MASS SCHEDULE WEEKEND Saturday: 5:00 p.m. (vigil) Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 (Family Mass), 10:30 a.m. & 5:00 p.m. DAILY (in Chapel) Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. & 5:15 p.m. Saturday: 7:00 a.m. HOLYDAY (in Church) Eve: 5:15 p.m. (vigil) Holyday: 7:00 a.m., 12:10 p.m., & 5:15 p.m. MASSES FOR SPECIAL GROUPS (September to June - in the Chapel) French Mass - 2nd Sunday 12:00 p.m. Italian Mass - 3rd Sunday 11:00 a.m. Spanish Mass - 4th Sunday 11:00 a.m. RECONCILIATION - Sacrament of Penance (Church Sacristy) Saturday: 3:00-4:00 p.m. or by appointment SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM (Individual or during Mass) Please call the Rectory to arrange for Baptism. Pre-Baptism Session required 3rd Saturday: 1:30 p.m. in the Rectory SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE Please call the Rectory 9-12 months before proposed wedding date to arrange for marriage preparation. ST. CATHERINE S PRAYER GROUP (Chapel) Tuesday: 8:00 p.m. Please pray for the deceased members of our parish, especially for Audrey D. Thibault and Dominick Chiappetta, Jr. ALTAR SERVER SCHEDULE February 4-5, 2017 Sat. 5:00 p.m. Andrew Nanai Alex Nanai Jordan Nanai Sun. 7:30 a.m. Emma May Cate May Sun. 9:00 a.m. Will Newman Stephanie Busani Jack Chioffi Mara Visentin Sun.10:30 a.m. Riona McKersie Peter Szymczak Julia Peldunas Sun. 5:00 p.m. Kelly Janssen Alyce Janssen Kate McCooe Finn McCooe READINGS FOR SUNDAY LITURGY can be found at number 879 in Worship Saturday, January 28 Heb 11:1-2, 8-19; Mk 4:35-41 7:00 a.m. Sbil Rodnan 5:00 p.m. All the Members of This Parish Sunday, January 29 Zep 2:3, 3:12-13; 1 Cor 1:26-31; Mt 5:1-12a 7:30 a.m. John and Veronica Smith 9:00 a.m. Marion and Thomas Dobson 10:30 a.m. Albert Greco, Sr. 5:00 p.m. Clarke Glavin Monday, January 30 Heb 11:32-40; Mk 5:1-20 7:00 a.m. Mary Carter 5:15 p.m. Katie O'Reilly Tuesday, January 31 Heb 12:1-4; Mk 5:21-43 7:00 a.m. All Souls 5:15 p.m. Martin Muellner Wednesday, February 1 Heb 12:4-7, 11-15; Mk 6:1-6 7:00 a.m. Michael Powell 5:15 p.m. Astor Spezzano Thursday, February 2 Mal 3:1-4; Heb 2:14-18; Lk 2:22-40 7:00 a.m. Lucille Tarantino 5:15 p.m. Antonio, Giulia & Giovanni Colasante Friday, February 3 Heb 13:1-8; Mk 6:14-29 7:00 a.m. Pedro and Lourdes Bravo 5:15 p.m. Thomas G. Damiano Saturday, February 4 Heb 13:15-17, 20-21; Mk 6:30-34 7:00 a.m. James H. F. Chang 5:00 p.m. Michael Lombardo Sunday, February 5 Is 58:7-10; 1 Cor 2:1-5; Mt 5:13-16 7:30 a.m. All the Members of this Parish 9:00 a.m. Fred Stefanowicz 10:30 a.m. John A. Cesario 5:00 p.m. Marcel and Anna D'Silva NEXT WEEKEND CELEBRANT SCHEDULE Saturday, February 4 Reconciliation Msgr. Alan F. Detscher 5:00 p.m. Fr. Mark D Silva Sunday, February 5 7:30 a.m. Fr. William F. Platt 9:00 a.m. Msgr. Alan F. Detscher 10:30 a.m. Msgr. Alan F. Detscher 5:00 p.m. Fr. William F. Platt
PARISH EVENTS AND NEWS CALENDAR OF EVENTS ALTAR SERVER LUNCHEON Walking with Purpose 9:30 a.m., Lucey Parish Hall Feb. 2 Feb. 4 Feb. 19 March 25 Altar Server Luncheon 1:00 p.m., Lucey Parish Hall Faith Community Nursing Presents: Peace Through Preparation Talking About End-of-Life Decisions 12:00 p.m. lunch/12:30 p.m. speaker; Gym Fairfield University Concert 8:00 p.m., Church GREENWICH CATHOLIC SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE Greenwich Catholic School will be hosting Open Houses for parents of students entering grades Pre-K through 8 on Sunday, January 29 from 12:00-1:00 p.m., and Tuesday, January 31 from 9:00-11:00 a.m., in honor of National Catholic Schools Week. For more information and to RSVP please visit gcsct.org or call the Admissions Office 203-869-4000 ext. 149. FEBRUARY 2017 FOOD COLLECTION FOR NEW COVENANT CENTER New Covenant Center operates under the programmatic umbrella of Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, Inc. It opened in 1978 as a soup kitchen to help the neediest in greater Stamford meet the most basic need for food in a dignified and respectful environment. It now operates one of the largest food pantries in the state and the largest in Stamford. Through the food pantry nearly 400 families receive enough groceries for ten days each month. Saturday, February 4 1:00 p.m. Lucey Parish Hall All Altar Servers, and their families, are invited to a special recognition luncheon. It is our way of saying thank you for your dedication to this important ministry. For food planning purposes, please RSVP to the EVITE invitation that all Altar Server families received by Tuesday, January 31. We encourage all Altar Server families to attend and hope to see you there! FAITH COMMUNITY NURSING MINISTRY Loving Hearts, Faithful Friends Jesus is the Great Consoler: And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you always. (Jn. 14:16-17) Through our faith in the infinite mercy of