PONDERING

This coming Tuesday and Wednesday I will be in Chicago giving two talks – one on Stewardship and one on the proper understanding of Baptism. I have spent the last four hours pounding away on the computer. I have one talk finished and one about one-third completed. I should have had both talks finished by now but “stuff” keeps getting in the way – “stuff” as in the interruptions I talked about in last Sunday’s homily. I have been trying to practice what I preach, always a challenge, and treating the interruptions as important if not more important as my plans and goals, but I am fraying a bit on the edges. Now, before I call it a day, I need to get back to my plans and finish this Pondering.

This past Monday I celebrated my 41^st anniversary of ordination. It was, as always, a day filled with memories and dreams. At the noonday Mass a very interesting thing happened. Fr. Ray Collins, former Rector of the American College in Louvain and professor emeritus of Sacred Scripture at Catholic University, came to Mass. Having a priest present at Mass, who has forgotten more about Sacred Scripture than I ever learned, was a bit disconcerting especially when it was time to give the homily. Also at the Mass was Fr. Gene McKenna, the pastor emeritus of St. Lucy’s in Middletown. Collins had celebrated his 50^th anniversary on Sunday and Monday was Gene’s 46^th anniversary. That meant that there was 137 years of priestly ministry gathered in the Catholic Center Chapel. I doubt that that had ever happened before or that it will ever happen again. That is a lot of years of service and a bounty of priestly experiences. For me, and I am sure for them, there was solace in the fact that we had all been prepared for priestly ministry in Louvain.

My four years in Louvain are without question the most significant four years of my life. I received an education that has served me well as I continue to grow in understanding what it means to serve the Church as a priest. The diocese of Providence has been well served by the priests who have been formed in the Louvain experience. The diocese no longer sends seminarians to Louvain and that is a shame. A group of us gathered a while back and are trying to come up with a plan that will once again have Providence send back to Louvain. For now, in this Year of the Priesthood, we need to pray that our seminarians, wherever they are sent, will be creatively trained to serve the needs of the people. Too often it seems to me that our seminarians are being trained to change people rather than to serve them. The ordained priesthood exists to serve the priesthood of all believers not the other way around. If we forget this then the good of the Church will suffer the consequences.

MASS INTENTIONS

Sunday, July 5

8:00 a.m.                       Kenneth and Jean Durrell

Tuesday, July 7

12:00 p.m.                    Thomas Reilly

Saturday, July 11

5:00 p.m.                      Maryann Morgan

Sunday, July 12

9:15 a.m.                      Angel David-Reyes

Saturday, July 18

5:00 p.m.                      Shirley H. Costello

BANNS OF MARRIAGE

Kate Barratt and Tembwe Lukabu

Kimberly Spooner and Gregory Jewett

Bethany Lardaro and Damon Palagi

Marissa Benvenuti and Andrew Palm

CATHOLIC CHARITY

FUND APPEAL 2009

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

The appeal ended on June 30th and both our goals were met thanks to your generous gifts. Our participation goal was 750, which is 50 % of our active parish. We finished with 773! We had a very strong finish. Our financial goal was $208,000 and it looks like we’ll be close to $225,000. Your gifts will help many fellow Rhode Islanders in the coming year. Thank you for a great first year!

Rick and Donna Menard, Co-Chairs

STEPHEN MINISTRY MESSAGE

Regrets can damper your whole life. You feel the weight of them in every thing that you do. A Stephen Minister facilitates an open discussion to help ease the turmoil regrets have caused. A Stephen Minister listens and finds ways to make amends. Call Carol Hartley at 783-4036 (email carolhartley@cox.net), Larry Bartley at 965-7276 (email LJBJR@cox.net) or call the rectory for more information.

Two weeks ago we welcomed four new Stephen Ministers. This happy event, however, has a downside because some Stephen Ministers have decided to leave Stephen Ministry and go on to other Stewardship Activities. We want to thank them for their years of service and wish them the best. They are Karin Oatley, John Shaw and Maria Sweet. Thank you and God Bless You.

The Religious Formation office is closed for the summer. If you need to contact the office, messages are checked weekly (phone & email), or catch us in church! The office will re-open on Monday, August 17.

PICTORIAL DIRECTORY

NEW DATES AVAILABLE!

Life touch has released more photography dates for signups. July 29 – August 1 are now open. Stop by the Parish Hall after Mass this weekend to reserve your space. Our directory needs you!

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

SUMMER WORKSHOP RESCHEDULED

The Make a Difference Summer Workshop is Thursday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall. All are welcome to participate. For more information, contact Barbara Beauregard at 294-3623.

STOREHOUSE DESSERT

On Friday, July 17, Christ the King is scheduled to donate desserts to the Storehouse on Allen Ave., Wakefield for their weekly meal. Please deliver your dessert on that day from 9 – 10 a.m. or from 4 – 5 p.m. Contact Karen Hawkins at 792-2249 for more information.

WELCOME HOUSE MEALS

Please share your time, talent, and treasure with our local community! Stewards are needed to prepare Welcome House meals for Sundays and Mondays in August, September and October. Welcome House is an emergency shelter in Peace Dale that depends on local community support. Christ the King parishioners have delivered an evening dinner once a week for many years thanks to innumerable stewards. Due to an increased interest in this stewardship experience, we are extending our support by providing meals two nights a week. Due to the current economic climate, Welcome House needs our help more than ever. The leftovers from the Sunday and Monday meals we provide supplement their Soup Kitchen the next day. They fed 100 more people last month than ever before.

The meal is for 16 – 20 people. Soups, casseroles, a hearty stew, pasta or a family specialty would be greatly appreciated. You could prepare the meal as a family, as a group of neighbors, or on your own. Teenagers - this could be a wonderful way to fulfill service hours for school or CCD commitments. The meal needs to be delivered the day before it will be served. Therefore, meals are delivered in the late afternoon or early evening on Saturday (for the Sunday evening meal) or Sunday (for the Monday evening meal). Please email Kristen and Abbey Greene (greenezone@cox.net) or call at 284-2183 if you would like to make a meal in the coming months, be added to the parish list of Welcome House stewards for future months, or for more information.

NOTICE

The bulletin will NOT run July 12, 26 and August 9. Anyone who needs a notice in the bulletin, please check this schedule and submit your notice with enough time for publication.

MASS TIMES FOR TRAVELERS

If you plan to vacation this summer away from Christ the King, consult www.masstimes.org for the mass schedules and directions for parishes all over the world.

VIEW FROM THE PEW

I am honored to be a member of a very special group at Christ the King Parish and of the Catholic Community. I recently completed more than 50 hours of training and was commissioned as a St. Stephen Minister. This commitment was made after a friend lost her life to cancer at the age of 25. So many emotions surfaced for me. The loss of my father at 12, the turmoil of watching a parent continue on in life without a partner, the sadness of my siblings and the realization that life had changed. I knew this feeling and watched it repeated with my friend's family. It was hard to find the right words and harder to feel that I was being of comfort in any way. I wanted to help but didn't quite know how. When I went to Stewardship weekend to see how I might be able to be more involved at CTK, I was immediately drawn to the St. Stephen Ministry. My Wednesday evenings became reserved to spend learning, listening and understanding how to help others through difficult situations. My leaders, Elsie Hall and Lynda Tisdell were extremely knowledgeable on the literature and candid about their own experiences within the St. Stephen Ministry. It was comforting to hear stories the other members shared and how they coped with life’s ups and downs. Through this ministry, I gained the knowledge of Christian care giving to help those who find themselves looking for a kind heart, a gentle word and listening ear to help them through a difficult situation. I look forward to learning more through the St. Stephen Ministry and am eager to continue my education by becoming a St. Stephen Leader. This has been an extraordinary experience and I encourage anyone to take part in this wonderful ministry. Kimberly Kiely

CALENDAR FOR JULY 5 – JULY 19

Saturday, July 11

4:00 p.m.                                Confession

Tuesday, July 14

7:00 p.m.                                Parish Activities/Hall

Thursday, July 16

6:30 p.m.                                 Make A Difference/Hall

Friday, July 17

4:00 p.m.                                Wedding

Saturday, July 18

3:00 p.m.                                Wedding

4:00 p.m.                                Confession

Sunday, July 19

8:30 – 1:30 p.m.                     Blood Drive/Hall