ST. THOMAS AQUINAS Roman Catholic Church 8320 Old C.R. #54 New Port Richey, FL 34653 Phone 727-372-8600 Web Page: www.stanpr.org Pastor: Rev. Eric Peters Associate Pastor: Rev. George P. Varkey Deacon: Rev. Mr. Melvin Dunphy STA Early Childhood Center: 376-2330; Bishop Larkin Catholic School (K-8): 862-6981; Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School: 857-2600 Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 14, 2018 Father George Blesses Animals and all of us! Learning, Living and Sharing the Good News
Family Faith Fest s Gift to the Community The Family Faith Fest is an unprecedented free music and faith festival that will provide a day of fun, fellowship and exciting activities for people of all ages. It will also seek to fill an important need in our community food for the hungry. Everyone who attends the Family Faith Fest is asked to bring a non-perishable food item to benefit programs of Catholic Charities that serve the most vulnerable among us. Most needed items include: canned vegetables, fruits and soup, boxed and bagged dried pasta and rice, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, crackers, dried fruits, nuts, and shelf-stable drinks (like Gatorade). Bishop Gregory Parkes invites you to the Family Faith Fest, the Diocese of St. Petersburg s 50th Anniversary celebration, Saturday Oct. 27 from 10 am to 6 pm at Al Lopez Park in Tampa. Learn more at www.familyfaithfest.org. Please support Pack-A-Sack Food 4 Kids! We need your prayers! Chronic hunger and/or food insecurity is harmful for children. Hungry children become sick more often and incur deficiencies that limit their development. They have difficulty concentrating and perform poorly in school. They exhibit more anxiety and aggression. That is why our St. Vincent de Paul Conference has committed to providing 30 students at Gulf Middle School with sacks of nutritious kid friendly foods over weekends and school breaks. To help with program costs, our Conference has applied for a Catholic Relief Services (CRS) mini-grant. One quarter of funds raised by the annual CRS Rice Bowl campaign goes toward local efforts to alleviate hunger through the minigrant program. We were fortunate to receive grants in 2016 and 2017. Please pray that we will again be awarded a $1,000 grant this year. God bless you and thank you! Readings for the Week of October 14, 2018 Sunday: Wis 7:7-11/Ps 90:12-17/Heb 4:12-13/ Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27 Monday: Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31--5:1/Ps 113:1-7/ Lk 11:29-32 (Opt. Rom 8:22-27/Ps 19:10/Jn 15:1-8) Tuesday: Gal 5:1-6/Ps 119:41, 43-45, 47-48/Lk 11:37-41 (Opt. Sir 26:1-4, 13-16/Ps 128:1/Mk 3:31-35) Wednesday: Gal 5:18-25/Ps 1:1-4, 6/Lk 11:42-46 (Opt. Phil 3:17 4:1/Ps 34:5/Jn 12:24-26) Thursday: 2 Tm 4:10-17b/Ps 145:10-13b, 17-18/ Lk 10:1-9 Friday: Eph 1:11-14/Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13/Lk 12:1-7 (Opt. 2 Cor 4:7-15/Ps 126:5/Mt 28:16-20) Saturday: Eph 1:15-23/Ps 8:2-7/Lk 12:8-12 (Opt. 1 Cor 1:18-25/Ps Mk 16:15/Mt 16:24-27) Next Sunday: Is 53:10-11/Ps 33:4-5, 18-20, 22/ Heb 4:14-16/Mk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45 Weekend Readings are at (727) 372-8600 Mass Intentions Monday 8:00 a.m. Dorothy Kaufer Tuesday 8:00 a.m. Bonaventura Bonanno Wednesday 8:00 a.m. Vocations Thursday 8:00 a.m. Dacio C. Roman Friday 8:00 a.m. Patricia Garton Saturday 4:00 p.m. Robert Bouse 6:00 p.m. Vincent and Thomas Colucci Sunday 7:00 a.m. Mancusco Family 8:30 a.m. Parish Family 10:30 a.m. Christopher Virgadamo 5:00 p.m. Rose Venezia TABERNACLE LIGHT For the month of October 2018 In Memory of: Bill Foster From the Ciondella Family
Parish Calendar Mon. 10/15 6PM Scouts; 7PM Prayer Group Tues. 10/16 9AM Rosary Makers; 10AM Bereavement; 6PM Girl Scouts; 6:30PM Boy Scouts; 7PM Contemporary Choir Wed. 10/17 9AM Legion of Mary; 10AM SVDP Meeting; 2PM Women s Faith Discussion; 5:15PM FF K-8; 7PM Traditional Choir Thurs. 10/18 10AM Prayer Shawl; 4PM Girl Scouts; 6PM Benediction/Adoration; 6PM Girl Scouts; 7PM K of C Social; 7PM Bible Study Fri. 10/19 Sat. 10/20 Sun. 10/21 Offertory - October 6th and 7th 9AM Christian Men s Fellowship Meeting 8AM Pancake Breakfast; 9AM FF Sessions; 11:30AM Baptism Prep; 5PM Mass Life Teen; 6PM Life Teen $16,244.48 1,848.00-Online Giving $18,092.48-Total The monthly collection for the St. Vincent de Paul Society will be following every Mass this weekend, October 13 th and 14th, 2018 During the month of September, 3,652 pounds of food has fed 123 families and 386 people. The Pantry is open Monday and Thursdays, 9:30 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 3:30 p.m. Your kindness and generosity provides help to the needy! God Bless you! Mass and Devotions Schedule Saturday Vigil: 4:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. Sunday: 7:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. (Contemporary) and 5:00 p.m. (LifeTeen ) Daily Mass: 8:00 a.m. Monday-Friday Healing Mass: 7:00 p.m. Monday (September - June) Holy Rosary after 8:00 a.m. Mass, Mon-Fri, in Blessed Sacrament Chapel Marian Novena after 8:00 a.m. Mass on Tuesdays Benediction & Adoration: 1st Fridays 8:30 10:00 a.m. (September May) Reconciliation: Saturday 2:30-3:30 p.m. or by appt. Parish Information Office hours 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. Monday-Friday, Sunday mornings. Call for information. Phone: (727) 372-8600 Website: www.stanpr.org Prayer Line: (727) 372-8600 Emergency Number for Anointing of the Sick: Nights & Weekends (727) 836-3211 Administration Business Office Fax: (727) 376-7204 Pastoral Ministries Coordinator: Mary Miller Ext 111 Parish Bookkeeper: Cherise Amundson Ext. 115 Bulletin Editor: Kate Ext. 113 Parish Ministry Faith Formation Team Leader Sue Sferra Ext. 132 Middle School (Edge) Sue Sferra Ext. 132 High School (Life Teen) - Beth DeBella and Cliff Stodden Ext. 131 RCIA Sue Sferra Ext. 132 Music - Dan O Hara Ext. 128 Parish Nurse, Ministry to the Sick & Homebound Betty West Ext. 116 Sacristan - JoAnn McVeigh Ext. 129 Stewardship Mary Ellen Taylor Ext. 144 St. Vincent de Paul Society Ext. 142 STA Early Childhood Center Alicia Mumma, Director (727) 376-2330 www.staecc.org Food Pantry: Monday and Thursday 9:30am until 11:00am and 1:30pm until 3:30pm Gift Store: Open before/after 4pm Saturday and 10:30am Sunday Masses Parish Library: Open during office hours
Adoration 1st and 3rd Thursdays Of the Month Silent adoration is from 6 pm to 7 pm and praise and worship music from 7 pm to 8:30 pm Please come and spend some time with Jesus! Stop by for a brief visit or for the entire evening. St. Thomas Fall Festival November 2nd, 3rd and 4th Help us advertise our event by sharing the flyers available in the narthex. Parishioners are respectfully asked to donate a case of canned soda or 2L bottles and a case of 16 oz. bottled water. Your donations can be dropped off at the church office or in the Narthex after masses on Saturday and Sunday, October 27th and 28th. Please donate: Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Sprite, and 7-Up or store-bought cakes or cupcakes. Come and bring your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers! Help us make this a great success!
