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The Friday E-Pistle
Feb. 26, 2021
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Bishop Joe Vásquez celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes at St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Caldwell on Feb. 11. This Mass also celebrated the closing of the parish’s 125th anniversary year. Congratulations to the Caldwell community on this milestone! (Photo courtesy Sherri Chmelar)
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A message from Bishop Vásquez
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Official appointments
- Very Rev. David Leibham as dean of the Austin South Deanery, effective Feb. 11.
- Father Henry Cuellar as administrator of St. Joseph Parish in Manor, effective March 5.
- Father Bradford Hernandez as pastor of Dolores Parish in Austin, effective March 5.
- Father Enrique Hernandez, OFM Conv., as parochial vicar of St. Helen Parish in Georgetown, effective March 5.
- Father Froylan Jerez as administrator of Santa Barbara Parish in Austin, effective March 5.
- Deacon Mike Forbes as Vice Chancellor of the Diocese of Austin, effective March 1.
Obituary
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Father Joseph Frazer, who died Feb. 9 in Penney Farms, Florida at the age of 88. He was ordained an Episcopal priest, but converted to Catholicism in 1983. As a Roman Catholic priest, he served in the Diocese of Austin at the Cathedral School of St. Mary, St. Margaret of Scotland (Anglican rite) in Austin, St. Michael's Catholic Academy in Austin and at St. Francis Parish in Franklin.
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Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Temple will host a Lenten Day Retreat March 5 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Franciscan Father Albert Haase and Brian Egan will offer talks reflecting on God’s love. The celebration of Mass is included. Cost is $40 and includes lunch. Register online or call (254) 780-2436.
Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Temple will host a Lenten Silent Retreat March 5-7. The retreat will include Mass, the sacrament of reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration. Register online or call (254) 780-2436.
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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 marzo), 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 (March 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 the Pastoral Juvenil Hispana Facebook page.
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The Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) is at $5.3 million pledged, and despite the pandemic, the appeal is at 91% of the pledged goal. There are 44 parishes who have reached their goal to date with another 19 parishes less than 10% away. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for your generosity!
A $10,000 grant is awarded to the deanery that reaches the highest percent of goal. Below are the deanery rankings to date:
- Lampasas/Marble Falls: 108.8%
- Georgetown/Round Rock: 108.7%
- Killeen/Temple: 99.7%
A total of $100,000 in grants was awarded at the parish CSA reception last year. Parishes earn tickets for meeting CSA benchmarks. Below are the standings to date (maximum number of tickets a parish can earn is six). A full listing can be found on the diocesan website. The awards reception and drawing will be held Oct. 9 at St. William Parish in Round Rock.
- St. John Vianney Parish in Round Rock: 6
- St. Mary Parish in San Saba: 6
- St. Patrick Parish in Hutto: 5
- St. John the Baptist Parish in Fayetteville: 5
- St. John the Evangelist Parish in Marble Falls: 5
- St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Horseshoe Bay: 5
- St. Thomas More Parish in Austin: 5
- Holy Trinity Parish in Llano: 5
- St. Joseph Mission in Mason: 5
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Ashes to Easter is an annual Lenten mission project that affirms and supports local missionary groups and other mission activities of the Diocese of Austin. Families are encouraged to take a box and drop in extra coins during Lent. For those unable to acquire an Ashes to Easter Box please consider giving online.
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Catholic Charities of Central Texas will host a Gabriel Project training/information session March 6 for new Gabriel Angels and anyone interested in starting a Gabriel Project in their parish community. The training will be held online from 9 a.m. to noon. The Gabriel Project is a parish-based ministry that serves women and families facing an unexpected or difficult pregnancy. To register, contact Karen Candelas via email or at (512) 651-6176. For more information, visit the CCCTX website.
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The Annulment: Pathway to Healing seminar helps participants begin a journey toward awareness of the healing process of nullity (annulment). The seminar will be offered March 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pastoral Center in Austin. For more information, contact Patricia Thompson at (512) 970-7063 or Deborah Patin at (512) 949-2478. To register, click here.
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Aging and Disabilities Ministry works to ensure that all people have the support they need to actively participate in the sacraments and parish life of the church. The Secretariat of Life, Charity and Justice of the Diocese of Austin will host a webinar March 5 to help participants recognize and appreciate the contributions elderly and persons with disabilities make to the church’s spiritual life, encouraging them to do the Lord’s work in the world according to their God-given talents and capacity. Click here to register!
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Ethics & Integrity in Ministry
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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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