Mary Magdalene holds the feet of the crucified Christ Altar window of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Wethersfield, Essex 1880s Charles-François Champigneulle Photo by Simon Webster
Mass Intentions Saint John Paul the Great Parish Saturday Vigil, July 21st 2018 Saturday Vigil, July 28th 2018 4:00pm St. Peter 4:00pm St. Peter Albert Vasko - 1 Year Anniversary by family Nick Molino by Wife & family 5:30pm St. Francis 5:30pm St. Francis Walter Gozemba by family Frank & Anne Gerardi & son Michael by family Sunday, July 22nd 2018 Sunday, July 29th 2018 7:30am St. Francis James L. & Betty Jane Miklas by family 8:30am St. Peter Gerrard Amoroso & Tony Amoroso by Anna Amoroso 10:00am St. Francis 11:15am St. Peter Rosina Silano & Giovanni Silano - Birthday Remembrance by family 12:30pm St. Francis Mass in Spanish Victoria Rosario Rodriguez by Gaby & Yvette Santos 5:00pm St. Peter Lifeteen Mass In honor of St. Anne by Caterina Madia Weekday Masses 7:30am St. Francis Norman Daley by family 8:30am St. Peter Virginia Renzullo by Betty, Patrick, Marie DiPippo and Annette Caputi 10:00am St. Francis Constance Wilcox by family 11:15am St. Peter Al & Josephine Mainella & deceased members of the Mainella & Minelli families by family 12:30pm St. Francis Mass in Spanish 5:00pm St. Peter Lifeteen Mass Neil Christiano Monday 7/23 8am St. Francis Neil Christiano by Mary, Joan & Fran Tuesday 7/24 7am St. Peter Gardner Leonard by daughter & son in law Wednesday 7/25 8am St. Francis Jacob Sidlosky by children Thursday 7/26 7am St. Peter For continued health and well being of Mollie Scaia by the Marconi family Friday 7/27 8am St. Francis Intentions of all parishioners. St. Anne s Triduum Masses Tuesday July 24th Wednesday July 25th Thursday July 26th Sacrament of Reconciliation MONDAY 5:00-7:00pm St. Peter SATURDAY July 22, 2018 2 Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 7am St. Peter Church 8am St. Francis Church 7am St. Peter Church 2:30-3:30pm St. Francis Sanctuary Candle is being burned at St. Peter in memory of 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 St 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, On July 25th, 1968, fifty years ago, Pope Paul VI promulgated an encyclical that started a revolution in the Catholic Church; a revolution that has change the face of our church ever since. On that day, he issued the encyclical Humane Vitae, which reaffirmed the Catholic Church s teaching on the morality of regulating births. Bishops, priests, nuns and other lay theologians, as well as prominent lay Catholics, took out a full page ad in the New York Times excoriating professor at Catholic University of America, argued that artificial means of birth control were licit and fell under the that artificial birth control was sinful. Ever since, the Catholic Church has struggled with widespread dissent from her members, especially in the realm of sexual morality. They argue that a group of celibate men cannot understand the role of sex in a marriage nor could they understand women s issues. Never mind that married couples and women moral theologians have accepted the teaching and have written beautiful defenses of the Catholic Church s defense of the illicit means of controlling births. The most famous of the defenders of Pope Paul VI s encyclical is Janet Smith, a moral theologian who has taught in the seminary and university level. Pope Paul VI himself has been called a prophet for his encyclical. It is a very short encyclical and the last one that Pope Paul would write even though he reigned as pope for ten more years. Pope St. John Paul II was also a defender of the encyclical and fleshed out the teaching in a longer apostolic exhortation in 1981 called familiaris consortio. Pope Paul wrote of four consequences that would happen if society dissented from the teaching. 1) An increase in marital infidelity. 2) A general lowering of moral standards. 3) A loss of respect for women (man would reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires ). 4) Governments would coerce people into using contraception and intervene in citizens sexual relationships. These consequences have come true fifty years later. Many Protestants have come to see the wisdom on Pope Paul VI s encyclical. Many Catholic couples have also embraced the teaching, especially recently, because of the lowering of moral standards and the loss of respect for women. The dissenters believed that artificial birth control would help marriages and give women more freedom. The opposite has happened. Many priests shy away from teaching on birth control because so many Catholics reject it. Also, due to the priest scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church, many priests feel they have no credibility to speak out on morality. Pope Paul was compassionate and realistic concerning this encyclical. He was fully aware of human weakness in this area. It is a difficult teaching of the Catholic Church, but when lived properly, this teaching brings about grace for the couple. I encourage everyone to read not only Humane Vitae, but also Familiaris Consortio and the following works by Janet Smith: Humane Vitae: A Generation Later; Why Humane Vitae is Still Right; and Self-Gift: Humane Vitae and the Thought of John Paul II. God bless. Fr. John Please pray for Mondays: 5-7pm at St. Peter (w/ Confessions) Tuesdays: 5-8pm at St. Francis Tuesday Adoration is dedicated to PRO-LIFE Wednesdays: 5-8pm at St. Francis Thursdays: 5-8pm at St. Francis Thursday Adoration is dedicated to Vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life. Fridays: 5-8pm at St. Francis (except 1 st Friday of the month - 24 hour 8am Friday - 8am Saturday at Sacred Heart) View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com 3 Saint John Paul the Great Parish Alfred C. King Jr. Lena Neri Donatantonio Dan Gerardi Colleen Platt recently deceased members of our parish family. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let the perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
