St. Christopher Catholic Church
1225 S. Wilson Rd.
Radcliff, KY 40160
Phone: 270-351-3706
Fax: 270-351-2843
Email: church@stchristopherparish.org
Web site: www.stchristopherparish.org
June 2007
Dear People of Saint Christopher Church:
With this edition of the newsletter, I write to you for the first time as the full time pastor of St. Christopher Church. As you know, the Archbishop has taken the highly unusual step of un-clustering the parish and appointing me as the full time pastor of the parish. This has never happened before in the history of the Archdiocese. The shortage of priests in the Archdiocese of Louisville has now reached a critical stage, making this change even more remarkable.
This step was taken so that we can get ready to meet the spiritual needs of the Catholics who will be moving into our community as a result of the changes coming to Fort Knox. Significant changes and improvements are needed on our parish grounds. The first stage of this is the current expansion of the rectory. Hopefully work will begin soon on the expansion of the upper parking lot.
Please continue to give generously of your hard-earned money to the parish. Special “Building Fund” envelopes are now available in church. Please use them for a one time yearly donation, or a monthly donation of a smaller amount. It all adds up and helps to pay for these extraordinary expenses. (The “Capital Improvement” envelope that you receive with your tithing envelopes also goes for the same purpose.)
Almighty God is blessing this parish in a near “miraculous” way. Let us all do our part to make this miracle a continuing reality. A golden opportunity has opened before us in a most unexpected way. May we all “pray as if everything depends upon God. . . and work as if everything depends upon us!”
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Dennis Cousens
Pastor
Mass Schedule
(Effective June 20, 2007)
Saturday 5:00 p.m.
Sunday 9:00 a.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday 6:00 p.m.
Thursday 6:00 p.m.
Friday 9:00 a.m.
(Effective July 1, 2007)
Sunday 5:00 p.m.
Sunday Mass in Spanish
Confessions and Eucharistic Adoration
Tuesday 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Baptisms
First Sunday of the month
Anointing of the Sick
Third Friday of the month
following the 9:00 a.m. Mass
Holy Hour in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
First Friday of the month
following the 9:00 a.m. Mass
Novena to Jesus, the Divine Child of the Light
Thursdays following the 6:00 p.m. Mass
Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
First Wednesday of the Month 7:00 p.m.
Afternoon of Eucharistic Adoration
Third Sunday of the month following
the 11:00 a.m. Mass
UPCOMING EVENTS
New Mass Schedule – Beginning with the weekend of June 23rd and 24th, the following will be the Mass schedule:
- Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 10:00 a.m.
- Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
- Beginning on July 1st, there will be a Sunday Mass in Spanish at 5:00 p.m.
- Monday will remain Fr. Cousens’ “day off”. There will be a 9:00 a.m. Mass at St. Brigid Church on Mondays.
Confessions and Eucharistic Adoration will be every Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. What is the Eucharistic Adoration visit? It is the meeting of our soul and of all our being with Jesus.
- It is the creature meeting his Creator;/The disciple before the Divine Master;
- The patient with the Doctor of souls;/The poor one appealing to the rich One;
- The thirsty one drinking at the Font;/The weak one presenting himself to the Almighty;
- The tempted one seeking a sure Refuge;/The blind one searching for the Light;
- The heart led astray who finds the Way;/The foolish one who finds Wisdom.
The Sacrament of Baptism will be offered on the first Sunday of every month at 1:00 p.m. There is a required instructional class for parents. Usually this is on the Monday prior to the baptisms. Watch the bulletin for details each month.
Mass in Spanish – Beginning on Sunday, July 1st a Mass in Spanish will be offered at St. Christopher Church. Fr. Michael Tobin will be the celebrant of this Mass. He is being assigned part time to Hardin County for Hispanic Ministry, while also remaining pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Hodgenville. He will hear confessions prior to this Mass, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Anyone, of course can attend this Mass. Even if you do not understand Spanish, by using the missalette you can follow the Scripture Reading, Prayers, etc. St. Christopher tithing envelopes and checks made out to St. Christopher Church will go to the parish. Loose change and bills will go to support the Hardin County Hispanic Ministry.
On Wednesday, July 4th, Independence Day, there will be a special Mass at 9:00 a.m. (There will be no 6:00 p.m. Mass and the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be moved to the following Wednesday.) Plan now on attending Mass on July 4th to thank Almighty God for the gift of freedom that we enjoy in our country. Let us never take this gift for granted!
