As Catholics, we love to celebrate what God has done through his Church, especially in the lives of real people. We celebrate the lives of people whose love for God and love for others shaped the world in which we live. Some people made such an impact on the Church and the world that they deserve special focus and attention. Learning about their lives can reveal to us what God can do when we are willing to make him Lord of our lives, and it can also inspire us to live our faith with more conviction.

You have an opportunity in the coming months to learn about some of the Church's "Pivotal Players." Specifically, we will examine the lives of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catherine of Sienna, Blessed John Henry Newman, G.K. Chesterton, and Michaelangelo. Many Catholics are familiar with Bishop Robert Barron's series, Catholicism. This is his latest installment to the series, and it is every bit as impressive as Catholicism.

The first opportunity to learn will be at St. Mary's in Castle Rock, beginning January 9th at 1pm. This course will be offered during the day to accommodate some of our older parishioners who can't drive at night. This class will ordinarily be offered on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the Month. This is open to anybody, including those of you who might not attend Mass in Castle Rock Regularly. If you would like to attend, please contact Joe Buttle by phone at 423-3650, or at paff@cni.net. We also suggest you purchase a study Guide. Let Joe know if you’d like to purchase the guide.

The other opportunity will be in Cathlamet after the Saturday evening Mass (The Mass begins at 5pm and ends around 5:50). We will begin this series on January 7th, and food will be served. Our first event will be a potluck, so if you plan to attend, please bring a dish to share. If you are interested in attending, please contact deacon fred by email: deaconfred@strose-longview.org.

I also want to invite non-Catholics to attend this series. If you are not Catholic, I think you will like it. It is no secret that many Christians are often unaware of the history of Christianity prior to the protestant reformation. I've had protestant pastors, for example, tell me that they barely even studied the history of the Church between Augustine and Martin Luther. If you know somebody who likes theology and who isn't Catholic, consider inviting them to either of these opportunities.

At this time, we will not be offering The Pivotal Players at St. Rose. Instead we will be offering our Sunday evening Bible Study on the Gospel of John, which will begin on the 15th of January at 7pm. As is always the case, all are welcome to attend.

Here is the trailer for The Pivotal Players: