Spring 2019

11507 Huffmeister RoadHouston, TX 77065

281-469-5533

In this Issue

Letter from your Pastor, Fr. Sean Horrigan 2

Grow spirituallyduring Lent 3Admissions open for CtR Catholic School 3Ministry leaders come together for a dayof prayer 4 Concert benefits St. Francis of Assisi Church and School 4Spring Festival 5Friday Fish Fry and Stations of the Cross 6

LENTASH WEDNESDAY - MARCH 66:30 a.m., 12 noon, 4, 6 & 8 p.m.

Liturgy of the Word Services(all with distribution of ashes)

9 a.m. - MassNursery open: 9 a.m., 4 p.m. & 6 p.m.

There are no confessions on Wednesday nor an evening Mass. Ash Wednesday is also a

day of fast and abstinence from meat, and all Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence.

LENTEN PENANCE SERVICE TUESDAY APRIL 2

6:30 p.m. Be renewed during the Lenten season with the Lenten Penance Service. Many priests will be

at CtR to hear confessions.

Celebrating 10 years in our beautiful church!

HOLY WEEK & EASTERHOLY THURSDAY - APRIL 187 p.m. - Mass of the Lord’s Supper

GOOD FRIDAY - APRIL 1911 a.m. Tre Ore - (Three Hours)

A time of Scripture readings and reflection in the church

3 p.m. - Celebration of the Passion and Veneration of the Cross

HOLY SATURDAY - APRIL 20(No morning reconciliation)8:30 p.m. - Easter Vigil

EASTER SUNDAY - APRIL 217 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. - Church

7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m. - Parish Hall(No 5 p.m. Mass. No incense used in Masses

in the Parish Hall)

Lent and Easter

Dear friends in Christ,

Not long ago I came across a video online of a dog show. Now, I’m not a dog owner, though I love them, and since this looked something like the Canine Olympics, I decided to watch for a few minutes. I’m glad I did.

The star of the show was a border collie named Verb. Weird name for a dog, but he was a sight to behold! Verb tackled the obstacle course that had been set up like the finest athlete you’ve ever seen. He was fast, and sleek, and stylish. His tongue was hanging out and his tail was wagging non-stop as he raced around the arena. He had it all! And he was clearly enjoying the crowd cheering him on like it was the Super Bowl.

As he crossed the finish line Verb took one final giant leap and soared into the arms of his trainer. He had an expression on his face that seemed to say, “Did I do good?” With a pat on his head and a rub of his belly, his trainer was quick to assure he had indeed done very good. It was a moment of pure joy.

What about us, my brothers and sisters? How do we approach the obstacle course of life? I don’t know about you, but I know I sometimes plod through the day without much vigor and little joy. Life’s hurdles can be awfully high at times and I’m scared to make a misstep lest I fall off the balance beam. My tail often drags, not wags.

We can learn a lot from Verb. It seems to me he succeeded because he followed the sound of his master. He watched and listened to the commands and kept his eyes focused only on her. Sure, he heard the crowd, but his focus was on the one calling him by name.

As we approach the holy days of Lent and Easter it is my hope that we too will follow the master teacher. God calls each of us by name. The Lord is there to lead us and guide us. We don’t have to go off on our own – that’s only going to slow us down. God shows us the way to the finish line so that we too might one day leap into His eternal arms of love. He might even rub your belly if you beg hard enough!

On the front page of this newsletter, you’ll find a schedule of many of the key dates coming up in Lent and Easter. I invite you to join us throughout the 40 days of our Lenten desert journey leading into the great 50 days of celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection in Easter. In particular, I call your attention to our Lenten Reconciliation Service on Tuesday, April 2. If you haven’t been to confession in awhile, come. The Lord’s mercy awaits.

And then, just a week after Easter Sunday, we turn our attention to our 34th annual Spring Festival, April 27-28. This is our biggest event of the year for the parish and always a great community event. It takes the combined effort of all of us to make it happen, so please mark your calendars and join us. You’ll soon have the opportunity to sign-up to volunteer, buy a raffle ticket or two, or get involved in any number of ways. It’s a great way to put our faith into action through Stewardship. Plus, it’s just a whole lot of fun for all ages.

In a way, those final two weeks of April neatly sum up our mission at CtR. We celebrate the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ every day. That is paramount. We are an Easter people! And having thus received new life from Him, we go forth to make Christ known in the community with a lively spirit, inviting others to experience the joy of Jesus.

That’s what we mean by Vision 2020. (Read more about our aptly named Strategic Plan on pg. 4.) It’s our mission to see Christ more clearly in all people, to know Him more deeply in our lives, and to serve God and neighbor more selflessly. If we strive to do that daily, then like ol’ Verb, we will run and never grow tired as we come to know our Master’s voice. †

Peace, Fr. Sean

In January, the Archdiocese of Galveston - Houston released the names of those priests credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor dating back to 1950. The list can be found on the Archdiocesan website at www.archgh.org.

Other resources are on our parish website at ctrcc.com/abuse-crisis. Join us in prayer that the God of mercy might show us the way to His light and peace. †

2 www.ctrcc.comChrist the Redeemer Catholic Church

From Fr. Sean Horrigan, Pastor

Fr. Sean baptizing at the 2018 Easter Vigil.

Christ the Redeemer Catholic School is now accepting applications for the 2019-20 school year for Pre-K 3 through 8th grade. Our purpose is to foster academic excellence with a love of God and neighbor that inspires and challenges our children to become leaders who proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and action. Tours are conducted by appointment and we’d love to have you visit!

We wanted to share a cool story

about our school during Catholic Schools Week. Our teachers, CtR’s Knights of Columbus and Ladies Auxiliary coordinated an outdoor living rosary made of balloons! After the students prayed together, they released the balloons for a view of our prayers going up to the heavens. Don’t worry though! Our Knights were there to catch the balloons before they floated away. Read more stories and schedule a tour at ctrschool.com/admissions. †

Lent is a time to look at our lives and to see where we need to make changes so as to live in right relationship with God. The three disciplines of Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Through these disciplines we make daily sacrifices in order to grow closer in relationship to Jesus as well as our brothers and sisters in faith and in the world.

Prayer connects us with God and gives us an opportunity to give thanks to God for what we have. It gives us an opportunity to raise others up, to support those who struggle and suffer.

Through fasting and sacrifice, we can become more aware of the many things in our lives that keep us bound to the world. We can begin to see how we can live more simply, making our lives about God, family and others instead of focusing on material things.

Almsgiving gives us an opportunity to help those in need. It is about sharing ourselves, our time, and the gifts God has given us to make the world a better place and to help those who are struggling in mind, body and spirit.

In Lent we also prepare to celebrate the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. We celebrate His life, death and His resurrection and we join sacrifices to His ultimate sacrifice for us.

There are many resources available to help us on our journey through Lent. We have available Daily Lenten Gospel Reflections written by Bishop Robert Barron. These books are available in the Parish Office and in the

Reading Center in the narthex of the church. The books will have a reflection on the Gospels and Stations of the Cross for each day during Lent as well as pages for you to write your own reflection and reactions. These books are available for $3. On Ash Wednesday, we will distribute The Little Black Books for Lent, from the Diocese of Saganaw, Mich. Always popular, these books offer a Scripture reading and a reflection for each day of Lent. There is no charge for the Little Black Books.

In addition, Word on Fire, Bishop Barron’s apostolate, will offer daily reflections sent to your email or text. We will send the Word on Fire-Engage mini-course titled, “The Seven Deadly Sins/Seven Lively Virtues.” To opt in, visit ctrcc.com/word-on-fire-engage. There will also be access to Lenten reflections and Stations of the Cross videos.

Another opportunity is Best Lent Ever from Dynamic Catholic. Matthew Kelly and others from the Dynamic Catholic team will be offering daily video reflections to assist your spiritual journey through Lent. Also, Formed.org will offer daily reflections by Dr. Tim Grey. †

Deacon Jack Alexander Director of Adult Faith Formation

3 www.ctrcc.comChrist the Redeemer Catholic Church

Grow spiritually during Lent

Admissions open for CtR Catholic School

The Redeemer Choir will once again join forces with the Instrument of Peace Choir from St. Francis of Assisi parish for a concert during the Lenten season. The two choirs have enjoyed working together in the past to present concerts and prayer services with music in both Traditional and Gospel styles, and parishioners have turned out in good numbers to these events.

Our upcoming concert will feature “The Seven Last Words of Christ” by Theodore Dubois, and it will serve a very special purpose. St. Francis’ church and school were severely damaged by the flood waters of Hurricane Harvey, and the rebuilding efforts are still underway. Parishioners are expected to be able to return to worship in their church at the end of March (they

have been sharing space with a neighboring church for the last year and a half). This concert will celebrate the restoration of St. Francis’ worship space and also serve to raise funds for the parish as they continue to rebuild their campus. All donations from the concert will go to St. Francis of Assisi’s rebuilding fund.

The concert will be on Friday, April 5 after Stations of the Cross in the church. Details wil be online at ctrcc.com/music. Plan to join us for music, prayer and support for our friends. †

4 www.ctrcc.comChrist the Redeemer Catholic Church

Lenten concert benefits St. Francis of Assisi Church and School

Ministry leaders come together for Vision 2020 In January, leaders of Christ the Redeemer’s many groups and ministries, along with staff members and clergy, came together for a day of prayer, fellowship and reflection. Rev. Sean Horrigan led the morning and presented on CtR’s Vision 2020, a goal-oriented and prayerfully discerned plan for moving the parish forward spiritually in the year to come. In 2020, Christ the Redeemer will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Fr. Sean challenged attendees to look within their groups and ministries for ways to continue to spread the Good News of the Gospel, and to “go and make disciples.”

More than 80 ministry heads attended the event, with representation from many church groups. It is our hope that every year we are able to host a day of gathering and prayer for our church leaders to come together, learn from one another and collaborate.

Parishioner Nancy Unverferth, who helps lead the Divine Mercy Cenacle study at CtR, said she enjoyed gathering with other ministry leaders and staff.

“I was struck by the sense of family,” Unverferth said. “I realized in a deeper way the immense love we all have for one another and serving the Lord through this beautiful parish we call home. It unified us.”

Fr. Sean even spoke at the day of prayer about Unverferth and her desire to help lead others spiritually.

“It’s too easy to just focus on the ministry the Lord has called me to work in and lose sight of the mission of the whole parish,” she said. “To come together as one in a spirit of prayer, led by Fr. Sean and the CtR staff, was a gift to me personally.”

For the details about Vision 2020, visit the website ctrcc.com/vision2020.†

St. Francis of Assisi Church after Hurricane Harvey.

5 www.ctrcc.comChrist the Redeemer Catholic Church

Join us for this community event!

ON THE CtR CAMPUSSpring Festival

6 P.M.-11 P.M. SATURDAY, APRIL 27

12 NOON-7 P.M. SUNDAY, APRIL 28

34th Annual CtR Spring FestivalFamily-friendly fun & entertainment for all ages!

Raffle drawing to win a new vehicle at 7 p.m. April 28

MORE THAN 1,000 VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDOnline signups open March 15 using SignUp Genius

2019 Festival & booth sponsorships available!

Auction items are needed for the Silent & Live Auctions on April 28

AUCTION QUESTIONS:Rachel & Bryan Smyth 815-355-5633 or bryan.smyth@ctrcc.com

GENERAL QUESTIONS:Festival Chairs: Mike & Camille Havelka 281-373-5322 or havelka@sbcglobal.net

Spring 201911507 Huffmeister Road

Houston, TX 77065281-469-5533

www.ctrcc.com

Mass ScheduleSaturday, 5 p.m.

Sunday, 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9 a.m.

Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. (school), 7 p.m.

Join the Knights from 4:30-7:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall for the annual Fish Fry every Friday during Lent. Plates are $8 for adults and $5 for children. You have your choice of baked fish, fried fish or shrimp. The plate also includes three sides, dessert and a drink. You are free to dine-in or take-out! Also, during the Fish Fry, the Ladies Auxiliary have a raffle that you can enter to win different prizes.

We will also have Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m. in the church every Friday during Lent. Spend 30-45 minutes on Friday nights at 7 p.m. in the church with the clergy for this popular Lenten devotion. St. Francis of Assisi began this devotion to teach people the unconditional love of Christ. We especially recommend it to those families with young children to learn about these traditional practices of our faith. It’s a great way to spend a Friday evening – come to the KofC Fish Fry and stay for Stations.

In addition, the chapel will also be open on Friday mornings in Lent following daily 9 a.m. Mass for those who don’t want to be out at night and wish to make the Stations in the daytime hours. This will be self-directed Stations. †

Friday Fish Fry & Stations of the Cross during Lent

www.ctrcc.com6Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church

Friday Fish Fry DatesMarch 8, 15, 22, 29 April 5, 12

4:30-7:30 p.m.