Third Week of Ordinary Time

January 21, 2020

by Fr. Reginald Samuels

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus called the disciples two by two. He called the fishermen brothers Simon and Andrew, then James and John then the rest. These men worked with their hands and at the invitation of Jesus, they all left behind their way of life to follow him. The imagery presented in the Gospel of Matthew this week speaks to us about how we are called to be dramatic in our conversion as well. We are called to put aside our own way of life to follow a life with Jesus. Then does not mean that we walk away from our duties, however it does mean that we have to prioritize our life to make Jesus first. If Jesus is not first, then we will make a god our of something else.

This weekend, there is a special second Collection for Bishops fund for the Church in Latin America. This collection supports pastoral projects that enrich the lives of believers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The Collection for the Church in Latin America empowers the faithful of Latin America to deepen their faith and share it with each other and the world. For more information on the Church in Latin America and the projects funded by the collection, please visit www.usccb.org/nationalcollections. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Please keep in prayer our high school youth who are having their Confirmation Retreat this weekend. Our Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Mr. Steven Sotelo along with our Director of Faith Formation , Mrs. Pamella Johnson and the Confirmation team, have all been working very hard over the past few months to make sure that all the details for the retreat ready for our Confirmandi. Auxiliary Bishop George Sheltz will be the Celebrant for the Confirmation Mass which is scheduled for Spring 2020.

FORMED.org is a digital online platform that gives STHY unprecedented access to video-based study programs, feature films, audio presentations, and eBooks from the Church’s foremost presenters. With your free access to FORMED, 24/7 on your television, smart phone, laptop, I-pad, or Kindle; you can:

Prepare for Mass each week by watching an insightful five-minute video on the Sunday Readings.
Study the Scriptures at your own pace and time.
Enjoy movies as a family that are both nourishing and entertaining.
Enrich your marriage with the award winning video program Beloved.
Help your children grow in faith and character with engaging children’s materials.

Soo I am asking every family to register for your free access to all the amazing content on FORMED. Go to FORMED.org to register and enter Code:77GVZ3.

Now through March 4th, FORMED.org will be introducing an new webinar series called “ Teaching the Gospel through the Church's Sacraments.” Each weekly webinar will explain how we all can use the different resources on FORMED to educate the entire family and community on the sacraments! Check the parish website for more details.

Next, DSF 2020 starts next weekend with “DSF Commitment Sunday.” Cardinal DiNardo has sent everyone an appeal letter and pledge card and he wants to encourage each and every one to become involved with DSF 2020. I know that we are in difficult economic times, yet each of us has been blessed in so many ways, and we are called to share those blessings with others. Please bring your personalized pledge cards to Mass next weekend or mail them in or go on-line or take a pledge envelope from the Narthex and make your commitment. We missed our DSF goal for 2019 by close to $6500. Our parish is required to meet our goal, whether paid by us individually or paid from our general parish funds at the end of the year. This year I want to encourage 100% participation from the faithful of St. Hyacinth, so let’s pray and then give.

Finally, as of the writing for the bulletin, the boiler for the Church is no longer working which means that there there is no heat for the Church, the older part of Parish facilities and Church offices. Due to the age of the boiler, several contractors have advised that any new attempted repair work on the boiler will not guarantee that boiler will function. We are currently working with the Archdiocese as to the next steps we need to take. We will keep everyone informed

God Bless,
Fr. Reginald Samuels