The Sanctuary Lamp is burning this week in memory of:
Guadalupe Medina
December 1st & 2nd, 2018
Total Sunday’s Offering $23,066.97
Online Giving $ 620.00
www.stpatricklaredo.org| 3
FROM THE PASTOR, FR. ANTHONY MENDOZA
Our Lady of Guadalupe—the Power of a Mother’s Love! 500 years ago, it was a terrible time for the people of Mexico. Many of the native people lived in fear of the powerful Aztec indians. The Aztecs were always starting wars against other peoples, killing many and taking 1000’s of prisoners. The Aztecs themselves lived in fear that their world would fall apart unless they constantly killed human beings in sacrifice to their bloodthirsty false gods who were symbolized by the sun and the moon. They acted like people who had forgotten the love of a mother. It was a culture of fear, violence and death. The Spanish conquerors of the 16th century forced the natives of Mexico to stop their human sacrifices, but, unfortunately what mattered most to many of those Spaniards was finding gold. Those Spaniards were Catholics in name, but they were not good followers of Jesus, because many treated the native peoples like animals. So it is not surprising that very, very few indians converted to become Catholics. When the first Bishop of Mexico, Bishop Juan Zumarraga, spoke out for better treatment of the native people, the Spaniards made life very difficult for him. Finally, Bishop Zumarraga said, that if God Himself did not intervene, Mexico would end in catastrophe.
In the year 1531 God Himself did intervene in Mexico. He sent to Mexico the woman He had chosen to be His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. In early December, Mary herself appeared to a native man named Juan Diego and she came with the best remedy to fear and violence: the love of a mother. She left her beautiful image on the tilma of Juan Diego, the image we know as Our Lady of Guadalupe. This image spoke to the natives of Mexico in symbols that they clearly understood. The people of Mexico recognized the sash around Mary’s waist as a sign that she was pregnant with a child. So they saw her as a peaceful woman, a woman of motherly love. Her beautiful mantle of stars showed them that heaven was there to protect and help them, not to hurt them. Since the woman was standing on the moon and in front of the sun, it meant that she was more powerful than their bloodthirsty gods symbolized by the sun and the moon. But her attitude of humble prayer taught them that this heavenly mother was not herself a god, that her great power came from somebody far greater than herself. And the cross on her neck indicated that Person is her Son Jesus,
God-the-Son, Who loved us enough to become one of us and to die for us: a God not of fear, but a God of incredible love and mercy. As a direct result of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it is estimated that about 9 MILLION native Mexicans became Catholics! In fact, many of us who come from a Mexican background probably owe our faith today to the loving work of our Lady of Guadalupe! These are Mary’s motherly words to Juan Diego, when he was concerned about the sickness of his uncle. She said, “Hear me and understand well, my little son, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection?” In today’s world of much fear, violence and death, may the motherly love of Our Lady of Guadalupe draw us closer to her Son, Jesus.
4 | St. Patrick Catholic Church
PARISH AND MINSTRY NEWS MINISTRY LEADERS
ADORATION Ariel Gomez (956) 740-9567
BEREAVEMENT Lucy Cardenas (956) 763-9145
EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION Dody Foster (956)723-6119
HOSPITAL E. EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS Angeles Guajardo (956) 436-2540 ALTAR SOCIETY Karla Torres (956) 722-6215 ALTAR SERVERS Marilu Gorecki (956) 625-8300
LECTORS (English) Jo Ann Otero (956) 285-1925
MUSIC Lupita Chapa (956) 763-6724 USHERS (English) Luis Lopez (956) 206-3639
MEN’S CLUB Narciso Castro (956) 740-2226
JAIL MINISTRY Eduardo/ Gina De la Miyar - (956) 237-3226 Rodolfo/ Maru Portillo (956) 235-4382
Mass Intentions Consider having a Mass said for a birthday, anniversary, or memorial for someone special. There are dates
available for the 2019 calendar. Please come by the parish office during
regular business hours to reserve your date and time for a Mass intention.
Serve our Lord, Serve your Parish Are you looking for a way to
become involved? Do you feel a
calling? Do you have a special
talent you would like to share
with the parish? Anyone
interested who would like to
share their time & talent with
any of the various ministries and groups we have
here at St. Patrick’s are encouraged to contact
any of the ministry or group leaders for more
information.
PARISH & MINISTRY NEWS
Father of goodness and love, hear our prayers for the sick members
of our community and for all who are in need. Amid mental and
physical suffering may they find consolation in your healing
presence. Show your mercy as you close wounds, cure illnesses, make
broken bodies whole and free downcast spirits. May these special
people find lasting health and deliverance, and so join us in thanking
you for all your gifts. We ask this through Lord Jesus who healed
those who believed. Amen
Alex de la Garza
Elvia Garza
Alfonso Guajardo
Sylvia Laurel Vela
Mona Moore Hachar
Thomas Foster
Rosario Flores Garcia
Baby Graciela Bernal
Yuri Alberto Orta
Aidee Juarez
Javier Treviño
Jose Quezada
Elvia Resendez
Gabriel Cabello
Frances Rizo
Adolf Puig
Rudy Gonzalez Jr.
Blanca Jasso
Ma Antonieta Canales
Diana Treviño Garcia
Gloria Gnz. Carranza
John Hammond
Willie Dickinson
Randy Blair
Juan Montes
Hugo Cipres
Carlo Perez
Alyzza Resendez
We extend a warm welcome to anyone new
to our parish family & all visitors who
celebrate with us throughout the year. If you
would like to join this parish, please stop by
to pick up or fill out a registration form in the
parish office during regular business hours. Only 335 families have made the pledge for
the Catholic Sharing Appeal. We are at 53%
of our Parish goal. Please make your pledge
as soon as possible. Pledge forms and more
information are available in the church and
at the office.
PARISH & MINISTRY NEWS
6 | St. Patrick Catholic Church
Our Lady of Guadalupe Rosary Walk will take place on Wednesday, December 12th
at 6:00 AM The walk will begin from
J.B. Alexander High School to St. Patrick Church.
We will present roses to our Blessed Mother followed with mañanitas and the Holy Mass
JOIN US IN PRAYER
St. Patrick Men's thanks all who donated to successful bowling fundraiser and blood drive
St. Patrick Men's Club says to our parish family thank you (to the father), thank you (to the son),
thank you (to the holy spirit) for supporting bowling tournament fundraiser and South Texas Blood Bank blood donor drive. We were blessed to raise $6,000 at Jett Bowl for our scholarship program because more than 30 sponsorships and 35 units of blood were donated at St. Patrick Parish Hall. For more information please call Men’s Club President Narciso Castro at (956) 740-2226.
Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible This eight-part study (30-minute video sessions) provides the easiest way to understand the Bible. Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible makes the complex simple. It helps you uncover the story woven throughout Scripture so that you can get the “big picture” of the Bible and understand what it is all about. The Bible is a story about the Father’s
unfailing love for you - a love that you are now called to share with others. You will: • Make sense of the Bible and see how it relates to your everyday life • Discover the remarkable connections between the Old and New Testaments • See how the sacraments, the Church and our entire Catholic Faith is rooted in Scripture
Class dates: Wednesdays January 9 - February 27, 2019 Class time: 7PM - 8:30PM Workbook required - $20 cost per workbook (spouses can share workbook) Number of classes: 8 Registration Deadline: Tuesday, December 18, 2018 To register please fill out the form below: For more information please contact Carlos Guzman at (210)316-5950 or [email protected]
Christmas Posadas begin Saturday, December 15th after the 5:00 PM Mass with our CCD children.
The Choice Wine- Two-Weekend Retreat The Choice Wine: “7 Steps to a Superabundant Marriage” is a marriage program that consists of Faith-Based video sessions and teaches couples ways of “divorce-proofing” their marriages. The program costs $30.00 per couple. Breakfast and Lunch will be served. No childcare services will be provided. Retreat dates and times:
January 4th – 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm- Registration and Welcoming January 5th- Morning and Afternoon Day January 12th- Morning and Afternoon Day January 13th- Morning and Afternoon Day
For more information and to register, please visit: https://stpatricklaredo.org/the-choice-wine Contacts: Marte Martinez: (214-223-5757) Adriana Martinez: (214-280-0636) Richard Gamez: (956-401-3284) Elisa Gamez: (956-857-4933) Javier Compean: (956-337-5284).
Below are the ten names of eligible candidates who received the most nominations to become members of the parish council, on both side A and side B of the ballot. Each registered household may have two adults vote for members of the parish council. A ballot must have an active envelope number in order to be valid. Each voter may select up to three persons to fill the three vacant slots on the parish council, by putting his/her initials besides those names. If only one person is voting, only use either side A or side B. If two persons are voting, one person will use side A and the other person will use side B. Completed ballots can be put into the offertory basket at Mass, or into the slot on the door to the parish office, but no later than 1:30 pm on Monday, December 10.
