Saint Thomas A Becket Roman Catholic Church

Transcription

1 Saint Thomas A Becket Roman Catholic Church A Pennsylvania Charitable Trust 139 Gill Hall Road, Jefferson Hills, PA WELCOME March 2, 2014 If you are new to our area we invite you to share fully in our parish life. Your presence brings new gifts to our community. Please take a moment to register. Forms are available at the Parish office. DEVOTION: Infant of Prague Novena: Tuesday after Mass. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena: Thursday after Mass. SACRAMENT OF PENANCE: Saturday 4:00 p.m., or anytime by appointment. SACRAMENT OF THE SICK: Available to the chronically or seriously ill. Call the Parish office. MISSION STATEMENT We, the faith community of Saint Thomas A Becket are a suburban family-oriented parish founded in 1957 that continues to grow in spiritual gifts and blessings. These blessings are inherited through our baptism and empowered by the Holy Spirit to share, to witness and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Enriched by the Sacraments, rooted in the Eucharist, we humbly seek to support the foundations of family and faith in our parish and surrounding community, particularly, serving those most in need so that Christ s love might be more abundant in all our lives. Saturday Sunday Daily Holy Days MASS SCHEDULE 5:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m., 10:15 a.m. & 12:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday 9:00 a.m. See Schedule in Bulletin PARISH STAFF Pastor Reverend Daniel J. Maurer Deacon Gerard Como D.R.E. & Pre-School Sister Dolores Ann, SCN Social Service Minister Sister Mary Judith, SCN Minister of Music Carol Accetta PARISH OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m FAX Convent Coffee Shoppe Diocese of Pittsburgh Abuse Hotline: SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: Baptism is celebrated on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month. Parents are required to participate in one Baptism Preparation Session offered during the months of January, April, August and October. Please call the Parish for the date and time of the Session. SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE: The Sacrament of Marriage is celebrated on Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. Couples must meet with a priest at least six months prior to their wedding date. No date can be confirmed until this meeting. Couples are required to attend an approved pre-cana preparation program. (RCIA) RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: The Easter Season welcomes new Catholics or those adult Catholics who wish to complete their Sacrament of Initiation (Holy Communion, Confirmation) into full communion with the church. This is a process of prayer, study and decision. Any adult wishing to inquire further should contact the Parish office. SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS: Please call the Pastor if you feel you might be called to the Priesthood or diaconate.

2 ST. THOMAS A BECKET JEFFERSON HILLS, PA For the Week of March 2, 2014 It is a Holy and Wholesome Thought to Pray for the Dead. Saturday, March 1 5:00 PM. Leah Turberville (Vilma & Bimbo Cecconi) Sunday, March 2, Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00 AM.. Anna Marie Zager (Husband, Sam & Family) 10:15 AM... Anthony Campano (Vicki, Steve, Michael & Danielle Redmond) 12:00 NN... For the People of the Parish Monday, March 3 9:00 AM... Dina Stout (MM Edward Krizan) Tuesday, March 4 9:00 AM... In Honor of the Holy Face of Jesus Wednesday, March 5, Ash Wednesday 9:00 AM... Mass & Ashes Conrad Mikula (Peggy Flavin) 4:30 PM... Liturgy of the Word Service & Ashes 7:00 PM... Mass & Ashes Alvina Horcik (Sisters Dolores Ann & M. Judith) Thursday, March 6 9:00 AM... Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul- Rusomberok (Carolyn Peternel) Friday, March 7 9:00 AM... Tom Corso (Peggy & Dan Spellman) 7:00 PM... Stations of the Cross Saturday, March 8 5:00 PM... George & Marie Lamars (Sparta Family) Sunday, March 9, First Sunday of Lent 8:00 AM... Tom Corso (Theresa & Family) 10:15 AM... Charles S. Hanchak (Mom & Family) 12:00 NN... For the People of the Parish Liturgical Ministers March 9, 2014 Lectors: Sat. 5:00 p.m. T. Stoessel Sun. 8:00 a.m. P. Adams Sun. 10:15 a.m. S. Gardiner Sun. 12:00 p.m. M. G. Reynolds Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Sat. 5:00 p.m. Deacon Gerry-S. Burcin-F. Kanonik Sun. 8:00 a.m. D. Alderson-R. Lichalk-C. Peternel Sun. 10:15 a.m. D. Blohm-S. Callahan-R. Dischner Sun. 12:00 p.m. E. Bourgeois-C. Colgan-D. Ging Acolytes: Sat. 5:00 p.m. E. Lekse-I. McVicker-E. Savikas Sun. 8:00 a.m. J. Adams-Z. Adams-M. McLay Sun. 10:15 a.m. J. Aul-A. Fullard-S. Fullard Sun. 12:00 p.m. D. Pearson-N. Pearson-M. Petrick STEWARDSHIP OF THE LORD S TREASURE Date Total Offertory 2/23/14 Collected at Masses $ On-line Giving $ ST. THOMAS A BECKET PRAYER GROUP The Prayer Group meets on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. in Room 7 of the School Building across from the Coffee Shoppe. Come join us!