Letter Regarding the Florida Attorney General s Investigation of Institutional Sex Abuse Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: October 4, 2018 Today, as a result of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, the Florida Attorney General announced an investigation into how the Catholic dioceses of Florida have handled allegations of sexual abuse of minors in the past. I welcome this investigation and want to assure the public that the Diocese of St. Petersburg has been and continues to be proactive in its efforts to keep children safe, which should be a priority for everyone. We seek to ensure the safety of all children and to ensure that all perpetrators of abuse are removed from ministry. We denounce all forms of sexual abuse by any person or any institution as a reprehensible crime and believe that perpetrators should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Here are helpful facts about actions we are taking to keep children safe: I have met with the Statewide Prosecutor to pledge our cooperation. I explained the Diocese of St. Petersburg s policies that have been in place since 1996 for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults and strengthened in 2002 upon the adoption of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. We have established policies that include a zero tolerance for sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults; mandatory national fingerprint background screening; a lay Review Board to assess all reported allegations against clergy; and mandatory safe environment training for everyone who works or volunteers with minors and vulnerable adults. Many preventive measures have been put in place to protect youth and vulnerable adults. Since 1992, the Diocese of St. Petersburg has completed fingerprint background screenings on 59,000 priests, deacons, lay employees and volunteers entrusted with the care, responsibility and/or supervision of minors or vulnerable adults, as well as contractor and vendors working in close proximity to these persons We consistently pray for all victims of all abuse. We consistently urge anyone who has been abused or is aware of abuse to call law enforcement and the Florida Department of Children and Families Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873. We also urge anyone abused by Church personnel (clergy, a church employee or volunteer) or a contractor/vendor, to call the Diocese of St. Petersburg s Victim Assistance Minister, John Lambert, LCSW. He can be reached by phone at 1-866-407-4505 or by email at jl@dosp.org. He is available to coordinate pastoral care and offer assistance. We are transparent. The names of our diocesan clergy who have had credible allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor raised against them are published on the diocesan webpage under the Safe Environment Program Office: https://www.dosp.org/safe-environment/credibly-accused-individuals. We also created the following webpage for parishioners with Frequently Asked Questions in September of 2018: www.dosp.org/accountability. As we continue to work through this difficult and painful period in our Church s history, be assured of my continued prayers. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. Sincerely Yours in Christ, Most Reverend Gregory L. Parkes Bishop of St. Petersburg
What a GREAT gathering of our First Communion Families food, fellowship and Mass enrichment. The Church is alive and well in & through these faith-filled families! Faith Formation For All! Faith Formation Ahead: NO Sunday sessions (10/14). This includes the morning K-6 AND evening High School LifeTeen (Pasco County Public schools off 10/15) All Sunday sessions RESUME 10/21 (K-6 is our Family Catechetical Session - parents stay from 9-10:15AM) Wednesday Sessions ARE ON CAMPUS 10/17 - regular classroom sessions Wednesday 10/24 is our Family Catechetical Session Wednesdays include 5PM pizza concession, followed by session from 5:15-6:30PM
Knight s Korner Knights of Columbus Council #11497 October 18 th Monthly Social @7PM (Adoration before @6PM) October 21st Pancake Breakfast following Morning masses November 1 st Business Meeting @7PM (Adoration before @6PM) Did you know that you can become a Knight s of Columbus emember right now by going to KofC.org and pressing Join Us? Be sure to select Council 11497 and we do the rest! Further questions contact our Grand Knight Maurice A. Batista at (813) 493-4534. WORLD MISSION SUNDAY Calling All Mission Voices! Next Sunday, WORLD MISSION SUNDAY, we are called to be part of the Church s missionary efforts, supporting mission priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay catechists who provide loving service to those most in need. As Catholics around the world here at home and in the Missions gather at the Eucharist around the table of the Lord, let us PRAY for the Church s worldwide missionary work OFFER financial HELP through The Society for the PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH for vulnerable communities throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Islands. FREE CLASSES HAVE BEGUN IN ENGLISH AND AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP If you would like to attend, please come to our class rooms every Tuesday at 6:45pm to register and begin your studies. You may also contact the parish office of Our Lady Queen of Peace at 727-849-7521 Monday through Friday. Everyone is welcome and registration of $5.00 covers all materials. VOLUNTEERHELP NEEDED NOW If you can give 1 ½ hours a week helping someone to speak English or to apply for their American citizenship, please call the parish office at 727 849 7521.Training is provided. Office help is also needed. Call today and be a blessing to someone. ALL MEN INVITED TO OUR MONTHLY GATHERING Next Saturday @ 9:30 am Parish Center Community Room Come and join in fellowship with some men from our parish as we strive to become better husbands, brothers, sons and friends. Note: Rosary will be prayed @ 9am. Please come and join us for the Rosary if you wish. There is no COMMITMENT to come every month just when you are able. Call or email for more information: Joe McFarland 727-376-6317 mackie211@verizon.net Save the Date! On December 3rd, 2018 our St. Thomas Aquinas Prayer Group presents its annual Christmas Party at Timber Greens Country Club. More to follow!