1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

The Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 16, 2014
Farmworker Beatitudes
I was hungry, and you said, “We only deal with
problems in the city, not in rural areas.”
!
I was naked, and you looked the other way as
you passed me by in your expensive three piece
suit.
!
I was sick with pesticide poisoning, and you
never thought of the human cost in the
vegetables on your table.
!
I was homeless, a migrant sleeping in my old car
with my family of six, and you refused to see
how your board members could make a
difference.
!
I was grieving over my children, who never had
a chance to get an education, and you said, “Too
bad” and continued with your business as usual.
!
I was imprisoned, and you said you were sorry,
but there was nothing you could do.
!
Whatsoever you do to the least of my people,
make no mistake, you do it to me. !
reflection on Matthew 25
12171
Iona
Road
Fort
Myers,
FL
33908
239–489–3973
12171Iona
IonaRoad
Road Fort
FortMyers,
Myers,FL
33908 239–489–3973
239–489–3973
12171
12171
Iona
Road
Fort
Myers,
FLFL33908
33908
239–489–3973
12171
IonaIona
Road
239–489–3973
12171
Road Fort
FortMyers,
Myers,FL
FL33908
33908 239–489–3973
What
! Is Entrusted Us
Page 2
!The Gospel parable is about a man
entrusting his servants with his
property, and the point it makes
concerns the need for fidelity in caring
for what belongs to the master.
God our master has left us with the
earth, not to do with it what we want
but to care for it even as we live off of its abundant riches.
God created the land to support living things: what will happen
when God returns to find so much land strip-mined, strip-cleared,
eroded, and burdened with toxic waste?
God created the waters to support living things: what will happen
when God returns to find the oceans and rivers polluted with our
garbage and chemical by-products?
God created the air to support living things: what will happen when
God returns to find smog and holes in the ozone?
God created plants and animals to live on this wonderful earth and
revel in its beauty: what will happen when God returns to find so
many of them driven to extinction by our destructive practices?
!
!
!
!
“Father of all that is good, keep us faithful in serving you.”
May we learn to care better for the Master’s goods so that
when the Master returns, we will hear those blessed words:
“Well done! Come and share your master’s joy.”
and Pray for the
Men and Women
serving in the Military
Andrew Richter
Louis Koconis
Kory McManus
Nicholas Dieter
George Dombeck III
Caitlin Shaw
Garrett Ferrara
David Woods
Timothy Westberry
Michael Klem
Joe Harris
Tom Jardas
Blake Griebenow
Joseph Prehm
Todd Sabala
Jeffrey Greenwald
Mark Hernandez
Welcome Home!
We welcome Jonathan Caira home safely
and we pray for peace in the world so all
soldiers everywhere can come home.
Men and women bear a unique responsibility under God to
safeguard the created world and by their creative labor even
to enhance it.
Gift Shop News!
Safeguarding creation requires us to live responsibly within
it, rather than manage creation as though we are outside it.
Library in the church narthex, has a
new shipment of coffees and teas,
and a new and exciting selection of
delicious candy just in time for the
holidays! Stop in soon. We are open
before and after all Masses and
anytime the church is open!
The human family is charged with preserving the beauty,
diversity and integrity of nature as well as fostering its
productivity.
U.S. Bishops, Renewing the Earth (1991) II, A
Gerald Darring
!Our Gift Shop, located in the Parish
!
Please consider remembering
St. Columbkille in your will.
!
Help us to endow our ministry, services
and outreach into the future.
Please contact the Parish Office for more information.
Coffee
&
Donuts
Wednesday, November 19th
after the 8am Mass.
Join us for for fine coffee, delicious
doughnuts and fellowship in Iona
Hall, Cafe Kells.
!
!
All are welcome!
Ecumenical
Thanksgiving Service
Wednesday, November 26th
7:00pm
Faith United Methodist Church
McGregor at Thornton
!!
!
!
!
!
!!
All are welcome to this beautiful
service. Please
join us!
!
Collection proceeds will be given to
Page 3
On the Calendar
!Alcoholics Anonymous All 4 meetings are in the Ministry
Center Room C-D. Meetings are on Tuesdays at 6:30pm, (men &
women), Wednesdays at 7:00pm, (women’s meeting), Thursdays at
1:00pm, (men & women) & Thursday at 6:30pm, (discussion men & women). For information and details call Peggy at
481-3956.
!Alanon for families and friends of alcoholics meets in the
Ministry Center Room 6 on Tuesdays at 6:30pm and Thursdays at
1:00pm. For details call Judy at 489-1654.
!Knights of Columbus Council #11425 meets the second
Wednesday of each month at 7pm in the Ministry Center Room
1. For information call Ron at 437-4999.
!Scripture Study Group meets each Friday from 1:00pm to
2:00pm in the Ministry Center Room 6. The readings for the
upcoming weekend are studied in depth. For information please
call Mary at 437-1527.
!Sewing Ministry will meet November 13 & 20, and December 4
& 18. Ministry Center Youth Room. All are welcome. For
information call Lillian at 433-2144.
Taize Prayer, a contemplative candlelit service, meets the third
Thursday of each month at 7:00pm in the church. All are
welcome!
Women’s Guild meets the second Monday of each month in the
Ministry Center Room 1 at 10:00am through April 2015. For
information call Lillian at 433-2144.
!
Gladiolus Food Pantry.
Baby Shower Thank You!
Thanks to those of you who generously
contributed to last month’s Baby Shower
and Diaper Drive sponsored by members
of Family Faith and the Women’s Guild.
Your donations have helped to support
the efforts of our parishes outreach
ministry, as well as those of the St.
Vincent DePaul Society and lifeline
Family Center in Cape Coral.May God
bless you for your compassion.
Anointing Service
Sunday, December 1st
following the 11:00am Mass
St. Columbkille Parish will celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick
in a special Anointing Service following the 11am Mass on
Sunday, December 7.
!
If you know of someone in need of healing (from serious physical,
emotional or spiritual illness) or a frail elderly person, please
encourage them to attend. Sacraments are community celebrations.
All are welcome!
!
Kids’ Corner
Ages 3-6
November 16, 2014 • Matthew 25:14-30
Parenting Pointer
Page 4
How big is your family? Who lives
farthest away? Who haven't you heard
from in awhile? Reconnect with a family
member this week.
!
By Susan Vogt
www.susanvogt.net
Women’s Guild
Christmas Luncheon
!
Be
of good cheer!
!The Women's
Guild
Christmas
luncheon
will be held on
Thursday, Dec.
11 at 12noon at
Kelly Green’s
Golf and
Country Club
Clubhouse. Tickets are $20
Please call
Norma at
239-454-5656 to save a ticket.
Waiting
for
God
A Call to Silent
Prayer
!
Each Thursday morning during the weeks of Advent
we will offer a time for quiet prayer beginning at
7:00am and ending at 7:45am. The gathering will take
place in Iona Hall. This opportunity is offered as a way
to prepare our spirit for the celebration of Christmas.
If you would like to recline or sit on the floor during
the prayer time, you are welcome to bring a pillow
All are welcome.
!
!Women of the Parish, friends and
neighbors are welcome. Remember to
bring non-perishable food items for the
parish food pantry.
!
Save the Date
!
Parish
Christmas
Party
December 14th
4pm
Iona Hall
We Celebrate
Farmworkers’
Month
As Catholics, we are called by our
church’s social teaching to “welcome
the stranger,”to notice the Lazarus at
our doorsteps and reach out to the
poor in our society. In Florida, we
celebrate Farmworker Sunday in
November as a way to call our
attention to the farmworkers we all
depend upon but seldom see or know.
Picture Jesus, before he started his
public ministry. What did he do? I
share the vision a farmworker-turnedpriest I know, who imagines Jesus as a
migrant farmworker. Certainly our
God is fond of migrants — Abraham
and Moses come to mind. God’s son,
too, was a migrant — exiled as an
infant to Egypt.
And why not a
farmworker? Jesus’ teaching was full
of vineyards and mustard seeds, of
workers sowing, weeding, harvesting,
tending animals and processing wheat.
