Blessed Trinity Catholic Church

Transcription

1 Are You Fasting This Lent? (in the words of Pope Francis) Fast from hurting words and say kind words. Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude. Fast from anger and be filled with patience. Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope. Fast from worries and have trust in God. Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity. Fast from pressures and be prayerful. Fast from bitterness and fill your hearts with joy. Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others. Fast from grudges and be reconciled. Fast from words and be silent so you can listen. Blessed Trinity Catholic Church 958 E. Tuscola St., Frankenmuth, Michigan Third Sunday of Lent ~ March 23 & 24, 2019

2 Blessed Trinity Catholic Church Page 2 Frankenmuth MI This Week in Our Parish Monday, March 25 Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Tuesday, March 26 9:30 a.m. Women s Bible Study 1:00 p.m. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 6:00 p.m. Tithing Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m. Christian Service Commission Meeting Wednesday, March 27 8:30 a.m. Mass 9:00 a.m. Rosary 11:00 a.m. Adult Study Group 6:00 p.m. Lenten Meal at FUMC 7:00 p.m. Lenten Prayer Service at FUMC Friday, March 29 11:00 a.m. Charles Garant Memorial Funeral Mass 7:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross (led by Deacon Larry) Saturday, March 30 4:00 p.m. Individual Reconciliation until 4:30 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Mass Sunday, March 31 Fourth Sunday of Lent 9:00 a.m. Mass 10:00 a.m. Choir Rehearsal 11:00 a.m. Mass 11:00 a.m. Faith for 3 s, Faith for 4 s & Kindergarten Classes 11:00 a.m. Children s Liturgy of the Word 12:00 noon Reflections Dance Rehearsal General Information If you would like to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, please call the parish office for more information. If you would like to have your child baptized, call the parish office for information. Baptisms are celebrated regularly, except during Lent. Adults who are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith are invited to call the parish office for more information. Are you planning a wedding? Please call the parish office before setting a wedding date. Six months are required for preparation. Would you or someone you know wish to celebrate the Anointing of the Sick? Please call the parish office to request an individual anointing. Please remember that when entering a hospital, you should register as a member of Blessed Trinity Parish. When confined at home, please contact our parish office. New parishioners are always welcome at Blessed Trinity. If you wish to join our community, please contact the parish office for an appointment to register. Scripture Readings for March 30 & 31, 2019 Joshua 5:9a, Text and pictures for the weekly bulletin is due by 12:00 noon on Mondays to: lsnyder@blessedtrinityfrankenmuth.org. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Luke 15:1-3, The Sacrament of Penance One of the powerful sources of God s mercy in our lives is in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Catholics have traditionally celebrated this sacrament of mercy during the season of Lent each year and parishes have scheduled additional times for these celebrations. Opportunities for individual penance at Blessed Trinity are offered on: Sunday, April 14 at 3:00-4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 17 at 10:00-11:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 17 at 7:00-8:00 p.m. If you re praying about it, God is working on it. Need Prayers? Call the Parish Prayer Network with your prayer needs and concerns: Ginger Hall at or Nanci Lyon at You can also submit prayer requests on our parish website. When you visit Blessed Trinity during the week or when you come to weekend Mass, be sure to write your prayer intentions in the Book of Life in the back of church. Parish Cemetery Clean-up Parish families who have winter decorations and keepsakes placed at the grave of a loved one in Blessed Trinity s cemetery are asked to remove items before March 31. Thank you!

