Holy Trinity Parish St. Matthew, St. Agnes and Our Lady of Grace Plymouth Office Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-3:30 PM 46 Langdon Street Plymouth, NH 03264 Phone: (603) 536-4700 Fax: (603) 536-4709 E-mail: holytrinitynh@gmail.com Website: www.holytrinityparishnh.org Facebook Page: Holy Trinity News and Info PARISH STAFF Pastor Rev. Leo A. LeBlanc Deacon Rev. Mr. Michael Guy Pastoral Minister David M. Gravel Parish Operations Manager Sandra Hauser Director of Music Ministries Bristol Coordinator Bulletin Editor Christine Chiasson Phone: (603) 724-1825 ~ St. Matthew Church ~ ~ St. Agnes Church ~ ~ Our Lady of Grace Chapel ~ 11 School Street, Plymouth 19 Hill Avenue, Ashland 2 West Shore Road, Bristol 4:00 PM Saturday 7:30 & 11:30 AM Sunday 8:00 AM Monday & Tuesday 9:30 AM Sunday (Summer) 8:00 AM (Summer) 9:30 AM Sunday Reconciliation: Eucharistic Adoration 3:00 PM Saturday or by appointment 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM Mass 8:00 AM Thursday North American Martyrs Oratory 17 West Shore Road, Bristol Mass: 8:00 AM Friday
Holy Trinity Parish - Plymouth, Bristol, Ashland Saturday, August 18 4:00 PM St. Matthew Church Anna Ray by her family Sunday, August 19 7:30 AM St. Matthew Church Michael Andring by Linda & Michael Barlick 8:00 AM Our Lady of Grace Chapel Isabel & Charles Martin by the family 9:30 AM Our Lady of Grace Chapel Margaret (Peg) Moriarty by the family 9:30 AM St. Agnes Church Joseph Laufenberg by his son Peter 11:30 AM St. Matthew Church Col. Dirk Arnold Plummer by Elizabeth Wilkin Thursday, August 23 Day Away Program, Simard Hall, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Men s Group, North American Martyrs Oratory, 10:00 AM Boy Scout Meeting, St. Agnes Hall, 6:00 PM Homebound Ministry If you or someone you know is homebound and would like to receive a communion visit, please call the Plymouth office at 536-4700 and talk with Deacon Mike. He will coordinate the schedule from there. Monday, August 20 8:00 AM St. Matthew Church Tuesday, August 21 8:00 AM St. Matthew Church 8:30 AM North American Martyrs Oratory Rosary Wednesday August 22 NO MASS Thursday August 23 8:00 AM St. Agnes Church Service of the Word Adoration: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM Friday, August 24 8:00 AM North American Martyrs Oratory Service of the Word Adoration: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM Saturday, August 25 4:00 PM St. Matthew Church Sunday, August 26 7:30 AM St. Matthew Church For all Holy Trinity Parishioners 8:00 AM Our Lady of Grace Chapel Joan Spiegel by the family 9:30 AM Our Lady of Grace Chapel Anthony & Lillian Nogelo by the family 9:30 AM St. Agnes Church Joseph Laufenberg by his son Peter 11:30 AM St. Matthew Church Jack Anderson by Elizabeth Wilkin indicates Mass Intentions for deceased person(s). If you have scheduled an announced Mass and would like to bring up the Gifts at that Mass, please let one of the ushers know before Mass. Weekend of August 11-12 First Collection Loose $3310.09 Envelopes $5427.50 Second Collection: Building and Grounds Loose $1258.47 Envelopes $890.00 Liturgical Supplies $10.00 Maintenance $30.00 St. Francis Inn $210.00 Local Charities $50.00 Feast of the Assumption $30.00 Thank you for your continued generosity! ALL ARE WELCOME! No matter what your personal history, age, background, race...no matter what your present status in the Catholic Church...no matter what your current family or marital situation...no matter what your own self-image is, you are invited, welcomed, accepted and loved here at Holy Trinity Parish.
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Holy Trinity Christian Life Center Building Progress The asbestos removal company began their work this week. When they are finished, the existing parish hall will be demolished and the building of the center can begin. Faith Formation Registration Don t forget that Faith Formation begins on September 9th. Please remember when you register your children for the Faith Formation program, you must also register your family in the parish. Parish registration forms will be available when you register your child. College Bound We wish all of our college bound youth a successful and healthy year at college. We look forward to meeting up with you at the holidays to see how things are going! Fr. Leo Question of the Week Gospel Reading The Bread of Life Discourse reaches its zenith in Jesus saying, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you." How is this assertion central to our Catholic belief in the Eucharist? Message of the Week In this Sunday's Gospel, the conflict escalates in the Bread of Life Discourse. Confusion is mounting in the crowd. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Their minds were thinking literally, not mystically. Jesus doesn't seem to help, however, and only drives his point home with more emphasis. "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you." Jesus would later institute the Eucharist at the Last Supper. There he would definitively establish the sacramental reality in which bread and wine become substantially his own Body and Blood. We celebrate this sacrament in the Mass. Perhaps we do not always understand what we receive. "My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink." What is the essence of food and drink? Food nourishes our bodies, providing essential calories for our survival. Water is used throughout the body to cushion joints, regulate body temperature, and protect sensitive tissues like the brain. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive the spiritual equivalent of these essential elements. Like water, the Eucharist strengthens the sanctifying grace moving through us. "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." The Eucharist connects us intimately to Jesus and confirms our union with him. That is why we abstain from the Eucharist while in a state of mortal sin. It would be a contradiction and deep disrespect to these words of Jesus. To receive the Body and Blood of Jesus is not a right but a gift we receive with deep humility. As we receive the Bread of Life, grace strengthens our love, separates us from sin -- even wiping away venial sins -- unifies us with the universal Church, and helps commit us to humble service. Together we are nourished for our mission in the world! Day Away is a social program for adults with early stages of Alzheimer s or related Dementia. This program provides their caregivers a much-needed respite and relief from constant care and responsibility every Thursday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. For the participant, activities include games, crafts, sing along, bingo, local entertainment etc. Volunteers are needed from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm or 11:30 am -3:00 pm. Contact Sandra Coleman RN, BSN by email sjrhett@roadrunner.com, or call at 603-536-6304 for more information. NH Knights of Columbus Annual Men s Retreat The Knights of Columbus State of NH Annual Men s Retreat will be September 7 9 at Camp Bernadette, on beautiful Lake Wentworth, Wolfeboro, NH. Fr. Chris Martel will be the spiritual leader for the weekend. Chef John McClure will provide the meals. Join us in September for a weekend of fellowship, spirituality and laughter as we experience RISING UP AND BEING MEN OF GOD. This retreat is open to all Knights and their guests. If you are interested and not a Knight, you can speak to Plymouth Grand Knight Rich Manzi by calling 536-4225. Total cost for the weekend is only $75.00 which includes all meals, multi person cabins for sleeping and retreat materials. It is open to all men who want to be better men of Christ. The registration form is on the NH Knights of Columbus website http:// nhknight.org/documents/2018retreatregistration.pdf. RCIA Inquiry Period Are you or someone you know interested in becoming Catholic? The RCIA program starts this fall with an inquiry period where you can simply come and ask questions and learn more about completing your sacraments, or being baptized into the Catholic faith. Please call 536-4700 for more information.
