Author: Kris Coons

If you or someone you love has a sensory processing disorder such as Dementia, Autism, Disabilities, Alzheimer’s, or needs special accommodations that would help with participation in the Holy Mass, please fill out the following survey. A group of individuals at Christ the King are hoping to assess the diocesan need/desire and feasibility of working together to offer quarterly or monthly sensory friendly Masses. They need input and help from others.

Form

For more information about sensory-friendly Masses, please view the following EWTN newsclip:

Pax Christi has 8 raised garden beds up for adoption for this spring/summer. Three already have been adopted as of April 8.

Do you want a garden but have limited space? Or do you know someone who might be interested? Gardeners do not need to be parishioners, making this an opportunity to invite a friend or neighbor to share your garden. The beds are located near the shed in the back of the parking lot and were built and donated to the parish last year by parishioner, John Schweighardt for his Eagle Scout project.

· Plant vegetables or flowers (which help our pollinators!)
· Use what you grow or share with others
· Contact Bax McClure baxm2306@gmail.com or 859-494-7665 to reserve your garden.

Please help us build our church directory!

We invite all parishioners to participate in our upcoming church directory that we are producing in-house this year. The directory helps our parish community stay connected and get to know each other better. This is a simple two-step process.

First, complete this form

Second, either email your photo to paxdirectory@cdlex.org and include your family’s name in the email OR sign up to have your photo taken at the church by our volunteer parish photographers.

As part of this process, you can also review and provide the contact information you would like included in the directory. We will only print the information that you explicitly approve and submit. No additional details will be included without your permission.

• If you have any questions, please email paxdirectory@cdlex.org for assistance. We hope every household will participate so that the directory reflects the entire Pax Christi community. We want everyone to feel welcome and be the peace of Christ, so creating a new directory will help us do that.

Children in Pre-K (potty trained) through 5th grade, (most recently completed) are encouraged to attend! Click here to register for VBS or to volunteer.

Snacks are provided. Volunteers are greatly needed! (middle school to adult). Volunteers 18+ must complete, or already have the Diocese of Lexington “Safe Environment” training (free & valid for 5 years). Questions or concerns, contact Isabella Schweighardt at igsc222@uky.edu or 859-327-1246

A Bible Study for men and women meets Thursdays at 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. (after the 9:30 a.m. Mass) in room 5 of the Parish Hall. This Bible Study mirrors our Thursday night Men’s Bible Study which meets in Room 5 at 7 p.m. on Thursday nights. Come any time, you are always welcome.

Both sessions will be in sync with each other & Deacon Ed Parsons will facilitate both sessions.  We are studying the Letters of St. James and St. Jude.  Contact Deacon Ed at (502)382-0145 or tparsons@cdlex.org for more information.

Come to first Friday Adoration on the First Friday of each month. Adoration begins after noon Mass in the Chapel. Benediction is at 8 p.m. Spend some time, whatever time you have available, in the presence of the Lord. Experience His True Presence in the peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the day.

by Fr. Patrick Stewart

If your name is O’Leary, or Dombrowski, or Feldkamp, you are descendants of immigrants and refugees.  The Catholic Church in the U.S. has always been a church of immigrants. It is important for all of us to remember this.

The first Catholics to come to the eastern seaboard of what would become the United States came to the colony of Maryland. They were, in a real sense, refugees. King Charles I granted a charter to the Calvert family to establish a colony that would be a place of refuge for Catholics who were being persecuted in England. In the other colonies, Catholics often faced discrimination and persecution. Although the Maryland colony later lost that protective status, the state of Maryland has preserved much of its Catholic heritage.

Large waves of Catholics first started arriving when Irish and Germans came in the mid 1800s. They were fleeing oppression and famine in their home countries. They faced discrimination here as well. They were considered ignorant and poor. Their devotion to their Catholic faith was looked upon with suspicion. In spite of all this, these new immigrants were by and large deeply devoted to the principles of democracy in their new country. They realized they could have a say in the course and progress of their chosen country. Many fought valiantly in the Civil War. When the Italian and Polish immigrants came in the latter half of the 19^th century they were often characterized as violent and diseased. And yet, they knew that this was a land of opportunity and devoted themselves to being good citizens as well as devoted Catholics. Many of our Catholic families today are the direct beneficiaries of their ancestors’ commitment to the principles of their new adopted country. Even though this is a merest sketch of the Catholic Churches’ place in the history of the United States, I believe it allows me to have some say about the attitudes Catholics ought to have in the current conditions in our country.

Today, there can be no denying that the very principles of democracy that our ancestors benefited from are being threatened, especially in new attacks against immigrants. It seems that many people are willing to forego these freedoms on which our country is built, as long as they get what they want. There are forces that want to overthrow such basics as rule of law, citizenship for anyone born here, and true representative elections. We hear the language of vilification widely used and even applauded from some quarters. People who think this way, always think that they will be the safe and protected ones. But history has taught us that once you begin to give away these rights, it becomes harder and harder to set limits on those in power. All will suffer.

Democracy is not a principle of our faith. But there has certainly been a productive partnership between our Catholic heritage and our democratic principles and constitutional rights. Our Catholic ancestors were not always perfect in their devotion to democracy. Probably the worst example was during the Civil War. As free black people fled north looking for opportunities of their own, some Irish elements committed violent riots in New York and Washington D. C.

All the more vital that Catholics take seriously the protection of those fundamental rights, for all! This requires being intelligently and truly informed. It involves looking beyond our own immediate concerns.  It requires openness to dialogue and willingness to appreciate the true needs of others. Too many people listen only to the “news” they want to hear. It is not enough to use some app that feeds only the topics we want to read about. On the other hand, if you are watching any of the “news” channels or services for more than 15 minutes a day, stop! A half hour a day should provide all the news necessary, and even that will mostly be the most sensational bits. There are many Catholic papers and periodicals that provide most of the information that is important to broaden our awareness of the world around us. The National Catholic Register, the Nation Catholic Reporter, St. Anthony Messenger, America Magazine and many others are all worthwhile and can suit many tastes. I know that this all might seem a challenge. But the effort is well worth it for the protection of our democracy and for the continued progress and prosperity of all.