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Our Military Scrapbook, which honors all Veterans will be on display in the narthex this weekend. Pictures or messages may be added for all service members – living, deceased, active, inactive, and for all branches of service including National Guard. God Bless you for your service.

The Giving Trees will be in the narthex beginning Nov. 10-11. This is a wonderful opportunity to make Christmas brighter for families in need. Spread some Christmas cheer by selecting one or more gift tags from the trees. Please return all wrapped gifts by Sun., Nov. 25. We will sort gifts on Wed., Nov. 28 at 2 p.m., and deliver gifts on Sat., Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. To help with the sort and/or delivery, please come to the church at the designated times. Thank you for your generous support!

On October 28th, St. Catherine’s will have a presentation/discussion on the devastating crisis in the U.S. foster care system. The Texas Catholic Conference is taking notice, and calling on the Church to love children who feel unwanted or left behind. Join us at 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the Parish Center, room 212 for a dynamic presentation and discussion of this new ministry at our church.

If you are a caregiver of a loved one, don’t miss this special event! This FREE workshop will include demonstrations by health professionals like transferring from bed-to-chair, bathing, exercises, communication and behavior tips for persons with dementia and more! Join us on Mon., Oct. 8, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. in Siena Hall. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Please RSVP for this free event by email to forum@caregivingcafe.com with subject line “HOW Caregiving Skills.”

Back to school can be a stressful time of year for many families. For children, the prospect of returning to school is daunting if their families cannot afford the required school supplies. We will be collecting new backpacks and school supplies for students that live in Foundation Communities’ affordable housing apartments in southwest Austin and also for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Please consider purchasing a backpack and/or school supplies for these children. Pick up a school supply list on the table in the narthex. Please return your donations by Sunday, July 29.

We need parishioners to help set up, serve and cleanup for various parish events. Requests for volunteers will be sent out when there is an event and you may sign up if it’s convenient for you. DO YOU ENJOY BAKING OR COOKING? We need volunteer cooks and bakers, too! Training is provided. Sign up for either or both at rhonda.smith@stcatherine-austin.org.

On Sat., June 16, the Knights of Columbus Council 8156 will host their 6th Annual Father’s Day Weekend Golf Classic tournament at Plum Creek Golf Club in Kyle. The tournament begins with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. The entry fee is $100/player. Proceeds will help support many charitable organizations in Central Texas. Click here for details.

We are delighted to inform you that Bishop Joe Vasquez will come to St. Catherine to officially open our New Parish Center! The official opening will take place on Sunday, May 6, at 3:00 p.m. This will be followed with a simple reception. We are sending out an open invitation to anyone in the parish who would like to be present. At another date to be announced shortly, we will host an Open House weekend for all the parish to come and visit the New Parish Center at a more leisurely pace.

The Catholic Church is committed to ensuring the safety of children and young people and providing pastoral outreach to victims and survivors of sexual abuse by clergy. The Church’s mission to protect and heal stems from the Gospel: the life and teachings of Jesus Christ provide us with the perfect foundation for our efforts to create safe environments for children. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Mt 19:14). Click here for more info.

Registration is now open for our licensed play-based program for children ages 2–5 years old. The program is in session from September through mid-May. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursday, with options for a 2-day or 3-day a week option. Click here for more information about the program.  

Community Ministries has limited space to store donations. We are able to collect white tube socks, toiletries (full size and hotel size), non-perishable food, very gently used baby items, new/gently used adult clothing, purses, shoes & costume jewelry.

Congratulations to our Prayer Shawl Ministry as they celebrate their 11th Anniversary and 4,700 shawls given to others Did you know there are about 30 people in the parish who knit or crochet “prayer shawls?” Would you like a prayer shawl or are you thinking about joining? Click here for more information.

On Wed., Oct. 25th, the parish offices will be closed because of a scheduled power outage to install a new transformer. This outage will not affect the Church or our Mass schedule.

The best ways to help at this time are to pray, donate money, and donate blood. There are several locations that are taking material goods. Please click here to read more.

Our recent Souper Bowl of Caring collection collected by our youth was recognized as the top donation from a place of worship in Central Texas!

The Amigos Club is now accepting applications for the 2017 Outstanding Achievement Award. Students completing 5th, 8th, and 12th grade in the 2016-2017 school year may apply.

After successful visits to America, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, two first class relics of St. Anthony of Padua will return to North America for a ten-day tour of the Diocese of Austin, Texas. They will be in Austin on Feb. 11 to Feb. 19. 

St. Catherine's volunteers are involved in many facets of parish life. The Directory of Ministry booklet describes the opportunities and how to contact the office. The parish welcomes your involvement. Click here to view the booklet.

The Respect Life Program, sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, started in 1972 and begins anew each October—the month set aside by the U.S. bishops as “Respect Life Month.” The program promotes respect for human life in light of our intrinsic dignity as having been created in God’s image and likeness and called to an eternal destiny with him. New materials are designed each year to assist those in various roles within the Church to help Catholics understand, value, and become engaged with supporting the dignity of every person, especially by cherishing God’s gift of life. The theme this year is "Moved by Mercy." Click here for more information.

The Last Dance & Potluck Dinner in Johnson Hall will be on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. The main course of burgers and barbecue will be provided. We need people to sign up to bring side dishes.