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Meditation

14th Century, St. Catherine of Siena

The sun hears the fields talking about effort

and the sun smiles,

and whispers to me, "Why don't the fields just rest, for

I am willing to do

everything

to help them grow?"

Rest, my dears, in prayer.

The daughter of a 14th-century wool dyer, St. Catherine was the 2nd woman to be named a "Doctor of the Church" (i.e., exalted teacher) after St. Teresa of Avila and known for mystical and insightful meditations on our relationships with God. As you move toward the end of the year - what with the assignments, tests, projects, and events it brings - remember to rest in prayer. Tomorrow is St. Catherine's feast day in the Church, so especially take time tomorrow for a little R&R!

☀️ Jr. High Summer Outreach | Grades 7–9 ☀️

Join us for a meaningful and fun summer outreach experience! From May 31 – June 2, Jr. High students (rising grades 7–9) are invited to gather at Camp McDowell for a few days of service, connection, and encouragement.

Participants will:

✨ Learn about the ministries of Special Session and Sawyerville

🍪 Prepare snacks, activities, and host a Happy Hour for campers at Special Session.

🚐 Travel to Greensboro to visit Sawyerville camps and spend time with campers and staff.

🍽 Help support the Sawyerville team by providing dinner for their staff.

🗓 Dates: May 31 – June 2

📍 Start: Camp McDowell (arrive Sunday at 3 PM)

📍 End: Birmingham pickup on Tuesday at 5 PM (location TBD)

💲 Cost: $200

💛 Financial assistance is available



This is a great opportunity for Jr. High students to learn about outreach ministries in our diocese, build friendships, and serve others in meaningful ways.

Interested in joining us? Space is limited, so sign up today! Registration is available HERE.

Join us the in the EYC room on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am to share the week's highs (& lows) together, talk about faith, play a game (or two) and more!

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine's meditation on the sun (above) pretty directly parallels the way we often live our lives in relation to God.

After all, we see ourselves as the main characters, the stars, of our life's stories. And as the protagonist (the hero, if you will), we believe that we must move the plot forward; we must make much effort if the story is to be a good one...if it is to bethe story we want.

And yet, as St. Catherine and so many others remind us, the story is God's and not ours. Of course, that doesn't mean that we're not an important part of it - we certainly are! And yet, as Duke Divinity School professor Will Willimon says: so much of our lives are spent trying to wrestle the leading role away from God.

What would it mean to live like the story is God's and that we don't have to wear ourselves ragged trying to write our own narrative?

Talk about that with some people you trust this week.

It's one of the BEST Sundays of the year - Youth Sunday! You'll lead us in worship at 10:30 am and we'll recognize this year's graduating senior, Elias Lokken!

Here's what we need:

• OT Testament / NT Testament Lesson Lector - Sara Reed Thompson
• Prayers of the People - Jake Wilder
• Preacher - Elias Lokken
• Ushers - Anne Hatcher Thompson, Leo Salerno, & Eliza Wilder
• AV/Tech Support - Ezra Lokken
• Cookies and lemonade servers - 2 needed
• Acolytes
• Flower Rearrangers - Leo Salerno

Let me know how you want to serve, and I will provide everything you need to lead us!

School's out and there's ice cream to be eaten - what more needs to be said?!Bring a friend and join us at Tess' Place downtown to close out the year!

Inspired by the lives of saints like Francis and Martin or Tours and Therese and Catherine, St. John’s Hero Academy VBS invites children to consider how following Jesus’ call to love and serve others is the most heroic thing of all. Children will create projects in the Hero Maker Design Studio, play high-energy games in the Gamer’s Gauntlet, hear stories of the faithful in the Hero Archives, and relax with a treat or two and the Holy Hero Caf?. All the while, they will discover that we can indeed serve like the saints!

This year, we are partnering with the 3^rd Street Boys and Girls Club once more and hope to show God’s love and care to even more children than last year! But this means that WE NEED YOUR HELP! IF you would like to volunteer to help with VBS, read the volunteer descriptions HERE. Then sign up next to your desired work area with your name and availability HERE.

Acolytes for Sunday

You can find the NEW acolyte schedule from now - June, 2026 HERE!

Questions? Contact Sam

sam@stjohnsdecatur.org |662-656-653