Aug. 7, 2016 - Connellsville Roman Catholic Churches

August 6-7, 2016
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC PARTNER PARISHES OF
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, ST. JOHN AND ST. RITA
Pennsylvania Charitable Trusts
“The Catholic Community of Connellsville”
Office: 116 South Second Street
724-628-6840 Fax: 724-628-0838
www.connellsvillecatholicchurches.org
Pirohy-making expert Fr. Dan helps prepare for the
2016 Saint John-Immaculate Conception Festival.
Sacramental & Pastoral Information
Baptism: Call the Parish Office at least 3 months in advance to arrange
and schedule from the Parishes' available dates.
Marriage: Contact the Parish Office at least 6 months before the
tentative date is set.
Communion to the Sick: Any sick or homebound parishioner desiring
home Communion should notify the Parish Office.
RCIA: If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about
the Catholic Faith or interested in becoming a Catholic, please contact
the Parish Office.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Membership: If you are not receiving your church envelopes, your
membership might need updated. Please contact the Parish Office.
Cemetery Information: All questions about cemetery lots and deeds
should be directed to Lou Ann Lauffer, x101, at the Parish Office. If
you have concerns with the cemetery grounds, please call Dave Panzella at
724-323-5365.
Bulletin Deadline: Information must be received at the Parish Office or
emailed to ktweardy@dioceseofgreensburg.org by noon on Monday.
St. Vincent DePaul: Call 724-562-3341 if you or someone you know
is in need of assistance.
ST. JOHN
THE
EVANGELIST
Pastoral Staff - how may we serve you?
FR. BOB LUBIC
Pastor
thepunkpriest@gmail.com
LISA ANDURSKY
Administrative Assistant
landursky@dioceseofgreensburg.org
FR. DANIEL ULISHNEY
KAREN TWEARDY
Parochial Vicar
Parish Secretary
dulishney@dioceseofgreensburg.org ktweardy@dioceseofgreensburg.org
SR. MARY AGNES KIRSCH, SC
Archivist/Head Sacristan
mkirsch@dioceseofgreensburg.org
SR. DONNA MULLIGAN, SC
Director of Pastoral Ministry
dmulligan@dioceseofgreensburg.org
DAVID HERTZNELL
Facilities Manager
DAVID PANZELLA
Cemetery Care
Cell # 724-323-5365
MARY SAMPEY
Office Hours
Director of Evangelization
msampey@dioceseofgreensburg.org MON - THU
8:30am-noon & 1-4pm
LOU ANN LAUFFER
FRI
Business Manager
8:30am-1pm
llauffer@dioceseofgreensburg.org
(front office only)
JIM LEMBO
Director of Parish Operations
ST. RITA
OF
CASCIA
Mass Schedule
Saturday
Vigil:
4:00pm
6:00pm
St. Rita
I.C.
Sunday:
8:00am
9:30am
11:30am
St. Rita
I.C.
St. John
Daily Mass:
See bulletin for location
Confession:
5:15-5:45pm at I.C.
& by appointment
SUN, JUL 31, 2016
Stewardship of Treasure
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Adult .................................. $5,349.00
Children .......................................1.00
Loose Collection................... 473.21
Maintenance ............................. 44.00
Total: ........................ $5,867.21
Cemetery................................ $33.00
Assumption ............................ $10.00
Catholic Accent....................... $5.00
Catholic University ............... $10.00
Mission Co-Op ...................... $20.00
♦♦♦♦♦♦
ST. RITA
Adult .................................. $3,899.00
Children .......................................3.00
Loose Collection................... 257.35
Total: ........................ $4,159.35
Cemetery.................................. $5.00
Catholic Accent....................... $5.00
Mission Co-Op ........................ $5.00
♦♦♦♦♦♦
ST. JOHN
Adult .................................. $2,542.00
Children .................................... 15.00
Loose Collection................... 257.00
Total: ........................ $2,814.00
Cemetery................................ $15.00
Catholic Accent....................... $2.00
Mission Co-Op ........................ $5.00
Please pray for the repose of the
soul of KATHLEEN SOIKA GALIPEAU,
who died recently. May her soul
and the souls of the faithful
departed, through the mercy of
God, rest in eternal peace.
