Thought for the Week From Pope Francis. Mass Times ~ Presider Schedule. Inside This Issue May 22, This Weekend

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1 Mass Times ~ Presider Schedule Saturday, May 21 5:30 p.m. ~ Father O Sunday, May 22 7:30 a.m. ~ Father O 9:00 a.m.* ~ Father Andy 10:30 a.m. ~ Father D Silva (Church) 10:30 a.m. ~ Father Ron (Gym) 12:30 p.m. ~ Father Andy 5:30 p.m. ~ Father Ron *American Sign Language interpreted Mass Weekday and Saturday Masses Monday - Friday: 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m., 11 a.m. Filipino Mass in Tagalog every 4th Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Holy Day Masses Eve of the Feast: 5:30 p.m. Day of the Feast: 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament* Exposition: Monday-Friday, 3-5:15 p.m., in the church Thursday before first Friday of each month, 6-8 p.m., with Holy Hour from 7-8 p.m. *No adoration on federal holidays Inside This Issue May 22, 2016 Saturday, May 28 ~ Father O Sunday, May 29 ~ Father O ~ Father Armstrong ~ Father Andy ~ Father D Silva ~ Father Ron ~ Father Andy A Note From the Pastor s Desk 3 Mother s Day Carnation Sale a Success 4 Come Celebrate Our Parish Feast Day Next Weekend! 5 A New Ministry at Blessed Sacrament 5 This Weekend Bag Distribution for Summer in the City Food Campaign Saturday and Sunday at all Masses. Please take a shopping bag with you as you leave Mass today and return it next weekend, May 28-29, with as many of the listed items as you can. The John S. Mulholland Family Foundation, which serves the working poor of the District of Columbia, will ensure that your gifts are distributed to those in need at St. Thomas More, St. Francis Xavier, and Holy Name of Jesus and other pantries. Thank you for your generosity. Questions? Please contact Pat Kavanaugh in the Social Concerns Office, pkavanaugh@blessedsacramentdc.org or Quesada Street, NW Washington, D.C Phone Fax Blessed Sacrament School 5841 Chevy Chase Parkway, NW Washington, D.C Thought for the Week From Pope Francis The Church is called above all to be a credible witness to mercy, professing it and living it as the core of the revelation of Jesus Christ. From the heart of the Trinity, from the depths of the mystery of God, the great river of mercy wells up and overflows unceasingly. It is a spring that will never run dry, no matter how many people draw from it. Every time someone is in need, he or she can approach it, because the mercy of God never ends. (The Face of Mercy, 25) Source of Image: walkwithfrancis.org

2 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Pastoral Staff Rev. Ronald A. Potts, Pastor Rev. Andrew Gonzalo, Parochial Vicar Rev. Msgr. Maurice V. O Connell, Retired Priest moconnell@blessedsacramentdc.org Rev. Percival L. D Silva, Retired Priest pdsilva@blessedsacramentdc.org Deacon Kenneth Angell kenneth.angell@opic.gov Deacon Donald Mays dmays@blessedsacramentdc.org Assistant on Weekends Rev. Regis Armstrong, OFM Cap, Catholic University Duffy Parish Center Main Office (Monday - Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) In an Emergency , Ext (to page priest on duty) Facilities Pius X Library Ray Manning Adult Center Mr. John Navolio, Business Manager , jnavolio@blessedsacramentdc.org Mr. Jay Rader, Director of Liturgy and Music , jayrader@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Michelle Balch, Director of Religious Education , mbalch@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Rosalie Days, Sacramental Preparation Coordinator , rdays@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Casey Armand, Youth Minister , carmand@blessedsacramentdc.org Mrs. Patricia Kavanaugh, Social Concerns Minister , pkavanaugh@blessedsacramentdc.org (Office open Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., and by appointment) Ms. Emma Voelzke, Special Needs Coordinator , evoelzke@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Kathy Gillespie, Director of CYO , kgillespie@blessedsacramentdc.org Blessed Sacrament School Mr. Chris Kelly, Principal , ckelly@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Nancy Ryan, Director of Admissions , Ext. 6110, nryan@blessedsacramentdc.org Sacraments Baptism Baptismal preparation is required of all parents prior to the baptism of their child. We recommend preparation take place before the child is born. Group baptisms are offered every second Saturday and fourth Sunday at 12 p.m. For more info: Matrimony All couples who are to be married at Blessed Sacrament must complete our parish marriage preparation program. Please contact one of the parish priests six months in advance of your marriage date. Reconciliation Friday and Saturday after the 11 a.m. Mass (if no funeral); Saturday, 4-5 p.m. and after the 5:30 p.m. Mass, or anytime by appointment. Parish Services & Information Care of the Sick and Homebound If you or someone you know is hospitalized or homebound and would like a priest to visit, contact the parish office at New Parishioners Welcome! Please register by: stopping in at the parish office or using the registration form available online or from the pamphlet rack at the Quesada Street entrance to the church. Bulletin