48 SOUTH PEARL STREET • NORTH EAST, PENNSYLVANIA 16428 PARISH OFFICE: 136 W. MAIN ST. • NORTH EAST, PA 16428 Parish Office Phone: 814-725-9691 • Fax: 814-725-1225 Website: www.stgregoryparish.info • Email: [email protected] School Phone: 814-725-4571 • Cemetery Phone: 814-725-9691 OFFICE HOURS: Monday−Thursday: 9AM−3PM; Friday: 9AM−Noon MASS SCHEDULE August 15, 2021 Summer Saturday.................5:00 PM Sunday....7:30, 9:00 & 11 AM Weekday Mon., Tues. Wed. & Fri.: 8:00 AM Thursday....12:10 PM Our Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion following the 8:00 AM Mass on Wednesday STAFF Pastor, Rev. Thomas Brooks Permanent Deacon, Rev. Mr. Richard Winschel, Transitional Deacon, Rev. Mr. Nicholas Fratus Pastoral Minister, Cindy Riefstahl Faith Formation Leader, Jennifer Humes Administrative Assistant, Patti Prindle Director of Sacred Music, Corey Spacht School Principal Team:, Ms. Allissa Bowman, Mrs. Amy Kloss, Ms. Nancy Pierce St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, WonderWorker, inspire us to a more lively faith, hope and charity through prayer, love for God and generous service to God’s people. Amen! ST. GREGORY THAUMATURGUS CHURCH NORTH EAST, PA A Welcoming Family Of Faith Celebrating Our 146th Anniversary In The Heart Of As A Parish Family And The North East, Pennsylvania 96th Anniversary Of Our Church SACRAMENT INFORMATION PARISHIONER INFORMATION Baptism M A baptism preparation session is required of all parents We are a welcoming Family of Faith who rejoice in God’s many wishing to have their child(ren) baptized. Parents must preregister blessings! All members of the Parish receive envelopes and parish for the session. Baptisms are celebrated during Mass, following the mailings. St. Gregory Parish is a Sacrificial Giving Parish, commit- last Mass on Sunday, or by special arrangement. Please schedule by ted to serving the Lord through use of Godgiven time, talent and calling the Parish Office. treasure. Please use the membership form in the bulletin or visit the Parish Office to register. First Reconciliation/Eucharist – Children entering the 2nd & 3rd grades and who are active in the Faith Formation process (including CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD St. Gregory Parish School children) are eligible to enter the sacra- Children ages 410 are invited to participate in a special Liturgy mental preparation sessions. Sacraments are celebrated in late winter of the Word during the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass. and spring. th BULLETIN INFORMATION Confirmation – High School youth who are entering the 11 grade Groups or individuals wishing to have information published in the and who are active in the Faith Formation process or attend a Catho- bulletin are asked to submit the information in writing, by email or lic High School are eligible to enter the Confirmation preparation by phone call by Monday at 1:00 PM. program. Sessions begin in the fall and Confirmation is celebrated in the spring. RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Matrimony M Call the Parish Office at least 6 months prior to the Interested in the Catholic Faith? Desire to receive the Sacraments anticipated wedding date. Church date and arrangements should pre- you missed like Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation? The cede all other wedding plans. R.C.I.A. process is meant for you! Please call the Parish Office for more information. Anointing of the Sick M The Sacrament is available to all those who are seriously ill or advanced in age. Please call the Parish Office to PRAYER LINE request a visit by the priest. Add your request for prayer by calling Rosemary Repko at 814 6026271 Reconciliation M The sacrament is celebrated weekly on Saturday from 4:00 M 4:30 PM, or by request. There are two multiparish cel- THE DIOCESE OF ERIE ebrations during Advent and Lent. Including the office for The Protection Of Children and Youth http://www.eriercd.org/protectyouth.htm Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus Parish At A Glance... St. Gregory Parish Office St. Gregory Church and Our Mother of 48 South Pearl St. 8147259691 St. Gregory Parish School Perpetual Help Chapel 140 W. Main St. Pastor, Rev. Thomas Brooks 136 W. Main St. 8147254571 St. Gregory Cemetery 8147259691 Fax 8147254572 Permanent Deacon, Fax 8147251225 West Main St. & Brickyard Rd [email protected] 8147259691 Rev. Mr. Richard Winschel www.stgregoryparish.info www.stgregs.net [email protected] Dear Members and Friends of the St. Gregory Parish Family, This weekend, friends, we join together as Church to celebrate the rather unique combination of the Twenti- eth Sunday of Ordinary Time and the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Assump- tion hasn’t fallen on a Sunday since 2010 and won’t appear on a Sunday again until the year 2027. Certainly the way both Sunday and this Solemnity coincide provides many more people the opportunity to honor Mary in a special way on this monumental day officially established by Pope Pius XII. In 1950, the Holy Father au- thored a document titled, “Most Bountiful God,” in which he declared that “the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” With that in mind, we give thanks to God who accorded Mary this singular privilege and pray that we may one day join with her and all of those who are part of the great Communion of Saints in God’s Kingdom. One of the things that I find very interesting about the Solemnity of the Assumption is the choice of Gospels for both the Vigil Mass on Saturday and the Masses on Sunday Morning. Both are taken from the Gospel of St. Luke, and neither really focus on the idea that Mary was taken up to heaven. The Gospel reading for Sunday, friends, is a very familiar episode that we commonly refer to as “The Visita- tion.” It recalls Mary’s journey to visit her relative Elizabeth during the time when both are expectant moms. St. Luke tells us that when Elizabeth heard Mary greet her, “the infant in her womb leaped for joy.” The scrip- tural prayer that follows is often referred to as “Mary’s Prayer,” or “The Magnificat.” (Luke 1, 3956) It is an uplifting prayer of both joy and thanksgiving that has become part of the evening prayer of the Church through- out the world. The Gospel proclaimed for the Vigil Mass on Saturday evening is only two brief sentences long! A crowd has gathered around Jesus, and a woman in the crowd is inspired to cry out a reminder that Jesus’ mom must be truly “blessed” to have given birth to Him. Jesus curious reply to the woman, the entire crowd, is: “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” (Luke 11, 2728) Yes, a short but powerful message! These readings, friends, are beautiful reminders that “the Assumption” of Mary into heaven is based on her ongoing “Yes” to God throughout her entire life. That she not only agreed in a onetime affirmation to accept her role as Mother of Christ, Savior of the World, but continued to embrace that role all throughout her sinless life. Mary was “blessed” because she both gave birth to “the Word become Flesh,” and continued to proclaim the Good News throughout her entire life. In her visit to Eliza- beth, in her every interaction with others, she brought the joy of the Gospel made in- carnate through her beloved Son. Mary not only never sinned, she evangelized others through her dedicated life of love, prayer and service! And so it is, friends, that these Gospels were chosen to remind us of both Mary’s Assumption into Heaven and our own goal M to share eternal life with her forever. This truth is clearly present- ed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which states that: “The Assumption of Mary is a singular participa- tion in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians.” (CCC #966) That be- ing said, it’s important for us to remember that if we are to share eternal life with Mary, we need to do our very best to live like Mary! We need to embrace God’s word and do our best to live it each and every day! We need to try to imitate Mary as we go about our daily routines at home, at work, in school, or wherever we happen to be. It’s “in living the Good News” that we anticipate “rising up with Jesus” to share the glory of heaven! In a homily delivered on the Solemnity of the Assumption, Pope Benedict XVI reminded the participants that the day is intended to both honor the Blessed Mother as well as to seek her intercession and inspiration. “Mary,” he said, “does not merely invite our admiration and veneration, but she guides us, shows us the way of life, shows us how we can become blessed, how to find the path of happiness.” I join you in prayer that we may all do our very best to share the Good News and find the same confidence, encouragement, and joy in Jesus as Mary did. Mary, Mother of God, Mother of the Church, Assumed into Heaven M Pray for us and guide us on our pilgrim journey homeward! Fr. Tom Bill and Janet Aulenbacher are pictured with Bishop Persico at the annual “Milestone Anniver- sary” celebration held at St. Jude the Apostle Church on Sunday, August 8th. Congratulations to them and to James and Carol Fall, and Robert and Judy Macko, all celebrating 50 years of marriage! Please be cautious about parking too close to the resi- dential driveways on Pearl Street.