Parish Website
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WWW.SMLJ.ORG
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Newly Highlighted Feature
Fr. Leo Retiring / Fr. Dwight Becomes Pastor (6/30/19)
We were informed in 2018 that Msgr. Leo Wleczyk would be retiring on June 30, 2019, coinciding with his 80th birthday. It also marks 50 years in the priesthood for him and 35 years in service to the parish. Recently we received the news that Rev. Dwight Canizares would become our new pastor on July 1, 2019. Fr. Dwight will be coming to us from Assumption parish in Houston.
A new web section has been built to honor both Fr. Leo and Fr. Dwight, consisting of:- Pastor web page for the parish, with linkages to our outgoing and incoming pastors along with the timeline of pastors from the inception of the parish until present.
- Fr. Leo pastor web page including a Biographical Summary and Parish Highlights under his leadership.
- Fr. Leo Retirement Celebration page with a video of the slideshow projected during the reception meal and a link to over 300 pictures of the 11am Mass and the Reception
- Fr. Dwight pastor web page
In addition to the links about, this new section can be accessed from any of our website pages via the main menu at the top by clicking "About", then "Pastor". From this page, the user can link to Fr. Leo's Pastor page, Fr' Leo's Retirement Celebration page, Fr. Dwight's Pastor page. Also on the Pastor page, the user can view the Timeline of Pastors.
Or you can go to: https://www.smlj.org/pastorPreviously Highlighted Features
Updated Recent Events (4/28/19)
The high feasts of the Paschal Triduum provided a great opportunity to capture some of the live action of the key sacred liturgies. The liturgies we were able to document and display online for this year's Triduum are:
- Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper (4/18/19)
- Good Friday Celebration of Our Lord's Passion (4/19/19)
- Good Friday Youth Stations (4/19/19)
- Holy Saturday Easter Vigil (4/20/19)
Key recent events are documented at the bottom of the News & Events - News Index page. This can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "News & Events", then "News Index". Scroll to the bottom of the page to the section titled Recent Events. Or you can go to:
https://www.smlj.org/news-index
For any of the listings on the News Index page (Upcoming, General Topics, or Recent Events) the recent additions are highlighted in ORANGE.Holy Week / Triduum (4/14/19)
We approach the high holy days of our liturgical Church year: Holy Week and within it, the Paschal Triduum. The feasts celebrated during this holy time include Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. Our Holy Week / Triduum web presence includes information on:
- Holy Week defined
- Triduum defined
- Holy Week & Triduum calendar
- Key information on the feasts of this season
- Resources for Holy Week and Triduum
The Holy Week / Triduum web section can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Worship", then "Liturgical Seasons". Select "Lent" to find the Holy Week page -OR- select "Triduum" to find the Triduum page. Or you can go to:
https://www.smlj.org/holy-week for Holy Week
https://www.smlj.org/triduum for the Paschal TriduumVacation Bible School (3/24/19)
Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a summer Faith Formation opportunity for children who are minimum age 4 through students entering 5th grade. This program is a week in duration and includes a variety of activities, games and music centered around a religious theme. Get ready for the fun! Our VBS web presence includes information on:
- This year's program them
- Who is qualified to participate
- Dates & times of the program
- How participants can register for VBS
- What our needs are in the way of volunteers
- How volunteers can register for VBS
- Contact person for VBS
The Vacation Bible School (VBS) web section can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Faith Formation", then scroll down to "Vacation Bible School", or go to:
https://www.smlj.org/vacation-bible-schoolGraduating High School Senior Scholarships (3/17/19)
We are pleased to announce that the St. Michael’s High School Senior Scholarship Application is available online. An applicant must be a member of St. Michael the Archangel Church to qualify. Our website offers much information about these opportunities, including:
- Memorial and Ministry Scholarships to be awarded
- Information for those seeking to apply for scholarships
- The graduation Mass and luncheon
- Download for the letter explaining this overal program
- Download for the Senior Scholarship Application form
- Download for the Graduation Luncheon reservation form
The Graduating High School Senior Scholarship web section can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Faith Formation", then "Youth Ministry" and then on the left side sub-menu "Senior Scholarships", or go to:
https://www.smlj.org/senior-scholarshipsThe Season of Lent - Resources (2/24/19)
In less than 2 weeks, the Season of Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, March 6, 2019. This is a powerful time that Mother Church gives us to journey in a closer walk with the Lord, leading to a joyous celebration of Holy Week and Easter. Our website offers many resources to help you with this special time of the year:
Our Season of Lent web section includes:
- Calendar of the key dates of the Lenten Season
- Information for those seeking to learn about the faith, return to the faith, or get more active
- The celebrations of Ash Wednesday
- Videos about Ash Wednesday / Lent and about the Catholic Church, with an emphasis of cosidering or reconsidering the practice of our faith
- The worship and devotion opportunities available during Lent
- Other Spiritual Enrichment opportunities, such as:
- "Best Lent Ever" by Dynamic Catholic
- Bishop Robert Barron's daily Lent reflections
- Our Living the Eucharist six week small group faith-sharing process
- and many more sources of spiritual enrichment
The Season of Lent web section can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Worship", then "Liturgical Seasons" and then "Lent", or go to:
https://www.smlj.org/lentLiving the Eucharist - Lent 2019 (2/3/19)
Season 2 of Living the Eucharist at St. Michael will be held during Lent of 2019. Information about this renewal experience can be found on our website's Living the Eucharist page.
The Living the Eucharist page includes:
- How to sign up
- What is Living the Eucharist
- Why you should join Living the Eucharist this Lent
- Goals of the program
- Timeline for Lent
The Living the Eucharist page can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Faith Formation", then "Living the Eucharist", or go to:
https://www.smlj.org/living-the-eucharistHeart of Worship Event (2/3/19)
The 2nd Annual Heart of Worship worship and faith formation event will be held on Saturday, February 9. Information about this event can be found on our website's Heart of Worship page.
The Heart of Worship page includes:
- Basic key information on the event (date, times, location, etc.)
- Link to register online or printed registration form
- Major elements of the day
- Featured speaker information
- Schedule of the day
- Maps and directions
- Childcare availability
The Heart of Worship page can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Faith Formation", then "Heart of Worship", or go to:
https://www.smlj.org/heart-of-worshipArt and Environment Index (1/27/19)
When the church is "decorated" for the liturgical season or specific Sunday or Feast, we call that the Environment of the church. The degree of change depends on the degree of importance of the season, Sunday or Feast.
The Art and Environment Index is a reference pointing to current and previous Sundays and Feasts. Specifically the links provide the visitor with one or more pictures depicting the Environment for that occasion.
Currently, the Art and Environment Index covers the pictures of the church from current to the beginning of 2017. Pictures going back all the way to 2009 exist and will be added to the Index as time permits
The Art and Environment Index page can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Worship", then "Art & Environment Index", or go to:
https://www.smlj.org/art-environment-indexWinter Ordinary Time - 2019 (1/20/19)
The Winter Ordinary Time season for 2019 began Monday, January 14. This time in Mother Church's liturgical year serves as a bridge between the Christmas Season and the Lenten Season.
The Sunday scripture readings for this season depict the beginning of Jesus' recruitment of disciples, initial miracles (i.e. turning water into wine at the Wedding at Cana) and other aspects of the beginning of his public ministry.
Our Winter Ordinary Time web section presents useful information for us, such as:
- Timing and length of Winter Ordinary Time in 2019
- Dates of the beginning and end of this season
- Sundays included in this season
- The special Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas)
The website section on Winter Ordinary Time can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Worship", then "Liturgical Seasons", followed on the left menu by "Winter Ordinary Time", or go to:
https://www.smlj.org/winter-ordinary-timeLiturgy Corner - Home Page (12/30/18)
Because of the importance of our worship, the website home page has a section providing key information about the upcoming weekend (Sunday) or Holy Day of Obligation. This section is located in the lower left corner of the home page ( www.smlj.org ). Information provided in this Liturgy corner includes:
- Liturgical name for the Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation, and date
- Liturgical color of the feast or season
- A clip art representing the Gospel reading with a caption
- A link to the upcoming (or most recent) bulletin and also the bulletin archive
- A link to the readings for the Sunday (or Holy Day) and also the current day's readings
Christmas 2018 Web Section (12/23/18)
The Christmas Season for 2018-2019 begins on Monday, December 24 (Christmas Eve), at dusk. This is the season which culminates our Advent Journey to the Stable and during which we celebrate the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus.
