Bulletin for July 7

Dear friends in Christ,

Our Gospel on this 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time is particularly apt for us at CtR this weekend: “The harvest is abundant and the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest,” we read from St. Luke. We are blessed that the master of the harvest, namely Jesus Christ, has called Fr. Vincent Tran to be a priest in His Church and we are doubly-blessed that Fr. Vincent begins his priestly ministry as our new parochial vicar at CtR.

You’ll get a chance to meet Fr. Vincent at all the Masses this weekend, and while I’m sure he’ll tell you more about himself in the coming weeks, here’s a brief primer: He’s 32 years old (though he looks much younger!) and was ordained by Cardinal DiNardo just 37 days ago on June 1 for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. He was born in Vietnam and came to the U.S. at 17 to finish high school as an exchange student. He entered formation with the Society of the Divine Word after high school with dreams of one day being a missionary. He completed his college (philosophy) course work with the Divine Word Fathers, but then discerned that the Lord was calling him to the diocesan priesthood. He joined the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston (though his parents still live in Vietnam, he has extended family in the area) and completed his graduate studies in theology at St. Mary’s Seminary.

It’s a blessing to have a new “baby” priest serving our community, but I ask you to be patient with him as he gets up to speed on his ministry in the parish. As you might imagine, coming into a large parish like CtR is sort of like drinking from a fire hydrant – everything is coming at him very fast! He’s got a lot of “firsts” ahead of him – funerals, weddings, baptisms, etc., and while the seminary gave him a proper education and formation, there is nothing like “doing” the work of a priest in a parish. When I think back to my first few months in my first priestly assignment at St. Michael parish 21 years ago, I’m amazed I ever survived. It was only through prayer and the support of kind-hearted parishioners that I made it. I’m going to suggest to Fr. Vincent that he rely on those two things as well – the providence of God and the graciousness of the community. So please make him feel welcome. We’re glad to have him at CtR!

In addition to Fr. Vincent, we welcome Tommy Lannen to our parish as our new Coordinator of High School Youth Ministry. Tommy comes to us from the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is a graduate of Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. He replaces Bryan Smyth who is leaving us to join the faculty at Strake Jesuit High School. Tommy will work in conjunction with Rachel Smyth, our director of Youth Evangelization and Catechesis, and while his primary work will be with our senior high teens, he’ll lend a hand in all aspects of Youth Ministry. We’re glad to have him with us. Welcome to Texas and welcome to CtR, Tommy!

In other news, remember that next week is our annual Catholic Faith Camp for children entering 2nd through 6th grades. It runs daily July 15-19 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the cost is only $25 per child, and that includes a T-shirt and daily snacks. This camp is separate and distinct from Vacation Bible School which ran earlier this summer. In Catholic Faith Camp, the kids go a bit deeper into the faith and the Bible. It’s not as crowded as VBS, and it’s a chance for us to break open the faith with the kids on their level. This year our theme will be “Around the World in Five Days” as the kids learn about the saints and the virtues of hope, faith and love. Catholic Faith Camp has been a big hit the past few summers and if you are looking for an activity for your kids next week, it’s a great opportunity. Register online at ctrcc.com/cfc and make plans to join us. Adult and teen volunteers are needed to assist with CFC, and a required advance training session is taking place at 6:30 p.m. this Wednesday, July 10. See the website for information.

Every year, and only once a year, there is a collection made throughout every parish in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that is dedicated to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP). These funds play a crucial role for SVdP to fund all of its programs that feed, clothe, provide dignified living, and help people find their way to self-sufficiency. This annual appeal, known as the Black Bag collection, will be next weekend, and it supports the work of one of the oldest organizations in the Catholic Church and outreaches to the poor and disenfranchised. While we don’t have a St. Vincent de Paul Society at CtR (because Cypress Assistance Ministry fills that role for us), we are happy to assist the good work that it does throughout our Archdiocese and the world.

The work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society has been active in our Archdiocese since 1871, and it continues to be a powerful and personal response to those on the peripheries. In 2017, more than 54,000 individuals received direct aide worth more than $10.5 million, including $6.7 million in food assistance. SVdP truly does what it intends, too. Last year, 96 cents of every dollar donated to SVdP went to provide assistance with food, clothing, household needs as well as financial help for rent, utilities, transportation, medical and funeral expenses.

This history of the Black Bag collection is interesting. In 1833 Frederic Ozanam (founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul) along with six friends from his university heard God calling them to serve the poor. They met with Blessed Sr. Rosalie Rendu who taught them how to visit the poor in their homes – to help them fully experience the pain and suffering these people were experiencing. After visiting the poor, the group of students decided they needed money to continue this work. They decided to pool their resources together; however, so as not to embarrass each other as to how much each could afford to give, they elected to take a secret collection using a common black bag.

Today, using the Black Bag enables everyone to give what they can afford without being judged. I find it heartwarming that something so simple as a black bag from the early 1800s still continues to this day to provide the resources needed to care for the needs of the poor and marginalized in our community. The passing of the Black Bag from person to person brings the Body of Christ together in the mission of caring for our neighbors. As we act, one in the spirit of giving, the lowly cloth bag is transformed into something beautiful and deeply spiritual among friends. May God continue to bless the good work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.


Peace,
Fr. Sean