MASS SCHEDULE

Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm, Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 & 11:00 am, Morning Mass: 8:00 am (Monday-Friday)

Confessions: Saturdays 3:30-4:30 pm

Our Divine Savior Catholic Church

566 East Lassen Avenue, Chico, CA 95973

530-343-4248 / Fax 530-343-3538

E-mail: ourdivines@yahoo.com

www.ourdivinesavior.org

Parish Office Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00 am-3:00 pm

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Our Divine Savior Parish, a Roman Catholic community, nourished by God’s grace and the sacraments,

embraces the mission of Jesus Christ. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we live the gospel through our worship of

God and through loving service to one another and to the greater community.

First Sunday of Lent

February 22, 2015

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;

teach me your paths.

— Psalm 25:4

“Where two or more are gathered, there am I.”“Where two or more are gathered, there am I.”“Where two or more are gathered, there am I.”“Where two or more are gathered, there am I.” PARISH PERSONNEL

Parochial Administrator

Rev. R. Francis Stevenson

DEACON / SPOUSE

James & Stephanie Burkett

DIRECTOR OF

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Jennifer Forward, 345-6201

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

Cecelia Dickman, 802-1608

BOOKKEEPER / SECRETARY

Janet Bertagna, 343-4248

PLANT MANAGER/

SOCIAL HALL MANAGER

Rich Ripp, 518-3811

YOUTH MINISTRY

Rob Sheridan, 680-4294

odsyouthministry@yahoo.com

Facebook.com/odsyouthministry

PART-TIME SECRETARY

Bunny Ripp, 343-4248

CUSTODIAN SERVICES

Scott & Judy Keller, 898-8512

NURSERY CARE

Juliet Polk, 893-8092

Maura Polk, 893-8092

Rienna Boe, 342-4919

PARISH INFORMATION

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF

ADULTS

Emmitt Posey, 892-1985

BAPTISM PREPARATION

Deacon James Burkett, 893-2348

MARRIAGES

By appointment, 6 months in advance. Call

the Parish Office

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Sundays from 10:05am - 10:50am in the

Parish Hall

CHILDREN’S LITURGY

During the 11:00am Mass - Matt & Pamela

Meuter, 566-0425

PARISH MINISTRIES /

ORGANIZATIONS

ALTAR SERVERS

Kay & Dave Brandt, 343-8331

BEREAVEMENT /FUNERAL

RECEPTION COMMITTEE

Tamara La Rossa, 809-1782

BULLETIN ourdivines@yahoo.com , 343-4348 Deadline: Monday, 3:00 pm

Bulletin Advertising: Please call the Parish

Office, 343-4248

CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS

Greta Souza, 899-9938

CATHOLIC LADIES RELIEF SOCIETY

Susan Strubble, 345-4642

CATHOLICS RETURNING HOME

Deacon James Burkett, 893-2348

CHOIR

Choir rehearsal held weekly on Wednesday, 7:00-8PM in church. Contact Cecelia

Dickman, 802-1608

CONSOLATION MINISTRY

Lyn Dorenzo, 891-8026

FLOWER DONATIONS

Pat Mulholland, 891-8342

Norina Egan, 342-2027

HOLY SPIRIT PRAYER GROUP

Contact Deacon James Burkett, 893-2348, Sharon Haselton, 891-5334, or Nancy Overton,

899-1600.

INNER HEALING MINISTRY

Derette Layne, 530-588-4386 for a

confidential appointment.

JESUS CENTER

Randy Linquist, 894-0460

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS #13765

Mike Ferguson, 343-7178

LEGION OF MARY

Claire Richard, 893-1722

LITURGY MINISTRY Joanie Frericks, 345-4283

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER and

VOCATIONS COMMITTEE

Deacon James & Stephanie Burkett,

893-2348

MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

Friday mornings, 6-7AM in the Knights of Columbus Room at ODS Parish. Contact

Deacon Steve Schwartz, 891-0626, for details.

MINISTRY TO THE SICK

& HOMEBOUND

Maureen Vogel—Please call Parish Office,

343-4248.

PARISH FINANCE COUNCIL

Dave Abbott, 891-1491

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

Jim Earney, 918-520-1161

PRO-LIFE CATHOLIC MINISTRY

Mary Waldorf, 345-8638

PRO-LIFE ROSARY GROUP

This group meets the 1st Thursday of the month in the Prayer Room in office from 6-7 PM. For more information call Diane Lusk,

519-9749.

SMALL CHURCH COMMUNITIES If interested in joining one of the Small Church

Communities, contact Carol Weigel, 343-3885

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

Barbara O’Brien, 343-4248

TORRES SHELTER

Rich Nichols, 520-4418

WELCOMING MINISTRY

Charlie McCarthy, 520-0334

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

Tuesday mornings 9-11AM in the ODS Prayer Room. Everyone is welcome. Contact Terry Matthews, 893-1644, for

details

Weekly Readings Weekly Readings Weekly Readings Weekly Readings

Monday: Lv 19:1-2, 11-18; Ps 19:8-10, 15;

Mt 25:31-46

Tuesday: Is 55:10-11; Ps 34:4-7, 16-19;

Mt 6:7-15

Wednesday: Jon 3:1-10; Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18- 19; Lk 11:29-32

Thursday: Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25; Ps 138:1- 3, 7c-8; Mt 7:7-12

Friday: Ez 18:21-28; Ps 130:1-8;

Mt 5:20-26

Saturday: Dt 26:16-19; Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8;

Mt 5:43-48

Sunday: Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18;

Ps 116:10, 15-19; Rom 8:31b-34;

Mk 9:2-10

Reading the holy Scriptures (the Bible) confers two benefits. It trains the mind to understand them; it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God.

St. Isidore (560-636 AD) Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Sat 21 5:00 Jennie Ramos, d (Josie

Dahlstrome)

Steve Frericks, d (Joanie Frericks)

Fr. Charlie Fagan, d (Fr. Francis Stevenson)

Sun 22 7:30 Fr. Charlie Fagan, d (Fr. Francis Stevenson)

9:00 Pat Ward, d (Tom & Mary Ann Ward)

James LaRossa, d (Tamara

LaRossa)

Leroy Pustejovsky, d (Andy & Janet Bertagna)

Fr. Charlie Fagan, d (Fr. Francis Stevenson)

11:00 Simon Blas, d (Blas Family)

Fr. Charlie Fagan, d (Fr. Francis Stevenson)

Ines Williams, Special Intention (Tom & Mary Ann Ward)

Mon 23 8:00 Intentions from Hear Our Prayer Book

Tue 24 8:00 Ernie Noble, d (Rosemary Hull)

Wed 25 8:00 Living & Deceased Parishioners of ODS

Thu 26 8:00 Intentions from Hear Our Prayer Book

Fri 27 8:00 Doris Feder, d (Feder Family)

Mass IntentionsMass IntentionsMass IntentionsMass Intentions

THE MEANING OF OUR BAPTISM

Lent is the time of year that we devote to scrutinizing our lives in the light of our baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus. Today’s readings are a nice shorthand catechism of what our baptized lives mean. As Noah passed through the waters of the flood to a covenant with God, so did we enter into a covenant, a promised relationship with God through our baptism. The psalm reminds us that if we truly keep the covenant, the way of life God expects us to follow will not be a burden, but a source of love and truth. Peter’s letter gives one explanation of what our baptism means: it is an appeal that we make to God for a clear conscience. How do we obtain this clear conscience? The words that Jesus proclaims immediately following his temptation show us the way: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” It might be a good

spiritual exercise to keep these readings before us throughout the entire season of Lent, a means to help us return to a life lived in our baptismal promises.

Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

PARISH FINANCESPARISH FINANCESPARISH FINANCESPARISH FINANCES

Collection for

February 14 & 15 2015

Sunday Collection $ 6,807.16

Projects & Initiatives $ 832.99

Thank you for your constant

generosity and loyal support of Our Divine Savior.

