Events and Announcements

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S.O.S. — Mark Your Calendars!

This Wednesday, September 17th, at 11:00 am, our St. Odilia Senior Club will meet in the St. Odilia Youth Hall across from our Parish Hall Church. This will be a pot-luck luncheon. Everyone please bring a dish to pass. We will eat PROMPTLY at 11:15 am, so that those bringing hot dishes will still remain hot when served. This meeting will follow our luncheon. Please stay to play cards or board games of your choice after the meeting.
Please bring your own table service - cup, glass, plate, bowl, fork, knife, spoon, napkin. Coffee will be provided. Summer has come to a close so mark you calendars - we will now be meeting the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month through the winter months. We are still looking forward to having more of our seniors join us so bring along a friend or two and enjoy an afternoon with old friends and make some new ones. Dues are still only $5.00 per person per year.
Any questions, please call Dan & Elaine Mance at 742-0730 or Earle & Marie Ruhnke at 229-3144.

Stand Up and Be Counted:
New Members Welcome

Registering in a parish is a declaration of your desire to be part of a Catholic community and a commitment to the life of the parish family. To so clearly state your Catholic commitment in all its dimensions brings you advantages, recognition, and responsibilities of many kinds. Being a registered parishioner makes things much easier when it is time for infant baptism, school registration, weddings, when asked to be a baptismal or confirmation sponsor, and even funerals.
We are often asked to provide affidavits for baptismal and confirmation sponsors. We can only do this if a person is a registered member in our parish.
So, are you a registered parishioner? If not, please consider registering. Registration forms are always available at the Parish Office. Please come by and fill one out. We always welcome new members and would like to have you join our community.

Update

The work on the church beams is progressing, however, after our meeting this week, we feel that we are a week behind schedule. Although work continues to move forward.
1. Outside beams are here, and are being prepared to be put in place.
2. Proposal for 4’ x 4’ fan and lower windows is out to bid. Purpose is to reduce heat between windows and interior beams.
3. Proposal is in for ADA access ramp for our parish office.
4. Window discussion regarding replacement of existing windows as per plan. The contractor is talking with Tucson Glass about price with time and materials, and coordinating windows with the roofing.

Primavera Sunday

Sunday, September 21st is Primavera Sunday.
If you would like to bring; stew, milk, bread/rolls, cookies or fruit and have not signed-up. Please contact Jill at (520) 797-1067 and let us know what you’d like to bring, or we can let you know what we still need. Thank you.

Public Rosary for Peace

On Saturday, October 11, 2008 you are invited to join other Catholics in a public recitation of the rosary seeking the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima for peace.
The public rosary will be held at Armory Park located near the Cathedral in downtown Tucson. It will begin at 10:00 am in and conclude by noon.
All are invited to participate. It is especially appropriate for families to join in this public prayer for peace. If you have any question please contact Grace Schnakenberg at 520-290-5659.

Positions Available

Our Music Director, Sam Lenox, was able to extend his stay here in Tucson this year, but as the months pass on, it is time we start the search for someone new to join our community and lead our congregations in song. So, we are now actively seeking applicants for the following positions:

1) Director of Adult Music Ministry.

Functions include, but are not limited to: Rehearsal and Mass direction for both the contemporary and traditional adult choirs, including the charge of selecting appropriate liturgical music, choir development and musical growth. Proficiency in Keyboard and/or Guitar is a must. Some availability during the week is required for team meetings and occasional funeral Masses. The ideal candidate is extremely knowledgeable of the Catholic Liturgy and the music therein.

2) Director of Youth Music Ministry.

Functions include, but are not limited to: Rehearsals and Masses for both the children’s and teen choirs, including the charge of selecting appropriate liturgical music, choir development, musical growth and new membership. Proficiency in Keyboard and/or Guitar is a must. Extras may include weekday interactions with our religious education students and Sunday night youth group meetings. The ideal candidate is extremely knowledgeable of the Catholic Liturgy and music therein and has experience in working with youth of all ages.

OCIA News

OCIA Classes have started. However, you still have time to register and attend the remaining classes. If you are unable to attend the Saturday morning classes, please contact Anne Ferry at the parish office (297-7271) to see if other arrangements can be made.
The schedule for the next few weeks follows:
Sept. 20 The Church & an Overview of the Sacraments.
Sept. 27 Grace & Justification; and Indulgences

Adult Confirmation

St. Odilia Parish will again offer a 12 week class for adults 18 and over who were Baptized and received First Holy Communion in the Catholic Church, but were never Confirmed. If you began your initiation in the Catholic faith, have had some religious education, and attend Mass each week, you will be able to complete your initiation in the Catholic Church by attending these classes.
The classes will be held on Monday evenings beginning January 5, 2009 from 7 pm to 8:30 pm. If you are unable to attend the Monday evening classes due to your work or school schedule, please contact Anne Ferry at the Parish Office (297-7271) to make other arrangements.
It is necessary to register for the course. Registration will begin in November, specific dates and times will be announced in October.

