Spring Festival 2018 was a great success!!! We will have the final tally and results of the Spring Festival in a few weeks, but if attendance was any indication, there were a lot of people who attended the festival this year. There was fun and games all over with plenty of winners in Bingo!!!This was our sixth festival for our parish in close to 20 years and the first time it was held over two days.
I want to thank everyone who has been involved in bringing this festival to our parish. I want to give a special thank you to our Spring Festival Chairman Raul Turner. Raul has worked very hard this year to make our the Spring Festival a joyous event. Special thanks to the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Daughters and a special thanks to the following people who made our Spring Festival 2018 very special, Mary Schaeffer, Howard Schaeffer, Lisa Freeman, Molly Leon, Mike Layton, Stephanie Orozco, Dany Dehoyos, Kevin Schoppe, Ethan Rangel, Nelda Rodriguez, Stephan Rodriguez, Barbara Matusek, Gloria Alvarado, Jessica Casados, and Pamela Johnson.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that: Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, precedes us into the Father's glorious kingdom so that we, the members of his Body, may live in the hope of one day being with him for ever. CCC 666. As we celebrate Ascension Sunday this weekend, we need to recall how the Ascension allows us to have and advocate and mediator in heaven. Heaven and earth are truly joined through Jesus Christ and through Jesu Christ, we have a share of heaven.
I want to say congratulations to all of our young people who have received their First Eucharist this past Saturday in the second of two First Eucharist Masses here at STHY. I want to thank Mrs. Pamela Johnson Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization, and Mrs. Jessica Casados, Formation Assistant, along with our team of Catechist and Assistants for their work of religious formation in First Eucharist preparations.
Next, I want to introduce you to the newest member of the STHY family, Deacon Dan Foley. Deacon Dan is a retired Deacon of the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston, who has recently served as Permanent Deacon in his home parish of St. John the Evangelist (Baytown), as volunteer in Special Youth Services (SYS) and at Methodist Hospital San Jacinto Campus. As a now retired Deacon of the Archdiocese, Deacon Foley will be serving our parish in a limited capacity of duties ; so please welcome Deacon Foley to STHY. As we gear up for the summer, I want to make you all aware of the 2018 Annual Archdiocesan Youth Conference which takes place this year on July 20th - 22nd at the Hilton Americas Hotel in downtown Houston under the theme “Chosen” The primary focus for A.Y.C. is to rejuvenate the faith life of our youth, to help them get serious about life in Christ and His Church, and to learn the truth of the Gospel. All who participate will be blessed with powerful witness and messages from major presenters including our own Cardinal DiNardo. The A.Y.C. 2017 was a major success with a record number 2500 young people participating in the event from throughout our Archdiocese. For A.Y.C. 2018, we are hoping to send a number of our young people to this event so that we can help them grow in their faith.
Registration for A.Y.C. 2018 is currently underway. If you would like to sponsor a young person for this event, contact our Faith Formation. For our young people who are eligible to attend the conference, registration for A.Y.C. 2018 ends soon. Please continue to pray for the young people of our parish.
Thanks to all those who have made their pledges for the capital campaign. Thank you for your generosity and sacrifice. We entrust this campaign to the intercession of Our Blessed Mother and our patron St Hyacinth. Thanking you in advance for your response in faith. As your pastor, I invite you to discern how best you are able to support the new sanctuary.. to build Family, Faith and Future….our Sanctuary …. Our home.