Announcements Deadline: 9 a.m. Send to: bulletin@blessedsacramentdc.org. Newsletter Content newsletter@blessedsacramentdc.org Photo/Video Submissions communications@blessedsacramentdc.org Website Postings website@blessedsacramentdc.org Church Bulletin Boards The parish secretary maintains the church bulletin boards. Please drop off any flyers for posting to Joan Ward in the parish office, located in the Duffy parish center. Inclement Weather Policy The parish center/office follows Montgomery County Schools for delays and closings. All evening activities are cancelled those days the schools are closed. Pastor s Column Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday as we honor our God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit One God in Three Persons. Our reading from the Book of Proverbs allows us to contemplate the universe as created by God for our enjoyment. He created our world with harmony and was thinking, in His wisdom, of humankind to whom He would entrust His creation with delight. God knew, however, what would happen: the plan of salvation He conceived to restore what sin would destroy, was not based on the failure of His creation, but the choice of our first parents. When creating our universe, He already had in mind the Savior He would send to bring salvation; He had Him beside Him during creation. The author of the Book of Proverbs did not see so far into the future: the fullest meaning of the revelation God would make known as His plan of salvation would be manifested through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. St. Paul reminds us that a new era has begun with the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus sin and death are destroyed and salvation is won for all and open to all. Salvation is God s gratuitous gift to us because we could not save ourselves or earn it it is freely given by God. Faith in Christ establishes us in God s peace. We share this peace through hope in the promise of sharing in the fullness of God s glory in the life to come. Therefore, we accept our share in the cross in this life, which challenges us to grow in faith and hope. Suffering can crush us, but hope allows us to see that suffering is the road which leads to heaven the fullness of God s glory. In our gospel passage from John, Jesus reassures the disciples that the Holy Spirit will come and guide them in the truth. The Holy Spirit insures the communion between the Three Persons of the Trinity and unites us to the Father and the Son by guiding us to the truth. Through the Holy Spirit, the Son continues the mission received from the Father: to lead all people to eternal life. In our openness to the Holy Spirit, we participate and share in the mission of bringing the good news of Jesus to our world. God bless you, Father Ron Holy Trinity fresco, ceiling of the entrance to the main church at Vatopedi Monastery, Mount Athos in Greece (circa 1000 AD) Source of Image: Coffee and the Corbett Café Join fellow parishioners every Thursday after the 8 a.m. Mass at the Corbett Café, Apartment 1 of the Chevy Chase Apartments (next to the church) for coffee and conversation. 2

3 Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament May 22, 2016 Question for the Week Youth Corner When Jesus left the world, He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. Have you ever given something important to someone else as a sign of your love for them? Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit as a similar gift to you? (Source: June/July Poor Box Donations Donations collected during the month of May will benefit A Wider Circle, an organization that provides furniture and household items to families moving out of homeless shelters and to others with emergency needs. It also offers an intensive job preparedness program, as well as workshops on such topics as financial planning, healthy parenting, and nutrition. A Note From the Pastor s Desk Cardinal Wuerl is assigning Father Andy as the Adminstrator of St. Vincent De Paul Parish and St. Benedict the Moor Parish, both in Washington, DC, effective July 6, Cardinal Wuerl is re-assigning Father Alec Scott, who was with us last summer, as Parochial Vicar effective July 6, 2016 as he returns from the completion of his studies in Rome. We are grateful for the time Father Andy has spent with us and offer our prayers as he prepares for his new assignment. Consider This Opportunity to Serve Your Parish Community What have you done to respond to the Pope s call for us to show mercy to members of our community? One way to perform this corporal work of mercy is to join the Blessed Sacrament Arimatheans. Arimatheans is a group of men and women parishoners who serve at funeral Masses. The duties are the same as those of altar servers at other Eucharistic liturgies, and the Arimathean members serve when their schedules permit. The service of the Arimatheans is a demonstration of the compassion and charity of the parish to the family and friends of the deceased. All we are seeking is a few hours of your time on an occasional basis. Prior experience is not necessary, and simple training is provided. Contact John Vittone at or vittone.john@gmail.com