Of all the churches on the Texas coast battered by Hurricane Harvey, one of the hardest hit is St. Peter Catholic Church in Rockport. As it happens, St. Peter is the heart and soul of Aransas County's large Vietnamese population.

Men enrolled the Diocese of Corpus Christi Diaconate Formation Class volunteered to help Hurricane Harvey victims in Bayside on Saturday, Sept. 30, in Bayside. Deacon Richard Longoria, who is coordinating volunteer services for the diocese, said the men used their Saturday practicum to barbecue for Bayside residents and responders.

Presented as a gift to the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, IWA senior George Malouf lovingly crafted a beautiful oil painting of the Sisters’ old IWA Convent. The painting was recently presented to the sisters by Malouf and is to be displayed in their new convent.

Whatever happened to simply inviting a family member, friend, co-worker or neighbor to Mass? According to the Pew Research Center, an invitation to church is still an effective way to reach those who do not attend Mass. Sixty-seven percent of Americans say a personal invitation from a family member would be very or somewhat effective in getting them to visit a church.

On Saturday, Sept. 30, the Knights of Columbus council from St. Andrew by the Sea parish prepared BBQ plates for volunteers helping out with recovery from Hurricane Harvey at the community of Bayside. The Knights served 200 plates of BBQ chicken quarters, potato salad, Ranch Style beans and homemade ice tea.

Incarnate Word Academy Middle Level students put their STEM abilities to the test when seventh graders in Mr. Robert Ludlow’s robotics class participated in a basketball shootout activity on Sept. 27.

We all have heard the saying “everyone has a mission in life.” That mission is called a vocation. Vocations are not only essential to the life of the Church; they belong to the Church. Vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life highlight the call of the Church to be servants.

La revista del South Texas Catholic, preocupada por brindar un mejor servicio a toda la congregación perteneciente a la Diócesis de Corpus Christi, a través su espacio de VIDA CATOLICA se ha puesto el objetivo de servir de una manera mas efectiva a la comunidad hispanoparlante. Para ello, está ofreciendo información oportuna en su sitio web de los eventos y servicios que ocurren y se ofrecen en todas las parroquias de la diócesis.

It is with great shock and dismay that our nation learned of the tragic shooting in Las Vegas. Along with Pope Francis and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I and the Diocese of Corpus Christi express our deep sadness and heartfelt condolences to the innocent victims of this horrific incident. We offer our earnest prayers to God for those who have been killed or injured, for their families, and all others affected and suffering at this time. In a special way, we pray for the city of Las Vegas, the first responders, and law enforcement personnel. May the good and ever merciful God send grace and the light of peace into this darkness.

St. Pius X Catholic School Pre-K 3 and 4 students ended their Fairy Tale unit with a parade on Sept. 29 with parents, family members and school staff cheering them on as the students paraded throughout the school. The event completed the Fairy Tale unit the students were studying.

De Matels, the youth service organization sponsored by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, participated in the Hurricane Harvey clean up effort on Sept. 23 at Bayside. They helped people in Bayside whose homes and property were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey.

Seeking holiness is the key to discerning God’s will for us; to discovering the road in life the Lord has planned for us—our vocation; and to achieving and remaining in a state of grace, which allows us to do the will of God with joy, great peace and contentment. We all share the duty to help one another seek holiness.

Most Catholics know how to pray the rosary, but for many, this Marian prayer is more of an occasional form of prayer rather than a staple of their prayer life. Father James Kelleher, SOLT, wants to change that. With a love of the rosary that was taught to him as a child by his parents, Father Kelleher’s life is now devoted to reinvigorating this form of prayer within the Church.

On the afternoon of Aug. 25, around five o’clock, the power went out, the lights went out and everything became silent. The only noise was the elements of God’s creation: the wind, the rain and the rustling trees. The storm had begun. Hurricane Harvey was on his way.

The strongest hurricane to hit the South Texas Gulf coast in decades made landfall in Rockport on Friday, Aug. 25, at about 10 p.m. leaving in its wake death and destruction of epic proportions. Hurricane Harvey’s strong winds, clocked at 130 mph, and gushing rain inflicted extensive damage on the communities north of Corpus Christi, including some 42 churches, parish halls, schools and rectories in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

When Father Pete Elizardo asked his parishioners at St. Joseph Parish in Alice for donations urgently needed for survivors of Hurricane Harvey on the Sunday after the storm, they answered the call for assistance within hours.

When the St. Charles Borromeo Knights of Columbus Council #13238 in Tacoma, Washington learned about the catastrophic hurricane that hit the Coastal Bend area of Texas on Aug. 25, they did not hesitate to swing into action. Within hours, leaders with the Tacoma Knights of Columbus had mobilized to gather cash donations from their generous parishioners so they could purchase items most in need by the communities in South Texas hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey.

In the 1620s, while the pilgrims were landing on Plymouth Rock and having the first Thanksgiving, the Jumano tribe in Texas (before it was known as Texas) was said to be having mysterious encounters with someone they called the “Lady in Blue.” A young, ethereal lady, dressed in a habit with a blue cape, they said appeared to them numerous times during these years, speaking to them in their native language and instructing them in the Christian faith.

A female captain and one of her top male crewmembers crash-landed on a faraway planet. As the hours slip into days it seems that rescue is unlikely. The pair settles in a bunker and now they must confront how they will deal with their relationship in such close quarters. During their discussion, the crewmember takes a surprising approach. He tells her a story rather than being direct. The captain easily picks up on the implied message that he will respect her both as his captain and as a woman who is already in a committed relationship. Because of her forceful personality, her reaction is far more surprising; her composure softens as a single tear rolls down her cheek. For me, this scene visualizes the power of a story to touch a heart.