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MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
CATHOLIC ACTION CENTER: Putting the Corporal Works of Mercy into Action
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s Catholics, we strive to carry out the seven corporal works of mercy. Based on Matthew 25, they include: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, bury the dead, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and give alms to the poor. The Catholic Action Center, or CAC, is living out the mission of many the corporal works of mercy in a very tangible way — “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink.” “Our main goal is to provide food. We serve between 80-100 people daily. In the winter, it can go up to 180 people,” says parishioner Vanessa Gomez, who serves as a volunteer at the Catholic Action Center. The parish is responsible for providing food for two meals each month at the center. Previously,
Inside
NOVEMBER 2021
3 A Letter From Our Cathedral Rector: Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Time
4 Meet Parishioners Susan and Bob Miller: Living and Serving with Hearts Full of Gratitude The Catholic Action Center — we’re all in this together!
parishioners were able to help serve meals, but due to the impact of COVID-19, meals are prepared and served by the people living at the CAC. “The building has about 120 beds and it is usually pretty full,” Vanessa says. “In order to live there, they must also care for the building, as well. They clean and continued on page 2
6 The Well: All Are Invited to Share in a Valuable Formation Opportunity 7 The Importance of Loving God More Deeply at Mass
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C AT HOLIC ACTI O N CEN T ER paint. They warm up the meals and serve them as well as cleaning up afterward.” Since the parish is not able to serve their monthly dinners at the center, parishioners have been providing home-cooked food to the center for the meals. On the first and third Fridays of the month, they drop off the food to volunteers in the Cathedral of Christ the King parking lot and the volunteers bring it over to the center. Vanessa encourages the parishioners to be creative in the meals they are generously providing. “Make whatever you want!” she says. “We don’t want them to get bored with the food. Make a casserole as you would feed someone in your home! Everyone deserves a good meal.” In addition to the need for more casseroles, the CAC can always use more coffee, creamer, and sugar. Vanessa adds that desserts are a special treat as well. The support that the parish gives is greatly appreciated. “The people really care for them,” Vanessa says. “You can tell by the way they cook and by the way they come when they do serve.” In addition to providing meals, the CAC also helps to provide new clothing, shelter, and connection to important services. Vanessa shares that in the winter, the CAC could use more donations of blankets — all donations of clothing and blankets must be brand new. Faith and community begin in the church, but we are called to extend this reach into the community and world as well. Helping to support
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Christ the King parishioner Carol Keslin serves with a resident of the Catholic Action Center.
this mission has a huge impact on bringing the love of Christ to others. “The way I look at it, we are serving God,” Vanessa says. “We are doing it because they are our brothers and sisters in God. Sometimes, I believe that it is more important. When you are out of the church, it shows how spiritual and how much love and faith you have. You do not need to be in church to serve, you can do it in the streets. And when you practice what you learn in church outside of the church, it has value and meaning.”
If you would like to get involved in the CAC, please contact Vanessa Gomez at 786-251-4239 or vanessagomez311@gmail.com. The church provides meals on the first and third Fridays of the month. Casseroles, desserts and donations are collected in the parish parking lot on these Friday mornings.
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A Letter From Our Cathedral Rector
Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Time Dear Brothers and Sisters:
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he next several weeks are certainly a busy time for us as Catholics, good stewards, good citizens, and faithful members of the Church and our parish. There are celebrations and commemorations both inside and outside the Church that are momentous in terms of faith, citizenship, and living as people of thanksgiving and gratitude. We celebrate Veterans Day to honor and thank all those men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces in one capacity or another. Indicative of the importance of this day, every year at 11 a.m. Eastern, the President of the United States lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. We all understand that Americans celebrate a day of Thanksgiving on Nov. 25. What more can we say about this? It is a day that was based in faith from its very beginnings, and it is an indication of how much we have to thank God for in terms of the gifts we have received — our lives, our families, our Church, our Lord and Savior — everything we are and everything we have. No sooner are Thanksgiving Day celebrations concluded, than we begin that glorious season called
