One of the main topics at the National Eucharistic Congress was how to share and spread faith in today’s world. Father James Shea, who leads the University of Mary, spoke about this important issue. The university has even published a book called From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age, which dives into the challenges the Catholic Church faces today and offers ideas on how to share faith with others in a meaningful way.
Before we can talk about faith with others, though, it’s important to understand where they’re coming from. Many people, whether they’re Catholic or not, have a modern way of thinking that’s a bit all over the place. It’s not always logical or based on solid facts; instead, it’s a mix of different ideas and beliefs that can be confusing. Despite the chaos, this mindset has certain qualities that make it appealing, especially to young people.
Modern thinkers often view the world and the future through a hopeful and idealistic lens. They believe in big, theoretical ideas about how things could be, and they’re often resistant to facts that challenge their beliefs. This way of thinking influences their views on everything from economics and the environment to sexuality, politics, and issues like feminism and diversity.
Father Shea talked about six key ideas that are common in this modern mindset. You’ll probably recognize them. Let’s take a closer look at them over the next few weeks, starting with the first one: Faith in Progress.
This idea comes from a long tradition in Judeo-Christian beliefs, where history is seen as a story written by God, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. But during the Enlightenment in Europe (1600s - 1700s), people started to see progress as something purely human, without any spiritual or religious ties. They began to think that anything from the past is outdated and that everything—from technology to our ideas about the human body—can and should be improved.
This way of thinking affects how people view things like old buildings, the writings of the founding fathers, and even our government. You’ve probably heard phrases like “that’s so old-school” or “let’s be on the right side of history.” The modern mindset is all about “fixing the world,” and you can see this in schools, universities, social programs, and governments. There’s a real desire to help, but there’s a key difference: instead of having a humble love for the poor or sick, the focus is on hating poverty or disease.
For Christians, suffering has a purpose and is part of the journey, but for modern thinkers, suffering is something to be avoided at all costs. This leads to some dark conclusions: How do you get rid of sickness? By getting rid of sick people. How do you deal with aging? By hiding away the elderly or, in extreme cases, by eliminating them. This can even extend to people with disabilities or other challenges.
At its core, this mindset isn’t really about caring for people—it’s about worshiping convenience and comfort. Anything that’s difficult or uncomfortable is seen as something to be avoided. This goes against the Christian belief that spiritual growth often comes through suffering and overcoming challenges.
Next week, we’ll explore the second key idea: the way modern thinkers understand the fall of humanity and the nature of evil.
Father Charles Zlock
Pastor, St. Raymond of Penafort Catholic Church
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Good Things are Happening at St. Raymond!
Join us, on Friday, August 23, from 4 pm-7 pm for our third annual Meet and Greet BBQ for our St. Raymond Church and School families. Food, games, and music will be provided. Donations of side salads (potato, pasta, tuna and macaroni, and garden salads) are greatly appreciated. To RSVP, please call the Rectory Office at 215-549-3760, use the signup sheets in the back of the Church, or this link. Please RSVP by August 20th.
Sign up to volunteer at this link.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Bonnie and John Cavanaugh, who celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary at Mass this past Sunday! John is an alum of St. Raymond School, and it was a joy to welcome him and his family back home.
Donate Shoes for the Children of Ghana
Last year, we hosted a very successful Shoe Drive providing shoes for 175 children in Ghana. Please help us donate even more this year!
Join us for Hospitality Sunday
Hospitality Sunday is this coming Sunday -- August 18th. We hope to see you there!
Bibles, Boots & Backpacks Fun
What a great Bibles Boots & Backpacks hike at the Wissahickon! Grateful for all of God’s beautiful creation and the people who shared in it! Stay tuned for more hikes coming soon!
Benedictine Missionary Coming to us in August
Fr. Zlock is eager to share some background information about Pontifical Mission Societies, so you will have a clear understanding of the way that the opportunity for Catholic missionaries to speak in local parishes is organized.
Speakers visit parishes throughout the world twice a year. The visits in the fall are associated with World Mission Sunday. The funds collected from that weekend are sent to Rome to be used for missionary activities worldwide.
The second visitation is in the spring or summer. Funds collected from this weekend are sent to a specific, individual mission. Because of this, parishes are encouraged to have a speaker talk to the people about his or her particular mission. This way there is more of a personal connection between the story, the person speaking, and the people of the parish.
Reverend Richard Migodela from the Benedictines will be the speaker at St. Raymond on the weekend of August 24 and 25.
Fr. Migodela comes from St. Maurus’ Hanga Abbey, a vibrant Benedictine community in Southern Tanzania. Founded in 1957, Hanga Abbey was created to allow the Tanzanian population to live in the spirit of St. Benedict. Over fifty years later, the original mission of the Abbey lives on as the Hanga community continues to grow and promote Benedictine values while remaining rooted in African culture.
Please mark your calendars; don't miss a unique opportunity to learn about, and support, this vibrant Benedictine community.
Catholic Women's Conference
Register here by Monday, August 19!
Registration fee and transportation will be subsidized for St. Raymond parishioners. Contact Brandi at 215-549-3760.
ATTENTION: ST. RAYMOND NEEDS YOU!
Matthew 9:37-38: Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Numerous needs have been communicated here and in the bulletin. Unfortunately, responses are nearly non-existent. A vibrant parish has members responding to the call for help. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Please scroll below for several opportunities. You can sign up here or complete a signup sheet on the table in the back of church (on the Williams Ave side). We want to hear from you! THE HARVEST AWAITS!
Volunteer Opportunities
Technology
We are in urgent need of support from those with basic technology skills:
Slide Operators – manage slides shown on TV screens during 5 pm, 8 am or 10 am Mass
Camera Operator – manage live streaming of 10 am Mass via YouTube
YouTube Host – Engage with parishioners during 10 am Mass
Requirements are a love for your parish, and a willingness to learn and serve. Teenagers and adults can contact Brandi at 215-549-3760.
To volunteer for any of the above tasks, please complete this form and someone will be in touch soon! Or, call Brandi at 215-549-3760.
Part-Time Employment Opportunity
We are excited to announce a fantastic part-time job opportunity at St. Raymond:
Director of Religious Education and Social Services
This role involves coordinating faith formation, religious education, social outreach, and related activities to enhance the vibrancy, religious development, and social services of the parish. View the job description: https://indeedhi.re/3RMQS2G
Please share this opportunity with anyone who might be interested!
We want to pray for you!
Please share your prayer requests and be assured of our prayers for you.
Explore Your Faith in a New Way with Formed
Did you know that you have access to an incredible resource called Formed? This wonderful faith formation tool will allow you and your family to experience our faith in a new way through e-books, audio recordings and a great variety of movies and video teachings, including a great variety of Bible Studies. Follow these instructions to sign in.
Visit www.formed.org
Enter St. Raymond Philadelphia
Follow instructions to set up your own account and be formed in Christ!
Celebrating Our Youth with Generation Grace
Do you have a child in grades 6th-8th? Please contact Brandi to get them involved in our Middle School Youth Ministry. We would love to have all our Middle School Kids involved. Brandi can be contacted at brandi@saintraymond.net or 215-549-3760.
There is a new email address for communication relating to religious education: religious.ed@saintraymond.net.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word – Assistants Needed
"All things should be done decently and in order. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace in all the churches of the saints." (1 Corinthians 14:40 & 33)
We are looking for 6 people to support the Children’s Liturgy of The Word (CLOW) as Classroom Assistants. Commitment is 30 minutes during Mass, one Sunday every six weeks. The CLOW Assistant helps to keep order in the room, attends to the care of the children, sets up before and cleans up afterwards. In this way the Assistant supports the Disciple/Catechist who can then fully focus on imparting the Word of God and the story of Jesus Christ to the children. The only qualification is that you enjoy spending time with the children of our Parish. If interested or would like to review the list of duties as an assistant for CLOW, please contact Peggy Evans at peggy@saintraymond.net or 267-262-6594.
Church Announcements
In Memoriam
Patricia Brockington, a long-time member of St. Raymond, passed away on Monday, August 12. Her funeral will be next Thursday, August 22; viewing from 9-10 am, followed by a
10 am Mass.
Spammed Again!
It's a commonplace albeit annoying problem for clergy to have their email accounts spammed. It has happened again to Fr. Zlock. If you received a message like the one below (with a grammatical error, no less!) please ignore it:
Good day,
I hope your day is going well and what are your plans today? I have an errands for you to kindly handle for me.
Blessings!
Fr. Charles Zlock
Father would never, ever send an email like that, asking for money, help or errands. Report it as spam, and please delete it.
Feast of the Assumption
The Assumption of Mary is August 15. It is a holy day of obligation. There will be an 8 am Mass at St. Raymond. Please check schedules at nearby churches for other options.
A Reminder about Call to Prayer
St. Raymond offers a twice-daily opportunity, Call to Prayer on weekdays at 6:30 am and at noon. Taking a little time (five to seven minutes) to turn to the Lord will remove stress and restore peace in your life.
Call toll-free 1-877-309-2073, then enter code 319-414-445#. At 6:30 am, we reflect on God's Word. During the noon call, we pray the Angelus, reflect on the first reading of the day, and have intercessory prayer for those in need.
