Sacred Heart Parish Bulletin - May 8, 2005

Before we begin to work on our mandate to create one parish in Lexington, by using the resources and facilities of both parishes, we have to listen carefully to the advice provided by 47 other dioceses that had already completed planning processes and offered their advice to U.S. bishops at their November 1995 meeting.

1. Gather good information. We need to know where each parish stands at this moment. We will collect accurate demographic, financial and attitudinal data and share this with parishioners.

2. Plan carefully. The Parish Pastoral Councils must be clear about the goals, the process to be used and the mechanisms of making decisions.

3. Foster readiness. Before decisions are made, people must be consulted and information given that is intelligible and useful for making decisions that affect both parishes.

4. Communicate continuously. I hope to have two people from each parish to provide continuous information through multiple media to seek feedback to influence the process as it unfolds.

5. Respect structures. It is only prudent to build on what already exists rather than to try to create something totally new. We must respect and utilize the great work each parish has in place.

6. Be inclusive. We need to include in our planning people who are not often highly involved in the Church.

7. Cultivate collaboration. Greater openness to sharing resources will enhance the Church. Sometimes genuine love of a parish degenerates into parochialism, where one becomes afraid to see the possibilities of working with others.

8. Learn from mistakes. The problems facing the work ahead of us are complex and will require genuine creativity. We have to move beyond the mere routine and we need to be flexible in our thought patterns and processes. We need to be a learning community and know that we often learn from our mistakes.

9. Maintain fidelity. This is Christ’s Church so we had better keep in touch with the Lord through prayer. It is His will we are trying to discern. All the while we plan we have to ask the Lord “what is your plan for us?”

10. Pray always. Any time one lists things it has to come out to be a good round number –like ten things. In order to complete the ten I want to emphasize the need to be in touch with the Lord. The organized, structured community of the Church is the visible expression of the invisible communion each of us share with the Father through Christ in the Spirit. Prayer must be the mechanism that connects us in all our efforts with the everlasting God.

May all the people of both Sacred Heart and Saint Brigid Parishes work together to create the Catholic Community of Lexington—and beyond.

Last weekend the Altar flowers were in memory of Louise S. & Frank L. Davis. This weekend the flowers are in memory of Helen S. and John J. Nolan both were donated by Louise Nolan.

Shades of Ireland

We still have a few more spaces in our "Shades of Ireland" trip. Would you like to join us? Ten days in Ireland. Visit Limerick, The Cliffs of Moher, Killarney, a ride in an Irish Jaunting car, the Ring of Kerry, the Blarney Stone and Waterford, the Crystal Factory, Dublin, St. Patrick's Cathedral. Stay at the best accommodations; take optional tours; enjoy fun-filled Irish evenings! Please call the office, 781-862-4646, for a brochure describing this fantastic trip. Father Colletti will be going with us as we tour the Emerald Isle so call soon to sign up!

INSTALLATION OF PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL MEMBERS

This Sunday at the 10:00 Liturgy we will have the installation of the Parish Pastoral Council members. We wish them a peace-filled year as they gather together with St. Brigid's Parish Pastoral Council to create a vision and goal for our combined ministry. There is much to be done as we prepare for the mandate set forth by the Archbishop.

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, Nicholas Sorrentino, Linda Whitcomb, Virgil Kehs, Michael Calderoni and Dorothy Barton. Please also pray for Nicholas Sorrentino, who died this past week.

The Story of Mother's Day

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday". Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter*), "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration. People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.

In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS!

2005 Catholic Appeal

The 2005 Catholic Appeal is in its second week, and we would like to thank everyone who has already participated in this year's campaign. If you have yet to send in your pledge, we hope you will. Our Faith At Work is a powerful force. Its strength comes from the Lord, but it also comes from all of us. Once a year, through the Annual Catholic Appeal, the Church asks for your support in meeting the needs of our Catholic family. It is a request that we join together, knowing that, together, our strength is far stronger than it can ever be individually.

Remember, under the new Parish Share component we have a great opportunity to increase parish revenue while still supporting the ministries funded by the Catholic Appeal. If we exceed our goal, we will receive 25 percent of all funds raised above goal for use here at our parish. If the Archdiocese exceeds its total goal, 25 percent of the funds raised over goal will be returned to the parishes that exceeded their goals.

Invitation

The Parish Pastoral Council of St. Brigid Parish cordially invites you to a celebration of the ministry of their pastor, Rev. Eugene P. Curtin as he enters into retirement and anticipates his Golden Anniversary of Ordination. Please join in the Mass of Thanksgiving at 11:30am on Sunday, May 22nd followed by a reception in Keilty Hall.

ARLINGTON ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLUSTER

The Arlington Cluster will host a workshop, "Passing of a Visionary and Fatima's Third Secret", presented by Rev. William R. Carroll on Monday, May 16th at 7:30. The workshop will be held at St. Camillus Parish, 1175 Concord Turnpike, Arlington.

Holy Humor

A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

Pentecost Sunday

On May 15th we will celebrate Pentecost Sunday. The Art & Environment Committee has asked that we “Wear Somehing Red” at the 10:00am Liturgy that day. This will give a visual sense of flames of the Spirit throughout the community. There will be a “Tongues of Fire” lunch right after the 10:00am Liturgy at Sacred Heart Parish Center. The donation for the lunch will be $5.00pp/$20 per family.

Jim Keefe and his committee will need help on Saturday, May 14th after the 9:00am Liturgy to undecorate and redecorate the church. Please help if you can even if it is only a short time you can spare. On Sunday also after the 10:00am Liturgy we will need help “undecorating” the church.

St. Brigid Parish 8th 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.

YM SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF ST. BRIGID AND SACRED HEART PARISH ARE AVAILABLE AT ST. BRIGID'S. AND SACRED HEART PARISH OFFICES.

Food Pantry

This weekend, May 7th & 8th we will have our monthly Food Pantry. This month the food will be distributed at the Lexington Food Pantry. We thank you for your ever generous giving to this ministry.

Sacred Heart Parish Bulletin - Sunday, May 08, 2005