y pronto tendrán su certificación por la Diócesis de Fort Worth.
Holy Week l& Easter
l
LA VIRGEN PEREGRINA
2016
Holy Thursday (3/24) 7:00 pm Liturgy of the Eucharist, Washing of Feet, Transfer of Blessed Sacrament & Adoration until midnight
Good Friday (3/25) noon Reflection on the Seven Last Words 3:00 pm Stations of the Cross 5:00 pm Via Cruces 7:00 pm Liturgy of the Word, Communion & Adoration of the Cross
Holy Saturday (3/26) 9:00 am 8:30 pm
Easter Egg Hunt The Easter Vigil: Easter Fire, Liturgy
of the Word, Sacraments of Initiation & Liturgy of the Eucharist
Easter Sunday (3/27) MASS TIMES: 6:00 am 8:00 am 10:00 am 1:00 pm (Spanish) Note: No 8:30 am Daily Mass on Holy Thursday or Good Friday &
no 4:30 pm Mass on Easter Sunday
“Familia que reza unida, permanece unida."
- Juan Pablo II -
CONTACTO
Sr. Rosy Rodríguez Treviño, MCSH rosyrodriguez@sfatx.org 817-481-2685 ext. 239 the St. Francis
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OUTREACH IN ACTION
A LASTING LEGACY:
Alice & Al Tamol
If you have ever driven by the St. Francis Outreach building, you may have noticed its official name, "The Alice & Al Tamol Center." Rededicated to their honor on April 5, 2008, the building stands as a testament to the dedication and legacy of this loving couple, who was the heart and soul of Outreach for over 16 years. The Tamols moved from Buffalo, NY, to Grapevine, TX, in the late 1970s, when Al retired. They became parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Alice grew up during the Great Depression, and she remembered very hard times as one of nine children and a blind father. "She would tell us how she didn’t even have her own tooth brush, but had to share with her family. At some point she was given her own tooth brush by the St.Vincent de Paul Society and she never forgot this experience and how grateful she was," remembered Carol Brown, a long-time friend of the Tamols. “'People aren’t poor, they are in need,'” Alice would say and she looked forward to the day when she could help others." In 1986, Alice had the opportunity to realize her dream at St. Francis with the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store (now known as St. Francis Outreach), where they generously and tirelessly served until 2002. During this time, the Tamols received many volunteerism awards for their dedication, including the “Dorothy Day Award” from the Fort Worth Diocese. “Alice was such an angel. She was like Mother Theresa," recalled Carol Formes, another friend of the couple. "She had a calling to this ministry and they never took money for the assistance they gave others. It was their life and their joy to help people in any way that they could."
STAFF Q&A EDMUND MITCHELL
While regularly called the “HS Youth Minister,” Edmund works along-side his team to really lead all the youth evangelization efforts at St. Francis. Here is a bit of what makes Edmund so impactful: Describe your role AT THE PARISH. I serve the Young Church at St. Francis through preaching the Gospel and discipleship, but also a large portion of my job is training adults and parents (who are part of our Core Team) in youth evangelization and discipleship. I primarily run the High School Young Church on a weekly basis. Tell us a bit about your family AND BACKGROUND. My wife is a Texas native cowgirl (Denison) and we have 4 crazy boys. I attended Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio and received my Bachelor of Arts in Catechetics and Theology with a focus in Youth Ministry. What are three words you would use to describe yourself? Coffee, coffee, coffee. What is your favorite thing to do on your day off? Read and write and cook. What are some of your favorite books? The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton is the most recent fiction book I can think of who’s ending really rocked me. As far as non-fiction, Forming Intentional Disciples is really a game changer for Catholics and was for me. FAVORITE FOOD? HOMEMADE PIZZA. What is your favorite scripture passage? Galatians 2:19-20: “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.” What is your favorite part about working here? Seeing young people encounter Jesus and then pour their passion and energy back into the Church community. Our Young Church is not the Church of tomorrow, they’re part of our Church today and have so much to offer her. Anything else you want to share? If we’ve never met and you see me introduce yourself or stop by the office, or email me and lets meet up for coffee sometime! Thank you so much for all the support and prayers.
PRESCHOOL NEWS
The Season of Giving at the Preschool The month of November found us learning about sharing and stewardship. We started collecting food for the Outreach Program. The count was 324 items, including 23 frozen turkeys and over 120 cans of vegetables. The children enjoyed taking their items to the Outreach Center themselves. We then had our own Thanksgiving Feasts. The Pre K 3 and Pre K 4 children were especially thankful for their Pizza! In December our Preschool entered our first Grapevine Parade of Lights Float. It was amazing to see how many people showed up for the event. The crowds were very generous with their cheering on of our preschoolers and parents. We will probably need a bigger trailer next year! We closed out our semester with our school program: “Come Celebrate Jesus!” January had the preschoolers learning about winter, snowmen and our 5 senses! Each class made a special project for our 1st Silent Auction. Everything turned out simply beautiful, from our birdhouses to our stained glass panel. We are also getting ready for next school year’s registration. We will start taking registration forms on March 1st for our present families and parishioners. Please call or email the Director, Ms. Karen Bedore, at 817-481-2685 ext 230 or kbedore@sfatx.org to schedule a tour.
HOLY TRINITY HIGHLIGHTS
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
@
Holy Trinity Catholic School celebrated Catholic Schools Week from February 1-5 with all Catholic schools from around the nation. HTCS kicked off the week with community presentations from GRACE, Catholic Charities of Fort Worth and HTCS alumni. Tuesday was Teacher and Staff Appreciation Day with breakfast and lunch provided. The week continued with mass and reception to celebrate our parents during Parent Appreciation Day. One of the highlights of the week was a live broadcast with Guadalupe Radio 910 AM, featuring 8th grade students, HTCS parents, and alumni. Another special treat was when Fr. Leo Patalinghug, known as the Cooking Priest (gracebeforemeals. com), visited us. On Thursday, we honored our parishes with a luncheon on Parish Appreciation Day. Friday concluded with ice cream after lunch for the students and an assembly led by the St. Francis’ Nic & NET Team.
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ST FRANCIS FAMILIES
Tamasi Family
Tell us a bit about your family. We are the Tamasi family. My mom, Laurie, recently started a new job doing architecture and interior design for a firm in Roanoke. My dad, Paul, recently sold his insurance business and is on the look out for a new job. It has been inspiring to watch my parents continue to pursue new endeavors in their adult lives. My sister, Emma, is a freshman at Grapevine High School (Go Mustangs!!). She is involved in theater tech, making all sorts of new friends and doing well in all her classes. I, Briana, am a college sophomore at the University of North Texas. I am a communication studies major, and I love every moment of school and all it has to offer. What is an interesting fact about your family that people may not suspect or know? The Tamasi famiglia is a unique one - my dad is first generation American and my mom is second generation American. My dad’s parents and my mom’s grandparents were all born in Italy, so our house is riddled with Italian culture, Italian food and lots of high volume, hilarious stories accompanied by elaborate hand gestures. Our family also very much enjoys singing, and when one of us has a song stuck in their head, the rest of us are roped into the tune whether we feel like humming the Star-Spangled Banner all day or not! Our house is full of a lot of life and laughter. What parish ministries is your family involved in? We usually attend the 4:30pm mass on Sundays. My mom and dad are both Core Team leaders for high school Young Church. They are also working with the church to remodel the new rectory and my mom has remodeled the youth center and stage. They very much enjoy donating their time and talents, especially
doing something they love for such a fulfilling cause. My sister and I are now conditioned to notice, appreciate and, yes, even comment on finishes when we go someplace new! My mom, Emma and I have volunteered at VBS each summer for years now, and I have volunteered at three Spirit Retreats, two as a youth leader and one as a college student. I also started The College Squad at the church, which is a bible study and social group for college-aged young adults. What is a favorite Bible verse for your family? A favorite bible verse is Psalms 86:11, which reads, “Teach me, Lord, your way that I may walk in your truth, single-hearted and revering your name.” My family has a newfound fire for the Church, and I feel like the four of us can relate to this verse very well. As we are now all growing in the faith together, we are all walking into His Word and into His Truth and allowing the Lord to impact and guide us through every part of our lives. What drew you to St. Francis of Assisi Parish? My parents moved to Texas, about 30 years ago from New Jersey, and St. Francis is the first church they attended. They have been parishioners ever since. Here they were married by Father B, my sister Emma and I received the sacraments and went all through the preschool program, and we all have been involved in the church all these years. But I have to say that we are involved more now than ever before, in large part because of Father Flynn and his inspiration. What do you love most about the parish? Father Flynn and the staff have become very much our church family – we are so grateful to know everyone there so well and be a part of such a fantastic group. Our family has had experiences and some setbacks that have allowed us to understand and value the importance of relationships, and we cherish all the loving friendships and joyful memories we are experiencing with the church. The sense of community and the opportunity to grow in the faith with others has made the walk through life with God so much more special then I think any of us could have ever imagined. What is one sentence that would describe our parish to an outsider or fallen away Catholic? A community of people, welcoming anyone and everyone with open arms to share the joys of the Lord.
In every issue, we will feature 1-2 families from our parish. Each of these families contributes to what makes St. Francis a thriving community. We are honored they call us home. To nominate a family to be featured, contact dmilliken@sfatx.org. made ice cream from scratch. She also loves baking cookies, cupcakes, and cakes, and they are delicious!
Norcutt Family Tell us a bit about your family. My husband, Curt, and I (Lilia) have been married for 22 years. He is originally from Witchita Falls and I am from Chihuahua, Mexico. Curt works in an auto body shop, where he paints classic cars, especially '55-'57 Ford Thunderbirds for about 25 years. He is loving and a very good man. I have worked for Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation for 21 years as an account representative. Previously, I have worked in the pro-life movement as a speaker, where I discusssed how women are affected by abortion. We have 3 beatiful daughters: Melissa, who is 16 and goes to Grapevine High School, Alyson, who is 13 years old and goes to Grapevine Middle School, and Amanda, who is 12 years old and attends Silver Lake Elementary. Melissa is very compassionate. She loves children, especially babies, and she is very pro-life. She hopes to become a pediatric nurse for babies with birth problems. She is very active in the Church, attending Young Church on Sunday and serving on the middle school Core Team. She is a loyal friend, ready to give love to those in need. Alyson is a very special kid, with a big heart. She helps in Mass as an altar server, and she loves serving the Lord. She is full of surprises and always reminds me of family events and birthdays. She keeps in touch with our family through social media and tells me about the family in Mexico and the USA. She is active in drama, and last year, served as the stage manager at the school theater. Amanda is a very happy girl. She likes science, and I find her around the house experimenting and working with glue, clay, paint, flour, plastic, food color, etc. She recently created lipstick and play-doh. She also has
What is an interesting fact about your family that people may not suspect or know? Every year, my husband, Curt, goes with his boss and his boss’ son to Barret Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, AZ, to auction 2 vehicles. This is fun and interesting because they show the event on TV on the Speed Channel. I get to see my husband for few minutes on TV, and for me this is the greatest thing! Another interesting fact is that my husband is not Catholic, but we got married in Chihuahua, Mexico, in the Catholic Cathedral. Do you have any fun or interesting family traditions? We like to camp and, when we can, we go outdoors and enjoy nature. Since my husband is American and I am Mexican, we have a diversity of traditions. What parish ministries is your family involved in? Melissa is a middle school Core Team member, Alyson and Amanda are altar servers, and I help as a lector, eucharistic minster, catechist and high school Core Team member. I also help with the Gabriel Project for pregnant women, especially in Spanish. What is one way your family prays together? We pray the rosary almost every day, and we pray before the Blessed Sacrament on Fridays. We also like to attend the Spanish Family Retreats together to praise the Lord once or twice a year. What is a favorite Bible verse for your family? Psalm 123, "The Lord is my Shepherd." This gives us strength to go forward, to trust the Lord that we are not alone, and to know that God has everything we need. What do you love most about the parish? The people. We go to both Spanish and English masses and events, and both groups always have a smile on their faces for you and make you feel like family. What is one sentence that would describe our parish to an outsider or fallen away Catholic? St. Francis of Assisi Parish is ready to give you love and understanding and is opening their doors for you to love. the St. Francis Grapevine  9
YOUTH MINISTRY
WHAT’S UP - with the NET TEAM?
