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THE “CHATTER” Archdiocese Galveston-Houston OFFICE of AGING 2403 Holcombe Blvd. Houston, Texas 77021

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

HOUSTON, TX

PERMIT NO. 7505

A Quarterly Publication of the Office of Aging Ministry Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Volume 42 Issue 2

SUMMER 2018 SENIOR CHATTER

Grandparenting in the 21st Century

Problems such as substance abuse, catastrophic illness, teen pregnancy, incarceration, unemployment, family violence and divorce have caused an increasing number of grandpar-ents to assume full-time parenting responsibilities for their grandchildren. Grandparents often must make numerous changes in their daily routines and lifestyles when raising their grandchildren.

Take Care of Yourself As the primary caregiver to your grandchildren, you need to feel confident and be healthy. There will be new stressors relating to demands on your time, energy and family re-sources. Try to give yourself time alone or with a friend to get physical exercise. It’s healthy to cultivate interests out-side your family responsibilities to keep you feeling emo-tionally balanced.

Parenting Guide your grandchild by modeling appropriate behav-

iors. Children will learn more from what you do than from what you say. It’s vital that you have a sense of purpose in setting child-rearing goals. It’s your goal to

help your grandchildren grow in self responsibility and in their feelings of significance in the family. Set limits that fit the age of the child. Children need

limits to help them feel secure. Provide children with ways to learn responsibility that is right for their age.

Express affection and compassion; nurture your grand-children and let them know they are loved.

Attend to their feelings and ideas. Children need to feel that it’s okay to express their feelings. Talk through their feelings and why they may be having them.

Plan to celebrate special events. As much as possible, maintain important routines that the children are used to having before they came to live with you. Help the children feel connected to your family history and cul-tural heritage.

http://grandparentsraisinggrandkids.tamu.edu/grandparents.htm

Health Wise

"My Lord, I offer you myself in turn as a sacrifice of thanksgiving. You have died for me, and I in turn make myself over to you. I am not my own. You have bought me; I will by my own act and deed complete the purchase. My wish is to be sepa-rated from everything of this world; to cleanse my-self simply from sin; to put away from me even what is innocent, if used for its own sake, and not for yours. I put away reputation and honor, and influence, and power, for my praise and strength shall be in you. Enable me to carry out what I pro-fess."

— Bl. John Henry Newman, p. 135

Each day, this should be our prayer.

I understand, that daily, it can be a struggle as we labor with work, kids, grandkids, home life etc., but we should strive to keep our focus on Jesus Christ our Lord, for he says to us as we strive to sacrifice.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Mt 11: 29-30.

In Him who Strengthens Us, Deacon Robert G. Stevens, Spiritual Advisor

Central Senior Senate

Apostolic Exhortation: Rejoice and Be Glad

“REJOICE AND BE GLAD” (Mt 5:12), Jesus tells those perse-

cuted or humiliated for his sake. The Lord asks everything of us,

and in return he offers us true life, the happiness for which we

were created. He wants us to be saints and not to settle for a

bland and mediocre existence. The saints now in God’s presence

preserve their bonds of love and communion with us. Each of us

can say: “Surrounded, led and guided by the friends of God… I

do not have to carry alone what, in truth, I could never carry

alone. All the saints of God are there to protect me, to sustain me

and to carry me”.

THE SAINTS “NEXT DOOR”: I like to contemplate the holi-

ness present in the patience of God’s people: in those parents

who raise their children with immense love, in those men and

women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in

elderly religious who never lose their smile. Very often it is a holi-

ness found in our next-door neighbors, those who, living in our

midst, reflect God’s presence. The important thing is that each

believer discern his or her own path that they bring out the very

best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed

in their hearts rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something

not meant for them. To be holy does not require being a bishop,

a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that

holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs

to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all

called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing wit-

ness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.

Do not be afraid of holiness. Do not be afraid to set your sights

higher, to allow yourself to be loved and liberated by God. Do

not be afraid to let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit. Holiness

does not make you less human, since it is an encounter between

your weakness and the power of God’s grace.

Taken from the Apostolic Exhortation of our Holy Father Francis

IGNITE: “Our Faith, Our Mis-sion,” the capital campaign for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, was suspended last fall due to the widespread devastation caused from Hurricane Harvey. After consulting with the IGNITE Priest Advisory

Council (PAC), Daniel Cardinal DiNardo determined that IGNITE will relaunch in Fall 2018. The $150 million goal of the campaign will re-main unchanged. The three original case elements will remain as those needs are still present, but have been reduced in order to accommodate the new realities of the Archdiocese:

-St. Mary’s Seminary ($30 million) -Catholic Education ($20 million)

-Faith Formation ($10 million) -Disaster Recovery Fund for future disaster assistance ($20 million) -Rebuilding our Parishes and Schools in Light of Harvey ($20 million). -The parish share of the campaign re-mains $50 million. For more information about IGNITE: “Our Faith, Our Mission,”

visit www.archgh.org/ignite.

