Mass Times ~ Presider Schedule. Inside This Issue April 17, Thought for the Week From Pope Francis. This Month

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1 Mass Times ~ Presider Schedule Saturday Vigil, April 16 5:30 p.m. ~ Father D Silva Saturday, April 23 ~ Father Andy Sunday, April 17 7:30 a.m. ~ Father Andy 9:00 a.m.* ~ Father Regis 10:30 a.m. (Church) ~ Father O 10:30 a.m. (Gym) ~ Father D Silva 12:30 p.m. ~ Father Ron 5:30 p.m. ~ Father Ron *American Sign Language interpreted Mass Weekday & Saturday Masses Monday - Friday: 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m., 11 a.m. Filipino Mass in Tagalog every 4th Sunday at 4 p.m. Holy Day Masses Eve of the Feast: 5:30 p.m. Day of the Feast: 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Adoration Of The Blessed Sacrament* Exposition: Monday-Friday, 3-5:15 p.m., in the church Thursday before first Friday of each month, 6-8 p.m., with Holy Hour from 7-8 p.m. *No adoration on federal holidays Inside This Issue April 17, 2016 Memorial Lecture with President Garvey of CUA 3 Confirmation Meeting 4 Our School is Your School 6 New Column: Behind the Altar 6 Sunday, April 24 ~ Father Ron ~ Father Regis ~ Father Ron ~ Father O ~ Father Andy ~ Father D Silva Thought for the Week From Pope Francis 3630 Quesada Street, NW Washington, D.C Phone Fax Blessed Sacrament School 5841 Chevy Chase Parkway, NW Washington, D.C In this Holy Year, we look forward to the experience of opening our hearts to those living on the outermost fringes of society: fringes which modern society itself creates. How many uncertain and painful situations there are in the world today! How many are the wounds borne by the flesh of those who have no voice because their cry is muffled and drowned out by the indifference of the rich! May their cry become our own,and together may we break down the barriers of indifference that too oftenreign supreme and mask our hypocrisy and egoism! (The Face of Mercy, 15). This Month Poor Box Donations Poor Box donations in April will benefit the food pantry at St. Thomas More parish in Southeast Washington. St. Thomas More is Blessed Sacrament s sister parish.

2 Fourth Sunday of Easter Pastoral Staff Rev. Ronald A. Potts, Pastor Rev. Andrew Gonzalo, Parochial Vicar Rev. Msgr. Maurice V. O Connell, Retired Priest moconnell@blessedsacramentdc.org Rev. Percival L. D Silva, Retired Priest pdsilva@blessedsacramentdc.org Deacon Kenneth Angell kenneth.angell@opic.gov Deacon Donald Mays dmays@blessedsacramentdc.org Assistants on Weekends Rev. Regis Armstrong, OFM Cap, Catholic University Duffy Parish Center Main Office (Monday - Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) In an Emergency , Ext (to page priest on duty) Facilities Pius X Library Ray Manning Adult Center Mr. John Navolio, Business Manager , jnavolio@blessedsacramentdc.org Mr. Jay Rader, Director of Liturgy and Music , jayrader@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Michelle Balch, Director of Religious Education , mbalch@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Rosalie Days, Sacramental Preparation Coordinator , rdays@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Casey Armand, Youth Minister , carmand@blessedsacramentdc.org Mrs. Patricia Kavanaugh, Social Concerns Minister , pkavanaugh@blessedsacramentdc.org (Office open Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., and by appointment) Ms. Emma Voelzke, Special Needs Coordinator , evoelzke@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Kathy Gillespie, Director of CYO , kgillespie@blessedsacramentdc.org Blessed Sacrament School Mr. Chris Kelly, Principal , ckelly@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Nancy Ryan, Director of Admissions , Ext. 6110, nryan@blessedsacramentdc.org Sacraments Baptism Baptismal classes are required of all parents prior to baptism. We recommend taking classes before the child is born. Group baptisms are offered every 2nd Saturday and 4th Sunday at 2:00pm. For more info on requirements and procedures, visit: sacrament-rites Matrimony All couples who are to be married at Blessed Sacrament must complete our parish marriage preparation program. Please contact one of the parish priests six months in advance of your marriage date. Reconciliation Friday and Saturday after the 11 a.m. Mass (if no funeral); Saturday, 4-5 p.m. and after the 5:30 p.m. Mass, or anytime by appointment. Parish Services & Information Care Of The Sick & Homebound If you or someone you know is hospitalized