Sundays at Seven

Sundays at Seven are a music ministry serving the 7pm Mass at the UW Newman Center. Check out their blog for their latest information, inspirational writings, and videos of their music.

Happy Thankgsiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

For those of you still in town, there will be Mass at Blessed Sacrament at 10:00am on Thanksgiving -- a great opportunity to give thanks to God for all that He has done!

Drinks with the Dominicans -POSTPONED

**PLEASE NOTE THAT DRINKS WITH THE DOMINICANS HAS BEEN POSTPONED**

(We will reschedule this important discussion for a later date.)

Everywhere we turn, we hear something about the health care debate. How do we sort out what it means for us and our neighbours? Please come join Father Jordan Bradshaw, OP as he explores the U.S Bishop's response to the current discussion on health care.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
7:00-9:00pm
Blue Star Cafe and Pub

November 9th, 2009 Statement from Cardinal Francis George, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Over the weekend, the US House of Representatives advanced major legislation to provide adequate and affordable health care to all. The Catholic Bishops of the United States have long advocated that adequate health care be made available to everyone. In an essential step, the House voted overwhelmingly to reaffirm the longstanding and widely supported precedent that no federal funds will be used to pay for elective abortions. In doing so, the Representatives honored President Obama’s commitment to the Congress and the nation that health care reform would not become a vehicle for expanding abortion funding or mandates. The Conference will remain vigilant and involved throughout this entire process to assure that these essential provisions are maintained and included in the final legislation. We will work to persuade the Senate to follow the example of the House and include these critical safeguards in their version of health care reform legislation. We also thank the members of the House who took this courageous and principled step to oppose measures that would force Americans to pay for the destruction of unborn children, and the Democratic leadership for allowing the Representatives to vote on this amendment that protects the common good.

In the national discussion on how to provide the best kind of health care, we bishops do not claim or present ourselves as experts on health care policy. We are not prepared to assess every provision of legislation as complex as this proposal. However, health care legislation, with all its political, technical and economic aspects, is about human beings and hence has serious moral dimensions. Our focus is the concrete realities of families with children and their access to doctors, the poor and the elderly, those with limited means and those with few or even no means, such as the mother carrying a child in her womb. Our Catholic commitment to health care picks up the pieces of our failing system in our emergency rooms, clinics, parishes and communities. This is why we believe our nation’s health care system needs reform which protects human life and dignity and serves the poor and vulnerable as a moral imperative and an urgent national priority.

We remain deeply concerned about the debate that now moves to the Senate, especially as it will affect the poor and vulnerable, and those at the beginning and end of life. We will continue to insist that health care reform legislation must protect conscience rights. We support measures to make health care more affordable for low-income people and the uninsured. We remain deeply concerned that immigrants be treated fairly and not lose the health care coverage that they now have. We will continue to raise our voices in public and in prayer; we ask our people to join us in making the moral case for genuine health care reform that protects the life, dignity, consciences and health of all.

Veritas

Yes, it's that time again... ToB is back! Well, sort of! After much discussion, we feel that the topic of "human sexuality" has become rather saturated. So, we're switching topics for this next phase of our study group and will now be discussing various encyclicals (and other Church documents) and how they relate to the world we currently live in. As such, we have renamed our group, "Veritas".

Veritas will begin meeting on Thursday, November 12th from 7:30 - 9:00pm in the Siena Room at the Newman Center! (A huge "thanks" to Father Jordan and Father Raphael Mary for giving us that space!) The first encyclical that we'll be reading and discussing is "Caritas in Veritate" (led by Kevin Birnbaum and Amy Tribble). That discussion will continue through the end of 2009 - (two weeks in November and three weeks in December). At the start of the New Year, we'll pick up with another encyclical and new discussion leaders.

Mercy Night

Drop by our grand century-old brick church in the U-district on Friday, November 13th, from 7:30pm to 10:30pm for another beautiful candlelit evening of prayer and adoration. Priests will be available to hear confessions all evening, and prayer teams will be available to pray with you for your intentions.

