St George Catholic Church Jesus Invites, St. George Welcomes

Parish Newsletter Summer is over and we are slowly returning to our normal routine. If we have not made adoration part of that routine, this might be a good time to include spending an hour a week with Our Lord in prayer. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed and Jesus is waiting for us every day from 9am until 9pm. As we establish a routine for the coming school year, establish time with Jesus too.

SEPTEMBER 2016

NEWS BRIEFS September 11 marks a special day in the history of our country. In honor of the 15th anniversary of that fateful date, Coweta County, in two ceremonies, will remember those who served and those who died on September 11, 2001. The first will be a 9am in downtown Newnan on the Court Square. The second ceremony will be a candlelight Vigil at the Veterans Memorial at the corner of Jackson Street and Temple Avenue in Newnan at 7pm. Parishioners Verna Funk and Cristina Couvillion along with the Knights of Columbus and other parishioners have helped organize and will be participating in these events and you are encouraged to attend one or both of these memorials. September 11 is the day; 3pm is the time; St. George pavilion is the place! Our annual Parish Picnic takes place next Sunday and we hope everyone will come. Lots of games and fun for the children and activities for the teens as well. Most important, the opportunity to socialize with our fellow parishioners—strengthen old friendships and make new ones. This is a cooperative effort— the Knights of Columbus will provide hot dogs and hamburgers and parishioners are asked to provide the rest. If your last name begins with “A” through “N”, please bring either a vegetable, salad (green or other), baked beans or chips. If your last name beings with “O” through “Z” please bring a dessert. The St. George Council of Catholic Women will be setting up and helping serve; the Spanish community will clean up. September 11 will begin English as a Second Language classes. Do you know someone who speaks a language other than English? Or would like to have a better command of the language? Would you like to help teach this class—no foreign language skills required! Classes are held in Henderson Hall after the 10am mass on Sundays. Just come by the class and sign up. September 11 begins another opportunity for those of us who wish to learn more about our faith. While RCIA is for those interested in becoming Catholic, it is also for Catholics who wish to understand why we do what we do and why we believe what we believe. Let this be the year you deepen your faith through prayerful fellowship as well as classes and lectures. Sessions begin at 10am on Sunday, September 11th, in Henderson Hall. The group will attend 10am mass together then adjourn for sessions. For more information, see the information center in the church hall. September 17 & 18 are the dates for our annual Ministry Fair. This is a once a year opportunity for all members of the parish to become involved in our Parish. Being Catholic is more than going to mass on Sunday. We each need to be builders of our faith community using, through His church, the gifts God has given every one of us. In the days to come, look over the numerous ministries we have here at St. George (available on our website at www.stgeorgenewnan.org) and prayerfully consider where you can help. We need YOU—truly!! Each ministry will have a table set up after all the masses that weekend. If you will not be in town, you can contact the ministry head through the website email or simply let the office know you are interested in a particular ministry. STEWARDSHIP We are called to be disciples of Christ and disciples are called to change the world. OK so changing the WORLD may be beyond our realistic ability but….you can certainly change the world right around you – your world at home and your world at St. George. You can change the world by being an active participant in one or more of the ministries at St. George. The Parish is YOU – it is not just the clergy or the paid staff. St. George needs you to function physically and spiritually. Consider the ministries available to you – some highlighted here, others at www.stgeorgenewnan.org – sign up at the Ministry Fair and change the world!

A REFLECTION ON THE JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY Deacon Steve Swope The Holy Doors of Mercy During Jubilee Years it is the custom of the Church to designate Holy Doors through which the faithful may pass in acknowledgement of God’s love and mercy and to obtain a partial or plenary indulgence. In all Jubilee Years a Holy Door is designated at St. Peter’s in Rome and in most years Holy Doors are established in each diocese. For the Jubilee Year of Mercy, there are seven churches with Holy Doors in the Archdiocese of Atlanta: Cathedral of Christ the King, Our Lady of the Americas, Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, St. Philip Benizi, Monastery of the Holy Spirit, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Vietnamese Martyrs. A holy door or porta sancta was first used in the fifteenth century as a ritualistic expression of conversion. Pilgrims and penitents pass through a Holy Door as a gesture of leaving the past behind and crossing the threshold from sin to grace, from slavery to freedom, and from darkness to light. Even today these rituals are associated with prayer, pilgrimage, sacrifice, confession, and indulgences. The Holy Door only finds meaning when the believer associates the door with Christ. Jesus is the Door! In the words of Pope Francis, “There is only one way that opens wide the entrance into the life of communion with God: this is Jesus, the one and absolute way to salvation. To him alone can the words of the Psalmist be applied in full truth: ‘This is the door of the Lord where the just may enter’ (Ps 118:20).” The Jubilee of Mercy, which is a season of grace, offers the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence through works of mercy and charity culminating in passing through a Holy Door of Mercy. These pious exercises will accompany the prayer and celebration of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist as concrete signs of conversion and “immersion” in the Mercy of the Father (Jubilee of Mercy, p 7). An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment for sins, whose guilt is forgiven. To receive the plenary indulgence during the Year of Mercy Catholics need to do the following:



Pass through the Door of Mercy at one of the churches.



