Apostolates and the Merger
Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ,
Monday, July 1st will be the first day of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish! I am honored to be the pastor of our united parish. Thank you for your support and prayers during this time of transition. Let us pray for unity and apostolic zeal through the intercession of our patroness, St. Teresa of Calcutta. As you know, new offertory envelopes have already been delivered. Please write checks to St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish beginning on July 1st. The outdoor signs at St. Mary Church now reflect our new name. Sign changes for Blessed Sacrament and St. James are in the works, but will take some time.
Apostolates are a major part of parish life at St. Teresa of Calcutta. Through apostolates, the faithful engage in the missionary activity of the Church in the areas of catechesis, prayer, community building, and service. Each apostolate is guided by a staff apostolate director. Most apostolates also have a steering committee, and bylaws. The staff apostolate director helps the apostolates to fit into the overarching structure of the parish, follow parish policies, and grow. The steering committee is comprised of parishioners from each church who direct the apostolate. Larger apostolates will hold periodic public meetings where all parishioners can learn about what is happening and offer input. The apostolate structure helps to organize, unify, and support lay involvement in the parish. It also provides staff support to the many areas of parish life. I appreciate your patience and cooperation as we continue to implement this. I trust that it will bring strength and life our parish at many levels. May God bless you!
Yours in Christ, Fr. Cicero
St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish Apostolates:
Family Life Apostolate
Fosters vibrant community life for families with young children. Activities include family movie nights, North Road Christmas, chalk on the walk, and the Easter story egg hunt. Staff Apostolate Director: Ana Prince
Moms’ Apostolate
Supports mothers in their spiritual journey and family responsibilities. Moms and children build relationships in a playful, loving environment. Weekly meetings are announced in the bulletin. Staff Apostolate Director: Ana Prince
Youth Ministry Apostolate
Students in grades 9 to 12 grow in faith and friendship in a supportive and welcoming environment. Activities include service projects, social activities (bowling, open gym, pop and paint), retreats, formation sessions, and practicing different forms of Catholic prayer. Weekly meetings during the school year are held on Sundays at 10:00 AM at Blessed Sacrament. Staff Apostolate Director: Ana Prince
Adult Faith Formation Apostolate
Adult parishioners continue to grow in their faith through catechesis, Bible studies and group sharing. Activities include fall soup and bread series, the Catholicism series, Lenten soup and bread series, and the Bible Timeline. Staff Apostolate Director: Sr. Debra Marie, PVMI
Evangelization Apostolate
Shares our Catholic faith with others through formal programs as well as person to person encounters. Activities include the Rescue Project, door to door vastation, the Italian American Festival evangelization booth, Christmas Caroling, the parish mission. Staff Apostolate Director: Sr. Debra Marie, PVMI
Vocations Promotion Apostolate
Promotes a full and faithful living out of the vocations of married life, priesthood, consecrated and religious life, and devout discipleship in the single life. We help those who are not yet committed to a way of life to discern God’s plan for them and encourage those who already know their vocation to persevere in it joyfully. Activities include: the married couples dinner, consecrated life presentation, priests and deacons presentation, Rosary for vocations. Staff Apostolate Director: Sr. Debra Marie, PVMI
Young Adults Apostolate
Men and women aged 18 to 39 enter into full and active participation in the Catholic Church by discovering their gifts and talents and putting them at the service of the Church while developing bonds of friendship with other young Catholics. Activities include: the Arise retreat, retreat at Our Lady of Lebanon, Advent day of recollection, Divine Mercy celebration, pizza oven bonfire, sauce and sausage sale.
Religious Education Apostolate
Forms disciples in the Catholic faith in grades K to 8 and adults converts. Activities include: CCD, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Sacramental Preparation (Baptism, first Penance and Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, Confirmation), Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (adult converts). Staff Apostolate Director: Sister Alina Marie, PVMI
JOY Apostolate
Coordinates the “spiritual works of mercy” for the parish. JOY = Jesus, Others, You- putting Christ first, others second, and yourself last. Activities include: welcoming new parishioners, outreach for Baptisms, outreach for funerals, funeral mercy meals, the annual memorial Mass, homebound cards, maintaining the prayer lists, soup outreach to infirm parishioners, crochet group. JOY oversees “Seasons of Hope,” which provides spiritual support for those grieving the loss of a loved one through semi-annual support meetings, stations of the Cross for the bereaved, and the fellowship meal for the bereaved. Staff Apostolate Director: Brenda Antenucci
Caritas Apostolate
Coordinates the corporal works of mercy for the parish. “Caritas” means charity or acts of love. Activities include: food and emergency assistance through the Blessed Sacrament, St. James, and St. Mary St. Vincent DePaul conferences, outreach collections (raincoats, toiletries, food, socks, etc.), Christmas giving trees, free community meals, distributing the parish’s charity funds, and the community service apostolate projects . Staff Apostolate Director: Brenda Antenucci
Parish Life Apostolate
Coordinates social events to promote the bonds of community in the parish. Events include: ice cream social, food truck rally, parish picnic, ghost walk, chili cookoff, cabin fever dinner, parish pilgrimage, ladies tea, Cinco de Mayo, St. Joseph table, May crowning/Rosary dinner, and coffee and donuts. Staff Apostolate Director: Colleen Bellus
Second Source Fundraising Apostolate
Coordinates parish fundraising events and activities. The parish’s first and primary source of funding is the weekly collection. Second Source provides secondary sources of income through fundraising. Activities include: bingo, 400 Club, 300 Club, $10K Raffle, St. Cyril’s Kitchen (pirohy, haluski, kolachi, and Easter bread), and cavatelli dinners. Staff Apostolate Director: Colleen Bellus
Liturgy Apostolate
Assists the pastor to coordinate the liturgical life of the parish by preparing the liturgy and connecting parishioners to liturgical ministries. Activities include readers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at Mass, altar servers, sacristans, ushers, greeters, preparing the liturgical environment, and the annual Mass with the Anointing of the Sick. Staff Apostolate Director: Deacon Ed Kleese
Sacred Music Apostolate
Enhances the Liturgy though the gift of music. Activities include adult choir, cantors, children’s choir, praise and worship holy hour, and sacred music events. Staff Apostolate Directors: Tom DeNicholas and Sam Trina
Pastoral Care of the Sick Apostolate
Coordinates sacramental ministry to those who cannot come to Church. Activities include nursing home Mass and Communion service, extraordinary ministers of the Communion to shut-ins and hospital patients, and anointing of the sick. Staff Apostolate Coordinator: Fr. Ed Stafford
Men’s Apostolate
TBA Staff Apostolate Directors: Fr. Ed Stafford and Deacon Bob Simmerly
Women’s Apostolate
TBA Staff Apostolate Director: Ana Prince