Thursday, November 13, 2014

Religious Education Classes Early Dismissal on Sunday November 23rd

In anticipation of Bishop Gainer's visit on Sunday November 23rd, Religious Education students WILL BE DISMISSED AT 10:15AM instead of 10:30am to help ease the traffic congestion in between the Masses.  Thank you for your understanding!  

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Good Shepherd Adoration Chapel to celebrate 20th Anniversary

GOOD SHEPHERD PERPETUAL ADORATION CHAPEL CELEBRATES 20 YEARS!!!


On Sunday November 23rd on the Solemnity of Christ the King our bishop the Most Reverend Ronald Gainer will be present for the 10:45am Mass to celebrate the chapel's 20th anniversary.  We invite all adorers and members of St. Patrick Church to join us for this special occasion!  Bishop Gainer will also be attending the luncheon following Mass.  

The invitations have been sent out. If you did not receive one and are interested in attending on Sunday, November 23, you can pick up an invitation in the Chapel or call Jeanne for more information.  

St. Patrick 6th Grade Class learns about the Day of the Dead

Mrs. Carla Veil's 6th grade class has been traveling around the world recently (no not literally).  Recently they visited Mexico where they learned about the custom of the Day of the Dead in which people gather to remember their deceased relatives and friends.  As part of their learning experience they set up an altar to help them understand the Mexican culture.



Book Bingo Night Friday November 14th!!!

BOOK BINGO NIGHT!



When?  Friday November 14th @ 6pm

Where?  St. Patrick Catholic School 235 S. Beaver Street

What?  Play Bingo (with books as the prizes), eat pizza, have fun, and perhaps even meet new people.

Cost?  $5.00/Pizza


PLEASE RSVP BY TUESDAY NOVEMBER 11TH.

FOR THE FORM PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING LINK



Sunday, November 2, 2014

Father Carroll's Homilies for All Saint's Day, All Souls Day, and the Loved One's Remembered Service 2014


Homily for All Saints Day
         “After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.”  Our first reading from the book of Revelations gives us a description which should uplift all of us.  Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints Day were we gather to celebrate and honor all those who have entered into their eternal reward.
         The Saints, individuals who lived just like us, experienced things the same ways we have, serve as examples for us and give us something to which we should aspire.  How do we become one of those saints.  How can we join that great multitude?  The answer is simple...pour out your hears and trust in the Lord's mercy.  

         Brothers and sisters, we are a people that longs to see the face of God may we turn to the saints, seeking all their intercessions so that we may one day join with them in God's eternal kingdom.


All Souls Day Homily 2014
        “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”  It is the desire and will of God that in the end we will be with Him and join the great multitude of the Saints whom we honored yesterday.  Yesterday we celebrated the lives of the Saints those who are experiencing the fullness of God's kingdom.  Today's celebration is geared differently for today we pray for those who have died that are not quite yet in the fullness of the Lord's presence.
         When we celebrate “All Souls” day we must be careful because this is a truth.  There are souls in purgatory.  Now purgatory is not a bad place to be.  A good way for us to look at purgatory as a place where we go to be refined to prepare us for where the Lord desires us to be.  Going back to today's first reading we hear “the souls of the just are in the hand of God.”  That comes to us from the book of Wisdom.  Any soul in purgatory is in the hand of God, yet we have a responsibility to pray for them and in return we ask them to pray for us.  If there is something you need...pray for a soul in purgatory, for there is no better soul we can turn to because they want to do all they can to experience what God desires for them so they will go to bat for us at a drop of the hat.  Pray...pray...pray for the souls in purgatory.   
         On All Souls day the priest can choose to wear white as we did for All Saints Day, black or purple.  For All Souls day I tend to lean towards the black or the purple.  Black represents mourning or a loss.  When death occurs no matter when it comes there is sadness.  We must recognize grief and I think one of the biggest mistakes we make is that we gloss over grief in favor of focusing on the joy of the Resurrection.  Don't get me wrong we must focus on the joy of the Resurrection for that is where we find our hope, however we mustn't forget to acknowledge the pain one might be experiencing because it is perfectly normal.
         The other color is purple.  When do you see me wear purple?  Advent, Lent, and whenever I am in the confessional.  When we see purple we think of the forgiveness of sins.  There is that word again...sin.  It's a reality, we all struggle with it and perhaps we might not be completely rid of it when the good Lord calls.  I won't say much about it since I tackled it earlier in the homily but that is why we pray for the dead.  The plenary indulgence is offered for the souls in purgatory which is why I offer confession regularly, that is why at 12:30pm I will be heading out to visit the Old St. Pat's/St. Mary's cemetery so that you will have the opportunity to demonstrate an act of charity an act of love...praying for the dead. 
         For those who have died and are in the hand of God today the Lord is their shepherd and they want to experience the Lord in all His glory, so brothers and sisters, how about we help them out.  Let's pray for them and ask them to pray for us that we will one day experience it with them.


Homily for the loved ones Remembrance Service
We gather here tonight to remember our loved ones…those who have died within the past year, but also all those who have entered eternal life.  Tonight we celebrate this special service on the commemoration of “All Souls Day.”  It is fitting that on the commemoration of “All Souls” that we gather to honor those whom have touched our hearts.
As we look around we are reminded that we are not alone.  Every situation is different…some have lost a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, or even a child.  Yet the common thread that unites us all and that is we have experienced a loss.  Listening to God’s word tonight we find hope…in tonight’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah we heard that the Lord will destroy death forever.  Death is not an end, but rather a beginning of a new journey which awaits all of us gathered here. 
The Gospel comes from John 6th the Bread of Life Discourse.  The Lord Jesus said, “Any one eats this bread will live forever, and I will raise him up on the last day.”  Tonight I want to apply this reading to us gathered here seeking comfort.  We come here in this Church to allow Christ into our hearts.  Invite Him in and allow Him to fill our hearts and minds.  As we allow Him into our hearts may we strive to let Him work in us so that we can comfort one another with our losses!  We can find comfort in the Lord, but we can also find comfort in one another. 
As we gather tonight I encourage us to share memories of our loved ones.  Remember the good times.  Keep those memories alive remembering life is not ended, it is changed!  Our loved ones are not dead in the sense that it is the end.  There is no end, only a new beginning.  Find hope in the Resurrection of Christ…for us as Christians Easter is a victory.  Those in the hand of God are experiencing a victory.  Pray for them and ask them to say a prayer for us. 
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.  May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



         


Saturday, November 1, 2014

SYMBOLON COMING NEXT SUNDAY NOV 9TH

You will be able to Register for SYMBOLON on-line at Home or on a Smartphone! Starting November 9th.

Symbolon unveils the Beauty and Genius of Catholicism as you have never seen it before. Through a generous donation from a parish family, this EXCITING PLATFORM is being offered FREE for You, your Family and Friends.

It meets you right where you are now in your faith journey. Through great speakers, beautiful artwork, and sacred music, our faith comes to life! The videos of Rome, St. Peter’s Square, and Holy Land are awesome. Our faith is revealed to help us to live it, and share it with others! See our Parish Website: 

to view Symbolon Trailer & Excepts from Episodes

Youth Group News...

What's coming up...


16th Annual FAN THE FIRE YOUTH RALLY 
is on Saturday, November 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at St. Joseph! Normally around 600 teens and chaperones from all over the diocese and several states join us for this awesome day of Faith, friends and fun! Cost: Only $20.00.To sign-up, please contact the youth office by Friday, Oct. 31. Teens in grades 8-12 are welcome!! To view a promo video and find out more information, please visit our web site at:www.fanthefirerally.com.

Red Neck Hoe Down
on Sunday, November 2 from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Meet in the St. Joseph gym. Come in “country” costume, be ready to play some fun “country” games, eat “country” food and square dance!!



 ENGULF Holy Hour on Sunday, November 9 from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Meet in the youth room. Time for games, Eucharistic Adoration, praise and worship, quiet time, Sacrament of Reconciliation, snacks, and free time for socializing with friends!