de PAULST. VINCeNT

CATHOLIC PARISH

5819 W. Pleasant Ridge Rd. Arlington, TX 76016(817) 478-8206 www.svdpcc.org

Inside

May 2020

continued on back cover

2 Keeping the Faith During a Crisis

3 Are We Truly an Easter People?

4 Vacation Bible School 2020: Join the Fun of “Rocky Railway: Jesus’ Power Pulls Us Through”

6 The Rosary: Our Lady’s Lasso

7 Helping Couples Celebrate the “Big Day” without Worry: Our Wedding Coordinators

Bereavement Ministry Shares Goodwill of Our Parish Family

Mealtimes have always been a central part of communal life. Whether at a large gathering or simply around the family dinner table, it’s a time for coming together — a warm atmosphere

for sharing, enabling relationships to grow and flourish. Even during times of sorrow, a shared meal can provide comfort, reminding parishioners in a tangible way that they are not alone. Ministry team leader Betty Moore says this is what St. Vincent de Paul’s Bereavement Ministry aims to do for the families of our deceased members, by providing a space where they can relax and feel the support of the faith community.

“It’s just a gesture of love — a place for them to come and let off some steam for a little while,” Betty says. “After you’ve come from burying a loved one, you tend to be pretty uptight. So our ministry plans a reception for them so that they can just come, relax and kind of let their hair down.”

The process begins with the parish office notifying Betty when there is a funeral scheduled within the parish. Once Betty connects with the deceased member’s family and learns the burial details, Bereavement Ministry members are notified by

St. Vincent de Paul’s Bereavement Ministry provides grieving families with a space where they can relax and feel the support of the faith community.

ST. VINCENT dE PAUL

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Adversity is a part of life. We may face family strife or financial issues. We may experience a personal or family medical crisis. We may suffer

the loss of a loved one.The thought of not being able to attend Mass to

receive the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord as a result of a crisis — such as the one we are experiencing today with the COVID-19 pandemic — is devastating.

Right now, it may seem challenging to remain a faithful steward. We may even question our faith and wonder how to find God during these turbulent times.

Where do we turn?First and foremost, we must pray without ceasing.

During a difficult time, you can always turn to the Church’s treasury of prayer. Take time each day to read the daily Scripture readings — they can be found at USCCB.org, and then by selecting the date on the calendar on the home page. You can also use the many rich resources of our faith to engage in spiritual reflections each day as an individual and with your family. This can include simple prayers like an Our Father and Hail Mary a few times a day, as well as praying the Rosary, the Liturgy of the Hours, and Stations of the Cross, among others. Many resources for these are easily found online.

It is also important to remember that at times when you cannot physically attend Mass, Sunday remains a holy day, and you are encouraged to pray. You can participate in prayer by way of televised or live-streamed Mass. Visit our website, www.svdpcc.org, Facebook page or YouTube channel for the live-streaming of daily and Sunday Masses.

During times of crisis, we must also find ways to use our talents to serve God. If you are unable to participate in ministries and serve your parish community, you can still use your talents to serve your family and those closest to you. Something as simple as calling to check on family and friends — or even doing a video call — can go a long way.

Finally, we must try to remain good stewards of our treasure. You may have lost your job or have seen a reduction in work hours and pay. But despite your hardships, a faithful steward must faithfully try his or her

best to return a portion of your treasure to God however He is calling you to do so. Check the parish website for online giving opportunities and do what you can to return a portion of your treasure to God.

No matter the situation, God always remains faithful to us. Don’t forget that everything God gives us is a gift, and the way in which we share our gifts with God and our neighbor is ultimately how we give Him glory.

KEEPING THE FAITH DURING A CRISIS

An Act of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most

Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to

receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You

sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.

Never permit me to be separated from You.Amen.

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A Letter From Our Pastor

Are We Truly an Easter People?Dear Parishioners,

During a visit to Croatia when he was pope, St. John Paul II proclaimed, “Do not abandon your-selves to despair. We are the Easter people, and

Alleluia is our song.” Are we really the Easter people? I think we should be.

This is still the Easter season and it continues throughout this month until Pentecost Sunday, May 31. What does that mean, however, to be Easter people? Being an Easter person has much to do with how we view our faith and how we live it out. Stewardship people are Easter people.

Jesus is so alive for us on Easter Sunday morning. He needs to be alive for us and in us every day, and certain-ly in these days which follow Easter. At the time of His Resurrection, His followers did not whisper “He is risen” — they shouted it and rejoiced! That is how we need to approach our faith as well.

During Lent leading up to Easter, we did not use Alleluia in our liturgies. We put it away until Easter, and I missed it. But then, it made it even better when it came back over and over on Easter and throughout this Easter season. St. John Paul II was telling us all that we are not just an Easter people, but we are also an Alleluia people. We are called to exemplify Alleluia in everything we do. Think about it. Who is an Alleluia person? Certainly, it’s someone who seems to just brim over with the Good News, constantly reflecting the joy of being a Christian and a Catholic. It is also possible to be an Alleluia person in quiet ways, but others do need to see that God is alive in us in everything we do.

Easter began with the Easter Vigil, but it did not end on Easter. That was the beginning. One indication to us that Easter is going on right now is a change in how we identify the Sundays throughout May. For many years, the Sundays that followed Easter during the Easter season were called the “Sunday after Easter.” When the Church adopted the new liturgical calendar, that was changed to “Sunday of Easter.” Thus, we are not winding down from Easter — we are in the midst of it.

We became Easter people at our Baptisms. We should be Easter people every day and every week and during every season. Being an Easter person is acknowledging our call to discipleship and stewardship. We should begin and end ev-erything with Alleluia. Alleluia — Hallelujah — means quite simply “Praise to God.” It is not just something we sing, chant or say. It is something we live. By living our lives in praise of God — stewardship is, after all, a way of life — we can be and are an Easter people.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Philip Brembah Pastor

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VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2020: Join the Fun of “Rocky Railway: Jesus’ Power Pulls Us Through”

Our lives get busy, whether we are 6 years old or 60 years old. Sometimes, focusing on how much God loves us gets lost in the shuffle. From 9:30

a.m. to noon on June 15 to 19, there will be a chance to break out of the shuffle and enjoy learning through the eyes of a child at Vacation Bible School (VBS).

Children ages 2 1/2 through those going into fifth grade are welcome to join the fun. Anyone older than that is welcome as a helper. Sixth-graders are considered counselors in training. The day starts in the gym and most events are held in the Johnson Activity Center.

“VBS builds the faith of our children by engaging in activities that show them how much Jesus loves them and how He will always ‘pull them through’ anything in

life,” says Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator Michal Tincup.

VBS is structured into various stations that are centered around the “Rocky Railway” theme. Children, and even adults, are taught of Jesus’ love in a fun and lively environment.

“Children learn Scripture, life lessons and Bible stories, and enjoy music, crafts and play,” Michal says.

Children learn how to find Jesus’ love every day in encountering others. Michal says VBS is an important ministry because it lays the groundwork for a life of faith.

“Our goals are to provide faith-filled lessons in a fun-filled atmosphere,” Michal says.

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VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2020: Join the Fun of “Rocky Railway: Jesus’ Power Pulls Us Through”

Michal is excited to welcome Laura Scheid to the team as this year’s VBS Director. She is a kindergarten teacher with a passion for kids and ministry.

“Being a part of a dynamic ministry working together to provide lessons, games, crafts, music and play for the children is very rewarding,” Michal says. “The reaction of the children is affirming and energizing! We find the children never want the week to end.”

Michal invites anyone looking for a fun week to join as a VBS helper. Decorators are also needed prior to the start of VBS. Sixth-graders must review a code of conduct with their parents prior to the start of the week. Adults and seventh through 12th-grade students must take Safe Environment Training.

