511 20TH STREET • 1401 5TH AVENUE, ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA 16602

Sacred Heart Rectory: 814-943-8553 • Fax: 814-943-1556 Saint Mary Rectory: 814-942-2416 Email: sacredheart511@verizon.net

Websites: www.sacredheartaltoona.org http://stmaryschurchaltoona.wixsite.com/saintmarys

Formation Center: 944-3922-Food Pantry: 943-4529 DIRECTORY

Rev. Ľ. Strečok ................................................................................................. Pastor Paulette Johns ............................................................... Sacred Heart Parish Secretary

Anita Wavrek…………………………………………...Saint Mary Parish Secretary Joel Caracciolo ......................................... Sacred Heart Parish Council Chairperson James Rokosky ........................................ Sacred Heart Finance Council Chairperson Joseph Eckels ............................................. Saint Mary Finance Council Chairperson Judy Wahl ........................................... Sacred Heart Director of Religious Education Debbie Bartley ....................................... Saint Mary Director of Religious Education Mike Kelleher ....................................... Sacred Heart Director of Christian Initiation Jim Mock.................................................. Saint Mary Director of Christian Initiation Patrick Dorman .............................................................. Sacred Heart Choir Director Terry Carnicella ............................................................... Saint Mary Choir Director Jeffrey Arpino, T. Carnicella, J. A. Mitchell, K. Koehle ............................. Organists

CELEBRATIONS OF THE EUCHARIST Weekdays, Monday-Friday: 7:45 a.m. (Sacred Heart)

Saturday Vigil Masses: 4:00 p.m. (Saint Mary) 5:30 p.m. (Sacred Heart) Sunday Masses: 8:00 a.m. (Saint Mary) 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 Noon (Sacred Heart)

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION (Sacred Heart) Saturday: 12:30 p.m.

(Saint Mary) Saturday: 3:00 p.m.

SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING OF THE SICK: You are encouraged to notify the rectory as soon as there is a serious illness. You are also asked to notify the rectory when a relative is admitted to a hospital or nursing home.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: The Sacrament of Baptism for Infants normally takes place during a weekend celebration of the Eucharist or on Sundays at 1:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart or 9:00 a.m. at Saint Mary. For the baptism of their first child, parents are expected to attend a baptismal session with Fr. Ľubomír. Please call the rectory office for an appointment. Godparents for infants must be at least 16 years of age, confirmed, and regularly practicing the faith with a freedom to receive the Eucharist. Sponsor certificate for Godparents is necessary and can be obtained from their parish office of their current Church of registration.

CHRISTIAN INITIATION: Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Catholic Church should contact a member of the parish staff.

SACRAMENT OF HOLY MATRIMONY: Please call the Pastor nine months in advance to make arrangements for instruction and planning the marriage ceremony.

FOOD PANTRY: The Sacred Heart Food Pantry will be open on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. until 1:45 p.m.

SACRED HEART CHURCH ♥ SAINT MARY CHURCH

August 30, 2020

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Secular pursuits only bring a temporary amount of

satisfaction and fulfillment. As much as we may think

that achieving worldly success, economic security,

personal well-being, and self-fulfillment are worthy

goals to obtain, they all are dependent on external vari-

ables and can lead to emptiness. We are trained to be

very pragmatic and productive. Unless we are able to

check off all of the boxes or comply with specific

measurable requirements, our value and worth becomes

questionable. Corporations, educational institutions,

systems, structures, and secular ideology rarely con-

sider deeper, more spiritual, and human contributions a

person can and needs to make. To the secular mind, the

wisdom and ideals of the Gospel are making less and

less sense. Consider for a moment this question: “What

profit would there be for one to gain the whole world

and forfeit his life?’ While Jesus is asking this very

challenging question to people who are considering his

message, many in our world are in a quite different

place. Whether we realize it, many folks are asking a

much different question. Why would you not want to

gain the whole world and secure your life? If you look

at where a lot of folks are investing their time, energy,

and resources, it become obvious where current priori-

ties rest.

Modern day comforts and possibilities are backing us

out of our relationship with God. The fire burning in

every human heart is trying to find its satisfaction in

the things that humans have created and not God. Be-

ing altruistic and offering compassion for those most in

need become a political responsibility or responsible

gesture. We realize that our hearts need to be centered

on something and someone who calls us out of our-

selves, but we struggle and battle with naming the

source of that call. God places the desire to seek, find,

and love Him in the core of every soul. We are not

abandoned and left to fend for ourselves. But we can

easily get confused. We know that when we extend

ourselves to another self-sacrificially, we are doing

what is just and right. We know that we can work

through suffering and loss and come out better and

more whole on the other side. Our minds need to be

renewed so that they can begin to understand that there

is much more to who we are. It is when we see that it is

only faith that can bring us to this heightened aware-

ness of ourselves and God that it will begin to make

sense. Then, we can put things in proper perspective

and consider being a disciple. © LPi

SACRED HEART CHURCH ♥ SAINT MARY CHURCH ALTOONA, PA

REGISTRATION OF PARISHIONERS

We are always happy to welcome new parishioners to Sacred

Heart Parish and Saint Mary Parish. Please introduce yourself

to a member of the parish staff and register at the rectory. Reg-

istration, the practice of stewardship, and regular participation

in the Eucharist indicate that a person is an active member of

the parish and is eligible to act as a godparent or sponsor. As a

Church community seeking to be faith-filled disciples and good

stewards, the sacrifice of our time, talent and treasure is essen-

tial for the common good.

Weekly Collection at Sacred Heart, August 16

Envelopes $3,687.00

Loose Change $ 53.00

Total $3,740.00

Weekly Collection at Saint Mary, August 16

Envelopes $4,158.00

Loose Change $ 39.00

Total $4,197.00

Stewardship Reflections… Jesus calls on us to deny ourselves

and follow him. Perhaps he is trying to help us see that every-

thing we think we own is really a gift from God. Stewardship is

a call to discern our wants from our needs, a call to simplicity, a

call to prioritize our lives so we can spend our precious time

and resources on what is truly important. Stewardship is our

faith lived out in our daily lives. We must have faith that God

will always provide what we need and faith that we can live a

disciple’s life as he calls us, and faith that when we fail because

of our human weaknesses, He is still there to provide comfort,

to lift us up and help us to try again. Good stewards recognize

that to strive to use all their gifts responsible is not a burden but

is living the mission of Jesus as baptized believers. May we

make the burdens of others lighter by sharing acts of kindness.

MASS SCHEDULE AND INTENTION

Sunday, August 30

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

8:00 a.m. (SM) Deceased members of Ludwig Maier Family

(Dan Maier)

10:00 a.m. (SH) Pro Populo (Living and deceased members of

Sacred Heart and Saint Mary’s Parishes)

12:00 Noon (SH) Ann Ansman (Luther Family)

Monday, August 31

7:45 a.m. (SH) Leo Capouellez (Ray and Cathy Keefe)

Tuesday, September 1

** 7:45 a.m. (SH) Mary Pressler (Steve and Mary Zelko)

Wednesday, September 2

7:45 a.m. (SH) Kenneth Benton (Trout and Jaronieski Fam-

ily)

Thursday, September 3, Saint Gregory the Great

** 7:45 a.m. (SH) James M. Seidel (Doug and Jerry Moore)

First Friday, September 4

7:45 a.m. (SH) Helen Cardone (Alberta Ake and Patty Caum)

**11:30 a.m. (SH) Chuck Amerine (Gary and Janet Roesch)

First Saturday, September 5, Saint Teresa of Calcutta

4:00 p.m. (SM) Tyler Laratonda (Mary Myers, Rachel and

Gail Perry)

5:30 p.m. (SH) Raymond Servello (Clair and Nancy

Servello)

Sunday, September 6

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00 a.m. (SM) Tony Gioiosa (Wife, Louise Gioiosa)

10:00 am. (SH) James and Marge Ziegler (Family)

12:00 Noon (SH) Pro Populo (Living and deceased members

of Sacred Heart and Saint Mary’s Parishes)

Monday, September 7, Labor Day

**9:00 a.m. (SH) Edward Strassburger (Ann Baumgartner)

LITURGICAL MINISTRIES SCHEDULE

for September 5/6 2020

TIME and LOCATION

Altar Servers Lector Extraordinary Ministers

of Holy Communion Cantor/Organist

Saturday 4:00 p.m. Saint Mary

N/A Carolyn Becker N/A

Saturday 5:30 p.m. Sacred Heart

N/A Debra Picano N/A Olivia Trotter, Cantor

Sunday, 8:00 a.m.

Saint Mary N/A Lynn Ostrum N/A

Sunday 10:00 a.m. Sacred Heart

N/A Lynn Nagle N/A Judy Wahl, Cantor

Sunday 12:00 p.m. Sacred Heart

N/A N/A Patrick Dorman, Cantor

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME AUGUST 30, 2020

The picture on the front cover of the bulletin is Brynn

Buchanan, a member of Sacred Heart Church. On Satur-

day, August 22, she received First Reconciliation and on

Sunday, August 23, she received First Holy Communion.

We thank Rita Sangiorgi and Family for her donation to

the Angel Fund in memory of Nino Sangiorgi.

The Gathering Song Today is “Take Up Your Cross”

Take up your cross, the Savior said, If you would my

disciple be: Deny yourself, the world forsake, And hum-

bly follow after me.

Take up your cross, be not ashamed! Let not dis-

grace your spirit fill! For God himself endured to die

Upon a cross on Calvary's hill.

Take up your cross, which gives you strength, Which

makes your trembling spirit brave: ‘Twill guide you to a

better home And lead to vict’ry o’er the grave.

Take up your cross, and follow Christ, Nor think till

death to lay it down; For only they who bear the cross

May hope to wear the glorious crown.

Sacred Heart Food Pantry, 2009 6th Avenue is open from

10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. every Wednesday. Everyone is wel-

come. Currently, no ID or proof of income is needed. For

more information, contact Carol at carolr616@verizon.net

Sacred Heart Religious Education program is in need of

additional Catechists’ who are willing and able to share the

Catholic Faith with our youth at Sacred Heart. Volunteers

need to be in good standing with the Church and need to be

willing to complete the necessary Diocesan and Pennsyl-

vania state requirements and policies for Youth Protection.

Please contact Judy Wahl, DRE at 944-3922 for more infor-

mation. Thank you.

Christian Initiation. Did you ever find comfort in a “sign”

from God? Maybe a cardinal, a butterfly, a ray of sunshine

coming through the clouds, a rainbow, or a song. Sometimes we

might expect God to be a divine performer who will temporar-

ily wow us with a magical moment. In Jesus, we have the per-

manent sign of the bread of life sent to give life to the world.

You can be a sign to others who are hungry and thirsty for

something more in their life. Consider inviting someone to join

you at Mass or watch together online, to see if the Catholic faith

is something that may satisfy them. If you know of someone

who would benefit from being nourished by the sacred “signs”

of the Catholic faith, have them call Mike Kelleher at 934-4076

or the rectory office at 943-8553, or Jim Mock at St. Mary’s at

942-2416.

Saint Mary Prayer Chain: Louise Gioiosa, 942-7448

Saint Mary Candle Memorial: The Altar Candles and

Sanctuary Lamp will burn the week of August 30 for Pat

Croyle requested by Scott, Anita and Scotty Wavrek

Marion Choir Update. Because of the Covid 19 restric-

tions, we will be unable to have our usual choir picnic this

year. We also cannot start choir practice until it is safe to do

so. You are all missed and we hope we can get back together

soon. As soon as we are permitted, we will be in touch.

St. Mary’s Christian Mothers will meet on Monday, Sep-

tember 14th at 6:30 p.m. in the St. Mary’s Church Basement

Blessed Mother’s Room. The Rosary will be prayed at 6:15

p.m. for those who want to attend. In the event of COVID-

19 Restrictions, the meeting will be cancelled. Masks are

required.

