PONDERING
Meetings, meetings and more meetings. I sometimes wonder if we were not better off before all these meetings got organized.
Years ago I remember reading this great
sentence, “God so loved the world that He sent His Son and not a committee.”
That aphorism is always followed in my mind with this truth, “A camel is a race
horse designed by a committee.”
For better or worse I have served on a lot of
committees over the years. As we all know there are some very good committees
and some not very good ones. The good ones always have a strong leader who establishes
clear agendas, sets reasonable yet challenging goals and objectives, keeps discussion
on target and ends all meetings on time. Unfortunately not many people have the
gifts to make that happen.
Lately, I have been introduced to conference
calls. My experience is limited (I have participated in about 8 so far) but if
you take all the bad committee experience you’ve ever had and double them you
come close to what a meeting via a conference is like. The only advantage of
conference call meetings is that you can make great progress clearing debris
off your desk.
As the great sage once said, “When all is said
and done, more is said than is ever done.” Nevertheless, meetings are a necessary
evil if community is going grow and flourish. People need to be heard; they
have to know that their opinion is valued. I firmly believe that the most efficient
form of governance is benevolent dictatorship – the most efficient but
certainly not the healthiest.
Someone should write a book on how to survive
meetings and still live a normal life. It would be a guaranteed best seller. My
favorite survival tactic is doodling; I just wish I were better at it. I doodle flowers, vases, wheat sheaves and lots of arrows. The
bolder the arrows the more successful I have been at not giving in to behavior
that some might call aggressive. Clay pots holding sheaves of wheat means that
I managed to stay awake if not alert.
This Saturday (October 11) will be a first for
me – a day- long meeting. The topic is Stewardship so that should help but I
can’t imagine a meeting that goes from 9 in the
morning until 4 in the afternoon. That is about the same time as the parish
golf tournament which I will be missing. Guess where I would rather be? I
predict that there will be more wheat sheaves than arrows. Keep me in your
prayers.
MASS
INTENTIONS
Sunday, October 12
8:00 a.m. William
Kessel
9:15 a.m. Helen
Pilkington Tarbell
Liz
Pilkington Nayman
11:35 a.m. Frederick
James
Randall
James
Emily
Doran
Tuesday,
October 14
12:00 p.m. Frank
Ratchford
Sunday,
October 19
8:00 a.m. Lionel
Bernier
9:15 a.m. RoseMarie
Schultz
Fernando
Taboada
Fedelina
Taboada
BANNS OF MARRIAGE
Karen Saenko and Benjamino Texeira
STEPHEN MINISTRY
MESSAGE
When we are suffering the pain of a
loss – the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, the loss of our home, the
loss of a close friend who has moved away, the loss of anything that makes us
less able to get a sense of well being, it is easy to withdraw from our friends
and family. We tend to think that they know we are suffering and wait for them
to contact us. All too often, however, those people close to us don’t want to
bring up that painful subject being afraid to up set us more. And, sometimes,
it is as painful for our friends to talk about it as it is for us. If you have
a friend who is in need of a Stephen Minister’s care, you can make the call to Carol Hartley at 783-4036 (carolhartley@cox.net)
or Larry Bartley at 965-7276 (LJBJR@cox.net) for them. A Stephen Minister will make contact with
your friend and offer them help.
SILENT
WITNESS
Surely you have wondered about the meaning of
the large, red, wooden figures on the Church grounds the last few weeks. These
are the mute representations of nine local victims of domestic violence whose
stories will be given a voice as part of the Social Action Committee’s Silent
Witness presentation.
We invite all to attend the Silent Witness vigil at Christ the King on Friday, October 17 at 7 p.m. which will last about a half-hour followed by the distribution of informational handouts and refreshments. Please note that this evening may be inappropriate for young children.
Social Action
Committee
RELIGIOUS FORMATION
No Religious Formation Classes today, October 12, for Columbus Day holiday.
Classes resume NEXT Sunday, October 19.
FIRST COMMUNION PARENT REMINDER
Classes
2A (Speredelozzi/Erickson), 2B (Spicola/Dunn), 2C (Nunnery/Dolan), will participate in a Celebration of
Forgiveness, NEXT SUNDAY, October 19 during class time in the church. Please be prompt.
Classes 2D (DeQuattro/Delmonico), & 2E (
SCOUTING
NOTES
The Religious Formation
office has scouting books for any scouts interested in working on Catholic
scouting awards.
Girl
Scouts:
·
For the Love of God (gr. 1/2)
·
Family of God (gr. 2/3)
·
Holy Family (gr. 4/5)
·
I Live my Faith (gr.6)
·
Marian Medal (Cad./Sr.
G.S.)
·
Spirit Alive (Sr. G.S)
Boy Scouts:
·
Light of Christ (gr. 1/2)
·
Parvuli Dei (gr. 3/5)
For more information
please contact your Pack, Troop, or the Religious Formation Office at
789-0417.
CONFIRMATION NOTES
REMINDER TO PHASE I STUDENTS:
Mass of Enrollment is NEXT weekend, October 18/19 at all liturgies.
SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING
Safe Environment Training is Wednesday, October 15 at 7 p.m. in
the Hall for all new RF teachers, aides, crossing guards and hall monitors and
those who need to renew their certification (recertification is required every
3 years). If you are required to attend you should have received a letter. If
you have any questions, please contact the office at 783-7459.
ANNUAL WHITE MASS
Bishop
Thomas J. Tobin will celebrate the annual White Mass on Wednesday, October 15 at 7 p.m. at St. Timothy Church, Warwick. The Rhode Island Catholic Medical
Society invites all physicians, health care professionals and workers, their
families and patients. For more information call 272-4838 or email CathMedRI@yahoo.com.
EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS AND LECTORS
Please return
your application forms as soon as possible to me. We need to prepare the new
ministry schedule.
Nancy Drennan
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Please join us for our next workshop on Thursday, October 16 at 6:30 p.m.
in the parish hall. For the past 7 years, Christ the King parishioners have donated
1517
hand sewn blankets to the Emergency Room at
RETREAT
A semi-contemplative retreat
day will be held at The Christian Brothers Retreat House in Narragansett
on Saturday, November 1. “A Time
Apart: Finding the Stillpoint in a Worldwind Life” will guide you in the
practices of the Everyday Mystic (Silence, Stillness, Solitude and
Simplicty). Hear your own authentic voice, as well as “the small
still Voice of God” in an increasingly complex and fast-paced world of
change. Join us for a Soul-full day of prayer and reflection within community
to listen, discern, and refresh your busy selves.
Directed
by Christine Phoenix-Green, SCL.
Time: 9 a.m. - 7:30
p.m.
Cost: $110 includes lunch and
dinner.
Call Christine at 486-8027 or
364-9523 to register.
WORLD WIDE
MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER
“Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.” What has God
said to you about enriching your marriage? The next Worldwide Marriage
Encounter weekends in New
England are October 17 – 19,
November 7 – 9 and December 5 –
7. For more information call Ralph
and Jane Becker at 1-800-710-WWME or visit our webpage at www.wwmeMA.org.
PEACE
AND JUSTICE COMMITTEE
The Peace and Justice committee has invited Cathy and
Roberta Seigel to speak at the October 15 meeting about their trip to the
Convention for the Common Good in
VOTING
FOR THE COMMON GOOD pamphlets are available at the doors of
the church.
ATTEND a “Meet the Candidates night.
Wednesday,
October 15, 6:30 p.m.
Forum for Senate and Representative Candidates
from Senate districts 35 and 36, Representative Districts 31 and 32.
ATTEND a “Meet the Candidates” night.
Thursday
October 16, 6:30 p.m.
Forum for
Council Candidates
VIEW FROM THE PEW
On
September 20, 2008, a concelebrated funeral mass was offered at Christ the King
Parish for my husband Steve Desposito. I wish to extend sincere thanks to Fr.
Joseph Creedon, Fr. John Soares and Nancy Drennan for preparing and presenting
this sacred final liturgy. The choir and music ministry, the Eucharist
Ministers, the Lectors and the Hospitality committees were more than
exceptional in their offerings of Time and Talent. The vibrant faith of our
Christ the King Community was clearly evident. This Treasure will be cherished
forever by my family and me. May God and the Angels bless each and every
one of you.
Peace,
Joyce Desposito.
ST. FRANCIS
CEMETERY
4
p.m.) on Monday, October 13. Please remove any
summer/fall decorations, empty containers, arrangements, etc. by November 1. A general cleanup will follow.
For questions or if you are interested in purchasing a lot, please call 782-2711.
OPEN HOUSES
The LaSalle
Academy Open House for High School and Pegasus 7/8 students is Sunday, October 19 at 1 p.m. Call George Aldrich, Director of Admissions, at 351-7750 ext. 122 for more information.
The Bishop
Hendricken High School Open House is Sunday,
October 19 from 1 – 3:30 p.m.
The program begins with a presentation by the President and tours of the
school. For more information contact the Admissions
Office at 739-3450 ext. 162.
HIGHLIGHTS OF
CHRIST THE KING PARISH COUNCIL MEETING September 8, 2008
Parish
Council Procedures: Methods on how to make the meetings more
effective and how to publicize that
that the meetings are open to all parishioners were discussed.
Peace
& Justice: A candidate’s forum is being considered
Parish Activities: Golf Tournament on
September 27th. Next event
scheduled for November 8th.
Religious
Formation: Teachers are still needed in grades Pre-K, 1, 3, 4 (2 needed), 7,
and 8. Training on how to help children with special needs is scheduled for all
teachers.
Social
Action: A Silent Witness vigil is scheduled for October
17th at 7 PM
Mass Attendance Committee: The work
of this committee has evolved to included consideration on how to foster An Engaged Parish.
CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER 12 – 19
Sunday, October 12
No Religious Formation Classes
9:15 a.m. Baptism
Monday, October 13
Rectory/RF Offices Closed –
Columbus Day Holiday
Tuesday,
October 14
7:00 p.m. Liturgy
Planning/Hall
7:30 p.m. Parish
Council/Library
7:30 p.m. Choir
7:30 p.m. Parish
Activities/Hall
Wednesday,
October 15
7:00 p.m. Safe
Environment Training/Hall
7:00 p.m. RCIA/Catholic
Center
7:00 p.m.
7:30 p.m. Peace
and Justice/Sunroom
Thursday,
October 16
6:30 p.m. Silent
Witness Rehearsal
6:30 p.m. Make
a Difference/Hall
7:00 p.m. Bible
Study/Hall
Friday,
October 17
7:00 p.m. Silent
Witness/Church
Saturday/Sunday,
October 18/19
PH I Enrollment
Weekend/All Liturgies
Saturday,
October 18
3:00 p.m. Wedding
4:00 p.m. Confession
4 – 6:30 p.m. Flu
Clinic/Hall
Sunday,
October 19
10:30 a.m. First
Communion Forgiveness
Classes
A, B, C/Church