1488 NORTH COUNTRY ROAD WADING RIVER, NY 11792 631-929-4339 Fax: 631-929-6961 www.stjohnthebaptistchurch.org Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time February 26, 2017
Page 2 Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9:00-5:00 Pastor: Father Frank Schneider, ext. 16 pastor@stjohnthebaptistchurch.org Deacon: Fred Finter, ext 17 deaconfred@stjohnthebaptistchurch.org Deacon: Vincent Pozzolano, ext. 45 Faith Formation Coordinator: Mrs. Jane Oliva, ext. 12 reled@stjohnthebaptistchurch.org Outreach Director: Deborah O Hare, ext. 22 stjohnsparishoutreach@gmail.com Associate Coordinator: Michael D Onofrio Music Director: Mrs. Elizabeth McNeill (631) 495-8913 emcneill@stjohnthebaptistchurch.org Preschool Director: Mrs. Gayle Mercurio, ext. 14 preschool@stjohnthebaptistchurch.org Continuing Care : Barbara Tubito-Megara, ext. 18 continuingcare@stjohnthebaptistchurch.org Pastoral Assistant: Barbara Johnston, ext. 13 Bookkeeper: Lindsay Finter office@stjohnthebaptistchurch.org Preschool Secretary/Front Desk: Susan Plattner preschool@stjohnthebaptistchurch.org Maintenance: Servio Ortiz Contact us by email: office@stjohnthebaptistchurch.org SACRAMENTS Celebration of the Eucharist Saturday 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30, 9:15 and 11:15 Daily Mass Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. Holyday of Obligation: 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration Wednesday - 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) Saturday, 4:00pm to 4:45pm. Please feel free to call Fr. Frank and make an appointment to celebrate the sacrament. Baptism We suggest that you contact us before your child is born! Call or email the Parish Center. Baptisms are scheduled monthly on the first Sunday at 1:00 pm. In the spring and summer we also celebrate baptisms on the third Sunday. Marriage Contact the Parish Center so that we can arrange the marriage interview and set your date. Anointing of the Sick Call the Parish Center.
Page 3 ASH WEDNESDAY MARCH 1, 2017 Ashes are distributed either during Mass or during the Ash Wednesday Prayer Service. 8:30 Mass 12:00 Service 4:30 Service, especially for families 7:30 Service THE DISCIPLINE OF FASTING During Lent, we join the Church throughout the world in 1. abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent (at least from age fourteen). 2. We have one full meal (we fast) on the two central days of penance during Lent: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (at least from age fourteen until age fifty-nine). Everyone is encouraged to participate in these disciplines, even those who do not fall in the age categories. Those with medical conditions, of course, are not bound by the Church s obligation of fast and abstinence. Those with a serious reason are also excused from the obligation. SOME PEOPLE ARE WONDERING Do Catholics have to go to mass on Ash Wednesday? Isn't it a Holy Day of Obligation? We are obliged to spend all of Ash Wednesday as a Day of Penance, including not eating meat and fasting (having only one full meal.) We are obliged to participate in Mass on Sundays. We are not obliged to participate in mass on Ash Wednesday and it is not a Holy Day of Obligation.
Page 4 THE HOLY SEASON OF LENT 2017 FOR FORTY DAYS WE PREPARE TO CELEBRATE THE PASCHAL MYSTERY, THE DYING AND RISING OF CHRIST. Some Lent opportunities at our parish: Sunday Mass: The Eucharist in the center of our parish and our lives, and gives us the strength each week to live the challenges which face us. Daily Mass (8:30 a.m.). The readings at daily mass invite us to focus on the reality of dying and rising in our daily lives. Why not come a few minutes earlier for quiet prayer? Stations of the Cross (Fridays, 9:00 a.m.) Confession (Saturdays at 4:00 and during Holy Week) Ecumenical Services (to listed in next week s bulletin) Abstaining from meat: On all the Fridays of Lent we join our whole Church by this simple penitential practice. Almsgiving: We make an extra effort to be generous to the poor, perhaps through Outreach and other charities. The Sacred Triduum: These three days are the most sacred of our Church Year. Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord s Supper (8:00 p.m.). Good Friday, Service of the Lord s Passion (3:00 p.m.) and the Solemn Easter Vigil (8:00 p.m. Holy Saturday). 1305 meals served
Page 5 Lent 2017 Lent 2017 is a time for us to pray for dramatic missionary growth in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Part of that dramatic missionary growth is stimulated by our willingness to invite our inactive Catholic friends back to Mass. I put it this way in my Installation Mass homily on January 31: I appeal on this day of my Installation as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre to every inactive Catholic in the Diocese to come back to the power of the Word of God, the power of the Sacrament of Penance, and the power of the Catholic Mass. I am so very sorry if you have been hurt or disappointed by the Church in any way and we stand here today to support you, to love you and to listen to you. In turn, I am asking every active Catholic of every age in the Diocese of Rockville Centre between January 31st and Ash Wednesday (which is March 1, 2017) to invite one inactive Catholic friend or family to come with you to Mass and to gently, humbly, compassionately, non-judgmentally witness to the beauty of your intimacy with Christ and your love for the mission of the Catholic Church and how it has enriched and inspired your life. The power of these gentle and compassionate invitations is enormous. They always plant a seed of grace. And now's the time to make these invitations. Let's all do it together and realize that it is the kindest thing any of us could do for anyone. For those who have made those invitations since January 31st, thank you! For those of us who need an extension, let's give ourselves till Easter Sunday, April16, 2017 to make that compassionate invitation to our friends. And let's open ourselves to making these invitations more frequently and consistently. When we die, we will all look lovingly into the merciful eyes of Jesus and review our life with him. The people whom we have helped to invite back to Mass and their Catholic faith will be standing around us with radiant smiles. And we want a big crowd! We connect our Lenten 2017 prayer, fasting and almsgiving together to this intention and to our constant intention to pray for our brothers and sisters who are poor, hungry, suffering from war, violence or persecution in our world. You and your families are all daily in my prayers and Masses. Thank you for your witness of "holiness and mission" to the world.
Page 6 Special Meeting of All Altar Servers This Tuesday, February 28th 6:45 7:15 p.m. in Church Father Frank and Mrs. Johnston will be going over new instructions and the Season of Lent and Holy Week. Pizza following in the Downstairs Hall. Please RSVP to Mrs. Cassidy or Fr. Frank Parish Weekly Calendar
Page 7 TICKETS NOW ON SALE! St. Patrick s Gala Saturday, March 11. Dinner: Michael s Corned Beef and Shepherd s Pie Wine, Beer, Soda Entertainment Irish Singer and the Irish Band Fiddler s Green Step Dancers from the Inish free School of Irish Dance $35/person. No tickets available at the door. All Proceeds Benefit Peggy s Pantry Anyone wishing to donate prizes for the raffles should call us at 929-4339 ext. 22. We also need people to solicit prizes from our local merchants. If you have a group of eight, we ll reserve a table in your name. Peggy s Pantry Please bring one or more items from our needs list to help us prevent shortages for the families we serve. Thanks to all of you for making our ministry possible!!!.mustard mayonnaise jelly shelf stable milk dish soap Summary of the Finance Committee meeting February 16, 2017 Last November members of the parish finance committee presented to the parishioners a summary of our financial situation. During the past five years, we had been operating in the red and our deficit last year was $119,000. In 2017, our deficit projection was $95,000. Our goal was to increase revenue and cut expenses by about 20% to balance our budget. Based on the first six months of our new fiscal year, we believe that our projected year-end deficit will now be about $40,000. As a parish family we have increased our efforts to make St John the Baptist more vibrant and we are starting to see the results of all our efforts. We have made progress in many areas: - Mass attendance and our collections have increased. - There are more volunteers for a number of parish programs. - The Pastoral Council is working on how we can respond to the Listening Session in the areas of youth ministry and liturgy. Please continue to encourage people to return to the parish and to Sunday Mass. If you have not yet looked at your own giving to see if there is some way in which you can make an increase, please do so. If you cannot make it to mass on a weekly basis, consider Faith Direct so you can contribute to the parish on a weekly basis.
Page 8 This Weekend s Presiders Saturday, February 25, 5pm Sunday, February 26, 7:30 am Sunday, February 26, 9:15 am Sunday, February 26, 11:15am Next Weekend s Presiders Saturday, March 4, 5pm Fr. Ted Howard Sunday, March 5, 7:30 am Sunday, March 5, 9:15 am Sunday, March 5, 11:15am We are grateful this week for all stewards in our parish who are steadfast and consistent in their commitment to share their talents and gifts with others. Monday, February 27, 8:30 am The Parishioners of St. John the Baptist Tuesday, February 28, 8:30 am Michael Bellino (Joann Woods & Lorella Yorascheck & Family) Wednesday, March 1, 8:30 am Anthony Barra (John Aqueli) Thursday, March 2, 8:30 am Chris & Sam O Sullivan (Michael O Sullivan) Saturday, March 4, 5pm Ruth & Edmond Hendrickson (Susan Grover) Sunday, March 5 7:30 am For the Parishioners of St. John the Baptist 9:15 am Elizabeth Callas (Kathy & Larry Cascio) 11:15 am Bill Beattie (Gail & Steven Kellner) Today s Readings The Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 49:14-15 Psalm 62:2-3,6-9 I Corinthians 4:1-5 Matthew 6:24-34 Thank you to our Good Stewards! Faith Direct $ 2,189.88 February 19th, 2017 $ 6,712.50 Total $ 8,902.38 2016 YEAR END SUMMARY $48,800.00 Goal $30,591.00 Payments $32,391.00 Pledges ($16,409.00 under goal) 114 Donors, 66.38% of goal
Page 9 St. John s Preschool Registration Now Open for 2017-2018!! For 18 Months to 5 Year Olds Flexible schedules available! Call us anytime to arrange for a tour! We will be happy to answer your questions! 631-929-3220 Reminders: Classes resume this Monday, 2/27. FF office open Sunday, 2/26 from 9-12 March 1 st Ash Wednesday: All our invited to 8:30 mass, 12:00 service, Family Lenten Prayer service 4:30 pm in church, and 7:30 pm service. The Season of Lent is our yearly opportunity to get back on track and participate in Sunday mass!
Page 10 Please pray for the recently deceased: Joan Lyons Bryan Kelly Lenten Stations of the Cross begin this Friday, March 3rd at 9:00 a.m. in church. All invited to the recitation of the Holy Rosary: After daily mass (8:30 a.m.) Tuesday evenings, 7:30 p.m. Prayers for the Sick Peter Meechan, Joan Lambert, George Sroczynski, Zach Abrucci, Lorian McGrory, John Alles, Julia Coleman, Jeff Coletto, Joseph DeMauro, Joyce DeMauro, Laura LoBianco, Jocelyn Feggins, Devin Rizopoulos, George Fox, Maxwell Tester, Jack Celentano, Liam McGuire, Givanni Bernaudo, Fiona Mooney, Jane Eyring, Marie Donovan, Sister Betty Maschka, Florence Carnesi, Susan Novak, Richard Quit, Joe Columbo, Lin Richburg, Patricia Slewinski, Rosemary DeMonte, Jillian Brown, TJ Christian, Rita Mandracchio, Dennis McWilliams, Grace Smith, Dottie Simone, James Pearson, Kara Worth, Andrew J. Munch, Hannah Galinski Visit our Parish Facebook page, St. John the Baptist, Wading River!! We are happy to pray for your loved ones who are ill and will include their names for about 6 weeks, unless you let us know otherwise. May the healing touch of Jesus be with them! Prayers for the Military Michael Brennan, Carl Kendrick Jr., Patrick Hanley, Jeffrey L. Beilman Jr.,Ryan Santiro, Thomas G. Verbeeck, Michelle Verbeeck, Joseph DeMonte IV, Nicholas Altman, Michael Anderson,Devin Henry, Marielle Verbeeck, Cassidy Vail
Page 11 Around our Area and our Diocese The Life Center of Long Island: volunteers needed to assist in our new ground floor center in Riverhead. We could help you learn and train on how to interact with moms in crisis, assist in fulfilling their needs, assist a well trained staff in fielding calls, donations, fund raising and networking with local resources. Bi-Lingual volunteers are also needed. Please call Lisa or Franci at 631-591-9017 Monday Friday, 10 am to 4 pm. Bereavement Conference 2017: Journeying Together in Times of Pain and Loss. Keynote Address The Health Effects of Bereavement, Dr. Kerrianne Page MD HMDC, Chief Medical Officer for Hospice, Palliative Care, & Home Care Services and Senior Vice President of Clinical Effectiveness for Catholic Health Services of Long Island. Saturday, March 25, 2017 at St. Joseph s Parish in Babylon from 8:30 AM 2:30 PM. The Conference is sponsored by the DRVC-Office of Faith Formation and Catholic Cemeteries. 516-678-5800. Interfaith Prayer Service for Unity of America: Sunday, February 26th, 7:00 p.m., B nai Israel Reform Temple, Bay Shore. Lectio Divina/Centering Prayer Group: Community Growth Center at 9:00 a.m. on the 9AM 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at the Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson. Contact information about the group: Michael Hoffner 631-240-3471