Blair Bedford Central Labor Council Newsletter. Dear

Brothers and Sisters; the Covid-19 Pademic has changed the

way we go about our daily lives including our work. Many of

our Union brothers and sisters have been laid off and continue

to be laid off. This year we are not able to have our Person of

The Year Banquet or our Labor Day Parade and party. We were

also prevented from having the Annual Food Drive with our

local letter carriers. We normally gather 27 tons of food and

donate it to five local food banks: Reapers, Altoona Food Bank,

Sacred Heart Food Pantry, Sister Paula’s Soup Kitchen and St.

Vincent DePaul’s Food Bank. Our community services agency

which is located at our address chose to donate $1,000 to those

five food banks in May and June. However, the need is still

great with 13% unemployment locally with many of them being

our own Union brothers and sisters. Please consider a donation

made out to the Blair County Community Services Agency and

the amount collected will be equally divided among the five

food banks. Send it to Blair County Community Services

Agency, 302 East Wopsononock Ave., Altoona PA 16601.

Thank you for your generosity.

In Your Prayers...Please remember the health intention of Lee

Appleman, Allan Bauer, Mark Blackie, Rod Baronner, Jack Chil-

cote, Brandon Conaway, Shirley Conlon, Denise Conrad, James

Conrad, Kathy Corl, Dan Costlow, Joan Donnelly, Matt Dorman,

Amelia Doughurty, Lois Duncan, Trina Funcheon, Mary Hart-

sock, Phyllis Hartman, Elizabeth Hasan, Phyllis Hauser, Diane

Horton, Carol Keagy, Beth Lloyd, Cindy Lytle, Jonathon Masood,

Edmund McConnell, Elizabeth McConnell, Charles McGrain,

Lori Moschat, Cierria Naglowsky, Maureen O’Rorke, Gail Pear-

son, Christopher Ruffing, Robert Ruffing, Susan Sakerak, Brian

Sherbine and Peggy Stauffer and Ken Tromm.

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PRO-LIFE CORNER. Abortion and euthanasia are here

now. “Nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of

an innocent human being, whether a fetus or an embryo, an

infant or an adult, and old person or one suffering from an

incurable disease, or a person who is dying.” -Saint John Paul II

Please see page 2 of the bulletin for Mass Schedule

Wednesday, September 2

Sacred Heart Food Pantry open 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

Thursday, September 3

Visits to the homebound beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Saturday, September 5

Reconciliation at Sacred Heart at 12:30 p.m. and Saint

Mary at 3:00 p.m.

Labor Day, Monday, September 7, Mass at 9:00 a.m. at

Sacred Heart.

Rectory offices at Sacred Heart and Saint Mary’s will not

be open.

We thank the families at Sacred Heart and Saint

Mary's for continuing to be supportive of the Church by

mailing and dropping off at the rectory your weekly/

monthly church contributions. Your generosity is deeply

appreciated.

GIVE OF YOUR TIME AND TALENT TO MAKE A

DIFFERENCE IN A CHILD’S LIFE! The St. Mary’s

Religious Education Program is inviting you to consider

teaching the youth of our parish next year. To view the

schedule for the year, please visit the St. Mary’s Website

and click the link for Religious Education and then click on

Schedule. If you think you could commit to give your time

to put your faith in action for our young people, we would

love to have you. You will be given all the material and as-

sistance you need for this to be a truly rewarding experi-

ence. Our children are the future of our church. They are

wonderful and an absolute joy to be around.

We currently have openings in Grades 7, and 8 and Sub-

stitutes for all grade levels.

Please complete the form below or call Debbie Bartley at

the Rectory Office 942-2416 between the hours of 8:30 a.m.

-11:30 a.m. Monday thru Thursday or at 934-9335 any time.

NAME_________________________________________

PHONE________________________________________

GRADE LEVEL (Please give up to 3 choices K thru 11th

1st Choice______2nd Choice_______3rd Choice _______

The Sacramental Prep Team facilitates all 9th, 10th, and

11th grade Retreats and Group Sessions. We currently

have 4 dedicated members on the Sacramental Prep Team

and would love to add more.

If you would like to be a member of the Sacramental Prep

Team, please indicate by checking the box.