-
BackForwardPauseCaption
-
Gartland Awards 2019
The Bishop Gartland Service Award for
Francisco Velez
This little man is a dynamic duo with his Catechist wife. Together they are a profound cornerstone for our Hispanic Catholic family. Although they are from Puerto Rico, they serve the whole parish, and their Hispanic friends know they are welcome at any time in their home. For more than 20 years before arriving here, they were active together at St. Rocco's in Newark, NJ, where they were trained and served in many church ministries. About 15 years ago they settled in a tiny town nearby and drove 45 minutes to church on Sunday in Waycross.
Francisco is a Vietnam War Veteran, famous for his only military reprimand being that he gave too much candy to the children! On Sundays, he is still guilty of loving the children, as he stuffs dollar bills in their hands and walks them up to the “Children’s Circle” to put something in the Children’s Collection. He and his wife have a deeply devoted faith and serve side by side as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. He is reverenced by all as an honored elder and a humble servant.
“Poncho,” as he is affectionately known, is such a stubborn, hard worker that he does not know how to stop serving. He cares for and supports parishioners and neighbors, fixing their cars and sponsoring some for their immigration papers. Always there to help others, he is the classic Usher, welcoming the newcomer and encouraging the lost, showing a child how to carry the money up in the offertory procession with pride and dignity. Our parish is stronger, wiser, and steadily sustained by humble servants like Poncho Velez.
-
Today's Readings
-
Reading I 1 Tm 4:12-16Responsorial Psalm 111:7-8, 9, 10Gospel Lk 7:36-50
-
-
Mass Times
- Sunday: 9:00 AM EnglishEnglishEN 12:00 PM SpanishEspañolES .
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM EnglishEnglishEN
- Saturday: 5:00 PM EnglishEnglishEN
-
Confession Times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM
-
Adoration Times
- Wednesday: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
-
Pope's Apostolic Exhortation
-
-
Recent Church Events
-
-
-
-
-
-
Let his light shine through unto others.
-
Knights of Columbus Hard at work
-
Gartland Awards 2019
The Bishop Gartland Service Award for
David Eugene Cahil
Dave Cahill has been a “go-to” guy and “hands-on” servant all his life. From his earlier days at his previous parish in Covington, KY, he was a humble, empowering presence for the parish and neighborhood: cutting other people’s grass unasked, coaching a kickball team, building treehouses and wiring them with lights, and as a chaperone for the young ones to have fun. While in the US Air Force, he received “Airman of the Year” three times.
After moving to Waycross 21 years ago to work for CSX as an electronic engineer, he received many professional excellence awards. His dedication to family, church, and community has been steady and consistent. His unconditional support for his wife’s ambulatory handicap is continually creative. An active member of the Knights of Columbus, Dave always shows up: whether it is to usher in church, to serve a pancake breakfast for the parish religious education program, for the Tootsie Roll drive or the “Coats for Kids”, or to build another wheelchair ramp for someone in need. Dave is a silent warrior who usually figures out a way to get the job done.
Sometimes service means crawling under every pew in the church to buttress the aging timbers. Other times it may mean fixing someone’s electrical light fixture or tweaking a sound system. With family, he is a patient grandfather and a faithful son. With newcomers, he is a welcoming presence. Not a man who wants the limelight, he has been known to skip awards ceremonies. But this “can-do” guy anchored the altar railings and brought the working presence of the Knights of Columbus to the parish council. Thank God for the service of Dave Cahill.
