The KC Auxiliary is collecting new and gently used maternity clothes and infant clothing newborn to 3 months for the Center for Pregnancy Choices.

A collection box will be placed in the church vestibule until February 11.

Lenten Devotional “Little Black Books” will be distributed on the this week-end, February 10 & 11. Net proceeds from the donations will go to the

Vicksburg Catholic School Tuition Assistance Fund

February 13: 7:30pm Rosary 8:00PM Business Mtg. Feb 11_ 3:00PM—Get a head start on Valentine’s Day by renewing your marriage vows with your spouse. The KC’s will host a “Renewal of Mar-riage” vows ceremony at the KC Hall today, at 3:00PM. Father O’Leary will preside. All couples in the parish are invited to renew their marriage vows. A

cake, champagne and punch reception will follow.

Feb 15 7:00 PM Marriage Enrichment Program; six week video series. The Beatitudes: A Couples Path to Greater Joy begins this week. Caring for your marriage begins with making time for each other and having fun together. Come join us at the KC Hall on Thursday, February 15 at 7:00PM. Watch a short video and then go on a date with your spouse to

celebrate Valentines.

February 16: 7:00 pm—1st Lenten Fish Fry

March 4: 9:00am—St. Mary’s Church—Corporate Communion

March 8: 6:00PM—KC Ladies Auxiliary Meeting

March 24: 11:00 am—Right to Life March to Monument in cemetery; 12

Noon—Rosary at the monument with a bus back to St. Al’s afterwards.

April 8: 11:30—1:30 pm Priest Education Spaghetti dinner

Thank you for your support of the Community food Pantry drive at Wal-Mart, with assistance from Cub Scout Pak 7, we collected 2,416 lbs. of food and $1,328.00. Substance Abuse Poster Contest Winners: Miracle Flowers, Nathalie

Sutherland and James Powell.

Keep Christ in Christmas Poster winners: Jane Matthews and Hamp-

ton Derivaux

Citizenship Essay winners: Anna Lamanilao, Rebecca Hahn, Mattie

Derivaux and Emily Hahn.

1512 Main Street, Vicksburg, MS 39183 | 601.636.0115

St. Mary’s Catholic Church Fr. Malco lm O’Leary, S .V.D , Pastor

& Deacon Rick Caldwel l

February 11, 2018

Daily Reading

February 12-17, 2018

Monday, February 12

James 1:1-11 • R/77a; Psalm 119:67, 68, 71, 72,

75, 76• Mark 8:1-13 •

Tuesday, February 13

James 1:12-18 • R/; Psalm 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19 •

Mark 8:14-21 •

Wednesday, February 14

Thursday, February 15

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 • R/40:5a; Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 & 6 •

Luke 9:22-25 •

Friday, February 16

Isaiah 58:1-9a • R/; Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19 •

Matthew 9:14-15 •

Saturday, February 17 Isaiah 58:9b-14 •

R/11ab; Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 • Luke 5:27-32 •

Mass Schedule:

Sunday—9:00 AM

Weekdays—6:30 AM

Holy days—7:00 PM

Novena—Monday 6:00 PM

Youth—Fourth Sunday

Sacraments:

Reconciliation:

Sunday 8:00—8:45 or by appointment

Infant Baptism/Marriages:

Contact the Parish Office for

further instructions

Organizations & Ministries:

Altar Servers: 601.630.0403

Liturgical Committee:

Pastoral Council:

Religious Education: 601.636.0115

Perpetual Help Sodality: 601.529.4787

Men’s Club: 601.636.4437

Pastoral Council President:

Erica Taylor Wilson

Choir Rehearsal—Wednesday- 6:00PM

Choir President: Mrs. Cynthia Sims

Bulletin Deadline:

10:00AM Friday

48 hours prior to a Holiday

Email submissions to:

ivyjan97@gmail.com,

call 601.636.2107 (Janice) or

contact Father O’Leary at

409.392.3213 or 601.636.0115

Ministry to the sick: Please

contact the Parish Office to be

placed on the list or to arrange

visits with the pastor

Center Rental: Contact

Fr. O’Leary 601.636.0115

Home Ministry: 601.638.7229

Musicians: 601.636.3976

RCIA -Contact the Parish Office

Director Religious Education:

Dr. Josephine Calloway

Webpage:

www.stmaryvicksburg.org

Rosary — Each Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

Ladies Sodality — First Sunday — following Mass

Men’s Club — First Sunday — following Mass

Pastoral Council — Second Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

Young Adults Group—- Third Sunday—following Mass

*Mrs. Rosemary Abbott* *Mr. Abron Allen Haymond * *Mrs. Mary Acholonu* *Dr. Patrick Igbokwe* *Mr. Robert Antwine* *Mrs. Veronica Igbokwe* *Mrs. Anna Hearn Barnett* *Mr. Joe A. Luster, Jr.* *Mr. Robert Bell* *Mrs. Lillie Minor* *Mr. Joseph Bingham* *Mrs. Debra Patrick* *Mrs. Mary Branciere* *Mrs. Hazel Brown* *Mr. Howard Smith* *Mr. Paul Stewart* *Mrs. Floriece Chambers* *Ms. Debra Straughter* *Mrs. Ola Mae Taylor* *Ms. Katherine Grant* *Mr. Euphytee Williams* *Mrs. Edna Harrison* *Mr. Harrison Havard* *Mr. Everett Herrington* *Mrs. Pinkye Stewart* *Mrs. Geraldine Dick-erson* * Mr. Lawrence Minor* * Mrs. Emma Lee Maxwell* *Mrs. Bonnie James* *Mr. Archie Plump* * Fr. Malcolm O’Leary* *Ms. Kymeria Cham-bers* * ** Mr. Lonnie Boykins** **Fr. Francis Damoah** **Mrs. Virginia Brown**

Small group discussions based on the book "The Mass” will take place in the church basement on each SUNDAY ONLY (EXCEPT FIRST SUNDAY) The study will resume This Sunday, JANUARY 14:

Backpack Program - Each week backpacks are given to young students who would otherwise go hungry on weekends. To offer assistance with the program you may contact Angela Jenkins, Director of Programs at 601-214-6922 or online at the following site: missis-sippipartnership@gmail.com. You can make donations of food, money or your time to help assemble the back-packs. Backpacks are stuffed each Thursday at the Unit-ed Way building. You can volunteer as an individual or as group. Your assistance is always welcomed

Please continue to pray for all the sick and shut-in members of our parish family and our personal families.

Be Charitable in Church

It seems that this situation has happened several times in our little church. Over the years of coming to church on Sundays to worship God, some people have developed the practice of sitting in a certain area of the church on a certain pew. The habit is so strong that the person feels that he or she owns that particular space in the church. The worship service will not be the same if I don’t sit in my space for mass.

This urge is so strong to sit in the same area of the same pew that if anyone gets there and sits in that space before them, they ask the per-son to move because that space is where they sit for mass. People who come to mass on Sundays know better than to sit in that space on that pew. It seems that regular members know better than to sit in that space. Asking a member of the church to move is not so bad, because it is what a lot of people do here at St. Mary’s.

The bad part of this practice happens when a visitor comes and sits in that space. The person who sits there regularly becomes very uncharita-ble and tells the visitor that they sit there every Sunday for mass. In other words that is the place where I sit for mass. So, please, get up and sit somewhere else, because I sit here every Sunday. I cannot see how any member of our little church could be so uncharitable to a visitor. It hap-pened about a month ago and the person who witnessed the incident came and reported it to me.

Let us all think a little. Our church is never so full that one has to look for a seat for service. In addition, we do not own an area of a pew in the church, so that only one particular person is allowed to sit there. All we have to do is realize that Jesus offers everyone to God regardless where you sit in church. It might be good to sit in the very first pew of the church, so that your closeness to the altar will have an effect on your worship.

Collection Totals:

February 4, 2018: $3,250.95

Thanks to everyone who generously contribute to the care of the church.

Collection Counters for February 11

Carlotta Ferguson, Ruby Hunter, Mary Franklin

Collection Counters for February 18

Chris Slaughter, Ferguson, Patricia Clyde, Edith Ezekwe

We thank you for giving your valuable time as a counter.

Please switch with someone if you are unable to serve.

Mass Schedule February 11 February 18

Lector Chris Slaughter Patricia Clyde

Ushers Carl Sims, Jr.

Benny Terrell

Darlene Jackson

Virginia Brown

Extraordinary Minister/ Eucharist

Harrison Havard Philomena Zelasko

Extraordinary Ministers

Deacon Rick

Lewis Burke

Deacon Rick

Carlotta Ferguson

Extraordinary Ministers/Choir

Harley Caldwell

Patricia Clyde

Harley Caldwell

Stephanie Stirgus

Gift Bearers Watson Family Anderson Family

Altar Servers

Vernon Maxwell

Erin Watson

Erianna Gibbs

Jessica Anderson

What will you give up for Lent?: excerpt from Pope Francis Lenten message (2015): Pope Francis has asked us to reconsid-er the heart of this activity this Lenten season. According to Francis, fasting must never become superficial. He often quotes the early Christian mystic John Chrysostom who said: “No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for oth-ers. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great.”

But this isn’t to downplay the role of sacrifice during the Len-ten season. Lent is a good time for penance and self-denial. But once again, Francis reminds us that these activities must truly enrich others: “I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt.”

February 13 Dr. Tanya Anderson

February 14 M/M John Ferguson (A)

Thelma Russell

February 15

Dorothy Pickett

Diedra Johnson

Natalie Bingham

February 17 Mark Johnson

Williams Holmes, III

February 18 Loomis C. Giles