Saturday, 03 March
Vigil of Sunday
4:30 p.m. - MARY DiCELLO LUPPINO
by her family

Sunday, 04 March
2nd Sunday of Lent
7:45 a.m. - STEPHEN and BERTHA MESSINA
by Frank and Cheryl
10:45 a.m. - LOUISE FORTE LaPLACA (37th anniversary) by her daughters, Victoria and Louise

Monday, 05 March
Lenten Weekday
12:05 p.m. - Rev. THEODORE S. MACUNAS
by EBC

Tuesday, 06 March
Lenten Weekday
12:05 p.m. - ELANORE TEGANO FOLINO
by her husband, John
7:00 p.m. - DECEASED: FOLINO and NICASTRO FAMILIES by Julian and Nora Chiplonia

Wednesday, 07 March
SS. Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs (OptMem)
12:05 p.m. - JOHN J. DERAMO
(54th anniversary of wedding)
by his wife, Angie, and family

Thursday, 08 March
St. John of God (OptMem)
12:05 p.m. - SPECIAL INTENTION
(through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier)
by the Weidner family
7:00 p.m. - RAYMOND T. SCHWENK Jr.
by EBC

Friday, 09 March
St. Frances of Rome (OptMem)
12:05 p.m. - Health and God's Blessings on MARY J. CHIODO by the StJosPar Women's Guild

Saturday, 10 March
Lenten Weekday
8:00 a.m. - Health and God's Blessings on MARY VITTEMBERGHI MESSINA
by the StJosPar Women's Guild
Vigil of Sunday
4:30 p.m. - ANTHONY J. LUPPINO
by Mary N. Prestileo

Sunday, 11 March
3rd Sunday of Lent
7:45 a.m. - LUIGI and LYDIA (Giordano) MACCARONE
by their daughter, Nancy Maccarone King, and family
10:45 a.m. - DOMENICO and ANTONIA MERCURI
by M/M Santo Mercuri

 

Saint Joseph Parish
$1,499.00 from the envelopes and $134.00 from the plate. Thank you.
When one deducts from the sum of these two figures, $1,633.00 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 $137.74 of this collection is available for operating the parish.

Saint Francis deSales Parish
$151.00 from the envelopes and $47.55 from the plate. Thank you.
When one deducts from the sum of these two figures, $198.55 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 $253.25, plus its weekly obligation to All Saints School, $197.44, the sum total of which is $309.31, one sees that ($110.76) of this collection is available for operating the parish. This is a deficit!

It would be an excellent idea if each person (or family) would make it a practice to bring along with them to Mass each week some non-perishable food item.
Put it in the large basket in the rear of the church (both StJos and StFdS). We assure you that we distribute this food to a great many poor persons and families in the Pottsville area who come to us for help.
If you prefer to give money, you can deposit it in the receptacles in the rear of StJos Church or else put it in an envelope on which you have written "for the poor" (or words to that effect) and put same in the basket or just hand it to the pastor as he stands outside.

CONCERTS IN CHURCHES
Sometimes a parish priest is asked to allow his parish church to be used for an event such as a concert or a play. This request might come from some group within the parish or from outside the parish.
It is always prudent to consult Church law in such matters.
There is a Church law ("canon law") that governs such requests.
It reads as follows:

CANON 1210
In a sacred place only those things are to be permitted which serve to exercise or promote worship, piety and religion. Anything out of harmony with the holiness the place is forbidden. The Ordinary (i.e. Bishop) may, however, for individual cases, permit other uses, provided they are not contrary to the sacred character of the place.

No pastor of a parish has the vested authority to permit his church to be used for a concert, not even for a concert of religious music. The Bishop of the diocese may, however, give permission for a parish church to be used for a concert. Nevertheless, even the Bishop is forbidden to allow a sacred place to be used for a concert of secular music, even if this secular music is of the highest quality.

More specific information on this matter may be obtained by reading a Roman document entitled Concerts in Churches, issued on 5 November 1987 by the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. (Protocol # 1251/87)
This document can be accessed at the following website:

There are three sections to the document, designated by Roman numerals. The third section (III) is the most relevant to the matter under discussion.

This document is normative for the Diocese of Allentown.

I want to take some time here to discuss some issues that are breaking my heart: "Bratz" and the Pussycat Dolls.
The Bratz dolls, for those unfamiliar, were introduced mid-2001 and are a wildly popular plaything for young children (mainly girls). The dolls tout their "passion for fashion" all over the world.
I shudder at the thought.
Barbie is bad enough, with her feet permanently molded for high heels and impossible measurements, but the Bratz dolls exaggerate those parts of the female body most fetishized: lips, eyes, breasts, and feet, introducing your children, early on, to unattainable standards and the meaning of objectivity. To be fair, Bratz Boyz were later introduced into the lineup, but with less alien-like features.
As an egalitarian, I take affront to the pseudo-feminism of these devastating portrayals of "girl power." I can't possibly conceive of myself buying these for my own children. I would sooner give them shards of broken glass to play with - I consider these dolls that much more dangerous.
In one of my previous jobs as a nanny in San Francisco, I used to grit my teeth when I would see my charge bringing her Bratz board game from her bedroom closet.
"Are you sure you want to play this?" I would ask, praying that we would revert to such old-fashioned gems as "Candy Land" or "Chutes and Ladders." I think the most damage Candy Land could inflict on youngsters might be cavities, or a "passion for taffy." The Bratz board

HERE WE GO AGAIN!
Yeshua bar Yehosef - Aramaic for "Jesus (or Jesse or Joshua) son of Joseph"
Maria - Latin for Mary
Yose - Aramaic for what might be a shortened form of "Joseph" or the nickname for "Joseph", which is "Joses" or "Yoses"
Yehuda bar Yeshua - Aramaic for "Judah, son of Jesus (or 'Jesse' or 'Joshua')"
Mariamne e mara - Aramaic for "Mary (or 'Mariam' or 'Miriam') the master (or mistress)"
Matya - Aramaic for "Matthew" or "Matthias"

These six names are said to be inscribed on six ossuaries that were discovered in a dig in Jerusalem in 1980. Four other ossuaries were discovered, but there were no inscriptions on them, which makes me wonder why six were inscribed and four were not.
The bones were removed from the ossuaries and were buried somewhere (I'm not sure where).
Now we are being told that these six ossuaries might have contained the bones of Jesus (yes, the Jesus) and his mother and his brother, and (forgive me, Lord!) his alleged wife and their alleged son and, for good measure, Matthew the tax collector, but how Matthew got included in this company, I sure don't know.
Well, as pastor of a parish named after Saint Joseph, I would sure like to know what the heck happened to Saint Joseph. If they were going to bury Mary and Jesus in the same tomb, what ever happened to Saint Joseph? Is he chopped liver?
Yes, yes, yes, you're right! I'm making a mock of James Cameron's film "The Lost Tomb of Jesus".
It's a free country and, if I want to make a mock of it, I'll do so.
I guarantee you, dear parishioners, this whole thing is meadow patties.
The perpetrators will take their money and run.
Don't be deceived.
He Who is enthroned in heaven laughs!

For the umpteenth time:
Jesus was not married to Mary Magdalene.
Jesus' Body did not decay in any tomb.
Jesus raised Himself physically and bodily from the dead and has ascended into heaven.
Mary, his mother, has been physically raised from the dead by her Son and she has been assumed into heaven.
Anyone who says otherwise is a deceiver and a liar and, if he doesn't repent, will be a damned (literally) liar, which means a God (literally) damned (literally) liar and that is definitely not a good thing to be!

PLEASE PRAY FOR a young man who died today (Saturday, 3 March). David A. Peiffer Jr., age 24, is the husband of St. Joseph parishioner Angela Walters Peiffer and the father of two little boys: St Joseph parishioners Bryce D. Peiffer and Talan L. Peiffer.
David was killed in an automobile accident on Route 443. He was in the same car with his brother-in-law, Ryan A. Walters, who was also killed. (See page 12.)
David and Angela were married in St. Joseph Church on 20 November 2004.
The funeral arrangements for David ("DJ") were not complete at the time of the printing of this bulletin. Please see the newspaper for this information.
We extend our love in a special way to Angela, upon whom God has allowed this double sorrow to fall, viz. the sudden deaths of her husband and of her brother. May God give her strength.
We extend our love and respect to all of David's family, most especially to his dear mother, his father and his stepfather.
We ask God's special protection on David and Angela's sons and we thank God for them.

Eternal rest grant to David, O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

RYAN ADAM WALTERS,
a member of St. Joseph Parish, died today (Saturday, 3 March).
He was killed in an automobile accident on Route 443, not far from his home. He died at the scene.
Born on 10 June 1988, he was 18 years old.
He was a 2006 graduate of Blue Mountain High School.
Ryan is the son of Thomas E. and Margaret (Chillemi) Walters.
He is the brother of Angela Walters Peiffer.
In addition to his parents and his sister, Ryan is survived by two of his grandparents: Pasquale F. Chillemi and Glenna Buck Walters.
Ryan was an integral part of St. Joseph Parish.
It was in St. Joseph Church that he received the sacrament of Baptism (25 June 1988). It was in St. Joseph Church that he made his First Holy Communion (26 May 1996). It was in St. Joseph Church that he received the sacrament of Confirmation (20 March 2000). In addition, he served the parish as an altar boy for about ten years.
When our long-time parish custodian retired at the end of 2006, we asked Ryan to take over some of his basic duties. The timing was good. Ryan needed a job - at least for a while, he said - until he made up his mind what he wanted to do, perhaps go to trade school. He received his final paycheck from the parish - we never dreamt it would be the final one - on Friday, 2 March.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, 7 March, in St. Joseph Church. The interment will be in the parish cemetery. There will be a viewing on Tuesday evening, 6 March, at the Robert A. Evans Jr. Funeral Home (Pike Street) in Port Carbon.
To know Ryan was to love him. He was a decent and honorable boy and man. We grieve that someone so young should be taken from us. Our hearts go out - more than words can say - to his parents, sister and other family members. We commend Ryan to our crucified and risen Lord Jesus, Who will treat him with great kindness.