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04 / 05 NOVEMBER Saint Joseph Parish Saint Francis deSales Parish |
RECENT OUTCOMES OF CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
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6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at St. Joseph's 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at St. Joseph's 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at St. Francis deSales' |
| THE SANCTUARY LAMP at St. Joseph Church is offered, during the week of 12 - 18 November, in loving memory of Frank LaPlaca, at the request of his wife, Victoria, and family. |
| THE LOURDES GROTTO CANDLE is offered, during the week of 12 - 18 November, in loving memory of Helen Papapietro Piccioni, at the request of her son, Emidio. |
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NEED A WEDDING GOWN OR SOME
BRIDESMAIDS' DRESSES? HOLY FAMILY THRIFT SHOP has 300 brand new wedding gowns and bridesmaids' dresses for sale. A company has generously donated them to the Thrift Shop. NONE over $250.00 The Thrift Shop is located at 600 Union Boulevard, Allentown - across the street from Agere. Open from Monday to Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call (610) 433-4350. Holy Family Thrift Shop is owned and operated by Holy Family Manor, a facility owned by the Diocese of Allentown. |
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R. Michael Whitney Jennifer Julian Cooper Brittany R. Cory Margaret R. DiMarcello Alexis M. Kline Nicole C. Lukach Vera Monti Miller Gina L. Ferraro Maria Messina Judith D'Alessandro Strokelitus |
Pamela Villella Bensinger Debra Evangelista Boncore Blake R. Bowers Evan J. Getzey Susanne Weiss Visalli Michael J. Nowak Michael A. Pilo Victoria R. Chewey Dominic F. Piccioni Deanna D. Stevenson Anna M. Villella |
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FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-NINE DOLLARS and SIXTY-FIVE CENTS! ($1,439.65) That's the profit from last Sunday's spaghetti supper. It breaks all records! And are we ever grateful? You bet we are! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! |
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"Dear" Father Connolly: Dear Concerned Catholic: |
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HONOR ROLL Kelly A. McCord / 10th grade / PAHS / 1st Honors Megan L. McCord / 6th grade / Lengel / Honors |
| PLEASE NOTE: The Tuesday morning (14 Nov) Bible Study will be held on Thursday morning (16 Nov), because of the funeral Mass at StFdS on Tuesday. |
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REFLECTIONS ON THEODORE Theodore (his friends call him "Teddy")
is my four-year old grandnephew. He is enormously cute and winsome
- sort of the way I was when I was his age. He came up on a
Saturday evening not long ago and stayed over into Sunday evening. |
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Teddy also told me that I was his favorite
uncle. He did not say "favorite granduncle". So,
I interpreted his compliment to mean that I hold the highest
place in his esteem not only among his GRAND uncles, but also
among his NON-GRAND uncles, which is high praise indeed, because
some of the latter are worthy gents. Teddy then explained to me exactly WHY I was his favorite uncle. It came down to three reasons: "Because you have a gym and a flat-screen TV and a cat." (By "gym" he was referring to the upper level of the hall.) This took some of the starch out of me. I had thought that my lofty position in Teddy's esteem had everything to do with my personal charm and intrinsic lovability. But, hey, I'm not complaining! If it takes (a) a gym and (b) a flat-screen TV and (c) a cat to make me lovable, why should I complain? Teddy declared that his trip to visit his granduncle in Pottsville was - AND I QUOTE (which explains why the following phrase is in quotation marks): "UNCLE EDWARD, THIS WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE". Well, Lord knows that I am always grateful to be instrumental in helping a person to have a good day and if that good day turns out to be the BEST day of his or her life - well, praise the Lord! At one point during the visit, Teddy told me that he is going to be a priest. He said that, when he is 16, he is going to move to Pottsville to live with me and I can teach him how to be a priest. I told him that that is a wonderful idea and that he would make an excellent priest. So, I would like the people of St. Joseph Parish and St. Francis deSales Parish to know that, if all goes according to plan, a 16-year-old priest-in-training will be moving into St. Joseph Rectory in 2018, at which time I shall start to turn management of the parishes over to him. I realize some people might accuse me of nepotism. But, not to worry! You'll love your teenage pastor when you meet him. Great personality! |
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A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT THE
RECENT ELECTION Dear Father Connolly: |
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Dear (Name): Blessed are they who expect nothing. They shall not be disappointed. That pretty much sums up my reaction. Since Tuesday night, I have been doing a lot of "this too shall pass away" kind of meditation in order to keep depression at bay. Or, as we used to say in the seminary after we figured we had done a particularly wretched job in a test: Quid hoc ad aeternitatem? Allow me to separate myself from an epithet you applied to me, viz. "loyal Republican types such as you". Hell's bells! I'm no "loyal Republican type". True I'm registered as a Republican, but that's only because I don't want to go before God as a registered Democrat. Why should I take any unnecessary risks? I don't want God to identify me with the party of abortion, embryonic stem cell research and sodomite marriage! My current identity as a Republican is strategic, nothing more. My only solid affiliation is Catholic. Everything else is negotiable. The saddest thing of all about Tuesday is the ouster of Santorum by Casey. What a tragic trade-off! May God have mercy on those Pennsylvania Catholics who voted Santorum out! Their only hope is to plead ignorance when they meet their Maker. I'm almost certain that, in the entire history of the U.S. Senate, there has ever been a more thoroughly Catholic Senator than Rick Santorum. He is Catholic from the inside out. Chuck Schumer knew what he was doing when he got Casey to run against Santorum. Schumer knew that Casey's public identity as a Catholic and as a pro-lifer would confuse the Catholic voters of Pennsylvania. Casey is an empty suit. His Catholicism is pretty much the same as that of such devout Catholic Senators as Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Joe Biden, Pat Leahy, Dick Durbin, Tom Harkin, et al. As far as being "pro-life" is concerned, that's a hoot! Casey does not believe that the unborn child has a right to life. If he did, how could he possibly support the morning-after pill? If George Bush has an opportunity to appoint one more Supreme Court justice before he heads back to Crawford and if that appointee has a whiff of pro-life about him (or her), it will be interesting to see whether Casey will separate himself from his party to vote to confirm. I doubt it very much! Here is something Peggy Noonan wrote about Santorum a few days before the election: Mr. Santorum has been at odds with the modernist impulse, or liberalism, or whatever it now and fairly should be called. Most of his own impulses--protect the unprotected, help the helpless, respect the common man--have not been conservative in the way conservative is roughly understood, or portrayed, in the national imagination. If this were the JFK era, his politics would not be called "right wing" but "progressive." He is, at heart, a Catholic social reformer. Bobby Kennedy would have loved him. That explains, in part, why I respect Rick Santorum. He stirred up in me some of the idealism I felt about politicians in 1968, before Sirhan Sirhan did his dirty deed. I respect Santorum because he is a true Catholic who sides with the downtrodden - which, in my opinion, is the principal goal of government domestic policy. See you soon! EBC |
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MARY REILLY MERRICK, a member of St. Francis deSales Parish, died on Saturday, 11 November. Born on 9 May 1922, she was 84 years of age. Mary is one of two children of the late John and Catherine (Brehoney) Reilly. Did you know that John Reilly, Mary's father, was part of the construction crew that built St. Francis deSales Church? The cornerstone of our church is dated 1921 - one year before Mary was born. Mary's brother, John Reilly, is deceased. She is the wife of the late Howard D. Merrick Sr. Howard died on 13 July 2001. She is the mother of two sons, both of whom survive her: Howard D. Merrick Jr. and David R. Merrick. She is the grandmother of Gregory H. Merrick. The Mass of Christian Burial for Mary will be celebrated at St. Francis deSales Church on Tuesday, 14 November, at 10:00 a.m. The interment will be at Our Lady of Calvary Cemetery. There will not be a viewing. Mary was "a pillar of the parish", a true-blue member of St. Francis deSales. Only when disability and age began to impede her was she absent from weekend Mass. She was always glad to attend Mass and to receive Holy Communion in the nursing home during her final years of life. Mary has survived the time of great distress. She has washed her robe and made it white in the Blood of the Lamb. Eternal rest grant unto Mary Merrick, O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. |
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St. Joseph Parish sold 643 calendars. St. Francis deSales Parish sold 37 calendars. Total number of calendars sold: 680. At $5.00 each, the gross revenue amounted to $3,400.00. Deduct from this the following: $2,250.00 in prizes; $70.00 in printing; $36.51 in postage. Total deductions: $2,356.51. Net revenue: $1,043.49. Divided between the two parishes in proportion to number of calendars sold by each: St. Joseph Parish (94.6%) earned $986.71. St. Francis deSales Parish (5.4%) earned $56.78. THANK YOU! |
