Saint Cecilia. Second Sunday of Lent

Transcription

1 Saint Cecilia P A R I S H Second Sunday of Lent 16 March 2014

2 Young Neighbors in Action 2014! We're heading to Yakima, WA this July! This July our high school parishioners will be heading to Yakima, Washington for a week of service and learning. The Young Neighbors program provides a solid, Catholic approach to service and justice that balances Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching with direct service. It provides the experiences, skills, and learning needed to help young people come to a greater understanding of the need for change in our society. To help defray the cost of this trip, our Young Neighbors will be hosting a series of bake sales beginning this weekend. There is also a water jug in the narthex where you can deposit your spare change between now and July. How Can You Help? Purchase some baked goods at one of our YNIA Bake Sales being held on: March 16 April 6 May 4 June 1 Bid on our exciting silent auction item: Dinner for six at the rectory prepared by Father John and Scott and served by some of our Young Neighbors! There is a silent auction bid Sunday, April 6. This is your chance to sample some of Father John's delicious cooking! Sponsor a Young Neighbor. A trip like this usually costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $1, per Young Neighbor. Sponsoring a Young Neighbor is a great way to show your support! Sponsor a van. When we arrive in Washington we will have to rent vans for the week. A van rental typically costs approximately $1,700. Sponsoring a van is a great way to help keep our expenses down. tax deductible gift to our YNIA fund. Bring your loose change to church and deposit it in the water jug in the narthex. donating some of your Jet Blue TrueBlue points to help defray the cost of our travel. Red Sox tickets that we For more information on how you can help, please contact one of our fundraising committee members: Piney Kesting - pmkhandly@hotmail.com Maria Leahy - maria.leahy@marriott.com Scott MacDonald smacdonald@stceciliaboston.org Janet Sweeney - pjpcsween@comcast.net For more information on Young Neighbors in Action, please visit

3 our community news Ministers of the Liturgy Saturday 5:00 p.m. Rev. Peter Grover, OMV, celebrant Chris Orrell, lector Sunday 8:00 a.m. Celebrant TBD Bob Mann, lector Sunday 9:30 a.m. Rev. John Unni, celebrant Michele Maniscalco, Mary McGrath, & James Paradis, lectors Sunday 11:15 a.m. Rev. John Unni, celebrant Cynthis Wanner, Joe Castellano, & Zachary Boutin, lectors Sunday 6:00 p.m. Rev. John Unni, celebrant Jim English & Hannah Connealy, lectors today s readings Genesis 12:1-4a 2 Timothy 1:8b- 10 Matthew 17:1-9 next sunday s Readings Exodus 17:3-7 Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 John 4:5-42 Special intentions Saturday, March 15 5:00 p.m. Tom McMurray, Memorial Sunday, March 16 9:30 a.m. Gladys Senna, Memorial Sunday, March 16 11:15 a.m. Joseph A. Mik, Memorial Wednesday, March 19 8:00 a.m. Joseph A. Mik, Memorial Thursday, March 20 8:00 a.m. Joseph A. Mik, Memorial Friday, March 21 8:00 a.m. Joseph A. Mik, Memorial FOOD DONATIONS FOR CATHOLIC CHARITIES This week's featured donation item is: MACARONI & CHEESE! Next week's featured donation item is: PEANUT BUTTER! Donations of pasta, sauce, cereal, tuna, & other canned food are always also accepted. Please leave food donations in the narthex baskets. 3

4 Prayers & Occasions Our Sick Please pray for all our sick and for those who are in need of our prayer, especially Jennifer Serpico, Rudy Kikel, Annette Kulas, Steven Whitkens, Lucie Kelly, Patricia Macdonald, Anthony Simboli, Jeanne Tibbs, Lisa Caputo, Anne Frenette Handly, Jan Igras, Ruth Frost, Roséa Aubrey, Brenna Smith, Mildred McLaughlin, Susanne Coyne, Ken Bennett, Domenic Iannaccone, Cameron Robinson, Jaheel Robinson, John Karcher, Robert Lupis, Paul Claveau, Michael Claveau, David Worster, Derek Schall, Max Tubman, Jennifer Murdock, Susan Noll, Julie Downey, Mary Broussard, Bill MacNeill, Ivy Fray, Daniel Souza, Donna Thagard, Penny Maynard, Robert Kimball, Owen Kyes, Mark Schatzl, Hugo Collamati, Chris Novosielski, Michalina Maniscalco, Anthony Phillips, Niall O'Shaughnessy, Gayle Haley, Javier A. Sattler, and Annie Flaherty. Welcome to Saint Cecilia Parish We are pleased to welcome the following new members of our parish who have recently registered: Marian Clark of Boston, Susan Ambrose of Boston, Brianne Boucher of Allston, William Gagnon of Boston, Elizabeth DiLeo of Brookline, Meghan Hayes of Boston, the Boyce Family of Boston, Alexia Koplewski of Brigh-ton, Melissa Coates of Boston, and Derrick Souze of Berkley. If you have not previously registered with the parish, there are forms in the narthex for this purpose or you can register online at Wednesday Evening Mass During Lent Please join us for Mass on Wednesday evenings during Lent at six o'clock. Confessions will be heard following Mass. Confessions This Wednesday We are participating in the Archdiocesan Lenten initiative, "The Light Is On For You" and will be open for confessions each Wednesday evening of Lent, from six thirty to eight o'clock. There are good preparation materials on the Archdiocese's website, but rest assured, our priests will guide you through the sacra-ment and there's no need to be nervous about the struc-ture of the rite. Come celebrate the sacrament of God's mercy and healing love this Lent. For more information, visit Evening Prayer This Week Please join us for evening prayer this Monday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Monday is for the Solemnity of Saint Patrick, Patron of the Archdiocese of Boston. It's Catholic Appeal Time! Through your support of the 2014 Catholic Appeal, our parish community follows Pope Francis' encouragement to "go forward in hope" as we support the ministries that bring to life the Gospel message across the Archdiocese of Boston. Through the Catholic Appeal, Saint Cecilia our Why Catholic? program, and Parish Financial Services, which support the administration of our parish. If you have yet to make a pledge to the 2014 Catholic Appeal, please complete a pledge form available in the pews and in the back of the Church, or visit BostonCatholicAppeal.org. Thank you for your prayers and support. 4

5 operation rice bowl In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us that whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Our faith calls us to reach out to our sisters and brothers in need and to be authentic expressions of God s love in our world today. Once again, as part of our Lenten observance, Saint Cecilia is participating in Catholic Relief Services' (CRS) Operation Rice Bowl as one way to live out this Gospel call. solidarity with those who do not have enough food and, in help and hope to our brothers and sisters in need around the -manitarian agency of the Catholic Church in the United States. CRS endeavors to alleviate suffering and provide assistance to people in need in nearly 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. In other words, CRS acts as our hearts and hands in countries which we may never see. In solidarity with the poor, participants are encouraged to eat more sparingly during Lent and to donate the money saved to CRS. The money saved goes into the Rice Bowl and will then go to help the poor. On Holy Thursday we will have a proces-sion with gifts for the poor at the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper a good time for you to return your Rice Bowl. If you can't participate in this liturgy, you may bring your Rice Bowl back on any Sunday during Easter and we will send all of the money we collect to CRS. Please take home a Rice Bowl today. Rice Bowls can be found in a basket in the narthex. Thank you for opening your homes to our brothers and sisters in need around the world through CRS Operation Rice Bowl this Lent. Together we can do our part to give hope to a world in need. For more information, please visit lenten online retreat film series With Lent just around the corner, are all invited to join in a Sr. Rose Pacatte, F.S.P. melding pop culture and spiritual and/or t.v. clips that highlight Lenten themes, offering journey in preparation for Easter. During Lent, the Saint Cecilia community can simply log on to to take part in this entertaining and thought- provoking online retreat. These seven short episodes, which include us to dig a little deeper and ponder where we are in need of God's love, and also where God's love might be calling us. happy saint patrick's day! Tomorrow, March 17, we celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. Saint Patrick, born in Scotland in 387, preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died on March 17, 461. He was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose love and total devotion to and trust in God should be a shining example to each of us. Saint Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and this symbol has been associated with him and the Irish since that time. A Prayer From Saint Patrick's Breastplate Christ be with me Christ before me Christ behind me Christ in me Christ beneath me Christ above me Christ on my right Christ on my left Christ where I lie Christ where I sit Christ where I arise Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me Christ in every eye that sees me Christ in every ear that hears me Salvation is of the Lord. saint patrick's day Q&A Question: Do you know how many images of Saint Patrick there are here at Saint Cecilia? Answer: 6! 5

6 By STACY SAULS SAINT CECILIA PARISH May Lent Be About Substance Rather Than Form Ash Wednesday always brought out the most wonderfully subversive side of my wife, Ginger, when I was in seminary. Lent at General Theological Seminary, at least in the days I was a student there, was just more than Ginger could bear. I don't know if this is still done, but in those days, the marble statues in the reredos were covered in burlap bags beginning on Ash Wednesday until the Great Vigil of Easter. On Ash Wednesday, Ginger rebelled. Rather than observing the solemnity of the day with the imposition of ashes, Ginger went up to Eighth Avenue to David's Cookies to buy warm cookies. And not just for herself. She brought a bagful back to the seminary and distributed them to students and student families, particularly children. Fresh cookies remind her more of God. Being happy seemed more like God would want than a 40- day- long depression. Somehow along the way we seem to have gotten the idea that Ash Wednesday is for feeling miserable. Lent is about making ourselves miserable through the practice of