The Cause for the Five Georgia Martyrs
In the late sixteenth century six Spanish Franciscan priests came to what is now the Georgia coast to minister to the native people called the Guale.
By 1597 there were five missions in Coastal Georgia where Franciscan friars preached the Gospel, learned the indigenous Guale language and lived peacefully with the native population. Most Guale natives not only embraced Christianity but also welcomed European goods such as glass beads, metal tools, various cloths and other luxury items.
The friars lived among the Guale without any military presence, giving evidence to the good relations between the Guale and the missionaries.
In September 1597, due to the friars not allowing a baptized Guale man to take a second wife, the heir to the Guale chiefdom ordered the death of the friars. Over a three-day period, five of the six friars were killed.
The names of the five Georgia Martyrs are Friar Pedro de Corpa, Friar Blas de Rodriguez, Friar Miguel de Anon, Friar Antonio de Badajoz, and Friar Francisco de Verascola. The
sixth Friar Francisco de Avila was kidnapped and tortured until he was liberated months later.
Please go to www.thegeorgiamartyrs.org to learn more of the cause for the five Georgia Martyrs canonization.
The St. Michael Spring Raffle is Here!!!
We could not have our traditional Fall Festival last fall due to Covid, which we use the proceeds for church improvements.
Instead, we will have a Spring Raffle to generate the funds!
Raffle sales have begun with the grand prize drawing being on Sunday, June 13th, 2021.
Please stop by the office to pick up your packet of 10 tickets if you did not receive them at Mass. We are encouraging each family to sell 10 tickets of $20 each for a total of $200.
For those of you who are financially able, consider buying and/or selling $500 or a $1,000 worth of tickets.
Our proceeds will be used to reseal the church parking lot, refurbish our front steps and sidewalk, replace damaged church windows, replace an A/C condenser and hopefully have enough funds left over to replace our rectory’s roof!
Tickets will sell for $20 each with a $10,000 grand prize, $2,000 second prize, and $1,000 third prize. And something new very exciting….whomever sells the most tickets and/or generates the most cash donations, will receive a week in Panama City Beach, FL, a beautiful condo for 6 on the beach the week of August 7th to the 14th, 2021!
Ministries may want to join together to turn their ticket sales
in together, to win the week in Panama City Beach, FL. The
ministry can then decide among themselves which of their
families is most deserving to spend the week at the beach in
August!
As you turn your filled out ticket stubs along with the money
for the sold tickets to the office, make sure you write your
name on the outside of the envelope. You can also drop them
off in the dropbox near the ushers room if the office is closed.
Mother Seton Comes to St. Michael
A first class relic of St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton has been gifted to St. Michael Catholic Church from Emily Glover of Cleveland, GA.
Back in the fall of 2019 Deacon Ken Lampert was the bishops MC up at St. Paul Catholic Church in Cleveland for Confirmation there. While serving there, he talked with Emily Glover, a parishioner at St. Paul’s, and asked if she would consider donating one of the saint’s relics in her chapel at home to St. Michael, since our parish did not have a relic for our altar. Emily is a direct descendent of Pope Innocent X, and the relics she has have been passed down through the family.
Just recently while Emily was praying in her chapel, Mother Seton told her she wanted to come to St. Michael.
After Easter we will plan to have a special Mass to honor the relic of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. For now, Mother Seton’s relic is in our chapel next to the monstrance near our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2021
Today we wish to recognize those who not only support St. Michael but also have made a gift or pledge to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. On behalf of those who will be served by your contributions, thank you to all who have made their pledge for 2021.
For those of you who have not had an opportunity to make a pledge or a gift this year, pledge envelopes are available in the narthex or at our St. Michael office.
When each of our individual gifts are combined with the gifts of thousands of other Catholics throughout the archdiocese, each contributor makes a very real difference in the ability of the archdiocese to provide for ministries and services. Thank you again for your support.
Let us pray for the repose of the souls of those who died in the poultry plant accident involving liquid nitrogen on Thursday, Jan. 28th, 2021 here in Gainesville.
Jose DeJesus Elias-Cabrera age 45
Corey Alan Murphy age 35
Nelly Perez-Rafael age 28
Saulo Suarez-Bernal age 41
Victor Vellez age 38
Edgar Vera-Garcia age 28
Counting Our Blessings Needs You!
At St. Michael we have a wonderfully dedicated team called,
“Counting Our Blessings”. We meet every Monday morning
from 8am to 10am, to count the parish offertory from the
weekend. We need an additional two members to our team.
Currently our team is made up of Amelia Seid, Cathy Lampert,
Russ Williams, Blaise Giove, Deborah Ulum, and Deacon Ken.
If you can commit to two hours per week every Monday
morning, and are good with counting and details, please email
Deacon Ken at k.lampert@saintmichael.cc and let him know
you are interested in helping to Count Our Blessings!
Eucharistic Miracle
of the Week
of the Week
Announcement for the wearing of
facemasks at Mass due to Covid-19
facemasks at Mass due to Covid-19
We would like to remind all Mass attendees over the age of 7 years old, that we are required by the Archbishop of Atlanta to wear protective facemasks and social distance during our Mass celebration. The Centers for Disease Control have stated, “the wearing of protective facemasks are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus”. Thank you for showing your care and respect for all of our brothers and sisters around us.
If for any reason you cannot wear a facemask throughout the entire Mass, please see an usher and they will find space for you in the social hall or in a classroom downstairs where you can watch the Mass on Facebook live.
Providing a Safe Environment
Providing A Safe Environment
St. Michael and the Archdiocese of Atlanta is committed to provide a safe environment for all its’ parish family. We have an ongoing concern for those who have suffered abuse. The Archdiocese provides an abuse hotline at 1-888-437-0764 to report abuse or suspected abuse. At our St. Michael website, www.saintmichael.cc, under the banner of Safe Environment, you can access other resources to report suspected abuse. The Archdiocese of Atlanta provides ongoing support for healing for those who have suffered this inexcusable trauma.
