Friday, January 22:
    - Catholic Schools Week (School mass for Grades 1st –3rd at 9:00am and Prayer Service for K & PreK 4 at 10:15am)

Saturday, January 23:
      - First Reconciliation Service, 10:00am, Church
     - Baby Bottle Campaign, after 4 pm mas

Sunday, January 24:
    - Baby Bottle Campaign, after all Masses
    - RCIA Classes in Old Rectory, 10:00am-12:30pm
    - PSR Classes, 3rd-11th, 4:15-5:45pm
    - Confirmation Class, 6:00-8:30pm, Mass & Session in SJH

Sunday-Saturday, January 24-30:
    - Catholic Schools Week Monday, January 25
    - Sharing Program Classes all week in SJH or PC
    - St. Joseph Altar Society Meeting, 6:30pm, St. Joseph Hall
 
Tuesday, January 26:
    - KCs Officer Meeting, 7:00pm, Parish Center

Thursday, January 28:
    - Deacon Ed’s Food Bank, 9:00-11:00am, St. Joseph Hall
    - Rosary, 6:00pm, Church Friday, January 29
    - Catholic Schools Week Mass, Grades 4th-7th, 9:00am

Saturday/Sunday, January 30/31:
     - Return Baby Bottles to bins in Church, after all Masses

Map for our school arrival and dismissal  


New Student online registration


Celebrate Catholic school week at SFX



Daily themes during Catholic school week

• Jan. 31: “Celebrating Parish Leaders.” Consider marking the connection between your church and school by asking your pastor to dedicate one of your parish’s weekend Masses to Catholic education. To represent their schools, students can wear their uniforms to this Mass and thank parishioners for their support. Consider recruiting Catholic school students to fill liturgical roles, such as readers and gift bearers, at the Mass.

• Feb. 1: “Celebrating the Community.” Tell the community about a past, present or planned school-wide service project in which your students are participating, including why your students are rallying to fill that particular need. Tell the story of why it is important for your students, faculty, staff and parents to put their faith into action.

• Feb. 2: “Celebrating Faculty, Staff and Volunteers.” Invite students and parents to bring in special treats and prayers for teachers, staff and other school helpers. Thank them for their kindness, their professionalism and the difference they make in so many lives. Another fun idea is to create a dress-down day in which the teachers dress like their students and students come dressed as their teachers.

• Feb. 3: “Celebrating the Nation.” Recognize the many teachers, parents and others who are products of Catholic education themselves. Consider asking these alumni of Catholic education to share pictures of their Catholic school days and celebrate the school spirit of their own alma maters during CSW 2021. Another way to celebrate the impact of Catholic education: Have students write letters to their state representatives explaining what their Catholic school means to them.

• Feb. 4: “Celebrating Vocations.” Thank your priests – and the deacons who assist them – for leading your school Masses. Celebrate future vocations by inviting your students to dress up for their future careers. Ask your priests, religious sisters and brothers to share details on their personal journey of faith and call to vocation.

• Feb. 5: “Celebrating Students.” Designate today as “Student Appreciation Day.” On this school week wrap-up day of CSW, consider permitting your students to wear pajamas to school and enjoy a movie and popcorn. With the principal’s permission, the day could also be designated a “zero-homework” day. Pick a student at random to be the honorary principal for the day. Tell your social media audience about any “new” school rules he or she may have implemented!

• Feb. 6: “Celebrating Families.” Ways to reach out include assigning a fun math task to parents and extending a special welcome to new school families. Thank all of the supportive parents and grandparents who volunteer for and/or attend school events and who educate and form their children in the faith, especially in these challenging times of the pandemic.

     Jan 26 Tuesday Update
                            Use Your Gifts
                Next Update: Friday January 29
Masses are videotaped daily and accessible at church.stfrancisxavier.com; Upcoming Video Masses:  Today and Friday – Fr. Thien; Wednesday and Thursday – Fr. Joe

Reflection on Saints:  Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus, who were coworkers of St. Paul.  Timothy, it seems, was timid in using the gifts God gave him for he needed to be prodded by Paul to exhibit courage in evangelizing the faith.  Titus, it seems, was bolder in using his God-given gifts because Paul sent Titus on challenging missions to Corinth and Crete.  Today’s saints remind us that God created each of us different – introverts and extroverts, thinkers and feelers, etc.  May we use whatever are our unique God-given gifts for good in the world today.

Food Bank Thursday:  Our Parish Food Bank will be open on Thursday from 9 am – 11 am in St. Joseph Hall.  Thanks for supporting this ministry.

Baby Bottle Campaign concludes this weekend:  If you took a baby bottle this past weekend to support the pro-life work of the Women’s New Life Center, please return it with your donation this weekend. Thank you.

CYO Planning Meeting, Sun evening:   Our CYO will meet after the 6 pm Mass this Sunday to plan activities for the Spring.  All students in grades 8-12 are invited to participate.

