Weekly Family Communication
Dear Holy Rosary Families,
This week we concluded our last Partners in the Gospel Listening session. Thank you to all our school families and parishioners who participated. All of your feedback will be sent to the Archdiocese for review as the final parish family determinations are made. There is one last chance to offer feedback, though it has to be done in the next couple of days. You may visit the Partners in the Gospel website and fill out the feedback form. You can also find a lot of useful and important information about proposed pairings there as well.
This coming Friday is a non-student day. It is a work day for staff and we'll have our Fall Christ in the Classroom Catechetical Formation retreat for staff. This year we're covering the fourth task of Catechesis, Teaching Prayer. I know having kids out of school these days is sometimes challenging, please know how much we value the time and use it for our own growth and development as educators! Coincidentally, Father Oakland gave a wonderful homily on prayer to our students at the school Mass this week and spoke to ways they can build prayer into their daily lives. You can go back and watch it via the livestream (and bonus, hear the angelic voices of our junior high choir!).
In Christ,
Anna
Thanks to those who attended one of our Listening Sessions these past few weeks to reflect together on the changes ahead for our parish and school community. While much is still unknown and will be shaped by our community together, what our community consists of is the question at hand. Partners in the Gospel, the strategic and pastoral planning process of the Archdiocese of Seattle, will begin in earnest on July 1, 2024 with the merging together of multiple communities at first into a family of individual communities, and ultimately as one new larger community.
The current proposal is that Holy Rosary Parish and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish would be joined together, under a single pastor and an assistant priest. Between 2024 and 2027 it would then be for us to discern together what our community should look like – conversations we have together, as one family, and ultimately decided by the pastor, of what makes sense for us – Mass at 2 worship sites or 1, and which one; 2 schools with perhaps differentiated models or 1 joined; what do we do with/at each of the campuses; and much more. The goal is to situate ourselves in a new place where we can more fully live out our mission of growing as disciples of Christ and sharing the Good News. The priest assignments will be announced this spring, and could include one of the pastors remaining, or someone new to lead the whole community together anew.
While a great many questions are ahead for us to discern together, if you would like to weigh in on the question of whether this family proposal is the best or not, challenges and opportunities, you can still do so online before Saturday, at which point all feedback is being gathered for the Partners Oversight Committee and the Priest Council to review and make final family configuration recommendations to the Archbishop. The snapshot info sheets for Holy Rosary and Our Lady of Guadalupe can be found on our parish website. On the Partners feedback website you can also find the other family proposals for the whole Archdiocese which can also give feedback on if you have experience in other parish communities, as well as a broad Q&A and sign up for email news as things unfold.
Please stay connected, united, and pray – being always dedicated to one another, and the Lord.
In Christ,
Fr. Matthew Oakland
Living Our Faith At Home With Our Families
October 18 – Feast Day of St. Luke
On October 18, we celebrate the feast day of St. Luke. He is the author of the Gospel of St. Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. He was a physician and an artist. St. Luke was the first to begin painting icons, starting with Mary, Our Lady. To honor his feast day, here are a few ideas on ways to celebrate with your family!
*Read the Gospel of Luke
*Pray one of the three canticles he wrote: Magnificat, the Beneditus, or the Nunc Dimittis
*Cook burgers or steak for dinner since he is the patron saint of butchers
*Make an edible paint palette since he is the patron saint of artists (see image & instruction below)
Edible Paint Palette: Start with an Oreo (or similar) cookie. Open it carefully and use the side with the cream filling. Place rainbow candies around the edge of the cookie as if they are paint colors. Use a pretzel stick as the paint brush. If you can, either dip the pretzel in white frosting, or use a white sprinkle to indicate the brush. Serve as a treat on October 18th!
Holy Rosary Seismograph
Did you know HRS has a seismograph, located in the KA classroom? After our short little rumble earlier this week, budding seismologists might be interested in viewing the seismograph here.
Magazine Drive
We broke $100,000 in sales and donations! WOW! Since we are only $25,000 from our goal, the Magazine Drive will be extended through Sunday, October 15th at 11:59pm.
100% participation is key. So far family participation is 73%. THANK YOU to those families that have participated. If each family could participate by selling 1 magazine or securing 1 donation, then we will be that much closer to our goal.
TWO NEW INCENTIVES this week!
1. For all those families that sell 5 more magazines/donations between 10/12 and 10/15 you will be entered to win 5 dress passes for your family to share.
2. For each class that receives 100% participation, Mrs. Horton will deliver donuts to your class as a special treat!
Congrats to the Kurdzos family for selling 5 + subscriptions last week and winning the $25 Menchies gift card.
CASH DONATIONS Cash donations, in lieu of magazine orders, are welcome! $25.00 donation = 1 magazine order.
Our goal is 100% participation. Additional questions, contact Beth Martin or view the Magazine Drive web site for instructions on how to sell.
Good Society Night Out
First Tuesday of the month (see dates below) is HRS night at The Good Society! Grab a pint and a bite at The Good Society and 25% of your sale goes to HRS. Social time, great beer and fundraising for HRS…it’s a WIN-WIN! Be sure to mention you are there to support Holy Rosary!
***November 7th***December 5th***January 2nd***February 6th***March 5th***April 2nd***May 7th***June 4th***
West Seattle Ski Swap
Do your snow dances and get your gear together, you have one week left to pre-register your gear for the annual West Seattle Ski and Snowboard Swap. This event is a great avenue to outfit yourself and your entire family with good useable ski and snowboard gear. The key to this event is to help spread the word! Who knows what's in your neighbors garage that might be the perfect tool for the snow rider you met on the chairlift last year.
