April 26, 2022

April 26, 2022 Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish, As I mentioned at the beginning of my homily this past weekend…it was a delight to be able to proclaim Alleluias and sing “Glory to God in the Highest” after a long hiatus from using these words during Lent. Indeed, we do remember the cross and Calvary of Good Friday, for we encounter the modern versions of the cross each day. But in our faith and confidence we proclaim, again and again, the great triumph of the cross and sing Alleluias in confidence, hope and joy. Christ has risen indeed!   Of course, we all know that many folks look us Christians and our Resurrection Hope askance thanking we are foolish for such optimism and hope. Certainly, we are painfully aware of the challenging situations and events of our day…but we confidently believe we can and will rise above those crosses. So we join the Risen Lord in living a life of prayer and action immersed in the truth of a Saint Paul, “that there is nothing that can separate us from the love that comes to us through Christ Jesus.”   Our Confirmation candidates were all at retreat events this past weekend. Year II candidates were at Holy Family Monastery in West Hartford (their Confirmation is coming soon on the Feast of Pentecost June 5th at the Cathedral). And our Year I candidates were on retreat on Sunday here at the parish center. They were all reminded and invited to ponder and pray about the truth of their calling to be full disciples of the Lord…the Risen Lord. We pray they fully grasp onto the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that desires to enter their lives more completely and especially giving them courage, wisdom, strength and understanding in these challenging days.   Please know that I will be away the next two weeks, therefore there will be no messages from my desk during this time. I will be with family celebrating my sister’s and brother-in-law’s 50th wedding anniversary, visiting my nephew and his awesome family, and then visiting my aunt who is the glorious remnant of my mother’s long line of siblings. Leave you in the very capable hands of the members of our staff and the visiting priests on the weekend while I am away.    And with Christ Risen, we are indeed free! Fr. George Couturier Enjoy this gallery of pictures from the Easter Weekend Third Sunday of Easter May 1, 2022 4 PM Vigil - St. James 9 AM - St. Elizabeth Seton & livestreamed 11 AM - St. James & livestreamed *Masks are strongly encouraged in our worship spaces!* Watch on Facebook Watch on Our Website CRS Rice Bowl Collections All households who filled their Rice Bowls during Lent are asked to convert your change into cash or a check made out to Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish. Drop your envelope labeled "CRS Rice Bowl" into our collection boxes in the entrance ways of our church buildings. Parent & Teen Evening Out Friday April 29, 2022 7:00 – 8:00pm Saint Elizabeth Seton Church 35 minute Teen Video - a fun look at life’s purpose In Room G 35 minute Adult Video - “3 Questions that Change Every Teenager” (and honestly, every adult) In Room E Followed by Food and Fellowship Questions: call Ellen & Steve Lowrance at 860-759-0614. Lectio Divina ~ Visio Divina A Two-Part Series on Praying With the Word & Praying with Images May 10 & 17 Saint James Parish Center 7:00 P.M. This May, Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish will be offering a two-part series on praying with the the Word and Images. For ages and ages the spoken and written word and images have been effective means of bringing us closer to God. This brief series will help us to see and use the word of God and visual art as a means of enabling a deeper prayer encounter with God, in a way that can prove useful to us in our own spiritual and prayer lives. The first session will explore Lectio Divina (prayer with Scripture) and the second session will explore Visio Divina (prayer with sacred images). The sessions are free and open to all members of the parish community and friends. Please email Deacon Michael at saintjmdeacon@gmail.com if you plan to attend to allow for an accurate count for materials and room set up. Thank you to all who gave so generously to our Easter Food Basket Collection. We delivered 32 beautiful baskets and $2570.00 in grocery store gift cards to Rocky Hill Human Services to support local families with their holiday meals! Mercy magnified! Pray Every Evening with Fr. George Fr. George leads Evening Prayer on Monday-Friday at 5:00 PM on both our Facebook Page and Parish website. The recordings remain available afterward on the Parish Facebook page. All are welcome! Daily Mass Schedule Monday: 8:30am-St. Elizabeth Seton Tuesday: 8:00am-St. James Thursday: 8:00am-St. James Friday: 8:30am-St. Elizabeth Seton Reconciliation Fr. George welcomes all to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Monday evenings at 6:00 PM at St. Elizabeth Seton. Seeking Help For the 2022 Holiday Fair The Holiday Fair Committee needs volunteers to contact potential donors for items for the Silent Auction. Now is the time to begin contacting the businesses, individuals and sports teams who have generously donated items in the past for the Fair in November. We have all the materials needed to make these contacts but need someone to manage the task. If you have been wondering how you can help with the Fair or help the Parish in general, here is your opportunity! Contact Jo-Ellen Vendetti at jtvendet@yahoo.com or 860-878-0432 if you are interested or if you would like more information. The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal provides help to those in need! Together, we can and do make a profound difference in the lives of many individuals and families, in a way that exceeds anything we could hope to achieve on our own. Please consider supporting this important initiative. Every gift makes a difference. Organizations right here in our own community receive funding from the Appeal’s Outreach Program. All donations are used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the Appeal literature, which can be found here. No Appeal funds are ever used for legal fees or settlements. Donate to the Archbishop's Annual Appeal Read the Parish Bulletin Sign Up for Online Giving Receive This E-newsletter Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish 767 Elm Street Rocky Hill, CT 06067 www.saintjosephinebakhita.org Follow Us ‌ ‌ ‌