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A Note From Father Jack

Dear Friends of St. Joseph’s Center,

St. Joseph has been the model for all of us here in the Mission Center in Sugar Land. Always faithful to his task of caring for Mary and the Child Jesus, Joseph dedicated his very being in his service to God. What a beautiful example for us and for all missionaries.

May St. Joseph intercede to God for you and your family for responding to our Lord’s mandate given at the time of his Ascension: “Go to the ends of the earth and bring the gospel to all peoples.”

The first mission appeal began perhaps when St. Paul visited churches to seek alms for the poor and needy in Jerusalem who he called “the saints”.

The Council Fathers of Vatican II wrote much about helping the poor in their “Decree on Missionary Activity”.

Our Holy Father Pope John Paul II reminds us that we should pray for an ever greater zeal for evangelization which is the first and greatest service Christians can offer the women and men of our times marked by violence, injustice and the loss of the true meaning of life.

Pope Pius IX declared that “missionary activity is the holiest and the greatest work of the Church.”

When we hear of the tremendous difficulties experienced by our brothers and sisters in mission lands, our problems can often pale into insignificance.

As God is never outdone in generosity, you will be rewarded a hundredfold for what you have done for His poor.

Your support of the Basilian missions is a beautiful response to God’s call and is indeed a pious work done in love for the truly poor of the world.

In the name of our missionaries and the people they serve I extend their heartfelt gratitude.

May God bless you and all your loved ones.

- John R. Whitley, C.S.B. 

A Cup of Love for Our Missions – Saint Basil Coffee

When Father Vince Thompson issued a challenge to Jim Boyles and his family last spring, Jim had no idea that within months he would be back out of semi-retirement and heavily involved in a new business.

Boyles is the founder of Artisan Field, a family-owned visual communications and marketing firm in Houston. Father Thompson is stationed in Bogota. The two have been friends for many years, since Father Vince was stationed at St. Anne’s in Houston where Boyles is still a parishioner.

Father Vince reminded Jim that he and his family were in the business of creativity, and challenged them to come up with an idea to help the people of his mission area. He told Jim that many families there exist on a single meal each day, and many do not have the job skills to provide for their families. Unemployment is extremely high, and drugs and violence plague the area where Father Vince is stationed.

Boyles, his wife, and five adult children all work for Artisan Field. They brainstormed ideas on how they could help. They remembered Pope John Paul II’s words on World Mission Day, 2001, when he reminded us that “every Christian must be a missionary.” They recalled that even those of us who never leave home are called to be missionaries.

The Boyles family (left to right): Jim, Jr., Tom,
Mary, Jim, Sr., John, Margaret, and Elizabeth.

The Boyles family studied the situation and talked over possibilities with Father Vince. The high cost of shipping knocked out several ideas. They learned that since coffee prices have fallen below the production cost of small family growers, millions of people have been thrown out of work and off their land. They decided to market premium coffee made from beans grown by small growers, certified as Fair Trade coffee.

With their business background, the Boyles family worked to set up a non-profit organization called Saint Basil Coffee, in honor of the patron saint of the Basilian fathers. All who work with the organization are volunteers; there are no paid salaries, and all profit goes to the Basilian missions. One of the mottos of their company is that “There are few things so powerful or productive as collaboration.” The Boyles family put that motto into play and designed marketing materials and a website for Saint Basil Coffee. Wife, Mary Margaret who is the financial officer for Artisan Field, volunteered to handle the accounting. Son Tom, and daughters Mary and Elizabeth designed the marketing material and website. Son Jim Jr. volunteered to assist in coffee sales and son John, assumed the role of marketing manager responsible for market development. Their original target was to sell the coffee, made from prime Arabica beans, to and through churches, but the website is bringing many individual customers as well.

By October, the paperwork was done and Saint Basil Coffee was ready to brew up something different for the missions. Their goal is to sell 1,000 pounds of coffee a month which will bring approximately $5,000 per month for use in the missions. These funds help provide job training for adults, education for adults and children alike, food relief and aid to establish small family businesses, helping the poor to rise from poverty.

A cup of coffee can make a difference. It is an opportunity to put faith into action, and to answer Pope John Paul II’s appeal for social justice.

You can purchase Saint Basil Coffee through the internet at www.saintbasilcoffee.com. You may also fax your order to 713-880-0779 or call 281-397-2276 for more information.

Enjoy a cup (or a pot) of coffee on Father Jack. For a sample of delicious Saint Basil Coffee, just write to Father Jack.