Saint Gregory the Great Parish
85 Great Plain Road
Danbury, Connecticut 06811
203 797-0222
Website: www.danbury.org/stgreg
REVEREND ANGELO S. ARRANDO, PASTOR
Rev. Raymond M. Scherba, Parochial Vicar
Rev. Otoniel Lizcano, Parochial Vicar
Deacons Robert Blankschen, William Murphy, Daniel Myott, Richard Kovacs
The Eucharist
Marriage
Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: 7:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 noon
Daily: 7:00 a.m., 8:45 a.m.
By appointment; call the Parish Office. Arrangements
must be made at least 9 months in advance for proper
preparation.
Ministry to the Sick
Reconciliation
Please inform us about parishioners who are hospitalized
or homebound; Communion for the homebound can be
arranged by calling the Parish Office.
Saturday from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m.
By Appointment, anytime.
Baptism
Please stop by the Parish Office during business hours to
complete a registration form and be sure to introduce
yourself to one of the priests after Mass.
2nd Sunday of each month.
Prior registration is necessary.
Parish Membership
March 8th, 2015
Third Sunday of Lent
Please pray for all the victims of violence
and all sick and deceased members of the parish.
MASSES FOR THE WEEK
Mon. Mar. 9 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
Tues. Mar. 10 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
Wed. Mar. 11 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
Thurs. Mar. 12 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
Fri.
Mar. 13 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
Sat. Mar. 14 4:30pm Janet DeMici
7:30pm Danielle Corrente, 1st Anniv.
Sun. Mar. 15 7:45am Antoinette Nissly
9:00am Tri Tran
10:30am Ronald Strumolo
12:00pm Francis & Josephine Murphy
Weekday Mass Schedule:
7:00 a.m. & 8:45 a.m.
PRESIDER HOMILIST
Sat. Mar. 14 4:30pm Fr. Angelo Fr. Angelo
7:30pm Fr. Ray
Fr. Ray
Sun. Mar. 15 7:45am Fr. Angelo Fr. Angelo
9:00am Fr. Otto
Deacon Richard
10:30am Fr. Ray
Deacon Richard
12:00pm Fr. Otto
Deacon Richard
CALENDAR
Mon. Mar. 9 11:00am Sewing Group
7:00pm Holy Name Society Mtg.
Tues. Mar. 10 7:00pm - 9:00pm, Reconciliation
Wed. Mar. 11 11:00am Weekly Rosary
4: 15pm Faith Formation Classes
Thurs. Mar. 12 6:00pm Sewing Group
Fri. Mar. 13 7:30pm Stations of the Cross
Sat. Mar. 14 3:00pm Reconciliation
8:00pm AA
Sun. Mar. 15 9:00am RCIA
10:00am Faith Formation Classes
We hope that all parishioners
will sign up for Online-Giving.
Make Lent Make a Difference!
Daily Mass:
7:00 a.m. & 8:45 a.m.
PARISH MISSION THIS WEEK:
Mon, March 9—Wed, March 11, 7:30pm in the Church
Special session after the 8:45am Mass, Mon, Tues, & Wed.
Weekly Rosary: Wed. 11:00a.m. Chapel
Stations of the
Cross:
Confessions:
Friday 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 7:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m.
Saturday 3:00 p.m.—3:30 p.m.
The FRIDAYS OF LENT are days of abstinence from meat for those over
the age of 14. All adults (18-59) are asked to observe the rules of fasting.
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT SCHOOL
Part-Time Help
Wanted
Parish Website Manager
(maintain our website,
keep it up to date, weekly
Mass streaming monitoring) 10 hours
weekly @ $15 per hour. Live streaming of
the 4:30 p.m. or the 7:45 a.m. Mass. Contact
Fr. Angelo if you are interested.
Remembering
Our Loved Ones
Pre-K--Grade 8
Phone # 203-748-1217
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: saintgregoryschool.org
Mission Statement: St. Gregory the Great School,
in cooperation with the parents, was established for
the purpose of giving the students a God-centered,
Catholic outlook on life. We are committed to academic excellence, self-discipline and Global Service.
Basketball and Cheerleading pictures
will take place after school on Mon,
March 9th.
There will be a “Bubbleology” presentation on
Tuesday afternoon in the school gym.
Someone once said:
“Flowers are for the living. Memorials should be eternal”. We
believe in the Resurrection, life after
death, & that we will spend eternity with
Jesus and our loved ones. A gift in memory of a loved one, can be a fitting tribute
and can help our Parish.
Terra Nova Testing begins on Wed, March 11th.
Friday, March 13th is a 12:30 dismissal for
Teacher’s Professional Development Day. There
WILL BE After School Club on Friday.
Did You Know?
St. Gregory’s makes a homily from Fr. Angelo
available each week on the internet. Please
check out our parish website at: http://
www.danbury.org/stgreg or at http://
awordontheword.blogspot.com
Third Sunday Of Lent
On the mountain Peter, James and John saw that there was more to Jesus than met the eye. During the transfiguration they got a glimpse of
the future glory of Jesus’ resurrection. Like them we too get glimpses
of the presence of God in our lives. We get glimpses of God in the love
we receive from other people. We get glimpses of God when badly
needed help suddenly comes to us from out of nowhere. We get
glimpses of God when we look back over our lives and what we couldn’t understand in the
past makes sense now. We see glimpses of God when we see someone making a sacrifice to
help somebody else. We see glimpses of God in the beauty of a fine day, a nice beach or a
beautiful sunrise or sunset. We see glimpses of God when a passage from the Bible or a homily strikes a cord in our hearts. We get a glimpse of God when we spend time in prayer and
experience the loving presence of God in our lives. We get more than just a glimpse of God
when we receive the body of Jesus in Holy Communion. The Transfiguration coming early in
Lent encourages us to continue our Lenten penances because it reminds us of the glory of Jesus risen from the dead.
May our lives be a living proclamation to the world of God’s Love.
FAITH FORMATION
FAITH FORMATION NEWS
For information regarding Faith Formation or Sacrament Preparation please call the
Office of Faith Formation at 203-7435168 for further information.
CELEBRATING THE LECTIONARY
Celebrating the Lectionary is for all children at
the 10:30am Mass.
Group
The Youth Group will be teaming up, on Sunday, with the grade 7 Religious Ed class to
make food for the Dorothy Day Hospitality
House. We will meet after the 10:30 Mass in
the Parish Community Room. All youth are
invited to join us. Contact Rene Hellmann
at (203)797-1641 for more information.
SCOUT NEWS
CUB SCOUT PACK 9
For information, call Cub master,
Philip Adams at 203-546-0843.
Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults
We have a large class of
Catechumens and Candidates this year. Last
Sunday Msgr. Sheid received them into the
final stage of the process during the Rite of
Election.
Please keep them in your prayers as
they journey to the Holy Week celebrations
and the celebration of the Sacraments at the
Easter Vigil Mass.
Your presence at the Easter Vigil would
be a source of encouragement for them.
The Women of
St. Gregory
We continue to have
our Monday at 11 am
& Thursday at 7 pm
weaving sessions in the Parish Community
Room. Anyone is welcome to attend, even if
only occasionally. For information, contact
Rosemary Bouffard at 203-744-6998.
BOY SCOUT TROOP 9
If you are a boy between the ages of 11-17
and would like to join Scouting, email Armen
Stauffer at http://www.t9danbury.com/
Boy Scouts is open to all boys 11 years of
age to 18 years of age. Join a year-round fun
program – fishing, hiking, camping – Scouts
do it all! Scouting is fun with a purpose.
Youth build physical fitness, character, and
good citizenship all while having a great
time.
For Life!
Questions? Visit us at
T9Danbury.com
HOLY NAME SOCIETY
The Holy Name Society is our parish men’s group.
Meets the 2nd Monday of the month.
Next Meeting: March 9th
Time: 7:00pm, Parish Office Community Room
All men of the parish are asked to attend
Please volunteer to become an USHER.
For information, contact William Houser at
203-743-6125 or [email protected].
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
Men’s Spirituality meets
every Saturday morning
at 8am in the church.
Come join us!
The Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet in the
Parish Office Community Room Sat, March
21st at 9:30 a.m. For more
information, please contact
Stephanie Martin at 203743-3783 or via email at
[email protected]
Please join Boy Scout Troop 9
for our Annual Pancake Breakfast on Palm Sunday, March 29,
2015, 8 AM – 11:45 AM.
Adults-$6, Seniors-$4, kids
under12-$4 and Families-$20
St. Greg’s has a new
website. Check it out at
www.stgregdanbury.org.
All information concerning
our parish can be found on
the new website. If you would like to see
additional information on the website
please contact Fr. Angelo. (Also if you see
any errors please contact him as well.)
My Single Mother Is Life-building
Everyday. My S.M.I.L.E. This week begins the second month of our nine
month journey of praying for single mothers. Please remember them daily as you
say the prayer for single mothers. They
need to feel the support of your prayers
for themselves and their unborn babies as
they face difficult decisions so they know
they are not alone. Prayer cards are available at all Church Entrances.
TAIZE PRAYER SERVICE
Please join St. Gregory’s Choir
in a spiritual evening on Sunday, March 15th, at 2:00pm
in the church as we celebrate Taize
Prayer. Taize is a quiet, simple style of
prayer. With ever increasing stresses in
our lives, the meditative candlelight, simple chants sung repeatedly provide time
to focus on God’s love, mercy, and compassion. The service is about 30-45 min.
BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS
A Blood Pressure Screening will be
conducted this Saturday, March
7th, after the 4:30pm Mass.
Save the Dates:
Parish Lenten Mission
March 9th—11th, 2015
Lenten Fish Fry
Sponsored by the Holy Name Society
Friday, March 13
Continuous serving
from 5:00 to 7:15
Menu: Cod fish, French Fries, Mac & Cheese,
cold salad, rolls, dessert, coffee, tea, punch
Cost: Adults–$8, per couple-$15, Seniors
60 & above-$7, senior couple-$13, children 12-18-$7, children 6-11-$6, children
under 6 -free, max family-$25 (Sign–up
sheets will be available at entrances)
Volunteers needed! Free meal to volunteers who work 2 hours or more or who
donate a salad or dessert feeding 10 people. Call Bill Houser at 203-743-6125.
Our May Days Country Fair
is looking for sponsors. This
is a great opportunity to promote your business while helping St. Gregory’s provide much
needed assistance throughout
the greater Danbury area. All sponsors
will have a professional sign displayed on
our famous “Great Wall” during fair days
May 16th & 17th, as well as being advertised in our parish bulletin. Please contact Maryann Smith at 203-740-9609
for further information.
The Emergency Overflow Shelter
is looking for male volunteers over 21,
that can stay with the guests overnight at
the First Congregational Church in Danbury, 9pm–7am. For more information,
please call Kathy at 203-798-1052 or
203-470-8825.
FAITHFUL DISCIPLES
Third Sunday of Lent
March 8, 2015
Last week we began our conversation regarding hospitality at our weekly celebration of Mass. True hospitality presumes a true love of neighbor that results in a true concern and care. The ultimate goal of hospitality is for
all members of the gathered Assembly learn to be hospitable to one another. Every member of the Assembly has
the responsibility to help create a welcoming community, to recognize the presence of Christ in all who gather, and
to respond to that presence with genuine care and concern.
As children we have been taught to be quiet in church because it is a sacred place. Learning to talk in
church can be difficult because we have been well-trained to keep silent. Because this is seen as an issue of reverence, what is needed is education about the various ways that Christ is present and the ways we can show reverence
for each way. Learning that recognizing the presence of Christ in one another is precisely the reverence required of
us as we gather and seek to become an Assembly prepared for worship. If not we gather merely as individuals
and not open to become a new entity, the Assembly. If we continue to isolate ourselves as individuals the
challenge of encountering Jesus is severally hindered and our common prayers and actions become countersigns of what it is we are saying and praying.
