Creating Cherished Memories: A Sacred Union

Dear Friends,

Last weekend as I was waiting for Mass to begin, a longtime parishioner shared that she was about to celebrate 35 years of marriage. Providentially, the sponsor couple that prepared her and her husband for marriage walked in the church moments later. That was not their usual Mass, but it was a great occasion to reminisce about the blessings of their 50+ years of marriage and past work as sponsor couples.

I am happy to report that St Austin has already hosted eight weddings during the first half of 2023. We have another eight weddings scheduled for the second half of 2023, and 10 couples from our church are marrying elsewhere this year. Looking ahead, we have 22 couples preparing for marriage over the next 12 months, either at St Austin or elsewhere.

Lourdes Alonso joined our parish staff part-time earlier this year as our Pastoral Associate for Marriage Preparation. Coordinating the spiritual preparation of so many couples had been too much for the staff before Lourdes joined us, so most engaged couples went to diocesan retreats or took online classes. Lourdes has been working to expand our sponsor couple program with that goal that every couple coming to St Austin’s can do their marriage preparation here with members of our community instead of going to an outside program. We are already starting to see more engaged couples new to Austin at Sunday Mass enjoying the chance to catch-up with our longtime parishioners and become more integrated into our parish family.

We are actively looking for more sponsor couples to journey with our engaged couples, especially since we have a long waitlist. We don’t expect our sponsor couples to have perfect marriages or be without struggles. In fact, our sponsor couples often report that the resources they are given help their own marriages as much as they help the engaged couples. Nor do we expect both sponsor couples to be Catholic, and we often pair Catholic / non-Catholic sponsor couples with mixed fiancés who are preparing to live the same reality. If you feel called and have been married at least five years, please reach out to me or Lourdes at lalonso@staustin.org.

St Austin’s reputation as a welcoming community offering meaningful and worthwhile marriage preparation has been growing in recent months. This promises to be a blessing for both the engaged couples and the long-term vibrancy of our parish. I am so grateful for Lourdes and our team of sponsor couples who share their time to strengthen our future newly-weds.

Please pray for them and for the ongoing growth of this important ministry.

God bless,

From Fr. Paolo

We invite you to come together in worship and celebration as we honor the remarkable life and enduring legacy of St. Mary of Magdala. Join us for a special Mass dedicated to this beloved saint, known as the "Apostle to the Apostles.

Together, let us reflect on her example and seek to deepen our own faith journeys. Join us for a breakfast reception in Antioch after 8 A.M. Mass on July 22 for this meaningful Mass, where we will offer prayers, gratitude, and celebrate the life of this extraordinary saint.

My name is Emmett Blake and I would like to thank St. Austin’s for the generous support of clothes and toiletries we filled my family’s Toyota Sienna for a mission of mercy* to the border June 27-29 with Fr. Bruce.

Father Bruce and I visited Brownsville, MacAllen, and Matamoros providing aid to people legally seeking asylum from unsafe conditions in their home countries. Currently, there are approximately 1,500 people lawfully waiting in Matamoros Mexico for a chance to receive asylum parole and eventually be granted asylum. These people come predominantly from Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

Both Catholic Charities in MacAllen and Team Brownsville in Brownsville each are seeing between 100-150 people a day who have passed their credible fear hearings and have received asylum parole status so they can enter the U.S. and go to their sponsors. From there they will wait for asylum hearing(s).

The donations provided necessities soap, shampoo, toothpaste, T-shirts underwear, shoes, socks, and more.

“God has shown me that I should not call any person unholy or unclean.” [Acts 10:28]

Yes, we have people who violate the law and bypass lawful processes to enter our nation.

Yes, we also have people who lawfully seek asylum from unsafe conditions in their home countries.

Practice Love in Action on Sunday, July 16 by donating blood! The summer holidays usually mean a drastic downturn in blood donations. Make a lifesaving difference for patients navigating traumas, surgery, and cancer treatment by giving the gift of blood. It's easy - sign up today at Blood Drive!

Be an Angel! Help us serve more expectant or new moms through our Gabriel Project Ministry. The next online training will be held on Saturday morning, July 15. Sign up at Gabriel Project.

The Officer Installation Ceremony and BBQ Dinner on Wednesday, June 28^th concluded our Fraternal Year. See the pics and updates at Knights of Columbus.

Thank you for your generous support of Outreach through our Persons in Need collection. Your support helps neighbors around Austin keep a roof over their heads and the A/C on during these unusually hot summer months. Check out a couple of notes of gratitude from people we served recently at Outreach.

Our Summer Social Justice Ministries Intern, Corinne Schnadelbach, will be giving presentations on mental health, substance use, and homelessness - and how to respond as people of faith - on Sundays, July 16 & 30 at 10 AM in the Church. See details at JUSTNews.

Check the latest updates of the Beacon of Hope at Construction Updates.