DIOCESAN CONGRESS A REVOLUTION OF TENDERNESS PROGRAM SCHEDULE Friday, October 7th 7:30pm Year of Mercy Concert Cathedral of St.

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1 Parish Information Joining the Parish New Parishioners are always welcome. Census forms can be found in the vestibule of the churches. Simply fill one out and drop it in the collection basket. Planning a Baptism The birth of a child brings joy to the family. Through Baptism, that child is joined to the family of God, which brings great joy to the church. Parents seeking Baptism are asked to contact the parish office. Scheduling Weddings Couples contemplating marriage are asked to contact the parish office and set up an appointment with Fr. Ken before making any other plans for their wedding. This appointment should take place at least one year before the contemplated date. Our Parish Intercessory Prayer Group provides prayers for anyone in need throughout the parish. Mary Ann Magda is the Coordinator and can be reached at Outreach to the Homebound Sr. Madonna SSCM, assisted by our dedicated EMOCs, provides Sacramental care to the elderly, homebound and hospitalized. If you, or someone you know, are homebound or in need of a pastoral visit, please contact Sr. Madonna. Anointing of the Sick The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick may take place at any time, especially if one is seriously ill. Please contact the parish office to set up a time for Fr. Ken to visit. Funeral Preparations The loss of a loved one is a particularly difficult time for those who are bereaved. Our parish community collaborates with local funeral directors in assisting families during their time of grief. Bequests to the Parish Please Remember St. Andre Bessette Parish with Memorial gifts at the time of death or with a bequest in your will. Make a return to the Lord for all the good He has given you. Having been raised Catholic, it s difficult for us to disassociate ourselves from the tradition of the MAY CROWNING. Our memories are flooded with images of the MAY QUEEN and her court accompanied by pages and servers, members of the Children of Mary and the Sodality, Altar and Rosary Society and other women s groups all gathering on a beautiful spring day to crown the statue of the Virgin Mary with a garland of flowers. Many of us long to return to those customs of yore. Liturgically, however, there is nothing that connects May to the Virgin Mary. Most of our traditions surrounding Mary in May are leftovers of the pagan fertility rites of spring that have been sanitized and Christianized. We could be DIOCESAN CONGRESS A REVOLUTION OF TENDERNESS PROGRAM SCHEDULE Friday, October 7th 7:30pm Year of Mercy Concert Cathedral of St. Peter Saturday, October 8th 8:00am Registration - Long Hall - University of Scranton 9:15am Welcome 9:30am Opening Prayer and Keynote Address Rev. James Martin, SJ Encountering Jesus 11:30am-2:30pm Lunch available Workshop Sessions 11:30am-12:40pm 1:00pm-2:10pm 2:30pm-3:40pm 4:00pm Celebration of Eucharist Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton For more information, a list of worshops, or to register contact Office of Parish Life at or visit the website at The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary honoring Ceres, the goddess of the grain as easily as we are honoring the mother of God. In the revisions following the Second Vatican Council, the Church placed the Feast of the Coronation of Mary within the context of the greater liturgical year. The Church teaches us that when the course of her earthly life was complete, the Virgin Mary was taken body and soul into heavenly glory. The Coronation of Mary is the crowning of her gifts in light of her transformation into the kingdom. St. Paul tells us that we are all working for such a crown an imperishable crown, given to us when our life is complete. So logically, the celebration of the crowning of the Virgin should follow the Feast of the Assumption in AUGUST, not MAY. Our parish community will engage in honoring the Virgin Mary on her Coronation Day, Monday, August 22nd at 6:30 pm. The Coronation will take place at the statue of our Lady of Fatima in front of the church. If the weather is inclement, naturally, the celebration will move indoors. We invite all parishioners to participate in the Coronation of our Lady on her Coronation Day August 22nd. Religious Education Sessions will resume on Sunday, September 18th. Parents and children will meet in Fr. Zolcinski hall at 10 am. Regular classes will begin the following Sunday at 9:30 am. Bright Yellow Registration forms for NEW FAMILIES and CHILDREN are in the vestibule of the church. Please take one and invite your neighbors and friends to join with our children in our parish Religious Education program.

2 ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILS The Liturgical Council will meet on Tuesday, August 30 at 7 p.m. in the Fr. Murgas Conference Room The Parish Social Justice Council will meet in the Fr. Murgas Conference Room September 8 at 6:00 p.m. The Finance Council will meet on Thursday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Fr. Murgas Conference Room. All members of the Finance Council are asked to plan to attend. The Pastoral Council will meet on Thursday, October 20at 6:30 p.m. in the Fr. Murgas Conference Room. PARISH COMMITTEES The TOY BINGO COMMITTEE will meet on Thursday, Setember 1st at 6:30 pm in the Fr. Murgas Meeting Room The Young at Heart Committee will meet on September 21st at 1 pm in the Fr. Murgas Conference Room The Development Committee will meet on Thursday, September 22 at 6:30 pm in the Fr. Murgas Conference Room. Loaves & Fishes Food for August Sugar by the Pound (not packets) Summer Raffle Update Drawing: Sept. 5th! TICKETS PRINTED 24,000 TICKETS MAILED 18,000 Returns to date 7,655 This is a combination of raffle returns AND sales at Schiels. TICKETS STILL OUT THERE 16,345 MAKE YOUR RETURN TODAY! Returns can be mailed to the parish office, dropped in the collection basket, or given to sellers in the vestibule of the church. PARISH LABOR DAY FAMILY PICNIC Join us on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th for an old fashioned Family Picnic. We will supply the Burgers and Dogs (not Princess, Lady or JR!), You bring a dish to share. Those of you with a knack for baking, we can also use some desserts. Mass will be at 10 am on Labor Day and the Picnic will follow immediately after. Please RSVP by Sept. 2 to let us know you re coming ( )! Labor Day Triduum and Feast to honor ST. Joseph The Worker The Oblate Fathers of St. Joseph will hold the annual Triduum and Feast in honor of St. Joseph the Worker beginning on Friday, September 2nd. Mass will be offered each evening of the Triduum (2nd, 3rd, and 4th of September) at 7 pm followed by special prayers in honor of St. Joseph for those who work and those seeking employment. Confessions and the Holy Rosary will precede the Mass. The Labor Day Celebration in honor of St. Joseph the Worker will be celebrated on Monday, September 5th with a Pontifical Mass with Bishop John M. Dougherty, DD. at 10:30 am. The special intentions of the Triduum include: workers thanksgiving, prayers for employment, blessings for students, teachers administrators and school staff. ALL ARE WELCOME DESIGNER PURSE BINGO Sunday, September 18, 2016 St. Leo s Church Hall, 33 Manhattan St. Ashley PA Cost is $20 per ticket and includes all games plus specials. ADVANCED PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contact: Tammy Glasson (570) or Bonnie (570) Group 7 Rev. Joseph Murgas Slovak Catholic Sokol of Wilkes Barre will hold their 81st annual Sokol Day Picnic on Saturday, September 24, This event will take place at the Plains Lions Pavilion on Clarke Lane from noon until 6 pm. The picnic will feature Slovak foods and other picnic favorites and games for all ages. All are invited to come and spend the day with Group 7 as it celebrates its Slovak culture. The Knights of Columbus Combined Councils are sponsoring the 40th Annual Rosary Rally on Sunday, September 25th at St. Ignatius Church in Kingston. Bishop Emeritus James C. Timlin will preside at the Mass. The procession will begin at 2 pm at St. Ignatius and will be followed by Marian Devotions. Mass will follow. Refreshments will be served in the parish hall immediately following the Mass. BUS PILGRIMAGE TO CELEBRATE ST. FAUSTINA AT THE DIVINE MERCY SHRINE, Stockbridge, MA WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 Leave St. Maria Goretti at 7 am Arrive at Shrine by 11 am Dinner at Bogie s in Great Barrington Return to St. Maria Goretti by 11 pm Cost: $65.00 per person For reservations or more information: Cathy Mack at

3 Amoris Laetitia Pope Francis Chapter 3: Looking to Jesus: The Sacrament of Matrimony 74. Sexual union, lovingly experienced and sanctified by the Sacrament, is, in turn, a path of growth in the life of grace for the couple. It is the nuptial mystery. 69 The meaning and value of their physical union is expressed in the words of consent, in which they accepted and offered themselves each to the other, in order to share their lives completely. Those words give meaning to the sexual relationship and free it from ambiguity. More generally, the common life of husband and wife, the entire network of relations that they build with their children and the world around them, will be steeped in and strengthened by the grace of the Sacrament. For the Sacrament of Matrimony flows from the incarnation and the paschal mystery, whereby God showed the fullness of his love for humanity by becoming one with us. Neither of the spouses will be alone in facing whatever challenges may come their way. Both are called to respond to God s gift with commitment, creativity, perseverance, and daily effort. They can always invoke the assistance of the Holy Spirit who consecrated their union, so that his grace may be felt in every new situation that they encounter. 