Concord, NH Volume 7, Issue 3 Summer 2017 Committed to proclaiming the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Our Parish Mission: Christ the King Parish is committed to proclaiming the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus and forming missionary disciples who will transform our world. Intentional: done deliberately and with purpose Missionary: sent to do religious and charitable work. To persuade and invite others to a relationship with Jesus Disciples: A life-long student and follower of Jesus embracing the call to build the kingdom of God Inside This Issue: From the Pastor 2 Office and Church 72 South Main Street Concord, NH 03301 Phone: 603-224-2328 Fax: 603-224-2625 St. Peter Church 3 Sacramental News 3 Alpha 4 Office Hours Monday - Friday 9 am - 4 pm Youth Alpha 4 Confirmation Changes 5 Connect @christthekingnh parish@christthekingnh.org www.christthekingnh.org First Communion 5 New staff 6 Parish happenings 7 See our website for the Mass and Confession schedule, as well as Eucharistic Adoration opportunities, children and adult faith formation opportunities, information about parish gatherings, and to just learn more about your parish! Serving and Giving 8 2016-2017 Financial Report 9 Faith Formation 10
Volume 7, Issue 3 Page 2 Rev. Richard Roberge, Pastor Dear friends, I do hope that we all find time to enjoy the summer and all that it has to offer. As we enjoy the warmer weather with the beauty of green lawns and fields, wildflowers, mountains, rivers, lakes and the ocean, we are reminded that God calls us to come away and rest a while to be refreshed and renewed. Summer is also a time to plan ahead in anticipation of fall, another beautiful season in our state. As the parish prepares to present opportunities for our spiritual growth and formation, I invite you to commit to a more active engagement in parish life. Restore, Renew, Proclaim This spring, our diocese rolled out a new initiative entitled Restore, Renew Proclaim The Hope That Is Christ. This initiative is focused on strengthening lifelong faith formation throughout New Hampshire. We are pleased that it supports what we have already developed here at Christ the King. Please see In the News, page 3, especially if you have a high school sophomore student or younger who has not yet received Confirmation. Alpha This fall, we will offer four opportunities to participate in Alpha for adults, families, young adults and teens. Alpha helps us to deepen our relationship with Jesus and builds community for us to find support and growth. I encourage each and every parishioner to try Alpha! For more information, turn to page 4. Faith Formation Please join me in welcoming our new parish staff members, Michelle Cochran and Haley Seward (bios on page 6). They will be working with our children, teens, and our entire parish family to implement the new diocesan sacramental initiative, as well as coordinate Family Faith Formation. Each month, the parish continues to offer whole community Faith Formation events. At these events, regardless of age or level of education, we all have an opportunity to deepen our understanding of our faith and the teaching of the Church. Please visit our website, christthekingnh.org for more information and to register online, or use the registration form found on the back page of the newsletter. In this newsletter, you will find information about these events and more! Please take the time to become familiar with what we have to offer and make a commitment today to join us in our effort to grow as a community of intentional missionary disciples. Yours in Christ, Fr. Rich
Volume 7, Issue 3 Page 3 Purchase and Sales Agreement for the St. Peter campus The weekend of May 14, before every Mass, we announced that a purchase and sales agreement has been signed by the Diocese of Manchester, on behalf of the parish, with Mr. Jonathan Chorlian for the sale of the St. Peter Campus. He is the local developer who purchased Sacred Heart Church last year. At St. Peter, Mr. Chorlian intends to build a pocket neighborhood of small detached homes sold as condominiums. His plan is to keep the Rollins mansion (the former rectory) and carriage house intact but raze the church and parish center to make room for the development. We acknowledge and share in the sadness of the loss of the St. Peter campus which represents generations of faith and community. Let us keep all those who feel this loss in our prayers. As Christ the King Parish, we pledge to continue to grow in unity in support of one another during this time and move forward in the spirit of Christ s resurrection. The sale should be finalized in early 2018. A closing liturgy will be planned at St. Peter before that time. Please consult the parish bulletin and website for further details as they become available. Our diocese will be restoring the order in which the Sacraments of Initiation are celebrated Baptism, Confirmation, First Holy Communion. Over the next few years, the standard age of Confirmation is going to be third grade throughout the Diocese of Manchester, and Confirmation will be celebrated with First Communion. This practice restores Confirmation to its original place. Through this process, the three Sacraments of Christian Initiation return to the logical order in which they were designed to be received: first Baptism, then Confirmation, then Eucharist. It also restores the practice of administering the Sacraments of Christian Initiation to young children as early as possible. Our parish is working on an implementation schedule, and we will be communicating that to parishioners through the bulletin over the next year. For 2017-18, things will remain as they have recently been and high school sophomores will be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation (see page 4). Second graders will receive 1st Penance and 1st Communion. Please see our website for a Confirmation Prep and 1st Sacraments schedule for this year. If you have children who have not yet received all three sacraments of initiation, please watch the bulletin and our website as information becomes available. For more information on the Lifelong Faith Formation and Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation, you can visit the RESTORE, RENEW, PROCLAIM page on the diocesan web site: www.catholicnh.org/lifelong Prayer for Diocesan Initiative: Restore, Renew, Proclaim: God of all life, through the resurrection of Jesus, Your Son, You restored the promise of eternal life to us, who You love from our first moment of life and for life without end. Send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts to renew our faith, hope and charity. Stir up within us the desire to know, love and serve You more each day so that our words and deeds will proclaim the hope that is Christ. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Volume 7, Issue 3 Page 4 Alpha is an opportunity to explore life and the Christian faith, in a friendly, open and informal environment. It s also a great way to grow in fellowship. During the discussion, everyone is welcome to contribute their opinions and no question is considered hostile or too simple. Questions might include Is there a God? Why am I here? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Alpha is for everyone lifelong Catholics, those who have fallen away from the faith, or those who may never have been to church in their life. We don t assume any background knowledge or belief in Christianity and everyone is welcome. No pressure. No follow up. No charge. Fr. Rich is encouraging every parishioner to experience Alpha and to invite their friends and family! This is a great way to get a boost in faith, to make friends in the community, and to reach out to those loved ones who may struggle with some questions of faith. This fall we are launching several separate Alphas. Come to one of the Celebration Meals to see what they are about (no commitment): Alpha (childcare available), Sunday, Sept. 10, 4pm in St. John Activity Center Youth Alpha (high school), Sunday, Sept. 10, 4pm in St. John Activity Center (more below) Alpha for Young Adults, Monday, Sept. 11, 6pm at Barley House, Main Street, Concord Lunch Alpha, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 11am in St. John Activity Center Each week is a coming home for many of us It s an amazing feeling to watch people feel like they belong, and that they are loved, supported and cared for. Hearing everyone else s point of view and what they thought about different subjects! I would ABSOLUTELY invite a friend to Youth Alpha Youth Alpha This isn't a lecture. This isn't a class. This is a chance to talk about life, God and literally everything in between. At Youth Alpha, we eat dinner and talk; how life sometimes feels like a mess, or how it's tough to figure out who you are and what you're doing with your life. We'll also tackle impossible questions like: who would win in a fight, Batman or Spiderman? Youth Alpha is totally free, and is for all high school students, from any religion or background. You get a chance to bring up your opinions, ask about anything, and hear what others have to say. Join us on September 10, at 4pm for dinner and to see if Youth Alpha is for you. Check out christthekingnh.org/youthalpha or check out #ctkalphagang on Instagram to see more about Youth Alpha at Christ the King!
Volume 7, Issue 3 Page 5 Confirmation Preparation 2017-18 Preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation is going to be in transition for the next few years as we move towards the restored order of the sacraments (see IN THE NEWS, page 3). For this year, we are making changes to help engage the young person in the deep questions of faith. As such, participation in Youth Alpha is the first step in preparing for Confirmation. Youth Alpha is offered on Sundays in the Fall, starting September 10th (see Alpha, page 5). The last session will be on Sunday, November 19th. There is a retreat weekend in October. Decision Point sessions are the second step of preparation and will start on Sunday, January 7th and run through Sunday, April 15th. All high school students are eligible to participate in both over the next two years, but Youth Alpha must be done prior to Decision Point. We anticipate offering a similar schedule next year for both steps as well. For questions, call Haley Seward (603-224-2328). Please see the parish website for more information on how to register. Parent Information Evenings: Thursday, August 24, 6pm (St. John Activity Center) Sunday, August 27, 6pm (St. John Activity Center) Youth Alpha (open to all; bring a friend no matter their faith!) Kick-Off, Sunday, Sept. 10, 4pm 6:30pm (includes dinner in Activity Center) Every following Sunday through November 19 Weekend Away (retreat): Friday, Oct. 27, 6pm Saturday, Oct. 28, 3pm Decision Point Sundays, 4pm 6:30pm (includes dinner) January 7 April 15 (skip Feb. 25, Mar. 4), Activity Center Sacrament Dates Friday Night Rehearsal: June 8, 5:30pm Confirmation Celebration: June 10, 2pm First Penance and First Communion Preparation Preparation for First Penance and First Communion is available to children in the 2nd grade and above. Preparing to receive the sacraments for the first time will consist of the child and their parent or guardian attending two meetings and a retreat for each sacrament. Each child will receive a beautiful book to work with at the meetings and at home. Adults will receive easy to use home lesson plans to guide their child. As part of the preparation, your family should be participating in Family Faith Formation events (registration form is included as back page of this newsletter). If you have a child that will be preparing this year, please register no later than December 1st. Preparation will begin just after the holidays. Registration is available online (www.christthekingnh.org), at Faith Formation events, or by contacting Michelle Cochran (michelle@christthekingnh.org or 603-224-2328)
Volume 7, Issue 3 Page 6 Over the course of this past spring, we hired two new staff members. Please keep them and the rest of your parish staff in your prayers! We are pleased to announce that Michelle Cochran has been hired as a part-time PreK - 5th Grade Faith Formation Coordinator. Michelle has been a catechist in our Family Faith Formation program as well as a coordinator for our Sunday morning nursery care for the past year. She has a Bachelor s degree in Elementary Education and years of experience working with young children. In addition to helping coordinate Family Faith Formation, Michelle will be coordinating 1st Sacraments preparation and providing support to our programs for elementary-aged children. Michelle and her husband are expecting their third child in August, live in Penacook, and normally attend the 9am Sunday Mass. Please help us in welcoming Michelle to the parish staff! Staff Our new Faith Formation and Youth Ministry Coordinator, Haley Seward, just made the move from Connecticut to New Hampshire, where she is thrilled to live under the best starry night skies she s ever seen. Haley holds a Bachelor s degree in Christian Ministries from Gordon College, specializing in pastoral and youth ministry. She loves doing puzzles, going to the beach, and baking gluten-free treats. Haley is excited by the passionate faith and active ministries of Christ the King Parish and looks forward to getting to know the community. Haley will be coordinating Family Faith Formation and Youth Alpha, as well as overseeing Confirmation preparation. We are pleased to welcome Haley to the staff and to our parish please join us in welcoming her and making her feel at home in her new state! My Own Church Our parish encourages online registration for Family Faith Formation and sacramental preparation! We are setting up a new portal on our parish website to ConnectNow, the secure ParishSoft database we use for storing parishioner contact and sacramental information. You will be prompted to create a free account, and then use the My Own Church family portal to for easy online registration! We are rolling out a tutorial to guide you through this process. You can still register on paper! The form is found in the back of this newsletter. Visit our parish website: www.christthekingnh.org
Volume 7, Issue 3 Page 7 St. John Regional School Our parish supports St. John Regional School, located here at the parish. There are limited openings available for fall 2017! SJRS provides a Catholic education with high academic and moral standards. Generation after generation, their goal is to develop students in a Faithfilled community into responsible citizens, with a strong academic foundation and a passion for learning. Visit stjohnregional.org for more information! If you ve ever considered Catholic education to be too expensive, talk to the school office; financial assistance is available based on need, and tuition is less than you may think. Pastoral Council Inserted in this newsletter, you will find a Pastoral Council nomination sheet. We invite all adult members of our community to review this form and nominate those whom they believe would be valuable the Pastoral Council. You may nominate anyone in the parish, yourself included, or those who are up for re-nomination (see form for more details). The Pastoral Council is a consultative body that helps the Pastor and the Parish Staff discern the spiritual and pastoral needs of the parish and helps to develop and implement the parish mission. The Council is taking a more visible role in the life of our parish, and we want all parishioners to be a part of its formation. Nominations are anonymous. Please drop the nomination form in the mail to 72 South Main St, Concord, NH 03301, or place in the collection basket at Mass. Monthly E-Newsletter We encourage all our parishioners to sign up for our parish email list. It s easy! Go to www.christthekingnh.org and click the Email Signup button at the bottom of the page. From there, just enter your name and email into the fields, and click subscribe. You ll receive regular updates from the parish, but don t worry. We won t spam your inbox, and we never share your email address. You can (and should!) also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! We re on all three as christthekingnh
Volume 7, Issue 3 Page 8 Serving and Giving: At Christ the King Parish, we strive to live as a family, supporting one another, spiritually, financially, and through our daily acts of kindness. We hear Jesus call to action all the time, both in our hearts and from the pulpit. Have you answered His call? It is time now to join your parish family in living in Christly love to one another. How can you serve today? Pick up a Ministry Booklet from the back of church, or the parish website, attend the Ministry Fair and meet those who lead us in service, and donate what you have to others. From His life of service to His death on the Cross, Jesus leads by example. Let us take up our Crosses and follow our call to serve as Jesus served. Catholic Charities Every year, your gifts to Catholic Charities provide effective services and hope to people dealing with difficult situations and those facing crisis. Our local office here in Concord does outstanding work, and your support is very important! Please consider a generous response to this year s appeal. WE are Catholic Charities. You will find enclosed with this newsletter a brochure and a pledge envelope. Please take time now to prayerfully consider your pledge or donation. Thank you for your support of Catholic Charities! Our Parish totals as of 6/14/17: Cash: $42,210.30 Pledge Balance: $8,272.50 Total: $50,462.80 Goal: $100,750.00 Project Walk Boston A parishioner, 38 year old Zachariah Copeley, son of Bill and Pauline Copeley, who suffers from non-verbal Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, an epileptic syndrome. He has the opportunity to receive special physical therapy that would be greatly beneficial to him. However, insurance will not cover the cost of $110.00 per hour with a therapist and assistant. Anyone wishing to help can call the number below and make a donation for Zachariah's involvement in this program. 100% of the donation goes directly for Zachariah to pay for the cost of his personal program. The Copeleys wish to express We appreciate any help our church family can give to assist with this endeavor! Thank you and God Bless! You may donate directly by calling and mentioning Zachariah s name: Project Walk Boston (www.projectwalk.com) 603-583-5119 20 Portsmouth Ave, Stratham NH, 03885 boston@projectwalk.com If you wish, you may also give cash or write a check to the parish directly, and we will forward 100% of your donation to the organization. You may place the donation in the collection basket in an envelope marked Zachariah Copeley. Ministry Fair September 9-10, after all Sunday Masses See our parish website: christthekingnh.org/serve for more information! If you are looking for where you fit in or have questions about a ministry, come to the Ministry Fair and speak to the people who are already involved in those ministries: Liturgical, music, hospitality, teaching, youth ministry, outreach, social organizing your parish needs you! Don t let another year pass you by! Get involved!
Christ the King Parish Annual Financial Report July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017 The fiscal year which ended on June 30, 2017 recorded an operating loss of $53,500. While this was not the most desirable outcome, it was $18,600 better than the budgeted loss of $72,100. Total income for the year was $5,400 below budget. Most of the shortfall came from Regular Offertory, which was $9,600 less than what was budgeted. Total Expenses posted a favorable budget variance of $24,000. All expense categories recorded positive variances, except for Lay Salaries and Benefits, which had an unfavorable budget variance of $4,000 (primarily due to the cost of benefits). The largest positive variances were in Property Expenses and in Faith Formation and Other Programs. Property Expenses were lower than expected due to a reduction in casualty insurance resulting from the sale of Sacred Heart Church. The reduction in Faith Formation and Other Program expenses occurred due to both a reduction in expenses and increased income from programs, which is used to offset their cost. July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017 Actual Budget Variance Income Regular Offertory 768,400 778,000 (9,600) Trust Income 38,800 40,000 (1,200) Fundraising Activities 18,100 16,500 1,600 Other Donations 49,700 47,900 1,800 Rents and Other Revenue (NOTE 1) 93,700 91,700 2,000 Total Income 968,700 974,100 (5,400) Expenses Clergy Salary, Benefits and Expenses 48,600 49,600 1,000 Lay Staff Salaries and Benefits 389,800 385,800 (4,000) Property Expenses 179,100 194,500 15,400 Diocesan Assessments 235,200 236,200 1,000 Supplies and Expenses 98,400 100,700 2,300 Faith Formation and Other Programs 33,100 40,100 7,000 Charity (NOTE 2) 38,000 39,300 1,300 Total Expenses 1,022,200 1,046,200 24,000 Net Income or Loss (53,500) (72,100) 18,600 Note 1: Includes the sale of items from Sacred Heart Church but not the sale of the church itself. The proceeds of the sale of the church was placed directly into an investment account. Note 2: Does not include funds generated from our charitable trust funds, Christ the King Food Pantry, Catholic Charities Appeal and distributions though programs such as Thanksgiving Baskets and Christmas Giving. Starting January 1, 2018 we will no longer be using PO Box 2756 as our parish mailing address. Please start using our official parish address: 72 South Main Street, Concord, NH 03301
Family Faith Formation Registration September 2017 April 2018 Family Last Name: Primary Phone: Family Email: Family Cell Phone: Belongs to: Mailing Address: Street City Zip Please list all those who will be attending. Must include at least one adult attendee. Adult 1 Adult 2 Child 1 First Name and Last Name Birth Date ( M / D / Y ) School Attending (if school-age) Grade Child 2 Child 3 Child 4 Child 5 Child 6 Please list any special circumstances your child may have. Please be sure to identify the child(ren) to which the circumstances apply. If your child needs an epi-pen, inhaler or other medical equipment on-hand during a session or event, please speak with the catechetical leader. Attach additional page if needed. Fees: There is a $20 per person registration fee (max $100 per family). Those over 65 or under 4 years old register free of charge. This one-time fee covers participation and materials for all events. Please include payment with this registration form. Please make checks payable to Christ the King Parish. A $20 rebate is available if you attended Family Faith Formation last year and still have your materials. Please check here if you attended last year: NOTE: This cost is not meant to be prohibitive. If you are unable to afford the fee, please speak with the parish office to have the fee waived. For Office Use: Date Rc d Payment Rec d Payment Type
In Family Faith Formation, we use scripture to illuminate the teachings of our Catholic faith. Each individual or family that registers will receive a copy of the Bible to use during the sessions and also at home. At each month s session, adults and children will read specific stories and discuss them in our age-appropriate groups. Then, each individual or family will be asked to read more stories at home. Together as a family of faith, we will dive into the stories of our salvation history! All sessions will be at St. John the Evangelist Activity Center. This year, we ask that families and individuals register for and attend the same day each month. This allows community to form within each session (which is especially important for the children!), and simplifies the registration and attendance process. If for any reason you cannot attend a day you registered for, but would like to attend one of the other days that weekend, please email or call Katerina (katerina@christthekingnh or 603-224-2328) so we can prepare in advance. Session options: Fridays 6:30-8:30pm (pizza available at 6pm) Saturdays 6:00 8:00pm (potluck dinner at 5:15pm) Sundays 12:45pm 2:45pm (light lunch served at 12:15pm) Fall (Sept.-Dec. 2017) Winter (Jan. April 2018) September In His Image Creation and the Word Friday, Sept. 15; Saturday, Sept. 16; Sunday, Sept. 17 October Repent! From Cain to Paul Friday, Oct. 13; Saturday, Oct. 14; Sunday, Oct. 15 November Believe in Something Unbelievable Abraham s Descendants Friday, Nov. 10; Saturday, Nov. 11; Sunday, Nov. 12 December God Made Flesh The Incarnation Friday, Dec. 1; Saturday, Dec. 2; Sunday, Dec. 3 January Commander-in-Chief The Ten Commandments Friday, Jan. 12; Saturday, Jan. 13; Sunday, Jan. 14 February Join the Ranks The Communion of Saints Friday, Feb. 16; Saturday, Feb. 17; Sunday, Feb. 18 March Seeking the Wisdom of God Not My Will but Yours Friday, Mar. 16; Saturday, Mar. 17; Sunday, Mar. 18 April Missionary Discipleship Emmaus and the Good News Friday, Apr. 13; Saturday, Apr. 14; Sunday, Apr. 15 Which days will you attend in Fall 2017? Fridays Saturdays Sundays Which days will you attend in Winter 2018? Fridays Saturdays Sundays Registration is also available ONLINE, via christthekingnh.org! Photograph Permission: Photographs and videos are sometimes taken during faith formation sessions and events. They may be displayed publicly; i.e.: parish website, bulletin, news media, brochure, bulletin boards, etc. and used to keep the community aware and informed of parish events and activities. If you do not want photographs and/or videos of you/your family used as described, please send a written notice to that effect to Christ the King Parish, 72 South Main Street, Concord, NH 03301.