26 CHESTNUT LAND ROAD NEW MILFORD, CT 06776 860-354-2202 Web Site: www.sfxnewmilford.org Email: sfxparish@sfxnewmilford.org Office Hours: 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. Mon. - Thurs. (Closed on Friday) PASTORAL TEAM Rev. Lawrence P. Parent, OFM Pastor FrLarry@sfxnewmilford.org Deacon Roland Miller DeaconRoland@sfxnewmilford.org SUPPORT STAFF Doreen Gray, Administrative Assistant DGray@sfxnewmilford.org 860-354-2202 Jocelyne Verrastro St. Francis Cemetery/Finance Office JVerrastro@sfxnewmilford.org 860-350-6753 Theresa Fugardi, Pastoral Assistant tfugardi@sfxnewmilford.org St. Francis Xavier Parish Parish Monthly Theme: February 15, 2015 Self-Control Sunday in Ordinary Time Monthly Theme of: Self-Control Illustrated by Mrs. Cherniske s Grade 5 Class FAITH FORMATION 860-354-5372 Mary Vannucci, Coordinator Gr. K - 5 MVannucci@sfxnewmilford.org Sue Pullen, Coordinator Gr. 6-12 Edge (Gr. 6-8), LifeTeen (Gr. 9-12) & Confirmation SPullen@sfxnewmilford.org Chris Grenier, Administrative Assistant to Faith Formation CGrenier@sfxnewmilford.org HOLY INFANT NURSERY SCHOOL Marge Cooper, Director 860-354-7284 Mailing Address & Office Location 1 Elm Street New Milford, CT 06776 Fax # - 860-355-9485 MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil at 5:00 p.m. Sunday at 7:30, 10:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m. (Life Teen) Wednesday, Friday at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at 7:30 a.m. SACRAMENTS CONFESSIONS Saturdays 12:00 noon or by appointment BAPTISMS Call Parish Office - 860-354-2202. MARRIAGES Contact the priest 1 year in advance. MINISTRY TO THE SICK The parish clergy and Ministers of Holy Communion visit New Milford Hospital, Candlewood Valley Health & Rehab, Village Crest Center for Health & Rehab and some homebound regularly. For other specific visits, please contact the Parish Office.
Page Two February 15, 2015 SATURDAY VIGIL - February 14 5:00 P.M. +Patricia M. & William E. Martin Req. by Cindy Martin Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time SUNDAY - February 15 7:30 A.M. For The People of St. Francis Xavier & The Immaculate Conception Province 10:00 A.M. +Loretta & Charles Brickley Req. by The Reynolds Family 5:00 P.M. +Jack McPartland Req. by His Wife MONDAY - No Daily Mass - February 16 TUESDAY - February 17 - The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order 7:30 A.M. +Nancy Hyland Req. by Her Family WEDNESDAY - February 18 - Ash Wednesday 7:30 A.M. +Rose Julian Req. by Fr. Larry & Staff 12:00P.M. Prayer Service with Ash Distribution 4:00 P.M. Prayer Service with Ash Distribution 6:30 P.M. +Suzanne Powers Req. by Adrian & Doreen Gray THURSDAY - February 19 7:30 A.M. +Theresa Lovell Req. by The Confraternity of the Rosary FRIDAY - February 20 6:30 P.M. +John Benedict Req. by Kevin & Andrea Montgomery SATURDAY - February 21 - St. Peter Damian 7:30 A.M. For the living and deceased members of The Shugrue & Brennan Families Req. by Dan & Judy Shugrue VIGIL 5:00 P.M. +Mary Alice Anderson Req. by Andrea Olivera First Sunday of Lent SUNDAY - February 22 7:30 A.M. For The People of St. Francis Xavier & The Immaculate Conception Province 10:00 A.M. +Joe Koch & Deceased Choir Members Req. by The Reynolds Family 5:00 P.M. +William E. & Patricia M. Martin Req. by Cindy Martin ASH WEDNESDAY February 18 Mass with Ashes: 7:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. Service with Ashes: 12 noon & 4:00 p.m. St. Francis sends a final farewell to our dearly departed: Faye Pullen Rabbi Norman Koch Douglas Onderko Stations of the Cross - Fridays - 7:00 p.m. Confessions - Every Saturday at 12 noon -Every Monday at 6:00 p.m. Lenten Fasting Regulations Abstinence on all the Fridays of Lent, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. No meat may be eaten on days of abstinence. Catholics 14 years and older are bound to abstain from meat. Persons with medical conditions, pregnant or nursing mothers are exempt. Fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting means having only one full meal to maintain one's strength. Two smaller, meatless and penitential meals are permitted according to one's needs, but they should not together equal the one full meal. Eating solid foods between meals is not permitted. Catholics from age 18 through age 59 are bound to fast. Again, persons with medical conditions are exempt. LENTEN CONFESSIONS If you have gotten caught up in the busyness of life and have fallen away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you can change that. During this Lenten season, in the Archdiocese of Hartford every church will be open on Mondays from 6 to 7 pm for Confessions. Come and experience God s love and endless forgiveness.
