Bulletin

This Week in our Parish

MONDAY, March 8

-RCIA, 7:30 p.m. (Upper Room)

TUESDAY, March 9

-Way of the Cross, 7:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, March 10

-Exposition 1:00 -7:00 p.m.

-Mass, 7:00 p.m.

-Bingo 8:00 p.m., Jitneys 7:00 p.m.

THURSDAY, March 11

-St. Vincent de Paul, 7:00 p.m. (Gym)

-Legion of Mary, 7:00 p.m. (Upper Room)

FRIDAY, March 12

-Fish Fry, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, March 13

-Choir Practice, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

-Confessions, 4:00 - 4:45 p.m.

-Night at the Races, 8:00 p.m. (Gym)

SUNDAY, March 14

-Daylight Savings Time Begins (Spring Forward), 2:00 a.m.

-Liturgy of the Word (K-3), 11:00 a.m. Mass

Anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct by a cleric, employee, religious or volunteer of the Diocese of Covington is asked to contact Ms. Margie Schack, Diocesan Victims Assistance Coordinator at 392-1515. Professional assistance and pastoral support will be provided with respect and in confidence.

Please visit the following websites, Priests For Life, at www.prayercampaign.org to join our National Prayer Campaign and also The Catholic Church Extension Society at www.catholicextension.org .

THANK YOU to the students of Covington Catholic High School for spending their Saturday morning, March 6th, to do some heavy cleaning in church. We appreciate their volunteering.

PICK UP YOUR COPY We are grateful to Catholic Digest for sending us free samples of their March issue. You may find a copy at the exits of church. They are free to everyone.

OUR CHOIR will hold practice in preparation for Easter in church on Saturday mornings, March 13th and 20th from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and an extended practice on Saturday morning, March 27th beginning at 9:30 a.m. If you are interested, please join them.

WAY of the CROSS We invite everyone to join us for the Way of the Cross every Tuesday during Lent at 7:00 p.m.

ABSTINENCE requires Catholics 14 years of age until death to abstain from eating meat on all Fridays of Lent.

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES' OPERATION RICE BOWLS are located at the entrances to church. We are invited to pray with our families and community, fast in solidarity with those who hunger, learn about our global community and poverty, and give sacrificial contributions to those in need.

THE ST. JOHN PASSION PLAY, established in 1917, will again be presented here at St. Augustine Church. The dates are Sunday, March 21, 3:00 p.m..; Saturday, March 27, 7:00 p.m.; and Sunday, March 28, 3:00 p.m. There is no charge but reservations are necessary. Please call 392-0129

YARD SALE: We are sponsoring a Yard Sale for Saturday, March 20 from 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. in the gym. If you would like to set up your own table at the sale, the cost is $10. We are also asking for your donated items for our table, which will benefit the school. Please cal 261-5564 by March 11 to reserve a table.

ST. AUGUSTINE SUMMER FESTIVAL, We wanted to remind you early of the dates for our annual Summer Festival so that you can make your vacation plans around the festival.

FISH FRY: We will have a Fish Fry on Friday, February 12, our normal monthly Fish Fry date. Ash Wednesday is February 17 and begins the Lenten Season. During Lent we will have a Fish Fry on every Friday during Lent.

BAKE SALE at the FISH FRY: The HSO is asking the school families to provide baked goods for the school's Bake Sales to be held at the Fish Fry every Friday during Lent-but, they could use some extra support from the parish. They would welcome your cakes, cookies, pies or any of your other specialties. You may bring the goodies to the gym at any time on Fridays. They always appreciate all the support they receive from the parish for their school events. They feel they are truly a parish school!

THE BINGO COMMITTEE is asking for volunteers to call and work Wednesday evenings. We especially are in need of a caller or two for one night a month or a caller to fill in when regular callers have another commitment. We are also in need of volunteers to help sell tickets and concessions. Please consider helping. The weekly bingo helps support our St. Augustine School.

THE ST. AUGUSTINE BOOSTERS COMMITTEE is conducting open sign-ups for the 2010 T-Ball baseball season. Players must be five years old and may not be seven before October 1. This covers birth dates May 1, 2004 through October 1, 2005. Games will be played in District 28 Knothole and the players' fee will be $30. If you are interested, please call Clay Osborne at 653-3235(after 2:00 p.m.).

SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENT: Each year St. Augustine School's students enter the Kenton County Conservation Poster and Writing Contest to promote conservation and wise use of our natural resources. This year Tyler Owens, Judy Ellis, and Alli Chevalier's writing on Water - Every Drop Counts were sent to the District. July Ellis, a seventh grader, was selected as the School Winner. Nyra Cordner, Michael LeMarbe and Grace Whitesell's posters on water conservation were sent to the District. Grace Whitesell, a fourth grader, had her art chosen as the Kenton County Winner. Congratulations to all!

OUR ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE which was held November 30 was a success according to Hoxworth Blood Center. We exceeded our goal and collected 26 unites of blood to help save lives. Mark your calendar for next year's drive which will be held Monday, November 29.

THANK YOU for the support of our school's gift certificate program (Scrips) during the holidays. We made $349 from the reloadable Kroger gift cards. You buy your Kroger gift card from us and then we benefit every time you reload and use it. We also accumulated 8,000 Coke reward points from the bottle caps you are saving and the reward codes sections from the cardboard Coke cases you are collecting. Don't forget, we have all types of gift cards. If you would like to purchase any type of certificate or for more information on any of these programs, call Katie Luning at 513-923-0731 or the school office at 261-5564.

ST. MONICA SOCIETY will not meet during the months of January and February. They welcome all the ladies of the parish to their March meeting which will be held the third Tuesday of the month.

OUR CATHOLIC CALENDARS FOR 2010 are still available at the doors of church. We are deeply indebted and grateful to Don Catchen & Son Funeral Homes for sponsoring these calendars again this year.

EVENT SCHEDULING: We are preparing our 2010 Calendar of Events. It is essential we hear from every group, organization, society, committee or league, as to the dates and times they have any event or meeting they want to schedule in the gym or the rectory. Please call the rectory at 431-3943 as soon as possible, or send an e-mail to mcgronefeld@staugustines.net..

2009 TAX STATEMENTS: Those who need financial statements verifying their 2009 contributions for income tax purposes are asked to provide us with a stamped self-addressed envelope in the collection basket. Thank you.

RETIRED RELIGIOUS COLLECTION raises money for distribution to religious institutes throughout the country and helps our aging religious population with immediate needs and long-range retirement strategies. Our women and men religious worked tirelessly in our communities for decades for small stipends that were reinvested in ministry. Please help to "Share in the care" and pray for God's continued blessing on all nations' religious. Visit www.retiredreligious.org to learn more.

MY COKE REWARDS: St. Augustine School is now registered to receive donations of Coke reward points. Points are on bottle caps of 20 ounce drinks or on the ends of fridge packs and cases. You can register to donate points to the school at www.mycokerewards.com or feel free to send bottle caps to school and we will register them. Any questions, call Katie at 513-353-2045.

BELL TOWER REPAIR Recent discovery that the Bell Tower gutters were not working for some time has led to the discovery that rain water was flowing between the bricks into the church basement which has only an earthen floor. In time this has weakened the wooden church flooring near the Reconciliation Room. Repair to both bell towers has been estimated at $35,000; the Parish Council and Finance Council have approved this expenditure from the Restoration Fund. When these repairs are completed, work will begin on the flooring by the Reconciliation Room. Your patience and your financial assistance during this project will be greatly appreciated. ~Fr. Schmidt

LITURGY of the WORD - Children Grades K-3 continues today and each Sunday, during the 11:00 a.m. Mass. This program is for children in grades K through 3 and is sponsored by the parish. We meet in the Reconciliation Room and discuss the Sunday readings with a prepared curriculum. If you have any questions or would like to teach, contact Janet Schmidt at 291-0711.

RCIA Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. Beginning with an inquiry program, we will enter another year of RCIA for people wanting to know more about the Catholic Faith. These sessions cover the basic beliefs and practices of our Catholic Faith and are intended especially for people who may be interested in becoming Catholic, but all are welcome. Our first session will begin on Monday, September 28, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the upper room of the gym. If interested, please call the rectory at 431-3943.

CCD RELIGION CLASSES Again this year, we have made arrangements for our parishioners' children who are attending public schools to attend the Holy Cross Religion Classes, which will begin soon. Regular classes for grades 1-8 will begin on Wednesday evening, September 9, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. If interested, call the rectory at 431-3943 or call Holy Cross (Bernie) at 431-0636.