August 19, 2018 1 "Alpha was the best thing I ever did. It helped answer some huge questions and to find a simple empowering faith in my life." Bear Grylls, TV Adventurer Have you ever asked yourself, Is there more to life than this? Bear Grylls has climbed Mount Everest, paramotored over the Himalayas, and navigated over the Northwest Passage, among many other adventures, yet he still found himself looking for more to life. He found it through the Alpha program. WHAT IS ALPHA? Each Alpha session looks at a different question that people can have about faith and is designed to create conversation. It s just an open, informal and honest space to explore and discuss life s big questions together. FOOD: Whether it s a group of friends gathered around a kitchen table, or a quick catch-up over coffee and cake, food has a way of bringing people together. It s no different at Alpha. Sessions start with supper because it s a great way to build community and get to know each other. TALK: The talks are designed to engage guests and inspire conversation. The talks explore the big issues around faith and unpack the basics of Christianity, addressing questions such as Who is Jesus? and How can I have faith? DISCUSSION: Probably the most important part of any Alpha: the chance to share thoughts and ideas on the topic, and simply discuss it in a small group. There s no obligation to say anything and there s nothing you can t say (seriously). It s an opportunity to hear from others and contribute your own perspective in an honest, friendly and open environment. Come to Alpha! Tuesdays beginning September 11th at 6 PM At the Marian Center (across from Our Lady of Grace in Bristol) Program is free and includes dinner! Try one session, or attend all sessions. All are welcome! TESTIMONIAL I was raised in a religious family, but turned from God at a young age. I have had a hard life and as result, have always thought about the concept of God with bitterness in my heart. I took the Alpha course because I wanted to ask some hard questions and get real answers. I loved Alpha. The food was great and the [videos] were great. My highlight was the discussion groups though. You could say or ask anything and your group was always there, willing to listen. The people in my group became like family to me and will be friends forever. After many years of anger and bitterness, I have finally found the peace I was always looking for. I am grateful for the Alpha experience and would recommend the course to anyone....nancy De Camp TESTIMONIAL I decided to come to Alpha because it allowed me to ask questions about God, Jesus, and other faiths. I believed that accepting God on faith was not enough. I needed proof. And having faith was like fooling yourself, like it was all make believe. What I appreciated was the lack of pressure. I never felt that I was forced to stay or believe in anything what they were saying or explaining throughout the course. I felt comfortable to ask my questions without being judged. It was a platform where I could express myself. It was an exciting part of the course. Through Alpha, I came to realize that faith is not about make believe, it is about trusting God. I need to trust God as the basis for my answers. I now have a personal relationship with God through Jesus and have never felt more at peace....andrew Del Rossi
NINTH ANNUAL RUN YOUR BUNS OFF 4.2 MILER The Ninth Annual Run Your Buns Off 4.2 Miler will take place on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. Individual runners, walkers and teams of all ages are encouraged to participate, and this race is pet-friendly. The start and finish are at Basic Ingredients Bakery located on Rt. 3A in Bristol, with registration starting at 7:45 AM, and the race beginning at 9:00AM for the professionally timed run/walk. The reward for the runners & walkers hard work is a homemade sticky bun at the finish line! The top 3 male and female runners, as well as the fastest team, will be awarded prizes; PLUS, everyone has a chance to win at the HUGE raffle filled with goodies, including a fire pit and 100 gallons of fuel oil, donated by local businesses and beyond. Event organizer Newfound Area Charitable Fund has selected the beneficiaries of the 2018 RYOB 4.2 Miler: Newfound Lakes Region Association (NLRA) will be utilizing funds received to assist in building a welcoming and informational kiosk with the Town of Bristol at the Mill Stream Park. Slim-Baker Foundation for Outdoor Education will hire a professional trail consultant to lead a series of all-day trail construction courses for teenagers and youths for the purpose of cutting and building the new hiking/snowshoeing trail that was mapped in 2016. Mayhew Program will receive one or two scholarship(s) for Newfound Region boys to attend summer camp and school year mentoring program, depending on this year s total proceeds. The cost is $22 per runner/walker, until day of race when the price is $25. Come and see what the locals and vacationers have been talking about for the last eight years. Again this year we are excited to be offering men's and women's sizes for our WICKING t-shirts for those who pre-register by August 18th! You can register for the Run Your Buns Off 4.2 Miler online today at www.lightboxreg.com/buns_2018. Basic Ingredients 1777 Lake Street, Bristol, NH 03222, or 603-744-6035 or Audrey Goudie, phone: 603-254-8654/audreygoudie@gmail.com