Parish Information

Joining the Parish

New Parishioners are always welcome. Census forms can be found in the vestibule of the churches. Simply fill one out and drop it in the collection basket.

Planning a Baptism

The birth of a child brings joy to the family. Through Baptism, that child is joined to the family of God, which brings great joy to the church. Parents seeking Baptism are asked to contact the parish office.

Scheduling Weddings

Couples contemplating marriage are asked to contact the parish office

and set up an appointment with Fr. Ken before making any other plans for their wedding. This appointment should take place at least one year before the contemplated date.

Our Parish Intercessory Prayer

Group provides prayers for anyone

in need throughout the parish. Mary Ann Magda is the Coordinator and can be reached at 570-655-1218.

Outreach to the Homebound

Sr. Madonna SSCM, assisted by our dedicated EMOCs, provides Sacramental care to the elderly, homebound and hospitalized. If you, or someone you know, are homebound or in need of a pastoral visit, please contact Sr. Madonna.

Anointing of the Sick

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick may take place at any time, especially if one is seriously ill. Please contact the parish office to set up a time for Fr. Ken to visit.

Funeral Preparations

The loss of a loved one is a particularly difficult time for those who are bereaved. Our parish community collaborates with local funeral directors in assisting families during their time of grief.

Bequests to the Parish

Please Remember St. Andre Bessette Parish with Memorial gifts at the time of death or with a bequest in your will. Make a return to the Lord for all the good He has given you.

March 27, 2016 Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord

A Blessed Easter

Best wishes are extended to our

Parishioners and Friends for a

Joyous Easter Season. Many the

Glory of the Risen Lord enlighten your days and fill your hearts

with hope of Eternal Joy

Fr. Ken and the Administrative Staff.

Easter Thank You

It takes the cooperation and coordination of a great many people to plan, prepare and execute the many aspects of this Easter Feast. All contributions are appreciated, however great or small, in particular:

Anna Hudock and members of the Social Justice Council for their constant care of the homebound and hospitalized.

Josh Price, Michael Boris, Dennis and Anna Bozinski and all who contribute to the decoration and upkeep of our parish church during these most holy days and throughout the year.

Evangeline Muroski and the members of the choir, who worked most diligently to prepare for the solemn ceremonies of Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum.

Jim Hinkle, Fran Hlwinski, and all who maintain the church buildings and grounds.

Sr. Madonna Figura SSCM, Geri Ulichney, Patti Levan and Karen Burke, who work with the children of our parish Religious Education Program

Mary Fiske, David Alusick, Sr. Tina Hanrahan SSCM, Sandy Kuhar, Candice Berrini and Irene Seegar, who staff the office and tend to a thousand little details every day.

Our Lectors, Servers and Extraordinary Ministers of Communion who are devoted in their service to the community and the Liturgy

All of you who have come to celebrate this Easter Feast with us and who continue to support the work of the parish in so many ways.

ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILS

PARISH COMMITTEES

The Young at Heart Committee will meet on Wednesday, April 20th at 1 p.m. for a time of fellowship,

All seniors are welcome.

Loaves &

Fishes

Food for March

Tea Bags

The Liturgical Council

will meet on Tuesday,

March 29 at 7 p.m.

Discussion will focus on

the Easter Season and

beyond.

The next formation

night for new council

members will be April 6,

2016 in the POMR.

The Parish Social

Justice Council will

meet in the POMR on

April 14 at 6:00 p.m.

The Pastoral Council

will meet on Thursday,

April 21st in the Parish

Office Meeting Room.

The Finance Council will

meet on Thursday, May

19th at 6:30 p.m. All

members of the Finance

Council are asked to plan

to attend.

The NIGHT AT THE RACES committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday March 30th in the POMR. Anyone

interested in helping out is asked to attend this meeting.

SWING INTO SPRING DINNER DANCE

Saturday, April 30, 6:30—10:30 pm St. Mary’s Hall

$20.00 per person Tickets available next weekend

includes dinner and dessert with soft beverage Responsible BYOB

Must be 21 or older to attend.

The Best of the Oldies by Rockin’ Father Kloton

Year of Mercy Pilgrimages

The Women’s Spirituality Group is sponsoring a Pilgrimage to the Basilica of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Danville on

Saturday, May 14th from 10 a.m.—4 p.m. The Basilica is a designated Pilgrimage site for the Year of

Mercy. We will be leaving from St.

Andre Bessette by 9 a.m. The day includes a guided tour of the Basilica, a self-guided tour of the grounds (guide booklet included), time for group and private prayer, morning coffee and

noon meal with the Sisters. Carpooling expected unless we have enough interest to rent a bus. Fee will be determined by number participating.

The Women’s Spirituality Group is also sponsoring a pilgrimage to

the Cathedral of St. Peter on Saturday, June 4th. The Cathedral is a designated Pilgrimage Site within the diocese for the year of

Mercy. The day includes a tour of the Cathedral, a spiritual talk, opportunity for confession, and noon Mass followed by lunch. A $10 donation per person is asked

by the Cathedral. Again, carpooling is expected, unless we have enough interest to rent a bus. Additional fees will be

determined by number participating.

Call the parish office to register for either:(570-823-4988)

March 27, 2016 Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord

Celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy

St. Maria Goretti Church in Laflin will host the

10th Annual Celebration of Divine Mercy

on Sunday April 3rd. Fr. Pio Mondato

FMHJ will be principal celebrant and homilist.

Fr. Pio is a Franciscan priest living as a

missionary hermit in the Diocese of Scranton.

Itinerary for the celebration:

1:00 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation

2:00 p.m. Mass preceded by the blessing

of the image of Divine

Mercy

3:00 p.m. Exposition of the Most Blessed

Sacrament, Divine Mercy

Chaplet, Rosary, Benediction

and blessing with the relic of

St. Faustina.

All are welcome to participate in this Feast of

our Lord’s Mercy.

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

6:30 p.m. POMR

All horses must be in by Next

Sunday, April 3rd! If you need more forms they can be found in

the vestibule.

There is a $500 prize to the person who sells the most horses! It could

be you!

Sponsor a Race for $25, $50 or

$100

Admission tickets will be available next Sunday before and after all

Masses, They are also available from the parish office 570-823-

4988 or at the door.

Purchase of a horse does not

guarantee admission.

Must be 21 or older for admittance

NO ONE UNDER 21 will be allowed

in the hall.

March 27, 2016 Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord

St. Andre Bessette Parish

Night At the Races

April 9, 2016

St. Mary’s Byzantine

Social Hall Madison St. Wilkes-Barre, PA

Doors open at 6 p.m.

Sponsored by Scranton Prep Players

Friday, April 8th and 15th

at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 9th and 16th

at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 10 and 17

at 2:00 p.m.

Bellarmine Theater at Scranton Prep

1000 Wyoming Ave., Scranton.

For further information

contact Prep at 570-941-PREP

Homemade Pasta and Sausage

Dinner

St. Maria Goretti Parish

Laflin Rd., Laflin

Sunday April 10, 2016

Noon—5 p.m.

Dinner includes Salad,

Rolls/Butter,

Beverage and Dessert

$11.00

Tickets available at the door.

Take—out Noon—4 p.m.

Book and Bake Sale

Soup for the Soul

Committee

Exaltation of the

Holy Cross

Buttonwood

Thursday, April 14,

10 am-6pm

Friday, April 15,

10 am-6pm

Saturday, April 16,

10 am-4pm

Gently used books at bargain

pricing!

For information

contact

Barry at

570-200-5634

or

Sylvia at

570-825-6370

Discovering Your Feminine Genius

Nationally known author and speaker, Sue Brinkman, from EWTN’s

WOMEN OF GRACE will speak at Gate of Heaven Church, Dallas, PA on Friday, April 1st at 7:00 p.m. Registration by March 25, however walk –ins are welcomed. No admission charge Free will offering will be taken up

For more information or to register, please contact Diane at 570-675-2121 or jdmur@epix.net.

