St. Helen Church SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2015 | SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)

Upcoming Events

- TAX RECEIPTS available - Ash Wednesday, February 18 - Video Series on The Mass begins Thursday, February 19th @ 9:30 a.m. @ St. Helen Church - St. Catharines Right to Life AGM & Dinner, February 28th - Diocesan Reconciliation March 14th, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Ham/Turkey Roll, March 27th @ 6 p.m.

Check out our NEW face-book page for construction updates @

www.facebook.com/sthelenscatholic

Pastor

Fr. Philip English

Office Administration

Aggie Agnino ext. 115 ______________________________________________________

Mass Times Saturday

5:00 p.m.

Sundays

9:00 a.m. - St. Helen Church

11:00 a.m. - St. Mark School

Gym, Beamsville

Opened - October 2, 1938

Schools St. Mark School

Principal: Dean Stunt

Phone: (905) 563-9191

St. Edward School

Principal: Adrian Bishop

Phone: (905) 562-5531

Sacraments Baptism

Available Sundays at 1:00 pm. Call

parish office.

First Communion & Confirmation

Arranged through school. If your

child is not in a Catholic school or is

not baptized in the Roman Catholic

Church, contact the parish office.

Reconciliation

Before or after mass or by appoint-

ment.

Marriage

Six months notice; marriage prep

required.

Anointing of the Sick

Please let us know when someone

has a serious or prolonged illness or

is to have surgery. This sacrament

celebrates the healing of mind and

body and the forgiveness of sins.

Catholic Funeral Rites

When a death occurs in your family,

please call the parish office and we

will assist you in making the neces-

sary liturgical arrangements.

4157 Maple Grove Rd. | PO Box 222 | Vineland, Ontario | L0R 2C0 www.sthelenscatholic.ca

Established as a Parish - January 1, 1986

Kindly complete the following and place in collection basket

New Parishioner* Change of address Moving

Name________________________ Phone__________________ E-mail___________________

Address______________________________________________ City_____________________

Postal Code__________________

I will use offertory envelopes If , pick up in foyer: St. Helen Church or St. Mark School

Phone (905) 562-7427 | Fax (905) 562-7789 | office@sthelenscatholic.ca

We welcome you and invite you to share in the spiritual and social activities of your parish

Stewardship of Treasure

Feb 8:

Offertory Envelopes (147) $ 2,505

Offertory Loose $ 199

Building Fund (22) $24,194

MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR

FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP!

Ministry for the Sick and Homebound We are grateful to those who give of their time and care to bring holy communion to our parish-ioners who cannot make it to church due to sick-ness or infirmity. If you know of anyone who would like to receive communion in their home, please contact the parish office or Frances @ 905-562-5475 and arrangements will be made to bring Holy Communion to your home.

St. Vincent de Paul Society Please remember the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society as the needs of the poor continue. As you put your gift in the Society of St. Vincent de

Pauls poor box, know that you are putting your faith into action!

Lent begins Ash Wednesday, February 18th

Lent is a time for penance and repentance

St. Helen CWL Join us for the next CWL general meet-ing on Wednesday March 4th starting with Mass at 6:30 p.m. followed by meeting in the church basement. Come dressed in green for St. Patricks day. All ladies welcome, bring a new friend!

CWL Annual Lenten Retreat

Seeking the Spirit Within: Unity and Forgiveness Guest Speaker: Murray Watson, Wed. March 4 or Sat. March 7 @ Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre, Niagara Falls from 8:30a.m. to 2:30 p.m., $42 with lunch included. For info: Frances 905 562-5475.

Ash Wednesday Mass Times 9:30 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross

Every Friday during Lent

Diocesan Respect for Life Mass: Wednesday, March 25 (7:00 p.m.)

Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria Bishop Bergie Presiding

Reception following hosted by CWL

Mass In

tentio

ns

Year B - February 16 to 22, 2015

Day Requested for Requested by

Mon NO MASS

Tuesday 8:30 a.m.

Intns of Hendriks & deKoning Fam- L & D Helen & Andy Hendriks

Ash Wednesday 9:30 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Vaz Family

Libero Palmieri

Misetich Family

Michelle Leva

Thursday 8:30 a.m.

Carmela & Antonio Guerriero Guerriero Family

Friday 9:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m. Menno Home

Stations of the Cross @ Church

Maria & Gerald Murphy

Paul Murphy

Saturday 5:00 p.m.

For the People of St. Helen - L & D

Sunday 9:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m. St. Mark School

Pasquale Monda

Ferruccio Fracchioni

Compagnone Family

Geoff Barlow

Maria Iannotta

Francesca Paolone

Maria & Libero Palmieri

Helen Andy Hendriks

February 15, 2015 - 6th Sunday Ordinary Time Radical Freedom

Lev 13:1-2, 44-46 The lepers and unclean shall be brought to the priest. Psalm 32 I turn to you, O Lord, in time of trouble. 1 Cor 10:31-11:1 Do everything for the glory of God. Mark 1:40-45 Jesus healed the leper, who spread the word.

A nun had just gotten a letter from her family with a $100 bill in the envelope. Glancing out her window, she saw a shabbily dressed stranger on the street below. Moved with compassion, she wrote Dont despair on a piece of paper, wrapped it around the $100 bill and tossed it out the window. The next day,

she answered a knock on the convent door and the same man handed her a fat wad of $100 bills. Whats this? she asked. He said, Dont Despair paid 80-to-1. Todays Gospel is about faith. There is no need to despair if you believe with all your heart that God always wants what is best for you. Like the leper who knelt before Jesus and asked to be healed, we should always go to God trusting that our prayers will be answered. -- Dc. Dick Folger Next Weeks Readings Gen 9:8-15 God establishes a covenant with Noah. Psalm 25 Make your ways known to me. 1 Pet 3:18-22 Christ suffered to lead us to God. Matt 1:12-15 Jesus is tempted in the desert.

St. Catharines Right to Life Dinner

Saturday, February 28 at Holiday Inn Parkway Conference Centre, 327 On-tario St., St. Catharines. Reception: 5:30 p.m., Dinner 6:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: Author Trent Horn of Catholic Answers will speak on "How to Talk About our Culture's Toughest Issue." Tickets: $45, Students $25. Call the RTL office 905-684-7505 or email info@chooselife.ca to reserve your spot. www.ChooseLife.ca

Did you Ever Wish You Could Get More Out of Mass?

For many Catholics, The Mass might, at least in a certain sense, be almost too familiar. We show up to church each Sunday and perform prayers and rituals that many of us have known since childhood. We stand, sit, and kneel. We make the sign of the cross. We recite Holy, Holy, Holy, Lamb of God

and Thanks be to God. But what do all these prayers and rituals mean? If you want to really un-derstand the significance of all that we are saying and doing in the liturgy, join us for a video series on Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m. starting Febru-ary 19th for a series on the Mass. Youll be glad you came!

St. Helens Ham Roll will be on Friday March 27th at St. Mark School Gym. Starts at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) Everyone is welcome. If you wish to volunteer or if

have anything youd like to donate for prizes, please contact Martin or Marion at 905-562-9838.

World Day of Prayer World Day of Prayer is a worldwide movement of Christian women of many traditions who come to-gether on the first Friday of March each year to ob-serve a common day of prayer. This year's theme is "Do you know what I have done for you?" It has been prepared by the women of the Bahamas. We are invited to join our neighboring churches at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church 4260 Queen St. Beamsville on March 6 at 2:00 pm. Refreshments will follow.

Thinking about Separation or Divorce? Retrouvaille is designed to help troubled marriages regain their health. It helps spouses re-awaken the love, trust and commitment that originally brought them together. The program is highly successful in saving hurting marriages, even bringing reconcilia-tion to couples that have already separated or di-vorced. For information or to register, beginning with a weekend on March 13, 2015, in Niagara Falls please call 905-664-5212 or email: hamilton-retrouvaille@cogeco.ca - www.retrouvaille.org.

Assisted Suicide

Bishop Bergie reported that the Supreme Court of Canada delivered its judgement in the Carter case. Sadly, the High Court has decided in favour of as-sisted suicide. Again, we see a choice for death ra-ther than life. In Canada, the suicide rate continues to increase. It is sad that our response to this trage-dy is to now make it easier for those who wish to end their life. What we need in our country is great-er palliative care, not assisted suicide and euthana-sia. Let us pray for Canada and for all who suffer. May we support life rather than death, and never lose hope because we trust in the Lord who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

February 22, 2015 - 1st Sunday of Lent Our Covenant in Christ

Gen 9:8-15 God establishes a covenant with No-ah. Psalm 25 Make your ways known to me. 1 Pet 3:18-22 Christ suffered to lead us to God. Matt 1:12-15 Jesus is tempted in the desert.

Lent is upon us, and once again we follow Je-sus into the desert for 40 days of fasting and pray-er. Our Lenten journey helps teach us much needed spiritual disci-pline. Most of the reli-gions of the world ob-serve fasting. In Islam, it

is an entire month, Ramadan, when they take nothing during the daylight hours. Some Bud-dhists take no food after noon. For Hindus, it may be a certain day of the week. Jews fast six days of the year. Mormons observe Fast Sunday each month, and members of the Bahai faith fast for one month. Fasting and hunger strikes are also powerful political tools. Indias Mohandas Gandhi undertook several long fasts. Cesar Chavez went on a fast for 25 days. It takes real discipline to follow our faith. Fasting and Lent help us to be stronger.

-- Dc. Dick Folger

Next Weeks Readings Gen 22:1-2, 9a-18 God put Abraham to the test.

Psalm 116 I will walk in the land of the living.

Rom 8:31b-34 If God is for us, who can be

against us?

Mark 9:2-10 Jesus is transfigured on the moun-

tain.

Lenten Regulations

All Christs faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her way, to do penance. How-ever, so that all may be joined together in a certain common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. On these days, the faithful are, in a special manner, to devote themselves to prayer, to en-gage in works of piety and charity, to fulfill their obligations more faithfully and to deny themselves, especially by observing fast and ab-stinence according to the laws of the Church. ASH WEDNESDAY and GOOD FRIDAY are days of FAST. On these days of fast, one full meal and two lesser meals are allowed. Eating between meals is not permitted. Catholics who have completed their 18th year are bound by this law until the beginning of their 60th year.

Mass In

tentio

ns

Year B - February 23 to March 1, 2015

Day Requested for Requested by

Mon NO MASS

Tuesday 8:30 a.m.

Deceased members of DiIorio Family

Irmagard Bartel

Giuseppina Elia

Shirley & Ernie Brunet

Wednesday 9:30 a.m.

Erika Izzo

Ettore Fracchioni

Maria Loffredo

St. Helen CWL

Thursday 8:30 a.m.

Libero Palmieri Romana Zeoli

Friday 9:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m. Albright Manor

Stations of the Cross @ Church

Angelina Prokich & Alex Prokich

Alex Prokich

Saturday 5:00 p.m.

Nick & Robert Caruso

Geoff Barlow

Antonietta Caruso

Carolyn Green

Sunday 9:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m. St. Mark School

For the People of St. Helen - L & D

Sabatino & Rosa Cipro

Members of Redmond Family - L & D

Maria & Rolando Cipro

Jim Redmond

March 1, 2015 - 2nd Sunday of Lent Mountaintop Experiences

Gen 22:1-2, 9a-18 God put Abraham to the test.

Psalm 116 I will walk in the land of the living.

Rom 8:31b-34 If God is for us, who can be

against us?

Mark 9:2-10 Jesus is transfigured on the moun-

tain.

After Moses met God on Mount Sinai, his skin was radiant. Because of this powerful experience, Moses was changed for-ever. Our glimpses of God can also change us forever. Such encounters dont happen every day, but occasionally we do

get a glimpse of God: We may recognize God in a loving glance from a friend; we may see God in the quiet dawn sky. God speaks to us through music, which can evoke soaring ecstasy or bring us to the edge of tears. These experiences are our personal journey up the dark mountain to wit-ness the Transfiguration of Christ. -- Dc. Dick Folger Next Weeks Readings Exod 20:1-17 God gives the commandments to

Moses. Psalm 19 Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. 1 Cor 1:22-25 Paul proclaims Christ, a stumbling block to many. John 2:13-25 Jesus cleanses the temple.

Lenten Regulations Contd

ASH WEDNESDAY and ALL OF THE FRIDAYS OF LENT are days of ABSTINENCE. On days of ab-stinence, meat may not be taken. The law of abstinence binds all Catholics who have completed their 14th year. All of the faithful are obliged to do penance, but not all may be able to observe the above regula-tions of fast and abstinence because of ill health or other reasons. Persons legitimately excused from the laws of fast and abstinence are urged to practice other forms of penance and self-denial suitable to their condition. In addition, the faithful are urged to participate, if possible, in the Mass during the week, in the sacrament of Penance, Lent devotions, prayer, Scripture reading, and sharing of their time and resources with the less fortunate.

Diocesan-Wide Day of Reconciliation Saturday, March 14 (10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.)

(in every parish in the diocese, a priest will be available to celebrate the sacrament)

Mass In

tentio

ns

Year B - March 2 to 8, 2015

Day Requested for Requested by

Mon NO MASS

Tuesday 8:30 a.m.

Dora Geczy & Elizabeth Barna Alex Geczy

Wednesday 9:30 a.m.

6:30 p.m. CWL

Stacey Family

Sanctity of Human Life

Misetich Family

Catholic Womens League

Thursday 8:30 a.m.

Maria Kowalewski Rita Kasem

Friday 9:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m. Albright Manor

Stations of the Cross @ Church

Eileen Burns

Libero Palmieri

Barb Hack

Maria Guerriero

Saturday 5:00 p.m.

For the People of St. Helen - L & D

Sunday 9:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m. St. Mark School

Bert VanMarrewyk

Judy Corriveau

Libero Palmieri

Helen & Andy Hendriks

Claude Corriveau

Maria Leva

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