Ever find yourself wondering just what the Net team is up to around here? here’s a few fun facts and glory stories about what our net team has been up to this year!
retreats retreats and more retreats!
So far the NET Team has given a total of 5 retreats to middle school and high schoolers this year. Each unique in their own way, the NET Team helped give talks, lead small groups, lead praise and worship, performed dramas and tons of games too.
women's and men's nights
One of the most popular events NET hosts are Women's & Men's Night! Most of the time, these are hosted at the NET house (or youth house) right beside the Family Life Center. Men’s Nights have consisted of nerf wars, game nights, xbox tournaments, and ultimate frisbee tournaments. Women’s Nights have consisted of movie nights, gingerbread house and cookie making, and nights where we’ve discussed what it means to be a woman of God. Hosting these nights is one of the most fun events NET likes to do. NET will continue to host Men's and Women's Nights this year and would love to see new middleschoolers and highschoolers there!
host families
One of our most favorite things to do as NET-ters is meet and hang out with our host families, they become like our own families, and we enjoy spending as much time as possible with them. All of the host families that we have stayed with so far have been nothing short of a blessing and a ton of fun! We have had the opportunity to meet and enjoy so many different families of the parish and experience different homes, each uniting in our faith and sharing the love of Christ we’ve found with one another.
1-on-1 ministry
One-on-one ministry is a huge part of what we do as a NET Team. We have the opportunity to minister to youth on a one-on-one setting, enjoying a meal, grabbing coffee, going shopping or just hanging out with them! We have the opportunity to get to know them better, and walk with them in their faith as best as possible!
open team prayer
As a NET Team, we pray together every day in the form of praise and worship. As humans, we were created body and soul, and we use both our bodies and souls to praise the Lord! We sing a couple of praise and worship songs, and we focus on a theme or a bible passage for that day. This is open to anyone every Saturday at 10:00am in the NET house!
school lunches
Every Wednesday and Thursday the NET Team goes to a school in the area to eat lunch with the youth there. On Wednesdays, we visit Holy Trinity Catholic School, and on Thursdays we visit Carroll Middle School. We have the opportunity to meet new youth and invite them to events that we throw, as well as hang out with the youth that we already know!
Preparing for Confirmation: so much closer with my Confirmation small group.
couldn’t stop laughing by the time we left. Saturday ST. FRANCIS SPIRIT RETREAT 35 We afternoon we had adoration, confession, and mass, A Reflection by Amy Toeniskoetter
Despite the cold and lack of sleep, Spirit Retreat 35 couldn’t have been any better. Edmund told us even more crazy stories about his life. The NET team surprised me with their acting skills, knowledge of math, hatred of mud, unique laughs, and inner rockers. I learned more about members in our parish, and grew
which were all great. I love adoration. It’s always been one of my favorite things to do at youth events and this time was no exception. The music was wonderful. I could feel the Holy Spirit moving through the room. Everyone who talked stressed that now matter what, God always loves us. I’ve been praying that everyone realizes that because we are loved.
