October 5, 2021

Gratitude Abounds - Happy Feast of St. Francis - Follow Us on Instagram and more...

Saint Josephine

Bakhita Parish

Fall 2021

October 5, 2021

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,

Greetings and blessings!

As I was viewing my Facebook news-feed, I noticed along with the many humbling tributes for my 40^th anniversary a picture and quote from one of my favorite contemporary spiritual writers, Brother David Steindl-Rast…”The root of joy is gratefulness. It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” I encourage you to check out his wonderful website about gratitude at www.gratefulness.org

I am most grateful for the many folks who joined me in celebrating my 40^th anniversary. For the many folks (too numerous to name individually here) who quietly and untiringly planned and accomplished the multitude of tasks for the beautiful celebration. For the many folks who so generously contributed to our Haiti Ministry. Please know that my gratitude for you has brought me profound joy!

Looking back over my 40 years, so much of my ministry, if not all, has been about always promoting life in all ways and times. Presently, we are in the midst of the campaign called Forty Days for Life which draws our attention to the protection of all life especially the unborn. In recent weeks, the issue of abortion has raised hot debate and controversy. We, as Catholics, have always and will always promote the protection of all life especially the unborn. We especially need to care for pregnant women during their pregnancy and after they give birth. Therefore, it will never be enough to just be anti-abortion, we need to promote the dignity and care for women and children long after the birth of a child. Prayer and action are called for more than ever.

And so, I share this special prayer especially during these 40 days for life:

Eternal God,

creator and sustainer of life,

bless us with the courage

to defend all life

from conception to natural death.

Bless us with the strength

to respect all peoples from east to west,

from north to south,

so that we may truly follow

the call of Jesus to be neighbor.

We ask this in the name of Jesus,

who lives and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

This past week we also celebrated the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi who has come to be associated with the protection of all creation. Certainly, our world is struggling to understand the beauty and the care of the earth that our Creator God has asked us to protect and care for. And so, I offer this prayer to assist us in our reflection and actions to protect God’s good earth:

God of the universe,

we thank you for your many good gifts:

for the beauty of Creation

and its rich and varied fruits,

for clean water and fresh air,

for food and shelter, animals and plants.

Forgive us for the times

we have taken the Earth’s resources

for granted and wasted

what you have given us.

Transform our hearts and minds

so that we would learn to care and share,

to touch the Earth with gentleness

and with love, respecting all living things.

We pray for all who suffer as a result

of our waste, greed, and indifference.

And we pray that the day will come

when everyone has enough

food and clean water.

Help us to respect the rights of all people

and all species

and help us to willingly share your gifts

today and always.

Amen.

Fiona Murdoch, Eco-Congregation Ireland

To get an overview of Pope Francis’s statement on creation go to:

https://thejesuitpost.org/2015/06/an-overview-of-laudato-si/

Peace and Blessings,

Fr. George Couturier

Pastor

Twenty-Eighth Sunday

in Ordinary Time

October 9-10, 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

Faith Formation Started October 3rd!

Faith formation classes have begun and we are looking forward to a wonderful year sharing and teaching the faith to all the children and families in our parish. We will meet in person as well as continue to share resources and family activities on our faith formation website. We are so blessed to have dedicated catechists who have volunteered their time and talent to share the joy of the gospel with our children. Please pray for our faith formation program as we begin our classes this week. For more information, please contact the Faith Formation office at reo@sjbrh.org or 860-529-1274.

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!

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

Enjoy This Video Greeting Card for Fr. George

Father George Ruby Jubilee Video Greeting

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 Tuesday, Oct. 12 from 1pm-6pm. Go to www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to register to give.

Parish Communications

Saint Josephine Bakhita has a number of communications platforms and will be enhancing and expanding them over the coming year including our website, FaceBook Page, YouTube Channel, e-newsletter and bulletin. If you have an event or announcement that you would like communicated to the wider parish, please email of the details to communications@sjbrh.org. For information that you want included in the Parish Bulletin, also email office@sjbrh.org. Include the Name of Event, Date, Time, Location, Contact info (email/phone), Words you would like used to describe the event. We will determine the best platforms, timing and frequency for getting your message out to the parish. We may also edit the information that you send to fit the communications formats.

The deadline for inclusion in the bulletin is Thursday at noon (7 days in advance of digital publication on the parish website, 10 days in advance of paper copy distributed after Sunday Mass). The deadline for inclusion in the e-newsletter is Friday at noon (3 days in advance of publication).

If you have any questions or suggestions as we grow our parish communications, please email Lisa Orchen at communications@sjbrh.org.

We are now on Instagram. Follow us here!

The Parish Pastoral Council welcomes your feedback, questions and concerns and will respond as appropriate. Please contact the Council via email by sending a message to parishcouncil@sjbrh.org.