Here at St. Paul, Council 5062 raises funds for special projects in the parish, St. Paul School, and Bishop Byrne Middle & High Schools. Council members also donate their time in a multitude of support functions within the parish and community. In 1980 the "KC Hall" was built adjacent to the Church building. Many parish-related functions are held in the facility. The Council participates in an annual fund raising effort that benefits the Mentally-Challenged. Our local Knights join their National organization to participate in worthwhile projects around the world. In a recent example of what the Knights do, their national organization joined with the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other Catholic organizations to rebuild and reopen a seminary near Havana,Cuba that was siezed and closed by the Communist government nearly fifty years ago. Details of how this major step in the improvement of relations between the Church and the Cuban government came about are in this article in the December 2010 issue of Columbia Magazine.

On the local scene, everyone at St. Paul loves the monthly K of C Spaghetti Dinner, held from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the "KC Hall" on the 3rd Saturday of every month. They also serve "all you can eat" pancakes in the KC hall from 8:00 AM to Noon after the Masses on one Sunday of each month. The proceeds are donated to the Church.

Legion of Mary (1962)

The Legion of Mary is the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church, with well over 3 million active members in almost every country of the world, and it has been active in the United States since 1931. Its main purpose is to give glory to God through the sanctification of its members.

Our own Praesidium meets on Wednesdays at 9:00 AM in the Parish Hall.

We have available at St. Paul the LIGHTHOUSE series Catholic Media CDs on various topics to assist you in your spiritual growth. These CDs are available at a price of $3.00 each in the Parish Hall, or contact the Parish Office at (901) 346-2380.

PETITION: Our Blessed Mother has given us the powerful weapon of the Rosary. With this weapon, we can truly change the world. Please join us in praying the Rosary for peace throughout the world, especially in Georgia, and for the conversion of Russia.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The Legion of Mary is sponsoring a Catholic Information Booth at the Mid-South Fair. Anyone who would like to help man the boot, please contact Lesa Pierce through the Parish Office (901)-346-2380.

Mother Cabrini Circle (1972)

Provides food, clothing, and household goods to needy families. Members also work closely with other local and regional charitable groups supporting travelers' aid, holiday food baskets, and prison ministry. In 1984 an existing structure on the parish grounds became the "Cabrini House" thrift store selling used clothing and household items on the first Saturday of each month, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon.

The Cabrini Circle manages the distribution of the following services to the community through the generosity of St. Paul parishioners and special patrons:

Cabrini Circle also supports and works with other community service organizations, including the Memphis Union Mission, the Diocese of Memphis Seminary Fund, Harbor House, House of Grace, Church Health System, Memphis Mental Health Facility, and other deserving charities brought to our attention.

Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary (1981)

The K of C Ladies Auxiliary assists with the inter-relationships among the parish, the families, and the community, and with many K of C special projects. The Ladies Auxiliary raises funds for their projects through the traditional St. Paul ravioli sale and prepares food for the Seder dinner and other special parish events.

Parish Council (1984)

The Parish Council is a consultative body that assists the Pastor in planning, goal setting, program development, service improvement, and evaluation of pastoral effectiveness.

Altar Society

The Altar Society cleans and mends altar linens, maintains the vigil candles, and helps decorate the sanctuary. They also have a monthly meeting every 4th Tuesday beginning at 10:30 AM, followed by a potluck lunch.

Parish Club

The Parish Club, for people 55 and older, provides friendship and support through monthly meetings, potluck luncheons, guest speakers, and entertainment. They meet on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 11:30 AM for mass, followed by lunch.

Ministry to the Sick

Brings a caring presence to the homebound, infirm, and hospitalized. They administer the Sacrament of the Eucharist to those unable to attend church services.

Alcoholics Anonymous & Al-Anon

The primary purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous is to help its members achieve sobriety and stay sober. It is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.

AA meets in the St. Paul cafeteria at 6 PM on Sundays (Open Discussion Meeting) and Thursdays (Big Book Study Meeting). For more information, call 901-438-6489.

Similarly, Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength and hope in order to solve their common problems. Al-Anon believes alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.

Al-Anon meets in the St. Paul cafeteria at 6 PM on Sundays and Thursdays. For more information, call 901-345-5067.

AA and Al-Anon are not officially sponsored by the parish because they choose not to be affiliated with any particular faith, denomination or sect. At the same time, we at St. Paul support the work they do. We hope that anyone suffering and struggling with alcohol-related issues will seek out the help they need.

Bereavement Committee

Prepares and serves a meal in the Parish Hall for family and friends of the deceased after the funeral.

Liturgical Music

The parish Liturgical Music program includes several cantors, organists/pianists, guitarists, and percussionists, as well as four choirs: two Sunday mass choirs for the English masses, one for the Spanish choirs, and a schola that sings for funerals during the week. Each ensemble has its own particular style and repertoire, making St. Paul's liturgical music program eclectic and exciting, and able to help meet the spiritual needs of a wide variety of people.

If you have a gift or a talent, no matter how great or small, God may be calling you to help other parishioners fulfill what St. Augustine said about singing: Those who sing pray twice.

Additional Information

For more information about any of these ministries, organizations, or activities, please contact the church office. Time and location of meetings and events are listed in the Sunday Bulletin.