Our Christmas Season web section presents important key pieces of information for us, such as:- Mass schedule for Christmas and the Feast of Mary, Mother of God
- The Christmas Season calendar
- The Christmas Season brochure
- Parish Offices schedule for the holidays
- Bulletin deadlines for the holidays
The website section on the Christmas Season can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Worship", then "Liturgical Seasons", followed on the left menu by "Christmas", or go to: https://www.smlj.org/christmas
Website Search Function (12/16/18)
The new, improved St. Michael's website features an advanced SEARCH function. The search box can be found at the top of every web page in this site, just right of center within the header section.
To find a topic of interest, simply type in one or more key words into the search box atop any web page and review the results page for information.
Advent 2018 Web Section (12/2/18)
The Advent season for 2018 begins this weekend, Dec. 1 & 2. This is a very powerful 4 week season of expectant waiting, hopeful anticipation, and joyful preparation. Mother Church provides us with many opportunities of communal worship and individual prayer and reflection during this time. It is an excellent time to take refuge from the frenetic tumult that often preceeds Christmas.
Our Advent web section presents many important key pieces of information for us, such as:
- Calendar of Masses and other Special Celebrations
- The Advent brochure
- The Advent wreath
- The Jesse Tree
- Celebrating the "O" Antiphons
- Introducing & encourage participation in the "Best Advent Ever" program
- Several Advent videos
The website section on Advent can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Worship", then "Liturgical Seasons", followed on the left menu by "Advent", or go to:
https://www.smlj.org/advent
Christian Initiation for Adults (11/25/18)
The "Christian Initiation for Adults" section contains important information which might help lead an inquirer to consider entering this process to learn more about and consider becoming Catholic.
This web page includes an overview along with information about the process and a contact person and information to reach to learn more or join the process.
The website section on the Christian Initiation for Adults can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Faith Formation", then "Christian Initiation for Adults", or go to:
https://www.smlj.org/christian-initiation-for-adults
Need Help ? Question and Answers (11/18/18)
The website "Need Help?" section contains a wealth of information about some of the most common questions that are raised about the Catholic Faith and our parish. There are seven (7) major sections addressed in this part of our website:
- Learning About or Becoming Catholic - Learning about Catholicism; I'm interested in becoming Catholic
- Returning or Less Active Catholics - I used to be Catholic and am considering returning to the Church; I am Catholic but not regular in my Mass attendance and/or I'm not involved
- Care of the Sick or Dying - A friend or family member is seriously ill; A friend or family member is dying; A friend or family member has died; A friend or family member is home-bound, admitted to the hospital or nursing home
- Need First Sacraments - We need to baptize a child; Our child needs First Reconciliation and First Eucharist; Our teenager needs to receive Confirmation; Our school-aged child has not yet been baptized or has been delated in receiving First Reconciliation or First Eucharist; I'm an adult and was baptized Catholic but I never received Eucharist or Confirmation; I'm an adult, received Baptism and Eucharist but never received Confirmation
- Marriage - I'm a Catholic and am planning to get married; We were married outside of the church and want a sacramental marriage; I or my fiance have had a prior marriage and we are engaged to be married; Marriage preparation
- Moving into Our Area or New to the Parish - We're considering a move to Lake Jackson; We recently moved to Lake Jackson; We are new to the parish and have children who are coming of age for faith formation; I'm new to the parish and want to get involved / I want to join a ministry
- Need Assistance - I'm struggling financially and need assistance; I'm recently lost a spouse or close relative and need help dealing with grief; I have an unplanned pregnancy and need help
Across these areas approximately 70 questions are addressed, with answers and references to turn to for further information and help.
All of this information can be accessed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Need Help?", then choosing the area that might apply to your need, or go to: https://www.smlj.org/need-help
Safe Environment Program (11/11/18)
The church's Safe Environment Program is a result of our commitment to the safety of children and young people who have been entrusted to our care. The main elements of the program are:
- To screen all church ministers, employees and volunteers, age 16 and above, who work with children and young people as part of their ministry
- To provide required appropriate training to recognize and report child abuse
- To hold all church ministers, employees and volunteers who work with children and young people accountable to Christ-centered and professional codes of conduct
Training, both initial and ongoing, is offered frequently throughout the year and its availability is communicated in the weekly parish bulletin.
More information can be accessed via our dedicated Safe Environment Program web page on this parish site via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Faith Formation", then "Safe Environment Program", or go to: https://www.smlj.org/safe-environment-program
FORMED.ORG - an Online Resource about our Catholic Faith (11/4/18)
FORMED has helped individuals and communities know, love, and share their Catholic faith. On the FORMED website you can find:
- Thousands of movies, video programs, audios and ebooks
- A Pick of the Week newly offered each week to provide material for study
- A commentary on the upcoming Sunday readings
- A free mobile app you can download and install on your iOS or Android device
- Great Catholic content from such sources as: the Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, the USCCB, Catholic Answers, EWTN, St. Paul Center, Marian Press, Sophia Press, Knights of Columbus, FOCUS, and many more.
FORMED is a subscripton service, paid for by our parish, available for use by all parishioners of St. Michael's. The FORMED resources can be accessed via our dedicated FORMED web page on this parish site via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Faith Formation", then "FORMED", or go to https://www.smlj.org/formed From our FORMED page you can register yourself (at no cost to you) and connect to the FORMED site where you can immurse yourself into a world of Catholic faith formation.
Detailed Information about Parish Ministries (10/28/18)
Detailed information is available for the approximate FIFTY ministries active in our parish. Each ministry is described on a dedicated page which includes its purpose, opportunities available, contact person data, and other appropriate information.
This Ministry information can be viewed via the main menu atop each page by clicking on "Ministries", or go to https://www.smlj.org/ministries
On this main ministry page there are two ways to find ministry information:- For basic contact information for each ministry, click on the link "Download download a printable list of our ministries"
- For more detailed information on each ministry, scroll down to the ministry of interest and click on the ministry title which links to the specific dedicated ministry page
News and Events in the Parish (10/21/18)
All current and upcoming News & Events for the parish can be viewed on the "News Index" page. This page provides a very brief listing of each event, which is linked to a more comprehensive article covering the event. To view the current News and Events, from the main menu atop each page click on "News & Events" and then "News Index", or go to https://www.smlj.org/news-index
The events are grouped in three major categories:
- Upcoming events attached to specific dates
- Other news or events which are ongoing without a specific date
- Links to recent past events
Newly posted or changed news items are differentiated from continuing items by the news item title font color being ORANGE.
Online service schedule for liturgical ministers and chapel adorers (10/14/18)
The schedules for our liturgical ministers (EMHCs, Lectors, Ushers, Greeters, Instituted Acolytes, Altar Servers, Altar Society and Linen Ladies) are built and maintained in an online Ministry Scheduler program. To view the current quarter's schedule from the main menu atop each page, click on "Worship" and then "Liturgical Ministers Schedule", or go to https://www.smlj.org/liturgical-ministers-schedule
In a similar way, the schedules for all who adore the Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Chapel are also built and maintained in the same online Ministry Scheduler program. To view the current quarter's schedule from the main menu atop each page, click on "Ministries" and then click on "Adoration Chapel". Scroll down to "Schedule" and select "View the current schedule", or go to https://secure.rotundasoftware.com/l/web-terminal/master-calendar?liveWebPostId=427342.
Parish Meeting Dates, Times & Locations (10/7/18)
All Parish Meetings, including any meetings that occur on our parish campus, can be found from our main menu, atop each page, by clicking on "News & Events" then "Calendar", or go to https://www.smlj.org/documents/2018/9/CALENDAR.PDF . Information provided includes Meeting or Group Name, Beginning and End Times, and Location.
