St. Francis de Sales Church Established in 1894 Proclaiming the Good News of our Savior Jesus Christ and celebrating 125 Years , from the little church on the hillside of Lenni. MASS SCHEDULE Sunday Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil 5:00 PM Sunday 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 AM Monday—Friday 8:30 AM Wednesday 8:30 Communion Service Saturday 8:30 AM (September through May) Holy Day Vigil 5:00 PM Holy Days 6:30 AM and 7:00 PM Confessions are Saturday at 4:30 PM and anytime by request. Refer and Reflect RECTORY 610.459.2203 OUR WEEKLY OFFERING 35 New Road, Box 97, Lenni, PA 19052 February 16th, 2020 Website—www.SFDSLenni.org Sunday Collection = $4007.00 [email protected] Reverend Alan J. Okon, Pastor Giving = $1574.00 Deacon Paul A. Quinn Sr. Betty Kirk O.S.F. 610.459.0554 Total Sunday =$5581.00 Parish Services Director Parish Improvement = $455.00 Sr. Anne Marie Stegmaier I.H.M. Thank You for your generosity! Director Religious Education 610.500.4088 Questions for the Week - March 15th, 2020 Mrs. Marie McGonigal 610.459.2203 Administrative Assistant Life: What antagonisms between people would you most like to end ? Tammy McDonald 610.459.2203 Gospel :What convinces the Samaritan woman that Jesus Communications Secretary is the Messiah ? E-mail– [email protected] Art Kahn, Business Manager 610.459.2203 Scripture readings for: Fourth Sunday of Lent CONVENT 610.459.2501 March 22nd, 2020 28 New Road, Aston, PA 19014 Education Center 1 Samuel 16:1b,6-7, 10-13a 39 New Road, Aston, PA 19014 Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 Directory of Parish Organizations Adult Choir Nancy Brown 610.358.3112 Adult Education/RCIA Sr. Anne Marie 610.500.4088 Altar Society Phil D'Orazio 610.459.0635 PREP Sr. Anne Marie 610.500.4088 Cancer Care Ministry Lydia Lill 610.358.2627 Church Environment Barbara Jones 610.566.4149 CYO Paula Bonsall 610.517.6136 Eucharistic Ministers Tracy Boyle 610.566.8453 Finance Committee Fr. Okon 610.459.2203 Ladies' Club Belle Miller 610.513.2920 Lectors Joanne Sunick 610.459.1996 Liturgy Committee Sr. Betty Kirk 610.459.0554 Pastoral Council Steve DeLozier 484.574.4425 Prayer Shawl Ministry Ann Fernandez 215.203.6697 Web Master Arlene Petragnani 610.558.0588 Welcome Committee R. DiFebo 610.459.8971 Women's Prayer Group Sr. Betty Kirk 610.459.0554 Social/Fellowship Gretchen DeLozier 484.362.3898 Page 2 - 105 St. Francis de Sales March 15th, 2020 MARCH 15th. 2020 Third Sunday of Lent THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT For our ancient religious ancestors living in a small town, SATURDAY March 14 the well was an integral part of their daily routine. It was a 8:30 AM Living & Deceased natural setting for the women of the town, whose daily chores included fetching the water for the family household Members of SFDS each morning before the heat of the day. Here they could 5:00 PM Fran Gessler chat with one another and add a little gossip. But one special day in that long ago time, around SUNDAY March 15 lunchtime, the town well was to be the place where God 7 :30 AM Hodges & Hanna was to sit down for a chat with one of his sad creatures. That Families happened to be a woman, a member of the despised Samar- 9:30 AM Ernie Menold itans, herself with a tawdry background. That last was prob- ably why she came so late to the well, so that she did not 11:30 AM Richard Ricci have to face the other women. The handsome young Jew seated there asked her for a drink, which request so shocked MONDAY March 16 her that her defenses went on high alert. This was so un- 8:30 AM Nicholas & Louise conventional. So forbidden. She naturally questioned Yocco Him. He ignored the racial issue she brought up to throw Him off track. Jesus ignored that dodge, and went on to TUESDAY March 17 offer her something He called “living water.” If she had only known that what He really meant was “divine life, revela- 8:30 AM Mr. James Kirk tion, and wisdom” a chance to be a new person! If only! But it was when Jesus brought up her checkered marital WEDNESDAY March 18 record that she was really startled and tried to change the 8:30 AM Communion Service subject and quickly concluded He was a prophet. She must have darted back to town with her conclusion because a THURSDAY March 19 little later they came to the well and openly declared that he was the “Savior of the world.” We are not told if the Apos- 8:30 AM Steven Stinson tles returning with lunch were over their initial shock at seeing Jesus conversing with a Samaritan woman in broad FRIDAY March 20 daylight to grasp what the townspeople said. 8:30 AM Henry Doohan Why this story for us in Lent? There are many possible reasons, but I thought of one derived from an extended th SATURDAY March 21 meaning of those poetic lines from Coleridge’s 19 century 8:30 AM Sam Weikel poem. Instead of literal water, we are nonetheless sur- rounded by the refreshing “water” of God’s mercy aplenty (6th Anniversary) as dispensed by His Church in the sacrament of Reconcilia- 5:00 PM Agnes Fisher tion. Call it by its former name “Penance” or its nickname “Confession”; it is the same sacramental channel of grace. It SUNDAY March 22 is the refreshment for our thirsty souls, springing from a well 7:30 AM Nicholas & Louise that never runs dry. So why are so many of us letting our Yocco souls be parched these days? It cannot be that sin is no 9:30 AM Fr. Edward O’Reily longer being committed, right? I grant you that we can be so misled by our present cul- Founding Pastor SFDS ture, dispensing as it does easy excuses for sinful behavior 1894 –1903 which only a few years ago was commonly held to be sin- Died Here on 3/22/1903 ful. Evils like abortion, homosexual acts and even so-called At age 44 “same sex marriage”, or drug use deemed 11:30 AM Helene McGowan “recreational”? Could it be that headlines about high gov- ernment officials caught lying endorses that as acceptable to God? Remember that God’s word is beyond time and the popular trends of any age, is it not? The late comedian Fred Allen once offered his take on this matter when he said: “Popular wisdom is fleeting and has the life expectancy of a small boy who is about to look into a gas tank with a lighted match.” Lenten wisdom agrees, and goes on to urge us to drink up from the water of mercy all around us in the well of the sacraments. “Reflection by, Rev. Leonard N. Peterson” Page 3 - 105 St. Francis de Sales JOIN FATHER MICHAEL CONNOLLY: LETTERS, we get letters, we get lots and lots of letters…. Between 48 AD and 62 AD, St. Paul wrote letters to the infant Christian Church. From these writings we get a picture of how the early Church operat- When? March 15, 2020 at 2:00PM ed, worshipped, and governed itself. What insights can we take away for the Where? St. Francis de Sales Church challenges we face in our times? Join Father Michael All are invited!!! Connolly, OSFS to find out Sunday, March 8 (Epistle to the Romans) and 22 (First Epistle of St. Peter) at 12:45 in the Father Walsh Center. All are welcome to either/both sessions. Letter to a Suffering Church Are you feeling hurt, angry, or demoralized about the sexual abuse crisis plaguing the Catholic Church? Our parish wants to help, and that is why we distributed a book that addresses these issues. It is titled Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis by Bishop Robert Barron. On March 29 at 12:45, we will host a meeting here with Father Michael Connolly facilitating a conversation about the issues presented. All are welcome. SFDS ALL-CLASS REUNION An All– Class Reunion is scheduled to be held on Saturday, March 28th, 2020~2PM—10:00 PM A Mass, School Tour and Celebration Dinner are Frank Burke, Jim Gusler, Chrissy Ferris scheduled to take place.. General Admission for the Bruce McManus, Greg Miller Reunion Dinner are $75.00– Appetizers, dinner, soft Kevin Duckett, Dorothy Tait, drinks, coffee, beer and wine incl. in price. Belle Miller, Joel Rivera, Josh Farrell Come One, Come All!! NOW DUE! Mary Ann Gilbert, Marilyn Kane Mass starts at 2pm, a walk down memory lane in the school and gym follows mass, a wonderful dinner Hear Our Prayer social begins at 5:00pm at Neumann University! Tick- If you wish to have a family member added to our list to be remem- ets—https://www.evenbrite.com/e/saint-francis-de- bered in prayers, for sickness or health concerns, please e-mail the sales-all-class-reunion-tickets rectory at, [email protected] Page 4 - 105 St. Francis de Sales SFDS Parish MARCH 2020 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Choir and Prayer Group are held weekly . Lenten Schedule 2020 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lenten Outreach—CRS Rice Bowl Confessions In addition to 4:30—5:00 on Saturdays: March 15th– The Donut Man, 2:00pm,Church 1. After the 7:30 AM & 9:30 Masses during Lent March 19th– Men’s Group 7:00pm, FWC 2. Saturday, April 4th, 4:00—5 :00PM.