FROM OUR PASTOR

Dear Members of St. Charles:

All are urged to visit our Volunteer Fair this weekend. We have a variety of needs and ministries that depend on your support. Our contemporary understanding of the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation emphasize the responsibility of all believers to build community. Each has a special gift of the spirit to offer. If you have difficulty identifying your charism, ask yourself what your skills are. Often the abilities you use in your secular life on the job or in the neighborhood are the same skills the church needs. For example, we need accountants and fund-raisers to help our stewardship of the parish’s finances and future building plans. We also need teachers to serve as catechists. The Parish Office could use the availability of a retired secretary in the late afternoons or evenings, even on an on-call basis.

Come and be a part of the work of the Spirit at St. Charles.

Thanks for your warm welcome to Pere Jocelyn and Marquis from Haiti. Their visit renews the bond of solidarity that binds us to the people of Cavaillon and Gros Marin.

Feel the Spirit!

USHERS NEED AT 9:00 AM MASS

One or more individuals (male or female) are needed to serve as ushers at the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass. If you are interested in participating in this important ministry, please see one of the ushers after Mass or call Mike Urban at 516-9729 (H) or 202-414-1301 (W). Regular, but no perfect, attendance at the 9:00 AM Mass is desirable. Even if you would only be able to fill in when one of the current ushers is unable to attend Mass, your participation would be appreciated.

MASS FOR ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

The Millennium Committee of the Diocese of Arlington and Children’s Services of Catholic Charities, cordially invites adoptive families to a celebration Mass for Adoptive Families on Saturday, October 2, 1999 at 10:00 AM at St. Agnes Church, 1914 N. Randolph St., Arlington. A reception will follow in the parish hall. Call the Children’s Services office at 425-0100 for additional information.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1999:

7:30 Rev. Ricardo Seidel by the Riguera family

9:00 Antonio Silva by Belmira Santos

11:00 Parishioners

1:00 Fernando Calderón by Familia Calderón

Readings: Ezekiel 18:25-28; Philippians 2:1-11;

Matthew 21:28-32

Monday, September 27:

9:00 Holy Souls of Purgatory by Hilda Scott

Readings: Zechariah 8:1-8; Luke 9:46-50

Tuesday, September 28:

9:00 Louis Pellecchia by Valentino D’Agostino

7:30 (at the Arlington Detention Center) for the Inmates

Readings: Zechariah 8:20-23; Luke 9:51-56

Wednesday, September 29:

9:00 Luz O. Chan by Kathy & Bobby Chan

Readings: Daniel 7:9-10,13-14; John 1:47-51

Thursday, September 30:

9:00 Dorothy Fintak by the Williamson family

Readings: Nehemiah 8:1-4a,5-6,7b-12; Luke 10:1-12

Friday, October 1:

9:00 Rainer Binek by Tomas Lama

Readings: Baruch 1:15-22; Luke 10:13-16

Saturday, October 2:

9:00 Joe C. Horner by the Horner family

5:00 Petronila Ronquillo by Sally & Charlie Sulllivan

Readings: Baruch 4:5-12,27-29; Matthew 18:1-5,10

Prayer Requests

Please remember to keep in your prayers, those who are sick and those who suffer, especially: Juanita Whetzel, Kathy & Mike Burke, Jill Hasty, Ralph & Eileen Bruno, Leslie Zolbe, Sandy Brown, Valerie Kincaid, Janice Prisco, and Cathy Robbins. Let us also pray for those who have died, especially: Margaret Kershenstein, Augustin Orocco, Brian Mullaly, and Francisco Javier Pineda.

SOCIAL JUSTICE CORNER...

SALT (Social Action Linking Together) invites all concerned Virginia citizens to its Annual fall training and Conference on Saturday, October 9, 1999 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at St. Mark Parish Center, Vienna, VA. Featured speakers include: Delegate Vincent F. Callahan, Jr., Fr. Joe Nangle, OFM, Sue Capers, Steve Ruth, and Fr. Gerry Creedon. Call 255-7074 for details and registration. Visit the SALT web page at www.collectiveiq.net/salt.htm.

