FORMED is the revolutionary digital online platform that gives STHY parishioners unprecedented free 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 in preparation for the Advent season I am challenging everyone to watch Rooted, a new program on FORMED. Rooted is a new 22-episode series, on FORMED, that guides Catholics through a daily Advent reflection using the Jesse Tree model traditionally practiced by families. Each seven-minute episode introduces the ancestors of Jesus Christ, shares a Scripture passage, and offers an engaging, practical reflection. Hosted by Dr. Scott Hefelfinger, Rooted helps viewers apply the passage and related teachings to each day of Advent, guided by the Church’s teaching. Episodes begin on December 3, the First Sunday of Advent, and end on December 24, the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Our parish Password to FORMED.org is 77536. This year the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of obligation, there will be two special Masses on Friday December 8th at 8:00 am 7:00 pm .
The 2023 SVDP Angel Tree project will be adjusted to accommodate the limited use of the Church facilities. For this year we are asking everyone to donate $25 gift cards from Walmart, Target or Marshalls only. Once you purchase the gift cards, bring them back to church and place them in the regular collection. Thank you for your generosity towards those in our community that are less fortunate. The Angel Tree gift card collection will end on Sunday December 3rd. With the busy times of the Season of Advent right around the corner, enrolling in online giving is a great way to ensure your gifts of treasure to St. Hyacinth are received even if you may be out of town. Please go to https://www.sthyacinth.org/online-giving and register for online giving or to simply give online. Thank you in advance for your suppo
The 2023 SVDP Angel Tree project will be adjusted to accommodate the limited use of the Church facilities. For this year we are asking everyone to donate $25 gift cards from Walmart, Target or Marshalls only. Once you purchase the gift cards, bring them back to church and place them in the regular collection. Thank you for your generosity towards those in our community that are less fortunate. The Angel Tree gift card collection will end on Sunday December 3rd. Finally, we will have a special Mass for Thanksgiving on Thursday November 23rd at 10:00am. Our parish offices will be closed from November 22nd - 24th. The parish offices will reopen on Monday November 27 at 1:00pm. We want to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.
For 2023, Cardinal DiNardo has assessed our parish DSF goal at $85,000. This year, as of the writing for this bulletin, our parish has collected $ 59821.32 towards our goal. We have until the end of the year to collect our goal. DSF supports more than 60 ministries and programs that serve the faithful of the Archdiocese and us here at St. Hyacinth. From Catholic chaplains at the hospitals and the Port of Houston, to religious education training for our teachers (who pass on their faith to our children), to outreach to seniors, to youth ministry, to soup kitchens, to Catholic Charities ministry to the poor and disenfranchised, and to training for seminarians, Deacons and priests. There is only two months left until the end of the year to cover the $ 25,178.68 deficit in DSF. If we do not make our DSF goal for the year, the balance that is due will come directly out of the operating expense of the parish. Thank you for your generosity. Finally, the 2023 SVDP Angel Tree project will be adjusted to accommodate the limited use of the Church plants. For this year we are asking everyone to donate $25 gift cards from Walmart, Target or Marshalls only. Once you purchase the gift cards, bring them back to church and place them in the regular collection. Thank you for your generosity towards those in our community that are less fortunate. The Angel Tree gift card collection will end on Sunday December 3rd
For the Month of November, The Book of the Names of the Dead will be in the Baptistery area of the Church for those who want to write the names of deceased loved ones whom we can pray for. Through prayer, fasting and good works we offer on behalf of the deceased, we pray that God’s purification will be granted to all of the faithful departed so that they can obtain their soul’s desire, eternal life in heaven. In communion with the faithful departed as members of the Church, it is our responsibility and privilege to assist them with our prayers and holy works. The 2023 SVDP Angel Tree project will be adjusted to accommodate the limited use of the Church plants. For this year we are asking everyone to donate $25 gift cards from Walmart, Target or Marshalls. Once you purchase the gift cards, bring them back to church and place them in the regular collection. Thank you for your generosity towards those in our community that are less fortunate. The Angel Tree gift card collection will start next weekend and end on Sunday December 3rd.
