YEAR OF THE PRIEST PARISH PRAYER God, give us worthy priests in sufficient numbers. FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT MASS INTENTIONS

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1 Saturday Vigil, March 13: Dolores Gallagher (Steffie Orlich) FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT MASS INTENTIONS Sat, March 13 to Sun, March 21 4:30 PM Church 7:30 AM Church Madeline Hewlett (Bonny Giedl & Family) 9:30 AM Chapel Thomas & Christina Fissora (Daughter, Josephine) 11:30 AM Church Nancy Fearon (Carol Kelvington) WEEKDAYS 9:30 AM CHURCH Monday, March 15: Dolores Gallagher (Pete Tarquinio) Tuesday, March 16: Anniv - Mary Ann Patton (Anna J.L. Choruzy) Tuesday, March 16: 6:30 PM, Chapel: Novena Prayers to St. Anthony (week 1) Wednesday, March 17: 8:30 AM, Chapel: Parish Family of Saint John of God Parish and School Wednesday, March 17: Anniv-Josephine Bridickas (Family) Thursday, March 18: Anniv - Helen Valicenti (Harry & Rose Cancelli) Friday, March 19: In Honor of St. Joseph (Charlotte) Friday, March 19, Stations of the Cross, 12:30 PM, Chapel Friday, March 19, Stations of the Cross, 6:30 PM, Church Saturday Vigil, March 20: Marie McNabb (Lori & Bunny) Anna & Emil Boronyak (Nephew, Don) 4:30 PM Church 7:30 AM Church 9:30 AM Chapel Anniv - James Vlasach (Wife, Children & Grandchildren) 11:30 AM Church Walter Berendowski (Nancy, Raymond & Sheryl) Readings for the Week of March 14, 2010 Sunday: Jos 5:9a-12/2 Cor 5:17-21/Lk 15:1-3, Monday: Is 65:17-21/Jn 4:43-54 Tuesday: Ez 47:1-9, 12/Jn 5:1-16 Wednesday: Is 49:8-15/Jn 5:17-30 Thursday: Ex 32:7-14/Jn 5:31-47 Friday: 2 Sm 7:4-16/Rom 4:13, 16-22/Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Lk 2:41-51a Saturday: Jer 11:18-20/Jn 7:40-53 Next Sunday: Is 43:16-21/Phil 3:8-14/Jn 8:1-11 YEAR OF THE PRIEST PARISH PRAYER God, give us worthy priests in sufficient numbers. LENTEN COMMUNAL PENANCE SERVICE St. John of God Parish will celebrate a Lenten Communal Penance Service next Monday, March 22, at 6:30 PM in St. Mary s Church. The evening will provide time for reflection, prayer, and the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance. All adults and students are encouraged to participate as we prepare ourselves spiritually for the Easter Triduum and the celebration of Easter Sunday, the most holy days of our Catholic Christian Faith. Times to receive the Sacrament of Penance before Easter are our normal times on Saturday, March 20 and March 27, from 3:30 to 4:15 PM and 5:30 PM in St. Mary s Church and Monday, March 22 at the Communal Penance Service. There will be no Confessions heard during Holy Week or on Holy Saturday. The most opportune time to go to Confession before Easter is at the Lenten Communal Penance Service on Monday, March 22, RCIA RETREAT An R.C.I.A. Retreat, led by Joanne Malenock, will take place on Palm Sunday, March 28, from 1:30 to 4:00 PM in Mother of Sorrows Chapel. Please keep our Candidates in your prayers as they prepare for full initiation into the Catholic faith. ECUMENICAL SERVICES The traditional Lenten Ecumenical Services will continue this Monday, March 15, 7:30 PM at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 618 Russellwood Ave. Everyone is most welcome. For more info, please call Good Shepherd parish office at ST. ANTHONY NOVENA We will begin the 13-week novena to St. Anthony this Tuesday, March 16, The novena prayers will be recited after the 9:30 AM Mass in St. Mary s Church and at 6:30 PM (novena prayers only) at Mother of Sorrows Chapel. SANCTUARY CANDLE - WEEK OF MARCH 14 ST. MARY S - IN MEMORY OF CHARLES HAWK BY FAMILY MOTHER OF SORROWS - IN MEMORY OF TONY CARPELOTI BY TEDDY AND ANG MANCINI Parish Office Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (Monday thru Friday) Bulletin Deadline: Tuesday Noon

2 FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT MARCH 14, 2010 YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS The ASP continues this Wednesday, March 17 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM at the St. Malachy Upper Room. Join us for games, food and fun! All teens in grades 9-12 are invited to attend and bring a friend. For more information, contact Steve at or sjgyouthmin@yahoo.com. PARISH WEEKEND ATTENDANCE March 6 / 7 Saturday Sunday Total Weekend Attendance... 1,058 PARISH FINANCIAL TOTALS For the Weekend of March 6 / 7 Regular Offertory Collection...