3RD ANNUAL PARISH PICNIC—SEPTEMBER 29! SUNDAY 8:00 AM We Will Begin with Mass Outside in the Courtyard at 5:30 PM
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September 23, 2018—25th Sunday in Ordinary Time As disciples of Jesus, we look for God present in all things, that we might LOVE him and SERVE him in all things. SAINT THOMAS MORE CHURCH & SCHOOL 636 W Ponce de Leon Ave SERVICE OF LAMENT AND HOPE Decatur, Georgia 30030-2951 Join us on Monday, September 24th at 7:00 PM www.stmgaparish.org for a Taize prayer service of lament and hope. PARISH OFFICE See page 6 of the bulletin for details. 404-378-4588 Fax 404-378-0506 Mon. - Fri. 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Closed for Lunch 12:00-12:30 PM Sun. 9:00 AM – Noon SCHOOL 404-373-8456 EMERGENCY NUMBER 678-337-8910 SCHEDULE OF MASSES SATURDAY 5:30 PM (Vigil) 3RD ANNUAL PARISH PICNIC—SEPTEMBER 29! SUNDAY 8:00 AM We will begin with Mass outside in the courtyard at 5:30 PM. The Knights 9:30 AM of Columbus will grill hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers. 12:00 Noon All non-seniors please bring your favorite side dish to share (serving 10) 5:30 PM and feel free to bring your own beverages (lemonade and water will be MON—FRI provided). 5:30 PM Families are encouraged to bring reusable plates and utensils, if NATIONAL HOLIDAYS possible, in an effort to reduce waste and care for the environment in 10:00 AM keeping with Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si. HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION 9:00 AM (School Mass) 12:15 PM PARISH PICNIC LIVE MUSIC BY 6:00 PM CUPCAKE CONTEST!! SPAGHETTI JUNCTION! RECONCILIATION To enter, bring your cupcakes to Live music will be provided by STM Saturday 4:00 to 5:00 PM or by appointment Mulhern Hall where a YAM volunteer will parishioner Gus Garay’s band Spaghetti enter your cupcakes into the contest. Junction. Like them on Facebook: NURSERY AVAILABLE DURING www.facebook.com/spaghettijct/ 9:30 AM and Noon Masses Cupcake categories: We are Here to Listen and Take Action. * Most creative * Most colorful You Matter. You are Family. * Most unique * Best frosting Archdiocesan 24-hour Abuse * Cutest cupcake Reporting Hotline 1-888-437-0764 PRAYER REQUESTS STAFF Rev. Mark Horak, S. J., Pastor [email protected] At the weekday Masses this coming week, the people of St. Rev. Pat Earl, S. J., Parochial Vicar Thomas More will remember the following persons along with [email protected] all the living and dead. We encourage parishioners to say the Carol Palmer, Business Manager names of deceased loved ones aloud during the “General [email protected] Intercessions” if invited to do so by the presider. Andy and Sarah Otto, Adult Faith Formation Monday, September 24 Friedrich Kruger † [email protected] Tuesday, September 251 Suzanne Walton † Stewart Voegtlin, Youth Faith Formation [email protected] Wednesday, September 26 Mary Onu Wilhoit † Rey Del Valle. Religious Education Coordinator [email protected] Thursday, September 27 John E. Martin † and Thomas Mathews † Joe Messina, Director of Worship [email protected] Friday, September 28 Shola Aina † Todd Hines, Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds [email protected] Aaron Daniecki, Building Maintenance Technician Pray for those who are sick: [email protected] Jamie Caspall Eddie LeClair Charlotte Collins, Administrative Assistant Evalina Hilado, sister of parishioner Eva Lyle [email protected] Debra Joseph, wife of Richard Joseph Corky Pagoria, Administrative Assistant Kathy Merritt, teacher at St. Thomas More School [email protected] To add a name to these prayer lists, contact Charlotte Collins at: Patricia Weaver, Receptionist [email protected] [email protected], or 404-378-4588. In order to add a name to these lists, you must be either the person seeking prayers, an Shelly Stafford,Communications immediate relative of the one to be remembered, or have the [email protected] express permission of the one to be remembered. Carl and Fran McColman, RCIA Coordinators [email protected] Jerry Raymond, Principal, STM School JOIN OUR PARISH [email protected] Emails for STM Business Only We invite you to join our parish community by registering as a parishioner. The registration form is available online at stmgaparish.org and in the pamphlet racks in the narthex of PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS the church. Complete the form and mail, fax, or scan and email it to [email protected], drop it in the Offertory Steve Carney, Chris Harvey, Richard Joseph, Jim Logan, Patti basket during any Sunday Mass, or bring it to the parish Paulino, Anh Phillips, Steve Siler, Mary Swartz, and Maggie offices during normal business hours. Whitcomb UPCOMING ACTIVITIES Mon., Sept. 24 Service of Lament and Hope—7:00 PM—Church Walking with Purpose—7:00 PM—Mulhern Hall Tues., Sept. 25 Scripture Study with Louanne Bachner—1:30 PM—Parish Library RCIA—7:00 PM—St. Julie Room Just Faith—7:00 PM—Parish Library Sat., Sept 29 Parish Picnic & Mass in the Courtyard—5:30 PM Sun., Sept. 30 The Word