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Easter Bulletin Week of May 12th
2002 CARDINAL’S APPEAL The Cardinal’s Appeal Helps Us Meet Our Responsibilities as an Archdiocese The Cardinal’s Appeal is in its second week, and we thank everyone who has already participated in this year’s campaign. If you haven’t sent in your pledge, we hope you will. Your support not only helps us meet the many needs of the Archdiocese today, but also to plan for the future. As the Archdiocese looks ahead to the future, it’s developing ways to make parish life more efficient through the use of technology; it’s creating a system for encouraging volunteers to help parishes; and it’s providing ongoing assistance for those most in need. VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MASS – NEXT WEEKEND! St. Patrick’s volunteers share their time and talents in many ministries and services. The hundreds of dedicated volunteers in our parish are a great blessing to our family of faith. In appreciation for their service, all parish volunteers and their families are invited to come together at the 11:00 Mass on Pentecost Sunday, May 19. There will be a reception in the parish center following the Mass. We are sending invitations for this special Mass and reception to all volunteers on our mailing lists, but we know that our database is incomplete. If you are a parish volunteer but have not received an invitation, please contact our parish office so we may update our records. ADORATION OF CHRIST IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENTAdoration of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament takes place in the lower church every Friday from noon until 7:00 p.m. Parishioners have inquired about extending the hours of Adoration on Fridays from 7:30 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. This would be a great blessing for our parish, as long as we have sufficient people to cover each hour of Adoration. If you could commit one hour of prayer to Friday Adoration, please contact Kathy Garon at our parish office. Your commitment to this prayer is a beautiful expression of your faith that Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is welcomed, loved, and adored by you. WHY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION?Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical letter, Dominicae Cenae, says, “The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship, Jesus awaits us in this Sacrament of Love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and in contemplation that is full of faith and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease”. OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL NOVENA St. Patrick Parish Family will be coming together to offer nine consecutive evenings of prayer to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Each evening, a different group from the parish will be leading the rosary and the novena prayers. Every member of our parish is invited and encouraged to take part in this novena. It will begin on Thursday evening, May 23. Each evening, there will be adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 6:30 p.m., recitation of the rosary at 7:10 p.m., an the novena prayers at 7:30 p.m. A Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. on the final evening of the novena, May 31, the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. WHAT ARE NINE-DAY NOVENAS?Nine-day novenas are periods of public or private prayer to obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or to make special petitions to God. Novenas have a special sense of intensity, spiritual urgency, and need. Novenas are traditionally associated with the image of Mary and the other disciples of Jesus immediately after Christ’s ascension. They gathered in a room in prayer, lifting up their needs to God, anticipating the coming of the Holy Spirit. After nine days of prayer, Pentecost arrived, with the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Mary and the disciples. Through the centuries, the Christian community has celebrated novenas. Novenas are associated with the great mysteries of our faith – for example, novenas around Christmas (particularly popular in the Hispanic community), novenas before certain Marian feasts, novenas to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and novenas associated with the Divine Mercy. Novenas connect us with the Communion of Saints. With the certainty that those in heaven intercede for us, we turn to the saints to assist us with our intentions. Novenas are a powerful form of prayer. We hope you will participate in our parish’s upcoming Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, beginning on May 23. PARISH PASTORAL COUNCILNext weekend, May 18-19, we will have our Parish Pastoral Council elections. The following information provides a background about our candidates. Ballots will be provided at Masses next weekend. Name: Jose Luis Lopez Residence: Lawrence Marital Status: Single Children: -- Parishioner: 2 ˝ years “I do work with the prisoners ministry community. Also, Hispanic Pro-Life Ministry founder. I would like to participate in a better way with St. Patrick Community.” Name: Michel Garrihy Residence: Lawrence Marital Status: Single Children: -- Parishioner: 3 years “I had a 28-year career with NYPD, and I am now working with Chief John Romero at the Lawrence Police Dept. I participate in the pastoral care of the homebound by bringing the Eucharist to individuals unable to attend Mass. It is important that they are not forgotten or neglected. I am a member of the Men of St. Patrick. I have always believed that it is important to support your parish. The work that St. Patrick’s does in Lawrence in youth ministry, education, and pastoral care is critical to its future. I will support the parish in whatever way I am asked.”.Name: Joseph Ratté Residence: Lawrence Marital Status: Married Children: 4 Parishioner: 18 years Name: Peggy Oliveto Residence: Lawrence Marital Status: Widowed Children: 3 Parishioner: 1 ˝ years “Relocated to Lawrence from Outer Banks of North Carolina 1 ˝ years ago, served on Parish Council three times and appointed to Diocesan Council twice. Lector, Eucharistic Minister, and involved in many ministries. Advisory Board of Hospice of Outer Banks and other civic organizations. I am totally dedicated to whatever commitments I undertake. I do not make a decision to volunteer my time without prayerful consideration. I am willing to serve as a member of the PPC. I would like to share my God-given talents in an attempt to contribute in a positive manner by attentively listening and If asked, to advise Fr.Paul. I am blessed living in Lawrence and being a member of the faith community of St. Patrick’s. Name: Pedro Guzman Residence: Lawrence Marital Status: Single Children: Parishioner: 5 years
