FROM FATHER RICK
Dear Friends,
Happy Easter!
Today we celebrate the
Third Sunday of Easter.
In this Season of
Initiation we celebrate the Rite of Welcome (RCIA)
with Jennifer Croston on Saturday at the 4:00 pm
Mass. On Sunday morning at the 11:00 Mass we will
celebrate Infant Baptism. Next weekend at the 4:00
Mass we will celebrate first Holy Communion, and
then we will welcome Bishop Frank Irwin on Sunday
morning for our celebration of Confirmation for our
10th Graders, which will be celebrated at the 11:00
am Mass. All of these sacramental celebrations are
sign of the new life of this season and the vibrancy
of this parish community.
AUTHOR, AUTHOR!
As many of you already
know, Amanda has recently become a published author.
She has written a book on the Saints. We will hold a
book signing event on the weekend of April 26/27
after all the Masses. Please plan to join us.
Easter Flower
Envelopes
We maintain our Easter
environment for the full 50 days of the Feast. It is
not too late to memorialize the flowers for the
season. There are Easter Flower Envelopes available
in the vestibule. You can return them in the
collection basket or mail them to the parish office.
WEEKDAY MASS
As we continue our
“feasting’ in the Easter Season, weekday Mass will
be celebrated at 12:10 pm on Monday through Friday
this week.
Remember our Parish
Celebration of Pentecost will take place at a
single weekend Mass at 10:00 am on Sunday, May 11.
This Eucharist will be followed by our fourth annual
Parish Pig & Lamb Roast. In the coming week you will
receive an informational invitation. Please RSVP if
you plan to attend. Remember it would be a great way
to celebrate Mother’s Day (casual and no fuss or
clean-up)!!
I wish you a happy and
holy Easter Season
We continue to pray for
Christ’s first resurrection gift of Peace,
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. For more information about the parish
council or upcoming events, contact Jim McKain at
978-475-7931 or
Jim_McKain@NLTek.com, or go online to
www.saintroberts.net/kofc.htm.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, April 16, 7:30 pm, Driscoll Hall
Knights of Columbus
Parish Family
Breakfast
this Sunday, April 6!
Stop by Driscoll Hall
anytime from 8:00-11:00!
Stewardship
Reflection
“You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in
your presence, the delights at your right hand
forever.”
Psalm 16:11
Jesus has shown us the
path to abounding joy. It comes when we give
generously of ourselves. It comes when we love and
serve one another. Like the disciples on the road to
Emmaus we don’t always recognize Jesus’ way. Or
maybe we just try to ignore it?
Fair trade coffee and
cocoa will be available for purchase in the
Gathering Space
after all Masses this
weekend, April 5 and 6.
Bread and Roses
Many thanks to all who
have generously contributed to this outreach effort
during the past few months.
On Sunday, April 20th,
we will prepare the meal for the Bread and Roses
hospitality house in Lawrence to be served on
Monday, April 21st.
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 at
978-851-5682 or Lisa Lattari at 978-749-3736 for
further information.
Catholic Appeal
Handing on the Light
of Christ
Many thanks to the 95
households who have participated in the Catholic
Appeal. Our parish has raised $32,132, reaching 72%
of our goal. As we celebrate the gift of the Spirit,
may we all have the courage to make a substantial
pledge so that many in our Archdiocese will be
served in the Lord’s name. God calls us to share
what we have to help others. If you have not yet
made your gift, please consider doing so this
weekend. Please visit
www.BostonCatholicAppeal.com or call
617-779-3700 for more information. Thank you!
4th Annual Gathering
for Pastoral Visitors
Pastoral Visitors are
invited to attend on Saturday morning, April 26, at
St. Jude Parish in Waltham, from 9:00 am to noon.
The breakfast meeting will begin with a Gathering
Time from 9:00-9:30, followed by prayer and a
presentation by Celia Sirois. The theme of the
morning will be “A Reflection on Mary’s Visit to
Elizabeth.” Pre-registration is required and the
registration fee is $10. To register or for further
information, please call the Office of Parish
Outreach Ministries/Health Care Ministry at
617-746-5843 or email
Joanne_Gaffney@rcab.org.
