11400 ST. AGNES LANE, N. HUNTINGDON, PA 15642 Rev. Msgr. V. Paul Fitzmaurice, Pastor [email protected]May 24, 2020 Happy Memorial Day A Parish of the Diocese of Greensburg Church Office ...................... 724-863-2626 724-863-2630 FAX: 724-863-1057 E-mail: [email protected]Website: www.stagneschurch.info Office Hours: ........ 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday - Friday Sunday and Daily Masses are currently suspended. Please look on our Website for directions on how to live stream Masses. The Church is open for private prayer daily from Noon to 7:00 p.m. Sacrament of Penance: by appointment. Please call the parish office to schedule. Marti DiToppa, Parish Secretary…………....724-863-2626 [email protected]Mary Blythe, Director of Faith Formation ................ 724-864-5393 [email protected]Susan Cheplic, Regional Youth Minister….724-863-2626 [email protected]Karen Kustra, Director of Music Ministries.. 724-863-8687 [email protected]Cynthia Milchick, Director of R.C.I.A. Sandy Monier MA Sp. Dir., Director of Pastoral Ministry 724-863-9621 [email protected]Christine Coletti, Admin. Assistant/Financial Secretary [email protected]Kristen Brown, Faith Formation Admin. Assistant [email protected]Queen of Angels Catholic School …………..724-978-0144 Sandra Stonebraker, Principal One Main Street, North Huntingdon, PA 15642 E-mail address: [email protected]Website: www.queenofangelssch.org Louise Daniels, Director of Joyful Noise Choir [email protected]St. Vincent de Paul…………………..724-691-3711 Baptisms: A baptism preparation session is required prior to having your baby baptized. Baptisms are by appointment. The standard time for baptisms is 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Marriage: Please call the church office one year in advance. Marriage preparation classes are required. The standard wedding time is 2:00 p.m. Saturday. Sponsor Certificates for Baptism and Confirmation: Anyone needing a sponsor certificate must be registered in the parish for at least 6 months, have all of their Sacraments (if married, be a Catholic Marriage), attend Mass regularly and support the Church. “A Pennsylvania Charitable Trust” Land line. No text please
Please look on our Website for directions on how to live stream Masses. The Church is open for private prayer daily from Noon to 7:00 p.m. Sacrament of Penance: by appointment. Please call the parish
Baptisms: A baptism preparation session is required prior to having your baby baptized. Baptisms are by appointment. The standard time for baptisms is 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
Marriage: Please call the church office one year in advance. Marriage preparation classes are required. The standard wedding time is 2:00 p.m. Saturday.
Sponsor Certificates for Baptism and Confirmation: Anyone needing a sponsor certificate must be registered in the parish for at least 6 months, have all of their Sacraments (if married, be a Catholic Marriage), attend Mass regularly and support the Church.
“A Pennsylvania Charitable Trust”
Land line. No text please
FROM THE PASTOR: Prayer: Spending Time With the Divine Lover
Prayer. When you hear that word, what comes to mind? Joy! Burden? Obligation? Something great to do if I weren’t so busy. An item to check off on the daily “to do” list.
I could honestly say that all those words or phrases have described my prayer at some time or another. I was in Church last Sunday pondering what I might say in this homily and I was struck
with this thought. Prayer is simply spending time with Someone we love and Who loves us very much. Of course, that Someone is God.
Jesus in His humanity understood that. He loved to spend time alone with the Father. He often rose early in the morning to pray and would pull an all-nighter in communion with the Father before making an important decision like whom to choose for His apostles.
Now Jesus would not only pray alone. Raised as an observant Jew by Mary and Joseph, Jesus would participate in the synagogue worship on the Sabbath and make the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover. And He spent time with those whom He loved, His apostles, and together they would spend time with God whom they loved.
That is the what is missing in our prayer life. We have not been able to be together to celebrate the Eucharist. We need each other. We need to pray together. Let us pray for this good fruit coming from this pandemic. First,
that we return with a deeper hunger for the Lord in precious of Himself in the Eucharist. Two, we return with a greater appreciation of the need for this community of faith. We cannot flourish as disciples of the Lord without both.
St. Agnes Opens Its Door For Masses
Alleluia! Alleluia! We can resume celebrating Mass on Monday, June 1st. We will operate at 25% capacity. We will follow the CDC and diocesan protocols. We will
utilize our various media platforms to get the word out to you.
When we are finally gathered together for Mass, look around you and say “I belong to these people, some I know and many I may not, but I belong to them
and they to me.” We will pray together, we raise our voices in song, we listen to the Words of Life in the scriptures, we offer the sign of peace with a bow or wave, and we receive the Lord in His Eucharist - Finally!
Our First Weekend With Mass Is Pentecost
How appropriate that we resume the celebration of Sunday Mass in Church on the feast of Pentecost - the birthday of the Church. May our parish experience a new beginning in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Here are some prayers to help prepare for this glorious time.
“Come, O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul. I adore You. Enlighten me; guide me; strengthen me; and console me. Tell me what I must do. Inspire me with what I must say. Give me Your orders.
I promise to submit myself to You in all that You ask of me. And to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your will, and so your will.” “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
1 May 24, 2020
SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER - THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD He was lifted up,
MAY 24, 2020 and a cloud took him from their sight. Acts 1:9
T H O U G H T S O N G I V I N G :
“I am praying for them…” (John 17:9)
Prayer is the foundation of our Faith and the foundation of Stewardship. Pray in good times and in bad. Prayer is always the first best option in any situation, not just the last resort. Pray for friends and family and for those that don’t treat you very well. Pray to give praise, to thank, and to ask God for help. Pray to see what God wants you to do with the gifts He has given you.
Year to Date $421,710.00 $192,155.77 $641,687.58 -$27,821.81
ARE YOU LOOKING TO CONTRIBUTE ? Online Giving is a safe, convenient way to donate to the Church. To sign-up, go to our
church website at www.stagneschurch.info and click on the Online Giving logo and create an account. If you have any questions, please call the Church office at 724-863-2626.
PRAYER CORNER - In your charity, please pray for those members of our parish family who need our prayers, especially:
Mike Bal las, Ruth Ann Chomas, Al lan Cook, J im Ferrant i , Ronnie Findley, John Gombos, Donna Grubbs, Tim Hamilton, Ethel Lesnicky, Frank Lesnicky, Sr. , Nate Lewand, David Machek, Karen Mulvay, Betty Musser, Les l i e Paat , Dorothy Pfof f , Chery l Roney, Tom Sa l sg iver , Rebecca Shaw, Franc i s Simko , W e n d y V i n c e n t , S g t . D o u g V i t a l e a n d Lana Wisniewski .
To drop off church envelopes, please use intercom and slide under office door.
Parish Update:
• The Church is re-opened for Private prayer from Noon to 7:00 p.m.
• Confessions with Msgr. Paul will be by appointment only.
• Stay Connected! Visit stagneschurch.info and view our YouTube Channel! The link can be found on our website. Msgr. Paul will be providing recorded Mass for:
• Sunday Mass, available to view |4:30 p.m. Saturday evening.
• In addition, look for “Monsignor’s Musings” to be posted as well with messages and prayers to our faithful to help us get through this strange and struggling time together!
• Church office hours are Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Weekly Offerings can be mailed in or dropped off to the Church Office. Simply press the intercom to the right of the office door to alert the office you are there.
• For any other church business, we ask that you phone in, mail, or email us at this time to ensure our health and safety. THANK YOU.
Our Parish Mission Statement
We, the People of St. Agnes Parish are a
Catholic Faith Community inspired and guided
by the Holy Spirit. Sharing in the mission of
Jesus Christ, we are committed to spreading
the Good News of God’s love in our Parish
and in the World. As we continue our journey
of Faith, we pledge to love and support each
other, give witness to Christ, and welcome all
who desire to be part of our Parish Family.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Thomas Bushik who passed away recently. May he
rest in peace. †
PARISH news AND AROUND the Area
3 May 24, 2020
Queen of Angels Catholic School
Queen of Angels Catholic School would like to take this time to honor our alumni who will be graduating from high school this year.
Anna Osinski • Parish - Immaculate Conception • High School - Serra Catholic • College/Major –
Pittsburgh Technical College majoring in Graphic Design
• Activities – Color Guard, Choir, Bowling, Musicals
“Thank you to the faculty and staff from Queen of Angels who put me on the path to a very bright future. I loved my time at Queen of Angels and hope to visit in the future!”
Dominic Marra • Parish - St. Edwards • High School - Yough Senior High School • College/Major - Business
• Activities - Hunting, Fishing, Photography
“I’m thankful for my time at Queen of Angels. Looking forward to new beginnings.”
ANGEL
CORNER
Class of 2020
PRIVATE PRAYER - resumes. The Church will be open daily from Noon to 7:00 p.m.
ATTENDEE GUIDELINES - All of those who enter the Church must:
• Wear a mask • Remain 6 feet apart
• Do not sit in the roped off areas • Sanitize hands
• Stay in designated areas to reduce daily sanitization requirements
DESIGNATED AREAS
Areas for pubic use:
• Main body of the Church that is NOT roped off. • Narthex
Restricted Areas: • Sacristies
• Restrooms • Cry Room
• "Divine Mercy" Chapel
CONFESSION - The Sacrament of Penance will be by appointment.
LIVESTREAM - continues. You can continue to watch Sunday Mass starting Saturday evenings at 4:30 p.m.
STAY HOME - IF :
• You have pre-existing conditions or are immune compromised
• You are feeling sick • You suspect you may be sick or have been
exposed to Covid-19 • You have a sick family member at home
All other events and meetings remain suspended until further notice. THANK YOU for your patience during these unprecedented times.
THE 2020 TIM MESZAR SCHOLARSHIP FUND Applications are now being accepted for the 11th annual Tim
Meszar Scholarship Fund. The scholarship amount is $1,500. Eligibility requires that you are a graduating high school senior and a registered member of St. Agnes Parish, North Huntingdon, who in current years have been involved in the life of the parish through any activity, ministry, group or organization. Applications can be obtained by calling the St. Agnes Parish Office at 724-863-2626. The application can be emailed or picked up at the Parish Office Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The deadline for application submission is yet to be determined. A special thank you to Mrs. Barb Meszar for this most generous gift.
Class of 2020
Memorial Day Prayer
God of power and mercy, you destroy war and put down earthly pride. Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears, that we may all deserve to be called your sons and daughters. Keep in your mercy those men and women
who have died in the cause of freedom and bring them safely into your kingdom of justice and peace. We ask this
though Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
AROUND the area PARISH news AND AROUND the Area
St. Agnes Parish 4
PARISH COMMUNITY OUTREACH
As we all are being vigilant in protecting ourselves and our families from contracting, and potentially spreading the Coronavirus to others, we must be mindful of those who are most vulnerable to serious health risks if exposed, and those who will suffer economically during this extremely difficult time. Our parishes are working to be responsive to these needs, as our faith calls us to be proactive and serve those in need with compassion and love. As a
faith community, one way that we can help is by purchasing gift cards for those in need. An easy way to purchase a gift card, without having to go to the store, is to purchase give cards through Queen of Angels
Catholic School’s Scrip Program. If you would like to donate towards the purchase of gift card for the need, please complete these three easy steps.
1. Fill out the form below. 2. Include a check made payable to Queen of Angels Catholic School. 3. Return/mail both items to a parish office (Immaculate Conception, St. Agnes, or St. Elizabeth Ann Seton)
No going to the store required!!! Queen of Angels Catholic School will fill the gift card orders that were purchased and return the gift cards to the parishes. The parishes will then distribute the gift cards to St. Vincent DePaul for families in need in our area. THANK YOU for your support. If you have any questions, please call St. Agnes Parish Office at 724-863-2626.
PARISH COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Value Quantity Total
$10 ( ) $___________ $25 ( ) $___________
Value Quantity Total
$25 ( ) $___________
INSPIRATION - Let my prayer rise up like incense before YOU, my Lord! Psalm 141:2
If you’d like to light a candle, here’s how. We ask for a $3.00 donation simply to offset the cost of the pillar candles. Mail in a check payable to: St. Agnes Church (11400 St. Agnes Lane, N. Huntingdon, PA 15642), OR drop off a check/cash to the
St. Agnes Church Office (Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) A staff member will light your candle. Candles burn for 7 days. If you have any questions, call the parish office at 724-863-2626.
