The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish April 24 th, 2016 ~ Fifth Sunday of Easter

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1 The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish April 24 th, 2016 ~ Fifth Sunday of Easter P O Box 307, Dushore, PA Parish Office ~ 1 St. Francis Drive, Mildred, PA (570) Fax (570) ~ ihmparish@frontier.com Website ~ ihmdushore.com Our Pastoral Staff Parish Administrator ~ Reverend Richard Rojas Director of Religious Education ~ Mrs. Kathleen Clark Administrative Assistant ~ Ms. Diane Fowler Director of Liturgical Music ~ Mrs. Deborah Rojas Mass Schedule Saturday 4:00 PM St. Basil s Church, Dushore Sunday 7:30 AM St. Francis of Assisi Church, Mildred 9:30 AM St. Basil s Church, Dushore The Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays ~ 3:15 3:45 PM St. Basil s Church, Dushore Sundays ~ 6:45 7:00 AM St. Francis of Assisi Church, Mildred Or by appointment

2 A Welcoming Community: You enter this Church not as stranger, but as a guest of God. He is your heavenly Father. Come, then, with joy in your heart and thanks on your lips into His presence, offering Him your love and service. Be grateful to the strong and loyal ones who, in the name of Jesus Christ, built this place of worship, and to all who have beautified it and hallowed it with their prayers and praise. Ask His blessing on those who love His house of faith as the inspiration of their labor, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit, and may that blessing rest on you, both in your going out and your coming in. Parish Registration: You must be a registered member of The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish to receive Baptism, Confirmation, First Penance, First Holy Communion, Marriage and to receive sponsor letters from the pastor. New Members: Please stop by or call the parish office and register. (If you are leaving the parish, please notify the office before you leave). Thank you. Change of Address: Please notify the parish office as soon as possible if you have had a change of address. Inactive Catholics: As a welcoming parish, we ask every parishioner to ask God to put in your heart people whose hearts we need to reach out and touch with God s love. Before you talk to men about God, you talk to God about men. Please, call, write, leave in an envelope in the collection the name, address and phone number of the person. Father would be delighted to meet with them. SACRAMENTAL LIFE RCIA: The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process to bring non-catholics into the faith. Anyone seeking information or interested in becoming a part of this community of faith can call the parish office. Sacrament of Baptism: Baptisms are scheduled for the 1 st and 3 rd Sundays of the month following the 9:30 AM Mass. In order to understand and better appreciate this special sacrament, parents are required to attend the Pre-Baptismal Program, which is held on the last Saturday of each month at 7:00 PM in St. Basil s Rectory. Please contact the rectory to schedule your child s baptism. Sacrament of Marriage: Couples contemplating marriage should notify the rectory at least six months prior to the date to allow necessary time for proper preparation. Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick: Urgent calls will be attended to at any time of the day or night. Visitation of the Sick: Please call the parish for visitation of the sick at home, in the hospital, or health care facility. Parish Mission Statement: We, the Catholic faithful of The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, in union with our Holy Father, the Pope, and our Bishop, are called through Baptism to share in the ministry which Jesus Christ has entrusted to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. As priest and lay faithful in a rural area, we utilize our energy to serve the spiritual needs of the Kingdom of God to promote a culture of life, justice, and peace to this generation and the generations that follow us. Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Heavenly beauty and splendor of the Father, you are the most valued Heavenly treasure. New Eve, immaculate in soul, spirit and body, created of the godly seed by the Spirit of God, you are the spiritual Mother of mankind. Pure Virgin, full of grace then and now, your whole being was raised Heavenly in full glory, to be elevated above all the hosts within the Kingdom of God. O Heavenly Mother, Queen of Heaven and earth, I recognize the glory of your highest title, the Immaculate Heart of Mary! Loving Mother, dispenser of endless blessings, you who continually intercede on our behalf, please present my need before your loving Son, Jesus. (Mention your request) O Immaculate Heart of Mary, I know that you are now presenting my need before Jesus, for you have never turned away those in dire need. Mother dearest, I await your favorable answer, submitting myself to the Divine will of the Lord, for all glories are His for ever and ever. Amen.

3 Fifth Sunday of Easter Sunday, April 24, 2016 Sunday Readings First Reading: Acts 14:21-27 Paul and Barnabas traveled to many towns and found many disciples willing to help them preach. They warned their disciples of the trials they would face. Paul and Barnabas then returned to Antioch, where their journey had begun and told the congregation there of the progress they had made. Responsorial Psalm: 145 Second Reading: Revelation 21:1-5a John had a vision of a new earth and a new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. Then a voice described Jerusalem as a place where God would live among his people and comfort them. The former world had vanished, and pain, death, and suffering had left the world as well. Gospel: John 13:31:33a, After Judas left the last supper, Jesus warned the other disciples that he would not be with them much longer. Jesus gave them a new commandment to love one another as he had loved them. He stated that their love for each other would distinguish them as disciples. First Holy Communion Congratulations to the following students of our parish who received the sacrament of First Eucharist on Sunday, April 17 th. Madalyn Broschart, August Harney, Carter Lambert, Ryan Murray, and Hailey Whittaker Fifth Sunday of Easter And when they arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how He had opened the doors of faith to the Gentiles I give you a new commandment, love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples. If you have love for one another. Wouldn t it have been exciting to travel with Paul and Barnabas to those many cities and towns? Reading the Acts of the Apostles, we become part of their entourage, listening to their teaching, praying with the communities, commending them to the Lord, fasting and discovering the hand of God as part of their work. Their ministry also encountered hardship, such as rejection, prison, and even shipwreck. Today let s switch roles. We are accompanied by the spirit of Paul and Barnabas as we live our faith in our local communities. The names are familiar, not a far off town, but the parishes to which we belong. We testify to the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives by our participation in the Eucharist and making others aware of God s love, opening the doors of faith to them. When was the last time, if ever, that you invited someone to worship or pray with you? It is in doing just this that you carry out Jesus s command. If we truly believe that Jesus lives and is present in our church community and home, then we want to share that belief with someone else. If we truly believe that He loves us and calls us to be His disciples, we see that the easiest way to put His teaching into practice is to invite some to share what we have and feel is really important. Love isn t love until you give it away. That s what Jesus did and asks us to do. DAILY READINGS Monday ~ SAINT MARK, EVANGELIST 1 Pt 5:5b-14; Ps 89; Mk 16:15-20 Tuesday Acts 14:19-28; Ps 145; Jn 14:27-31a Wednesday Acts 15:1-6; Ps 122; Jn 15:1-8 Thursday ~ Saint Peter Chanel, Priest, Martyr; Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort, Priest Acts 15:7-1; Ps 96; Jn 15:9-11 Friday ~ Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin, Doctor of the Church Acts 15:22-31; Ps 57; Jn 15:12-17 Saturday ~ Saint Pius V, Pope Acts 16:1-10; Ps 100; Jn 15:18-21 Sunday ~ SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER Acts 15:1-2,22-29; Ps 67; Rv 21:10-14,22-23; Jn 14:23-29

4 Weekly Liturgical Celebrations Saturday, April 23 3:15 ~ 3:45 PM Dushore Sacrament of Reconciliation 4:00 PM Dushore Fr. Joseph R. Hornick by Mary & Rosemary Finan Sunday, April 24 6:45 7:00 AM Mildred Sacrament of Reconciliation 7:30 AM Mildred Mass for the People 9:30 AM Dushore Wayne Sick by Betttyann & Abe Goodyear Monday, April 25 9:00 AM Dushore Edward & Frances Burke Kelly by Edward M. Kelly Tuesday, April 26 9:00 AM Mildred Gerald J.Doyle by Lee, Marie & Michael Sharrow Wednesday, April 27 9:00 AM Dushore Gerard Kaier by Josephine Klem Thursday, April 28 9:00 AM Mildred Rose Decker by Dee & Ron Kulsicavage 10:30 AM Darway Barbara Place by Sylvia Richlin Saturday, April 30 3:15 ~ 3:45 PM Dushore Sacrament of Reconciliation 4:00 PM Dushore Mass for the People Sunday, May 1 6:45 7:00 AM Mildred Sacrament of Reconciliation 7:30 AM Mildred John Nicker Guglielmi by Stephen Nalewajko 9:30 AM Dushore John Michael Murphy by his wife, Jeannie Murphy In Loving Memory The Altar Candles and Sanctuary Candle in St. Basil s Church are burning in loving memory of Grace Bohensky by Bob & Mary Getz & family Dear God, I take my humble heart with its anxieties and joys and put it into your mother s Immaculate Heart. Mary, please take my heart in yours and deliver it to the Sacred Heart of your Son, Jesus Christ. Memorial Brass Candlesticks In loving memory of Mary Eleanor McMahon by James & Patricia Kearney James & Tiffany Kearney, Jr., and Mark & Paula Rae Manning From a sermon by Saint Maximus of Turin, bishop Christ is the day Christ is risen! He has burst open the gates of hell and let the dead go free; he has renewed the earth through the members of his Church now born again in baptism and has made it blossom afresh with men brought back to life. His Holy Spirit has unlocked the doors of heaven, which stand wide open to receive those who rise up from the earth. Because of Christ s resurrection, the thief ascends to paradise, the bodies of the blessed enter the holy city, and the dead are restored to the company of the living. There is an upward movement in the whole of creation, each element raising itself to something higher. We see hell restoring its dead to heaven, and heaven presenting the new arrivals to the Lord. In one and the same movement, our Savior s passion raises men from the depths, lifts them up from the earth, and sets them in the heights. Christ is risen. His rising brings life to the dead, forgiveness to sinners, and glory to the saints. And so David the prophet summons all creation to join in celebrating the Easter festival: Rejoice and be glad, he cries, on this day which the Lord has made. The light of Christ is an endless day that knows no night. Christ is this day, says the Apostle; such is the meaning of his words: Night is almost over; day is at hand. He tells us that night is almost over, not that it is about to fall. By this we are meant to understand that the coming of Christ s light puts Satan s darkness to flight, leaving no place for any shadow of sin. His everlasting radiance dispels the dark clouds of the past and checks the hidden growth of vice. The Son is that day to whom the day, which is the Father, communicates the mystery of his divinity. He is the day who says through the mouth of Solomon: I have caused an unfailing light to rise in heaven. And as in heaven no night can follow day, so no sin can overshadow the justice of Christ. The celestial day is perpetually bright and shinning with brilliant light; clouds can never darken its skies. In the same way, the light of Christ is eternally glowing with luminous radiance and can never be extinguished by the darkness of sin. This is why John the evangelist says: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never been able to overpower it. And so, my brothers, each of us ought surely to rejoice on this holy day. Let no one, conscious of his sinfulness, withdraw from our common celebration, nor burden of his guilt. Sinner he may indeed be, but he must not despair of pardon on this day which is so highly privileged; for if a thief could receive the grace of paradise, how could a Christian be refused forgiveness?

5 Our Weekly Parish Offertory Collection The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish April 16 th & 17 th, 2016 $4, April Second Collections April 23 rd & 24 th ~ Catholic Home Missions Thank you for your generosity! Word of Life: By radiating charity and mercy to all our neighbors, we provide those much-needed islands of mercy. Together, we stand against the wind of the throwaway culture, and brave its sea of indifference, sustained by Jesus who is, as Pope Francis has called Him, the living face of the Father s mercy. ~Life Issues Forum: After Marching, Acting as Islands of Mercy Caitlin Thomas, USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities Patron of the Week Blooming Florist Please support our patrons on the back of the bulletin. A Prayer for our Military God our Father, walk through my house and take away all my worries; and please watch over and heal my family. Heavenly Father, hold our troops in Your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in this, our time of need. These things I humbly ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen. Please pray for: Darrin J. Denmon PMB 155; P O Box 30800, Honolulu, HI PVT Stephen MacElhaney Punisher 5 th Platoon 1-7bFABN Wainwright, Alaska Natalie Dymond 9030 Moccasin Lake, San Antonio, TX RCT Sharif Welton SOI East Company, PSC Box 20161, Camp Lejeune, NC Matthew J. Dailey 114 East Cochran Ave, Unit 110 Clovis, NM Air Force Captain Shawn M. McDonald 145 Kings Highway; Apt 307 Dover, DE Airforce SSGT Amber Adams Liturgical Ministers for April 30 th & May 1 st Special Ministers of Communion 4:00 PM Dushore D. Homer, J. Lambert, R. Finan 7:30 AM Mildred J. Walsh, J. Doyle 9:30 AM Dushore J. Hawke, D. Fite, T. Hembury Lectors 4:00 PM Dushore K. Homer 7:30 AM Mildred S. Moyer 9:30 AM Dushore J. Fite, B. Hawke Altar Servers 4:00 PM Dushore 7:30 AM Mildred R. Thomas 9:30 AM Dushore N. & C. Werner Greeters 4:00 PM Dushore C. & C. A. Gindele 7:30 AM Mildred R. Hope 9:30 AM Dushore C. & P. Wylie, T. Karaban Diocesan Annual Appeal Update Goal: $41,000 Raised: $38,340 Under Goal: $2, % (186 out of 468 parishioners pledged) If you have not made a pledge to the Diocesan Annual Appeal, please consider doing so. Pledge envelopes are available at the parish office. The Kiwanis Club of Sullivan County Presents: Sampson Charter bus trip to Sight and Sound November 12 th, 2016 Show time: 11:00 AM Ticket price: $ per person Price includes bus, performance, and lunch Smorgasbord Lunch at Bird-in-Hand Leaving Dushore at 6:00 AM and return to Dushore at 8:00 PM Tickets must be paid for by June 1 st, 2016 For more information and tickets, call: Cindi Carol Anne Help Wanted: The parish is looking for Jr High, High School, or college age youths to help maintain the cemetery and church grounds at St. Basil s. This would include mowing and trimming. Contact the parish office at if you or someone you know is interested.

6 Reflecting on the Gospel In so many ways we already act out of the love that Jesus commands in this gospel. We need only to do the everyday things we are already doing with new meaning: we share in Jesus mission when we love others as he loves us. If, however, an examination of our lives suggests that perhaps we are not so self-giving and loving as Jesus, then this gospel is an invitation to love more completely. What is at stake is a share in Jesus everlasting Life and glory. This Life and glory is so worth loving for! Catholic Home Missions Appeal April 23 rd & 24 th, 2016 Many dioceses right here in the United States do not have enough priests and trained lay ministers to serve their parishes. These dioceses are known as home missions. The Catholic Home Missions Appeal, which will take place this weekend in the second collection, supports these dioceses by funding essential ministries, including seminary education and lay ministry training. Please be generous in this appeal and share your resources to strengthen the Church at home. Congratulations! We welcome to the Catholic Faith our RCIA Neophytes (newly planted). The RCIA process is challenging, transforming, and spiritually enhancing the life of our parish. We congratulate Lisa Major, Sean Murphy, Luke Manero, and Jaime Underkoffler New life here in our midst! VBS Planning Meeting Monday, April 25 th ~ 7:00 PM St. Basil s Hall, Dushore Altar & Rosary Society News We are currently looking for a volunteer to vacuum the church at St. Francis in Mildred. It would be once a week in fall and winter and less often in spring and summer. Please call Anne Silla at if you can contribute your time. Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 th at 6:30 PM in St. Francis of Assisi Rectory, Mildred. IHM Parish Picnic Meeting Tuesday, May 3 rd at 6:30 PM at the Parish Office (St. Francis Rectory) Chosen: IHM Youth Program IHM Parish Youth (Grades 7-12) are invited to meet for spiritual enrichment! Next meeting: Monday, April 25 from 7 9 PM in the Cave (St. Francis Rectory Basement, Mildred) For more information contact Elly Rojas at , register online at ihmdushore.com, or join our Facebook group Chosen by God Attention St. Basil s Alumni St. Basil s Alumni Society is reaching out to all who attended St. Basil s School until it closed in We are planning an Alumni Social around the annual picnic to be held on Sunday, July 3 rd, Many years have passed since the last alumni reunion but the picnic has taken place for as long as anyone can remember. Many will not be able to attend the picnic for a variety of reasons, but we would like to offer you an opportunity to purchase a corner in the Picnic Ad Book to share your family/career story since your days at St. Basil s School years ago. If interested, please contact the Parish Office at P O Box 307, Dushore, PA or call for details and deadlines. Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, is pleased to offer a preventive health event at St. Basil s Church Hall on 4/27/2016. Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms which can lead to a ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs which is a strong predictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat which is closely tied to stroke risk; and a bone density screening for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis. Register for a Wellness Package which includes 4 vascular tests and osteoporosis screening from $149 ($139 with our member discount). All five screenings take minutes to complete. In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any package priced above $129, please call or visit

7 THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD THURSDAY, MAY 5 TH ~ HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION Thursday, May 5 th, is the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. It is on this day that Jesus ascended to his Father amid cries of gladness, entering into the heavenly sanctuary. We are called to be his witnesses, mindful of the great hope to which we are called. This feast is a holy day of obligation. Masses will be as follows: Wednesday, May 4 th ~ Vigil 7:00 PM St. Basil s, Dushore Thursday, May 5 th 9:00 AM St. Francis of Assisi, Mildred 5:30 PM St. Basil s, Dushore Come and Sea Discernment Weekend May 20-22, :00PM Friday until 2:00 PM Sunday Curious about religious life? Wondering if God is calling you to a vowed life of service? Asking what difference would this life choice make for me? Come and join other women and men, ages 21-45, who are exploring these questions. At Saint Mary by-the-sea Retreat House in Cape May Point, NJ, you will have the opportunity to walk with others who have similar feelings in their hearts. Vocation directors from the Delaware Valley will lead the group in prayer and guided reflection to help each person discern God s call no stress or pressure, just God s grace and invitation and the sea. Ask Jesus what he wants from you and be brave! ~Pope Francis Offering for the weekend: $60.00 per person ($30.00 deposit). For registration or more information: comeandsea2016@gmail.com Knights of Columbus Mother s Day Breakfast Sunday, May 8 th St. Basil s Hall 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM Moms eat for FREE! Give Mom a break and take her out to breakfast! Help Needed! IHM Parish is looking for someone to help chair our Super Bingo Fundraisers! These Super Bingos have been a great fundraiser for our parish for many years. You don t have to do it alone! There s lots of volunteers who will help! Please contact the parish office at for more information. The Master s Way Not ours to know the reason why unanswered is our prayer. But ours to wait for God s own time to lift the Cross we bear. Nor ours to know the reason why from loved ones we must part, but ours to live in faith and hope, though bleeding to the heart. Not ours to know the reason why this anguish, strife and pain, but ours to know a crown of thorns sweet graces for us gain. A cross, a bleeding heart and crown what greater gifts are given? Be still, my heart, and murmur not, these are the keys of Heaven.

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