Page Three February 15, 2015 Tree of Life - The Tree of Life is a lasting dedication to be permanently displayed in the north entry of our church. It is a beautiful sculpture cast in bronze and bearing celebration leaves. Its purpose is twofold: to honor, recognize and memorialize those we hold dear, while simultaneously supporting our parish. The Tree of Life serves as a wonderful way to celebrate those you love. Consider gifting a leaf in honor of a baptism or anniversary, commemorate a special life event, memorialize a loved one who has passed, or simply list your family name - showing your support of our parish and community. Brochures with more information are available in the Church entry ways or call the office with any questions. PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY will meet on Tuesday, February 17 at 1:00 p.m. in the Church Hall. New members are always welcome! BEQUESTS DID YOU KNOW...that if you pass away without a Will the State of Connecticut has one for you? The State s distribution of your property may not reflect your intentions. Why not write your own, and please consider a bequest to support our parish. Thank you to everyone at St. Francis Xavier Church for your warm welcome again this year, and for your generosity, we raised over $400. A special thank you to Fr. Larry Parent, The Ryan Family and The Knights of Columbus, we hope to see some of you on March 15 th at The Sound Tigers Hockey Game! God Bless, Marie & Matthew (Matthew s Hearts of Hope) DONATION TAX STATEMENTS: If you use the parish envelope system and would like a printout of your yearly donations for 2014, please call Doreen in the Parish Office at 860-354-2202 or DGray@sfxnewmilford.org for email. Please include your name, address and envelope number. If you have any questions, please call the office. OFFERTORY - February 8 = $5,607.00 5 ½ % CATHEDRATICUM = $308.00 5 ½ % CATHOLIC SCHOOLS = $308.00 ST. FRANCIS SHARE = $4,991.00 St. Francis Scholarship Fund = $1,798.00 HOLY INFANT NURSERY SCHOOL REGISTRATION AND OPEN HOUSE Wednesday, February 25 Registration and Open House for Holy Infant Nursery School for the 2015-2016 school year will be held on Wednesday, February 25 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. There is a non-refundable registration fee. Parents of alumni: Please call 860-354-7284 before February 24, 2014 if you wish to register your child. Snow Date: Mon., March 2, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. We are also accepting applications for our morning Four Year Old program for the remainder of the current school year. Children may begin school immediately. ITEMS FOR THE MISSIONS: If you have any of the following items: rosaries, prayer cards, medals, small religious books, Bibles, etc, to send to the missions, please contact Judy at 860-354-7254. St. Francis Xavier Parish Family Fun Day When: Sunday, March 15-3:00 p.m. What: Bridgeport Sound Tigers vs. Syracuse Crunch Where: Webster Bank Arena, Main St, Bridgeport Tickets: $20 per person (Center Ice Seats) Proceeds from each ticket sale will benefit Matthew s Hearts of Hope! Our Church Choir members are singing God Bless America during the first intermission. Come enjoy the fun and excitement of Sound Tigers Hockey with your family and friends! Name: Email: Phone: # of Tickets x $20 = Checks payable to St. Francis Xavier Parish Please return form and payment to the Parish Office by Friday, March 6., (1 Elm Street, New Milford). Questions? Please contact John Perrino at jperrinous@yahoo.com or Evan Paradis at Evan.Paradis@harboryardse.com (203) 345-4828.
