Ministry Schedule May 5/6
Fifth Sunday of Easter
EM: Server: Lector:
Saturday Vigil, April 28, 2018 4:00 p.m. P Loretta & Michael Vugrinovich (Ray & Nancy Berisko)
EM: Server: Lector:
Sunday, April 29, 2018 8:00 a.m. P Carmen & Emilia Congelio (Frank & Vincenza Congelio)
EM: Server: Lector:
9:30 a.m. C Special Intentions (Veronica Mrozek) 11:00 a.m. P Pro Populo Monday, April 30, 2018 7:30 a.m. P NO MASS Tuesday, May 1, 2018 7:30 a.m. P Juliana Miller (Children Marianne, Jack Miller) Wednesday, May 2, 2018 8:00 a.m. C Michael Liptak (Daughter Karen & Frank Angelilli) Thursday, May 3, 2018 7:30 a.m. P Agnes Bashour (Bill Doman) 7:00 p.m. P Confirmation Liturgy Friday, May 4, 2018 7:30 a.m. P Rose & Andy Corodi (Galway family) Saturday, May 5, 2018 8:00 a.m. C NO MASS 1:00 p.m. P First Holy Communion Children
Sixth Sunday of Easter Saturday Vigil, May 5, 2018 4:00 p.m. P Daniel Chew (Ted & Barb Gera) Sunday, May 6, 2018 8:00 a.m. P Pro Populo 9:30 a.m. C Robert Gibson (Denise Greene) 11:00 a.m. P Anniversary of Death Dolly Kyper Dascenzo (Richard Dascenzo & family)
Our Deepest Sympathy
Our parish family mourns the loss of parishioner Anne Kuchak. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
EM: Server: Lector:
Saturday, May 5 — 4:00 p.m. St. Peter C-Matthew Bernot C-John Peters H-Joanie Pagac Jolena Quarzo Carmella & Gina DiFlippo John Ball Cantor: Bernadette Behary Sunday, May 6 — 8:00 a.m. St. Peter C-Kim Gaydos C-Bill Johns H-Mark Moncheck Andrew & Skyler DiFlippo David Ziglear Joe Gaydos Cantor: Rita Koffler Sunday, May 6 — 9:30 a.m. St. Cecilia Carl DellaPenna Jr. Carl DellaPenna Nancy Sebeck Caleb DellaPenna Anthony DellaPenna Clara Medlock Sunday, May 6 — 11:00 a.m. St. Peter C-Gary Ritz C-Nancy Ritz H-Kathy Miller Sarah Sawka Luke & Anna Clister Chuck Bogorae Cantor: Delaney Harvey
Collection Report St. Peter Church 4/22/18 ADULT ENVELOPES (231) .................... ….. ...$4214.00 STUDENT (12) ......................... …………….. ....... $12.00 MONTHLY (9)…………………………… ............. $360.00 LOOSE…………………………………….. ........... $387.00 CANDLES………………………………................ $156.00 ACCENT ............................................................. $102.00
St. Cecilia Church 4/22/18 ADULT ENVELOPES (68) ................................$1538.00 STUDENT (5) ....................................................... $11.00 LOOSE.................................................................. $92.00 CANDLES ............................................................... $9.00 SVDP .................................................................. $124.00
St. Cecilia Christian Mothers Sale BIG Success
Thank you to ALL who helped to make the St. Cecilia Christian Mothers Indoor Flea Market held April 13-15 a huge success. Here are the results: Gross profit $3,326.98 Startup money -164.00 Signs - 90.00 Net proceeds $3,072.98
Flea market sale $1,685.23 Basket raffle 506.00 Kitchen 881.75 Total $3,072.98
Food for the kitchen and all auction baskets were donated. Thanks to all for your help, participation and generosity!
Spaghetti Dinner
Crosskeys Senior Center
Thursday, May 10, 2018 4:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m. Adults: $8.00 Children under 12: $3.00 Meal includes spaghetti, salad, beverage, bread and dessert. Takeouts available: (724) 785-6180, ext. 12
In today’s Gospel passage, the Lord asks us to remain affixed, attached to him, because he is the source of our lives. We know, particularly here in spring, how things can bear much fruit as indicated by the blossoms that are coming forth. As appropriate, we will prune those bushes and our trees, because the farther out the branch grows, the less abundant the fruit will be, the less full of those life-giving nutrients. So we prune it; we cut it back so it stays closer to the trunk, to the vine, and accomplishes its purpose. What's important for us to remember is that, while we can't fully apply this analogy to our own lives, we are able to understand what the Lord is asking of us. We look to the example of St. Paul. From our First Reading, Saul was a faithful, a fervent, Jew, and he was persecuting everyone who believed in Jesus Christ. He was the one who stood and watched approvingly while Stephen, the first martyr, was stoned to death. He asked the leadership of the Sanhedrin to give him authority to go to Damascus and to arrest anyone who was a follower of the Way, a Christian. While on his way, he had that powerful experience of the Lord, and the light was so intense that it drove him to the ground. He was struck blind and he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Sir?" The response was, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." Now, how was he persecuting Jesus? He had never met Jesus; Jesus had already died and was risen. Saul was persecuting Jesus because he was persecuting members of the Body of Christ. He was persecuting those branches that we are. Jesus said, "You are persecuting me," because Jesus had said (and we read it during this Easter Season), "Father, that they might be one in us, as I am one in you, and you are one in me." That's what the Lord is calling all of us to be: to have that unity of purpose and being with him. That's why, as the branches, we must continue to stay affixed to that vine, to that trunk, so the life-giving nutrients can nourish us. So Paul has this experience; he loses his sight during that process. He goes to Damascus where there's this faithful disciple by the name of Ananias. The Lord appears to Ananias in a vision and says, "Go to Straight Street, find the house of Judas and ask for a man named Saul and baptize him." Ananias responds to this effect: Have you not heard what that man has done to every Christian he's found? No thank you, Lord. And Jesus says, I command you. Go. He did, and when he baptized Saul, the scales covering Saul’s eyes fell off. His eyesight was restored and he began to proclaim Jesus Christ. Saul did so throughout Damascus, to the point where the Jews said, "We've got a problem. He who was one of our supporters is now proclaiming the very people we sent him to persecute." So Saul had to be lowered in a basket down the walls of Damascus in order to escape their plot to kill him. He went to Jerusalem, and the Apostles and the disciples wanted nothing to do with Saul. They knew who he was. But Barnabas took him under his wing and told everyone what he was doing in Damascus. Then Saul, becoming Paul, explains how he had his powerful conversion experience. Ultimately, the Apostles and disciples welcomed him. What transpired was that individual branch, Paul, is grafted onto the trunk of the tree and thus united with a community of faith, just as Jesus asks us to do. We all have an individual relationship with the Lord. We are singular branches; we receive the life-giving nutrients of his grace, and we grow in him and we begin to live out the life of Christ. As a member of his body, we are grafted onto a community of faith, and as we, members of the one Body of Christ, live it out more fully, we all bear much fruit. Paul was not fully effective as an evangelist until he was accepted into the community of faith and, then so accepted, he went forward boldly throughout Jerusalem and Antioch proclaiming Jesus Christ crucified and risen. The Jewish leadership sought his life. The Apostles took him to Caesarea. He later sailed to Tarsus, and from there, he would come forth to begin his ministry throughout the Mediterranean Basin. Paul lived out his life so fully in Christ, he was able to accomplish amazing things. He was the most effective Evangelist on behalf of Jesus of all the Apostles. He who had persecuted the Church was transformed spiritually and bore much fruit for God’s Kingdom. As the Lord says, "Remain in me as I remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me." How do we remain in the Lord? We all know of the temptations we experience. Yes, we come to Mass because it's more or less a routine; it's a habit. But we really don't participate. We don't feel the Spirit stirring us as we say the prayers or open our hearts to sing the hymns. So, over time, the powerful presence of the Spirit within us begins to fade away. We can easily acknowledge that many of our brothers and sisters who at one time proclaimed the Faith don't even come to church anymore. Many stopped entering into daily prayer. They didn't continue to encounter the Lord on a deep spiritual level to receive those life-giving graces. We should come to Sunday liturgies each week to gather at the Eucharistic Table, to receive the Lord's body and blood so that we are strengthened and renewed and enabled to go forth boldly in his name. It's a conscious decision we have to make: Do I seek that relationship with the Lord? Do I endeavor to expend the time and the effort to build our relationship, or will I permit it to slowly wither away? When we lose that connection, ultimately our Spirit dries up as though we’ve been broken off the vine. It can become such a crisis of faith that it feels as though we’ve been thrown into the fire. We each make that decision. However, the Lord will continue entreating us. He asks us; "Remain in me; be affixed so that I can strengthen and nourish you. Jesus wants us to allow him to speak through us. He wants to be our voice, our hands and feet as he sends us forth on his behalf to serve him and his people. It's a conscious decision we must make for the Lord whether it's Jesus as the Good Shepherd or as the vine and the branches (which we'll hear about again next Sunday). He is asking us to examine these analogies, metaphors, or whatever term we use to acknowledge Jesus’ powerful scriptural call to us. We must recognize that these teachings have application in our personal lives and in our relationship with him. As for me, each day I say my "yes" to the Lord. I turn to him in my sinfulness, expressing my needs and seeking the necessary graces that I might overcome my human limitations. Grafted to the vine, we are healed by Christ’s life-giving nutrients (grace) and grow more fully into his image each day.
Parish Assembly Attendees Express Ideas, Concerns, Support
On Wednesday evening our parish assembly was held with representatives from the Diocese. The gathering was a good opportunity to share plans for the construction of St. Peter’s new Social Hall/Rec Center. The diocesan officials in attendance spoke to approximately 88 parishioners concerning the cost of construction and the processes St. Peter must go through in order to break ground on the project. The most immediate step is the beginning of a capital campaign. The assembly gave parishioners an opportunity to express their concerns, including: costs too high, the name of the Center and what was the need for a gymnasium. Those who expressed support spoke about the need for parishioners to gather socially, for the parish to attract families with children so St. Peter will continue as a healthy and vibrant faith community, and the need for a facility in which fundraising could be accomplished. The diocesan officials spoke not only of the challenges but also of Bishop Malesic’s love for the people of the Brownsville area and his support for the project. The Bishop has given his permission to move forward with a parish capital campaign. The success of Rev. Msgr. Larry J. the campaign will deterKulick, JCL, Vicar mine whether the faciliGeneral ty will be constructed. Work has begun with Kearns & Associates to initiate the campaign. The theme of the campaign will be “On this Rock.” Very soon each family will be contacted concerning their willingness to participate. Everyone will be given an opportunity to ask their questions and to express their support or concerns. The entire purpose for constructing a new facility is to ensure a strong future for the Sheila Murray, CFO parish, to help evangelize our community, and to enable parishioners to build relationships within our community of faith. Over the coming weeks, much time and energy will be expended to provide information and to solicit your input concerning the project. Thank you for your great support in this matter. – Fr. Tim
St. Cecilia DLA 2018 — You MADE it! Diocesan Goal: $12,339.00 To date: $13,265.00 Parish Goal: $17,339.00!
Trip to Rome Inspires Awe in Fr. Tim and Family
My objective while visiting Rome was to return to the four major basilicas of the Eternal City. I was able to revisit three which I had originally experienced the month following my ordination. St. Paul Outside the Wall was too great a stretch for our busy itinerary. However, the opportunity to celebrate Mass in St. Peter at the Vatican made the entire trip worthwhile. My connection to St. Peter and St. Cecilia mandated visits to each of these holy sites. They are both magnificent. It is too difficult to capture and express in words the beauty and majesty of these churches built to glorify God. St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major were the other two basilicas we visited in Rome. Emperor Constantine in circa 320AD had given the Lateran estate to the Church. It became the home of the Pope until the 1800s. The number of sisters and priests in Rome on their respective pilgrimages was extraordinary. It was apparent they were from every country of the world. The universal church is just as its name implies. For anyone considering foreign travel, Rome should be close to the top of the list if one desires to be renewed in the Catholic faith! The top left photo below is St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. The top right photo below is The Altar of the Crucifixion of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica. This altar bears a mosaic reproduction of a picture by Guido Reni (1575-1642) showing St. Peter crucified upside down. An ancient tradition claims that St. Peter suffered martyrdom precisely where the altar stands. I was blessed to celebrate Mass on this altar during the trip. The three photos across the bottom, left to right, are exterior and interior views of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, a 5th-century church in Rome devoted to the Roman martyr St. Cecilia, and a real crypt in the catacombs beneath that church. — Fr. Tim
Deacon Daniel Carr to be Ordained June 30, 2018
With joy and thanksgiving to God, the Diocese of Greensburg announces that Bishop Edward C. Malesic has called Deacon Daniel E. Carr to the responsibility of the presbyterate. The priesthood ordination will be celebrated on Saturday, June 30, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., in Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg. Please keep Dan in your prayers as he completes his seminarian studies at the North American College in Rome, on his way to becoming our diocese’s newest priest. In photo at right, Deacon Dan joins Fr. Tim’s son Alex and his wife Anne and their daughters Clara and Eliana as they enjoy some gelato on their recent family trip to Rome.
Historic Church of St. Peter to Host Confirmation Celebration May 3, 2018
First Holy Communion Set May 5, 2018, At The Historic Church of St. Peter
On May 3, 2018, at 7:00 p.m., The Historic Church of St. Peter hosts the Confirmation celebration for multiple churches in our area of the Greensburg Diocese. Bishop Malesic will serve as main celebrant for this sacrament. Our Partner Parishes of The Historic Church of St. Peter and St. Cecilia are excited to announce that we have 14 children who will be confirmed. Other parishes that will be joining in this celebration this night are St. Francis of Assisi, Masontown, with Fr. Bill Berkey; and St. John the Baptist, Perryopolis, with Fr. Anthony Ditto.
We hope you will plan to join us for a special Mass on Saturday, May 5, 2018, at 1:00 p.m., at The Historic Church of St. Peter, for our Partner Parishes celebration of First Holy Communion. We will have 18 children receiving this blessed sacrament.
Graduation Mass Scheduled For June 10, 2018
This year’s Graduation Mass for our Partner Parishes is scheduled for Sunday, June 10, 2018, at 11:00 a.m., at The Historic Church of St. Peter. All high school and college graduates are welcome and encouraged to participate; this includes all from St. Peter and St. Cecilia. Please call the office at 724-785-7781 to confirm your attendance. We look forward to seeing you there!
Baby Bottle Campaign Underway To Support Center of Hope The Partner Parishes have begun a Baby Bottle Campaign in support of the Center of Hope’s mission to provide assistance to expectant mothers who are in need. Baby bottles were distributed at all Masses this past weekend to all who are interested in helping. Families who decide to help can put their spare change in the bottles and return them on the weekend of Mother’s Day, May 12-13, 2018.
We experienced such demand, we ran out of bottles; more will be available this weekend!
Prayer List Amelia Dascenzo Ann Jaworowsky Beatrice Kloock Bill Snodgrass Brian Tomecsko Bruce Wells Carol Ashton Charlotte Katko Cody Tylka Craig Alessio Cynthia Illar Daryl Hall David Ballant Deb
Donna Fletcher Donna Hill Donnie Dru Vojacek Ed Balchon Elaine Helsel Eleanor Dando Fr. Bob Conley Fred Gnus George Lisac Harry Booker HeatherBeth Powell Helen Mendish Irene Franks J. A. Jackson Hodge James Illar
Janet Booker Jean Bohna Jenny Ropejko Jerry Zalek Jim Belice Joe Angell Joe Shashura John Hlatky John E. Jenkins Jonathan Wallowicz Josephine Lagina June Robinson Karl Hennig Kathy Kim Harvey Kinzley Marie Grooms Laura Cherban
Lillian Baroni Lisa Chancey Luella Sholl Matilyn Baumgrad Matthew DeSimone Melissa Bell Michael Mancini Mike Dorobish Mike Stump Nancy Jenkins Patty Volek Robert Atz Robert Franks Robert Stringert Robert Sunny Rose Rambo Sam Basile III
Sarah Corebridge Sherri Zias Shirley Mae Mislo Stanley Sobek Susan Rountree Sylvia Walinski Veronica Stringert Vickie Dzmura Virginia Conaway V. V. Wanda Burns William Gabonay
BONANZA! BONANZA!! BONANZA!!!
Save the Date!
Save the date for the 2018 Vacation Bible School:
July 9 through July 13
Please plan to join us for the 2018 BONANZA on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at the Brownsville Sons of Italy!
During the morning hours for children in grades preschool through grade 5. Keep an eye out for registration to begin in May to enroll your child in this fun and spiritually uplifting learning experience!
Doors open after the 4:00 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass concludes at The Historic Church of St. Peter.
St. Cecilia Christian Mothers Calendar Party Set for Sunday May 20, 2018
Basket donations for the Bonanza are now being accepted. Questions? Please call the church office, 724-785-7781. Thank you!
Location to be determined!
St. Cecilia Christian Mothers are having a Calendar Party on Sunday, May 20, 2018, at 2:00 p.m., in the church social hall. There will be Grocery Bingo, a basket raffle, lunch and much more. Tables and tickets are available. If you have questions, please call:
Cece Tiberi, 724-970-5641 or Pam DellaPenna, 724-255-7663
Anointing of the Sick Mass Set for May 12, 2018 On Saturday, May 12, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., the Partner Parishes of The Historic Church of St. Peter and St. Cecilia will celebrate a Mass for the Anointing of the Sick. The Mass will be celebrated at St. Cecilia Church with a luncheon to follow immediately after in the parish social hall. Fr. Tim will anoint all parishioners who, because of advanced age or specific physical, emotional or spiritual difficulty, seek the healing and strength that the Lord’s grace provides through this powerful sacrament. Come take advantage of the wondrous gift of God’s healing love for his people in the midst of our parish family!
Partner Parishes of Historic Church of Saint Peter 300 Shaffner Avenue St. Peter Brownsville, Pennsylvania 118 Church Street & Brownsville, PA 15417 Saint Cecilia Church 1571 Grindstone Road O: 724-785-7781 Grindstone, Pennsylvania
#770350
H: 724-785-7604 Parishes in the Diocese of Greensburg C: 724-984-6983*** “Pennsylvania Charitable Trusts”
Contact: Shannon Sealy MESSAGES:
Mailing Address: Partner Parishes of St. Peter & St. Cecilia 118 Church Street Brownsville, PA 15417 Phone: 724-785-7781 Fax: 724-785-0844
Pastor: Rev. Micah E. Kozoil; Sr. Priest Active: Rev. James Petrovsky Office Manager: Mrs. Virginia Galway: Music Ministry: St. Peter: Daniel Kovacic; St. Cecilia: Eric Blanda Religious Education Coordinator: Mrs. Anita LaMendola: Youth Ministry: Patty Columbia Mass Schedule: Saturday Vigil 4:00 P.M. (EST); 5:00 P.M. (DST) (St. Peter) Sunday Morning 8:00 A.M. (St. Peter); 9:30 A.M. (St. Cecilia); 11:30 A.M. (St. Peter) Reconciliation: Noon to 12:30 p.m. St. Peter: 1st & 3rd Saturday St. Cecilia: 2nd & 4th Saturday Sacrament of Baptism Contact the parish as soon as you know that you are expecting a child. Sacrament of Matrimony Those entering into Marriage must contact the pastor at least one full year in advance of the wedding Sponsor Certificates You must be registered and active in the parish at least 4 months to receive a certificate. Please don’t come at the last minute! Sexual Child Abuse If you have a concern about sexual abuse of a child or young person by anyone in a parish or diocesan position — clergy, volunteer or paid staff — please contact Bishop Brandt’s delegate for matters of sexual misconduct. He may be reached at 724-837-0901 Ext. 221