“Being a part of a dynamic ministry

working together to provide lessons,

games, crafts, music and play for

the children is very rewarding. The

reaction of the children is affirming

and energizing! We find the children

never want the week to end.” — MICHAL TINCUP, CHILDREN’S FAITH FORMATION COORDINATOR

As of press time, VBS is still on as scheduled, but please check the bulletin or the parish website at

www.svdpcc.org for updates on VBS schedules that may change due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

ST. VINCENT dE PAUL

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The Rosary: Our Lady’s LassoThere was a priest who once said, “It is no coincidence that rosaries look like lassos, as Our Lady wraps them around lost

souls and pulls them out of the depths of hell.”This thought is comforting but provokes inquiry — what exactly is the Rosary, how does one pray it, and why

should one pray it?Since May is the month of Mary, this is a great time to consider the theology behind this intense spiritual weapon.There are two putative origins of the Rosary. For many centuries, it was believed that the Blessed Virgin appeared to St.

Dominic and exhorted him to encourage the use of the Angelic Salutation — or Hail Mary — for the conversion of souls and comfort of the afflicted. Modern scholarship traces the Rosary back to ninth century Irish monasticism. Monks would pray all 150 psalms or “psalters” every day, a form of prayer too complicated for uneducated laypeople without access to copies of Scripture. So many began reciting the Lord’s Prayer or the Angelic Salutation in response to each psalm, keeping count with pebbles or a knotted rope. Through many centuries, the Rosary evolved into three sets of five mysteries, each mystery consisting of 10 Angelic Salutations and one Lord’s Prayer recited while meditating upon the life, death or glory of Jesus Christ.

In The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis de Montfort expounds the dynamics of the Rosary. The prayer consists of both vocal or exterior prayer, and meditative or interior prayer. The first vocal component of the Rosary, the Creed, is important because faith is “the foundation of all Christian virtues, of all eternal virtues, and also of all prayers that are pleasing to Almighty God.” The Lord’s Prayer is the “perfect prayer” to the God of heaven because it was authored by Christ, is free of all human limitations, and “contains all the duties we owe to God, the acts of all the virtues and the petitions for all our spiritual and corporal needs.” The Hail Mary blesses the name of Mary and her Divine Son and implores her powerful intercession as mediatrix of graces.

But the Rosary is not simply a physical incantation. Vocal prayer is accompanied by contemplation of the mysteries of Christ’s life and the virtues of the Virgin Mary. It is by lifting the incorporeal soul in prayer that one quiets the passions, tastes the peace of Christ, marvels at His loving plans and promises, and grows in the desire to emulate Him and His sinless mother. Because the soul animates the body, a strengthened soul means nobility of action and a will that is commensurate with the will of God. As Louis de Montfort says, “The Rosary is a blessed blending of mental and vocal prayer by which we honor and learn to imitate the mysteries and the virtues of the life, death, passion and glory of Jesus and Mary.” The Rosary’s emphasis on both vocal and meditative prayer caters to man’s nature as an embodied soul – one’s entire being, both physical and spiritual, cries out to God in praise, repentance, thanksgiving, and supplication.

Thus, it is no surprise that the magisterium and countless saints have encouraged devotion to the Rosary. Pope St. John Paul II said of the prayer, “The Rosary is my favorite prayer, marvelous in its simplicity and its depth.” The late pontiff also added five more “luminous” mysteries to the Rosary to help the faithful meditate upon significant moments in Christ’s earthly ministry.

Our Wedding Coordinators

Please join us for the Rosary on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in our chapel.

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Our Wedding CoordinatorsHELPING COUPLES CELEBRATE HELPING COUPLES CELEBRATE THE “BIG DAY” WITHOUT WORRY:THE “BIG DAY” WITHOUT WORRY:

There are many details when it comes to planning a wedding, from the menu and the DJ, to the favors and the decorations — the list goes on and on.

However, here at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, we hope to help couples fully enter into the most important part of their wedding day. With the help of our wedding coordinators, couples getting married at our parish are able to let go of concern for the details of the ceremony on the big day, so they can fully enter into the liturgy as they are joined together in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

Many aspects of preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage — a Pre-Cana weekend, meeting with a mentor couple through Engaged Encounter, Natural Family Planning and other logistical details — are handled by Deacon Bruce Corbett, who works with our engaged couples throughout the process.

