Dear Parishioners,

Retirement is not at all as easy as it looks. As far as I can tell right now, between now and September 15th instead of slowing down, life is speeding up enormously. Besides the usual quotient of sick calls and funerals and Fr. Cotter being away for three weeks vacation, and Fr. Timoney heading to Ireland for a family reunion after August 12, work seems to have doubled up for me. This includes planning for a transition here at Christ the King and looking into moving to Bay Farm Island.

This weekend we welcome a representative of the Medical Missionaries of Mary, as part of our Diocesan Mission Cooperative Plan. The Medical Missionaries are an international missionary congregation of women religious whose efforts are in some of the poorest and most remote parts of the world. They are also involved with empowering women through income generating projects allowing them to become financially independent. The sisters provide clean water; improve sanitation and housing as well as direct evangelization doing pastoral care in parishes.

Medical Missionaries of Mary now number about 350 sisters working in nine African countries as well as Brazil, Honduras, Europe and the USA. Representing them and speaking on their behalf this weekend is Nancy Hinds. Nancy is not a sister, but an associate who has worked with them for many years in Africa and in Ireland. Plus, she is a good friend of Fr. Brian Timoney's, since her late husband was a close friend of the Timoney family and Fr. Timoney's sister also worked with the Medical Missionaries of Mary in Nigeria. She will be telling us about their work in Africa and Latin America bringing God's healing love to our wounded world. As always, with the Diocese Mission Co-Op Program, 50% of your contibutions go to the Medical Missionaries of Mary and the other half goes to missionaries who appear in far less affluent parishes in the diocese. And despite the same type of work and presentations, they simply cannot receive significant income or contributions. Thank you for your support. (Note: if you were not able to contribute to the second collection, it is possible to make a donation online.)

After masses today and next weekend, you are invited to buy a ticket for the Hearts for Haiti event August 9th. A $20 ticket gets you into the event, including live Haitian drumming, dancing and storytelling. Your ticket also includes a special dinner of rice and beans similar to the one served to the children in Haiti. Every $20 ticket sold will be used to pay for 30 meals for hungry children in Haiti. This great event will begin at 6 pm in the parish hall. You can also purchase a raffle ticket with two great prizes including a week away at a gorgeous deluxe home in Tahoe. Several of our parishioners have already been there and report that it is absolutely sensational. The home sleeps 9 people, kayak rentals are included and the week away is offered for both fall and spring.

A second prize for the raffle is a catered dinner for 6 at my new residence in Alameda. As of now, I plan the dinner to be available on a Friday evening in January or February, once I work out the exact date with the winner. Take a chance and support the "What If?" Foundation in Haiti.

Next weekend, August 2nd and 3rd, the Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers will be spending its annual retreat at the Lafayette Retreat Center. We have invited them to sing at the Saturday evening mass and the Sunday 10:45 and 12:15 masses. They will be accepting donations for their great work before and after the masses.

Your Pastor,
Brian T. Joyce