Page Four February 15, 2015 LIFE TEEN MASS Every Sunday 5:00 P.M. LIFE TEEN LIFE NIGHT: Open to ALL High Schoolers will be held on Sun., Feb. 22nd following the 5 pm Mass. The theme is Under the Influence it will be an Issue evening dealing with drugs and alcohol. Dinner will be served. Parent pick up is at 8:30 pm. Any questions call Sue Pullen. EDGE: Grades 6, 7 & 8: Stations of the Cross will be presented on Friday, February 27 th following the 6:30 pm Mass. We will follow the Stations with a Soup and Bread meal. Please call Sue P. if you would like to read, donate a soup or bread. Thanks. WE ARE LOOKING FOR (2) VOLUNTEER ASSISTANTS: to help in our Wednesday evening (every other week) Confirmation year 1 (grade 9) 6:30 8 pm classes. Please call Sue Pullen if you can help. BAD WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY: FOR 2014-2015: as winter is upon us, the following policy is in place for delays/cancellations of parish activities: 1. If school is cancelled, all parish functions are cancelled except MASS. For grades K- 10, each class will be allowed one snow day for the year. The lesson missed in classes K- 8 are to be completed at home. We will notify you if it becomes necessary to makeup additional snow days. 2. If school is delayed, (e.g. delayed 90 minutes), afternoon functions such as Faith Formation classes, evening meetings/event will still take place at their regular time. 3. This policy does not effect Sunday Masses or Masses on Holy Days of Obligation. 4. MASS will always be at the regularly scheduled time. Please use your discretion in inclement weather. 5. For information about school closings and delays, please check our website at www.sfxnewmilford.org or watch your local Connecticut T.V. news stations. 6. Like St. Francis Xavier Parish on Facebook to receive notifications and cancellations. FAITH FORMATION 860-354-5372 Thank you for your generosity our juice and snack pantry are now full. REMINDER: Our office is closed on Fridays; please leave your messages on the answering machine and we will return your call on Monday morning. Thanks REMINDER: ALL First Communion children are asked to attend Sat., Feb.28 th 5pm or Sun., Mar. 1 st 7:30, 10am or 5pm Mass to give their Prayer Friend pamphlets to a parishioner who will pray for your child during this special time. CLASS SCHEDULE: ALL classes are held at the Parish Center unless otherwise specified: THIS WEEK: *Sun., Feb. 8 th Confirmation yr. 2 11:30am-1pm * this class is held at the Church Sun., Feb. 8 th grades K-5 11:30am-1pm Sun., Feb. 8 th Confirmation yr. 1 11:30am-1pm Sun., Feb. 8 th grades 6-8 2:45-4:15pm Sun., Feb. 8 th Confirmation yr. 1&2 2:45-4:15pm Mon., Feb. 9 th grades 6-8 6:30-8pm Tues., Feb. 10 th JPS grades 1-3 3:30-5pm Tues., Feb. 10 th grades 6-8 6:30-8pm Wed., Feb. 11 th JPS grades 1-3 3:30-5pm Wed., Feb. 11 th Confirmation yr. 1&2 6:30-8pm Thurs., Feb. 12 th SN5 grade 5 3:30-5pm NEXT WEEK: *Mon., Feb. 23 rd NES grades 1-3 3:30-5pm (*make up class for Tues., Feb. 17 th ) Mon., Feb. 23 rd grades 6-8 6:30-8pm Tues., Feb. 24 th JPS grades 1-3 3:30-5pm Tues., Feb. 24 th grades 6-8 6:30-8pm Wed., Feb. 25 th JPS grades1-3 3:30-8pm Wed., Feb. 25 th Confirmation yr. 1&2 6:30-8pm Thurs., Feb. 26 th SN5 grade 5 3:30-5pm **Mon., Mar. 2 nd grades 6-8 6:30-8pm **this is a make up class for 1/12 REMINDER: The First Reconciliation ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 28 th at 10am. Please plan on arriving at least 15 minutes early, so that we may begin on time.
