OLS Parish

  • 775-323-6894
  • secretary@olsparish.com
  • 1138 Wright Street, Reno, Nevada 89509
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Father Bob's announcement

Pastor's Notes

Fall Festival is tomorrow, Sunday Sept 14th!!!  Please come and join in.  But reminder that on Sunday morning parking spaces will be limited: no parking on Lander St. in front of the school and along Walker in front of the church and school. The only space on Walker will be for Handicap. Please use the parking lots on Wright Street, and along Wright Street; and if you are mobile, give consideration to those who are not and let them have the closer parking spaces. Thanks!
 
There will be lector training this Saturday for all those who desire to be a lector at masses.
 
Last week I wrote about fasting before mass and also not to bring drinks into the worship space. Someone brought in a coffee container that weekend which spilled onto a pew.  So please do not bring any container into church at all.
 
I had a good discussion with some men of the parish about their formation. There is a desire, but like many people trying to find the time and to commit, this gets difficult. Small Faith sharing groups interested most, in which the readings for the mass would be discussed. Faith Sharing is a powerful way to grow in faith and to build community. Suggestions for different times would be when CRE is taking place and also an evening sessions. Bible studies were discussed, but these would be best in 4-6 week blocks with breaks in-between.  Please see the questions attached to this. 
 
Last weekend a person inquired about the charcoal drawing of Jesus we have at the back of the church. Prints can be obtained. There is a cost for this, and the money goes to The Bub Hugs Foundation which provides scholarships.  Contact me at pastor@olsparish.com for the info.
We have passed Labor Day (and Burning Man) so fall is in full swing. I am waiting for the Aspens to begin their change. Fall also means the start of Religious education and formation. As always an initially busy time in the office for the DRE, plus Zelda is learning the job.  As well, transitioning Confirmation to Glaicy in YM. They have handled it well. On that note, please read below…
 
BMCHS Parents – if your child has yet to complete the Sacrament of Confirmation, it is CRITICAL that you contact Glaicy Morrison (YM@olsparish.com) ASAP.
 
I would like to meet with the men of the parish on Sunday night to discuss what kinds of small groups or spiritual nourishment are needed.  We will start after the 5pm mass in the church this Sunday (Sept 7)
 
Fall Fest coming up soon (next Sunday).  Games, food and amusements!  Reminder there will be NO parking in front of the school that morning, so plan accordingly.
School started this past week and what energy there was (and is). Some of those kids realllllllly grew taller over the summer. It is good to have them back and I know it will be another great year.
 
To all Parents with kids at BMCHS and/or OLSS (in 7th and 8th grades) who did not receive Confirmation formation for whatever reason…please contact Glaicy Morrison (YM@olsparish.com) ASAP so that we can have your info and communicate with you concerning the upcoming Confirmation Program.
 
Confirmation Preparation takes place in the 6th & 7th grades with the Sacrament being celebrated in 7th grade. Parents, you will be receiving notifications about kickoff and requirements. Please be attentive to them. This year we will also still have some 8th graders in confirmation preparation, as this will be the final year of that transition.
 
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH – you are not done yet…we have YOUTH MINISTRY for you. Gatherings for FUN, SERVICE and SPIRITUALITY. All are welcome to participate.  For more info, contact Glaicy Morrison (YM@olsparish.com)
 
This weekend we welcome Deacon Randolph Copeland and his wife Maria from the diocese of Gallup NM who will talk about their efforts in ministry and how we can help. Please be generous with attention!
 
This coming week I will be away, fulfilling a long time wish to  go the US OPEN in Queens, NY. Looking forward to this time and sharing it with my long time friend Fr. Rene.  Thanks to Fr. Steve for filling in for me.
Our School starts on Monday, Aug 18th. Looking forward to it!  The first School Mass will be on Sept 3rd; still at 8:45am.  
New School Families, you are included in this E-Newsletter each week so that you know what is going on in our parish, and if even not a member, know that you are always invited to our activities and events.
 
Mark your calendars for Sept 14th; Fall Fest will take place, back on Sunday (after the 10am mass). So come by all parish/school families for an afternoon of fun, games, food and community building.
 