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[Please note: I am printing this message in the bulletin precisely as I received it. I do not profess to understand it. I hope somebody does. If you do, maybe you would explain it to me. EBC] "Your envelope packets will now include the 1st Sunday and the appropriate Special Collection envelopes for the next month. This will take effect in December of 2006 which will include the first Sunday of January and any Specials that fall on or before that Sunday, January 7, 2007. Your packets will begin with the Second Sunday and end with the first Sunday of the next month. Please make sure that your Parishioners are aware of this new change." |
| MANY PERSONS WANT "ADVANCE INSIDER" INFORMATION about what will happen to the various parishes once the Synod has concluded. If you would like some "advance insider" information, please put a fifty-dollar bill inside an envelope, write your name on the envelope, tie the envelope around the left hind leg of KATERI (the official cat of St. Joseph Parish). KATERI, who knows more than most cats about what is going on in official circles, will get back to you within 24 hours and tell you all you want to know and more! |
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THE REST OF THE STORY We all know that Joe Paterno was injured last Saturday (4 Nov) in a sideline collision during the Penn State - Wisconsin game. Tight end Andre Quarless fell into him late in the third quarter, after being hit out of bounds along the Penn State sideline. JoePa, age 79, suffered a broken left leg and some torn ligaments. He has since had surgery, several screws being inserted into his injured leg. Adding insult to injury, Penn State lost the game 13 to 3. Now, why did this happen and why in November? I'll tell you why - and this is information you are not going to get from any other publication: It happened because Coach Paterno has long been envious of the popularity of Nativity principal Fr. Ron Jankaitis. Always much loved and highly esteemed by all, Fr. Jay's popularity soared to stratospheric heights after he was bowled over on the sidelines at the Nativity - Shenandoah game on 18 November 2005. As we all know, Father Jay incurred a badly broken leg, which entitled him to surgery and some painful rehab time. Hoping to restore his own flagging popularity, Coach Paterno has tried to emulate Father Jay. Call it an hommage to the Principal of Nativity, if you will. I call it "contrived" and "pretty sad". You were a great man in your day, Coach Paterno, but now it's time to sit at home and file your clippings. |
| SAINT JOSEPH PARISH 100th ANNIVERSARY MUGS are available for purchase. Stop by the Rectory to pick up yours. Someday, they might even be collectors' items! Price is only $2.50. |
 Q - Who is
known as "The Mother of the Italian Immigrants"?A - St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, often referred to as "Mother Cabrini". Q - Who is the first citizen of the USA ever to have been canonized a Saint? A - Same answer! St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, often referred to as "Mother Cabrini". Q - When does the Church observe Mother Cabrini's feast day? A - Funny you should ask! The Church honors Mother Cabrini on 13 November. Q - Did Mother Cabrini ever visit Schuylkill County? A - Just recently (within the past year) I came across anecdotal evidence that Mother Cabrini did indeed visit Schuylkill County. An elderly gentleman [past 90] of Italian heritage who lives in Schuylkill Haven tells me that he remembers that Mother Cabrini visited a family in MOUNT CARBON and sat on their porch, drinking a glass of iced tea! I was fascinated when the gentleman told me this. He says that he is certain of it. I wish it had been documented. I think we can assert it as at least "probably true" that Mother Cabrini visited Mount Carbon! |
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SAINT FRANCIS deSALES CHURCH  Saturday, 11 NovemberVigil of Sunday 6:00 p.m. - ANNA E. D'ALESSANDRO by her brother, Dominick Sunday, 12 November32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 9:15 a.m. - ROBERT S. PHILLIPS (1st anniversary) by: his wife, Danette; his sons, Ryan and Nicholas; his father-in-law, Herb 12:15 p.m. - Rev. WALTER J. HALL by EBC Monday, 13 NovemberSt. Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin (OblMem) 10:00 a.m. - ANTHONY STAGLIANO by his wife, Frances, and family Wednesday, 15 NovemberSt. Albert the Great, doctor (OptMem) 10:00 a.m. - Special Intention: CARMELLA BONADIO CIMINO by George and Joan Repella Friday, 17 NovemberSt. Elizabeth of Hungary, religious (OptMem) 10:00 a.m. - NORMA BEHRENS (month's mind) by Frank and Rose Popeck Saturday, 18 NovemberVigil of Sunday 6:00 p.m. - RITA FORTE FARROW by Angie LaPlaca Deramo Sunday, 19 November33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 9:15 a.m. - EDWARD W. KULL by: his family 12:15 p.m. - SOULS IN PURGATORY by Kathy Goetz Buehler |