St. Joe's Faith
Where YOUR faith can grow and bear fruit!
FAMILY LIFE
For Adults
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Happy Valentine's Day! Husbands and wives, Bells are Ringing for
On your wedding day you promised to love each other for better or for worse. What is a 'for better' that your spouse has made in your life? Share it before you go to bed tonight. For more tips and resources to strengthen your marriage, visit www.foryourmarriage.org . For your free Marriage Spirituality tune-up packet of practical materials, contact Family Life Ministries at 716-847-2210 or email
familylife@buffalodiocese.org.
Trying to decide how to celebrate Valentine's Day this week? Candy, flowers, and dinner are nice but predictable. Try something new: 1. Honor your love by honoring those who need tangible love. Make a donation to Haiti. 2. Renew your wedding vows. If you don't have the formal words, put it in your own heartfelt words. 3. Pray together for five minutes or more. Share it by holding hands and verbally if you can.
restore communication;
rekindle romance; renew commitment! Millions of
couples are keeping their marriages vibrant and alive!
Find out how - by
experiencing a Worldwide Marriage Encounter
Weekend! The next weekend is February 12-14 at
Notre Dame Retreat House, Canadaigua. Information:
877-NYS-WWME or http://www.wwme-wny.org.
Married Couples...
Not church bells, not school
bells, it is the wake-up bell reminding you to go to a Marriage Encounter
Weekend. Now is the time to improve communication,
re-energize your love and
feel closer to your spouse.
The next world-wide marriage encounter weekend will be February 19-21 at the
Quality Inn & Suites,
Fairview, PA (Exit 18 off I-90). For more information, call
(814) 823-4600 or go to http://www.wwme.org.
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Coping with Holidays, Anniversaries, Special Occasions and other
Seasons of Loss? Grieving
the loss of a loved one;
hurting from the pain of separation or divorce or experiencing loneliness, depression or just the blues? Please contact us for your FREE 2009 packet of ideas, reflections and insights designed specifically with
you in mind. Just call your Office of Family Life
Ministries at 716-847-2210 or email familylife@buffalodiocese.org. We care!
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Sunday Televised Masses at 7:30am on WUTV Fox TV29 - "Matters of Faith," Daybreak TV's monthly talk show. Discover why "Marriage Matters" with special guests Ginny Schultz and husband Deacon Tom Schultz from Family Life Ministries at The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. "Matters of Faith" airs Sunday, March 7 at 5:30am on WIVB-TV Channel 4 and repeats on cable. For other listings visit http://www.daybreaktv.org. The Alzheimer's Association (716-626-0600 or www.alz.org/wny) provides information on many support groups for caregivers across the eight counties of Western New York. Locations and dates for meetings, contacts, and other helpful resources and information are available for those who are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or a related dementia. The Alzheimer's Association also trains volunteers on how to care for an individual with this condition. Are you listening to the **********************
March 7 - Father Paul D. Seil.
March 14 Msgr. James Campbell.
March 21 - Father Art Smith.
March 28 - Father Ronald Sams.
New Year's gift ideas: Proving Holiness Documentary DVD; Food for Thought DVD cookbook; Our Daily Bread cookbooks, potholders, aprons, tote bags; Apostle of Peace DVD/VHS; St. Joseph Cathedral documentary; Legacy of Victory documentary; Enduring Faith documentary. Sunday Mass DVD/VHS. Call Maryann at 847-8721 to order.
Discovering Everyday Spirituality at Home and at Work. Our spiritual lives should go beyond Sunday morning and flow into all aspects of our life. Join us for a 4-week workshop that begins on February 22 - March 15, 2010 from 6:30-8:30pm. The workshop will
be facilitated by Donald J. Monnin, D.Min., a professor
of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Villa Maria College, 240 Pine Ridge Road, Cheektowaga, NY 14225.
To register, please contact Connie at 716-961-1815.
call of the Holy Spirit in
your life?
The Magnificat breakfast provides a very special morning of prayer, testimony, praise,
and fellowship -- a perfect
Lenten opportunity in your relationship with the Lord and others. Lori Rose Cannizarro
is the featured guest speaker whose story is certain to
inspire and encourage all to follow the path to joy, the Lord and Giver of Life. Saturday
March 6 at the Holiday Inn Amherst, 1881 Niagara Falls Blvd., from 9:30am to 12:30pm. For reservations, call Gloria at
1-585-457-3146 or Cindy at
716-773-5976.
Save the Date for the
Eighth Annual Catholic Men's Conference.The Eighth Annual Catholic Men's Conference will take place
on Saturday, March 20. The speakers will include Richard Lane, a nationally known Evangelist and co-founder of the Qorban Ministries, and
the St. Louis Men's Conference and son of
former NFL cornerback, Dick "Night Train" Lane; and Jerry Balone, now a Criminal Justice Consultant, author, speaker and powerful witness to God's transformative powers. The Conference site will again be at Cardinal O'Hara High School in Tonawanda right off the I-290. Space will be limited, so register early by using our online registration system which can be found at http://www.spiritiscalling.org. Men who register by February15 will also receive
a discount on their
registration fee. Don't miss
this inspiring annual event!
********************** RETREATS FOR WOMEN April 17 – “An Empty Tomb, Job, and the Road to Emmaus” May 15 – “Mary, Mother of the Church; Our Spiritual Mother” June 12 – “Thirsting for God”
The Alzheimer's Association is seeking volunteers to provide "friendly visits" for people who have Alzheimer's disease and related disorders so that caregivers may take a break. Also, if you are an individual who is taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia, we invite you to participate in our program. Is respite needed in your church? We will train volunteers and help you start a church respite program. Please call 716-626-0600 for details.
