Successful March In Tulsa

Thank you, Tulsa for making the Mass for Life and the 1^st Tulsa March for Life a huge success.  Holy Family Cathedral was standing room only with overflow out the front steps of the Cathedral.  The 1^st Tulsa March for Life had 3,000 marchers and a passionate rally to end the perfect evening.  Even though we pray for an end to abortion soon, place this date on your calendar for next year, January 22, 2011.  Either way we will march in unity and pray for the dignity of life. 

Upcoming Pro-Life Events

Rose Day, Wednesday, February 3

Visit your Legislators at the State Capitol expressing your beliefs in the dignity of life, Dr. Alveda King will be the guest speaker (flyer attached).

1^st Bishop’s Pro-Life Dinner, Saturday, March 6

Join Bishop Edward J. Slattery for dinner and guest speaker David Bereit the National Director of the 40 Days for Life Campaign (details coming soon).

Thank you for supporting life.

For Life,

Tracy Callicoat

Diocese of Tulsa

Family Life, Pro-Life and NFP

Direct:  918-307-4939

Fax:  918-294-0920

tracy.callicoat@dioceseoftulsa.org

Tulsa World Publishes Story on March for Life

Yesterday, yes, Jan. 26th, the Tulsa World published an article about the March for Life held last Friday. The official estimates, published in the article, estimated that over 3,000 attended the March. I am including a link to the article for you to read. I encourage you to also read the comments to the article at the bottom. I was amazed at the lack of media attention to the march while, in most cases, if the protest would have had a dozen and was something more ‘popular’ or politically correct the media would have been all over it.

Click here to view the story

Bloody Sunday/Bogside Massacre Exhibit at Holy Family – 1/21

This coming Sunday, January 31 see the exhibit to Bloody Sunday at Holy Family Cathedral following 12pm mass. The exhibit is being put on display by the Ancient Order of Hibernians - Bobby Sands division , Tulsa.

 

Bloody Sunday - Sometimes called the Bogside Massacre occurred January 30, 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland. Twenty-seven civil rights protesters were shot by a British Army Parachute Regiment during a Northern Ireland Civil rights association march. See exhibit to this event in Tulsa this weekend at Holy Family Cathedral.

Blood Drive and Breakfast at St. Pius X

Thanks to all that attended the Breakfast and Blood Drive this past Sunday! Your donation of the gift of life is appreciated and we hope to see you again in about 54 days!

1st March for Life Success!

Council 4721 had a wonderful turnout to the first Tulsa March for Life! Led by our Bishop and many priests, Catholics were not the only ones that attended this incredible event. Mass began at 5 PM with an Honor Guard from the 4th Degree. Fourteen Knights from various Assemblies around Tulsa performed the honors. Bishop Slattery celebrated with priests of the Diocese a Mass of Penance for the sins against Life.

After Mass, 8 Knights from 4721 provided Marshall duties at the corner of 9th and Boulder. Other Councils from around the area protected the protesters at the corners where they passed. As you can see from the pictures, well over a thousand participated in this March for Life.

View Full Album

Mass for Life Homily at St. Gregory's Abbey and University

Mass for Life – January 22, 2010: St. Gregory’s Abbey & University


Readings: 1 John 1:5-2:2 and Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

My brothers and sisters in Christ, today – in keeping with the instruction of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) – we are observing a special day of penance and reparation for sins against the dignity of the human person through acts of abortion. Of course the reason for this particular observance is that today is the 37th anniversary of the “Roe vs. Wade” decision that effectively legalized abortion in the United States. That single legal opinion, and the subsequent millions upon millions of individual and societal decisions that have been made in its wake, not only have taken the lives of countless human beings in the womb, but have also taken an unimaginable toll on those who have turned to abortion, those who have performed abortions, those who have encouraged abortions, and on our society as a whole as we have witnessed a steady desensitization regarding all forms of assaults on human dignity and life at all its stages.

This day of prayer and this celebration of the Eucharist in particular must be understood in their proper context. Yes, we are expressing our sorrow and are performing acts of penance for the countless sins that have been committed against human dignity specifically through abortion. But most of all our day of prayer today can only be fully understood in the context of hope. Even in the face of countless acts against life, we must remember that our God is the God of Life. And in this truth we are called to remember that God continues not only to call all peoples to the fullness of life through the grace and reconciliation that has been won for us in Jesus Christ, but that God also calls each of us to be channels of that grace, that reconciliation, that healing and that love which God alone can provide.

That is why today is a day of hope. It is a day of hope because we recognize that the “culture of death” has not achieved, nor will it ever achieve, a final victory. No, Jesus – our Lord of Life – has already won the victory over sin and death, and he continues to be with us to call us and to strengthen us to bring the good news of his victory through the Gospel of Life.

In light of this fundamental truth, I would like to quote from a document written by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1998 entitled “Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to All Americans.” Paragraph 27 of that document holds an important message for us today.

“God is always ready to answer our prayers for help with the virtues we need to do His will. First and foremost we need the courage and the honesty to speak the truth about human life, no matter how high the cost to ourselves. The great lie of our age is that we are powerless in the face of the compromises, structures and temptations of mass culture. But we are not powerless. We can make a difference. We belong to the Lord, in Him is our strength, and through His grace, we can change the world. We also need the humility to listen well to both friend and opponent on the abortion issue, learning from each and forgetting ourselves. We need the perseverance to continue the struggle for the protection of human life, no matter what the setbacks, trusting in God and in the ultimate fruitfulness of the task He has called us to. We need the prudence to know when and how to act in the public arena -- and also to recognize and dismiss that fear of acting which postures as prudence itself. And finally we need the great foundation of every apostolic life: faith, hope and charity. Faith not in moral or political abstractions, but in the personal presence of God; hope not in our own ingenuity, but in His goodness and mercy; and love for others, including those who oppose us, rooted in the love God showers down on us.” (USCCB, Living the Gospel of Life, 27)

Courage, honesty, humility, perseverance, prudence, faith, hope and love: These indeed are virtues that we need as we accept the call of the Lord to be ministers of the Gospel of Life in our world today.

Without the grace of these virtues, our efforts to promote the cause of Life might very well fall into self-righteousness, contempt for others, and pride. Like the older brother in today’s gospel, we might be so absorbed in our own fidelity that we actually become a barrier to the healing and welcoming love of the Father of Mercies. The spirit of our service, rather, needs to be offered with a humble, honest and courageous acknowledgement that we are all sinners, that we have each in our own way squandered the gift of life that has been so abundantly entrusted to us and that we are beneficiaries of the forgiveness of God. As the First Letter of John states, to say that we have not sinned is to live in self-deception and in our own self-imposed darkness.

On the other hand, to humbly acknowledge that we have sinned is to come into the light of Christ so that we might receive and live in that love that He has shared with us, bearing witness to the hope of salvation. Rather than becoming self-righteous, we will be able to be instruments of hope, healing, conversion and life for one another, for our culture and for our world.

And so today we turn with hope to the Lord of Life and Light to grant us the healing, forgiveness, reconciliation and new life that only He can give, and which He indeed came to give freely. I close this homily with the beautiful and inspiring words that the Most Reverend Paul Loverde, Bishop of Arlington, delivered in a homily on January 22, 2009:

"Our prayer is answered here. Hope comes to us, beyond words: the Lord Jesus Himself, Hope Incarnate! He embraces us in Holy Communion: He sends us forth, so that by word and deed, we may live the Gospel of Life and witness to Him, Christ Our Hope! He sends us forth today … into the streets where we live, not to be violent or cynical, not to crush those who are already burdened by their participation, often without full consent, in abortion. We are sent forth to proclaim hope, the hope that forgives and heals, the hope that strengthens and enables all of us in our efforts to eliminate abortion and to promote life! This is the hope that, through God's grace and only with His grace, will empower us to overturn the current culture of death and to restore and to intensify the new culture of life.”

Schedule of Upcoming Events

• March for Life is Friday, Jan. 22nd at 5 pm. As mentioned before, we are responsible for the corner of 9th and Denver. The March will commence after a Mass at the Cathedral. Mass will begin at 5pm. Be there time for the Honor Guard will be 4:30 pm.
• This Sunday is the Pancake Breakfast at St. Pius X. Breakfast is served after the 8 AM and 10:30 Masses. If you plan to assist, please come about 30 minutes before the Mass. Please stick around and help out cleaning up the kitchen.
• The Blood Drive is also going on this Sunday. Don’t forget to attend the breakfast and have breakfast as well.
• Priests’ Appreciation Dinner is Feb. 8th at the Council Hall. Drinks at 6 and dinner follows at 7. Priests, Deacons and their wives are free. Knights and their wives are $10. The bar is a cash bar. Please contact Lon, J.A. or Arthur to confirm if you will attend.
• Ladies Appreciation Dinner is Feb. 14th at 3 pm at the Hall. Social Hour begins at 3 pm with dinner at 4 pm. This dinner is for our wives and Religious Sisters of the Diocese.
• Our Council will sponsor the Pius X Friday Lenten meal on Friday, Feb. 26th. The meal will follow the Stations of the Cross at St. Pius.
• Sunday, Feb. 21st, we will have the Pancake Breakfast at St. Pius X.
• Chris King has spoken with Fr. Mike, the St. Pius Boy Scout leader, and the St. Pius Youth Director and all are in favor of (and excited about) us starting a Squires Circle at St. Pius.  He is working with the parish on a date but is planning to have the introductory social for the young men and their parents the first week of February.
• Be expecting a call from a Brother Knight. We will be doing a drive to encourage participation at the meetings and the activities.

 

Good of the Order:

Paul Dudley's son-in-law Mendenhall died

Heart surgery for Jeanette Friendly mother-in-law of Arthur Barber

Died:Charles Bodine father-in-law of Jim Miller

Surgery for Jacob Pruitt, related to Scott Collier

MARCH FOR LIFE FRIDAY, JANUARY 22nd AT 5:00 PM

Tulsa and surrounding areas –

Let’s show our community that Tulsa and Oklahoma are Pro-Life by attending Mass and by marching tomorrow night.

Abortion was legalized in the United States 37 years ago this month.  Since then over 50 million babies have lost their lives to abortion.  Pray for an end to abortion and join Most Rev. Bishop Edward J. Slattery who will celebrate the Mass for Life at Holy Family Cathedral at 5:00pm on January 22, 2010.

After Mass join Bishop Edward J. Slattery and participate in the 1^st Tulsa March for Life.  The March starts at Holy Family Cathedral and ends at 6^th & Boston at the new Chapman Centennial Green where a rally will take place.  A rally will be held approximately 30 minutes long with three speakers.

• Dr. Kevin Donovan will speak on when life begins
• Cynthia Carney will share her testimony of having an abortion
• Dr. McCutchen from Mount Zion Baptist Church will speak how abortion has impacted the black community

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or go to our blog at tulsamarchforlife.wordpress.com.

Thank you for supporting life.

