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“With God All Things Are Possible!” St.

The Catholic Community of the East End of Pittsburgh

St. Church Mass Schedule 509 South Dallas Avenue Pittsburgh PA 15208 Saturday Vigil 4:00 pm St. James

St. James Church Sunday 9:00 am Mother of Good Counsel 718 Franklin Avenue, Sunday 11:00 am St. Bede Wilkinsburg PA 15221 Monday - Saturday 9:00 am St. Bede

Mother of Good Counsel Church Mass occupancy is limited. 7705 Bennett Street Pittsburgh PA 15208 Mass is also available on Facebook and YouTube.

Confession & Eucharistic Adoration

Parish Office Saturday 9:30 - 10:30 am St. Bede 509 South Dallas Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15208 The Sacrament of reconciliation is available by appointment. [email protected] Phone:412.661.7222 St. Bede Church will be open daily Fax: 412.661.9337 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Website saintmarymagdalenepgh.org @smmppgh All our churches are accessible. Stewardship Parish Office 412.661.7222 Offertory

May 24 $4,773 Pastoral Staff Rev. Thomas J. Burke, Pastor “2”; [email protected] PSP 2020 Rev. Taylor, Senior Parochial Vicar “3”; Goal $153,393 Received $64,356 [email protected]

In Residence Stimulus Check Donations To Date: Rev. James Adeoye [email protected] Social Ministry $15,135 Rev. Augustine Temu [email protected] St. Vincent DePaul $5,257 Office Staff Parish $6,385 Frank Grande “4”; [email protected] Terri Price “0”; [email protected] Total Donations $26,777 Religious Education Teresa Maynor 412.661.7222; [email protected]

Music Ministries Faith Direct: May Jennifer Gorske, Director of Music Ministries 412.370.2638; [email protected] Offertory $30,371 Carla LaRocca DiDonato 412.422.2460; Parish Campus Maintenance $1,020 [email protected] PSP 2020 $4,597 Pat Morgan 412.425.3834; [email protected] Gerard Rohlf 412.657.7570; [email protected] Social Ministries $2,402 St. Bede School Support $815 Safe Environment Melissa Viator 412.661.7222; [email protected] St. Vincent de Paul $586 Feast of the Ascension $565 Social Ministry & Community Outreach Overseas Appeal $210 Anne Scheuermann 412.241.1309 or “8” [email protected] Ministry Center Van $100

Holy Rosary Food Bank “9”

Media & Communications Cathy Raffaele “5”; [email protected] Online Giving Glennen Lloyd [email protected] Bulletin [email protected] Faith Direct is the online giving provider for our parish.

Housekeeping/Maintenance To sign up at Faith Direct, for regular contributions or Paul Denk, Natalia, Annette Shunk for a one time gift, visit faithdirect.net and use church Principals code PA994. Enrollment forms are available at all our Sr. Thea Bowman Catholic Academy: Ms. Stephanie Michael churches and Parish Office. 412.242.3515; [email protected]; sistertheabowman.org St. Bede School: Sr. Daniela Bronka 412.661.9425; For online giving information, see the homepage of [email protected]; saintbedeschool.com our website: saintmarymagdalenepgh.org or call Frank Grande at 412.661.7222.

As a Faith Community, we pray for all who Protection of God’s Children request prayers. Report suspected child abuse At the 24-Hour Child Abuse Hotline: 800.932.0313

Gail Britanik, Bridget Costello, If a child is in imminent danger, call 911 Mary Lou Laird, Patricia Marino, Deanna Nebel, Dominic Nebel, Emily Reiling, Marion Reynoso, James & Rose Smith, Safe Environment Compliance Anyone who and Arlene Trichtinger volunteers in the parish or school is required by the diocese to be compliant with all Safe Environment clearances. We pray for those affected by the coronavirus, COVID-19: Please contact Melissa Viator at 412.661.7222 those who are ill; healthcare and frontline workers; or [email protected] with questions or for assistance. religious and government leaders; and everyone im- pacted in any way.

If you, a family member, or friend would like to be on Bulletin Announcements our prayer list, please call Cathy at the Parish Office are due no later than 9 am on Monday or email [email protected]. for the next week’s bulletin.

