| Dear St. James Family, |
| We had a great time celebrating St. James Sunday on July 28. We have come a long way since the beginning of the community back in 2012. After Mass, Michelle Garaci was very sweet to present me with a silver conch shell (symbol of St. James) in gratitude for my service as pastor. Inside of the shell I found a good number of notes from various parishioners expressing their gratefulness. I found my heart warmed by this thoughtful gesture. Below is a picture of those who still happened to be around in celebration, longer after the Mass had ended. News and Announcements Our Diocese, the Ordinariate, Made National Catholic News! A couple of days ago EWTN published an article describing our diocese, the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. The article describes how, “despite the rapidly secularizing culture in the U.S., many of the ordinariate’s parishes, known for their reverent liturgies and respect for tradition, are flourishing.” Read all about the growth and good things taking place within the Ordinariate. Bring Some Flowers, Fruits or Herbs to be Blessed at Mass Tomorrow Since about the tenth century the Church has had the custom of blessing herbs and the like immediately before the beginning of the Mass for the Assumption. Traditionally, flowers and various other fruits were placed on the altar, and even beneath the altar-cloths, so that from this close contact with the Eucharist they might receive a special consecration, over and above the ordinary sacramental blessing of the Church. This is done for a few different reasons, two of which, I have listed here: First, the blessing of fruit reminds us of the “fruit of thy womb, Jesus” (Luke 1:42) which Mary carried within her womb. The reason that the body of Mary was assumed into heaven was because this points to and glorifies the greatness of God the Son. How so? Jesus assumed the body of his mother into heaven in order to fulfill the fourth commandment, to honor parents. He wanted to honor his mother by assuring that instead of her body decaying in the grave, she would be one of the first to be resurrected. The second reason why fruits, flowers and herbs are blessed at the Assumption Mass is because, flowers are closely associated with Mary’s assumption. According to tradition, shortly after Mary’s death, when the disciples went to venerate her body, they discovered that her body was no longer on this earth and instead flowers were growing out of the stone sarcophagus where her body had been laid to rest. Following these traditions, you are invited to bring fruits including preserves, jams, jellies, as well as herbs, and flowers, to be blessed immediately prior to the Mass. Bring your basket of items to be blessed and place them on the table that will be near the front of the church. Learn more about the blessing and the history behind it. Three Servant Hearted Adults Needed to Love Our Kids – Yes, We Still Need You 🙂 If you would by up for working with our children ages 4-6, 7-9, or 10-13, we need you. Discover the rewards of working with our little ones on Sunday mornings, 9:15 AM – 10 AM on the second and fourth Sundays, September through May. This is a great opportunity, not only do Jesus’ work with the least of these, but also to make friends and get to know other adults at St. James. There is a small amount of training and a background check required. If you are interested, please let me know :-). Thanks . Update on Buildout Project: Permit Submission This Week. Plumber Needed I have been told that our engineering plans will be back this week, which means we should be submitting for permitting this week or early next week! Permits take up to six weeks to get back from the city with first comments, however, we are doing what we can to move forward while we wait for these: Purchased nave windows Wall and door locations taped out on floor Meeting with wall framer this week to sign contract and get him started Toilets installed in all but one bathroom – thank you John and Dan Sign design enlarged for better visual from road. To be submitted to Landlord for approval this week (waiting on drawing from sign company) Met with interior designer for carpet and chair fabric selection, discussion about plank flooring plan, nave window location finalization, narrowing down nave door choices We need a Plumber – Who Would you Recommend? The plan is to install a couple of drinking fountains at the space. This means that the concrete will need to be cut open for the drain line which is located within a few feet. There is also some old plumbing hanging down from the ceiling that needs to be removed and capped off. If you know a licensed plumber that would be willing to help us out, please let me know. Thanks. Latest Financing Estimates for Buildout: $17,900 to go – Almost There! We have brought together $121,045 of the $138,945.64 needed for this exciting project to expand St. James! This means that the estimate is that we need only $17,900 more. Every gift helps. Thanks for your generosity. Give or Learn More about the Project St. James Community Financial Update through the end of July July Giving: $13,444.64 (general $5,454.98, capital $7,989.66). This does not include smaller funds. July Expenses: $6,189.21 (one quarter of priest’s support, half of pension, travel, liturgical supplies, music, building rent and liability insurance, advertising, bishop’s tax, almsgiving, hospitality) From the Preacher – Homilies Delivered over the past Three Weeks Here are my latest homilies. They should be posted soon (hopefully today or tomorrow at the latest) for your formational enjoyment. Thanks for listening The St. James Unique Identity Explained – delivered on July 28, 2024 How to be Nourished at Mass, Part 1 – delivered on August 4, 2024 How to be Nourished at Mass, Part 2 – delivered on August 11, 2024 I invite you to have a listen to some of the latest homilies that I delivered at St. James and share them with a friend. Search “Fr. Mayer’s Preaching & Teaching” wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe. Upcoming Events Celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, A Holy Day of Obligation | Thursday, August 15, 5:30pm The Assumption refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary being assumed — body and soul — into heaven at the end of her earthly life. We will be hosting Mass at St. James at 5:30pm, however, if that times does not work out for you, there are various other opportunities around the local diocese. Discovering Identity and Meaning: My Workshop for Searchers (Non-Churchgoers) | Monday, August 19, 7:00pm In a world where many are wandering about looking for identity and belonging amidst polarization and relational failures, skyrocketing loneliness, depression, and anxiety, there is hope! Learn from ancient sources about a rock solid foundation of truth upon which to understand yourself and your reason for being. Have your spirits lifted and tough questions answered. Join us at the The Salem Center (7235 Bentley Rd., Jacksonville, FL) Be inspired by the fascinating journey of your presenter, myself, the Rev. Philip Mayer, who grew up as an anti Catholic, fundamentalist Pentecostal and then went on a quest of meaning that included atheism, Hinduism, various forms of Christianity, including serving as an Episcopal Priest before coming into the Catholic Church. He now identifies as a happy Catholic in spite all of the craziness that takes place in this family of misfits. In this workshop, he will be sharing about his story and what he has discovered about truth, beauty, and goodness and the benefits of having a solid foundation from which encounter the divine and experience healing and belonging. This is a great opportunity, especially for non church goers, to experience an engaging and encouraging presentation designed to bring personal and relational healing. These workshops tend to be full, so RSVP as soon as possible to assure your spot. Food & RSVP Deadline: Turkey and roast beef sub sliders from Publix catering, chips, water, soda (need special accommodations? Please ask :-). Space is limited so please let us know to reserve your spot. This also helps us know how much food to order. Please confirm as soon as possible, but no later than August 15, 2024 if you are planning to attend: office@stjamescc.org or call or text 904-999-1423. St. James Family, Night at the Ball Park! | Saturday, August 31, 5:30pm Join me in and your beloved St. James family in cheering on the Jumbo Shrimp! It’s a parish night at the ball park watching the Jumbo Shrimp take on Norfolk! Cost is $25 per ticket and includes an all you can eat buffet from 5:30pm-7pm, the game at 6:30pm and post game fireworks! Don’t miss a fun night out at the park! Signup with Brian at the Hospitality table after Mass. How the Bible Came Together, Ancient Solution for Today’s Disagreements – A Workshop Especially for Curious Christians | Monday, September 16, 7:00pm When Christ founded his Church, he placed within the foundation a unique way of solving disagreements, something that many do not understand, but can provide a way forward for the division that is being currently experienced among Christians. A great example of this is how the Bible came together. Many do not realize that in the first few centuries of Christianity, there were fierce disagreements on whether certain books ought to be in the Bible. However, late in the fourth century, the Church used a little understood tool to solve this important conundrum. Are you curious to dig into the roots of belief? Learn how the Bible, the most influential book in our culture, was assembled amidst disagreement and how this points to the solution for a united family of God. Dig deeply into history and consider important events and questions often overlooked. Find hope and insight and a new way of seeing the world and the Church. Workshop Host: This evening will be led by me, Father Mayer, who grew up as a devout evangelical before joyfully becoming a joyous Catholic Christian. This is a great opportunity to experience a highly praised, engaging presentation designed to bring us together around this holy book that is so loved yet understood differently by so many. These workshops tend to be full, so RSVP as soon as possible to assure your spot. Food & RSVP Deadline: Turkey and roast beef sub sliders from Publix catering, chips, water, soda (need special accommodations? Please ask :-). Space is limited so please let us know to reserve your spot. This also helps us know how much food to order. Please confirm as soon as possible, but no later than September 11, 2024 if you are planning to attend: office@stjamescc.org or 904-999-1423 Other Upcoming Dates Kids and Family Movie Night: August 16, 5:30pm, pizza provided Children’s Faith Formation Begins: September 8, 9:15am Evensong and Refreshments in honor of Our Lady of Walsingham: September 24 7:00pm Discovering Identity and Meaning Workshop: My workshop for searchers who are not into church, but are looking for something more. September 30, 7:00pm Check out More Upcoming Events at the Website Around The Wider Church | Called to Communion: The Gift of Friendship Series Starting August 30, 7pm—9pm Join the Youth and Young Adult, Family Life and Evangelization offices of the Diocese of St. Augustine for a three-part series on discovering the importance of cultivating authentic friendships and sustaining communal relationships. This series is for young adults 21+ and will include activities, speakers and practical tools to take along with you. Session One, Aug. 30 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 11757 Old St. Augustine Rd., in Jacksonville discussing “The Gift of Self.” Session Two, Sept. 27, at St. Paul,Catholic Church 2609 Park St., in Jacksonville, the series will discuss “The Gift of Other.” Session Three, October 18, at San Jose Catholic Church, 3619 Toledo Rd., in Jacksonville “The Gift of Communion”. How and Why We Need to Defeat Amendment 4 You are invited and highly encouraged to attend the upcoming training sessions on defeating Amendment 4. The goal of these sessions is to ensure the faithful understands the same unified message approved by the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops and reach as many people as possible. Our message must reach beyond the Catholic Church. Below is the current training and information schedule: August 6 – St. Paul Parish, Jacksonville Beach at 6:30 p.m. October 7 – San Juan Del Rio Parish, St. Johns at 6 p.m. Faithfully, your pastor, Father Mayer Parochial Administrator St. James Catholic Church A Community of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter www.StJamesCC.org 904-999-1423 office@StJamesCC.org Worship Location: 12447 Mandarin Rd, Jacksonville, FL |
Made The National News!
