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Saint Francis of Assisi Saint Francis of Assisi ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH 101 West Church Avenue Masontown, Pennsylvania 15461 Phone: 7245837866 • Fax: 7245830373 Website: www.sfoafayette.org A Parish of the Diocese of Greensburg A Pennsylvania Charitable Trust Rev. William G. Berkey, Pastor September 13, 2020 [email protected] Rev. Thumma Fathimareddy Shared Parochial Vicar M, T, W & F8:00 am Saturday4:00 pm Sunday8:00 am & 11:30 am Confessions: Saturday 3:003:30 pm M, T & T8:00 am Saturday:4:00 pm Sunday 9:30 am Confessions: Saturday 3:003:30 pm Office Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Bulletin Articles: The deadline for placing articles in the bulletin is Monday at Noon. New Parishioners, Welcome! Please register as soon as possible. Communion to the Homebound is provided on a regular basis. Call the Parish Office to be added to our list. Sacrament of Baptism: By appointment. Prior to your baby’s Baptism, you must be a registered, practicing member of this parish. Sacrament of Marriage: Requires parish membership by at least one of the parties for six months prior to making arrangements for marriage. Weddings should be scheduled one year in advance. Prayer Chain: To request prayer, please call Patty 7242459746 or Valeria 7245839460 . Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We gather each weekend with family, friends and neighbors to worship God, a God of mercy, a God of healing, a God always willing to forgive. We are called to do the same. We are called to reconcile with a family member, our friend, our neighbor, just as God reconciles with us when we turn away. May the nourishment we receive from the Lord’s table strengthen us as we face the challenge to forgive each other. Today is Grandparent’s Day. Celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day, it is a day to say thanks to our grandparents for all they do for us. Happy Grandparent’s Day! Monday is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Today’s feast originated to commemorate the finding of the true cross by Saint Helena but it also serves a deeper purpose to honor the sign of our salvation in Christ. As we trace the cross on ourselves, let us do so with reverence and gratitude. Tuesday is the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Mary is certainly a model of suffering. As she stood lovingly and courageously at the foot of the cross, accompanying her son in his agony and death, she offered her anguish in union with His for the salvation of humankind. Wednesday is the Feast of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian. They disagreed on how to treat Christians who had apostatized under persecution. They are remembered together as martyrs who themselves accepted death rather than renounce their shared faith. Thursday is the Feast of Saint Robert Bellarmine. He was a Jesuit scholar who defended and clarified Church teaching during the Reformation. Saturday is the Feast of Saint Januarius. He was beheaded during the Diocletian persecutions and his relics are still venerated in Naples … especially a vial of blood that liquefies on his feast day. I invite you to please take part in our “takeout Spaghetti Dinner” NEXT Sunday, along with the Basket Raffle. Spiritual Communion Prayer: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen Reflection on The Call to Holiness by Pope Francis Growth in holiness is a journey in community, side by side with others.” (135) Question of the Week: How can I keep a consistent forgiving attitude that assuages my anger? What leads me to forgive one who has hurt me? Our Psalm Response this week, “the Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion,” reminds us that yes, the Lord is kind and merciful. Please say a prayer for the control and end of the corona virus so that we can come back to church as a community of faith. Here we go Steelers, here we go! Peace, Fr. Bill Let’s go Bucs! The Sacrament of Eucharist is the greatest FAITH FORMATION RESOURCES of the seven sacraments. “The faithful are to hold the Eucharist in highest honor, taking part in the For the entire family celebration of the Most August Sacrifice, receiving FORMED is a platform where parishioners are able the sacrament devoutly and frequently and worship to access a vast array of Catholic Content; Catholic ping it with supreme adoration.” (Canon 898) movies, eBooks, audio dramas, Bible Studies, Youth and Children’s programming. Today our children will receive the living bread from heaven, Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, FORMED was started by the Augustine Institute who for the first time at 9:30 am in Footedale has for many years helped Catholics engage their faith. and at 11:30 am in Masontown. This year, the subscription for parishioners will be FREE. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist is an Please take advantage of this unique opportunity! intimate union with Christ Jesus. What material 1. go to formed.org/signup food produces in our bodily life, Holy Communion 2. Enter zip code 15461 and select St. Francis of Assisi wonderfully achieves in our spiritual life. 3. Enter your name and email and then submit FAITH FORMATION PRACTICE OF FAITH For students entering grades Kindergarten Today’s Scripture readings recall the centrality of through 7th this school year mercy and forgiveness in the Christian life. This was the According to the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic focus a few years ago of the Jubilee Year of Mercy called Constitution on the Church: “The family, is so to speak, by Pope Francis that featured our call to be “Merciful like the domestic church.” (Lumen Gentium #11) the Father.” Those who have received mercy must, in This means that it is in the context of the family that turn, extend mercy to others through words and actions, we first learn who God is and to prayerfully seek His as individuals and as a Church. Recognize and celebrate will for us. As such, to provide the best education safely times when you have the opportunity to extend and re- for our catechists and students, Faith Formation will be ceive mercy this week. Pray for the grace to be “merciful homebased. Parents will have the opportunity to like the Father.” teach their children the faith in an educational setting. Faith is the union of God with the soul. Should you wish to receive the textbooks for your St. John of the Cross children please contact Christopher Anderson ([email protected]) indicating Magnificat is a monthly devotional designed for daily the grade of your child or children. The cutoff use to encourage both liturgical and personal prayer. It date for book orders is September 27, 2020. offers beautiful prayers based on the Liturgy of the Hours, the official texts of daily Mass, meditations writ- CONFIRMATION STUDENTS ten by spiritual giants of the Church as well as more con- For students entering 8th grade this school year temporary authors, essays on the Lives of the Saints and Please contact the Parish Office 7245837866 articles giving spiritual insight into masterpieces of sa- or [email protected] cred art. This month features Saints Who Worked with to receive information regarding this sacrament. Their Hands. Complimentary copies of the September issue are available at the Church entrances. First Communion Class of 2021 For students entering 2nd grade this school year Stewardship is not optional! “None of us lives as his Attention parents of second grade students who will be own master and none of us dies as his own master,” entering the First Communion Class: Although, Faith says Saint Paul. “While we live, we are responsible Formation is homebased this year, as your child’s to the Lord and when we die, we die as His servants.” teacher I will be available throughout the year to help with preparing them for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. Please contact me, Kim Stavish, Thank you for last Sunday’s offertory ... at 7243668901 with your child’s name and email $7,008; online $735; Faith Formation $273 for a total so that I can keep you updated throughout the year. of $8,016. We also collected $214 for Social Ministry It is also very important that the textbook and learning Thank you for your continued support of our materials are obtained from the church office when parish especially during this critical time! available. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Summer Celebration 2020 CALENDAR TICKET: Typically for the Labor Day Festival, each parishioner receives a book of raffle tickets to buy or sell at a cost of $20. Since we are unable to have the traditional raffle, we are selling a $20 Calendar Ticket for the month of October. Winning numbers will be determined by the PA Daily Lottery evening number. Prize total for the month is $7,000. To purchase a ticket, please return the form with payment to the Parish Office via the Sunday collection or by mail. Sacred Steps We’ll be sure you receive your ticket. If you request a certain number, we’ll do our best to accommodate your Sacramental Celebrations request. All ticket stubs with payment must be received at Saint Francis of Assisi Parish by the Parish Office by September 25.
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