Weekly Newsletter-December 13, 2022

Weekly Announcements: St. Thomas the Apostle Syro Malabar Forane Catholic Church
4922 Rosehill Road, Garland, Texas 75043

  St. Thomas the Apostle Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church

Weekly Announcements,
December 13, 2022

Dear Parishioners,


1. Holy Qurbana

Sunday

8:30am: CCD and Holy Qurbana in Malayalam

10:30 am: Holy Qurbana in English

Weekdays:

Please note that there will be Holy Qurbana at 8:30 am on Monday on December 19th.
Tuesday to Thursday: Holy Qurbana at 8:30 am
Friday: Adoration and St. Jude Novena at 6:00 pm, followed by Holy Qurbana at 7:00 pm
Saturday: Holy Qurbana at 8:30 am, followed by Novena to our Mother of Perpetual Help
Note: Those attending Holy Qurbana are requested to follow CDC guidelines to protect yourselves and others.   

  • Holy Qurbana Offering Book: Please note that there is a book kept in the church narthex which is to be used only for writing Holy Qurbana intentions. Please write legibly the intention for Holy Qurbana along with the contact person's name, phone number and what date it is to be offered. Please contact achan with any questions or concerns.


2. December 2022 Highlights

  • Welcome of Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt: It was a blessing and honor to welcome Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt to our parish on Sunday, December 11th.
  • Wedding Anniversaries:
    Nine couples from our parish marked their milestone wedding anniversaries on Sunday, December 11th. Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt presented the couples with a plaque.
    50th Wedding Anniversary: Sebastian & Annamma Joseph
    40th Wedding Anniversary: Kurian & Annie Nellikunnel, Vincent & Elcy Valiaveettil,  Cyriac Joseph & Rosamma Parakkulam.
    25th Wedding Anniversary: Jojo Thomas & Shanty Jojo, Shaji Neerackal & Sherly Shaji, Gigi P. Jose & Tessy M. Gigi, Titty Cherian & Saira Susan Joseph, Vinod George & Jomol George.
  • Parish Hall Renovation Update: So far, 134 families have contributed towards the Parish Hall renovation. Some families are paying in installments. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Please click the link to see the names of the donors: Parish Hall Renovation Special Collection
  • Annual December Christmas Caroling: Each parish council ward representative will collaborate with ward members to arrange for this year's Christmas caroling. Achan will not be able to join. Please inform Achan if you are inviting any Catholic priest(s) to assist with caroling.
  • Christmas Flowers: Those who are interested in sponsoring the Christmas flowers, please contact the trustees.
  • Confession times: Confessions will be heard from December 19th till 22nd, after the Holy Qurbana. From December 21st - 23rd, confessions will be heard from 6 pm till 8 pm. Please make use of this opportunity to prepare for the Christmas season.
  • Christmas Holy Qurbana timings: Saturday, December 24th Malayalam Holy Qurbana will be at 5:30 pm and the English Holy Qurbana at 8:00 pm. Sunday, December 25th Holy Qurbana will be at 8:30 am.
  • St. Vincent De Paul Society Christmas Raffle Announcement: Thank you all for getting raffle tickets to support our society's charity activities. Please remember to return the ticket stubs to the society members next Sunday. The raffle drawing will be on December 24th after the 8:00 pm Holy Qurbana in English.
  • Didache Course: This is a beautiful opportunity to grow and learn different aspects of our Catholic faith. It is a 2 year online course. Those who are interested, please contact: Silvy Cham, Joel Kuzhippillil or Elizabeth Antony (Deena). Click the link to view the flyer: Didache flyer
  • Donut Sponsors for CCD students: This is a great opportunity to celebrate your CCD child's birthday or any special occasion. There is a sign-up sheet in the parish hall. For a contribution of $200 for one Sunday, you can provide the kids with their favorite donuts. Thanks to all those who have already sponsored.
  • Parishioners' financial statements: A statement of your charitable contribution to our church is available in the church narthex, please take time to pick it up. Thanks to Cyriac for putting together the statements. Our church has $25,500.00 typically in monthly expenses. Please consider the Holy Qurbana expenses when you make your monthly donations. The minimum suggested donation per family is $100/month and for those who have retired, the suggested donation is $50/month.
  • Parishon.net: Per our diocese's recommendation, we are going to implement a new software portal called "Parishon.net" in 2023 for all our parish needs such as accounting, records management, letters, payments, etc. Tomichen Kallarackal (Thomas P. Thomas) has agreed to help in 2023 for accounting. Bobby Johnson has agreed to work on Parishon.net along with Parish Council member Raju Kattady and others; Elsa Rajo, Jilly Olickal, Jeevan James and Jibin Gigi will assist with data collection for Parishon.net.
  • Our present accountant, Cyriac Thomas will render any help he can provide till March 2023. Parish council members will be helping with the implementation, but we will need more volunteers to support this software. Those who are interested to volunteer, please contact achan at the earliest as we are planning to start in January, 2023.
  • The Resident Retreat for High School and Young Adults: The retreat will be from December 16th - 18th.  Join us for “Encounter” a retreat hosted by our parish for High School and Young Adults (two separate tracks).
    This retreat will be led by young adults across our diocese along with Fr. Kevin Mundackal. The weekend will be filled with Holy Qurbana, adoration, amazing talks, small groups and games, including a tournament!  Please pray for the success of the retreat.
    We need sponsors to meet the expenses for airfare for the leaders who are flying in and also for the music ministry. Please consider sponsoring.
    Venue: Camp Copass - 8200 E. Mckinney St., Denton, TX 76208
    Please click to view the flyer: Encounter Retreat Flyer
  • Parish Council Meeting on Sunday, December 18th at 12 pm:  Parish Council members please plan to attend.
  • IPTF Update: Our parish is set to host the regional level IPTF in July, 2023 (14th-16th). Please see the IPTF section for details.


3. 2023 Highlights

  • Youth camp will be held from March 10th - 13th, 2023 at 576 Sabine Creek Ranch, Royse City, TX 75189. Please mark your calendars.
  • Lenten Retreat will be led by Fr. Mathew Asariparambil for all parishioners from March 24th - 26th. Please plan to attend and get enriched spiritually.
  • First Holy Communion will be held on Saturday, May 13th, 2023, which will be presided by Bishop Emeritus Jacob Angadiath. Parents, please mark your calendars.
  • Dei Verbum Diocesan Bible Quiz: The Semi-Finals for the Dei Verbum Diocesan Bible Quiz will be held on Saturday, February 11th, 2023. Finals will be held on Saturday, May 20th, 2023.
  • Inter Parish Talent Fest (IPTF): Our parish is set to host IPTF in July, 2023 (14th-16th). The General Coordinator will be Charly Angadicheril along with the Assistant Coordinators, Jeevan James & Janet Josey. Parish level Coordinators are Raju Kattady and Sherly Shaji.


4. Safe Environment Weekly News: Healing from Childhood Trauma - Practical applications

When interacting with a child who may have experienced trauma (events that are frightening, dangerous or violent for the child, or a loved one, since a child's understanding of safety depends on the safety of their caregivers) it is important to take a multi step approach described in the attached link. Click to read this week's article: Healing from Childhood trauma


5. Housekeeping Updates

Please refrain from stapling or sticking any flyers on parish hall walls or glass doors. We expect your understanding in this matter.


6. The 3rd Diocesan Dei Verbum Competition (Bible quiz)

For details, click the link: Dei Verbum Bible Quiz 2023


7. Inter Parish Talent Fest (IPTF) 2023

Our parish is set to host IPTF in July, 2023 (14th-16th). The General Coordinator will be Charly Angadicheril along with the Assistant Coordinators, Jeevan James & Janet Josey. Parish level Coordinators are Raju Kattady and Sherly Shaji.


8. The Sacrament of Marriage

Young adults planning to get married, please register for the Marriage Preparation Course.


Please email familyapostolate.chicago@gmail.com for the registration.

For more details, please contact:
familyapostolate.chicago@gmail.com

Fr. Paul Chalissery (919) 749-7175
Mr. Jose Prakash (954) 540-7286

Those who are planning to get married need to contact achan at least 6 months before the marriage, especially if either party belongs to a non-Catholic Christian Community.


9. Mathru Jyothis

All mothers are welcome to help and support this ministry. To help with Mathru Jyothis activities, please contact:

Lisa Kochuparambil: (214) 336-4340

Sherly Shaji: (214) 287-2051

Enat Earnest: (469) 688-0201

Ancy Mathew: (972) 953-6369


10. Parish Hall Repair and Renovation Updates

As per the decisions made during the General Body meeting on July 24th, the following areas of work have been thus far repaired and renovated:

  • Parish Hall exterior and interior painting
  • Roof leak repair
  • Kitchen remodeling
  • Restrooms repair (both upstairs and downstairs)

Work began on Monday, August 22nd. To help fund the cost of this project, each family is encouraged to give $500. Please write in the memo “Parish hall repair”. We need your prayers and financial support. 


11. Adult Bible Study

Adult Bible study classes have resumed after a brief pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now being held every Sunday after the 10:30 am Holy Qurbana in the CCD classroom, which is led by Mr. Mathew (Mathew Sir). Everyone is encouraged to participate.


12. Senior's Ministry

The Seniors' Ministry have resumed their activities. Anyone who is 55 years old and above are welcome to join this ministry. Please contact James Thomas at (214) 991-7640, Jokutty (214) 507-9892, Elcy Philip (214) 418-3431 or Annamma Paul (214) 802-3386.


13. Sacrament of Holy Communion and Confession for the Home Bound

The Sacrament of Holy Communion and Confession are available for those parishioners who would like to receive, but are unable to attend mass due to injury, illness or advanced age. Please put in a written request in the log book kept in the trustee's parish office.


14. House blessings, Baptism & Marriage Information

If you are interested in scheduling a Baptism, Marriage, House blessing or would like to get a certificate/letter, please put in a written request in the log book kept in the trustee's office. Please include the date, time of request, your address, and phone number.


15. Access to Church, Parish Hall, CCD Rooms & Founder's Building

To access/use the Church, Parish Hall, CCD Rooms or the Founder's Building, please put in a written request in the log book kept in the trustee's office. Please include the date, time of request, your address, and phone number.


16. Include Registration Number to write checks to the church

Please include your church registration number in the check as part of the memo when you write checks to the church. The registration number for your family is available in the October 2021 statement that was sent to you. If you still do not know your registration number, please contact James achan or the trustees.


17. Church Bookings

For church bookings, non-parishioners will be able to book the church 12 months in advance of their event date based on availability. Parishioners on the other hand will be able to book any time prior to their event based on availability.


18. Address, Phone number or Email Change

If your address has changed, please contact your ward Representatives/Secretary/Trustees/Parish Vicar via text message or email to change the address in the church database.

If your phone number/email or spouse's phone number/email changes, please provide the new contact information to update the church directory.

Emails: Vicar@syromalabarchurchdallas.org, trustee@syromalabarchurchdallas.org, secretary@syromalabarchurchdallas.org


19. Prayer Ministry

If you have a prayer request, please contact the prayer ministry leaders, Mary and Michael Kallarackal, at (201) 563-0727. Everyone is welcome to join the prayer ministry and also to be part of the intercessory prayer sessions. Please contact the prayer ministry leaders if you would like to join the ministry.


God Bless You
Fr. James Nirappel


Church Main Office (972) 240-1100

Kaikkarans (Trustees):
Jimmy Mathew (972) 951-7304
Charly Angadicheril (817) 296-8255
Tomy Joseph (469) 951-6639
Jeevan James (972) 375-8763

Parish Council Secretary & Asst. Secretary:
Molly Varghese (214) 912-7663
Janet Josey (Asst. Secretary) (551) 482-5529

Liturgy Coordinator:
Jose Paul (972) 589-0434

Parish Vicar:
Fr. James Nirappel (443) 414-2250

Copyright © 2021 St. Thomas the Apostle Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church,
4922 Rosehill Road, Garland, Texas 75043. All rights reserved.
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