Peter & Paul C AT H O L I C C H U R C H

Transcription

1 Saints Peter & Paul C AT H O L I C C H U R C H 902 East Ninth Street Hopkinsville, KY Established 1872 OUR MISSION STATEMENT We are a Roman Catholic Community of Christians called to be a priestly people, a household of faith, a temple of the Holy Spirit, a beacon of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church shining for Jesus Christ in the heart of Christian County. Rev. Fr. Richard Meredith, Pastor crmeredith@stsppchurch.org Rev. Fr. Julio Barrera, Parochial Vicar jebarrera@stsppchurch.org Permanent Deacon, Mr. Tim Barnes tdbarnes@stsppchurch.org Permanent Deacon, Dr. Bill Sweet wesweet@stsppchurch.org PARISH OFFICE PHONE: (270) PARISH FAX: (270) PARISH WEBSITE: OFFICE HOURS: 8 AM - 5 PM Monday Friday; (Closed Noon -1:00 pm Daily) Parish offices will be closed at Noon on Good Friday SCHOOL TELEPHONE: (270) SCHOOL FAX: (270) SCHOOL WEBSITE: Tru h Radio WSPP 93.5 FM Saints Peter and Paul Assistance: Saints Peter and Paul Thrift Store: MEMBERSHIP IN THE PARISH MASS SCHEDULE Saturday evening... 5:00 PM Sunday 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM Misa en Español... 2:00 PM, 10:30 PM Monday - Saturday...8:00 AM Wednesday... 5:30 PM Thursday Misa en Español... 5:30 PM First Friday of each month.6:00 PM We give a sincere welcome to all new families moving into our Parish. Please register in the Parish Office as soon as possible. Families who plan to move from our parish community are asked to inform us. Bulletin material deadline: Monday at noon in writing or . March 20, 2016 Palm Sunday

2 2 SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY MINISTRY TO THE SICK Please notify the Parish Office upon admission of a family member into any hospital or nursing home. Any parishioner who is ill or infirm may request anointing by calling the Parish Office. PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION This is a devotion whereby members of the parish unite in taking hours of Adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament during the day and throughout the night, seven days a week. (Code required for evenings.) There is a regular schedule of adorers but all are welcome to stop in for a visit. Parishioners are encouraged to sign up for a scheduled weekly Adoration time. Please contact Bill & Jenny Rush at , if you are interested in adopting an hour or if you can be a substitute or prayer partner. These hours are available 6 am & 7am Sundays, Tuesdays 11 pm, Wednesdays 4am, and Thursdays 3 pm. (Prayer partner needed for 3 pm Tuesdays ) Parish Pastoral Council Tim Barnes, Chair/Spiritual Life..tdbarnes@stsppchurch.org Robin Bilan, Education......rcbilan@hotmail.com Libby Downs, Pastoral Associate..ljdowns@stsppchurch.org Robert Cruz, Family Life.rcruztirado@murraystate.edu JoAshley Hall, Worship... joashley7@yahoo.com Sarah Kranz, Principal...skranz@stsppschool.org Fran Marko, Secretary...franmarko@gmail.com Rose McClurg, Social Concerns.rose1963mcclurg@gmail.com Joe Mezzoni, Vice Chair/Administration joemezzoni216@att.net PARISH STAFF Tom Buehrle (twbuehrle@att.net)...director Of Stewardship Brenda Chaudoin (bchaudoin@stsppchurch.org). Parish Office Mgr. Libby Downs (ljdowns@stsppchurch.org)...pastoral Associate Alex French (afrench@stsppchurch.org)...seminarian Intern Leigh Ann Johnson.Parish Assistance Coordinator Steve Kinnard (skinnard@stsppchurch.org)...maintenance Foreman Vicki Kinnard (vkinnard@stsppschool.org)...school Secretary Sarah Kranz (skranz@stsppschool.org)...school Principal Donna Pfeufer (dgpfeufer@gmail.com)...thrift Store Gen. Mgr. Angie Phillips (abphillips2013@gmail.com)...thrift Store Mgr. Tana Shade (tshade@stsppschool.org)...extended Care Director Mayra Tirado (mtirado@stsppchurch.org)...hispanic Ministry Asst. Sue Wassmer (swassmer@stsppchurch.org)...parish Secretary Amy Watkins (awatkins@stsppchurch.org)...parish Music Director The Catholic Church teaches that the sexual abuse of any person is a grave moral evil. To report any instance of sexual abuse by any employee of the Catholic Church please call the Office of the Bishop in Owensboro at (270) The Safe Environment Program is now available at the Diocesan website SACRAMENTS Reconciliation: Confessions will be heard