AROUND the

ARCHDIOCESE

WORDS of WISDOM

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SENIOR SENATES Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

CENTRAL SENIOR SENATE

President - Delois Semien

NORTHERN SENIOR SENATE

President - Pete Palasota

SOUTHWEST SENIOR SENATE

President - Gayle Naar

SENIOR SENATE MEETING DATES Dates subject to change on holidays.

CENTRAL:1st Monday of each month St. Dominic Auditorium - 10 a.m.

2403 Holcombe Blvd. - Houston, TX 77021

NORTHERN: 2nd Monday of each month

St. Monica Church - 10 a.m. 8421 W. Montgomery Rd. - Houston, TX 77088

SOUTHWEST: Quarterly meetings:10 a.m. January, April, July and October

St. Cyril of Alexandria Church 10503 Westheimer Rd.- Houston, TX 77042

OFFICE of AGING MINISTRY STAFF DIRECTOR

Katherine Bingham, MPH, MNM Kbingham@archgh.org

ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS

Mark Ciesielski, LMSW - Mciesielski@archgh.org ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Vacant

SECRETARY Gloria Portillo - gportillo@archgh.org

OFFICE of AGING 2403 Holcombe Boulevard - Houston, TX 77021

Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Phone: 713-741-8712 - Fax: 713-741-8775

NEXT CHATTER DEADLINE:

SEPTEMBER 15, 2018

Send Chatter articles to: Chatter@archgh.org Please limit articles to 125-150 words. All submissions are subject to editing

based on space available.

Be sure to visit the Office of Aging on the web at:

www.archgh.org/aging

A special thanks to Cigna HealthSpring for helping support the production

of the Chatter Newsletter.

NORTHERN SENATE

Summers are meant for fun and relaxation. It's vaca-tion time! Maybe we can no longer hike in the moun-tains, snorkel or even drive cross-country. Neverthe-less, there are ways to brighten and lighten our days. Perhaps we could read a popular new book, take a day-trip with our senior group, call a longtime friend, try a new recipe or attend weekday mass. Life should never be boring.

Pete Palasota

CENTRAL SENATE

Have a wonderful & bless summer. Fun day was spon-sored by St. Phillip Neri, they had a wonderful time. The first meeting will be September 6, 2018. Senior Central Senate will host the Recognition Day @ Dou-ble Tree Hotel November 2, 2018 Time 11 am – 2:00 pm. Wishing everyone a wonderful, safe summer- Looking forward to this year.

Delois Semien

SOUTHWEST SENATE

In April we enjoyed a Fun Day of Bingo games and lunch. A good day for all who attended. We are plan-ning for our Recognition Banquet in November, a time where we can honor special people in our clubs who are so willing to give of their time and effort in our par-ishes, homes and community. As we head into summer we want to make it a safe summer for all and try to remain cool. Gayle Naar

Prayers

and

Condolences

Louis Ciesielski, father of Mark Ciesielski, Associate Director with the Office of Aging, passed away on June 9th one month short of his 94th birthday. He is survived by his wife, Jeannette, married 68 years, and sons, Dominic, Mark, and Paul. Please keep Mark and his family in your prayers.

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ST. CYRIL of ALEXANDRIA

Savvy Seniors

Winter and Spring has passed and now we are into Summer. In March we were honored with Ella Clark from WHAM, giv-ing us information of the many different services offered by

WHAM. We also enjoyed celebrating St Patrick’s Day with a corn beef and cabbage pot luck. April we were honored with Mirada Curry representing the Schwartz Law Firm and she provided information on about probate, wills and guardianship we need to have available. Our President J.D. King gave a presentation of his Holy Land Pilgrimage. We are looking forward to a long hot summer filled with fun and games of Dominoes. Gayle Naar

ST. JUDE

THADDEUS Highlands St. Jude Dudes

We helped with a

very successful annual bazaar in

May. We baked cakes, pies and

kolaches and helped in the

booths. Everyone really seemed to

enjoy the day. The Dudes have

been enjoying their monthly so-

cials. We play bingo and end up

with a potluck luncheon. We have

picked up few new members and

would welcome more. Please pray

the rosary every day for world

peace.

Irene Goedrich

ST. MATTHEW the EVANGELIST

50 + Club

The 50+ meetings have had low attendance, but we still enjoy them and our

potluck meals. We have our card social the 1st, and 2nd and 3rd Thursday of

each month. For the first time ever, we will not have our 50+ meetings in

June and July but will resume in August summer break. Member Olita

Sanchez, lost her sister Annie Villalobos, and past member Blanca Galvan,

lost her brother Joel Garcia- Our condolences go out to all the families. In

May the 50+ Club members made Texas chili for our annual International

Festival. A trip to the Museum of Fine Arts was made in May to see the Mi-

chelangelo Vatican Collection from Italy; the Renaissance and the European

collections and founding fathers was an outstanding trip. Lunch was at the

Cleburne Restaurant. Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Father’s day to all.