Donate to Support St. Raymond Church
Online giving is a wonderful way to make a one-time or a recurring gift to St. Raymond. We greatly appreciate your goodness and promise to be good stewards of your gift. DONATE HERE. You can also make a gift with your phone: send a text with the message straymond to 833-363-7471. You will receive a text that will give you simple instructions to make a gift!
Or, scan the QR code to donate.
Please note that we are no longer using Cash App as a form of payment for tithes.
We will accept Venmo (@StRaymond-PenafortPhilly), PushPay, Parish Giving & Envelopes. If you would like to receive envelopes, please contact Brandi at brandi@straymond.net and she will add your name to the list of envelope recipients. If you prefer to use PushPay, text straymond to 833-363-7471 to donate.
St. Raymond's expenses continue all year 'round. Your vacation giving is so important to us!
Collection Envelopes for July 7 through September 1 have been mailed out. If you did not receive yours, please contact Brandi at 215-549-3760 or at brandi@straymond.org
Upcoming Special Collections
August 19 - Mission Appeal
September 1 - Black and Native American
To our Online Parishioners
We at St. Raymond are extremely pleased that you continue to be part of our community via livestream. Although you may be unable to attend Mass in person, please remember that we need your financial support in order to remain a vibrant parish. You may give online anytime here: https://www.saintraymond.net/give Feel free to contact the rectory for assistance at 215-549-3760.
Guidelines for Church Temperature
As we navigate through the changing seasons, the topic of our church's temperature during mass often arises. We appreciate when everyone speaks kindly—it really makes a difference.
We know it’s tricky to get the temperature right for everyone. While we can't make everyone perfectly comfortable, we're doing our best to keep things pleasant. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work together to create a welcoming atmosphere for all our Masses.
Silence Cell Phones
Please remember how distracting cell-phone noises can be during Mass. We prayerfully ask you to silence your phone when you enter church, so that no one is disturbed during this holy hour.
Lost and Found
Have you lost any personal items during Church service and never retrieved them? Please check the bin in the back of Church labeled “Lost & Found." People turn in items often to the Rectory. All items turned in are put into the bin.
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers are back, and they meet here at St. Raymond every Thursday from 4 pm to 6 pm. If you are interested or know someone who is, please contact Brandi in the Church Rectory at 215-549-3760 or email her at brandi@saintraymond.net.
Church Safety Equipment
A first aid kit as well as an automated external defibrillator (also known as an AED device), are located in the sacristy. Both are on a table to the left of the sacristy sink. This ensures that St. Raymond has sufficient means to address significant medical emergencies during liturgical events.
Financial Facts
We thank those parishioners who, recognizing God’s gifts to them, make their response in our weekly collection. Your continued support is vital, necessary, and deeply appreciated.
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Budgetary Goal: $13,500.00
Collection & Envelopes: $5,829.30
Electronic Giving: $5,459.00
Monthly Church Maintenance: $423.00
Human Development Campaign: $5.00
Mission Appeal: $55.00
Total: $11,771.30
Calling all Young Adults!
Sign up for Fr. Zlock’s Young Adult WhatsApp community for prayers, videos, reflections and events for the young adult community. Click here to join the group.
Connect with Us Online
Be part of our awesome virtual community! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get the latest scoop, see fun pictures, and hear about our exciting events.
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Community Events & Announcements
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School: Open House
Interested in learning more about Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School? Families are invited to register for our Fall Open House on September 29, 2024 at 11am - 2 pm!
Learn more and register at gmahs.org/openhouse.
St. Athanasius Parish Women’s Club Prayer Lunch
St. Athanasius School Hall 7105 Limekiln Pike Philadelphia, PA 19138
Saturday September 28, 2024 12:00 –to- 2:00 P.M.
Mary, Our Role Model in Hard Times
Guest Speaker “Judge Lucretia Clemons”
Admission $30.00 Please see any Women’s Club Member for tickets
No tickets will be sold at the door.
Support Philly's Biggest Baby Shower
Saturday, August 24, 2024 – 10am-12pm
New and expecting mothers are invited to attend Philly's Biggest Baby Shower event sponsored by Catholic Social Services and the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia.
Free baby care items, prizes, food, informational tables and more will be available. Mothers with babies are invited to dress your cutie for the baby parade!
Location: Archdiocesan Pastoral Center Parking Lot, 222 N 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
More info:
Mothers, please register to attend here.
Want to donate gift items or volunteer at the baby shower? Click here for details
Mass to Honor St. Peter Claver, Minister to Enslaved
A New Issue of AMEN! from The Office of Black Catholics, by Stacy Williams
News From the Office of Black Catholics
Check out the Newsletter for many additional exciting events.
Archdiocese of Philadelphia Updates
The August newsletter is available here.
Please sign up to find out what is happening around the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
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