July/August 2025 | Joyful Preparation for Mass in the New Building! St. James Sunday

by | Jul 30, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Dear St. James Family,

 

It has been a while since I have written. I have been overwhelmingly occupied with moving the buildout project along which is why you may not have heard from me in a while.

 

The good news is that we are almost there! The AC guy keeps saying “Just a few more days” and though these few more days seem to be stretching on without end, I am seeing progress and I prayerfully expect him to be finished soon. Once that happens, we can get our final inspections. If those go well, we can start celebrating Mass at our building. If not, we will need to fix whatever the inspections bring out and then move in after that. Either way, our big move will be coming soon!

 

Lots has been happening:

  • Drywall completed
  • Painting all walls and ceilings (some still need a second coat)
  • Electrical is now complete
  • Plumbing is complete except for the water fountain
  • Flooring installed in the main areas (altar, nave, vestibule)
  • Almost all of the doors have been installed
  • All AC Units are now installed and a third of the vents.
  • Door and trim painting is ongoing
  • Decorative windows installed between vestibule and nave
  • Vintage church door restoration completed (looks great)

 

Thank you especially to David Lahey, David and Adrianne Knapp, and Mitch Bain who have been invested an untold number of hours, multiple days a week, on painting, flooring, and other projects. They have been amazing and I thank God for them.

 

Learn more about the building project

 

Upcoming Events

 

Work Days at the New Home of St. James

JULY  26  9:00am—2:00 pm

 

We’ll need all hands on deck to put some of the finishing touches on the new home for St. James!  Join us for a fun (and exciting!) day of connection and important preparation for beautifying our future church building. There is lots of cleaning to do, trim work to put into place and other tasks. We’re providing lunch, so please RSVP by  at least two days before so that we know how much food to order: office@StJamesCC.org or 904-999-1423

 

CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF ST. JAMES WITH US

FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2025, 5 PM PROCESSION, 6 PM DINNER

 

Join us for a fantastic evening in honor of St. James. Get the inside scoop of what is coming ahead. Don’t miss an evening of fun and camaraderie with the quirkiest and most lovable Catholics around! Join the procession or dinner or both.

 

Plan to meet at 5:00pm at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche (101 San Marco Ave, St. Augustine) near Rosary Garden to process the St. James statue to the Castillo de San Marcos. Drive to Caddyshack (455 S Legacy Trl, #E106, St. Augustine-WGV) for appetizers (6:00pm) and dinner (6:30pm): entrée’s to choose from: Cantina Bowl, Margarita Chicken, Beer Battered Fish and Chips or Jambalaya. (Cost includes, a fountain drink, a beer or glass of wine, and dessert).  Reserve your seats by Sunday, July 6.  Reservation cost is $45 for adults, $18 for kids 12 and under. See Brian after Mass for reservations or reach out to me: office@stjamescc.org

 

 

ST. JAMES PATRONAL SOLEMNITY

SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2025

 

This Sunday is our big day! We will be celebrating our patron of title, St. James the Greater. You will learn about the life of St. James and be inspired. This is a day of great celebration! At the end of the Mass we will be singing a solemn Te deum, the official, age old song of celebration in the Church. Champagne and refreshments will be served following Mass. 

 

 

PILGRIMAGE TO OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM

JUBILEE YEAR EVENT, HOUSTON, TX, AUGUST 7-9

 

Experience our beautiful Cathedral in Houston from August 7 to 9, 2025 to celebrate the Jubilee of Hope. Take a guided tour, attend Mass, and there will be the opportunity for confession and prayer. Enjoy a group dinners and social events and experience personal time for reflection. This is a great opportunity to grow closer to the Lord while also strengthening your connection to your fellow pilgrims and to be inspired by the story of Our Lady of Walsingham. Deepen for yourself the vision of the Ordinariate in the evangelizing beauty and joy of the mother church of our diocese, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham. Learn more

 

 

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS

FIND FULL LIST ON WEBSITE

 

 

News and Announcements

 

WHY THE CHURCH GIVES SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT TO LOCAL CATHOLICS TO BE AT ST. JAMES THIS SUNDAY

 

The Catholic Church especially encourages attendance at a parish on its name day. How So? By providing a plenary indulgence. The Church has stated that a plenary indulgence (removal of all temporary consequences of sin, i.e. time in purgatory) is granted to the faithful who make a visit to a parish church on the Solemnity of its Title, and there devoutly recite an Our Father and the Creed. Standard conditions apply: a firm commitment to stop sinning, sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Pope. This is your opportunity to push the reset button on your purgatory time! So, even if St. James is not your regular parish this is a great day to make a visit.

 

 

GROW AND BE CHALLENGED IN YOUR FAITH

LISTEN TO A HOMILY

 

If you have been away from St. James for a while or have yet to join us, get a little taste of the experience and receive some spiritual nourishment by listening to one of the homilies given during Mass. You can listen here or by searching for “Fr. Mayer’s Preaching & Teaching” wherever you get your podcasts.

 

  • The Answer to Being Overwhelmed by Worlds Problems: What is The Order of Love and how can this help with preventing being so overwhelmed by the world’s problems.
  • Getting Ready For Our Big Move: Learn about Sts. Peter and Paul and how their service to the church and how the Lord used them as part of the foundation of how we evangelize here at St. James.
  • The Fascinating Story Behind The Holy Trinity: The roots of the Holy Trinity can be traced back to early Christian writings and the Nicene Creed, formalized in the 4th century to address theological disputes within the early Church. The Trinity is not explicitly detailed in the Bible, leading to a rich tapestry of interpretations and theological discussions throughout history.  

 

 

THE NICENE CREED EXPLAINED

 

In addition to this being a Jubilee Year, we are also celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the Creed that flowed from that Council. Every Sunday, we recite the creedal formula that the bishops devised and approved in 325 A.D. These words have great staying power and they remain a necessary marker for the orthodoxy of the Christian Faith. Christians should not see the Nicene Creed simply as a list of things they believe, but they should look at it with awe because it recounts the greatness of God’s love and the gift of salvation. Fr. Mike Schmitz, through his network, asked a variety of bishops to take a phrase or part of the Creed and expound on it, including our very own Bishop Lopes.

 

Watch here: THE NICENE CREED EXPLAINED

 

 

LATEST FINANCE UPDATE

THANKS FOR YOUR FAITHFUL SUPPORT

  • June Giving: $10,909.07 (general $7,244.75, capital $3,664.32). This does not include smaller funds.
  • June Expenses: $6,034.49 Covers quarter of priest’s support, half of pension, travel, liturgical supplies, music, building rent and liability insurance, advertising, bishop’s tax, almsgiving, hospitality. These expenses do not include buildout expenses. 

If you want a more thorough look at our finances and you are on record as actively supporting St. James, please let me know and I will be happy to get you this information to you. We are dedicated to transparency and good fiscal stewardship.  
 

 

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

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