Tag: VBS

Around the Parish – July 7, 2024

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

The big week is finally here! This Monday, July 8 we welcome over 50 youths to our Vacation Bible School, “Hometown Nazareth: Where Jesus was a Kid”. The team has worked hard these past weeks, and we are excited to welcome our youth to this fun filled adventure. Please continue to pray for our children and leaders as we journey back in time to learn more about our God and His love for us!

A question was raised by a few members of our church on when we should sit, kneel, and stand following communion. Back in October of 2021, the Diocese of Erie returned to the practice of kneeling during the Communion Rite (following the recitation/singing of the Lamb of God through the reception of communion). Upon returning to the pew, all are invited to either kneel or sit, depending on the individual’s preference. The question was raised, “do we have to kneel? And when do we sit?” The simple answer is, it’s entirely up to you after receiving communion. For clarity sake, a common practice is that the general permission to sit is with the closing of the tabernacle doors after the Holy Eucharist is placed inside the tabernacle and the priest genuflects/bows. As always, you are welcome to continue kneeling until the presider says “Let us pray,” for the prayer after communion, but you are welcome to sit whenever you wish.

(I think the questions was raised because some may have felt awkward wanting to sit and the priest either does not return to the chair or there is a lengthy time after communion until the priest sits. In other words, you don’t have to wait for the priest to sit if you wish to sit. It is entirely up to your judgement when you want to sit!)

We are always in need of more ministers at mass! If you feel called to minister by reading or being a Eucharistic Minister, or assisting as an usher, please let us know in the office! We are still in need of more ministers of Holy Communion to visit our local nursing homes. Currently, there are three weeks of the month that need a minister to visit either QLS or Avalon. If you feel that you are in need of a sign, this is your sign from God! We need YOU to make this community a family!

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. Regardless of the circumstances, two things that we are always in control of are our attitude and our level of motivation. Go prayerfully in he direction of your dreams. Life is fragile, handle it with prayer.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – June 30, 2024

Written by on June 29, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

This week, our country celebrates its independence, as well as the mid point of our summer. Every year, when we get to this point, I always ask myself, how? How did the time fly so fast that we are at the Fourth of July. In any event, I hope and pray that you enjoy the holiday and time with family.

The parish office will be closed this week on Thursday as well as our usual day off on Friday for the celebration of the Fourth of July. In order to celebrate with my family, I will be away on Friday, July 5. Therefore, as mentioned in last week’s bulletin, there will be no adoration as well as mass this Friday.

On Thursday, August 8, Life Line Screening will be hosting a health screening in Gallagher Hall. To participate, you need to preregister for the screening. More information can be found at the doors of church as well as in this weekend’s bulletin.

Calling all bakers! We need your help to make our VBS even sweeter! If you’re willing to bake cookies for our students, we would greatly appreciate your support. You can drop off your delicious creations in the Gallagher Hall kitchen on the weekend of July 6 & 7 after all masses, or anytime on Monday, July 8. Thank you for your generosity!

You may have noticed some recent digging around our property. As part of our ongoing commitment to maintenance, we had the window wells and outside stairwell repaired. Prior to beginning the work, the contractor called the 811 hotline to ensure all utilities were marked. However, despite these precautions, the gas line was accidentally hit during the digging process. As a result, everyone on the property was evacuated while we waited for the gas company to shut off the service and repair the line. Unfortunately, there was difficulty locating the shutoff valve, leading to the installation of a new one as it was discovered that the previous valve was missing. Fortunately, all issues have been resolved, and work continued. Our window wells and stairwell are now fully repaired.

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

It is the same life, whether we spend it laughing or complaining. Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today. Be a positive energy trampoline—absorb what you need and rebound more back. I am not a product of my circumstances; I am a product of my decisions.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – June 23, 2024

Written by on June 22, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

Thank you to everyone that donated to our special second collection last weekend for our Vacation Bible School. We raised $1,773. for our use during the special days of VBS. If you wish to donate still, please feel free to place any donation in the collection basket with a note or envelope marked that the use is for VBS. As a reminder, this event is COMPLETELY FREE for all of our participants. At the moment, we have 29 students registered. More are always welcome! We ask that you register ASAP so that we can adequately prepare by purchasing materials in time for our first day. Can you believe it? VBS is only just about 2 weeks away! Please help us spread the word in our community! All are invited to participate, and we look forward to an amazing week of fun!

