FIESTA GREETINGS: Welcome to our Fiesta Weekend this Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon until 8pm.
Our deepest gratitude to all who have been involved for months preparing for our 38th annual Fiesta event. The Fiesta is really an environment for celebrating friendships and community that draws together our parish and school families in an atmosphere of food, games, fun, music and dancing. There will again be a diversity of activities to engage children, teens, and adults. We will have a special emphasis during the weekend on respecting and cherishing our common home…planet earth, with attention to recycling and waste management. Please come and join us this Friday 5pm-10pm; Saturday 4pm-10pm; and Sunday 1pm-8pm.

OCTOBER 2 - GUARDIAN ANGELS FEAST DAY: PRAYING WITH YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL BY FR. JAMES MARTIN, S.J.: 
In his homily for the feast of the Guardian Angels in 2014, Pope Francis said, “According to Church tradition, we all have an angel with us, who guards us.” Earlier that day, in his private chapel, he said that we often have the feeling that “I should do this; this is not right; be careful.” This, he suggested, is the voice of our guardian angel.

A skeptical Catholic may raise an eyebrow at that. But the pope is correct: the belief is part of our tradition. In the Old Testament, a variety of angels demonstrate their care for men and women. “My angel shall go before you,” says God to Moses (Exod 32:34). Speaking of his “little ones,” Jesus says, “their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father” (Matt 18:10). In the Acts of the Apostles, an angel rescues Peter from prison (12:6-11). Later scholars and saints, including St. Jerome, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. John Paul II, also wrote about these angelic protectors.

The word “angel” comes from the Greek angelos, which means messenger. Guardian angels, then, are simply emissaries from the God who wants to protect us. Pope Francis suggested some questions we might ask about our guardian angel: “Do I listen to him? Do I bid him good day in the morning? Do I tell him: ‘Guard me while I sleep’? Do I speak with him? Do I ask his advice?” (Of course we can say “her” as well.)

All of us need help. So why not ask help from the angel whom the Lord has appointed to, in the Pope’s words, “guard me and accompany me on the path, and who always beholds the face of the Father who is in heaven.” 

The above is reprinted with permission. Fr. James Martin, SJ. “Teach Us to Pray: Praying With Your Guardian Angel,” from the October 2016 issue of Give Us This Day,www.giveusthisday.org (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2016).

OTHER OCTOBER HAPPENINGS:
- October 4 St. Francis’ Feast Day: The annual blessing of animals and pets will take place at 6pm on Tuesday, October 4th adjacent to the outdoor statue of St. Francis outside the southeast door of the church. Four-legged creatures on a leash, please. Two-legged creatures come at your own risk.
- Anointing of the sick monthly Masses: The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is celebrated regularly at the 6:30pm Wednesday evening Mass on the first Wednesday evening of the month (October 5th), and also at the 8:30am Mass on the first Friday morning of the month (October 7th).
- The parish Rosary rally will take place after the 8:30am Mass on Saturday, October 8th. It will consist of praying the Rosary within the church and conclude with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
- Our annual parish Ministries Awareness Weekend will take place in the parish hall October 15/16. Our seven Parish Council Commissions and our Stewardship & Development Council will feature their respective ministry materials with relevant information for all parishioners trying to navigate the ministries maze of the parish. Our parish Stewardship & Development Council will have helpful information on the discernment of personal gifts and matching them to the appropriate ministry in the parish.

OCTOBER IS RESPECT LIFE MONTH:
For several years, the U.S. Catholic Bishops have designated October as Respect Life Month. This October’s theme continues to be deeply personal for me since I saw the light of day for the first time on October 6, 1938.

I am always thankful to God for the gift of my parents who celebrated, protected and nurtured my life in the vulnerability of its beginnings all those years ago.

It is kind of a mystical experience always when I return to my home on vacation in Ireland to be able to sleep in the room where I was born. I typically meditate on the first chapter of Jeremiah there which says…Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I consecrated you, as a prophet to the nations I sent you.

The greatest gift that God has given to each of us is the gift of life. Its preciousness comes from the fact that each person’s life is unique… Made in the image and likeness of God. This God-given image impressed in each and every person’s life is what gives each person their unique dignity. This is why each human life is to be cherished and protected and respected in all its seasons from the first moment of conception to its last natural breath.

Our parish Consistent Ethic of Life Committee strives to promote this vision of respect life throughout the year through different points of emphasis and activities. The following is their mission statement: To invite and promote a charitable dialogue regarding a consistent ethic within Our Mother of Sorrows Parish community and beyond. To address all life issues by articulating the authentic teachings of the Church on life issues and advocating for the sacredness and the dignity of every human life. To do so with a reconciling spirit of humility, openness and prayer.

Queen of Angels Orphanage in Agua Prieta, Mexico, sponsored by the Blessed Nuno Society, is a natural respect life ministry in our outreach to the least. Thanks to all who subscribed over $4,400 to the recent annual collection for the Blessed Nuno Society.

Prayer for life: God, our Creator, we give thanks to you, who alone has the power to impart the breath of life as you form each of us in our mother’s womb; grant, we pray, that we, whom you have made stewards of creation, may remain faithful to this sacred trust and constant in safeguarding the dignity of every human life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

A NEW WORK OF MERCY - POPE FRANCIS in a message on September 1st, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, established “Care for Our Common Home” as an added work of mercy. Pope Francis added Care for Creation to the traditional seven corporal and seven spiritual works of mercy. The theme of his message was a call to us to “show mercy to our common home”.

The following is a quote from his message: “We usually think of the works of mercy individually and in relation to a specific initiative: hospitals for the sick, soup kitchens for the hungry, shelters for the homeless, schools for those to be educated, the confessional and spiritual direction for those needing counsel and forgiveness…But if we look at the works of mercy as a whole, we see that the object of mercy is human life itself and everything it embraces.”

Obviously “human life itself and everything it embraces” includes care for our common home. So let me propose a complement to the two traditional sets of seven: may the works of mercy also include care for our common home.

As a spiritual work of mercy, care for our common home calls for a “grateful contemplation of God’s world” which “allows us to discover in each thing a teaching which God wishes to hand on to us”. As a corporal work of mercy, care for our common home requires “simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness” and “makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world”.

PARISH MERCY OUTREACH OUTLETS: 
As we journey through the Year of Mercy, our parish is blessed with many mercy outreach outlets. The following active ministries present many opportunities to actively engage parishioners in fulfilling the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Our parish St. Vincent de Paul Society is a very active mercy outlet, as are the following groups…our parish Care for Creation, Haiti Project, Blessed Nuno Society, Sr. Jose’s Women’s Center, Primavera Shelter for Homeless Men, Reachout Pregnancy Center, PCIC, etc., etc.

Thanks to so many of our parishioners who are actively engaged in the ministry of these mercy outlets. They address and fulfill the primary focus of the corporal works of mercy. These active mercy outreach activities are given oversight and coordination under the parish Christian Life Commission.

Our parish presents a host of opportunities for addressing and fulfilling the spiritual works of mercy through the Christian Education Formation Commission/School Board; through our Liturgy & Worship Commission and our Hispanic Ministry Affairs Commission. A core focus of our parish through the oversight of our Parish Ministries Council and our Stewardship & Development Council is striving to implement and fulfill the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

HOLISTIC STEWARDSHIP:
Through the deliberation and planning of our Stewardship & Development Council, our annual stewardship season of Time, Talent and Treasure will be presented this year beginning mid-October. It will be within the timeframe of approximately 5 weeks. Sequencing the presentation of the 3 T’s within this timeframe will help the overall connectedness and understanding of holistic stewardship. Holistic stewardship, simply stated, means that everything in our life is gift. Once we acknowledge and recognize everything as gift, then we are moved in thanksgiving with a need to share. We are to share the blessings that have been given to us with family and in the ministry of everyday life and in our parish ministries. Completed ministry registration forms are to be turned into the Sunday collection on the weekend of October 22/23.

The “Yes, Lord” stewardship of treasure will be promoted and presented to all parishioners toward the end of October and early November. Holistic stewardship, in the area of Treasure, holds up the ideal of tithing. The relevant mailings to all parishioners toward the end of the month will explain this ideal more fully.