Mass Schedule and
Intentions
Saturday, April 5,
Vigil, 3rd Sunday of Easter
4:00 pm: Dolores
Delforge; **Rite of Welcome for Jennifer Croston
Sunday, April 6, 3rd
Sunday of Easter
9:00 am: Robert Sullivan
11:00 am: Charles
Randone; **Baptism of Ella Rose Imparato
Monday, April 7, John
Baptist de la Salle, priest
12:10 pm
Tuesday, April 8,
Easter Weekday
12:10 pm
Wednesday, April 9,
Easter Weekday
12:10 pm
Thursday, April 10,
Easter Weekday
12:10 pm: Deceased
Members of the Marcoux Family
Friday, April 11,
Stanislaus, bishop, martyr
12:10 pm: Herb Murray
Saturday, April 12,
Vigil, 4th Sunday of Easter
4:00 pm: John B. “Jack”
Fasanello; **First Communion
Sunday, April 13, 4th
Sunday of Easter
9:00 am: Willie Byers
11:00 am: **Celebration
of Confirmation
Readings for the Week
of April 6, 2008
Sunday: Acts 2:14, 22-33/1 Pt 1:17-21/Lk
24:13-35
Monday: Acts 6:8-15/Jn 6:22-29
Tuesday: Acts 7:51-8:1a/Jn 6:30-35
Wednesday: Acts 8:1b-8/Jn 6:35-40
Thursday: Acts 8:26-40/Jn 6:44-51
Friday: Acts 9:1-20/Jn 6:52-59
Saturday: Acts 9:31-42/Jn 6:60-69
Next
Sunday: Acts 2:14a, 36-41/1 Pt 2:20b-25/Jn
10:1-10
In Service
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, 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, Chief Warrant Officer II Michael
Morris, USA, Captain Matthew Mancini, USA, Sgt.
Ellen Barnes O’Connor, USA, Pvt. Adam James Mazza,
USA, Pvt. Joseph D. Gagnon, USM, Cpt. Eric Eckberg,
USA, SFC John B. Nicholas, USA, LTCD Chris Stopyra,
USN
Question of the
Week–Third Sunday of Easter
Question for Adults:
Share about great meals you’ve been part of,
ones which are still memorable to you.
Question for Youth:
The disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of
bread. How have you experienced Jesus at Mass, in
the breaking of the Eucharistic bread? How have you
experienced Jesus at meals and with friends and
family?
Question for Children:
What is your favorite time to share a meal
with your family?
Gospel Giving
Thank You…
Dear Father Rick,
Thank you so much for
the collection of juice boxes you put together for
Bread & Roses. It is the thoughtful support of
individuals like yourself and communities like St.
Robert’s that allows Bread & Roses to continue to
fulfill its mission to the community of greater
Lawrence.
Warmest regards,
Your friends at Bread
& Roses
Generations of Faith
Reminder: This
weekend we will celebrate Generations of Faith
Festival 6, “Eucharist—The Presence of the Risen
Lord.” Event 6, “On the Way to Emmaus,”
Masses are also this weekend, the Third Sunday of
Easter, April 5 & 6.
There is still space on
Sunday, April 6, 12:30-3:30 pm (no adult session);
and 5:00-8:00 pm (all ages); and on Monday, April 7,
5:00-8:00 pm (all ages). The evening begins with a
communal meal and the menu for this festival is
tacos, rice, salad, and cookies. If you have not
already registered and would like to join us this
weekend, stop by the registration desk in Driscoll
Hall before the festival.
And if you can’t make
this one, there is one more festival for this
season! Festival 7, “The Holy
Trinity—God For Us,” has sessions on May 2, 4, and
5, preparing for Event 7, Trinity Sunday, on May 17
& 18. Still not sure what GOF is? Check out the
Generations of Faith FAQ on our website (under the
Faith Formation link) or contact Amanda at
978-683-8922 or
amroberts@comcast.net.
