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 St. Monica St. Monica St. Monica Catholic Links: U.S. Conference of © St. Monica |
St. Monica Catholic Community News |
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Posted on February 29, 2008 Monica's Song Monica’s Song, St. Monica’s very own gospel choir, presents Good News! A Gospel Passion Musical, on Palm Sunday, March 16th at 7:30 p.m. The performance will be held in the church. Come early and join us for a pre-show, soul food buffet and fellowship in the Duval Center. For more information, see the Good News! flyer on the Duval Welcome Table or contact Michelle Crenshaw via email. Admission for this Passion experience is free and All Are Welcome. Posted on February 29, 2008 AT THE ROOT OF KENYA’S CRISIS Part 2 The post-election crisis does not reveal that ancient tribal hatreds are at the core of Kenya’s problems, as some suggest. Rather, it is widespread poverty and an imperial presidency that are at the root of Kenya’s problems. And although the solutions to Kenya’s troubles will not be easily achieved, they are, I propose, rather obvious. First, many more Kenyans, of every ethnic group, need to share in the benefits of economic growth. Second, and just as important, power in Kenya’s political system needs to be dispersed so that the stakes are lowered and people will believe that their livelihood and that of their ethnic group does not depend so completely on who wins the presidency. Dispersion of power may mean some kind of federalism or the strengthening of the legislature vis-à-vis the president. Crisis means opportunity. The silver lining to these difficult days in Kenya may be that Kenya’s leaders have an opportunity to tackle the developmental and political problems that have gone unaddressed for too long. The key will be to ensure that shortterm solutions and politically expedient coalitions that benefit politicians personally do not prevent the necessary reforms that will benefit all Kenyans in the long run from taking place. What role is there, if any, for the United States and the international community? Kenya is an immensely important country in the East African and Horn of Africa region. The United States needs a peaceful and stable Kenya. If the United States is serious about promoting stable democracies in a region of the world that is becoming more strategically important, it will encourage Kenyans to focus on the problems at the root of the crisis and to forge their own Kenyan solutions to these problems. If authentic development truly begins to take place and Kenya’s imperial presidency is dismantled, I firmly believe that Kenya’s best days are in the future rather than the past. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, directs the Notre Dame Millennium Development Initiative and is Chair of the Board of Directors of the African Faith and Justice Network. Posted on February 29, 2008 AT THE ROOT OF KENYA’S CRISIS Part 1 By now the surprise over Kenya’s postelection bloodletting has passed, but the bewilderment endures. How could this have happened? Kenya has long been known as one of Africa’s most stable and peaceful countries. The Kenyan economy has been growing robustly over the last several years. Until the first week of January, tourists had started to return to the country’s national parks and Indian-Ocean beaches aft er being scared off by the 1998 U.S. embassy bombing, other terrorist activities along the coast and crime in Nairobi. How could things have become so unhinged when things were going so well? The short answer is: Things were not going so well for most Kenyans. For anyone who has spent more than five minutes off the well-worn tourist paths, who knows something of the rapid rural-to-urban migration born of rural poverty, and who knows about the powers concentrated in the Kenyan presidency, the post-election crisis is terribly regrettable but not surprising. The economic growth that has taken place over the last few years has taken place without a corresponding improvement in the quality of life or standard of living for the majority of Kenyans, regardless of the ethnic group to which they belong. Although Gross Domestic Product per capita has been on the rise in the last few years, most Kenyans have struggled to find decent work and unemployment has hovered around 40 percent. Every year, tens of thousands of young people leave impoverished villages to look for education and work, particularly in Nairobi. All too often they find neither. The competition for work is intense and family connections to one’s ethnic community are oft en the key to survival. Besides connections to family and ethnic kin, links to government are extremely important and, in Kenya, the government is practically synonymous with the presidency. Although political reforms did decrease the power of the presidency during the late 1990s, the Kenyan presidency remains extremely powerful. Whoever is president in Kenya has tremendous discretion over appointments and the purse strings throughout the country. The great fear is that ethnic groups without a connection to the presidency will suffer from discrimination when it comes to appointments and the location of government projects. Politicians have sought to intensify this fear in their attempts to win or preserve the support of their ethnic kin or coalitions. The consequences have been deadly. The post-election crisis does not reveal that ancient tribal hatreds are at the core of Kenya’s problems, as some suggest. Rather, it is widespread poverty and an imperial presidency that are at the root of Kenya’s problems. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, directs the Notre Dame Millennium Development Initiative and is Chair of the Board of Directors of the African Faith and Justice Network. Posted on February 21, 2008 Parish Mission 2008 Fr. Raab will preach at all the Masses beginning with Saturday's 5:30pm Liturgy. For more information, please click here. Posted on February 21, 2008 New Stewardship Coordinator The newest member of our parish staff is Jim Carper. Jim comes to us from Simi Valley, where he was the Director of Development for St Peter Claver Parish and was responsible for their capital campaign and construction of new facilities. He also served as the Interim Executive Director for the Simi Valley Family YMCA and comes to us with a background in fundraising, marketing, board development, volunteer coordination and public relations. Jim will be our new Stewardship Coordinator and will be responsible for two major aspects of stewardship at St. Monica: financial stewardship and volunteer ministry coordination. He has been married to his wife, Teresa, for 30 years, has a daughter, Angel, and is in the Archdiocesan Diaconate Formation program. Please join us in welcoming Jim to our parish staff. He can be reached at (310) 566-1523 or via email. Posted on February 15, 2008 S.M.A.S.H. St. Monica Academic & Spiritual Heritage “Lights, Camera, Auction!” Dinner & Auction April 26th, 2008, Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades. Save the Date postcards to our 15th annual dinner and auction (proceeds are for scholarship assistance to benefit the needy students in our high school and elementary school) have been mailed. This is a great opportunity to come together as a community and truly support these two wonderful schools. All are welcome! If you’ve never been to this event before, please make an effort to do so this year. We promise plenty of good food and drink, a spectacular venue, fabulous entertainment, and a wide array of incredible auction items to bid on. Please be on the look-out for ticket sales after masses (in March) as well as raffle ticket sales. If you are interested in assisting on the S.M.A.S.H. committee, please contact 310-394-3701 and ask for Diane Mayer x416 or Tara Miller x409. Posted on February 15, 2008 Together In Mission Update Thank you for your generous response to date for this year’s Archdiocesan Together in Mission Campaign. Last week we received $164,718.00, including pledges that were received by mail. As you know, our assessment is $242,000, and all excess funds raised will be given to Holy Cross Parish in Dandora so our sister community can construct a new church which will enable them to address the urgent needs of their people. Thank you for contributing to this most necessary outreach to those parishes and Catholic schools in our home diocese most in need of your generosity. You are a wonderfully compassionate and generous people. If you have not yet made a pledge, there are commitment envelopes at the Welcome Table and in the pews. I want to thank Kitty Felde and Jason Farmer for their heartfelt presentations at last week’s liturgies. It was a blessing to have them speak to us. Posted on February 7, 2008 Message from Msgr. Torgerson This weekend we begin the annual Together in Mission Appeal to assist the poorer parishes in our diocese. Every year you are generous in helping us meet our goal—this year $242,000—to assure that these parishes are needed services and religious programs. Any pledged funds over this assessment will be given to Holy Cross Parish in Dandora so our sister community can construct a new church which will enable them to address the urgent needs of their people. I encourage you to prayerfully consider your commitment this year; it will make a difference in many lives. Two of our parishioners who have been to Holy Cross Parish in Dandora, Kitty Felde and Jason Farmer, will be speaking at Masses about their experiences there. There will also be updated information in the Duval Center about the current crisis in Kenya and the direct impact it is having on our sister parish. Let us continue to keep that faith-filled community in our prayers. During this second week of Lent we continue with our overall theme, “Now is the Time” and a corollary of ….”to be transformed.” We have an opportunity to help transform the lives of our sister parishes in this archdiocese who are struggling, as well as our sister parish, Holy Cross in Dandora, Kenya. I encourage you to take advantage of an array of Lenten spiritual practices and opportunities this season. Consider inviting someone who has been disconnected from our church. A sampling of this year’s off erings include: 5:30 early morning contemplation ending with Mass on Wednesday mornings with Dr. Jim Finley, Spirituality and Health Ministry Retreat on March 15, Seder Meal, also on March 15, our Parish Mission the last week in February, Friday night soup suppers, and Stations of the Cross. An additional Mass at 6:00 pm on weekdays during Lent is also an option. Posted on February 7, 2008 ST. MONICA PARISH MISSION - LENT 2008 A community and Parish Mission with Fr. Ronald Raab, C.S.C. Fr. Raab has served the Downtown Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul in Portland, OR, since April 2002. He also co-directs the Brother Andre Institute, sponsored by the Downtown Chapel. Please join us as we welcome Fr. Ron Raab to St. Monica Catholic Community Saturday, February 23 through Tuesday, February 26. Fr. Raab will preach a Parish Mission theme of Prayer & Reconciliation beginning at the Saturday 5:30 pm and at all the Sunday Masses. February 25 & 26 there will be mission homilies at the 12:10 Mass; Monday and Tuesday evening missions at 7:30 pm in the Church with refreshments immediately following in the Duval Center. Posted on January 31, 2008 Now Is The Time As we prepare to enter into the season of Lent, we will be hearing from St. Paul on Ash Wednesday: “Behold, now is a very acceptable time” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Throughout this coming season, there will be numerous opportunities to come together in worship, prayer, and study to heed this call that now is indeed the time to live the abundant life that we are called to by Christ. We invite you to join us as we journey together this Lent. Posted on January 24, 2008 TOGETHER IN MISSION 2008 “See the Bounty of the Lord,” (Psalm 27:13) is the theme of the 2008 Together in Mission Appeal. Together in Mission makes a difference in the lives of so many deserving Catholics in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Together in Mission provides substantial financial support to 35 parishes and 48 schools in our Archdiocese – parishes and schools that simply would not exist without your support. These parishes and schools provide education, ministry and a Catholic presence for tens of thousands of people. This year, our goal is $242,000, based on 10% of our offertory collections for the past year. In the spirit of Together in Mission, any amount that is pledged beyond our goal, will be given to our sister parish in Dandora, Kenya: Holy Cross Parish, for a church building program they desperately need. This growing catholic community of over 38,000 people has two churches (combined capacity of 2500) that are overflowing with parishioners at every Mass. They would like to purchase and build on additional land. They need an additional $40,000 for the purchase of the land and then of course more funds to build the church. All those who made a pledge to Together in Mission last year, should already have received a pledge card in the mail. We will give all parishioners an opportunity to make a pledge at all Masses on the weekend of February 9/10. Thank you for your generosity in this upcoming appeal. Posted on January 24, 2008 Catholic Schools Week 2008 “Catholic Schools Light the Way.” This is the theme for Catholic Schools Week this year, which runs from January 27—February 2. This is an annual celebration of what makes Catholic education so special. Beginning Sunday, January 27th, you will see our students dressed in their school uniforms participating in our Masses as lectors, speakers, gift bearers, and hospitality ministers. We will also have a table set up on the patio with information and displays about our elementary school. PTC Board members, parents, administration, and staff will also be available at the various masses. Monday is Parent Appreciation Day. Our students will pray for their parents in a special way for providing a quality Catholic education for them; and they will make cards for their parents thanking them for this special blessing. Tuesday is our Open House for Prospective Parents. Families with school-age children are invited to come and see how St. Monica Elementary School Lights the Way. The Open House begins promptly at 7:00 pm in the school auditorium. Wednesday is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Day when students and parents say thank you to our wonderful and dedicated faculty and staff . Finally, Friday is Student Appreciation Day. Our students have free dress and a special treat at recess. It’s a great week of pride and achievement for Catholic schools. We invite you to come and get to know your wonderful elementary school on Tuesday evening; and see how Catholic Schools truly do light the way for our students! Posted on January 17, 2008 Catholic Schools Week 2008 “Catholic Schools Light the Way.” This is the theme for Catholic Schools Week this year, which runs from January 27—February 2. Next weekend, students from our two schools, St. Monica Elementary School and St. Monica High School, will be present at all of our liturgies serving in various liturgical ministries. We are blessed to have our two schools as vital ministries within our community, and we welcome all of the students who will be present at our masses on this special weekend. They certainly do “light the way!” Posted on January 17, 2008 Update on Kenya Our sister parish in Kenya, Holy Cross Parish, has over 38,000 parishioners who live in Dandora, a community of over 700,000 people. Due to the recent unrest in Kenya, many thousands are without food. St. Monica Holy Cross Africa Ministry has sent $5,000.00 to our sister parish to help purchase food and other needed supplies. Fr. Andrew Massawe, pastor or Holy Cross Church, and a visitor to St. Monica last summer reports that the parish has organized food distribution which began Monday, January 14, 2008. He also reports that at this time none of their parishioners have been adversely affected with physical violence or harm. Posted on December 28, 2007 St. Monica Library At the far northeast corner of the St. Monica Campus, on the second floor of the Spirituality Center sits our beautiful little jewel of a library. Peaceful and well stocked, our circulating and reference library is attracting a following among parishioners and priests. Here are our upcoming changes for 2008: New Hours: The St. Monica Spirituality Center Library is currently open the first and third Fridays of the month from 4 - 7 pm. Starting January 6, we'll also be open every Sunday from 10 - 1. Donations Sought: We accept donations of new and used books, CDs, videos, and DVDs with a Catholic or other spiritual theme. Children's materials are especially needed. Drop-Off Basket: You may leavedonations or return books to our Drop-Off basket in the Pastoral Center reception area. Librarians Wanted: Are you a book lover who wants to help our parish community? We offer training, flexible hours and no night meetings. To become a SC Librarian, please contact Lynn O. Peterson by email or call (310) 396-4448. Our goal is to be open whenever you want us to be, and to stock the books you want to read. Help us reach our goals in 2008 by visiting, donating, and volunteering. Posted on December 20, 2007 Holiday Thank You message from Monsignor Thank you for choosing St. Monica for your Christmas celebration. We would be honored to have you as here on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and hope that you will find something among the we off er you during this hope, hospitality, healing, forgiveness, inspiration, education and contemplation, and most of all, a community of love in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Taste and see the good things that God has in store for you at St. Monica: freely given, no strings attached, no matter what your circumstance may be in life. Th is bulletin includes just a sample of the wonderful opportunities that you will find in this parish. Merry Christmas! I want to thank all of you for your generosity to the outreach ministries this year. The Adopt-a-Family program met the needs of over 300 families; the toy drive donations provided excitement for over 1000 children in the Santa Monica community. Our children and teens at El Hogar were blessed with your generosity again this Christmas. Our sister parish in Dandora, Nairobi, Kenya were recipients of your generosity as well. |
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