I am asking for a gathering of men to discuss what we could do in the parish to enhance the faith of the men here. We will gather on Sept 7, at 6:15pm in the Church(following the 5pm mass). This will be for all adult men (18years + and grad from HS). 
Alert-Holy Day of Obligation coming up on Friday, see the mass schedule below. This Feast day we remember that at Mary’s death she was taken body and soul directly into heaven. She who carried the Son of God would not be corrupted even in death.
 
Aug 16/17 masses we will bless all students and School staffs. This is for any public, parochial or private school students and staff.
 
Hard to believe that the summer break begins to end on Monday with the start of school for the county and Manogue. As well, some good friends left this morning taking their daughter off to college, one I very much remember as a infant. I also went to the RLT production of Xanadu and I had flashback to my adolescence. Time flies! Some wistfulness in me, but also knowing that everything is beyond my control, except my actions to them, I find a sense of peace in this. There is a time for everything put there by God, an in our souls is timelessness.
Aug 5th is the Memorial of the Dedication of St. Mary Major, which means it is our Parish Feast Day.  Our mass will be at 6:30pm. Why not come and celebrate!
 
This past Thursday was Peter Larson’s last day with us at Rosewood and the parish (and CCNN). He has a few weeks off before returning to Mt. Angel Seminary. I enjoyed the two months we had with him and will be sorry to see him go. We will keep him and all seminarians in prayer as they make this journey.
 
Heads up for School Starts:  Washoe Co. and BMCHS start Aug 11. OLSS starts Aug 18. Get in that summer fun kids! We will have a blessing for all Students and School Staffs (County and Catholic) on the weekend of the 16/17th.

The heat is coming! Stay cool everyone, and also be considerate for those who must work outside or have no shelter. Maybe we could carry some extra water around for those we meet?

I am still looking for a person to Coordinate our Religious Education Program. Viable applicants have been lacking. If you have managerial skills and are a good organizer, let me know? Although originally a full time position, this can be negotiated.

This past week the Vatican introduced a new Mass setting. Some reports said a new Mass, but that in not quite accurate. A Mass setting means a set of prayers used for a particular purpose. There are many now, for vocations, for sick persons, for funerals, weddings…this new setting with appropriate readings acknowledges God’s creation of the world and the need to care for it. Once we get the official English translation and there is an appropriate day, we will use it at daily mass (Sunday masses take precedent over almost all).

Happy July 4th Weekend! and welcome to Flocknote.

Over the several years we have been sending out our E-newsletters I have received compliments on it, and also people ask about matters communicated through them. So I know people are reading them. Communication is so essential for our parish. We used Evangelus for those first years and it was a good platform. The Chancery made a move towards Flocknote and wished parishes to also use this. So that is ultimately why we made the switch.

This platform allows for hopefully easier sign-ups for activities as well as prayer requests. So please make use of it. 

 I am working with Snows Women Auxiliary – we will be bringing in the Sacred Heart Icon soon. It will be placed at the back of the church currently where the B&W picture of Jesus is.  We will move that picture to the current parish center. Pope Francis’ last encyclical was about the Sacred Heart of Jesus; I found it very moving and powerful. So I wanted to set up a prayer space for that. Stay tuned for more details.

Upcoming Week

  • Sat. Sept 13
    • Seeliger Funeral 10am
    • Confessions 2pm
    • Mass 4pm & 6pm
    • Confirmation Kick-off 2:30pm
    • Lector Training 5pm
  • Sun. Sept 14
    • Mass 8am, 10am, & 5pm
    • Fall Fest 11am
  • Mon. Sept 15
    • Mass 8am
  • Tues. Sept 16
    • Food Distribution 2:30pm
    • Mass 6:30pm
  • Weds. Sept 17
    • Mass 8:45am
    • Women’s Book Club 9:30am
  • Thurs. Sept 18
    • Mass 8am
    • Adoration 8:30
    • Parish Corp Board Meeting 11am
  • Fri. Sept 19
    • Mass 8am

Coming to Mass

The Homily is intrinsic to the mass, meaning it is required. Homilies ideally bring out the truth of the Scriptures and how to apply them to our lives as disciples. When Scripture is difficult or harsh, the homily may be too. At times the homily can be about a particular feast, saint of the day or liturgical season. Homilies also ideally challenge those who feel comfortable and comfort those who are challenged.
Both Fr. Boby and myself try work on our homilies throughout the week, amid all the other duties and responsibilities that we have. We take this privilege seriously.
People can also help by reading the Scriptures in advance, thinking on them for the week, so that the homily is being sown into more fertile soil on a Saturday/Sunday. To find those readings, go the USCCB site.
 
