Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Praying For Joplin



I can only shudder as I look at the photos of one of our sister Parishes, also named, St. Marys in our Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Please keep the people of Joplin, Missouri in your prayers.

You can find information on how to help at our Diocesan Website:   http://www.dioscg.org/
and at pictures on our Diocese Facebook page:    http://www.facebook.com/update_security_info.php?wizard=1#!/DioceseofSpringfieldCapeGirardeau

Monday, May 23, 2011

Moving Away From Home

Yesterday, Cait and I moved her sister, Laura, to Columbia for her summer internship. (Sad Face)  It was a long day and halfway through our drive, which was through tons of traffic through STL, argh....sitting in the middle of a six lane highway singing a Banjo version of Steve Martin's "Atheists Don't Have No Songs!" Cait and I were getting a little tired and slap happy.

 She was driving and I was texting my husband where we were city-wise so he would know when we would be home. My wonderful husband and children had given me an I-phone for Mother's Day but I am still having some trouble typing on that tiny little keyboard. So in a jostling car on the highway I was letting him know we had just passed through the town of Festus.

Only, my I-phone didn't understand the name of the town so it likes to correct my spelling all the time. When I hit "send" I suddenly noticed that it had corrected the town's name from Festus, to "death".

Now, why in the world it thought Festus was supposed to be death, I don't know. But I quickly called my hubby to let him know that though the traffic had been really bad, we had NOT passed through Death!!!

He was much relieved. So were we.  You really have to be careful you are sending the correct messages in life. Especially to family members...

Rookie Altar Servers

I have to tell you about this. We have began training new altar servers yesterday. These are very excited end-of-the year fourth graders we are talking to here, from now on known as "The Rookies."

College-aged daughter, Cait, who is  known around our church altar server circle as "The Server Pro" because she is always jumping up to fill in at Mass when one of the "kids" neglect their server duty had the dubious job of helping me train altar servers in our parish. I recruited her because:

        1. I'm in Family Life Ministry and somehow that job fell to me to pick up and run with.
        2. She is always jumping up to help serve when...one of the "kids" neglect their server duty..."
        3. I've never been a server, (we didn't have girl servers when I was a kid) so she knows more than me.

    So, Cait is explaining all the wonderful nuances of being a good server - think quiet, attentive, careful, respectful. She told them they needed to be "white ninjas."  And it worked! They all began practicing and slowed down their pace when carrying the processional cross, when carrying up the Sacramentary book. They all did a fine job. 
    But I think they all need to join Cait's Server Boot Camp. We had several server boot camps last summer which really got the "rookies" learning everything from serving funerals to Bishop Masses.
  


2010 Recruits in Rookie Altar Server Boot Camp
Caitlin is the tall one standing on the left!
my nephews, also experienced Altar Severs are the two gentlemen standing on the right!

Because of this Boot Camp, our new servers this year are really very good! It's all in the correct training, you know! And the fact that these young people are truly interested in serving Christ in His Church!
Way to go guys and girls!
These are the kids that jump up and serve when some of the older kids neglect their time. They always show up for their appointed Mass. They are enthusiastic and really want to do things the right way.
So I'm hoping this year's crop of rookies will be the same way!
Thanks to their enthusiasm and to Server Pro Cait!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Hello World! Not ALL American Catholics Are For Contraceptives!!!!!

I am posting this because I'm tired of getting "counted in" with all those American Catholics who claim they support the use of contraceptives!

I do not!!! Unless they are counting Natural Family Planning - which uses NO artificial means of preventing a birth....then stop counting the rest of us in!  No way do 90% of American Catholics support birth control!
You are polling only one section - the ones YOU want to hear only!!!

Start representing a wider range of Catholics !!!