self- denial. Somehow, we imagine, this pleases God. We give up the things that delight us the rest of the year just so, I suppose, in depriving ourselves of good things, we may get a enough of the experience of being unhappy so that we deserve to get a break when it comes to getting into heaven. I had a friend who gave up his favorite thing, which was hamburgers, for Lent. I'm not sure where God is in that. I have friends who give up chocolate. I'm not sure where God is in that. I have friends who give up alcohol. That's all well and good, but the problem is it's never the ones who need to give up alcohol. It makes me wonder if there isn't another way to look at Lent. What if Lent were not about giving up something that makes us happy, but taking something on that makes us better, maybe even joyful? What if the purpose of Lent were not to be miserable but to live life more abundantly, not less? What if we gave up those things that make us unhealthy and take on those things that make us well? I think Isaiah may have been a Lenten subversive, too. God, it seems, has little use for the pretense and show, the sackcloth and ashes and fasting. It never ceases to amaze me, for instance, that in our Gospel for this very day, Jesus warns, "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven," and then that's ex-actly what we proceed to do with crosses of ash portrayed prominently on our foreheads. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly. (Isa. 58:5-8) What if instead of fasting from hamburgers and chocolate, we instead took up a fast from injustice? What if instead of giving up worldly pleasures, we gave up oppression? Wouldn't we end up actually happier? What if instead of being unhappy, we proclaimed freedom and liberty from what binds us? Wouldn't we end up actually happier? What if instead of denying ourselves nourishment, we shared our bread with the hungry? What if instead of vestments, we invited the homeless to share our homes and used our resources to cover the naked? The great danger of Lent, I think, is that we get so caught up in observing the form of it, that we forget the substance of it. May [Lent] be about substance rather than form for us, less about sackcloth and ashes and fasting and more about healing and health and wholeness. May Lent be less about wallowing in despair and more about soaring in joy, which I have to believe is more what God actually intends. May Lent be less about giving up and more about building up, building up the body, the community, the people of God, and the coming of the kingdom of God. Amen. Episcopal Church. He was formerly the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky. 6

7 Why I Love Lent By PAUL BRANDEIS RAUSHENBUSH I wasn't raised in a household that observed Lent and only began to get into it once I was introduced to the more liturgical traditions while at seminary. My mother always thought it odd that I would observe this season believing not having to do dreary old Lent. However, Lent has become my favorite season and Ash Wednesday my favorite Christian Holy day outside of Holy Week. Having someone look you in the eye with love and tell you that you are going to die is powerfully moving, and quite beautiful, especially, I suppose, if that day doesn't seem too close. "Death is the mother of beauty. Only the perishable can be -ers." Said Wallace Stevens. Being reminded that I am perishable, that I am dust and that I will return to dust serves to awaken me to the fact that I am on that beautiful journey between dust to dust that we call life. I, like those dry bones in Ezekiel, have had life- breath breathed into me. Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent startle me enough to consider that this very day might be a good day to look up from my day to day concerns, as unimportant as they may be, and to zoom out the lens and to look at my life where I have been, where I am going, and if all is well with my soul right here and now. In Lent we observe the 40 days that Jesus wandered in with most of us, my personal sojourn often is located in the wilderness; winding within uncomfortable and sense of alone- ness. At some point in my life, however, I came across the words of another sojourner found in Psalm from your presence?" the psalmist writes, "If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you." Over time, the testimony of God's intimate presence and love found in this psalm has become my own, and, while it did not, and has not relieved me of my wilderness experiences it allows me to understand my struggles in a different way, to feel less alone and to redeem my life as a valid and, even valued, part of the wider sacred story of God. Maybe that is why I love Lent. In this season it is acknowledge that there are times when God seems utterly absent. Christians spend their lives between the words of Jesus that ask God, why have you forsaken me, and the others that proclaim into your hands I commend my spirit. The testimony of Psalm 139 is that no matter where we go, or what we do, whether we sense God, or we don't God is. God is Present. Lent offers us the opportunity to tear away all that would blind us, or numb us to that reality. For some that will come through fasting from mindless consumption of whatever distracts us; for others it will come from radical service to the neighbor; but what is most important about Lent is that we make time and space for an awareness that God who is with us and loves us even right here and now. It is in the telling of our stories that God is revealed and Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection become real all of our lives become the bread and the cup elements of eternal life amidst the dust. Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is the Executive Religion minister, Rev. Raushenbush speaks and preaches at colleges, churches and institutes around the country. TWEETS FROM THE POPE us deny ourselves something every day to help others. Our deepest joy comes from Christ: remaining with him, walking with him, being his disciples. The challenge for Christian spouses: remaining together, knowing how to love one another always, and doing so in a way that their love grows. 7

8 Lenten Speaker Series "LOOKING AT OUR FAITH" place on the evening of Wednesday, March 26 at seven o'clock. Father Terrence Devino, SJ s topic will be, The Call of Lent: A Season of Discernment. Once again we are invited to pray during Lent, so that we might grow prayerfully, personally and powerfully in our relationship with God. But to do this we need to know what God is calling us to Lent is a time of discernment, what is it that God wants for us? How is God acting in our lives? Father Devino is a Jesuit of the New England Province who has served as the Special Assistant to the President of Boston College since He also serves as the Director of Manresa House, which provides information and guidance for students who are considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. In January 2013 he was named Vice President and University Secretary at Boston College. In this role, Father Devino oversees Commencement, the Sesquicentennial and various administrative tasks. The Saint Cecilia Rainbow Ministry will be hosting a reception after the event. help make a house a home home in the former St. Peter's Convent in Dorchester, Pine Street's newest permanent supportive housing location, opening in the spring/summer of To help tenants feel comfortable in their new home, Pine Street is inviting you to purchase household goods through the St. Peter s Convent Housewarming Registry. These items sheets and pillows, plates and silverware will make St. Peter s a real home. The Registry will run through the month of March. Pine Street Inn has been increasing supportive housing opportunities for Boston s homeless individuals, and it is making an impact. More than 800 formerly homeless men and women now live in Pine Street's housing. Our tenants have the opportunity to rebuild their lives within a structured home environment, with in- house case management and resident supervision. Your generosity enables Pine Street Inn to move forward with our mission of ending homelessness. Join us in helping make this house a home by visiting the registry below! do?registryid= join a new ministry! We are searching for parishioners interested in becoming Help Desk Ambassadors. This is a new ministry that will be forming here at Saint Cecilia. The vision is for a Help Desk Ambassador to be always present in the narthex on Sundays to help valuable and exciting role may be shared among a few committed parishioners. To become involved, please contact Caroline Gélinas at cgelinas@stceciliaboston.org. seraphim singers in concert On March 29 and April 5, The Seraphim Singers and organist Peter Krasinski present Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 landmark Arc)," accompanied by organ improvisation and choral music. The free April 5 performance at Saint Ignatius Church (Boston historian John Michalczyk, Joan of Arc scholar Karen Sullivan, and Peter Krasinski at 7:00 p.m. The March 29 concert is at First Lutheran Church (Back Bay) at 8:00 p.m. Please visit for more information. St. baldrick's foundation event Baldrick's Foundation on Sunday, March 23, at The Lansdowne Pub near Fenway at 3:00 p.m. Brave "shavees" will be years nearly $50,000 has been raised! Please join in by signing up as a shavee or volunteer, or even attending to lend moral with autographed sports memorabilia and several other great items. Please feel free to contact Megan Gallagher with any questions via or megan.gallagher@childrens. harvard.edu. Thank you for your support! JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Our ability to build community is helped by having an up to date database of registered parishioners. If this is one of your participating in liturgies here for a few months or even a few years and have never registered, please consider doing -tion form. Once you complete your form, simply drop it in the collection basket, hand it to any staff person, or mail it to the narthex. You can also register on line at org/register.html. Thank you for being an active member of our community! Position Wanted A native Irish nanny with over 20 years experience caring for newborns, toddlers, & preschoolers in the Boston area is looking for a full- time position (approx. 45 hrs./wk.). Nanny is a non- smoker, with excellent references, and has recently updated CPR training. Please call Genevieve at become a nurse assistant/home health aide in 2014! Catholic Charities Labouré Center in South Boston (conve-niently located 4 blocks from the Broadway T stop on the Red Line) has ongoing day/evening training classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. For a class schedule and more information, visit (click on South Boston link) or call Pam Day at

