St. Francis of Assisi Parish February 18, 2018 +++++++++ Wednesday, February 21 Stations of the Cross after the 9:00 a.m. Mass The Stations of the Cross will be prayed every Wednesday during Lent after the 9:00 a.m. Mass unless there is a funeral. Friday, February 23 Simple Supper - 6:15 p.m. On the menu: Meatless chow mein sandwiches and Continent Bakery cheese pizza. Stations of the Cross - 7:00 p.m. Lent is a time of prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Fulfill these obligations by attending the Stations of the Cross (prayer), eating a simple, meatless meal (fasting) and donating to our goodwill offering, which will be donated to the poor and needy (almsgiving). Parish Staff Pastor: Rev. Michael A. Ciryak Maintenance: Tony Roderigues Faith Formation/Office: Christine Patota Finance/Office/Notary: Fran Kelley Music Director: Ada Simpson Cantors: Allison Messier, Mike Moniz and Christine Patota Youth Ministry: Justin & Amanda La Croix Parish Council President: Wayne Gray Parish Address: Church: 530 Gardners Neck Road Office/Rectory: 270 Ocean Grove Avenue Swansea, MA 02777 Office hours: 9:30 a.m. 4 p.m. or by appointment Liturgical Celebrations Saturday Vigil: 4 p.m. Sundays: 8, 9:30 & 11 a.m. Monday Thursday: 9 a.m. Civic Holidays: 9 a.m. only Contact: Parish Office: 508-673-2808 Parish fax: 508-672-6241 Email: stfrancisswansea@comcast.net Website: www.stfrancisswansea.com Religious Education: 508-673-2808/508-674-0024 Email: religiouseducation@stfrancisswansea.com St. Vincent de Paul: 508-673-2808 Youth Ministry: 508-673-2808 50 Week Club: Bill & Kathy Sullivan 508-493-9064/508-674-8511 Church is handicapped accessible.
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. 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. If you are a new parishioner please introduce yourself to the pastor after Mass and call the parish office to register. Attend our monthly coffee & donut social to meet your new parish family. We are so pleased you re here! Saint Francis of Assisi Memorial Fund *Since placing this announcement in the bulletin three years ago, we have only received one offering! In making funeral arrangements, you may wish to consider enrolling the deceased in the Saint Francis of Assisi Memorial Fund. Relatives and friends who donate to the fund in memory of the deceased receive a thank you card from the parish, and another card is sent notifying the bereaved of the gift. The gifts are charitable contributions and may be a supplement or a substitute for flowers. Those whose names are enrolled in the Saint Francis of Assisi Memorial Fund are remembered in the Masses and prayers of the parish. A special Mass is celebrated once a year for all the souls enrolled. All the monies of this Fund are used to purchase materials needed to make our church more inspiring and beautiful for community prayer and celebrations of the sacraments. Sat., Feb. 17 - First Sunday of Lent 4:00 p.m. Manuel Blue Miranda by friends Emilia Almeida by daughter Sun., Feb. 18 - First Sunday of Lent 8:00 a.m. Frank Siciliano & Sr. Claire Andre, O.S.C. 9:30 a.m. Luis J. & Bernadette Sousa by family 11:00 a.m. Margaret & John Comer and Pat by Ellie and family James Reid by wife (Birthday Remembrance) Mon., Feb. 19 9:00 a.m. Gail Moniz Pattison by family (20th Anniversary) Tues., Feb 20 9:00 a.m. Manuel B. Miranda by Wanda Wed., Feb 21 - St. Peter Damian, Bishop & Doctor of the Church 9:00 a.m. Jeannette Plichta & Lillian Marques Thurs., Feb 22 - The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle 9:00 a.m. Henry Guay by family Sat., Feb 24 - The Second Sunday of Lent 4:00 p.m. Debi Patterson by Mom & Dad Sun., Feb 25 - The Second Sunday of Lent 8:00 a.m. Amelia Del Toro by family Domingos Teles by family (First Anniversary) 9:30 a.m. John McLellan by family 11:00 a.m. Katie L. Fleet by Mom (Eighth Anniversary) LENT After the ark, the seedpod of creation that floated in the killing waters, comes the arch, the rainbow that bridges God s plan and human hopes. After the baptismal plunge into Jesus death comes new life in Christ s resurrection. Jesus says, Now is the time for hope s fulfillment repent and believe. Springtime Lent opens us to newness and possibility. The Holy Trinity patiently tends our hopes, nourishing us on the Eucharist. Where do we set our hopes? Do we really want Lent s simple gifts to come down where we ought to be? Text, Philip J. Sandstrom, STD 1997, OCP. All rights reserved.
