»  NEWS FROM THE PEWS

COMMUNITY BILLBOARD

                                                                PARISH ITEMS

MOTHER’S DAY BREAKFAST BUFFET – Why not treat Mon to  a fantastic, reasonably-priced breakfast on Mother’s Day!!! On Sunday, May 11, the Knights of Columbus Council 5899 will host a Mother's Day Breakfast Buffet in the Parish Center from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. The buffet will include such items as: Three Kinds of Pancakes, French Toast, Egg Strata, Sausage, Sausage Gravy & Biscuits, Fruit, Muffins & Cinnamon Rolls, Hand Carved Ham and Hand Carved Roast Beef. And best of all: Made-To-Order Omelets.  The cost of this will be; Adults $7; Seniors $6, Child $4, and family (2 adults and up to 4 children) $25.

ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT at Saint Cecilia will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 2 & 3. Our special prayer intention for this adoration is for the students graduating from school this year.  Next month, the Adoration dates are June 6& 7, and the intention is for all families who have suffered a loss through death, separation, or divorce.  Please call the Parish Office (878-5353) if you would like to be a part of this important ministry.  We would like to have at least three adorers for each hour.

LENDING A HELPING HAND: Collections for the Westland Ministerial Food Pantry are May 3 & 4 and June 7 & 8.  Please bring your donations to the Gathering Space. 

CONGRATULATIONS to these students who are on the Third Quarter Honor Roll at St. Charles Preparatory School: Brian Baker, Alexander Bastoky, Sam Powell, Matthew Sova, and Ola Williams.  Also, Bernardo Morales is on the Merit Roll.

MASS TIME CHANGE – Just a reminder that on Sunday, May 25, we will switch to the “summer” Mass schedule.  Since during the summer people tend to want to go to earlier Masses, the last Mass will be at 11:30 a.m. instead of 12 noon.  The summer schedule has Mass times of Saturday 5:00 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. 

NEW LOOK, FEEL AND NAME for News from the Pews.  In an effort to improve communications within the Parish community, the Parish Strategic Development Communications Team will be assisting Kyle Kowaleski in updating the look and feel of News from the Pews.  We are also looking to rename this communication vehicle.  If you have a suggestion for the new name, please contact Kyle Kowaleski at 878-3590.  A name will be chosen at our August 13^th meeting.

NEW ADULT VOLUNTEERS - Don’t miss out!  Protecting God’s Children sessions are scheduled for Sunday, May 18, 9:00 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc, Powell; Saturdays, May 3 & August 16, 9:00 a.m. at the Church of the Resurrection, New Albany; Tuesday, May 27, 6:00 p.m. at St. Catharine; Tuesday, June 3, 6:00 p.m. at Seton Parish, Pickerington.  Please register online at www.virtus.org (If you do not have Internet Access, please call Barb Cain at 241-2565).  To schedule a background check (fingerprinting), please call the Parish Office, 878-5353.

THE ANNUAL SCHOOL PARENT LUNCH AND MAY CROWNING will be held on Friday, May 9.  All are invited to attend – please contact the school at 878-3555 for details and to make your lunch reservations.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

Confirmation 2009 A meeting for parents of all 7^th grade students will be held the first week of May.  The purpose is to outline for parents the scope of requirements and several early deadline dates for Confirmation information – including sponsor’s name, student Confirmation name, and service hour explanations and requirements.  Two dates and times will be offered. Parents may attend Sunday, May 4 at 10:45 a.m. or Monday, May 5 at 7:00 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the school cafeteria.  All 7^th grade parents are required to attend.

P.S.R. Program - Our program for 2007-2008 comes to a close this month. Our final session will be held on Sunday and Monday, May 18 & 19.  We want to thank all of our staff members who helped with the program this year.

It’s not too soon to volunteer if you would like to help in our program for next school year.  One big advantage to doing so at this time is that you can have first choice of the open positions!  More importantly, you may take advantage of the classes for catechists which will be held this summer, as well as have the time to attend the mandatory Protecting God’s Children workshop and have a background check done.  If you love your religion and wish to pass it along to the younger generation, please call 878-0133.

Vacation Bible School - Registration forms are available now for our 2008 program, “SonWorld Adventure Park.” The focus is on making choices, including choosing Jesus!  Classes are offered for children who are four-years-old through those entering fourth grade in fall 2007.  

Dates for the program are Monday - Friday, June 23 – 27; 9:00 a.m. to noon.  If you need a form, please pick one up in the church Gathering Space or call 878-0133.  VBS Registrations should be received in the Parish Office by Sunday, June 1.  We will order materials that week.

Volunteers are needed!  Since we will be using an activity center approach, we need adults and older students (teens) to help with music, crafts, games, snacks, etc.  If requested, we will have on-site childcare for our helpers with infants or toddlers.  Call 878-0133 with any questions.  This is a good way to earn Service Hour credits for upcoming Confirmation candidates as well as high school students!  However, you MUST sign up in advance with an area of interest and what days & times you will work.  Even if you cannot help during our VBS week, you could help with the planning and decorating.  Staff Meeting: Please plan to come on Thursday, May 15, 7:00 p.m. in Meeting Room B.

PARENT BAPTISM CLASS - One of the parish requirements for baptisms of children at St. Cecilia is that the parents attend our Parent Baptism Class.  The class meets at 1:00 p.m. in Meeting Room A.  Our next dates are June 8 and July 13. If you are interested in attending, please call 878-5353 to pre-register.

WE ARE HOSTING a diocesan Pre-Cana Marriage Preparation Session here on Saturday, May 17.  Please pray for the participating and presenting couples.

PARISH FESTIVAL 2008

DON’T FORGET to reserve the dates for our annual Parish Festival.  The biggest fund-raiser of the year for our parish, this year’s festival will be held on Friday and Saturday, August 22 & 23.  There will be a soft opening on Thursday, August 21.

Plan NOW how you can help! Thanks!!

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Forming Our Conscience about HUNGER

            … give us this day, our daily bread …

“But the presence of those who hunger because they lack bread opens up another profound meaning of this petition. The drama of hunger in the world calls Christians who pray sincerely to exercise responsibility toward their brethren, both in their personal behavior and in their solidarity with the human family. This petition of the Lord's Prayer cannot be isolated from the parables of the poor man Lazarus and of the Last Judgment.”  (No. 2831, Catechism of the Catholic Church)

During the coming months, we will likely turn our attention to enjoying the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables; many of us seeking out roadside stands, some planting our own gardens or enjoying the produce shared by neighbors.  This may be a timely moment to turn our thoughts, too, to the larger issues of assuring that all people are adequately fed.

In January 2007, Pope Benedict XVI said, that the scandal of hunger calls for a change in ways of living, as the planet has sufficient resources for all its inhabitants.  The Holy Father said: "Among the key issues, how can we not think of the millions of people, especially women and children, who lack water, food, or shelter? … The worsening scandal of hunger is unacceptable in a world which has the resources, the knowledge and the means available to bring it to an end…”  “It impels us to change our way of life," the Pontiff continued, "it reminds us of the urgent need to eliminate the structural causes of global economic dysfunction and to correct models of growth that seem incapable of guaranteeing respect for the environment and for integral human development, both now and in the future."  (Zenit.org)

Paragraph 82 in Forming Conscience for Faithful Citizenship, which the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued in November 2007, reads:

A first priority for agriculture policy should be food security for all. Because no one should face hunger in a land of plenty, Food Stamps, the Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and other nutrition programs need to be strong and effective. Farmers and farm workers who grow, harvest, and process food deserve a just return for their labor, with safe and just working conditions and adequate housing. Supporting rural communities sustains a way of life that enriches our nation. Careful stewardship of the earth and its natural resources demands policies that support sustainable agriculture as vital elements of agricultural policy.

Among the 2007 Legislative Issues of The Catholic Conference of Ohio was Rural Life and Food Production:  “Food, like life itself, is a basic human right.  A just agricultural system should promote food security and food safety.  Justice also demands stewardship of the land and resources used in agricultural production and attention to the dignity and fair treatment of all who work in the system.”

ST VINCENT DEPAUL SOCIETY

The month of March found us helping 10 families with food.  We also helped a family with rent assistance and have a couple of families we are helping with MAPS.  We also made 1000 sandwiches as part of our Lenten practice.  We had many parishioners come to assemble the sandwiches and we thank them for their assistance.