Learning and recognizing the presence of Christ in one another is precisely the reverence required of us as
we gather and seek to become an Assembly prepared for worship. Once we recognize and acknowledge that presence of Christ is one another than and only then the Gathering Rite itself becomes a proclamation that we, the assembled members, embody, in our very persons assembled, the mystery of the Church. “Mystery”, in biblicalliturgical language, refers not to obscurity or fuzziness so much as to the “beyondness” of the reality. What is beyond the reach of our grasp is thus not clear to us, though not necessarily unclear in itself. The God of mystery
lives in a beyond that is outside of human experience. But when we join ourselves to Jesus as a community gathered in His Name, the experience of God is made visible. The Gathering Rites are the beginning of the making
visible of our Christ-identity. The Gathering Rites begin to say and to proclaim who we are in our deepest selves,
together in some shared life. We are Christ. Three simple words: “WE ARE CHRIST”. But how difficult for us
to comprehend and must more difficult for us to believe because we do not fully understand what our God is calling
us to and that is precisely the challenge of understanding of becoming FAITHFUL DISCIPLES.
If we believe we are indeed the Christ, we must be engaged in a new awareness that calls for a change in
behavior on the part of many of us. For too long, we have come to Church expecting “others” will “do the mass”.
If are indeed the Christ, we are being called to be the ones who are celebrating Mass. There is something each and
every one of us can do to begin this important transformation. The most elemental, yet essential, action of the
Mass is the act of coming together. Placing ourselves in proximity with one another is a gesture of a willingness to be more than individuals, which so often means to be alone.
However, Gathering for Eucharist means more than just physical assembling. In order to be authentic, we
come for a purpose, God’s purpose, not ours. In the gathering process itself, we must acknowledge that is God
Who is calling us together. We may come to Mass for a variety of reasons, but if we are not coming together
because we believe it is God calling us together, we are coming for the wrong reason.
Throughout the Scriptures God always calls a people to Himself, never individuals. In the gathering of the
faithful, we are called by God to become an Assembly so that as a people we might hear God’s word of salvation,
and as a people, come to His table to offer thanksgiving and praise to our God,.
Restoring the primacy of the Assembly and infusing it with a new vitality must include an effort to make
each and every person within the Assembly feel welcome and needed. These words of Jesus describe the importance of welcoming: “Those who welcome you welcome Me and those who welcome Me, welcome the One Who
sent Me.” When everyone who is present feels welcome, it is likely that they will celebrate the ritual more fully
and completely, passionately and intentionally. Generating this sense of comfort and welcome is the responsibility
of all who are present: the Assembly, as well as the Presider and deacons and ministers. Each of us can welcome
the people who are next to us in the Assembly; this is a matter of talk and action as well as a matter of attitude—eye
contact, a smile, a nod of the head. Often, all that we need to do to welcome someone is to recognize that there is
indeed someone next to us.
Lent is a time for Giving.
St. Gregory’s is collecting for our annual Jesus’ Easter Basket
February 22nd through March 15th
The basket will be located in the back of the church.
Please bring your items to church with you and place in the basket.
All Items will be donated to the Salvation Army.
We are collecting toiletries (ex. shampoo, conditioner, bath gels & soaps, bath accessories ((brushes,
sponges)), toothbrushes & toothpaste, floss, shaving accessories, combs & brushes, Q-tips, hair accessories, nail polish. We will accept any size item. Last year parishioners generously donated baby
items (ex. baby food in jars, formula, bottles, teething items, diapers etc.; adult items such as Depends; school supply items: pens, pencils and crayons).
The Salvation Army distributes all donations to clients in the Danbury area.
Please be as generous as possible.
Your donation makes a difference in someone’s life.
Raffle tickets will be arriving shortly!
There are over 1700 parishioners registered at Saint Gregory’s!
If each person would buy 5 - sell 5 that’s $50.00 a person. You do the math! Our
is our major fundraiser here at our church. This fund raiser allows our parish to continue our parish ministries. Please help us reach our attainable, reasonable goal of
$30,000.00. That’s selling 600 books of tickets! We can do it! You know you can. We know
that everyone is struggling these days. St. Gregory’s Church is too. We are asking each parishioner to buy 5 tickets $25.00 and find 5 friends and family to sell the next 5 tickets. BUY
5 -SELL 5! For those who can do more;
we will greatly appreciate it.