The names will be published in the bulletin and on the Larger announcements must be submitted a week prior to the Monday deadline. website. [email protected]

Saint Mary Magdalene Parish Preliminary Re-opening Plan

As we welcome parishioners back to church, it is important to keep in mind that Covid-19 virus is still a great threat to public health. Distancing, hand washing, and masks should continue to be regular practices by all. The Diocese of Pittsburgh has provided guidelines as we slowly reopen our churches. We ask that everyone follow these guide- lines strictly and be patient as we begin to move forward. We appreciate your continued support and patience ~ Father Tom

No one is currently obligated to attend Mass. If you feel ill, are older than 65 or have health issues, you should stay home, due to your higher risk from COVID-19.

We will resume weekend Masses on a limited basis beginning on the weekend of June 6/7. There will be a 4 pm Mass on Saturday at St. James, 9 am Mass at Mother of Good Counsel and 11 am Mass at St. Bede Church on Sunday. There will be no hospitality or greeters until further notice. Parishioners are invited and encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer to Mass.

The number of people at Mass will be limited according to public health guidelines. Families and those who live together may occupy one pew. Single individuals will be distanced from each other by 6 feet. At Mother of Good Counsel and St. James, this will mean three people to a pew. At St. Bede this will mean two people to a pew. We will only be using every third pew. When the churches are “full” based on these seating restrictions, parishion- ers will be asked to attend another Mass.

Parishioners will be asked to seat themselves, beginning from the back of the church to the front of the church, ob- serving the instructions of the ushers who will be at all campus entrances.

Missalettes and hymnals have been removed and there will be no congregational singing nor will choirs be allowed to sing until further notice. There will be one Lector and one Eucharistic Minister. Mass will not begin with a pro- cession nor will there be an offertory procession. Boxes will be placed at the altar for the offertory collection as you leave. We encourage online giving or mail-ins/drop-offs at the parish office. There will be no holy water, offertory profession or passing of the sign of peace. The Precious Blood will not be distributed.

All parishioners over the age of two are asked to wear a mask during Mass. Communion will be distributed at the end of Mass. Parishioners are asked to come to Communion by the center aisle and exit by the side aisle, ob- serving 6 feet distance at all time. Everyone should leave their seat, even if you do not plan to receive Commun- ion, in order to avoid people having to step over one another. Please fully extend your arm with hands cupped as the Priest/Eucharistic Minister drops the host into your hand. Please step to the side, lift up the bottom of your mask and place the host in your mouth before exiting the church. Please note: Holy Communion will only be distributed in the hand at this time. After you receive Communion, please leave the church immediately, main- taining the 6-foot distance requirement. Bulletins will be available for pick-up as you leave.

We will learn from the first weekend’s Mass attendance and adjust these guidelines as needed for the future. These guidelines may be updated as we progress through the different stages of reopening. Updated guidelines will appear in our bulletin; Facebook page, Mary Magdalene Parish, @smmppgh; and website, saintmarymagdalenepgh.org.

With God, all things are possible. Mass Intentions June 6 - 14

Saturday Vigil 4 pm David Scherbarth (Family) BURKE The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity SUNDAY THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY 9 am Rose Scatorchia (Mary Grace & July Prata) TAYLOR

First Reading: Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9 Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 11 am Mary Louise Wagner (Family) BURKE Gospel: John 3:16-18 MONDAY Weekday 9 am Special Intention ADEOYE TUESDAY Weekday 9 am Special Intention BURKE WEDNESDAY Weekday 9 am Miller and Shields Families (Helen Shields) TAYLOR THURSDAY Memorial of Saint , Apostle 9 am Rita B. Reiling (Chris Reiling & Family) TEMU Stedina, Gontis and Stets Families FRIDAY Weekday 9 am BURKE (Barbara Krajcovic) SATURDAY St. , 9 am Special Intention BURKE Priest and Saturday Vigil 4 pm Jerry Handrahan (Family) BURKE Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ In Honor of St. Anthony SUNDAY 9 am BURKE SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF (St. Anthony Society) CHRIST

First Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2–3,14b–16a Living and Deceased Members 11 am TAYLOR Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:16–1713 of the Pioneer Association (Peggy Bond) Gospel: John 6:51–58

