W e l c o m e t o S t. P a t r i c k C h u r c h 2 3 5 C h a p e l S t r e e t, G r a s s V a l l e y, C a l i f o r n i a Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time F e b r u a r y 2 3, 2 0 1 4 Father Sylvester Kwiatkowski, Pastor Father Innocent Subiza, Parochial Vicar James Shea, Deacon Carlos Astesana, Deacon (retired) Brian Moore, Deacon (retired) James Chatigny, Deacon (retired) Mass Schedule Saturday vigil 5:00 p.m. Sunday 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. Spanish Mass Saturday 6:30 p.m. Reconciliation Saturday 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. or by appointment Monday through Saturday 7:50 a.m. Eucharistic Adoration See overleaf We, the parish of St. Patrick Church, being one community growing in faith and proclaiming our belief in the message and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ, invite all to open their hearts, hear His call, and become one with the Body of Christ.
St. Patrick Church 235 Chapel Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 phone 530-273-2347 fax 530-272-9681 email stpatchurch@sbcglobal.net web www.stpatrickgrassvalley.org Fr. Sylvester Kwiatkowski, Pastor 273-2347 Fr. Innocent Subiza, Parochial Vicar (residence St. Canice Church) 265-2049 Ellen del Valle, Secretary 273-2347 stpatchurch@sbcglobal.net Pamela Magill, Bookkeeper 273-2347 stpatricks0469@sbcglobal.net John Evans, Facilities Manager 277-2934 Karen Burford, Director of Faith Formation 273-2336 x 201 karinab@aol.com Barbara Burns, RCIA 273-2336 x 205 burnsla@peoplepc.com Frank Ortiz, Youth Ministry 273-2336 x 204 fortiz_53@hotmail.com Pat Muro, Spanish Ministry 273-2336 x 207 Sr. Wendy Mitchell, Marian Consecration 273-8113 Mount St. Mary Academy 273-4694 info@mtstmarys.org PASTOR S CORNER by Fr. Sylvester Kwiatkowski In today s Gospel, Christ says to us, Love your enemies. We tend to ignore these words, as though they were meant for the saints, not for us. But they are meant for us. We all have some enemies. As Christians, the greatest gift that we possess is the gift to love. The success or failure of our lives depends on how we use this gift. The one thing that can destroy this gift is hate, and there are many opportunities in life to hate. Hatred is a very dangerous thing that can destroy us. We can consume more energy in hating than in all our other activities. Hatred creates a kind of poison the poison of bitterness, hostility and resentment. It s amazing the poison and nastiness that can exist in so-called nice people! When we hate another person, we give that person a terrible power over us. The person we hate has the power to rob us of our peace of mind and capacity to love. Christ s way is a better way. It is not a soft way, it calls for strength and toughness. But if we give it a try, we ourselves enjoy the greatest benefit. In disagreements that do not involve us directly, we should always be trying to reconcile the two parties, not trying to stir things up and further spread the poison. Let us pray that God may help us to cleanse our hearts of the poison of hatred, bitterness, and resentment poisons that rob us of our peace and destroy our capacity to love. This last week we have been so happy to see Father Simon Twomey back visiting in our area. It is always nice to see our former pastor who is still healthy and full of energy. If you see him around be sure to invite him to come back to St. Patrick s for a visit. This coming Wednesday, February 26, all are invited to our parish-wide Mardi Gras celebration and Lenten Preparation starting with a pancake dinner at 5:00 p.m. in the large hall. Please see the next page for more details. READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK February 24 through March 2 Monday: James 3:13-18 Mark 9:14-29 Tuesday: James 4:1-10 Mark 9:30-37 Wednesday: James 4:13-17 Mark 9:38-40 Thursday: James 5:1-6 Mark 9:41-50 Friday: James 5:9-12 Mark 10:1-12 Saturday: James 5:13-20 Mark 10:13-16 Sunday: Isaiah 49:14-15 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Matthew 6:24-34 MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK For anointing of the sick, hospital visits or communion visits at home, please notify the parish office. Eucharistic Adoration Schedule Friday 9:15 to 11:00 a.m. First Saturday of the month 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. First Sunday of the month 12:00 Noon to 8:00 p.m. Monday 2/24 8:30 am Delbert Hedges (D) Tuesday 2/25 8:30 am Wilson Kerby (D) Wednesday 2/26 8:30 am Jeffrey Harmon (D) Thursday 2/27 8:30 am JoAnne Breeden (SI) Friday 2/28 8:30 am Vickie Mitchell (SI) Saturday 3/1 8:30 am Sunday 3/2 7:30 am 11:00 am Poor Souls in Purgatory Beverly Gomez (D) The Field and Babson Families Living and Deceased Helene MacDonald (D) Richard and Gary Garbers (D)
FAMILY MINISTRY AND FORMATION Religious Education and Catholic Formation for Our Public School Families Schedule Sunday, February 23: No Faith Formation. Wednesday, February 26: Mardi Gras and Lenten Preparation. Required class. Sunday, March 2: No Faith Formation. PRAY FOR OUR CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES The confirmation candidates from St. Patrick and St. Canice parishes attended the Fired Up conference this weekend. They were joined by other young people throughout the diocese as they attended the workshops, listened to great speakers and celebrated Holy Mass with Bishop Soto. Please pray for these young parishioners as they continue with their preparations to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on April 2. BAPTISM CLASSES Our next series of baptism classes for parents and Godparents is scheduled for Saturday mornings, March 1 and March 8 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Parents and/or Godparents will sign up for BOTH classes, to be held at St. Cecilia s Parish Center which is located above the school s grass field. These classes are required by the diocese and provide a wonderful opportunity for parents and Godparents to meet other families of the parish. They also help parents in their understanding of our Holy Sacraments and what it truly means to be a practicing Catholic and a member of God s Church family. If you are pregnant, have a child that needs baptism or know you will be asked to be Godparents, please call Karen at 273-2336 x 201 or email karinab@aol.com to register for the class and for more information. Please note that the next series of classes will be held in the Summer. HIGH SCHOOL CONFIRMATION CLASS Last Chance to Register for This Year! We invite High School youth who desire to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation to join us for a six to eight week program that will prepare them to receive this Holy Sacrament on April 2. The program will start soon! Please contact Karen at 273-2336 x 201 or karinab@aol.com for more information. ADULT CONFIRMATION CLASS (CHANGES) Classes Start Week of March 16 Call Now! We invite adults who desire to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation to join us for an 8-week preparation process that will prepare them to receive the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday, June 7 at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento. Confirmation candidates will join other adults from around the diocese and receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Soto. This is a beautiful and tremendous opportunity to participate in this Holy Mass. Classes will begin the week of March 16. Please call Karen at 273-2336 x 201 for more information and to register. Class dates and times will be determined. NEWS FROM MOUNT ST. MARY S Gold Rush Gala Casino Night, March 22 Mount St. Mary s Academy is planning our biggest fundraiser of the year, Gold Rush Gala Casino Night Denim to Diamonds! Save the date: Saturday, March 22, at the Veterans Hall in Grass Valley. Doors open promptly at 5:30. Enjoy an evening packed full of auctions both silent and live. Try your hand at poker, roulette, blackjack and so much more. Maybe you could win enough money to walk away with some of the biggest prizes of the evening. The cost is $49 per person with a no host bar and food catered by Antonio. So what are you waiting for? Hurry up and buy your ticket in advance to be a part of this exciting evening. Tickets are available at the Mount St. Mary s school office Monday through Friday or call 273-4694 for more information. PARISH EVENING OF FUN FOR ALL AGES! Wednesday, February 26 Pancake Dinner Served From 5:00 6:15 p.m. Come dressed up in Mardi Gras attire or come early to make masks. Masks and beads will be provided for the children. We will have lots of fun and get involved in a special activity that will help us all understand the holy season of Lent which will begin on March 5. There is no charge for this event, although we gladly will accept donations to help cover our expenses. Come and join the fun New Orleans style! You will be glad you did! YOUR HELP IS NEEDED PLEASE CALL We especially need help with transforming our hall with our New Orleans-style decorating on Tuesday, February 25, in the early evening and set-up on Wednesday, February 26, in the late afternoon. Please call Karen at 273-2336 x 201 to offer your help! THE CATHOLICISM PROJECT Journey Around the World and Deep Into the Faith Our DVD series began last Tuesday and anyone is welcome to join us any time during the next 12 weeks (see schedule of topics below). This is a wonderful opportunity to join other parishioners and to learn more about your faith and what Catholics believe. We start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 10:30. We are meeting at St. Cecilia s parish center (note: no one called for an evening class so we will try again for an evening class in the summer). Class schedule and topics: February 25: Happy Are We The Teaching of Jesus March 4: The Ineffable Mystery of God March 11: Mary the Mother of God March 18: Peter and Paul and the Missionary Adventure For the complete schedule see catholicismseries.com/upload/ lesson.pdf or call Karen at 273-2336 to register. You are welcome to come to as many of the sessions as you would like. The cost is $5.00 per session.
ST. PATRICK MEETINGS THIS WEEK Mon 2/24 7:50 am Tues 2/25 7:50 am 9:30 am 12:00 pm 5:15 pm 6:00 pm Wed 2/26 7:50 am Thurs 2/27 8:15 am 10:30 am Fri 2/28 7:50 am 9:15 am Sat 3/1 7:50 am 9:30 am 10:00 am 10:00 am 7:30 pm Sun 3/2 12:30 pm 1:00 pm Divine Mercy Community Meal O.L. Perpetual Help Legion of Mary Capital Campaign Reception RCIA team meeting Choir practice K of C Officers Meeting Bible Study Mardi Gras Supper/Lent Prep. Liturgy of the Hours Charismatic Prayer Group Capital Campaign reception RCIA Eucharistic Adoration Choir practice Genevieve Cahill Family of Nazareth Funeral Genevieve Cahill Prayer Shawl Meeting Adoration Catechism Round Table Adoration until 8:00 p.m. FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP ~Our Return to God~ Sunday Collection 2/10: $8,486.00 Mount St. Mary s: $3,240.00 Weekly collection budget for 2013-14 fiscal year: $10,577 Thank you for your generosity! ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL UPDATE The Annual Catholic Appeal is our annual tradition that connects us to thousands of people who need our help every day. Because our parish is in the midst of the Combined Capital Campaign at this time, our Annual Catholic Appeal Weekend will take place in June. Last year, our 25% parish share was used to assist Hospitality House, Mount St. Mary s Academy, Interfaith Food Ministry, and Emergency Assistance Coalition. Please remember the Annual Catholic Appeal in your prayers and all those who will be helped this year through the generous participation of Catholic in our diocese. ST. PATRICK STEWARDSHIP Some of you by now, I am sure, have received literature on the Combined Capital Campaign that has been initiated. For many of us it started almost as a roller coaster ride a couple of low-key meetings and then, wham-o! Envelopes to all parishioners were addressed, stamped, stuffed and mailed out. Volunteer sheets were left in the pews to be filled out. So, it has begun! Recently I read in one of the leading magazines that last year in the United States consumers spent $2,000,000,000 on mayonnaise. Two billion dollars! All I could think of right away was the number of calories that must be. That is almost a ridiculous figure, actually sort of scary. Two billion dollars?! Throughout our lives it seems as though there are always ways to spend our money. Way back when I started my first real job (at the age of 13, that s when I got my driver's license) all I could think of was, wow, I won t have to worry about gas money any more. Things really began to change after that. I was reminded by my parents that there were an awful lot of things more important than gas money. So it began. Almost everybody works with some sort of budget and for most of us, there never seems to be sufficient funds for what we want to do. There is the mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, groceries, entertainment, donations, and quite often a car, boat, or RV payment. And then it s time to do a remodel, or get new flooring or appliances the list just never ends yet we still have to live within our means. Now we have the Combined Capital Campaign beginning. How does that fit into our budget? I sort of look at it like a major car maintenance repair. Don t you just love it when the auto repair facility calls up and says, well, you need to spend about twenty three hundred dollars to get your car back into a reliable mode. It s either buy a new car or repair what you have for an awful lot less. Something needs to be done and neither choice is really pleasing, but it is a necessity. When the parish survey was performed, we all noted the repair work needed for the hall and the church. The hall came first, due to the roof leaking so badly that it was going to create more problems and greater expense if not repaired first. Now we must work on the church. It will be a sacrifice, and something more expensive and out of the ordinary than a new pair of shoes (think of the money spent on mayonnaise!) So please, take the time to pray and think about what you can do to help rebuild God s house to the worthiness of his mercy and love. Pat Gerving Pondering thought: The only thing worth possessing is utterly beyond all possessing ST. PATRICK S DAY DINNER DANCE Saturday, March 15 The annual St. Patrick s Day Dinner Dance will be held on Saturday, March 15. The usual outstanding dinner of corned beef and cabbage will be served. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for a no-host bar with dinner served at approximately 7:00 p.m. Dancing will start around 8:00 p.m. Tickets will be sold for $15.00 each after Masses on March 1 and 2 and March 8 and 9. For questions, or if you can t make it to one of the ticket sales following Mass, please call Scott McLaughlin at 478-0636. Please come and celebrate St. Patrick s Day with us!
