Photo by Sheila Ivain

Photo by Sheila Ivain

Saint John Paul the Great Parish Saturday Vigil, November 18th 2017 4:00pm St. Peter Al & Josie Mainella and the deceased members of the Mainella & Minelli families by children 5:30pm St. Francis Albert Vasko by wife & family Sunday, November 19th 2017 7:30am St. Francis Eugene Purcha by Andrzej & Stanislawa Lichacz 8:30am St. Peter Genowefa & Zdzislaw Grzadziel by Grzadziel family 10:00am St. Francis Doris Galitello by Ginny & Joe Maraia and Melody & Jim Febbroriello 11:15am St. Peter Deceased members of the Binelli & Gurnieri families 12:30pm St. Francis Mass in Spanish Luis Cornelio Orellana by Orlando Orellana 5:00pm St. Peter Sister Grace Mannion, RSM Saturday Vigil, November 25th 2017 4:00pm St. Peter Richard Zimmerman by family 5:30pm St. Francis Martin Dexheimer by Jackie Bonaguide Sunday, November 26th 2017 7:30am St. Francis Arline Sesko by Matt and Lois Shanahan & Rob and Tina O Marra & family 8:30am St. Peter Rita Squerri by Marie Paganini 10:00am St. Francis Francis Chip Scarmana & Ron Paniati by Lou, MaryAnn & Jeff 11:15am St. Peter Charles Civelli - 10 year Anniversary by family 12:30pm St. Francis Mass in Spanish Jesus Canela & Helminia Gonzalez by Maritza Castano 5:00pm St. Peter Weekday Masses Monday 11/20 8:00am St. Francis Saint Agapius Elizabeth Betty Cisco by Patti, Beth & families Tuesday 11/21 7:00am St. Peter The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Private Intentions by Lisa Lickwar Wednesday 11/22 8:00am St. Francis Saint Cecilia Jeremy P. Frasca - 1st Anniversary by family Thursday 11/23 7:00am St. Peter Pope Saint Clement I Carmine and Gertrude Tedesco by Cynthia and Joe Battistoni & family Friday 11/24 8:00am St. Francis Saint Andrew Dung Lac Therese Perron Birthday Saturday 11/25 8:00am St. Peter Saint Catherine of Alexandria Maureen Bagnall by Linda Arnold Learn more about the saint of the day at www.catholic.org/saints November 19, 2017 2 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Sanctuary Candle is being burned at St. Francis in memory of Bill Ostrander and at St. Peter in memory of Deceased members of the Binelli & Guarnieri families Our Worship Sites St. Francis of Assisi - 160 Main St. St. Peter - 107 East Main St. Sacred Heart - 116 Grove St. St. Mary - 85 Pulaski St. Offices Pope Saint John Paul II Pastoral Center 160 Main Street Torrington, CT 06790 Office Hours Monday thru Friday 9am - 4pm Phone: 860-482-4433 Fax: 860-489-4070 SaintJohnPaulTheGreatParish@gmail.com Bulletin Requests: SaintJohnPaulTheGreatBulletin@gmail.com JohnPaulGreatParish.com

My Dear Friends, This week we are celebrating Thanksgiving. It is always a special holiday, filled with family and friends, football and food. It is a time when we come together and thank God for all the blessings in our lives and the blessings we have received as citizens of the Unite States. This national holiday comes once a year, but Thanksgiving is a daily holiday, or I should say, holy day. For thanksgiving is the translation of the Greek word for Eucharist. Every celebration of Mass is a thanksgiving, for it is a celebration of family and friends, and the Word Among Us. I just finished reading a book by Father Sean Davidson called, St. Mary Magdalene: Prophetess of Eucharistic Love. It s a beautiful meditation on a remarkable saint and her intense love for our Lord. Fr. Davidson asks the question, does our treatment of Christ in the Eucharist resemble that of Magdalene or that of other characters in the Passion? Do we gaze upon him with love as did Mary Magdalene, or do we ignore him as if he were a dead object? He continues, What has happened to the beautiful reverence we once had for the sacred Eucharistic Presence? There seems to be a form of spiritual insanity that has entered into the way many treat the Blessed Sacrament today, or is it simply a blatant lack of faith? At the end of our lives we will see how foolish we were to neglect such a treasure. We may not be able to make the entire Church come back to awe and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, bit we can repair the evil by spending long periods of time in loving Eucharistic Adoration. What the Church needs today above all, if we are to make up for the unceasing torrent of sacrileges and outrages that flood the sanctuary, are souls who know how to gaze like Magdalene into the eyes of the Eucharistic Jesus. To gaze upon our Lord with love knowing that he gazes back upon us with an even more intense love is the foundation of Eucharistic Adoration. Jesus is really looking at us, behind the veil of bread, but truly present as the bread no longer exists, but it has become his Body, Blood Soul and Divinity. Again, from the book, If we do not get excited about the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament then perhaps the full significance of this truth has not yet fully sunk into our hearts and minds. Today people literally spend hours every day wasting their time in front of a television of computer screen. How different the Church and the world would be, if we would only give that time to adoration of the living Eucharistic King. We have Eucharistic Adoration every Monday at Sacred Heart from 12-1 pm and at St. Peter s from 5-7 pm, and every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at St. Francis from 5-8 pm. On First Fridays of the month, adoration is at Sacred Heart Church from 8 am to 8 am Saturday morning. Jesus is inviting you to spend time with him so he can gaze at you while you gaze back upon him. God bless. Fr. John Mondays: 5-7pm at St. Peter Tuesdays: 5-8pm at St. Francis Wednesdays: 5-8pm at St. Francis Thursdays: 5-8pm at St. Francis Fridays: 5-8pm at St. Francis (except 1 st Friday of the month) Do we gaze upon him with love as did Mary Magdalene, or do we ignore him as if he were a dead object? - Father Sean Davidson View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com 3 Saint John Paul the Great Parish Sacrament of Reconciliation MONDAYS SATURDAYS 5:00-7:00pm St. Peter 2:30-3:30pm St. Francis Also available by appointment. Please pray for Theresa Guarnieri Phyllis Day Frank Hayes Thomas A. Grego Eleanor Bonini recently deceased members of our parish family.

This coincides with the Annual which is an awareness event that takes young people out of the comfort of their home and allows them to experience what many people in homeless situations do sleeping in a cardboard box as their only shelter from the elements. Town CHRISTMAS TREE Lighting We invite all young people from Grades 1 through 12 to participate as ACTORS/SHEPHERDS as we Join Mary, Joseph and their donkey as they lead the people of Torrington from Coe Park to St. Francis Church where our younger shepherd await their arrival to sing with JOY as part of our CHILDREN'S CHOIR. Please join us as we bring the true meaning of the season to the streets of Torrington. Just two brief rehearsals with the first one beginning Monday at 5:15pm at St. Francis Church all the Masses this weekend. Monies will be distributed to LOCAL AGENCIES that provide services to those in need. Contributions to our parish for the week of November 12, 2017 $15,765.09 If you would like a ride to Mass, Northwestern CT Transit offers a Dial-A-Ride service. Please call 860-489-2535 for more info. to JohnPaulGreatYouth@gmail.com or Marlene Carrier 860-309-7855 call/text or Francine Gryniuk 860-806-5370 call/text SACRED HEART CANDLES Defending Our Religious Liberty Saint Ann: Agnes Nar dine Lipinski Saint Theresa: Lestinsky and Dudley Families This week s Nursing Home Mass 4 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time November 19, 2017 * Mass is for the Intentions of All Parishioners *

Staff Pastor: Rev. John C. Granato Parochial Vicar: Rev. Carlos Zapata Deacons: Roy Dungan Peter Hyde Richard Hamel Religious Education Grades K-5 860-482-3121 Jen Owens Cell: 860-307-2291 Call/TEXT JohnPaulGreatReligousEd@gmail.com Office of Youth Ministry 860-489-7899 Middle School EDGE/Youth Group Marlene Carrier: Cell 860-309-7855 Call/TEXT JohnPaulGreatYouth@gmail.com High School Confirmation Program Donna Puzacke: Cell 860-309-1900 Call/TEXT JohnPaulGreatConfirmation@gmail.com Pastoral Minister: Peg O Meara 860-309-1707 Music Director: Francine Gryniuk Organist: Bill Mackstutis Office Staff: Anita Ressel Toni Tavano, Rose McMahon Trustees: John Janco Monica Diulio St. Peter / St. Francis School Principal Jo-Anne Gauger 860-489-4177 for CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. In the United States, one in six people lives in poverty. With this collection you support programs that address the causes of poverty and provide a sustainable future for those who are struggling across the country. In addition, 25 percent of funds collected remains in our diocese to fund local anti-poverty projects. Please prayerfully consider how you can support this collection and work on the margins. More information about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development can be found at www.usccb.org/cchd/collection. especially those serving in the foreign missions, We would like to thank you for the kind assistance given to our recent mission appeal. Your openness to our needs and your gracious response fill us with gratitude. We assure you of our prayers, and ask that you continue to remember us as well. In the Heart of Christ, the Society of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Sacraments Sacrament of Marriage: Arrangements for Marriage are made by calling the Parish Office to schedule an appointment with one of the priests at least six months in advance of desired wedding date. Sacrament of the Sick: Anyone who is seriously ill, advanced in age or preparing for surgery may receive. Please call the Parish Office to arrange. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: For adults who wish to become Catholic or for Catholic Adults who have not yet received the Sacraments of First Eucharist and Confirmation. Contact the Parish Office for more details. Sacrament of Baptism: Please call the Parish Office to arrange. Preparation class is held on the first Tuesday of the month, at 6:30 pm at the Pope Saint John Paul II Pastoral Center. Homebound or Hospitalized? If you, or someone you know is homebound and would like to receive Holy Communion, or hospitalized and would like a View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com 5 Saint John Paul the Great Parish Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the 4th Annual Oktoberfest that raised $7,000 to benefit St. John Paul the Great Parish! FREE! All are welcome! 1pm- 4pm Council #37 Knights of Columbus Council #37 152 Litchfield Street Donations welcome for Area Food Banks!

Prayer Shawl Ministry The next meeting of the St. John Paul the Great Holy Name Society will be held on Reminder: We will be having a MASS in a Body at St Francis Church on January 7th for deceased members of the Holy Name Society. Meet in the Pastoral Center at 9:30am Refreshments will follow in the Pastoral Center and the Parish is invited. We wish everyone a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! The Prayer Shawl Ministry is a group of women from St. John Paul the Great Parish who meet once a month and knit Prayer Shawls to be given to people who are ill, recuperating from an illness, have lost someone dear to them, are in a convalescent home, etc. The shawls are free of charge and anyone who would like one is asked to call Joan Colangelo 860-482-6294/Carmy Tromba 860-489-6460 or anyone in the Prayer Shawl group. The group also knits baby blankets to be given out at baptisms in our parish. The next meeting will be held at the home of Joan Colangelo on November 21st at 1 p.m. Call Joan at 860-482-6294 for directions. Hope to see you all there! Tickets as of June the new price will be Please note: NOW for pizza only All previously sold $10 Dinner/Pizza tickets will gladly be honored at $ 12 Available at the Pastoral Center or call Beginning Sunday, November 5th until December 23rd Shrine of Lourdes 50 Montfort Rd., Rte. 118. will be open from There is a varied selection of Advent wreaths and candles along with many new Christmas ornaments, cards & Fontanini Nativity sets. Also, unique gifts and books are available for all occasions, particularly baby & children's items. 16th LARC Annual Festival of Trees Holiday Displays & Silent Auction Hosted and Held at Valerie Manor 1360 Torringford St. The Festival will be open daily Friday, November 24th thru Saturday, December 2nd from 1pm to 7pm and Sunday, December 3rd from 1pm to 5pm (Auction Closes 5pm) Suggested Donation: Adults $2 Children under 12 Free Open to the Public. www.litchfieldarc.org www.facebook.com/larc.ct Scripture Discussion Group Please join this fun-filled and inspiring group as we enrich our understanding of the readings from last weekend s Holy Mass. Scripture Discussion Group meets on Mondays from 6 7:30pm in the John Paul II Pastoral Center. Please enter through the kitchen door. For more information, please call Mary Cashman @ 860-489-7568. 6 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time November 19, 2017 You are invited to join Fr. John Mondays from 12-1pm Sacred Heart for a holy hour Praying for priests. Adoration Scriptural rosary Silence Litany to Christ the High Priest followed by Benediction

