Around the Parish – October 20, 2024
Around the Parish – October 20, 2024
Published on October 19, 2024
Next Sunday is the big day! I invite you to join us for our First Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Theme Basket Raffle at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. We’re excited to welcome everyone for a delicious meal, warm fellowship, and a chance to win from our fantastic selection of 28 themed baskets!
Dinner tickets will be available at the door: $15 for adults, $8 for children aged 5 and over, under, 5 is free, gluten-free option for $15 as well. We’ll be serving dinner from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and raffle tickets will also be available for purchase. Basket raffle tickets are $2 each or 6 for $10, with the drawing held at the end of the dinner. Bring your friends and family for an afternoon of food and fun! Your participation supports our parish community, and we can’t wait to see you there.
Thanks to Mrs. Oliver and her dedicated team, our Faith Formation families are invited to enjoy a day at the Corn Maze! If you’d like to join, please call Mrs. Oliver TODAY—Sunday, October 20—as we won’t be able to accommodate additional reservations after today. We’ll be heading to the Corn Maze on Sunday, November 3, right after the 11:00 AM Mass, with a pizza lunch in Gallagher Hall before we go. To reserve your spot, please contact Mrs. Linda Oliver at (724) 968-8197. Parents, please remember that you’ll need to provide transportation for your children and remain with them throughout the event.
Last weekend’s bulletin included two flyers, one for #iGiveCatholic and another for All Souls Day. You can always find more information about #iGiveCatholic on our website at ihmercer.org/igivecatholic. Donations for our work in Gallagher Hall can be sent to the office by check in the provided envelopes or simply marked “#iGiveCatholic” in the memo line. After December 3, the big online giving day, we’ll send a letter to all donors about how you’d like to personalize our memorial plaque.
As we did last year for All Souls and throughout November, everyone is welcome to bring framed pictures of loved ones who have passed. Please make sure the frames are labeled with your contact information, and deliver them to the sacristy before November 1. Plan to pick them up from the sacristy on November 30 or December 1.
Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:
Ultimately it is not the things that we acquire in life that matter; rather it is the hearts we touch and strengthen that measure our success in life and family living. Attract what you expect, reflect what you desire, become what you respect, mirror what you admire.
Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy





The Power and Tradition of Mass Intentions

The Mass is considered the greatest prayer of intercession in the Church. This is because it is the perfect offering of Christ to the Father, making present the Paschal Mystery of His death and resurrection. Traditionally, a Priest may be requested to offer a Mass for a specific intention, even if the requester cannot be physically present.
Offering Masses for the Deceased:
Having a Mass offered for a deceased person is an ancient and commendable practice. A Mass is offered to pray for the departed, that they may find peace in heaven. Since each Mass holds infinite value, requesting one or several Masses is of tremendous benefit to the person prayed for, as well as their family, who can take comfort in knowing that their intention is united with the prayers of the Church.
The Mass: Center of Christian Life:
Every Mass is a precious gift from God. It is the center of the Church’s life, known as “the source and summit of the Christian life,” because in the celebration of the Mass, we are brought back to Jesus’ Last Supper, the first Mass. We consciously recall the love of God poured out for us through the life, death, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ. At each Mass, all the intentions of God’s people, both living and deceased, are included. As Pope Paul VI noted in his motu proprio “Firma in Traditione,” the faithful, moved by an ecclesial and religious sense, join their own sacrifices to the Eucharistic sacrifice, participating more intensely and supporting the Church’s needs, especially its ministers.
Requesting a Mass Intention:
Anyone may request a Mass Intention for a living person, a deceased person, members of a family, or a special intention appropriate to the celebration of the Eucharist, such as World Peace, Vocations, or Respect for Life. The Church allows only one intention per Mass.
Offering a Mass Stipend:
The normal stipend offering for a Mass is $10. However, a Mass Offering can be more or less than the suggested amount, depending on the financial position of the person requesting the Mass. Envelopes for Mass intention requests are available at the entrances of the church. These envelopes can be placed in the collection basket or returned to the parish office. The requester may also ask for a card to be sent to notify someone that a Mass Intention has been requested (one card per intention). Please note that the name of the person(s) requesting the Mass is not announced.

Around the Parish – October 20, 2024
October 19, 2024