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Christ the King

C O U R I E RVolume 4, Issue 4 Christ the King Catholic Church February, 2002

Thanh Thai Nguyen PastorChrist the King Catholic Church

By Ron Lynch

The 5:00 p.m. Mass of January26, 2002 was something special.Bishop Victor B. Galeone wasthere. He had come to officiallyinstall Father Thanh Thai Nguyenas the new pastor of our parish.This kind and worshipful man hadbegun the journey many years agoto Christ the King by stepping ontoa boat in the China Sea to leave hisnative Viet Nam. Their loss wascertainly our gain.

Wearing green vestments andhis white miter, Bishop Galeonestrode with his shepherd’s crook ofoffice between an honor guard ofKnights of Columbus down thecenter aisle of the church. He wasaccompanied by the concelebrantsof the Mass, Father Thanh ThaiNguyen, Father Neil Carr, FatherGuy Noonan, Father GeraldPincince and, from St. Maron,Father Ellie Shadid.Accompanying them were DeaconDung Bui, Maronite Sub-Deacon(now Deacon) Eli Shami. Theyentered a church filled with happyparishioners that included manyVietnamese faithful who were thereto celebrate the installation of oneof their own as the pastor of one ofthe more notable parishes in thediocese. Sister Therese Horan wasalso in attendance for the first timein quite a while, her “fast”reputation enhanced by havingbeen spotted earlier in the day atHooters. Bernie Sans led the adultchoir in the uplifting “Canticle ofthe Sun”. Rocky DiGeorgioprovided a virtuoso performance onthe violin accompanied by a flautistand two guitarists. The hand bellchoir was also there to add theirunique sound to the proceedings.The setting was completed by thebeautiful red flowers placed on thefloor at either end of the altar.

It was a normal Mass until afterthe second reading when we weretreated to an unexpected surprise.The Vietnamese choir thatperforms during the VietnameseMass on Sundays sang a hymn in

Vietnamese. Their wonderfulvoices praising God in FatherThanh’s native tongue was a fittingtribute to the Lord. Deacon DungBui then read the Gospel to us.Bishop Galeone next introducedFather Thanh to the congregation asthe new pastor of Christ the KingParish.The applause from thesuddenly standing parishioners wasthunderous.After the applause haddied down and Father Thanh hadtaken his seat, Bishop Galeonegave the homily. The homily dealtwith the issues of leadership andwhat true leaders have as theirpriorities. Bishop Galeone said thata true leader looks to the interestsof his people before his own. Thatseemed about as importantregarding leadership as anythingelse he presented.

After the homily, Father Thanhled his parishioners in ourprofession of faith, the NiceneCreed. He recited an oath then toformalize his new position. BishopGaleone donned his miter andofficially installed Father Thanh asour pastor. Father Thanh thenasked any members of the parishcouncil that were present to comeforward to the altar and thankedthem for their support andencouragement.

The offering hymn wasperformed by the Vietnamese choirand the communion processionalhymn, “One Bread, One Body,”was beautifully offered by our adultchoir. The Vietnamese choir alsosang after communion before thefinal prayer and blessing. Ourcongregation was so involved inthe proceedings that had takenplace, Bishop Galeone had toprompt us to stand for the finalprayer and blessing.

When Mass had ended, FatherThanh addressed the congregationand introduced his brother, Hung,and new sister-in-law, Binh, whohad recently wed and come toJacksonville from Houston toattend Father Thanh’s installation.He described how pleased he wasto be officially in his new position

and said he needed our prayers,support and cooperation in order tobe a successful pastor. After FatherThanh’s comments, he and thebishop were met at the rear of thechurch for many congratulationsand good wishes. Then weadjourned to the Shirley David Hallfor the reception.

The walls of the Shirley DavidHall were adorned with many papercutouts of children hand in handmade by the students of Christ theKing to honor and congratulateFather Thanh. There were buffettables covered with plentiful eggrolls, spring rolls, fresh fruit, tinysandwiches, fresh vegetables with

dressing, and an all time favorite,sushi. A giant box of cookies filledout the spread. As the availablebeverage, a red punch waswelcome after attending Mass in achurch filled with the warmth ofmany people. Everyone thereseemed to be happy with theselections and filled their plates andglasses with hopeful anticipation.Father Thanh was greeted by manymore people who wished him welland congratulated him on hisappointment.The reception was fullof parishioners who were glad ourlarge ship had finally received itsnew captain. We are thankful.

Photos page 19

Christ the King Courier February, 2002

From the Editor

Christ the King Courier742 N. Arlington RoadJacksonville, FL 32211Phone: (904) 724-0080 Fax: 721-2326

Publisher: Managing Editor:Associate Editor: Advertising/Layout Design: Newspaper Staff:

Father Thanh Thai NguyenJudy KoziolekMary Ann SullivanTony Trotti, (904) 744-6648

Donna BakerFrank BaumanPhyllis BaumanFrank BechtWard BerkeyDolores BiancoCarol Ann BlackWillie BlaquiereLee CallahanYolanda CerqueiraJames ClaxtonMaggie Damato

Kathy DanielsBill DoughertyMichele EasterlingDoris FaustiniLisa GableLucille GuzzoneHarriet HughesMickey KennyWanda KlimaClaretta LamusgaRon LynchLinda McCreary

Dottie McMillanJane MiddletonKathy NicholsEileen PorterBill SalzmanDebra ScobiePatti SloanCynthia SurlesJosephine ThomasRay Walker

The mission of CHRIST THE KING COURIER is to provide our Christ The KingFamily with information and news regarding our faith and parish ministries. Thegoal is to share information, happenings, and stories that abound within theministries of our parish in the hope that people can use this information to bring youcloser to God and our parish church family. Wisdom and enlightenment are two ofmany of God's gifts, and through CHRIST THE KING COURIER, parishioners canshare in the joy, love, and fellowship of Christ the King Parish. Our desire is toserve our God, share his message of love and hope with all, and to encourage othersto spread the message of the Gospel of Christ the King.

As the official publication of our parish family, Christ the King Courier sees thereading from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians as exemplifying the content andcharacter of this publication.

"As the chosen of God, then, the holy people whom He loves, you are to be clothedin heartfelt compassion, in generosity and humility, gentleness and patience. Bearwith one another; forgive each other if one of you has a complaint against another.The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, puton love, the perfect bond. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, becauseit is for this that you were called together in one body." Colossians 3:12-15.

The Christ the King Courier is a quarterly newspaper published by Christ the KingCatholic Church. Publisher reserves the right to refuse articles, poetry,advertisements, etc. contrary to paper's policy and standards. The appearance ofadvertising in these pages does not imply endorsement of businesses, services andproducts. Readers must exercise prudence in responding to advertising in all media.Political advertising not accepted. Publisher reserves the right to edit all materialssubmitted for publication.

Dear Readers of the Courier

Here it is . . . The winter issue ofthe Courier. As usual, life atChrist the King has been a beehiveof activity full of events many ofwhich are reflected within thesepages. The staff of the Courier hasworked very hard to produce aninformative as well as anentertaining issue.The Lenten season will soon beupon us and in this issue we’veincluded several items upon whichto reflect. You will also find ourcoverage from the variousministries, the EpiphanyCelebration and last, but notdefinitely not least, the visit ofBishop Victor Galeone at theinstallation of Father ThanhNguyen as our Pastor. We hopeyou will enjoy reading it.Because of my husband’s illness,my part in this issue has beenminimal. While I’m on leave ofabsence Mary Ann Sullivan hasgraciously accepted the positionand responsibility of AssociateEditor. She has been very involvedin the Courier since it’s beginningin the Spring of 1998. Herdedication and expertise have beenand continue to be invaluable to

me and to the staff. Thank youMary Ann for your generosity ofspirit and dedication to thisministry. Thank you for being myfriend.My heartfelt thanks go to FatherThanh, Tony Trotti, and all theCourier staff for their friendship,love, prayers, and support as myhusband and I make this difficultjourney together.I would also like to extend mythanks to my co-workers, friends,and all at Christ the King for yourloving concern and prayers. I nowknow a deeper meaning to thewords, “love lifted me.” Both Rickand I are grateful to everyone.As you read this issue of theCourier please say a prayer for thestaff who have worked sodiligently to bring you the news ofour faith community. May theycontinue to be passionate in theirdesire to make every issue of theCourier the best it can be.A special thanks for all whocontribute to the Courier . . . tothose who submit articles and tothose who read them. Your supportmakes this paper a success.

Visiting with our Pastor

By Mickey Kenny

January has surely been amonth of welcoming, of greeting,and of hospitality. It is in the visitof the three kings that it is revealedto us in scripture that this baby isGod’s gift to all people. The gift ofGod in our personal lives and in ourfamilies is made abundantly clearin Mary and Joseph; this gift givento the people of Israel isacknowledged by the shepherds;and the gentiles and people of allthe world are represented, even atthe manger, by the kings. God is agift to all.

This gift of God requires aresponse. It is not enough that Jesusknocks at our door – we have torespond to His call with welcomingand hospitality. Our specialcelebration of Epiphany was a veryhappy and successful beginning tothe year.

Starting with the special liturgyand the celebration of the Mass,everyone from everywhere isinvited to accept the invitation tocome and worship the babe in themanger.

In all our individuality anddiversity, we are invited to thetable. We are included; we belong.We are all special gifts; and we areeach invited to bring ourselves tothe banquet. And what is asked ofus? Actually nothing. God’s gift ofHimself is exactly that: gift, andfreely given.

But this gift must call forth aresponse. Throughout scripture weare shown the power of theinvitation when there is response.Look at the Emmaus journey.Traveling along they encounterJesus, risen but not recognized. Heteaches them and invites them intodeeper understanding of thescripture. They accept theinvitation and learn as they walkwith Him. But, they never wouldhave known Him if they had notresponded with an invitation oftheir own to stay and dine! It was inHis breaking of the bread theyrecognized Him.

As we shared our foods fromour homes around the world at theEpiphany banquet we were a joyfulexpression of hospitality. Oneparish with many traditions. Onegroup responding to the invitationto belong to the body of Christ herein our parish.

We welcomed Father TomWillis this month as well to help uswith our Liturgical Formation Day.Father Willis reminded us thewelcoming to the Eucharist beginsin the parking lot, outside thechurch, when we have theopportunity to make all those wemeet feel welcome. We extend thewelcome beyond our specialfriends and acquaintances, andacknowledge the arrival of thosewe haven’t had the privilege ofknowing. We are to welcome intheir diversity those with whom wehave not as yet established aconnecting thread.

Everyone is invited to bringtheir gifts to the altar; everyone isincluded in the call to the altar, thecall to the banquet, the invitation tobe a part of the body of Christ.

We want also to includeeveryone in our many ministrieshere at Christ the King. As pastor,Father Thanh expressed how proudand also humbled he is to take noteevery week how many ministriesare listed in the Bulletin - and theseministries are alive and workinghere in Christ the King. All thosewho have not taken a place in oneof these ministries at this time areencouraged to come on down andjoin.

Special thanks are extended toseveral people. Father Willis, ofcourse, for his help with liturgicalchanges. Mike Mackin, the ParishCouncil president, certainlyenjoyed organizing the Epiphanygathering. And the more peoplehelped with their gifts and theirsharing, the more connected webecame. He is thanked for gettingthe ball rolling. Helen Ramos, whohas served courageously as readerat the 6:30 a.m. weekday Mass, isthanked for having already begunto organize a rotating call forlectors and Eucharistic ministers toserve at this Mass.

And so the invitation goes on.We want to explore ways in whichall ministries invite and thenwelcome in a continuing cycle ofhospitality.

In keeping with these thoughtsFather Thanh said, “I want to thankeveryone for their welcoming ofmy brother and his wife to theparish at the time of myinstallation. He told me ‘mychurch has a great hospitality.’”

February, 2002 Christ the King Catholic Church

What’s Happening

Welcome: We woud like to welcome the following individualsand families to Christ the King Community

Baptisms: We Would like to announce the following people whowere recently baptized into the Catholic Church

We would like to acknowledge the followingparishioners who were recently united into theSacrament of Marriage.

Deaths: The following people are recently deceased members ofour parish for whom we offer our special prayers.

Marriages:

Letters

In our bulletin a number ofweeks ago it was suggested writingto a parishioner who is serving inBosnia. Father Guy Noonan tookthe occasion to send such a letter.Below is his reply from Christ theKing parishioner, SPC PatrickMcClintock.

Dear Father Noonan,First I’d like to ask your

forgiveness for putting off writing

back for so long after you took thetime to write me. It’s not just you, Ihaven’t written anyone in monthsdue to my mission load and ...problems. I’m very sorry and I’dlike to thank you very much forwriting me without even knowingme.

So much has happened sinceI’ve been here it’s hard to knowwhere to begin. One thing I’d liketo say is that I miss Christ the KingChurch more than anything elseback home. I truly mean that. I’velearned a lot of things being overhere, especially about myself. Imiss being with the family ofChrist, not the family of this world,though I know that they are withme in their prayers.

Well, Father, there is so muchmore that I’d like to write about,but I need to get some sleep so Ican get up for a mission tomorrow(also my mouth is bothering mefrom having my wisdom teethremoved yesterday). Well I hope towrite again soon and I hope to hearfrom you.

God Bless,Patrick

Thank youFrom All Saints Home

Thank you to all the wonderfulpeople who bought our residents aChristmas gift.

You are all wonderful!Christ the King parishioners

helped make our residents at AllSaints Catholic Home enjoy theirChristmas Day.

We love you all and GodBless.

We thank you all, and ourresidents thank you also.

From the Staff and Residents ofAll Saints Home.

That’s me on patrol

Patrick McClintock in the Turret

OUR CHURCH WELCOMES

The Edward Baldwin FamilyMr. & Mrs. John BarnesThe Leopold Charles FamilyEileen GeeseyBernardino Hernandez

The Oh-Criner FamilyThe Robin Naderson Family The Brian Smith FamilyRosemarie SudhoffMr. & Mrs. Jesu Valencia

Morgan Anh Thu Nguyen Nov. 3E. McRae Mathis Nov. 10Joseph Broward Carlton, IV Nov. 11Gabriel F. Goldsby Nov. 11Isabela Elise Baldwin Nov. 7Karli Rae Wrubluski Nov. 18Tillman J. Lankford Nov. 24Eric Brian Smith, III Nov. 25Lee Christopher Hunter Meade

Dec. 16Alyssa Victoria Barron Dec. 30Dylan Henry Oh-Criner Nov. 25Jacob Randall Waite Jan. 12

Lilly Thu Nguyen Jan. 20Teresa Lynsey Thuy-Tien Duong

Jan. 20John David Bunag Jan. 20Jack F. Ogin, Jr., Jan. 20Peyton Elizabeth Bayot Jan. 27Michael Dean Barron Jan. 27Kimo Leon Barron Jan. 27Hannah Barron Jan. 27Jacob Tyler Bonnichsen Jan. 27Jacob Michael Ossi Jan. 27Marcel Jamal Smith Jan. 27

Lawrence G. Fete, III and GwenFekete on November 17.

Charles M. Keisling and Mai ThiDinh on December 26

Regis G. O’Connell Nov. 1Margaret Heater Nov. 1Frank Napoli Nov. 8Thuc Ngoc Tran Nov. 9Frank Henry Graham, III Nov. 9Thomas J. Sheehan Nov. 16Daniel Richard Labelle Nov. 19Adee Clyde Martin Nov. 25Edward J. Ansloan Dec. 4

Lino E. Ramos Dec. 14Judy T. Dallavia Dec 16Richard Michael Dayoub Jan. 7Judy M. Remy Jan. 16Susan Farwell Fridell Jan. 16Richard Francis Whelan Jan. 21Emily Kourdy Jan. 24Margaret Alesi Jan. 27

An Invitation to Share

Christ the King Courier is eager to hear howyour ministry embraces your fellow brothers

and sisters

We look forward to receiving your articles onyour outreach efforts in the coming months


Greetings from the Emerald IsleGreetings from the Emerald

Isle. Several times I have begun towrite something for the Courier,but each time the idea waned. Atone stage it was to have been aChristmas letter, but the mailingdate came upon me too soon. Sohere goes.

The time of writing is earlyDecember. Winter has its foot in thedoor. We have had frostoccasionally, and on one occasion alittle snow and sleet which did notstay on the ground more than anhour or so. Some of the nights havebeen very cold. We have had ourusual ration of Irish rain. I hadforgotten how wild, blustery,stormy and penetrating the windcan be here. I decided to buy a hatrather than an umbrella for the rain.One Mary Poppins is enough.

The leaves have all gone fromthe trees now. Naked trees have abeauty of their own. There is quitea bit of green area around here.With the leaves gone I can see moreof it now. Even in this wintry scenethere are still a few roses on thebushes. I expected we would havemany birds around in these trees.We do, but only magpies, whichI’ve been told, have driven all theothers away. They are noisyscavengers. Someone counted over40 of them in the local flock.

The Kimmage Campus is abusy place. There is a ParishChurch with its attendant activities.In the educational sector we havethe Kimmage Institute of Theologyand Culture. It is in this instituteour seminarians take their theologycourses. Some are Irish; some aremembers of the Holy Ghost Order,some are from other orders. Someare lay people. The student body isinternational in character as is thefaculty. Both primary degrees andpostgraduate courses are available,including doctorates. Standards areset and supervised by otheruniversities.

Another major educationalelement is the DevelopmentStudies Course. This was begun bya classmate of mine with adoctorate in Economics. Hisexperiences in the missions in WestAfrica led him to do something toeducate leaders who would bringabout change in Third Worldcountries. These changes wouldbenefit the lives and economies ofthe poorest people. It is apostgraduate course which hasbeen established for 30 years now.Its staff is completely lay andincludes some of its own alumni. Italso is linked to other colleges anduniversities. Obviously the studentsare from several nationalities.

The Development StudiesCourse is housed in the old “ManorHouse.” This is not a nursing home,but was once the property of a“Lord of the Manor,” a locallandowner in British times. It wasbought by the Holy Ghost Fathersabout 1930 for administration

purposes. At that time it wasextended and the extension wasused as a Novitiate. Later theNovitiate moved to anotherlocation and our seminary was builtthere. This in turn was sold to thetelephone company as a trainingschool, and we built a smallerestablishment to provideaccommodation and tuitionfacilities for seminarians.

Besides the Manor and theHouse of Studies, the Holy Ghostcommunity has a number of otherbuildings. There is the “MissionHouse,” (known to us as the “WhiteHouse” because of its color), whichis a retirement home nowadays,with accommodation for about 50retirees

and others needed for theadministration and services at thehouse. It is attached to “MarianHouse,” a nursing home unit with25 beds, fully equipped and staffedto provide for those needing 24-hour nursing care. Medical servicesare available to us all, includingdoctor visits.

It is good we have someyounger people around us here.This is a community living face toface with mortality. It seems wehave a funeral every few weeks. Nowonder our liturgists find itdifficult to have “fresh”celebrations for them. But it is niceto know there may be 40 to 50priests con-celebrating one’sfuneral Mass.

As the need for accommodationof retiring missionaries increases, itwas decided to add two morebuildings named for BishopShanahan, one of our greatmissionary bishops in the earlyyears of the 20th century. Eachbuilding is of three stories, withtwo three-bedroom apartments andtwo two-bedroom apartments oneach floor. When the Holy GhostFathers no longer have need ofthem they can be sold or rented tofamilies. House A in which I live,and share an apartment with apriest I had known in Kenya, isoccupied by Holy Ghost Fathers,except for one apartment which isused as an office by the editor ofour Mission Magazine.

House B is occupied by ourMission Promotions Staff, andsome of the students from theDevelopment Studies Course. It isnice to live in a place that stillsmells so new. While the MissionHouse has housekeeping help, weare expected to do our ownhousekeeping and cleaning, etc.Why is the washing machine socomplicated?

For our meals we join the maincommunity in the Mission HouseDining Room. It is nice to be withothers for meals. There I meetclassmates and others I had workedwith in Kenya and other places. AsPsalm 133 says, “how good andpleasant it is for brothers to livetogether in peace.” In our house wehave a small Oratory in which wecelebrate the Liturgy of the Hours

together and con-celebrate theEucharist. The stained glasswindows in it are beautiful andbring back many memories to me.They used to be in the seminarystudy hall when I was a studentthere.

What am I doing? I’m stilltrying to understand what it meansto be retired, and what othersaround me understand it to be. Ihave not taken on any job. At timesI have done part-time ministry,such as saying Mass for retiredsisters, replacing a couple ofhospital chaplains while they tookvacation. On the one hand I do notwant my gift of priesthood to lieidle, but on the other hand I do notfeel up to a full time ministry. Isuppose I am “in process” withregard to all that. As I had hoped, Iam getting my prayer life betterorganized. I am seeking a spiritualdirector, something that takes alittle time. My interest in theScriptures continues as I review mynotes from my year in Jerusalem,and have joined a Lectio Divinagroup in the community. I boughtsome drawing material but have yetto use it. One of our priests is quitean artist and offers classes. But, theway I see it, for him it is a secondcareer and somewhat professional.I just wish to putz around for myown amusement.

The area around us has beendeveloped into a nice residentialenclave, with quiet, traffic freestreets and roads. This is great forwalking, and I make a point ofdoing some walking daily. It keepsme in a good mood, helps mydiabetes and blood pressure, butapparently does nothing for myweight. I also read a fair amount.

I have been in touch with mybrothers and visited with them. Mysister lives about two miles fromhere, so I join her for Sundaydinner. I have not been in touch

with cousins or old friends yet.Lazy? Careless? Not bothering?

Ireland has really changed inrecent years. Coming to terms withthat is taking time. By now I think Ihave become used to Irish money,and to a degree its relative value.Of course, I’ll have to go throughall that again January 1, 2002. Onthat day the Euro, the commoncurrency of the European Union,will become the only legal tenderhere. You have all heard of the“Celtic Tiger,” the name given tothe tremendous improvements inthe Irish economy in recent years.With the slowdown all over theworld I’m afraid it has lost itsstripes. Lots of businesses haveclosed down resulting in many joblosses.

I bought a small car, a tinyToyota called a “Yaris.” It is niceand adequate for my needs. ButDublin seems to be in perpetualgridlock. Like most older Europeancities, its streets and roads were notdesigned for the volume of trafficwe have these days. On one recenttrip it took 20 minutes to cover ahalf mile.

It has also been difficult dealingwith September 11th and all itsconsequences. There was atremendous outpouring ofsympathy here on that occasion.September 14th was declared aspecial public holiday so peoplecould join church and prayerservices and the churches werefilled. But there was also sorrowbecause of more war and killingand people’s homes and lives beingdestroyed. It looks as if the worst ofit is coming to an end. May thefinal outcome lead to peace and anend to terrorism. This has to befounded on justice. It’ll be a whilebefore that will be achieved.

I wish you all every blessing inthis New Year.