Maybe it was personal knowledge;
maybe he was trying to speak to his
audience’s experience, but Jesus, the
carpenter’s son, told no parables about
separating the knotty wood from the
good, or paying the workers in the
lumberyard. Today, most Floridians
lack any farm-labor experience. We
live in cities and buy our perfectly
shaped, unblemished produce at
supermarkets. We ignore the price of
perfection because we aren’t paying it.
It’s the worker in the sun-baked field
who pays the price — covered in long
sleeves and a bandana to avoid the
pesticides that cover his clothing in a
sticky film. It’s the women picking
ferns, frond by frond, under a black
tarp that holds in the heat, who pay
the price in skin rashes. It’s the child,
exposed to the toxins on a parent’s
clothes, and the people at risk of
significantly higher incidences of
cancer and reproductive problems
who pay the price. We also aren’t
paying for the sweat and sacrifice it
takes to harvest our food. Retailers
and food processors — not farmers or
farmworkers — take the lion’s share of
our food dollar. A tomato picker must
pick some 3,500 pounds of tomatoes
in a day to earn $50 (at the piece rate
of 45 cents per 32-pound bucket).
The work is arduous.
(Excerpt from “Jesus, the migrant
farmworker” by Nancy Powers, Ph.D.,
Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee)
“Food Chains”
The narrative of this
documentary film focuses on an
intrepid and highly lauded
group of tomato pickers from
Southern Florida – the Coalition
of Immokalee Workers or CIW –
who are revolutionizing farm
labor. Their story is one of hope
and promise for the triumph of
morality over corporate greed –
to ensure a dignified life for
far m workers and a more
humane, transparent food chain.
!
November 21 - 27th
Prada Stadium 12
25251 Chamber of Commerce Drive
Bonita Springs, Fl, 24135
!
Call 992-0128 for show times
and ticket information.
If we eat, we have responsibility...
Farmworker issues are intertwined with farmer issues, environmental issues, consumer issues,
health issues and all is tied to our spirituality!
Fundamentally, food and agriculture are about life: life for the hungry and for all who depend on farmers and farmworkers for
what we eat every day. But they are also about life for farmworkers who risk their health to pick our food, sometimes not
knowing what pesticides are in the field. As people of faith we are called to make the protection of life and dignity the
foundation of our choices on agriculture. We know these are not easy times, but as believers we have hope for the days ahead:
• We have the capacity to overcome hunger in our nation and around the world. What an achievement that would be!
• We stand with farmers, particularly those who own small and family farms here and abroad, in their struggle to live with
dignity, to preserve a way of life, and to strengthen rural communities.
• We insist that agricultural workers be treated with dignity--decent wages, safe working conditions, and a real voice in the
workplace.
• We advocate for creation to protect the fields and streams, which are gifts of God.
• We find in our faith--the lessons of Genesis, the passion of the prophets, and the words and life of Jesus--the ultimate source
of hope.
(from page 14 of For I was Hungry & You Gave Me Food: Catholic Reflections on Food, Farmers, and Farmworkers. US Conference of Catholic Bishops,
Washington, DC 2003.)
“Joy to the World”
Nativity Sculpture
Just in time for Christmas gift giving, we have
available for purchase the sculpture “Joy to the World”
by Timothy Schmaltz. This beautiful depiction of the
Nativity can be purchased at our Religious Article Store
located in the Church at the back of the Library or at the
Parish Office. The cost is $40 (the retail cost is $59.99).
If you would prefer to have your statue shipped up north,
leave your name and phone number on the sheet in the
narthex or come to the Parish Office to place your order.
There is a $5 charge for shipping.
Deceased Loved Ones
The church prays constantly for the
dead and rejoices in the communion of
saints. This takes place in a special way
during November. During this month,
we may write the name of our deceased
loved one in the book found in the
Narthex. Communally, we pray for all
our departed.
Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI reminds us
that prayer for the dead is meant to console the living and heals
our relationship to them, if needed. When someone close to us
dies, it is natural to feel a certain amount of guilt, not because that
person died and we go on living, but because, being human, we
have had a less- than-perfect relationship with him or her – some
unfinished business. In prayer, we help wash clean those things
that remain painful between us. And mainly, we pray for the dead
because we believe in the communion of saints, an essential
Christian doctrine that asks us to believe that a vital flow of life
continues to exist between ourselves and our loved ones, even
beyond death.
And behold, I Am with you always..... Mt 28:20 Thrift Shop News
Page 6
Merchandise has been going fast but we
still have a good selection of Christmas
items. Perhaps
even better,
with our wide
array of
general
merchandise,
we can be Stop
#1 for gift
shopping as
well. We have
what we call
our "white tag"
clothing--suitable for parties and cruises;
some beautiful vintage linens; charming
accessories for the home; interesting
books. . .something for everyone - all of
it reasonably priced.
!If you’re tired of crowded malls, we’re
the place for you. You can browse and
shop to your heart's content in pleasant
surroundings with cheerful and kind
people to help you if you need them.
!We'd love to meet you. We have two
shops located in the K- Mart Plaza at
the Iona/McGregor intersection. Call
489-4001 for information and pick ups.
Taize Prayer
!This month’s Taize
Prayer Service will
be held on
Thursday,
November 20th at
7:00pm at the
church. This prayer
offers all of us the
opportunity for
prayer, rest and
contemplation in
the midst of our
busy lives.
!Taize is a contemplative candlelit
service consisting of readings, simple
chants and song, prayers and a strong
dimension of silence.
!All are welcome.
Page 7
Marking the Days
of Ordinary Time
Sunday!
November 16
Proverbs 31:10-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30!
Like some of the servants in today’s Gospel, we all experience moments
or situations when fear paralyzes us and we feel unable to act. What
helps us get beyond our fear and inaction is discovering that God has
gifted us with hidden strengths that enable us to deal with the situation.
Monday!
November 17!
Today, praise God, our awesome Creator, for all of
creation. Not just the Earth we know so well, but also
for all that God has created beyond our universe ...
even that beyond our imagination!
!
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Tuesday!
November 18
your faithfulness to the skies.
Wednesday!
November 19!
SIMPLE
LIVING
!
enriches
lives
Feast today!!
Presentation of
Mary!
!
Francis of Assisi
!
Next Wednesday Night
Thursday!
November 20!
Friday!
November 21!
Do few things but do them well,
simple joys are holy. !
Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service
Wednesday, November 26!
7:00pm at Faith United Methodist Church
!
Even though this feast has no basis in history, it stresses an important truth
about Mary: From the beginning of her life, she was dedicated to God. She
herself became a greater temple than any made by hands. God came to dwell in
her in a marvelous manner and sanctified her for her unique role in God's
saving work. At the same time, the magnificence of Mary enriches her children.
We, too, are temples of God and sanctified in order that we might enjoy and
share in God's saving work.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Cecilia!
!
Many thanks to our parish choir and musicians!
Hope
Page 8
Save the Date !- Senior Prom
“Cinderella’s Ball”
January 30, 2015
Iona Hall
6:30-9:30pm
Tickets are $15
Live Music with Side By Side
Light Refreshments
!
Sponsored by the Women’s Guild and Youth Ministry
Tickets go on sale January 12th - January 28th.
See future bulletins for details.
Formal Attire dress is preferred
If you have questions about !
year-end giving or have not yet received
your mailing please contact Curtis at the
parish office: (239) 489-3973
curtis@stcolumbkille.com!
Outreach Ministry
Food Pantry
Items Needed
The Food Pantry needs
peanut butter & jelly,
canned corn and green
beans. We appreciate all
your donations, but please
no outdated or opened items as we are
unable to use them. Thank you!
Soldier Ministry
Our parishioners and the Thrift Store
have been so generous the last 10 years
in supporting our troops.
For the month of November we are
collecting white tube socks. Please place
items in the box in the narthex.
If you have a soldier who would like to
receive prayers and packages, please call
Pat at 481-8333.
!
Page 9
Thanksgiving
Dinners & Baskets
!
