April 21, 2019 Saint Matthew Catholic Church...a community of faith and love Mission Statement With the Word of God as our foundation, the people of St. Matthew Catholic Parish strive to be the presence of God in our community. We do so through joyful worship, fellowship among our members, a welcoming spirit to visitors and seekers, an increasing willingness to give our time, talent and treasure to serve God s people and a desire to spread our faith through ongoing spiritual sharing. Pastor Very Reverend Thomas J. Anastasia, V.F. Priests Assisting this week: Rev. James Bucaria Rev. Terry Fleming Deacon Deacon Tony Quattrocki Mass Times Saturday Vigil: 4:00pm Sunday:7:30am, 9:00am and 11:00am Holy Days: Will be announced Monday Saturday 8:30am Rosary: Monday Saturday 8:00am Sacrament of Penance Saturdays 3:00pm 3:45pm or by appointment through the parish office. St. Matthew Catholic Church 9111 90th Avenue North Largo, FL 33777 Phone (727) 393-1288 Fax (727) 398-2683 Website www.stmat.org E-Mail: Info@stmat.org Parish Office Hours Monday-Thursday 9:00am-4:00pm Friday 9:00am-12:00pm
COURAGEOUSLY Living the Gospel Pastor s Column Dear Friends in Christ, 4/21/19 Happy Easter Everyone! In the Gospel of John we read They both ran. (Jn. 20:4) The disciples of Jesus were running for their lives. They were running for a hope that was beyond their wildest dreams but that was predicted by the master. We run too. When we are sick, we run to the doctor. When there s a big sale, we run to the store. When a child falls and skins her knee we run to assist her. A lot of people ran to find Jesus. There was a Roman centurion, a demonpossessed man, and a woman with a blood disorder. There was a fellow with leprosy, a woman known to be a sinner, and the tax collector Zacchaeus. The mother of a possessed child, a wealthy young man, and blind Bartimaeus also ran to Him. The richness of our Catholic faith in celebrating the Paschal mystery is something that I know the world is in desperate search of even though it claims to have rejected formal religious practice. Our belief in the resurrection of Jesus is more than a belief in an historical event that happened over two thousand years ago. Our belief in the resurrection of Jesus is one part of our belief in the Paschal Mystery and our participation in the mystery of faith keeps us connected to our God and to one another. If you are visiting us this weekend and you do not have a church to call home, I would ask that you consider St. Matthew. I am convinced that we are about the friendliest parish you will find anywhere even though the pastor can be aloof and sometimes struggles with names. If you register, you will receive a form to get a nifty nametag that will help him and others - thus building our community one family, one person at a time. The old expression "the family that prays together stays together" is a truism that can be discovered here and at every Catholic Church. Our ministries of faithfulness ground us for the ministries of mercy and justice. God calls us to help those in need directly with such things as the St. Vincent de Paul Society or the parish poor box which helps our Community Life Outreach. When it comes to getting to the root cause of things that keep those who are on the fringes down and out, we need to listen to the call for justice. As the slogan for the USCCB's office for Peace and Justice put's it; If you want Peace, work for Justice. When Peter and John ran to the tomb, their hearts were filled with hope. On this Easter Sunday, may you place your hope in the One who is seated at the right hand of God. (Col. 3:1) Run to Jesus and find Him here at St. Matt s where He will help you just as He helped all those who ran to Him before you. Peace in Christ, Fr. Tom J. Anastasia Pastor Readings for the week of April 21-28, 2019 Easter Sunday, April 21 Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8 Jn 20:1-9 or Lk 24:1-12 Monday, April 22 Acts 2:14, 22-33 Mt 28:8-15 Tuesday, April 23 Acts 2:36-41 Jn 20:11-18 Wednesday, April 24 Acts 3:1-10 Lk 24:13-25 Thursday, April 25 Acts 3:11-26 Lk 24:35-48 Friday, April 26 Acts 4:1-12 Jn 21:1-14 Saturday, April 27 Acts 4:13-21 Mk 16:9-15 Divine Mercy Sunday, April 28 Acts 5:12-16 Rv 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 Jn 20:19-31 St Matthew s Men s Ministry will meet on Sunday, April 28th at 12:30pm in the Library. OPEN for MEN 18 years of age and older.
Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of the Lord The Deacon s Corner Holy Saturday, April 20 8:00pm Easter Vigil Sunday, April 21 Easter 7:00am People of the Parish 9:00am Nicole Messina 11:00am Michael Branciforte Monday, April 22 8:30am Charles J. McCabe Tuesday, April 23 8:30am August and Augusta Brown Wednesday, April 24 8:30am Tom Todd Thursday, April 25 8:30am Mary Lou Gibson Friday, April 26 8:30am Int. of Donald Trump Saturday, April 27 8:30am Special Intentions of Marcello Atillo 4:00pm Mary & Joseph Torre *Fr. Tom Anastasia Sunday, April 28 7:00am Earl Lochner 9:00am Mass Intentions *Fr. Tom Anastasia People of the Parish *Fr. Tony Fortunato 11:00am Ana Helm *Fr. Tom Anastasia *Priest schedule subject to change. God Bless Our Troops! Today we celebrate the heart of our Christian faith; that the complete self-giving of Jesus, his teaching and his life, was completed and fulfilled in his Resurrection. Sharing the Father s love fully, even though it led to suffering and death. Through his completion of his mission, he obtained for all of us, a new and glorious life. As this is the promise and hope we profess and celebrate today as Christians, worldwide. Living a Christ centered life is hard. Living as a child of God is not how our society encourages us to live. However, if we have a relationship with Jesus we will rejoice, because we know that Jesus gave us the way to everlasting joy and happiness. On Holy Thursday, we remembered and celebrated that Jesus came to serve, not to be served, and had shown his disciples that includes you and me to do the same. On Holy Friday, we remembered that following God s ways and doing what is right and faithful, is not always easy, and the consequences might not be pleasant. Today, as we celebrate Easter, we rejoice in the promise that no matter how difficult our life journey is, that when we offer our lives and sacrifices to build the Kingdom of God, we are promised new life in Christ Jesus. Opening our hearts to God requires us to build our relationship with Father, Son and Spirit. Opening our minds to God requires trusting God and allowing His Spirit to nurture us. Opening our arms requires us to build our relationships with our sisters and brothers, especially those in real need. The best way to open ourselves to God is through service and silence. We must be able to have a balanced between doing the work of God and a healthy prayer life. Jesus shows each of us how to incorporate both, and how to grow in our relationship with God and each other. On this Easter celebration, allow God s Spirit to fill you with encouragement and hope. Remember the Kingdom of God is at hand, right here, right, now. Each of us is called to be an instrument of God s love by sharing ourselves with others. Open your heart, mind and arms and be Christ to others! Let us live each day rejoicing, knowing we are not alone but that our Risen Lord walks with us every day of our lives. Peace & Blessing, Deac T Prayer for Priests and Future Priests Eternal Father, we lift up to you these and all the priests of the world. Sanctify them, heal and guide them. Mold them into the likeness and holiness of your Son Jesus, the Eternal High Priest. May their lives be pleasing to you. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. 04/22 Rev. Jonathan Stephanz 04/23 Kenneth Keenan, Seminarian 04/24 For Vocations to Priesthood & Religious Life 04/25 For All Retired Priests 04/26 Rev. Claudius Mganga 04/27 Rev. John J. Marino 04/28 Rev. Paul Stiene, IC
www.stmat.org Building a caring community that serves others. Stewardship of Treasure Parish Sacrificial Giving Summary In gratitude for the gifts we received from God, we thank all Parishioners and visitors who made a joyful return to the Lord this weekend. April 13-14, 2019 Offertory Totals Due to early bulletin deadlines, offertory totals will be reported in next week s bulletin. Thank you for your generosity! Thank You for Supporting Our Parish 2019 Annual Pastoral Appeal April 1, 2019 Goal $107,613.00 Pledged $ 53,211.00 Paid $ 31,379.90 *Pledges are from 183 of our 655 families. Thank you! Encounter Lent Encounter the Risen Christ We prayed, fasted and gave alms and now we celebrate Easter joy! Our Lenten journey with CRS Rice Bowl challenges us as we encounter our Risen Lord to bring the hope of Resurrection to a world in need. Don t forget to turn in your CRS Rice Bowl St. Vincent de Paul Today as we celebrate the feast of Easter, like Mary Magdalene and the Disciples we find the challenge of also seeing and believing the resurrection. Your support helped approximately 40 families over Easter. Thank you for helping those who are poor and hungry to see and believe in the Resurrection. Are you a St Matt s Busy Bee? She may bee big, she may bee small, so look carefully throughout these pages and see if you can find where she may bee landing. ONLINE GIVING = CONVENIENCE It s a great alternative to the weekly envelope system! So Easy to use Credit Card, Debit Card or Transfer of Funds. No cost to participate! We save $40/year per family by not printing and mailing monthly envelope packets. Please let the parish office know to discontinue the envelopes. Go to our www.stmat.org homepage & click the Online Giving tab. Choose from the menu on the left side of the online giving page and follow the instructions. It s that Easy!
