LECTURE SERIES: MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH

Fr. Stephen Watson, OCD, invites everyone to attend a new series of classes he will conduct on the "Mystery of the Church." These lectures will also serve as a catechetical mystagogy for the newly baptized. Mystagogy is a term that comes from the Greek word meaning, “to lead through the mysteries.” The Catechism describes mystagogy as a “liturgical catechesis that aims to initiate people into the mystery of Christ” (CCC 1075). Mystagogy is the form of catechesis that expounds on the spiritual treasures contained in the sacraments. St. Augustine refers to the Church as the “wondrous sacrament born from Christ’s side.” 

     The Acts of the Apostles will serve as a primary reference for these classes. Fr. Stephen will also lead the class in a close reading of Lumen Gentium, which is the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II). The hymn, The Church’s One Foundation, embodies the theme and content of these classes.  

     These lectures will begin with two classes—on Tuesday, September 17, and Wednesday, September 18, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. These first two are back-to-back due to the novena to St. Therese. Thereafter, they will take place twice a month on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. 

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REGISTRATION

Religious Education will begin again this month (Elementary grades begin September 15 from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m.; High School Confirmation Classes begin September 11 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.; OCIA classes begin on September 12 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (if attending on Thursdays) and on September 14 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. (if attending on Saturdays).  Click on the links below to fill out online registration forms.  You will need to drop off or mail in the copy of your child’s baptism certificate and the registration fee (cash or check) to the office (fees can be seen on the registration forms below).

CLASS LOCATIONS: Elementary grades and high school confirmation classes are held in the school classrooms; OCIA/RCIA classes are held in the Mount Carmel Room in the Parish Office building (510 North El Molino Street--entrance is on the west side of the church at the south end of the building).

• Non-Sacramental Classes (Grades 3 to 8--the grades BETWEEN Holy Eucharist and Confirmation)

• Sacrament of Holy Eucharist (First Holy Communion for Children) 

• Sacrament of Confirmation for High School 

• OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults--formerly RCIA or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)             

 MAKE REPARATION TO THE SACRED HEART! 

You are invited to come to the church for a weekly Holy Hour of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus  EVERY FRIDAY from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the church. (Click on the first image above to enlarge it for easy reading; click on the second image to take you to a site where you can purchase the booklet that will be used during the holy hour. However, there are probably enough available copies for you to use one from the church).

 A PASTOR'S RESPONSE TO FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS

My Dear Parishioners of St. Therese:  

I want to address the recent document from The Holy See on the blessing of couples in irregular or same-sex relationships. Before proceeding, let it be said that it’s good for all of us to read the actual document and then read good commentaries on the document so that we’re not forming our opinions on false or misleading reporting. Doing so will also give us greater peace of mind and conviction to pray for our Church leaders. Below, I have provided links to the Vatican document along with three commentaries to aid you in this endeavor. They are all very thoughtful, fair, and critical—yet not mean-spirited.

DOCUMENT:

https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20231218_fiducia-supplicans_en.html

1) https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/12/the-cost-of-making-a-mess

2) https://catholicherald.co.uk/fiducia-supplicans-an-exercise-in-smoke-and-mirrors-where-spin-becomes-substance-and-appearance-reality/

3) https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/12/23/fiducia-supplicans-appears-to-have-failed-spectacularly/

The first commentary is from Archbishop Emeritus Charles Chaput, the former Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. One especially insightful excerpt from his essay reads: “The document is a doubleminded exercise in simultaneously affirming and undercutting Catholic teaching on the nature of blessings and their application to ‘irregular’ relationships. And it was quickly interpreted as a significant change in Church practice.”

The second article makes an important distinction between doctrine and practice: “The Vatican….has set out to appear to change the Church’s teaching without in fact changing it. The distinction is achieved by changing the practice but not the principle. Orthodoxy remains untarnished, but orthopraxy—correct practice and worship—has been subverted.”