A Letter from Father Carey

Kimmage Parish Church

The Original Kimmage Manor House


Advent Tree

by Trudy Cameron

Once again the Advent Treewas an outstanding success.Parishioners at Christ the Kingtruly know the spirit of giving tothose less fortunate. This year1,377 paper ornaments were on thetrees but because of the generosityof Christ the King, we had over2,000 gifts to give away. Manypeople sent extra presents andothers gave their person two orthree gifts.

These presents go to needypeople of all ages, from babies tothose in nursing homes. We get thenames and gifts wanted from 14different agencies.(see list below)

Many people helped on thisproject. Special recognition goes tothose who helped write theornaments - Ruth Gunther, MarjBurke, Betty Becht, KathyRobinson, Kathleen Rein, MaryAnn Danese, Ashley Yount, HelenStenner, Donna Simons and PeggyMills.

On Sunday night December16,th the Gathering Area was onebeehive of activity. It took 1 ½hours to separate the gifts for eachagency. Next, the gifts were loaded

into boxes for distribution. TheMental Health agency, Angel Aid,the Department of Children andFamilies, and St. Gerard’s Houseeach had representatives come withtrucks and vans on Sunday eveningto pick up the gifts for theirorganizations.

On Monday morning we hadmany volunteers return to delivergifts to the remaining agencies.They came with their trucks andcars and all presents were deliveredin record time. We are mostgrateful to these people: HelenRamos, Hector Cameron, BudStiles, Jim and Bet Knight, JimDolan, Danny Mills, Donnell Baer,Mike Yarborough, Helen Stenner,Jesse Morgan and Mary AnnDanese.

None of this would be possiblewithout the generosity of Christ theKing parishioners. The thing thatmakes this project so rewarding isthat in many cases our gift is theonly Christmas present that theperson receives.

It has been a joy and privilegefor me to organize this wonderfulproject and I thank each and everyone of you who helped in any way.

Mental Health AssociationHarbor HouseOakwood Villas (needy children)Boys Home Silvercreek Apartments (needy children)All Saints Nursing HomeFirst Coast Rehab & Health (nursing home)Children’s Home SocietyForeign Seafarers (Deacon Gjet Bajraktari of the Apostleship of the Sea

gives a gift to all foreign seamen coming to the port of Jacksonville during the holidays)

Our Lady of Hope Farm in St. AugustineDepartment of Children & Families (needy children)Catholic Charities (baby presents)St. Gerard House (baby presents)Angel Aid (children with life-threatening diseases)


Knights of Columbus Memorial Service

by Eileen Porter & Frank Becht

The Arlington Council Knightsof Columbus held its annualMemorial Service for deceasedmembers on All Soul’s Day,November 2, 2001. The servicewas held in Christ the King Churchand followed a Mass celebrated byMonsignor Mortimer Danaher,who has been Chaplain for theKnights for more than twentyyears. In his homily, MonsignorDanaher reminded thecongregation of the thousands ofhours of service to God andcommunity provided by thedeceased Knights who were beinghonored by the service.

Candles were provided for eachdeceased Knight, and placed at thefront of the church sanctuary in theform of a cross. As Grand KnightGeorge Coseo called out the nameof each Knight, a family member orfriend of the deceased came

forward to light a candle in hishonor. For those Knights who didnot have a representative present, acandle was lighted in his honor bytwo Knights who were assistingwith the ceremony.

When all the candles had beenlighted for the deceased Knights,Shirley Mosely, representing theKCees, came forward and lit onelarge candle for the deceasedmembers of the KCees.

The ceremony is a very movingexperience for everyone inattendance, but particularly forfamily members and close friends,as it recalls vivid memories ofloved ones and renews ourprayerful fervor for the souls of ourdeparted brothers and sisters.

Following the MemorialService a reception was held in theShirley David Hall providing anopportunity to visit and sharememories of our departed friendsand to renew old friendships.


ACTSby Mickey Kenny

Remember ACTS? Adoration,Contrition, Thanksgiving,Supplication. We’re lucky enoughto learn that acronym and then haveit brought to mind again drillingour children and grandchildren.

Here at Christ the King Churchwe are particularly fortunatebecause our pastoral team hasgiven us so many opportunities toACT – we’ll find enough time andspace for the S all by ourselves!

Adoration is a hallmark ofChrist the King Church. Mondaythrough Friday we have Adorationin the Chapel from 9 a.m.(following the 8:15 Mass) until5:30 p.m. In order to maintain thiswe must have a minimum of twopeople in prayer at all times duringthe exposition of the body ofChrist. All of us can come by atany time during the day and havethis very special prayeropportunity. Anyone who wants tobe a part of the team, contactClaretta Lamusga at 743-9998. Itwould certainly be appreciated.

Contrition is a word forsorrow for our sin, repentance. ThePenitential Rite we sometimescelebrate does not replace our needfor the Sacrament of Confession.This Rite “is not to be confusedwith the Sacrament ofReconciliation. Lackingsacramental absolution, it is anunderstated, preparatory, andoptional rite, to help the assemblyreflect on their spiritual conditionand bring a humble attitude toworship.” [Catholic Source Book,edited by Rev. Peter Klein, BrownROA Publishing Media, 1990, p.266.] This Rite is a preparation forthe Confession which follows.

In our parish we have beengiven during both Advent and Lentthe opportunity to participate in avery special service. It has all beenarranged by our pastoral team sothat many priests from neighboringparishes, in addition to our ownstaff, are here to make it so veryconvenient for us to prepare for andto make a Confession . There areno long lines for the Confessionals.Perhaps some of us have forgotten

how difficult it can be and aresomewhat “spoiled” by theconvenience. We have to rememberour “Easter duty” – which is anunfortunate name given to awonderful opportunity provided byChrist to remain in a state of grace.Sometimes we forget.

Reconciliation has developedover the past thirty years into a verypositive and reinforcing sacrament.It is difficult to remember thenegative connotations which oncesurrounded this sacrament. And thepriests are so good about helping uslearn ways to avoid a continualrepetition of things we really don’twant to do or feel!

Thanksgiving is always part ofour everyday relationship with Godand everyone else we love andwant to please. I personally knowthat being grateful for all the goodin my life has helped me more thanmost other things. An attitude ofgratitude – it falls off the tonguerather easily, but is sometimes slowto appear in the memory when the“poor me’s” come to settle in! Andnothing helps more withforgiveness than to remember allthe qualities in anyone andeveryone for which I am grateful –or should be. And where would itleave me if everyone else wereperfect?

Supplication is pretty easy.Most of us have that down to a finescience without any special service.The Vesper service Father Carr hasbeen giving to us on the secondFriday evening of every month isactually a service in which weimplore God to grant special graceto those we love who are servingthe country.

We need these special servicesbeing provided by our priests. Weare so very fortunate to have themall. By taking them too much forgranted, like an I-really-don’t-have-time-now-I’ll-just-go-next-time attitude we could risk losingtheir services. Success willhopefully be judged by how muchthese services mean to those whodo attend rather than judged by theactual number in attendance – butcome on everyone, come join in thebeauty.

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Thank you

AnnualMarriage Celebration

Maggie and Joe Damato

by Maggie Damato

On November 21st, myhusband, Joe, and I attended the22nd Bishop’s AnniversaryCelebration. There are some of youwho might ask what thiscelebration is all about. BishopJohn Snyder initiated this event 22years ago to celebrate with couplesin our diocese on their weddinganniversaries beginning with the25th, then 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 andabove. Each year the celebration isheld in a different parish in thediocese. This year the event washeld at St. Catherine’s Parish inOrange Park.

When we arrived at St.Catherine’s we were directed towhat you might call “a stagingarea.” Here you meet old friendsand make new friends fromdifferent parts of the diocese. Whenall the couples were assembled weprocessed into the church to beginthe liturgy of the Holy Mass. Thesongs, the readings and the homily

by Bishop Galeone could not havebeen more spiritually moving.After the homily each couple wascalled to the altar and greeted thereby Bishop Galeone who presentedthem with a certificate honoringtheir particular anniversary. Theladies were presented with a long-stemmed yellow rose. Youwitnessed tear-stained faces asthese couples renewed theirmarriage vows.

I was informed by the DiocesanFamily Services that 231 coupleshad made reservations with 216actually in attendance. There were95 couples who could not make thetrip to Orange Park but requestedcertificates be sent to them.Certificates were mailed to allcouples not able to attend.

Be sure to watch for theannouncement in the fall of 2002for the 23rd AnniversaryCelebration and make plans toattend. It is an experience you willnever forget.

Just Imagineby Rosemary McDougal

Let your memory roll back afew weeks to the holiday seasonwhen houses were filled withlaughter and excitement as wewaited in hopeful anticipation forthe birth of the King. The St.Vincent de Paul Society washolding their annual Christmasparty.

John and Mickey Kenny wereso gracious to open their lovelyhome for this celebration. ForVincentians it was not only a timeof great joy but also a realization ofhow truly blessed they were as theirdaily mission is working with thosewho struggle in life.

After happy greetings andexchange of news, St. Vincent dePaul members were privileged tohave a home Mass said by theministry’s chaplain, Father NeilCarr. The members themselvesreverently did the reading for theday and the psalm. The liturgy is

always so beautiful but it takes onspecial meaning when friendsgather round the Table of the Lord.At the sign of peace the warmth ofthe greetings only further deepenedthe joy of the occasion.

When the Mass was completed,chairs were moved, tablesappeared, grace was said, and themembers scurried to the diningroom where a feast awaited theguests. With the Kennys supplyingmouth-watering meats, theVincentians themselves hadprepared the most delicious arrayof salads, vegetables, specialtybreads, and all sorts ofaccompaniments, too numerous tomention. The finale, of course, wasa splendid display of dessertswhich unfortunately for the weightwatcher crowd were irresistible.Suffice to say that no one left theKenny home hungry.

Everyone agreed that the bestplace in town for a party is at thehome of John and Mickey Kenny.Just imagine next year!


L’Arche Harbor House

by Dolores Bianco

The L’Arche Harbor Housecommunity would like to expressour gratitude to Christ the King foryour most generous and givingspirit. In November you not onlyallowed Harbor House the use ofyour Parish Hall for our 10thAnnual Silent Auction–you alsosupported us by your attendance!We netted over $13,000. THANKYOU!!!

We wish to express our thankyou by inviting the Parishioners ofChrist the King to our LivingStations of the Cross to be held atHarbor House on Thursday, March7th at 6 p.m., followed by a simpledinner. Hope to see you there!

Santa Visits Againby Lucille Guzzone

As usual the Christmas EveMass at 5 p.m. was filled tocapacity with little children andtheir families. At the end of theliturgy, as the lights dimmed andthe organ played “Silent Night,” ared clad figure began to walkslowly and reverently toward thealtar. The youngsters craned theirnecks to see dear old Santa as hemade his way up the aisle. After

honoring Mary, Jesus’ mother,Santa bowed to the baby in themanger and then picked Him upholding Him well over his head.The children saw that Santa lovedthe miraculous Baby and realizedthat the giver of gifts was honoringthe most precious gift of all.Santa’s visit has become a traditionin our parish and one which ourchildren of all ages will anticipatefor many years to come.

The world without God

Like Autumn without leaves,Like the beach with no breeze.

Like homework without a book, Like a poem with no hook.

Like rainbows without color,Like a daughter with no mother,

is the world without God.

The world without GodLike games without competition,

Like studying with no composition.Like a bird without a perch,

Like Sunday without a church.Like a house without a door,Like a room without a floor,

is the world without God.

by Christina Lohr

Christina Lohr is in Mrs. Cooney’s8th grade class at Christ The KingSchool

CourierChristmas Gathering

by Mary Ann Sullivan

The Christ the King Courierstaff and spouses gathered togetherthe first part of December for anevening of faith, food, and frolic.John and Mickey Kenny graciouslyopened their home for this specialoccasion.

Our publisher and pastor,Father Thanh Nyugen started theevening off with the celebration ofthe Mass. During his homily Fatherspoke of the ministry work that theCourier has done in spreading thenews of all the ministries in ourfaith community. He explained

how we are an extension of theseministries.

After Mass, the group gatheredaround the dining table as Fatherblessed our food. The potluck farewas a huge hit and one we wouldlike to repeat in the future. Wespent the rest of the eveningenjoying good food and enjoyingeach others company. The Kennys’hospitality was very muchappreciated and it put everyone in afestive mood.

We missed those staff membersand spouses who were unable toattend this gathering. We hope wewill all be together in the springwhen we celebrate our 4thanniversary.


Faith as a Journey ofInterpretation of Life:

Some Considerations - Part Twoby Father Guy Noonan

THE COMMUNAL ASPECTOF INTERPRETATION:

As you move through thisprocess of the RCIA, reflect onyour personal story as a placewherein the surprise of God –though often unsuspected – alsoseeks to show its face.

Interpret your story where yousee these surprises within thestruggle and within the good times,and the desire for “more” in yourlife. Do not be afraid ofinterpretation. Everything we knowin life is an interpretation; there isno raw, cold fact out there that isnot in some way merged with ourown questions and shadings insome way. (Why does one love, andanother not love, the same person!).

Understand that yourinterpretation will be different to adegree than others’ interpretations.Your story is different, and that isan important part of the truth as it isrevealed to you.

But there are common elementsto consider also, and that too is animportant part of the truth

All candidates in the RCIAare seeking to understand theirlife more deeply.

All believe that in someway the surprising God offerssurprises in our life too. Faith isnot simply a past reality(remembering the past story ofJesus), but also a present reality.

All of you wonder ifperhaps the Catholic Christiantradition will be the best placefor you to come to understandthis depth dimension to life.This is why your own faith isseeking further understanding.The question is this: In all thetwists and turns – the surprisesof life – will I come tosomething new yet again – therealization that God waspresent in ways I least expected.... and will do so again andagain too!

All hope – and we as thecongregation of Christ the Kinghope too – that this parishcommunity will help you cometo a better understanding of thisdepth in life. It is not simplyyour depth that is at play here.It is our depth as a communitygathered in the name of Jesus.We are saying as a group thatGod is part and parcel of ourlife. We are also saying thatJesus is the most “potent” signwe have ever seen among themany signs we have seen ofGod among us.

In brief, we are saying thatGod is life and the onlyexplanation for our being. We

believe that God’s way has beenparticularly and astoundinglyshown in the humanity of JesusChrist, and that in thathumanity we see the divineshine forth. We do not herehave some form of a ghost-spirit who took on fleshtemporarily. Jesus was flesh aswe are flesh, humanity as weare humanity. It is in His realhumanity and history that Godrevealed God’s self. It is in ourreal flesh and our real historythat God does the same. Wehope that what happened inJesus is a sign of what God hasin store for us all. . . .

The Sacraments:

We do not only say all thisthrough words. As a worshipingcommunity we also “act out”our belief through ritual. Wetake the “simple stuff” of life,and in all of this we hope thatthe profundity of life will shineforth. We take basic things andcall them sacrament. They arepart and parcel of the normalday-to-day and even humdrumlife:* We take water for Baptism

and speak of cleansing. * We take oil for

Confirmation and speak ofbeing anointed, set aside forthe Lord.

* We take bread and wine forEucharist, and say that inthat bread is the wonder ofGod’s nourishment for usespecially in the person andmemory of Jesus.

* We take our own bodies andpersons for Marriage, andsay that the physical,psychological and spiritualsharing of life can form afitting dwelling place ofGod.

* We take our own sins as inPenance/Confession, andsay that our need and God’slove combine to restore uson the journey.

* We take our own specialministries in Holy Orders,and we say that these are setaside in service for thechurch.

* We even take our ownsickness as in the Anointingof the Sick, and say that inour weakness we still hopefor God’s strength.

In all of these very physicaland “common” aspects oflife— there is somethinguncommon seeking to show itsface: God’s action within us, inthe name of and through Jesus.In the end a believer’s

interpretation is not just his or herown. It is shared by others, in atradition of belief, ritual and action.

There is nothing strange in this; it istrue in all of life. No one is born,lives or finds meaning in a vacuum.In fact, when there is an emptyspace, one seeks to close it byreflecting on that void. This too ispart of the motive for your inquiry:Your family, language, culture,interests, political preferences,occupation and nationality have notstifled the tiny vacuum which isalways there, seeking the “More.”Some have called it the “God-shaped hole” in our life (JeanVanier, founder of the l’Archecommunities).

A HUMBLE WAY:

We need to be humble aboutthis inquiry and about ourinterpretations. We do not imposethem on others, and we know thatwe will never understand the wholeof truth. It is simply too much forus. Positively speaking, some ofthese can help us better understandour own; then again, some otherswill be just too far away from ourexperience to help shed light on ourlife. Just think, for example, of howJudaism helps us to understand ourown Christ and Christianity. As thegreat Rabbi Abraham Heschel said:‘Christians need to remember thatwe Jews gave them the Christ’ andso the whole of Jewish history andtheology is implied in many,though not in all ways, when wespeak of Jesus and of the Church.There is no way to understandEucharist, to give one example,without also understanding someaspects of the Jewish Passover mealand the weekly Jewish “meals ofthanks” in Jesus’ day. Jesus wasborn a Jew and

died a Jew, and he interpretedand acted both within and from thattradition. Thus, in some instances,he was in accord with Jewish

teaching and practice; in otherinstances, he separates himselffrom it.

INTERPRETATION WITHIN A TRADITION

AND WITHIN MARGINS:

TheChristian-Catholic traditionis two thousand years long, and ithas many persons who help tonourish it and bring it forth in everyage. The margins are wide andallow for much uniqueness.Remember, your own story isunique, and the stories of manysaints (past and present) are alsounique.

Nonetheless, there are marginsaround this Christian-Catholicfaith. There are also marginsaround what it means to respect lifeand to seek justice for all so that allmight have a more full andmeaningful life. In fact, one of themost surprising things aboutJudaism and the life and ministry ofJesus is the concern for the “widow,the orphan and the poor,” and thosewhom the society excluded. These“ones in need” are seen asexamples par excellence of what itmeans (a) to be a human person(that is, to be a dependent creature),and (b) to also be open (preciselybecause we are in need) tosalvation and wholeness frombeyond us, from God.

There are also “overseers”within this Catholic-Christian“Tradition.” This is no surprise;there are overseers in all traditions,including those of families.However, these overseers are notcalled to exercise their power“over” people as if a form ofdominion. Rather, it is ministry forthe real good of their respectivecommunities. In the Catholiccommunity we have:

Continued on page 10


St. Bernadette Circle Celebrates

Bill Campbell, Father Carr, Marge Campbell Ruth Fitzgerald, Betty Harky, Father Guy,and Hector Cameron Sissy Keegan (hidden), and Bud and Marge Stiles

Jim Setser, Dell and Alick Hardie Father Guy, Ruth Gunther, Claretta Lamusga,Trudy Cameron, Sissy Keegan, and Father Carr

by Pat Setser

A Christmas gathering of Circle7, St. Bernadette Circle of theCouncil of Catholic Women, is along standing traditional event. Theevening always includes a meal,some entertainment and the singingof Christmas carols. This year itwas held at the home of Jim and PatSetser on December 2nd. The mealwas coordinated by Sissy Keagan.She did not allow any healthproblems to prevent her fromfulfilling her responsibility. Severalmembers prepared and served

various specialties that evening.Forty-two people (members,spouses, Father Neil Carr, FatherGuy Noonan and CKCCWpresident, Daisy McDonald) camefor an evening of food, fun andentertainment.

The entertainment is almostalways provided courtesy ofinspiration from Claretta Lamusga.She searches for talent the monthsbefore and they practice only oncebefore the performance. “Theydon’t want to get too good!” Theperformance is always marked withclever costumes, funny lines and

creates lots of laughs for theaspiring actors. This year was noexception. The performers wereClaretta Lamusga, Bishop Danese,Bernie Voor in a “to die for” blondwig, Ruth Gunther, Sissy Keagan,Willie Blaquiere and TrudyCameron. Trudy was the “Star” asSister Mary Pat. Trudy is betterknown as Mrs. Santa Claus fororganizing and fulfilling theAdvent Giving Trees. For thisevening she donned a black top andskirt, a white bib and a large rosary.She really got into the role as acatechism teacher. She tapped her

large 36 inch ruler with greatenergy and coaxed answers fromthe quiet class. Sister Mary Pateven had small prizes for correctanswers. Trudy enjoyed her role asSister Mary Pat so much that someof us thought that she may havemissed her “true calling.”

The evening ended withChristmas carols. Anothermemorable Christmas party spentenjoying the season and thecompany of faithful friends.

* Ordained bishops whowatch over the communityof the faithful in all thevaried parishes andinstitutions of the church.These bishops speak andshare not only with thepeople, but with oneanother too. They do this inunion with the one Bishopwho is called to be ‘firstamong equals’ with hisbrother bishops, the Bishopof Rome, successor to Peterthe Apostle, commonlycalled the Pope.

* Ordained pastors who, withtheir ordained associatepriests and also deacons,watch over the faith on themore “micro” local church,the parish. These men arecalled to union with theBishop and with each other.

* There are also theologianswho help these overseersunderstand the richness and

the possibilities of thetradition so that we mightbe not only faithful, but alsocreative and relevant in ourfaith response today.

There are others who help“manage” the tradition. Anexemplary though non exhaustivelist would include the following:

* Parish staff who are notordained but trained byeducation and/or byexperience in their variedareas of competency.

* Ministers of religiouseducation, educators in theparish grade schools andregional high schools.

* Ministers for the variedneeds of the community(e.g., those who visit thesick, Lectors, Ministers ofthe Eucharist who helpdistribute the Eucharist at Sunday or weekday

Masses).* Ministers of the varied

interests of the community(e.g., to name a few, men’sgatherings like the Knightsof Columbus, women’sgatherings like the MOMS;teen gatherings like LIFETEEN).

AN OPEN-ENDEDCONCLUSION:

Enough. You have the idea. Andso, we encourage you to continuethe journey, and to remember thesefew things: It is your journey, and itwill have some very unique aspectsto it. It is our journey, because youshare many questions in commonwith others not just in your classbut also co-members of humanity.It is a journey in the Lord; you havechosen to look at Jesus as thepossible Master InterpretativeImage for your life. It is a free

journey; no one is constraining youto do it. It is a sensible journey; thefaith must make sense which iswhy these reflections are offeredfor your consideration. It is anopen-ended journey; we neverfully arrive. It is also a grace-fulljourney; it must be based onopenness to receive from God andothers, and we hope that you willreceive much.

For all of this we give thanksand say at every Eucharist:“Through Him, with Him and inHim, all honor and glory are yoursAlmighty Father, forever and ever.Amen!” For in Jesus the surprisingGod becomes ever more real againand again. Why? Because webecome aware and realize that inhim the depths and breadth of allhumanity is realized. It actuallyhappens: “God becomes man sothat man can show man how man isto become like God.”

FAITH Continued from page 9


This reflection puts you in the shoesof Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

submitted by Robert Riker

I stand here at the foot of theCross, almost in disbelief, lookingat my Son whom I love so dearly.How could He suffer so much andstill live? This is the second time Ihave had to offer my Son to HisFather. The first time was precededwith such joy. But then Simeonspoke, and my heart was chilled, achill that never left. And now, withthe shouts of joy at His entry intoJerusalem still echoing in thestreets, the prophesy of Simeon hascome to pass. The sword which hashung over my heart for 33 years hasstruck; struck so very, very hard. Ikeep telling myself over and over;God’s will be done, God’s will bedone. How can I stand here whenHe is up there, my beautiful Child?Everything in me is up there on thecross with Him.

I can still hear the cruel whipsas they tore into His flesh, His criescarrying across the courtyard. Icannot stop thinking of the manytimes I held that body, my littlebaby, washing and cleaning Him,scrubbing Him when He cameinside from playing or helpingJoseph; watching Him grow strongand tall. His body was so perfect, sounblemished.

As He grew to be a young man,He would come inside afterworking all day with Joseph, andHe would sit beside us. In Hisgentle way He would teach us theways of God. After Joseph died,how I loved those times when wewould just sit and talk. He taughtme so many things. Those timesalone with Him were so precious tome.

When He left home, just a shortthree years ago, my heart was filledwith fear for Him, for I had neverlived a day without the prophesy ofSimeon coming to mind. Is the timenow? I would ask myself. Yes, it isnow.

I look upon Him, who neverhated anyone, and His body is nowcovered with the marks of hatredfor Him.

My heart longs to give Himcomfort, to hold Him and wipe Hisbrow, to kiss His forehead onceagain, I am held back. I can onlytouch Him with my heart, for He iscrucified. His forehead is nowkissed by a vicious crown of thorns.This crown of hatred has notdefeated Him, for in His sublimedignity, He looks at me throughblood-streaked eyes and says “Ilove you.”

Oh, how my arms ache to holdHim, to embrace Him and shieldHim from these men who tortureand mock Him, these men forwhom He only has love. A littlewhile ago, He looked up and said,“Father, forgive them for theyknow not what they do”. All theydid was jeer, even one who hangswith Him. Will His executionersever understand?

I look at Him suffering so,listen to His groans of pain, and I

can hear the joyful sounds of thecrowd echoing across the valley asthey begin the slaughtering of thePassover lambs. How ironic. Theyprepare for a feast honoring Godfor delivering them, while God’sSon is murdered at their request. Hetold me this would happen, andwhy, and I know it is God’s will,but that does not make the hurt inmy heart any less real, any lesspainful.

I was standing nearby whenthey threw Him down so cruelly onthe rough hewn Cross. Splintersimpaled His already lacerated back.They had just ripped His garmentoff, that seamless garment I madefor Him. All the wounds from Hisscourging last night were torn openagain, and His whole bodytrembled from the pain. He lookedat me as He lay there, His bodyweak beyond description, Hisblood already soaking the Cross,and I could do nothing. It was sopainful to do nothing. I thank ourFather in Heaven for not makingmy beloved Joseph witness this.

Then they stretched His armsout so unmercifully, driving thosehuge nails through His hands; thosewonderful, beautiful hands. Thepounding of those hammers willecho in my ears, and my dreams,for the rest of my life. I can still seeHis little hands that night inBethlehem, the tiny fingerswrapped around my thumbs andgrasping at my lips as I kissed Hishands. How can I tell you howawestruck I was that night? TheSon of God come among men.

As He grew, His hands werealways helping, always serving.

He went from town to town inrecent years, His hands spread loveand forgiveness and healingeverywhere He went. I rememberHim telling me about the crippledman at the healing pool, the poorman who had been there so longand could never touch the water.My Jesus healed Him instantly.And the lepers He healed; therewere so many. Once He healed tenof them at once, and only one cameback to give thanks. And thewoman caught in adultery, I stillwonder if she understands the giftHe gave her as He laid His handson her head and forgave her andentreated her to sin no more. I prayHe did not do this for her in vain.Those who needed Him were neverturned away. He gave so much to somany.

Jesus told me once that sin islike leprosy of the soul. It eats awayat the soul until finally nothing isleft and the soul dies. He told mehow He had been sent by the Fatherto bring healing to the souls of men,but I did not fully understand. I ambeginning to now.

I stand here now, looking atthose beautiful hands somaliciously nailed to the Cross,those hands which have healed somany. I see the hands whichblessed John, the youngest of Hisfollowers, and the others. Johnstands here with me, the one whomJesus loves so much, and whom Ilove as my own. The others havescattered, even Peter; my dear,

sweet, enthusiastic Peter. I want somuch to reach out to comfort thehands of my Son which move nomore, bless no more, heal no more.His fingers, immobilized by thehatred of men, are now curledaround those cruel nails.

One of the two thieves justbegged for forgiveness. My Jesus,from the Cross, forgave him. Heeven promised this man would bewith Him today in Paradise.

Jesus just spoke to me. Itstartled me when He did. I didn’tthink He had the strength left. Hegave John to me as my child, andme to John as his mother. But Hecalled me woman! He only did thatonce before. In His agony, is Hedelirious, does He realize who Iam? Oh, now I understand, now Iremember! He is giving me all ofthem as my children. He told meone day that I would be the motherof all God’s children, and I justlaughed. I thought it was just Histeasing. I did not understand howthis could be. Now I am beginningto understand. Is this why He calledme woman at Cana?

He is so weak. His body slumpsdown and it is so hard for Him tobreathe. It has been almost threehours now. How long will He haveto suffer this? To breathe, He has toraise Himself by pushing up againstthose horrible spikes piercing Hisfeet. When He does, His torn backrubs against the splintery Cross,and He groans in pain. Every moveHe makes is agony for Him. Myheart cannot take the pain I see inHis face as He struggles so, but Icannot take my eyes from Him. Imust share everything with Him,for that is all I can do. It is the onlyway I can help Him. Those feet,which walked so far and carriedHim to teach and help so many, cancarry Him no more. Those beautifulfeet. Last night, He washed the feetof His twelve companions. Noneare here to wash His feet now, togive Him comfort.

I can’t bear it; my heart is tornapart. A moment ago He cried out,asking why God had abandonedHim. His cry pierced my heart likeanother sword. But now, He isgiving Himself to the Father. He isreconciled. It is finished. His bodyjust collapsed, lifeless at last. It isdone. His pain is over, for which Ithank the Father. Mine continues,which I offer to the Father.

John is with me, taking me backto his house. It was so painful tohave Jesus lowered from the Cross

and laid across my lap. I held Hiscold, gray, lifeless face tightlyagainst me, embracing all I had leftof Him. That poor, tortured facewould feel no more the cruelty ofman.

As each spike was pulled fromHis hand and fell to the ground, thesoft thud echoed through my soul.His lifeless arm swung down like acruel pendulum. The awful crownwas pulled from His head andthrown down so casually, thornsbreaking off, thorns covered withHis precious Blood. He wasslumped forward, His body drapedover on the cloth used to lower Himto the ground, to my arms.

I kept wiping and wiping theblood from His face and body,removing fragments of thorns andsplinters, until the water I had wasgone. I would have used my tears,but I had none left. He was sobrutalized. I could hardly recognizeHim. My baby, my child. Whathave they done to you? I movedautomatically, almost in a trance.

I can hardly believe it hasactually happened. The whole skywent dark, so very dark, when Hedied. Heaven itself cried out inpain. We heard people say amongstthe crowd that the veil in theTemple, the veil that enclosed thesanctuary of God, was torn fromtop to bottom when the skydarkened. Top to bottom; no mancould do this to a veil so high. Whatdoes it mean? What now? Whatwill we do? What will Peter do?How will I live without Him,without my Child?

To add insult to injury, theyeven thrust a spear into His deadbody. Had they not done enough,insulted Him enough?

We are almost at John’s housenow. We stopped here to rest for amoment at the crest of the hill onJohn’s street. I am so weary. As welook back at Calvary, I can see theempty Cross, the cloth used tolower Him still draped around theoutstretched beams. The sun is low.The three crosses are silhouettedagainst the evening sky as Passoverbegins. How barren Calvary looks,almost innocent. No noise, no traceleft of the horrible cruelty just doneexcept for the empty Cross.

Will the world recover fromwhat it has just done? Will it everunderstand what has justhappened? My Son is dead. Mybeloved Son. The Son of God.

Mary at the Foot of the Cross


by Maureen Morissey

Twice a year at Thanksgivingand Christmas you will find agroup of your fellow parishionersarriving in the church parking lotabout 8:00 a.m. on a Saturdaymorning. Most of us are still fastasleep, if not sleeping, probablysitting down at the kitchen tablewith the newspaper in one hand anda cup of steaming hot coffee in theother. They, however, are about thebusiness of preparing holidaybaskets for our needy neighbors.

If you were to come andobserve, you would see from 18 to20 people putting these holidaybaskets together. Because thepeople of the parish have alwaysbeen so generous in funding thesebaskets, St. Vincent de Paul Societymembers are able to assemble amouth-watering array of food. Forexample, this year a basketconsisted of a turkey, a ham,

stuffing mix, cranberry sauce,turkey gravy packet, celery, onions,potatoes, pumpkin pie, Cool Whip,butter, rolls, oranges, apples, cansof corn and cans of string beans,and a box of milk. As you can seefrom this list, recipients of thesebaskets lack for nothing in thismeal.

Most of the members are oldhands at this, so once the foodtrucks arrive, the best assembly linecrew in Jacksonville goes intoaction. The baskets are lined up intwo long rows; working in teamsone member will hold a box of foodwhile two others place the item in abasket. In a little over an hour allthe baskets have been filled and areready for their destination.

This year, because of yourkindness, St. Vincent de Paulmembers were able to put togetherand deliver 75 baskets atThanksgiving and 80 baskets atChristmas.

Now with baskets packed, thefun begins for the members.Having observed and spoken toseveral members of the Society it isdifficult for me to decide whoenjoys this day more – the peoplewho deliver or those who receive.There are smiles and tears of joy allaround. Some of the members aredelivering to families they haveworked with through the year andthis is a joyous occasion for themboth. Children are always a delightas they are so free with their hugsand shouts of glee. Those who dothis work say it is they who havebeen blessed.

You might be interested toknow how the Society chooses whois to receive a basket. It is the workof St. Vincent de Paul throughoutthe year to visit many homes ofpeople who have called for somekind of assistance; in so doing a listis developed of people who couldreally use this type of assistance at

the holiday time of the year. That isnot the only way the families areselected. People from the parishmight know someone or somefamily having a particularly hardtime, and the parishioner might callthe Society and suggest the name.

It is also the duty andresponsibility of the Vincentians tocall on all families when assistanceis requested to identify the situationand to make sure all possible needsare met. Vincentians know theparish has entrusted them withfunds to help the less fortunate inour neighborhood. They take thismatter very seriously and, restassured, no basket is given withouta home visit preceding it.

If any parishioner would beinterested in becoming an integralpart of this very giving ministry, theSt. Vincent de Paul Society wouldembrace you with open arms, aswould those we all serve.

Early MorningDeliveries


The Living Rosary

by Claretta Lamusga

On December 6th the CKCCWladies gathered at 5:30 p.m. in thechurch with Father Thanhcelebrating Mass. Our choirdirector, Bernie Sans and theHandbell Choir provided the musicof Advent.

After Mass we processed to theParish Hall and each picked anunlit candle. The group thenformed the circular shape of therosary. This was to become ourliving rosary.

The Apostles Creed wasrecited by all present with the

Council president lighting hercandle. As each lady took her turnto ‘lead’ the prayer, she would lighther candle from the precedingperson’s candle. One by one thelighted candles caused a brighterglow throughout the room, endingwith a rosary- shaped glow ofcandlelight. It was a beautiful andpowerful service.

The hall was beautifullydecorated and tables set, thanks toCircle 11 who also provided alavish and luscious holiday repast.The food and fellowship were ahappy ending to a lovely evening.

Daisy McDonald, Claretta Lamusga and Willie Blaquiere

Circle 11 Hostesses L-R: Diane Longenecker, Kerri Tubel,Mary Yarborough, Patty Stamper, Robin Jordan

Sitting L-R: Elaine Hodges, Kelly Driscoll, Lisa Shami,Marsha Williams and Theresa Kennedy

Marge Yarborough, Eleanor Elser, Dolores Bianco, MamieWilson, Norma Landers and Monica Crisp

Patty Hamper and Robin Jordan prepares refreshments

Three NewEucharistic Ministers

to theSick

by Josh Porter

We have three new EucharisticMinisters to the Sick. NormaLanders, Tito Espejo, and LauriePlotz joined the ranks of those whocarry the Blessed Sacrament to thehome-bound. The people that theywill visit are members of our parishwho are unable to attend Mass dueto illness or hospitalization. Theirwork will help the home-bound

stay in touch with our communityand bring them comfort in times ofadversity. Our new Ministers will visitassisted care communities such asthe Atrium located near Regency.They will form lasting bonds offriendship which will endear themto their calling. We at Christ theKing salute them as we send themforth to complete God’s work onEarth.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, hear this prayerfrom Your child below;

Guide my thoughts, my words, my deeds;Your Grace and Strength bestow.

Holy Spirit, send forth Your Light,and guide me from above;Make of me an instrument

of God’s Eternal Love. Amen.

by Kathleen Purtle

Annual Spaghetti Dinnersponsored by:

Christ the King School5th Grade Safety Patrol

Friday, April 12, 20025:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.Take-Out Available!

Bocce Ball on the Baseball Field beginning at 5:30 p.m.Come Join the FUN!

Tickets on sale at all Lenten Fish Fry Dinners beginningAsh Wednesday, February 13th at the Drinks and Desserts

table.

Please help support Safety Patrol Students forour trip to Washington D.C. this summer!

Adult Dinner - $5.00Child Dinner - $3.00


The Christmas ProgramThat Almost Wasn’t

by Lucille Guzzone

I arrived at the parish hall aboutan hour and a half earlier than thescheduled start of the program. Myintention was to arrange the tables,set up the make-shift stage, andbring in the refreshments from mycar. When I entered the door, Inoticed that the parish hall, whichserves as the school children’scafeteria during the day, wascertainly not ready for visitors quiteyet. The janitors were in theprocess of gathering trash andpiling it into overflowing bins, andthe wet mops were lined up inbuckets ready for use.

This was not a good thing. Ohdear. I pleaded with the men to tryto speed up the cleaning process, as160 children and their parents were

about to arrive in just a few minutesfor the children’s religiouseducation annual Christmasprogram and party. I got theassurance of the cleaning staff thatthey would do their best toaccommodate us. Just when Ithought that things were lookingup, the fire alarm went off. Itwasn’t just a ring, ring. It was anear piercing sound that could beheard both in Canada and Mexico.

“Oh, no,” I cried. I pleaded withthe men to turn it off. They lookedat me as if I were daft.

“Turn what off? We don’t knowanything about this,” they replied. Iran outside. “Find Mr. Do,” Ithought. There he was. Lucky me.

“Mr. Do, please do something.”He gave me a polite bow and

waved to me to calm down. Calmdown?? It was now close to 6:30.The program was to begin verysoon, and children, teachers, andparents were beginning to arrive. Iglimpsed Bernie Sans drivingthrough the parking lot on his wayto choir practice. Bernie has aremarkable academic resume.Perhaps he would be able to solvethe problem.

“The priests are just finishingdinner. Go to the kitchen door andknock. They will be sure to hearyou,” he volunteered. I knockedquietly at the door. No answer. Ithen banged loudly on the window.The cook peered at me, and after Ipromised her that I was really whoI said I was, she cracked thewindow and allowed me to speak.After a few moments ofdisappearing from view, shereturned announcing that FatherThanh was aware of the problem,and that it would be fixed shortly.

Sheppard’s Square was nowfilled with parents askingquestions.

“Why can’t we go in?” Somebrave souls tried, but immediatelyexited holding their ears andgasping for breath at theunbelievable vibration of thescreeching alarm. Questions wereflying from every direction.

“Let’s use the Kingdome.” Amessenger was dispatched. To noavail, a basketball game was inprogress. The school building wasof no use because the alarms wereresounding in that building, as well,with additional flashing lights!

Well it was a rather balmyevening for December with atemperature of about 60 degrees, norain in the forecast. What else couldwe ask for? It looked like we wouldhave an outdoor theater. So afterFather Thanh and I bade farewell tothe firemen who arrived in firetrucks with alarms clearly blasting,we decided to hold the programoutdoors. Evidently, the problem

was a continuation of what hadhappened during that afternoon,and even though the alarm was nowturned off, we were not assured thatit would not happen again. And so,without wasting any more time andwith the help of some olderchildren and adults, we set up arefreshment table and askedeveryone to have a seat at the tablesand face the new school buildingwhere, on the little plot of grass, theprogram was to begin.

Father Thanh led us in prayer,and I introduced the little childrenwho after three weeks of practicingindoors and with a microphone,finally uttered their words and sangtheir songs. Those sweet littlevoices, of course, did not carry inthe night air, but the audience didtheir best to strain their ears to hearas much as they could andapplauded politely when thechildren took their bows. Thechorus was more successfulbecause the adults recognized thecarols and were able to sing along.However, the clearest voice of allwas that of our dear third gradeteacher who at the last minute hadto take the place of a boy who didnot show up and had the major partof Saint Joseph. And so in her adultvoice, as she and her little “Mary”kept walking across the lawnlooking for “shelter,” she keptrepeating, “But my wife’s going tohave a baby, my wife’s going tohave a baby.” Quite funny but allpart of the evening’s adventure.

At the close of the program itseemed as if the children reallyenjoyed the night air as they andtheir parents partook ofrefreshments before departing fortheir Christmas vacation. Well, as aformer high school English teacher,I made myself feel better when Ithought, “Well, if the great WilliamShakespeare presented his plays inan open air theater, then whycouldn’t we?”

Time to Repent

by Norine Whitaker

Put away that big box of chocolatesNever mind that second piece of cake

Too many sweets sure pack on those poundsSo do away with bad inclinations, my friend

We’re saving our souls this Lent.

You may have been ugly to your neighborOr told some tales that were not entirely true

Are you traveling on that famous road to hell?So do away with bad inclinations, my friend


Did you forget to say your morning prayers?Or failed to keep a promise to a friend

Who says that every argument needs to be won?So do away with bad inclinations, my friend


Do you always thank God for the blessings He sendsOr say to your, Lord, “That’s not enough, I want more.”

We all know that money doesn’t buy happinessSo do away with bad inclinations, my friend


Betty as Joseph Audience in the Dark


by Laura Luminata

In a few short days Lent willbegin anew for all Christianbelievers. Lent is a penitentialseason of six Sundays and fortyweekdays in which we, as peopleof God, have an opportunity to lookclosely at our lives to see where weare going in our spiritual journey.

The word “Lent” comes fromthe Anglo-Saxon word “lencten”which means spring or springtide.It surely seems to fit right into theheart of this season in that we arecoming from the darkness of winterinto the light of spring. In wintereverything appears to be dormantbut that only appears to be so on thesurface while underneath the roots,bulbs and soil are undergoing greattransformation in order to preparefor the first signs of spring.

By now we all know theoutward rules for the Lentenseason. We, Catholics, do not eatmeat on the six Fridays of Lent.Ash Wednesday and Good Fridayare to be observed as days of fastand abstinence. And, I suppose, onecould get by and still be apracticing Catholic in goodstanding if one only followed theobligatory rules of Lent. We couldalso throw in giving up candy orour favorite dessert or evenwatching TV if we were soinclined. But for the matureChristian Lent goes far deeper thankeeping a few rules or giving up afavorite pleasure for six weeks.

It is a time to really look deepinto ourselves and see where we aregoing in our spiritual journey. It is atime to fully realize what a greatgift, the death and resurrection ofJesus, has been to us. Because ofthe cross we have access to Godand heaven. Jesus is the bridge thatmade it all possible. But where dowe fit in here? What is ourresponsibility or better said, “whatam I willing to do to grow closer to

my Lord?” You alone know thatanswer.

Lent gives us the perfectopportunity to explore thosequestions. Just as Jesus died for us,we too, must die to the old ways ofour life. Many of the things we door do not do are not sinful inthemselves but our attitudes arejust a little off. No one else mightnotice, but you know. How manytimes have you had an opportunityto do a kind deed or say a kindword but failed to do so because itwas inconvenient or there was notenough time. How many timeshave you failed to admit you werewrong or acknowledge that theother person was correct because ofyour false pride?

A transformation of heart iswhat we are looking for during thisLenten time. God loves usunconditionally. Do you really letGod into your heartunconditionally or do you let Himinto your heart but only on yourterms? Do you withhold a part ofyourself with family, friends, oreven God? Only you can answerthose questions.

Remember we are not seekingperfection here but we are certainlylooking for signs of progress. Howdo you do this? There is no magicalformula or book that gives detailedinstructions. It must come fromdeep within our soul. A good placeto start is to find a quiet place suchas the chapel or a place in yourhome where you and the Father arealone. Open yourself to having Godchange what needs to be changed;be willing to seek Him in all areasof your life. God will never failyou.

If you truly reach up to yourheavenly Father and reach outopenly to your fellow man you willfind that those seeds oftransformation have rooted andbrought forth a truly loving joyfulperson. YOU!

by Frank Becht

Rita Allen Ebbs was born inNew York City but her familybrought her to Jacksonville at ageseven for health reasons. Her fatherworked for The Clyde MallorySteamship Lines that traveled theeast coast from New York toJacksonville. She and her familylived in the Riverside area whereshe attended St. Paul’s CatholicSchool from grade school throughhigh school.

After graduation from St.Paul’s in 1933, she went to workfor Central Truck Lines where sheworked for 12 years. During highschool, she met Hubert “Charles”Ebbs from Fruitland, Florida.When the Japanese attacked PearlHarbor he was in the United StatesNavy stationed at Pearl Harboraboard the USS Solace as a seniorengineer. When “Charles” returnedto the United States in 1943, Ritamet him in Baltimore, where theywere married. From this time on inher life, she became a travelingwoman following her husbandfrom port to port.

Rita Ebbs first learned to playthe piano and organ from SisterPlacida at St. Paul’s in grade schoolwhere she played for the children’schoir (St. Cecelia’s Music Club).During her years at St. Paul’s, sheplayed the piano and organ formany school and church programs,including “The Music Box,” “TheSongs of the Hatchett,” “Father ofLiberty” and many others. By thistime, she had become anaccomplished pianist and organist.

During her traveling about withher husband, she sp2ent severalyears at St. John’s Parish, WhitePlains, New York where she playedthe organ and piano andparticipated in the presentation of “That’s Peggy O’Neill.”

Rita Ebbs was also veryinvolved during most of her life in

organizations serving others; onesuch was the Catholic ProfessionalWomen’s USO program duringWorld War II. At Christ the Kingshe was active in Christ the KingCouncil of Catholic Women(CKCCW) and the CatholicWomen’s Club. She was veryathletic, bowling in many leaguesacross the country including Christthe King. She is still an avid tennisplayer.

