September 1
…”In every age, O God, you have been our refuge. In every age, O God, you have been our hope.” The psalm for this weekend is one of our favorite and best sung songs at Saint Ambrose. It powerfully proclaims God’s faithfulness to His promise. In every age, in all times, in every situation, God desires to be our refuge, our hope, our strength, our peace. Take some time on this Labor Day weekend to ‘rest’ from your labors and reflect on the faithfulness of God in your life. Use this reflection/meditation as a source of deepening your trust and your confidence in the Lord.
…This weekend we celebrate the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She clearly knew that the Lord was her refuge and her hope. Her writings reflect her trust in the Lord, both in great moments and in the challenging and difficult times of her life. God gave her the strength to persevere. God empowered her to do great good for those most in need. This weekend we are blessed as a parish community to dedicate a new statue in her memory outside the Mother Teresa Room of the Parish Life Center. This comes as a gift from our Knights of Columbus. They certainly follow her example of faithful, tireless servants for the Lord and the Church. May this new statue inspire all of us to a deeper trust in the Lord and a stronger commitment to faithful service to those most vulnerable and in need in our society and our community.
…I had a great meeting with the Knights of Columbus and our Catholic Works of Mercy team. We are hoping to ask your help to ‘expand’ our Blanket Sunday drive in early October to include winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves. This ‘cold gear collection’ will help us better serve our local needs and allow the K of C to work with some students from Saint Edward High School to care for those in need in the neighborhoods by our sister parish, Saint Rocco. I mention this to you first because it is a great example of the work of the K of C and the good we can do when we partner together with our sister parish, along with our amazing CWM Team and St. Ed’s students. I also mention this for you to start setting aside those gently used and outgrown (or not needed) cold gear items. We will be collecting these items the weekend of October 8/9.
…Speaking of faithfulness and faithful people….our Women’s Guild is an amazing group of women who come together to share faith, friendship and the work of the Lord and our community. They are busy planning for their annual Salad Lunch on Monday, September 26 at 11:30 am in Hilkert Hall. It’s a great event with amazing people and the best food you could possible want. They always have room for some new people to join them. Come by yourself and meet new friends or bring a group. You will be so glad you did. Very affordable tickets can be obtained in advance only by calling Kathy Jake (330.273.3741).
…Many thanks to all those who responded to the invitation to join ALPHA last weekend. There are morning, afternoon and evening gatherings this fall. ALPHA is a scripture study that meets weekly. You come together for a good meal, great company and meaningful conversation. All those who have already done the ALPHA series have found it to be helpful, enriching, and prayerful. Please consider participating this fall.
…We are blessed with very strong faith formation programs for all of our young people and teens. All of our programs are starting up in the next week or so. It’s never too late to sign up for PSR. We have a Monday evening, Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning session so we can accommodate every family and all of our students. Please contact the PSR office as soon as possible for more information and registration forms.
Caitlin O’Neill and Josh Arborgast are working hard with the Youth Ministry team to plan next Sunday’s kick-off for the Youth Ministry Season. All high school students are invited and encouraged to come to the 5:00 pm Mass next Sunday followed by FIAT (Faith in Action Teens). They have a great year planned with opportunities and meaningful conversations to help all of our high school students know the faithfulness of God in every age…and season…of our lives. Caitlin and Josh are always looking for some adult help. Call the Youth Ministry Office for information and questions (330.460.7387).
…Next Sunday our Journey with Jesus Program will be holding an Open House. Our Sunday morning preschool program is designed for children 3-5 years old. It takes place during both the 9:00 am and 10:30 am Masses. Mom and dad get to have some time of prayer and reflection while our young ones learn the stories and songs of our faith. Contact the PSR Office for registration forms and details.
…Since you’re already on the web, check out: www.GreaterthanHeroin.com. As you have been reading in the papers and hearing on the news, the heroin epidemic is raging out of control across the country, state and our region. Through The FEST, we launched a website with great information and resources and are part of a regional effort to create awareness and understanding. Together we are stronger than this horrific problem.
…Last Tuesday I spent the afternoon at the seminary with Matthew Jordan. Matt is in his final year of seminary formation and will be spending a good chunk of time at Saint Ambrose doing ‘field education.’ Matt will be ordained a transitional deacon at the end of October and, God willing, will be ordained a priest in May. He will be doing some marriage preparation work in the fall and will more fully engage in the life of our community in January. This is a great blessing for our parish. His enthusiasm and passion will also serve as a good witness to our community. Let’s pray for Matthew and his classmates. Let’s also pray that some from our parish will hear and respond to God’s call.
…Special prayers for our member Matt Harley as he continues his formation and studies for the Diaconate Program. Matt and Mary and their family are a wonderful part of our community. It’s a great blessing to have Matt responding to the call to diaconal ministry.
…On this Labor Day weekend, we give thanks to God for all the ‘work’ we are blessed to do in service to the Lord. We pray for the grace and strength to continue to labor in the building of God’s kingdom of mercy and peace for all people. Enjoy some great family time as we bring the summer season to a close.
