We have news of great joy!

For several years now we have been aware that we needed to add yet another Mass at St. Mary. Both the 9am and the 10:30am Masses are full, often standing room only. However, adding another Mass would require acquiring another priest. With the acute shortage of available priests, the odds have always been slim to none. There were times when I felt we were close to achieving our goal, but each time the opportunity fell through. Above all, I wanted to take care not to disrupt the delicate balance of the Archdiocese of ensuring a priest for each parish in need of one. As needy as we are for the service of another priest, there are areas in the Archdiocese where a parish needs to be created, but there is no priest available to become pastor. So, our hope has always been to secure the service of a priest who already exercised a ministry of some sort in the Archdiocese and was free to come and help us or a priest who was retired and free to find a place to live in retirement. An additional factor in our situation has been the remoteness of being outside the metropolitan area of Houston. I was reminded on more than one occasion that "that's in the middle of nowhere". I have known that it would take a special kind of priest who would appreciate our unique locations [Plantersville and Stoneham ] and our very unique communities of St. Mary and St. Joseph. With the rise of gas prices I was convinced our chances were diminished even more.

An Easter Egg Hunt In June?
Of Course!!

Many thanks to Nance and Howard Shaw and Family for once again promoting and organizing our annual Easter Egg Hunt on the Feast of Pentecost, which closes the Easter season. It's difficult to remember that we have 50 days to savor the wonder of the Resurrection and welcome the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Easter Egg Hunt in June this year once more brings the joy of that Easter morning home again. Thanks, Nance and Howard and family for your dedication and efforts to keep this meaningful tradition.

St. Joseph's Homecoming Bazaar
A Day Enjoyed By All

No one could have ordered a more beautiful day for St. Joseph's Bazaar, Sunday, May 29th. The smell of the home cooked meal lingered in the air with heaps of mouth-watering food spread on tables surrounded by hungry folks. The booths were full of enticing prizes to be won with the spin of a wheel. The auction had hands raised bidding on items once again solicited by Leland Fougeron and Frank Tepera.

Our Parish Dog's Feast Day is
July 23 rd...Feast of St. Bridget... 

The Feast/Name day of Bridget, our parish beagle, is July 23rd . On that day, after celebrating the closing Mass of our Vacation Bible School in 2001 and with the children assembled around, I spotted the dog that the children had been feeding all week at the steps of the church. Since it was obvious the dog was going to stay, I asked the children what we were going to name the dog. One little girl replied, "Call her Bridget." I had just given a homily about St. Bridget, whose feast day it was. So it is that 'Lucky', adopted from beagle rescue and our present resident beagle, is named 'Bridget', the 3rd of that lustrous line of canines of St. Mary/St. Joseph.

ST. MARY BAZAAR DAY

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2006

INGREDIENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL

BAZAAR

535 Families

+

Each doing their part

=

AN EASY BAZAAR 2006

Necessary Ingredients: 

1 Auction Item (Something that will knock their socks off)

1 Bingo Item

1 Flowering or Green Plant

1 Toy

1 Bag of Groceries

1 Craft Item

2 Cakes or Pies on Friday or Saturday before Bazaar Day

1 Restaurant Gift Certificate

Helping Hands

Positive Attitude & Welcoming Smile

The Hall foyer is open 24 hours for midnight delivery. Tag your item for its specific booth. Tables will be designated in the Hall to hold your items. If you need any assistance with unloading items, call ahead 936/894-2223. Friends of St. Mary's who live at a distance are encouraged to send items via relatives, US Mail or UPS. Shipping address: 8227 CR 205, Plantersville , TX 77363 .

All teachers, Aides and RE personal Meeting :

Wednesday July 12 at 6:30 pm in the Hall.

This is an important meeting, please make plans to attend.

Confirmation Students : Parent/Student meeting Wednesday August 30 at 6:30 in the Hall.

All RE Students: RE classes begin Wednesday September 12, 7 p.m. Please get registered Early to prevent having to wait to go to class. No student will be allowed in as class without registering before hand

I would like to say Thanks Michelle Wetuski for stepping in to take over the RE program last year. You were such a blessing in tackling such a big endeavor at a time of need. Thanks, Michelle!! You were my “Angel”!

It is great to be back as the DRE and I am looking forward in developing a great program for our Children. I have an awesome “Team” that will make this one of the best years ever. It is so exciting to be able to have such talent brought to this program. I am looking forward with working with this Wonderful group of volunteers.

I know there are many parents and parish members that would LOVE helping with the RE Program. We need you to step up, become a volunteer as a speaker, teacher, aide, monitor, office assistant, etc. Our children need to see parents and parish members helping with the program. This is a valuable teaching tool to our children. Fill out the Volunteer Card today and return it to the RE Office as soon as possible.

Parents, there will be changes in the program but you will welcome these changes. We know how important your children and their safety are to you. I thank you for being so willing to follow the rules thus making our job of teaching and keeping these precious children safe such a breeze. Thank You!

