We, the worshipping community of St. Henry's, Averill Park, rooted in the gospel and the celebration of the Eucharist, seek to make known God's Love in today's world through serving one another, sharing our faith, and welcoming all. 

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VIDEOS TO HELP BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE COMING CHANGES IN THE LANGUAGE
OF OUR NEW ROMAN MISSAL

Church Attendance Boosts Student GPAs

By Robert Roy Britt

If you want to boost your teenager's grade point average, take the kid to church. (Or, a new study suggests, find some similar social activity to involve them in.)

Researchers found that church attendance has as much effect on a teen's GPA as whether the parents earned a college degree. Students in grades 7 to 12 who went to church weekly also had lower dropout rates and felt more a part of their schools.

On average, students whose parents received a four-year college degree average a GPA .12 higher than those whose parents completed high school only. Students who attend religious services weekly average a GPA .144 higher than those who never attend services, said Jennifer Glanville, a sociologist at the University of Iowa.

The study does not suggest God is smiling on the students, per se. Rather, it identifies several reasons the students do better:

-         They have regular contact with adults from various generations who serve as role models.

-         Their parents are more likely to communicate with their friends' parents.

-         They develop friendships with peers who have similar norms and values.

-         They're more likely to participate in extracurricular activities.

Those factors account for only half the predicted effect, Glanville and colleagues say.

"There are two directions you can go with this research," she said. "Some might say this suggests that parents should have their kids attend places of worship. Or, if we use it to help explain why religious participation has a positive effect on academics, parents who aren't interested in attending church can consider how to structure their kids' time to allow access to the same beneficial social networks and opportunities religious institutions provide."

Other studies have shown that regular church-goers breathe easier and live longer. And kids whose parents go to church are better behaved and more well-adjusted. In each of these studies, the researchers cite the social-network and psychological benefits of churches.

Glanville and colleagues David Sikkink and Edwin Hernandez of the University of Notre Dame analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of 7th- through 12th-graders that began in 1994. Students from 132 schools in 80 communities participated.

Kids who attended church were also more likely to have friends with higher GPAs who skipped school less often, Glanville said.

The study also showed whether the teens said religion was important to them.

"Surprisingly, the importance of religion to teens had very little impact on their educational outcomes," Glanville said. "That suggests that the act of attending church -- the structure and the social aspects associated with it -- could be more important to educational outcomes than the actual religion."

 

 

Reflection on the Daily Scriptures  

 

 

 

St. Henry's is excited to offer ELECTRONIC GIVING !
Now you can set up your regular church offerings, second collections, and special contributions using your checking account.
So that you may participate fully during the Mass, you can use the Electronic Giving cards that are available in the church, or simply place your regular giving envelope in the basket during collection, indicating that you give electronically.
Just click under the "Online Offering" plate to get started with electronic giving (a new page will open).

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The Aeolian Wind Harp
Our modern Aeolian Wind Harp with its soothing harmonic tones and contemporary design is in fact based on principles that date back to antiquity.The Aeolian wind harp, usually a box-like musical instrument strung with several harmonically-tuned strings, dates back to ancient Greece, and was said to have been the instrument of Aeolus, the Greek god of wind. It was intended to be played not by human hands, but by the God of Wind himself. Its melodies and harmonies were not those chosen by humans, but were held to be the improvisations of Nature itself. Contemporary Aeolian Wind Harps are now being used as Lawn and Garden Sculpture to create sacred spaces for private and public environments.

 

 

 

 VOCATIONS

 The Bishops' Committee on Vocations has prepared a program to actively invite men to consider a vocation to the priesthood.  Read about it here.  View it here by clicking the "Fishers Of Men" logo.

 

 

 For more information visit the Diocese of Albany Vocation Website

 

 

A GAME THAT FIGHTS HUNGER
HAVE FUN, GROW IN KNOWLEDGE AS YOU DO SO!!

 

 

Click and answer the questions. 
For each correct answer 10 grains of rice
are donated by the UN World Food Program
to help end hunger!!

 

THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS

Pray the Official Prayer of the Church -

The Liturgy of the Hours and the Office of Readings. 

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