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 15th, 2015
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Please pray for all the victims of violence
and all sick and deceased members of the parish.
Mon. Mar.
Tues. Mar.
Wed. Mar.
Thurs. Mar.
Fri.
Mar.
Sat.
Mar.
Sun.
Mar.
MASSES FOR THE WEEK
16 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
17 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
18 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
19 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
20 7:00am Special Intention
8:45am Special Intention
21 4:30pm John & Rose Cristaldi
7:30pm Special Intention
22 7:45am Special Intention
9:00am Special Intention
10:30am Ted Burtnick & Sally Holomany
12:00pm Natalie T. Hensley
Weekday Mass Schedule:
7:00 a.m. & 8:45 a.m.
PRESIDER HOMILIST
Sat. Mar. 21 4:30pm Fr. Angelo Fr. Angelo
7:30pm Fr. Otto
Fr. Otto
Sun. Mar. 22 7:45am Fr. Angelo Fr. Angelo
9:00am Fr. Ray
Fr. Ray
10:30am Fr. Otto
Fr. Otto
12:00pm Fr. Ray
Fr. Ray
CALENDAR
Mon. Mar. 16 11:00am Sewing Group
Tues. Mar. 17 7:00pm Reconciliation
Wed. Mar. 18 11:00am Weekly Rosary
4: 15pm Faith Formation Classes
Thurs. Mar. 19 6:00pm Sewing Group
Fri. Mar. 20 7:30pm Stations of the Cross
Sat. Mar. 21 9:30am Prayer Shawl Ministry
3:00pm Reconciliation
8:00pm AA
Sun. Mar. 22 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.
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.
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.
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT SCHOOL
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.
Butter Braid pick up will take place on
Thursday, March 19th from 10:00 – 4:00
in the school gym.
Remembering
Our Loved Ones
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.
Ongoing registration for PreSchool through Grade
7 is taking place now. If you would like information, please either call the school office at 203748-1217 or email at [email protected]
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
Fourth Sunday Of Lent
“The Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in
him.”
We lift things up when we have something to show; something
to let people look at. Something that we are proud of.
Jesus 'lifted up' makes visible, something that is usually invisible, something that is intimately mine and yours. Can you guess what
it is? And in showing this to us in the only light in which we could bear
to look at it, the light of his mercy, he defeats it by taking the burden
of it upon himself and suffering its consequences in his own blood. Here we see the
Love of God unquestionably given to us and to our world. We hold it up indeed in
faith.
“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life.”
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 attending the Mass
Mob III on Sunday at 10:30 A.M. at Sacred
Heart Parish. Come join us and other youth
from the diocese. 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.
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
Men’s Spirituality meets
every Saturday morning
at 8am in the church.
Come join us!
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.
HOLY NAME SOCIETY
The Holy Name Society is our parish men’s group.
Meets the 2nd Monday of the month.
Next Meeting: April 13th
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
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,
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.)
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 203740-9609 for information.
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, & compassion. (Service 30-45 min)
BOTTLE & CAN TRUCK
The Bottle & Can truck arrives again
on the weekend of April 10th-13th.
Key Changes in the Diocese of Bridgeport 2015 Safe Environment Program
FOR ALL PARISH VOLUNTEERS
Please be aware that all clergy, religious
sisters and brothers, employees and volunteers will be receiving an e-mail from their
parish Safe Environment Coordinator requiring them to read the NEW Safe Environment Policy and sign an Executive Summary stating they have read it and will follow its guidelines.
If your Safe Environment training is older
than 5 years (or perhaps 10 years, based
on your ministry), you will also be required
to complete online Virtus re-certification
and authorize a new background check.
This computer-based re-certification takes
about an hour and must be completed by
March 20th.
Anyone without an email address or access to a computer will be required to attend a live three-hour training to obtain recertification (if needed). The new Policy
and Executive Summary is available as a
hard copy in the Office of Faith Formation.
If you have not received an email from [email protected]
with
instructions,
please contact Mary Ann Houser or
Darlene Rabito at the Faith Formation
Office (203-743-5168) to provide your
updated email. Thank you.
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.
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 information, call Kathy at
203-798-1052 or 203-470-8825.
FAITHFUL DISCIPLES
Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 15, 2015
The actual beginning of our weekly celebration of Mass is not when the priest reaches the Altar. The true
beginning starts much sooner.
We have to become keenly aware of the fact that the Gathering Rite begins when individuals still at home decide
to come together to worship. Individuals from many different homes decide that they are going to Mass. Leaving
their homes and making their way through the street of Danbury we can truly begin to understand that it is individuals and families that have a common purpose and destination. It is in this flow of individuals and families that are
gathering to form Church. The Gathering Rite continues in the parking lot as God’s Family begins to come together more visibly. Should we not at least try to acknowledge that we are gathering for a common purpose. Why
not talk to others who park their car next to yours in the parking lot. This is a visible starting point. Introduce
yourself to others who park next to you. I would strongly encourage you to engage in conversation and get to know
one another. The eventual goal at this point of the Mass is that all will come to Mass on Sunday with the deliberate
intention of taking part in the Gathering Rite, of becoming FAITHFUL DISCIPLES, of becoming the Christ, of becoming an Assembly.
