February Cathedral Kids Messages

February 29, 2008

Dear parents,

As I mentioned earlier this week, I will be on the review team for the St. Francis Xavier accreditation process through Tuesday, so next week's newsletter might be a little light and a little late.

I can say that I have a couple really exciting surprises to announce over the next few newsletters.  One of them is something I've been developing in my mind for a while, and I think you will really enjoy it.

I do need your help, though.  If you are your children have any time over the weekend, please respond to this e-newsletter, in 300 words or less, writing about any of the following topics:

*The ten best things about being Catholic ...

*My favorite part of school

*I really feel close to God when ...

*The coolest thing my child has done recently is ...

*My teacher, (name), is really great because ...

Actually, you can come up with any prompt you want.  I think those five give the general idea.  I hope everyone has a great and blessed weekend.

In Christ,

Spencer Allen

Principal

 

February 25, 2008

Contents:

  • Welcome – snow day make-up

  • Cathedral Parents – Theology of the Body III

  • Home and School Officers

  • Important Notes

  • In Your Prayers

  • Upcoming Events




Welcome


Dear Parents and Parishioners,

What about that snow, huh?  And who knows if we are finished.  I hope you all got a chance to build snowmen - it was great snow for that.  My family built a seven-foot tall snow kangeroo (with a joey in the pouch) in my father-in-law's front yard.

The burning question, of course, is when these days will be made up.

We have missed a total of four days that count this year.  Our 1:00 dismissal a few weeks back still counts as a full day.  Because I had us return early from Christmas break, one of those days has already been made up, leaving us with three.


            Our options, with the calendar that was, by and large, set last year, are to look at the Thursday before Easter, the Monday after Easter, and the Friday after our scheduled last day of school.  After consulting the Diocesan office and receiving advice from our school superintendent, the plan I have submitted to the advisory school board has us making up one of the days on Holy Thursday and the other by tacking on an additional day at the end of the year.


            Because one of our snow days from December was on an early dismissal day, we will have the Holy Thursday day be a 1:00 dismissal to help with family travel plans.  Likewise, as the 22nd will no longer be our last day, it will become a full day of school, with a 1:00 dismissal on the 23rd (an 11:00 dismissal does not count as a full day).


            After school care will not be available on either of those days.


            Now, if you are scoring along at home, you will be aware that there is one remaining day that has to be made up.  The Diocese has just released information on how to deal with snow days that go above and beyond the three that each school should be prepared to handle.  The advisory school board and the school administration, including Msgr. Kurwicki, are discussing these guidelines, and information regarding this fourth day (along with any additional days we may miss) will be published soon.


            On this note, it came to my attention that some incorrect information had, through some form or the other, specified that our original Easter break ran from Good Friday to the following Wednesday.  I am not sure where this came from, as the calendar I published at the start of the year specified differently.  What I do know is that the calendar was developed before my arrival (or at least the draft of it I received) and did not have enough school days for the required 174, so we had to make some minor adjustments, which made it difficult to work in convenient snow days.  Quite possibly, the information from this earlier draft had been provided to our web manager last spring.  I apologize for the miscommunication there, wherever the problem lies.


            For those who need to contact me, I will be out of the office most of the day Thursday for a principal’s meeting in Columbia.  On Monday and Tuesday I will be at St. Francis Xavier, serving on the accreditation team reviewing that school.  I will have access to my e-mail all of those days.


 


Pax Vobiscum,


Spencer Allen


Principal


St. Joseph Cathedral School





Cathedral Parents – Theology of the Body (Part III)

 

            Last week this section explored what it means to be created in the image of our triune God (three persons and one nature).  If you missed that article, you can access it in the archives (here).


            Theology of the Body, as I’ve explained before, refers to the revolutionary work of Pope John Paul II, which explores many aspects of our relationships with one another and with God.  In this series, he begins with an exploration of our origin as a human race, contrasting the conditions of Adam and Eve (as well as their descendents) before and after the fall.


            John Paul builds much of this portion of his work around a quote from Matthew 19:3-9:  For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.


Here, Christ is speaking to his followers and explaining that much of what they had grown accustomed, with regard to morality, was not as God intended in the Garden of Eden.  To use an analogy, many of us are driving around with deflated tires.  In fact, we have been driving with deflated tires for much of our lives, so we are simply used to that.  And, when we look around, all the cars on the road have deflated tires, so it seems perfectly normal.  In fact, we are simply shocked that someone would suggest we actually put air in our tires.


            The Pope’s message, however, is that it is so much better to have our tires properly inflated, so to speak, and that once we experience how smoothly the ride goes, we would never want to go back to anything else.


            Theology of the Body offers us the air for our tires, and so that we understand how positively this effects our lives, the exploration of the condition in Eden.


            Original Solitude – When God created Adam, he gave him the garden and all of its creatures, but Adam was different.  As we discussed last time, he had a capability for knowledge and love that was beyond that of other creatures, so he experienced loneliness for which only a suitable mate would suffice.  We should keep in mind, here, that even for a married couple, that loneliness or longing never really goes away completely because, at its heart, it is a longing for God.


            Original Unity – When God created Eve, he did so from Adam’s rib, a part of his body.  This symbolizes how, when a man and a woman come together as husband and wife, they truly become one body.  This will be important later in this series, because we cannot truly be one unless we give ourselves completely to one another.  Remember, too, that our desire for our spouse should be a desire to know that person as completely as God the Father knows God the Son.  Thus, intimacy is reserved only for spouses, those individuals who have committed themselves to a perfect and exclusive knowledge of another.


            Original Nakedness – When they were in the Garden, Adam and Eve were without shame.  They were unclothed before one another.  After all, lust had not entered the world, so they could be comfortable this way.  Today, however, lust fills our hearts, and for this reason we keep ourselves covered as a means of protection against the impure thoughts of others.  As Christ told his disciples, adultery is a sin, but he extended the definition of adultery to even thinking about someone in an impure way.  Notice, however, that Christ does not specify that lustful thoughts are only wrong if they are directed at people other than our spouses.  Actually, the Pope explains that even looking at our spouse in a lustful way is contrary to the original design of marriage, as well as the understanding that marriage is a sacramental path to God.  While this seems shocking at first, research suggests that the Pope’s vision of marriage … the Catholic vision of marriage … is tantamount to a marriage that lasts longer and provides more personal happiness than what secular society offers.


            As your children get older and start to seriously consider their vocation, one of the most substantial gifts you can offer your sons and daughters, should they be called to marriage, is an understanding of God’s vision for this institution.  We will explore this in more detail in future e-newsletters, but until then I would recommend the title Theology of the Body for Beginners by Christopher West for every home library.


 





Home and School Officers

 

Now is the time to think about if you would like to volunteer or suggest a volunteer to run for one of the three available Home and School Officer positions for next year.  As you are aware, Home and School provides a great service to our school by raising funds and supporting activities that allow us to enrich our educational environment.  Service on this committee is a great way to contribute time to the education of your child.  The three positions that need to be filled are as followed:


President Elect – The member will attend meetings as the President Elect the first year and then serve as President the following year of that term.


Secretary – Records minutes and handles all written correspondence for the school.


VP of Volunteers – Distributes the volunteer list and distributes all names to the chairs of individual committees.


Please contact the nomination committee if you have any names:


                                    Julie Mercurio 636-6299


Sherry Hoelscher 893-6482


Dianne Luebbert 659-8371





Important Notes

 

·         Registration ended February 15th but we still have many families who have not registered.  If families are not planning on returning, they need to notify the school office in writing ASAP.



  • We have had some inquiries about whether or not students are allowed to wear the tennis shoes with wheels in them.  While these are not specified specifically in the dress code, they present a challenge to school safety and learning environment that require that students not wear these at school.

 





In Your Prayers

 

  • A subscriber writes that a Columbia Catholic School substitute teacher's husband was in a serious accident over the weekend.  They have given him last rites, and it is very grave.  We ask for everyone's prayers. 

  • If you have prayer requests, please respond to this e-mail to have them placed in our weekly e-newsletter. 

 





Upcoming Events

(Please send me any Upcoming Events you would like to have mentioned in future mailings.)

  • 7th grade will present "Journey of the Cross" on Friday, March 14.

February 19, 2008

Home and School Meeting Tonight

Don't forget!  1st and 2nd grade are singing, with artwork on display.  Come hear some exciting news about what Home and School has in store for our kids!

 

February 19, 2008

Contents:

  • Welcome

  • Cathedral Parents – Theology of the Body II

  • In the Classroom

  • Upcoming Events




Welcome

Dear Parents and Parishioners,


This is a difficult letter to write.

In just a matter of months, the process of tearing down our current rectory and constructing our new school addition will begin.  By the start of the 2009-2010 school year, we will have a building with sixteen new classrooms, a new kitchen and cafeteria, a new library, a new science lab, and new equipment throughout.  This is a difficult letter to write, however, because as we are all getting swept up into the excitement of this grand project, there is a very harsh reality facing our parish and school.

Put quite simply, we are nearing a financial crisis.  As your school principal, I see firsthand the threat to the education we desire to provide for your children, a threat that has hit schools throughout the area.

Right now, our advisory school board and parish financial committee are working on the budget for next year.  Our expenses are increasing, of course, yet weekly giving among the parish families has decreased.  As you would expect, our only recourse is to begin looking for ways to trim the parish budget.  Unfortunately, as a majority of the parish finances benefit the school, it has hit our budget especially hard.

At this point we are forced into considering cuts in many areas:

·         Teacher salaries and benefits – affecting the quality of staff that I will be able to hire over the next few years;

·         Technology – reducing our ability to have the new equipment and tools that will allow our children to compete in a world-wide economy;

·         Equipment and furnishings – forcing us to consider second-rate supplies and furniture for our beautiful new addition;

·         Instructional materials – handicapping our ability to purchase the high quality materials that provide the framework for our classes.

Consider that, with our new addition, the cost of staff and utilities will increase substantially as we work to fill up the new classrooms and to keep them comfortable for our students.  In fact, all of the areas of our budget will take a hit that will simply not survive our current parish income.

Many do not realize that, when the expenses are broken down and divided among our student population, the cost per student is $3,893.19 annually.  Our yearly school fee of $315, along with a $40 registration fee, barely puts a dent into our cost to provide your student with the best education possible.

With the exception of August and December, we have fallen under budget every single month of this fiscal year.  Times are tough.  Many of us are committed to the diocesan and parish capital campaigns, in addition to the other strains on our finances with the struggling economy.

Yet this is one area we simply cannot allow to suffer.  Someday, hopefully soon, our economy will be back on track.  The capital campaigns will be over.  However, we will not be able to go back and correct the damage done to our children’s education if we allow the school to be financially crippled at this crucial time, both in our new building project and in the formative years of these young men and women.

I promise you that the staff has committed itself to being responsible with your money.  I, personally, have set up a record-keeping system to provide visibility and accountability for every dollar spent, and I make this available to any parent who desires to review it.  In return, I ask you to consider once more the cost per child, $3,893.19, and to also consider how much your child has benefitted from the education and spirituality that the Cathedral school has provided.  What we are specifically asking each family to do is to aim their weekly giving high enough to cover the cost of educating one child, even if you have more than one in school.  In a few weeks, I will speak to the rest of the parish about helping the school families out with the remainder of the cost.

If there is any way that you are able to increase your weekly offering to help us reverse the current trend and eliminate the regular deficit, you will have provided your child and all who pass through these halls with a priceless gift and a model of faithful stewardship.

Pax Vobiscum,

Spencer Allen

Principal

St. Joseph Cathedral School





Cathedral Parents – Theology of the Body (Part II)


 

            In this, the second part of the Theology of the Body essays, I think it is important to understand something about what it means for us to have been created in the image of God.

            Actually, that means quite a few things, but one of the most important has to do with the idea that our God, while one nature, is actually three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  In the book of Genesis, God suggests, let us make man in our image.  Notice the plural?  We are made in the image of a three-person God, which means something very important for our understanding of who we are and how we are meant to relate to one another and to God.

            Why is it fitting that God should be three persons to begin with?

            Consider that God is perfect knowledge and perfect love.  However, before the universe came along, what did he have knowledge of?

            Himself, of course.  In fact, he had such a perfect knowledge of himself that, similar to how you can form an image of yourself in your mind, God had an image of himself that was so perfect that is actually manifested as the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ.  After all, Jesus is called the Word that became flesh, and what are words but expressions of our knowledge?

            This means that it is written on our very souls, which were made in the image of God, to know others perfectly.  This is why, in the Old Testament, when a man and a woman come together in a marital embrace, Scripture tells us that the man knew his wife.When a husband and wife come together, the object should be to know one another more perfectly than either can be known by anyone else.

            In addition to being perfect knowledge, God is perfect love.  True love, as many of you know, calls for us to pour ourselves completely into our relationship with another.  We cannot truly love another while holding part of ourselves back or else the relationship will deteriorate.  God the Father poured himself completely into his love for God the Son, who in turn poured himself completely into his love for the Father.  With God pouring all of himself into that love, the love, itself, is manifested as the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

            Similarly, husbands and wives are called to pour themselves so perfectly into their love for one another that this love, itself, becomes another member for their family.  Each time you look upon your son or daughter, you, who are parents, can see the manifestation of perfect love that a husband and wife are called to share.

            Our families are models, or symbols, of that perfect family of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and our families are healthiest when we realize this fully, committing ourselves to expressing what is written on our souls, a desire for perfect knowledge and perfect love.





In the Classroom

 

            The math team participated in the local Math Counts competition on Saturday.  We had 8 students participate:  Erica Prasad, Jonas Branson, Megan Green, Margaret Morris, Brian Oxenhandler, Allie Mitan, Maria Donovan and Rebecca Stokes.  Despite the competition being very tough this year, the team took 4th place and Margaret Morris scored in the top 10.  Margaret will advance to the state competition to be held in Rolla on March 1.

            Last week the afternoon kindergarten class focused on the miracle of the wedding feast at Cana, where Jesus turned the water into wine. After reading the bible story, the class prepared for their own wedding feast. The boys put on bow ties and the girls put flowers in their hair, while volunteers set the tables. The students enjoyed eating white powered donuts and were surprised when the water they had poured into a big jug tasted like punch (invisible Kool-Aid).





Upcoming Events


(Please send me any Upcoming Events you would like to have mentioned in future mailings.)

 


  • 7th grade will present "Journey of the Cross" on Friday, March 14.

 

February 15, 2008

Dear parents and parishioners,

First, have a great three-day weekend.  Hopefully the weather does not turn out too bad on Sunday.

1) If you have agreed to chair or serve on a sub-committee for our Accreditation self-study, a meeting has been scheduled for the 20th at 12:00 in the parish office meeting room.  Lunch will be provided, and you will receive an overview and orientation, along with hard copies of the information your committee will work with.  If you are on a committee, please respond to this e-newsletter to let me know that you are coming to this meeting.

2) If you have not had a chance to join us yet, Sunday night is the next adult catechesis talk, at 6:30 in the Catholic Center.  The topic is Theology of the Body, the first of two presentations that will address the topics that you indicated (through an earlier poll) were of most interest to you, including the Church's teachings on:

  • Marriage

  • The roles of men and women

  • Divorce and annulments

  • Homosexual marriage

  • Contraception, In-vitro fertilization

  • Celibacy

3) The next Home & School General Meeting is on Tuesday, February 19th at 6:30.  The meeting will be in the gym, followed by snacks in the cafeteria.  The first and second grades will provide musical entertainment.  You can see the flier by clicking here.  Come hear the latest school news. Following the meeting, join us for cookies & lemonade in the cafeteria where student artwork will be on display.  Dress down passes will be distributed to all those in attendance.

In Christ,

Spencer Allen

February 11, 2008

Contents:

  • Welcome

  • Cathedral Parents – Postponed this week

  • Valentine’s Day

  • In the Classroom

  • Upcoming Events




Welcome

Dear Parents and Parishioners,

            Congratulations to Mr. Shannon Cassmeyer, one of our junior high teachers, who will be showcased in the second “Teacher Feature” to run in the city magazine.  Though on paternity leave, Mr. Cassmeyer dropped by school today to receive an award from Central Bank and Ann’s Teacher Store and to have his picture taken for the magazine.  This recognition of Mr. Cassmeyer illustrates the high level of quality we have among our staff, and I would like to specially thank a sixth grade student, Abby Verslues, who nominated Mr. Cassmeyer.  Hopefully others will be inspired by her thoughtfulness and nominate other great teachers in our parochial system for future installments of City Magazine.

            Last week I mentioned the participants and winner of the essay contest, “What a Catholic Education Means to Me.”  The winning essay, penned by Maria Donovan, is available on our school website (click here).  Scroll down to the links at the bottom of the home page.

            Also on our homepage, you will see the very cool new poster, which is also on display at the back of church, announcing that we have now collected the required capital to begin on our construction project.  Thank you!  You cannot imagine how valuable it will be for our educational environment to get a jump start on this project during the silent summer months and to be able to finish in time for the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.

            Finally, I have a correction from last week.  The meeting on March 20th is for children going into KINDERGARTEN, not preschool.  Originally the meeting had been placed on Holy Thursday, and we have moved it to Wednesday.


Pax Vobiscum,

Spencer Allen

Principal

St. Joseph Cathedral School





Cathedral Parents – Theology of the Body (Part II)

 

           To be continued later this week or in the issue next week.





Valentine’s Day

 

            Please remember to bring in alternate treats for your classroom Valentine’s Day celebrations for students who have given up sweets or soda for Lent.

            Also, Student Council would like to thank everyone who brought in Valentine cards and candy for the Samaritan Center.

            Finally, students may dress down in Valentine colors (following all dress-down requirements from our dress code) on Thursday.





In the Classroom

            The afternoon kindergarten is learning that a miracle is when God does something very special to help people out.  Recently, the students focused on the bible story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish.  To see their recent art work, entitled Loaves & Fish, click on this link:  http://www.cathedralschooljc.com/class/braddock/wall.html





Upcoming Events

(Please send me any Upcoming Events you would like to have mentioned in future mailings.)

 

  • Math Team will participate in Math Counts competition at Thomas Jefferson Middle School on 2/16 

  • 7th grade will present "Journey of the Cross" on Friday, March 14.

February 8, 2008

The date set for the parent meeting for children going into preschool has been changed.  It was originally scheduled for the 20th of March, which inadvertently placed it on Holy Thursday.  The new date is Wednesday the 19th at 7:00.


We still have some spots available for 4-year-old preschool and kindergarten.  We'll be advertisting these vacancies soon, so if you know someone who is interested, please have them contact the school office.


We also have sufficient enrollment to open a second session of 3-year-old preschool next year and are looking to add to our staff in anticipation for the new addition.  If you know of someone interested in this position, please contact the diocese for application information and forward a resume to our school office, care of Mr. Spencer Allen.


Safe Touch Program will once again be taught in K-8 by Mrs. O'Brien, School Counselor.  If you have concerns or questions, please call the school office.


All Box Tops must be turned in no later than Friday, February 15th for the final submission of the school year. Also, the third and final quarter of the "My School's Cool" program has started and all receipts must be turned in by April 15th to be counted for the third quarter prize and by May 5th for the end of the school year award.


From Judy Kenworthy:  I took over the soup label coordinator position last fall.  Since then I have received information from Tyson Project A+ and Best Choice.  Tyson labels are worth 24 cents and Best Choice Labels are worth 3 cents and the best thing about both of them, they will send our school a check.  It is the same as the Campbell Soup labels they only need to cut out the UPC code; I do not need the entire label.  Please send them to the school office.


