Welcome to Our Parish
Notice from the Archbishop
March 31st, 2021
Social Distancing Protocols to be Adjusted Beginning March 31
Along with social distancing and mask usage, it appears that the recent increase in vaccinations has led to a significant decline in COVID-19 new cases, hospitalizations and deaths, even as Texas has fully opened its economy. These successes are likely to continue as more people are vaccinated each week. It is very important that people continue to be vaccinated, and that this positive momentum not be lost.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Archdiocese of San Antonio has balanced the spiritual needs of the faith community with the serious physical dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic. Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, took swift, measured and appropriate action to protect the people of the archdiocese, and the archdiocese has continued to be vigilant for more than a year.
We must still remain vigilant, however, it seems prudent to begin to relax some of the restrictions which reduce the number of parishioners who can participate in the Mass and receive the Eucharist.
Beginning Wednesday, March 31, 2021, parishes may open all pews and reduce the social distancing requirements in the sanctuary from 6 feet to 3 feet.
It is to be emphasized that mask usage and thorough facility sanitation are still required in accordance with previous proclamations. Those protocols remain unchanged. Masks must be worn in church.
The archdiocese will continue to evaluate the health situation as more information becomes available and make appropriate changes to our guidelines as circumstances dictate.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Archdiocese of San Antonio has balanced the spiritual needs of the faith community with the serious physical dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic. Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, took swift, measured and appropriate action to protect the people of the archdiocese, and the archdiocese has continued to be vigilant for more than a year.
We must still remain vigilant, however, it seems prudent to begin to relax some of the restrictions which reduce the number of parishioners who can participate in the Mass and receive the Eucharist.
Beginning Wednesday, March 31, 2021, parishes may open all pews and reduce the social distancing requirements in the sanctuary from 6 feet to 3 feet.
It is to be emphasized that mask usage and thorough facility sanitation are still required in accordance with previous proclamations. Those protocols remain unchanged. Masks must be worn in church.
The archdiocese will continue to evaluate the health situation as more information becomes available and make appropriate changes to our guidelines as circumstances dictate.
ATTENTION ALL PARISHIONERS: The New Guidelines as per Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller for the Reopening of Mass to the Public AND The New Guidelines for Mass Attendees have been posted below. (See white box). Please read in full! All guidelines must be adhered to in order for our Parish to be allowed to celebrate public Masses once again. Please carefully read the guidelines below and be prepared:
As a reminder and as stated in the Archbishop's Decree, A Dispensation is still being granted, until further notice, to all those who are elderly, sick or still feel uncomfortable attending public Mass due to COVID-19. These guidelines have been set for the safety of our priest/deacon, our fellow parishioners, as well as for ourselves. If you have any questions please contact the parish office at (830) 460-4712.
Please know that all Masses will have a "first come, first serve" policy. Meaning, if you arrive at the church before Mass begins and the limited seating has been filled, you will be turned away!! Reminder: The Dispensation from the Archbishop is still in place until further notice.
- Have hand sanitizer with you
- Wear a mask at all times while in the church
- Bring your own Missal (Worship Aids will be offered on first come, first serve basis at the entrance of the church. If you use a Worship Aid, please take it with you, do not leave it in the pew)
- Listen and follow the Ushers' directions.
As a reminder and as stated in the Archbishop's Decree, A Dispensation is still being granted, until further notice, to all those who are elderly, sick or still feel uncomfortable attending public Mass due to COVID-19. These guidelines have been set for the safety of our priest/deacon, our fellow parishioners, as well as for ourselves. If you have any questions please contact the parish office at (830) 460-4712.
Please know that all Masses will have a "first come, first serve" policy. Meaning, if you arrive at the church before Mass begins and the limited seating has been filled, you will be turned away!! Reminder: The Dispensation from the Archbishop is still in place until further notice.
Welcome to Our Parish Family!
The Mission of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ by living our faith as a Catholic Community in worship, service, and support of one another. We believe that each member is called to discipleship, outreach, and evangelization to our parish and local community. We celebrate the gift of Jesus by growing in our faith and living out the mission of our fidelity to the Roman Catholic Church.
We ask that you share your gifts, your faith, and your love with us.
Respectfully yours in Christ,
Rev. Msgr. Frank Kurzaj
We ask that you share your gifts, your faith, and your love with us.
Respectfully yours in Christ,
Rev. Msgr. Frank Kurzaj
Our Pastor
Rev. Msgr. Frank Kurzaj May God enrich our lives together as we worship and serve him. ~ Genesis 21:22 |
Contact Information
311 7th Street P.O. Box 757 Bandera, TX 78003 Phone: (830) 460-4712 Fax: (830) 796-7641 Office Hours: 8 a.m.-3:00 pm |
Pope's Message for Lent 2021: Renewing Faith, Hope and Love
In his message for Lent 2021, Pope Francis calls on the faithful to "renew our faith, draw from the living waters of hope, and receive with open hearts the love of God."
Reflection on the Paschal Mystery, the Pope says, "This Lenten journey… is even now illumined by the light of the resurrection, which inspires the thoughts, attitudes and decisions of the followers of Jesus."
He goes on to say that the journey of conversion, through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, "makes it possible for us to live lives of sincere faith, living hope, and effective charity."
The Holy Father explains "accepting and living the truth revealed in Christ means, first of all, opening our hearts to God's word." Through fasting, "experienced as a form of self-denial," we are able "to rediscover God's gift and recognize that, created in His image and likeness, we find our fulfillment in Him." Fasting, too, by helping us recognize our own poverty, helps us to love both God and neighbour.
"Lent is a time for believing. For welcoming God into our lives and allowing Him to 'make His dwelling' in us."
Pope Francis relates the virtue of hope to the 'living water' that Jesus promises the Samaritan woman at the well. This is not the physical water the woman is expecting, but rather the Holy Spirit who is given through the Paschal Mystery.
Although hope may seem challenging in fragile and uncertain times, "Lent is precisely the season of hope, when we turn back to God."
"Hope is given to us as inspiration and interior light" through "recollection and silent prayer." The experience of hope in Lent, he says, "means receiving the hope of Christ, who gave His life on the Cross and was raised by God on the third day."
"Love is a leap of the heart," says Pope Francis. "It brings us out of ourselves and creates bonds of sharing and communion."
The Holy Father emphasizes the need for "social love" in building up "a civilization of love."
"Love is a gift that gives meaning to our lives," he says. Love helps us to see all men and women as our brothers and sisters. Charity is multiplied when given with love, as we see not only in the Scriptures, but in our own lives, too, when we give alms "with joy and simplicity."
"To experience Lent with love," says Pope Francis, "means caring for those who suffer or feel abandoned because of the Covid-19 pandemic." He invites us to "speak words of reassurance, and help others to realize that God loves them as sons and daughters."
After reminding us that "every moment of our lives is a time for believing, hoping, and loving," Pope Francis concludes by saying:
"The call to experience Lent as a journey of conversion, prayer and sharing of our goods, helps us - as communities and as individuals - to revive the faith that comes from the living Christ, the hope inspired by the breath of the Holy Spirit and the love flowing from the merciful heart of the Father."
Reflection on the Paschal Mystery, the Pope says, "This Lenten journey… is even now illumined by the light of the resurrection, which inspires the thoughts, attitudes and decisions of the followers of Jesus."
He goes on to say that the journey of conversion, through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, "makes it possible for us to live lives of sincere faith, living hope, and effective charity."
The Holy Father explains "accepting and living the truth revealed in Christ means, first of all, opening our hearts to God's word." Through fasting, "experienced as a form of self-denial," we are able "to rediscover God's gift and recognize that, created in His image and likeness, we find our fulfillment in Him." Fasting, too, by helping us recognize our own poverty, helps us to love both God and neighbour.
"Lent is a time for believing. For welcoming God into our lives and allowing Him to 'make His dwelling' in us."
Pope Francis relates the virtue of hope to the 'living water' that Jesus promises the Samaritan woman at the well. This is not the physical water the woman is expecting, but rather the Holy Spirit who is given through the Paschal Mystery.
Although hope may seem challenging in fragile and uncertain times, "Lent is precisely the season of hope, when we turn back to God."
"Hope is given to us as inspiration and interior light" through "recollection and silent prayer." The experience of hope in Lent, he says, "means receiving the hope of Christ, who gave His life on the Cross and was raised by God on the third day."
"Love is a leap of the heart," says Pope Francis. "It brings us out of ourselves and creates bonds of sharing and communion."
The Holy Father emphasizes the need for "social love" in building up "a civilization of love."
"Love is a gift that gives meaning to our lives," he says. Love helps us to see all men and women as our brothers and sisters. Charity is multiplied when given with love, as we see not only in the Scriptures, but in our own lives, too, when we give alms "with joy and simplicity."
"To experience Lent with love," says Pope Francis, "means caring for those who suffer or feel abandoned because of the Covid-19 pandemic." He invites us to "speak words of reassurance, and help others to realize that God loves them as sons and daughters."
After reminding us that "every moment of our lives is a time for believing, hoping, and loving," Pope Francis concludes by saying:
"The call to experience Lent as a journey of conversion, prayer and sharing of our goods, helps us - as communities and as individuals - to revive the faith that comes from the living Christ, the hope inspired by the breath of the Holy Spirit and the love flowing from the merciful heart of the Father."
Pope Francis names Father Gary Janak as new auxiliary bishop of San Antonio
Update From Father Frank - January 13th, 2021
Firstly, I would like to thank you for the many cards, well wishes, prayers and financial gifts.
I want to inform you also that my last visit with my Oncologist was rather positive and optimistic. The CT scan shows that there is "no discreet evidence of local mass recurrence or metastatic disease".
My Oncologist is very optimistic and encourages me to continue with the Tagrisso treatment. My next appointment is in April. At this time, we will check my liver to find out what kind of damage has been done to this organ due to the Tagrisso medication. Keep me in your prayers.