On Thanksgiving Day last year, we
delivered dinner to 440 people who
have no one with whom to share this
wonderful family holiday. In
partnership with Gladiolus Food
Pantry we also gave 586 baskets with
turkey and all the trimmings to people
in need in our community, We are
doing the same projects this year. We can use gift cards from
grocery stores and food that is shown below.
Food Needed - please give according to your last name
A - G = canned green beans and corn
H - R =monetary or grocery store gift card for the purchase of
fresh fruit, vegetables and turkey’s.
S - Z = Mashed potatoes and stuffing.
Please place food or other donations in the Thanksgiving box in
the narthex. Donations are needed by Sunday, November 23rd.
!
Thanksgiving Week Volunteers Needed
Christmas Break
Day Camp
With Thanksgiving fast approaching, our Outreach Ministry team
is carefully planning for the meals we will be preparing and
delivering on Thanksgiving Day. This is a complex project that
requires careful planning. We cannot accommodate walk in
volunteers. If you are interested in participating in this year’s
project, we ask that you register by calling the Parish Office
489-3973 as soon as possible.
Would you like to
help a child spend
Christmas break at
Day Camp rather
than be left home
alone while the
parents work? $50.00 will give a child
the week at camp. The camp is filled
with programs which are educational as
well as enjoyable.
Donations can be placed in the
collection basket and should be made
out to St. Vincent de Paul with
“Christmas Day Camp” in the memo
line. Thank you.
!
Outreach Holiday Project
We will cut and color paper ornaments
for the Jesse Tree and turkeys for
Thanksgiving. November 20 at 1pm to
2:30pm in the Ministry Center, Room 1.
All are welcome!
Jesse
! Tree
!The Jesse Tree is a leafless tree decorated
with symbols portraying Jesus’ spiritual
heritage. It is named from Isaiah 11:1: “A
shoot will spring forth from the stump of
Jesse, and a branch out of his roots.” The
Jesse Tree was a vehicle to tell the story of
God in the Old Testament, and the branch
was a sign of newness – a way to talk about
the expected Messiah. This Advent, we can
be branches of generosity for people in need.
Beginning the First Sunday of Advent, (the weekend of
November 29 - 30) look for the Jesse Tree in the narthex and join
the parish in a giving project to help our neighbors.
It’s easy to participate: Take an ornament and ID tag from the
Jesse Tree and purchase the item written on the ornament. Then
gift wrap your item, attach the ID tag and bring your package to
church by December 14th. The ornament is for your tree, but
please be sure to return the gifts with the ID tag attached. All gifts
must be identifiable in order to get them to the right person.
Thank you!
!
!
Mass Intentions
Mass Schedule
Weekend Masses:
Saturday: 8am, 3pm & 5pm
Sunday: 7am, 9am, 11am & 5:30pm
Weekday Masses: Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday & Friday: 8:00am
Communion Service: Thursday 8:00am
Reconciliation: Saturday 9:00am
Rosary: Monday - Saturday 7:15am
Saturday
8:00AM
3:00PM
5:00pm
Sunday,
7:00AM
November 15
†Ronald Hayden, by Ann Hayden
†John Lutz, by his wife Marian
†Luis & Mary Zamora, by Pam Zamora
November 16
†Deceased Members of the Rock & Reetz families by
George & Kay Drier
9:00AM
†Deceased Members of the Thornton-Coppolino
family by Sandy Coppolino
11:00AM
†Mrs. Venkus, by Jim Tremmel
5:30PM
†Louie Gianetti, by Jim Tremmel
Monday,
November 17
8:00AM
†Francis D. McGinn, by Thomas & Mary Jane Sheridan
Tuesday,
November 18
8:00AM
†Catherine Mansfield, by her daughter Nancy
Wednesday, November 19
8:00AM
†George Hughes, by his wife
Thursday, November 20
8:00AM
Communion Service
Friday,
November 21
8:00AM
†Florence Drummond, by Leslie Drummond
Saturday
November 22
8:00AM
†Norm Kozy, by Joyce
3:00PM
†Kathleen Spellane, by her husband Brad
5:00pm
†Michael Giunta, by the German family
Sunday,
November23
7:00AM
†Phyllis Petritus, by Dorothy Klafehn
9:00AM
†B. B. Jors, by the Arens family
11:00AM
†Carmel Guido, by Patty Michaels
5:30PM
†Frances Maue, by Ben & Mary Homola
Sanctuary Candle in loving Memory of Betty Schimmoeller
!
