We are about to begin another year of RCIA. This is the program to help prepare adults for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist. This program also welcomes and prepares people baptized in other faiths who are interested in joining the Catholic Church.

As much as the team of Donna McGuigan, Rita Tullius, Michelle Blumenthal, and I, would like to take credit for the success of this program, we realize that it is the parishioners who make the first contact with these candidates. These people are your relatives, friends, neighbors or coworkers. It is you, through your welcoming, inviting, caring and openness to the faith that brings these candidates to contact you and then eventually us.

Each year we receive letters of thanks from the participants. They consistently thank the parishioners for praying for them throughout their journey. They remember different people from the special Masses in Advent, Lent, Stations of the Cross, and the Easter Vigil. They remember shaking hands with strangers who are happy to welcome them to St. Roberts.

We get comments like “I feel part of the whole church community”. “I’m no longer just going through the motions at Sunday Mass.” “I now understand why we do the things we do. I now know how to pray.” “I feel complete when I go Mass on Sunday.” “I feel I belong.”

We already have several names for our next class, which will begin with an Open House on September 16th. If you know of anyone who might like to join us, please invite them and bring them with you to this meeting.

Please continue to let God work through you as you reach out to others with God’s love, doing God’s work in your daily lives.

Dear Parishioners,

I would like to thank everyone in the parish for the warm welcome I have received as the new principal of St. Roberts School. Throughout the summer, many parishioners visited the school or stopped me in the street to introduce themselves and offer support for the school program. Having been a parishioner of St. Roberts for the previous 12 years, I have always been proud of the sense of community in our parish. When the opportunity arose to serve as principal, I was excited to serve the parish in a new capacity. As a graduate of St. Brendan and Mercy High School San Francisco, I understand the importance of a Catholic Education and hope to continue the tradition at St. Roberts. Please know that the doors to school are always open if you would like to visit or volunteer.

The Church Is Open

St. Robert's Church is open before the 6:30am Mass until 5pm. As you're going to or from work or school or are on your way to the park, why not come in and thank the Lord for the gift of life and the beauty of these days?

The choir is planning a beginning of the year party to be held Sun., Sept. 12th, from 1-3 p.m. at Hennessy Hall. There will be food and music. This will be a chance to welcome anyone interested in singing or playing for any of the liturgies. There is no need to bring anything but yourselves. The choirs will supply all the food and may have a few musical surprises.

The Adult Choir singing at the 9:30 a.m. Mass is ready to begin a new year raising their voices in praise. You don’t need to be a ‘professional' singer, but simply someone who enjoys singing and has a willingness to praise God in song. Rehearsals are every Wed. from 7-9 p.m., and our first rehearsal will be on Wed., Sept. 8th. We are going to be rehearsing music for Advent and Christmas soon, and would love to invite new members to help us make these seasons truly joyous! On Sunday, we gather at 9 a.m. to warm up prior to the 9:30 a.m. Mass.

Although we would welcome you to join us throughout the year, if you can not make that commitment, we would be happy for you to sing for Nov. and Dec. in preparation for Christmas. We are going to be planning a midnight mass with much beautiful and festive music.

I would also like to to invite any in our congregation who play instruments to come join us. We are always looking for instrumentalists to help accompanying the choir or play for any of the liturgies.

For more information, or to join us contact Kevin Imbimbo at 873-4480, or just come by the organ and see me after Mass. Even if you’re not sure if you can sing with us, we still want to see you on Sept. 12th after the 11:30 a.m. Mass for

Spiritual Reading is available at St. Robert’s after the Masses on Sundays. Please take a few minutes either before or after Mass and check out a book or two that interest you. You may keep the books until you are finished. We have some books on the Library cart but we have many more in the Library/Reconciliation room.

CLASSIC CAR SHOW
Please stop by and enjoy the warm sun and hot Cars
Saturday, September 11th
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
St. Roberts Main Parking Lot

Plans are being made for this years annual parish festival “La Fiesta”, which will be on September 24-26, and as always the Barbecue and Food Booths are in need of your help. Several people are needed to work in these two very popular booths and everyone from the parish is welcome to help. Most shifts are for 2 hours, but you can work for as many hours as you would like and on all three days if you wish.