Information during the Pandemic Reflection from Thomas à Kempis Weekend Masses will resume on June 6/7 with limited occupancy. “Love is a mighty power, a great and complete good; Sunday Masses will continue to be broadcast on Sat- Love alone lightens every burden, and makes the rough urdays on Facebook, live streamed at 4 pm, and avail- places smooth. It bears every hardship as though it were able on YouTube at 5:30 pm. nothing, and renders all bitterness sweet and accepta- ble. The love of Jesus is noble, and inspires us to great Facebook: Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, @smmppgh deeds; it moves us always to desire perfection. Love YouTube: St. Mary Magdalene Parish PGH aspires to high things, and is held back by nothing base. The parish website will be updated as information is Love longs to be free, a stranger to every worldly desire, available, saintmarymagdalenepgh.org. lest its inner vision become dimmed, and lest worldly self -interest hinder it or ill-fortune cast it down. Nothing is Bulletins are available at the Parish Office. sweeter than love, nothing stronger, nothing higher, nothing wider, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller or better in heaven or earth; for love is born of God, and can rest only in God above all created things. Virtual Faith Sharing on ZOOM! Join fellow parishioners on ZOOM on Sunday, Love flies, runs, leaps for joy; it is free and unrestrained. June 7, from 2 to 3 pm for an informal time of faith Love gives all for all, resting in One who is highest above sharing. The link to the meeting and the topic is sent all things, from whom every good flows and proceeds. by email and is also on the homepage of our website: Love does not regard the gifts, but turns to the Giver of saintmarymagdalenepgh.org all good gifts. Love knows no limits, but ardently trans- cends all bounds. Love feels no burden, takes no ac- In this difficult time, this is an opportunity to connect count of toil, attempts things beyond its strength; love with one another in a meaningful way. We hope you sees nothing as impossible, for it feels able to achieve all can join us! things. Love therefore does great things; it is strange and If you currently do not receive emails from the parish effective; while he who lacks love faints and fails.” and would like to, please send your email address to [email protected]. The Imitation of Christ (The Inner Life), published 1441

Pastor’s Note Congratulations Congratulations to the Class of 2020 of St. Bede School Welcome Back! and Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy. Both

schools held their graduations last week. Special thanks As we welcome people back to to Sister Daniela and Stephanie Michael for their leader- church this week, it is important to ship. It was a very different ending to the school year but keep in mind that the Covid-19 virus our students and faculty adjusted quite well. We are hop- is still a great threat to public health. ing to reopen in August pending how things go with the Social Distancing, hand washing Covid-19 pandemic. Best wishes to our graduates and to and wearing masks should continue our students, faculty staff! to be regular practices by all. Bish- op Zubik has dispensed every one Summer Church Hours of the Sunday obligation indefinitely so those who are at St. Bede Church is open daily for private prayer and risk or with health issues should refrain from coming to Monday through Saturday from 8 am to Noon. Mass. We ask that those who will be attending daily or St. James, Mother of Good Counsel and St. Bede weekend Mass follow the safety guidelines. Those who Churches are open one hour before and locked immedi- are unable to attend Mass physically are welcome to ately after Mass on the weekends. Please note our inter- view the Mass on Facebook and YouTube. im weekend Masses: Saturday 4 pm at St. James, Sun- day 9 am at Mother of Good Counsel and 11 am at St. We ask that parishioners drop off their weekly envelopes Bede. at the parish office or mail them in or participate in our online giving program, Faith Direct. To ensure proper Two Year Anniversary credit we ask that you please use your envelopes weekly This coming Thursday, June 11, marks my second year and mark your donation on the envelope. The parish since I arrived in the East End. It is has been a true joy pays a printing and postage fee for them to be mailed these past two years to work with Fr. Taylor bringing St. out. Bulletins, Living Faith Books and We Celebrate Mis- Bede, St. Charles Lwanga and St. James Parishes to- sals are available at on the front porch of the parish of- gether to form St. Mary Magdalene. We have made fice. We thank you for your continued financial support. many positive upgrades to all three of our campuses and I am honored to continue to serve you. Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity, a day on which we marvel at how fortunate we are to be in a Welcome relationship with God. A special welcome to Edward, Tiffany, Zachary, Charles, and William Smith who recently registered at In the first reading from Exodus, we read how God sum- St. Mary Magdalene. mons to the top of Mount Sinai and is privileged to hear the voice of God proclaim mercy and kindness. In Pray the second reading from Paul to the Corinthians, we read We pray for peace and healing over the horrific death of how Paul provides a struggling community with healing George Floyd in Minneapolis last week. Let us pray for and urges them to live in fellowship and peace as broth- calm, healing and a respect for all human life. God Bless ers and sisters, children of one God. America!

In the Gospel of John, we read the famous gospel pas- sage of John 3:16, how Jesus promises to send the dis- Something to Think About… ciples the spirit of truth who will guide them through the The truth must be sought with all one’s soul challenges of the future. God so loved the world that he …Love is stronger than hate. gave his only son for the salvation of the world. The mis- Marc Sangnier sion of Jesus is to save the world by revealing the pres- ence of God. All who believe will have eternal life.

The Trinity is a communion of love: God’s love comes to us from the Father through his Son Jesus, and is com- municated to us in the Holy Spirit. It remains a mystery of our faith. We don’t have to understand everything With God, All Things Are Possible! about him in order to have a personal relationship with each of those three persons of the trinity. Fr. Tom Burke, Pastor [email protected] Let us reflect on this great mystery and prepare our- selves for next week as we celebrate Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ.

Welcome Back!

Father Taylor’s Reflection

I first learned of the Holy Trinity in the first grade. This was before my family’s conversion to Catholi- cism Learning to make the sign of the cross was something new and Our St. Mary Magdalene Team plans to walk on awesome. I took pride in blessing Saturday, June 13, beginning at 9:30 am at the St. myself throughout the day. Most of Mary Magdalene Social Ministries Center (723 Rebec- us were taught that the Trinity is a ca Avenue) and walk (mostly via Penn Avenue) to our mystery, something to believe in pantry at Holy Rosary Rectory, 7114 Kelly Street in without understanding it. Homewood (1.7 miles).

All are welcome to join us. (Umbrellas if it rains and Indeed, the more we try to understand God, we realize canceled if it storms). Walkers can decide if they want that he is beyond comprehension. He is, however, so to walk back to the Ministry Center or conclude the close to us in Jesus who pitched his tent among us and walk in Homewood. became one of us in everything but sin. This is a critical fundraiser for our parish pantries and The entire Lenten and Easter season affirm this. As we needed this coming fiscal year (July 2020 – June gradually and safely return to church, it is the Spirit who 2021). Please participate in whatever way you can! will support us. It is not too late to join our team or become a sponsor. These last few months have challenged both our faith Visit and donate at http:/hcf.convio.net/goto/ and our ability and desire to help one another. stmarymagdaleneteam. Or make a check out to Gr. Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and put “The Walk” We also must realize that there is much to be done in the on the memo line and send it or drop it off at the par- healing of racism which hurts all of us. The re- ish office. Or call Joyce, Team Captain, at cent events sadly remind us of this. I grew up in the 412.271.8414. time when racism was a matter of fact. Many African Thanks to all who have already registered and/or al- Americans and others felt powerless to do anything ready generously sponsored a walker or the team! about it because it was the rule of law. Sadly, I think that today’s bigotry and racism can be more harmful because instead of being a matter of law, it is a matter of the heart. And this is a big challenge we face even as a Do you have a graduate in your fami- . One of the main reasons I entered the Graduates priesthood was to help bring about this conversion. I pray ly you would like us to acknowledge in the bulletin and this was not in vain. In my heart I have to believe it was newsletter? Please send a note to the Parish Office not. We must overcome, there is no other way. or email [email protected] with the gradu- ate’s name, school and family relationship.

Cookies and Crackers are requested for our parish pantries during the month of June. Please Advisory Councils bring donations to one of the churches. If you bring donations to the Parish Office, 509 S. Dallas Avenue Parish Pastoral Council Finance Council in Point Breeze, It is preferred that donations be brought between 10 am and 5 pm Monday through Patricia Albacete Martin Albacete Friday. If not, they can be left on the front or back Linda Atkins David Aleva porch.

