June 10, 2005
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I bore you up on eagle wings. |
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Catholic Communication Campaign
We have a special collection for the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC) this week. This is our chance to support the Church's mission to spread the Gospel in today's world. Our donations will help broadcast Masses for the homebound, support diocesan newspapers such as our own Valley Catholic, and to produce and air TV and radio programs.
One
of the programs supported by CCC was The Face: Jesus in Art which
aired on PBS stations around the country. For more information on this film,
visit www.usccb.org/ccc/theface.shtml.
CCC also underwrites award-winning "novella style" TV and radio announcements in Spanish on 450 stations, reaching over 28 million Hispanics as well as TV and radio announcements about faith at work and family life -- over 75,000 messages aired. Visit CCC's Internet video outlet www.usccb.org/ccc for more information about how CCC connects Catholics all over the nation with the many diverse ministries of the Church.
Please be generous.
Saint John Vianney Parish Pastoral Council Meeting
(submitted by
Olga Rodriguez)
The SJV Parish Council met for the second time
on May 12, 2005, in the Parish Office Center. This meeting was to further
discuss the Parish 
Stewardship
Plan. Three members of the Council attended a meeting at St. Francis of
Assisi on April 27 to learn more about the program. The three members were
John Leyba, Gina Sebastian and Lela Chavez. They reported back and shared
with us that the implementation of this plan involves communicating with the
community in such a way that they will be encouraged to engage in Parish
activities. A newsletter brochure will be mailed out to all parishioners
monthly. It will emphasize prayer, hospitality, formation and service. A
Stewardship Committee is being formed, six members have already been
recruited.
A Retreat at Most Holy Trinity will take place on September 16 and 17 where committee and council members will be asked to attend. This will kick off the Stewardship Program. In addition, an update on staffing was given, and finally, a date for a Town Hall Meeting was set for Sunday, June 12, 2005, at 2:30 to 4:30 PM.
The purpose of the Town Hall meeting can be summarized in four items:
- We will provide an update since the last Town Hall Meeting when parishioners expressed their priorities and needs.
- The Council will share with the parishioners what we have done and where we are going.
- We will ask the parishioners for ideas on how we can solicit input from them to the Parish Council.
- And finally, we will update the community on the status of the Building Fund.
Other administrative items were discussed. A next meeting date of Wednesday, September 28, was set.
Saint John Vianney Parish Pastoral Council:
Town Hall Meeting This Sunday
The Saint John Vianney Parish Pastoral Council will have a Town Hall meeting on Sunday, June 12, 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM, in the Main Hall. This is your opportunity to hear from the Parish Pastoral Council about what they have done so far, since their election in February. You will also have a chance to let them know what is important to you for the future of St. John Vianney Parish. Please attend, if possible, so we can make this parish even better than it already is.
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Agenda for
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Sometimes we just don't know all the answers.
If you have a question about something that has to do with the
Catholic Church or our parish, please feel free to ask. The members of the
SJV Communication Team will attempt to find the answers for you and post
them in a future newsletter issue and maybe on our website also. After all,
if you have a question, there are probably other people in the parish who
are wondering about the same thing.
To ask a question, send an email to questions@sjvnews.net. Please include your name and phone number, so we can contact you for more information if we need it. We will not publish your name with the question unless you give us specific permission to do so.
Here's a question to get us started:
A long-time active parishioner asked why we are calling our new council a Parish Pastoral Council. He said he understands what a Parish Council is, but what is a Pastoral Council?
Both types of councils support the parish by advising the Pastor, but they do have different functions. A Parish Council might help the Pastor deal with the business of running a parish. For example, the Parish Council might help the Pastor decide to re-roof the church or re-pave the parking lot. They deal with practical issues of that sort.
The term "pastoral" refers to the job of shepherding. A Pastoral Council would focus more on the vision of the parish, helping to decide what kind of a parish the people want to create. The St. John Vianney Parish Pastoral Council will be somewhere in between these two ideas, advising sometimes on the practical, business-type issues, but focusing more on pastoral issues.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted
on Tuesday, June 7, 2005, to name the plaza in front of the County
Government Building after long-time St. John Vianney parishioner, Jim
McEntee, a great Social Justice leader for many years in our community. (click
here for resolution) Jim served as
Executive
Director of the Santa Clara County
Human Relations Office. It 
was
a 24/7 job for Jim. He frequently attend three or four community meetings in
any given day. He was always available for any individual or group that
needed his help.
Jim had a long history of building bridges between communities, bringing programs and services to the people of Santa Clara County. He was a founding member of the Confederation de la Raza Unida, founding chairperson of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara County, founding member of the Emergency Housing Consortium, and the Help House the Homeless Coalition.
In the late 1980's Jim urged the county to open up its armories to temporarily house the homeless during winter, a program that has continues throughout the years. Jim, fluent in Spanish, also worked closely with the United Farm Workers of America beginning in 1965. From 1962 to 1965, Jim served as Executive Director of the Latin American Mission Program in San Francisco. He also served as Executive Director of Voluntary Action Center of Santa Clara County from 1973 to 1976.
In his position as Director of the Human Relations Commission, Jim was proud to work with a commission that never missed having a quorum. (A quorum is the number of members required in order to carry on business at a meeting.) He was also responsible for the Citizenship & Immigration program. the Dispute Resolution Program, Network for a Hate-Free Community, the Institute for Non-Violence program, and the Youth Advisory Task Force. Jim was also an active participant in the SJV JustFaith community.
The naming of the plaza comes after months of work by the Jim McEntee Legacy Committee, a group of people who agreed that we all must continue to live by Jim's example. His death on September 13, 2004, left a huge hole in our community, but it is up to each of us to step forward to take on part of his work so our community can continue to grow toward an inclusive, welcoming community for all God's children. Several members of our parish work on the Jim McEntee Legacy Committee, including Rosana Madrigal, Jennifer Simpson, Ellen Turner, and of course, Ann McEntee. Although the Board originally wanted to name the whole building after Jim, or maybe name the Board Chambers after him, Jim's family and the Jim McEntee Legacy Committee felt the plaza, open to everyone, a gathering spot Jim used with many communities, was a more appropriate memorial to this humble peacemaker.
The Jim McEntee Legacy Committee will now work toward creating some kind of memorial on the plaza. It could be as simple as a plaque with his name or it could be a mural or sculpture. Share your ideas by visiting the web site: www.JimMcEnteeLegacy.org or by making a donation to the Friends of Human Relations, 14850 East Hills, San Jose, CA 95127 or call (408) 928-5788. The Friends of Human Relations is a non-profit Jim set up to support the causes he believed in.
Jim's wife, Ann, accepted the resolution from the Board of Directors along with some of the McEntee's children, grandchildren, and even one great-grandchild.
Do you know a teenager who is ready for Justice-Walking?
Justice-Walking
or J-Walking is a program created by the folks who brought us JustFaith, but
J-Walking is for high school Juniors and Seniors. Participants will
meet every other week in a small group of 5-6 students and 2-3 adult
volunteers who have completed the JustFaith
program.
J-Walking brings adults and Catholic high school teenagers together to form a small community in order to try living out the Gospel message in today's world. Relationship with mentors and the other students support the teen as she/he explores Catholic social teaching. Through prayer, retreats, discussion and relationships, J-Walking offers young people the opportunity to broaden their circle of awareness, while growing in compassion.
J-Walking means going against the flow, choosing unconventional paths, crossing social and cultural boundaries, entering into unlikely relationships, uncovering new opportunities to build community and gain insight through personal encounters, prayer, reflection, and dialogue.
The J-Walking process includes the following components:
- 18 biweekly meetings
- An opening and a closing retreat
- A short justice-immersion experience
- Gatherings located at a community service agency
- Maintaining a justice log
- Reading and reflecting on a common text
- Selecting and reading one additional book
- Small-group research and investigation of systemic injustice
- Practicing nine lifestyle adjustments that apply Gospel teachings to life choices
There are adults in St. John Vianney Parish ready and willing to take this journey with some young people. If you know a teen who would be interested, please contact Ellen Turner at 272-9234.
Be part of the solution! For more information, visit the JustFaith website at www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org/justfaith/walk .
Are We Creatures of Habit ? - Part 4
Noon Sunday Mass
(survey assisted
by Regi Gutierrez)
Have you ever noticed many of us attend the same Mass time each week? We even seem to sit on the same side of the church, in the same row? Why is this?
In
the last few issues of the newsletter, the SJV Communication Team reported
on our survey of the 7:30 AM, the 7:00 PM, and the 10:30 AM Sunday Masses.
We asked questions to help reveal the reasons behind our attendance choices
and habits. We summarized results and presented three samples from our
survey.
In this issue, we continue the report of our informal survey. This week we feature the Noon Sunday liturgy, which is one of our two Spanish language Masses. Below, we share three sample responses.
As with the other Mass times, many said they prefer to attend the Noon Sunday Mass time every week. Community, family, and language are key issues for this Liturgy.
Name:
Why do you attend the Sunday 10:30 AM Mass?
Does this Mass time have a special significance for you and your family?
How long have you been attending this Mass?
Do you have a preferred seating area?
Do you have a special routine before or after Mass?
Do you sometimes participate as a lector, musician, minister, etc.?
Have you attended any of the other Mass times lately?
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Save the date: June 12, 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM in the hall for the next SJV Town Hall meeting. More about this will be forthcoming.
Change in the Scheduled Time for Confession:
Since Saturday, June 4, the Sacrament of Penance are be available at 4:30 PM
to 5:30 PM on Saturday afternoons instead of 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM.
Family Faith Formation is offered by St. John Vianney Parish. Registration will be taking place in June, with priority given to our own parishioners. Click here to see the Class Schedule & Registration Information for the upcoming catechetical year.
Notre Dame High School Homecoming Reunion is Saturday, June 25. RSVP by June 12. Cost is $50 per person. Call (408) 294-1113. Go to www.ndsj.org/alumnae/homecoming.html
St. John Vianney School is still accepting applications for the 2005-06 school year for Kindergarten and First Grade. Applications can be picked up in the school office Monday-Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM or on-line at our school website www.sjvsj.org. For more information you can email mwood@sjvsj.org or contact Co-Principal, Martha Wood at (408) 258-7677.
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This Week:
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 12
Next Week:
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 12
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Praying the Scriptures:
Visit this web site for ideas on praying the Scriptures: www.liturgy.slu.edu |
Take a Moment to Pray:
Visit this web site for ideas on the Ignatious way to pray: www.sacredspace.ie |
Join Our Mailing List!
Find out what's happening at St. John Vianney Parish by joining our email newsletter subscriber list.
To add (or remove) your email address, send an email request to newsletter@sjvnews.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.sjvnews.net