Dear Members of St. Charles:
Our Parish Mission is a time for all of us to renew our faith. Come for these special days and join us in a time of spiritual renewal. I am happy to welcome two Franciscans as our guides. May the spirit of St. Francis join with St. Charles as we prepare our parish to enter into a new millennium. Remember to come in your favorite saint's costume for our special liturgy October 31 at 5 PM to celebrate the vigil of All Saints, especially the children.
I thank the scores of volunteers who made Oktoberfest a big success.
Put November the 4th on your calendar for a Town Meeting on "St. Charles and the Future."
In the Spirit,
AN ART EXHIBIT
Two of our parishioners, ROSS CONNEALY and GEORGE MACDONALD, have been selected to display a selection of their paintings at the Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street. Ross' exhibition of wildlife paintings will be on display until October 31. George's oil paintings will be on exhibit during the month of November. Be sure to stop by to see their work.
BORROMEO HOUSING TENTH ANNIVERSARY
Borromeo Housing is excited to be celebrating its tenth anniversary on Thursday, November 5 from 6:30-8:30 PM. You are invited to attend our celebration to be held at the NRECA Conference Center, 4301 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington. Hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer will be served. There is complimentary parking using the Taylor Street entrance and it is convenient to the Ballston Metro. Tickets are $30 per person and can be obtained by contacting Julie Brunson, Executive Director at 841-0139. Please R.S.V.P. Hope to see you there!
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
ATRIUM: Atrium levels I, II, and III are still accepting new registrations. If your child is between the ages of 3 and 12, please call Marilyn Krause at 527-5500 ext. 19 to sign him or her up for Atrium religious education classes.
ST. COLETTA SCHOOL
The St. Coletta School for children with mental retardation and autism will be hosting a Pumpkin and Mum Sale from October 22 through October 30. Stop by to meet our students and enjoy a cup of warm apple cider! Sale hours are Monday through Friday (10 AM to 3 PM) and on Saturday and Sunday (9 AM to 2 PM) on our campus at 207 South Peyton Street in Alexandria. Spread the word to your friends and neighbors!!! All proceeds will benefit the children of St. Coletta. If you have any questions, please contact Dee Miller at 683-3686.
SUNDAY, October 25:
7:30 Sly Sopkoviak by Leah & Mike Miller
9:00 Parishioners
11:00 Dolores Ablaza-Osmeña by Annabelle O. Nelson
1:00 Leon Sandagorda by Irene Burnett
Readings: Sirach 35:12-14,16-18; 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18;
Luke 18:9-14
Monday, October 26:
9:00 Luciana R. Riguera by the Riguera family
Readings: Ephesians 4:32-5:8; Luke 13:10-17
Tuesday, October 27:
9:00 Hector Chavarro, Jr. by Cecilia Chavarro
7:30 (at the Arlington Detention Center) for the Inmates
Readings: Ephesians 5:21-33; Luke 13:18-21
Wednesday, October 28: SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES
9:00 John R. Worthington by Calvin Braxton
Readings: Ephesians 2:19-22; Luke 6:12-16
Thursday, October 29:
9:00 Marguerite Jackson by Robert Jackson
Readings: Ephesians 6:10-20; Luke 13:31-35
Friday, October 30:
9:00 Jordan-Ricks family by Veronica Ricks
Readings: Philippians 1:1-11; Luke 14:1-6
Saturday, October 31:
9:00 Cándida Moré by Ray & Margarita Glodowski
5:00 John F. Wert by Elaine & Michael Etnier
Readings: Philippians 1:18b-26; Luke 14:1,7-11
Please remember to keep in your prayers, the elderly, those in distress, the lonely, and those who are sick, especially: Eileen Bruno, Ralph Bruno, Johnny Jara, Jack Kern, Marina Ruiz, Fabiola Joachim, Donald & Bertha Connors, Myrtle Talbott, Msgr. John Ryan, John Doherty, Michelle Crosby, Gloria Ferrer, Jimmy Clark, Henrietta Smith, Maria Massey, Juanita Whetzel, Mary O'Connell, and Jose Acosta. Let us also pray for those who have died, especially: Claire Keeney.
SPECIAL OUTREACH FOR THOSE WHO CARE...
Fall is upon us and more people in need have been knocking on our door asking for food. Please help us to replenish the supplies in our food pantry. Most appreciated would be: crackers, peanutbutter, soups not requiring dilution, and as always, rice, pasta and cereal. Thank you very much for your generous support!
