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The Friday E-Pistle
Feb. 5, 2021
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The Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference was held Jan. 30 at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock. Almost 700 teens and their adult chaperones participated in the day-long event that featured inspirational speakers and talented musicians. The day ended with Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Let us pray for our young church and the gifts our young people bring to the church. (Photo by Joshua William Guenther)
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A Message from Bishop Vásquez
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Prayer for Consecrated Life
The World Day for Consecrated Life was celebrated on Feb. 2. Please pray for all those who have committed themselves to the consecrated life for the glory of God, and be sure to thank them for the gifts they share with the people of God. May they continue to be inspired by Jesus Christ and respond generously to God's gift of their vocation.
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The Diocese of Austin welcomes Matt Fradd as he gives a presentation to parents Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at St. William Parish in Round Rock. Fradd, a speaker, podcaster and author of “The Porn Myth,” offers parents a detailed look at the way pornography harms viewers; he offers practical strategies for parents to protect their children from the lies of an over-sexualized culture. This event is free and open to all adults. The event can be attended in-person; however, participants are strongly encouraged to join the livestream on Vimeo or at the St. William Watch page. All safety precautions and procedures will be in place. Register at this link.
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Parishes, Catholic schools or universities interested in applying for a grant from the Koch Foundation must submit a brief description of the project, cost, location and contact information of the organization to Margaret Kappel by Feb. 19. Eligible organizations will be notified by March 5 that they can submit a Letter of Request (LOR). Applying to the Koch Foundation is a two-step process. The first step is submitting the LOR. Once approved, the second step is completing an official application form. The Koch Foundation accepts Letters of Request from Jan. 1 through May 1 of each year for projects to be funded and implemented the following year.
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February 7-14 is National Marriage Week! This annual observance is a great opportunity to reflect on the gift of marriage in our church and our country, as well as a chance for couples to strengthen their marriages. This year’s theme is "To Have, To Hold, To Honor." For more information and resources, visit the For Your Marriage website.
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Engaged couples who are planning to marry in the church are invited to the "Together in God's Love" retreat, which focuses on Catholic marriage as a visible sign of the Holy Trinity and the relationship of Christ to the church. The weekend includes talks on faith, communication, sexuality, stewardship and natural family planning in the context of a Catholic marriage. The next retreat will be March 26-28 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Temple. For more information visit this page on the diocesan website. For more information on the marriage preparation process, visit this page.
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Catholic Charities of Central Texas is offering a free four-part financial empowerment curriculum to help individuals and families better their financial future. Courses will be held virtually throughout the month of February. English classes will be held on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Spanish classes will be offered on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. For additional details and registration information, visit the CCCTX website.
Catholic Charities of Central Texas está ofreciendo un programa en cuatro partes de empoderamiento financiero para ayudar a individuos y a familias a mejorar su futuro financiero. Los cursos se llevarán a cabo de manera virtual a lo largo del mes de febrero. Las clases en inglés serán semanales, los miércoles de 5:30-6:30 p.m. y las clases en español serán ofrecidas los martes de 5:30-6:30 p.m. Para conocer detalles adicionales e información sobre la inscripción, visite este enlace.
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¡Los jóvenes adultos están invitados a conectarse! Noche de Tema Virtual a las 8 p.m. cada segundo miércoles del mes (10 de febrero), usando su teléfono, computadora o tableta. El contenido será en español. Únanse a nosotros mientras compartimos nuestra fe Católica entre amigos/as. El evento será transmitido en vivo por Facebook en este enlace.
Young Adults are invited to "Noche de Tema Virtual" at 8 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month (Feb. 10), via their phone, computer or tablet. The talk will be in Spanish. Join us as we share our Catholic faith with friends. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook at the Pastoral Juvenil Hispana page.
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The World and Home Missions (Latin America; Black and Indian Missions; Catholic Home Missions; Central and Eastern Europe, and African) collection will be taken up on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, for world and home missions. Please be generous in your support of this most worthy cause. Click here for more information.
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Ethics and Integrity (EIM)
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The pandemic in no way lessens the sacred obligation of those who serve in ministry, both virtual and in-person, to make the Church safe for all. Online EIM Training [En Español] is available for all persons who are due to update/renew their EIM compliance. New employees and new volunteers currently active in ministry should contact their parish/school EIM site administrator regarding the availability of an EIM Workshop at their site.
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