Saint St. John St. St. Mary April 25, 2021 Francis of Assisi Parish Staff & Contacts St. St. Joseph St. Mary of the Assumption 668 Clearfield Road 315 Stoney Hollow Road 821 Herman Road Fenelton, PA 16034 Cabot, PA 16023 Butler, PA 16002 Website: saintfrancisparish.net Administrative Office—315 Stoney Hollow Rd., Cabot, PA 16023 Office Phone: 724-352-2149 Extensions listed below Pastor: Fr. Matthew McClain Ext. 203 Email: [email protected] Senior Parochial Vicars: Fr. James Kurtz, OFM, Cap. Ext. 202 Email: [email protected] Emergencies: 412-421-3962 Fr. Ward Stakem, OFM, Cap. Ext. 201 Email: [email protected] Emergencies: 724-777-9432 Fr. Louis Pascazi Ext. 210 Email: [email protected] Staff Members Karyn Roenigk Business Manager, Safe Environment Coordinator Ext. 204 Email: [email protected] Fax : 724-352-7174 Linda Green Parish Calendar & Sacramental Coordinator, Payroll Administrator Ext. 220 Email: [email protected] Fax: 724-285-4715 Jennifer Stahoviak Bulletin Editor, Mass Intention Scheduler Ext. 216 Email: [email protected] Fax: 724-287-3550

Music Directors Steven Yealy Email: [email protected] Gerard Conroy Email: [email protected] Carol Michel Email: [email protected] Children’s Faith Formation Debi Gross- Catechetical Administrator - CFF Main Office Ext. 206 Email: [email protected] Laura Eakman- CFF Program Assistant - CFF St. John Site Ext. 217 Email: [email protected] Adult Faith Formation Angela Robb Ext. 208 Email: [email protected] Preschool Coordinators St. Joseph Amy Majersky Ext. 209 St. Mary Amy Pettinato Ext. 221 Sacraments - Instruction is required for first time parents. Contact Linda for details and scheduling. Marriage - Please contact Linda, arrangements must be made 6 months prior to the wedding date. Confessions held on Saturdays, St. Mary- 11am-12pm and St. Joseph-12pm-1pm

Date Time Location Intention Offered By Saturday 4:00 PM St. Mary Alice Spinneweber Tom & Ruthann Cook April 24 St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, 5:30 PM St. Joseph Agnes Osche Family Priest & 8:00 AM St. Joseph John Burke Jim & Jean Spafford Sunday, 8:30 AM St. John April 25 Reverend John Palko Gary & Yolanda Cypher 4th Sunday of Easter 10:00 AM St. Mary For the Parishioners of Saint Francis of Assisi World Day of Prayer for Vocations 11:00 AM St. Joseph Marino Quercio Sr. Traggiai Family

Monday, April 26 8:00 AM St. Mary Bill Cranmer Family

Tuesday, April 27 8:00 AM St. John Ralph DiGregorio Donald & Joanne Turka

Wednesday, April 28 9:00 AM St. Joseph Marilyn Hilderbrand Tom & Cindy Wagner St. Peter Chanel, Priest & Martyr; St. Louis Grignion de Montfort, Priest Thursday, April 29 8:00 AM St. Mary Mike Spohn Ann & Skip Culleiton St. , & Friday, April 30 9:00 AM St. Joseph Irene McLafferty Rob & Kathy Shick St. Pius V,

Saturday 9:00 AM St. Joseph Scott Walker Mike & Beth Kelley May 1 4:00 PM St. Mary Dorothy Schnur Family St. Joseph the Worker 5:30 PM St. Joseph In honor of Fr. Albert for the 60th A Friend year of being vowed Sunday, 8:00 AM St. Joseph Jean Crytzer Patty & Dick Sanderson May 2 8:30 AM St. John Don Kennedy Children 5th Sunday Of 10:00 AM St. Mary Schnur Mom & Dad Easter

11:00 AM St. Joseph Vince Green Sr. Lucille Green Please remember in your prayers the sick, suffering, and homebound of our parish community, especially those listed below from our parish grouping. Ben Cypher Kathy Miller Judy Convery Marek Wabiszewski Joe Krall Nicholas Miller Robert Rakarich Lois Davanzati Mary Carbin Rose Hinch Elizabeth Rakarich Jim Edwards Marge Karenbauer Evelyn MacDonald C.J. Kriley Mary Lou Beilstein Jeannie White Loretta Schnur Robb Agnes Widenhofer Janet Biscetlia Bernice Durand John Prokopchak Fr. Victor Kriley, OFM, Cap. Elaine Lydon Dick Leroy Fr. Gary Stakem, OFM, Cap Marge Steinhiser Carol Rowley John Lorenz Dan Jonczak Jr.

