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Page Two Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time February 14, 2010 MONDAY, February 15, Presidents Day 8:30am Dennis Kroll, Dr. Angela Adams Dean Scaggs 12th Anniversary TUESDAY, February 16, Weekday 8:30am Merie Ponozoch, Louise Antonucci WEDNESDAY, February 17, Ash Wednesday 8:30am People of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish 1:30pm School Mass 3:00pm Service of Ashes 7:00pm Mass THURSDAY, February 18, Lenten Weekday 8:30am Leo Puralewski Jr., Paul Calandrino FRIDAY, February 19, Lenten Weekday 8:30am Anna Koestner SATURDAY, February 20, Lenten Weekday 8:30am Exequiel Armena, Frank Mashechko 5:00pm Francis A. Grieashamer, Lisa Cortese Kazmier Hojnacki, John Frankovelgia SUNDAY, February 21, First Sunday of Lent 7:30am Deceased Members of Anthony Gunia Family Deceased Members of Paul Szymanowski Family 9:00am Helen Dobowski, Mary Pinas 10:30am The People of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish 12:00pm Paul & Francesca Venetico Umberto & Rosa Ingargiola FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP January 30/31 # of Envelopes Amount Offertory 410 $7,314.50 Loose 0 $ 836.00 TOTAL $8,150.50 Sharing Ascension /St. Susanna 9 $ 81.43 Our weekly collections are far below the amount needed to pay our bills. Please consider increasing your weekly contribution. Approximately, 1,400 envelopes are mailed. Please consider using your envelope. CAPITAL CAMPAIGN The second year of our Capital Campaign will begin soon. If you have not made any payments toward last year s pledge or if you are behind in your payments, please try to catch up soon. If you are able to make payments toward your second year pledge this would be a good time. We have just started the bid process for Phase II of the project. Ashes will be distributed Wednesday, February 17th during the 8:30a.m., 1:30p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Masses and the 3:00 p.m. Prayer Service. Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time Jeremiah warns against putting our trust in our own strength. Rather, they are blessed who put their trust in the Lord. Those who hope in the Lord will bear fruit even in times of drought. St. Paul tells the Corinthians that Christ truly did rise from the dead. If Christ had not been raised our faith would be in vain and we would remain in our sins. St. Paul calls them to believe in the resurrection of the body. In Luke s gospel Christ preaches the Sermon on the Plain. Luke relates only four Beatitudes, blessings on those who are poor, hungry, sorrowing and those persecuted for the sake of righteousness. They will have joy in heaven. He also pronounces woes on the rich, the sated, the laughing and those who have the approval of others. Those who are rewarded in this life will not be rewarded in heaven. Jeremiah 17:5-8 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20 Luke 6:17, 20-26 Lenten Regulations Abstinence from meats is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years old and older on Ash Wednesday and on all the Fridays of Lent. Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday by all Catholics who are 18 years of age but not yet 59 1/2. Those who are bound by this may take only one full meal. Two smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to one s needs, but eating solid foods between meals is not permitted. The special paschal fast and abstinence are prescribed for Good Friday and encouraged for Holy Saturday. By the threefold discipline of fasting, almsgiving and prayer, the church keeps Lent from Ash Wednesday until the evening of Holy Thursday. All of the faithful and the catechumens should undertake serious practice of these three traditions. Failure to observe penitential days totally or a substantial number of such days must be considered serious.

