St. Louis @
HOLY
Palm Sunday
Week
Tenebrae Service
Sunday, March 20
Tuesday, March 22, 7:30 pm
Our regular weekend Mass schedule is marked by the reading of the Lord’s Passion at all services. There will be a procession of palms before the 9:30am Sunday Mass, and all Masses will end in silence as we contemplate the Holy Week before us and the sacrifice of our Lord.
Led by a Gregorian Chant Choir, Tenebrae is an ancient service that reminds us of the darkness of our sins and our need for the Light of Christ. This is a meditative service of candlelight, readings and prayer with a loud noise at the end, symbolizing the sealing of Christ’s tomb.
TRIDUUM The Triduum speaks of the unity that exists between the meal shared in the upper room on Thursday evening, the death and burial of our Lord on Friday, and the resurrection victory that took place after sunset Saturday. The Triduum is the Lord’s Passover. Please join us during these three holiest days of the year.
Good Friday
Maundy Thursday
March 24, Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7:30 p.m. The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Holy Oils, consecrated and blessed by the Bishop, are received in the parish on Holy Thursday at this Mass. The oils, in suitable vessels are carried in the procession of the gifts, before the bread and wine by members of the community. A procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Chapel ends the Mass. Adoration will be offered there until right before Midnight.
March 25 Stations of the Cross: 12:00 p.m.
Holy Saturday Vigil
Solemn Veneration of the Cross: 3:00 p.m. March 26, 8:00 p.m. (Liturgy of the Word, Veneration, Communion) This is a night of waiting. Jesus is sealed Via Crucis Pageant - Spanish: 5:30 p.m. in the tomb and thus we begin this evening without the benefit of light. (track) Fasting, prayer and veneration of the Cross mark We hear readings and sing psalms. We baptize the catechumens, greeting them the solemn atmosphere of this day. We leave the with garments of white and anointing church in complete silence to meditate on what them with blessed oils. We pray for we have just experienced. our newly baptized, remembering our Special Collection for the Holy Land is taken own baptismal promises. We share our throughout the Church on Good Friday. Your communal feast with our new members generosity can help keep alive those holy places and we rejoice in the knowledge that Christ will be raised, casting his light where Jesus Christ walked and taught, lived and upon our human darkness. died. It also supports the Franciscan missionaries who serve the Christians there with schools, universities, hospitals, orphanages, jobs and housing.
Easter Sunday March 27
The regular Sunday Mass schedule will be followed at St. Louis. (6:00am in Spanish, 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am in English, 1:30pm and 5:00pm in Spanish.) The penitential rites on this day will take the form of a sprinkling with water blessed at the Vigil. The rite of renewal of our baptismal promises is repeated after the homily. A newsletter of st. louis catholic church • 7601 burnet road, austin, tx • www.st-louis.org
Divine Mercy Chaplet During Lent, especially during the Year of Mercy, we invite you to join us in praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet and selected prayers from the Diary of St. Faustina every Sunday at 3:00pm in the Chapel. This is a beautiful way to offer up your time and incorporate this devotional as part of your Lenten prayer discipline. Bring your rosary and come join your fellow parishioners as we unite ourselves in prayer with our Holy Father.
Our Lenten Journey - 2016
Stations of the Cross and Via Crucis are held weekly during Lent as follows: Via Crucis Thursdays immediately after 6 p.m. Spanish Mass March 3, 10, 17 (Chapel) Stations Fridays at 2:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. March 4, 11, 18 (Chapel)
The Anointing of the Sick The Anointing of the Sick is offered every second Sunday of each month during the 9:00pm Compline service in the Chapel. Please join us Sunday, March 13, 2016. Compline is the last liturgical office of the day and this meditative service, held each Sunday, includes beautiful Gregorian chants of the Church. This is a wonderful prayerful way to end your weekend and prepare for the new week ahead.
“All Things Bright and Beautiful” Volunteers are being sought to help keep our brass altar accessories and candlesticks shiny and bright. Norma Sigler will be happy to train you and then you can work on a schedule that fits yours, whether it be once a week, or once a month (or more or less often). Weekly polishing is normally done each Saturday morning after 8am Mass until 10 or 10:30am Extra hands are especially appreciated prior to Easter, St. Louis Feast Day (August 25) and Christmas. No experience necessary, just a desire to serve behind the scenes to beautify our altar area for the Glory of God! Email or call Norma to volunteer at nsigler4710@ att.net or (512) 339-7643.
Knights of Columbus Fish Fry Dinners The Knights of Columbus Council #5967 will again be offering their “Famous Fish Fry Dinners” with all the trimmings, every Friday, (Except on Good Friday March 25, 2016), during Lent at Wozniak Hall. The dinners include fried catfish, french fries, pinto beans, coleslaw, hushpuppies, and ice tea/coffee. Large Plates will be $12.00; Medium Plates $11.00; Senior Plates $9.00 (65 years or older) and Child Plates $6.00 (Children Age 10 and under). PLEASE NOTE: The prices for each of our "plates" are the same as last year! The Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary will also offer delicious cakes, pies, etc., at reasonable prices. Dinners will be served from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
10th Annual Creating Hope Luncheon BENEFITING CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS
Save the date for an unforgettable event in which the mission of Catholic Charities of Central Texas will be shared by those whose lives it has touched. You’ll enjoy a complimentary lunch as you see that it only takes ONE to restore hope in Central Texas. Join them Noon-1:00pm on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency-Austin. For information contact Kristen Erdem at Kristen-erdem@ccctx.org or (512) 651-6132.
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Adoration Code Changed
Souper Supper a Super Night The St. Louis Women’s Club annual “souper supper” on January 14 was a super success. Nearly 40 ladies, including several first-time attendees, enjoyed a variety of homemade soups, with sides of breads, crackers and desserts. We were pleased to have Father Alberto join us. Father James was the featured speaker. While the advertised topic was the recent trip to the Holy Land, instead he provided us with an informative background of how a different mind-set in the Middle East contributes to many of the problems the Israeli and Palestinian people face. Laced with stories about his experiences from living and visiting there, it made for a “super night.” The next meeting is March 10, 2016. Parishioner Nancy Lehmann-Carssow will regale us with her very funny encounters with “toilets of the world.”
St. Louis Farm – Spring Work Days Spring weather is on its way and so are St. Louis Farm’s Spring Work Days! The Farm grows fresh vegetables for the parish Food Pantry and we need your help to prepare for a bountiful crop. On March 5th and 12th from 8am to 2pm, we will be preparing soil and planting tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and squash for the spring and summer seasons. The Work Days are a wonderful way to give back this Lent, learn about the Farm and help those in need get fresh, organic produce on a weekly basis. Everyone is welcome, no experience is necessary….come when you can and help as you’re able! The Farm’s entrance gate is located on St. Joseph Street, at the southeast corner of St. Louis Church property. Snacks, drinks, and lunch will be provided. Please bring gardening tools if you have them (gloves, shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows especially needed). Contact stlouisfarmatx@gmail. com or visit our website (https://stlouisgarden.wordpress.com/) if you have questions. We look forward to seeing you at the Farm!
The after-hours code to the Adoration Chapel changed at the end of January. If you would like the key code for afterhours, please fill out an information sheet found on the table in the Adoration Chapel foyer and place it in the adjacent lockbox. You can also fill out a form in the Church Office during office hours and receive the code at that time. These measures have been taken to secure the safety of our after-hours adorers and we are grateful for your cooperation! For more information or questions, please contact the Adoration Ministry team at adoration@st-louis.org or leave a message (512) 693-7022. MondayFriday, the Adoration Chapel can be entered without a key code, using the unlocked glass door from the narthex into the Adoration Chapel foyer. That door is typically unlocked from 9am5pm on those days.
St. Louis Bereavement Ministry This dedicated ministry provides food and comfort to registered parishioner’s families and friends grieving the loss of their loved one. There are several Bereavement teams and each team serves in rotation. Team leaders will call members for food donations to be delivered to a central location. If Wozniak Hall is available and needed, a group leader may also ask for help to set-out food and serve. Those in this ministry are usually called to donate food about two times a year. There are no meetings to attend. Food donations do not have to be homemade. The group leader will have an idea of what food the family needs when calling team members. Funerals are during the day, so there is no night driving. Men and women interested in serving in this ministry can contact Jane Hellinger 512452-9748 or Frances Krause 512-4534823 or leave your name and number at the Church Office for more information.
Sacraments of Healing BY FATHER DAVID TRAHAN
When one thinks of the healing aspect of the sacraments, usually the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is what leaps to mind—and understandably so. However, there are three sacraments which can be categorized as ‘sacraments of healing’—the Eucharist, Confession, and Anointing of the Sick—and if Anointing is thought of alone without the others, then it damages our understanding of both healing in general and the sacraments as a whole. If we do not have an approach to healing that is not rooted in communion, desirous of reconciliation, then there can be no true ‘healing’ even if the body starts working properly again. Healing is the idea of restoring the proper, original functions of a living system. That sounds obvious, but it isn’t quite so as at first blush. A mechanical device is not healed but members of the same species. It is incarnate, so there is repaired. A prosthesis that is grafted onto a person who lost a biology involved. It is rational, so there is a spiritual life limb is not thought of as being an instrument of healing but involved. It is communal and communicative, so there is as an augmentation or assist to restore a semblance of proper relationship involved. Thus healing intersects with all of function. And yet someone who has undergone extensive these aspects of human life when they are restored to their mental or emotional trauma and is assisted through proper functioning. psychological treatment is thought of as being ‘healed’ by the treatment, even though there is nothing strictly There was one important characteristic of humanity that biomechanical that has been altered. So too do we speak of was left out of the list above—namely that human beings relationships as being ‘healed’ between people even though are fallen. This means that healing has an added dimension there is nothing at all obviously biological about that. Thus and complication since to heal an animal involves largely ‘healing’ is caught up inextricably with life (βιός), but it biomechanical repair as the biology is rather straightforward. For humans, to get us back to ‘what we are supposed to be’ also encompasses, at least involves returning to Eden, in human beings, that a route that is blocked with “A mechanical device is which is properly human, a flaming sword and closed which means spiritual not healed but repaired.” to us. Thus true healing and psychic aspects of seems either impossible being as well. or miraculous, depending This then helps us begin to get a grasp on why sacramental on one’s point of view. (A third option is to ignore the healing cannot be limited in idea to simply one thing to transcendent reality completely and focus on biological make someone ‘better’. The sacraments are not magical repair-work, but that dehumanizes human beings and won’t talismans nor is any one of them a panacea—the sacraments be considered here.) “We who must die demand a miracle,” come to human beings in human terms in order to reveal as Auden put it. The miracle of redemption is firstly a miracle and communicate divine grace in a way that is apprehensible of healing, though rather than simply returning humanity by humans. Healing for humans is not a simple matter of to its prelapsarian bliss in the Garden, Christ comes to take repair, of making the biomechanical parts all work like we us back to Him through a different route, elevating and think they’re supposed to. Nor is it simply a state in which perfecting beyond what was first promised. we are convinced in our mind that all is properly ordered and all is well. A human being is an incarnate rational being For that reason all healing must be rooted in the experience that lives in communities and communication with other and reality of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the source and goal of all redemption, of all healing, accomplishing the
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that we have created within the Body of Christ through our sinful actions—it is only then that we are able to be open to physical healing. Sacramental reception must be preceded by Confession not because ‘it’s a rule’, but because it is what allows us to be in communion, what allows us to actually be open to receive the grace the sacraments offer. The sacraments draw us into communion, which is precisely where the mercy of God paschal work of redemption and allowing us to be united to manifests itself as healing in our lives. the very One Who is accomplishing the work. Christ binds all in communion with Himself: healing our fallen state by This also highlights the difference in the kinds of healing bringing us close to the Father in the Spirit, healing our that is communicated through the sacraments. Anointing communal divisions by uniting us in one Flesh and in one is intended for physical ailments and for healing (whether Spirit, and healing our bodies allowing them to share in the physical or not) that is connected with the physical experience and reception of grace. The sacraments allow us malady—one does not seek out an anointing because a tactile experience of divine grace, allowing the whole of they are emotionally distraught or dealing with psychic a human being to experience the healing presence of God, distress. The sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession are intended for those. Again, to simply ‘default’ to an body and soul. Anointing for such maladies is not truly understanding Yet there are other sacraments than the Eucharist, though that the point of the healing is something that must drive they are rooted in the Eucharist. Again, the sacraments one back into communion. To recognize one’s dependence come to us as we are able to understand, and we need to use upon God’s grace for all things is good, but to then fail to all of our senses to have a more complete understanding of allow that grace to work for the good is a denial of God’s the world around us. If all we used was our sense of taste to graceful efficacy in our lives. understand things, we’d have a rather impoverished ‘view’ of the world. Thus God comes to us in different ways to be To simply have all one’s biological processes functioning able to more fully appreciate what He is offering (which is properly is, in itself, meaningless. Meaning, purpose, intent His own divine life). Our sacramental experience of healing come through interaction and relation with God and is rooted in the Eucharist, since healing is a return to what is neighbor—in short, they come through communion. God’s proper. Human beings, created in God’s image and likeness, mercy has drawn us back to Himself, granting us greater are thus first of all to be healed in their relationship, and dignity than we originally possessed. We have been more first of all in their relationship to God. To simply have a than healed, but redeemed. As instruments of redemption, human organism functioning properly with no outward let us use this Year of Mercy as a time not only to passively communication and relationship is not really human, thus soak in the mercy that comes from God, to bask in the radiance of the Father’s face, but to allow our lives to shine the ground of healing must be in communion. with that same glow and to become instruments of grace To have one’s relationship with God healed, then other and mercy ourselves. relationships can be healed. That leads us to Confession. In having our relationships healed—curing the divisions
Ministerio de Vía Crucis Cuarenta Días con Dios EL VÍA CRUCIS EN LOS JUEVES A LAS 6:30 P.M. EN LA CAPILLA 11 de febrero: Ministerio de Vía Crucis
3 de marzo: Grupo de Oración
18 de febrero: Movimiento Familiar Cristiano
10 de marzo: Coro de la Nueva Alianza/Jóvenes Adultos
25 de febrero: Guadalupanas/ Grupo del Rosario
17 de marzo: CRSP/Hombres/ Mujeres
“El que no carga con su cruz para seguirme, no puedo ser mi discípulo.” Lc. 14,27
SERVICIO DE PENTIENCIA DE CUARESMA martes, 8 de marzo - 1:30 p.m. y 7:00 p.m.
TRIDUO PASCUAL Jueves Santo (Misa vespertina de la cena del Señor) - 24 de marzo, 7:30 p.m. Viernes Santo de la Pasion del Señor - 25 de marzo 3:00 p.m. - La Solemnidad Veneracion de la Cruz (el sanctuario principal) 5:30 p.m. - Representación viviente del Vía Crucis Vigilia Pascual – 26 de marzo, 8:00 p.m.
Domingo de la Resurrección - 27 de marzo Horario del domingo
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La Cena Pascual Judía By Sumayah Abullarade
La Cena Pascal Judía es un rito festivo anual que marca el comienzo de la fiesta judía de la Pascua. En diversos países alrededor del mundo múltiples generaciones de familias judías se reúnen para recordar la historia de la liberación de los Israelitas de la esclavitud de Egipto. Usan el Haggadah, una antigua narración del éxodo Israelita, al igual que cantos pascuales, bendiciones, rituales y comentarios del Talmud. Cada cena incluye comidas simbólicas y la bebida de cuatro copas de vino. Normalmente adultos y niños se reúnen en un solo lugar usando los ritos y las bendiciones de la cena para transmitir la fe judía de una generación a otra. Esta cena es integral para la identidad y la fe de los judíos. Al pasar el tiempo, estas cenas han sido también organizadas por las sinagogas, escuelas y centros comunitarios en este país. Los cristianos han adaptado la Cena Judía como medio que conecta la herencia de su propia religión a las raíces de las tradiciones judías. A lo largo de la historia parroquial de St. Louis, muchas variantes de la cena judía han sido celebradas, y en el 2014, nuestros miembros hispanos, en especial el grupo del Vía Crucis, vivieron esta cena que les motivó para su reflexión y caminar cuaresmal. La Cena Judía ayuda a los participantes a enfocarse en dos temas: la esclavitud y la libertad. Asimismo durante la cuaresma, la Iglesia invita a reflexionar en nuestra esclavitud individual y comunal hacia el pecado y también en el sacrificio del Cordero Pascual, Jesucristo, que nos liberó del pecado y de la muerte.
The Passover Seder Meal By Sumayah Abullarade
The Passover Seder is an annual Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. In countries around the world, multiple generations of Jewish families will come together to retell the story of the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. They use the Haggadah, an ancient narrative of the Israelite exodus, along with special Passover songs, blessings, rituals and commentaries from the Talmud. Each Seder meal includes symbolic foods and the drinking of four cups of wine. Normally young and old alike come together in a family home, using the familiar rites and blessings of the Seder meal to transmit the Jewish faith from one generation to the next. The Seder is integral to the Jewish faith and identity. Over the decades, communal Seders have also been organized by synagogues, schools and community centers in this country. Christians have adapted the Passover Meal as a means to connect the heritage of their own religion to the roots of Jewish faith traditions. Throughout St. Louis’ Parish history, many variations of the Passover Seder Meal have been celebrated, and in 2014, our Hispanic members, especially the Via Crucis Group, used the Seder Meal as a means of Lenten reflection. A Seder Meal helps participants to focus on two themes: slavery and freedom. Likewise during Lent, the Church reflects on our individual and communal slavery to sin and the sacrifice of our Pascal Lamb, Jesus Christ, who set us free from sin and death.
Early Childhood Ministry SERVING OUR YOUNGEST PARISHIONERS
The
Divine Mercy
and our Children at St. Louis ECDC Each year our Pope declares a spiritual theme for the church. This year, our beloved Pope Francis has declared it a “Year of Mercy”. In that theme, we have decided to dedicate ECDC’s teaching this year to the Divine Mercy Prayer. This prayer and Image was given to St. Faustina in Poland in the 1930’s by our Lord Jesus. It was a favorite devotion of St. Pope John Paul II, also of Poland. The message of Mercy is that God loves us — all of us —no matter how great our sins. He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy. It is a message we can call to mind simply by remembering our ABC’s: A — Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world. B — Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us. C — Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive. Each classroom has been given a picture of the Divine Mercy with Jesus pointing to his heart, from which Mercy flows, to hang in their Circle Time areas. The children will learn the simple prayer, “Jesus, I trust in you” as a new addition to the list of prayers we regularly pray. Each Family has received a bookmark with the Divine Mercy image and the basic prayers on the back.
We’re Hiring! St. Louis Early Childhood Development Center is currently accepting applications for full and part time employment. Full time applicants must have a CDA, preferably have a Bachelor’s degree with 12 hours of Early Childhood coursework. Part time applicants must be 18 years of age, have their High School Diploma or GED and have had previous experience in Early Childhood. For more information or to apply contact Dona or Margaret at 512-454-0384, ext. 244 or dona.leblanc@st-louis.org
If you would like to find out more about the prayers and history of the Divine Mercy as a part of your own spiritual walk, you can go to ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/backgr.htm You can also visit the beautiful Divine Mercy Icon in the front of St. Louis’ Chapel to pray. We encourage you to take your children there to visit and share what they will be praying in school. You can also find a beautifully sung chaplet of the Divine Mercy at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYtxixBnVGg I hope that this can become a special devotion for children and families, as it has for the church this year. God Bless You in your spiritual journey with your children!
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From the Parish Office Publication Deadlines The next monthly parish newsletter will be the issue for April 2016. Thank you for submitting items no later than March 5th to evelyn.mcnair@st-louis. org or bulletin@st-louis.org. Weekly bulletin deadlines are always 10 days in advance of an intended weekend. Submit items to bulletin@st-louis.org no later than Wednesdays at noon.
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 JANUARY 6 – FEBRUARY 5, 2016
Next Marriage Encounter Planned Married couples hoping to strengthen, renew and rekindle your marriage in 2016 are invited to attend a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend on April 15-17 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. For details, visit www.austinme.org or contact Steve and Linda Jaramillo at wwwmeaustin@ gmail.com or (512) 667-9963.
New Leadership in Your Ministry? If you have elected new officers or other leadership in your ministry/ organization that meets on the St. Louis campus, be sure the new people are certified in the Ethics and Integrity in Ministry policies of the Diocese of Austin. They must have completed an Application for Ministry for a background check and should have attended an EIM workshop. Call Brenda Beltran (512) 4540384 x 211 or contact her by email to report names of new leaders or to check on EIM status: brenda.beltran@st-louis.org
Planning Marriage in the Future?
Leonardo Rafael Delgado Colette Miranda-Benitez Levi Charles Rodriguez Matthew Angel Terrazas Maria Betsaida Miranda
MARRIAGES & CONVALIDATIONS JANUARY 6 – FEBRUARY 5, 2016
Andy Kor-Shing Lok and Cecilia Ku William Richard Cashion and Cynthia Lynn Robison Cornelius Nicholas Kuntz and Melanie Marie Blair Scott Russell Doniger and Arianna Ayala Martin Capetillo, Jr. and Marili Alvarez
The Sacrament of Marriage involves many steps, but your faith community is here to assist you. While you don’t have to be a member to marry here, it is the support and tithes of our generous parishioners that make our marriage programs and facilities possible. Consequently, fees for the rental of facilities are assessed according to parishioner or non-parishioner status. If you have been a registered member and documented giver (through checks or envelopes) for at least six months before coming in to plan a future wedding, you will be eligible for the discounted parishioner rate at a savings of $600. Call our Church Office for more information on this and all questions related to the marriage preparation process (512) 454-0384.