SIDE A: if 1 person is voting SIDE B: If 2 people are voting
Life Teen welcomes all High school youth to join our youth group Sunday nights 7pm to 9pm in the St Patrick Parish hall. We provide free food, fellowship and faith formation in a fun relatable way for teens to grow in their faith with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Teens that attend earn service hours for confirmation and school. Be apart of our messaging platform in English for high-school Text – splifeteen to 84576 for reminders and information on the teachings.
EDGE welcomes all Middle School youth to join our youth group on Dec 9th at 3:30pm to 5:30pm in the St Patrick parish hall. Edge leadership is by high-school teens and adult in lay ministry teams. We provide free food, fellowship and faith formation in a fun relatable way for teens to grow in their faith with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Youth that attend earn service hours. Be apart of our messaging platform in English for middle-school Text – edgesp to 84576 for reminders and information on the teachings
Del parroco, p. Anthony Mendoza
Santo Tomas More
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ¡El Poder del Amor de una Madre! Hace 500 años, fue una época terrible para la gente de México. Muchos de los nativos vivían temerosos de los poderosos indios aztecas. Los aztecas siempre empezaban guerras contra otros pueblos, mataban a muchos y tomaban miles de prisioneros. Los aztecas mismos vivían con el temor de que su mundo se derrumbaría a menos que mataran constantemente a seres humanos en sacrificio a sus falsos dioses sedientos de sangre que eran simbolizados por el sol y la luna. Actuaban como personas que habían olvidado el amor de una madre. Era una cultura de miedo, violencia y muerte. Los conquistadores españoles del siglo XVI obligaron a los nativos de México a detener sus sacrificios humanos, pero, desafortunadamente, lo que más importaba a muchos de esos españoles era encontrar oro. Esos españoles eran católicos de nombre, pero no eran buenos seguidores de Jesús, porque muchos trataban a los nativos como animales. Entonces, no es sorprendente que muy, muy pocos indios se hayan convertido para ser católicos. Cuando el primer obispo de México, el Obispo Juan Zumárraga, habló en favor de un mejor trato de los nativos, los españoles le hicieron la vida muy difícil. Finalmente, el Obispo Zumarraga dijo que si Dios mismo no interviene, México terminará en una catástrofe. En el año 1531 Dios mismo intervino en México. Envió a México a la mujer que había elegido para ser Su madre, la Santísima Virgen María. A principios de diciembre, María misma se apareció a un hombre nativo llamado Juan Diego y llegó con el mejor remedio para el miedo y la violencia: el amor de una madre. Dejó su hermosa imagen en la tilma de Juan Diego, la imagen que conocemos como Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Esta imagen hablaba a los nativos de México en símbolos que entendían claramente. La gente de México reconoció el cinturón alrededor de la cintura de Mary como una señal de que estaba embarazada de un niño. Entonces la vieron como una mujer pacífica, una mujer de amor maternal. Su hermoso manto de estrellas les mostró que el cielo estaba allí para protegerlos y ayudarlos, no para lastimarlos. Dado que la mujer estaba de pie en la luna y frente al sol, eso significaba que era más poderosa que sus dioses sedientos de sangre simbolizados por el sol y la luna. Pero su actitud de oración humilde les enseñó que esta madre celestial no era ella misma un dios, que su gran poder provenía de alguien mucho más grande que ella. Y la cruz en su cuello
indicaba que la Persona es su Hijo Jesús, Dios-Hijo, que nos amó lo suficiente como para convertirnos en uno de nosotros y morir por nosotros: un Dios no de miedo, sino un Dios de increíble amor y misericordia. Como resultado directo de la aparición de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ¡se estima que aproximadamente 9 MILLONES de mexicanos nativos se convirtieron en católicos! De hecho, ¡muchos de los que venimos de un origen mexicano probablemente debemos nuestra fe hoy al amoroso trabajo de nuestra Señora de Guadalupe! Estas son las palabras maternas de María a Juan Diego, cuando estaba preocupado por la enfermedad de su tío. Ella dijo: "Escúchame y entiende bien, mi pequeño hijo, que nada debería asustarte o lamentarte. No dejes que tu corazón sea perturbado. No temas a esa enfermedad, ni a ninguna otra enfermedad o angustia. ¿No estoy yo aquí, quién es tu madre? ¿No estás bajo mi protección?” En el mundo actual de mucho miedo, violencia y muerte, que el amor maternal de Nuestra Señora de Gudadalupe nos acerque más a su Hijo, Jesús.
AVISOS Y EVENTOS
LifeTeen San Patricio está estrenando un sistema de mensajes en español para mantenerlos informados de nuestras actividades. Para
recibir los mensajes subscríbete con un texto al número 84576 que diga Eslifeteen
