de PAULST. VINCeNT

CATHOLIC PARISH

5819 W. Pleasant Ridge Rd. Arlington, TX 76016(817) 478-8206 www.svdpcc.org

Inside

January 2020

continued on back cover

2 The Vineyard Offers Powerful Opportunity for “Faith Seeking Understanding”

3 Start a New Life, Not Just a New Year

4 Our Annual Stewardship Renewal Thanking God for the Blessings He has Bestowed on Us

6 Youth Ministry Seeking to Form Active Disciples of Christ

New Year and New OpportunitiesTaking Stewardship to the Next Level through Prayer

Having just experienced the joy of the Christmas season and the

tremendous gift of our Incarnate Lord, one can easily feel a bit let down as the festivities end, the decorations slowly disappear and life returns to normal. While the liturgical year will soon transition to what’s known as Ordinary Time, Fr. Philip Brembah says that this is in fact an extraordinary time in the faith journey. It’s an opportunity for us each to further come to know and ultimately reflect the Christ we’ve been blessed to receive.

“The New Year offers us an opportunity to renew our commitment and our relationship with God,” Fr. Philip says. “Just like the infant Jesus comes to us again each year during Christmas, the months following are a time for us to deepen our relationship with Him, growing with Him spiritually — because after His birth, He still remains in our midst inviting us ever to deepen our relationship with Him.”

As we look toward the year 2020, Fr. Philip hopes to help focus parishioners even more on prayer and the spiritual journey, and in turn, a deeper relationship with Christ.

“As Catholics, we are called to be more,” Fr. Philip says. “Everything we do should be about deepening our own and other’s relationships with Christ. This way, even our ministries become forms of prayer. We aren’t simply serving — we are ministering.”

In an effort to help facilitate this process, Fr. Philip and his staff are working to find ways to further centralize prayer within parish life. It’s why the altar and crucifix, for example, were brought to the center of the church, emphasizing the reason why we gather together each Sunday. The parish also plans to offer more parish missions, providing additional opportunities for spiritual enrichment.

ST. VINCENT dE PAUL

2

For many who have grown up in the Church, after years of Religious Education classes, Confirmation can easily seem like a “graduation” of sorts — at

least when it comes to actively learning about our beliefs and teachings. Or perhaps you entered the Church as an adult, and learned a lot going through the process of becoming Catholic — but once you were fully initiated, you weren’t quite sure where to turn for continued formation and support.

As Catholics, we believe that our journey of faith is one that lasts our entire lives, with each day being an opportunity to grow closer to God and deepen our understanding of the faith that He has given us. With this in mind, St. Vincent de Paul hopes to encourage our adult parishioners to continue to strengthen their faith, especially by learning more about it.

The Vineyard is our adult faith formation series, held on Wednesday evenings, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in JAC 8-10. Last year, the group did a four-week study of the Mass, and is now looking forward to a series focused on the Trinity, Church his-tory, morality and Scripture. In between topical sessions, there are also Q&A nights.

“I refer to it as ‘faith, food and fellowship,’” says Director of Faith Formation Nicholas Senz, who hosts the evenings. “We provide some wine and refreshments, people get to sit and visit for a bit, and then I make a presentation on an aspect of the faith.”

For those hoping to deepen their relationship with God, growing in one’s knowledge and understanding of the faith is often a significant piece of the journey.

“The medieval theologians were fond of saying, ‘Knowl-edge leads to love,’” Nicholas says. “By learning more about God and our faith, we come to love God more deeply — just as we grow in the love of our spouses and friends, as we come to know them better over time.”

“It’s my hope that these sessions will help people’s faith in a number of ways,” he continues. “[I hope it will] clear up

misconceptions and misunderstandings, give them the knowl-edge and tools to explain not only what we believe, but why we believe it, and help them better appreciate the richness and depth of our faith.”

In addition to learning more about the faith, the Vine-yard is also an opportunity to grow in fellowship with other members of the parish. It also provides a chance to meet and find support from others who are also seeking to grow in their relationship with God.

“Since we are a community of faith, it helps to learn about the faith in a communal setting,” Nicholas says. “In a big parish, it can be hard to find your place. The Vineyard has been a great place to bring together people who are hun-gry to know more about their faith.”

Nicholas encourages all adult parishioners to consider deepening their understanding of the faith in an enjoyable and engaging environment at the Vineyard.

“Anyone would benefit from coming to these nights,” Nicholas says. “St. Anselm said that ours is a ‘faith seeking understanding.’ Part of being made in the image of God is having a mind capable of grasping truth. We all want to know the truth of things because, as Jesus says, ‘the truth sets us free.’ If you want to be further rooted in the truth, if your faith thirsts for deeper understanding, come to the Vineyard.”

The Vineyard Offers Powerful Opportunity for “Faith Seeking Understanding”

If you would like more information on the Vineyard and upcoming events, please contact Director of Faith Formation Nicholas Senz at 817-478-8206 or nsenz@svdpcc.org.

3

A Letter From Our Pastor

Start a New Life, Not Just a New YearDear Parishioners,

It’s January and that means it’s time for New Year’s resolutions — at least that’s the widespread perception in

our culture. So, I want us to reflect on resolutions for a few minutes.

Often, New Year’s resolutions are intended simply to undo the harm we did to ourselves by overindulging in food and drink between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. Some resolutions are changes we know we should make, but aren’t really committed to making — thus, they don’t last very long.

Reflecting on this in broader terms, when should we make a resolution to eliminate a sinful practice from our life? That question has a simple answer — the moment we realize we’re engaging in a sinful practice. In other words, as soon as we realize we’re doing something wrong, we should stop. It doesn’t matter whether that sin is as “large” as cheating on your spouse or as “small” as sharing vicious gossip — we should stop immediately when we recognize it’s a sinful behavior.

Now, I admit that making the changes we need in order to grow closer to Christ is easier said than done. All too often, we fool ourselves into thinking we can make all the changes we need under our own strength and on a convenient timetable. For real change, we need guidance and we need help — a new life, in fact. St. Paul addressed this when he wrote to the Romans (6:4), “We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised

from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.”

In other words, we need a new life, not a new year. We find this new life in union with Christ within His Body, the Church. The Church can provide you with guidance. She has 2,000 years of accumulated wisdom and experience, beginning with God’s own revelation. The Ten Commandments provide a brief, incisive outline for ethical behavior. Help comes from God’s grace, available to us in the sacraments and through prayer.

A new life means we have new priorities and a new viewpoint when we look at every aspect of the way we live. It impacts the use of the time we have, the talents God has given us, and the treasure with which He has blessed us. With God’s grace and guidance, lived in union with the Church, we find that “in newness of life” we can “cease doing evil” and “learn to do good.” That’s a resolution worth making.

Happy New Year!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Philip Brembah Pastor

ST. VINCENT dE PAUL

4

Our Annual Stewardship RenewalThanking God for the Blessings He has Bestowed on Us

How do I use my Commitment Card?Your commitment card allows you to make commitments

to prayer, parish ministries, and offertory giving. It is designed to be used by the whole family.

Time Section: Except for the ill and homebound, everyone should be able to check “Come to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days.” Try to check at least a few other items. Daily prayer should be a priority for every person trying to grow closer to God.

Talent Section: You can either sign up for new minis-tries or re-commit to your current ministries. Be sure to write your first name next to the ministry! This is especially impor-tant if the card is being used by more than one person.

Treasure Section: Clearly print how much money you plan to give each week or month to our parish. Try to

take a step toward giving five percent of your income to St. Vincent de Paul.

Is your prayer life in need of a tune-up?Honestly ask yourself, “How much time do I spend in

prayer each week?” The answer is probably a bit embarrass-ing. Everyone wants to spend more time in prayer, but there’s just never enough time to do everything we want to do. Good intentions are just that: intentions. This year, as you’re dis-cerning how you will offer your time to God, resolve to follow through with your commitments. Consider each moment you spend in prayer as nourishment for your soul. The spiritual health of our parish is only as strong as the sum of its parts (individual parishioners).

You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of those you love. This rationale is difficult for many of us to accept. Mothers and fathers routinely

place the needs of their children before their own; soldiers at war often throw their own safety to the wind in the interest of protecting their fellow soldiers. The story of Jesus also focuses on giving to others. If Christ calls us to imitate Him – to become completely selfless – then it would seem that focusing on ourselves might counteract our efforts as Christians.

Nevertheless, as we enter into our annual Stewardship Renewal, Fr. Philip Brembah is asking us all to focus a bit more on ourselves. No, he’s not encouraging self-centered-ness; he’s asking us to examine our own lives and determine the areas that are in need of growth. Before the stewardship way of life can totally transform our parish, it must begin in each of our hearts. As each individual’s spiritual life blossoms and grows, so will our parish as a whole. Will you plant the seed of stewardship in your own heart?

Every parish family receives a special “Stewardship Package” in the mail that further explains our parish’s vision of stewardship. It includes a booklet that

describes every ministry in the parish, as well as your commitment card.

Cultivating a SuStainable RelationShip with ChRiSt

“Our Father, who art in heaven…” “Hail Mary, full of grace…” “Bless us, O Lord, for these, thy gifts…” These are the opening lines to a few prayers familiar to many

Catholics. For some, these prayers sum up what it means to pray. But prayer can be so much more. Prayer is a gift given to us by God as a way to praise Him, seek His help and ask His forgiveness. Prayer is, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit” (CCC, 2565).

Prayer is a foundational component of the stewardship way of life. During this year’s Stewardship Renewal, as we commit the first

fruits of our time, talent, and treasure, our parish is paying

special attention to prayer, and how each individual parishioner

can grow in his or her prayer life.

PrayerPrayer

2 3

Stewardship of Time

Before any fruit-bearing plant can yield a harvest, it must be

nurtured and cultivated. The same is true for a healthy prayer life. A deep and lasting relationship with God does not happen overnight. It takes work, persistence and struggle before yielding a reward.

For those with an already healthy prayer life, continue to find new ways to communicate with God. Stick to the “tried and true” methods of prayer — the types of prayer you are most comfortable with — but don’t be afraid to venture into new territory. Practices such as Lectio Divina, Liturgy of the Hours or praising God through song are beautiful opportunities to step outside of your “comfort zone” in prayer.

nuRtuRing a healthy pRayeR life

• Spend 5 minutes praising God, thanking Him for the blessings you have in your life.

• Spend the next 5 minutes asking God for His help and blessings on those you love.

• Finally, spend the last 5 minutes listening to Him. Read the daily Scriptures found at usccb.org/bible/readings or on a Catholic phone app, such as iBreviary, Evangelizo, Magnificat or Divine Office, and be sure to listen to whatever God might be trying to tell you through those words.

If you are new to prayer, start with small steps. Pope Francis encourages Catholics to set aside 15 minutes every morning to pray.

Pray At All TimesPray At All Times

2020 StewardShip renewal

St. Vincent de Paul

catholic church

5

Our Annual Stewardship RenewalThanking God for the Blessings He has Bestowed on Us

Is your level of parish involvement in need of a boost?

We give our talents back to God when we get involved in ministries at St. Vincent de Paul. And, with a host of ministries to choose from, there’s something for everyone. Sure, ministries give parishioners opportunities to serve others in the community, but they also benefit those in the ministry itself. Ask anyone who actively participates in a ministry at St. Vincent de Paul, “Why do you enjoy serving in this way?” They’ll probably say, “I get more out of the ministry than the people I serve.” This year, as you’re dis-cerning how you will offer your talents to God, considering signing up for a ministry that may benefit you, like a Bible study, prayer group, or retreat. Or, contribute to an out-reach ministry where your good deeds not only help others in the community, but also give you feelings of satisfaction and thankfulness.

Do you give a percentage of your income to the offertory?

It may be hard to see offertory giving as a way to “help yourself,” but when we approach the subject from a spiritual viewpoint, it can lead to individual spiritual growth and an increase in faith. Even the most savvy business person worries about his or her personal finances from time to time. Adding a weekly offertory check to the list of monthly bills may seem crazy but, ultimately, sacrificial giving forces us to cut un-necessary spending, create a budget and have faith that God will help us make it through the month. All of these are good things for each of us, individually. After faithfully giving to the offertory for a few months, many Catholics find that it’s not only possible to give a weekly offering, but that the fruits of their gift far outweigh the expense.

At St. Vincent de Paul, we ask that you give five percent to our parish, one percent to the diocese, and four percent to other charities. Why a percentage of income? First, because the tithe (10 percent) is a scriptural benchmark that the Church has honored for centuries (see Malachi 3:10). Second-ly, we give a percentage of income because it is a common-sense standard by which everyone can equitably support the parish. Most of all, we give because we believe God comes first in everything, even finances.

PRAYER (continuEd) Music Ministry: Adult Choir Music Ministry: Children’s Choir Music Ministry: Cantor/Psalmist Music Ministry: Instrumentalists Prayer Chain Ministry Prayer Shawl Ministry Reader Sacristan Vocations Committee

FoRMAtionCHILDREN

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Children’s Liturgy of The Word Children Sacramental Preparation

Elementary Faith Formation Preschool Faith Formation RCIA Adapted for Children Team Vacation Bible SchoolYOUTH

Quince Años RCIA Adapted for Teens Team Young Church Core Team MinistryADULTS

Adult Bible Study Baptismal Preparation Team Book Club Home Study Groups RCIA Team Safe Environment Awareness Facilitator

FoRMAtion (continuEd) Sponsor Couples The Vineyard The Vineyard Hospitality Team Young Families Ministry

SERVicE Altar Angels Audio/Visual Ministry Bear Ministry Catholic Charities of Arlington (Hope Center) Finance Advisory Council Food Cart Ministers Food Cart Donations Good Samaritans of the Open Arms Clinic Landscape Ministry Men’s Club Mission Council Money Counters Noreen’s Nourishment Office Angels Society of St. Vincent de Paul Stewardship Committee Wedding Coordinators Women’s Guild

2020 Commitment CardMy Offering of Time, Talent & Treasure

After completion, please bring this card to Mass on Feb. 1/2, mail using the envelope provided, or fill it out online at https://svdpcc.org Thank you and God bless!

= Currently Involved = Interested in Joining

Talent (continued)

St. VincEnt dE PAul cAtholic chuRch5819 W. Pleasant Ridge Rd., Arlington, TX 76016(817) 478-8206 | www.svdpcc.org

St. Vincent de Paul catholic church

Talent (continued)

Continued on next panel

= Currently Involved = Interested in Joining

Address

City State ZIP

First & Last Name

Phone

Email

Spouse: First & Last Name

Spouse: Phone

Spouse: Email

Clearly write the first name(s) of interested family member(s) on the line.

Clearly write the first name(s) of interested family member(s) on the line.

Pray At All Pray At All TimesTimes

ST. VINCENT dE PAUL

6

YOUTH MINISTRYSeeking to Form Active Disciples of Christ

In his first letter to Timothy, St. Paul urges his friend to remain steadfast in the faith and to remember that,

despite his youth, he is a living example of Christ’s love to everyone he meets — “Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). These words of advice ring just as true today, as our Church looks to its young members to play an active role in bringing the light of Christ into the world.

Here at St. Vincent de Paul, we are blessed to have a vibrant youth

ministry program led by Nic Gutier-rez, our parish Director of Youth Evangelization and Discipleship. To-gether with the Youth Ministry Core Team, Nic offers teens in our parish in seventh through 12th grades with two primary opportunities to further explore their faith in community.

“On Sunday nights, we have wor-ship, an ice breaker, a talk, and then small-group time,” Nic says. “Those are our ‘hype’ nights — it is designed to feed our own on a weekly basis, but also to encourage them to reach out, bring a friend, be an evangelist. Then on

Wednesdays, we have another offering which is a smaller group. There, we go deeper into discussion and can really get to the heart of things more easily.”

On both Sunday and Wednesday evenings, Nic is thankful for his Core Team members who help run our Youth Ministry. The Core Team is comprised mostly of parents of teens, though Nic welcomes anyone — aged 21 to 100! — with a heart for youth ministry to become involved.

“I love making the point that I’m not the youth minister,” he says. “If you have any interaction with a teen, you

continued on page 7

Our Youth Ministry meets on Sunday evenings (large gathering) and Wednesday evenings (small group) from 6 to 8 p.m. on the lower level of the Activities Center. For more

information about participating in our Youth Ministry or serving on the Core Team, please contact Nic Gutierrez at ngutierrez@svdpcc.org or 817-478-8206, ext. 216.

