St. Boniface Catholic
by Sue Beams

On Sunday, May 4th, members of St. Boniface celebrated the Ascension of our Lord. The ascension, like the resurrection, manifests the divinity and lordship of Christ. The month of May is traditionally dedicated to Mary, Mother of Jesus. In keeping with some very old traditions, the three young people who made their First Communion, processed to the statue of the Blessed Virgin to place a wreath of flowers upon her head, along with beautiful roses to adorn the statue.

In his homily, Deacon Steve Curry spoke directly to the candidates. Mary protected, raised and defended her son, Jesus. Through Mary we come to know Jesus. Steve went on to say that Jesus promised a Spirit of power. Paul promised wisdom and revelation through that Spirit. In the nine days between the Ascension and Pentecost, the disciples waited in fear. For nine days, they prayed for the Spirit to come upon them. They were instructed to "go and make disciples of all nations. " Jesus is with us always ... there is no need to fear.

As the three candidates presented the gifts at the altar, and then once again as they received the sacrament for the first time, I could not help but feel a sense of wonder at the beautiful Eucharistic celebration we were experiencing. How fortunate we are as sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father to be a part of this blessed day!

Following Mass, refreshments were served in honor of the First Communicants. Congratulations and God bless you, today and always.

This year's CCD term has concluded. Mrs. Iris Mamo will `retire' as our DRE. On behalf of St. Boniface I wish to extend our deepest appreciation for all you have done for our children throughout the years. Iris, may God bless you for your love and dedication. You are leaving behind some pretty big shoes to fill!

Danny Schroeder still has a few DVDs of this year's presentation of the Passion Play. Please contact Danny at 903- 849-6501 for your copy. The cost is $5.00.

The ladies of the Altar Society will meet next week, Monday, May 12, for the last meeting of the 2007-08 year. Dinner is going to be at 6:30 at the Sonoma Grill on Old Bullard Rd. in Tyler. Please contact Iris for information and/or directions. All ladies of the parish are invited to bring their ideas and join us for dinner and brainstorming.

We still need volunteers to help plan the St. Boniface patron saint special Mass and picnic, scheduled for June 8th. There is a sign-up sheet in the community room.

We are looking for a volunteer(s) to prepare the weekly Sunday bulletin. Please contact Fr. Jesse if you are able to take over this project. We need someone to begin taking over the responsibility by the end of the month.

Congratulations and best wishes to all who are celebrating birthdays and anniversaries.

We pray for comfort for those who are sick and suffering. We pray too for the souls of the faithful departed; may they rest in peace. Please continue to pray for the men and women of the armed services who are defending us and our freedoms. Have a good week!