we can't baste our turkey without you!! - Church of St. Francis Xavier

Ability Xavier
This week, the Church marks the anniversary of the US
Bishops’ Pastoral Statement on Persons with Disabilities, a
document that affirms the equality of all persons – disabled
and non-disabled—in the Church.
"It is not enough merely to affirm the rights of people with
disabilities," the document says. "we must actively work to
make them real in the fabric of modern society. Recognizing
that individuals with disabilities have a claim to our respect
because they are persons, because they share in the one
redemption of Christ, and because they contribute to our society
by their activity within it, the church must become an advocate
for and with them."
An estimated 54 million Americans have a mental or
physical disability. More than 13 million Americans use
crutches, walkers, or a wheelchair. 1.8 million Americans
are legally blind, 1 million Americans are deaf, and 2.5
million Americans have speech impairments. Over 16
million Americans have a mental or emotional illness that
interferes with tasks of everyday life. As Catholics, it is our
responsibility to offer welcome and acceptance to these
persons.
How do the words of the US Bishops affect us here at
Xavier We are blessed to be a part of a parish that puts the
spirit of inclusion into practice. Our recent church
restoration put a strong importance on physical
accessibility, incorporating ramps, pew cutouts, and
smooth floors into the new sacred space. This accessibility
welcomes persons with physical disabilities to serve as
liturgical ministers and to be more involved in the parish.
Physical accessibility is wonderful, but does not in itself
provide welcome. A spirit of openness and inclusion is key.
We are lucky that this spirit already permeates our
community. At the same time, we must continually commit
ourselves to maintaining this beautiful charism.
•How do we treat people who are different from us,
who hold different beliefs than us, or who disagree
with us
•How sensitive are we to people with mental illness or
other disabilities that are not immediately visible
holiDAy cArD sAle
for honDuRAs ProJect
The Honduras
Companion
Communities
Project will again
offer a selection
of Alternative
Giving cards for
sale after all the
masses during the weekends of Advent. The cards provide
a way for you to remember friends and loved ones while at
the same time contributing to local community projects in
Honduras which Xavier and its parishioners have
supported for the last 14 years. This is our major fund
raising event for sustaining our efforts with five local
community groups in Honduras.
This year, our selection of cards consists of photos from our
January 2012 trip as well as artwork created by some of the
children who live in Casa Corazon, the home for HIV+
children. Aside from printing expenses, you can be sure
that all the proceeds are used directly for continuing the
scholarships we have been providing for secondary school
students, assisting with projects in the elementary school
and the community health center of the Garifuna
community, and contributing to the expenses of allowing a
more comfortable life for children and families dealing with
HIV.
As always, thank you for your support !
campaign for human Development
Your offering to the Catholic Church’s Catholic
Campaign for Human Development this weekend gives
hope to the poor and low-income people who are
working together to build a better life. For 42 years,
CCHD funded programs have enabled low-income
communities throughout the ten countries of the
Archdiocese to create jobs, build affordable housing and
provide economic opportunity. This nationwide
program funds successful projects here in our diocese.
Please give generously.
•What can we as individuals do to keep the spirit of
inclusion going strong