7

are also a youth minister. There is no need to have previous experience or to know all of the Church teachings — I have ongoing formation with Core Team members. I welcome anyone who has a heart for teens, goes to Mass every Sunday, and has a relationship with Christ through daily prayer.”

Each week, our parish serves about 100 youth at the Sunday evening gatherings and about 30 at the Wednesday evening small-group meeting. With such robust numbers, Nic is always looking to expand the Youth Ministry Core Team.

“I think youth ministry has traditionally been seen as a body of people — a young community — that serves our Church,” Nic says. “And while that’s good, I think we can do better. I would say that our church has a duty to the Youth Ministry. It is a ministry to the youth — it is feeding our own. Parents often drop off their kids, but I always invite them into the ministry. It’s the perfect opportunity for someone who may not know a lot about their faith to grow in their faith while also journeying with others. Youth ministry can be an amazing place for parish-wide growth.”

While Nic is now in his sixth year of youth ministry, he could not have imagined working in this field back when he was in high school. Everything changed for him, however,

when he decided to serve with National Evangelization Teams, or NET Ministries, at age 19. Through the NET minister training, Nic experienced a radical conversion that greatly deepened his relationship with the Lord.

Now, Nic seeks to root the youth of our parish in an authentic relationship with Christ by pointing them to Mass, adoration and the sacraments through the activities of the Youth Ministry team.

“We may bring them in with the ‘hype,’ but we con-vince them with what we’re saying when we share our personal encounters with Christ, and then they see that we are authentically living what we say,” he says. “They’ll understand that they belong in our Church and that they belong to the Lord. They won’t discover their personal identity in Jesus without that understanding, and the Core Team is tasked with that.”

Nic views youth ministry as an amazing opportunity for our parish to bring in new families and create newly committed disciples of Christ among both our youth and adult parishioners. He hopes that all will benefit from the wonderful blessings that our vibrant Youth Ministry brings to our faith community!

YOUTH MINISTRY continued from page 6

“I would say that our church has a duty to the Youth Ministry. It is a ministry to the youth — it is feeding our own. Parents often drop off their kids, but I always invite them into the ministry. It’s the perfect opportunity for someone who may not

know a lot about their faith to grow in their faith while also journeying with others. Youth ministry can be an amazing place for parish-wide growth.”

— Nic Gutierrez, Director of Youth Evangelization and Discipleship

de PAULST. VINCeNT

5819 W. Pleasant Ridge Rd. Arlington, TX 76016(817) 478-8206 www.svdpcc.org

MASSeSSaturday Vigil: 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Weekdays: (M/Th/Fr) 8:45 a.m. in the chapel (Wed) 6:00 p.m. in the chapel

Holy Days: 8:45 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Tuesday Morning Prayer: 8:45 p.m. in the chapel

Confessions: Saturday: 4-5 p.m. in the chapel

New Year and New Opportunities Taking Stewardship to the Next Level through Prayer continued from front cover

“We usually have a parish mission in Lent only, but this year we are spreading it out so as to provide more opportunities,” Fr. Philip says. “We’ll have a Day of Reflection in Advent and Lent and then offer our parish mission during the Season of Easter.”

Beyond these parish events, Fr. Philip hopes to encourage families to further embrace the stewardship pillar of prayer into their lives. Whether it’s praying an Our Father together, a decade of the Rosary, or gather together as a family and state prayer intentions, these times of communal prayer allow the family to become

more unified in their spiritual journey. In turn, church may become part of the family’s very identity, rather than being limited to Sunday worship.

“Apart from wishing everyone good health and peace in general this New Year, I’d love to see the basic family unit become more of a church — see prayer lives deepened within the context of the family,” Fr. Philip says. “I would just really love to see every home truly reflect the infant Jesus that we have welcomed into our hearts through Christmas into our homes — and then from there, into the world through the way we live our lives.”

“As Catholics, we are called to be more. Everything we do should be about deepening our own and other’s relationships with Christ. This way, even our ministries become forms of

prayer. We aren’t simply serving — we are ministering.” — Fr. Philip Brembah