Vicariate Sports Day

On Saturday July 28 the Youth Ministry from Saint Mary's and Holy Family traveled to Old Harbour for the Saint Catherine Vicariate Sports Day.

Our 30 young people competed against other Catholic Church Communities in football, netball and various field events. They had a wonderful time and were able to connect with other Catholic Youths from the Saint Catherine area.

The David Beckham of Above Rocks!

Our football team from Holy Family were victorious in the football tournament and received a plaque to be proudly displayed in the Church. Congratulations to all our Christian Athletes!

A New Roof for the Auditorium

St. Mary's, Above Rocks, Auditorium is in dire need of a new roof...the leaking roof makes gatherings difficult and frequently shorts-out the electric when rain and a gathering coincide. Because of a generous grant from the Episcopal Vicariate of St Catherine, Msgr Albert, one half of the needed monies ($10k of $20k) were made available for this long over due project. Through the generous support of the local parishioners a third of the remaining monies have been given or pledged. So as to complete the project in a timely fashion, a loan has been taken from the Friars of the St Anthony of Padua Province, USA. The $8,000 loan will be paid in monthly allotments beginning January 2008. If you would like to help us finish this first phase of the auditorium, feel free to send your donation to our Mission Office in Ellicott City (address to the right of this page) and designate your donation: auditorium repair fund. THANKS in advance for your help... more pictures as the roof goes on.

I Am The Way, The Truth and The Life

Nine of our young people joined 200 other youths from Jamaica for the Roman Catholic Youth Assembly July 18-20 in Kingston. This year's Conference under the theme "I am the Way, The Truth and The Life" offered Catholic young people the chance to meet their peers who share the same faith (Jamaica is 2% Roman Catholic) and celebrate their Roman Catholic experience. The youths participates in workshops centered on prayer, sexuality, violence, use of technology and vocations. Lively Eucharistic Celebrations and the Sacrament of Reconciliation energized the young people to be proud of their Catholic faith and to carry out the message of Jesus Christ who is the Way, Truth and Life!

No More Teachers, No More Books...

This week the 1800 students of Saint Mary's and Missions began their summer holiday. In Jamaica the school year begins on September 4 and concludes July 6.

Thanks to our benefactors, especially our friends from Saint Joan of Arc Parish in Aberdeen Maryland, we were able to offer assistance to those students who needed extra help/attention. Through our Cupertino Program, students received help with their homework and developed reading skills. The Program was a great success! Many students who failed all their classes last year could boast of passing every class this school year!

Kemo is all smiles with his teacher Mrs. Murphy on the last day of class.

Ms. Kadian Ximines, a member of our Church,

Holy Family,

and a

past student of

Saint Mary's College,

was teacher

of the Cupertino Program. Here she poses with some of the students prior to their graduation. All 6 credit their academic success to participating each day in the Cupertino Program!

Sacraments at Holy Family, Cassava River

On Sunday we celebrated our second Stewardship Sunday for the Mission. Masses were rearranged so that at 3:00pm the communities of Holy Family and Sacred Hearts could come together for Baptisms and First Communions. Fr Michael Heine, Kadian Ximines, Sr Marcia and Sr Noami have been working with the children after the Wednesday Mass in preparation for today's celebration. Four young ladies were Baptized and seven made their First Communion. After the Church celebration the ladies of the church put on a 'pot luck supper.' The menu included: chicken foot soup, roast port, curry goat and roti, rice and peas, the ever present cabbage salad and the not to be forgotten beet drink. After 2 hours in church we were all ready for a big glass of beet drink!

Survey says: 183

The 2007 Dental Mission Team from St Louis Parish, Batesville, IN saw 183 patients in 7 days of clinical here at St Mary's. The team saw 38 children, 145 adults. They did 47 full exams, 30 dental instructions, 39 cleanings and 29 fluoride treatments. They did 41 fillings and Doc pulled a whopping 142 teeth (two he says could be taken out with just the suction!). I guess it's all in a week's work... We are so grateful to the Dental Team and look forward to a continued relationship with our twin St Louis Parish in Batesville.

What I learned this week: When a Jamaican says they have "shaky teeth" that means they are loose and they need to be pulled. A patient one evening (after dark) asked for cotton for his ears... "the night breeze in my ears will make my teeth hurt."

New Minister General and Pope Benedict XVI

The Conventual Franciscan Friars who staff St Mary's, and Missions, Above Rocks, have a new Minister General, Fr Marco. On Saturday, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, visited the Basilica of St Francis, Assisi, Italy, to celebrate Mass and address the friars gathered in General Chapter. Here you will see the Holy Father and our new Minister General.