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, In our Gospel this week, we witness Jesus quoting two commandments from the Old Testament: to love God with all one’s being, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Jesus tells us that these two are the greatest and the most important of all the commandments, and that all the law and the prophets depend on them. Jesus shows through the Gospel this week the essence of true religion is to have a personal relationship with God and with other people, all based on our foundational love of God. Love is a choice and a commitment to act for the good of others. When God is love, then we are required to move to an action of love in our lives. November is right around the corner. The Feast of All Saints is a Holy Day of Obligation, we will celebrate two especial Masses on November 1st, Wednesday at 8:00 am and 7:00 pm. Next, there will be a special Luminaria Mass for All Souls Day Thursday November 2nd at the 7:00 pm Mass. Finally, Construction update: progress on the rebuilding of the Education building is underway. The metal framing is up. The pipes have been laid in the foundation and we will continue to receive more metal framing over the next few weeks. All the permits have been approved, and construction should progress over the next few months.
This Weekend, we are having our Bi- Annual collection (Second Collection) for our own SVDP society. All the monies collected will go to serving all those in need in our own community. Thank you for your generosity in supporting SVDP. Finally, as you know, I am currently on Pilgrimage with a number of parishioners from St. Hyacinth. Please keep us in your prayers, and I can assure you that you all are in my prayers as we tour the holy sites of Europe. Please follow the pilgrimage on my Facebook page.
The bishops of the United States are charging the faithful to celebrate a National Eucharistic Revival. This is a three–year initiative launched in 2022 on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi. This renewal began at the diocesan level, inviting diocesan staff, bishops, and priests to what Pope Francis has described as “a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ”—particularly the transforming power and mercy of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. As we enter the second year of the National Eucharistic revival, the of archdiocese Parish level Revival began on June 11, 2023—also on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. The year has been marked by historic initiatives, such as the first-ever National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. On July 17, 2024, the faithful of the United States will gather for the first time in 83 years for a National Eucharistic Congress. This historic moment will launch the United States into a Year of Mission, sending on-fire Catholics out to share Christ’s love “for the life of the world.” To find our more information on the National Eucharistic revival and how you can become a part of the celebrations go to https://www.usccb.org/
The month of October is Respect Life Month with October 1st being Respect for Life Sunday. For Respect Life Sunday, we will witness the horrors of abortion on Center Street. Those that are interested in the Life Chain project on Center Street are called to meet in Guyot Hall immediately after the noon Mass today and then gather on Center Street to stand silently from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Next, Saturday on October 7th at 9:00 am in the center street parking lot, we will have our Annual blessing of the Animals. The custom of blessing of the animals originated in the 13th century and is attributed to the St. Francis of Assisi, who had a great care and respect of the creatures of the earth.
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, The Parable of the Landowner from the Gospel of Matthew this week demonstrates to us the abundance of God's grace and mercy. Furthermore, there are several takeaways in which we can glean from the parable. First, the parable shows that God is the sovereign owner of his vineyard, which represents his kingdom. He has the right to hire and reward workers as he pleases, according to his generosity and not according to merit or expectation on our part. Next, the parable also shows that God gives the same reward of eternal life to all who believe in him, regardless of when they enter his kingdom or how much they have done for him. God's generosity challenges our sense of justice and fairness and exposes our tendency to be envious and resentful of others who receive God’s grace. Moreover, the parable shows that God’s grace is abundant. God does not withhold his grace from anyone who is willing to work for him, even at the last hour. He invites everyone to join his kingdom and share in his joy. Finally, the parable shows that God’s grace is a gift, and that grace cannot be earned. We cannot earn or deserve God’s grace by our works, but we can only receive grace by faith and gratitude. We should not compare ourselves with others or boast about our achievements, but we should humbly acknowledge our dependence on God and rejoice in his generosity. One of the principal goals of 2023 is to increase the number of people that are contributing to the Church through our electronic giving platform. We have over 1000 registered families here at STHY that maybe giving to our parish in the Sunday collection; however, we don’t have a record of them using their envelopes or electronic giving. You can enroll for online giving through https://www.sthyacinth.org/online-giving The month of October is Respect Life Month with October 1st being Respect for Life Sunday. For Respect Life Sunday, we will witness the horrors of abortion on Center Street. Those that are interested are called to meet in Guyot Hall immediately after the noon Mass and then gather on Center Street to stand silently from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm. In celebration of our parish 58th anniversary, this year’s parish project, the entire community of St Hyacinth is being asked to provide support for the renovation and restoration of the two main stain glass windows of the Church. To support this project, please go to https://sthyacinth.org/stain-glass-renovation-project to donate. We hope to raise $75,000 for the renovation and restoration of our Holy Spirit Window and Christ the Good Shepherd window. As of my writing for the bulletin, we have collected over $22,000 for the restoration of the stain glass window project. Thank you for your generosity. For 2023, Cardinal DiNardo has assessed our parish DSF goal at $85,000. As of the writing for this bulletin we have collected $49,776. Go to: https://www.archgh.org/ways-to-give/diocesan-services-fund-dsf/donate-to-dsf/ and give to DSF 2023. Thank you for your generosity. Since it is stewardship weekend, this weekend, we will hear from one of the many archdiocese ministries which DSF supports. Finally, this weekend, please welcome Deacon Phillip Jackson to St. Hyacinth. Deacon Jackson is the Director of the Office of the Permanent Deaconate for the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston. The Office of the Permanent Diaconate is responsible for all aspects associated with the formation of deacon candidates and the ongoing formation and coordination of the Archdiocese's permanent diaconate community. This weekend, Deacon Jackson will preach and speak about how DSF supports the Office of the Permanent Deaconate. God Bless, Fr. Reginald Samuels
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The St. Hyacinth mission statement says: Saint Hyacinth is a Catholic Community bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are nourished by his sacraments, committed to the service of one another by living and teaching gospel values. Our journey in faith and love calls us to walk with others through service and prayer. We will continue the mission of Jesus Christ to bring about the kingdom of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit using the gifts of time, talent and treasure. And thus, through the example of our patron, St. Hyacinth, we will serve Christ and his Church. This weekend we will be given the opportunity to be a witness to the mission statement of our parish. The annual ministry fair will be in Guyot Hall. This ministry fair presents a great opportunity for all of us to consider how we are called to live out the mission statement of our parish. Everyone is called to share their gifts of time talent and treasure. Now is the time to share your gifts with the parish and community. The gospel passage this week is related to the previous verses that deal with conflict resolution and reconciliation in the church. The Gospel of Matthew this week tells the parable of the unforgiving servant. It is about the importance of forgiving others as God has forgiven us. It also warns about the consequences of being unmerciful. The passage begins with Peter’s question about how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him. He suggests seven times, which seems generous, but Jesus says seventy-seven times This does not mean that there is a literal limit to forgiveness, but that forgiveness should be unlimited and unconditional, just like God’s forgiveness for us. The point of the parable this Sunday is to illustrate the contrast between God’s grace and human sinfulness, and to challenge us to imitate God’s mercy in our relationships with others. Jesus says that this is how God will treat us if we do not forgive our brothers and sisters from our hearts. Jesus implies that our forgiveness from God is conditional on our forgiveness of others. One of our parish goals in 2023 is to increase the number of families supporting St Hyacinth using Faith Direct and online giving. Currently we have only 208 families using Faith Direct. You can register in less than five minutes signing up for online giving at https://sthyacinth.org/online-giving. In celebration of our parish 58th anniversary, this year’s parish project, the entire community of St Hyacinth is being asked to provide support for the renovation and restoration of the two main stain glass windows of the Church. To support this project, please go to https://sthyacinth.org/stain-glass-renovation-project to donate. We hope to raise $75,000 for the renovation and restoration of our Holy Spirit Window and Christ the Good Shepherd window. As of my writing for the bulletin, we have collected over $20,000 for the restoration of the stain glass window project. Thank you for your generosity. Finally, for 2023, Cardinal DiNardo has assessed our parish DSF goal at $85,000. As of the writing for this bulletin we have collected $49,776. Go to: https://www.archgh.org/ways-to-give/diocesan-services-fund-dsf/donate-to-dsf/ and give to DSF 2023. Thank you for your generosity. Since it is stewardship weekend, this weekend, we will here from one of the many archdiocese ministries in which DSF supports. God Bless, Fr. Reginald Samuels
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Gospel reading this week from Gospel of Matthew is a passage that gives instructions on how to deal with a sinning person in the church. Jesus advises to go to the offender privately, then with one or two witnesses, and then to the church. Then later the Gospel reading also promises that whatever is bound or loosed on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven, and that where two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name, Jesus is there among them. Through the scriptures this week, we are giving a choice on how to act. The first choice is to do what we want, and the second choice is to do what God wants us to do. In making these choices in life, we must realize that all choices have consequences. We can be and will be held accountable for the choices we make. We should always go back to that old question: “What Would Jesus Do?” in making decisions about our lives. Religious Education classes start today. There is time for your family members to get registered for faith formation classes. Registration is still currently in progress. To register online for Faith Formation classes, go to: https://sthyacinth.org/faith-formation-registration-form. One of the principal goals of 2023 is to increase the number of people that are contributing to the Church through our electronic giving platform. We have over 1000 registered families here at STHY that maybe giving to our parish in the Sunday collection; however, we don’t have a record of them using their envelopes or electronic giving. You can enroll for online giving through https://www.sthyacinth.org/online-giving . For 2023, Cardinal DiNardo has assessed our parish DSF goal at $85,000. As of the writing for this bulletin we have collected $48,109. DSF supports more than 64 ministries and programs that serve the faithful of the Archdiocese and us here at St. Hyacinth. From Catholic chaplains at the hospitals and the Port of Houston, to religious education training for our teachers, to outreach to seniors, to youth ministry, to soup kitchens, to Catholic Charities ministry to the poor and disenfranchised, and to training for seminarians, deacons, and priests, the DSF provides funding for people and program that serve us all. Go to: https://www.archgh.org/ways-to-give/diocesan-services-fund-dsf/donate-to-dsf/ and give to DSF 2023. Thank you for your generosity. In celebration of our parish 58th anniversary, this year’s parish project, the entire community of St Hyacinth is being asked to provide support for the renovation and restoration of the two main stain glass windows of the Church. To support this project, please go to https://sthyacinth.org/stain-glass-renovation-project to donate. We hope to raise $20,000 for the renovation and restoration of our Holy Spirit Window and Christ the Good Shepherd window. As of my writing for the bulletin, we have collected over $17,000 for the restoration of the stain glass window project. Thank you for your generosity. Finally, next weekend is stewardship weekend, and we will be hosting the annual ministry fair in Guyot Hall. Please come by and see all the ministries of our parish and consider volunteering. There will be plenty of food and ways in which we can serve the people of the community. Parish Update: The contractors are working on expanding the restroom footprint in the new building. Once the new concrete is laid, construction should start on the new building in the next few weeks. God Bless, Fr. Reginald Samuels
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ This week’s reading from Matthew brings us to a crucial turning point in the gospel, where Jesus reveals his true mission as the Messiah and the cost of discipleship for his followers. Jesus begins to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer, die, and rise again. In the Gospel, Peter reacts strongly to Jesus’ announcement and rebukes him, saying "God forbid it, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you!". Peter’s response shows that he has a different understanding of what it means to be the Messiah, one that is based on human expectations and desires rather than divine realities. Peter wants a Messiah who will triumph over his enemies, not one who will suffer at their hands. Peter could not see that God’s plan was different and far greater than he could imagine. He was seeing from the human perspective rather than God’s. We find it hard to break out of our human mental state to see our life from God’s perspective. We are surrounded by a culture that is focused on itself which often denies God’s purpose completely. Like Peter, we are always hoping that Jesus will avoid the cross this time. We need to learn to die to our plans and ambitions, our dreams, and visions. We need to do this without trying to impose my agenda on Him. Religious Education classes will be starting on September 10th and now is the time to start thinking about the upcoming religious Education school year. Registration is currently in