This Week in Our
Parish
Monday, April 7
12:10 PM Weekday Mass,
Church
5:00-8:00 PM
Generations of Faith Festival, Driscoll Hall
Tuesday, April 8
12:10 PM Weekday Mass,
Celebrating the Archdiocesan Bicentennial, Church
7:00 PM Scouts
Committee Meeting, Bellarmine Room
Wednesday, April 9
12:10 PM Weekday Mass,
Church
Thursday, April 10
12:10 PM Weekday Mass,
Church
5:00 PM Youth Cantor
Practice, Church
5:30 PM Youth Choir
Practice, Church
6:30 PM Scouts,
Driscoll Hall
7:30 PM Adult Choir
Practice, Church
Friday, April 11
12:10 PM Weekday Mass,
Church
Sunday, April 13
10:00-11:00
Confirmation Preparation, Driscoll Hall
The Andover Country
Day School, Inc. Scholarship Award &
The Helen P. Keegan
and Pamela S. Galvin Memorial Scholarship Awards
The Andover Country Day
School, Inc. (Formerly St. Robert’s Country Day
School) is to award scholarship(s) to high school
seniors who graduated from the pre-school program,
and are accepted at a college or university to
continue their education next September. Application
request deadline is April 24, 2008. Applications are
available by contacting the pre-school at
978-686-2777 or by email at
ACDS@verizon.net.
“Romance Without
Regret”
A Presentation for
Grades 7-12 and their parents, with Jason Evert
Saint Michael’s
Church, North Andover
Sunday, April 13,
2008; 7:15-8:45 pm
To rave reviews, Mr.
Evert has spoken to over 45,000 students, parents,
and faculty within the Archdiocese of Boston since
2005. Don’t miss this remarkable and entertaining
presentation on the most important topic of
Chastity! For more information, call Kim Silk or
Rick Chasse, Youth Ministers at St. Michael’s, at
978-557-9044. Find out more about Jason Evert at
www.pureloveclub.com.
PARISH SCHOLARSHIPS
Betty Pendergast
Memorial Scholarship
At the time of her death
in 2001, Betty Pendergast set up a scholarship
through Saint Robert’s Religious Education Program.
Any parishioner who is a high school senior, has
participated in St. Robert’s Religious Education
program, and has been active in the parish is
eligible for this scholarship.
The Reverend William
Fitzgerald Scholarship
Named for the second
Pastor of St. Robert’s, this scholarship is awarded
to a senior who is most active in serving the
Andover or Tewksbury community and thus shows the
outreach from the parish of the Christian love and
service they have learned here.
The Coleen Griggs
Scholarship
This scholarship is
awarded to a senior who is most active within our
parish community as a lector, altar server, scout,
CCD teacher, etc., and who clearly demonstrates an
understanding of Christian love and service.
The Pendergast
scholarship has its own application. The Fitzgerald
and Griggs scholarships are on the same application.
Both forms are available in the vestibule of the
church, at the Parish Office, and online (click on “Scholarships”
on the homepage).
Applications are due
by Monday, April 28, 2008.
The parish scholarships will be presented at
the Baccalaureate Mass to be held on Sunday,
May 18, 2008, at
11:00 am.
Going into church one
day, a man looking for a place to sit asked a lady:
“Is the seat next to you saved?” To which she
replied, “No, but I’m praying for it.”
SCRIPTURE READINGS
FOR NEXT WEEK–FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
A reading from the
Acts of the Apostles 2:14a, 36-41
Then Peter stood up with
the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: “Let
the whole house of Israel know for certain that God
has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you
crucified.”
Now when they heard
this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked
Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my
brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you
will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the
promise is made to you and to your children and to
all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will
call.” He testified with many other arguments, and
was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this
corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message
were baptized, and about three thousand persons were
added that day.
A reading from the
first Letter of Saint Peter 2:20b-25
Beloved: If you are
patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this
is a grace before God. For to this you have been
called, because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his
footsteps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was
found in his mouth.
When he was insulted, he
returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not
threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one
who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his
body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we
might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have
been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but
you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian
of your souls.
+ A reading from the
holy Gospel according to John 10:1-10
Jesus said: “Amen, amen,
I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold
through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a
thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the
gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper
opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as
the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads
them out. When he has driven out all his own, he
walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice. But they will not
follow a stranger; they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of
strangers.” Although Jesus used this figure of
speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was
trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the
sheep. All who came before me are thieves and
robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am
the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture. A
thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more
abundantly.”
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