Mass Times & Confession Times (9/30/18)
Our Mass schedule, including weekend Masses, weekday Masses, and special Masses for feasts or Holy Days of Obligation can be found from our main menu, atop each page, by clicking on "Worship" then "Mass Times", or go to https://www.smlj.org/mass-times
Our Confession schedule can be found from our main menu by clicking on "Worship" then "Confession Times", or go to https://www.smlj.org/confession-timesView Current and Past Bulletins (9/23/18)
You can view our current and recent past bulletins very easily. Simply go to the bulletins web page on our site. You can find it from our main menu, atop each page, by clicking on "News & Events" then "Bulletins", or go to: https://www.smlj.org/bulletins-1
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Background
In 2002, the parish acquired the domain name: www.smlj.org . This name was chosen as the four letters, SMLJ, stands for the first letters of Saint Michael's Lake Jackson. Once you remember the rationale for the name, it makes it easy to remember.
That year, the initial website was designed and rolled out. Since that time, the initial design was followed by two complete re-designs of the site, along with significant growth in content online. The third design, about five years ago, resulted in the website that we have benefited from up until Sept. 2018. This September (2018) we changed our domain hosting to a Catholic based website hosting company, called eCatholic. They host a large number of the parish websites within our archdiocese, along with numerous parish and diocesan websites across the U.S.
The website you are viewing today is the first stage of this latest project. During the remainder of 2018, we will continue to add some of the robust and abundant features afforded to us by eCatholic. Below you can get a brief overview of the features of the site. You can also get a sense of the volume of information that the site has for the benefit of parishioners and other visitors.
Please "kick the tires and look under the hood", and don't hesitate to offer feedback to our webmaster (see below) with feedback, desired additions or for possible improvements. Thanks for being our web guests.
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Features of the new site
- A fresh new look and feel for the site with a clean and uncluttered appearance
- Accessible to non-web techies to help build & maintain content
- Responsive design that will work with computers from desktop workstations to tablets to smartphones.
- Take advantage of a Catholic based domain hosting provider with rich feature content offering
- Modules for Mass Times, Confession Times and Adoration Times
- Ability to do form develop for enrollment / registration for events
- Catholic News, Catholic Videos, Bishop Barron and Life Teen content
- Full integration with Social Media (ie. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)
- Support for blogging and news push-communications
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Did you know that you can find this on our site?
Current and recent bulletins (just like you receive at church)
Individual events and news items in the parish
General parish calendar of all meetings & events at the parish
Parish staff and contact information
Parish office hours and holidays
Procedure to register in our parish with downloadable registration form
Maps to locate our parish and driving directions from any location
Overall map of our parish campus with buildings and room plot plans of major buildings
Facility use guidelines and setup planning forms
Parish mission statement
Extensive background information about our Patron Saint, Saint Michael the Archangel
Information about the City of Lake Jackson and the Brazosport Area for those moving or new
Mass Times
Rosary Times
Nursery times
Confession times
Care and anointing of the sick
Information about our Adoration Chapel
Access to Mass Readings for every day
Our church liturgical seasons, including calendars
The schedule online for our liturgical ministers to serve
Art & Environment documentation
Significant information on each of our XX parish ministries, including what they each do, how to contact them, etc.
Faith Formation Registration information, downloadable forms and processes
Adult Faith Formation activities and text or audio recordings of presentations
Children’s Faith Formation information
Christian Initiation for Children/Youth: what it is, who to contact for info and how to become Catholic
Christian Initiation for Adults: what it is, who to contact for info and how to become Catholic
Safe Environment Program: the Church’s program for protecting our children, including training informationYoung Adult Ministry: information about ministry for our post high school young adults
Youth Ministry: program to minister to our 7th through 12th grade youth
FORMED: an online Catholic resource to provide formation and education to parishioners
Information pages on each of the Seven Sacraments of the Church (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony), including links to official Catholic teaching, how we implement each sacrament here at St. Michael, who does it apply to and how to prepare
Approximately 70 questions that we frequently receive along with answers to those. Go to our Sacrament link on the main menu.
Resources for extensive Catholic teachings and information.
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How to get help working with this website
You may contact the webmaster at any time. Here is his contact information:
Mike Caserta
Home: (979) 297-6054
Cell: (979) 236-2635
E-mail: mike@smlj.org^ TOP