Next week, our country celebrates its 248th birthday! What a better way to thank God for the gift of freedom than attending mass? Our daily mass will remain at 8am on Thursday, July 4, but I encourage everyone to rise early to thank God for this gift of freedom, liberty, and the ability to praise His Most Holy Name! As we know, many in our world do not have this luxury, so let’s make sure to use it this year.

As mentioned in last weeks bulletin and included in this weeks bulletin, there is an advertisement for our High School students to participate in a Catholic Summer Olympics over in Sharon and Hermitage. I want to personally encourage any high school student to participate from our parish! It will be a great time of fun and faith for all! I look forward to seeing you all there. Please contact Saint Joseph Parish for more information.

Normally on First Friday we have adoration and confessions available from 6-7pm, but we will not be having that this month of July so that those who are traveling for the Fourth can celebrate and be with family. We will begin our First Friday adoration and confessions again in August. Mark you calendars so that you can join us!

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

To prepare for tomorrow, trust in Jesus today. Just because something could have been different, doesn’t necessarily mean that it would have been better. Don’t let your habits become handcuffs. Always try to turn set backs into set up. Let’s be certain to give as much energy to our dreams as we do to our fears.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – June 16, 2024

Written by on June 15, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

Thank you to everyone who participated in or 40 Hours Eucharistic Devotion. The three days were filled with so many graces and blessings. A special thank you goes out to Deacon Michael Scanga who led us in our contemplation of the Eucharist and our relationship with Christ. We eagerly look forward to his priesthood ordination in May of 2025.

A special prayer and blessing goes out to all the Fathers of our parish community. Just like Saint Joseph, all fathers are called to be a witness to God in the way they lead and pray for their families.

In preparation for our Vacation Bible School, we will be taking up a special second collection at all the weekend masses. The monies collected will be used to help defray the costs associated with our VBS. Remember, we do not charge any of the families that participate so that there is no reason to not participate! All are welcome, and you do not need to be a member of our church to join! Please help us spread the word in these last few days before we begin on July 8!

As you will see in this bulletin, there are no masses this week coming up, as all the priests will be away for our annual Emmaus Convocation. All priests of the Diocese will be spending a week in Latrobe, PA at Saint Vincent Archabbey for a week or prayer and fraternity. Please pray for us as we pray for you! I look forward to seeing you all next weekend.

Included in the bulletin this weekend, as well as mailed out to all the homes of our students, a flyer is included for Catholic Youth Summer Olympics. Spearheaded by Father Power, pastor of Saint Joseph Parish in Sharon, for the four Thursdays in July, games will be held for our high school students to compete in. I want to encourage all of our high school youth to consider participating! Make a team for IHM and make the parish proud! I look forward to being present at these events, and hope to see our students there.

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

Time has a wonderful way of showing us who and what is truly important. Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make, makes you. Our worst days have an ending and our best days have a beginning. Happy are those who take life day by day and are grateful for the little things. Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody. We can’t cure the world of sorrow, but we can choose to be a source of joy for others.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – June 9, 2024

Written by on June 8, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

As announced last weekend, we are delighted to celebrate our parish feast day throughout this weekend, honoring the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Please note that the readings for this special Mass have been carefully selected for the occasion and will not be available in the hymnals. Let us come together in prayer and community to deepen our devotion and celebrate the grace and love bestowed upon us through the honoring of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Thank you to everyone for the Anniversary well wishes and congratulations. I am grateful for your continued support of me and our parish community. I am truly honored and humbled to have been a priest for six years now. It feels like just yesterday I was in seminary, dreaming of what it would be like to be a priest some day. I am truly grateful to God for allowing me to be your priest these past two years. I look forward to many years to come! (And hopefully the Bishop agrees. I’d love to stay here forever!)

A special congratulations to my Brother Knights this weekend as we also celebrate their 65^th Anniversary. I am grateful for their presence in our parish, our community, and our families. As a knight, I know of the dedication and support intimately that they give to the church. Please make sure to thank the knights for all they do for our church and beyond. Also, if any man is interested in joining the Knights, please contact Mr. Rich Lipinski, the Grand Knight of the Mercer Knights of Columbus. (13rlipinsk@gmail.com) We are always hoping to have more brothers join!

As you know, our 40 Hours Eucharistic Devotion begins this Sunday following our 10a mass. Over the next three days, Adoration will be in church each day following mass, and will conclude with Benediction each night beginning at 7pm with Evening Prayer and a Homily by Deacon Michael Scanga. Many priests from all over the Diocese of Erie will be visiting our parish for this special time. Please do greet them and welcome them to our parish! The flyer of times is available in our bulletin this weekend. Please make sure to take a copy home!

