ST. JUDE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY   PAGE FIVE      FEBRUARY 17, 2002

During Lent, take time to participate in a Family Conference to help support and celebrate family life.  The Family Conference will be held this Saturday, March 2^nd at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

One and all are invited to participate in the many workshops being offered.  Bishop Thomas Curry and keynote speaker, actor Robert Devi, will begin the inspiring day.  That will be followed by all kinds of workshops to strengthen "seasoned" marriages, to heal family hurts, to help your teenager, to deal with the challenge of being newlyweds, to deal with the effects of addictions on family life, to handle the challenge of divorce, to understand what an "Annulment" is in the Catholic Church, to help aging parents, and much more.     

Registration Forms are available in the Pastoral Office and also during our St. Max-St. Jude University Seminars Tuesday thru Thursday evenings.

To reach St. John's Seminary, take the 101 Freeway north to Camarillo.  Take the Flynn off-ramp to the end.  Turn left onto Upland Road and the Seminary entrance will be almost immediately to the right.  Once inside the grounds, turn left up the hill to the Seminary College.

For more information, or to register you may call the Regional Office at 805 - 682 - 0442, or you may also call Anne Hansen or Linda Lower at 805 - 484 - 7422.      Ask about discounts for multiple people!

We are asked to stand in solidarity with our Archbishop and the priests, religious and lay leaders of our Archdiocese, especially with those who serve in the poorest of parishes in our Archdiocese.  We cannot allow ourselves to reasons why these parishes may be poor, nor can we ignore the needs of our poorest sisters and brothers.  Rather, we need to stand in fullest and most heartfelt support with our poorest sisters and brothers in their needs.

"Together in Mission" truly does help our poorest parish communities.  However, as the income has risen so have the bills for services risen and risen.  In reality, the help we give shrinks unless we increase our donation.  Today our poorest parishes have "real needs" that are not being met.  It is estimated that it would take $128,000,000.00 today to make all the necessary repairs and do the retrofitting needed in these parishes and parish schools.   

If you have not yet made your Pledge Commitment, please prayerfully consider giving a little more than you have over the past years.  We all need to come to a real awareness of the burdens and the genuine needs that exist in our poorest parishes.  We need to understand that our Baptismal Calling encourages us, in fact impels us, to share with those who are less fortunate.  Let us dig deeply this year and try our best to help this worthwhile project, "Together in Mission."