The "Very Important Parishioner" for the month of May is Renee Steinpreis. Renee and her husband Bob (who has been a longtime usher at Sacred Heart Church) have lived in the Village since 1996. She serves as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, an altar server, and a sacristan. In these roles she is seen doing the Lord's work before, during and after our liturgies.
We (and she) are also blessed by the ministries she does "behind the scenes." She has been a member of the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration team since the beginning of this ministry and took some of the "overnight hours" that helped make it possible to have Eucharistic Adoration going 24/7 for a long time. She is a member of our Prayer Warriors who pray for parish members and others who are in a crisis situation. She has been administrator of our "Scheduler Pro" since its inception in 2014 and works to see that all our liturgical ministries are covered at all of our liturgies.
She has been a member of LOSH and the parish council and is currently the head of our liturgy commission. She has stepped up as needed as an "experienced" photographer at many of our church functions and uses state of the art equipment on the ground and in the air to capture and print many pictures that have appeared on our website, the Village Voice and other places. She has made herself available to help me adapt to newer technologies and has "offered herself" whenever a need arises in all areas of parish life. She is active in the Village community especially on the tennis and now pickleball courts and in computer and/or photography clubs.
In my observations and reflections, Renee is inspired to "do" all that she does through the Holy Spirit who touches her in many ways, especially through her time in public and private prayer. She is clearly a healthy branch on the vine that is Jesus and is bearing much fruit. Please look her up in the pictorial directory if you don't already know her and thank her the next time you see her for her faithfulness to the Lord and our parish in the ways I've mentioned and other ways as well. Also, if you see her husband, Bob, thank him for his ministry (as an usher) and the support he gives her to do what she does! I can truly say about Renee that she is always on call if I need her! What a blessings that is for me!
We (and she) are also blessed by the ministries she does "behind the scenes." She has been a member of the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration team since the beginning of this ministry and took some of the "overnight hours" that helped make it possible to have Eucharistic Adoration going 24/7 for a long time. She is a member of our Prayer Warriors who pray for parish members and others who are in a crisis situation. She has been administrator of our "Scheduler Pro" since its inception in 2014 and works to see that all our liturgical ministries are covered at all of our liturgies.
She has been a member of LOSH and the parish council and is currently the head of our liturgy commission. She has stepped up as needed as an "experienced" photographer at many of our church functions and uses state of the art equipment on the ground and in the air to capture and print many pictures that have appeared on our website, the Village Voice and other places. She has made herself available to help me adapt to newer technologies and has "offered herself" whenever a need arises in all areas of parish life. She is active in the Village community especially on the tennis and now pickleball courts and in computer and/or photography clubs.
In my observations and reflections, Renee is inspired to "do" all that she does through the Holy Spirit who touches her in many ways, especially through her time in public and private prayer. She is clearly a healthy branch on the vine that is Jesus and is bearing much fruit. Please look her up in the pictorial directory if you don't already know her and thank her the next time you see her for her faithfulness to the Lord and our parish in the ways I've mentioned and other ways as well. Also, if you see her husband, Bob, thank him for his ministry (as an usher) and the support he gives her to do what she does! I can truly say about Renee that she is always on call if I need her! What a blessings that is for me!
Anyone who took the time at Mass and/or at home to read and reflect on the passages from the Acts of the Apostles that are provided by the Church throughout the Easter Season could easily conclude that the mission of the early Church was to EVANGELIZE with the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. Once they had "made" new Christians through the waters of Baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit, they had to set up the structure that would enable personal growth and community growth for the future. We see some of that happening as we read the letters of St. Paul to the Christian communities he founded and visted.
One of the challenges of the Church has always been to reach out to those who, for various reasons, have waned in the practice of the faith. One of the tools to do this has been parish missions like the one we are going to have coming up on May 9-12 led by Fr. Ken Geraci with the order of the Father's of Mercy. The theme of this mission which will take place in the evening at 6:30 p.m. will be "Why Be Catholic," which hopefully will appeal to practicing Catholics, "fallen away" Catholics, and people who currently do not practice their faith in any church community. I urge you to come for all the nights of the mission (which will conclude on Wednesday, May 12 with Mass and a reception) or whichever nights you can come AND try to get a friend or neighbor to come with you or just come on their own. You know, as well as I do, that we have many Catholics who have left the practice of the Catholic Faith for various reasons. Let's make a real effort to get them to come to the mission to hear Fr. Geraci, be with our community, and hopefully through the power of the Holy Spirit to be led back to the many graces that the Church offers for our journey with and to the Lord. Special blessings await all those who attend the mission! Please come!
One of the challenges of the Church has always been to reach out to those who, for various reasons, have waned in the practice of the faith. One of the tools to do this has been parish missions like the one we are going to have coming up on May 9-12 led by Fr. Ken Geraci with the order of the Father's of Mercy. The theme of this mission which will take place in the evening at 6:30 p.m. will be "Why Be Catholic," which hopefully will appeal to practicing Catholics, "fallen away" Catholics, and people who currently do not practice their faith in any church community. I urge you to come for all the nights of the mission (which will conclude on Wednesday, May 12 with Mass and a reception) or whichever nights you can come AND try to get a friend or neighbor to come with you or just come on their own. You know, as well as I do, that we have many Catholics who have left the practice of the Catholic Faith for various reasons. Let's make a real effort to get them to come to the mission to hear Fr. Geraci, be with our community, and hopefully through the power of the Holy Spirit to be led back to the many graces that the Church offers for our journey with and to the Lord. Special blessings await all those who attend the mission! Please come!
Where is the Catholic Church when it comes to the "immigrant border crises" that has been in the news daily for quite awhile? I don't have any quotes from bishops on those areas along the border that are most affected by the numbers of people, men, women and children who are trying to come into our country after having left their "homes" because of poverty, violence, oppression looking for a reason to have hope for a much better future than they would have staying where they were.
In this pastor's column I am not going to get into the "politics" of immigration. Instead I want to focus on people like Sister Norma Pimentel who is the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley who runs a respite center in Brownsville, Texas that provides food, drink and other help for the people in need in that area. In an article in the Arkansas Catholic newspaper this week, it quotes a motto above Sister Norma's door that says: "Restoring human dignity." While solutions to this "crises" are being talked about and hopefully decided upon and put into action, there are disciples of Christ of the Catholic and other faiths that are coming to the aid of displaced people with basic necessities of life and a message that is unspoken that says "God loves you, and so do we."
We can read all we want about what's going on "down there" and have an opinion on what politicians and people down there need to do, but there is no question that this is a humanitarian crises that calls for Christ-like compassion and support for places like the respite center that is being run by Sister Norma and prayers for those who are volunteering to help these people in their time of need. Also, if you are inclined, join me and others in donating to support the "Humanitarian Respite Center," c/o Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, 700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan, TX 78589. Any amount of money, I know, would be appreciated by Sister Norma, her volunteers and all who will benefit from our kindness!
In this pastor's column I am not going to get into the "politics" of immigration. Instead I want to focus on people like Sister Norma Pimentel who is the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley who runs a respite center in Brownsville, Texas that provides food, drink and other help for the people in need in that area. In an article in the Arkansas Catholic newspaper this week, it quotes a motto above Sister Norma's door that says: "Restoring human dignity." While solutions to this "crises" are being talked about and hopefully decided upon and put into action, there are disciples of Christ of the Catholic and other faiths that are coming to the aid of displaced people with basic necessities of life and a message that is unspoken that says "God loves you, and so do we."
We can read all we want about what's going on "down there" and have an opinion on what politicians and people down there need to do, but there is no question that this is a humanitarian crises that calls for Christ-like compassion and support for places like the respite center that is being run by Sister Norma and prayers for those who are volunteering to help these people in their time of need. Also, if you are inclined, join me and others in donating to support the "Humanitarian Respite Center," c/o Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, 700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan, TX 78589. Any amount of money, I know, would be appreciated by Sister Norma, her volunteers and all who will benefit from our kindness!