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ST. HELEN 43RD HARVEST FESTIVAL
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The St. Helen Harvest Festival is a community event held annually
at Dodgertown providing an opportunity for the entire parish and
community to work together and get to know one another. The
festival includes great food, games of skill and games of chance,
exciting rides, concessions, booths and carnival activities for
the whole community. The festival provides the wholesome
entertainment in a safe environment.
Proceeds from the festival are used to subsidize
the Parish and St. Helen Catholic School's operating expenses.
Prior to the festival, discount
ride tickets are available from the
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students of St. Helen Catholic
School
and the school office.
From the excitement of setting up, to the fun packed four
day festival, to the final take down, volunteers are
needed. If you
are interested in finding out how you can help call
Harvest Festival
Chairperson, Gwen Lamothe at or Harvest
Festival
Co-Chairperson, Dave Brocksmith through the Church Office.
LADYBUG BOUTIQUE
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The
Ladybug Boutique creates handcrafts and various needlework
projects to sell at their booth during the St. Helen Harvest
Festival each November as well as a Ladybug Mini Sale in the
spring before Easter.
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The Ladybugs meet Wednesday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the North Room of the Parish Center. Anyone may join
the group and spend as much time as fits into her schedule. No
special talents are necessary. Supplies and projects are generally
provided.
Contact one of the Ladybug Co-Chairpersons: Rose Sabot,
Karen Egan at or Jackie Dudek, through the Church Office (567-5129) if you would like
more information.
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ST. HELEN CATHOLIC MEN'S DISCIPLESHIP GROUP
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The purpose of the St. Helen
Catholic Men's Discipleship Group is to further develop the
spiritual lives of the men of St. Helen through a deepening of
their personal relationship with Jesus, formation of relationships
with one another, and training in discipleship. The fellowship is
committed to
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help one another in their
spiritual and every day lives and to assist in building and
strengthening our church community, families and community. The group
accomplishes this by meeting regularly and by being committed and
involved in supporting the church’s many other ministries.
Through fellowship, accountability, prayer, scripture study, and most
of all love we develop as Christian Catholic men. We are a group of
men of all ages, needs, concerns and ideas. Come join our group
Monday mornings, 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. in the North Room or
Monday evenings 7:00 p.m. until 8:15 p.m. in the Christian Living
Center. For additional information, call Dave Hankle at 562-2539 or
584-0124. (Colossians 3:1-17)
MOMS GROUP (Meetings of Mothers)
The St. Helen MOMS Group was formed in May of 1984. The group's goal
is to foster spiritual and personal growth while developing a deeper
sense of community among mothers of St. Helen Parish. The challenges
of motherhood are many, as are the rewards. The group desires to
share these rewards and support one another in meeting the challenges
by coming together in Christ.
MOMS meets the second Wednesday of each month. The meetings include a
program and a time for fellowship. For more information contact
Suzanne Gallagher at 778-1485.
Correct your son, and he will
bring you comfort,
and
give delight to your soul
Proverbs 29:17
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NOCTURNAL ADORATION SOCIETY
The St. Helen Nocturnal Adoration Society's purpose is to spent time
in Adoration of our Divine Lord in the Blessed Eucharist. Members
spend one hour in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament exposed on
the altar between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. the Saturday
before the first Sunday of the month. When a major holiday occurs, it
is moved to the following weekend. There are three bands or groups,
with each spending one hour in adoration. Books are provided for
special prayers said aloud by the group. There is also time for
private prayer and meditation. The numbered groups rotate (advance
one hour) each month. There are no meeting and no dues. Just one hour
a month with Jesus. Remember our Lord's words, "Can you not
watch one hour with Me?"
If you are interested in joining this ministry call President Charles
Weir or Secretary/Treasurer Gene Slane.
PRAYER MINISTRY
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The goal of the St. Helen Prayer Ministry is to heal and enrich
individual lives, marriages and families in order that we might
love more abundantly and serve more effectively under the Lordship
of Jesus Christ. God has provided us with
the gift of prayer as a means
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of petitioning Him for our needs.
Through this prayer ministry, members of the parish community can
receive individual prayer for the needs in their lives. Come join the St. Helen Prayer Ministry on the first Sunday of each
month at 11:30 a.m. in the Christian Living Center Chapel. Sessions
may also be scheduled by appointment by contacting John Matthews via the Parish
Office.
Ifyou
believe,
you
will receive what ever you ask for in prayer.
Matthew
21:22
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PRISON MINISTRY
Did you know that over one half of the Indian River County Jail
inmates were once Catholic? If you would like to help bring these
Catholics back to the Faith, join this dedicated group of fellow
parishioners who pray with inmates on the second and fourth Monday of
each month. Trained Ministers talk and pray with each inmate and
allow the Holy Spirit to flow. Amazing results have followed. There
have been healings of mind, body and spirit, and there have been
conversions in the last several years.
A five week training course is mandatory.
For more information, contact John Matthews via the
Parish Office at 567-5129.
ROSARY MAKERS FOR PEACE
The purpose of the St. Helen Rosary Makers for Peace Ministry is to
make rosaries for missions all over the world, for the school
children, and for any hospital patients, prisoners or families in
need.
The ministry meets on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. in the North Room of the Parish Center. Anyone
desiring to join the Rosary Makers, should contact Lorraine Jorge at
559-0951 from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. daily.
My
Rosary Beads...
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A little pair of Rosary Beads,
As plain as plain can be,
But only God in Heaven knows
How dear they are to me.
I have them always with me
At every
step I take,
At evening
when I slumber
At morn
when I awake.
In bright and cloudy weather,
In sunshine
or in rain,
In
happiness or sorrow,
In pleasure
or in pain.
It helps me in my struggle,
It reproves
me when in sin, |
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Its look of gentle patience
Rebukes
the strife within.
In days of pain and
anguish,
The
greatest help I knew
Was to hold
my Rosary Beads
Until I
calmer grew.
So when the
time approaches
When I will
have to die,
I hope my
little Rosary Beads
Will
close beside me lie.
That the holy name of Jesus
May be the last I say,
And kissing my sweet Rosary Beads,
My soul may pass away. |
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CHURCH NURSERY
The St. Helen Church Nursery is
located in the Kindergarten classroom and is available during the
10:30 AM mass on Sundays for infants through pre-school aged
children. The nursery is organized by the MOMS Group. If you are
interested in volunteering for this most rewarding ministry, or for
more information contact Laura McGarry. Please contact the Church Office at
567-5129.
COUNSELING
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Catholic Charities of Palm
Beach provides individual, marriage and family counseling at St.
Helen Parish. For more information or to make an appointment
contact Mary LaMarr. The office is located on the
second floor of the Christian Living Center.
CURSILLO/ULTREYA
The Cursillo Movement is a
continual encounter with Christ. Correctly applied and overseen,
this movement and method can have very positive results in the
spiritual revitalization of society. The Christlikeness of a few
people is contagious. The transference of Christ's values by word
and example to others in one's family, school, workplace, and
where one volunteers and socializes is the "Christianizing of
Environments" that Cursillo promotes. Small Cursillo groups
are formed to meet weekly to witness, share, encourage and pray. A
monthly meeting, (Ultreya) of members of these groups from the
area further links
Cursillo members and groups
together as an evangelizing community. For further information, call
Lisa Toussaint or
Bob
Haefner through the Parish Office.
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DIVINE MERCY SECULAR FRANCISCAN FRATERNITY
Formerly called the Third Order
of St. Francis, the Secular Franciscan Order, this fraternity was
founded over 800 years ago. It exists as a secular religious
institution of the Catholic Church. Each fraternity meets in local
groups made up of Catholics who, following a period of formation and
study, are professed to a life-long commitment of living a
Gospel-based life, following the Rule of St. Francis of Assisi for
the laity. At present, there are about 40 Secular Franciscan
Fraternities in the Florida region.
Members come from St. Helen
Church as well as from other parishes in the area. All are welcome to
join in for prayer, study, sharing and fellowship on the second
Sunday of every month (except May which is the third Sunday) from
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the South Room of the Christian Living
Center.
Come and see if the Secular
Franciscans are for you. For further information,
call Helen Caldarone SFO, Formation Director at 794-2404
or visit
www.franciscan-sfo.org.
GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP
The compassion of a
loving God,
reflected through the concern and
care of parish members should be experienced by
all who lose a loved one. The goal of the St.
Helen Grief Support Group is to assure no member
of the faith and community grieves alone.
The Grief support Group meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month
at 11:00 am in the South Room of the Christian Living Center. To
inquire further call the Neighborhood apostolate office at 778-5720,
or contact Marguerite Fowler or Tina Franke. We are
family. We care and the Lord loves you.
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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
Mother of Perpetual Help, Council 5629
The Knights of Columbus is a charitable fraternal organization for
practicing Catholic laymen. Spiritual and social benefits as well as
insurance benefits are available. The Knights of Columbus, Mother of
Perpetual Help, Council 5629, meets on the first Thursday of each
month at 7:00 p.m., at 1875 14th Avenue, in Vero Beach.
Special events hosted by the Knights of Columbus include pancake
breakfasts (announced in the Parish Bulletin) to raise funds for St.
Helen athletic programs, Boy Scouts, and Cub Scouts as well as a
sponsorship of a basketball free-throwing tournament and tootsie roll
sale for the mentally challenged. There are also special family
affairs such as the Past Grand Knight's Dinner and the Annual
Christmas Party. For further information, contact Grand Knight John Negherbon.
Please contact the Church Office at 567-5129.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FOURTH DEGREE
Father Charles D. Brady Assembly, Fourth Degree,
Knights
of Columbus, Vero Beach
The primary principle of the Fourth Degree fosters the spirit of
patriotism through promoting responsible citizenship by honoring God
and Country. Father Charles D. Brady Assembly, Fourth Degree, Knights
of Columbus, Vero Beach, comprises membership from Fellsmere Council
(Our Lady of Guadalupe), Holy Cross Council (Holy Cross), Holy Rosary
Council (St. John of the Cross) and Mother of Perpetual Help Council
(St. Helen). The Assembly provides an Honor Guard for civic and
religious functions, including ceremonies at the wakes of deceased
Knights.
Meetings are held on the last Thursday of the month. For membership
information and membership transfers, contact Faithful Navigator Joe
Brady, or Faithful Comptroller, Sir Knight Art Griffin. Please contact the
Church Office at 567-5129.
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MARRIAGE AND FAMILY MINISTRY
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The purpose of the Marriage and Family Ministry is to assist and
strengthen couples in their vocation as spouses and parents.
In the vocation of marriage God calls for service, self-sacrifice
and fidelity. He values loving spousal relationships first
among all relationships, whether husbands and wives or priest and
the church.
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Through this ministry, spouses and parents commit with God's help to
be available to support and encourage one another. We are mindful of
the struggles, conflicts and problems inherent in all marriages. For further information contact Dr. John Fitzgerald or
Gary and Mary Ryan. Please contact the Church Office at 567-5129.
Building
Families Together in Faith,
in
Celebration and in Love
MINISTRY
TO THE SICK
The Ministers of the Eucharist of St. Helen Parish are specially
trained and commissioned to bring The precious Body to those
parishioners who are confined to their home, the hospital, a
nursing home or assisted living facility. If you or a member of
your family are in need of receiving the Eucharist under these circumstances, please call the Neighborhood Apostolate Office
at 778-5720.
There are two ways of spreading light:
To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
Edith Wharton
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RESPECT LIFE
The Respect Life Ministry at St. Helen's works
for the protection of life from conception until
natural death. We use a three prong approach of
prayer, education and action to save lives. We pray
for pro-life issues and outcomes including an end
to the killing of babies by abortion and by embryonic stem-cell
research as well as an end to killing of the disabled
and elderly by euthanasia. In short, we pray that
all human life will be viewed as sacred and
worthy of protection. We educate ourselves and others in
the hope that a full understanding of the true nature of such
violent practices will lead towards greater efforts to
abolish them. We take action whenever possible to
foster protection of our vulnerable brothers and
sisters, to work for the abolishment of the culture
of death and to restore a culture of life in our country. As
an arm of the Diocese of Palm Beach Respect Life Office,
we also participate in their pro-life campaigns
at the parish level. For more information and to become involved with the Respect Life
Ministry, please call Joan Paquette through the Parish Office at 567-5129.
SCOUTING
St. Helen Cub Scouts Pack 503 and Boy Scouts Troop 503
Sponsored by the
Knights of Columbus
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Scouting is about outdoor adventures, learning to be
self-sufficient and character. Boy Scouts is comprised of two
organizations the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Cub Scouts is for
boys ages six to ten (first grade to fifth grade) and Boy Scouts
is for boys ages eleven to eighteen.
Each group has separate programs and adult volunteer leadership.
Both meet weekly at St. Helen Parish. In Cub Scouts, adults take
the lead. The Scouts take the lead role in Boy Scouts.
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At all age levels, scouts work on earning ranks and
achievement patches. In Boy Scouts, scouts also may earn
merit badges by learning
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special skills, such as rifle shooting or
swimming. They attend summer camp. Ultimately, some scouts go on to
earn Scouting's highest award of Eagle. For more information regarding Cub Scouts call Troop 503 Cub
Master Terri Beckham. For more information regarding Boy Scouts call Scout
Master Randy Brennan through St. Helen's Church Office at 567-5129.
St. Helen Girl Scout Junior Troop 337 and Brownie Troop 204
St. Helen Girl Scout Troops offer opportunities for young girls to
find ways to have fun, help their community and make friends, as
first envisioned by founder Juliette Gordon Low in 1912. It is a
program with the goal to teach girls new skills while helping improve
the world they live in. There are Brownie (grade 1-3) and Junior
(grade 4-6) level troops at St. Helen. Community service is central
to the program, with girls earning patches for hours served. Work is
done at bi-monthly meetings to earn Badges, Try-its and program
patches. Troops participate in Service Unit activities such as
parties, hurricane relief work and camping.
For information on becoming a Girl Scout, contact Eileen Wetzel through St.
Helen's Church Office at 567-5129.
SERRA CLUB OF INDIAN RIVER AREA FLORIDA
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The mission of the Serra Club
is to foster and promote vocations to the priesthood and religious
life and to further Catholicism by encouraging its members, in
fellowship, through education, to fulfill their vocations to
serve.
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The
first Serra Club was formed in 1953 in
Seattle, Washington. Then as
now, the two great needs of the Church were for informed Catholic lay
leaders who understand and live their own Christian vocations to
service, and for dedicated priest and religious. Today there are more
than 600 Serra Clubs in 35 countries with a total membership than
20,000 men and women.
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Serra officers and trustees meet
monthly on the Monday before the second Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. at Holy
Cross Church Parish Hall. On the second Tuesday of each month a
Breakfast Meeting after the 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Helen Church is
held at CJ Cannon's Restaurant in Vero Beach. Monthly dinner meetings
are held in the Holy Cross Parish Hall after the 6:00 p.m. Mass at
Holy Cross Church except for the summer months of June, July and
August.
For more information contact Ed
Hoos, VP of Communications through the Church Office.
ST. FRANCIS MANOR
St. Francis Manor is a non-profit, nondenominational
organization that provides affordable, independent housing to senior
citizens on a limited income. St. Francis Manor has been a vital part
of the Indian River County community for over 33 years. For more
information or to visit the complex located at 1750 20th Ave, Vero
Beach call Linda Scott, Administrator or Dorothy Frances, Social
Director, at 562-8575 or visit our website at www.stfrancismanor.org.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift
Shop is located at 1745 14th Ave in Vero Beach. Profits from the sale
of donated items provide funds, which are used to assist the needy of
our community. Donations of new or used goods are appreciated and are
tax deductible. Contact the store to arrange for pick up of large
items in good condition, or bring in usable donations during store
hours.
Volunteers will find a pleasant atmosphere, where
their various skills will be appreciated and put to good use. For more
information about volunteering, contact Kathleen Reynolds (see store number
below).
The store is open from 9:00 am
until 3:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. It is closed Tuesdays and
Thursdays during the summer. To contact the store call 567-6774.
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SUBSTANCE
ADDICTION MINISTRY
As Christians, we value and
cherish human life. Jesus said He came that we might have life, and
have it abundantly. When the life of one we love is at risk, and the
quality of life of those close to that person is threatened, we are
charged with the responsibility to respond in a direct and loving
manner.
The St. Helen Substance
Addiction Ministry provides education about the diseases of
alcoholism and drug abuse; increases awareness of the pain in
people's lives; suggests places where help can be found; and offers
support, acceptance, understanding and healing.
Alcohol and drug addiction is
epidemic in our society. It affects the entire family, not just the
"identified addict". It is a disease that devastates the
whole person physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Substance abuse is not a moral
problem or weakness. The American Medical Association classifies
alcohol and drug abuse as a primary disease, characterized by
distinct stages of development, with specific signs and symptoms. If
left untreated, it can be fatal.
One characteristic of these
diseases is based on shame and maintained by a conspiracy of silence.
The first step in addressing the problem is to begin talking about
it, thus reducing shame, and opening the door to treatment and
recovery of the entire family.
Members of the St. Helen
Substance Addiction Ministry Team pledge:
Confidentiality
Respect
for the individual and family
Support
through prayer
Availability
to those who seek help and support
Follow-up
with individuals and families
Continued
personal spiritual development and education in the areas of substance
addiction.
Please call for further information. A team member can be reached by
calling the St. Helen Neighborhood Apostolate at 778-5720.
PRAYER FOR VICTIMS OF
ADDICTION
O Blessed Lord, You ministered
to all who came to you. Look with compassion upon all who through addiction have lost
their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of Your unfailing mercy. Remove from
them the fears that beset them. Strengthen them in the work of their
recovery; and to those who carefor them, give patient understanding
and persevering love.
ST. HELEN PARISH HANDBOOK
Youth on a Mission is an opportunity
for
youth and adults to serve local, out-of-state and foreign communities. The youth work physically and spiritually to help those who are less fortunate.
They look for special gifts and talents in the people they meet, and
share their gifts and talents with others. They look for Jesus in
those who they are serving and in those who serve with them. They
seek to recognize all the good things that we all often take for
granted.