Have a Stewardship “Epiphany” This New Year Continued from Front Cover
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A Letter From Our Pastor In this Issue Have a Stewardship January 2013 2 Stewardship “Epiphany” this New Year New Year’s Resolutions and Dear Parishioners, Stewardship nother Christmas has come 3 Grounded in Faith Aand gone, and as wonderful Catholic Education as the Advent season and Christmas 4 Archdiocese are, things can get a little hectic in Studying Options even the most organized households. to Offer a Catholic Cards, decorations, shopping for gifts, School at CtR and attending holiday parties can be stressful. But once we make it past New 6 St. Gianna Beretta Year’s Day, things finally settle down a Molla bit. 7 Catholic Schools in In January, though, we still have the Archdiocese another big feast to celebrate —Epiphany. Educating Mind, For most of us, Epiphany is just Heart, Spirit an afterthought of Christmas, the day This is true, but the Epiphany has a we observe the arrival of the wise men stewardship message for us as well. in Bethlehem. And we’ve all heard After all, the magi did not come homilies explaining how that odd just to gawk at the baby Jesus. They word Epiphany comes from the Greek came because they knew he is someone meaning “showing forth,” because the special. “Where is the newborn king of 11507 Huffmeister Road child Jesus was shown forth to the magi the Jews?” they asked (Mt 2:2), although Houston, TX 77065 (who were Gentiles) as the Savior of all he’s not the sort of king who lives in people, not only the Messiah of the Jews. palaces. As St. Matthew relates it (2:11), 281-469-5533 www.ctrcc.com continued on back cover Stewardship New Year’s Resolutions and Stewardship he beginning of the year is a popular time for drawer or on the refrigerator door, are a “hard copy” Tpersonal reassessment. The earth has finished one of our best intentions for self-improvement. They’re more revolution around the sun, and swings low over signposts that redirect our lives towards good, and the cold January horizon, just like last year. The days towards God. are shorter, and an evening of introspection seems more New Year’s resolutions are often focused on personal inviting. Somehow, when we take down the old calendar health — losing weight, relaxing more, or smoking less. It and tack up the new, we sense an opportunity to make a is certainly important, of course, to take good care of our fresh start. bodies. But Christianity offers us a fuller concept of self- To make the best of this opportunity — which, improvement. St. Paul reminds us that both the body and truthfully, exists in June just as it does in January — it is the soul need an exercise program. In fact, every aspect of useful to make firm commitments. It’s even more useful our persons — physical, mental, spiritual, emotional — to write them down. These resolutions, kept in a desk can benefit from an annual self-audit. Some people have taken to heart this multi-faceted concept of the self, and each year make one resolution for each area. For instance, one could resolve to join a Rosary prayer group to work on spirituality, or take a continuing education course to build mental skills. Still, others use the three theological virtues — faith, hope and love — to guide their resolution-making process. By now you may have discerned a similarity between New Year’s resolutions and stewardship commitments. First, we use a similar method to think about stewardship, by breaking it down into more specific concepts — time, talent and treasure. Second, to become better stewards, we write down our commitments. We record our good intentions to clarify exactly what they are — and to remind us of our commitment on the evenings when the Rosary group interferes with a bowl game. Any serious commitment shares the same components — it is specific, and it is written. From marriages to mortgages, treaties to trades — serious resolutions are spelled out, both literally and figuratively. But even more important than the methodology of a commitment is the heart of the person who makes it. Even the most well-written job descriptions are useless unless there is someone to do the job well! Let us pray that this new year is a time of grace and wisdom for those of us who seek to recommit our lives to our family, our parish, and our God. 2 Catholic Schools Week Jan. 27-Feb. 2 Grounded in Faith Catholic Education he years spent in school are extremely significant And they are not alone. There are a number of Tin the life of every child and young adult. Indeed, other families in our parish that have recognized the this time greatly influences who they will grow up many benefits that Catholic education has to offer for to be and how they will live their lives. For many, their children. Catholic schools are a great way to make sure that a Parishioners Joe and Shelley Connelly also send child’s formative years include an environment that is two of their children, Courtney and Patrick, to Pope rich in faith. John XXIII Catholic High School. “It’s critical that we’re teaching Their youngest daughter, Kathryn, our faith to our children,” says currently attends a public middle Deacon Bill Bradley. “This is school, but they plan to send her the best way to accomplish that to Pope John XXIII for high school. because the school has that much “We first and foremost believe more time to spend with them. that those high school years are It’s important in today’s world integral in the formation of your that our kids know our faith and child into young adulthood,” be grounded in that faith. I think Joe says. “From that perspective, that’s best accomplished through that’s why we felt high school was a Catholic school system.” the important step for us in terms Bill and his wife, Stacie, chose of Catholic education.” to send their three children to Not only does Joe believe that Catholic schools rather than Catholic education is right for his public schools. Two of their family, but he also feels that it is children, Morgan and Jake, attend important for the community to Pope John XXIII Catholic High support the ministry of Catholic School. Their youngest daughter, education in general. Siblings Patrick and Courtney Connelly (left and Madison, is a fifth-grader at John center) along with their cousin Phillip Grandjean “I will continue to support Paul II Catholic School. are among the CtR families who attend Pope John them after I leave, because I will Although Bill says that the XXIII Catholic High School. have had firsthand knowledge of local public schools are very good, he and his wife the benefit it had for my family,” Joe says. “I think wanted their children to have the same Catholic school you support it like you support any other Catholic experience as they had in their youth. cause. We support the diocese fund and we’re asked “It’s important to grow up, mature and go to school to support the needy, and that’s something that is in an environment where their faith was not only being the foundation of Catholic belief. I don’t look at it taught, but lived by the students and faculty,” Bill says. exclusively as Catholic education, I look at it as the sum “I wanted them to grow up in an environment where of supporting what Catholics are about. Specifically in they were being taught their faith, and the faith was this case, you are supporting the molding of children. being lived by those around them. And I wanted them If we want to take an active role in how our society is to get a good education.” molded in the future, this is one way to do that.” 3 Archdiocese Studying Options to Offer a Catholic School at CtR r. Sean Horrigan, pastor of Christ the Redeemer, The parish also wanted to be able to expand its Fsays he hasn’t held a Magic 8 Ball since his popular preschool program. The two-day-a-week childhood. But when he is asked about the possibility program has reached its limit in student enrollment of opening a Catholic school at the parish, he refers to for several years now. Parents of young children are the answer that often appears whenever a question is seeking a place for their young children to be educated, posed to the popular children's toy — “Signs point to but there is no more space. YES.” “Our Prep School staff has been working diligently With the opening of the new Parish Life Center and the past two years to prepare us to expand both its more than 30 classrooms, many find themselves the number of days we offer, as well as the size of wondering if a Catholic school might be in the works. our enrollment,” Fr. Sean says. “We’re hopeful of “It’s the number one question I get; well, make that implementing that soon.” the number two question,” Fr. Sean says. “The number Those goals having been reached, and the parish one question is, ‘When is the construction going to is now investigating the possibility of opening a full- be finished?’ But we now have answered that. So, the time, accredited Catholic school as part of the school question of a school is now the favorite inquiry of system of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. In many. I can honestly say it appears that way, but we fact, Fr.