Tag: March

Around the Parish – March 31, 2024

Written by on March 30, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! Christ is Alive! What a joy it is to be able to have this wonderful word back in our liturgy. With the return of ‘Alleluia’, we also recognize the return of the beautiful flowers and decorations in our church. This is a sign of the coming beauty of Spring. Let’s just pray that the weather continues to cooperate. I am sure ready for warmer days!

Next Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. Normally we have adoration and confessions on First Friday, but this month we will have adoration from 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm with the Sung Chaplet of Divine Mercy on Sunday, April 7. I encourage everyone to join us during this special Holy Hour of prayer. Divine Mercy Sunday, established by Pope St. John Paul II in 2000, honors the devotion to God’s boundless mercy as revealed to Saint Faustina. The praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet plays a central role, emphasizing repentance and trust in God’s mercy for all humanity.

On Saturday, April 27, we will have a parish spring cleanup day. Many hands will make light work, so any help that you might be able to give on that day will be greatly appreciated. We will begin at 9:00 am and spend the morning around the parish campus to clean up our grounds.

In just about a month on Sunday, May 5, our Sunday Mass schedule is set to return to 8:00 am and 10:00 am. Don’t forget, and share with our family that join us for the summer months.

On the following Saturday, we have our Blooms and Bargains Bazaar. All donations can be dropped off at Gallagher Hall, but please contact the parish office to schedule a drop off time. The parish is unable to provide pickup of items.

Here is a thought for the week ahead:

“O Jesus, I understand that Your mercy is beyond all imagining, and therefore I ask You to make my heart so big that there will be room in it for the needs of all the souls living on the face of the earth, so that each soul will be reflected in You, O Jesus.” – Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – March 24, 2024

Written by on March 23, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

Today, we celebrate Palm Sunday. This celebration begins our entrance into Holy Week. This next week is the highlight of our entire existence as Christians. This week, we celebrate the Mysteries of our Faith, beginning with the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem with loud shouts of Hosanna! These same voices by Friday will be the voices calling for the crucifixion of Jesus. So much will happen in a week. I truly encourage you to enter deeply into the celebrations and the prayer that surrounds Holy Week.

This week, our parish schedule will be a bit different, as it is every year. I thank Father Ray Gramata for his help this weekend and next while I am at SCI Mercer celebrating mass. Father Ray will be the celebrant at this Sunday and next 11a mass. This Monday, while there is no mass here in our parish, I will be in Erie at the celebration of the Chrism mass. This special mass is where the Holy Oils we use in our sacraments are blessed and consecrated. If you have never participated in this special liturgy before, I encourage you to join us online via the Cathedral’s Facebook Page, or make the journey to the Cathedral in Erie. (I will do my best to share it via our Facebook page.)

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will have our normal 8a masses in our parish. On Thursday, the only mass we are permitted to celebrate is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7pm. This special mass is the beginning of the Holy Triduum, and is one continual celebration that starts with the celebration of this Holy Day and ends with the celebration of the Easter Vigil, which must start after sunset on Saturday night. Our celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday will be at 12:15pm. No celebration of the Holy Eucharist is permitted throughout the world on Good Friday. You will notice that we do not conclude with the sign of the cross on Holy Thursday, nor will we make the sign of the cross on Good Friday at the beginning or end of the liturgies; this is because it is one continual celebration showing forth the mysteries that occur from the celebration of the Last Supper through the celebration of the Great Resurrection of Our Lord. Our Easter Sunday Mass Schedule will be at 8am and 11am.

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Keep watering your dreams, hopes, and goals. Motivation gets you going; habit keeps you going. Don’t measure your progress using someone else’s ruler. Some things have to end so that better things can begin. Faith can move mountains; doubt and fear can create them.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – March 26, 2023

Written by on March 25, 2023. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

The last two weeks in the season of Lent are called Passiontide which begins on the Fifth Sunday of Lent. This is when the Church shifts her focus from Christ in the desert (the Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent) to Christ during His Passion.

During this period of Passiontide, the crucifix and other statues and images around the church have been veiled with a purple cloth.

In the Roman Missal we find the instruction, “In the Dioceses of the United States, the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from [the fifth] Sunday [of Lent] may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the end of the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.”

Why do we veil images? The practice of veiling images alerts us that something is different, it can be startling at first, but the last two weeks of Lent are a time of immediate preparation for the celebration of the Sacred Triduum. The veils are hard to miss and they serve as a reminder to get ready!

The veiled images build within us a longing for Easter Sunday. The veils seem out of place, and even counterintuitive. It can seem strange that the crucifix is covered up during Passiontide. Through this absence of images, our senses are heightened and we become more aware of what is missing. Similarly, the suppression of the Alleluia during Lent effectively demonstrates that we are in exile from our true Home, where the angels sing Alleluia without ceasing.

When images are unveiled before the Easter Vigil, we are reminded that we, in a sense, live in a veiled world. It is through our own death that we are able to see our true home, and the veil is lifted. Christ lifts the veil through His Resurrection.

In last weekend’s bulletin, as well as this weekend’s bulletin, there is a full page advertisement about IHM’s newest fundraiser. The IHM 300 Club will be a special 6 month raffle, and more information about this can be found in today’s bulletin, as well as on our website. Tickets will begin being sold next weekend, April 1 & 2 after all the masses. Tickets can also always be purchased through the parish office after next weekend.

Click here for more info on the 300 Club

We have the totals from our Saint Patrick Day Bingo and Bake Sale! Big drum roll please! The total is $2,744. Last year, we made just $466 on bingo alone. This year, the Bingo brought in $2020 alone. A massive thank you to the Knights of Columbus for sponsoring the Bingo, to the anonymous donor for the kitchen costs, and for all the amazing baked goods! Another wonderful event for our parish family!

Here’s a thought for your week: We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that God has waiting for us.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – March 19, 2023

Written by on March 18, 2023. Posted in Around the Parish, News.

Today we celebrate Laetare Sunday. This Sunday is noted as different in our liturgical celebration of lent in a few ways. First, and most obvious, is the color of vestments that the clergy wear. While some will continue wearing violet, the recommended color is rose. This lighter color reminds us of the joy that is coming at Easter. Second, in the liturgical norms of the day, the entrance antiphon starts with the word “Laetare!” which is Latin for “Rejoice!” We are now at the midpoint of our Lenten journey, and our focus today is a reminder to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Heb 12:1b) With Easter just around the corner, let us now spend these last days of Lent focused on the sacrifice of the Lord, especially as we journey toward Holy Thursday and Good Friday where we journey with the Lord toward His death and receive Him in the Eucharist.

Our Deanery Penance Services are upon us. Today, Sunday March 19, Our Lady of Fatima’s Penance Service is at 1:00pm. Saint Bartholomew is scheduled for tomorrow, Monday March 20 at 6:30pm. Good Shepherd is on Wednesday March 22 at 6:30pm. Saint Joseph is on Thursday, March 23 at 6:30pm. Our Parish service is next Sunday, March 26 at 2:00pm, and the final service will be at Beloved Disciple on Sunday, March 26 at 5:00pm. As a reminder, confessions are available every Friday of Lent from 6-7pm as well as every Saturday from 4-5pm. If these times do not work for your schedule, call me at the office and we can schedule a time that works for our schedules.

Mark your calendars! On Holy Saturday, April 8, at 9am we will decorate Church for Easter! Many hands make light work, so any help that you might be able to give would be greatly appreciated!

Here’s a few thoughts for your week: Don’t wait for the right time; make the time right now. Life is short; time is fast: since there is no rewind or instant replay, enjoy each moment as it comes.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – March 12, 2023

Written by on March 11, 2023. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

Congratulations to all of our Confirmation Candidates who received the Sacrament of Confirmation at a special mass on Monday March 6 at Beloved Disciple Church. The mass was a wonderful time for our young adults to be with our Bishop, Lawrence Persico, and other young adults from our Diocese. In this weekend’s bulletin, there are the biographies of each student from our Confirmation Cohort. Again, a very special thank you goes out to Cindy Wilpula and Katlyn Gable for their dedication to our Faith Formation program and to our students.

This week is our Saint Patrick Day Bingo and Bake Sale! Doors open at 6 and Bingo begins at 7! Thank you in advanced to all those who have helped, either by your volunteering at the event, or making all the wonderful baked goods! All baked goods can be dropped off at Gallagher Hall by noon on Friday, March 17.

If you’re looking for a fun way to shed those extra few pounds, try joining the Zumba group! Zumba meets in Gallagher Hall on Tuesdays at 5:30pm, the second and fourth Thursdays at 5:30pm, and Saturday Mornings at 8am. If you have any questions, contact Heather Corvino at (724) 813-3594.

The Easter Basket Raffle is coming up quickly! We currently have 73 lottery tickets, and we are hoping to have 100 tickets total, 50 per basket. If you are able to give a few tickets to help us meet our goal, feel free to place them in the collection basket at mass, mail them to the office, or drop them off at the office Monday through Thursday, 9:00am-3:00pm.

Here’s a few thoughts for your week: Staying positive and faith filled does not mean that you have to be happy all the time. It just means that even on hard days, you know that better days are coming. When everything seems to be going against you, remember that airplanes take off against the wind. The best views in life come after the hardest climbs.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – March 5, 2023

Written by on March 4, 2023. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

We are still in need of lottery tickets for our baskets for the Easter Basket raffle. You can drop them in the collection basket, mail them to the office, or drop them off at the office Monday through Thursday 9a-3p. Thank you again for your support and help!

Mentioning the Easter Basket raffle, don’t forget to turn in your tickets! There is still time, but, as we all know, time moves fast! The drawing for the baskets will be on Palm Sunday after the 11a mass. There is only one bucket that we pull from, so you have a chance to enter in for all the baskets at once!

Our neighbors at Saint Anthony’s Church are having their Easter Bread Sale. Options are Plain Bread: $7, Raisin Bread: $8, Plain Pogach: $5. To place an order, call either Launa: 724-342-2489 or Linda: 724-866-7488. Pickup is Tuesday, April 4. Please help support our neighbors, and enjoy some great Easter Bread!

Please do your best to help us reach our Catholic Services Goals for this year. You should have received a letter and response card from me asking for your support. Please prayerfully consider helping to whatever degree you are able. All gifts, no matter the size, count and will be greatly appreciated.

Here’s a few thoughts for your week: Life does not need to be perfect to be wonderful. Spread love wherever you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. The finest souls are those who gulped pain and avoided making others taste it. Remember, your direction is more important than your speed. If you see someone without a smile today, give him yours. It is how you deal with failure that will determine how you will achieve success. It takes just as much energy to wish as it does to plan. Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don’t just settle for them.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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