March 3, 2019 Holy Family Church 129 Winthrop Street, Watertown, NY 13601 Phone: 315-782-2468 E-Mail: hfchurch@twcny.rr.com Website: www.holyfamilywatertown.org PASTOR: IN RESIDENCE: DEACONS: TRUSTEES: SCHOOL BOARD: PARISH STAFF Pastoral Associates: Rev. Steven M. Murray Rev. Leo A. Wiley Rev. Msgr. Paul E. Whitmore Deacon Edward R. Miller Ret. Deacon Michael J. Allan Mrs. Maureen Van Wormer Mr. John Eisenhauer Mr. Michael Ledoux Sr. Angelica Rebello, SCC Patrick Bates Christian Formation Director: Sr. Angelica Rebello, SCC 782-6750 R.C.I.A. Director: Kathy Allan 315-785-8576 Business Administrator: Carol Brown 315-408-6301 Secretary: Organist: Judy Geng Edward Kemp IMMACULATE HEART CENTRAL SCHOOL School Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Robert H. Aucoin 315-629-4678 School Principal: Mrs. Lynise Lassiter 315-788-4670 Vice Principal:(7-12): Mr. Geoffrey Andrews 788-4670 Vice Principal (K-6): Mrs. Kari Conklin 788-3935 BAPTISM: Baptisms are generally scheduled on Sunday. Parents must attend a class held on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 PM. WEDDINGS: Arrangements should be made six months In advance by calling for an appointment with a priest or deacon. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Confession/Penance - Saturday 4-5 P.M. SACRAMENT OF THE SICK: Upon Request - Please call Fr. Murray if you are planning on having any surgery and he will be happy to anoint you. Holy Family Church Welcomes Everyone No matter what your present status is in the Catholic Church; no matter your family or marital status; no matter where you are in the practice of faith; no matter what your self image may be; you are invited, welcomed and loved at Holy Family Church.
RECTORY OFFICE HOURS Monday, 12:30PM- 4:00PM; Tuesday Thursday, 9:00AM-4:00PM, closed for lunch noon-12:30pm; Friday, 9:00AM-1:00PM. Sunday March 3, 2019 EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 9:00 Jerry Tufo by Carrol and Family 11:00 5th Anniversary In Loving Memory of Daniel Briggs by Rob and Amy Briggs, His Brother Michael and Mema 5:15 People of the Parish Monday March 4, 2019 Weekday Saint Casimir 9:00 Dr. Robert T. Heldt by Sr. Angelica Rebello Tuesday March 5, 2019...Weekday 9:00 Carl Plante by Gary and Ann Charlebois 10:00 All Souls (at the Summit) Wednesday March 6, 2019 Ash Wednesday 9:00 Jane Goodwin by Her Family 12:00 People of the Parish 5:15 Roukous Roukous by Mike and Judy Geng Thursday March 7, 2019 Thursday after Ash Wednesday Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs 9:00 Sister Georgia by Sisters of the Cross Friday March 8, 2019 Friday after Ash Wednesday Saint John of God, Religious 9:00 Bill Abbott by Sue and Tom Chellis Saturday March 9, 2019 First Sunday of Lent 5:15 Dr. Robert T. Heldt by Mike and Judy Geng Sunday March 10, 2019 FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT 9:00 19th Anniversary Joseph White by Timmie and Family 11:00 10th Anniversary Fr Tim Soucy by His Family 5:15 People of the Parish ALTAR SERVER SCHEDULE MARCH 9th & 10th 5:15 9:00 Henry, Jack and Samuel Charlebois 11:00 Keely and McKenna Cooney 5:15 BAPTISMAL PREPARATION CLASS The next class will be Monday, March 11th, at 7PM in McGivney Hall. Please call the Rectory at 315-782-2468 during business hours to sign up if you are planning on attending this required class. Thank you. THIS WEEK IN OUR PARISH Sunday: March 3rd Blood Pressure Screening After Masses (Gathering Area) 10:00AM Religious Education for Grades K-8 (Greystone Building) 11:00AM-2:00PM Confirmation Year I Noon Coffee Hour (Gathering Area) Monday: March 4th Tuesday: March 5th 10:00AM Mass (Samaritan Summit Village) 6:00PM IMPACT Youth Group for 6th-12th graders (Greystone Building) Wednesday: March 6th Ash Wednesday Collection for The Church in Central and Eastern Europe 10:00AM Legion of Mary (McGivney Hall) Thursday: March 7th Friday: March 8th Saturday: March 9th 4:45PM Praying the Rosary (Church) INQUIRY If you are interested in the Catholic Faith or know of someone who is, please contact our R.C.I.A. Director Kathy Allan at 315-785-8576 for an appointment. Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Therefore be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, Are you considering devoting your work to the Lord as a priest, deacon, sister or brother? Talk to Fr. Steve Murray at 315-782-2468/hfchurch@twcny.rr.com or Fr. Doug Lucia at 315-386-2543/ dlucia@rcdony.org or Cathy Russell, the Diocesan Vocation Coordinator at 315-393-2920, ext. 1450/crussell@rcdony.org. See us also on Facebook or at www.myvocation.net.
ACTIVITIES AHEAD IN OUR PARISH CONFIRMATION YEAR II is scheduled for March 10th from 11:00AM-2:00PM LENT FAITH ENRICHMENT GROUPS will begin meeting for five weeks beginning the week of March 3. Parishioners are invited to join a group to discuss the weekend scripture readings. Please contact Pat Fanning at 315-788-1101 or pfanning5010@twcny.rr.com PENNIES FROM HEAVEN The Knights of Columbus will be at the doors of the Church after Masses the weekend of March 9th and 10th, collecting for our Seminarians. Thank you in advance for your continued support. LEGION OF MARY CURIA S next meeting will be Thursday March 14th, 10:00AM in McGivney Hall. IDEAS FOR MAKING THIS THE BEST LENT EVER! 1. Attend daily Mass and meet Jesus in the Eucharist. 2. Join a small group to discuss the weekend s Scripture readings. 3. Enroll in Best Lent Ever atwww.dynamiccatholic.com 4. Enroll in Lenten Reflections at www.lent.formed.org. 5. Attend the city-wide Lenten Mission March 18th-21st. 6. Participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 7. Dine with fellow parishioners at our soup suppers on Tuesdays March 12th and 26th, April 2nd, 9th, and 16th at 5:30PM in the Greystone Building. 8. Attend Stations of the Cross after our soup suppers. OUR PARISH SCHOOL NEWS IHC KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION and screening for children who will be entering Kindergarten at Immaculate Heart Central Primary School in September 2019 will be held on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. Screenings will be held at the Primary Building at 122 Winthrop St., Watertown. Anyone planning to register a Kindergarten student is asked to call 315-486-7341 or 315-788-7011 for an appointment. To be eligible for Kindergarten next year, a child must be 5 years old on or before December 1st. Parents should bring their child s birth and baptism certificates and immunization records. IMMACULATE HEART CENTRAL SCHOOL S 2019 LEGACY GALA, honoring and celebrating Ms. Sylvia Buduson, will be April 6th at the Italian American Civic Association. Cocktails are at 6:00PM followed by dinner at 7:00PM. This is a Semi-Formal Event. Tickets are on sale now for $50.00 at IHC Jr./Sr. High School. Call 315-788-4670 or Email ihcgala@ihcschool.org ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OUR PARISH LENTEN RETREAT The annual Lenten Retreat at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph, 1425 Washington St. will be held on Sunday, March 10th. Join us for an afternoon of prayer and reflection from 1:30 until 4:00. The afternoon will include Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, a reflection given by Marika Donders, time for personal prayer, and an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To register call 782-3460. WHAT ARE YOUR GIFTS? God gave YOU gifts to share with others gifts you may not realize you possessed. You may have talents that you are barely using. Discover your hidden treasure on Saturday, March 23rd at the SSJ Motherhouse, 1425 Washington St, Watertown. This discovery begins with Mass at 9:30AM followed by a guided personal inventory to identify your gifts. Learn creative approaches to sharing your talents with others. Presenter: Marika Donders, Director, Diocesan Office of New Evangelization. FREE (donations accepted to cover cost of refreshments). Register at http://www.rcdony.org/ formation/commissioned-lay-ministers/clm-eventregistration.html or contact Pat Fanning at 315-788-1101 or pfanning5010@twcny.rr.com THOUSAND ISLANDS CATHOLIC MEN'S GROUP: The Thousand Islands Catholic Men s Group is a group of Catholic men who meet on a regular basis to discuss their experiences as Catholic men in today s society. The meetings are held on the second Saturday of every month at 9 AM in the Parish Center of St. Mary s Church, Clayton. For further information contact Scott Beeles at 315-686-1303 or Gene Kleinhans at 315-482-3981. Come join us, whether you ve been to a meeting or not. NEW FORMATION FOR MINISTRY CLASS God has called each of us to be his disciple, to use our gifts in the service of others. Is God calling you to greater service in your parish? Are you open to becoming a commissioned lay minister? Pray about it, talk to your pastor about it. A new class will be starting in September. ASH WEDNESDAY S READINGS Joel 2:12-18 Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17 2 Corinthians 5:20 6:2 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Be reconciled (Ps, 2) and return to the Lord (1) by means of prayer fasting and deeds of loving services (3).
