St. Rita Catholic Church - Dallas

Spend some quiet time with Jesus this evening! Eucharistic Adoration will take place immediately following this evening's 5:30 pm Mass until 7 pm.

The 10th National Eucharistic Congress begins today in Indianapolis! Join us in praying for all those attending, that they experience profound personal revival and go out into the world sharing Christ's love.

More information about the Congress as well as the National Eucharistic Revival can be found here: https://www.eucharisticcongress.org/

“For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." -John 6:54-55

Deepen your love for the Eucharist! Dr. Pitre's series called "Daily Bread: Discover the Eucharist in Scripture" on FORMED offers short episodes (

A Scandalous Saying | Daily Bread | Episode 30 - Daily Bread: Discover the Eucharist in Scripture - FORMED Imagine being present when Jesus gave the Bread of Life discourse: eating his flesh and drinking his blood seemed absurd and scandalous. How do we make sense of his words?

Jesus sends his disciples into the world with no money or provisions — just as he sends us. But make no mistake — he has given us everything we need: the strength that comes from faith in Christ, and the will to do what God has asked. Let’s get to work!

Just a reminder that it's time to register your child (kindergarten through 5th grade) for 2024-2025 Children's Faith Formation at St. Rita! If you are interested in learning more or you are ready to register, call Susan Sheetz in the Parish Office at 972-934-8388 anytime between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday! We are excited about the upcoming year with our young disciples!

This Sunday's Gospel from Mark 6:7-13 describes Jesus sending out his twelve Apostles to spread his message and perform his works. Jesus warned the twelve against carrying anything they did not need. They were to be counter-witnesses to possessiveness, retail therapy, and the consumerism to which advertisements propel us. The more we have, the less we are. The greatest treasure which the twelve carried with them was the good news of Jesus.

The message of the Lord is to travel light in the journey of life. Wealth, desire for recognition and personal pride can stunt our desire for God and our freedom to love and to do good. We are just passing through our world for a short time; Jesus advises us to make the most of it for ourselves and for others.

View all of Sunday's reading: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071424.cfm

Please help us share this announcement and warn other parishioners!

Ever thought about advertising your business in the St. Rita bulletin? Give our ad rep from LPi a call! Brad Dawson can provide all the details so give him a call or shoot him an email. Brad will be in the parish offices the week of July 29 to make calls and answer questions.

What a great turnout by our high schoolers at our Bible Study this week! Want to learn more about youth ministry at St. Rita for your 6th through 8th grader? Parents and students are invited to join us tonight at 6 pm in the Parish Dining Hall for an info session! Questions? Contact Taylor Lett at [email protected].

Is your child a budding singer or simply loves music? Sign him or her up for our incredible choir program today and watch your child grow in confidence, creativity, and musical talent. Learn more and register here:
https://www.stritaparish.net/seraphim-choir-registration

Deepen your love for the Eucharist through prayer and reflection! We are featuring another book recommendation as part of our focus on Eucharistic Revival and encourage you to consider this book with mediations from Pope Francis.

"These meditations from Pope Francis are not only invitations to personal prayer but reveal something about the Eucharistic vision of the Holy Father and therefore the whole Catholic church. Looking through these reflections, you see themes linked to every dimension of the Eucharistic life including remembrance, sacrifice, adoration and presence, and solidarity. I can think of few better resources for renewing a Eucharistic attitude in the church than these meditations of Pope Francis."
Timothy P. O'Malley, PhD, Notre Dame Center for Liturgy

Homily: The Sin of Those Who Know Him - FR. JOSHUA WHITFIELD Redeeming the Heart and Way of the Catholic Preacher

Grab a few extra non-perishable items at the grocery store today and help us fill our donation carts this week! You can drop your donations in the cart near the facilities building or the cart in the narthex. Thank you for your generosity!

This weekend's Gospel from Mark 6:1-6 tells of Jesus returning to his hometown.

"Sometimes, like the people of Nazareth, Jesus becomes too familiar. We grew up reciting the prayers, learning the bible stories in school, going to Mass every Sunday. We did not really develop a relationship with Him when what Jesus most of all wants is a close relationship with us. He wants to journey with us every day, through good times and bad times. Let us not take Him for granted, like the people in His hometown." -From Alyce McKenzie of St. Ignatuis Catholic Community, Baltimore, MD

Read the entire reflection here:
https://st-ignatius.net/following-a-hometown-boy-reflections-on-mark-61-6/

And, view all of Sunday’s readings here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070724.cfm

Happy Independence Day! Join us in praying for our nation today.

Dear Lord,

Guide and direct those who serve this country in positions of leadership and power. Give them Your wisdom and clarity as they make decisions for our nation. Amen.

“When Jesus wants to help them understand what it means to eat his flesh, he goes to the manna. He goes to the miraculous bread.”

Deepen your love for the Eucharist! Dr. Pitre's series called "Daily Bread: Discover the Eucharist in Scripture" on FORMED offers short episodes (

Not Just Believing, but Eating | Daily Bread | Episode 29 - Daily Bread: Discover the Eucharist in Scripture - FORMED In John 6, we see Jesus unite the Old Testament themes of manna and the Tree of Life to reveal the gift of the Eucharist. Jesus tells us that whoever eats the bread that he will give will live forever.

On what's expected to be the hottest day of summer so far, it's a good time to stay inside and read a good book! Consider this book by Timothy P. O'Malley that is a recommendation by Fr. Josh. You can learn more about the book on the Ava Maria Press website:

https://www.avemariapress.com/products/real-presence-special-edition

Watch for additional book recommendations coming soon!

The Parish campus will be closed on July 4 and July 5 in honor of Independence Day. We will have one Mass at 9 am each day. Celebrate the Eucharist with us as you start your holiday weekend!

Learn more about St. Rita Youth Ministry by attending our Parent Info Meeting on July 10! Bring your 6th-8th grader and join us for pizza in the Parish Dining Hall starting at 6 pm. Then, the children will go to Sweeney for a movie night while the parents stay in the dining hall to hear from our leadership team. Questions? Contact Mr. Taylor Lett at [email protected]

We are excited to announce that we now have a St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store donation box on our campus! You can drop off your small, gently used clothing items in this box 24/7. It’s located just outside the facilities building on the west side of our campus. We will still have the donation truck in our Harvest Hill lot on the 2nd Sunday of each month but this will give donors another option in between!

This weekend's Gospel reports two stories of healing. One story tells us about a father’s great love for his dying daughter. The other story tells us about a desperate woman who risks much as she seeks healing from Jesus. In each story, the request for healing is itself a courageous act of faith, and yet very different circumstances are represented by the lives of each suffering person.

As Fr. Joshua Whitfield states in part of this weekend's bulletin article, "...the Gospels tell so many stories about vulnerable people. humble people who learned to lower themselves, give up their pride and power, for the sake of grace. Repeatedly, the message is the same: to receive the grace and salvation of God, we must let go of our hardened selves, otherwise it's all a ruse. In order to truly have God in our lives, we must stop insisting that we are gods ourselves."

Prepare for Mass with Sunday's readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/063024.cfm

Summer is crunch time for our Facilities team! So much annual maintenance to get done while school is out and while our parish spaces are a little more available! Thank you to the St. Rita Dads Club for treating our team to lunch as they met today to plan for all the work over the next few weeks. We are so fortunate to have these hard working individuals on our staff!

Interested in the Catholic Church, or considering becoming Catholic? Unsure where to begin? Join us for a four week study on the foundations of the Catholic faith, and learn more about the journey to becoming Catholic at St. Rita through the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults. Participants may attend any or all of the sessions as you are able and interested! For more information or to RSVP: Sammy Argumaniz at [email protected]

“If the old Manna (of the Old Testament) is miraculous, can the New Manna just be a symbol?” -Dr. Brant Pitre

Deepen your love for the Eucharist! Dr. Pitre's series called "Daily Bread: Discover the Eucharist in Scripture" on FORMED offers short episodes (

The Most Miraculous Meal | Daily Bread | Episode 19 - Daily Bread: Discover the Eucharist in Scripture - FORMED If the manna from heaven and water from the rock in the Old Testament were miraculous, the Eucharist cannot be a mere symbol. It is even more miraculous!

St. Rita Family Vacation Bible School kicked off last night with 40 families representing four different parishes joining in on the SCUBA trip! With 115 children swimming through our deep sea adventure, we expect a tidal wave of fun each night this week as we all dive into friendship with God!