MONDAY COMMUNITY MEAL The Second and Fourth Monday Community Meal will be serving a free, hot, nourishing dinner on Monday, February 24, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. All ages welcome. Join them in St. Patrick s Hall. Coffee and milk are included with the meal. Mark your calendar for their next meal on Monday, March 10. Donations accepted and new volunteers appreciated. EMPTY BOWL FUNDRAISER Saturday, March 8 Join the friends of Hospitality House for a simple soup supper benefiting Hospitality House and take home a ceramic bowl made by a local artist. This very popular annual fundraiser will take place this year at Peace Lutheran Church, 828 W. Main Street. There will be two seatings: from noon to 2:00 p.m. and from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The cost is $20.00 for adults and kids under 12 are free. Tickets are available online at hhshelter.org, or at the door. For questions call Joanna at 271-7144. MANY THANKS FROM CLRS Once again the Catholic Ladies Relief Society would like to thank our beautiful parishioners for supporting our fundraisers such as the second Sunday bake sale, pasty bake sale, craft fair and so many other events throughout the year. You truly are the hands of Christ. You have helped us to donate to Interfaith Food Ministry, Living Well Medical Clinic, Hospitality House, Habitat for Humanity, the Community Meal and Mount St. Mary s Academy. You also enable us to assist with parish projects when needed. Thank you so much and God bless you all. RENO BUS TRIP The Fellowship Committee of St. Canice Church is again hosting a bus trip to the Silver Legacy in Reno on Friday, April 25. There has been no increase in costs. For $30.00 you get $10.00 in cash, $5.00 in food and a great ride save your gas! Full payment by April 4 to get a seat. Call Eloise Arens at 477-0614 or Steve at 265-3302. Mail checks to 23 Candy Lane, Grass Valley, CA 95945. PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY MEETING The Prayer Shawl Ministry will be meeting Saturday, March 1, at 10:00 a.m. in the small hall. All skill levels are welcome! Patterns for knit and crochet items will be available. Bring your ideas, yarn, crochet hooks and knitting needles. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your time and talent to bless a Hospice patient. The shawls will be blessed by Fr. Sylvester and then they will be delivered to Hospice of the Foothills. It is also a time of fellowship with each other. A light snack will be provided. If you have any questions, please call Patti Babiarz at 530-470-8964. Be good, keep your feet dry, your eyes open, your heart at peace and your soul in the joy of Christ. Thomas Merton REFLECTING ON GOD S WORD A 2006 movie called Love Actually has one of the best openings in recent years. It begins with two young people running toward each other and falling into each other s arms, kissing joyfully. Then you see a mother being hugged by her two little girls, then two older women, perhaps sisters, embracing. As these scenes give way to others, you become aware that all this takes place in an airport at the arrivals gate. Accompanying these images is a voiceover. Whenever he feels down about the condition of the world, the speaker goes to the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport in London. Despite the fact that there is so much hatred and greed in the world, he says, Heathrow is one place where things seem different. At Heathrow love is everywhere. All the while you hear this voice, you are watching people rush into each other s arms. For a full minute you see the world as a welcoming, warm, loving place. You know it s something of a set-up because who goes to meet people at airports other than family, good friends, people in a loving relationship? But isn t this God s plan for the world, what God wants most from us: love God; love one another. The voiceover concludes by noting that right before the planes hit the Twin Towers in New York City, all the calls that went out were messages of love. People chose to have their final words be professions of love. Making that choice on a daily basis is what makes us perfect that is, full-grown, complete, holy. James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R. Copyright 2013, World Library Publications. All rights reserved. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Olive oil looms large in the vocabulary of baptism. There are other oils in the pantry closet, from grapeseed to safflower to canola, but only olives yield the proper meanings. Olives don t just happen; they are cultivated, nurtured, pruned, and fussed over; they are a sign of human and divine cooperation. Olives can thrive in poor soil, but they cannot survive without human ingenuity, planting shoots and pruning branches. They can t be popped from a tree and munched like apples: they are inedible without long curing; neither do they yield their oil to hand pressure alone, but only to huge stone mills. Abundant patience is needed as sediment sinks to the bottom of storage barrels and pure oil rises to the surface. Olive oil is a byproduct of peace: war keeps harvesters, planters, and pruners within city walls and turns millers into soldiers. To obtain oil from olives you need vast measures of hope, patience, faith, and ingenuity. Olive oil is a sign of God s bounty and the way we human beings collaborate with God to bring about impossibly wonderful results. It is creation at its finest. Some people give chocolate eggs for Easter; perhaps olive oil is a more appropriate gift! Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co.