Help needed please.
Recall Jesus’ parable of
the sower and the seed
(the seed being God’s
Word). Not all the seed
fell on good ground, but what did
produced a super-abundant crop.
Several weeks ago our SVdP asked
for volunteers to fill the positions
of budget counselor and interviewer.
SUN, AUG 7, 2016
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Abraham. And Abraham moved.
The Letter to the Hebrews says,
“By faith Abraham obeyed when
Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
he was called to go out to a place
Stepping Out in Faith
that he was to receive as an inherSometimes you go with your gut. itance; he went out, not knowing
You cannot reason why. You feel where he was to go.” Ultimately, it
this is the right decision. You have worked. God made good on the
thought and prayed about it. You promise. Abraham received
“descendants as numerous as the
have weighed the pros and cons.
You cannot see on paper which is stars in the sky and as countless as
the right way. So you go with your the sands on the seashore.”
gut. You step out in faith.
We often think of faith as someOne of the greatest stories of faith thing irrational, as what we have
is Abraham’s. While he was living when there is no evidence. But
Hebrews says something else:
in Ur, contented but childless,
God asked him to move. To entice “Faith is the evidence of things not
seen.” We have faith because God
him, God promised Abraham
put it there. Faith is evidence of
descendants.
God. It makes sense when nothing
On one level, it made no sense. If else does.
you can’t have children in Ur, how Written by Paul Turner. Copyright © 2009,
could you have them in a foreign
Resource Publications, Inc., 888-273-7782,
All rights reserved. Reprinted
country? But something about that www.rpinet.com.
with permission from Lectionary Bulletin Inserts,
conversation with God moved
Year C: First and Second Readings.
Scripture Readings for This Week
MON: Ez 1:2-5, 24 - 28c; Ps 148:1-2, 11-14; Mt 17:22-27
TUE: Ez 2:8-3:4; Ps 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131; Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
WED: 2 Cor 9:6-10; Ps 112:1-2, 5-9; Jn 12:24-26
THU: Ez 12:1-12; Ps 78:56-59, 61-62: Mt 18:21 - 19:1
FRI:
Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63 or 16:59-63; Is 12:2-3, 4bcd-6; Mt 19:3-12
SAT:
Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32; Ps 51:12-15, 18-19; Mt 19:13-15
SUN: Jer 38:4-6, 8-10; Ps 40:2-4, 18; Heb 12:1-4; Lk 12:49-53
Altar flowers at St. Rita are in memory of Jean Humbert,
given by her sister, Judy.
Another need is for someone
to take messages from our
answering machine and pass
them to us. Thus far it appears
that most of the seed has fallen on
rocky or thorny ground. But we
are confident that some seed has
fallen on good ground, and that it is
just waiting for enough rain to cause
it to be fruitful, and that our prayers
will be answered.
Our intention is to structure these
positions so that they will not take
up an inordinate amount of anyone’s time. If you are interested in
learning if there is a role within the
Society for you in any capacity, call
one of our members directly or
call SVdP at 724-562-3341 and
someone will get back to you. Of
course, confidentiality in all positions is
a MUST!
Grief Support Group, MON, AUG 8,
at St. John Church, (not the rectory
this week), 2-3:30pm.
at home
Refresher training for current altar
servers, SAT, AUG 13, St. Rita at 10am.
Items for the SUN, AUG 20
bulletin must be received at
the parish office by noon on
TUE, AUG 9, due to the
Feast of Assumption on
MON, AUG 15.
All altar servers should attend.
Interested in becoming an Altar Server? Sign up and come to the first
practice on SAT, SEP 10 at 10am at IC. Students who have received
First Communion and will be entering 3rd grade are invited to be servers.
Adults are welcome, too, and are reminded that they need clearances.
Additional practice times to come. Call the parish office if interested.
All youth entering grades 7-12 and their parents are
invited to a Family Drive-In movie night on SAT, AUG 13
at the Comet Drive-In. We’ll meet at St. Rita's Social
Hall at 7:45pm and follow each other to the Drive-In.
Please call/email Mary if you’d like to come!
