Father George Roney September 3, 2021 Eternal rest, grant him O Lord.
We are finally able to share information regarding services for our friend and pastor, Father George. His Rosary will be Thursday, September 16th, 7:00 PM at Holy Spirit. The funeral Mass will be Friday, September 17th, 11:00 at Holy Spirit. Please join us as we remember, pray for, and celebrate Fr. George’s life. All arrangements are being handled by Sanders Funeral Home.
Pope Francis Proclaims “Year of St. Joseph” December 8, 2020—December 8, 2021
On Tuesday, December 8, 2020, Pope Francis instituted a year for St. Joseph. The year begins December 8, 2020 and ends December 8, 2021. The year was declared to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the decree by Pope Pius IX proclaiming St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. Along with this decree declaring this to be the year of St. Joseph, Pope Francis has written an Apostolic Letter entitled Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart).
This letter reflects upon St. Joseph as 1) a beloved Father, 2) a tender and loving Father, 3) an obedient father, 4) an accepting father, 5) a creatively courageous father, 6) a working father, and 7) a father in the shadows. One may find this letter by Pope Francis reflecting on St. Joseph by typing in – With a Father’s Heart. There are several websites with the complete text. I would recommend the Vatican website at www.vatican.va
During this Year of St. Joseph, the faithful will be able to obtain a plenary indulgence provided they meet the usual conditions of going to confession, receiving the Eucharist, and praying for the intentions of the pope. The plenary indulgence will be available under the following conditions:
- To those who meditate on the Our Father prayer for at least 30 minutes or take part in a spiritual retreat of a least one day that includes a meditation on St. Joseph.
- To those who perform a corporal or spiritual work of mercy.
- To families or engaged couples who recite the rosary together.
- To those who recite a prayer to St. Joseph (the litanies of St. Joseph, or any other prayer to St. Joseph) for the relief of Christians persecuted both inside and outside the Church.
- To the faithful who recite “any legitimately approved prayer or act of piety in honor of St. Joseph,” with an encouragement to do so on the March 19th and May 1st feasts of St. Joseph, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and on the 19th of every month and on every Wednesday, which has been dedicated to St. Joseph.
- To the elderly, sick, dying and those legitimately unable to leave the house, who recite an act of piety to St. Joseph under his title of Comfort of the Sick and Patron of a happy death, provided they offer their discomfort to God and fulfill the conditions for the indulgence as soon as possible.
These indulgences are available throughout this Year of St. Joseph.
As the year progresses, there will be gatherings and teachings on St. Joseph here in the parish, when the opportunity presents itself.
Father George
July 21, 2020 Some of you may have received an email saying that it was Fr. George and asking for help in purchasing some gift cards. Please be advised that Fr. George will never send request to you through an email or a phone call. If he ever needs something he will ask you in person. Also, it is worth noting that if you receive an email from Fr. George, or anyone on the staff at Holy Spirit, the email will end in holyspiritlubbock.org(ex. Karen@holyspiritlubbock.org) You should be suspicious of any email that says it is Fr. George if it is not sent from a holyspiritlubbock.org account.
Father George Roney begins serving Holy Spirit Catholic Parish this month, July 2020. We welcome him and look forward to working with him in the variety of ministries here at HSCP. During his first weekend with us, he broke the ice and introduced himself. If you need a conversation starter with Fr. George, he said he enjoys reading history. Let’s get started.
Father George is the second of six children. His siblings live in various communities, Denver, Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, and Sugarland. He was born in Pampa, Texas and lived in Borger, Texas, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and Odessa. Father says he is a product of Catholic education. After attending high school at Alamo Catholic High School in Amarillo, he went to seminary in Worthington, Ohio for his priestly formation. He was ordained a priest for the Amarillo Diocese in 1978.
Father George’s vocation to the priesthood has allowed him to serve in many parishes. As an associate pastor he served in Lamesa and at Our Lady of Grace here in Lubbock. As pastor he served mainly in the “country” parishes throughout the diocese. His last assignment was at St. John Neumann here in Lubbock. He comes to pastor us now at Holy Spirit and will also be linked to St. Francis parish in Wolfforth as their parish administrator. Msgr. Timothy Schwertner will serve as their sacramental minister.
While introducing himself to us during Mass this weekend, he spoke of today’s Gospel, “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome.” Matthew 11:28. Father offered some words of encouragement. “Since March 19th, our parishes haven’t been able to function in the usual manner. With the Lord’s help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the cooperation of many people, the Lord will lead us along the right path. I am looking forward to our spiritual journey together. ” Jeannie Burrows July 6, 2020
Holy Spirit welcomes Father George Roney as our pastor. We thank God for your years of faith-filled and dedicated service to the Diocese of Lubbock. We look forward to continuing to move forward under your spiritual guidance and leadership. May the Holy Spirit sustain and strengthen you as you serve our parish. You are in our prayers and we look forward to getting to know you and working with you. Welcome! Sunday Bulletin July 5, 2020
We begin our new journey here at Holy Spirit and welcome Father George with open hearts and open minds. Father George Roney comes to us from St. John Nuemann Parish where he has guided his flock for six years. He was born in 1952, ordained a priest in 1978 in the Diocese of Amarillo, and has served as a priest for 42 years. Father George is an old-school type individual who is service minded and looks for his flock to help. Consult with him, gain his approval and get the job done. That is how he operates. He obviously has a wealth of experience and is well versed in the history of the diocese. He has acted as the spiritual director for the Acts Retreat for the past six years. A quote from someone who knows Father George says, “He may be quite but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care”. We welcome Father George with open hearts and open minds.
“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 John Arcisz, Adult Faith Formation Director June 27, 2020