Summer’s here-be careful with the very hot temperatures. As always, love

each other and always put God #1 in your lives, and you’ll always be happy!

Till next time God Bless Helen Pidaniy

ST. PATRICK

Young at Heart Our club remains strong (over 180 members), and Hou-

ston Proud. We’ve survived Har-vey, the World Series, and so many other happenings. We’ve experi-ence the loss of three long time members. Vera Gomez, trip coordinator, planned many trips for us. We sponsored a Lenten Luncheon and attended many precinct activities. The club participated in the Senior Olympics, and did us proud. In July we have planned a trip to Chi-cago. The club enjoyed a Mother’s Day, and Father’s day Luncheon. Our church bazaar will be on June 2 & 3 with our members handling the bingo. On August 18th we have our annual fund raising dance. All are welcome to both events. Our church has out grown our facilities so we are strongly sup-porting a fund raising program.

Beatrice Sanches

ST. PHILIP NERI, Senior Friends Hey!!! Everybody, I am back writing for the S.P.N. Senior

Friends. Myrtle Coleman is now president, Cherry Chilo is

vice president, Daisy Young is still our recording secretary.

Laura Huntsberry is still our treasurer. Dora Bob is our pub-

lic relation person who does all of the calling for our club. Ruby Babineaux

and Nathaniel Joseph are our hospitality committee and me, I am back!!

We hosted fun day for the Office of Aging and CSS all proceeds came to us.

From this south area, they all had fun, I know I did, it was so good to all.

Kathy and Mark were there all the way to help and support us. We are

thinking of doing this again next year. Get ready everyone. Thanks to every-

one for coming out, hope you had as much fun. Love you all, may God

keep all of you in his care with good health and happiness.

Anna Joseph

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ST. BENEDICT the ABBOTT

Go Getters

We are actively engaged with enjoyable activities for our mind,

body and spirit. In April we enjoyed a fun day in Galveston at

the summer home of Sadie and Roy Newman. A BIG thank

you to the Newmans for their wonderful hospitality. In May

we were privileged to attend the swearing in ceremony at City Hall of our

very own, Martha Castex-Tatum as City Councilwoman for District K. She is

the daughter of our immediate past president. This was a great honor and

experience! We had a wonderful day at Game Day-St. Philip Neri Church; a

great time at Texas Black Expo; and we enjoy our visits to The PINNACLE

Senior Center. I leave you with a quote from Mark Twain, “Age is an issue of

mind over matter, if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

Dorothy Allen

ST. ALPHONSUS

Golden Agers How is everyone? We Golden Agers

of St. Alphonsus have been keeping

pretty busy! Our group has recently

had elections and have “new” offic-

ers. Our president is Lupe Treviño

and our vice president is Manuel Sus-

taita. May the Lord bless and direct

them in their leadership as we move

our group forward. We had our Prom

in May at the Marriot and I was voted

Prom Queen it was certainly a sur-

prise and an honor. I was introduced

to the Mayor and State Representa-

tive, Carol Alvarado. Carol and her

mother are parishioners at St. Al-

phonsus Church. We also visited “the

Jersey Barnyard”. It was interesting

because many of us city slickers have

never been exposed to this type of

living. We rode on a wagon atop of

bales of hay. We suggest you go dur-

ing a cooler climate, because it was

too hot for most of us. In spite of the

heat we learned somethings about

animals and we enjoyed lunch togeth-

er. Well that is all for now, keep cool

and safe these hot summer months.

Enjoy your families and God Bless,

until next time!

Mary Lou Gonzalez

K. C. Council 803 Togetherness Senior Club

The Club regular meetings for this period were April 22 and May 25. Af-ter each meeting, we had wonderful luncheons. The trip to the Lone Star Museum was cancelled. We will re-schedule at a later date. Thursday, September 11, a trip scheduled to vis-it the Bush Museum and Library. Our next meeting will be at Holy Rosary Catholic Church Wednesday, June 20. Lunch following the meeting. Special prayers for the sick members and their families and for the de-ceased family member.

Margie Phillips

Prince of Peace, Keenagers

Lately we have taken bus trips to the Antique Horse Farm, oldest operat-ing Cotton Gin in Burton, Texas and the Houston Funeral Museum. We have another trip to Coushatta Casi-no planned. At our meetings we play bingo and have had speakers from Houston Plant Company, Precinct 4 Parks Historian and the Antiques Roadshow. We are on our summer

break for June and July. On August 9th we have our annual pizza party at Cici's. September 13th will be our first fall meeting with the Grateful Geezers entertaining plus an Italian Luncheon. We are an active group with lots of fun things to do. So, please come join the fun in the fall with meeting in the community cen-ter on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month.

God Bless, Pat Oliver

ST. Dominic Villagers

Greetings from the St. Dominic Villagers, the highly blessed group in the Central Senior Senate who do not have to leave home to attend the regular meetings !! However, recruiting and inspiring new members is on-going. We have had some outstanding outings for us to participate in. Most re-cently, we had a festive luncheon to honor our Resident Priests on their ordination anniversaries; we attended the Museum of Fine Arts exhibit on the Vatican Treasures after we had a speaker from the museum give a presentation at the Village. God bless our friends in Sr. Senate from the Villagers! Norma Potier

ST. PETER the APOSTLE, Golden Age Seniors

The Golden Age Seniors will have their Annual indoor picnic in July. Some

of our seniors went on a tour of Hobby Airport Museum, it was interesting.

They also went on a tour of St. Helen’s Church in Pearland. Some of the

seniors had a boat tour of the Ship Channel. The Parish Council treated the

seniors to a lovely brunch during Older American’s month. Some of the

seniors had a tour of The Brazos Valley African American Museum in Bry-

an. The seniors will be working with the garage sale this summer.

Elizabeth Pollard

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ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA Club 55 +

In April we had Bingo at our monthly meeting, had lunch out at Hungry’s Restaurant and took a bus trip to Gonzales to tour the Shiner Beer factory. In June we had a luncheon at Longhorn Restaurant and took a bus trip to a Skeeters game in Sugarland. In June, we had a bus trip to Brookshire to visit the Hemi Hideout, with lunch at Midway BBQ and a tour of the Brookwood Gift and Garden Center. Our season has now ended. We will begin a new season in September. Bob Mitchell

OUR LADY of LOURDES

Friendship Club

Went to Winnie for Trade Days. Twenty of

us enjoyed our bus ride and shop-ping. Our day school students and teachers honored us with lunch and a precious play. We crowned our Mother/Father of the Year, none other than Earl Hingle. He is a friend and loved by everyone in our parish. We are honored to have him in our Friendship Club. We honored our day school graduates with a luncheon. Father John, their princi-pal, and their teacher joined them for lunch. Our memorial Mass for our living and deceased members was well attended. After Mass, went to breakfast. Father John joined us. Made our annual trip to Hope Vil-lage for lunch. This year, we took them glue guns, glue sticks, and jew-elry for their crafts. The tragedy at our Santa Fe High School is only six miles from our parish church. Father John held a prayer and vigil service for the deceased and survivors of the tragedy. It was such a beautiful and touching service. Our church was filled with parishioners and visi-tors. Please pray for our community. Enjoy the hot days of summer, and pray for a hurricane-free season. Nancye Kautz, president, Friendship Club, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Hitchcock, TX. Paige Persad

St. Anne De Beaupre

Kings and Queens Seniors

It's too hot now, but the weather was very nice for our trip to Galveston in May. We had breakfast at Mac Don-ald’s, toured the bishop's palace and had lunch at the Golden Corral. We're off for the summer but we will return in September. Be sure to pre-pare for hurricane season. It began in June and ends in November.

Missing Shirley Frank is something we will never stop doing. She was a light in our lives. Her hugs made you feel loved and her smile was captivat-ing. Shirley, we love you. RIP.

We must continue to pray for each other and also for peace in the world. Have a blessed and safe summer.

Sara Kirby

ST. LEO THE GREAT Guys and Dolls

Congratulations to our 3 couples

that celebrated their anniversary

this year at St. Monica Catholic

Church on May 14, 2018. Charles

and Margaret Bukowski 60 years,

Paul and Louise Rozycki 55 years,

and John and Rosemary Smith 55

years. Thanks to St. Monica, and to

Father Albert for celebrating mass

for all the Northern Senior Senate

couples. The hall was beautiful and

the food delicious. Guys and Dolls

went to Liberty Opry in June. We

had lunch at Golden Corral in

Humble. The show was very good.

Its hurricane season again, so

please be prepared with supplies

just in case we get another one this

year. Let’s all pray that we will not.

Happy 4th of July. GOD BLESS

AMERICA. Carolyn Montes

ST. MARY of the PURIFICATION,

Senior Adults in Action

Our annual Anointing Mass was well attended with Father Oli preaching holiness, togetherness and love which is a blessing. The Crawfish Festival was lively and God shined upon us All Day – No RAIN. Fellowship, dancing and eating were enjoyed by all. We celebrated First Communion and Graduation Mass in May each with a reception that followed. Every-one that attended Fun Day at St. Phillip Neri was nourished, pampered and served graciously – A Great Day. Confirmation mass was celebrated June 10, with 20 young ladies and gentlemen with a reception that fol-lowed. Seniors in Action will close out the meeting year with a trip to Coushatta on June 14. Enjoy your vacation with family and friends!! Thanks Be to God. Johnnie Mae Roy

ST. MICHAEL

SOCIABLE SENIORS

A very active senior group. They recently went on a monthly trip to the Steamboat House. This friendly group meets once a month. In July, they will have their annual 4th of July Luncheon.

Marty Clark

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ST. AMBROSE, Golden Youth Our Senior group stayed busy helping out at our annual Bazaar in April. We took a very nice guided bus tour of Houston in May. Our guide, Phil Stewart, was very knowledgeable and passionate about his work. We toured Old Market Square, Minute Maid Park, River Oaks,

Rice University, the Texas Medical Center, NRG Stadium, and Herman Park. We also enjoyed a delicious lunch at Cleburne's Cafeteria. Great fun had by all! For our June meeting, we are hoping to get back to playing games like cards and Bin-go... We will be celebrating our club anniversary in July. We are 37 years young! Our church will have its annual garage sale in July. Some of our members

will help work and some will help with donations. It's a Win Win! Josie Farek

ASSUMPTION Harvest Years

Proceeds from our Bake Sales will be used to pur-chase a VISA gift card for

one of the raffle prizes for our ba-zaar on October 6 & 7, 2018 and for our annual donation to our St. Vin-cent de Paul pantry. We are recessed during the summer months but we continue to attend Thursday 8:00 am Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Our homework for the summer is to decide whom the nom-inee for Outstanding Senior will be when we reconvene on September 16. On May 29 we visited the eclectic

Hemi Hideout. Longtime members Eugene Klotz passed away on March 24, 2018 and Past President, Henry Novak, Sr. passed away on May 4, 2018. May they rest in peace. Please continue to pray for those who are ill, their caregivers, and for all the suffering, those departed, those un-employed, and for our service men and women and for all the victims of natural disasters. Please pray for our elected officials for Divine guidance. May you all be blessed with relaxa-tion and enjoyment with families and friends during these warmer/hotter summer days. Stay cool and please be safe! Trudy Witzkoske

HOLY FAMILY, Golden Friendship

We open each meeting with a prayer for our sick members and also

those members who have died during that month. The April luncheon

was enjoyed by all members who attended. Door prizes were given out.

Thanks to Olivia for making the spaghetti for our luncheon. Father Sunny will be

recognized with a dinner to celebrate his 25th year anniversary of priesthood. GFG

will donate money to the youth conference this summer. Thanks to Paul Czervinske

for donating lunch to our members. Announcement was made regarding a trip to

Mexico with Father Joy in November; if interested in joining Fr. Joy, contact Tour

Director Bert Gobencion. John and Gwen Johnson

ST. FRANCES

CABRINI Cabrini 50 Plus

Our Group was able to

visit the Windmill Museum in Ne-

derland and it was very interesting to

see firsthand the history of the

Dutch in early Texas. A great lunch

was enjoyed at Bobby’s Homestyle

Cooking. Our St. Frances Cabrini

Parishioners continue to pray for all

of the Families STILL trying to put

their lives together after Hurricane

Harvey. Our Prayers are also with all

those impacted by the senseless San-

ta Fe School shooting and what cre-

ated that situation. Somewhere there

is an answer and we need to pray for

it. Keep the Faith and Pray for

Peace and compassion in our world

for you and your Family and those

around you.

Philip M. Gonzales, III

ST. HELEN

Super Seniors

It’s beginning to look as if we are finally getting real sum-mer weather. Hopefully all of our seniors will stay cool and safe. The seniors had a fun day at Fernland Histori-cal Park and Wolf Sanctuary in Montgomery, TX during the month of May. After-wards, they had a delicious lunch at Old Montgomery Steak House. Many thanks to trip coordinators Pauline Roark and Helen Kainer. We are enthusiastically look-ing forward to our next day trip. You two ladies make our trips so entertaining. Stay safe and God Bless.

Ginger Shea

St. Thomas Aquinas Renewed Seniors (STARS)

In April when we celebrated the birthday of new member, Martha Gonzalez. Whose daughter and son-in-law provided the birthday meal and cake for all STARS as well. In May we had our own Mary Lockwood as a speaker; she is a volunteer at the Brazos Bend State Park, and spoke of the Park amenities and the “alligator etiquette” to observe while in the park.Our March meeting was devoted to celebrating St. Patrick's Day and featured a pot luck supper of Irish food and beer. There was a note of sadness, however, during this period since STAR, Elia Davila, passed away. Nancy Lewallen

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ST. ANDREW

Double Nickel

Our Mountbatten Nursing Home bingo game was attended by eleven residents who enjoyed the game and prizes.One month our members brought toiletries to be given to St. Vincent De Paul to help those in need. We had a mystery trip sched-uled this quarter and we went to

Lucky Land on Airline Dr. It is a lovely amusement park full of Chi-nese statues and exhibits. After-wards we went to the Potato Patch Restaurant for lunch. Another out-ing was to the George Ranch in Richmond where we toured several houses from different time periods and took in a roping show. Eight club members participated in this year’s Precient2gether's Senior

Olympics, with one gold and six silver medals being won in different activities. At our last meeting our speaker was Cheryl McClure who spoke on the correct way to fall and how to get up, which is something every senior should know if by chance they fall.

Lucy Broadway

CHRIST the REDEEMER, The Classics

In April, the Classics traveled to Shiner, TX. for a tour of the Spoetzl Brewery (a free sample of beer for every-one!), lunch at Werner’s Restaurant, and a tour of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church. In May, we at-tended the A.D. Players’ performance of “Lilies of the Field” followed by dinner at Katz’s. The following new

officers were installed at our May year-end monthly meeting/pizza party: Tom Diffendal, President; Linda Ford, Vice President; Tom Nobis, Treasurer; and Fred-na Kilcommins, Secretary. June’s calendar included an Astros game and a luncheon at La Hacienda honoring Classics’ “Senior of the Year,” Geneva Nicholas.

Cathy Holecek

ALL SAINTS - T.A.L.C. Third Age Learning Center

All Saints Third Age Learning Center celebrated its successful 2018 Spring Semester by hosting a Pot Luck Lunch and Semes-ter Closing Party on Friday, May 4th. There were refresh-ments, class demonstrations, music by the Strummin’ Saints Ukulele Band and door prizes. The senior program will resume again in September with registration for classes and activities to be held on Thursday, August 30th. All Saints TALC is grateful to have again been selected to receive grants from the Isla Car-roll Turner Friendship Trust and the Houston Junior Forum to help with its senior lunch program. A special thank you is ex-tended to all the volunteers who have given of their time to make TALC’s senior program a success. For Program infor-mation call 713-248-1277. Carolyn Kares

50 years

Charles & Janet Levesque

William & Jane Rump

Barry & Jackie Vail

55 years

Luis & Carol Cardenas

Charles & Cynthia Jones

Floyd & Sandra Rekieta

Paul & Louise Rozycki

John & Rosemary Smith

Giorgio & Gabriella Sobrero

Clarence & Trydy Witzkoske

60 years

Charles & Margaret Bukowski

Dick & Peg Carver

Joseph & Marylin Colonnetta

James & Victoresita Smith

Robbie & Lois Westbrook

65 years

Walter & Maurice Ebelt

72 Years

Leon & Christine Swiech

The Northern Senior Senate celebrates wedding anniversaries of parish club members who have been

married 50 years or more.

Congratulations to the following participating couples:

CONNECT

Summer is here !!! Is very important you stay

hydrated and active. You want to do something

fun for the summer? Houston has many activi-

ties going on for Seniors to stay informed visit

their local website for Parks and recreation. If

you have a Facebook set up like their page

Houston Parks and Recreation for more infor-

mation or may also visit:

www.houstontx.gov/parks/senioractivities.html.

Have a fun summer !

Gloria Portillo

Secretary of the Office of Aging

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ST. JUSTIN MARTYR, Mavericks

The Mavericks celebrated their 22nd birthday in April with a barbeque dinner along with entertain-ment by Theresa Behenna, a professional pianist and singer. We took a bus trip to the Brenham/Chappell Hill area to see the wildflowers and had a wine tasting at the Texas Star Winery. Members participated in the parish Spring Festival with a dessert booth selling homemade cakes, pies and cookies. In May we went to Liberty to attend the Liberty Opry. Members attend an Astro’s month-

ly game during the baseball season. We saw the Michelangelo and The Vatican exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts and had a picnic lunch at Hermann Park. We also had a trip to the Coushatta Casino. We recently lost long-time member Audrey Morrow. May she rest in peace. May God keep everyone safe this hurricane season. Marilyn Tovsen

ST. EDITH STEIN

O.W.L.S. (Older, Wiser, Livelier, Seniors)

We celebrated Easter and presented our Pastor Fr. Kulma with a Polish Easter Basket. Gloria Sweeney chose “Go Astros” as our meeting theme. Owls dined on hotdogs, peanuts and cracker-jacks. Speaker Deacon Leonard & the Owls dressed in team attire as we heard his informative presentation with slides of the Holy Land. Our celebrations continued with wine at the Messina Hof Winery in Bryan.

Owls honored our Blessed Mother in May. The meeting décor in blue and white décor and our favorite statues set the stage for our speaker, Charlotte Sacco. Her topic “Mother Mary Help us to be Christ-bearers in this World” enriched our devotion to Mary. We celebrated rich diverse heritage with a trip to San Antonio’s Institute of Texas Cultures, lunch and shopping on Market Square. To celebrate our Good Health our resident Registered Nurse Owl Barbara Lear will speak to us regarding “5 MA-JOR HEALTH ISSUES FOR SENIORS”. There is nothing healthier than a nice cruise. So we will enjoy the out-doors with “Bay Watch Dolphin Tours.” Finally, no pun intended, we will donate a funeral pall to the Parish. Ed Cabiro

Single? In an Emergency, Who Is Safeguarding Your Money? If you are single, what would happen to your financial life during an emergency—you need a backup. Here are some steps you can take to help that person be ready in case something does happen. It’s important to designate someone who has knowledge and access to your money and other financial documents. If you are the only person with this information, it could pose a big financial risk.

Make a list of assets and debts, and how to find important documents. Provide instructions to access valuables. These include your home, safe, safe-deposit box or storage unit.

Important identification items, such as passports, birth certificates and Social Security cards, are likely lo-cated in one of these safe places.

Make copies of important documents: make copies of changes to insurance policies, wills, and financial and health care power of attorney documents.

Round up all your passwords: Provide login information for banks, credit cards, utility payments, airline miles, email and social media accounts. If you become incapacitated, a trusted person may need to access these online accounts.

Proper planning can also ensure the assets you’ve worked hard to build, and insurance you’ve purchased to pro-tect those assets, will be accessible. Taking the right steps now will provide financial security and peace of mind if it’s ever needed. By; Lisa Brown, partner and wealth adviser at Brightworth, an Atlanta wealth management firm https://www.kiplinger.com/article/retirement

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ST. IGNATIUS of LOYOLA

Senior Friends

The re-construction of our church has been completed and the rededica-tion took place on May 31st with Cardinal Daniel DiNardo officiating. Oth-er buildings damaged by Harvey have not been totally repaired. Entertain-ment for our April meeting was provided by the Jubilee Banjo Band and Brookdale Senior Living served a delicious lunch. In May, Carrabba’s ca-tered the luncheon for our last meeting of the year. Marilyn Cunningham, was presented with the “Senior of the Year” award and officers were recog-nized for their years of service. In June, some of our members attended an Astros game. An overnight trip to tour the Amish country in Pennsylvania will be in June. A Bingo/Salad get-together is scheduled for August. Have a happy, healthy summer! Jeanne Walter

MARY, QUEEN

Seniors

Looks like sum-mertime is upon us. That means relaxing, vaca-

tions, and visiting. During the East-er season, we had a special Happy Bunny Day. All our folks wore bun-ny ears and got Easter baskets with candy eggs. In May, we honored our mothers and in June, we recog-nized our fathers. We learned quite a bit about the people who are re-sponsible for bringing us into this world. To close our meetings for now, we planned a delightful ca-tered luncheon served after our Bingo games. We will return to our games and treats in September. So long! Doris Piotrowski

ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE Kolbe Seniors

Our seniors enjoyed the Quilt Show at St. Mary’s. So many beautiful quilts

made by many talented people. One of our seniors submitted two quilts for

display. It was an awesome trip! The Wolf Sanctuary was very informative.

It’s a great place to visit and easier access once they move closer to Conroe.

A trip to the MFAH Art Museum was an amazing experience. The exhibit

was comprised of the highlights of Vatican masterworks and a scaled repli-

ca of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. We visited St. Joseph Church, which is

the second oldest Catholic Church in Houston. Astros games continue to

be one of our favorite trips. THANK YOU, St. Monica for hosting the

NSS 50+ Anniversary Celebration. Elva Adame

CHRIST the GOOD SHEPHERD, 55 Plus

In April, we attended the Astro’s longest nine-inning game in team history (4 hours). We visited the Spindletop recreated oil town and museum in Beaumont, where we witnessed the famous gusher reproduced by a high pressure water jet. We joyously celebrated the 25th ordination anniversary of our pastor, Fr. James Burkart. Five of our member couples were honored at the Northern Senior Senate Mass and luncheon, celebrating major wedding anniversaries: 50, 55 and 68 years! 17 of our members accompanied them. In June, we will visit historical sites in Huntsville, including the Huntsville prison. In November we are sponsoring a trip to Branson, MO, which is open to adult members of other parishes. For information, call Loretta Kasowski 281-728-8126. Dennis Parle

ST. PETER CLAVER, Friendship Club

On April 17 we went to Blue Bell Creamery. April 29 we had a nice time at Precinct II Spring Party. April 25 we played bingo at Northeast. May 1 we had our monthly meeting. May 15 we had our fun day and birthday celebra-tion. We played games and had plenty of good food. June 4 we went to St. Phillip Neri for fun day. We played bingo, had lunch and door prizes were given away. June 13 we went to Commissioner Jack Morman Juneteenth prayer breakfast. Everyone have a safe summer. Martha Gardner

OUR LADY of

MT. CARMEL

New Generation Seniors

Our summer days are

here again; hot weather or not we

seniors have been busy. We took a

Port of Houston Tour. On May 20,

2018 we celebrated our 15th Anni-

versary mass for our club. We also

took a tour of Cristo Rey high

School. Just so everyone knows af-

ter all of our senior events we al-

ways finish our event with a good

lunch. On June 4, 2018 we went to

St. Phillip Neri for Fun Day. We

had a great time playing games,

good fellowship and a good meal.

Hope every mom had a happy

Mother’s day and every dad had a

happy Father’s Day. Have a won-

derful and safe summer and stay

healthy; continue to pray the rosary.

Alice Rincon

6

Medicare Open Enrollment---Here before you know it!

Every year we remind you of the “Magic Dates”: October 15 through December 7. This is the time of year that

you will be able to assess your current Medicare coverage and, if desired, make changes for the coming year. In

preparation:

Establish your baseline:

Evaluate current coverage Know what’s working for you Do you have the coverage you need? Is there something better out there? Use the website www.Medicare.gov to research or assess your coverage. This research will help you determine if

there is a better, less expensive plan out there for you. Re-evaluate your current coverage whether you are covered

by an Advantage Plan or if you have traditional Medicare with a Part D prescription drug.

Each person’s needs are different so don’t rely on selecting a plan because your neighbor, brother or friend has a

particular plan. Arm yourself with good, reliable information.

Caregiving Corner

Older Adults: Service and Community

Older adults will retire at some point from their careers in the work force, but they never retire from their Chris-tian vocations to serve as good stewards of their faith. This stage of life presents a wonderful opportunity to share the abundant gifts and blessings God has given them. There remains a deliberate effort and determination to suc-cessfully transmit the love of God in Jesus Christ to the next generation. For older adults this means doing what one is capable of doing while one is still able to do it. Here are some examples of older adults continuing to share their time and gifts with others:

Providing catechist formation

Serving as a member of your parish senior adult group.

Mentoring young adults in ministry

Acting as the parish Safe Environment coordinator

Providing services to the homebound

Helping with marriage preparation

Driving friends to doctor appointments and church activities

Assisting seniors in the Third Age Learning Center Whether you have been given one or ten talents from the Lord, consider how you can help others in strengthening Christ’s Church and building God’s kingdom. For additional information contact Mark Ciesielski at 713-741-8712.

Caregiving Benefits for Veterans and Widowed Spouses Are you a U.S. wartime Veteran, 65+ years old or a surviving spouse in need of a personal care attendant to help support your activities for daily living? If so, you may be entitled to a tax-free benefit called Aid and Attendance provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs. The benefit is designed to provide financial aid to help offset the cost of long-term care for those who need assistance with the daily activities of living such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and transferring. For more information, contact the V.A. Houston Regional Benefits Office at 1-800-827-1000 or visit www.benefits.va.gov/houston/

7

10

Electricity costs are moving upward with our hot Texas summer. Choosing the best provider can save you money. “Power to Choose” is an official, unbi-ased electric choice website of the Texas Public Utility Commission. This website is available to all electric providers to list their offers.

Visit www.powertochoose.org to compare plans and current offers. This website allows you to review all the providers in your area and compare their kilowatt charges for varying timeframes. Make sure you know the length of your current contract to avoid any penalties for early cancellation. You may be able to use the information to negotiate a better deal with your current provider.

2018 RECOGNITION

PACKETS Recognition Packets are scheduled to

be mailed on August 1, 2018

SENATE GAME DAY

CSS: No meetings July &

August

NSS: Tuesday August 14

RECOGNITION EVENTS

CENTRAL SENATE

Friday - November 2, 2018

Double Tree Hotel

SOUTHWEST SENATE

Saturday - November 3, 2018

St. Cyril of Alexandria

NORTHERN SENATE

Sunday - November 4, 2018

Shirley Acres

HURRICANE

PREPAREDNESS

LISTEN!

• KTRH AM 740 is the designated emergency alert

station for the Houston Area.

HAVE A PLAN!

If you must relocate, have a predetermined

destination and alternate route.

Let someone know where you will be.

SUPPLIES:

Non-perishable food and water.

More than one flashlight and extra batteries.

Plywood to cover windows.

Plastic sheeting for water leaks.

PREPARE:

Monitor local TV or radio stations.

Fuel your vehicles and generators.

Cover windows with plywood.

Bring in ALL outdoor furniture, toys and tools.

WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUED:

Monitor local TV/radio for instructions.

Move early out of low-lying areas at the request

of officials.

Check tie-downs if living in a mobile home, and

leave immediately.

If you live on high ground, secure the building,

windows, and garages.

Store extra water in all available containers.

Stay away from windows and doors.

Are you ready?

New Medicare Cards

Facts you need to know!

New Medicare cards will have

new numbers to protect your

identity

Mailing begins April 2018 con-

tinuing through April 2019, so your card may arrive at a different time

than your spouse, friend or neighbor.

The new card will not change any Medicare benefits.

The new cards will not cost you anything!