St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Swansea, MA April 2, 2017
St. Francis of Assisi Parish Swansea, MA Parish Mission Statement: In the spirit of our patron, St. Francis of Assisi, we dedicate ourselves as living stones to building our parish family with Christ as our foundation. Enlivened by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves by sharing God s transforming love with our families, our community and our world. Parish Staff Pastor: Rev. Michael A. Ciryak Maintenance: Tony Roderigues Faith Formation: Christine Patota (Grades 1-9) Finance/Office: Barbara Wenc Music Director: Ada Simpson Cantors: Allison Messier, Christine Patota, and Mike Moniz Youth Ministry: Justin & Amanda La Croix and Melanie Boyer Parish Council President: Wayne Gray Parish Address: Church: Office/Rectory Office hours: 530 Gardner s Neck Road 270 Ocean Grove Avenue Swansea, MA 02777 9:30 a.m. 4 p.m. or by appointment Contact: Parish Office: 508-673-2808 Parish fax: 508-672-6241 Email: stfrancisswansea@comcast.net Website: www.stfrancisswansea.com Religious Education: 508-673-2808 or 508-674-0024 religiouseducation@stfrancisswansea.com St. Vincent de Paul: 508-673-2808 Youth Ministry: 508-673-2808 50 Week Club: Jim & Alice Lanczycki 508-674-5202 Join our Parish Family Please introduce yourself to our clergy after Mass. Call the Parish Office to register. Bulletin notices may be submitted to the Parish Office in writing by Friday a week prior to the Sunday bulletin when it will be posted. Church is handicapped accessible. Saturday Vigil: Sundays: Monday Thursday: Civic Holidays: Liturgical Celebrations 4 p.m. 8, 9:30 & 11 a.m. 9 a.m. 9 a.m. only Sacraments: Baptism: Arrangements must be made in advance. Please call the Parish Office to arrange a date and supply pertinent information. Individual Baptismal preparation is required. Sponsors: must receive from their respective Catholic pastors a sponsor certificate, which is the signed word of one priest to another that the proposed godparent is a Confirmed, fully-practicing Catholic who is qualified to be a godparent by living in harmony with our faith. Reconciliation: Saturday from 3:15PM to 3:40PM or call the rectory for an appointment. First Eucharist & Confirmation: Preparation two years prior to receiving each Sacrament is mandatory as a registered student in the Faith Formation Program. Matrimony: Couples are asked to consult with our priest at least six months in advance of the intended date to allow time for marriage preparation, including the Diocesan Program. Ministry to the Sick: Please notify us if someone you know is homebound and would like to be added to our Communion call list, or would like to receive the Sacrament of the Sick. Low gluten hosts available: Please let us know before Mass if you have a need to receive this type of host.
Fifth Sunday of Lent Sat. Sun. Mon. 4/3 4/1 4:00 p.m. Manuel Mal Furtado and Glenn Furtado by family 4/2 8:00 a.m. Maggie Machado by friends 9:30 a.m. Stephen Higgins (1st Anniv) by wife 11:00 a.m. Normand E. Petit by family 9:00 a.m. Jean & Joseph Ciryak Eufrocino N. Beltran, M.D. by the Avila Family Tues. 4/4 9:00 a.m. Maria & Joseph Aguiar by granddaughter Wed. 4/5 9:00 a.m. Mildred Hopkins by her grandchildren Thurs. 4/6 9:00 a.m. Ernest Rebello by wife & children - Sat. 4/8 4:00 p.m. Antone Avilla by Wayne Gray Sun. 4/9 8:00 a.m. Deceased Priests & Religious 9:30 a.m. Joey Gonsalves, III (8th Anniv) by his parents 11:00 a.m. Frank Crook by Kathy & Bill Sullivan Thank you! We are very grateful to all those who gave so generously to the recent collection of baby items. On behalf of all those who will benefit from your generosity we express our sincere gratitude. Jesus told her, "I am the resurrec on and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." Jn 11:25 27 April Candles Sanctuary Lamp: Alice Kret by Beatrice Souza Altar Candles: Joseph Fonseca by wife & son Tabernacle Candles: Pat Guerriero by his wife & family Crucifix Candles: Souls in Purgatory by Faithful Parishioners Please pray for the soul of Isabel Emond, whose funeral Mass was celebrated here this past week. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen. Offertory Collections March 25-26, 2017 Budget donations: $ 3,383.00 Catholic Relief Services $ 1,359.00 Easter Flowers: $ 464.00 Thank you for your faithful support. St. Vincent de Paul Society Do you need assistance? If you or anyone you know are facing utility shut-off, or high food bills, we are here to help. Information will be kept confidential. Please call our parish office at 508-673-2808. CHOIR MINISTRY: The choir has been preparing for Holy Week. New voices are welcome! Rehearsals are held in the church on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM. The ability to read music is not necessary. Join us this Wednesday, April 5th. Please join us for these Lenten Events: Tues. 4/3 9:45 AM CATHOLICISM Series (hall) Wed. 4/4 9:30 AM Stations of the Cross * Fri. 4/7 6:00 PM Light Supper (hall) Fri. 4/7 7:00 PM Stations of the Cross (church) * On Wednesdays during Lent, Stations of the Cross will be prayed following the 9 AM Mass. If a Funeral is scheduled for a Wednesday, the Funeral Mass takes precedence.
