I received several requests for dispensation from the obligation to abstain from meat on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) which falls on a Friday this year. Taking into consideration the Irish Catholic population in the Diocese of Austin, I grant a dispensation for this Feast Day for all Catholics in the Diocese. If dispensation is taken, I ask that the individual do an act of charity or penance on another day.
On the weekend of March 25-26, all parishes in the Diocese of Austin are to take up a special collection for Catholic Relief Services. The following announcement should be read before all Masses that weekend:
Read the Pastoral Plan article in the March edition of the Catholic Spirit to see how two parishes have implemented the plan in two different ways. Holy Cross Parish in Austin used the Pastoral Plan to evaluate an annual event held at the parish each Advent. Missionaries of St. Paul Father Basil Aguzie did a remarkable job of identifying ways this special event meets the Pastoral Plan goals. His assessment is another example of identifying what the parish is already doing that is part of the Plan. The second example in the story is about Christ the King Parish in Belton. See how Pastor Father John Kim and the Pastoral met, studied the diocesan plan and developed a three-year focus for the parish. They are currently in year one focusing on prayer.
It is not too late to use the Pastoral Plan to assist your parish in looking at what ministries are doing well and what ministries are needed. Congratulations to Father Larry Covington and the Pastoral Council at St. Theresa Parish in Austin on the completion of their parish Pastoral Plan, Embracing the Great Commission. This is wonderful example of using the diocesan plan as a template for designing a parish plan.
These are three very different and unique ways to make use of the Pastoral Plan: to evaluate a significant parish event, to develop a parish three-year focus or to create a parish Pastoral Plan. Congratulations to all three parish communities.
Consider using the following meditation for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (March 26):
The annual diocesan Ashes to Easter Lenten Mission Campaign has begun. Each family is invited to pick up a box and keep it on or near the family dining table or by their bedside table. Put in some coins each day during Lent, and pray for missions worldwide. Contributing coins each day can be a Corporal Work of Mercy that will help shelter the homeless and a Spiritual Work of Mercy that will help comfort the sorrowful. The money collected helps local missionaries and missionary projects from our diocese throughout the world.
Please send funds from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development special collection taken up Nov. 18-19 to the diocesan Finance Office as soon as possible. Send checks to Finance Office, Diocese of Austin, 6225 Hwy. 290 East, Austin 78723.
Thank you for your continued support and generosity to the Catholic Services Appeal. We have received pledges from more than 20,000 families totaling almost $5.8 million. To date, 76 parishes have reached their goal and 52 parishes have reached their challenge goal. Current parish goal reports are available online.
The diocese will offer beginner and advanced PDS training sessions on a quarterly basis at the diocesan Pastoral Center in Austin beginning March 28. There will be a morning session from 9 a.m. to noon for new users or for those that would like to review the basics. The afternoon session from 1 to 4 p.m. will cover advanced reporting on families, members, contributions, exports and financials. Participants can attend these sessions one at a time or take both in one day. Training will be held on March 28, May 23, Sept. 12 and Jan. 9. Click here to register for the sessions. For questions, contact Lisa Rosenberger at (512) 949-2450.
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.
Un Retiro Cuaresmal en español se llevará a cabo en el Centro de Retiros Católicos en Belton el día 1 de abril de 9:30 a 2:30 p.m. Este es un día de reflexión para prepararnos para el Viaje Cuaresmal. El Padre Víctor Mayorga, párroco de St. John the Evangelist en San Marcos liderará el día. El costo es de $30 e incluirá el almuerzo. Para obtener más información, llame al (254) 780-2463 o visite www.cedarbrake.org.
Please consider Bishop Vásquez’ prayer request for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (March 26):
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.