Next Sunday: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Celebrant : Fr. Tharp
CMA: Catholic Ministries Appeal 2023
No parish (or even Family of Parishes) can provide all the services needed by their
congregations. But together as a diocese, we can! Funding these services would be a
Herculean endeavor, and a seemingly impossible task. But together as a diocese, we can!
That’s what the CMA is all about. All the “Families of Parishes” funding a diocesan
outreach enables us to do as a group what we could never do as individual parishes or
families.
The commitment weekend for CMA is February 4 &5. Your generosity gives the Church
“strength in charity” it could otherwise never have.
Catholic School’s Week
Sunday, January 29 is the beginning of Catholic School’s Week. Catholic Schools are
becoming more and more to be seen as moral beacons in a confusing world. We take
time out to celebrate Catholic Schools as our greatest evangelical tool.
Disciple Maker Index
As of today, you should have received an email, (if we have you on the parish list) in
addition to a QR code posted at the doors of church, plus a link posted on the parish
website; all of which will allow you to access and complete the Disciple Maker Index
survey for both St. Ann and Sacred Heart. The results of this survey will become a
major resource of parishioner opinion and data for the forward migration of discussions
as to how we assimilate two parishes into one “Family” still utilizing two church
buildings and two schools, but sharing the same pastoral vision and goals. From my
perspective, it is a priority that the unique intangible treasure of each parish not be lost in
some attempt at homogenization. We must not squander the uniqueness of each
community, but lift it up as important in the new whole. However, accomplishing this
task will require each nuclear family in both parishes to embrace and articulate the
components that will form the essence of the new whole.
I am therefore imploring (begging) each family in St. Ann and each family in Sacred
Heart to complete a 10-15 minute survey. The survey will only be available from
January 21- February 27 and will ask you to reflect on your own spiritual growth and
enable you to provide feedback on what our parish is doing (or not doing) to help you
grow spiritually. It will be available online and in paper format with more instructions to
follow. All responses will be confidential and the parish will only receive information
about the community as whole.
The survey results will be invaluable to me as pastor and to every parishioner committee
member working on this project as we seek ways to best support everyone in their
discipleship journey. Additional details are in this bulletin.
Application for Director of Evangelization for the St. Ann/Sacred Heart Family
A search committee of nine (two are St. Ann staff, two others are St. Ann parishioners,
two are Sacred Heart parishioners, two are Sacred Heart staff, and one is staff to both
parishes) are joining me in reviewing the resumes of the seven applicants for the position
of Director of Evangelization.
The recommended Beacons of Light organizational structure requires a Family of
Parishes to have a Director of Evangelization, a Director of Worship, and a Director of
Administration. The structure I envision will also include a Director of Real Estate and
Physical Assets. (This is due to the reality that the Family needs both churches to
accommodate our Sunday attendance, and both schools to accommodate our existing and
anticipated students.) Together with the two principals, all four directors will serve as
an extension of the pastor in their specific areas of expertise. Beacons foresees an
environment not simply focused on maintaining what is, but directed to outreach,
evangelization, and growth.
The symmetry of all this organizational structure is not based on the clerical model I, and
most priests of my age, have grown up with! Rather it operates on a model of assumed
delegation, so that the younger priest who replaces me when I retire will feel comfortable
assuming the role of pastor in an organizational model normative throughout the
Archdiocese. In other words, my oversight in this process is to establish a manner of
operation designed not for me personally, but for my successors in the long term future.
The reality is that priests my age (70 plus) have functional and canonical “expiration
dates.” Beacons is creative structuring for where we are going; not for where we have
been.
Catholic History Podcast
Dr. Kevin Schmiesing, co-host of the Sunrise Morning Show on Sacred Heart Radio has
asked us to inform you of his new podcast.
Interested in learning more about our Catholic heritage? The Catholic History Trek
podcast covers a wide range of topics: the history of Catholic schools, foods, and prayers;
religious orders such as the Franciscans and Norbertines; the Mass and liturgical music;
the origins of Catholicism in each of the fifty states; and much more. It is co-hosted by
Scott Schulze and Kevin Schmiesing and available on all popular podcast platforms such
as Spotify, Google, and Apple, with some video episodes also available on YouTube.
Eucharistic Display created by Blessed Carlo Acutis
The Women of Faith group is sponsoring Eucharistic Miracle posters created by Blessed
Carlo Acutis, who died of Leukemia at age 15, but had created a website displaying these
accumulated Eucharistic miracles from throughout the world. There is little doubt that
when canonized, he will almost certainly become the patron of the internet and social
media. Remember that the three stages or “cause of sainthood” to having one’s name
placed on the “list” or “canon” of Saints in Rome starts with the title “Venerable, “
moves to the title “Blessed, ” and then after miraculous interventions is verified by the
Holy See, the pope may name the person to the “list” or “canon” of titled “Saint.”
To encourage especially the young to take note of these posters, the Women together
have created a raffle for those who take note of each poster throughout the next year.
Re-introduction of Precious Blood at Communion
I may have been too quick to announce that we have distributors lined up for two cups at
“all three Sunday morning Masses at Sacred Heart.” So far we have not been able to
schedule cups for the 8:00 a.m. We will keep trying.
For the time being we only have distributors for the cup at the 11:00 a.m. Mass at St.
Ann. Again, we can only do this to the degree we have enough Eucharistic ministers
willing to do cups at the various precept Masses.
DO NOT FALL FOR SCAMS!!!!
I keep running this article because there are new scams everyday
Remember I NEVER solicit funds, donations, favors, or any request of any kind
over the telephone, text, email, carrier pigeon, drone, etc. NEVER! Do not allow
yourself to be taken in by scammers. Even if they have my recorded voice, be assured it
is computer generated fake! It is not me!!!
Reminder for volunteers who work with or around children
Please be aware that failure to register with and complete the requirements of Safe Parish
will result in your inability to continue to work with or around children in any parish
and/or school setting. We have been informed by the Archdiocese that there can be NO
EXCEPTIONS.
Live Streaming for Precept Masses
Please remember to access the Sacred Heart / St. Ann Pastoral Region You Tube site by
clicking on the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVLLqbEY5hKWinwz069MVcg
Reflection on Scripture:
Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to follow him and be “fishers of men.” We all have a
vocation, a call from God. Before we answer the question, “Have I answered it?” We
must ask ourselves, “How did I hear it?” A call from God should always be compelling.
But is it not the curiosity that first attracts us? Jesus acknowledges their occupation as
fishermen. He challenges them to “fish” for men’s souls. God supplies the “call.” We
must allow our curiosity to hear the call. Learning how to meditate in prayer is essential
to learning how to listen for God. The noise of the world often drowns out and confuses
our ability to listen for God. Close your ears to the secular world and open your heart in
prayer. You never know what you might hear.
NEXT WEEK Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Zeph 2:3, 3:12-13
1 Cor 1:26-31
Mt 5:1-12a
Theme: The Beatitudes