TASTE EVENTS

• LAST WEEK — We welcomed back Kevin Wells as he gave a talk entitled "St. John Vianney Speaks to Our Hearts." Kevin gave a wonderful talk on a simple, humble, diminutive priest who had a profound impact in the small French town of Ars, in the aftermath of the French Revolution, and whose impact echoes well beyond that time and place over the years and through to this present age. In many ways, our present post modern age is not dissimilar from post revolution France, ravaged by secular pursuits. France lost many of its holy priests to martyrdom only to be replaced by false priests. Sadly, we have false priests in our church today. Where are we today? The world has stolen our children. What do we do? John Vienney tells us not to worry, because he dealt with the same problem in his time and he offers us a blueprint for action on how to save our children from the curse of modernism. Too many CCD programs have failed miserably over the last half century. They are broken. We cannot rely on Catholic schools anymore. We can no longer rely on priests and bishops. They will not save us, they will not save our children. We must do what John Vienney did in Ars in his day to lead our families back to God. He did it with perseverance, devotion to Mary and Jesus, unremitting penances and mortifications. Likewise In 1972 Archbishop Fulton Sheen said not to look to bishops and priests anymore; we must look to the faithful Catholics to guide this church. It is the moms and dads, the grandmothers and grandfathers who form the domestic homes, who are the domestic priests.We all must become domestic priests in our homes. It is up to us.

• NEW TALK — This week, we welcome Sr. Donata Farbaniec as she gives a talk entitled "Divine Mercy."

• THIS WEEK'S DISCUSSION — We will discuss  Kevin Wells's talk entitled "St. John Vianney Speaks to Our Hearts." The audio, video, reflection questions and other related material can be found HERE. The Zoom small group meets on the following Tuesday morning. Details on how to join can be found in a link at the bottom of this message.

• PARKING — Please note that the parking lot in front of St. Mary's School has restricted access hours.  We can only park there between 8:30 am and Noon.  If you plan to stay after the talk for Rosary, Chaplet, Confession, to chat with friends, or any other activity, please park in another location such as the street parking, the Keesler parking lot, or the Boys Club parking lot.

• SPEAKER LINE-UP — The Speaker Committee (Karen Giermek and Lisa Peacock) has filled our calendar with an incredible line-up.  Please see our entire LIST of 2025/2026 speakers and the SCHEDULE for our first semester.

OTHER EVENTS / INTEREST ITEMS

• 10/11 — WINE AT THE SHRINE FESTIVAL — This annual festival will be held on Oct 11th from 1-6 pm at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City.  It is a family-friendly event, with something for everyone: beer and wine sampling, sommelier-led wine tasting, local food trucks, live music, games, cooking demos, hayrides, pumpkin picking and Little Portion Farm tours. All proceeds support the Franciscan Center of Baltimore and the Little Portion Farm – two nonprofits providing food for the poor in Baltimore. Our own Helen Griffith of the band “Lost ’n’ Found” will be playing there! It’s an afternoon you won’t want to miss!  See LINK

• 10/16-18 —WOMEN'S CONFERENCE — Fr. Virginus is hosting "The Women's Project International Conference 2025" — October 16-18.  The theme is "From Deborah to You: Awaken the Warrior Within." See LINK

• 10/18 — WOMEN'S RETREAT — Saint Andrew Apostle Catholic Church is offering a Women’s Retreat "No Greater Love" on Saturday, October 18, led by Father Tom Czeck, OFM, Conv. You are warmly invited to a special time of grace, reflection, and community, an invitation to greater intimacy with Jesus through Mary, with the help of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Cost is $25. For more information and to register, visit LINK.

• SACRED STORY REGISTRATION — Elizabeth Leon has been a speaker for TASTE three years in a row with her last series of talks focused on healing.  During those talks, she mentioned that she hosts "Sacred Story Groups" twice a year.  She has two upcoming Sacred Story groups that are limited to 5 women per group which currently have availability.  For details, see LINK and IMAGE

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Please continue to pray for our TASTE program and our speakers. This week, please pray for:

• OUR SPEAKERS AND FRIENDS OF TASTE:
  • For all of our speakers — especially in thanksgiving for our last speaker and for the Holy Spirit to guide our upcoming speaker.

• OUR TASTE MEMBERS AND FAMILIES:
  • For the repose of the soul of Margaret Brown, sister of Helen Martin.
  • Nancy Beckfeld, mother-in-law of Joy Parker, for peace and comfort as she receives palliative care for a brain tumor.
  • Hope Collins, granddaughter of Evelyn, who is having open heart surgery on Dec. 3rd.
  • Karen Giermek’s friend, Katie M. who suffers from a chronic debilitating illness, that she receives healing so that she can participate in her daughter’s wedding this coming Saturday, and her son’s wedding a few months from now.

• BEYOND OUR TASTE COMMUNITY
  • For all people caught in war-torn regions across the world—especially in Ukraine/Russia, Gaza/Israel, Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen, and other areas plagued by conflict. May God protect the innocent, comfort the grieving, free the hostages, and guide leaders toward justice and lasting peaceful resolution.
  • For our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering persecution for their faith around the world. We pray for their strength, courage, and protection and that they may remain steadfast and find hope in Christ even amid danger. May their witness inspire us to live our own faith more boldly and faithfully.
  • We also pray for peace and comfort to the families of each of the people mentioned above.   New prayer requests can be sent to Joy Parker at joyparker73@gmail.com.