TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, Rev. Thomas J. Whitman, Pastor Director of Religious Ed: Sr. Sandy Pedone, H.M. Parish Secretary: Lori Vasconi Financial Secretary: Carol Koch Maintenance: Brad Goodall Music Director: Mary Messina Office Hours Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (closed 12:30-1:30 PM) Schedule Saturday Vigil - 5:15 PM Sunday - 8:30 & 11:00 AM Weekday: M, T, Th, Fri - 8:00 AM Wed. - 12:10 PM (Check weekly bulletin for changes.) Confessions Saturday: 4:00-4:30 PM or by request. Religious Education Program Sundays, 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM CCD Grades K-10 at Case Avenue Elem. School, Grade 11 in the church annex. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Every Wednesday after the 12:10 PM in the Mother s Chapel. Shenango Valley Catholic School System Mr. William Lyon, Principal, Kennedy Catholic Middle and High Schools: 724-346-5531 Mr. Joshua Testa, Principal St. John Paul II: 724-342-2205 PARISHIONER PRE-REGISTRATION FORM NAME STREET CITY & ZIP PHONE E-Mail Place completed form in today s collection basket or drop it off in the church office. New Member Address Change Update Info Baptism: Please contact the parish office to schedule a time and date. A pre-baptism class is required. No baptisms during Advent and Lent. Matrimony: By appointment six months in advance. Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA): Please call the rectory office at 724-981-3232. Prayer Line: For intentions, please call 724-342-3456. * Stop by the church office * See Fr. Tom after es * Fill out a reservation form located at each exit.
PASTOR S COLUMN SECOND COLLECTION: The second collection today is the Catholic Education collection. Remember that HALF of this collection stays here in our parish to support our Religious Education (CCD) program. PASTORAL CARE FOR VICTIMS OF ABUSE: Pastoral care and compassion for victims, as well as protection of children and vulnerable adults, is a top priority of the Diocese of Erie. The diocese encourages anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or misconduct by a member of the clergy or any employee or volunteer of the church to contact law enforcement. To report abuse to the independent investigators retained by the Diocese of Erie, email ErieRCD@KLGates.com. In addition, victims or concerned individuals can report abuse to ChildLine, an outreach of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, by calling 800-932-0313. The line is open 24/7, and callers may choose to remain anonymous. Victims are welcome to contact the diocese directly to report abuse at 814-451-1543. Counseling assistance is available for victims and/or their families through the diocesan victim assistance coordinator, Dr. Robert Nelsen, who can be reached at 814-451-1521. FALL RAFFLE: Tickets for the St. Joseph Fall Raffle are now on sale with top prize being $10,000. There are also additional prizes of $2,000 and $1,000. Tickets again are $100 each and the purchase of a ticket admits one person to a dinner to be held in the Guild Hall on Saturday, October 13, at 6:45pm and the drawing will take place at the dinner. This is the major fundraiser for our parish and we are asking all parishioners to help in selling or buying tickets. As in the past, there will be opportunities to split tickets with others. If you can help with selling tickets, please contact Fr. Tom or the parish office. To purchase a ticket: 1. Weekdays, stop in the church office during regular office hours. 2. See Fr. Tom after all weekend es. 3. Fill out a reservation form located at each exit and return the form along with your payment in the Sunday collection or by mail and your ticket stub will be mailed to you. REFLECTION ON THE READINGS: The readings this weekend speak about how difficult it is to be a follower of Jesus how difficult it is to be people of integrity. The first reading is one of what we call the Suffering Servant Psalms. This section of Isaiah describes someone who will endure suffering, innocent suffering, for the sake of others. These were long thought to be applied to the Messiah and in the Christian world have been applied to Jesus in his suffering and death on the cross. This passage might be meaningful and consoling to us in this time when some people are mocking us, or questioning why we are still in the Catholic Church. The passage reminds us that our faith is not in people or things, but in God. The second reading is one that presents the struggle between faith and works. Some people will try to say you need faith in order to be saved and others will say that you need to do works to earn your salvation. As is usually the case when we argue about extremes we realize we need both faith and works. Sometimes it is our faith that leads us to do work for justice, and sometimes it is our work for justice that leads us to a deeper faith in God. The Gospel is a very familiar passage where Jesus asks his disciples, who do people say that I am. It is interesting to note that when we are asked what other people are saying about something, there is no risk involved in our answers, because we are just repeating what we have heard. But in his own crafty way Jesus lets them rattle off what others are saying and then he gets to the heart of the matter, who do YOU say that I am. Notice how there is silence and only Peter, the non-stop talker in the group, gives a response. It is here that Jesus challenges them to take the risk concerning who they say he is. And that they better have a good answer because pretty soon he will be gone and they will have to answer to others about what they believe. They will have to be sure about what they are saying and the risk involved, because like the Suffering Servant in the first reading they may have to endure the ridicule of others and even the harsh treatment of others for choosing to believe in who Jesus is. I believe that who we say Jesus is will be the heart of this faith and works question in our own lives. If we have a real sense of who Jesus is then we will not only know how to proclaim who he is to others, but we will also be doing the kinds of works that will bring about justice in our world. And if we really know who Jesus is and we are following the ways he has pointed out to us, then we will be truly people of integrity and our example will be a means of support to all the other people who are trying to do the same.
FEATURED FOOD PANTRY ITEM Jelly Next week s featured item - jelly. Please place your donation in the shopping cart located in the Gathering Space and thanks for checking the expiration date!! UPCOMING FEATURED ITEMS Bar Soap - Toothpaste - Canned Fruit If you d like to volunteer, please report to the church s lower level at 8:00am on our next distribution day, Friday, September 21. St. Joseph Church - Music Ministry Do you like to sing? Do you play a musical instrument? St. Joseph s choir sings at the 11:00 each week. New members are welcome to come to any rehearsal Sundays at 9:45 before in the choir room. You do not have to read music and there are no auditions. The first rehearsal and choir is September 16! St Joseph s worship band plays throughout the year and is in need of instrumentalists and singers. We typically rehearse 45 minutes before begins. We know you are busy and we are accommodating to busy schedules. Come Join Us! If you re interested in sharing your musical gifts to serve our parish, please contact Mary Messina at 724-977-8025. WE NEED YOU! St. Joseph Women's Guild will have their monthly meeting on September 18 at 1:00pm in the Guild Hall. We meet every month on the third Tuesday at 1:00 pm. Anyone interested in joining our organization, please come to the meeting. We are a social and a working group. Each month we have a meeting and a speaker of different interests. Some members help with church dinners and funeral luncheons while other members help in other parish community activities. We try to do things to help our church community in many ways. Please, ladies, consider joining us. PLEASE PRAY FOR: Tony Perry, Margie B., Darlene Lenhart, Chris Pass, Mary Lou Brandon and Bill Lasche. Child Protection and Creating Safe Environments Diocesan Child Protection Policies: The Diocese of Erie, along with all dioceses of the United States, has policies and procedures in place to address the national problem of child abuse and to aid in creating safe environments. The diocese is committed to on-going screening and training of paid or volunteer persons who have regular contact with our children and youth under the age of 18. It is also committed to the yearly inservicing and training of our children, youth and parents regarding touching-safety and safe environments. To see what the Diocese of Erie is doing to help create safe environments, check out http://www.eriercd.org/protectyouth.htm. FAMILY Need some ideas to help your family along the journey of life? Visit the Families Always Matter website, www.eriercd.org/familiesmatter, to find information/ ideas for traditional, single-parent, blended, military, and adoptive/foster families. At the Diocese of Erie, families always matter! Go Families! A FAMILY PERSPECTIVE If commitment is the choice we make to give up other choices, then it is about losing ourselves. If we try to be independent from others by saving ourselves, we end up lonely and alone. Happiness is found in commitments. The gospel is true: We save our life by losing it! HOSPITAL STAY If you or a loved one become hospitalized, please call the church office at 724-981-3232 to notify us of your family name and room number so we will be able to visit and distribute Holy Communion to you or your loved one. WEEKEND COLLECTION September 10, Number of Adult envelopes sent.. 889 Number of Adult envelopes used. 235 Number of unused envelopes... 654 Sunday Offertory......$ 8,798 Budgeted Offertory....$10,650 Deficit.......($ 1,852) Other Collections: Latin America.....$ 5 Altar flowers are donated in thanksgiving to God and in memory of Frank Matteo by Mary Jo Sanitate
Intentions +Indicates Time Monday, September 17 1 Cor 11: 17-26, 33 / Lk 7: 1-10 +8:00 Bernard Songer (Family) *7:00 Parish Council Meeting-Choir Room Tuesday, September 18 1 Cor 12: 12-14, 27-31a / Lk 7: 11-17 *1:00 Women s Guild Meeting-Guild Hall Wednesday, September 19-1 Cor 12:31 13:13 / Lk 7: 31-35 *2:30 West Hill Ministries Thursday, September 20-1 Cor 15: 1-11 / Lk 7: 36-50 *2:30 West Hill Ministries *7:00 RCIA-Choir Room Friday, September 21-Eph 4: 1-7, 11-13 / Mt 9:9-13 Saturday, September 22-Wis 2: 12, 17-20 / Jas 3: 16 4:3 / Mk 9: 30-37 Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time +5:15 Deceased Members of the Parish Sunday, September 23 Wis 2: 12, 17-20 / Jas 3: 16 4:3 / Mk 9: 30-37 Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time +8:30 John Piatek (Billen Family) +11:00 James H. Whitman (Veronica Whitman) Saturday, 22, Vigil 5:15 PM Ministry Schedule for September 22/23 M. Norman A Kopta, B. Lepore, F. Smeraglia, D. Dach, P. Dach, N. Alexander, Volunteer N. Alexander, D. Eller, L. Grove GS: R. & S. Axtell Fr: F. Giroski Sunday, 23, 8:30 AM Sunday, 23, 11:00 AM K. Anglin J. Vukovich, R. Vukovich, L. Vasconi, J. Schupp, B. Poerstel, B. Chalupka, M. Orchard K. Schupp, N. Schupp, S. Schupp GS: S. Paul J. Bonomo P. Piccirilli, L. Dach, K. Bonomo, J. Grandy, D. Yao, D. Ranelli, M. Goodwin, Dr. D Amore, D. D Amore, G. Pacsi, M. Smith A. Anzevino, I. Bianco, H. Busi, R. Busi GS: J. Hoffman, C. Krochka Fr: B. Anzevino, O. Pacsi CL M. A. Smith WEEKDAY-HOSPITAL SUNDAY, 23 18 - F. Girosk SRHS - G. Pacsi 19 - K. Mueller Nugent - D. Ranelli 20 - P. Heldorfer Clepper - P. Emery SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS Some men fulfill God s call to holiness by serving as priests or permanent deacons. Men, high school age or older, who feel God may be calling them to pursue the Sacrament of Holy Orders should contact our parish priest.
Today, September 16, the Church celebrates Catechetical Sunday. The theme will be "Enlisting Witnesses for Jesus Christ." Those who the Community has designated to serve as catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We ask to please keep in your prayers all those who participate in the St. Joseph Religious ED Programs so that they my continue to follow Jesus call. CRAFT SHOW CHINESE AUCTION DONATIONS This year s craft show is Saturday, September 29 from 9:00am-2:00pm. A big part of our show is the Chinese Auction and we are looking for gift baskets and/or gift card donations. If you are able to help out this year s show by donating, please drop your gift basket or gift card off at the church office during weekday office hours by Friday, September 28. Gift card donations may also be placed in the Sunday collection marked Craft Show. jxävéåx St. Joseph Parish Welcomes All New Parishioners We hope you find warmth and hospitality at our parish as well as St. Joseph Church being nurturing and spiritually enriching. If you are considering or would like to join our parish community, we invite you to please take a Welcome Packet located at each exit or fill out the PreRegistration form on the front cover of the bulletin and drop in today s collection basket and a census form will be mailed to you.