A Parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
The St. Catherine Parish Legacy Fund is committed to ensuring the long-term stability of our parish and its ministries. Please consider a gift in lieu of flowers upon a loved one's passing as a way to ensure our community will thrive well into the future.
Fifth Sunday of Lent 2 April 2017
Parish Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m.
Pastor The Reverend Michael Whyte, 860 658 1642
PARISH STAFF Administrative Assistant-Parish Office Mrs. Lisa Cerchia 860 658 1642 or [email protected]
Director of Religious Education Mrs. Kathi Bonner 860 658 4737 or [email protected]
Director of Youth Ministry Mrs. Judy Pluta 860 408 9888 or [email protected]
Director of Music Ministry Mrs. Susan Zybert 860 404 5514 or [email protected]
Facilities Manager Mr. Michael Grappone, 860 658 1642
Parish Council President Mr. Jim Peters 860 651 3143 or [email protected]
Finance Council Chairman Mr. Scott Muryasz 860 693 4164
Parish Legacy Fund Chairman Mr. Peter Pabich, 860 408 1254
Parish Lay Trustees Mrs. Anne Hoffman, 860 651 3887 Mr. Steven Moretta, 860 658 9630
Thanks for worshiping with us. If you would like to join our parish
family, fill out a yellow membership form found in the vestibule or atrium and mail it to us, drop
it in the collection basket or call us at 658 1642.
We Welcome You to Our Family of Faith!
Mass/Liturgy Schedule: Saturday Vigil at 5:00 p.m. Sunday Masses at 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend, NO 5:00 p.m. Sunday Mass) Daily Mass at 8:30 a.m., Monday through Wednesday, and Friday. (Yearly) Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday from 4:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Baptisms and Baptismal Preparation: Please call the parish office at 860 658 1642 Sacrament of Holy Matrimony: Please call the parish office at 860 658 1642 at least 6 months in advance Choir Practices: Adult—Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. Youth—Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. Contemporary Music Group—Sundays at 4:00 p.m.
Bulletin Deadline: Monday at 10:00 a.m. Website News: email to: [email protected] 265 Stratton Brook Road, Box 184, West Simsbury, Connecticut 06092 Tel: 860 658 1642 /Fax: 888 297 3134 Email: [email protected] Website: www.stcatherine.info Facebook Page: St.Catherine of Siena Parish-West Simsbury CT
WELCOME! We welcome all visitors who are celebrating with us today. As is our custom at St. Catherine of Siena, please remain in your pew for the singing of the first and last verses of the recessional hymn.
Religious Education News LAST CLASS Music & Awards Program is today. Sunday, April 2nd at Henry James Memorial School gym. All students, K- 8 are expected to attend! All parents, grandparents and family members are invited to join our K-8 students for this final day where we showcase the songs we learned, prayers we know, skits and reception of attendance and Christian Character Awards. Pot Luck Brunch for those who sign up by Wednesday, March 29th. Contact Kathi Bonner at [email protected] to sign up! CONFIRMATION II Interviews are today, Sunday, April 2, 7 pm at the church. There are no morning classes. All Confirmation Candidates come at 7 pm. CONFIRMATION I Service Opportunity! Vacation Bible School (VBS-Cave Quest) set up and decorating the week of June 19th. Helpers for all activities-music, science, snack, story and more! Contact Colleen Tighe at [email protected] for more information. THE FIRST HOLY COMMUNION BANNER is now up in the Church. Please take a First Communicant's name tag home with you and pray for this child as they
prepare to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament on May 6th.
Saturday, April 1st @ 5:00 pm Mass for Deborah Dionizio, requested by the Newman Family;
Sunday, April 2nd @ 8:00 am Mass for Robert G. Studley, requested by Caroline & Steve Gorecki;
Sunday, April 2nd @ 11:00 am Mass for Jennifer Horn, 4th anniversary, requested by her family;
Sunday, April 2nd @ 5:00 p.m. Mass for Matthew LaMothe, requested by the Hark Family;
Monday, April 3rd @ 8:30 a.m. Mass for Juan Alphonso;
Tuesday, April 4th @ 8:30 am Mass Thomas Antonio, requested by the Neureither family;
Wednesday, April 5th @ 8:30 a.m. Mass for Special Intention;
Friday, April 7th @ 8:30 a.m. Mass for Charles Deye, requested by the Neureither Family; STATIONS OF THE CROSS, 9 a.m. STATIONS OF THE CROSS, 7 p.m.;
Saturday, April 8th @ 5:00 pm Mass for Anthony Daniels, requested by the Children’s Choir;
Sunday, April 9th @ 8:00 am Mass for Robert G. Studley, requested by Tom & Rosemary Clarke;
Sunday, April 9th @ 11:00 am Mass for In thanksgiving for our Comitas Program, requested by the Corriveau Family; and,
Sunday, April 9th @ 5:00 p.m. Mass for Susan Caldwell, requested by Kathy Cochener.
WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
Offertory Collection Weekly Collection: $9,298.17 Loose Cash/Checks $1,614.00 Envelopes $7,684.17 Cathedraticum* -$ 511.40 School Tax* -$ 511.40 *Parish taxes (5.5%) paid to the Archdiocese for services to the parish.
Easter Flowers……………… $3,313.00 Repair & Refurbishment…… $ 145.00(additional) Online Donation: https://appeal.archdioceseofhartford.org/donations/ We have received a $15,000.00 donation from a family which was split: $2,500 for Feed the Hungry, $5,000 for the on-going parish projects & $7,500.00 for parish ministries.
YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS
SENIOR HIGH YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS Sunday, April 2, 5:15 pm, DELAWARE MISSION TEAM MANDATORY MEETING in Russell Hall. Please be on time so we can end on time. All outstanding paperwork is now due.
Looking ahead: Sunday, April 23, 6:00 pm, Youth Group Meets in Russell Hall for some end-of-the-year activities. We begin tonight’s gathering with ice cream sundaes. Sunday, April 30, 6:00pm-Farewell Dinner–Tribute to Seniors. Please join us as we pay tribute to our graduating seniors. PLEASE RSVP to Mrs. Pluta if you would like to attend the dinner so that the proper amount of food can be prepared. Delaware Mission trip-Sunday, June 18- Friday, June 23.
JUNIOR HIGH YOUTH MINISTRY Monday, April 3, 7:00 pm, Russell Hall. We begin with ice cream sundaes tonight. Join us for an evening of community building and activities. We look ahead to plan for next year. All ideas are welcome!
Our final Lenten Stations of the Cross will be held on April 7th.
Father Whyte will lead us through the Stations at 7 pm. All parishioners are welcome.
Please join us after the 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Masses this weekend for Coffee & Donuts in Russell Hall. Berardelli’s Irish Gifts will be available in the Atrium after Masses to give you an opportunity to purchase gifts for upcoming First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
FROM FATHER MICHAEL...
Holy Week and the Chrism Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral in Hartford Holy Week begins on Sunday, April 9—Palm Sunday—and has many Catholic observances such as Palm Sunday and the blessing of the psalms, Tuesday’s Chrism Mass at the Cathedral in Hartford when the priests of the Archdiocese renew their priestly promises of Ordination before the Archbishop and the congregation, the Sacred Oils used in the Sacramental Life of the Church—Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination and the Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum, Holy Thursday and the Washing of the Feet and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and His institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood; and Good Friday’s Passion celebration. With the end of Holy Week the Church enters into the Easter celebration with its Vigil Mass and the welcoming of new Catholics into the faith and Easter Sunday Masses—going on into the Octave of Easter. The Chrism Mass is a beautiful Mass at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral on Farmington Avenue and begins at 11 a.m. It is open to the public and if you have never attended I would strongly recommend attending. It illustrates the Sacramental and Apostolic nature of the Catholic Church—and how we possess the fullness of Christ as He instituted her to be—with the real and true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the profession of vows of the Catholic Priests and their role in the Sacramental Life of the Church, i.e., the bringing into being the Body and Blood of Christ at every Mass, as well as the blessing and distribution of the Sacred Oils to each parish in the Archdiocese for the carrying out of Christ’s Command to “Go forth and baptize all nations, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” as well as to grant the fullness of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation and the anointing of priest’s hands at Ordination and the Anointing of the Sick through this final sacrament. It is a mixture of beauty, ritual and faith all coming forth in a community of believers
gathered in faith. I hope you will desire to be part of it.
Fifth Week of Lent This is the third Scrutiny Sunday and again we hear from the Gospel of John, this Scrutiny Sunday we face, in the gospel, the third scrutiny challenge which comes from death—which can be a challenge and obstacle to our own Catholic faith lived well. No matter who we are we will all face the challenge of death as it relates to trusting and believing in God. We will have to deal with the death of a loved one—perhaps a child or dear spouse, the loss of a parent far too early in life or we will watch someone we love suffer in great pain. At some point we too will face our own mortality and have to struggle in faith with how well we lived our life as a Christian. These are great challenges to faith. And as the Scrutiny’s ask us: what are the obstacles to faith and how do we look to the power of Jesus Christ to overcome these obstacles and lead us into deeper belief? All of us will, if we are lucky, have a chance to review our lives as think about the most important aspects of life, the things we did or failed to do, and the things we would do differently IF we could only have a “do over.” It would be interesting to ask ourselves what was the most important day of my life? Some might answer: the day I fell in love or was married. Others might say the day my child was born and I became a parent. Again others might say, if they were a priest, my Ordination day, and the possibilities for answering that question might be as many as there are people to ask.
But for the Christian, the most important day of our human life is the day of our Baptism. (Fr. James Sullivan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford, mentioned this at our Priests’ Penance Service at Holy Family Monastery last week). Baptism is the day not when God first loved us, for that happened before we were even formed in our mother’s womb, but on the day of our Baptism our hearts were first opened to the working of God’s Grace, the indelible mark of the Holy Spirit that washes away sin and instills in us the grace of God so that our hearts might become open to accepting His Will for our own lives—a direction is given and a yearning is offered for the desire to love God freely and openly so that we may become His lover and follower in this world and the next. This is an amazing day for us! And what is God’s Will for us? In today’s Gospel we hear that answer. Today Jesus encounters Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary, who are mourning their brother’s death. Jesus too is overwhelmed at the loss of His friend. It is one of the more emotional gospel accounts. And it highlights God’s love and desire for us to be with Him for all eternity, to share in His Divine Life and to live as children of the Light forever in the Kingdom of Heaven—but the “light building” begins at our Baptism and continues and grows during and throughout our entire human life. We are given the grace of God at Baptism to begin this journey BUT the journey grows and continues throughout the whole of our Christian Catholic life. As Fr. Sullivan said to us priests, while our physical bodies meet their peak in the mid-20s to early 30s, because of the grace of God our spiritual peak can continue to grow in our 80s and 90s and beyond—in fact it will continue to grow until we see and meet the face of God. This is the indelible mark of Baptism, the grace of God which is nurtured and strengthened by the sacramental life of the Church and through our growth in understanding the Word of God and in-and-through the power and life of the Community of Believers—the Church—in which we live and participate. So let us take this Fifth Week of Lent, the third of the Scrutiny Sundays, and look more deeply at our own faith lives and ask ourselves those two important questions—a sort of self-scrutinizing: what are my personal obstacles to faith, and how can I look anew at the power of Christ to overcome these obstacles and move into a deeper relationship with Christ and His Father, my Lord and my God. In answering these two questions we will review how we live out our Catholic faith, how we incorporate it into our daily activities of life. For in the end, when we meet Him face-to-face, we will depend on His Mercy certainly; but can we depend on having done the best we could have hoped for. There is an old saying that as one gets older has more meaning: there is not time like the present. Amen! It is still Lent.
Holy Week & Easter Mass and Service Schedules Holy Week comprises: Tuesday of Holy Week, Saint Joseph Cathedral Chrism Mass at 11 a.m., Holy Thursday the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:30 p.m., Good Friday’s Passion Service at 3:00 p.m., Seven Last Words of Christ, 7:30 p.m. on Good Friday; Holy Saturday morning Blessing of the Food at 12 noon. Easter Vigil and Sunday Masses: Easter Vigil begins at 8 p.m., Sunday Masses at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 12 noon.
MANY THANKS to our Senior High Youth Ministry who baked and delivered 75 apple pies to area soup kitchens for their Thanksgiving meals. Thank you to the parent helpers who gave their time and energy on PIE NIGHT: Rosanne O' Hara, Amy Dillon, Susan Hoffman, Jeanne Carpenter, Debbie Hamil, Kathy Duford, Manuela Hanshaw and Mike Laiuppa.
Upcoming Meetings/Events
APRIL
-Sun, 2nd—Children’s Liturgy of the Word, RH, 11 a.m.
-Sun, 2nd—Contemporary Choir, MR, 4 p.m.
-Sun, 2nd—Mission Trip Meeting, RH, 5 p.m.
-Sun, 2nd—Confirmation Interviews, all rooms, 7 p.m.
-Mon, 3rd—Mass at McLean, 11 a.m.
-Mon, 3rd—Confession, Church, 6 p.m.
-Mon, 3rd—Rosary, Church, 7 p.m.
-Mon, 3rd—Jr. High Youth Ministry, RH, 7 p.m.
-Tues, 4th—Children’s Choir, MR, 6:30 p.m.
-Tues, 4th—PC Exec, Library, 7 p.m.
-Tues, 4th—Adult Choir, MR, 7:30 p.m.
-Wed, 5th—Bible Study, Library, 9:15 a.m.
-Wed, 5th- Men’s Club, RH, 6:30 p.m.
-Thurs, 6th—RENEW, Library, 10 a.m.
-Fri, 7th-Stations of the Cross, 9 am.
-Fri, 7th—Stations of the Cross, 7 p.m.
-Sat, 8th—Children’s Easter Egg Party, RH, 8:30 a.m.
-Sat, 8th—Pantry Partners, Vestibule, 9 a.m.
-Sun, 9th—Children’s Liturgy of the Word, RH, 11 a.m.
-Mon, 10th—Confession, 6 p.m.
-Mon, 10th —Parish Council, Library, 7 p.m.
-Tues, 11th--Children’s Choir, MR, 6:30 p.m.
-Tues, 11th—Adult Choir, MR, 7:30 p.m.
-Tues, 11th—RCIA, Church & Library, 7 p.m.
-Thurs, 13th—Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7:30 p.m.
-Fri, 14th—Good Friday Service, 3 p.m.
-Fri, 14th—Seven Last Words , 7:30 p.m.
-Sat, 15th—Blessing of the Food, 12 noon
-Sat, 15th—Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.
-Sun, 16th-Easter Masses, 8 a.m., 10 a.m. & 12 noon.
Social Outreach
Get
in
vo
lved
: y
ou
do
n’t
ha
ve
to d
o e
ver
yth
ing
...
Plea
se join
-n a
nd
com
e to a
mee
ting
of y
ou
r cho
ice.
but everyone should do something!
Pantry Partners—The April SCPP distribution
will be April 8th in the vestibule. This date is moved up due to the Easter weekend. All volunteers please take note. We wish to congratulate all of the Confirmands, especially those students who gave their time and energy in assisting SCPP in our monthly mission to help feed those in our community who are at risk. Their enthusiasm and willingness to participate in all aspects of our outreach demonstrates their preparedness to
continue their Catholic Christian journey.
Save-Date: June 26th-30th from 9:15-Noon. Planning is underway for VBS 2017. If you would like to be involved in this wonderful program for St. Catherine's youth, please contact Colleen Tighe, (860) 951-2679.
"Hop along to our
annual Children's
Easter Party on
Saturday, April 8th,
from 8:30 a.m. to
10:30 a.m.! Come for
pancakes, crafts, an egg hunt and a visit from the Easter bunny! Remember to bring your own basket! Please consider donating a bag of candy which can be dropped off in the atrium. The children of Sacred Heart parish in Hartford will be joining us this year!" Register to attend and/or
volunteer at www.stcatherine.info.
Registration on-line ends
today, Sunday, April 2nd.
Men’s Club Events: Rebuild Hartford-Handy Persons Needed. On April 29th, for the third straight year Saint Catherine will be providing a team to refurbish a house in a neighborhood in Hartford. We need 20 to 25 people skilled in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting, landscaping, etc. or people willing to help. We will leave as a group, carpooling from Saint Catherine around 7 AM that morning and returning around 5 PM. Lunch will be provided. If you are interested, put your name on the form in the Atrium or call Tom Lonergan at 860-413-9604. Afternoon 1/2 Day Retreat, May 13th, RH Golf Outing - May 26th, Simsbury Farms.
PARENTS AND TEENS of MIDDLE SCHOOL/ HIGH SCHOOL-Curious about Youth Ministry for next fall? Ever wonder what is involved in Junior or Senior High Youth Ministry? Ever wonder what we do or if you want to join us? Please come for a brief informational meeting SUNDAY, APRIL 23 immediately following the 11:00 Mass in Russell Hall. Current Youth Ministry teens will be on hand to talk about their experience and answer your questions .
St. Anthony School in Winsted is looking for a school principal to start July 1, 2017. to apply visit: http//catholicedaohct.org/career-opportunities/in-our-schools/administrator, or call 860-379-3369.
End of Bulletin Information on this page is not printed
Church: St. Catherine of Siena City: West Simsbury, Connecticut Account # 04-0523 Run # Routing Code: O Phone: 860.658.1642 Fax: 888.297.3134 Contact: Lisa Cerchia