3 EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME MARCH 2, 2014 From Fr. Dan. THANK YOU to all who have contributed throughout the past year to our PARISH SHARE campaign. We exceeded our goal by over $12,000!! That s great news! (I ll discuss the benefits of that in a moment!) That kind of amazing response demonstrates the generosity and support of the people of St. Thomas A Becket Parish, for both the parish and the broader Church of Pittsburgh! THANK YOU again! I am mentioning Parish Share at this time, because February is the end of the present campaign and the beginning of a new one. You will soon be receiving information asking for your help, once again, in the campaign. As you are probably aware, Parish Share is an annual year-long collection that is essential to the well-being of our Diocese. It is the primary source of support and funding for the many different programs and activities that a diocese of this size is involved in many of which benefit our own parish in a variety of ways. Unlike a parish, which is funded by the weekly contributions of the generous parishioners it serves, the Diocese has no regular means of supporting it s programs, staff, and various administrative offices and buildings. However, every member of every parish benefits in a variety of ways from the work of the Diocesan Church. Part of the power and beauty of our catholic faith ( catholic being derived from the ancient Greek word for universal ) is that we are all connected in the Body of Christ. Belonging to The Catholic Church means that we belong to something bigger than our local parish. Therefore, we are all called, through the Parish Share Campaign, to share our resources with this bigger reality of the Church. Every parish in the Diocese participates in this campaign, and every parish is assessed a certain goal amount based on the total of the previous year s Sunday offertory collections, donations, festival proceeds, and a few other smaller forms of what is considered assessable income. Much like income tax, the more a parish takes in through the forms of assessable income the more they are expected to contribute to Parish Share. Judging from the always generous response here, I think most of you appreciate the significance of the Parish Share campaign. However, there are two important points that can not be emphasized enough. (1) what a parish does not collect in the Parish Share campaign, must be covered by payment from the parish s operating fund i.e. we have to pay the whole assessment amount one way or another. (2) anything we raise over our assessed amount (as we did in this recent completed campaign), we get to keep here in the parish, in our operating fund, but it does NOT count as regular offertory when the next assessment is calculated. One can think of it as tax-free money! Given this second fact, contributing to the Parish Share campaign is a win for the Diocese and a win for the Parish! To illustrate this, let s say that someone was able to contribute $1,000 to the parish. If they put that donation in the regular collection, then in the next year, we will be assessed a portion of that amount as part of Parish Share. However, if that $1,000 was given entirely to Parish Share, then if we end up $1,000 over our goal, we get to keep that entire donation in our operating fund AND it would NOT be counted as assessable income for the next Parish Share campaign. If you follow that logic, you can see that, in the long run, it is actually better for the parish to contribute to Parish Share than to the regular offertory. (Although technically, we can t use the amount collected over our goal until the campaign is completed, so the weekly offertory is still very important!) Our goal for the new campaign is $124,078. With the continued generous support of this parish community (and possibly redirecting some of what you might normally give in the regular collection, to Parish Share) I m sure that we can not only meet that goal, but exceed it once again! THANK YOU for your past generosity and please continue to support your parish and your Diocese in the PARISH SHARE CAMPAIGN! St. Thomas A Becket Pray for us!

4 ST. THOMAS A BECKET RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES To give the opportunity for our students and their families to attend Mass, there will not be classes for Grades 1 to 4 on Ash Wednesday, March 5. May the blessing of the Easter Season be with our families. FIRST RECONCILIATION In the Sacrament of Reconciliation we celebrate God s mercy and forgiveness. Preparation for this celebration begins in the family. The children learn as they experience family members giving and receiving forgiveness in the home. The formal preparation for the Sacrament begins in first grade. The immediate preparation takes place in second grade. Our children will receive their First Confession during their regular class hours (5:30 p.m.- 6:40 p.m.) on the following dates: March 19-Students with the last name Me-Z March 26-Students with the last names A-Ma This is a diocesan gathering of the Catholic Youth of Pittsburgh in Grades Come join us at Stage AE on the North Shore. Doors open at 12:15 p.m., 1:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. With Singer, Songwriter and Storyteller, Steve Angrisano. Mass will be celebrated with Bishop Zubik. Cost is $20. Visit the Diocesan Website for discounts ( ATTENTION CATECHISTS: METHODS: ELEMENTARY RELIGIOUS EDUCATION St. Thomas More Parish 126 Fort Couch Road, Pgh. Dates: Mondays, March 17, 24, 31, April 7 Time: 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. METHODS: FOR TEACHING THE SACRAMENTS St. Thomas More Parish 126 Fort Couch Road, Pgh. Dates: Tuesdays, March 18, 25, 31, April 1, 8, 15 Time: 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. 15 credits-fee $30 Call Kerry (412) CHILDREN S CHOIR FOR EASTER The Children s Choir will begin rehearsals to prepare to sing at the 12:00 Noon Mass on Easter Sunday. All children in Grades 3 and up are encouraged to participate in this wonderful ministry. Rehearsals run from Saturday, March 8th to April 12th in the choir room of the church building from 3:30 p.m.- 4:15 p.m. You may contact Carol Accetta at sevengirls@comcast.net. JEFFERSON HILLS, PA THE FISH FRY BEGINS FRIDAY, MARCH 7th St. Thomas A Becket Fish Fry will be held on all the Fridays during the Lenten Season. Donations of bottled water, canned soda and baked pies, cookies, cake etc. will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance! LADIES OF CHARITY MEETING MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 This will be held in the Coffee Shoppe at 7:00 p.m. REMINDER: At this month s meeting we are collecting canned beets, canned corn and canned potatoes to benefit the Cloverleaf Foodbank. We invite other ladies in the parish who are interested in belonging to this Association of Ladies of Charity to attend. NEXT WEEK MARCH 8 & 9 FOOD COLLECTION FOR THE CLOVERLEAF FOOD BANK Please bring some non-perishable foods and place then in the designated area in the Narthex of our church. These collections will take place on the second weekend of each month to help benefit the Food Bank to which our parish belongs. Karen Pearson, Director of the Cloverleaf Area Ecumenical Program (CAEAP), which is housed at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish, expresses her thanks for the generous amount of food that was sent in February. This project is sponsored by the Ladies of Charity and the Knights of Columbus of St. Thomas A Becket. ST. THOMAS A BECKET WOMEN S RETREAT St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center March 7 to March 9, p.m. Friday until 12 Noon on Sunday We welcome all women of the Parish to spend a quiet, reflective, faith-filled weekend. The environment is so peaceful and refreshing. Let God s peace and blessing give you the strength to return to our world that can be so contrary to our lives. For information on the Women s Retreat, call Kay Dryer at

5 EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME MARCH 2, 2014 PRE-BAPTISM CLASS There will be a Baptism Preparation Class on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. in the School Building. This class is for parents who are planning to have a Baptism at St. Thomas A Becket Church. This session is for expecting parents, as well as those who recently had a child. Pre-registration is required. To register, please call the Parish Office at Thank you. HOME WITH THE LORD Heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of Ruth M. Westbrook of our Parish; and Richard Uy, brother of Linda Novilla of our Parish. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed be embraced by the Heavenly Father unto everlasting life. May Ruth & Richard rest in the peace of the Lord. ROSARY FOR LLOYD KRAUS The Rosary will be prayed for the repose of the soul of Lloyd Kraus on Tuesday, March 11, This will be done at 8:40 a.m. before the 9:00 a.m. Mass. We invite you to join us in this act of charity. May Lloyd rest in the peace of the Lord. GRIEF SUPPORT SESSIONS If you had a death in your family in the last six months or more and feel a need for some assistance, we invite you to join this group which will begin on Wednesday, March 12 and will continue until April 16. For more information and/ or to register call Gerry Majewski at (412) or Helen Mulholland at (412) PLEASANT HILLS LIONS CLUB ANNUAL SPAGHETTI DINNER This will be held on March 2 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Pleasant Hills Borough Building Community Room. The prices are $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for children 12 or older. Tickets may be purchased at the door. Take-out service will be available. All proceeds go to Lion charities, including aid to the less fortunate, the vision and hearing impaired; community organizations and projects; school and recreational activities. SERRA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL The Meet the Students evening is on Thursday, March 6, from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Spend time with current students and find your place in our clubs, activities and sports. Parents, meet other parents and get all your questions answered. The Placement Test for incoming freshman will be held on Saturday, March 8, from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. For more info contact Mrs. Lyons at (412) OUR PRAYER FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Almighty God, Father of all nations, for freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus. We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty, the foundation of human rights, justice and the common good. Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect and promote our liberties; by your grace may we have the courage to defend them, for ourselves and for those who live in this blessed land. We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness, and in the name of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, with whom you live and reign, one God, forever and ever. Amen. THANKS FOR YOUR HEARTS The Veterans Administration has sent a note of thanks to everyone who brought valentines for veterans of the Pgh. VA Hospitals. Warm & special thanks to the parishioners who took the time to care by donating valentines. 310 veterans received their valentines. Thanks to you for all the considerate things you do for St. Thomas A Becket. Help one of our local Scouts, Alexander Detwiler, of Troop 1843, become an Eagle Scout! Alex is working on his Eagle Project by collecting items to be sent to deployed service men and women overseas. Scouts will be at the church next week (March 8 & 9) to receive items parishioners are willing to donate. A list of suggested items is as follows: Protein bars Powdered drink mix (such as Gatorade, Kool Aid, Crystal Light) Beef Jerky / Slim Jims Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds / Salted Nuts Hard Pretzels Pringles Packaged Cookies Trail Mix Fruit Roll-Ups Granola Cereal Bars Lip Balm Deodorant Wipes Sunblock Eye Drops (such as Visine) Breath Mints Hair Gel Puzzle Books (Crosswords, Sudoku, Word Search, Mad Libs) Small Travel-Size Board Games (Monetary donations will also be accepted in order to purchase necessities.) THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND GENEROSITY!

6 St. Thomas A Becket Parish 139 Gill Hall Road, Jefferson Hills, PA LENTEN FISH FRY BEGINS FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014 Please join us for our 15th Annual Lenten Fish Fry each Friday during Lent from 3:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Take Outs available by calling from 3:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. ALL OUR FISH IS COD - FRIED FISH IS HAND BREADED Dinners *Fried Platter (with 3 Shrimp & 1 Fish) $10.00 *Fried Fish Dinner $9.00 *Baked Fish Dinner $9.00 *Shrimp Dinner $9.00 *All Above Dinners Include: - One Beverage - Choice of one: (Cole slaw or applesauce) - Choice of one side: (Haluski, Macaroni & Cheese, French Fries or Baked Potato) Children s Menu (10 years and Under) Shrimp, French Fries & Drink $4.00 Fish, French Fries & Drink $4.00 Pizza, Applesauce & Drink $4.00 Ala Carte Giant (Fried) Fish Sandwich $6.50 Baked Fish Sandwich $6.50 Tune Melt Sand. w/ff & Bev. $6.00 Tuna Melt Sandwich $4.00 Pizza - per slice $1.50 French Fries $2.00 French Fries w/cheese $2.50 Baked Potato $2.00 Haluski $3.00 Macaroni & Cheese $3.00 Soup $3.00 Sandwich Bun $.50 Cole Slaw $1.00 Applesauce $1.00 Beverage $.75 SPECIALS: March 7....Lobster & Crab Soup March Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich.....Potato Cheese Dumpling Soup March 21.. Homemade Crab Cake Dinner... New England Clam Chowder March Baked Salmon Dinner (Broccoli & Sweet Potato or Baked Potato)...Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Bisque April Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich.Broccoli Cheese Soup April Homemade Crab Cake Dinner.Potato Cheese Dumpling Soup April HOMEMADE PIEROGIES (Pirohy)

