I celebrated Mass with workers and people served at the Casa Maria Soup Kitchen on the Labor Day holiday. There were dozens of people present, and Mass was held outside under a long porch of a building.
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Photo by Casa Maria Bishop Weisenburger during a Labor Day Mass at the Casa Maria Soup Kitchen. |
As I mentioned in the Update last week, this committed organization relies heavily on donations, including time donations by volunteers. Please visit http://www.casamariatucson.org/donate--volunteer.html for more information. You also can call Casa Maria at 624-0312. The website has information in both English and Spanish.
Welcome to Melissa Butsback who joined our Pastoral Center staff recently as an accountant. Melissa was born in the Chicago area, but came to Tucson with her family as a child. She completed her graduate and undergraduate studies at the University of Arizona.
Beginning Friday, Sept. 7, members of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill will be here in Arizona to celebrate the order's 85th Anniversary.
On Friday, Sept. 7, the Sisters and friends of the Sisters of Charity will gather in Scottsdale, Ariz., for the first of the celebrations at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.
On Sunday morning, Sept. 9, there will be another gathering at Saints Peter and Paul Parish here in Tucson. I will celebrate this Mass with the group and regular parishioners at the 9 a.m.. A reception will follow where students from Sts. Peter and Paul, St. John the Evangelist Parish and Salpointe Catholic High School will entertain guests. Attendees also can stop by an art exhibit where student art and art created by Sisters of Charity will be displayed
I am told the Sisters of Charity arrived at Sts. Peter and Paul in 1933 to work in the school and have had a continuous presence in the parish for 85 years. The Sisters also have worked in Ajo, Globe, Nogales, Phoenix and San Carlos Reservation. Our own Sister Jeanne Bartolomeaux, S.C., diocesan Vicar for Religious, will certainly be on hand for the events.
For a bit more history about the Sisters of Charity, please visit
https://scsh.org/pioneer-women-the-sisters-of-charity-of-seton-hill-in-the-american-southwest-1933-present/
Here is a list of the Sisters visiting Arizona from Greensburg, PA for the celebrations. Perhaps some of the Update readers remember their work here:
Sister Ann Patrick Adams, former Principal at Saints Peter and Paul School
Sister Mary Norbert Long, former Principal at St. John the Evangelist School, former Catholic Schools Superintendent for the Diocese of Tucson and Provincial Councilor
Sister Mary Lucilla Wertz, former Principal of Saints Peter and Paul School
Sister Marian Joseph Adams
Sister Jean Augustine
Sister Marian Grace Brandt former Principal at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Scottsdale
Sister Mary Clark
Sister Barbara Einloth, Provincial Councilor
Sister Colette Hanlon, Provincial Councilor
Sister Mary Ann Winters
Sister Mary Ann Corr
Sister Barbara Smelko, Vocation Director
Julia Cuccaro Director of Development for the s of Charity of Seton Hill
Here is a sneak peek part of a story about a traveling cross written by Outlook Managing Editor Michael Brown for the October issue of our newspaper. Thought you might enjoy it:
Young men and women considering religious vocations last month were given a special worship aid to help them with their discernment.
A Vocations cross, created by Nogales artists Marisol Garcia and Jose Manuel Cota Escalante, began circulating throughout the Diocese, beginning at St. Margaret Mary in Tucson and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School in Nogales.
Blessed by Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger during the Prayer & Action retreat at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Tucson in July, the cross is available for Catholic high schools and parish youth groups of high-school age Catholics.
Father Jorge Farias Saucedo, diocesan Vocations director for recruitment, encouraged parish youth ministers and high school campus ministers to find creative ways to integrate the cross into the prayer lives of their students.
"They have the freedom to be as creative as they like," Father Farias Saucedo said. "We want young people to pray and be open to dialogue about vocations."
He said that he will hear from young people who may think they have a calling to religious life or the priesthood, but may be reluctant to come forward or may not get the affirmation they need to dig deeper into discernment.
"We hope this cross gives them encouragement," he said.
Friday, Sept. 14: On this day Catholics commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus.