March 22, 2022
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,
Greetings and blessings!
This weekend’s Gospel (Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32) Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son is one of the most famous and most beautiful and most meaningful of all the parables. The Gospel story touches us deeply because it addresses forgiveness, both divine and human. And from this outpouring of forgiveness should come peace of mind that can last a lifetime.
We are invited to open our hearts to forgiveness. Forgiveness from a loving God, forgiveness for yourself, and forgiveness for others, no matter how they might have offended us.
There are few better channels to excellence in life than a compassionate, generous, and loving heart. Think of the misery we cause ourselves by the lack of forgiveness. Consider how many months, if not years, of anguish we endure by maintaining and nurturing our resentments.
As the forgiving and generous father of the parable shows us, forgiveness is a wide-open door of hospitality that leads to real freedom. It is a door we should want to open every chance we get. The closed door leads to a toxic life of bitterness and hostility and often revenge. May this Lenten season help us to open the door wide.
May the many opportunities for prayer, sacraments, gatherings and talks we are providing as a parish this Lent help in the process of nurturing a forgiving posture in our lives.
Read about the opportunities for spiritual renewal this Lent below in this newsletter, on our new website, on our social media platforms, in our bulletin and the Lent takeaways we have set out for you in the foyers of our Churches.
Peace and Blessings in the Holy Season of Lent,
Fr. George Couturier
|
|
Laetare Sunday
March 27, 2022
4 PM Vigil - St. James
*Masks are strongly encouraged in our worship spaces!*
|
|
Lent Evenings of Reflection |
|
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
7:00 PM
Saint Elizabeth Seton Church
*** and livestreamed ***
How a Pot of Soup Brought Me Closer to Jesus:
Practical Strategies for Everyday People to Encounter our Lord
Speaker: Kelly Henderschedt, Archdiocesan Director of Faith Formation
Life can be a constant state of motion. Schedules, obligations, stressors and expectations. Can we ever truly find inner peace when our minds, bodies and spirits are being pulled in so many directions? Yes! It is truly possible and this Lent is the perfect time to learn how to claim the promise of peace that Jesus offers each one of us. Special attention will be given to the practice of centering prayer as an effective way to experience this peace our souls crave. No registration required! Just come and enjoy! For more information, Click Here.
|
|
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
7:00 PM
Saint Elizabeth Seton Church
Ignation Pause
Please join us for an hour long evening program first learning about and then praying St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Examen. This is a powerful prayer tool for discernment and to help us grow closer to God by pausing to examine the contours of our daily lives. Our session will be led by Laura Marcucio, a Spanish teacher at East Catholic High School in Manchester. Trained in spiritual direction and in Ignatian spirituality, Laura made the Spiritual Exercises for the first time as a student at the College of the Holy Cross. She has a Masters in Theology from Weston Jesuit School of Theology. For more information, Click Here. |
|
Pope Francis to Consecrate Ukraine and Russia
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
|
|
The consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by Pope Francis will take place March 25 in St Peter's Basilica. Read more here. Archbishop Blair will join Pope Francis’ consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at 12 Noon Eastern Time on Friday, March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford. All are invited to this special ceremony for an important time of prayer.
|
|
Pray The Stations of the Cross |
|
The Stations of the Cross invite us to use all our senses as we reflect prayerfully and walk intentionally with Jesus through his suffering, death on the cross and resurrection. Here are some of the ways available:
Attend Stations of the Cross
Fridays at 5:30pm at St. James
Fridays at 7:00pm at St. Elizabeth Seton
Pray The Stations of the Cross with Fr. George Virtually
Pray the Stations of the Cross for
Children, Families & Everyone Virtually
|
|
|
|
March Faith Activity
All members of the Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish community are invited to join in the faith activity for the month of March: Fill your Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl. Rice Bowls are available in both church foyers and contain information on this project. Fill them with your Lenten monetary donations and return them at Easter time. Our faith formation students in 4th-8th grade along with our Confirmation students will be involved in a fun competition to see which class can raise the most money for this wonderful cause. All our collected donations will be sent to Catholic Relief services which includes relief to our brothers and sisters in the Ukraine. To learn more, visit www.crsricebowl.org.
|
|
The Lenten Practice of Fasting & Abstinence
The Lenten practice of fasting is modeled on Jesus' forty days of fasting in the desert, the Gospel story always proclaimed on the First Sunday of Lent. Like Jesus, we fast during Lent as a reminder of our dependence on God. Through fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, we also align ourselves more closely with the needs of the hungry throughout our world. The tradition of abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and Lenten Fridays allows us to walk in the shoes of the poor who can seldom afford meat for meals. As a gesture of solidarity, plan very simple, home cooked meals and set aside the money normally spent for food and drink on Fridays to give as alms. For creative suggestions for Lenten fasting, Click here.
|
|
Easter Food Baskets
Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish will be collecting Easter food “baskets” for families within our community on the weekend of April 9-10 so that they can be delivered before Easter. Rocky Hill Human Services is asking for "generic" baskets for families of four to six people. If your family or group would like to donate a basket, please sign up on the sheet located in the Foyer of either church so we know how many to plan for. If we get enough, some will also be donated to Catholic Worker in Hartford.
Please bring your basket (any container is acceptable as long as it looks nice) to the Rectory garage at Saint Elizabeth Seton or Father Shea Hall at Saint James on Saturday afternoon, April 9 or Sunday morning, April 10. A list of suggested items is available here. Please do not include perishable foods. People will be given gift certificates to use for their fresh foods.
During this weekend we will also be collecting grocery store gift certificates which Rocky Hill Human Services will add to the baskets when they are distributed. Please bring the gift certificates to Mass April 9-10 and place them in the collection basket.
|
|
Lent Special Collection
Our parish collection for the season of Lent will benefit My Sister’s Place, a local agency committed to ending homelessness by empowering women, families and others in Greater Hartford to achieve independence and stability in their community by providing housing and supportive services. Those served by My Sister’s Place are in great need of the following items:
Toilet paper, Baby wipes, Pull-Ups (size 4T & 5T)
Bars of soap, Body wash, Shampoo & Conditioner
Deodorant, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste
Mouthwash, Feminine products
Our parish Outreach Ministry has offered to coordinate our parish donations on their behalf. Donations can be dropped off at either church location:
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 located near the kitchen, Mon - Fri (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM) or before the Sunday mass at 9:00.
|
|
Catholic Relief Services Special Collection
March 26-27, 2022
The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Collection will be held on March 27, 2022. The CRS Collection is an opportunity for you to help improve the lives of the most vulnerable people around the world and here in the United States. Your support funds organizations dedicated to aiding people affected by war and natural disasters, migrants and refugees in need of material and legal assistance, and people worldwide whose livelihoods are impacted by changing political and environmental conditions. When you support the collection, your prayers are put into action and become a sign of solidarity and neighborly love for our brothers and sisters.
|
|
Lifting Up Intercessory Prayer in Our Churches |
|
Light a Candle
Along the back wall in St. James Church and in the Reservation Chapel at St. Elizabeth Church there are votive candle stations which represent our “Sacrifice of Praise.” The word “votive” comes from the Latin word "votum," which originally meant “expressing a desire.” So the next time you are in the chapel, feel free to light a votive candle as a sacrificial offering, expressing your desires and petitions to God.
Prayer Intention Books
Along the back wall of St. James and in the foyer of St. Elizabeth Seton, you can also find prayer intention books. These intentions are then prayed for during the celebration of Mass, and the rosary offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays following daily mass.
Prayer Walls
Additionally, during Lent, our parish Faith Formation Program has placed “Prayer Walls” in both of our churches. You are welcome to tie a ribbon on the wire “wall” to pray for family, friends, peace, or the church community. Ribbons are in the cups surrounding the “wall.”
|
|
|
|
Palm Crosses for Sale
The Knights of Columbus will be taking orders for palm crosses after every mass at the St. James and St. Elizabeth campuses for the following dates: March 26-27. Palm crosses will be available for pick up after every mass on Palm Sunday. The cost of the palm crosses is $12. Please contact David Mikol at (860) 726-3585 with any questions.
|
|
Holy Week Schedule 2022
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
April 10, 2022
4PM ~ St. James
9AM ~ St. Elizabeth Seton (livestreamed)
11AM ~ St. James (livestreamed)
Holy Thursday
April 14, 2022
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
7PM ~ St James (livestreamed)
Good Friday
April 15, 2022
Celebration of Our Lord’s Passion
3PM ~ St. James (livestreamed)
3PM ~ St. Elizabeth Seton
Stations of the Cross
7PM ~ St. James (Confirmation Program)
7PM ~ St. Elizabeth Seton
Holy Saturday
April 16, 2022
Easter Vigil
8PM ~ St. Elizabeth Seton (livestreamed)
Easter Sunday
April 17, 2022
9AM ~ St. Elizabeth Seton (livestreamed)
9AM ~ St. James
11AM ~ St. James (livestreamed)
More details can be found here.
|
|
Lenten Rosary
Prayer time: 20 minutes.
|
|
Adoration
Join our community for Adoration this Lent every Thursday at St. James Church from 8:30 - 9:30 AM immediately following the daily mass.
|
|
Lent Daily Prayer
Fr. George and our parish Directors of Music Ministry will lead Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer online through Lent.
Morning Prayer: Streamed on Facebook at 5:00 AM and available after
Evening Prayer: Streamed on Facebook at 5:00 PM and available after
|
|
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.
|
|
The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal helps provide the critical funding needed to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, counsel those in despair, offer much-needed assistance to the unemployed, and make medical care available to those without health insurance. Your gift to the 2022 Appeal will help to continue these and other vital ministries, services, and programs that reach out to so many in need. All funds contributed to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 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.
|
|
Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish
767 Elm Street
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
