March 17, 2019 | 2nd Sunday of Lent
Queen of the Apostles

Rev. Phillip J. Sladicka, Pastor Deacon James A. Rose

Parish Office 715 Hawthorne Street Avoca, PA 18641 Hours: Mon 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Tues-Fri 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Phone: 570-457-3412 [email protected] Website queenoftheapostles.weconnect.com Like Us On Facebook: Queen of the Apostles Parish Avoca, PA On-line Bulletin Seekandfind.com Director of Faith Formation Deborah Yuschovitz 570-457-1284 Anointing of the Sick If anyone is seriously ill, been admitted to the hospital, or wants a 1st Friday visit please call the Parish Office. Baptism Sunday after 10:30AM Mass. Call the parish office to make arrangements. Marriage Please call the Parish Office six months, before setting your wedding date, to make an appt. with the Pastor. Pre-Cana program is required. Rite of Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays: 3:15 - 3:45 PM Anytime upon request Celebration of the Eucharist Saturday - 4:00 PM Sunday - 8:00 - 10:30 AM Daily Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.: 8 AM Wednesday: 7:00 PM* *Followed by the Miraculous Medal Novena First Friday 8:00 AM & 7:00 PM Christian Initiation of Adults Parish Office 570-457-3412 Committee Contacts Parish Hall Manager Paul Franceschelli - 570-430-9015

Social Concerns/Respect Life Ministry Ann Jake - 570-457-3521 MISSION STATEMENT To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ Women’s Guild & Jeanette Gronski - 570-457-7804 New Members are always Welcome! To Grow As Disciples of Jesus Christ 715 HAWTHORNE STREET, AVOCA, PA 18641 Page Two Queen of the Apostles Parish Avoca, PA 18641
From the Pastor’s Desk
Liturgy and Worship

Dear Parish Family,
Liturgy of the Word: Today we hear two dramatic When you go to a movie, what do you see first?
Coming Attractions, encounters with God. In the dark of night, God leads right?
Teasers for upcoming movies.
Clipped scenes and images designed to interest us.
Wow!
Today’s readings are like a Movie trailer.
Look at all Abraham into a covenant, promising that Abraham’s the vivid images:
an old man, Abraham, looking up at the stars, animals descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the sky and being sacrificed, birds of prey swooping down among the carcasses, a live in what will appropriately be called the Promised Land. flaming torch floating between the corpses in the dark of night.
Still In the Gospel, God speaks to Peter, John, and James through reeling from all that, and now you witness Jesus’ face transformed as his the shadow of a cloud. Saint Paul, who had a dramatic clothes become dazzling white, two old men back from the dead, Elijah and

Moses, talking to Jesus, and a voice out of the clouds.
What does it all encounter of his own with God, assures the Philippians and mean?
Peter, James and John must have had these questions, not knowing us

that we will share in Christ’s glory in heaven.  that what they were seeing was a preview of Jesus’ return to the Father in glory.
Jesus (in dazzling robes) prepares to fulfill his destiny after God, The Light is On For You
symbolized by that flaming torch, had fulfilled the covenant made with
Confessions every Monday Evening during Lent Abraham. Like the voice from the cloud speaking to Peter, James and  John:
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him”.
Coming attractions:
Easter from 5:30 7:00 pm. (March 18, 25, April 1, 8, & 15). and the whole Easter season.
What might the trailer for the rest of our life All are welcome to receive God’s grace! To locate a look like?
parish near you; please visit www.dioceseofscranton.org
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Happy St. Joseph’s Day.
This Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day and on Tuesday we celebrate St. Joseph Feast Day.
Please remember to attend the novena at St. Joseph’s Oblates Chapel and the closing Feast Day Mass on Tuesday morning.
They are two great patrons of our Parish.
We ask God to help us to walk in righteousness and charity as they did.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians collected food for the poor during the Scranton parade last weekend. All of the donations went to the Saint Francis Soup Kitchen and food pantry.
We have a chapter of the Hibernians in our parish who participated in the ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
St. Patrick’s Day Parade and were at the dinners this AND THE LENTEN SEASON
weekend.
Just before the annual Saint Patrick's Parade stepped off in Every Tuesday from 8 AM to 8 PM we have Adoration of the downtown Scranton, Bishop Joseph Bambera celebrated the 58th annual St. Blessed Sacrament. The Catechism quotes Saint
John Paul II: “The Patrick’s Day Mass.
It was a great show of love for the Irish! Erin go Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic bragh! (Ireland till the end of time!)
worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not The Diocese of Scranton announces a letter of intent with Allied refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration, in contemplation Services for sale of Little Flower Manor Campus and St. Luke’s Villa full of faith, and open to making amends for the


Campus. Our Church continues to change. serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our Practicing Generosity is a primary characteristic of a disciple of Jesus adoration never cease.”
(CCC, 1380) please contact Christ.
We imitate His generosity.
Jesus gave himself for the salvation of   the world.
We have a little display encouraging us to participate in Ann Jake, 570 457 3521 or the parish office if you would Operation Rice Bowl as one form of generosity.

like to sign up for an hour of adoration or to become a Almsgiving has always been an important part of Lent. Lent began with backup adorer. If you are able to fill the 5:30 6:30 the powerful Isaiah 58 passage, on the Friday and Saturday after Ash pm. time slot, please contact Ann at the above tel. no.
Wednesday.
In that passage God calls us to release those bound unjustly, to untie the thongs of the yoke, setting free the oppressed; to share our bread with the hungry and to shelter the oppressed and homeless; to clothe Prayer
for
an
End
to Infanticide
the naked and not turn our back on our own.
It is important to give



ourselves the experience of fasting from being ungenerous. Generosity is The U.S. Senate recently failed to pass the Born not simply giving my excess clothes to a place where poor people might Alive
Abortion
Survivors
Protection ActN legislation purchase them. It's not even writing a "generous" check at the time a that prohibits
infanticide
by
ensuring
that a
child collection is taken up for a cause that benefits the poor. These are



wonderful practices. Generosity is an attitude. It is a sense that no matter born alive following an attempted abortion would how much I have, all that I have is gift, and given to me to be shared. It receive
the
same degree
of
care
to
preserve
her or his means that sharing with others in need is one of my personal priorities. life and health as would be given to any other child That is quite different from assessing all of my needs first, and then giving away what is left over. A spirit of selfless giving means that one of my born alive at the same gestational age. Please join us in needs is to share what I have with others. Lent is a wonderful time to prayer for an end to infanticide.
practice selfless giving, because it takes practice. This kind of “Jesus,
Lord of
Life, transform the hearts of all
selfsacrificing generosity is a religious experience. It places us in solidarity

with the poor who share with each other, without having any excess. It also elected leaders to recognize that infanticide joins us with Jesus, who gave himself completely, for us. Creating new is wrong and must not
be
tolerated.
Open patterns of giving will give real life and joy to our Lenten journey.
hearts
and
minds to recognize
and
defend
Next Weekend is our Annual Parish Chicken Dinner.
The dinner is



from noon to 4pm with take outs beginning at 11am.
See you there.
Ash the precious gift of every human life.” Wednesday the Lenten Tuna hoagie and Soup sale was great.
Thank you ladies from the Women’s Guild!!
We need volunteers for our Chicken Dinner so please sign up, show up for set up on Saturday and Dinner

Our Holy Father’s Prayer Intention for March, 2019 on Sunday. M Thank you for all you are and all you do.
God bless you and see you in Evangelization Christian Communities: That Christian Church, Fr. Phil








communities, especially those who are persecuted, feel that they are close to Christ and have their rights respected.  Page Three 2nd Sunday of Lent
March 17, 2019
Lenten Season
Cursillo

