Parish Staff Maggie Radzik Head of School 703.759.4129 Anson Groves Dir. of Religious Ed. 703.759.3530 Nancy Caro Sacristan Rick Webb Gen. Mgr. Financial Dir. 703.759.4350 Dr. Kimberly Hess Director of Music 703.759.4350 Dr. Neil Ewachiw Director of Choirs 703.759.4350 Mary LaPlante Parish Secretary 703.759.4350 Jackie Fox Bulletin Editor 703.759.4350 Guillermo DeLeon Director of Facilities 703.638.4301 Email address: deleonscs@gmail.com Emiro Soto Maintenance Rosa Hernandez Support Staff Stephen Dolenc Web Master stephendolenc @gmail.com Mass Intentions Sunday, August 3 7:30 a.m. Barbara Gorlinsky V 8:45 a.m. Donald Lee V 10:30 a.m. Pro Populo 1:00 p.m. Samuel J. Phillips Monday, August 4 9:00 a.m. Betty Kfoury V & Family Tuesday, August 5 9:00 a.m. Jean Alfano Galante V Wednesday, August 6 9:00 a.m. Vivian Rosenzweig V Thursday, August 7 9:00 a.m. Bradford Phillips Friday, August 8 9:00 a.m. Alen Ross Saturday, August 9 9:00 a.m. Peter Choo V 5:30 p.m. Peter Choo V Daily Scriptures READINGS AND CELEBRATIONS FOR THE WEEK Sunday - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Is 55:1-3, Ps 145, Rom 8:35,37-39, Mt 14:13-21 Monday - Weekday in Ordinary Time Jer 28:1-17, Ps 119, Mt 24:22-36 Tuesday - Weekday in Ordinary Time Jer 30:1-2,12-15,18-22, Ps 102, Mt 14:22-36 Wednesday - The Transfiguration of the Lord Dn 7:9-10,13-14, Ps 97, 2 Pt 1:16-19, Mt 17:1-9 Thursday - Weekday in Ordinary Time Jer 31:31-34, Ps 51, Mt 16:13-23 Friday - St. Dominic Na 2:1,3;3:1-3,6-7, (Ps) Dt 32, Mt 16:24-28 Saturday - Weekday in Ordinary Time Hb 1:12-2:4, Ps 9, Mt 17:14-20 Parish Stewardship Thank you for your generous offerings of July 26/27. The regular collection brought in $18,430 and the Poor Box yielded $302. The Poor Box collection for June will go to benefit Divine Mercy Care. The Poor Box collection for July will go to benefit Little Sisters of the Poor. Opus Dei Recollection A priest of the Opus Dei prelature presents an "Evening of Recollection" for women on the 3rd Monday of each month from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. in the church. The schedule for "Evenings of Recollection" for men may be obtained by visiting Website: restonstudycenter.org. For further information call (703) 689-3433. A Word from the Pastor "If contraception is wrong, then why doesn't it say so in the Bible," is a common challenge to the dogma regarding birth control. That way of thinking betrays both a strong Protestant bent (ignoring as it does both Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium) as well as a sad understanding of Sacred Scripture. True, there is not an explicit prohibition in the Bible stating, "Thou shalt not contracept." However, there is an implicit understanding throughout the Scriptures of contraception as being wrong. Explicitly, God does enjoin Adam and Eve, and later Noah and his children, and by extension to us all: "to be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth." (Genesis 1:28 and 9:1). And there is the understanding of Man being made in the image and likeness of God: "God made Man in his own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27). The repetition in the above verse from Genesis stresses that Man is special. Each of us is intended by God: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you ..." (Jeremiah 1:5) The mindset of the inspired authors of the Bible is such that they would find inconceivable the very idea that someone would not want children or seek to limit how many children they might have. Children are seen as wealth: "Lo, sons are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the son's of one's youth. Happy is the Man who has his quiver full of them." (Psalm 127: 3-5) In Psalm 45:16, we read: "In place of your father you shall have sons, you will make them princes over all the earth." And in Psalm 113: "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!" For a woman not to have children, to be barren was seen as a curse. In First Samuel we see Hannah praying before the Temple, "Lord of Hosts ... look on the affliction of your maidservant ... remember me ... give to thy servant a son." (Samuel 1:11). While centuries later Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, exults after miraculously conceiving: "The Lord has seen fit to take away my reproach from among men ..." (Luke 1:25). The desire, or rather the need for children was so great that if a man died without children his brother is enjoined to marry the widow so as to raise up children for his dead brother and if he refuses to do so is shamed. (Deuteronomy 5:10). This is known as the Levirate Law. So great was Sarah's desire for children that she pressured her husband Abraham to have a child by her handmaid, since she herself was barren. (Needless to say Sarah did come to regret that). The mindset of Sacred Scripture finds contraception utterly alien. The single recorded incident of contraception in the Bible ended in a sordid disaster. This involved Onan, son of Judah who failed to do his duty by his brother's widow Tamar. Rather than beget children by Tamar to his brother's memory Onan "spilt his seed on the ground." (Genesis 38:9). This act so displeased God that Onan was struck dead. Some contemporary exegetes argue that Onan's sin was not contraception but rather his lack of generosity to his late brother. That seems to be splitting a very fine hair indeed, overlooking the fact that all acts of contraception constitute lack of generosity - the possible child is not only a gift from God, but also a gift to God. At any rate, the now twice widowed Tamar was desperate to get a child to her first husband's memory. And after her father-in-law Judah reneged on his promise to give her in marriage to his third son, Tamar tricked Judah himself into begetting the child she wanted. Nobody came off looking good in this sad story, which should serve as a cautionary tale of the evils of contraception. If chapters of the Bible were rated, as are movies, Genesis 38 would get at least an "R". Fast forward from Genesis to the Passion of Christ. As Jesus is carrying His Cross to Calvary He is met by the weeping women of Jerusalem. To these women our Lord speaks the most that he spoke between His arrest and His death. As such these words take on particular importance: "Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me, but for yourselves and for your children. For behold the days are coming when they will say 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' " (Luke 23:28-29). With abortion seen as a "woman's right to choose," and commercials on television touting both contraception and viagra, I cannot help but think that our Lord was speaking of our own time. Reading Sacred Scripture as a whole and in proper context, we see that although the Bible does not dwell on contraception, the Bible does condemn it. Pray for the Sick and Homebound of our Parish Elaine Elizabeth Abraham, Maryann Barron, Joshua Basile, Lila Brown, Philip Calanchini, Jose Campos, Thomas Case, Moira Connor, Baby Natasha deSa, Marjorie Dolak, Danny Frey, Marjorie Horan, Maria Keran, Evelyn LaPlante, Joan Loftis, Deana Mansoor, Inaam Mansoor, Carol McCarty, Baby Peter Michalski, David Murphy, Makayla Overend, Lien Shinta, Margaret Wood, Baby Anthony Yantiss Pray for Those Who have Fallen Asleep in Christ Irene Corrado, Joseph Gartlan, William Bud Ko, Nicholas Lippis, Rita Lippis, Margie McBee, Steve Saunders, Adele Spauer, Jack Wood, Angel Zavala Pray for our Armed Forces Personnel Jordan Bowren, Jeff Campbell, James Doin, Brendan Dunne, Christopher Frediani, Brian Horn, Brendan McCarthy, Matthew O'Neil, Justin Smallwood The Blessed Sacrament THIS IS MY BODY - THIS IS MY BLOOD Can You Watch One Hour With Me? A Holy Hour is simply an hour set-aside totally for the Lord; an hour consecrated to God. It is a time to recollect our mind, heart and spirit in order to focus them on God and more specifically our Eucharistic Lord. To make a Holy Hour is to make a decision to spend one hour with our friend, our Savior and Lord who is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. Eucharistic Adoration and Holy Hour The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and in contemplation, that is full of faith, and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease. - John Paul II, 1960 To sign up for adoration or for information regarding adoration please contact Diane Cieslak 703.678.3919. 24 hour Eucharistic Adoration begins after the 9:00 a.m. Mass on Wednesday and ends with reposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 8:55 a.m. on Thursday. 24 hour Eucharistic Adoration also begins after the 9:00 a.m. Mass on every First Friday of the month and ends with reposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 8:55 a.m. on Saturday. Holy Hour is every Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. Please Do Not Park on the Grass We have spent a great deal of money repairing the asphalt at the Church as well as planting new grass in front of the Church. Parking on the grass not only damages the grass but the edges of the asphalt as well. More to the point it is a violation of the posted Fire Lanes. There are plenty of parking spaces for all, but yes, if you are late you will have to walk a few more feet. Arrive five minutes early and there will be no extra walking. If you see someone parking on the grass, please ask them to move, this is your Church. We do not want to have to resort to towing the offenders. Thanks for your cooperation. Celebrate the Feast of St. Dominic Save the date! August 8th O light of the Church! Teacher of truth! Rose of patience! Ivory of chastity! You have freely poured forth The Water of Wisdom. Preacher of grace, Unite us to the blessed! Come and celebrate his feast with the Saint Catherine of Siena Chapter of the Fraternities of Saint Dominic. Celebrant will be Fr. Kevin McGrath, OP., beginning with the Holy Rosary at 6:30 p.m., Mass at 7:00 p.m. and