Thanksgiving Dinner at St. Anthony of Padua

Preparation of the turkeys and hams by Sister Agustina's team including parish Social Minister, Ubaldo Cisneros!

Fr. Grinnell and Fr. Acho blessing the food.

Saint Anthony of Padua's Thanksgiving Dinner is a popular event.

With entertainment provided by our parish communities.

And lots of deserts!

Photos by Scott Engdahl

New Book Highlights Parish Peace Garden

Since we're all usually pretty busy on Thanksgiving Day with food, family, and giving thanks, you may have missed the article, Gardens Where People Grow by Adrian Higgins, in Thursday's Washington Post Home section. It reports on the new book, Open Spaces -- Sacred Spaces, which beautifully describes the gardens in and around the Washington area that have been funded by the TKF Foundation, the organization that funded our Peace and Remembrance Garden at St. Anthony of Padua.



As the article notes, our Peace Garden is one of the gardens highlighted with pictures and commentary in the book. "At St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Falls Church, the foundation worked with the pastor, Horace "Tuck" Grinnell, and others to create a garden of peace and remembrance that includes a columbarium." It notes that Fr. Grinnell is quoted in the book: "I think the TKF vision of what gardens do for the human spirit is exactly what the postmodern world needs. People feel deeply fragmented and yet open to a spiritual awakening that is almost pre-conscious. A garden is exactly the environment people need to open the door to mystery and spirituality."



The full article is available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/NewsSearch?sb=-1&st=Gardens%20where%20People%20Grow&



Parishioners may purchase a copy of this wonderful book for $25.00 after the Masses on Saturday, December 6th and Sunday, December 7th. Thereafter, it'll be available in the parish gift shop. Part of the proceeds will benefit our Peace Garden.

Fr. José Camilleri

At the 11:00 am Mass last Sunday (November 23rd), we had the pleasure of welcoming Fr. José Camilleri, a missionary in Guatemala for the last 16 years, as concelebrant of the Mass. As Fr. Grinnell mentioned, Fr. Camilleri is orginally from Malta and served for 25 years in the United States. In Guatemala, he serves 50 chapels in an in the southeast part of Guatemala City and has recently established a hospital there.

Fr. Grinnell also noted that our parish's direct connection to Fr. Camilleri is thanks to one of the parish's young adult groups, Encuentro Catolica, who recently visited Father in his parish to present him with donations they had received from the Encuentro gathering in March 2008. The Encuentro team was very impressed with the work that Fr. Camilleri is doing.

As Fr. Grinnell noted, to see a short video in English about the hospital click on this link to You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf06MDlJ40U.

Enlighten Your Mind and Spirit

On Saturday, November 1st, we celebrated a morning of prayer and formation for Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Communion serving Saint Anthony of Padua parish. Following Mass and a continental breakfast, there was a excellent keynote address by Anne Y. Koester, Associate Director, Georgetown Center for Liturgy, and individual breakout sessions for EMs and Lectors.

If you are interested in becoming an EM or a Lector, please call Fred in the parish office (703-820-7111) for more information; these are both wonderful opportunities to serve the parish community while also growing in one's faith.

"The one who speaks is to deliver God's message. The one who serves is to do it with the strength provided by God. Thus in all of you, God is to be glorified through Jesus Christ." -- 1Peter 4:10-11a

Fiesta del Señor de los Milagros

On Saturday, October 25th, Fr. Jorge Acho and Fr. Grinnell celebrated a special Mass for Señor de los Milagros (Lord of the Miracles). In Peru, this feast is celebrated with a large procession and dates back to colonial times, when a slave from Angola, drew the image of a black Christ on the walls of a hut on a plantation near Lima. The image stayed on the wall despite several attempts to erase it.

Photos thanks to Scott Engdahl.

Youth Ministry Concert

Saturday, October 18th, the Youth Ministry hosted a concert, Avivia El Fuego -- Feed the Fire, here at St. Anthony of Padua. The groups included: Holy Fire from New York (the group in the black Jesus shirts), Jovenes de Valor Dance Ministry Shekinah, Uncion de lo Alto (Nueva Esperanza), and Emmanuel (with Fr. Jorge).

Catholic Healing Ministry

Fr. Grinnell celebrated a Mass and Healing Service Friday, October 17th -- the 18th anniversary of the Catholic Healing Ministry of the Diocese of Arlington that began here at St. Anthony of Padua. For more information about the Healing Ministry see the article below from Our Sunday Visitor.

The next Mass and Healing Service will be Friday, November 21st at 7:30 pm at St. John the Evangelist Church in Warrenton, Virginia. All are welcome!