Bulletin for July 1

Dear friends in Christ,

Today the Church celebrates the 13th week of Ordinary Time, but in our country it’s also the beginning of a long Independence Day celebration. Given that July 4 falls midweek this year, we have extra time to thank God for the gift of our freedom and all the men and women who have served our country to win that freedom (and those who continue to do so on our behalf throughout the world today). Many have fought and died to safeguard the way of life we enjoy. Let us not forget the great sacrifices that have been offered on our behalf, while remembering the ultimate sacrifice and true freedom we have in God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Though it is not a holy day, we will celebrate a special Mass at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 4 in the church. There will be no evening Mass or confessions on Wednesday so that people might enjoy the holiday with friends and the community, but I hope you will begin your day with us in thanksgiving to God and to ask for His blessing upon our nation.

While the 4th of July falls on a Wednesday this year, I can tell you that 14 years ago it fell on a Sunday like today. How do I know? Easy – it was my first Sunday as pastor of Christ the Redeemer. I was appointed pastor of CtR 14 years ago on July 1, 2004 and this weekend marks the anniversary of my first time celebrating Sunday Mass for the community.

I remember that day well. Of course, it helps that there was a fireworks display that same evening. “What a nice touch,” I thought, “they are shooting off fireworks to welcome me as their pastor!” Seriously, I remember that day because it was one of the greatest days of my priesthood. I was honored to be the new pastor of CtR then, and as I begin my 15th year now, I still am humbled and honored to be here. Thank you for welcoming me back then and for your continued support and prayers today. Please pray for me!

I hope to be your pastor at CtR for many more years if God, Cardinal DiNardo, and the people of the parish will have me. It’s been my distinct and profound honor to serve alongside of you. This community has given and taught me so much. A more dedicated and faith-filled people you will not find anywhere else. Trust me, I know that I have the best “job” in the entire Archdiocese. I give thanks to God for all the wonderful people at CtR he has brought into my life –those still here and those who have gone before us. I’ve been blessed to baptized, marry and even bury so many good people. It’s a joy and privilege to be your pastor. All I can say is “Thank you, Jesus!” May God bless our parish now and for years to come.

In other news, for those of you who work in downtown Houston, CtR is sponsoring a table at the upcoming Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, July 19. I welcome any parishioner who would like to join our CtR table to please let me know. It’s at the Hilton Americas and starts at 7:30 a.m., so those of you who regularly commute into downtown are probably the most likely to be able to attend. (I can’t imagine those who don’t work downtown wanting to fight morning rush hour traffic, but if you do, that’s fine by me.) Parking is complimentary and it concludes by 9 a.m. so that you can be on your way to your office. This year’s speaker is Bishop Brendan Cahill of the Diocese of Victoria, who is an old friend of mine and who undoubtedly will be an entertaining and enlightening speaker. If you’d like to attend as one of our guests, contact me at the Parish Office.

Are you and your spouse celebrating a milestone (25th or 50th) wedding anniversary in 2018? If so, you are invited to attend an upcoming Jubilee Mass celebrated by Cardinal DiNardo. This is an annual event to honor couples marking their Silver of Golden anniversary at any time in the calendar year. It’s always a beautiful celebration at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown and a way for the Cardinal to honor you for your witness to the vocation of marriage.

For those couples marking 25 years in 2018, the Jubilee Mass will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, but you must register in advance by Aug. 24. For those celebrating 50 years of marriage, the Mass will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, and the deadline to register is Sept. 30. Couples are eligible to receive a special recognition whether they attend the ceremony or not, but pre-registration is required for either service. For more information and to register, visit the Archdiocesan website.

Later this month, CtR is co-sponsoring a special benefit concert for the ongoing relief of St. Ignatius of Loyola parish in Spring. It will feature Grammy-award winning Christian music performer John Michael Talbot. You know many of his songs by heart, including “Be Not Afraid,” “Holy Is His Name,” “City of God,” and about 100 more. He’s one of the most popular composers of contemporary Christian music and his songs are sung in churches throughout the world every Sunday.

The concert will be at 7 p.m. Friday, July 27 at Prince of Peace Church, just off of Hwy 249 and Jones Road, a short drive from CtR. Tickets are $30 and available in our Parish Office or online. All proceeds go to benefit St. Ignatius Church, which was devastated by Hurricane Harvey. St. Ignatius just re-opened their church after extensive rebuilding the past nine months, but their debts are still considerable. The diocesan insurance and FEMA did not cover all their reconstruction expenses, and this concert is a way for parishes in the surrounding region to come together to benefit our neighbors. It promises to be a special night of uplifting music and prayer. Please make plans to join us.

Speaking of music, we’ve got our Choir Camp coming up soon on July 23-27 for children entering 3rd-8th grades. It will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily and give children the chance to explore the joys and the enriching challenges of collaborative music-making while being guided by inspirational professional mentors.
 
During this week, students will form vocal and handbell choirs, study music theory, rhythm, and movement. The camp concludes on Friday, July 27 with a performance in the church. This is our first time to host such a summer choir camp and it’s shaping up to be a great week with an impressive list of mentors lined up to help the children discover the beauty of music in the Church. For more information, see the website or talk to Bridget Wenk, our director of Music Ministry, after any Mass.

Peace,
Fr. Sean