heard it so many times before... I d that the faces of all humanity flashed before Jesus eyes as he died on the cross but I just never had considered that he actually saw mine (one of our anonymous teens) Thank you to all who made this trip possible through your support financially and through your prayers... Steubenville East 2018 REVEALED In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. 1 John 4:9 This past weekend 25 amazing teens from St. John Paul the Great Parish joined 2700 teens from the northeast at this years Steubenville East Youth Conference. Together they experienced the Body of Christ, the young Church, through engaging liturgies, inspiring music, challenging talks and overwhelming joy. Teen SUMMER HOLY Wednesdays St. Michael Prayer Group Join Fr. John Mondays from 12-1pm Sacred Heart for a holy hour Praying for priests. Rest to listen; Listen to respond. Hear God s answer to your question What do you ask of me? If the answer is that He is asking you to consider serving Him as a priest or religious. 4 Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 22, 2018 Free Summer Meals! Kids and teens 18 and under Free meals are available for kids and teens all summer in Torrington... The people actually feeding the children are the same people in charge of school lunch. Lunches will be available at Vogel-Wetmore Coe Park William Besse Pool near THS and Woodland Hills Apartments For sites near you call 211 Text CTmeals to 877877 Www.CTSummerFood.org
Contributions to our parish for the week of July 8, 2018 $14,544.34 WHY DO WE DO THAT? CATHOLIC TRADITIONS EXPLAINED Question: July 26 is the feast of Joachim and Anna. Who are they and what do we know about them? Answer: Joachim and Anna are the parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus, yet there is absolutely no biblical reference to them whatsoever. So where do we get their names, and what is their story? Their names are found in an apocryphal (hidden) gospel known as "The Infancy Gospel of James." Apocryphal, or hidden gospels, consist of accounts of Jesus' life that were ultimately not accepted as inspired works, and thus were not included in the Bible. However, they sometimes captured the Christian imagination, spilling into the devotional dimension of the community. James' infancy gospel begins with the parents of Mary and their desire for a child. In their prayer and petitions to God, they are heard and given the blessings of a child, whom they named Mary. While we have no idea who Mary's parents really were, the fact that we celebrate the feast of Joachim and Anna indicates that the bond of family love is important in the Christian life. Long before Grandparents' Day was established, the church had a feast that honored the presumed grandparents of Jesus. While their names are part of non-inspired apocryphal legends, the fact of the Savior's human ancestry is not. Christ, the incarnate Word, dwelt among us in the flesh in a human family. In honoring the grandparents of Jesus, we really proclaim our faith in the Incarnation God becoming human! LIVE THE LITURGY INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK The many images we have of God help frame our relationship with Him. Have we ever imagined Jesus so deeply moved with emotion and engulfed with pity for us? We often are sheep without a shepherd who are lured by the emptiness of worldly attractions and superficial desires. We become lost. God, in the depth of His being, is deeply moved by our pain, loneliness, and heartache. God does not judge or condemn. He loves and is mercy itself. He knows firsthand the pain that comes with being lost and alone and desires to teach us about His merciful love. Do we want to be taught? Listen to God's word and be open to God's presence in the Eucharist. 5 Saint John Paul the Great Parish View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com Staff Pastor: Rev. John C. Granato Parochial Vicar: Rev. Carlos Zapata Deacons: Roy Dungan Peter Hyde Richard Hamel Pastoral Ministry Beverly Sesko: 860-489-4470 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 Music Director: Francine Gryniuk Organist: Bill Mackstutis Office Staff: Anita Ressel Toni Tavano Rose McMahon Irene Matava Bulletin Editor: Marlene Carrier Trustees: John Janco Monica Diulio Parish Council Questions, Comments or Concerns regarding our parish may be addressed to our Parish Council via email JohnPaulGreatParishCouncil@gmail.com St. Peter / St. Francis School Principal Jo-Anne Gauger 860-489-4177 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 In Need of Prayers? Please call... Cheryl at 860-930-4805 to be added to our Prayer Line.