a champagne reception following Mass. For further information, please contact Julian Heron at 202.349.3859 or visit julianheron@msn.com. The Knights of Columbus News Business Meeting The Padre Pio Council of the Knights of Columbus will hold their next business meeting on Tuesday, August 5th at 7:30 p.m. in Padre Pio Hall. The Over 50 Club Scheduled Senior Trips Make Your Calendars and Make Plans to Enjoy a Great Trip Membership in the Club and Senior Status is not required. Early Registration is Suggested! ? September 10 & 11 - Homestead & Shenandoah Valley. Visit the new museum and magnificent gardens. Go through the "Glenn Burnie" house. Have lunch in the tearoom, then at the Homestead. Enjoy tea, dinner and a relaxing evening with a full breakfast in the morning. All three meals and tea included in package. $369/Dbl, $469/Single. ? September 30 - Gettysburg & Eisenhower Tour A new museum and visitor's center recently opened with twelve galleries. A magnificent Cyclorama* which depicts the Charge of the Confederate Infantry. Restoration cost over 11 million dollars and took five years to complete. Grand opening is September 26th. We'll have lunch there (on your own), tour the Eisenhower Farm and make a surprise stop on the way home. $68. *A large composite picture placed on the interior walls of a cylindrical room so as to appear in natural perspective to a spectator standing in the center of the room. ? October 6 to 10 - Myrtle Beach, S.C. (on the beach). Four full course dinners and breakfasts, guided tour of Charlestown, S.C. Backstage tour of the Alabama Theatre, Three spectacular shows: Carolina Opry, Alabama Theatre & Cirque (fantastic acrobatics), a visit to LaBelle Winery, all taxes & gratuities. $498. ? April 25-May 3 (2009) - Cruise to the Mexican Riviera Includes airfare from Dulles to Los Angeles. A seven night cruise aboard the "Mariner of the Seas." One evening in Los Angeles with dinner & breakfast. Tour Los Angeles; visit Cabo SanLucas, Mazatlan Puerto Vallarta. All taxes & transfers included. Inside cabin $1,919 - Outside cabin $2,219 - Balcony $2,419. Please call regarding registration. You do not need to be a senior to join us, or a member of the Club. Please call the following for more information and/or registration. Mary Ann at 703.404.8677 or Lorraine at 703.448.9181. Annual Diocesan Altar Server Picnic Save The Date: Thursday, August 14th The 2008 Annual Picnic for Altar Servers will be held at Lake Fairfax Park from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. St. Catherine of Siena is Looking For Volunteers "He who sings, prays twice" - St. Augustine of Hippo Cantor Opportunities St. Catherine of Siena invites volunteer cantors to sing for the 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass, the 8:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Sunday Liturgies, as well as for Holy Days and Holy Hour. The ministry of the cantor is integral to the liturgy and requires strong vocal and sight-reading skills. Interested parties should contact Dr. Kimberly Hess, Director of Music at 703.759.4350 or via kimberlyannhess@gmail.com. Choir Opportunities St. Catherine of Siena invites qualified parishioners of all vocal types (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) to audition for membership in the Parish Choir. The choir participates weekly in the 10:30 a.m. Latin Mass, as well as for Christmas and Triduum. The choir rehearses at 9:15 a.m. in Padre Pio Hall for the 10:30 Liturgy, and then again after Mass from noon until 1:30 p.m. in preparation for the following week. The choir season runs from September through June. Strong ensemble singing and sight-reading skills are desirable. To schedule an audition, interested parties should contact Dr. Kimberly Hess, Director of Music at 703.759.4350 or via kimberlyannhess@gmail.com. Children's Choir Opportunities St. Catherine of Siena Treble Choir is looking for new members. The Treble Choir sings for the 8:45 a.m. Liturgy on the second and last Sundays of each month from September through May, and rehearses in Bishop Justs Hall on Thursdays from 4:00-5:30 p.m. Choir members as young as six years old are invited to join, and may remain through high school age. The children receive vocal technique and sight-reading training as part of the weekly rehearsal process, laying the foundation for a more enriched musical experience. For further information, please contact Dr. Kimberly Hess, Director of Music at 703.759.4350 or kimberlyannhess@gmail.com. Changes If you are leaving the Parish, or have a change either to your address or telephone number please let us know by calling the parish office or by dropping us a note. Parish Registration We welcome you to our Parish Community and invite you to call or register in person at the parish office. St. Catherine of Siena Website For everything you ever wanted to know about St. Catherine of Siena Parish, but forgot to ask during office hours, you may visit the parish Website