3 Third Sunday of Lent Page 3 March 24, 2019 Thoughts from our Pastoral Administrator This past weekend, I spent some time with a visitor to our parish after the 5:00 p.m. liturgy. She told me she was overcome with joy by the wonderful Mass she and her husband had just attended here. She was taken aback by the beauty of our worship space, flow of the Mass and brilliance of the music. She and her husband come to Frankenmuth every couple of months from the outskirts of Brighton but had not taken in a Mass here before. They really like Frankenmuth but love our parish and plan to stop and be with us regularly. Monday I was fortunate to attend part of a mission presentation by Rev. Richard Fragomeni. Rev. Richard is a presbyter of the Diocese of Albany, New York, and has been a member of the Catholic Theological Union faculty since Central to this work is a fascination with the power of liturgy and preaching in the transformation of the human heart. He also serves as the rector of The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, an Italian-American spiritual center in Chicago s historic Little Italy. Rev. Richard was a close friend of Bishop Ken Untener, who would send seminarians to CTU for formation. His talk was on The Joy of the Gospel, an Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis. I had read this back in 2014, but Rev. Richard brought much insight into its publication and substance. Although Pope Francis signed off on the document, most of the substance in the Exhortation are from Pope Benedict XVI. The key element to the works and his presentation was the notion of joy and happiness are not the same. The use of joy would be comparable to a fulcrum, which by definition is the point that supports a lever and on which it pivots. Happiness would be compared to the lever, like a child s see-saw. Happiness and sadness often see-saws our emotions back and forth, the same as pride and humility or pleasure and guilt. These are examples of temporal feelings that we may experience. In its simplest terms, joy is our base in faith, our cornerstone that cannot be deterred or phased. It s the capacity to say yes to God, despite everything that may be happening in our lives. We always feel content and joyful that through life s ups and downs, we live in the presence of God. It s not something we can put our finger on but have a sense of as a true gift from God. We remain calm and content because of our love and trust in Christ. Quoting from section seven of the Exhortation Sometimes we are tempted to find excuses and complain, acting as if we could only be happy if a thousand conditions were met. To some extent this is because our technological society has succeeded in multiplying occasions of pleasure, yet has found it very difficult to engender joy I also think of the real joy shown by others who, even amid pressing professional obligations, were able to preserve, in detachment and simplicity, a heart full of faith. In their own way, all these instances of joy flow from the infinite love of God, who has revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. I have a copy available if someone interested in reading. In closing and regard to this weekend s readings, I think St. Paul s words continue to feed the joy found in our lives. On the other hand, the fig tree in full foliage is barren. The fruitfulness of the fig tree depends on its receiving nutrients from the cultivated grounds around it. St. Paul says, Whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall. If we live with our roots in the holy and fertile ground of the Church, God will make us secure, and set us aflame with his life. Deacon Larry Deford Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament All are invited to come to our Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on all Tuesdays during Lent from 1:00-2:00 p.m. in the day chapel. No matter how much or how little time you have, parishioners and guests are welcome to stop in for reflective prayer and adoration. Stations of the Cross On all Fridays of Lent at 7:00 p.m., we will offer Stations of the Cross. There are many different versions of this prayer experience and we will explore some of them. All are welcome! Deacon Larry Deford will lead us on March 29; Fr. T.J. Fleming will lead us on April 5; and Mike Snyder and Alissa Hetzner will lead us in our familiar Stations on April 12.

4 Third Sunday of Lent Page 4 March 24, 2019 We Are Stewards On-line Giving ~ March 10-16, 2019 Parish Adult Contributions... $3, Parish Debt Retirement Total... $3, Weekend ~ March 16 & 17, 2019 Parish Adult Contributions (153 envelopes)... $7, Weekend Loose Children s Contributions (2 envelopes) Parish Debt Retirement Fund (2 envelopes) Catholic Relief Services (5 envelopes) Weekend Total... $7, Children s Stewardship Messages: Natalie s time helped with breakfast dishes; Keegan s talent ~ softball. Lenten Parish Event All are invited to a Parish Lenten Evening on Sunday, April 7 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Come for prayer, soup, salad, and craft. Parishioner Kathie Mates will be on hand to help you create a special Lenten collage. All are welcome! Parish Lenten Service Projects Wednesday Lenten Schedule Lent is a time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Monies saved from fasting from a favorite food or drink can be used to help others. Please take one of the provided bags and as you purchase the items needed, pray for those who will receive them. Hospital Hospitality House of Saginaw ~ we will collect breakfast/granola bars and travel size personal care items to assist those from out of town who are staying at the Hospitality House while a loved one is in the hospital. March 27 ~ Light meal at 6:00 p.m.; Lenten Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. at Frankenmuth United Methodist Church April 3 ~ Light meal at 6:00 p.m.; Lenten Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. at Blessed Trinity April 10 ~ Light meal at 6:00 p.m.; Lenten Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. at Frankenmuth United Methodist Church HIS Restoration Ministries ~ HIS Restoration helps homeless and/or single women and new mothers in many ways. We will collect diapers, wipes, and other baby items to assist them in their ministry. Vassar Area Food Pantry ~ food pantries are not often able to help with needs such as toilet paper, tissue, feminine hygiene products or diapers, things that we take for granted but cost money that people may not have to spare. We will collect these items to assist the local pantry, 4-roll packages of toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, feminine hygiene products, diapers of all sizes. Wellspring Lutheran Services ~ this agency does many wonderful things, including helping residents in area assisted living/nursing home facilities. Often the residents have just enough funds to cover room and board, and do not have money for necessities. We will collect gift cards that Wellspring will use on an as-needed basis for residents in need. CRS Rice Bowl The rice bowl is Catholic Relief Services Lenten faithin-action program that offers opportunities for your family to engage daily with the spiritual pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It s also an opportunity for us as a parish to come together as a community and reflect on what it means to live out our Gospel call to go and encounter those most in need. If you haven t taken one yet, please pick up a rice bowl from the shelf in the gathering area. Sponsor of the Week: Wellspring Lutheran Services To view this ad, see the back of the bulletin. Please patronize our sponsors. They make the bulletin possible.

