St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church 2414 Seventeenth Street, Gulfport, Mississippi 39501 Telephone (228) 864-2272 Fax (228) 864-2273 Email: stjohnthee@cableone.net Staff: Rev. Joseph Uko, Pastor Deacon David Allen, Pastoral Associate Sr. Mary Kealy, PBVM, Pastoral Associate Teri Patton, Parish Secretary Masses: Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m. First Saturday Devotion: 9:00 a.m. Sunday: 8:00 & 10:30 a.m., 6:00 p.m. Daily Mass: Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. Spanish Mass: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Holy Days: 6:00 p.m., Vigil, 7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. Confession: Saturday 4:00 4:45 p.m. and anytime on request Third Sunday of Easter April 19, 2015 MEMORIES Two years ago, following the death of my youngest sister at the age of 37, I felt the need to be surrounded with reminders of her life and accomplishments. Her final months spent battling an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis were months when her body simply wasted away. After her death I felt a strong need to place photos in my office cubicle and in my home-photos showing my sister in her earlier years as a vibrant, healthy, and sparkling young woman. About a year after my sister's death, I was visiting another sister and noticed that she had only two photos of our late sister in her home. One photo had been taken years earlier and showed our sister as a vital young woman. The other was taken a few months before her death. In that photo, she was in her wheelchair, pale, thin, and feeble. My sister told me that she always wanted to be reminded of the health and the sickness and death, since these were the realities that made our late sister who she really was. This was a moment of great insight for me. Now when I remember my sister, I try to remember her from images of her strong years, as well as images of her final months and dying days. The totality of these images makes up who my sister was. REMEMBERING DURING THE EASTER SEASON The Easter season gives us many opportunities to remember the totality of what God has done for us. Today, two weeks after Easter, the scripture writers urge us to remember the whole event of the paschal mystery-christ's passion, death, and resurrection. This is important because every one of us who is baptized has a share in that mystery. We are constantly called to die to sin and rise to renewed life in Christ Jesus. Copyright (c) 2005, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.
Third Sunday of Easter April 19, 2015 You alone, O LORD, bring security to my dwelling. Psalm 4:9 C.C.D. (Grades K-12)... Sundays, 9:00-10:15 A.M. Knights of Columbus... 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 7:00 P.M. K C Ladies Auxiliary... 3rd Tuesday, 6:30 P.M. R.C.I.A...Tuesdays, 6:30 P.M. St. Vincent de Paul... 2nd Wednesday, 9:00 A.M. Young At Heart... 4th Thursday, 12 Noon SAVORING THE EXPERIENCE One of the wonderful things about vacations is the time we spend two or three weeks afterward savoring the experience, sharing vacation photos and memories with our family and friends. This kind of reflection puts us back in touch with the original experience and reminds us of the relaxation and wonder the vacation afforded us. Today, on the Third Sunday of Easter, the Church blesses us with reminders of what we celebrated two Sundays ago. All three readings are reflections on the meaning of the death and resurrection of Christ. One of the threads running through these reflections is that the purpose of the Lord s suffering, death, and resurrection was to save us, to forgive our sins. We are given fifty days to ponder this reality fifty days to savor the experience of Christ s dying and rising for us. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Happy birthday wishes to: Betty Lacap & Gary Whitener celebrate Apr. 18; Ben Mamaril & David Scaia celebrate Apr. 20; Jason Papania celebrates Apr. 21; Alma Dedeaux & Tommy Ladner celebrate Apr. 22; Karl Fasold, Michael Manuel & Rebecca Hebert celebrate Apr. 23; Cliff D Angelo & Pamela Vitteck celebrate Apr. 24. May God Bless them with many more Happy Birthdays! Congratulations to Charlie & Jean Underwood on the anniversary of their wedding! Charlie & Jean celebrated their 46th anniversary on April 12. May God bless them with many more happy years together! The second collection this weekend is for Catholic School Support. The second collection at all Masses next weekend is for Catholic Home Missions Appeal. Welcome to St. John the Evangelist Church! If you are new to the parish and have not yet registered, please call 864-2272. Easter is a Season Just as Sunday is one day out of seven, so the Easter season, a period of 50 days, is approximately one-seventh of the year. The Easter season, a time of special rejoicing and celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, is the Great Sunday of the year. The liturgical prayers and readings focus on the Resurrection and the effects that it has on believers and on the world. The Acts of the Apostles is a book of Scripture that provides the source of most of the readings of the Easter Season, and it shows the vigor with which the apostles proclaimed the Resurrection and brought many to the waters of baptism to share the new life of Christ. This season is a celebration of life, and leads us all to a deeper commitment to proclaim, celebrate, and serve the gift of human life. Raffle Ticket s are on the back table- Every year you have been very generous to help us sell or purchase tickets for a $1.000 raffle drawing that will be held this year at the International Festival on May 24. The tickets are ready with your name on them in the back of church. Please help us to save on postage and pick up your raffle tickets. This money generates income to help pay for the various improvements not budgeted that we must make to our church and facilities every year. We appreciate your help in this worthy endeavor. The Pope s intentions for April GENERAL Creation That people may learn to respect creation and care for it as a gift of God. MISSION Persecuted Christians That persecuted Christians may feel the consoling presence of the risen Lord and the solidarity of all the Church.
April 22 is the 45th anniversary of Earth Day, a day set aside for action and reflection on stewardship of our planet. "I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be 'protectors' of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment." - Pope Francis, Inauguration, 3/19/13 Fr. Mark Ropel is walking the Walk of St. James El Camino de Santiago de Compostela (in English: The Way of St. James) is a network of routes across Spain and Europe which all lead to Santiago de Compostela, in the northwest of Spain. The routes are walked as a pilgrimage to the tomb of the apostle St. James. The walk is 484 miles and will take Fr. Mark 33 days to complete. If you would like Fr. Mark to walk intentions for you and your family, please write our intention on a piece of paper 1 inch x 3 inch. He will carry these in a zip lock bag in his back pack. There is a box on the back table, with paper to write your intentions. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage is one of many organizations that have come together to sponsor a third March for Marriage which is scheduled to be held on Saturday April 25, 2015 in Washington, D.C. This event is taking place three days before the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the constitutionality of states preserving the legal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The March will be an opportunity to stand for the good of marriage in our nation, to pray for our Supreme Court justices, and to demonstrate our commitment to the well-being of children. The website promoting this event is available at www.marriagemarch.org. The Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth will be promoting it through the USCCB and Marriage: Unique for a Reason websites and social media. St. Patrick Catholic High School invites you to our 8th annual "Shamrockin' the Coast" party and auction on Friday, April 24 in the Magnolia Ballroom of the Beau Rivage from 7 :00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. The evening will feature delicious food, live music by Bag of Donuts, enticing auction items, and good fellowship. Tickets are $100 which admits two people. Proceeds will be used to purchase new computer equipment and software for the school. Alumni from St. Patrick, Mercy Cross, St. John, Notre Dame, and Sacred Heart receive a special alumni half-priced ticket when purchased in advance. Must be 21 years old to attend, and the dress is business casual. For tickets or more information, call (228) 702-0500. The beautiful flowers on the Altar this weekend were donated by Steve & Marla Ellis and Colette & Mike Quigley in loving memory of their grandmother Clara Belle Quigley s birthday. Thank You! West Harrison County Ultreya St. Thomas will host the next West Harrison County Ultreya on Monday, April 20 at 7:00 pm. Ultreya is the reunion of Cursillistas, but all are invited to learn more about the Cursillo Movement of South Mississippi. We will meet in room 203B on the second floor, just follow the signs! Michelle Fleming can be contacted at Michelle2694@gmail.com or 228-236-7307 with any questions you may have. Catholic Sharing Appeal: May the risen Lord be recognized by each family in our parish, through a generous donation to the Catholic Sharing Appeal. If you have not get given to this most valuable program in our Diocese, please consider making a contribution during this week. God will bless you for your generosity and support of the ministries of the Diocese, and for caring for the less fortunate. Our goal this year is $30,465. We have 354 registered families and to date, $24,589. has been pledged by 78 families. Thank you! 2016 European Shrines Tour with Father Joseph Uko Come join our group for a once in a lifetime pilgrimage experience in some of Europe s awe inspiring Shrines and Cathedrals. Dates: April 25-May 7, 2016 Places and Shrines to see: Lisbon, Alcobaca, Fatima, Braga (Porugal), Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, San Ignacio de Loyola, Barcelona (Spain), Lourdes, Carcassonne (France) Cost: $2,999.00 per person Includes:1.Daily breakfast, 6 dinners, lunch on your own) 2. Round trip airfare from Gulfport 3. Cost of land tour 4. Airport transfer to hotel in Lisbon and hotel to airport in Barcelona. How to Book: Call Rose Morrissey at 866-842-4835 (except July 23-August 9, 2015). Book by September 15, 2015 with a $25o non-refundable deposit and receive a $100 early booking discount. Trip Insurance: Available for $209.00 per person For More Information, please contact: Cynthia Dominguez at 228 896-4905 or email Cynthia.d1973@yahoo.com
GOD S WORD TODAY The Easter season is a time of mystagogy. Mystagogy is an ancient word that simply means unfolding the mysteries. During the Easter season, the Church unfolds the mysteries of Christ s passion, death, and resurrection so that the newly baptized, along with the entire community of believers, can grasp more fully the meaning of the paschal mystery. Today s scriptures offer a lesson in mystagogy for us all. Jesus place in salvation history is recounted by Saint Peter in the first reading and interpreted by Jesus himself in the Gospel passage. Like students who sit at the feet of their master, let us gather around the table of God s word, asking God to open our hearts and minds to a renewed sense of the meaning of the paschal mystery in our lives. From Saint Margaret Sunday Missal, copyright J. S. Paluch Company The lilies from Easter are in the breezeway to the east of the Church. If you would like