Saturday, 19 May
Vigil of Sunday
4:30 p.m. - ANTHONY J. LUPPINO (anniversary of birth) by his wife, Mary, and family

Sunday, 20 May
7th Sunday of Easter
7:45 a.m. - LEONARD D. PASCUZZO
by Albert and Martha
10:45 a.m. - BLESSINGS ON EBC
(41st anniversary of ordination - 21 May 66)
by friends

Monday, 21 May
Easter Weekday
12:05 p.m. - SPECIAL INTENTION
(through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier)
by the Weidner family
" Tuesday, 22 May
St. Rita of Cascia, religious (OptMem)
12:05 p.m. - SPECIAL INTENTION
(through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier)
by the Weidner family
7:00 p.m. - Blessings on JOSEPH and JULIA WAPINSKY by the Whitney family

Wednesday, 23 May
Easter Weekday
12:05 p.m. - FLORENCE EVOLO FEELEY
by her daughter, Patricia Feeley Garland

Thursday, 24 May
Easter Weekday
12:05 p.m. - VINCENT ANGELO
by Salvatore and Mary Modesto
7:00 p.m. - SPECIAL INTENTION
(through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier)
by the Weidner family

Friday, 25 May
St. Bede, doctor; St. Gregory VII, pope; St. Mary Magdalene dei Pazzi, virgin (OptMems)
12:05 p.m. - ROSALIE YANNI GENNERELLA (anniversary of birth)
by her husband, Bruno

Saturday, 26 May
St. Philip Neri, priest (OblMem)
8:00 a.m. - SPECIAL INTENTION
(through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier)
by the Weidner family
Vigil of Pentecost
4:30 p.m. - LENA TRANQUILLO PICCIONI
by her nephew, Larry Piccioni, and family

Sunday, 27 May
Pentecost
7:45 a.m. - ANNA PILO MERLINO
by Jack and Flo McGovern
10:45 a.m. - VERONICA J. KEVY

(month's mind)
by her sisters, Phyllis and Myrna

Saint Joseph Parish
$1,415.00 from the envelopes and $143.00 from the plate. Thank you.
When one deducts from the sum of these two figures, $1558.00 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 $62.47 of this collection is available for operating the parish.

Saint Francis deSales Parish
$730.00 from the envelopes and $38.40 from the plate. Thank you.
When one deducts from the sum of these two figures, $768.40 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 $459.09 of this collection is available for operating the parish.

EX ORE INFANTIUM
I was sitting at the kitchen table in the rectory one day this past week. Three of our young parishioners were sitting there with me. I was giving them a chronological re-cap of the life of Jesus. I came to the part where Jesus was lost in the Temple for three days. After I told the story, one of the children, a 7-year-old boy named Brent M. Gauntlett, volunteered a comment. He said that Jesus being lost by His Mother for three days when He was 12-years old was "like when His Mother would lose Him for three days when He was dead and was in the tomb".
I could hardly believe my ears! I asked Brent where he had heard that magnificent and profound analogy (although I didn't use the word "analogy"). He said he had heard it from me in church. It is true that I had made that analogy in a homily some time ago, but never in a million years did I think that this winsome little lad was listening, let alone that he would grasp it, much less that he would remember it. Quite frankly, I don't think that analogy ever came to my own attention until quite some time after I was ordained a priest!
All I can say is that I shall never again underestimate this very bright boy, nor other children. Quite frankly, many preachers and catechists sell the children short. They troop them out of church when the homily is given because they figure the homily is too grown up for tykes and they take them to a room apart from the main body of the church in order to talk baby-talk religion to them. I give thanks to God that I was never treated that way when I was a child and I swear that I will resist all efforts to suggest that I ever talk down ("preach down") to the children of my parish.

OMINOUS NEWS

Anyone who is able to read the signs of the times will take note of these two pieces of news that surfaced recently:
News item #1
Dozens of students at three Sacramento, California, area public schools were suspended when they took a stand against a pro-homosexual event -- the "Day of Silence," which was observed nationwide on 18 April 2007.
In the Sacramento area, an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 students chose to stay home instead of being confronted with the pro-homosexual message on the Day of Silence. But nearly 50 students who did attend school that day wore clothing and distributed literature highlighting the dangers of homosexuality. Some of these students were sent home, some were suspended, and others were given "Saturday school".
My comment
Please note that "Saturday school" is a euphemism for Saturday detention, which is a euphemism for Saturday imprisonment. Please note that things have come to such a pass that orthodox Christians are being punished and even imprisoned for opposition to sodomy. Please note that this is a kind of persecution of the Church.

News item #2
Eighteen Catholic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have publicly criticized Pope Benedict XVI's condemnation of politicians who support abortion rights.
In a May 14 statement, the Democratic congressmen said that the pope's reiteration that Catholics who participate in the legislative promotion of abortion should consider themselves excommunicated "offend[s] the very nature of the American experiment and do[es] a great disservice to the centuries of good work the church has done," reported The Hill.
"We are concerned with the pope's recent statement warning Catholic elected officials that they risk excommunication and would not receive communion for their pro-choice views," said the lawmakers, that included Rosa DeLauro (CT), Joe Baca (CA), Patrick Kennedy (RI) and Carolyn McCarthy (NY).
My comment
Please note that the Democratic Party on the national level has upped the ante in its warfare against unborn human life. Now it is attacking the very authority of the Pope!

In Defense of the Sabbath

by Mary Beth Bonacci

A few Sundays ago, I was tired. Really tired. Normally it wouldn't be a big deal. After all, Sunday is a good day to be tired, isn't it? It's a "day of rest." But I had made a crucial mistake for a tired girl.
I had delayed going to Mass. I frequently attend the Sunday evening Mass here at the Cathedral in Denver. The archbishop presides and it's always very beautiful. But when the afternoon sleepies hit me, I always regret not having gone in the morning. I desperately wanted to crawl into bed and stay there.
There had to be a way. A brief, early afternoon Mass somewhere in town? None. A dispensation? "Father, I'm really tired. Could I skip Mass today?" Highly doubtful.
So I went. It turned out fine. I caught a second wind, participated nicely, and even went out with friends after it was over.
But the whole episode got me thinking. I constantly run into people - people who consider themselves "good Catholics" - who would see fatigue as a perfectly valid reason to skip Mass. In fact, they don't seem to have much of a problem with skipping Mass for a wide variety of reasons - skiing, travel, football, even sleeping. As long as they go "fairly regularly" they figure they're in the clear.
They're not.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass." (CCC 2180) The Catechism goes on to say, "Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin." (CCC 2181)
I've been thinking a lot about this lately. Why is this such a serious matter? Why is the rule so inflexible? Does it really have to be Sunday? If we're busy on Sunday, can't we just move our own personal Sabbath, and attend Mass on Tuesday? We're still going to Mass, aren't we?
The way I see it, the answer lies not just in the third commandment ("Thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath.") but also in the first commandment.
The first commandment says "I am the Lord, thy God. Thou shalt not have false gods before me." Of course, we all think of "false gods" as Athena and Zeus and

became husband and wife in Christ Jesus today (Saturday) here in St. Joseph Church.
Philip is a son of Patrick J. and Philomena E. (Smith) Collier, residents of Limerick [Ireland].
Katherine ["Kate"] is a daughter of R. Michael and Catherine (Lucas) Whitney, members of St. Joseph Parish.
Philip and Kate will speak brave words to one another today, words that foolish, trivial or self-centered persons ought never speak.
But Philip and Kate are neither foolish nor trivial nor self-centered. They are honorable and devout, plus they have the great, good fortune to come from parents who have honored their own marriage covenants. This is a firm foundation on which to build.
We pray for this newly married couple, that they will be worthy images of what St. Paul refers to as "the great mystery" - the union between the Lamb and His holy Bride.
If it pleases the Lord, may Philip and Kate bring forth children who will enrich the Church and eventually populate Heaven.
In addition to being permanent and faithful, may the two of them be tenderhearted towards one another, compassionate and forgiving.

LAST CALL!
If you would like to attend Deacon Butera's ordination to the priesthood on Saturday, 2 June, at 10:30 a.m., in the Cathedral in Allentown, and if you would like to go by chartered bus, call the Rectory (622-3081) or call Julia (622-6605).

being of sound mind and body, as far as anyone could tell, did take one another as husband and wife in St. Joseph Church, Pottsville.
They did this honorable deed in the presence of Father John A. Lyons, the pastor, and of Thomas Welsh and Carol Guensch, together with (I presume) a good number of other persons in attendance. Now, comes the interesting part:
This all happened on

If you do the math, you will conclude that John and Patricia Kutch have just observed their 50th wedding anniversary! Wonderful!
God has given them three children: Christine Kutch Deegan; Maria Kutch Kriner; Michael J. Kutch.
So far, He has also given them four grandchildren: Evan M. Kriner; Katie P. Deegan; Noah B. Kriner; Ava S. Kriner.

We thank God for the good example provided us by Mr. and Mrs. Kutch. We thank God for their fidelity and permanence and for their offspring. May God grant them peaceful and happy hearts, sufficient health and strength for the present time and, when all is said and done, eternal life.

As a continuation of the Synod process, pastors have been asked to appoint two representatives from each parish.
I have appointed the four persons named and I thank them for agreeing to serve.
Each deanery in the Diocese has been divided into regions. The South Schuylkill Deanery has been divided into several regions, although the divisions are, at present, tentative. The (tentative) Region #1 of the Deanery comprises six parishes: St. Ambrose; St Francis deSales; St. John the Baptist; St. Joseph; Mary Queen of Peace; St. Patrick.
The pastors plus two laypersons from each of the six parishes will meet for the first time on Tuesday, 29 May, in order to discuss the configuration of these six parishes into one region and the needs of the region in terms of number of parishes. All of this depends on accurate projections about Catholic population and availability of priests.

THE PROFIT FROM THE FINAL SPAGHETTI SUPPER (6 May) OF THE SEASON came to $1,288.00. The entire parish has good reason to be grateful to those hardworking and faithful parishioners who run the monthly spaghetti supper. We ask our customers to tighten their belts for the next few months and keep hope alive! Remember that September is right around the corner! Remember that September and Spaghetti both start with "S"!