The Great FIFTY DAYS

There is a story told about a family who had a particular treasure, a family heirloom. It had been handed down through several generations. It

was a genuine antique vase and it was kept on the mantel shelf in the living room as a special object of enjoyment for all who sat in that room. One day, when the lady of the house came home, she was greeted by her daughter. The daughter said “Mom,

you know that vase you told us had been passed down through our family from generation to generation? Her

mother acknowledged that she knew exactly which vase she was talking about and then the daughter said:

“Well, Mom, this generation just dropped it!” In St. John’s Gospel, we are confronted by an odd dialogue that passes between Mary of Magdala and the Risen Christ on the morning of the

Resurrection. Jesus tells the surprised Magdalene: “Do not cling to me...Go instead to my brothers and tell them…!” As we read those words we may well

think what an awkward so and so this

Jesus is. It’s almost as if he doesn’t understand human nature! How strange for him to tell Mary not to do the very thing that would have come most naturally to her. She had watched him die; she thought she’d

lost him. Now here he is standing in front of her—ALIVE! Of course she want to hold onto him! She doesn’t want to run the risk of losing him again. I guess many of us might have

reacted in a similar way to Mary. It’s natural for us to need security and to feel safe. There are things and events

and people that we really treasure from our past, and when the future is uncertain, well, we hold on to the past for as long as we can.

But Jesus said to Mary: “Do not CLING!” What point was he seeking to make to Mary.

These words of Jesus have been interpreted in many ways over the years. Some have said the Jesus, as a

high priest who will offer the sacrifice of his own blood in the Tabernacle in heaven must remain ritually clean. So he is forbidding Mary to touch him.

But, if that is so, why does he later ask the disciples to see his hands and feet and side, to touch him and see that he is not a ghost? Some have tried to suggest that there was in fact some kind of scribal error,

because if you change just one letter in the original text, the words would read not “Do not cling to me,” but

rather, “Do not be afraid!” ...But, as always in these cases, we need to be careful that we don’t take a few words

out of context, but rather concentrate on the entire statement that Jesus makes. And if we do that, it perhaps seems more likely that Jesus is, almost playfully, telling Mary that she needn’t try to hold onto him, because he’s not going anywhere just yet.

There’s time for her to go and tell the others what has happened. She will see him again, before he eventually leaves them for good. But is there even more to be gleaned

from this strange and powerful

command of Jesus? I think perhaps there is! Mary had grown to know and love Jesus—she wanted him back — the Jesus she had known and loved. But this Jesus before her now was not the old Jesus, but a new and Risen

Lord. Jesus didn’t want her to simply hold onto the old Jesus, but to experience the Risen Christ and all that he would be able to achieve in her life from now on. It’s a bit like the story of the child who

at the breakfast table asked his father if God was everywhere. “Of course,” said his father. “Is God in this room?”

“Without doubt, son.” “On this table?” “Er, yes.” “In this empty cup?” persisted the boy! “Well, if you put it like that, yes!” said his exasperated

Dad. The boy immediately covered the cup with his hand and cried triumphantly: “I’ve got Him!” This is exactly the opposite of what the resurrection does for us. If we try

to box Jesus in, and pin him down to a particular place and time, then we will never experience the new ways in

which he wants to be with us and work in us. If we always look to our old experiences of him, then we will fail to relish the new things that he

wants to show us. I don’t believe for one minute that Jesus is telling us to forget everything that has happened to us in the past—that would be impossible anyway. But the message is a challenging one,

nonetheless. “Do Not Cling to Me” does not mean to abandon the past, but it does mean don’t be afraid to

look forward. Let the past be transformed into a glorious future. That surely is the message of the

Risen Christ. That Church that we are glad to be part of today only came into being because those first disciples, despite the uncertainties of the future, had a faith that enabled them to build the

Church that we are part of today. Jesus said “Do not cling to me… Go and Tell!” If our Easter celebration means anything to us, then I hope we will leave his building today wanting to

make a determined effort, as those

first disciples did, to build the church by going and telling the news of the Risen Jesus. True growth will be the sign of a living church. Today the Risen Christ says to us: “Do

not cling!” There are new things to do, new experiences to have, new possibilities of service. There are countless new people with whom we need to share the Gospel so that they, too, might be part of our life together here.

The Resurrection Joy that we share today came at a tremendous cost and

there is never any true growth without real pain. But today the Risen Christ reminds us of the power of God’s love, the triumph of good over evil, the

endless possibilities and opportunities that are ours. Some of us may prefer to cling! More of us, I hope, will want to grow. So, let us rejoice today that we are an Easter people, sent out like Mary Magdalene was sent to tell

others about the Risen Jesus. What wonderful news!