St. Rita Holy Name will meet SUN, AUG 14 after 8am Mass.
New members
are welcome. Coffee and donuts will be available.
In September, Connellsville Catholic Community Children’s Choir will begin
the 5th year of its mission to inspire others to praise and worship God
through song. The choir’s current enrollment stands at 21 and we’d
like to grow those numbers. All children in grades 3-6 are invited to
join. In addition, junior and senior high school students may join as
cantors and leaders of song. The choir rehearses at 11am on SATs at
Conn-Area Catholic and sings for liturgies, including Christmas and Easter,
in all three Connellsville partner parish churches on a rotating basis each
month during the school year. Parents of interested children may download a registration form from the parish website, connellsvillecatholicchurches.org, and clicking on the “Forms and Documents” button on
the right side on the website’s home page. Children should bring
the registration form with them on the first rehearsal date on
SAT, SEP 3. For further information, contact the choir's director,
Bob Broderick, at 724-628-9114 or editor45@zoominternet.net.
Interested in becoming Catholic or learning more about your faith?
Mary Sampey would love to talk to you! 724-628-6840, x108.
If you have any suspicion about the
sexual abuse (or any other type of
abuse) of a minor child by anyone
contact PA Childline immediately
at 1-800-932-0313. If the alleged
abuser is functioning in a parish,
school or diocesan position as clergy,
religious, paid staff or volunteer you
are also requested to contact the
Bishop’s Delegate for Matters of
Sexual Misconduct after you call the
Childline number and make the report. The Bishop’s Delegate may
be reached at 724-837-0901, x1221.
We need YOUR help to keep our
census accurate. Do your parish
records need to be updated? The
Parish Census should be revised
any time there is a change in status
in your household.
Please call Karen at the parish
office if:
 Your family moves
 An adult child moves away
 Singles marry and spouse
is not recorded
 There is a baby or other new
addition to your family
 You become separated or
divorced
 A member moves to a nursing
home or other care facility
 Your phone number changes
or you drop your landline
 You move into or out of one
of our parishes
Thanks for helping us keep your
records accurate!
Due to the
Italian Festival
being here in
Connellsville the last weekend of AUG, our schedule
for Mass on SUN, AUG 28
will be as follows:
8am Mass at St. John
9:30am Mass at I.C.
11am Outdoor Italian Mass
at Bradley Paint
parking lot
NO 11:30am Mass
OUR VISION IS TO LEAD ALL WHOSE LIVES WE TOUCH INTO A LIVING RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.
THIS IS HOW WE PLAN TO INTENTIONALLY ACHIEVE THAT THIS YEAR…
HOME-BASED OPTION: Families
YOUTH GROUP GRADES 7-12
with children in grades PreK-6 may
 Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of
For Families in our Faith Formation
choose a home-based option. Those
the month, 6-8pm in the Upper
families will be provided with a
Program, Grades PreK-6 AND all
Room beginning September 7th
textbook and lesson guidelines.
 Fellowship together – Break Out
parishioners
Parents choosing this option
in Groups
Every 2nd Wednesday of the month must turn in chapter reviews and
 Grades 7-8: helps Junior High
beginning September 14th at Geibel receive Certification through
youth unleash who they
Catholic (tentative), 5:45pm-8:15pm the Diocese of Greenburg.
were created to be in Christ
(excluding December and April)

Grades 9-12: Strengthens
CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD
for a total of 7 sessions (This is
our teens’ Catholic identity
instead of SAT mornings)
EVERY SUNDAY
 Encouraged to serve as Youth
FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH
Goals:
Volunteers for Foundations of
For Grades PreK-3 during the 9:30
 To encounter the person of
Faith every 2nd Wednesday of
and
11:30
Mass
Jesus Christ so that we may live
the month beginning Septem
Encourages
our
families
to
as disciples!
ber 14th at Geibel (service hours
make Sunday a priority, giving 2
can be received)
 To develop a strong sense of
Mass options
 In addition: retreats, Diocesan
family and community within
 Builds further community within
Faith Nights, social gatherings
our 3 parishes.
our PreK-3 members - receive
Theme for the Year: Sacraments
take home activities
RCIA / RCIC
 Families with children in
Dinner, Praise and Worship
(Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
Grades 4-6 are still strongly
Time, Break Out Sessions
and Children)
encouraged to attend Mass
Groups:
 Attend Foundations of Faith
1. Infants – age 3
S
ACRAMENTAL
P
REPARATION
Every 2nd Wednesday of the
with child care available
month beginning September 14th
For 2nd Grade ONLY
2. PreK-K
at Geibel
 In addition to Foundations of
3. Grades 1 and 2

Attend RCIA every 4th Wednesday
Faith or the Home-Based
4. Grades 3 and 4
of the month, 6:30-8:00pm at
Option in preparation for
5. Grades 5 and 6
Sciberras Hall (IC Social Hall)
Reconciliation and First Holy
6. Adults
beginning September 28th
Communion
Registration: $60/family for the
 Participate in Breaking Open of
 Every 3rd Sunday of the month
year, $30/single adult for the year
the Word Every Sunday at the
beginning September 18th,
(at least 1 parent per family
9:30 Mass
 beginning with 9:30 Mass and
must attend)
ending around 12:00pm (at
 Youth in grades 7-12 and adults
More details and mailings to follow in
least one parent attending)
are encouraged to volunteer,
the upcoming weeks. I hope you will
 Learning and formation engages
with no fee!
join in my excitement as we create
both children and adults
 If your children attend Catholic
disciples who will live for Jesus Christ!
school you are also encouraged
Christ’s peace
to attend!
and our Mother Mary’s love,
Mary Sampey
Geibel Jr.-Sr. High School invites
girls entering 7th/8th grade who are
members of Connellsville Catholic
Churches to play on their CYO
basketball team. The only condition
is that the players may not be
members of their public school
basketball team. Practices will be
held at Geibel starting in August
and away games are usually at
Uniontown, New Kensington, and
Murrysville. The season runs from
SEP to mid-NOV. Call coach Rob
Anderson at 724-984-1021 if you
are interested. The league is
sponsored by the Diocese of
Greensburg.
The next Natural Family Planning
CM-BBT Method Instruction is
scheduled for SAT, SEP 10, at 10am
at the Catholic Charities office in
Greensburg. Participants are
required to attend only ONE
session. Instruction, continued
support and follow-up are provided
by a medically certified CM-BBT
Professional. Call Mary Ann at
Catholic Charities at 724-837-1840,
x1658 for more info or to register
for this or an upcoming class.
Retrouvaille weekends offer help
to couples experiencing trouble in
their marriage. Weekends and
post sessions focus on better
communication, listening, and
understanding. Call today to begin
the healing process, with a weekend beginning on SEP 16. Call
Retrouvaille at 412-277-3434.
More information is available at
www.retrouvailleofpittsburghinc.org.
MON, AUG 8
ST. DOMINIC, PRIEST, RELIGIOUS FOUNDER
8:00am
St. Rita Charles Durket (Judy Schroyer)
8:30am
St. Rita Divine Mercy Chaplet
TUE, AUG 9
ST. TERESA BENEDICTA OF THE CROSS. VIRGIN, MARTYR
8:00am
St. John George, Fannie & John DeSimone (Ron Dellarose family)
WED, AUG 10
ST. LAWRENCE, DEACON, MARTYR
8:00am
St. Rita In thanksgiving (Joe & Gerri Panzella)
8:30am
St. Rita Adoration
THU, AUG 11
ST. CLARE, VIRGIN
8:00am
St. John Guldenschuh Family (Theresa G. Foley)
NOTE CHANGE OF CHURCH UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
FRI, AUG 12
ST. JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL, RELIGIOUS
8:00am
St. Rita Ratai Family (Sal & Mary Talone)
SAT, AUG 13
4:00pm
6:00pm
VIGIL
ST PONTIAN, POPE, MARTYR,
ST. HIPPOLYTUS, PRIEST, MARTYR
St. Rita James & Larry Gebadlo (Christa & Richard Askin)
I.C.
Evelyn Joan Collins (Family)
SUN, AUG 14
8:00am
St. Rita
9:30am
I.C.
11:30am
St. John
TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Michael & Sue Sapen (Linda Clabaugh Smith)
James E. Law (Wife, Mary Ann & Family)
Pro Populo
Please remember ALBERT DISSON, STEPHEN HOLUP and WILLIAM and
ADINA LONG, new additions to our prayer list.
WEEKEND MINISTRY SCHEDULE
ACOLYTE
CROSS
BEARER
M Domer
AUG 13
SR-4pm
S Dennison
J Domer
IC-6pm
G Galley
D DePaul
J Tlumack
AUG 14
SR-8am
E Kozel
T Barrett
D Barrett
IC-9:30am
L Puskar
J Puskar
D Elcock
SJ-11:30am
R Gaudiello
N Gaudiello
N Speeney
EXTRAORDINARY
MINISTER
A Merendino
L Sparks
R Brooks
N Lembo
J Geary
D Calinao
L Kozel
T Rose
C Porter
J Colvin
I McKenna
J Kosinski
J Speeney
P Akers
LECTOR
M Merendino
C Sparks
R Kozel
W Colvin
S DeSimone
Just a reminder: YOU are responsible for finding a substitute if you need one, and
for letting Lisa in the parish office know the sub’s name by NOON on MONDAY.
a parish which has
been suppressed,
thus its large
"collection." As a
result this puts a great
financial strain on
CONTINUING FROM LAST
Saint Joseph Cemetery. (Cemetery
WEEK'S RANT: You know what and parish funds are ENTIRELY
ELSE is expensive? CEMETERIES!
separate and cannot be mixed; this
And we are ESPECIALLY blessed
issue does NOT effect Immaculate
with them! Not one, not two, not Conception parish in any way.) Seveven three. No, the Connellsville
eral weeks back we published the
Catholic Community has NINE
cost of our major maintenance excemeteries! You read that correctly.
pense - grass cutting. There are othNINE! I am NOT going to list all er expenses as well, including elecnine of them here; rather the first tricity and water. Al-though Saint
TEN people who email me at
Joseph cemetery has a nice balance
thepunkpriest@gmail.com with the TODAY at the present rate our renames of all nine cemeteries will
serves will be exhausted in just
receive this handsome certificate
over a decade. Notice I said "at
entitling them to 1000 years off their our present rate." If you don't think
time in Purgatory! (Please be sure that the costs are simply going to
to read the terms and conditions.) INCREASE as the years go by, well,
The main problem we face is that I want to come join you in your
happy fantasyland of rainbows and
SEVEN of the cemeteries are the
responsibility of Immaculate Con- unicorns!
ception. As the territorial parish IC
"inherits" everything that belongs to
A relatively small endowment exists
for Saint Joseph Cemetery (and for the
other two NOT the responsibility of
IC), but the interest we make off of
that is far from enough to cover our
operating expenses. The goal is to
INCREASE the size of the endowment
so that ALL of the cemeteries can
be maintained in a dignified manner
in perpetuity. You might want to
keep this in mind the next time you
see the "cemetery care" envelope!
COVER PHOTO: Festival time
AGAIN! Oh what fun it is to be
able to enjoy more than one parish
festival each summer. Sure looks like
Fr. Dan was enjoying himself as he
helped the ladies make pirohy for the
Saint John-Immaculate Conception
festival! I have thoroughly enjoyed
seeing this festival do so well the past
three years. And it has warmed the
cockles of my heart to see how beautifully these two parishes have come
together. Nothing has exemplified this more than the decision of
the IC festival workers to hold the
festival PERMANENTLY at the Saint
John site; the initial plan was to rotate the location between the two
campuses. To maintain the spirit of
that original intention, the NAME of
the festival is rotated: last year it was
the Immaculate Conception-Saint
John Festival, this year it is the Saint
John-Immaculate Conception
Festival.
The Saint Rita Fair, with its 88-year
history is an INSTITUTION in this
town (an institution of which we all
should be rightly PROUD). It is
good to see this newcomer
(although of course not REALLY
new as it is the child of the former,
long-running festivals held by Saint
John and IC) on its way to becoming
an institution in its own right. The
Catholic Community here in the
Jewel of the Yough certainly makes
me one proud papa!