to discuss the process. Find us on Facebook Blessed Sacrament DC Servant Leaders For Christ Events for High School and 8th Grade teens Monday, June 27 - Friday, July 1: Vacation Bible School, 9 a.m. - Noon. Volunteers from grades 6-12 are needed to facilitate activities, crafts, lessons, and games for younger students. Please contact Casey for details. Students must submit a permission slip for the event. Adult chaperones and drivers are always needed; please get in touch! For more information and to register, contact Casey Armand: carmand@blessedsacramentdc.org or Rest in Peace David Hessler Sunday Readings/Questions For Reflection... from the Faith Formation Commission Proverbs 8:22-31: The reading says, I found delight in the human race. Do you take delight in the human race? Do you think anyone takes delight in you? Does God? Does Christ? Romans 5:1-5: The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. If God is the source of that love, what kind of love is it that is in your heart? Can you sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in yourself? And, why would God include us intimately in the divine love in the Trinity? If divine love is flowing through you while you are suffering, do you think this helps the world? John 16:12-15: Jesus said to his disciples: I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. According to Pope Francis could the Holy Spirit be telling us (enlightening, guiding, directing) things all the time? Does the Spirit know what is needed in every time and place? What might happen if we don t control everything to the last detail? The Holy Spirit works as he wills, when he wills and where he wills; we entrust ourselves without pretending to see striking results. Let us keep marching forward; let us give him everything, allowing him to make our efforts bear fruit in his good time. Keeping our missionary fervor alive calls for firm trust in the Holy Spirit, for it is he `who helps us in our weakness (Rom 8:26). Yet there is no greater freedom than that of allowing oneself to be guided by the Holy Spirit, renouncing the attempt to plan and control everything to the last detail, and instead letting him enlighten, guide and direct us, leading us wherever he wills. The Holy Spirit knows well what is needed in every time and place. This is what it means to be mysteriously fruitful! Evangelii Gaudium, 279, 280 (Source: Center for Liturgy at St. Louis University) Save the Date for Our Parish Picnic: June 5 Blessed Sacrament s annual parish picnic will be held Sunday, June 5, immediately following the 10:30 a.m. Masses on parish parking lot. Please Michelle Balch at parishevents@blessedsacramentdc.org if you are able to help with this event. Henry Lawrence Berendt Marie Elise Greissing Massimo David Lontoc Eleanor Rae Parsons Newly Baptized Please include our sick in your prayers that they may experience healing and comfort Alejandro Arce Ana Maria Arce William H. Casson Earl Comstock Linda Defendeifer Marian Middendorf Barrie & Elizabeth Montague Fiona Victoria Reinoso Lydia Diane Strunk Grace Catherine Wilding Fredy H. Ortega Daniel Ortman Richard B. Perry Nelly Turner Violeta Turner Hope Elena Katz-Zogby 3

4 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Visit Your Parish Library What Are the Magazines Saying? Abraham Lincoln, Model of Faith, by C. Walter Collar, St. Anthony Messenger, 28-33, May Pope Francis, addressing Congress last September, cited Abraham Lincoln among four individuals outstanding in their virtue. This seems an unusual choice, but a close look into Lincoln s life reveals the reason. in three areas, Pope Francis and President Lincoln may share the same spirit: both men bore pain in a similar way, both allowed themselves to be surprised by God, and both responded to suffering with mercy. Also, Lincoln prided himself on being a peace-maker. Pope Francis is devoted to mercy. Perhaps this shared spirit is why Francis chose Lincoln for his address to congress. Look at Me, by Patricia Snow, First Things, 23-30, May The author brings psychology, literature and modern communication together in this provocative analysis of our relationship with God. She refers to the book, Let Me Hear Your Voice, a moving account of a mother s success in recovering her young daughter from autism. The book describes how the child avoids all contact, and gravitates to solitude. Snow uses this disease (and its intense treatment) as an analogy for today s epidemic, an obsession with a small, glowing screen, describing with many examples from daily life and literature how we re approaching the robotic moment and what s involved in a cure. Thinking about Technology from a Catholic Moral Perspective, by Mark S. Latkovic, The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, , Winter There s much discussion about the benefits and burdens that technology brings to us and our environment. After defining technology, the author considers ten attitudes (which he calls models ): technology may be a neutral tool, a savior, intrinsically evil, a liberating force, a gift of the Holy Spirit, an evolutionary artifact, and more. He analyses these models and suggests a moral partnering with technology, in fact a theology of technology, leading to, in St. John Paul II s thought, the human person as subject and technology as object. Bulletin Publication Schedule Summer 2016 Publication Date Deadline June 5 May 30 June 19 June 13 July 3 June 27 July 17 July 11 July 31 July 25 August 14 August 8 August 28* August 22 *Weekly publication of the bulletin will resume with the August 28 issue. Send bulletin announcements to bulletin@blessedsacramentdc.org. The Adult Center All parishioners, 39 and holding, are invited to gather in Apt. 1 in the Chevy Chase apartment building next to the church for fellowship after the 11 a.m. weekday Mass. Bring a sandwich and join the activities. For more information or for transportation, call Rita Killian at Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Strong Seniors: Strength and Balance Exercises Tuesdays with Maury (Father O), Rescheduled from last week... Topic: Mary, our Mother and Queen Watercolor Art Class with Dick Swartz Bridge for Bridge Noon Closed Successful Carnation Sale Strong winds stirred your hearts to respond to our Mother s Day Carnation Sale. Proceeds of $1,300 will benefit the mothers and children cared for at the Northwest Pregnancy Center and Maternity Home in Adams Morgan. Thank you for generously supporting this annual pro-life event. Chimes Chatter Which of our chimes tolls 54 times each day for a total of 19,710 times each year? It is the E strike machine for the Angelus chime. How does this happen? In the work sacristy within the Automatic Chiming Device black cabinet, there is one more Photo by Joe Bozik cylindrical drum integral to ringing the Angelus (near center left of the mechanisms). This drum does not resemble the half-size-soda-can cylindrical drum we learned about for the quarter-hour peal. Rather, this cylindrical drum (less than an inch wide) has only one row of pins (unlike the quarter-hour peal s eight rows of patterned pins), that makes circuit connections to send a signal to only the E strike machine to peal the Angelus. On this thin cylindrical drum we find the pattern of three pins repeated thrice, with a short pause between the triples, followed by nine pins to peal the final nine strokes (photo displays the nine pins), all completed in 50 seconds. The pauses between the triples are to allow a portion of a salutation given by Angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary (when he announced to her that she was to be the Mother of God) and to recite three Hail Mary prayers. Who Knew?: The Angelus peal s purpose traditionally was threefold: to indicate the time (no watches invented as yet in that era); to pray the Angelus prayer; and, to call parishioners to worship. What other bell towers in the city do you know that also ring the Angelus? Chime-in with your story? Contact 1RetroJoe@gmail.com. 4

5 Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament May 22, 2016 All are invited to come celebrate our Parish Feast Day The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Sunday, May 29, 2016, 12:30 p.m. Patronal Feast Day Mass followed by Procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament This feast and its musical compositions and procession date to the mid 13th century. In 1910, Pope St. Pius issued a decree allowing children to receive First Holy Eucharist at age seven. In 1911, in recognition of this pronouncement, James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore (which then included Washington) dedicated the two newest parishes in the archdiocese to Christ present in the Holy Eucharist our own church, and a church also still standing in Baltimore. A New Ministry at Blessed Sacrament Parish: Blessed Sacrament Veterans Ministry As Memorial Day approaches, Blessed Sacrament is pleased to announce a new parish ministry intended to provide pastoral support to Blessed Sacrament veterans, active duty and reserve military and their families. Teaming with Veterans Voices, a project initiated by Blessed Sacrament parishioner Jocelyn Rowe and the Department of Special Needs for the Archdiocese of Washington and Catholic Charities, this Ministry is designed to provide services and resources for these individuals and families in our parish and the surrounding area. With Memorial Day approaching, we want to hear from Blessed Sacrament parishioners, both affiliated with the Military and those who are civilians, on ways our parish may best honor and support (spiritual, emotional, and corporal ) those who have served our nation and their families. If you are interested in learning more about or volunteering with the Veterans Ministry, please contact Jocelyn Rowe at jocelyn@roweglobalgroup.com or Upcoming activities include: A future workshop to be hosted by Blessed Sacrament for clergy and clinicians on Moral Injury and Forgiveness; Nats Baseball social outing with local veterans and their families; and, Veterans Voices: September 2016 a story-telling series by and for veterans, which focuses on the civilian transition and the role of faith and spirituality in one s journey. Find us on Facebook Blessed Sacrament DC 5