$7, (This is ordinary income from contributions for the general running of the parish. It is subject to a 17.6% tax to the Diocese of Pittsburgh.) PARISH SHARE PROGRAM PSP Assessment for $ 83, PSP Collected To Date $ 33, Remaining of 2010 Goal... $ 50, ST. JOHN OF GOD SCHOOL NEWS PANCAKE AND SAUSAGE BREAKFAST St. John of God School will sponsor a Pancake and Sausage Breakfast on Sunday, March 28, at the Social Hall from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Tickets are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children (ages 2-12) and can be purchased at the school office or at the door. If you are interested in volunteering to help at the breakfast or donate baked goods, please call the school office, Enrollment is open for the School Year! New students are welcome to come for a tour and to spend a day at St. John of God School by calling our school office at We are blest with dedicated teachers and staff who offer an excellent academic education which includes Spanish, computer technology, drama, and art. We are committed to building a faith community based on Gospel values and service. Registrations are being accepted now for Kindergarten and Pre-School. We offer a full day kindergarten and the class size is limited. Our Pre School Program accepts 4 year old children for a kindergarten readiness program. Space is limited so apply early. (This is the tax paid to the Diocese. We must remit this entire amount to the Diocese of Dec. 31. Any surplus then remains in the parish, tax free.) STATIONS OF THE CROSS Stations of the Cross are celebrated in St. John of God Parish every Friday during Lent at 12:30 PM in the Chapel at Mother of Sorrows and at 6:30 PM in the Church at St. Mary s. SPECIAL NOTE The Sunday School Eighth Grade Class will host the Stations of the Cross at St. Mary s Church on Friday, March 19, at 6:30 PM. BAPTISMAL PROGRAM FOR NEW AND EXPECTING PARENTS The program will be held next Sunday, March 21 from 1-4 PM in the Chapel at Mother of Sorrows. For more information or to register, please call John Fatula at THANK YOU The Mission Office of the Diocese of Pittsburgh wishes to thank the parishioners of St. John of God Parish for the generous donation of $1, made to World Mission Sunday. BLESSING OF BIKES On Palm Sunday, March 28, immediately following the 11:30 AM Mass in St. Mary s, we will have the annual Blessing of Bikes sponsored by the Mon Valley HOG (Home Owners Group). After the blessing, we will go on a short run, weather permitting. If anyone has a motorcycle bike (preferably) or any bike and would like to be a part of the blessing, you are most welcome. SEVEN CHURCH VISITATION Following our Parish s celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper at 6:30 PM on Holy Thursday, April 1, we will once again have a bus going on the traditional Seven Church Visitation. Everyone is invited to participate in this beautiful old custom of visiting seven churches as prayerful pilgrims. The bus will leave from St. Mary s parking lot following the Mass and return approximately at 11:30 PM to St. Mary s. The Church will remain open until 12 Midnight. If you are interested in going, there are sign-up sheets in St. Mary s Church and Mother of Sorrows Chapel. Note: All Eucharistic Ministers are asked to be present at the 6:30 PM Mass on Holy Thursday.

3 EASTER BREAD The Ladies of the Women s Guild (and their helpers, too) will be baking the traditional, delicious Easter Bread on Monday, MARCH 30 and Tuesday, MARCH 31. Please fill out the order form below. You MUST pick up your order on the date indicated beginning at 4:00 PM. Order deadline is Friday, March 19. DONATIONS To help defray the cost of this project, donations of ingredients (flour, sugar, eggs, margarine, oranges) or money to buy these ingredients would be gratefully accepted. You may bring your donation on Thursday or Friday morning to the Pizza Kitchen or Wednesday evening to the Bingo. Monetary donations can be put in the collection basket in an envelope marked Easter Bread or brought directly to the parish office. For more information, please call Anna Marie Stropkaj at VOLUNTEERS If you can help out anytime during the two days, please call Anna Marie Stropkaj at or the parish office. Don t forget, we make enough bread to share with the shut-ins of the parish to let them know they are always remembered in our daily prayers and are still an important part of St. John of God Parish. If you are looking for a special Lenten service, helping with the Easter Bread would surely be something worthwhile. EASTER FLOWER PICKUP For those kind people helping us to deliver Easter flowers to our shut-ins of the parish can pick up the flowers at the Pizza Kitchen on Thursday, March 25 from 8 AM to Noon and on Friday, March 26, from 8 AM to 3:30 PM. Thank you in advance. WHY MUST HE DIE? - A Passion Play Everyone is cordially invited to this spiritually uplifting performance. On Good Friday, April 2, at 12 Noon, the TriCounty Choir Institute s Teen Chorale will again be presenting the Passion Play, Why Must He Die? here at St. John of God Parish, the Church at St. Mary s. Why Must He Die? written and directed by Linda Wallace, is a meditation through music, drama and liturgical dance on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. There is no admission charge, but a free will