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January 25, 2024Dear friends in Christ,
On this 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time we find Jesus teaching in the synagogue, which is only fitting as we begin Catholic Schools Week. St. Mark tells us that the people are “astonished” at his teaching because he taught “as one having authority and not as the scribes.” Such authoritative teaching can only come from the source of that is true – his father in heaven.
All teachers, to some degree, have authority when they are in their classrooms. CtR is blessed with a countless number of teachers, from preschool to college, in both public, parochial, and private settings. May God bless them all! What a gift they are to us all. I encourage us today to recall a particular teacher from your past who made a difference in your life, or who helped you to understand not only the subject being taught, but the bigger picture of navigating life itself. Remember them in your prayers and thank God for bringing them into your life.
You’ll see a number of our CtR Catholic School students at Mass this weekend and hear from our principal, Mr. Dan Courtney, but in a special way, I ask you to pray for our CtR Catholic School teachers. Many of them are parishioners just like you and they do a wonderful job of representing our parish and teaching with authority that comes from God. The true beauty and gift of a Catholic education is that we are able to educate minds and hearts so as to help our students grow in both the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God as lived out in our Catholic faith. I invite all parents to consider the gift of a Catholic education for your child. Come and see (there’s an Open House this Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.) the difference at CtR Catholic School. If you can’t make it this week, please contact the school to arrange a tour at a day and time of your convenience.
In addition to the Open House for prospective families and students, we’re also hosting an open house of sorts for teachers who are interested in learning about the possibility of teaching in our CtR Catholic school. It will be next Sunday, Feb. 4 following the 11 a.m. Mass (about 12:15 p.m.) in the school library. Teachers, we invite you to come discover the joy and reward of putting your gifts of instruction and love of students to service here at CtR School.
We are hosting our 5th annual Women’s Retreat on Feb. 9-10 here on our parish campus. As you might surmise, it’s open to all women in the parish and will be a chance to come away with one another to recall that you are “Beloved,” as this year’s theme states. It starts on Friday evening, Feb. 9, and then continues all day on Sat., Feb. 10 and concludes with the 5 p.m. Vigil Mass. All meals are included. We’ve had great responses to our previous women’s retreats and I am sure this one, too, will be a gift to all who seek to deepen and refresh their spiritual life. For more information and to register, visit www.ctrcc.com/womensretreat. I might even suggest to my brothers that the Women’s Retreat would make an excellent early Valentine’s Day present to give to your beloved. Make plans on your end of things to take on whatever responsibilities you need to do with the kids or at the house that weekend so as to free your wife’s schedule to be able to attend. That’s a win-win for both of you!
The 2024 Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) drive gets underway next weekend in every parish throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. This is the annual collection to fund 64 ministries and services offered in the name of the diocese that no single parish could ever possibly fund on its own. I’ll speak about it next week at all the masses but wanted to give you a head’s up that it’s coming.
Beginning this week, all registered parishioners will receive a letter from Cardinal DiNardo along with a personalized pledge card inviting them to participate in this year’s DSF drive. Please complete the pledge card and bring it with you to Mass next weekend of February 3-4 or return it in the mail in the envelope provided. If you prefer, you may make your pledge online at www.archgh.org/dsf. That’s what I do and I find it quick, safe and secure. We’ll also have pledge envelopes available in the pews as well.
Every parish has a goal, set by the Cardinal, to meet as part of DSF. Our goal this year at CtR is $353,000, which is an increase of about $15,000 from last year. We have a long history of just cresting above our goal each year (this past year we were over by about, ironically enough, $15,000) and we definitely want to keep our streak alive. As an incentive to reach and surpass we receive a rebate of 75 percent of any overage of our goal, with the other half going to support low-income parishes.
I’m often asked how much a family should give to DSF. That’s ultimately up to you to decide, and I would ask you to please don’t forget to make a pledge to our own Ignite Capital Campaign that is ongoing, but I might suggest that you consider giving $1 a day (a $365 yearly pledge) to support DSF. That’s about $91 every three months. Remember that you don’t have to pay it all at once. You can spread it out through the year, and there are options for credit card payments or bank drafts. Regardless of the amount, please do make a pledge. If every family would give just a dollar a day we would make our goal easily.
I know these are tight economic times for all of us, but generosity has always been a hallmark of the people of this parish. Let us prayerfully discern God’s call so that we, too, might join with the faithful throughout Galveston-Houston to follow the Lord in this great work. I thank you in advance for your continued support of this wonderful initiative. It is truly one of the real blessings of our great archdiocese to be able to help so many people in so many ways.
Peace, Fr. Sean