I encourage you to read these articles along with The Holy See document so that you can formulate for yourselves an educated opinion. My personal synthesis of what I’ve read on this topic leads me to conclude that no matter how much Fiducia Supplicans reaffirms the teaching of the Church on marriage and the inability to bless sin, the actual practice of giving blessings to couples in irregular or same-sex relationships by its very action sends the opposite message, thus leading to more confusion and pastoral abuse. In spite of this, I want to encourage each of us not to allow this poorly conceived and executed document to rattle our faith as it does not change the perennial teaching of the Church on the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. More than anything, it should impel us even more to pray for our leaders. 

—Fr. Peter Mary, O.C.D. 

HEALING PRAYER MINISTRY 

“O Lord, my God, I cried out to you for help and you healed me!”    -Psalm 30:3  

The Healing Prayer Ministry of St. Therese Church provides personal prayer for the Parish community.  You can find them after the Monday evening Mass (7:15 p.m.) in the church. They also offer private in-person sessions, phone sessions, and are available for outside events. Come and join! Thank you for your support! For more info, email hpmStc1@gmail.com.  

FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS 

Mark your calendar for the next First Saturday: October 4, to honor Our Lady of Fatima. On that day, join us to pray the Rosary and meditate for 15 minutes after the 8:00 a.m. Mass! For any questions, please contact Maria Alejandra at (626) 993-4236.

FORMED: CATHOLIC FAITH ON DEMAND

St. Therese Church has purchased a parish subscription to the Catholic media website, FORMED.ORG, for the benefit of ALL of you!  Discover all the best Catholic content in one place:  Entertaining movies, enlightening programs, inspiring talks, audio dramas, and a great selection of popular e-books--all just a link away!  To register, click on the image above.  Then, enter St. Therese Church, Alhambra, CA, click on it when you see it, and then enter your name and your email address--and get started enjoying all they have to offer! Click HERE to sign up.

CALLED TO RENEW 

Thank you to everyone who made a five-year pledge or a one-time donation to the Called to Renew campaign. (To go to the website, click HERE.)

For those who pledged, depending upon what time period you selected, you will receive notices in the mail every month, every quarter, or every year reminding you of your pledge.  The monies collected will allow St. Therese Parish to renovate our facilities. Fifty percent (50%) of all funds raised up to our goal will remain with our parish to address the following needs:  

• Church interior renovations  

• Painting the church Interior  

•Repairing the stained glass windows  

•Repairing the church’s tile roof  

•Repairing / updating the lighting/wiring  

•Repairing our school classrooms and parish offices (built over 70 years ago!)  

VIDEOS OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FR. ED BROOM, OMV,  gave four talks at St. Therese on The Acts of the Apostles. Click the picture above to watch them on our YouTube channel. The first one was recorded on May 5, 2022. 

VIDEOS OF THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF ST. IGNATIUS

During February through April, 2022, Fr. Ed Broom, OMV, was here at St. Therese to give ten talks on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.  The talks were all recorded, and you may view them by clicking the above picture.  You will be taken to the page with the links to each talk and to the accompanying handouts for each talk.  (Note: Once you are on that page, you may have to scroll down until you find the same picture you see above.)  

NOVENA TO ST THERESE WITH FR. DONALD KINNEY OCD

CLICK ON PHOTO ABOVE TO ENLARGE

During this 100th anniversary year of our Parish, the Novena to St. Therese (September 22-30) and her feast day on October 1 will be especially joyful. We have invited Fr. Donald Kinney, OCD, to offer the Mass and preach each evening. He owes his vocation to St. Therese. He was ordained here on October 1, 1988. Fr. Donald is now assigned at the Carmelite House of Prayer in Oakville, in the Napa Valley.  

Also during the Novena, Fr. Donald will be promoting the visit of the reliquary of St. Therese. It will be coming to Alhambra and our Parish from October 11 to 13, 2025. The year 2025 is also the 100th anniversary of the Canonization of St. Therese and a Jubilee Year in the entire Church.  

On Saturdays and Sundays (September 22, 28, and 29), the Novena Mass will be at 5:00 p.m. On the weekdays, the Mass will be at 7:15 p.m. During this Novena, the Tuesday evening Mass will be in English. On October 1, the Feast of St. Therese, the Mass will be at 7:15 p.m.  

This Novena and the Feast of St. Therese will be days of great grace! Plan to attend, and invite others to come with you! 

