NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME + AUGUST 10, 2008
On the Way....
49th International Eucharistic Congress - Quebec City - June 15-22...continued
Before I left for the Congress Bishop McCormack had invited me to meet him on Thursday morning, June 19 at the mother-house of the sisters of St. Joan of Arc on the outskirts of Quebec. The Bishop was there to concelebrate Mass with the nuns who had served in this diocese since 1919. I was looking forward to that morning, not only to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries with the Bishop, but also to be with nuns I had known and respected since my youth. This community was founded in Worcester, MA around 1914 by an Assumptionist priest from Alsace-Lorraine who was responding to the requests of pastors in New England who were in need of women to help in the rectories. Fr. Clement Staub was inspired to bring women together and train them in this most demanding ministry: the personal care of priests, nutrition, laundry, etc. The first rectory in which this new community of nuns was assigned was in my home parish, Infant Jesus in Nashua. They eventually spread out into many parishes in our diocese, as well as the care of the monks at St. Anselm Abbey. This past Spring the sisters had to withdraw from the Abbey after 80 years of service, thus bringing to an end the long service of their community in the Diocese of Manchester. Even though their motherhouse had been transferred from Worcester to Canada early in their history, the community attracted many American women to a religious vocation. In addition, my father’s sister had been a postulant in the community before her death around 1920. I have personally known many of the sisters, several who were originally from Nashua, my home town, and one of whom even did some baby-sitting for my parents when my brothers and I were very young. So it was with great joy that I joined Bishop McCormack and his group for Mass in English that morning. Bishop McCormack was accompanied by Fr. Marc Montminy, Fr. Jason Jalbert, and also by Boston Auxiliary Bishop Robert Hennessy and another priest from the Archdiocese. After Mass I went to the infirmary to greet some of the ailing sisters I had known as well as my former baby-sitter. When Bishop McCormack asked her publicly to reveal some little secret about me, she wisely did not respond, except with a polite little smile to the Bishop, for which she received a hug! To be continued....
PARISH NURSE: There will be NO Parish Nurse here on August 15 and 22. Kathy returns on Friday, August 29th, from 7:30-10:00 am.
Weekly Offertory: $5,226
Guest Mission: $1,068 to date.
MY SACRIFICIAL GIVING: Elijah recognized the voice of God, not in the strong and heavy wind, not in the earthquake, and not in the fire, but in a tiny whispering sound. May we find enough quiet in our clamorous world to hear His voice and discern what He is calling us to do and be.
TEACHERS NEEDED: If you would be interested in helping with weekly dismissals of K-3 during Mass, or at our once-a-month Generations of Faith sessions, please call Jake at 669-5134, or e-mail to stpetercf@comcast.net , and Jake will be in touch with you.
STEWARDSHIP REPORT FOR JULY, 2008
Our July offertory totaled $19,285.74. Our tithe of $1928. was donated as follows:
New Horizons Soup Kitchen $400.
Sonshine Soup Kitchen $400.
Kid’s Cafe Soup Kitchen $400.
The amount of $728 will be carried over to the August tithe.
Our young parishioners’ donations totaled $30, one-half of which was donated to St. Charles Children’s Home, and one-half to our own offertory.
REGISTRATION FORMS FOR 2008-09 CHRISTIAN FORMATION are available at the entryways to church. Please fill in the Family information section completely. If your child was not registered in our program this year, please submit a Baptism record, unless the Baptism took place at St. Peter Church. Call Jake at 669-5134, or e-mail stpetercf@comcast.net if you have any questions.
PARISH DIRECTORY: It’s here! Olan Mills will be taking photos this week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the parish hall. Please arrive about 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment, and go to the registration table, so that you can be checked in and complete the information form. Those who registered online will be reminded of their appointment via e-mail, and those who signed up in church will be reminded by phone the day before your appointment. If for some reason you are unable to keep your appointment, please call Shirley at the parish office at 623-5429. Those who participate will receive an 8 x 10 color photograph free, and also a Parish Directory. You may order extra photos at a very reasonable price.