Do Not Cling to Me http://www.chmc.org.uk/mediafiles/servicetext/DO_NOT_CLING_TO_ME.pdf

The Pillar of Fire What is this great paschal candle that stands in our midst, that during the Fifty Days of Easter seems

always to be burning, never to go out?

It is the pillar of fire by which God led the children of Israel from slavery to freedom, through the dust desert to the land flowing with milk and honey. Behind it, we marched freed from sin from the gloom of exile back into our church’s house on Easter eve. With it, we led those chosen for the Sacraments of new life to the font of Baptism that is both tomb and womb. It is the holy sign of Christ our Light. (Thanks be to God!) On it, we traced the sign of Christ yesterday and today, the beginning and the ending, the Alpha and Omega. Into it, we pressed five jewels that are the wounds of divine hands and feet and side. For it, we sang our song of consecration

and praise: “Accept, O God, this Easter Candle. Let it shine with the lights of heaven and bravely burn forever!” From it, we take our own light, a flame divided but undimmed. All who are Baptized walk in its glow. For fifty days it shines gloriously in the Assembly of the Church. Then, held in a place of honor near the font, it is brought out and lit for every evening sacrifice of praise, for every Baptism and every funeral, every birth and every birth unto eternal life. And as the days and seasons turn, slowly this pillar

of finest wax and strongest wick is consumed, burned down, eaten up by fire, sacrificed — like Christ himself — and never truly extinguished. And so it measures our days and seasons until it is Easter again, until once more we sing in the light of a new Paschal Candle: “May the Morning Star which never

sets find this flame still burning: Christ the Morning Star, who came back from the dead and shed his peaceful light on all people.” Thanks be to God!

Water A glorious and lovely custom, the origins of the Easter bath that date back a little more than a thousand years, from the time that large numbers of eastern Europeans first accepted Christianity

and were Baptized into the faith. The custom takes many forms. It can be as sensuous as taking a warm, perfumed bath by candlelight. And it can be as silly as tossing water balloons on the unsuspecting. Water is precious to Christians. It reminds us of the rivers of Paradise, the great flood and the Red Sea. In Baptism we are led safely to freedom. Baptismal waters are like a tomb. In them we die, are buried and are raised with Christ. The waters are like a womb. In them we are reborn. Throughout Easter time, the 50 days from Easter until Pentecost, on the feast of the Baptism

of the Lord each January, and on the actual anniversary of your own celebration of the first Sacrament, remember and renew your Baptism. Ask parents and godparents what they can recollect about it. What mementoes can you find—your robe, candle, or certificate? Set a bowl brimming with water on the kitchen table. Morning and night, take some water on your fingertips and make the Sign of the Cross as a pledge of Resurrection

Incense The smell of barbeque, fresh-baked bread and evergreen arouse our noses. They also fill us with warmth and welcome. Smells enhance our worship as well. The wax of candles, the bouquet of

wine and the perfume of chrism bring delight to the Catholic faithful. But our most famous smell comes from incense. It signals the solemnity of our common prayer.

The occasions for incense range from the ordinary to the exalted. If we wanted, we could use incense every day of the year, but we generally reserve it for big occasions. In the Scriptures, incense symbolizes prayer. Psalm 141:2 says: “Let my prayer be counted as

incense before you”. Revelation 8:3-4 says: “Another angel with a golden censer came and stood at the altar; he was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that is before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hands of the angel”. Incense delights the eye as well as the nose. As smoke rises mysteriously to the heavens, it bears our prayers aloft.

Copyright © 1997 Resource Publications, Inc., 160 E Virginia St. #290, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 286-8505. Paul Turner, pastor of St. John Regis Parish in Kansas City, MO, holds a doctorate in sacramental theology from San’Anselmo University in Rome. His e-mail is PaulTu@aol.com Art by Vicki Shuck

Copyright © 2001 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1800 North Hermitage Ave., Chicago, IL 60622-1101; 1-800-933-1800. www.ltp.org.Text by Peter Mazar. Art by Vicki Shuck. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

