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All of us grieve in our own way, but often coming together to share our grief and accept the support of others, can facilitate our healing. If you have lost a loved one, you are invited to join a six-week grieving support group starting on Tues., April 19. We will meet from 10:30 a.m.—12 p.m. in Room 231/232. The group will be led by Lori Kruczek. To attend, contact Jeanette at (512) 892-2420, ext. 321.

Ethics & Integrity in Ministry (EIM) promotes the protection of minors, elderly adults and adults with disabilities as well as ethical behavior in all ministry. We will be hosting an EIM Workshop in the Parish Center on Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 7:00 pm. Please register for the workshop and/or create an EIM Application at eappsdb.com/austin

The Knights of Columbus will host a Drive-Thru Food Drive in support of the Abiding Love Food Pantry. They will collect your donated food items on Sunday, April 3 and 10 at the Abiding Love Lutheran Church parking lot between 1-3 p.m. Please remain in your car and the Knights will remove the bags from your vehicle. (Look for the signs at the parking lot entrances at the corner of Convict Hill & Brush Country Rd). Monetary donations will also be accepted at kofc8156.org/food-drive.

Everyone is invited to our Mardi Gras Party! Please join us on Fri., Feb. 25 in Johnson Hall, 6 - 9 p.m. We'll have chicken, sausage, mac & cheese, and salad. Please bring desserts and wine to share! It will be fun for the whole family. Costumes and masks are welcome! Kindly RVSP to the parish office or online by Feb. 23.

The Knights of Columbus will be collecting diapers to take to the Texas Rally for Life on Sat., Jan. 22, for the Rally’s annual diaper drive for Pregnancy Resource Centers. Bring boxes of diapers (all sizes from newborn to size 6 will be accepted) to the narthex by Thursday, Jan. 20. Thank you for your generosity.

This is the last weekend to make a donation to our Christmas Giving Tree Project, which helps poor families in our geographic boundaries. We have only met about half of our goal so far and really need your help. If you are able, please purchase a gift card, write a check, donate online or put cash in the donation box on the Giving Tree table in the narthex. We will also accept donations on Monday, Dec. 6. Thank you for your generosity!

Please return your food donations to the narthex. You may also return items directly to Abiding Love on Sunday, Sept. 19 where the Knights of Columbus will host a Drive-Thru Food Drive at Abiding Love from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. They will unload donations from your car.

This evidenced-based, award-winning program is designed to help older adults reduce the fear of falling and increase physical activity. Two virtual sessions of A Matter of Balance will be offered in February. The first session meets on Mondays, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. from Feb. 1 - April 5 (no class on 2/15). The second session meets on Wednesdays, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. from Feb. 3 - Mar. 31. Access to a computer or tablet with a camera and microphone is required. To register, contact Jessica Martone at (512) 916-6180 or jmartone@capcog.org. There will be a limit of 12 people in each workshop, filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact Jessica with any questions.

Knights of Columbus Council 8156 is hosting an Emergency Food Drive on Sunday, 12/6 for Abiding Love Food Pantry from 2:00 – 4:00 PM in the Abiding Love Church parking lot. Please remain in your car, the Knights will remove the bags from your vehicle. Thank you for helping our neighbors in need.

Our Giving Tree Program will be different this year due to COVID-19. We will not have tags to choose from or a food drive. Instead we are asking for donations of $25 Target, Walmart or Visa gift cards. These will be given to families in need chosen by our St. Vincent de Paul Society. We will also support five other organizations which include The Gabriel Project, St. Louise House, Casa Marianella, Posada Esperanza and Mary House Catholic Worker. If you prefer, you can donate online. The deadline to return your gift cards is Sun., Nov. 29. Find more details in this article.

As the Christmas Season approaches, we wonder how we will get through all those traditions, and how to prepare for the holidays if we have recently lost a loved one. Join us on Tues., Nov. 17 at 10:30 a.m. for an online presentation by Lori Kruczek on dealing with grief during the holidays.

Are you age 55 or older? Would you like more social interaction—especially during this pandemic? “Lifetime Connections Without Walls” is a telephone program that provides opportunities for isolated older adults to connect with others. They offer social and educational sessions, friendly conversation and support—all over the phone. There are 33 different sessions to choose from. This free program is offered by Family Eldercare and is open to all U.S. Residents. Click on the title of this article for more information or contact Rhonda Smith in Community Ministries.

Our Lenten journey with CRS Rice Bowl challenged us this Easter season to share what we have with our global family. Please hold on to your rice bowls. We will collect them at a later time. Thank you for your participation in this program.

For the health and safety of the community, in light of the Coronavirus Pandemic, we have decided to cancel the Parish Service Day. Many of the sites that were to be part of Service Day have already indicated that they will no longer allow volunteers to visit. This event will be rescheduled in the future.

This award, sponsored by the Amigos, recognizes outstanding academic achievement and provides financial support to qualified students completing the 5th, 8th, and 12th grades in the 2019/2020 school year. Deadline to submit an application is Thurs., April 23, at 5 p.m. Click here for more information.

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas. We hope you will join us for the following opportunities to celebrate a hope-filled Advent at St. Catherine, click here for details.

We are hosting a party for singers, players and music lovers of all ages on Fri., Nov. 15, 7 - 9 p.m. in Siena Hall! Fall Jam will be a ‘song circle’ where each singer or musician gets to ‘call a tune’ and have the others join in. Songs of any style or genre are fair game (as long as they are family-friendly) and musically anything can happen! The event is FREE and open to all! Come hang out and show our players and singers some love as they go ‘live without a net’! Click here to learn more!

As the Christmas Season approaches, we wonder how we will get through all those traditions, and how to prepare for the holidays if we have recently lost a loved one. Join us on Tues., Nov. 19, at 10 a.m. in room A202/A203 for a presentation by Cheryl Jordan on dealing with grief during the holidays. Cheryl has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, a Master’s degree in Counseling and has vast experience in grief work. Please make plans to attend. For additional information, contact Jeanette Britt at (512) 892-2420.

The funeral for our beloved Fr. Oliver will commence with a Visitation and Rosary at St. Catherine of Siena on Sun., Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Catherine on Mon., Oct. 14 at 10 a.m.  Burial will follow immediately after at Cook Walden Forest Oak. There will be a reception in Johnson Hall after the burial.  Please bring a dessert to share with the community.

The Secretariat of Life, Charity and Justice of the Diocese of Austin will host a gathering at St. Catherine of Siena that will bring together parish leaders whose faith inspires them to respond to current challenges relating to evangelization in contemporary society, lay leadership, poverty, injustice, and the promotion of human life and dignity. Join us on Sat., Aug. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Johnson Hall. All are welcome! Cost $20. Please register at www.austindiocese.org/christ-our-hope. Call Rhonda Smith at (512) 892-2433 if you have any questions. Deadline to register is Aug. 16.