or homebound and would like a priest to visit, contact the parish office at New Parishioners Welcome! Please register by stopping in at the parish office, or using the registration form available online or from the pamphlet rack at the Quesada Street entrance to the church. Bulletin Announcements Deadline: 10 a.m. Send to: bulletin@blessedsacramentdc.org Newsletter Content newsletter@blessedsacramentdc.org Website Postings website@blessedsacramentdc.org Church Bulletin Boards The parish secretary maintains the church bulletin boards. Please drop off any flyers for posting to Joan Ward in the parish office, Duffy parish center. Inclement Weather Policy The parish center/office follows Montgomery County Schools for delays and closings. All evening activities are cancelled those days the schools are closed. Pastor s Column As we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter, our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles reminds us that the news of the resurrection of Christ was welcomed by the Gentiles. It was during a particular visit of Paul and Barnabas to Antioch in Pisidia that the evangelization of the Gentiles really began. Upon arriving in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas preached first in the synagogue and a large number of the Jews were converted. On the following Sabbath, some Jewish leaders were startled at the number of converts and were offended and began to persecute Paul and Barnabas. They turned to the Gentiles and began preaching to them and won many converts. The extension of salvation for the whole world is part of God s plan and we marvel at the power of the Holy Spirit moving within Paul and Barnabas to spread the good news, not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles. In our second reading from the book of Revelation, the author shares with us the vision of the celestial liturgies at work in human history, which does not yet appear clearly on this earth. John shares with us the vision of a great multitude standing around God, the throne, and the risen Christ, the Lamb. The people are standing, which is the posture of prayer. They are dressed in white symbolizing they have been washed clean through baptism in the blood of the Lamb. We are reminded that as we gather around our altar for Mass we are caught up in the heavenly liturgy. We look forward to that day when Christ will return and the liturgy will be fulfilled in the heavenly kingdom and then we shall see God face to face, God will wipe every tear from our eyes. The final discourse on the Good Shepherd returns to the bond that unites the sheep to the shepherd. Four verbs are used to express the relationship between the shepherd and sheep: they hear his voice and follow him; he knows them; he gives them eternal life. To hear is to recognize the authority and importance of the speaker s words; it is to enter into communion with him, to put oneself under his guidance, to follow him, to attach oneself to him, to become his disciple. To those who are attached to Him, Jesus promises that they shall never perish, that no one shall snatch them out of His hand. Jesus has received His mission from the Father and will not lose anyone entrusted to His care. Jesus can assure His own of complete protection because He enjoys the same power as God, The Father and I are one. What peace Jesus gives us by His protection and love we have nothing to fear in this life. God bless you, Father Ron Loving Shepherd (mosaic) San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, Rome Photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. Every Week Coffee and Conversation in the Corbett Café Join fellow parishioners at the Corbett Café, Apartment 1 of the Chevy Chase Apartments next to the church every Thursday after the 8 a.m. Mass for coffee and conversation. 2

3 Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament April 17, 2016 The Monsignor Corbett Memorial Lecture Presents THE FUTURE OF CATHOLICISM IN THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY In light of Ex Corde Ecclesiae From the Heart of the Church Sunday, April 24th, :30 8:00 p.m. in the Gym Keynote Speaker: John Garvey President of The Catholic University of America Formally the dean of Boston College Law School, President Garvey also was the President of the Association of American Law Schools. He has practiced law with the firm of Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco, and taught at Notre Dame, Michigan, and Kentucky. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Religion and the Constitution (2011), which won the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit book award; and Sexuality and the U.S. Catholic Church (2007), which won the Catholic Press Association award. Opening reception with heavy hors d oeuvres begins at 6:30 pm Lecture from 7:00 8:00 pm Babysitting available upon request All are welcome to attend Please RSVP by April 18th to: mbalch@blessedsacramentdc.org The Msgr. Corbett Lecture was founded by members of the memorial committee that wanted to create an annual lecture that would be a fitting remembrance of this remarkably dedicated priest who was passionate about continued education and formation for adult Catholics. 3

4 Fourth Sunday of Easter Spring Faith Journey Monday April 18 Please join Fr. Ron and other parishioners on a day trip to historic churches and sites in Bowie and Annapolis, MD on Monday, April 18 at 9 a.m. We will begin with Sacred Heart Chapel and Cemetery in Bowie where following the Revolutionary War the priests of our new nation elected John Carroll as the first American bishop and in 1789 plans were made to establish Georgetown University. Next, on to Annapolis for lunch by the water, followed by tours of Historic St. Mary s Church and the Charles Carroll House and Garden. For futher information, contact Rita Killian at r.killian@verizon.net or Servant Leaders For Christ Events for High School and 8th Grade teens Purple = service events; blue = social events; green = MCYM (Montgomery County Youth Ministries) events, with other youth ministry groups from the area. APRIL Saturday 23rd: Faith Night at DC United vs. New England soccer game, 2:30pm tailgate picnic & games, 5:30 soccer game [with Our Lady of Lourdes Youth Group] **RSVP no later than April 18th Sunday 24th: Spring Dance at St. Peter s in Olney, 7pm-9pm, free admission. I will be out of town, please RSVP at least one week in advance so I can put you in touch with the St. Peter s Youth Minister. **TIME HAS CHANGED: Saturday 14th: Cup of Joe at SHARE MAY Warehouse, 7am-11am followed by lunch & social time **TIME HAS CHANGED: Saturday 14th: Cup of Joe at SHARE Warehouse, 7am-11am followed by lunch & social time JUNE JUNE Monday 27th - July 1st: Vacation Bible School 9am-12pm. Volunteers from Monday grades th needed - July 1st: to facilitate Vacation activities, Bible School crafts, 9am-12pm. lessons, games Volunteers for younger from grades students Please needed contact to facilitate Casey for activities, details. crafts, lessons, games for younger students. Please contact Casey for details. Students must submit a permission slip for each event. Adult chaperones and drivers are always needed, please get in touch! For more info and to register for events, contact Casey Armand: carmand@blessedsacramentdc.org or FAITH D.C. UNITED Teens ages are welcome to attend! Adults/Parents needed as drivers/chaperones. D.C. s professional soccer team has invited faith groups from the D.C. Metropolitan area to attend their game on Saturday, April 23rd against New England! We will go early to enjoy games and food in our familyfriendly tailgate tent. Event will run approximately 2:30pm-7:30pm. DEADLINE EXTENDED: RSVP no later than APRIL 18TH carmand@blessedsacramentdc.org Did You Know?? Did you know the Young Catholics with Disabilities Group will end their year with a far out dance? The Outer Space themed dance will take place after the 5:30 p.m. Mass in the school auditorium on Saturday, May 7. Ultrasound Dee-jays will be there, dancing, games, food and fun! Come and learn more about this exciting part of our parish life! For more information on how Blessed Sacrament is becoming inclusive, please contact evoelzke@blessedsacramentdc.org. Faith Formation From Pope Francis s recent Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia: In marriage, the joy of love needs to be cultivated. When the search for pleasure becomes obsessive, it holds us in thrall and keeps us from experiencing other satisfactions. Joy, on the other hand, increases our pleasure and helps us find fulfillment in any number of things, even at those times of life when physical pleasure has ebbed. Saint Thomas Aquinas said that the word joy refers to an expansion of the heart. Marital joy can be experienced even amid sorrow; it involves accepting that marriage is an inevitable mixture of enjoyment and struggles, tensions and repose, pain and relief, satisfactions and longings, annoyances and pleasures, but always on the path of friendship, which inspires married couples to care for one another: they help and serve each other (For more of Amoris Laetitia, visit: va) The Apple Family: Play Reading Tuesday, April 19, 7 p.m. Richard Nelson s series of plays about a very ordinary family s dinner party in Rhinebeck, New York, continues with Sweet and Sad. It takes place on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Take part in their conversation or eavesdrop; you may empathize or disagree with them. Either way you will have a stimulating evening including a discussion led by John Dluhy together with wine and cheese. For more information call Confirmation Meeting Thursday April 28 All current 7th grade parish students (rising 8th graders of BSS, SOR and private independent Catholic schools) and parents are invited to attend the Confirmation Orientation Meeting for on Thursday, April 28, 7-8 p.m. in the school auditorium. For questions about the meeting, please contact Rosalie Days at rdays@blessedsacramentdc.org. Please include our sick in your prayers that they may experience healing and comfort Alejandro Arce Annielou Bayly Berman William H. Casson Linda Defendeifer Marian Middendorf Barrie & Elizabeth Montague Joseph Lee Donnelly Rubin Eduardo Macias Newly Baptized Walter Francis Gormley Carolina Amanda Garmendia Dorothy Jane Weschler Rest in Peace Fredy H. Ortega Daniel Ortman Richard B. Perry Nelly Turner Violeta Turner Hope Elena Katz-Zogby Janet Sweeney Judge Frederick Ugast Sponsor Of The Week We would like to thank Happy Hauling for placing an ad in our weekly bulletin.

5 Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament April 17, 2016 Visit Your Parish Library Asked whether he had traveled much, Thoreau replied, Yes around Concord. Most of us long to travel the world, and round out our experience by reading some of the travel books published each year (on average more than 5,000). Here s a selection from the library: In a Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson ( B848 I1) Bryson is a humorous, informed and irreverent guide to Australia, the immense and fortunate land; he has won many awards and is well known for his interest in science education. He describes a shockingly un-discovered country with the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. On the beaches, seashells will not just sting you but actually sometimes go for you. In conclusion: Australia doesn t have coups, recklessly overfish, arm disagreeable despots it is stable and peaceful and good. Jesus in His Homeland, by Jacques Potin (gift of the Abell family) This stunning large-format book with its seventy full-color photographs will enhance your feel for the Holy Land; it s a wonderful companion to James Martin s travel memoir, Jesus: A Pilgrimage. The text follows the Gospel accounts of Jesus life and on every page photographs of the country today enable you realistically to enter into those events. Potin has led many pilgrim groups to the Holy Land and fills this pictorial gem with details of history and archaeology. To borrow these books, visit the library or call Chimes Chatter We Last Read... how our chimes are like a mechanical music box, and now some intriguing differences. In the Work Sacristy, one observes behind our beveled-glass cabinet, a brass cylinder (the musical movement ) adorned with many pins in a specific sequence. This musical-movement cylinder rotates one-quarter turn each fifteen minutes for a unique peal, thereby completing one full revolution every hour. The upper electrical programmer clock Photo by Joe Bozik marks and initiates the start of each of these fifteen-minute peals. Unlike a music box with a comb of steel teeth that are struck by its rotating pins, as our chimes cylinder turns, each pin forces a spring-loaded contact to touch a matching contact, completing an electrical circuit, sending a signal to the upper belfry to strike that tubular bell s note. A few comments that may be observed on the drum: the flat side of the cylinder shows markings for the position of the hour-peal start, plus threequarter-hour and first quarter-hour starts (half-hour tag is hidden); the seemingly random pattern of the meandering pins (actually encrypted in a designed sequence depending upon the hierarchy of the peal s hymn and upon the spacing between strikes to reproduce distinctions between quarter notes and half notes); and notice only eight matching contacts (yet our chimes have 16 tubular notes)... to be