Scripture Calling for all Ministries: Matthew
25: 34-40 NAB
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in
prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer
him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed
you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you
a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say
to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers
of mine, you did for me.'
Family Programs
Pre-school through Jr. High.
The Newman Center provides a family approach to religious
education. Our program takes place on the first and third
Sundays of the month following the 9 a.m. mass from October
through May. Families are expected to (by-and-large)
attend 9 a.m. mass. The first Sunday of the month is
Lesson Sunday; we break up into grade levels, from pre-school
through Jr. High. Parents are expected to sit in on sessions
with their children, Jr. High group excepted. There is
an adult discussion group for parents of Jr. High students.
On the third Sunday we gather for an intergenerational
activity. Sacramental preparation sessions for children
will be on the second Sunday of the month beginning in
January.
For more information or to register contact Candy Pulliam
at 916-813-5475 or cpulliam@lacooperativa.org.
High School
Youth Ministry Program
Newman Catholic Community's High School Youth Ministry
program is here to help continue the spiritual growth
in the youth of our community. We meet 2-3 times every
month on Sundays at 5:30 PM. The program runs until 7:15
PM and includes faith formation, activities/competitions,
and dinner! Once they have finished with dinner they
are invited to stay for 7:30pm Mass - if they have not
already gone to Mass that day. This will allow them to
see what waits for them when they travel away to college
and they go looking for a college-based faith community.
The Newman Center, although primarily dedicated toward
college students, has historically been a place to which
high school students have also been attracted. Understanding
the importance of ministering to this age group, the
Newman Center decided a few years ago to cater to high
school students as well. Since then, the program has
flourished, as nearly 50 students are now registered!
Along with high school ministry we have a high school
junior/senior training program that enables juniors and
seniors to work on leadership skills and communication
techniques. The reason for this training program is to
have older teens held accountable for what they have
learned in their years of high school and to relate these
experiences to other teens. It allows them to not only
talk about their faith but to walk and live it out each
day as a mentor to teens. The training program takes
place in the summer and checks in periodically throughout
the year.
For more information or questions please contact Tony
Cortese at 916-454-4188 ext 13 or by email: tcortese@sacnewman.org
Baptism Preparation
Sessions for Parents with Infants
We offer a three session process to prepare parents requesting
infant baptism for their children. The first class is
an overview of baptism and is a time to discern if this
is the right time for the celebration of the sacrament.
The second session helps to understand the elements of
the sacrament. The third session takes place after the
baptism and is a jump start on christian parenting. Sharing
with other parents offers a great deal of support for
young families and helps us to experience church.
For further information contact Deacon Joe and Patty
Symkowick at 916-481-7857.
Rite of Christian
Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
The RCIA program is for adults who are interested in
becoming Catholic or for adults who have missed receiving
Confirmation and/or Eucharist. The program meets on Sundays
following the 10:30 mass, beginning in October and ending
in the spring. Participants are expected to attend the
10:30 mass.
For more information contact Candy Pulliam at: 916-813-5475
or cpulliam@lacooperativa.org
Loaves and
Fishes
Loaves and Fishes is a non-profit organization providing
service in a spirit of love, hospitality, and generosity
to all those who come for assistance. We serve each person
with the knowledge that “as often as you did it
for one of my least brothers and sisters, you did it
for me.” Matthew 25:30
Each 3rd Saturday the Newman Catholic Community prepares
the main dish called Casserole Ole and serves a full
meal for the homeless and hungry guests. Any members
of our community are welcome to come and help prepare
and/or serve the meal from 8:00am to 12:30pm. Please
join us!
John XXIII
Society
The John XXIII Society is a study and discussion group
that meets about once a month in the evening to discuss
theology, Catholic Culture, Church history, and other
issues facing the modern Church. We principally read
and discuss Church documents, but we also periodically
have guest speakers. Everyone is welcome.
For more information contact Brain Briggs at: bbriggs@stfrancishs.org
or 916-456-7161
Just Faith
Just Faith is a thirty week process that is essentially
an invitation to embrace and be transformed by the
Social Teachings of the Catholic Church. It provides
a lively and challenging opportunity to read, discuss,
pray experience and be formed by Catholic Social Teaching
and the Scriptures as they relate to the poor and vulnerable
in our community, nation, and world. It is jointly
sponsored by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development,
Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Service.
This process involves weekly sessions, retreats, immersion
(or “border-crossing”) experiences, prayer,
guest speakers, videos, and much more. It changes lives,
inspires faithful witness, and seeks to transform the
world through love and service.
If you are interested contact Deacon Joe and Patty Symkowick
at 916-481-7857.
Maryknoll
Affiliates
Newman sponsors a chapter of the Maryknoll Affiliates.
Maryknoll Affiliates, while continuing to pursue their
own life’s journey, commit themselves to the mission
goals of Maryknoll in the context of Chapters that gather
for prayer, reflection and action. Maryknoll Affiliates
challenge one another to witness to mission as a way
of life by going beyond the borders, locally and globally,
walking with the poor and excluded, and striving for
peace and justice for all of God’s creation.
The Affiliate movement holds the four pillars of community,
Spirituality, Global Vision, and Action as its guiding
principle. We believe that he Spirit who guides us on
our journey moves without boundaries and that God’s
unconditional love is ever-present in all cultures and
peoples. We believe that we must be in solidarity with
the poor, oppressed and excluded persons of our world
by taking actions for justice and peace, insisting that
their voices be heard, and encouraging their fuller participation
in the church and society.
We meet about seven times a year and share prayer and
experiences of mission, mostly with Maryknoll missionaries.
We have opportunities for immersion experiences and short-term
missions with Maryknoll. We also engage in various peace
and justice activities locally.
If you are interested contact Deacon Joe and Patty Symkowick
at 916-481-7857.
Student Programs
The student programs at Newman are planned and hosted
by the student leadership team. The team consists of
approximately seven college students who work to make
Newman an inviting and welcoming atmosphere for the
college students and community members. Throughout
the year the team will have different social events
such as dinners, dances and community service activities.
They also organize the Wednesday Night 6:30pm mass,
dinner, and social/spiritual activity. Along with the
Wednesday Night Activity, Student Programs includes
Sunday Mass, Retreats, and representing the Catholic
student population through Student Activities at Sacramento
State. Also, the students spend evenings here studying,
hanging out and creating a place that is comfortable
for them and others. The center is open Monday thru
Thursday, 9am-10pm, with wireless internet, TV, and
food.
For more information please contact the Campus Minister,
Maggie Kawasaki-Murray, at 916-454-4188 ext. 12 or kawasakim@sacnewman.org.
Liturgy
Lectors - Those participating in the lector ministry
are called to proclaim the Word of God for Masses offered
on Saturday, Sundays, Holy Days, and other special
services throughout the Church year. The lector’s
task is to reveal God’s presence in the liturgy
of the living Word for our parish community. For one
to become a Lector one must attend formal training,
which will be offered twice a calendar year. Typically,
two lectors are scheduled for each mass. Once scheduled,
each lector is responsible for finding a substitute
lector or contacting his/her partner lector if unable
to serve at Mass. Schedules and other important information
are relayed to lectors via mail, e-mail, by phone,
and at church.
Eucharistic Ministers - A Eucharistic Minister is a lay
person who has been trained and commissioned to distribute
the “True Presence of Jesus Christ,” i.e.
the ‘Consecrated Host,’ ‘Holy Communion,’ ‘Eucharist,’ to
other parishioners during, and even outside of, Mass.
Typically, Eucharistic Ministers can also distribute ‘Holy
Communion’ to those in prison, or to those who
are sick and unable or incapable of attending the Sacrifice
of the Mass. For one to become a Eucharistic Minister
one must attend formal training, which will be offered
twice a calendar year.
If interested in either being a Lector or Eucharistic
Minister contact Carissa Baltazar at 916-454-4188.
Music
The music for Masses at the Newman Center is meant to
be uplifting and a means of bringing the congregation
closer to God and more involved in the Mass. We would
love to have more involvement in the music program.
The different options we will be offering will be presented
more specifically once we are able to gauge the different
kinds of musical talents people would like to bring
and the level of interest in various possible aspects
of music at Mass.
For further information please contact the Music Director,
Amy Ridens at: 916-454-4188 or ridens22@yahoo.com.
Newman Lazarus
Ministry
The Lazarus Ministry assists members of the Newman Community
during times of illness, hospitalization or loss of a
loved one. With Christ-centered caring, our focus is
to be there for one another during such a family crisis
with commitment of daily prayers, visits to the sick,
emergency meals, and when reasonably possible, transportation
assistance.
As a community of faith, we understand our call to be
brothers and sisters in Christ through caring for each
other.
For more information please contact the Co-chairs: Gerry
Keane at 916-686-6896 or Rose Vasquez at 916-482-0179.
Family
Promise
Family Promise of Sacramento is a nonprofit program designed
specifically for homeless families to help them achieve
self-sufficiency and regain a home for themselves and
their children. These families receive counseling and
training at a day center located near Loaves and Fishes,
but evening shelter for the families is provided by a
network of over 16 local congregations. We have recently
joined this network as a “helper congregation” and
have paired up with Fremont Presbyterian Church (which
is a block away) to provide at least one meal to the
families that are in the program during the weeks they
spend at that host church (The families stay at each
of the congregations for 1 week at a time, 3 or 4 times
a year).
The work of Family Promise of Sacramento is inspired
by faith, and they enthusiastically welcome supporters
and volunteers from any faith and tradition. It is believed
that the diversity of spirit and union of faiths offers
an invaluable environment that helps these families reclaim
their lives.
Deaf Ministry
at Newman Catholic Community
The Catholic Deaf Community gathers for interpreted Mass
every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. All are invited!
Other opportunities are available, including:
--Special events with Father Paul Zirimenya, deaf priest
from San Francisco
--Religious education for children and adults
--Classes in basic ASL
--Specialized training for sign language interpreter
For more information, please contact: deafministry@diocese-sacramento.org
Young
Adult Ministry
The Newman Catholic Community offers a ministry
for post-undergraduate young adults aged 22-35 who are
seeking spiritual development, faith formation and socializing.
The program typically meets two times per month on Friday
evenings at 7:00 PM. The evenings include potluck dinner
(yes, bring a dish for everyone to share!) and faith
sharing/formation. This ministry was developed recently
to meet the demands of an ever-growing population in
our community of young adults recent graduated from college
seeking to share their faith with peers. The program
is characterized by a commitment to open-minded dialogue
in which every opinion is valued and respected.
For more information, please contact Tony Cortese @ 916-454-4188
ext 13 or by email: tcortese@sacnewman.org