PARISH NEWSPARISH NEWSPARISH NEWSPARISH NEWS

ONLINE GIVING: Have you considered online giving? By creating a login and contributing online you’ll always have a report of your giving history available. You can access your report easily and securely via the web, and your information will always be up-to date with your latest contributions. You can find the Online Giving link on ourdivinesavior.org and click on the link for Online Giving. For additional information, give Janet a call at the Parish Office, 343-4248.

GRIEF EDUCATION/

SUPPORT SERIES: The Consolation Ministry is sponsoring a series of support/education meetings beginning on Saturday, March 7th through April 25th. The meetings will be held from 10am –noon in the Large Meeting Room in

the Education/Office Building at 566 E. Lassen Ave. The sessions will focus on the various aspects of grief which one the natural response when we have experienced a major loss. To register please contact Lyn Dorenzo at 891-8026 – evenings or the church office at 343-4248.

SOUP SUPPERS AND

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Our ministries and organizations will once again be sponsoring our Soup Suppers and Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings during Lent. Soup will be served at 6 pm in the Small Reception Room of the social hall and the stations will begin at 7 pm in the church. This is a wonderful way to remember and honor Jesus’ journey to the crucifixion from beginning to end. Attending Stations of the Cross is a wonderful way to remind ourselves of the reason for the Lenten season, and to stay more diligent on our own path toward a more devout love for Christ and His Church.

FROM THE LIBRARY

��NEW IN THE CHILDREN'S

CORNER:

• "The Prayer of St. Francis", beautifully illustrated by Giuliano

Ferri.

• "Pascal and the Kitchen Angels", another delightful story by Tomie

de Paola.

• "The Easter Story", Stephanie Jeffs. Wonderfully illustrated by John Haysom. Here children will encounter the events of Jesus' last week on earth, from the Last

Supper to his glorious

Resurrection.

All these books and more are

available in the Parish Office,

M-F 10:00-3:00, Sun 11:00-12:00.

HOUSEHOLD

FURNITURE

NEEDED: SVDP is currently looking for

basic household furniture for a small apartment. Please call the Judith , 342-2676, if you have such items available. Also we continue to ask our parishioners, if they know of any reasonable, family housing accommodations for rent. Thank you all for supporting St.

Vincent de Paul.

PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR

PRAYERS

Bob Montgomery

Sandra Hughes

Jennifer Konyn

Michael Moriarty

Michel Desilets

Martha Gutierrez

Erin Wooldridge

Si Wrigley

Rachel Findlay

Patty Childs

David Jeffries

Rebecca Jayne

Chris Sauer

Elaine Puritz

Marjorie Yowell

Lorie O’Shea

REFLECTIONREFLECTIONREFLECTIONREFLECTION

IN THE DESERT WITH HIM: If we’re honest, many of us approach Lent with dread. A season

NEXT WEEKEND

Projects & Initiatives Fund

Collection

Chico Community Food

Locker Canned Food

of sacrifice sounds so harsh, so sterile. And forty days, no less! We look ahead with trepidation. What could be good about such a long, dark period?

Stop and look again. Yes, Lent brings a bit of the wilderness into our Christian year. It asks us to stand away from the comforts of life in the city. Lent calls us into the desert with Jesus. From the silent sands He beckons us to join Him in His trials, reminding us that He has walked the burning path first. And it is His blessed companionship that makes it worth the price. “Come, child, be alone with me and we will find a road through the desert together.”

Lenten Footsteps

Return O wanderer, return

And seek your Father’s face

Those new desires which in you burn

Were kindled by His grace

Return, repent and live anew

Obedient once more

And find your Lenten footsteps

Lead to Easter evermore

SCHOLARSHIPSSCHOLARSHIPSSCHOLARSHIPSSCHOLARSHIPS

SCHOLARSHIPS: Knights of Columbus ODS student scholarship applications are now available in the altar server room or see a Knight.

