Celebrating Ordinary Time and First Reconciliation
My Dear Parishioners,
The Christmas season ends today with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. Starting on Monday we begin celebrating Ordinary Time, when we remember the day to day ministry of Jesus. While we have said goodbye to the Christmas decorations, we will try to keep the Poinsettias going for as long as possible. Any plants that are placed in the back hallway (by the crucifix) please feel free to take home with you. Some have already reported that last year’s plants came back nicely this year. Again, I want to thank Carla Venditti and Karen Baranowski for watering the flowers throughout this entire time; it is a large task and they have been very generous with their time. We got our flowers once more from the Molenaar greenhouse and they were quite spectacular. Thank you also to all those who memorialized a loved one on the Christmas Decorations envelope, your support helped to make our celebrations special. Those intentions have been on the reredos for the entire Christmas season.
This week our young people will be celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the very first time. Please keep them in your prayers as they come to experience the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus. Hopefully, we will see this as a reminder that we need to stay close to the Lord, and that whenever we have placed an obstacle in our relationship with God, He gives us the opportunity to have that obstacle removed.
May God Bless You,
Fr. Bordonaro
Archbishop has asked that the following letter be communicated to you this weekend.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Fulfilling the Church’s mission of mercy and the gospel call to love others as we love God, The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) collection funds Catholic agencies that work for the benefit of our brothers and sisters around the world. In providing humanitarian aid, resettling displaced individuals and families, and advocating on behalf of victims of atrocities such as human trafficking, the organizations supported by the CRS collection act from their belief that every individual is an equal heir of Christ’s love and care.
The annual Catholic Relief Services collection challenges American Catholics to put their faith into action and to see “Jesus in disguise” in the faces of the poor, and to support ongoing efforts to respond to their needs. The funds collected support vital Catholic programs that share in the Catholic mission of promoting the sacredness of human life. A small amount from the collection is retained by the Archdiocese to help cover local efforts to promote the collection.
The collection will be taken up in the parishes of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia the weekend of January 18 and 19, 2020. The American Catholic community, and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in particular, have always responded very generously to this annual collection.
I am grateful to you for your compassionate response. May you be blessed for your faithfulness to living the Gospel and recognizing Jesus in those in need.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
+ Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Philadelphia