retreat in daily life · retreat in daily life—october 2020-april 2021 a st. scholastica...
TRANSCRIPT
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
St. Raphael Catholic Church electronic newsletter
July 1, 2020
NEWS & INFORMATION
St. Raphael Book & Gift Shop
HOLIDAY HOURS: This week the shop will be
CLOSED on Friday & Saturday OPEN Sunday 9:30-2:30
CLOSED on Monday , July 6th
Are you looking for a good book to read this summer? Do you know someone receiving Confirmation or 1st Communion?
Be sure to stop by the shop to check out all the great books and gift ideas. There is something for everyone here!!
PARISH LIFE DURING COVID-19 WEEKLY UPDATES
My annual State of the Parish is posted on our website and was attached
to the midweek Trumpet email list. If you would like to be added to this list please email [email protected]
This past weekend the 8:30am Mass was full! I urge those wishing to attend the Spanish Masses to come early because once 200 people are in the church, no one else will be allowed into Mass.
You might consider attending one of the later Masses.
Here is our Weekend Mass schedule: Saturday 4:00PM (English) Sunday 7:00AM (English) 8:30AM (Spanish)
10:30AM (English) Livestreamed 12:30PM (Spanish) Livestreamed
5:00PM (Spanish) 7:00PM (Spanish)
REMINDERS If you have been diagnosed with Covid-19, do not
come to Church. If you have been exposed to an individual diagnosed
with Covid-19, whether family, friend, coworker, please refrain from coming to Mass and risking others.
If someone in your workplace was diagnosed with Covid-19, even if you were not near this person, consider staying away from Mass for a few weeks.
Remember you still need your mask & to keep a 6-foot distance from each other.
The symptoms of Covid-19 are a cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever chills, muscle pain, sore throat or loss of taste or smell. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
Remember: The dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass remains in place.
DAILY MASSES & CONFESSIONS
ARE CANCELLED THRU JULY 6TH. With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Arkansas especially here in NWA and many being affected in our parish community, I am cancelling all daily Masses and Confessions until the week of July 7th. Weekend Masses will be celebrated at their usual hours and we will still hear confessions on Saturday morning for one hour 9:00am-10:00am and Saturday afternoons from 3:00pm-3:40pm during this time.
PRE 2020-2021: Covid-19 will have an affect on our PRE classes this fall. We are still trying to decide how to have classes while ensuring the safety of our children and catechists. This will mean necessary changes to the program which we will reveal over the next few months. We will begin registration in July. However, we will call each family we have in the system. We will begin in early July calling families who have students entering into second year sacramental preparation to register them for classes.
First Communion and Confirmation Masses previously scheduled for April and May have been rescheduled during the months of September thru November. If you still do not know the scheduled date for your child, you need to call the office. 479-756-6711.
The Adoration Chapel is open 9am – 5am Mon thru Fri If you want to spend time with the Lord on Saturday & Sundays, the main church will be open all day. Please remember our chapel rules which include a maximum of 3 adorers, no children under 10, face masks are required and sit in the pews marked for adorers. I also recommend keeping your visits brief. One variable in the spread of Covid-19 is the amount of time spent in the presence of another person. Something to think about.
Contact Suzanne Chipollini — #879-0762 or [email protected]
to sign up for a shift and to receive the NEW code.
Procedures for Parishioners visiting the office 1. Must make an appointment before coming in 2. Wait in the vestibule, maintaining 6 ft. spacing. 3. Must wear a mask to enter the office 4. Only one person allowed in the office -- no children 5. Must sanitize hands as entering and leaving the office 6. All other inquires will be made through the office win-
dow. If not wearing a mask, window will remain closed
THE OFFICE AND GIFT SHOP WILL BE CLOSED FRIDAY, JULY 3RD & MONDAY, JULY 6TH
FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND
If you or someone you know is interested in the Catholic Faith and wants to learn more about the Church, our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation) classes will begin this fall.
In the Covid-19 world which we live, we need to look at how many people are signing up before deciding a start date, location, & frequency.
For these reasons, call the office at 479.756.6711 if you are interested in the class and we will stay in touch with you about the nature of classes in 2020-2021.
Video System Operators Needed Contact the office or email
If you are interested in learning
how to operate
the new video system during Mass
Door Monitors needed Contact the office or email [email protected]
if you are interested in helping monitor the entrance and
count those who enter the church for Mass.
Both of these opportunities are very easy
and still allow you to fully participate in the Mass.
ATTENTION ALL MINISTRY LEADERS Facility Request Reservation Forms
for the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year are due TODAY Forms can be dropped at the parish office
or emailed to [email protected]
Retreat in Daily Life—October 2020-April 2021
A St. Scholastica Monastery Spirituality Program
During the course of 30 weeks, retreatants live their commitment to God, to themselves, and to their fellow participants by following the steps of this prayer jour-ney. Each retreatant commits to these three experiences:
—Daily private prayer, which includes Scripture, reflection, & journaling.
—Weekly small group meetings in which participants share their prayer experiences with each other. Groups are facilitated by a certified spiritual director.
—Twice monthly individual spiritual direction
Contact Cathy for more info: [email protected]
Be sure to check out our bulletin to see the full flyer for more details and information
The St. Raphael Knights of Columbus Council 12082
& our parish Scout Troop 777 are again running a Jakes Fireworks tent.
THEY ARE OPEN JUNE 28 – JULY 5.
Many of the big displays will likely be canceled, but you can have your own display!
Jakes Fireworks offers the very best prices, so come see us & get the best value for your money!
OUR TENT HAS MOVED! This year we are located on West Sunset (Hwy 412)
just east of Dairy Queen (across the street from Susan’s Restaurant).
This is a big fundraiser for our groups, so if you are planning to buy fireworks,
please come & buy your fireworks from us! For more information, contact Jeff Wood
(479-841-6233 or [email protected]
2 FREE RESOURCE FROM
Did you know there are 26 Church Approved
Marian Apparitions?
Click The Ultimate Guide to Marian Apparitions to learn more
We Know Getting Kids to Behave,
Let Alone Wanting to Go to Mass, Is Hard.
Click "How to Get Kids Excited about the Mass" to read the article
The Diocese of Little Rock is compiling a list of online resources to help you stay
connected & continue to practice your faith. Click dolr.org/covid to see all that they offer.
Here are just a few of the links https://dolr.org/covid-watch-mass-at-home
https://dolr.org/covid-free-scripture-reflections
https://dolr.org/covid-faith-formation
During this difficult time in our community, we have served many families that have never needed food pantry assistance before. Our pantry needs have continued to grow with more demand in specific are-as. As you can understand, there is a need for disin-
fectants, hand sanitizers, and surgical masks and gloves. We are also in need of all toiletry items and general household supplies.
As for the food supply, our most needed item is meat. If you are able to donate any quantities of fresh or frozen meat, direct from grocery store to Saint Raphael pantry, please call the church office to set an appointment so the food pantry will be able to transfer the meat immediately into freezer space. We ask that you do not bring meat from home freezers as this could potentially create a health risk.
Thank you for your continued support.
For appointment please call 479-756-6711.
FOOD PANTRY
OZARK CATHOLIC ACADEMY RUMMAGE SALE
to benefit the student Athletics program.
Friday, July 10, 11am-3pm
& Saturday, July 11, 8am—1pm Knights of Columbus Hall across from OCA
233 N Barrington Rd, Tontitown
OCA is welcoming its largest class this fall with 31 new students! That will bring them up to 77 students.
With the larger student body, we are looking to add a Spirit Squad and baseball team to the sports program that currently includes Cross Country, Track, Golf, Volleyball, Archery, men and women's Basketball. As a new member of the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) OCA will compete in the 1A-1 West Conference this fall.
Plan to stop by, check out all the great items, and bring your friends!
Masks and social distancing will be in place for your browsing comfort.
A REFLECTION FROM ALEX SMITH--OUR SUMMER SEMINARIAN
Gospel Reflection for Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Dealing with Our Demons
Happy Fourth of July Week! I hope everyone will have a safe and fun weekend with family.
This Wednesday, in the Gospel, we have the story of two demoniacs who came out from the tombs to meet Jesus. People who
usually traveled this road would take other routes to avoid the demoniacs. But not Christ! As Jesus approached, the demoniacs saw
Him and called out: “What do you have to do with us, Son of God?” These men were frightened of Jesus, yet they called Him the
“Son of God.” They believed that Jesus had come to torment them.
Driving out demons was never straightforward, even for Jesus. Unlike in other, more significant miracles, Jesus here encounters opposition and re-
sistance, but in the end, He prevails. After the miracle, the whole town begged Jesus to leave their neighborhood: He had freed them from the evil presence
of the devil, but they must have felt He had disturbed their life too much.
The mission of Jesus transcends all boundaries. He is not afraid to go to the other side, the land of the Gentiles - where the Jews would not usually
go. There He encounters the forces of evil in the form of the demoniacs and silences them. However, the people failed to see the power of God at work in
Jesus and earnestly ask Him to leave. Let us never be ashamed of Jesus, willing to help us with our demons. We may try to manage our demons on our
own. However, most often, they are too powerful for us. We need to turn to Jesus and ask him to cast out our demons or at least help us gain some control
over them.
Today I invite you to take a few moments and ask yourself: What are my demons? How are they controlling my life? What is the damage they are
doing to the people I care about and to me? Then take a few moments of quiet. Thoughtfully ask Jesus to drive out your demons, to heal you, and to free
you! Then sit quietly in Jesus’ presence for 5-10 minutes. Take in Jesus’ peace and love. Rest in Him. This alone may drive out a few demons we are
wrestling with internally.