However, when it comes to the rehearsal and wedding day itself, our wedding coordinators serve to help with the details of the celebration, ensuring that the bride and groom, as well as their wedding parties and families, are able to relax and truly enter into the sacramental liturgy.

Parishioner Patty Lancaster began serving in this role last year, when she noticed it as a way to become involved with stewardship.

“Looking at all the different ministries, I saw wedding coordinator and thought, ‘I love weddings, I’ll help out with that!’” she says.

Patty loves the opportunity to help couples on their big day and make it a memorable event centered on what really matters, rather than worrying about the details. Whether it’s helping the wedding party to line up, or ensuring that the readers are familiar with the Scripture they’ll be proclaiming, being a wedding coordinator is a chance to take a bit of worry and stress from the shoulders of the engaged couple.

“I have five older sisters, and on my wedding day, my sisters were there for me, and they were like, ‘We got you,’” Patty says. “[Being a wedding coordinator] is just about being there for them. It’s just little things — it’s fun.”

As a wedding coordinator, Patty hopes that her service will remind couples that the parish community is behind them, supporting them in prayer and joyfully celebrating their marriage.

“I hope they know the Church is there to support them,” Patty says. “With not that many people getting married anymore, I want them to know that this is a big deal, a big step, and the Church supports them and we’re there for them. We’re glad they want to get married in the Church.”

Patty encourages other parishioners to consider serving in this way. The parish is in need of those who are willing to give of their time to help couples and do everything possible to make sure their big day runs smoothly.

“I think you just have to be excited for their big day, to share in their excitement,” says Patty of the “requirements” for being involved in this ministry.

“It’s about the Sacrament of Marriage,” she adds. “You just want the couple to have the best experience they can have and be relaxed, with God’s presence there with them.”

HELPING COUPLES CELEBRATE THE “BIG DAY” WITHOUT WORRY:

If you are interested in celebrating the Sacrament of Matrimony at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, or you would like to serve as a wedding coordinator, please contact Deacon

Bruce Corbett at 817-478-8206 or bcorbett@svdpcc.org.

“I hope they know the Church is there to

support them. With not that many people

getting married anymore, I want them

to know that this is a big deal, a big step,

and the Church supports them and we’re

there for them. We’re glad they want to get

married in the Church.” — PATTY LANCASTER

de PAULST. VINCeNT

5819 W. Pleasant Ridge Rd. Arlington, TX 76016(817) 478-8206 www.svdpcc.org

MASSeSSaturday Vigil: 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Weekdays: (M/Th/Fr) 8:45 a.m. in the chapel (Wed) 6:00 p.m. in the chapel

Holy Days: 8:45 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Tuesday Morning Prayer: 8:45 p.m. in the chapel

Confessions: Saturday: 4-5 p.m. in the chapel

Bereavement Ministry Shares Goodwill of Our Parish Family continued from front coveremail. This allows them to sign up to deliver a food item, set up and serve the reception, or both.

“We contact the members giving them the name of the deceased, a few facts about their life, if we know it, the time and place of their service, and finally the time we plan on hosting the reception,” Betty says. “We don’t make any demands on our members. They can just sign up if it works with their schedule.”

Betty says that she first got involved with the ministry years ago after being on the receiving end of a similar ministry at a church in Louisiana. Not from the area, it was so nice for Betty and her husband, Harold — who is also an active member of the ministry — to have somewhere to go and reconnect with family and friends.

“It just meant so much for us to be able to gather with the family members there like that,” Betty says. “That’s what we’re trying to do for others here at our parish — to share with them the goodwill of our parish family. And when a family member comes up to you and says, ‘Thank you for what you have done for us today,’ that’s all you need.”

Even during times of sorrow, a shared meal can provide comfort, reminding parishioners in a tangible way that they are not alone.

New members are always welcome in the Bereavement Ministry, continuing to share that spirit of love to our grieving members. To learn more about the ministry or to begin serving,

please contact Betty Moore at 817-572-5449 or bereavement@svdpcc.org.