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Thank you to Fr. Mark Hamlet's reception volunteers

A big thank you goes out to the many volunteers who helped out at Fr. Mark Hamlet's reception on May 30! They came through on short notice and made sure the event went beautifully.

• Dee McKenzie
• Nancy Biehler
• Hilary Olson
• Jon Olson
• Mary Ann Condon
• Maria Cuevas
• Alan Graham
• Tricia Graham
• Chris Hamilton
• Dorinda Hickey
• Nikki James-Werkman
• Lance Kappel
• Kathleen Luedke
• Julie Martin
• Mike May
• Brent Palin
• DeeAnn Paul
• Carol Ramberg
• Barbie Schaefer
• Fran Sonstein
• Carol Staha
• Jamie Trahan

If you're interested in helping out at parish events (setup, greeting, kitchen, cleanup, food, etc.), let us know!  We have several events throughout the year that could use your service.

The Culture of Life and the Church’s mission

Editor's Note: This is a guest post from Cari Henry, St. John Neumann Church parishioner and Culture of Life Committee education coordinator.

Joining the Culture of Life Committee has been a wonderful blessing in my life. In part, because of the work we do—with every action, we are helping someone rediscover his or her precious gift of life.

But also because the core message of the Culture of Life Committee highlights the Church’s teaching about hope for our own salvation. It says that anyone, regardless of the circumstances at birth, has the potential for greatness (and goodness). It says that anyone, regardless of the sins committed, can find redemption.  And it states that every person, regardless of the state of the body (or mind), has the same inherent dignity as others.

Thus, the participation in the Culture of Life Committee is a magnificent way to abide by the Church’s moral teachings as well as to be a living example of the Church’s fundamental theology! And, regardless of talent, there is a way for everyone and anyone to be involved. In our efforts to defend the unborn, the dying, the disabled, the condemned, the family and the sanctity of marriage, we need prayer warriors, educators, priests, political activists, crisis handlers, marketing gurus, scientists, ethicists, health-care professionals, theologians and anyone else in-between. Please consider joining our endeavor.

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Cari Worley Henry, MD, is a family physician who believes healing only occurs when the body, mind and spirit are fully integrated. She further believes the theology and teachings of the Catholic Church offer the best path toward this healing. She, therefore, spends her time educating on Catholic theology and its relationship to health care.  She has a special interest in encouraging holiness in our families and hopes that by targeting the hearts of women, this can be achieved. Her favorite topics are Natural Family Planning, Theology of the Body and The New Feminism. She serves as the education coordinator for the Culture of Life Committee at SJN as well as the secretary for the Catholic Physicians Guild.

How SJN volunteers are changing the face of Austin

Our 60+ ministries and 1,460 ministry members and volunteers are making a difference.  They are going out beyond parish walls and into the community, visibly changing the way Austin serves our own and helps each other out.  We do not sit around and wait for someone else to do something -- we go out and build the Kingdom ... one project at a time.

The Culture of Life Committee participated in this spring's 40 Days for Life Campaign, in which our city united with 211 other cities to fast, pray, hold peaceful vigils and reach out to the community.  The committee participated in the effort that maintained prayer vigils at two abortion facilities.  Through this campaign in Austin, 10 women have chosen life for children they were going to abort and three post-abortive women finally started to seek healing from having an abortion in their past.

The Habitat for Humanity Partner Ministry is part of the Catholic Build, which is building for the Valencia family right now. Manuel and Maria Valencia are from Tamaulipas, Mexico. They have been married 40 years and have nine children! Currently, they live with their daughter in a trailer where eight people share three bedrooms, and the children sleep on mattresses in the living room. Their 19-year-old and 17-year-old will be living with them in their new Habitat home!

Partner Ministry Mobile Loaves & Fishes, which began out of St. John Neumann Catholic Church, provides food, clothing and dignity to the city's people in need by making daily truck runs on trucks loaded with food, clothing and volunteers.  This year, they will have served over 2,000,000 meals since their inception in 1998.  They currently have a large-scale campaign going on, called "I Am Here" that seeks to solve the problem of people ignoring the homeless because they don't know how to help.  The campaign encourages text donations to Mobile Loaves & Fishes so that any moment someone feels moved to help, it’s as simple as sending a text message.

The Summit and Querencia Communion Service Teams regularly bring Holy Communion to homebound Catholics living at the Summit at Westlake Hills and Querencia at Barton Creek.  If they can't make it to Mass at the parish, we go to them!

Our Society of St. Vincent de Paul Partner Ministry has helped family after family in need with rent, utilities, food and emotional support.  Our particular chapter also helps out the SVDP chapters of Sacred Heart Church and St. Paul Church, both here in Austin.  Their slogan demonstrates the ministry they so love to serve, "Thank you for helping us help others!"

There are so many ways our parishioners seek to make a change, whether it be formally in one of our ministries or informally in the ways in which they try to live their own everyday lives.  We take to heart what it means to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ today and pray that our efforts might be enough to win a few for Him.

"I have become all things to all, to save at least some." ~1 Corinthians 9:22b

Contact

"A Willing Witness" is managed by Jen Crowley, director of young adults, communications and ministries at St. John Neumann Catholic Church.  St. John Neumann Church is located in Austin, Texas.

Below are several areas where we’d love your input.  Or feel free to just say hello!  For more information, please feel free to contact us via:

E-mail
jcrowley@sjnaustin.org

Phone
(512) 328-3220 Ext. 121

Mail
St. John Neumann Catholic Church
5455 Bee Cave Road
Austin, Texas 78746

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Ministry Opportunities
Jen is always looking for ministry opportunities!  Please provide the name of the sponsoring ministry and the details, including a ministry job description.

Real Ministry Submissions
Jen would love to feature your real St. John Neumann Church ministry event – whether it is a service project, fellowship event or spiritual activity.  Please send your photos and a brief write-up about your event.

*Please Note: Before submitting photos, please make sure you have the proper authority to do so! If the photos are the work of a professional, please contact the photographer for approval and then provide Jen their information so she can give credit where credit is due! For all photos that include your friends and family, please make sure they approve of having their image on the web. By submitting your photos, Jen assumes you have done your due diligence!

Resource Recommendations
Jen is always looking for great resources to share with the readers of "A Willing Witness."  Please submit your favorite resource recommendations for review.  Be sure to tell us why you love it!