Originating from the Emmanuel Community in Europe, Mercy Night offers an extraordinary setting in which to reconnect with God and experience His beauty and goodness. Come anytime, and stay for as little or as long as you like. Anyone and everyone is welcome!

Also, please invite a friend, it is a great way for someone who has not been to church for a while (or ever) to experience God's love for them.

Lunch with the Dominicans

This upcoming Sunday, November 8th, please join the YAYAs and Father Raphael Mary, OP for an afternoon of good food and fellowship. We will meet in the back of Blessed Sacrament Church after the Noon Mass and then carpool over to Eastlake Bar and Grill for our monthly "Lunch with the Dominicans".

Holy Hour

"O Trinity, eternal Trinity! Fire, abyss of love . . .
Was it necessary that you should give
Even the Holy Trinity as food for souls? . . .
You gave us not only your Word
Through the Redemption and in the Eucharist,
But you also gave yourself
In the fullness of love for your creature."
-St. Catherine of Siena

Join us for our monthly YAYA Holy Hour, this Friday, November 6th from 7:00-8:00pm at the Newman Center. It's a lovely way to end the week with a bit of reflection, rosary recitation, music, and prayer all in the presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

Blessed Sacrament Young Adult Town Hall Meeting

Are you a young adult with a desire to grow in faith and community with your peers? Do you have feedback on our past events or ideas for future ones? We are calling all young adults to join us on Wednesday, November 4th at 7:00 PM in the Parish Hall for a discussion of where we have been and where we are headed as a ministry. The evening will include a structured discussion, as well as an open forum for you to contribute your ideas. Pizza and refreshments will be served! For more information contact Teresa Dion or Lara Shamieh.

Seattle 40 Days for Life Finale Rally

All YAYAs are invited for a potluck and fellowship as we celebrate the work that God has accomplished during the fall Seattle 40 Days for Life campaign.

Thursday, November 5th
7:00-9:00pm
St. Marks Catholic Church

In traditional potluck tradition, people with last names A-L please bring appetizers and non-alcoholic drinks, and M-Z bring desserts.

We will have announcements, prayer, and stories from vigil participants of experiences that touched them at the site this year. If you would like to share such a story, please email it to Monica and we will add you to the program.

We will also be talking about a follow-up group that will continue to meet in between campaigns. The reality is that the unborn are killed throughout the year and we cannot afford to lessen or cease our efforts as long as abortion is legal in this country. You will have the opportunity to sign-up to receive additional information at the rally, but if you are interested and cannot make it, please let us know!

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support during this fall season!

Newman Center Grad/YA Retreat

The Grad/YA Group at the Newman Center is inviting all YAYAs to their Fall Retreat:

2009 Newman Center Fall Grad/Young Adult Retreat
November 14-15, 2009
Catholic Identity Crisis

Sex, Media and Culture. How do we define ourselves as Catholics in the 21st century when society imposes a different set of standards and beliefs? How do we deal with moral issues that not all Catholics believe in? What are the defining qualities that bring us together in our faith and our journey?

Come join the Newman Center/Grad YA group for a weekend of reflection and fellowship in our quest to experience and discover the mysteries of our faith and our relation to the world. Fr. Raphael Mary will be available all weekend for discussion, mass and confessions.

When: November 14th-15th (planning to be back around 4pm Sun)
Where: Skibac Lodge at Crystal Mountain

Cost: $45 Make check to “Newman Center”. (Scholarships available) (You may download the restration form and pay online.) Registration forms are due to Judy by Wednesday, November 11th. For more information or questions, contact: Alex.

Solemn High Mass according to the Dominican Rite - TONIGHT!!!!!

Requiem Mass for All Souls, Solemn High Mass according to the Dominican Rite. Music by 16th century Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria sung by the Tudor Choir under the direction of Doug Fullington.

Fr. Daniel Syverstad, OP, Celebrant
Fr. Augustine Thompson, OP, Deacon
Jesson Mata, Subdeacon

This is going to be BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Please come! Tonight, 7pm at Blessed Sacrament!