In 1963, Rita and “Charles”finally moved back to Jacksonvilleand bought a house at 863Acapulco Road (Holiday Hill). Ritaimmediately volunteered herservices to Father Larkin and wasasked to help Mrs. Hodges, the firstand only organist to this time.Shortly after she became the soleorganist she was faced with playingat more Masses, funerals andfunctions than was possible. Thiswasn’t easy for she had two youngchildren, a son, Donald, and adaughter, Katherine. This wascomplicated by a Merchant Marinehusband who was aboard shipmuch of the time.

Rita Ebbs played the organduring the pastorships of FatherThomas Larkin, now retired BishopLarkin, Monsignor John Lenihanand Monsignor Mortimer Danaher.During this period of time, she alsoworked very closely with SisterEnda and Isabelle Fusco.

She remembers Christ the Kingas being a challenging place towork for things weren’t so“organized” then. Many olderchurch members remember herefforts well and appreciate this verytalented and dedicated volunteer.

Rita Ebbs has been an examplenot always so easy to emulate. Shehas contributed greatly to thedevelopment of Christ the King.Rita, we are proud to have you asone of us. Thank you for yourefforts!

Organist Rita Ebbs

by Kathy Daniels

Here it is early Saturdaymorning and I am up picking updonuts at 8:00 a.m. and taking themto the church. Why? Because aworkshop is being held in thechurch for all the LiturgicalMinisters. You might ask, “Who are

the Liturgical Ministers?” They arethe extraordinary ministers of HolyEucharistic lectors, and ushers,musicians, sacristans, decoratorsand planners. My husband Rich andI are the co-ordinators for theEucharistic Ministers and wevolunteered to pick up the donutsand make coffee during the break.

After we arrived at the church,we dropped the donuts off at theShirley David Hall and went intothe church to see if anythingneeded to be done there. We set upa table in front of the center doorsfor people to sign-in. There were agreat number of people attendingfrom the different ministries.

We started the workshop withMorning Prayers. This was a trulyspiritual time for us. It seemed toset the tone for the rest of themorning. The presenter of the

workshop, Father Tom Willis, wasable to give us an insight into theworkings of the church and how theLiturgy grew to be what it is today.He used some pretty straight talkwith a little humor thrown in.Everyone was totally caught up inwhat he was saying. We thoroughlyenjoyed the time spent there.

Father Willis, thank you forcoming to Christ the King andsharing with us. May God bless youand we hope you will come backagain.


Liturgical Workshop

Father Tom Willis

Father Thanh

Bernie Sans

F.Y.I.Father Tom Willis

by Lucille Guzzone

It’s amazing what one learnsabout a person who is giving athree hour workshop on a ratherserious subject.

Did you know that Father TomWillis:

* Remembers a special teacher ingrade school, Sister IgnatiousLoyola, who taught him that themost spiritual prayer was theone before the Crucifix.

* That he attended Notre Dame,and can still quote one of hisprofessors.

* That, as a visiting priest, he washugged by a very enthusiastic greeter half way up the

church’s front entrance steps. * That, as a visiting priest, he was

chided by a parishioner whoclaimed that Father’s Mass wasover 35 minutes long, causingthe man to miss his tee time.

* That he is an ardent Jaguar fanand can sing songs that areplayed in the stadium duringTV commercials .

* And that he is the pastor, not ofthe Holy Redeemer Church, butthe Church of the MOST HolyRedeemer.

Father Tom Willis’ success as ateacher lies not only in hisknowledge of his subject matter,but in his own delightfulpersonality!!!

St. Valentine’s Day Wish

Our world is filled with sorrow and grief,with war and hate and strife;

It’s time to put some loving thoughtsback into our way of life.

As we give our Valentine cards this yearto colleagues and to friends,

Remember the thoughtful wishes and wordseach Valentine greeting sends.

On this coming St. Valentine’s Day,and through the rest of the year,

May the Lord bestow His Blessings on youand all whom you hold dear.

– Kathleen L. Purtle


by Mary Alice Callahan

On a recent Saturday in Januarythe liturgical ministers of Christ theKing participated in a workshop onour Liturgy, past, present, and thefuture. Father Thomas Willis, thepastor of the Most Holy RedeemerChurch was the presenter. FatherThanh, our pastor, introduced himstating that the vision of our parishis to help others experience Christin their lives. One of the ways thisis accomplished is making theLiturgy of the Mass moremeaningful to all of us who sit inthese pews on Sunday morning.

It was interesting to learn thatthe Liturgy in the Catholic Churchhas never been stagnant but vitaland alive. If you were to go backand study the history of the Church,it would be clear that the Liturgyreflected the times. It is importantto understand however, the basiccore of beliefs does not change; it isonly the manner in which it ispresented that does.

The Second Vatican Councilhad a vision for the direction inwhich the Church should bemoving. One of the ways this couldbe accomplished was to celebratethe Mass in the language of thepeople. In the 1940’s and 50’smany people did not have a clue asto what was going on at the altar.The priest faced the altar and theMass was in Latin. What did thepeople do? There were threeoptions: say the Stations of theCross, focus on a devotion to aSaint, or, and the most popular, saythe Rosary. Very few people wereactually involved in the liturgy ofthe Mass.

The Second Vatican Councilwanted the people to know thedifference between liturgy anddevotion. The liturgy is the publicprayer of the Church whiledevotions are private andindividualized. The law of theChurch does not govern devotionsin the same manner it does liturgy.

Beginning in 1969, the Masswas to be said in the vernacular(the language of the people). It wasalso at this time the priests firstbegan to face the congregationduring Mass and lay people did thescripture readings. We take this allfor granted now but in the late 60’sand early 70’s this was anenormous change.

Do we as parishioners makeothers feel welcome and aware theyare going to participate insomething very special — theMass?

Liturgy consists of two veryimportant parts and two lesserones. Those that are major are theLiturgy of the Word and the Liturgyof the Eucharist. The minor onesare the Introductory and theConcluding Rites.

When does the Liturgy begin?Surprisingly enough, Father said it

begins in the parking lot. Do we asparishioners make others feelwelcome and aware they are goingto participate in something veryspecial — the Mass?

Are my smiles reserved foronly those I know or know about?We need look only at Jesus as theexample. He went to the outcasts ofsociety and welcomed them. Doothers see Christ in us? Do webring Christ to those who appear“unworthy”? It is something toreflect upon and act accordingly.All of us are charged to beministers of hospitality in our ownway.

After the Introductory Rite andthe singing of the Gloria we arenow prepared for the first reading.This is very significant in that inthese readings God is speaking tous. The lectors are charged to studyand be familiar with the epistles.They are to speak slowly so thatGod’s words flow from the reader’slips into the ears of the assembly.There should be a time of silencebetween the readings as it is herethat the Holy Spirit may seep intothe heart of the receiver. Each of usresponds in our own way, but ittakes time to reflect on what God issaying to us.

The story of Christ is read at theGospel and so the congregationstands to show Christ has beenraised from the dead and thesewords of Christ will also raise us.Candles and incense mayaccompany the book of the Gospel,as this is Christ present among us.

When the priest delivers thehomily we are nearing the end ofthe Liturgy of the Word whichreaches its conclusion with thegeneral intercessions. Father Willisclearly said the next phase of theMass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist,should flow easily from theintercession into the presentation ofthe gifts.

The Liturgy of the Eucharistbegins when we present to God thefruits of our labor. This collectionshould be presented at the sametime as the bread and wine isbrought up to the altar. These areour gifts and should remain in thesanctuary. And what does God giveback to us? He gives us the greatestgift of all – His own Son. The priesttakes our gifts and blesses them inthe Eucharistic prayers. Theprayers the priest says are what wassaid at the Last Supper. They are tobe found in the gospels of Matthew,Mark and Luke, and in Corinthians.This action is done in ritualisticform. Our action in response is howwe decide to take this gift out intothe world. It is intimately linked towhat we do at Communion.

This is the peace the worldcannot give. This is the peace ofsalvation, the embrace of Christ onthe cross

It is now time to pray the OurFather. It was Pope Gregory, anearly liturgical reformer whoplaced the “Our Father” in ourliturgy as immediate preparationfor the reception of the Eucharist.We pray together as an assembly,acknowledging our dependence onGod in our lives. The Sign of Peacefollows the prayer and it isimportant to understand thesignificance. This is the peace theworld cannot give. This is thepeace of salvation, the embrace ofChrist on the cross. Peace is howwe deal with one another in rightrelationships.

The Eucharistic ministers havejoined the priest on the altar, theCommunion is ready, and theassembly is now called to the Tableof the Lord. Sometime in the futurethe Communion will be distributedat the front of the Church as this iswhere the Altar of the Lord islocated. While waiting to receive,the assembly should be in unisonsinging a hymn, which furtherenhances this special moment.

What we sing and how we singaffects what we do. Father stressedvery heavily that the music whichaccompanies the Mass is as much aprayer as formal prayers in theMissal.

There is ongoing discussionwithin the Church as to the postureof the assembly at Communiontime. In this country we kneel atCommunion, for the most part,even though there are others whoare still processing to the altarwaiting to receive. As an aside,Father Willis said the reason pewswere first installed in CatholicChurches in America was so theywould look like Protestantchurches and thus would avoidbeing burned down. At somejuncture it might be determinedeveryone will stand during thistime as a sign of unison. No finaldecision by the bishops of thechurch has been made as yet.

After the Communion when allhave received and time has beengiven for private prayer we arriveat the Concluding Rite which is thefinal blessing by the priest and thedismissal. We have just beennourished by the reception of theEucharist and as Catholics we arecharged to go out and be models ofwhat we profess to believe whenwe receive Christ within us. Thatblessing is the final charge tocontinue this work outside. We areto be the Eucharistic action in theworld.

As you can see, our Church is aliving, vital, breathing organismand, therefore, changes in ourChurch will continue to be made,NOT our beliefs, but styles willcome and go. The bishops of ourChurch are working on ways tomake our Mass more meaningful tous for the time we are now living.The people of Christ the King mayrest assured your pastor and priestswill inform you of any changeslong before they take effect. Christthe King is here for you.

Our LivingLiturgy

Father Tom Willis

Susan Gossholz, Denise Myers, Martha CoyleCatherine Bekkedal, Ashley Wilson, Michelle Myers

Pam De Sara, Brandy Tyndall, Jennifer SemperBruno Vassallo, Rebecca Coyle, Bethany Pevy

Teen AngelsMidnight Mass 2001


by Father Terry Morgan

Two weeks ago, I had nevermet Mike Stumpf. Now I have ameeting with him set for theSunday after Christmas... 2026.Mike is as normal a 27-year-oldyoung man as you’d ever want tomeet. (My cousin Jackie says he’s“sooo cute,” whatever that means!)Born and raised in suburbanPittsburgh, he went to Catholicgrade school and Catholic highschool and got his college degreeand then... answered the Lord’scall. Father Michael Stumpf wasordained a priest last May, and nowserves at Assumption parish,Bellview Pennsylvania.

Therein is the connection.Assumption parish, was where Iwas baptized. It was where my dad

and his siblings went to school. Hewas an altar server for thededication of the “new”Assumption church, in 1931.Assumption parish, Bellview, iswhere I got my faith. It’s “roots”for me. I had returned toAssumption to finish off my SilverJubilee of Priesthood. Mygodparents - my dad’s sister andher husband - still live in the parish,as do scads of other relatives whowere not able to make any of ourcelebrations in Florida. It was backto beginnings in more ways than Icould imagine. The pastor atAssumption had asked Father Miketo “hold my hand” and get mestarted at Mass, but I could tell ashe was leading me to the vestmentcabinet that he really did want to beout on that altar with me. “Thatwould be great,” I said.

“And, Terry, you don’t have ahomily prepared, do you?” heasked. I knew what was comingnext. This was Mike’s first Feast ofthe Holy Family. And Michael wasso grateful for his own family. Andthis would be his first chance tobrag, on the altar. Of course, I lethim do the honors. He was theprincipal celebrant. He was full ofenergy and enthusiasm and, yes,devotion. And, of course, hereminded me of me twenty-fiveyears before, at my own firstcelebration of the feast of the HolyFamily as a priest.

“In my wildest dreams,” hesaid, “I never imagined that I wouldbe up in front of you, saying Mass,preaching. But God’s dreams are somuch more imaginative than ours!”It was so encouraging to seesomeone still tuned in to the

dreams, to the wildest of dreams,that God gave him, just an ordinaryfellow. And it gave me hope that inour ordinary little parish in ourordinary little town, there wereother Michaels (and Johns andTims) who were being gifted withthis “Wildest Dream.” (And... thatthere were quite ordinaryElizabeths and Kims being giftedwith the dream of Church serviceas a consecrated religious.). Thechurch calendar may call thisVocations Awareness Sunday, butwe know better. It is Your WildestDreams Sunday. Let’s never stoppraying, and encouraging, ouryoung people to follow thosedreams and answer our Lord’s call.

My appointment with Mike willbe in 2026? It will be to celebratehis Twenty-Fifth Jubilee, and, Godwilling, my own fiftieth!

Wildest Dream

THE STATIONS OF THE CROSSFrom Catholic Teachingverse by Kathy Purtle

I. Jesus Is Condemned To DeathResented By Scribes and Pharisees,Condemned to die at thirty-three.

II. Jesus Carries the CrossBeaten and bleeding, crowned with thorns;Upon His Shoulder the Cross was borne.

III. Jesus Falls The First TimeStruck and kicked by the Jews in their wrath,He stumbled and fell on the rocks in His path.

IV. Jesus Meets His MotherHe saw His Mother standing there;Her grief and sorrow were hard to bear.

V. Simon Helps Jesus To Carry The CrossSo weak and nearly unable to stand,From Simon He got a helping hand.

VI. Veronica Wipes The Face Of JesusVeronica wiped His Face with her veil,And a picture remained in sharpest detail.

VII. Jesus Falls The Second TimeThe heavy Cross was pulling Him down;He fell once more upon the ground.

VIII. Jesus Consoles The Women Of JerusalemHe told the women not to cry,As He climbed the hill on His way to die.

IX. Jesus Falls The Third TimeHis tortured Body was filled with pain;Weak and weary, He fell again.

X. Jesus Is Stripped Of His GarmentsGarments stripped, bleeding anew;Insulted, abused by Romans And Jews.

XI. Jesus Is Nailed To the CrossNailed to the Cross and raised on the hill;Surrendered Himself to The Father’s Will.

XII. Jesus Dies On The Cross.Offered His Soul to His Father above,And gave His Life as a Sign of His Love.

XIII. Jesus Is Taken Down From The CrossRemoved from the Cross and lowered with careTo the arms of His Mother, waiting there.

XIV. Jesus Is Laid in the SepulcherWrapped in linen and laid in a tomb,This Blessed Fruit of Mary’s womb.

by Ron Lynch

The season of Lent is just abouthere. Most of us follow theCatholic tradition of giving upsomething for these forty days as asacrifice. This makes us moreworthy of our redemption byChrist’s sacrifice on the cross andprepares us for the celebration ofHis resurrection on Easter Sunday.

When people are asked or theyvolunteer what they will “give up”for Lent, many of the answers arewell known. Children often give upsodas, cookies, ice cream, or pizza.Some of them are even morespecific, such as: Hershey bars,Breyers ice cream, Coca-Cola, orchocolate. Then there are thesensory input sacrifices: television(or a certain program), talking onthe phone with friends, videogames, listening to music, using thecomputer only for homework. Allare worthy sacrifices. Even moreinteresting are the young peoplewho want to give up cracking theirknuckles, being “mean” to theirsiblings and to others or being lazyabout helping with housework athome. These last three, if reallysacrificed, show the promise of true

change in character, especially ifcontinued beyond Lent.

Ask an adult what they are“giving up” for Lent and theanswers may be: dessert, staying uplate, beer, soap operas, chickenwings, rental movies, chocolate,wine, second helpings, driving fast,being late, and others that we arefamiliar with.

Then there are those sacrificesthat carry the possibility ofchanging our lives if we can stickwith them beyond Easter Sunday.Some things that have been givenup during Lent are: being lazy,destructive gambling, losing one’stemper, pessimism, overeating,neglect of all kinds. Imagine thepositive benefits in one’s life if anhonest attempt made during Lentresulted in the defeat of adestructive behavior. It would be abenefit that lasts beyond EasterSunday and a real celebration ofChrist’s love for us.

We all know that any sacrificeis pleasing to God. Small sacrificesas well as large ones earn us gracein the eyes of the Lord. It was justa thought, though, that whileperforming our Lenten duty, wecould be improving our lives at thesame time.

Father Terry Morgan with retired Bishop John Snyder atFathers’s installation as Rector of Cathedral of Saint Augustine

Give Up What?!


Installation Celebration

Bishop Galeone installs Father Thanh Father Thanh, Brother Hung, Sister-in-law Binh

Bishop Galeone leads the procession Father accepts his new title Father Thanh at the reception

Vietnamese Choir Father Thanh and parishioners enjoy reception


Eli Shami Ordained Deacon

by Frank Becht

Elias “Eli” Shami, was born inPalestine, the oldest of elevenbrothers and sisters. He came to theUnited States in 1957 to Brooklyn,New York,. Eli was born into theLatin rite and was educated at St.Joseph’s School, Jaffa, Palestine,which he attended from gradeschool through college. He was amember of the Latin Rite church,St. Antoine in Jaffa. For a shorttime during his attendance at St.Joseph’s, about the age of 12, hefelt he wanted to become a priest sohe attended a Petrarch seminary inBethlehem, after which he returnedto St. Joseph’s.

For 6 years after graduationfrom St. Joseph’s, he taught Frenchand Arabic at a Benedictine schoolin Tripoli, Lebanon. He thenworked for Quatar PetroleumCompany in Persia as a securityofficer for five years.

Concern for family life andhopes for improving their lifecaused the family to immigrate tothe United States. First, twobrothers and one sister, all single,came to Brooklyn, New York.About two years later, after muchpaper work and with the help ofCongressman Francis Dorn, hisparents and seven more siblingswere able to immigrate to theUnited States. They all settled inBrooklyn. Brother Tony was thefirst to come to Jacksonville,followed by their parents, Kahaliland Shafouka; shortly after Eli andhis wife, Diane, followed.Eventually all of the Shami’s cameto Jacksonville except one sisterwho is in New Jersey.

Diane, Eli’s wife, was born inBrooklyn, New York and wasbaptized in the Melkite Rite, one ofthe 22 rites within our universalCatholic Church.

Eli and Diane were married,October 18, 1959 at the Virgin ofMary Melkite Church in Brooklyn.They came to Jacksonville in 1973and resided at 1414 Townsend Blvdwhere they lived for 26 years asmembers of Christ the King Churchuntil they moved to HeatherleyOaks Lane in North Jacksonville,two years ago. Eli first worked for

A&P as a store manager for a yearbut has since worked for PublixSupermarkets. Diane has workedfor J C Penney’s for twenty-threeyears. They have a beautiful familyof four children, Donna, Kahalil,Michelle and Paul who are allmarried with eight grandchildrenand all live in Jacksonville.

Eli was immediately a veryactive member of Christ the KingChurch. He became a Eucharisticminister shortly after institution ofthe ministry in the parish underMonsignor John Lenihan. For yearshe was a Bingo caller, but hated it.He was the Wedding Co-ordinatorfor the parish for four years andhandled baptismal instruction untilDeacon Dave MacNamara wasappointed by Monsignor MortimerDanaher. For seven years, he wasthe CCD Director for the parish andhas continued as CCD Chaplainwhen Lucille Guzzone took overthe ministry. He has also beeninvolved in the Knights ofColumbus for thirty-five years. Heand Diane have been members ofthe adult choir since it was formedeven before Music Director, Dr.Bernie Sans.

Even with his involvement inhis faith and the church he neverlost the dream that he had as atwelve year old boy in Palestinewhen he went into the seminary fora short while. In Jacksonville, hebecame very involved in theLebanese Community and hisLebanese friends knowing of hisdream, encouraged him to apply tothe Maronite Community tobecome a Deacon. Upon discussingthis with Bishop John Snyder, helearned that the Diocese of St.Augustine had no program fordiaconate, as other Floridadioceses, Bishop Snyder readilygranted permission for hisapplication to the Maronite Rite.He was quickly accepted by theMonsignor in charge in Miami. Hestudied for a short while and wasordained at Christ the King to thesub-diaconate, August 17, 1996.Since that time he has beenstudying diligently on his ownunder the guidance of his pastor,Father Elie Abin Chedid. At St.Maron’s he has participated in theceremonies and Masses in bothEnglish and Arabic, learning andbecoming more comfortable in the

language, for he had not spokenArabic for many years. Eli wasvery instrumental in the St.Maron’s Church community beingestablished and the building of thechurch.

DREAMS COME TRUE

Eli’s dream is coming true, ashe relates, “As a child I acted like achild but wanted to be a priest. I amas close to having my dream cometrue as possible.”

On February 2, 2002, EliasShami was ordained to Deacon bythe Maronite Bishop, the MostReverend Stephen Hector Doueihiof Eparachy of St. Maron’s Churchin Brooklyn here in Jacksonville atSt. Maron’s Church on BowdenRoad.

We can still expect to see Eliand Diane involved in Christ the

King for St. Maron’s is currently avery small Maronite community of120 families; probably only 59families are closely involved withothers attending Latin RiteChurches. Sunday Masses are 9:00A.M. in English and 11:15 A.M. inArabic and English.

Eli is a dedicated and hardworker, as is evidenced by hisinvolvement in the Parish. Butdon’t give him all the credit for hehas a beautiful, hard working wifewho pushes him and supports himone hundred percent.

Eli, we are lucky to have you asone of us for you have contributedmuch to Christ the King.Congratulations on being elevatedto this lofty position and bestwishes!

Deacon Elias Shami preparing to distribute Communion

Bishop Doueihi, Father Elie Chedid, imposition of hands onDeacon Elias Shami

Elias and Diane Shami Bishop Stephen Hector Doueihi, Saint Maron Eparchy ofBrooklyn, presiding Bishop, celebrating Holy Mass

by Father Elie Abi Chedid, PastorSt. Maron’s Church, JacksonvilleTaken from the welcome handoutfrom St. Maron’s Church, used withpermission.

The Maronite Rite is one of 22rites within the one universalCatholic Church. A rite is acommunity of faith having adistinct tradition, theology,spirituality, liturgy, hierarchy, andcanon law. At the same time, eachrite enjoys an autonomy andindependence from its sisterchurches. All of the rites are unitedin the same profession of faith, inthe same celebration of theSacraments, and in the samehierarchal unity. The different ritesevolved from five centers ofChristianity where the apostlespreached – Antioch, Alexandria,Constantinople, Rome andJerusalem.

