FATHER JIM'S JOTS - St. Elizabeth Church - Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 3, 2024

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 3, 2024

FATHER JIM'S JOTS

November is designated as Black Catholic History Month.  Let us take time this month to reflect on the lives of Black Saints, the Saintly Six and of the contributions of Black Catholic to the Church and our communities.  This Sunday we are introducing the "Saintly Six" Banners.  The Saintly Six are Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Henriette Delille, Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greely and Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman.  These six men and women are exemplars of our faith and holiness.  We will be learning about them and reflecting on their lives during the next few weeks.  Click here to view our website which has a page dedicated to collecting information about all six of them.

As of last week, we have started the quiet phase of our capital campaign - Our Campaign for Tomorrow.  Over the next few weeks, I will be making home visits.  If you are interested in meeting with me at the Parish Office or at your home regarding the capital campaign, please get in touch with me.  Our Campaign for Tomorrow will be running until the start of Lent; all information regarding the campaign will be updated on our website here:  stelizcc.org/our-campaign-for-tomorrow/

Lastly, in the month of November we have the Book of the Dead available during Mass.  During our meditation hymn or before or after Mass, I welcome and encourage anyone to come up and write the names of your loved one(s) who have passed before us in memory of them.  This will be available all month.

Blessings to you and yours,

Fr. Jim Arsenault 

  

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FATHER JIM'S JOTS - St. Elizabeth Church - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 27, 2024

St. Elizabeth Church

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

FR. JIM'S JOTS

As many of you know, we have been preparing to launch a parish-wide capital campaign to raise funds to build a new Parish Center.  Well, the time has come!  We received final approval from the diocese to move forward with the building project, so today I am announcing the start of our parish campaign called, "Our Campaign for Tomorrow."  Our goal is to raise a minimum of $500,000.

With the assistance of Greater Mission, a Catholic fund-raising firm, we are moving forward with the campaign.  It will move through several phases beginning with a Leadership phase, moving to Gathering and Participation phases.  Every household in our parish and some beyond will be asked for their support and to participate in a gathering.  The campaign will be based in prayer and asking for a best sacrifice.  Since we are asking for a best sacrifice, through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, all gifts will be confidential as the best sacrifice for every household is different.

We will keep everyone informed about the progress in each phase and when you are invited to participate in a gathering at someone's home or here at the parish, we hope you will make every effort to attend.  I cannot do this alone and have reached to a small group of parishioners to serve as a Campaign Cabinet, but even with their help, it is your help, participation and generosity that will help us reach our goal.

More information regarding the start of this phase of "Our Campaign for Tomorrow" can be found HERE.  All information regarding the Capital Campaign will be archived on our website.  To view any of this information and the prayer for the campaign, please visit:  stelizcc.org/our-campaign-for-tomorrow/

Blessings to you and yours,

Fr. Jim Arsenault

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FATHER JIM'S JOTS! - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 21, 2024

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 20, 2024

 

FATHER JIM'S JOTS

This Sunday, I am at The Church of the Holy Family in Virginia Beach as part of the Diocesan Mission Appeal.  As you heard at Mass, this Sunday is World Mission Sunday.  Pray that my financial appeal is successful as the funds that are collected during this Sunday will help our St. Elizabeth parish and other churches like ours.  In my absence, please welcome Msgr. Walter Barrett, who is celebrating Sunday Masses today,  Msgr. Barrett is a good friend to St. Elizabeth Church and we are blessed that he can help us out since he is now retired.

Last week, the priests of the Richmond Diocese had our annual convocation in the beautiful city of Roanoke.  The topic of this year was "Cultural Diversity and Ministry."  As a church, we celebrate the great diversity that we as Catholics are called to embrace.  We continue to be a warm and inviting Parish where all are welcomed and everyone's talents and gifts are needed.  At the convocation, our main speaker was Rev. Stephen S. Dudek.  The main theme of his presentation was to encourage all parishes to be or do the following eight things:

Be Welcoming

Share Stories

Build Relationships

Belong

Complain - when you complain you're not a stranger but a member and your voice needs to be respected and heard.

Make Decisions

Accept Ownership

Practice Stewardship

Parish Center Update:  On October 7, 2024 we received a letter from Bishop Knestout following a Diocesan meeting with the College Consultors and the Diocesan Finance Council.  All have approved our building a Parish Center for the Parish of Saint Elizabeth.  Next week we will kick off our Capital Campaign.  A copy of the letter of approval is on the kiosk.  Starting next week, we will have an online archive of all information pertaining to the new parish center and the capital campaign.  Please keep a lookout in next week's bulletin for the link.

Blessings to you and yours,

Fr. Jim Arsenault

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ST. ELIZABETH CATHOLIC CHURCH HOMECOMING !! - Sunday, November 17, 2024! - Here's what you need to know!