offering will be taken. For more information, please call Linda Wallace at or visit the website at NIGHT AT THE RACES - CRESCENT St. Catherine of Siena is sponsoring a Night at the Races on Saturday, March 20 in Siena Hall. There are still several horses for sale. The night will consist of 10 races with an auction race to conclude the evening. The costs are: A horse alone is $10 - Dinner alone is $10 - The purchase of both a horse and dinner is $15. All tickets at the door will be $10. Doors open at 5:15 PM. Dinner begins at 6 PM and Races begin at 7 PM. Please contact Corky Michalik at or Bob Bittner at HELP WANTED Grass trimmers are needed at St. Mark and St. Mary Cemeteries - $7.50 per hour hours per week. Must be able to work Monday thru Friday between the hours of 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Call Andrew Burkholder at or stop in at St. Mary s Cemetery office if interested. ST. JOHN OF GOD STEEPLE CHASE DRIVE YEAR FOR PRIESTS DINNER Don t be left out - You don t need a whole table to join us. Individual seats are available and car pooling may also be an option. Fill out the registration form in today s bulletin and join us at the LeMont on April 8. PLEASE REMOVE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS On Monday, March 22, our cemetery workers will be removing Christmas decorations from the graves at St. Mark and St. Mary Cemeteries to get ready for Easter and the Spring season. Decorations not removed by this date will be taken off by the workers and then discarded. EASTER BREAD ORDER FORM Name Phone Date of Pick-up (check one) Beginning at 4:00 PM each day Monday, March 22 Tuesday, March 23 How Many: 2 lb. loaf - $6.00 (Only one size available) Drop order form in the collection basket at Mass or bring to parish office by Friday, March 19

4 FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT MARCH 14, 2010 The St. John of God Steeple Chase Drive Year for Priests Dinner Thursday, April 8, :30 p.m. VIP Reception / 7:30 p.m. Dinner Le Mont Restaurant (on beautiful, scenic Mt. Washington), 1114 Grandview Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA The St. John of God Steeple Chase drive is sponsoring a dinner to honor current and former priests of St. John of God Parish in this Year for Priests as declared by Pope Benedict XVI. We the faithful would like to show special appreciation for the men who have answered Christ s call to serve as priests. This is an open invitation. Come celebrate the faith and dedicated service of these men. Proceeds from this event will be used to defray costs associated with damages to roof and steeples of St. Mary s Church of St. John of God Parish. Honorees include Rev. Louis Vallone,* Rev. Robert Zajdel*, Rev. Regis Ryan*, Rev. William Terza*, Rev. Paul Householder*, Rev. Lawrence Smith*, Rev. Albert Semler, Rev. Patrick O Brien, Rev. Christopher Mbogu*, Rev. Richard Lelonis, Rev. Michael McDermott*, Rev. Stephen Kresak*, and special guest Monsignor William Ogrodowski, Regional Vicar. *Planning to attend Reservations: (VIP Reception includes Wine, Beer and Hors d oeuvres) Spring Forward Special By March 15 After March 15, 2010 Dinner Only $50 per person Dinner Only $60 per person VIP Reception & Dinner $80 per person VIP Reception & Dinner $90 Dress Code: Roman Collar/Respectful Attire Registration: Please make check payable to: St. John of God Parish and mark your envelope Year for Priests Return registration with payment to St. John of God Parish, 1011 Church Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA by U. S. Mail, SJOG collection basket or office mail drop All reservations and payments must be received by Friday, March 26, 2010 Valet parking $5.00 payable on arrival at LeMont Questions call or The St. John of God Steeple Chase Drive Year for Priests Dinner Reservation (Please return completed form with payment to St. John of God Parish) NAME Please reserve: PHONE Spring Forward Special (Reservations by March 15, 2010) Reservations made after March 15, 2010 Dinner Only at $50 each Dinner Only at $60 each VIP Reception & Dinner at $80 each VIP Reception & Dinner at $90 each I want to reserve a table of 8 or 10. Please attach list of all names with meal choices. Dinner Choice: (Please specify, one choice per person) # Chicken Milanese # Char-Grilled Atlantic Salmon # Veal Portobello (w/artichokes, (breaded w/lemon butter) (w/honey-soy marinade & glaze) peppers & Madeira demiglaze) I/we wish to be seated at the same table as: # TOTAL RESERVATION(S) (Please attach list of all names with meal choices) I am unable to attend, but want to make a donation of $ Enclosed payment in the amount of $ Date

5 PASTOR'S CORNER Fr. Lou Vallone "In like a lion, out like a lamb." We all have heard this folk wisdom (and its mirror image) to describe the weather in March in our area. If the beginning of March is cold and blustery, the end is supposed to be warm and calm, and vice versa. I don't remember what the weather was exactly on March 1, but given the savagery of February this year, we deserve a whole month (perhaps several) of lamby weather! Besides all the danger, disruption and inconvenience that the weather caused, we also suffered financially in the parish. Snow management and removal, literally tons of salt and ice melt, extra hours by our maintenance people (who did an outstanding job), lost work days by employees, expanded utility charges, all busted the budget substantially. And we still do not know what we face in terms of damage to the property - we have to wait till the thaws to see what will need repair. That is on the expense side. On the income side, we lost the equivalent of two full weeks of income as Mass attendance plummeted. In short, we have a considerable deficit in our balance sheet that we had not anticipated. Because of all the white stuff, we are running in the red for the winter, not the black. What shall we do about this monetary shortfall? Here is the short answer: nothing! Or more accurately, nothing we haven't been doing since I have been pastor. Jesus told his disciples, in ministering to the church, they are "to be like a good steward who is able to bring forth from the storehouse both the old and the new." In the economics of the kingdom, as I call and interpret it, we must plan for and function in good times and in bad. I learned this from my parents. My dad worked in construction. Sometimes there was plenty of work, sometimes none. But our household was stabilized in our lifestyle because when times were good, my parents put money away into reserve. When times were bad, they drew from those savings. That is what we are going to do now. Because of your hard work and generosity during my administration here, we have stored up some reserves for the parish in the Catholic Institute: in other words, we have savings. We report that to you each Fall in the year end financial report, and at every Town Hall Meeting and it is in the monthly print outs that are available to you daily in the rectory. I intend to bring forth from the storehouse the "old" money we have saved to make up for the "new" operating deficit we have encountered. I consider this shortfall a temporary situation and this is the solution I have chosen for the short term. As for your part, all you need to do is exactly what you have been doing since I became your pastor. We will continued next column... have no special collections, no new drives, no new fund raisers because of this winter's fiscal hit. You have been generous to the offertory, PSP, special collections, fund raisers, and extra gifts. If you are able to keep up your level of giving as you have been doing, we will eventually make up for the deficit and return to a balanced budget. This is what I believe to be responsible stewardship, the economics of the kingdom, and what I learned from my parents. I believe this is what Jesus referred to in managing the ministry we perform in His name. I thank you for all that you have done for our parish in the past, and simply ask that you continue to do so in the future, in good times and in bad. God bless you. THE WEEK AHEAD March 15 (Mon.) - Mass at Mary Pat Rickerd Nursing Home, 1085 Dohrman St., West Park, 1:30 PM Mass Intention: Frank Zelonka by Mary Chestnutt March 15 (Mon.) - Miraculous Medal Novena Prayers recited in St. Mary s Church - Rosary begins 6:30 PM. March 16 (Tues.) - St. Anthony Novena Prayers recited following the 9:30 AM Mass in St. Mary s Church and at 6:30 PM in Mother of Sorrows Chapel. March 17 (Wed.) - WEDNESDAY NIGHT BINGO in MOS Social Hall - Doors open at 5 PM Early Birds, 7 PM and Regular Games begin at 7:15 PM. March 17 (Wed.) - Cub Scout Mtg, 6-7:30 PM, Gathering Place - Call Jeff Kotek, for information. March 19 (Fri.) - Mother of Sorrows Novena Prayers recited following 9:30 AM Mass, St. Mary s Church. March 19 (Fri.) - PIZZA KITCHEN! To order please call on Fridays, 8 AM 1 PM. Orders must be picked up by 3:30 PM. HOSPITAL Please pray for all parishioners who are in the hospital, especially: Mercy - Gizella Fedorka Also for all those ill at home (especially Fr. Joseph Markalonis), in nursing homes, and shut-ins; that they may continue to receive the Lord s Blessings. SYMPATHY We wish to extend our sympathy to all Families who have lost loved ones this past week. Please remember all our dearly departed and their families in your prayers. May the Angels lead them into paradise, may the martyrs receive them at their coming and take them to Jerusalem, the holy city. LENTEN BIBLE STUDY All are invited to a Lenten Bible Study, led by John Fatula, on Tuesday, March 16, immediately following the 6:30 PM St. Anthony Novena Prayers in Mother of Sorrows Chapel. For more information, please call John Fatula at