The Church of the Incarnation 544 Prospect Street Wethersfield, CT 06109 Rev. James M. Moran Pastor Mrs. Noranne Wamester Pastoral Associate Mrs. Maggie Seaver Coordinator of Middle School Faith Formation Youth Minister Mrs. Audrey Saharek Pastoral Assistant Mrs. Teri Aiudi Rectory Office Assistant Faith Formation Secretary Mrs. Theodora Niver Director of Music Vanessa Crowley Lorissa Heath Rosanne Sweeney Gowdy Andrew Russo Heather Picard Bonney Gianna Bielenda Cantors Toni Munoz Sacristan Marguerite Heinimann Rectory Assistant Mass Schedule Confessions on Saturdays from 3:45-4:30p.m. Vigil Mass: Saturday at 5:00p.m. Sunday Masses: 8:30 & 10:30 a.m. Daily Mass: (Mon. - Fri.) 9:00 a.m. Recitation of the Rosary before 9:00 a.m. daily Mass Sacrament of Baptism By previous appointment Sundays at 12:30 p.m. in the Baptistry of the Chapel. Weddings Please contact a priest 6-10 months prior. New Parishioners and Faith Formation Registration The Church of the Incarnation welcomes new parishioners. All forms are available at the main entrance of the church. Please mail or place in the collection basket. You may also visit our website for printable forms at: www.thechurchoftheincarnation.com Rectory Hours 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Rectory Fax Church E-Mail Faith Formation Website address: (860) 529-2533 (860) 721-6595 cincarnation@sbcglobal.net (860) 529-6765 www.thechurchoftheincarnation.com gotellit@aol.com
Page Two Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time..February 15, 2015 SAT., FEBRUARY 14TH 5pm - Joseph Coombs SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH 8:30am Stanley & Eleanor Winiarski 10:30am Salvatore, Angel & Grace Chiaramida MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH 9:00am Rose Ferry TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH 9:00am Michael Maiorini ASH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH 9:00am Beatrice LeBlond 5:30pm-For all our parishioners THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH 9:00am Deceased members of the Harrington Family FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH 9:00am Shirley Carrier SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST 9:00am-Joseph Grippo 5:00pm Marino Mattioli SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND 8:30am Pasqualino D Appollonio 10:30am Santa, Paolo, Sebastiano & Antonino Zocco The rectory will be closed Mon., Feb. 16th in observance of President s Day. Emergency calls only please. Employment Support Group mtg. Tues., Feb. 17th at 9:30am, Fr. Crawford Hall. Wednesday is Ash Wednesday: Masses will be held at 9am and 5:30pm. Ashes will be distributed at both masses and from 3:30-4pm at a Scripture Service. There will be a House of Bread collection next weekend. Coffee & sugar are needed! The contribution statements from our envelope company in Buffalo, N.Y. have been mailed out. If you have not received your statement, call Audrey or Teri at the rectory. They will be able to provide you with your 2014 year to date donation figure. The Sanctuary Candle will burn from 2/16/2015 2/22/2015 in memory of Rose Airo Mangiafico. The Blessed Virgin Mary Candle will burn from 2/16/2015-2/22/2015 in memory of Frank Leonard. LENTEN CONFESSIONS: Let the light in this Lenten season by going to confession. Every Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Hartford will be open for the Sacrament of Reconciliation Mondays during Lent from 6 to 7pm beginning Monday, Feb., 23rd.
Page Three Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time...February 15, 2015 Parish Family Home communities will meet at designated times. Children's Liturgy of the Word will be held this Sunday, February 15th at the 10:30am Mass. Faith Formation for Grades Pre-K-6 will meet at Emerson-Williams on February 21st at 9am. Sunday, Feb. 22nd: Candidate/Mentor Session will be held from 12:30-2:30pm in Fr. Crawford Hall. This is for those candidates receiving Confirmation in the Fall. Youth Ministry will gather on Sunday, February 22nd from 6:30-8pm in Father Crawford Hall. Middle School Faith Formation: Due to the school vacation day on Tues. Feb. 17th, 7th and 8th grade Faith Formation classes will not be meeting this week. The next class will be Tue. Feb. 24th for 8th grade and Wed. Feb. 25th for 7th grade. Retreat for all girls in grades 7 & 8 will be held on Sun., March 1st from 1pm - 4pm in Fr. Crawford Hall. Incarnation Catholic High School Scholarship Applications are available to parishioners entering area Catholic High Schools. Call Noranne Wamester at (860) 529-6765. Deadline to submit is April 1st. The February Frenzy CYO Basketball Tournament will be held at Corpus Christi Church in Fr. Campion Court Gymnasium from February 12-17th. The C.Y.O. Basketball Teams from The Church of the Incarnation, Corpus Christi Parish & School and Sacred Heart will play in this tournament as well as other C.Y.O. Teams throughout the state! Come cheer on your team!! God Bless all of our players! Great concessions will be available! Thank you to the Paruta Family for volunteering to host the refreshments after C.L.W. We are very grateful!
Page Four Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time...February 15, 2015 There are Q & A sheets regarding assisted suicide at entrances from the CT Catholic Conference for you to take home. There will be a petition for circulation soon in opposition of assisted suicide & in support of palliative care to members of the Judiciary Committee. We pray for the defeat of assisted suicide & promote palliative care. The Wethersfield Evangelical Free Church sponsors a food pantry with non- perishable food, bread & personal items available to those in need. See flyer on bulletin boards. St. Patrick s Dinner: Mon., March 16 Fr. Crawford Hall, 6:30 pm. $15.00 per person. Traditional corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, home-made Irish soda bread, coffee and dessert. A raffle with LOTS of great prizes!! Always a sell out so don t delay! Get your family, friends & neighbors together & reserve a table. Reservations call: Michele Kalousdian at 563-0860. Checks payable to: Church of the Incarnation & mail to: Michele Kalousdian, 154 Griswold Road, Weth., CT 06109. Reservation deadline Sun., March 1. All reservations must be paid for in advance. Thanks! Diaconate Inquiry Sessions...The Archdiocesan Office of Diaconate Formation is now preparing to admit a new class of candidates for the Diaconate in the fall of 2015. Any interested man between the ages of 35 and 60 who may be interested in the Diaconate is encouraged to speak to his pastor. Call (860) 242-5573 to register. Prayer Intention Book: We would like to remind you that we have a book available on the stand near the Chapel sliding glass doors, for prayer intentions. Your prayer intentions may be written in this book of prayer and they will be remembered during the Prayer of the Faithful.
Page Five Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time...February 15, 2015 A Weekly Bible Study 6 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 and Mark 1:40-45 Leprosy in ancient times was somewhat akin to our modern day Ebola. Isolation of the patient was vital. And for the ancient Israelites who had a strong corporate identity, alienation from the community was especially disconcerting. As if the disease was not humiliating enough, the leper had to announce his uncleanness to those around him. The purity laws described in the Book of Leviticus were intended not only to separate the clean from the unclean, but the sacred from the profane. It s no wonder that it was the priest who had to verify the cleansing and admit the leper back into fellowship. It was also believed that the leprosy was the result of sin. Spiritual uncleanness disqualified people from participating in community worship. More humiliation! In today s Gospel Jesus encounters a leper who begs the Lord to make him clean. With the leper s social, physical and psychological baggage, it will take a God moved with pity to remove the bonds of humiliation, pain and suffering. But there is a strange twist as this brief story comes to an end. Following his healing, the leper does not obey the command of Jesus to tell no one anything. * Can we blame this man for wanting to shout his good fortune from the housetops? Would that, in fact, make his cleansing invalid as he is not even allowed to tell the priest? Mark tells us that following this encounter Jesus remained outside in deserted places as it was impossible for him to enter a town openly. Has Jesus now become the outcast, putting himself outside of the community, assuming the place of the lepers he healed? Has he taken upon himself the suffering of all humanity? As this Gospel leaves us with many questions worth pondering, this week continue the conversation with God. *This is the Messianic secrecy motif, a prominent feature in Mark s Gospel. Happy St. Valentine s Day to all.. Lenten Mass Schedule: During Lent daily mass will be celebrated at 9am Monday -Saturday excluding Holy Saturday, April 4th. For your information, Corpus Christi will celebrate daily mass during Lent at 7:00am and 5:30pm Monday- Friday. Saturday Masses at Corpus Christi are at 7:30am. Corpus Christi will also offer Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings at 7:30pm.
Page Six Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time...February 15, 2015 FOR THE GLORY OF GOD The entire history of the Jewish people is directed toward one goal: that God might be glorified through the chosen people. Christians, too, are called to do everything for the glory of God. In today s scriptures Paul reminds us that the best way for us to glorify God is to seek to benefit the many, as Christ did when he shed his blood for all of humankind. The reading from Leviticus explains one way the Jews sought to benefit the many, by keeping lepers and leprosy away from the chosen people. Jesus finds a better way. He cures the leper, who immediately reenters the community to spread the good news about Jesus to everyone who will listen. In this way both Jesus and the leper fulfill their calling to glorify the God who fills us with the joy of salvation. TODAY S READINGS First Reading The leper will dwell apart, making an abode outside the camp (Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46). Psalm I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation (Psalm 32). Second Reading Do everything for the glory of God; be imitators of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:31 11:1). Gospel The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean (Mark 1:40-45). READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Gn 4:1-15, 25; Ps 50:1, 8, 16bc-17, 20-21; Mk 8:11-13 Tuesday: Gn 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10; Ps 29:1a, 2, 3ac -4, 3b, 9c-10; Mk 8:14-21 Wednesday: Jl 2:12-18; Ps 51:3-6ab, 12-14, 17; 2 Cor 5:20 6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Thursday: Dt 30:15-20; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Lk 9:22-25 Friday: Is 58:1-9a; Ps 51:3-6ab, 18-19; Mt 9:14-15 Saturday: Is 58:9b-14; Ps 86:1-6; Lk 5:27-32 Sunday: Gn 9:8-15; Ps 25:4-9; 1 Pt 3:18-22; Mk 1:12-15 SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Monday: Presidents Day Tuesday: Mardi Gras; Wednesday: Ash Wednesday; Fast and Abstinence; Almsgiving Friday: Abstinence Saturday: St. Peter Damian TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Lent, the Church s annual prebaptismal retreat, prepares us to gather around the Easter font, renew our baptismal vows, and receive new life from the water as the elect are plunged into Christ s death and resurrection. This core meaning is more or less available, depending on whether we journey with catechumens in the parish and on the vigor of our liturgical celebration of the Triduum. Some persist in seeing Lent as a lonely journey in the wilderness; yet this week we enter the Lenten fast in solidarity with one another. The smudged foreheads you will spy throughout Ash Wednesday on buses, street corners, and supermarket aisles remind you that you are hardly alone in your desire to enact a spring cleaning regime for your spiritual life. Long ago, this kind of repentance was available to Christians only once. Ashes and sackcloth were not raiment for a day, but permanent habits for public sinners. Fasting became a way of life, and if they sinned severely again, there was no hope of restored communion. Happily, this system did not endure. It produced reluctant Christians who even held back from baptism, like St. Augustine did, out of fear. Today we have recovered an ancient tradition that conversion and repentance are constant themes on life s journey, and that Lent is an annual opportunity to revive our baptismal identity, both as individuals and communities.
Page Seven Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time...February 15, 2015 Incarnation Men s Association YANKEE STADIUM TRIP Saturday, May 9, 2015 The New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles. Package includes: Buffet lunch provided by the New York Yankees at their roof-top restaurant, overlooking the playing field, deluxe motor coach transportation, free parking at Incarnation Church, beverages on the bus and the game ticket. Price only $100.00 complete. Please call Tony at (860)836-3064 to reserve your seat. Make check payable to "The Church of the Incarnation" and mail it to Tony Colasacco, 151 Cider Brook Dr. Wethersfield, CT, 06109. Trip is open to all: men, women and children. Lenten Regulations: Catholics ages 14 and older are to abstain from meat on all Fridays during Lent. The rule does not apply when health or ability to work would be seriously impacted. Catholics who have celebrated their 18 th birthday, but have not yet marked their 59 th are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On days of fast, one full meal is allowed. Two other meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to individual needs but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and juices, are allowed. Make the story public! Tell the world what Jesus has done for you. Consider a life of preaching, teaching & service as a priest, deacon, brother or sister. Call Fr. Anthony Smith, Director of Vocations, Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary, (860) 761-7456 or e-mail him at: vocations@stseminary.org or visit the web at ww.vocationshartford.org. Please join us each first Friday of the month at 9:30am, Blessed Sacrament Chapel for our Vocations Holy Hour. ATTENTION MEN OF INCARNATION PARISH: The Men's Retreat at Holy Family, will be on the weekend of February 20-22, 2015. All of us have very busy lives. A Retreat is an opportunity to recharge and get away from the daily routine. If the above date is inconvenient there are other dates available to fit into your schedule. Please call Bill Carroll at (860) 604-6793 or John Ewaski (860) 563-3887 for info. Thank you for your Annual Collection donations!. We have exceeded our goal! Any donations will continue to be graciously accepted.
Page Eight Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time...February 15, 2015 We are trying to close out our 2014 Mass Book. If you have any Mass/Candle Offerings that you wish to make for 2014, please send them in when you can. BEAUTIFUL FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS SAVE the DATE: Sat., May 2, 2015 Nationally-recognized master floral designer Ruth Loiseau will arrange seven stunning pieces as she shares her experiences as a White House special events florist during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan through Barack Obama. You won t want to miss this special event and fundraiser sponsored by Incarnation Women s Club in Fr. Crawford Hall. The Incarnation Men s Association has announced its 2015 membership drive. Letters have been mailed to all current members requesting that they renew their membership as soon as possible. Dues have remained at $10.00 per year. Payments may be made by dropping the envelope in the collection basket at any weekend Mass. New members interested in joining the association should contact: Mike White, 9 Beacon Court, Newington, CT 06111. (860) 667-2099. Preparing for Lent..Operation Rice Bowl is the Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services. It is an outreach to those who live with hunger and poverty. Operation Rice Bowl connects fasting and almsgiving and inspires sacrifices and contributions of money saved for the poor. During Lent we encourage you to set your own goals for personal Lenten sacrifices and to please consider participating in Operation Rice Bowl. Rice Bowl packages can be found at all the church entrances. Please return your Rice Bowl to the sacristy by Wednesday, March 25th. Thank you for making Operation Rice Bowl part of your Lenten journey. Fr. William from Corpus Christi Church will once again offer a Healing Mass on Friday, March 6th at 6pm at Sacred Heart Church in Old Wethersfield.