Don’t you think it is time that we truly begin to better understand what it is we must be about as we
gather week after week? Vatican II called us to understand the reasons behind our faith experiences. In God’s
plan, the risen Christ is present and active in all creation. Through the created world and through people, Jesus
touches and transforms us into the image and likeness of God, forming us into His people, forming us into becoming FAITHFUL DISCIPLES. The celebration of the Eucharist is for the formation of this people. But how is this
done? This is not wishful thinking or magic. Each one of us is responsible to make our weekly worship a living reality, authentic and life-giving.
In order for this to become a living reality each one of us must open ourselves to one another which in
turn opens us to the transforming power of the Spirit of Jesus. This openness to one another enables us to
make life-giving symbols at our Sunday Eucharist transforming it from just a routine thing that we do each
week. All members of the Assembly need to bring to life those symbols. It is for this reason that deliberate,
conscious and active participation of the members of the Assembly is imperative. It is here that we are truly
formed anew in the image and likeness of our God.
For a life-giving celebration of Sunday Eucharist, each one must remember the following important
points:
1.
Sunday Eucharist celebration is to help make possible some form of an encounter with
the living Jesus.
2.
Sacraments are not things, but the personal actions of all those who celebrate. We can
no longer think in terms of “giving and receiving sacraments”. All members of the Assembly give the sacraments. All receive the sacraments
and all celebrate the sacraments. Each one of us is a vital part of this
mystery.
3.
We are all ministers of our Eucharist, not solely the priest and deacons.
4.
We must make our celebrations inviting, which makes them divinely powerful.
Storytelling and symbol making are the two great energies that generate the powerful images of Sunday
worship. In all the activity of celebrating Sunday Eucharist, we work to tell our story as a people and to celebrate our story in life-giving symbols. Storytelling is not the telling of fairytales. Properly understood storytelling is the proclamation of our most basic Christian beliefs in word and in action. Collectively we hear and
tell our story for the purpose of putting us in contact with our God, through Jesus Christ, empowered by the
Holy Spirit. Proper understanding of storytelling keep us rooted in our common tradition as a people of faith.
As Catholics we are Christians in the Roman Catholic Tradition and our storytelling keeps us grounded in that
reality. We must never underestimate the power of proper and authentic Storytelling. We are not involved in
fairytales but in the most significant aspects of our faith experience.
Lent is a time for Giving.
St. Gregory’s is collecting for our annual Jesus’ Easter Basket
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
Fourth Sunday of Lent
2 Chron 36:14-16,19-23;Ps 137; Eph 2:4-10; John 3:14-21
We are displaced people, alienated from God by sin. We
sit in darkness and long for the light of God. In exile, our
sadness turns to rivers of tears. The songs of joy we once
sung are silent; our music is still. How can we sing songs
of home in a foreign land? Searching our memories, we
recall God’s fidelity. God is compassionate, sending messengers over and over to warn us of our sin. But we
mocked these prophets and despised their counsel. When
there was no remedy to heal our wounds God delivered us
up to our own depravity. Too late, we mourn our loss:
“How could we forget you?” Yet, God is rich in mercy. Because of God’s great love for us, we are brought to life
when we were dead in sin. The decree of deliverance is
proclaimed: “Whoever among you belongs to God’s people, let them go up, and may their God be with them!”
With Christ we are raised up to heavenly places.
We must not make the same mistake again and think
this gift of God is a reward for anything we have done.
Jesus reminds us that it is due to God’s love that the
world was saved. We have heard the words so often our
ears are dulled to the impact of their meaning. The ignominious sign of this love is the cross. Moses gave us a
glimpse of what this means. All those wounded by sin
must die and they cried out to be saved. God told Moses
to mount a bronze replica of the serpent on a staff and
hold it up for all to see. All who looked at the instrument
of affliction were healed. Now we can look at the sin that
hung Jesus on a cross and know we are saved through His
suffering. We have a choice. We can turn to the darkness
and die in the toxic poison of our sin or turn to the light of
Christ’s love and be saved. We must not fear to come
close to the light and examine ourselves. There is a healing in that wonderful light. For Reflection: Where do I
see God’s love in the world? Am I an instrument of God’s
love or a sign of enmity? What healing do I need?
SOCIAL CONCERNS
Prisoners who paid their debt - Shaka Senghor spent
19 years in prison for murder. Since his release in 2010,
he’s become a teacher at the University of Michigan, a
published author, a sought-after speaker and an MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow. Senghor paid his debt, and he’s
a one-person testimonial to the value that exists in everyone. And he doesn’t want to be the only one. There are
currently two separate, parallel debates taking place in
Silicon Valley about the future of its workforce. One is
about how the technology industry can be more diverse.
Much of the effort to that end has focused on encouraging
girls and people of color to embrace tech at a young age.
The other conversation centers around immigration reform. There are more than 1.5 million prisoners in the US,
many of them nonviolent drug offenders. Our society is
just now coming to terms with the cost of letting these
people rot away in jail for decades. When rehabilitated excons reenter their communities, not only is it hard to find
employment, it’s challenging to adapt to a world that presumes ever more technological -literacy. Senghor admits
that he still struggles with life beyond bars. He’s teamed
up with Van Jones-—founder of Rebuild the Dream. What
if the resourcefulness currently trapped behind bars could
flood back into a nation that needs it? 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 15, 2015
NUMBER OF PAGES SENT
1 through 10
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS