A big question for each of us, is:    What am I actively doing to foster vocations?     Do I ever pray for vocations?     Do I ever encourage vocations among my family members?     Do I ever reach out to a young man or woman and suggest that they might have a vocation to be a priest or a religious?      Or, do I just expect a priest to always be there the next time I call to ask a question or have a priest come quick because someone is dying?      Unless we pray, we may not have the grace of having a priest at our side when we die, or to preside at our child's wedding or our own funeral.

Pray to the Lord of the Harvest for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

St. Jude's Knights of Columbus, being dedicated to the Blessed Ever-Virgin Mary, feel that every Catholic should have a rosary in his/her pocket/handbag at all times.     To assist in this goal, the Knights of Columbus are distributing rosaries after all Masses this weekend.

Tuesday, May 23^rd:   our Parish Pastoral Offices will be closed this Tuesday because of a Deanery Four Meeting for all priests and parish staffs.     Our Parish Pastoral Offices will open at 1:30 p.m.

Friday, May 26^th:   our Parish Pastoral Offices will be closed this Friday because of a Day of Recollection and Prayer with our Regional Bishop Thomas Curry in Santa Barbara for
all parish staffs.     Our Parish Pastoral Offices will open at 4:00 p.m.

Memorial Day this year falls on Monday, May 29^th.     One of the benefits of being buried in a Catholic Cemetery, such as Assumption in Simi Valley, is that Mass is offered for the repose of the souls of all buried there twice a year at the cemetery itself, and also daily in one parish throughout our Archdiocese.     Thus, if all others forget to pray for the repose of your soul, at least the Archdiocese does not.   

On Memorial Day there will be a Mass for all buried there at 10:00 a.m. concelebrated by many of the priests of Deanery 4.     Reverend Monsignor Gary Bauler, Pastor of St. Peter Claver, will be the Presider this year.

In our own parish, we will have one Mass at 9:00 a.m. and all parish offices will be closed.

All parish groups/programs who use our parish facilities --- no exceptions --- are asked to please present their "Proposed Calendar of Usage" listing the days and times they need any parish facility for the coming year:  July 1^st, 2000 thru June 30^th, 2001.    This listing must be submitted before Friday, May 26^th.    The Master Calendar will be put together before the end of May.   

No matter how many years your group/program has used any facility, please submit a "Proposed Calendar of Usage".     Those putting the Master Calendar together are human and at times cannot remember from one year to the next regarding each and every group's usage.     Failure to submit a "Proposed Calendar of Usage", could possibly result in your group/program be left off the 2000-2001 Master Calendar.       The Parish School, the Religious Education, and the Liturgical Ministries have first choices, provided they submit a "Proposed Calendar of Usage".