MISSION STATEMENT We are a Roman Catholic parish, centered in Christ through the celebration of the Eucharist. Through the grace of this sacrament, we are empowered as individuals and in community to imitate Christ through prayer, outreach, fellowship, and education. ST. JOHN NEUMANN CATHOLIC CHURCH Powhatan, Virginia Third Sunday of Easter (Cycle A) April 30, 2017 IN HIS SERVICE: Rev. Walter Lewis - Pastor (FrWalterLewis@gmail.com) Rev. Mr. Ed Schmidt - Permanent Deacon (Deacon.Ed.SJN@gmail.com) Rev. Mr. Pat O Donnell - Permanent Deacon (podonnel45@hotmail.com) Rev. Mr. Tom di Stefano Permanent Deacon (Deacon.Tom.sjn@gmail.com) Rev. Mr. Jim Tubbs Permanent Deacon (jimtubbs25@gmail.com) Gary Fitzgerald - Minister of Music (fitzgerald.ge@gmail.com) Lee Mecca - Business Manager (Lee_SJNOffice@yahoo.com) Mary Cleary-Liturgical Coordinator and Worship (liturgy@sjnpowhatan.org) Jeannie Kennedy-Children s Ministry (childrensministry@sjnpowhatan.org) Pastoral Council Chairperson Wade Evans wevans3@comcast.net Finance Council Chairperson Tim Benusa - (tim@benusacpa.com) Director of Christian Formation Ed Schmidt - (Deacon.Ed.SJN@gmail.com) Temporalities Chair Don Rissmeyer - (drissmeyer@amtengineering.com) Deadlines Bulletin Notices: Request in writing by 9:00 AM Tuesday prior to the weekend of publication. Send by email to liturgy@sjnpowhatan.org or printed copy to Mary Cleary. All requests are subject to editing/ space availability. Announcements or bulletin inserts, and weekend space (Narthex) must be presented for approval at least 2 weeks in advance, call: 598-3754. Liturgy Schedule Weekend Mass Times Saturday 5:00pm Sunday 8:30am & 11:00am Confession Times Saturday 3:45pm 4:30pm; or by appointment with Fr. Lewis. Weekday Masses Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 9:00 AM in the Chapel. Rosary Wednesday 9:45 AM in the Chapel. Sacrament of Baptism (Infant) Please contact the parish office to make arrangements. Requirements: Families must be registered and participating in the Parish for at least 3 months before attending the required preparation class. Expectant parents are encouraged to attend class before the birth of their child. Sacrament of First Penance & Eucharist First Sacraments are celebrated in the 3 rd Grade. Families must be registered and participating in the Parish; children must be enrolled in parish Religious Education or attend private Catholic school. Previous year s attendance in a religious education program is required. Sacrament of Confirmation Candidates for the adolescent Confirmation Program must be active members of the parish who have received both Baptism and Eucharist, and are both at least 15 years of age and enrolled in at least the tenth grade. Sacrament of Matrimony At least one of the parties must be registered and participating in the Parish for at least 3 months prior to contacting the Parish priest to begin pre-marital preparation. You must plan to begin pre-marital preparation 6 months prior to your proposed wedding date. R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) For those who are seeking God and choose to enter a journey of faith and conversion leading to initiation into the Roman Catholic Church. Please contact the parish office. Anointing/Hospital Visit If admitted to a hospital or confined at home, please call the parish office to arrange for a visit, communion and/or Anointing of the Sick. The Sacrament of Anointing is celebrated the last Sunday of each month at 9:45 Saint John Neumann Catholic Church 2480 Batterson Road Powhatan, VA 23139 Telephone: 804-598-3754 Fax: 804-598-1467 Email: sjn_general@yahoo.com Website: www.sjnpowhatan.org Office Hours Tuesday Friday: 9am 4pm In case of an Emergency after office hours, please call Dustin Griffith at (804) 398-8504.
THIS WEEK S CALENDAR Sunday, April 30 9:30 AM Anointing of the sick [Church] 9:45 AM Religious Ed gr. 1-6 [Education hall] 9:45 AM Breaking Open The Word [FVH] 9:45 AM Children s RCIC [Library] Monday, May 1 7:00 PM Boy Scouts [FVH] Tuesday, May 2 10:00 AM Bible Study with Deacon Ed [M/P Room] Wednesday, May 3 9:30 AM Parish Rosary [Chapel] 6:00 PM Family Praise Choir [Church] 7:30 PM Adult Choir [Church] Thursday, May 4 7:00 PM Separated and Divorced [M/P Room] 7:30 PM Awaken to Hope Al-Anon Meeting [St. Thomas] Friday, May 5 6:00 AM That Man Is You! [FVH] Saturday, May 6 3:45 PM Confession [Church] Sunday, May 7 9:45 AM Breaking Open The Word [FVH] 9:45 AM Children s RCIC [Library] 9:45 AM First Communion pictures [Chapel] 12:00 PM Bereavement Group [Contact Deacon Jim] 12:00 PM First Communion rehearsal [Church] 3:30 PM NeuWaves Bowling and Burgers [King Pin] WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING Week of: May 1 May 7 DAY Scripture Readings Mon Acts 6:8-15 Jn 6:22-29 Tue Acts 7:51 8:1a Jn 6:30-35 Wed 1 Cor 15:1-8 Jn 14:6-14 Thu Acts 8:26-40 Jn 6:44-51 Fri Acts 9: 1-20 Jn 6:52-59 Sat Acts 9:31-42 Jn 6:60-69 Sun Acts 2:14a, 36-41 1 Pt 2:20b-25 Jn 10:1-10 MASS INTENTIONS: Sat 5:00 PM People of St. John Neumann Sun 8:30 AM People of St. John Neumann Sun 11:00 AM + Anita Daly Baptism Preparation The next scheduled Baptism Preparation class will be May 16, at 6:00 PM in the Multi-purpose room (across from the restrooms). Remember, expectant parents can attend the class before the baby is born! Please contact the office at 598-5734 if you are interested in taking the Baptismal Preparation Class! If no one registers, the class will not be held. Neu Waves Upcoming events: April 30: (No Neu Waves) May 7: Bowling & Burgers! (3:00pm - 6:30pm) Questions? Deacon Tom @ 804.306.3945 Stewardship Today s Gospel Reading recounts Jesus appearance to two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus. In various scriptural passages, there are 12 accounts of Jesus appearing in the flesh, a few times to just one person, but once to 500 people (1 Corinthians 15: 6). What is interesting about today s account is the two, although evidently familiar with the Lord, do not recognize Him ( their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. ). This is a challenge for us today as well. St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) once wrote, I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus; I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus. That should be our motivation for serving, for being a disciple, for practicing stewardship. Like the two disciples going to Emmaus we must be alert and prepared to see Jesus in places we least imagine Him. Stewardship is, of course, a two-sided perspective. Not only do we need to seek and search for Jesus in others and then serve, but also others need to see and recognize Jesus in us. If we properly live out our faith, we, too, may experience the sense of joy and ecstasy the two disciples found in today s Gospel: Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened Scriptures to us? Jesus speaks to us every day, but we must learn to listen. The original Greek word for what we read as throes of death could also be translated as the birth pains of death. Jesus resurrection is as if He was in the womb, and being raised in this way He was born to new life. That is what we, too, can expect and hope for. Create a legacy of giving. Please remember St. John Neumann in your estate plans. $ WEEKLY FINANCIAL INCOME STATEMENT $ 04/23/17 Year-To-Date Sunday/Holy Day Giving vs. Budgeted: Current Collection vs. 2016/17 YTD 2015/16 YTD Budgeted Budgeted $412,265 $401,205 $410,960 $1,305 Operational: Income* vs. Expenses* as of 03/31/2017: Income Expenses Increase/(Deficit) Mar. $ 43,262 $ 70,422 ($27,160) YTD Mar. $395,075 $506,180 ($111,105) * Excludes funds received for designated purposes. Powhatan Food Pantry The Powhatan Food Pantry requests your assistance with providing the following food Items to help the hungry, elderly and needy in our county during the month of April: Mustard, Mayo, Ketchup, Small Bags (2 lb) of Sugar, Cooking Oil. What does it mean to be an Active Catholic? Frequently, those seeking to celebrate Marriage, have their children baptized, or serve as sponsors for Confirmation or Baptism request a letter stating that they are parishioners. To receive such a letter, one must be registered in the parish, attend Mass regularly, and be committed to stewardship of time, talent and treasure. In any parish community, one means of verifying participation is through the use of parish offertory envelopes. If you choose not to participate in the support of the parish, or are unable to contribute at this time, please at least note your prayerful support on your envelope and place it in the weekly offertory. We will then be aware of your continued participation, and you will not be noted as inactive on our parish roster.
