Tag: Spring

Around the Parish – January 28, 2024

Written by on January 27, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

As we stand on the precipice of the last few days of January 2024, it’s a moment to pause and reflect on the swift passage of time. It seems like just yesterday we were ushering in the new year with hope and resolutions. Yet here we are, already bidding farewell to the first month of the year. Time, as they say, waits for no one, and as we navigate through the days, let’s take a moment to appreciate the journey so far and embrace the possibilities that lie ahead in the coming months.

Eucharistic Ministers for Nursing Home Visits:

This Thursday, February 1 at 11:00am, I ask anyone that is interested in taking communion to the nursing homes to come to a meeting in the parish office conference room. If you are unable to make it, please contact me as soon as possible!

Snow Removal:

As no one has responded to our advertisement, we are STILL in need of someone to shovel and spread salt around our church campus. THIS IS A PAYING JOB!!! Please help us find someone who would be able to assist us in this task.

Spring Bible Study Registration:

Our Spring Bible Study awaits, and I encourage you to register by Monday, February 5, 2024. The cost is $20 per person, and your timely registration ensures that all necessary books can be purchased. We benefit from a parish discount, so let’s delve into the Word together.

Vacation Bible School Planning Meeting:

A reminder that our planning meeting for VBS 2024 is THIS Wednesday, January 31 at 6:00 pm. If you are able to help in any capacity, please plan on attending this meeting.

Easter Lottery Baskets Raffle:

Speaking of time flying, it is already time to think about collecting lottery scratch off tickets for our Easter Raffle! In the coming weeks, we will be mailing out the raffle tickets, but in the meantime, we need to collect lottery tickets. As always, you can turn them in by dropping them in the collection basket, or dropping them off at or mailing them to the parish office. Thank you again for your continued generosity!

The feast of Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, is next Saturday, February 3. We will have throat blessings next weekend after every mass.

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

You are the artist of your life; don’t give the brush to anyone else. Family life is changed by our example, not our complaints. Sometimes what looks like an obstacle is actually a gift that is meant to move us in a different direction. Don’t believe everything you see on social media; no one is posting their failures.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – January 21, 2024

Written by on January 20, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

Before you know it, we will already be back in Lent. The Gospel this weekend gives us a preview of Lent and our expectations. Jesus calls us to repentance and firm faith in the Gospel. Let our prayer this week be focused on His Good News and the grace of the Sacraments.

Eucharistic Ministers for Nursing Home Visits:

On Thursday, February 1 at 11:00am, I ask anyone that is interested in taking communion to the nursing homes to come to a meeting in the parish office conference room. If you work during that time or are unable to make it, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Even if you haven’t contacted the parish office yet and are even just interested in this ministry, I ask that you come to this meeting. As always, if you have any questions, please call the parish office.

Snow Removal:

I must have jinxed us, as the snow and cold came in this past week! We are in need of someone to shovel and spread salt around our church campus. THIS IS A PAYING JOB!!! Please help us find someone who would be able to assist us in this task.

Spring Bible Study Registration:

Vacation Bible School Planning Meeting:

A reminder that our planning meeting for VBS 2024 is Wednesday, January 31 at 6:00 pm. If you are able to help in any capacity, please plan on attending this meeting. If you are unable to be present at this meeting, please contact the parish office. Thank you to all our volunteers! Without your “yes” we would not be able to have programs like this available in our church!

Mass Schedule:

THIS WEEK weekday masses will be in the office Conference Room. We will be rewaxing the sanctuary this week.

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

Never let the ugly in others compromise the beauty in you. Never be a prisoner of your past, It was a life lesson, not a life sentence. Ideal families only exist in art and literature. All families have their crosses. What differentiates families is the number of members who are willing to lend a hand in trials and the number who choose to be mere spectators .

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – January 14, 2024

Written by on January 13, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

Returning to the time throughout the year in our Church calendar, we encounter today the words of Saint John’s Gospel that we hear during every mass: “Ecce Agnus Dei,” “Behold the Lamb of God.” These words resonate through the sacred space of our worship, inviting us to reflect on the profound symbolism they carry. In the rhythm of our liturgy, they serve as a constant reminder to behold Jesus, the Lamb of God, in the subtle and hidden facets of our lives. As we engage in today’s liturgy, let us cultivate a mindful awareness, seeking the presence of Jesus in the quiet, often overlooked moments, and embracing the profound significance of his divine sacrifice.

Eucharistic Ministers for Nursing Home Visits:

I hope that you had an opportunity to pray about helping us with bringing the Holy Eucharist to those who are in our local nursing homes. We hope to be able to bring communion to our Catholic Residents every week in the four nursing homes in our parish. If you feel called to help in this important ministry, please contact the parish office at your earliest convenience. We will schedule an informational meeting once we gather names of volunteers.

Snow Removal:

Praise God, we have had very little snow removal needed so far this winter season, but as we all know, winter is just beginning. We are in need of someone to shovel and spread salt around our church campus. THIS IS A PAYING JOB!!! Please help us find someone who would be able to assist us in this task.

Spring Bible Study Registration:

Vacation Bible School Planning Meeting:

Although it may seem distant, Summer 2024 Vacation Bible School is on the horizon. Join our planning meeting on Wednesday, January 31, at 6 pm. Your input and enthusiasm are crucial to making this experience memorable for our children. Please mark your calendars and attend if you can.

Mass Schedule:

The week of January 23-26, weekday masses will be in the office Conference Room. We will be doing maintenance in church that will prohibit mass for the week from being in church. Also on this Thursday, January 18, there is no mass at Immaculate Heart due to a meeting I have in Erie that day.

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

A friend is one who strengthens you with prayer; blesses you with love and encourages you with hope. Life is full of give and take. Give thanks to God and show appreciation to others and take nothing for granted

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – January 7, 2024

Written by on January 6, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

Happy New Year! As we step into 2024, I pray this message finds you embraced by the promise and possibilities that the new year brings, filled with the grace and blessings of the season.

Eucharistic Ministers for Nursing Home Visits:

I am grateful for those dedicated individuals who currently visit local nursing homes to bring the Eucharist to residents. However, we aspire to enhance this outreach by restarting weekly visits. We need more volunteers to serve as Eucharistic Ministers for these crucial visits. Your willingness to share the gift of communion is a powerful way to bring comfort and joy to those in need. Please contact the parish office for more details if you are interested in joining this vital ministry.

Mass Volunteers – Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors:

A heartfelt thank you to all who contribute their time as Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors during our masses. Your service is invaluable. Yet, the need for more volunteers persists. Don’t hesitate to step forward and offer your talents. Your involvement strengthens our worship experience as a community.

Epiphany Water and Blessing Bags:

Visit the sanctuary by the statue of Saint Joseph this weekend to find Ziplock bags containing chalk and the Epiphany House Blessing prayer. During mass this weekend, I will bless the water and chalk, which you can then use to bless your homes and workplaces. Please take one bag per family and follow the directions provided.

Spring Bible Study Registration:

Vacation Bible School Planning Meeting:

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

Strength does not come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t. Fear has two meanings: forget everything and run or with God, face everything and rise. The moment you received God’s forgiveness in confession, God forgave you; now do your part and leave the guilt behind.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – April 9, 2023

Written by on April 8, 2023. Posted in Around the Parish, News.

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.

Click here for more info on the 300 Club

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