St. John Vianney Parish Newsletter
February 4, 2005
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Parish Pastoral Council
Part Five
by Ellen Turner
Parish Goals - Not wanting any of our dreams to slip away as we work on goals that have been identified as top priority, we designed the Parish Pastoral Council with an eye toward the long range concerns of the parish. The Parish Pastoral Council is the keeper of the master list of parish goals. The primary input for this list are the Town Hall meetings. The parish states its vision for the future in terms of the needs people see in the parish. The Council keeps the prioritized list of goals, publishes it for the parish, and, from the top priority goals, creates 2-3 objectives for the parish to work on. The Parish Pastoral Council may form a special committee for accomplishing a specific goal and work with them towards it's accomplishment.
Running
Council Meetings - Because it is difficult to run a meeting, take notes, and participate in discussion all at once, we decided that council
meetings would be facilitated by a non-voting parishioner. This person is responsible for keeping the council focused on the mission of Church and the
mission of our Parish Pastoral Council, with a strong emphasis on prayer, Scripture, Eucharist, and community. Pamela Bjorklund, a parishioner, professor,
and counselor, has agreed to serve in this function for our parish. We are tremendously blessed to have her skill and expertise available for this
challenging position.
We also will identify a non-voting person to serve as recording secretary for the council, so all the council members can participate in all discussion without distraction.
Agenda - An agenda of all council meetings will be published beforehand, so people can provide input on areas of interest, and minutes will be published after all council meetings.
Mark your calendar now for the Parish Town Hall Meeting, in the Main Hall, on Thursday, February
10, at 7:00 PM. The first six members of the council will be elected in that meeting. To
meet the candidates, 
.
If you missed the first parts of this series, "Parish Pastoral Council," please use the "BACK ISSUES" button at the top-right corner of the newsletter. You'll find Part 1 in the January 7 issue, Part 2 in the January 14 issue, Part 3 in the January 21 issue, and Part 4 in the January 28 issue.
St. John Vianney Youth Ministry
by Olga Rodriquez
On Monday, January 17, the SJV Youth Ministry had their first youth/parent meeting at 7:00 PM in the Parish Hall. Lead by Youth Coordinator Mary Ann Andrade, the youth ministry team introduced themselves and shared what their focus for the group will be. Their goal will be to focus on the following areas: Advocacy, Community life, Justice and Service, Catechesis, Evangelization, Leadership Development, Prayer and Worship and Pastoral Care.
The team, made up of Irma and Richard Haro, Rosie and Brian Ramirez, and several young volunteers, explained the meaning of each of these and gave examples of how they will use the youth group to teach about each one of these subject areas. For example, they spoke of field trips, volunteering, talking about school life, family relations etc.
Then, the group was split into two. Parents went off to talk with Mary Ann, the project coordinator, and the kids went with the other directors. The parents learned about specific activities that they can expect to see their kids be involved with, and the kids went and made banana splits while playing games in groups.
The schedule is to meet on Mondays from 7 PM to 9 PM, however there will be someone there at 5:00 PM for those who want to arrive early. They will meet in the Parish Hall. The exact dates are being determined and will be coordinated with the confirmation group meetings. A schedule will be sent out to all families who attended.
There is room for many more young people, and a need for volunteers. The group is for 9th to 12th grade students. It promises to be an important part of our Christian growth during these formative years. The kids will thoroughly enjoy the experience.
For any questions, you may contact Brian at 408-910-8034 or 408-836-7083 or Rosie at 408-771-3141. In addition, you may email Brian at bramirez@estatehomeloans.com.
Ash Wednesday is very early this year, February 9. We will have liturgies on Ash Wednesday as
per the following schedule:
7:45
AM
Mass
9:00
AM
Liturgy of the Word
12:05
PM
Mass
3:30
PM
Liturgy of the Word
5:00
PM
Mass
6:30
PM
Liturgy of the Word - Spanish
8:00
PM
Mass - Spanish
Ashes will be distributed at each liturgy.
Remember that we are taking up a special collection on Easter Sunday for tsunami relief. Instead of just "giving something up for Lent" why not see what changes you can make to your lifestyle that might be used to help tsunami victims.
Healing
Mass and Anointing of the Sick: You are cordially invited to a Healing Mass and Anointing of the Sick in celebration of the World Day of the Sick. Msgr.
Adolfo Valdivia will be the presider and homilist. The celebration will be at St. John Vianney Parish Church on Saturday, February 12 at 10:00 AM. A
reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
Last year, the folks who planned the Healing Mass and Anointing of the Sick thought they would have about 150 people show up. They had prepared food for that many, but a number closer to 500 actually came. Somehow the food that was available managed to serve all our guests. Families who came with their sick loved ones really thought the event was wonderful and healing.
