FROM FATHER RICK

Dear Friends,

Happy Easter!

Today we celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Easter.

In this Season of Initiation we celebrate infant Baptism on Saturday at the 4:00 pm Mass. On Sunday morning at the 11:00 am Mass we will celebrate first Holy Communion. These sacramental celebrations are a sign of the new life of this season and the vibrancy of our parish community.

FR. FRANK UPDATE

As of this writing (Thursday morning), Father Frank is still in the ICU at Saints Memorial Medical Center. He was given an emergency tracheotomy on Tuesday afternoon to relieve the stress he was experiencing in breathing. He is meeting with the oncology team within the next few days to determine a course of treatment for the cancerous tumor in his throat. I will keep you posted. Last Sunday he left a message for you, much of which is somewhat moot given the emergency which presented itself on Tuesday. I will give you the last couple of lines, which are more appropriate even now!

“For now with great confidence I am asking for your prayers again.

We did it before and we can do it again!

God bless Saint Blaise”

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. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the signing.

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.

PENTECOST & MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATION

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. Please RSVP as soon as possible. If you did not receive an invitational letter and RSVP envelope it means that we do not have your registration information (please contact the parish office to correct this). There are invitations and RSVP envelopes available in the vestibule. 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, May 7, 7:30 pm, Driscoll Hall

Stewardship Reflection

“Amen, amen I say to you, whoever believes in me

will do the work that I do…” John 14:12

You believe in Jesus and you want to do His work, but how can you do the kind of work that He did when you have a full-time job everyday? That’s a legitimate concern. However, when you pledge a portion of your salary to the Church you are working for God even as you do your regular job.

Hospice Volunteer Training

West River Care, provider of hospice services to patients in the Wingate facilities in Haverhill, Lowell, Andover, Reading, and throughout greater Boston, will hold a volunteer training at their Needham office on May 31 and June 7, 2008. This sixteen-hour course will prepare you well to provide companionship and comfort to someone at the end of life. Please contact Alice Hutter, Volunteer Coordinator, at 781-707-9586 or wrc.vol.coord@gmail.com for more information. New volunteers are always welcome.

Please note that the Parish Office

will be closed on Monday, April 21.

Tuesday, April 22, is Earth Day!

Change your habits, change the world!

Here at St. Robert’s…

Save the planet, support the parish! 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.

In your community…

Reduce, reuse, recycle! Save the date for Andover’s 4th Annual Zero Waste Day on Saturday, May 3, from 9:00 am to noon, at the far end of the Brickstone Square parking lot. Make a donation and find new space in your closets! All donations go to organizations that donate, reuse, or recycle these items. Go to http://andoverma.gov/recycle/ for more information.

Keep going…

Earth Day is just the beginning! Check out the Earth Day Network website at www.earthday.net for more information and resources.

COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE

Wednesday, April 30, 2:00-8:00 PM

Faith Lutheran Church

360 South Main Street, Andover

Please consider donating blood in an upcoming community blood drive, being sponsored by the Faith Lutheran Church and the Ciampa family of Andover. The Ciampa's daughter, Lauren, age 20, has been battling cancer since last July and the family would like to "give back" to the community in thanks for all the support they have received. While Lauren's health is still fragile, she is currently improving, and wants very much for the drive to be a success in order to help others with the disease. Please visit www.givelife.org or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543) to make an appointment. Thank you for considering this life-giving donation!

