ST. THERESA PARISH – PHOENIX, AZ SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

My Brothers and Sisters,

Perhaps you can relate to an experience I recently had…

I’d received an invitation to preside at Mass and be a “keynote speaker” at an event taking place at one of our Diocesan parishes. Since my talk was going to be substantially longer than an average homily, I put in quite a bit more time for preparation than I generally do with prayer and preparation for a Sunday homily (and yes, I do prepare my homilies J). Maybe I went overboard in the prepara-tion… as I wanted to “do justice” for the audience at the event that I had been invited to.

Following the opening Mass and a nice breakfast, I was formally introduced to the participants at the event, came to the stage and began my presentation. All began well… but about halfway through my allotted time, I realized – much to my chagrin – that I had only made it through about a quarter of what I had prepared and wanted to share! Aargh. So, in the midst of continuing on with my talk… I started “cherry picking” the most important points that I wanted to make, in an attempt to condense the presentation so that I could conclude relatively on-schedule. All of this happened on the fly – try-ing to keep some cohesion to what I was saying, while another part of my brain was calculating “where do I go from here” and “how do I bring this thing in for a landing on time?” In the process, I skipped over much of what I had hoped would tie the talk together. It was not a pleasant experience.

Somehow the presentation ended, the applause was far more robust than I expected, and there were a number of positive comments afterwards. But internally, none of that seemed make a difference. I couldn’t stop “beating myself up” for a good part of the rest of the day. I had – quite frankly – failed to live up to my own expectations. And, I wasn’t about to let myself off the hook as I spiraled into further frustration.

Have you ever experienced anything similar? Maybe not when it comes to public speaking… but may-be in some situation at work, at home or at school? When we fail to meet our own self-expectations, and end up being far more critical of ourselves than others would be, judging ourselves by a far harsher standard that we would ever think to judge another person in similar circumstances?

When we find ourselves being hypercritical of ourselves – when something doesn’t “go as I planned” and we’re filled with self-recrimination… what can we do to take the edge off (besides a good stiff drink)?

A couple of Sundays ago, we heard a wonderful Gospel of divine mercy (Luke 15:1-32) that included the story of Prodigal Son. It’s a story that reminds us, in verse 20, that the forgiving father takes the initiative: running out to greet the errant son, embracing and kissing him before the son even has a chance to say “I’m sorry.” Really, all that the son had to do was allow himself to be embraced, and healed by his father’s love. I could almost imagine the son, once he was sitting down to a nice meal of fattened calf, admitting to himself “the renewal, the relief I feel is not about me – it’s about the fa-ther’s love for me.” Once the son realized that, there certainly wasn’t any reason for him to continue chastising himself about his failures!

What a relief and healing it can be for you and me – when we have those experiences of “beating ourselves up” for some self-perceived imperfection or shortcoming – to simply stop, remember that God is with us … and allow ourselves to be embraced by our loving and merciful Father. After all, only God is perfect – you and I aren’t! Grace, mercy and peace, Rev. Charles G. Kieffer Pastor

TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

PARISH NEWS

Mark Your Calendar! NEXT SUNDAY, October 2nd at 1PM Our Lady of Guadalupe Courtyard

All of God’s Creatures are Welcome!

The Bible class that meets on Thursday evenings at St. Theresa Parish will reconvene on Thursday, September 15th at 7PM in Fr. Feeney Hall. The lectures in the fall quarter will allow our Bible teacher Kevin Saunders to teach through St. Paul's Letters to the Corinthians (1&2 Corinthians) during the 12 week lecture series. These letters known as first and second Corinthian's provide fascinating insight into the life and times of the first cen-tury church in ancient Corinth. All are welcome to at-tend this lecture-based Bible class. Each lecture lasts an hour and a half. Registration information and proce-dures are explained on the first evening of our class on September 15th. Make plans to attend now! Bring your Bible and a friend! For more information you can visit http://arizonabibleclass.com/khxc/.