Saturday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and Wednesday at 4:30 PM. Confessions will be heard any time by appointment. Confessions for Spanish speaking are 2nd, 4th & 5th Saturdays at 3:00 PM. Baptism: Baptismal Preparation Class is usually held the first Sunday of each month. Our next class is scheduled for April 10, 2016 at 4:00 pm. Please call the Parish Office. Registration is required. Marriage: Contact the Office six months prior to the desired date. A Closer Walk: Jesus invites each one of us to a deep personal relationship with Him. We respond to the Lord s call by becoming disciples. More than simply tagging along in the crowd, discipleship involves a commitment to abide with Jesus, a surrender to the transforming power of His love. Wherever you may be on the journey, the following reflection on discipleship hopes to inspire a person to a closer walk with the Lord. The Capital (or Deadly) Sins: Gluttony The word gluttony derives from the Latin verb meaning to gulp down, expressing the excessive eating and drinking that characterize this sin. Although we may rightly enjoy the tasty foods that God provides us out of His goodness, we are to do so in accordance with reason. Our primary reason for eating and drinking is to sustain our bodily healthy and strength. If we deliberately overindulge, we lose sight of the actual purpose of nourishment, and instead turn the pleasure of eating or drinking itself into our goal. Therein lies gluttony, as St. Thomas Aquinas define it. An inordinate desire for eating and drinking, gluttony is more about pleasures of food rather than about food itself. Thus a person knowingly exceeds the measure in eating, from a desire for the pleasures of the palate. The sin of gluttony is sometimes trivialized, but it has detrimental effects. Overeating undermines our physical health defeating the very purpose that food is intended to serve. Likewise, excessive consumption of alcohol impairs our judgment, makes us sick, and could lead to the devastating addiction of alcoholism. Gluttony also does spiritual damage. By giving in to the unreasonable demands of our appetites, we begin to lose self-mastery. If we can t regulate our eating and drinking, we find it more difficult to rein in all of our bodies demands, and we end up committing other sins of the flesh. This is why the Lenten discipline of fasting is beneficial. Even if we give up just one small thing, we re regaining control over our relationship to food. Periodic abstinence from our favorite foods helps us cultivate the virtue opposed to gluttony temperance, from the Latin for moderation. And at all times, let us get into the habit of saying grace both before and after meals. The poet Dante depicts the souls in Purgatorio being purified of gluttony through experiencing hunger and thirst. Emaciated by their penance, they pray, Lord, you will open my lips not for food and drink as they did to excess in life but so that my mouth will proclaim your praise (Psalm 51:17). Let us never lose hope! God loves us always, even with our mistakes and sins. Pope Francis

3 MARCH 20, Palm Sunday: This Sunday we will celebrate Palm Sunday, also called The Passion of the Lord. We invite all gather with us up near the school as we celebrate Christ entrance into Jerusalem. We will bless palm and then walk in procession into the church as we will hear the Passion of Our Lord according to St. Luke. Come Home For Easter Communal Penance Service: We invite you to experience the love and mercy of Jesus Christ through the Sacrament of Reconciliation at our Lenten Communal Penance Service. Experience the power of the sacrament, which restores us to God s grace and joins us with him in an intimate friendship. Join parishioners and friends as we acknowledge our need for forgiveness from sin and reconciliation with God in preparation for the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Priests from around the Diocese and our own priests will be available for individual confessions in English and Spanish. Saints Peter and Paul Communal Lenten Penance Service Sunday, March 20 th at 6:00 p.m. Chrism Mass: Remember our bus departs from our parking lot at 4:00 p.m. this Tuesday, March 22 nd for the Chrism Mass in Owensboro. We will return to Saints Peter and Paul around 10:30 p.m. Parish