TRADITIONS TRADITIONS TRADITIONS TRADITIONS

TREASURES FROM OUR

TRADITION: Fasting may be a priority in your Lenten spring cleaning regimen. Almost every religious tradition recognizes that fasting is a key to heightened spiritual awareness. You know this from your own experience. When you are engaged in a hobby, painting a room, keeping vigil near a delivery room, or standing watch at a sickbed, you may simply forget to eat. What you are doing so fills you that the intensity of the action is itself nourishing. In fasting from food, or drink, or habitual behaviors, you make room for what is truly important.

Even though Lenten Sundays stand apart from the Lenten fast, you will notice traces of fasting in our liturgy. We fast from singing the Gloria and Alleluia, we fast from flowers bedecking the altar, and there may be a noticeable drop in the number of infant baptisms as parents elect to wait until Easter. This hints that fasting is a prelude to feasting, and the vigor of our Easter alleluias is rich fare after a long silence. In the same way, even a small fast—no cream in the coffee, no pepper in the soup, no radio in the car—can not only point to deeper hungers, but help us rejoice more fully in the feast when we break our fast together.

—Rev. James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

ST. JOHN’S PARISH ST. JOHN’S PARISH ST. JOHN’S PARISH ST. JOHN’S PARISH

LENTEN MISSIONLENTEN MISSIONLENTEN MISSIONLENTEN MISSION

LENTEN MISSION: Sunday March 8th (Focus on Youth) thru Thursday, March 12th. 6:30—7:30 pm in the church. Opening hymn,

Scripture reading, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Adoration Benediction and Confession.

ALTAR FLOWER

DONATIONS

In memory of Irvin Davila

Flowers will not be present on the altar during the Lenten season but remembrances can still be made to honor your loved ones. Donations will be used throughout the year to provide flowers on the altar. If you have any questions, call Pat

Mulholland, 891-8342.

2015 LENTEN 2015 LENTEN 2015 LENTEN 2015 LENTEN

ECUMENICAL SERIESECUMENICAL SERIESECUMENICAL SERIESECUMENICAL SERIES

Come and let your spirit be filled with hope during the season of Lent. On five Wednesday evenings, February 25 through March 25, an ecumenical gathering will take place and be hosted by Faith Lutheran Church at 667 E. First Avenue in Chico. Wednesday

Evenings 6: - 7:45 pm.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONRELIGIOUS EDUCATIONRELIGIOUS EDUCATIONRELIGIOUS EDUCATION

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: KINDERGARTEN-

EIGHTH GRADE

Our Divine Savior offers Religious Education classes for children in kindergarten-8th grade. Classes meet in the social hall on Sunday mornings from 10:05am-

10:50am. Registration information is available before classes begin or in the office. If you are new to our Parish or to our Religious Education programs please contact the Religious Education office for more information at 345-6201.

SACRAMENTS

It's the season of Sacraments. We currently have 19 students preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation and 32 students preparing to receive their First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.

Do you have children who need and want to receive the Sacraments? Students are eligible to receive their first sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion any time after 2nd grade. Our program is designed to accommodate students in 2nd-7th grade when they and their family are ready. Students are eligible to receive their Confirmation after 8th grade when they and their family are ready.

How do you know if your student and your family is ready? You are probably ready when your family is able to attend Mass and religious education classes regularly. Sacrament preparation is 2 years. We look forward to preparing for and celebrating this special time with our Parish families. Please contact the Religious Education office at 345-6201 for more information.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

The Religious Education programs and the Youth Group will be sponsoring our Friday Stations of the Cross on March 7th. We invite everyone to join us for soup in the social hall at 6PM and our children's version of stations in the church at 7PM. If your children have never participated in stations of the cross, this is a great child friendly environment for introducing them. All are welcome.

NET RETREAT DONATIONS

Thank you to all who took donation tags for our Confirmation NET Retreat. The retreat will be here at Our Divine Savior on February 28th and March 1st. You can bring donations to the office any time before February 25th. Thank you so much for supporting our youth!

WILL THIS BE THE BEST LENT

EVER? That is entirely up to you. Lent is not just about giving things up. Lent is about doing something. Doing something bold, becoming a

better husband, father, wife, mother friend, etc. The Dynamic Catholic program is a tool to help you do that. Each week, Matthew Kelly, the No. 1 best-selling Catholic author in America, will email you simple yet powerful messages that explain the genius of Catholicism and will inspire you to become the-best-version-of-yourself. The emails include videos, inspirational quotes, and spiritual coaching from Matthew. Don’t miss the opportunity to make this your best Lent ever. It’s simple, and the only cost is your commitment to live better each day this Lent. Go to DynamicCatholic.com and sign up today!

February Schedule

2/21 Fired Up Confirmation Conference

St. Francis High School, Sacramento

2/22 Religious Ed 10:05-10:50AM

Children’s Liturgy 11AM Mass

Confirmation Rite of Receiving 11AM Mass

2/28 NET Retreat for Confirmation Candidates

The Season of Lent is upon us! We have an opportunity to make sure our Lenten experience is not just about giving up chocolate and make it

the BEST LENT EVER! Don't get left behind! Join us for DESERT-ED: A meeting on

Lent this Sunday at Noon after the 11:00AM Mass!

Next Week: Join us for Bunko! We will learn to

play the Dice Game Bunko as well as enjoy food, fellowship and fun! Bring a friend.

Dive Deep Bible Study is Every Wednesday at 7:00PM. Take your Bible reading to a deeper level and come to know our Lord Jesus in His

Holy Word!

Our Youth Program would like to thank the K of C for allowing us to help serve at their St. Valentine's Day Dinner. We enjoyed serving

everyone and would like to thank all those who made donations to the ODS Youth Program.

DIOCESEAN NEWSDIOCESEAN NEWSDIOCESEAN NEWSDIOCESEAN NEWS

APPLY TO BE A COUNSELOR: Camp Pendola, the official summer camp of the Diocese of Sacramento, is accepting applications for counselors for the summer season. If you are at least 18 years old, have graduated from high school, love being in the outdoors, and enjoy working and playing with children, a summer camp job might be for you!

This year, the traditional summer camp program will be celebrating 55 years of serving children and youth ages 6 to 17. Camp Pendola exists to build lasting relationships and teach stewardship of God’s creations through Christian community living in the outdoors. For more information and our online application, check our web site www.pendola.org or email Lori Rosene, Camp Pendola Director, at lrosene@scd.org.

FAMILY ROOMFAMILY ROOMFAMILY ROOMFAMILY ROOM

Hunger is year-round!

When Our Divine Savior parish first began food

drives, under Fr. Simon's kind influence, the goal

was to collect food between Thanksgiving and

Christmas. As time went by, more and more non-

perishable food items were donated, sometimes to

the point of no space to collect them! For the last two

years, the food drive has been year-round, and the

community is invited to bring non-perishable foods

to Mass the first weekend of the month. Children are

encouraged to bring up the food during the offertory

procession, symbolizing our community outreach to

the hungry.

Just before he transferred, Fr. Renier asked Joan

Costa to prepare a report on the difference between

the two ways of handling food donations. It turns out

there is a big difference in the total amount of food

collected. The year-round drive brought in 700

pounds of food MORE than the holiday-only drive.

The obvious conclusion is that it works best to bring

food throughout the year.

Items are donated to the Food Locker, and the more

predictable availability of food allows them to meet

the needs of the hungry at every season, not just the

holidays. Join the effort! Bring your non-perishable

items (canned or dried) to Mass the weekend of Feb.

28-March 1. If you are too shy to bring them up to

the altar, you may be able to recruit a willing child,

or you can leave the food in the Altar Server's Room

off of the vestibule. Thank you for making this big

difference for our hungry brothers and sisters!