9 Triduum Music Invitation! New singers and instrumentalists are invited to join us for the Easter Triduum during Holy Week: April Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. For more information, please Richard Clark at RClark@stceciliamusic.org. We look forward to hearing from you! PILGRIMAGE ON THE CAMINO de SANTIAGO de COMPOSTELA Pilgrimage, the journey to a distant sacred goal. It is a journey both outwards to hallowed places and inwards to spiritual on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. In 2010 she walked the 500 miles across Spain to the tomb of St James. On her re-turn she founded the Boston Chapter of the American Pilgrims on the Camino, mentoring aspiring pilgrims from across New England. The meetings will cover the history of the Camino, traditions and practical planning for a possible facilitated day pilgrimage in spring or fall of The Camino can be seen as an extended moving retreat, offering tremendous -tion. It also offers the opportunity to commune with people from all over the world on a similar journey It allows one the opportunity to listen to God more attentively without the day to day distractions of modern life, all the while surrounded by some of the most beautiful of God s creations, the Spanish countryside. The next meetings are: April 2 - showing of the movie "The Way" directed by Emilio Estevez and starring Mar-tin Sheen; and April 23 - a non- Hollywood Camino, practical planning, packing and preparation. All meetings will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Meetings will last about an hour; feel free to attend any or all of the evenings. For more details WHOLE BODY PRAYER AN INVITATION TO PRAY WITH HEART, MIND, AND BODY THROUGH BREATH AND MOVEMENT You are invited to join us for a gentle yoga practice inspired by the readings of the week and share an embodied experience of the Word. Over the course of one hour, we will practice a restorative postures that offer a meditative space for prayer Please wear comfortable clothing, & bring your own mat & water bottle. The current cycle of weekly Saturday classes will continue on March 29 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. in classroom CL5. Please fellow parishioner and yoga teacher, Lara Gómez, at wbprayer.sc@gmail.com to sign up and reserve your spot, as space is limited. Drop- ins will be welcome on a collected, and it is requested that participants sign up for the 4- week session, where possible. VIRTUS Training: april 6 All catechists, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, greeters, and members of Saint Cecilia Cares who have not yet attended a VIRTUS "Protecting God's Children" training session are urged to attend the next session on April 6, 2014 following the 11:15 a.m. Mass (about 1:00 p.m.) Included will be two thirty- minute videos, questions and answers, an overview on mandated reporting, and info on how feel free to bring a brown bag lunch. Please let the leader of your ministry know if you are able to attend this session. Sponsors Needed for Monday Night Dinners! Can you help? Men coming out of prison gather at Saint Cecilia every Monday evening for a support group and supper. The size of the group has grown beyond what our volunteers can afford to pay on their own. Letters of acknowledgment are available if you would like to sponsor all of part of a dinner in someone's name. The cost of a complete dinner is $200, but donations of any amount are most welcome and make a big difference. We budget roughly $5 per person per meal, so if you would like to sponsor a meal for a certain number of people, please use that amount as a benchmark. If you can help, please contact Patrick Donohue (patrickwdonohue@gmail.com) or send a check made out to Saint Cecilia Parish with "Prison and After" being given as a gift, please enclose a note indicating to whom the acknowledgement should be sent with a mailing address and any other information you might wish to be included in the acknowledgment letter (this gift is being made in honor of a birthday, etc.). Thank you for your consideration. "The table is one of the most intimate places in our lives. It is there that we give ourselves to one another. When we say, Take some more, let me serve you another plate, let me pour you another glass, don t be shy, enjoy it, we say a lot more than our words express. We invite our friends to become part of our lives. We want them to be nurtured by the same food and drink that nurture us. We desire communion... Strange as it may sound, the table is the place where we want to become food for one another. Every breakfast, lunch, or dinner can become a time of growing communion with one another." - Henri Nouwen Happy Hour The Saint Cecilia Young Adults invite you to a Happy Hour social at Mass Ave Tavern on March 25 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for an evening of fellowship. Stop by our reserved space near the bar to meet and socialize with other parishioners in their 20s and 30s over a drink or dinner. Please RSVP to scyoungadults@gmail.com. 9

10 YOUNG ADULTS ST. PAT'S BOWLING FUNDRAISER If you were unable to purchase a ticket but still want to attend the St. Pat's bowling fundraiser for the Saint Cecilia Young Adults today, March 16, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. at Kings, please e- mail scyoungadults@gmail.com to reserve a ticket. You may also show up at the door, but we'd prefer to know in advance so that the proper amount of lanes are reserved. Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you! Women's Reading Group Calling all women who like to read! We read a book a month, each book being about the spiritual life of a woman, sometimes Catholic, sometimes not. The group meets after the 11:15 a.m. Mass on the second Sunday of every month to discuss what they have read. A year long book list has been developed. The book for the April 13 meeting is Easter Everywhere, by Darcey Steinke. This beautifully written memoir chronicles a lifetime of spiritual seeking and struggle. For information please peg_newman@msn.com. Movie Series! Members of the Adult Faith Formation Committee invite all to their movie nights. The series kick- off has begun with a ten-hour movie series entitled Catholicism, hosted by Fr. Robert Barron. This series will be watched in one- hour increments with thirty minutes at the end for discussion, in the Parish Hall at 2:00 p.m. every Sunday with a possible encore during the week. This week's viewing will be part 2 of 10. If you are interested please e- mail Natasha Pierre at natasha.m.pierre@ gmail.com. We hope to hear from you and see you there! thanks for a book drive success! The Saint Cecilia community has once again responded with tremendous generosity to the annual Valentine s Day Book Drive for Robert F. Kennedy Children s Action Corps! Over 250 books were donated to our libraries and we cannot adequately nearly 1,500 books have been donated to the children in our care. Saint Cecilia is indeed doing its part to help us reach our vision a world where strong families and communities nur-ture and cherish their children to be contributing members of society, that every child in this country live as we would want our own children to live (Robert F. Kennedy, May 2, 1965). The 4th grade Faith Formation class, in particular, took on this cause and many of the members of the class (including their instructors) took part. The kids from our RFK Lancaster School wanted to share their gratitude as well. If you d ever like to come for a visit or participate in our Community Reading Day, please don t hesitate to contact Letitia Howland at LHow-land@rfkchildren.org or visit our website Thank you once again for all you ve done and continue to do for some of the most vulnerable children in Massachusetts! saint joseph, spouse of the blessed virgin mary This Wednesday, March 19, we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Joseph was an ordinary manual laborer although descended from the royal house of David. In the designs of Providence he was destined to become the spouse of the Mother of God. His high privilege is expressed in a single phrase, "Foster- father of Jesus." About him Sacred Scripture has little more to say than that he was a just man- an expression which indicates his high trust of protecting and guarding God's greatest treasures upon earth, Jesus and Mary. The darkest hours of his pregnancy; but precisely in this time of trial Joseph showed himself great. His suffering, which likewise formed a part of the work of the redemption, was not without great providen-tial import: Joseph was to be, for all times, the trustworthy witness of the Messiah's virgin birth. After this, he modestly retires into the background of holy Scripture. Saint Joseph is the patron saint of the Americas, emigrants, expectant mothers, fathers, Italy, holy death, house hunters, New France, protection of the Church, travelers, and workers. On March 19 our veneration is directed to him personally and to his part in the work of redemption. lenten reflections & donna stiglmeier's work in bolivia Go forth from the land of your kinfolk and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. The people in the neighborhood of Mineros San Juan, where Tantakuna artisan cooperative is located, came to the out-skirts of Cochabamba from smaller communities elsewhere in Bolivia. After many mines closed, they migrated to the city and squatted on unoccupied land, living in tents to begin families. As the majority of Bolivians have indigenous roots, indigenous blood are discriminated against, have a more the poor. From struggling on a daily basis, the gathering of women on a weekly basis... to generate income for their families but also to share life and support each other, is an example of hope. The women overcome their fear together. In the indigenous language Quechua, "Tantakuna" means "to meet together." "Rise and do not be afraid." says the Gospel of Matthew. Tantakuna strives to do this! 10