Office: Parish Offices will be closed on Good Friday, March 25 th at 12:00 Noon - as we spend this time in prayer and thanksgiving. Grace Episcopal Church 2016 Lenten Preaching Mission: Grace Episcopal Church is hosting again this Friday, March 25 th at Noon their last Lenten Preaching Mission for the year. The speaker is Rev. Alice Nichols from Grace Episcopal Church. No lunch served today. Good Friday Crosswalk: The Christian County Ministerial Association will be sponsoring the Good Friday Crosswalk, on March 25 th. It begins at 10:00 a.m. at the old Court house building. There are several stops along the way as we pray, sing and trace the last steps of Jesus to Calvary. *Adorers: You are encouraged to keep your hour of prayer. During your hour of prayer, keep before you that Christ is no longer present to us in the Blessed Sacrament, for the Holy Season of the Triduum is upon us.* Holy Week at Saints Peter and Paul Holy Week is the central week of the Church Year. In Holy Week and especially the celebration of the Sacred Triduum we celebrate the core mystery of our Faith. Jesus Christ, Son of God, came into the world as man, was arrested, convicted and condemned to death. He was crucified, died and was buried and rose from the dead. This core belief not only reminds us of the Salvation that we have received through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus but also where we will find life through our own willingness to die so as to find true life. Holy Week begins with the celebration of Palm (Passion) Sunday. We begin our liturgy with the blessing of palm branches and the celebration of Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We hold our branches as we remember that Jesus was welcomed as a hero into the great city of Jerusalem. As Mass continues we will hear the Passion as found in the Gospel of Luke. Neither the Jewish leadership, the Roman leadership, not the apostles understand what Jesus is trying to teach them. Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday of Holy Week: The Anointing at Bethany a sign of His suffering and death and of His identity as the Messiah; the announcement of a betrayer; the preparation of a place for the Last Supper. Mass is offered each day at 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Diocesan Chrism Mass: Bishop Medley invites the Church of Western Kentucky to gather on this special occasion. At the Chrism Mass, all the priests of the Diocese gather with the Bishop to renew their dedication to priestly service. The oils to be used in the sacraments during the year are also blessed and distributed by the Bishop to all the parishes throughout the diocese. The Oil of the Sick and the Oil of the Catechumens are blessed while the Sacred Chrism used during Baptisms, Confirmations and Holy Orders is consecrated by the Bishop, Tuesday, March 22 nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Sportscenter in Owensboro. Triduum (Tree-doo-um or Tredj-you-um) comes from two Latin words (tres and dies) that mean a space of three days. Yet, some may be confused because each Liturgical event has a separate title Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday - totaling four days on our calendar. However, the days are counted on the Church calendar; which follows the ancient Jewish tradition of counting days and festivals, that is, from sundown, to sundown. Therefore, the Easter Triduum begins with sundown on Holy Thursday, and ends at sundown on Easter Sunday; thus totaling three 24-hour periods three days. Because the official meaning of the word is a space of three days it means that the entire period of time is one complete celebration. The Liturgies of Holy Thursday and Good Friday are preparatory ceremonies to the climax of the celebration which is the Easter Vigil; and the celebration continues on Easter Sunday. The liturgies of these three days are not celebrated as a reenactment of the historical events of Jesus last days in the flesh. The liturgies are mystery; not history. The Church s long tradition insists that what happened once in history passes over into the mystery of the assembly s sacramental liturgies. By participating in these liturgies every year, the assembly grows in faith and knowledge of the mysteries of God s Kingdom.