Page Five February 15, 2015 Defending Our Religious Liberty We are called to advocate for the most fundamental of human goods and rights, in particular, the right to life and the right not only to profess our faith, but to live it out. We are advocating for the freedom to be Catholic, to go about our lives serving the needs of our brothers and sisters, regardless of their race, creed, or religion, not because they are Catholic but because we are Catholic. If you haven t done so already, please voice your opposition to the mandate by calling President Obama at the White House at 202-456-1111 or U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell at 202-205-5445. Let them know that the mandate is in violation of our First Amendment right to religious freedom. Sponsored by our Knights of Columbus Every Monday night VFW Hall (Avery Road, New Milford) Doors open at 5:45 p.m. BINGO begins at 6:30 p.m. "COME AND SEE" Vocation Retreat - FEBRUARY 20-22, 2015 The Franciscan Vocation Office will hold a retreat weekend for single Catholic men between the ages of 18-38 discerning a possible vocation to be a Franciscan Brother or Priest. The retreat will take place at our Franciscan Friary in Boston. There is no charge for the retreat. Contact Fr. Alvin (friaralvin@icprovince.org) for information. Joey and Mary's Italian/Irish Comedy Wedding Tickets on sale NOW!! Dinner Theatre March 14th at 7pm St John's Church Hall $25/ ticket includes show and dinner. BYOB Professional Dinner Theatre Company (run by NY Dinner Theatre) A Lenten Day of Recollection, Praying our Broken World: Lessons from Our Lady of Sorrows, is being offered on Sat., Feb. 21st at Montfort House at the Shrine of Lourdes in Litchfield, from 9:00 am until 3:30 pm. Presenter Andree Grafstein is an experienced Spiritual Director & Retreat Director. Both men and women are invited to spend a day with presentations, quiet prayer, and music. Eucharist will be celebrated and lunch is included. There is a $30 fee for the day. Please make reservations by Feb. 18th: call 860-567-1041. St. Francis Xavier Scholarship Fund We have begun to build up our Scholarship Fund this year through your very generous donations. The opportunity to help a teen achieve their goal of furthering their education with the aid of this tax deductible fund is still available. Anyone who would like to support our young parishioners as they begin their college career or technical school is welcome to contribute to the St. Francis Xavier Scholarship Fund. Your checks may be mailed to the Parish Center at 1 Elm Street made payable to St. Francis Xavier Church with Scholarship Fund in the memo. Scholarships are awarded in June to graduating seniors who are continuing their education. If you have any questions, please call the Parish Office. Thank you in advance. You are invited to a Lenten Morning of Prayer hosted by the Rosa Mystica Secular Franciscan Fraternity on Feb. 28 at St. Teresa Church in Woodbury from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. The presenter will be Fr. Cidouane Joseph, OFM. The topic will be Franciscan Minority and the Humility of God. This program is open to all. St. Francis lived a spirituality that brought him freedom and joy while being a man of great humility. What can we learn from him for our own spiritual journey? Second Annual Parish Fish Fry Friday February 20 7:00 pm Tickets on sale now! $5 per person