St. Mary's Catholic Church

10471 Grotto Rd.
Sealy, Texas 77474

Parish Office: 979-885-3131
              Fax: 979 885-4555
Website:  https://stmarysfrydek.org
                          *****
Guardian Angel Catholic Church-Wallis, TX             https://guardianangelwallis.org

Year of St. Joseph

December 8, 2020 – December 8, 2021

This year marks the 150^th Anniversary of Pope Pius IX’s decree, Quemadmodum Deus, naming Saint Joseph , husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster-father of Jesus, as the Patron of the Universal Church .  In commemoration of this anniversary and recognizing the fitting time for the Church to invoke the intercession of this guardian, His Holiness, Pope Francis has declared this year as a “Year of Saint Joseph” to be observed in the Universal Church from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021. St. Joseph prays for us!

The Archdiocesan website has a page dedicated to the Year of St. Joseph, which began in December and runs through the liturgical year. Please visit and share this link, which includes the history of St. Joseph in the church, prayers of devotion and more.

https://www.facebook.com/StMarysFrydekTX/

Thank You  so much for your generosity
Mail weekly donation to:
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
10471 Grotto Rd.
Sealy TX 77474
 or
Make weekly donation to the church on line
Go to the Archdiocese website - archgh.org
Click on "Ways to Give"  - top right of the screen
Click on "Parish Offering Support" - left side of screen
Click on the dollar amount they wish to donation
Go down to Choose Your Parish - drop down box and click on St. Mary's Frydek/ Parish Offering./ Guardian Angel Wallis/Parish Offering or
Complete billing information
Complete payment details
Click on Donate

Impostor Priest Email/Texting Scams
Recently, there have been several reports of fraudulent email solicitations for financial support, usually in the form of gift cards, coming from email accounts identifying as Archdiocesan priests, including Cardinal DiNardo.

Please be advised that Father Thuy would never make such appeals to the parish community requesting gift cards or any financial assistance.  If you receive such email or text, please notify the parish office immediately. You can also visit the Attorney General, Ken Paxton’s website at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.  Click on Scam Alert: “AG Paxton Warns Texans about Text Message Scam”. 

Welcome to St. Mary’s Catholic Church!  

Our parish is a diverse Christian Community in the Roman Catholic Tradition located in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas.

We are called to continue the mission of our Lord, Jesus Christ: 
 + To serve others with love, care and compassion.                                                         + To grow spiritually in worshipping God through prayer and sacraments,                       + To study God's revelation in Scripture and Tradition,                                                     + To celebrate God's love by our words and our actions as we attempt to become              more Christ like in our journey of faith.

We rely on God's grace, Christ's love, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit
to accomplish this mission.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION:  First Thursday of the Month
                                                        Following 8:00 am Mass Until 9:30 am

ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
10471 Grotto Road - Frydek , Texas 77474
Tel: 979 885-3131 - Fax 979 885-4555

My dear Sisters and Brothers,

Grace and Peace be with you! I hope this letter finds you and your family healthy and safe. I continue to pray for each and every one of you daily.

Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus, and after prayerful and careful consideration, the bazaar Chairman and I have decided to cancel our annual church bazaar which was scheduled for Sunday, April 25^th, 2021 .  While this was a difficult decision, our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our parish family and guests.

While we know this is disappointing, we hope you understand this is necessary to help keep each other safe in these unprecedented times.

Those wishing to make a donation to offset the lost revenue can do so by sending a check made payable to St. Mary’s Catholic Church and in the memo section of the check write “Bazaar Donation”.  We believe that with your help we can lessen the impact of the Coronavirus and still continue to maintain the upkeep and continued expenses of our historical Church in Frydek , Texas .

Our next church bazaar will be scheduled for April 24, 2022 .

We thank you for your understanding and continuing commitment to St. Mary’s Catholic Parish.

May the Lord our God, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our patroness, continue to bless you and your loved ones with good health, joy, and peace.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Thuy Q. Nguyen

Statement of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Response to Governor Abbott’s Executive Order
March 5, 2021

Earlier this week, Governor Abbott issued an executive order to be effective March 10, 2021, allowing all Texas businesses to reopen at 100%. The order also ends the statewide mask mandate, but strongly encourages the wearing of face coverings when it is not feasible to maintain social distancing from another person not of the same household. Private businesses, including churches, are allowed the discretion to determine whether face coverings will remain mandatory.

Over the last few days, Archdiocesan officials have engaged in a series of consultations regarding the order, which included input from clergy and medical professionals. Recognizing the needs of this local Church, in particular the need to protect the most vulnerable among us, we have determined that all of our current COVID-19 protocols will remain in place until further notice, including the requirement for face coverings at Mass and other liturgical celebrations.

The Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese have implemented protocols that have proven effective in minimizing the spread of COVID-19 to its students, families, faculty and staff. Since this spring 2021 semester will soon come to a close, these protocols will also remain in place through the end of this academic year.

We are monitoring the increased level of vaccinations and the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in our area and remain hopeful these metrics will continue to trend favorably so that the virus will soon be contained.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church during Covid-19 Pandemic
If you have any reason to believe you might be sick or exposed to COVID-19, please remain at home as an act of charity to others

1. The obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days remains suspended.   
2. Please sanitize your hands upon entering the church building.
3. The limit is 50% of the capacity.          
4. Individuals will have to maintain social distancing practices (at least six feet).
5. You must wear a mask to Mass. Please keep your face mask on for the duration of Mass.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Private Confession will be available after Thursday Mass in the center of the Church or by appointment. Please, keep social-distancing and wear a mask. I am asking that you stand behind the screen for confession, unless you need special assistance. I am asking you please be patient and keep one another in prayer. 

      I pray that “May the Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!” (Number 6:24-26).

                                                                          Blessing & Love in Christ,
                                                                                    Fr. Thuy 

When unable to receive Holy Communion, pray the prayer below: 

A prayer for Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,
Come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already there
And unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen. 
(Source: Archdiocese of Detroit)

Statement from Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston re: Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

MARCH 2, 2021

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for COVID-19 do not involve abortion-derived cell lines in the manufacturing process, and are morally permissible since the connection to abortion is remote.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is morally compromised because an abortion-derived cell line was used in its development, testing, and production. However, according to Catholic moral teaching, it is permissible to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine when it is the only vaccine available in a given place.  Where there is an option, Catholics should choose the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The decision to receive a vaccination for COVID-19 is one of personal conscience.

Further Reading: U.S. Bishops Conference Statement on the Use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine

On the Moral Permissibility of Recently Announced Vaccines for COVID-19
Published DECEMBER 8, 2020 
By Daniel Cardinal DiNardo

On December 2nd, Governor Abbott announced that the federal government will be distributing an initial allotment of approximately 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Texas during the month of December.  These vaccines will be administered by qualifying providers throughout the state.

Some individuals and groups are publicly asserting that if a vaccine is connected in any way with tainted cell lines then it is immoral to be vaccinated with it. This is an inaccurate presentation of Catholic moral doctrine and I would like to offer some clarifications regarding the moral permissibility of using the COVID-19 vaccines developed by the companies Pfizer and Moderna.

Neither the Pfizer nor the Moderna vaccine involved the use of cell lines that originated in tissue taken from the body of an aborted baby at any level of design, development, or production.  However, these vaccines are not completely free from any connection to abortion, as both Pfizer and Moderna made use of a tainted cell line for one of the confirmatory lab tests of their products. There is thus a connection, but it is relatively remote and should not be the basis for refusing to receive the vaccine.

A third possible vaccine, this one produced by AstraZeneca, is morally concerning because of its origins.  However, according to Catholic moral teaching, it is also acceptable to receive it for the sake of our own health and the health of others if it is the only vaccine available in a given place.

It is morally permissible to receive the COVID-19 vaccines which will be available for distribution in Texas beginning this month.

On this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary we unite ourselves more closely to the intercession of the Mother of God as we pray for an end to the Coronavirus pandemic.  Please be assured of my continued prayers for the clergy and lay faithful of the Church in Galveston-Houston.

CHILDREN & CONFIRMATION FAITH FORMATION SCHEDULE 2021

PreK-K,1^st, 3^rd & 4^th Grade (Sunday) 8:45 - 10:15 am :                                                                                            
2^nd Grade (Sunday) 8:45 - 10:15 am : 
                                            
5^th & 6^th Grade (Sunday) 8:45 - 10:15 am : 
                                              May 2
7^th & 9^th Grade (Wednesday) 6:15 - 7:30 pm : 
                                            
8^th & 10^th Grade (Wednesday) 6:15 - 7:30 pm : 
                                           
Confirmation Class (Sunday) 8:45 - 10:15 am : 

Stay connected to find out what this Faith Formation year will look like by one or all of the following ways:
Facebook Pages: https://www.facebook.com/StMarysFrydekTX/
St. Mary’s Catholic Church Website: http://stmarysfrydek.org
Remind App: this app allows you to get Faith Formation information through text messages.
To join text this message @stmaryscff to this number 81010.                                                        You can now register your child for the 2020-2021 Faith Formation year! Register now
 

https://www.archgh.org/digitaleditions