Weekly Letter: June 9, 2024 Bulletin

Dear friends in Christ,

     On this 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we go back to the beginning in the Book of Genesis and hear the familiar story in the first reading of Adam, Eve, and that dastardly serpent. The harmony of the garden, which God has created, has been ruptured by sin, and death now encroaches on life. There’s no shortage of excuses, either – the guy blames the girl, and the girl blames the snake! But even after their sin, God still approaches his people. Let that be a lesson for us all. God still desires to come to us even when we sin. Will we turn to him in humility and take advantage (in the best sense of the word) of the mercy the Lord offers, or will we continue to look to pass the blame?

    With summer in full swing (though it officially starts on June 20, we’ve been experiencing summer-like temperatures for several weeks already) I am guessing that many of us are planning various trips and vacations. It’s understandable that our Mass attendance naturally drops in June and July with people out of town. But wherever you go, I encourage you to find a local church in the area to attend Mass. I always find it to be a great experience to celebrate the Sunday liturgy in a different city or country. You’ll see the catholicity (universality) of the Church, where even if the language is different, you’ll still feel right at home. Bring me back a bulletin from wherever you go as I always like to see what different churches have going on in their corner of the world. The website www.masstimes.org is a great help in finding parishes in the area where you will be traveling.

    Let me also make a request that you not forget your home parish while you are gone. Our expenses don’t stop over the summer, and the air conditioning bill is always highest in these months. One great way to support the parish in the summer is by tithing through Faith Direct, our online offertory contribution partner. Simply sign-up at www.faithdirect.net, and enter our parish code of TX150. It only takes a minute or two set-up and it’s a fast, easy, and most importantly secure way of making your contribution to the parish. By embracing this practice, you will simplify your giving and help provide our parish with consistent support.

     This is especially important in the summer, when many families may be out of town some weekends and CtR does not receive their envelopes. It’s easy for people to forget to catch up once they’re back, and our weekly offertory can fluctuate as a result – making it harder to predict how much we will have to sustain our year-round ministries. Thank you for your generous support of CtR throughout the year.

     With summer here we’re going to try to knock out several campus upgrades and beautification projects along with some needed repairs to a few areas in and around our buildings. We’ve already replaced a number of worn-out and broken tables and chairs in the Community Center and the Parish Hall, and we’ll soon embark upon a new lighting upgrade for the Chapel and the Youth Suite in the Redeemer Activity Center. We’ve also contracted with a local company to clean the grime from the exterior of the church, which takes a beating from the elements and weather throughout the year. In addition, our maintenance and facilities crew will be busy painting several classrooms and meeting spaces that need some TLC. Your support of the parish throughout the year, and at the Spring Festival, makes all of this and so much more possible. Thank you.

     You likely know that CtR has an active Scouting program in Troop 573 of Scouting America, but what you might not know is that we also have an active Sea Scouts ship (similar to a troop). If you are not familiar with Sea Scouts, it’s part of Scouting America for boys and girls from ages 14-21 that focuses on activities on and off the water. You can say it is not only active, but the very best in the nation as recently our Sea Scout Ship 502 “Invincible” was named the National Flagship unit, beating out approximately 350 other units for the title across the country. The ship has its own 34-foot sailboat in Seabrook to teach youth about moral and ethical choices through outdoor activities. Bravo Zulu (that’s nautical language for “Well done!”), Ship 502! To learn more about the Sea Scouts, visit www.ctrcc.com/seascouts.

     Lastly, please join me in praying for and welcoming 102 kids who will be on campus all next week as part of our annual Catholic Faith Camp for children in grades 2-6. It’s always a great week for the kiddos to dive deeper into the beauty of our Catholic faith, and to have a whole lot of fun while doing so. My thanks for the stewardship of time and talent to our 35 teens and 18 adults who will be teaching and supervising them for the week. May God bless you all!

Peace, Fr. Sean