I would like to take a moment and thank Diane Whittemore for her service as the Assistant Director of Youth Ministry. Diane has been an invaluable asset to youth ministry, creating and directing our Teen Weekend Away, and consistently bringing her creativity, many years of experience in both youth ministry and Faith Formation, and her enthusiasm and endless energy to our youth ministry programs. She has given direction and inspiration to many, and her presence will be missed by all

I first wish to thank those who have given to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. Your generosity and support makes the Archdiocese of Hartford the most generous giving organization to those in need in Connecticut. You also are part of a faith-based organization that provides assistance to anyone in need— Catholic/Christian, Jew, Muslin and non-believers alike. If a human being is in need, God—through your generosity—responds to them in real, practical ways. Thank you!

This weekend as we celebrate The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we in fact celebrate Creation. The Trinity is, for many, a difficult subject to grasp: Three Persons in One God. How do we understand God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit? Do we see the Trinity as a singular God who shows Himself to us differently—just as we are one person who operates in many roles: father, son and uncle or mother, daughter, aunt? While that maybe simplistic, it enables us to see the beauty and the dignity, as well as the practicality, of creation. The Trinity is everywhere.

We want to remind our parishioners (and all new parishioners) that our Faith Formation program is a great way to have the parish assist you as parents in the passing on of our wonderful and loving Faith in the Catholic Church.

As we return to ‘normal” celebration of the Mass with a full contingent of lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers and now altar servers, I would first and foremost like to: Invite our current list of altar servers to return to the Ministry Scheduler Pro and sign up to assist at the Masses.I would also like to invite NEW altar servers to join our ranks. If you are in the fourth (4th) grade or higher, and would like to be an altar server, please have your parents call the parish office, 658 1642

Thank you to all who collected a Birthright Baby bottle to help support women who are in the midst of an unplanned pregnancy. Your generous donation provides the love and support to these women that is needed in this difficult time. The birthright tag line is “Friendship, Love and Hope,” which many of these single moms might not have in their personal lives.

Thanks be to God we now are far from the days of 2020 and even 2021 when a new, unknown virus infected our Nation and hospitals were overwhelmed and people were dying. We prayed like we never prayed before. We refused to go out in public, we ordered our dinners as take-away and our groceries arrived by way of home-delivery. We washed our soup cans off and left our dry goods and the mail in the garage for 24 hours… washed our hands like clock-work and bleached everything in sight.

Sadly, for many people Easter is a one-day celebration. Beginning early in the morning with the great then search for what Peter Rabbit left in the Easter basket hidden somewhere in the house or out in the yard, then Mass—perhaps an Easter egg hunt followed by a meal with family and friends. On Monday all the Easter decorations are packed up until next year. But for the Church—and for all peoples—Easter is a long, powerful celebration of 50 days of remembrances of the Love of God who raised His Son from the dead so that we, the sinners, may be healed and live for all Eternity with God in His Kingdom.

"Alleluia!" Christ is Risen! "Alleluia!" With these simple words we proclaim to all the world that death does not have the final word. with these simple words we proclaim our believe in the promise of Jesus Christ that everyone who lives and believes in Him will have eternal life. Jesus came to deliver a message of hope...

The Easter Triduum is a period (of three days) in the calendar of the Catholic Church that spans from Holy Thursday through to Glorious Easter Saturday. These are the three days that immediately proceeds Easter Sunday, when the Church erupts with celebration over Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead. There is great joy as the Church remembers this event in the history of mankind because it is the realization of God’s plan of salvation for us all. It means that through the blood of Jesus, through His resurrection from the dead, God has made a way for us all to fulfil the real purpose for our existence; that is to live with Him forever.

This mission trip is the first 3-day trip after two long years of Covid. Our hope was to provide a meaningful and impactful experience for our teens, to open their eyes to people and living conditions outside of their everyday experiences. Also, we wanted them to meet individuals less fortunate than they, and to hopefully see God in these people and in themselves, to see their world in a different but meaningful way.

Laetare is the first word — meaning “rejoice” — in the Latin text. On Laetare Sunday (as similarly with the Third Sunday of Advent's Gaudete Sunday) the Church expresses hope and joy in the midst of our Lenten fasts and penances. Golden Rose…Our Lady of Knock? Also on this Sunday in the Church, there is a tradition of the Golden Rose, a gold ornament, which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually. It is occasionally conferred as a token of reverence or affection

This Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday, is a time of celebration in the midst of the pentitential season of Lent. Laetare, a time of Joy and Hope, which we evidence in flowers, a particular color of rose vestments and candles, and even more full and upbeat music—all permitted by the Church during this Sunday as we focus on prayer, almsgiving and fasting in preparation of the ultimate joy that is Easter.

The season of Lent is a great time to renew our own commitment to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To speak to Christ in the Sacrament, to be healed, forgiven and made clean—to be refreshed with His grace and favor and to return home to Him in and through His Church

Ars Celebrandi literally means, “the art of celebrating,” and is used in reference to the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass. The words “Ars Celebrandi” is also the title of a book by Fr. Paul Turner, a liturgical scholar, director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Kansas City, Mo, and rector of that City’s Catholic Cathedral, The Immaculate Conception. Fr. Turner will be in Hartford on March 28 and will speak to the prysbeterate (priests) of the Archdiocese regarding the artful and proper celebration of the Mass.

In the season of Lent, we turn to Prayer, Almsgiving and Fasting as the pillars of our Lenten spiritual exercises, which are meant not to place burdens on our day-to-day lives but rather call us into a deeper communion with Christ as we seek to align our lives of plenty with those who have insufficient food, shelter or any other daily necessity of life and Spirit.

The season of Lent is a Catholic liturgical season consisting of forty days of fasting, prayer, and penitence beginning at Ash Wednesday and concluding at sundown on Holy Thursday. The official liturgical color for the season of Lent is violet....The observance of Lent is related to the celebration of Easter. In the first three centuries of the Christian era, most Christians prepared for Easter by fasting and praying for three days. In some places this was extended to the entire week before Easter (now known as “Holy Week“)

Love my enemies? Do good to those who hate me? Bless those who curse me and pray for those who have done me wrong? If someone smacks my right check, I have to give my left check for another whack? Are you for real? The world-at-large says something very different: “Revenge is a dish best served cold!” Now that’s more fun—and more like it, right! But what would Jesus do

I would like to form a new ministry here in our parish, a Bereavement Group, that would help fellow parishioners and those “from afar” find comfort in joining together and dealing with loss.

When should I receive it? What does it do? Many people ask the question, “What do Sacraments do?” It is a fair and legitimate question to ask. So, let us begin to answer that question, and further consider the various questions we might all have on the Sacraments. Here we specifically will deal with the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, with a Catholic definition of just what a Sacrament is: