September 2021 Upcoming Events and Opportunities |
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Please watch for announcements at this time regarding public meetings. All dates and meetings are currently subject to change. Be safe and be well!
MEETING SCHEDULE AND PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
- Peace and Justice Meetings are the third Wednesday of each month, and as always all are welcome to attend.
- Peace and Justice Newsletter will be published monthly, reflecting ministry news and reports from meetings and presentations.
September 15 Peace & Justice general and team meetings 7 PM in person Room #1, please join us!
- St. Bartholomew Church currently in person
- Meetings are otherwise scheduled for Third Wednesday of the month
- Teams: Programming, Communications, Finance and Grants
- All are welcome to attend and become involved!
Fair Trade Sales Suspended until further notice
- coffee, tea, chocolate
- after all four Masses
- benefits after-school tutoring at St. Anne Parish, teacher salaries and snacks.
Sundays Weekly Hot Meal Site 4 - 6 pm, Meal Site Teams - meals are grab-and-go, volunteers needed!!
Saturday, October 9 - State Corrections Conference, Roncalli, 8:30-3:30
Saturday, October 9 – Blood Drive at St. Bartholomew
Wednesday, December 1 – Combined Nov./Dec. Mtg of P/J, Room 1
Sundays Women's Jail Ministry visits 1 - 3 pm, classes 6 - 8 pm currently suspended due to COVID-19
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Themes of Catholic Social Teaching by The United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops
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In our examinations of individual themes of Catholic Social Teaching, it became impossible to isolate any area that has not been illuminated by the work of Father Clem Davis. So this is an opportunity to review the very basic definition of each CST as defined by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “The Church's social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society.”
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching.
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's creation.
Solidarity
We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers and sisters keepers, wherever they may be.
Care for God's Creation
We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith.
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Father Clem Davis has been ordained for more than fifty years, and has spent a great deal of that time with us at St. Bartholomew Parish. Our parish has been so unbelievably blessed to have him as our Pastor for so many years, and he embraces his new role with the same vigor. He has led us through some challenging times, while these past eighteen months must have been a unique test of faith!
He was interviewed on his reflections of pastoral education, fifty years of ordination and leading multiple flocks through the best of times and the worst of times. A bit broad, granted, so some topics and questions were suggested. A back-to-school message of encouragement, or as a fall reflection on the delayed celebration of ordination, Father Clem always shares a positive outlook for the future, our shared future.
Question: Looking at recent events of the last couple years, of becoming Associate Pastor, relocating to a new residence, and presiding at live streaming You Tube Mass, baptisms, weddings and funerals in the time of COVID-19, how has the effect of the pandemic colored your experiences in a different way than all the previous years?
- The most challenging part was the individual isolation, and not being among people. Celebrating a solo Mass without those to celebrate with and for was difficult. “Celebrating” Mass implies a community, others to “hold up the tent,” and that was a missing part during the pandemic.
- There was one other period of time in my experience, a ten-week archaeological dig in Israel among mostly Jewish students and one or two other Catholics. We sometimes attended a Maronite church, an eastern form of Catholicism in Arabic, where the priest’s back was always turned to the congregation, and the unorganized approach to the Eucharist almost caused the students to miss while waiting for an organized line.
- There is simply no other precedent to being without the community of Catholics for such a long period of time.
Question: Has the pandemic period, when live Mass was unavailable and not mandated, fostered a community that has found more joy in the gathering, more resolve to help others, or is it too soon to reflect on the effect?
- Many are more conscious of the feeling of “I need” the Mass and community of believers, since it has been denied. It is my hope that might translate into an examination of a calling to the priesthood or religious life. I am concerned about the level of retirement of so many priests, and hope that some will see the many gifts that ordination affords, including the opportunities to serve people.
- Although many choices are seen to exclude the alternative instead of embracing it, a calling to the priesthood encompasses many gifts and opportunities to share one’s vocation to care and serve.
Question: If you were to send a message to St. Bartholomew students of past, present and future, whose lives have been impacted in so many ways, how would you suggest they use these experiences to create a better world for all? Has the exposure of our vulnerabilities, especially of those less fortunate, also exposed a perspective we should adopt?
