October 19, 2021

Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish Fall 2021 October 19, 2021 Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,  Greetings and blessings! As I mentioned last week, I was attending a quiet private retreat week at Glastonbury Abbey, Hingham MA. A small Benedictine monastery of about ten monks on the South Shore of Boston. I was truly spoiled by the beauty, yet simplicity of the monastery, the awesome weather, and the opportunity for some genuine quiet time. The weather was so good that I was able to walk several times a day on Nantasket Beach in the nearby town of Hull.  I had the luxury to ponder many things. As you all know so well that our lives can get cluttered and, therefore, can make one blind to the greater values of life. Ironically, I randomly bumped into a piece of scripture that addresses this very dilemma. Also, it is a scripture passage that we will hear this coming Sunday at Mass....the Gospel of Mark 10:46-52. Mark’s gospel tells us about a young man was tough and brave. He was blind and he wanted to see, but not just the birds, bees, and flowers, and the faces of friends. He wanted to see the inside of things, which was risky, because like all of us, he had some serious things to look at: Was there any point in his life? Did he have anything worth sharing? Could he get back on track after the wrong turns he had made? Was it too late to build a life? Is love worth all the risks and hurts? He had tons of serious stuff to ponder.  Many people spend all their lives in the dark because they may be afraid to really see. But that blind man stepped boldly into the light, because he knew that Jesus was right: the truth will set you free. The power to grow and change.  Let us trust and open our souls to the Spirit of Jesus who dwells within us. And whisper the words of the blind man: I’m ready to see. And I am not afraid. For the One who helps us to see will also give us the heart, the mind, the spirit to do whatever is needed to grow into his likeness.  I cannot say truthfully that I can see all things clearly and brightly after just four days of retreat....but yes, there is some light and clarity and the strength to continue to enter the light of Christ and His way more dearly in the days ahead.   Peace and Blessings, Fr. George Couturier Pastor Saint Joseph Medal of Appreciation Congratulations to longtime parishioners Neil & Sandy Ambrose on receiving the Saint Joseph Medal of Appreciation from Archbishop Blair at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph on Sunday, October 17. Our parish community thanks you both for your faith, dedication, leadership and generosity! Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time October 23-24, 2021 4 PM Vigil, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM *Masks strongly encouraged!* Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish will livestream the 9:00 AM & 11:00 AM Sunday Mass using Facebook Live. The livestream of the Mass can also be viewed on the front page of our website. The recordings remain available on the Parish Facebook page.  Parish Facebook Page Parish Website For the Sunday Music, Click Here For the Sunday Readings, Click Here All members of the Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish community are invited to join in the faith activity for the months of October & November called The Thankful Pumpkin. To learn more, Click Here. Email pictures of your Thankful Pumpkin to the Faith Formation Office at reo@sjbrh.org. All Souls Memorial Mass We Remember Our Deceased Loved Ones at Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish  Tuesday, November 2 7:00 PM Saint James Church and Livestreamed on our Saint Josephine Bakhita Facebook Page We will be celebrating our annual Memorial Mass for those who have had funerals at Saint Josephine Bakhita since November 2020. All are welcome to pray and support those who are mourning, or be strengthened in the face of their own mourning by watching Mass online. In-person attendance is reserved for those who have received an invitation. During the candlelit service, we will be announcing the names of those who had funerals at Saint Josephine Bakhita in the past year. However, Facebook offers the ability to comment in real time and add your own loved one’s name and picture in the comment section during the Mass. Maybe You Want To Become A Catholic…. Times such as those we are living through now often prompt people to examine what we believe, how we make sense of the world and examine just what we live by, and why, and where “all this seems to be going."   The Catholic Christian faith relates directly to these questions and explores these realities with a wisdom of nearly 2,000 years. If you desire to explore becoming a Catholic, we are certainly happy and eager to help.   Maybe you know someone who may be interested as well. We’re glad to help them out too. The time to inquire is now! Preparation sessions begin in October. Contact Deacon Michael at dcnmichael@sjbrh.org (best) or by phone at 860-529-3222 Ext 14 and leave a message and we’ll get back to you. Pray Every Day Virtually With Fr. George Fr. George livestreams Evening Prayer on Monday-Friday at 5:00 PM using Facebook Live. The recordings remain available afterward on the Parish Facebook page. All are welcome!  Parish Facebook Page Save The Date! Saint Josephine Bakhita Holiday Fair Saturday, November 20, 2021 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Saint James Parish Center Silent Auction & Teacup Auction Crafts & Homemade Ornaments Cookie Walk & Bake Sale Fun Foods to Buy & Enjoy We need bakers! We are halfway to our donations from previous years. Please give some thought to signing up to help with this delicious fund raiser for our parish. Safe handling as always with gloves provided and masks required for all at the Cookie Walk. Questions contact:  MaryAnne DiPasquale 860-529-2304 or Lynda Regina 860-563-9550 Sign up in either church foyer or email what you will bake to SJBbakers@hotmail.com Cookie Walk Donations, Click Here Bake Sale Donations, Click Here Knit, Crochet and Sew Good Works will again have Irish Knit sweaters, quilts, baby items, home décor items and more at the Holiday Fair. To pre-order, preview, pricing, or to customize a fall/holiday table runner, contact Vivian Orsini at vorsini24@aol.com Read the Parish Bulletin Sign Up for Online Giving Sign Up To Receive Our Weekly e-Newsletter Stay up to date with parish news delivered right to your email. Let us know if you have moved, changed your phone number or email address. Complete this simple online form today! Click Here to Update Your Contact Information Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish 767 Elm Street Rocky Hill, CT 06067 www.saintjosephinebakhita.org Follow Us ‌ ‌ ‌