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April 11, 2024Dear friends in Christ,
This weekend on the 3rd Sunday of Easter, we hear today from the Gospel of St. Luke a continuation of the Road to Emmaus story from the day of the Resurrection. You will recall how Jesus walked alongside the two disciples as they were leaving Jerusalem. They were heartbroken and fearful, not knowing where to turn, when the Lord appeared to them and opened the Scriptures. They recognized who it was when he broke bread with them.
It’s similar to last week’s Gospel from St. John. It all starts with the same words, “Peace be with you.” The details differ slightly (“Doubting” Thomas, who we heard from last week, does not make an appearance today), but the message is still the same. He gives the disciples his peace, and he sends them out on mission. Regardless of what happens the risen Christ makes it abundantly clear that the disciples, as witnesses of his resurrection, have a mandate to go and make him known. As for them, so for us. We, too, are modern-day disciples and he likewise gives us the great commissioning to go and bear witness to him in our life. What a glorious task that the Lord has entrusted to us!
We are just two weeks away from our 39th annual Spring Festival, April 27-28, and now is the time when things really start to fall in place, so stop by the Festival tent after any Mass this weekend and learn how you can be part of it all. I would especially encourage you to get one of the sharp-looking t-shirts now, as we will run out of the more popular sizes sooner rather than later. Wear it now and not only will you be the envy of all the fashionistas in Cypress, but you’ll also help us promote the Festival by sporting it wherever you go.
We are still seeking volunteers for various booths and games, as well as a team of parishioners who can assist with the breakdown of the booth and games after the festival ends on Sunday night, April 28. We also need people to help before Festival weekend. Beginning Monday, April 22 and continuing each night of the week at around 5 p.m. we need a team of folks to assist with the set-up. There are lots of little odd jobs that an extra pair of hands would be most appreciated. We’ve developed an excellent system over the years to get everything up (and then down afterwards) in an efficient manner, but we need manpower to make it happen. The sign-up for both the set-up and take-down crew is easily found on the festival website. Even if you can stop by for an hour or two, we would welcome the help.
There are plenty of other opportunities for volunteering at the festival for all ages and at all times. This is truly a community event where all ages can participate. I highly encourage families to not only come to the festival, but to make it a family event by volunteering for a shift or two in one of the many rides or games. It’s a great way to teach the concept of stewardship to the younger generation (and to the older one as well). When we give of our time and talent to serve others we are truly serving our God and the Church.
Our silent auction is in need of quality items to be donated. This has become one of the biggest parts of the festival over the years and we are looking for items that will generate multiple bids for the benefit of the parish. We’ve got some nice items already donated and welcome more. Our very popular Ministry Baskets will be back for bid in the silent auction. We’ve asked the various ministries of the parish to each create a basket of goodies to be donated. They get very creative with these so be on the lookout.
We’ve also got an Amazon Wish List on our Festival webpage that you can buy pre-selected items and have them shipped to the office. Or consider donating a gift card of $10-20 for our Mystery Booth. It’s one of the popular attractions, especially for the kids, where they spin the wheel for a chance to win a gift card to local restaurants. Cards for Whataburger, Starbucks, Sonic, etc., are very popular, so pick up a few and drop them by the parish office.
We’ll have all the details and information for you in next week’s bulletin. Please note the back parking lot will be closed following the 5 p.m. Mass next Sunday in preparation for the set-up, and of course, be closed all week. And speaking of the 5 p.m. Mass, remember that it will not be celebrated on Festival Sunday. For now, clean out your garage for items for the flea market as it will begin accepting donations next Saturday, April 20, and continue throughout all of the following week leading up to the Festival, and then clear your calendar to join us for a great weekend, April 27-28. For more information, see our website at www.ctrcc.com/festival or stop by and talk to a team member at the tent this weekend.
In other news, registration is now open for the 2024-25 Religious Education and Youth Ministry catechetical year. Parents, I urge you to take care of this now so as to be ready to go for the fall. I know that’s a long time from now, and we’re not even done with the current catechetical year, but trust me, it’s best to get a jump on it so as to have one less thing on your “to do” list!
Recall that Religious Education registration is for students who will be entering preschool (ages 3 and up) through 6th grade, while Youth Ministry registration is for students entering 7th and 8th grade (our Rise middle school program) and 9th-12th grade for our Confirmation program (Encounter) for high school students. Again, the website is easy to navigate and has all the details. It only takes a few minutes to register your child, so do so now. It will remain open all summer until August 15, and then classes will begin in mid-September.
Lastly, we’ve been so busy with Easter and prepping for the Festival that I failed to give you a recap from our Lenten fish fry dinners. My thanks to our terrific Knights of Columbus Council 8771 for their hard work every Friday of Lent, where they served 8,285 dinners (yes, they counted every one!) over the six weeks. That’s an increase of 169 over last year, and an average of nearly 1,400 a week. Thank you, brother Knights! The teamwork and enthusiasm the Knights demonstrated was just a joy to watch every week, and the fish, shrimp, and sides were better than ever. My thanks to the Ladies Auxiliary for the weekly drink and dessert service, and to the many teens on the Youth Ministry clean-up crew who assisted each week. Finally, my sincere thanks to all of you who came out in support of it every Friday. Like the Spring Festival, it’s a great community event and a true hallmark of the spirit and service of CtR!
Peace, Fr. Sean