St. John Neumann Church 157 Middleboro Road / P.O. Box 718 East Freetown, MA 02717

Transcription

1 St. John Neumann Church 157 Middleboro Road / P.O. Box 718 East Freetown, MA (phone) (Fax) Rev. Gregory A. Mathias, Pastor Rev. Msgr. John J. Smith, (Assistant in Retirement) WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE Sunday: 8:00, 9:30, 11:00A.M. Saturday Vigil: 5:00 P.M. DAILY MASS SCHEDULE Monday Thursday: 7:30 A.M. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 4:00 4:30 P.M. or by appointment EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Mary, Mother of All Nations Chapel Weekdays: 8:00 A.M. 9:00 P.M. Mondays (except civil holidays) Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament PARISH OFFFICE / RECTORY YOUTH MINISTRY OFFICE contact@sjnfreetown.org NEUMANN HALL Monday Friday: 8:30 A.M. 4:30 P.M. (Closed holidays) William and Susan Furtado (Sr. Youth Ministry) Mrs. Diane Whelan Parish Secretary JoAnn Violette/Amy Burgess (Jr. Youth Ministry) Dennis and Debra Dube (Young Adult Ministry) OFFICE OF FAITH FORMATION MUSIC MINISTRY NEUMANN HALL Ms. Linda Johnston Director Mr. Philip Pereira Organist Mrs. Suzanne Medeiros Director Dr. Doris Thibault Coordinator for Grades 1 7 MAINTENANCE AND FACILITIES Mrs. Anna Manny Coordinator for Confirmation Raymond Bedard SACRAMENTS AND CHURCH PROGRAMS PARISH ORGANIZATIONS AND MINISTRIES Please go the parish website or contact the office for more complete information. BAPTISM: Celebrated Sunday after 11:00 Mass. Mass on the 1 st and 3 rd Sundays of the month. Baptism Catechesis is required of all parents MARRIAGE: Please contact the pastor at least 8 months prior to the intended date and prior to other plans. MINISTRY TO THE SICK: Please notify us if a homebound or hospitalized family member would like a visit. PRAYER LINE: Call the rectory to include your intention. RCIA: We welcome adults who wish to complete their initiation into the Catholic Church. Please contact the office. WOMEN S GUILD: 1 st Mondays ST. VINCENT de PAUL: 1 st Wednesdays YOUTH MINISTRY: see website for events and times. Junior (Gr. 6 8): Every Tuesday Senior (Gr. 9 12) Every Monday COUPLES CLUB: 2 nd Saturdays ADULT CHOIR: Rehearsal on Thursdays 7:00 P.M. PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY: 1st Saturday Welcome to St. John Neumann Parish. Thank You for joining us in worship today. We hope you will join us on the spiritual journey, in ministry to all God s people. Please contact the parish office. Click on the QRC to connect to the parish website.

2 Palm Sunday of The Passion of The Lord March 24, 2013 March 23: Vigil Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord 5:00PM Archie Spoor by Carol & family March 24: Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord 8:00AM Carol Rego by family 9:30AM Daniel Ferree by Margaret Ferree & family 11:00AM Timothy Connors by Paul & Kathy Rathbun March 25: Monday of Holy Week 7:30AM People of the Parish March 26: Tuesday of Holy Week 7:30AM Michael Bonville by Jean, Lynn & Amy March 27: Wednesday of Holy Week 7:30AM George & Ida Manny by George & Pauline Manny March 28: Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord s Supper 7:00PM Romeo Mosakowski by Charlie & Marlene Johnson March 29: Good Friday 12:00 PM Youth Stations of the Cross 3:00 PM Passion of the Lord 7:00 PM Stations of the Cross March 30: Holy Saturday NO 5 PM MASS 7:30PM Easter Vigil March 31: Easter Sunday of The Resurrection of The Lord 8:00AM Special Intentions of the Flower Donors 9:30AM Donald Meunier, U.S.N. Ret. by family 11:00AM People of the Parish Your Offertory Trust Thank you for your Parish Support through your Offertory Trust. BUDGET: $ EASTER FLOWERS: $ Stop in Neumann Hall after the 8:00AM and 9:30AM Mass and enjoy Coffee & Donuts!! Hosted by the Woman s Guild March 25: Monday of Holy Week 7:30 AM - Mass March 26: Tuesday of Holy Week 7:30AM - Mass 4:00PM Chrism Mass at St. Mary s Cathedral, Fall River. Tickets are available for laity. (Please call the Rectory if interested) March 27: Wednesday of Holy Week 7:30AM - Mass SACRED TRIDUUM March 28: Holy Thursday 7:00PM - Mass of the Lord s Supper March 29: Good Friday 12:00 noon - Stations of the Cross Led by the Youth Ministry Outdoors (weather permitting) 3:00PM - Service of the Lord s Passion 7:00PM - Stations of the Cross in the church March 30: Holy Saturday 7:30PM - Solemn Vigil of Easter (Gather on the lawn behind the church) March 31: Easter Sunday 8:00AM - Mass 9:30AM - Mass 11:00AM - Mass

3 March 2013 Schedule March 24 - Library There will be no Children s Liturgy on Easter Sunday Lakeside Family Festival meeting There will be a general meeting today, March 24th at 6:30pm in the library for all booth chairs. The meeting is open to any parishioner who may have new ideas or who would like more information about the festival. There will be a steering committee meeting immediately following. Chrism Mass at St. Mary s Cathedral On Tuesday, March 26, 2013, at 4:00pm, all the priests of the diocese will gather with Bishop Coleman at St. Mary s Cathedral, Fall River to celebrate the Chrism Mass. At this Mass, the priests will renew their ordination promises. Bishop Coleman will also bless and consecrate the oils to be distributed to all the parishes of the diocese for use in the celebration of the sacraments. The laity are welcome to participate in this great celebration. Free tickets are available by calling the rectory. Next Drop-In Tuesday. March 26th at the Camp House from 6:30 to 8:00. Junior Youth Group is open to all students in Grades 6, 7 & 8. The annual Good Friday Collection will be for the Holy Land. Please be as generous as you can in support of Christianity s holiest of places. Thank You!! Drop In --- We will see you all at Drop In this Monday evening March 25th from 6:30 8:30 at the camp house Join us in prayer, as we begin the Sacred Triduum. We will start with the Mass of the Lord s Supper in our own parish, at 7:00PM on Holy Thursday, Mar.28th. After Mass we will form a procession of cars and visit six other churches, where we will say a few prayers before the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. After we complete our visits, we will all meet at the 99 Restaurant and break bread together as a parish family. This is a great family night so invite your family to join us. If your family cannot attend let us know so that we can arrange transportation. You will need a permission slip. We will be beginning in church at 7:00PM and returning to the church around 11:50PM. It s a great night!! Stations of the Cross --- We will be hosting outdoor Stations of the Cross again this year on Good Friday Mar.29th. We will need lots of help. It starts at 12:00 noon so please arrive in the narthex around 11:30. Thank You!!!! 10 th Annual EGGSTRAVAGANZA You don t want to miss this event. It only hoppens once a year and only here. Get lots of rest, eat healthy. Who will be on the winning team, and who will have to be good eggs. You have until April 1 st to train. It all happens at the camp house 6:30 8:30 For more information about SJN Senior Youth Ministry, contact Bill and Sue Furtado at or us at SJNYOUTHMINISTRY@AOL.COM All permission slips are available at Drop Ins, online, and outside the Youth Ministry Office in Neumann Hall. Ecumenical Soup & Bible Study March 6:00pm Calvary Pentecostal Church Toys & US Drive A Huge Thank you to everyone who donated to our Toys & US Drive last weekend. We collected over 20 boxes of Toys, Underwear, Socks and other items for Gifts to Give!! - Confirmation II Candidates Easter Sunday Collection Second Collection: At all Masses next weekend is for the annual Easter Collection which will benefit the infirm priests of the Diocese of Fall River CONFIRMATION Rehearsal for Confirmation will take place on Sunday, April 7th. Candidates are asked to arrive at the Church for rehearsal at 5:30 pm and Sponsors are asked to join them for a rehearsal at 6:30 pm.

4 Sclerocardia There are many places within the Bible which describe a terrible spiritual disease which, if left untreated, can lead to the death of a person s soul. The disease is called hardened heart, or, in the ancient Greek translation, sclerocardia. Of course, the New Testament has its share of examples of this disease. We see it in Saul (St. Paul), when he stood by as they stoned St. Stephen to death. And, of course, many of the Pharisees, Chief Priest s and Scribes seemed to exhibit symptoms indicating that their hearts were hardened. There are other, physical ailments, which have similar Greek names to this spiritual disease: We are aware of conditions like scleroderma, (a hardening of the skin and connective tissues), and arterial sclerosis, (a hardening of the arteries), among others. Of course, hardening of the heart is not an affliction of the heart muscle, but is something that happens at the level of the human soul. The main symptom of this disease is that a person s will is set in opposition to God. In effect, it is like creating a brick wall around the mind and the heart, and being closed off to any consideration of God or the realm of spiritual things. Examples of this condition are easy to find in the Bible. For example, the Egyptian Pharaoh obstinately refused to listen to God s word through Moses. In Exodus 4:21, it says that God hardened his heart. We need to understand that this is a description of what it looked like to the Israelites: God does not create sin, but he certainly allows us to have our sin if we choose. The Israelites, themselves, succumbed to the effects of sclerocardia during their pilgrimage in the desert. In Psalm 95 it describes that moment when they tested the Lord by complaining to Moses about a lack of water: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the desert. There your ancestors tested me; they tried me though they had seen my works. This past weekend, I saw the end of another Confirmation program in, yet, another parish, wherein staff and volunteers felt a sense of discouragement and, perhaps, defeat at the resistance to the message encountered in many of the youth who had participated in preparation for receiving the sacrament. I do not necessarily blame them personally, nor even their parents. But it is indicative of a culture which encourages a dismissive attitude toward religion and spirituality. In such a sophisticated and technical world, there is an embarrassment about admitting God into the conversation. And, of course, the kids are not the only ones: Scelerocardia can even affect regular church goers when the practice of faith just becomes an empty ritual-habit, and the Gospel fails to penetrate through the hard shell around a person who happens to be so self-assured as to be set in his or her own ways... un-moved by the Word of God. As far as Confirmation goes, some things will have to change. We make a mockery of a sacred thing by only pretending to receive it or only begrudgingly accepting the things of God. But all of us need to be alert to the varying degrees that this problem can insinuate itself in our lives. It must, therefore, be a daily reminder, If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart.

5 ELECTRICIAN S NEEDED We are looking for one or more licensed electricians that would be available to help out at the work parties and the weekend of the festival. If you are interested, please call the rectory at or Anna Manny at It s that time again!!! Please join us in preparation for the 2013 St. John Neumann Lakeside Family Festival Festival QUICK-VIEW 1st Saturday Work Party April 6th - 8AM 2nd Saturday Work Party April 13th - 8AM 3rd Saturday Work Party April 20th - 8AM Booth Chairs Needed!!! Fried Ice Cream Fried Hamburgers Portuguese Booth Co-Chair Parking Co-Chair Saturday Work Party Checklist: 8:00 AM start (No driving on the field!) Waterproof foot wear and dress warm Work gloves and a hammer Cordless power drill (fully charged) 1/2 inch sockets drivers, 1/2 inch wrench Spring Cleaning The Barn is waiting for your items for the Lakeside Festival. We collect clean reusable items. You must call first to make sure they are items we can sell and I can put them away. WE CANNOT ACCEPT Electronics, Electric or fuel powered tools or baby furniture. Call Marlene Johnson at for more information. Note: furniture will be accepted the week of the Lakeside Festival. Cathedral Camp Cathedral Camp, owned and operated by the Diocese of Fall River, is a day camp for children between the ages of 4 and 14. This year, the camp will be offering eight one week sessions from June 24 to August 16. The camp is located on Route 18 in East Freetown. Bus transportation is included in the camp fees. For further information, please visit our web site at or please call the camp at or rena@cathedralcamp.net for a registration packet. Silent Auction & Roll-ups Please consider donating a new item to our Silent Auction and/or Roll-Up Booths for the Festival. We could really use your help. 1/2 inch sockets and hand ratchet We will provide coffee, drinks and treats Ephesians 2: 22 "We are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."