Mass Intentions Saint John Paul the Great Parish Saturday Vigil, April 21st 2018 4:00pm St. Peter Amato, Sr. & Mary Juliano by Anna & Bruno Schenato 5:30pm St. Francis Donald Mayerjak - 1st Anniversary by Joe Dungan Saturday Vigil, April 28th 2018 4:00pm St. Peter Marion Beecher by Fay Sica Bosco 5:30pm St. Francis James Eichner by wife & family Sunday, April 22nd 2018 Sunday, April 29th 2018 7:30am St. Francis Intentions of all parishioners. 8:30am St. Peter Mitchell Sesko, Thomas Sesko, Sr. & Elizabeth Deak by family 10:00am St. Francis Bruce Betts by family 11:15am St. Peter Martha White by children 12:30pm St. Francis Mass in Spanish Maria Ernestina Velez by daughter 5:00pm St. Peter Lifeteen Mass Frank & Clementina D Addario & Louigi and Teresina D Addario by family 7:30am St. Francis Intentions of all parishioners. 8:30am St. Peter Peter Belli by the Holy Name Society 10:00am St. Francis Mary & Francis Flynn by Tim, Catherine & Margaret 11:15am St. Peter John G. Pinone, Sr. by Catholic Cemetery Association 12:30pm St. Francis Mass in Spanish Intentions of all parishioners. 5:00pm St. Peter Lifeteen Mass Gregg Morgan by Barbara King Weekday Masses Monday 4/23 8am St. Francis Joseph Latulipe, Sr. by Mary Ann, Lou & Jeff Tuesday 4/24 7am St. Peter Chester Jablonski by the Holy Name Society Wednesday 4/25 8am St. Francis Germaine & Henry Descoteaux and Richard Descoteaux by Joyce DeAngelo Thursday 4/26 7am St. Peter Olimpia Nuzzolillo by the Guerrera family Friday 4/27 8am St. Francis Judy Henderson by the Breakfast Group Sanctuary Candles are being burned in all four churches for Vocations to the Priesthood If you would like a ride to Mass, Northwestern CT Transit offers Dial-A-Ride Please call 860-489-2535 for more info. 2 4th Sunday of Easter Sacrament of Reconciliation MONDAY 5:00-7:00pm St. Peter SATURDAY 2:30-3:30pm St. Francis Also available by appointment. 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, Today is called Good Shepherd Sunday. The Gospel reading, from St. John, recalls our Lord s words where he acknowledges himself as the Good Shepherd and how he protects his sheep from the wolves. Pastors, in fact all priests, are called to be good shepherds as well, protecting God s people from attacks from the wolves. Our society has many wolves; some in sheep s clothing no less. It is so important for us as a church, the universal Catholic Church as well as our local Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Hartford and our Parish of St. John Paul the Great that we pray for vocations to the priesthood. We have a holy hour every Monday from 12 noon to 1 pm at Sacred Heart Church to pray specifically for our priests and for vocations. Thursdays are also commonly set aside in parishes to pray for vocations since the priesthood was instituted on Holy Thursday. Since we have Eucharistic Adoration every night of the week from Monday to Friday, we have many opportunities 5-8 pm at St. Francis Church, those I attendance can offer their adoration time for vocations to the priesthood. Some particular saints that you can turn to for their intercession are our patronal saint, St. John Paul the Great, St. Padre Pio, and St. John Vianney. St. Therese of Liseaux can also be called upon for the holiness of priests, for she spent her time in the convent praying for priests and their holiness. Tuesdays are also a day that I am proposing a specific prayer intention during the hours from 5-8 pm. to stand up for, or to actual kneel down for in prayer, is pro-life. We as a parish community can do our part by setting aside Tuesday as a time to pray for pro-life causes, especially our Two Hearts Crisis Pregnancy Center here in Torrington. We will be having the Rachel Rosary once a month on Tuesdays as well. Some saints to turn to for their intercession on pro-life issues are once again St. John Paul the Great, St. Gianna Molla, and even though she is not a saint yet, Mother Angelica. Priests are to be shepherds and to lay down their lives for their sheep. Priesthood is a beautiful vocation whereby a man sacrifices his life and sacrifices a family of his own in order to be another Christ in our midst. How many potential priests have been aborted since 1973? Please pray for your priests and pray for vocations to the priesthood, especially from your own families and the families here in Torrington. And please pray for an increase in respect for life at all stages, from conception to natural death. God bless you. Fr. John Mondays: 5-7pm at St. Peter (w/ Confessions) Tuesdays: 5-8pm at St. Francis We ask you to pray for the respect and dignity of all human life from conception to natural death and in a special way let us pray for Two-Hearts Pregnancy Center. Wednesdays: 5-8pm at St. Francis Thursdays: 5-8pm at St. Francis Please pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life.. Fridays: 5-8pm at St. Francis (except 1 st Friday of the month - 24 hour at Sacred Heart) Fr. Chris Martin processes with the Eucharist at a Franciscan University Steubenville Youth Conference. Fr. Martin is the president of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors. View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com 3 Saint John Paul the Great Parish
St. John Paul the Great Holy Name Society Wednesday, April 25 & Thursday, April 26 5pm to 7pm St. Peter Hall 107 East Main Street Sheik s Famous Meatballs & Sauce served over Penne Macaroni with Italian Salad & Lombardi s Dinner Bread Carvel s Ice Cream for Dessert Always a full service sit down meal! Take-out is available 4pm-7pm Buon Appetito!!! on this GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY May God raise up good shepherds in our midst. Please pray for an increase in vocations to priesthood, diaconate and religious life. Also consider this an invitation to reflect on your role in fostering priestly vocations in your family and your parish. To serve as a shepherd of the Lord s flock as a priest or religious, call Fr. Michael Casey, Director of Vocations, Archdiocesan Pastoral Center 860-761-7457 email: vocations@aohct.org or visit www.hartfordpriest.com ENCOURAGE VOCATIONS BY ENCOURAGING ALTAR SERVERS St. Michael Prayer Group Tickets will be available at the door. Children 8 years old and under eat free. Join Fr. John Mondays from 12-1pm Sacred Heart for a holy hour Praying for priests. Donations: $12 & are available at: Petricone s Pharmacy, Jimmy s Store Carbone s Market, Lombardi s Bakery West Side Package Store, Borla s Service Station, Gary s Hill Top Service, Station Cilfone s Package Store and the Ponte s Package Store 4 4th Sunday of Easter Please pray for Andrew Cook Thomas Di Vita recently deceased members of our parish family.
Parish Council Nominations Begin Sunday, April 29 A good candidate would reflect the fruits of the Holy Spirit JOYpeace patience GOODNESS GENTLENESS & self-control Our gifts are to be used to bear fruit. All who are confirmed are equipped with the gifts of the Holy Spirit to live a virtuous and holy life, and sent forth to bear much fruit, something that is possible only when one stays firmly attached to Jesus, the vine. The graces of the Spirit strengthen confirmed Christians to carry out their vocations for the good 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 JohnPaulGreatParishCouncil@gmail.com Office Staff: Anita Ressel Rose McMahon Toni Tavano Irene Matava Trustees: John Janco Monica Diulio Parish Council JohnPaulGreatParishCouncil@gmail.com St. Peter / St. Francis School Principal Jo-Anne Gauger 860-489-4177 Sacraments It s important that when you give to any charitable organization, you are confident that the funds received are being used wisely. Be assured that your gift to the Archbishop s Annual Appeal supports the ministries and programs indicated in the 2018 Appeal literature. Organizations such as FISH, McCall Foundation, Community Soup Kitchen, Two Hearts Pregnancy Care Center, LARC, P.A.L., Friendly Hands, Camp Moe, Susan B. Anthony, The Albert House and Prime Time House right here in our own town received funding from the Appeal s Vicariate OutReach Program that makes a difference in the lives of our local neighbors. Please visit the Appeal website at www.archdioceseofhartofrd.org to learn more and make your gift today. 5 Saint John Paul the Great Parish View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com 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 In Need of Prayers? Please call... Cheryl at 860-618-3533 to be added to our Prayer Line.
BABY BOTTLES FOR In the words of St John Paul the Great, Farmers everywhere provide bread for all humanity, but it is Christ alone who is the bread of life. own labor or by the generosity of others, the deepest hunger of man would still exist. Therefore, I say, Come all of you to Christ. He is the bread of life. Come to Christ and you will never be hungry again. You can help area food banks feed the hungry in our community by donating a non-perishable food item to our monthly food collections. Items such as PASTA, PASTA SAUCE, RICE, TUNA, MAC & CHEESE, CANNED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, BEANS, JUICES, PEANUT BUTTER, JELLY and CEREAL may be left at St. Francis or St. Peter the weekend th h of April 28-29. Gift cards to area grocery stores are also greatly appreciated. Many stores donate additional items when food banks make purchases with gift cards. Two Hearts Pregnancy Center serves facing difficulty in providing the basic necessities for their newborn children. Please consider taking a bottle home and dropping a donation into it. We ask that you please return the filled bottle Mother s Day weekend, May 12th-13th Your donation could go a long way toward helping these women provide for their young children. Thank you for your continued generosity and support in our outreach programs. Contributions to our parish for the week of April 8, 2018 $15,260.07 Thank you for your continued support! American Cancer Society Relay for Life As we all have been affected by this dreaded disease, in one way or another, and as several of our parish family members are in the fight for their lives right now we very much would like to come together as St. John Paul the Great Team for this years RELAY FOR LIFE SATURDAY, MAY 19th 10am - 10pm however, We WHITE MEMORIAL - Litchfield, CT need a Team Leader! If you might be willing to chair this event with the support of others... Please call/text Marlene 860-309-7855 6 4th Sunday of Easter Scripture Discussion Group Mondays from 6 7:30pm in the John Paul II Pastoral Center Join this fun-filled and inspiring group as we enrich our understanding of the readings from last weekend s Holy Mass. For more info call Mary Cashman @ 860-489-7568 Week at a glance... Sunday 22nd EARTH DAY - Take a walk Pick up trash along the way :) Monday 23rd St. Michael Holy Hour @ Noon Scripture Discussion 6pm Tuesday 24th Wednesday 25th St. John Paul the Great & Thursday 26th MACARONI SUPPER See bulletin for details.
BE THE CHANGE - April 22 #EarthDay2018: End Plastic Pollution Did you know that every plastic bottle, straw, bag, package you've ever used still exists on land or in the ocean today? Imagine what that looks like multiplied by a few billion people over a few generations That's 6.9 billion US tons of plastic poisoning and injuring marine life, disrupting human hormones, littering our beaches and landscapes and clogging our waste streams and landfills. In response, Earth Day 2018 is dedicated to providing the information and inspiration needed to fundamentally change human attitude and behavior about plastics. Check out the Great Pacific Garbage Patch on YouTube. GPGP is a massive dump of floating garbage in the Pacific Ocean. We contribute to it everyday by using un-biodegradable materials. Our trash is taken downstream from rivers into the ocean, where currents sweep it to the closest patch. The GPGP has been estimated to be larger than the state of Texas and it is not the only marine trash vortex it s just the biggest. The Atlantic and Indian Oceans both have trash vortexes. What can you do to make a difference? REDUCE YOUR SINGLE-USE PLASTIC CONSUMPTION A salad fork here, an iced coffee there, a plastic plate for your sandwich at lunch. Single-use plastics are one of the biggest things hurting the environment. Ask the waitress for no straw in your drink. Use reusable shopping bags. Buy a refillable water bottle. As we are called to be good stewards of God s creation, we have decided, as a parish, to eliminate the use of Styrofoam products completely and reduce our use of plastic as much as possible. Hot/cold Paper cups have been purchased in bulk and are available at the Pastoral Center. RECYCLE WHATEVER IS POSSIBLE TO RECYCLE We understand that at times personal water bottles are necessary, but we do ask you to RECYCLE and for parish events please fill a large water jug and use paper cups instead. Thank you. Please continue to RECYCLE BOTTLES/CANS Which may be dropped off in front of the St. Francis Garage 24/7. If you/a friend has an hour here or there that you d be willing to sort/count bottles/cans... Please stop by the Pastoral Center M-F 9am-4pm or call 860-482-4433 7 Saint John Paul the Great Parish View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com The Church is a family of families By the love of the Father, as disciples of Jesus Christ, and nourished by the Holy Spirit, we are called to communion with others. If you are looking for a fun ministry with many opportunities to share your time or talents on your own schedule Please join us... Monday, April 30th 6pm @ JPII Pastoral Center Our goal is to create opportunities for people to join in conversation, make connections, and build We want everyone to know that they are important and welcome at St. John Paul the Great Parish. St. Peter/St. Francis School - ANGEL FUND Our Angel Fund is a used for tuition assistance for our students. Any size gift would go far to help a family afford Catholic education. Please make the check out to St. John Paul the Great Parish and note in the memo that it is for the Angel Fund. Give the Gift of a Memory Brick in Mary s Memorial Garden $75 for a personalized brick paver. Please mark the envelope: Attn: Brick Fundraiser For more information contact Barbara Gleason 860-489-7145 Name Address City State Zip Phone
Comunidad Hispana News would like to thank all who supported our Pancake Breakfast. The money raised supports our Parish along with St Peter/St Francis School, and Two Hearts Pregnancy Center. Our next business meeting is Thursday May 3rd 7:30pm at Sacred Heart Hall HUMAN TRAFFICKING FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION Tuesday, April 24, 2018 6:30 pm 8:00 pm Our Lady of Hope Parish Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Social Center 78 Litchfield Road, Harwinton, CT Nancy Strini, a member of the Archdiocese of Hartford s Human Trafficking Task Force, will make a presentation designed to raise awareness in parish communities about this issue. Please join us to learn about the impact of human trafficking across our country and throughout Connecticut. Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the Body of Christ... It is a crime against humanity. Pope Francis, 2014 2018 Engaged Couples Conferences The on-line registration forms can be found at: HartfordMarriage.com or at ArchdioceseofHartford.org by going to the Office of Family Life, which can be found on the menu tab under Ministries. In 2018, there is no fee charged to the couples for attending these conferences. Worldwide Marriage Encounter Jesus is the good shepherd and laid down his life for us that we may have new life. Give your marriage new life by attending a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. July 6-8, 2018 in Manchester, CT For more information, call Pat & Mary-Jo McLaughlin at 860-315-2127 or visit them at https://wwmectw.org/ 8 4th Sunday of Easter 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. Todos los Martes 5:30 6:30PM Centro de Pastoral Juan Pablo II CHARLAS PREBAUTISMALES Requisitos: Asistir a la clase padr es y padr inos. Traer el acta de nacimiento del niño (a). Si los padrinos son pareja, deben estar casados por la Iglesia. Llegar puntuales a la conferencia. Llenar el formato para la inscripción bautismal. Dar una donación voluntaria a la Parroquia por el Sacramento. Traer fija la fecha y la hora de la ceremonia del Bautismo. (Por favor llamar a la oficina para registrarse o al 860-307-7343 - Lourdes - 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 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.
116 Grove Street, Torrington FAMILY STORYTIME Join us for reading, friendship and fun! TUESDAYS 10:30-11:30am Babies to 4 year olds and siblings. and parent(s) or grandparent(s) During our hour together we will read, play and create MOM2MOM April 28th Calendars can be found at JohnPaulGreatParish.com 2ND & 4TH SATURDAYS 10-11am Are you overwhelmed with the everyday pressures of being a mom? Are you experiencing a change in mood, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, feelings of hopelessness or guilt? Join other moms for a non-clinical, peer to peer support group! Facilitated by moms with lived experience. May 1st marks the beginning of the 60th Pilgrimage Season of the Shrine of Lourdes 50 Montfort Rd., Rte. 118. Mass is celebrated Tuesday through Sunday 11:30am in the outside Grotto In the event of inclement weather, Mass is celebrated in the Grotto Chapel located on the Shrine grounds. Also on the grounds is the Grotto Gift Shop Join us in the Upper Room @ St. Peter Hall for our TEEN SOCIAL NIGHTS with Volleyball/Basketball/Dodgeball Wii Just Dance/Air Hockey/Foosball Middle School High School May 5th May 12th 1st Saturdays 6-9pm 2nd Saturdays 6-10pm $5 Donation Pizza/Soda/Ice cream MUST RSVP by noon on day of event Middle School EDGE Program Marlene Carrier Call/Text 860-309-7855 JohnPaulGreatYouth@gmail.com High School CONFIRMATION Program 9 Saint John Paul the Great Parish View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com Donna Puzacke 860-489-7899 Cell 860-309-1900 JohnPaulGreatConfirmation@gmail.com