THURSDAY, MARCH 26 FRIDAY, MARCH 27

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1 Fifth Sunday of Lent March 22, 2015

2 Invest just five minutes a day, and your faith will deepen and grow a day at a time. MONDAY, MARCH 23 FEAST OF TURIBIUS OF MOGROVEJO, BISHOP Let s get a move on! Turibius the Tireless could be the nickname of today s saint. As a Spanish missioner and later bishop in 16th-century colonial Peru, he traversed a 176,000-square-mile diocese three times to attend to those in his charge. His favorite saying is one we do well to keep in mind: Time is not our own, and we must give a strict account of it. Keep a simple time log for a week, and you ll learn something about your priorities. You might be surprised by how much time is frittered away. Not that down-time is all bad, mind you relaxing and recreating are also part of God s plan. But keep in mind that time is a nonrenewable resource. How will you spend your precious allotment? TODAY S READINGS: Deuteronomy 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62; John 8:1-11 (251). Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. TUESDAY, MARCH 24 LENTEN WEEKDAY Spoken for Each one of you has to be God s microphone. Each one of you has to be a messenger, a prophet. These fateful words of Archbishop Oscar Romero, martyred this day in 1980, speak of what it means to be a person of faith. Faith must be lived out. Romero advocated for the rights and dignity of those who were materially poor. He preached the gospel by how he lived. His life broadcast the Good News, calling others to lives of holiness and humility. Your life can speak volumes, too; it s simply a matter of letting God make of you a microphone. TODAY S READINGS: Numbers 21:4-9; John 8:21-30 (252). The one who sent me is with me. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD That s the spirit Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with you. Those familiar and beloved words are the core of today s celebration. The Annunciation is a favorite subject of artists from Da Vinci to Fra Angelico to Jan van Eyck and others, all trying to capture what it means to be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit: the meeting of God and the ordinary human person. The paintings show a range of emotions in Mary, what any of us would feel when God asks something of us: fear, uncertainty, humble acceptance. With or without angels, God is daily entrusting the mission of Christ to your hands. How do you usually respond? What about today? TODAY S READINGS: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38 (545). How can this be? THURSDAY, MARCH 26 LENTEN WEEKDAY What s beyond the rainbow? The books of the Old Testament present a number of covenants between God and the patriarchs Abraham, Moses, and David all have their moment. But perhaps most interesting is the first covenant God makes, in the story of the flood, because that one is with every living creature, a covenant, says God, between me and the earth. The rainbow covenant promised protection against destruction by flood. Have we made a similar covenant with the earth, promising not to destroy through polluting, deforesting, and overdeveloping? We survived the flood thanks to God s covenant. The next covenant depends on us. TODAY S READINGS: Genesis 17:3-9; John 8:51-59 (254). Whoever keeps my word will never see death. FRIDAY, MARCH 27 LENTEN WEEKDAY; DAY OF ABSTINENCE It s not too late So maybe this has been the richest, most faithful, most spiritually rewarding Lent of your life. Or maybe your early resolutions to pray more, eat less, be kind all fell apart like a house of cards the day after Ash Wednesday. Be not afraid: There s still time to get your spiritual act together and make this a Lent to remember. Spiritual renewal is not about attaining perfection, but about putting yourself in the hands of grace. Confession is a place to begin. Ask for what you need in prayer. Trust in God, not yourself. God is a much better bet! TODAY S READINGS: Jeremiah 20:10-13; John 10:31-42 (255). The Lord is with me, like a mighty champion. 2

