MAY 2, 2021 | 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER CONTACT US 7340 Cahaba Valley Road Birmingham, AL 35242 All mail to: P.O. Box 380296 Birmingham, AL 35238 205-980-1810 | 205-980-9208 (fax) 205-538-5150 (after hours emergency) [email protected] www.stmarkrc.org OFFICE HOURS Tuesday | 8:30 am - Noon Wednesday | 8:30 am -2:30 pm PARISH STAFF Thursday | 8:30 am - Noon Pastor | Fr. Bob Sullivan Director Family & Youth Ministry, PSR MASS SCHEDULE 205-980-1810 ext 2 | [email protected] Mary Beth Crumly Deacon, RCIA, Lectors, EM | Phil Boettcher 205-980-1810 ext 5 Video Mass is available each weekend 205-541-5625 | [email protected] [email protected] on the Website. Masks are required at Deacon | David Varner Youth Ministry | Taylor Vincent all public Masses. 352-804-1924 | [email protected] 205-980-1810 ext 4 Saturday | 4:00 pm [email protected] Pastoral Associate, Adult Education Sunday | 8:00 am, 10:30 am with Sr. Madeline Contorno Assistant to Family & Youth Ministry overflow in the Parish Hall 205-980-1810 ext 3 | [email protected] Camille Lozito Wednesday | 12:00 Noon 205-980-1810 ext 6 Secretary/Bulletin | Lindsay Wright [email protected] Thursday | 9:00 am 205-980-1810 ext 1 | [email protected] Friday | 9:00 am followed by Music | Dave & Amy Hains Bookkeeper | Tana Bisch 205-985-2976 | [email protected] Rosary. Exposition on First Friday of the 205-980-1810 ext 8 | fi[email protected] Month Nursery | Barbara West Plants & Flowers Coordinator | Allison Creel 205-504-4608 | [email protected] 205-222-0211 | saintmarksfl[email protected] CONFESSION Saturday | 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Other | By appointment MARRIAGE Marriage Requirements at least six CONNECT WITH US months in advance: Contact Fr. Stay connected during COVID-19. Sullivan, 205-980-1810, ext. 2 to Facebook.com | “Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church” arrange meeting. YouTube.com | “Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church” BAPTISM Donate Online | membership.faithdirect.net/AL414 Contact the Parish Office at 205-980-1810 ext. 1 New Parishioner Registration | stmarkrc.org/registration or register in the Parish office. GETTING TO KNOW US 2 MINISTRY CONTACTS FROM THE PASTOR Altar Servers | Kristy Gray 205-919-0341 | [email protected] My Dear Parish Family, Bereavement Ministry | Darlene McCulloch 205-229-7134 | [email protected] The month of May has long been dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. While most Catholics know this, many are quite unsure of why of all Children’s Liturgy of the Word | Karen Grahn months the month of May was chosen for this special honor. 205-533-0486 | KGrahn@servisfirstbank.com According to Church scholars, the month of May was chosen to be the Finance Council | Sue McGlynn month for Our Blessed Lady because of the fact that this month is 205-769-3412 | [email protected] recognized as the season of the beginning of new life. In the Roman First Light | Ruth Cook culture, the month of May was when the winter comes to an end and 205-991-1849 | [email protected] the spring season begins, marking a new beginning and a new birth to Mother Earth. Being the Lady that brought new life to humanity by Greene County Food | Peter Bibbo giving birth to our Savior Jesus Christ, it was realized that the month of 205-441-9889 | [email protected] May suited the Blessed Virgin perfectly. Hospitality Committee | Jeanne Welsh 205-807-3968 | [email protected] Today I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the devotion to Mary under the title of “Our Lady Undoer (or Untier) of Knots.” The Knights of Columbus | Stephen Stack, Grand theology of Mary untying knots goes back to the second century – less Knight than one hundred years after the death of the Apostles. Saint Irenaeus 304-654-2383 | [email protected] of Lyons wrote “the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the Liturgy Committee | Scott Riley obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through 205-266-2882 | [email protected] unbelief, this did the Virgin Mary set free through faith.” (Adversus Haereses, 3, 22) Pastoral Council | Patti Smith 205-283-2738 | [email protected] Parish Center Rentals | JoAnne Rixey Pope Francis has been one of the chief promoters of “Our Lady Undoer 205-520-3645 | [email protected] of Knots.” When Pope Francis, then Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was studying in Germany, he was stunned by a Bavarian painting of “Holy Prayer Shawl Ministry | Linda Townsley Mary, Our Lady Undoer of Knots.” He acquired a copy of the painting 407-461-0265 | [email protected] and brought it to Argentina and promoted devotion to Mary under this Property Management | Ann Penton title. 205-903-9073 | [email protected] St. Vincent De Paul | Kate Seifert The painting, executed in the Baroque style by Johann Georg Melchior 205-991-6485 | [email protected] Schmidtner (1625-1707), shows the Blessed Virgin Mary standing on the crescent moon (the usual way of depicting Mary under her title of Scouts | Tom Elie the Immaculate Conception) surrounded by angels and with the Holy 843-345-5775 | [email protected] Spirit in the form of a dove hovering above her circle of stars as she Scouts | Chris Laney unties knots into a long strip, and at the same time rests her foot on 205-291-8526 | [email protected] the head of a "knotted" snake. The serpent represents the devil, and Stewardship Committee | Sammy Romano her treatment of him fulfills the prophecy in Genesis 3:15: "I will put 205-862-9833 | [email protected] enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Supper Club | Cathy Johnson 205-266-9685 | When we do not listen to God or follow His will a knot is created within Ushers | Kevin Camp us. These knots take away our peace and serenity. They are dangerous 205-441-1670 | [email protected] because they can grow into knots that are more and more difficult to undo. But nothing is impossible for God’s mercy! Even the most Welcome Committee | Kathy Okrongley tangled and tight knots can be loosened by His grace. May we allow 404-229-7979 | [email protected] Mary to intercede to Jesus on our behalf and undo the knots within our Women of Saint Mark | Karen Kapp lives. 205-862-2548 | [email protected] In Christ’s Love, Fr. Bob NEWS AND UPDATES 3 OUR MISSION STATEMENT PRAYER LIST We the members and families of Saint Mark the Evangelist, a Roman Catholic Joseph Amari Rob Markham Church in the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, are a Eucharistic community Jane Arrington Kathy Matuszak rooted in the Word of God responding to God’s call by: Virginia Bayless John H. Meich Glorifying God by proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ by word and deed Rose Marie Bruno Marietta Molay in our daily lives, Brian Cameron Nevin Newton Serving one another within and outside the Parish community especially those Mary Rose Cameron Viv Norris needing an advocate, Hope DeFalco Joe Plaia Penny Downes Bernice Rohling Forming the community spiritually through worship, prayer and education at all Mike Edwards Elena Sain stages of life, Tony Foster Steve Sain Including all, omitting none, with Christ-like love and understanding, Donna Francavilla Sherry Santoro Being good stewards of the gifts given to us and seeking to use them wisely, to Hiltrud Hollibaugh Myrna Scotch live as the body of Christ with Mary, the Mother of God, as our model on our George James Tom Slonneger journey of faith. Barbara Jones Michael Stamba Norman Juliano Vita Stamba Sandra Kacmarcik Sharon Varano FINANCIAL COLLECTIONS Eve Kahn Santo Vizzina Marshall Lacey John Waller FOR THE WEEKEND OF 04/18/2021 Theresa LoMonaco Jeanne Welsh Weekly Offertory …………...…………………….. $24,668 Kathy Lupenski Donna Willis Building Fund …………………...……………………..$3,330 Lisa Lupenski Holy Days ……………………………...…………………….$170 READINGS & Total Collection ……………….……..……….....$28,168 MASS INTENTIONS YEAR TO DATE Monday, May 3 Weekly Offertory……………...……….…….….. $306,199 1 Cor 15:1-8/Jn 14:6-14 Building Fund …………………...…………..…….. $234,509 Tuesday, May 4 Holy Days………………………………...……………….$10,160 Acts 14:19-28/Jn 14:27-31a Total Collection ……………….……..….….. ..$550,868 Wednesday, May 5 Budget ……………….……………...……..….. …$538,913 12:00 pm Mass † Quarterly Memorial Mass Acts 15:1-6/Jn 15:1-8 Faith Direct is an easy and convenient way to give your tithe, see the Bulletin Thursday, May 6 cover for our Faith Direct link. You can also give by dropping off your donation at 9:00 am Mass † Buddy Stith the Parish Office, mailing to our P.O. Box (see Bulletin cover), or text a dollar Acts 15:7-21/Jn 15:9-11 amount to 205-318-2640. Friday, May 7 THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED GENEROUS GIVING! 9:00 am Mass † Shirley Charles Acts 15:22-31/Jn 15:12-17 SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY Saturday, May 8 4:00 pm Mass † Frank Costanzo Many of the people who we assist in St. Vincent de Paul suffer from a Next Sunday, May 9 number of medical conditions that make it necessary for them to eat fresh foods as canned and boxed foods contain large amounts of salt and fat. 8:00 am Mass † Rose Marie Bruno Traditional food pantry items are not good choices for them. That is why 10:30 am Mass † People of the Parish Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48/1 Jn 4:7-10/Jn Vincentians often provide fresh food or grocery gift cards when we get 15:9-17 calls for groceries, so that we can provide healthy food for our neighbors.