Next weekend, we will be taking up a second collection for our Vacation Bible School. We run our VBS solely on donations as we do not charge any of the participants so that there is no barrier for the families to participate. In your charity, please help us to spread the news about our VBS for children to participate. Thank you for your continued generosity.

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

Friendships are flowers in the garden of life: you need to water them and care for them if you want them to grow. Be a person who solves problems, not one who creates them. Be stronger than your strongest excuse.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – June 2, 2024

Written by on June 1, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

This weekend, our church celebrates the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or as more commonly known, Corpus Christi Sunday. In a special way, we give thanks to God on this Corpus Christi Sunday for the gift of His Body and Blood as our food and medicine here on this earth. By this great gift, we are given the remedy out of this life of sin and a way back into His Love. By this sacrament, we participate in His eternal sacrifice upon the cross, bringing our unworthiness to the foot of the Holy Cross from which we receive every grace and heavenly blessing.

On this Corpus Christi weekend, we also recognize a new gift that we have been given by God: the gift of a newly recognized Saint in Heaven. This saint is Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint. Although his Canonization Mass has not yet been celebrated, the Holy Father has recognized another miracle attributed to Carlo’s intercession, paving the way for his sainthood. Let us give thanks to God for this holy young man who was so dedicated to the Holy Eucharist; let us proclaim this great saint to the ends of the earth for his desire to proclaim Jesus in the Eucharist to all!

A common practice for Corpus Christi Sunday is to celebrate with Eucharistic Processions. Last year, if you remember, we held the deanery Eucharistic Procession. This year, Saint Joseph Church in Sharon is hosting the deanery Eucharistic Procession. Rev. Mr. Michael Scanga will be giving a reflection at the conclusion of the procession. Deacon Michael will then be with us for our Forty Hours Celebration the next weekend. All are invited to participate in the procession beginning at 2pm at Saint Joseph Church. I look forward to seeing you all there!

Forty Hours Eucharistic Adoration sign-ups remain available in the main vestibule of church as well as on our parish website. At least one person is needed for each hour the Eucharist is exposed for Adoration. I ask that you consider signing up for an hour or two of Adoration during the three days of prayer. More information is available on our website.

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

The happiest people are those who make the effort to make other happy. Remember, your day will go the way the corners of your mouth turn.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – May 26, 2024

Written by on May 25, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

This weekend, we celebrate the profound Mystery of the Holy Trinity, encompassing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While we strive to comprehend God in His Three Persons, He remains an unfathomable mystery. Despite our growing understanding, there is always more to discover. Although studying the Trinity may seem daunting or even futile, we are called to a life of continuous conversion and exploration of our faith. I encourage you to deepen your relationship with God through daily prayer and study.

This Weekend, we are officially kicking off our Walking with Moms in Need ministry! Thanks to massive donations and contributions already, we have tons of clothing items available for our moms in need! With that being said, we are not in need of clothing, but rather with items such as diapers, wipes, and toiletry items, both for mom and baby. With all of the amazing donations, we are now desperately in need of clothing racks, baby hangers, and shelving for our storage room. If you feel called to donate any of these items, please contact Barb Dumais, our Director of Outreach Ministry. More information can be found on the Outreach Ministry webpage.

Outreach Ministry

Forty Hours Eucharistic Adoration sign-ups remain available in the main vestibule of church as well as on our website. I ask that you consider signing up for an hour or two of Eucharistic Adoration during the three days of prayer. More information is available on our website.

Registration forms for our VBS are available at the doors of church as well as on our parish website. Please register as soon as possible so that we can prepare!

VBS Registration

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

Don’t put people down, unless it is on your prayer list. Let’s turn our cant’s into cans and our dreams into a plan. Remember, a negative attitude never gives us a positive life or healthy relationships. Trust that when God’s answer seems to be no, there is a better yes just around the corner.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – May 19, 2024

Written by on May 18, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

This Sunday, we celebrate Pentecost. Pentecost Sunday marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, emboldening them to proclaim the Gospel with conviction. Just as Jesus instructed his followers to be instruments of peace, Pentecost underscores the responsibility of believers to share the message of salvation and reconciliation. On this day, let us remember our duty to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit that God has given us to promote peace through faith, prayer, and righteous living.

