Sunday September 7, 2014

Twenty-Third Sunday in

Ordinary Time

Readings for the Week of September 7th

Monday The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28-30; Ps 13; Mt 1:1-16,

18-23 or 1:18-23

Tuesday Saint Peter Claver, Priest

1 Cor 6:1-11; Ps 149; Lk 6:12-19

Wednesday 1 Cor 7:25-31; Ps 45; Lk 6:20-26 Thursday 1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13; Ps 139; Lk 6:27-38

Friday 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27; Ps 84; Lk 6:39-42

Saturday Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of

the Church 1 Cor 10:14-22; Ps 116; Lk 6:43-49

This Sunday’s Readings Next Sunday’s Readings Ezekiel 33:7-9 Numbers 21:4b-9 Romans 13:8-10 Philippians 2:6-11 Matthew 18:15-20 John 3:13-17 Gather Book 1158 Gather Book 1208

Prayer ListPrayer ListPrayer ListPrayer List

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Weekend of September 6/7, 2014 In Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans he suggests that God lavishes his love upon us through Jesus Christ, who calls us to the kind of loving relationship, if we so choose it, that demands accountability. It is like, in Saint Paul’s vocabulary, a kind of “debt” that we can never “pay-in-full.” But we begin to repay by following the direction of one of the most familiar statements in the Bible: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Good stewards realize that God does not call them just to love those who are easy to love, but to love the un-loved and the hard-to-love people in this world as well. This week, remind yourself: “I am put here as an ambassador of God’s love.” --From the July 2014 Catholic Stewardship e-Bulletin (http://catholicstewardship.com/)

Worship & Word

Altar Servers

Sep 13 - 5:30pm - L Harcus / S Starsiak Sep 14 - 7:00am - R Dillon / J Warner Sep 14 - 8:30am - B Kruszynski / M Rudolph Sep 14 - 10:30am - K / Z Bechinski Sep 14 - Noon - L Fultz / A Plummer Sep 14 - 5:30pm - D Kear / M Westrick

Note: Note: Note: Note: If you would like to submit a name please contact the Parish Office at 241-6314 ext:122. Names are removed after 4 weeks unless re-submitted.

Bus Drivers: September 14, 2014 8:30am Monica Endres 10:30am Pete Martich

Bold Bold Bold Bold denotes names new to the list this week.

MONDAY September 8, 2014MONDAY September 8, 2014MONDAY September 8, 2014MONDAY September 8, 2014

9:00 am � John Dunn by Dick & Sharon Carroll

TUESDAY September 9, 2014TUESDAY September 9, 2014TUESDAY September 9, 2014TUESDAY September 9, 2014

9:00 am � Edith Volk by Bill & Sandy Volk

WEDNESDAY September 10, 2014WEDNESDAY September 10, 2014WEDNESDAY September 10, 2014WEDNESDAY September 10, 2014

9:00 am Special Intention

THURSDAY September 11, 2014THURSDAY September 11, 2014THURSDAY September 11, 2014THURSDAY September 11, 2014

9:00 am Special Intention

FRIDAY September 12, 2014FRIDAY September 12, 2014FRIDAY September 12, 2014FRIDAY September 12, 2014

9:00 am � Edward Volk by Bill & Sandy Volk

SATURDAY September 13, 2014SATURDAY September 13, 2014SATURDAY September 13, 2014SATURDAY September 13, 2014

5:30 pm � Patricia Scanlon by Marty Forsythe

SUNDAY September 14, 2014SUNDAY September 14, 2014SUNDAY September 14, 2014SUNDAY September 14, 2014

7:00 am � Margaret Cohan by Elizabeth Ann Begen

8:30 am � Ron Forrester by Betty Walker

10:30 am For the Parish

Noon � Stephen Seward & Jerry Cahill by Cahill Family

5:30 pm � Richard Muessig by Family & Friends

ILLNESSILLNESSILLNESSILLNESS Ginger Arnot Hal Mayo

Jim Beall Rita McAtee

Mildred Blakney Angie Meyer

Odia Boston Evan Ollier

Martha Caldwell Linda Osborn

Ellen "Horlander" Challman Madeline OwensMadeline OwensMadeline OwensMadeline Owens

John Danyluk Joe Pieczko

Ron Deal Judy Sieferman

John Folger Jana Strain

Denise Hake Helen ThrashHelen ThrashHelen ThrashHelen Thrash

Jan Hosp David Townsend

Jeanne Johns Shirley Volz

JoAnn Jones Hillary Weatherholt

Karen Kober Brenda Williams

Roger Kreighbaum John Zetzl Nathan Legge

DEATHDEATHDEATHDEATH Howard Haley, Father of John Haley

Kathy Drew, Parishoner Joseph Petner, Father of Joyce Wyatt

Resources & Development

September 12, 2014

Callers: J Csenar, J Csenar, C Csenar

Team #3 – Captain: V Hamblen; Early Setup: R Ramos; Supply: L Barber; Salad: A Endres; Fryer: C Fultz; Workers: N Tyron, C Butler, R Miltenberger, L Siener, S Serverino, D Reyes, L/S Shelby, A Bradley, C Sanchez; Bakers: E Eke, M Cesnik, K Jost, E Nograles, A Pierce, M Hedge, C Fleischmann; Biscuits: D Voegele

Parish Stewardship of Treasure

Week of August 31, 2014

Weekly Budget $26,346.15

Weekly Offering $21,598.80

YTD Actual $203,499.20

YTD Budget $233,653.86

YTD Gain (Loss) ($30,154.66)

Endowment $200.00

Special Collec/on $150.00

Around the Archdiocese

Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20 When you join yourselves together in faith, I am with you. Question for Children: What is one thing you would do for someone whom you loved? Question for Youth: Jesus tells us about the importance of community and friendship. When have you helped heal an argument between friends? How did that feel? Question for Adults: How do you make sure you follow the way of love as described by Paul in today’s reading? What steps do you take to eliminate the unloving — grudges, hatred, prejudice, or others?

Liturgical Commission

Golden Anniversary Mass 2014Golden Anniversary Mass 2014Golden Anniversary Mass 2014Golden Anniversary Mass 2014

All married couples of the Archdiocese who will celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary during 2014 or have already celebrated their 50th anniversary, are invited to the 31st Annual Gold Jubilee mass at 2:00 pm (EDT) on Sunday September 21st at SS. Peter & Paul Cathedral, Indianapolis. Archbishop W. Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R. will celebrate the Mass. A reception for the Jubilarians & their families will follow im-mediately after the Mass. The event is free of charge, but registration is required. For more information, contact the Office of Pro-Life & Family Life (317) 236-1521 or 1(800) 382-9836 ext. 1521. Registration forms can be obtained online at www.archindy.org/plfl/jubilee-form01.html. Completed forms can be emailed to Keri Carroll at kcarroll@ archindy.org, or mailed to the Office of Pro-Life & Family Life, 1400 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202.

Scecina Memorial High School Class of 1964 Class Reunion

The Scecina Memorial High School Class of 1964 is hosting a 50-year reunion for classmates & guests the weekend of

Sept. 19-20. The weekend includes a golf outing, social & tour of the school on Friday & Mass, dinner & music on Saturday. For more information, please contact Mary Ann Arszman Engstrom at 317-709-4508 or maeng-strom@live.com.

HEALTH MINISTRY UPCOMING EVENT

The Substance Addictions Ministry (SAM) is sponsoring a Re-covery Mass on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 7:00 pm at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House located at 5353 East 56th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46226. The Reverend Joseph L New-ton is the Celebrant. Reception and refreshments immediately following Mass.

Around the Archdiocese

El Festival Mariano Save the Date October 4, 2014

Marian University is having a festival to celebrate it’s heritage

as a Catholic university under the patronage of Mary, the moth-

er of God. The Festival will include authentic Latino foods,

music, games, a raffle, face painting, & a beer tent. Food &

alcohol will be available for purchase. For more information

http://www.marian.edu/marian-festival.

