November 27, 2008

Soul Full Thanksgiving Dinner held for St. Patrick Community

On Saturday, November 22, St. Patrick School celebrated their fifth annual Soul Full Thanksgiving Dinner for the St. Patrick Community. There were more than 225 students, family members and friends from the community in attendance.

The dinner began with a blessing by Father Tim Sullivan, pastor of St. Patrick Church and Episcopal Vicar of Social Services for the Diocese of Memphis.

Dr. Laura Battle spoke and explained her role as the Jubilee Schools social worker. She also told the audience about the different organizations she's worked with and how these organizations can help individuals and families.

During dinner, groups of students sang Thanksgiving songs they learned in their Music class taught by Sandy D'Amato.

The dinner was organized and prepared by Essie Paylor, Charice Cole, Karlita Weaver, Marterrio Hawkins, Grace Rodich and Verna Hawkins. Dinner included traditional Thanksgiving foods, including turkey, ham, dressing and pies made by the school staff.

Advent and Christmas Family Fun Day Held at St. Ann

More than 120 participants attended the "Advent and Christmas Family Fun Day" held at St. Ann on Saturday, November 22. The event, modeled after a similar day held at the Church of the Incarnation in Collierville, attracted families and children interested in learning more about Catholic traditions during Advent and Christmas.

"We want to remind everyone about the real meaning of the Christmas season," commented Deacon Bob Skinner, Co-Director of Parish Religious Education at St. Ann. "The weeks before Christmas should be more than buying presents and putting up decorations. We should focus on the reason for Christmas _ the birth of Christ. Advent gives us the time to do this."

The program told the story of John the Baptist's call to get ready for the birth of the savior by fasting and repentance. Participants also made and learned the history and significance of the Jesse Tree. Nancy Guy, a St. Ann catechist, explained that the tree, named after the father of King David, symbolically tells the story of the ancestors of Jesus. Another popular symbol of the season is the Advent Wreath. The wreath, with its four candles, is used to mark the passage of the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas. Each week an additional candle is lit and prayers are said in both churches and in homes. Families at the "fun day" constructed wreathes made up of interlocking construction paper links. On each link, family members wrote down something they would do during the Advent season to prepare to celebrate Christmas. The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the new liturgical year and Rob Marczynski, Co-Director of Parish Religious Education at St. Ann and coordinator of the fun day program, explained the liturgical calendar and demonstrated how one could be made for use at home to mark the holy seasons of the year.

Before a Christmas lunch, which featured foods and traditions of Christmas dinners from around the world, Saint Nicholas made a special visit. Catechist Charles Ross told the story of Nicholas who was an early bishop of the Church in what is now southern Turkey. Nicholas was known for his defense of Christianity and generosity.

Legends spread about his great generosity and so he came to be associated with the Christmas tradition of gift giving. Saint Nicholas made his visit to the fun day as a bishop, replete with miter and vestments as opposed to the typical dress associated with the modern day Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas handed out holy cards and gold wrapped chocolate which symbolized the gold coins he was said to have anonymously given to a poor father without a proper dowry for his daughters and thus saved the girls from slavery.

"It is our hope, that everyone will take the ideas and projects we started on Saturday and use them throughout the Advent season to prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas," Marczynski explained.

St. Ann Catholic Church is located in Bartlett, Tennessee at 6529 Stage Rd.

Advent Retreat Offered at Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is offering a morning of reflection for Advent featuring Father Joe Palermo on Saturday, December 13 from 8 a.m.-Noon.

The theme for the morning is High Hopes, the Season of Hope.

The morning will include Mass at 8 a.m. followed by breakfast and the retreat. The free event is open to people from high school age to adult.

Father Palermo is the Spiritual Director and Director of Spiritual Formation at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.

Call the Cathedral at 901-725-2700 for more information.

An Old Fashioned Christmas

St. Paul Parish will present a Christmas program entitled: An Old Fashioned Christmas on Sunday, December 21. Through music and drama this program will take the audience back to the 1800's when life wasn't so hurried and simple pleasures were the order of the day. It tells a much needed story about what Christmas should be. Call 901-346-2380 for information.