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You are invited by the Felician Sisters to enter into the restful silence of God. (Almost) Every month between October 2009 and June 2010 the Felician Sisters at Villa register, please contact Sr. Charlene Nowak at (716) 892-4141 x 202 a week prior to retreats to register.
February 20 - "I Love Lent"
March 20 – “The Spirituality of Place”
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Your Office of Family Life Ministry has a FREE Marriage Spirituality Tune-Up Packet.
It may be just the thing.
Call 716-847-2210 or email familylife@buffalodiocese.org to have one sent.
For Kids
Mardi Gras especially designed to welcome people with disabilities.
St. John the Baptist Parish, 1085 Englewood Avenue in Buffalo invites people with disabilities and their families for a prayer service in the church followed by dancing and food in the attached community room on Monday, Feb. 15 from 6:30-9:30pm. RSVP to surbaniak@buffalodiocese.org
or call 847-5514.
Family Lenten/Easter Packet Available
Looking for ways
to keep your children
interested and have a
positive experience of the
Church's annual retreat for
2010? With a little creativity
and time you can provide your family with a unique journey together with Jesus. Your
free packet includes realistic
ideas and practical activities, designed to discover the
riches of Lent and Easter
together. For your spirituality
tool box of ideas, contact
your Office of Family Life
Ministries at 716-847-2210
or e-mail
familylife@buffalodiocese.org
Host Families Needed for Buffalo State College international students to visit, enjoy an occasional meal, celebrate holidays, participate in community sporting and cultural events and gain insight into our country and culture. The host family will have the opportunity to make a new friend, to learn about another country's culture, holidays, and language. If you are interested in participating, call Dr. Jean Gounard at 878-5331 for more information. Unless you've been living in a cave, you and your children have been inundated with news about the earthquake in Haiti these last few weeks. Perhaps you and any older children have donated to the relief work, but what can a baby or toddler do? Not much. They are with us to hug and remind us that life is fragile. Pray again for parents and children who no longer have each other to hug. Do this as a family. Catholic Social Teaching: *********************
Bell Ringer Auction and Luncheon hosted by Ladies of Charity, a volunteer organization of Catholic Charities. Creekside Banquet Center, 2669 Union Road, Cheektowaga on Saturday, March 27. A family style luncheon will be served, and participants will have an opportunity to win gift certificates from local merchants, collectibles, vintage items, and door prizes. Doors open at 11am; lunch at noon. Reservations are required: 895-4001
Parenting Perspective-
Consider doing something
pro-active for the new year
like starting the tradition of
having a weekly Family Night. Start today by playing a family
game together. Have ice
cream sundaes to top it off.
Be creative so everyone
looks forward to it. Stick with
the habit.
Does your child have any
peace and quiet?
This is especially important
for teens who often fill spare
moments with things next to
their ear - iPods, cell phones,
video games, even nagging
parents. If noise is always in
their ears, it doesn't leave
much room for pensive
thinking. You can't make your
child think, but you can make
space for it by having
common sense rules about
overuse of media. Try having
a media free evening BUT
provide opportunity for quality
family time together.
A table is where people come together for food. For many,
there is not enough food and,
in some cases, no table at all.
The Gospel and Catholic
social teaching place our
service of the poor and
vulnerable and our work for
justice at the center of
Christian witness. Of forty-nine million people in American households, one in six went
hungry or had insufficient food
at some point in 2008, the
highest number since the government began tracking the problem in 1995. The biggest increases were among households with children and people who
were hungry most often. (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Hold in your prayer those families who suffer from hunger. Decide as a family to do more to help those in need. Visit http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/.
The St. Thomas More Guild
announces its 4th annual scholarship program for students attending Catholic elementary and high schools during the 2010-11 school
year. One $500 scholarship
will be awarded to a student attending a Catholic
elementary school, and one
$1,000 scholarship will be
awarded to a student attending or entering a Catholic high
school. All eligible students to
apply. St. Thomas More was a lawyer who lived during the
reign of Henry VIII of England
and rose to the position of
Chancellor. He lived by the
principles of honesty, integrity,
dedication to his profession,
his family and above all, his
Catholic faith.He was martyred
for refusing to turn his back on
that faith. The St. Thomas More Guild is an organization of
Catholic lawyers that try to
emulate those principles.
For rules and an application, visit http://www.stthomasmorewny.org.
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Safeguard the environment Every time you shop, use a
re-usable bag. The Diocesan Care for Creation Committee is offering such a bag: made in WNY, manufactured by
persons with disabilities, strong, durable and washable. To purchase a bag(s) and
learn more about Catholic Social Teaching on Care for Creation, contact Sr. Sharon Goodremote at 853-4424 ext. 3006. Pope Benedict XVI dedicated a portion of his new social encyclical, "Caritas in Veritate" ("Charity in Truth"),
to the urgent duty to share
the earth's resources equitably and safeguard the environment for future generations.
moments with things next to their ear - iPods, cell phones, video games, even nagging parents. If noise is always in their ears, it doesn't leave much room for pensive thinking. You can't make your child think, but you can make space for it by having common sense rules about overuse of media. Try having a media free evening BUT provide opportunity for quality family time together.
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Recommended Reading
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Job Openings
None Currently
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All information from the
Diocesan Bulletin found on
the Chancery Page here:
<http://www.buffalodiocese.org/Chancery/>
Copyright . St. Joseph University Parish. All rights reserved.