“You will keep perfect

peace in him whose mind

is steadfast, because he

trusts in you.” (Isaiah

26:3-4)

As the summer

season is upon us, possi-

bly providing us with

opportunities for rest and

relaxation and time for re-

flection, and as we seek a

little peace and tranquility

away from the busy routines of our lives, the prophet

Isaiah reminds us that true peace comes when we put

our complete trust in God. For if we completely trust

in Him, he will give our lives a sense of rightness and

restful wholeness. Yet it is not a blind trust we have,

we trust Him because of who He is, because “ in God

the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock!” His nature

and power are unchangeable and His love for us was

demonstrated and sealed in the cross of Jesus Christ.

SUMMERTIME IS A GIFT FROM GOD GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY HIS BEAUTIFUL CREATION

The St. Joseph BEACON

Enlightened Communication for our Parish Family

Rev. Fr. Denzil

Vithanage, Pastor

Volume I, Issue 3 SUMMER 2012

Faith Formation 2

Parish Ministries 2

Outreach Ministries 3

School News 4

Fr. Carlos 5

We Ask Father 6

Universal Church News 6

Reflections 6

Upcoming Events 7

Inside this issue:

It's not really about GOING to

church, it's about COMING to

LIFE!

stjosephmarshall.org

So we need not be anxious today,

and worry about the issues facing each of us,

if we take our issues to the Lord and say “I

trust you and whatever you lend me to do in

this situation I will do.” Then God takes

responsibility for our circumstances and

whatever outcome He chooses to bring, our

hearts will be at peace, resting in Him. We

are always safe and secure if we put our trust

in the everlasting Rock. He will never let us

down or betray our trust in Him.

And as we go about our summer

activities- family reunions and gatherings,

family vacations and cookouts, we might

also take time out to reflect on how we might

build up God's kingdom in our own St. Jo-

seph parish family. For we are all stones,

with Christ as our cornerstone, the immova-

ble Rock in whom we trust. St. Peter in-

structs us in his first letter that Christ is “a

living stone” and we are “like living stones”

to build up the Kingdom of God within us

and around us.

So let us contemplate how God

may be calling each of us to take a more ac-

tive part in our parish life and ministries, for

there is a place for everyone to contribute

their time and talents according to their own

particular circumstances and abilities. Ask

yourself: have I been interested in taking part

in a particular ministry or organization? If

not, then maybe now is the time to step for-

ward. If I am already active in the parish, is

there maybe even more areas in which I could

use my talents in service to God and others?

With Christ as our cornerstone,

our Rock, let us put our trust in Him and build

up His Church one stone at a time, that we

may have peace and a sense of purpose in our

minds and hearts.

Something to think and pray about

this summer…Amen

I am very happy to have returned to Marshall and the St. Joseph’s

parish for the summer, from my studies in Rome at the North American Col-

lege (NAC). This semester I finished my STB (Sacrae Theologiae Baccalau-

reus) degree from the University of the Holy Cross (Opus Dei). I have been

given approval to begin my Licentiate studies next fall at the Lateran Univer-

sity, where I will study Christology for the next two years. As well as aca-

demic work the students in my class at the NAC are preparing for ordination

to the Diaconate in October. I was named chairman of the Liturgy Committee

and have been working with my classmates on the liturgical details for the

ordination as well as other liturgies and holy hour that will be celebrated during Diaconate Week

when guests from all over the United States and Australia, as well as Europe, come to Rome to

share in our ordination to the diaconate. I am looking forward to spending these summer months at

St. Joseph and I will be assisting with many of the activities here in the parish. I plan to give a series

of classes in August, assisting with Totus Tuus and will be helping the Sunday Morning Adult Faith

Formation group that meets in the Parish Hall.

Seminarian

Matthew Stehling

Tantum ergo Sacramentum

Do you like to sing and make music? How

does making music in the house of the Lord

sound to you? Then serving in the choir is the

place for you. Youth Choir practice is

Wednesday evenings 6:15-6:50 pm and Adult

Choir practice is Wednesday evenings 7:00-

8:00 pm in the choir loft.

There are many ways that we can serve

God. If you are interested in becoming in-

volved in any of the ministries listed in the

Sunday Bulletin or those highlighted in these

pages, please call the church office at 903-935-

2356, leave your name and number and some-

one will gladly contact you.

THE ST. JOSEPH BEACON

Summer 2012

THE MINISTRIES OF FAITH FORMATION

Page 2

Parish Youth Happenings—REC

TEAM

Benjamin and Holly Cantu

Please pray that our diocese will soon have a new Shepherd.

Liturgy/Choir Ministry Nancy Vines

Sunday Morning Adult Faith Formation

Gerald Duvall

St. Joseph’s offers many activity choices for you to explore your

Catholic faith. One of these choices is the Sunday Morning Adult Faith For-

mation group. The group welcomes everyone who would like to gain a deeper

perspective on our Catholic faith through reflection, discussion, and social

interaction.

This “class” provides a forum to help you to become more familiar

with scripture, learn more about our Church, our Lord and His Sacraments.

Our group discussions are guided by Reflecting on Sunday’s Readings provid-

ed by Emmaus Journey (found at www.emmausjourney.org). As adults, our

discussions generally tend toward families, careers, and other influences from

the choices we make in our lives. Regardless of where we are in our personal

faith formation journey, we learn together how scripture and prayer can help

us to more fully commit our lives to Christ.

During discussions, one doesn’t have to be asked to speak…it simply

happens. We do our best to create and maintain an atmosphere where interac-

tions occur in the spirit of love. Come, give our group a try. Regular attend-

ance is encouraged, but not committed. There is a chair waiting with just your

name on it.…we even provide the coffee (and occasionally, donuts!).

Our Seminarian Matthew Stehling will be leading this class during this

summer. Please come and participate in our lively theological discussions! The

group meets 9:00—10:00 a.m. Call the church office at 903-935-2536 or Ger-

ald Duvall at 903-938-1733 for more information.

“The singular most serious

problem facing the Church to-

day is loss of faith in the Real

Presence.”

—Very Rev. William Casey, CPM

St. Joseph's Youth Group has been renamed

the "R.E.C. T.E.A.M.", which stands for Really

Enjoying Christ, Teens Engaging Actively in Min-

istry. The youth program aims to help the youth

strengthen their faith through social, service, and

spiritual activities. Our goal is to have the youth

become more active in the church and in the com-

munity, all the while having fun learning more

about their faith and building upon their relation-

ship with God.

The high school REC TEAM is open to all

youth who are in 9th - 12th grade and meets at

Chili's Parish Youth House on Wednesday evenings

from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM.

The Jr. REC TEAM, for those youth in 5th -

8th grade (Jr High/MS), meets on Thursday eve-

nings from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM at Chili's.

Vacation Bible School Charlotte Smith

We have Totus Tuus coming up in July. This is a

Vacation Bible School for grades 1-12 that is

only for youth and is completely Catholic. Totus

Tuus means “Totally Yours.”

This year the youth will be studying the Creed

and the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.

Grades 1-6 will be from 9am until 3pm Monday

thru Friday, and grades 7-12 will be Sunday thru

Thurs, 6-10pm all at the parish hall.

During the period July 14-20, the team will be

speaking at all the Masses, as well as at a parish

social on Wed, July 18th.

THE ST. JOSEPH BEACON

Summer 2012 Page 3

THE MINISTRIES OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL NEWS

The volunteer members of

this project see in the birth

of each baby a fresh ex-

pression of God’s unfailing

love. They offer immediate

and practical help to any

woman faced with a crisis

pregnancy.

To ask for help,

offer your assistance, or for

more information, contact

Juanita Cantu at

js_cantu@hotmail.com or

call 888-300-5112.

THE GABRIEL PROJECT

Juanita Cantu

A Rose for Our Lady of

Mt. Carmel (July 16th)

St. Joseph’s welcomes back Cindy Kopecky as the

Learning Center Director. She received her Bachelor Degree

in Education from the Texas A&M University, Texarkana, in

May. In addition to her duties as Director, she will be teaching

classes.

Congratulations, Cindy, from everyone at St. Joseph’s!!

In other school news:

Applications are being taken for faculty positions. For information call the

school office at 903-935-5502 or church office at 903-935-2536.

Summer school is in full swing and the children are learning about good

citizenship and the Christian way of life.

A parent meeting is scheduled for July 10th at 6:30 p.m. There will be an

orientation for the parents to become familiar with the school’s structure and

how their children will benefit from their Catholic school experience.

Enrolling now for Fall

Pre-K thru 4th Grade

To enroll, visit the school

at 2307 S. Garrett, or call

us at 903-935-5502.

The key to the future is

within the mind of your

child.

Hail, Flower of Carmel,

Hail, Fruitful Vine,

Hail ever Immaculate Queen,

in whom all virtues shine!

O Mother mild, implore your

Son to hear our prayers now

and at the hour of our death.

All of us at St. Joseph Catholic School and Parish wish Ag-

nes Verhalen a very happy 90th!! birthday on July 13th.

Agnes has been a lifelong staunch and faithful advocate for

Catholic Education. God bless you, Agnes, from all of us!!

KUDOS TO THE KNIGHTS OF

COLUMBUS

& CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS

We, the St. Joseph Commu-

nity, thank you, Knights of Columbus

and Catholic Daughters, for the fan-

tastic 4th of July celebration you

hosted for all of us. The food was

fantastic and the fireworks fabulous.

Fun was had by all!!

Also, a great round of ap-

plause and thanks to the Knights of

Columbus’ video crew for their dedi-

cation and hard work filming our St.

Joseph Mass each week. The video

film crew members are: Lloyd Curry,

Brett Mayo, Brett Noble, and David

Zielgler.

When you see these Knights,

let them know you have seen their

wonderful skills at work!!

The St. Joseph Mass is available at

Channel 19 on local cable television

and online at

www.stjosephmarshall.org.

Helping Mother and Child for the Love of Jesus

News from the Development Office Mary Heater

THE ST. JOSEPH BEACON

Summer 2012 Page 4

The Development Office had a very busy

start since its announcement as part of St. Joseph’s

parish administration. In order to meet our first

goal of improved communications, we produced

the Beacon newsletter and then we accomplished a

major over-haul of our web site that we introduced

to you May 27th. Please give us your comments

and suggestions to make it better and how it is helping you to know

your parish. Don’t be shy, this is your website, too. We want to

show a welcoming spiritual presence to everyone, including visitors

that might be attracted to “coming home” to the Catholic faith be-

cause of how we present our parish to the World-Wide Web!

Our second goal is The 3rd Annual “We Love Our School”

Pledge Campaign that kicks off July 22nd. Our goal for the cam-

paign this year is not only to accept pledges, but to start and fund a

St. Joseph School foundation/endowment that will welcome contin-

ued donor participation in the life of the church and the school and

encourage charitable investments to grow church and school fiscal

resources. Funding for scholarships and tuition assistance is of

grave concern in order to encourage all parents to provide Catholic

academic and spiritual education for their children. (For information

on the Foundation, call the office at 9033-935-2536)

APRIL — JUNE 2012

On May 6, Catholic Charities of East Texas sponsored a

presentation, “Come and See,” at St. Joseph’s by author

Linda Schaefer on her experiences with Blessed Mother

Teresa of Calcutta for its annual fundraiser. Dinner and a

book signing followed her emotional presentation.

There is no better way than to make a generous donation

for the poor in our community than

through the St. Joseph Catholic Chari-

ties. Also, it is easy and convenient to

stop by the Church and make a food or

money donation for the Food Pantry at

the Church office.

St. Joseph’s Family Collage!

Contact the church office at 903-935-2536

if you are interested in serving with any of

the Parish ministries profiled in this

month’s newsletter.

Jason Keith Wilcox & Sara

Lynne Emery

Indy Roth & Michael Fenton

Gavin Woodward

Addison Woodward

Karina Sauedo

Miguel Zepeda

David Ramirez

Cody Tlatoa

Brandon Mendez

Mario Tovar

Oliverio Benitez Baltazar

Lizeth Benitez Baltazar

Agustin Tlatoa

Julissa Bueno

Hryan Becerro

Billy Becerro

Continued Page 5

Geraldine Elliott

Merrill Elliott

Kay Shaw

St. Joseph

Weddings

St. Joseph

Births

and

Baptisms

In

Memoriam

ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND

FOOD PANTRY MINISTRIES

Cathy Lay

The St. Joseph BEACON

Summer 2012 Page 5

Comunidad Hispana-Parroquia de San Jose,

Marshall, Texas

Rev. Carlos O. Rangel, Parroco Asistente

Births and Baptisms -

Continued from Page 4

Kevyn Vences

Jeeily Vences

Kalei Vences-Cavillo

Ian Plaka

Lillie Harman

Yuliza Morales

Christian Hernandez

Ericka Briseno

Kaitlyn Taylor

Alan Taylor

Ella Dean

Landry Dean

Yahir Ruiz

Veronica Domingues

Kaitlyn Trevino-Montes

Ricardo Duran-Luna

Con carino y mucho gusto les comunico la marcha de nuestra

comunidad. Pero antes, quisiera darle gracias al buen Dios del amor, a

nombre de toda la comunidad. Muy copiosamente nos abundan las ben-

diciones celestiales a todos los creyentes, que confesamos a Cristo Jesus

como nuestro Salvador y Redentor personal. El como la segunda persona

de la Santisima Trinidad, nos ha revelado al Padre de los Cielos, y al

Espiritu Santo, que ahora guia muy sabia y compasivamente a su Iglesia.

Como comunidad de fe, esperanza y caridad, veo, como pastor asistente, que a pesar de

tantas carencias y limitaciones y retos, nuestra alimentacion espiritual sobrepasa esas carencias.

Dios nos acompana en nuestras alegrias y tristesas. Esta presente de manera muy singular en la cele-

bracion de todos los sacramentos, signos preclaros de su presencia viva y comunitaria.

Liturgicamente hablando, hemos dado el paso firme y fiel al periodo del tiempo ordinario,

habiendo celebrado muy devotamente y llenos de fe, las fiestas solemnes de Pentecostes, en la cual

se hacen vibrar y recordamos la abundacia de sus frutos y dones, a traves de todos los ministerios,

que vemos activos en la vida cristiana de cada fiel. Por ahi esta una foto, dentro de esa gran celebra-

cion, que bien nos recuerda la naturaleza de nuestro ser y quehacer de Iglesia de bautizados, y por

ende, enviados a esparcir y sembrar la "semilla de Reino". Asi como los primeros apostoles y dis-

cipulos de la Iglesia primitiva fue enviada a proclamar con la vida y obras el Evangelio a todas las

gentes, asi hemos sido enviados nosotros en estos tiempos de gran turbulencia y desafio, pero sobre-

abundante en amor misericoridioso, para aquel que acoja y le busque en el sacramento del perdon.

Otra de las fiestas que hemos disfrutado grademente es la fiesta de la Santisima Trinidad,

que nos recuerda que asi como Dios es "comunidad" perfecta, asi nos llama a serlo tambien no-

sotros, uniendo todo nuestro amor y esfuerzo para alcanzar la meta, el cielo ganado por Cristo y

prometido. Ahora bien, hemos celebrado la gran fiesta del Corpus Christi, llenos de fervor y devo-

cion al cuerpo de Cristo, exaltandole y alabandole, glorificandole como se merece, puesto que es

nuestro alimento imperecedero del "camino a la vida".

Nos seguimos concentrando a la vez en otras actividades de los varios grupos apostolicos,

existentes en nuestra dinamica parroquia de San Jose. Los Guadalupanos, los Cursillistas, el Grupo

de Oracion, los lectores, los Ministros Extraordinarios de Comunion, Monaguillos, Coros, servi-

dores de la colecta, hospitalidad, y otros que no menciono por falta de espacio, les agradecemos

infinitamente su apoyo a la vida parroquial, y a la evangelizacion y catequesis de unos para con

otros.

Gracias por todos los sacrificios y grandes esfuerzos que algunos realizan con ese afan de

crecer y aumentar mas cada dia en ese amor y conociemiento de la Fe cristiana. Toda esa accion

apostolica, nos lleva y conecta con la accion apostolica y espiritu de entrega de los primeros cris-

tianos, y cristianos de todas las epocas. Porque estamos convencidos que no es obra nuestra sino de

Dios Padre Hijo y del Espiritu Santo, inspirada en nuestro corazon, y solo tratamos de corresponder

de la mejor manera posible para la gloria de Dios y santificacion de sus miembros. Dios en su bon-

dad, siga bendiciendo a cada uno, especialmente a aquellos que mas se olvidan que tienen un lugar-

sito en el corazon de Maria la Madre de Dios y en el corazon de su Hijo, que sigue dando su Vida

por ti.

Atte.

Rev. Carlos O. Rangel

O almighty and eternal

God, Shepherd and Ruler of

all your faithful, look favor-

ably on your servant, Pope

Benedict, whom you have

made Chief Pastor of your

Church. May his words and

example be for those over

whom he is placed, be di-

rected by your grace so that

he and all his flock may

together attain everlasting

life. Amen

Page 6 THE ST. JOSEPH BEACON

Summer 2012

R

E

F

L

E

C

T

I

O

N

S

TYLER DIOCESE COUNCIL OF

CATHOLIC WOMEN

http://www.dioceseoftyler.org/women

An affiliate of the National organization

that recognizes all Catholic Women in the

Diocese of Tyler as members.

Please visit our website

for 2012 events.

Our Lady of Good

Counsel, Pray for us

We would all say that we desire to hear the Lord’s will for us in our lives. Which career path does the Lord want me to take, or

which person is the right one for me, or how do I just follow the will

of God in the daily activities of my life? We all face these questions, but we often don’t hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us.

One way we can better hear the voice of the Lord is taking some time out of our daily to stop and smell the proverbial roses.

Everyday we are bombarded with email, phone calls, text messages,

facebook, twitter, TV shows, radio… the list goes on its no wonder that we can’t hear that “still small voice” 1Kings 19:12.

