Welcome to Sts. Gregory & Barnabas Parish United In Christ Nਁਔਉਖਉਔਙ ਏਆ Sਔ. Jਏਈ਎ Tਈਅ Bਁਐਔਉਓਔ Jਕ਎ਅ 24, 2018 Pastor MISSION STATEMENT Rev. Robert L. Ruston As Catholic Christians, we will live to serve God and each other. And do His will as one family united in Faith. We will teach, serve, and be an example to the youth of the parish that they will come to a full understanding of Christ and His plan for their lives. We will nurture the gifts and talents of all parish members and use them wisely for the glory of God. We will compassionately implement the Spiritual and Corporal works of Mercy for those in our Parish, Diocese and throughout the world. Through the Daily Mass: celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we affirm our Communion with (See inside for locations) Christ and each other. All are welcome. 8:00AM Monday Tuesday Wednesday Friday 6:30PM Thursday Weekend Liturgy: Saturday: 4:00PM (Daisytown) Sunday: 8:00AM (Bon Air) 10:00AM (Daisytown) When the me arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah aer 120 Boltz Street his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” 408 Luzon Avenue ‐ Lk 1:57, 59‐60 Johnstown, PA 15902 Phone: 814-536-6818 Reconciliation: Saturday: Noon—12:30PM (Daisytown) EMAIL: Saturday: 3:15—3:45PM (Daisytown) [email protected] Sacrament of Baptism: Parents are to be examples to their children by being regis- tered, active members of the Parish. Please call the rectory office to make arrangements. Office Hours: Monday - Friday Sacrament of Marriage: Couples planning to marry are to make arrangements at least 8:00AM - 2:00PM nine months prior to their wedding date. Diocesan Guidelines regarding Marriage Prep- aration must be followed. The Catholic party/parties is/are to be registered, active members in the parish. Anointing of the Sick: Please call the church office if you have a family member or Visit us on the WEB! friend in the hospital who would like to receive the Sacraments. The homebound and www.ssgregbar.org parishioners in nursing homes should also receive the Sacrament of the Sick and Holy Communion. Join us on Facebook! Parish Membership: New members are always welcome! If you are moving into, within, or out of the Parish, please call the Rectory Office and let us know. http://www.facebook.com/ groups/SSGregoryBarnabas/ Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA): All who would like more information about membership in the Roman Catholic Church are invited to call the Church Office. Welcome to Sts. Gregory & Barnabas Parish June 24, 2018 Family members are asked to present Offertory Gifts WEEKLY SCHEDULE MASS SCHEDULE (Mass Stipend $10) at weekend masses being offered for their loved ones. Sunday, June 24th M (SG) 8:00AM Agnes Neisner by Mr. & Mrs. Bob Sweeney Nativity of St. John the Baptist T (SB) 8:00AM Michael Kohan–Anniversary by Family W (SG) 8:00AM Vera “Sis” Partsch by Ron & Patty Schellhammer Wednesday, Fr. Bob’s Day off T (SG) 6:30PM Louis Kopler by Mike & Barb Bozic F (SB) 8:00AM Leona Flowers–Anniv. By Stephanie, Kathy & Donna Kowalczyk Next Sunday, July 1st 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time S (SG) 4:00PM David Schmadel by Linda & Deb Moschgat S (SB) 8:00AM For The People PETERS PENCE (SG) 10:00AM Tom Gaidosh–Birthday by Pam & Bill Moot Next week, we will take the Pe- Liturgical Reflection… ter’s Pence Collection, which The name John means “the Lord has been generous”. Indeed God had been abun- provides Pope Francis with the dantly generous to Elizabeth and Zechariah, elderly parents who had lost hope in funds he needs to carry out his conceiving a child in their old age. God had certainly favored them. And the child charitable works around the grew and became strong in spirit. The greatest prophet who would announce Jesus world. The proceeds benefit our as the Lamb of God! At each Mass we hear the Baptist proclaim, “Behold the brothers and sisters on the mar- Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.” We celebrate gins of society, including vic- the generosity of God towards us. Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, Liturgy Office tims of war, oppression, and dis- WHY DO WE DO THAT? asters. Please be generous. For CATHOLIC TRADITIONS EXPLAINED more information, visit www.usccb.org/peters-pence. Question: June 24 celebrates the feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. How was that date cho- sen and why? Answer: The date set for John the Baptist’s birth only came into existence once the date to celebrate Jesus’ birth was set. Evidence shows that by the middle of the fourth century Christians were celebrating the birth of Jesus around December 25. No one at that time knew when Jesus was born, but the date seemed to be selected to counter the Roman festival to the sun god. Once December 25 had been selected for the birth of Jesus, a number of other dates could be set, using the biblical evidence at hand. When the angel appeared to Mary and she conceived, her cousin, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, was in her sixth month. If Jesus was born on December 25, then he had to be conceived nine months before, on March 25. If Eliz- abeth was then in her sixth month, then John the Baptist was due three months later on June A LOOK AT WHATS AHEAD 25. Then why June 24? A rather convincing reason stems from John’s witness in John’s Gospel. 6/14‐6/20 Office Closed—Vacaon There John the Baptist says that Jesus must increase and he, John, must decrease. The other 6/19 In Stches 6:30PM/RB Gospels also have John point to Jesus and not himself as the chosen one of God. In making 6/21 Summer Begins! John’s birth a day less than Jesus’ full nine months, the Christian community communicated 7/4 Independence Day—4th of July this Gospel reality in its liturgical calendar. Thus the Christian community continued to high- light John’s mission and ministry. Maybe we could strive toward that same mission in our own lives. Members of Purgatorial Society Oct. 2017‐Sept. 2018 Jan. 2018‐Dec. 2018 Mar. 2018 ‐ Feb. 2019 Charlotte Costlow John & Albina Sweltz Joey Vogel Norman Costlow Edward & Sophie Utnik Isabel Vogel Mary Torok James Utnik William & Dorothy Milavec Frank Torok Dorothy Mesaros Jamey Petrick Anna Elka Apr. 2018 ‐ Mar. 2019 Carole E. Vogel Aug. 2017 ‐ July 2018 Sept. 2017‐Aug. 2018 Teri Rosenbaum James Fisher May 2018 ‐ April 2019 Dorothy O'Leary Andrew & Margie Martinec Jack & Dorothy Heller Joseph Kralik FROM THE DESK OF FATHER BOB HOSPITALIZED Once again as a Church we have entered a liturgical season called “Ordinary Time” Kay Kormanik which perhaps brings to our mind words like “boring” or “dull”. The liturgical color of green, however, reminds us this is a season of growth in our call to discipleship. We PLEASE, if you have a loved one ad- do celebrate this weekend the birth of John the Baptist which is a reminder that our mitted to the hospital or nursing home families can be powerful indicators of the paths we will eventually take in this life. contact the office. The hospital may Those who teach for a living often have children in the teaching profession. The same take your church information, but we is true of police officers and firefighters, for our family environment often shapes who are not always notified. Fr. Bob likes we are and who we will become. to get to the hospital in a timely man- ner, but cannot if he doesn’t know. Thanks for your help. In the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist that we celebrate this weekend, the evangelist Luke tells us about the familial relationship between Elizabeth and Mary, making Jesus and John the Baptist cousins. Both were charismatic preachers, attract- PRAYER CHAIN ing crowds, challenging the religious and political leaders of their time and place, and Do you know someone who needs pray- both ultimately paying the price for their words and actions. It has also been stated that ers? Please contact Debbie Washington at the family is the “domestic church”. It is there that children first learn the faith, what is 536-3616 or [email protected] to important and what should be a priority in their journey of life. How a family acts in- place a name on the parish Prayer Chain! dicates their priorities, and unfortunately in our time and place, Church, God, and Dis- Boxes for requests are also located in the cipleship are not part of the agenda of their lives. vestibules of our worship sites. Because St. John is considered the great bearer of the news that the promised “light of PRAYERFUL REMEMBRANCE FOR the ages” has come into this world, we are reminded on this feast that we are the ALL SERVING IN THE MILITARY “bearers of that Light” in our time and place in history. How bold are we in proclaim- ing the “good news” of our salvation outside the confines of our places of worship? Ryan Wood, Army; CDR. Nathan S. Faith does not demand that we put our doubts aside but offers us a lens through which Brezovic, US Navy; Fr. Frantisek Hal- to see the small, hidden ways God still acts in our midst and how God often works ka, Army; Major David Dietz, Army; through each of us, despite our doubts and inability to readily see and understand.