PARISH RECORDS UPDATE REQUEST If you have moved or changed your phone number in the past year and have not notified us, please call the rectory to update your information as soon as possible. We would like to have the parish records up-to-date before beginning work on the 2010 budget process. Also, if you have been celebrating Mass with us and would like to become a member of the parish, do not hesitate to call the rectory at 431-3943. We would welcome you as a member of our St. Augustine Parish Family.

BINGO WORKERS NEEDED: Our weekly Bingo, held every Wednesday night, is in desperate need of workers. Remember that every school family is required to work at least 4 bingos each school year. Those who are unable to fulfill this obligation are asked to find family members or friends to substitute for them. Income from the bingo supplements our cost of the support of the school. Even with the help from the school families, the need for bingo workers constantly arises. We request and welcome new volunteers from the parish. If could be a scheduled commitment or on a call - when - needed basis. Please phone the rectory at 431-3943 if you could be of service.

ACUE: The Alliance for Catholic Urban Education is compiling a list of contact information for alumni of Holy Cross, Holy Family, Holy Trinity, Prince of Peace, St. Augustine and St. Anthony about the exciting things happening at the schools. If you attended one of the urban Catholic elementary or high schools in Bellevue, Covington, Dayton or Newport, please email acuedevcovingtondiocese.org or call 392-1584.

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES: Our school is once again asking for your help in acquiring school supplies for the children. Specific items would be paper, crayons, pens (with erasers/erasable ink), markers, notebooks (wide rule) and pocket folders. Your donations would be greatly appreciated. There will be a collection box in the front vestibule of church or donations may be dropped off at the school or rectory.

THE MESSENGER Every registered parishioner should be receiving The Messenger from the diocese. If you are not and you wish to, please call the rectory between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. or drop a note in the collection basket. A special envelope was in our budget boxes this month if you wish to contribute.

WE CONGRATULATE Austin Adams son of Dale and Peg Adams and one of our eight grade students, on being awarded scoutings' Ad Altare Dei Award last Sunday at Holy Cross Church in Latonia. This is a prestigious award given in Catholic Scouting in recognition of many months of study and completing projects demonstrating a wide knowledge and heartfelt practice of our Faith. Austin was also recognized with the International Religious Award for his study of the liturgy of other churches. We salute and extend best wishes to Austin for the future.

STEWARDSHIP of WORK and of the MIND "Resolve to be faithful to your daily, work-related tasks and offer them up to the Lord. Cultivate your skills. Deepen your knowledge. Be mindful of how you are building the Kingdom of God. Resolve to keep your mind active. Commit to being more informed on the issues of the day. Read your bible. Familiarize yourself with the Church's social teachings."

PRAY FOR LIFE Continue to urge our US House of Representatives and Senators to oppose FOCA (the Freedom of Choice Act). If you have not had a chance to send one of the postcards to Congress, then visit www.fightfocanky.com and easily send one electronically. For more information, contact the Diocese of Covington Pro-Life Commission at 392-1545. Let Congress hear YOUR voice and Pray for Life.

SCRIPS PROGRAM: One of the most important and beneficial programs for our school is the SCRIPS Program and it really does not cost you anything other than what you were going to spend anyway. You just make your purchase in advance by buying the certificates from school and then spending them when you want. They have certificates for almost any kind of purchase you need to make (groceries, gas, restaurants, entertainment, etc.). If you are not certain if they have a certificate for something, just call the school at 261-5564. If they do not have a certain certificate on hand, it only takes a short while to get it for you. Contact Katie Luning at 513-353-2045 or by email at ktluning@zoomtown.com for more information.

VOLUNTEERS working with our children, must adhere to a Code of Conduct through the Virtus Training Program offered by the Diocese of Covington. If you would like to become a volunteer and work with the young people of our parish, your first step is to attend a safe environment workshop titled "Protecting God's Children for Adults." Register online at www.virtus.org .

DAYS OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: A "Holy Hour" is an uninterrupted hour of prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It takes its inspiration from Our Lord's comment to St. Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane: "Could you not watch with Me one hour?" (Matt 26:40). It is a wonderful practice and can take many forms-maybe first settling down by praying the rosary and then maybe spending about fifteen minutes reading and prayerfully meditating on a short passage from Scripture. The remaining time can be used in quiet prayer. Please contact the rectory at 431-3943 if you are interested.

PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS: That this new year will create in our hearts a yearning to do God's will in all things especially in our chosen vocations, and those being called to priesthood and religious life will respond generously...We pray to the Lord.

RECYCLING PROGRAM FOR OUR PARISH & SCHOOL: Abitibi Consolidated; the world's largest newspaper manufacturer and world's largest newspaper recycler, has placed a bin in our church lot for all to use. This free paper recycling program will teach environmental stewardship, will reduce waste, as well as raise funds for our school. We will collect: NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, CATALOGS, MAIL, ENVELOPES, FOLDERS, FAX & COPY PAPER, COLORED PAPER & BOOKS. PLEASE NO PLASTIC, GLASS, METALS OR TRASH. Just bring these items to church and place in the bin. Thank you for helping us!

ST. MONICA SOCIETY is having a membership drive. All women young and old are invited to join. Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. in the school gym, and begins with rosary, followed by a short meeting; afterwards we can socialize, serve snacks and drinks, and play cards. Dues are $1.20 a year. We have a Christmas Party with entertainment, serve at the Fish Fry, who profits all benefit our students here at St. Augustine with scholarships to Holy Cross High School, $1000 to Adopt-A-Student Fund, medals for 1st Communion class and Graduates and much, much more. Please consider joining us.

MARY ROSE MISSION welcomes volunteers. Call 292-0300, Monday through Friday, to see what's involved in helping to provide the simple comforts of home, free of charge, to those who are terminally ill and without family or friends to care for them.

IN YOUR PRAYERS please remember the deceased members of our parish, the sick and homebound, nursing home residents and those who are hospitalized. To request a name or intention be included on the Prayer Line, call Evelyn Elfers at 431-3680

PARISHIONERS IN HOSPITALS: Recent government regulations enacted to protect the privacy of patients in hospitals has greatly restricted the ability of the Pastoral care department to notify parishes when Catholics have been admitted to the hospital. Thus, from now on, whenever someone is admitted as a patient to the hospital, be sure to ask the admitting personnel or the chaplain to notify your parish. As a secondary precaution, whenever a family member is admitted to a hospital, it is suggested that the family call the rectory to let the parish know that someone has entered the hospital. We are grateful for your cooperation.

SCHOOL TREASURES: Save ALUMINUM CANS for cash; these can be dropped in the large containers situated by the rectory garages in the parking lot. Save "Box Tops for Education" cut-out found on the top flaps of General Mills cereals and other of their products such as Nature Valley Granola Bars, Fruit Roll-Ups, Sweet Rewards, Pop-Secret Popcorn, etc. Save labels from CAMPBELL soups. Purchase KROGER certificates before going grocery shopping. Call the school at 261-5564.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul wishes to extend an invitation for volunteer opportunities at the Thrift Stores and Warehouse. Help us, help others by calling 341-3212 for more information.

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT POLICIES & PROCEDURES: All of our parish volunteers/staff should have been informed sometime ago about required attendance at a workshop regarding the revised Policies for Addressing Sexual Misconduct of the Diocese of Covington. ALL VOLUNTEERS (school and church) who work with children of any age in any capacity are required to: 1) attend a workshop on these revised policies (includes coaches, aides, scout leaders, etc.); 2) fill out a form for a criminal history record check; 3) sign a new document stating that they have seen the updated video, reviewed the policies (read the booklet) and will abide by the guidelines. This signed document must be on file in the church office for anyone who wishes to volunteer time working with our children. If you have not yet been able to fulfill these requirements, please contact the parish office as soon as possible.

To view the entire St. Augustine Church bulletin, go to www.catholicweb.com

February 28, 2010 Offering

SUNDAY BUDGET OFFERINGS	$ 3,881.00
LOOSE, CHILDREN CONTRIBUTIONS	538.17
ADOPT-A-STUDENT (February)	564.00
2009 DPAA REBATE	3,820.00

Please remember St. Augustine's in your will.

SAINT AUGUSTINE PARISH

It is composed of people like me. We make it what it is.

It will be friendly, if I am.

Its pews will be filled, if I help to fill them.

It will do great work, if I work.

It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver.

It will bring other people into its liturgy and fellowship, if I

bring them.

It will be a parish of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith,

and a parish with a noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these.

Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the

task of being all the things that I want my parish to be!