3 Worship We believe Eucharist is the source & summit of our faith and the center of our parish life and mission! The Three Great Days April 2, April 3 & April 4 Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord s Supper at 7:00 PM Good Friday Stations of the Cross at 3:00 PM Solemn Commemoration of the Lord s Death at 7:00 PM Holy Saturday The Easter Vigil at 8:00 PM Morning Prayer at 8:30 AM: Thursday (St. Greg), Friday (OLS) and Saturday (St. Greg) Sacrament of Reconciliation On most Mondays in Lent, from 5:30 7:00 PM, we will be offering confessions here in the Abingtons at Our Lady of the Snows Church, together with all the Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Scranton. Father John will join Monsignor McGarry and Father Tudgay at Our Lady of the Snows each week. In addition, the following communal Penance Services are offered for your serious consideration: March 22 March 24 March 25 March 26-6:00 PM Our Lady of the Lake & Nativity BVM at Nativity 7:00 PM St. Patrick s & Our Lady of the Abingtons at OLA 7:00 PM St. Pius X & St. John Vianney at Corpus Christi 7:00 PM St. Gregory s & Our Lady of the Snows at OLS Stations of the Cross/Living Way Stations of the Cross will be prayed at St Gregory s on Friday, March 27 at 5:30 PM. In addition, the Living Way of the Cross will be presented at 7:00 pm in Our Lady of the Snows Church by the members and friends of the Abington Catholic Youth Ministry. Pilgrims, Palms, Processions Everyone Is Invited to Gather Outside for the start of 10:00 AM Liturgy Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, and we will gather outside for the start of the 10:00 AM liturgy. We will begin inside at all other Masses in a different part of (Continued on page 7) Sunday Readings, Gather Hymnal 1029 Remembering March 23 until March 28 MONDAY Holy Souls in Purgatory Ann Bucciarelli Mary Lou Heron TUESDAY Patrick McArdle The McArdle Family Antoinette Coviello M/M Joseph Coviello WEDNESDAY Charles Weizenecker Florence Morton Frederick Heldring Donahoe Family THURSDAY Pasquale Mastroianni The Family Simon J. Shivock Friend FRIDAY Donato & Pearl Telesca The Girls Edward Carter Wife SATURDAY 5:00 PM (G) Andrew Millett The Family 3

4 Word We cherish our relationship with Jesus and strive to make the gospel relevant to our daily lives! Youth Ministry Nights Meetings are held on Thursday evenings from 6:30 until 8:00 PM at Our Lady of the Snows. All high school students are welcome to attend! Chosen High School Faith Formation The next high school religious education session is tonight, March 22, from 6-8PM in Our Lady of the Snows Gathering Room. XLT April 10 is our next XLT. Don t miss this night of music, speakers, and adoration! Starts at 6:30 PM at the Church of St. Gregory. Music by Countless Wonders. Day of Reflection The Annual Day of Reflection sponsored by the Women s Guild of the Church of Saint Gregory will be held this Wednesday, March 25, at Saint Gabriel s Retreat House, 631 Griffin Pond Road. The conference leader will be Father Pio Mandato. Registration will take place at 9:00 AM and will conclude at 3:00 PM. The cost is $30.00 per person and the day is open to men and women. Pope Francis visits Pennsylvania! Are you interested in participating in a pilgrimage to Philadelphia for the Mass to be celebrated by Pope Francis on September 27, 2015? The Holy Father announced last November that he will come to Philadelphia for the eighth World Meeting of Families being held there. He will celebrate a public Mass with a million or more participants on Sunday, September 27, on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in full view of the crowds arrayed from the museum down the Ben Franklin Parkway. No tickets are required for the Mass, and no pre-arranged seating is offered. Our Lady of the Snows and Saint Gregory s will be taking reservations for anyone who would like to go to this historic Mass. Prayer and reflection resources will also be provided to enable pilgrims to share a common experience. The round trip bus reservation and pilgrimage package will be $40.00 per person. Each participant is responsible for your own meal costs on that day. If you would like to reserve a seat on the bus, please call Gail at , ext. 234 or Judy Medjugorje Peace Retreat Pilgrimages Four pilgrim retreats have been scheduled for this year. The dates are May (Month of Our Lady); June (33rd Anniversary); August (Immaculate Conception); October 5-13 (Our Lady of the Rosary). For more information please contact or mirpeace@comcast.net. Pamphlets may be found on the library tables in the back of the church. 4

5 Service We recognize God s call to serve our parish family and neighbors near and far. Our Coordinating Team includes Brian Palmiter, Carol Strauch, Janice Jacobs, John Devine, Kate Sebring, Chrissy Jacoby, Matthew Newton, Susan Scanland, Judy Burkavage and Jane Farr. Hands Ready To Serve Food Drive The Service Commission plans on doing food drives during the course of the year and will reuse the green bags. In the event that you were not able to offer food items this weekend, please return the bag to Church at you earliest convenience. All donations will be distributed to local food pantries. Spring Cleaning! Spring cleaning of the church will take place on Monday, March 30 beginning at 9:00 AM Anyone interested in helping should contact Anne Walker Service at the Three Great Days Please call the rectory if you are interested in helping in one of the following ways: Volunteer for/as: the Foot Washing Rite of Holy Thursday. Ministers of Hospitality at Liturgy. Homebound If anyone has a family member, friend, or someone you know who is homebound and would like communion or a visit from one of our ministers, please telephone the rectory so we may put them on our list. McAuley Center The Women s Guild are collecting toiletry items for the women and children at the McAuley Center. The wish list of items include: shampoo, combs, brushes, headbands, barrettes, scrunchies, bath soap, liquid hand soap, deodorants, toothpaste, brushes, dental floss, mouthwash, women s feminine products and hand creams. The collection will continue during Lent until Good Friday. Donations may be left in the containers near St. Joseph s Café. Little Sisters of the Poor The Little Sisters of the Poor wish to express their heartfelt thanks for your kindness and generosity last weekend. A total of $2, was raised from their collection which will be used on their window renovation project. Habitat for Humanity This year the service trip will take place in Franklin, West Virginia from July 5th to 12th. The cost is $ per student and there are 20 spaces still available for anyone who wishes to work with Habitat for Humanity. For more information or to register, please call Steve at ext Weekly Offering We are very grateful for your Sunday Offering of $11, Thank you for your great generosity. Give Online Consider scheduling a recurring contribution today. It s very convenient. You will no longer need to write out checks and prepare envelopes every week. Even when travel or other circumstances prevent you from attending services, your electronic contributions will continue to be received on an uninterrupted basis. sign up at : Pantry Items Macaroni & Cheese or Canned Pasta This week we are collecting macaroni & cheese or canned pasta. Food may be left near church entrances or in the cabinet in the hallway near the restroom. 5

6 Community We believe that our Baptism forms us into a family joined together to love God and one another. Our Coordinating Team includes Dr. & Mrs. Saul (Lisa) Rigau, Delia Coppola, Yvonne Cronkey, Bridget Walsh, Bill Durdach, Gale Jaeger, Danelle Hogan, Molly Johnson, Tracy Bannon and Katie Sunday. Look What s Coming Easter Sunday Egg Hunt An Egg Hunt will take place on Easter Sunday, April 5. This year s Egg Hunt will occur immediately following the 10:00 AM Mass. All children are welcome, eggs and prizes galore. Check out the Easter Candy raffle after all weekend Masses. Blessing of Easter Baskets Father Lapera will bless Easter Baskets on Holy Saturday, April 4, at 3:00 PM in the early childhood center. Women s Gathering The Scranton Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will hold a Women s Gathering on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at the Oblates of St. Joseph s, Pittston. Father John Albosta will conduct the mass at 10:00 AM Installation of officers will be held after the mass. Catherine Butel, Diocesan Secretary for Parish Life, will be the featured guest speaker. The topic is Women of Faith, Families of Faith. A luncheon will follow. All Catholic women are invited to attend and there is no fee for the luncheon. For reservations please call Mary Lloyd or Nancy Adley Open House The Sisters of IHM cordially invite you to celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life at their Open House this Sunday, March 22, from 2:00 until 4:00 PM at the IHM Center on the Campus of Marywood University. All are welcome! Women s Guild The April meeting of the Women s Guild has been rescheduled to Thursday, March 26 at 7:00 PM in the rectory. New members are always welcome. Life Art & Essay Contest Students from grade 7 to 12 are invited to enter the 2015 Youth for Life Art and Essay Contest sponsored by Pennsylvanians for Human Life. The theme is Human Life is Precious in All its Stages. Prizes are awarded to winners in a senior and junior division for the essay contest while in the art contest, all grades are combined. Three $ first prizes, three $60.00 second prizes and thress $30.00 prizes (one for each category) are awarded. Essays MUST be 400 to 600 words typewritten or legibly hand written. Deadline for all entries is May 13, Please mail entries to: Youth for Life Contest, Pro-Life Information Center, 506 Broadway, Scranton, PA If you have questions or need more information, please call Sue at Tenebrae Service Mary, Mother of God Parish at Holy Rosary will present their annual Tenebrae service on Palm Sunday, March 29 at 7:00 PM at the church. Tenebrae consists of music, readings, meditations; light and shadow. It is a wonderful way to enter into the mysteries of Holy Week. Everyone is invited. For more information please call Rummage Sale Waverly Elementary School is having a Rummage Sale clothing, housewares, baby gear, toys, books and more, on Saturday, April 18 from 8:00 AM until 12:30 PM at the Waverly Elementary School. If you have items to donate they may be dropped off in the lobby of the school from April 13 to April 17, 3:00 until 7:00 PM. Please no televisions or computers. If you have a larger items please call Rachel for pick-up. 6

