Incarnate Word Academy High School Level cross country teams put a cap on another wonderful season during the TAPPS 5A State Championship held on Oct. 30 in Waco.

When we celebrated the Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle, I was reminded strongly of the image of him that always comes to my mind on his feast day. It is his statue at St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome, which has enormous and distinct statues of all of the apostles. Matthew’s depicts him holding up a manuscript or book, presumably his own Gospel. Underneath his right foot is a bag of coins, sculpted to appear as if it had simply fallen to the ground and Matthew is stepping on it as if to dismiss it as simply equal in value to the dirt.

From Nov. 8-Dec. 2 the Art Center of Corpus Christi will open a new show celebrating religious art. Elsie Gaertner Reichenbacher, of Elsieland Mosaics, will be presenting a celebration of adoration and praise through religious icons in stained glass. Although she is primarily known for her works with mosaicked guitars and other musical instruments, religious art has become her true passion.

La parroquia de St. Philip the Apostle fue sede del V Encuentro Diocesano, el sábado 16 de septiembre, dando inicio con una hora de Adoración al Santísimo guida y dirigida por el Obispo Michael Mulvey. El obispo se dirigió a la feligresía dando un mensaje de la gran importancia que tiene el pertenecer unidos como Iglesia.

In celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Incarnate Word Academy Elementary Level students were visited by Corpus Christi Fire Department first responder Jose Gonzalez who rode in on a pink fire truck to speak to students about cancer awareness on Oct. 30.

On Oct. 27, St. Pius X Catholic School second graders completed a successful reading project intended to increase STREAM awareness across all curriculum. The activity involved reading a passage about how to make play dough, answer comprehension questions based on the passage and then follow the directions in the passage to actually make the dough.

The charism of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in the Church is to live and proclaim the Incarnation of the Word. The Spirit calls them in a special way to represent the Incarnate Word before the world as perfectly as possible. They strive, therefore, to achieve the complete self-emptying of the Word made flesh, the simplicity and graciousness of Jesus with all, especially the children and the poor, his virginal chastity, his strength and obedience at Gethsemane, his total love, culminating on the cross. The sisters work to radiate Jesus as the warm, gracious, loving person who walked with people and lived in communion with them.

As Thanksgiving approaches, we turn our thoughts to loved ones, to shared family gatherings and most of all to the graces we have received from God for which we are most grateful. Peace, joy and salvation are graces received through prayer, and we must work diligently to attain them. We must let go of the worldly things around us and turn our thoughts, hearts and perseverance in prayer to the Lord from whom all graces come and to our Blessed Mother who is the mediatrix of all graces.

Irene Silva, 76, is a little disappointed because she missed the Charismatic Conference in October and she has been going to it for the past 10 years. She also has not been able to attend her prayer group at St. Joseph’s in Alice. Her time these days is focused on caring for her husband Jose who, at 82 has been exhibiting obvious signs of dementia.

During the month of November we celebrate the Day of Thanksgiving. The reality of being thankful expresses that every person is insufficient in himself or herself. Yet that need for others expressed through gratitude is at the core of being human.

Laura Peterek rode out Hurricane Harvey in Rockport by using earplugs to drown out the terror outside, while praying the rosary. As a first responder, she stayed behind while her husband Andy and their children evacuated to McAllen. The Petereks are parishioners at Sacred Heart Church in Rockport and three of the family’s four children are students at Sacred Heart School, which suffered catastrophic damage due to the storm.

At just 12-years-old, Hannah Barlow has endured more heartbreak than many adults. In the last six months, her father and mother both died unexpectedly. Both were only in their 40s. Now living with her maternal grandmother, Hannah is seeking comfort from her church family to help deal with her intense sorrow.

A statue of the Blessed Mother and Baby Jesus, sculpted by a deaf and mute Vietnamese artist named Tran Van Luyen, stands in front of St. Peter Parish welcoming the church’s Vietnamese Catholic community in the Rockport-Fulton area. On Sunday, Oct. 8, the parish community celebrated Mass in a tent in the shadows of the Blessed Mother. Hurricane Harvey deprived them of their sanctuary, but it did not make a dent on their faith.