Week of May 10, 2015 Sixth Sunday of Easter ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Pastor’s Musings Dear Family in the Lord, As we honor our mothers this weekend, certainly our hearts are also filled with gratitude for the gift the Lord Jesus gave us from the cross, the gift of His Mother to be the Mother of us all. Tremendous graces are outpoured when we place ourselves in the care of our heavenly mother, entrusting ourselves to her, seeking her intercession and asking her to bring us ever closer to her Divine Son. Just as our earthly mothers teach us by their example, not simply by their words, so we who look to Mary can learn much about trusting faith (Annunciation), carrying Jesus within to others (Visitation), holding up Jesus for others to see (Nativity), standing in solidarity with those who suffer (Mary at the cross), and we can echo in our hearts her words, as we often can clearly remember important details of life our mothers taught us through simple phrases, as we hear her say at the wedding feast of Cana, “Do whatever He tells you." Traditionally, the Church invites us to honor our Lady in a special way during the month of May. We can pray to her more fervently, make reparation for our neglect or the tendency to “take Mom for granted.” We entrust ourselves to her, ask her to unite her prayers with ours and, in meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary and the events narrated in Sacred Scripture concerning her, we “page through the photo album in our mind” to be reminded of her example, nearness, beauty, and loving care. Many of us can remember “May altars” set up in our classrooms at school and in our homes. These became daily ways to think of Mary, turn to her, and pay closer attention to her example. In many instances, they are focal points to gather as a family or individually to pray with her. It's not too late! In your home? A decade a day is a great way to rediscover the Rosary. Pondering the mysteries one by one is a great way to rediscover the Rosary as a meditative and contemplative prayer, rather than rote prayer in rapid fire. Perhaps a visit to the church for prayer before Jesus in the tabernacle can include a “side stop” to Mary's altar in our church for a little one-on-one with her. Make May minipilgri-mages part of your day this month! You’ll be surprised by what she gives you in return and how your heart will expand to love her Jesus as she does! This week I invite you to join us for the Fatima triduum as a way to set some time aside to honor our Blessed Mother, deepen your understanding and appreciation of the mysteries of the Rosary and your ability to link these mysteries with your life for a more reflection praying of this important prayer. I will offer teachings on the mysteries each night at homily time in the context of Holy Mass at 7:00 PM, and then we will pray a reflective “scriptural Rosary” that intersperses scripture passages with the prayers to help focus more intently on the mysteries. Consider coming to our Immaculate Conception Church nightly this week, Monday through Wednesday. The last night celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, commemorating the visit of our Holy Mother early in the previous century, when she taught us the value of the Rosary and doing penance for the salvation of souls. Later in the month, on the last Thursday (May 28) we will gather for Rosary and Benediction at our St. Catherine Church then process outside to the Mary Garden next to Nazareth House for our May Crowning. Plan to join us in this traditional act of love for our Mother and Heavenly Queen. Finally, this Thursday we mark the 40th day of Easter, and commemorate the Lord's ascension into heaven. He took His disciples to wait and pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that would come upon them, enabling them to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read how they were locked in fear, and locked in, literally, in the upper room, gathered in prayer. The Acts tells us that “with them was Mary, the Mother of Jesus.” So, for nine days after His return to the Father until the day of Pentecost brought the Spirit with tongues of fire and mighty wind, they were praying in union with Mary. This was the original “novena.” Many of us are familiar with a novena – the word means “nine” and is a nine day period of prayer offered in thanks or for a