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Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts

Help assist the victims impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Your gift will support the humanitarian and recovery efforts of Catholic Charities USA and to provide pastoral and rebuilding support to impacted dioceses.

Donate online at www.seattlearchdiocese.org/harvey .

(If using a check, please make it payable to the parish)

Thank you for your generosity!

The Evangelization committee would like to thank all of you who purchased tickets in the recent Artwork & Treasures raffle. The raffle concluded last Sunday when Father Rick drew 16 winning numbers at Noon in Read Hall. We sold more than 100 tickets. The proceeds will be used to continue operating our library, holding book discussion groups and other evangelization efforts here at St. Hubert’s. Thank you for helping us to spread the Good News. Most of the raffle items were donated to St. Hubert’s by Kittrell McCord prior to her passing.

St. Hubert Green Bag Team
(a fully connected chapter of Green Bag Lady)

Every month, a small sewing circle gathers in Read Hall at St. Hubert Church to make fabric shopping bags. The fabric is donated. The labor is donated. The bags are given out at Farmers’ Markets, street fairs, and other gatherings. Inspired by Pope Francis’s encouragement for us to care for our common home, Earth, this effort has become lovingly known as the Green Bag Team.

Bell Moore, Barbara Colby, and Mary Beth Clark cut, sewed, ironed, and labeled bags in June, using fabric donated through a co-worker of Barbara’s husband. When the former quilter, who had hung up her frame, learned of the Green Bag Lady project, she gave all the remaining fabric—enough for some 600 bags. Recycling and reusing leads to reducing.

Bell Moore initiated the St. Hubert Green Bag team after learning of the international effort started by Theresa VanHatten-Grathan in Nashville, TN. Barbara Colby had lived in Nashville and connected with Theresa who began this eco-friendly art project. Colorful, fun fabric shopping bags are both useful and conversation starters. We throw away fewer bags, reduce trash piles, and Voilá – we’re caring for our earthly home better.

After Barbara moved to Edmonds, she learned of Bell’s interest in the Green Bag Lady’s work. They connected and the St. Hubert Team came into being in January 2016. The team’s commitment is to make at least 10/month. They make at least that many and have the fun of giving away, surprising people at public gatherings with the thoughtful gesture. When asked why she does it, Bell answers that ‘Pope Francis inspired her.’

Great, gentle evangelization effort!

Bell speaks of this work as ‘Saving the world, one bag at a time.’ Each bag is numbered and has the website of the Green Bag Lady in its label. Worldwide, more than 41,500 have been made and distributed.

There’s plenty of room to be part of the team. There’s a lot of laughter woven into and around the making of bags and a lot of joy in the giving them away. For more information, come check out the team in action. They generally meet on Wednesdays and it’s really a party.

To learn more about the background, www.greenbaglady.org.

On Wednesday, May 24, St. Hubert welcomed Imam Jamal Rahman for two presentations covering the basics of Islam. A total of 93 people attended, some 50 in the afternoon session and 43 in the evening.
Jamal told the story of Mohammed and the revealing of the Q’uran, the Sunni/Shia division within Islam that happened following Mohammed’s death, and how the wisdom tradition developed that informs daily decision making. He explained that Islam is the religion and that Muslim is the word for a believer. In about two hours, Jamal presented an overview of main themes of both theology and practice spanning the 1300 years since Mohammed. It is a tradition filled with human insights and human conflicts.

The questions asked generally reflected the interest of people to understand more. It was clear that many are confused by what they read in the public media and wish to hear from credible sources. During and following, attendees spoke about Jamal’s manner and acceptance of others’ beliefs even when challenged by disrespectful questions and comments.

Multiple times, Jamal reiterated that we are called to be the best person we can be. That can be Muslim, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu or other. He made it clear that the rich tradition of Islam is loving and supportive of other ways to find healing and wholeness. For Catholics, with our deep devotion to Mary, it was especially interesting to know that Mary is spoken about more in the Q’uran than in the Bible.

Jamal Rahman is co-founder Muslim Sufi minister at Seattle’s the Interfaith Community Sanctuary and adjunct faculty at Seattle University. He is one of three Interfaith Amigos (along with Rabbi Ted Falcon and Pastor Don MacKenzie), an active spokesman for respectful interfaith dialogue and the joy of working together.

Most who attended came from outside the St. Hubert parish community. It was a wonderful opportunity to share together an interest in learning more about another faith tradition.
To learn more, please go to www.Interfaithcommunitysanctuary.org or www.jamalrahman.com or www.interfaithamigos.com