FROM FATHER RICK
JEFF AKE
A little more than two
and a half years ago Jeff Ake, a friend of
parishioners Judy and Dave Dlesk, was taken hostage
in Iraq while on business to build a water bottling
plant to help bring safe drinking water to the
community. Since then we have continued to pray in
our weekly intentions for Jeff's safe return. We now
expand our prayers to include Jeff's family, who are
left to struggle with his absence with no word about
him for over two years. A recent
news feature helps put a face with a name and
connect us to the family for whom we pray.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
COMMITTEE UPDATE
The Needs Assessment
Committee has reached a turning point in their
process. Please read and respond to the following
notice from this hard working committee:
The Needs Assessment
Committee has been continuing its work to identify
the current and future facility needs for the
parish. At this point a list of improvements has
been identified and prioritized, and the committee
is working on developing several options to meet as
many of the critical needs as possible. One of the
important findings has been that many of us are not
aware of the vast amount of activity that goes on in
the St. Robert’s facilities each week because we
each only participate in a few of the activities. In
a typical week over 2,000 people will use the parish
facilities for Mass, Generations of Faith,
sacramental preparation, Country Day School, scouts,
choir practices, Knights of Columbus, outreach
ministries and all the other activities of the
parish. The result is that the current facilities
often don’t meet all the requirements of each of the
activities. To fulfill our parish mission we must be
able to have adequate facilities to worship, teach
the faith, come together as a community and serve
the needs of others.
If you have any comments
or ideas on the facility needs or ideas for
improvements, please share them with any of the
Committee members: Kevin Conley, Dave Dlesk, Chris
Durkee, Joe Galluzzo, Heather Lauten, Mary Sudol,
Bill Sullivan or Bob Sullivan. You can also address
your thoughts to the committee by sending a letter
to the Parish Office.
GENERATIONS OF FAITH
This weekend we are
celebrating our second Festival Weekend, during
which we will reflect on our Baptismal Call to
Holiness as we prepare for our community’s
celebration of the Solemnity of All Saints on
November 1. We will examine the very real and
ordinary lives of the saints who are now in glory
because they responded to and worked to be holy
during their lives.
The openings that are
still available are:
SUNDAY: 12:30 PM–3:30
PM (No adult session available)
SUNDAY: 5:00 PM–8:00
PM (Only adult session openings)
MONDAY: 5:00 PM–8:00
PM (All sessions open)
Please remember that the
Festival begins with a common meal. The menu for
this weekend is subs, salad, cookies, and hot cider.
The Event for this
Festival is the Solemnity of All Saints,
which will be celebrated with Masses on Thursday,
November 1, at 12:10 and 5:30 PM. The 5:30 PM
Mass will be followed by our usual Holyday Supper in
Driscoll Hall.
PARISH FAMILY
BREAKFAST
This Sunday morning,
October 21, the Knights will hold their first Sunday
Morning Breakfast in Driscoll Hall from 8:00 to
11:00 AM. Please plan to stop by.
ALL SOULS ENVELOPES
If you would like your
loved ones’ names written in the Book of
Remembrance, please CLEARLY PRINT their names on the
envelope and drop it in the collection basket or at
the Parish Office. They need to be returned before
Friday, October 26. All Masses celebrated in
November except for five will be celebrated for the
names in this Book.
Have a great week,
If you want peace – work
for justice (Pope Paul VI),
Fr. Rick
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.
Open Houses
St. John’s
Preparatory School, Danvers, MA
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.
Lowell Catholic High
School, Lowell, MA
Sunday, October 28,
2:00-4:00 PM
Lowell Catholic is a
co-educational school. For more information, contact
the school at
lchs@lowellcatholic.org or 978-452-1794, or
visit them online at
www.lowellcatholic.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.
Austin Preparatory
School, Reading MA
Sunday, November 4:
starting times at 1 & 2 PM
Wednesday, November 14:
starting times at 7 & 8 PM
Austin Preparatory
School is a co-educational institution for young men
and women in grades 6-12. For more information,
contact the Admission Office at 781-944-4900, ext.
17, or
kdriscoll@austinprepschool.org, or visit them
online at
www.austinprepschool.org.
Our Lady of Nazareth
Academy, Wakefield, MA
Wednesday, November 7,
3:30-5:30 PM
Nazareth Academy is a
school for young women. For more information or
directions, please call the Admissions Office at
781-245-0214 or visit them online at
www.nazareth-academy.org.
