The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the program whereby the Church is enriched and renewed each year with the addition of new members. We possess such a great treasure in our spirituality, liturgy, history, and traditions that begs to be shared. Through the RCIA we throw open the doors of the Catholic treasury and invite those interested to “come and see”. Issuing the invite is the responsibility of all believers. In the past I’ve heard people say, “I’ve always wanted to be a Catholic but didn’t know how to go about it,” or, “I’ve always been interested in Catholicism but none of my Catholic friends has ever invited me to go to church with them.” We need to be on the lookout for people who might be waiting for our invitation. The 2016/2017 RCIA class will begin on September 20th. We will meet on Tuesdays at Saint Joseph’s College. Meetings will generally last one hour.
The St. Augustine School rummage sale will take place on Oct. 7th and 8th. PLEASE BRING ANY DONATIONS BEGINNING MONDAY, Oct. 3rd through NOON ON THURSDAY. No electrical items or baby equipment can be accepted. This sale is not only a fundraiser it is also a corporal work of mercy and a chance to recycle clothing and household items that are still useful. Workers will be needed during the sale on Fri. and Sat. and especially for clean up on Sat. at noon. Call Germaine if you have any questions or would like to volunteer. 866-4206. Thank you. *** Help needed: A few people to come to the basement after the 10:00 Mass on Oct. 2nd to help arrange tables and to set up racks for the rummage sale***
The Youth Group's Annual Food Drive is scheduled for September 28th. Youth will canvas the Rensselaer community from 6:30-7:30 pm collecting food for the local food pantry. Adult volunteer drivers are needed and appreciated. Please contact Kris Dobson if you are willing to help with this community event. Also, there will be a box in the McKinley Street entry for those who would like to donate but either live in the country or will not be home. We apologize if we miss you on the evening of the drive; we can only make it to a limited number of homes in the time we have that evening. There is always a basket to put your donation in at church by the McKinley street entrance.
The Annual Turkey Dinner & Bazaar is Thursday, November 10th. Preparations are under way! Want to help??? PLEASE contact this year’s chairs and co-chairs: Gregg & Sue Kanne: (219-863-1419 or gskanne@gmail.com) or Dene & Mary Beth Mattocks (219-869-2746). There is much to do! We can find the perfect role for you. We are in need of someone to be the committee chair for the Children’s Games! If this sounds like something you would be interested in please call. Thank you!
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the program whereby the Church is enriched and renewed each year with the addition of new members. We possess such a great treasure in our spirituality, liturgy, history, and traditions that begs to be shared. Through the RCIA we throw open the doors of the Catholic treasury and invite those interested to “come and see”. Issuing the invite is the responsibility of all believers. In the past I’ve heard people say, “I’ve always wanted to be a Catholic but didn’t know how to go about it,” or, “I’ve always been interested in Catholicism but none of my Catholic friends has ever invited me to go to church with them.” We need to be on the lookout for people who might be waiting for our invitation. The 2016/2017 RCIA class will begin on September 20th. We will meet on Tuesdays at Saint Joseph’s College. Meetings will generally last one hour.
There will be a parent meeting for religious education, first communion and confirmation classes on Wednesday, September 14. Class schedules will be handed out at that meeting. Classes will take place from 6:30-8:00 for the Middle and high school and 6:30-7:30 for the elementary on Wednesday evenings. The Youth Kick-off meeting will take place on September 21st. More information will be handed out at the parent meeting on the 14th. Thank you!
Please pick up your funeral luncheon serving dishes from the church basement. Any dishes that remain downstairs by October 1st will be donated to the rummage sale. Thank you!
Years ago, parishioner Bill Snyder gave me information about a kind of sound system that would broadcast a signal directly to hearing aids equipped with T-coil capability. Recently, I’ve been in touch with a company that installs such a system. While in the vicinity, R & M Consulting gave the church a preliminary assessment. It seems that our church space is excellent acoustically for music; less so for the spoken word. In September the company will return for a more thorough assessment and draw up a plan to improve our sound system. One of the options for wearers of hearing aids is a neck coil (shown to the left) which broadcasts directly to the hearing aids of those wearing it. What I need to know is how many people would be interested in using such a neck coil. The user would have to have a hearing aid that has T-coil capability. I’m asking those interested to please call their doctor or hearing aid provider and ask whether their hearing aids have T-coil capability. Next, call the Parish Office and let us know the results. This will give us an idea of how many would be interested in using the technology. Several churches in Lafayette already employ the system and have had good results with it. Thanks. FD