HOMECOMING!!

 

St. Phoebe's Month at St. Elizabeth Church - Photos by Anne Gibbons

St. Phoebe's Month 

Honoring Women in Service to the Church

September 2024

Each Sunday in September, the women active in the various ministries at St. Elizabeth were called to the altar to be honored for their service to the church.  The photos below show how many of our female parishioners are emulating St. Phoebe who was a holy deaconess in the early Church.

September 8th

Connie Hom, representing the Liturgical Ministry

September 15th

Denise Letendre representing Religious Education

September 22nd

Freda Catheus representing Beyond Borders, Haiti Ministry

September 29th

Aimerance Fariala representing the UMOJA Family Ministry

  

FATHER JIM'S JOTS - St. Elizabeth Catholic Church - Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 6, 2024

 St. Elizabeth Catholic Church 

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 6, 2024

FATHER JIM'S JOTS 

Our parish is excited to order banners for the "Saintly six" (Fr. Augustus Tolton, Henriette DeLille, Julia Gregory, Mother Mary Lange, Pierre Toussaint and Sr. Thea Bowman).  Several parishioners have visited other Richmond Diocese churches and have requested we also have the "Saintly Six" banners.  We are asking for donations to pay for the banners, as each will cost $100.  If you are interested in making a donation to contribute to the purchase of the Saintly Six Banners, please mail a check to the Parish Office with the memo:  "Banner Saintly Six".  Supply a donation for the banners will be first come first serve so please contact the parish office if you plan to make your donation after this week.

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond is requesting we have a special second collection on October 13th to help the victims of Hurricane Helene.  The funds will go to the following dioceses:  The Diocese of Richmond:  Southwest Virginia, the Diocese of Charlotte and the Diocese of Knoxville.  Please write in the memo of your check "Hurricane Helene Relief!".  Again, this second collection will take place next week, Oct. 13, 2024.

October is designated by the Catholic Church as the Month of the Rosary because in this month the Church celebrates the feast of "Our Lady of the Rosary" on October 7th.  The dedication of the month of October to the Holy Rosary became common in the Church thanks to Pope Leo XIII.  Every night at 7 p.m. our Rosary group meets on Zoom to pray together.  During this month of the Rosary, I encourage all to join, even if only a few times this month, as we strengthen our relationship with prayer and the Blessed Mother.  The link to join can be found in the weekly E-Bulletin.

Blessings to you and yours,

Fr. Jim Arsenault

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FATHER JIM'S JOTS, St. Elizabeth Church - Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 29, 2024

 St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 29. 2024

 

FATHER JIM'S JOTS

It is hard to believe that this is the last Sunday in September!  This upcoming week marks the start of October and we will be holding Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on the first Friday of the month.  Please join us on October 4th for Mass at 12 p.m. and an hour of Adoration to follow.

October is designated by the Catholic Church as the Month of the Rosary because in this month the Church celebrates the feast of "Our Lady of the Rosary" on October 7th.  The dedication of the month of October to the Holy Rosary became common in the Church thanks to Pope Leo XIII.  Every night at 7 p.m. our Rosary group meets on Zoom to pray together.  During this Month of the Rosary, I encourage all to join, even if only a few times this month, as we strengthen our relationship with prayer and the Blessed Mother.  The link to join can be found in the weekly E-Bulletin.

Please save the date of our annual Homecoming celebration!  This will take place on November 17, 2024, during Sunday Mass.  This event has become a tradition at St. Elizabeth Parish to invite former parishioners to attend Mass and fellowship with us.  It just so happens that this year the 17th is also St. Elizabeth of Hungary's feast day.  After Mass we will have a Continental Breakfast reception in the Parish Hall.  If you are available to assist with setting up and cleaning up in the Parish Hall, please contact the Parish Office.

Blessings to you and yours,

Fr. Jim Arsenault

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FATHER JIM'S JOTS - St. Elizabeth Catholic Church - Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 22, 2024

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 22, 2024

FATHER JIM'S JOTS

A few months ago, I was writing about summer plans and praying for safe journeys for all traveling during the summer months.  Now, I wish all of you a happy first day of Fall!  It is hard to believe that time has passed so quickly and that the seasons are changing already.

On one side of the flyer in the bulletin, you will see a call to action against the shipping of illegal arms to Haiti.  This flyer is from the Justice Coalition of Religious: Women & Men Religious Working for Global Transformation at the United Nations and Around the World. To learn more about this organization and this call to action, you can visit their website at: jcor2030.org.  As Catholics, our most important commandment is to "do to others whatever you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12).  I encourage everyone to support our Haitian brothers and sisters. Please see the flyer to find out how you can participate.

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Blessings to you and yours,

Fr. Jim Arsenault

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