FROM FATHER RICK
BEREAVEMENT GROUP
The bereavement group
for Widows and Widowers begins this Thursday
afternoon in the Seton Room. If you are interested
in participating, please contact Lucille Bonanno at
978-372-4211 or
lbonanno@beaconhospice.com.
GENERATIONS OF FAITH
This is a Festival
weekend. The topic is SUNDAY: THE LORD’S DAY. If you
would like to join us for a session, there are
openings for the session on Monday evening from
5:00-8:00 PM, including supper. If interested,
please contact Amanda in the Parish Office at
978-683-8922 or
amroberts@comcast.net. The event for this
Festival will be celebrated at all the Masses on the
weekend of October 13/14.
WORKSHOPS FOR
LITURGICAL MINISTERS
The Archdiocesan Office
for Worship is offering a number of workshops on
ministry and liturgy. Please read through the
descriptions and if you are interested in attending
please let me know and we will register you through
the parish.
EXTRAORDINARY
MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION: MINISTRY IN MASS AND
BEYOND
Wednesday, Nov. 28, &
Wednesday, Dec. 5, from 7:00—9:00 PM
Corpus Christi
Parish, Lawrence
Often when one thinks of
those who are ministers of Holy Communion the focus
is solely on their ministry in Mass. This workshop
will address those issues but also go beyond that
aspect of their ministry. There are three primary
avenues in which such ministry may be of further
service to local parishes. The first is ministering
to those who are homebound, the second is bringing
communion to those who are in the hospital, and the
third is bringing communion to those in nursing
homes. There are unique issues that need to be
addressed in each of these areas, for example, what
differentiates bringing communion to the homebound
from a home visitation, what are the issues that one
should be concerned with when visiting the hospital,
and when bringing communion to the nursing home. Is
it possible to celebrate a communion service led by
laity? How should that be done? All of these issues
will be covered in this workshop.
FUNDAMENTALS OF THE
MINISTRY OF LECTORING
Time & Location in a
parish in the Merrimack Region to be announced
This lector workshop
will be beneficial for both new and experienced
lectors. This workshop is intended to develop a
fundamental understanding of the liturgy and the
role of the lector in the celebration of the Mass.
Therefore, this workshop will focus on such topics
as what is the Liturgy of the Word and its theology,
the role of ministry in the celebration of the Mass,
and, in particular, the role of the lector in the
liturgy, the spirituality of the ministry, and
issues around proper preparation to fulfill it.
Other important issues include the difference
between public speaking and proclamation, a general
review of the Lectionary and how it is structured,
and developing a sense that proclaiming God’s word
is a unique form of public speaking.
GROUNDING OUR
LITURGICAL LIFE
Wednesday, October
24, & Wednesday, October 31, from 7:00—9:00 PM
Saint James Parish,
Haverhill
A two-session workshop
designed for those who are currently involved in
liturgical ministry in the parish or those who seek
to better understand the celebration of the Mass.
This workshop will address such issues as what is
liturgy and what is meant when we are talking about
the liturgy. Other topics will be why do we
celebrate on Sunday and what is the history and
theology of this important development of the
Church. Furthermore, we will delve into a general
overview of the Mass and the role of the assembly,
ministers, and music in the celebration.
Have a great week,
If you want peace – work
for justice (Pope Paul VI),
Fr. Rick
Imagine being part of an
organization that fills your heart and your mind
with the joy of giving to others and the feeling
that comes with making a difference. Knights are
Catholic men, 18 years of age and older, who are
committed to making their community a better place,
while supporting their Church. Being a Knight is
more than camaraderie; it is being involved with
your community; it is supporting your local Catholic
Church, while enhancing your own faith and setting a
good faith example; it is about protecting and
enhancing your family life. You can volunteer as
much as you like or as little and on your own
schedule. If you want to find out more, contact Jim
McKain at 978-475-7931 or visit the website at
www.kofc.org.
Next Meeting:
Wed., Oct. 3, 7:30 PM in Driscoll Hall.
Money Matters
On the weekend of
September 22/23
Weekly
donations $ 3,576.00
Monthly
donations $ 1,325.00
Stewardship
Reflection
“Thus says the Lord
the God of hosts: Woe to the complacent in Zion!
Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortable on
their couches…” Amos 6:1,4
Are we the complacent in
our own time, enjoying our luxuries while others are
in need? Stewardship calls us to consider how God
wants us to use our blessings before we spend all
our time, talent and treasure to indulge our own
wants.
Widow/Widower
Bereavement Support Group
Are you struggling with
difficult changes and feelings that surround life
after the loss of a spouse? Do you feel alone,
scared of the future, or regret the past? You are
not alone! A Bereavement Support Group for widows
and widowers, conducted by Beacon Hospice, begins
meeting this week here at St. Robert’s in the Seton
Room. Meetings will be on Thursdays at 2:00-3:30 PM
on October 4, 11, 18 and November 8, 15, 29.
Registration is required. Please contact Lucille
Bonanno at
lbonanno@beaconhospice.com or 978-372-4211 to
register or if you would like more information.
Bread and Roses
On Sunday, October 14th,
we will prepare the meal for the Bread and Roses
hospitality house in Lawrence to be served on
Monday, October 15th.
We plan to prepare BEEF
TACOS with a tossed salad and dessert. Food items
needed are: cooked ground beef, soft tacos (large
size please), packages of shredded cheese, packages
of taco seasoning, jars of salsa, lettuce, tomato,
cucumbers, large cans of fruit salad, cookies or
brownies. Please use the sign up sheet on the
clipboard in the church lobby.
Kitchen helpers meet on
Sunday at 10:00 AM. All food donations should be
received by 10:50 AM. Call Betty Bufano 978-851-5682
or Lisa Lattari 978-749-3736 for further
information.
St. Robert’s Parish
Community Blood Drive
Urgent need for blood
donors! St. Robert’s will be hosting an American Red
Cross blood drive on Wednesday, October 17, 2007,
from 2:00–8:00 PM. Please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE
(1-800-448-3543) or visit
www.givelife.org
and schedule your appointment to donate today.
All blood types are
needed; blood type “O” is in great need. Please
bring a valid ID and drink plenty of fluids before
donating. To donate blood you must be at least 17
years of age, weigh at least 110 lbs., and be in
good general health. Most medications are okay.
Fair Trade
Coffee—Bring your values to the marketplace!
Buying fair trade coffee
is a tangible way we can put the values of our faith
into action. It reminds us there are people behind
all the things we consume. To learn more about the
CRS Fair Trade Program, go to:
www.crsfairtrade.org.
St. Robert’s
participates in the CRS Fair Trade Program by
committing to the use of fair trade coffee for
parish functions and by making it available for
purchase to the parish community. And next weekend
we’ll be introducing Organic Hot Cocoa Mix for $5
per bag!
Coffee (and cocoa!) will
be available for purchase in the Gathering Space
after all Masses next weekend, October 6 and 7.
Mass Schedule and
Intentions
Saturday, September
29, Vigil, 26th Ordinary Sunday
4:00 pm: Cecile “Cil”
Martin; *Baptism of Declan Matthew Snell
Sunday, September 30,
25th Ordinary Sunday
7:30 am: People of the
Parish
9:00 am: Eleanor
Millerick
11:00 am: Peter Grelle &
Susan Grelle; John Dunphy & Jeannette Dunphy
Tuesday, October 2,
Guardian Angels
12:10 pm
Thursday, October 4,
Francis of Assisi
12:10 pm: Deceased
members of the Marcoux Family
Friday, October 5,
Weekday Mass
12:10 pm
Saturday, October 6,
Vigil, 27th Ordinary Sunday
4:00 pm: Louis Denis
Duquette
Sunday, October 7,
27th Ordinary Sunday
7:30 am: Madeleine
Peront
9:00 am: Michael Picardi
IV
11:00 am: Edwina &
Daniel Dooley
Readings for the Week
of September 30, 2007
Sunday: Am
6:1a, 4-7/1 Tm 6:11-16/Lk 16:19-31
Monday: Zec
8:1-8/Lk 9:46-50
Tuesday: Zec
8:20-23/Mt 18:1-5, 10
Wednesday: Neh
2:1-8/Lk 9:57-62
Thursday: Neh
8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12/Lk 10:1-12
Friday: Bar
1:15-22/Lk 10:13-16
Saturday: Bar
4:5-12, 27-29/Lk 10:17-24
Next Sunday: Hb
1:2-3; 2:2-4/2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14/Lk 17:5-10
Adult Enrichment
Sessions resume: Fr. Frank will hold these
sessions of “Breaking Open the Scriptures” in the
Bellarmine Room in the Church at 10:45 AM on
Fridays. All are welcome.
Lector Sessions also
resume: Fr. Frank will be available on Saturday
mornings at 10:45 AM in the Seton Room.
Question of the
Week—Twenty-Sixth Ordinary Sunday
Question for Adults:
What choices can you or have you made to balance
your own life with those who are homeless, poor and
in need of assistance for daily living? How does
this Gospel reading inform you about that?
Question for Youth:
The Gospel story tells us that we are judged by what
we do or don't do for the poor and needy. As a young
person, you know how hard it is to get cash! So with
whatever money you do have, how do you make sure you
share at least a little with others?
Question for
Children: Jesus teaches us to share what we have
with others. What do you have that you are able to
share?
Thank You Corner…
An Update and Thank
You from Father Frank
“I am back with you
(Thank God) and I’m doing just fine. The operation
was a success and my voice and speech are okay
again. I need once again to thank you all for your
prayers and support. It was palpable to me and made
the whole procedure go without any pain and with
little discomfort. The tissue was benign and I am
waiting to hear what the final pathology on it is. I
appreciate all the cards and spiritual bouquets. You
all are the greatest!!”
Thank You from Arleen
Puccia
“A heartfelt thank you
to all who prepared food and helped before, during,
and after the Italian Night celebration on September
15!”
In Service
Maj. Kurt O’Rourke Mark
DuPont, USCC, Kevin Grace, USA, Lyle Shackelford,
Jaime Ray Seluk, USN, Pvt. Alexander Sabu, USA, Lt.
Col. Paul Severance, USAF, Gen’l. R. Steve Whitcomb,
USA, Lt. Col. Brian P. Bedell, USA, Capt. Lauren
Whitcomb, USA, Col. Patrick J. Donahue, USA, Col.
Brian P. Donahue, USA, Cpt. Michael McGaffigan, USA,
Beth Carriere, Nurse, USA, Steve Comstock, Pilot,
USN, Lt. Jesse Salisbury, USAF, Sgt. Maureen Galvin,
USA,SpOps, Lt.J.G. Kevin B. O’Brien, USN, Miko
Belonia, Maj. Tony Hoffman, USA, Maj. Ross Coffman,
USA, Maj. Garth Howe, USA, USA, Chief Warrant
Officer II, Michael Morris, Captain Matthew Mancini,
USA, Sgt. Ellen Barnes O’Connor, USA, Pvt. Adam
James Mazza, USA, Pvt. Joseph D. Gagnon, USM, Col.
Joseph Albanese, USA, Cpt. Eric Eckberg, USA
This Week in Our
Parish
Monday, October 1
5:00-8:00 PM Generations
of Faith festival, Driscoll Hall
Tuesday, October 2
12:10 PM Weekday Mass,
Church
Wednesday, October 3
7:30 PM Knights of
Columbus, Driscoll Hall
Thursday, October 4
12:10 PM Weekday Mass,
Church
2:00-3:30 PM Bereavement
Support Group, Seton Room
5:45 PM Youth Choir
Practice, Church
6:30 PM Scouts, Driscoll
Hall
7:30 PM Adult Choir
Practice, Church
Friday, October 5
10:45 AM Adult
Enrichment, Bellarmine Room
12:10 PM Weekday Mass,
Church
Saturday, October 6
Fair Trade Coffee (and
Cocoa!) Available for Purchase in the Gathering
Space After 4:00 PM Mass
Sunday, October 7
Fair Trade Coffee (and
Cocoa!) Available for Purchase in the Gathering
Space After all Masses
The Andover Senior
Center Fall Fest is Saturday, October 13,
6:00-9:00 PM, Old Town Hall, Andover. Come enjoy
dinner plus an evening of great entertainment
featuring all three Senior Center Performance
groups: The Starlight Players, The Sunset Tappers,
and The Sunrise Singers. Get a group of friends
together and reserve a table for a great night out
and a chance to see the talents of some of your
fellow parishioners! Tickets are $12; advance
purchase only.
Walk for Hospice of
the North Shore
Hospice of the North
Shore (HNS) has been serving our community since
1978, providing end-of-life care for the terminally
ill and invaluable support for their families. Their
20th Annual Walk will be held on Sunday morning,
October 14, beginning at St. John’s Prep. Enjoy the
fall weather and help support the work of HNS! For
more information, please call 978-223-9787 or visit
www.nhs.org.
Please remember that
the parish benefits from your bottle and can
deposits and your paper recycling! Bottles and cans
go in the bin at the end of the Rectory driveway;
paper (up to the weight of a cereal box; no
cardboard or phone books) goes in the yellow and
green bins at the back of the church parking lot.
Thanks for your support!
Catholic High School
Information
Entrance Exam
The placement test for
all Catholic High Schools in the Archdiocese of
Boston will be administered on Saturday, November
17, and again on Saturday, December 8, 2007. The
test is for eighth-grade students only. For
registration forms and information on test
locations, contact your local Catholic High School,
or the Catholic School Office at 617-298-6555.
Information Fairs
Wednesday, October 3,
6:30-8:30 PM
Our Lady of Nazareth
Academy, Wakefield, MA
For more information,
please call the Admissions Office at 781-245-0214 or
visit
www.nazareth-academy.org.
Thursday, October 4,
6:30-8:30 PM
Immaculate Conception
School, Newburyport, MA
For more information,
please call Kathleen Lalli at 978-234-7350.
Open Houses
St. John’s Preparatory
School, Danvers, MA
Saturday, September 22,
starting times at 9, 10, & 11 AM
Sunday, October 21:
starting times at 10, 11, & 12 noon
St. John’s is a Xaverian
Brothers sponsored school for young men. For more
information, call 978-774-1050, ext. 301, or visit
them online at
www.stjohnsprep.org.
Bishop Fenwick High
School, Peabody, MA
Sunday, October 14,
1:00-4:00 PM
Thursday, November 15,
6:30-8:30 PM
Bishop Fenwick is a
co-educational school. For more information, please
contact the Admissions Office at 978-587-8360 or
admission@fenwick.org, or visit them online at
www.fenwick.org.
Presentation of Mary
Academy, Methuen, MA
Sunday, October 14,
10:30 AM to 1:30 PM
The Academy is a school
for young women. For more information, please call
the Admissions Office at 978-682-9391, ext. 108, or
go to
www.pmamethuen.org.
Malden Catholic High
School, Malden, MA
Sunday, October 28,
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Malden Catholic is a
Xaverian Brothers sponsored school for young men.
For more information, call 781-322-3098, or visit
them online at
www.maldencatholic.org.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
FOR NEXT WEEK—TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
A reading from the
Book of the Prophet Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
How long, O LORD? I cry
for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you,
“Violence!” but you do not intervene. Why do you let
me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction
and violence are before me; there is strife, and
clamorous discord. Then the LORD answered me and
said: Write down the vision clearly upon the
tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the
vision still has its time, presses on to
fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays,
wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be
late. The rash one has no integrity; but the just
one, because of his faith, shall live.
A reading from the
second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy 1:6-8,
13-14
Beloved: I remind you,
to stir into flame the gift of God that you have
through the imposition of my hands. For God did not
give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power
and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of
your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner
for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for
the gospel with the strength that comes from God.
Take as your norm the
sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and
love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust
with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within
us.
+ A reading from the
holy Gospel according to Luke 17:5-10
The apostles said to the
Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If
you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would
say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted
in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“Who among you would say
to your servant who has just come in from plowing or
tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately
and take your place at table?’ Would he not rather
say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on
your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You
may eat and drink when I am finished?’ Is he
grateful to that servant because he did what was
commanded? So should it be with you. When you have
done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are
unprofitable servants; we have done what we were
obliged to do.’”
Copyright 1970, 1986,
1992, 1998, 2001 Confraternity of Christian
Doctrine, Inc. Washington D.C. All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
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