 St. James parish is still in repair, restore, and renewal “mode.” By the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are accomplishing great things here in our parish. Blessed are those souls who are responding to God’s call and invitation to be good, loving, and faithful Christian stewards in our parish community. I am still praying for those who are not accepting God’s invitation to become active stewards in our parish, but I have hope that those who are not involved will trust and respond to the Lord’s invitation. I especially want to welcome back to our parish those that have left our parish at one time, or who have strayed away from the practice of the faith. As the saying goes, “there is strength in numbers,” so we need as many Christian bodies as necessary, as well as, everyone’s prayers so that we may continue to positively build up what is being done in our parish and in this community!
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 July 25, on the Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar, is the feast day of St. James the Apostle, who is the patron saint of our parish.
St. James, often referred to as “the Major” or “the Greater” was the brother of the Apostle St. John the Evangelist. St. James and St. John were the two sons of Zebedee, and both worked with their father in the fishing business when Jesus called them to follow Him. St. James, along with St. John and St. Peter the Apostle, were specifically chosen by Christ to witness Jarius’ daughter raised from the dead, to witness the Transfiguration of Our Lord, and to be close to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene. St. James was the first of the Apostles to suffer martyrdom by decapitation, by order of Herod Agrippa I, in the year 44 A.D. St. James is the patron saint of pilgrims, and patron saint of Spain, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. St. James, pray for us! Our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program will be starting in September of 2016. The RCIA is a program for those who wish to inquire about possibly becoming a Roman Catholic, or possibly would like to return to the Catholic faith.
RCIA provides basic information regarding the teachings and Doctrines of the faith and about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Sacred Scripture, the Sacraments of the Catholic faith, Catholic liturgy and worship, the saints, and other topics regarding the faith. Do you know of someone who is interested in becoming Catholic, or is interested in returning to the Catholic Church? Here at St. James Church we have not had anyone go through the RCIA since 2014, and that was only one person. So what are you doing to help promote the faith? What can you do to encourage, or reach out to those in our community who might want to be a part of the RCIA journey? I do hope and pray that this upcoming RCIA session for 2016-2017 will be a great period of interest and inquiry, as well as meeting new people who are curious about the Catholic faith. Are you ready and open to help foster interest about Our Lord, and His Church?  ALL ARE INVITED TO JOIN US THIS WEDNESDAY, JULY 20TH, 2016 AT 6:30 PM, IN HONOR OF THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF PORT ARTHUR NATIVE, DALLAS POLICE SGT. MICHAEL SMITH. WE WILL HAVE A MEMORIAL MASS AT 6:30 PM, AND FOLLOWING THE MASS WILL BE A LIGHT RECEPTION IN KIRWIN HALL.
THE PORT ARTHUR POLICE DEPT. WILL BE PRESENT AT THE EVENT   2016 Bishop’s Faith Appeal Report as of June 27th for St. James Parish:
2016 Goal: $65,741.00 2016 Total Pledges Received: $51,203.00 2016 Total Payments Received: $36,107.00 Amount Under Payments: $29,634.00 Thank you to those who are participating in this year’s B.F.A! Thank you to those who are supporting the different ministries and charities that helps our parishioners and those in need in the Diocese of Beaumont. If you have not made a contribution to this year’s B.F.A, please prayerfully consider doing so. Please help us reach out to the poor souls in our community and throughout the diocese. SAVE THE DATES:
 This weekend, the United States of America will celebrate 240 years of Independence. It will be another July 4th celebration of independence in our country, and a national holiday. The Parish Office will be closed, but we will have Mass at 7:00 AM. And hopefully we will have a good turnout in attendance on Monday, July 4th.
Why should we attend Church on July 4th? Think about it. We can go to Church in freedom and in peace in this country, and other countries do not offer that opportunity. We are a country that has been tremendously blessed by Almighty God, so it is deserving to show our gratitude and thanks to God by offering thanks and praise. We are by no means a “perfect” nation, but our nation does offer opportunities and the potential for success that most countries do not offer. It is also important that we pray for the conscience, heart, and soul of America, and that there will be a spiritual and moral renewal in our nation. We need to attend Church and pray to God on Independence Day for the souls of all those who have sacrificed their lives for the good of our nation. Let us continue to pray, promote, preserve, and protect our liberty and freedom. Especially our religious freedom and liberty, and cherish, respect, and honor the sanctity of all human life. We always say, “God bless America,” now let America give praise and thanks to God! May all have a blessed and peaceful July 4th Independence Day! |
Rev. David EdwardsPastor, St. James Catholic Church Archives
November 2018
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