MISSION STATEMENT

We, the people of St. Philip the Apos-tle, are actively striving to be a holy and loving family of faith as we eagerly seek to live the Gospel, being watchful of all the opportunities set before us to love and serve God and our neighbor.

Liturgical Schedule Sunday Masses Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm; Sunday: 8:30 & 11:00 am

Daily Masses Monday: 7:00 pm; Tuesday-Saturday: 8:30 am

Devotions (following the 8:30 am Mass) First Friday: Chaplet of Divine Mercy First Saturday: Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reconciliation Saturdays: 3:30-4:30 pm (or by appointment)

St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

2308 Third Street P. O. Box 2363 (mailing) Huffman, Texas 77336 Phone: 281-324-1478 Fax: 281-324-2775

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 25, 2010 Dear Parishioners of St. Philip the Apostle, I am Fr. Roger Caesar, S.S.J., a missionary of the Society of St. Jo-seph of the Sacred Heart. It will be my pleasure to be with you at St. Philip’s on the weekend of July 31-August 1, 2010 to worship the Lord with you and to ask for your prayers and financial support for the work God has given us to do.

What will happen to the seven million newly emancipated persons of African descent?—that was the issue with which the Vatican and the Catholic Church in America grappled in the aftermath of the Civil War. The “Josephites” (as we are usu-ally called) were founded in 1893 in Baltimore, Maryland to help address that critical concern.

The Josephites is a religious order of Roman Catholic Priests and Brothers. Our apostolate is the evangelization of the African American community. Our founders were five missionary priests of the English Mill Hill Society which had arrived in Baltimore in 1871 to minister to the newly-freed people of African descent. Three of the five were American priests. One of these, Fr. Charles Uncles S.S.J., was the first African American Catholic Priest to be educated and ordained in the United States. So from the begin-ning of our existence to the present day, the Josephite Fathers and Brothers have been an international and interracial Religious Or-der.

In our 139 year history, first as Mill Hill priests, then as Josephite priests and brothers, we have served African Americans in 174 parishes located in 37 dioceses throughout the United States. Although these parishes have not always recognized and appreci-ated as are other parishes in the various Catholic dioceses, they’ve held on to their Catholic faith and continue to take an active role in the life and mission of the Church. Education has always been an important part of our work. This is why almost every Josephite parish had a school which served both Catholic and non-Catholic children alike. Early on in several cities and towns of the South, the Josephite parish school was the only access to education available to African American children. Many if not most of the African Americans in those areas who ac-quired a college education got their start in the Josephite parish school. Josephite ministry has taken many forms over the past 139 years. But wherever we have been and whatever form our work has taken, Josephites have worked to bring the good news of God’s love and salvation to all. As partners with the people whom we serve and all people of good will, we struggle patiently against racism and prejudice, injustice and poverty. Against those who argue that color, culture, or caste entitle people to discriminate against each other, Josephites resolutely respond NO. Discrimination is wrong, it’s a sin, and it needs to end. Thus far I have been talking about what our ministry has accomplished. But the fact is, many persons such as yourselves have contributed to Josephite missionary work! We are grateful to people like you who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much for our Church. I look forward to the opportunity to thank you personally for all you have done for the mission of the Church here in America and around the world. And most of all, we thank God for our many blessings and opportunities in life. One day Jesus will come again and finish the job. But until he does, the challenges remain and the work continues. So I am coming to St. Philip’s to ask you to continue to support our Josephite work with your prayers and financial contribu-tions. Whatever you can do to help will be very much appreciated. It will enable us to care … (continued on next page)

SPIRIT and TRUTH

Mass Intentions and Scripture Readings

Monday, July 26 (St. Joachim and Anne) 7:00 pm - Special intentions of Joan and Charles Ledet Readings: Jeremiah 13:1-11; Matthew 13:31-35 Tuesday, July 27 8:30 am - +Repose of the soul of Thelma Goudeaux+ Readings: Jeremiah 14:17-22; Matthew 13:36-43 Wednesday, July 28 8:30 am - Special intentions of Susan Fogarty Readings: Jeremiah 15:10; 16-21; Matthew 13:44-46 Thursday, July 29 (St. Martha) 8:30 am - +Repose of the soul of Florine LeBlanc+ Readings: Jeremiah 18:1-6; John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42 Friday, July 30 (St. Peter Chrysologus) 8:30 am - Special intentions of Father Barker Readings: Jeremiah 26:1-9; Matthew 13:54-58 Saturday, July 31 (St. Ignatius of Loyola) 8:30 am - Special intentions of Marie Hohmann Readings: Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24; Matthew 14:1-12

Sunday Masses Saturday, July 31 5:00 pm - Special intentions of Preston and Margaret Fann Sunday, August 1 8:30 am - +Repose of the soul of Carmela Carter+ 11:00 am - For the People of our Parish Readings: Ecc 1:2; 2:21-23; Ps 90; Col 3:1-5, 9-11; Lk 12:13-21

Sunday - July 18, 2010

Sunday Collection: Children’s Collection: Second Collection/Black Bag: Total:

Dress Standard for All Masses

Men/Young Men/Boys (who have made First Communion): Shirts and pants. Women/Young Women/Girls (who have made their First Communion): Modest Dresses, Coordinated Ensembles, or Shirt/Blouses with Pants. Clothing Items not proper: flip-flops, shorts, cutoffs, t-shirts, body shirts, sloppy jeans, tank tops, and revealing clothing.

Please respect the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

The Altar Flowers are given by Country and Barbara Glenn

In Honor of their 57th Wedding Anniversary

$6,727.50 86.00

1,529.50 $8,343.00

Welcome to Our New Parishioners

To become a member of St. Philip’s, please fill out a registration form located in the foyer. Return the form either in the offering collection or bring to the parish office. We encourage all new parishioners to contact their former parish with the change. Offering envelopes are available in the vestibule for your use.

Thank you and welcome!

Prime Timers

Boat Trip Reminder

All parishioners who have signed up for the guided boat trip on Lake Conroe, please be reminded that you need to meet at St. Philips this Monday morning, 7/26, at 8:00 am. We will be leaving by bus shortly thereafter and return mid-afternoon. Please be aware that food and drink are not allowed on the bus and there are no restrooms on the bus either. We will be making a restroom stop on our way to Lake Conroe. Please bring a sweater as the bus can get cold.

Potluck Dinner/Game Night

The Prime Timers will be having a potluck dinner and game night on Saturday, August 21st at 6:30 pm. This event is for all parishioners age 50 and above who are members of the Prime Timers or would like to be members. Please bring your favorite pot luck dish and enjoy fellowship with other parishioners. We will also enjoy dominos and other board games. If you’d like to be a member of the Prime Timers you can find a membership form adjacent to the front door next to the bulletins. Also, you will be able to join the night of the potluck. Please return the form to the parish office. Presently there is no fee to join. For more info please contact Claudia Herron at 281-324-1101 or the parish office at 281-324-1478.

“Already Encountered” Have you already been on a Marriage Encounter Week-end? Would you like to renew the experience? Please consider attending a monthly Circle meeting. We meet the second Saturday of the month at 7pm. The next date

will be August 14. For more info please contact Luis & Kathy Gomez at (281) 812-3236.

(continued from previous page) ...for our retired and infirm priests and brothers.

Your help will also enable us to prepare our seminarians and support our Josephite priests and brothers in the vocation to which God has called them. Last but not least, we ask your prayers and donations to assist those in need—those who are suffering because of drugs and violence, poverty and hopelessness. Help us show them there is another way—a better way—to know Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life”.

Please be assured of my prayers and those of all the Josephite priests and brothers for your needs and intentions. Wishing you and Fr. Barker God’s choicest blessings, sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Roger Caesar, S.S.J.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 25, 2010

CCE 2010-2011 You’re Invited!

"For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare

activity which should be left to others, but is a part of

her very nature, an indispensable expression of her

very being."

~Pope Benedict XVI

Do you have a great love for the Catholic Faith? Become a Catechist and change your life and the lives of those around you! No classroom experience necessary….training is provided!

What is a CATECHIST?

Catechists are Faith-Filled. . .Men, Women, Young Adults, Retirees…...In love with Christ's message! The meaning of the word Catechist is "teacher" or one who "echoes" God's word. Catechists are also "ministers" of the church, commissioned by the community to help pass on the faith to the children of the parish. A catechist is also a ‘proclaimer’ of the Good News of Christ, as well as a mentor’ ...teaching with joy and enthusiasm.

Catechists Nurture. . . Discipleship, Faith Sharing, Enthusiasm, Healing, Learning

A Parish Catechist…….. • actively participates in Roman Catholic worship • nurtures his or her faith life by a daily commitment to prayer • shares faith with conviction, joy, love, enthusiasm, and hope • commits to the teachings of Scripture and the Sacred Tradition of the Catholic Church • accepts persons as individuals where they are spiritually and emotionally, while gently

inviting them to grow in faith • commits to continued growth and learning for himself or herself

What should I expect if I sign up? All catechists must be Virtus trained and are required to attend a mandatory teacher orientation before classes begin in the fall. You will be introduced to our program and receive a teacher's guide to accompany the textbook for the grade that you will be teaching. The religious education office also has resources for crafts, including supplies and audiovisual materials to support your lesson plans. A good number of our catechists have a few years experience teaching and are more than happy to share tips and suggestions. Calendar dates and additional mandatory training sessions will be announced during orientation.

Make a difference TODAY!! CCE registrations will be held in August; Classes are scheduled to begin in mid September.

To find out more or to volunteer, please contact Lisa Griffin Email: thegriffshome@comcast.net Phone: 281-852-3090

The Catholic Family as a Domestic Church

The Holy Family foreshadowed and anticipated what the Second Vatican Council calls “the domestic church” (Second Vati-can Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church [Lumen Gentium], Each Christian family, exemplified in the Holy Family, is to be a microcosm of the larger Church. As the larger Church is a communion of persons, so the family is a small commun-ion of persons. The family receives its life from the larger Body of Christ, the Church, and so comes to mirror the life of this larger Church. The Christian family, as the domestic Church, is equally to be a communion of faith, hope, and love. Through faith, hope, and love, Jesus abides within the family, and through the Holy Spirit he pours out the love of the Father within the family. It is within this context of the family as the domestic Church that fathers and mothers, after the manner of Joseph and Mary, have a particular obligation to nurture the Christian life within their own families. As Joseph and Mary were the first to proclaim to Jesus the living faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so Christian fathers and mothers are the first to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their children. They not only they also promise within the Rite of Baptism to raise their child in accordance with the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. The Second Vatican Council states that parents, “By their word and example . . . are the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children” (Lumen Gen-tium, no. 11). Thus, as the Church is to evangelize all nations, so Christian parents, in fostering the domestic Church within their own families, are to evangelize their children. They do this in a number of ways, always in keeping with the age of their children.  

Teaching the Faith

Fathers and mothers have the primary responsibility for teaching their children the Catholic faith, even from their earliest years. Although others, such as priests and catechists, may contribute to this education, God has commissioned parents, pre-cisely because they are fathers and mothers, to be principally accountable for the faith of the children whom they have begot-ten in love. Evangelization can simply begin with teaching young children the Sign of the Cross, because all of what they will learn later centers on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. For example, parents can teach their children that God the Fa-ther is the maker of all things—trees, animals, and the stars. In learning this, children not only become secure in the love of their parents, but they also become secure in someone (the Father) whom their parents profess is even greater, more powerful, and more loving than they are. Moreover, parents can teach their children about the mighty works of God in the Old Testament, especially the story of the Exodus. Similarly, fathers can tell their sons the stories of the great boys and men in the Old Testament—Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel, and Tobias. Mothers can tell their daughters of the faithful and heroic girls and women of the Old Testament—Deborah, Ruth, Esther, Judith, and the valiant mother and her seven sons in the Second Book of Maccabees who were martyred for their faith. In all these stories, children learn who God is and how they are to live virtuous and noble lives. Young children should also learn who Jesus is—that he is the eternal Son of the Father who became man. The Gospels are replete with stories from Jesus’ life, from his birth to his Ascension, that will touch the hearts and catch the imagination of children—his healings and miracles, his love for sinners and the poor, his care for children. Children can be led to faith in Jesus as the one who forgives their wrongs, watches over them with care, and promises them fullness of happiness and joy in heaven. As they mature, children can advance in an understanding of Jesus’ Crucifixion and death, the importance of his Res-urrection, and the hope of his coming in glory at the end of time. Children can also learn of all the works of the Holy Spirit—that he transforms them into the likeness of Jesus and so makes them children of the Father. He is the one who makes them holy and good, because he dwells within them, making them tem-ples of the Holy Spirit. Older children can learn that the Holy Spirit is the source of all virtue. Cooperating together, with the help of the Holy Spirit, mothers and fathers foster virtue within each of their children— charity, joy, peace, patience, kind-ness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self‐control (see Gal 5:22‐23). Excerpted from ‘The Christian Family and the Evangelization of Children’ By Capuchin Franciscan Father Thomas G. Weinandy, Executive Director Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices, USCCB

Please Pray

Please remember our fellow parishioners and loved ones as they face illness and recuperation: Susan Fogarty, Maria Chin Nguyen,

Catherine Wenger, Joan Pierce, Joan Ledet, Shirley Sims, Larry Podsednik, Brenda Yarbrough, Pete Dunlap, Bob Danaher,

Joe Buchanan, Ruth Shallabarger, Pauline Turk, Margaret Martin, Doris Comeaux, Suzie Bryant, Preston Fann & Rosie Collette.

Please pray for the repose of the souls of: +Hoai Lai, Florine LeBlanc, Kelly Danaher, Warren Scott, John Ayala, Rosamond Mitchell,

Teresa Lotito, Brigitta Matten, Ed Cepiel, Joe Vincent, Gene Andre, Rose DeGeorge, John Trevino, Ernest Gonzalez, Sr., Mandi Antonoff,

Patrick Kiley and Sr. Brendan.+

St. Philip’s has a prayer ministry for the sick and those in need. If you

Ministries at St. Philips

Pastor - Rev. Richard E. Barker Acolyte/Sacristan - John Comeaux Secretary - Windy McMichael Parish Phone - 281-324-1478 Parish E-Mail - stphiliphuffmantx@verizon.net Parish Website - www.stphiliphuffmantx.org Spiritual Development Disciples of Jesus and Mary - Spiritual Formation Jan Williams (281) 852-4389 Knights of Columbus Phil Griffin, Grand Knight (281) 852-3090 Women’s Guild Genevieve Schmidt (281) 324-2110 Familia for Families Jim and Margarita Rath (281) 324-5393 Eucharistic Adoration/Holy Face Prayer Group Janet Hays (281) 852-3444 Cursillo Community Alice Cornell (281) 328-9120 St. Philip’s Prayer Line, Homebound John & Mary Comeaux (281) 324-2044 King’s Children Catholic Homeschool - Parish Diane Sparks (281) 324-6011 St. Angela Merici Catholic Homeschool - Local Area Kerri Jenkins (281) 639-8917 Social Outreach / Concern St. Vincent de Paul Society; Prime Timers Claudia Herron (281) 324-1101 Respect Life Jean Nietubicz (281) 852-7461 Compassion and Caring Ministry Parish Office (281) 324-1478 Rosemont Assisted Living Judy Abdelnoor (281) 360-9728 Prison Ministry Josie Angell (281) 324-1747 Serra Club Rick Nietubicz (281) 852-7461

Education Director of Religious Education; Youth Lisa Griffin (281) 324-1934 RCIA; Adult Formation John & Daneé Sarabia (281) 852-6010 Middle School Youth Director Becky Pursell (832) 445-0176 Parish Nursery Coordinator Debra Burgower (281) 812-6356 Liturgical Altar Servers Father Barker (281) 324-1478 Eucharistic Ministers Kathy O’Donnell (281) 852-5112 Lectors Sylvester Leonards (281) 852-2975 Adornment of the Sanctuary Jan Williams (281) 852-4389 Music Ministry Jeanne Fuchser, Director, 8:30 AM (281) 852-1477 Valerie Sivil, 11:00 AM (281) 324-6625 Windy McMichael, 5:00 PM (281) 324-1478 Usher Ministry Michael Reding, Director (713) 385-4985 Money Counters Lilia Lee (281) 852-2035

Sacramental Schedule

Sacraments are reserved for our parishioners who participate in the sacramental life of the church. All scheduling must be

arranged through the parish office at 281-324-1478.

Sacrament of Baptism: At least six months after registration in the parish and active participation in Sunday Mass. Sacrament of Matrimony: At least six months after registration in

the parish and active in Sunday Mass attendance. Then six months prior to setting date.

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday: 3:30-4:30 or by appointment. Eucharistic Adoration: Thursday 9:00 am until benediction on Friday at 4:45 pm. Funeral Services: Please call the parish office before setting a date and time. Regarding personal remembrances at funeral liturgies, St. Philip adheres to the policies of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Anointing of the Sick: First Monday of the month, following the 7:00 pm Mass.

Protecting God’s Children-Virtus Training The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston maintains a mandatory program of protection for our children. This program is called “Protecting God’s Children” or “Virtus”. It consists of going to an informational class and completing required forms. All volunteers, ages 18 and over, who have any consistent and ongoing contact with our children and youth must take the Virtus training program. This includes CCE volunteers, nursery work-ers, ushers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and choir members.

Upcoming classes in our general area are at:

St. Andrew, Channelview, Saturday, August 14th, 8:15 am

St. Mary Magdalene, Humble, Saturday, August 14th, 8:45 am Sacred Heart, Crosby, Saturday, August 28th, 8:45 am

and Tuesday, August 31st, 5:45 pm St. Martha, Kingwood, Tuesday, August 31st, 6:15 pm

You must register on-line for a class. Please log onto www.virtus.org to find locations and times. If you do not have access to a computer please contact the parish office at 281-324-1478. We will be happy to register you.