Governor Pence to address

10th Anniversary

Catholic Business Exchange

Indiana Governor Mike Pence will speak at the 10th Anniversary Meeting of the Catholic Busi-ness Exchange on September 19. His topic will be: Faith and Public Service.

The event is Friday morning, September 19, at the North Side Knights of Columbus. Mass starts at 7am and the program will be finished by 9am. Cost for the program includes a great breakfast and is $15 in advance for members and $21 for non-members. Reg-istration is required. To register, pay online and for more infor-mation, visit www.catholicbusinessexchange.org.

St. Christopher

C.C.D. Program

The next scheduled CCD mee�ngs September 14,21 & 28. For more informa�on please contact Sr. Mary Ann at 241-6314 ext. 119 or

madefazio@stchrisindy.org

Women’s Parish Retreat CHRIST RENEWS HIS PARISH (CRHP)

October 11 – 12, 2014

Personal renewal, Community building & discipleship Time for quiet prayer & reflection Share & deepen your Catholic faith

• This is not an overnight retreat. The first day starts at 8:15 am & concludes with a 7:00pm Penance Ser-vice. The second day begins at 8:30 am, we join the parish community to attend the 10:30am Mass. The Retreat ends at 4:00 pm.

• Delicious meals prepared for you! To help subsi-dize the parish budget for CRHP there is a $20 Fee.

• The Retreat is facilitated by the CRHP Parish Team & our Pasto-ral Associate, Sr. Kathy

• Registration Forms are on the St. Chris website & brochures are available in the racks in Em-maus Way.

A big Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you to all who came out for the Annual Church Cleaning Saturday

The next scheduled meetings are:

September 14: The PAR

September 20- 21: St Susanna’s

September 28: Biltmore house

For more information please

contact Tom at 317-340-4579 or

Natalie at 317-517-4545

Parish Life

55 and OVER

Mark Your Calendar! Thursday, September 18th, at 12:30pm

Our guest speaker will be Eric Townsend from Mutual of Omaha Ins. Co. The time-

ly and informative topic will be “Medicare Made Simple.” Call either Helen at 291-5878 or Barb at 852-7113 for reservations - let them know if you will need to use the chairlift.

DONUTS - THIS WEEKEND!!

We will have co�ee, donuts, & juice in Damascus after the 7am, 8:30am, & 10:30am Masses this Sunday - Enjoy!!

WOMEN’S CRHP TEAM# 4

Meeting

Monday, September 8th at 7pm

Damascus Room

BRIDGES

Discussion Group Tuesday, September 9th at 7pm

Parish Office Building

VOLUNTEER PROJECT

COMMITTEE MEETING

Wednesday, September 10, 1:30 pm

Damascus Room

Adult Faith Corner

Check us out!

We meet Sundays after the 8:30am Mass for an open discussion on a variety of top-ics.

For additional information about the Adult Faith

Corner please check out the St. Chris website.

Special Collection for the Middle East September 13 & 14

Our Church mourns the terrible suffering of Christians & other innocent victims of violence in Iraq, Syria & Gaza who are struggling to survive, protect their children & live with dignity in dire conditions. Given the extraordi-nary nature of this crisis, we are taking up a special col-lection to provide humanitarian relief & pastoral support for our affected brothers & sisters & other innocent vic-tims of the violence in the Middle East. They urgently need the assistance of the Catholic community of the United States. Please put Special Collection, Middle East on the memo line of your check.

Faith Formation

Parishioner Contact Information

If you’ve recently moved, changed your phone number, gotten rid of your land line, or changed your email ad-dress please contact the Parish office (241-6314) so we can update the information in our records to make sure you continue to receive parish mailings and infor-mation. Thank You!!

Christian Services

Harden Not Your Heart

Morning Prayer starts the day.

Then, coffee and the news.

At times, the words coming filling

the air are heartbreakingly painful and

Hard to hear.

I want a world without violence or tragedy.

I want a world of justice and peace.

I want a world of compassion and love.

But then, I am a dreamer at times.

I do understand human nature.

