Message from your Pastor
The Need for Truth

St. John Paul II once declared “Truth is the mother, basis and foundation of justice.” We have now witnessed in our nation what happens when truth is ignored and lies are repeated.  In his speech to Congress, Republican Senator and Mormon, Mitt Romney said the best way to help people struggling with this election is to tell then the truth. The truth is the Joe Biden won a fair and free election.   

We all have a responsibility to the truth.   St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that one shares in the evil of another by omitting the counsel that would have hindered the wrong doing and by silence, by not preventing, by not denouncing. Fr. Bryan Massingale, professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University writes, “What we witnessed in Washington is a direct consequence of four years of enabling complicity, cynical appeasement and cowardly silence… it is the result of those who repeated his lies about a stolen election to curry short term favor. It is the consequence of political leaders who refuse to confront his unprecedented destruction of democratic norms out of fear of a presidential tweet. It is also the consequence of the complicit silence and active support of religious leaders who refuse to confront the cancer of white nationalism that this president endorses.”

Truth is one of the transcendental qualities of God.  God is ultimate truth.  Jesus revealed himself as “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).   As Children of God and members of the Body of Christ, we long for truth and must seek truth. Part of that journey is to acknowledge our limited understanding and to engage in constructive and respectful dialogue, and to be life-long learners.   It can be challenging because we now live in a world where truth is sought less and less. We now use terms such as “alternative facts” and “fake news”. Falsehoods and lies invade the internet.  Many want to determine their own truth and decide for themselves what is right and wrong.    

The way forward for our nation and for us is to embrace more strongly the truth Jesus reveals. He came to heal divisions, to unite all in one human family, and to show that when we care for those in need we care for Him.  Let us seek the truth. Let us speak the truth to the best of our ability and always with love.  Truth is what our nation needs right now. Truth is the mother, basis and foundation of justice. 


-Fr. Bill
Message from your Parish Administrator
The weekend of January 30-31st we will doing a special collection for Northwest Catholic, our Archdiocesan magazine. Below is a message from Kevin Birnbaum, Editor and Associate Publisher of NW Catholic:
 
“As Archbishop Etienne often reminds us, evangelization is the first priority of the Church, and Northwest Catholic magazine is one of the most effective tools we have to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. Ten times a year, the Church is able to enter every registered Catholic household in the archdiocese — more than 110,000 — with a message of hope that everyone so desperately needs. This is made possible by your generous support of the Northwest Catholic Collection. If you haven’t read a printed edition recently, I encourage you to check it out. And did you know we have a thriving online presence? This month we’re launching a new and improved NWCatholic.org, which has seen a 59% increase in users over the past year, to more than 44,000 a month.”
 
You help keep this resource available to all Catholics in the archdiocese through your donations. Thank you!
-Tracey Rockwell
Week of January 10th
WATCH
Reborn - Episode 1: A New Creation
LEARN
Lectio:Mark, Episode 2 Prepare the Way of the Lord
LISTEN
Changed Forever: The Sacrament of Baptism by Fr. Mike Schmitz
Prayers of the Faithful
For those who have died:

For those who are sick:
Alfonso Barrera
Jim Yantzer
Joe D'Agostino
Marcia D''Agostino
The Elementary and Teen tracks for Family Faith Formation will be meeting via Zoom this month. Please check your weekly emails for details. Contact Stephanie Nguyen with questions at snguyen@stvicentparish.org.
Grief Ministry Support Groups
 
If you are saddened by the recent loss of a loved one, you might want to join our nine week Grief Group beginning in January. A Grief Group can help you through the natural process of grieving. We will use ”The New Day Journal” written by Maureen O’Brien O.P. This journal is based on the premise that writing and sharing your thoughts, feelings and experiences will be a helpful way to get beyond the pain caused by the death of someone you love.   This group will help you move on with your life, always remembering your loved one and using those memories to build your own future.
 
The group will be facilitated by Robin La Moria, former Family Minister at St. Vincent de Paul Parish.

This first group will be gather on Zoom due to the current restrictions in place by the Pandemic.

Please call Katie Goodson at the parish 253-839-2330 x205 or kgoodson@stvincentparish.org. if you are interested in participating. Date and time will be determined by participant’s preferences.
Its Vincentians time again.

We will meet on January 12 to play our annual New Year’s Bingo game. We will play on zoom. You can register on line, or by calling the office. If you need help with zoom let Katie know, she is happy to help you get on. Once you register Katie will email you bingo cards to print out.
We will be taking the poinsettias out of the Church on Monday, and we don’t want to throw them away. If you would like to pick up a poinsettia they will be outside the Church starting Monday afternoon. They will be available for you to pick up until Friday morning.
For the past two years, parishioner Isaiah Morales has been involved in NET Ministry. National Evangelization Teams. NET Ministries challenges young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church. Every August, 175 young Catholics aged 18-28 leave behind their jobs, school, family, and friends to devote nine months to serving with the National Evangelization Teams (NET) conducting Catholic youth retreats.  Isaiah spoke about his experience at Mass on January 3rd. You can support NET ministry online at netusa.org/donate, or by mail: 110 Crusader Ave W., West St Paul, MN, 55118. Write "Isaiah Morales '20-21" in the missionary box online or by note. 
Knights of Columbus Council 7528 would like to invite parishioners to a recitation of the rosary on Thursday Jan 21st at 7pm. The rosary will be held virtually using the Zoom application. Interested parishioners should send an email to the council Grand Knight at GK@kofc7528.org to receive the access information on the night of the recitation.
Last week's newsletter had the January 2020 Calendar instead of 2021. Please click the button below for the 2021 January Calendar
The Washington State Catholic Conference, Catholic Charities and Catholic Health Care Support COVID-19 Vaccinations
 
The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) affirms that the recently announced COVID-19 vaccines are morally permissible. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) confirms the moral permissibility of the vaccines in this memorandum dated November 20, 2020 from the USCCB Committee on Doctrine. Together with the Catholic Health Care organizations and Catholic Charities of Washington state, we recommend the faithful get the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves, loved ones, and the community. 
Prayerfully Give
Sunday Giving:
Like you and your families, the church still has fiscal responsibilities, and your Sunday Contributions make up 90% of our parish income. If your household income has been affected by circumstances due to the corona virus we ask you to please offer up prayers for our church as your Sunday Giving.

Ways to give:
  • Online - signup to give onetime, weekly or monthly, click the link on the below to sign up.
  • Mail - you can mail your contribution to 30525 8th Ave S, Federal Way, WA 98003.