- The pandemic has exposed the serious needs of our neighbors in our own western hemisphere. There is endemic poverty in Haiti and difficulties in Puerto Rico, as well as many countries in South America who need our assistance, hope, and support. Many are victims of decades of American colonialism, and we need to energize ourselves to solve serious problems so close to our country.
- Why haven’t we reached out to share our greatness?
- In our country, we are discussing booster shots for the fully vaccinated before Haiti has received their very first vaccine doses, which was just this week (7/23)
- God created us as social beings, with a need to love and nurture our fellow humans. We need to heed that call to action.
- I would like to see our local young people embrace opportunities to serve their own community of Columbus, and build a life based on its many gifts. When young people with talent and commitment leave our community, it is a great loss for future leadership and service.
Question: There is a massive divide in our communities, local, national, and international. Inequality in access to education, health care, voting rights, food security has a long history but seems to be becoming more dire despite our best efforts. How have you seen, or how do you see, the response of the "Catholic Community of Columbus" in general to changing divisive politics?
- While I am always bewildered at those who support and are led by statements that are clearly not the truth, I feel overall Columbus has a moderate demeanor and a moderate editorial policy that keeps public discourse civil and creates positive progress in public policy.
- Columbus is clearly not without difficulties, including areas of poverty, lack of opportunity, and serious substance abuse issues, but it is also a model of efforts to resolve these issues in a collaborative way. The Ecumenical Assembly was groundbreaking when it began, we are on the forefront of the challenge of substance abuse, and I am encouraged by the examples of recovery housing.
- As a community we have demonstrated that we can and will work together, even when we are not of the same beliefs or faith community.
- Care of Creation is a global, interconnected, and complex serious issue, but we can all participate in many daily small ways to support a healthy planet while we also are aware of the global implications and support global solutions.
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A Prayer for Haiti as They Experience This National Tragedy
Loving and Generous God, it is You who call us by name and ask us to follow You.
Help us to grow in the Love and Service of our Church as we experience it today.
Give us the energy and courage of Your Spirit to shape its future
Grant us faith-filled leaders who will embrace Christ's Mission of love and justice.
Bless the Church of St. Bartholomew Parish by raising up dedicated and generous leaders from our families
and friends who will serve Your people as Sisters,Priests, Brothers, Deacons and Lay Ministers.
Inspire us to know You better and open our hearts to hear Your call.
We ask this through our Lord.
Amen.
https://www.usccb.org/prayers/prayers-vocations
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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 parishionersto be effective in communities at local, national, and international levels, thereby enabling them to achieve meaningful and effective social action.
VISION STATEMENT
Integrate Gospel values into our lives as disciples of Christ through Outreach, Justice, and Spirituality.
Our Challenge and Goal:
Assisting parishioners to align faith with daily life.
To live differently in society as a reflection of our faith.
Responsibilities
Advocacy: Advocate for social mission (Outreach, Justice, and Spirituality) within the Parish.
Volunteerism, Personal Involvement: Be a model of social mission and faith in action within the Parish.
Education: Assist in the development, implementation, and recruitment of program initiatives.
Outreach: Discern and provide leadership for parish involvement in local, national, and global justice outreach.
Financial Support: Assist with determination and allocation of monetary stewardship for parish justice outreach and other initiatives. Along with other members, ensure that funds are being used responsibly and as intended.
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We Are The Peace & Justice Ministry |
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- Chairperson Donna Keogh
- Programming Team: Steve Audretch
- Finance Team: David Harpenau
- Communications Team: Jan Banister
- Blood Drive: Greg Scherschel, coordinator
- Next drive October 9, 2021
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Voter Registration: Steve Audretch coordinator
- Next drive TBD
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Ecumenical Assembly: Shireman Brown
- Pro-Life: Kelley Snoddy
- Giving Tree: Theresa Westerfeld, coordinator
- Meal Site: Susan Chandler,
- Sundays 4-6 PM
- Volunteers always welcome!
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- Friends of Haiti: Judy Harpenau, liaison
- Bread for the World Offering of Letters
- May 2022, Mike Spencer
- 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: Marilyn and Jim Clerc liaisons
- Women's Jail Ministry: Nancy Audretch, liaison
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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
- COLUMBUS FREE METHODIST – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Wed.
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4th Wed 6-7 PM
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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