In Principal Glen Lutz’ column, you will find information about the tragic death of Angelia Maria Paulsen-O’Dea. I ask you to include Angelia in your prayers, that God will grant her eternal rest. We also pray for her parents, for her son, Julian, for Julian’s father, Sean, and for all the members of the family. May the soul of Angelia Maria rest in peace, and may God’s peace come upon the family members.
As we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord, it is a good moment to reflect on God’s mercy. Even though Jesus was completely without sin, he permitted John to baptize him. He did it for our sake, as an example that we would come to the life giving waters of baptism. The line drawing of Jesus’ baptism (below) is taken from the bronze doors of St. James Cathedral, which depict the stages of God’s covenant with man. The baptism of Jesus was a crucial moment in our salvation.
When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came upon him in the form of a dove. This indicates a second sacrament – Confirmation. Confirmation brings the “seal of the Holy Spirit.” I like to compare it to sending a letter. The last thing a person does before dropping the letter in the box is to seal it. Similarly, in the Sacrament of Confirmation, God seals us with the greatest gift – the gift of the Holy Spirit. I am delighted that so many young people have come forward for our parish Confirmation preparation classes. They take place on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. in the Tice Hall. Those who are sixteen-years-old, or who will be sixteen by June 1, are eligible for these classes. You many call Gary Samaniego, 206-767-6220, to register.
On Thursday evening we had an important Parish Council meeting. The Council is focusing on the mission and goals of our parish, particularly in the crucial matter of Stewardship. Please pray for all Council members and in a special way for the Council Chair, Rica Herrera, and the Vice-Chairs, Steve Stilwell Sr. and Angelica Ramirez.
Our Holy Family Seventh and Eighth Grade students will once again participate in the annual March for Life. I am grateful to our Knights of Columbus for providing the bus which will take us to the event. We will arrive in time for the 10 a.m. Mass at St. Michael’s Church, presided by Bishop Eusebio Elizondo. Then we will go to the Capitol steps to hear short presentations by various legislators. The event is non-partisan, involving both Republican and Democrat representatives. The focus is on the vital issue of respect for the dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death. I encourage you to join us on Tuesday, January 22, for this inspiring and educational event. If you are not able to attend the Mass at St. Michael’s, you may meet us for the rally at the Capitol which begins at 12:00 noon.
Speaking of our Knights of Columbus, don’t miss their excellent Pancake and French toast breakfast this Sunday. Also, I understand it is not too late to get tickets for the Crab Feed and Lovers’ Dance on Friday, January 26.
As you heard in the Proclamation of the Date of Easter Sunday 2008, Lent begins very early this year. On February 6 we celebrate Ash Wednesday. We have a number of important events lined up for Lent, including Soup Suppers and Stations of the Cross, a Communal Anointing of the Sick, a special guest preacher for the Second Sunday of Lent, an amplified schedule for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the annual Cathedral Walk (March 8). I will be writing more about these events in subsequent bulletins. I have to say, that we have a wonderful group of people preparing for the Easter Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. During Lent we will accompany them on this faith journey with the pre-baptismal exorcisms (“Scrutinies”) celebrated on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent. At the March 22 Easter Vigil, they will receive the Easter Sacraments. I encourage you to plan on attending that greatest of all liturgies.
Some people have asked for a copy of the Proclamation of the Date of Easter that we read last Sunday. I have placed it on the bulletin board so that you can note these important dates. It is also posted on my web-site, Simple Catholicism, under the Jan. 6 homily, Where the Sun Is. As the Proclamation states, “The Glory of the Lord has shone among us, and shall ever be manifest among us, until the day of his return. Through the rhythms of times and seasons, let us celebrate the mysteries of salvation.”
Como se pueden ver de la columna del Sr. Glen Lutz, estamos rezando por el descanso eterno de Angelia Maria Paulsen-O’Dea, que se nos fallecio en un acidente tragico el dia lunes. Su hijo, Julia, es estudiante de nuestra escuela parroquial. Rezamos por el, por su papa, Sean, y por los papas de Angelia.
Al celebrar el Bautismo del Señor este domingo, es un buen momento reflexionar sobre la misericordia de Dios. A pesar de estar sin pecado, Jesus fue bautizado por nosotros. Al ser bautizado, el cielo se abrio y el Espiritu Santo descendio sobre el en forma de una paloma. Esto indica otro sacramento – la Confirmacion. Varios jovenes estan en preparacion para este gran sacramento que el Obispo Tyson administara el 21 de abril en un servicio en español, aquí en Holy Family. Si usted tiene 16 años y no ha recibido la Confirmacion favor de llamar a la oficina parroquial.
Como mencione en la columna en ingles, tuvimos una reunion importante del Consejo Parroquial el dia Jueves. Estamos enfocando en la mision y metas de nuestra parroquia, particularmente en cuanto a la Mayordomia o sea la generosidad o co-responsibilidad. Los oficiales del Consejo son Rica Herrera, Steve Stilwell y Angelica Ramirez.
El domingo pasado hemos leido la Proclamacion de la Fecha de Pascua 2008. Muchos se sorprendieron que viene tan temprano este año (el 23 de marzo). Por tanto Miercoles de Ceniza tambien es temprano – el 6 de febrero. La Caminata a la Catedral se llevará a cabo el 8 de marzo. Favor de poner estas fechas en su calendario.
School News Church Bulletin: January 13, 2008 Dear Parishioners,This past week, our school community experienced the death of one of the parents, Angelia Maria Paulsen-O’Dea, mother of Julian, Grade Seven. Her funeral Mass was celebrated Friday (January 11) at St. Stephen The Martyr Catholic Church in Renton where her parents are parishioners. Angelia’s death was sudden, a result of a car accident. Angelia, her son Julian and Julian’s father, Sean are long time participants in the life of Holy Family Parish School. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.
Appropriating the death of a loved one is never easy. In this situation, many children and adults were impacted by Angelia’s sudden death. On Tuesday morning after learning of Angelia’s death, we brought the teachers, staff, Father Bloom, Father Ramon, Gary Samaniego and three of our parent leaders together to develop a plan for helping our school community cope and to begin the healing process.
The help and guidance of Kathryn Hutter, past Principal of Holy Family Parish School, was instrumental in preparing us for the day. Kathryn is a counselor at Kennedy High School. She also facilitated a class meeting for the children in Grades Five – Eight and was available for most of the morning to meet with students individually. On behalf of the school community, I want to extend our appreciation to Kathryn for her compassionate and professional response to us.
Thank you, the Parishioners, for your prayerful support of Holy Family Parish School.
Next week’s bulletin (January 20) will include a schedule of the Catholic Schools Week events including the special Grandparents’ Day Mass scheduled for Friday, February 1.
God Bless, Glen t. Lutz Principal
In the spirit of the New Year, here are some possible resolutions to ponder regarding Stewardship:
I resolve to trust God more, believing that in His wisdom and abundance, He will give me all that I need. I resolve to spend more time with God, giving a few more minutes of each day to prayer, worship and spiritual reading. I resolve to find more ways to share my unique skills and talents so that my special strengths will build up the Kingdom of God. I resolve to give a generous share of my treasure to God’s work here on earth, making this the first check that I write each week or each month.
(Thank you to the Archdiocese of St. Louis for these suggestions.) First Collection Stewardship for Week 28 of Fiscal Year (July 1, 2007 – January 6, 2008) Budgeted Year to Date: $344,092.00 Collected Year to Date: $329,505.68 Income Difference Year to Date (-) $ 14,586.32 Amount Needed Each Sunday: $ 12,289.00 Last Sunday’s Offering: $ 11,730.20 Weekly Income Difference: (-) $ 558.80 Some of the Gifts from the Other Half of our Stewardship 2-bit Collection (Terlicker Scholarship Fund):$ 1,928.91 Saint Vincent de Paul: $ 321.00 Capital Campaign Total Households Pledging: 677 Total Pledged: $1,193,210.63 Total Paid: $ 969,144.24 Balance: $ 224,066.39 Delinquency Amount to Date: $ 141,790.63