The Maronite Rite evolvedfrom the Antiochene tradition. Thefirst Maronites were directdescendants of the people who hadreceived the faith from Saint Peterthe Head of the Apostles. Theyoriginated as an ecclesiasticalgrouping of the Christians whoassembled around the hermit monkMaron about the year 400 A.D. onthe mountain slopes of Cyr, nearAntioch. Born in the late FourthCentury, he became a priest and

then a hermit, retiring to amountain of Taurus near Antiochabove the banks of the OrontesRiver. Maron’s life was one of pietyand dedication to the simple life ofprayer and meditation; his holinessattracted many persons to join himand to convert others toChristianity through the spreadingof the Gospel.

He converted an old pagantemple along the Orontes river intoa monastery. Here, many disciplesgathered around him and followedhis rule. Some became monks andhermits themselves, while othersspread the teachings of Christ, asmissionaries, through Central andNorth Syria. Much of the details ofthe life of St. Maron have been lost,but it is known that he performedmany miracles of healing, asattested by his historian, Theodoret,the Bishop of Cyr. After Maron’sdeath in the year 410 A.D., hisdisciples saved his remains and inspite of strong persecution, histomb became a place of religiouspilgrimage. St. John Maron, thefirst Patriarch of the Maronitepeople, was a monk of themonastery of St. Maron, who waselected by the religious communityto secure the Apostolic successionto the See of Antioch. Accordingly,the Maronite Patriarchate wasinitiated by the election of JohnMaron in 686 A.D. and hascontinued, since his death to thepresent time. There have been a

total of 72 Patriarchs to the presentsuccessor, Mar Nasrallah BoutrosSfair, Patriarch of Antioch and theEntire East. Late in the SeventhCentury, due to religiouspersecution and heresy, theMaronite monks became obliged toseek refuge in Lebanon, where St.Maron’s relics were transferred tothe Patriarchal residence inKafarhai. In the year 1130, theywere removed to Foligno, Italy, andplaced in the Cathedral there.

The Maronite Rite was broughtto the United States in the early1900’s with the immigration ofmany Maronites from Lebanon.The Maronites of the U.S.A.became an Exarchate in 1965, andin 1971 the Diocese of St. Maronwas established with the See inBrooklyn. In the year 1995, theDiocese (Eparchy) of Our Lady ofLebanon was established with itsSee in Los Angeles. There are over54 Maronite parishes and severalmissions in the United States.

The Maronite Church professesthe same faith and beliefs of theOne, Holy Catholic and ApostolicChurch. It also administers theseven Sacraments instituted byChrist, and obeys all the rules andordinances issued by our HolyFather, the Pope, the successor ofSaint Peter in the Vatican. The onlydifference between the MaroniteChurch and the Roman Churchconsists only of traditionalparticularity. The liturgy, itself, is

known as the Syriac liturgy ofAntioch, ascribed to St. James theLess, “brother of the Lord,”Apostle and first Bishop ofJerusalem. The ritual formulationexpresses the spirit of Easternmonasticism. The liturgicallanguage used in the MaroniteMass is Syriac-Aramaic, thelanguage spoken by Christ. Incenseis used during the Liturgy to signifythat our prayers go heavenward toGod as the sweet-smelling smokeof incense rises. This Rite is theonly one in which the words ofconsecration are traditionallychanted in Aramaic, the samelanguage our Lord spoke at theFirst Mass of the Last Supper.Before communion, the Celebranttouches the Holy Mysteries(Eucharist) and blesses the peoplesignifying that the remission of sinsis bestowed upon us through theSacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ.Communion is received by thefaithful in the mouth, after thepriest dips the Host in the chalice.This is the only form prescribed forreception of the Body and Blood ofChrist in the Maronite Rite.Maronites cultivate profoundadoration of the BlessedSacrament, seeing in the HolyEucharist the Risen Christ who sentto us the Sanctifying Spirit. Theyare also deeply devoted to Mary,The Mother of the Light, hailingher strength and fidelity in the titleof “Cedar of Lebanon.”


Father Elie Chedid introducing Deacon Elias Shami to the Congregation and the World

THE RED SATIN BOX

by Willie Blaquiere

The shape of a heart, so lovely to see,Guarding sweet treasure, it beckons to me.

Saint Valentine’s day is near,Time to honor those we hold so dear.

Sitting on the counter, waiting to be sold,Dare I be so bold.

Pennies, dimes and nickels, savings of a year,Given up without a tear.

My mother will love this gift from me,The smallest limb on the family tree.

Secret in my room until the special day,I am very proud to show my love in this way.

Cherries, vanillas and caramels, I favor,the covered nuts all have a different flavor.

Milk chocolates are a dream,strawberry creams, fit for a queen.

I put them all to the test,they are truly the very best.

Happy Saint Valentine’s Day MomI hope you like The Red Satin Box.

Saint Maron’s Church

The MaroniteCatholic Church

Bishop Doueihi, imposition of Holy Spirit onDeacon Elias Shami


Epiphany

GE

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by Eileen Porter

Christ The King Parishcelebrated the Feast of theEpiphany of the Lord in a specialway this year. In keeping with thetheme of The Three Kings comingfrom various lands, it was decidedto make it an International Day andto celebrate the ethnic diversity ofour parish.

The celebration began with thenoon Mass following a delightfulmusical interlude by our bellringers. The Priest and ministersprocessed into the church withcolorful streamers to the music of“We Three Kings.” Our Pastor,Father Thanh Thai Nguyen waschief celebrant with Father GuyNoonan and Father Neil Carr con-celebrating. Deacon Dung Bui alsoparticipated in the Liturgy.

Carrying out the Internationaltheme, the first reading was

proclaimed in Spanish by RosaTownsend, the second reading wasproclaimed in Arabic by RaymondSaliba, and Father Guy Noonanproclaimed the Holy Gospel inFrench.

When Father Thanh came to thepodium to deliver the homily heannounced that it would be in“Vietnamese-Boston” accentedEnglish.

In his homily, Father Thanhremarked that we are all part of alarge caravan, and all reflect theimage of God, even though becauseof our diversity and differenttraditions we may seem to bedifferent, we are all members of theBody of Christ. Father Thanhcontinued “we need each others’values on our common journey.”He thanked the parishioners fortheir consolation following thedeath of his father and for the


Celebration

encouragement they haveprovided for his ministry.

The Prayers of the Faithfulwere presented in seven languages.Some of the presenters wore thedress of the countries of theirorigin.

During the presentation of theGifts, the Vietnamese choir sang.Many of their members were innative dress and it was a beautifuland moving interlude.

Father Thanh chanted theEucharist Prayer, accompanied byour choir which was followed byThe Lord’s Prayer sung in Latin.

The entire Liturgy wasbeautiful and we thank all thosewho made it possible, especiallyBernie Sans and the musicministry.

Following Mass, everyone wasinvited to come and share in anInternational dinner in the parishhall. Parish Council President,

Mike Mackin, and the members ofthe council were responsible forthis part of our celebration and theydid an outstanding job. It was wellorganized and everything cametogether so beautifully that therehad to have been many hours ofpreparation involved.

There were dozens of differentnationalities represented in thewonderful array of food. Eggrollsfrom our Vietnamese community,cabbage rolls from our Polishfriends and Italian pasta, Irish stew,German sauerkraut and hot potatosalad, deep fried turkey, trifle ...you name it, someone made it.There were Spanish, Greek, Arabic,and Philippine foods as well. OurFrench speaking, Irish priest,Father Guy made a wonderfulItalian pasta. The dinner was reallya gourmet’s delight.

The day was such a wonderfulsuccess that we are planing on it asan annual event.


MINISTRIESCoordinator of

Volunteer ServicesIf you would like to volunteer yourTime, Talent, & Treasure but are notsure what you would like to do ormaybe you’re in a ministry but it’snot the one you want, call Al Martin,744-4302.

LITURGY

Altar Server MinistryInterested youth 5th grade or olderand who have received First HolyCommunion. Once trained, they areentered into a rotating schedule forthe Masses. Contact Page Peeler,724-4849.

Eucharistic MinistersAssisting the clergy in thedistribution of Holy Communioneither during Mass or by bringing theEucharist to the homebound orhospitalized. Candidates are chosenby the Pastor as recommended by thepriests and staff members of theparish. Kathy and Richard Daniels,coordinators, 743-9441.

Gift BearersFamilies, Individuals or ParishMinistries who want to bring the giftsto the altar during Mass, call KathyWeedon, 221-5468.

Lector MinistryA Lector does the readings and thePrayer of the Faithful at Mass. If youwould like to be a reader, call LucilleGuzzone, 724-9617.

Music MinistryAny individual who has a talent withmusic or can play an instrument orjust interested in the Singing Choir,Handbell Choir, Funeral Choir, orbeing a Cantor for Mass, call Bernie,724-0080.

SacristansWe help prepare for the celebrationof Mass. For more information onhow you can be a Sacristan, call NickDebs, 744-8749.

HOSPITALITY

Mass GreetersWelcome all who come to Mass. Thisteam may offer the only contactmany parishioners have in our faithcommunity. Great opportunity foradults and families. Contact the chiefusher at the Mass you are attendingfor more information.

UshersMen and women who commit toattend the same Mass every week.They are requested to wear a navyblue jacket and to assist the celebrantas needed. Howard Sell, 744-5937.

SPECIAL SERVICES

Altar SocietyIndividuals who care for the vessels,vestments and linens used in theLiturgies. Debbie Scobie, 723-3977.

Beautification CommitteeIndividuals and families who want tobeautify the church grounds. Meetthe third Saturday of every month, 9a.m. - noon, in the church parking lotby the fountain. Come join us inbeautifying His yard. Terry Riggs,762-0703.

Religious Articles Gift ShopVolunteers staff the gift shop beforeand after Sunday Masses and theWednesday Marian Mass. MaureenMcCook, 642-2725.

Seasonal Church DecoratingDecorating the church and GatheringArea, during different seasons of theChurch. Contact Terri Vogelsang,744-6310, for information on howyou can help.

Sunday ChildcareFor 8:30 & 10:00 MassesChrist the King Childcare for your 1-4 year-old child in the Child CareCenter. Free of charge. Call MarshaWilliams, 221-4459, or DonnaIglesias, 725-0680, to help or formore information.

PRAYER MINISTRIES

Daily AdorationWe need people who are willing tosign up for one hour a week so thatsomeone is praying all during theday. Adoration is in the sacred HeartChapel, Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Call Claretta Lamusga,743-9998 or Betty Wheeler, 724-9662.

Nocturnal AdorationHeld on the first Friday of eachmonth from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. There areeight groups who rotate their houreach month. If you would like to joinus in this prayer ministry, call PaulGhiotto, 727-5040.

Prayer NetworkOne of our most rewarding ministries- praying for others in need -spiritual, health related, and other.Call Donnell Baer, 743-6174.

ORGANIZATIONS

Christ the King Council ofCatholic Women (CKCCW)Our board meets monthly,September-June, to guide our sevencircles who meet at various timesduring the month. Our Generalmeeting is the last Thursday of eachmonth at 7 p.m. We welcome newmembers. Daisy McDonald, 646-0902.

Christ the King CourierInterested in publishing anewspaper? We need proofreaders,reporters, photographers, etc. Wemeet Wednesdays in the rectory at 7a.m. Judy, 724-0080.

Widows/Widowers SupportFor those who have lost loved ones.Contact Isabelle Fusco, 724-5186,for information or read your bulletinfor the next meeting date, place, andtime.

Hispanic MinistryWe wish to develop a parish ministryto worship and meet the spiritual andsocial needs of the growing Hispanicpopulation at Christ the King. Wemeet every Monday at 7 p.m. forBible study in The House of Prayer.If interested call Rosa Townsend,744-9231.

LandingsWorks with Catholics who have beenaway from the Church for a period oftime and wish to return. ContactLarry McKay, 220-5843 or JudyMeade, 220-2244.

The Legion of MaryMen and women who offer theirservices to their pastor, to aid him inperforming spiritual works in theparish. Members may be active orauxiliary (praying). Weekly meetingsare held every Monday at 7 p.m. inthe rectory. Michael Mackin, 744-6659.

M.O.M.S. MinistryMinistry of Mothers Sharing, isdesigned to encourage prayer,discussions, and friendships betweenwomen of all ages. Carol Ann Black,221-2642.

Parish CouncilThe Parish Council is a consultativebody that the pastor can pray andreflect with, and ask for assistance toguide in the overall care/ministry ofthe Parish and the enhancement of itsmission. Meeting are the firstMonday of each month at 5:30 p.m.in the Rectory. Call Mike Mackin,744-6659. It is made up ofrepresentatives (President,Chairperson or Facilitator) from eachministry in the Parish, as well asrepresentatives from the FinanceCouncil, Christ the King School,Christ the King Daycare, AthleticAssociation, Scouts, Knights ofColumbus, Marriage Encounter,Sponsor Couples, and WeddingCoordinator. Elections are held everytwo years to elect a President, vice-president, secretary-recording, andsecretary-clerical from the body ofrepresentatives.

Queens and KingsOur lively senior citizens socializeon the second Sunday of each monthfrom 1:30-4 p.m., September throughJune. Do come to enjoy! Call JanePodein, 632-9758.

Respect LifeWe are a ministry wishing to make adifference in people’s lives bysupporting the Saint Gerard House,Project Rachel, Respect LifePilgrimage, and the DiocesanRespect Life Program. Sign up at theTime and Talent Fair, or contactMike Maroney, 743-9227.

Single and Single AgainAlone? Join us! We’re the Single andSingle Again Support Group,meeting new friends and enjoyingsocial activities. We meet Tuesdays,7:30 p.m. in the Shirley David Hall.Call Katie, 745-1287 or David, 384-2449, or read your parish bulletin toget the latest calendar of events.

Sponsor CouplesMarried couples needed to helpengaged couples discern if marriageis for them. Jim/Mary AnnMiddleton, 743-3953, for furtherinformation.

ST. VINCENT dePAULPROGRAMS

St. Vincent de PaulEmergency AssistanceWe need volunteers to work in the St.Vincent de Paul office in the rectory,providing referrals, and assistingpeople who need immediate help.Hours are from 10 a.m. - noon,Monday through Friday. Call 724-8442.

St. Vincent de Paul SocietyWe were founded by people who careabout the problems of those aroundthem. We care and would like you toshare the care with us. Forinformation on how to become aVincentian, call 807-7233, ext #1,and leave a message.

Young VincentiansNewly formed group for teens whowant to make a difference. Forinformation on meeting times, callRobert at 398-1961.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONADULTS

Faith Sharing Small GroupsSmall groups of people meeting inprivate homes to discuss the Sundayreadings and sharing how thesereadings relate to our daily lives.Contact Alick Hardie, 721-9188.

R.C.I.A.Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.Preparing people to enter theCatholic Church through an inquiryand catechetical process. Call JamesScott, 722-3309.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONYOUTH

C.C.D.Opportunity for students grades 1-8to learn/experience the Catholic faithwith others in their age group.Sessions held September-May in theschool on Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m.Sunday Mass attendance required.Certified teachers are alwayswelcome to apply, and volunteers areneeded on a regular basis. CallDirector Lucille Guzzone, 724-9617,or chaplain Subdeacon Eli Shami,714-6404.

Vacation Bible SchoolA week long summer program(usually in Ausust) for children ages4-11 years to help deepen their faithand involvement in the Christiancommunity. Fun for everyone, callDiana Mattox, 928-9224, forinformation.

TEEN PROGRAM

LIFE TEENYouth ministry program with astrong focus on the Eucharist. MeetSunday for Mass (usually 5 p.m.) andLIFE Night (fellowship) afterwards.Call Nancy, 398-1961.

LIFE TEEN - Core TeamOver 18, have a love for teens and arenot currently a parent of a teen. CallNancy Powers, 398-1961, for moreinformation on meeting times.

Parents for LIFE TEEN TeenAdults or parents interested insupporting the LIFE TEEN program.Membership is open to all adultsregardless of whether or not you area parent. Activities are creative, fun,exciting, and diverse, call MollieO’Neil, 997-6871.

Teen StewardshipTeens share their Time, Talent, andTreasure with their parish, call Gus &Jackie Carlson, 465-6957.

Teen Stewardship AdultVolunteersMeet twice a year to coordinateservice hours and pledges of teens,call Jackie and Gus Carlson, 465-6957.

CHILD CARE

Child Care CenterAdults wanting to share their talentsin three different subcommittees:educational, plant facilities, and fundraising, contact Theresa Little, 724-7239.

CHRIST THE KINGSCHOOL

Christ the King Catholic SchoolGrades Pre-K thru 8th grade. Theprincipal is Janet Morton. The schoolhas many needs for volunteers on adaily, weekly, and monthly basis. Theschool seeks assistance in the office,cafeteria, library, and clinic.Volunteers are needed as boardmembers and business partners,room mothers, and speakers. Helpwith the yearly golf tournaments isalso needed, call 724-2954.

SCOUTING PROGRAMS

Boy ScoutsTroop 5 sponsored by Christ theKing Church. Boys 6-12th grade.Meet Tuesdays, 7 p.m. in the ScoutHut, call Rob, 744-5902.

Catholic Scouting CommitteeAdult individuals interested inproviding youth ministry through thescouting program. Meets four times ayear; organizes and implements“Catholic Camporee” for all Scoutsonce a year; attend spring awardsceremony. Training provided, callDonna, 641-0698.

Cub ScoutsPack 5 sponsored by Christ the KingChurch. Boys in 1st-5th grade. Densmeet weekly in the Scout Hut, callMike Klima, 726-5502, or DonnaBaker, 641-0698.

Girl ScoutsGirls of different age levels that meetweekly or bi-weekly in the ShirleyDavid Hall after school or in theevenings, call Nancy D’Antoni, 745-9652.

SPECIAL ASSISTANCE

Advent TreeA program that puts smiles on facesof people at Christmas. Those whoshare time and talent in this ministryhelp put up the Advent Tree withspecial paper ornaments.Parishioners choose ornaments totake home, purchase the gift, andreturn the ornament with the giftattached to it. Volunteers are neededto help distribute the gifts to nursinghomes, orphanages, etc., call TrudyCameron, 724-0511.

Habijax - Habitat for HumanityForms partnerships between those inneed and those who are willing to puttheir faith into action by donatingtheir time, talent, and treasure toconstruct new homes, call BillDamato, 642-8920.

I. M. SulzbacherIndividuals who give two hours oftheir time to 400-500 men, womenand children the third Tuesday ofeach month by saying grace, servingdinner, and cleaning up the kitchen,call Donnell 743-6174.

MEDICAL SERVICES

Blood DriveTwice a year Christ the King Church,along with the Florida Georgia BloodAlliance, holds a blood drive, callKarlene Simmons, 642-8319.

Christ the King ClinicStaffed by doctors, registered nurses,and ancillary support people. Theydonate their services the fourthSaturday of each month 9 a.m. - 1p.m., call Willie Blaquiere, 744-5447.

Parish Nurse MinistryNurses who belong to Christ theKing Parish willing to volunteer theirtime and talent to support theministry of health within the parish,call Barbara, 724-1776.

OFFICE/RECTORY

Rectory Office VolunteersAdults willing to volunteer amorning/afternoon/all day Mondaythru Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Differentpositions available: receptionist,clerical, computer operator. Call theRectory at 724-0080 for moreinformation.

AFFILIATEDORGANIZATIONS

Christ the KingAthletic Association (CKAA)Serves children (ages 5-12, boys; 5-15, girls) who believe that youthathletics provide valuable lessons incitizenship/teamwork. Also, if youwould like to contribute toward thecost associated with registering achild for a C.K.A.A. sport, call LanceSimons, 745-4881.

Clown MinistryIs there a child somewhere insideyou? Interested in sharing yourreligion with others while havingfun? The Clown Ministry is planningfun nights for the whole family, callJanyce Jendryn, 346-5501.

CursilloA Renewal movement of individualsin the Church who want to deepentheir faith and enhance their walkwith Christ, call Carl Ludwig, 724-8485.

K’ CeesOrganization of Catholic Women anauxiliary of the Knights of ColumbusCouncil 4727. They help/support theKnights. Meetings are in the Rectoryon the fourth Tuesday of each monthat 8 p.m. Call Wanda Martin, 744-4302 for information.

Knights of ColumbusOrganization of Catholic men andtheir families dedicated to promotingconcepts of charity, unity, fraternityand patriotism. If you are a practicingCatholic man, at least 18 yrs. old, andinterested in fellowship with peoplewho share the same beliefs, callGeorge Coseo, 724-9585.

L’Arche Harbor HouseMutual ministry with members andassistants, building communitysupport and awareness to the needsand gifts of the disabled members ofthe L’Arche Harbor House family,call 744-4435 for information.

Marriage EncounterA program designed to teach marriedcouples how to better communicate,to strengthen and support Christianmarriage. Contact Emilo and TheresaGonzalez-Chavez, 721-0012 foromore information.

Pre Cana/Engaged EncounterFor information on upcomingworkshops and weekends, call 308-7474.


HabiJax -Building on Faith

Knights of ColumbusInitiation Ceremony

The Damatos sign up volunteers for HabiJaxby Eileen Porter

“Building on Faith” was theHabijax project conducted inOctober and November 2001. Theconstruction took place in theRoyal Terrace Section ofJacksonville. It was a veryambitious project that involvedbuilding 25 homes in a period ofsix weeks. While it was achallenge, it was nothing new forHabijax! Since joining the HabitatFor Humanity program in 1988,Habijax has been responsible forthe construction of over 800 homesin Jacksonville.

In the year 2000, Habijaxconstructed 125 homes and has themost aggressive building effort ofany affiliate in the country.

Christ the King becameinvolved in the Habijax programduring House Raising Week in1993, when they provided lunchesfor volunteers working on thehouses. In 1994 the parish built itsfirst Habijax house. In each of thefollowing 3 years Christ the Kingparish built another house. This

important ministry wasenthusiastically supported by ourparishioners, who put in hundredsof hours, plus donated buildingmaterials. Bill Damato has beencoordinating the program forChrist the King. Bill has worked onthe houses from the beginning ofChrist the King’s involvement withthe program and has done awonderful job in this importantministry.

In 1998 Catholics for Habijaxapproached Christ the King aboutjoining forces and forming acoalition to build 8 houses andChrist the King agreed. In additionto Christ the King, the coalitionconsists of Assumption, San Jose,and San Juan Del Rio parishes.

The coalition built four homesin 2001.

Bill Damato and Christ theKing parish are grateful to themany men and women who have sowillingly shared their time andtalent to make this program such anoutstanding success.

Newly inducted Bishop Galeone receives his membership cardand the Knights prayer card from

George Coseo, Grand Knight of Arlington Council #4727

by Jim Middleton

Bishop Vincent Galeone wasinducted into the Knights ofColumbus in a First Degree(Initiation Ceremony) sponsoredby Arlington Council #4727, thatwas held in the Parish Hall theevening of November 20. Alsoinducted were Father Guy Noonanof Christ the King, and 29 othercandidates. Other clergy present,already Knights, were: our ownFather Thanh, Father Tom Cody,

Father Mike Thompson and FatherPeter Colasurdo.

It was an unusually large classas the candidates present were fromvarious Councils throughoutDuval, Clay and St. John counties.

The Degree, under the aegis ofDistrict Deputy Thomas Bagby,was named in honor of RegisO’Connell, a recently deceasedBrother of Council #4727, and aChrist the King parishioner.

CKCCW Bake Saleand TV Raffle

by Claretta Lamusga

The ladies of the CKCCW arepleased to announce that they had aprofit of approximately $800.00 onthe bake sale that was held on the8th and 9th of December. We alsomade about $800.00 on the TV

raffle. The television was won byKathleen Downer and shepurchased her winning ticket fromher sister-in-law, Thonya Downer,from Circle 11.

Some of the money was used topurchase six new brass planters foruse in the Church and Chapel.

Tonya Downer from Circle 11 and winner of the TV, CatherineDowner


Faith Sharing News

by Frank Becht

Why join in faith sharing? Anoften asked question. “I go tochurch and communion onSundays and confession when wehave the service.” But what else doyou do? It is a well accepted truththat we can’t get to Heaven byourselves. We’ve got to do morethan what’s required to beCatholics in name.

Small Faith-Sharing Groupsgive us an opportunity to interactwith others. In so doing, we learn toshare with others the things wecould not express before. We cango beyond ourselves and give ofourselves for the benefit of others.Small Faith communities make adifference in our church, in thecommunity in which we live and inour own lives. That’s what it’s allabout; learning to share withothers.

Of course, that’s not the end ofthe story. In developing this smallfaith sharing community of 10 - 15people, we unconsciously develop

a close personal relationship andbecome good friends. As wesocialize and develop long term,caring relationships, we become asocial community.

Can you imagine what happensin the Church with many Small,Faith-Sharing communities? Lookaround you, Christ the King is onesuch Church.

So, remember you can’t do itALONE. Try Faith-Sharing.

The Lenten Small Faith-SharingGroup session will begin the weekof Ash Wednesday, February 13.Should there be any questionregarding materials to be used, oryou wish to sign up for a group,please contact Alick Hardie at721-9188.

Faith Sharing Social Group

On December 9, Father Carrwas able to join a Christmas partyat the home of Betty and FrankBecht to celebrate the coming ofChrist in the Year 2002.

Father Neil Carr, Claretta Lamusga, Bettie Masters

Buzz Bekkedal, Sam Clements, Jim Setser

Bettie Masters and Betty Becht

Sissy Keegan, Willie Blaquiere, Bernie Voor, Father Neil Carr

“Momma” Helen and Helen Ramos

Pat and Delores Bianco

Margaret Bekkedal, Pat Setser, Buzz Bekkedal

Betty and Frank Becht


Christ the King HostsHarbor House

Paul and Sharon Barbara of Harbor House, Emelia Huggart, Becca Pierceby Barbara Hanuscin

For the past several years, theChrist the King conference of theSociety of St. Vincent de Paul hashosted the ArlingtonInterdenominational Ministries(A.I.M.) fall-season dance for themembers of the L’Arche grouphomes in the Arlington area. In thepast years, other ministries, such asthe Teens and Single and SingleAgain Ministry, have assisted withthis event. Those who haveparticipated learn quickly howenjoyable it is to do so.

This year, Father Thanhapproached me with a worried lookand asked me “What is this AIMdance? Do you know what it is allabout?” I then explained that theArlington InterdenominationalMinistries holds parties for thegroup homes in the area, such asHarbor House. These parties rotateto different churches in the area andfall is usually Christ the King’s turnto host one. We started with simplypizza and music played on a smallboom box and evolved to having areal disc jockey. Father quizzed,“Then you will take care of this?” Ihesitated at first, knowing I was inthe midst of playing the role of“mother of the bride”. Then Ithought of all that Father wastaking on as pastor of the hugeflock at Christ the King. I told himI would take care of it and head thecommittee for the event. The signof worry left his face (and went tomine) as he grinned with that widesmile we have all come to love. Icalled the rectory and reserved theParish Hall for the date ofNovember 8th from 7 p.m. ‘til 9p.m.

Those who were involved withthe project the previous years didnot hesitate to say yes once again.Stu Pierce of the Society of St.

Vincent de Paul contacted thewonderful disc jockey Steve Brown“the Music Man”. Steve had sogenerously donated his time andtalent the previous year and did nothesitate in again offering hisservices free for the event. Stevesaid he had enjoyed it so muchpreviously, he was looking forwardto it again. Steve is a professionalDJ and does music for all occasionsas well as karaoke and light show.His phone number is 904-262-7538and fax 904-262-2771. If any ofyou need a great DJ, please contacthim!

I spoke with Lori Gallo ofA.I.M. and we decided on the foodsthat the guests would enjoy. Sincethey would have eaten dinneralready, we decided on fruit,cheese, cupcakes, chips and sodas.Sam Clements of the Society of St.Vincent de Paul agreed to order andpick up the cupcakes from (whereelse but) Sam’s Club. Pat Thomas,stewardship director of Christ theKing said they would reimbursehim for the expenses.

We decided on a fall theme withlittle scarecrows as centerpieces onthe tables. We borrowed some lifesized scarecrows from Cindy andMary Ann, of the decoratingcommittee of the Single and SingleAgain Ministry.

Emelia Hubbart of the Choir,Single and Single Again Ministryand the Garden Club had helped theprevious year and assisted inteaching some dance steps to theattendees. She immediatelyconsented to come and add to theparty atmosphere. She is such ajoyful, enthusiastic lady. NinoStruzzi and Pat Fitzell of theSingles and Singles Again Ministryhad helped previously and weremost willing to help out again. Thiswould be Nino’s third year helpingwith the event. He’s a real “life ofthe party” and gets the folks out on

the dance floor whether on feet orin wheelchairs.

Next on the list of “to do’s” washall set-up. How was I going tomanage that when I worked until 5p.m. on the other side of town?Nick Trotti of the Boy Scoutsvolunteered to come early and takedown tables for the dance floor. Hisfather Tony, wondered how Nickwas going to get there and Nickreplied to his dad “I figured if I washelping, you would, too!” Howcould a father refuse such a scout!Chris Bodin, of the Society of St.Vincent de Paul offered his cellphone number in the event thatadditional set-up help was needed.

On the day of the dance, all fellin to place. I arrived with the foodand decorations to a hall that wasready for decorating, thanks toNick and Tony. Katie from theSingle and Single Again Ministrywas there to roll out the yellowtable paper and help place thescarecrows. Emelia pitched in withthe food set up. Stu helped ice thesodas and carry the DJ’s equipmentin. Nino and Pat arrived to helpgreet the guests. Becca Pierce camewith her bright eyes and smile.

We learned the MOMSministry was having a dinner in theadjacent Shirley David Hall. Wedecided to invite them to join us ifthey would like. We knew thesound would be carrying over theirway. I heard later that some of ourmusic and sounds came at precisemoments as to evoke laughter fromtheir crowd when mixed with thewords uttered by their speaker. Weheard the laughter and applause onour side as well at some choicemoments.

The members of the variousgroup homes started to arrive. Themusic began playing and everyonewas having a great time. Paul fromHarbor House really showed hisstuff on the dance floor. He is

terrific! Barbara, Sharon and Viva,also from Harbor House, addedtheir smiles and excitement to theevening. Nino escorted Katrina tothe dance floor and helped Joy takea spin around the floor. Roberta,Robert, Pam, Kathy, Annamae,Gary and Richard were cheerfulparticipants. Andy, Jeffry, Larryand Brenda were among theYMCA enthusiasts. Stacy had somuch energy and didn’t miss adance. Mary Baez of Singles andSingles Again Ministry volunteeredand assisted residents of the grouphomes.

Later in the evening, some latecomers from other group homesarrived at the wrong door. TheMOMS ministry graciously steeredthem in our direction. The musicbeat was picking up and whenYMCA was played, the crowdresponded so well, that Steve did arepeat of YMCA and drew wildcheers from the group. We all had agreat time with the ‘Lectric Slide,the Macarena, the Hokey Pokeyand the Chicken Dance. All werelaughing so hard, I wondered howthey could dance at the same time!

Father Thanh made a visit tosee what it was all about. SisterTherese came and was caughtadmiring the life sized scarecrows.They were taller than Sister!

Everyone had a great fun-filledseveral hours. We almost hated forit to end. I think the MOMS wouldhave joined us if the dance hadn’tended before their meeting. I surehope that I haven’t omittedanyone’s name, but at this latewriting I am sure that I may have.So a big “thank you” goes out toeveryone who helped add to thepleasure of the evening, especiallythe folks from the group homeswithout whom we could not havehosted the dance.


For the WorldSo Loved God!

by Harriet Hughes

At Christmas the choir lyricallyreported angels singing, bellsringing and saints proclaimingsongs of love. As Christmas is mostassuredly a season of love, so it iswith Easter. Therefore, it isessential to our spiritual lives thatChristmas and Easter become notmere seasons but importantelements of our everyday lives.

Throughout the solemn seasonof Lent, we will be reminded of theultimate gift of love. At age thirty-three, the tiny baby boy born in astable in Bethlehem gave His ownlife on the cross so that we allmight live. His father had sent Himand He never faltered in what hadto be an excruciating mission.

Christ was betrayed by Hisfriends. Even Peter claimed not toknow Him. The son of God wasscourged, crowned with thorns,insulted repeatedly and was forcedto carry His cross to the site of Hiseventual crucifixion and death.

“For God so loved the world...”

(John 3:16) is an expressionthat we have heard since our earlyformative years. Certainly sportsfans are constantly reminded of itthrough various signs displayed innumerous stadiums and arenasthroughout the country.

The Christ the King AdultChoir decided that perhaps thephrase needed to be revamped sothat it reads “For the world so lovedGod.” On Saturday, January 19, inan attempt to return to the Fatherbut a small portion of thetremendous love He has shown tomankind, especially in the gift ofHis only son, a group of choirmembers decided to refurbish theSacred Heart Chapel.

The mission of these choirmembers, which they readilyaccepted, was to repaint andrefurbish the Sacred Heart Chapelwhich had grown dingy through theyears. The choir was of the opinionthat the permanent home of ourSavior needed to be in tip topcondition and “dingy” was just notacceptable. He was, after all, aKing.

This project was ably led byJackie and Everett Comstock, theyarrived at Christ the King Churcharmed with paint brushes, pans,paint rollers, drop cloths, dust rags,detergent, furniture polish, etc. Thebrave painters, dusters, cleaners,etc., included Grace Berkey, BuzzBekkedal, Sam and Jan Clements,Susan Fowler, Anne Gerrity, SusanGrossholz, Harriet Hughes, EileenMcCoy, Shawn McNamara, RoseMarko, John Morrissey, andHonorary Choir Member and muchappreciated helper, Mr. Kim Do.(Many thanks, Kim, for a job welldone!)

These dedicated members werestalwart in their intentions to bringnew life to the chapel. Workcommenced at approximately9:00a.m. The task was not an easyone and began with removing the

Stations from the walls. Next, all ofthe statues had to be removed fromtheir pedestals. Pews had to becovered to protect them from theenthusiastic brushes of the novicepainters.

After a good bit of time spent inpreparing the walls to receive paint,certain designated choir membersbegan applying new color to thewalls.

The choir membersundertaking this project were by nomeans professional painters andoftentimes one wondered if morepaint was on the walls of the chapelor on the choir membersthemselves. Professional serviceson the ceiling (for obvious reasons)were provided by and through thegenerosity of Tim Smith.

The cleaner washed andpolished the Stations and thevarious statues and religious iconsin the Chapel. The pews werecleaned and polished as well.

It was labor, true, but a labor oflove. Choir Director, Dr. BernieSans, official duties includedcomplimenting the workers on ajob well done. He did ensure thatno spots were missed on the wallsand that the Stations were onceagain level.

Ward Berkey of Christ TheKing Courier arrived tophotographically record theventure but had a difficult timegetting any of the workers toremain still long enough for him tosnap a picture.

The choir members workedextremely hard. As the day wounddown and workers foundthemselves tiring, they werereminded of another saying that wehave heard through the ages.“Wherever two or three aregathered together in My name,there I am in the midst of them.”They found themselves suddenlyrefreshed and continued on withtheir mission.

What a difference they hadmade! Though tired and withaching muscles, the choir memberswere filled with a sense of pride asto what they had been able toaccomplish through group effortand a desire to improve the looks ofthe Chapel. It was once againfresh, clean and befitting a King!

Parishioners are encouraged topay a visit to the Chapel topersonally witness the fruits of thechoir’s labors (and to help locatetwo missing paint brushes and onechoir member). Plan to stay awhile.Christ, the King, is always thereand anxious for your company. “Ihave loved you with an everlastinglove; I have called you and you aremine.” For sure He would like youto enjoy and partake of His morepleasant surroundings.

Finally, the choir memberswould like to issue a challenge toother ministries to come forwardwith similar projects. If suggestionsare needed, Father Thanh can mostassuredly provide several. “For theworld so loved God …”

Buzz Bekkedal Harriet Hughes

Painting Grace Berkey

Dusting Spruce Up

Sam Clements


Queens & Kings Christmas CelebrationThe Queens & Kings held their Annual Christmas celebration at Selva Marine

Country Club on December 9th. Excellent food, Prizes, companionship - a good timewas had by all!

St. Patrick’s Circle Christmas Party

Lucie Hollum, June Costello, Polly Morris Marlene Robertson, Shannon Ishee, Eleanor Elser, Front Pat Deckert

Laverne Japour, Ann Olinto, Mary Lou Coyle Pat Toplay, Belle Vogl, Marge Yarborough

Members of Christ the King Circle #5 gathered December 17th, 2001 at memberDolores Bianco’s home to enjoy food, festivities and the blessings of friends joining

to celebrate the arrival of Christ’s birth.

Pat White, Monica White (guest), George & Lucy Hollum, Marguerite Simmons, Joan & Jack Sperling, guest,Ann Rudicill, Peggy Cullen Wanda & Al Martin, Marge Yarborough

Irene Laffee, Shirley Long, Idelle Howell, Holga & Walter Miller Sue Starr, Sissy Keegan, Frank and Ruth Gunther,Dolly & Cass Casterlin

Betty Harkey, Genny Ervolino, Joe Ervolino, Erleen Ferguson, Ann Seravo, Secretary; Jane Podein, President;Pat Askew, Anna Mary Riley, Ruth & John Fitzgerald Bill Campbell, Treasurer;

Marge Campbell; and Audrey Alexander, 1st Vice President


Nocturnal AdorationSociety

Paul Ghiotto, Mary Ann Middleton, John Faustiniby Frank Becht

Nocturnal Adoration isadoration of the Blessed Sacramentby groups who gather on the firstFriday of each month in the SacredHeart Chapel. There are eightBands which begin adoration from10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. thefollowing morning. These Bandsrotate adoration in one-hoursegments and close withBenediction, and normally a Mass.Over a period of eight months theBands cycle through the hours andthen begin the cycle again.

The purposes of the NocturnalAdoration Society are to:

Unite members in prayer beforethe exposed Blessed Sacrament

To deepen the experience ofcommunion with Christ’sEucharistic, as He continues Hisself-offering and saving influence

To revitalize Christiancommitment

To pray for the needs of theChurch and the world at large.

The inspiration of spending onehour in prayer mirrors Christ in theGarden of Gethsemane, when Hefound two of His disciplessleeping. He reproached them with,“You could not stay awake with Mefor even an hour?” (Matthew26:40)

The first hour of NocturnalAdoration at Christ the King beganon December 6, 1963. In thoseearly years, it was a men’s onlyorganization and remained so forseveral years. When the wives andother ladies joined in adoration isunclear, but it is suspected that theyjoined when maintaining membersin the Bands became a problem.(Do any of you “First Ladies” ofNocturnal Adoration know whenwomen first became members?) Infact, Band 7’s original membershipfolded and a group fromResurrection Church volunteeredto become members and have beenfaithful for many years.

There appears to have beenabout sixty original members,several of whom are continuingmembers. Many of the originalgroup moved away or have died.Dick Sollee is an example of anoriginal member who has movedout of parish but still remains a

faithful member and leader. Thisministry is a viable and growingpart of Christ the King.

Recently, a new director wasappointed because MartyPolsenski, still an active member,moved out of the parish. Our newdirector and Society President, PaulGhiotto, is a member of an originalparish family. Paul’s father, Joe,was a charter member of NocturnalAdoration at Christ the King.Through Paul’s efforts, we expectto see renewed interest and anexpansion of Nocturnal Adoration.

Other members of theNocturnal Adoration committeeinclude John Faustini, who hasbeen Society Treasurer for 25years, and Mary Ann Middleton,Society Secretary. Many of theleaders are Charter members andhave held offices for many years.

Plans are under way to add twoadditional Bands to facilitate theclosing of adoration ceremonies onFirst Saturday mornings. The timesof these non-rotating hours wouldbe 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. Newmembers are also needed for thenon-rotating hours on First Fridayevening of 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.,8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Arecruitment program to add theadditional members wasannounced at a recent meeting ofSociety Officers and Band leaders.In addition a general meeting of themembership is being planned toinstall new members and providefor a long overdue social gathering.

All parish members, you areinvited to join in NocturnalAdoration. Many of our originaland long term members convey tous how personally and spirituallyrewarding it is to be a part of thisministry. They feel guilty if theyare unable to attend an hour ofdevotion. They feel something is ...missing. Is something missing inyour life?

Nocturnal Adoration Band Leaders

1- Paul Ghiotto 5-Buddy Costello2- Elli Shami 6- Bruce Shuert3- Dick Sollee 7- Ken Ulatowski4- Al Martin 8- Jim Middleton

The Sacrament of Reconciliationby Devin Rhoden (2B)

The classes have been preparingfor the sacrament of reconciliationwith our teachers for the past twoweeks. Saturday, February 2, wehad a breakfast in the social hall;then we went to the Church. In the

Church Father Thanh read theGospel and we sang songs for ourparents. There were five priests tohear our confessions. We are solucky we have a sacrament we cango to any time when we are trulysorry for our sins. We are sothankful for all the teachers helpingus for this very special day.

Christ the King School Honor Roll2nd Quarter 2001 - 2002

4AKaylee BurkeChristi Diaz**Katy Dodds**Alison DriscollMallory FryeScott JeffasT. J. WeberTyler WildesDena Yazji

4BKaley FanninJoseph FrenetteAnastasia MannMelissa MitchellVictoria ShamiKatlin Williamson

5AGaby Fares**Chrissy Grochmal**Florence Kuo**Stephen MatzenMegan McClellanJimmy MollenhourRyan RaeCosti Shami**Hillary Turner

5BBritnie BanksKaily CollinsChristina CsensichAgustin D”OrazioKirsten GreeneMichael MayotteTommee PorterJeannette SalibaMichael SmithKelly Worthington

6AJerlita AsuntoConner MarshKristin McLeroyNichole Norton

6BErin D’AntoniChristopher GlotzerPatrick GolonkaJordan Lewis**Sayhe Loayza**Jordan MikellRebecca Yount**

7ALeslie GayWilliam JoostAnna KoenigMonica LapierreMelissa LeonardVictoria LynchAlexander MathisMelissa MayotteLauren McGill**Paul NguyenJacob Plotz**Jammarie Porter

7BBrian BurnesChris Infante**Daniel Jerreld**Danielle KehrtAmanda MaroneyMichelle MedlockTay MillerR. J. PyellJoey RobisonBrandon Wall

Sarah WoosleyEstephan Yazgi

8AJennifer DetmersMichelle Fares**Raymond FordDavid GlotzerKatherine HayesLauren SalinasDavid ScottMegan Varela

8BKristen CampbellCameron Cox**Samantha GhanayemBrian GriffinLauren Grochmal**Mark LaDuke**Christina LohrErickson MathisNicole Miller**Cecelia MussallemLauren PetitStephanie RickerCarlson SaludMegan StephensAndrea ToledoAllie YocumAshley Yount**

** Denotes all A’s

Bishop Kenny High SchoolHonor Roll

Students from Christ the King ChurchSecond Quarter 2001 - 2002

Kimberly BarnhartDanielle BoutteAdam BurnettNathalie ChuaNydia DiefenbachSamantha FewellKristina FranciscoCameron FryeElainemarie GonzalesAmanda KehrtTracia LagdaanKristian LlaveKelly LoughranElizabeth LudwigNam MaiVictoria Matzen

Kimberly OquindoStephanie PreeschlAnna SaludBridgette SmithSophia SolanoErin ThurlowKatie TubelNicole TuckerSarah TuskeyVictoria VentroneMichelle WesthoffAshley WheelerEmily WheelerShaina WilliamsAnnie Zarzoso


RCIADay of Discernment

by Kathy Daniels

Saturday, February 2nd theRCIA had their Day ofDiscernment. Father Guy gave theopening talk welcoming everyoneand outlining what would be donewhile there.

It seems we would be prayingthe Glorious decades of the Rosaryinterspersed with witness talks bythe core team and sponsors. Onetalk for each decade of the rosary.This took a couple of hours. Thespeakers shared a personalhappening in their life dwelling ona particular item. They were askedto use as a theme Faith, Hope,Love, Annulment, or the Journey tothe Catholic Church. Each of thetalks was an emotional sharing onboth sides. The people listening aswell as the person speaking. Itbrought us all together in a specialway. We shared a closeness thatsometimes takes weeks to developand we came by it as a natural wayof things.

Afterward we had a Holy Hourin the Sacred Heart Chapel. Thisconsisted of several people readingscriptures from the Old and NewTestaments with a few minutes of

contemplation between each. At thevery end Tony Zeaiter and LyleStewart read a story entitled “WhoCares?” The story took us throughthe crucifixion of Christinterspersed with the words “Whocares?” spoken in various tones ofvoice.

We broke for lunch aroundnoon. There were boxed lunchesfor everyone and we shared a lot ofconversation in small groups.

The afternoon started with avideo of Mother Angelica’s showentitled Scott Hahn’s Conversion.Scott walked a circuitous path tothe Catholic Church.

Following this, Mass wascelebrated in the Chapel withFather Guy presiding. Father tookus through the Mass explaining ashe went the meaning behindeverything we do and how it all tiestogether in one wondrouscelebration of love for God andwhat He has given us.

After Mass there was aquestion and answer session in theChapel. The questions exhibted atremendous need to understand thevarious aspects of the Mass. All inall, we had a very spirituallymoving day.

St. Vincent de Paul’sChristmas Baskets

by Elizabeth Anne Daugharty

The time for delivering basketsarrived again like it does everyyear. The time of the holidays–wedeliver for Thanksgiving andChristmas! The Saturday beforeChristmas, I woke up pretty earlyso that my grandmother, my Dadand I could assist in transferring thefood from Publix to the St. Vincentde Paul’s pantry. My Aunt Annietook Dad’s place at Christmasbecause he was out of town. Whenwe got to the pantry we helpedunload the food and pack thebaskets.

