Dear St. James Family, |
Come and learn about being open to the power of the Holy Spirit moving and acting in and through you in unexpected ways! This Sunday is Pentecost, one of the three great solemnities of the Church! Like Christmas and Easter, Pentecost gets celebrated for eight full days in what is known as an octave. Also, we will be welcoming three people, Charles Morgan, and Nancy & Rex Setzer, into the Church. Two children, Eli and Stella Kalkvic will also be confirmed and Stella, Wynnie, and Abbey will be receiving their First Holy Communion. Come and be part of this joyous occasion with us this Sunday!
Limited Seating at the Primary (10:15 AM) Mass this Sunday – more room at 8:00 AM Because of those who will be confirmed or receiving their first communion, I expect that seating will be tight at the later Mass, however, there will surely be plenty of room at the early Mass. If you have never attended the 8:00 AM Mass come and experience a quiet simple chanted Mass. It will also be shorter than the 10:15 AM Mass since no one is receiving sacraments of initiation at this Mass.
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What is Whitsunday? Whitsunday is a fancy term for Pentecost. You have perhaps heard the term “quick-witted” meaning quick thinking. The word wit is an older term for wisdom, one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that were poured out upon the disciples on Pentecost.
Be Empowered This Sunday! Plenary Indulgence Available On this day we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples empowering and strengthening them for the work of building up the Kingdom of God. At this most important gathering, we ask for the Holy Ghost to come and fill us afresh by singing an ancient hymn called the Veni Creator. The Church encourages this song to be sung with special devotion, so much so that a plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly assist at the solemn singing of the Veni Creator which we will be doing at St. James this Sunday, May 28. To most fully open yourself to the available graces on this Solemnity of Pentecost, you need to actively engage and join your heart and mind and voice to this ancient song of the Church. To receive the indulgence standards conditions apply: no attachments to venial sin, sacramental confession and Eucharistic Communion within twenty days, and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
Potluck this Sunday at 12:00 PM Celebrate with us by wearing red and bringing a dish to share in celebration of Whitsunday. Not sure what to bring? Connect with Cathy Messina: cathymmessina@gmail.com, 415-205-9705
Jump on Board the Holy Ghost Novena (Missed a few days? No worries) During the days leading up to Pentecost this is a time to grow in openness to the Holy Spirit through prayer, following the example of the disciples who met and prayed together during the nine days leading up to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on Pentecost. You can do this by increasing the fervency of the prayers that you are currently doing or by participating in the Novena for the coming of the Holy Ghost, thus inflaming your heart in preparation for a fresh filling with the power Holy Ghost, strengthening your will, and growing in virtue. This Novena is from the St. Gregory’s Prayer Book, which contains many beautiful devotion gathered together from the rich treasury of Anglican patrimony now brought back into the Catholic Church.
Name Tag Sunday, May 28, 2023 Because of the growth that we have been experiencing as a community, there many people who do not know one another’s names. So, on the last Sunday of each month we will be trying out nametag Sunday. Forgot a person’s name and are afraid to ask? This is your Sunday of Redemption! Come and help us make connections and build up the St. James community.
Connect with Other Woman: Prayer, Good Food, Even Better Company Saturday, June 3, 9:00-10:30am at First Watch Mandarin (11111-14 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville) join the women of St. James and discover Daily Office: Morning Prayer with breakfast to follow. Please contact Cathy Messina to RSVP, By Friday, June 2, so that she can arrange a table to accommodate. You can call or text 415-205-9705 with questions and to RSVP.
Know a person or two who might be curious to learn where the Bible came from and how this points to the Catholic Church? Bring them with you to dig deeply into Church history, examining the roots of the Bible, how it was assembled, and what this teaches us about the Church. This evening will be led by myself, Father Mayer, who grew up as a devout Pentecostal, then served for a time as an Episcopal Priest before coming into the Catholic Church. This is a great opportunity for Protestants to better understand Catholics and to experience an engaging and interactive presentation designed to bring Protestants and Catholics together around the Scriptures. Let me know if you plan on coming or bringing someone so that I can save you a spot before they get filled up! Learn more about the food we will be serving and the location of the event.
Pool Party: Join the St. James Crew Sat. June 17, 2023 Join us from 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, generously hosted by the Bonkowski family. St. James will be providing sub sandwiches and you are asked to bring a side (desert if your last name begins with A-M or a side or drinks if your last name begins with M-Z).
How to Develop Openness to God – Listen to the Homily you Missed from May 21, 2023 Learn from the disciples and the blessed mother for a failproof way to prepare yourself to be filled with the Spirit of God like never before. Listen to this and my other homilies at StJamesCC.org/Homilies or by searching “Fr. Mayer’s Preaching & Teaching” wherever you get your podcasts
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Check out More Upcoming Events at the Website
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Faithfully, your pastor, Father Mayer |
Parochial Administrator St. James Catholic Church A Community of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter 904-999-1423 office@StJamesCC.org Worship Location: 12447 Mandarin Rd, Jacksonville, FL |