A NEW PARISHIONER’S REFLECTION ON STEWARDSHIP: 
While marvelous in its reward, stewardship is not without some sacrifice, however. For our family, it often means that being active at the school equates to less time spent getting our yard just the way that we want it, that putting our tithe in the basket means one less meal that we get to eat out or volunteering to be part of a parish committee means one more television show that we are going to miss. As a one-income family for over a decade so that I could be a full time stay-at-home mother, we are no strangers to the idea of sacrifice. However, Saul and I decided early in our marriage that tithing was important to us, and we have built our lives around it. We have seen our months of struggle, but for the duration of our marriage, God has never let us falter. When calculations just did not add up, somehow God always pulled us through. We know now that regardless of the sacrifice that stewardship asks of us, we know that the spiritual rewards are immeasurable. As the common expression goes, just when we feel that we are at the end of our rope, God always ties a knot.
Tracy Rodolfo

ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA CANONIZATION BLESSING: 
Dear Monsignor, Thank you for the beautiful ceremony honoring St. Mother Theresa. The letter she wrote framed with her pictures, the procession, flowers and blessing of her statue made her canonization so very personal and real. May her legacy, grace and dedication to those in need live in all of us to make us be "our better selves". I pray for her to guide all of us and especially for all of you as leaders of the Church. May God bless you! 
Christina Hart
 
OUTDOOR SHRINES - “PRAYER CORNERS” - AT OUR MOTHER OF SORROWS:
There are approximately nine outdoor shrines in close proximity to the church at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish. These are reminders to us of the company we keep and are prayer corners favorable for prayer. Statues/images in the shrine areas are reminders to us of the Holy. We do not pray to the statue or the image, we pray to the presence represented by the statue or image. Again, statues and images are reminders to us of the company we keep in the communion of saints.

LOCATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF OUTDOOR SHRINE AREAS: 
In walking into the placita through the double-gates from Denebola Street, the first shrine area on the left is to the Holy Family. Directly across from it is the statue of St. Peregrine. His intercession is invoked by people who are experiencing serious illnesses…cancer, etc., etc.

Moving through the placita, there is a beautiful mosaic shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe…Our Lady of the Americas. Directly across from this shrine is a pedestal area where seasonally one of four statues of saints in the All Saints Garden is featured there during the feast day time of the particular saint. Close to the Fountain of Life in the placita is the image of Our Lady of Life.

There are three shrine areas off the walkway just outside of the parish offices. On the west side of the walkway is the shrine to St. Martin de Porres. At the midpoint of the walkway is the shrine to St. Teresa of Calcutta. The next shrine closest to the parish office is the shrine to St. Kateri Tekakwitha. In the alcove outside the southeast door of the church is the special shrine to St. Francis of Assisi.

The architectural cross in the placita is a reminder to us of the source of God’s manifold graces to us, through the mediatorship of Jesus as our Lord and Savior. All the other shrines are outlets of His amazing grace and blessings in and through Jesus.

As we come and go from the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries … the Mass, go forth renewed amid these outdoor shrine locations - “prayer corners” - and be aware of the company we keep.

MISSALS TO BE DISCONTINUED IN THE PEWS: 
In accordance with the directives from the General Instruction on the Roman Missal, beginning on November 27th of this year, the 1st Sunday of Advent, the missals will not be in the pews of the church so that will may “listen attentively” and “not miss the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit”.

For those who may be unable to hear the spoken word or for the visual learners who need to follow along, there will be a limited amount of missals in the back of the church which you can pick up on your way into Mass. We will also provide a list of other resources such as the Magnificat and The Word Among Us. You may also wish to purchase your own subscription of our missals to take home with you and prepare the readings for the following Sunday.

Monsignor Tom, thank you for your monthly up-date with all the inspirational information you write about. I'm especially grateful that we will be encouraged simply to LISTEN to the proclamation of the words of scripture without reading along with them. Our lectors are, to a person, very compelling in their proclamation which shows they truly care about the Word and have prepared for their ministry. And it is another small way we as a parish community can show our "care for creation" (namely, our glorious trees.) Special thanks to the thoughtful parishioners who have worked to make this change possible
Margaret Lordon

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CENACLE CHAPEL?
Hello Msgr. Tom, Thank you for talking with me on Wednesday. I truly enjoyed it and I appreciate you taking the time to get to know a new member of the parish.

When I moved back to Tucson after living in Ecuador for many years, I was looking for a parish where I would feel at home. After some searching, God guided me to OMOS and, for many reasons, I am thankful and feel blessed.

One of the things I missed most about my parish in Ecuador was being just a short walk from the church and Chapel of Adoration, which I was commissioned to open every morning and close every evening. Those moments with the Holy Sacrament were the most precious part of my day. Finding the Cenacle Chapel was just what I needed. Yes, it’s farther away physically than in Ecuador, but knowing I can go and pray, or just sit with Jesus, in the chapel when I need to makes all the difference in the world. Thank you, Our Mother of Sorrows, for receiving me with open arms and for making God’s House a true Home.
Susan de Alban

NEW PARISH WEBSITE OPENED: 
I’m very excited to announce the grand re-opening of the OMOS website on the Feast Day of Our Mother of Sorrows September 15th. Thanks to a team of dedicated, hardworking and creative parishioners and staff, we were able to update the face and functionality of the website to be more user friendly and with fresh, current and relevant information for new visitors, parishioner and school families, liturgical ministers, and anyone active in ministry. The new web address is “www.ourmotherofsorrows.church”, but it can be accessed through the current website address www.omosparish.org.

Some of the new features include a welcome video by Msgr. Tom, church events calendar, Lyn Bulski’s liturgical ministry calendar, and Parish Council, Stewardship Development Council and staff pictures. Because of safe environment compliance protocol, the liturgical calendar is password protected. Please contact Lyn Bulski for access.

We hope you enjoy the new website. We will continue to evolve the site with new features and fresh content. Please contact me at the parish office or via email at scontreras@omosparish.org with any questions or comments. God bless.
Steve Contreras

VISIT OUR NEW PARISH WEBSITE: 
Click on ourmotherofsorrows.church to visit our new website. The following parishioners, José Merino, Steve Contreras, Madeleine Crespo, Melinda Caballero, Jean Fedigan, Michelle Benzenhoefer, Maria Arvayo-Campbell, and Pam Coonan have put in endless hours since December reshaping and refocusing our website.

NOVEMBER 5TH LEADING LIKE JESUS SEMINAR… SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT DAY:
The parish continues to make a very intentional investment into the Jesus model and example of servant leadership. A day-long seminar (8:30am-3:30pm) entitled "Leading Like Jesus" will be presented in the parish on Saturday, November 5th. The gathering will include parishioners in leadership from parish groups. Parishioners who may have a desire to participate in this seminar day are encouraged to contact Steve Contreras at scontreras@omosparish.org or 747-1321.
 
Respect Life Month - All month long
Fiesta Weekend & White Elephant - Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 2
St. Francis’ Blessing of the Animals - October 4 at 6 pm
Ministries Awareness - October 15/16 after all Masses
OMOS Annual Rosary Rally - October 8

HAPPY, BLESSED AND REFRESHING AND RENEWING LABOR DAY WEEKEND:
Labor Day creates a marked separation between Summer and Fall. •During this month we have our annual Seven Day Novena to our patroness…Our Mother of Sorrows.
•Our parish staff and school faculty will have its annual Retreat Day at the Benedictine Monastery on Country Club on Friday, September 16th. Your prayers for us will be a welcome gift.
•Ministry Awareness Weekend will be observed on the weekend of September 17-18.
•New school families will be hosted by the parish to the 12:30pm Mass on September 25thand to a welcome gathering in the Parish Hall afterwards.
•All levels of our Religious Education Formation program/processes (children, teens, adults) are becoming fully active again.
•Our annual Fiesta event is scheduled for the last day of this month and the first two days of October.
•Welcome Fr. Richard to OMOS

A LETTER FROM BISHOP KICANAS TO THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL OF OUR MOTHER OF SORROWS:
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Richard Awange, CCSp as a Parochial Vicar of your parish effective August 8, 2016.

Fr. Awange belongs to the Religious Order of the Holy Ghost Fathers and Brothers of Nigeria, who has been sent to do pastoral work in the Diocese of Tucson. I know that Fr. Richard Awange will be a blessing to your parish and provide greatly needed assistance to your pastor Msgr. Thomas Cahalane.

He has been a priest for 17 years and will bring his many talents and experiences in his ministry at Our Mother of Sorrows. I know the community of Our Mother of Sorrows will welcome him with open arms. Please be assured of my prayers for all of you as well as for Fr. Richard as he starts his new assignment.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Gerald F. Kicanas, D.D.

