Dynamic Speaker Inspires at Job Connections Meeting

Tim Dumas, noted speaker, consultant and magician presented at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Job Connections Ministry monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 22 . Tim combines his unique experience in the business and entertainment world to help clients find exceptional ways to improve creativity, increase sales and profits, and use humor to develop fun and productive work environments. The presentation was aimed at assisting job seekers, as well as improving current job effectiveness. Additional information on Tim Dumas may be found at http://www.timdumas.com

The Job Connections Ministry at St. Francis, in existence for over two years, seeks to encourage and support men and women while they are in between jobs. The ministry offers instruction and support while providing encouragement, information, networking, job search skills and spiritual guidance. It is open to anyone in the community and meets monthly at St. Francis. Additional information on the ministry may be found at http://www.stfrancisraleigh.org/job_connections

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Church Buildings Receive Gold LEED Awards

Fr. Mark Reamer OFM, John F. O’Connor - Minister Provincial of the Holy Name Province, and Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh.

On Monday, January 31, 2011, representatives from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) presented three Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Awards to the Catholic Community of St. Francis of Assisi for the standards followed in the design and construction of three buildings on our campus; the Assisi Community Center, Elizabeth Hall Preschool, and St. Mary of the Angels Chapel. LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Receiving any certification is an accomplishment; receiving three awards is indeed a rarity, and reflects our parish’s 28 year history of concern for our environment.

In addition to representatives from the USGBC, other honored guests included Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh; Very Reverend John F. O’Connor, Minister Provincial of the Holy Name Province; North Carolina 4^th District United States Congressman David Price; Mr. Dee A. Freeman, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources; and Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.   

The award ceremony took place at 3:30 pm in St. Mary of the Angels Chapel, 11401 Leesville Road, Raleigh, NC 27613. For additional information, please contact Marc Kielty at marc.kielty@stfrancisraleigh.org or 919/847-8205, ext. 266.  The Catholic Community of St. Francis of Assisi continues to commit to Catholic Social Teaching, which includes ”caring for God’s creation.”  See an overview of all of our commitments, click here.  Also, note recent article in News & Observer related to St. Francis’ commitments.

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Young Adults Raised Over $3000 for Mission Trip

The Diocese of Raleigh, Young Adult Mission to Honduras hosted a night of wine tasting and games to support their 2011 Mission Trip to Honduras on Friday, February 18th at St. Francis of Assisi in Raleigh.  The goal of the event was to raise funds for the 2011 Mission Trip and awareness of the Young Adult Communities within the diocese.

The event rose over $3000 dollars and is still counting donations. The funds raised will go to support the medical, construction and community teams going on the Mission Trip this year.  The medical team in the past has served over 300 persons a day, addressing dental, medical and prescription needs that otherwise go unattended during the year.  The construction team has provided in the past solar and traditional electrical installation and general enhancement to the parish and schools that deliver critical services to the community. The community team has delivered immersive English as second language workshops to high school seniors to help prepare for careers in technical and commerce fields.

 The event was well received by a diverse group of people and multiple young adult groups from various parishes, such as St. Thomas Moore located in Chapel Hill, Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh, St Michael’s in Cary as well as St. Francis of Assisi.

 St Francis of Assisi Young Adult Community considers the fundraiser a great success. The group looks forward to providing more spiritual, service and social activities this year. For more information about the SFYAC, please visit our Facebook page at St Francis Young Adult Community or email the group at our new email address at StFrancisYAC@gmail.com

Diocesan Director of Evangelization Rob Jones was able to speak at the event about the Young Adults within the Diocese of Raleigh and how important it is to support the young adults’ efforts

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Parish Couples Enrich Marriage on Valentine’s Day

Celebrating Valentine’s Day, parish couples gathered for wine, hors d’oeuvres, fellowship, prayer, and an engaging talk about love and commitment by Catholic speaker Roy Petitfils.  Yes, love flowed out of a packed Founders Room for an evening of marriage enrichment. 

Roy Petitfils challenging the couples to live their commitment

 Petitfils’ combined humor,  interactive sharing, honesty about his own marriage and experiences as a marriage counselor, and theological wisdom on the sacrament of matrimony.  So many couples commented on Petitfils’ passion, energy, and enthusiasm.  Petitfils’ most recent book is What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About the First Five Years of Marriage. 

In recognition of National Marriage Week, February 7-14, the Diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life invited Roy Petitfils, Catholic author and counselor to the Diocese for a series of talks throughout the diocese.  

Gladys Whitehouse, Coordinator of Family Life, and Ben Whitehouse, Director of Parish Operations, also led the couples through a prayerful reflection on the role of the “table” in their home and marriage and its connection to the Eucharistic table.  The evening concluded with a farewell song and dance by the couples. 

Gladys sharing about how "breaking bread" has been vital to their family

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St. Francis Participates in the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Clean-up

Madeline Miles picks up trash in the 17-Acre Preserve

The work crew poses for a shot after an afternoon of work

St. Francis parishioners joined with parishioners from Immaculate Conception Church in Durham and members of the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association for a couple of very productive hours of clean-up in the 17-acre Wood Preserve of Ellerbe Creek in Durham.  The Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association partners with the Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative (UNCWI) to protect those lands most critical for the long-term safety and health of drinking water supplies in the communities located in the Upper Neuse River Basin.  Ultimately, this watershed (and its trash and polluntant load) empties into Falls Lake which is the source for the drinking water of Raleigh. 

Many of the participants in this clean-up helped clear a non-native and highly invasive shrub called Privet from a section of the 17-Acre Wood Preserve.  Privet produces leaves early in the spring and then reduces light available for other herbaceous plants and trees.  One of the goals of the ECWA is to bring back the rich native flora of the Ellerbe Creek valley, much of which survives only in remnants along roadways, in ditches, or here and there along the creek.  Other participants collected trash along the creek bed and throughout the preserve. 

Art Clark handles the Privet clearing

Kate Meehan and Cynthie Kulstad, on staff with ECWA, continued to remark how this clean-up was one of their most successful clean-ups to record.  Art Clark, a parishioner of St. Francis and member of the Care of Creation Ministry Group, helped organize this event. 

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Prayer Shawl Ministry Gives Away Their Goods

The Prayer Shawl ministry continues to knit, crochet, and sew their prayers with yarn and fabric and give their wares to those in need in our community and beyond.  Since September 2010, this ministry has given 333 items away.  These items, which include hats, scarves, blankets, lap robes, and shawls, were distributed to several local agencies, like Catholic Parish Outreach, Duke Children’s Hospital, and Ronald McDonald House.  Some hats and scarves were also brought by the 4th and 5th graders of The Franciscan School to Moore Square in Raleigh, and others were taken by a St. Francis of Assisi delegation to St. Francis Inn in Kensington, Philadelphia.  This ministry continues to gather a vibrant and fun group of parishioners together for a couple hours every Thursday at 1230pm.  If you would like more information about this ministry or you would like to volunteer in this ministry, please contact Regina Sisinni at 841-5866 or Cindy Cardello at 846-8825.

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Community Garden Committee Hosts Potluck and Presentation

Cullen Whitley, head volunteer gardener of Victory Garden gives presention on community gardening

A multi-generational group over twenty people attended the Community Garden potluck and meeting on February 2, 2011.   St. Francis parishioners Pat and Paul Kelly are leading this initiative to bring a community garden to St. Francis’ campus.  With their committee and their many volunteers, we are hoping to break ground this spring.  At the Potluck gathering on the 2nd, Cullen Whitley, a forester and horticulturist, offered a presentation on the creation of the Highland Methodist Church Victory Garden and gave us tips on how to proceed with our garden planning.  Maria Pimentel from EPA attended and would like to work with our group to create an educational model using the community garden as a centerpiece for environmental education concerning water conservation, sustainability, etc.  We are also looking to partner with NC State University and the College of Design in planning the long-term vision and design of our community garden.  Sun Butler, Farmer and Educator with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, also shared information about the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, their teaching farm and community garden program along with gardening information at the Potluck.  If interested in volunteering and/or contributing to the success of this garden, please contact Pat and Paul Kelly at mpmkelly@hotmail.com

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