Pray for all members of our armed forces, especially those from our parish families. Gabre Knoch Tylor Grant White Russell Bauer Nicholas Cottage Kyle Campbell Matthew McCandless Brandon Bauer Stephen Konyha Michael Fritz Jimmy Adley Jordan Cottage Dustin Michel

Please call or email Jenn to add or remove names from the grouping prayer lists.

Please continue to sign up for weekend Masses, the link is on the main page of our website, www.saintfrancisparish.net. Or go directly to https:// www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9AF29A7FF2- maymass We ask that you please sign up by Thursday. If you do not have internet access, please call the office by Thursday, and we’d be happy to sign you up for Mass. Warm wishes and blessings to all those baptized last week in our parish. Request a candle to be lit at the Blessed Mother or Welcome to our faith community! Sacred Heart of Jesus at St. John for a special intention or in memory/honor of a loved one. The intention will Joanna Marie Roush be noted in the bulletin and the candle will burn all week for your request. An intention daughter of Matthew and Emily Roush form may be found in back of St. John or contact Jenn. Donation request is $5. Atlas James Sarver son of Ty and Oliva Sarver

Scheduling Mass Intentions Nolan James Benninger Mass intentions for St. Francis of Assisi (St. John, St. son of Chad and Michelle Benninger Joseph and St. Mary locations) are scheduled through Jenn. Contact Jenn by phone (ext. 216) or email to Robyn Tulk Hartle schedule your request. The stipend for each Mass is $10. Please send your check made payable to Saint Francis of daughter of Ronald and Sarah Hartle Assisi, indicate the date and intention in the check memo

line and mail to 315 Stoney Hollow Road, Cabot 16023. A message from Fr. Matt . . .

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Have you noticed that for the last couple weeks St. Peter keeps bringing up the same topic? He keeps saying Jesus “whom you crucified.” Each time he brings up this subject, he gets in trouble. I almost feel like pulling Peter aside and saying, “Pete, my man, take it easy with this. It almost seems like you want to get in trouble!” Guess what? He did.

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. What does “good” mean? When we say a dog is a good dog, we usually mean that the dog obeys, is compliant, maybe that he doesn’t constantly bark. So what is a good person? Is it the same an- swer? Someone who obeys, is compliant, and keeps their mouth shut? I think this is what our society believes. A good person in our culture, someone who is “woke” as it is described, follows these new rules that say all truth is subjective and equal, as long as our truth is tolerant of everyone else’s. Anything is ok, as long as we “co-exist.” A “good” person these days has to accept this or if they don’t, they have to keep their mouth shut or they’ll get can- celled.

Do you know who wouldn’t be considered “good” in our culture today? St. Peter! He spoke the uncomfortable truth. He did it because he didn’t believe that he was called to merely tolerate others or co-exist with them. Peter believed that he was called to love them and loving them meant telling them the truth. Not his individual, subjective truth, but Truth that comes from God. Peter got in what civil rights leader John Lewis used to call “good trouble.” Jesus was all about “good trouble.”

We so often like to imagine Jesus with a soft smile. A kind face. Jesus laughing. Jesus playing baseball with the kids. (There really is a picture of that. I’ve seen it!) I know that Jesus is sweet and kind. Jesus is compassionate and merci- ful. Nothing is more true. As His followers, we should strive to be those things, too. But, that isn’t all that Jesus is. My grandma had a picture of Jesus in her house that used to kind of freak me out. Jesus’ eyes were always looking at you, no matter where you were in the room, and He had a look on his face that said, “Bring it!” In almost every mo- ment of His ministry, Jesus is poking the society, the people of Israel, the Roman rulers. He turns over tables. He rat- tles cages. He sheds light on hypocrisy. He doesn’t hold back in criticizing their self-serving religion. He does all of this and it gets Him in trouble. Jesus is threatened and He says, “Bring it!” He is beaten and spit on and crucified and He says, “Bring it!” He is defiant rather than compliant. He does not shut his mouth. He doesn’t give in. He doesn’t compromise Truth. It is a truth that offends some, but He is ok with that because the Truth He stands for doesn’t depend on our agreement. It is the Truth that comes from the One who made us. This gets Him into trouble, but it’s “good trouble”!

This week, let’s challenge ourselves about what we think is a good person. Let’s ask ourselves if we are good people. Let us be sweet to each other, kind, compassionate and merciful. But like our Shepherd, let us be more. No matter what our culture says, good people do not merely tolerate each other or seek to simply co-exist. Good people love each other, and love means telling the truth and the truth is hard and divisive sometimes. We have a Good Shep- herd, not always nice and quiet and compliant, but man is He good! Let us follow Him, like St. Peter did, and maybe get into some “good trouble” this week!

Peace and Love, Fr. Matt

First Eucharist April 24- St. Francis of Assisi Parish has 21 children preparing to Jesus Day/ make their First Eucharist on the first 2 weekends in May. First Eucharist Practice Let us remember them in prayer as they prepare to (First Eucharist Class) join their parish family at the Lord’s table. 9AM (St. Joseph Hall)

April 25- Children’s Faith CGS Group B 9:15-10:45 AM Formation (St. Joseph) Communication CFF grades 4& 5 (St. Joseph) CFF 9:45-11:00 AM (St. John) Corner Lord Jesus, Bless the children coming forward to receive Edge - 6-7PM (St. Joseph) Holy Communion for the first time. May this day be an initial step into a life- long love of the April 25, 2021 is our last scheduled Eucharist. Give them a hunger for this sacred food so that they CFF/Edge Sessions for the year. turn to You for comfort, guidance, and wisdom as they grow in Please be looking for information about full discipleship. Thank you for their innocence and goodness. our Fall CFF/Edge Sessions in the bulletin May they grow in Christian maturity and, by the power of the and on our website - saintfrancisparish.net Holy Spirit, become Christ’s witnesses in the world, spreading and defending the faith. Blessings for a safe and healthy summer! Amen. See you in church!! Pinwheels for Prevention Confirmation April is National Child Abuse St. Francis of Assisi Parish has 18 youth who are Prevention Month. Sadly 1 in 10 children are abused and over 90% of preparing to celebrate their Confirmation on them know their abuser. Someday it May 13 and May 20, 2021. might be your “turn” to make a difference in the life of Let us pray for them as they continue to prepare for a child. Learn to recognize signs of abuse and, better this Sacrament. yet, ways to minimize opportunities for abuse. Talk with your children about boundaries. And learn what to do if you suspect abuse or risky behaviors. Flyers are in the bulletin. Additional information is available in your church entrance for adults and for parents to Holy Trinity, guide and protect the candidates as they share with their children. prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. Pinwheels are a sign of the fun, carefree, and innocent life that all children deserve. We will be handing out Help them to discern God’s will in their life and fill pinwheels to children after the Masses this weekend. them with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, The Butler County Alliance for Children has provided us knowledge, right judgment, courage, understanding, with these materials. Since 2014, they have served reverence, wonder and awe) to empower them to serve over 1700 child victims in Butler County. To volunteer your time, call 724-431-3689. Everyone is invited to God as a true through the Grand Opening Events for their beautiful new Child Your grace and in Your love. Advocacy Center on 101 Mahood Rd, Butler. On Fri- Amen. day, April 30 from 11am – 7pm they will have Tours and Children’s Activities. An Opportunity To Volunteer . . . Our envelope collections are counted by teams of parishioners at each of our churches. The counters are trained in the protocol set by the diocese. They generally count on Sunday or Monday morning. Along The Respect Life Committee page of our website has with the actual counting of the cash and the checks, been overhauled to include several helpful and useful they complete the necessary paperwork to backup their links, including: figures and deposits. The teams are scheduled on a 4- week rotation with the ability to trade with another  Resources for Helping anyone "in need" counter if they have a counting schedule conflict. All  Dating, Marriage and Family Resources counters are compliant with the diocesan Safe Environment program.  Monthly Parish "Life" News newsletter Over the last few months, we have lost some of our  Pro-life Books and Movies counters due to the Pandemic, health issues and some  Contact your Elected Officials regarding Life issues just needing to take a break. We are looking to fill the vacancies for St. John and St. Joseph locations. If you  Prolife Topics, Event and Activities have a liking for numbers and are interested in joining Visit www.saintfrancisparish.net and click on the counting team, please call Karyn at the Committees, Respect Life. The page is a continuous work Administrative Center at (724-352-2149 x204). We will be glad to further discuss the details with you. in progress. If you have suggestions, please send them our way. Thank you!

Remember, no matter what location you If you have not started receiving regularly attend, we are all ONE parish your new Saint Francis of Assisi now! Please Make ALL Checks now Payable Parish offertory envelopes in the To: Saint Francis of Assisi Parish mail, or would like to receive Thank you! envelopes, please contact Linda (ext. 220).

'SOUPS ON' Do you or someone you know need groceries? The St. Vincent DePaul Food Bank at 146 North Monroe As most hunters know, Spring gobbler St., Butler, has a surplus of grocery items season is almost here! Would you like and will offer them to anyone who can to have some delicious homemade tur- come by during operating hours, Monday- key noodle soup without having to bag that turkey Friday, 8:30-10am. If you can’t use them, to make it. Well, the Christian Mothers and Women do you know someone who can? Consider of St. Joseph Parish - Cabot were blessed to receive picking up for a neighbor-in-need. donations of several turkeys and are offering home- made turkey noodle soup 'FREE' on a first come, HOPE AND HEALING ARE POSSIBLE!!! first serve basis. It will be packed in 2 different sized For those struggling with addiction or substance abuse, for their containers and can be picked up Sunday, May 2 families and for those who have lost loved ones to the disease of addiction and overdose. We come together in prayer! from NOON to 2 pm. at St. Joseph Ch. hall in Cabot. PLEASE JOIN US FOR ROSARY AND SPECIAL INTERCESSIONS We don't want it to go to waste, so you are also TUESDAY: April 27th; 7-8pm welcome to pick up some for other pa- WHERE: ABBA’S HOUSE, 320 W. MAIN ST., SAXONBURG rishioners in our St. Francis of Assisi parish ****CDC recommends wearing a mask**** When I am afraid I put my trust in You. or anyone in the community who are un- –Psalm 56:3 able to pick it up themselves. Bon Appe- Questions: [email protected] All registers from the three former parishes will be retained at the Diocese of Pittsburgh Archives & Records Center. If you need proof of a sacrament for any reason, you will need to contact the Archives & Records Center directly. Sacramental Record Request Forms can be printed from

the website diopitt.org/sacramental-record-request or call 412-456-3158.

Members from all three locations of our newly World Day of Prayer is observed on Sunday, formed parish, Saint Francis of Assisi, have joined April 25th, also known together to create our first united fundraiser, a as "Good Shepherd Calendar Raffle. Calendar Raffle tickets are $25 and Sunday." The purpose are available at the Church Offices and after Masses of this day is to publicly for the next few weeks. If you can take 5 or 10 to fulfill the Lord's instruction to, "Pray the sell to family, friends or co-workers, that would be Lord of the harvest to great! The raffle will begin on July 1 and run through send laborers into his December 31, 2021. The winning number is based harvest" (Mt 9:38; Lk on the PA Daily Pick 3-- 7:00 PM drawing. Please 10:2). Please pray that help support Our Parish, Saint Francis of Assisi, with young men and women this new Fundraiser! hear and respond generously to the Lord's call to the priesthood, diaconate, religious life, The new, online version of societies of apostolic the Pittsburgh Catholic life or secular institutes. can be found at Resources for promoting vocations can be found on www.diopitt.org the USCCB website, www.usccb.org

Adult Spiritual Enrichment – more than a Bible Study! CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD – CGS Level I Formation Course A Formation Course to certify catechists for Level I children Ages 3-6 will be available at two locations: St. Jude Parish at St. site – Tuesdays starting May 4th St. Aidan Parish at St. Alexis site – 1 weekend/month starting May 28th For a registration form and more information contact: St. Raphael site: Nino Castellano [email protected] St. Aidan site: Darcy Osby [email protected] CGS is education to the Christian way of life – evangelization and catechesis - DISCIPLESHIP COMMUNITY DINNER Catholic Question Corner Thank you to all those from Have you ever wondered why we do certain things the St. Francis Parish who assisted with way we do? Welcome to Catholic question corner the community dinner on Tuesday, April 13. Donations of beef, where we aim to answer some common Catholic cookies, volunteer time to cook and questions. This week’s question: Why do priests wear vestments? serve resulted in a successful and Answer: delicious meal shared as a take out Vestments are clothes worn for a specific purpose. Priests will joke with 111 individuals in need of that they cover a thousand flaws. But our own manner of dress sustenance. St John's will provide often corresponds to what we do. We dress up for special the next dinner on Tuesday, occasions. Vestments are much the same, and each one has a August 24. meaning. The alb is a reminder of the baptismal garment. The stole is a symbol of ordained ministry and authority within the Church. The chasuble reminds us that we are on a pilgrimage of faith, passing through this life towards heaven.

Priests wear vestments for two basic reasons. First, they draw attention to the importance and solemnity of the act of worship. Heartfelt Thanks The color of the vestments indicates the season of the year or the feast being celebrated. Secondly, vestments draw attention to what “I can't express my thanks enough for all the birthday wishes, cards, phone the priest does, rather than who he is. In the celebration of the calls, Masses and other expressions of Mass, the focus is on what we do together, on our common unity, caring. Your thoughtfulness is so and on the mystery and person of Christ. appreciated. God bless you for your kindness." -Mary Ann Charlton