Saturday, 30 September
Vigil of Sunday
4:30 p.m. - MARIE ELAINE LUPPINO (anniversary of birth)
by her mother, Kathryn and family

Sunday, 01 October
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
7:45 a.m. - STEPHEN CHALINSKY
by his wife, Jeanette
10:45 a.m. - ARTHUR B. WHITNEY
by his son, Michael, and his daughter-in-law, Catherine

Monday, 02 October
The Guardian Angels (OblMem)
12:05 p.m. - Deceased: GALLIANO FAMILY
by Rose Marie Fabiani Zeller

Tuesday, 03 October
Weekday
12:05 p.m. - BLESSINGS ON ROSE (birthday)
by a friend

Wednesday, 04 October
St. Francis of Assisi, religious (OblMem)
12:05 p.m. - ANGELO CHIODO
by Mary and John
7:00 p.m. - ANTHONY J. LUPPINO
(1st anniversary) by his wife, Mary, and family

Thursday, 05 October
Weekday
12:05 p.m. - WALTER McKEOWN
by Julia Senitch Laplaca
7:00 p.m. - DOMINIC TROILO
by his sisters, Tina Troilo Rutecky and Liz Troilo Acker

Friday, 06 October
St. Bruno, priest; Bl. Marie Rose Durocher, virgin (OptMems)
12:05 p.m. - PETER SENITCH and MARY SENITCH TUFT by their sister, Julia Senitch Laplaca
6:15 p.m. - HELEN BALL GENNERELLA
by her husband, John

Saturday, 07 October
Our Lady of the Rosary (OblMem)
8:00 a.m. - Intentions: THIRD ORDER CARMELITES
by the TOC community
Vigil of Sunday
4:30 p.m. - ANNA TOLAN HARMAN
by Anthony (+) and Mary Luppino

Sunday, 08 October
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
7:45 a.m. - JOHN R. MACCARONE
by his sister, Nancy Maccarone King, and family
10:45 a.m. - FRANK OWENS (anniversary of birth)
by his sister, Kitty Owens DiCello

Saint Joseph Parish
$1,352.00 from the envelopes and $110.00 from the plate. Thank you.
When one deducts from the sum of these two figures, $1,462.00 the parish's weekly financial obligation to the Diocese, i.e. assessments, $358.85 plus the weekly premiums for property and liability insurance, $149.20, the sum of which is $508.05, plus its weekly obligation to All Saints School, $987.21, the sum total of which is $1,495.26, one sees that ($33.26) of this collection is available for operating the parish. This is a deficit!

Saint Francis deSales Parish
$177.00 from the envelopes and $47.15 from the plate. Thank you.
When one deducts from the sum of these two figures, $224.15 the parish's weekly financial obligation to the Diocese, i.e. assessments, $55.15 plus the weekly premiums for property and liability insurance, $56.72, the sum of which is $111.87, plus its weekly obligation to All Saints School, $197.44, the sum total of which is $309.31, one sees that ($85.16) of this collection is available for operating the parish. This is a deficit!

SIGNS OF THE TIMES
When I drive from Allentown to Pottsville, I almost always take "the usual route", viz. 78 to 61. Once in a while, just for a change of scenery, I take 309 to 895 to 443 to 61. The scenery is pleasant, especially in Autumn. Recently, while taking this route, I came across the following sign. As I recall, it was in the area of Schnecksville or thereabout.

"That's an attractive message" I thought to myself. "It is sure to snare some disaffected Catholic - "Catholic" as in "person of the Roman persuasion" as some Episcopalians are fond of saying in order to bolster their own spurious claim to being Catholic.
But I think I know the context from which that message proceeds! You see, what it really means is this: You are welcome to receive Communion in our church even if those judgmental Romans won't let you receive in theirs! So, come in! Eat our bread and drink our wine!
The Episcopal Church, like all of the mainline Protestant denominations, has long since run up the white flag in regard to believing or teaching that there is any possible connection between faith in Jesus Christ and the observance of a distinct code of sexual morality.
The Episcopal Church doesn't care anymore whether Heather has two mommies or two daddies or one of each. It doesn't care whether Bill is actually married to Shirley or if he is just taking her out for an extended test drive. It has long since stopped caring whether Jack has had a vasectomy or Lucy has had her tubes tied. It is just fine with the Episcopal Church if Shirley prefers Lucy to Bill or if Bill prefers Jack to Shirley or if Bill and Lucy and Shirley are a threesome! Bill and Lucy and Jack and Shirley and Heather and her two mommies and you - all are welcome to go up to Communion. However, they would prefer that you be an ecologically responsible citizen and moderate your carbon-dioxide emissions.

Note: I came across this prayer recently. I consider it an absolutely marvelous prayer! I encourage everyone to read it. I encourage everyone not only to read it, but to meditate upon it.
This prayer is extraordinarily counter-cultural. It is an excellent antidote to the indifference, disrespect, arrogance and disobedience that so many persons show towards their parents. Not to mention the cowardice, timidity and selfishness manifested by so many parents!
I have edited this prayer slightly from the form in which I first came across it.
Please be patient when reading this prayer. Don't hurry through it. Stay with the words. There is much here that is worth thinking about.

SAINT JOSEPH PARISH and SAINT FRANCIS deSALES PARISH are tax-exempt, non-profit entities. As such, we are required by law neither to endorse nor to oppose any particular candidate or candidates for public office. It is our intention and our resolution scrupulously to adhere to this requirement.
On the other hand, we are not prohibited from pointing out to our members that certain issues in the public forum impact upon the moral order. We have a right under law and a duty before God to say what these issues are and to delineate the moral content of these issues. We also have a right under law and a duty before God to bring to the attention of our members the positions of the various candidates on these issues.
Lets put it this way: We give you major premises and minor premises, but we don't draw conclusions. We leave completion of syllogisms to the reader.
In this matter as in all matters, we are subject to the Bishop of Allentown, whose judgment we accept as definitive for all practical purposes.

CASEY: "I support same-sex unions that would give gay couples all the rights, privileges and protection of marriage." (Philadelphia Jewish Voice, October 2005)
CASEY: Opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment and supports adoption for same sex couples (Liberty PAC flyer, www.libertypa.org)
CASEY: Calls the restriction of marriage to a male and a female only "a narrow, intolerant ideology" (remarks before human rights gala, Philadelphia, 18 Feb 06)
CASEY: Said that abortion would NOT be his focus if he were elected to the Senate. (Philadelphia Jewish Voice, January, 20006)
CASEY: Opposes abstinence-only education. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 18 December 2005)
CASEY: United States Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) said, "To dislodge Santorum would be a pro-choice victory" (New York Times, 24 April 2006)
CASEY: "Yes, I support the morning after pill, because it's about birth control and family planning" (KDKA Radio, Pittsburgh, December 2005)
CASEY: Said that he "would increase federal funding for family planning services" (Philadelphia Jewish Voice, January 2006)
SANTORUM: He is one of the highest ranking pro-life leaders in the US Senate. He secured funding for and pushed for increases for abstinence programs. He pushed the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act and the Born Alive Infants Protection Law to become law. He opposes the over-the-counter "Morning After Pill". He has voted against family planning programs that promote abortion.
SANTORUM: He supports the Federal Marriage Amendment, believes in the sanctity of marriage and in the restriction of marriage to one man and one woman. He is endorsed by Concerned Women for America and other pro-family groups.

SAINT JOSEPH PARISH and SAINT FRANCIS DESALES PARISH do not engage in advocacy for any candidates for public office. We are neutral in regard to candidates and parties.
However, we are not neutral in regard to abortion or same-sex marriage. We condemn abortion and we abhor the very notion of same-sex marriage or civil unions. This is due to the fact that we are a community of Catholics, but it is due most of all to the fact that we are a community of human beings who, by and large, have not lost our minds.
While maintaining our neutrality, we point out that Senator Santorum, the Republican candidate, is probably the preferred candidate for those who are opposed to abortion and to homosexual marriage, whereas Mr. Casey, the Democratic candidate, is probably the candidate of preference for those who favor abortion and homosexual marriage.
We urge all of our parishioners to vote according to their consciences!
We do so because we are neutral.

In honor of St. Joseph Parish's centennial year, all persons born in 1906 who show up in the parish hall today (1 Oct) between 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. are entitled to all the free spaghetti and meatballs they can possibly eat! So, take advantage!
But no sending a friend to bring you a take-out! You have to show up personally. And - oh yes! - bring your Mom or Dad with you to verify your year of birth!
For those born before or after 1906, the spaghetti and meatballs, although not free, are a great bargain. In fact, many persons have said to me: "Father Connolly, you must be out of your cotton-pickin' mind to charge only six dollars for an adult or teenager and three dollars for a child for this superb platter of spaghetti and meatballs, not to mention the bread and butter and salad!"
To which I say: "Well, that may be, my friend! They don't call me 'Crazy Eddie' for nothing! But, you see, the money we lose on each individual customer, we make up in the number of customers served!"

This week, tickets will be mailed out to St. Joseph parishioners. The tickets are for the 100th anniversary dinner to be held on Sunday, 22 October, in the parish hall, at 4:30 p.m. - i.e. after the 3:00 p.m. Mass. We expect Bishop Cullen and Mayor Reiley to be on hand. We hope that we have a full house. Please note that the price of a ticket is $15.00. This is very inexpensive, we think you will agree. We kept the price down, so as to encourage a good attendance. Please purchase the tickets promptly. However, if you are unable to attend, please return them promptly, so that we can know how many to expect. We need to tell the caterer. We are not mailing tickets to StFdS parishioners. However, we would love to see some StFdS people at our celebration! If you would like to buy a ticket, call the Rectory: 622-3081.