SPONSOR OF THE WEEK: Our special thanks to Arlington & Rose Hill Florists for supporting our Parish. Thank you!

Ministry

Truly great must be the value of human life if the Son of God has taken it up and made it the instrument of the salvation of all humanity!

-- John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 33

ST. CHARLES SCHOOL

Dear Friends in Christ, As we prepare for the new school year, I remind you that some of our students are in need of financial aide. With your help, they will not be deprived of a Catholic Education. No amount of money is too large or too small. Please make checks payable to: St. Charles School Scholarship Fund. Tuition for one child is $2,000.00 for the school year. Thank you so much for your participation. Because of you, we continue to CELEBRATE CATHOLIC EDUCATION! In Him, Sr. Benedict.

YOUTH NEWS!

Attention all parishioners: St. Charles will host a CAR WASH next Saturday, October 2 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. All money raised will support youth traveling to Rome for World Youth Day 2000. Please come to support our youth!

JUBILEE BOOKLET WRITERS

Thanks to all your parish writers who have been reflecting on the themes for the upcoming Jubilee Year: Celebration; Reconciliation; Sabbath; Freedom; and, Justice. Our Parish-written booklet will be published in January 2000. If you want to sponsor any other Jubilee events, please leave a note in the CAFE mailbox in the Parish Office.

SEE US AT THE FAIR OR ON-LINE

If you haven’t seen the parish web site before, make sure you take a look at the web demonstration this weekend at the Volunteer Fair. Stop by our table and you’ll meet some of the folks who bring you the parish web site, www.stcharleschurch.org. Or, if you are on-line, click on our site and learn what’s new this week. And, remember to tell a friend about our site -- it’s a hi-tech yet low-key way to share your faith.

IN OUR PARISH...

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

Visit the Parish Council table at this weekend’s Volunteer Fair. Meet Council Representatives, register for the Parish and pick up a copy of the FY 1999 Report to the Parish and other materials. We look forward to seeing you!

Also, please plan to attend the Parish Neighborhoods’ Mass and Pot-Luck Party on Saturday, October 2 at 5:00 PM. Volunteers representing each of the parish’s neighborhoods will take part in the liturgy. We are sponsoring a FOOD DRIVE to benefit the St. Charles Pantry. Bring a non-perishable donation to Mass on October 2. Children are invited to take part in the Offertory procession at this special liturgy and offer their food gift at the altar.

To ensure variety, each neighborhood is asked to contribute particular foods: Neighborhood B - Cereal; Neighborhood C - Rice or Canned Beans; Neighborhood D - Canned Meat or Fish; Neighborhood E - Canned Fruit, Vegetables or Soup; and, Neighborhood F - Pasta/Tomato Sauce.

1999 ARLINGTON CROP WALK

HELP STOP HUNGER: Get some exercise and enjoy a beautiful fall morning while helping to eliminate hunger! Join the 1999 Arlington Crop Walk which will be held on Saturday, October 16th. Crop Walk is a 10K stroll through North Arlington to raise funds for Church World Services’ global and local hunger relief efforts 25% of the money raised is given to the Arlington Food Assistance Center, the remaining 75% is used for global hunger relief projects. Can’t walk? Consider sponsoring a walker! Look for the colorful T-shirt by the Crop Walk table in the cafeteria after the 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM Masses and register to walk. For more information, check out the following link www.saintgeorgeschurch.org/cropwalk.htm or call Carol Brown on 524-6133.

• Last Week’s Collection: $12,131.00
• Last Week’s 2nd Collection of $4,973.00 was for the Earthquake Victims in Turkey.
• This Week’s Tithe is for Project Lazarus.
• Next Week’s Tithe is for our sister parishes in Cavaillon & Gros Marin, Haiti.

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