7 From Fr. Dan. This week we, as a Church, enter that powerful time of our Church year when we focus on the radical way our Catholic Christian faith calls us to conform our lives to Christ, share in the power of the Paschal Mystery (the life, death and resurrection of Jesus), and experience conversion and transformation: THE SEASON OF LENT! It all begins this coming Wednesday, March 5, with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. We will have two parish Masses that day: 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM (with the distribution of ashes at both) Also at 4:30 PM, there will be a service consisting of a Liturgy of the Word and the distribution of ashes. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of FAST and ABSTINENCE. All the Friday s of Lent are days of abstinence (during which we refrain from eating meat and hopefully visit the St. Thomas A Becket Fish Fry, hint, hint), but these two days in particular, we are also obliged to fast (which means only one full meal and two lighter meals). This obligation is for those between 18 and 59 years of age. (The requirement of abstinence begins at age 14.) Those who have a medical condition in which fasting would be considered harmful are obviously excused from the obligation, but should take on some other act of penance or charity.) All Catholic Christians are encouraged to include acts of penance and charity in their Lenten journey, but these specific dietary observations are important ways that we can experience on a very real, physical way that this is a special season, and thus focus on more significant things than our own comfort and gratification. There are many ways to experience spiritual growth in this rich season. This weekend s edition of the Pittsburgh Catholic was mailed to every registered home (which is why there aren t any available in the church building). It contains Lenten articles, features, and schedules that not only provide food for thought and reflection, but practical suggestions and ways to get more out of this special time. The Season of Lent spans almost 7 weeks. The traditional reference to the 40 days of Lent is counting weekdays. (Sundays of Lent have a special character, being part of the season but also, all year around, they are celebrations of the Resurrection.) In Noah s time, it rained for 40 days and nights as God washed away evil and brought about a renewed creation (Gen 5:28-9:29). The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years as the Lord helped them grow as God s people and led them to the promised land (Ex 16:35). Jesus himself spent forty days in the desert, in prayer and fasting, before he went public with his mission and ministry (Mt 4:2, Lk 4:2, Mk 1:13). The traditional 40 days of Lent is our time in the desert. The Lenten season is a special time to engage in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These practices serve to challenge our priorities and adjust our focus so that we can more fully appreciate Easter and new life in Christ. Prayer can help us develop our relationship with God by improving our communication with God and carving out a more significant place for God in our lives. Fasting can help us detach from things in this world material needs and comforts that often are over-emphasized and remind us of higher, greater priorities. Alms-giving (a.k.a. charity) can help us appreciate the need to actively live-out the love of neighbor which Jesus calls us to and to imitate His self-giving love on the cross. Hopefully, each one of us can find some way to involve these practices in our lives; and by putting a little extra effort into this Lenten season we can reach Easter at a new (or re-newed) spiritual level. One powerful way to include and enhance PRAYER in one s life, is through full and active participation in the Mass. The Eucharistic Liturgy (i.e. the Mass) is an amazing event in which to encounter the Lord; and it is the most powerful communal prayer that we have as members of the Body of Christ, the Church. Enriching our personal prayer lives is always a good goal for Lent, but so is enriching our communal prayer life. Perhaps in addition to our Sunday celebration of the liturgy, one may try to attend Mass during the week sometime. We have a Mass here at St. Thomas, at 9:00 AM Monday-Friday, but other parishes have different daily Mass times, some even in the evening, so it s not too hard to find a time that fits one s schedule. Another beautiful, powerful and moving form of prayer in our Catholic tradition for Lent, is praying The Stations of the Cross. Some do this on their own, but we will pray them as a parish family in the church on: Fridays of Lent, at 7:00 PM Lent IS a season of grace. Let each of us, in some way, open ourselves to the grace of this season so that, when it ends, we can truly, joyfully celebrate our identity as an Easter people!