Lois Campbell Christopher Benec It is suggested (but not necessary at this time) that Denise Charron-Prochownik Linda Burke donations no longer be put in plastic bags but recycla- Anne Kovalan-Santoni Michael Myers ble bags which will then be used at the pantries.

Peter Lahoda Michael Polite Thank you for your continued support. Teresa Maynor Judy Prata Joan Price Bill Rawlings Janice Reed Mara Sullivan Radio Program, with Dante Romito Victor Thorpe Fr. Tom Burke as host, Eric Setzler highlights elementary and Geloria White secondary schools; col- leges; youth ministry programs; and more, and is broadcast every other Sunday morning on KDKA-AM. Pastoral Council meets Finance Council meets on the 3rd Monday on 4th Monday of the month. of the month. See the homepage of our website, for the link to pod- casts of the programs: stmarymagdalenepgh.org . A True Hero (Reprinted with permission from Robert Morris University)

Leah Lahoda took a 2-month leave from her work in Her husband, Peter, a nuclear engineer and Army vet- the ICU at UPMC Mer- eran who served two tours of duty in Iraq, supported cy Hospital to go aid Leah’s decision and gave her confidence, she says. her fellow nurses at a The two met in high school in Forest Hills. After gradu- beleaguered hospital ation they moved to Texas, where Peter was stationed in Long Island. at Fort Hood and she studied cellular biology at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Shortly after she got The decision to leave her diploma, they had their first child; a second fol- behind her three chil- lowed the next year. The family later returned to Pitts- dren and husband for burgh, where Peter took a at Westinghouse and two months in order to Leah worked in medical research at UPMC Children's lend her talents as a Hospital of Pittsburgh. After the birth of her third child, nurse at a New York she wanted to work more directly with patients, so she hospital hit hard by the enrolled in RMU’s second-degree nursing program. Covid-19 epidemic came down to one The situation has stabilized at NYU Winthrop, which question for Leah has treated and released more than 1,000 identified Lahoda, ’16. coronavirus patients, while hundreds have died. Dressed in layers of personal protective equipment, “I think the one thing that really stuck with me was Leah cares for the sickest patients. Most of them are reading multiple stories of people dying alone,” Leah not elderly, she says, but middle-aged, in their 40s and says. “I thought if I can be there with someone, if I can 50s. help one patient and give them some comfort, that’s what we’re supposed to do as humans.” Learning new equipment and protocols in such a busy unit adds to the stress, Leah says. But she also has Leah, a self-described “soccer mom” from Mt. Leba- made many new friends who are nurses that she non, and two coworker friends from the intensive care hopes to keep in touch with. Being able to comfort fam- unit at UPMC Mercy Hospital decided in April to go ilies and patients means a lot to her. where their help was needed most. That was NYU Winthrop Hospital in Nassau County on Long Island, She describes one recent example of her working day. which Gov. Andrew Cuomo had singled out as one of While caring for one patient in his 40s in critical condi- the state’s worst coronavirus hot spots. So many pa- tion and on constant dialysis, she was trying to fix an tients were being treated there that conference rooms unfamiliar machine that was acting up when the sink and even the cafeteria had to be transformed into tem- started to overflow. At that moment, the man’s daugh- porary patient wards, the number of beds doubling ter called for an update on her father’s condition. from approximately 500 to more than 1,000. “I took a few minutes to just talk to her, and even They got temporary leaves from work in order to take though I felt overwhelmed at that moment, I felt like I the eight-week assignment. The three are living in an was doing something,” Leah says. apartment in Brooklyn, 30 minutes from the hospital. It’s the first time Leah has been away from her chil- She is eagerly counting the hours for her return in dren, ages 11, 10, and 5, for more than an overnight June, and calls home several times a day to talk to Pe- shift. ter and the kids. For Mother’s Day, they made her a painting. It says they “get their super powers from their “I felt like a bad mom for leaving my kids and doing super mom.” something that’s super dangerous,” says Lahoda, “I had to go get screening tests and bloodwork done. Peter, Leah and their three children are parishioners of People would be like God bless you and I’ll pray that St. Mary Magdalene Parish. you’re okay, and I started getting more and more scared.”