Parish Update – Friday, June 18
Happy Friday, one and all, and Happy Father’s Day weekend to all our dads. I pray that all families will honor dad this Sunday, maybe by giving them what their heart truly desires – to be left alone with complete control of the TV remote! At least that’s what my dad always seemed to want.
I’ll share a quick story with you about my Dad, who died on Easter Sunday 2000, but who is still close to my heart 21 years later. His birthday was June 25 meaning it usually fell around Father’s Day, which was convenient for us kids in that we could get him a 2-for-1 present and he was totally fine with it (at least he told us he was totally fine with it). … My dad smoked a pipe while I was growing up, and so for his combination birthday and Father’s Day present I went to the tobacco shop at Almeda Mall (named conveniently enough, Tobaccoland) and bought him a tin of Sir Walter Raleigh tobacco. I hated the smell of smoke (still do), but I loved the smell of tobacco and even now, years later, I can still smell how that little shop smelled when I walked in and plunked down lawn-mowing money on the counter. It’s a warm memory I hold of the one and only Frank Horrigan. One more thing: this is how you know I’m old – they used to sell me, a 10-year-old kid, a big ol’ can of tobacco without hesitation. No questions asked! My how times have changed.
So let us honor all of our fathers, both the living and deceased, this Sunday and thank them for the gift of life they provide. We call upon the patron saint of all fathers, St. Joseph (this year is dedicated to him, by the way), to watch over and intercede on behalf of them. And let us not forget the wonderful gift of life that grandfathers, adopted fathers, step-fathers, foster fathers and Godfathers offer their children. May God bless them all!
Our Gospel account on this 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time doesn’t deal with fathers, but contains a message that is applicable to us all. Jesus calms the violent wind and sea that had shaken the faith of the disciples in the boat. Amidst the storms of life, who or what do we turn to? How is our faith when life gets topsy-turvy? May we always trust in the true master, Jesus Christ, in our time of need.
Here’s what happening this week at CtR:
• We invite you to please join us for Mass this weekend, either in person or via our livestream on Sunday at 9 a.m. on both our Facebook and YouTube pages. You can find the link to the livestream at www.ctrcc.com/live-stream, and in addition, you’ll find there both a worship aid and a link to the Scripture readings to follow along with Mass. And you can make your weekly offertory contribution online at www.ctrcc.com/donate. … If you’d like to join us in person for Mass, we welcome you on Saturday at 5 p.m., or Sunday at 7, 9, and 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• With summer in full swing – it officially starts late Sunday night with the summer solstice at 11:32 p.m., but we’ve been experiencing summer-like temperatures for several weeks already – I am guessing that many of us are planning various trips and vacations. And while the dispensation from the Sunday obligation is currently still in place in our Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston due to the pandemic, I hope that those who are healthy and well will make Sunday Mass a priority wherever your travels may take you.
It’s understandable that our Mass attendance naturally drops in June and July with people out of town on vacation. But wherever you go, I encourage you to find a local church in the area to attend Mass. I always find it to be a great experience to celebrate the Sunday liturgy in a different city or country. You’ll see the catholicity (universality) of the Church, where even if the language is different, you’ll still feel right at home. … Be sure to bring me back a bulletin from wherever you go as I always like to see what different churches have going on in their corner of the world. The website www.masstimes.org is a great help in finding parishes in the area where you will be traveling.
• Let me also make a request that you not forget your home parish while you are gone. Our expenses don’t stop over the summer, and the air conditioning bill is always highest in these months. One great way to support the parish in the summer is by tithing through Faith Direct, our on-line offertory contribution partner. Simply sign-up at www.faithdirect.net, and enter our parish code of TX150. It only takes a minute or two set-up and it’s a fast, easy, and most importantly secure way of making your contribution to the parish. By embracing this practice, you will simplify your giving and help provide our parish with consistent support. … You can use Faith Direct not only for the weekly collection, but also for special and second collections, too. Visit the Faith Direct website to get started this summer, and give your envelopes a permanent vacation! As always, I thank you for your continued support of CtR.
• Along those same lines don’t forget to make your annual gift to the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) drive that every parish engages in to fund the more than 60 ministries in Galveston-Houston. The DSF supports, to name just a few things, the education of seminarians, priests, and deacons at St. Mary’s Seminary (we benefit greatly from that at CtR), hospital chaplains at the Texas Medical Center, food pantry distributions through Catholic Charities, and dozens more initiatives that no one parish can do on its own, but that collectively we can accomplish in the name of the Lord. Help us reach our goal of $305,000 for CtR by making your gift at www.archgh.org/dsf.
• I send congratulations and thanks to the newly elected officers of our Knights of Columbus Council 8771. They will be installed this Saturday after the 5 p.m. Mass and are looking forward to a full year of activities. This past year was challenging for our Knights who are used to being quite busy and visible in the parish. Like all of us they were sidelined for the most part by the pandemic, but even then they still managed to pull off a successful Lenten Fish Fry for five weeks, along with a few tamale sales, blood drives, and, most significantly, they are still offering a generous college scholarship to five of our graduating high school seniors. … They are champing at the bit to get going now and what a blessing that will be for us as a parish – not to mention their spouses who will be happy to have them out of the house once again! Sincere thanks to all the KCs, especially Dan Daues, our Worthy Grand Knight, and David Nations, our Deputy Grand Knight. Thank you, brother Knights!
• We have a number of job openings in different departments on our campus and we’d love for you (or someone you know) to apply to come work with us. See www.ctrcc.com/workwithus for all the details, including positions in our CtR Catholic School, our Genesis Early Childhood Program, and in our nursery, which remember will reopen in a few weeks. As we continue to bring more of our ministries and programs back on campus, we’re seeking qualified individuals to join us in our ministry to the people of God. Please help us spread the word to those you know that might be interested.
• Thanks to everyone who came to the Sunday evening Mass last week to congratulate Fr. Joseph White on ordination to the priesthood. He was overjoyed by the turnout and was genuinely touched by the warmth of the reception. The line to receive his blessing afterward lasted well over an hour but he stayed to talk to all. Thank you for making him feel so appreciated, and please continue to pray for all the newly ordained priests (and us old guys, too!) as they begin their assignments.
St. Joseph, patron saint of fathers, pray for us!
Peace, Fr. Sean