SPONSOR OF THE WEEK: Our special thanks to Advent Funeral & Cremation Services for supporting our Parish.
MINISTRY
All human beings, from their mothers' womb, belong to God who searches them and knows them, who forms them and knits them together with his own hands, who gazes on them when they are tiny shapeless embryos and already sees in them the adults of tomorrow whose days are numbered and whose vocation is even now written in the "book of life".
- John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 61
MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER
SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST! Ever feel guilty about ignoring your spouse during football season? Take a time out and attend a MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER weekend. The next upcoming weekend is November 13 -15, and is almost filled, so call now. For further information and registration, call Tony & Janet Ramos 941-2889 or e-mail tnjramos@compuserve.com. Please visit the Marriage Encounter website at http://www.erols.com/monje/wwme.htm.
YOUTH NEWS
Youth Mass - THIS Sunday, October 25th at 6:00 PM in the Chapel. All 7th - 12th graders are invited to this special Mass as we celebrate World Youth Day. Any youth interested in sharing their talents of singing or playing a musical instrument, arrive at the Chapel at 5:30 PM on October 25th or call Anne Marie Kaufmann at 527-5500 before Sunday!
WEEKEND RETREAT FOR PEOPLE FACING A SERIOUS ILLNESS
A retreat specially planned for men and women facing a serious illness will be held at the Dominican Retreat House in McLean, VA on December 11 - 13. A team of doctors, nurses, priests, sisters and helpers will be present around the clock. Scheduling allows plenty of time for rest and reflection. This retreat is offered free of charge. Registration closes November 30, please call as soon as possible. Dominican Retreat, 356-4243 or Doug Sebek, 860-4929.
HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES
Paul VI Catholic High School announces OPEN HOUSE for the Fall of 1998: For students and parents - Sunday, November 8 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM; for 8th grade students - Monday, November 9 from 9:00 AM to 10:15 AM. For either event, please call to make reservations: 352-0925 ext. 321 or 346.
Bishop Ireton High School, 201 Cambridge Road, Alexandria, VA, is hosting an OPEN HOUSE today, Sunday, October 25th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. We welcome families interested in pursuing an excellent Catholic, values based education offering a quality athletic program, a world class symphonic wind ensemble and a wide variety of cocurricular activities all within a co-ed smaller school environment. For more information, call 751-7606.
IN OUR PARISH...
PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
The St. Charles Parish Council and Pastoral Team participated in a retreat at Mount Tabor House in Vienna, Virginia on October 12. We reviewed activities of the last 12 months, assessed our progress in achieving our three parish goals (to promote volunteer development, to determine the feasibility of building a multi-purpose center and to reinvigorate the parish's liturgical and spiritual programs) and discussed ways to strengthen our ministries. Special thanks to Genie Norris, Jim Murphy and Kathy Rafferty for facilitating our retreat.
REMINDER: The St. Charles Town Hall will be held on Wednesday, November 4 at 7:00 PM in the Church. Share your hopes, dreams and desires for our parish with Fr. Creedon, members of the Parish Council and Pastoral Team and the Strategic Planning/Parish Center Feasibility Study Committee. All are welcome. Please come!
PARISH MISSION
It's here! The Parish Mission begins this Monday, October 26! Friars Smith and Kelleher have arrived from New Jersey and are speaking at all the Masses this weekend. Consider this a small taste of what God has in store for us during the next four days! It's not too late to invite friends and co-workers to join you. Tell them the Mission will be an opportunity to experience the love of God, to reflect on the role of spirituality in daily life, to participate in the bonding of community, to capture moments of peace and turn them into a life-style of joy. We are looking forward to seeing you! For more information, contact Jennifer Cole (525-6925) or Jean Sweeney (527-5500) or www.stcharleschurch.org.
FROM THE PASTORAL COUNSELING OFFICE
Have you wondered what your dreams mean? One writer refers to dreams as "God's forgotten language." Everyone dreams and it just takes a little practice to learn to "catch" them. Come explore a Dream Group - learn more about yourself and this valuable inner resource for growth. Given by Michele Hocket, our Pastoral Counseling Intern with a background in Jungian analysis and 15 years of working with her dreams. Three sessions - November 7, 14 & 21, in the Parish Library from 10:30 AM to 12:00 Noon. $25.00.
- Last Week's Collection: $12,884.72
- Last Week's Second Collection of $3,888.03 was for World Missions.
- This Week's tithe is for Borromeo Housing, Inc.
- Next Week's tithe is for our sister parishes in Cavaillon and Gros Marin, Haiti.
