I want to thank all who took part in the voting for the new Parish Pastoral Council members.  You voted into office Frank DiPietro, Jeanne Shanley DiPietro, Mary Lynne Hedley, Fran Ludwig, John Mahoney and Kathryn Rapperport.  I thank Paul Bradford, Richard Galehouse, Jeff Millett, Ken Shine and Mark Syrnick for their willingness to serve on the Council. I am sure we can find other parish work for them to do.

Pope John Paul II wrote in his apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in America, that it is up to the pastor “and lay people to implement a coordinated pastoral plan which is systematic and participatory, involving all the members of the church and awakening in them a missionary consciousness.” (36) The Parish Pastoral Council, chaired by the Pastor, is the pastoral planning body of the parish and has a primary responsibility in assessing the actions by which the parish pastoral plan is unfolding.  It is recognized that the ongoing process of parish pastoral planning and its assessment be:

1. consistent with and respectful of what the two parishes have already   accomplished;
2. oriented toward action and recognized that accomplishing the parish mission is a work in progress;
3. a simple and easy continuation of steps already introduced; and
4. continually supported by appropriate training.

In the pastoral letter on stewardship, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops spoke directly to the importance of pastoral planning for good stewardship.  As true stewards of the church, “All members of the Church have their own roles to play in carrying out its mission…(specifically) parishioners, who work in concrete ways to make their parishes true communities of faith and vibrant sources of service to the larger community…Pastor and parish staffs must be open, consultative, collegial, and accountable in the conduct of affairs.  And parishioners must accept responsibility for their parishes and contribute generously—both money and personal service—to their programs and projects. The success or failure of parish programs, the vitality of parish life or its absence, the ability or inability of a parish to render needed services to its members and the community depend upon all.”

Parishioners from Saint Brigid and Sacred Heart Parishes may be at different levels of preparedness and enthusiasm to effectively carry out pastoral planning.  It will be necessary to formulate steps needed in planning our future together and all people will need to have a deeper understanding of the call to ongoing renewal.  I look forward to having all join in the work of pastoral planning.

Office Closed

In celebration of Patriot’s Day, the office will be closed on Monday, April 18^th.

This week we ask you to pray for those who are ill, including, Brianna Cimino, Marisol O’Brien, Peter Bellini, Rosemary Harvey, Regina Jones, Andrea Hynes, Joyce Amos, 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, Kath Rodriegas, Nancy Driscoll, Dante DiManna, Margie Levine, Doug Phillips, Andrew Day, Peggy Sue Grow, Mary Serpa, Deborah Miller, Dorothy Lee, William MacKinnon, Mary Jefferson, Elizabeth Conte, Shane McCarthy, Mildred Wood, Violet Caldaroni, Frank Cote, James Bresnahan, Ann Mulray, Rita Mahan, Jackie Sullivan, Jean Babbin, Gerard Sarno, Dorothy Grant, Gretin Cervantes, Paul Pantano, Fran Ressetar, Cecelia Hines, Margaret Wright, Renee Chapman, , Edward Borden, Christine Gainer, Chris Ann Colletti, Helen McLaughlin, Paul Doherty, Jorge Loayza, Lauren Forgette, Chuck Kiernan, Margaret Coughlin, John McCarthy, Don Sabatand, Willy Smith, Claire McDonough, Julia Gillis, Laura Mac Aulay, Alyssa Frazer, Bill Graham, Bob Remeika, Edward Semanko, Matthew Gablor, Mary Hosford, Morgan Brady, Willie Smith, Jane Eastham, Joseph Coppola, Betty White, Barbara DeVitte, Bernis Whalen, Virgil Kehs, Michael Calderoni and Dorothy Barton. 

Offertory for April 9^th & 10^th    $5916.00

Envelope Offerings                     $5304.00

Loose Cash                                   $ 612.00

St. John/St. Hugh                       $ 290.00

Welcome Cards

Please take one of our Welcome Cards if you are new to the Parish.  If you are a veteran parishioner and wish to be in a ministry, know of someone ill, have a new address, phone number or would like to share your e-mail address with us, please use this card to do that as well. 

We would like to welcome any newcomers to our Liturgies this weekend.  Please take a moment to introduce yourself to Father Colletti so that he may encourage you to join with us each week on your faith journey. 

9:00 – Monday, April 18^th                  Shirley Horrigan

9:00 – Tuesday, April 19^th                    Arnold Colletti

9:00 – Wednesday, April 20^th                    Rita White

9:00 – Friday, April 22^nd                         Michael Foley

9:00 – Saturday, April 23^rd                    HelenPetrucci    & Bridget Cormier

St. Brigid Parish 8^th Annual Golf Classic will be held on Monday, June 13, 2005 at the Windham Country Club in Windham, N. H. beginning at 1:30PM.  The purpose of the Tournament is to raise funds to help graduating High School Seniors.  Because of the merger this year of the Youth Ministries of Sacred Heart and St. Brigid Parishes, seniors of both parishes will be eligible to apply for scholarship consideration.  Golf Flyers are available at all the exits of the Church for those who would like to participate as a player or as a sponsor.  Come on all of you Sacred Heart Golfers…Sign up!

May 1^st there will be dinner and a movie (TBA) on the big screen in St. Brigid’s Keilty Hall, dinner will begin at 6:00 and the movie at 7:00.  Join with other youth in the parish for this great event!

May 16^th will be Caribbean Night at 7:00pm in the youth room.  Will have Pirates of the Caribbean on the big screen and a treasure hunt…Sounds Great!

The youth will be going White Water Rafting in June.  An information night is planned for June 6^th at 7:00pm in the youth room.  The trip is from June 10^th to the 12^th. 

June 20^th will be the last Youth Group meeting at St. Brigid.  The meeting begins at 7:00pm.

We would like to welcome Jennifer Chantrtanapichiute into the Lexington Catholic Community.  Jen, a candidate in St. Brigid’s RCIA program, was baptized a Catholic at the Easter Vigil at St. Bridget’s.  Please join in welcoming Jen as she begins her faith journey with our community.

Bread for the World

The goal of Bread for the World’s 2005 offering of letters is Make Hunger History.  In 2000, the U.S. Government pledged to cut U.S. food insecurity in half by 2010.  But since then the number of persons at risk of hunger has steadily increased.  Come join us on May 1^st to write our congressmen to say that the U.S. Government should live up to that commitment.

Help Needed by Bread for the World

Do you have a computer and would you be willing to do some preliminary work before our May 1^st offering of letters?  We will need help on that day also.  Please call Fran at 781-861-7231 or Rosemary at 781-863-2257.

Holy Land Olive Oil

A (belated) Thank You to all who welcomed Hilary Rantisi and Paul Beran to Sacred Heart on Sunday, April 10^th and all those who bought Holy Land Olive Oil.  It was a sell out!  Some follow-up: 1. You can still purchase this special olive oil from Susan Rivo, 781-648-6307, or e-mail susierivo@rcn.com.  It will be sold at the usual prices $13 per bottle for a minimum of 3 bottles or a case of 12 bottles for $144, still a small price for a step towards peace!  2. Skip Schiel, photographer and Peace Pilgrim has spent 5 months in Palestine/Israel and will be sharing his stories and photos at Friends Meeting in Cambridge, 15 Longfellow Park, off Brattle Street, at 1:00pm on Sunday, April 17^th.  Call 617-876-6883.

Holy Humor

After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home.  His father asked him three times what was wrong.  Finally, the boy replied, “The priest said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys.”

Winchester Area Voice of the Faithful

The Winchester Area Voice of the Faithful will present William A. Clark, S.J., Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the College of the Holy Cross on Sunday, April 24^th at 7:00pm.  Fr. Bill Clark joined the Holy Cross faculty in 2001 and teaches courses on subjects including the meaning of church understood from the local perspective.  Fr. Clark was a featured speaker at the New England VOTF Conference in Worcester in November, 2004.

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