Welcome our Newest Catholics!

 

 

Those who were baptized, confirmed, and shared in the Eucharist for the first time include: Will Abbruzzese, Sarah Brauze, Phillip Le, Jonathon Svitesic, and Alicia Shelton.

 

Those who were received into full communion from other Christian traditions, confirmed, and shared in the Eucharist for the first time include: Nike Adebowale, Jon DeLuca, LeAnne Deppisch, Kathryn Domanchuk, Kim Hoad, Julianna Pinnaro, Cameron Robbins, and Jacquelyn Wright.

 

Baptized Catholics who completed their initiation into the Church include: Jeff Nielson, Eric Popowicz, Deirdre Sandquist, and Laurie Suhr.

 

This group has been preparing for several months to complete their initiation into the Catholic Church. Here are some of their reflections on the experience of Saturday's Vigil and completing their initiation:

 

"I'm so grateful to be welcomed to the table of plenty by Saint Clement and look forward to continuing my journey with the parish."  

- Jacquelyn Wright

 

"It's hard to describe how it feels to be fully initiated. From the moment I felt Father Ken's hands touch my forehead, anointing me with chrism, I have felt lighter. Partaking in Eucharist was something completely surreal. My body and soul feel healed. Any burden that has come my way feels less cumbersome. I can honestly not thank the Saint Clement team enough for bringing me into full communion with the Lord."   

- Jeff Nielson

 

 

"Accompanying Julianna through the RCIA process has been wonderful, especially as we experienced the rich liturgies of Holy Week and being reminded by Father Ken that Catholics are people of the senses. From the washing of feet to the anointing with chrism, we are called to encounter and serve Christ on a daily basis in a variety of ways."  

- Tim Masterton

 

"I was overwhelmingly touched by the baptism of the Elect. Admittedly, I had my doubts about the process of parading the Elect around the church in uniform robes, dousing them with multiple pitchers of water, and making them stand dripping wet while hundreds of people sing in their direction. It seemed almost unnecessarily humbling. Yet, witnessing it for the first time, I found myself wiping away tears as I comprehended the significance of the moment. It was especially moving to see one of the newly baptized look into the crowd, make eye contact with their sponsor, and smile broadly. A moment that I thought would be discomfiting was instead wonderfully uplifting." - Kathryn Domanchuk

 

"Being fully initiated in the church is just the beginning of deepening my faith and acts as a means to bring my family closer through a relationship with God." - Cameron Robbins

 

"It was very rewarding to walk the path with my fiancé, whom I sponsored in the RCIA process. The six-month RCIA journey really culminates in the Easter Vigil, and it is incredible that the elect and the candidates are such an integral part of that mass. Seeing them get baptized and confirmed was very moving!" - Laura Navarre

 

Stories of Stewards

 

As part of our ongoing engagement process, we have come to realize the importance of parishioners sharing their personal stories of how they have connected with Saint Clement as an important factor in their lives. As a feature twice a month, we share the stories and reflections of our engaged parishioners who are living a stewardship life of prayer, service, and giving. This week we hear from Phil Chung.

 

"I've been a Catholic for less than six months...if I were a baby I wouldn't even be able to crawl! So please, bear with me as I try to walk before I crawl and share my perspective on stewardship.

 

I love how Saint Clement breaks down stewardship into a more child-friendly concept of how we manage our talents, treasures, and time. It encouraged me to share my talents (I helped Fr. Manny lose 40+ pounds) and time (volunteering with the God Squad, Saint Clement's youth group...yes, we have a youth group!).

 

I'll avoid babbling about how I've received more from sharing my talents and time than I've put in because you already know how that goes. Instead I'll share my struggle to give my treasures.

 

My wife, Abby, and I have three kids under three years old--our youngest are twins. I'm a personal trainer and my wife is an account manager for a dot-com. We are not poor by any standards, but we aren't rich either. Like many families, money is a constant topic in our house and we wish we had more of it!

 

With that said, I grew up watching my parents tithe (10 percent of their income--it's very Old Testament) faithfully through good times and bad times; I remember them continuing to tithe even after they lost their business. As good of an example as they set for me, we found ourselves only being able to give barely five percent of our income to the Church last year.

 

But, this year I am reminded of a few people in the New Testament:

• Zaccheaus--gave 50 percent of his wealth to the poor and 400 percent back on what he stole.
• The Poor Widow--gave two small copper coins but it was 100 percent of her wealth.
• However, the story that resonated with me the most is how God gave his greatest treasure--his son Jesus Christ--PRICELESS.

Now, we're not giving up our children any time soon, although there are probably times we could be convinced, but we're trying to be better stewards of our treasures so we can increase our financial commitment to the Church. I'm not sure what God expects from us, but if he's anything like me as a father, he'll expect some progress this year!"

Children Pray the Way of the Cross

 

As part of an annual Holy Week tradition at Saint Clement, dozens of children gathered in the Chapel last Friday morning to celebrate The Way of the Cross for Children. Also called Stations of the Cross, the children's version included a booklet with a brief description on each of the 15 stations, showing the final hours before Jesus died. The final station is Jesus' resurrection.

 

Father Ken Simpson provided a narration on each of the 15 stations, with each station ending in prayer. The older children could recite the prayer themselves, while the younger children listened as their parents read it to them.

  

Fr. Ken was assisted by parishioner Aileen Scommegna, who signaled when to kneel with the help of a bell. She also led the children in song, "Jesus, Remember Me." Many children were overheard singing the song as they left the short service! 

 
The deadline is quickly approaching to
register for the
8th-annual Clement
Service Day (held on Saturday, April 27).
Don't miss the opportunity to join the hundreds of fellow parishioners who come together to participate in service projects at organizations throughout the city -- such as homeless shelters, childcare centers, soup kitchens, and senior homes.

We encourage families to participate! Please note, any participant under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian also volunteering during Clement Service Day. New this year is a pilot off-site family location for parents to serve alongside their 6th & 7th grade children; there are only a limited number of spots left, so please register soon.

Register today and we'll match you with a service activity that will challenge you and give you the chance to practice the values of your faith. Know of any organizations or project sites in the city that could benefit from our service? Please contact Maggie Hanley.

Please note, we once again are collecting gently used clothing and unused travel-sized hygiene products. Details can be found online .

We hope you join us on this inspiring day of service and community!