In the words of St John Paul the Great, Only through the Eucharist is it possible to live the heroic virtues of Christianity: charity, to the point of forgiving one's enemies; love for those who make us suffer; chastity in every age and situation of life; patience in suffering and when one is shocked by the silence of God in the tragedies of history or of one's own personal existence. You must always be Eucharistic souls in order to be authentic Christians. 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 of July 28th-29th Gift cards to area grocery stores are also greatly appreciated. Many stores donate additional items when food banks make purchases with gift cards. Thank you for your continued support! Tuesday, July 24th 6pm @ JPII Pastoral Center Our Pro-Life Ministry is committed to prayer, education and action in defense of all human life from conception to natural death. It is our mission to foster a Culture of Life through active participation in 40 days for Life in Hartford, March for Life in Washington. DC, Pro-Life presence on Main Street - Torrington on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade; Pro-Life Mass; Rachel Rosary; Advocating for the unborn at abortion clinics; and supporting Two Hearts Pregnancy Center in Torrington in whatever way that we can. 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 schedule Please join us... Tuesday July 24th 7pm @ JPII Pastoral Center St. John Paul the Great Parish Tickets $ 12 for pizza Our main focus is to help our parish maintain a welcoming environment for all parishioners and visitors. We want everyone to know that they are important and Welcomed at St. John Paul the Great Parish. Our goal is to create opportunities for people to join in conversation, make connections, and build relationships with other members of our parish family. only Available at the Pastoral Center or call Peg 860-489-3150 or Alice 860-482-7949. BOTTLES/CANS May be dropped off in front of the Scripture Discussion Group Mondays from 6 7:30pm in the John Paul II Pastoral Center For more info call Mary Cashman @ 860-489-7568 6 Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 22, 2018 St. Francis Garage 24/7. PLEASE NOTE: GLASS BOTTLES can only be accepted in boxes or their original containers. 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
Saturday September 29 th 1pm - 8pm 152 Litchfield Street Torrington Sponsored by the Council #37 FREE ADMISSION If interested in sponsorship of Oktoberfest to benefit St. John Paul the Great Parish Advertising Opportunities are available for the Program Book: Full Page (4.5 x 7.5 ) + T-shirt Ad*.$200 Half Page (4.5 x 3.25 ) + T-shirt Ad*... $100 Quarter Page (3.5 x 2 ).. $50 Other Amount/Donation (single name line).$ * T-shirt limited to the first 10 sponsors Your ad will be placed on the back of a T-Shirt with our Oktoberfest logo on the front. The shirts will be sold at the Oktoberfest. Contact Name Business Name Address City, State, Zip Phone Checks to be made out to: St. John Paul the Great Parish Please reference Oktoberfest 2018 on check memo Please check one of the following: I am enclosing a business card to be copied in the program book as my ad. I m attaching the copy for my ad. I d like the program book committee to design my ad. Please return this form with your check by the September 8th DEADLINE to: Oktoberfest 2018 St. John Paul II Pastoral Center 160 Main Street Torrington, CT 06790 View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com 7 Saint John Paul the Great Parish
EUCARISTIA DOMINICAL Solidarity Council 55 will have a Men's Social Picnic on Thursday, August 2nd at 6:30pm at Sacred Heart Hall Please call or text 860-307-5204 or e-mail kocsolidarity55@gmail.com to confirm so we can plan the food. This is an invitation for all the You are invited to come and hear Fr. John Granato speak on Tuesday, August 7th St. Peter Hall @ 6:30pm Refreshments will be served. Door Prizes & Raffle Baskets Hosted by Holy Rosary Society Holy Rosary Society of St. John Paul the Great Parish There will be no meeting as we will have Fr. John as our speaker for the evening of August 7th All members are encouraged to attend. ST. PETER ST. FRANCIS SCHOOL ENROLL 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR SPSFSCHOOL.NET 860.489.4177 8 Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 22, 2018 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 Alvear 860-834-0758 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.
Save the Date for totally Catholic For students in grades K-5th $25/child High School Teens Wednesdays 5pm-7pm @ St.Peter/St.Francis School Main Street Parking Lot In our NEW Teen Coffee House Then check out our Brand NEW GAGA PIT! (Israeli Dodgeball) to spend a few minutes in Adoration of our Lord Questions or to register contact Jen Owens 860-307-2291 or email at johnpaulgreatreligioused@gmail.com Looking for adult volunteers to assist in various areas. Also looking for young volunteers in Grades Sixth thru High school to assist. Teen Holy Hour/Adoration 7pm-8pm w/ LIFETEEN Music followed by Bonfire/Smores 8pm-9pm at St. Francis Church with a Teen Apologetics Q&A Religious Education REGISTRATION NOW OPEN for 2018-2019 SchoolYear Students in grades K-5 To coordinate a date and time to register or additional info, please contact K-5 Religious Ed Coordinator Jen Owens Call/Text 860-307-2291 JohnPaulGreatReligiousEd@gmail.com Help Wanted Our K-5 Religious Education Program is looking for adults and young men and women in high school who may be interested in assisting as St. Rose of Lima - Newtown, CT All Teens in 8th-12th Grade are Welcome! The program runs from mid-september to late April with classes on Wednesday afternoons and Sunday mornings for 1 ½ hour. There are so many blessings attributed to serving in this Ministry, will you say YES? Needed! For more info, please contact Jen Owens 9 Saint John Paul the Great Parish View our bulletin online: JohnPaulGreatParish.com includes lunch, dinner, funds for the service project of packing 10,000 meals for Burkhina Faso in Africa through Catholic Relief Services MUST REGISTER by Monday, July 30th by contacting Marlene Carrier Call/Text 860-309-7855 JohnPaulGreatYouth@gmail.com Transportation will be provided.