4 4 SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY Easter Triduum Holy Thursday March 24 th : The Institution of the Eucharist, the Institution of the Ordained Priesthood and the Mandatum. The only Mass allowed is the Evening Mass of the Lord s Supper at 7:00 p.m. (Bilingual Mass) followed by a procession to the Altar of Repose in the narthex with Adoration until Midnight. The following are the highlights of tonight's liturgy. Reception of the Oils: We will receive the sacramental oils blessed by Bishop Medley at the Chrism Mass. During the singing of the Gloria, the church bells are rung and then remain silent until the Great Easter Vigil of Holy Saturday night. Washing of the Feet: Just as Jesus washed the apostles feet with the words, Love as I love you so we too participate in this act of service. It stands as a symbol of how we who share the Eucharist are to serve one another throughout the year. Transfer of the Eucharist: The remaining Holy Eucharist is removed from the church and placed in the Narthex for adoration until Midnight. After the Eucharist is removed, the sanctuary is stripped of all its decorations and symbols there are even no devotional candles to light; not till after the Easter Vigil everything is removed. This allows the people to pray the Lord s Passion on Good Friday in a spirit of detachment from any earthly symbols. Something to think about? On this most Holy night, we encourage parishioners to come, come pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Maybe in addition your Rediscover Jesus Group, Mom s Group or Bible Study Group would commit to praying before the Blessed Sacrament from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. Maybe the Finance Committee, Parish Pastoral Council would consider coming and praying before the Blessed Sacrament from 10:00 to 11:00 p.m. Maybe our Knights of Columbus, those of us who are night owls could come. Come and sit with Him, Come and read the Sacred Scriptures of the Triduum, Come and Be with Him. Good Friday March 25 th : - The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. There is no 8:00 a.m. morning Mass. Today the Church turns all attention to the passion of our Lord. This is the only day on the Church calendar in which we do not celebrate the Eucharist. The church building and sanctuary are bare so that we will rely on the words and simple actions of today s service. This liturgy is made up of three unrelated parts: the Word, Adoration, and Holy Communion. Why do we give adoration to the Holy Cross? The Cross is a symbol of Christ s pathway to the Resurrection; not of his death. Through the Cross, Jesus entered into his resurrection so that we too may share in his glory. Therefore, on Good Friday we adore the sacred symbol of the Cross, not a Crucifix. At Saints Peter and Paul we do not have a permanent cross without an attached image of Jesus, so we use a large wooden cross for adoration. The assembly will be invited forward to the cross to remove your shoes. Adoration can be any sign of reverence you are comfortable with: a kiss, touch with your hand, a bow, a genuflection. Here at Saints Peter and Paul we offer the following on Good Friday: 9:00 a.m. Morning Prayer 12:00 Noon The Way of the Cross 3:00 p.m. Good Friday Service English 6:00 p.m. Good Friday Service English 8:30 p.m. Good Friday Service Spanish Remember this day is a day of fasting and abstinence. Our Hispanic Community have a tradition on Good Friday that includes the Pésame (condolence), where the community consoles Mary for the loss of her son, Jesus. For those families that have lost a loved one, especially an older son, the Pésame is both impressive and healing. In Central and Latin America, on Good Friday, the condolences to Mary are so important and moving. They put a statue of Mary in a black dress and pray the rosary and share sorrow that her son died. The older ladies will offer incense, the young women offer perfume to Mary, the men give palms, and the children give flowers. Here at Saints Peter and Paul after our 8:30 p.m. Spanish service, our Hispanic community processes outside with a statue of Mary and all are welcome to enter into her sorrow. All are welcome to come and experience this procession. Holy Saturday March 26 th : The Easter Vigil or Paschal Vigil the night God turned death to Life Mass begins at 8:00 p.m. This night we celebrate the highest feast of the Church year. The Liturgy is made of these parts: The Light: Christ s resurrection is described in the gospels first as a bright light, brighter than the sun. The Paschal Candle is the Church s symbol for Christ as Light of the world. With some of the most ancient prayers of the Church, the priest blesses the new fire and the Paschal Candle, which lights up the darkness. In the presence of this light comes the official announcement of Christ s resurrection. The Word: We proclaim and hear the Word of God, which traces all the wonderful things God has done for his people from the beginning. It is a preparation for seeing our salvation encased in the resurrection. Liturgy of the Eucharist: All of us then gather at the Lord s Table which he prepared for us through his death and resurrection. Easter Sunday March 27 th : The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ: Sunday 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in English; 2:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. in Spanish.

