Vol. 14, No. 42 Dec. 19, 2016

Transcription

1 Vol. 14, No. 42 Dec. 19, 2016 Check out Bishop Kicanas on Facebook at Please note: The Diocese of Tucson offices will be closed beginning at 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22, all day Friday, Dec. 23 and all day Monday, Dec. 26 in observance of Christmas. The offices also will be closed on Friday, Dec. 30 and Monday, Jan. 2 in observance of New Year s Day. The Monday Memo will take a short break, returning on Jan. 9. Christ is born All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. Psalm 98: 1 Part of the responsorial psalm for Christmas Day Merry Christmas! Our Advent preparations are done and we await the birth of Christ; a celebration we will hold on Sunday.

2 The responsorial psalm from the Christmas Day readings reminds us of the Glory and mercy of God. God s love is so great that we are given a savior, the greatest gift. As we look toward the arrival of Christ, think about the other gifts God has given each of us; employment, health, a home, friends, food every day. These are gifts we often take for granted. I plan to think this week about those who do not have those gifts; there are so many people struggling to live in our world. There are the poor of this country, those living on the streets. There are those in war zones, innocent people such as those in Aleppo, who we know beseech God for help. There are the lonely, the tired, and the disengaged. As we find ourselves in this glow of the holidays, with Christ so near to our hearts and our minds, perhaps we too can ask God to bring peace and help to all in the world in need. Better yet, perhaps the Spirit can inspire us to take action. To help those in need; to give hope to those we are afraid and troubled; and even to give the peace and acceptance of friendship to those that may have none. Embody mercy to be as Christ, the greatest gift of God.

3 Congratulations! To the parish community of St. Augustine Cathedral Parish as winner of the Grand Marshal s Award for the float entered in the annual downtown Parade of Lights. The float was created by Mary Leyva and our own Liz Aguallo, diocesan administrator for Property and Insurance Department, and Carol Pina, A/R accounting clerk in the diocesan Fiscal and Administrative Services Department. Presbyteral Council Meets this morning at the Pastoral Center. Items to be covered during this meeting include: Information on the 2017 Annual Catholic Appeal including the new Appeal video; priests leading pilgrimages; Group Ruling St. Vincent de Paul Councils; 2017 Parish Boards of Directors Convocation; changes to the Diocesan Newspaper; reflection on the results of the October count; vocations; and changes in healthcare coverage effective July Catholic Foundation Board Meeting Will take place tomorrow (Dec. 20) among the items that will be discussed are the upcoming Annual Catholic Appeal, job responsibilities of Foundation staff members, Cornerstone Gala and review of the budget. Bishop s Christmas dinner This week I will be hosting my annual dinners for the Pastoral Center Directors on Tuesday and on Wednesday evening for members of the Sexual Misconduct Review Committee. Review Committee The SMRC committee will hold its regular meeting at the Pastoral Center early Wednesday morning. Their wisdom and counsel on very sensitive issues is invaluable.

4 Memorial Mass Visitation, rosary and memorial Mass for Father Clement Agamba, who passed away Dec. 3, at St. Augustine Cathedral on Dec. 21. Visitation will begin at 8:40 a.m.; the rosary will begin at 9:40 a.m. and Mass starts at 10 a.m. His funeral Mass and burial will take place in Ghana at the Basilica in which he was ordained as a priest. Father was a priest for 26 years; he served in the Diocese of Tucson for nine years, and was Pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Benson. He will be greatly missed. For those priests who plan to concelebrate - Please remember to let the Pastoral Services office know so they can plan for seating in the sanctuary and also for vestment information. Please call or send an to ojames@diocesetucson.org or Regional Bishops Retreat Will be held at the Redemptorist Renewal Center from Jan Pastoral Center employees luncheon Our hard-working Pastoral Center staff will be taking a break Thursday for our Christmas celebration. We begin with Mass and then move on to a meal, complete with singing and frivolity. It is a truly wonderful time to thank them for the work and to rest with laughter and good companionship. My deep thanks to the Christmas Party Planning Committee for their hard work at a very, very busy time. I will travel to Chicago in time to spend Christmas with my family for several days. Please pray for

5 ...the soul of Kyle Frank, former director of the Diocesan Choir, who passed away in late November. Kyle became the organist and choir director at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church and taught music full time for 19 years at the parish school. After becoming Director of Music at Tucson's Saint Augustine Cathedral. She worked on the renovation of the cathedral's pipe organ, raised funds to purchase a new piano, and directed the choir. Please pray also for her husband, Gerald Frank; her children, Katherine Anne Sullivan Leyva of Tucson, Amanda Frank Oliphant (Jason) of Boston, MA, Neal Frank (Andrea) of Tucson; her grandchildren and her sisters, Marjorie Anne Schey (Theodore III) of Longmont, CO and Lisa Barnes MacBain (William) of Gaithersburg, MD. The family asks that any memorial contributions be made to the charity of the donor's choosing or to the Alzheimer's Association, Southern Arizona Chapter, 3300 S. Country Club, #209, Tucson, AZ Upcoming Sunday, Jan. 1 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Sunday, Jan. 8 Epiphany of the Lord Monday, Jan. 9 Baptism of the Lord Feast