If you, or someone you love, are ill with long term, or short term problems, or under the care of a physician for any condition, come and take part in this special blessing and healing Mass.
For more information, contact Mrs. Gina Sebastian at 408-923-6943 or 408-896-7829.
The annual St. John Vianney Fiesta "Celebrating Our Diversity" is quickly approaching - this year it is set for May 20 through May 22.
WE NEED CHAIRS AND CO-CHAIRS....Manage a booth (Chair position) or assist in managing (Co-Chair). This is a fun, unique opportunity.
Positions include:
Merchandising Room
Co-Chair Sweet Booth
Co-Chair Bingo
Co-Chair Dart Toss
Co-Chair Multi-Media Booth
Co-Chair Raffle Ticket
Chair Monday Clean-up
Chair BBQ Serving Line
Chair - A worthwhile opportunity to help our community.
If you are interested in the above Fiesta Positions, please contact:
David Couch at 408-314-2393 or at dcouch36@sbcglobal.net, or Patricia Tovar at patricia.tovar@arusd.org.
Thoughts from JustFaith
by Ray Turner
Who is Myles Horton? Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in 1863 but that was hardly the end of racism in the U.S. In 1932 a man named Myles Horton began a school in Tennessee he called Highlander, to serve as a meeting place and catalyst for those working with the poor and minorities in the South. In Myles' own words, "We were interested in building a democratic society . . . an economic democracy as well as a political democracy." Highlander was active in the Civil Rights movement in the 1940's - 1960's.
Myles
Horton is one of the people participants learn about in the JustFaith program along with St. Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.
JustFaith is an opportunity to read, discuss, study, and experience first hand justice issues affecting our community and our world. We relate these to the scriptures and to what Jesus taught us. We meet weekly to discuss the reading assignments, watch relevant videos, and engage in hands-on experiences. It's a great opportunity to learn, help others, and make new friends.
Four years ago, the first JustFaith group started serving breakfast one Sunday, every other month, at the San Jose Family Shelter in our community. We continue to enjoy doing this and interacting with the residents. St. John Vianney JustFaith groups have also distributed "fanny packs" to the homeless to help keep them warm in the cold winter months.
We start a new JustFaith group each fall at SJV which last about 9-10 months. Think about joining us next fall. It's work, but it's satisfying, fun and you have an opportunity to interact with a great bunch of SJV people!
For more information on Myles Horton and the Highlander Center, visit www.highlandercenter.org.
For more information about JustFaith, visit www.justfaith.org.
To see what some parishes in San Jose Diocese are doing with the JustFaith program, visit the Northwest Deanery JustFaith website at home.earthlink.net/~eavalos2.
Please remember to turn in your pledges for the Annual Diocesan Appeal. You may do so by bringing your pledges to Mass and submitting it during the collection.
This year the goal for our parish has been lower to a very reasonable amount. If every family in the parish contributes, we can quickly reach our goal. Any funds raised in excess of the goal will go toward a much needed sound system for our church.
Funds raised by the Annual Diocesan Appeal cover important projects that are too large for individual parishes to support. These projects include ministry to jails and prisons, education for seminarians, leadership training for laity, and administrative services for larger projects. Contributing to the Annual Diocesan Appeal, impacts our larger Christian community. So, won't you please contribute?
St. John Vianney School Registration for 2005-2006 School Year
Applications are available in the school office or online at www.sjvsj.org.
Return Applications:
Tuesday, February 15, 2005, 5 PM - 7 PM &
Wednesday, February 16, 2005, 5 PM - 7 PM
If you have any questions, or need additional information or tuition assistance, please contact the school at 258-7677, 8 AM - 4 PM, Monday through Friday, or you may send email to mwood@sjvsj.org.
Do you know of parishioners who do not have email but would like to get the St. John Vianney Parish Newsletter? Perhaps you could print out a copy each week to share with them. The cost of printing and mailing to everyone in the parish is prohibitive, but if everyone shares and passes it along, we can reach a lot more parishioners. Also, we post a copy on the bulletin board in the back of church, to your right as you are leaving. We are hoping that folks would read that copy there so others could see it too. We are always happy to add new members to our subscription list.
This Week:
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 6
Isaiah 58:7-10
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Matthew 5:3-16Next Week:
Ash Wednesday, February 9
Joel 2:12-18
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-181st Sunday of Lent, February 13
Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4:1-11Praying the Scriptures:
Visit this web site for ideas on
praying the Scriptures:
www.liturgy.slu.edu
Join Our Mailing List!
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To add (or remove) your email address, send an email request to newsletter@sjvonline.net or phone Ellen Turner at 408-272-9234. We will use these email addresses for St. John Vianney business only. No addresses will be visible to others.
Visit our web site at: www.sjvsj.net