Saint George Church January 17, 2021 OntheGreen Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 33 Whitfield Street, Guilford, CT 06437 www.stgeorgeguilford.org Email: [email protected] Parish Office: 2034532788 Fax: 2034531707 Religious Education Office: 2034533496 Parish offices located in the Fr. Sullivan Center Office Hours: MondayNThursday 9:00AM to 5:00 PM Friday 9:00AM to 1:00 PM Closed Saturdays and Sundays Mass Schedule: Saturday Vigil: 4:30 PM. Sunday: 8:00, 10:00, 11:30 AM Daily Mass: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:30 AM Confessions: Saturday 3:15 4:00 PM Monday 5:45 6:45 PM Parish Staff PreBaptism Class Fr. Stephen Sledesky x 207, Pastor Contact Cara Correll for information: 2034532788. [email protected] Bulletin Notices for the Church bulletin should be Fr. Dennis Vincenzo x 206, Parochial Vicar submitted by the Monday afternoons for inclusion in [email protected] that Sunday’s bulletin. Notices should be dropped off Sr. Kathleen Lynch x 201, Pastoral Associate or sent to the Parish Office in the Fr. Sullivan Center; [email protected] or email [email protected] Patricia Nealon x 202, Financial Manager [email protected] Homebound/Hospitalized Francine Wainer x 215, Operations Manager If you or someone you know is homebound and [email protected] would like to receive Holy Communion, or Cara Correll x204, Baptism, Family, Pre K & K hospitalized and would like a visit, please call the [email protected] Parish Office. Diane Birdsall x205, Grades 1 M 6 [email protected] Claire Nicholls x209, Grades 7 10, Peer Ministry Prayer Line To request prayers or to receive the list [email protected] via email, please contact Dede Collins at 203453 Sara Trotter x210, Administrative Assistant 2306 or [email protected] [email protected] Justine Lovelace x203, Administrative Assistant [email protected] Emily Phillips, Music Ministry Director [email protected] Margot Burkle & William White, Trustees Michael Tufano, Grand Knight, Knights of Columbus Cheryl Panzo, Principal Sr. Annette D’Antonio, MPF, Assistant Principal Saint George Mission Statement 62 Cedar Street As unique disciples of Jesus, we seek to know, to teach Branford, CT 06405 and to reflect Christ by welcoming and serving others 2034888386 through our Catholic faith. www.eastshorelinecatholicacademy.org Our Lady of Fatima Rosary is recited in the Church every Wednesday at 7:15 PM. The Divine Mercy Chaplet Masses are still being celebrated and livestreamed on our website. is recited every Tuesday immediately after the 8:30 AM Mass. SATURDAY 01/16/2021 4:30 PM Nora Roche Daughters Padre Pio Prayer Group meets in the Ruiz Center SUNDAY, 01/17/2021 M Second Sunday in Ordinary Time First Saturday of the month 8:00 AM Joseph Graziano Graziano Family after the 8:30 AM Mass. 10:00 AM Carol DeMateo Family Eucharistic Adoration Mondays from 5:45 to 6:45 PM 11:30 AM Parishioners of St. George (Confession also available) The Rosary for MONDAY, 01/18/2021 8:30 AM Valentine Family Family Healing & Protection is recited in the Church on the 4th 5:45 PM NO Eucharistic Adoration and Confessions Sunday of every month at 6:00 PM. TUESDAY, 01/19/2021 8:30 AM Dorothy Stancik Gerry & Walter Pieper WEDNESDAY, 01/20/2021 M St. Fabian & St. Sebastian Sunday: 8:30 AM Pauline Vincent Graziano Family 1 Sm 3:3b10, 19/1 Cor 6:13c20/ THURSDAY, 01/21/2021 M St. Agnes Jn 1:3542 8:30 AM Maryellen & Karen Talty Sheila & Armand Monday Heb 5:110/Mk 2:1822 FRIDAY, 01/22/2021 M Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn Tuesday 8:30 AM Heb 6:1020/Mk 2:2328 Wednesday SATURDAY 01/23/2021 M St. Vincent & St. Marianne Cope 4:30 PM Parishioners of St. George Heb 7:13, 1517/Mk 3:16 Thursday: SUNDAY, 01/24/2021 M Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Heb 7:25N8:6/Mk 3:712 8:00 AM Joseph & Apolonia Milewski Friday: 10:00 AM Eileen Fay Fishburn Fay Family Heb 8:613/Mk 3:1319 Saturday: 11:30 AM Ben Mazzucco Tammy Afragola Heb 9:23, 1114/Mk 3:2021 Next Sunday: Jon 3:15, 10/1 Cor 7:2931/ Mk 1:1420 December Parish Support Offertory M $75,703 (includes $30,590 in online giving) The Parish Office will be closed Monday, January 18 in observance of Christmas M $21,331 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday. (includes $5,101 in online giving) Matthew 25 M $9,928 Note: We will not have Eucharistic (includes $4,543 in online giving) Adoration or Confessions this Monday, January 18. Retired Religious M $2,726 Upcoming Second Collections Jan 23/24 Catholic High Schools Feb 6/7 Matthew 25 From the Pastor’s Desk… Last Wednesday, on January 6 M the Twelfth Day of Christmas and the traditional date of the Epiphany M a group of angry rioters stormed the United States Capitol as lawmakers gathered to ceremonially count and certify