Mark Schuenemann is new to the staff and will be serving as choir director for this faith filled, singing, parish. Mark joined the Catholic Church and St. Francis in 2003 after attending an ACTS Retreat and has been away at St. Jose Sanches del Rio for the past 3 years establishing a music ministry at that new church. Mark will be working with all the wonderful choirs that bless St. Francis to continue the rich tradition of meaningful music for the Masses.

I have been involved with music all my life from church choirs to musical theater to rock bands and my tastes cover all genres. I am so happy to “come home” to St. Francis to worship with my wife Rita and our children Kathryn (Kate) and Luke. The opportunity to serve this community is truly an honor and I look forward to re-connecting with all our wonderful parishioners. “I am excited and humbled to be back at St. Francis and to offer any help I can to the wonderful people of this parish to “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”.

Our next Confirmation Class for Adults is scheduled for July 28 – August 5. This is a five week course, meeting on Sundays from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. To register, please send your name and phone number to AdultConfirmation@sfasat.org.

As a reminder, if you are baptized in another Christian tradition and have not received your First Holy Communion, you would participate in the Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA).This is also true if you have not been baptized and are coming new to the Catholic Church.

If you are married or engaged and have any questions about the practice of natural family planning, hormones and fertility, infertility issues, or any concerns about family planning and relationships, this
message is for you. We know these issues are difficult at times and it’s hard to find good advice and support. Our parish is launching a support group program called the Natural Marriage Group, where all these important questions can be discussed in the context of a nonjudgmental, confidential and supportive group led by trained couples from St Francis. The Natural Marriage Group is sponsored by Natural Womanhood, the US leader in evidence-based information on fertility awareness and women’s health. The Natural Marriage Support Group will meet July 21 from 10 to 11 am in the St. Clare/Kateri room. All are welcome to attend, our August meeting will be on August 18. For more information please contact Paula Trusela at 210.241.3000 or John Trusela at 210.872.591. Child care will be provided!

June has been an incredibly active month for both of St. Francis of Assisi’s Scout Troops, 498 – Boys and 498 – Girls. Here are a few of the highlights!
This year for summer camp the Troops attended Hale Scout Reservation, in Talihina, Oklahoma. There they advanced by working on or earning over 45 merit badges, 8 ranks, as well as learning countless outdoor skills, inner confidence, and leadership.

While the younger scouts were at camp, our senior scouts had the honor of participating again in the Knights of Columbus Flag Retirement Ceremony. The Scouts were on the color guard, prepared the flags according to code, and retired the flags. Nearly a dozen flags were retired with honor and respect.

Shortly after that, two high adventure crews of 8 and 12 traveled to the Florida Keys. One crew spent the week fishing and studying the diverse ecology of the Florida Keys while the second crew spent the week living on a sailboat and completed over eight SCUBA dives (including one night dive) exploring and learning about the delicate reef environment.

In the meantime, three Scouts were elected to Scouting’s National Honor Society of Camping, the Order of the Arrow. Two scouts completed their Eagle Project benefiting the Clark High School JROTC, and the Strong Foundation for families in transition. One Scout achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, marking the 60th scout to achieve Scouting’s highest Rank in the Troop’s 25-year history.

Next month, both the Boy and Girl Troops will begin working to earn the church’s Religious Scouting emblem, the Ad Altare Dei. Finally, the troop cleaned the storage area and installed new shelves to make CYO and Church decorations more accessible.

If you’re interested in what Scouting can do for your student or would like to know more about Troop 498’ Boy or Girl Troops, visit our website: troop498SATX.org or Text T498 to 51555

Above is a photo of today’s wonderful set of St. Francis Food Bank volunteers. This group made 1,200 sandwiches to be used by a variety of Summer Childhood Feeding Programs throughout San Antonio.

The St. Francis of Assisi Men’s Club will be selling its famous BBQ chicken and sausage on Sunday, July 21! You can place your order at below. Pre-sale orders will be accepted through Sunday, July 14. Please make sure you receive an email receipt confirming your order. If you do not receive a confirmation email after placing your order, please contact Nikki in the parish office to verify that your order was processed properly. The price per whole chicken is $12 and the price per sausage order is $6. Your order will be available for pick up outside the church entrance between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm on Sunday, July 21.

We have been so blessed with food and monetary donations from our SFA parishioners. The Thanksgiving Food Drives and 40 Cans for Lent projects by the Knights have been very successful and greatly reduced our need to purchase groceries. The need for food donations continues throughout the year, especially during the summer months when children are home and do not receive school meals, (and Grandparents become the babysitters). Please consider a food donation. Items can be left in the SVdP wooden box located in the church hallway or in the SVdP Donation Barrel outside the parish office. You may also bring donations by our SVdP office during our regular hours (Monday 12 – 2 pm; Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 12 pm).

Beef Stew 20oz

Tuna Fish in Water 5oz

Jell-O 3oz

Spam Canned Meat 12oz

Spaghetti 16oz

No Salt Tomato Sauce 8oz

Toothpaste 5.5oz

Mac & Cheese 7.25oz

Canned Soups 10.5oz

Toasted Oats Cereal 14oz

Peanut Butter 18oz

Canned Fruit (light) 15oz

Chili No Beans 15oz

Saltine Crackers 16oz

Granola Bars 6.8oz

Vegetable Cooking Oil 16oz

White Rice 2 lbs

Dry Pinto Beans 1 or 2lbs.

Toothbrushes

Ravioli/Spaghetti Rings 15oz

Evaporated Milk 12oz

Canned Pasta Sauce 20 oz

Bar Soap

Canned Ranch Style Beans 15oz

Canned Chicken Breast 10oz

Maruchan Ramen soup 3oz

Hamburger Helper/Skillet Mix 6oz

Canned Diced Tomatoes 14.5oz

Canned Vegetables, Variety 15 oz

Instant Mashed Potatoes 13.75oz

Quick Oats Oatmeal 18oz/10ct.

Toilet Paper and Paper Towels

Grape/Strawberry Jelly 18oz

Peanut Butter snack crackers

The Knights of Columbus will be selling their famous delicious brisket tacos on July 14 after the 8:30 am, 11:15 am, and 1:30 pm Masses. The funds raised will support the Right to Life initiatives, helping women and infants in need.