Welcome to Little Flower
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Last week was the first in a series of columns I plan to share with you during this “Year for Priests.” So continuing on from last week’s column, I’d like to touch on an often mentioned suggestion that many believe would resolve the lack of priests. That is to allow married clergy.
Some statements given in support include “this would attract more young men to the priesthood” and “former priests who left to marry would be willing to return to the priesthood if they were allowed.” Is this solution truly as ideal as many people think?
In theory it may sound like a wonderful idea, but when you try to make it fit real life situations at parishes it becomes much more complicated. Let’s start with providing appropriate housing for married clergy. This one area alone poses many challenges including:
- Where would married clergy live? Most parish rectories were designed for and are satisfactory living quarters for celibate priests. They were not meant for family living. They are certainly not meant or designed for two or three married clergy and their families to share.
- Is the parish or diocese expected to purchase or rent housing for them?
- How close to the parish should they live?
- How many rooms would be adequate for married clergy? Would it depend on the number of children they have? When or if their family size increases and they need more space, does the bishop have to find a parish with a larger rectory that will accommodate them?
The task of assigning celibate clergy to cover the parishes and schools in a diocese is not an easy task. Imagine how much more difficult making new assignments for married clergy which requires them to move would be, both for the Bishop and the family.
I ask you to consider these as well as some of the other aspects of providing housing for married clergy.
Next week we will bring the finance aspect of married clergy into the picture.
Please write or e-mail me your thoughts and suggestions. If you are not ready to share them now, jot them down to bring to our open forum when it takes place.
Liturgy - Sunday July 5th
Liturgy is the on-going mutuality of God and our humanity. The liturgy exists to glorify God and to proclaim the mystery of faith while sanctifying all that is human before God. In this sense glorifying God, giving praise and thanks together, is a way of coming to know the divine life. Yet this is precisely how my life comes to fullest truth and to the realization of what it is to exist in faith: to discover and to welcome the gift of creatureliness and to perceive holiness in all times and places.
~ Don E. Saliers
Faith and Finances with Phil Lenahan ©
What Does the Bible Say About Saving?
What does the Bible say about saving? Consider the story of Joseph and Pharaoh in Genesis chapter 41, and the parable of the abundant farmer in Luke chapter 12. Joseph is assigned governor after interpreting Pharaoh’s dream. Egypt is to have seven years of plenty to be followed by seven years of famine. What does Joseph do? He sets aside 20 percent of the produce during the seven years of plenty so the people will have adequate food during the time of famine.
What about the farmer in Luke’s Gospel? He has an abundant crop that overwhelms his storage capacity. He builds another barn to store the excess. So far, that sounds a lot like Joseph, doesn’t it? Yet, the Lord says, “You fool, this night your soul is required of you. Then whose will all of this be?”
To understand why the Lord responded so harshly to the farmer, we need to go beyond his actions, which after all, were basically the same as Joseph’s. What was different was his intent. Joseph set aside reserves for appropriate future needs. The farmer planned to kick back and take it easy. He hoarded.
The Lord wants us to save, but he wants us to do so with the attitude of Joseph, not the farmer. Assess the responsibilities the Lord has entrusted to you, and anticipate the resources you’ll need to fulfill those responsibilities. Start with your emergency and rainy day funds, then save for future education and retirement expenses.
www.VeritasFinancialMinistries.com
Thursday July 9th
Young at Heart
Ice Cream Social
11:30 Mass in Chapel followed by Ice Cream Social and Games
in the Parish Center.
Bring a Brown Bag Lunch
Monday July 13th
Mark Your Calendars
2nd Annual Vacation Bible School - Jesus is My Rock!
It will begin on Monday, July 13th, and run through Thursday, July 16th.
Registration forms for this year’s Vacation Bible School, Jesus Rocks, can be found in the gathering space next weekend. Children ages 4 up to Grade 5 are welcome to come from July 13-16 to learn in a fun way how Jesus loves, protects, and forgives us.
Cost is only $10 and includes a T-shirt, snacks and a picnic on the last day. We will be in the Parish Center classroom area from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
We can use your help in many areas for the entire four days or for just one day.
For questions or to volunteer, please contact Michelle Artusi at 243-3439
Tuesday July 14th
Moms and Dads group
Our next get-together for the newly formed group will be Tuesday, July 14th at 1 p.m. in the Nursery. Anyone in the parish is welcome to come! Please e-mail me at: lfcchildren@sbcglobal.net with the ages of the children who will attend. The attendees will help me set the agenda for the next meeting!