April 21, 2019
www.stmat.org This Week... Sunday, April 21 Easter Sunday 7:00am Mass in St. James Pavilion 9:00am Mass (Church) 11:00am Mass (Church) Monday, April 22 6:30pm Knights of Columbus Officers Meeting Tuesday, April 23 9:00am Miraculous Medal Novena 7:00pm Prayer Shawl Ministry Wednesday, April 24 9:00am Faith Share 9:30am Griefshare 9:30am LOTW 7:00pm Centering Prayer 7:00pm Parish Council 7:00pm SVDP Thursday, April 25 6:00pm Band 6:30pm Adult Programs 7:00pm FAST Team Meeting 7:20pm Choir Friday, April 26 9:00am Divine Mercy Chaplet Saturday, April 27 9:00am First Communion Workshop Sunday, April 28 Divine Mercy Sunday 9:15am Youth Ministry 9:30am Children s Faith Formation 12:15pm RCIA St. Matthew s Griefshare program meets Wednesday mornings, 9:30-11:30am, in Trinity Hall. For information please email Dr. Lori Puterbaugh at drloriputerbaugh@earthlink.net or call at 727-559-0863. At Fort Desoto Park November 8th 10th Multi parish event All church families are invited to participate, fishing tournament for the kids, family brunch and evening cookout. We will celebrate Mass under a Pavilion on Saturday Nov. 9th. Make your reservations now. Spaces will fill up fast. Create a family memory and experience a multi parish event. You don t have to be an experienced camper to enjoy this get-a-way weekend. See the info table at the entrance of the church for more details. S. Matthew Spiritual Adoption 28 Weeks End of 7 Months The Marriage Minute Building Stronger Christian Marriages Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus and his triumph of life over death. When we choose to love and forgive, even when our spouse hurts us deeply, we also choose life over death. Remember. Marriage takes Three! Be Bold - Be Courageous Be Catholic!!
myparishapp.com / Sacraments and Ministries BAPTISM of INFANTS: The Sacrament of Baptism celebrates God s love and initiates us into the community of believers called the Church. We are the Church, and each baptism we perform or witness is a sign of our faith in Christ s power to renew the face of the earth. Baptisms are celebrated during the Mass. For Baptism preparation classes for parents, contact the parish office: (727) 393-1288. We recommend attending before the birth of your child. SACRAMENT OF THE SICK: Call the office at any time in case of serious sickness. If you are hospitalized, the priest assigned to the hospital will administer the sacrament. SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE: Call the office a minimum of six months in advance. Participation in Journey to Matrimony or Pre-Cana program is required. SACRAMENTS FOR ADULTS: R.C.I.A. is for adults and unbaptized teens wanting to be Catholic Christians. Please contact the office of Faith Formation at (727) 393-1288, ext. 204. SACRAMENTS FOR TEENS: CONFIRMATION for baptized teens wanting to complete their Sacraments. Please contact Youth Ministry, Faith Formation at (727) 393-1288, ext. 204. SACRAMENTS FOR CHILDREN: First Communion and Reconciliation for baptized children ages 7 and older. Please contact the Office of Faith Formation at (727) 393-1288, ext. 204. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS: The Knights of Columbus St. Matthew Council #11226, extends an invitation to all Catholic men to join our council. The council meets the First Monday of the month. If you are interested in hearing more about the Knights of Columbus, please contact Jack Hughes- Grand Knight at 727-418-4071. ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY: Assistance to the needy. Calls are monitored and returned daily. Phone 592-1960. PROJECT HUNGER: On the third Sunday of every month, donations of food for our food pantry are collected. CENTERING PRAYER: Centering Prayer is a form of silent contemplation practiced both as a part of a group and in our daily lives. We meet Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm for approximately one and a half hour. Please feel free to come join us. Call Judi Valori at 727-399-2306 or jvalori@tampabay.rr.com if you have any questions. WOMEN S MINISTRY: Meet at 7:00pm the third Tuesday of every month August through May. New members are always welcome! SICK OR INCAPACITATED: Please contact the parish office if you, or a family member, would like to be included in our monthly prayer list. If you are unable to attend Mass, let us know if you would like to schedule a visit from an Eucharistic Minister. VOCATIONS: Contact Fr. Melchior for more information at (727) 345-3452 or spvocation@dosp.org. Welcome New Members We invite everyone interested in joining our faith community to take a welcome packet, which is located in the two entryways and register to be part of our faith community. Registering allows us to serve your needs more fully. Please come by the office during the work week or fill out the registration from and place in the collection basket. You can also register online at www.stmat.org. Children over the age of eighteen, please register separately from your parents. PILGRIMAGE TO POLAND AND EASTERN EUROPE 12 Days: September 9-20, 2019 Warsaw * Krakow * Budapest * Vienna * Prague Hosted By Fr. Tom Anastasia ONLY $3899 from Tampa or Miami (Air/land price is $3479 plus $420 gov t taxes/ airline surcharges) GERMANY, PRAGUE & AUSTRIA Featuring the Passion Play of Oberammergau! 12 Days: August 25 to September 5, 2020 ONLY $ 4799 from Tampa or Miami (Air/Land price is $ 4349 plus $ 450 gov t taxes/ airline surcharges) Tour Includes: Roundtrip Airfare from Tampa or Miami, First Class/Select Hotels, Most Meals, Professional Tour Director, Comprehensive Sightseeing and more!! FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT FR. ANASTASIA Tel: (727) 393-1288 Email: godrays@stmat.org Parish Staff Pastor: Very Rev. Tom Anastasia, V.F. (ext. 205) Deacon: Deacon Tony Quattrocki (ext. 203) Deacon.Tony@stmat.org Faith Formation Ministries: Phil Coit (ext. 204) Youth Ministries: Lisa Limberger Music Ministry: Chantal Ward (ext. 202) Parish Secretary: Mandy Rose (ext. 201) Maintenance Staff: Jim Murray Joe LaFrazia Don Koster