Protecting God s Children (VIRTUS) There are two VIRTUS sessions (Protecting God s Children) scheduled for the month of May. The first one is May 10 th at 6:00 pm, the second is May 20 th at 9:00 am. A light meal will be served on the 10th and breakfast will be served on the 20th. All persons that are in need of VIRTUS training are encouraged to sign-up on line at: www.virtusonline.org/ (button on left: First Time Registrant). Anyone needing assistance with their on-line sign-up may call the VIRTUS Facilitator, David Corbett at (804) 794-1251. Bereavement Support Group Bereavement ministry is hosting a social at a parishioner's home on Sunday, May 7th after the 11:00 mass. If you are grieving the loss of someone close, you are invited to join us and find support from others in your church community who are willing to talk about our grief journey, share their experiences with you and welcome your insights into grieving." Contact Deacon Jim Tubbs at: jimtubbs25@gmail.com if you are interested in joining us. Bake Sale There will be a Bake Sale sponsored by the VBS and Bakers Guild to raise money for the VBS program on May 20-21. We are looking for bakers and buyers to make sure we can keep this program for no cost to families. Annual Diocesan Appeal 2017 Annual Diocesan Appeal Building Our Family of Faith. If you made a pledge to the 2017 Appeal, the Diocese does send reminders so you can fulfill your pledge. Please note that if you chose an auto-debit of your checking account or credit card, you will not receive a reminder. It is important for all our parishioners to complete their pledges. The assistance that is provided to the ministries and programs the Appeal supports is based on what is collected. All parishes receive back a portion of the money they collect. This means the more we collect, the more we can address our important parish needs. This year, because the return is only 20% we will receive approximately $4000 when we meet our goal. This will be enough to pay one monthly electric bill. Thank you for your continued support of the important ministries and programs that are made possible due to your generosity to the Annual Appeal. Can I Brag? I am so proud of two special folks in my life. One is my cousin Jane Rowley (a new member of the parish!) She is director of the National Art Honor Society at Cosby High School. Her class collected over 1,000 cans of food for the Pantry! What a great gift to the hungry, and a lesson for us all. I m also very proud of my brother Chris. He is CEO of a large business here in Richmond. He recently asked his employees to donate to the Pantry, and matched their physical donation with a financial gift. It makes me proud that others see the importance of all we do here at SJN. Fr. Lewis Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Catholic School. This year s Beef and Music festival will be held on Friday, May 5 th, from 5:00-10:00 PM on the Barham-Sowers Field, 2501 Academy Rd. Featuring The Jangling Reinharts and a Kids Zone. Please see: http://www.bshknights.org/bmf-2017 for more information and to purchase tickets. RCIA News Having completed their Christian initiation in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and eucharist, Alex and Elizabeth Wiemer are now known as neophytes. During the Easter Season they enter a period of mystagogy by participating fully in Mass on Sunday and continuing to deepen their understanding of the mysteries of these sacraments with their catechists and godparents. Please continue to pray for Alex and Elizabeth during this period of postbaptismal catechesis. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process through which adults and unbaptized older children enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. First Communion First Communion weekend will be May 13/14, with children receiving First Communion at every Mass! First Communion candidates and parents need to be at the rehearsal on May 7 th. This is a dress rehearsal beginning after the 11:00 Mass. Allen Dodd will be available from 9:45 until after the rehearsal for pictures in the chapel. There are 24 kids, so you will have other options to take pictures besides staying after rehearsal. New Food Pantry Volunteers Needed We need volunteers for two new tasks at the Powhatan Food Pantry: Thursday Evening Client Shopping. We will be open Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 pm beginning May 18. St. John Neumann has the second Thursday of each month beginning June 8. I need 4-5 volunteers, including someone to be checked out in client check in and data collection (computer ops). Mon-Wed-Fri Evenings. I need teams of 2-3 people to come in late afternoon or evenings and restock the fresh fruit and produce section. A perfect family service project. Contact Deacon Jim Tubbs at: jimtubbs25@gmail.com, if you are interested. Ecuador Daycare Happy Easter to my dear friends at St. John Neumann Parish! I am writing to you today to let you know how deeply grateful we are for your splendid generosity shown to us at the two sponsorship weekends this year at St. John Neumann. You were especially generous this year when more than a hundred parishioners committed themselves to contribute financially to keep alive our work for the poor children we serve at the Day Care Center down here in Quito, Ecuador. I can assure you that the impact of our work in the children s lives is very much apparent. This impact is visible to us each day in so many ways, especially in the joy painted upon their faces. Thank you dear St. John Neumann Parishioners for your yearly contributions that allow us to keep alive our hope for a better future for the children we are committed to helping. May the Glory of Jesus Resurrection be present with you always, Manuel E.Espinosa, S.J. (Our parish has already sent $19,200 to the day care's bank) Care Notes As we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord this Easter Season, our featured CareNotes this month also address resurrection from the things that weigh us down in our daily lives such as depression, addictions and mental illness. Our CareNotes are always free, and there is a more complete CareNotes Bereavement library in the St. John Bosco classroom. Take one-and take heart. GIve one-and give hope.
For information and advertising rates, contact Lee Mecca at 598-3754 or sjn_general@yahoo.com