5 Blessed Trinity Catholic Church Page 5 Frankenmuth MI Youth Ministry News For all youth staying close to home over spring break, we ll plan to see the movie Run the Race at the Vassar Theater on Monday, March 25 at 4:00 p.m. We ll meet at BT at 3:30 sharp and travel to theater. Popcorn and pop is on us! Cost is $6.00 per student. Please text me if you plan to go. Our St. Patrick s Day Celebration was a fun gathering for our grades 7-12 youth last Sunday. See the pictures below left of those who participated in learning more about this Irish Saint. Jack McCallum is fired up for his faith! Last Wednesday, our grade 6 students visited the Saginaw East Side Soup Kitchen to help pack lunches for the 500+ youth that are fed there. Thanks to our students who were excellent representatives for BT! Thanks to Jack McCallum for staying to help me after class (see picture at left of Jack in his new t-shirt.) We ll close out March by meeting next Sunday evening for a Service Night. Please bring non-perishable food items and any homework/projects you need to work on as you head back to school after spring break. We ll meet from 6:30-8:00 p.m. April gathering postcards should be in your mailboxes this week. There are a few changes to the schedule, so please take note! I am so grateful to all our youth and the parents who encourage them -- who make it a priority to join our gatherings. We are building a faith community and it s so great when we gather as ONE! All grades 9-12 youth (in the 2019/2020 year) are invited to participate in the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, IN on November You will join 25,000+ other Catholic youth from around the U.S.A. There will be great speakers, break-out sessions, music, and Mass! If you re interested, please talk to Katy Schuler or Lauren Doherty about their experience. Text me by the end of April if you want to go. Class of 2019 should have received post card reminders asking for pictures for the annual senior video. Contact me with questions. Are you reading your BT bulletin? I am hoping Nick Carter is. Nick..see me at our next gathering for your gift card. Kathy Cramer ~ Director of Youth Ministry kcramer@blessedtrinityfrankenmuth.org God is not in a hurry. You are. It s why you are tired. It s why you are anxious, and stressed, and disappointed. Trust that what was meant to be yours, will be yours.

6 Blessed Trinity Catholic Church Page 6 Frankenmuth MI Faith Formation News On March 13, our grade 5 students visited the City Rescue Mission in Saginaw. They worked hard cleaning tables and chairs. We are so proud of them! Thank you to catechist Barb Shaheen and mom Amy McAvoy for driving. Also on March 13, our grade 6 students visited the East Side Soup Kitchen. See photos of them on this page as they worked hard in the kitchen. Great job to all! Thanks to catechist Kathy Cramer and mom Maria Hernandez for driving. On March 19, our grade 4 students visited Medilodge of Frankenmuth where they shared crafts and a snack with residents. Thanks to catechist Carol Fox and grandmas Lee Genow and Cyndy Bellaver for driving. I d like to thank the Men s Club for the projects they are doing for us in the Atrium. So far, they have repaired a table, improved our shelving units, adjusted the size of our garment stands, and created a base for a miniature sheepfold. Other projects are still in the works. Thank you, Jim Haney and Bill Dodson! Your support is appreciated. Grades 1, 2 & 3 students are welcome to attend Catechesis of the Good Shepherd on Sundays during Lent from 10:00-11:00 a.m. (March 24 & 31 and April 7). Pam Daily ~ Coordinator of Faith Formation pdaily@blessedtrinityfrankenmuth.org Thank you to Kevin & Carol Maurer for their generous donation of a Fontanini Nativity set for our Atrium! Our grade 6 students visited Hunger Solution Center/Saginaw East Side Soup Kitchen last Wednesday. While there, they helped prepare a meal for the hungry. The Big Raffle Winners The Catholic Community Foundation of Mid- Michigan drew the winners of its BIG Raffle on March 14. More than 18,000 raffle tickets were sold by 42 parishes and schools in communities across the diocese. Blessed Trinity s Men s Club thanks all parishioners who purchased tickets to help support our parish and diocese.

7 Third Sunday of Lent Page 7 March 24, 2019 Diocesan Cemetery Clean-up ~ the Diocese of Saginaw Catholic Cemeteries ask that all articles from graves, mausoleums, and niches be removed by March 31. Thank you. Saginaw Catholic Men s Conference ~ Catholic Men, Stand Firm! will take place on Saturday, April 6 from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at Holy Spirit Church in Shields. Speaker will be Fr. Donald Calloway. For more info, see or thecatholicmensaginaw@gmail.com. Women s Lenten Retreat Day ~ the Saginaw Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will offer a Lenten Retreat Day for all women of the diocese on Saturday, April 6. The event will be held at the Center for Ministry in Saginaw and run from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Retreat leader will be Fr. Bert Gohm with his theme of Tools for Forgiveness. For more info or to RSVP, call Rita at Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser Mark your calendars and plan to attend a Spaghetti Dinner & Silent Auction Fundraiser on Monday, April 1 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. in Blessed Trinity s social hall. All proceeds from this event will benefit Frankenmuth High School s Track & Field Teams. Davinci s Italian Restaurant will provide the dinner food: all-you-can-eat spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, and beverage at a cost of $10.00 per person. Track & Field athletes will be on hand to greet you, seat you, serve you, and clean up. Be sure to check out the Silent Auction tables for new and gently-loved treasures to purchase! LCW Luncheon ~ all ladies are welcome to attend the League of Catholic Women Luncheon and meeting on Tuesday, April 9 at St. Peter Church in Chesaning (formerly Our Lady). Mass starts at 11:00 a.m. with lunch to follow. Guest speaker will be Connie Grimshay of Comfort Care. Mail your $10.00 check to LCW, PO Box 6932, Saginaw, by April 1. Donations of nonperishable food items or clothing will be appreciated. Call with questions: