St Anthony Church Newsletter |
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Who do you say Jesus is? Is Jesus just another voice among many others throughout history, or, is Jesus THE voice of God the Father? Is Jesus just one way to salvation and everlasting life; or is Jesus THE way, the only way? Do we pick and choose the teachings of Jesus which we understand and agree with and ignore the rest; or do we believe that every word Jesus speaks is THE word of God which we must struggle to understand, accept and obey? And do we believe that the Church Jesus built on Peter’s profession of faith is necessary for our salvation?
Everything hinges on if we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah and how we live out that faith in him.
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The 11:15 Mass will continue to be live-streamed for the time being.
Therefore St Anthony Church will broadcast on Facebook LIVE Sundays at 11:15 am .
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In light of continued uncertainty regarding the extent and duration of the coronavirus in the state of Connecticut and throughout the Archdiocese of Hartford, Archbishop Blair has now extended this dispensation from the Sunday obligation through Saturday, November 28, 2020, which is the last day of the current liturgical year. |
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Renovation begins on the interior walls of the Church Basement!
The church hall renovations have begun and one side of the hall walls have been
removed. Once both sides are fully exposed, the building committee will meet again to
review the condition and the best next step. Thank you for your support!
Here are some updated photos taken this week:
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Faith Formation 20/21 is going to happen!
We are in the process of setting up a plan in accordance with Archdiocese guidelines, released to us in August, to resume classes while keeping everyone safe!
All who were registered in our program last year will be notified as soon as a plan is in place. If you are new to our program or parish, please contact our Faith Formation Director, Andrea Brown , or 203-758-4848, ext 19. for information.
If wanting to join our parish family, we require proof of all sacraments made outside of Saint Anthony Church. To participate in our Faith Formation program, families are required to be registered in our parish. Registration forms can be downloaded on our website . Thank you for your continued support and positive attitude as we strive to follow the guidelines from The Archdiocese.
God's blessings! Andrea
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Golf Tournament Update
Due to the lack of sign ups to play golf, the tournament scheduled for August 20th has been cancelled.
The Golf Tournament has been rescheduled for June 3, 2021.
Hopefully this event will come to fruition in the next year!
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Always Something ...
Don't let anyone tell you that working at a church is boring! Michael and Lisa removed well over 150 bagworms from 3 evergreen shrubs near the angel doors. If left alone, bagworms munch buds and foliage, causing branch tips to turn brown and die.
Look closely at the photo and you may see a worm poking out of its bag!
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In Lieu of Flowers
Often times when someone passes away, in lieu of flowers, they ask that donations be made to a specific nonprofit. We have been fortunate over the years to have our scholarship account funded, Hope Ministry, and most recently the refurbishing of the church hall.
All donations are appreciated and both the donor and the family receive a letter of acknowledgment. Just this month donations totaled over $1,000.00 for the church hall. This family used our hall for the last several years for their annual Christmas gathering so knew first hand of the condition and its need of repair. Thank you to those who honor their loved ones in this way.
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Guidelines for Attending Mass
While some might feel these guidelines are stringent, it is important that guidelines are followed, that we respect all parishioners and be sure that everyone feels comfortable attending Mass.
- Please bring a face mask to wear, as it is required as you enter, while inside and as you exit. Please be sure to cover your mount and nose with the mask, not just your mouth.
- Pews will be marked off to assist with social distancing. Please use the side aisles to move from the front of the church to the back.
- Please use the center aisle to move from the back of the church towards the sanctuary.
- Singing has been shown to increase the spread of COVID-19. However, please feel free to hum to the music during Mass.
- Hand sanitizer is currently available, please have your own as well.
- We ask that you mark where you sit with a post-it-note, which will be available at the entrances.
- Missalettes will be removed from the pews, if you would like to take one home and bring it back with you each time you come to Mass, you may do that.
- The tape on the seats is not meant to be sat on. Every other pew is marked with either 2 spots in the middle or several spaces on the ends. Please only sit where there is no tape. (See photos below)
- When leaving, please leave in one direction down the side aisles or in one direction up the center aisle, towards the sanctuary, following the arrows. Please leave space between each other, allowing a little extra time to exit.
Collection Procedure:
- One of the guidelines is that we cannot have the ushers passing the basket to receive your offertory envelopes.
- Three collection boxes will be available inside the church and they will be emptied in the presence of 2 ushers, after every Mass, into a secure bag.
- If there is a second collection, please put your donation for that collection into a separate envelope. If it is a plain envelope, please mark it with the specific collection that it is for.
- If you put loose cash in the box, it will be recorded under the weekly offering. Thank you.
Communion Procedure:
- Please use the markers for distancing while in line. Families can stay together.
- Once in front of Father or Deacon, please extend your hands out flat to receive the consecrated host, as you walk away, pause at the X on the floor, lower your mask, consume the host, put your mask back on and return to your pew down the side outside aisle.
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Help Needed
We need help to adhere to the directives of the Archdiocese regarding sanitizing the church after Mass, particularly after the 4:30 and 11:15 Mass.
This is not a long or difficult process and all the supplies and instructions are left in the Utility Sacristy (formerly the Food Pantry).
And if you are able to help and find that others are taking care of it one week, please don't assume that you don't need to check again. Each week different parishioners might be needed.
if you have any questions, please call the parish office.
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St. Anthony Church Meditation Garden Walkway Fundraiser is ongoing.
Thank you to everyone who has already ordered a brick!
Honor someone you love with a beautiful stone in our Meditation Garden Walkway.
Please download the form to order:
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Bingo is cancelled until further notice.
thank you for all who have supported us in the past and we look forward to when we can have a HUGE Jackpot again!
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When shopping Amazon, you can choose to use Amazon Smile* and a percentage of your order will be donated to St. Anthony Church, specifically for the refurbishing of the Church hall.
Click on the photo to get started!
*We encourage supporting local businesses, direct trade and fair trade partners as well as environment considerations when making purchases. If you do choose to use Amazon Smile and you don’t need your item immediately, please don’t choose overnight/rush delivery because this often forces people to work on Sunday.
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Labonnes Cash for Charities Rebate Program
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Please save your Labonne's cash register receipts. (Keep an envelope in your car to easily save them)
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Every couple of months submit them to St. Anthony Church, via the mail or by dropping them off at the parish center. We will receive 1/2% back.
- Thank you to everyone who has been sending in their slips, keep them coming!
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Please consider using online giving for your financial support.
The consistency from online giving is very helpful over vacation periods. You may still use your envelopes and mark “I gave online”.
Thank you and God bless you for all you do for St. Anthony Church!
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St. Anthony Church
4 Union City Road – Prospect, CT 06712
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