Monday, October 27, 2008

Announcements: All Souls Day

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Dec 7 Celebration: Josh and Kara will be baptized and will receive their first communion and reconciliation. There will be a potluck to follow the Sunday celebration. Please bring your favorite dish. All are welcome whether you bring a dish or not.

All Souls Day: As you come to Mass this week, there will be a “Book of the Dead” in the back. If you know of anyone who has died this year please but their names in the book and we will pray for them during the intercessions.

Halloween: The Catholic Church does not recognize Halloween as a feast day because it is a secular holiday. We celebrate All Souls day instead. If you go out “trick or treating,” please by careful and safe.

Advent: The first Sunday of Advent will be Sunday, November 30th. I plan to have “The Little Blue Book” to hand out to everyone at Mass. It is published by the Diocese of Saginaw and is a great prayer aid for the Advent Season.

Below are a few pictures from the Homily about the Letter of the Law (zoomed in) and the Spirit of the Law (zoomed out).

Have a wonderful week and God bless you…Fr. Scott

Katelynn Zoomed In

Kara Zommed In

Saint Theresa Zoomed Out

Holy Rosary Zoomed Out

Monday, October 20, 2008

Announcements: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Cemetery Donation: John and Ina Bouker had an auction last weekend and donated the money to Holy Rosary for Cemetery Maintenance. Thank you very much for your $1,200 donation! Next Memorial day we plan to have an outdoor mass at the grave site.

Potluck and Sacraments December 7th: There will be a potluck following Mass on December 7th. It is an exciting time for Holy Rosary because June has asked to have Kara and Josh baptized. Additionally, the newly baptized members will be receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation and First Communion. Please bring your favorite dish and celebrate with our new members after Mass. All are welcome and you do not have to bring food to eat…there is always plenty to go around. This will be the Second Sunday of Advent.

Rosary: A rosary will be prayed after mass November 2nd for all those Archdiocese of Anchorage parishes who donate money to help pay our heating fuel bill. We need a volunteer to lead the rosary. Let me know if your are interested.

Gospel: The two greatest commandments headline the gospel this week. Although to love others seems like a simple enough concept, it can be tough to put into practice. In fact, love is the spirit of the law, the big picture, that in which all Christians strive for.

Storm Windows: Nine of the ten windows have been installed in the rectory. Thanks to Bernie, who actually took a day off work to help out, and to Pat D., who has been donating time and talent since the project has started. We still have to trim them inside and out. If you know any people who do trim work, please let me know. For pictures click HERE.

All Saints and All Souls: All Saints day, Saturday, November 1st, is not a Holy Day of obligation because it falls on a Saturday. All Souls day will be celebrated Sunday November 2nd at the regular time, 12:30 P.M.

Take care, God bless, and have a fantastic week…Fr. Scott

Monday, October 13, 2008

Announcements: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Holy Rosary parishioners, here are a few announcements:

First Communion: June Ingram is going to have Kara and Josh baptized. Additionally, on the same Sunday, they will be receiving First Communion and First Reconciliation. There will be a potluck to follow. We are still trying to pin down the date but it will probably be the first or second Sunday in December.

Storm Windows: We are currently replacing the windows in the rectory with the new improved version…actual storm windows. After receiving a donation from Catholic Extension and special ordering the windows (twice) the first window has been installed last week. A contractor, Scott King, will be helping me on Monday, October 13, 2008, to install the huge windows about the garage. If you would like to donate some time trimming out the windows or helping in any way, please let me know.

Rosary: A set of letters have gone out to the Anchorage parishes requesting donations for heating fuel. It worked out well last year. We raised about 11 thousand dollars for fuel. The rosary we have been praying the first Sunday of every month will continue this year. The next rosary will be November 2nd after mass. Thank you for all of the prayers.

Card and prayers: I have received many cards and prayers from all of you about my Dad’s death. Thank you very much…it really means a lot to me.

Gospel: We are asked to pay Cesar what is due Cesar and God what is due God. How does this play out in our daily lives in 2008?

Statue Blessing: I used incense to bless the statue. An explanation of what incense is used for in the church is below with a couple of pictures.

The use of Incense
Incensation is an expression of reverence and prayer as signified in the sacred scripture. “Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne” (Revelation 8: 3). The use of incense is optional in any form of Mass (GIRM 276). The person who performs the incensing is called the Thurifer. The object which harbors the incense is called the Thurible or Censer. Incensing marks where God is, or will be, during the liturgy.


At the beginning of the mass, the cross and altar are incensed. The gospel is incensed because God actually speaks to us during the Liturgy of the Word. The gifts are incensed as an indication that the bread and wine will be changed into the actual body and blood of Christ. The congregation is incensed because we are all made in the image and likeness of God and the Holy Spirit is in all of us. There are several guidelines that should be followed when incensing.

First, there should be a profound bow before and after the incensing.

Second, the Most Blessed Sacrament, relics of the holy ‘Cross, images of the Lord exposed for public veneration, gifts for the sacrifice of the Mass, the altar cross, the book of the Gospels, the paschal candle, the priest, and the people should be incensed with three swings of the censer.

Third, relics and images of the saints exposed for public veneration, only at the beginning of the celebration when the altar is being incensed, should be incensed with two swings of the censor (GIRM 277).



Monday, October 6, 2008

Announcements: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Blessing of the Statue: Since I was stranded in King Salmon Sunday due to ice fog, I am going to try a third time (third time is a charm) to bless the statue. Hopefully, weather permitting, I will bless the statue of Our Lady of Fatima this Sunday during Mass. The write up should be in this issue of Catholic Anchor.

Blessing of Animals: Find below a few pictures of the animal blessing. We plan to have the Saint Francis animal blessing every year around the first week in October. I will advertise it more next year, as I did not get a chance to advertise this year due to family emergency. The blessing of animals is a way to pay tribute to Saint Francis who was an advocate of simplicity of life and loved animals. It is a great time for children as well as adult. Hope to see you there next year around the first week in October.

Marriage Preparation: Those couple preparing to marry in the church, please contact me soon so we can set up marriage counseling. Sorry about having to cancel your appointments last week.

Nativity Manger: The nativity pieces are down stairs in the church (see picture below). If you have some building skill and would like to donate your time and talent to building a manger, please let me know. Thank you.

Accounting: Angie Venua has been working to understand and catch up the Logos accounting for Holy Rosary. I am happy to say that she has everything under control and is caught up. I just filed the year-end Financials with Sr. Charlotte today. Thanx a million Angie for your hard work and dedication.

Church Cleaning Ministry: Please consider cleaning the church once a week for a month. This is a needed ministry and greatly appreciated by all. Please pray about this ministry. If you think you could donate your time and talent to this very important ministry, please sign-up in the back of the church.

Gospel: Why was the invited guest kicked out of the wedding banquet for not wearing a wedding garment? Why was he silent when asked why he was not wearing it? There is hidden meaning in this Gospel. It has to do with being passive and active; silence and participating. If God should ask you today why you should go to heaven, what would you say? Would you be silent like the guest invited to the wedding banquet? Would you be properly clothed?

Take care, God bless, and have a fantastic week…Fr. Scott

Click on Pictures to make them larger.

Saint Francis Blessing of Animals: October 4th, 2008






Nativity Scene Pieces donated by Holy Rosary Parishioners:






Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Announcements: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Blessing of Animals: The Saint Francis Blessing of Animals will be this Saturday, October 4th, noon, at the Lutheran Church. Please bring your pets, i.e. fish, dog, cat, etc.

Prayers: Thank you for the prayers. My dad, John W. Garrett, died about ten minutes before I arrived. There was a harp player and chaplain present. It was a peaceful transition from life to death to life. My mother took my sister and I from Puerto Rico in the late 50’s back to Bend, Oregon. I was one-year-old when the three of us arrived in Bend. She married my dad shortly after, who adopted me and my name changed from Rose to Garrett. Johnny was the only dad I really knew. The way I could tell God was present with us after I arrived at the Hospital last week, is that my mom, sister, and I, the three of us, were the last ones to leave the hospital room, the same three that were there from the beginning. My dad choked on a piece of meat and was revived too late. There was already too much damage to his brain due to lack of oxygen.

Blessing of Statue: Since I was gone last weekend due to my dad’s death, I plan to bless the statue of Our Lady of Fatima this weekend after mass. Thanx to Aileen for providing the communion service in my absence.

Nativity Pieces: The nativity scene pieces are here. I hope to have then downstairs after mass this Sunday.

Fall Back: I think we set our clocks back November 2nd, but I have also heard October 25th. If you know for sure, let me know!

Gospel: In order to bear good fruit one has to be honest, noble, charitable, and put God before all else. Bearing good fruit comes after the Mass, when we go out into the community to minister to others.

If you do not go to the animal blessing on Saturday, I hope to see you all this Sunday, have a great day…Fr. Scott