Bishop Fenwick High
School, Peabody, MA
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.
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:
Wednesday, November 7, 7:30 PM in Driscoll Hall.
THIS Sunday, October
21, our parish council of the Knights of Columbus
invites you to a Parish Family Breakfast. Stop by
Driscoll Hall anytime from 8:00-11:00 AM to enjoy
breakfast and catch up with your fellow
parishioners.
Stewardship
Reflection
“…be persistent
whether it is convenient or inconvenient...”
2 Timothy 4:2
It is not always
convenient to be a good steward, especially when all
the temptations of our busy and materialistic world
get in the way. Yet, we must be persistent even when
it is inconvenient. This persistence marks the true
follower of Christ.
Second Collection
This Weekend–World Mission Sunday
“All the Churches for
All the World”
What makes World Mission
Sunday such an important celebration in our Church?
As the title reminds us, it is a universal
celebration carried out through the world in which
all members in every country, diocese, and parish
lift up their minds and hearts in solidarity with
Christ, our Lord and Savior. We are asked to
consider that the Church is larger than our own
locale. The problems and challenges in our own place
must be situated in the context of the larger
Church. It is not just a “second collection”; it is
a mindset, a mission mentality, celebrated on this
day. Please be as generous as you are able.
Outreach Group
Kickoff Meeting
The Outreach Group will
be holding a kickoff meeting on Sunday, October
28th, in the Bellarmine Room, after the 11:00 AM
Mass. The group will be preparing for upcoming
events, which include the annual Thanksgiving Drive
and the Advent Giving Tree. In addition to
collections, participants also physically reach out
with activities such as Habitat for Humanity. We
only require an hour or two every other month. It is
not a big time commitment but you can make a
difference. For more information, please contact
Paul Monticciolo at 978-689-9667 or
monticciolo1@comcast.net.
What is ParishPay and
How Can I Sign Up?
ParishPay is a program
that allows you to have your donations to St.
Robert’s, as well as to national collections,
electronically transferred monthly from either a
bank account or credit card. The program is easy and
convenient and it’s free to enroll. For more
information or to enroll, follow the ParishPay link
off our homepage at www.saintroberts.net or contact
Irene in the Parish Office at 978-683-8922 or
ibonner@comcast.net.
Mass Schedule and
Intentions
Saturday, October 20,
Vigil, 29th Ordinary Sunday
4:00 pm: People of the
Parish; **Baptism of Christian Grasso
Sunday, October 21,
29th Ordinary Sunday
7:30 am: John Sudol
9:00 am: Rosemary Bernal
11:00 am: Joseph & Nancy
Licata
Tuesday, October 23,
Weekday Mass
12:10 pm
Thursday, October 25,
Weekday Mass
12:10 pm
Friday, October 26,
Weekday Mass
12:10 pm
Saturday, October 27,
Vigil, 30th Ordinary Sunday
4:00 pm: Fred J. Furnari
Sunday, October 28,
30th Ordinary Sunday
7:30 am: Henry Chemaly
9:00 am: Richard Dlesk
11:00 am: Larry Salvucci;
**Baptism of Olivia Mae Horvath
Readings for the Week
of October 21, 2007
Sunday: Ex
17:8-13/2 Tm 3:14-4:2/Lk 18:1-8
Monday: Rom
4:20-25/Lk 12:13-21
Tuesday: Rom
5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21/Lk 12:35-38
Wednesday: Rom
6:12-18/Lk 12:39-48
Thursday: Rom
6:19-23/Lk 12:49-53
Friday: Rom
7:18-25a/Lk 12:54-59
Saturday: Rom
8:1-11/Lk 13:1-9
Next Sunday: Sir
35:12-14, 16-18/2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18/Lk 18:9-14
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
Question of the
Week–Twenty-Ninth Ordinary Sunday
Question for Adults:
When you pray, what do you ask for most often? How
do you know God gives you this request?
Question for Youth:
As you grow older, you tend to "need" God less. But
today, the readings tell us to pray with great
faith? Why do you suppose this is such a key
teaching of Jesus?
Question for Children:
Jesus teaches us to trust God. How does God help you
in your daily life?
Protecting God’s
Children
This course is a one
time only awareness training program that is a
requirement for all volunteers working with children
within any parish in the Archdiocese of Boston.