the Electoral votes from this past November’s election. One report of the events that caught my attention, was that a group of these rioters, identifying themselves as Christians, knelt and prayed before moving with the crowd to storm the Capitol. In other images from that day we see rioters holding a large cross, and banners with “Jesus” on them. Regardless of where we might stand in our political affiliations and opinions, there is no justification for bringing Jesus into this violent act. Although within the Gospel there are accounts where Jesus mentions division that will occur because of him, generally speaking, Jesus was an advocate for nonviolence, teaching that we must “forgive our enemies” “pray for our persecutors” and “turn the other cheek.” When he himself was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, he chastises the mob for showing up with weapons of violence, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to seize me?” (Mt. 26:55). He likewise tells his apostles to put their swords away after one of them (in some accounts, Peter) cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant: “Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword,” (Mt. 26:52). Jesus submits to those who arrest, try, and convict him on false charges, and goes to the cross like an innocent lamb led to slaughter. He shows us that nonviolence is not a form of weakness, but rather of great strength. Both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr, pick up on Jesus’ nonviolent resistance as the basis for their approaches to resisting the occupation of India by England in the case of Gandhi, and the racial oppression in this country during the Civil Rights era by MLK. Not only was this attack on the Capitol and our lawmakers deplorable from a political perspective, it is shameful that those involved would use Jesus and our Christian faith to support their actions. Such actions are not reflective of our faith and if for no other reason, should be roundly condemned for invoking Jesus’ blessing upon their violence. What our nation needs is not those who misuse our Christian faith to incite violence, but rather those who truly understand our Christian faith as a pathway to peace and justice. The peaceful transfer of power that we hear so much about these days, is reflective of Jesus’ call to peace and nonviolence. Our political system provides for nonviolent means to protest when we disagree with laws and even election outcomes. Violent riots like we witnessed last Wednesday are not necessary. May we Christians direct our prayer toward the gift of peace and reconciliation among all people of our nation, and for political leadership that encourages the values and compassion of our Christian faith. Saint of the Week St. Vincent of Saragossa, Deacon & Martyr Three deacon martyrs of the early Church are especially honored by the Church: Stephen of Palestine, Lawrence of Rome and Vincent of Spain M the earliest known Spanish martyr. Vincent served as the deacon for St. Valerius who was bishop in Saragossa. Because Valerius has a speech impediment, Deacon Vincent was his spokesperson. His fearless attitude so angered the governor that Vincent was tortured and killed at Valencia during the persecutions of Diocletian around the year 304. Prudentius, a fellow Spaniard, sings the praises of Vincent in the poem Peristephanon he composed, giving evidence that the honoring of Vincent’s heroic life had spread throughout the Roman empire. He is honored on January 22nd in the Universal Church calendar, but on January 23rd in the United States (January 22nd, the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, being a day dedicated to prayer for the restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and a day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person). Given that his name has the same root “vin” for the romance language words for wine, Vincent is honored as the patron saint of wine producers. CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL COLLECTION 2021 The Catholic High School Collection, occurring in all parishes of the Archdiocese on the weekend of January 23/24, supports the outstanding education offered at our Catholic secondary schools by providing funds for tuition assistance, technology enhancements, curricular improvements, and marketing, all of which are so critical during this ongoing pandemic. Please consider investing in the exceptional academics, solid faith formation, and spirit of service at our high schools by making a gift to this year’s Catholic High School Collection on January 23/24. Planning Your Church Giving To assist you in planning your giving we are sharing with you the ordinary collections taken up each year here at St.