Jesus, Healer and Consoler, and through the gifts of the Holy Spirit who gives us wisdom and strength, we can begin to tackle some of the painful but important and inevitable questions that we will face as we care for our sick and dying loved ones. Brown Paper bags along with a list of the items that are needed can be found at the entrance of the church. Please take one and return it to the vestibule of the church on the weekend of February 4-5. The title of our second Faith Community Nursing Symposium presentation is a hopeful one: Peace Through Preparation. If you have any questions, or if you would like to help with the delivery of the bags to New Covenant Center, please contact Social Justice Committee member Betsy Parker at parkerelizabeth@sbcglobal.net. Dr. Donna Coletti is the founder and Medical Director in Palliative Care at Greenwich Hospital. She will help us navigate unfamiliar and difficult medical terminology, consider legal responsibilities, and learn about the decision-making process for both family and loved ones. Thank you for your generosity. Items Needed: Jelly Canned Fruit, 16 oz. Canned Mixed Vegetables, 16 oz. Canned Pasta (Ravioli, Spaghetti and Meat Balls) Canned Soup (Progresso and Chicken Noodle) Dry Black Beans Small Bag Bottle of Oil, 16 oz. Flour Small Bag Sugar Small Bag We will all be called to accompany a loved one on this journey at some time. And as a parish family we can offer one another, with Christ as our Center, tremendous support, comfort and Strength for the Journey. PLEASE JOIN US ON SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19TH! 12:00 noon - Light lunch in the gym 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. - Presentation *NO FEE: Sponsored by the Faith Community Nursing Ministry of St. Catherine s Church
PARISH EVENTS AND NEWS **************************************************************** Financial Report Sunday Offertory (for the last four weekends) December 24 & 25.. $20,625** December 31 & January 1, 2017.. $11,437 January 7 & 8.. $10,940** January 14 & 15.. $ 8,427 **Includes Monthly (AEG) Offertory/Annual Donations Take the Simple Way to Support your Parish! Automatic Electronic Giving (AEG) allows you to make your Sunday Offertory donations with your VISA, MasterCard or American Express Credit Card or by using electronic funds transfer (EFT). Visit St. Catherine s website (www.stcath.org) or contact the Business Office for details. **************************************************************** THANKS-IS-GIVING APPEAL 2016 PARISH GOAL: $175,000 Period of: # of Gifts Received: Nov. 1 30 2016 Dec. 1 31 2016 Jan. 1 07 2017 TOTAL 165 111 4 280 Total Received $ 56,685 $ 72,725 $ 850 $130,260 Thank you to our parish families that have made their donation to TIG! Support to the TIG Appeal makes it possible to make repairs and improvements to our aging parish facilities for expenses not covered by the operating budget. MEET THE ST. CATHERINE S PLAYERS Cyndy and Doug Pulick Cyndy and Doug Pulick became St. Catherine s parishioners in 1984 and joined the Players in 1985. They have many talents and have contributed to the Players success in so many different ways. Doug started as a sound consultant with Camelot, but found his real passion aside from an onstage role from time to time in set construction. He helps put together the director s dream and quoting when plywood and styrofoam come to life on stage his mission is fulfilled. This year Doug is in the play and constructing the sets. The Players are again fortunate to have his many talents reflected in this show. But Doug and Cyndy are a Players team. Cyndy is a fixture back stage for every production. If you look carefully, you will see her changing the props in every scene. Occasionally, she has a role in the play, too. She has a genuine stage presence although she does not like to admit it; when she takes a part on stage it is always a memorable event. Cyndy and Doug speak highly about the community the Players form during the productions. The schedule of daily rehearsals for almost two months bonds the cast and staff and allows a sharing of achievements, difficult times and many birthdays. Bringing their involvement back to being parishioners, they also note that the time they spend on the play each year becomes for them an act of devotion in the Lenten Season. The Players are blessed to have the Pulicks continued commitment to the productions. Please consider making a donation to TIG and help us reach the parish goal of $175,000. There is still time to make a donation, the appeal continues thru March. OUR LADY OF LOURDES FEAST Mass & Sacrament of the Sick Celebrating the World Day of the Sick Sponsored by the Order of Malta Saturday, February 11 St. Aloysius Parish, New Canaan Sunday, February 12 Blessed Sacrament Parish Bridgeport 2:30 Welcome -- 3:00 Mass & Sacrament of the Sick Refreshments will follow. Invite someone you know who may benefit. All who are currently ill, young or old, suffering in any way, can benefit from this beautiful sacrament of healing. The Little Mermaid premieres Friday, March 3 and runs on the weekends through March 12. Tickets go on sale next weekend. For information and to purchase tickets visit www.stcath.org or www.stcatherinesplayers.org.