Note From the Pope, In his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Our Father prayer. This time he focused on the mystery of God s paternity. SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our continuing catechesis on the Our Father, we now consider the first step of Christian prayer, which is to enter into the mystery of God s paternity. To understand how God is Father we naturally think of our own parents; yet this image needs to be purified, for none of our parents is perfect, and neither are we! When we speak of God as Father, then, we must go beyond a merely earthly image, for God s love is that of our Father who is in heaven. Yet we only experience this total divine love in this life in an imperfect way, for our human love is wounded. Indeed the fragility of human love is captured well by the words of the Prophet Hosea: Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away (Hos 6:4). God s love, on the other hand, is a perfect kind of love; he loves us in a way that none on earth ever can. In the hunger for God s love that we all feel, we are not seeking something non-existent, but instead responding to the invitation to know God as Father. So we should not be afraid, for nothing can extinguish his passionate love for us. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the Lord s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you! NEXT SUNDAY S READINGS Deuteronomy 26:4-10 Psalm 91:1, 2 10-15 Romans 10:8-13 Luke 4:1-13 Moses recounts great events of salvation history (1) which find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. We confess him to be Lord, for God raised him from the dead (2). He is ever faithful, resisting temptation to forsake his Father s mission (3), trusting in God s love (Ps). The annual NORTH COUNTRY CATHOLIC subscription campaign begins the weekend of March 16 th and 17 th. The paper features regular messages from Bishop LaValley, authoritative information about what the church teaches on the issues that you face in 21st-century, life and inspiring stories about people living out their faith. Please place your subscription envelope in the collection basket or mail a check for $27 to the North Country Catholic, PO Box 106, Canajoharie, NY, 13317. ANOTHER OPTION go green and receive your NCC through email every Monday. If interested, write your email address on the envelope. In diocese subscriptions are $27 and out of diocese subscriptions are $30. Patrons are $35, $50, $100 and $250. OUR TITHING PARISH SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME This Year $ 8,751.00 Last Year $ 8,654.00 Youth $ 36.00 Pennies From Heaven for (February) $ 351.43 Food Pantry (February) 90 items Critical Needs (February) 99 items Cold Winter Drive (February) 104 items Thank you for your continued generosity! CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE Total Pledges and One Time Gift $432,000 Total Participating Households 188 out of 935 This is 78% of our goal with only 20% of parishioners participating. Let s keep up the good work! Our goal is $555.000. Note From the Pastor, It would be wonderful if you could make up your envelopes because we are struggling financially. I am trying to avoid dipping into savings to pay ordinary expenses. Currently we are more than $20,000. behind and I certainly realize that most of you who are reading this are currently contributing generously to the parish. However, at the current rate we will soon within the next six months burn through our meager savings and be in deficit spending. What deficit spending means is we will begin to need to borrow money from the Diocese in order to operate. This in my opinion is a real tragedy. I am not sure of the reason for this decline in Income. However it seemed to begin about the time of the Diocesan Capital Campaign, which is also the time period when the clerical abuse scandal became very prominent in the news and many negative comments were made concerning the church. If anyone could enlighten me, I would be grateful. Certainly some staffing decisions would need to be made in order to remain viable. I hope you realize how difficult writing this to you is for me because for so many years you have been so generous and we haven t struggled. Sometime this spring we are expecting a new priest Fr. Clement. At this point, I don t know how we will be able to pay him. When I was originally asked about an assistant priest this was not an issue. However now it is. I would really appreciate comments from any or all of you in this matter. Fr. Steve
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: Lenten fasting can include much more than food. Fasting from the use of unnecessary energy can benefit the earth, those who inhabit the earth and my own spiritual life by being a better steward of God s Garden. (Genesis 2: 16) Fully load your appliances. Whether it s the dishwasher, the oven, the refrigerator or the laundry room, full loads cost the same as partial loads. 300 Ways to Save Money and Energy in Your Home, by David Troesh.
