Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

June 28, 2017

by Fr. Reginald Samuels

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

First, I would like to congratulate all of the young people in our parish that were confirmed by the Bishop George Sheltz this past week. I want to thank our Co- Director of Faith Formation, Mrs. Pamela Johnson along with our Catechists and volunteers who lead the way for our young people to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Summer is almost here and that means Vacation Bible School. Registration has begun for this yearly event which will be held July 10^th -14^th in Guyot Hall. This year’s theme for VBS will be “Maker Fun Factory” and our kids will experience God’s Word in surprising and unforgettable ways. This VBS event is a wonderful time for our young people to explore their relationship with Christ and the Church. Last year VBS had over 140 kids participating along with over 50 teen and adult volunteers helping our young people grow in their relationship with Christ and the Church. If you have time to volunteer this summer, the Vacation Bible School would be a great place for you to help. Please continue to pray for the young people of our parish.

Preparations for VBS 2017 will be underway this week and we are looking for volunteers to help. Please go to Sthyacinth.org and go to the VBS 2017 tab to sign up to volunteer or go the Faith Formation office to register and sign up. Your help with VBS 2017 will be appreciated by all the young people who attend.

Church attendance during the summer months tends to drop off as vacations and weekend sporting events often conflict. On the other hand, the services St. Hyacinth provide with the parish and for the larger community continue year round, as do their associated expenses. Thus, your consistent financial support of our parish is vital to achieving our stewardship mission. The easiest way to be sure that your gift of treasure reaches us, even when you can’t be here, is through enrollment in our electronic offertory program: Faith Direct. Enrollment forms are available in the Church Narthex and the Church office or you can visit Faith Direct’s secure website at www.faithdirect.net to enroll on line. Our parish code is TX526. As always, know that your generosity is truly a gift from God.

Next, ACTS retreats have enriched the lives of thousands of people; men and women, teens throughout our Archdiocese. It has reinvigorated the spiritual lives of individuals, of families, of entire parishes. The way this wonderful program came to be is a beautiful blend of the Holy Spirit and those who listen to His words. ACTS missions spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ among Catholic communities by promoting, consulting in, facilitating and coordinating ACTS retreats.

According to the accounts of people who have experienced ACTS retreats, attendees have credited ACTS with saving their lives, saving their marriages, convincing them to be ordained as priests or deacons, or leading them to the religious life, simply by opening their eyes and their hearts to God's word.
We are offering our next Men’s ACTS retreat July 25-28^th. I want to encourage all the Men of STHY to think about attending this ACTS retreat and be renewed in your relationship with God.

Next, weekend we will have the annual Archdiocese mission appeal. Rev. Thomas Wiese from the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament will lead a mission appeal for his congregation. Each year our archdiocese participates in the Missionary Corporative plan which invites a missionary to preach at the parish for mission appeals. This plan provides the people of our archdiocese and our church the opportunity to increase their awareness of the vital mission work of the Church. For 2017 the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament based out of Cleveland Ohio has been assigned to our parish for the mission appeal. Please welcome Fr. Thomas Wiese to our parish.

Thanks to all those who have made their pledges for the capital campaign. Thank you for your generosity and sacrifice. I am happy to say we have reached a major milestone at the $1 Million pledge level; however we still have a ways to go. We entrust this campaign to the intercession of Our Blessed Mother and our patron St Hyacinth. As your pastor, I invite you all to discern how best you are able to support our capital campaign to build Family, Faith and Future… our Sanctuary…. Our Home.

Finally, on behalf of all of here at STHY, we want to wish you ah very safe and Happy 4^th of July celebration. Our parish office will be closed on Tuesday in observance of the holiday.

God Bless,
Fr. Reginald Samuels