progress. To register online for Faith Formation classes, go to: https://sthyacinth.org/faith-formation-registration-form. One of the principal goals of 2023 is to increase the number of people that are contributing to the Church through our electronic giving platform. We have over 1000 registered families here at STHY that maybe giving to our parish in the Sunday collection; however, we don’t have a record of them using their envelopes or electronic giving. You can enroll for online giving through https://www.sthyacinth.org/online-giving . For 2023, Cardinal DiNardo has assessed our parish DSF goal at $85,000. As of the writing for this bulletin we have collected $48,109. DSF supports more than 64 ministries and programs that serve the faithful of the Archdiocese and us here at St. Hyacinth. From Catholic chaplains at the hospitals and the Port of Houston, to religious education training for our teachers, to outreach to seniors, to youth ministry, to soup kitchens, to Catholic Charities ministry to the poor and disenfranchised, and to training for seminarians, deacons, and priests, the DSF provides funding for people and program that serve us all. Go to: https://www.archgh.org/ways-to-give/diocesan-services-fund-dsf/donate-to-dsf/ and give to DSF 2023. Thank you for your generosity. In celebration of our parish 58th anniversary, this year’s parish project, the entire community of St Hyacinth is being asked to provide support for the renovation and restoration of the two main stain glass windows of the Church. To support this project, please go to https://sthyacinth.org/stain-glass-renovation-project to donate. We hope to raise $75,000 for the renovation and restoration of our Holy Spirit Window and Christ the Good Shepherd window. As of my writing for the bulletin, we have collected over $15,584 for the restoration of the stain glass window project. Thank you for your generosity. Parish Update: This week are continuing to lay plumbing and electrical for the new building and pouring concrete. The permitting process continues for the reconstruction of the religious education building. Construction should start on the new building in the next few weeks. God Bless, Fr. Reginald Samuels
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ I want to thank everyone for making our 58th parish anniversary, a wonderful experience. This past weekend was full of fun and fellowship. I hope you all took time to celebrate the life of our parish. I want to start off thanking Ms. Teresa Reynolds, and her team for taking charge and putting together the wonderful items for our silent auction. $5109 was raised from the silent auction. Thank you all for your generosity. I want to thank all the parish organizations who donated their time and baskets for our parish celebrations. I want to thank the Men’s and Women’s ACTS community, Catholic Daughters, St. Vincent DePaul society, Knights of Columbus and all the other organizations who have played an important part our parish celebrations. Next, I want to thank Mrs. Palmella Pitman, our director of Liturgy and Music for planning and implementing our Day of Reflection along with Deacon Charles Pitman with his help with the liturgy for the Day of reflection. I want to thank Mrs. Pamela Johnson, Our director of Faith Formation along with our Bookkeeper Mrs. Elena Rodriguez, our Parish Secretary Mrs. Mary Jo Howell, our Maintenance Personnel Chris Hoehn along with a host of volunteers who made the Luncheon special. Religious Education classes will be starting on September 10th and now is the time to start thinking about the upcoming religious Education school year. Registration is currently in progress. To register online for Faith Formation classes, go to: https://sthyacinth.org/faith-formation-registration-form. Remember as well that when you are registering your child for Religious Education classes you can also sign-up yourself to be a catechist or aide. We need a number of catechists to teach our children, from the littlest ones in the early grades on through middle school and high school. We’ll train you and give you all the support you need. The Faith Formation staff is happy to answer questions and get you involved. One of the principal goals of 2023 is to increase the number of people that are contributing to the Church through our electronic giving platform. We have over 1000 registered families here at STHY that maybe giving to our parish in the Sunday collection; however, we don’t have a record of them using their envelopes or electronic giving. You can enroll for online giving through https://www.sthyacinth.org/online-giving . In celebration of our parish 58th anniversary, this year’s parish project, the entire community of St Hyacinth is being asked to provide support for the renovation and restoration of the two main stain glass windows of the Church. To support this project, please go to https://sthyacinth.org/stain-glass-renovation-project to donate. We hope to raise $75,000 for the renovation and restoration of our Holy Spirit Window and Christ the Good Shepherd window. As of my writing for the bulletin, we have collected over $7159 for the restoration of the stain glass window project. Thank you for your generosity. Parish Update: This week, will start laying down the plumbing for the new building and pouring concrete. The permitting process continues for the reconstruction of the religious education building. There are several permits that have been submitted by the contractors and the permits should be approved shortly. Once the rest of the permits have been issued, Construction will start with eh new building. God Bless, Fr. Reginald Samuels
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ As we celebrate our 58th anniversary, now it is time to renew the flame of our burning hearts to assure we continue the mission of Christ for all following generations. We must face the challenges and opportunities of the next 58 years with one unequivocal mission: Saint Hyacinth is a Catholic Community bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are nourished by his sacraments, committed to the service of one another by living and teaching gospel values. Our journey in faith and love calls us to walk with others through service and prayer. We will continue the mission of Jesus Christ to bring about the kingdom of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit using the gifts of time, talent and treasure. As we celebrate St Hyacinth Feast Day and the 58th anniversary of the founding of our parish. Please take this time to celebrate the anniversary and life of our STHY and pray for all the people of STHY. Please join us for the 58th anniversary luncheon in Guyot Hall after the 10:00 am Mass today. There will be a food, silent auction, and Door prizes. I would like to say what a joy and honor it is to be the Pastor of St. Hyacinth Catholic Church as we celebrate our 58th anniversary as a parish community. The Lord has been so good to us, He has blessed us in so many ways over the last 58 years and we continue to pray that God will bless us for 58 more. For the things that have happened since 1965, it is truly the work of the Lord. I want to thank the Lord for the wonderful people He has led this way to be a part of this great work here. We have a great group of people here at STHY, and the Lord continues to add to His Church. We have proven to God and His community that we are people that love each other, serve each other, and have labored of love. As pastor for the past 11 years, I want to say "Thank You!" and I love all of you so very much. Let us continue to praise the Lord for another 58 years by saying ‘AMEN’ and continue to give glory to God for His presence in the Eucharist. Religious Education classes will be starting on September 10th and now is the time to start thinking about the upcoming religious Education school year. Registration is currently in progress. To register online for Faith Formation classes, go to: https://sthyacinth.org/faith-formation-registration-form. In celebration of our parish 58th anniversary, this year’s parish project, the entire community of St Hyacinth is being asked to provide support for the renovation and restoration of the two main stain glass windows of the Church. To support this project, please go to https://sthyacinth.org/stain-glass-renovation-project to donate. We hope to raise $75,000 for the renovation and restoration of our Holy Spirit Window and Christ the Good Shepherd window. As of my writing for the bulletin, we have collected over $6100 for the restoration of the stain glass window project. Thank you for your generosity. God Bless, Fr. Reginald Samuels
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ The gospel passage from Matthew this week that tells the story of Jesus walking on water. In this passage, Jesus walks on water towards his disciples who are in a boat in the middle of the sea. When they see him, they are afraid and think it’s a ghost. Jesus reassures them that He is not a ghost, and then Peter poses his challenge to Jesus to allow him to walk on the water. When peter does join Jesus on the water, he sees the rough seas and he becomes afraid. There are many lessons for us from the scripture readings. First, we must learn to step out on faith. When Jesus presents us with an opportunity to meet with him outside of our comfort zone, we are called to take that opportunity. Next, Jesus is calling us to focused on Him and not the circumstances around us. Peter wavers when he takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to sink. By keeping focus on Jesus, we are focused on the one who controls the circumstances, and we can move through our trials and tribulations. Parish Update: The permitting process continues for the reconstruction of the religious education building. There are several permits that have been submitted by the contractors and the permits should be approved shortly. Construction will start after the rest of the building has been demolished. This week, will start the teardown of the rest of the Religious education and office building. The Center Street parking lot entrance will not be available for daily Mass for the rest of the week. Please use Center Street front entrance to the Church for daily Mass. In celebration of our parish 58th anniversary, this year’s parish project, the entire community of St Hyacinth is being asked to provide support for the renovation and restoration of the two main stain glass windows of the Church. To support this project, please go to https://sthyacinth.org/stain-glass-renovation-project to donate. We hope to raise $75,000 for the renovation and restoration of our Holy Spirit Window and Christ the Good Shepherd window. We will kick off our parish celebrations with an 8:00 am Mass on Saturday morning August 19th. This will be a mass of healing and reconciliation. We will have adoration and prayers throughout the day in the Church to celebrate and commemorate all those who have gone before us in our parish. To continue the parish anniversary celebrations, we will have Bingo night on Saturday evening after Mass. There will be Bingo games, food, and prizes. Next, for our upcoming parish anniversary, we will have a silent auction. All the items for the silent auction are on display in meeting room 1 in the Religious Education building. Go by and place your bid and support the parish. And there will be a special luncheon in Guyot Hall on Sunday August 20th with more food, fun an and prizes. The celebrations will start at 11:30am Sunday. I know it is the middle of August, but it is time to start thinking about the next coming school year and the beginning of Religious Education classes. Classes will start September 10th. With more than several hundred children in some level of religious education last year and, we need to have a head start in preparing for this fall’s Religious Education classes. To register online for Faith Formation classes, go to: https://sthyacinth.org/faith-formation-registration-form Finally, as our students, teachers and supporting education staff prepare for another year of School, we want to give a special blessing to all those returning to the education environment this weekend. May God bless you all, and we wish you all the best. God Bless, Fr. Reginald Samuels
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event described in the New Testament, where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The transfiguration is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. This miracle is unique among others that appear in the canonical gospels, in that the miracle happens to Jesus himself. The Gospel of Mattew describes the Transfiguration of Jesus. In this event, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain by themselves. There, Jesus is transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Moses and Elijah then appear before them and talk with Jesus. The disciples are perplexed by what they see. The Transfiguration is a manifestation of God, especially of the divinity of Christ. The transfiguration relates to us today by showing us that God is not just an idea or concept – rather God exists in a tangible way and is willing to reveal Himself to us. The point of the Transfiguration was to reinforce the staggering faith of the apostles and for us. FORMED is the revolutionary digital online platform that gives STHY parishioners 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, study the scriptures, watch religious movies and programs as a family, Enrich your marriage with the award winning video programs, and help your children grow in faith and character with engaging children’s materials. Our parish Password to FORMED.org is 77536. One of our parish goals in 2023 is to increase the number of families supporting St Hyacinth using electronic giving. Currently we have 208 families using electronic giving and Faith Direct. You can register by logging sthaycinth.org directly to https://sthyacinth.org/online-giving and give electronically on line. This year we will celebrate the 58th anniversary of the founding of St Hyacinth. For this year’s celebration, the weekend of August 19th – 20th. There will be a time of prayer, remembrance, and celebration. There will be food and fun throughout the weekend. Soo, please mark your calendars for this wonderful celebration. In celebration of our parish 58th anniversary, this year’s parish project, the entire community of St Hyacinth is being asked to provide support for the renovation and restoration of the two main stain glass windows of the Church. To support this project, please go to https://sthyacinth.org/stain-glass-renovation-project to donate. We hope to raise $75,000 for the renovation and restoration of our Holy Spirit Window and Christ the Good Shepherd window. Finally, for our upcoming parish anniversary, we will have a silent auction. We are in need of gift cards for the various gift baskets that will be auctioned off. I am asking everyone if they could donate a $25- $50 gift card from their favorite store so that we can add them to the gift baskets that will go up for auction. Thank you for your generosity in helping us celebrate our parish anniversary. Just place the gift cards in the donation basket when you attend mass on Sunday. God Bless, Fr. Reginald Samuels
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ We begin our readings from the Book of Wisdom with a passage that talks about how there is no god besides God who cares for all people. God’s strength is the source of righteousness and His sovereignty over all causes Him to spare all. God shows His strength when people doubt the completeness of His power and rebukes any insolence among those who know it. Although God is sovereign in strength, He judges and governs us fairly. In our second reading from Romans, St. Paul talks about how the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us when we don’t know what to pray for. St. Paul goes to state that the Spirit prays for us with wordless groans. God, who searches our hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit and intercedes for us according to His will. In our gospel passage, we are given the parable of the weeds. In this story, Jesus illustrates the kingdom of heaven. The parable involves a man who sowed good seed in his field, but his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. The weeds resembled wheat and appeared when the plants sprouted and formed grain. The servants asked the owner of the field if he sowed good seed and why there were weeds. The owner replied that an enemy had done this. The servants then asked if they should pull up the weeds, but the owner said no because they might uproot some of the wheat as well. He instructed them to let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest, at which time he would separate the wheat from the weeds and burn the weeds in a fire. In the end, God will judge, and He will separate us by the deeds in which we have done. In just a few short weeks we will be celebrating our parish 58th anniversary. Mark your calendar for August 19-20, 2023. For the celebration there will be food, fun and prizes. Please see the bulletin for details on how you can make our parish anniversary special. In celebration of our parish 58th anniversary, this year’s parish project, the entire community of St Hyacinth is being asked to provide support for the renovation and restoration of the two main stain glass windows of the Church. To support this project, please go to https://sthyacinth.org/stain-glass-renovation-project to donate. We hope to raise $75,000 for the renovation and restoration of our Holy Spirit Window and Christ the Good Shepherd window. For 2023, Cardinal DiNardo has assessed our parish DSF goal at $85,000. As of the writing for this bulletin we have collected $35,132. DSF supports more than 64 ministries and programs that serve the faithful of the Archdiocese and us here at St. Hyacinth. From Catholic chaplains at the hospitals and the Port of Houston, to religious education training for our teachers, to outreach to seniors, to youth ministry, to soup kitchens, to Catholic Charities ministry to the poor and disenfranchised, and to training for seminarians, deacons, and priests, the DSF provides funding for people and program that serve us all. Go to: https://www.archgh.org/ways-to-give/diocesan-services-fund-dsf/donate-to-dsf/ and give to DSF 2023. Thank you for your generosity. I ask everyone to pray for the young people of our parish who will be going to the Archdiocese Youth Conference this upcoming weekend. Let’s keep each of these young people in your prayers. And pray for the Staff, Mrs. Pamela Johnson, the Director of Faith Formation, and all of the volunteers who will be helping with the conference. God Bless, Fr. Reginald Samuels
The Utility/Fiber Optic Lines have been cut. The Phone and computer services are off line and are not available. Phone and computer systems should be restored by 4:00 pm. Thank you for your patience. Regards, Fr. Reginald
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ The passage from the prophet of Isaiah is a passage that deals with the power of God’s word. The passage compares God’s word to precipitation, emphasizing the rains’ results. Just as rain and snow cannot help irrigating the earth and making plant growth possible, the divine word successfully achieves its intended purposes. The reading from the book of Romans this week talks about the future glory that awaits believers. The passage explains that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. This week’s Gospel readings tells the story of Jesus teaching in parables. The passage includes the Parable of the Sower, which explains how different people respond to the word of God. The seed falling on the path refers to someone who hears the word but does not understand it. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and receives it with joy but has no root. The seed falling among thorns refers to someone who hears the word but is choked by the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth. The seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands. In just a few short weeks we will be celebrating our parish 58th anniversary. Mark your calendar for August 19-20, 2023. For the celebration there will be food, fun and prizes. Please see the bulletin for details on our you can make our parish anniversary special. In celebration of our parish 58th anniversary, this year’s parish project, the entire community of St Hyacinth is being asked to provide support for the renovation and restoration of the two main stain glass windows of the Church. To support this project, please go to https://sthyacinth.org/stain-glass-renovation-project to donate. We hope to raise $75,000 for the renovation and restoration of our Holy Spirit Window and Christ the Good Shepherd window. Due to the damage to the Church complex, the St. Vincent De Paul and the SVdP food pantry are working out of First Baptist Church of Deer Park on 8th Street. If there is a need for assistance, please call 281- 497 -3131. Since we are no longer able to collect food here at St. Hyacinth, we are asking parishioners to donate food to the Community Food Bank at First Methodist on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00am to 2:00pm. Thank you for your generosity. God Bless, Fr. Reginald Samuels