St. Anthony's Newsletter February 10, 2023

St. Anthony Church Newsletter

February 10, 2023

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Thank You, Volunteers!

Thank you to David Beutel who has been assisting with the electrical wiring in the new chapel.

Without each of our volunteers, named and unnamed, we wouldn’t be able to do so many great things! Thank you to all of our volunteers!

2022 HOPES Collection - Thank You!

The St. Anthony's Parish contributed $1,292 to the annual HOPES collection!

View the thank-you letter from the Archdiocese below:

Palm Collection

Usually, the Ash Wednesday ashes are created by burning palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebration.

Palm Sunday is the last Sunday of Lent and leads into Holy Week. It is on this day that people laid palms to cover Jesus's path as he arrived in Jerusalem, just days before he was crucified. You may bring in your palm the weekend of February 18th and 19th and place it in the white baskets located in the vestibule or near the angel doors.

Tootsie Roll Drive - Next Weekend

The Father O'Dea Chapter of the Knights of Columbus will hold a tootsie roll drive after all masses next weekend: February 18th & 19th. This is the Knights annual campaign to raise funds for people with intellectual disabilities. All donations are greatly appreciated!

Burying the Alleluia

During the season of Lent, the declaration of “Alleluia” before the Gospel is omitted from all liturgies, only to re-emerge at The Easter Vigil, when the Resurrection is proclaimed. As a symbolic gesture at the beginning of Lent, we will “Bury the Alleluia” marking the solemnity of the season about to begin. This will occur at the 11:15 Mass on Sunday, February 19 immediately following the Universal Prayers.

Ladies Guild Meeting

The next Ladies Guild meeting will be on Tuesday, February 21st at 6:30 pm in the Parish Center Hope Room. Our guest speaker will be

Deacon Domenic Stolfi who will speak on the topic of

"The mystery surrounding Mary Magdalene".

New Day Bereavement Group

Are you grieving the loss of a loved one?

St. Anthony Church is offering a 9-week program where individuals can share their grief stories and learn about the grieving process and its tasks for healing. The sessions are conducted by trained facilitators, who have experienced grief in their own lives, and are able to help you move through the tasks of grief. It is not a therapy session, but an opportunity to share with others who have experienced losses themselves. All denominations are welcome. The sessions begin Wednesday, March 29 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. There is no cost for this program. Books used in the group are generously donated by Prospect Memorial/The Palmerie Family Funeral Home.

Registration is needed, as space is limited. For information, call

Charlotte Scaviola 203-758-5711, Claudette Decilla 203-758-6283, or

Jill Blewitt 203 758-5599.

Adoration is a silent time for you to have some time alone with Jesus. You can do whatever type of prayerful devotion that suits you before our Lord, or you can sit quietly and say nothing, just keeping Him company like you would a dear friend.

The Blessed Sacrament can never be left alone. At least one person needs to be always present. Please sign up to spend an hour with Jesus each week during Lent!

For more information or to sign up for your special hour of praise, please call Michele Mikelskas at 203-755-0189 or Charlotte Scaviola at 203-758-5711.

Lenten Parish Prayers for Vocations

During Lent the parish of St. Anthony will be participating in the Family Chalice Prayers for Vocations program. This is a meaningful Lenten devotion that you can pray to increase vocations for our Church. Beginning February 23/24, 2023 at Mass, an assigned family is invited to take the gifts up at the Offertory Procession. At the end of Mass, the family is called by our Celebrant to come forward to receive the chalice box and a blessing. The box contains a consecrated chalice and a booklet describing the prayers. The family takes the chalice home and puts it in a place of honor.

Each day for a week, during prayer time (morning, bedtime or at meals), the family prays for an increase and perseverance of vocations. At the end of the week, they return the chalice to the church. We will continue the Lenten devotion until April 8.

If you would like to volunteer to take a chalice home for a week, please contact the volunteer coordinator at the parish center by calling 203-758-4056 or by email at volunteercoordinator@stanthonyprospect.org.

Help Us Earn Grant Money!

The Ion Bank Foundation Community Awards Program gives away $100,000 to local non-profit organizations with each Ion Bank customer eligible to vote for their favorite non-profit organization.

Voting has begun for the 13th Annual Community Awards Program so please help us earn grant money! We will receive a $25 donation from the Ion Bank Foundation for every vote1 we receive! Every vote counts! If you are an Ion Bank customer, please visit this website to vote until March 15, 2023.