St. Francis of Assisi Parish Sunday, April 2nd Grades 8 Confirmation I class begins at 8:00 am, immediately followed by attendance at 9:30 am Mass. Grades 6 & 7 students gather at the 9:30 am Mass, followed immediately by class in the hall this Sunday. Tuesday, April 4th: Grades 3, 4, & 5 class from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. Thursday, April 6th: Grades 1 & 2 class from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. Swansea, MA Preparing for First Communion: Please pray for our students in Grade 2 who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time this year. They attended a Retreat Day last Saturday, March 25, 2017. Fr. Michael showed them the Chalice and the altar of sacrifice, and explained the importance of each in the celebration of the Eucharist. High School Youth Convention: Several of our young parishioners attended the High School Youth Convention last Sunday, March 26th held at Bishop Connolly High School. The retreat day was sponsored by the Diocesan Office of Faith Formation. Please keep these students in your prayers as they are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. REMINDER: All 50 Week Club members are reminded to mark your 2017 calendars for April 29th, the last Saturday in April for the Club Dinner at Venus de Milo Restaurant. For more information in regard to the 50 Week Club please contact Jim and Alice Lanczycki at 508-674-5202. Lucky 50 Week Club Winner for April 2nd: Carol Morin Congratulations, Carol! Attention Business Owners and Parishioners! Jim Bochiechio will be working on setting up the advertising sponsorships for our bulletin during the Month of April. Please consider advertising in our bulletin. Advertisements can be purchased for a business, family, or a sponsor ad can be purchased supporting community service organizations like emergency pregnancy counseling or the battered women s shelter, etc. We need and appreciate your help. If you are interested or would like more information, please call Jim directly at (800) 477-4574 Ext. 6389 Thank you in advance for your generous support!
April 2, 2017 Next weekend we enter into the most solemn part of Lent. We commemorate the day when Jesus entered into Jerusalem and was greeted with palms waving. Our celebration of Palm Sunday begins with the Vigil Mass Saturday, April 8th at 4:00 p.m. Sunday Masses are at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m. Please note: Our Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday, April 15th will be at 8:00 p.m. Please make every effort to attend Holy Week Services listed below: April 11th Chrism Mass 4:00 p.m. (St. Mary s Cathedral, Fall River) THE TRIDUUM April 13th Holy Thursday 7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord s Supper April 14th Good Friday (Day of Fast and Abstinence) 3:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross 7:00 p.m. Passion of Christ Liturgy April 15th Easter Vigil 8:00 p.m. April 16th Easter Sunday 8:00, 9:30, & 11:00 a.m. Service of Shadows: Tenebrae, a special prayer service which has its roots in monastic tradition is held each year on the Wednesday evening of Holy Week. Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, April 12th at 7:30 PM to experience this annual tradition at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Fall River. This service of readings, psalms and hymns at which the bishop presides, begins in the light which eventually fades into darkness as the candles in the sanctuary are gradually extinguished. Christians of all denominations and their ministers are also invited to participate as a means of sharing in worship during these holy days when we are encouraged to forget our differences and focus together on the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend: Untie him and let him go. Husbands and wives, untie each other from the fetters of misunderstanding by attending a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. The next WWME Weekend will be Apr. 22-23 in Brewster, MA and June 10-11, 2017 in Medway, MA. For more information, call Stephen & Michelle O Leary at 800-710 -9963 or visit www.wwmema.org. 2017 Fall River Area Support Group Schedule: Have you recently lost a loved one? Losing someone we love truly hurts, leaving us with many unanswered questions. If you are interested in meeting with others on the same journey, you are welcome to join the group meetings held each Tuesday, from 7-9 p.m. at the Catholic Education Center, 423 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA. The current sessions continue on Tuesdays through April 25th. The next series will run from May 16th through June 20th. To join the group or for more information, please call Rosemary at 508-678- 2828 Ext. 27, or email: rsaraiva@dfrcs.org. There is no fee to participate. Parking is available adjacent to the building. New Beginnings, a women s one-day retreat (8:30 AM to 5:00 PM) led by Peggy Patenaude will be held Wednesday, May 17th at LaSalette Retreat Center in Attleboro, MA. For more information, contact Peggy Patenaude at timeoutretreats@comcast.net or visit her website: www.timeoutretreats.com. To register call LaSalette at 508-222-8530.