NEW PRIEST SELF-INTRODUCTION - FR. RICHARD AWANGE, C.S.Sp.:
“I am from Benue State in Nigeria and am of the Tiv Tribe. I was born on September 29, 1969 and was ordained on 10th July, 1999 for the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans or Holy Ghost Fathers) with a Master degree in theology from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh USA. Immediately after my ordination I served as Assistant Director of Novices for my Congregation in Ghana. During the same time, I served as Associate Pastor of Our Lady’s Chaplaincy, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Later, I was appointed Assistant Director of Pope John Paul II Formation and Training Center for the Catholic Diocese of Obuasi in Ghana, between 2002 and 2005. In 2003, while still serving as Assistant Director of the Formation Center I was appointed to serve concurrently as the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish Trede, also in Ghana.

In 2005 I proceeded to Dublin, Ireland to complete a formation course at Loreto House, Willow Park in Blackrock after which I returned and served as Director of Novices for my Congregation in Nigeria until 2012. The next year, 2013, I served as Director of Formation for Via Christy Society, also in Nigeria.

In September 2014, while pursing a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and later a Master in Educational Counseling at the University of Agriculture Makurdi, Nigeria, for which I am writing my dissertation now, I served as a teacher of Religion in Mount Saint Gabriel’s Secondary School Makurdi, until my arrival at Our Mother of Sorrows.

My passion in the priesthood is studying the Holy Scripture and sharing the Word of God with people. I also have some experience in Spiritual Direction and love celebrating the liturgy. Coming to Our Mother of Sorrows and Tucson gives me the rare opportunity to gain more experience in pastoral ministry in a parish setting among the faith filled people of Our Mother of Sorrows after many years of dominantly formation ministry. May Mary Our Mother of Sorrows support me with her intercessions during this period of ministry.”

MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA CANONIZATION:
Pope Francis will officially proclaim Mother Teresa of Calcutta to be among the canonized saints next Sunday, September 4th. St. Teresa of Calcutta was an extraordinarily graced woman in her lifetime for the way in which she recognized Christ in the poorest of the poor, “…the least among us”. At the end of all Masses next weekend, we will process to her outdoor statue adjacent to the parish offices. We will pray a prayer featured in next week’s bulletin invoking her intercession upon us and pray God’s blessing on her outdoor shrine. This will become the location for informal prayer and devotion through her intercession. Some of the parking spaces adjacent to her shrine will be reserved next weekend to accommodate parishioners gathering for the brief devotion at the end of each of our Masses.

The following is the content of a personal letter I received from Mother Teresa when I was Vicar of Education for the diocese. I invited her to be the featured speaker at our Diocesan Congress in February, 1978. She wrote…
 
Dear Fr. Cahalane,
Many thanks for your kind letter and invitation. It will not be possible for me to come to you February 1978, but I will pray much that the Good God may bless you and all those who will participate in the Congress – that all those who come – leave the Congress with a deep conviction in their vocations – ‘I belong to Jesus – nothing will separate me from the love of Christ’. Christ has chosen us for Himself – to belong to Him – and the work we do is but a means to put our love for Christ into a living action – that is why we must do the work entrusted to us by the Church with great love. For this reason, we need to be holy – because Jesus to whom we belong is Holy.
Pray for me and I will pray for you.
God bless you,
Mother Teresa
 
LETTER ON DISPLAY:
The personal handwritten letter of St. Teresa of Calcutta will be displayed in front of the altar during all Masses next weekend. Her message is still very relevant to all of us. She tells us the following in a very simple way, “…I belong to Jesus – nothing will separate me from the love of Christ. Christ has chosen us for Himself – to belong to Him – and the work we do it but a means to put our love for Christ into a living action – that is why we must do the work entrusted to us by the Church with great love.”

353 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN OUR PARISH SCHOOL:
Our parish school has registered a significant bump up in enrollment. It was good for me to visit all the classrooms from preschool to eighth grade recently with our new principal, Mrs. Erin Vu. I conducted a brief blessing ritual for the students in each of the classroom spaces with blessed water from Lourdes. I prayed, “God to protect the students, their families and the classroom space in His loving presence and protection, and keep away from them any and all intrusions of the Evil One.” It was indeed uplifting and a joy to experience the quality teaching environment in each of the 20 classroom spaces. Our parish is very blessed in having a quality Catholic school.
 
NEW SCHOOL PARENTS/FAMILY GATHERING:
Families new to our school are invited to 12:30pm Mass September 25th and to a welcome and hospitality gathering in the Parish Hall immediately afterwards. Happily because of the increased enrollment in our school, we have quite a significant number of new families this year. Enrollment in our school draws students from 27 distinct ZIP codes around the city. This reality offers a pastoral challenge to the parish not only to link these new families to our school but also to the parish in its mission of Message, Community and Service (MCS).