5TH ANNUAL to benefit Select from a delicious assortment of for your holiday gatherings. - Sold by the pound If anyone is interested in becoming one of our cookie bakers, please contact Anita Martin at rnldmrtn@yahoo.com or 860-489-7226 or Cynthia Battistoni at cynthiabattistoni@hotmail.com or 860-618-3816 PNA Christmas Party will be held on Sunday December 3rd at 2pm at St. Mary Church Hall. Children have to be present to receive gift from Santa. Mary s Memorial Garden BRICK FUNDRAISER GIVE AN EVERLASTING GIFT! As we are called to be good stewards of God s creation, we have decided, as a parish, to eliminate the use of Styrofoam cups completely and reduce our use of plastic as much as possible. Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups every year and 2.5 million plastic beverage bottles every hour. Styrofoam takes 500 years to decompose and although the technology to recycle Styrofoam does exist, local recycling is not available, therefore Styrofoam cups that are thrown in the trash are dumped into landfills and are there to stay. Paper products are biodegradable and non-toxic to the environment. We ask you to not use any Styrofoam products. Hot/cold Paper cups have been purchased in bulk and are available at the Pastoral Center. We understand that at times personal water bottles are necessary, but we do ask you to RECYCLE and when possible fill a large water jug and use cups instead. Thank you. Women of our parish! Give yourself a weekend! Sign up now for our parish retreat at OUR LADY OF CALVARY RETREAT CENTER in Farmington on the weekend of January 12-14, 2018 is this year's theme. Come away to the quiet. We are offering brick pavers for a $75 donation. BRICK PAVER ORDER FORM Name Address City State Zip Phone 7 Saint John Paul the Great Parish View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com Holy Rosary Society of St. John Paul the Great Parish will hold their Monthly Meeting & Christmas Potluck Supper Those wishing to participate in the grab bag exchange please bring a $5 grab bag gift. Members are encouraged to attend and bring your favorite dish! New members are always welcome! St. John Paul the Great pray for us.

On behalf of the elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford, I extend my sincere gratitude to you for the contribution of $2,117.25 for the 40th Annual HOPES Collection. As a parish community, you have generously supported our schools efforts to create a culture of faith and academic excellence, contributing to the evangelization of young students as they prepare for leadership and service as future faith-filled parishioners. schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford in two significant ways. First, it offers individual HOPES Grants to support the funding of safe Catholic school environments, the expansion of innovative educational technology, and the marketing of Catholic schools as centers of excellence. Secondly HOPES Collection assists with the broad-based marketing and promotion of Catholic schools. My sincere thanks for your participation in the 2017 HOPES Collection and for your continued prayers on behalf of our Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford. Gratefully, Michael S. Griffin, Ph. D. Superintendent of Catholic Schools St. Peter/St. Francis School 360 Club Winners Congratulations Week of 10/2/17 Mary Beyer and Jo-Anne Gauger 10/9/17 Joanne Kubina and Carol Zander 10/16/17 Joanne Matarese and Bob Porter 10/23/17 Liz Hanlon and Joseph Marciano Not a member? Anyone may join so please spread the word! This is a fun way to support the school! The 360 Club is a fundraiser that consists of 2 weekly drawings of $25 for 50 weeks. Members join by paying $50 annually or $25 twice a year (December and June) or join anytime for a prorated amount. Checks made payable to The 360 Club should be sent to St. Peter/St. Francis School, 360 Prospect Street, Torrington, CT; may be dropped off at the school office; or dropped in the school s mail slot at the main entrance on Prospect Street. If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Harmon at 860-387-3183 or ktharmon1@yahoo.com or call the school office at 860-489-4177. Thank you for supporting Catholic education. has the power to transform TEENS, transform PARISHES and transform CULTURE." Classes are held Sunday evenings Beginning with the Life Teen Mass @ 5pm with Class immediately following 6-7:30pm Calendars can be found at JohnPaulGreatParish.com December 4th Saturday 1st Saturday s Middle School OPEN GYM Volleyball/Basketball/Dodgeball Wii Just Dance/Air Hockey/Foosball 6-9pm @St. Peter Hall the Upper Room December 11th Saturday 2nd Saturday s High School OPEN GYM Volleyball/Basketball/Dodgeball Wii Just Dance/Air Hockey/Foosball 6-10pm @St. Peter Hall the Upper Room MUST RSVP by noon on day of event Marlene Carrier Cell 860-309-7855 call/text Watch bulletin/email for details. Drop any Boxtops for Education into canisters found at the entrances of St. Peter and St. Francis Churches to benefit St. Peter/St. Francis School. 8 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time November 19, 2017 Office of Youth Ministry... Marlene Carrier Cell 860-309-7855 call/text JohnPaulGreatYouth@gmail.com High School CONFIRMATION Program Donna Puzacke 860-489-7899 Cell 860-309-1900 JohnPaulGreatConfirmation@gmail.com

As we have a new email address... SaintJohnPaulTheGreatParish@gmail.com Please drop us an email w ith - your NAME and the names of those in your household, - your current ADDRESS and - PHONE NUMBER so that we may update our data base. If you are a regular contributor to our parish and do not receive envelopes for weekly giving, but would like to, simply note that in your email or give us a call 860-482-4433 The envelope system is very helpful for our financial records and also can provide you with a statement of your yearly donations for income tax purposes. COMUNIDAD HISPANA EUCARISTIA DOMINICAL SERVICIOS: POSIBILIDAD DE CONFESIONES, DIRECCION ESPIRITUAL, INSCRIPCION DE INTENCIONES PARA LA EUCARISTIA DOMINICAL, INFORMACION SOBRE LOS SACRAMENTOS DE BAUTISMO, PRIMERA COMUNION, CONFIRMACION, MATRIMONIO, QUINCEAÑERAS Y CATEQUESIS PARA ADULTOS. CHARLAS PREBAUTISMALES Requisitos: Asistir a la clase padres y padrinos. WE THANK YOU for your continued support of our youth activities through the donation of your Redeemable BOTTLES/CANS Which may be dropped off in front of the St. Francis Garage 24/7. (Por favor llamar a la oficina para registrarse o al 860-307-7343 Lourdes también pueden enviar texto.) CHARLA PRE-BAUTISMAL: 3er Viernes de cada mes. Centro de Pastoral Juan Pablo II 6:00 7:00PM CEREMONIA DE BAUTISMO: 4to domingo de cada mes a la 12:30pm Saint John Paul the Great Parish Download myparishapp St. John Paul the Great Parish app is available to download for iphone and Android smart phones. Text App to phone number 88202 or visit myparishapp.com to download 9am - 12:30pm LUNES Y MIÉRCOLES Iglesia Congregacional Central 155 Main Street y 5:30pm - 8:30pm LUNES Y MIÉRCOLES Escuela Vogel-Wetmore 68 Iglesia Street GRATIS! 9 Saint John Paul the Great Parish View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com GRUPOS APOSTOLICOS Y COORDINADORES PASTORAL HISPANA Servidores del Altar / Monaguillos: Elvia Orellana 860-459-1837 Legion de Maria: Jose Guambana 860-485-5473 Evangelizacion: Orlando Orellana 860-806-4522 Liturgia/Sacristia: Roberto Castillo 860-491-0200 RICA/Ministerios Musicales/Catequesis: Lourdes Rodriguez 860-307-7343 Pastoral Social: Doris Ramirez 860-459-6658 Ministros Extraordinarios de la Comunion: Carmen Fernandez 860-921- 3408 Monitores y Lectores: Sonia Sanchez 860-307- 8349 Ujieres/Ministros de Acogida: Honorato Nunez 860-459 - 0036 Pastoral Familiar: Yuneris Owens 860-307-2291 Movimiento Juan XXIII: Maria Colon 860-387-8133 Movimiento Juan XXIII 7 PM Martes. En las instalaciones de Sacred Heart Church (ubicada detrás del templo de Sacred Heart) El Movimiento Juan XXIII busca trabajar por aquellos alejados de la Iglesia y marginados de la sociedad, anunciándoles el Evangelio, mediante una espiritualidad de auténtico servicio, enmarcada en el Amor, la Entrega y el Sacrificio y expresada en esta opción de vida: Con Cristo Todo, Sin Cristo Nada.