O gracious Creator, God of all goodness and love, we lift up our Haitian brothers and sisters to You in prayer. Our hearts go out to all those who are suffering in this difficult moment after the assassination of their President. Have mercy on his soul and grant healing to his injured wife. . Grant Your wisdom to all who are leading the government or seeking to lead it, give them strength and hope in the face of all that is occurring in their beautiful homeland. God of mercy and justice, bless world leaders in sharing time, energy, and resources with our Haitian neighbors. Bless their efforts to help restore and improve their lives. Bless the children of Haiti who seek a better world and a brighter future. May the good work You have begun in them find its fulfillment in Your sight. We pray this blessing in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior. Amen. Mary, Queen of Haiti, pray for them!
Remember the painting of the King who brought Myrrh? The painting itself has been finished with a protective coat and is not being framed at a shop on Germantown Avenue. We hope to be able to welcome it into our Church in August! Father Chris and the parish and grateful to all those who so generously contributed towards this project and we look forward to praying before the image soon!
Did you read last week's BULLETIN? Have you "subscribed" to our YouTube Channel (it does not cost anything but helps us build our reach; please do so today). Worshipping in person is safe for you, please be with us! You are welcome to worship from the front lawn at the 10 am Mass. Father Chris has a VIDEO MESSAGE for the Parish Family as we move into a new "phase" with the rest of our City and State. In addition, please read our new plan as COVID-related restrictions during this new season. The church is safe...join us and bring the family!
Our Mini-Summer Camp is off to a great start! Our young people are learning about Jesus, doing arts and crafts, going on hikes, and getting wet in the sprinklers. God is good! Pray for our adult and teen counselors - may they remain gentle and kind to our little ones (especially when it is hot)!
We are a Church blessed with many young people! As we seek to serve their needs and help them grow as disciples, we are always seeking ways to meet their needs. As we move through this post-pandemic season, we believe it is time to GATHER IN PERSON FOR CHILDREN'S LITURGY OF THE WORD! The children will be sent out with their Catechists during the 10 am Mass and we will use an air-conditioned classroom in the Church Basement to allow for some distancing. Please spread the word ( we had a great crowd of young people this past week). If this is the first time for your child (normally ages 4 to 9) to attend Children's Liturgy of the Word, you are welcome to join them as well. God be praised! Please pray for our Catechists and children as we reengage in this wonderful ministry for the good of our young disciples!
BETHANY MINISTRY TEAM: Assist us in welcoming people to Church at all Masses and keeping things smooth during Mass. You will serve once a month (this replaces Restore, Ushers & Greeters). Call Minta in the Parish Office or email her at minta@saintraymond.net to sign up or get more info.
NURSING HOME MINISTRY: Assist in bringing the love of Jesus (and Holy Communion) to local nursing homes. The opportunities vary regarding the day of the week and time of the day so please be in touch with Deacon Bill at deacon@saintraymond.net and he will assist you in coming to understand what God desires for you!
Archbishop Perez has created a Commission on Racial Healing to address the many diverse needs of the Church in Philadelphia. Read more about their initial work (our Parishioner, Lucretia Clemons is on the Commission).
Pope Francis recently had surgery for a problem with his colon; he is recovering as hoped. As you may know, Pope Francis has worked hard to clean up corruption in the offices of the Vatican. The scene is not pretty and has led to a Cardinal being indicted on financial crimes; he will face a trial. Lord, purify our Church!
Have you ever visit Old St. Joseph Church in Old City Philadelphia? Perhaps during these summer days, you could make a visit and tour the City a bit? It is worth your time!
St. Raymond School is in need of a PreK Teacher and a 3rd Grade Teacher. We also need a person to coordinate the After School Program (Monday to Friday, 3 pm to 6 pm). Interested? Want more information? Contact our Principal, Mr. Harris at dharris@straymondphila.org
The Archdiocese provides news on the local, national and international Church through its website CatholicPhilly. You can sign up to receive a weekly email from them as well. Stay informed!
There are many opportunities to develop your Catholic Faith throughout the Philadelphia area. CHECK THIS OUT!
As we have shared before, we are transitioning to a new online system for electronic giving Parish Giving has served us well, Pushpay will take us to a new level with text to give and more (and the processing fees are less). As we begin our new Fiscal Year on July 1, perhaps it is time for you to think about your sacrificial giving to St. Raymond. Please consider signing up for PushPay (and stopping other online giving accounts once that is done). START HERE. If you choose to start the process from your mobile device, simply text straymond to 833-363-7471. We are most grateful for your goodness!
THIS GUY NEEDS PRAYERS! The vocation to holiness is always a challenge. These days, it is especially difficult for many priests. Did you know that we only ordained two men as priests this year? Did you know that many priests leave the priesthood after only a few years of service? Some become overwhelmed by the burdens of priestly ministry. Some fall into unhealthy habits or addictive behaviors. Some burnout. Others rust out! Praise God Father Chris remain happy as a priest and very happy as our Pastor. But he needs prayer. The Archdiocese is launching a new program that will allow people to pray a Eucharistic Holy Hour once a week for a priest. There will be seven people praying for each priest so the graces are flowing each day. Could you pray a Holy Hour (ideally in Church in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament) one day a week for Fr. Chris? Learn more about the program. If interested, let Richara know at richara@saintraymond.net