5 Tues: Chrism Mass-Owensboro 6:30 pm (Bus Departs 4 pm) Wed: Rosary Makers-8:45 am, HFR Choirs-Spanish 5pm, English 6:30 pm Fri: Sat: THIS WEEK IN OUR PARISH MARCH Parish Offices Close at 12-Noon RCIA Retreat-9 am Knights Easter Egg Hunt-9am Blessing of Food Baskets-12-Noon Readings for the Week of March 20, 2016 Sunday: Lk 19:28-40/Is 50:4-7/Ps 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24/Phil 2:6-11/Lk 22:14--23:56 or 23:1-49 Monday: Is 42:1-7/Ps 27:1-3, 13-14/Jn 12:1-11 Tuesday: Is 49:1-6/Ps 71:1-6, 15, 17/Jn 13:21-33, Wednesday: Is 50:4-9a/Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34/ Mt 26:14-25 Thursday: Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14/Ps 116:12-13, 15-18/1 Cor 11:23-26/Jn 13:1-15 Friday: Is 52:13--53:12/Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25/ Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9/Jn 18:1--19:42 Saturday: Vigil: Gn 1:1--2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a/Gn 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18/Ex 14:15--15:1/ Is 54:5-14/Is 55:1-11/Bar 3:9-15, 32--4:4/ Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28/Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23/Rom 6:3-11/Lk 24:1-12 Next Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43/Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23/ Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8/Jn 20:1-9 or Lk 24:1-12 or Lk 24:13-35 Confessions: Our Communal Lenten Penance Service is Sunday, March 20 th at 6:00 p.m. Other opportunities to receive the Sacrament are: 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon until Mass time; or Holy Saturday after the Blessing of the Easter Food Baskets at Noon, for as long as people are present. Upcoming Special Collections: Holy Thursday Rice Bowls are brought to Mass on Holy Thursday as gifts to the poor. All proceeds go to assist Catholic Relief Services. This agency provides assistance to STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE.. In today s second reading, St. Paul says, For His sake I have forfeited everything; I have accounted all else rubbish so that Christ may be my wealth. Does my stewardship suggest that I could say the same? Budget News Weekly Parish Collection... $15, Weekly Parish Budget Needs... $15, Unpaid Diocesan Assessment... $39, Weekly Capital Improvement Donations... $42.00 Capital Improvement Fund Balance... $16, Weekly A Legacy of Faith Fund Pledge Payments... $5, A Legacy of Faith Fund Balance... $930, Needed to Break Ground on New Building $35, Stained Glass Window Donations...$ Stained Glass Window Fund Balance... $394, MARCH 20, 2016 Monday, March 21 8:00 AM KEN HATZAKORZIAN Tuesday, March 22 8:00 AM DAVID SMITH Wednesday March 23 8:00 AM FR. RICHARD MEREDITH 5:30 PM KATHLEEN BARNES Thursday, March 24 Holy Thursday of The Lord s Supper 8:00 AM NO 8:00 AM MASS 7:00 PM BiLingual FRANCO & ROSSELLA CINCOTTI 7:00 PM BiLingual ARMANDO DEL ANGEL RAMIREZ Friday, March 25 Friday of The Passion of The Lord 9:00 AM MORNING PRAYER 12:00 PM NOON WAY OF THE CROSS 3:00 PM THE PASSION OF CHRIST 6:00 PM THE PASSION OF CHRIST 8:30 PM Spanish THE PASSION OF CHRIST Saturday, March 26 The Easter Vigil In The Holy Night 8:00 AM NO 8:00 AM MASS 8:00 PM BiLingual THOSE CELEBRATING SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION 8:00 PM BiLingual PHIL CARSONE Sunday, March 27 Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of