MISSION STATEMENT of ST. BARTHOLOMEW
PEACE AND JUSTICE MINISTRY
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The Peace and Justice Ministry recognizes the Church as the Body of Christ.
- The goal of Peace and Justice Ministry is to provide leadership to St. Bartholomew parishioners to help them witness the Good News of Jesus Christ.
- Through education, prayer, reflection and direct communication, it helps parishioners to be effective in communities at local, national, and international levels, thereby enabling them to achieve meaningful and effective social action.
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August 2019 Upcoming Events and Opportunities
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MEETING SCHEDULE AND PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
- Peace and Justice Meetings are the third Wednesday of each month, and as always all are welcome to attend. We meet in the lower level meeting room at St. Bartholomew.
- Peace and Justice Newsletter will publish monthly, reflecting ministry news and reports from the meetings and presentations.
September Fair Trade Sales September 21 and 22
- coffee, tea, chocolate
- after all four Masses
- benefits after-school tutoring at St. Anne Parish, teacher salaries and snacks.
September 18 Peace & Justice general and team meetings 7 PM church Lower Level #1
- Meetings are scheduled for Third Wednesday of the month
- Teams: Programming, Communications, Finance and Grants
- All are welcome to attend and become involved!
Voter Registration
- September 14 and 15
- Before and after all masses
Blood Drive
Polidor 5k run/walk
Sundays Weekly Hot Meal Site 4 - 6 pm, Meal Site Teams
Sundays Women's Jail Ministry visits 1 - 3 pm, classes 6 - 8 pm
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Themes of Catholic Social Teachings by The United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops:
Call to Family, Community and Participation
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Call to Family Community and Participation
This month, we will hear how our St. Bartholomew School prepares our young students for full participation in life, faith, and service to others. Our faith calls us to participation, and to strengthen the role of families. With emphasis on our option of the poor and vulnerable, we will learn the level of scholarship and support for the more vulnerable students in our community.
In the following quote from Pope John Paul II, we can appreciate our call to reinforce values of faith alongside academics and extra-curricular activities.
“Insofar as it is a "small- scale Church," the Christian family is called upon, like the "large- scale Church," to be a sign of unity for the world and in this way to exercise its prophetic role by bearing witness to the Kingdom and peace of Christ, towards which the whole world is journeying. Christian families can do this through their educational activity-that is to say by presenting to their children a model of life based on the values of truth, freedom, justice and love-both through active and responsible involvement in the authentically human growth of society and its institutions, and by supporting in various ways the associations specifically devoted to international issues.”
-St. John Paul II, The Family in the Modern World.
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Ministry Spotlight on the Importance of a Catholic Education, by Kelly Glick
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The Value of a Catholic Education at St. Bartholomew School
This month we highlight the value and benefits of the education and community collaboration provided by the school that is established at St. Bartholomew. The school is financially supported through tuition, scholarships and by our parish family.
The school provides a balanced academic curriculum that integrates faith, culture and life. Students attend All School Mass weekly and religion classes each day. Second Graders prepare for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion as part of their school day.
Community Service is emphasized through Irish Time and Irish Families (Olweus Bullying Prevention Program), the Leader In Me program, through retreats including faculty, and CYO Camp for 3rd-5th Grades, Middle School and others during Catholic Schools Week.
The emphasis on high academic standards are a defining feature of the school, including the highest ISTEP passing rate in Bartholomew County since 2013, and the distinction of being the only Four Star School in Bartholomew County every year since 2014. Students are able to participate in Algebra and Geometry for high school credit, Spanish (K-8 and the potential to earn 2 years of high school credit), as well as Art (K-8), Music (K-5 and electives for Church Band and Guitars for 6-9), Band (4th-8th), Technology Classes (K-8), PE (K-8). There are Clubs, the Outdoor Learning Lab, Minds in Motion (Kindergarten) and a full menu of athletic opportunities including Girls Volleyball, Cheerleading, Girls and Boys Basketball, Co-ed Golf.
The value of service to others is reinforced in all activities, and particularly by programs that include Leader In Me, Community Service Requirements in Middle School, Catholic Schools Week Community Service Projects and the training of Mass Altar Servers. Many of St. Bartholomew School graduates continue with serving in high school, and some have become lectors and greeters at Mass.
Through its emphasis on academics, community service and faith, St. Bartholomew School prepares students to be productive citizens and future leaders. All students are welcome and supported to become the best that they can be.
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ST BARTHOLOMEW SCHOOL BY THE NUMBERS:
Statistics for this year:
Total number of students K-8:
402
Number of students from families NEW to St. B’s this year:
42
Our students reflect the diversity of our parish and our Columbus community.
Ethnicity Data:
Hispanic:
37.8%
Asian:
4%
Black:
2%
Multi-Racial:
3.7%
40.5%
of our students are English Language Learners (their first language that they learned to speak at home was NOT English)
49%
of our students receive some form of financial aid to attend St. B School.
Choice Scholarships (vouchers from the state):
41.3% (166 students)
SGO Tax Credit Scholarships (Indiana program funded by specific donations to the St. B fund):
6.5% (26 students)
Number of students that receive Special Education Services (IEP/ISP):
9.0% (36 students)
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Call to service ideas...
- The school is seeking Parish members to join School Commission.
- There is a newly formed Endowment Fund and are looking to build that up with donations, plus donations to support SGO Scholarships (to donate: https://www.i4qed.org/sgo/donors
The staff of the school has discussed how we would like to partner with Peace and Justice on service projects
and to educate our students about Catholic Social Teachings. To further service opportunities and adapt the
Catholic Social Teaching into everyday life, St. Bartholomew School looks forward to working with Peace and Justice Ministry this academic year.
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Ring the bells
Sunday August 25 at 3 PM
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The Anti-racist committee of Pax Christi is encouraging its membership (St. Bartholomew is a member) to ring church bells on Sunday, August 25 at 3:00 PM in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the first slaves arriving in Virginia in 1619. If you have bells in your home, you are also encouraged to go outside and ring them at 3:00 PM.
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Ecumenical Assembly News
Love Chapel is a group of churches that oversees operations at
- Brighter Days (local temporary housing)
- Hot Meals (free evening meals)
- Food Pantry
- Financial Assistance
Last month we provided:
- Housing for 88 individuals (an average of 34 per night)
- Food for 984 households
- Evening Hot Meal every night of the week
- Financial Assistance for 62 individuals
We are always in need of volunteers to offset increases in budget.
Volunteer Orientation is at 311 Center Street on
- first Thursday of the month at 5:30pm and
- second and fourth Monday of each month at 12:30.
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We Are The Peace & Justice Ministry
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- Chairperson Donna Keogh
- Programming Team: Steve Audretch
- Grants & Finance Team: David Harpenau
- Communications Team: Jan Banister
- Blood Drive: Greg Scherschel, coordinator
- Next drive October 12, 2019
- Voter Registration: Steve Audretch coordinator
- Next drive Fall 2019, September 14-15
- Ecumenical Assembly: Rebecca Reeck
- Pro-Life: Kelley Snoddy
- Giving Tree: Theresa Westerfeld, coordinator
- Meal Site: Susan Chandler,
- Sundays 4-6 PM
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- Friends of Haiti: Judy Harpenau, liaison
- Bread for the World Offering of Letters: Rachel Rice coordinator
- Next campaign April/May 2020.
- Bread for the World, Fr. Marty Peter, Convener
- Second Tuesdays 7 PM at First Presbyterian Church
- Indiana Abolition Coalition: Donna Keogh, liaison
- St. Vincent de Paul: David and Hilary Baker, liaisons
- Women's Jail Ministry: Sevy Badgley, liasion
- Family Self Sufficiency: Jan Banister coordinator, December 14, 2019
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St. Bartholomew Hot Meal Site
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There is a hot meal provided in our community through Ecumenical Assembly each evening. On Sunday evenings the meal site is Saint Bartholomew School cafeteria.
The meal site coordinator for our parish, Susan Chandler, is hopeful that more teams and individuals will consider assisting with meals. Info here:
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Sun 5pm-6pm
- SAINT BARTHOLOMEW CATHOLIC CHURCH
Mon 5pm-6pm
- FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Mon 5pm-6pm
Tues 5pm-6pm
Wed 5pm-6pm
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Thurs 4:30pm-5pm
Fri 5pm-6pm
- FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
4th Fri 6pm-7pm
Sat 4pm-5pm (excluding the 3rd Sat)
2nd Sat 11:30am-12:30pm
- OGILVILLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
3rd Sat 4pm-5pm
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