The menu will include those all time favorites-delicious barbecued tri tip steak sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, polish sausages, Domino’s Pizza, nachos, soft drinks, candy and much more.

If you can help in any way, please contact Louise and Ray Downs or Raquel and Jeff Downs.

Saint Robert’s will be offering Computer Classes again this Fall. Classes held on 8 Saturday mornings from 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m (October 2-November 20). In order to tailor the instructions to the needs of the class we are asking you to register by calling the rectory at 589-2800. You will be asked to fill in a very short questionnaire to help the instructors with the planning. The classes will cover: Computer Basics, Internet, Email, Outlook Express and hopefully other topics you request.

The Sisters of the Presentation will be celebrating 150 years of service in the Archdiocese of San Francisco starting on November 13th. To launch a year of celebrations, the Sisters are presenting for benefactors, and friends a theatrical interpretation of their history.

Dancers, singers, and actors are being sought for roles in this production. A variety of ages and talents are needed for these open and non-paid roles. If you are interested in participating, please come to an audition on Thursday, Sept. 9th at 7:30 p.m at 281 Masonic Ave. 3rd floor, S.F.,

The Consolation (Grief Support) Ministry Committee meets on the first Wednesday of every month September-June in Mary’s Chapel after the 8:30 a.m. Mass. Anyone wishing to join us is very welcome.

AIDS LUNCH - September 8th

We are scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday of each month. If you can prepare a favorite cookie, snack or lunch item for 10 to 12 people, please drop it off at the Children's Chapel, in the back of Church, by 9 a.m. on September 8th. Please pack the items in a non-returnable container. Frozen items can be donated.

The Sunday Readings

Well, the air is filled with children outside my window playing and the warmer weather of last week has to mean that school is in session! May God bless especially all our young people who are freshmen in high school or away at college for the first time. What a transition for both the students and their families! Relationships will change somewhat and everyone needs to be gentle with each other. We adults need to be understanding as the young ones pull away, needing to establish their own identity and decision-making patterns. And the young need to be understanding of how difficult that process is for parents who’ve loved them since they were in their mother’s womb.

The second reading today is all about relationships. Paul asks forgiveness of Philemon for sheltering Onesimus, the runaway slave, as he sends him now a fellow follower of the Way, (as Christians were called then) back to his owner. Philemon has been without Onesimus for some months while he was assisting Paul in prison and now that the slave has become a Christian, Philemon has lost him as a slave forever. Now Philemon is asked to accept him as “a brother in the Lord.” Paul was breaking the law harboring a fugitive, but trusted his relationship with Philemon.

This past weekend we heard about the work of our St. Vincent de Paul conference, including their visiting of the jails. There is a great need for more people to open themselves to the possibility that God might be calling them to share in this ministry, especially if someone speaks at least some Spanish. Training is offered and the assistance of “veterans.” Surely, these folks in jail are among the poor to whom Jesus showed special concern. I thought it might be helpful for you to hear from Agnes Dougherty, one of our parishioners involved in this ministry, so I asked her to write something for this column. Here is her reflection:

For over five years, I have been a volunteer in the St. Vincent de Paul jail ministry. Two Sundays a month, I lead the Liturgy of the Word for the men and women incarcerated in the San Mateo County jails in Redwood City. On Thursdays I conduct a bible study on one of the floors at the men’s jail. The men and women who participate in these services are reverent, prayerful and very appreciative of the opportunity to participate in a worship service or bible study.

Sharing my faith, bringing hope and encouragement, reminding them of our Lord’s great mercy, love and forgiveness is a privilege for me. Many of these men and women express a desire to relearn prayers from their childhood, such as the rosary. I bring religious literature to help them. This ministry is a very fulfilling experience. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Martin Schurr, Catholic jail chaplain at 650-366-9847

If you can learn a simple trick, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird

Women’s Retreat Day