Holy Trinity Catholic Church
15 ROUTE 37 CENTER · SHERMAN · CONNECTICUT · 06784
VISIT US AT: WWW.HTRCCSHERMAN.ORG
PARISH MISSION STATEMENT—We are Holy Trinity Catholic community of faith. We are a diverse and
welcoming community of believers in Jesus Christ. We are energized and empowered by Christ’s love,
forgiveness and healing. We strive to experience and make Him known to others through joyful worship,
heartfelt prayer, formative education, life giving service and supportive fellowship.
REV. RICHARD J. GEMZA
PASTOR
[email protected]
KIM SANTORO
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
[email protected]
MICHELE CURNAN
DIRECTOR OF FAITH
FORMATION
[email protected]
ROB BRERETON
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
[email protected]
WEEKEND MASSES: Saturday vigil 5:00pm, Sunday 8:30am and 11:00am
WEEKDAY MASS: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, Friday 8:00am
PARISH OFFICE PHONE:
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Saturday 4:15pm or by appointment
860.354.1414
BAPTISMS AND WEDDINGS: Contact the Parish Office
WEBSITE: htrccsherman.org
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PHONE:
E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]
860.355.1483
PARISH OFFICE HOURS: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 10:00am-2:00pm
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH
SHERMAN, CONNECTICUT
PASTOR’S
CORNER
Dear Parishioners:
This weekend we especially honor our mothers,
both living and deceased. Let us remember them in
our prayers and ask Our Blessed Mother to
intercede for them and to obtain for them, from
Our Lord, all the blessings and graces they need to
be good mothers. And may our mothers who have
departed this life, now rest in His Peace.
With the recent devastation in Nepal due to a 7.8
Richter earthquake, Catholic Relief Services and the
Diocese of Bridgeport have asked that all parishes
take up a second collection to help fund CRS efforts
in this area. Your generosity to this weekend's
second collection for CRS in Nepal is greatly
appreciated.
Next Thursday, May 14th, is the Feast of the Lord's
Ascension and a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass for
the Holy Day will be at 8:00am on Thursday.
God bless you,
Fr. Gemza
Please remember the children who received the
sacrament of 1st Eucharist last Saturday in
your prayers. Thank you.
It was a beautiful and joy filled day!
Jacob Aurigemma
Kieran Heslin
Rodney Benitez
Brady Kean
Douglas Conrad
Samuel Crowe
Dominic Lombardo
Christopher Martino
Danielle Diehl
Chloe Milczarski
Katherine Devine
Francesco DiBlasi
Alexa DosSantos
Kayla Febbraio
Natalie O’Connor
Caitlyn Rea
Maximus Riccardi
Morgan Gallagher
Justin Ruffler
Michael Hatcher
Lenna Viola
We regret to announce George Murray has
been called to his rest. Please remember
the Murray family in your prayers.
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
Amos Munch, Joseph Tamberelli, Caitlin Pallas,
Jack Lago, Theresa Pepe, Bette Broderick,
Jackie Crawford, Nancy Grenier, Michael Norel,
Heidi Cox, Mike Berger, Doris McAuliffe,
Joyce & Bob Kenney, Jane Smith, Patricia Boyle,
Patricia Repko, Glenn Hawley, Stephen &
Joan Roll, Paula DeSimone and Matthew Hatcher
REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
The men and women in the Armed Forces and
all who protect us. Especially, Corey Celik,
Mark Francis Erhardt, Megan Meenan, and
Katie Hogan. May they be shielded from danger;
and for their families and loved ones.
Welcome Visitors & New Families!!
New family registration forms can be found
on our website at htrccsherman.org
If you would like to receive offertory
envelopes, please contact the parish office.
Holy Trinity Offertory
May 2-3, 2015
Saturday, 5:00pm Mass (72) ..................................... $639.00
Sunday, 8:30am Mass (86) ..................................... $1,813.00
Sunday, 11:00am Mass (130) .................................. $1,156.00
Monthly collection for May ................................... $3,004.00
Mailed in weekly ......................................................... $290.00
Mailed in monthly ....................................................... $135.00
May credit card offertory ......................................... $280.00
Last weekend, a total of 71 Parish family envelopes were
used and 19 loose checks were collected. Loose cash
collection totaled $312.00 288 people attended Mass.
Thank you for your continued support!
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
2015 ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL
MAY 10, 2015
Catechetical Leaders of the Diocese of Bridgeport
is pleased to offer you a day of retreat
How Do Our Life Experiences Transform Us?
The Catholic Academy of Bridgeport is located on four
campuses in the city of Bridgeport, PreK-8 at St. Andrew
Academy and St. Ann Academy, PreK-3 at Cathedral
Academy lower school St. Raphael and grades 4-8 at
Cathedral Academy upper school St. Augustine. Nearly
1,000 elementary school children benefit from the
academic excellence, discipline and Catholic values that
are imparted at the culturally, spiritually, and
economically diverse environment. Students in Catholic
Academy outscore the public schools in Bridgeport in
reading and mathematics with all on or above grade level.
Annual tuition is approximately $4,000 and 65% of
families cannot pay the total tuition. The board of
Catholic Academy is required to raise over $1.5 million
in aid annually which serves some of the lowest income
families in the city and state of Connecticut.
Education is the gift of a lifetime. Gifts restricted to the
Annual Catholic Appeal enable inner city youth to
become faith-filled, industrious, responsible and well
educated adults. Our society and the Church need these
young people who will continue to foster the faith.
Witness of Two Sandy Hook Mothers
& Fr. Albert Haas
Wednesday, May 13th
9:00am-2:00pm
St. Rose of Lima Church, Newtown
Our day will begin with Mass in the church.
Music ministry reflections by Katie Keogler
RSVP by Wednesday, May 6
[email protected] or call 203-416-1623
Calling all Youth Singers!!!!!
C4Y, Choir For Youth, is open to all young adults in the Diocese
of Bridgeport 8th grade through senior year in high school as of
Sept. 2015. The first performance will be at the Synod Closing
Mass on Sept. 19 and they will be fully showcased at a Christmas
Concert at the Norwalk Concert Hall Friday Dec. 18th. The
audition in this area will take place:
Thursday, May 21 4:30-6:30pm
Immaculate High School
73 Southern Blvd
Danbury, CT 06810
Next weekend, May 16-17, our parish will have a 2nd collection
to assist the Catholic Communication Campaign. This collection
communicates the Gospel through Catholic social media activities
and enriches our faith through podcasts, television, radio, and
print media. Half of all proceeds remain in our Diocese and
support local needs. Thank you for your generosity.
Register for the audition on C4YSINGS.com For the audition,
be prepared to sing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.”
Questions? Contact Mary Bozzuti Higgins,
Director via email at [email protected] or on
Twitter at C4YSings
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
TEXT REFLECTION
"It was not you who chose me, but I who
chose you and appointed you to go and
bear fruit that will remain."
We sometimes tend to believe
the opposite. It's not unusual for
us to think, "I have chosen to be
a Christian," and then to imagine
that the process really started
with us, that it was our initiative,
our decision to believe, our act of
faith that got the ball rolling in our
spiritual life. Of course our
decision is important, but Jesus
reminds us today that he is actually the one who took the
first step. He chose us. He called and invited us to be
among his followers and friends. As the second reading
tells us, "God sent his only Son into the world so that we
might have life through him." That happened first. The
next step is ours, to accept this life that is offered to us
through our own act of faith.
The other part of this equation is that, as Jesus tells us, we
have been chosen for a mission. This isn't all just about
our personal faith and our relationship with him. He calls
us to know and love him, and when we respond, we are
"appointed" to be fruitful in the world. We are supposed
to live our faith in such a way that something valuable,
beautiful, and useful comes from it. Jesus sends us to make
the world a better place, not in a vague, feel-good, fluffy
way but in a real, concrete way. He equips us to bear fruit
that will remain. This isn't superficial or flighty. The work
we do in the world, whether it be alleviating the suffering
of the sick and poor, evangelizing those who do not know
about the gift of salvation, raising our children to be
faithful Christians, or carrying out our career with
integrity and generosity--all of this is meant to be the
effect of our response to the call that Jesus gave us.
© Liturgical Publications Inc
DEFENDING OUR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
The federal health care mandate tramples on religious liberty
because: it coerces objecting employers, including religious
organizations, to offer coverage that goes against their moral
principles, and forces employees who share the same
objections to do the same.
If you haven’t done so already, please voice your opposition
to the federal health care mandate by calling U.S. Secretary
of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell at
202-205-5445. Let her know that the mandate is in violation
of our First Amendment right to religious freedom.
Saturday, May 9
5:00pm Mimi Burkhardt r/b The Mertens Family
Sunday, May 10
Sixth Sunday of Easter
8:30am Intentions for Holy Trinity Parishioners
11:00am Pat Sorrentino r/b Hackett Family & Doris Piecuck
Monday, May 11
8:00am All Souls
Tuesday, May12
8:00am Dan Keane r/b the Dwyer family
Wednesday, May 13
No Mass
Thursday, May 14
The Ascension of the Lord
8:00am Intentions for Holy Trinity Parishioners
Friday, May 15
Saint Matthias, Apostle
8:00am Intentions for the sick of our parish family
Saturday, May 16
5:00pm Asa & Elvira Alfama r/b Rosemary & Bob Bradshaw
Sunday, May 17
Seventh Sunday of Easter
8:30am Intentions for Holy Trinity Parishioners
11:00am Nancy McGoldrick r/b Richard McGoldrick
READINGS FOR THE WEEK OF
MAY 10, 2015
Sunday:
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48/1 Jn 4:7-10/Jn
15:9-17
Monday:
Acts 16:11-15/Jn 15:26--16:4a
Tuesday:
Acts 16:22-34/Jn 16:5-11
Wednesday: Acts 17:15, 22--18:1/Jn 16:12-15
Thursday:
Ascension: Acts 1:1-11/Eph 4:1-13 or 4:1-7,
11-13 or Eph 1:17-23/Mk 16:15-20
Friday:
Acts 18:9-18/Jn 16:20-23
Saturday:
Acts 18:23-28/Jn 16:23b-28
Next Sunday: Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26/1 Jn 4:11-16/Jn
17:11b-19
Reminder…. Thursday, May 14th
is a Holy Day of Obligation
Ascension Thursday, Mass at 8:00am