March 6, 2011 Ninth Sunday In Ordinary Time CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH 6300 McKenna Drive, Mobile, Alabama 36608 Email: Church@CorpusChristiParish.com! Website: www.corpuschristiparish.com TELEPHONE NUMBERS Parish Office: 342-1852 Fax 342-6313 School Office: 342-5474, ext. 1 Fax 380-0325 Rel. Ed. Office: 342-5474, ext. 7 Fax 380-0325 Preschool Office: 342-2424 Fax 343-3119 Youth Ministry: 342-1852 Fax 342-6313 PASTORAL STAFF Very Rev. James F. Zoghby, V.F., Pastor Rev. John S. Boudreaux, Associate Pastor Deacon Arthur W. Robbins, Deacon Sr. Donna Cooper, R.S.M., Visitation Chaplain Mrs. Judi B. Ankiewicz, Pastoral Assistant Mrs. Joan T. McMullen, School Principal Mrs. Linda M. Hawkins, Preschool Director Mrs. Kathleen Q. Jester, Parish Catechetical Leader Mrs. Colleen DeVoe, Youth Ministry Co-Director Mrs. Brenda Martens, Youth Ministry Co-Director Mr. Matthew F. Purvis, Music Director Mr. Jay H. Henley, Gym Manager TO REGISTER AS A MEMBER OF THE PARISH Please fill out a Census Form. Census Forms are available in the church vestibule and parish office. COMMUNITY CENTER RENTALS & SERVICES For rental information and kitchen services, please call the parish office at 342-1852 or 342-1420. SUNDAY MASSES Vigil: 5:30 p.m. Saturday Morning: 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. W EEKDAY MASSES 6:30 a.m.: Monday through Friday 8:15 a.m.: Monday through Saturday SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 5:00 p.m. and by request, particularly after the 6:30 & 8:15 a.m. weekday Masses. BAPTISM, MARRIAGE, ANOINTING OF SICK Please call the parish office (342-1852) or information and scheduling baptism, marriage, anointing of sick. ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (R.C.I.A.) Please see published schedule for specific dates and times, or call the parish office (342-1852). SUNDAY SCHOOL (C.C.D.) Grades K 12, Sundays during school year, 10:05-10:55 a.m. in school bldgs. SCHOOL, SACS-accredited for Grades K through 8. For info & registration, please call the school office. PRESCHOOL, State-licensed for 6-week to 4-yr. olds. For info & registration, please call the preschool office
NINTH S UNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Lent Ash Wednesday Masses 6:30 a.m. 8:15 a.m. 12:00 Noon 7:00 p.m. Ashes are distributed at each Mass after the homily. Special collection for our St. Vincent de Paul Society for distribution to the poor. Lenten penance & self-discipline Day of Fast ( one full meal & two lesser meals, with no in-between snacks ) Ash Wednesday & Good Friday for those 18-59 years of age in good health. Days of Abstinence (no meat) on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent for those 14 years of age or older, in good health. Friday Stations of the Cross & Mass 6:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross and 7 p.m. Mass March 11 through April 15 R.C.I.A. & Continuing Ed for Catholic and Non-Catholic Adults Questions? Please call 342-1852 to speak with one of the priests, who will be happy to answer any questions. March 23 through April 20 Wednesdays, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Adult Education Room in the Community Center. Bible Study Groups Sun: 8:45-10 a.m.: School Conference Room., Ken Crowley, 423-6921. Tue:, 1:30-3 pm : Genesis, Com.Ctr., Adult Ed. Rm., Judi Ankiewicz, 344-0321. nd Tue, 7 p.m..: Com Ctr, 2 Flr, Complete Bible Course. Dave Burchette, 633-4242. Altar Server Trainings Friday, March 11, 3:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. Fish Fry Fridays March 11, 18, 25 and April 8, 15 (No Fish Fry on April 1) 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Corpus Christi Community Center Banquet Hall Menu Included in the plate price: Fish (3 pc.of fish per adult plate; 2 pc. of fish per child plate) Coleslaw Grits Choice of French Fries or Baked Potato Tea (unsweetened) or Lemonade Additional food & beverage choices: Cheese Pizza by the slice, $1 Gumbo, $3 Extra Side, $1 Soda, $1. Beer provided on donation basis. Desserts, sold by various groups each Friday: This Friday, desserts sold by Shakespeare-After-School. Adult Plate $6. Child s Plate $4. Hungry Man s Plate $7 (2 extra pieces of fish). To-Go Plate, $7 Wednesday Night Dinner 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Banquet Hall of the Community Center $8.00 for Adults! $3.00 for Children Includes Iced Tea & Coffee. Wine glasses are provided for those who bring wine. Mar. 16: Red Beans & Rice w/sausage, Seasoned Green Beans, House Salad w/dressings, Corn Bread Muffin, Chocolate Cake. Reservation Envelopes & Menus are in the vestibule. Men of St. Joseph Tuesdays, 7 to 8 a.m. in the Family Room All men are welcome to meet for prayer, reading the Gospel, and discussion. Info: Jim Donaghey, jbd@orthomobile.com or www.menofstjoseph.com. Women of Mary Tuesdays, 9 to 10 a.m. OR Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m., in the Family Room. All women are welcome to meet for prayer, reading the Gospel, and discussion. Info: Judi Ankiewicz, 344-0321, or Sr. Deborah Kennedy, R.S.M., 316-3960. Society of St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box, Food, Clothing donations put in the designated places in the vestibule are distributed by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. To obtain assistance, call 432-5173 and leave name & phone no. st rd nd Meetings: 1 & 3 Wed., 7 p.m., Com. Ctr. Conf. Rm. (2 Flr.) ROSARY after 8:15 a.m. weekday Mass.
CORPUS CHRIS TI CHURCH, MOBILE, ALABAMA MARCH 6, 2 0 1 1 40 Days for Life March 9 through April 17 40 Days for Life is a national campaign to join together for prayer & fasting, community outreach, and standing in a peaceful prayer vigil at the local abortion facility, Planned Parenthood, 717 Downtowner Loop W. (across from Chuck E. Cheese). Corpus Christi parishioners will be standing at the abortion facility on Wednesdays. To take a time-slot to stand in prayer at the abortion facility, you can either call Mae Rehm at 344-4752, or you can visit www.40daysforlife.com/mobile and click on Vigil Calendar. Come to the Corpus Christi Booster Club Cash Bash Saturday, April 9. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $100 for a chance to win up to $10,000.00, and include dinner & drinks for two and door prizes. Last year s proceeds were used to construct new locker rooms in the Gym. This year s proceeds will go to refurbishing the gym restrooms, providing new water fountains and, if enough funds are raised, to starting work on repairing the outside bleachers on the athletic field. Please support these needed improvements For Tickets or more info, call Ellen Maxime at 379-1866. Cub Scouts Den Meetings: Mon., Mar. 14 & 28; Tues., Mar. 1 & 15. Pack Mtg: Tue, Mar 22. Committee Mtg.: Thurs., Mar. 10, 5:45 p.m. Savings Cards available from any Cub Scout for $5. Boys & Girls Club Camp Out: Sat., Mar. 19 Info: contact Janet Minto, 343-5169 or janmin@bellsouth.net. AA Alanon OA COD A AA: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Old Cafeteria Bldg. Alanon: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. OA: Sat., 9 a.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. CODA: Tues., 6:45 p.m., Community Center, Rm. 4 (2nd Floor) Welcom e, New Pa ris h ioners Danny & Joy Gould and their children, Chelsea, Amber, Adam, Kyle and Colby + Erik & Megan Herrboldt + Harry Lay, Jr. BAPTIZED IN CHRIS T John King Robertson (son of Benjamin Cross Robertson & Nancy Jane Neely Robertson). REST IN PEACE John V. Johnny Geary (father of John Geary) Flowers The flowers before the altar this weekend have been placed in memory of Mirtha Sanchez Merry th on the 10 anniversary of her death. Given by her husband and daughter. Mardi Gras Mass Schedule Tuesday, Mar 8 One Mass only: 8:15 a.m. School Openings Available Registration for the 2011-2012 School Year continues. Please call the School Office (342-1852, ext. 1) for registration information. Teen Retreat: SEARCH April 1-3 @ Camp Dixie near Elberta, AL Search is a retreat directed by teens for teens who are searching for answers of what God has in store for them. The weekend involves sharing, songs, prayer, small group discussions, Eucharist, reconciliation, quiet time and great fellowship. Cost: $75 for all meals, housing & materials. Space is limited. $25 deposit and registration form due by Wed, March 16, to the Archdiocesan Office of Youth Ministry. Registration forms are online at: www.go2mass.com. If you have questions call Janet Masline at the OYM 433-4138 or email: jmasline@mobilearchdiocese.org. Dr. Peter Wood, In Concert, Today Today, Sunday, March 6, at 3 p.m., Corpus Christi parishioner Peter Wood will give a Faculty Trumpet Recital in the Recital Hall of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center at the Univ. of South Ala. His one-hour program will feature a variety of jazz-influenced works for trumpet and piano and is his Bon Voyage concert prior to his traveling to perform in Trent, Italy next week. Ladies of Charity Annual Shamrock Sale: Next Weekend, March 12-13 SPECIAL COLLECTION NEXT WEEKEND: Black & Indian Missions. FIRST COLLECTION TODAY for tithing offerings. SECOND COLLECTION TODAY for Corpus Christi Building Fund. FEB 27 TITHING ONLINE & COLLECTION: $24,449.00 FEB 27 BUILDING FUND ONLINE & COLLECTION: $1,961.00 For direct assistance with Online Giving call 1-800-348-2886, ext 4 If you wish to use the online giving option, go to our parish website (www.corpuschristiparish.com): click Church ; then click the green Online Giving icon on the left, and follow the instructions to make your contribution(s) to the regular tithing fund, building fund or special collections. Thank You and God Bless You God bless all who faithfully tithe and contribute to the support of God's work here at Corpus Christi, and those who make a special bequest in their will for Corpus Christi Church. To make a direct donation of stock, contact your stockbroker, or call Steve Setterstrom at Citigroup Global Mkts. at 470-1060. Receive a record of your contributions by mail or email or fax at any time: Call 342-1852 or email Church@CorpusChristiParish.com
Why Ashes on Ash Wednesday? You are dust, and to dust you will return. This ancient formula will be heard by millions of Christians all over the world on Ash Wednesday as the sign of the cross is made in ashes on their forehead. This symbolic act is both a solemn reminder and an invitation to renewal. The use of ashes and dust with religious, magical or medical meanings was common among the ancients. Ashes were often symbolic of mortality, mourning or penance. In the Hebrew Scriptures after Jonah has announced the impending destruction of Nineveh and the news reaches the king, the king rises from the throne, lays aside his robe, puts on sackcloth and sits in ashes. The king then proclaims a fast. Nineveh mourns its sins, does penance, and is saved from destruction. In foreseeing the destruction to come upon Israel, Jeremiah says, O daughter of my people,... roll in the ashes. Mourn as for an only child with bitter wailing, for sudden upon us comes the destroyer (Jer. 6:26). Jeremiah calls Israel to conversion. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus reproaches Chorazin and Bethsaida saying, For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes (Mt. 11:21). Christians, then, seem to have taken the use of ashes as a sign of penance from Jewish tradition. Ashes were originally signs of private penance. But early on they became part of the ritual for public penance. As early as the 300s, local churches had a ritual for the beginning of public penance at the start of Lent. Those who had been guilty of public serious sins like murder, apostasy (denying the faith), heresy or adultery were clothed in a penitential garment and sprinkled with ashes. The sinner was then expelled and led from the church as Adam had been cast out of Paradise. Later, those ending their penance (which could go for years) were received back into the church on Holy Thursday. They were led back into the church in procession as part of a rite of reconciliation. Public ecclesiastical penance disappeared before 1000 A.D. The severity of the practice was at least partially the reason for its disappearance. But there was also a growing understanding that every person is a sinner and must do penance. th Pope Urban II (1088-1099) recommended the custom of ALL in the Church receiving ashes. In the 11 century th there appeared a special prayer for the blessing of ashes. And the 12 century gave rise to the custom that the ashes used on Ash Wednesday are to be made from the palm branches of the previous year. Season of Love Ask The Wise Man, St. Anthony Messenger We can think of Lent as a time to eradicate evil or cultivate virtue, a time to pull up weeds or to plant good seed. Which is better is clear, for the Christian ideal is always positive rather than negative. A person is great not by the ferocity of his hatred of evil, but by the intensity of his love for God. Asceticism and mortification are not the ends of a Christian life: they are only the means. The end is charity. Penance merely makes an opening in our ego in which the Light of God can pour. As we deflate ourselves, God fills us. And it is God s arrival that is the important event. Turn to the Lord your God again, for he is all tenderness and compassion. Joel 2:13b May Lent be for every Christian a renewed experience of God s love given to us in Christ, a love that each day we, in turn, must re-give to our neighbor, especially to the one who suffers most and is in need. Pope Benedict XVI
Corpus Christi Catholic Church Lenten Mission March 12-16 Joy Of Being Human: Made in the Image and Likeness of God Session I: Session II: Session III: Session IV: Friendship & Laughter With God Eight Keys to Happiness What Do We Do When Hard Things Happen? Healing Mind, Body & Spirit Presenter: Fr. Conrad J. Kratz, O.Praem. Director of St. Norbert Abbey Spirituality Center & Retreat House De Pere, Wisconsin Using Scripture, humor, Catholic Christian Spiritual writers and stories of real life, we will examine how to encounter God s great love and friendship for us and how to enjoy life more abundantly. Fr. Kratz will speak at all of our Masses for the First Sunday of Lent, March 12-13. The Conferences will begin Sunday evening of the First Sunday of Lent, March 13, at 7 p.m. Morning & Evening Conferences will be held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, March 14, 15, 16: The Morning Conferences will be at 9 a.m. (following the 8:15 a.m. Mass). The Evening Conferences will be at 7 p.m. The last Evening Conference on Wednesday, March 16, will conclude with a special Mass for healing. The Corpus Christi Chamber Choir immediately prior to the start of the Mission, will present "Light in the Darkness" Sunday, March 13, at 6 p.m.
What Makes Ash Wednesday So Special? Dear Padre, Recently my wife, a convert of one year, wondered about the fascination of Ash Wednesday. We go to Mass on holy days of obligation, and there s a fair crowd. But on Ash Wednesday, not a holy day, the place is packed. How would you explain this? John Dear John, Indeed, pastoral experience corroborates your observation. Holy days of obligation draw fairly well, but it s standing room only on Ash Wednesday evening. I can only surmise that, although it is not a day of obligation, it is considered a holy day by most Catholics. There s something undeniably elemental about the ugly smudge of ashes on the forehead. People wear it without embarrassment or shame. No matter what our walk of life or social status, we want that cross. It s like a badge of identification, reminding Catholics in a graphic and startling way that it s spiritual gutcheck time. It jogs us from our numbing routines and spurs us on to more important realities, to get back to being who we are supposed to be fully and totally Christian. It is as if Catholics are saying, I m Catholic, and proud of it. I may not be the best or greatest. I may slack off a little on my church attendance and commitments. I have my faults and sins, but I m not a bad person. I know deep down that being Christian is the way to life, and I m going to try again. We all know in our hearts that the cross of Jesus Christ is the only way to go. We also know how difficult it is to internalize this truth, to pick up the cross daily and live it in all of life s circumstances. We know we need more prayer and discipline in our life, more genuine concern for others and less self-centeredness, more involvement in church and community. So we suck it up, get our ashes, and turn back to the Lord. Ash Wednesday is unique because it signals the beginning of Lent, the Church s special time of conversion and renewal in preparation for Easter. It is what Christians are all about a people who have died with Christ in the waters of baptism in order to rise with him to a new life. We renew our baptismal commitment to be his people in the world. As we recall and celebrate Christ s passage through death to life, we renew our own death to old sinful ways to rise and live with recaptured vigor. The symbols of Ash Wednesday touch us in a powerful way. When we hear the words, Remember, you are dust, and to dust you shall return, we are reminded of our vulnerability and utter dependence on God. Despite our mechanisms of power, ultimately, like dust in the wind, we can be whisked away in an instant And brought to our knees. At the same time we are called to scale the spiritual heights, to turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel, affirming that we are people with an enduring destiny and a sacred mission in the world. Ash Wednesday s insistent call to renewal strikes a responsive cord deep within us. It is difficult to resist the charm and pull of this fascinating day. Together we get our ashes and turn back to the Lord. The Padre, Father Joe Morin, C.SS.R. What are you doing for Lent this year? Ask Catholics what they re doing for Lent this year, and they ll probably tell you that they are giving up a favorite food, a favorite pastime or anything else they really love but isn t essential in their lives. Giving up something for Lent fosters self-discipline and tempers our desires. It is a form of fasting. It is a form of penance. It promotes spiritual growth. If you re giving up something for Lent, that s great. But think also about the possibility of doing something positive to bolster your spiritual life and make the world a better place. Look for ways to increase your knowledge of your faith, strengthen your spiritual life, or perform special acts of mercy and kindness at home, at work, in your parish or in your community.
The Stations of The Cross We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You ~ because by Your holy Cross you have redeemed the world. A friend, who is not Catholic, stopped for a visit at St. Patrick s Cathedral in New York City. Once inside, this friend observed two people walking around the church with regular stops in front of pictures. Above each picture was a wooden cross. His curiosity led to an examination of the pictures and the discovery that they depicted Jesus suffering and death. As mysterious as all of this might have been for my friend, most Catholics readily associate the Stations of the Cross, or Way of the Cross, with Lent and Holy Week. Most of us remember the standing, genuflecting, and kneeling that accompany the pilgrimage from one station to the next. Pilgrims to the Holy Land, who had meditated on Jesus suffering as they walked from the Garden of Gethsemane to Calvary, brought back this devotion. Returning to their homes in Europe, some put up crosses or pictures or statues to remind them of Holy Land shrines. For those faithful who could not afford or endure travel to the Holy Land, the local symbols became their shrines for meditation. th th In the 16 and 17 centuries the Stations of the Cross, as we know them today, took form. The number of stations have varied, but finally the present fourteen were accepted. The devotion spread through Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France, and Spain. The Franciscans worked to establish the devotion and succeeded to the point where nearly every church and chapel had its set of fourteen crosses, with or without scenes from the passion. Praying the stations requires only the meditative walk from one to the next. The stations can be prayed individually or communally. No specific prayer format is required, though many have been written; perhaps the most familiar is that of St. Alphonsus Liguori. Scripture makes an excellent guide. On Palm Sunday and Good Friday the gospel accounts of Jesus passion and death can truly move us. The Stations enable us to experience sorrow for sin and gratitude for forgiveness as we walk with Jesus from the trial before Pilate to Christ s collapse under the weight of the cross, his meeting with Mary, the crucifixion, death, and burial. This Lenten tradition makes Good Friday a living moment in our faith encounter. Timothy McCanna I. Pilate condemns Jesus to die II. Jesus takes up his cross III. Jesus falls for the first time IV. Jesus meets his mother V. Simon helps Jesus carry the cross VI. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus VII. Jesus falls the second time VIII. Jesus speaks to the women IX. Jesus falls the third time X. Jesus is stripped of his garments XI. Jesus is nailed to the cross XII. Jesus dies on the cross XIII. Jesus body is taken from the cross XIV. Jesus body is laid in the tomb