12:30PM MASS BEGINS SEPTEMBER 11TH:
As has been announced to the parish over these past months, the 12:15pm will move to12:30pm on September 11th. The fifteen minute time change to 12:30 should resolve the traffic jam situation in our parking lot and even within the church that so often takes place after the 10:45am Sunday morning Mass. Thanks to all the regular participants of the12:15pm Mass for your understanding of this fifteen minute time change from 12:15 to 12:30.

SOME OTHER LITURGICAL CHANGES:
Besides the Sunday 12:15 pm Mass changing to 12:30pm on a regular basis, the following changes have also been approved by the Liturgy & Worship Commission. Some functions of our church sacristy will be extended into a new designated space. Our church sacristy space is often very crowded in the multiple liturgical functions taking place there.

The new altar server albs, when they arrive, will be housed in a re-designated space named Liturgical Ministers Sacristy. This is a rather large room between the two Reconciliation / Confessional spaces. It has been used as kind of a storage space and work space for church maintenance. The new Liturgical Ministers Sacristy will be used by our altar servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Hospitality Ministers and Lectors as a sign-in and preparation station. The regular sacristy will be designated the Clergy Sacristy for our priests and deacons. This re-ordering of space should greatly alleviate the overcrowding and congestion that has been happening in our very limited church sacristy space.

MISSALS TO BE DISCONTINUED: 
The volume of missals in all the pews will be discontinued at the beginning of the new season of Advent. A small number of missals will be available in the vestibule of the church for those who may have difficulty hearing the Word proclaimed. Another limited number of missals will be available through the parish for purchase by parishioners who may have a preference to have their own. The Power Point projection of so much of our weekend Masses over the past few years has made the utilization of missals obsolete for the most part. Full active participation in the Mass calls for participants to listen and hear God’s Word, rather than reading along with the proclaimer while the Word is being proclaimed. Discontinuing the missals in the pews because of their minimal use also makes a big contribution to our Care for Creation in saving trees otherwise needed for creating paper to produce the missal copy.

THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY STATIONS …SEPTEMBER 9TH TO SEPTEMBER 15TH:
At 7:15pm each evening from September 9th and concluding on the Feast Day of Our Mother of Sorrows on September 15th, a devotional prayer ritual around each of Mary’s stations of sorrow will be celebrated in the Church. Each evening will focus on a particular sorrow of Mary. It will be followed by silent prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the main altar and conclude with Benediction at 8:15pm each evening. A station prayer particular to each day will be included in the each of the daily and weekend Masses during the seven days.

Parishioner Petitions: Parishioners who wish to have particular personal intentions included in the prayers during the seven stations devotions are asked to note their petitions on the special form in front of the image of Our Mother of Sorrows in the Church during these weeks.

SPECIAL MEETING OF PARISH BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
The Parish Board of Directors met with the following members on August 20th: Msgr. Thomas Cahalane, President/Pastor, Msgr. Jeremiah McCarthy, Vice President, George Gewehr, Secretary, Aida Samuel, Treasurer, Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, Bishop of the Diocese, and approved the following Resolutions:
​
Capital Fundraising Campaign –
Resolved, that Our Mother of Sorrows Roman Catholic Parish, Tucson, an Arizona non-profit corporation, authorizes Msgr. Thomas P. Cahalane, President/Pastor, to enter into an agreement with Community Counseling Service Company, LLC (CCS), to conduct a three-year pledge capital fundraising campaign for the purpose of capital improvements.

• It is understood by the Board that the proposed capital campaign has been reviewed and recommended for approval by the Parish Ministries Council, the Stewardship & Development Council, and Parish Finance Committee.
• It is further understood that the Most Reverend Gerald F. Kicanas DD, Bishop of the Diocese, has also reviewed this matter and has given canonical approval.
• It is further understood that once the funds have been raised for the capital improvements the Board will convene another Special Meeting for the review and special approval of all building projects. (Dated August 20th, 2016)

CAMPAIGN IN EARLY 2017:
The special fundraising campaign will be conducted during January, February and March of 2017. The parish will be engaging Community Counseling Services (CCS) to provide professional campaign service to assist Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in conducting the campaign. The funds from the campaign will address some critical needs that have been identified within the parish plant as we approach the 60th anniversary of the parish in May 2018. More specific information will be shared in the upcoming months. Personal prayers are requested for enlightenment and guidance in this major effort.

