St Therese Congregation

05/24/2026

05/21/2026

Saint of the Day

Explore our 'Saint of the Day' page, your daily dose of inspiration. Each day, we delve into the life of a new saint, exploring their teachings and impact.

05/21/2026

From the Earth Ministry - Are Bamboo Products Sustainable?

Bamboo has a lot of positive qualities, but what are the concerns with bamboo? Bamboo requires processing to turn it into useful products. This processing involves water, and care must be made to recycle the water and return it to the environment in good condition. Chemicals can be harmful and need to be disposed of properly. There are transportation and logistics costs to get the bamboo to processing and to the consumers. Bamboo grows so well that it can become invasive if left to grow unchecked. If allowed to take over large areas by itself, the monoculture damages biodiversity. These are drawbacks, but even poorly managed bamboo products are usually better for the environment than the equivalent product made of plastics or other synthetics. At this point, using bamboo products costs more than the substitutes. Will we pay more to protect our earth?

As an aware and ecological-minded consumer, you will want to know that the bamboo products you buy are ethically grown, harvested and manufactured. There are certifications on labels to help determine that. Four of the larger and better known certifying organizations for fabrics are GOTS, Fair Trade, Better Cotton, and Blue Sign.

05/20/2026

Virtues, Explained! - Piety

Piety is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and is related to the virtue of justice.

St. Thomas Aquinas writes, “Piety denotes the reverence which we give to our faith and to our country. And since God is the Father of all, the worship of God is also called piety…therefore the gift whereby a man, through reverence for God, works good to all, is fittingly called piety.” (Sum., II:II, 68, Art. 4)

The virtue of piety, which can be understood most easily as giving due reverence to God, should not be confused with “popular piety,” which refers to external expressions of devotion that are unique to specific places and environments. The virtue of piety describes a person’s fulfillment of their duty to God and the precepts of the Church; popular piety describes other practices that enliven their desire to fulfill that duty. ©LPi

05/20/2026

World Bee Day is observed across the world on May 20th. On this day, beekeeping events are held to educate the general public about the importance of bees and beekeeping. Because the bee population is under threat, World Bee Day informs us how to protect bees and other pollinators. The Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association took the initiative for World Bee Day, which is now celebrated by environmentalists all over the world. Visit https://nationaltoday.com/world-bee-day/ to learn more!

It’s World Bee Day! Let’s discover why bees and beekeeping are important to us.

05/20/2026

Fourth Sunday Formation
Stay, watch, and learn after Mass about the Catholic Faith on the fourth Sunday of the month. Our next sessions will be on May 23/24. Save the date and plan to bring a friend!