Several members will be attending the District Conference to be held in Columbus on May 1, - 3.  Thursday will start with registration and getting to meet other Vincentians from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.  Bishop Campbell will celebrate Mass on Friday and then the group will visit St. Lawrence Haven where they serve lunch Mon - Fri to the homeless.  From there the group will travel to Vinton County to visit their new SVdP center to serve those in the rural area.  On Saturday there will be breakout sessions to meet the different needs within the different communities be it suburban or rural.  The day will end with a banquet.  St. Cecilia members will provide desserts and water for the Saturday meetings.

We have decided to start our Christmas Basket program early this year to aid us in getting more donations from corporations.  It is never too early to think about Christmas but food is also needed throughout the year.  Please remember that the first weekend of each month food is collected for the Food Pantry.  This is where members go each month to choose food to deliver to those within our community.   

We thank everyone for their financial donations.  Your donations help us to serve those within our church and the local community.  If you know of someone who can use our assistance please contact the church office and they will forward the information to the SVdP member who is on call for that month.  All information is kept confidential.

Please feel free to attend one of our monthly meetings.  We meet the first Tuesday of each month in meeting room A.  After the meeting we assemble 300 sandwiches for St. Lawrence Haven.

ST. CECILIA PRESCHOOL TURNS 20

AND WE'RE THROWING A PARTY!

Our Preschool is turning 20 and to celebrate we will be holding an Open House on Sunday, May 4th from 1:0 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.  Mrs. Aeh and the Preschool Staff would like to invite you to join them in the preschool rooms and Meeting Rooms A and B to celebrate how far we've come.  Did you attend the preschool?  Do your children?  Are you considering sending your children?  Take a trip down memory lane and look at pictures of your classmates; maybe you'll even bump into a few.  As the Preschool prepares, we welcome contributions of artwork and memories. 

S.P.I.C.E. Update

Thank you to all who attended the 4^th Annual Mardi Gras Event in February.  The event raised $8,661 for the Program.  In the past, these funds help pay for things like Pre-School screenings, Occupational Therapy, enrichment activities and special education conferences for the teaching staff.  Mark your calendars for next year’s Mardi Gras Event scheduled for 2/21/09.

A fall newsletter and sponsorship drive is scheduled for late September.  If you are interested in helping with this initiative, please contact Teresa Noonan or join us at our next S.P.I.C.E. meeting scheduled for 5/13/08.

In the first two months since the Recycling Bin was installed, S.P.I.C.E. has raised $35.58 and managed to help families recycle a lot of paper. 

PARISH STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

The Parish Strategic Development Group has been meeting monthly since August ’07 to make progress towards the goals created as a result of our work with the assistance of the ISPD (Institute of School & Parish Development) in May of last year.

Communications Team                                                                                    

• Parish and school website redesign – complete

• Review all communication vehicles - underway

  • Parish Bulletin – format changes implemented

  • The News from the Pews – format changes in progress

Governance & Finance Team

• TRIP Program implementation in the School, PSR & Parish  - underway

• Bingo evaluation - underay

Image Building & Outreach Team

• Bi-Annual Town Hall Meetings – 2nd meeting complete in April; ongoing

• Community Outreach Strategy - underway

Student Retention & Recruitment Team

• School Marketing and Recruitment Plan - underway

• Parent Ambassador Team

Stewardship

• Time, Talent and Treasure Survey Process – underway

  As we wrap-up our project plans this Spring, and begin planning next steps for the Fall, we would love to have your input and assistance!  If you would like additional information, or would like to volunteer on one of these committees – please contact Jim Martin at (614) 771-8285 or via e-mail jamartin@rrohio.com.

If you are looking for a way to be a part of a great team focused on the strategic development of our Parish & School – please consider joining us!

BINGO TEAM SCHEDULES

If you are interested in volunteering as a Bingo Team Member or Substitute, please call the Parish Office (878-5353).This time of year, we are in need of new workers for several of our teams. Areas include Regular Bingo Workers, Callers, Instant Bingo Workers, and Kitchen Crew.  Bakers are also needed for some of the teams. 

Team Members, please clip and save this reminder. As always, if you are going to miss a scheduled date for your team, please use the list of volunteers to obtain a substitute. If you need a replacement list of workers, please call (878-5353) or stop in the Parish Office.  With graduations and other special occasions coming up, we have printed a schedule through early August so workers might note days they will need to trade with a substitute.

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