The Lord 8:00 AM 8:00 AM MARGIE & BARRY NOSBUSCH ARNOLD BORDERS 10:30 AM WENDY ANDERSON 10:30 AM 2:00 PM Spanish CHRIS ADAMS ARMANDO DEL ANGEL RAMIREZ 10:30 PM Spanish FOR ALL PARISHIONERS Indicates Requiem Mass SANCTUARY LAMP In Memory of Margie Nosbusch By Family people in more than 100 countries and territories based on need, regardless of race, nationality or creed. Good Friday The Holy Land. Christ s homeland, is our spiritual home as well. Over the years the shrines marking the great events of His life and death have been cherished and protected from harm by the kind support of Christians all over the world. This collection helps to ensure these shrines for years to come. Easter Sunday The Seminary. The Seminary collection is a Diocesan Collection that helps with the ever increasing cost of educating our seminarians for the priesthood. Regarding Special Diocesan Collections: I ask this of you. Would you please consider for the foreseeable future earmarking whatever you intend to contribute to Diocesan Special Collections to pay down instead our parish s Diocesan Assessments? Just write Assessment across the envelope and/or check notation each time. Such contributions will be used only for paying down the assessment. Fr. Richard 5

6 6 SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY In Need of Prayers Covington Convalescent- Scott Burnside, Pat Chesnut, Elizabeth Jones, Karen Logsdon, Jean Soyars Western State Nursing Facility Arnold Borders, Debbie Dickerson, Ellen Jones Christian Health Center Lillian Cotthoff, Norma Downs, Barbara Holubecki, Friendship House- Christine Mills Others. Pat Abell, Adams Families, Mary Armstrong, Richard & Jeannie Arnold, James Arthur Adkins, Clarence & Helen Allard, Andy & Fran Belland, Norma Boyd, Bill Brown, Kristen Cage, Francis Grace Cage, Fred Chapman, Bettie June Clark, Sam Chesnut, Pam Cox, Debbie Croley, Angela Brockman DeAngelis, Gene Durbin, Pat Esposito, Theresa Ford, Connie Fowler, Martha Fowler, Mary Gervais, Gant Golladay, Jewel Claire Godot, Lou Halburton, Beth Hancock, Bonnie Haney, Amanda Harden, Bonnie Harris, Marianne Harton, Mary Jean Hester, Bill Henney, Edward Hester, Beatrice Ibemere, Anita Jones, Mark Kahre, Bill Kemp, Joseph Kukral, Bob Labor, Helen Marshall, Marcella McCuiston, Joe Mezzoni, Sr., Margie Meredith, Theresa Mills, Mike Moseley, Sandy Mueller, Brittany Pike, Larry Puckett, Martha Reed, Justina Roman, Bob & Cele Schade, MaryAnn Schurmann, Frank Selph, David Ray Shirley, Kristian Shouse, Gina Simpson, Cathy Smith, David Smith, Genevieve Spurr, MaryAnn Stahr, Stocker Family, Georgiann Svestka, Ken Swicicki, Patricia Tariol, Jerry Thomas, Rosie Thomas, Rose Ann Tobin, Donnie Tuminello, Gayle Tuminello, Susan Valentini, Hannelore Vanderklok, John & Eileen Wells, Widener Family, Helen Winstead, James Wittschack. Names remain on the list for one month. Please Pray for our Deployed Ace Crawford, Wesley Britt, Scott Donohue, Louis Fay and Michael Larwa Little White Books: We will have available the Little White Books for the Easter Season this weekend after all Masses. We do have a limited number, so we ask each family to take one. These Little White Books are meant to help us enjoy six minutes a day in prayer during the 50 days of the Easter Season. Prayers for RCIA and Easter Vigil Reception: As the larger parish community, we are called to help those entering into full Communion with the Catholic Church at Easter to develop their relationship with God and the Church. Please welcome them and keep them in your prayers. On Holy Saturday, March 26 th, after the 8:00 p.m. Easter Vigil, the parish community will host a hospitality reception for the RCIA group. Please consider coming by to welcome our parish community s newest members! We will have cake and refreshments. All are welcome. Do I Know Anyone to Invite to Mass?: Think about it. You probably do: a friend who has had a rough time lately and is feeling alone; a sibling who stopped going to Mass; a neighbor or colleague who says he s just gotten too busy; your spouse or child. Just pass along a bulletin, our web site ( or quietly tell them you have found a great parish a home and would like them to come with you sometime. This Holy Week may be just the opportunity you and they have been waiting for. Holy Week Attendance: March 24 th thru March 27 th, 2016, we Catholics celebrate the high holy days of our Catholic faith in a drama of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus that unfolds over 3 days (Triduum). May every Catholic family parents, children and youth, attend Church and participate fully in this central mystery of our faith. This may be a challenge to our established family customs. What a sign it would be to our world if we Catholics choose to spend these days together in prayer and communal rituals. Easter Duty: It is a precept (law) of the Catholic Church that all who have been initiated to the sacraments "shall receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season." In the United States, this extends from Ash Wednesday to Trinity Sunday inclusive. This is a minimum standard and it obliges quite seriously. The annual confession of sins by way of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a precept which obliges those who are conscious of having committed serious sin, and would be required prior to their Easter communion. Help Needed: There are several ways you can be involved to help here at Saints Peter and Paul this week. Helping with the stripping of the sanctuary after the Mass for Holy Thursday. Helping on Holy Saturday (10:30 a.m.) to decorate our church for Easter. We welcome you to come, roll up your sleeves and help. Blessed Items: Do you have blessed items that need to be destroyed or discarded? Remember, blessed items are not to be thrown away like we thrown away our trash. If you have items that are blessed (broken rosaries that cannot be repaired, worn out scapulars, etc.), and need to be destroyed, please bring them to the sacristy at church. These items will be placed along with other blessed articles on the Easter Fire for Holy Saturday night. So bring them now this week. If you forgot to bring your last year Blessed Palm to us before Ash Wednesday, please bring them to us this week. We will add them to the Fire at the Easter Vigil. Welcome: If you are a visitor to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, we want you to know how welcome you are whether you have come from another part of the country, from across the world, or from another parish here in the Diocese of Owensboro. Thank you for praying with us. Thank you also for your generosity, which helps us to celebrate our liturgies in a fitting and beautiful way, and to offer a wide range of services to needy people in the Hopkinsville, Christian County area. Enjoy your visit with us!