RECENTLY DECEASED
St. Vincent de Paul Truck Coming
Mark your calendars for the return of Daylight Saving Time. Be sure to “spring forward” one hour on your clocks at 2:00am on Sunday, March 13, 2016 or you’ll be late for church!
Time to spring clean those closets and cabinets and bring your gently used household items on Saturday, March 5 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to the Church parking lot. The St. Vincent de Paul Society truck will be present to accept your clothes, shoes, small appliances, dishes, books, and more.
Esther Herrera Benita Harvey Tommie Gauntt Lisa Fields Christopher Michael Brick
Daylight Saving Time Coming
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
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/SLCSAUSTIN
Diocese Celebrates Catholic Schools Gala Saturday, January 30th, all schools joined together at the Hyatt Hotel downtown to celebrate Catholic Schools and those who make them great. This year, St. Louis honored Art and Lucinda Soto who are long time parents at St. Louis Catholic School. They have been involved in many aspects of the school from coaching, picture taking, and serving as HSA President and Fun Fest chair as well as room parents. We are very grateful for the work they continue to do to make St. Louis great!
@SLCSAUSTIN
Registration St. Louis Catholic School is now registering for the 2016-2017 school year! We provide a rigorous Christ-centered curriculum for Pre-K4 through 8th grade that will help students achieve success beyond our walls. Personal tours are available by appointment and can be scheduled with the Registrar, Mrs. Dowling, at 512-614-6622x245. Forms and additional information are available on the school website at slcsaustin.org. We look forward to making your children part of our St. Louis Catholic School family!
Green and White Night Dinner and Auction February 6 was our annual Green and White Night Dinner and Auction. A record 315 joined us at the DoubleTree hotel for dinner, casino and fellowship. It was a great night enjoyed by all as we raised funds for the students of St. Louis Catholic School! Thank you to all who attended, donated and supported this very important event our school.
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Join us!
ST. LOUIS HSA PRESENTS: The Annual Cougar Classic Golf Tournament Monday, April 26 Twin Creeks Country Club For more information, please contact Tamara Luera at tamara.luera@slcsaustin.org
Catholic Schools Week We had a great Catholic Schools Week! Catholic Schools week is a time where communities celebrate and recognize Catholic education nationwide. The week started with great attendance at our open house. We were visited on Monday by Dr. Vanders, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, to award Mr. Schoolar our Middle School Math Teacher a grant to purchase graphing calculators. Our annual 8th grade vs. faculty/ staff game was on Wednesday of that week and for the first time ever ended in a tie! We welcomed over 100 grandparents for our Annual Grandparents Day luncheon. The entire school ate together in Wozniak Hall, a first! Overall, it was a great Catholic Schools week and we look forward to next year!
COME JOIN US AUSTIN DIOCESAN COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN ANNUAL CONVENTION MONDAY AND TUESDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2016 “CATHOLIC WOMEN, SOWERS OF MERCY AND HOPE” CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL AUSTIN, TEXAS
Details of Liturgies, Speakers, Agenda, Registration Fee, Room Rates, CEF Banquet, Exhibits, Vendors on the website below.
AUSTINDIOCESANCOUNCILOFCATHOLICWOMEN.ORG
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PARISH LIBRARY FEATURES BOOKS ON TEXAS CATHOLIC HISTORY
March is the beginning of spring in Texas. It is the time we venture out for trips to see the wildflowers in bloom or to explore the other scenic places our state has to offer. It is also an important month in Texas history with Texas Independence Day on March 2. With this in mind, the Parish Library is featuring books on the Catholic history of Texas this month. Learning about the lives of some of Texas’ famous Catholics may spawn an interest in visiting the places they lived or worked. Let it inspire a pilgrimage devotion during this Jubilee Year of Mercy. The following books tell the history of Catholic places of interest in Texas. We also have resources that explain the origin and practice of taking a pilgrimage. Catholic Shrines and Places of Pilgrimage in the United States, by James P. Keleher.
To Texas with Love: A History of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, by Mother M. Patricia Gunning.
This book is a directory of shrines and pilgrimage sites in the United States. Each This book takes us to the Brownsville, Texas listing includes shrine history, schedule of area. At the invitation of Bishop Jean Odin, Masses, devotions, facilities / accommodations available, Mother St. Claire Valentine and three sisters departed and languages spoken. To facilitate travel, the shrines are France and made the first foundation of the Incarnate Word listed geographically (2000 Amazon) and Blessed Sacrament sisters in the United States.
Acts of Faith: The Catholic Church in Texas, 1900-1950, by James Talmadge Moore. In Acts of Faith, James Talmadge Moore has mined the reports of the largely untapped Southern Messenger, the state’s major Catholic newspaper, for the narrative line. The accounts he finds there form the basis for biographical portraits of the major figures, overviews of the important issues with which the church had to grapple, and understanding of social forces that shaped this major institution’s development. (Amazon)
Catholic Texans: Our Family Album, by Steve Landregan. Our Texas Catholic family album is the story of men and women of our faith, who through their ordinary and extraordinary lives fashioned our Catholic heritage in Texas. (From the Preface)
The Cavalry of Christ on the Rio Grande 1849-1883, by Bernard Doyon. This book follows the missionary work of the Oblate Order of Priests in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. According to the Texas Almanac, there are octagonal bronze plaques on the churches on what’s listed as the, “Oblate Fathers Trail.” HELPFUL WEBSITES Jubilee Year 2016 • http://www.austindiocese.org/yearofmercy • https://catholicpilgrimagesites.wordpress.com/ holy-doors-of-mercy/%20united-states-holydoors/ Texas/Southwest Places • http://www.catholichistory.net/Places/Places_ southwest_religious.htm • https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/ articles/exo01
The Spirit of St. Louis
15
Welcome Elizabeth Polito DIRECTOR OF MINISTERIAL DISCIPLESHIP
Our newest staff member, Mrs. Elizabeth Polito, is part of a new vision for parish ministry, implemented by our Pastor, Fr. James Misko. Elizabeth will foremost be an administrative assistant for liturgy, taking over many of the scheduling responsibilities that were done by Mrs. Bea Lamb before her January retirement. She will be the administrative communicator for all liturgical ministries in scheduling volunteers, setting up and advertising meetings and trainings for liturgical ministries. But, eventually, she will also be partnering with all staff directors, acting as a resource and consultant in ministry advancement, recruitment and retention through her new position as Director of Ministerial Discipleship. Elizabeth and her husband Peter are members of St. Louis, along with their two children, and her educational credentials include a BA degree in Liberal Studies and a MS degree in Applied Geosciences, both from San Francisco State University. Most recently she was a Program Manager for The Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture, and a Creighton Model Fertility Care Practitioner with the Austin Fertility Care Center. Up until June 2013, she was a Program Administrator in the University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Geophysics.
SANCTUARY CANDLE MEMORIALS 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: March 13 - 19
As she settles into her new position, first learning the ins/outs of liturgical In Memory of Fred McNair by Evelyn McNair (C and M/N) ministry, Elizabeth will be assisted by parishioners in key liturgical positions. March 20 – 26 Deacon Al Cuevas and his wife Nola Flores will be the new trainers/educators for Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and Ministers to the Homebound. Fr. David In Memory of Dominga U. Reyes by Pablo Reyes (C) Trahan will be taking the lead with Fr. Misko in training new Acolytes. Richard In Memory of Ruperto Reyes, Sr. by Brito will be steering the Welcome Ministry and Bunny Newby and Maria Leon Pablo Reyes (M/N) will be coordinating Hospitality Ministry. Heidi Cisneros will be the Altar Server March 27 – April 2 Coordinator and Cathy Voltaggio will be the Altar Guild Captain, working in In Memory of Jose & Ruben Reyes by tandem with Sacristans Mark Molchen, Javier Maldonado, and Bob Padilla. Janie Pablo Reyes (M/N) Vernengo will continue as the effective leader of the Homebound Ministry teams, In Memory of Louis Reyes by Pablo coordinating their service to the parish shut-ins. Chris Ojeda and Peter Polito are Reyes (C) the new Adoration Ministry Coordinators. Behind the scenes, Judy Bonham with Sisterhood of the Holy Cloth and Dolores Rumpf with Flower Guild continue Is Your Information to direct their faithful volunteers. Our Pastor and Associate Priests are as always Correct? the recognized head liturgists for the parish and will be working in tandem with all these wonderful ministries. Do we have your most up-to-date Eventually, Elizabeth’s job will expand as she assists the priests in identifying address and phone information? Are you receiving church envelopes new ministry needs through our various departments, changing demographics, monthly or quarterly in the mail? If facility requirements and a survey of the parish. She will also be working with the not, please contact Belinda at the overall communications of the parish, too, assessing how we can reach out most church office to update your records effectively to the community going forward through ministerial discipleship. (512) 454-0384 ext 201 or Belinda. Elizabeth is a proven administrator of programs, people and projects and we are bryant@st-louis.org blessed to welcome her to our St. Louis staff!
