Around The Diocese

Retreat Center Activities
Amarillo—The public is invited to join the weekly Contemplative Prayer Group every Tuesday afternoon from noon to 1:00 at the Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center, 2100 North Spring. Learn more by calling Linda Astuto at the BDRC, 383-1811 or go online to www.bdrc.org.  

Divine Mercy Cenacle
Amarillo—A Thursday Divine Mercy Cenacle Group meets on the first and third Thursday evenings of each month at 6:00 in the St. Joseph Room at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1200 South Washington. Find out more by calling St. Mary’s Cathedral at 376-7204.

2017 Cursillo Dates Announced
Amarillo—Cursillo dates for 2017 have been confirmed by Tania González, Lay Director for the Cursillo Movement in the Diocese of Amarillo. Cursillo #563, for women, is set for Thursday, April 27 through Sunday, April 30. Cursillo #564, for men, will take place Thursday, Aug. 10 through Sunday, Aug. 13. Both Cursillo weekends will take place at the Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center, 2100 North Spring. The entire Cursillo weekend is presented in Spanish, according to González, who recommends that all participants speak Spanish in order to grasp the message being presented. For more information about the Cursillo movement, call González at 678-9162.

Boots and Bling April 29
Amarillo—The fifth annual Boots and Bling fundraiser for St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Mary’s Cathedral School will take place Saturday, April 29, beginning at 6:30pm at the Monsignor Francis Smyer Activity Center at 1200 South Washington.
Tickets are $125 per couple, which entitles two people to a Big Texan steak dinner, dancing to the music of Agave Posse and one chance to win a $10,000 VISA gift card in a reverse drawing. Other activities include silent auctions and Calcutta Boards.
Prizes will be awarded to those sporting the best Boots and Bling. Proceeds from the evening will benefit St. Mary’s Cathedral School and the youth programs at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Tickets are being sold after all weekend Masses in the Cathedral gathering area, beginning the weekend of Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26. Tickets can also be purchased through the parish and school offices during regular business hours. For additional information or to purchase tickets, contact the school at 376-9112 or the Cathedral parish office at 376-7204.

Enchilada Dinner at St. Hyacinth Church
Amarillo—The Ladies of St. Hyacinth Church will host its second annual Enchilada Dinner Sunday, April 30 from 11:00am to 2:00pm in the Monsignor DiBenedetto Parish Hall at 4500 West Hills Trail.
Adult plates are $10.00 each, children under twelve are $5.00 each and children under five eat free. Proceeds from the dinner will go toward St. Hyacinth Church. Music will be provided by Ramón Saldaña.
For additional details about the dinner, please call the parish office at 358-1351.

Pax et Bonum
Panhandle—The School Sisters of St. Francis invite the public to join them for the next Pax et Bonum evening Monday, May 1 from 6:30 to 8:00, beginning in Our Lady of the Angels Chapel at Sancta Maria Convent, 119 Franciscan Way.
The evening, Pax et Bonum (Peace and All Good), is an opportunity for the School Sisters of St. Francis to share the beauty of Franciscan Spirituality and a taste of the prayer life that helps to keep them grounded and centered in Christ, according to Sister Mary Ana Steele. There will be a brief talk on Franciscan Spirituality with Adoration and the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A social period will end the evening. For additional information, please call Sancta Maria Convent at 806-537-3182.

Fifth Annual Frühlingsfest
Umbarger—St. Mary’s Church will host its fifth annual Frühlingsfest, or Spring Festival, Saturday, May 6 in the parish hall at 22830 Pondaseta Road. Tickets are $100 per couple, which includes a Beef Tenderloin Dinner, a dance with music provided by Young Country, a Reverse Raffle and a Live Auction.
First prize is a $5,000 MasterCard, with second prize a $3,000 MasterCard and third prize is a $2,000 MasterCard. All winners will be determined in a reverse raffle.
Proceeds from the evening will benefit St. Mary’s Church. No one under 21 will be admitted, according to Lana Bracken, parish spokesperson.
For additional information or to contribute items for a live auction taking place during the evening, contact Bracken at 640-4672 or the parish office at St. Mary’s Church at 499-3531.

Columbiettes Auxiliary #1450
Amarillo—Columbiettes Auxiliary #1450 meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7:00pm in the St. Joseph Room at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1200 South Washington. All members are encouraged to attend the next meeting set for Monday, May 8. Any women interested in joining the auxiliary are encouraged to call Veronica Almanza, Columbiettes president, at 382-7800. All Catholic women 17 years old and older are eligible to join the Columbiettes.

Theology on Tap, Year 4
Amarillo—The fourth year of Theology on Tap continues Thursday, May 18 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at I Don’t Know Sports Bar and Grill at 1301 Southwest 6th Ave. Theology on Tap is sponsored by the young adult offices at St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Thomas the Apostle Church. The monthly gatherings normally takes place on the third Thursday of each month. Admission is free. For more information, contact Caleb Hubbard at St. Thomas the Apostle Church at 358-2461 or Kelsey Matchen at St. Mary’s Cathedral at 376-7204.

Engaged Encounter
Amarillo—Couples in the Diocese of Amarillo planning to get married within the next three to six months are encouraged to attend the second Engaged Encounter weekend for 2017, set for Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21 at the Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center, 2100 North Spring. For more details about Engaged Encounter or to sign up, contact Molly Villegas at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 383-2243, ext. 116.

Pancake Breakfast
Amarillo—Knights of Columbus Council #1450 at St. Mary’s Cathedral will serve a Pancake Breakfast Sunday, May 21 from 8:00am to 11:00am in the Monsignor Francis A. Smyer Activity Center, 1200 South Washington. Cost of the breakfast is a love offering, which will benefit the numerous charities, missions and projects of Council #1450.

Upcoming ACTS Retreats
Amarillo—An ACTS (Adoration, Community, Theology and Service) Retreat for women will take place Thursday, June 8 through Sunday, June 11 at the Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center, 2100 North Spring. Registration forms are available at parish offices or through the ACTS Community website, www.actsamarillo.org. An ACTS Retreat for teens will be offered Thursday, June 29 through Sunday, July 2.

Historical Society Cookbook
Amarillo—Copies of A Little Slice of Heaven, a cookbook compiled by the Catholic Historical Society, remain on sale. Cookbooks are $7.50 each, with $2.50 for shipping. The cookbook is a compilation of recipes of Bishop Patrick J. Zurek and the priests and religious of the Diocese of Amarillo. Cookbook orders can be sent to:
The CHS Cookbook Project
P.O. Box 5644
Amarillo, 79117-5644
Please make checks payable to The Catholic Historical Society Cookbook Project or CHS Cookbook Project.

Prison Ministry
Hereford—The prison ministry team in the Diocese of Amarillo is recruiting ordained deacons or lay volunteers for this special ministry. Prison ministry is also one of the Corporal Works of Mercy. If interested please contact Deacon Jessie Guerrero at 364-8432; or, Deacon Blaine Westlake at 383-2243, ext. 117.

Catholic Community Scripture Study
Amarillo—The 27^th year of the Catholic Community Scripture Study is underway, with the study continuing on Wednesday mornings in the parlor of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 4100 South Coulter. Activities begin at 9:15 with coffee and fellowship, followed at 9:30 with prayer and scripture insights from At Home with the Word for a preview of the coming Sunday Scriptures. The class, which began in 1990, has been meeting every Wednesday on a continual basis for the last six years. Everyone is welcome on any Wednesday morning that he/she can attend. For additional information please call St. Thomas the Apostle Church at 358-2461.