St. Matthew Parish 19 Dora Lane, Limerick, Maine 04048-3527

Tel. 207-793-2244 Website: www.stmatthewlimerick.org

Email: StMatthew@portlanddiocese.org Diocese of Portland Diocesan website: www.portlanddiocese.org

We welcome you to the Catholic Community of St. Matthew and the celebration of the Eucharist.

ST. MATTHEW PARISH STAFF:

V. Rev. Wilfred Labbe, Pastor

V. Rev. Jack Dickinson, Parochial Vicar

Deacon Paul Lissandrello, Pastoral Associate

Heather Silva, Administrative Assistant

Deacon Paul Lissandrello, P.C.L.

Deacon Paul Lissandrello Altar Server Coord.

Gail Libby, Music Director, 207-423-5998

FINANCE COMMISSION:

Kevin LaFreniere

Theressa Harrigan

LaurieJane Kelley

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS:

Jon DiCentes, Grand Knight, 247-8875

BIRTHPLACE HELPLINE:

Abortion Alternatives/Project Rachel,

1-800-227-3002

WEEKEND MASSES:

Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

Sunday at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m.

WEEKDAY MASSES:

8:00 a.m. - Monday Prayer Service

8:00 a.m. - Tuesday*, Thursday*, Friday*

7:30 a.m. - Wednesday* *Check weekly bulletin for possible time changes.

BAPTISMS: Parents who want to have their child(ren) baptized are

asked to please call the parish office (793-2244).

WEDDINGS: Anyone planning to get married must call the parish

office at least SIX MONTHS PRIOR to the proposed wedding date.

CONFESSIONS: Saturday at 3:00 p.m., AND ANYTIME BY APPOINTMENT.

NEW PARISHIONERS: Welcome to St. Matthew Parish. Please fill out the Par-

ish Membership Form below and drop it in the collec-tion basket or mail to the parish office.

DOMESTIC ABUSE HOTLINE: 324-1802 or 1-800-239-7298

PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN: www.portlanddiocese.org/protecting-gods-children

We joyfully welcome back to the Church any of our brothers and sisters who may have been away. PARISH MEMBERSHIP: Name ______________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________ City _______________________________________________ Zip Code ___________________________________________ Phone No.___________________________________________ Email Address________________________________________ Check _____New Registration _____Updating Info. _____Change of Address _____Moving out of Parish

MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEKEND

Saturday 4:00 p.m. Joe Estrella by The Estrella Family

Sunday 8:00 a.m. Sylvia C. Cloutier By Deacon Paul & Pat Lissandrello

10:30 a.m. Debbie Castle by Brenda Santerre Schnieder

MASSES FOR THE WEEK

Monday Miraculous Medal Novena & 8:00 a.m. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

Tuesday 8:00 a.m. Rev. A. Levasseur by Constance Cote

Wednesday 7:30 a.m. Rev. Felix Martin by Constance Cote

Thursday 8:00 a.m. Honor of St. Joseph by Constance Cote

Friday 8:00 a.m. St. Anthony Prayers Answered by Constance Cote

MASS INTENTIONS NEXT WEEKEND (Feb 15 & 16)

Saturday 4:00 p.m. Eugene Lissandrello By Deacon Paul & Pat Lissandrello

Sunday 8:00 a.m. Intentions of the Parishioners

10:30 a.m. Theresa Soucy by Brenda Santerre Schnieder

Readings for the Week of February 16, 2020

Sunday: Sir 15:15-20/Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 [1b]/1 Cor 2:6-10/Mt 5:17-37 or 5:20-22a, 27- 28, 33-34a, 37 Monday: Jas 1:1-11/Ps 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76 [77a]/ Mk 8:11-13 Tuesday: Jas 1:12-18/Ps 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19 [12a]/ Mk 8:14-21 Wednesday: Jas 1:19-27/Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5 [1b]/Mk 8:22- 26 Thursday: Jas 2:1-9/Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 [7a]/Mk 8:27-33 Friday: Jas 2:14-24, 26/Ps 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 [cf. 1b]/Mk 8:34—9:1 Saturday: 1 Pt 5:1-4/Ps 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6 [1]/Mt 16:13-19 Next Sunday: Lv 19:1-2, 17-18/Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13 [8a]/1 Cor 3:16-23/Mt 5:38-48

Would you like to have the Sanctuary Lamp burn in the church for your loved one? There is a list in the Narthex you can sign up for the weeks you want.

Donations of $10 for 7 Days and $20 for 14 Days.

Sanctuary Lamp burning:

February 3rd — February 16th —Kenneth Gagne February 17th — February 23rd — Louis J. Caisse

St. Matthew Church Limerick

TODAY IS THE SIXTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME. THE READ-INGS BEGIN ON PAGE 58 OF THE MISSALETTE. Pastor’s Pondering

Thy will be done… Four words that can make all the difference in our lives. Four words which we say every time we pray The Lords Prayer. Words which we probably do not give much thought but words that offer us more freedom and peace than we have ever known. This simple prayer acknowledges that there is indeed someone who knows more than us, who has the wide view of time and space, whose default desire is for our wellbeing. Four words that make a difference in our lives, but as usual, are easier said than done. Doing the will of God requires a threefold commitment. First, we must know what the will of God is. Then once we know what God wants us to do, we must want to do it. Lastly, we must do what it is that God wants us to do. Again, all this sounds so simple but, simple or not we have a tough time making this com-mitement. How often do we pray, say all that we need to say, end with a great Amen and then move on to the next thing? We often for-get that prayer is meant to be a conversation. A conversation is talking but it is also listening. Listening to the tiny voice of God, listening during the cacophony that is our norm, listening for God to reveal his plan for us. Perhaps God is revealing his will to us through another person, through a situation, through a miracle. Perhaps we miss these because there is so much competition for our attention. So, the first step in doing the will of God is listening and paying attention. It requires some quiet time, some time of reflec-tion and meditation, some time of quiet uninterrupted conversa-tion with God. For those seeking the will of God, for those seek-ing to be holy, this is not a luxury but is instead a necessity. Even after we have discovered what it is that God wants us to do, what God’s will is, we may have our own plans. We may think we know better; we may just want to do something else. Very rarely does God’s will for us involve what is easy or what is comfortable. Instead what God will ask of us will most likely involve sacrifice. We will have to give up something we enjoy, we may have to avoid people we enjoy, we may have to change our lives completely. God’s desire for us is to be extraordinary means we will often need to swim against the tide of popular opinion. In short in will be difficult to do what God asks. Having had a conversation with God to discover what he wants us to do, our next conversation may very well be an expla-nation of why we would rather do something else. We will need to once again have an honest conversation with God so that we can come to know why it is good for us to do what God asks. The more we know about God’s desire for our wellbeing, the more we know the length and breadth and depth of God’s love for us the more we will want to do what God asks. When God is our trusted confidant and friend, we are not afraid to say yes to God’s will. Finally, and this seems obvious, once we know the will of God, once we have committed ourselves to doing the will of God, we need to do it. By this point we should be disposed to doing what it is that God asks of us. But this is not always the case. Go-ing against the culture, having to stand for truth when others are spouting opinion, being humble, generous, patient, merciful, and loving in a culture that at times is barely civil is going to be diffi-cult. Perhaps this is why Jesus often started his teaching with the words, be not afraid. He knew that if we spoke to God on a regu-lar basis, if we discerned that what God is asking is what makes us holy and happy, if we joyfully and generously do what God is asking then we have nothing to fear and much to gain.

~Fr. Bill

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Parishioners of Shapleigh & Newfield will host a Baked Bean Supper on Sat. February 15 from 4:30-6:00PM in the parish hall. MENU: Baked Beans, Ham, Hot Dogs, Coleslaw, American Chop Suey, Assorted Casseroles,

Bread, Beverage & Desert. Price: Adults $8.00 - Children 6-12 $3.00 - Children 5 and Under - free. If you live in one of these towns and don’t receive a call asking you to bake or donate, we ask that you please do so anyway. Everyone Welcome!

Welcoming (Meet & Greet) Breakfast - The Welcoming Committee is again sponsoring a Welcoming Breakfast on Sunday, February 16th between the Masses (8:45 – 10:15 A.M.) in the Parish Hall. Come and enjoy a light breakfast of coffee, doughnuts, muffins and coffee cake and the opportunity to socialize with your fellow parishioners. There will also be representatives of the various parish organizations to tell us how they serve our parish. Members of the Welcoming Committee will be distributing invitations to the breakfast at all the Masses the week-end of February 8 & 9.

OFFICE CLOSE: The office will be closed on February 17th in observance of Presidents’ Day.

The Armed Forces Outreach Group is having a bake sale the week-end of February 22and 23. Proceeds from the sale will go toward purchasing Easter plants to be given to residents of the Maine Veterans’ Home in Scarborough. Please support our bake sale by baking for us and by purchasing baked goods at the Mass you attend that week-end.

Come journey through Lent with the women of WINGS and discover what is waiting for you in the Sacred Silence. Phyllis Zagano will guide us with her book,

“Sacred Silence, Daily Meditations for Lent” We are very pleased to announce that for the first time there

will be two sessions of WINGS! Each will meet for six weeks in the church hall;

Tuesday nights from 7-9 pm starting February 25th, Thursday mornings from 9-11 am starting February 27th

Sign-up Saturday or Sunday February 8th & 9th after all masses. You can secure a book on your own (new books are $10 on Amazon which also has many used options) or you can join the group book order during registration. WINGS, Women in God’s Spirit, is a faith enrichment group for women of all ages who want to grow in their relationship with God. Meetings consist of prayer, song, scripture, and faith sharing. For additional information contact either

Diane Gilbert 207-727-7077 dianegilbert46@yahoo.com, or Debbie Wentworth 978-618-1636 wentworth80@verizon.net;

It’s that time of year… Gather your palms and bring them back to church so that we can burn them for Ash Wednesday. There will be collection containers at the entrances of the church. Please bring the palms loose not in bags or bound. This make it much easier to burn and prepare for our foreheads.

60/40 WINNERS FOR FEBRUARY:

$ 50.00 Normand Turgeon, Limington $ 25.00 Vincent Letourneau, Waterville $ 25.00 Claire Brunelle, Biddeford $ 25.00 Linda Dumont, E. Waterboro $ 25.00 Jack Stadtman, N. Billerica, MA

ANNUAL YOUTH BASKETBALL HOOP COMPETITION Hosted by the Sanford Knights of Columbus, Sunday, February 23rd, St Ignatius Gym 25 Riverside Av. Sanford. Registrations start at

noon / competition starts at 1:00 pm. Open to all boys and girls ages 9 - 14 (as of January 1, 2020) Participants are required to furnish proof of age and written parental or guardian consent. There is no charge. Following the competition, awards will be presented to top scorer in each boy and girl age category. Pizza and snacks will be served. All family members, relatives and friends are invited to cheer on your favorite participant. FMI contact Bob Rizzo at either 432-4812 or rmrizzo23@gmail.com

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH FOOD PANTRY

THE PANTRY SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS:

***PLEASE NOTE OUR PANTRY IS IN GREAT NEED OF DONATIONS RIGHT NOW.***

1st Monday of the month: 6-7pm EVERY Tuesday 10am-12pm

**Serving residents of Limerick, Newfield, Parsonsfield or parishioners.

St. Matthew Food Pantry is always in need of a few items they have a hard time purchasing from Good Shepherd. Would you be willing to donate these items? A collection container can be found in the Narthex under the tables.

Pasta* Hamburger Helper* Condiments* Canned Meat Spaghetti Sauce* Chef Boyardee* Cranberry Sauce Jelly & Jams* Soups* Stuffing Cereal Oatmeal* Canned Veggies Holiday Baking Items Mac & Cheese

*These items we have a real shortage of.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!

Plastic & paper bags are needed for the Food Pantry. You may leave them in the narthex in the Food Pantry bin.

PARISH FINANCES Amount needed weekly to operate parish $ 4,200.00 Offertory 2/9/20 $ 2,712.00 WeShare 2/5/20-2/11/20 $ 771.50 FEBRUARY 2020 OFFERTORY $ 7,119.00 Below February Offertory Goal $ (1,281.00)

WHAT SHALL I BRING TO THE LORD, THE GOD OF HEAVEN, WHEN I COME TO WORSHIP HIM? - Micah 6:6

This Weekend’s Second Collection: The second collection on the weekend of February 15 & 16th is for our Fuel & Heat. We prepay our oil for the winter. This year the cost was $7,797. We ask that you con-sider donating to help us to cover these costs and keep us warm this win-ter. There are envelopes on the Ushers carts in the narthex.

MITTEN GIVING TREE: The Food Pantry is asking for mit-tens and hats to fill their Mitten Giving Tree. If you knit, crochet, or would like to purchase new ones, to help keep hands and heads warm during the winter months, we would be most grateful. Items may be left in the narthex. Thank you.

THE BOTTLE RELIEF FUND, sponsored by the Knights of

Columbus, has gotten even easier. While spending time

with family and friends this New Years, please save your

bottles and cans. For the convenience of parishioners, you

can drop your bottles and cans off at JD’s Package Store &

Redemption, 13 Sokokis Trail, E. Waterboro (across from

Hannaford). Let them know they are for “St. Matthew Bottle

Relief Fund”. Those who wish to continue dropping off at the Bottle

Shed here at church, may continue to do so. Thank you!

We are so excited to share that St. Matthew Church Food Pantry has been selected to be a part of the Han-naford Helps Reusable Bag Program, which is de-signed to make it easy for customers to contribute to their local community while supporting the environ-

ment. For the month of FEBRUARY, each time a $2.50 reusable Fight Hunger Bag is purchased at the Hannaford located at 20 Sokokis Trail, East Waterboro ME , $1 will be donated to St. Matthew Church Food Pantry. This is a great way to raise aware-ness, support the environment and fundraise for our cause.

IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROGRAM “PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN”

In the interest of children’s safety, we ask that children not be allowed to leave Mass to use the restrooms downstairs, unless they are accom-panied by an adult. Because we are a public building, doors are required to be unlocked, allowing entrance to all.

February 16, 2020

Please include the following priests serving in our diocese in your daily prayers this week:

Feb 16 Rev. Fredrick H. Morse/Rev. Patrick E. Agbodi SMA Feb 17 Rev. Prabu N. Magimaidass HGN, A.N./Rev. Donald Gagne SM Feb 18 Rev. Selvara Kasi HGN/V. Rev. Wilfred P. Labbe Feb 19 Rev. Normand P. Richard/Rev. Frank J. Murray Feb 20 Rev. Benedict O Faneye OP/Rev. John F. O’Hara Feb 21 Rev. Robert D. Lariviere/Rev. Dominic Savio HGN Feb 22 Our Holy Father

Our priests speak to the faithful with their hearts and their faith. Fill them, Lord, with burning zeal for the conversion of sinners.

“Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.” Is your vocation to holiness to be lived out as a priest or in the concsecrated life? Call Father Seamus Griesbach at (207) 773-6471 or write: sea-mus.griesbach@portlanddiocese.org.

St. Matthew Church

Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM

10:30 AM

Monday: Prayer serv. 8:00 AM

Tue, Thur, Fri: 8:00 AM*

Wednesday: 7:30 AM*

*Subject to priest availability.

St. Therese Lesieux Parish

Saturday: 4:00 PM Holy Family, Sanford

Sunday: 7:30 AM Notre Dame, Springvale 9:00 AM & 11AM Holy Family, Sanford

MTF 7:30 AM Holy Family W 9:00 AM Holy Family TH 6:00 PM Holy Family

Check often for Daily Mass Changes

SCHOLARSHIP Notice: We are accepting applications for the Knights of Columbus Scholarship for 2020: This annual scholarship provides financial assistance to students who will attend private high school, private Special Education high school program, a private trade school, or accredited college or university. Applications are available in the Narthex. The deadline for applying is Wednesday, April 1st, 2020.

Have you cancelled your landline? Do you only use your cell phones? If so, have you let us know? We have a volunteer that has been working on slowly calling each parishioner registered to verify their information and that they want to remain on our mailing list. We

have an abundance of numbers that have been disconnected. Please contact the office and let us know if you have made this change, or fill out one of the yellow forms on the table in the narthex. These forms can be dropped in the collection basket during Mass.

February 16, 2020