STAFF BLOG SAMPLINGS
Thomistic Contemplation
Nic Gutierrez Middle School Youth Minister & Worship Leader For Aristotle, contemplation was not dry and cold, but tied to friendship. We know friendships to be most profound when it grows from mutual sharing and sacrifice. The sharing of contemplation makes friendships solid and greater. We see this kind of fostering in relationships over a coffee date or perhaps a drink. The sharing demands reciprocating vulnerability and results in greater love for the other. St. Thomas Aquinas says when we long for happiness we tend to use the speculative intellect to think about God. This is not a denial of the value of the practical intellect or the other parts of the human person, but only when everything is tied to the cognition of God, of truth, is everything else well ordered. St. Thomas would say that contemplation is the proper avenue to attain such an end. St. Thomas defines contemplation as simplex intuitus veritatits, a simple intuition of truth. It is not a question of rational cognition, but of intellectual cognition. In rational cognition, information is gathered, ordered and worked out. Intellectual cognition is a simple grasping of the truth, the facing of reality by the intellect, whereby we grasp the reality directly. Contemplation understood in this way can be natural, aesthetical, but it can also become supernatural when it is undertaken in faith. If I adhere to Christ, everything I do is transformed by grace, everything becomes supernatural. Then the contact with God through faith transforms the contemplation of beauty and truth. The simple contemplation of truth fascinates and grants vitality to life. Our mature choices are consequences of our being drawn by the truth we perceive. This is why St. Thomas places contemplation at the center of the moral life. The position of St. Thomas of the intuitive SPIRIT RETREAT IN PHOTOS
cognition of God as the summit of moral action is done to help us to draw everything together toward God. He proposes such an opening of our intellect, so that we can obtain happiness. When we approach the text of St. Thomas with the modern understanding of contemplation, we misunderstand him. Aquinas thinks of the contemplative life leaning more to the academic life. He says there are situations where people can be drawn away from God by the contemplative life. The person who has the active life, filled with difficulties, can have a better chance of reaching for God and getting his grace. The mother often doesn’t have time to devote a holy hour to God because her baby might not permit it. Therefore, she must make acts of faith and choose God constantly throughout the day. While Fr. Flynn can do his priestly obligations and perhaps read books all day and contemplate God in them. The word “contemplation” in modern spiritual theology has a completely different meaning. To sum up, the term contemplatio for St. Thomas denotes a simple intuition of truth. The strictly moral actions require an awareness of truth. It is also the fundamental ground for intellectual pursuits. It generates an order for life, which leads to happiness. The simple intuition of truth unites one to God, in a transfer to the supernatural level. Therefore, the natural wisdom that flows from a perception of truth in a Christian is joined with the gift of wisdom given by the Holy Spirit. If in a professional manner the Christian is searching for God, then his family life, professional career, or academic life will be open to the life of the divine. If we contemplate more, our lives would not be a mere recharging of the battery. If one stays true to regular contemplation, the grace God gives should be remarkably evident in all aspects of life and in everything we do.
SUMMER CAMPS & CONFERENCES: Young Disciples Leadership Training June 8-12 // Fort Worth, TX
Steubenville Lonestar June 17-19 // Dallas, TX
Watch the promo video: sfatx.org/thirst
Camp Hidden Lake (Middle School) July 3-8 // Dahlonega, GA
Camp Covecrest (High School)
July 3-8 // Tiger, GA the St. Francis
Grapevine
11
861 Wildwood Lane Grapevine, TX 76051
NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID GRAPEVINE, TX PERMIT NO. 87
Return Service Requested
THANK YOU! We could not have done it without you!
MOMS Group • Knights of Columbus • Chili Contestants Padre Pio Prayer Group • All Other Volunteers
CONGRATULATIONS! To the 2016 Winners:
Hottest Chili: Team Blazing Berries Best Decorated Table: 1st - Team WHO DAT! 2nd - Team Rodenburgh • 3rd - Team Wild West Chili Best Tasting Chili: 1st - Team Jarzynka 2nd - Team Cano • 3rd - Team Road Kill Chili