Thursday, November 28, 2024

In 1789 (only 235 years ago); President George Washington, the second greatest president we will ever have, was the first to proclaim this a day for which to be thankful.  President Franklin Roosevelt, the third greatest president we will ever have, gave us the current calculations in 1939, so people bought their turkeys and stuffed them, or else they went to somebody else’ home, where somebody else stuffed the turkeys.  But there is something more important than stuffing turkeys on Thanksgiving Day, if we are going to give thanks by the calendar in November!  Think about that!  Isn’t that calendar date a kind of “Let’s Be Nice Back to God” Day?

Gratitude Attitude by The Ten Lepers

Human need always laid a claim on the sensitive Spirit of Jesus.  The healing of the 10 lepers is clear evidence of this.  The healing also showed the FORGIVENESS of Jesus. 

Gratitude Attitude on the Personal Level

+ Persistent ingratitude can poison human relationships.  We instinctively feel there is something missing (and draining) in the person who finds it impossible ever to say “Thank You”.  It is very easy for ingratitude to become a fixed response. 

Gratitude Attitude on the Social Level

+ Thanksgiving Day on a calendar is a very appropriate time to be grateful for the blessings of being an American citizen.  But we must be careful of the dangers here: (A) hyper-patriotism [that is to say; giving thanks that we are not like others] (B) not always easy to live IN the world of freedom with a clear conscious.  Freedom can easily be abused.

God, the source of all good gifts

+ No “worthy” Thanksgiving can be celebrated which does not finally express Gratitude to God.

A beautiful card was sent to me this holiday.  It reads:

“It has seemed to me, fit and proper, that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people.”

President Abraham Lincoln, THE greatest president we will ever have, wrote that for the National Day of Thanksgiving Proclamation back in 1863… some 161 years ago. 

Still, genuine gratitude has no date, no month, no year. 

It is an attitude that ought to be expressed 24/7…    

The Parish Offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov 28th & 29th. There will be No Walking Fellowship in the Xavier Center either day.

Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Advanced Giving is Now OPEN! Click below to donate on-line or pick up an envelope in the Gathering Space at Church.

Donations made during the Advanced Giving window (Nov 18th – Dec 2nd) will be matched up to $600 please consider making an early contribution.

Contributions made to this 2024 campaign will benefit our Children’s Faith Formation program (Religious Education). Our CFF program serves grades K-8 and aims to help our youth encounter God and prepare them for the sacraments through catechism, scripture, music, liturgy, prayer, and community.  Our program is currently serving more than 140 children from Bullitt County and surrounding areas. Funds raised will be used to update the office in the Religious Education Building, creating a collaborative meeting space for catechists and others in the parish community.  We plan to continue with safety improvements in the building, installing new classroom door locks that may be locked from inside the classroom. In addition, we plan to purchase additional Smart TVs and carts for use in each classroom and to be used by other groups during campus meeting. 
Please consider making a donation through #iGiveCatholic to support our mission and youth of the parish! NO donation is too small!  Contact the parish office if you wish to make a donation directly through the office. (502) 538-4933. Donations made directly through the office will count toward our total goal.

Saint Francis Xavier Parish will once again be participating in #iGiveCatholic to continue making improvements to our Religious Education Building. This crowd-funding event is a national initiative dedicated to Catholic philanthropy and is conducted each year on Giving Tuesday.

Giving Tuesday is December 3rd but donations can be made during the Advanced Giving Phase beginning Monday, November 18th.

Watch for more information in coming weeks and check out the plans for a new shared space in the RE Building.

The Archdiocese of Louisville has established a Relief Fund for the communities in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Funds will be used to support emergency response, and the pastoral and reconstruction efforts needed for the civic and faith communities affected. If you wish to support this effort, please send donations directly to the following:

Archdiocese of Louisville
ATTN: Hurricane Helene Relief
3940 Poplar Level Rd
Louisville, KY 40213-1463

St. Francis Xavier Church was once again recognized for our participation in the Premier Blood Partners Program. In 2023 the American Red Cross collected 235 Units through SFX sponsored blood drives. This is up from 193 units in 2022 (22% increase). The next opportunity to donate here at St. Francis is Sunday, October 20th.

Children’s Liturgy of the Word (aka “Children’s Church”) will resume on August 25 at both 9:00 and 11:00 mass!   During Mass, kids ages preK through grade 3 are invited to a special liturgy that simplifies the Sunday readings and includes interactive discussions for kids!   We are so grateful for the existing volunteers that make Children’s Church possible and are seeking a few more volunteers for the 2024-25 year. If you’d like to volunteer for this important ministry, please contact Lauren Battcher at lauren.battcher@sfxmw.com.

Starting the week of August 19th, Volleyball and Pickleball sessions will move to 6:30 – 8:30PM to make room for a new Yoga class being offered in the Xavier Center those same evenings.

