Keep Austin Holy. E-newsletter Available online at

Transcription

1 Keep Austin Holy E-newsletter Available online at Saint Mary Cathedral Volunteer Ministries August 2007 Issue 8 Monthly Prayer That we may invest more time and talent in building up a treasure in heaven. This Month s Poll How long have you been involved in ministry at St. Mary s? a.) I m not actually involved here yet. b.) Less than a year. c.) 1 5 years! d.) 5 10 years! e.) 10+ years! Submit your answers to jjones@saintmaryscathedral.org or call Ext. 12. August Ministry Happenings Saturday, Aug. 18, 8 p.m. La Follia presents: Music of England and Italy Cathedral Experience a magical transformation as the majestic and resonant space of St. Mary s becomes an intimate chamber. Take a break from the Texas summer heat and let your spirit be cooled, calmed and refreshed as featured Schola Cantorum members perform the intimate and expressive music of Renaissance England and Italy. Tickets are $12 ($15 at the Youth Ministry moves to Sunday evenings For many years, the Saint Mary Cathedral Youth Ministry, high school Christian Faith Formation classes and Confirmation classes have all been separate entities independent of each other. Beginning in the school year, however, things will change. All three groups are merging into one comprehensive Youth Ministry program to include catechesis, prayer and worship and, of course, fun. On Aug. 26, high school-aged youth will begin meeting on Sunday evenings after the 5:30 p.m. Mass in Bishops Hall, where they will snack and learn in a comfortable environment what it means to be a Catholic youth in today s world. The Youth Ministry is looking for young adult volunteers, so if you enjoy working with teens there are several projects you can help with! Contact Director of Volunteer Ministry Jen Jones at Ext. 12 or jjones@saintmaryscathedral.org for more information. Foster a sense of service with your kids A common misconception about getting involved in church ministry or volunteering at church is that you can t get started until you re 18. Wrong! It s never too early to get involved in ministry, and there are many opportunities available for children and teenagers to get involved at St. Mary s. Altar Server Students between the fourth and 12th grades can become altar servers and assist at weekend Masses. To serve at the Cathedral is a privilege as you often have the opportunity to

2 door). Call for more info. Monday, Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m. CFF Parent Orientation Meeting Bishops Hall An informational meeting for all parents who have children between Pre-Kinder through eighth grade. Sacramental preparation, CFF s new curriculum and expectations for the calendar year will be addressed. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend. Tuesday, Aug. 28, 3:30 p.m. Cathedral School of St. Mary Altar Server Training Cathedral Cathedral School of St. Mary students between fourth and eighth grades are invited to become altar servers! Serve during the school Masses and at weekend Masses if available. Call the school office for more information at Wednesday, Aug. 29, 5:30 p.m. PTC Orientation and Back to School Night Donahue Center Cafeteria Come join us and meet our new Parent Teach Club officers and School Board members of Cathedral School of St. Mary. Valuable information and highlights will also be given for the upcoming new school year. Pizza and drinks will be provided. Breakfast Schedule Aug. 5 Girl Scouts Aug. 12 Los Amigos Aug. 19 Youth Ministry Aug. 26 Cathedral School of St. Mary Protecting God s Children Workshops Aug. 8, 2 5 p.m. St. Gabriel Catholic School Aug. 10, 6 9 p.m. St. William Parish (En Español) serve with the bishop! Altar Society Children / teenagers can help clean the sacristy and sanctuary twice a month on any Saturday morning. Cathedral School of St. Mary Children / teenagers can help out in the library or school office or sell H.O.P.E. cards after weekend Masses. Christian Faith Formation The religious education program at the Cathedral is for all ages! Contact the religious education office at to enroll your child. Interfaith Hospitality Network Children / teenagers can hang out and play with the children who are housed with their families in crisis four times a year. Lector After Confirmation, teenagers can become a lector and proclaim the Good News at weekend Masses. Nursery High school students can work in the nursery during any Sunday Mass. Parish Office Volunteers Children / teenagers can assist the church office staff with administrative tasks / general office duties (fold, staple, stuff, type, file, etc.) anytime during regular office hours Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Bulletin stuffers volunteer on Saturdays. Taize Ministry Children / teenagers can sing in the Taize choir when the ministry hosts its city-wide prayers for Christian unity four times a year. No audition required. Ushers Children / teenagers can assist as ushers at weekend Masses, greeting parishioners. Worship Environment Ministry Children / teenagers can help decorate the sanctuary to

3 Aug. 16, 2 5 p.m. Catholic Charities Aug. 17, 6 9 p.m. St. William Parish (En Español) Aug. 18, 2 5 p.m. St. Theresa Parish Molding a servant s heart Pay a compliment at least once a day. Call or visit a homebound person. Hand out balloons to passersby. enhance the Church seasons. Volunteering can be fun and it s up to you as role models to teach children how important it is to serve God s people and do their part in building the Kingdom of God here on Earth! Volunteer Spotlight Rosie Cortez Girl Scouts Parishioner since 1990 Retired volunteer coordinator, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program Give free sodas to motorists. Be a good neighbor. Take over a baked treat or stop by to say, Hello. Need a speaker? To invite the director of volunteer ministry to speak to your ministry, religious ed class, young adult group, Knights council, Bible study or just about anything else, call the Cathedral office at Ext. 12 or just me at jjones@saintmaryscathedral.org. In what ministries have you been involved with in the past? I've volunteered with Girl Scouts for 15 years. The first troop of Girl Scouts had as many as 12 girls and three of the original Cathedral School of St. Mary girls continued through high school graduation. Three of us were honored with adult lifetime membership at the girls retirement as girl scouts. Father Bud asked me to continue with Girl Scouts and I did. We now have a second troop of eight girls who just completed their third year. In the 90s I volunteered with the Cathedral School of St. Mary Parent Teacher Club and Interfaith Hospitality Network. What is your favorite thing about volunteering at St. Mary s? My favorite thing about volunteering at St. Mary s is that I have been asked to help in many different areas. As they say in the volunteer business -- "All you have to do is ask." What do you get out of it? I have gotten so much out of working with young girls and women, especially when the girls have come back to say they learned about history, science, etc. in Girl Scouts and were just starting to study that particular subject in school. I love to see the excitement in the girls faces when they learn they can do what they set their mind to do. In my 15 years there, six girls have earned three Catholic - Religious

4 Recognitions in three different levels. What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as a St. Mary s volunteer? The most rewarding experience as a volunteer is that I feel I have a much larger family. The parents confidence and trust that I will do for their girls as if they were my own, especially now that I don't have a young daughter in the troop, is rewarding. Why does volunteering matter? Volunteers matter to me because I've been volunteering for over 40 years; I started as a kid and have never stopped. My time and experience is what I have to offer. Volunteering matters because of the many hundreds of thousands of dollars volunteers save St. Mary s, through their generosity of time, experience and love for God and for those who can't do for themselves. What are your other interests? I am a licensed massage therapist and cake designer. I volunteer for the elderly at the Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center and Lyons Gardens Living Facility -- Family Eldercare. I've just recently started to quilt with a group of friends who also recently retired. What advice would you give to a parishioner new to volunteering? Sit and visit with busy, active parishioners you see at the Cathedral. They (we) love to share their personal stories about serving God and community. You may just find what you've been looking for through conversation. Keep Austin Holy needs your help in identifying outstanding volunteers. We recognize volunteers monthly in our Volunteer Spotlight. Please contact the director of volunteer ministry to nominate an outstanding volunteer. Beautify the Cathedral School Campus The Cathedral School of St. Mary is making a parish-wide effort to beautify their school campus on Aug. 4, 11 and 18. Anyone interested in volunteering on any of these days may contact the Parent Teacher Club at ptc@saintmaryscathedral.org to schedule a date and time. The days will consist of painting, gardening, cleaning, minor repairs, etc. with coffee and donuts to start!

5 Spirituality of Ministry A three-hour Spirituality of Ministry workshop will be held Aug. 11 at St. Helen Parish in Georgetown for all who wish to deepen their spiritual life and the spiritual quality of their service. Fr. Kevin Rai will conduct the workshop from 9 a.m. to noon in the parish hall at St. Helen s. The first part of the morning will consist of a teaching on the spirituality of ministry, followed by light refreshments and an opportunity for discussion. Ministries Wish List Rosary Leaders: Substitutes to lead Rosary during the week CFF: Catechists for the school year Youth Ministry: Adult team leaders Latin Mass community: choir members (director is an actual instructor so no previous training is required), male altar servers Evangelization Committee: Members to help welcome new parishioners Mary s Hands: Volunteers to visit homebound parishioners Altar Society: Volunteers to help tidy up church Pro-Life Activities: Volunteers with passion for pro-life ministries Spanish Choir: Musical trainer to lead training Taize: Singers, musicians, photographer

6 Closing So let s pray that, as families, we may recognize the importance of giving and strive to find more ways that we can share our blessings with others. And let us continue to pray that we may learn to value all people for the unique gifts and qualities that God has bestowed upon them, rather than for their material possessions and accomplishments. Quote of the Day "The promotion of the practice of stewardship is important for the mission of the Church and for the spiritual well-being of each individual Christian. Everyone benefits from the sacrificial gift one makes of his time, talent and treasure." -- Pope Benedict XVI If you know anyone who would like to receive Keep Austin Holy, simply the director of volunteer ministry with the necessary contact info and one word: SUBSCRIBE. If you would like to no longer receive the newsletter, simply with one word, UNSUBSCRIBE.