7 (Continued from page 3) our worship space to hear about how Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph before his passion, death and resurrection. Then we will bless palm branches branches carried by us as pilgrims, and like the children of Jerusalem we will walk and sing in procession. The gospel that we have been listening to all year long now has been leading us toward this journey to Jerusalem, this procession to the supper table, the cross and the tomb. When we accept the palm branches next week, we promise to live as pilgrims, to move through this life with and to Jesus. Like the Israelites in the desert, we are only passing through. Like Christ himself, we go about carrying good news, even when we walk the way of tears. Come prepared next week to walk and sing together as fellow travelers. We will walk behind our cross to our holy table Jerusalem, in our own neighborhood. And this procession will be practice for an even more awesome journey that we will make in one week the Easter Vigil s procession to the font of baptism that place where we die to sin and rise in love to life everlasting. Altar Servers Anyone in forth grade or older who wishes to serve at the altar is asked to telephone the rectory. A practice will take place on Saturday, April 18 at 9:00 AM in the church. Chrism Mass All the faithful of the Diocese are invited to attend the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Scranton, on Tuesday, March 31, at 4:00 PM. SERVANT LEADERSHIP Finance Council William Burkavage Deacon Bob Father John John Devine Paul Gerega Yvonne Cronkey Veronica Dende Pastoral Council Gemma Chuff Scott Pettinato Marjorie Barlow Paul Mullisky Jim Fleming Joe Hogan Bill Donovan Michele Musheno Katie Sunday Jane Farr Dan Haggerty Deacon Bob Fr. John INFANT BAPTISM Parent and Godparent preparation two Sunday evenings each month at 5:00 PM at St. Gregory and Our Lady of the Snows rectories. Please call for an appointment. Baptisms are normally celebrated on the Third Sunday of every month during or following the 12 noon liturgy. Baptisms may be arranged at other times when necessary. ANOINTING OF THE SICK Please contact the rectory at anytime for the celebration of this sacrament. ALTAR BREAD & WINE A minimum donation of $25.00 may be offered in memory of a deceased loved one or for a special prayer intention. MARRIAGES Arrangements should be made six months prior to the desired wedding date. Please contact Father Lapera. MUSIC MINISTRY REHEARSALS Spirit Song Ensemble: Wed. 6:00 p.m. Voices of Faith: Wed. 7:15 p.m. Genesis Children s Choir: Wed. 4:00 p.m. or Thurs. 2:45 p.m. RELIGIOUS FORMATION Our Religious Education program takes place every Sunday Morning at 11:00 AM in Our Lady of Peace School for Grades 1 through 8. Our Kindergarten Class is held in the Early Childhood Center. ST. JOSEPH S OUTREACH Our parish partners with St. Joseph s school in Uganda. Donations are always welcome in support of student tuition. ROSARY GROUP Every Tues. morning at 10:00 AM ST. GREGORY EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM Both programs are held five days a week and take place in the Early Childhood Center. Kindergarten from 8:30 AM until 2:30 PM and Pre-School from 8:30 AM until 11:30 AM HOLY CROSS SCHOOL SYSTEM OUR LADY OF PEACE SCHOOL 410 N. Abington Road, Clarks Green, PA Mrs. Jane M. Quinn, Principal HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL 501 E. Drinker Street, Dunmore, PA Mr. Benjamin D. Tolerico, Principal WOMEN S GUILD Guild meetings take place the first Thursday of every month from September through May, with the exception of January. Meetings begin at 7:00 PM and are held in the rectory. saintgregoryswomensguild@gmail. com PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets the second Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM in the rectory. HOSPITAL VISITATION If anyone has a family member, relative or friend in any of the area hospitals and would like them to have a visit, please call the rectory. FOOD PANTRY Donations may be left near Church entrances or in the cabinet in the hallway near the restroom. See page 5 7

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