Edge participants will be going, along with St. Peter and I.C. students, to see Bella on Tuesday for the early out.  In addition, Edge students are encouraged to wear their T-shirts on Monday.

 

February 4, 2008

Contents:

  • Welcome

  • Cathedral Parents –Theology of the Body (Part I)

  • Bring in the palm leaves

  • TIPS

  • Prayer Request – House Fire

  • Catholic Schools Week

  • Lenten Regulations

  • In the Classroom

  • Upcoming Events




Welcome


Dear Parents and Parishioners,

            Congratulations to the students who wrote essays for the Catholic Schools Week topic, “What a Catholic Education Means to Me.”  The essays were great!

            The students who participated were Brian Oxenhandler, Cole Haugen, Kyle Dorge, Katelyn Hoelscher, Julia Asmar, Mallory Sone, and Maria Donovan.  Three judges read these essays with the names removed, and the top essay was the one written by Maria Donovan.

            Maria received a $350 Bishop McAuliffe Scholarship, to be applied to her first semester at Helias High School.  In addition, all participants received a participation prize.  All prizes, along with the coordination of the contest, are from our Home and School committee.

                   

Pax Vobiscum,

Spencer Allen

Principal

St. Joseph Cathedral School





Cathedral Parents – Theology of the Body (Part I)

 

            In a few weeks (on the 17th of February), our Adult Catechesis series will present Theology of the Body, which is the name given to the amazing set of audience addresses that Pope John Paul II gave out from 1979 – 1984.  His talks focus on how our true understanding of our gender, sexuality, and relationships with one another can help us come to a much deeper knowledge of God and our relationship with him.

            In other words, God imprinted on our very nature a guide to understanding him.  When we read that guide correctly, we are guided into a more perfect discipleship with Christ and more harmonious interpersonal (and intrapersonal) relationships.  When we read that guide incorrectly, disharmony seeps into our spirituality, our families, and ultimately our culture.

            Over the next few weeks, I will use this space to write about Theology of the Body.  In addition, I will point you to resources that will help you to get a deeper understanding.  Some have described Theology of the Body as a theological time bomb, ready to explode a revolution into our society.  It lies at the root of what your children should be learning about so much of what the Church teaches, and a proper understanding on the end of the parents helps you to truly be the first heralds of Christ in these matters.  In addition, the work of John Paul answers so many of the questions we have about ourselves and Catholic teaching:

  • Why do we get lonely?

  • How do we make marriage last?

  • Why does the Church usually chose priests from the celibate?

  • Why are homosexual relationships, premarital relationships, contraception, personal impurity, and In Vitro fertilization sinful?

  • Why have immorality and chaos entered into our society?

  • What are the roles of men and women?

  • What does it mean to say the husband is the head of the household?

  • Why did Christ chose the Eucharist as the means for us to most intimately unite with him?

  • What will Heaven be like?

I promise that, if you give the Theology of the Body your attention and prayer, it will revolutionize your life.  It will bring a harmony to your relationships that you long for.  Before I move more deeply into the topic next week, let me leave you with an analogy.  So often people see the teachings of the Church in this area as restrictive – do not do this … do not do that.  As you learn about Theology of the Body, you will learn that it is quite the opposite – it is liberating.  In so many ways we have become slaves to the conventional wisdom that secular society has perpetuated.  What has happened too slowly for us to notice is that our tires have become deflated.  And that seems perfectly natural to us because everywhere we look, people are driving around with deflated tires, as well.  The drive does not seem overly bumpy because it is what we are used to.

Pope John Paul II, through his general audience, has offered a way for us to inflate the tires.  That seems odd for us, at first, because it is so contrary to what society presents through television, peer pressure, and popular media.  As all of you know, though, having properly inflated tires is an improvement all around, from the care of our vehicle to the quality of the ride.

Likewise, for the care of our bodies and the qualities of our life, I that you, too, discover the riches of Theology of the Body.   





Bring in Your Palm Leaves

            Tomorrow, we will be burning palm leaves in preparation for Ash Wednesday.  Feel free to send any from home with your child.  I will have a box outside before school tomorrow morning and by the office during the day.


 




TIPS

St. Joseph Cathedral School is proud to announce the following students who qualified for the TIPS (Talent Identification Program) program at Duke University.  In order to qualify for this program, a student must receive 95% or above on a standardized test.

In the 4th grade: Mathias Dunville, Leigh Anna Hentges, Sam Husting, Mariah Messenger and Ben Mitan. 

For the 5th grade: Thomas Asmar, Abby Block, Hallie Gibbs, Michael Ginther, Andy Gladbach, Dane Haugen, Mary Alice Howser, Blaine Jarrett, Wade Lueckenotte, Mitchell McElfresh, Kendra Ruether, Morgan Rundle, Logan Shaffer, Zachary Simon, Kendal Smith, Victoria Veit, Katie Verry and Nick Westermann.





Prayer Request – House Fire

One of our school families, Larry and Leslye Schulte (Ethan and Conner are students here) lost much of their home to a fire over the weekend.  While the outside structure remained, most of the inside was consumed or severely damaged.  Please keep this family in your prayers.  In addition, one of the homerooms (Mrs. Cockerham – 2C) is organizing a collection for this family.  If you would like to contribute, please send a donation to the school office, marking the envelope Schulte Family.

If you have any additional prayer requests, please send them to me by responding to this e-newsletter.  They will appear in our next Monday mailing.





Lenten Regulations


 

LENTEN REGULATIONS 2008 - Diocese of Jefferson City

1.    The Season of Lent begins this year on Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008, and ends with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, March 20, 2008, when the Easter Triduum begins. Lent is the principal penitential season in the Church year. All the Christian faithful are urged to develop and maintain a voluntary program of self-denial (in addition to the following items), serious prayer, and the performing of deeds of charity and mercy, including the giving of alms.

2.    Abstinence – Everyone 14 years or age and over is bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent.

3.    Fast – Everyone 18 years of age and under 59 is required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

On these two days of fast and abstinence, only one full meatless meal is permitted. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each person’s needs, but together these two should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids (including milk and fruit juices) are allowed.

4.    Exempt from fasting and abstinence regulations: pregnant and/or nursing women, manual laborers engaged in heavy, strenuous work, people who are sick and/or frail, as well as military personnel deployed or in hostile environments. People in doubt regarding fasting and abstinence should consult their parish priest/pastoral administrator or deacon.

5.    To disregard completely the law of fast and abstinence is seriously sinful.

If you have any questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact Monsignor Robert A. Kurwicki at the Chancery Office or at the Cathedral, 573-635-7991.





In the Classroom

            In the 6th grade S.S. this week and next, the classes are working on the Silk Road Map Activity. The students are designing a map of the Silk Road and Ancient China. They are also researching the various items traded along the route. These very colorful and creative posters will be displayed in the hallway when finished. Come by and have a look!

The afternoon kindergarten focused on the bible story of Jesus gathering the apostles. Their art project can be viewed at http://www.cathedralschooljc.com/class/braddock/documents/
FishersofMen.jpg.  They also studied states of matter using a wonderful video from United Streaming, followed by two science experiments dealing with solids, liquids, and gases.





Upcoming Events

(Please send me any Upcoming Events you would like to have mentioned in future mailings.)


 

  • Adult Catechesis – Faith and Works – February 4th at 6:30 in Catholic Center (THIS DATE IS A CHANGE FROM FEBRUARY 3rd, WHICH IS SUPERBOWL SUNDAY).

  • Math Team will participate in Math Counts competition at Thomas Jefferson Middle School on 2/16 

  • 7th grade will present "Journey of the Cross" on Friday, March 14

February 1, 2008

Just a reminder to join us for the Catholic Schools Week Chili Supper tonight from 5:30-7:00 in the cafeteria.  Kids will be allowed to play in the gym.  We will also be recognizing our volunteers with a card and small token of our appreciation.