A few announcements: Solemnity of the Assumption … Is a Holy Day of Obligation. We will have a Vigil Mass at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 15.
Financial Report … A report for the last fiscal year can be found on the table in our gathering space. Please take one for yourself.
August Bulletin … Can be found on the table in the gathering space.
Away … I will be flying home to Connecticut from August 15-17 to visit with my niece and nephews before they head back to school. Maintenance … A company has been hired to trim all of the bushes around the church. Membership in the parish involves more than attending Mass and socials. It’s imperative that we cultivate a spirit of volunteerism to take responsibility for the parish and needs that can be addressed through the gift of time and talent. The more we have to hire out, the greater are the expenses. Again, please take this into account when making your donation of time, talent, and treasure to the parish.
Jubilee Anniversary Mass and Reception … All couples who are celebrating their 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 65th, or 70th wedding anniversary this year, along with their families, are invited to attend the Jubilee Anniversary Mass with Bishop Rhoades on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 11 a.m. at St. Matthew Cathedral. A ticketed reception will follow in the school gym. Anniversary couples will receive a commemorative certificate and two free tickets to the reception. Additional reception tickets for family and friends may be purchased for $10 each. Children ages 10 and younger may attend the reception at no charge. To register, go to diocesefwsb.org/anniversary-masses.
The Christ Child Society … New clothing is available for children from birth to 14 years who are eligible for free school lunch. Each child receives a winter coat, jeans, leggings of joggers, shirts, underwear, socks and athletic shoes, as well as gently used clothing, dental supplies and a book. School uniforms are also available. The Clothing Center will be open every Wednesday through mid-December, plus five Sunday afternoons and nine Thursday evenings. A referral from a local agency or child’s school is required. For a schedule and a list of referral agencies, go to www.christchildsb.org. If you are interested in volunteering or donating children’s gently used, winter clothing or boots, contact [email protected].
Parish Picnic … The Annual St. Augustine’s Parish picnic will be held on Sunday, August 25th, from 1:00 – 6:00 pm.
Where: St. Patrick’s County Park (Laurel Road north of Auten Road) --- The Berta Shelter. St. Augustine’s pays for the park entry fee. Tell the guard at the gate that you are with St. A’s.
Time: We will eat at 1:30. Food will be served until 3:00. Food: St. A’s will provide chicken, pop and water. Please bring a salad, side dish or dessert to share.
A few more details… *There is a sign-up sheet on the table at the back of the church. Please give us your name and tell us how many will be coming with you, so we know how much chicken, etc… will be needed.
*Bring any games that you might want to play. Also, there are hiking trails if anyone is interested.
***Volunteers are needed to help clean up after the picnic. *** The Shelter area must be clean in order for our deposit to be returned.
Please text Denisa Lynk if you would like to help: 574-210-6867.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd … Level I (ages 3-6) and level II (ages 6-9) atrium sessions will begin September 2024 and will run through May 2025 on Sundays, 9:30-10:30am. Each session is guided by a trained catechist and supported by an assistant. Time in the atrium offers the child an opportunity to work with beautiful hands-on materials which are rooted in Catholic liturgy and scripture. The child will follow along with the liturgical year, grow to understand the importance of the Mass and the materials used in the Mass, and come to know more deeply the loving presence of Jesus, our Good Shepherd.
Please contact Sarah Kulwicki with any questions or to enroll for the Fall at: [email protected]
From Pope Francis … This was posted on the Catholic News Agency website last week and it’s worth bringing to one’s personal prayer and reflection:
“What would happen if we prayed more and complained less?” Pope Francis asked Aug. 2 on his official profile on X. He then invited the faithful to ask the Lord for “the grace to know how to pray for one another.”
The Holy Father posted this message as part of the Year of Prayer 2024, which he proposed as a preparation for the upcoming Jubilee of Hope 2025. The pope inaugurated the current Year of Prayer on Jan. 21, and since then he has invited the faithful to place themselves before the presence of the Lord on numerous occasions, especially through the hashtag #YearofPrayer.
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has often reiterated the importance of avoiding complaining about others and “gossip,” which he has referred to as “a plague on people’s lives.”
On the occasion of an Angelus prayer last September, he lamented that “the first thing that is usually created around those who make mistakes is gossip, in which everyone finds out about the mistake, with all the details, except the person affected. This is not right and does not please God,” he affirmed. “I never tire of repeating that gossip is a plague in the lives of people and communities, because it brings division, suffering, and scandal, and never helps [people] to improve and grow,” the Holy Father reiterated. On another occasion, he warned that gossip is a “deadly poison” and something “very bad” that destroys “human communion.”
“Never speak ill of one another. If you have a problem with a sister or brother, go and tell them face to face. And if you can’t do it, swallow it, but don’t go around spreading unrest that does harm and destroys,” the Holy Father advised.
Pope’s Intention for the Month of August … For political leaders. We pray that political leaders be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and for the common good, especially caring for the poor and those who have lost their jobs.