News Letter

Thanks for all the donations, volunteer help, and support for our parish yard sale.  It was the best ever!  We took in   $3,048.  Sales tax will be paid and we will use our profits for materials to benefit the Formation program.

Religious education classes started with a pancake breakfast on August 12 and regular classes August 19.  Catechists were commissioned on August 19 –Preschool  – Lisa & Adam Walker;  K & 1 – Jeanie & Jennifer Cochrane; 2 & 3 Jaimee Parman & Tracy House; 4,5& 6  - Clara Patton & Sarah Prewitt;  7 & 8 – Krista Tuta; Confirmation class – Colm McArdle; 11 & 12 – Tony Raiche.

We pledge our prayerful support for these catechists and their students.  As I type this newsletter, we have 50 students enrolled.  May the Lord continue to bless us with students desiring to learn and grow together with Jesus.

Parents have an opportunity to visit, enjoy a cup of coffee, and learn during our class time.  Beginning September 30, Carol Jackson will lead a program on the Holy Spirit called The Wild Goose in Stern Hall.

Come join us.  On September 9 & 23 Saints DVD’s will be shown.

Are you interested in reflecting on the Sunday readings?  Father Conrad will lead a group on Tuesday mornings 9:40am in the St. Cecilia Room of the church.  The group will begin meeting on September 4.

"If anyone middle-school or high-school student is interested in joining the youth group please send Jessi an email at jmontgomery@cdlex.org include Name (parent and youth) phone number, and email address- to be added to all group messages!" A special planning meeting for Youth grades 6 – 12 is scheduled for September 5, 6:45pm in the education building – 2^nd floor.  Come share ideas.

Cook-Out with Father Conrad - September 9, 3:00 pm at the rectory.  RSVP to Jessi, Krista, or Sr. Marge by September 6.

                        September 16 – Enjoy several special activities at our Parish picnic.

Catholic Heart Work camp - September 12, 2018 registration opens for summer, 2019.  We are interested in the Camp in Nashville, June 23 – 29.  Participants must be entering grade 9 in the 2019-20 school year. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE LET Sr. Marge know immediately.  If you can chaperone at this time, please let me know.  Camp fee is $380 a student.  We will ask for a deposit of $50 and a commitment to work on fund-raisers.  The Nashville Camp usually fills up within the first week of registrations. I know this is a long way off, but we need to make reservations now.   

"It is time to prepare for The Thanksgiving Food Baskets.” If you or any business you know would be interested in hosting a food drive or volunteering, please contact Sister Marge.  During the month of October we will begin collecting food here at St. William.  Some companies send volunteers the day of distribution.

September 8 - Serve breakfast at the Cumberland Valley Domestic Violence Shelter (9:30 am).  September 18- 5:30 pm serve dinner at the Good Samaritan Homeless Shelter.  Contact Sheila – 682-1498

Host coffee and donuts after Masses September 22/23.

Help with special Gift Shop sale September 22/23.  See Sr. Marge

Planting crosses on our lawn for Respect Life Month – September 27- 30 Christian Service committee coordinates this project.  People will be working after Saturday & Sunday Mass.

Parking during the Chicken Festival in our parish parking lot. Thursday & Friday evenings & all day on Saturday. We need volunteers to do this.  Proceeds usually go for our youth trip to Catholic HEART Work camp.   There will be a sign-up sheet on the kiosk and in the Education building.

Study Group began a study of the Mass using Bishop Robert Barron’s new DVD series.  I hope you can join us.  Tuesday evenings – 6:30pm – 7:30 pm in the Education Building.  (6 weeks)

Have you read the life of a “Saint” lately?  We have a great variety of saint books in our library on the second floor of the education building. These are for adults or children.  Feel free to sign one out and learn a little more about some of our models of holiness.  Also on September 9 & 23, 9:30 – 10:30we will show a saint DVD in Stern Hall. We have a series of True Reformers  - Saints of the Catholic Reformation.  These saints led the Church’s rebirth from the ashes of the Renaissance decadence and the turbulence and confusion caused by the Protestant Reformation. It sounds like the world we are living in.  Come to learn, share, and enjoy fellowship.

An Evangelization Committee is forming.  There are many ways to evangelize and we would like to explore ways we can reach out to those in our church and community.  Are you interested?  For more information, talk with Father Conrad, Jeanie Cochrane, or Sr. Marge.

Pictorial Directories are available in the Gift Shop.  Please let us know any corrections that need to be made.  If you did not have your picture taken and would like to, we will gladly take it.  After we have pictures of 12 families, we will print a new page and updates that you can insert in your directory.

  September 14 is the feast of the Holy Cross.  What does the cross mean to you?  Many sign themselves with the sign of the cross at the beginning of prayer.  As we enter the church, we sign ourselves with the cross using holy water.  In Baptism parents and godparents sign their child with the cross claiming that child for God.  When receiving the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, Father signs the person with the cross on their forehead and hands. We sign ourselves with the cross when we receive the last blessing in Mass. We also talk about carrying our crosses.  When we unite our sufferings with Jesus, we find the strength to endure.  We have many examples from saints who have considered their crosses a blessing.   We can share in the redemptive sufferings of Christ by offering our sufferings for others or for the souls in purgatory.   We can be like Simon the Cyrene who helped Jesus carry His cross.  We can with the help of Jesus help others carry their crosses.

On September 15, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.  As Holy Cross Sisters, we are dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows.   On that Saturday at 4:30pm in the chapel, I invite you to join me in reciting the Chaplet of our Lady of Sorrows.  This consists of meditating on the seven sorrows of Mary – The Prophecy of Simeon, (where Mary was told a sword would pierce her heart), The Flight in to Egypt, Jesus lost in the Temple, Meeting Jesus Carrying His cross, The Crucifixion, Jesus is taken down from the cross and placed in his Mother’s arms, Burial of Jesus.  We recite seven Hail Mary’s after each sorrow.     

Have you ever thought of inviting some friends to your home to watch a DVD on Catholicism, a saint, or moral values.  We struggle to continue our learning.  We have excellent resources in the education building.  In addition to books, we have numerous DVD series or CD talks.  I would recommend the Bible Timeline series to get an overview of Bible History and become acquainted with major figures in our salvation history.  Maybe you are interested in a particular book of the Bible.  We have a series of Women in the Bible; the Book of Revelation, and Conversion stories of 6 incidents in the Bible.  Bishop Barron’s Catholicism series is excellent.  You will tour the world with his teachings.  We also have a series on the Mass and the Eucharist by Bishop Barron.  Maybe  you are interested in the Beatitudes or Prayer.  Consider one of these series and share it with some others.   

Gift Shop – The gift shop is open before and after Mass or during regular office hours.  Stop in and see the wonderful items that are here.  WE have a selection of crucifixes, Bibles, statues, rosaries, religious books, special items for Baptism and Confirmation, holy water bottles, auto-visor clips, and medals & chains.  There are also a selection of prayer books and holy cards.   On September 22/23 we will have a special sale.

The Teens are selling St. William T-shirts - $15.00.  They are for youth and adults.  Teens will be selling after Mass or they are available in the Gift Shop.