I pray that all the bad news will not harden

my heart or yours.

I pray that soon Christ's love will

heal and conquer all.

Trudy Bledsoe

Thanks to all of you who have been contributing food to the pantry. With the present demand we are still in need of cereal, peanut butter, tuna, fruit and size 5 diapers. As always your help is much appreciated.

RESPECT FOR LIFE

NATIONAL DAY of REMEMBERANCE - MEMORIAL SERVICE for ABORTED CHILDREN: Saturday, September 13, 4:00 pm, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic

Church, 14598 Oakridge Rd. in Carmel. On this day many pro-life Americans throughout the country will gather at the gravesites in their honor for the second annual prayer ser-vice. More Info: Contact Annie Hosek at anhosek@gmail.com NEED FOR EVERY LIFE – “Through the vulnerability & de-pendence of the dying person, we discover a call to reach beyond ourselves to those around us & ultimately to God Himself.” Ruth Ashfield, “The Gift of the Dying Person,” Com-munio, 39, Fall 2012 FORGIVENESS – As a special word to anyone who has par-ticipated in the culture of death, the following quote from Pope John Paul II, World Peace Day, January 1, 1997, offers hope: “I know well that it is hard, & sometimes even ap-pears to be impossible to forgive, but it is the only way, be-cause all revenge & all violence give rise to further revenge & violence. It is certainly less difficult to forgive when one is aware that God never tires of loving & forgiving us.” PRAY - for those who are discouraged in their work to build a culture of life, and for those facing the death penalty and all affected by their crimes. NURSING HOME VISITATION MINISTRY Please contact Flora Villanueva at floravillanueva89@yahoo.com, if you would like to join us for either September or October. Even if you are not interested in attending Respect Life meetings, you can help with this ministry. For ARCHDIOCESAN PRO-LIFE EVENTS, LINKS go to

www.archindy.org/prolife

Faith Formation

The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)

RCIA is the Church's program for welcoming those who wish to be initi-

ated into the Catholic Church. We will begin this coming Wednesday, September 10, at 7:00 p.m. in the Damas-cus room. If you are interested, please contact Bill at 241-6314 or email at billsvv@stchrisindy.org

Thank You Thank You Thank You For the generous 5th Sunday donations

last weekend to help local families

HOW CAN I HELP? The 2nd Saturday of every month we volunteer

at the SVdP Indy Food Pantry. We meet at the Food Panty at

8am (3001 East 30th Street), if you need a ride please call

Bill Sayre at 317-271-2853. We usually work until 1 pm. The

next Saturday to help is September 13, 2014. It is fun

and rewarding. Saturday, September 13 – Help at the SVdP Distribution

Center! We meet. Meet in the St. Chris parking lot at

7:30am. You can also just be at the SVdP Distribution Cen-

ter - 1201 East Maryland Street - by 8 am. We work until

about noon. The SVdP Indy Food Panty - 3001 East 30th Street The Largest Food Pantry in the Midwest serves about 3,000

families each week with 100% Volunteers! It is called a

"Client Choice" Food Pantry - It is set up like a small grocery

store and Clients go "shopping" for the items they need and

are allowed shopping points based upon family size.

Helping at the SVdP Food Pantry:

Tuesday 8am - 2pm

Thursday 8am - 2pm and 5pm - 8pm

Friday 8:30am - 1pm

Saturday 8am - 1:30pm to help with shopping A commitment to serve the full shift is best, but any time is

appreciated. Note that volunteers or groups are also needed to keep current with repackaging, sorting, and stocking tasks. If you would like more information on how you might be able to help St. Chris SVdP please contact Paul Guenin, 317-244-9731, padeceje2@aol.com SVdP Help Line 317-687-0169, Donation Line 317-687-1006

Answered Monday through Friday 8:30-4:30

www.svdpindy.org

Message from Fr. Dan

Sacred Land CD Status

Our musicians' CD, "Sacred Land," dedicated to Fr. Mike will be released early in September. Due to the large number of pre-sale orders we increased the number of cd's that we are pressing which caused a bit of a delay. We will announce when the pre-sale orders can be picked up. Extra CD's will be available for purchase at that time!

