February 26, 2012 First Sunday of Lent MASS INTENTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK Mon. Feb. 27 6:20 a.m. Joyce Stevenson 9:00 a.m. IHS Tues. Feb. 28 6:20 a.m. Edna Landry, RIP 9:00 a.m. Macaria Guia, RIP Wed. Feb. 29 6:20 a.m. Gil Wideman, RIP 9:00 a.m. Louis Saksefski, wife & children,rip Thurs. March 1 6:20 a.m. IHS 9:00 a.m. In Thanksgiving 6:00 p.m. Jack Howard Fri. March 2 6:20 a.m. Rosario Rodriguez-Rivera, RIP 9:00 a.m. Ulysse Family Members Sat. March 3 9:00 a.m. Cele and Gus Miller FIRST FRIDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Friday, March 2 nd will be First Friday Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel from 9:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Please plan to spend some quiet time in prayer and reflection before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Sign-up sheets will be available in the foyer of the church on the weekend and at the back of the Chapel during the week. If you would like to receive a monthly reminder, please email Rick DiGiorgio at rdig@bellsouth.net (Blind copying will be used for these emails and your email address will not be shared with any other organization). STATIONS OF THE CROSS Thursdays - 6:30 p.m. Chapel Fridays - 12:00 Noon Chapel Stewardship... A Way of Life The waters of Baptism make us part of the new covenant in Christ. But the Bishops Pastoral letter on Stewardship reminds us that there is a fundamental obligation arising from the Sacrament of Baptism... that people place their gifts, their resources, their selves, at God s service in and through the Church. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God s varied grace. 1 Pt. 4:10 ADULT EDUCATION SESSIONS Sunday 9:45 10:45 a.m. Holy Family Room Feb. 26 th Father Barron s Catholicism, Part 1 Deacon Christopher Rosko March 4 th TBA Fr. Thomas Kelly OFFERTORY COLLECTION February 19, 2012 OFFERTORY FUND $ 19,325.67 BUILDING FUND $ 795.00 POOR BOX $ 308.90 Thank you for your generosity! DAILY MASS SCHEDULE Monday Friday Monday Saturday Thursday evening 6:20 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE March 10th 5:00 p.m. Fr. Joy March 11th 7:00 a.m. Fr. Donohoe 8:30 a.m. Fr. Joy 11:00 a.m. Fr. Robinson 5:00 p.m. Fr. Kelly Spanish 7:00 p.m. Fr. Kelly
Coming this Week! Monday, Feb. 27th 6:45 a.m. Men s Lectio Divina Grp. HFR 6:00 p.m. Adult Handbells 6:30 p.m. Pastoral Council Mtg. Office CR Tuesday, Feb. 28th 8:00 a.m. Martha & Mary Scripture Group HFR 9:30 a.m. Contemplative Prayer Group Library 7:00 p.m. RCIA HFR 7:00 p.m. Community Garden Mtg. 213/214 Wednesday, Feb. 29th 6:00 p.m. Parish School of Religion - FLC 6:00 p.m. Spanish Mass Church 6:00 p.m. Confirmation Parent Mtg. - 215 6:30 p.m. Regnum Christi 214 7:00 p.m. S.T.E.P. Parenting Class 202 7:00 p.m. Chamber Choir Choir Room 7:00 p.m. Spanish Adoration - Chapel 7:00 p.m. Jr. High Youth Group YR/Gym Thursday, March 1st 7:00 a.m. Cursillo Prayer Group Rm. 202 6:00 p.m. Mass Chapel 6:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross - Chapel 6:30 p.m. Folk Choir Rehearsal Choir Room 7:00 p.m. Returning Catholics Mtg. - HFR Friday, March 2nd 7:00 a.m. Men s Friday Bible Group HFR 9:30 a.m. 9:00 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration - Chapel 12:00 Noon Stations of the Cross Chapel 6:30 p.m. Hispanic Children s Group 202 6:30 p.m. Hispanic Prayer Group 203 Saturday, March 3rd 9:00 a.m. First Reconciliation - Church 9:30 a.m. Magnificat Prayer Group 203 10:00 a.m. First Reconciliation Reception - PH 3:15 p.m. Confession Chapel 5:30 p.m. Guadalupan Missionary Grp. 202/203 Sunday, March 4th 9:30 a.m. Jerome Tanner Scripture Grp. Office 9:45 a.m. Parish School of Religion FLC 9:45 a.m. Adult Education Session HFR 4:00 p.m. Zumba Class Gym 5:30 p.m. Spanish PSR 202/211-214 & Library 6:00 p.m. LifeTeen YR/Gym 6:30 p.m. FOCUS Session - HFR LENTEN MEDITATION St. Elizabeth s Guild will again host a Lenten Meditation on Wednesday, March 7 th, in the Holy Family Room, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Our guest speaker will be Father John McDonald, formerly assigned to St. Peter s and presently Principal of John Carroll Catholic High School and Associate Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. All women of St. Peter s parish are invited to attend. Tickets are $8.00 which includes a box lunch and drinks. Tickets will be on sale in the foyer of the church on the weekends of February 25-26 and March 3-4. Tickets will also be available in the church office. WHAT S YOUR CATHOLIC IQ? The practice of the Stations of the Cross began in Jerusalem soon after Jesus death. True or False CLOTHING DRIVE Answer on Page 5 The Human Concerns Committee will hold their annual Clothing Drive on the weekend of March 17 th and 18 th in the Parish Hall. They are asking for clothing that is clean and in good condition to give to the various shelters in our area. PLEASE separate women s, men s and children s clothing and bring your items to the Parish Hall by 5:00 p.m. on Sunday! This is a great opportunity to clean out your closets!! ZUMBA CLASSES SUNDAY AFTERNOONS 4:00 P.M. IN ST. PETER S GYM. ONLY $5.00 PER CLASS! THANK YOU! The Knights of Columbus Council #7584 here at St. Peter the Apostle would like to thank all who contributed to our Intellectual Disabilities Drive (Tootsie Roll Drive) that was recently held at the church and the Wal-Mart on Hwy. 150. Through your generosity we were able to present 2 checks in the amount of $840.00 each to The Nazareth House and The Exceptional Foundation. We thank you again for your support.
PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR SICK: Peggy Ash Jackie Boyle Alex Carcioppolo Judy Carcioppolo Tim Cullighan Melinda DiBenedetto Kathy Fowler Tom Gorman Pat Herrin Anthony James Tina James Jackie Kennedy Matt Laws Roberta McIntosh Barbara Naccari Joel Peresmik Roger Richards Tom Rosenstiel Sam Savage Norman Schifano John Schopp John Simonetti Lisa Stearns Meaghan Valentine Angela Weather Barry Wilkens Names on our Pray for the Sick list will remain for six weeks. Please notify the parish office if you would like to place your family member on the list. OREMUS, a prayer ministry of the Spirituality Commission, has placed three Prayer Intention Boxes in the church. One is under the picture of the Last Supper downstairs at the South entrance to the church and the others are upstairs on the wall between Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Holy Family and in the Chapel. Everyone is invited to write their prayer intentions/needs (for themselves or others) on the white form and place them in one of the boxes. The 200+ members of OREMUS regularly pray for the intentions in the boxes as well as the intentions of the Holy Father and our Pastor, Father Kelly. The intentions in the boxes are known only to God and the writers. On the last day of each month, they are removed and destroyed without human review. If you would like to join this wonderful, powerful, easy ministry, please complete a blue form and place it in a box. You will be asked to say a specific prayer once a week and you will receive a monthly newsletter. There are no meetings or other obligations involved. The family of Joseph Annino would like to thank you for the many kindnesses extended to him and to his family during his brief illness and after his death. All of your gestures cards, notes, Masses, donations, words of support, and your gentle presence honored him and lifted us up in our time of sorrow. We continue to hold all of these things in our hearts. The Joseph Annino Family Please pray for our parishioners family members who are serving in the military overseas... Spc. Samuel Alfano, Jr., Nephew of Rita Caldwell Spc. Jordan Broadwell, Grandson of Tom & Ginny Gorman Spc. Christopher Calma Grandson of Carmella Calma Lcpl. Alex Carcioppolo Nephew of Johnny & Debbie Carcioppolo Capt. Ryan Donohoe Nephew of Father Richard Donohoe Seaman Christopher C. Evans Grandson of Esteban & Rosaura D Amico Sgt. Steven Mulholland Grandson of Margaret Mulholland Capt. John Oliver Son-in-law of Rick & Jane Abernathy Capt. John Sheridan Nephew of George Styslinger Sympathy to... IN MEMORIAM Mr. Christopher Atkins on the death of his beloved mother, KATHLEEN ATKINS The family of ANN WILLIAMS GRAHAM Mr. John Carney on the death of his brother, JIM CARNEY May they rest in peace... RESPECT LIFE Selfishness and fear are at the root of (proabortion) legislation... We in the Church have a great struggle to defend life... life is a gift not a threat. Pope Benedict XVI, Reuters, May 9, 2007 Please join us in praying for the entire world to appreciate and value the wonder of life from conception to natural death. Respect Life Committee POOR BOX A Poor Box has been placed in the Church for acts of almsgiving one of the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy. Please donate generously!
Full Time/Part Time SUMMER CAMP Jr. High Wednesdays 7:00 8:30 p.m. St. Peter s Child Development Center Registration begins March 12, 2012 Wed., Feb. 29th: Fourteen Courageous Steps - Join us to experience The Way of the Cross for Teenagers. The Stations of the Cross presented in a contemporary, meaningful way for today s teens. MDO/PRESCHOOL 9:00 AM 2:00 PM Ages: 5 months 4-K KINDERGARTEN 3rd GRADE HALF DAY/FULL DAY Wed., March 7th: Service Project Preparing for the Easter Egg Hunt The Easter Bunny needs your HELP! Join us for an evening of filling eggs for the St. Peter s Easter Egg Hunt to be held on Saturday, April 7th. LifeTeen ANNOUNCEMENTS Feb. 26th: Gimmie a Break! It s a hard knock life for us! Annie tells us. Since we feel the need to be so busy all the time, LifeTeen will put you to work this week. Once you re done with your task, learn about The Lord s Day and celebrate it the right way! March 4th: A Friend Indeed. Do you have good, close friends? Are YOU a good friend to others? Friends have the power and influence to build you up or drag you down. Who would you call if you needed help with homework or had a problem? With the Dial a Friend game, we ll find out! Youth 2000 Retreat (March 23-25) Got no plans for Spring Break OR will you be home by Friday? Then, you have no excuse to miss our spring retreat, Youth 2000! This is an incredible retreat event with Eucharistic Adoration, an opportunity to be with lots of teens from around the diocese, and a chance to meet some super-cool priests, brothers and nuns. Retreat is right here in Birmingham and only costs $50!! Information will be given out at LifeTeen. Also, flyers and forms can be picked up in the church office or by contacting Rebecca Murphy directly (rrosko@stpeterapostle.com). Every Wednesday can be GREAT if you start it off right with Mass at 6:20 a.m. followed by FREE Chick-fil-A breakfast! Don t Forget! Registration is open to the public. Please call or come by for a registration form and a tour of our facility. Where Learning is Child s Play DONATE YOUR OLD COMPUTER!! If you have recently replaced your old computer or have plans to purchase a new one, please consider donating your old computer to St. Peter s. The old computers will be refurbished and given to the Catholic Center of Concern to be used by a student who does not have a computer of their own. You can bring your old computer to the Parish Office during the week. We ask that you please include any manuals or operating disks with the computers. LITTLE FLOWER GIFT SHOPPE First Communion, Confirmation and RCIA gifts are now available in the Gift Shoppe. We have many new items for you to choose from. Also available are baby gifts, wedding gifts, St. Francis statues and Angels for the garden, rosaries, rosary bracelets, bibles and many other items. Come in and shop after all of the masses on the weekend. The Ladies Auxiliary thanks you for your continued support. ATTENTION SINGLES!! If you are single and would like to join a group of Catholic singles who meet on Monday nights for Dinner at area restaurants please contact Armand St. Raymond at (205) 585-1519. The group will meet on the following dates in February: Feb. 27th Cheesecake Factory at the Summit
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FISH FRY The Knights of Columbus Council #7584 will host a Fish Fry on Friday, March 9 th and Friday, March 23 rd. The Fish Fry will start at 5:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. The meal includes fried catfish filets, shrimp, coleslaw, fries, hush puppies and a drink! A children s meal of pizza, fries & a drink will also be available. Beer, wine and soft drinks are also for sale. Please come out and enjoy some entertainment and Bingo after your meal. WOMEN S EVENING OF REFLECTION Wednesday, March 7 th All women are invited to an evening of reflection led by Father Dominick Pham, L.C. of Atlanta, Georgia at Our Lady of the Valley. The reflection topic is, Why you can walk on water, if you keep your eyes on Christ! The evening is hosted by Birmingham women of Regnum Christi and will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Social Hall, Room A. A light meal will be served. For those who can attend, daily mass is offered at OLV at 7:00 p.m. To assist in meal planning and for information, please RSVP by calling (205) 936-7494 or mraburn@teklinks.com. Answer to Catholic IQ? False. Although tradition holds that Mary visited the various sites of the passion, the practice of the Stations as we know it today developed over centuries to accommodate Catholics who could not visit the Holy Land. The popes in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries encouraged this devotion by attaching an indulgence to it and directing the local pastors to erect stations within their churches. IMPORTANT!! PLEASE park only in the designated parking areas when you attend Mass on Sundays. Some are parking in front of the Parish Office and on the drive beside the office. Parking in these areas could prevent emergency vehicles from getting through. Lenten Desert Day On Wednesday, March 7 th, the Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center in Cullman, AL will be offering a Lenten Desert Day. The retreat will be directed by Sister Mary McGehee, O.S.B. The retreat will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m. Registration will begin at 8:45 a.m. The fee for the day is $30 and includes lunch. For more information or to register, please call (256) 734-8302 or retreats@shmon.org. FOCUS at The Monastery This Lent our FOCUS groups will be meeting in one setting to watch and discuss a DVD film series about five women who spend forty days with the Cistercian sisters at the Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa. The series was originally filmed as a reality pilot show in 2006 for The Learning Channel. It was never aired but the Sisters have made it into a four part series with a discussion guide. It has a great message about our common search for God and meaning in our lives. There is great interaction with the nuns as well as a close-up view of cloistered life. We will show the DVD on Sunday nights at 6:30 p.m. in the Holy Family Room from March 4 th through March 25 th. A simple meal will be served each week for which a small donation would be appreciated. We invite all the FOCUS groups and everyone in the parish to attend. There will be a designated young adults group as part of the discussion time after each DVD. The sessions will end around 8:30 p.m. If you would like to see The Monastery, their website is www.mississippiabey.org. Sign-up sheets will be in the narthex to help us get a head count for the meals or you can contact Rick DiGiorgio at 422-8734, rdig@bellsouth.net or Len Corcoran at 999-9318, lencorcoran@att.net. NEWCOMERS Barton and Carolyn Bedford Gianni and Susan Benvenuti James and Cynthia Hudson Thomas and Lija Maika Charles and Patti Mollica Elizabeth Schopfer LENTEN LUNCHEONS Join us for a simple soup and bread lunch and food for the soul with Father Joy, from 12 Noon until 1:00 p.m. each Wednesday during Lent beginning on February 29 th. In order to be able to feed all the hungry souls that come, please sign up in the foyer. There is no charge. Please remember to bring a non-perishable food item to Mass on Sunday and place it in the grocery carts provided in the upper and lower foyers of the church. These items are given to the Catholic Center of Concern to help feed the hungry in the Birmingham area.
Vocation Discernment Retreat PRAY - GIVE - SACRIFICE Giving up something for Lent, eating fish on Fridays and fasting from meat, almsgiving and penance throughout the forty days of Lent these are some of the practices for which Catholics are known. But why do we as Catholics do this? Because through these commitments known as Lenten Practices or Lenten disciplines the Catholic Church calls us each year to renew our discipleship in Christ. Specifically, each year during the liturgical season of Lent the Church asks us to pray, give alms, and fast. PRAY We know the importance of prayer in our lives as individuals, as families and as a community. The Lenten season is a time for reflection, evaluation, and repentance. During Lent we set aside time for prayer that is reflective in nature and reveals places where we have failed to open ourselves to God. GIVE Every day we witness situations of injustice, violence and hatred. Television and the Internet bring these into our living rooms, but we also observe and live them in our own cities and homes. The Church calls us during Lent to be especially conscious of the needs of others and to act accordingly. SACRIFICE Fasting and abstinence are not sacrifices for the sake of pain or vain discomfort. Fasting and abstinence help us to ask ourselves the question: What sustains me and gives me life? What nourishes me on my journey of life? We fast and abstain because, when we do, we are reminded of who we are the followers of the risen Christ. As Catholics, we joyfully engage in Lenten disciplines because we are disciples. We pray, give (almsgiving), and sacrifice (fast) because we follow Christ, who loved us so much that he gave his own life so that we might share in Eternal Life. St. Bernard Abbey, Cullman, Alabama is sponsoring a vocation discernment retreat for Roman Catholic young adults and men ages 18-49 years of age who are in good mental and physical health. Following Christ under a rule and an abbot, the Benedictine monks lead lives of prayer, work, and sacred reading, steeped in the heart and mystery of the Church. You will attend conferences on vocation discernment and monastic life, tour the abbey, and join the community in public and private prayer and at all meals. The retreat is free of charge. Space is limited. You are to arrive on Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. on March 2, 2012 and depart Sunday afternoon on March 4, 2012 unless more time is requested to explore your religious vocation. Contact Fr. Jacob Amos, O.S.B., Vocation Director at (256) 255-5801; Cell: (256) 590-7429; or email: frjacobosb@yahoo.com to register. A Come and See weekend is a no-strings attached chance to spend time learning about the life of Benedictine Monks at St. Bernard Abbey. Come pray with us, talk with our junior monks, meet our older brethren, and most of all listen for the voice of Christ who continually calls men to a life of work and prayer. By Little and By Little: Dorothy Day s Path to God On March 2-4, a weekend retreat By Little and By Little: Dorothy Day s Path to God will explore Day s profound love of God and commitment to the Gospel through her own words. Retreat leader Shelley Douglass lives and works at Mary s House, a Catholic Worker House in Birmingham, where she makes a special study of Dorothy Day. The retreat will be held at the Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center in Cullman, AL The cost for the weekend is $195.00/person for a private room and $175/person for a shared room; lodging, meals, and linens are included. For registration information, please contact the Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center at (256) 734-8302 or by email at retreats@shmon.org. Loyola Press