PRAYING FOR OUR ENEMIES:
It is difficult and challenging to forgive our enemies…isn’t it? Jesus asks us as his followers to pray for them. During this special Year of Mercy, pushing ourselves to pray for our enemies, not just once but many times over, can be a very important blessing exercise. The following article from this month’s booklet, Give Us This Day, written by Jesuit priest Fr. James Martin is very insightful and enlightening.

Teach Us to Pray: Praying for Our Enemies

Is there anything more difficult than forgiving our enemies? Yes: praying for them. Forgiveness may be slightly easier because, at least in some cases, you find yourself able to “move on.” That is, once you find the grace to forgive people who have hurt you – and this can take weeks, months, and even years – you often feel free to put a painful chapter of your life behind you. You can say, “I’m glad that’s over.”

Praying for your enemies, by contrast, takes more spiritual work because it forces you to make those who are hurting you present. Then you go even further, and do something positive: pray for them. Yet this is what Jesus asks of us (Matt 5:44).

Not long ago, I met a 93-year-old Jesuit with a great sense of good cheer. I asked if he had any secrets to living peacefully in a religious community. “Well”, he said, “I do get bothered sometimes by the people I live with!” But when he struggles with someone’s behavior, he first thinks of the good that the person has done. (Admittedly, it is hard to see anything good in people who have harmed, persecuted, or abused you.) The Jesuit then asks to see the person as God sees them. This second insight has always been helpful for me. Most likely, these people have themselves been mistreated; insecurity may underlie their cruelty, and their insensitive behaviors are often indicative of their own emotional suffering. Understanding and even pitying people makes it easier to pray for them.
 

As I said, it’s hard. But once done, you may feel more free of anger or resentment. So in the end it can be a gift both to you and to those for whom you have prayed. Fr. James Martin, SJ

CENACLE CHAPEL…REST STOP PLACE:
For so many of our parishioners and so many people beyond our parish, our Cenacle Chapel is a rest stop place in the Lord. It is a unique place within our church and our parish plant for encountering the Lord in the prayer of quiet and solitude.

The Word/Scriptures are always in exposition there. The Eucharist/Blessed Sacrament is in exposition there after the 6:30am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, until8:45pm each evening. It is in exposition there all day Friday after the 6:30am Mass, all through Friday evening and through the night until 8:00am on Saturday morning. All adorers do an hour of prayerful adoration time during each of the hours on Friday evening and Saturday morning. The Blessed Sacrament is in exposition also in the Cenacle Chapel every Sunday after the 12:30pm Mass until 8:45pm each Sunday evening. This prayer chapel is indeed a blessed graced rest stop place in the Lord. Parishioners are encouraged to befriend the Lord there for a brief or long stop over anytime during the week. This rest stop place of the Cenacle Chapel is a wonderful way to respond to the Lord’s personal invitation “….Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you”.

ANNUAL PARISH FIESTA SEPT. 30, OCT. 1 & 2:
Our annual parish Fiesta has been changed from the second weekend in October to the first weekend of October. This change makes it possible to accommodate our school families into the Fiesta since the semester break for the students from the school occurs now on the second weekend in October. The annual Fiesta is the single biggest gathering of our parish and school and neighboring community each year. It takes appropriately 300 volunteers to present the Fiesta event each year. Parishioners and school parents are encouraged and invited to sign up for some volunteer hours during these weeks. You’re encouraged to do so through the parish office. The final day of the Fiesta this year will commence after the 12:30pm Mass on Sunday afternoon. This change will give an opportunity for families to enjoy lunch and the many other Fiesta activities from early afternoon into the evening. Our deepest thanks to R.J. Saavedra and her family for the huge leadership investment in the Fiesta with the core team and parishioners who plan the Fiesta over a period of many months. The Fiesta event each year creates a unique environment for celebrating community and promoting a network of deepened relationships and friendships. Pray for God’s blessings on all who are involved in presenting the Fiesta and all who will participate in this annual gathering.

September update

Personalizing the Parish Mission Statement:
Filled with the joy of the Gospel, as a Catholic, I joyfully proclaim an ongoing encounter with Jesus Christ through Word, community, Sacrament, and loving service.

Seven Sorrows Novena
September 9th - 15th 7:15pm each evening