6 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Outreach Did You Know?? May is Mental Health Awareness Month. One in five adults experiences a mental health condition every year. One in twenty lives with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. In addition to the person directly experiencing by a mental illness, family, friends and communities are also affected. Fifty percent of mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75 percent of mental health conditions develop by age 24. The normal personality and behavior changes of adolescence may mimic or mask symptoms of a mental health condition. Early engagement and support are crucial to improving outcomes and increasing the promise of recovery. For more information about how Blessed Sacrament is becoming a more inclusive community, contact Emma Voelzke at evoelzke@blessedsacramentdc.org or Christian Family Movement Ministry A Prayer for Help in Ending Violence On April 20, a 2-year-old boy in Indianapolis found a gun in his mother s purse and shot himself, dying in the kitchen. Two shootings by pre-schoolers have been happening every week in the United States. (New York Times, May 6, 2016) Let us pray: Loving and faithful God, through the years the people of our archdiocese have prayed in times of war, disaster and illness. We come to you Father and ask you to help us in the battle of today against violence, murder and racism. We implore you to give us your wisdom that we may build a community founded on the values of Jesus, which give respect to the life and dignity of all people. Bless parents that they may form their children in faith. Bless and protect our youth that they may be the peacemakers of our time. Give consolation to those who have lost loved ones through violence. Hear our prayer and give us the perseverance to be a voice for life and human dignity in our community. We ask you this through Christ our Lord. From the Archdiocese Holy Hour for Vocations Join your fellow parishioners in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at the Holy Hour for the Intentions of the Ordinandi on Thursday, June 2, 6-8 p.m. in the chapel at Blessed Sacrament (second floor of the parish center). Unite with parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Washington as we anticipate the ordination of our priests on June 25. Memorial Mass for Deceased Spouses Sunday, June 12, at noon in the Pastoral Center Chapel, 5001 Eastern Avenue, Hyattsville, MD. Buffet luncheon follows. Cost of the luncheon is $22. RSVP by Tuesday, June 1. Send check payable to Post Cana to Barbara Nunan, 9903 Hillridge Drive, Kensington, MD For more info, call Barbara at or Mary Anne Corr at Sponsored by Post Cana, an organization of the Archdiocesan Office of Family Life. From the Community Helping girls to decide who they are, before the world tells them who they should be. GirlsUP offers extraordinary summe r programs for girls age years focused on developing character, confidence, and critical thinking through an innovative journey toward self-discovery. GirlsUP is a proud partner of the United Nations Foundation Campaign for Girls. SUMMER 2016 SESSION DETAILS Session 1: June 27-July 1, a.m. 1 p.m. Georgetown Visitation School Session 2: July 11-15, a.m. 1 p.m. Stone Ridge School Session 3: July 18-22, a.m. 1 p.m. Chevy Chase Elementary School Program Fee: $295/session Day 1: Self Awareness: To Thine Ownself Be True Day 2: Self Image: To Be and Not To Seem Day 3: Self Expression: Looking the World Straight in the Eye Day 4: Self Reliance: Standing Strong When It Counts Day 5: Self Giving: A Girl For Others To learn more and to register, please visit Pilgrimage for the Canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa September 1-9, 2016; leave from Washington/Dulles. Join Father David Wathen, OFM, Director of the Franciscan Pilgrimage Office in Washington, D.C., on a pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi, and Orvieto. For more information, contact Father David, dwfm1400@hotmail.com or Elizabeth Grinder, catholictravel@comcast.net. Deadline for reservations is May 31, Little Sisters of the Poor Seeking Volunteers Transportation volunteers (greatest need) take residents of the Jeanne Jugan Residence to doctor appointments typically between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday Friday. Many of the residents appointments are no more than 10 miles away. These residents are ambulatory and reside in a boarding house. Volunteers are able to use a car from the Residence to transport residents, if desired. Clerical volunteers are also needed on a weekly or biweekly basis, Monday Friday during business hours, to help with light filing, typing on the computer, and organization. For more information or if you are interested in either of these opportunities, please contact Martinique Brown, Volunteer Coordinator, at or volwashington@littlesistersofthepoor.org. Paulist Pilgrimage The Spiritual Treasures of Umbria, October 4-13, Journey on a unique retreat experience weaving the tradition of Syria hermits and Sts. Benedict and Francis of Assisi to spiritual sites of the Umbrian Valley. Led by Father Thomas A Kane, CSP. Limited to six participants. For more information: paulist.org/pilgrimages. 6