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P.O. Box 929, Seahurst, WA. 98062
www.stfoa.org 206 242-4575
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November 21, 2020 Newsletter |
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Dear Parishioners,
Thanksgiving is coming up. It is a national holiday that gives us the opportunity to give thanks to God for all the good and wonderful things that we have been given by our God. However, things are different this year. Because of COVID-19 we are not able to gather as extended families to celebrate with turkey and all the trimmings and to thank God for our blessings. We might even be tempted to say “What blessings?” In this time of the pandemic, we have been restricted in what we can do. People have lost their jobs and their businesses. People have died prematurely because of the pandemic.
We cannot do the things that we are accustomed to doing. Life has become difficult in many different ways. We live in fear.
When we look at all the negatives, we find it difficult to find the positives. When we have lost loved ones to the pandemic, it is difficult to give thanks. When we cannot gather as family and friends, we feel isolated and alone. The stress we experience causes us to look for answers in negative places and things. This is not normal. This is terrible.
We are challenged, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, to find the heart of Jesus in all the negativity. Somewhere in the midst of this pandemic, we look for the people in our lives, the opportunities given to us, and the challenges we face that give us hope and an experience of the gracious love of God. My prayer is that you will find that ray of hope as you celebrate and give thanks to God for the blessings in your lives.
In the Peace of Jesus,
Fr. Dick Hayatsu
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Events and Happenings
Monday, November 23: Mass 9:00 AM, RCIA via Zoom at 7pm – Tuesday, November 24: Mass 9:00 AM, Sandwich Making at homes for St. Martin's Shelter – Wednesday, November 25 – Thursday, November 26: Mass 9:00 AM, Thanksgiving – Friday, November 27: Mass 9:00 AM - Saturday November 28: Food Drive 3-5 PM Unity Parking lot, Confessions in the Sacristy 4:00-- 4:30 PM, Mass 5:00 PM - Sunday, November 29: Mass 8:00 AM, Mass 10:00 AM
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Stewardship and Administration News
Stewardship as Way of Life
“You can show your love to others by not wishing that they should be better Christians.” St. Francis of Assisi. Being a stewardship disciple of Christ, how do our judgements of others hinder our love for neighbor?
2021 Treasure Renewal
We are very grateful to the many parishioners who have returned a Treasure Commitment Card to the parish. Your generosity supports the mission and the many ministries of St. Francis of Assisi. We thank you for your good Stewardship of all that God has given you. If you have not turned in a pledge card, go to www.stfoa.org, and at the bottom of our web page, there is pledge card form link. The Parish has received about 115 Stewardship of Treasure Pledge Cards.
Stewardship of Treasure Report
Year from July-Nov. 15
Actual
$339,220
Budget
$309,784
Difference
+29,436
Administration Report
Videoing the Mass: Volunteer Needed! To join the Camera Team that live streams the Mass; Technical know-how is a must. Interested? Contact John Eisen at jeisen@stfoa-parish.org.
Parish Office
Due to the new Covid 19 restrictions, the office is closed.
Online Givers
Unless directed otherwise, your online gifts are the same as renew your 2021 Stewardship of Treasure Renewal Pledge Form. Contact John Eisen if you object. Jeisen@stfoa-parish.org
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Liturgy, Baptism and Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Thanksgiving Mass
We will celebrate Thanksgiving Mass on Thursday, November 26th at 9:00 AM. You will need to make a Reservation in order to attend Mass by going to our website, stfoa.org, or calling Elizabeth in the Parish Office and leaving a message on extension 25. Reservations will close at 7:30 AM on November 26th. The limit for Mass attendance is 100 people. I expect that we will be close to that limit, therefore, you will not be able to attend if you have not made a Reservation. The Mass will be live-streamed.
Christmas Masses
We will celebrate Christmas Masses on December 24th, Christmas Eve at 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Christmas Day Mass will be at 9:00 AM. We do not know what the interest will be to attend Christmas Mass given the COVID upturn. You can sign up on our website, stfoa.org or call Elizabeth in the Parish Office, extension 25 between December 1st and December 15th. Then we will have a lottery to draw the 100 people that can attend each Mass. We will contact you to let you know if you have been randomly drawn to attend Christmas Mass. There won’t be any walk up attendance.
Safety is our priority!
For everyone’s safety please remain vigilant about staying 6’ apart from anyone that is not within your household as the numbers of people contracting the coronavirus continues to climb.
All Mass participants must wear a facial covering. If an individual cannot wear a facial covering, they must wear a plastic face shield as a minimum standard. Please keep in mind that simple surgical masks or double sided cloth masks are the preference. The mask must cover your mouth and nose.
We are Thankful for Your Presence in our community in whatever form that takes during this pandemic. If I can do anything for you, please contact me at the Parish Office. We praise and thank God for the many gifts he has bestowed on us.
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Faith Formation News
Anxiety and Fear
Self-centered fear. This debilitating emotion is at the heart of so many of our misbehaviors, both individually and as a society. Either we are afraid of losing something we consider essential or we are afraid of not getting something we demand. The fear is crippling and since the focus is self, the outcome is never positive. We live in a state of anxiety, reacting to others with selfish, self-protective responses. Our mental anguish saps our energy, draining what resources we might have to counter the fear or make positive steps. We are certain that we have reason to be fearful. We trust no one except ourself or those who agree with us, and we are willing to go to great lengths to make sure our needs are being met. We lie, we equivocate, we expostulate, we speak ill of others, we lash out, we fume, we vent, we are greedy, just to name a few of the misbehaviors.
Most of us do not live in self-centered fear all of the time, but few of us escape this trap altogether. Whenever we find ourselves sunk in the pit of anxiety and fear, some good questions might be, “What am I afraid of losing or not getting? How am I not trusting God?” “The one who clings to something, who wishes to protect some domain of his life in order to manage it at his convenience without radically abandoning it into the hands of God, is making a very bad mistake…”. The mistake costs that one his peace. The opposite of self-centered fear is a total trust in the goodness of God. We must work on what we can to alleviate whatever is distressing us or those around us. But our work is best done in an attitude of peace, confidence and joy because we know that, whatever the outcome, God is guiding the ship!
Quote taken from Fr, Jacques Phillipe, Searching for and Maintaining Peace. George and Jannic Driscoll, Trans., Staten Is. NY: St. Paul’s Press, 2002.
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Youth Ministry
Dear St. Francis parishioners and families,
Over the last few weeks, the 6th grade classes have explored the immense question about God’s presence in our lives. I think this is the universally asked question by every human, whether you have always accepted the role of a Creator in your life, or whether you have questioned it. That does not matter to God.
We are all uniquely created to be ourselves reflecting God’s creation. God chose to have us live and be in this time, at this place, in this moment to reflect something of God’s creation. When this idea is accepted, life becomes more complex, especially to 6th graders trying to come to terms with being in and of themselves.
What is our purpose generally, but then asked in our COVID worldly context, what is our purpose now? Our shared universal humanity brings us into relationship with one another, as it does with God. In today’s world, it also brings us into closer relationship with a different type of biology: the COVID virus.
These 6th graders, and every budding teenage Christian, needs to understand that their existence is in relationship to God, with God, and in God. We can work significantly to help teenagers understand that God chose them for a specific reason, that their lives have meaning, and that they are called to exist in this life to grow in relationship with God and with others. That is an incredibly difficult thing to do in COVID, but relationships continue to develop in prayer and in thanksgiving.
In this new lockdown, I have worked personally to enter a prayer life that is much more regimented. Push aside the technology and the distractions of social media to just BE. Millennials are so often pulled into social media, technology, and fear of missing out that we do not spend enough time in the relationship that we are really missing out on: our relationship with the Divine.
Have a wonderful, physically distant Thanksgiving,
Kevin J. Schilling
Pastoral Assistant for Youth Ministry
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Social Justice and Outreach News--
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Mass Intentions:
Lord, for your faithful people life is changed not ended.
During the month of November, we remember our dearly departed loved ones who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. May these, and all who sleep in Christ, find in HIs presence light, happiness and peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
If you would like to submit the names of your family and friends who have died please click on the link to submit their names.
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