11 To continue the volunteer work of Donna Stiglmeier in Cochabamba, Bolivia... I am working with a women's artisan cooperative called "Tantakuna" of Proyecto Horizonte. Tantakuna (meaning "to meet together") is a group of eleven women who come together on a weekly basis to support each other and to generate income for their families. Tantakuna began eight years ago out of the organization, Proyecto Horizonte, which offers day care, school support services, health care, and community development. Tantakuna of Proyecto Horizonte is located on the margins of Cochabamba, Bolivia, where its residents have migrated from smaller villages with the hope of a brighter future for their children. However, most of this community s 1500 families live in one room houses without basics such as water and sanitation services. When many of the families arrived in Cochabamba less than fifteen years ago, they squatted on unoccupied land living in tents. Bolivia is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, after Haiti. The women of Tantakuna make handicrafts - for example, knitted hats and scarves, woven covers for IPads and SmartPhones, purses, change purses, belts, bracelets, earrings, key chains, home décor, and many other items. They sell their products within Bolivia and now for export. While making handicraft goods at home, the women can also care for their children. Last year, the women elected their own leadership and are now increasing their skills around facilitating meetings, following budgets, and improving the products' quality and pricing. I am happy to say that sales are increasing! However, the income is still far below a minimum level. Tantakuna is seeking to become an independent cooperative with the hope to facilitate more sales locally and internationally. Most importantly, the women are growing in self-confidence, which is also a gift to their children, in addition to the income to help support them. Empowerment in relationship! Empowerment in action! I work on multiple levels: * companioning the individual women and connecting them to other support services, * coaching the women, especially the coordination group, to build their capacities and grow their cooperative, * helping to plan the weekly Tantakuna group meetings, * exploring ways to open markets locally and internationally, * consulting with Proyecto Horizonte on organizational strategy, and * building connections between other Bolivian organizations to strengthen sustainable development. Tantakuna and Proyecto Horizonte are moving from a charity model - as it began ten years ago with the Saint Vincent de Paul Society providing very basic food, health care, and education - to a more community-based, sustainable model, where the people who are most impacted are making the decisions! It is great work and at a critical juncture. I am excited to be a part of this transition for the benefit of the women of Tantakuna, their families and community, and the surrounding neighborhoods in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Some background Information: Growing up in Buffalo, NY, I spent over 20 years working in a variety of not-for-profit organizations, mostly in Boston, MA. With a mix of business, community-level social work, and theology educational backgrounds, I worked at several United Ways, the Paulist Center Catholic Community, and led the labor-management organization, Worker Education Program. I enjoy the common thread of economic justice and bridge building, while initiating and leading programs to meet community need. As my professional life progressed, my exposure to the US immigrant experience expanded. Now, I have lived and worked in Bolivia for two years. In 2014, I continue this volunteer work independently! For more information (or to download this flyer at About ), visit my blog at To support me with an online donation (via Sustainable Bolivia at Razoo), please click on At-Tantakuna-Proyecto-Horizonte?referral_code=share. As an alternative, checks payable to Donna Stiglmeier can be sent to: Donna Stiglmeier, c/o Susan Martin, 29 Egmont Court, Delmar, NY Thank you!

12 DONE TIME? Men who have been incarcerated are invited to join the Prison & After group which is designed to provide participants with a sense of welcome and support. The meetings are held on Monday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Parish Pastoral Center. We will begin with a group session followed by a simple meal. For information, please contact Tom Ash at whatevertp@gmail.com, or Peg Newman at peg_newman@msn.com, HAVE YOU SIGNED-UP FOR THE RETREAT YET? A DAY OF RETREAT FOR OUR SERVICE MINISTERS SATURDAY, MARCH 29 9:30 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. If you haven't yet signed- up for our parish retreat, please consider doing so today. The theme of the retreat is, "The Challenges and Blessings of Finding God in Your Discipleship of Service." There will be opportunities for listening, praying quietly, and sharing to the extent that one is comfortable. Our hope is that participants will use the day and its schedule as a framework that will help nurture one's relationship with following ministers are invited to attend: Children's Faith Formation catechists; Whole Body Prayer instructors; Prison and After ministers; Rainbow Ministry leadership; Young Adult leadership; Food Rescue and Homelessness and Hunger ministers; Saint Cecilia CARES ministers; volunteers at Nativity Prep; parish gardeners; Adult Faith Formation leadership and team members; members of the Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council; and volunteers with the parish Advent Giving Tree ministry. Here's what the day will look like: 9:30 Welcome with Continental Breakfast 10:00 Opening Prayer and