FROM THE PASTOR'S DESK
Dear St. Charles Parishioners,
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord follows on Epihany as the final
manifestation of Emmanuel, God with us. His coming was a welcoming sign
to all, shepherds to kings. This past week our church focussed on immigrants
and strangers. In a time when terror has struck fear into the hearts
of Americans, we need to be careful that attitudes of suspicion and
hostility do not replace a tradition of hospitality.
The Sacrament of Baptism stands as the Church's welcoming rite for
children and for all. Some have said that the second largest church
than the Catholic Church in American are inactive Catholics. There are
many reasons for this situation. With Anna LaNave I will host a "Coming
Home"series on January 17 and 24 after the 5:00 PM Mass for
those who would like to return. This is a chance to talk over the obstacles,
the questions and the opportunities.
May our doors, especially our chruch doors, always be open to friend
and stranger!
Welcome!
MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT DAY FEBRUARY 14, 2004
"Marriage Enrichment Day, Saturday, February 14th, 2004" Coming
soon! "Fighting Fair" "Family of Origin" 2-4:30
PM, Child Care. Vow renewal at 5 PM Mass and 6 PM Valentine's Day Reception.
All are welcome. $5.00 registration. 703-892-6720 Val and Donna.
Reminder: Next Retrovaille weekend for challenged marriages is Janurary
23-25 in Herndon. Brochure in back of church. Call Debbie and Eric at
793-683-4685.
CONTEMPLATIVE WAY
Meets in the Chapel on this Tuesday, January 13th, at 7:30 PM for practices
of silence and spiritual growth.
BAPTISMAL PREPARATION
Baptismal Preparation in English will be offered on Monday January 26th,
at 7:00 PM in the Parish Library.
ESL CLASSES
If you know someone who needs to learn English, ESL Registration will
be on today from 11:15-12:45. Cost is $30. Classes every Sunday.
SPONSOR OF THE WEEK: Our thanks to Arlington Funeral Home for
their support.
MASS INTENTIONS
SUNDAY, January 11, 2004:
7:30 Emily Cella by Carolyn Gilheany
9:00 Maurice & Marjorie Rubinger by the Rubinger Family
11:00 Elsie Spinatolice by Elissa M. Ewalt
1:00 Manuel Romero by Josefina Navarrete & Carmen Forero
6:00 Parishioners
Readings: Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11; Titus 2:11-14;3:4-7; Luke 3:15-16,21-22
Monday, January, 12, 2004:
9:00 Elaine Fleming Smith by Julie Bennifon
7:30 (Arlington Detention Center) for the Inmates
Readings: 1 Samuel 1:1-8; Mark 1:14-20
Tuesday, January 13, 2004:
9:00 Thomas Leckey by James & Phyllis Shea
Readings: 1 Samuel 1:9-20; Mark 1:21-28
Wednesday, January 14, 2004:
9:00 Lorraine Donnelly by Mary Biddle
Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-10,19-20; Mark 1:29-39
Thursday, January 15, 2004:
9:00 Patrick Shea (L) by James & Phyllis Shea
Readings: 1 Samuel 4:1-11; Mark 1:40-45
Friday, January 16, 2004:
9:00 Lourdes Anchecar by Peter & Yolanda Sever
Readings: 1 Samuel 8:4-7,10-22a; Mark 2:1-2
Saturday, January 17, 2004:
9:00 Brad Johnson by Pat McDermott
5:00 Marcia Rachy (L) by Camille Burruto
Readings: 1 Samuel 9:1-4,17-19;10:1a; Mark 2:13-17
PLEASE PRAY FOR
Please remember to keep in your prayers, those who are sick and those
who suffer, especially: Diane Herbst, Celia Coronado, Veronica Ricks,
Regina Heise, Edgardo Bunuan, Mrs. Denis Laroche, Joseph Spasaro, Rosemarie
Rothe, Conrad Rehill, Sr. Bert Cruz, Emilio Tanzo, and Agnes Pagdilo.
Let us also pray for those who have died: Gordon Brigham, Martin E.
McCavitt, Maria Violeta Cuevas, and Josephine Meuse
THANK YOU
Well, we're back from the holidays, and the news is good. The Giving
Tree program helped out a huge number of families to give gifts to their
children, and the families we supported reflected the diversity of the
parish. In addition, we FILLED TWO FORD EXPLORERS to the brim with toiletries
and hats and gloves for the A-SPAN Winter Shelter, while we STUFFED
A SEDAN full of blankets, sheets, and shirts for the wonderful detox/rehab
Residential Program Center shelter on Columbia Pike. The generosity
of this parish is a shining light to those in need: as it grows harder
to find affordable housing and well-paid work for those with little
education or abilities, that light must grow evermore as a beacon of
hope for the future. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
RESPECT LIFE MINISTRY
"In the face of fundamental and inalienable ethical demands, Christians
must recognize that what is at stake is the essence of the moral laws,
concerning abortion and euthanasia.
RCIA INFORMATION NIGHT
Want to learn more about joining the Catholic faith? Come and bring
your questions about the process. All are welcome. Tuesday, January
27th, at 7:30 PM, at the Church.
"COME HOME FOR NEW YEARS"
If you are a Catholic who has been away from the Church, we invite you
to be an active part of us again. Please join us for our Coming Home
discussion series, hosted by Father Gerry Creedon. This two part series,
to be held on January 17 and 24 after the 5:00 PM Mass in the Chapel,
will give you the opportunity to ask questions about your Catholic faith
and talk with other returning Catholics. Please extend this invitation
to friends and family members. No registration is required. For more
information, see the flyer at the back of the Church, or call Anna LaNave,
(703) 916-8746 or returning-catholics@stcharleschurch.org.
RETROUVAILLE OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
If your marriage has become troubled or stressed, unloving or uncaring,
or if your relationship has grown cold and distant, if you are thinking
of separation or divorce, or if you are already separated or divorced,
but you want to try again - then the Retrouvaille program can help you.
Please call (703) 351-7211. You may call anonymously.
BEING YOUR BEST SELF DURING DIFFICULT TIMES
A six-session workshop for men and women who are divorced or separated,
will be presented by Pauline Flynn, M. S., Pastoral Counselor at St.
Anthony of Padua Church in Falls Church, VA. This psycho-educational
workshop will begin on January 14, 2004 from 7 PM to 9 PM. Topics to
be discussed include coping with stress, managing anger, improving communications
and discovering your inner resources. The fee for the workshop is $125.
For more information and to reserve a space contact Pauline at 703-820-1026.
"GOSPEL OF LUKE"
The Scripture Review group will begin a new program, "The Gospel
of Luke." The group meet on Wednesday morning at 10:00 AM in the
Parish Library. Each meeting is less than 1-½ hours. Course costs
$8 - and will begin on January 14th. For more information, call Jim
Morris at (703) 920-7945.
IN OUR PARISH
ARE YOU REGISTERED?
If you plan to be a godparent for a Baptism, a sponsor for Confirmation,
or to be married in a Catholic Church, you MUST be a registered parishioner
for a minimum of three (3) months! The Church can not vouch for you
if we do not have any information about your participation in the Parish.
Stop by the Parish Office to register.
PARISH OFFERTORY ENVELOPES
The Parish Offertory Envelopes have several purposes. They provide you
with a convenient way to support your parish, and they allowed the Parish
Office to keep track of your contributions to provide you with tax statement
at the end of each year. Without you name, address, and the clearly
stated amount of your donation, we are unable to accurately track your
contribution. We prefer that you use the envelopes; however, donations
in check form are also credited to individual registrations. Please
note: if you are not a registered parishioner, your donations can not
be recorded. Thank you!
TOP PARISH WEB PAGES FROM LAST MONTH
Your parish website, www.stcharleschurch.org, gets thousands of visitors
each month. We hope you're one of them! The most popular pages in December
were the homepage and the celebrant's
schedule, as usual, followed by the Advent
page, the new room reservation section
and Simbang Gabi (Filipino
novena). Advent - related pages accounted for 9 of the top 30 pages.
The most popular ministries online were once again C'YA
(young adults) and RCIA (for converts),
followed by Landing (for returning
Catholics), which jumped up to the number three spot. The most read
homily was Fr. Creedon's
discussion of Biblical justice and global poverty. Visit us this
week for a review of the year in pictures.
If you'd like to be part of our team by helping to create web pages
or taking digital photos at parish events, webteam@stcharleschurch.org.
HEAR YE! HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
Mark your calendars for the annual St. Charles Parish Town Halls on
Sunday, January 25 at noon in English and 2:00 PM in Spanish. Both events
will take place in Benedict Hall in the new Parish Community Center.
Come for a sneak peak and hear a report on the new facility!
- Collection for Sunday, January 4, 2004 was $22,498.15
- Tithe for Sunday, January 4, $2, 069.83 was for St. Charles Outreach.
- 2nd Collection for Sunday January 4th, $13,420.25 was for the Building
Fund.
- This week's January 11th, 2004 tithe is for our sister parishes
in Cavaillon & Gros Marin, Haiti.
- Next Week's January 18th, 2004 tithe is for Project Rachel &
Catholic Charities Children's Services.
Let us raise the roof in joyous
song!
Join with the renowned and rousing
St. Joseph's Gospel Choir
in celebration of the life of
The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Saturday, January 17, 2004
5 PM Vigil Mass
A reception will follow the Mass in the cafeteria.
Come prepared to clar your hands and lift your voice in thanksgiving
for this American hero of freedom and justice!
