The Spirit of
St. Louis @
February / March 2017
St. Vincent
de
Paul Society
SERVING THE NEEDIEST AMONG US
The St. Vincent de Paul Society conference at St. Louis Church has been serving the needy in our neighborhoods for more than 50 years. Our 2016 fiscal year for SVDP ended on September 30, and we’d like to take this time to report last year's activities to you so that you may see how your generosity is benefiting the community around us. The work that we do as Vincentians would not be possible without your generous support to our ministry throughout the year.
Plus One (Austin Energy) The greatest boon to us has been our participation with Austin Energy as a Plus One partner. As of September 30, we completed our 5th year as a partner. Through this program, Austin Energy provides our SVDP conference with an allocation that we can apply against Austin Energy accounts to help our neediest clients with their utility bills. In the first year, our funding allocation was $10,000;
each year it has increased, and we have just signed contracts for this coming year - the allocation will be $28,875 for 2017. We are so grateful for this program in that we manage the allocations ourselves, with our only requirements being to attend quarterly meetings and that Austin Energy conduct an on-site visit. We expend all of our allocation each year because the need in the neighborhoods surrounding St. Louis is so great. There are more than 40 Plus One agencies to help Austin Energy customers throughout the city who need help with their bills.
Donations
and
Help Provided
Our conference members made 369 home visits this past year - and that equates to 886 individuals helped by our conference. We can help people who live within our parish boundaries, and when those who live outside our boundaries call us, we help them as well, by providing them with information so they can seek assistance from other resources. We received $62,290 in funds this year (does not include the 2016 Plus One allocation of $26,250). The greatest portion represents donations from our parishioners in the social ministries collection and from the poor boxes. We also received additional funds throughout the year for specific, very needy clients we have visited, from the SVDP conferences at St. Theresa's, St. Albert the Great, Sacred Heart, St. Austin's, St. John Neumann, St. Thomas More, and our own social ministries. (story continued on page 3)
A newsletter of st. louis catholic church • 7601 burnet road, austin, tx • www.st-louis.org
OUR Lenten JOURNEY 2017 Lent is a time of spiritual preparation, re-focusing our hearts and minds on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus that enabled us to be co-heirs in his heavenly kingdom. The acts of penance and fasting during Lent unite us with Christ’s suffering. Join us as we begin our forty day journey toward Easter. March 1 Ash Wednesday Services All services will have distribution of ashes. 6:30 a.m.
Mass (Bilingual)
8:00 a.m.
School Mass
12:00 p.m. Liturgy of the Word 6:00 p.m. Mass 8:00 p.m. Spanish Mass
Lenten Disciplines
ALMSGIVING, FASTING AND PRAYER
Jesus taught that giving alms makes others’ needs our own. During Lent, instead of focusing on ourselves, we are to focus on others, especially the neediest around us. We don’t need to be wealthy to give. We can give of our time, our talents, or our material resources. Jesus teaches that when we give, we also receive. Many choose to sacrifice some of their own luxuries during Lent, setting aside that money for the poor. Ashes to Easter Lenten Boxes: Last year your support of the Lenten “mite” boxes benefitted multiple ministries around the world. These ministries, chosen by the Diocese of Austin included missions and missionaries from some of the poorest nations. Your donations to the Lenten boxes do make a huge difference! Please look for Lenten boxes in the Church (or make your own) and return them during Holy Week. Your generosity to those who need it most is gratefully appreciated! Fasting is an ancient religious discipline with a two-fold purpose. First, it gives us an awareness of the basic needs of life and demonstrates our mastery over our appetites. Secondly, this sacrifice leads to clarity of thought, which is a powerful tool for prayer. By
fasting we signify our oneness with the Lord, acknowledge our need for conversion and give witness to our solidarity with those less fortunate. Fast and abstinence are an expression of our desire to be converted in our hearts, to be reconciled with God and each other. Catholics who are 18 to 59 years old are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting refers to the quantity of food eaten. Traditionally, fasting calls for refraining from eating between meals and consuming only one full meal per day. Some food is permitted which will not equal another full meal. The U.S. Catholic bishops also call for all Catholics 14 years and older to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the Fridays of Lent. Abstinence forbids the consumption of meat, but not of eggs, milk products or condiments made of animal fat. We are also called to the spiritual self-discipline of prayer. Jesus taught us that prayer is more than words. We are to pray with attention and intention, locking out noise and trivial things that lay claim to our hearts. Setting aside a daily prayer time during Lent can lead us to a lifetime of communion with God. Scheduling dedicated prayer time in our Perpetual Adoration Chapel is a good way to make prayer a primary focus in your life.
The Spirit of St. Louis
St. Vincent
Stations of the Cross & Via Crucis
Each week of Lent, Stations of the Cross and its Spanish equivalent, Via Crucis, are offered to the parish as follows: Via Crucis
Thursdays immediately after 6 p.m. Spanish Mass (Chapel) March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; April 6
Stations
Fridays at 2:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. (Chapel) March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; April 7
Lenten Penance Services
Please join us at these special reconciliation services before Easter. Tuesday, April 4 1:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. We encourage you to take advantage of the multiple priests available at both our Penance Services.
Parish Lenten Mission
RESPONDING TO THE SPIRIT: IN THE SOUL, IN THE CHURCH, IN THE WORLD MARCH 27 - 29 Please mark your calendars for a Lenten inspired Parish Mission with Rev. Bruce Nieli, CSP. Father Bruce is a Paulist Missionary and Evangelist, Missionary of Mercy of Pope Francis, former Director for Evangelization for the USCCB and the Texas Catholic Conference and the founding Director of the Center for Spiritual Development in the Archdiocese of New York. Join Fr. Bruce as he explores how to be Catholic in America today.
Sung Office of Compline
Join us each Sunday night at 9:00pm in the Chapel. Compline is the last office of the day in the Liturgy of the Hours and has its origins in the monastic traditions of religious men and women, who gathered in a candle lit church to pray the final Psalms of the day. Join us weekly in this peaceful service of prayer and spiritual contemplation. During Lent, this would be a wonderful meditative activity to begin your week. March 12 and April 9, Compline includes the Sacrament of Healing.
de
3
Paul Continued
And most of all, many families were greatly helped during the year by the dedicated Vincentians at St. Theresa's conference, who take 7 to 8 of our cases every week of the year - they do the home visits and provide the assistance. God bless all of these conferences and all of the generous donors in our parish. We expended $61,257 this year in assistance (that does not include our Plus One allocation). We were able to purchase discounted Cap Metro bus passes several times this year, enabling those who needed passes to get to a job or to look for work. We continue to be privileged to make home visits to all of these families, for above and beyond any financial help we may provide them, we sit and listen, encourage them and pray with them in their homes, and that's the blessing we Vincentians receive.
Christmas We again participated in the Advent Giving Trees in December 2016. We collected almost $7,000 worth of HEB gift cards that season, which we were able to distribute to needy families all throughout Advent and the Christmas season. Most of the parishioners who donated HEB cards bought them through the scrip program, so our St. Louis School and those helped by the SVDP Society all benefited! We also had four families sponsored last year at Christmastime; large families with many children. Two families were very generously sponsored by the nonprofit organization SEDL (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory), and two families by our SVDP conference members as a group.
Vincentians We have been very fortunate to have four new members join us this past year -- all of them are actively participating in doing home visits. We always do our home visits in pairs, to represent the conference as a community, and to do as Christ did in sending out the Apostles, “two by two.” The St. Vincent de Paul Society provides a blessed opportunity for parishioners to share their time and talent in service to the neediest all around us. Some of our members do home visits; some members work in our office. Thank you to our officers who coordinate our activities including President Alex Wadleigh, Vice President, Javier Maldonado, Treasurer Virgilio Escutia and Secretary Linda St. Clair. Come and see what we do – we meet every Tuesday at 7:00pm in the Social Ministries Building.
New Facilities for a New Year Winter-Spring 2017
This spring marks our renovation of the new offices in the old rectory, planning for a renovation for Wozniak Hall, and a master plan for the PEC and current office building. As many of you know, we’ve moved our Priests and Seminarian into a new rectory on Hardy Drive, which is proving to give them new vigor, as they are able to rest and rejuvenate in a place a bit more private and homey. The house sits on two lots with a third lot adjoining, creating a wonderful property for our parish rectory.
The parish
purchased the property for $190k a number of years ago. This new 3400 square foot house for three priests and a seminarian came in under budget at $460k.
Now the
property all together is valued at over $800k, a net increase in property value to the parish of $150k. With that, we are excited to announce that the old rectory, directly next to the church building, will now be renovated to serve you as the new offices.
The Spirit of St. Louis
New dreams for Wozniak Hall! With our ECDC child care program moving over to the little
house
Street
on
over
St.
the
Joseph
Christmas
break, we are very excited to vision
a
new
chapter
for
Wozniak Hall. This semester, Fr. James and his facilities team will create a master plan for Wozniak
Hall,
which
will
include renovations to the kitchen,
a
new
lighting
package in the main room, renovated restrooms, and a make over for the various meeting rooms. This will be a major benefit to the parish, as now
we
will
have
three
additional meeting spaces for your ministries to meet as well as a dedicated space for our Youth Ministry programs.
Our New Offices will improve efficiency and make it easier for you to visit the priests and staff Our new parish office, a 7500 square foot building originally designed as the offices for the parish, will house all of our church employees in one building. This will be a much more efficient use of the square footage and will help focus our ministries into a single mission. It will also give us the benefit of fully using the building, which had become somewhat obsolete with only half of the square footage actually being used by the priests for their rectory. Another major benefit will be the fact that it is one single story. Currently, our Associate Pastor’s office is on the 2nd floor, requiring anyone who needs to visit a priest to go up and down stairs and bear the burden of no elevator. It will also benefit our employees, some of whom are better served working on the ground floor. Another benefit is that we will now be able to re-purpose the current office building. Some ideas we are looking at include new offices for the school, enrichment program center for the school, and Religious Ed. Resource center for our public school children who attend St. Louis for their religious education. Our goal to open our new office is June 1, 2017. During the summer, we hope to execute our Wozniak Hall renovations as well as our re-purposing project of the current offices. A majority of the work will be financed through the sale of a property on Hardy Drive, a decision made by Fr. Misko with both our Finance and Pastoral Councils. For the Wozniak Hall renovations, we will partner with the different ministries that use the space, asking them to join us in making the hall a new and wonderful place for our work and fellowship for many years to come. Stay tuned for how you might be able to help us in this work!
5
ST. LOUIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL NEWS PREPARING THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW WITH THE LIGHT OF CHRIST AS THEIR GUIDE
Success
STARTS HERE
WWW.SLCSAUSTIN.ORG 512-614-6622 2114 ST. JOSEPH STREET AUSTIN, TX 78757
f L I
NATIVITY MASS Pre-K and Kindergarten celebrated all parts of our Annual School Nativity Mass. Students welcomed us, read, and served as hospitality ministers. During the Homily, students sang of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Christ’s birth. Our youngest learners take great pride in this yearly tradition as they practice for weeks leading to this Mass. It’s always a wonderful sight to see!
/SLCSAUSTIN
Save the Date!
@SLCSAUSTIN @SLCSAUSTIN
60TH ANNIVERSARY COUGAR COMMEMORATIVE CHALLENGE FUN MASS RUN with Bishop Joe Vasquez April 25, 2017 April 1, 2017 St. Louis Campus 5pm Vigil Mass
COUGAR CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT April 27, 2017 Twin Creeks Country Club
SCHOOL REGISTRATION
REGISTRO DE LA ESCUELA
Registration for the 2017-2018 school year is open! We would love to add more students to our St. Louis Catholic School family. We offer a Christ-centered education for students in Pre-K through 8th grade and our graduates continue to make us proud. Forms and additional information are available on the school website at slcsaustin.org. Please contact Rosalie Dowling at 512-614-6622x245 for more information. We look forward to hearing from you!
Inscripciones para 2016-2017 esta abierta! Nos encantaría añadir más estudiantes de nuestro familia de la escuela católica de St. Louis. Ofrecemos una educación Cristo-céntrica para estudiantes en PreKinder hasta el grado 8vo y nuestros graduados continúan hacernos orgullosos. Contacto con la Sra. Dowling en 512-614-6622, ext 245 para un viaje especializado. Las formas y la información adicional están disponibles en el sitio web de la escuela en slcsaustin.org.
The Spirit of St. Louis
7
OUR SACRAMENTS OUR FAITH “The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify men, to build up the Body of Christ and, finally, to give worship to God.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church123) BAPTISMS NOVEMBER 6 – JANUARY 5, 2016 Theodore Riley Blazeck Kai Alexander Bueno Peyton Wallace Schar Estefany Itzel Alvarez-Sanchez
SOCCER CHALLENGE
The Knights of Columbus council 5967 hosted the annual soccer challenge before Christmas break. Congratulations to the following winners! 9 yr olds - Edward Tisdale; Alina Goepferich
Orfanel Alexander Antonio-Jeronimo Mateo Avila-Hernandez Christopher Terrero-Ponce Christina Banda Emilia Grace Cuellar Lucille Veronica Leos Aria Rose Sankey
10 yr olds - Mauricio Ramos; Elaine Berend
Marley Elizabeth Casas
11 yr olds - George Tisdale; Alejandra Ruiz
Mateo Hiram Medina-Vargas
12 yr olds - Riley Fuller; Virginia Tucker 13 yr olds - Colin Donahue; Sophie Barger 14 yr olds - Carl Friesenhahn; Emma Neidig
Adan Radilla-Segura Amy Isabella Ramirez-Perez Xareny Yatzil Chaires-Lopez Mia Newton-Jaimes Sarahi Perez-Esparza Denahi Sanchez-Chico
BAPTISMCONFIRMATION-EUCHARIST NOVEMBER 11, 2016 Merrell Gene Messer
CONFIRMATIONS (*First Eucharist also) OCTOBER 29, 2016 Estefania Magdalena Aranza Monserrath Aranza*
60TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE MASS
Gregory Scott Dreyer
Join us for our 60th Anniversary Commemorative Mass on Saturday, April 1 at 5pm celebrated by Bishop Joe Vasquez. Dinner will follow in Wozniak Hall. We invite all parishioners, friends, and alumni to join us on this memorable day. Look for information regarding dinner tickets in the Narthex beginning in March.
Elias Nieto-Diaz, Jr.
Roberto Gonzalez Jr. Megan Lindsay Suwek
continued on page 16
The Spirit of St. Louis
9
Seminarian Chris Meets with Advisory Team The pastoral year is a time for a seminarian to bridge the gap between studying for the priesthood and the practical everyday life of a priest. This year is an opportunity to experience daily priestly life in a parish as fully as possible. When Seminarian Chris Yeager arrived at St. Louis a few months ago, he and Father James created an extensive list of activities that will expose him to the spiritual, liturgical, educational and business life of St. Louis Parish. Front Row: Socorro Diaz, Margaret Bruns, Karen Dunlap Middle Row: Jose Corona, Seminarian Chris, Joseph Villarreal Back Row: Dona Medlock, Mark Molchen, John Hamlet (PAT Chair), Lupe Barragon.
Together, Seminarian Chris and Father James asked a diverse group
of nine parishioners to serve as Chris’ Pastoral Advisory Team. The team meets monthly to offer support and encouragement for personal and pastoral growth throughout the year. This includes feedback based on team observations and relaying comments from other parishioners. A portion of the team’s responsibility is evaluative in the form of a dialogue at the PAT meeting. John Hamlet is the team chair and will submit a formal evaluation to the seminary at the conclusion of Chris’s time at St. Louis. While kudos are always welcome, Chris honestly wants feedback on ways that will make him a better parish priest in the future. If you are not comfortable passing along your thoughts to Chris directly, feel free to discuss your ideas with any team member.
MOTHER'S DAY SURPRISE Vendors Needed April 22, 2017 Wozniak Hall 10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. This is a fundraiser effort for St. Louis Food Pantry. For more information contact bea.delarosa@st-louis.org
Sharing Our Story/Through Music Growing up in Fort Davis, about 90 miles from the lights of Marfa, Thomas Turner really got into the city lights of the Dallas area when his family moved him there at age 7. It was thanks to the guidance of a music teacher, Mr. Bradley, who introduced the third grader to the afterschool piano lab program. Piano lessons began with Ms. Davidson for 7 years in classical repertoire, and he was hooked. Another move later and he lost access to the piano until his grandmother bought him a sequencer that included all kinds of new sounds and percussion instruments. Thomas spent “hours on hours” of experimenting with these new sounds and sequencers, eventually forming a band. Austin at the turn of the millennium was already full of rock and blues bands; this style of music did not appeal to his tastes, so he looked around for other possibilities. It was Fr. Joe at St. Ignatius, Martyr, who encouraged him to find people that had similar interests, and Thomas headed to the Austin Chronicle to see who and what was available. A few twists and turns later, Thomas and Aaron Kyle Behrens formed the group Ghostland Observatory, and began touring the United States.
Thomas Turner Self-described as electronic and rock based, psychedelic with a little pop, the music has been well received, and the two perform 40-50 shows a year, rehearsing at the Music Lab on Oltorf and Congress, a tiny space without sound proofing in the room and clustered with many other bands. Full of fascinating stories, he met his wife while waiting in line for another concert years ago. As it began to rain, the two struck up a conversation and later went out on a date. Now married eleven years, they have three lovely children, and live only a few blocks from St. Louis parish. The house they bought in Austin was owned at the time by Evelyn McNair’s father-in-law, and Thomas had once attended San Jose Church, when Fr. James was a seminarian there. It seems this family was predestined to be at St. Louis Parish! Usually a vigil attender on Saturday, Thomas also joined the Ambrose Ringers handbell choir in September, recalling that he was “nervous” about his first time playing the big bells. Nothing to be worried about!
Youth Ministry
The Spirit of St. Louis
11
C hecking
out the
T reasures
in
Y our P arish L ibrary
One of the most rewarding things about volunteering in the Parish Library is watching the reaction of people as they browse through the library for the first time. It could be while they are waiting for their children to finish an activity at the Parish or registering their children for religious education classes or waiting to visit with a staff person. Sometimes it’s the children who drag their parents into the library for Veggie Tales or the story of a saint! Whatever the reason, the reaction is usually an expression or words to the effect of, “I’ve stumbled upon a treasure chest full of gems.” Since February is Library Lovers Month the Parish Library will feature some of the most asked for books and videos like the ones listed below. Come by and have a look and tell us about some of your favorites.
Catholicism, Bishop Robert Barron. Journey around the world and deep into the faith! For the first time, in breathtaking, high-definition cinematography, the beauty, goodness and truth of the Catholic faith are illustrated in a rich, multimedia experience. Each episode runs 50-60 minutes.
Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Left to Tell, Immaculée Ilibagiza. The triumphant story of this Therese of Lisieux, Therese de Lisieux. Two remarkable young woman's journey through the darkness of and a half years before her death in 1897 at genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by the age of 24, as Thérèse Martin began writing fear, suffering and loss. down her childhood memories at the request of her blood sisters in the Lisieux Carmel, few could have guessed the eventual outcome. Yet The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth, Scott this Story of a Soul, first published in 1898 in a Hahn. Bestselling author Scott Hahn sheds new light on the highly edited version, quickly became a modern Mass, offering readers a deeper appreciation of the most spiritual classic, read by millions and translated familiar of Catholic rituals. into dozens of languages around the world.
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, Henri J. M. Nouwen. Written for a Jewish friend, Life of the Beloved has become Henri Nouwen’s greatest legacy to Christians around the world. This sincere testimony of the power and invitation of Christ is indeed a great guide to a truly uplifting spiritual life in today’s world.
The Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton. A modern-day Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Seven Storey Mountain is one of the most influential religious works of the twentieth century.
Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, Maria Faustina Kowalska. This bestselling book gave birth to the Divine Mercy movement, one of the fastest growing movements in world today. This amazing narrative will stir your heart and soul while it chronicles the experience of a simple Polish nun.
The Spirit of St. Louis
13
SANCTUARY CANDLE MEMORIALS
The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality, Ronald Rolheiser. Ronald Rolheiser makes sense of a frequently misunderstood word: spirituality. In posing the question "What is spirituality?" Father Rolheiser gets quickly to the heart of common difficulties with the subject, and shows through compelling anecdotes and personal examples how to channel that restlessness, that deep desire, into a healthy spirituality.
The Clown of God, Tomie dePaola. In this retelling of the old French legend, a juggler offers to the Christ Child the only gift he has. “The full-color pictures with subtle tonal modulations are an integral part of the design of the luminous pages full of movement and vitality.” We also have many of his other books, such as Strega Nona, The Song of St. Francis, and Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland.
The sanctuary candle is traditionally seen in Catholic churches, burning constantly to indicate the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. At St. Louis, in both the main nave and the chapel, the sanctuary candles are burning high above the floor in beautifully ornate fixtures suspended from the ceiling. Parishioners are given the opportunity to memorialize a deceased loved one with a $10 contribution, selecting a specified week in which one or both of the two sanctuary candles will be burned in their honor. Visit the church office with your donation, the name of your loved one, your choice of sanctuary candle and the selected week. Memorials are denoted in the Main Nave (M/N) or Chapel (C). Memorials reserved since the last newsletter deadline include: January 8 – 14 Memory of Isaias Cajas and Maria Cristina Ventura by Grupo Rosario (M/N) In Honor of Maria Saenz’s birthday by her children (C) February 5 – 11 Memory of Ramon V. Ubias by Julian & Ramona Lopez (M/N) Memory of Julia P. Ubias by Julian & Ramona Lopez (C) February 12 – 18
The Squire and the Scroll: A Tale of the Rewards of a Pure Heart, Jennie Bishop. This captivating adventure follows a young squire who travels a long, dangerous road beside his brave knight, on a quest for their king. The action builds until the final face-off with the monstrous, evil dragon. Only then does the squire learn of the secret beyond the cave that ends in a joyous celebration for the entire kingdom. Children will gain valuable insight as they learn, along with the young squire, what it means to face the dangers of temptation, and what it takes to guard one's heart from all that is impure.
Memory of Marissa Michelle Rodriguez by Leslie D. Inman (C) February 19 – 25 Memory of Rudy Saenz, Jr. by the Lottman Family (M/N) March 12 – 18 Memory of Fred McNair by Evelyn McNair (C & M/N) March 19 – 25 Memory of Ruperto Reyes, Sr. by Pablo Reyes (C & M/N) March 26 - April 1 Memory of Dominga U. Reyes by Pablo Reyes (C & M/N)
LANDMARK ANNIVERSARIES 2016 For the last 38 years St. Louis Parish has recognized special landmark wedding anniversaries. We were able to continue this tradition, honoring those couples who notified us of their landmark anniversary in 2016. Certificates signed by the Bishop were given to the couples on the weekend before Christmas. Congratulations to all these couples for being living examples of the Sacrament of Marriage to our faith family! 10 Years Les and Jessica Foehr Vincent and Amanda Hawkins Peter and Elizabeth Polito Ruperto and Ana Torres Christopher and Kimberly Treadaway 15 Years Jose and Anahi Lopez 20 Years Otilio and Fredesvinda Cedillo Enrique and Leticia Lopez Michael and Ingrid McDonald Aurelio and Lidia Segura 25 Years Artemio and Lourdes Martinez Michael and Norma Quinn 30 Years Lorenzo and Silvia Banda Gaylon and Valarie Brooks 35 Years Bob and Kathy Padilla Rick and Denise Pastor 40 Years Dale and Marilyn Hamilton
45 Years Gilbert and Tina Bernal Samuel and Carmen Gonzales 50 Years Larry and Gladys Havel Julian and Ramona Lopez 55 Years Alexander and Dora Garza 59 Years Joe and Lillie Foster 60 Years Joe and Delia Garza Paul and Petra Herrera Raymond and Dorothy Kaderka Luke and Wylla LeBas 62 Years Harold and Anna Hans 63 Years Gene and Evelyn Syrinek 65 Years Kirby and Frances Krause Merrill and Evelyn Messer 67 Years Zaragoza and Cecilia Castillo
The Spirit of St. Louis
15
Around the Diocese and beyond 40 Days for Life During Lent Another 40 Days for Life Campaign will be held during Lent. This sidewalk ministry is a life-affirming way to pray publicly in front of a local abortion clinic, for women who may be considering an abortion. Sponsored by the Coalition for Life, please consider praying with us on the designated St. Louis Day, Sunday, April 9th. Join fellow parishioners as we pray together to end abortions. Registrations for the 40 Days will be taken on the weekend of February 25-26. Please be part of this Respect Life effort in your parish and diocese!
Austin Marathon
FEBRUARY 19 An estimated 14,000 runners will be taking part in the 26.2 mile Marathon and 13.1 mile Half Marathon on Sunday, February 19th. As in past years, Mile 18 of the Marathon is close to the intersection of Burnet Road and Saint Joseph Blvd. Saint Joseph will be closed east-bound, with delays at the intersection directed by the Austin Police Department. Road closures on race day will begin at 3AM near the start line and will begin closing to motor vehicles at 6AM for the 7AM start. Roads will reopen on a rolling schedule following the final runners. Plan ahead and be aware of the closures in our area, leaving extra time to arrive at Church for Mass.
Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center (254) 780-2436 www.cedarbrake.org cedarbrake@austindiocese.org FEBRUARY 20: CANCER SURVIVOR’S RETREAT: A DAY OF REFLECTION This retreat is a time for cancer survivors to come together to share their stories. Wanda Gibson is a business owner, spiritual director and cancer survivor. Mrs. Gibson will lead this prayerful, winter day of reflection, meditation, discussion and movement through the survivor’s journey into the present moment. Whether you are celebrating one week or twenty years since your cancer experience, you are invited to join us in courageous company as we allow our mind, body, and spirt to engage, heal, rest, renew and rejoice. The cost is $40 and includes lunch.
MARCH 1: ASH WEDNESDAY DAY OF REFLECTION Join us for BLOSSOM, a program of St. JPII Life Center that provides tools to mothers so they can help their daughters to embrace their blossoming womanhood! This program is designed for mothers of daughters The Lenten season is a time for growth ages 10 -14. in our spiritual life. The day will begin with Mass and the distribution of 2017 ashes. The reflection will be presented s for BLOSSOM, a program of St. JPII Life Center thatFebruary provides16, tools to mothers so they can help their am – 2:00 pm, Wozniak Hall of daughters by Cedarbrake staff. Cost is $40 and hters to embrace their blossoming womanhood! This9:30 program is designed for mothers St. Louis King of France Catholic Church includes lunch. 10 -14. 7601 Burnet Road Austin, Texas 78757 Cost is $10 (includes lunch) February 16, 2017 To register call: 512-407-2900 Or goam to jpiilifecenter.org/events 9:30 – 2:00 pm, Wozniak Hall
MARCH 10-13: A SILENT LENTEN RETREAT This is a weekend of silence combined St. Louis King of France Catholic Churchwith communal prayer and Mass. TOPICS Brian Egan and Beverly Collin will Road of fertility. • Discussing with your daughter the physical changes of 7601 puberty Burnet and the physiology lead this retreat. The cost is $195 • Teaching your daughter about observing and charting the signs of Texas her fertility. Austin, 78757 for a shared room, $240 for a private • Sharing with your daughter the beauty and dignity of womanhood. $10 (includes lunch) • Learning when your daughter should see a gynecologistCost for theisfirst time. room, and commuter rate is $95. For • Resources to help you both on this journey. To register call: 512-407-2900 information or registration on any of these programs, contact Cedarbrake at Or go to jpiilifecenter.org/events PRESENTERS the above websites or phone number. Heather Kalamarides, MAT, FCP, is a certified practitioner of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System and provides women and couples with quality educational instruction in learning to chart their cycles of fertility and infertility.
CS Heather is a trained math and science teacher for grades 7-12, she serves on the board of the John Paul II Life Center ussing and with your daughter theFertility physical puberty and theKalamarides, physiology of fertility. is affiliated with the Austin Care changes Center. Sheof is the wife of Dr. Jeremy medical director of the Vitae daughter Clinic and wife of two observing daughters andand two sons. ching your about charting the signs of her fertility. Nancy Carrano, is a former elementary school teacherof andwomanhood. serves on the board of St. John Paul II Life Center. Nancy is ring with your daughter the beauty and dignity the mother of three sons and one daughter. rning when your daughter should see a gynecologist for the first time. ources to help you both on this journey.
For information or registration for the above programs, please contact Cedarbrake at the above websites or phone number.
Transitions At the end of December, the parish bid farewell to our Adult and Family Director, Amy Allert. After much prayer, reflection and discernment, Amy felt called to move into another line of work. She has directed and managed our adult programs for over 10 years, setting a standard of quality in catechesis and pastoral care. Fr. Misko called these programs “one of the very best Adult Catechesis programs in the Diocese.” He further praised Amy for her outstanding marriage prep program, and the leadership she provided in directing volunteers in Amy Allert RCIA, Adult Confirmation and Baptism preparation. Together, our Pastor and Amy developed a list of key parish leaders who are overseeing the various aspects of this ministry, until a replacement can be hired.
FIRST EUCHARIST NOVEMBER 19, 2016 Fernando Perez-Espinoza
PROFESSIONS OF FAITH – CONFIRMATION-EUCHARIST DECEMBER 4, 2016 Oluwaseyi Anna Erinle Stephanie Lynn Gonzalez Sabrina Marie Jones Harrison Paul Lemke Robert Douglas Muir Sylvia Sue Muir
MARRIAGES & CONVALIDATIONS NOVEMBER 6 – JANUARY 5, 2016
With gratitude to the parish, Amy stated, “The community of St. Louis Parish and School is my spiritual family and while I may not be on staff after 2016, I look forward to continuing to be a disciple alongside my sisters and brothers in Christ, serving Him as best I can in new and different ways.” At newsletter deadline, Fr. Misko had received as many as 10 prospective resumes from some promising candidates. Stay tuned as he and his search committee will be interviewing to fill the position.
OUR SACRAMENTS OUR FAITH CONTINUED
Shawn Stephen Canady and Paige Lauren Cavazos Fernando Perez-Espinoza and Maria Guadalupe Cervantes-Cervantes Jason Christopher Long and Vershanna Emily Morris David Paul Herpin and Jennifer Rebecca Zuniga Kristian Ryan Jaloway and Christina Grace Dehan
Jackie Forsyth
This past fall, Jackie Forsyth also bid farewell to her job as Coordinator of Senior Activities. While on the job less than a year, Jackie decided that the care of her grandchildren took priority, when her daughter returned to work. We are grateful to Jackie for the professionalism and planning she brought to this program for our senior citizens. Her replacement is parishioner, Wanda Alexander, who will be working part-time from home to schedule meetings and activities. One of the new groups she’s formed is The Guardians, for folks 55 years and older. They will meet on the third Wednesday of each month from 9:30am-12:30pm in Wozniak Hall. There will be a guest speaker and potluck luncheon at each meeting. For more information Wanda Alexander on senior activities go online to the parish website at www.st-louis.org/seniors
Julian Ernesto Henriquez-Sorto and Claudia Del Carmen Hernandez-Salinas
RECENTLY DECEASED Maria Del Carmen Segovia Esther Baltierra Christine Toungate Roberto “Bob” Perez Anne Hildebrand Sister Maria Rosa B. Mbachu Dale Hall Jaime Antonio Arroyo Donald Enright Alice McCluskey Alvera Peschka Eloisa Segura Darlene Tower