PARISH EVENTS AND NEWS SOCIAL SENIORS UPCOMING TRIP FAIRFIELD COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL Join the Social Seniors for a cruise to Bermuda on Celebrity from May 14 21, 2017. This is an all inclusive trip, including transportation from St. Catherine's to the pier and back. For more information, call Carol Weigold at 203-637-9619. Fairfield College Preparatory School is proud to again present our $25,000 Tuition Raffle. The prize can be used for any K-12 schools, colleges or universities or pay back of college loans. The prize is to be paid directly to any K-12 schools, colleges or universities or the financial institution that holds your school loans. Schools must be located and accredited in the U.S. $25,000 tuition raffle - for any school LAURALTON HALL ADMISSIONS Lauralton Hall, Connecticut s first Catholic college-prep school for girls, invites you to attend Take-a-Look Tuesday on February 7, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. RSVP to 203877-2786 ext. 144. Lauralton Hall is located at 200 High Street in Milford. Only 1,000 tickets will be available at $100 per ticket. (500 tickets must be sold for the raffle to proceed. If fewer than 500 tickets are sold, the raffle will be canceled and the ticket purchasers will receive a full refund.) Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Scholarship Fund at Fairfield Prep. The drawing will be held at the Spring Event on Saturday, May 6, 2017 promptly at 10:15 p.m. in the Student Life Center, Fairfield Prep. Winning ticket holder does not need to be present to win. For more information please contact the Development Office at 203-254-4237 or development@fairfieldprep.org ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA SUPPORT CIRCLE Presents an Interactive Workshop HELPING OTHERS HELP YOU: FOCUSING YOUR JOB SEARCH NETWORKING Thursday, February 9, 2017 from 7:00 9:00 p.m. in Room 209 Successful job seekers know that the fastest way to find a new opportunity is through effective networking. And central to effective networking is helping others understand your job objective, the skills and experience that set you apart in the marketplace, and by creating and using a target company and contact list to focus your effort and gain a steady stream of networking referrals to new contacts. On February 9 professional career coach and SCSC Chairman Bob Sloane will facilitate an interactive networking workshop which will offer an opportunity for up to six attendees to present their search plan and target contacts and to thus gain feedback and suggested networking contacts from other attendees. Each selected volunteer attendee will be given 15 minutes to present his or her one-page job search plan - based on a template downloadable from the SCSC section of the parish web site. This workshop will be organized on a first come-first served basis. If you would like to be one of the six presenting attendees, please send an e-mail ASAP to our Meeting Chair Chris Brugo at cbrugo@gmail.com. Chris will then confirm back to you via e-mail if you have been given one of the six slots. Presenters are asked to please follow our template example of a one-page presentation format. To access presentation guidelines and the template: visit the parish web site www.stcath.org, link to Community Life. From there link to our St. Catherine s Support Circle section, then click on Helpful Information, and then open and download the document Guidelines for a Job Search Networking Presentation. Even if you are not participating as one of the six, you can benefit by hearing and sharing feedback on job search approaches and gain a fresh perspective relevant to your own search. Please come prepared to actively listen and share objective feedback. Whether or not you will be a selected presenter, please be sure to RSVP to Meeting Chair Chris Brugo at his above email address to reserve a space at the SCSC table. The St. Catherine s Support Circle was formed in early 2009 to support people seeking jobs in the current challenging economic environment. The group continues to encourage participation by both job seekers and those interested in providing their advice and support. The SCSC steering committee includes professionals who have experience in diverse areas including human resources, executive search, career coaching, clinical career counseling, general management, education, marketing, public relations, finance, accounting and IT. If you have similar experience, and would be interested in joining your fellow professionals on the committee, please contact SCSC Chairman Bob Sloane at rsloane@optonline.net
