August 30, 2022

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,

Greetings and blessings!

On this 23^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear some very strange and challenging (maybe even very disturbing) messages from Jesus about what he requires to follow him. One message concerns people, and the other concerns things.

Regarding people, Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

Regarding things, Jesus says, “In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).

In a very super exaggerated way Jesus is getting our attention and is asking if we are truly following the way, the truth, and the life that Jesus proposes for a disciple. Fortunately, Catholic Christians are not biblical literalists. We do not for a minute believe that Jesus wants us to hate our family or wants us to throw all possessions into the ocean.

What Jesus is trying to teach his followers is a theme of “detachment” or “letting go.” In the spiritual life, detachment refers to preventing or liberating ourselves from a harmful relationship to a person or a thing. Detachment is not a goal; it is a strategy to get to a goal. The goal is unity and discipleship with Jesus and his Way. It is not the person or thing that is necessarily harmful. For example, food is not evil…but it is how we use food that can lead to distraction to a good and healthy life.

The purpose of detachment, therefore, is to prevent people or things from blocking our pathways to God… to give our hearts, our very being over to God. It is a call to look deeply into our attachments and distractions that do not always help us place God as a priority in our lives. Ouch that is challenging! Jesus is not asking us to cast off our families and stuff…rather, to check on our priorities.

A special word of gratitude to the entire parish for the warm and generous hospitality you gave Fr. Richard Okiria representing his home Diocese in Uganda. The final tally of the gifts/donations you made to his mission appeal was well over $10,000… we will get the final tally to you next week after we count the stray donations coming in over this weekend. This is probably the all-time most generous gift to a mission appeal ever in the history of Rocky Hill Parishes.

Finally, I do hope you will be able to join us for our parish picnic on September 11, 2022 marking the 5^th anniversary of becoming St. Josephine Bakhita Parish starting with Mass at 11:00am outside behind our parish center on the St. James campus. Be sure to sign up (online or call into office) to attend. And, if possible, sign up as a volunteer to assist with the variety of tasks that make this gathering a huge success. Million thanks to the leaders and volunteers that have already stepped up in such a generous way.

I wish you and yours continued Blessings!!

Fr. George

The 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 4, 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!*

*Join us for coffee after the 9 AM & 11 AM Masses*

Watch on Facebook

Watch on Our Website

2023 Mass Intention Calendar

The Saint Josephine Bakhita Office Staff will be opening the 2023 Mass Intention Calendar soon. We will be in the Parish Center at Saint James on the following dates to schedule reservations:

Tuesday, September 13: 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Wednesday, September 14: 4:00pm - 6:30pm

Thursday, September 15: 9:00am- 12:30pm

Please Note there is a maximum of 3 Masses per parishioner. Please be considerate of the entire parish community and understand we will attempt to accommodate everyone’s request.

Offering’s are $10 for Weekdays & $15 for Weekends and Holy Days.

Office phone: 860-529-8655 ~ Office email: office@sjbrh.org

Faith Formation

Electronic registration and payment form all in one! Scan the QR code to access our easy to complete online registration form!

The deadline for registration is Thursday, September 1st. If you register after this date we cannot guarantee we will be able to assign your child to a class.

Please note, families must be registered as members of Saint Josephine Bakhita parish for their children to be enrolled and participate in the faith formation classes. Should you need to complete a parish registration form, Click Here.

It is important for your children to participate in all faith formation years, not just sacramental years. Participation, especially in grades 7 and 8 is a requirement for them to enter the Confirmation preparation program in 9th grade.

We are still in need of volunteers who would be willing to serve as catechists. We especially need catechists for Grades 6 & 7 to serve on Tuesdays. If you serve as a catechist, you will get the benefit of the registration fee waived for all of your children. We will provide all the information and support you need to serve this important role.

If you have any questions, please contact the Faith Formation Office at reo@sjbrh.org or call us at 860-529-1274.

Send your children to school with a prayer!

Enjoy this short blog post offering simple tips for prayer with children, Click Here.

Parish Picnic

Sunday, September 11

Saint James Campus

11am - Outdoor Mass

Noon - Picnic

Click Here to Attend the Parish Picnic

Prefer to call in your picnic reservation? Call the Parish Office between 9am - 2:30pm Monday - Friday at 860-529-8655.

There is no charge to attend the parish picnic. Instead, we are holding a special food collection for Amazing Grace Food Pantry. Bring pasta and pasta sauce (plastic jars preferred) to drop off at the welcome tables on the day of the picnic!

We Need YOU!

Many hands make light work!

Planning for our annual Parish Picnic is well underway. The date has been set for Sunday, September 11, 2022. It will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our 5^th Anniversary as Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish - the Catholic Community of Rocky Hill. We are calling for volunteers to help out during the picnic weekend. Here is a list of the help we still need:

Set-up Volunteers
Bakhita Lunch Servers
Mass Procession Volunteers
Children & Family Activities Volunteers
Trash/Recycle/Custodial Volunteers
Parking Lot Attendants
Tear down & Clean up Volunteers

Learn more about each of these opportunities and sign-up using this form.

If you have any questions about the picnic or prefer to volunteer by phone rather than using the electronic form, call Laura Murray at 860-818-9765.

Click Here to Volunteer for the Parish Picnic

Join Our Music Ministry

The St. James Music Ministry is seeking new members to join our choirs in singing to the Lord!

St. James Adult Choir meets on Wednesdays at 7PM beginning in late September to prepare anthems for our weekly 11AM Mass and holidays.

St. James Children’s Choir meets after the 11AM Mass and sings one Sunday per month and on holidays. To join, children should be able to read.

Interested? Talk to Joy after Mass or email at Joy@sjbrh.org

Food & Cereal

For Our Local Pantries

Households who struggle with hunger need our help even more in the summer time. We continue to seek food and cereal donations for our monthly delivery to the Rocky Hill and Amazing Grace food pantries. Non-perishable food items and cereal boxes can be dropped off at either church location. Learn more here.

St. James Church: Father Shea Hall, Mon - Fri (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM) or before the masses at 4:00 or 11:00.

St. Elizabeth Seton Church: Bins are near the kitchen, Mon - Fri (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM) or before the Sunday mass at 9:00.

Questions? Contact Carl Bach at abcb1922@yahoo.com

Summer Clothing Collection

Our Summer Clothing Collection will end on September 5, 2022.

We accept warm weather clothing in clean, good to excellent condition. Place donations in the collection bin in the front foyer of St. James Church (behind the divider). Unfortunately we are no longer able to accept household goods.

St. James Church: Father Shea Hall, Mon - Fri (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM) or before the masses at 4:00 or 11:00.

Questions? Contact Sandy Rokosz at sandyrokosz7@hotmail.com

Hospitality Sunday is Back!

First Sunday of the Month

September 4, 2022

Coffee, treats, visiting with friends - old and new - has returned to the first Sunday of the month. Parishioners who have volunteered to make this possible will serve treats after the 9:00 AM Mass at St. Elizabeth Seton and after the 11:00 AM Mass at St. James. Consider joining this ministry to keep this great social time going. A few teams of parishioners or families taking turns would keep this commitment feasible going forward.

Contact Elizabeth@sjbrh.org or Joy@sjbrh.org to find out how you can help.

15th Annual Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference

The 15th annual Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference is happening Saturday, September 24 at Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford. This year’s theme is the Most Holy Eucharist. Featured speakers include four nationally known priests who have given up their lives for the Eucharist:

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, Diocese of Bridgeport
Fr. Larry Richards, Diocese of Erie
Fr. Chris Alar, MIC
Fr. Wade L. J. Menezes, CPM

Registration is required. Click here for more information or to register.

Our new, convenient Text-to-Give enhancement for Online Giving users provides you the opportunity to give from your mobile phone. You can text an amount followed by the word ‘text’ to 860-821-7962. If your phone number is not recognized, you can associate your number with an existing account or follow the simple steps to create an account. To send a donation of $25.00, tour text would look like this: 25 text

To find out more about Online Giving and how it benefits our church, Click here .

To register to give online, Click here .

Learn More About Text-to-Give Here

The American Red Cross has launched a Severe Blood Shortage Appeal. All eligible donors are encouraged to schedule appointments now. The next drive hosted at our Parish Center at St. James Church is scheduled for Thursday, August 18 from 1PM-6PM. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS or go to www.redcrossblood.org to register to give.