St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish

Transcription

1 St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish 5112 Pocono Crest Rd. P.O. Box O Pocono Pines, PA Parish Office Phone: (570) Fax: (570) Web Page: Welcome To all who are tired and need rest; to all who mourn and need comfort; to all who are friendless and need friendship; to all who are discouraged and need hope; to all who are homeless and need sheltering love; to all who sin and need a Savior; and to whomsoever will, the Parish of St. Maximilian Kolbe opens wide its doors in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! January 12th, 2014 The Baptism of the Lord A voice came from the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. ~Matthew 3:17 Our Mission Statement We of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish believe that we have been gifted with Life, Faith and Discipleship. Empowered by Jesus in Word and Sacrament, we are called to grow in wisdom, grace and fidelity to His Church by following the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD

2 January 12th, 2014 The Baptism of the Lord CALLED TO SERVE The status of God s beloved Son is not one he clings to. It is one he shares. All of us are called to be sons and daughters of God. In Jesus, we can all claim God s favor. The second reading makes this clear. Here we read of the baptism of Cornelius and his household. Peter s speech recalls the anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit and the great power that swept through Israel and onto the doorstep of the Gentile Cornelius. As for his household, so for us. There is an end to our work on earth, to our baptismal vocation and the honorable work we do. But there is no end to the saving life given to us through baptism. There is no end to the life of the children of God; there is no end to God s compassion, which we know in Christ Jesus. There is no end to our status as chosen and beloved people of God. Because of Jesus life, death, and resurrection, we are forever among those on whom God s favor rests. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish Staff Reverend John B. Boyle ~ Pastor ~ jbboyle@me.com Deacon Frank Gisoldi ~ deaconf@ptd.net Mrs. Lynnette Smith Coordinator of Religious Education/ Pastoral Associate ~ lysmith@ptd.net Marion Colvin Office Manager ~ mcol@ptd.net John Marcinkowski, Jr. Coordinator of Music ~ jjm1105@ptd.net Pastors Points To Ponder I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me? Jesus didn t need to be washed clean of any sin, and John the Baptist knew it. But nonetheless, Jesus was humble enough to be baptized like the rest of us. By being baptized, Jesus emphasized the importance of participating in this sacred action. And later in his ministry, he confirmed the significance of baptism when he instructed his apostles to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Mt 28:19). Through baptism, we become disciples of Jesus. As baptized Christians, we are both called and equipped to be Christ s followers, his pupils, and his friends. Jesus humbled himself for our sake. Let us show our gratitude by being his faithful disciples today and every day. PEACE.. We should have great peace if we did not busy ourselves with what others say and do. Thomas à Kempis TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Through the centuries, artists and craftspeople have depicted Jesus baptism in the Jordan River by John. At first in mosaics and frescoes, and later in tapestries, stained glass, and paintings, the scene is familiar. Jesus is standing waist high in flowing water. Above him, standing on dry land, John the Baptist pours water over Jesus. The first artists to depict this were sketching from memory. This is exactly how most people were baptized in the early days: as adults, standing or kneeling in the water, with water poured over their heads. This method of baptizing, called immersion, is the favored way today. An adult enters a font, or an infant is lowered a bit into the water supported by a parent s hand, and water is poured or splashed over them. The treasures of baptistry art attest that submersion, or plunging beneath the water s surface, is not really in our tradition, and that infusion, the mere pouring of a few drops of water, yields too narrow an understanding of what it means to be plunged into Christ s life. Jesus Christ has gone before us into the water, and waits for us there with abundant gifts. No wonder the tradition calls for abundant symbols!