Love Fr. Frank
Reflection
Deliver Us From Evil
Among the many petitions contained in the Lord’s Prayer one can find: “deliver us from evil.” This plea is clearly a cry for help expressing a need for God’s special intervention and can be interpreted as the ultimate SOS call. As we begin the season of Lent, let us examine the crucial urgency in this petition and discover why we should never cease to invoke it.
Although evil can be analyzed from many different perspectives, it would seem that it appears basically in three forms. Human weaknesses are the first form because such weaknesses have the potential to overtake the human spirit and consume it to such a degree that one can be trapped and enslaved by them. The numerous and various addictions are examples of this manifestation of evil. And those who find themselves ensnared in them often view their cry for God’s help as their only hope. Misguided ideologies leading to corruption and inhumane conditions within political, economic and other social structures represent another form of evil. This second form of evil is continuously perpetuated through human tragedies such as war, acts of terror, ethnic cleansing, starvation, euthanasia, etc., which have reached a critical level today and make people feel increasingly more helpless. Many people today, acknowledging the insufficient human abilities to deal with such injustice, believe that any attempt at solving these problems definitely requires God’s full intervention. Finally there is the source of evil and the reason for all evil in the world, evil itself – the Evil One. Christians and others know that the Evil One is an intelligent spirit who hates God and is jealous of the closeness that humans share with God. In the Gospel, the Evil One – Satan, is depicted as one who uses all kinds of methods to separate humans from God and when successful, continues to besiege people in efforts to enslave them or even destroy them. As we enter this time of meditation upon the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest Man who ever lived and who himself was besieged and tortured, we should not be surprised that we too are attacked by evil. At the beginning of Lent therefore, the petition: “Father, protect us from evil” is not only something we recite but something we should take seriously and use all means offered by the Church such as the sacrament of reconciliation and special devotions that He may hear our plea. May this prayer be filled with hope and conviction that just as in the case of Jesus, we too will not be overcome by evil or perish.
"I thought 2020 was the year I got everything I wanted, now I know 2020 is the year I appreciate everything I have."
Special Message from Fr. Frank
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
At the time that so many of our brothers and sisters all over the world are dealing with the pandemic of the disease called COVID-19, I want to inform you that recently, I was diagnosed with STAGE 3 LUNG CANCER. At the recommendation of my oncologist, I will take my first chemotherapy treatment on April 20th and then for the next 7 days. I will then take the treatment of radiation for the next 30 days. So, for the next couple of weeks you will not only have to deal with the coronavirus but also think about our parish, including me. I want you to know that the one who called me to the priesthood, the one who died for us on the cross and rose from the dead, and who never, over the years, abandoned me, is also with me today. I trust Him, and I want you to trust Him too. Alleluia! Jesus, I trust in You.
Love, Fr. Frank
Pastor
At the time that so many of our brothers and sisters all over the world are dealing with the pandemic of the disease called COVID-19, I want to inform you that recently, I was diagnosed with STAGE 3 LUNG CANCER. At the recommendation of my oncologist, I will take my first chemotherapy treatment on April 20th and then for the next 7 days. I will then take the treatment of radiation for the next 30 days. So, for the next couple of weeks you will not only have to deal with the coronavirus but also think about our parish, including me. I want you to know that the one who called me to the priesthood, the one who died for us on the cross and rose from the dead, and who never, over the years, abandoned me, is also with me today. I trust Him, and I want you to trust Him too. Alleluia! Jesus, I trust in You.
Love, Fr. Frank
Pastor
UPDATE ON FR. FRANK'S CONDITION - SEPTEMBER 11, 2020
As you know, since April 2020, I went through a treatment of chemotherapy and radiation. After this, I started my treatment with a medication called Tagrisso.
At the beginning of September, I had a CT scan and then a follow up appointment with my oncologist. It looks like the treatment is working because there is no spread of the cancer cells in my body. I will have to continue with Tagrisso to suppress the cancer and we will see what the future will bring.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the many get well cards, gifts and all the prayers.
Love, Fr. Frank
At the beginning of September, I had a CT scan and then a follow up appointment with my oncologist. It looks like the treatment is working because there is no spread of the cancer cells in my body. I will have to continue with Tagrisso to suppress the cancer and we will see what the future will bring.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the many get well cards, gifts and all the prayers.
Love, Fr. Frank
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Mass Times
Masses are being held at a 25% capacity Saturday 5:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am (Bilingual) 11:00 am 4:00 pm Monday NO MASS Tuesday 6:30 pm Wednesday 12:15 pm Thursday 7:00 am Friday 12:15 pm St. Victor Chapel
Masses are being held at a 25% capacity Mass Times
Saturday 7:00pm Sunday 9:30am St. Stanislaus Church
Class time: Sundays: 9:15 am - 10:15 am St. Victor Chapel Class time: TBA Confession
Fr. Frank will hear confessions 20 minutes before every scheduled Mass.
By appointment only.
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