So get your children sign up early!! Don't forget to give us a copy of your child's Baptism and/or First Communion Certificate for our files (only if started RE in this Parish Community after 2004). We will be updating your child's file this summer. If a certificate is missing we will contact you. Please help us by getting your children registered for RE early. Registration Forms are found here in the Church News letter, in the back of both churches and in the church office. Drop the finished form in the Sunday collection basket or send it to the church office Attention: Fran Marek P.O. 388 Plantersville , TX . 77363

Thank you!

Fran Marek

~ SECOND COLLECTIONS ~

2006 St. Mary's Peter's Pence Collection July 1 & 2, 2006

The theme for the 2006 Peter's Pence Collection for the Works of the Holy Father is

Anyone who has discovered Christ must lead others to him.

Contributions to the Peter's Pence Collection...

Enable the Holy Father to respond with immediate emergency assistance to the most disadvantaged throughout the world– those who suffer as a result of war, oppression, and natural disasters.

Involve the more than one billion Catholics worldwide in supporting the Holy Father's mission, an active expression of Christ's love for the poor

Have totaled more than $175 million in contributions by dioceses of the United States , who generously provide nearly half of all gifts

St. Vincent de Paul Society Black Bag Collection July 16, 2006

This collection goes to diocesan SVdP office which helps us on the local level.

Liturgical Readings for July 2006

July 1 [Bl. Junipero Serra; BVM] : Lam 2:2,10-14,18-19 * Ps 74:1-7,20-21 * Mt 8:5-17

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 2: Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24 *

Ps 30:2,4-6,11-13 * 2 Cor 8:7,9,13-15 * Mk 5:21-43

July 3 St. Thomas , Apostle: Eph 2:19-22 * Ps 117:1-2 * Jn 20:24-29

July 4 [St. Elizabeth of Portugal ] : Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12 * Ps 5:4-8 * Mt 8:23-27

July 5 [St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria] : Am 5:14-15,21-24 * Ps 50:7-13,16-17 * Mt 8:28-34

July 6 [St. Maria Goretti] : Am 7:10-17 * Ps 19:8-11 * Mt 9:1-8

July 7: Am 8:4-6,9-12 * Ps 119:2,10,20,30,40,131 * Mt 9:9-13

July 8 [BVM] : Am 9:11-15 * Ps 85:9-14 * Mt 9:14-17

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 9: Ez 2:2-5 * Ps 123:1-4 *

2 Cor 12:7-10 * Mk 6:1-6

July 10: Hos 2:16-18,21-22 * Ps 145:2-9 * Mt 9:18-26

July 11 St. Benedict: Hos 8:4-7,11-13 * Ps 115:3-10 * Mt 9:32-38

July 12: Hos 10:1-3,7-8,12 * Ps 105:2-7 * Mt 10:1-7

July 13 [St. Henry] : Hos 11:1-4,8e-9 * Ps 80:2-3,15-16 * Mt 10:7-15

July 14 Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha: Hos 14:2-10 * Ps 51:3-4,8-9,12-14,17 *

Mt 10:16-23

July 15 St. Bonaventure: Is 6:1-8 * Ps 93:1-2,5 * Mt 10:24-33

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 16: Am 7:12-15 * Ps 85:9-14 *

Eph 1:3-14 * Mk 6:7-13

July 17: Is 1:10-17 * Ps 50:8-9,16-17,21,23 * Mt 10:34—11:1

July 18 [St. Camillus de Lellis] : Is 7:1-9 * Ps 48:2-8 * Mt 11:20-24

July 19: Is 10:5-7,13b-16 * Ps 94:5-10,14-15 * Mt 11:25-27

July 20 [St. Apollinaris] : Is 26:7-9,12,16-19 * Ps 102:13-21 * Mt 11:28-30

July 21 [St. Lawrence of Brindisi ] : Is 38:1-6,21-22,7-8 * Is 38:10-12,16 * Mt 12:1-8

July 22 St. Mary Magdalene: Mi 2:1-5 * Ps 10:1-4,7-8,14 * Jn 20:1-2,11-18

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 23: Jer 23:1-6 * Ps 23:1-6 *

Eph 2:13-18 * Mk 6:30-34

July 24 [St. Sharbel Makhluf] : Mi 6:1-4,6-8 * Ps 50:5-6,8-9,16-17,21,23 *

Mt 12:38-42

July 25 St. James: 2 Cor 4:7-15 * Ps 126:1-6 * Mt 20:20-28

July 26 Sts. Joachim and Anne: Jer 1:1,4-10 * Ps 71:1-6,15,17 * Mt 13:1-9

July 27: Jer 2:1-3,7-8,12-13 * Ps 36:6-11 * Mt 13:10-17

July 28: Jer 3:14-17 * Jer 31:10-13 * Mt 13:18-23

July 29 St. Martha: Jer 7:1-11 * Ps 84:3-6,8,11 * Jn 11:19-27

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 30: 2 Kgs 4:42-44 * Ps 145:10-11,15-18 * Eph 4:1-6 * Jn 6:1-15

July 31 St. Ignatius of Loyola: Jer 13:1-11 * Dt 32:18-21 * Mt 13:31-35

St. Joseph 's Mass Intentions for July 2006

St. Mary's Mass Intentions for July 2006