Weekly Letter: Aug. 27, 2023 Bulletin

Dear friends in Christ,

    Our Gospel for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time this weekend reminds us that the Church is founded on the rock of Peter, and “the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it.” Those are the words of Jesus Christ himself, and that is our assurance that whatever may come we have a firm foundation in him. Let us cling to the rock of the Church always and forever.

    While we are holding on to the rock of the Church, let us be sure to also hold on to one another and take care to look in on those who are vulnerable. I think back to six years ago this week when we were all reeling from the impact of Hurricane Harvey and how we banded together to help those most in need. Or how during the early days of the pandemic in 2020 when we took to calling and checking in on those who had little social interaction.

    We would do well, sisters and brothers, to adopt a similar disposition these days. The intense heat has kept many of us, especially our seniors, indoors for good reason. Be sure to check on them or other vulnerable adults with a friendly call or visit. Keep an eye out for those who may be feeling depressed or lonely, and if you see anything that we at the Church can assist with, please let us know.

    In other news, parents are reminded that late registration for RE classes for preschool through 6th-grade resumes Monday, Aug. 28. If you have not already done so, please take care of registration this week so that your children will be ready to begin classes the week of September 17. It only takes a few minutes to finalize the details at our parish website, www.ctrcc.com/re. If you have a child in 7th through 12th grades and have not yet signed up your students, please contact our Youth Ministry department (www.ctryouth.com), and let them know of your interest. We do not have a dedicated period of late registration for Rise (junior high) and Encounter (senior high), but we will be happy to take your name, and work to get your child placed in a small group.

    Let me expound on the reasoning for that process with junior and senior high students. We can only offer a finite number of small groups for our students and it is totally dependent on having enough adult leaders. We aim to keep the small groups, well, small – ideally around 10-12 students at the most, as that’s where the students can make connections with the faith and one another. We can’t very well have a “small” group with 20+ students. We take names of students who may have missed the registration period and that helps us know how many more adult leaders we need, and by the way, we do need them! Perhaps the Lord is calling you to that ministry? It’s not uncommon for us to have 30 or more small groups for both junior and senior high, and so you can see the need is great for adult mentors and leaders.


   To summarize, we’re happy to work with parents and students and our aim is to create room for everyone (we also have a home-based option of RE for younger students), but it truly takes the community coming together and putting their gifts at service to help us offer Religious Education and Youth Ministry for our children and teens. Thank you to our many ministers who have already volunteered, and please pray about that call of the Lord in your life that you might join them this coming year.

    Speaking of Religious Education, here’s an amazing stat I came across a while back – just 1 percent (one percent!) of teens ages 15 to 17 raised by parents who attached little importance to religion were highly religious in their mid-to-late 20s. In contrast, 82 percent of children raised by parents who talked about faith at home, attached great importance to their beliefs and were active in their congregations were themselves religiously active as young adults, according to data from the National Study of Youth and Religion. Other factors such as youth ministry or clergy or service projects or religious schools pale in comparison. That’s important for us all to remember. While priests, deacons, Youth Ministry leaders, and catechists are happy to be involved in the life of your teens, parents are overwhelmingly the chief influencer of their children in their approach to the faith.

    That echoes my own unofficial findings of more than 25 years as a priest – parents and teens who come to Mass together every week are more likely to be engaged in the faith. But it’s not a case of simply checking off “attend Mass” on a list. What it really requires is vocalizing what your faith means to you. Why do you believe what you do? Why is it important for you? Why do you want your children to share in it? What does the Scripture say? Why does the Church teach what it does? These are all questions to be talked about as a family. If we never engage our faith except for an hour on Sunday it only stands to reason that it will wither and fade.

    The role of parents is even more critical today as trust in institutions declines and many children with more demanding schedules are spending less time in church, the study said. Parents must be mindful that after age 12, their role recedes in the mind of their children and the influence of peers, the media, music and social media take over. That can lead to a tendency for parents to turn their children over to “experts.” In the case of faith formation, many parents consider that to be the responsibility of clergy, Religious Education departments, and Youth Ministry groups. But the work of the Church is to help parents realize their key role in transmitting faith to the next generation by working with them from the very moment of the births of their children to empower them to take on that responsibility. We want to work cooperatively with all parents and encourage families to worship together.

    So in this coming Religious Education year, please promise to take a “hands-on” approach to living the faith. The Church promises to partner with you to help you transmit the faith to your children, but it all begins by attending Mass weekly, praying together, and talking about our big, beautiful faith with one another. Do that with your children and I promise you it will make a difference in your life and the life of your child not only now, but for years to come.

    Lastly, the annual CtR Casino Night sponsored by the Knights of Columbus is less than a month away on Saturday, Sept. 23, and it’s always one of the highlights in our parish’s social calendar each year. For $50 you get drinks and heavy snacks and appetizers throughout the night, $4,000 in chips, a guaranteed seat at an unreserved table, and fun dealers to help you try your luck at poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and slots. Get your tickets online now at www.ctrcc.com/knights. Table sponsorships are also available. Tickets go fast, so don’t delay in reserving yours. It always sells out and I don’t want you to be caught on the outside looking in. Spread the word, invite your friends and neighbors and plan to join us for a great night of fun in the Parish Hall.

Peace, Fr. Sean