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23 / 24 FEBRUARY Saint Joseph Parish Saint Francis deSales Parish |
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Tuesday, 04 March 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' |
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THE SANCTUARY LAMP at St. Joseph Church is offered, during
the week of 02 - 08 March, in loving memory of John J. Deramo,
at the request of his wife, Angie, and family. IN REGARD TO FIRST FRIDAY: 7 MARCH On the First Fridays, we usually have (in addition to the other Masses) a Mass at 6:15 p.m. at St. Joseph Church, followed by a Holy Hour. However, because we wish to encourage attendance at the inter-parochial Stations of the Cross during Lent, we shall depart from this pattern this coming Friday. Therefore: Please note that there will be two Masses on First Friday: 10:00 a.m. at StFdS and 12:05 p.m. at StJos - but there will not be an evening Mass or Holy Hour. We encourage everyone to attend Stations of the Cross and Exposition / Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at St. John the Baptist Church this coming Friday evening. |
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Nicholas I. Cescon Sheila Bowers Evans Nancy Moraco Mariano James J. Maroukis Matthew W. Wentz Donna Johnson Kopinetz Julia Tranquillo Malys John A. Mohan Charles A. Rinaldo Jr. Albert J. Yackenchick Jr |
None, as far as we know. Anthony M. Hall Harvey B. Leymeister Madison M. Shappell Nicholas A. Yackenchick None, as far as we know. None, as far as we know. Cameron B. Mattera |
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In memory of Joyce Christine Chiplonia Brigid M. Koury and family Mary Rowan and family Cathy Connor and family Jane Cook and family Anne Marie D'Alessandro and family Jean Mooney Colleen Mason and family |
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WOMEN'S GUILD MEETING Wednesday, 5 March 7:00 p.m. St. Joseph Parish Hall We hope everyone will attend. You know, sometimes you have to push yourself to get out of the house! Especially during the winter. So, go ahead now! Push yourself! Do it! Push again! Go to the meeting! It will do you good! If you don't show up, we might talk about you! So show up! |
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By the way, did you know that SAINT JOSEPH DAY will not fall on 19 March this year? That's a fact! Why not? Because this is one of those years when the calendar gives us an unusually early Lent and Easter. Because of that, 19 March falls on Spy Wednesday (the Wednesday of Holy Week). We call it "Spy Wednesday" because of the tradition that it was on that day that Judas made the deal to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Mother Church says that we can't celebrate a Solemnity during Holy Week. It sends a wrong signal! So, Momma Church is transferring the Solemnity of Saint Joseph to 15 March this year. Now you know! If you don't like it, blame the Moon! It's the phases of the Moon that determine the date of Easter - and everything that depends on Easter. |
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BACK BY UNPOPULAR DEMAND! I fish, therefore I lie. |
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in the St. Joseph Parish Hall on Sunday, 2 March, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Meatballs will also be served. So also will salad be served. So, will Italian bread and butter and salt and pepper and grated cheese and oregano - all of these will be served. Only one question remains: WILL YOU BE SERVED? You will if you show up! And it would be nice if you would bring six bucks with you (three if you are 12 years old or younger). We hate to bring up the subject of money but, you know how it is! |
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A FEW WORDS ON THE DREARY SUBJECT OF MASTURBATION Masturbation is a word which,
when pronounced out loud or put into print, causes normally sensible
and stable persons to tremble - and to run inside and shut their
doors! EBC FOR ME THE REAL EVIL OF MASTURBATION would be that it takes an appetite which, in lawful use, leads the individual out of himself to complete (and correct) his own personality in that of another (and finally in children and grandchildren) and turns it back; sends the man into the prison of himself, there to keep a harem of imaginary brides. This harem, once admitted, works against his ever getting out and really uniting with a real woman. For the harem is always accessible, always subservient, calls for no sacrifices or adjustments, and can be endowed with erotic and psychological attractions which no woman can rival. Finally, among these fantasies the man is always adored, always the perfect lover; no demand is made on his unselfishness, no mortification ever imposed on his vanity. In the end, they become merely the medium through which he increasingly adores himself." C.S. Lewis 2352 The Catechism of the Catholic Church |
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RUMOR HATH IT that Father John
J. McNamara is going to retire! Actually, it's more than rumor. It's in the realm of fact. Father Mac announced it himself, so they tell me, from the pulpit of St. Stephen's this past weekend. Moreover, the Diocese has issued a memo saying that eight priests who have reached the canonical age of retirement (75) will be shuffling off to Buffalo sometime between mid-June and late July 2008. As everyone knows, Fr. Mac reached the "canonical age of retirement" about ten years ago! Father Mac has been in Port Carbon since shortly after the Lord ascended into Heaven. I remember - when I was still on the sunny side of thirty - being in a car with a group of priests, all of whom were a few years my senior. As I recall, we were returning to Allentown from some event (I forget what it was) in Schuylkill County. The priest who was the driver said, "Let's stop in and see Mac!" Being a passenger, I had no choice in the matter. So, I "stopped in to see Mac"! I remember that, at the time, old Father Hurley was living in the Rectory and Father Mac was taking care of him. I think (but I'm not certain) that Fr. Hurley was still, technically, the pastor and Fr. McNamara was his "administrative assistant" or something like that. I remember thinking that it was rather impressive that a relatively young priest, while having the responsibility of running a parish, should be taking care of an old priest. I remember, during my years as a teacher at Allentown Central Catholic High School (1967-74), hearing some of the faculty reminisce about "the great priests we used to have here at Central". I found out that Father McNamara was one of the ones they were referring to. I came to associate Father Mac with a "golden era" or, as they said at ACCHS, "the days of the giants". Over the years, my respect and affection for Father Mac have grown. He is a paradigm of a parish priest, a model for more than a few of the old-time virtues. [Think prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. Think manliness.] I would like to see Father Mac spending his retirement years living in a seminary. Give him a comfortable room or two or three - whatever he needs. He need not have any duties, other than to say Mass at his convenience and stroll around the campus, so that young men who aspire to the priesthood might observe him and say, "You know - if they ever ordain me a priest - I'd like to be a priest like that old guy!" Whether they know it or not, the people of Port Carbon have been singularly blessed. No doubt, some do know it. |
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CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS TO
ME? Why is this not news to me? |
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PLEASE PRAY FOR
two persons who died recently: MARGARET HANLON OTTERSON died on 23 February. She is the sister of St. Joseph parishioner Gregory R. Hanlon. IRENE ROEDING STECKLEY died on 29 February. She is the mother of St. Joseph parishioner Steward Steckley. Eternal rest grant unto Margaret and Irene, O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. |
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ANGELA M. CAIRNS, daughter of James and Marie (Garbetti) Cairns and
a member of St. Joseph Parish, was named to the Dean's List for
the Fall semester. Angela is a freshman at Elizabethtown College.
She is majoring in Elementary / Special Education. She was
also chosen to become a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, the Freshman
Honor Society. She will be inducted on 16 March. I might point out here that I always stuck up for Angela when everyone else said that she would never amount to a hill of beans. |
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WE SHARE THE MAIL Dear Brian: No apologies! No guilt!
No expressions of regret! Just omitted! Just like that! Like
it or lump it! Lord, have mercy! Christ have mercy! Lord have
mercy! With kindest regards - |
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THIS WEEK
Includes Exposition and Benediction of The Blessed Sacrament. |
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PUTTING A HOLD ON THE POINSETTIAS No final decisions have been made about the re-structuring / re-figuring / consolidation / merger / closure of parishes in Region #1 of the Deanery of South Schuylkill. Nor, as far as I know, have any final decisions been made about similar matters in any of the regions of any of the six deaneries of the Diocese. The Bishop of the Diocese is the only one canonically qualified to make such decisions and he has not yet made them. He wants the various suggestions and possibilities to be considered by the Diocesan Pastoral Council before he finalizes anything. He will make the best decision possible, given the facts presented to him, and we shall do as he says. In other words, let us not jump to any hasty conclusions before the Fat Lady sings. In fact, let's not jump to any conclusions! Best to walk towards them with measured pace. However, because, as pastor, I get paid big bucks to make executive decisions for my own two parishes, I decided this past week: (a) to purchase palm, paschal candles and lilies; (b) to defer submitting an order for poinsettias until I see what develops. |
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SAINT FRANCIS deSALES CHURCH %20Jan%202007/abu076.gif){kind=small} Saturday, 01 MarchVigil of Sunday 6:00 p.m. - DOMINICK J. D'ALESSANDRO by his parents Sunday, 02 March4th Sunday of Lent 9:15 a.m. - God's Blessings on SISTER MARY RAYMOND, OP by her sister, Carolyn 12:15 p.m. - FRED YUENGLING Sr. by Nancy Dunbrowney Haag Monday, 03 MarchSt. Katherine Drexel, virgin (OptMem) 10:00 a.m. - JEAN HARRIS MILLER by Joseph T. Cescon and family Wednesday, 05 MarchLenten Weekday 10:00 a.m. - Special Intention: CONVERSION OF JOHN AND JOANN by a family member Friday, 07 MarchSS. Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs (OptMem) 10:00 a.m. - In Thanksgiving to GOD THE FATHER by a grateful sinner Saturday, 08 MarchVigil of Sunday 6:00 p.m. - DAVID B. THORN by Joseph T. Cescon and family Sunday, 09 March5th Sunday of Lent 9:15 a.m. - DICK YUENGLING Sr. by Nancy Dunbrowney Haag 12:15 p.m. - KATHRYN SELINSKY LUPPINO by Grace Luppino Joy and sons |