The Lord speaks to us, He is constantly calling us to Him-self, to live lives of holiness and grace. The summer months are a

good time to cultivate in ourselves an interior silence, to make some room, to clear out some of the other noise in our lives so that we

can hear the whispers of the Lord.

Silent time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is an ideal place to listen to God, but even at home or at work we can

take even a short time to put aside the worries and noise of the day and turn to the Lord, listening and waiting for the Lord’s Will to be

revealed.

~ Matthew Stehling

Q: How many titles are there for Mary?

A: The Marian Library/International Marian-

Research Institute at the University of Dayton,

Ohio, lists 6,000 titles for mary in its online

database — everything from “Blessed Mother”

to “Cause of our Joy.” (NCR, June 20, 2012)

The titles we are most familiar with are:

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Our Lady of Sorrows

Our Lady of Good Counsel

“Mary, Mother of God, pray for us”

We Ask Father:

NEWS/ISSUES FROM THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

A raffle drawing for this beautiful 50”x 50” handmade quilt by Ro Simmons of Tyler will

be held at the TDCCW General Assembly in Tyler, Texas, on Saturday, October 6, 2012.

Tickets are $2.00 each, available from Catholic Daughters members. Also, you may

download as many tickets as you may want from the webpage:

http://www.dioceseoftyler.org/women.

Please make checks payable to TDCCW. Return your check and tickets to Juanita Cantu,

Cathy Lay, or Mary Heater. Enter as many times as you wish. You need not be present

to win.

ROSES

FOR

ROME

A benefit raffle for the

seminarians of the Diocese

of Tyler, Texas

US Bishops Back Obama Immigration Decision Protects Those Who Entered Country as Children

In June, a decision by President Barack Obama to defer deportation for all young people eligible under the Development, Re-

lief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was welcomed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"This important action will provide protection from removal and work authorization for a vulnerable group of immigrants who

deserve to remain in our country and contribute their talents to our communities," said Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, chair-

man of the USCCB Committee on Migration. Also, Archbishop Gomez urged elected officials of both parties to take this opportunity to

work together to enact this important law, which would give these youth a path to citizenship and a chance to become Americans.

The U.S. bishops' conference also stressed the need for "bipartisan efforts to enact comprehensive and humane reform" to fix

the country's "broken immigration system." 20-June-2012 -- ZENIT.org News Agency

Newsletter Staff:

Fr. Denzil Vithanage, Editor

Mary Heater, Asst. Editor

Melanie Hughes, Office

Administrator

SERVING HARRISON COUNTY AS A PARISH SINCE 1874

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.

Phone: 903-935-2536

Fax: 903-938-1591

E-mail: saintjosephmarshall@yahoo.com

Web: http://www.stjosephmarshall.org

ST. JOSEPH CATHOL IC CHURCH

St. Joseph Church Office Directory:

Fr. Denzil Vithanage, Pastor

Office Administrator: Melanie Hughes

Fr. Carlos Rangel, Asst. Pastor

Deacons: John Sargent, Santiago Suarez, Felipe Pena,

& Magadaleno Aguirre

School Principal: Wanda Robinson

School Director (ELC): Cindy Kopecky

Director of Faith Formation: Charlotte Smith

Director of Music and Liturgy: Nancy Vines

Development Director: Mary Heater

Under the same Management

for over 2,000 years.

410 N. Alamo Boulevard

Marshall, TX 75670

PLEASE OFFER YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR ARTICLES OF INTEREST TO OUR ST. JOSEPH PARISH FAMILY BY WRITING THEM ON THIS FORM AND SENDING TO The St. Joseph BEACON AT THE CHURCH OFFICE

The St. Joseph BEACON

Summer 2012 Page 7

JULY-AUGUST July 14-20 VBS — Totus Tuus 16 KC Social 22 We Love Our School

pledge campaign kick-off

29 KC Spaghetti Dinner after 10:30 Mass 29 KC Blood Drive — Par-

ish Hall August 6 Staff Retreat —- Office

CLOSED 12 “We Love Our School”

pot luck banquet. 6:30 pm

15 Holy Day of Obliga-tion. The Assump-

* * UPCOMING EVENTS—SUMMER 2012 * *

SEPTEMBER

September

3 Labor Day. Office CLOSED 10 CDA Meeting. 7:00

pm 15 CDA Installation of Officers 16 Mexican Fiesta! 22-23 KC Barbeque 24-26 John Michael Talbot—6:30 pm

The list of routine weekly

and monthly meetings and

Mass times are available

in the Church Weekly

Bulletin

Contributors::

Matthew Stehling

Fr. Carlos Rangel

Nancy Vines

Charlotte Smith

Cathy Lay