Bulletin for March 31

Dear friends in Christ,

This weekend we celebrate the 4th Sunday of Lent, also known as Laetare Sunday, from the Latin word “rejoice.” It is a day of joy in the midst of the penitential season of Lent, much like Gaudete Sunday is in the third week of Advent. It’s not quite Easter yet (we still have no Gloria or Alleluia at Mass), but it lets us know that our journey is at the halfway point. Keep the faith! It’s also the second scrutiny for our Elect at the 9 a.m. Mass as they make their way to the waters of baptism. Please remember to keep them and our Candidates for Full Communion in your prayers.

Today is also the annual collection for Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Don’t forget to keep up your efforts at home with the CRS Rice Bowl initiative. We distributed those at the beginning of Lent (but we have extra available in the narthex) and each year CtR is one of the biggest supporters in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston of CRS through CRS Rice Bowl. We’ll collect those in the Easter season, but I hope the savings from your Lenten sacrifice are finding their way now into that great cause. Don’t bring your rice bowls to church just yet, however. We’ll collect them after Easter Sunday.

Also today our Youth Ministry teens are hosting an Envelope Fundraiser for the many upcoming summer camps, mission trips, and conferences. After Mass you’ll find them with envelopes in multiple dollar amounts and each envelope features a card with one of the teens being supported by your donation and a prayer intention. Make a donation in any size you like, and keep the card. The teens will be praying for you as you support them in their summer activities. It’s a win-win for everyone and a great and easy way to support our outstanding youth. On behalf of them, thank you for your generosity!

It’s not too early to begin thinking about our upcoming CtR Spring Festival which will take place four weeks from this weekend on April 27-28. This year marks our 34th anniversary of our Spring Festival and the core committee, led by our dedicated chairpersons Mike and Camille Havelka, have been hard at work for months already with the planning and preparations, and we’ll hear from them at Mass this weekend.

It’s no secret that what makes the Spring Festival such an awesome event for our parish and community is the great number of people who volunteer their time and talent over the weekend. It is Stewardship in action. Your help is especially needed to staff a shift or two (usually in a block of two hours each) in one of our many booths, rides and games. The help and support of every one in the parish, both young and old, is most needed. It’s a great way to give back to the life of the community. I highly encourage you to make your commitment to helping our parish at the Spring Festival.

Online sign-ups are now open through our parish website, or simply follow the link on the main front page. Click that and you are only a few easy steps away from signing up to help at one of the many areas in need. The Festival booth will also be open after all Masses this weekend and for the next three weeks, but if you sign up now online you will get your pick of the places and times that best fit your schedule. It couldn’t be easier. In particular, I would ask that you please consider taking one of the open spots for a booth chairman. We have several to choose from, and it’s a great way for a family or team to be involved in the Festival. You don’t have to do everything – in fact, our committee has done a great deal of the work already. We just need folks to share the load by overseeing a booth. You can get your friends and neighbors involved, too. It’s a great way for a group (maybe a classroom or ministry) to work together throughout the weekend.

In other news, with the continued growth of our CtR Catholic School, we are always seeking qualified educators to join our team. I know there are many teachers in the Cy-Fair and surrounding school districts who are members of our parish, and I invite you to consider teaching in a Catholic school. We offer a competitive salary and benefit package, but beyond that we also offer you the chance to teach in a Catholic setting where Christ is at the forefront of all we do. Our teachers are the foundation of that environment in setting a tone of both academic excellence and spiritual development. I think you’d find it to be a refreshing opportunity to put your teaching skills to work in a small classroom setting where faith is nourished and young minds and hearts are formed. For more information, contact Principal Dan Courtney at 281-469-8440. In addition to teaching positions, we also have an opening for School Business Manager, and those with an accounting background are encouraged to apply.

This coming Friday we have a special benefit concert in the Church following Stations of the Cross. The CtR Choir will join with the choir from St. Francis of Assisi Church to perform “The Seven Last Words of Christ” at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, April 5, immediately following Stations at 7 p.m. St. Francis Church and School was heavily damaged by Hurricane Harvey and this will be a fundraiser as they get back on their feet. The two choirs have often collaborated in the past, and while each is stunning on their own, together they are heavenly! This promises to be a beautiful evening of sacred music for a great cause, and I believe it’ll be especially powerful following Stations of the Cross. Please plan to join us.

Finally, as mentioned last week, this Tuesday, April 2, is our annual Lenten Reconciliation Service at 6:30 p.m. in the church. We’ll have multiple priests here to hear confessions. I especially encourage you to take advantage of this time to experience the powerful grace that comes through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Take advantage of this chance to celebrate this sacrament now. Let me make a special plea that if it has been a few years since you last went to confession, please make it a point to come now and be reconciled to the merciful Father and the Church. If you “forget what to do” or “don’t know what to say,” fear not. The priest is there to help you. Just come. God’s mercy and healing love await.

Peace,
Fr. Sean