Sunday February 18, 2018 In the month of February our candles burn in memory of the following people: Sanctuary Lamp: Katie L. Fleet by grandmother Altar Candle: Henry Guay by family Tabernacle Candle: Personal Intention by Luisa Carreiro Crucifix Candle: Deceased members of the Ripanti Family by Mr. & Mrs. Joe Ripanti Collected the Weekend of February 11th & 12th Budget: $3,311.00 Home Missions: $1,621.00 The second collection next weekend, 2/24 & 2/25 is for our Repairs and Restoration Fund. Thank you very much for your continued support of our parish and special collections. Liturgical Publications Advertising Campaign Cheyenne Doyle from Liturgical Publications, our bulletin printer, will be in our office the week of March 5th, securing new ads for our bulletin. Please consider purchasing an ad, sponsoring a charity, or in Memory of a Loved One. Your participation makes our bulletin successful, and you attract customers. Cheyenne Doyle 401-919-0771/cdoyle@4LPi.com St. Francis of Assisi Youth Truth Meeting Schedule Sun., Feb. 25, Mar. 11 & Mar. 25, 50 Week Club To current members: expect a phone call in the coming weeks and be prepared to answer the following questions, what would you like to eat at the banquet? and are you planning on remaining a member of the club? To non-members: would you like a chance to attend the banquet and check out what all the hoopla is about? Cut out the form to the right, include payment and drop it in the collection basket or mail it to the rectory. To all parishioners: please consider donating new items or gift cards to our giant raffle. Drop off donations in the sacristy before or after Mass. We All Need Help Now and Then Do you need help paying rent, utilities or groceries? Call the rectory and we ll arrange for a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society to contact you. Our office will be closed Mon., Feb. 19. 50 Week Club Banquet Guest Ticket Request Form Thank you for your interest in attending the 50 Week Club Annual Banquet at Venus de Milo on Sat., April 28th at 6:30 p.m. Guest tickets are $35.00 each. Make checks out to: St. Francis of Assisi 50 Week Club. Name(s) : Phone: # of Prime Rib Tickets: Congratulations to: Mary Anne Tuttle Winner for February 18, 2018 # of Baked Stuffed Shrimp Tickets: Please put this form with payment in the collection basket or mail it to the rectory as soon as possible.
Let s Do This! Calling all parishioners who have never experienced a diocesan conference. We are trying to gather a large delegation from our parish to attend this amazing event. Call the rectory and let us know if you ll be joining us. We hope to have enough folks to fill a bus, but we need to know as soon as possible. This is a great way to make Lent more meaningful. Diocesan Women and Men s Conference will take place at Stonehill College on March 10, 2018. The theme for the conference is: Be on Fire - Set the World on Fire. Conference speakers include Father Dave Dwyer, CSO, ValLimar Jansen, Sr. Marie Paul Curley, FSP and Father Anthony Ciorra. The day also includes the opportunity to shop from many vendors, receive the sacrament of reconciliation and attend Mass with Bishop Edgar da Cunha as the main celebrant. The cost is $50 per person. There will also be a young adult track this year which will run simultaneously at the Martin Institute. The cost is $35 per person (ages 18-30). Register online at www.fallriverdioces.org or find registration forms at the entrances to church. Child Protection Training & CORI Our diocese mandates that all volunteers and employees over the age of 17, must participate in a Child Protection Training course, and have a valid CORI. If you haven t participated, but would like to become involved in any of our parish ministries, or volunteer as a chaperone for our youth, please attend the training on Wednesday, February 28th at 6:30 p.m. in the church hall. Please contact Christine Patota to register prior to the training. Annual Deanery Lenten Mission The Annual Fall River Area Lenten Mission will take place from Feb. 26-March 1. It will be led this year by the Most Reverend Robert C. Evans, Auxiliary Bishop of Providence. The theme of this year s Mission is The Temptations of Christ in 2018. The Mission will take place each evening at 7:00 p.m. with Mass and the Mission talk, preceded by the availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation each evening at 6:00 p.m. The locations for the Mission are: Mon., Feb. 26, St. Bernadette Parish, Fall River Tues., Feb. 27, St. John of God Parish, Somerset Wed., Feb. 28, St. Bernard Parish, Assonet Thurs., March 1, St. Anthony of the Desert, Fall River Invite family and friends. Spread the word. It is a great way to fulfill your mission to bring the Good News of Christ to others. The First Sunday of Lent FAITH FORMATION SCHEDULE Sun., Feb. 18 through Sun., Feb. 25 - No Classes/Vacation Sun., Feb. 25 - Confirmation II Retreat Day 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Tues., Feb. 27 - Grades 3, 4 & 5 from 4:30 5:30 p.m. Thurs., Mar. 1 - Grades 1 & 2 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Sat., Mar. 3 - Confirmation I & II Work, Play and Pray from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Sun., Mar. 4 - Grades 6 & 7 class after the 9:30 a.m. Mass until 11:30 a.m. Confirmation I & II optional community service. Details have been sent home and explained. Tues., Mar. 6 - Grades 3, 4 & 5 from 4:30 5:30 p.m. Thurs., Mar. 8 - Grades 1 & 2 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Sun., Mar. 11 - Grades 6 & 7 class after the 9:30 a.m. Mass until 11:30 a.m. Tues., Mar. 13 - Grades 3, 4 & 5 from 4:30 5:30 p.m. Thurs., Mar. 15 - Grades 1 & 2 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Sun., Mar. 18 - Grades 6 & 7 class after the 9:30 a.m. Mass until 11:30. Confirmation II students to attend the High School Convention at Bishop Connolly High School. Class Mass for grades 3, 4 & 5. Coffee & donuts to follow. Tues., Mar. 20 - Grades 3, 4 & 5 from 4:30 5:30 p.m. and Middle School Rally at Bishop Stang H.S. 6-8:00 p.m. Thurs., Mar. 22 - Grades 1 & 2 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Sun., Mar. 25 - Grades 6 & 7 class after the 9:30 a.m. Mass until 11:30 a.m. Tues., Mar. 27 - Grades 3, 4 & 5 from 4:30 5:30 p.m. Thurs., Mar. 29 - Grades 1 & 2 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Attention Confirmation I & II students and families and Middle School Families: Please read about the youth convention and rally and return your permission form and payment as soon as possible. The High School Convention is mandatory for the Confirmation II students. The Middle School Rally is optional for our students, but they are highly encouraged to attend. High School Youth Convention : March 18, 2018 from 10am to 5pm at Bishop Connolly High School. Confirmation II students from our parish are attending as a group. Middle School Rally: March 20th 9-11am 6-8pm @ Bishop Stang HS for Parish Programs. Any middle school student from St. Francis who would like to attend is asked to contact Mrs. Patota. If there is enough interest we will rent a bus, as we did last year. Both the convention and the rally feature the witness and entertainment of Vince Nims the Roamin Catholic Banana Guy. Find out more about him here: http://www.vincenims.com/
Sunday February 18, 2018 The First Sunday of Lent