Please help us reach our goal with Buy 5 - Sell 5. Thank you! Remember BUY 5 –SELL 5!
Thank you to everyone in advance for your support.
IT’S TIME TO PLAN FOR:
MAYDAYS COUNTRY FAIR 2015
MAY 16 & MAY 17
TH
TH
MAYDAYS is the major fundraiser for our church. The focus this
year is to enhance the fair making it larger, more interesting
and bring in more funds. But we need more parishioners to
come forward and join in the planning. MAYDAYS will benefit all
parishioners of St. Gregory’s Parish. With more volunteers we
can take on so much more. Please consider being a part of MAYDAYS! You will have a fun time working together and think of
the friendships you can make at the same time. Helping your
church will give you back many blessings in return. So don’t be
shy we don’t bite, please consider getting involved to help
YOUR church. Listed below are different ways you can help.
WANTED
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
Looking for a few good strong men; to join the core team of Set Up/Take Down.
Must be able to commit Wednesday night 5/13, Thursday night 5/14, Friday
night 5/15 & Fair days take down. No experience necessary.
Grill Masters needed to attend the Grill during fair hours. Must be 18 or over.
Volunteers to assist with all the food shopping. (Costco, BJ’s Dandy’s etc.)
Volunteers needed to help with selling Raffle Tickets at local stores.
Volunteers needed to distribute signs/flyers across town.
Volunteer “team captains” to be in the food tent. (Team captains must commit to
both days).
Volunteers needed to help in the food tent.
Volunteers to help find entertainment.
New ideas and/or suggestions to add for the fair this year.
Please speak to Father Angelo or Janice Rudisill at the parish office
203-797-0222 or you can E-mail them @ [email protected]
[email protected]
Lectionary Catechesis
Third Sunday of Lent
Ex 20:1-17; Ps 19; 1 Cor 1:22-25; John 2:13-25
God calls us to come up another mountain to show us
how we are related to God and to one another. Before
God spells out the conditions of our relationship, we are
named as chosen ones, God’s very own. Because God is
faithful and delivers us from the slavery of our sins, we
owe obedience to the Lord alone. We must not worship
the idols made by our hands or purchased with our
money. We must honor the name of God, for God saves
us. We must keep holy the Sabbath day and all the days
that God sanctifies. Honoring our parents brings a reward
more precious than gold. Killing, infidelity, stealing, lying
and cheating bring their own penalties. God’s wisdom
enlightens eyes that were in darkness. God’s decrees satisfy appetites for truth and justice. God’s precepts bring
joy to hearts grown cold.
In the dense cloud of our human understanding, we still
look for “signs” and miss the wisdom of God that Jesus
shows us. Jesus is wiser than human wisdom, more powerful than human strength. Jesus turns over our preconceived notions of God and upsets our values. We think we
honor God by building magnificent cathedrals, then turn
our attention to more important things like buying and
selling. Jesus knows all about human nature and human
hearts. “Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” He says. Now we are the ones who are upset.
Why should we be criticized? We are the good people who
put all our bucks into building this magnificent temple.
Jesus says that the temples we have erected to our pride,
arrogance, greed and selfishness need to be torn down.
In their place, God will rebuild the true temples we have
neglected: hearts where God longs to dwell. In the light
of Christ, we must take a long hard look and scrutinize
the condition of that temple.
For Reflection: Do I feel that I am one of God’s chosen
ones? Have I shown this by the way I live? What am I
doing to cleanse my inner temple?
SOCIAL CONCERNS
DOWNSIZING - It seems you can't open a newspaper
these days without reading another article about some
company going through a "downsizing", a kinder euphemism for layoffs. The concept of "doing the right thing"
when downsizing and those contemplating downsizing
should consider this: Every action taken should be consistent with their values. If showing respect is something
valued during good times, it should become particularly
important during the bad. The employee's obligation to
the firm is a moral duty to work towards the goals of the
firm and avoid any activity that might harm those goals.
