My Dear People:

I again remind everyone this Monday, for Catholics, is a day of Personal Penance and Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.  As a parish, St. Lawrence will have an Hour of Adoration and Benediction from 4:30pm to 5:30pm on Monday, January 23, followed by a Mass at 5:30. 

On Martin Luther King Day, I was blessed to be at both the Mass at the Cathedral and the Ecumenical Service at the Lawrence United Methodist Church.  The first event was sponsored by the Knights of St. Peter Claver, and the second included a hymn by our Choir from the 6pm Spanish Mass.  Both events had representation from our parish.  I hope your observance of this day was prayerful as well. 

This weekend, the Christmas decorations in the church were put away with an efficiency and dedication that is an example of how all people are involved in the ministries at St. Lawrence.  I thank you all for your continued love of God, that is shown forth in so many different ways, and which is particularly seen in all activities here. 

Our 6:45am weekday Communion Service is again in need of a couple more people to lead the services.  Please consider this service, and call the office if you have any questions.  If I understand correctly, for the near future we have no one covering for Monday.  For everyone, I remind you that this short service has been a part of St. Lawrence for decades.  If your work schedule allows, you might find this a wonderful way to spend time with the Lord at the beginning of the day. 

           
May God’s Blessings Surround You, 

Fr. Tom

Click here to listen to the latest homily on January 22, 2012 given by Deacon Tom

May the Luck of the Irish will be with you at our annual Father Beechem Benefit on St. Patrick’s Day! Make plans now to celebrate with your St. Lawrence friends!

Date:  St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, March 17
Venue: The fabulous Oak Hill Mansion, Carmel
Time: From 6:00 p.m. until 12:00 midnight
Events: Silent & live auctions, choice and 50/50 raffles, wine pull, dinner, spirits and dancing at our Dublin disco.

Click here to view and download the flyer!

The Father Beechem Committee needs your help! Do you have an extra bottle of wine, a gift card you haven’t used, rewards points you haven’t redeemed? We have an easy way for you to put these items to a much better use! Consider donating any of these to the Father Beechem Auction and feel great knowing you’ve made a difference in the life of a child seeking an education at St. Lawrence School. You may simply drop off your item at the school office during the weekday (labeled “Fr. Beechem Auction”), or call Kandice Murphy at 694-6104 to make other arrangements. We appreciate your support! 

To all -- St. Lawrence has partnered with Papa John's Pizza.   We can earn money for each pizza that is ordered online by using the following promo code:  STLW100   This code allows Papa John's to offer all parishioners and friends a special discount of 20% off all regular menu priced items at PapaJohns.com. Each month Papa John's will donate a percentage of the total months sales back to St. Lawrence. If you have any questions please contact Michelle Kolosso (mlkolonindy@gmail.com)

As Super Bowl Sunday nears we are planning parties and lots of fun, but there are many people who live on the streets that will have no where to go except to the Catholic Soup Kitchen for a meal. They need blankets, pillows, gloves and hats. If you have some that are gently used and looking for a new home, please bring them to church next week-end. We will be collecting them for the homeless when we spend Super Bowl Sunday at the Catholic Soup Kitchen behind the Cathedral. A box will be in the Narthex for the collection. If you want to feel warm when it is cold give me a call and join us some Sunday from 12:00 - 2:00. Get to know some people who really mean it when they say “God Bless you for helping us.” Stewardship Team, Holly Blagburn, 723-3349

Please keep in your prayers the following, Candidates, Sponsors and Presenters for this year's RCIA Class:

Gordon Moore, Lou Mitchell, Ann Stankiewicz, Tom Underwood, Sandra Neely, Pat Beaupre, Bob & Dorothy Root, David Hodge, Catherine & George Scott, Deacon Tom, Lucky Sample, Katherine Curls and Sr. Pedro Opara

Boy Scout Troop and Venture Crew #427 will be taking orders for Super Bowl pizzas after mass this weekend and next weekend.  Order your Boy Scout pizzas today.  Pickup after mass, Super Bowl weekend: February 4th & 5th.  Pizza Choices: Cheese, Pepperoni, Sausage, Combo, Veggie, & Supreme.

Join Deacon Bob Decker, PLC at St. Andrew the Apostle each Wed. Jan. 11 – Feb. 15 from 6:30-8:30pm for “Scripture in the Eucharist”.  Make time for reflection, discussion, and “unpeeling the layers” of the Eucharist.

If you are not participating in this program already please consider doing so.
If you are participating this gives you an opportunity to change you contribution amount and distribution.  Of course changes can be made at anytime online or by toll free number to Faith Direct.

Thank you for your continued support of St Lawrence, without your support we would be unable to continue our works of faith.