Advent on Sunday, Nov. 28. This prepares us for and leads to Christmas. Indeed, this is both a busy and extraordinary time of year! There is, of course, much more on which we could focus and about which we could think, meditate and pray, but that is more than enough for us to consider and absorb. From a stewardship perspective, I would like you to not only participate and focus on all the particular things that are about to happen but also on one of our special gifts — the gift of time. The gift of time, which we all receive from God in equal amount, is precious because it is a non-renewable resource. Although some of our time is committed because of family responsibilities, work responsibilities, or simply personal needs, we have an element of freewill with how we spend a certain amount of it. We need to spend some of that time in prayer, in thanksgiving, in worship, and in works of mercy and ministry. Our time is perhaps more precious than any material gifts we receive from the Lord. How are we doing with that gift? Sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. John Moriarty
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Meet Parishioners Susan and Bob Miller:
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Living and Serving
or several weeks this fall, adamant about not paying due to health issues, several hundred dollars for it.” Susan Miller was laid up on By God’s infinite grace, the couch. She was not only Bob and Susan courageously miserable because of her overcame many obstacles and physical limitations, but she returned to the loving arms of was also feeling miserable the Catholic Church in 2009. because she was missing her “I was an alcoholic and I had friends at church – especially tried absolutely everything to her best, eternal friend, Jesus quit drinking — from inpatient Christ in the Holy Eucharist. and outpatient services to “There is nothing like being stints in detox facilities, able to go to Mass,” Susan therapists, and AA meetings, says. “I just can’t imagine but nothing was working,” starting my day without Mass Susan says. “One Sunday we and the Rosary. To me, it is like were out running errands and a drug, and when I was unable Bob said, ‘Hey, why don’t you to go this fall, I felt like I was go to church in the mornings going through withdrawal! before you go to work?’” My husband, Bob, was able As soon as Susan took the to bring me Communion on first leap of faith and entered Bob and Susan Miller with Chloe Sundays, which was the only our parish doors, abundant thing that saved me!” blessings and graces began to flow into her life. However, even though the Eucharist is near “Even though it was such a large cathedral, it and dear to Bob and Susan these days, it wasn’t had such a small, comfortable feeling,” she says. always that way. “I was so nervous to return to the Church after “We were both raised Catholic but we had being away for over 30 years, but Fr. Gino and lapsed in our faith and were previously divorced,” the parishioners were so welcoming and kind. she says. “We had successful careers and to us, I immediately started coming to church almost Sundays just meant time to sip wine by the pool every day! The doors were always open, the and gamble online. Every now and then we would chapel and library were so wonderful to visit, the talk briefly about going back to the Church but priests were always available, and the sermons the annulment process was tedious and we were were often just what I needed to hear.”
“I immediately started coming to church almost every day! The doors were always open, the chapel and library were so wonderful to visit, the priests were always available, and the sermons were often just what I needed to hear.” — S u sa n M il l e r 4
with Hearts Full of Gratitude Amazingly, by regularly receiving the sacraments, praying the Rosary often, and becoming an integral part of our parish family, Susan was freed from her addiction to drinking. “We were at the end of our rope when it came to my drinking,” she says. “After everything we tried, it is incredible that the Catholic faith was what healed me in the end. After being at Christ the King Parish for about a year and a half, I was finally able to give up drinking and it seemed effortless compared to what I had tried before. Who knows where we would have ended up without our parish staff — I would probably be dead and Bob would probably still be a wandering, lost soul — and we will always be so grateful to them.”
In fact, gratitude has so overcome their hearts that Bob and Susan have chosen to make our parish the major beneficiary of their will. “It is the least we can do,” Susan says. “Besides, God gave us everything we have. We feel that Christ the King Parish ‘saved’ us, and this is the way we can give an ultimate ‘thank you’!” Since she retired, Susan has enjoyed helping out with various volunteer ministries, such as Christians in Community Service. She also spent time assisting Director of Advancement Katie Shepherd in our Parish Office. She and Bob are currently founding a ministry named Mutts on a Mission, which connects persons in need to therapy dogs that can offer them emotional support.
If you would like more information about Mutts on a Mission, TALEplease email Susan Miller at susanmi1001@yahoo.com.
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The Well:
All Are Invited to Share in a Valuable Formation Opportunity
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ndependence. Community. Blessing. Promise. In the hot desert climate of biblical Israel, wells offered the gift of life. They provided the water necessary for survival. Often inherited throughout generations, wells linked the past, present, and future. Believe it or not, there is a well here at Christ the King accessible to all parishioners. Its depth provides a source of community, blessing, and promise, inviting everyone to drink of its living water. Although not a literal brick-and-mortar well of years past, “The Well” is an adult faith formation program that nonetheless lives up to its name. “It is like a Bible study, but not necessarily just focused on Scripture,” says coordinator Michele Ferguson. “We learn from Scott Hahn with the Augustine Institute, Bishop Barron, as well as other programs through FORMED. We have discussed all kinds of topics including the Eucharist, Mary, Scripture, and Lectio Divina.”
Meetings are held on Monday evenings from 6:30-8 p.m. downstairs in the Parish Life Center Room A. The group meets for six to eight weeks in the fall, and then again in the spring. Each meeting follows generally the same format — the group watches a video presentation and then breaks into small groups for discussion. Each fall and spring session concludes with a celebratory potluck meal. Michele and her husband, Deacon Lee Ferguson, have been meeting at The Well consistently for over six years. “I’m a convert and my husband is a ‘re-vert’ so we attended about every class they offered,” she says. “We love the studies. They have all been really good.” Unfortunately, last year’s gatherings at The Well were halted due to the pandemic. This year, the program may begin virtually through Zoom meetings. Hopefully, the group will soon be able to resume in-person meetings — this will be determined by parish guidelines. “When you have small groups, it is hard when people are separated by six feet and try to talk,” Michele says. “But we definitely miss the fellowship and other people have shared that with me, as well. The fellowship is one of the things we miss the most.” All adult parishioners are invited to meet at The Well. “We are rewarded every time we go,” Michele says. “It is a community sharing of faith and our faith is so deep. There are so many things to learn and we have such a rich heritage.” We hope to see you at The Well!
Participants in The Well program pay for their own study guide, usually around $20 — these are not required but suggested. Anyone interested is welcome to contact Michele Ferguson at 859-270-1420 or mlfergy123@gmail.com. 6
The Importance of Loving God More Deeply at Mass
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hen young people see a person that intrigues them, that attraction becomes the topic of conversation at every opportunity. This attraction alters behavior so that we become enthralled with the other and desire to share our enthusiasm. Imagine if we were more enthralled with the presence of Christ in our lives. Imagine if we fully recognized that Christ is truly present to us in His precious Body and Blood, and present as well in the proclamation of His Word and in the gathering of our community, praying and singing (see Sacrosanctum Concilium [Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy], para. 14). Recognizing the living Christ in all these ways would awaken in us the desire to be with the One who is the object of our most fundamental, pure, and holy attraction to our merciful, loving, and gracious Savior. If we were to recognize the presence of Christ in these beautiful ways, wouldn’t our desire to be more completely in His presence increase? Surely our desire to be better stewards of our time with the Lord would grow. Our attention to the readings and other prayers of the Mass would bring about within us deeper communion with the One who suffered and died for us. If I recognized that God is the answer to all my pangs of hunger, that Christ is my way to the Father, and that the Holy Spirit works to convert my heart and soul every day, would I not seek to fill that hunger at the banquet of the Lamb? While active participation in Sunday Mass is an obligation for Catholics, we also will do well to see the lovely, motherly care the Church shows us in establishing that requirement. The Code of Canon Law states clearly in paragraph 1247, “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.” Sometimes, we might hear that as an overbearing rule. But it might more correctly
be understood as our Mother, the Church, helping us learn what is best for us. At Mass, we hear the living Word of God proclaimed. He speaks to us. We receive as hungry, needy sinners, the precious Body and Blood of Christ. We encounter Christ’s living presence in our brothers and sisters worshiping God with us. If we truly understood that amazing truth, then how might it affect our lives? How might it affect our relationships? How might it impact our decision to bring our children along to Mass? How might it awaken within us a deeper attraction, fascination, desire for the Lord? Generally, when we find ourselves fascinated with someone, we do not decide to spend as little time as possible with them. We do not ration our time with them. We want to spend time with them, to see them, to listen to them, to get to know them, to develop a healthy, loving relationship with them. Considering our reliance on the Lord of life and love, our fascination with His mercy, His goodness, His willingness to call us to continued on back cover
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299 Colony Blvd. | Lexington, KY 40502 cathedralctk.org | (859) 268-2861
The Importance of Loving God More Deeply at Mass Himself, maybe we should ask ourselves about what happens in us at Mass. As I prepare to come to Church, do I find my mind turning to a receptive welcome of the Lord, just as I’ll be welcomed at the door of Church? Have I dressed for the important weekly (or daily) moment of meeting my King? Do I expect some profound wisdom from God in the readings? Am I open to correction, to challenge, to affirmation in the readings of God’s Word? Do I intently pray along with the priest presider throughout the Mass? Do I make an offering of my life, along with the bread and wine? Do I genuinely hunger for the Body and Blood of Christ? And do I long for that blessing that sends me on my way with the mission to build the Kingdom?
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Instead of worrying about what “counts” when it comes to Sunday Mass, maybe we should work hard at fostering our love for the Eucharist, our desire for eternal life, our attraction to the Master who calls us into a life of active discipleship. Instead of a merely heavy-handed requirement, maybe we can see more clearly that being at Mass together helps nourish us for a whole week of building God’s Kingdom. Coming with those expectations, desires, and hopes, leaving early when unnecessary would disappear as a temptation instantly. Coming late because other things have taken priority would not typically happen, other obligations notwithstanding. Christ desires our company at Mass, from beginning to end. Let’s draw near to Him.
LITURGY SCHEDULE
Saturday Vigil - 5:00 p.m.|Sunday - 7:30 a.m.; 9:00 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Daily (Monday to Saturday) - 8:00 a.m.|(Monday to Friday) - 5:30 p.m. Reconciliation: Wednesday 4:45 - 5:20 p.m., Saturday 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. | First Sunday of the month 8:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.