For Life,

Tracy Callicoat

Diocese of Tulsa

Family Life, Pro-Life and NFP

Direct:  918-307-4939

Fax:  918-294-0920

tracy.callicoat@dioceseoftulsa.org

Thursday Reflections

Thursday, December 10, 2009
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Good morning, and welcome back to our reflection this week on how we can prepare our hearts to welcome the Child Jesus, and ask Him specifically for spiritual gifts that help us grow in holiness and grace. I am Fr. Jim Caldwell, pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church, and it is truly a blessing to share with you a faith filled experience of God’s presence and love in our lives.
St. Paul in his letter to Titus writes in Chapter 3, verses 6 and 7: “…whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.” In St. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews he also says: “…let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. And let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for He who made the promise is trustworthy.” (10:22-23)
Today’s gift to ask God for as we prepare for Christ Jesus to enter our lives is the gift of HOPE. This gift of hope can be a great source of happiness and strength because it motivates our hearts to anticipate and look forward to the promise of the Kingdom of God and to the promises that God has made and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
In a general way, if we have hope, we have life. Hope helps us look forward as well as challenges us to do well in life. It is the impetus in some ways of why we as a society are stuck in the mode of shopping for Christmas. We shop because we are anticipating the joy and happiness our family and friends will have when they open this gift that hopefully is the right gift for the right reasons. We look forward to this day, December 24^th or 25^th when in joy we can present our gifts to our family and friends to see their expression. We hope that they will appreciate and like the thoughtful gift that seems to express a love and concern for them.
We also hope for events and experiences that lead to positive experiences in life. We hope, for example, that a doctor’s report will indicate that the cancer is benign and not malignant. We hope that the exams we take help increase our wisdom and knowledge of the subjects we are studying. We hope that our Christmas celebrations will be with family we love, rather than family with whom we are estranged from. We hope that one day our family will be together to celebrate in joy the blessings of familial relationships. We hope that the sun will continue to shine and brighten our day.
In all these examples, the hope is for something in the future that will be long lasting and treasured in our hearts. Yet we know that at times, what we hope for often falls short of our desires. We know that when we place our hope in things of this world, we lose sight of the things in our life which matter, not material things, but experiences that connect our heart, mind, body and souls together. When we connect at these levels, the gift of hope increases because it requires that we actively pursue these goals and dreams in life that change our hearts. We can hope all we want to pass the exam, but if we do not put the effort into studying, we fail to put that hope into reality. We can hope that we will be remembered by others, but unless we act in a spirit of charity and love toward others, we will not achieve anything at all. In other words, our hope, if rooted in this world will falter quickly because we fail to assist ourselves and others to use hope as a catapult for happiness and peace that is internal.
Therefore, the gift of hope we are seeking is the gift which keeps us going day after day. It is the gift of hope that the life we live and experience draws us to do great things for the sake of the Kingdom of God. This is the higher realm of hope that truly sustains us and puts our actions, deeds and experiences in a new light. This deeper understanding of hope enables us to move beyond the worldly allurements and see that relationships with others take work. This hope enables us to see that having our hearts prepared to welcome the Child Jesus into our lives means we take time to assess how we are living and sharing the love God bestows on us with others.
This kind of hope enables us to put our motivations and aspirations into perspective as we begin to understand how God truly blesses us with many gifts and talents. With these gifts, we can utilize the endowment of hope to determine the course of action that roots us in being Disciples of Christ Jesus. We are promoting this virtue of Hope now, because the time is right to prioritize and put into perspective our vocation in life. When we hope in God, we discover a deeper sense of peace and joy because of the grace God bestows from this gift. When we open our hearts and accept this gift of hope, we realize that every single day is a new day to prepare for Christ to come. We do not have to wait until December 25^th, or January 1, or your birthday, or the second Tuesday of next week. In hope, we experience the Child Jesus smashing our stony hearts and revealing how much He is with us every day.
In asking God for the gift of hope, we are asking for an increase in knowledge of who He is for us, why He has called us to do His will, and how we can succeed in growing in holiness and grace. We can use this gift of hope as a means to pray, live, love and learn. How does this hope manifest itself in our hearts and lives? It starts by first understanding that hope animates our inner thoughts and feelings to seek God and His love in our lives. Hope helps us not to be discouraged when the temporal world collapses around us. Hope sustains us during the times we feel abandoned or unloved. Hope becomes the life preserver that is tossed to us by God in order to lift us up and fill us with His love. Hope becomes the celebration of hearts prepared in love to welcome the Child Jesus into our hearts and lives. It is hope that stirs our passions to find and seek God in every action and experience in our lives. This hope is more than simply optimism. It is an anchor in God that keeps us afloat in the ups and downs of life.
One great way to increase this gift of Hope within our hearts is to mediate on the Our Father. This prayer, spoken by Jesus for us to pray is a great way to ask God. The power of the Lord’s Prayer is found in how it sums up for us our wants, needs and desires in life. It is a prayer of hope because as we voice in word and thought this prayer, we are drawn to the belief that through Jesus Christ, He will hear and answer our prayers and enkindle in our hearts the gift of hope. This prayer also challenges us to serve God in a spirit of faithfulness and love. We are called in hope to put into action the Gospel of Love. We are instructed by the prophets to prepare our hearts for Christ to come again.
Let us seek the gift of hope in our hearts and lives so as to understand that the spiritual gifts we desire far outweigh the material things of this world. Invite the Holy Spirit to enkindle this hope within our heart so as to love better, forgive more, serve others, and be Christ like in our lives. Confront in life the fears and addictions that dampen the hope of Christ to live in our hearts. Ponder the heavenly gift of the Kingdom of God that we hope to share in one day. Inspire others to achieve hope in God by preparing for God’s many blessings He willingly pours out for us. Continue to pray each day, petitioning the Lord to hear our prayers. Drawing on this petition for hope, we conclude with the prayer Jesus taught us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
May God continue to bless us and fill us with hope as we anticipate with joy Christ’s presence among us. May Almighty God bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Have a very blessed and hopeful day today.