to take one to plant in your yard please do so. TODAY S READINGS First Reading The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead (Acts 3:13-15, 17-19). Psalm Lord, let your face shine on us (Psalm 4). Second Reading We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one (1 John 2:1-5a). Gospel Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day (Luke 24:35-48). The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Acts 6:8-15; Ps 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30; Jn 6:22-29 Tuesday: Acts 7:51 8:1a; Ps 31:3cd-4, 6, 7b, 8a, 17, 21ab; Jn 6:30-35 Wednesday: Acts 8:1b-8; Ps 66:1-3a, 4-7a; Jn 6:35-40 Thursday: Acts 8:26-40; Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20; Jn 6:44-51 Friday: Acts 9:1-20; Ps 117:1bc, 2; Jn 6:52-59 Saturday: 1 Pt 5:5b-14; Ps 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17; Mk 16:15-20 Sunday: Acts 4:8-12; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18 William Allen Theresa Barlow Lisa Bass David Bell Mary Anne Bishop Ruby Bouchard Harriett Bowles Pablo Cabasa Carol Campbell Danny Carlisle Buddy Cospelich Rhonda Cospelich Socorro Crabbe Kevin Crane Gerald Cuevas Linda Eschler Deanne Fasold Lynn Foster Felecia Galle Nicole Gilbert Jal Giuffria Peter Giuffria Betty Godo Tom Goode Anna Grice Please Remember in Your Prayers Jessi Hebert Hazel Herrington Klaus Jeschke Mary Kealy Kemberly Lacap Gary Lacy Diane Lefkowitz Herman Lefkowitz Churck Lepowsky Joann Liner Jenny Lizana Patty Loftin Walter Lolley Celeste McInnis S. J. Marengo Dot Miller Rhonda Mires Luz Monzon Karen Nelson Tillie Nettles Melvin Olive Kent Olsen Trey Patterson Jane Pendergrass Mike Price Gary Reeves Chris Richards Randy Richardson Glenda Rockwell Sharon Rogers Ken Saxon Joseph Schultz Don Seymour Gary Seymour Marie Stanbro Norman Stanbro Wanda Stephens Emerson Stringer Tracy Taylor Lisa Thompson Bennye Turner Becky Truxillo Felecia Vann Ronald Wade Kathleen Walker Jim Wetzel, III Rosemary White Winkey Williams Addie Wittmann Ginger Worth Prayer is the door through which all God s Graces comes to us -St. Theresa of Avila SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Third Sunday of Easter Tuesday: St. Anselm Wednesday: Administrative Professionals Day; Earth Day Thursday: St. George; St. Adalbert Friday: St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen; National Arbor Day Saturday: St. Mark Collections: April 11-12 Identifiable: $2654 Unidentifiable: $697ACH: $200 Hospitality: $445 Thank you for your generosity! MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK Saturday: +Ben North Sunday: 8:00am +Matthew & Thelma Serpa 10:30am +Anthony Davis; +Edna & Marion Garrett 6:00pm People of the Parish Monday: +Doris Necaise Tuesday: Special Int. of Teresa Wellins Wednesday: +Mackie Fayard Thursday: +John Graham Friday: +Fr. Gerard Cleary
TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION With the Easter season well under way, we now resume our survey of the sacrament of the sick. The pastoral care of the sick will be misunderstood if we start from the vantage point of the sickroom. Begin with the Sunday assembly, from which the sick person has been separated by the crisis of illness, and whose absence is given expression in prayer and service. The goal is to extend the consolation of the Lord s presence at the table to those who are apart from it, and for the assembly to enfold them in prayer. Secondarily, the goal is to teach people what the Church desires for all those who are sick. Seeing ministers dispatched to the sick from Mass every Sunday might help a caregiver realize that their dear one can also receive Communion. Witnessing the anointing of a woman facing surgery might help another person to overcome hesitation and ask for the sacrament s healing and strength. Society s impulse may be to marginalize the sick, but the tradition of our community is to see them at the center of our life. When Roman persecutors ordered St. Lawrence the Deacon to hand over the jewels of the church, he assembled a motley crew of the sick and the infirm and announced with all humility, Behold, my lord, the treasures of the church of Christ. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Please support our Bulletin Advertisers! Take a bulletin home with you and look at all our advertisers. We appreciate their generosity and support of our parish. When you patronize them, thank them for their support of our parish. Apr 23 May 3 May 9 May 10 May 13 May 17 May 24 Calendar of Events Young at Heart, Presentation Hall-Noon First Holy Communion, 10:30 Mass Confirmation at 5:00pm Mass Mothers Day Pastoral Council Meeting Recognition of Seniors at 10:30 Mass International Festival & Raffle, After 10:30 Mass Choir practice is every Friday at 6:00pm in the Church. New voices are always welcome to help elevate our praises to God. Please consider being a part of this very important and beautiful ministry. Just a reminder, Our prayer group meets every Thursday afternoon from 5:15-6:15pm. Everyone is invited to join us. For more information call the Parish office, 864-2272. If you or anyone in your family is ill at home or in the hospital and would like us to visit you-please call the parish office at 864-2272. We really appreciate those who donate toward the flowers for our church. Sometimes donations are made in honor of an event (anniversary, birthday, etc.) or in memory of a loved one. If you would like to have flowers placed in church, please contact the parish office at 228 864-2272.