SUMMERTIME!
Summer is upon us and school is out! What a blessed time the summer is! Things slow down a bit and we have a little more time of rest and rejuvenation than we had during the rest of the year. I hope that you and your families have some good times together and can enjoy these days!
Even though school is out and we have camps and vacations and do things out of the normal routine, we do not take a summer break from our FAITH! We continue to believe in God and practice our virtue and walk as disciples of Jesus Christ. This never ends! Here are some options for the youth of St. James this summer: Vacation Bible School for younger kids (June 12 – 17: we need volunteers), Vocations Camp (girls rising 7th through 12th grades: June 26 – 29 and boys rising 7th through 10th grades: June 29 – July 1), and Prayer in Action (high schoolers: June 12 – 17 and June 19 – 24 at St. Peter the Apostle in Savannah and June 26 – July 1 at Aquinas High School in Augusta).
As you travel, plan for mass (www.masstimes.org). Research before which Catholic Church is close to where you will be and what times do they have for mass. Bring Church clothes. Living our faith never stops even during the lull of summer. Perhaps this is when we can get that religious reading in or spend time developing the habit of daily quiet time with the Lord.
Here are a few suggestions for summer leisure reading from G.K. Chesterton: Napoleon of Notting Hill, A Man called Thursday, St. Francis of Assisi, The Dumb Ox (on St. Thomas Aquinas), the Fr. Brown Mysteries, and Orthodoxy. Enjoy!
SAVE THE DATES
We received word this week that Sr. Christine is leaving St. James for a new assignment in the Philadelphia area. Thank you, Sister, for all that you have done these last three years here! We appreciate everything and wish you all the best in your new mission. On June 5th, between the 9:00 AM and the 11:30 AM masses, we will have a reception in honor of Sr. Christine and Sr. Emily. Please come and offer your gratitude for her and all she has done here at St. James and to wish her well.
Also, we will have a Farewell Reception for Fr. Patrick May on Saturday evening, June 18th, after the 5:00 PM Vigil Mass. Please mark your calendars to come to thank him for his time here at St. James and to wish him well in his new assignment.
May the Lord abundantly bless each of you and your families this summer!
~ Fr. Daniel Firmin