Certificate/Letter Requests From The Parish Office We ask that all requests for copies of Sacramental Cer-tificates/letters/forms be given a minimum of 5 business days to be completed. All requests will be processed within 10 business days on a first come/first serve basis. PLEASE NOTE: All Sacramental certificate requests REQUIRE a photo ID and a request form to be filled out. If the certificate request is for a minor, a legal guardian will need to provide a photo ID and fill out the request form. For any questions, contact the Parish Of-fice @ 602-840-0850. Thank you!

I was born and raised a Catholic, but along the way I lost my faith. I married young and had 4 children, be-came a single mom, and went to college while working. It took 7 years to get my BA. You get the picture… too busy for anything that wasn't related to kids, collage or career. As the years went by I did check out other types of Christian churches. Nothing stuck. Then my grand-son started elementary Religious Education at St. The-resa. He asked me if I would come to 9:00AM Mass on Sundays with him and his mom (my daughter). How do you refuse that invitation? St. Theresa wasn't like the stogy Catholic church I’d abandon years ago. I don’t know exactly when it hit me that this going to church at St. Theresa was great. I became a returning Catholic and joined the parish. About a year ago I read that St. Theresa was hiring a Sunday morning receptionist for the Parish Office. Got the job, work week days as need-ed as well. I do lots of other voluntary activities here at the parish. I now have a granddaughter going to St. Theresa School so if a volunteer is needed, I’m there. According to my son-in-law, St. Theresa has become my “community” and you know he’s right. Patricia A. Ingram Parishioner & Parish Staff Member

“In Service to ONE, In Service To All” St. Theresa Parish Knights Of Columbus Council #13497 would like to thank eve-ryone for attending our recent Wine Fes-tival. Because of the support of this parish we are able to distribute funds to our

Knights Charities and to many of the Parish Ministries and School. Your local council of the Knights of Co-lumbus is proud to have donated a gift of $1,000 to St. Theresa Catholic School to help our children receive the best education possible! For more information about the Knights of Columbus please call our Grand Knight, Jim Tucker, @ 602-430-6144.

Parishioner Updates Name/Email/Phone/Address/Birth

If you have had a name, email, phone, address, new birth, etc. change within the past year, please call the Parish Office @ 602-840-0850. We can up-date your record as well as make any additional chang-es you may have. We appreciate your help in keeping our database up to date and helping us cut our postage costs!

ST. THERESA PARISH – PHOENIX, AZ SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

CHILDREN’S SACRAMENTAL PREP

Corner Of Grace Passing on the faith to our children can feel overwhelming and it’s helpful to remember what St. Mat-thew the Apostle wrote: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom

of heaven.” Children are full of trust, rich in goodness and pure of heart and that’s something that must never be missing in people who want to enter the kingdom of heaven. Don’t fret about how you teach your children – love Jesus like they do!

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Elementary Religious Education Classes

Have Begun! Registration for Elementary RE Classes are still open (3 years old-5th grade). Classes meet on Sun-days from 10:30-11:30AM in the school classrooms. Just a reminder we also have a Home-School option as well. For more information please contact Rita Laguna in the Parish Office @ 602-840-0850 or you may email Rita at rla-guna@sttheresaphx.org.

PASTORAL CARE

Request To All Pastoral Care Ministers It’s that time of the year again! Your Safe Environment Training needs to be renewed for the coming year. Please go to www.safeenvironmenttraining.org, click on “My Obli-gations” and then follow the instructions. If you do not have a computer or do not want to do your renewal online, please come to the Parish Office on Wednesday, October 12th @ 10AM or 5PM, for a group session. Please contact Bobbie Stich in the Pastoral Care Office @ 602-586-7429 if you have any questions on this.

Pray For Those... Who Are Sick: Evelyn McDermott

& Carrie Vinesky Who Have Died: Percy Marsh

& Josephine Zamiara

Pastoral Council Corner Did You Know?

The Parish Pastoral Council continues to pre-sent brief explanations of each Stained Glass Win-dow in our church to dis-cover the meaning behind the stained glass. We en-courage parishioners to take in the beauty of the window and experience the wisdom of God teaching us through the

historical lives of these leaders of Catholic faith. Window: The Communion of Saints Window (when facing the Altar beginning at the far left)

Monsignor Gerard & Bishop Bourgade ~ Panel 3

The Rev. Msgr. Edward Gerard came to Arizona from France as a deacon and was ordained by Bishop John B. Salpointe in Tucson in 1877. He was the first priest to be ordained in Arizona. In those days before the Church was established in Phoenix, Father Gerard would ride horseback from Florence, where he was pas-tor, to make sick calls in Phoenix. Though he went blind in his later years, he continued to serve the Church as Chaplain for the Sisters of Mercy, first in Silver City, New Mexico and then in Prescott, where he died in 1936. Gerard High School in Phoenix is named for this priest who was so dedicated to the early Church in Ari-zona. The Most Rev. Peter Bourgade was made the Vicar Apostolic of Arizona in 1885 and the first Bishop of Tucson in 1897, which meant that he was the first Bishop of Arizona. He invited Franciscan missionaries to take over St. Mary’s Parish in Phoenix and the Indian missions of southern Arizona. In 1899 he was made the fourth Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He died in Chicago in 1908 and is buried in the crypt under the sanctuary of the Cathedral in Santa Fe. Bourgade High School in Phoenix is named for this pioneer in the es-tablishment of the Church in Arizona.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Blood Pressure Checks… will be provided in the Pope John Paul Room after all morning Masses on Sunday, October 16th. There is no cost for this wonderful service provided by the St. Theresa Parish Health & Wellness Ministry.

TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“Loving Someone Who Has Dementia” It’s meaningful for ALL family caregivers to be able to

‘Find Hope while Coping with Stress and Grief’ Come on Thursday, October 6th

For more information contact Duet @ 602-274-5022.

Serving The Homebound If you have a family mem-ber who is homebound and would like visits, commun-ion, anointing, and/or confession, please contact Bobbie Stich in the Pastoral Care Office @ 602-586-7429.

Adoration Every Thursday 9AM-8:30PM

Convent Chapel In silence, you can feel the presence of Jesus. Share with Him your needs and Thanksgiving. Come when you can and leave when you must. In our busy world, time with Jesus brings Hope & Peace. Please contact Bobbie Stich in the Pastoral Care Office for the chapel code @ 602-586-7429.

Bunco Date Change! Monday, September 26th in Fr. Feeney Hall. Come roll the dice and have some fun! This is a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends from other parishes in

the surrounding area. For more information please call Charlotte @ 480-284-6188 or Patti @ 602-952-0802.

If You Have Had A Loved One Pass Away This Year… and did not have the funeral here at St. The-resa Parish, we invite you to contact the Pastoral Care Office with your loved ones names @ 602-586-7429 or by e-mail at bstich@sttheresaphx.org. We will then include them in our beautiful ‘Mass of Remembrance’ in November’. This will give you the wonderful opportunity to bring a candle down to the altar when their name is read during this special Mass.

Interested In Advertising In The St. Theresa Parish Bulletin?

Please call Al Mendoza with Trinity Publications if you are interested in placing an ad for your business or personally. You can reach Al on his cell phone @

512-461-8191 or call Trinity Publications at 1-800-633-1122

SENIOR LUNCHEON Wednesday, October 5th

11:30AM in Fr. Feeney Hall Reserve the day and come

enjoy a wonderful afternoon! Margie Hubbard is waiting

for you to give her a call @ 602-840-2715.

Deadline for reservations is September 30th.

The cost of $10 is a great bargain for delicious food,

music and door prizes. Let’s start a new year of luncheons with lots of

laughter and the opportunity to meet new friends!

We hope to see you there!

SAVE THE DATE!!! Arizona Rosary Celebration 2016

Sunday, October 23rd from 2-4:15PM Phoenix Convention Center

2-4:15PM The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted Presiding

We will come together with parishioners throughout the Diocese of Phoenix to pray the Rosary with one voice before the Blessed Sacrament, which honors Mary un-der her title “Our Lady of Mercy”. Plan on joining fel-low parishioners, Knights of Columbus and children from our STCS for this celebration as we lift our voices together in music, prayer and benediction. It will be a sacred day you will never forget! For more information call 623-939-1840 or e-mail azrosary@yahoo.com.

ST. THERESA PARISH – PHOENIX, AZ SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

Sunday 10:15AM 2nd Grade Reconciliation Mtg. (Fr. Feeney Hall) RCIC (Club Rm) 10:30AM Adult Confirmation/RCIA (Convent Upper Rm) RE Classes (School Classrooms) 1:00PM Baptisms (Church) 6:00PM Life Night (Life Teen Rm) Monday 1:45PM Bunco (Fr. Feeney Hall) 6:30PM Boy Scout Mtg. (Pope John Paul Rm) Edge (Life Teen Rm) Tuesday 1:00PM Pastoral Care Book Club (Parish Conference Rm) 3:30PM Youth Choir Rehearsal (Church) 4:00PM Alzheimer Support Group (Parish Conference Rm) 5:30PM Core Team Mtg. (Life Teen Rm) 6:30PM SVDP Mtg. (Convent Conference Rm) 7:30PM Adult Basketball (Msgr. McMahon Gym) Wednesday 9:30AM Centering Prayer (Convent Chapel) 5:00PM Reconciliation (Church) 6:00PM Choir Rehearsal (Church) 6:30PM Rosary (Convent Chapel) Thursday 9:00AM Adoration w/ Benediction (Convent Chapel) 10:00AM Bernard Beckwith Funeral (Church) 7:00PM Kevin Saunders Bible Study (Fr. Feeney Hall) Friday Saturday 9:00AM Reconciliation (Church) 8:30PM Al Anon (Classroom 16) Alcoholics Anonymous (Classroom 17)

~ Readings ~ Week of September 25, 2016

Sunday Am 6:1a, 4-7; Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10; 1 Tm 6:11-16; Lk 16:19-31 Monday Jb 1:6-22; Ps 17:1bcd, 2-3, 6-7; Lk 9:46-50 Tuesday Jb 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23; Ps 88:2-3, 4-5, 6, 7-8; Lk 9:51-56 Wednesday Jb 9:1-12, 14-16; Ps 88:10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15; Lk 9:57-62 Thursday Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 or Rv 12:7-12a; Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5; Jn 1:47-51 Friday Jb 38:1, 12-21, 40:3-5; Ps 139:1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14ab; Lk 10:13-16 Saturday Jb 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17; Ps 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130; Lk 10:17-24 Sunday Hb 1:2-3, 2:2-4­­; Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; 2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14; Lk 17:5-10

Mass Intentions & Celebrants (SEPTEMBER 26TH-OCTOBER 2ND)

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH 6:30AM +JO MURPHY-FR. JOACHIM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH 6:30AM +ELIZABETH LEWANDOWSKI-FR. JOACHIM

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH 6:30AM +CHARLES MURPHY-FR. JOACHIM

8:30AM +SCOTT WESTMORLAND-FR. CHUCK THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH

6:30AM +W.M. “MICHAEL” DREYER-FR. CHUCK FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH

6:30AM +JOHN, OLGA & DAVID BARBIERI-FR. JOACHIM SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1ST

8:00AM +EUGENE SENJAMIN-FR. JOACHIM 4:00PM FOR THE PARISHIONERS-FR. JC

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2ND 7:30AM JOHN MCCAFFREY, SPECIAL INT.-FR. CHUCK

9:00AM +BILL CHESTERFIELD-FR. JOACHIM 11:00AM +MARIE & ALBERT FLEMING -FR. CHUCK

5:00PM +BOB FORRESTER-FR. PAUL The Priest scheduled to celebrate the Mass

IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.