St. Robert’s Volunteers

There are so many of you
That give the
St. Robert’s Parish Community
your valuable time.

In your honor
you are cordially invited to attend
A get-together
Given by the
St. Roberts Parish Staff
On
Sunday, February 27th
From 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
In Hennessy Hall.

Congratulations and welcome young people! We are happy to announce that St. Robert’s Junior Legion of Mary now meets every Sunday. We are anxious for more children or teenagers to join. The object of the Legion is to spread devotion to the Mother of God and pray for world peace. Any young Catholic between the ages of 7-17 is invited to join.

”Game Show Mania”

Tickets to the annual Dinner Dance/Auction are available for 300 lucky “contestants” at the February 14th Women’s Guild meeting. Dinner! Dancing! Live Auction! Fabulous Prizes. All this and more for only $75 per person or $65 for seniors. Select from the following “celebrity” menu; “Wink Martindale” Prime Rib, “Monty Hall” Salmon with Champagne Sauce, “Bob Barker” Breast of Chicken Chasseur or “Gene Rayburn” Vegetarian Pasta. “Stay tuned” for more information…The Dinner Dance Committee is putting together a Red and Blue Pages Quick Reference Guide listing local advertisers’ phone numbers. So many generous people continue to sponsor our fundraisers, that the committee would like to produce something that will give back to our faithful supporters and their businesses. For a $25 fee your ad will be listed by category with your business name, address and telephone number. A complimentary copy of the publication will be distributed to all dinner dance attendees on March 12th and additional copies sold to parishioners at a cost to cover publication. If you have a special talent you would like to advertise, or if you have friend or relatives who would like to promote their business, please call (650) 588-7404 to place an ad.

We list the names of the people that we have been asked to pray for during the week. We continue to ask each week that parishioners pray for the chronically ill of our parish.

If you have a friend or loved one in need of our parish prayers please call the Rectory at 589-2800.

Brothers and Sisters to Us
During this holy season of Lent, we are asked to “Turn from sin and believe the gospel.” Sometimes that turning involves looking at areas of our lives which we’d rather not explore. Paul reminds us in the second reading that “He [Christ] saved us and called us to a holy life.” (2 Tim 1.9) While reading the latest Pax Christi newsletter, I came across a series of articles in honor of the 25^th anniversary of the U.S. Bishops pastoral letter Brothers and Sisters to Us. In it, we read “Racism is not merely one sin among many; it is a radical evil that divides the human family and denies the new creation of a redeemed world. To struggle against it demands an equally radical transformation, in our own minds and hearts as well as in the structure of our society.”

Unfortunately, this pastoral has not been discussed in many dioceses or parishes. Why is that, we might ask? Perhaps, we assume that racism is a thing of the past or so intractable that it isn’t worth trying to address. It would be easy for us to stereotype people who are racist, then distance ourselves from their obviously hateful actions. Perhaps, the very topic is too emotional, too frightening for us to deal with. Perhaps, we know that facing our own individual racism would call us to face our prejudices and force us to pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to truly change our hearts.

We could ask ourselves some questions to get a sense of where we are on the question of racism. Do I include people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds among my friends? When identifying someone, do I mention the person’s race first? Do I ever find myself surprised that a person of a certain race has achieved recognition? Do I have stereotypes of any racial, cultural or ethnic group? Am I suspicious if I see someone of a different racial or ethnic group doing something which wouldn’t raise questions if he were of my same racial or ethnic group?

Sometimes, racism is irrational, based on fear and on attitudes inherited from others. When I experience that fear when being approached by someone on the street, I need to stop, acknowledge my feeling and decide what my response will be. Do I cross the street? Hold my purse or wallet more tightly? Admit the foolishness of my feeling and see this stranger as another human being? If my racism is based on a terribly negative experience in which race played a part, can I acknowledge that reality and decide to resist relating that experience to every person of that race I ever encounter?

MERCY CENTER
2300 Adeline Dr. Burlingame, CA
(650) 340-7474

March 6th, 1-5 p.m.
From the Depth to the Height
A Lenten Journey Through Meditation, Dance and Music
Carla De Sola and Suzanne Toolan, RSM
Cost $35