Make a profession of faith in the church (either the Apostles’ or Nicene Creed).



Pray for the pope’s intentions and the pope himself.



Meditate on mercy while receiving Communion during a period either 20 days before or after visiting the pilgrimage church.



Participate in the sacrament of penance during a period either 20 days before or after visiting the pilgrimage church. YOUTH NEWS Life Teen is a program aimed at teenagers and their families to lead them into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. Life Teen believes youth are the key to the new springtime in the Church. The program began at St. George a couple of years ago and presents our faith to our youth in a way they understand through interactive activities, socialization as well as bible study and teaching Catholic beliefs. Life Teen provides teenagers with healthy and holy activities that will not only strengthen their bonds with each other but will strengthen their relationship with God as well and prepare them for the ‘outside’ world. We have over fifty teenagers enrolled in Life Teen for this coming school year. We are planning a retreat in October and will have other activities during the coming year. Information on future events will be listed more frequently in the bulletin and we have launched a new website for teens and their families, specific to our LifeTeen program: http://stgeorgenewnanlife.wix.com/sglt.

The other ‘half’ of the Life Teen program is EDGE which is new to St. George this year. This program is a middle school youth ministry experience created for early adolescents in grades six, seven, and eight. It is designed to meet the education, spiritual, emotional, and social needs of young adolescents. In many respects middle school children are on the edge because so much is going on in their lives physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially. This program gives our middle school youth The EDGE they need in life by giving them an understanding and appreciation of what the Catholic Church teaches and believes as well as creating opportunities for socialization and fellowship.

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS The Senior “Young at Heart Club” is a social ministry open to anyone over 50. We offer the chance to meet and socialize with other members of our St. George Family. We meet on the third Friday of each month at noon in the Parish Hall. Lunch is a pot-luck and we either play bingo or other games, have a speaker or just socialize. From time to time we go on outings or meet at a restaurant. Our next meeting is Friday, October 21st and we welcome you to attend. Bring a friend! We look forward to meeting you! Joining your local council of the Knights of Columbus can change your life. As a Knight, you have the opportunity to strengthen your parish, give back to your community, grow in your faith and gain exclusive access to our portfolio of top-rated insurance products to financially protect your family. Our council conducts many programs that support your parish and community including charities such as Bridging the Gap, Missionaries of the Poor, the Coweta Samaritan Clinic, Special Olympics, Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge, pro-life initiatives, the Atlanta Seminary and parish youth programs. The Knights also provide food for the Parish Picnic and other social gatherings as well as sponsoring Breakfast with Santa and the Fish Fry Fridays during Lent. In addition, the Knights sponsor the St. John Bosco Scholarship for graduating male Faith Formation students. The Knights also sponsor the Fifth Sunday Rosary to encourage the recitation of the rosary with our families. By joining, it does not mean that you need to sacrifice quality time with your family. By volunteering an hour here or an hour there - with your family - can make an enormous difference in your life and in the lives of others. Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practicing Catholics in good standing in the Church. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO JOIN: Watch the Knights of Columbus Promotional Video on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1wlX-jW9jQ), sign up at the ministry fair or contact David Lugo (Grand Knight and Membership Director)770-328-9071 or [email protected]. The St. George nursery allows tiny Catholics to loudly and happily play as their parents enjoy getting to know God better, uninterrupted in mass. Please consider giving only an hour of your time every few months and join our rotating list of volunteers. Contact Aileen Swartz -678-570-6375 [email protected]

Thanks to the efforts of Katie Defiore and our music director, Dock, we will soon have a children’s choir! Students between 3d & 8th grades are welcome to sign up at the Ministry Fair or after masses in September. Practices will be on Sunday between 11:15 and 12:15 and will begin in October. Exact date to be determined. This is a wonderful way for your children to truly participate in the mass.

Isn’t it nice to be welcomed to mass on Sunday morning? Do you enjoy coffee, juice and donuts after mass? We hope so and we hope you will enjoy helping this important ministry too! If you attend the 8am and 10am masses, you can help by staying after mass for about 20 minutes to make people feel welcome and replenish the donuts, juice and coffee. You are asked to do this only one Sunday a month and with enough help, maybe only once every two months. Sign up at the Ministry Fair and be the welcoming hand of Jesus at St. George. Altar service isn’t just for children! Anyone, male or female, young or old, can serve in this important position assisting in the celebration of mass. Training for new servers, or a refresher course if you have served in the past, will be Saturday, September 10, at 9am in the church. Prayerfully consider encouraging your children to serve or give them example by your service! You can sign up for this ministry at the fair or just show up on Saturday the 10th. The Elijah Cup ministry will be starting again at St. George in October at the 10am mass. The goal of this ministry is to pray for vocations. Each week a different person, couple or family will take a consecrated chalice from mass and put it in a place of honor in their home. The Cup will provide a focal point for daily prayer for vocations to the priesthood, permanent diaconate and religious life. If you would like to be part of this ministry, please sign up at the Ministry Fair or contact Claudine Phillips at [email protected].

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS October 6 and 13 are the next Cursillo weekends; the 6th for women, the 13th for men. Cursillo is a movement for Christian renewal. Through the weekend retreat, your view of Christianity will be changed and will better understand yourself and the world around you. Information on Cursillo can be found at the information center in the Parish Hall and at the Ministry Fair. The weekend will change your life and the experience will continue through a group of others who have become part of the Cursillo movement, Ultreya. Frequent gatherings help support and nourish your spiritual growth. The St George Cursillo Ministry is hosting the Southside Ultreya monthly meeting on Saturday, September 10th after the 5:30 Mass. We will be welcoming fellow Cursillistas from St Peter's LaGrange, St Gabriel's Fayetteville, St Mary Magdalene, St Matthew's Tyrone, Holy Trinity PTC, and St Phillip Benezi , Jonesboro. The evening will begin with a potluck meal and then our speaker for the evening will be our own Fr Henry. The Southside Ultreya meets monthly (usually at St. Mary Magdalene). We are looking forward to hosting our friends from other parishes. The Society of St. Vincent DePaul was founded in 1833 in Paris, France. Named after its founder, the volunteer organization now operates in 140 countries and is dedicated to the sanctification of its members through serving the poor and disadvantaged. The St. George chapter of St. Vincent DePaul began in 1988 and currently has nineteen members who serve approximately between forty and sixty clients a month. The Society does not just dole out money but provides support and other resources through a home visit with each client. This year they have donated approximately $6500 a month to clients usually in the form of utility or rent payments made directly to the landlord or utility company. Clients rarely receive cash. The need is great, especially in the Newnan area, and nineteen volunteers are not enough to handle all the requests for help received. Helping the poor is the essence of Christianity and St. Vincent DePaul offers you the opportunity to participate in Jesus’ work right here in Coweta County. The organization will have a table at the Ministry Fair and you are invited to come by for more information. If you are not able to attend the Fair, see the ministry listing at the St. George website (www.stgeorgenewnan.org) and send an email to the ministry head.

MARKETPLACE Do you have craft items (knitting, crochet, sewing, candle making, jewelry, etc.) to sell? Antiques? Collectibles? Have a direct sales business? For $35 you can have your own ‘booth’ at the First Annual Council of Catholic Women's Marketplace. The event will be Saturday, October 8th from 9-1 and the proceeds will help benefit The Elizabeth Ann Seton Scholarship as well as other ministries supported by The St George Council of Catholic Women. For more information on being a Vendor, please email [email protected] and mark your calendar now to attend—as a vendor or buyer

Adult Faith Formation Wednesday night Faith Formation classes for adults will begin again September 14 at 7pm in the Parish Hall. This session will run through October 12 and we will study the Acts of the Apostles. These classes are not only informative but fun and provide an opportunity for fellowship as well as prayer and study. An additional Faith Formation program for adults will begin on Sunday, October 2. Called “Coffee and Catholicism” these short sessions will be held after the 10 mass in the Parish Hall. While your children are learning, you too can learn! The first two sessions (October 2 and October 9) will cover “Where did the Bible Come From?” and be presented by Father Henry. The program will begin at 11:30 and last just 30-45 minutes. Come, meet others and learn.

CHURCH DIRECTORY If you had your picture taken for the directory, you will receive a free copy of the directory. They were distributed after all the masses but if you missed that opportunity, you can pick your copy up in the church office. If you did not have your picture taken, you may still obtain a copy of the directory. Please see Cheryl in the office for more information.

St George Catholic Preschool As we begin the school year, we say goodbye to Patrice Blatt who has served as an assistant teacher for sixteen years. Patrice decided to retire after last school year and although we will miss her, we know she’ll enjoy her well earned rest! Coming on board is Nichole Hall. Nichole has been a parishioner for ten years. Nichole has a degree from Tarrant College in Ft. Worth, TX, and has been substituting at St. George Preschool for the last four years. Nichole also volunteers as a 1st Grade Faith Formation teacher in addition to being mom to three children in 6th, 4th and 1st grades and all ’graduates’ of St. George Preschool! ! We have had a great beginning to preschool!! In September our focus was to get to know each other and to develop a classroom community. We learned each other’s name through greeting and songs. We also learned the classroom schedule and how to use and care for our classroom materials. In our prayer corners and daily visits to God’s House we are learning to make the Sign of the Cross, the Guardian Angel prayer, the Our Father and the Hail Mary. We still have a few openings available in 2 and 4 year old programs. If interested call Linda Buisson, 770-6838994 or 770-683-8996.