Dear St. Christopher Parish, School has started. Both St. Christopher and Cardinal Ritter may have had a slightly later start than other schools in the sur-rounding area, but it

has started nonetheless. From pre-kindergarten to sen-iors in high school, it has started. Even college students are beginning to move into their dorm rooms and apart-ments for another academic year. And I remember it. Being a recent graduate from the world of academia, I re-member the excitement and anxiety of starting a new se-mester. I remember the joy of seeing my classmates again and catching up after a summer of being apart. I remem-ber the dread of receiving our class schedules and syllabi, knowing that it was not going to be an easy semester. And I remember how much fun it could be to learn some-thing new. But as I pondered and remembered all these things, I thought about those of us who aren't going back to school. As a recent addition to the ranks of non-students, I have to admit that it feels good to no longer be writing research papers or taking tests or doing reading assignments. It feels great to live a life that isn't measured on a grading scale. And it is incredibly freeing to shrug off the pressure to prove that you know what you know. And yet, I'm acutely aware of something missing in my life. I don't know. Maybe it’s because I miss my class-mates and don't have the school environment to see them on a daily basis anymore. Maybe it’s just the fact that my entire life has basically revolved around school, and being out of it makes me yearn for the familiar. Or maybe it’s that school was safe and controlled while life in the real world is full of bumps and pot holes. But perhaps...perhaps it’s something deeper. Perhaps it’s the fact that as a human being, I desire to know. I de-sire to learn and to stretch and to grow. I have a natural curiosity about God and the world he created. I love the stories from our past that explain why things are the way they are today. I love the history that made us who we are. I long to understand what caused our world to be what it is. I want to know the truth. And that is what I miss most about school. Quid est veritas. What is truth? It is the question Pon-tius Pilate asked Christ during their conversation in the praetorium. Quid est veritas. And what is Christ's an-swer? Silence. He has already spoken all that needed to be spoken to know what is truth. But Pilate hadn't been

listening. Neither had the scribes or the Pharisees or most of the people of Jesus' time. To them, truth was still some great, vast, untouchable reality that could only be understood by the very intelligent and the very wise. It was a cold reality; a brutal reality that revealed hidden secrets and uncovered the lies we tell ourselves when we are afraid. But we know better. Quid est veritas? It isn't a ques-tion with a mathematical answer or a chemical formula or a scientific theory on how the universe works. It’s not a history lesson about the long dead past. And it’s certainly not as complex as we make it out to be. What is truth? It’s a person! It’s a living, breathing person who just hap-pens to be God himself, the Word made Flesh who dwells among us. And what does that Word say to us if we ever grow quiet enough to listen? "I love you. Do not be afraid!" And in those seven wonderful words, we begin our journey toward truth. We begin our journey toward God; a life-long journey that is our greatest education. Many of us are no longer students in the local schools and univer-sities, but as disciples of Christ, we are students of love. The very word "disciple" literally means "student." May we never graduate or grow too old to be disciples, stu-dents of the God who loves us. Some of the most brilliant men and women in the history of the world spent their entire life trying to plumb the depths of God's love and mercy and goodness, and they barely scratched the sur-face. Even St. Thomas Aquinas, the greatest of Catholic theologians once remarked that all his books and writings were mere straw compared with the true grandeur and love of God. Even after we've all died and gone to heaven, we will spend eternity learning about our God who is infi-nite, continuing our discipleship in love. Every time we think we've seen it all, we'll turn a corner and discover something new about how much God loves us. We will never be bored, for we will always be growing and learn-ing and falling in love over and over and over again. So as the new school year begins in earnest for our youth, may we also rededicate ourselves to learning more about our God who desires above all else to make us hap-py. For in Him, we will discover the way, the truth, and the life. Quid est veritas? Deus est veritas et caritas. What is truth? God is Truth and Love. Yours in Christ, Fr. Daniel Bedel Sed Lux Lucet In Tenebris (A light shines forth in the darkness; Jn 1:5)