There is a session upcoming here at St. Robert’s on
Wednesday, November 14, from 7:00-9:30 PM. To
register, please contact the Parish Office at
978-683-8922.
Ministry Exceptions
Requested
The current liturgical
ministry schedule runs through the weekend of
November 25th. The next cycle will run from December
1/2 through the weekend of February 2/3. A separate
schedule will be issued for the Christmas Masses.
Please submit your known exceptions to availability
by November 2 to Irene at
ibonner@comcast.net or 978-683-8922.
Stewardship Prayer
Lord God, You alone are
the source of every good gift, of the vast array of
our universe, and the mystery of each human life. We
praise you and we thank you for your great power and
your tender, faithful love.
Everything we are and
everything we have is your gift, and after having
created us you have given us into the keeping of
your Son, Jesus Christ.
Fill our minds with his
truth and our hearts with his love that in His
Spirit we may be bonded together into a community of
faith, a parish family, a caring people.
In the name of Jesus, we
commit ourselves to be good stewards of the gifts
entrusted to us, to share our time, talent, our
material gifts as an outward sign of the treasure we
hold in Jesus. Amen.
This Week in Our
Parish
Monday, October 22
5:30-8:30 PM
Generations of Faith Festival, Driscoll Hall
Tuesday, October 23
12:10
PM Weekday Mass, Church
Thursday, October 25
12:10
PM Weekday Mass, Church
5:45
PM Youth Choir Practice, Church
6:30
PM Scouts, Driscoll Hall
7:30
PM Adult Choir Practice, Church
Friday, October 26
10:45
AM Adult Enrichment, Bellarmine Room
12:10 PM
Weekday Mass, Church
Sunday, October 28
10:00-11:00
AM Reconciliation Prep, Driscoll Hall
12:00
PM Outreach Group, Bellarmine Room
A Few Retreat
Opportunities
Saturday, October 27
Reducing Stress and
Anxiety–Finding Peace and Health
A one-day retreat from
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (registration at 9:30 AM) at the
Espousal Retreat Center in Waltham, MA, with
presenter Dr. Joseph Coyle, Christian Psychologist.
Participants will explore and practice the effective
ways of dealing with stress and anxiety from proven
methods of Christian spirituality and Christian
psychology. The day will include teaching, inner
healing prayer, Mass, reflection time, and small
group sessions. For more information or to register,
contact the Espousal Retreat Center at 781-209-3120
or
admin@espousal.org.
November 2-4
Directed Retreat at
the Franciscan Center
This retreat the
Franciscan Center on River Road in Andover allows
you to come away from the busyness of everyday life
and spend time with our Lord in quiet reflection.
You meet with a spiritual director once each day to
explore God’s presence and activity in your life.
The cost for the weekend is $150. Please contact
Marcy Venskus at 978-851-3391, ext. 21, for more
information or to register.
November 2-4
Prayer and the Vows
in Religious Life
A retreat for women 18
and older, sponsored by the Sisters of the
Presentation of Mary. It will be held at the Marie
Joseph Spiritual Center in Biddeford, Maine (south
coast). The cost is $135 for the weekend. For
information, contact Sister Susan Frederick at
susanpm280@yahoo.com or 978-689-3746.
"Will not God then
secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to
him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I
tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for
them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will
he find faith on earth?" - Lk 18:7-8
SCRIPTURE READINGS
FOR NEXT WEEK–THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
A reading from the
Book of Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
The LORD is a God of
justice, who knows no favorites. Though not unduly
partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the
oppressed. The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the
orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her
complaint. The one who serves God willingly is
heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer
of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest
till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till
the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms
the right, and the Lord will not delay.
A reading from the
second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Beloved: I am already
being poured out like a libation, and the time of my
departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have
finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now
on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the
Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day,
and not only to me, but to all who have longed for
his appearance.
At my first defense no
one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood
by me and gave me strength, so that through me the
proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles
might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s
mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil
threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly
kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
+ A reading from the
holy Gospel according to Luke 18:9-14
Jesus addressed this
parable to those who were convinced of their own
righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two
people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a
Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The
Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer
to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like
the rest of humanity–greedy, dishonest,
adulterous–or even like this tax collector. I fast
twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance and
would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his
breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a
sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified,
not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be
humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be
exalted.”
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