BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHEDRAL Mother Church and Parish of the Diocese of Greensburg The First Sunday of Lent ~ February 18, 2018 Coat of Arms of The Most Reverend Edward C. Malesic, J.C.L. Bishop of Greensburg Prayers and Condolences As we announced at the Sunday Masses last weekend we received word late Saturday evening that Ms. Kathi Probo, our Cathedral Parish Formation Director unexpectedly died in her sleep sometime Saturday, February 10, 2018. Kathi was the Director of Faith Formation at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral of Greensburg since 2009. She also coordinated our Sacramental Preparation for Baptism, First Penance, First Eucharist and Confirmation as well as Marriage Preparation for couples in our parish. Over these last 9 years Kathi ministered to hundreds of members of our parish and she will be greatly missed. Prior to coming to Blessed Sacrament Cathedral Kathi was a director of Religious Education at several parishes in the Pittsburgh Diocese, including her home parish of St. Colman in Turtle Creek. She also worked in the Formation Office in the Diocese of Wheeling, West Virginia. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Kathi s soul at her home parish, St. Colman Church on Thursday, February 15, 2018. Please keep Kathi s soul and the consolation of her family in your prayers during this difficult time. Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen! Personal Appointments you may have scheduled with Kathi Probo Due to Kathi Probo s untimely and completely unexpected death we are aware that you might have had a personal appointment scheduled with her in the next month or so. Your appointment could be related to RCIA, Baptism Preparation, Marriage or Sacramental Preparation, or another related area. If that is the case please, call the parish office and supply us with the details of the appointment. Someone will respond to you as soon as possible. Any parish training and group sessions that are already scheduled for Sacramental Preparation will be held as scheduled. Parish Office Hours Monday- Friday 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Phone (724) 834-3710 Fax (724) 834-1518 Greensburg Catholic Cemetery Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Phone (724) 836-4384 Aquinas Academy Phone (724) 834-7940 Website www.blessedsacramentcathedral.org Online Giving: www.blessedsacramentcathedral.org Blessed Sacrament Cathedral 300 North Main Street Greensburg, PA 15601 Sacrament of Reconciliation Every Saturday at 11 AM till completed, or any time by appointment. Daily Rosary Monday - Friday 11:30 AM Daily Mass Schedule Monday - Friday 12:10 PM and Saturday: 8:00 AM Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM Sunday: 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 7:00 PM Holy Day Vigil Mass 5:30 PM
Genesis 9:8-15 God establishes a covenant with Noah and every living creature. Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 The ways of God are full of love and compassion. 1 Peter 3:18-22 Baptism is the ark of our salvation. Mark 1:12-15 Jesus squares off with Satan and is now ready to proclaim the Kingdom. Keeping in our prayers and trusting that God will bring to his family comfort in the days ahead, we commend to your prayer the soul of: Carlo C. Bisignani Know that the Lord has welcomed our loved ones into the home of Heaven. Our parish community extends its deepest sympathies to his family and relatives on their loss. A sincere thank you to all who visited and took ashes on Ash Wednesday to our parishioners who are homebound and to those who are in nursing homes in our area. Our shut-ins are extremely grateful for this ministry, and without your dedication and caring, it would not be possible. It is very important to those who cannot be with us for liturgy to be assured that they are an important and connected part of our community. We are grateful also for their continued prayers for us. Saturday, February 17, 2018 Saturday after Ash Wednesday 8:00 AM Ann Van Fleet (Cobetto) 5:30 PM Dena Tutich (Martha Valore) Sunday, February 18, 2018 The First Sunday of Lent 7:00 AM For the Living and Deceased Members of the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral Parish 9:00 AM Rita McFeeley (Husband and Children) 11:30 AM Mr. Albert Seaman (The Zelkovic Family) 3:00 PM Rite of Election Bishop Malesic, presiding 7:00 PM Helen Pocivanik (Nadeaus Family, Friends of Judith Koveleski) Monday, February 19, 2018 12:10 PM Mary McKelvey (Luttner) Tuesday, February 20, 2018 12:10 PM Michael Menanno (Kathy and Tony Rocco) Wednesday, February 21, 2018 12:10 PM James Valdesalice (Claire Valdesalice) Thursday, February 22, 2018 The Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle 12:10 PM Dolores (Dee) Scopel (Jamie and Russell Bernd - Daughter) 1:30 PM Aquinas Academy Mass Friday, February 23, 2018 12:10 PM Larry Hoehler and Gary Miles (Ray and June Hoehler) 2:00 PM Aquinas Academy Stations of the Cross 5:30 PM Blessed Sacrament Stations of the Cross Saturday, February 24, 2018 8:00 AM Blase J. Caranese III (Family) 5:30 PM Carl Shaw (Dotty Dominick - Sister) Sunday, February 25, 2018 The Second Sunday of Lent 7:00 AM For the Living and Deceased Members of the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral Parish 9:00 AM Martin Rottler, Thomas, Edward and Anne Murtha (Rottler Family) 11:30 AM Rita Sleowsky (Paul and Georgetta Secosky) Rite of Sending at Mass 3:00 PM Rite of Election Bishop Malesic, presiding 7:00 PM Fred Fauth and Grand-daughter Julie (Family) In acknowledging the Real Presence of Christ, the Tabernacle Candle will burn from February 24 through March 2 in loving memory of Helen Mikan from Andrew and Tish Mikan Especially during the Lenten season, you are invited to pray the daily rosary. The rosary begins daily at 11:30 AM prior to the 12:10 PM Mass. Everyone is welcome!
In order to meet our budgetary needs, Blessed Sacrament Cathedral requires an average of $18,000 per week in the regular offertory collection. Sunday Offertory $13,255.00 Votive Candles $266.00 Parish Social Ministry $2,970.00 Families receiving envelopes 1,635 Envelopes used this week 319 Parishioners using Online Giving 76 Thank you for your continued support! Make your 2018 contribution a bit easier by checking out the Online Giving website at www.osvonlinegiving.com/584. If Online Giving is not an option for you, please consider writing a check for added security as opposed to putting cash in your weekly envelope. A very special thank - you to everyone who helped in any way towards the success of our Valentines Dinner - Dance on February 9 th. The cold temperatures did not hold us back from having a great evening! Thank you to everyone who supported this event either with the planning and pre dance preparations or by your support by purchasing a ticket. It was a great night by all as we shared food, fellowship and danced the night away! We hope to do it again next year! INCOME Cash box start-up $200.00 Ticket sales $2,560.00 Basket raffle $245.00 50/50 $150.00 Total Income $3,155.00 EXPENSES Cash box start-up $200.00 DJ Larry $400.00 Longs Catering $2,328.75 Balance of hall $110.00 Tip/one bartender $ 40.00 Total Expenses $3,078.75 PROFIT $76.25 Be it resolved... Lent 2018 New Year s Day is not the best time to make resolutions. Making commitments after the hectic days of Christmas can be challenging. Lent is a better time for life-changing resolutions. Prayer Resolve this Lent to pray more. Avoid telling yourself that there is no time for prayer. Be inventive. As you get ready for the day, in the shower, on your way to work, during lunch, on your way home, while preparing dinner - there are always a few moments for prayer. Fasting Resolve this Lent to fast. Start your fasting with small things: no jam on your toast, no soft drink for lunch, no afternoon snack, no dessert with dinner. Fasting has been called the prayer of the body. When we consciously deny ourselves some small pleasure, we almost automatically become more attentive to things that really matter, like our relationship to God. Almsgiving Resolve this Lent to remember the needy. We think of fasting as giving something up. Think of almsgiving as giving something back to those less fortunate than ourselves and to our Church. Part of our almsgiving each year is the Annual Diocesan Lenten Appeal. Without the money raised by DLA, both the diocese and our parish would have an impossible time paying the expenses of our mission. Without the Parish Social Ministry collection, our help to the needy and the work of the St. Vincent DePaul Society here would be greatly hampered. Lots of people count on our gifts, and seeing that need can change our hearts. There will be days when our best intentions fall short, but acknowledging our failures and moving on is also a part of this holy season. With God s help, our Lenten resolutions can become lifelong habits. May your Lenten journey be a blessed one. Sunday, February 18, 2018 3:00 PM Rite of Election and Reception [Church, Social Hall] Monday, February 19, 2018 The Parish and Cemetery Offices will be closed for Presidents Day. Tuesday, February 20, 2018 7:00 PM SVdP Meeting [FC-EAS] Wednesday, February 21, 2018 9:00 AM Bible Study [Social Hall] 7:00 PM Bible Study [Social Hall] 7:00 PM Cathedral Choir Rehearsal [Church] Thursday, February 22, 2018 1:30 PM Aquinas Academy Mass [Church] 7:00 PM Women s Faith Sharing [FC-EAS] Friday, February 23, 2018 2:00 PM Aquinas Academy Stations of the Cross [Church] 5:30 PM Parish Stations of the Cross [Church] Saturday, February 24, 2018 6:45 AM Catholic Men s Fellowship Meeting [Social Hall] Sunday, February 25, 2018 10:10 AM Faith Formation 3:00 PM Rite of Election and Reception [Church, Hall] 6:00 PM Youth Ministry
A Mind at Peace: Reclaiming an Ordered Soul in an Age of Distraction ($5 Spiritual Growth Book) These past two decades, modern technology has brought into being scores of powerful challenges to our interior peace and well-being. We re experiencing a worldwide crisis of attention in which information overwhelms us, corrodes true communion with others, and leaves us anxious, unsettled, bored, isolated, and lonely. These pages provide the time-tested antidote that enables you to regain an ordered and peaceful mind in a technologically advanced world. Drawing on the wisdom of the world s greatest thinkers, including Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas, these pages help you identify and show you how to cultivate the qualities of character you need to survive in our media-saturated environment. Desires of the Heart: Receiving the Gifts of the Father ($4 Spiritual Growth CD) Sister Bethany Madonna, vocations director for the Sisters of Life, shares how God not only wants us to know him, but also to give us the desires of our heart and gifts that bring purpose, meaning, and hope. She makes it clear that receiving is the gift that we give to the Lord and that he wants to be invited into every aspect of our lives. Speaking from her own life experience, Sister Bethany shows the importance of asking in order to receive all the Lord has in mind for us. Understanding The Lord of the Rings as a Catholic Book ($4 CD) Joseph Pearce, a prolific writer best known for his outstanding literary biographies, reveals in detail how J.R.R. Tolkien s famous work, The Lord of the Rings, is at its core a Catholic work. Through linguistic clues and analysis of its characters, he explains the spiritual and theological depth of this masterpiece of English literature. With humor and clarity, Joseph shows the brilliance of Tolkien and offers all Christians a topic with which to engage others in conversation about our great Faith. The Case for Jesus ($2 Lenten Book Special) For well over a hundred years now, many scholars have questioned the historical truth of the Gospels, claiming that they were originally anonymous. Others have even argued that Jesus of Nazareth did not think he was God and never claimed to be divine. In The Case for Jesus, Dr. Brant Pitre, the bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, goes back to the sources the biblical and historical evidence for Christ in order to answer several key questions, including: Were the four Gospels really anonymous? Are the Gospels folklore? Or are they biographies? What about the so-called Lost Gospels, such as Q and the Gospel of Thomas? Did Jesus claim to be God? Why was Jesus crucified? What is the evidence for the Resurrection? As The Case for Jesus will show, recent discoveries in New Testament scholarship, as well as neglected evidence from ancient manuscripts and the early church fathers, together have the potential to pull the rug out from under a century of skepticism toward the traditional Gospels. Above all, Pitre shows how the divine claims of Jesus of Nazareth can only be understood by putting them in their ancient Jewish context. During Three Monday evenings in Lent, Deacon Bill Hisker will explore the scriptural foundations of the core social teachings of the Catholic Church as outlined by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The series dates are February 26, March 12, and March 19. The sessions will run from 7:00 PM -8:30 PM in the Social Hall. Come and enjoy the fellowship of others and discover the best kept secret in the Catholic Church. You need not be Catholic to attend, so why not invite your Non-Catholic friends? Call the Parish Office if interested on attending. If you have any suspicion about the sexual abuse (or any other type of abuse) of a minor child by anyone - please contact PA Childline immediately at 1-800-932-0313. If the alleged abuser is functioning in a parish, school or diocesan position as clergy, religious, paid staff or volunteer you are also requested to contact the Bishop s Delegate for Matters of Sexual Misconduct after you have called the Childline number and made the report. The Bishop s Delegate may be reached at 724-837-0901, Ext. 1221. This weekend marks the beginning of our annual Diocesan Lenten Appeal. Members of our parish will be receiving a letter in the mail from Bishop Malesic along with additional information about the Lenten Appeal. Please watch the mail for yours to arrive. Seton Hill University and Alumni Association Day of Reflection As part of its centennial celebration, Seton Hill University and its Alumni Association will sponsor a Day of Reflection: Welcoming the Stranger: Seeking Grace in Every Moment at the university on Saturday, March 10, from 9:30 AM - 4 PM. Presenters are Sister Susan Jenny, SC, and Sister Vivien Linkhauer, SC. The event is open to all. The registration deadline is March 3. For information and to register visit or call: alumni.setonhill.edu/2018dor or the alumni office at 724-830-1005. Saint Bruno Parish, South Greensburg will host its annual Lenten Fish Fry every Friday during Lent from 4 PM -7 PM and Good Friday from 2:30 PM -7 PM in the Parish Center. Dinners which include Baked Orange Roughy $9.50, Deep Fried Fish, Fried Shrimp, Crab Cakes, and a Weekly Special, are all $8.00. Also available are Fish Sandwiches $5.50, Children s Meal $4.50, Cup of Soup $3.50, Pizza $1.50, and many other sides. We will have many homemade desserts. Take out is available. No phone orders. For more information, please call 724-836-0690. THEOLOGY ON TAP IN THE A-K VALLEY Calling ALL young adults (single, married, parents, etc.)! Join us for Theology on Tap in the A-K Valley on Thursday, February 22, at 7:00 PM at Garda s Restaurant (2033 State Route 66, Ford City, PA 16226). The topic is Lent and Triduum: What's the big deal? presented by Monsignor Michael Begolly. Food will be provided, no charge! Babies in carriers are welcome at all A-K TOT events. Theology on Tap is a program for Catholic Young Adults and their friends to meet together at local bars, cafes, and restaurants to listen to a speaker, share conversation, and gain new insights into the faith. For further information, please contact Elizabeth Haberstroh at EHaberstroh@dioceseofgreensburg.org or Ariel Schroeder at ASchroeder@dioceseofgreensburg.org or find us on Facebook at Theology on Tap in the A-K Valley (@akvalleytot). No need to RSVP, just show up!
