We look forward to seeing you all this weekend as we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. I invite you, as you feel comfortable, to in-person participation in the Sacraments and parish life. With the updated news from the Archdiocese, below are the updated protocols for St. John Vianney...
Let's join the entire Church in prayer Pope Francis has called for a global prayer marathon for the entire month of May, praying for the end to the pandemic. Each day in May, there will be a livestream from one of 30 chosen Marian shrines or sanctuaries to guide the prayer at 6 pm Rome time (noon EDT) on all Vatican media platforms. The pope will open the monthlong prayer May 1 and conclude it May 31, the council said. Click here for more information from the Texas Catholic Herald. For daily prayer and spiritual resources, visit our Pastoral Care Webpage. ...
In response to a few recent inquiries, at all competent levels in the Catholic Church (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston) upon hearing and examining the possible moral and ethical issues have stated that it is morally permissible for Catholics to participate and receive the COVID-19 Vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca). ...
Keys for Mental and Spiritual Wellbeing during the Holidays By Deacon Jeff Willard All of us realize that this Christmas is a new experience full of obstacles, limitations and distance. If you are like me, you are tired of hearing about the “new normal” and long for the old normal. The holiday season however tends to bring about difficulties even during “normal” years. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) finds that 64% of those with a mental illness report that the winter holidays worsen their condition. Add to this the distancing of this year and it stands to reason this will be...
Dear Friends in Christ: With everything going on, it is difficult to know how to navigate from one day to the next. Just to bring you up to date on where we are here at the parish, we are attempting to chart a course that is prudent and moderate. While a middle road aimed at the common good is a good approach, there is a problem with it. There are always some who are dissatisfied. Unlike with Goldilocks’, there is no porridge that is “just right” for everyone. Because what we are doing is not perfect for everyone at all times,...
Dear Friends in Christ, I would like to give you an update on things here in the parish. We hope to have our Annual Report ready soon and it will be published on our website. To say that this has been a challenging year is a gross understatement. For us here at St. John Vianney, it has not been just one year of challenges but several. In the last few years, we have had to contend with a downturn in the energy industry. The low price of oil has impacted not just the energy companies but also our parish as so many parishioners work in...
On September 12, almost 100 volunteer SJV parishioners came together to collect food for our Drive-by Food Drive. In total, 243 vehicles/families dropped off and donated food over a span of 4 1/2 hours. We also had special donations from St. John Paul II & St. John XXIII Catholic Schools, donating more than 800 food items and 146 grocery bags respectively. Volunteers delivered approximately 7,000 pounds of food to Catholic Charities and West Houston Assistance Ministries. ...
These are challenging times for everyone! Strong happy marriages make our lives easier and our families and community stronger. Take a moment to read these tips our Pastoral Care Ministry has put together....
In the media, notably the Associated Press, The New York Times and The Houston Chronicle, there have been several biased and misleading articles concerning churches and the PPP loan program. The following is an excerpt of a letter that I sent to the Finance and Pastoral Councils in March. I am aware and understand that the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) Loans are being made available to churches and non-profits by the federal government through the CARES Act as part of the economic relief in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. While many would consider the securing of one of these loans as...
Dear Friends in Christ, A few weeks ago, we had a series of severe thunderstorms come through in the middle of the night. Besides the loud claps of thunder there was also quite a bit of lightning. Our campus was struck by some of this lightning which did quite a number on our facilities. Many of our electrical systems were fried. The HVAC, microphones, computers, telephones, fire alarms, irrigation, church bells, lighting and almost everything else electrical were all damaged. We have had repair crews out constantly since that time making repairs and replacing components and wiring that were damaged. Some...