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February 2021
Saints A Stewardship Parish
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Volume 18, Issue 2
Inside 3 Letter From Our
Pastoral Administrator Sharing Love in Different Ways
4 The Engaged Couple
Sponsor Program Beyond the Wedding Day, Preparing for a Lifetime Together
6 Celebrating the Miracle
of St. Blaise Feast Day, February 3
7 In Face of Adversity, All Saints Catholic School Thriving as a Community
Our Parish Newsletter: Spreading the news of Christ at work in our community.
Carter BloodCare:
Longtime Relationship with All Saints Benefits Our Region
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ore than four million Americans would die each year if no one gave blood. Giving blood saves lives, but a very small percentage of eligible donors actually give. All Saints has a longtime relationship with Carter BloodCare, which supplies blood to more than 200 medical facilities throughout 50-plus counties in north, central and east Texas. To maintain a safe supply, about 1,000 donors from our region must give each day. In the Carter BloodCare region, about 600 to 800 people need a blood transfusion daily and some need more than one unit of blood — for example. a car accident victim could need up to 100 units of blood. Since 2010, All Saints has held 35 drives collecting 1,220 units of blood. Each unit has the potential to impact three lives — up to 3,660 people have been impacted by the generosity of All Saints donors. Kelly Zagotta Austin coordinates the blood drives at All Saints, along with team members Rob Hewitt, Mike Havel and Kent Austin. “All Saints has always been a very generous and charitable community,” she says. “I’m very proud, but not surprised, to say that All Saints ranked second in 2020 blood donations for Carter BloodCare in our region.” Kelly says she gives as a way to give thanks to God for her good health. Others have commented it is a quick way to make an impact and that giving doesn’t affect their energy level.
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Carter BloodCare “Giving blood is an easy way to make an impact,” Kelly says. “In fact, blood donations are used every single day for both emergency and elective surgeries.” It’s always important to give blood, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. An added bonus is that all blood is screened for COVID-19 antibodies. A rigorous cleaning regime is followed and social distancing is observed. Rest assured, giving blood at Carter BloodCare blood drives is very safe. “It is important to give now because locally and nationally, donations are down at the same time the need for blood has risen,” Kelly says. “A lot of people can’t donate due to illness or travel, so the ones that can donate should try to help out.”
continued from front cover According to Carter BloodCare, the vast majority of donors are over age 50. The younger population is not giving as much as the previous generation did — so, it’s important to spread the word on what a gift it is to give blood. With our familiar All Saints phrase, “help your neighbor” — which comes directly from Christ’s directive to “love our neighbor” — Kelly says anyone who is eligible should consider giving. Anyone over age 17 can give blood. Youth who are 16 years old can give with parental consent. A donor must weigh 110 pounds and feel healthy on the day of donation.
The next blood drive is February 21. Reservations: https://ww3.greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/120553 Please refer to the church bulletin for information on upcoming blood drives.
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KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE
arents should stay involved in their children’s digital world, know the apps they use, use parental controls where possible, and block and report people who make them feel uncomfortable. Kids should talk with a trusted adult so they understand online risks, only chat with people they know, ensure their online accounts are private, block people they don’t know or trust, and trust their instinct — if something makes them feel uncomfortable, tell a trusted adult about it. Kids and parents should stay alert — people aren’t always who they seem in online environments, where identity is easy to fake. Stay safe at home. Stay safe online. To report an online child sexual exploitation offense, call 911 or go to report.cybertip.org. www.justice.gov/coronavirus/keeping-children-safe-online
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A Letter from Our Pastoral Administrator
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Sharing Love in Different Ways
hat’s the most widely observed saint’s day in February — the one that’s kept even by those who aren’t practicing Catholics? Undoubtedly, it would be St. Valentine’s Day, February 14. The irony is that his feast isn’t even on the General Roman Calendar of feasts to be observed throughout the world. That doesn’t mean that he’s not recognized as a real, historical person, or as a genuine saint, but only that his influence throughout the Church has not been as significant as that of other saints. So who was St. Valentine? There are several St. Valentines, as the name was not a rare one in the ancient Roman Empire, but the saint we celebrate was a priest of Rome martyred in the late third century. Still, that doesn’t explain how his feast came to be celebrated as the day one sends letters, cards and presents as expressions of romantic love. The truth is that the custom of sending tokens of love comes not from any direct connection with St. Valentine, but from the ancient belief that birds begin to pair off on February 14. And if courtship in the natural world occurred then, it must be appropriate for humans, as well. The association between St. Valentine and love notes is a later development. Nevertheless, it’s not wrong to connect the two. Love has many aspects, and our conception of it is richer if we keep more than one of them in mind. Martyrdom is the result of loving God more than our earthly life. St. Valentine was a martyr because of his love — his love for Jesus Christ and His Church. If he had not loved God so much, he could have repudiated his Lord and saved his life. We, in turn, express our love by sending cards and gifts on St. Valentine’s Day.
But isn’t that what stewardship as a way of life is — a little martyrdom? Not to push the image too far, but when we are faithful stewards, we give up a little portion of our lives out of our own love for Christ. Most Christians will not be called on to be martyrs, in the sense of forfeiting our physical lives for God. But we are called to give up some of our comforts, indulgences and riches because of our love for Him. So then, as you prepare to celebrate and share your love with your Valentine this month, remember St. Valentine and his love for Christ. As well, keep in mind that God loves us, and return that love with your own toward Him. Loving God will be reflected in how you prioritize your use of the time, talent and treasure God has entrusted to you. As St. John wrote (1 Jn 4:19), “We love because he first loved us.” Happy St. Valentine’s Day! Yours in Christ,
Fr. Alfonse Nazzaro Pastoral Administrator
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The Engaged Couple Sponsor Program
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Beyond the Wedding Day,
edding planning.” This simple phrase alone is enough to send many engaged couples into a flurry of activity — there is so much to be done! Set a date, find a venue, choose flowers — the list is seemingly endless. And while it is good to put some thought into such a momentous day, our culture all too often neglects the importance of planning for the couple’s future once the “big day” has come and gone. In the Catholic Church, we seek to bring that longterm planning to the forefront of an engaged couple’s experience, emphasizing that preparing for married life is even more important than planning for the wedding day. When couples schedule a wedding at All Saints, their first step in the marriage preparation process is to complete a questionnaire with FOCCUS — Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study — coordinators Glen and Marie Abel. FOCCUS covers values, attitudes and behaviors that are important for any engaged couple to thoughtfully discuss with one another before entering into marriage. Once FOCCUS is completed, the coordinators of our Engaged Couple Sponsor Program, Mike and Kathy Havel, match the engaged couple with a sponsor couple. Our sponsor couples come from all stages of married life, and one new sponsor couple is bilingual — English and Spanish. Once matched, a sponsor couple meets with the engaged couple four times for open and honest conversation, using their FOCCUS results as a jumpingoff point. While these meetings used to take place in the sponsor couple’s home, they have moved to the Zoom online platform this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Holy Sacrament, marriage in the Catholic Church is much more than a legally binding union — it
Mike and Kathy Havel coordinate the Engaged Couples Sponsor Ministry at All Saints.
is a covenant relationship between both spouses and God, nurtured and strengthened by the abundant grace that comes to us in the sacrament. And as with any other sacrament, we are called to fully prepare our hearts and minds to receive that special grace. “As much as I love hearing about what the couple’s wedding plans are, they are already so focused on that, so we’re trying to get them to see that the wedding is for an hour and the marriage is for a lifetime,” Kathy says. “We hope that they look at the wedding in ways where it’s not just about them, but about God and also the celebration of the union of the two families.”
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Preparing for a Lifetime Together The benefits of marriage preparation meetings are both spiritual and practical, as couples discuss the sacramental nature of Holy Matrimony, as well as many issues at the center of married life, such as communication, finances, family and extended family, career, and social media use. As couples move beyond their marriage preparation — and the wedding day — Kathy hopes that they will take what they have learned from their meetings with the sponsor couples well into their future life together. “Marriage is a sacrament, so we don’t want to let two people go into it without any kind of support or anything else, to show them that we do think it’s important,” she says. “Mike loves to bring up the idea that you will spend four or more years training for your profession. So for marriage, where we are expecting you to stay in that union of the rest of your life, we need to provide that support and education. And it’s a continuing education that will be ongoing in life.” After 41 years together, the Havels truly understand that the “continuing education” of marriage never ends! As a sponsor couple, they feel that their own marriage continues to be strengthened by their participation in this ministry. “It’s affirming,” Kathy says. “The couples that are doing this remind you of your own early days, and there is something sweet about stepping back and remembering what your own courtship was like. And when you are emphasizing what is important in a marriage and how to keep a marriage going strong, it reminds you to do that yourself. It’s like a constant refresher course.”
“It’s affirming. The couples that are doing this remind you of your own early days, and there is something sweet about stepping back and remembering what your own courtship was like. And when you are emphasizing what is important in a marriage and how to keep a marriage going strong, it reminds you to do that yourself. It’s like a constant refresher course.” — Kathy Havel Thankful for the blessings that the Engaged Couple Sponsor program brings to her own marriage and so many others in the parish, Kathy is excited to see this ministry continue to serve all those planning to marry here in the All Saints faith community. “I hope that these couples will remember different things that were brought up or that they learned about each other so they can stay in that commitment,” she says. “I feel like there is a lot that can be gained from these programs.”
Are you interested in becoming a sponsor couple for our Engaged Couple Sponsor program? If so, please contact Kathy Havel at 972-345-1956 or haveldfw@sbcglobal.net for more information.
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Celebrating the Miracle of St. Blaise
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Feast Day, February 3
his month, we reflect on the life of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, who is one of the “Fourteen Holy Helpers” — a group of Catholic saints whose intercession is believed to be effective against diseases. Every year on February 3, we celebrate the feast day of St. Blaise, during which parishes around the world bless the throats of the faithful. So, as we continue to navigate the ongoing challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic, we may look toward St. Blaise’s example and pray for his intercession during these difficult times. Though we do not know much about the life of St. Blaise, tradition tells us that he was born to wealthy, saintly Catholic parents. Born in Armenia, he devoted his life to medicine and helping the sick. He was a physician, until he was begged by the people to become their bishop. He was appointed by the Church as bishop of the Diocese of Sebaste. Around the year 313, when the Roman Emperor Licinius was persecuting the Church, Blaise lived as a hermit in the woods among animals that he befriended. One day, a group of hunters found Blaise and seized him. Upon their trip to the governor, they encountered a woman whose pig was being attacked by a wolf. Blaise commanded the wolf to leave the pig alone and, upon his command, the pig was freed unharmed. Blaise was then taken to prison, where he miraculously healed a boy who was choking to death on a fishbone. While Blaise remained in prison, the woman whose pig he had freed brought him two candles to serve as his light so that he could read the Scripture.
It was from the miracle of saving the choking boy that the custom of praying to St. Blaise to cure all ailments of the throat was born. And, so, after still refusing to recant his Christian beliefs, he was suspended from a tree and his flesh was torn with iron combs or rakes. Blaise was then thrown into a lake to drown. To the surprise of his persecutors, he surfaced and walked upon the water, and he invited his persecutors to join him. They should do this, he said, to show the power of their gods. The pagans took him up on his invitation, and ultimately they were drowned. Blaise was then told by an angel to return to dry land to receive martyrdom. He was beheaded on the shore and immediately went to heaven. Because of his prison experience and his great reputation as a healer, St. Blaise’s intercession is invoked for the healing of diseases affecting the throat. The candles that the clergy place upon our throats while blessing them symbolize the candles that enlightened St. Blaise’s cell as he studied Sacred Scripture — connecting his spiritual life to the physical healing. Let us remember to invoke the intercession of this great healer upon any ailments that might be affecting us, either physical or spiritual — especially those pertaining to the throat. During this pandemic year, the blessing of throats will be done before the final blessing with the priest extending his hands over the entire congregation (no individual blessings). The priest will say, “Through the merits and intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver thee from all diseases of the throat, and preserve thee from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
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In Face of Adversity, All Saints Catholic School Thriving as a Community By Gabe Moreno, ASCS Director of Advancement and Mission
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he year 2020 was rough for many people. The pandemic disrupted our lives, kept us from loved ones, and took many of our friends and family from us. However, despite all the adversity of the past year, All Saints Catholic School is not only surviving, but thriving. The 2020-2021 school year began in August with strict COVID-19 protocols, including mandatory mask wearing, health screenings, temperature checks at the door, social distancing in classrooms, limited interaction with other classes, and maximizing outdoor time. I am happy to report there have been no incidents of on-campus transmission of COVID-19. The tireless work of our faculty and staff has kept our entire community safe! Their work has led All Saints TexasCatholicAd2021.pdf
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to be the leader and shining example of keeping students safe during the pandemic. Our students consistently tell us they feel safe and secure at school. The feeling of safety and security allows students to focus on their studies and thrive in these past few months of in-person school. In fact, test scores for the “IOWA CogAT� (standardized verbal, quantitative and nonverbal cognitive abilities test) improved year over year in Math and English! Yes, All Saints Catholic School is thriving, and we want you to join us. The proven excellence found at All Saints Catholic School is available and here for your family. Our standard of excellence in faith, academics, character and service stands out among area schools. Students that attend continued on back cover
Proven Excellence in Faith, Academics, Character, and Service.
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“The smaller class sizes, individual attention, and access to all the extracurricular activities has really made my child come alive. He loves going to school everyday." ASCS Parent
Two-time Blue Ribbon School of Excellence 7 Valedictorians and salutatorians in 5 years STEAM Innovation Lab class for all students twice per week Mandarin Chinese and Spanish classes available to all students Music and art class available during the school day
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www.AllSaintsPreK8.org
Located near Coit Road & President George Bush Turnpike.
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Saints All Saints Catholic School and graduate from All Saints Catholic School are leaders. Leaders in faith like Jose Vega, who served as a missionary for the Legion of Christ. Leaders in academics like Will Nickols, now attending Harvard University, Delinah Hailey now attending Yale University, and Alex Banul now attending Emory University, all of whom graduated as the valedictorian of their Catholic high school. Leaders like Morgan Yancey, whose dedication to excellence in character and basketball earned her a scholarship to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Leaders like Ashley Hayward, whose passion for service has led her to serve patients in a Neuro ICU and help rehabilitate stroke and trauma patients. All Saints helped each of these students on their life journey, and All Saints can help your child too.
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As one new parent to ASCS told me, “The smaller class sizes, individual attention, and access to all the extracurricular activities have made my child come alive. He loves going to school every day.” The All Saints core belief is that each child should become the person God intended him or her to be. We partner with you and community leaders to develop the unique God-given gifts and capabilities of your child so they may be used in the best possible service of others and in the fulfillment of the mission of the Church Universal. I invite you to visit the school website to learn more about our school. While there, you can request more information, complete an application, or schedule time with our Director of Admissions, Viviana Stanford. We look forward to meeting you and your family, and helping your children grow into who God intended them to be.
Saturday, February 27, 2021 Join us In-Person or take a Virtual Vacation! In-Person seating limited. Virtual tickets unlimited. For tickets, or to sign up to bid, go to https:// www.allsaintsdallas.org/school Silent Auction will open Sunday, February 21.
5231 MEADOWCREEK DRIVE ● DALLAS, TX 75248 ● (972) 661-9282 Current Mass Schedule Weekday Liturgy: Monday - Saturday, 9:00 a.m. Weekend Liturgy: Saturday, 5:00 p.m. | Sunday, 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. | Teen Mass, 5:00 p.m.