St. Robert's Catholic Church Bulletin, May 26, 2002

St. Robert's Catholic Church

1380 Crystal Springs Road, San Bruno, CA 94066

Tel: (650) 589-2800

PARISH BULLETIN
May 26, 2002
Trinity Sunday

Dear Parishioners,

We recently finished another year of RCIA. This is the program to help prepare adults for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist. This program also welcomes and prepares people baptized in other faiths. This year we celebrated with 16 participants.

As much as the team, Donna McGuigan, Rita Tullius, Michelle Blumenthal, Tom Rowan and I, would like to take credit for the success of this program, we realize that it is the parishioners who make the first contact with these candidates. These people are your relatives, friends, neighbors, or co-workers. It is you, through your welcoming, inviting, caring, and openness to the faith that brings these candidates to contact you and then, eventually, us.

Each year we receive letters of thanks from the participants. They consistently thank the parishioners for praying for them throughout their journey. They remember different people from the special Masses in Advent & Lent, Stations of the Cross, and the Easter Vigil. They remember shaking hands with strangers who were happy to welcome them to St. Roberts.

We get comments like:

"I feel a part of the whole church community".
"I’m no longer just going through the motions at Sunday Mass."
"I now understand why we do the things we do. I now know how to pray."
"I feel complete when I go to Mass on Sunday."
"I feel I belong."

We already have 5 names for our next class, which will begin in September. If you know of anyone who might like to join us, please call the rectory now. We will contact them soon and remind them in September. Please continue to let God work through you as you reach out to others with God’s love, doing God’s work, in your daily lives.

Deacon Duffey

EVENING OF PRAYER

The parishes of our area Deanery 9 will have an hour of prayer Friday night, May 31st from 7 pm to 8 pm at St. Veronica’s Church. You are invited to pray for forgiveness for past sins of some clergy and for healing of the victims who have been abused. In addition, we will pray for our Catholic Church in America, especially its leadership.

WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS

5/27 Monday	8:30	Those who died for our country †
5/28 Tuesday	6:30 8:30	Maria Luisa Kahn † Mary Daly †
5/29 Wednesday	6:30 8:30	Jimmy Hernandez † Shami-Galea Family
5/30 Thursday	6:30 8:30	Peg Cerri † Jane Lambert †
5/31 Friday	6:30 8:30	Denise Decena Thomas Daly †
6/01 Saturday	8:30 4:30	Paul & Rosina Vella † Pauline Muscat †
6/02 Sunday	7:30 9:00 10:30 12:00 5:30	Mocelin & Emilio Families † Sam Vella † Carmen Lucchese † People of St. Robert's Carlo Foti †

READINGS FOR NEXT SUNDAY
SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY & BLOOD OF CHRIST

Deuteronomy 8:2-3
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
John 6:51-58

Last week, for Pentecost Sunday, I wrote that fire as a symbol of the Holy Spirit is meant to project power, as opposed to fire symbolizing the light of Christ at the Easter Vigil. In hindsight, that was a rather one-sided, masculine interpretation of the fire of the Holy Spirit. Two other characteristics of fire appropriate to the Holy Spirit of God are warmth and purifying.

One might say that warmth is a more feminine reading into the nature of fire than ispower. Interestingly, in today’s readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, when we celebrate God as Godself, our readings seem to speak more of God’s mercy, kindness, love, fellowship, and peace than of God’s power. (Actually, these virtues are immensely powerful, but not in the ways we usually think of power.) We might associate these virtues more with the warmth of the Holy Spirit than with the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we assign "masculine" or "feminine" characteristics or names to God, we should not be deceived into thinking that God is either male or female. God is beyond gender. Remembering that the fire of the Holy Spirit is also a purifying fire reminds us that, beyond and before all things and names, God is good and holy. In the purifying power and warmth of the Spirit, God makes us good and holy, too. Being male or female is a real and important part of our humanity, but in the Spirit, God transforms us to be like God in ways that transcend our gender. Pat V.-K.

As a Parish Community, we Pray...for all those whose lives are torn by violence, hatred and war. May the spirit of God breathe gently on their hearts and bring them peace, especially in the Holy Land and Afghanistan.

SICK RELATIVES AND FRIENDS

We pray for the ill: Sharon Aiello, Marilyn Arancibia, Robert Bacci, Ilaria Belluomini, Bastiaan Blumenthal, Marcia Bourne, Ann Burns, Joseph Calleja, Arthur Candia, Josie Clarke, Nan Connolly, Ana Cosgaya, Imelda Daly, Walton & June Dickhoff, Sandra & William Dill, Carl Edwards, Adela Florez, Henry Fosson, Jim Halpin, Denise Hawald, Joanne Johnson, Koret Koelman, Muriel Krause, Josephine Lavoie, Marky, Daniel McHale, Rosemary McHale, Jeanne McHugh, Terry McLeod, Josefina Mercado, Sal Milizio, Catherine Murtagh, Pauline Speranza, Kari Stellino, Bernadine Trenchard, and Don Vickery.

Please call the Rectory if you have a friend or family member who is ill or in the hospital and would like a visit from our Clergy.

Our sincere sympathy to the families of
George Jones &
Elias Nackard
who died recently.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Jesus wants us to ponder the events in our lives, ask Him questions and trust Him even when we do not fully understand. To do this, we must make room in our hearts for Him and set aside time to let God penetrate our thoughts. On Saturday, June 1st, and on every first Saturday, we have the opportunity to sit quietly before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Adoration follows the 8:30 a.m. Mass and continues until 10:00 a.m. Jesus has promised us He would never leave us and He invites us to be with Him forever. Let His promise draw us close to Him in prayer!