There are some people that wevisit every year. My favoritepeople: Nathaniel, Rachel, andFrances. They are brother andsisters. Nathaniel is blind andRachel doesn’t breathe very well.

But Frances and some people in thefamily that live near by (in theapartments) help out.

I have been visiting themthrough St. Vincent de Paul since Iwas really little and they are justthe sweetest and most spirit filledpeople you have ever met.Whenever we go to them, Francesand Rachel show us their newesttoys or knickknacks. Francesusually gets a little teary eyedbecause she is so grateful, and Ialways leave there feeling asthough I have just made a hugedifference in a few people’s holidayor maybe even their lives. I knowthey have made a huge differencein my life. Helping with the basketsover the years has helped me withthe meaning of Thanksgiving andof giving at Christmas.

Tailgating...the Perfect Preludeto a Jaguars Football Game

CK Music Director Bernie Sans,Bob the Birthday Boy & Packers Fan!

Mark Nichols - CK Parishioner & Bob’s son-in-law

Father Guy Noonan &CK Parishioner Berlin Clark

By Wanda Klima

We have been tailgating at theJaguars games for seven years nowand each year we seem to perfectthe tradition with every game.

Monday night games arealways big so when the Jaguarsplayed Green Bay in December, wewanted to make our tailgatingexperience one to remember.

First, we invited our MusicDirector, Bernie Sans, and one ofour new priests, Father GuyNoonan, to join us. Each was giventhe task of bringing a favorite dishto share. Bernie cooked authenticbratwurst sent directly from hisMom in Milwaukee! Father Guybrought homemade cannelloni andshrimp scampi...mmm mmm good.We provided our special TNT chili.Our regular tailgating friendsbrought sides to complement the

dishes. Father Guy was alsoinstructed to find a wine that wouldgo with everything on the menuand he did not fail to do so!

A special treat for the eveningwas a birthday celebration for Bob.Bob is a Green Bay Packers fan andhe was decked out from cheesehead to toe in Packersparaphernalia. Bob is the father offellow parishioner, Kathy Nichols,and since it was his birthday, weJaguar fans were pretty nice to him!Kathy’s husband, Mark,accompanied Bob and broughtbirthday pies! We lit candles andsang Happy Birthday, too. This wasone birthday I am quite sure Bobwill not soon forget.

Tailgating is the perfect preludeto a football game because, if youare a Jaguars fan, sometimes thepre-game festivities out shine thegame itself! Go Jaguars!


Christmas ProgramCTK Child Care

by Jean Sell

We had a wonderful Christmascelebration at the Child CareCenter. Highlights of the activitieswere the making of a gingerbreadhouse and a camp out where wewarmed ourselves by a fire webuilt.

As bright and wonderful as theparties were, the ChristmasProgram on December 20th wasour shining star. Our children gavebeautiful performances. Parentsand guests enjoyed the eveningvery much. We are all lookingforward to the many activitiesplanned for the new year.

What I learned in MOMS,I did NOT learn in Kindergarten

by Cynthia Surles

Having been a member of theparish since 1984, I have heard ofMOMS several times. I was eveninvited to come to a meeting once.However, I never felt motivated togo until recently. When the motherof my son’s classmate said howmuch she really enjoyed herMOMS group, and explained that itwas only an eight week session, Idecided to try it, and I’m glad I did.

Prior to the September session,there was a wine and cheeseintroductory party to giveinterested women moreinformation. We watched a videotape on how the national movementwas started and listened to severalspeakers. We then had theopportunity to sign up for amorning or evening session. Idecided on morning.

The women in our morninggroup came from several countries,Germany, Lebanon, England,Canada, the USA. We came to thegroup as mothers of youngchildren, grown children andgrandmothers. We came fromdifferent starting points spiritually.But we all came to appreciate ourrole in the ministry of motherhood.

At each session there is aguided topic led by a facilitator, aformer attendee of a MOMSsession. After the topic ispresented, we can each then shareour thoughts, feelings, andexperiences regarding the subject.If you do your homework—readingthe appropriate chapter in thejournal and answering questions—you are able to participate morefully. Don’t worry, no one will slapyour hands if you don’t get your

homework done. But, you maymiss out on some importantpersonal discoveries. Here aresome of the things I’ve learnedamidst the joy and laughter:◊ Being a mom is a ministry. You

minister to your familyeveryday.

◊ To be a better mom, it’simportant to minister toyourself also.

◊ Each mom is unique and you donot have to strive to be likesomeone else.

◊ Learning to accept yourself is aprocess.

◊ There are areas of my life thatcan be improved to reducestress.

◊ There are many grace-filledmoments to enjoy, even introubled times.

◊ It’s good to honor myhusband’s role as head of thehouse.

◊ We can strive to be morespiritual from any startingpoint, taking small as well asbig steps.

◊ MOMS is a great way to makenew friends.

What you learn in MOMS willdepend on what you are willing tolearn, the journaling time youspend between sessions (two hoursis recommended), and thewillingness to share your feelingsand experiences and imperfectionswith others in the group. Althoughwe all lead busy lives, the timespent sharing with and learningfrom the other mothers is timewell spent. I hope you’ll considerjoining one of the next sessionsand giving yourself time to thinkas you journal. It’s truly worth it.

K-Cee’sChristmas

Party

Santa & Maggie Damato

by Eileen Porter

Christmas celebrating had anearly start at Christ the King withthe K-Cee’s dinner dance onDecember 1st.This is an annualevent sponsored by the K-Cee’s toraise funds to provide a happyChristmas for needy families in ourcommunity.

Laura Morris and hercommittee did a beautiful jobdecorating the Parish Hall withpoinsettias and red and green tablecloths. Music for dancing wasprovided by “Brett” and ran thegamut from tunes of the fifties toline dancing.

The dinner was delicious,thanks to all the good cooks whoare members of the K-Cee’s.

We were favored by a visitfrom Santa Claus. We know it wasthe real Santa, but the Elf, whopresented each of the ladies with alittle angel, looked a lot like CarolCoseo.

During an intermission fromthe dancing a drawing was held.There were three basketsartistically arranged by JennyOliver, and a truly lovely crechecrafted by our talented MarthaShea. Phyllis Bauman was thelucky winner of the creche.

K-Cee’s President WandaMartin and her committee did awonderful job of planning theevent. It was a great evening andmany of those present declared it tobe our best Christmas party ever.

KC’s Dinner Dance

Joe Damato, Maggie Damato, Eileen PorterNeil Porter, Bill Damato, Helen Damato, Grace Berkey


If Only...by Mickey Kenny

If only there had been more ofus . . . If only I had known more .. . If only I had known sooner thelittle I did know . . . if only . . . ifonly. As always, “if only’s” arenever very productive. BUT – theycan be used to prepare for nextyear.

I’m a convert so I have nomemories of old-time marches andparades except from my husband’sfamily photo albums. Our childrenwere thrilled to find pictures oftheir father carrying the crucifix,dressed as an altar boy in the blackcassock and white surplice trimmedwith about ten inches of lace. Helooked so dignified, so proud, soCatholic! And the whole parish itseemed following him down thestreet.

Members of the CatholicChurch – lay people, just like meand like you – still go to variouslegislative places to make knownthe social policies of the Church.There were members of Christ theKing Parish and other localchurches who stood at the courthouse on the 29th anniversary ofRoe vs. Wade. And there were twoof us who went to Tallahassee. AndI saw on EWTN there wereCatholics who went to Washington,D.C., as well.

This quote from CardinalJoseph Bernardin in August of1996 defines the meaning of theCatholic Days at the Capitol:

Catholics . . . will continue tooffer a vision of the inalienabledignity of the human life as thefoundational principle for a well-

ordered society. And . . . we proposeto our fellow citizens a consistentethic of life that promotes all thatenhances and nurtures life, andrejects all that diminishes ordestroys it.

The bishops encourageCatholics to go to the Capitol eachyear at the beginning of thelegislative session to make knownto the legislators the positions theChurch has taken on various socialissues. Obviously, the more of uswho go, the more pressure isbrought upon each legislator toremember when he or she voteswho it is they are there to represent.

What difference can one personmake? As Christians we know whatone man can do! Of course, we arenot that one man – but collectivelywe can make an impact upon oursociety, helping our laws reflect thekind of people we want to be. Toooften laws are made by pressurefrom the dedicated and persistentwork of one or two people – as inthe loss of school prayer.

Yolanda Cerquiera and I wentas representatives of the St. Vincentde Paul Society to be, as much aspossible, a “voice for the poor.”But the Catholic Days at theCapitol were organized by theFlorida Catholic Conference withpeople there from otherorganizations within the parisheswho sent them. There probably isno ministry which is not touched insome way by the laws of the Stateof Florida. Mainly we are there tosupport the position of the bishopson such legislation as adoption,children’s health, the death penalty,women’s health, human cloning,

and all other issues that affect thequality of life.

In the four days we were there,one day was reserved for checkingin and getting our information onthe possible legislation for 2002and who our individualrepresentatives are. One day wasfor checking out! The other twodays were packed with eventsbeginning with the opening of thelegislative session begun byaddresses by Senator John McCay,President of the Senate, andRepresentative Tom Feeney,Speaker of the House. The Senatemembers then joined the Housemembers and heard the State of theState address by the Governor, JebBush. After this there was anopportunity for each of us to makeappointments to visit our personalrepresentatives in order to speak toeach one about our greatestpersonal concern.

At the end of the afternoon wemet at the steps of the old Capitol toshow our support for social issuesand to show again our sorrow overthe Roe vs. Wade decision passed29 years ago. This was somewhatmarred by the weather–but manystalwarts stayed in spite of the rain.It was at this time our lack ofnumbers showed most.

Think what it would be like ifthat plaza framed by the old andnew Capitol buildings and theSenate and House buildings waspacked with people. Next year willbe the 30th anniversary of Roe vs.Wade – and we should increase ournumbers for that alone.

The next day there was aluncheon with all the bishops in the

State of Florida. Every group satwith their own bishop, and we fromthe Diocese of St. Augustine werefortunate enough to have BishopVictor Galeone who was a speakerat the luncheon as well, and gave areflection on “A Consistent Ethic ofLife.” The Lt. Governor, FrankBrogan, addressed the luncheon insuch a warm and feeling way youcouldn’t miss the notion we were ingood hands. His strong, Catholicfaith is such a part of him. If allpolitics and politicians acted fromwithin a strong, moral framework,the world couldn’t help but be alittle better place.

All the legislators were invitedto attend this luncheon held at theCivic Center close to the Capitol aswell as the XXVII Annual VotiveMass of the Holy Spirit –historically known as the Red Mass– with the homilist ReverendEdward A. Malloy, the President ofthe University of Notre Dame. Areception followed at the Co-Cathedral Center.

The Red Mass itself has a longhistory beginning in the 13thCentury. “In Florida the CatholicBishops continue the Red Masstradition, inviting the people whoserve in the Executive, Legislativeand Judicial branches ofgovernment to join them in prayerthat the Spirit of God will guide anddirect them in their service to thepeople of Florida..”

This was just a part of the manythings we learned on this trip. Nextyear let’s help make this amemorable experience for morerepresentatives from the Diocese ofSt. Augustine.

What about theWidows and Widowers?

By Isabelle Fusco

Many people ask, “What canyou do for those who have lost theirspouse?”

You must understand howdifficult the answer can be. Ofcourse, first we handle them withloving care. We try to let themknow how all of us have been thereand how much we want our Lord tolead us in trying to help. We try tobe friendly, while at the same timeassuring them there are many waysto move through their sorrow.

We become support for eachother.

When Bishop Baker was ourpastor he was very supportive andencouraged me in organizing thisministry. He asked Sister Thereseto assist in this delicateundertaking. (We hope that shecontinues to be in good health. Weall miss her. Please pray for her.)The Widows and WidowersMinistry was introduced toparishioners in September of 1998.I think a lot of good has come fromit.

One of our participants,Claretta, wrote saying, . . . “I think

the very best to come out of thisministry is the chance to be withothers who are encountering thesame type of problems resultingfrom having to take on theunwanted challenge of living alone– many for the very first time inour lives. This sharing ofexperience has built strongfriendship, knowing othersunderstand where we are comingfrom both spiritually and in ourrelationships to the outside world.”

Many other members lookforward to our date on the secondTuesday of each month. We meetfor lunch in various places, wheregood food and good service andcompanionship have alwaysprevailed.

We have been to the House ofPrayer several times with thespiritual guidance of Father Thanh,Father Dan Shashy and DeaconDave.

We hope those in need of ourspecial kind of friendship and lovewill join us for lunch. Watch theBulletin in church for date andtime. For more information pleasecall 724-5186.

St. Jude Circle 11

by Patrice Pruitt

For the second year in a row, St.Jude Circle 11 visited First CoastHealth, a nursing home, spreadingChristmas cheer. The women andchildren baked cookies, sangChristmas carols and handed outAdvent presents.

The residents got a special treatthis year as we had Ashley andRebecca Yount playing the piano.We would like to thank First CoastHealth for allowing us toparticipate in the Christmasfestivities.

Mary & Taylor Hall, Karrie & Kristy TubelKarla & Mattie, Emily Shaw

Mary & Bobby, David YarbroughDenis & Ashley, Rebecca Yount

Tonya & Marrissa, Marina DowmerRobin & Robert Jordan, Patrice & Mike Pruitt


Inside the Parish Council

by Katie Knowsit

Let me begin, dear readers, bysaying that your Parish Council isalive and very well. In fact at thelast meeting there were so many inattendance some of the membershad to scurry around to findadditional chairs before themeeting began, Katie included.

There was much excitementwithin the group. Those presentwere there to report on the successof their recruitment of newmembers from the Time and TalentFair held in the Fall. And a greatsuccess it was!

One ministry stands out; yourbrand new Maintenance Ministryheaded by Mike Klima. There were51 people who signed up to be partof this outstanding ministry. Thisindicates how many parishionersare vitally interested in maintainingthe wonderful plant here at Christthe King. They will meet on atimely basis to discuss, organize,and implement needed repairs andimprovements to our campus.Hooray for Maintenance!

While we are speaking of theChrist the King campus, anotherministry that has a great deal to dowith the good looks of our campusis the Beautification Ministrywhich is headed by Terry Riggs.This ministry does all thelandscaping in our parish. They dothe planting of the beautifulflowers, the caring of the rosegarden, the trimming of the bushesand trees, all the weeding, and thepicking up of any trash on thegrounds. They meet every third

Saturday of the month from 9 a.m.to noon and can always use an extragreen thumb. This year families,individuals, and groups areadopting a particular area of thecampus they would like to tend. Ifyou are interested, you may contactTerry at 762-0603. If you hurry,you can get in on the ground floor.So get out your garden gloves andjoin the fun.

Katie has just told you abouttwo ministries that take care of theoutside of our church, the grounds;now she will write a little about agroup that takes care of developingthe inner person at Christ the King.That group is RCIA – the Rite ofChristian Initiation of Adults –which is headed by James Scottalong with his capable team andsponsors. This year there are 39registered candidates to be receivedinto the Catholic Church at theEaster Vigil. Three sacraments areadministered at this time. For theun-Baptized Catechumens,Baptism is first administered andthen they join the already baptizedCandidates to receive HolyEucharist and Confirmation. All ofthe candidates, team members, andsponsors have been workingdiligently since September to beready for this great event. If youhave never attended an Easter VigilMass, make plans to do so this year.It is a celebration that will gladdenyour heart and enrich yourChristian heritage.

That is all the news for now,but you can rest assured that, ifanything happens, Katie Knowsit!

Christ the King Clinicby Willie Blaquiere

It is the fourth Saturday of themonth. On this January Saturday,the holidays are over, time to getback to everyday business, in thiscase, once a month business. Warmdonuts from the donut shop fill mycar with their wonderful aroma. Itis tempting to take an early coffeebreak. It is 7:45 a.m., and theparking lot at the SouthJacksonville Family Health Centeris filling up. Ed and Marion Reasonare onsite early. They pull the filecabinet of medical records to thefront office, open the cabinetscontaining free medical supplies,and bring out equipment andsupplies that will be used by thevolunteer medical staff. Marion hasthe sign-in sheets ready when thedoor is opened at 8:00 a.m. On atypical day there are twenty ormore patients lined up outsideready to sign in when the door isopened. More will come in as themorning progresses. There aremany people who are ill and needhelp. No matter the time of year orweather conditions, they will come.

Before the doctors arrive at9:00 a.m., new patients will beinterviewed to determine theirneeds and make sure they meetfinancial guidelines. If theyqualify, a new file is started.Established patients sign in andtheir files are pulled. The patientwill then have vital signs taken andwait to see the doctor.

Patients with serious conditionsthat require further diagnostics arereferred to Shands Medical Centeror to the We Care program. Bloodis drawn at the clinic for analysisby an independent lab andmedication is prescribed as needed.

The procedures are only a littledifferent than in your family

doctor’s office. This is the waymany patients have come to thinkof the clinic. To these patients, whoare not able to change theirfinancial situation or to obtaininsurance coverage, the clinic is theonly medical help they receive.Many faces become familiar asthey return each month for theirmedical needs. Other patients mayneed only a one time visit anddon’t return. Families who are inthe midst of hard times are able toget medical help for sick children;perhaps dad needs medicine so thathe can get back to work. Ourclients range from child to adult;single, married, divorced; parents,grandparents and guardians; theyrepresent many different races andreligions, who are strugglingwithout health care. Bad health andhard times do not discriminate.

The clinic can try the patienceof our patients. At times initialinterviews are tedious and timeconsuming. The patient may havelimited or no command of theEnglish language. Other interviewsmay require a file for each of thesix members of a family. Theclerical volunteers know howimportant it is to gather all theinformation possible. Most aregrateful for the help they willreceive and do not complain. Thewait time is in relation to thenumber of doctors, nurses andclerical who are able to help thatparticular day.

If you are a doctor, nurse orpharmacist and have a freeSaturday morning, please contactWillie Blaquiere at 744-5447. Ifyou would like to help withinterviews a few Saturdays a year,please call. You will be in greatcompany, the hours are good, (9:00a.m. to 1:00 p.m.), the donuts aretasty, the coffee is free and best ofall, you can make a difference. Youmay even save a life.


Characteristics Of AChristian Steward

Submitted by Eileen Porter

Responsibility

“Who in your opinion is thatfaithful, farsighted steward whomthe master will set over his servantsto dispense their ration of grain inseason? That servant is fortunatewhom his master finds busy whenhe returns. Assuredly, his masterwill put him in charge of all hisproperty. But if the servant says tohimself. “My master is taking histime about coming,” and begins toabuse the housemen and servantgirls, to eat and drink and getdrunk, that servant’s master willcome back on a day when he doesnot expect him, at a time he doesnot know. He will punish himseverely and rank him among thoseundeserving of trust. The slave whoknew his master’s wishes but didnot prepare to fulfill them will get asevere beating, whereas the onewho did not know them and whononetheless deserved to be flogged,will get off with fewer stripes. Whenmuch has been given a man, muchwill be required of him. More willbe asked of a man to whom morehas been entrusted.” (Luke 12: 42-48)

“After a long absence, themaster of those servants came backand settled accounts with them. Theman who had received the fivethousand came forward bringingthe additional five. ‘My lord,’ hesaid, ‘You let me have fivethousand. See, I have made fivethousand more.’ His master said tohim, ‘Well done! You are anindustrious and reliable servant.Since you were dependable in asmall matter, I will put you incharge of larger affairs. Come,share your master’s joy.’”(Matthew 25: 19-21)

The Characteristic of Responsibility

Responsibility compels us to beaccountable for who we are, whatwe have, and what we do. Thosewho are responsible have a serioussense of duty - a conviction ofbeing obliged to act, whether ornot others do. In fact, when othershold back, those who areresponsible often shoulder evenmore. As a result, they are

trustworthy. They can be countedon to fulfill their duty, no matterwhat obstacles they may encounter.

Being fully responsible,however, goes deeper than ouractions. It is rooted in the veryessence of who we are. It guideshow we look at our lives and theworld around us. To be responsibleis to first understand that we are notour own masters, but that webelong to the Creator. It is also tounderstand that we are not entitledto receive anything, but rather areaccountable for all we have beengiven. “None of us lives as his ownmaster, and none of us dies as hisown master. While we live we areresponsible to the Lord, and whenwe die, we die as His servants. Bothin life and in death we are theLord’s.” (Romans 14: 7-8)

To be responsible requires acertain degree of maturity. Thismaturity is not a result of age, butof how we view ourselves inrelationship to God and the rest ofHis creation. In the movie It’s AWonderful Life, a young butresponsible George Bailey learnsthis lesson from his father. “Youwere born older, George,” hisfather tells him. “How’s that?”George asks, not sure he has heardcorrectly. “I said, you were bornolder,” his father says again.

When a lack of maturity exists,there is a tendency to focus first onself, and as a result, to hold on tovarious tangible attachments. Withmaturity, the focus shifts more andmore clearly to God, and for Hissake, to others. Those who grow inmaturity become more and moredetached. This does not mean adecrease in love; rather,detachment is a purer form of love.Through detachment, we no longerview people or objects in terms ofwhat they can do for our sake.Instead, we begin to see them asgifts entrusted to us by our belovedFather, and we desire toconscientiously take care of Hisgifts for His sake.

This means, then, thatresponsibility extends far beyondour natural inclination to care forourselves and our immediatefamilies. Responsibility is caringfor all God’s creation, especiallythose most fragile andmarginalized: the unborn, the poor,the sick, the aging. Responsibilityis sharing all that God has given us.

And, responsibility is returningwith increase, all that He entrustedto us.

Responsibility and Stewardship

For one who aspires to be aChristian steward, understandingand embracing the characteristic ofresponsibility is key. The U.S.Bishops describe a Christiansteward as “one who receivesGod’s gifts gratefully, cherishesand tends them in a responsible andaccountable manner, shares them injustice and love with others, andreturns them with increase to theLord.”

They also state that “Thissharing is not an option forCatholics who understand whatmembership in the Churchinvolves. It is a serious duty. It is aconsequence of the faith whichCatholics profess and celebrate.”Jesus stated it even more severely:“When much has been given a man,much will be required of him. Morewill be asked of a man to whommore has been entrusted.” (Luke12: 48)

For the Christian steward whorecognizes himself as one “towhom more has been entrusted,”this is a sobering statement. Itunderscores how serious theobligation is to be responsible, andit implies that being anything lessthan fully responsible is not goodenough.

But when this realization istaken along with the parable of thetalents, it becomes clear that theobligation to be responsible is notmade out of hardheartedness, butout of love. It is made so that oneday the Christian steward may hearthe words,”Well done! You are anindustrious and reliable servant.Come, share your master’s joy.”(Matthew 25: 21)

A Responsible SaintSt. Maximilian Kolbe

1894 -1941

As a youth, Raymond Kolbeshared the financial responsibilityof helping his older brother studyfor the priesthood, by staying homefrom school to help his father in hiswork. With tutoring however,Raymond was later able to attend

school as well. He too, wanted to bea priest. He was admitted to aFranciscan seminary and took thename Maximilian. Not long after hewas ordained a priest in 1918,Maximilian began to takeresponsibility for what he called“the most deadly poison of ourtimes”— religious indifference. Asa result, he founded the MilitiaImmaculatae (Army of theImmaculate), whose mission was toconquer all souls for Christ throughMary.