The Feast of St. Christopher will be celebrated the weekend of July 21st and 22nd. Watch the bulletin for details about this weekend.
The Mass Schedule for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is as follows:
- Tuesday, August 14th at 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, August 15th at 10:00 a.m.
This is a Holy Day of Obligation. All Catholics are expected to attend Mass for this Holy Day just as they do for Sunday. This is a grave moral obligation for all Catholics, but also an opportunity to allow our unique Catholic identity to shine forth.
With St. Christopher Church now standing on its own, the following will be offered on a regular basis at St. Christopher Church:
- Confessions and Eucharistic Adoration every Tuesday from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
- Baptisms every month on the first Sunday of the month.
- Anointing of the Sick following the 10:00 a.m. Mass on the second Tuesday of the month.
- Holy Hour in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus following the 10:00 a.m. Mass on the First Friday of the month.
- Novena to Jesus, the Divine Child of the Light following the 10:00 a.m. Mass on Thursdays.
- Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help at 7:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month.
- Afternoon of Eucharistic Adoration on the third Sunday of the month following the 11:00 a.m. Mass.
The Sale of Religious Articles will begin again in August on the second weekend of the month. We will attempt to have the sale after each of the weekend Masses. This sale of religious articles is a service to the parish offered through Our Lady’s Center for Peace, a non-profit organization in Louisville. Fr. Cousens is the spiritual advisor for Our Lady’s Center and helped to establish it nearly 20 years ago.
Master Plan for Church Buildings & Grounds
We are currently in the process of developing a Parish Master Plan for Projects Development. This plan will be our “blueprint” for buildings and grounds development and improvements over the next several years. Many parishioners have shared their thoughts and desires for the future of our buildings and grounds space with Fr. Cousens. All input will be taken into consideration and will help form the vision for future development. Our most pressing need at this time is the completion of the rectory expansion and remodeling. This should be completed by early fall and Fr. Cousens will be able to move into our new rectory! It is important to note that we will be developing a planned implementation for improvements to our Parish Complex. There are many phases to the Master Plan for development including, but not limited to: expansion of the upper parking lot for those who need more accessible parking close to the church building; expansion of the lower (Lee Street) parking lot; an addition of a “gathering space” on the front of the church building; improvements to the main drive entrance from Wilson Road through the complex; possible outdoor Stations of the Cross, Crucifixion Scene, outdoor devotional spaces; development and completion of a Parish Life Center near the church building. All of these projects are part of our long-range plan and will be developed and completed as the prioritized need dictates and funds are available.
Former School Building
The Hardin County School District has renewed their “Option to Lease” the building for a second year of a three-year option period. This means that they have the option to occupy the building if needed. At this time they may not actually need the classroom space, but they have paid for the option to use the building should the need arise during the 2007-2008 school year.
Parish Registration Update
Our census update has been concluded. Think back, if you have not filled out a parish registration in the past year and a half, you are not registered with the parish. We currently have 332 households representing a total of 777 parishioners here at St. Christopher Church. Seventy-one of these households are “New households” as of the beginning of our Census Update process in January of 2006.
Finances
The financial condition at St. Christopher Church is quite good! We currently have $240,000.00 in savings and on loan to the Archdiocese of Louisville for which we are getting a good rate of interest. This amount breaks up as follows:
- $20,000 for the new church doors
- $70,000 in the Capital Improvement/Building Fund
- $150,000 in general church savings (mostly from the sale of the Thomas Street house)
The bid that was let to complete the rectory project was $79,000.00. We currently have collected almost enough to pay for this project. Additional donations to the Building Fund will go toward the realization of the upper parking lot expansion project. We hope to keep some money in savings and not deplete everything for these building projects.
Tithing will always be an area of continued need for our parish. Please closely examine the ways you give to your parish. Are you contributing 5% – 10% of your annual income that God has gifted you? As we head into summer months and vacations, it is easy to forget your weekly giving. Please plan for the weeks that you will be attending Mass on vacations. You can drop off your tithing at the parish office, or mail it from your vacation location.
The Parish Financial Statement is included on the next page for the first ten months of the current fiscal year 2006-2007. The 2007-2008 Budget will be included as an insert in a future bulletin.
Saint Christopher Parish
2006/2007 Financial Results
July 2006 - April 2007 Actual July 2006 – April 2007 Budget
Parish Income
Collections & Unrestricted Gifts $241,565 64.80% $256,667 81.74%
Archdiocesan Collections $0 0.00% $12,500 3.98%
Restricted Gifts & Income $117,145 31.42% $2,500 .80%
Fundraising $0 0.00% $8,333 2.65%
Grants $1,128 0.30% $0 0.00%
Religious Education $1,415 0.38% $1,167 0.37%
Misc. Revenues $11,547 3.10% $32,833 10.46%
Total Income $372,800 100.00% $314,000 100.00%
Parish Expenses
Archdiocesan Collections $0 0.00% $12,500 4.17%
Restricted Fund Expense $89,196 24.92% $0 0.00%
Salaries & Benefits $131,721 36.79% $143,589 47.87%
Operational Expenses $24,419 6.82% $22,709 7.57%
Facility Expenses $64,027 17.88% $73,375 24.46%
Assessments & Grants Paid $44,202 12.35% $43,434 14.48%
Religious Education $4,441 1.24% $4,250 1.42%
Miscellaneous Expenses $0 0.00% $83 0.03%
Total Expenses $358,006 100.00% $299,940 100.00%
Net Income (Loss) $14,794 $14,060
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
Mrs. Susan Barefoot, OPA, DRE Phone 270-351-8777
Religious Education Program
This year’s religious education classes ended with the Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After the 11:00 o’clock Mass everyone processed out of the church and around to the statue of Mary at the side of the Church. The crown was carried by Maegan White and Lauren Bains placed a crown of fresh flowers on Mary’s head. Parishioners, parents, and students were encouraged to bring fresh flowers and place them in front of Mary.
Registration for next year’s Religious Education classes will be after the Masses on August 18th-19th and August 25th-26th. Our first class for children in preschool through eighth grade, will be Sunday, September 9th. It is important that we continue to build our children’s faith formation each year.
We wish everyone a safe and happy summer and look forward to seeing you and your children again in September.
Sacramental Program
First Holy Communion
Congratulations to Noel Amulong, Patrick Amulong, Mitchell Bronnbauer, Ian Cook, Cassandra Crotzer, Christian Cundiff, Michael Darag, Johnathan Darag, Shelonnie Garcia, Austin Guevarra, Devonta Guillory, Dayana Hess, Matthew Hopkins, Ailey Layson, Jan Layson, Bobbie Manalisay, Jesse Mantanona, Justin Mantanona, Mila Messengill, William Messengill, Sara McLane, Adriann Romdor, Anthony Rose, Anthony Slimak, Nathan Slimak, Rebecca Slimak, Stephanie Slimak, Melissa Valone and Austin Wells who received the Eucharist for the first time on April 21, 2007. Students receiving the Eucharist for the first time later were Lauren Bain and Maegan White.
Confirmation
On May 14, 2007, St. Christopher students joined St. Martin of Tours students in Flaherty to be confirmed by Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, OP. Those students were: Alyxandria Bradley, Courtney Concepcion, Ashley Frotzer, Deanna Franz, Kyle Franz, Rachel Kersey, Charlene Lewis, Juan Maldonado, Frankie Manalisay, Stefan Mitchell, Eugene Quidachay, Teresa Sears, Anthony Slimak, Nathan Slimak, Jessica Smith, Creighton Sullivan, Patricia Valone, Andrea Whelan. Due to illness, Richard Shufelt received this Sacrament on Pentecost Sunday, May 27th at St. Christopher Church. Congratulations! You all did a wonderful job in preparing for this special Sacrament. A special thanks goes to Fr. Paul Beach and Sr. Patricia Rae McNamara for inviting our students to come and join their students in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Girl Scout Religious Award
Patricia Ann Slimak received the Guardian Angel award this year. She worked hard on fulfilling the requirements needed to receive this award, and learning more about her church and faith.
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
This year we had six adults who completed our program. Those received into the church at the Great Easter Vigil were: Brian Hoette, Sandra Cooper, Jamie Garrett, Victor Linwood, Shannon Slimak, and Kirk Walters. Joshua Garrett and Miranda Garrett received the Holy Eucharist for the first time. Next year’s RCIA classes will begin on Thursday, September 13th