Around the Diocese and beyond Catholic Services Appeal – Kudos to St. Louis! KUDOS to our St. Louis members who not only helped the parish reach our $155,000 CSA goal but surpassed it with $170,850.70 in pledges!! Parish participation was also up with 469 pledges. Thank you, parishioners, for your outstanding support of this annual diocesan appeal! If you pledged an amount over several months, send your checks directly to the Diocese of Austin CSA, 6225 Highway 290 East, Austin, 78723-1025. Please do not place CSA envelopes in the parish collection basket as your pledge is with the Diocese and only they can give you credit for your donation. Thank you for being Christ’s hands of mercy!
Special Collections in March Catholic Relief Services Collection is scheduled March 5-6. This diocesan collection (formerly the American Bishops Overseas Appeal) provides funding for Catholic Relief Services, USCCB Office of International Justice and Peace, Migration and Refugee Services and Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees; relief work of the Holy Father and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. Thank you for your generosity. Please bring your special envelope for this purpose, enclosed in your envelope sets, and place it in the regular collection that weekend. The Special Collection for the Holy Land is taken throughout the Church on Good Friday. Pope Francis has asked our support of the Christians in the Holy Land, preserving the past and shaping the future with our contributions. Through the Good Friday Collection, you stand in solidarity with the Church in the Holy Land as a witness of peace. Your support means that our church will conduct parish ministry, provide Catholic education, feed the hungry, build houses for Christians, maintain shrines and operate refugee centers in the Holy Land. Christians, along with all of the clergy and religious who serve in the Holy Land will deeply appreciate your prayers and financial help. Please be generous!
40 Days for Life This 40-day prayer vigil consists of hundreds of Christians from across Central Texas praying for an hour a week (whatever time works for your schedule 7am-7pm), seven days a week. It draws attention to the injustice of abortion through prayer and fasting, community outreach and education and constant peaceful vigil. It is a campaign of the Central Texas Coalition for Life and the spring campaign will run through March 20th. This international movement has resulted in over 11,000 women choosing life for children they were going to abort. Here in Central Texas at least 222 women have changed their minds and chosen life! Find out how you can participate by going to www.CentralTexasCoalition. com or calling (5152) 296-2071.
Congratulations to Parish Students! St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School is happy to report that the following St. Louis parishioners have earned Academic Honors for the 2nd marking period. High Honors means the student has earned an average GPA of 94 or higher. Honors distinction means he/she must have earned an average CPA of 90 or higher. HIGH HONORS:
Christine Baticados Catherine Bruns Eden Desta Giakhanh Hoang Thyra Jensen Andrew Kalamarides Sophie Kalamarides Kelly Leary Matthew Lemp
Pastoral Plan Presentation MARCH 10
On Thursday, March 10th, Bishop Daniel Garcia will give a presentation in English on the Pastoral Plan: Encounter that Leads to Transformation. This event is the second in a series presented by both bishops. This event will be held at San Jose Parish from 7:00-9:00pm and will include prayer and reflection and a reception at the end of the evening. For more information go to www.austindiocese. org and click on Pastoral Plan.
Minh Mather Tuan Mather Mikayla Morgan Martha-Marie Myer Elena Pojman Isabel Prado Maria Saenz-Rodriguez Gabriella Tucker Kyle Wyborski
HONORS:
Savanah Acosta Stephen Bruns Kimberly Ceballos Andrea Chavez
Jacqueline Gomez Ian Kloc Luis Quintanilla Kaden Stout