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Transcript
9240 Damascus Road, Damascus, MD 20872
301-253-2027
www.StPaulDamascus.org
Thanks for your Thanks for your Thanks for your Thanks for your
generous donatigenerous donatigenerous donatigenerous donations ons ons ons
of food for the of food for the of food for the of food for the
John S. MulJohn S. MulJohn S. MulJohn S. Mulholland holland holland holland
Family Family Family Family
Foundation, Inc.Foundation, Inc.Foundation, Inc.Foundation, Inc.
Mass Mass Mass Mass TimesTimesTimesTimes
Saturdays 5:00pm (C) Sundays 8:30am, 11:00am, 5:00pm (C) Children’s Liturgy of the Word 11:00 Mass Monday – Friday 9:00am (NC) First Wednesdays Eucharistic Adoration after the 9:00am Mass (NC) First Saturdays Rosary 8:30am/Mass 9:00am (NC)
Reconciliation Saturdays 3:30-4:30pm (C) or by Appointment
Prayer & Healing Tuesdays following 9:00am Mass (All Year) First Saturdays following 9:00am Mass (Sept - June) First Sundays following 8:30am Mass (Sept - June) Prayer Request [email protected]
September 17, 2017
24th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Events/Meetings This Week
Monday, September 18, 2017 1:00-2:30pm Atrium Classes (NC) 4:30-6:00pm Atrium Classes (NC/NH) 6:30-8:15pm Atrium Classes (NC/NH) 7:00-9:00pm Bible Study (Conf I/Conf II) 7:00-8:15pm Religious Ed Opening Session (PC/C)
Tuesday, September 19, 2017 10:00-12:00pm Bible Study (PC1) 4:15-6:15pm Atrium Classes (NC/NH) 6:05-7:45pm Atrium Classes (NC/NH) 6:30-8:00pm MD1412 Troop Meeting (PC) 7:30-9:30pm Adult Choir (C) 7:30-9:30pm Prayer Shawl Ministry (Conf I) 8:00-9:30pm Youth Choir Practice (NC) 8:30-9:30pm AA Meeting (NH)
Wednesday, September 20, 2017 9:30-12:00pm Women’s Sharing Group (PC) 6:30-8:00pm St. Vincent de Paul (Conf I) 7:00-8:30pm StPYG Kick Off Party (NH) 7:00-11:00pm Spanish Prayer Group (NC) 7:30-11:00pm Prayer & Healing Service (PC/C)
Thursday, September 21, 2017 5:15-6:30pm Religious Ed Opening Session (PC/C) 7:00-8:30pm RCIA Inquiry (Conf I) 8:00-10:00pm Knights of Columbus (NH)
Friday, September 22, 2017
Saturday, September 23, 2017 Mission Appeal (Diocese of Balasore, India) 7:00-8:30am Men’s Faith Group (NH)
Sunday, September 24, 2017 Mission Appeal (Diocese of Balasore, India) 9:30-11:00am CIC (PC3/PCLL) 9:30-11:30am RCIA (NC) 10:00-11:00am Saint Paul Folk Practice (C) 3:00-4:45pm Middle School Sessions (PC/C/NC)
Legend: C – Church, APR – All Purpose Room, SAC – Sacristy, PC - Parish Center (3 Sections/Lower Lobby), NC - Norris Chapel,
(June thru August, the office closes at 4:00pm on Fridays)
Mon Sept 18 9:00am Helen K. Bain Tues Sept 19 9:00am Patti Woods Wed Sept 20 9:00am Eunice Lalmond Thur Sept 21 9:00am Ann Parkinson (Living) Fri Sept 22 9:00am Thea Wolfe Sat Sept 23 5:00pm Isabel Garcia Sun Sept 24 8:30am Nancy Metz Sun Sept 24 11:00am Mary Beth Gallagher (Living) Sun Sept 24 5:00pm Jennie Pelaia
Please Remember In Your Prayers: John Burke, Tom Butler, Joseph Corera, Michelle Doody, Joanny Figueroa, Mary George, Michael George, Nella Giliotti, Sandy Greenlee, Mary Alice Jenkins, Diane Kanne, Janet Keefe, Joan Kenealy, Mary Leggieri, Joe Maron Jr., Bobby McQuin, Jack Morrison, Dominic Naples, Jim Prentiss, Helen Reyes, Peggy Sicotte, Eleanor Szapiel and Dan Ward.
Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them O Lord: The parishioners of Saint Paul Catholic Church offer our prayerful condolences to the family and friends of those who recently passed away.
Prayer & Healing Ministry
Whether it is spiritual, physical or emotional, we all have times we need to ask the Lord to bring us to wholeness. Under direction of our Pastor, Saint Paul’s has a trained and dedicated prayer team available to pray with parishioners seeking the Lord’s healing presence. Confidentiality is strictly maintained. For info or to schedule an appt, please contact Brandt Boyle at 301-525-4380.
Pastoral Care – If you would like visitation, communion, anointing, confession, meals or have other care needs call the Rectory or email [email protected].
I knew when I came to the Tower of London that morning that I wanted to at least see from the outside places associated with St. Thomas More. A visit to the Bell Tower, the place where More was imprisoned, was totally out of the question due to the disruption created with the change in governing administration at the Tower.
However, the Church of St. Peter ad Vincula was another story. I knew that a visit inside the church itself was possible on a public tour. I had heard that at times after the public tour was finished that occasionally people were allowed to visit the Tomb of St. Thomas in the crypt without prior written permission. Since I arrived early long before the first of the Yeoman public tours was to begin, I decided to walk up and see the exact location of the church and then continue on for a visit to the Crown Jewels. When I came into the inner enclosure and walked up the stairs to the area of the Church, I couldn’t help but notice that there was a Yeoman posted at the walkway that led to the Church of St. Peter. At this point in the morning there was no one on the grounds that far into the enclosure. I decided that it made sense to ask him if it was possible after one of the public tours to visit the tomb of St. Thomas as I had been led to believe. After I asked, he very politely told me that it was not possible due to the confined space and that a visit to the crypt required a written permission. I told him that I had written and he then spoke of the changes during the week that made such visits difficult. I said that I totally understood and that in the response I received that this was given as the reason why I would not be able to visit the crypt. At that point I was about to thank him for his help and then proceed on to visit the Jewel House. It was then that the unexpected occurred. He undid the chain across the walk way and said “follow me.” As I said there was literally no one yet in that part of the Tower, he led me up the walk way and into the Church and down into the crypt. He said to me, “don’t take long, I can only give you a moment.” At first I was in a bit of shock, but I quickly recovered. At the far end of the crypt, which as I said earlier is not all that big, the shrine to St. Thomas is easily seen and well lit. There is a set of kneelers by the memorial and I knelt in prayer thanking St. Thomas and the good Lord for this blessing. I then had the sense to pray for all prisoners of conscience and those condemned unjustly. After that, I left and returned to the main level. He led me out and back to the spot where we entered. It was then that I truly thanked him and told him how grateful I was for the opportunity to see the tomb. The whole thing took all of 5 minutes but it was for me a moment that seemed eternal. The odd thing about this tremendous blessing was that it was not a surprise to me. Earlier that morning as I was praying about the visit and asking God’s blessing on the day, I had the curious sense that I’d be allowed to make this visit. I had thought at the time that it might happen at the end of the public tour. Call it intuition or wishful thinking or whatever you want, for me it was a moment of fulfilled inspiration. It was something that I was truly grateful to receive. Next week, I’ll give more on the Tower visit and my second visit to Tyburn.
From the Pastor’s Desk
2017-18 Religious Education Programs begin this week! If you have not yet registered please contact the Rectory at 301-253-2027.
New year of Middle School Religious Ed - Parents who have registered should have received an email confirming their class and day. If you have not received this email, please contact us. Our classes begin SUNDAY Sept. 24 and THURSDAY Sept. 28.
Parent Meeting - There will be an important informational meeting for all Pre-Confirmation (6th grade) parents, as well as Confirmation I (7th grade) parents who are new to our classroom program. Meetings will be held the first nights of our Sunday & Thursday classes (9/24 & 9/28) during class time.
Congratulations to our 2017
Confirmation Candidates who were confirmed last weekend, and thank you to all our staff, catechists, clergy, and parents who made their reception of the sacrament possible. To our newly confirmed high school students: be sure to check out information about our high school youth group below – StPYG.
2018 Confirmation Candidates - Anyone expecting to receive the sacrament of Confirmation in 2018 (including Catholic School students) should have received an email with dates for our Orientation Meetings. If you have not already attended an Orientation meeting, please call our Religious Education secretary, Cindy Zyzak, at 301-253-2027.
StPYG - Important Wednesday Dates:
9/20 - KICK OFF Party, 7-8:30pm Norris Hall
9/27 - Opening Night, 7-8:30pm Lower Level of the Parish Center. Experience what our regular youth group nights are like before we start Session 1.
10/4 - First Night of Session 1, 7-8:30pm Lower Level of the Parish Center. Register online for our first session, which is FREE and runs from Oct 4 - Dec 6.
More about our Sessions: Last year, StPYG moved to a new format. We have three (free!) sessions each year for which teens will have to register to participate. Each session is an 8 week set of Wednesday night events, 7-8:30pm. By registering for a session, teens are indicating that they plan to attend for those full 8 weeks. Outside of those sets of events we have "open events" in which any teen (whether registered for sessions or not) may participate.
So what's this format all about? Answer: Fulfilling more directly our mission statement through a focus on relational ministry and intentional discipleship. Registering teens for our program allows us the ability to form consistent small groups that teens will meet with during a portion of our gatherings. With greater capacity to invest in the teens who have committed to growing in faith with us, we can truly begin to "make disciples who make disciples." Read more about how this fits into our mission statement on the ABOUT US page of our youth group website, www.stpyg.weebly.com. Read more about our sessions on the REGISTER page of our site, which includes FAQs.
REGISTER NOW: www.stpyg.weebly.com
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Prayer Group Meetings – Our Thursday evening Prayer Group Meetings in the Norris Chapel are suspended for the month of September. Meetings will resume again Thursday, October 5.
Pastoral Care is seeking to establish a small group of volunteer parishioners who would be willing to provide transportation to a weekend mass for home-bound, unable to drive Catholics within our parish boundaries. Ideally, if there are enough volunteers then the transportation need per driver could be once or twice a month and hopefully geographically close to your home. Please email [email protected] or contact Deacon Maury.
Religious Education
Parish News
St. Paul's Choir welcomes new and returning members to join us! The choir sings weekly at 8:30am Sunday Mass throughout the "academic year" and is open to all adults of the parish. Rehearsals will be Tuesdays, 7:30-9pm. Singing in the choir is a wonderful way to serve Our Lord through sacred music, while spending time with fellow parishioners. Rehearsals provide an opportunity to sing from the Church's rich treasury of music, including choral selections, hymns, and chant. Learn or strengthen your music skills and participate in a prayerful community of volunteer singers. Not sure how to fit it into your schedule? Just ask the director! Please contact Larry Caines at [email protected] or 703-309-7321.
So, you want to be a Cantor? -- Do you like singing? Have you thought about being a cantor? Interested candidates will be provided training to strengthen skills. You will be linked with a "mentor cantor" to guide you through the specifics of being a cantor. You will have the opportunity within a supportive environment to discern if this ministry is for you. This opportunity is open to both teens and adults. We need additional cantors, if you feel called to this ministry, please contact Larry Caines at [email protected] or 703-309-7321.
St. Paul Folk Group is recruiting for certain additional instrumental and vocal members. Time commitment will be Sunday’s from 10:15 AM to 12:30 PM (practice and Liturgy). We provide music at the 11:00 AM Liturgy. We need soprano and tenor vocalist and either a bass or keyboard player. If interested please come and see Mark or Susan after 11:00 AM Liturgy, or by email at [email protected].
Extraordiary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs) - Thank you to our EMHCs who minister to our parish home-bound on a weekly basis providing them with the Eucharist and companionship of our parish community. EMHCs interested in this ministry are encouraged to
contact Deacon Maury.
You are invited to attend a Prayer, Praise and
Healing Meeting Wednesday, September 20th at 7:30PM in the Parish Center. It will be a wonderful opportunity to gather together in the power of the Holy Spirit for a time of singing, praise and worship, scripture and testimony, and healing prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Reconciliation will be available with Father Pierce and Prayer Ministers will also be present for those who desire to be prayed with individually. This is a multi-parish event that is open to everyone, so feel free to invite family and friends.
Mark your calendar! The annual Used Bike Collection by the Knights of Columbus is
scheduled October 28, 9-12pm, at the Damascus Park and Ride across from Damascus Library. For further info contact Gary Boughan 301-253-617 or www.bikesfortheworld.org.
Harvest Of Hope And Healing
An evening in Pair-A-Dice
November 4, 2017
To benefit St. Paul Honduras Clinic! Have you joined us on face book? If so have you shared our facebook page with your friends? In need of donated items for the silent auction baskets. You can drop off any items at the welcome desk on Sundays or to the rectory weekdays. What items? Wines, wine glasses, cocktail glasses, liquor, sports items, fit bits, sports tickets, vacation homes, travel, let your imagination flow. Do you own a business? What about sponsorship, and ask a friend to sponsor. Encourage your family and friends to attend. Tickets are now on sale, you can go to the welcome desk at the weekend Masses or on line by going to the parish web site to purchase your ticket. Contact Sherrie with any questions at 301- 580-3274 or [email protected]. Help us Shake Rattle and Roll for a good cause. A Knight under the Stars - October 14
from 6pm to 9pm St. Paul Knights of Columbus Council is sponsoring a Father & Daughter Dance. For ticket sales, contact Gary at 301-253-6277 or [email protected].
A Glance at the Diocese of Balasoe, India – Diocese of Balasore is a mission Diocese located in the north-east of India, very close to the Archdiocese of Calcutta. Balasore is a relatively young Diocese founded 26 years ago. As in the case with all of India, Catholics in Balasore represent a minority and are often persecuted members of the population. People in the diocese are very much tribal and rural in nature. Being of recent origin it has only a Catholic population of 30,000 whereas the total population of the area is about 9 million. The majority of the Catholic population are tribal who continue to live in poverty and illiteracy. Our parishes, missions, schools and hospitals are served by 70 Priests, 146 Women religious, and 85 lay catechists. Education and empowerment of our youth is of great importance for the future of the diocese. Health services in the rural areas are very much needed. Being poor, most of our people can contribute very little for the support of the Church, even when they have good will. Thus we do depend on financial assistance from outside the diocese for carrying out many of our pastoral as well as developmental works. The Mission
Appeal will be next weekend September 23/24. May God bless each one of you, God bless your parish and God bless America.
Hear Pope's Choir for Free! -- The Sistene's Chapel Choir will perform at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Wed., September 20th at 6:00PM. The concert is FREE and open to the public, with seating on a first come, first served basis. Don't miss this opportunity to hear the "Pope's Own" Choir perform the masterworks of our Catholic faith!
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School – Information night for parents of 6 thru 8th graders will be Tues., Sept. 26 at 7pm in the Performing Arts Center. The Admissions process and Academic programs will be presented. For info call 240-283-3367 or visit www.olgchs.org.
Fire Within: Maryland Catholic Women’s
Conference 7th Annual Retreat - October 6 – 8, 2017. You may attend Saturday only as a one day retreat. Cost $65 (Sat only $55). Mt. St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, MD. With Sister Helena Burnes, International speaker, radio host/EWTN guest, Mass with Archbishop William Lori, and Jon Leonetti, Catholic speaker, author/radio host, closing Mass with Bishop Mark Brennan. Visit
. http://marylandcatholicwomen.com/ Run for Vocations October 22 - Proceeds support vocation promotion and benefit seminarians of the Archdiocese of Washington. Visit www.dcpriest.org, or email [email protected].
Join Maryland March for Life for a screening of The Euthanasia Deception, a one-hour documentary featuring powerful testimonies from Belgium and beyond of lives devastated by the false ideology of ‘mercy killing.’ Learn to help prevent physician assisted suicide from being made legal and how you can prevent it from becoming a reality in MD. The film screening/discussion is Tues. Sept. 26 7–9pm at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church (Trumpet Room) 1513 Dunster Road, Rockville. For info, contact [email protected] or call Anthony Bosnick at (301) 840-1407.
Project Rachel Ministry, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington, hosts support groups
for women with difficulty over abortion. Contact Julia Shelava, 301-853-4565 or [email protected]. All contact is confidential
St. Michael Catholic Church Poplar Springs Welcomes the Separated and Divorced in our area to our next Surviving Divorce Support Group which begins Mon., Sept. 25 from 7-9pm in Room A115. This is an 11-week DVD and Discussion program that touches on many topics pertinent to those experiencing the Struggles of Separation and Divorce. All are welcome. For planning, we request participants sign-up in advance at [email protected].
~Pope St. John Paul II Mass will be 12 pm Sun., Oct. 1, Holy Redeemer Catholic Church (4902 Berwyn Rd, College Park, MD 20740). After Mass, we will process to the Metropolitan Family Planning abortion clinic while praying the rosary, and will pause at the site for additional prayers. Please join us in this witness to the dignity of life! Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington Department of Life Issues. Contact [email protected] or 301-853-5318 with questions. Catechetical Day 2017 - Saturday, October 28 at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, MD. The theme for the day is “Vocations and Holiness: I am a Mission,” and there will be tracks for individuals involved in every aspect of catechesis: RCIA, Adult Formation, Children, and Youth. Cardinal Wuerl will celebrate the opening Mass and Msgr. Robert Panke will offer the keynote address. Please contact Sara Blauvelt at 301-853-5368 or [email protected].
Mother Seton Parish - The Sodality of Mother Seton Parish, 19951 Fr. Hurley Blvd. in Germantown, is sponsoring a Autumn Splendor Bingo Fri., Oct. 6. Prizes include Bags from Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Vera Bradley and Dooney & Burke. Doors open at 5pm, Bingo starts at 7pm. Dinner provided (Lancaster County Dutch Market Chicken). You can pay in advance and reserve seats. Groups are welcome. Admission price is $35.00 which includes regular game cards, two special games, dinner and door prizes. For info, contact Kathleen Coughlin at [email protected] or 301-613-6893 evenings and weekends only.
Dedication of Rosary Walk and Garden at The
Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception Sat. Sept. 23 at 2pm. This outdoor prayer space features mosaic depictions of the Mysteries of the Rosary, statue of Our Lady of Fatima and the Fatima children and an almost life-sized crucifix statue, along a winding path through a beautiful garden. A Mass of Dedication will be celebrated in the Upper Church with Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, celebrant and homilist, followed by a procession to the garden. This event is open to the public; no tickets or reservations required. The Basilica, located at 400 Michigan Ave. NE, offers ample free parking, and is walking distance from the Metro’s Red Line. For more info please visit www.nationalshrine.com or call 202-526-8300.
The National Shrine Grotto of our Lady of
Lourdes and the Family of Saint Sharbel, USA cordially invite you to the dedication of the newly constructed Saint Sharbel Shrine at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, MD on Sat. Sept. 30. For more info call 301-447-5318, visit www.nsgrotto.org or www.familyofsaintsharbel.org.
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