February 14, 2010 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Page Three Today s scriptures call us to put our trust in the Lord. Not simply a pious platitude; trust is the concrete bedrock of our lives. Trust in the Lord. The holy ones have a different way of viewing the world; therefore their reactions to life are going to be different from those who are more worldly. Some are more successful in the world. Others are more successful in the kingdom of God. The scriptures remind us that there are very real consequences to the choices we make. Jeremiah puts this quite forcefully: Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, whose strength is in his flesh. The reason is that the heart is thus turned away from the Lord. How different from the standards of our secular world. Human wisdom will achieve material prosperity and happiness for everyone. And there will be no more wars or violence. This philosophy of the Enlightenment has been around for nearly 300 years despite all evidence and experience to the contrary. Jeremiah continues that such people are like barren bushes in the desert. In contrast, blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters, whose leaves stay green even in a drought. Luke makes the same point in the gospel. Unlike the accounts in the other gospels, Jesus is quite specific. Blessed are the poor; not the poor in spirit. Blessed are the hungry; not those who hunger for righteousness. Blessed are they who weep. Blessed are you when people hate you and exclude and insult you because of the Son of Man. Great will be their reward in heaven. Why? Because those who put there trust in the Lord, who keep their eyes focused on the spirituality of faith, will not chase after worldly wealth, honor or material satisfaction. But because such people are misunderstood or seen as a judgment the rest of the world condemns them. Consider how Christian people in our own society do not want to be seen as too religious or to be called crackpots or bigots for the profession of their faith and values. The secular world, including the media and the government, constantly attacks, ridicules and marginalizes the role of faith in our daily lives. And what is worse, many Christians buy into it. How many of our actions are influenced by our faith rather than our culture? How many of us want just enough holiness to get by? We can t just get by in the spiritual world. Jeremiah pronounces such people cursed. Jesus proclaims woe upon them. Why? Because they have already received their reward. The scriptures refer to an orientation of the heart. Do we rely on ourselves, living only for ourselves? Even those who claim to do everything for their family generally are trying to create their own emotional and material happiness in their own self-contained world. Jesus says quite clearly, that such people will not have consolation, they will hunger, they will grieve and weep in the world to come. Or do we trust in the Lord? To do so is to seek to live in the world in gratitude for the blessings of God, knowing that the things of this world are transitory and therefore refusing to put our trust in them. And when we do, our faith will be rewarded. St. Paul tells us that we have not believed in vain. Since Christ rose from the dead, those who put their trust in him will also rise to be in heaven with him. Casino Nights were a success again this year, with about 500 people coming through the doors to enjoy an evening of fun and a chance to win big. While final figures are not yet available, I am told we had a net profit of around $11,000. Thanks go to Rose Ann Loch and all the volunteers whose hard work provided a great event for our school and parish. We continue the pledge process for the Catholic Appeal at all masses this weekend. In his homily last week Cardinal George talked about our responsibility for the evangelizing mission of the Church. Participation in the Annual Appeal is one way share in this mission. The Cardinal asks us to conduct the pledging process for two weeks from the pews because experience shows that about 30% more people pledge in the follow up week. I apologize to those who have to sit through the process again, but it is a very practical and inexpensive way to vastly improve the funding for the appeal. Today we celebrate Valentine s Day with a special blessing for married and engaged couples. The Liturgical Ministries are hosting coffee and donut hospitality after all the masses. Lent begins this week on February 17th with Ash Wednesday. We will be celebrating several special services throughout Lent. Please see the schedule of events on page four. The rectory and school will be closed tomorrow, February 15th, for President s Day. Have a great week. Sincerely, Fr. Neil

Page Four Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time February 14, 2010 Lenten Activities During Lent we will offer several different opportunities to deepen our spiritual lives as we journey through the desert with Christ. Prayer Services Join us for an evening of scripture, song and prayer on Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. February 23, March 2, 9, 16, and 23. Parish Reconciliation Service Regular opportunities for individual confessions will be available every Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. February 27, March 6, 13, 20, and 27. Our parish Lenten Reconciliation Service will be held on Tuesday evening, March 23rd, at 7:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross Stations of the Cross will be celebrated every Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. (with the school children) and in the evening at 7 p.m. February 19, 26, March 5, 12, 19, and 26. Almsgiving Our parish Lenten Almsgiving project this year will be for our the Maison Fortune Orphanage in Haiti. As a result of the earthquake in January, the orphanage has been swamped with displaced families and children in need of basic food and shelter. There will be a second collection on March 14. Novena Because the Tuesday evening prayer services begin at 7:00 p.m., Novena will begin at 6:30 p.m. during Lent. MUSIC NOTES Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks to the Risen Lord was written by Donald Fishel in 1971, in Ann Arbor Michigan, where he was a student at the University of Michigan. He says he wrote it rather quickly, in about an hour. Originally consisting of only 4 verses, Fishel added another verse (verse 3) as he was preparing for baptism. We have been crucified with Christ. Now we shall live forever. Fishel said of this verse, It seems to me to be acentral idea of baptism, and I wanted it be the center of the song (the third verse of five). Although this is sometimes thought of as an Easter hymn, it is always appropriate for us to sing about the new life we receive in the risen Christ. DO YOU LIKE TO SING? We need volunteers to sing in the Adult Choir. Seasonal help is appreciated. Please consider joining the Choir as we prepare for Lent and Easter. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the church, and the choir sings at 9:00 a.m. mass each Sunday, as well as the Holy Week liturgies. What a great way to prepare for the good news of the Resurrection. Welcome To Our Family Parish Mr. & Mrs. Wilheim Krell Mr. & Mrs. Steven & Family Mr. & Mrs. Jason Schmidt & Family Please remember in your prayers those who have died recently especially, Norbert Szadorski. St. Valentine s Day Three men named Valentine were martyred during the Roman persecutions in the second through fourth centuries. Valentine, meaning worthy, was a popular name in ancient times. Because the martyrs shed their blood for the faith we commemorate their feasts with the color red. Pope Gelasius I first proclaimed the Feast of St. Valentine in 496. Over time this feast became associated with love and lovers, and the color red with the color of roses. Though no longer on the general calendar, the Church still commemorates St. Valentine on February 14th. A V.I.P. ticket gives you 252 opportunities to be awarded a cash prize in the year ahead. The cost of the tickets are $20.00 each, and each month 21 winners will be drawn. Cash prizes range from $30 to $500. V.I.P. TICKETS Tickets will be sold this weekend after all masses through March 7. Tickets can also be purchased at the rectory office. Tickets are limited for this popular raffle, so get yours now!

February 14, 2010 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Page Five CATHOLICS COME HOME Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. On these dark and cold days at the end of winter it is comforting to hear words of hope that come to us in the Sunday readings, especially the Beatitudes spoken by Jesus (Luke 6:17, 20-26). The Beatitudes call us to a life of hope, knowing that what brings us sadness on earth will be turned to joy in heaven. You may be feeling that hope already in your parish after the 5 weeks of Catholics Come Home television ads. In the last three weeks since the ads were on TV the stories have come in through phone calls and e- mails about individuals and families who are returning to the practice of the faith because they felt a warm invitation extended from their parish. There were two special opportunities for Reconciliation in the Archdiocese and over 400 people participated, some who had been away from the church for more than 10 years. The television ads not only brought people back to church, they helped practicing Catholics think about what it is that we believe. One statement in the ad called Epic initiated many conversations about our history, We developed the scientific method and the laws of evidence. There are moments in Church history that people point to when Church leaders dismissed scientific facts and those sad moments in history are always dredged up in this discussion. Looking at those facts in the context of 2,000 years of not only participating in science, but leading the way that the sciences were organized and advanced in the world gives a different perspective. To hear a great presentation on Church and science go to Fr. Bob Barron s website www.wordonfire.org and listen to his sermon from Epiphany 1-30-10, it is sermon #469. For those Catholics who were intrigued by the TV ads to learn more about their faith, there will be an adult formation series in Lent called HOMECOMING: Catholics Renewing Their Faith. This 5-week series will take place in 19 parishes around the Archdiocese of Chicago. For a detailed list of locations and dates go to www.catholicscomehomechicago.org SRB Parents Association Presents St. Patrick s Day Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner Saturday, March 6th in Kernaghan Hall 4646 N. Austin Ave., Chicago Cocktails 6 p.m. Dinner 7 p.m. Cash Bar-Beer & Wine $22.00 per person Dancers and featuring Celtic Groundhogs A traditional Irish folk band as seen at Moher s and the Irish Heritage Center. Reservations Required (No tickets will be sold at the door) Tickets will be sold in the back of church after all masses two weeks prior or contact Rose Ann Loch at 773-481-2063.

Page Six Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time February 14, 2010 We Pray For Our Troops Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands; protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. May their sacrifices return them home safely and bring about a lasting and just peace in those lands in which they serve. We ask this in the name of Jesus, Our Lord and Savior. Amen. If you have family members currently serving in any branch of the Armed Forces, we would like to include their names in our weekly bulletin so that parishioners could include them in their prayers. Please call the rectory at 773-777-2666 with their names and branches of service. Pictures submitted will be displayed in the church vestibule. Edward Bell (Army) Staff Sergeant Timothy R. Hogan (Marines) Captain Patrick J. Collins (Army) Raymond Weernink (Navy) 2nd Lieutenant Christopher Engelhardt (Air Force) Captain Kevin P. O Grady (Air Force) Captain Dan Allen (Army) Brigadier General Tau aika Uta atu (Tongan Defense) Sergeant Joseph Konieczny (Army) Mike Janson (Navy) Lance Corporal Kurt Williams (Marines) Specialist Sean Cheker (Army) Bernard Brennan, (Marines) Lance Corporal Michael Zuba (Marines) First Lieutenant Brian G. Lutz (Army) Private James A. Gaudio (Army) CM Sergeant Bruce Heinzen (Air Force) CPL Jason R. Reyna (Marines) Sergeant Scott Pekar (Marines) CM Sergeant Diane Foote (Air Force) Private Colleen McDonald (Army) Micha Barcus (Coastguard) 1st Lieutenant Albert Eiffes (Air Force) Private 2 Michael Rosenthal (Army) EM3 Abraham Ubi (Navy) 1st Lieutenant Lauren Eiffes (Air Force) Ewa Dabrowski (Navy) Martin Durcan (Navy) Private 1 Michael Barry (Army) Monday, February 15 No School RECTORY CLOSED Tuesday, February 16 8th Grade Bake Sale, 11 a.m. 12:30 p.m. (S) Parents Mtg., 7 p.m. (KH) Novena, 7 p.m. (C) Wednesday, February 16 ASH WEDNESDAY 8:30 A.M. Mass, 1:30 p.m. School Mass 3:00 p.m. Service, 7:00 p.m. Mass Thursday, February 18 RCIA, 7:30 p.m. (R) Choir, 7-9 p.m. Friday, February 19 Stations of the Cross, 2 p.m. School, 7 p.m. Saturday, February 20 Religious Education, 9:30 a.m. 12 Noon (S) Youth Stations, 11:15 a.m. 12 Noon (C) St. Pat s Ticket Sales After 5 p.m. Mass (C) Readings for the Week Monday: Jas 1:1-11; Mk 8:11-13 Tuesday: Jas 1:12-18; Mk 8:14-21 Wednesday: Jl 2:12-18; 2 Cor 5:20 6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Thursday: Dt 30:15-20; Lk 9:22-25 Friday: Is 58:1-9a, Mt 9:14-15 Saturday: Is 58:9b-14; Lk 5:27-32 Sunday: Dt 26:4-10; Ps 91; Rom 10:8-13; Lk 4:1-13 MASS SCHEDULE February 20/21 MASS PRESIDER SERVERS LECTORS AUXILIARY MINISTERS 5:00pm Fr. Neil Fackler Tyler Smith, Nicole Connelly Frankie Annunzio Walter Felckowski Pat Gross, Jean Gross, Lee Puttrich, Jim Kuczma Ed Stecker, Mitchelle Kmies, Pat Zyburt 7:30am Fr. Frank Burek William Calcagno, Kelly Calcagno Cynthia Morales Matt Loudon Paul Eifert, Trina Eifert, Kathy Ernst 9:00am Fr. Frank Burek Joseph Loch, Michael Medina Maggie Loch Daniel Gandor Joan Pandocchi, Donna Poretta, Karen Nelson 10:30am Fr. Scott Donahue Pamela Cave, Sean McGing Ryan Fitte Family Mass Rebecca Borghi, Nicole Connelly, Erin Radcliffe 12:00pm Fr. Scott Donahue Kathleen Hughes, Erin Radcliffe Michael Silva Jaclyn Wente Patel Mullane, Eileen Mullane, Maureen Blake, Chuck Bell Kathy Caminiti, Donna Czech, Mary Anne Glowacz

Rev. Neil E. Fackler, Pastor Rev. Frank Burek, Associate Pastor Rev. Scott Donahue, Resident Rev. Michael A. Goergen, Pastor Emeritus James Schiltz, Deacon Mrs. Carrie Mijal, School Principal Alan Schmitt, Coordinator of Religious Education Jean Tuohy, Music Director PARISH OFFICE AND RECTORY 4646 North Austin Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60630 Tel. 773/777-2666 Fax 773/777-2770 Website: www.srb-chicago.org Virginia Underwood, Secretary RECTORY OFFICE HOURS M-F - 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sat. - 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sun. - 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OFFICE Alan Schmitt, Coordinator Joyce Schoenecker, Admin. Asst. 6036 West Eastwood Avenue Tel. 773/286-0956 ST. ROBERT BELLARMINE SCHOOL Mrs. Carrie Mijal, Principal 6036 West Eastwood Avenue Tel. 773/725-5133 OFFICE OF MUSIC DIRECTOR Jean Tuohy 6036 West Eastwood Avenue Tel. 773/286-0956 BULLETIN Beverly O Connor, Editor 773/777-2666 BULLETIN DEADLINE Saturday by 12 Noon in the rectory for the following Sunday (8 days in advance). PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENT DEADLINE Friday by 6:00 p.m. in the rectory. MASS SCHEDULE Weekdays - Monday through Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Weekends - Saturday Evening at 5:00 p.m. Sundays at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon Holy Days - 8:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. WEDDINGS Arrangements should be made with a priest or deacon at least six months in advance. Please contact the rectory for date and time availability before making other arrangements. BAPTISMS Celebrated the second and fourth Sundays of each month at 1:15 p.m. Parents need to contact the rectory to register for a baptism. Please note: there are no baptisms scheduled during the season of Lent. Preparation Class is on the last Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the rectory. CONFESSIONS/RECONCILIATION Saturday afternoons from 4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. or by appointment. ANOINTING OF THE SICK First Saturday of the month after the 8:30 a.m. mass. NEW PARISHIONERS Welcome to Saint Robert s! Please register at the parish rectory office. NOVENA Mother of Perpetual Help Novena is offered on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the church. RECITATION OF THE ROSARY Monday through Saturday at 8:00 a.m.