Copyright © 1997 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1800 North Hermitage Ave., Chicago, IL 60622-1101; 1-800-933-1800. Text by David Philipart

by Gretchen Filz

Mary Magdalene has a special place among Jesus’ disciples. It was St. Mary Magdalene‘s great love for Christ that kept her standing at the foot of the Cross, weeping and grief-stricken, until her Savior died. It was her heartbreaking pain of loss that drove her to his tomb at the first light of day in order to anoint his body. As a reward for her great love and faithfulness, she is the privileged person to whom Jesus first

appeared on Easter Sunday morning; she was the very first witness of the Resurrection. It was Mary Magdalene, a woman, who went and told the twelve Apostles that Jesus had risen from the dead; for this she is called “Apostle to the Apostles.” After Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension, Mary Magdalene continued her mission as an evangelizer,

contemplative, and mystic in the heart of the Church.

According to tradition, after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, the Magdalene—a wealthy woman of some importance—boldly presented herself to the Emperor Tiberius Caesar in Rome to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ, with an egg in hand to illustrate her message. Holding the egg out to

him, she exclaimed for the first time what is now the universal Easter proclamation among Christians, “Christ is risen!” The emperor, mocking her, said that Jesus had no more risen than the egg in her hand was red. Immediately, the egg turned red as a sign from God to illustrate the truth of her message. The Emperor then heeded her complaints about Pilate condemning an innocent man to death, and had

Pilate removed from Jerusalem under imperial displeasure. Why would Mary Magdalene bring an egg to talk about Jesus

with the Roman Emperor? In another tradition, it is said that Mary Magdalene brought a

basket of white boiled eggs with her on Easter morning to the tomb of Jesus—perhaps as breakfast for herself and the others as they waited for someone to roll the stone away? When she arrived at the site of the Resurrection, finding the stone already rolled away, she also found that the eggs in her basket had turned into bright shades of color.

Perhaps this is why she brought an egg to the Emperor; did she expect that Jesus would perform a similar miracle for her egg as he had done on that first Easter morning? We do not know if these stories are true with absolute certainty, however, we do know that the tradition of handing out red eggs at Easter is one that originated among

Christians in Apostolic times. And we often find Mary Magdalene depicted in icons holding a red egg. Moreover, the story fits into the human traditions already surrounding the symbol of the egg. For many cultures, even before the time of Christianity, the

egg has been a symbol of creation, spring, and rebirth. After the resurrection of Christ, the egg took on a new meaning for Christians and became a symbol of new life breaking forth while leaving the empty tomb behind. Perhaps this became even more pronounced due the account of Mary Magdalene. Eggs were what helped people to understand a new theological truth—the resurrection of the dead, and a new

religion—Christianity—built around the first Resurrection.

In this way a symbol of Christ’s resurrection, the Easter egg then became a symbol for the rebirth of all mankind at the resurrection on the Last Day due to the merits of Jesus Christ. “Easter eggs” were shared with one another as a joyful symbol of Christian hope.

Painting Easter eggs is a beloved ancient tradition for Eastern Catholic churches as well as Orthodox. The eggs are often dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross. The Easter eggs are then blessed by the priest at the end of the Easter vigil and distributed to the faithful. Historically, Christians would also abstain from

eating eggs during a strict Lent, so Easter was the first

chance to eat eggs again after a long period of abstinence. The shell of the egg represents the sealed Tomb of Christ, and cracking the shell represents Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. In some cultures it is also common to paint wooden Easter

eggs and hand them out as gifts to friends and family. Thus the connection of eggs with Easter and the Resurrection is a historic one, and as is always the case with ancient Christian customs, an excellent way to catechize the faithful and celebrate a shared Christian culture with family and friends.

Mary Magdalene and the Easter Egg

This Week’s Finances

Expenses

March 17-22, 2016

Administration 3,370.47

Parish Assessment

-0-

School Assessment

-0-

Clergy Residence

-0-

Liturgy 1,595.04

Religious Education

619.60

Social Justice 600.00

Operation & Maintenance

4,538.18

Parish Debt -0-

Insurance -0-

Taxes 1,365.49

Diocesan Collections

-0-

TOTAL EXPENSES THIS WEEK

$12,088.78

+

General Fund Recapitulation

General Fund Previous Balance

$10,497.02

+ Income this week

6,901.25

- Expenses this week

-12,088.78

Balance Forward

$5,309.49

Income

March 20, 2016

In Church Mailed In

Loose 290.25 -0-

Sunday Offering 4,002.00 751.00

Holy Days 279.00 265.00

Initial Offering -0- 5.00

Dues 199.00 177.00

Debt Reduction 366.00 17.00

Holiday Flowers 61.00 63.00

TOTAL PARISH COLLECTION

$5,197.25 $1,278.00

Our Weekly goal for our Total Parish Collection is

$7,500.00.

This will ensure the financial stability of our parish.

Diocesan and Other Collections These are charitable collections that go directly to the

Diocese and do not impact our operating budget.

Clergy Collection 5.00 35.00

Rice Bowl 210.00 60.00

Holy Land 33.00 15.00

TOTAL DIOCESAN COLLECTIONS

$248.00 $110.00

TOTAL SUNDAY

COLLECTION $5,445.25 $1,388.00

Other Income This income is in addition to our regular income and

contributes toward the operating budget.

Candles 68.00

Perquisites -0-

Rent -0-

Miscellaneous -0-

TOTAL OTHER

INCOME 68.00

TOTAL INCOME

GENERAL FUND

THIS WEEK $6,901.25

Mass Attendance

March 17 - 23, 2016

People In-Church Collection

Average Offering

Per person

4:00 p.m. 184 2,385.25 12.96

5:30 p.m. 72 653.00 9.07

8:00 a.m. 94 1,170.00 12.45

11:00 a.m. 112 1,237.00 11.04

Total 462 5,445.25 11.79

Monthly Diocesan Bills (July 1, 2015– June 30, 2016)

Title Amount Billed Amount Paid Balance

Parish Assessment 34,730.42 34,730.42 -0-

Assessment for Schools 59,434.83 43,637.46 15,797.37

Insurance 22,720.00 17,844.48 4,875.52

Clergy Pension 6,600.00 6,600.00 -0-

Clergy Medical (BC/BS) 14,663.00 14,663.00 -0-

Post Retirement Fund 5,200.00 5,200.00 -0-

Clergy Care and Wellness Fund (In addition to the Monthly

Collection)

9,732.00 9,732.00 -0-

BALANCE 153,080.25 132,407.36 20,672.89

Votive Offerings

Offered by In Memory of

Sanctuary

Lamp Edward Walkowiak Wife, Christine

Bread and Wine

Edward Walkowiak Children

Your Gift to God

March 19-20, 2016

>$100.00 0

$100.00 3

$76-99 1

$75 1

$51-74 1

$50 6

$26-49 15

$25 14

$21-24 1

$20 49

$16-19 0

$15 22

$11-14 4

$10 112

$6-9 16

$5 70

< $5 44

Total Used 359

$32,000

$16,000

$3,200

$22,400

Parish Appeal Goal

$ 25,754.00

$12,800

$28,800

March 27, 2016 Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord

ENCYCLICAL LETTER: LAUDATO SI’ of Pope Francis

V. CIVIC AND POLITICAL LOVE

228. Care for nature is part of a lifestyle which

includes the capacity for living together and

communion. Jesus reminded us that we have God as

our common Father and that this makes us brothers

and sisters. Fraternal love can only be gratuitous; it

can never be a means of repaying others for what

they have done or will do for us. That is why it is

possible to love our enemies. This same

gratuitousness inspires us to love and accept the

wind, the sun and the clouds, even though we cannot

control them. In this sense, we can speak of a

“universal fraternity”.

229. We must regain the conviction that we need one

another, that we have a shared responsibility for

others and the world, and that being good and decent

are worth it. We have had enough of immorality and

the mockery of ethics, goodness, faith and honesty.

It is time to acknowledge that light-hearted

superficiality has done us no good. When the

foundations of social life are corroded, what ensues

are battles over conflicting interests, new forms of

violence and brutality, and obstacles to the growth of

a genuine culture of care for the environment.

230. Saint Therese of Lisieux invites us to practice

the little way of love, not to miss out on a kind word,

a smile or any small gesture which sows peace and

friendship. An integral ecology is also made up of

simple daily gestures which break with the logic of

violence, exploitation and selfishness. In the end, a

world of exacerbated consumption is at the same

time a world which mistreats life in all its forms.

231. Love, overflowing with small gestures of mutual

care, is also civic and political, and it makes itself felt

in every action that seeks to build a better world.

Love for society and commitment to the common

good are outstanding expressions of a charity which

affects not only relationships between individuals but

also “macro-relationships, social, economic and

political ones”.[156] That is why the Church set

before the world the ideal of a “civilization of love”.

[157] Social love is the key to authentic

development: “In order to make society more

human, more worthy of the human person, love in

social life – political, economic and cultural – must be

given renewed value, becoming the constant and

highest norm for all activity”.[158] In this framework,

along with the importance of little everyday gestures,

social love moves us to devise larger strategies to

halt environmental degradation and to encourage a

“culture of care” which permeates all of society.

When we feel that God is calling us to intervene with

others in these social dynamics, we should realize

that this too is part of our spirituality, which is an

exercise of charity and, as such, matures and

sanctifies us.

232. Not everyone is called to engage directly in

political life. Society is also enriched by a countless

array of organizations which work to promote the

common good and to defend the environment,

whether natural or urban. Some, for example, show

concern for a public place (a building, a fountain, an

abandoned monument, a landscape, a square), and

strive to protect, restore, improve or beautify it as

something belonging to everyone. Around these

community actions, relationships develop or are

recovered and a new social fabric emerges. Thus, a

community can break out of the indifference induced

by consumerism. These actions cultivate a shared

identity, with a story which can be remembered and

handed on. In this way, the world, and the quality of

life of the poorest, are cared for, with a sense of

solidarity which is at the same time aware that we

live in a common home which God has entrusted to

us. These community actions, when they express self

-giving love, can also become intense spiritual

experiences. [156] BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009) 2: AAS 101 (2009), 642. [157] PAUL VI, Message for the 1977 World Day of Peace: AAS 68 (1976), 709. [158] PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 582.

March 27, 2016 Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord

“Miss no single opportunity

of making some small

sacrifice, here by

a smiling look, there by

a kindly word; always doing

the smallest right and doing it all for love.” -Therese de Lisieux

Liturgical Ministries April 2-3, 2016 Second Sunday of Easter

Servers Lectors EMOC

4:00 pm Maggie Benish Tina Evans Maggie Benish

5:30 pm Michael Boris Pat Baran Rosemary Shedlock

8:00 am Nicholas Kreidler Mary Ann Slavinski John Benz

11:00 am Brian Clark Ray Fedor Brian Clark

The Paschal Octave March 28—April 3, 2016 Day and Date Time Intention Offered by Events of the Week

Monday, March 28 MONDAY OF THE PASCHAL OCTAVE

No Morning Mass Scheduled

Tuesday, March 29 TUESDAY OF THE PASCHAL OCTAVE

8:00 am Ann Marie Brennan Woloski Family

Wednesday, March 30 WEDNESDAY OF THE PASCHAL OCTAVE

8:00 am Marie Lendacky Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Mamola Liturgical Council 6:30 pm

Thursday, March 31 THURSDAY OF THE PASCHAL OCTAVE

8:00 am Tomascik Family Estate of Margaret

Tomascik

Noon—5 pm Eucharistic Adoration

5 pm Vespers

Friday, April 1 FRIDAY OF THE PASCHAL OCTAVE First Friday

8:00 am James Levan Joseph Sincavage FIRST FRIDAY

8 am Mass

6 pm Confessions

6:30 pm Devotions 7:00 pm Mass 7:00 pm Men of the Sacred Heart MOTSH

Saturday, April 2 SATURDAY OF THE PASCHAL OCTAVE

No Morning Mass Scheduled

3 pm Confessions

Second Sunday of Easter—Feast of Divine Mercy

Vigil 1 Saturday

4 pm Chester Budzyn Wife Rose Budzyn

8 am Mass

9:30—11 am Religious Ed

11 am Mass

Noon RCIA

1 pm Divine Mercy Celebration

St. Maria Goretti Chruch

Laflin, PA

Vigil 2 Saturday

5:30 pm John Lynch Sr. Wife & Children

Sunday Sunday 8 am

Living & Deceased Members of the Sophie & Andrew Chupka Family

Mary & Theresa Chupka

Sunday Sunday

11 am Parishioners Pastor

AGNUS DAY by Pastor James Weitzstein

is our

Song!

We are an

Easter People