September 16,
2007
Speaking
English
Catechetical
Sunday
This week we begin a new year in Religious Education. Well, that’s
not EXACTLY true. Religious Education doesn’t really have a beginning
and an end. You see, regardless of what’s happening in the program
in church, real religious education is taking place day in and day out
in families at home.
When families say grace before meals, when parents bless their children
before bedtime, when young people hear their parents and grandparents
talk about God, when a family reads the bible together , when families
do acts of loving service -- all of this is ongoing Religious Education.
So while we’re talking this time to celebrate the opening of our
program for another year, and while we’re grateful to the staff
and all the volunteer catechists, we also acknowledge the ongoing ministry
of parents to bring their children to Christ.
Back
to School
Next Sunday at the 10am Mass we’ll be blessing the backpacks of
those going back to school. Why not invite some neighboring families
to come with you to this celebration?
And don’t forget if you have a student who’s in
college to send his/her e-mail address to Father Ralph so St. Brigid’s
can stay in touch in the year ahead.
Online Masses
We are now able to stream masses and other events live over the internet
to homebound folks and to relatives who live in other lands. If you’re
interested in this, in this, click
here.
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
September 9: He's baaaack!
August 26: The Narrow Gate
August
19: Comings & Goings
August 12: Mass Schedule
Change
August 5: Better Late Than
Never
July 29: Sunday in the Chapel
July 15: Celebrating Kelly
July
8: I'm so not dead yet
July 1: Worse than Raccoons
June 24:Sommertime
June 17: Celebrating
Fr Cine
June 10: When Nature Turns
June 4:Celebrating Father
Jim
May 27: Praying in Tongues
May 20: Making (up) the
difference
May 13: Loving our Mothers
May 6: About Father George
April 29: Hearing Voices
April 22:Three Stones
April 15: What a week!
April 8: Alleluia! Alleluia!
April 1: Holy Week
March 25: Climate Change
March 18: Take A Step
March 11: Cold Enough for
You?
March 4:Stocking the Shelves
Feb 25: Basket Case
Feb18: Ashes and Desert
Dust
Feb11: Get Ready, Get Set,
REST!
Feb.4: Lent Lurking
Jan.28:Catholic Schools
Week
Jan.21:Crying in Church
Jan.14: Love ahead
Jan.7: So How
Was Your Christmas?
Columns
from 2005
Columns
from 2004
Columns from
2003
Columns from 2002
One
of the challenges my grandparents had to face when coming to America was
that they didn’t speak English. For a time it was OK, because they
lived in an all-German neighborhood and the stores, the doctors, the church,
etc. all spoke German. But seven years later when my mother first went
to school, they realized they had to start speaking and understanding
English if they were really going to be “at home” in this
country. I’m glad they did.
So it’s a gift to share the
English language with people from other lands. Speaking a common language
can help us grow in unity too.
For years at St. Brigid’s
we’ve not only talked about wanting immigrants to learn English,
but we’ve made it possible through two very successful programs:
(1) Our afterschool homework help program for children and (2) Our evening
English as a Second Language Program for adults. As the new school year
begins, we’re putting the call out to members of our community who
would like to give a couple of hours a week to be part of these programs.
Here are the details: We’re
having an information meeting in the Parish Center on Tuesday, September
25th from 3:30-4:30pm for those who want to know more about our afterschool
program. And we’ll have the information meeting for those who want
to help in our evening adult classes from 7:30-8:30pm. At these information
meetings you’ll meet people who are current volunteers in the program
and we’ll give you an orientation about how the program works. (Note:
The afterschool program is run on Tuesdays and Thursdays -- you can sign
up for either or both. The evening sessions are held each night during
the week. You can sign up for whichever night is best for you.)
You don’t need to know another
language to be part of these programs. You DO need to speak English! You
can RSVP to let us know you’re coming to the information session.
There is an easy ONLINE FORM
you can use to let us know you're coming or you can e-mail me at shepherd@saintbrigid.net
or call and leave a message for Adriana at 334-0021 ext 105.