Mass Schedule and Intentions

Saturday, April 19, Vigil, 5th Sunday of Easter

4:00 pm: Dorothy & Janet Coates; **Baptism of Jackson James Zunino

Sunday, April 20, 5th Sunday of Easter

9:00 am: Rosemary Bernal

11:00 am: Helen W. Reardon; **First Communion

Wednesday, April 23, Easter Weekday

12:10 pm

Thursday, April 24, Easter Weekday

12:10 pm: People of the Parish

Friday, April 25, Easter Weekday

12:10 pm: Deceased Members of the Marcoux Family

Saturday, April 26, Vigil, 6th Sunday of Easter

4:00 pm: Walter R. Perry

Sunday, April 27, 6th Sunday of Easter

9:00 am: Bette Williams; **First Communion

11:00 am: Gerard Christofells; **First Communion

Readings for the Week of April 20, 2008

Sunday:             Acts 6:1-7/1 Pt 2:4-9/Jn 14:1-12

Monday:            Acts 14:5-18/Jn 14:21-26

Tuesday:           Acts 14:19-28/Jn 14:27-31a

Wednesday:      Acts 15:1-6/Jn 15:1-8

Thursday:          Acts 15:7-21/Jn 15:9-11

Friday:              1 Pt 5:5b-14/Mk 16:15-20

Saturday:          Acts 16:1-10/Jn 15:18-21

Next Sunday:    Acts 8:5-8, 14-17/1 Pt 3:15-18/Jn 14:15-21

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–Fifth Sunday of Easter

Question for Adults: How are the promises of this Gospel passage made real in your own life? How do you experience yourself doing greater works than even Jesus did?

Question for Youth: Jesus is "the way, the truth, the life" and he asks us to do as he does. How do you try to follow Jesus’ way?

Question for Children: What are some ways that you can act like Jesus would if he were in your situation?

Please include the following children in your prayers

as they will be receiving Holy Communion for the first time this

Sunday, April 20, at the 11:00 am Mass

Veronika Brenner

Zakary Brenner

Joseph Brenner

Catherine Butler

Christopher Casey

Sager Florio

Tommy Gallagher

Patrick Hunt

Logan Jacques

Brigid Voto

Genevieve Wybenga

Mass in Honor of St. Peregrine

Patron Saint of Cancer Patients

A liturgy in honor of St. Peregrine will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 30, at 7:00 pm at the Immaculate Conception Church on East Merrimack Street in Lowell. St. Peregrine is the saint that many cancer patients, family members, and friends pray to for comfort and strength. St. Peregrine, who lived in the 14th century, was afflicted with cancer of the leg and was miraculously cured the evening prior to an operation to amputate his leg. During this Mass the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick will be offered to cancer patients and any who wish to partake of this Sacrament of God’s healing. All are invited to come and pray with and for those afflicted with cancer.

This Week in Our Parish

Monday, April 21

Parish Office Closed

Wednesday, April 23

7:30 PM  Fourth Degree, Driscoll Hall

12:10 PM  Weekday Mass, Church

Thursday, April 24

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 25

12:10 PM  Weekday Mass, Church

WALK FOR FUN! WALK FOR HUNGER!

Project Bread 40th Walk for Hunger

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Starts on Boston Common, 7:00-9:00 am

For more information, call 617-723-5000

or visit www.projectbread.org/walk.

Summer Camp Opportunities…

Lowell Catholic Summer Enrichment

Lowell Catholic High School offers students in grades 5-8 the opportunity to attend summer enrichment camps in a safe, small, and caring community. Programs offered are Science Discoveries, Art Workshop, Drama Techniques, Computer Gaming, and Dance Workshop. Each session is one week long and will be conducted by Lowell Catholic teachers. For more information, contact Peter Cavanaugh at 978-452-5646 or pcavanaugh@lowellcatholic.org.

Camp Mishannock

Camp Mishannock, a girl’s camp sponsored by the Sisters of Divine Providence, is accepting applications for the 2008 season. Programming is based on Gospel values in the Catholic tradition. Daily activities include: swimming, boating, canoeing, sailing, kayaking, volleyball, soccer, softball, basketball, tennis, arts and crafts, and electives. Teen program offers tutoring and ESL (through faculty of Sacred Heart Schools). For more information, visit www.campmishannock.com, call 781-585-8592, or email campmish@comcast.net.

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 at www.saintroberts.net).

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.

Looking for a change…? Presentation of Mary Academy, an all female college prep high school in Methuen is now accepting applications for transfer students. Please contact Jane Danahy Foss, Director of Admissions at 978-682-9391, x108 or visit them online at www.pmamethuen.org for more details.

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR NEXT WEEK–SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8, 14-17

Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Peter 3:15-18

Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit.

+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

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