!
!
Administration
Receptionists
Peggy O’Rourke
JoAnne Bertuch
office@stcolumbkille.com
!
Business Manager
Sergio Figueroa
sfigueroa@stcolumbkille.com
!
!
Director of Health Care Ministry
Chris McBride
cmcbride@stcolumbkille.com
!
Coordinator of Outreach Ministry
Miriam Ortiz
mortiz@stcolumbkille.com
!
Maintenance Coordinator
Javier Ortiz
Director of Music
Lee Van Asten
lvanasten@stcolumbkille.com
Coordinator of Family Faith
Anita Parmer
aparmer@stcolumbkille.com
Pastoral Associate
Mary Homola
mhomola@stcolumbkille.com
!
Prayer! List
The Sick: Diane Accongio, Sherry Anderson, Riley Atkinson,
Mary Behn, Ronald Benjamin, Laurie Bernardi, William
Bertuch, Helen Bullyan, Yolanda Butler, Kathy Ciell-Hays,
Bob Cline, Marion Colameco, Shirlee Davis, Mary Jane
DiGiacomo, Frank & Isabel Doran, Helgi Downes, Violeta
Espinoza, JoAnn Fabiszak, Pat Frye, Scott Germann, Ron
Getz, Leona Haggerty, Sue Hunter, Philip Hurlahe, Linda
Isenberg, Richard Kolb, John Krieger, Raymond Lantz, Gisela
Lock, Norma Marceau, Simone McCandless, Darwin McVay,
Dori Melfi, Teri McClure, Greg Mondello, Susan Moore, Kate
O’Connor, Sara Olsson, Pat O’Neill, Cheryl Porter, John
Putnam, Eric Ritter, Mary Ryder, Fr. Vincent Salamoni,
Andrea Savicchio, Nancy Slivka, Dave Smedile, Vince Spano,
William Steed, Kevin Strnad, Keith Van Asten, Paul Wack,
Maria Walter, Nicole Ward, Carolyn Wicker, Robert Wonski
!
Names cycle off the prayer list monthly. Please call if a
continuation is needed. Do not ask to have people placed on
the list without getting their permission first.
!
Pastor: Rev. Joseph Clifford
Assisting Priest: Rev. Pat Boyhan
!
!
Development, Communications
Coordinator of Youth Ministry
& Capital Campaign
Manya Vartdal
Curtis Neuschaefer
mvartdal@stcolumbkille.com
curtis@stcolumbkille.com
For emergencies or more immediate contact with a staff member, please
call the office directly. We welcome all new parishioners and are thankful
God has sent you to us. Please fill out a registration card in the narthex
and return to the Parish Office or place it in the collection basket.
Page 10
Sacramental Ministries
Infant Baptism: It is recommended that parents contact the
Parish about requirements for baptism before the birth of a
child. Infant baptism will be scheduled only after
consultation with a member of the Pastoral Staff.
Marriage: Couples should contact the Parish Office.
Sacrament of the Sick: If you are not well, or when you
know that you will be in the hospital, please ask the priest to
confer the Sacrament of the Sick after the weekday Masses
or Sunday Masses, or call the Parish Office 489-3973 to
make an appointment.
Homebound Parishioners: If you are confined to home,
either temporarily or permanently, a member of the Ministry
to the Sick will be happy to bring Holy Eucharist to your
home weekly. Please contact the Parish Office.
R.C.I.A.: If you are interested in the process of becoming a
Catholic, please call the Parish Office.
!
Thrift Store
Our Thrift Store is located in the K-Mart Plaza at the Iona/
McGregor intersection. Open 10:00am - 5:00pm Monday
through Saturday. For information call 489-4001.