In the midst of this work, FatherKolbe became ill with tuberculosisand was confined for over a year.His work came to a halt. Whenreturned to Krakow, through, theMilitia Immaculatae began to grow.Their work spread into publicationof several periodicals. As thepublications became more popular.Maximilian warned against takingpride in success.

In 1939, during the Germanoccupation of Poland, Father Kolbewas arrested by the Gestapo, thenreleased. In 1941 he was arrestedagain, and transferred toAuschwitz. Made to haul gravel forthe walls of the crematorium andstill suffering illness, Father Kolbewas treated more cruelly becausehe was a priest. Still, he took on theresponsibility of encouraging theother prisoners. He prayed withthem, heard their confessions, andpleaded with them to forgive theircaptors. He often gave awayportions of his own severelylimited food rations to otherprisoners.

One day, a prisoner escaped. Aspunishment, the commandantcalled out ten others to be killed. Atthis point Father Kolbe took on thegreatest responsibility of all. Heasked to take the place of one ofthose designated to die. His requestgranted, Father Kolbe and the nineothers were locked in anunderground bunker to starve todeath. For the next two weeks heconsoled the others, and led them inpraying the rosary and singinghymns to Mary. After those twoweeks, Father Kolbe and threeothers were still alive. To kill them,the guards injected them withcarbolic acid. As he prayed, FatherKolbe raised his arm for theinjection.

On October 10, 1982, PopeJohn Paul II canonized St.Maximilian Kolbe as a martyr.


And the Saints Came Marching In

by Kathy Nichols

First we saw Mary, Patrick,Frances and Clare. Then Theresa,Cecilia, Joseph and John. Each firstand second grader dressed as afavorite saint, and attended theNovember Friday’s children’sMass as such. Each one needed toknow a few facts about the saintthey portrayed. It’s good that theystudy these things in religion class.It can be a re-awakening to theparents in helping their childchoose a saint to dress as and tolearn about. It’s nice to have theserefresher courses as our childrengrow up. One tends to forget thethings we’ve learned over theyears, if we don’t use them. There’sa patron saint for just abouteverything, including quittingsmoking, and for people withcancer.

If you’d like to look up thesaint for the day, get on thewebsite:

www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay/

If you’s like to find a patronsaint for a specific reason, try:

ttp://saints.catholic.org/patron.html

Who is Your Favorite Saint? Our Living Litany of Saints


Scout Trip ToPatriots Point, SC

by Ed Jeffas

On November 2, 2001, ScoutPack 5 from Christ the King took atrip to Charleston, S.C. Theyvisited Patriots Point Naval &Maritime Museum which is hometo World War II Aircraft CarrierYORKTOWN, DestroyerLAFFEY, SubmarineCLAMAGORE and Coast GuardCutter INGHAM. There arecomplete overnight campingfacilities for youths onboard the

YORKTOWN and the Scouts wereable to take advantage of thisunique opportunity, sleeping inberthing areas once used by thecrew. A day trip to Fort Sumter wasincluded as part of the overnightstay.

Another highlight of the tripwas visiting Christ the King’sformer pastor, Bishop Robert J.Baker at the Cathedral of St. Johnthe Baptist in downtownCharleston and having their picturetaken with him.

Religious Education’s2002 Confirmation

by Page Acosta Peeler

The Confirmation journey forReligious Education Candidatesfocused on receipt of the finalsacrament of initiation, acompletion of the grace theyreceived at baptism. They learnedhow the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spiritwould assist them in spreading anddefending their faith throughout therest of their lives. It was apparentthat the Holy Spirit was also inattendance for these 21 studentsfrom 8 different schools and 4different parishes.

Their text book, CelebratingOur Faith, was supplemented withreadings from the Catechism of theCatholic Church, Gifts of the Spirit,Prayers with Pizzazz, otheravailable resources and of coursethe Bible. Several classes weredevoted to understanding the Bible,its origin and differences with otherChristian Bibles.

Although time did not allow forservice commitments beforeConfirmation, class time did focuson the Spiritual and CorporalWorks of Mercy. The studentsplanned, as a group, to devote theirtime and talent to specialcommunity needs in the upcomingmonths.

The Candidates gave muchthought and prayer in selectingtheir individual sponsors as well asin choosing and learning about aSaint, special to them, whom theywould honor by taking their namein Confirmation. After careful

consideration, each Candidatewrote a letter to our Pastorrequesting the sacrament.

During Advent, the classdecided to begin their new year inprayer by individually offering aNovena to the Holy Spirit, Prayerfor the Seven Gifts while on schoolvacation.

Our Prayer Cloth was anongoing project throughout thepreparation. We used this specialprayer cloth to begin our class eachweek, lighting a candle and havingthe Candidates circle around foropening prayers. Although it beganas just a plain piece of beige felt, itwas transformed into a wonderfulmemento as each student crafted afaith symbol, special to them, toadorn the cloth.

On January 23rd, the entireclass attended Here I am Lord!Confirmation Retreat Program atMarywood which was a full day offun, food, games, prayer andreflection. The experience wasmore powerful than anyoneanticipated.

The sacrament of Christianmaturity, symbolized by the laying-on of hands and anointing withchrism, by Bishop Galeone, waswitnessed by family and friends.The Candidates were “sealed withthe Gifts of the Holy Spirit” onFebruary 9th, at our beautifulConfirmation ceremony. Pleaseremember to keep these students inyour prayers as they continue theirChristian journey.

Brian AbramsEric Amante Angela AnaniaJerly AsuntoGeorges BahriAlicia BirchAnthony BrazellRobby BurkeMichael CainKristen CampbellCristina CamposMegan CaswellAshleigh CostanzaCameron CoxSarah CoyleJennifer DetmersMichelle FaresNicholas FavreSeth FallonRaymond FordMichelle GardnerSamantha GhanayemDavid GlotzerBrian GriffinLauren GrochmalKatherine HayesBenjamin HollandAnthony InyangJeremiah JossimBryan KeelNathalie LabaoMark LaDukeKenneth LargeyChristina LohrKatelyn LongleyColleen LoughranAshley Madsen

Erickson MathisNicole MillerCarrie MobleyEmmanuel MooreCecelia MussallemKayleigh NelesenMorgan OsinskiJonathan PaganAndrew PeelerAdriana Pena-ArietRodolfo Pena-ArietLauren PetitDustin PolingMichael PriceJustin RelifordAddie RecinellaPatrick ReehlChristopher RibbleStephanie RickerLauren SalinasCarlson SaludDavid ScottMichael SimonsKevin SmithMackenzie SmithJames SommerMegan StephensBrooke StraussAndrea ToledoChas TyndallHunter Van DorenMegan VarelaRobert WillisSummer WoodRobert WootenAllie YocumAshley Yount

Confirmandi


by Kathy Nichols

This years’ Christmas programwas nothing short of spectacular.Under the direction of LauraRausch, the band students startedoff playing various musicalensembles. Ms. Rausch is a newteacher at Christ the King and ishelping interested students learnhow to play certain bandinstruments.

The next few groups were ledby musical directors Rocky andJudy DiGeorgio. First, thekindergartners and first graderswent to the stage in their Biblicalattire, and sang out to the crowd intheir most celestial voices! They alldressed up either as Mary (somewith baby Jesus), or as angels,shepherds, or kings.

Christ the King


Christmas Program

Second grade performed “TheAngel Gabriel’s AwesomeAdventure.” And the third gradefollowed with “The ChristmasChronicles.” In “The ChristmasChronicles,” an ancient tale wastold with a more modern influence.It was intriguing to watch the ThreeKings rap, or the reporters for theBethlehem Chronicle scrambling toget the facts about the Greatest

Story Ever Told. A flock of sheepsang the background vocals, withvoices that weren’t that ba-a-a-a-ad!

This was a very Holy Night,thanks to the efforts of the band andmusic directors, all the teachersinvolved, and the parents, who cutand sewed and glued, so that theirchild had something appropriate towear.

LIFE TEEN Summer Youth Conference

LIFE TEEN will be traveling to Charleston, South Carolina tocelebrate their first ever Steubenville High School Youth Conference.(Charleston is home to our very own Bishop Bob Baker.) The dates ofthe conference are June 21-23, 2002. The speakers will be fantastic:Father Dave Pivonka, Father Stan Fortuna, Bob Rice and SteveAgrisano. The cost of the conference is $130 not including hotel andother miscellaneous costs. Plan on around $250-$300 total cost withtransportation.

We are required to lock in a number now - so we have registered 30teens (this includes teens from Kings Bay). We may have an opportunityto register more but we don’t want to lock in a non-refundable deposit ifwe are not sure. So...we need your help! If your teen would like to go,we will need $130 up front NON-REFUNDABLE (this is not the totalcost). This will be first come first serve for the 30 spots we’ve locked in.If we receive more than 30 fees those teens will be wait listed and wewill try to get additional spots. But here’s the deal...the spots fill up veryfast. We may be successful if we know the number of spots we’ll need inthe next couple of weeks but beyond that who knows.

It’ll be a great weekend. Please consider sending your teen. Theywon’t be disappointed.

Call me if you have any questions. Nancy Powers LIFE TEEN Coordinator 398-1961


pssst...good job kids

by Kathy Nichols

The Talent Show has onceagain returned to Christ the KingSchool. Every student had theopportunity to “try out” for thisshow. It needed to be a rehearsedperformance showing genuinetalent.

After weeks of practicing, itwas time for the show to go on.Twenty-four groups were chosen todisplay their talent on the night ofNovember 13th. Included wereacts such as dancers, pianists,acrobats, violinists, singers,comics, cheerleaders, and karateperformers. Everyone put forth hisor her best effort. It was a pleasureto be in the audience. In 20 years,the world may have a newDominique Moceanu or Giovannito contend with!

Christ theKing

School’sTalentShow


Hoopin’ it up

The following article first appearedin the Christ the King SchoolStudent Newspaper, November2001, Volume 2 Issue 1.

by Jamie Jones and MarkLaDuke

It takes three things to make upa basketball team. The players, thecoach, and the fans.

The players on the girl’sbasketball team were an awesomegroup. They gave up a lot of goodtime when they could have beenhanging out with friends and turnedit into practice time. They knewthey might not get to play everygame, but they tried anyway. Theytried their hardest on winning.

Coach Jere Rillstone in hissecond year coaching our team,tries hard to motivate the team

members. Win or lose he has anupbeat attitude.

The girls had a great time this2001 season!

The boys basketball season wasfilled with improvement andenthusiasm from the many closegames we competed in. Weacquired many new skills anddeveloped a strong sense ofteamwork. All of the boys on theteam were devoted players andreally enjoyed the season.

The support we received fromthe fans was tremendous and had apositive impact on our games. Nextyear we hope to continue our talentand skills to perform well in games.

Editor’s note: The teams wouldlike to thank the Cheerleading squadfor all of their support before andduring the games.


LIFE TEENYoung Vincentians

Program

by Erika White

The Young VincentiansProgram was started back at thebeginning of the school year andhas been off to a great start. Duringour first meeting, the club resolvedto try to complete one indirect andone direct service project permonth to make an impact on ourcommunity as Christians. So far,we have done our best to stick tothis agenda and have completedseveral service projects and havemany more on the way.

Our most recent direct serviceproject was a trip to Wolfson’sChildren’s Hospital to help themdecorate for the holiday season.There was a great turnout of teensand LIFETEEN core members forthis project and, working together,we were able to transform one floorinto a winter wonderland. Theteens were split into groups; onegroup made Christmas ornamentsfor the hospital staff members andothers helped put up a Christmas

tree and decorate the hall itself. Iwas part of the group decoratingthe Christmas tree and one sweetlittle girl helped us put upornaments. She then took picturesof all of us with Nancy Powers’help.

Dinner was spent eating pizzaand practicing Christmas carolsthat we were going to sing to thekids. Justin Trull helped us out byplaying the guitar to keep us all intune. After dinner, all the teens andcore members plus Santa Claus(played by David Espiritu, a fellowLIFETEEN core member) maderounds through a few floorscaroling to the patients and some ofthe families. The kids were allsmiling and happy to see and hearus, especially Santa, and thehospital staff seemed to appreciatethe caroling also.

All the teens were glad to bringa smile to these children’s faces andwe all had a wonderful timehelping out the hospital during thisholiday season.

Five LIFE TEEN ParishesCome Together To

Celebrate the Holidays

In December, Assumption’sLIFE TEEN hosted a LIFE TEENHoliday Extravaganza where highschool teens from five LIFE TEENparishes (Assumption, Christ theKing, Kings Bay, Holy Spirit andResurrection) came together toenjoy incredible music, dancingand food. Brett Devoe spun the

CD’s; Kriss Herndon and KathyKharman (Parents for LIFE) andtheir team of parents andvolunteers converted the hall into asparkling wonderland with plentyof refreshments to make us feelright at home. We thank all whowere involved in making this afantastic night.


LIFE TEEN Learns ToPay it Forward

by Nancy Powers

“If someone did you a favor –something big, something youcouldn’t do on your own – andinstead of paying it back you paid itforward to three people...and thenext day they each paid it forwardto three more…and the day afterthat those 27 people each paid itforward to another three...Andeach day, everyone in turn paid itforward to three more people…intwo weeks that comes to 4,782,969people.”

From the movie Pay it Forward

On Sunday, October 14, 2001,LIFE TEEN gave three verysurprised teens $100 in cash tochange the world. The onlystipulations were that they mustimpact three lives significantly ormeaningfully and they mustchallenge them to “Pay ItForward.” The teens were chosenrandomly and they are only limitedby their imagination. It really was adaunting task that each one tookvery seriously. For two monthsthey thought, and thought, andthought as their plans cametogether with some advice fromfriends, parents, and Core. And onthe Feast of the Epiphany the teenstold LIFE TEEN about theirexperience.

“The biggest challenge wasthinking of what to do,” said oneteen. “How do I divide the moneyup?” “How do I ask someone ifthey need help or even tell themthat I want to help them. That’skinda sensitive you know.”

One teen took a dialysis patient,another young boy and hismom...all total strangers...to aJaguar game. This was thehighlight of these folks’ holidayand our LIFE TEEN teen reallyenjoyed the experience. AnotherLIFE TEEN teen helped out afinancially strapped family over theholidays by taking the childrenshopping. They were able to buypresents for their parents andsomething for themselves. (Thisfamily has already Payed ItForward by helping another familyin need.) And the third LIFE TEENteen shopped for a single mom andher child, buying items that would

put a smile on their faces and thenwrapping each present with loveand joy. Each teen put theirpersonality into the project andeach felt deeply moved by theexperience.

When the teens were askedwhat kind of help can they givewithout spending any money theysaid, “We could pray forindividuals. I know the power ofprayer because it worked in myfamily.” “We could ask the newteen at school to sit with us atlunch.” Simple ideas but ideas thatcan change the world. You neverknow... one of them may becomethe next Mary Korson, who startedthe St. Francis Soup Kitchendowntown by giving outsandwiches to the homeless whoknocked on the door of ImmaculateConception’s Rectory. One of themmay become the next MotherTheresa who began her ministry bypicking up just one dying person onthe streets of Calcutta. Onemoment, one idea can change theworld.

Heartfelt Thanks

by Patti Sloan

Christ the King Family andSchool Association (FSA) wouldlike to thank its members for theirsupport as we continue our schoolyear. At the beginning of the yearwe discussed goals; to date, wehave surpassed our expectations.This would not have been possiblewere it not for dedicated andgenerous people.

There are those who contributetheir time and resources on majorprojects, such as renovations. Thereare those who contribute weekly,perhaps in the cafeteria or at the arttable; all are equally important andappreciated. A wise man of ourparish once told me that God hearsthe vibrations of the tiniest bell asmelodic and resonant as the biggestbell. Each is sweet in God’s sight.So it is with our contributions to theschool and church. The seeminglysmallest act, done with love, is thegreatest of gifts.

A heartfelt “thank you” to thosewho attended the generalmembership meeting of the FSA onMonday, January 14th. The FSAwill be holding a Career Day inMay for the students in fifththrough eighth grade. If you areinterested in sharing your careerwith our students, or know ofsomeone who might be willing tospeak to our students, pleasecontact Kim Dodds in the school’soffice.

The membership agreed andvoted upon sponsoring a SpringCarnival, to be held on Sunday,

April 21st. This carnival is open toall parishioners and ministries, weare in need of everyone’s input andparticipation. Rumor has it thatChrist the King, in the past, hasheld some great carnivals. Wewould like to bring the past to life,a day of fun and fellowship, a truememory-maker. Those of you whohave been involved in pastcarnivals, smile when you recallthe fun you had in the planning andparticipation of this event. I evenhear tell that many greatfriendships were forged during theplanning process. Today, we needyour help. All ministries areencouraged to participate, as weneed your input, your experience,and most importantly, yourenthusiasm. Booths need to be builtand decorated, games preparedand, of course, the menu planned.We have a few volunteers, but agreat many more are needed. Let’scome together as a family andcreate a fantastic day that no onewill soon forget. This carnivalneeds YOU! Call Patti Sloan at733-5835 or Gus Carlson at 645-6957, for more information.

The FSA looks forward to thesecond-half of the school year;there are more plans in the works.Parent and teacher involvement iscrucial to the success of thisassociation. It needs yourinvolvement, your input, and yourparticipation. A special thanks toour parishioners; your prayers andsupport are, as always, greatlyappreciated.


Prayer Service for Military Personnel

by Father Neil Carr

It has long been a practice inthe Church to pray for others inspecial need of our prayer. Surelyour prayers can be truly effective inthis time of war for those who havevolunteered to leave their circle ofcomfort and have joined the armedforces knowing full well the risksthat are involved. During our warbetween the states AbrahamLincoln said , “I have often beendriven to my knees by theoverwhelming conviction that Ihad no where else to go.” Leavingthe outcome to God as he did isimportant, and so we alwaysconclude our prayer as Jesus did,“Not my will but Thine be done.”

Let us remember that ourprayers are best when they comefrom our feelings, not our head,because it is when we reveal ourfeelings to God that we are mostcandid, most genuine.

We don’t have to be in anyspecial place or posture to pray.Back in the 700’s A.D. .St. JohnDamascene wrote. “It is possible tooffer fervent prayer even whilewalking in public or strollingalone, or seated in yourshop...while buying or selling...oreven while cooking.” How elsecould we “pray constantly” as St.Paul tells us to do?

Our service men and womensurely need our prayers at thiscritical time in our history, prayersfor their safety and for victory inthis war against terrorism. As Iwrite these words there are 106names on our prayer service list.

Until further notice, everysecond Friday of the month at 7p.m. we have solemn Vespers andBenediction in the church wherewe pray for their safe andvictorious return. The service lastsa little less than an hour andfollows a ritual that has been in usefor centuries in monasteries aroundthe world.

People from other parisheshave been invited to attend andpray for their loved ones as well.How many will respond remains tobe seen. Let those who come beenriched by their attendance.Praying as a community is evenmore effective than praying alone.“Where two or three are gatheredtogether in my name, there am I inthe midst of them.” What anassurance Jesus gave us!

Lt. Seth D. Abbott, Navy Air ForceMichael Aponte, USAFM. Sgt. David Arnold, USAAChief AE James Arnold, USCGChief WO Michael Arnold, USCGWO4 Vincent Arnold, USAAMajor John Augsburger, USMCSr. Airman Jason E. Bazin, USAFGregory A. Benge, USNCmdr. Eugene H. Black, III, USNMatthew J. Black, USMCCapt. Marc Blair, USASgt. Brian Blaquiere, FLNGJason Blust, USARDave Brangaccio, USNWilliam B. Bridges, USMCJessie Brooks, USALt. William C. Bushman, USNCapt. Frank Butler, M.D., USN SealLt. Jeffrey Butler, USN SealSgt. Tom Burnett, USAThomas L. Carry, USCGCapt. Curt ChafnichLt. Comdr. Kent R. Chappelka,USCGLt. Scott R. Chappelka, USAEric Chester, USAFComdr. Chris Christafferson, USNChris Churchill, USAJonathan Colbus, USNChristopher Collazo, USAFRodney Collazo, USAJared Conant, USNM. Sgt. Bud Conlon, USAPeter CrandalRyan Cristoforo, USAJulie Cusak, USAFGlenn Cusak, USAFEd Cusak, USADavid B. Damato, USNGerald L. Danforth, Jr.David Dellinger, USNRian Demery, USAFSgt. Robert Daniels, USACmdr. Nanette De Renzie2nd Lt. Ronald Diefenbach, USMCRichard A. Drummond, DCRobert Dudley, USN Henry Dy, USNRafael Dy, USAFJason EskucheMatthew Ferguson, USMCSgt. Keith Finkler, USANeal T. Francisco, USNPaul French, USAFMajor David L. Frumerie, USAChris Gates, USNChad S. Guggisberg, USCGCol. Christopher Gunther, USMC

Joe Guyton, USAF Jared M. Hann, USAF Brian Hatch, USNMark Henzel, USNJohn Howard, USNDouglas S. Hughes, USAFLance Cpl. Darryle J. Hutchens,USMCBridget O. JohnsonClayton Jones, USACapt. Maurice Joyce, USN1st Lt. Michael Kappelmann, USMCAngeline KuzniaMonsignor Joseph Lamonde, USMC Jarred Larson, USNDanny Lopez, USAFDan McGovern, USAFW. Patrick Macke, FLNGJames Mackin, FLNGSteve Mackin, FLNGJosiah Maika, USNGreg Manasco, USNL. Cpl. Brandon Martinek, USAMaj. Timothy R. Matthews, USALt. Steven Milkey, USNM. Sgt. Jim Myers, USALt. Cmdr. Scott Newman, USNKevin O’Neal, USNMaj. Mark Overberg, USACmdr. John T. Parker, USNJoel Pattillo, USAFM/S Joe PeabodyMelvin Pelegrin, USAMichael Pelegrin, USADavid Pelt, Jr., USAChris Peterson, USNCapt. Veronica Pierce-Arnold, USAAMark Richards, USNLt. Col. Sharon E. Riley, USAAnne Rogers, USNMatthew Schell, USNKevin Schipman, USNCapt. George J. Schmieder, MC USNSgt. Alive Scott, Jr., USAFL/C Bill ShererSgt. Michael Edward Sigl, USATy Simpson, USNJessie SloneTommy StuartLt. Cmdr. Francis T. Sullivan, USNJustin Trull, Spec.Lt. Alan Turek, USNCpt. Ted Venable, USNJames Vinocur, USNCapt. William Walsh, USNJames D. Webb, USATodd WelchKenneth M. Wilson, Jr., USMC

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