particular intention, often times leading up to an important event or great feast. Well, this was the original novena! I urge you to join me in making a novena in preparation for Pentecost. I will pray the Rosary each day from this Friday (May 15) through Saturday (May 23). In doing so, I am seeking to pray in union with Mary as the apostles did and ask her to pray with me that I can open up my life with ever greater trust, that I can activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit poured out in me at my Confirmation, and the anointing of my Ordination, by being more receptive and giving the Holy Spirit greater freedom to work in my soul. A great way to honor Mary's month and prepare for the great culmination of the Easter season, the Solemnity of Pentecost! This greater receptivity to the working of the Holy Spirit can affect us all, individually and as a parish family, long beyond the feast, if we truly open ourselves. What about praying for those discerning vocations too during these days? Will you join me? Activate what you have received in Confirmation, unwrap the gifts of the Holy Spirit that were sealed in you. During the days of the novena, I personally am grateful for the gift of my Confirmation (May 16th) and my Ordination to the Priesthood (May 18th). Remember, as St. Louis deMontfort taught in “True Devotion to Mary” and as St. John Paul II often underscored, if God chose to come to us through Mary, why shouldn’t we realize we can go to Jesus through Mary? She adds to our efforts to adore, to be receptive and open, she unites her prayers and praises to ours, and as she did in her life ,she helps us to be able to “magnify the Lord” making Him more visible to those around us in our time and place! With you on the journey, The Week at a Glance Monday, May 11 Fatima Triduum Mass – 7:00 PM (IC C) Baptism Prep Class – 6:30 PM (EDPC LL) Tuesday, May 12 Bible Study (in Spanish) – 5:00 PM (EDPC LL) Marie Rivier Associates Mtg – 6:30 PM (SPS) Televised Parish Mass – 7 PM, Channel 98 Fatima Triduum Mass – 7:00 PM (IC C) Wednesday, May 13 Prayer Cenacle – 2:00 PM (SC C) Marie Rivier Associates Mtg – 6:00 PM (SPS) K of C Ladies’ Aux Meeting – 6:00 PM (SJ H) K of C Mtg – 7:00 PM (IC H) Fatima Triduum Mass – 7:00 PM (IC C) Thursday, May 14 Ascension Thursday Masses 8:00AM (SC) 12:10 PM (IC) 7:00 PM (IC) Exposition/Adoration – 8:30AM-6:30PM (SC) Prayer Shawl Ministry Mtg – 2 PM (SJ H) Televised Parish Mass – 7 PM, Channel 98 Contemporary Choir Rehearsal – 7 PM (SO) Friday, May 15 Breakfast Group – 8:30 AM (SC H) Wedding Rehearsal – 5:00 PM (IC C) Italian Class – 7:00 PM (EDPC LL) Saturday, May 16 Wedding Liturgy – Noon (IC C) Rosary – 3:30 PM (IC C) Sunday, May 17 Televised Parish Mass – 10 AM, Channel 98 RCIA – Noon (SPS Library) Choir Practice Spanish Mass – 1:30 PM (SC) Spanish Mass – 2:00 PM (SC C) HSYM C1 & C2 – 5:30-6:30PM (YR SPS) Traveling Vocation Icon This week, Ann & Denis Hebert will receive the Icon of Jesus Knocking at the Door into their home and intercede in a special way for Shannon and all in formation, for those discerning, and for many vocations to rise up from our community. 20/20 WINNER$ $25 Winners ~ Week 12 # 237 # 33 Annie Osborn Rick Wojnar May 10, 2015 Corpus Christi Parish Portsmouth, NH _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Intentions For Holy Mass Monday MAY 11 Easter Feria (weekday) 8:00AM SC Sr. Bernadette Whitney, by the Maloney Family 7:00PM IC Intentions of Joe Gionet, by Paul & Joan Strait Tuesday MAY 12 St. Nereus and St. Achilleus St. Pancras 8:00AM SC Jessica Stewart, by Theresa & Walter Kowalczyk 7:00PM IC Intentions of Rosa Kim, & Peter and John Hong, by Maria Hong Wednesday MAY 13 Our Lady of Fatima 8:00AM SC Jessica Stewart, by Graham & RoseMary Kent 7:00PM IC Angel Aseoche, by his Family Thursday MAY 14 The Ascension of the Lord 8:00AM SC Robert Ornellas, by his Wife 12:10PM IC Irenee Lebel, by Frances Noonan 7:00PM IC Pro Populo (For our Parish Family) Friday MAY 15 St. Isidore 8:00AM SC Deceased members of the Ricci & Addorio Families, by the Family Saturday MAY 16 Easter Feria 8:00AM SC Eileen Rais, by her husband Bob Vigil 7th Sunday of Easter 4:00PM IC Joseph LaRoche, by his wife Lorraine Sunday MAY 17 7th Sunday of Easter 8:30AM IC Kevin McHenka, by Marilyn & Mary Kay 10:30AM IC Deceased members of the K of C Ladies’ Auxiliary, by the Auxiliary Celebrant’s Intention 2:00PM