continued. Chime-in with your comments - Contact 1RetroJoe@gmail.com Help Wanted Pilgrimage Sales The Holy Land Franciscans are seeking a motivated, self-starter to solicit individual and group travel for pilgrimages to the Holy Land and other spiritual destinations. The pilgrimage sales representative is the first point of contact for all responses to digital and print marketing efforts and will contact parishes, schools and organizations to initiate plans for creating a customized pilgrimage. Please send inquiries to Fr. David Wathen, OFM: dwfm1400@hotmail.com. The Adult Center All parishioners, 39 and holding, are invited to gather in Apt. 1 in the Chevy Chase apartment building next to the church for fellowship after the 11 a.m. weekday Mass. Bring a sandwich and join the activities. For more information or for transportation, call Rita Killian at Monday Faith Journey to Bowie and Annapolis Tuesday Tuesdays with (Fr.) Maury, topic: Amoris Laetitia Wednesday Art Class with Dick Swartz Thursday Bridge for Bridge Lovers Friday Closed From the Community Helping girls to decide who they are, before the world tells them who they should be. GirlsUP offers extraordinary summer programs for girls age years focused on developing character, confidence and critical thinking through an innovative journey toward self-discovery. GirlsUP is a proud partner of the United Nations Foundation Campaign for Girls. SUMMER 2016 SESSION DETAILS Session 1: June 27-July 1, am 1pm Georgetown Visitation School Session 2: July 11-15, am 1pm Stone Ridge School Session 3: July 18-22, am - 1pm Chevy Chase Elementary School Program Fee $295/session Early Bird Registration: $200 by April 30, 2016 To learn more and register, please visit Christian Family Movement Ministry A Prayer For Help In Ending Violence Let us pray: Loving and faithful God, through the years the people of our archdiocese have prayed in times of war, disaster and illness. We come to you Father and ask you to help us in the battle of today against violence, murder and racism. We implore you to give us your wisdom that we may build a community founded on the values of Jesus, which give respect to the life and dignity of all people. Bless parents that they may form their children in faith. Bless and protect our youth that they may be the peacemakers of our time. Give consolation to those who have lost loved ones through violence. Hear our prayer and give us the perseverance to be a voice for life and human dignity in our community. We ask you this through Christ our Lord. 5

6 Fourth Sunday of Easter Dear Parishioners; Each year during admissions season, our incoming Kindergarten classes are generally filled quickly by siblings of current students, parishioners (often alums) and neighbors who are eager to attend Blessed Sacrament School because of its fine reputation for excellence in academics, combined with faith formation. Our situation is a bit different this year. We have several remaining openings in K for next school year. All other grades are almost full, and/or have a wait list of applicants, which unfortunately even includes some siblings, whom we cannot admit at this time because we simply do not have room. (Please call the admissions office for information about limited spaces in grades other than K.) You are our best advocates, so I m writing to ask you to spread the word that it is possible to get into Kindergarten at BSS this year, even if you are not a sibling, parishioner, alum or Catholic. This is an excellent chance for families who fall outside of our natural constituencies to join our wonderful school! We are seeing a drop in K enrollment for several reasons. We believe there is a birth dip from the state of the economy 5-7 years ago, at which time people chose to limit the size of their families. In addition, the local housing market makes it challenging for young families to buy a house close to the school, from which we would usually attract students for K. The neighboring pre-schools are seeing this dip in enrollment as well. We are also seeing families decide to postpone paying to come to BSS in K, and waiting to apply until a later grade. Please let families know who may be interested - especially those who say they are planning to apply to Blessed Sacrament for later years. Being admitted at Kindergarten ensures their spot and there is a strong chance that once it is filled, there will be a wait list for later years. We are very proud of our Kindergarten program. We feel that our youngest students benefit from a unique combination of factors provided at a highly competitive price. Students get lots of attention from experienced personnel in our small classes, strong appropriate academics, loads of outdoor time, and a multitude of fun, play-based experiences. Current research and feedback indicate that a program like ours is best for students of K age. We feel fortunate that we do not have the pressure to conform to either a strictly standardized curriculum or a one size fits all approach. We are lucky to have the flexibility to adjust our curriculum to what is working best for individual students. Our kindergartners move on to first grade with an enthusiasm for learning, confidence in themselves, necessary and important social skills that allow high level achievement and a religious foundation that encourages them to live and act like Catholic Christians who treat others with kindness. Tell your public and private school friends, your Moms group, School of Religion families, fellow sodalists who have grandchildren, and neighbors - now is an excellent time to join our BSS community! As always, if you have questions, please don t hesitate to be in touch by ing nryan@blessedsacramentdc.org. Thanks so much for your attention. Nancy Ryan, Admissions Director 6 Our School is Your School School Play-Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat April 22 and 23rd, 7 p.m. in the Gym, Tickets: $5 Kindergartners 8th graders have been working hard to create a fantastic production for you all. This is an iconic and family friendly show, based on a biblical story of a dreamer who makes it big with some help from God. It s about 90 minutes long. Behind the Altar Sodality at Blessed Sacrament Sodality noun so dal i ty \sō- da-lə-tē\ A devotional or charitable association of Roman Catholic laity. From the Latin sodalitas meaning comradeship. You may have heard the term Sodality used around our church, but chances are you have wondered what it means. Welcome to the first in a new series of articles that will attempt to explain the what, who, where, when and why of Blessed Sacrament Sanctuary Sodality. First Lay Ministry at Blessed Sacrament We are the oldest lay organization at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, predating the current church building by 1 year. In July 1910, Monsignor Thomas G. Smyth asked two women to care for a little mission church on Chevy Chase Parkway and to prepare its small sanctuary for the celebration of Mass on Sunday morning. With this simple request he began a long and proud tradition which continues today in the organization known as the Blessed Sacrament Sanctuary Sodality. The Sanctuary Sodality is a society of women dedicated to fostering Marian virtue in daily life. It is comprised of individual Units of women, each with its own distinctive charitable and spiritual focus. In addition to weekly altar cleaning, we provide financial support to the church through our Annual Fall Bazaar, with a focus on the maintenance and decoration of the sanctuary. Our mission since 1910 has also been to prepare the church so that all of our parish liturgies may unfold with dignity and with beauty. Origins in Rome Around 1563, a young Jesuit priest named John Leunis was teaching a small class in the Jesuit College in Rome when one day, around a little altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he gathered what seemed to have been his prize pupils. He sketched out a single program that appeared to fit instinctively into precisely the needs of that time when the Church was being persecuted. These young students bound themselves in faith and hope and love to Christ Jesus. As active, militant Catholics, they were to be recognized as followers of Christ by their militant zeal, charity and service. They found in Mary the great inspiration to give themselves to the service of Christ. They loved her for what she was and did for the Lord, and showed her special veneration, placing their groups under her loving protection. This was the beginning of the first structured Sodality. To be continued Sanctuary Sodality Sanctuary Sanctuary Sodality May Dinner Thursday, May 5th We will hold a rite of induction for new members during the 5:30 p.m. Mass, followed by a meeting and dinner in the school auditorium. Those interested in joining sodality or learning more about sodality are welcome to attend as guests. Hosted by Queen of Angels and Mother of Grace. Please RSVP to Tracy Rivers: or t1rivers@yahoo. com.