SUMMER CAMPS HAVE BEGUN

This week at St Mary's and Missions we began our Second Annual Football Camp and sixty-four boys have been coming daily. This year through the generous support of Mr Marlon Creary and Msgr Albert we are hosting the first Music Camp. Daily twenty-one teens and adults from all four church come to St Mary's for lessons. Music theory and keyboard in the church, rhythm and drums in the auditorium, and guitar on the porch.

When I came into the church this morning for Mass I was taken back to Sr Mary ELizabeth's music class at St Bridgid's... Every Good Boy Does Fine... F A C E... the lines on the cleff. In over forty years nothing has really changed.

Our hope is that after 50 hours of instruction we will have the beginnings of a music ministry for St Mary's and Missions.

BS TYM @ SMC AR

In this age of 'text messages' the abbreviated is in... Blessed Sacrament, Total Youth Ministry, at St Mary's Church, Above Rocks... here's a slide show of the week in review. Father Bob Benko celebrated Mass at O L of Lourdes, Rock Hall and then at St Mary's Above Rocks. After Church the youth groups of St Mary's and Blessed Sacrament had an afternoon of Jamaican snacks (canned beef and cheese sandwiches) and games (dominoes, foot ball and table tennis). On Monday the work begins: four piles of fill were needed to fill the hole for the auditorium porch before 15 bags of cement could be mixed...all done by hand. The ladies await their chariot (the truck) to get to their work sites: Sacred Hearts Basic School, Pinto, and St Mary's Basic at the bottom of the hill. At the end of day getting a shower was at times a challenge... a bucket bath most times. But on Thursday a good thunder shower proved the necessary water to hash hair. Friday is play day so it is off to Lime Cay for a day in the sun and Caribbean. We'd like to thank Fr Bob, the adult leaders and the youth group for a great week!

The Friars and Sisters

(PS - TYM'ers we didn't do an email list...so spread the link. Thanks)

Blessed Sacrament - Burlingto, NC

Fr Bob Benko and the TYM (Total Youth Ministry) Group came down to the mission for a week of service. The group divided into three: one group painted our Sacred Hearts Basic School in Pinto, one group painted the St Mary's Basic School, and the 'boys' stayed here to work on the "hole" that soon will be the porch on the auditorium. More pictures to come...

Did you feel what I felt?

During this time of year the Arch- bishop asks that we add a petition to our Sunday Intercessions: that we be protected from, strong winds, storms and hurricanes. Last evening at 8:15pm I got that "feeling again" something strange is happening... and immediately left the friary. A tremor was felt, that was proceeded by a loud pop... this morning it is the talk of the town... did you feel that last night? We may need to add tremors to the Sunday petitions! The exact magnitude and epi-center has yet to be determined by the local authorities...soon come!

The TC Slide Show

TC with 2 FSE's Visit from Meriden, CT

The Teen Club (TC) from the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, Meriden, CT visit St. Mary's for a service week. Last year during August the RCIA Group from Meriden visited, and stayed a few extra days because of "Dean" . . . this is the younger group that the sister run; but no less spirited and just as dedicated workers!

This past week they had as their major focus, painting the auditorium. The interior of the auditorium now sports a fresh coat of gardenia and duck egg to compliment the palm fronds of the vaulted roof.

The group worked hard under the watchful eye(s) of Sr John Mary and Sr Frances...and at their side, or better said, on the ladder was Brother Rufino, FBE. A week of work (especially during the week of the 4th) should end with a pool party!

Nothing says Happy 4th like...

...pouring a wall for the patio on St Mary's Auditorium. No Holiday here... let alone a hamburger or hot dog on the grill... it was curry goat and pumpkin rice, with the ever present Cole Slaw!

To all our friends and benefactors state-side HAPPY 4th of JULY and thanks for your love and support...your donations have made this project happen.

Fr Mike and Lloyd (on ladder) watch as Corodious mixes the last batch of mortar on late Friday afternoon. The supervisor, Ozzie (yellow hard hat) looks on as the finishing touches are added and the Redstripe is served.

The two shall become one... ASSEMBLY 2008

The Conventual Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception (IC) Province, USA, gave birth to the St. Anthony (SA) of Padua Province, USA, just over 102 years ago. Historically the IC Province served the pastoral needs of the German Speaking Catholics up and down the east coast. Since 1906 the friars of the SA Province have served the pastoral needs of the Polish Speaking Catholics in the same geographic region, often times over lapping (especially in places like Riverside and Trenton, NJ). For the past 40 years the friars of the IC and SA Provinces have studied together in the early years of Franciscan Formation, and in the seminary. And for the past 12 years we have worked even closer together in shared ministries, particularly formation and high school education, and more recently even our parishes.

The week of June 23 - 26, 2008, 183 friars of the IC and SA Province came together to talk about the next step. How do we best serve the needs of the Church and build up our fraternity as we age and membership is on the decline? After twelve years of courting and three years of intense investigation the friars joined in Assembly '08 voted overwhelmingly (86.5% in the affirmative) to advance the process for the two provinces to become one by the year 2014.

While the need to move on and become one could be seen as merely a manpower needs the reality is, we choose to come together so that we can continue to live a life of prayer, community and service, and continue by our words and by our actions to proclaim the Good News for many years to come.

Top picture: the Ministers Provincial with the Minister General (center)

Middle: The full assembly