Pastor’s e-epistle
September 3, 2010
Please pray for
I came back
Although when I began the day of the drive back to Texas from Colorado at 46 degrees in the mountains west of Colorado Springs and ended that day at 105 in north Texas, it did give me pause to wonder. However, there are few things as good as the Rocky Mountains to clear out the head and the soul and, in spite of the heat, it was good to see Austin and all of you again.
All in ministry at Emmaus take note
Next week, I am going to send out to the parish a memo detailing the reasons for a recent decision that I have made regarding requiring everyone in ministry in the parish to comply with Ethics and Integrity in Ministry requirements in order to serve in any ministry in this parish. The details are too long to include in an e-epistle and when I send it out to you, I want to make sure that all of you read it and take it seriously. A primary challenge of our growing parish is to assure that we create here a safe environment for everyone. The diocesan requirements on service in ministry state that anyone who is involved in ministry with children, youth or vulnerable adults must do the following without delay: complete an online questionnaire on the diocesan website at www.austindiocese.com, undergo a criminal background check, and take a three-hour Ethics and Integrity in ministry class. Those who have completed those requirements must take a 1½ hour refresher every three years. We have had difficulty in getting everyone to comply with these requirements. And I admit that I have allowed things to slide a bit. However, I can no longer, in good conscience as your pastor, allow anyone to be in ministry here who has not fulfilled these requirements. Effective immediately, I am instituting a no tolerance policy. That means that all in ministry must start to move now toward fulfillment of EIM requirements. If you have trouble accessing the online questionnaire, please contact the parish office. We will help you. Also, we have an EIM workshop scheduled here at Emmaus on Sept 7. If you can put that into your schedule, I encourage you to do so. Just call the parish office to register or register at the door. It will be in the church narthex at 6:30pm. You have to be there for the entire workshop to be certified, so do not be late. If you cannot take advantage of this opportunity, we will keep you informed of other workshops as they are scheduled here and in nearby parishes.
I hope that all of you will take this very seriously. If you have questions on why this must be, please wait until I send out my memo next week. That should explain it all to everyone?s satisfaction. I ask that you keep in mind that there is no responsibility here more important than assuring the safety of our children and youth. And keep in mind as well, that thinking that things do not happen in this community is a serious and dangerous error.
Healing service on Mondays
Fr. Jim Evans will be saying the daily mass on Mondays on a regular basis. In addition to mass, he will offer each week a brief healing service with anointing of the sick for those who need it. That will begin each Monday after the daily mass at about 9:00 AM. If you or friends or loved ones are in need of that sacrament, we encourage you and them to come on Mondays. Of course, we continue to provide this sacrament at other times as needed.
Anointing of the Sick: Who needs it?
Anointing of the sick is a sacrament of healing. Anyone of any age may receive it. We encourage anyone who is facing serious hospitalization, who is suffering from serious illness of any sort?physical, mental or emotional?or who is advanced in age to receive this sacrament.
Four reasons to wear your name tags:
Moving into the PLC
I need to start to prepare the parish for the new parish life center. Construction will be completed in October. That is very soon. However, moving into the center will not happen all at once. It is going to take some time. Even when the building is complete, there will remain a massive job of setting things up so that the various parts of the center will be usable. The two things that will happen first will be moving children?s and youth?s religious education into the new facility and opening of the adoration chapel. The first will happen as quickly as possible because religious education is among the most important things we do as a faith community. Opening the adoration chapel is crucial because prayer is central to our faith life. Also, ministry leaders will be required to undergo orientation before their ministries can begin to meet in the new building. Then there is the issue of making sure that furniture and other needed items are in place. We will move as quickly as possible on everything. However, I must ask everyone to be patient and to work with us so that we can do that. In that manner, we can assure that everyone?s first experience of our new facilities will be as positive as possible.
Book Recommendation
Grisham, John, FordCounty
Among the books I read while away, John Grisham?s FordCounty was one of the best. I say that while admitting that I have always found Grisham?s books to be mostly the sort of thing I read when I just want something to read that does not demand much of me. Ford County, like his first novel, A Time to Kill, which he couldn?t sell until he made a name with his more ?written by a formula sure to sell? novels, are on a very different level. Ford County, is a series of stories set in the same place as A Time to Kill, Ford County Mississippi. Each story is a snapshot of life there through the lives of a variety of characters. As I read them, I thought of Flannery O?Connor and her capacity to write about ordinary people leading ordinary lives that really show how the struggles and the possibilities of human existence reveal things about human life on a level beyond the ordinary.