The schedule for this Lenten Season’s Road to The Cursillo Movement in the Diocese of Scranton is Resurrection is as follows: sponsoring the following programs. All are welcome.
March 20 St. Monica Parish, West Wyoming
Men’s Cursillo #61  March 2831, 2019
March 27 Our Lady of the Eucharist Parish, Pittston
School of Leaders: Thurs., April 11 St. Gabriel’s C.S. April 3 Queen of the Apostles Parish, Avoca
6:30PM
April 10 St. John the Evangelist, Pittston
Ultreya: Sunday, April 7, 2:30
4:30 PM, Holy Name of Services will be held each Wednesday at 7:00 PM. All are Jesus Parish, West Hazleton (NOTE TIME)
welcome and encouraged to make this annual journey of faith For further information, please visit the Cursillo website:
and prayer. www.scrantoncursillo.homestead.com

4
BORO MINISTERIUM LENTEN ECUMENICAL SERVICE th
Community Worship
MARCH 19 Moosic United Methodist Church, Moosic
























Homilist Pastor Sharon Deitz
th
Feast Day Celebration

th MARCH 26 Queen of Apostles R.C. Avoca The Feast of St. Joseph will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 19
with a























Homilist Fr. Carmen Bolock
solemn Mass at 11:00 a.m. with His Excellency, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, as nd APRIL 2  Moosic Presbyterian Church, Moosic
principal celebrant and homilist. The Oblate priests and Diocesan clergy will























Homilist Fr. Philip Sladika
concelebrate. At the conclusion of the Holy Mass, St. Joseph’s medals will be APRIL 9th  St. John’s Primitive Methodist Church, Avoca
blessed and distributed. There also will be a Holy Mass at 7: p.m. Everyone is
welcome to participate and offer prayers to Saint Joseph for personal intentions, Homilist Pastor Michael Shamboro for our families, for our country, and for vocations to the Priesthood and Weekly offering will be donated to the Food Pantry at Moosic Religious Life.
For more information, contact the OSJ seminary office at United Methodist Church.
(5706547542)
Good Friday will be held at Langcliff Presbyterian Church,
Avoca
Gorzkie zale, the traditional Polishlanguage Lenten devotion known as Schedule of homilists to be announced.
the “Bitter Lamentations,” will be held at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 215 Lackawanna Ave., Dupont, on Sunday, April 7, at 3 pm.
The devotion is a sung reflection on the Passion of Christ and his Sorrowful Red Cross Blood Drive
Mother by the combined choirs of Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Duryea An upcoming blood drive will be held in the Parish Hall on and Sacred Heart.
Fr. Joseph Mosley will be the guest homilist.
A light Thursday, March 26, 16 pm. Walk ins welcome. reception will follow in the church hall.
All are invited to attend.
Appointments are encouraged. Schedule at redcrossblood.org
 or call 1 800 Red Cross. Be A Man “What is Truth?”
5th Annual
Catholic Men’s Conference

April 27, 2019
Holy Redeemer High School,
159 South Pennsylvania Ave. Wilkes Barre, PA 18701.
Conference is 8:00am to 3:00pm (includes Adoration and Confessions), Closing Mass at 1:45 PM, Rosary at 7:30am, Registration/Morning Coffee 7:00am, Three outstanding speakers.
Registration on line www.BeAManConference.com or call Office of Parish Life 570
207
2213
$40 (Early Bird $30 until 4/01/18), Student $15, Priest/Deacon FREE
Or mail the completed conference brochure application with your check to Attn: Men’s Conference, Office for Parish Life, 330 Wyoming Ave, Scranton, PA. 18503

st Upcoming The Avoca Food Pantry is open on the 1
and 3rd Thursday
of every month. This is available to anyone in need. Pickups can be Social Concerns/Respect Life Lenten Food Sale: Friday, March 29
made @
4:00PM at the rear of the Bethel United Methodist Church, 532 Evening Prayer & Benediction: Sunday, March 31, 7:00 pm
Main St. Avoca. Volunteers are also needed to unload and
distribute food from
1:30PM. Come join us and your help will be Road to Resurrection: Wednesday, April 3, 7:00 PM


Hall Committee Lenten Food Sale: Good Friday, April 19
greatly appreciated! We are a community helping one another in need. Parish Meetings: March, 2019
Outreach Services

AA Helpline: 1
800
640
7545 Worship Committee
MON
03/18/19
6:00 PM
RECTORY
Al
Anon

Friends & Family of those addicted 1
800
339
9006 Bread Basket of NEPA 570
343
2324 Consumer Credit Counseling Service 1
800
602
2227 Catholic Social Services Wilkes Barre 570
822
7188 






Scranton 570 207 2283 Bldgs. & Grounds MON 03/25/119 6:30 PM RECTORY Greater Pittston Food Pantry (St. John’s/Seton) 570
654
9923 National Hotline for Abortion Recovery 1
866
482
5433 PA 24
Hour Child Abuse Hot Line 1
800
932
0313 Pennsylvanians for Human Life, W
B Chapter 570
826
1819 Finance Council
TUES
03/26/19
6:30 PM
RECTORY
Rachel’s Vineyard
Post Abortive Healing 1
877
467
3463 St. Joseph’s Center
Mother Infant Program 570
558
5050 Page Four 2nd Sunday of Lent March 17, 2019

Ministry for the

Schedule Week

03/23/19
March 17, 2019†2nd Sunday of Lent

3rd Sunday of Lent  4:00 PM
Monday

March 18 ~ St. Cyril of Jerusalem
8:00 AM

Sylvia Sklanka
L  Kaplavka, Thomas


By Kathy & Paul Franceschelli

L  Price, Kay
Tuesday

March 19 ~ St. Joseph, Spouse of
S  Inglima, Angelyn


the Blessed Virgin Mary



8:00 AM Joseph Bartnicki, Sr. S  Inglima, Rachael


By M/M Joseph Bartnicki

S  Gilchrist, Thomas
Wednesday
March 20
8:00 AM

Patricia Haduch
EM  George, Rosann



By Family


EM  Welles, Mary Ann
Thursday

March 21
8:00 AM

Patrick Shotwell
03/24/19
03/24/19


By Family

3rd Sunday of Lent  8:00 AM
3rd Sunday of Lent  10:30 AM
Friday

March 22



8:00 AM M/M David Berlew & Sons L  Franceschelli, Kathleen
L  Bartnicki, Patricia


By Pat Quinn & Family





Saturday
March 23 ~ St. Turibius
S Perks, Aubrey L Urbanski, Tammy 4:00 PM
Mary & Edward Boris

By Boris Family
S  Perks, David
S  Bennie, Patrick

Sunday

March 24 ~ 3rd Sunday of Lent
S  Fox, Damien
S  O’Boyle, Tristan
8:00 AM

Parishioners Intentions

EM  Renfer, Ernest
S  Saporito, Grazia
10:30 AM

Jim Thomas


By Mary Kay & Gino Tempesta
EM  McCawley, Judy
EM  Tanski, P.  Houston, R.

MEMORIAL OFFERINGS
Sacramental Bread & Wine
There are openings for Sanctuary Light and Sacred Heart Shrine throughout March in loving memory of
Memorials for the 2019 Calendar Year. The donation for each Deceased members of the O’Hop & Bartnicki Families
memorial for one week is $15. Sanctity of Life Memorials are by M/M Joseph Bartnicki
available for $10. Please contact the parish office asap to reserve.
*************************************************
Sanctuary Candle

Queen of the Apostles
in loving memory of Parish Hall Reservations
Betty & Jim Timlin
The 2019 Calendar for the Queen of the Apostles Parish Hall is filling up fast. by Kay & Jimmy Timlin
Consider renting for your next upcoming special event. We can do parties for *************************************************
Groups, Families and Large Gatherings. We have had great success with Bridal Sacred Heart Shrine
and Baby Showers, Graduation Parties as well as Community Events. We are an
ideal location for Birthday Parties for people of all ages. We have recently done in loving memory of some major improvements both inside and out, including our new Ice Machine. Elizabeth Winslow
We also continue to offer our Parish Hall to our parishioners who wish to have a by George Skowronski & Joseph Haduck
Funeral Breakfast or Luncheon following a Funeral Mass in our Church. This is **************************************************
our way of expressing our caring concern and compassion during a difficult
time. Please call Paul Franceschelli, the Hall Director at 5704309015 or the Sanctity of Life Memorial Parish office for more information.
in loving memory of
Jo Jo Trzcinski

PRAYER CHAIN: If you have an intention or would like to by Family become part of the chain, call Jim Jumper at #570
457
5867. Page Five 2nd Sunday of Lent
March 17, 2019
Parish News
Stewardship

03/10/19 Sunday Collection: $3,620.00
Queen of the Apostles
Churches in Central &
300.00
Avoca, PA
Eastern Europe

Annual Chicken Dinner
Thank you for your generous support!!
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Noon to 4:00 PM
Life, Family & Culture
TakeOuts: 11:00 AM to Noon
Parish Hall  Spring St., Avoca

“Fatherhood has its origins in God, and so we pray to you, Adult: $12.00 Children Age 12 & under: $8.00 Father Almighty, for those men who have adopted a child. Featuring: Traditional Half Chicken

Give them a mind receptive to your guidance, a patient voice, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy and a loving heart.” ~ USCCB Secretariat of ProLife Activities Vegetable, Homemade Coleslaw, Rolls,
“Novena to St. Joseph: For Those on the Path of Adoption”
Coffee, Tea, Soda & Homemade Desserts

40 DAYS FOR LIFE!! which began on March 6 Envelopes have been mailed out. If you did not
will continue through April 14 in front of new receive an envelope, please call the Parish Office. Planned Parenthood location in Wilkes
Barre, Mon.
Fri., 10:00 AM at 101 N. Main St. (across from Sign up sheets for the Volunteers, Baking and Raffle Kings College). If you are not able to witness by Baskets will be available at the entrances to the church. praying at a clinic, we ask that you join in personal Also donations for can soda would be appreciated. prayer, fasting or Eucharistic Adoration for an end to the Help is needed on Saturday, March 23rd and Sunday scourge of abortion in our country and in our world. By these March 34th at 9:00AM for set up.
means will the hearts and minds be changed to a culture of life. This 40 Days for Life campaign will be one of the biggest mobilizations of pro
lifers ever in 377 cities around the world. 

         As we march through Lent, it can be easy to think it's all  about sacrifice. No chocolate, no alcohol, no meat on The Social Concerns/Respect Life Ministry will conduct a Fridays. Yet here, only in the second week of Lent, we Lenten Food Sale on March 29 to benefit the Ministry’s have the story of the transfiguration. This reading reminds upcoming projects. The following will be available for orders us of the "why" behind what we do. We don't fast from only:

dessert to lose weight. We don't donate money or serve Red or White Clam Chowder Quart $8 Haluski  Quart $6
others because it's merely a nice thing to do. Lent is about Vodka Sauce  $8
transformation!
Orders can be placed by calling Grace McLaughlin, #5704570596 or Ruth Lee, #5704572111. Deadline for placing orders will be March 25.

EASTER BASKET PROJECT: The Social Concerns/ Respect Life Ministry will be conducting their Easter Basket project for those parishioners who are in need. Baskets provide food for the Easter Sunday meal. The baskets will be blessed on Holy Saturday, April 20 at 12:00 Noon and 4:00 PM. Anyone who is in need of a basket or knows of someone who would be in need of one, please contact the parish office at

 FORMED.ORG ~ The Catholic Faith on Demand
#570 457 3412. Deadline for submissions is April 7. THE BEST CATHOLICCONTENT
ALL IN ONE PLACE
Unlimited access
Food Pantry Items for March
to the best eBooks,
videos in the Church today
Canned Vegetables
FORMED.ORG,
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W883XT