Hello, friends: 

Please join me in congratulating our children as they celebrate their First Holy Communion this weekend! I’m sure that you’re as proud of them as I and look forward to seeing them grow in their relationship with the Lord Jesus. I’d like to thank the RE teachers, specifically those who have helped shape and form our children, the last few years. Special thanks to the 1st Communion teachers: Regina, Veronica and Carla for their time and effort and the loads of energy that they so generously share with our young ones. 

Please keep our university students, faculty and staff in prayer as they wind down another academic semester. Special congratulations to all students who will be graduating from either NMSU or DACC this year! Campus ministry is hosting a mass with reception on Friday, May 8, at 5:30. If you have any questions please feel free to contact either Sal or Mona. Also, CM is planning a few end of year activities this week; look for those events with further details in either the parish bulletin or on line on either the website or the Facebook page. 

Finally, thanks to the parish pastoral council and all those who helped with the distribution and execution of the survey this past weekend. We had well over 1000 survey responses and we anticipate the initial official report in about 8-12 weeks. Stay tuned! 

Fr. Ray 

Good morning, friends: 

This weekend the church is asking us to intentionally pray for vocations, specifically to the priesthood, diaconate, religious life or societies of apostolic life. On this Good Shepherd Sunday I'd like to share very good news with the parish. 

Last week Bishop Cantu officially accepted one of our university students, Francis Gyau, as a seminarian for our Diocese. Francis is from Ghana and will be graduating with a masters degree in Math at the end of the semester. Please join me in congratulating Francis and please keep him and all of our other seminarians in your prayers. 

A recent statistic from a survey of youth and young adults on vocations found that over 500,000 of our youth and young adults have seriously considered a vocation. Parents, godparents and grandparents: have you considered planting the tiny seed of a possible vocation in the lives of your children and grandchildren? Please take the time and "risk" asking the question, knowing that you may never see the fruit of your work. Let us pray that the Lord will continue to bless our local church with an abundance of men and women who will respond with generous hearts and hands, in service to God's people! 

Fr. Ray 

Dear friends, 

I’d like to share a couple of important messages; the first, the hike and mass that was scheduled for next weekend has been postponed for a future date. The second, our parish community will have an opportunity to participate in a survey, next weekend, and I’m encouraging as many folks to consider filling out the form. We’re working with CARA, Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, which is operated out of Georgetown University, as a one way to measure our parish life. The results of the parish survey will help both our Parish Pastoral Council as well the Visioning Committee in their work with strategic planning. 

If you have any questions please feel free to call the office or email me at fr.ray@stalbertnewmancenter.org. 

Fr. Ray 

Dear friends, Happy Easter! 

The crowds for the Triduum celebrations were amazing, especially for the Easter Sunday celebrations – incredible! Thanks to everyone who helped, in any way, to help make these celebrations beautiful and memorable. Congratulations to our newly baptized; welcome! Please pray for the success of Aggie Awakening VI that is actually happening this weekend, at the Holy Cross Retreat Center. There are about 35 participants and another 25 team members on the weekend experience. 

Next weekend I will be away, on a vocation pilgrimage, to Holy Trinity seminary, in Dallas. I will be taking a small group of men, about 6, who are actively discerning a call to priesthood. Please pray for our safe travels. Also, keep both Alonso and Alex in prayer, as they prepare for their priesthood ordination, which is just around the corner, May 30, 2015. 

Fr. Ray 

Happy Easter! 

The last six weeks of the Lenten season has ended and we can once more proclaim that beautiful acclamation of Alleluia! On behalf of our parish, I’d like to welcome those who were received into full communion at the Easter Vigil. Their witness of faith and their willingness to engage our tradition enriches our community and strengthens our bonds of family. Please continue to pray for them as they grow in their relationship with the Lord Jesus and with our local church. 

The Easter season lasts for the next 50 days, culminating in the celebration of the Pentecost event, in which the Holy Spirit was abundantly given to the early community of believers. As a way to engage this Easter season more intentionally I’d invite and encourage us to read from the Acts of the Apostles. This book really highlights the spirit of the early church and can help us along the way, as we strive to live that same faith. 

I’d like to thank everyone who helped, in any way, with the Triduum and Easter liturgical celebrations! I’m humbled and very grateful for your service and willingness to serve our faith community! 

Blessings & love, 
Fr. Ray