ST. MARY’S PARISH COMMUNITY BRYANTOWN FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK him the intimacy with God that he now found himself Dear Parishioners, craving." For almost four years now the members of our "I began to meet young men and women who talked Evangelization Committee have been working to address about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ," some of the issues raised by the article below. The he said in a 2010 interview with the Christian Broad- article is about how one well-known political leader casting Network. "That had not been a part of my went from being a devout Catholic to being a member of experience." This is the sort of story that often makes an evangelical church. What sparked his conversion out serious Catholics want to tear their hair out. One reason of the Catholic Church was his discovery that he was is because some Catholics do experience intimacy with called to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God through the form and rituals. Since we read the book Intentional Discipleship by In my early days as a Catholic, I remember lively Sherry Weddell, members of the committee and other conversations with my first pastor, who just couldn’t parishioners have been working to foster in our take in what I was telling him: that many Catholics were community a real desire and possibility for a personal leaving the Church for the evangelical world. He was relationship with Jesus Christ. Under the guidance of the incredulous. How could they leave the Eucharist? Father Holy Spirit, I believe that our collective efforts have demanded that I "tell them to stop it!" I’ve been working borne good fruit and I'm confident that they will on that ever since. continue to do so as long as we keep our hearts and We must grasp that Mike Pence is the 21st-century minds open to the work of the Spirit. norm, not the exception. We live in an era in which the If you don't yet have a personal relationship with Jesus majority of Americans raised as Catholics have left the Christ, this is really very easy. Just take time in prayer to Church at some point in their lives… tell him that you want such a relationship and open your A friend in parish ministry told me the true story of six heart and mind to what he asked of you. And if you men and women — all unrelated to one another — who have family members or friends who seem likely to came to her one at a time in a single month to say, "I’m follow the path of Mike Pence out of the Catholic thinking about leaving the parish for the mega church Church, share with them how you have a relationship down the road because I have these questions, and there with Christ and how your faith as a Catholic strengthens isn’t anyone in the parish that I can talk to about this." that relationship. If any of you would like to talk to me My friend was able to talk four of the six out of leaving about this question, I would be delighted to speak with on the spot, simply by listening and connecting them you. If you have questions and concerns, please do not with someone in the parish who understood that God hold back. There is nothing more important and nothing was at work in these people’s lives. After sustained I would rather do than help people to come to know the evangelization had begun to change the parish culture, Lord Jesus better. the two who had chosen to leave came back. Mike Pence has a lot of company in the evangelical With my prayers, world. But where Catholics proactively evangelize, there Father Conley is real hope. A fascinating new finding is that 6% of *** American adults are cradle Catholics who now call themselves Protestants or "nones," while still feeling at Mike Pence's Spiritual Wanderings Should Be a least partially Catholic. Pew has a term for adults who Wake-Up Call to Catholics (by Sherry Weddell) don’t think of themselves as Catholic in terms of When low-profile Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana was religious practice but who do think of themselves as chosen to be the 2016 Republican candidate for vice "partially Catholic" for other reasons: "cultural president, one of the first things the public learned about Catholics." him was that he was a devout, unapologetic Christian ... While most committed cradle Catholics don’t have a with a twist. Pence was raised in a highly committed mental category for "Bapticatholic" or "half-Catholic Irish-Catholic family, had served as an altar boy, and none," many 21st-century spiritual wanderers do. It is no even considered becoming a priest at one point. accident that Mike Pence called himself an "evangelical But now he considers himself an evangelical Protestant Catholic" for years. whose faith permeates his life. As a July 20 story in What is both astonishing and hopeful is that 43%, or just The New York Times recounted, the turning point was over 6 million, of these cradle Catholics-turned "cultural the moment when, as an undergrad at Hanover College, Catholics" told Pew surveyors that they were open to the Pence said, "I gave my life to Jesus Christ ... and that’s possibility of returning to the faith. They either feel changed everything." connected to Catholic culture or to the Church through "Mr. Pence came to feel that something was missing family, or they identify with certain Catholic beliefs or from his spiritual life," the Times said. "The Catholicism practices. As evangelizers, it is essential that we of his youth, with its formality and rituals, had not given remember that those who do leave often retain NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME AUGUST 7, 2016 significant emotional, spiritual and/or cultural Prayers at Planned Parenthood connections or bridges to Catholicism over which they A group from Charles County Right to Life will be could return with our help. praying and peacefully protesting abortion on the corner I have no problem at all believing that the idea of a of Leonardtown Road and St. Charles Parkway on "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" had not been Saturday, August 13 from 10-11am. Please park at CVS, part of Mike Pence’s spiritual experience before he went buy something, and then walk across the street with us. away to college. That’s because the language of We will have some signs, but if you have your own, "personal relationship" with God sounds either odd or please bring them with you. Our Lady Help of Christians suspiciously Protestant to many Catholics. will also have Mass at 9am if you wish to go there first. Since my book Forming Intentional Disciples Contact Karen Cross, 301-848-5652 or was published four years ago, I have had many [email protected] with any questions. You may also conversations with Catholic leaders — bishops, visit our website at www.charlescountyrighttolife.com seminary faculty, priests, religious and lay leaders — for other opportunities to help in the pro-life movement. who told me that they were not yet disciples when they began their ministry. A disciple is someone who is CHARLES COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD TO intentionally seeking to follow Jesus Christ as Lord in DISCUSS TRANSGENDER ISSUES the midst of his Church… The wonderfully hopeful Thanks in part to your support and participation on June news is that I have seen an extraordinary change over the 14th, concerned county residents of all faiths filled the past four years. Catholic leaders at all levels are Charles County School Board room resulting in a Board beginning to seriously deal with our failure to make action to readdress the issue of transgendered student use disciples of our own, as the last four popes have asked us of bathrooms of their choosing regardless of their to do. Pastors and leadership in hundreds of American biological sex at the August 9th Board meeting. Please parishes and whole dioceses are deliberately breaking come to the meeting to express your views regarding this the cultural silence about having a personal relationship important issue. The meeting is at 3:30PM for Public with Christ and banding together to make intentional Forum statements at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration disciples of the already baptized in parishes, campus Building, 5980 Radio Station Road in La ministries, families and schools. Increasingly, we get it. Plata. Also, prayerfully consider making an up to 3- minute Public Forum statement. JOB OPENING St. Mary’s School has a part-time Spanish teaching PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR DAILY position for Grades K – 8. It is preferred that candidates PRAYERS: Mary Beard, Mary Bowes, Mary Burch, have 3 years teaching experience and hold a Maryland Joseph Burroughs, Mary Carter, Doris Chapman, Joseph State Teaching Certificate. If interested, please go on Chapman, Tucker Connick, George Fassel, GiGi Foye, School Spring to apply. Application, cover letter and Helen Foye, Arlene Gandolfi, Judy Istvan-Windsor, resume can be sent to the school’s main office at 13735 Elaine Jones, Regina Kijesky, Mary Knobel, Lillian Notre Dame Place, Bryantown, Maryland 20617, Komar, Vickie Marron, Glenn Mayhew, Mary Emma Attention: Sharon Caniglia. All candidates would need Middleton, Lenora Proctor, Sylvene Savoy, William to comply with the Archdiocese of Washington Leon Savoy, Lisa Thompson, Beth Weise, Carol White, Protecting God’s Children Policy. Brice Zimmer.

THE PARISH PHOTO DIRECTORIES ARE MASS INTENTIONS FOR THIS WEEK: FINALLY IN! If you had your picture taken or SUN: 8am Charles “Kite” Nelson, 10am James (Rex) submitted a picture, you may pick up your free copy of Wood, 12n Parishioners, MON: 8am Bernard Jenifer, the directory in the foyer after Mass. We do have some TUES: 8am Claire Young, WED: 8am Varrieur extra copies which we will begin to sell next weekend. Family, THURS: 8am Helen Lemberger, FRI: Kathryn Chick, SAT: 9am Bernard Jenifer, 4pm Paul Therres. THANK YOU TO THE GENEROUS DONOR WHO PROVIDED US WITH THE BEAUTIFUL IMAGE OFFERTORY COLLECTION LAST WEEKEND: OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT NOW GRACES $11,823.58. $3,545.50 of that was received from people OUR SANCTUARY! who contribute through online banking. Of the 770 registered households in the parish, we received donations from 254 identifiable contributors (33% of the Please support our advertising parish) using envelopes or checks. Their average sponsors. This week we recognize donation was $46.00. The unidentified donations totaled The Pool Company, Inc. $460.58. We received $135.00 for our Religious Ed/ School support.