Our parish could really use your help. We are looking for people—men and women—who would like to join our Ushers Ministry. This ministry helps welcome people to Mass, especially visitors, assists Fr. Whyte with the taking up of the collection, and generally become a welcoming face of our parish. AND the great thing about this ministry is that there are few, if any, meetings. AND you serve while you are at Mass

On this 7th Sunday of Easter we hear in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles that after Jesus Ascended into heaven, the apostles and others returned to Jerusalem in anticipation of the coming Advocate, the Paraclete as promised by Jesus. We are told that they waited in prayer, with a desire in their hearts for the coming Advocate who would lead them to “all Truth and remind them of all that Jesus had told them.” Scripture scholars tell us that the listing the names of the 11 Apostles, minus Judas, is important since they differ in order from Luke’s Gospel listing which might mean a new importance or leadership of some in the group.

In this weekend’s Scripture readings—the Acts of the Apostles, 1 Peter, and the Gospel of John—all our readings direct our attention to the power found in our witnessing to the Faith—and the “conduit” through which we are able to become Christian Disciples—witnesses—to Christ Himself: known in Ecclesial language as filioque, or the Holy Spirit.

There has been much talk about the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Pastoral Planning process. Some folks have given it high marks as they investigate the process and see that the criteria used is more than just money raised by individual churches, understanding that it includes a “taking of the temperature” of the life of each parish, including but not limited to their sacramental numbers: Baptisms, First Holy Communions, Confirmations, Marriages and funerals; the general population or census shifts in each locale—past, present and future; the individual priests and their talents and gifts and how they might work with the parishioners