The Friday E-Pistle

A message from Bishop Vásquez

Incardination

• Rev. Luis Alberto Caceres has been incardinated into the Diocese of Austin, effective March 1, 2017.
• Rev. Ramiro Tarazona has been incardinated into the Diocese of Austin, effective March 1, 2017.

Lenten Penance Services

A list of parish Lenten Penance Services is available on the diocesan website.

Diocesan Adult Confirmation

The registration deadline is March 13 for diocesan Adult Confirmation, which will be celebrated April 1 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John Vianney Parish in Round Rock. Parish registration forms are available on the Worship Office webpage. For questions, call the Office of Worship at (512) 949-2429 or e-mail [email protected].

Chrism Mass and holy oils

This year’s Chrism Mass will be celebrated at St. Vincent de Paul Parish on April 11 at 10:30 a.m. In order to assist the Office of Worship in preparing new holy oils to be consecrated by Bishop Vásquez, all parishes and missions are asked to submit an order online. Parishes may order holy oils in quantities of 2, 4 or 8 oz. It is essential that each parish and mission submit an order even if it is only the standard order, which includes 2 oz. of the Oil of the Sick, 2 oz. of the Oil of Catechumens and 2 oz. of Sacred Chrism. The deadline for ordering oils is March 24.

Please properly dispose of last year’s consecrated oils prior to the Chrism Mass. The holy oils may be burned on the new fire of the Easter Vigil or buried. Please do not return used holy oil stocks or unused holy oil to the diocesan Worship Office. The Code of Canon Law 847 suppressed by omission the permission to add unblessed oil to that which is already blessed; therefore, you may not add unblessed oil to blessed or consecrated oil. The Worship Office has a generous reserve of holy oils should parishes require additional quantity.

If you need additional information regarding your order, contact the Worship Office at (512) 949-2429 or [email protected].

Diocesan special collections

Diocesan special collections designated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are designed to support the works of the U.S. church in addition to supporting our Christian brothers and sisters in other countries. Special collections are important for two reasons: they help fund a specific need that the universal church has identified as worthy and true to the church’s mission, and they offer opportunities for us, as Christians, to support the church’s mission around the world. The list of the 2018 Special Collections is available on our website.

Reflection question

Gospel meditation

Consider using the following meditation for the Third Sunday of Lent (March 19):

• An encounter is an unexpected experience or meeting. Today several apparent opposites meet. A Jewish man speaks to a Samaritan woman. A thirsty man without a bucket offers living water to a woman drawing water. Someone fulfilling physical needs is transformed by a spiritual reality. The Son of God encounters a searching sinner transforming her into an apostle. Christ encounters us in the most unexpected and ordinary ways. Do we take time to listen and receive the Spirit he offers which quenches and refreshes us like the living water? What truths does Jesus speak to you? Are you listening?
• Un encuentro es una reunión o encuentro inesperado. Hoy muchos opuestos aparentes se encuentran. Un judío habla con una mujer samaritana. Un hombre sediento sin una cubeta ofrece agua viva a una mujer que está sacando agua. Una necesidad física satisfactoria se convierte en una realidad espiritual. El hijo de Dios se encuentra con una pecadora en búsqueda de algo y la convierte en un apóstol. Cristo sale a nuestro encuentro en las formas más extraordinarias y cotidianas, ¿Tomamos tiempo para escuchar y recibir el espíritu que Él ofrece que quita la sed y nos refresca como agua viva? ¿Qué verdades le habla Jesús a usted? ¿Está usted escuchando?

Stewardship and Development

Assembly of Catholic Professionals

The Assembly of Catholic Professionals provides a unique formational opportunity for Catholic lay professionals to grow in faith. ACP serves as a Catholic community forum for developing our faith and our work toward a common cause. Quarterly luncheon meetings feature speakers who share experiences and discuss relevant topics and challenges facing today’s lay Catholic. Attendees enjoy the benefits of fellowship, networking and formation with a special focus on our identity as lay believers and community leaders. The next meeting is March 8; it begins with networking at 11:30 a.m. at the Town Lake Hyatt Regency. The featured speaker will be Bonnie Engstrom, blogger and co-host of The Visitation Project radio show. To register, visit www.austindiocese.org/acp and click on the RSVP/Purchase Admission link.

Office of Vocations

Women’s Discernment Retreat: March 31-April 2

The Heart of Mary Women’s Discernment Retreat will be held March 31-April 2 at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton. All women, ages 18-45, are invited to encounter the beauty of a vocation and the possibility of this call in their own lives. The retreat will be led by the Consecrated Sisters of the Apostles of the Interior Life (AVI). There will be talks and time for prayer as well as “one-on-one” conversations with the sisters while experiencing community life with other young women discerning the will of God. For more information or to register, visit www.austinvocations.com or call (512) 949-2430.

Ethics and Integrity in Ministry

Facilitator training

The Ethics and Integrity in Ministry Office is training new facilitators for the EIM Workshop on March 28 and April 8. For more information about being a workshop facilitator, please visit the EIM section of the diocesan website. Those interested in being trained to facilitate the adult EIM Workshop and/or the CTPY program should submit a New Facilitator Application, along with the requested information, to the EIM office. Please e-mail Emily Hurlimann or call (512) 949-2447 with questions. Once the application is received and reviewed by the EIM office, applicants will be contacted with specifics for the upcoming training sessions.

Weekly notes

Bishop Vásquez’ prayer request

Please consider Bishop Vásquez’ prayer request for the Third Sunday of Lent (March 19):

• That transformed by Christ’s encounter through the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and generous service, may we manifest God’s love and forgiveness to all we meet, we pray …
• Por que, transformados por el encuentro con Cristo a través de las disciplinas cuaresmales de la oración, el ayuno y el servicio generoso, manifestemos el amor de Dios y su perdón a todos los que conozcamos, oremos...

Ethics and Integrity in Ministry

EIM Workshop

Click here to login to your EIM account in order to find the workshop schedule and Sign Up for a Workshop (bottom right of your account page). Instructions are provided in case you do not recall how to login to your EIM account. Please contact your parish or Catholic school EIM site administrator if you need assistance or if you do not have Internet access. For general information about EIM workshops, please click here.

EIM Workshops are scheduled by the EIM Office, coordinating with the EIM site administrator at parishes, schools and other diocesan agencies. Staff of any site wishing to host a workshop should coordinate with their EIM site administrator. If the site administrator has arranged workshop details with a facilitator, then an email to the EIM office with those details is sufficient to request a workshop; otherwise workshop requests should be made by the site administrator using the Workshop Request Table. EIM site administrators may direct inquiries about EIM workshop scheduling to Emily Hurlimann in the EIM Office at (512) 949-2447.