FROM FATHER RICK
DEAR FRIENDS,
Today we celebrate the
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.
This weekend after each
Mass we will be showing our gratitude to each of our
three choirs with a reception in the Gathering
Space. Please take some time to gather with our
talented musicians who give so selflessly of
themselves to make our worship experience the
wonderful event it is each week.
UPCOMING EVENTS
On Saturday, June 7,
we will celebrate the 4:00 pm Mass for the
intentions of all the nurses and doctors who
ministered to Father Frank, with a reception for
those who are able to join us in the Gathering Space
after Mass.
On Sunday, June 15,
we will conclude a month of mourning for Father
Frank with a Month’s Mind Mass at the 10:30 am
Mass.
On June 21/22 we
will celebrate our Sister Parish’s Feastday.
Although the actual feast of the Birth of Saint John
the Baptist is June 24, we will remember our
brothers and sisters in Dar Es Salaam the weekend
before the feast. At the 10:30 am Mass on June 22
this year we are happy to unveil and bless a statue
of Saint John the Baptist, which will be placed at
the Baptismal Font. This statue was commissioned by
our parish to be created by an African artist. The
statue, which is a reminder of our relationship with
our sister parish, is a gift of John and Mary Sudol
in memory of their fathers, John Sudol and Anthony
Gedaminsky.
I wish you 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, June 4, 7:30 pm, Driscoll Hall
Money Matters
On the weekend of May 17/18
Stewardship
Reflection
“Do not forget the Lord, your God…who brought forth
water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in
the desert with manna.” Deuteronomy 8:14-16
It takes great trust to
follow the Lord in a life of stewardship. Yet, just
as He provided for the Israelites, God will provide
us with all that we need. We in turn must be willing
to hold our many gifts – not with a clenched fist –
but rather with an open hand, ready and willing to
share.
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.
ARISE: Together in
Christ is a parish-centered process of spiritual
renewal that supports participants in forming a
closer relationship with Christ. A key component of
the ARISE process is participation in small faith
sharing groups of 8 to 10 people who meet once a
week over a six week period. Through the Mass, we
experience the Liturgy of the Word as a
congregation. The ARISE program provides us with an
additional opportunity to experience the Word
through scripture reflection, prayer, and faith
sharing. ARISE will commence in the Fall of 2008
with signup in September. Please look for an insert
in the bulletin on the weekend of June 7/8, which
describes the ARISE program in more detail and
provides an opportunity for you to express your
level of interest.
Thank you,
The ARISE Parish Team
Special Collection
for Cyclone Victims
This Weekend
Cardinal O'Malley has
requested a special second collection in all
parishes the weekend of May 24/25 to assist
with the Catholic Relief Services emergency response
to the people of Myanmar following the recent
cyclone and flooding. Current estimates of the
devastation caused by the storm are 60,000 dead and
1 million homeless. Significant funds are needed to
ensure that critical life-saving assistance reaches
the most vulnerable people quickly. Catholic Relief
Services will coordinate with the Caritas network
and local and international agencies to determine
how best to provide help where it is most needed.
Please be as generous as you can to help support
relief efforts in this time of crisis.
SUMMER MASS
SCHEDULE BEGINS SOON!!
Starting June
14/15, weekend Masses will be:
Saturday at 4:00
pm
Sunday at 8:00 &
10:30 am
Mass Intentions
Saturday, May 24,
Vigil, Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of
Christ
4:00 pm: Roger LeFrenier
Sunday, May 25,
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
9:00 am: John Francis
Latta
11:00 am: Bob & Mary
Bertagna; **Baptism of Gavin Duane Vail
Thursday, May 29,
Weekday Mass
12:10 pm: People of the
Parish
Saturday, May 31,
Vigil, 9th Ordinary Sunday
4:00 pm: Robert Sullivan
Sunday, June 1, 9th
Ordinary Sunday
9:00 am: Patricia Grace
11:00 am: Heather
Geldart
Readings for the Week of May 25, 2008
Sunday: Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a/1 Cor 10:16-17/Jn
6:51-58
Monday: 1 Pt 1:3-9/Mk 10:17-27
Tuesday: 1 Pt 1:10-16/Mk 10:28-31
Wednesday: 1 Pt 1:18-25/Mk 10:32-45
Thursday: 1 Pt 2:2-5, 9-12/Mk 10:46-52
Friday: Dt 7:6-11/1 Jn 4:7-16/Mt
11:25-30
Saturday: Zep 3:14-18a or Rom 12:9-16/Lk
1:39-56
Next
Sunday: Dt 11:18, 26-28, 32/Rom 3:21-25, 28/Mt
7:21-27
Andover Veterans’
Services
Looking for more
information on resources for veterans? There are a
few paper copies of the “Veterans ‘Blast Email’
Update” (from the Andover Office of Veterans’
Services) available in the Parish Office, as well as
free passes to the upcoming performance of the
United States Air Force Air National Guard Band of
the Northeast on Monday, June 30, 7:00 pm, at the
Collins Center at Andover High. If you would like
more information on veterans’ services or would like
to receive the “Blast Email” updates, please contact
parishioner Michael Burke, who is the Director of
Veterans’ Services for Andover, at
veterans@andoverma.gov or 978-623-8218. To find
out more about the mission of the Andover Veterans’
Office as well as various benefits available to all
eligible veterans, visit their website at
http://andoverma.gov/veterans.
Question of the Week
The Body and Blood of
Christ
Question for Adults:
Share one way that the Eucharist connects us
as "one body" — how does it change the way we relate
to each other?
Question for Youth:
Jesus tells us that through the Eucharist we will
remain in him and he is us. How does the Eucharist
keep you in relationship with Jesus?
