Saturday, 15 March
Vigil of Palm Sunday
4:30 p.m. - RITA MONTI CHILLEMI (5th anniversary)
by his son, Anthony, daughter-in-law, Rose, and granddaughter, Marissa

Sunday, 16 March
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
7:45 a.m. - JOSEPH R. and MARTHA (Mitchell) FLYNN
by Albert and Martha Pascuzzo and family
10:45 a.m. - RONALD OWENS (anniversary of birth)by Kitty Owens DiCello

Monday, 17 March
Monday of Holy Week
12:05 p.m. - MIKE KALOVACK
by the Halsey family

Tuesday, 18 March
Tuesday of Holy Week
12:05 p.m. - God's Blessings and Health on JULIA SENITCH LAPLACA (95th birthday)
by Marie and Rose
7:00 p.m. - WILLIAM and HELEN FLAHERTY
by Liz Acker

Wednesday, 19 March
Wednesday of Holy Week
12:05 p.m. - RACHEL ANN SNINSKI
by her family 

Thursday, 20 March
Holy Thursday
On Holy Thursday, Mass is not celebrated until evening.
7:30 p.m. - H. ROBERT PICCIONI Sr. (anniversary of birth)
by his wife, Ann, and family

Friday, 21 March
Good Friday of the Lord's Passion
Mass is never celebrated on Good Friday.

Saturday, 22 March
Holy Saturday
Mass is never celebrated on Holy Saturday prior to the Easter Vigil.
Vigil of Easter
8:00 p.m. - PAUL and CAMILLE TEGANO
by their son-in-law, Jack Folino

Sunday, 23 March
Easter Sunday: The Lord's Resurrection
7:45 a.m. - CHARLES F. KUTCH
by his family
10:45 a.m. - RYAN A. WALTERS
by his family

Saint Joseph Parish
$1,653.00 from the envelopes and $148.00 from the plate. Thank you.
When one deducts from the sum of these two figures, $1,801.00 the parish's weekly financial obligation to the Diocese, i.e. assessments, $410.08 plus the weekly premiums for property and liability insurance, $160.01, the sum of which is $570.09, plus its weekly obligation to All Saints School, $941.06 the sum total of which is $1,511.15, one sees that $289.85 of this collection is available for operating the parish.

Saint Francis deSales Parish
$185.00 from the envelopes and $51.70 from the plate. Thank you.
When one deducts from the sum of these two figures, $236.70 the parish's weekly financial obligation to the Diocese, i.e. assessments, $46.15 plus the weekly premiums for property and liability insurance, $60.67, the sum of which is $106.82, plus its weekly obligation to All Saints School, $188.21, the sum total of which is $295.03, one sees that ($58.33) of this collection is available for operating the parish. This is a deficit!

 * A FEW THOUGHTS occasioned by the 95th birthday of Julia Laplaca:
"She is girt about with strength and sturdy are her arms. She enjoys the success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed…..She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs at the days to come…….Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

(Pr 31, 17-18; 25.30)

I take the occasion of her 95th birthday to thank Miss Julia for all the good work she has done and continues to do for our parishes. May God preserve her for years to come! And, when the time comes for her to rack it up, may she be in Heaven a good half hour before the devil knows she's dead.

THE PERSON WHO NEEDS TO READ THIS might not be ABLE to read it. So, someone who CAN read it might want to convey the information to the person who NEEDS to read it, if you follow me. So, here we go:

It has come to my attention that priests and lay people involved in the parish restructuring process have taken it upon themselves to make public announcements and also have speculated publicly about portions or entire regional plans that are either under discussion or have been submitted to the Diocesan Pastoral Council and Council of Priests for consideration.
I remind all priests involved in the regional committee work that they have been asked to remain confidential about on-going or completed deliberations of their respective regional committees. I ask again that strictest confidentiality be maintained. Rumors and speculation on these matters not only place a greater burden on the members of the regional committees, the Diocesan Pastoral Council and the Council of Priests, but also does a grave disservice to the faithful of the Diocese whose relationship to their parish and the greater Church is being harmed by such rumors and speculations. In this critical hour when so much work has been completed and so much remains to be finished, the cooperation of all the clergy is urgently needed.
All official communications to the parishioners will be done through the Office of Communications concerning summaries of the work of the regional committees and, eventually, from communication by Bishop Cullen himself. As these official communications are made, please make reference to them and them alone. You may also direct inquiries to the diocesan website at www.allentowndiocese.org which contains all of the past and current official communications about this process.

Litany to Saint Philomena

(composed by St. John Vianney)

Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Queen of Virgins, pray for us.
St. Philomena, pray for us.
St. Philomena, filled with the most abundant graces from your very birth, pray for us.
St. Philomena, faithful imitator of Mary, pray for us.
St. Philomena. model of Virgins, pray for us.
St. Philomena, temple of the most perfect humility, pray for us.
St. Philomena, inflamed with zeal for the Glory of God, pray for us.
St. Philomena, victim of the love of Jesus,pray for us.
St. Philomena, example of strength and perseverance, pray for us.
St. Philomena, invincible champion of chastity, pray for us.
St. Philomena, mirror of the most heroic virtues, pray for us.
St. Philomena, firm and intrepid in the face of torments, pray for us.
St. Philomena, scourged like your Divine Spouse, pray for us.
St. Philomena, pierced by a shower of arrows, pray for us.
St. Philomena, consoled by the Mother of God, when in chains, pray for us.
St. Philomena, cured miraculously in prison, pray for us.
St. Philomena, comforted by angels in your torments, pray for us.
St. Philomena, who preferred torments and death to the splendors of a throne, pray for us.
St. Philomena, who converted the witnesses of your martyrdom, pray for us.
St. Philomena, who wore out the fury of your executioners, pray for us.
St. Philomena, protectress of the innocent, pray for us.
St. Philomena, patron of youth, pray for us.
St. Philomena, refuge of the unfortunate, pray for us.
St. Philomena, health of the sick and the weak, pray for us.
St. Philomena, new light of the church militant, pray for us.
St. Philomena, who confounds the impiety of the world, pray for us.
St. Philomena, who stimulates the faith and courage of the faithful, pray for us.
St. Philomena, whose name is glorified in Heaven and feared in Hell, pray for us.
St. Philomena, made illustrious by the most striking miracles, pray for us.
St. Philomena, all powerful with God, pray for us.
St. Philomena, who reign in glory, pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V.) Pray for us, Great St. Philomena,
R.) That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
We implore Thee, O Lord, by the intercession of Saint Philomena, Virgin and Martyr, who was ever most pleasing to Thy eyes by reason of her eminent purity and the practice of all the virtues, pardon us our sins and grant us all the graces we need (and name any special grace you may require). Amen.

NOTE and EXPLANATION
There is a rather memorable woman - a member of St. Joseph Parish - who has a particular devotion to Saint Philomena.
This woman is not a shrinking violet. For quite some time, she has been asking the pastor and pleading and begging with him to include in the bulletin a prayer to Saint Philomena, so that the outcome of the parish restructuring process will be such that the best interests of God and of the people will be preserved.
[I think the woman's preferences and opinions in the matter of parish restructuring are a bit more specific than that - but that is an incendiary topic, which we shall not touch upon here, not even with a ten-foot pole.]
The pastor, the history of whose devotion to St. Philomena leaves something to be desired, has been resisting the woman's request for quite some time but, like the corrupt judge in the parable, has decided to give in, lest this woman do him harm.
May God, through the intercession of St. Philomena, enlighten and guide the Bishop and all of us in these interesting times in the history of the Diocese of Allentown.

If Eliot Laurence Spitzer had known the following, he would not be resigning his very nice job as Governor of New York tomorrow (Monday, 17 March). But, alas for him, he did not know it (or chose to ignore it) and, so, he will join the ranks of the unemployed.
QUESTION
SHOULD I OR SHOULD I NOT ENGAGE IN SEXUAL INTIMACY WITH A PARTICULAR PERSON TO WHOM I FEEL A STRONG ATTRACTION?
This is an important question. Being able to answer this question correctly and confidently is vital to living a successful life.
ANSWER
There are two criteria:
(a) Gender complementarity
(b) Spousal relationship
In regard to (a):
If you (the person feeling the attraction) are a MALE, then the person towards whom you are feeling the attraction must be a FEMALE.
Conversely, if you (the person feeling the attraction) are a FEMALE, then the person towards whom you are feeling the attraction must be a MALE.
In regard to (b):
Having established gender complementarity and the consequent appropriateness of the attraction, you must now ask whether or not the person under consideration is your SPOUSE, i.e. your HUSBAND or WIFE.

Once you have determined that the person is, indeed, your SPOUSE - the person to whom you are well and validly married (i.e. "married in the eyes of God") - then the rest is relatively simple. All you need do is approach him (or her) and ask when it might be appropriate and convenient for the two of you to do what you have in mind. Listen closely to what he or she has to say, discuss details or fine points if necessary, come to a mutual agreement and, then, follow through - doing all things decently and respectfully, of course, and being mindful of one another's best interests. And remember to be joyful and grateful!
However, if you have determined that the person is NOT your SPOUSE, then it is clear that you should NOT engage in sexual intimacy with him or her. Indeed, you MUST not do so, on peril of your soul - and maybe even of your job - even if there seems to be some mutuality of attraction between the two of you.
As you can see, the answer to the question posed above is marvelously plain and simple. Learn it! Break up into small discussion groups and discuss it! Teach it to your children when it is appropriate for them to learn it. Then live a long and happy life!

EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO SAINT PATRICK DAY THIS YEAR ON THE LITURGICAL CALENDAR, there is no Church law that says you can't put an Irish joke or two or three into the parish bulletin on this weekend prior to 17 March.
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Mary Clancy goes up to Father O'Grady after Sunday Mass and she's in tears. He says, "So what's bothering you, Mary my dear?" She says, "Oh, Father, I've got terrible news. My husband passed away last night." The priest says, "Oh, Mary, that's terrible. Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?" She says, "That he did, Father." "And what might that have been?" asks Father O'Grady. She says, "Well, just before he died, he looked at me and said, 'Now, Mary, would you do me a favor, please? Would you put down that damn gun?' "
**************************************
An Irishman who had a little too much to drink is driving home from the city one night and, of course, his car is weaving violently all over the road. A cop pulls him over. "So," says the cop to the driver, "where have ya been?" "Why, I've been to the pub of course," slurs the drunk. "Well," says the cop, "it looks like you've had quite a few to drink this evening."
"I did all right," the drunk says with a smile. "Did you know," says the cop, standing straight, and folding his arms across his chest, "that a few intersections back, your wife fell out of your car?" "Oh, thank heavens," sighs the drunk. "for a while there, I thought I'd gone deaf."

**************************************
Six retired Irishmen were playing poker in O'Leary's apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest, and drops dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen comrade, the other five continue to play, standing up. Michael O'Connor looks around and asks, "Oh, me boys, someone's got to tell Paddy's wife. Who will it be?" They draw straws. Paul Gallagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don't make a bad situation any worse. "Discreet??? I'm the most discreet Irishmen you'll ever meet. Discretion is me middle name. Leave it to me." Gallagher goes over to Murphy's house and knocks on the door. Mrs. Murphy answers, and asks what he wants. Gallagher declares, "Your husband just lost $500, and is afraid to come home." "Tell him to drop dead!" says Murphy's wife. "I'll do that right now!" says Gallagher.

COMMUNION IN THE HAND
Here are two interesting facts from Church History. You can check them out in The Catholic Encyclopedia.
#1 - There was a synod (Church council) in the year 839 in Cordoba (Spain). The purpose of the Synod was to deal with "fanatical heretics" from North Africa, called "the Casiani". What was the agenda of the Casiani? They "professed loose doctrines regarding marriage, rejected veneration of relics, demanded more rigor in fasting, declared unclean certain foods, and insisted on receiving the Eucharistic Host each in his own hand, etc. (emphasis mine)
Comment
Wow! Can you imagine the nerve of those Casiani?
They wanted the bishop, priest or deacon to put the Sacred Host directly into their hands! Gee, I'm sure glad the Synod of Cordova condemned those loony tunes! (Yes, I'm being ironic!)
#2 - There was another synod in the year A.D. 878 in Rouen (France). This synod confirmed the norm in force regarding the manner of distributing Holy Communion, viz. placing the Sacred Host on the tongue of the one receiving. Apparently there were some priests and deacons who were putting the Host in the hands of the persons who were coming up for Holy Communion. The Synod threatened these priests and deacons with suspension from their offices if they dared to place the Host in the hands of the people.
Comment
Thank God for the Synod of Rouen! If they had not settled the hash of those priests and deacons who dared to put the Sacred Host into the hands of the people, can you imagine where we would be today?
We would probably have some bishops, priests and deacons who would think it was a good idea to do the same. (Yes, I'm being ironic again!)

Let us pray for a return to the Eucharistic piety of our ancestors in the Faith in the Synods of Cordova and of Rouen!

We shall be hosting the South Schuylkill Holy Name folks at the Palm Sunday Stations of the Cross.
In addition, we wish to acknowledge the feast of our patron saint. (The Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary was observed on Saturday, 15 March this year.)
So, we invite everyone to go over to the Hall after Stations.
We shall have sandwiches and a fruit tray and a cheese platter and chips and pretzels and cake and beverages.
Most of all, we hope to have the pleasure of your company!
Everyone is invited.