Young Adults on a Mission!

Thanks to everyone who helped make our Night of Wine Tasting and Games such a success! Over 100 friends and family members came out in support of the mission, raising over $4500 to defray the expenses of our medical, construction, and educational programs in Honduras. Your generosity and support of our young adults is inspiring!

We will have more details and photos from the evening up soon here on the Good News Blog, and further reflections from our young Adults after the March 3-10 Diocesan Young Adult Mission Trip to Honduras.

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Blessings to Travelers!

Witness for Peace SE is sending 12 delegates to Colombia, January 17-27.  Their mission is to see firsthand the effects of US military aid and drug policy on this South American nation.  They will also observe creative ways that people have developed to live in peace in the midst of conflict.  Going on this trip are two parishioners, Melanie Martin and Gail Phares, the trip leader (shown above, L-R).  Our prayers will be with them while they are away.  We offered a community blessing for them at the 11:30 Mass on January 15th.

Similarly, two parishioners Jim and Cindy Rice (pictures above) are part of a delegation to Palestine and Israel with Coalition for Peace With Justice (CPWJ).  Their trip will consist of meeting with local people who are working for peaceful, non-violent solutions that uphold the human dignity of all people in the region; working with Palestinian farmers to replace olive trees destroyed by the occupation; and visiting various holy sites.  We will keep them in our prayers during their trip, January 31 through February 16.  There will be a community blessing for them at the Sunday 5:30pm Mass on Jan 29.

Jim explains, “as we studied more, and learned more, we felt increasingly called to get more directly involved.  We (especially Cindy) have been working with CPWJ on many different educational and advocacy efforts.  For some time we’ve been wanting to take the next step and visit; when this opportunity arose everything came together and we felt compelled to go.”

“We will do our best to represent our Community of St. Francis well,” says Jim. “We appreciate your prayers and look forward to sharing our experiences with you after we return.”

Christ, the Traveler

In their words on National Migration Week this year, the USCCB has asked us to see Christ in the traveler, pilgrim and migrant.  We send our heartfelt blessings to these parishioners as they witness on behalf of us and our faith in their upcoming journeys!

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Hearing The Call

By Kathleen Owen, Coordinator of Care and Wellness

A call in the middle of the night is usually a bad thing.  It seems to take forever to get to the phone, answer it, and wait to hear who’s calling and why. Even if it’s a wrong number, it takes some time before your heart stops racing and your adrenaline subsides.  To put myself in Samuel’s place, I can’t imagine being called three times and then having the presence of mind to say, “Speak, for your servant in listening.”

Thankfully, our God is a persistent God. He kept calling and Samuel responded quickly, opening up his life in the process. That process usually isn’t so smooth for most of us. It takes many calls from God for us to finally hear and interpret God’s call.  In the times when life is calmer, it’s easier to take stock of the gifts, talents and blessings in our lives and to discern ways to give back and answer the call. But in the darker times, it’s sometimes impossible to hear anything but our own cries.

One of the hardest experiences for us is the loss of a loved one. Suddenly life is changed. Routines become unfamiliar and fractured. The emptiness seems enormous and even though you know that life goes on, it’s hard to imagine. Especially in these times, God is near. He is still calling, still helping to steer us towards new life in Him.

If you’re struggling with grief, please consider our new workshop, “Living with Loss.” This six week workshop will offer participants support for those who are walking this journey -incorporating videos, discussion, and materials for reflection. For more information, or to RSVP, call Robin Nilsson at 740-7411 or visit stfrancisraleigh.org/livingwithloss . In addition to this course, there are other options for living with grief. For those options, contact Kathleen Owen at 847-8205, ext 241 or kathleen.owen@stfrancisraleigh.org

While there’s no cure for grief, and no “getting over it,” there is a way to live with it. As the Psalmist wrote, “I have waited for the Lord, and he stooped toward me and heard my cry. And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God.”

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Parish Immigration Effort

 Take the Immigration Quiz

Question:  Why would someone travel hundreds of miles over parched deserts, leave their homeland and family, risk their lives at the hands of bandits, rapists and border guards, sneak into a country illegally to live under constant threat of deportation… only to earn less than minimum wage under hazardous work conditions? 

Immigration can be complicated, but the answer to this question is surprisingly simple.  There is only one reason why someone would do this.  The answer:  Because the alternative is worse.

Illegal immigration into the USA is a humanitarian issue.  Much of the immigration to the US—particularly from Latin America—is fueled by desperation.  War and stifling poverty compel many to look northward for hope.  The US Catholic Bishops understand the right of each nation to have borders to establish an ordered society.  However, they also remind us that the right to life trumps that.  The earth is full of God’s abundance, and people should be allowed free movement in order to provide for their families. 

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has declared Jan 8-14^th as National Migration Week.  This year, they ask us to see the face of Christ in the migrant:  “We want to thank you [the immigrant] for the Christian values you manifest to us with your lives—your sacrifice for the well-being of your families, your determination and perseverance, your joy of life, your profound faith and fidelity despite your insecurity and many difficulties” (Letter of the Hispanic/Latino Bishops to Immigrants, Dec 12, 2011).  Indeed, migrant workers are not merely to be pitied or tolerated, but in the words of our bishops, they are to be looked up to as role models of the Christian faith!

The Catholic Community of St. Francis of Assisi has a long and proud history of reaching out to immigrants.  The time is ripe to wake from our slumber and rise up in splendor on behalf of them once again. There are widespread misunderstandings and potential laws on the horizon which threaten the safety, family unity and human rights of immigrants.  In the Franciscan tradition, there is also plenty of room for open debate as we confront difficult issues.

The Office of Justice and Peace would like to gather people to be part of the discussion for how we as a parish community might respond to these issues both simple and complex.  Will you join this dialogue?  Please contact frank.lesko@stfrancisraleigh.org or (919) 847-8205 x267 if you would like to be part of a parish effort to pray, study and act on the issue of immigration!

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Hospitality to Refugees

When I was a stranger, you welcomed me

The Holy Family greeted Magi who brought exotic gifts from disparate ntions.  Soon after, the family that once welcomed strangers is themselves on the run.  They flee to Egypt as refugees to escape the genocide of King Herod.  How did they survive in a strange land?  Perhaps some kindly souls offered safe haven for them.

Refugees today are coming in increasing numbers from Burma, Nepal, the Congo and Iraq.  Groups are needed to provide a 6 month commitment to meet them at the airport, help with tutoring, transportation, learning American culture and be an emotional support.  Most are fleeing persecution in their homeland—how nice to find friendly faces waiting for them in America!

This is a great opportunity for a cultural exchange, as you may be invited to a home-cooked Burmese dinner or to learn about the Hindu religion from a Bhutanese family.  You may also make new friends.  This may be a great ministry that you can do together with your own family.

If you would like to explore this possibility, contact frank.lesko@stfrancisraleigh.org at (919) 847-8205 x267 and stay tuned for an informational session in the near future!

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