Dear friends in Christ,
This, That & the Other … The Christmas season officially concludes this weekend with the
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. As the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus at his baptism by John, and the voice from heaven declares, “You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased,” we are invited to recall our own baptism and strive to live a life worthy of our own calling so that the Lord might indeed be “well pleased” with us as we go forth to make His name known. … By the way, you have one extra chance to attend Mass at CtR this Sunday. We are hosting an
Adult Confirmation Mass for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston at 7 p.m. More than 130 adults will receive this important sacrament that night (including eight from CtR) and the Mass “counts” for your Sunday obligation. So if you miss any of our regular Masses this weekend (heaven forbid!) you’ve got one extra opportunity. All are welcome.
… Our winter has been fairly mild so far this year, but there is still a need for outerwear among those in need in our community.
This weekend is the annual Coat Drive sponsored by the St. Anne’s Society. Bring gently used (or new) coats to donate in collection boxes in the narthex. St. Anne’s Society is our ministry of mothers and they do a great job throughout the year in helping those in need. … If you are a mom and haven’t yet checked out all the good things happening through
St. Anne’s Society, join them at one of their upcoming meetings on the third Thursday of every month. The January meeting is next week on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. in the parish office.
… A few months ago I referenced St. Oscar Romero (he was canonized on Oct. 14) in my homily. The former Archbishop of El Salvador who was assassinated by brutal cartels for standing up for the rights of poor and marginalized in his country.
The classic 1989 film, “Romero,” starring Raul Julia, has now been re-mastered and by the Paulist Fathers and
we’re showing it this Saturday, Jan. 12 at 6:45 p.m. in the RAC Auditorium. If you’ve never seen it or if it has been awhile I invite you to join us. It’s a powerful witness to love and sacrifice in the face of so much hatred. The RAC is a great spot to see a movie with plenty of comfy theatre seats and, yes, popcorn!
… Parents of middle school students (6th-8th graders in the fall) are invited to a
Middle School Open House at CtR Catholic School next Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Our teachers and administrators will be on hand to answer questions and you are invited to tour our classrooms, labs, and extra-curricular spaces. See the link for more information and to RSVP online. … CtR School is in is 5th year with 430 students and our Middle School does a great job of forming children academically, spiritually, and socially in those vitals years before high school. Come see all that CtR Catholic School has to offer not only for Middle School, but students in every grade! Catholic Schools Week is coming soon and we’ll have additional opportunities for tours and information sessions at that time as well.
… Tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 11, is the final day to register for our upcoming
day-long
Couples Retreat coming up on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Camp Allen. Give your marriage the gift of a day of renewal with others living out this beautiful sacrament. See the link for more information and to register. … And speaking of marriage, I’m happy to report that our
Wedding Guild ministry is set to begin soon. Some of you who’ve been in the parish for a while may remember my intention to start this group back in 2016. We had a good response to the first meeting – and then I dropped the ball. It seems one thing after another kept coming up and it took a backseat to other priorities. That’s entirely my fault, but I’ve made a resolution to start anew in 2019. Join us for
an information meeting next Tuesday, Jan. 15 in the Parish Office and I’ll tell you all about it. I’m looking to form a team (or Guild, if you will) who can assist our priests and deacons on the day of rehearsals and weddings. This is not marriage preparation, but rather Guild members will be on-site to provide couples the assistance with the details of the wedding ceremony. If you’d like to help a few times a year (at Friday rehearsals and Saturday weddings) to see that our weddings run smoothly I invite you to be part of this much-needed ministry. … Lastly and mostly importantly,
God loves you! … See ya’ at Mass!