3 Week of: January 11th thru Jan. 19th Saturday 4:00 pm Arthur Echmann by Sheila Eckmann Sunday 8:00 am For the Parishioners 10:30 am Leon Petersen by Fr. Boyle Monday 8:15 am Albert Howe by Mary Howe Tuesday 8:15 am John & Helen Kutz by Grandson Wed 8:15 am Communion Service Thursday 8:15 am Blessed Birthday for Friday Deacon Frank Gisoldi 8:15 am Nicholas Cerra by Joan & Allan Hild Saturday 4:00 pm James F. Lewis by William and Beverly Lewis Sunday 8:00 am For the Parishioners 10:30 am Mass of Thanksgiving for Help Received by Pat Baker Saturday Confessions at 3:00 pm In the case of inclement weather conditions, if school is cancelled, there will be no Mass; if school is delayed, Mass will be delayed. Also, there will not be an 8:15 Mass when a Funeral Mass is scheduled. Human life must always be defended from its beginning in the womb and must be recognized as a gift of God that guarantees the future of humanity. ~ Pope Francis, Letter to Brazilian families for National Family Week, August 6, 2013 Total Expenditures (for Y/E. June 30, 2012)... $440,703 Avg. weekly cost of Operation. 8,475 Collection for w.e. 12/29/ ,907 Christmas Donations.. 4,908 (Deficit) / surplus... 2,340 Expansion Loan (debt).. $ 71,193. Saturday: 1 John 5:14-21; John 3:22-30 Sunday: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17 Monday: 1 Samuel 1:1-8; Mark 1:14-20 Tuesday : 1 Samuel 1:9-20; Mark 1:21-28 Wednesday: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20; Mark 1:29-39 Thursday: 1 Samuel 4:1-11; Mark 1:40-45 Friday: 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a; Mark 2:1-12 Saturday: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1a; Mark 2:13-17 Sunday: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34

4 Parish Life Please Note: Due to the reception for Fr. Boyle after the 10:30 Mass on January 12th, there will be no afternoon classes. We encourage everyone to join us in the hall to say goodbye to Father as he prepares to leave for his new assignment at the Parish of Sts. Peter and Paul in Plains, PA. CONFRIMATION SPIRIT DAY will be held on Saturday, February 1st (11 A.M. 3:30 P.M.) All Confirmation Candidates are expected to attend. CONFIRMATION CLASS BAKE SALE: After all the Masses on Martin Luther King Weekend, the Confirmation Class will sponsor a Bake Sale to help fund the Dinner for Senior Citizens that will be held on Presidents Weekend. Donations of baked goods will be gladly accepted, and your patronage would be greatly appreciated. ATTENTION SENIOR CITIZENS! Mark your calendars! The Confirmation Class will be hosting a free Senior Dinner on Sunday, February 16th. Watch future bulletins for more information. OUR SCRIPTURE SHARING GROUP This group gathers at 9:30 on Tuesday mornings to prayerfully reflect on the Scriptures for the upcoming Sunday. Using commentaries and discussion questions to guide us, participants share their insights and questions, explore how God is speaking to them through His Word, and seek to discern how God is calling each of them to respond in their daily lives to the Word. The Prayer Shawl Group If you knit or crochet or would like to learn, consider stopping by on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month at 7 pm. Make new friends as you help to create prayer shawls which will be distributed as visible signs of our prayers and a loving reminder to the recipients who are in need of comfort. OUR NEW PARISH ADMINISTRATOR will be Fr. Daniel J. Yenkevich; he will assume his role on Wednesday, January 15th. Let us warmly welcome Fr. Dan to our Parish Family as we work together during this time of transition and let us continue to glorify the Lord by our lives as we celebrate and share His Presence. Several people have asked if a organizing a letter writing campaign to Bishop Bambera might make it possible for Fr. Boyle to remain as pastor at St. Max. Unfortunately, there is little chance that such a campaign would influence the Bishop s decision to assign Fr. Boyle to a different parish. However, the parish staff encourages anyone who may feel moved to do so to write a note to Fr. Boyle and share with him the difference his pastoral presence has made in your life. A basket for letters and cards will be available at both the Friday dinner and the Sunday afternoon reception. If you prefer, you may place the cards in the collection basket or mail them to Fr. Boyle. (If you would also like to share with Bishop Bambera your gratitude for the good work Fr. Boyle has accomplished at Our Lady of the Lake and St. Maximilian Kolbe, you can send letters to him at the chancery building at 300 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton PA 18503; he can be reached by at dioceseofscranton.org., the Diocesan Website). Many have expressed their feelings of sadness and devastation about the transfer of Fr. Boyle. One of the best ways that we can honor Fr. Boyle and show our gratitude for his pastoral care is by continuing to be the welcoming and vibrant parish that he found when he arrived in 1998 and to give witness to his empowering and enabling leadership by working together to continue the many good things that he has helped us to begin. As of January 15, Father Boyle s new mailing address will be : SS. Peter & Paul Parish 13 Hudson Road Plains, PA Nothing is impossible for God and his Blessed Mother. ~Don Bosco

5 Parish Life His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, and the Office for Parish Life wish to invite couples celebrating their 25th or 50th wedding anniversary in 2014 to a diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass on Sunday, June 22nd. The event includes a 2:30 pm mass at St. Peter s Cathedral followed by a reception. Requests for an invitation, with a mailing address, should be made through your pastor before February 14th. Please call or come into the parish office to have your information submitted to the diocese. DISCOUNT RATE SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR THE WORD AMONG US STILL AVAILABLE: If you would like to ensure receiving a copy of The Word Among Us each month during 2014, please contact Lynnette in the Parish Office. For $20, you can have a copy reserved for you in the Parish Office; the individual subscription rate for this version that includes the daily Mass Readings is $35. Parish Life Next meeting is Monday, January 20th at 7 pm in Our Lady of the Lake Hall. Please call G.K. Steve Glinane at or check the website Week of January 12th The Eucharistic Sanctuary Light Is available for $20 for two weeks The Bread and Wine Are available for $25. for one week Altar Flowers Are available for $75. for one week Tabernacle Flowers Are available for $50. for one week Remember in Prayer The Sick and The Homebound Phoebe Bramley ~ Dale Walsh Kevin Kret ~ Fr. Urban ~ Betty Lou Torpey Kathleen McDonnell Vincent Rinaldi George Mazeffa ~ Ron Heisler Joseph McKenna ~ George Ondrajka Msgr. Jerry Sherba ~John Scanlon ~ Bob Walsh Doris Pappas ~ Theresa Akus ~ Joe Miller Danielle Sergi ~ Richard Snell ~ Dorothy Sergie Elana Knitel ~ Jay Livziey ~ Thomas Kobrtwitz Scott H. ~ Barbara Sciandra ~ Jack McKenna Riley Direnzo ~ Terry Quinn ~ Ann Valentina Alexander John Snyder ~ Antonia Lucia Maria Mercedes ~ Louis Larsen Jr. Charlie Ondrajka ~ Joan Rafferty Terrence Sumrall ~ Chase Robert Michael James ~ Robert Angelle For a Priest who is ill. If you, or someone you know would like to be included on the prayer list or in our prayer network, please call the office. Hospital Visits - Fr. Boyle is more than willing to visit those who are hospitalized. Please call the office ( ) and let Father or the office staff know who is in the hospital and which hospital they are in. Living God s Word. All the baptized have been anointed with the Holy Spirit and power. What is the Spirit empowering you to do? Should you write a letter to your senator about a justice issue, or volunteer at a prison or a school for the blind? The Pastor s Wish List. Frequently individuals or families inquire about contributing a substantial sum of money to be used in memory of a loved one or one s family. The Pastor s Wish List has been created to give an idea of the needs of the Parish and how a family or loved one can be remembered in a very special manner. If anyone desires to discuss any item on the list below, please contact Fr. Boyle for more information. This list is not in any particular order or preference. An estimated cost for each item is just that ~ an estimate. ~ For someone to write a check in the amount of $73,525. to pay-off our Parish Debt. ~A contract with a Web Site Company that will produce, edit and enhance our Parish Web site on a regular basis. ~$3,000. ~Additional security cameras for monitoring the exterior of the church and rectory. ~$10,000. ~ $20,000 to enable the parish to hook up to AQUA WATER and sewer lines. If needed, more suggestions can be made!

6 PRAYERS FOR MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT SERVICE Cpt. Thomas M. Smith - Hanscom AFB, MA Airman Joshua Ponce - Afghanistan James Murtha, USN - VA Sgt. Richard J. Fissler Jr. - Ft. Indiantown Gap, PA Lt. Col. Christopher Yuskaitis - Italy Lt. Joseph V. Yuskaitis, Jr. - Teaneck, NJ Cpl. John P. Bramley - Camp Pendleton, CA Airman Basic Minnette Fruauff - San Antonio, TX Marc Barney, USN - Mediterranean Sea Sgt. Nicholas Bogert - Afghanistan Airman Linda DeMuro - Afghanistan Staff Sgt. William D. Olsen - Nellis AFB, NV 3rd Class Petty Officer DC3 Jeffrey Royall - USCG -VA Pvt. Nhelmar DePerro - Camp Le Jeune, NC PFC Amber Keppol - Fort Leonard Wood, MO Pvt. Matthew Ponce - Fort Benning, GA DEPLOYED CIVILIAN PERSONNEL Eugene Maslar, Jr.-Bagram, Afghanistan Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. ~AMEN Around the Diocese Thank You for Supporting Notre Dame Schools The students, families, & staff wish to thank the parishioners for their continuous support of Catholic Education in the Poconos. We appreciate the opportunity to provide a faith-filled education that encourages each student to reach their own academic and spiritual potential. Please join us at Open House, this Sunday, Jan. 26th from 1-3 pm at Notre Dame Elementary & High Schools in East Stroudsburg & from 2-4 pm at Monsignor McHugh in Cresco. Jr./Sr. High (Gr. 7-12) ; Elementary (Pre-K-Gr.6) ; Monsignor McHugh ( Pre-K- Gr. 8) Ecumenical / Interfaith HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AT FIVE LOAF HOUSE is still in need of skilled and non-skilled laborers on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. 2 p.m. If you are able to help, just drop in during those times. If you would like to organize a group to help, contact Monroe Habitat for Humanity s Affiliate Coordinator Kelly Kemmerer at kellykemmerer@habitatmc.org or call St. Max is also helping provide lunches for the workers once or twice a month. If you can bake a dessert, provide fruit, or side dish, we can use your help - call Sally at Five Loaf House TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN ECUMENICAL FOOD PANTRY NEWS - VOLUNTEERS Thank you to everyone who signed up to volunteer! Getting a base of volunteers is a work in progress. Volunteers are the strong foundation of the pantry ministry we are all involved in! My name is Beth Larson and I am a member of Faith Lutheran Church. I have been asked to coordinate the volunteers. My phone number is and is bethdon@ptd.net The phone number for the food pantry is If you have any questions, please don t hesitate to contact me. We will not be moving in February. Our 2-day distribution will continue out of the family center until further notice. Your help & cooperation is greatly appreciated. Distribution for 2014 will always be the 2nd Monday and Tuesday of each month. If you are staying to help all day on Monday, please park in the back. Future 2014 dates for bagging & distribution are: Feb. 10 & 11 Mar 10 &11 April 14 & 15 May 12 & 13 June 9 & 10 July 14 & 15 Aug. 11 & 12 Sept. 8 & 9 Oct. 13 & 14 Nov. 10 & 11 Dec 8 & 9 PENNSYLVAIANS FOR HUMAN LIFE POCONO CHAPTER Bus trip to Washington, D.C. for the Annual March For Life Wed., Jan. 22, Call Annual Pro-Life Rally Sunday, Jan. 19th from 2-2:30 pm Courthouse Square, Stroudsburg