at http://st-catherines.net. In the Diocese & Other Events Website: www.arlingtondiocese.org Vocations Awareness Some white-collar jobs are more challenging than others Vocation Prayer: Heavenly Father, bless our diocese with the grace of vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life. Through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, grant to those You have called the willingness and generosity of spirit to give of themselves in devoting their lives and their talents to the service of our Lord and to His Church. Increase the faith of all within our diocese, and particularly the faith of those You have called and will continue to call. We ask this through Christ, Your Son. Amen. "All those present ate their fill." Are you called to help the Lord feed His people with the truth of His gospel as a priest, deacon or in the consecrated life? If you think God may be calling you to serve Him more closely, call Fr. Brian Bashista: 703.841.2514, or write: b.bashista@arlingtondiocese.org. Gabriel Project & Project Rachel Below are two assistance programs sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. These programs are open to anyone in need, regardless of their faith. Gabriel Project provides pregnancy assistance to women and men in crisis pregnancy. Telephone: 703.841.3810. Website: gabrielproject@arlingtondiocese.org. Project Rachel provides assistance to those women and men who have suffered an abortion. Telephone: (703) 841-2504, Website: projectrachel@arlingtondiocese.org. Post-Abortive Healing A resource provided by the Conference of U.S. Catholic Bishop for post-abortive women. To Heal the Brokenhearted . . . To Comfort All Who Mourn. For help call 1-888-456-HOPE (4673). Couple-to-Couple League Natural Family Planning (NFP) Classes NFP classes teach couples how to observe and interpret their signs of fertility, as a healthy means of recognizing the design of the body and of planning for pregnancies. The next series of three classes begins on Sunday, August 24th at 10:30 a.m. at St. James in Falls Church. Contact Bob & Gerri Laird at 703.339.7261 or gmlaird@catholicculture.org to register. Retrouvaille (pronounced retro-vi) Married Singles Lifestyle - The Married Single Lifestyle describes couples that may have lost a sense of closeness they once had as marriage partners and are living more like roommates. Retrouvaille teaches couples how to survive times like these in their marriages. This program has helped 10's of 1,000's of couples experiencing difficulty at all levels of marital distress from disillusionment to deep misery. For confidential information or to register for the July program beginning with a weekend on July 25-27. call 703.351.7211 or www.HelpOurMarriage.com. Items Needed The Office of Migration and Resettlement is preparing to receive over 70 new arrivals in the next six weeks. We are eager to help our new neighbors get settled into their new homes, but we are missing a few very important items and could use your help restocking our closets. We are able to provide a pick-up service for large items but request that other items are delivered to our office at 80 N. Glebe Road in Arlington. Giant/Target Gift Cards, Beds (frame, box, and mattress only), Chest of Drawers, Kitchen Tables, Kitchen Chairs, Couches (no sleeper sofas, please), Lamps, Alarm Clocks, Towels, Dish Soap, Cleaning Supplies, Laundry Detergent, Waste Baskets, (not used), Trash Bags, Toilet Paper and Toiletries. Please contact Adrienne at a.tygenhof@arlingtondiocese.org to donate any of the above items. Thank you for your generosity. Young Adult Mass and Social The 2nd annual Diocesan-wide young adult Mass and Social with Bishop Loverde will be celebrated on Sunday, August 17th at 7:00 p.m. All young adults and their friends are invited to join Bishop Loverde at St. Rita's Catholic Church in Alexandria. This Mass is a wonderful opportunity to pray with our Bishop, other diocesan priests and young adults from throughout our diocese. Further information is available on the Young Adult Ministry homepage: www.arlingtondiocese.org/yam/young adult.php. Pro-Life OB-GYN Accepting New Patients Tepeyac Family Center, the pro-life OB-GYN practice in Fairfax, VA announces the addition of two new physicians to the staff. They are now accepting new OB and GYN patients. To make an appointment call 703.273.9440 or email info@tepeyacfamilycenter.com. As the only Catholic health care facility in the Arlington Diocese, Tepeyac Family Center is dedicated to following the social, medical, and moral teaching of the Catholic Church. Tepeyac believes that the family is the central building block of our society, and thus it recognizes the need to support the family structure by upholding conventional morals concerning sexuality and fertility. Spiritual Exercises Our Lady of Bethesda Retreat Center offers silent weekend retreats based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Upcoming retreats for Women: August 