Is your marriage tearing you apart? Call Retrouvaille at 1-800-470-2230 or go to www.retrouvaille.org
If you are celebrating your 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th or beyond, Wedding Anniversary, anytime during the current year 2008, Bishop John McCormack invites you to a Special Anniversary Mass and Reception, to be held on Sunday, October 5, 2008, at 2:00 pm, at Saint Anselm Abbey Church, Manchester. If you would like to receive an invitation, please drop a note in the collection basket with your name, address, and what anniversary you are celebrating, and we will forward it to the Diocese.
INCOME ASSISTANCE FOR OLDER ADULTS: Do you enjoy the hugs and smiles of children? You could get a tax-free stipend that doesn’t affect Social Security, housing subsidies or any form of assistance for sharing your kindness and life experience at a school or childcare center in your town! If you are good at talking to, encouraging, or reading to children, you will love this opportunity. It’s flexible, you have lots of choices, and it is not a job. Children will benefit from your kind words and smiles. Please call The Friends Foster Grandparent Program for more information at 1-800-536-1193.
CRAFTERS NEEDED
Sisters of Holy Cross, Fall Fair, Oct. 18, Saturday, 357 Island Pond Rd., Manchester. Crafters who would like to rent a table, call 622-9504, Ext. 21.
AND
St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, Bedford, Craft Fair, Nov. 1 from 9 am to 3 pm. For inquiries and application form, call Sharon at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish at 669-7444. Application deadline is Oct. 15 or when space sells out.
AND
St. Anthony School, Craft Fair, Sat., Nov. 22. Table rentals are $50.00 for an 8 ft. table. If you have your own table we have a limited amount of 8 x 8 spaces available. Deadline for reservations is September 1st. Call 622-0414 or visit our website at www.stanthonyschool-nh.com to download an application.
MASS INTENTIONS
Aug. 11, Mon. 7:00 am Marie Keenan by friends
Aug. 12, Tue. 7:00 am Marie Keenan by friends
Aug. 13, Wed. 7:00 am Intention of the celebrant
Aug. 15, Fri. 7:00 am Intention of the celebrant
Aug. 15, Fri. 6:30 pm Charles Komisarek (1st Ann.) by his wife Muriel and family
Aug. 16, Sat. 4:00 pm Delia and Victor Briand by the family
Aug. 17, Sun. 8:00 am For all parishioners of St. Peter Church
Aug. 17, Sun. 11:00 am Christopher Bond (6th Ann.) by Patty Asadoorian
REFLECTIONS OF THE WEEK
First Reading: 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a
Re-read this excerpt and understand that God does not compete for our attention. When we need Him to speak to us, we must make silence and be quiet. In this way we will know that it is really His voice and none other. We will not be confused or distracted. It seems that this is even more important in our electronic society. Silence is often awkward, so we turn on the radio, the TV, the iPod, the computer. There is noise on the streets and some kind of music in the elevators. When we are "on hold" we have no choice to what we must listen to. In a noisy society God is even less heard. It is especially difficult for children to learn the value of silence in a rambunctious world. Silence is often seen as a punishment for improper behavior: "time out!" "go to your room and be quiet!" "strike three!". It is a challenge to parents to instill in the young that silence is something positive. The best way is by example.
Second Reading: Romans 9:1-5
We pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters and thank them for being faithful to the Covenant long before Christ came to Earth.
Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33
Of all the evangelists, it is Matthew who most emphasized the role of Peter. In this section of the narrative, Matthew reports a number of incidents in which Peter is the protagonist (some of which appear in the other gospels and others only appear here). Matthew is trying to say that Peter is truly the rock upon which God would build his Church (a phrase that only appears in Matthew).
This gospel was written after the death of Peter, so Matthew is not only speaking about Peter as a person. He is also speaking about the role of Peter in the Church. With the Church undergoing persecution in the days of Matthew, it desperately needed an authority figure who could unify their efforts.
NH Catholic Charities Report to date:
Goal set for our parish: $33,000.00
Received to date: $25,788.11
If you would like to make a donation to Catholic Charities, there are envelopes in the entryway to church. Thank you for your generosity.