Vocabulary: Doxology:  Greek for words of Glory. The Great Doxology concludes the Eucharistic Prayer, and is the summation of our Faith.  “Through Him, With Him, and In Him….”  The people’s response is “AMEN”, and it is called the GREAT AMEN, so mean it!
 

 

Fasting before mass… this was brought up about a year ago, and so another friendly reminder.  We are to fast before mass, typically 1 hour prior to the mass. This means no food or drink (water okay).  Fasting includes NOT chewing gum before mass and especially during mass. It also means don’t come in with coffee. This applies not just to Sunday masses, but daily masses as well. Fasting reminds us of what our true food is to be; the Body and Blood of Christ which nourishes our souls and minds.  I would also suggest that unless for medical reasons, don’t bring in bottles or thermos of water…it amazes me how many I find after masses tucked into the pews. This is a worship space, not a sports venue. So we need to treat it as such.  

 

Our postures during mass denote the action and the importance.
Standing means we are attentive and acting as a community; as well we stand for the Gospel to say this Scripture is important to us.
Sitting is a posture of listening and pondering. We sit during the first, psalm and second readings, as well for announcements.
Kneeling signifies reverence and penitence. We usually kneel during the Eucharistic Prayer and can also do this following reception of Communion.

 

The Gospel for the weekend challenges our thinking about Jesus. He is the prince of Peace, the bringer of Unity…and he speaks of bringing conflict and division. Such contradictions hopefully make us want to delve deeper into our Scripture and Tradition, to grow in our understanding of Jesus Christ.

This past Tuesday I quizzed the daily mass attendees; I asked them ideally how many masses would a parish celebrate on the weekend. There were a few guesses, 3, 4, 6… but the real answer would be 1. Ideally, the whole community comes to one celebration of the Eucharist to give thanks to God and to grow as disciples. Of course, reality is that we have multiple masses to accommodate the number of people. Yet, we always want to keep in mind that we come to mass, not as a convenience to our individual schedule, but for communal worship of God. We do not just come for ourselves, but for the community and to be renewed by God as community.

Typically in Sunday Mass the First Reading from the Old Testament and the Gospel have a connection. This will be very apparent this weekend. Sometimes the 2nd reading will have the same theme, but not often. If we note, altogether there are four readings from Scripture during Sunday Mass. The 1st, then Psalm, 2nd and finally Gospel. And interspersed throughout the liturgy will be references to Scripture. Attune our ears to it, and see just how Scripture informs us Catholics.

We will hear the Story of the “Good Samaritan” in the gospel this weekend. One of the benefits of knowing the whole of the gospels is that earlier in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus wanted to stay in a Samaritan village, but they refused. Two disciples wanted fire from heaven to destroy them, but Jesus said no, lets move on. Then Jesus uses the Samaritan as an example of acceptable behavior.

·        Sometimes to prepare ourselves for Mass, we need to look at the readings for the day, and go to the Bible to see what the whole context is. It can give us more insight.

We are done with the Solemnities of Ordinary Time and that means we go into the groove of counting down Ordinary time. Each week we move forward in the Gospels, opening ourselves to the mystery of faith. So come and enter into this time with an open mind and heart.

Sunday Homilies

Fr. Bob Chorey was born and raised in Ohio and moved to Nevada to work as a geologist in the gold mines.   He lived in Elko for a number of years before entering the seminary.  He was ordained in 2002  and served as parochial vicar at St. Albert the Great and St. Teresa of Avila.  

 

He was named Pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine in 2004.  Fr. Bob was later appointed as part-time Moderator of the Curia in 2012 and moved full time into that position in 2013.   He was also appointed Chancellor in 2014, and was also a Co-Director of Vocations. Then in 2018 Fr. Bob was appointed as Pastor at the Our Lady of the Snows, along with holding his Chancery positions.  Fr. Bob asked to be relieved of the Chancery positions in 2022 so that he could be full time at the Parish.

 

CONTACT:
pastor@olsparish.com
775-323-6894 (510)