Scripture Study with Jerry Pendrick—10:30 AM—Parish Library African Fellowship—11:00 AM—Youth Room FROM THE PASTOR From the Pastor… Archbishop Gregory said quite forcefully that no clergy Last week, Archbishop Gregory called member against whom a credible allegation of abuse has all priests of the Archdiocese, been made is presently in active ministry in the including us Jesuits, to a four-day Archdiocese of Atlanta. meeting at a conference center north of Atlanta. The Archdiocese In response to a question regarding the Archdiocese’s holds such a convocation every other opposition to legislation that would extend the time within year. which a complaint of abuse must be reported to the authorities, the Archbishop expressed two concerns: 1) In addition to time for common that by extending the time, the accused person may not be prayer, socializing, and networking - able to defend him/herself, indeed, might not even be and a golf tournament - there were lengthy morning and alive; and 2) that, because the proposed legislation would afternoon work sessions. The meetings on the first two apply only to certain groups, including churches, but not to days focused on improving the communications skills of others, including public school systems, the legislation was Archdiocesan priests, specifically encouraging us to fundamentally unfair. He suggested that, if new proposals dialogue, rather than debate, with people. The facilitator were equally applicable to all individuals and all emphasized how dialogue differs from debate. For organizations, public and private, the Archdiocese might instance, while debate is oppositional, dialogue is support it. collaborative. While one who debates listens to the other only to find flaws in the other’s position and to convince Several priests asked the Archbishop if he supported the other that he/she has “the truth,” one who dialogues increased lay involvement in the governance of the Church listens to the other in order to better understand the other in Atlanta. The Archbishop seemed open to this possibility, and seeks common ground. The one who debates is but he suggested that current Church law that limits a closed-minded, while the one who dialogues is open to bishop from ceding authority to lay persons would have to being changed. be overcome before this could happen. But the meeting during the last two days were devoted to With regard to the allegations Cardinal Vigano has levelled conversation among ourselves and with Archbishop against several Church leaders, including Pope Francis, Gregory about whatever was on our minds. Of course, Archbishop Gregory agreed that some of those allegations what was on our minds almost without exception was the deserve not silence, but an “aggressive response.” current scandal in the Church of the sexual abuse of children and its cover-up by Church leaders. In response to a comment by one of the priests that some of his parishioners were threatening to withhold financial Let me first share with you some of the comments made support from parishes and the Archdiocese, Archbishop by Archbishop Gregory, and then let me offer my own Gregory said that withholding one’s contribution was within impressions. the rights of parishioners, but that it would mean that the Church’s ability to serve people in need would be hurt. Archbishop Gregory acknowledged that, when the sexual abuse scandal broke big in Boston in 2002, the focus was Finally, in response to a question about clericalism, the on the criminal abuse of children by priests. Now, Archbishop agreed that a clericalism that causes priests to Archbishop Gregory said, with the Pennsylvania Grand Jury seek to be served rather than to serve and to protect report and similar disclosures, the focus has shifted to the themselves and their reputations rather than others is a effort by many bishops to hide the scandal. In other significant part of the current problem. words, the anger of the people is now directed at bishops who failed to remove abusive priests from ministry. As My overall sense of the convocation was that the priests of Archbishop candidly stated, “Now it’s me the people don’t the Archdiocese and the Archbishop himself share the trust.” anger and sadness of the people in the pews. However, I heard no commitment to any specific reform of Church In response to a question regarding whether the governing structures that would increase transparency and Archdiocese would open up its personnel records for accountability and would result in a meaningful sharing of review by an independent auditor, Archbishop Gregory power with lay persons, and I heard no proposal to review said that he has been in conversations with the Attorney and perhaps change the way seminarians are formed. General of the State of Georgia and is trying to find a way Moreover, I heard too much from too many priests that the to release to the Attorney General the names of priests moral failings of individual abusive priests are the primary against whom there have been “credible and sustainable problem.