Dear Holy Spirit,

As we end our liturgical year this weekend with the Solemnity of the Jesus Christ the King, we thank Matthew for journeying with us. This past year, we were guided and challenged by the Gospel of Matthew that taught us many things about Jesus. The good saint presented many of Jesus’ sermons and teachings and made us think on how we can be better disciples of Christ. Matthew also presented to all of us God’s promise that is so evident in the Old Testament, “I am with you always.” In their journey in the desert, that promise was evident. Even in the Israelites’ unfaithfulness, God was always there to guide, protect, forgive, and love.

Read More..

Parish Financial Report

The parish financial report for fiscal year 2022-23 is now available on the parish website. Click here to view it.

Christmas Pageant

Tryouts for this year’s Christmas pageant will be on Thursday November 30th at 4:30pm in the church. All children ages 5-12 are welcome to participate in the pageant, those in 2nd grade and up can try out for speaking parts. All children who want to participate must come to tryouts.

Christmas Scripture Study

Dear Alpha Participants:

At the end of Alpha Part I, many of you indicated an interest in either Scripture Study or an Advent prayer series. We are offering the following which includes both. This will be helpful In preparing for Christmas.

The three-session Scripture study is on The Infancy Narratives of Jesus. It explores the stories of the conception and birth of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The sessions for this study are on  Tuesday Nov. 28 and Tuesday, Dec 5th from 7-8:30pm in Parish Hall. If you are interested in joining, please contact Merry Reardon at merry.reardon@dsj.org.

Advent Wreaths by USCCB 

Advent (from, "ad-venire" in Latin or "to come to") is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas and marks the beginning the Church's liturgical year. 

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas day.  

Advent devotions including the Advent wreath, remind us of the meaning of the season. Traditionally, Advent wreaths are made of a circle of evergreen branches into which four candles are inserted, representing the four weeks of Advent.  Ideally, three candles are purple, and one is rose, but white candles can also be used.  

The purple candles symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half-over and they are close to Christmas. 

The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s birth into the world and the anticipation of His second coming to judge both the living and the dead. 

The use of the Advent Wreath is a traditional practice which has found its place in the Church as well as in the home. The blessing of an Advent Wreath takes place on the First Sunday of Advent or on the evening before the First Sunday of Advent. When the blessing of the Advent Wreath is celebrated in the home, it is appropriate that it be blessed by a parent or another member of the family. 

Advent Wreath making will be Sunday Dec 3rd from 10am-1:00pm in the Parish Hall. Please RSVP by clicking here.For any questions, please contact Merry Reardon at: merry.reardon@dsj.org

Join us for an evening of reflection, music and prayer on Dec. 11th at 7pm. Diana Macalintal will facilitate the evening.

You Did it Again!

A HUGE thank you to all who contributed to our Turkey/Tarps donation drive. The generosity of our Holy Spirit Community is humbling. We came together and raised over $9,000.00 for our neighbors in need to ensure they had a holiday meal, and we provided tarps for those living on our streets. Truly the power of our community made a difference in many lives this Thanksgiving season. Thank you for all you do to help those in need!

Bringing Holiday Cheer: One Toy at a Time

We will be having our annual Toy Drive for Sacred Heart the first two weekends in December. Please bring an unwrapped toy for a boy or girl, and drop them off in our bins which will be located in front of the church doors during the weekends of December 2-3 and December 9-10.

This is a HUGE EVENT at Sacred Heart that impacts thousands of families. Your donations enable parents to be able to shop for toys that they can give to their children at Christmas. Together, we can bring them holiday cheer!

Gifts of Opportunity

Holy Spirit Church is once again excited to offer our community the opportunity to give the gift of lasting change! This Christmas, we invite you to share joy by giving opportunity in rural Nicaragua by gifting in your name, your loved ones, friends, co-worker, or company. Your generosity and support will bless a child, family, or an entire community. Whether it’s the health of a family, their economic development, or education, your support will have a lasting impact.

Over the past 10+ years, hundreds of Holy Spirit community volunteers and missionaries work alongside Amigos For Christ staff in Nicaragua. Last year’s trip was a huge success and we are starting to plan for next year’s service trip scheduled for June 22-29th. Check out our website for more details.

This year, gifts are being offered in three areas: Education, Water & Healthy Living and Economic Development. Choose from sponsoring a scholarship student for a year, building clean-air kitchens to eliminate a major source of respiratory issues, funding microloans for families to create sustainable sources of income, and many more options.

Amigos for Christ 2024 Goals include providing for:

1,200 families with clean water = 6 water systems

200 bathrooms

200 clean air kitchens

70 students with direct sponsors

175 small business support

These incredible projects are made possible by YOUR COMPASSION and GENEROSITY! Your donations help break the cycle of poverty and transform life in Nicaragua.

HOW IT WORKS:

1. You purchase Gifts of Opportunity on behalf of your friends and family members by either:

• Stopping by the Gifts of Opportunity table outside of church after any mass between 12/2 – 12/17 and meet some of our incredible volunteers who will share their stories, and tell you firsthand how your gift will MAKE A DIFFERENCE this Christmas!

• Visiting http://amigosforchrist.org/gohs/

2. Your loved ones receive a beautiful card and keepsake ornament that explains the impact of their gift.

3. Families or communities in Nicaragua receive opportunities that will change their lives forever.

3sixty High School Ministry

The next 3sixty youth night will be on Sunday, December 3rd. Special guest speaker Chris Mardesich will be joining us for an Advent reflection. Chris is a former youth minister from Holy Family and current campus minister at Cristo Rey. All high school youth are welcome to attend this special night.

Edge Middle School Ministry

The final Edge night of the calendar year is this Wednesday, November 29th. All middle school youth are welcome to attend.

Texas Mission Trip 2024

Registrations are now open! The Texas Mission Trip is scheduled for February 18-24, 2024. The trip marks its 10th anniversary of our National Mission trip, the 8th in San Augustine, Texas. Adults and youth as early as the 6th grade can serve. It is a great way to put faith into action. For more information, visit our website or contact Row David – row.david@dsj.org. Click here to register.

We hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving. Next up is the season of Advent and we encourage families to participate in the parish Advent Wreath making on December 3^rd.

Here is information on classes in our Faith Formation programs:

Faith Formation

There are no Faith Formation classes Sunday/Monday November 26^th and 27^th, also December 3^rd and 4^th. Classes resume on December 10^th and 11^th.

RCIA

There is no session for the children or adults Monday November 27^th. Sessions will resume December 4^th.

Domestic Church

The next Domestic Church session is Wednesday November 29 at 6:30pm in the church.

Baptisms

The next Baptism Preparation class is on Wednesday, December 6^th at 7:00pm in the church.