. What s Happening in Faith Formation Grades 1 12 Visit www.stcath.org for the full class calendar. The Religious Education Office hours are Monday Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. WEATHER RELATED CLASS CANCELATIONS With winter upon us, there may be a need to cancel Religious Education classes due to inclement weather. We will always post these cancellations with News 12. To check for class cancellations during this winter season, please visit our website www.stcath.org where you will find a link to News 12. *This is especially important for Sunday morning classes. CHURCH SEARCH "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.". Each week, an email will go out to families to let them know what to look for in our church. Religious Education families will look around the church for a different sign or symbol. When the children find the answer, they should write the answer on the paper they received in class and bring it to the next class. Catechists will mark correct answers with a star. Most stars wins! Gospel Reflection Mt 5: 1-12A Can you imagine a series of commercials telling people that the way to be truly happy is to be hungry for justice, poor in spirit, and singlehearted? Viewers might well wonder where these strange messages are coming from. These and the other happiness guidelines, or Beatitudes, come from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. He wants his disciples to walk the path of littleness, of mercy, and of forgiveness. For the Weekend of January 21-22 Question: This candle is placed by the tabernacle. Why is this candle always lit? Answer: Answer: To Indicate the presence of Christ. Catholic churches often have at least one lamp continually burning before the tabernacle. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal in the Catholic Church, for instance, states (in 316): "In accordance with traditional custom, near the tabernacle a special lamp, fueled by oil or wax, should be kept alight to indicate and honor the presence of Christ." The sanctuary lamp, is placed before the tabernacle in Roman Catholic churches as a sign that the Blessed Sacrament is reserved or kept there. It indicates the presence of Christ in the sanctuary, as well as our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Church uses the lamp to show that the light of Christ always burns in a sin-darkened world. In the Old Testament, God told Moses that a lamp filled with the pure oil should perpetually burn before the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting (Ex 27:20-21). This is the precedent for the Catholic Church's custom of burning a candle (at all times) before the tabernacle the gold container where the Eucharistic Body of Christ is reserved under lock and key. ******************************************** The Beatitudes are a great challenge and an even greater promise of reward. If we live by them, we will be happier right now, as well as in eternity. Question of the Week: Who comes to your mind as you read the Beatitudes? How might you imitate their blessedness? Family Discussion Questions for the Gospel: Jesus knew that life, perhaps especially life as a Christian, could be difficult. He knew that there were things to be sorrowing about, that people needed mercy, that conflicts and persecutions would come. In all of these situations, Jesus tells us, we are blest. And, if we are merciful, try to make peace, and try to be holy, we will be consoled and rewarded not with riches, or power, or influence but by God, by joy, by peace. Do we want this reward? Would we rather have riches or power? How can we open ourselves to God, joy, and peace? If you have any thoughts or questions about todays Gospel, or any questions about your faith, or simply to let me know you re reading these discussions, please feel free to email me at deacon.howe@stcath.org. I d love to hear from you. (*Confirmation Students Bring this to session and receive extra credit) For the Weekend of January 28-29 Question: IHS is a symbol of Jesus. It is found in our church in at least 4 places. Name two of the places where you see this symbol. Extra credit if you find 3 or 4 of them. February 5 Family Program 10 11:30 a.m. in the Lucey Parish Hall February 6 First Reconciliation (Last names A L) 7:00 p.m. in the Church 9:30 11:00 a.m. in the School Building and Church February 9 First Reconciliation (Last names M Z) 7:00 p.m. in the Church February 12-20 Winter Recess NO CLASSES. THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK One kind word can warm three winter months. February 24 Family Fun Night 6:00 p.m. in the Gym