|
In This Issue:
|
|
We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.
This Sunday we have a second collection for the work of Catholic Missions. Please be generous.
Our annual parish picnic is coming soon,
and you can help make it the best picnic yet! The shindig will occur on
Sunday,
September 24
from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Pinning down
the
location is a little tricky, but it will be somewhere on the parish
property. The preferred location is on the Rectory lawn, near Alum Rock Ave,
but if the construction has started (which would be wonderful news!) this
area might not work. In that case, we will just move our picnic to the field
behind the school. Same fun, different location.
This year we moved the date from late August to September in hopes we could include more school families in the fun. So it should be bigger and better (and maybe cooler) than last year's picnic. As usual, it is a potluck affair. The parish has a lot of excellent cooks, so it is sure to be a feast. Hopefully we can add fun and games for everyone.
This kind of an event is not hard to plan, but does require a few volunteers to help out. If you would like to help plan this great event, join us at the Parish Center on August 15 at 7:00 PM. Please call Teresa Gallo at 272-5788 if you have any questions.
St. Vincent de Paul Pantry
By Ellen Turner
The St. John Vianney Parish St. Vincent de Paul Society
works hard to take care of the most vulnerable members of our community.
Each quarter, the parish takes up a special
collection and the wonderful St. Vincent de Paul members take that
money and provide emergency funds, food, and other important support for
those who have been left poor in our rich culture. The quarterly collections
are taken up on the fifth Sunday of the month, which occurs about four times
a year. This last weekend was St. Vincent de Paul Sunday.
However, as you can imagine, people are hungry all year long. At Christmas and Thanksgiving, everyone remembers to bring something for the poor, but summer and spring are also important times of need. Many children who qualify for reduced fee lunches and breakfasts are out of school right now, and may be hungry with no one noticing.
Our parish tries to make it easy for you to help take care of the poor. We have a big wooden box in the vestibule, on the right hand side as you come in the front door. That is where you can put non-perishable food or diapers any day of the year. Maybe your family can make it a ritual that you bring something every Sunday when you come to church. Perhaps you can make it a ritual to buy one can for the poor every time you shop for your family. Maybe you can celebrate your own birthday by filling a bag of groceries and taking it to the church for St. Vincent de Paul to distribute.
Remember what Jesus told us in Matthew 25:35 "When I was hungry, you fed me."
August 6 is the anniversary of the first A-Bomb
dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. All these years later, it is
heart wrenching to see that we have still not figured
out how to live in peace. Hiroshima stands as a sad reminder of our failure
to get along.
So, how shall we keep this day? In Japan, people gather for prayer, starting at 8:15 AM, the time when the bomb, named Little Boy, was dropped and the world was changed forever. Prayers are offered. Songs are sung. People cry in remembrance of the pain.
In the evening, people fill the rivers with thousands of paper lanterns to light the way for the souls of those killed by the bomb, as they flow from this world to the next.
Another tradition is the folding of origami cranes. Perhaps your family can start a new tradition of making origami cranes to remind us all that we need to learn to make peace, in our homes, in our community, and in the world at large.
To find directions for folding an origami crane, click here.
You might also like to share the book SADAKO AND THE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES by Eleanor Coerr with your family.
As you may recall, St. John Vianney conducted a survey at the weekend liturgies on the first weekend in May. This survey was part of our agreement with the consultants we were using to increase Discipleship in our parish. The surveys were sent to them to be
tabulated and they have finally been returned.
Our parish Stewardship Committee discussed the results with the consultants this Thursday. The Stewardship Committee will provide a report to the parish at weekend liturgies sometime in September or October. At that time, the results will be put into context and next steps will be presented. In the meantime, you can see the tabulated results yourself now.
To view the survey results, click here.
Next week's newsletter will be devoted to the Transition Team Report, which will also be interesting for everyone to read.
Plea from Our Bishops
By Linda Batton,
Diocese of San Jose, Associate for Evangelization, Justice & Peace
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Click here to read the latest bulletin announcement from Catholic Relief Services regarding the crisis in the Middle East and a request for the U.S. leadership to achieve an immediate ceasefire, deliver humanitarian aid and to seek political solutions. Please circulate this action alert to your networks.
Click here for recent statements from U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Church leaders.
In solidarity,
Linda
PARISH AND DEANERY:
The Next Meeting of the Adult Spirituality Team is set for Monday, August 21, 7:00 PM, in the Parish Office Center. At that meeting we hope to put together a solid plan of action which we will then present to the Parish Pastoral Council at their September 20 meeting. The subcommittees will be meeting prior to the August 21 meeting, so if you want to help out, (and we really need your help) contact Ellen Turner at newsletter@sjvnews.net or (408) 272-9234.
Parish Pastoral Council Meeting: Wednesday, September 20,
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. All parishioners are welcome to attend the next Parish
Pastoral Council meeting, to be held at the Parish Office Center. This is
your council. If you want to know what is going on, or want to bring up an
issue that is important to you, you can attend any council meeting.