And the firm's duties to the employee is a basic moral
obligation that the employer has toward employee's according to the rational view of the firm, is to provide
them with the compensation they have freely and knowingly agreed to receive in exchange for their services.
There are two main issues related to this obligation. The
fairness of wages and the fairness of employee working
conditions. However, even in bad times such as going
through a company 'downsize' these obligations should
remain for both! If you’re interested in Social Concerns, contact
S. Martin @ 203-240-7072 or @ [email protected]
St. Gregory the Great Information Center
Parish Office—203-797-0222
E-mail address
[email protected]
Bulletin Notices:
[email protected]
Please submit bulletin notices ten days prior to publication.
Office Hours:
Mon.– Fri, 9:30 am — 3:30 pm
Parish Secretaries:
Mary Lou Cuff & Rachel Gaulard
Corporate Trustees:
Roger Gavagan, Anthony Lucera
Office of Faith Formation—203-743-5168
Director:
Mrs. Mary Ann Houser
E-mail address:
[email protected]
Assistant Administrator
Mrs. Darlene Rabito
E-mail:
[email protected]
Youth Ministry:
Mrs. Rene Hellmann, 203-797-1641
E-mail:
[email protected]
7—8 Coordinator:
Ms. Peggy Forster
E-mail:
K—6 Coordinator:
E-mail:
Catholics Coming Home:
Celebrate the Lectionary:
Pre-Baptism:
Pre-Cana:
R.C.I.A.
[email protected]
Mrs. Janice Rudisill
[email protected]
Deacon Bill Murphy, 203-744-3927
Mary Tracey, 203-790-4223
Call Parish Office, 203-797-0222
Call Parish Office, 203-797-0222
Bruce & Patty Barrows, 203-746-3232
St. Gregory the Great School—Region IX—203-748-1217
Principal:
Sister Mary John O’Rourke
Secretary:
Mrs. Terri Kennen
Parish Ministries
Altar Care:
Altar Servers:
Bereavement:
Choir:
E-mail:
Eucharistic Ministers:
Hospitality:
Lectors:
My S.M.I.L.E.
Shut-Ins:
Ushers:
WeCare:
Mrs. Ruth Lucera, 203-794-1045
Deacon Bill Murphy, 203-744-3927
Fr. Ray. 203-797-0222
Ms. Jenny Li - 203-285-8356
[email protected]
Deacon Bill Murphy, 203-744-3927
Mrs. Kathleen Kelly, 203-792-1833
Deacon Bill Murphy, 203-744-3927
Rosemary Bouffard, 203-744-6998
Deacon Bob Blankschen, 743-3091
Mrs. Mary McCormack, 792-7611
William Houser, 203-743-6125
Barbara Bozeman, 203-748-1813
Parish Contacts
Alcoholics Anonymous:
Calendar:
e-mail:
Catholic Singles:
Finance:
Holy Name Society:
e-mail:
Parish Advisory Council:
Pro-Life:
Scouts (Girl):
Scouts (Boy):
Scouts (Cubs)
Seniors:
Women of St. Gregory:
George, 203-792-5976
Barbara Bozeman, 203-797-0222
doubleb43@comcast. net
Fr. Angelo, 203-797-0222
Stephanie Martin—203-743-3783
William Houser, 203-743-6125
[email protected]
Peter Buzaid, 203-743-5504
Rose Mary Peat,
Claudette Novella, 203-746-9771
Keith Vinchkoski, 203-794-9094
Philip Adams, 203-778-9856
Fr. Angelo, 203-797-0222
Rosemary Bouffard, 203-744-6998
CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS
St. Gregory the Great Church #257600
85 Great Plain Road
Danbury, CT 06811
TELEPHONE
203 -797-0222
CONTACT PERSON
Mary Lou & Rachel
SOFTWARE
MSPublisher 2007
Adobe Acrobat 9.0
Windows XP Pro
PRINTER
HP Laserjet 1200
TRANSMISSION TIME
Tuesday 5:00
SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION
March 8, 2015
NUMBER OF PAGES SENT
1 through 10
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS