Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Newsletter — October 2021

OCTOBER 2021

Our Lady of Lourdes CATHOLIC CHURCH

Eucharistic Adoration:

The Best Time You Will Spend on Earth

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t is wonderful to know that those who enter our parish not only come into a building but also come into the loving, merciful arms of Christ.

“If someone comes into our church and they are upset or in angst, we encourage them to go to the Adoration Chapel,” says Candace Sperati, who serves as the English Administrator of the Adoration Chapel alongside Urania Mitchell, who serves as the Spanish Administrator. “We know it will give them the peace they need to get through their struggles.”

It is also wonderful to know that 24 hours a day, year-round, Our Lord is quietly waiting for each of us to come visit Him in our Adoration Chapel. With marvelous humility, He rests exThe Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady of Sorrows, posed, offering His Sacred Heart to each one of us through crucifix and tabernacle the Most Blessed Sacrament. Through the extraordinary gift of Eucharistic Adoration, Christ longs to show us the infinite love of His Father in an intimate, powerful way.

“We have had Perpetual Adoration at our parish continually since 1995,” Candace says. “Adoration is a place where you can sit with Jesus one-on-one, just listening to Him talking to your heart. It is a continued on page 2

Eucharistic Adoration

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place where you can let go of the world and just be with Jesus. When you are there with Him, He shines His grace and blessings upon you.”

Over the years, many adorers have testified to how their prayers have been answered in amazing ways through adoration.

“God hears the prayers that you offer to Him in adoration,” Candace says. “Even if you don’t see your prayers being answered immediately, you can be sure that Jesus has heard them, and the will of God will come to be. We have a witness book in the chapel where people record testimonies of prayers being answered through adoration.”

In fact, each adorer has a beautiful story of how Jesus led them to first start coming to adoration.

“Adoration helps me so much in my life,” Candace says. “I started coming about seven years ago.

The former coordinator asked me to help run it. I had just become a Catholic, so I wasn’t really sure what she was asking of me, but I knew she needed help, so I decided to do it. Then, the Legion of Mary

started an Adoration Committee and I began working with them to get the chapel in a good position.”

Impressively, they also have stories of how He has led them to increase their devotion to adoration more and more over time.

“In RCIA, they encouraged us to take an hour a week, and now I take three hours a week!” Candace says. “At first, as a new Catholic, I didn’t realize the benefits of adoration, but I definitely see it now.

One of the hours I used to take and would like to start back up again is a Reparation Holy Hour at 7 p.m. on Fridays, which included praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Rosary, and a prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for priests.”

Furthermore, there are several organized Holy Hours of Adoration that take place regularly, such as a Holy Hour for Life and a Rosary for Life Holy Hour. Those who sign up to pray for an hour may choose a weekly, bi-weekly, or one-time option.

Various ministries at our parish take responsibility for covering different Holy Hours regularly as well.

The Blessed Sacrament, St. Joseph with child Jesus, and Our Lady of Lourdes with Bernadette in the Grotto

The Blessed Sacrament

To sign up to spend time in Christ’s peaceful Eucharistic presence, please visit www.oll.weadorehim.com.

For more information about this ministry, please contact the Parish Office at 919-861-4600, Urania Mitchell at 919-744-4220, or Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator and Marriage Coordinator Candace Sperati at 919-861-4634 or at csperati@ourladyoflourdescc.org.

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A LETTER FROM OUR PASTOR

: OCTOBER A Month to Turn to Our Lady of the Rosary Dear Parishioners, ay by day, our heavenly Father provides spiritual food and graces to His beloved children, nourishing us on our earthly pilgrimage. October brings us the grace of the Holy Rosary, a prayer buried deeply in the heart of the Church, as one of its most precious treasures.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which takes place Oct. 7, is a commemorative feast established by St. Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto. The victory was attributed to the help of the Mother of God, whose aid was invoked by praying the Rosary.

This victory revealed the power of the Holy Rosary more than ever. Catholics who were open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit took with deep resolve the Rosary as their link to God. Pope St. John Paul II, in his 2002 Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, writes: “The Church has always attributed particular efficacy to this prayer, entrusting to the Rosary... the most difficult problems. At times when Christianity itself seemed under threat, its deliverance was attributed to the power of this prayer, and Our Lady of the Rosary was acclaimed as the one whose intercession brought salvation” (39).

Thus, not merely through the Rosary, but more significantly, through the woman behind the Rosary — the glorious Mother of our Savior, Christ the Lord — a wellspring of God’s love has been discovered.

Indeed, the Rosary is truly a way to discover Christ’s infinite love through the tender heart of His Mother.

“With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 1).

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A great number of saints, such as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who had a special concern for the preservation of the Christian family, sensed that its salvation would be through the Holy Rosary. And as Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “Today I willingly entrust to the power of this prayer... the cause of peace in the world and the cause of the family” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 39). Our Lady of Fatima, who pleaded with families to pray the daily Rosary, would agree with him!

Let us entrust everything to the Rosary along with the saints. As our hearts burn with hope, let us give to the Mother of God every concern that we bear, each cross we carry, piece by piece, worry by worry. She will be there to offer everything to our Heavenly Father, Whose care for each one of His children reaches beyond anything we could ever imagine.

In Christ,

Fr. Patrick Keane Pastor

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T H E L E G I O N O F M A R Y: W

Faithfully Serving

hen a longtime parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes invited Ken Kukorowski to join the Legion of Mary, Ken initially thought that he was too busy for the commitment. However, this open invitation led Ken to learn that he could be an auxiliary member, providing prayer and spiritual support while praying the Rosary and a short daily prayer from home. As soon as Ken retired in 2019, he was ready to become an active member, attending meetings and taking on weekly assignments.

“They were in sync with what I already wanted to do,” Ken says. “If other parishioners knew what the Legion does and what little effort it is to help people out, they’d all be clamoring to do this.”

The Legion of Mary is a global organization, but its heart is at the parish level. Members of the Legion of Mary place themselves under the guidance of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“We put trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary,” Ken says. “She directs things for us — she helps us focus properly and do what needs to be done.”

Each group, or praesidium, exists for the personal sanctification of its members and to assist the pastor in serving the parish.

“A lot of the pastoral ministries that Fr. Pat would love to do — visiting shut-ins, visiting seniors, distributing Holy Communion — is stuff he has to delegate to other people,” Ken says, “The Legion steps up and helps with that.”

For Ken, this means that his weekly assignment is visiting the elderly in nursing homes. Ken found a new depth of meaning in his service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I really missed going to Mass and seeing the people at Mass,” Ken says. “And I think about all these people who are shut-ins, have no cars, or are wheelchair-bound, and the only contact they have is through Zoom — or if others like myself visit them, pray the Rosary, distribute Holy Communion or just sit there and listen to them. It makes them feel wanted.”

The active members have a variety of weekly assignments. For Hrideep Antony, a member of the Legion of Mary for 10 years, this weekly assignment is

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with the Guidance of Our Blessed Mother leading the junior praesidium, a group for the young men of our parish ages 12 through 18.

“Legion means you’re a soldier for Our Lady,” Hrideep says. “The boys really like challenges.”

Hrideep leads the young members in weekly meetings and assignments. The group gives the members a chance to consider their vocation and be open to the call to the priesthood or religious life. All of the members, however, are being prepared for the world beyond.

“The Legion is a training ground where they are taught what to expect when they go to college and how to defend their faith,” Hrideep says. “I’ve seen that when the boys go to college — they continue attending church.”

The adult group and the junior group often collaborate. At least two men from the adult group attend the junior meetings each week and the members often go on assignments together to visit nursing homes.

In all these activities, the members lean on prayer and the guidance of Our Lady.

“We try to practice the virtues that Mary possessed,” Hrideep says. “And we try to bring souls back to practicing those virtues.”

To get involved in the Legion of Mary, please contact Ken Kukorowski at 919-623-6077 or kenkukorowski@gmail.com. For more about the junior praesidium, please contact Hrideep Antony at 919-627-4003 or hrideep@gmail.com.

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Stewardship of Time: The Foundation of Our Faith Lives

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professor stood at the head of the class with a big glass jar. He put six big rocks in the jar with the rocks up to the edge and then asked his students, “Is the jar full?” They replied, “Yes.” The professor told the students, “No, it’s not.” He then pulled out gravel and put it in the jar. He then asked, “Now is it full?” The students once again replied, “Yes.” The professor responded, “No, it’s not.” He reached down and pulled out sand, which he poured into the jar with the same responses. Then, he reached for a pitcher of water and poured it in, all the way to the brim. Then he asked, “Now is it full?” And the students replied, “Yes.” The professor then asked, “OK, what did you learn from this?” One student responded, “No matter how many things you’ve got in the jar, there’s always room to put a little more in.” The professor told the class, “No, that’s not the lesson. The lesson is, if I didn’t put the big rocks in first, they would have never fit!”

Most Catholics may ask how this can apply to our own prayer lives. Essentially, every person must decide what the “big rocks” are in his or her life. And prayer should be one of those big rocks in the jar.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has told us stewardship is part of discipleship and is a way of responding to God’s call in every aspect of our lives.

We refer to the three facets of stewardship as “Time, Talent and Treasure,” and when we consider the importance of these three Ts of stewardship, the “time”

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component comes first by design.

Stewardship spirituality is about trying to become more generous with our Time, Talent, and Treasure.

And there’s a reason why “Time” is first. We need to take time to talk to God and take time to be quiet and seek to listen as He expresses His love for us and wants us to know His inspiration in our life.

There are many different forms of prayer. From weekly prayer such as the Mass, to daily personal prayer, such as a daily Rosary. Morning and night prayer are also important disciplines to maintain. Set aside a comfortable place in your home where you can find silence. Focus on a spiritual image and take time to center yourself with Scripture or other spiritual reading.

For many, spending large portions of the day in silent prayer is not possible. But make it a priority to find moments of quiet throughout the day, and find ways to incorporate prayer amid your busy schedule. When you get into a vehicle, pray — before a meal, after a meal, if you’re faced with a tough decision. Just pray!

Just as in any human relationship, communication is a central aspect of a vibrant relationship with God. Prayer is fostering this communion of love with God. He loved us into existence, and He wants us to enter into a loving conversation with Him. We’ve got to talk to Him. And we must listen to Him. He will take care of everything if you just trust Him. He’s knocking at the door and waiting for us to open it in prayer.

The Williams Family:

LIVING A LIFE IN FAITHFUL SERVICE

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ome of us have a full plate of daily demands that don’t leave us much free time. Some of us might have plenty of time on our hands. No matter how much extra time we have each day, there are many ways to spend it, and parishioner Curt Williams tries to use his free time to help others and serve Our Lady of Lourdes.

“I get that from my parents,” Curt says. “It’s something God put in me. I’m also just an optimistic person. I believe we can do what we set out to do.”

Curt, Jennifer, and their three children — Megan, Clay, and Cate — each spend a portion of their time in service to Our Lady of Lourdes and the community.

Jennifer served and chaired the Stewardship Committee and also serves as a lector. She has also been involved at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. Curt has served on the Finance Council for about 10 years. He was also actively involved in Regnum Christi. This ministry helped him grow in faith through retreats and a men’s group.

“We all have talents and temperaments,” Curt says. “We should just realize the gifts we are given, and use them to build the Kingdom. If we do that, we have done what we are supposed to do.”

Curt is a born leader, and he has used this trait in his work at Our Lady of Lourdes. One community contribution of which Curt is most proud is helping to start the nonprofit Capital City Clauses more than 25 years ago. The one-night fundraiser supports the Salvation Army and, since its inception, has given thousands of toys to children throughout Wake County for Christmas.

“I am proud of the group who took it over and

Curt, Jennifer, Clay, Megan and Cate Williams all live out stewardship at Our Lady of Lourdes.

really made it what it is,” Curt says. “It’s something very special.”

In addition, Jennifer headed up the One Day for Him program. For five years, hundreds of parishioners gathered to volunteer at nonprofits throughout Raleigh. Volunteers bagged lunches, painted, ministered downtown, and more.

The Williams children also give of their time

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continued on back cover

“We all have talents and temperaments. We should just realize the gifts we are given, and use them to build the Kingdom. If we do that, we have done what we are supposed to do.

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Curt Williams 07

2718 Overbrook Drive | Raleigh, North Carolina 27608 919-861-4600 | ourladyoflourdescc.org

The Williams Family

and talent. Clay was an altar server and Cate is a current altar server. Megan gives of her time in talent whenever she can, like making masks and donating them at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They have a good model in my wife,” Curt says.

Jennifer was raised Catholic in Dayton, Ohio.

Curt was raised Southern Baptist on a farm in Faison, N.C. In 2000, he took part in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults here at Our Lady of Lourdes and entered into the Catholic faith. He chose St. Paul as his Confirmation saint, because of Paul’s ability to evangelize.

“I found the Catholic Church to be the right place for me,” he says. “I thought that if this is the Church

continued from page 7 Christ started, then this is where I want to be.”

As time has gone on, Curt has found an even deeper love for the Catholic faith. He has also found his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Bill and Sheila, to be great role models in living out the faith.

“I call Sheila, ‘St. Sheila,’” Curt says. “With all that she has been through, she has a strong spirit and faith. She’s such an inspiration to me.”

Curt looks forward to inviting others at Our Lady of Lourdes into a life of stewardship. He has found so much joy and hopes others will too.

“I just want to see Our Lady of Lourdes be a beehive of activity,” he says. “I want to see people giving, helping, and actively involved. I want to see them reaching out in the community.”

Mass Times

SATURDAY VIGIL, 5:00 PM | SUNDAY, 9:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM Spanish, 5:00 PM MONDAY, 8:00 AM | TUE — FRI, 8:30 AM | THURSDAY, 6:30 PM Spanish Confession Times: WEDNESDAY, 12:00 PM | SATURDAY, 3:00 PM