February 2009 Breakfast meeting - Saturday 02/14/09

This Saturday we will enjoy the pleasure of having Monsignor Joe Greeley as our speaker. Monsignor Greeley serves as the Dean (Vicar Forane) of Deanery 20 of the San Pedro Region. There are 14 parishes in Deanery 20 that include the parishes in Long Beach and St Pancratius in Lakewood. Monsignor Greeley will present  Engaging our Parish Community--The Fruits of Being Active in Your Parish.

We will start with the 8:00 AM Mass and move to the cafeteria at 8:30 AM for fellowship, breakfast, and Msgr. Joe Greeley.

January 2009 Breakfast meeting - Saturday 1/10/09

Our May guest speaker will be Rich McElrath,  President and CEO of  DaRue of California - Manufacturer of women's sportswear. Rich  played Division 1 college basketball at Utah State and was also head  basketball coach at College of the Desert 1981-1983. Rich and his wife Barbara have been married since July 1, 1987. Their son, Austin, attended Our Lady of Refuge School and is currently attending Servite High School.  Our morning will start with mass at 8 am followed by breakfast & fellowship in the cafeteria. As a involved OLR parishioner, Rich has proven himself to be a true Rock and an inspiration to others. Please bring  your wives, sisters, mothers and friends as we celebrate Rich and his journey to grow closer to Christ.

December 2008 Breakfast meeting - Saturday 12/10/09

"Embracing Bethlehem." Tom Silva will present an Advent meditation in story and song on Saint Joseph as a model for learning to always trust God in spite of ourselves. We will gather for Mass in the Church at 8 AM. Breakfast and fellowship will follow at 8:30 AM in the OLR Cafeteria. Come hungry and bring a friend. 

October 2008 Breakfast Meeting - Saturday 10/11/08

We are honored to have our new Pastor, Fr. Ray Morales, as our keynote speaker for the October Catholic Men's Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 11. Fr. Ray will challenge us with the question, "What Now?" For more than two years, OLR Catholic Men's Fellowship has been providing food, faith, & fellowship for the men of our parish, their families and friends, and the parish at large. These first years have been spiritually informative and inspirational.  We have journeyed far together as a community,and yet we know that Christ calls us to continue moving ever closer to Him. Fr. Ray will lead us in considering the next steps our CMF community is being called to take, and to discern where and how Christ's Spirit is leading us to invest the blessings we have gained. What actions can we take, what work can we embrace to move us forward in growing as a family and community of faith and making a real difference in our homes and communities? As always, we will start with 8 am mass and then gather in the hall for breakfast, song, and fellowship.   PLEASE RSVP to Rob at rob@jroseassoc.com or Steve at sshanklin@verizon.net .

July 2008 Family BBQ - Saturday 7/12/08

Summer Family BBQ. OLR's Catholic Men's Fellowship is inviting the whole family to join in a summer celebration of food, fellowship and fun on Saturday, July 12 in the Parish Hall Patio. Burgers, hot dogs, drinks and all the trimmings will be provided, along with live music and games. All are invited! It is suggested that you bring a side dish or dessert to share. Please RSVP to Steve Shanklin at 562-505-8238 or email at olrcmenf@ourladyofrefuge.org, including the number of guests you will be bringing, so that we can plan for food. See you there. Bring sunscreen.

June 2008 Breakfast meeting - Saturday 6/14/08

We are excited to welcome Coach Lynn Rogers, president of Coach’s Oats, as our June Guest Speaker. Coach Rogers knows about persistence and excellence. He began the women’s gymnastics program at California State University, Fullerton, and coached the Titans for 24 years. Under his tutelage, Fullerton won a national championship and six regional championships, producing 66 individual All-American awards.

Coach Rogers next focused that same persistence towards excellence on his quest to develop a better oatmeal. He and his wife Bonnie experimented with tasting, grinding and cooking their own oatmeal, and in the process discovered a way to make oats tasty and hearty while cooking in fewer than five minutes. When friends tried Coach’s oatmeal, they didn’t want to go back to regular oatmeal, and Coach’s Oats was born. That was 1992. Before long, Coach and Bonnie were grinding oats all weekend long just to fill their friends' orders. They incorporated Coach’s Oats as a company in 1993. In 1995, Coach received two U.S. Patents on his oatmeal and Roman Meal began milling Coach's Oats.

Coach turned his attention full-time to running Coach’s Oats in 1999. Since then, Coach’s Oats products have been on store shelves throughout the United States and selected international locations. Today, you can find items such as Coach’s Oats oatmeal, cookies and pancake mix on the market (see http://www.coachsoats.com/ for additional information).

Lynn and Bonnie live in Brea, California, with their children, Nolan, 14, and Calvin, 12, and their dog, Jack, 8. The family is active in their church in Fullerton and is involved in the FAST swim team in Fullerton. Lynn loves to swim, surf and play guitar.

As always, we will start with Mass at 8 AM, and follow up with breakfast at 8:30 AM. Chef Lawrence will again be heading the Breakfast Crew. Come hungry, and bring some friends. Please RSVP to Steve Shanklin at 562-505-8238 or email at olrcmenf@ourladyofrefuge.org, including the number of guests you will be bringing, so that we can plan for food.

May 2008 Breakfast meeting - Saturday 5/10/08

Our May guest speaker will be Drew Marcos. Drew is an alumni of OLR (97) and St. John Bosco (01) and is currently pursuing a degree in Special Education. Drew has been active in Youth & Confirmation ministry for 10 years. He is also an accomplished percussionist who has played with OLR's 5:30 contemporary ensemble and the CSULB Catholic Newman Club. Drew's talk will be titled "Broken, Fallen, Risen," which will detail his personal struggles and victories with his Catholic faith, and how his involvement in parish & campus ministry has provided a sure path for his journey. Drew is currently the percussionist for the 12:30 Life Teen Mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Long Beach. He also finds time to play with his own, as yet unnamed band, as well as playing with Catholic bands the Perfect Cry and Walking Refuge.

The morning starts with the 8:00 am Mass, followed by breakfast and fellowship. Everyone is welcome. Drew's message is powerful to all of us; however, we believe that this will really hit home to the Catholic high school and college age kids. You can RSVP by responding to this email.