The Rite of Election is a special day for the thousands of adults and children around the country who are preparing to be received into the Catholic Church through baptism, confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. They will go to the Cathedrals in their diocese and proclaim their desire for these sacraments of initiation while their families and sponsors attest to their readiness. Their presence among us throughout the catechumenate - and in a special way during Lent- gives us an opportunity to renew our faith and to reclaim our hope in the resurrection. As they make their journey, they remind us how wonderful is our gift of faith. Even though Lent is a penitential season, it is hard not to rejoice with this new life around us. Now we get a foretaste of Easter joy. Mark Bartels Andy Benedict Kelly Carr Linda Cooper David Fidazzo Kirsten Lieberum John Kline Judy Komarinski JoAnne Hudock 724-834-1718 We warmly welcome all who are visiting Blessed Sacrament Cathedral for the Rite of Election with Bishop Malesic on February 18 and 25 at 3:00 PM. We pray for the elect and for all candidates for the Easter Sacraments. May God bless them and continue to guide them on their journey of faith. Parish Pastoral Council Ed Nemanic Nancy Rottler Nazzi Zola Judy McChesney John Mickinack Paul Niemiec Betty Rua Mike Rzempoluch Betty Rua: 724-454-7107 Parish Finance Council John Kline Judy Komarinski Ed Nemanic Nancy Rottler Nazzi Zola Prayer Chain SVdP Membership SVdP Food Pantry 724-836-0175 Monsignor Raymond E. Riffle Rector ext. 12; rriffle@dioceseofgreensburg.org Matthew J. Morelli Parochial Vicar ext.25; mjmorelli@dioceseofgreensburg.org Mr. William J. Hisker Permanent Deacon ext. 27; bhisker@dioceseofgreensburg.org Katie Zuzik Pastoral Associate ext. 11; kzuzik@dioceseofgreensburg.org Christopher Pardini Director of Liturgy and Music ext. 21; cpardini@dioceseofgreensburg.org Faith Formation Office Contact Parish Office Linda DeFrancesco Financial Secretary ext.23; ldefrancesco @dioceseofgreensburg.org Julie Stauffer Receptionist ext. 10; jstauffer@dioceseofgreensburg.org Cindy Cope Coordinator of Cemetery Services ext. 16; ccope@dioceseofgreensburg.org Bill Wilson, Maintenance ext. 24; wwilson@dioceseofgreensburg.org Jan Brubaker, Custodian Contact the Parish Office; jbrubaker@dioceseofgreensburg.org Baptisms By appointment only. Please call the Parish Office at least three months in advance of the Baptism. A class for parents is required to reflect on the meaning of the sacrament, to review the ceremony, and to highlight the importance of the family s commitment to practicing the Catholic Faith. Sponsorship Forms Forms for our parish members to serve as sponsors for Baptism and Confirmation must be filled out in person at the Parish Office. To serve as a sponsor, you must be at least 16 years old and a practicing Catholic who has received Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist. If you are married, it must be within the guidelines of the Catholic Church. Please call the Parish Office to make an appointment to fill out the form. Weddings Please call the Parish Office at least six months in advance. Do not set a date until you have contacted the Parish Office. Pre-marriage prep. classes are required. Contact the Office of Faith Formation for more information on classes. Become a Member of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral Welcome! It is a great joy to welcome new members to our parish community. Please register as soon as possible in order to participate in our various programs, ministries and activities. Drop this form in the collection basket and we will send you a detailed registration form. If you are already a member and have changed any of your personal information please call the Parish Office or return the changes on the form below. Blessed Sacrament Cathedral Membership Request / Change Form Please drop this form in the collection basket or mail to: Blessed Sacrament Cathedral 300 North Main St. Greensburg, PA 15601 Name: Address: Contact Number: Email Address: Registration Moving Change Address/Phone