Candlemas Blessing of Candles, Tue, Feb 2:   Feb 2 is the Feast of the Lord’s Presentation in the Temple, also known as Candlemas.  We invite parishioners to bring candles to Church to be blessed during the Masses that day.

Prayer Meeting, Tue, Feb 2:  Our Monthly Intercessory Prayer Meeting will be in St. Joseph Hall at 7 pm on Feb 2.  All are invited.  Handouts for all Prayer Meetings since September are on our website.

Blessings of Throats, Wed, Feb 3:  Feb 3 is the Feast of St. Blaise, the patron saint of diseases of the throat and respiratory illness.  We will bless throats at the end of the parish Masses that day.

Dinner and Devotion, February 5:  Our KCs will sponsor “Dinner and Devotion” on Friday, February 5, at 7:00pm in St. Joseph Hall.  Catholic couple Pat Veters (attorney) and Susie Veters (theology professor) will speak on the theme, “Marriage: The Gift of a Lifetime.” Tickets are $10 each and include a 3 course pre-packaged meal. Seating limited.  Social distancing observed. Contact the Parish Office or Grand Knight Randy Rose to purchase tickets at randyjrose123@gmail.com.

Mardi Gras Costume and Home/Front Door Decorating Contest:  We invite you to enter our Parish’s Mardi Gras Costume and Home Decorating Contest.  There will be 1^st and 2^nd prizes of $150 and $75 in four categories:  Best Costume for Children age 12 and under, Best Costume for Adults age 13 and older, Best Group Costume, and Best Decorated Home or Front Door (prize money donated by a parishioner).  Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality and quality.  Email a photo of your Individual Costume, Group Costume or Decorated Home/Door to rgriffin@stfrancisxavier.com by Wednesday, February 10 at 12 noon.  Include your name, address, email address and phone number.  The photo MUST be an attachment to your email and not placed in the body of the email or it won’t be considered.  One entry per category per person, group or household. Winners announced Friday, February 12.  Open to SFX parishioners and school families only.  Good luck, and Happy Mardi Gras!

“The Search” resumes Wednesday, February 24:   Owing to the extremely positive response we had in the Fall, we will have an encore presentation of the Evangelization Program, “The Search,” beginning Wednesday evening, February 24.  The program consists of prayer, a video and discussion.  It will run for seven Wednesdays through April 14 from 6:10 – 7:45 pm in St. Joseph Hall.  A sandwich, sweet and bottled water will be provided.  The cost is $35.  Preregistration required.  Social distancing observed.  Seating is limited.  The Registration form is online. 

This Week’s Events:  KC Officers Meeting tonight; Daughters Meeting tonight cancelled; Evening Rosary, 6 pm Thursday; School Masses for all grade levels and Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Week Rosary, Friday; Baby Bottle Campaign concludes, Weekend Masses; RCIA, PSR and Confirmation Classes, Sunday.

Hope to Expand Hours of Adoration in Lent:   As a way of getting back to Perpetual Adoration in our Chapel, we hope to open the Chapel for 24 hours on weekends beginning the first Weekend of Lent (Feb 19-21).  The Chapel will remain open 7 am to 6 pm Monday through Thursday, but would be open from 6 am on Friday straight through to 6 pm on Sunday.  To do so, we need Adorers to sign up for the hours of 6 pm Friday to 7 am Saturday, and from 6 pm Saturday to 7 am Sunday.  That means we need to cover another 22 hours of adoration.  If you are willing to take one of those hours, please sign the sheet in church near the Chapel or call or text Dottie Watson at 504-339-4298.  We will announce it if our hope is realized by Ash Wednesday.  Thank you.

Upcoming Events: Dinner & Devotion in SJH, Sat evening, Feb 5; Mardi Gras Costume & Home Decorating Contest – Deadline to enter is Feb 10; “The Search” Evangelization Program, Seven Wednesdays (Feb 24 – April 14); Talk, “The Eucharist in Daily Living,” Fr. Nile Gross, Mar 11; St. Joseph Altar in Auditorium, Mar 18-20; Parish-wide Book Reading, “Consecration to St. Joseph:  The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father,” begins Mar 19; Talk on St. Joseph, Fr. Joe Doyle, SSJ, April 21.

Adoration Chapel, Parish Office, Confession Schedule and Bulletin: The Adoration Chapel is open from 7 am to 6 pm daily.  The Parish Office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, and on Friday from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm.  Confessions heard this Wed at 7:30 am (Fr. Joe), this Sat at 7:30 am and 8:30 am (Fr. Thien), and this Sat from 3 – 3:45 pm (Fr. Joe).  Bulletin available on parish website and in church.

Financial Support:   Thanks for your ongoing financial support of our parish.  The semiannual Parish Finance Report will be published in next weekend’s bulletin. 

The next scheduled Email Update is Friday, January 29.
 

     Prayer for Spiritual Communion

             My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.


                Monthly Prayer meeting


Please click the link below to see the Scripture readings every month:
https://church.stfrancisxavier.com/monthly-prayer-group-meeting