Question for Children:
How does receiving Holy Communion change how
you treat those around you?
Gospel Giving Thank
You
Dear Fr. Conway,
Thank you so much for
your wonderful gift of new men’s sweaters and
shirts. As summer approaches, you and I find
ourselves concerned—concerned about the rising costs
of fuel, food, and the state of the economy in
general. This, however, did not deter you in your
caring for those in need. Your choice to help during
these days of uncertainty is a testimony to your
goodness and a beacon of light to those we serve. As
your goodness blesses their lives, know that you are
in our hearts and in our prayers of gratitude. May
God abundantly bless your generosity.
With a grateful
heart,
H. Bridget Shaheen
Lazarus House
Ministries
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
Neighbors In Need is
Looking for Gardeners!
This summer a donor farm
has offered to plant a quarter acre of cucumbers and
squash for Neighbors in Need and they need help with
the harvest. They are looking for a Lead Gardener to
train & supervise volunteers who pick, as well as
for volunteers to help with the harvest. In
addition, they welcome gardeners to donate from
their own home gardens.
The number of poor
people in Lawrence, Methuen and Haverhill who skip
meals because they cannot afford to buy food has
more than doubled in the last three years.
Paradoxically, the rate of childhood obesity,
particularly among the poor, has grown dramatically
in the past 20 years Too often poor families cannot
afford a healthy diet. For families who turn to
Neighbors In Need for food, it is essential to do
everything that can be done to provide good,
nutritious whole food. Fresh food is their biggest
challenge!
If you are interested,
please contact Linda Zimmerman at NIN at
NeighborsInNeed@verizon.net or 978 685-8321.
Employment
Opportunity in Elder Care
Part-Time Flexible
Hours
Home Instead Senior Care
is a non-medical company providing assistance to the
elderly in their private homes. Their Chelmsford
office is looking for caring, compassionate, and
committed individuals who would be interested in
helping their clients with their everyday needs so
they are able to continue to live independently.
Caregivers help with meal preparation, medication
reminders, light housekeeping, laundry, escorts for
shopping and/or errands, as well as companionship.
Call 978-256-5950 for more information.
Attention Catholic
School Educators!
Regis College in Weston,
in a commitment to Catholic education, is offering
two graduate education courses at Sacred Heart
Elementary School in Quincy this summer, at a
special price for Catholic school educators only!
Courses are offered the following dates: SS I on
June 19, 20, 23 & 24 & SSII on July 14, 15, 16 & 17.
Registration deadline is June 1. For
information email
extendedlearning@regiscollege.edu or call
781-768-7058.
The Parish Office
will be closed on
Monday, May 26,
for Memorial Day.
Have a great
holiday weekend!!
Reeling in a Dream
The second annual
Timothy P. Roberts "Reeling in a Dream" fishing
derby will be held on Lake Cochichewick at Brooks
School on Saturday, June 7, from 8:00 am to 4:00
pm. This is a great family event! For more
information and/or registration, go to
www.reelinginadream.org or Treadwell's Ice Cream
at Smolak Farms in North Andover. All proceeds grant
wishes to young adult cancer patients (age 18-30) at
the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Golf Season is in
Full Swing!! Have Fun and Help Support Your
Community…
Golf Fore Life
The Pregnancy Care
Center of the Merrimack Valley and Southern New
Hampshire is looking for golfers to join them for
their 9th annual golf tournament on Monday, June
16, 2008. Are you a golfer with a love for
Christ and a stirring to help this incredible
ministry? Then please join them for a fun day of
golf, prizes, and silent auction at Far Corner golf
course in West Boxford. To sign up, or for more
information, contact: Marge Squire, PCC Events
Coordinator, at 978-373-5718, ext. 53 or
margesquire@pccnortheast.org.
NDA 16th Annual Golf
Classic
Grab your clubs, pull
together a foursome and get ready to head to the
Vesper Country Club, Tyngsboro, MA for the Academy
of Notre Dame’s (NDA) Sixteenth Annual Golf Classic
which will be held on Monday, June 23, 2008.
Golfers will gather at 11:30 am for lunch before
heading out for a 1:00 pm tee time, bramble format.
The entry fee of $200/person includes lunch, fees,
cart rental, and dinner. Sponsorship opportunities
are also available. For more information or to
register, call 978-649-7611, ext. 321, or visit
http://www.ndatyngsboro.org/page.cfm?p=5 and
scroll to the bottom of the page for registration
forms and sponsorship information. Those
interested should register early as space is
limited.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
FOR NEXT WEEK–NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
A reading from the
Book of Deuteronomy 11:18, 26-28, 32
Moses told the people,
“Take these words of mine into your heart and soul.
Bind them at your wrist as a sign, and let them be a
pendant on your forehead.
“I set before you here,
this day, a blessing and a curse: a blessing for
obeying the commandments of the Lord, your God,
which I enjoin on you today; a curse if you do not
obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, but
turn aside from the way I ordain for you today, to
follow other gods, whom you have not known.”
A reading from the
Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans 3:21-25, 28
Brothers and sisters,
Now the righteousness of God has been manifested
apart from the law, though testified to by the law
and the prophets, the righteousness of God through
faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there
is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived
of the glory of God. They are justified freely by
his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus,
whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith,
by his blood. For we consider that a person is
justified by faith apart from works of the law.
+ A reading from the
holy Gospel according to Matthew 7:21-27
Jesus said to his
disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord,
Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only
the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out
demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in
your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I
never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to
these words of mine and acts on them will be like a
wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell,
the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the
house. But it did not collapse; it had been set
solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these
words of mine but does not act on them will be like
a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell,
the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the
house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
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
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