Ten Reasons to Make Your Offertory Gift Through
Faith Direct

1.  No more checks to write or envelopes to find
2.  52 weeks of predictable income for your parish
3.  Greater security than cash or checks
4.  No cost for you to participate
5.  Online control of your offertory giving – including special collections
6.   Reduction of envelope and postage expense for St. Lawrence
7.   Less work by our parish office staff to post contribution records
8.   Offertory cards enable you to witness your gift of treasure
9.   Earn credit card points for your offertory gifts
10. Fr. Beitans does it

If would like to help St. Lawrence save money and also spare a few trees in the process, please visit www.faithdirect.net and use our parish code of 124 to enroll in our electronic giving program.  You can also pick up an enrollment form in the back of church or from the parish office.  Once you have enrolled in Faith Direct, we will no longer send you offertory envelopes.

The Mardi Gras Dessert Reception to benefit our High School Youth Ministry mission trip to Red Lake Indian Reservation is Tuesday, February 21st from 6:30-8:00pm.  Please come and meet our future church and hear about their mission experiences and faith formation!  All parishioners are invited!

Please remember the sick of our parish: Archbishop Daniel Buechlein, Tim Bolger, Bob Brown, Patty Burton, Jim Church, Ben Cockrum, Jack Coop, Paul & Anna Danford, Dave Gerteisen, Fr. Boniface Hardin, Rita Keever, Gail Koehler, Eltrupe Martin, John Nix,  Bob Poorman, Helen Porter, Asha & Maya Prabhaker, Norma Ransdell, Tom Raymond, Theresa Riley, Catherine Scheidt, George Schott, Karen Schotter, Rosalie Stricker, Sr. Rosalie Weller, Carlos & Delmira Fraguerio, Peggy Martin,  Joe Valvo, Melaine Gaddo,  Marie Jacobs,  Audrey Anne Pfeuffer, Steve Smith, Bill Close, Amie, Maria Radtke, John Alexander, Rita Specht, Pete Coraggio, Jim Streeter

Show your support for St. Lawrence while you save money and earn cash back!  We now have our own website featuring thousands of partner stores.  When you make a purchase on www.Stlawrenceshopping.com, St. Lawrence receives royalties and you earn up to 35% cash back on qualified purchases.  You also earn 0.5% cash back on the purchases of everyone you refer to our website.  To get started:

1. Visit www.Stlawrenceshopping.com
2. Register as a preferred customer
3. Go shopping

If you have any problems contact Dave Ward, 371-2270 or dlward04@sbcglobal.net

At the request of Bishop Coyne, The Apostolic Administrator all the faithful are encouraged to offer prayers that God may bless us soon with a new archbishop for the Church in Central and Southern Indiana

Lord God, you are our eternal shepherd and guide.
In you mercy, grant to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
A shepherd who will walk in your ways
And whose watchful care
will bring us your blessing.

In your love for us, give us the joy of receiving a shepherd
Who will be an example of goodness to your people?
And who will fill our hearts and minds with the truth of the Gospel.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

My inspirations for the weekly column come from hearing from all of you, so please let me know if you have a Stewardship idea.  Today’s idea was shared by one of my CRHP Sisters with whom I have found myself sharing many moments to remember.  Stewardship is not a program, but a way of life; not an activity but an attitude; not the latest fad but biblically based; not a way to raise money but a way to attain holiness; not just a decision of the head but a conversion of the heart; not an option but integral to our Catholic faith; not another thing to do but why and how we do what we do; not about our generosity but our response to God’s generosity.  Stewardship is what you do after you say, “I believe.”  There are 3 T’s to Stewardship:  Time spent in prayer and worship alone or with family and friends sharing the stories of God’s generosity or talking to HIM and listening to what HE has to say.  Talents that God blessed you with should be shared with others. We spend more time denying we have a talent than we do in nurturing what HE gave us and watching HIS love spread through what we are willing to give of ourselves.  Treasure is given from the heart because we want to be as generous as HE is to each of us.  This week please sit down and examine the 3 T’s and decide which you want to water and prune this year as there are many opportunities within the Church Community that need a flowering bloom just like YOU. 

The Stewardship Committee

St. Vincent de Paul Warehouse Volunteers

St. Lawrence’s regular shift to work at the St. Vincent de Paul Distribution Center is scheduled for Jan. 28.  Come one, come all!!  We especially need drivers and helpers to pick up donated items on the truck route.  The more driver teams we have, the more items that we can pick up to serve the poor.  Call Joe Carey at 849-7040.

$1 Club
The holder of envelope #1539 did not contribute to the 50/50 $1 Club drawing collection Jan. 8.  The Pot was $3,249, which will be added to next week’s collection.

$5 Club
The holder of envelope #423 did not contribute to the 50/50 $5 Club drawing collection Jan. 8.  The pot was $8,090 which will be added to next week’s collection