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Tag: Parish Spring Cleanup

Around the Parish – April 21, 2024

This Monday, our Confirmation Candidates will receive the sacrament at Saint Michael Church in Greenville. I want to thank Cindy Wilpula and Katie Gable for their continued dedication to our Confirmation students. Through their yes to serve our students, we are guaranteed that great love and care has been showered down upon our community. Please continue to pray for our young people, especially our freshmen and sophomores as they receive this special sacrament.

Make sure to join the Knights of Columbus today at the Pancake Breakfast in Gallagher Hall from after the 8:00am mass until 1:00pm. Please come and enjoy a wonderful breakfast. All proceeds benefit our parish. I thank my brother knights for their continued support of our parish.

Next 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. There are lists at the doors of church listing the different things we are looking to accomplish as we clean up our church grounds.

On Saturday, May 4, 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.

In a few weeks 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.

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

If our parish were a boat, it would be a canoe that makes no progress unless everyone paddles together and in the same direction. Family is family, whether it’s the one you start out with or the family you gain along the way. The same is true about a parish family. Sticking with your family is what makes it a family.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

Around the Parish – April 14, 2024

I want to express my most sincere gratitude for everyone who has booth pledged and supported the Catholic Services Appeal. As you know, our parish assessment for this year is $49,845. This tithe from our parish to the diocese permits the Churches of Erie Diocese to continue to fulfill the Lord’s Command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Mt 28:19) Every dollar collected over our assessment will remain in our parish. The monies that will remain in our parish will be used to repair the deteriorating window wells of the basement at the Office Building. Please do prayerfully consider supporting this obligation.

On this Monday, April 15 at 6:00pm, there will be a Blooms and Bargains Bazaar Meeting in the Parish Conference Room. Anyone that is able and interested in helping is asked to attend this meeting.

On this Tuesday, April 16 at 6:30pm, we will have our next VBS planning meeting. All who are interested in helping with our VBS in July are asked to attend.

Next Sunday, April 21, the Mercer Knights of Columbus will be hosting their Pancake Breakfast in Gallagher Hall from after the 8:00am mass until 1:00pm. Please come and enjoy a wonderful breakfast. All proceeds benefit our parish. I thank my brother knights for their continued support of our parish.

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.

On Saturday, May 4, 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.

In just four weeks 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.

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

Your day will generally go the way the corners of your mouth turn. Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears. The rosary is a chain that links heaven and earth. One end of it is in your hand; the other in the hand of our Blessed Mother.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

Around the Parish – April 7, 2024

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. In celebration of this special conclusion of the Octave of Easter, we will have Adoration and the Sung Chaplet of Divine Mercy from 2:30pm until 3:30pm. 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.

There will be no daily masses this week, as I will be away all week. There will be mass at Beloved Disciple and St. Columbkille, so I encourage everyone to join their churches for mass this week for Daily Mass.

On this Monday, April 15, (this is listed differently in the paper bulletin. April 15 is the correct date) there will be a Blooms and Bargains Bazaar Meeting at 6pm in the Parish Conference Room. Anyone that is able and interested in helping is asked to attend this meeting.

On Tuesday, April 16 at 6:30pm, we will have our next VBS planning meeting. All who are interested in helping with our VBS in July are asked to attend.

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 Saturday, May 4, 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:

The secret to happiness is also the secret to a long and fulfilling life: Let every situation be what it is, instead of what you think it should be, and then make the best of it. Let God’s Grace empower you to grow through the difficulties you go through.  

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

Around the Parish – April 9, 2023

Jesus is Risen! Alleluia! What a glorious sound it is to hear that word again, Alleluia! For these past forty-six days, we have been devoid of this beautiful word that means so much to our faith. Alleluia (sometimes written “Hallelujah”) is rooted in a Hebrew expression that means “praise the Lord.” It is found most often as a type of antiphon that is repeated at the end of the Psalms. It is also found in the book of Tobit, where it is referenced as a hymn of praise to be sung in the new Jerusalem:

The gates of Jerusalem shall be built of sapphire, and of emerald, and all the walls thereof round about of precious stones. All its streets shall be paved with white and clean stones: and Alleluia shall be sung in its streets. (Tobit 13:22)

Saint Jerome is responsible for the translation of the Hebrew expression to the word “Alleluia” in the Latin Vulgate, which was then used in the Roman liturgy. It is and always has been an expression of praise, glorifying God for his goodness. For this reason Alleluia is closely associated with a season of joy, and is in stark contrast with the somber penitential attitude of Lent.

Next Sunday for Divine Mercy Sunday, we will have adoration from 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm with the Sung Chaplet of Divine Mercy. I encourage everyone to take some time on Divine Mercy Sunday to thank God for His great gift of Mercy.

On Saturday, May 6, 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. On that same day, we will have a spring plant sale on our campus as well. A great way to get our church and homes all spruced up for the upcoming summer months!

In May, our Sunday Mass schedule is set to return to 8 am and 10:30 am. Before we make that decision, we want to make sure that is the best time for summer. In the bulletin for the next few weeks, a form will be available to select your favored option for the Summer Sunday Schedule. We ask that you only return one form per family. You can place the form in the collection basket or mail it to the parish office.

For the months of May—August, our Mass schedule is set to change from 11 am to 10:30 am. We are asking all parishioners to circle their preferred option below and return to the parish office via the collection or mailing in your response.

Option 1: 8:00 am & 11:00 am

Option 2: 8:00 am & 10:30 am

Option 3: 8:00 am & 10:00 am

Here’s a thought for your week: Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song. –Pope Saint John Paul II   

 Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy


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 after all the masses. Tickets can also always be purchased through the parish office.