Histories Mysteries -How did it all begin? How did we get started as a church in Watertown? Here is Part 2 of our story brought to you by The Evangelization Team. Our church begins as our area grows from being a fur trading paradise to a community of people, mostly immigrants brought here by the power the Black River provided. Canadian French Catholic Missionaries ministered to this area, holding Mass in private homes as well as schoolhouses, not on a regular basis. A visit from the Third Bishop of New York, Bishop John Dubois brought Mass to the Courthouse steps on Washington Street in 1835. He felt that the lack of pastoral care led to a great damage in faith in Watertown. Father Michael Gilbride came in 1836 and made plans to build a Mission Church. Meanwhile, Mass was still being offered in schoolhouses. A popular place to gather for Mass was at the BeeBee Schoolhouse, located behind the Woodruff Hotel by the Depot. It was rented for fifty cents a week as Mass was offered more regularly. (Part 3-When will we get a church building?) LENT 2019 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ: Lent is a truly graced time to take stock of our ongoing journey of conversion and transformation in Christ. We desire to cultivate an intimate relationship with Jesus making His presence in our lives real and vibrant so that we might follow Him more closely while supporting one another in our common pilgrimage of faith. This Lent, we might reflect on a question that the bishops Retreat Director recently asked: Is Jesus for us a person, or just a personality, a celebrity, a cult figure? There s a big difference between the two. Personalities might include people like Oprah, even Elvis Presley or any number of people who have a following today. A personality is someone who has name recognition, but not someone with whom we can easily strike up a personal relationship. There are plenty of personalities out there today. An intimate relationship develops with a person, not a personality. Unfortunately, for many of us, Jesus is a personality and not a person. He is the eminent figure in Church doctrine. He is the one whose memory we celebrate in the liturgy even proclaiming the Eucharist as His Real Presence. However, without developing a personal relationship between ourselves and Jesus, He remains external to us, outside of ourselves, touching our minds, but not our hearts. He remains a remnant of the past because we instinctively place twenty centuries between ourselves and Him. Yet, Jesus says, I am with you always, until the end of the age (Mt.28:20). The Resurrected Christ is alive and present, not physically as He had been, but His presence today is even stronger and more real. Christ is not only beside us but dwells within us. Therein lies our hope and confidence during these troublesome times. Particularly during our Lenten journey, the Church asks us to focus our attention on Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. These spiritual disciplines are indispensable means to strengthen our personal relationship with Jesus. Additionally, I hope that you avail yourself of the Lenten programs and liturgies provided by your parish. These will help you grow in love and knowledge of our Lord. May our hearts be renewed as we encounter Christ ever more intimately this Lent. As St. Paul announces to us on Ash Wednesday: Now is a very acceptable time (2 Cor. 6:2). Let us pray for one another this Lent and always. Faithfully yours in Christ, Most Reverend Terry R. LaValley Bishop of Ogdensburg