Introduction of Retreat Speaker 10:15 11:00 Presentation by Sarah Clancey and Clare Mahoney 11:00 12:00 Quiet Time with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 12:00 Midday Prayer in the Church 12:15 1:00 Lunch 1:00 1:45 Small Groups (or quiet time for those not interested in joining a small group) 1:45 2:30 Quiet Time 2:30 Closing Prayer in the Church Please sign up today in the Parish Hall or e- mail Scott MacDonald at smacdonald@stceciliaboston.org. "The Church's Lenten discipline is meant to help deepen our life of faith and our imitation of Christ in his paschal mystery. In these forty days may we draw nearer to the Lord by meditating on his word and example, and conquer the desert of our spiritual Church may this Lent be a time of grace in which Lord, through the experience of the desert to the joy and hope brought by Easter." Pope Benedict XVI 22 February, 2012 good lenten reading for sale! The book "The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are" by Brené Brown, referred to in Fr. John's homily last weekend, will be sold in the narthex after the 9:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 6:00 p.m. liturgies today for $ Feel free to stop by to pick up a copy! Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen. Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the dark- You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging. 12

13 Parish RESOURCES 18 Belvidere Street, Boston, MA Hours Monday Friday, 9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Phone Fax E- mail Website Parish Staff Rev. John J. Unni, Pastor Mark Donohoe, Pastoral Associate for Administration, Scott J. MacDonald, Director of Faith Formation and Leadership Development, Jeanne Bruno, Coordinator of Pastoral Outreach, Richard J. Clark, Director of Music and Organist, Caroline Gélinas, Executive Assistant, Maureen Sullivan, Special Projects Manager, Assisting Clergy Rev. Thomas Gariepy, CSC Rev. Peter Grover, OMV Rev. James Shaughnessy, SJ Rev. George Winchester, SJ Schedule for Liturgy Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday 8:00 a.m. Lord s Day Sat 5:00 p.m.; Sun 8:00, 9:30, 11:15 & 6:00 p.m. Holy Days 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Reconciliation By appointment at any time. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the communal process through which non- baptized men and women become members of the Catholic Church. It is also suitable for those baptized in different faith traditions who are interested in becoming Catholic, or, for those who were baptized Catholic, but have yet to receive the sacraments of Mark Donohoe. Baptism for Infants more information, please contact Mark Donohoe. Faith Formation for Children To register your child for our Faith Formation Program, please contact Marriage Couples who wish to prepare for marriage should contact Mark Care of the Sick To arrange for the Sacrament of the Sick, for Holy Communion to be brought to those unable to attend the Sunday celebration, or for Viaticum for the Dying (Holy Communion for those in danger of death), during regularly scheduled liturgies. Order of Christian Funerals The parish is prepared to celebrate the Vigil (wake) in the church. Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Team The CAP Team is responsible for training all parish staff and volunteers in mandated reporting laws and the Protecting God s Children program (VIRTUS). They also provide consultation and support to anyone in the parish who has concerns about reporting child abuse and neglect. (maria.roche15@gmail.com) or Letitia Howland (l_howland@hotmail. com) if you have any questions or concerns. The Archdiocese of Boston has in place a vigorous program to protect children from harm and to educate its ministers and faithful about the nature of abuse, with a goal of increasing knowledge, creating a safe environment for children, and recognizing and reporting potentially dangerous situations. The full text of the policy is also available in the For Those with Celiac Disease If you have celiac disease, please let us know. We have a supply of low- gluten altar bread available for those who cannot tolerate gluten. Hearing Assistance in Church The church is equipped with an FM listening device. Small receivers are available for anyone who may have trouble hearing the sound system. Simply request a receiver from any one of our greeters before Mass. Access for the Disabled The church is accessible by elevator. Sunday Parking Reduced- rate parking is available on Sundays at the Prudential Center parking garage and at the Hilton Boston Back Bay; Sunday parking is also available at LAZ Parking (53 Belvidere Street maximum of three hours). Be sure to have one of our greeters validate your parking ticket before returning to your car. Saint Cecilia Rainbow Ministry Saint Cecilia Rainbow Ministry is a GLBTQ community at Saint Cecilia. For more information, contact stceciliarainbowministry@gmail.com. Joining Our Community We re happy that you re with us! Our community offers a warm, spiritual home for a diverse group of Catholics. We come from many neighborhoods in and around Boston but also have parishioners introduce yourself to a staff member, drop in for coffee on Sunday, what your background, please know that you are always welcome at Saint Cecilia. 13