75. In the Church s Latin tradition, the ministers of the Sacrament of Marriage are the man and the woman who marry; 70 by manifesting their consent and expressing it physically, they receive a great gift. Their consent and their bodily union are the divinely appointed means whereby they become one flesh. By their Baptismal Consecration, they were enabled to join in marriage as the Lord s ministers and thus to respond to God s call. Hence, when two non-christian spouses receive Baptism, they need not renew their marriage vows; they need simply not reject them, since by the reception of Baptism their union automatically becomes sacramental. Canon Law also recognizes the validity of certain unions celebrated without the presence of an ordained minister. 71 The natural order has been so imbued with the redemptive grace of Jesus that a valid matrimonial contract cannot exist between the baptized without it being by that fact a sacrament. 72 The Church can require that the wedding be celebrated publicly, with the presence of witnesses and other conditions that have varied over the course of time, but this does not detract from the fact that the couple who marry are the ministers of the sacrament. Nor does it affect the centrality of the consent given by the man and woman, which of itself establishes the Sacramental Bond. This having been said, there is a need for further reflection on God s action in the marriage rite; this is clearly manifested in the Oriental Churches through the importance of the blessing that the couple receive as a sign of the gift of the Spirit. 69 Leo the Great, Epistula Rustico Narbonenti Episcopo, Inquis. IV: PL 54, 1205 A; cf. Hincmar of Rheims, Epist. 22:PL126, Cf. Pius XII, Encyclical Letter Mystici Corporis Christi (29 June 1943); AAS 35 (1943), 202: Matrimonio enim quo coniuges sibi invicem sunt ministri gratiae 71 Cf. Code of Canon Law, cc. 1116; ; Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, 832; Ibid. c Legend says that after Jesus' crucifixion, when the Virgin Mary moved to St. John's home, she took with her some personal articles, among them a table made by our Redeemer in St. Joseph's workshop. The story continues and says that when the pious women of Jerusalem asked St. Luke to do a painting of the Mother of God, he used this table to paint the image. The image remained in Jerusalem for a time, until the Romans began to destroy the city. Divine providence guided the image to Constantinople, where it was carefully protected by the Christians there. By 802, the image appeared in White Russia. During a war in the middle of the fourteenth century, the image was struck by an enemy arrow. Prince Wladyslaw, in order to prevent the destruction of the image, decided to transport it to the land of his birth. While traveling through Poland, with the image in a horse drawn carriage, the horses refused to go any further when they reached the town of Czestochowa. The prince went up to the chapel on top of the hill Jasna Gora to pray, since he saw the horses' refusal to go on as a divine message. In a dream, Our Lady appeared to him, and told him she wanted the image to be venerated there in Czestochowa. This was in the year The prince ordered the building a a bigger and more elaborate Church, along with a monastery. Pilgrims began traveling from all over to venerate the image. She has been in Czestochowa since this time, and has become a national treasure of the Polish people, who venerate her as the Queen of Poland. The present Basilica in which the image resides was built in 1902.

4 This Week s Finances Income August 14, 2016 In Church Mailed In Loose Sunday Offering 3, Holy Days Initial Offering Dues Debt Reduction 6.00 Holiday Flowers TOTAL PARISH COLLECTION $4, $ Our Weekly goal for our Total Parish Collection is $7, This will ensure the financial stability of our parish. Diocesan and Other Collections These are charitable collections that go directly to the Diocese and do not impact our operating budget. Diocesan Collections TOTAL DIOCESAN COLLECTIONS TOTAL SUNDAY COLLECTION $4, $ Other Income This income is in addition to our regular income and contributes toward the operating budget. Candles Perquisites Rental of Properties Miscellaneous Transfer TOTAL OTHER INCOME TOTAL INCOME GENERAL FUND THIS WEEK $ $5, THANK YOU to those who have already increased their Sunday Offering. It is a great help to your parish. In Memory of Offered by Votive Offerings Sanctuary Lamp Edward Check Wife & Children Bread and Wine Francis McCabe Sr. Mary Therese, Francis Jr., Mariah & Family Expenses August 11 to August 17, 2016 Administration Parish School Clergy Residence Liturgy Religious Education Social Justice Operation & Maintenance Holy Redeemer 1, , Insurance Taxes Diocesan Collections TOTAL EXPENSES THIS WEEK $13, General Fund Recapitulation General Fund Previous Balance + Income this week - Expenses this week Balance Forward Title $17, , , $9, Mass Attendance August 13-14, 2016 People In-Church Collection Average Offering per person 4:00 p.m , :30 p.m :00 a.m. 97 1, :00 a.m. 85 1, Total 348 4, Monthly Diocesan Bills (July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017) Prior Balance Amount Paid Balance Due for Schools 134, , , , Parish 170, , , Insurance 89, , , Clergy Pension 28, , , Clergy Medical (BC/BS) 41, , , Post Retirement Fund , , Clergy Care and Wellness Fund Your Gift to God August 13-14, 2016 Over $ $20 40 $ $ $ $15 18 $75 0 $ $ $ $50 9 $ $ $5 48 $25 12 under $5 24 $ Total Envelopes used , , , BALANCE 482, , , ,007.30

5 Spiritual Works of Mercy: Instruct the Ignorant This is a work we perform often; whether we do it as a work of mercy is another matter. It might be helpful to give this work a different name: share the good news. We are not called to impart information, but to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence (1 Pt 3:15). We are to share with others the heart of the Gospel, which Pope Francis describes in this way: In this basic core, what shines forth is the beauty of the saving love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead (Evangelium gaudii 36). We cannot share what we do not have. This work of mercy obliges us to deepen our knowledge of and love for our Catholic faith. We are challenged to give what Blessed John Henry Newman called real assent to our beliefs. He contrasted this with what he called notional assent. The difference is that notional assent to truth is merely informational, whereas real assent is something that changes our entire life. It is when we see the Creed, the liturgy, the commandments, and the spiritual life as so many expressions of a deep personal relationship with Jesus that they come alive. We have a rich patrimony of faith in the Catholic Church, but without this essential personal relationship it is nothing more than a cultural inheritance. Jesus and Nicodemus: A Conversation between two teachers Thus to carry out this work we need to deepen our own knowledge in a way that nurtures our union with God. There are educational opportunities offered in our diocese and parishes, and if time allows we should take advantage of them. (Like the Jubilee of Mercy Enrichment Series, the Saint Francis de Sales School for Pastoral Ministry and the Serra Catechetical Institute) We can also explore the faith on our own, by a prayerful reading of the Scriptures with a useful commentary, studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and prayerfully reading over the prayers of the liturgy. The best instruction comes from example. We are told at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles that St. Luke dealt in his gospel with all that Jesus began to do and teach (Acts 1:1). It is noteworthy that Jesus first did, and only then taught. If people see that our faith makes a difference in the way we live our daily lives how we treat people, how we deal with setbacks and difficulties, and how we set our priorities they may want to learn more about it. We live in a culture that is very secular, in which there is growing hostility to religion in general and to the Catholic Church in particular. It is incumbent on us to be able to answer criticisms, but always, as St. Peter says, with gentleness and reverence. We should look on every conversation as an opportunity to draw others closer to God and to the truth that sets us free (see Jn 8:32). Our society is increasingly polarized and there seems to be more and more hostility and verbal aggression; civil discourse is becoming rare. If we are deeply rooted in our faith and knowledgeable about it, we will not be insecure. There should be a kind of serenity and meekness in the way we share what we believe. It should be good as well as news; a truth that really sets people free. Copyright 2016 Jubilee of Mercy All Rights Reserved.

6 Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time August 22-28, 2016 Day and Date Time Intention Offered by Events of the Week Monday, August 22 Queenship of Mary NO Morning Mass Scheduled 6:30 pm Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary Tuesday, August 23 St. Rose of Lima Wednesday, August 24 St. Bartholomew, Apostle Thursday, August 25 St. Louis of France St. Joseph Calasanz Friday, August 26 Our Lady of Czestochowa Saturday, August 27 St. Monica 8:00 a.m. Deceased members of the Swartz & Ulichney Families Geri Ulichney 8:00 a.m. Theresa Gowarty Fr. Ken 8:00 a.m. Lisa McBride Joe & Joe II McBride 8:00 a.m. Richard K. Boback Sr. Keith S. Russin NO Morning Mass Scheduled Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Noon 5 pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 5 pm Vespers and Benediction Confessions 3 pm Vigil 1 4:00 p.m. Mary Zajkowski Family Vigil 2 5:30 p.m. Seeger Family Family Sunday 8:00 a.m. Parishioners Pastor Sunday 11:00 a.m. Mary & James O Donnell, Neil & Patrick Mary Therese McCabe Second Collection for Eastern Europe Raffle Returns may be made in the Vestibule AGNUS DAY The Lectionary Comic Strip by Pastor James Weitzman Liturgical Ministries PLEASE NOTE: The dates on the calendar issued to the Liturgical ministers are incorrect. The schedule printed here has been corrected! Sorry for any inconvenience this may have occasioned. August 27-28, 2016 Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time Servers Lectors Extraordinary Ministers of Communion 4 p.m. Ted Harowicz Joe Boris Ted Harowicz 5:30 p.m. John & Richard Morris Sr. Kate Mimi Tosh 8 a.m. Nicholas Kreidler Andy Katsock AJ Kondracki 11 a.m. Sr. Tina Sandy Snyder Elaine Snyder