Parish Picnic: Sunday, September 24,
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. If construction has not started, we will have our picnic
on the lawn by the Rectory, near Alum Rock Avenue. If the work has started
and that area is torn up, we will picnic on the field behind the school. Fix
your favorite potluck food, bring a blanket or chairs, and join in the fun!
If you would like to help with the planning, send an email to newsletter@sjvnews.net
and we will connect you to the committee.
Town Hall Meeting and Parish Retreat: Saturday, October 14,
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Come pray and share with other parishioners at our first
Parish Retreat followed by a Town Hall Meeting. The SJV Parish Pastoral
Council has planned this day for all parishioners to gather together for
morning prayer, followed by a Town Hall Meeting to discuss and share parish
needs and concerns.
Ministry Fair: Saturday and Sunday, October 21 and 22,
after all Masses. All the various parish ministries and groups are invited
to start working now to create a successful Ministry Fair. At the Ministry
Fair parishioners get a chance to meet and talk with folks who are working
with all the various ministries in the parish. Hopefully, more people will
volunteer to join in the important work done by these folks. A meeting to
start planning this event will be scheduled soon. If you are interested in
planning the event, send an email to newsletter@sjvnews.net
and ask us to connect you with the Stewardship Committee, which is
coordinating the day. If you are not ready to help plan the day, put the
dates on your calendar now so you can be certain to be ready to participate.
Remember that, by your baptism, you are called to share your Time, Talent,
and Treasure. This is one way you can find out how to do that.
COMMUNITY AT LARGE:
A special prayer service for peace in Lebanon and Israel
will be held at St. Elias Melkite-Greek Catholic Church at 7:30 PM on
Friday,
August 4, 2006.
The service, called the Paraklisis, is traditionally sung in churches of the
Byzantine tradition in times of danger and distress. The name comes from the
same Greek root as Paraclete, the Holy Spirit as consoler. Since almost all
of the members of St. Elias Church have roots in the Middle East, especially
Lebanon and Palestine, the current hostilities there are for us a special
time of danger and distress. We invite our Christian neighbors in the Alum
Rock neighborhood to join us in praying for an end to the destruction and
enmity, and for the safety of the people. St. Elias Church is located at
4411 Hyland Avenue, on the corner of Hyland and Talmadge. For more
information, contact Father James K. Graham at 259-0259 or email frjamie@earthlink.net.
Special Mass for Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage
- Office of Pastoral Ministry: The Filipino American Association of Santa
Teresa Parish invites you to celebrate Mass in honor of Our Lady of Peace
and Good Voyage (Virgin of Antipolo) on Saturday,
August 5,
8:30 AM, Santa Teresa Church. A reception will follow.
Keeping Kids Safe! Protection Office:
Today's headlines have often left parents and adults feeling fearful, lost,
and hopeless. How can we protect our children when we can't be with them
every minute of the day? Child Quest and local Girl Scout, Nerissa Nance,
are giving parents a realistic answer to this question by bringing
radKIDS Personal Empowerment Safety Education training to 8-12 year old
children in Santa Clara County. This five-day course is scheduled for
August 7-11,
9:30-11:30 AM daily at Church of the Valley, 400 N. Winchester Blvd., Santa
Clara. radKIDS training provides proven and effective life saving
skills to children by teaching them how to Resist Aggression Defensively.
Certified instructors utilize fun, activity-based programs including
lecture, safety drills, muscle memory exercises and dynamic simulation.
Children become empowered, learning how to replace the fear, confusion and
panic of dangerous situations with confidence, personal safety skills and
self-esteem. Curriculum topics include:
- Home and School Safety
- Out and About Safety
- Realistic Defense Against Abduction
- Good, Bad and Uncomfortable Touch
Don't delay! Space is limited to 30 students on a first come first serve basis with only a two dollar application fee to cover curriculum printing costs. For more information please contact Anthony Gonzalez at (408) 287-4673.
The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries
has contracted with Renew International - Theology on Tap to provide us with
information on how to build this ministry at the local and diocesan levels.
Margaret Riccard from Renew International - Theology on Tap will be coming
to our diocese on
August 7,
7:00 - 9:30 PM. The team for Renew - Theology on Tap will be returning on
August 26-27
to provide us with additional training and support. The meeting will be in
the St. Joseph room, 3rd floor of the chancery office. Seating is limited.
This is a free seminar and is open to everyone. Young adult leaders will
find the information particularly useful. Please RSVP to Bernard Nemis at
(408) 983-0126 to reserve your space, or email him at nemis@dsj.org.
|
This Week:
Transfiguration of the Lord:
Next Week:
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time:
Assumption of the
|
Assumption of the
|
Praying the Scriptures:
Visit this web site for ideas on praying the Scriptures: www.liturgy.slu.edu
Take a Moment to Pray:
|
Join Our eMail List!
Find out what's happening at St. John Vianney Parish by joining our SJV Parish Newsletter subscriber list:
To add your email address to (or remove from) other SJV Parish email lists, click here, or send an email request to newsletter@sjvnews.net, or phone Ellen Turner at (408) 272-9234. We will use your email address for SJV Parish business only. No addresses will be visible to others.
Visit our parish web site at: www.sjvnews.net.