St. Jerome Church 23 Half Mile Road Norwalk, CT 06851
TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OCTOBER 18, 2015 MISSION STATEMENT We the people of St. Jerome Parish, a Roman Catholic community, proclaim our belief in the message and mission of Jesus Christ. As disciples of Jesus we are called to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to work for its values in the local community and beyond. We are committed to: worship, religious education, shared faith and service. We welcome all people with respect, acceptance and support. SABBATH MASSES Saturday 4:00 PM E.S.T. & 4:30 PM D.S.T. Sunday 8:00 AM 9:15 AM Young Childrenʼs Mass 11:00 AM 6:00 PM Teen Mass DAYS OF OBLIGATION Vigil 7:00 PM Holy Day 9:00 AM, 7:00 PM WEEKDAY MASSES Mon-Sat 9:00 AM HOW TO FIND US Parish Website: www.stjeromenorwalk.org Parish Email: norwalkstjerome@cs.com REACH email: reachstjerome@optonline.net Facebook: St. Jerome Norwalk Twitter: @StJeromeNorwalk REACH & TOTAL Facebook: REACH St.Jerome REACH & TOTAL Twitter: @REACHstjerome Parish Staff PASTORAL STAFF Rev. David Blanchfield, Pastor Rev. Rojin Zacharias K.M., Parochial Vicar Rev. Joseph Palacino, Weekend Assistant Rev. Michael Hoag, S.J., Weekend Assistant Deacon Dean Finch 203-246-3501 deacon.dean.finch@gmail.com PARISH OFFICE Mrs. Pat Florio, Secretary Office Hours, Mon-Fri 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (REACH) 203-846-2111 Mrs. Kathy Coyne, DRE Mrs. Anne Groener Mrs. Natalie Raduazzo Mrs. Kathy Rohr YOUTH MINISTRY (TOTAL) Joe and Daniela OʼCallaghan 203-847-0321 jocallaghan@optonline.net danielaoc@optonline.net MUSIC MINISTRY Mr. Donald Nelson Mrs. Joan McFarland PARISH COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON Robert Yap 203-246-7447 FINANCE COUNCIL Jerry Holdridge 203-966-3658 ALL SAINTS CATHOLIC SCHOOL 203-847-3881 139 West Rocks Road Norwalk, CT 06851 Mrs. Linda Dunn, Principal FAITH DIRECT ONLINE GIVING 866-507-8757 www.faithdirect.net using our church code: CT46, or by mailing a paper enrollment form available in the parish office. Now on our website too: www.stjeromenorwalk.org/faith-directenrollment.pdf
10/17 9:00 am Derric Gallivan (Mom & family) VIGIL FOR SUNDAY 4:30 pm Rose Kirouac (Agnes Conover ) TWENTY EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 10/18 8:00 am Joseph Pace (daughter) 9:15 am Margaret Carol Walsh (Hall family) 11:00 am Richard Tomeo (Robert & Janet Tomeo) 6:00 pm Anita Paterno (Ed & Barbara Bagnato) 10/19 9:00 am for the People 10/20 9:00 am for our Parish parents 10/21 9:00 am William Ainsworth (wife, Marian) 10/22 9:00 am Verla Christensen (1st Ann.) (Jeff & Karen Christensen) 10/23 9:00 am for our Parish children 10/24 9:00 am Sam & Sue Testa (Michele & family) VIGIL FOR SUNDAY 4:30 pm Ann & Wally Regan (family) THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 10/25 8:00 am James Conerford (Erin Daly & Kelsey Fedor) 9:15 am Anita Paterno (Frank & Pat Hauptman) 11:00 am Brian White (Adam, Michael, Tony Jessica & Billy) 6:00 pm Marie Merole (Rohr family) Altar Flowers October 24/25 in memory of Ann & Wally Regan given by the family. Altar Flowers may be memorialized for a donation of $50. Please call the Parish Office several months prior to your desired date. Adoration & Silent Prayer Every day between 4:00PM and 5:00PM. Contemplative Prayer Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM and Friday morning at 7:00 AM. Come spend some quiet time with the Lord. Widows Support Group Meets at 9:30AM on the first Thursday of the month in the Kevin Eidt Youth Room. Perpetual Novena Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal takes place each Monday following morning Mass Rosary & Divine Mercy Prayers Monday through Saturday after daily Mass Baptisms Every fourth Sunday at 12:15. Please call the parish office to schedule. Required Pre-Baptism Please contact Deacon Dean Finch at 203-246-3501 to arrange. Class is required for the first child baptized at St. Jerome. Reconciliation One hour before vigil on Saturday. Also Anytime by appointment. Marriages Please contact the Rectory at least six months in advance. Anointing of the Sick takes place on the first Wednesday of each month, immediately following the 9:00 AM Mass, in the sanctuary. Anyone with an ongoing medical condition or who is seriously ill, anticipating a medical procedure or operation, is welcome to come. Banns of marriage are announced for the third time between Monica Mirkovich and Michael McVehil.
RANDOM THOUGHTS Julie Coyne, a long time parishioner and founder of Education and Hope, will be speaking at all the Masses this weekend. This is an annual event when we get to hear an update on her remarkable work in Xela,1 Guatemala. This year the timing is perfect since just last week the alumni magazine of Holy Cross College had a long article about Julie and her work. The back story to the article is that thanks to the efforts of alumna Leslie Grattan Donohue, eleven Holy Cross students spent an immersion week at Education and Hope. Anyone who has the opportunity to go there has the same response: this is clearly a work of God. Let me quote one student from the trip, Efi, who said, I saw the face of Christ all around me in the smiles and laughter of the children. I also saw it in Julie Coyne. She was such a bright light, every day. Her love for the children was easy to see, with every smile and every kiss. It was definitely something beautiful. The article also mentioned our parish, since we helped Julie get Education and Hope off the ground and continue to be one of her major supporters. Each year our parish and its people give around $25,000 to this good work, and every year our Pastoral Council officially affirms our connection to Education and Hope. It is one of the things that makes me so proud of who we are as a parish. There will be copies of the article at the entrance of the Church, and if you look carefully you will see a picture of Julie, Leslie, and me taken right outside St. Jerome. If you are going to make a contribution to this good work, checks should be made out to Education and Hope. The parish will also make a sizable gift. Now, let me address some other matters. For the past years we have not had an R.C.I.A. program. There are many reasons, but this year we may make a comeback. I have one young man who is interested in being Baptized. So this is what I am proposing. A good program requires a team. Starting this Tuesday night, October 20 th from 7:00 8:00 PM, I will be meeting with anyone interested in becoming Catholic AND anyone already Catholic who would like to look at Faith more deeply. Our text will be the Scriptures of the following Sunday. As we look at the readings we will also explore the doctrines contained in them. Tuesday night will be an introductory meeting and then a calendar will be created. I have many evening conflicts and so sometimes it will be a Tuesday and sometimes a Wednesday evening. But it all begins on this coming Tuesday night, the 20 th, at 7pm in the Resource Room of the school. THIS WEEK AT ST. JEROME. Sunday 10/18 REACH Grades 1-6 meet in the morning REACH Grades 7-8 & TOTAL meet in the evening Monday 10/19 Women s Scripture & Prayer 9:30 AM Parish Council 7:30 PM Tuesday 10/20 RCIA Intro Meeting 7PM Wednesday 10/21 Contemplative Prayer 7:00 PM Women s Scripture & Prayer 7:30 PM Thursday 10/22 REACH singers 7:30 PM Friday 10/23 Contemplative Prayer 7:00 AM Saturday 10/24 Men s Ministry 7:00 AM TWEETS OF THE WEEK @Pontifex Work is important, but so too is rest. Shouldn t we learn to respect times of rest, especially Sundays? @BishopCaggiano Growing in wisdom is a lifetime project. However, it starts with beginning to see the world as Jesus sees it.
WEEKLY OFFERTORY SUMMARY October 11, 2015 $3,588 Faith Direct for October $16,049 October total to date $27,342 October offertory budget $42,300 As always, thank you for your generous support of our parish! Catholic High School Information OPEN HOUSES: St. Joseph (Trumbull) - Sunday 10/18 1:00 4:00 Notre Dame (Fairfield) - Sunday 10/25 2:30 4:00 ENTRANCE EXAMS: Lauralton Hall 10/24 at 8:00 AM Fairfield Prep 11/14 at 8:15 AM Diocesan High Schools (Trinity, St. Joe s, and Notre Dame) - 10/31 at 8:00 AM make up 11/14 at 8:00 AM Please contact each high school for more information or to register and set up shadow days. Want to become an ALTAR SERVER? If you are in grade 3 or older and have received the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion, we invite you to become an Altar Server. Training sessions will be scheduled some time in October. If interested, please contact Kathy Rohr in the REACH office (reachstjerome@optonline.net or call 203-846- 2111). Attention Business Owners and Generous Parishioners! Kathy Buck, our bulletin ad rep, has been working hard all week to fill our bulletin with ad sponsors. If she missed you and you would like to place an ad, please contact her directly. Advertisements may be purchased by a business, club, or a sponsor ad may be purchased supporting community service organizations such as cancer awareness or a homeless shelter, etc. We need and appreciate your help. If you are interested or would like more information, please call Kathy directly at (800) 888-4574 ext. 3429 or email Kbuck@4lpi.com. Thank you in advance for your generous support, and please patronize our advertisers! OCTOBER FOOD DRIVE TODAY October 17-18 As the cooler temps arrive, we turn to serving our families warm "comfort" food. Please consider this same desire is felt by our hungry Norwalk neighbors, who rely on our local food pantries to feed their families. After each Mass, volunteers will be selling these most needed items in the hallway, for $5.00: pasta, rice, chunky chicken soup, oatmeal, and dried beans. Always appreciated are donations of beef ravioli, tuna, mac and cheese, peanut butter, 18- oz jars of jelly, as well as fresh produce (potatoes, carrots, onions, oranges, and apples). Thank you on behalf of the families we help to feed. RIDE NEEDED If you are able to give someone a ride to attend 4:00/4:30PM Saturday Mass at St Jerome please contact, Barbara Bagnato (203 847-7657). Information is posted on the hallway Bulletin Board. GENESIS STARTING THIS TUESDAY, 10/20 Discover the greater truths of Genesis! Explore how the stories of Genesis are not historical or scientific accounts, but rather snapshots that reveal greater truths through symbols and metaphors. The Book of Genesis will open up to you as you gain insights into this first book of the Bible. At six one-hour Bible Study sessions in the church hall after the 9 AM Mass on Tuesday mornings from Oct. 20 through Nov. 24, we will watch 25-minute DVD videos on "Genesis" by Sr. Dianne Bergant, Ph.D. After each video we will have a half-hour of discussion time led by Fr. David. Please join us for an illuminating and involving exploration of the meaning of Genesis and discover anew what Genesis is about. FLU SHOT CLINIC Save the date..flu Shot Clinic held right here at St. Jerome on Sunday, October 25th from 9:45 12:30
TOTAL 2015-2016 TOTAL meets tonight and again on October 25 th. On October 25 th, we will have a special Parent s Night. Please join your teen at the 6:00 Mass, and then come downstairs to the Kevin Eidt Youth Room to see what we do at TOTAL. Snacks are always needed at TOTAL. Please send individually wrapped snacks and/or large bottles of juice, water and soda. Reminder: If you are receiving the sacrament of Confirmation on December 6 th, make sure you have submitted an Official Parish Registry, Sponsor Certificate, TOTAL registration, and a record of your service hours to Daniela or Joe by the end of October. Lectors are needed at the 6:00 Mass. Please contact Daniela or Joe if you are interested in becoming a lector. REACH 2015-2016 REACH October 18th Grades 1-6 meet in the morning Grades 7-8 meet in the evening Volunteers needed each week for REACH to function please check out our easy volunteer sign up at: http://stjerome.ivolunteer.com/ Registration forms or payments can be dropped off in the office any time. On the horizon October 25th Grades 1-6 meet in the moring Grades 7-8 meet in the evening Christmas Wreaths & Yankee Candle Sale Pre-orders will be taken at the church entrances after Masses. 22 decorated pine wreaths are $20 (same price as in past years). Yankee Candle catalogues and order forms will also be available. Do your Christmas shopping early and support the parish at the same time. Pre-orders also can also be dropped off during the week at the parish office. Payment is due with your order. Candle orders are due by Nov. 8; wreath orders due by Nov. 22. SAFE ENVIRONMENTS ******IMPORTANT ****** All volunteers 18 and over must be in compliance with the diocesan mandate. P l e a s e s e e t h e V I R T U S w e b s i t e (www.virtusonline.org) click registration, click view a list of sessions, search Bridgeport, CT (Diocese). Some local training dates: St. Luke (Westport) Tues 11/3 8:30 AM Trinity High School (Stamford) Sat 11/14 8:00 AM Mass to Celebrate People with Special Needs Saint Catherine Center for Special Needs is hosting a Mass to celebrate People with Special Needs onsunday, November 1st at 1:00 pm at Holy Cross Church adjacent to the Center at 760 Tahmore Drive, Fairfield. Mass will be celebrated by the Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, Bishop of Bridgeport. All are invited to attend. To RSVP or for more information please contact Laura Grozier at 203.540.5381 lgrozier@stcatherineacademy.org. DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT ANNUAL WOMENS CONFERENCE You are invited for a day of reflection and prayer! Saturday, November 7, 2015 Hyatt Regency Greenwich 1800 East Putnam Avenue Old Greenwich 8:30am-4:00pm Check in at 7:45am The day begins with Mass with Bishop Frank J. Caggiano at 8:30am followed by inspirational talks featuring Fr. Peter J. Cameron, O.P. and Catholic author/speaker Sonja Corbitt. Adoration, reconciliation, vendors, breakfast, and lunch are included. Cost for the day is $55. Register online at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/ diocese-of-bridgeport-catholic-womensconference-2015-tickets-18766049760 For more information contact Maureen Ciardiello (203-416-1445) or Marcy Haley (203-416-1627)