As mentioned in last week’s bulletin, I am away this weekend for my brother’s wedding in Erie. I thank Father Ray for covering the parish for me this weekend. Please make sure to thank him for being here with us in my absence. I truly cannot thank him enough for his continued support of me and our parish!

Next Weekend, we will be officially kicking off our Walking with Moms in Need ministry! Thanks to massive donations and contributions already, we have tons of clothing items available for our moms in need! With that being said, we are not in need of clothing, but rather with items such as diapers, wipes, and toiletry items, both for mom and baby. With all of the amazing donations, we are now desperately in need of clothing racks, baby hangers, and shelving for our storage room. If you feel called to donate any of these items, please contact Barb Dumais, our Director of Outreach Ministry. More information can be found on the Outreach Ministry webpage.

Outreach Ministry

Forty Hours Eucharistic Adoration sign-ups are available in the main vestibule of church. I ask that you consider signing up for an hour or two of Eucharistic Adoration during the three days of prayer. More information is available on our website.

Registration forms for our VBS are available at the doors of church as well as on our parish website. Please register as soon as possible so that we can prepare!

VBS Registration

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

Two thoughts will be the death knell to any goal: “That’s how we’ve always done it,” and “That will never work.” Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable; give space for the work of the Holy Spirit. Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your head, but by the dreams in your heart.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – May 12, 2024

Written by on May 11, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible moms in our parish! Today, we honor the love, strength, and sacrifice you pour into your families each day. Your nurturing spirit reflects the boundless love of our Heavenly Father. May your day be filled with joy, laughter, and cherished moments with your loved ones. Thank you for your unwavering dedication and the countless ways you shape our lives with your love. God bless you abundantly on this special day!

Thank you to all our volunteers for their help with our Blooms and Bargains Bazaar on Saturday, May 4. Thanks to all of your donations and support, we were able to raise $3,081.29.

Even though the 300 Club has begun, it’s not too late to get your ticket! Help us with the final push to sell our remaining 67 tickets!

This week for daily mass on Wednesday—Friday, and next weekend for Pentecost Sunday, we welcome Father Ray for all masses as I will be away. Next Saturday is my brother’s wedding, and so I will be in Erie for preparations as well as the weekend. Thank you for always welcoming Father Ray and making him feel at home when I am away!

In July, we will be hosting Vacation Bible School on Mon. July 8 through Fri. July 12. More information is available on our website. Registration forms are available at the doors of Church as well as on our website.

Congratulations to all our graduates as they embark on this new chapter of their lives! Your journey is guided by faith, reflecting the enduring love of our Heavenly Father. As you embrace the challenges ahead, remember that God’s strength is within you. We are proud of your achievements and pray that His blessings continue to illuminate your path. Congratulations, graduates, and may you continue to shine as beacons of His grace!

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your head, but by the dreams in your heart. Don’t let people pull you into their storm; pull them into your peace. The real mark of a Christian is the ability to remain pleasant when others are not.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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Around the Parish – May 5, 2024

Written by on May 4, 2024. Posted in News, Around the Parish.

This Saturday, May 4, we celebrated First Holy Communion for three students in our parish, Marianna Sosa-Ramirez, Ryker Gailey, and Luca Seppi. Congratulations to these three students, as well as a massive thank you to Mrs. Linda Oliver who helped prepare these students to receive this most important sacrament.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Blooms and Bargains Bazaar this weekend. As always, I am truly grateful for all of your continued support for our parish family.

Mark your calendars for our Forty Hours celebration of the Holy Eucharist on Sunday June 9, Monday June 10, and Tuesday June 11. Sign ups for our adoration are now available in the main vestibule of church on the window separating the vestibule and nave of church, as well as on our website. We are in need of volunteers to sign up for Eucharistic Adoration on each of the three days. Times are listed on the sign up sheets as well as on our website. Newly ordained Deacon Michael Scanga, transitional deacon for the Diocese of Erie will be with us to preach on the Eucharist. https://ihmercer.org/40-hours

In July, we will be hosting Vacation Bible School on Mon. July 8 through Fri. July 12. More information is available on our website. Registration will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.

If you find that you are not a registered member of our parish family, or maybe you haven’t been getting all of our latest updates, make sure that you register through the parish office, as well as signing up for our FlockNote, which allows the parish staff as well as our different ministries to send messages and updates directly to your cell phone or email. More information can always be found on our website https://ihmercer.org/flocknote

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

Wear your trials as armor, not shackles. Your mistakes do not define you, your love does. Focus on where you want to go, not on what you fear. Life is short: there is no time to leave important words unsaid.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

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