Every individual and organization is important to parish life. The parish is made up of a collection of individuals and families who share a common faith which binds them together and a common vision that unites them in working together for the same goal. Our faith is, of course, rooted in Jesus Christ whose dying and rising we just celebrated at Easter. Our vision is to be seen as His disciples doing His will, not our own. Our goal is that all we do will be done to give Him honor and glory, working together in His Church.

May 1 [ St. Joseph the Worker] : Acts 11:19-26 * Ps 87:1-7 * Jn 10:22-30

May 2 St. Athanasius: Acts 12:24—13:5a * Ps 67:2-3,5,6,8 * Jn 12:44-50

May 3 Sts. Philip and James: 1 Cor 15:1-8 * Ps 19:2-3,4-5 * Jn 14:6-14

May 4: Acts 13:26—33 * Ps 2:6-7,8-9,10-11 * Jn 14:1-6

May 5: Acts 13:44-52 * Ps 98:1,2-3,3-4 * Jn 14:7-14

May 6 Fifth Sunday of Easter: Acts 14:21-27 * Ps 145:8-9,10-11,12-13 * Rv 21:1-5a * Jn 13:31-33a,34-35

May 7: Acts 14:5-18 * Ps 115:1-2,3-4,15-16 * Jn 14:21-26

May 8: Acts 14:19-28 * Ps 145:10-11,12-13,21 * Jn 14:27-31a

May 9: Acts 15:1-6 * Ps 122:1-2,3-4,4-5 * Jn 15:1-8

May 10 [Blessed Damien Joseph de Veuster of Molokai ] : Acts 15:7-21 * Ps 96:1-2,2-3,10 * Jn 15:9-11

May 11: Acts 15:22-31 * Ps 57:8-9,10,12 * Jn 15:12-17

May 12 [ Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, St. Pancras] : Acts 16:1-10 * Ps 100:1-2,3,5 * Jn 15:18-21

May 13 Sixth Sunday of Easter: Acts 15:1-2,22-29 * Ps 67:2-3,5,6,8 * Rv 21:10-14,22-23 * Jn 14:23-29

May 14 St. Matthias: Acts 1:15-17,20-26 * Ps 113:1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8 * Jn 15:9-17

May 15 [St. Isidore] : Acts 16:22-34 * Ps 138: 1-2,2-3,7-8 * Jn 16:5-11

May 16: Acts 17:15,22—18:1 * Ps 148:1-2,11-12,13,14 * Jn 16:12-15

May 17 The Ascension of the Lord: Acts 1:1-11 * Ps 47:2-3,6-7,8-9 * Eph 1:17-23 * Lk 24:46-53

May 18 [ St. John 1] : Acts 18:9-18 * Ps 47:2-3,4-5,6-7 * Jn 16:20-23

May 19: Acts 18:23-28 * Ps 47:2-3,8-9,10 * Jn 16:23b-28

May 20 Seventh Sunday of Easter: Acts 7:55-60 * Ps 97:1-2,6-7,9 * Rv 22:12-14,16-17,20 * Jn 17:20-26 or Ascension (see May 17)

May 21 [St. Christopher Magallanes and Companions] : Acts 19:1-8 * Ps 68:2-3,4-5,6-7 * Jn 16:29-33

May 22 [St. Rita of Cascia] : Acts 20:17-27 * Ps 68:10-11,20-21 * Jn 17:1-11a

May 23: Acts 20:28-38 * Ps 68:29-30,33-35,35-36 * Jn 17:11b-19

May 24: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 * Ps 16:1-2,5,7-8,9-10,11 * Jn 17:20-26

May 25 [St. Bede, St. Gregory VII, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi] : Acts 25:13b-21 * Ps 103:1-2,11-12,19-20 * Jn 21:15-19

May 26 St. Philip Neri: Acts 28:16-20,30-31 * Ps 11:4,5,7 * Jn 21:20-25

May 27 Pentecost Sunday: Acts 2:1-11 * Ps 104:1,24,29-30,31,34 * 1 Cor 12:3b-7,12-13 * Jn 20:19-23

† Ordinary Time

M ay 28 (Eighth Week in Ordinary Time): Sir 17:20-24 * Ps 32:1-2,5,6,7 * Mk 10:17-27

May 29: Sir 35:1-12 * Ps 50:5-6,7-8,14,23 * Mk 10:28-31

May 30: Sir 36:1,4-5a,10-17 * Ps 79:8,9,11,13 * Mk 10:32-45

May 31 The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Zep 3:14-18a * Is 12:2-3,4,5-6 * Lk 1:39-56

Copyright 2006 by Creative Communications For The Parish. Used by permission

Master Sgt. John R. Schwartz (USAF), son of Katie & Jim Schwartz will be one of the airmen deploying to Iraq in January. Rob, a 35th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron section chief, will deploy to Iraq with the 14th Fighter Squadron along with more than 200 airmen from Misawa Air Base, Japan.

Jimmy Morris, Joey Morris, and Josh Morris, grandsons of Leland and Barbara Fougeron are serving in the Armed Forces.

Craig McMahon, serves in the U.S. Air Force and is being deployed to Iraq. Craig and his family are friends of Robert & Mary Shearon.

Sgt. Allen W. Thomson, son of Robert & Florinda Thomson, son-in-law of Ronald & Dot Holguin (Parish A/P Secretary) of the 82nd Airborne Unit from Ft. Bragg, N.C. was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq via Kuwait on January 2, 2007. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as the war continues.

Cassandra Thomson, daughter-in-law of Robert & Florinda Thomson assigned to the USS Milius DDG-69 in San Diego, Ca will be deployed this month. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Joseph Swonke, son of Charles & Rita Swonke, is in Iraq at a base 25 miles south of Bagdad. Please pray for his safe return.

Michael Bielamowicz, grandson of Verna Kaminski, was deployed to Afghanistan last month. Please keep Michael in your prayers

Please keep all of our men and women in the military in your prayers. If you have a loved one serving in the armed forces and would like to include them in our prayers, please contact the parish office by phone at 936-894-2223 or e-mail at info@smsj.org.

Confirmation News

Confirmation is such a wonderful sacrament and we plan to make the program better each year. It is a program that requires a lot from you, physically and mentally. It teaches you about your faith and how to work with people of all ages in your church and community. Confirmation is a commitment to your faith and parish community that you want to participate as an adult loving and caring for Gods creation.

Our classes for the 07-08 school year will begin the end of August. Parents and students always remember to keep "God first, family second and jobs, careers, school third". Only then will your life be fulfilled with everything you need and love. God will provide to those who keep him first in their lives.

It has been a wonderful year for the students, teachers, aides and office staff. We had a few little glitches but nothing we couldn't handle. We are all looking forward to the next school year.

We hope to get more parents involved in learning about their faith so they will be successful in teaching their child at home. Then, when children come to class they will know a little about what they are studying for the week. Remember--you are the principle teachers of your child's faith. We only have them for an hour and 15 minutes a week to teach the basics. Spend time with your children weekly, if not daily, teaching them about our catholic faith. Work with them on church projects. We have things happening at the church for all ages and families.

If your landscape could use some color, brighten it up with Cyclamen. The Cyclamen is a cool weather lover. At first glance, it looks like a very delicate, almost orchid-like, bloom waving in the air. In our area, many gardeners plant them directly into the flower bed, although they are also used extensively as an accent to potted plants and arrangements. When planting them in your landscape, choose an area that receives part sun and has well draining soil. The soil should be kept moist but not soggy, as the corm will get water-logged and rot. Give it a good soaking, then let it dry out partially before soaking it again. If you must fertilize, a water soluble fertilizer may be applied every 3 to 4 weeks. Too much fertilizer will produce foliage rather than flowers.

The Cyclamen comes in many different colors, including white, bright pink, red and almost purple. The white and red are the most plentiful and popular. Given the correct sunlight and moisture, they will continue to bloom until the temperature warms up.

Did you notice that the sign on the corner of HWY 105 & FM 1774 is missing? St. Mary's received notice from the Texas Department of Transportation that our sign violated TXDOT regulations, and it needed to be removed. We are currently working with our representatives to try and get our sign "grandfathered" so it can be re-erected. If you would like to write your legislature and ask for their help, please address your letters to:

Steve Ogden
State Senator-District 5
7607 Eastmark Drive, Suite 241
College Station, TX 77840
979-694-2609

Lois Kolkhorst
State Representative-District 13
P.O. Box 1867
Brenham, TX 77834
979-251-7888 or 866-829-6370

A note from the parish secretary...

Did you notice that there are a couple of new names on the inside cover of the bulletin this month?

Judy Kramer has passed along her duties as the coordinator for Hospitality Ministry at St. Mary's. Judy's done a terrific job making sure that there's a "welcoming committee" at all of the happenings here...THANK YOU JUDY! If you want to join our hospitality group, please contact our new coordinator, Janet Nolan.

Also, Swanda Smith is now our new contact person for the "Stitchin Sisters"... they meet at St. Joseph's every Wednesday at 9:30am.

I was ordained in 1973 in a class of 5. My Ordination class consisted of: Fr. John Weyer, Fr. Drew Wood, Fr. Dennis Peterson, Fr. Ralph Schmidt and yours truly. Fr. Ralph, whose last assignment was in Texas City, died several years ago. Now, Fr. John Weyer, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul in Houston, has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. It is very serious. I'm not sure any treatment is planned. I told him I was praying to Pope John Paul II for a miracle. John Paul needs a few more miracles for his canonization process. We can then both go to Rome for the ceremony and have front seats. Seriously, do keep him in your prayers. It doesn't look too good.

Also, in the same rectory, I visited with Fr. Al Walsh, who was with us for a short time. He also has esophageal cancer and is undergoing treatment. He looks a little pale, but is responding, I think. With both Fr. John and Fr. Al suffering the same cancer, not many are lining up for St. Vincent de Paul.

Do keep both Fr. John and Fr. Al in your prayers.

Despite the fact of having been rained out on the original day of the 6th Annual St. Mary Men's Club Golf Tournament, enthusiastic golfers hit the tees at Walden's Golf Course under rather dull, grey skies on March 26th. Attitudes were positive, hopes high. As could have been foreseen, God smiled on all the hard work and prayers and, before long, the sun broke through.

Fr. Ed drove James Smock, the official photographer, around from green to green, doing what he does best: smile and shake hands. He again relinquished the privilege to actively participate on a team. He has a degree of humility but could not in pure justice handicap three players and doom them to last place. He continues in his resolve to learn and practice this game that is so near and dear to many of our parishioners. Maybe next year. Thanks to Jim Pearson he has an excellent set of left-handed clubs. Excuses are running out.

God has blessed St. Mary with a group of men who enjoy each others' company and sincerely work together for the glory of God. They're always looking for new members with the same inclination.

Congratulations, guys, for a job well done.