COR JESU YOUTH & FAMILY NIGHTS 

YOUTH!  FAMILIES! Cor Jesu, begun with Fr. Matthias Lambrecht a few years ago, has returned to St. Therese!  FR. ROBERT INVITES YOU TO THIS  GROUP EACH MONTH! The next event will be on Friday, September 27 (THEME: PRIDE VS. HUMILITY), per the schedule below:

6:15 P.M.: PIZZA SOCIAL—Meet in the Hall!  We will have pizza at the tables in front. 

6:45 P.M.: BREAK OUT INTO CENACLES/GROUPS (1. High School-ers, 2. Middle School-ers (6th, 7th, 8th Grades), 3. *Parents, and 4. *Children)

8:15 P.M.: HOLY HOUR and CONFESSIONS (ALL parishioners are welcome for this portion of the night!): Helping youth and their families encounter Jesus (traditional benediction, chants, soft praise, music, Gospel reflection, compline).

*Children from three years through 5th Grade will have the “Virtues in Practice” Program.  Parents will break out with their own cenacles for reflections on the Sunday Gospels, commitments, intercessory prayer, etc. 

Bring a Bible and a Rosary! 

 FOR SALE: CENTENNIAL T-SHIRTS, HOODIES, ETC.

Centennial tees and hoodies are for sale at the religious goods counter after the Sunday Masses.

PRAY FOR OUR CARMELITE VOCATIONS

Click on the picture above to read Fr. Matthias Lambrecht's latest newsletter about those discerning a vocation with the Carmelites (Fr. Matthias is the Vocation Director).  These vocations need your prayers as they continue their formation and discernment!  Offer your Masses and Holy Communions for them and pray for them before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  God bless you!

 INTERVIEW BY TERRY BARBER ABOUT SAINT THERESE CARMELITE SCHOOL

Alma Cornejo, Principal of St. Therese Carmelite School, and former pastor, Fr. Thomas Koller, join Terry to discuss the definition and importance of a “classical” Catholic education in these most trying of times when our children are targets of an increasingly secular and amoral society. If you have school-aged children, take a look!  Just click on the picture above to access the video.

 PRAYER BEFORE RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, who according to the will of the Father and with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit hast by Thy death given life unto the world, I adore and revere this Thy holy Body and this Thy holy Blood which was given over and poured forth for the many unto the remission of sins. O merciful Lord, I beg of Thy mercy that through the power of this sacrament Thou wilt make me one of that many. Through faith and love make me feel the power of these sacraments so I may experience their saving power. Absolve and free from all sin and punishment of sin Thy servants, Thy handmaidens, myself, all who have confessed their sins to me, those whom I have promised or am obliged to pray for, and so too those who themselves hope or beg to be helped by my prayers with Thee. Make our Church rejoice in Thy constant protection and consolation. Amen.    

ONLINE GIVING  

  Enroll Today!   

Through Faith Direct you can make all of your contributions to St. Therese Church via automatic payment from your checking account or credit card--just as you may do now with your mortgage, household bills, and other monthly payments.  This is a great way to simplify your giving--as well as being very cost-effective and environmentally-friendly.  Of course, it's voluntary!  The first step is to enroll in the program.  To do so, click on the picture logo above.  You will then be taken to the Faith Direct website.  During your enrollment, you may choose from weekly donations, monthly donations, school donations, special collection donations, or one-time gifts.  To watch an instructional video, go to the Online Giving link (next to the HOME page link at the top of the page).  Thank you for your donations to St. Therese! May God bless you!

 SAINT THERESE CARMELITE SCHOOL VIDEOS

Watch the video, "THE BEST SCHOOL IN THE WORLD"--ONE OF ONLY TWO SCHOOLS IN THE L.A. ARCHDIOCES USING A CLASSICAL CURRICULUM (click on the photo below to view it): 

WATCH "LITTLE THINGS," by clicking on the photo below:  

Watch "CLASSICAL NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE," by clicking on the photo below:  

Watch a short film, "THE VEIL REMOVED" (When Heaven Meets Earth), by clicking on the photo below:

Watch this CARMELITE VOCATION VIDEO by clicking on the photo below (features friars you know and love!)