Parishes Begin Effort to Reach Out to Inactive Catholics

On Thursday, December 4 at 7 p.m. at St Ann Church in Bartlett; the parish communities of St. Ann, The Church of the Nativity, St. Francis of Assisi Church, along with the Diocesan Office of Pastoral Services, will present an evening of prayer, information, and sharing for those who know someone who has left the Catholic Church.

The evening prayer service will initiate a joint ministry entitled Gathering to Remember, which is intended to reach out to inactive Catholics by offering them an opportunity to explore their feelings about the Church, ask questions and to learn about changes that have taken place in the Church. The prayer service is open to anyone in the Diocese of Memphis.

St. Ann parishioner and Secretary of Pastoral Services for the Diocese of Memphis, Alma Abuelouf, in discussing the Gathering to Remember program explained, "Every active Catholic usually knows someone, a child, family member or friend who has left the Church. While we are concerned about these loved ones and want to help them in their search, we often do not know what to say or how to approach the subject. That is why we are beginning our effort with an evening of prayer and information about why people wander away from the Church and how we can extend an invitation to them to consider coming back to the Catholic Church community. Our prayer will not only be for those who are no longer members, but also for peace, consolation and encouragement for those who are concerned."

Father Richard Coy, Pastor of St. Ann, explained that the name of the program comes from the prayer of the Old Testament prophet Nehemiah, who prayed that God would remember His promise to gather His people together and bring them back to the promised land. "There are many reasons people leave the Church. Many inactive members are misinformed and think they are excommunicated or are not welcome. Some need to seek healing for something someone in the Church might have said or done. Many just need an invitation and assurance that they will not be rejected," said Father Coy. "The Gathering To Remember sessions for inactive Catholics will begin on Thursday evening January 29, 2009 at 7 p.m. in the St. Ann Family Life Center.

For information on the prayer service or the Gathering to Remember series, call Barbara King at 901-373-6011.

Information is also available at www.stannbartlett.org. St. Ann Church is located in Bartlett at 6529 Stage Rd.

SBA Announces 2008-2009 Crossroads Concert Series Dates

The St. Benedict at Auburndale High School Music Department has announced the Fifth Season of its Crossroads Artists Concert Series.

The school's music department offers the series as a venue celebrating a variety of musical experiences for the school and greater community. The Music Department, under the direction of Tom Link and Cindy Wells, launched the series four years ago when the high school moved to a new state-of-the-art campus with a 400-seat performing arts theatre. The series is presented to inspire and educate audiences by offering quality presentations in a variety of musical styles and genres as it introduces to the greater community the school's fine arts program.

The upcoming season schedule will include:

January 11: Mozart's Worlds: An Evening of Arias

From the youthful exuberance of Abduction from the Seraglio to the spectacular romanticism of The Magic Flute, Mozart's operas have enchanted audiences for more than 200 years. The January 11 concert will feature many of Memphis' greatest voices. This concert will be coordinated by performer JemmiLou Rye and special guests. An evening of Music from such all-time favorites as The Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte, The Magic Flute, and Don Giovanni. This Concert is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

March 22: Joyce Cobb and the SBA Jazz Bands

A beloved Memphis entertainer, Joyce Cobb has been heard crooning in her own club on Beale Street, singing jazz on national tours, belting blues and rock classics at countless weddings and corporate functions. Joyce Cobb does it all with grace and brilliance.

The SBA Jazz Bands, which have been recognized for their talent in DownBeat Magazine for two consecutive years, will perform as well.

All concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Benedict at Auburndale High School Performing Arts Theatre, located at 8250 Varnavas Dr. in Cordova.

Individual or season tickets may be purchased by calling 901-260-2840, visiting the web site at www.sbaeagles.org. or sending an email to crossroads@sbaeagles.org. - - Submitted by Sharon Masterson.