Tulsa March for Life on Jan 22nd

Abortion was legalized in the United States 37 years ago this month.  Since then over 50 million babies have lost their lives to abortion.  Pray for an end to abortion and join Most Rev. Bishop Edward J. Slattery who will celebrate the Mass for Life at Holy Family Cathedral at 5:00pm on January 22, 2010.  After Mass join Bishop Edward J. Slattery and participate in the 1^st Tulsa March for Life.  The March starts at Holy Family Cathedral and ends at 6^th & Boston at the new Chapman Centennial Green where a rally will take place.  A rally will be held approximately 30 minutes long with three speakers.  Dr. Kevin Donovan will speak on when life begins, Cynthia Carney will share her testimony of having an abortion and Dr. McCutchens from Mount Zion Baptist Church will speak how abortion has impacted the black community.

I am enclosing a pdf file of the 'official' poster for our first-ever Tulsa March for Life. Please feel free to download and print out a many copies as you need to:

• post this weekend around your church campus
• ask people to bring one home
• ask volunteers to post them in coffee shops, food stores, and other community bulletin boards.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or go to our blog at tulsamarchforlife.wordpress.com.  Thank you for your time.

For Life,

Tracy Callicoat

Diocese of Tulsa

Family Life, Pro-Life and Natural Family Planning

918-307-4939

tracy.callicoat@dioceseoftulsa.org

Pro-Life March Work Day

I am passing this along from the Family Life Office of the Diocese of Tulsa. If you have an hour or so available this Sunday, please consider giving of your time for the March for Life.

Have you ever worked on a Pro-Life service project for the Church?  Here’s your chance to help?  How better to spend your Sunday afternoon but with family and friends making a difference.  If your unable to attend please pray for the success of this service project.

I need volunteers to help stuff packets for the Washington March for Life Pilgrimage 2010.  Please let me know by Saturday evening if you can help by emailing how many will be attending.  Do you have a high school student or a youth group that needs service hours?  The entire family can volunteer. 

Sunday, January 17^th - 2-5pm

Diocese of Tulsa, Chancery Offices
12300 E. 91^st Street
Bldg B Conference Room

Thank you for considering your time for this service project.

For Life,

Tracy Callicoat

Diocese of Tulsa, Family Life Office

918-307-4939

tracy.callicoat@dioceseoftulsa.org

Lenten Mass Schedule

Here is the schedule for our Lenten Masses:

Feb. 20               Father Gary Kastl

Feb. 27               Father Jim Caldwell

Mar. 6                Father Mike Knipe

Mar. 13              Father Tim Davison

Mar. 20              Bishop Slattery

Mar. 27              Open

Brother Knights;

Make it a point to attend our Lenten Masses at the Hall during Lent. It is a wonderful time to be shared with your family and friends (these are open to all – if not Catholic, just don’t receive) and the talks given by the priests have been very instructional and edifying. I will update the time if it should change but last year we gathered at 9:00 AM for Mass followed by a talk by the Celebrant. After the Mass, we would hang around for visiting, lunch and fellowship.

Vivat Jesus!

And A Good Time Was Had By All…

 

50 years of service to the Catholic Church in Tulsa was celebrated at the 4721 Council Hall on Saturday night. Along with memories and a celebration of what has passed since the 1959 founding of our council, a fantastic dinner was served and music was provided for the celebration.

Norbert Sorries reminded the gathered guests of some of the challenges of the council before settling in to the ‘new’ home in North Tulsa. Memories was shared by Leroy Weisman with a history of the council (which will be reposted on the web site when he has completed his comprehensive history). Memories of our past Grand Knights, old friends, and new friends were shared as the night progressed.

We remembered names and stories of Al Sorries (who is half of the only father/son to be Grand Knights – Mike and Al), Ed Terrel, Jim Highland, Bob Rauner, and Zarski and Zeller. I guess we had KofC from A to Z!

Vivat Jesus!

During these 50 years, we have helped to form the Center for Family Love, supported Pro Life, held horseshoe tournaments, supported our Catholic Schools and Oklahoma’s only Catholic University, St. Gregory’s in Shawnee. We have been involved in all of the Tulsa Bishop’s Installations, from Ganter to Slattery.

And a good time was had by all….

Meeting Notes

Meeting at 7:30 PM, Thursday, January 7th, 2010. This was the first meeting of 2010.

Grand Knight’s Report: Appreciation to all those that collected supplies for the Madonna House.

• There was a work day last Sunday, thanks to all that came for the work day.
• Fr. Jim will attend the 50th Anniversary Dinner.
• Thanks from Gene and Rosemarie Gerlach. They are on the mend and was at Mass with Fr. Matt last Sunday.

Service Programs Report:

• Commend David Bassler for the very successful Madonna House program.
• Masses for Lent will be the Saturdays during Lent: This begins on Feb. 20th. Fr. Gary Kastyl, Bishop Slattery, are two that are scheduled to attend. Please make a point to attend on Saturday mornings during Lent!

Jan. 22nd, March for Life with Mass at 5 PM (Honor Guard), after Mass we will March from the Cathedral to the park at 6th and Boston. Each council is assigned an intersection. This event is listed on Channel 6 (http://www.newson6.com/). This is the first year for this event and 5000 is hoped to attend.

The Anniversary dinner is expected to be a full house! We have more than 80 that are confirmed for the festivities on Saturday!

Sunday, Feb 14th, St. Valentine’s Day, is the Ladies Appreciation Dinner!

Feb 8th is the Priest Appreciation Dinner at the Hall. Priests, Deacons, and the Bishop are invited. The

Bishop is scheduled to attend. Mike Terrell is scheduled to cook for this event.

Knight of the Month: Jim Williamson
Family of the Month: David Bassler and his wife.

Remember that the Hall is for rent for Birthday Parties, Meetings, Dances, Weddings, Reunions, etc. Call Walt Casey for information – 918-583-6856 or email at piwalt@cox.net

Good of the Order

• Paul Dudley's son-in-law Mendenhall died
• Heart surgery for Jeanette Friendly mother-in-law of Arthur Barber
• Died,Charles Bodine father-in-law of Jim Miller
• Surgery for Jacob Pruitt, related to Scott Collier

 

Fathers For Good from KofC

The New Year brings new and exciting content on Fathers for Good: - 10 Things Your Kids Need to Know in Today's World - Submit Your Own List of Things You Teach Your Kids - Featured Husband & Wife column by Danielle Bean Visit www.fathersforgood.org