Restaurant Recommendation: Ciola?s in Lakeway
As a special treat, I took Fr. Jim Evans and his wife, Mary, to Ciola?s for a welcoming dinner. I have always liked Ciola?s but go there rarely because it is a special treat sort of place, and I get tempted to more treats than I should have. We discovered upon entry that it has changed management. It is now owned by parishioner, Dave Staab, who recently moved to Lakeway. He was very welcoming and gracious. The food was superb. Fr. Jim had a bit of a fit of ecstasy over his lasagna and Mary and I had salmon that was all that salmon should be. Also, it was Monday evening and all wine by the bottle is half price which puts it at about regular retail price. That was nice as well. Dave told us that he will soon be making some changes. One of those is a Sunday brunch which will start in a couple of weeks. As a dedicated parishioner, he is going to donate a percentage of the proceeds from Sunday brunch to the parish. All you have to do is let him know that you are an Emmaus parishioner. This might be another reason to wear your name tags so that they can identify you right away. I will probably wear mine, as well, although I should be able to get by with my clerical collar.
Preparing for the Sunday Mass
As we approach this weekend, I want you to think about the question of freedom in choosing the directions in our lives. The gospel (Luke 14: 25-33) is about what is required in making a choice to be a follower of Jesus, to be a Christian. We teach in the context of spiritual life that there are two types of freedom that have bearing on the directions of our lives. Those are choice freedom and creative freedom. Choice freedom is actually the level on which we function a lot of the time. It is about taking a look at available options that we can perceive and choosing what seems to be the best. Choice freedom is influenced by our emotions, our politics, our sense of what serves us best and what we like and what we don?t like. Creative freedom is about coming to direction on a different level. It is about stopping and putting aside the things that influence choice freedom. It is about seeking to go to our centers and there finding direction in accordance with what our hearts and souls desire. It is about being willing to listen to that still small voice within us all that we come to know as God speaking to us. Very often creative freedom opens us and takes us to places that we would not choose on the level of choice freedom. Creative freedom often leads us to places that fear would cause us to turn away from on the level of choice freedom. That is the call that Jesus presented to his followers in the gospel that we will read this Sunday. It is the call today to us, as well, as we consider how we live in the context of our faith.
September 3, 2010
Please pray for
- Charlie Tartella who died last week. His funeral mass will be at Emmaus on Sept 11, at 11:00 AM.
- Richard Thompson who was hospitalized on Monday. He is now at home and being ornery so we know that he is recovering well.
- Richard Fitzpatrick, a resident of the Summit, who died this morning.
- The Kupka family as they mourn the death of their oldest son, Michael. His funeral mass was last Friday.
I came back
Although when I began the day of the drive back to Texas from Colorado at 46 degrees in the mountains west of Colorado Springs and ended that day at 105 in north Texas, it did give me pause to wonder. However, there are few things as good as the Rocky Mountains to clear out the head and the soul and, in spite of the heat, it was good to see Austin and all of you again.
All in ministry at Emmaus take note
Next week, I am going to send out to the parish a memo detailing the reasons for a recent decision that I have made regarding requiring everyone in ministry in the parish to comply with Ethics and Integrity in Ministry requirements in order to serve in any ministry in this parish. The details are too long to include in an e-epistle and when I send it out to you, I want to make sure that all of you read it and take it seriously. A primary challenge of our growing parish is to assure that we create here a safe environment for everyone. The diocesan requirements on service in ministry state that anyone who is involved in ministry with children, youth or vulnerable adults must do the following without delay: complete an online questionnaire on the diocesan website at www.austindiocese.com, undergo a criminal background check, and take a three-hour Ethics and Integrity in ministry class. Those who have completed those requirements must take a 1½ hour refresher every three years. We have had difficulty in getting everyone to comply with these requirements. And I admit that I have allowed things to slide a bit. However, I can no longer, in good conscience as your pastor, allow anyone to be in ministry here who has not fulfilled these requirements. Effective immediately, I am instituting a no tolerance policy. That means that all in ministry must start to move now toward fulfillment of EIM requirements. If you have trouble accessing the online questionnaire, please contact the parish office. We will help you. Also, we have an EIM workshop scheduled here at Emmaus on Sept 7. If you can put that into your schedule, I encourage you to do so. Just call the parish office to register or register at the door. It will be in the church narthex at 6:30pm. You have to be there for the entire workshop to be certified, so do not be late. If you cannot take advantage of this opportunity, we will keep you informed of other workshops as they are scheduled here and in nearby parishes.
I hope that all of you will take this very seriously. If you have questions on why this must be, please wait until I send out my memo next week. That should explain it all to everyone?s satisfaction. I ask that you keep in mind that there is no responsibility here more important than assuring the safety of our children and youth. And keep in mind as well, that thinking that things do not happen in this community is a serious and dangerous error.
Healing service on Mondays
Fr. Jim Evans will be saying the daily mass on Mondays on a regular basis. In addition to mass, he will offer each week a brief healing service with anointing of the sick for those who need it. That will begin each Monday after the daily mass at about 9:00 AM. If you or friends or loved ones are in need of that sacrament, we encourage you and them to come on Mondays. Of course, we continue to provide this sacrament at other times as needed.
Anointing of the Sick: Who needs it?
Anointing of the sick is a sacrament of healing. Anyone of any age may receive it. We encourage anyone who is facing serious hospitalization, who is suffering from serious illness of any sort?physical, mental or emotional?or who is advanced in age to receive this sacrament.
Four reasons to wear your name tags:
-
They really help Fr. Jim Evans, our new associate pastor, to learn your names. They will be of great help, as well, to Fr. Luis Alberto Caceres, when he joins us as associate pastor in mid-September. - They help other members of the parish to learn your names. That really helps us to build a stronger sense of our community as a parish family.
- They help me to remember your names. Now that my mind is gone, sometimes I can?t remember my own name. And I do have moments in which my mind goes blank even with those of you I have known since I arrived here.
- In the context of the call of the Church to the practice of the faith, "anonymous Christian" is an oxymoron.
Moving into the PLC
I need to start to prepare the parish for the new parish life center. Construction will be completed in October. That is very soon. However, moving into the center will not happen all at once. It is going to take some time. Even when the building is complete, there will remain a massive job of setting things up so that the various parts of the center will be usable. The two things that will happen first will be moving children?s and youth?s religious education into the new facility and opening of the adoration chapel. The first will happen as quickly as possible because religious education is among the most important things we do as a faith community. Opening the adoration chapel is crucial because prayer is central to our faith life. Also, ministry leaders will be required to undergo orientation before their ministries can begin to meet in the new building. Then there is the issue of making sure that furniture and other needed items are in place. We will move as quickly as possible on everything. However, I must ask everyone to be patient and to work with us so that we can do that. In that manner, we can assure that everyone?s first experience of our new facilities will be as positive as possible.
Book Recommendation
Grisham, John, FordCounty
Among the books I read while away, John Grisham?s FordCounty was one of the best. I say that while admitting that I have always found Grisham?s books to be mostly the sort of thing I read when I just want something to read that does not demand much of me. Ford County, like his first novel, A Time to Kill, which he couldn?t sell until he made a name with his more ?written by a formula sure to sell? novels, are on a very different level. Ford County, is a series of stories set in the same place as A Time to Kill, Ford County Mississippi. Each story is a snapshot of life there through the lives of a variety of characters. As I read them, I thought of Flannery O?Connor and her capacity to write about ordinary people leading ordinary lives that really show how the struggles and the possibilities of human existence reveal things about human life on a level beyond the ordinary.
Restaurant Recommendation: Ciola?s in Lakeway
As a special treat, I took Fr. Jim Evans and his wife, Mary, to Ciola?s for a welcoming dinner. I have always liked Ciola?s but go there rarely because it is a special treat sort of place, and I get tempted to more treats than I should have. We discovered upon entry that it has changed management. It is now owned by parishioner, Dave Staab, who recently moved to Lakeway. He was very welcoming and gracious. The food was superb. Fr. Jim had a bit of a fit of ecstasy over his lasagna and Mary and I had salmon that was all that salmon should be. Also, it was Monday evening and all wine by the bottle is half price which puts it at about regular retail price. That was nice as well. Dave told us that he will soon be making some changes. One of those is a Sunday brunch which will start in a couple of weeks. As a dedicated parishioner, he is going to donate a percentage of the proceeds from Sunday brunch to the parish. All you have to do is let him know that you are an Emmaus parishioner. This might be another reason to wear your name tags so that they can identify you right away. I will probably wear mine, as well, although I should be able to get by with my clerical collar.
Preparing for the Sunday Mass
As we approach this weekend, I want you to think about the question of freedom in choosing the directions in our lives. The gospel (Luke 14: 25-33) is about what is required in making a choice to be a follower of Jesus, to be a Christian. We teach in the context of spiritual life that there are two types of freedom that have bearing on the directions of our lives. Those are choice freedom and creative freedom. Choice freedom is actually the level on which we function a lot of the time. It is about taking a look at available options that we can perceive and choosing what seems to be the best. Choice freedom is influenced by our emotions, our politics, our sense of what serves us best and what we like and what we don?t like. Creative freedom is about coming to direction on a different level. It is about stopping and putting aside the things that influence choice freedom. It is about seeking to go to our centers and there finding direction in accordance with what our hearts and souls desire. It is about being willing to listen to that still small voice within us all that we come to know as God speaking to us. Very often creative freedom opens us and takes us to places that we would not choose on the level of choice freedom. Creative freedom often leads us to places that fear would cause us to turn away from on the level of choice freedom. That is the call that Jesus presented to his followers in the gospel that we will read this Sunday. It is the call today to us, as well, as we consider how we live in the context of our faith.