St. Jude Parish is pleased to be a sponsor of the Calix Society for the Dallas Diocese.  Our meetings, consisting of a Mass and a discussion meeting following the Mass, are held at St. Jude Catholic Church on the second Saturday of each month and support parishes throughout the Dallas area.  The Calix Mass is celebrated at 8:30 am in the main sanctuary, followed by a discussion meeting at 9:15 am in St. Jude room PC401.  Meetings are for those recovering from alcoholism or addictions and their family and friends.  In this meeting we share our experiences and the role our Catholic faith has played in our recovery from this disease.  

For more information on the Calix Society see www.calixsociety.org.  For specific information on meetings, please contact Matt at (214) 743-5334.  

INTRODUCTION TO THE CALIX SOCIETY¹

“The Twelve Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is generally accepted as the best therapy for those afflicted with the disease of alcoholism. The Calix Society, an organization of recovering alcoholics, their friends and family, shares this view.

Consider the men and women, who have spent a long time, often many years, unwittingly developing a physical dependence on alcohol. Finally they reach the end of the line - physically, mentally and spiritually. Assume that they manage to put together a short period of sobriety and tentatively are testing the Twelve Step program. Their physical condition improves rapidly and, after a longer period, so does the emotional side of their lives.

For Catholics, however, something more is needed that cannot be found in their Twelve Step meetings. They realize that the Twelve Step program advocates recourse to a "higher power" and God, but they also know that Twelve Step programs are necessarily non-denominational. Having been raised in a church rich in tradition, dogma and ritual, these recovering alcoholics begin to yearn once again for the faith they probably have neglected or abandoned. At this point the Calix Society can say: "Come back home. You must maintain your sobriety through your affiliation with Alcoholics Anonymous, but let us help you to regain the spiritual life without which you may not succeed in the never-ending fight against your addiction."

Perhaps the disease never will be conquered completely, but the sincere men and women of Calix have the answer of the Calix Society: ‘Substitute the cup that sanctifies for the cup that stupefies.’"
 

¹Copyright © Calix Society 2014. Reprinted with permission.