If you are interested in joining a group of friendly, spirited ladies who enjoy working together for the good of the parish, the SFX Women’s Club is the place for you!

With events such as Bunco and the Christmas Bazaar, the Women’s Club helps fund various parish ministries and community programs and causes. The ladies participate in a variety of parish activities across the SFX campus.

General Meetings are held the first Monday of August through May at 6:30PM in the Lower Parish Hall. All women, age 18 and over, are welcome to join. Contact Ann S at (502) 777-1576 for more information.

The SFX Music Ministry is looking for additional members for any and all masses. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to worship through song.

Adult Choir/Musician rehearsals begin Wednesday, August 14th at 6:45 in the church.

Children/Youth Choir practice starts Wednesday, September 4th from 6:15-6:45 in the church.

Contact Carrie Gary with questions or for more information: carrie.gary@sfxmw.com / (502) 931-2193.

We would like to welcome Lisa Pence as our new High School Youth Group Minister! Lisa has been a member of SFX for more than 20 years. She has served as a catechist with the Children’s Faith Formation program for 5 years and been involved with the HSYG for 4 years. Lisa and her husband Darren have 4 adult children: Chas, Bethany, Dylan and Sami. They have been blessed with 3 grandchildren and have 1 on the way! Lisa recently retired from Ford Motor Company and served in the military for 4 years. She loves to travel and outdoor adventures. Lisa believes that she was called to Youth Ministry by the Holy Spirit. She is passionate about being a catechist and working with our youth because they are the future of our church. Lisa would like to extend an invitation to our 8^th grade and high school age students to join HYSG. Meeting resume on August 25^th. Contact lisa.pence@sfxmw.com for more information.

This summer we hope to provide Flat Francis with many adventures as he gets to know our young (and young at heart) parishioners. Through Flat Francis’ travels, our parishioners will learn what makes each of us special.

Personalize Flat Francis: Color Flat Francis to make him recognizable (or use the color version if you prefer)

1. Take Flat Francis on Adventures: Take Flat Francis with you wherever you go. Whether it’s to the park, the grocery store, or on vacation, bring Flat Francis along and take photos of him in different locations and doing various activities.
2. Document the Adventures: Take photos of Flat Francis in different places and situations. Be creative and have fun with it! You can take photos of Flat Francis with landmarks, with interesting people, or participating in fun activities.
3. Share the Photos: Share the photos of Flat Francis’ adventures with us. Tag St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church (@sfxmw ) on Facebook; or you can submit a single photo, create a scrapbook, photo album, or digital slideshow to document all of Flat Francis’ travels (Paula.Silliman@sfxmw.com) Note: By submitting your photos, you grant St. Francis Xavier Church permission to post images across all social media and print platforms.

Optional: Send Flat Francis on a Journey: If you want to make it even more exciting, you can send Flat Francis to friends or family who live far away and ask them to take photos of him in their hometowns. Reflect and Share: After the challenge is complete, reflect on Flat Francis adventures and share your favorite photos and memories with others. It’s a great way to learn about different places and cultures while having fun!

• Click here to access the Flat Francis Outline for printing and personalizing.
• Click here to access the Color version of Flat Francis.
• Stop by the office for a copy if you are unable to print your own.

Congratulations to Brenden Zygmunt for being awarded the Patricia French Honorary Scholarship.  This scholarship was established and awarded for the first time in 2017 with an objective to honor Patricia K. French by recognizing and financially supporting a deserving member of the St. Francis Xavier Community with tuition assistance for college or vocational school. To qualify, students must be SFX parishioners in their senior year of high school, demonstrate a solid work ethic, and be a service-oriented person of high Christian moral values.

Brenden Zygmunt, son of Kim and Michael Zygmunt, fulfilled all these requirements and more. He has shown his dedication to his education at Bullitt East High School through his academic performance as well as his involvement in Beta Club, National Honor Society, Leaders of East, Marching Band, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz & Pep Bands. Brenden’s service-oriented attitude extended past the doors of Bullitt East. He participated in the Lions Club Dare to Care, has been an altar server, a member of the SFX Youth Group, and as a young adult, a member of the Knights of Columbus. He exemplifies the kind of person for whom the Pat French Scholarship was intended and does honor to her memory. Congratulations Brenden!

Are you looking for a way to get involved with the SFX Community? The SFX SummerFest and Super Raffle offer many different opportunities to give of your time and talent.

Super Raffle is in need of volunteers to sell/distribute tickets before and after masses starting April 27th and under the canopy starting May 17th. Click here to access SignUpGenius or contact Wende Aubrey @ (502) 385-6716 to choose a date.

SummerFest workers are needed for June 8th. There are openings for booth workers during the event as well as for the set up and tear down crews. The SignUpGenius site for SummerFest can be accessed here or contact James Underwood at (502) 494-5988 for more information. Booth Captains are still needed for a few booths, reach out to James if you are able to fill one of these positions.