Around the Parish – February 23, 2025

Greetings from the Eternal City!

As I continue my trip to Italy with my mom, please know that I am keeping you all in my prayers. I look forward to being back with you next weekend! A heartfelt thank-you to Father Ray for covering the parish in my absence.

Vacation Bible School Planning Begins!

The first Vacation Bible School preparation meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday, February 26, at 6:30 PM in the parish conference room. If you are able to help with this wonderful program, please join us! A special thanks to Mrs. Linda Oliver for her dedication in leading this effort.

24 Hours for the Lord – Sign Up for Adoration

Sign-ups for 24 Hours for the Lord remain available in the main vestibule. Please consider committing to one hour of Adoration to ensure that all 24 hours are covered in prayer before the Eucharist.

Special Praise & Worship Holy Hour – March 21 at 7 PM

As part of 24 Hours for the Lord, I invite you to a special Praise & Worship Holy Hour on Friday, March 21, at 7 PM in the church. Miss Gabrielle Herndon, Youth Minister for the Shenango Valley parishes, will lead us in music for this beautiful time of prayer and adoration.

These Praise & Worship Holy Hours are traveling to different churches in our area, and I am thrilled that our parish will be hosting one! Even if you’ve already signed up for an hour of adoration, I encourage you to join us for this powerful evening of prayer. Following the Holy Hour, we will gather in Gallagher Hall for refreshments and fellowship. I hope to see you there!

Lent is Almost Here!

Lent is quickly approaching! In just a week and a half, we will enter this sacred season with Ash Wednesday. Next weekend, more details about our Lenten parish schedule will be available in the bulletin. In the meantime, visit our parish website for up-to-date information on all our upcoming events.

Take a Bulletin Home!

There is so much valuable information in our bulletin each week! It takes me roughly eight hours to put everything together, and my hope is to provide both important parish news and spiritual insights—especially as we prepare for Lent. Please be sure to take a bulletin home with you!

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

To receive joy, we must first give it; to keep joy, we must share it. Let your joy be found in the journey—not in some distant goal. While we cannot cure the world of sorrows, we can choose to live in joy. Joy is not the absence of suffering but the presence of God. True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done. The joy we experience has little to do with our circumstances and everything to do with where we set our hearts.  

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.