At our first get-together, we spent almost two hours simply talking, exchanging parenting tips and coming up with a needs list which includes the following:
1. List of teenagers willing to babysit on week nights and weekends;
2. Parents willing to babysit part time to full time for infants while parents teach at ND or attend graduate school (either in your home or theirs);
3. Parishioner willing to give piano lessons to younger children (ages 4-10).
Hope to see new faces at our next get-together! Please contact Michelle Artusi either by e-mail or at 243-3439 with questions.
Wednesday, July 29th
Mark your calendar
Little Flower’s Food Pantry, will be participating with United Way’s “People Gotta Eat” program by selling tickets to the Silver Hawks game on Wednesday, July 29th. Plan to join us for a FUN evening to help raise awareness and funds for local St Joseph County pantries. Look to future bulletins for more information on how to purchase tickets for this special night.
Please pick up a few of the most needed items for the Food Pantry this week. We need your help to continue to “feed the hungry.” You can also write a check directly to Little Flower Food Pantry if this is more convenient.
Sunday August 2nd
Corn & Sausage Roast
Be Sure To Save the Date for Little Flower’s
Corn & Sausage Roast
Third week of August
JustFaith 2009-10
We are going to do the JustFaith process this year at Little Flower starting the third week of August.
JustFaith is a justice-formation process that is joyfully demanding in which we form a small group focused on prayer, two retreats, immersion-outreach days, building community, reading books, watching videos, and discussing how God is calling us to live with growing hearts, especially as it serves the poor, vulnerable, and those in harm’s way.
Space for this program is limited. Interested? Please contact Jay to discuss it at 273-9722 or lfcoutreach@sbcglobal.net
Jewish-Catholic Class this Fall
Monday evening’ at Little Flower beginning August 31st
Tuesday morning’s at Temple Beth-El beginning September 1st
Instead of the usual bible study class this fall, several members from both Temple Beth-El and Little Flower Catholic Church will gather together to study and discuss the book, The Misunderstood Jew: An Introductory Dialogue Between Jews and Catholics about the person of Jesus, Judaism, and Christianity” by Amy-Jill Levine.
Professor Levine is a scholar of the New Testament at Vanderbilt University and a practicing Jew. People from the wider community are welcome to participate through Forever Learning. The goal is to engage Professor Levine’s book in dialogue with others.
Monday evening’s session is at Little Flower and starts August 31 from 7-8:30 p.m. The Tuesday morning session is at Temple Beth-El and starts September 1 from 9:30-11 a.m. Classes will be team-taught by Rabbi Eric J. Siroka of Temple Beth-El and Jay Freel Landry. You may attend either session
Please RSVP (required) to Rabbi Siroka (234-4402) or to Jay (273-9722). Also, let them know if you want a copy of the book.
October 10th
Calling All Shoppers
The bus trip to Gurnee Mills is scheduled for Saturday, October 10th. The bus will leave from the lower level of Little Flower at 8:30 a.m. and return at 10 p.m.
I will begin taking reservations on May 4th. A check for $29, made payable to Michelle Artusi, guarantees your seat! Coffee, juice and muffins will be available before we depart, as well as cold drinks and snacks for the ride home.
Gurnee Mills is the largest outlet mall in the midwest. For more information, please contact Michelle Artusi at 243-3439.
— Michelle Artusi - (574-243-3439)
Read Bishop John M. D’Arcy's letter concerning the decision made by the Holy Cross Congregation to withdraw from Little Flower Parish, South Bend on July 1, 2010 - Click here....
Read Fr. Tyson's September 30, 2008 letter - Click here...
This Week in our Parish
Sunday, July 5
Coffee & Doughnuts after the 9:30 Mass
RCIA — 11:15 a.m., Room 1, Parish Center
Monday, July 6
Co-dependent Grp — 6:30 p.m., Room 5, Fr. Payne Hall
Tuesday, July 7
Fit for Life — 7:15-9:15 a.m., Wellness Center
Centering/Silent Prayer — 4 p.m., Chapel
Divorce Support — 7 p.m., Rooms 3-4, Fr. Payne Hall
Thursday, July 9
Fit for Life — 7:15-9:15 a.m., Wellness Center
Knit & Crochet — 9:30 a.m., Room 1, Parish Center
Young at Heart — 11:30 a.m. Mass in Chapel followed
by Ice Cream Social/Games in Parish Center
O/A Group — 7-9 p.m., Room 5, Fr. Payne Hall
Next Weekend: Blood Pressure screening
Updated: July 3, 2009
Youth Ministry
A Holy Cross Parish