LaBonne’s Cash for Charities - Thank You!

We just received a check in the amount of $234.25 from LaBonne’s. That represents over $45,000 worth of receipts that we received from our parishioners. Thank you!

2023 Archbishop's Annual Appeal

The 2023 Archbishop's Annual Appeal will be kicking off in February! Click here to learn more, and click here to make an online donation or pledge!

Prepare yourself for this weekend's Mass:

The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Weekend's Readings

Gospel Reflection

In my work as a freelance writer, I often find myself producing content on the subject of Catholic schools. For more than ten years, I’ve written hundreds of articles about Catholic schools, coming at the issue from every angle. I’ve written about current Catholic school families, and the sacrifices they make to ensure their children receive a Catholic education. I’ve written about alumni and their feelings about the education they received in a Catholic educational setting. I’ve written about the importance of Catholic identity in a Catholic school, and the lengths to which teachers and staff members will go to ensure their classrooms aren’t offering merely a private education, but a Catholic one...click here to continue reading!

Catholic Question Corner

Why was World Day of the Sick instituted & when is it observed?

World Day of the Sick was established by Pope St John Paul II in 1992 to draw attention to the sick and their caregivers and highlight the redemptive value of human suffering. It is commemorated annually on February 11th, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Health of the Sick. The message of Our Lady of Lourdes is one that is central to the Catholic faith: she calls for repentance and trust in her Son, Jesus. The feast day is also a timely reminder of the universal call to be close to and extend our help to the poor, the needy, the infirmed and the sick. As Christians, we experience that closeness as a sign of the love of Jesus Christ, the Good Samaritan, who draws near with compassion to every man and woman wounded by sin.... Indeed, fraternal love in Christ generates a community of healing, a community that leaves no one behind, a community that is inclusive and welcoming, especially to those most in need.

Prayer for World Day of the Sick aka Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

O Great Physician, you created us as creatures capable of caring for one another. Help us to be mindful of that as we pray now for each other and for all those known to us in need of healing. Restore us in mind, body and spirit. Awaken a desire in each of us to be a sign of Your love and light to others in our world which, too often, is devoid of expressions of human compassion. Restore our spirit so that, when our own burdens are heavy, we can feel joy in helping others who also are in need, mindful that we reap as we sow. Aware of the redemptive value of suffering, let us offer up our pain, discouragement, anxiety and disappointments, in atonement for our sins, and in humble supplication for our temporal and eternal well-being. Loving and merciful God, be our constant companion in this world, and sharpen our senses so we are aware of Your presence in our life. Dear Lady of Lourdes, Health of the Sick, lead us all into the loving arms of your Son, the Great Physician. Amen.

Faith Formation

Faith Formation classes for the 2022-2023 school year are now in full swing!

Happy Saint Valentines Day!

We are so grateful to all the families who braved the cold weather this past Saturday, to come to our church hall and make Valentines for our parish seniors! It was a chance for many to meet new families and make new friends😊

Visit our website to view photos of our Faith Formation classes in action!

Youth Formation Wish List

The Youth Formation program is seeking donations of some items that you may have laying around at home for some upcoming activities and projects:

We will happily take your scraps! Our younger grades will be making their own “ prayer rocks” and are in need of any cloth material to cover the rock (Any print would be most welcome)!

A welcome mat – for our sensory prayer walk (can be used😊)

Legos – for our sensory prayer walk (any and all loose pieces found in the couch)

A world map – also for our sensory prayer walk (can be used 😊)

Thank you so much!

Please note that when Region 16 dismisses school early due to bad weather or cancels school for the day, we will not have any Faith Formation classes that day. We will also alert on Channel 3, and update our social media pages

if we choose to cancel.

Volunteer Opportunities

Are you looking for opportunities to volunteer?

Volunteering is a great way to become involved in our Parish, meet Parishioners, and complete community service hours!

Please visit our website for a full description of the outstanding opportunities.

Bingo: As BINGO at St. Anthony's continues to grow, we are in need of more volunteers for various jobs including calling the game, working on the floor, sealed ticket sales, working in the kitchen, and more.

Please consider volunteering once a month!

If you would like to volunteer for any of these community service opportunities, please contact David Byrne, Volunteer Coordinator,

at 203-758-4056 ext. 17 or by email volunteercoordinator@stanthonyprospect.org