7 MARCH 20, 2016 PALM SUNDAY Pastors Greeting: MORAL ENDS & MEANS All is fair in love and in war. Do whatever it takes. Do unto others before they do unto thee. Evil may be done to accomplish a subsequent good. The end justifies the means. Caiaphas, the high priest, could effectively have subscribed to these maxims. He argued before the Sanhedrin that: It is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish [John 11:50]. John took what Caiaphas said to be a prophecy, namely, that Jesus would, die for the nation, and not only for the nation but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God [John 11:51-52]. Humanly, it was a prophecy born of wickedness through which God would sovereignly conquer wickedness and death, for the salvation of the world. Does this mean that God sanctioned the high priest s plot for the sake of the subsequent good? Not at all. It is that God, who creates out of nothing, can turn unjustifiable evil, contrary to its intention, into an instrument of salvation. God trumps evil with divine goodness. So, should we encourage the worst sorts of evil so that God can bring about through it even greater goodness? Saint Paul asked the question this way: Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not! [Romans 6:1] That our God is so powerfully good is cause for our abiding in grace, not for our pursuit of selfdestroying evil. Catholic Christian morality insists that moral integrity is an essential element of true love. Love does no harm to the neighbor, thus love is the fulfillment of the Law. And as for war, there are the strictest of conditions for it to be considered a morally good response to a great evil, otherwise it is one of the most heinous and abominable of grave sins against God and humanity. The moral terms of our faith insist that the end does not justify the means. A morally good objective must be sought through morally good means and with a morally just intention. And to be meritorious, the good objective must be pursued consciously and freely. To sacrifice oneself completely to achieve the good which true love requires is the height of virtue. To do whatever it takes to achieve a goal can be the most crass of evils. The Golden Rule, a universal moral norm which Jesus also taught, is, Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Similarly, a preemptive strike when the target is innocent of an imminent preparation to attack is a war crime. Evil may never be done so that good may follow. The moral decay and the effects of human fallenness on our society is glaringly apparent in the current political campaigns. Lies, embellishments, falsehoods, insinuations, and pandering to base instincts swirl like hurricanes in the pursuit of votes. Given the wealth and power of our country, today s political rhetoric is not only scary but dangerous. It is a sign of how far we have degenerated in our function as a self-ruling, constitutional republic. Anger does not serve freedom well, especially when whipped into concert by demagoguery and scape-goating. Anger can, however, be made to energize a determination for the painstaking pursuit of the common good, individual liberty and responsibility, and virtuous citizenship. It is worse than sad, though, when one s moral options in an election are the lesser or the least of the evils. If one is not morally noble in the contest, can one seriously claim an intention of nobility when the contest is over? No. The mettle of one s character is proven in the contest itself. In fact, the political contest for election is a staged drama for testing the character of one s leaders before placing them in the crucible of the real contests of life. The one who rings true when struck by this test is the one a free people needs to represent it and to govern by and under constitutional law. Jesus did die on his part to deliver us from our sins. But God worked his unjust, political condemnation and execution the worst of history s evils to our ultimate good. The Gospel invites us to stand on the side of Jesus, then, not on the side of Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas, or Judas Iscariot. Fr. Richard Sympathy: As a parish we pray for the repose of the soul of our parishioner Marianne Kennan. Marianne passed away last Friday, March 11 th at her home at the age of 75. Marianne was from Kitzingen, Germany. Marianne met her husband, Clinton Edward Bruce Keenan who precedes her in death, while serving in the Army as a Staff Sargeant. They returned to Ft. Campbell and Marianne has been a faithful parishioner of Saints Peter and Paul for a number of years. Marianne is survived by two sons, Robert and Alan Keenan and daughter Monika Campbell from Virginia and daughter Jennifer Boone from Cadiz; 8 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. We also have parishioners who have lost relatives this week. We pray for Levi and Margaret Peterson as Levi s brother-inlaw, James Mahand passed away on February 26 th in Birmingham, Alabama. Grave side services were held on Friday, March 4 th. We also pray for Kathy and Larry Lytle. Kathy s sister, Stacey Ann Powell Hightower passed away on Sunday morning, March 13 th at her home at the age of 60. Kathy s other sister, Lynda Powell Robinson died on February 20 th. God bless her. So difficult to lose two sisters within weeks of each other. As a parish, may we keep these families in our prayers this week as they mourn their loss. As a church let us pray: May their soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen. Aaron McNeil Crisis Relief Center: This week s item is Canned Beef Stew. Please place your donations in the barrel in the coat closet on the left side of the Narthex. 7