Gratitude For Your Generosity

Thank you for your generous support to St. Odilia Parish.
August 30-31 Weekend offertory collection was $6,553.55.
We thank you for helping to support our church and many of you have been very generous in donating to our church repair.
The collection for September 6-7 was:
Offertory $ 9,627.55
Building Fund $ 338.00
St. Vincent de Paul $ 986.47
Total $10,952.02
Total Donations to the Building Fund collection:
June $2,759.25
July $3,265.10
August $3,699.00
As you can see you have been very generous to the Building Fund. This account helps to pay the loan payment.

The roof repair fund is also doing extremely well. It is this money that has paid all the “up front and deposit” monies. The loan now will be used to pay the bills. Thank you for the sacrifices you have made to help us stay financially solvent.

Goodsearch.com

In this digital age, we realize many of our parishioners use e-mail, log onto the internet, and use search engines to find information. We’ve recently registered with www.goodsearch.com, a search engine which helps non-profit groups. Every time you search with goodsearch you will be giving us a penny. All you have to do is go to www.goodsearch.com. On the page it will ask you ‘who do you search for?’. Type in the box ‘St. Odilia Catholic Community’ and click verify. In the search box, type in anything you are looking for. We ask that you not abuse this site. The company will remove us from the site if we perform illegal searches such as: repeated clicks or programs that continue searching automatically. So next time you want to “Google” something use goodsearch instead and benefit our community financially. For further information contact the parish office at 297-7271.

Knights of Columbus at Work

The Knights of Columbus are looking to recruit new members. We know you see the Knights out in front of Church with their hands out making collections and selling tickets for something. We would like to tell you what we do behind the scenes, which most people don’t see. Below is a list of things we did this last year:

Free breakfast for all the Altar Servers in January 2007.

Repaired the Bar-B-Q grills for the last Fiesta. We covered the cost.

Obtained liquor licenses for Casino Night and Fiesta - we paid $100.00.

Worked the bar and Bar-B-Q grills for the 2007 Fiesta.

Ran the bar for the Casino Night.

Gave the Altar Servers $150.00 for a day at Funtastics play area.

Donated $50.00 to the Catholic Committee on Scouting.

Donated $2,000.00 for future Priest and Nuns in the Tucson area.

Donated $650.00 to St. Odilia’s St. Coletta’s Group.

Donated $300.00 to Esperanza Elementary School.

Donated $300.00 to Sunnyside Special Education Olympics.

Run Blood Drives four times a year for the Red Cross.

Assist with Rummage Sale at church.

Participate in March for Life with the Bishop.

Cooked and donated Breakfast for the High School Youth lock in night.

Donated $1,500.00 to the church for new chairs in the hall.

Worked with the Youth Groups - adult supervision.

We have numerous Family Social Nights throughout the year for members and their families.

We drive senior citizens to and from Mass each Sunday.

We did handyman work for those who needed our services.

We have Knights that are Ushers, Lectors, Sacristans, and Eucharistic Ministers

We also want to thank all those parishioners who have helped us throughout the past year.

If you are interested in joining the Knights of Columbus or want more information, please contact either Chris DeSimoe 544-9945 or Earle Ruhnke 229-3144.

Parish Gift Shop

Come see us for the best prices in town. Specializing in First Communion and Baptismal gifts. Greeting cards, $0.50 each. Assorted gifts.

Open during parish events and in February on the 10th, 17th, and 24th.

Baby Sitting

We are providing babysitting during the 9:00 am Mass on Sundays. It is held in the Education Center room 8. Please use this service. We have had to discontinued it before because it was not used very often. We do have a paid, certified and reliable sitter. Parents, you can feel good about leaving your children.

Bible Study

Would you like to be more familiar with your Bible? Then come join a free flowing discussion of the Bible. New members are welcome! We meet in the Parish Hall room B on Monday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 am. Bring your Bible!

Don't Miss Out! ! !

ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS ARE HERE!

Entertainment Books are here, on sale in the Parish Office Monday – Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. They are ON SALE NOW FOR $35.00 each. The profits benefit our Religious Education program. Thank you for your support. They make great Christmas gifts.

Albertson's Community Partner Cards

Community Partners Cards for your keychain are now available in the parish office and after all Masses.

Each time you shop and use your Community Partners Card, Albertsons donates a percentage of your purchase to St. Odilia Church. All you need to do is pick up pre printed card at the parish office and have the cashier scan it when you check out.

Bashas' Thank You Cards

This Fundraiser — For Limited Time

September 1 - March 31, Bashas’ grocery stores will once again help us to earn funds for our school. You can help us earn funds every time you shop at Bashas’ with your Thank You Card andour group ID number 24747. For more information go to www.bashas.com/charity.

"Just Mention Our Name"

If you have a Target “red” charge card, please mention St. Odilia Catholic School at the checkout. A certain percentage will go to our school. The program is called “Take Charge of Education”. Or call 1-888-755-5856. Also mention St. Odilia Catholic School at Office Depot. We have received about $400.00 back for supplies. It could have been even more if we would all tell them to credit St. Odilia School. Our number is BIS # 70204269.

Thank you for your support to our parish and school.

Parents: Share the Faith

AN EASY WAY TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT FAITH...

The biblical story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac is a frightening one. How could God ask this of him? The ultimate lesson of the story is that God did not want a child to be sacrificed. This story points to issues that we, as parents, can consider today. Although our culture does not condone the physical sacrifice of children, it does require more and more from them in order that they are seen as valuable in the world.

SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

What expectations do we have of our children? Do we insist on academic or athletic excellence beyond their capacity or interest? Do we insist that our way of doing things is the only way our children should follow? The above excerpt was taken from 52 Simple Ways to Talk with Your Kids about Faith. For more tips on how to start a conversation with your child on this theme and many more, go to www.LoyolaBooks.org/52SimpleWays.

Reminder

Please keep our Journeysongs hymnal books looking new by taking care, to place them inside the slots behind the pews vertically right side up, rather than horizontally on their sides. This ensures that the binding stays in place. Also, please remember to leave the prayer cards inside the hymnals for all to use. If you like our new prayer cards and would like some of your own, they are now available in the parish office, four cards for a dollar. Thank you for your cooperation.

Fact or Fiction?

Have you ever been touched by an angel? Chances are you have, but didn’t realize it at the time. You see, I have come to believe that angels are not the beings we’re used to seeing in the paintings and lore of the Bible, or, perhaps they’re not the only kind. This idea is not so far-fetched as it may at first seem. After all, what was the function of the biblical angel? They were primarily messengers, and their messages were directed to individuals, not groups of people. And their messages were always of hope and change for the better. Well, I have become convinced that the same process goes on today, that ordinary people are chosen by God at a specific time to deliver a specific message to a specific person in a specific way. Let me illustrate by an example. In Long Term Care Facility where I was assigned as an ombudsman, there was a woman there who had Parkinson's disease and heart disease. Her hands trembled and her legs were swollen. Before she had become ill, she had owned a hobby store dealing in clay. People would come there to make various objects using clay slip and molds. After being fired, the objects could be decorated with various tints and dyes. Mary (not her real name) used to paint some of these objects and showed some minimum talent, by her own description.

In the facility she would come to the activities room, get a canvas and copy pictures from magazines. But she was never satisfied with the results. She would give up easily and go back to her room, complaining that her arms and hands were tired, and it was difficult to hold the brushes. She also seemed very depressed. One day a new activities director appeared on the scene. He was about 55 or so, sported a close, cropped beard and a shaggy head of graying hair. He had a gravely type voice and bushy eyebrows. Not your usual activities director. One day he was watching Mary painting. After watching for a while, he reached over and took a paint brush and dabbed a bit of paint with oils. It turned out that he knew quite a lot about the technique of painting with oils. He began working with Mary, showing her how to apply the paint to obtain a desired effect. After a short time, Mary’s painting greatly improved. She began turning out beautiful canvasses, some of which were chosen by the administrator to be placed in the gallery in the main hallway. I saw, what to me, seemed, a miraculous change in Mary. She got so engrossed in her work that she rarely spent time in her room during activities hour. Her depression seemed lifted, and she had found her talent, which had been hidden all those years. One could see that her life had been transformed. She seemed anchored instead of drifting into a state of depression. A few weeks later, the activity director left for another job elsewhere. Was he an angel? Did either of these people know he was an angel? I’m sure they were both unaware. But did he do the work of an angel, as described above? Without question.

So, I believe the question that began this essay is still valid. Have you ever been touched by an angel?

Phil Wentzel

Church Funnies...

Who was the greatest financier in the Bible? A. Noah he was floating his stock while every one else was in liquidation