St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church 2414 Seventeenth Street, Gulfport, Mississippi 39501

Telephone (228) 864-2272 Fax (228) 864-2273 Email: stjohnthee@cableone.net

Staff: Rev. Joseph Uko, Pastor Deacon David Allen, Pastoral Associate Sr. Mary Kealy, PBVM, Pastoral Associate Teri Patton, Parish Secretary Masses: Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m. First Saturday Devotion: 9:00 a.m. Sunday: 8:00 & 10:30 a.m., 6:00 p.m. Daily Mass: Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. Spanish Mass: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Holy Days: 6:00 p.m., Vigil, 7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. Confession: Saturday 4:00 – 4:45 p.m. and anytime on request

Sixth Sunday of Easter May 10, 2015

TRUE FRIENDSHIP

True friendship takes hard work. Friendship entails walking with another through life’s moments of joy as well as moments of deep disappointment and failure. Friendships need constant nurturing. Friends need to be present to one an-other. Friends need to talk. Friends need to be honestly critical. Friends need time to connect. In today’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus calls his followers “friends.” If we count ourselves among the followers of the Lord, this means that in bap-tism we have entered a friendship with the Lord Jesus. In order to nurture our friendship with the Lord, we commit our-selves to walking with him through life’s joys and disappointments. Most of us have people in our lives with whom we have lost touch. We know the experience of the diminished bond of friendship. Most of us can also admit that we really have only so much time and energy to commit to nurturing one or a few real friendships. How do we nurture our friend-ship with the Lord Jesus?

NURTURING OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH THE LORD If we believe that Christ is truly present in his word, in the Eucharist, in those who minister to us, and in the gathered assembly of believers, we are assured of finding many opportunities to be present to the Lord. So often, we miss these opportunities and our friendship with the Lord becomes strained. Perhaps today is the day to recommit ourselves to strengthening our friendship with the Lord, who chose us in baptism to be his friend. The root of friendship, of course, is selfless love. Today we are called to bask in the love of God—to feel God’s loving presence through the experience of worship and the company of those dedicated to sharing in God’s love. Let us rejoice in the love shown to us by God. Copyright © 2005, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.

Sixth Sunday of Easter May 10, 2015

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit.

— John 15:16

LOVE ONE ANOTHER Last Sunday we heard the familiar pas-sage from John’s Gospel in which Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine and the

branches. In that passage we were told that if we re-mained in Christ we would bear much fruit. Today’s Gos-pel tells us just what that fruit is: love. Today’s second reading and Gospel together create a great hymn to love. The chorus of this hymn is simple—God loves us so much that Jesus was sent into the world so that we would have life. The Lord Jesus, who last week told us to re-main in him, this week tells us to remain in his love. In a world marked by division and terrorism, the Lord’s final words in today’s Gospel are a great challenge: “This I command you: love one another.” Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

Welcome to St. John the Evangelist Church! If you are new to the parish and have not yet

registered, please call 864-2272.

C.C.D. (Grades K-12) ................ Sundays, 9:00-10:15 A.M. Knights of Columbus...... 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 7:00 P.M. K C Ladies Auxiliary..................... 3rd Tuesday, 6:30 P.M. R.C.I.A. .................................................Tuesdays, 6:30 P.M. St. Vincent de Paul................... 2nd Wednesday, 9:00 A.M. Young At Heart............................... 4th Thursday, 12 Noon

Happy birthday wishes to: Gil Bailey, Carol Dewey & Tony Sauro celebrate May 10; Judy Allen & Nancy Beede celebrate May 12; Adolph Tolentino celebrates May 14; Nicholas Papania celebrates May 15;

May God Bless them with many more Happy Birthdays!

The second collection this weekend is for Church Hos-pitality The second collection next weekend is for Catholic Communications

St. John the Evangelist Church warmly welcomes Bishop Morin to our faith community on the occasion of the celebration and conferral of the Sacrament of Confir-mation to our children. We are in deed very happy to welcome the shepherd of our local church to our parish. We pray that God will continue to strengthen him as he faithfully serves God's holy people. My sincere and pro-found gratitude to our Confirmandi. They have been pre-paring for this day for a long time through prayer, study and discernment of God's Will to receive this holy and sacred Sacrament. We implore the Lord who has brought them this far in their faith journey to strengthen them with the outpouring of his Spirit so that they may be his faithful and loving disciples. May this Sacrament em-power them to be the eyes, ears, feet, and the mouth of Jesus to those they meet each day. Amen. My heartfelt thanks and appreciation to their wonderful teacher Mr. Mike Craft, our beloved CCD teachers and our capable and conscientious coordinator of our Religious program, Mrs. Linda Hebert. May God bless them abun-dantly. May I also thank the CCD parents and families for their loving support to their children. This weekend, we will honor our mothers for all they have done for us. We thank them for saying yes to God's Will, and brought us to the world. May God grant eternal rest to our deceased mothers. Next Sunday at the 10:30 p.m. Mass, we will honor our beloved priest Father Cleary. We will pray as a church family for the happy repose of his soul and the comfort of his family. We have numerous memories of Father Cleary which will live always in our hearts and mind. He was a very dedicated and conscious priest, and we will truly miss him. May God grant eternal life to his faithful priest and comfort to his family. Last but not the least, we will celebrate the graduation of our children. It is a milestone and a great accomplishment. We stand still for our graduates for a job well done. To all of them we say: "congratulations." We wish them the very best in their future endeavors. Father Uko

Congratulations to Richard & Rose Tournillon on the anniversary of their wedding! Richard & Rose celebrate their 45th anniversary on May 9. May God bless them with many more happy years together!

The beautiful flowers on the altar were donated in loving memory of

Leta Fayard Thank you!

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION With June not far off, attention in the parish turns to the celebration of weddings. Perhaps no other area of par-ish life is more shaped or challenged by the expectations of our culture. An old Irish proverb, “Marry in Lent and you’re soon to repent,” is amplified by another warning: “Marry in May and rue the day!” Memories of old pagan parties in May endured, and the Irish felt wedding recep-tions in May would be a stress on community morals. Queen Victoria did not approve of May weddings either, and her influence is still felt on family calendars, as is her daughter’s introduction of the white wedding gown. Sometimes we mistake customs and curiosities for tradi-tion. Tradition with a capital “T” has to do with Christ’s miraculous rescue of the wedding feast at Cana, his affir-mation of a man and woman pledging lifelong fidelity at the heart of a community’s feast. The Church cherished that memory over time, but it took a millennium for us to think of marriage as a sacrament. Much of the rest of what we associate with weddings has to do with culture, customs, and family practices. A wise rabbi once said that “tradition is not wearing your father’s hat; tradition is having a child.” Don’t let Queen Victoria reign over your wedding plans! —Rev. James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

The next Men's Cursillo #256 is scheduled at Dedeaux on May 21- 24, 2015. For any parishioners who are inter-ested in attending, please contact the parish office at 228-864-2272 or Doug LeMere, Cursillo Team member at 228-861-4262. The next Women’s Cursillo #257 is scheduled for June 25-28. There are applications on the back table.

May is the Month of Mary! We should make a special effort this month to reflect on Mary’s special relationship with God and her role in the Church. Her life should serve as an example to all of us.

Please remember to pray the rosary. HOLIEST FLOWER Mary is the lily in God’s garden. —St. Bridget of Sweden

Honoring our Graduates! On Sunday May 17th at the 10:30 a.m. Mass, our parish will celebrate the graduation of all our high school and college graduates. In order to plan for this celebration, we are requesting all graduates to call the parish office before or on Monday, May 12th. Thank you!

International Mass and Celebration to be held Sun-day, May 24 at St. John the Evangelist church in Gulf-port beginning with music by St. John Hispanic Choir, St. John Mass choir and music and dance by children from the Vietnamese Martyrs Church, Biloxi, St. Tho-mas Liturgical Dance Group, Long Beach, and the Fili-pino, Fatima Choir, Biloxi. Music and entertainment beginning at 10:00 a.m., Mass at 10:30 a.m. followed by a covered dish lunch, $1,000.00 raffle drawing, dancing and entertainment in Presentation Hall. This special celebration honors all nationalities of church families and friends who live here on the Coast and are from around the world. All that is required is for you to bring a covered dish representing your ethnic heri-tage. Also, Fr. Uko asks for you to dress in the costume of your heritage. There is a sign up sheet on the center table in the back of church.

The Gulf Coast Chapter of Magnificat will host a break-fast at Our Lady of Fatima Parish on June 20, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. The guest speaker will be Betty Jean Hughes, a native Biloxian and Fatima parishioner. Doors will open at 8:45 a.m. For reservations call NLT June 15. Yvette Livaccari 392-0697 or Mary Lee Terry 875-4369.

Ultreya Announcement: The West Harrison County Ultreya will be held at St. James Church in Gulfport on Monday, May 18 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Any Cursillistas and any-one wanting to learn more about Cursillo are welcome to attend! St James Ultreya point of contact is Holly Ford, 228-424-6535.

The SVdP Community Pharmacy will be hosting its Charity Golf Tournament at Grand Bear on Tuesday May 19, 2015. Hole-in-one prizes include a car, boat and cruise. Shotgun starts begin at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Cost per player is $250 which includes golf cart, lunch, t-shirt and chances to win some great prizes. To sign up your team or to make a sponsorship donation, please con-tact Sam Burke at (228) 374-9097 or direc-tor@svdprx.org.

The Feast of the Solemnity of the As-cension (Ascension Thursday) was trans-ferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter in the year 2000. However, we still get calls asking if Ascension Thursday is a Holy Day of Obligation. It is not. The

Ascension will be celebrated at all Masses next weekend.

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK Saturday: +Mackie Fayard Sunday: 8:00am– +Vincent & Helen Dauro +Matthew & Thelma Serpa; +Leta Fayard +Ida Mae Eubanks 10:30am–+Verda Lee Seymour; +Marthe Beede; +John McWaters +Pearl Dartez; +Mary Lee 6:00pm–People of the Parish Monday: Intention of Donor Tuesday: +Ann Robertson Wednesday: +Mackie Fayard Thursday: Intention of Donor Friday: Intention of Donor

Collections: May 2-3 Identifiable: $3828 Unidentifiable: $973ACH: $1520 Church Maintenance: $804

Thank you for your generosity!

William Allen Theresa Barlow David Bell Mary Anne Bishop Irene Bosarge Harriett Bowles Pablo Cabasa Carol Campbell Danny Carlisle Gayle Clark Buddy Cospelich Rhonda Cospelich Socorro Crabbe Kevin Crane Gerald Cuevas Jennifer Davi Linda Eschler Deanne Fasold Lynn Foster Nicole Gilbert Betty Godo Tom Goode Anna Grice

Jessi Hebert Hazel Herrington Mary Hickman Klaus Jeschke Mary Kealy Kemberly Lacap Gary Lacy Churck Lepowsky Joann Liner Jenny Lizana Carol Loften Walter Lolley S. J. Marengo Dot Miller Rhonda Mires Luz Monzon Karen Nelson Angel Nichols Kent Olsen Trey Patterson Mike Price Taylor Rayburn Gary Reeves

Chris Richards Glenda Rockwell Sharon Rogers Barbara Salloum Ken Saxon Joseph Schultz Don Seymour Gary Seymour Emerson Stringer Herman Strock Kenny Taylor Tracy Taylor Lisa Thompson Bennye Turner Becky Truxillo Felecia Vann Ronald Wade Kathleen Walker Lee Wetzel Winkey Williams Addie Wittmann Ginger Worth

Please Remember in Your Prayers

Prayer is the door through which all God’s Graces comes to us -St. Theresa of Avila

If you or anyone in your family is ill at home or in the hospital and would like us to visit you-please call the parish office at 864-2272.

TODAY’S READINGS First Reading — The gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles also (Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48). Psalm — The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power (Psalm 98). Second Reading — God is love (1 John 4:7-10) or 1 John 4:11-16. Gospel — No one has greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:9-17) or John 17:11b-19. The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, Inter-national Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.

READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Acts 16:11-15; Ps 149:1b-6a, 9b; Jn 15:26 — 16:4a Tuesday: Acts 16:22-34; Ps 138:1-3, 7c-8; Jn 16:5-11 Wednesday: Acts 17:15, 22 — 18:1; Ps 148:1-2, 11-14; Jn 16:12-15 Thursday: Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13 [1-7, 11-13]; Mk 16:15-20 (for Ascension); otherwise Acts 1:15-27, 20-26; Ps 113:1-8; Jn 15:9-17 Friday: Acts 18:9-18; Ps 47:2-7; Jn 16:20-23 Saturday: Acts 18:23-28; Ps 47:2-3, 8-10; Jn 16:23b-28 Sunday: Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26; Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20; 1 Jn 4:11-16; Jn 17:11b-19; or, for Ascension, Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph 1:17- 23 or Eph 4:1-13 [1-7, 11-13]; Mk

16:15-20

SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Sixth Sunday of Easter; Mother’s Day Tuesday: Ss. Nereus and Achilleus; St. Pancras Wednesday: Our Lady of Fatima Thursday: The Ascension of the Lord (unless transferred to Sunday) Friday: St. Isidore

2016 European Shrines Tour with Father Joseph Uko Come join our group for a once in a lifetime pilgrimage experience in some of Europe’s awe inspiring Shrines and Cathedrals. Dates: April 25-May 7, 2016 Places and Shrines to see: Lisbon, Alcobaca, Fatima, Braga (Porugal), Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, San Ignacio de Loyola, Barcelona (Spain), Lourdes, Carcas-sonne (France) Cost: $2,999.00 per person Includes:1.Daily breakfast, 6 dinners, lunch on your own) 2. Round trip airfare from Gulfport 3. Cost of land tour 4. Airport transfer to hotel in Lisbon and hotel to airport in Barcelona. How to Book: Call Rose Morrissey at 866-842-4835 (except July 23-August 9, 2015). Book by September 15, 2015 with a $25o non-refundable deposit and receive a $100 early booking discount. Trip Insurance: Available for $209.00 per person For More Information, please contact: Cynthia Dominguez at 228 896-4905 or email Cyn-thia.d1973@yahoo.com

Calendar of Events May 13 Pastoral Council Meeting 17 Recognition of Graduates at 10:30 Mass 24 International Festival & Raffle, After 10:30 Mass May 25 Memorial Day- Jun 21 Father’s Day 23 Anointing of the Sick at 11:15 Aug 15 Solemnity of the Assumption, Mass 9am Sept 20 Parish Picnic 22 Anointing of the Sick, 11:15 Oct 4 Mary’s Day Celebration, 10:30am Mass 14 Ministry Appreciation Dinner, 6pm

We really appreciate those who donate toward the flowers for our church. Sometimes dona-tions are made in honor of an event (anniversary, birthday, etc.) or in memory of a loved one. If you would like to have flowers

placed in church, please contact the parish office at 228 864-2272. Our prayer group meets every Thursday afternoon

from 5:15-6:15pm. Everyone is invited to join us. For more information call the Parish office, 864-2272.

Choir practice is every Friday at 6:00pm in the Church. New voices are always welcome to help elevate our praises to God. Please consider being a part of this very important and beautiful ministry.

GOD’S WORD TODAY Today’s readings are some of the most reassuring and hope-filled in the Lectionary. When we hear words such as “love” and “joy” used over and over again in a set of readings, it is a signal for us simply to thank God for the incredible gift given to this world in and through Jesus Christ. Here, and only here, can we find a fountain of love and joy that will never run dry. Here, and only here, can we find the kind of hope that can pull us out of even the deepest despair. As the word of God is proclaimed this day, let us be filled with thanksgiving for the inesti-mable gift that comes to us in Christ Jesus. From Saint Margaret Sunday Missal, copyright © J. S. Paluch Company