The Gospel teachings of Jesus have a way of startling people.  “Did he really say that?” one could ask.  It was his way of asking people to look at things differently from the way they have always looked at things.  Today’s lesson has to deal with the poor and needy.  It is the despised Samaritan who shows kindness and mercy to the man who was robbed and beaten.  The ‘respectable’ people moved passed him lying in his neediness.  They did nothing to help.

It appears that God has a predilection for the poor, the despised, the outcast and those who know they are sinners.  He loves them and is often found with them.  It seems to me that if we want to find God the poor and needy would be a good place to begin our search.  Many people learned that lesson from Mother Teresa.  Read any of her works or read the stories told about her.

When Mother Teresa visited New York City, a young priest was assigned as her escort for her day-and-a-half visit.  He was so excited at the opportunity to learn from Mother Teresa that he asked his bishop for permission to continue his escort duty and be with her all the way back to India.  When he told Mother Teresa he would follow her back to India she asked, “Do you have money for your ticket?”  He said yes.  She told the priest, “Then sell the ticket and give the money to the poor.  If you do that you will learn more about serving the poor than I could teach you.”

I knew of a nurse who saved her vacation time so she could go to India to work with Mother Teresa. The first task Mother Teresa gave her was to wash the bodies of people who died in the streets during the night.  After four weeks of this the nurse had to return home.  Before leaving she told Mother Teresa that she would return to India as soon as she could.  Mother Teresa said, “No you won’t.  You now have new eyes.  You will be able to see the poor where you live and you will attend to their needs.”

Who are the poor and needy in your home, neighborhood, and town?  Do you have eyes to see them?  Do you have faith enough to reach out to them?

Another Mother Teresa story: When Mother Teresa came to speak to the American Congress she said she saw how poor the slums of Washington D.C. were and she wanted to do something about it.  She could eradicate the poverty.  Members of congress asked how she could do this since they have been pouring money into the problem and have not come up with a permanent solution.  How could Mother Teresa take care of the poor?  She said, “One person at a time.”

Offertory for July 3^rd & 4^th            $3022.50

Envelope Offerings         $2572.50

Loose Cash                       $  450.00

St. John/St. Hugh                                             $492.00

9:00 – Monday, July 12^th    Fr. Colletti, Visiting Priests &

 Staff

9:00 – Tuesday, July 13^th    Parishioners of Sacred Heart

9:00 – Friday, July 14^th                                 Evelyn Nolan

9:00 – Saturday, July 17^th           1^st Ann. - Mary McManus

This week we ask you to pray for those who are ill, including, Brianna Cimino, Rosemary Harvey, Regina Jones, Andrea Hynes, Joyce Amos, James Reilly, Regina Wingard, Erin McMehon, Maria Aguis, George Beck, Dr. Kenneth Spengler, Josephine Murphy, Peter Bugda, Norma Berstein, Camille Michals, Rob Morway, Patricia Hassett, Paul McCann, William Francis, Lillian Davenport, James Fontaini, Henri Fradette, William Blair, Agatha Pals, Richard Gaudet, Kath Rodriegas, Estelle Szalajeski, Nancy Driscoll, Dante DiManna, Margie Levine, Doug Phillips, Ralph Tatro, Andrew Day, Peggy Sue Grow, Mary Serpa, Deborah Miller, Dorothy Lee, William MacKinnon, Mary Jefferson, Elizabeth Conte, Dave Rissmiller, Violet Caldaroni, Frank Cote, James Bresnahan, Ann Mulray, Rita Mahan, Connie Perrotta, Jackie Sullivan, Jean Babbin, Gerard Sarno, Dorothy Grant, Gretin Cervantes, Marisol O’Brien, Matthew Gablor, Paul Pantano, Fran Ressetar, Elizabeth Landman, Cecelia Hines, Renee Chapman, Peter Bellini, Christine Gainer, Chris Ann Colletti, Jeff Kalil, Helen McLaughlin, Paul Doherty, Jorge Loayza, Joseph Brault, Lauren Forgette, Chuck Kiernan, Bill Attaya, Margaret Coughlin, Lea Vetter, Gerry Abegg, John McCarthy, Don Sabatand, and Pauline Briggs.  Please also remember in your prayers Catherine Hennessy who died this past week.

Food Pantry

We will have our food pantry collection this weekend.  This month the food will be donated to the Warwick House.

Important Meeting

Kathleen Heck, Special Assistant for Parish Reconfiguration, will be here on Sunday, July 18^th.  Kathleen will attend the 10:00am Liturgy followed by a meeting in the Parish Center.  All are welcome to the meeting.

Transition Meetings

On July 6^th the staff from Sacred Heart Parish met with the staff from Saint Brigid Parish to continue the transition process.  We asked how we could get our two peoples together to form a new and stronger faith filled community.  Then we compared and contrasted the various ministries in the two parishes.  How would we combine certain ministries and how would Saint Brigid Parish incorporate other ministries found only at Sacred Heart Parish.  The expectations of the staffs were upbeat and filled with hope.  Everyone knows there is a great deal of work to do over the next few months in closing and welcoming.

The next meeting of the two parishes is Sunday July 11^th when the two Parish Pastoral Councils will come together for further discussion.  The real work will begin when the Transition Teams meet.  The Transition Team from each parish consists of staff members, two representatives from the Parish Pastoral Council and two from the Finance Council.  The Team will have five members of the parish from five different age groups.  The thirty or so members will begin the hands-on part of the closing of Sacred Heart Parish.

If you have questions or comments you may contact any of the Transition Team members.  In addition to the staff the Team includes: Paul Laffey and Kerry Cronin, members of the Parish Council, Robert McNamara and Peter Middleton, members of the Finance Council and Lea McCarthy, John Garrity, Mary Lynn Hedley, Bernard Lannquist and Mary McIver, members of the parish.

Three of our teens will be attending Catholic Leadership Institute (C.L.I.) starting Monday, July 19^th at Merrimack College.  C.L.I. is an awesome five-day experience to help to prepare teens

Ø      to take leadership of their lives! 

Ø      to be proactive in their parish and their school! 

Ø      to be a youth presence and voice in the parish! 

Ø      to help run youth ministry social events and prayer services! 

In addition, during the week of August 9^th – 13^th we have 3 young people who will participate on GOSPEL ROAD. This is a program designed for High School teens.  The week begins with an experience of team building.  The group then will split into “work teams” which will serve others in different ways at various locations.  At night they will spend time processing their day and praying together.  It is truly a powerful experience for everyone willing to go “on the road” in a week-long program of service to others.  The parish planned to subsidize these teens, but due to budget constraints, that will not happen.  Each participant will have to pay between $200 and $300 dollars to attend.  This would be a good opportunity to help your parish by helping our youth program.  Please read Maureen McKeown’s column, YOUTH NEWS, in the last section of the bulletin.

More Bumper Stickers

Minds are like parachutes, they function better when they are open.

Jesus is coming.  Look busy!

Coordinator of YM: Maureen McKeown

781-861-8385 X21 - email: nychick1@comcast.net

PLEASE READ THIS EVEN IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A TEEN!

YOUTH/FAMILY MASS:  Scheduled for Sunday, July 18^th at 10:00 A.M.  There will be a chance to congratulate the teens from our parish who will be participating in programs sponsored by the Boston office of Youth Ministry.  Our teens are truly an example for all of us during this difficult time.  They are enthusiastic and positive about what gifts they can bring to the table and the new opportunities for leadership that await them.

Catholic Leadership Institute Moving Beyond (C.L.I.M.B.) Update:  Last week two of our teens (Sarah Andryauskas and Michael Leelman) spent a week at Merrimack College renewing friendships, building on the skills they developed at C.L.I. and taking advantage of the opportunity for spiritual growth.

On July 18^th we will have a special blessing for our 3 teens (Lia McCarthy, Kurt Kugel and Emilie Coakley) who will be attending Catholic Leadership Institute (C.L.I.) starting the next day at Merrimack.  In addition, we will extend a blessing to those 3 young people (Stephen Keefe, Alex Laffey and Tori Cimino) who will participate on GOSPEL ROAD in a week-long program of service to others.

All of these teens are to be applauded for their willingness to sacrifice a week of summer vacation so they can continue to live the Gospel message.

NOTE:  Immediately following liturgy Kathleen Heck, Special Assistant for Parish Reconfiguration will lead a meeting at the Parish Center.

Bulletins	Sacred Heart Parish Bulletin - July 11, 2004	Home