RITE OF PASSAGE
"LITTLE CHURCH" TO "MIDDLE CHURCH"

All children going into the 2nd grade are invited to participate in the Rite of Passage from

"LITTLE" to "MIDDLE" Church
Sunday, June 9th at the 9 am Mass.

PARISH MEETING
May 28th at 7:30 p.m.

All parishioners are welcome to join Father Ring for a discussion of the issues facing the Church at this time of crisis and of opportunity. Time will be devoted to the topic of the upcoming Bishops’ meeting with an opportunity to give input on the topic of whether there should be "zero tolerance." The meeting will be on Tuesday evening, May 28th at 7:30 p.m. in Hennessy Hall.

CONGRATULATIONS

Amanda Zelnik, an eighth grader at Parkside Intermediate School and a parishioner here at St. Roberts has been named a United States National Award Winner in mathematics by the US Achievement Academy in Lexington, Kentucky. Her name will appear in the nationally-published USAA Official Yearbook.

CALENDAR

Monday, May 27th
Memorial Day - Parish Office Closed
1:30 - 3 pm, Cheerleading Practice.....Hall
7:30 - 9 pm, Drop-In Support.....Convent Chapel

Tuesday, May 28th
6:30 - 8 pm, Legion of Mary.....Library

Wednesday, May 29th
All Day, Altar Server Picnic
6 - 9 pm, 8th Gr. Party Mtg.....Hall

Thursday, May 30th
3-On, 8th Gr. Play Practice.....Hall
7:30 - 9 pm, Festival Mtg...Library

Saturday, June 1st
9 - 10 am, Eucharistic Adoration.....Church

Sunday, June 2nd
10 - 11:30 am, Fil/Am Choir.....Hall

Building for a New Century

Pledge/Gifts as of May 17 Number of Families	$1,570,641.32 584
Actual cash received as of May 17	$398,499.01

St. Robert's Adult Education
2002 Program Questionnaire

What subjects would you like to see covered in this program?

1. Church History
2. Liturgy
3. Sacraments
4. Bible Study
5. Other
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

What time would be good for you?

1. Saturday morning
2. Saturday evening
3. Sunday evening
4. Weekday morning
5. Weekday evening

How many sessions (weeks) should be in a series?

1. Two
2. Three
3. Four
4. LOther ______

Which format would you prefer?

1. Lecture
2. Lecture with video
3. Discussion following lecture/video
4. Other __________________________________________________

How could the last series (World Religions Video Series) be improved?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

What would you like to see for Adult Education at St. Robert’s?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Name (optional): ___________________ Telephone (optional): ________________

Please return completed questionnaire to the rectory, to school,
or put in the collection basket by June 1st

MEN'S CLUB & WOMEN'S GUILD

Thank you to all of our outgoing officers of the Men’s Club:

Dan Uroz, Steve Belluomini, Mario Jauregui, Rico Medina, Brian Shea, Joe Simpson and Russ Ferreira

and of the Women’s Guild:

Denise Selby, Anna Carroll, Barbara Mitchell, Josette Reid, Eileen Cotroneo, Rose Benavente, Patty Ciraulo, Kristine Wright, Lisa Galea, Rosa Mendez, Dolores Moynihan, Victoria Sciacqua & Caroline Uniacke

Congratulations to our incoming officers of the Men’s Club:

Steve Belluomini, Joe Simpson, Jim Brown, Rico Medina, Bart Murphy, Matt Gaines and Russ Ferreira

and of the Women’s Guild:

Patty Ciraulo, Mary Alvergue, Anna Carroll, Renae Ferreira, Luisa Diaz, Patricia Linehan, Michelle Compton, Eileen Grealish, Robin McCarthy, Linda Cuddy, Laura Davis, Laura J. Davis, Marilyn Marshall & Maureen Mitchell

FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR
DON THOMPSON, PARISH ORGANIST

Mr. Don Thompson, our friend, brother in Christ, and parish organist for the past six years, will be leaving St. Robert’s in June for semi-retirement and warm desert breezes in southern California. We will miss him, his music, his dedication, and his good humor very much.

All are welcome to bid farewell to Don at a reception in the priests’ house garden next Sunday, June 2, after the 10:30 Mass.

WANTED! A CALL TO OTHER MINISTRIES

If you are a regular participant in one of the liturgies below, consider becoming a Eucharistic Minister or Lector. Contact Pat Vallez-Kelly at 589-2800.

Saturday 4:30pm
Sunday 10:30am
Sunday Noon
Sunday 5:30pm

Eucharistic Ministers needed
Lectors
Eucharistic Ministers
Lectors & Eucharistic Ministers

The 5:30 p.m. Mass is also in need of ushers. Call Mike Salvato.

PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

Praise to you, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for in your infinite love you care for your people by the ministry of priests.

May their faithful service bring lasting good to your Church and great happiness to them. Help them to do what is right, that by their teaching and living we may grown in the knowledge of your love.

As our priests instruct your people, enlighten them with the wisdom of Christ the Teacher.

As they preach your Word and celebrate the sacraments, sanctify them with the holiness of Christ the High Priest.

As they face weakness, suffering and discouragement, strengthen them with the grace of Christ the Life-Giver.

As they work for peace, unity, and healing in your Church, uphold them with the courage of Christ the Reconciler.

Giver of all good gifts, make the ministry of our priests a spiritual offering pleasing to you, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen