Connection KING’S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER The A safe, social networking group for singles in the Lexington area enables members of all ages to enjoy each other’s company, attend events of all kinds, and not face any concerns over matchmaking. There are no dues and no regular meetings — just the opportunity to make friends in a comfortable environment. Fred Payne started the group in July 2015 after being encouraged by several fellow attendees in the Divorce Recovery Group hosted by Christ the King. Lee McGrath especially encouraged Fred to develop a Catholic group for Catholic singles. “Our mission is to promote friendship development for Catholic singles by providing opportunities to participate in social activities, service projects and faith-based education programs,” Fred says. “The group is open to all ages, religions, and both singles and couples. However, the focus is to provide a positive and spiritual environment to foster the development of friendships between Catholic singles in the Diocese of Lexington.” The group reports to the diocese through the Cathedral of Christ the King and is led by volunteers from all parishes willing to serve the group’s mission. The only formal meeting is the organizational meeting in Catholic Singles of the Bluegrass All About Faith and Friendship! FEBRUARY 2020 Inside 3 Reflecting on the Past and Present of Our Faith Community 4 Catholic Way Bible Study Forming True Disciples of Christ through Scripture 6 Highlights of Our 2019 Stewardship Renewal 7 New Digital Marketing Ministry Working to Better Share Our Story continued on page 2 Where there is good food, everyone gathers, and members of Catholic Singles of the Bluegrass enjoyed a fine holiday spread at their Christmas party.
Transcript
ConnectionKING’SMONTHLY NEWSLETTER
The
A safe, social networking group for singles in the Lexington area
enables members of all ages to enjoy each other’s company, attend events of all kinds, and not face any concerns over matchmaking. There are no dues and no regular meetings — just the opportunity to make friends in a comfortable environment.
Fred Payne started the group in July 2015 after being encouraged by several fellow attendees in the Divorce Recovery Group hosted by Christ the King. Lee McGrath especially encouraged Fred to develop a Catholic group for Catholic singles.
“Our mission is to promote friendship development for Catholic singles by providing opportunities to participate in social activities, service projects and faith-based education programs,” Fred says. “The group is open to all ages, religions, and both singles and couples. However, the focus is to provide a positive and
spiritual environment to foster the development of friendships between Catholic singles in the Diocese of Lexington.”
The group reports to the diocese through the Cathedral of Christ the King and is led by volunteers from all parishes willing to serve the group’s mission. The only formal meeting is the organizational meeting in
Catholic Singles of the BluegrassAll About Faith and Friendship!
FEBRUARY 2020Inside3 Reflectingonthe Past and Present of Our Faith Community
4 Catholic Way Bible Study Forming True Disciples of Christ through Scripture
6 Highlights of Our 2019 Stewardship Renewal
7 New Digital Marketing Ministry Working to Better Share Our Story
continued on page 2
Where there is good food, everyone gathers, and members of Catholic Singles of the
Bluegrass enjoyed a fine holiday spread at their Christmas party.
2 3
ConnectionKING’SThe
Reflecting on the Past and Presentof Our Faith Community
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
A Letter From Our Cathedral Rector
Seventy-fiveyearsago,intheearlydaysof1945,it was looking like World War II was coming
to a conclusion with victory for the Allied Forces. On Jan. 12, Warsaw, which had been German-occupied for so many years, was “liberated” by the Soviets. The Yalta Conference took place from Feb. 4-11, with President Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin as the key participants. The seeds were being sown for peace and the reorganization of Germany and other parts of Western Europe — and also for the birth of the ColdWar.OnFeb.23,theU.S.flagwasplantedonahillonthePacificislandofIwoJimabymarinesin the heat of battle. It was beginning to look like the tremendous effort of soldiers and civilians was going to result in the restoration and preservation of democracy and freedom throughout the world.
At the same time, in the early days of 1945, here in Lexington, plans were taking shape for the establishment of a new Catholic parish to be developed in the emerging suburbs of the Chevy Chase area. It was a parish whose parishioners would primarily come from the membership of St. Peter’s Church. In some ways, the establishment of anewparishwasonemore verification that aworld torn by war would be able to move forward, one more statement that the values at the heart of Christianity would prevail, one more statement that the future would be bright, and that the investment and expenditure of so many lives in the war effort were not in vain.
This issue of King’s Connection features articles on our present-day ministry of digital marketing, and the ministry that focuses on Catholic singles, and the Catholic Way Bible Study. Pre-computer 1945 was the era of typewriter technology. In 1945, there was a somewhat cloudy regard for someone who was single, if not a priest or nun. And in 1945, there was a reluctance and fear of Bible study because “it might get us confused or detract from our Catholic identity.” As a culture and as a Church, we have
come a long way and have made great advancements over the past 75 years.
And yet, a common point between then and now is the need for community. People need people. And people need God. So people need communities of faith. In 1945, Lexington — like most of the world — needed peace, stability and the ability to return to normal. Once there was a sense that we would survive the war, there was room to grow. Gratitude and its attendant sacred emotions were in the air. Vibrant communities of faith were needed within the emerging vibrant communities.
We still have that need for community — and we need small communities within the mega-community into which our one-time parish of 100 households has grown. And so how good it is that the Catholic Way Bible Study is more than a lecture series, but includes small-group discussions where participants share insights, questions and personal concerns, and also support, encourage and pray for one another. How good it is that our Singles Ministry focuses not just on social events, but also focuses on friendship and care and outreach. And how good it is that digital marketing is one more way of letting parishioners and others throughout Lexington know who Christ the King parish is and what we offer in order to serve personal needs, to connectpeople,andtoempowerpeopletofindjoyingiving of themselves.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Paul Prabell, Rector
Catholic Singles of the Bluegrass continued from front cover
January, when all members must renew. There are three main categories of events for the group — social events, spontaneous, and educational.
Fredorganizedtheeventsinthefirstfewyearsof the group’s formation — however, in 2016 he married Karen Miller of Columbus. She encouraged him to continue working with the group, but business obligations by early 2019 prompted Fred to open up the activities planning and organizing to the membership.
“This has worked out really well this year,” Fred says. “I got busy and I told the group, and they picked up the ball.”
Lea Mott of Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish continued her organizing events geared to the younger singles and especially the Moon Dance Amphitheater through the summer months. Leif Sanders of our parish has organized several Gallery Hops. Other events, including the Organizational Meeting, Brunch at Sedona, Gallery Hop, Keeneland Tour and Breakfast, Equus Run Vineyards, Lexington Brass Band, Ward Hall Tour, Keeneland Fall Meet, Picnic With The Pops, and the Christmas Party have been scheduled by Pam White and Susan Ament of Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary; Rachel Berry, Mary Perkins both of St. Luke; Lee McGrath of Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary; Cathy Tayler, John Hayes and Sanna Joudeh, all of our parish, among others.
“The unique experience gained from participation in the Catholic Singles of the Bluegrass is being with fellow Catholics,” Fred says. “Most of us, but not all, are Catholic and carry with us the Catholic experience. It’s nice to be in a Catholic group.
We can talk about spiritual things without feeling uncomfortable. It reinforces our Catholicism.”
MembersfindthattheygrowclosertoChristasthey understand that other members share their beliefs — and these beliefs can be shared.
“But it’s all about friendship,” Fred says.The organization is an ideal one for divorced
Catholics or widowed persons to set out again to make new friends. Women make up about 80 percent of the group, and about 25 to 30 or the original members continue in the group that presently totals 64.
Communication regarding event details is solely through email — however, sometimes the activities are advertised in the diocesan, cathedral and parish bulletins.
The Catholic Singles of the Bluegrass has a web site and a Google calendar at www.catholicsinglesofthebluegrass.com. If interested in participating in the Catholic Singles of the Bluegrass, please send your name, email address and phone number
than 20 years ago, its founding members never dreamed where the Holy Spirit would take them. Initiated by Christ the King parishioners Lavinia Spirito and Judy Paternostro, it was formed out of a desire to learn about God’s Scriptures through the lens of Catholicism and, in turn, grow in Christian discipleship.
“We were involved in a Bible study and we just felt that information was missing in terms of our Catholic beliefs and teaching,” says leadership team member Karen Schwetschenau. “We also just felt that studies for Catholics in general were really lacking at the time. And so we started creating our own, not having any aim to grow it to where it is today. Lavinia would say this is not our doing but God’s — if it’s His work, then it will grow.”
And so what started out as a parish ministry has grown into both a national and international Bible study legally affiliated with the Diocese ofLexington and currently offered in a total of 42 states, as well as in England, Ireland, the
Philippines, Poland and Italy. All Catholic Way Bible Studies follow the same basic format — each participant answers daily questions privately at home, promoting reflection upon andprayer with God’s Word and teachings. These questions are later used during weekly group meetings within a small-group setting. Sessions then conclude with a large group lecture.
“Lavinia does all of our lectures and is in many ways the face of our studies,” Karen
says. “She lectures live here at Cathedral of Christ the King, and then we have a professional videographer who comes in and records the sessions, which are then used for the DVDs and CDs that we sell.”
Over the years, Catholic Way Bible Study has been able to cover most of the Bible, offering major Bible studies which last for 22-24, mini studies over six to eight weeks, as well as topical presentations.
St. Jerome is famous for
having said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of God.” Karen says this is the core belief which continues to drive Catholic Way Bible Study and motivate its leadership team today.
“God wants us to know Him and we can’t truly know Him without knowing what He told us,” Karen says. “This ministry has had a tremendous impact on my life. It’s helped make prayer a daily part of my life, and helped foster a constant awareness of how God is moving around me and how all things can become a prayer. And as a convert to Catholicism, it’s opened my eyes hugely to the teachings of the Church. Catholic Way Bible Study really shows the Scriptural basis for our faith, which is something many Catholics even are unaware of.”
Catholic Way Bible Study continues to be offered at three different times here at Christ the King — Thursday mornings from 8:45-11 a.m. in Hehman Hall with childcare available; Thursday evenings from 7-9 p.m. downstairs in the Parish Life Center; and Sunday mornings from 9-11 a.m. in the old Rectory. Presently, the three ongoing bible studies are studying different books. Thursday morning attendees study Isaiah, Thursday evening attendees study the Gospel of Mark, and Sunday morning
attendees study The Letter to the Corinthians. Though the groups are currently in the midst of study, new participants are always welcome.
“People are welcome to join at any point,” Karen says. “Even if they come in April when we only have a week or two left, we invite them to come in, experience it and then, if they like it, join us again in the fall.
“The ministry is also open to anyone — even people of different faiths, though we are unapologetically Catholic in our content,” she adds.
Catholic Way Bible Study
Cathedral of Christ the King parishioner Lavinia Spirito leads the lecture portion of the weekly Bible study.
“God wants us to know Him and we can’t truly know Him without knowing what He told us. This ministry has had a tremendous impact on my life. It’s helped make prayer a daily part of my life, and helped foster a constant awareness of how God is moving
around me and how all things can become a prayer.” —- Karen Schwetschenau
Parishioners interested in learning more about Catholic Way Bible Study can visit https://cwbs.org/ or contact Karen Schwetschenau at
This past autumn, our Christ the King leadership conducted the 2019 Stewardship Renewal. This
renewal was an opportunity for parishioners to discern their giving of time, talent and treasure to God and our faith community.
In this month’s newsletter, we are happy to share with you some of the highlights of the 2019 Stewardship Renewal.
• There were 375 commitment cards received from 25 percent of active households.
• There were 2,371 prayer commitments — the stewardship of time — from 92 percent of participating households.
• Prayer commitments included: Attend Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days, 325 commitments; Spend 15 minutes a day in personal prayer or more, 244 commitments; Pray for our priest(s), 238 commitments.
• There were 1,924 ministry commitments — the stewardship of talent — from 89 percent of participating households.
Of these, 645 were new ministry commitments, while 1,279 were re-commitments to parish ministries.
• There were 295 offertory commitments — the stewardship of treasure — from 79 percent of participating households, with the average pledge of $2,649.
We thank all those who participated in the 2019 Stewardship Renewal. And if you did not have the opportunity to fill out and return a commitmentcard, we invite you to discern the ways you can share your gifts of time, talent and treasure with God and our Christ the King community!
Nearly 30 years ago, in the encyclical Redemptoris Missio, St. Pope John Paul II called for what
was termed the “New Evangelization.” This means thatwearetofindwaystoreachout—notonlytothose who have never heard the Gospel, but also to those who have fallen away from the faith — and that we must use new ways to spread God’s Word. In the years since, the Internet has undoubtedly transformed our world and revolutionized how information is shared. And now, 20 years into the 21st century, having a presence on the Internet and social media is essential.
Enter the Digital Marketing Ministry, led by Tracie Kriete, who has worked in marketing for more than 20 years.
Tracie is a convert to Catholicism and was looking for a way to give back after becoming a member at the Cathedral. She wanted to use her marketing background to make our website more user-friendly and heighten our social media presence. Tracie is joined by Anne Trussell and Emily Cheatham in carrying out this project.
“We want people to know about all the exciting activities and ministries that happen here at the Cathedral,” Tracie says. “There are a lot of fun ways to meet people, learn about our faith and get the whole family engaged.”
Tracie wants everyone, whether they are Catholic or not, to easily be able to learn more about the happenings at the Cathedral and the Catholic faith.
“We are really taking the time to dig into the website,” she says. “Our goal is to have higher engagement among parishioners, higher Mass and event attendance, to spread the Word of God and to educate the community about what it means to be Catholic.”
Tracie and the team have been meeting with each ministry to gather photos and more information to display online.
“We want to put a face to the 100-plus ministries here at Christ the King,” Tracie says. “We have something for everyone, no matter where
they are in their faith journey. “It’s just about awareness,” she adds. “We have
so many ministries, services for the community, and events for families and singles. I want people to be able to learn about ALL of it.”
Everyone on the current committee has experience with marketing, websites and social media, but Tracie says there is a need for people to do behind-the-scenes work, like organizing photos and writing content. She is always looking
Highlights of Our 2019 Stewardship Renewal
New Digital Marketing Ministry Working to Better Share Our Story
continued on back cover
Stewardship begins in prayer. Stewardship is not about me; it is about Him. Consider a few of the following prayer suggestions.
Please mark your family’s prayer commitments:
Find out more about these programs in our Stewardship Handbook. When you sign up, the leader will call to explain how to get involved.
Write the first name of the family member who wishes to join or is active in each ministry on the lines. You may write multiple names for the same ministry.
TalentTime
Hospitality and Parish Life_________ American Heritage Girls (AHG)_________ Archives/History of Parish_________ Bereavement Ministries_________ Catholic Singles of the Bluegrass_________ Coffee & Donuts_________ Compass Catholic Financial Studies_________ Digital Marketing Ministry_________ Healing Hopeful Hearts_________ Knights of Columbus_________ Moms’ Ministry_________ New Member Receptions_________ Oktoberfest_________ O’Neill Center Receptionists_________ Parent Teacher Organization for Christ the King School_________ Parish Picnic_________ Scouts (Boys/Cubs)_________ Special Events Team_________ Trail Life_________ Welcome/Hospitality Team_________ Widows & Widowers Group (WOW)
Prayer and Worship_________ Altar Care & Linens_________ Altar Servers
continued on next panel
Please complete either a weekly or monthly offertory gift:
Weekly gift x 52= annually
OR
Monthly gift x 12= annually
$
$ $
$
My Offertory pledge to The Cathedral of Christ the King
In thanksgiving for God’s gifts, each household at The Cathedral of Christ the King is asked to give a specific percentage of income based on the biblical tithe:
5% to Christ the King1% to diocese, and 4% to charities
% of Hshld Income: Household Income$30,000$50,000$70,000$100,000
Weekly giving based on proportion of income
At The Cathedral of Christ the King, each household is asked to work toward giving 5%
of their income to the parish. Some families may have difficulty reaching this goal at first. If so, try
increasing your weekly gift incrementally until you reach an amount that you know is right for you.
Weekly Giving Chart
Treasure
Attend Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days Attend weekday Mass once a week or more Attend Adoration once a month or more Spend 15 minutes a day in personal prayer or more Pray together with my loved ones Read the Bible for at least one hour a week or more Pray the Rosary at least weekly or more Go to Reconciliation every other month or more Schedule time for a spiritual retreat Invite a friend or acquaintance to Mass Pray for the sick of our parish Pray for my country daily Pray for an increase in vocations Pray for our priest(s)
= Currently Involved = Interested in Joining
Please clearly write the first name of interested family member(s) on the line.
Talent (continued)
Prayer and Worship (continued)_________ Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion_________ Lectors of the Word_________ Liturgical Environment_________ Music Ministries_________ Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration_________ Prayers of the Faithful_________ Sacristans_________ Ushers
Formation_________ Adult Faith Formation_________ Breakfast Book Club_________ Called & Gifted Workshop_________ Cathedral Book Store_________ Catholic Way Bible Study_________ Catholics Returning Home_________ Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW)_________ Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD)_________ Lenten Mission_________ Light of the World Retreat_________ Marriage Ministry _________ Married Life Workshop_________ Ora Pro Nobis/Prayer Network_________ Parish Library_________ Religious Vocations Team, Hands of Mary_________ Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)_________ Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults adapted for children (RCIC)_________ Surviving Divorce_________ The Pulse – Lexington Young Professional Catholics
My offering of Time, Talent, & Treasure
2019 Commitment Card
Address
City State ZIP
First & Last Name
Phone
Email
Spouse: First & Last Name
Spouse: Phone
Spouse: Email
Talent (continued)
299 Colony Blvd • Lexington, KY 40502859-268-2861 • www.cathedralctk.org
T H E C A T H E D R A L O F C H R I S T T H E K I N G
Not a Program,Not a FundraisingCampaign,Not an Empty Buzzword, A Way of Life
STEWARDSHIP
Formation (continued)_________ The Well_________ Vacation Bible School or Totus Tuus_________ Youth Ministry (Middle School)_________ Youth Ministry (High School)Service_________ Building a United Interfaith Lexington through Direct Action (BUILD)_________ Catholic Action Center Dinner (CAC)_________ Christians in Community Service (CCS)_________ Congolese Catholic Ministry_________ CRS Rice Bowl – Lenten Season_________ Giving Tree – Christmas Season_________ Habitat for Humanity_________ Hope Center_________ Respect Life_________ Sandwich Ministry_________ St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP)
continued on next panel
= Currently Involved = Interested in JoiningPlease clearly write the first name of interested family member on the line.
= Currently Involved = Interested in JoiningPlease clearly write the first name of interested family member on the line.
Not a Program,Not a FundraisingCampaign,Not an Empty Buzzword, A Way of Life
STEWARDSHIPTracie Kriete is a recent convert to Catholicism and leads our Digital Marketing Ministry. Anne Trussell and Emily
Daily (Monday to Saturday) - 8:00 a.m.|(Monday to Friday) - 5:30 p.m.Reconciliation: Wednesday 4:45 - 5:20 p.m., Saturday 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. | First Sunday of the month 8:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.
New Digital Marketing Ministry continued from page 7
for photos of the various ministries, too — so feel free to take photos if you are at an event and send them her way!
Tracie and her team members have hit the ground running since they started this ministry in July.
“Our goal is to make people realize we are so much more than a building,” she says. “You can learn about our faith, the Adoration Chapel, the sacraments, join a Mom’s group or a Bible study, evenfindaspouse,plusmuchmore. Ifwedon’tshow what we have, people won’t know.”
Stay up to speed on all the happenings at the Cathedral by visiting the website at
cathedralctk.org, or our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles. If you would like to help with the Digital Marketing
