St. John the Baptist Parish - John Patrick Publishing Company

March 31, 2019 – Fourth Sunday of Lent

232 St. John the Baptist, Ottsville

The Roman Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist Parish Administered by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart

4050 Durham Road, Ottsville, PA 18942 Phone 610-847-5521 ~ Fax 610-847-5522 ~ www.stjohnsottsville.org

www.misacor-usa.org

The Prodigal Son c. 1669

The Prodigal Son

c. 1669

Rembrant’s The Prodigal Son c.1669

GOD

WWAITS ON TTHE

LOST.

HIS MERCY AND LOVE

IS GIVEN

TO ALL.

MARCH 31, 2019 – FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Page 1 | 232 St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

PARISH STAFF Pastor: Rev. Simione R. Volavola, M.S.C. Parochial Vicar: Rev. Tony Ripp, M.S.C. Dir. of Religious Education: Donna Sciacca Parish Secretary: Rebecca Tirpok Finance Manager: Carolyn Marchese

PARISH SPIRITUALITY

Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00pm Sunday: 8:00am & 10:30am

Mon - Fri: 8:35am Holy Days: 9:00am & 7:30pm

CONFESSION: Saturdays 4:15pm - 4:45pm or by appointment. REGISTER: Please contact the parish office to register when you move into the parish. Only registered parishioners, in good standing, can receive a Certificate of Eligibility to act as a Godparent or sponsor.

BAPTISMS: The Sacrament of Baptism is administered on the fourth Sunday of every month. Parents are encouraged

to invite family members to the 10:30 Mass as the Sacrament of Baptism takes place immediately following the Mass. Parents and Godparents must attend an enrichment class approx. 1 month prior to the Baptism. You will need to call the Parish Office to register for this class. A Godparent must

be a committed, practicing Catholic, and if from another parish, must provide a certificate of eligibility from their pastor. This certificate should be brought to the enrichment class. A Christian of other denominations may serve as a Godparent along with a practicing Catholic.

MARRIAGE: A Saturday Mass for the Sacrament of Matrimony may be celebrated no later than 1pm. Couples planning marriage are to contact the parish office & schedule a meeting with our wedding coordinator no later than 6 months in advance of the wedding. Shorter preparation

periods must be approved by our Pastor. Couples will meet several times with the Pastor throughout the preparation process. Couples are to attend a Pre-Cana program approved by our Pastor.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK: Please call the rectory at anytime for the Sacrament of the Sick. Also the Holy Eucharist will be brought to the sick and shut-ins upon request to the Parish Office. We celebrate a Communal Anointing of the Sick in June, near the Feast of St. John the Baptist.

For the Week of April 1- 7, 2019 Mass Intentions

Morning Prayer in St. Joseph Chapel, Mon. – Fri. at 8:15am

Mon. – Thurs. 8:35am / Friday 9:00am Monday: Tony Eccavaria (Jackie Litzenberger) Tuesday: Intentions for Fr. Tony (Harold Rick) Wednesday: Maria Meier (Ron Meier) 7pm - Confessions 7:30pm: Parishioners’ Intentions Thursday: Billy Sadler (Ron & Diane Watson) FIRST FRIDAY: Dr. Kristen Carlin (Jim & Joan Black) 24-hr. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament follows Mass. 7:30pm - Stations of the Cross

Weekend Masses

Saturday 9am: Benediction & Closing Mass 5pm: Angie Abate (Donna Sciacca)

Sunday 8am: Parishioners’ Intentions

10:30am: Dot Blaszczyk (Roney Family)

Ministry Meetings this Week Mon. April 1: Walking with Purpose, 7pm – SJB Mtg. Rm. Tues. April 2: Choir Practice, 7pm - Church Wed. April 3: Flame of Love Rosary, 8am – Church Divine Mercy Chaplet, 3pm – Chapel RCIA, 3:30PM – Parish Office Fri. April 5: Meatless Potluck Dinner, 6pm – Parish Hall Sat. April 6: Men of Faith, 8am – Marian Room

Weekly Mass Collection

Envelopes / Parish Giving March 24th: $ 6,618.00 / $ 555.00

Thank you for your generosity!

FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON PARISH VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.stjohnsottsville.org

AND DON’T FORGET TO “LIKE” our Parish Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ottsville



AA Letter from OOur Pastor, Father Simi

Dear brothers and sisters,

“We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

2 Cor 5:20 When we do not have a relationship with God that is the most important relationship in our life, then, like the prodigal son and his elder brother, we have insulted God and wished Him dead. We have divided his property amongst ourselves and have removed Him from our life, because everyone we love in our life, and everything we own, and our very own life belong to Him. They are his property. When we do not remain with Him in faithfulness, and go off and enjoy and squander His property without Him, we, like the two sons have wished Him dead. We are all in that parable. We are the two sons. We are all guilty of the sin of alienating God the Father from our lives. We are so richly blessed with all His gifts in our lives. The people we love and love us, the property we own, and our very own life, are all His. Yet we do not see Him as the source of these gifts and choose to value these gifts more than we value our relationship with Him and our duty to Him. Until we repent and return to the Father, and stay in His home, we will be the ones who die in hunger and in isolation, completely separated from our Father, His family, the Church, and even the people we love and the property we thought we owned we will lose. We lose everyone and everything. We lose our very own dignity as persons and as children of the Father. As our Lord tells us in the parable, we become worse than the pigs. This is the death we will suffer. Today we are called to repent and return to the Father. The younger son chose to repent. The elder son did not. With the younger son, we only need to admit to our sins and beg the Father for forgiveness. And the Father will gladly embrace us in our repentance and restore to us our dignity as children of His, the Most HIgh. If we refuse to repent like the elder son, we shall remain outside of the Father’s festive banquet of love. We shall remain dead. Brothers and sisters, our dignity as God’s children was restored to us in our baptism in Christ. As St. Paul tells us in the second reading, “Whoever is in

Christ is a new creation. (2 Cor 5:17) But like the Corinthians, as new creation in Christ, we are called to continuing reconciliation, continuing conversion to God. We must not become complacent like the elder son in the gospel and think we do not need to repent. Just because we remain in the Father’s home, the Church, does not mean that we are entitled to God’s blessings without the need to repent. Our Passover from sin to eternal life in the Father began with our baptism but has not been completed. We are still passing over. Christ must still continue to help us pass over to the fullness of the Father’s banquet in Heaven. The Passover feast that is our food for this journey to the banquet in Heaven is the Passover of the Holy Eucharist. As humble pilgrims on this earth who are passing over to the Father’s house in Heaven, we must continually repent, continually examine our conscience and see the way in which we continue to disown and alienate the Father here on earth. Our Lord Jesus Christ today helps us to see our own sins, to admit them and with Him beg the Father’s forgiveness in the sacrament of His mercy, the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Brothers and sisters, today St. Paul together with all the saints appeal to us here at St. John the Baptist Parish, “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God! Fr. Simi.

FATIMA HOUSE RETREAT CENTER

Bedminster, PA “A Quiet Country Retreat Center”

Offering Day & Overnight Retreats for Individuals & Small Groups

Monday, 7pm: Adoration & Prayers Wednesday, 9:30am: Adoration & Prayers 3rd Sunday, 12pm: Adoration & Prayer for Vocations 1st Saturday 10am- Rosary, Confession, Mass, & Lunch For more information or directions, please call Joan Black

at 215-536-3508, or visit us at fatimahousebedminster.webs.com



TEACH the CHILDREN

Scripture Ref: Exodus 12:1-40 The Passover is one of the most poignant stories in the Old Testament, it also foretells of the coming of Jesus and of His death on the cross. Passover is still celebrated today by those of the Jewish faith. God’s people, descendants to a man named Israel, had been in

slavery in Egypt for 400 years. God had promised that He was going to bring His people out of Egypt and send them to a new land… a Promised Land. Moses was chosen by God to be the

one to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. But first Moses must take God’s message to the ruler of Egypt, the Pharaoh

Ramses, “LET MY PEOPLE GO!” But the Pharaoh just laughed at Moses and sent him away. God sent Moses back with a warning, “a plague that would fall upon all of Egypt if God’s

people were not freed.” But the Pharaoh just laughed harder. After each plague, Moses would return with the same message from God and still the Pharaoh would not let God’s people go.

By now God had sent 9 plagues upon all of Egypt. God was now going to send one last plague…one that was worse than all

the other plagues had been. The 10th plague...the firstborn child in each family, all throughout Egypt would die in one night. Now the God’s chosen people learned of 10th plague that was coming and were scared. How would the firstborn of the Jewish families not die along with the Egyptian firstborn children? God intervened for His People. God gave them a way to avoid this plague. He told them exactly what to do to keep their firstborn from dying. They were to get a lamb (or small goat) for each family. They were to take care of it in their home for 2 weeks. Then they were to slaughter the lamb at twilight. When they slaughtered the lamb, they were to take some of its blood and spread it along the top and both sides of the doorframes of the house where they would eat the meal. They were to roast the lamb and eat it that night, with not enough time for bread to rise, they ate the lamb with unleavened bread, fully dressed, as they waited for the LORD to release them from slavery. For God said, “The blood would be a sign. I will see the blood, and pass over you.” Whoever had obeyed God’s command and put the lamb’s

blood on their doorframes, the LORD did indeed pass over them and they were safe in their homes. The Passover Lamb foreshadows Jesus’ death for us on the cross. Before Jesus died on the cross, the people crucified Him, they put a crown of thorns on His head, and pierced His hands and His feet with nails and hung him on the cross to die. When the Israelites put their faith in God and placed the blood of the Passover Lamb on their doorframes, they were saved. God sees Jesus’ blood, which was shed for us, and we

are saved; just like when He saw the Passover Lamb’s blood and the Israelites were saved. The children of Israel were brought out of slavery in Egypt that night, and when we believe in Jesus we are brought out of slavery to sin.

eproese ns Jesus, the light of the world. Jesus said,

April 11th at 7pm

Join us for the 4th Annual KLS Breakfast, and Change the World, One Miracle at a Time!

May 16th, 2019 4th Annual KLS Fundraising Breakfast (Knowing, Loving, Serving, Leading)

Mr. John Mundy, Headmaster

610-847-5523 / [email protected] Mrs. Amy Mattle, Admissions Director: 267-424-5762

www.rasjb.org

SJB PREP & SCHOOL 6th Grade

Students & Parents 2020

Confirmation Class

The first Parent/Student planning meeting has been rescheduled to TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019 – 6:30pm in the school gym.



All PREP STUDENTS IN GRADES 2–7 ARE OBLIGATED TO ATTEND IN PLACE OF PREP CLASSES THIS WEEK. PLEASE ARRIVE BY 6:15PM, ENTER THE MAIN CHURCH & SIT WITH YOUR CLASS. ATTENDANCE WILL BE TAKEN AT THE START OF THE PEANCE SERVICE.

There’s an old saying that goes,

“Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.”

Do you know someone who has been away from the church for a while? During this Lenten season, a time of forgiveness and renewal - Invite them back! Let them know they are missed and always welcome. If they say No, that’s okay.

Gently encourage them to visit: www.catholicscomehome.or

CCome spend some time with JESUS before

THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

LOOKING FOR MONTHLY ADORERS! Short & Long term commitments available.

Sat.: 12am –1am, Need 1Adorer Sat.: 1am – 2am, Need 1 Adorer Sat.: 2am – 3am, Need 2 Adorers Sat.: 3am – 4am, Need 1 Adorer

MISSIONARIES of the SACRED HEART VILLA

SPRING RAFFLE

Help support our local MSC.

Donation $5.00 per ticket. Each ticket gets you closer to winning

a cash prize every day in April! $50.00 each weekday $100.00 each Sunday

Easter Sunday Drawing $500.00 Tickets available from the Parish Office.

THEME BASKET BINGO (These are not Longaberger Baskets)

Sunday, April 14, 2019

Doors open 12pm, Games begin 1pm Tickets $25 for 20 Games 50/50 / Lunch for sale!

EASTERN UPPER BUCK SENIOR CENTER 8040 Easton Road (Rt. 611)

ph. 610-847-8178

Lenten Parish Penance Servvicce Tuesday, April 9th at 6:30pm



Please remember in your prayers our parishioners, who are sick, homebound, in the hospital, under hospice or residential care. Susan Ackerman, Lillian Appleman, Patricia Baker, Nancy Beans, John Becker, Loretta Bodisch, Dominic Chiarello, Anne Colyer,

Charlene Cornell, Matthew Crance, Jim Crawford, Chrissy Davis, Joy Davis, MaryJane Deutsch, Larry & Joanne Diehl, Terry Dunn, Arlene Eichlin, Marvin Eichlin, George Farrelly, Charles Fees, Jr., John Finn, Patricia Fite, Crystal Fleck, Sarah Fleck, Thomas Fleck, Herman Fleck, Claire Fratrik, Janet Galen, Kathi Gallegher, Kathleen Gaughan, Dylan Geroni, Kathy Geroni, Marie & Rosalyn Giardullo, Anna Giebler, Mary Halwski, Maryann Hauber, Bill Hejnor, Joyceann Heley, Michael Heuston, Sharon Horvath, Charles Houston, Leo Inglin, Martha Juchnowicz, Carol Knight, Valerie Korbar, Aleena Lang, Nate Leidtke, Ryan Leven, Kathy Lightkep, Marie Louzon, Charles Lutcavage, Loretta Malloy, Jill Martindell, Adelaide McElderry, Carol McGlinchey, Bridget McHugh, Anne McLaughlin, Anne McNichol, Emma Michael, Maria Middleton, Nancy Moreno, Lorraine Mosolgo, Harvey Mueller, James O’Hanlon, Gabrialle Otero, Gary Palmer, Helen Pepkowski, Victoria Pepkowski, Nicholas Powell, Don Raman, Mike Ramos,

Rachael Rice, Gregory Rickert, Joy & Teddy Rodman, Sandy Romaszewski, Sam Rothman, Frederick R. Rude, Dolly Rutherford, Zina Sauerwine, Bob Sheetz, Lana Schell, Ronald Schultz, Sr., Frank & Joyce, Mary Jane Shuman, Baby Ella Stack, Jenna Stanzio, Shane Stroup, Sean Thatcher, Baby William Patrick Thomas, Cynthia Tocci, Maddie Tomaszewski, Douglas Toner, Betty Ventresca, Helen Wall, Diane Wesoski, Maryjane Whealton, Tamara Widmer, Edward Wismer, Baby Logan Yoder, Liem Zbyszinski

THANK YOU FOR SERVING & PROTECTING

OUR FREEDOMS. Jamie Steven Ayuso, Fionna M. Boyle, Derek Brosius, Christopher Brune, Kyle Crossland, Casey de Lauretis, Michael Froeder, A.J. Giovino, Aaron Given, Matthew Gumprecht, Bob Hankinson, Victor Hormilla, Stephen Lindmeier, Jason Litschauer, Cory Litzenberger, Dan O’Connor, Jonathan Pucci, Dusty Rhodes, Craig Russell, Don Valdez.

April 6th & 7th: 5th Sunday of Lent

April 12th: MARIAN STATIONS OF THE CROSS Lead by Kathy Jones

Extraordinary Minister

Lector

Altar Server

Music

Saturday

5 PM

Joan Black Joe Cegielski

Dorothy Cegielski Jackie Litzenberger

Helene Bell

Need

Volunteers

Liz Torgerson

Fred Furmaniak

Sunday

8 AM

Cathy Leidtke Renee Moyer Donna Nice

Bea Romaszewski

Jeanne Keller

Natalie Nice

Need Volunteers

Ordinary Time

Sunday

10:30 AM

Joan Beebe Wendy DeGroot Lynn Gammello Leona Russell

Christina Crews

Dakota Campbell

Joseph Gonzales fleck Paige Mattle

Amleto Pucci Karen Parash

April 12

Stations of the Cross 7:30 PM

N/A

Leader:

Kathy Jones

Need

Volunteers

Mary Pucci Sue Rogers

ALL BULLETIN SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED by 12:00 pm on the Monday preceding the intended bulletin publication date. Email submissions to [email protected]

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Documents

St. John the Baptist Parish - John Patrick Publishing Company