From Father's Desk
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St. Bernadette Catholic Church May 24, 2020 350 NW California Boulevard, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986 Page 2 From Father’s Desk... Dear Friends, What an absence the followers of Jesus must have felt when the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven. MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020 What an emptiness! Not unlike us, during these 8:00 am †Floyd “Russ” Embry, requested by past two months, feeling absence, as well here, as a Fred & Linda Robrecht staff, missing seeing you in our Church, offices, and meeting rooms. And you, with the gift of online TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020 YouTube Mass, feeling keenly the absence of not 8:00 am †Dorin Antuna, requested by being able to pray in Church the Mass, and, of Stephanie Cassidy course, not being able to receive Jesus in Holy WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020 Communion. Now, gradually, all that is changing, 8:00 am Christine McTigue , with precautions and changes of course. Praise be to (Happy Birthday) requested by Ed & April Laughlin God! And, like the followers of Jesus, we are discovering that He is present, truly present, and we THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 are Church, not only in our beautiful Church, but 8:00 am †Joseph Wall, requested by also in our homes, or hospitals or Publix. Kay Planker Can’t wait to see you! FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2020 Father Victor Ulto, Pastor 8:00 am †Jean Martino, requested by son, Ric Special Note from Father Ulto… SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2020 8:00 am †Alfie Brack, requested by On Monday afternoon I received a phone Mr. & Mrs. James Linkowski call from our Diocese informing me that Father 4:00 pm In Thanksgiving for Suresh Desai Antony Lopez, O.C.D. is being transferred to a (Birthday), requested by new assignment, effective July 1. They also Suresh & Angeline Desai informed me that Father Lopez had written a letter to the Diocese in January requesting this SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2020 change. I share with you the surprise you must 7:30 am †Marcella Grindstaff, requested by be feeling, and I know you join me in thanking Bernadette’s Angels Ministry Father Lopez for sharing the gifts of Jesus’ 9:00 am †John & Ana Moulieve, requested by Priesthood with us for the past five years. We Jim & Ann Marie Burchell wish him God’s abundant blessings in the 10:45 am †Giovanni Bonica, requested by future. In the coming weeks, I will share with John & Maria Bonica you the status of his replacement. 12:15 pm For the People of the Parish Keeping the Story Alive After seeing Jesus ascending into heaven, the disciples once again gathered in the upper room. They must have been thinking, What are we supposed to do without Jesus’ leadership? There is no written record of their conversations, but we can easily imagine what they talked about. What do you remember about Jesus’ life and teachings? What do we need to hand on to people who want to know more about Him and His message? How can we do that best? I imagine they had to meet quite regularly to discuss how best to hand on the wonderful account of the life of Jesus and His teachings. We can’t let this beautiful story die! Isn’t this the purpose of our holding clergy/staff meetings, parish council meetings, diocesan synods and the like? And don’t we need to remind ourselves often that our chief purpose is to make Jesus and the Gospels known and loved by everyone? Father Martin Pable, O.F.M. Cap. The Ascension of The Lord Page 3 STEWARDSHIP & GOING BACK TO Stewardship....Live It! CHURCH... Stewardship: a way of life for our St. Bernadette Parish Family… “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 20 STEWARDSHIP & BEING CALLED... Today, we celebrate the great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, that glorious moment when Jesus, 40 days after His Resurrection, was lifted up Nquite literallyNinto heaven, as the apostles Our churches have been filled with the good watched in stunned amazement. It is recounted in news that things are restarting. Masses resume next both our First Reading from Acts, as well as the week, and that allows us the possibility of receiving Gospel passage from Matthew. the Eucharist once again. But the First Reading also tells us that the Do you miss the Eucharist? Unfortunately apostles were not permitted to simply bask in the surveys consistently show that twothirds of moment for very long. “While they were looking Catholics do not even know what it is. Consider intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two attendance at Mass at a typical parish. Certainly, men dressed in white garments stood beside them. there are present many parents who believe sincerely They said, Men of Galilee, why are you standing and are trying their best to raise their children in the there looking at the sky?” faith. They will be back immediately even with the In other words, “Don’t just stand there, do restrictions. But there are also many parents who, something!” This verse is a call to each one of us without deep roots in the faith, owing to the poor Christian stewards this very day. We have been catechesis they received, think that going to church given every grace and blessing through the Mass is a goodNbut not essentialNthing. With the and all of the sacraments, through the Word of God, exception of one hour on Sunday, their lives have the rich teachings of our faith, and even our talents become thoroughly secular: there is almost no and our material possessions. mention of God at their jobs, at their children’s schools, or in the media. And like those first apostles, we are not meant to just stand here, but to do something with these Conversion is rarely instantaneous. It takes many gifts N in love and gratitude to the One Who gave of us years, decades, even a whole lifetime to “get them to us. We are called, just as much as the first it.” The Church is simultaneously the means of apostles “to be [His] witnesses… to the ends of the redemption and the people who must be redeemed. earth,” not with our own power, but through the The people of God range from those whose lives are power of the Holy Spirit in us Ω a complete mess to those who are living saints among us. It’s up to us to take the initiative at a moment like this. As we emerge from this lockdown, which has taught us a deeper love for the Eucharist, we must provide renewed witness to make the Church not only purer, but larger M the universal instrument of salvation Christ meant her to be. Bishop David Malloy, Diocese of Rockford in Illinois Ω Financial reports for the month of May will be reported in the bulletin of Sunday, June 7, 2020. St. Bernadette Catholic Church May 24, 2020 350 NW California Boulevard, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986 Page 4 Readings for the Week PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR THE SICK: Sunday: Ascension: Acts 1:111/Ps 47:23, Larry D’Angelo Vita D’Amato 67, 89 [6]/Eph 1:1723 Frank Russo, Sr. /Mt 28:1620 7th Sunday of Easter: Acts 1:1214/Ps 27:1, 4, 78 PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR THE DECEASED: [13]/1 Pt 4:1316/Jn 17:111a Robert Salvatore William Mueller Monday: Acts 19:18/Ps 68:23ab, 45acd, Thomas LaFountain Dennis Ryan 67ab [33a]/Jn 16:2933 Tuesday: Acts 20:1727/Ps 68:1011, 2021 [33a]/Jn 17:111a Wednesday: Acts 20:2838/Ps 68:2930, 3335a, The Bread & Wine, Sanctuary 35bc36ab [33a]/Jn 17:11b19 Lamp and Altar Flowers Thursday: Acts 22:30; 23:611/Ps 16:12a and for the week of 5, 78, 910, 11 [1]/Jn 17:2026 May 24 30, 2020 Friday: Acts 25:13b21/Ps 103:12, 1112, are offered 1920ab [19a]/Jn 21:1519 Saturday: Morning: Acts 28:1620, 3031 In Memory of /Ps 11:4, 5 and 7 [cf. 7b] Ed Winters /Jn 21:2025 by Lucille A. Winters Observances for the week of May 24, 2020 Sunday: The Ascension of the Lord; 7th Sunday of Easter; World Communications Day Monday: St. Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church; St. Gregory VII, Pope; St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin; Memorial Day Tuesday: St. Philip Neri, Priest PROJECT MOTHER TERESA MINISTRY Wednesday: St. Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop Thursday: NNNN Project Mother Teresa Ministry will be collecting Friday: NNNN nonperishable food items at all Masses next Saturday: NNNN weekend, May 3031. Requested food items this month are: ©LPi Pasta & canned sauce Jelly Canned meats Cereal Canned vegetables Canned soups Peanut Butter Thank you, good stewards! Note...Mustard Seed Ministry will be receiving our gifts of food this month. That local ministry is assisting approximately 500 households per week with food. Thank you again for your gifts of nonperishable food! The Ascension of The Lord Page 5 Did you know…? HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MAY The Parish mail box is For Permanent Deacons also a lock box and can only be opened with a key. We pray that deacons, faithful for their service to the If you wish, you may drop Word and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol your offertory gift(s) into the this black for the entire Church. box by simply opening the handle and dropping your item down the hole. Notes to Father Ulto, Father Lopez, Deacons, or NEWS FROM NEIGHBORS... any staff member may also be dropped in as well.