Sunday, April 25th - Fourth Sunday of Easter
CHEERS! - A MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR
Cheers!
First of all, congratulations to all those children who have or will have received their First Holy Communion last weekend or this weekend. They are a blessing to our parish. Thanks also, of course, to Anna Forsberg, our Faith Formation Director for children and her assistant, Tammy Kastrup; every year they both work very hard to prepare the children to receive First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, but this past year, they have worked extra hard because of the the Covid- 19 pandemic!
Godwin Anyanwu, the seminarian from Nigeria, who has been working at Holy Spirit since early December of last year, has ended his internship here at Holy Spirit. He will take a month-long break to spend more time with his family (who live in Las Vegas) and then be assigned to another parish in the Diocese for a second internship. We wish Godwin well and are grateful for the time he has spent with us.
Deacon Rich Green is announcing his retirement at the end of May. I will write more about Deacon Rich in a future column. But, his departure leaves an opening in the RCIA program — a program that Deacon Rich has led for the past several years. So, we are looking for someone to fill that position. The job would not only encompass the RCIA process, but also other adult faith formation programs, such as Bible Studies, enrichment programs, faith sharing groups etc. I will be developing a job description soon. Right now, I consider this to be a part-time salaried job. Candidates need to have experience in the RCIA process as well as the other aspects mentioned above. I’m also putting together an interview committee. Please contact my secretary, Cindy Wayne, at 702-HLY-SPRT (459-7778) to set up an interview. Thanks so much.
Have a great week! God bless you!
Fr. Bill
NEWS FROM THE PARISH
Celebrating Sacraments
Over the next several weeks we will be celebrating a number of Sacraments such as Baptisms, First Communions and Confirmations. Some of these take place during weekend liturgies. We are excited to celebrate these Sacraments together as a community!
Statement from the Bishop
"I hereby extend the dispensation for all Catholic faithful of
the Diocese of Las Vegas and those Catholics visiting within the geographic boundaries of our Diocese, from the obligation of attending Sunday Masses and Holy Days of Obligation up to and including Sunday, May 30, 2021.
While we recognize that many are eager to return to Mass in our churches, it remains important for those who are elderly and otherwise at risk to refrain from returning to
public Liturgies until it is manifestly safe to do so."
Do you need a prayer? Would you like to pray for someone? You can reply directly to this email (which will create a private comment) or click the 'Reply' button to leave a public comment.
We are united to one another through our prayer. We are praying for you. You are not alone.
MOMENT OF THE WEEK
Throughout this past week, Bishop Gorman has once again celebrated Mass in their theology classes over the course of this past Thursday and Friday. This all-familiar sight of a socially distant church is one that hopefully will be a thing of the past come this next year. We long for and look forward to the days of a full Church, not just with the Bishop Gorman students, but with a whole parish!
YOUR OPINION MATTERS
What do you think will happen when the Church returns to 100% capacity?
Most Masses will be full to capacity
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Some Masses will increase attendance, but others remain the same
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We will not see too much of an increase from the 400 allowed now
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There will actually be a decrease in attendance due to people not wanting to be in a crowd
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Feel free to add your opinions, feedback, and suggestions in the comments section. Thank you for those who participated in the past two week surveys!
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
The 58th annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be celebrated by the Catholic Church on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, commonly referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday. The World Day of Prayer for Vocations unites the faithful in praying for those currently discerning and living out vocations to ordained ministry and consecrated life.
Last December, Pope Francis marked the 150th anniversary of the Church’s declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the universal Church and proclaimed the Year of Saint Joseph (December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021). In his message for the 2021 World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis again turns to Saint Joseph, as a guide for fathers and mothers, both biological and spiritual, who seek to foster the gift of vocation in the hearts of those entrusted to them, saying:
“The Lord desires to shape the hearts of fathers and mothers: hearts that are open, capable of great initiatives, generous in self-giving, compassionate in comforting anxieties, and steadfast in strengthening hopes. The priesthood and the consecrated life greatly need these qualities nowadays, in times marked by fragility but also by the sufferings due to the pandemic, which has spawned uncertainties and fears about the future and the very meaning of life. Saint Joseph comes to meet us in his gentle way, as one of “the saints next door”. At the same time, his strong witness can guide us on the journey.”
GOSPEL REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Read the Readings from this Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:8-12; Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18
Use the following discussion/reflection questions in your families, with your spouse, your friends, or even as personal journal questions:
1. What does it mean to be truly fulfilled? What does it look like? What does it feel like
2. Why is it important that Christ is the cornerstone of your life? Have you, like the builders mentioned in the first reading, rejected Christ as the cornerstone?
3. Is Christ currently the cornerstone of your life? If yes, how so? If no, what can you do to make Him the cornerstone?
WEEKLY WORSHIP
"When all I see is the battle, You see my victory. When all I see is the mountain, You see a mountain moved. And, as I walk through the shadow, Your love surrounds me, there’s nothing to fear now for I am safe with You.
So when I fight I’ll fight on my knees with my hands lifted high, Oh God, the battle belongs to You. And, every fear I lay at Your feet I’ll sing through the night, Oh God, the battle belongs to You.
And if You are for me, who can be against me (yeah) for Jesus there’s nothing Impossible for You. When all I see are the ashes You see the beauty (thank You God). When all I see is a cross, God, You see the empty tomb" Phil Wickham
WALK CONNECTED: A BLINDCONNECT WALK
Blindconnect invites you to our first annual 5K Walk benefitting Angela's House. This walk is a virtual walk. Walk with us anytime anywhere from April 17 to May 1, 2021 in recognition of independence for the blind through critical blindness training services in Nevada.
April 17th - May 1st, 2021
Registration is $35 per participant
How: You can register at Blindconnect.org/events/walk-connected or click the link below.
This contribution provides you with a walk packet including a Blindconnect T-shirt and swag bag.
ANGEL TREE 2020
November 28th - December 13th
This year’s Angel Tree project will be a little different. As you are aware several things are different from prior years: We are practicing social distancing and many schools have not reopened. Many families are without jobs through no fault of their own. The agencies are at a disadvantage since they must use fewer volunteers to assist in their Christmas gift giving programs. We are limited in space for storage and the number of volunteers we can use at one time. Therefore, we are asking everyone to try something new this year…
After all the Masses on the weekend of November 21st & 22nd, volunteers will be handing out a special Angel tag as you leave Mass. Please consider taking one or two to help a child in need this Christmas. If you are unable to attend Mass and watch virtually, we have inserted an Angel tag in the bulletin that you can print, cut out and attach to your stocking. We will also leave some Angels in a basket in the gathering space of the church if you attend morning Mass during the week.
Here is what we are asking:
Please purchase a 16”-18” Christmas stocking and a Target, Walmart, Visa, etc. gift card (minimum $25). Please be sure to write the amount of your gift card somewhere on the card. You may choose the age and gender (newborn - teenagers) of your Angel just be sure to write that information on the back of the Angel. Put the gift card in the stocking and fill the rest of the stocking with little fun items you think your Angel would enjoy receiving. For many children this might be the only gift they will receive this year. After you have purchased the items and filled your stocking attach your Angel tag to the stocking and follow the directions on the back of the Angel tag. It is important that you give your stocking to one of the volunteers either on Wednesdays or on the weekend before all the Masses.
If you are unable to shop or would like us to shop for you, please put your donation (checks payable to Holy Spirit) in an envelope and label it “Angel Tree”. You can also go online to our website www.holyspiritlv.org, go to “Give On Line” and select “Angel Tree. Donations in the Poor Box will also assist with this project.
Thank you for rising to this new challenge and making this Christmas special for many deserving children. God bless you!
OUR COMMUNITY
Below is information about Holy Spirit! Access the information by clicking on the links below. If, for any reason, you cannot find what you are looking for, please call our office 702-459-7778
OUR MINISTRIES
Below is information about some of our ministries and groups at Holy Spirit. Access this information by clicking on the links below. For additional information, please call our office 702-459-7778
GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
New Easter and Spring decor plus First Communion masks, and lots of Confirmation and First Communion Gifts. Stop by to check it out!
Gift Shop Hours:
Open after all weekend liturgies and
Monday - Friday 8am - 12pm & 1pm - 4pm
Saturdays 8am -12pm
Saturdays 8am -12pm
WAYS TO GIVE
IN PERSON: Drop it off at the office or Use the kiosk in the lobby of the Church
AT MASS: Put it in the collection basket at the altar steps when you attend Mass
MAIL: Send it through the mail (5830 Mesa Park Drive, LV, NV 89135)
ONLINE: Use our on-line e-tithing system (www.holyspiritlv.org); click “On-line Giving”
BY PHONE: Text "Assist" to (702)500-1938
Thank you for your generosity to Your parish!
"The bread you store up belongs to the hungry; the cloak that lies in your chest belongs to the naked; the gold you have hidden in the ground belongs to the poor."
St. Basil the Great