Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

In this week’s gospel, we continue to journey with Jesus to Jerusalem as we hear another probable unique to the Gospel of Luke: the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.  This parable reverses the social order that has been passed down. As God’s children, we are called to act as God acts. How does our lifestyle oppress others, especially in the ways we don’t intend? As we examine the plight of the Rich Man and Lazarus, we have to recall how Jesus would want us to act and behave to those that are less fortunate. 

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus does not necessarily condemn people who are wealthy simply for having wealth. Rather, Jesus denounces people who have an excess of resources that they are unwilling to share with others. 

Jesus calls us to be a witness to the gospel and we have the opportunity this week. As you all know,  there is a severe food shortage and all the food banks in Houston including our own SVDP food bank. For the month of September, SVDP is   asking everyone specifically to bring cans of fruits, cans of vegetables and cans of soup. The donation box is in the narthex of the Church. A list of SVDP requested donation items are located on our parish website at https://sthyacinth.org/special-events . Thank you for your generosity in supporting SVDP. 

October is just around the corner. To celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assis we will have the blessing of Pets on October 1^st outside in the Center Street Parking lot. Please bring your pets to be blessed. 

October is Respect Life Month with this Sunday October 2^nd  being Respect for Life Sunday. There will be a ‘Prayer Chain’ to witness against the horrors of abortion on Center Street. Those that are interested are called to meet in Guyot Hall immediately after the noon Mass and then gather on Center Street to stand silently from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm. If you are not able to be a part of the prayer chain, please pray for those who will be participating for our community. 

As Pope Francis reminds us, the elderly have a place in God's saving plan. The Holy Father has called us "to respond to the presence of so many older people in our families and communities,” so that "the Church becomes a place where generations are called to share God’s loving plan, in a relationship of a mutual exchange of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”

St. Dominic Village answers that call in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. As a senior care community, St. Dominic's is committed to "Caring for Our Elders with the Compassion of Christ."

As a ministry of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, St. Dominic Village provides a seamless continuum of care, comprised of short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing care, assisted living, independent living, the Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza Priest Retirement Residence, and respite care services.

Like over 60 other ministries in the Archdiocese, St. Dominic Village is supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF). Each year, programs supported by the DSF provide services that live out the Gospel message and bring Christ into our communities. 100% of every dollar given to the DSF goes directly to supporting ministries in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Thank you for supporting DSF. 

Finally, For our 57^th parish anniversary, we are collecting funds  for a Statue of St. Hyacinth. A four-foot custom-made linden wood and painted statue of St Hyacinth will cost approximately $18K. (The handmade statue would have St. Hyacinth holding a monstrance and a little statue of a Madonna with Child). We have placed a special donation box is in the Narthex as well as a picture of the statue. You can give online at  https://sthyacinth.org/statue-of-st-hyacinth as well. Soo far we have collected just over $13,500 toward the statue. Thank you for your generosity. 

God Bless

Fr. Reginald Samuels