SC in Spanish 4:30PM IC Pro Populo (For our Parish Family) FATIMA TRIDUUM • • • This Monday through Wednesday, May 11th, 12th, and 13th Holy Mass at 7:00 PM followed by praying the Scriptural Rosary Teaching on the mysteries each night at Mass At Fatima, our Lady spoke of the devotion of the five First Saturdays of the month. Praying the Rosary and reflecting on the mysteries for 15 minutes were part of this devotion, along with Holy Mass and communion. Many have remarked that they would love to enter the mysteries more deeply and be able to connect them to their daily life. We are offering this Fatima Triduum to help deepen the appreciation of the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Join us! Tell others! We will gather nightly and will culminate with the celebration of the Feast day of our Lady of Fatima on May 13th. (Nightly services at our Immaculate Conception Church.) To schedule Mass intentions, please call Marilyn Chavez at the St. Catherine office, 436-0344. Morning Prayer HOLYDAY THIS WEEK All are invited to join the community gathered before the daily Mass, Monday through Saturday, as they pray Lauds (Morning Prayer) from the Liturgy of the Hours at 7:40 AM at our St. Catherine Church. This Thursday, May 14th, the fortieth day after Easter, is the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord, a holy day of obligation. Holy Mass will be celebrated at 8:00 AM at St. Catherine Church, and at 12:10 and 7:00 PM at Immaculate Conception Church. (Note that due to evening Mass, there will not be Evening Prayer and Benediction to conclude our adoration day this week.) Our Reflection Of God’s Generosity To Us! Weekend of May 2/3, 2015 Envelopes/EFT Loose Total $ 11,351.00 $ 1,909.00 $ 13,260.00 Last weekend envelope/EFT users contributed 86% of our income. Poor Box Donations $ 281.31 Sanctuary Lamps At Immaculate Conception Church, the sanctuary lamp will burn this week in memory of Gail Newton Duffy, as requested by the Edward Brulotte Family. May 10, 2015 Corpus Christi Parish Portsmouth, NH _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Parish News NEW! Happy Mother’s Day! To all our Moms, we extend our best wishes for this day and pray the Lord, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother, shed abundant graces and blessings upon you. We remember and commend to the gentle embrace of the Lord all our mothers who have gone before us in death as well. The names of all who were enrolled in our Spiritual Bouquet of Masses are being carried to the altar at the offertory procession of each Mass this week for prayerful remembrance and then will remain on our Lady’s altar for the remainder of this month. NEW! Young Adult Ministry We are off to a great start with some good ideas and great hopes for what this newly-developing ministry can bring to our parish for those ages 18 to 30 something! Twenty-two gathered for dinner and idea swap last Sunday. Others, unable to make it last week, have expressed interest in plugging in as well. Watch for more! NEW! Maintenance to Mission Our committee’s work is well underway in determining capital expenses and addressing situations of deferred maintenance in all buildings of our parish. We are doing a ten-year projection with the consultation of experts to be able to have an accurate picture as we then plan for the best use of facilities matched to our needs. This work is vital, as you can imagine, if we are to be good stewards and plan responsibly for our parish, its mission, and its financial stability. We will share some preliminary findings in the near future and then provide opportunities to come together to explore the information. In the near future, we plan to discuss various aspects/options with the planning office of the diocese to get their ideas and input as we move forward in the process. The parish owes a debt of gratitude for the care, diligence, and hard work of the members of this committee! More to come! NEW! Moms Group Calling all Moms, Grandmoms, and beyond! Join us on Tuesday mornings from 9 to 11 AM at St. Catherine Church Hall! We are beginning a new mini-Bible study by Stacy Mitch called “Courageous Love.” Please contact Brittany Molda for info: [email protected]. NEW! Anointing of the Sick As we observe these Easter days of healing, wholeness, and new life, we are planning to offer an opportunity for those who may be struggling with major health issues or chronic illness to approach the comforting and healing touch of the Lord in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. This sacrament is not reserved to those on death’s door, nor is it given simply as a blessing. The sacramental grace can be of great benefit to those who struggle with chronic illness, those battling major diseases, those increasingly weakened and challenged by age, and those suffering the debilitating effects of mental illness as well. You? Someone you know and could invite? (If you have further questions regarding this, please feel free to speak with Father Gary or Carol, our Pastoral Minister.) Those who will be facing serious surgery are likewise invited to be anointed. The anointing will be imparted following each Mass next weekend, May 16/17. The homily on that day will dispel many of the false ideas that are often out there that keep people from asking for the graces of this great sacrament, or that cause situations where fear keeps people from asking for the anointing, for themselves or for a loved one, until death is imminent, and, oftentimes, by the time we are able to get to them it is too late. We hope you’ll find the homily that weekend enlightening and that you can get the word out to those you know too! NEW! Pot O’ Gold Raffle! Saint Patrick School is having a gift card raffle! We are filling a big bowl ("Pot O' Gold") with gift cards from all kinds of places, with a winner-take-all raffle on the last day of school, June 11th. Tickets are only $10.00 each and will be sold until the drawing! The winner will take home over a hundred gift cards! Visit the Saint Patrick School main office to buy your ticket today! NEW! K of C Ladies’ Auxiliary The Knights of Columbus Ladies’ Auxiliary will meet on Wednesday, May 13th, at 6:00 PM in the St. James Hall. Brynn Chute will be speaking to us about the Portsmouth Senior Center. Light refreshments will be served. All Catholic women are welcome to attend. For information, please call 964-1513. NEW! Recently Baptized We warmly welcome Gavin Gamester, who was given new life through water and the Holy Spirit in our parish community! To his parents and godparents we extend our congratulations and prayerful support as they live out the commitment they made to be “the first teachers of these children in the ways of faith.” In the words of the rite, “may they be the best of teachers, bearing witness to the faith in what they say and do.” NEW! Casino Trip Corpus Christi Parish will be sponsoring a bus trip to Foxwood Casino in Connecticut on Friday, June 26th. To sign up, call Marilyn Chavez at 436-0344. The cost is just $35.00 per person and includes a surprise package when you arrive. Call soon to reserve a spot! Parish Scholarships NEW! Baptism Preparation Class Parents preparing to have their child baptized must attend a special class, which is held monthly at the Eileen Daly Pastoral Center. The next scheduled class will be held on Monday, May 11, at 6:30 PM. Please call first to register at 603-436-4555, X 24. Each year, Corpus Christi parish offers a number of partial scholarships to students who will be/are attending college for undergraduate studies. Father David Alexander Sullivan Scholarships are available to members of Corpus Christi Parish who have attended area high schools. The application deadline is May 15. Applications are available from the parish office or on our website: www.corpuschristinh.org. May 10, 2015 Corpus Christi Parish Portsmouth, NH _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NEW! Catholic Charities Appeal Throughout our state, the compassionate care of Christ and His Church continues day in and day out. To many, it may all go unnoticed, but, to those who find themselves in need, the services offered provide a tangible sign of care and a great source of support and comfort. Here in our Seacoast area, the local Catholic Charities efforts are directed out of the satellite office in Rochester, with counseling offered in office space at our Nazareth House, the former St. Catherine rectory. In addition to counseling services, NH Catholic Charities operates the NH Food Bank and offers a variety of parish and community services, as well as outreach to young parents in crisis through Our Place. The elderly receive wonderful loving care in a number of nursing homes operated by NHCC as well. A portion of what is collected in each parish is available for use locally through outreach efforts, in our case, Portsmouth Catholic SHARE. The annual appeal to support these ongoing efforts is now underway! You’ll find envelopes and informative brochures with more details at the church entrances. Please prayerfully consider your investment in supporting this vital work! Our parish has historically been most generous in support. After you consider what you can do, in a pledge or one-time gift, please return the envelope in our collection or mail it directly to the NH Catholic Charities office in Manchester. Thanks in advance for your consideration of this vital need! NEW! Stewardship Corner Standing hopeful for the blossoming of Spring, we certainly are happy to have this tough winter behind us! We are reminded of it as we put together a number of repair projects that will need to be undertaken as a result of the harsh conditions. On the financial front, the number of hard-hit weekends, especially with many of the storms being coastal in origin, is obvious in that the offertory took a hit a number of times. We are so grateful to all who turned in offerings from weekends they were unable to get out, however, there is still a shortfall since some have not had the chance to do that yet. If you could help us with any back offerings from this time, it would help greatly, as we are moving toward the June 30th ending of the fiscal year. Thanks for your understanding! In addition to the “income” impact, on the “expenses” side, the effects of this harsh winter can be seen in these areas, among others: ∗ Snow removal from the three properties and ice melt, etc.: $16,551.28 (We saved close to $6000.00 by only partial plowing of the lot at St. James, otherwise this total would have been close to $21,000.00.) ∗ Heating costs for our facilities (not including the school) totaled $38,990.84. Even though it was much colder for longer, this total was about $1000.00 less than last year, since we made changes in use of churches. Thank you for your understanding and support according to your means! May God, never outdone in generosity, reward you! Marketing Experience Out There? We are hoping to put together a Marketing Committee to apply good principles to help create greater awareness and appreciation of some of the wonderful things we bring to our local community. This work can promote these good works, open them up for exploration and discovery, and, we hope, have greater benefit in the lives of those around us. We will explore “marketing strategies” applied to our parish, our school, the work of Portsmouth Catholic SHARE outreach, and what our Calvary cemetery offers. Is this something you have training in ...a talent for? Willing to invest a little time and talent in this area for us? Please contact Kate Gordon, our business manager, or our pastor, Fr. Gary, and give them your contact info within the next couple of weeks. You can contact them at 603-436-4555 (X 25 for Fr. G, X 12 for Kate) or [email protected] (for Fr. Gary) or [email protected] (for Kate). Ride to Church? With winter past, there have been some winter shut-ins who have asked if we could find them transportation to be able to come to Sunday Mass and we've been happy to do it! (Thanks to those providing this valuable service to our parishioners who either don't drive or find parking to be a challenge). If we could help you in this way, please give a call and leave your name, address, phone number, and Mass of preference for Fr. G and we'll work on it for you! NEW! World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia with Pope Francis The 8th World Meeting of Families will be held in Philadelphia, PA, from September 22 to 27, 2015. Pope Francis will celebrate a public Mass on Sunday, September 27. The Diocese of Manchester is sponsoring a pilgrimage to this World Meeting and Papal Mass. Families and those who minister to families can join others from around the country and the world to explore issues that affect family life. For information and pilgrimage details, please visit the diocesan website www.catholicnh.org/wmof. If you are interested in attending this meeting, please contact Roxanne Raeside Wilton at 603-436-4555, X 24 or [email protected]. The deadline is May 19th. NEW! Eucharistic Weekend June 5 – 6 – 7 will be very special days here in our parish, beginning with the First Friday and culminating