MERIMACK VALLEY PROJECT ACTION ASSEMBLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING Our community suffers from a critical shortage of decent, affordable housing. This year, leaders from dozens of congregations, unions, and other groups that belong to the Merrimack Valley Project (MVP) have been organizing a series of public actions to address the housing crisis with local officials across the Merrimack Valley. In Lawrence, there will be a citywide housing action at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 19 at the Holy Rosary Parish Center, 34 Common Street. At the Action Assembly, MVP leaders will push our local leaders for changes in housing policy that will facilitate the construction of more affordable housing. Four specific goals will be addressed: (1) to ensure that properties acquired though the tax-taking process are targeted to low- and moderate-income families in Lawrence; (2) to create and fund a tax title department to expedite the tax-taking process and facilitate the rehabilitation of abandoned properties; (3) to ensure that the distribution of federal HOME funds for affordable housing development is in proportion to the city’s needs; and (4) to initiate a comprehensive process to revise the city’s zoning regulations to include substantial community representation. If you are interested in promoting these goals, please take part in the Action Assembly next weekend! For more information, contact MVP at 978-686-0650. Mother’s Day Weekend
For the year 2002, the American Cancer Society estimates that 4,700 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in Massachusetts alone, resulting in 900 deaths. Nationwide 39,600 women and 400 men are expected to die of breast cancer this year. Until research leads to prevention and/or a cure, early detection is the best means we have of increasing the chances of surviving breast cancer. One out of every eight women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer in her lifetime; 65 percent of women diagnosed will be 60 or older. All women need regular mammograms and clinical breast exams—our best means of early detection at this time. Screening can decrease death rates by more than half in women 55 or older, and almost by one-third in women 45-54. A recent study in Sweden, in two counties, showed that the death rate decreased by 63 percent in women 40-59 who were regularly screened. In the United States, the importance of early detection and improved treatments has led health care professionals to advocate mammography, and our death rates been lowered as a result. Early detection also means that the disease is confined to the breast requiring less invasive surgery. Most everyone knows someone, whether a relative, friend or neighbor, who has been touched by breast cancer. Mammograms are not perfect, but right now they are the best means we have for detecting breast cancer at an early stage. Because a mammogram can miss some breast cancers, it can find more tumors at earlier stages of development than any other screening test available at this time. That gives women more treatment options and a better chance for survival. It could make a difference in their lives. Our parish’s health ministry leaders hope you will join them after all weekend Masses in their efforts to promote awareness of breast cancer and the importance of early detection. YOUNG ADULT COOKOUTAll of our parish’s young adults—men and women in their 20’s & 30’s—are invited to our annual spring cookout on Friday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the rectory. If you haven’t attended a previous young adult gathering, this barbecue is for you! No advance registration is necessary, simply join us on the 24! ST. PATRICK’S NEWSNOTESOur parish’s adult education series, “What Catholics Believe”, has completed the 2001-2002 academic year. Congratulations and thanks to the many parishioners who participated in the series, which explored the first section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. “What Catholics Believe” will resume next autumn, and will be structured around the second part of the Catechism. At next Sunday’s 9:00 a.m. Mass, the families of children who recently received First Communion will lead a procession and May Crowning. We look forward to this special family event! SOMETHING FOR THE CHILDRENA Catholic Move and Craft Fair will be held at the parish center on Saturday, June 8th, from 10:00 a.m. until 12 Noon for all children in grades K-5. The animated video, BREAD FROM HEAVEN, will be shown and crafts and a snack will be provided. There is no charge for this, and we guarantee that the children will have a good time! Please call Kathy Garon to register.
MASS INTENTIONS Saturday, May 11 4:00 PM Agnes Skelly Sunday, May 12 7:00 AM Mrs. Josephine Uwaifo 9:00 AM Parishioners of St. Patrick Parish 11:00 AM Francis Brennan Monday, May 13 7:00 AM Joseph P. Atanavich Tuesday, May 14 7:00 AM Joseph McPhee Wednesday, May 15 7:00 AM M/M Joseph Chaisson & Son; M/M Frank Johnson & Family Thursday, May 16 7:00 AM Lisa St. Louis Friday, May 17 7:00 AM Theresa J. LaFleur Saturday, May 18 7:00 AM Ann Agnew & Son Francis Agnew 9:00 AM Joseph McPhee 4:00 PM Nora & Ray Barry 5:30 PM Jay Spaziano Sunday, May 19 9:00 AM Adeline Sweeney 11:00 AM Parishioners of St Patrick Parish 5:30 PM Jacob Eyssi ╬ Please remember in your prayers Carmela Cristaldi, Vivian Saade, John Lynch, and all our deceased loved ones. WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE…?The 5000 Club is a great way to support our school. Please mail $5.00 for a monthly membership, or $60 for a yearly membership to: The 5000 Club, St. Patrick Parish, 118 So Broadway, Lawrence, MA 01843. VOLUNTEER MINISTRIES AT SAINT PATRICK’SUshers – Father Paul, leader St. Patrick’s is blessed to have so many wonderful volunteers serving as Ushers. Ushers work hard to ensure the smooth flow of our parish’s liturgies by providing assistance to participants in liturgies. They assist in expressing a warm welcome to all that enter our church. They organize the offertory collection, distribute bulletins, say goodbye to people as they leave Mass, and reorder pews and missalettes after Mass. If you are interested in sharing your time and talent as an Usher, please contact Diane Jarvis, our Parish Volunteer Coordinator at 978-683-9416. |
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