~ Social / Community Ministries (Page 2) ~

The Welcoming Committee members call the new members to our parish after they have enrolled. They arrange to meet with them and introduce them to all of the parish activities. They extend an invitation to the new parishioners to join in a ministry and leave a small gift with the new parishioners as they leave. For more information please call the St. Anthony Cathedral Office at 833-6483.

The St. Anthony Prayer Line is in need of those who wish to pray in intercession for others. We pray knowing God will answer our prayers. We pray that God will heal a sick person, ease the pain of another, welcome into Heaven those who die. For more information, or to join the St. Anthony Prayer Line, please call Pat Luquette at 866-1790.

The mission of our Elder Program is to help God's people in need, the elderly of our community. The program will address the following:

Minor home care:

• Plumbing - running commode tanks, leaky faucets, etc.
• Electrical - fuse box replacements, balancing fans, washer-dryer, switches, inside/outside light bulb replacements, etc.
• Roof Repair - replace missing shingles, unclog gutters, etc.
• General Repair - repair broken windows, repair or install door locks, paint or repair fence, etc.
• Garden and Lawn - cut grass, weed, and plant, etc.
• Indoors - dust, vacuum, plan a meal or just say hello with a bouquet, etc.

Major repairs will be reported and professional firms will be tapped. Washers and dryers with major problems will be repaired at the Federal Prison. Turn around time for these repairs is generally 5 - 10 days.

Who will be the volunteers?

1. Boy Scouts
2. Prisoners
3. Habitat for Humanity's Volunteers
4. Men and Women of St. Anthony's

How will they be recruited?

1. The Boy Scouts are in place.
2. Inmates at the Federal Prison are in place.
3. Volunteer skill sheets will be inserted in Sunday bulletins
4. A speaker will be available to speak at church organizations.
5. Using the church directory, volunteers will be recruited and recipients will be identified.

Beaumont Habitat for Humanity's restore/warehouse located at 610 Trinity (at the corner of Fanning) is expecting donations that will help God's people in need. We will be building homes, and will have supplies for minor home repairs.

For further information, call Mary Reeder at 898-1731 or 832-5853, or please call the St. Anthony Cathedral Office at 833-6433.

St. Anthony Cathedral Ladies is a ministry that strives to promote true Christian charity, love of God and neighbor, and Christian family life. Some of the activities that we have taken on that foster love for the house of God is the weekly cleaning and adornment of the church. We also care for the altar and provide for its immediate needs. We tend to the needs of our neighbors in the Parish by providing nourishment, through our bereavement committee, in time of death.

One of the many joys in which we delight is hostin of Parish and Diocesan receptions. The Cathedral Ladies enjoy membership in the Beaumont District, Diocesan and National Council of Women. We invite all women of St. Anthony Cathedral to enrich their lives and ours by joining the Cathedral Ladies. For further information please call Glenda Manual at 866-2868, or the Cathedral Office at 866-6433.

The St. Anthony's Men's Club is a service group for St. Anthony Cathedral. The purpose of this organization is to assist the church and school by providing labor and/or financial help. We raise funds by selling barbecue six months out of year. Eighty percent of our donations go to St. Anthony's school. Our membership is open to all men, married or single, within our Catholic family of the Diocese of Beaumont. For further information please call Mr. Michael Metoyer at 860-4676, or the Cathedral Office at 833-6433.

How many people know the enormous amount of work that goes into maintaining the Cathedral? On the average, Cathedral office employees work 55 - 60 hours per week, and during Holy Week it can be as high as 70 hours. Due to funding restraints, it is impossible for the Cathedral to hire enough people to fill the needs in the office. It is through your sacrificial commitment, by giving your time and talents, which make the Cathedral community the special sacred place that it is. Here's how you can make a difference at the Cathedral:

• Front Desk Attendant: answering the telephone, directing visitors to the appropriate people and places, researching archived sacramental records
• Money Counters: Join at least three other Cathedral parishioners in counting and preparing the weekly collection for deposit at the bank. It takes about three hours and schedules are sent to all volunteers.
• Filing and Research: Help file contract documents, vendor invoices and accounting records.
• Mass Mailing: Communicating through mail-outs is an essential part of "getting the word out" on what's going on in our Cathedral Community. Helping to fold, stuff and stamp letters to parishioners gets the message out in a timely manner.
• Bulletin Preparation: Our Cathedral bulletin is never ready until all additional inserts are placed inside. This work takes place each Friday morning, unless otherwise specified, and takes about one to two hours to complete.

The Parish office hours are: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We would love to have your help if your schedule fits into this time frame!

For more information or to volunteer, please call Martin Scott at the Cathedral Office, 833-6433.

The Religious Article Sales Ministry seeks to increase the presence of religious articles in our parish homes. Through these sales we hope to empower St. Anthony's Parish Community. We will provide the community with a broader scope of inspirational items and prayer aids. This ministry provides religious and spiritual treasures in one convenient locations, at appropriate times of the church year. Items for sale are Bibles, books, pictures, crosses, audio and video tapes, rosaries, statutes and other religious gifts.

This fair is held just before the two great seasons of the Christian year, Advent and Lent. Volunteers are needed to help secure exhibitors, publicize the fair, assist in setup, serve as greeters, and assist visitors with their purchases. For more information please contact Rose G. Williams at 842-6861, or Joe Brown at 833-6433.