on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ – the Feast of Corpus Christi – the patronal feast of our parish! Watch for more!! This weekend will include special opportunities for all of us, individually and as a community, as we express our love and deep appreciation for the gift of Jesus Himself in the Most Blessed Sacrament! May 10, 2015 Corpus Christi Parish Portsmouth, NH _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Annual Mother’s Day Flowers Fundraiser Seacoast Birthright friends and volunteers will have carnations available at the church exits after Masses this weekend. A $1.00 donation is suggested to help keep Birthright’s free confidential services available to women facing an unplanned pregnancy. We offer a gentle, loving alternative to abortion. If you wish to make an additional donation, make checks payable to Seacoast Birthright. Thank you. NEW! Bereavement Support Group Catholic Charities NH, in conjunction with Corpus Christi Parish, will host a bereavement support group. The group will meet Tuesday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 AM for ten weeks. We will meet in the basement of Eileen Daly Pastoral Center. Our first meeting will be on Tuesday, June 9th. The cost of materials is $25. Please pre-register by calling Sr. Helene at Catholic Charities NH, 603-332-7701. NEW! Wedding Bells! Next Saturday, Tiffany Patel & Daniel Chadwick will pledge life and love in the sacrament of Marriage in our Immaculate Conception Church. We extend our congratulations and prayerful best wishes to them! May He who brought you together bless you in abundance in the years ahead as you live out this wonderful vocation. NEW! Vacation Bible School It’s not ’til July... but... plans are underway and supplies will soon need to be procured so this could be our best ever summer adventure of faith for our kids! Parents, don't delay! Info flyers are at the main entry of IC Church. Please read through and return ASAP. Next to the rack of flyers you will find volunteer signup sheets – we need both adults and teens. Could you help? Take one and get it back to us ASAP. We are SO THANKFUL to all who've come forward, ready, willing, and excited already! FMI, contact Roxanne Raeside Wilton at 436-4555, X24 or [email protected]. NEW! 2nd Annual Car Boot Sale! Next Saturday, May 16 8:00AM – 1:00PM St. James Church Parking Lot *Clearing out your closet? *Downsizing your house? *Kids heading off to college? *Want to get organized? Whatever your reason might be, if you have too much stuff, consider donating it to our spring sale. The Car Boot Sale supports our teens for summer programs. Donating items for the sale is easy. To schedule a merchandise pickup from your house, call 603-498-3131. Or donate items at the parish office, 2075 Lafayette Road, on Mondays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. We are accepting items in good saleable condition: home décor, furniture, lamps, china, glassware, sporting equipment, small working appliances, print, paintings, bikes, and children’s indoor & outdoor furniture. Vendor space is also available. For more information, please contact Maureen Boyd at 603-498-3631 Faith Formation and Youth Ministry Registration Even though we're just wrapping up, please take a form from the IC Church entry and take the time to sign your children and youth up for next Fall's program start. This will be a BIG help as we plan for space, teachers, and supplies needed. By June 1st – please! Details are on the forms clearly marked in a rack in the back of the church. For questions, please contact Roxanne Raeside Wilton at 4364555, X 24 or [email protected]. Youth Ministry NEW! Confirmation Schedule Sunday, May 10 5:30-7:30 PM, YR SPS C1 & C2 Decision Point Sunday, May 17 5:30 PM, YR SPS T3 Bible Timeline NEW! High School YM Upcoming Dates! Sunday, May 24 Youth Group What Goes Up – Pentecost Memorial Day Mass at Calvary Cemetery Holy Mass will be celebrated Monday, May 25th at 10:00 AM at our parish’s Calvary Cemetery. All are invited as we remember our departed loved ones, especially offering the Mass for all who were laid to rest in our Calvary and St Mary cemeteries. Please bring your own chair. NOTE: There will NOT be an 8:00 AM Mass on Monday at St Catherine. (In event of rain, the Mass will be at 10:00 AM at Immaculate Conception.)
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