15-16, September 12-14, October 3-5, November 7-9, December 5-7. Upcoming retreats for Men: August 29-31, September 19-21. December 19-21. Cost is $170 and includes meals, lodging, linens and retreat materials. Located at 7007 Bradley Blvd. in Bethesda, MD. For further information visit our Website: www.ourladyofbethesda.org. To register please call 301.365.0612. TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD Transfigured in glory, the Son of Man has received kingship and dominion. He will come again in glory. Celebrated by 5th c. East Syrians, this feast was inserted into the general calendar in 1457 by Pope Callistus III to celebrate the defeat, announced in Rome on 6 August, of the Turks at Belgrade (6 August occurs forty days before the feast of the Triumph of the Cross, 14 September). The Transfiguration of Christ is the culminating point of His public life, as His Baptism is its starting point, and His Ascension its end. Moreover, this glorious event has been related in detail by St. Matthew (17:1-6), St. Mark (9:1-8), and St. Luke (9:28-36), while St. Peter (2 Peter 1:16-18) and St. John (1:14), two of the privileged witnesses, make allusion to it. About a week after His sojourn in Cæarea Philippi, Jesus took with him Peter, James and John and led them to a high mountain apart, where He was transfigured before their ravished eyes. St. Matthew and St. Mark express this phenomenon by the word metemorphothe, which the Vulgate renders transfiguratus est. The Synoptics explain the true meaning of the word by adding "his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow," according to the Vulgate, or "as light," according to the Greek text. This dazzling brightness, which emanated from His whole Body was produced by an interior shining of His Divinity. False Judaism had rejected the Messias, and now true Judaism, represented by Moses and Elias, the Law and the Prophets, recognized and adored Him, while for the second time God the Father proclaimed Him His only-begotten and well-loved Son. By this glorious manifestation the Divine Master, who had just foretold His Passion to the Apostles (Matthew 16:21), and who spoke with Moses and Elias of the trials which awaited Him at Jerusalem, strengthened the faith of his three friends and prepared them for the terrible struggle of which they were to be witnesses in Gethsemani, by giving them a foretaste of the glory and heavenly delights to which we attain by suffering. Saint Dominic Founder of the Friars Preachers, Confessor Feast Day August 8th Founder of the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominican Order. Son of Felix Guzman and Blessed Joan of Aza, he was born at Calaruega, Spain, studied at the University at Palencia, was probably ordained there while pursuing his studies and was appointed canon at Osma in 1199. There he became prior superior of the chapter, which was noted for its strict adherence to the rule of St. Benedict. In 1203 he accompanied Bishop Diego de Avezedo of Osman to Languedoc where Dominic preached against the Albigensians (heresy) and helped reform the Cistercians. Dominic founded an institute for women at Prouille in Albigensian territory in 1206 and attached several preaching friars to it. When papal legate Peter of Castelnan was murdered by the Albigensians in 1208, Pope Innocent III launched a crusade against them headed by Count Simon IV of Montfort which was to continue for the next seven years. Dominic followed the army and preached to the heretics but with no great success. In 1214 Simon gave him a castle at Casseneuil and Dominic with six followers founded an order devoted to the conversion of the Albigensians; the order was canonically approved by the bishop of Toulouse the following year. He failed to gain approval for his order of preachers at the fourth General Council of the Lateran in 1215 but received Pope Honorius III's approval in the following year, and the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans) was founded. Dominic spent the last years of his life organizing the order, traveling all over Italy, Spain and France preaching and attracting new members and establishing new houses. The new order was phenomenally successful in conversion work as it applied Dominic's concept of harmonizing the intellectual life with popular needs. He convoked the first general council of the order at Bologna in 1220 and died there the following year on August 6, after being forced by illness to return from a preaching tour in Hungary. He was canonized in 1234 and is the patron saint of astronomers. Father's Prayer Intention for August 2008 General: That the human family may learn to respect God's plan for the world and become ever more aware that Creation is God's great gift. Mission: That the answer of the entire people of God to the common calling to holiness and mission may be promoted and fostered by means of careful discernment of charisma and constant commitment to spiritual and cultural formation.