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The Epistle Online
St. Paul Catholic Parish
A Franciscan Family of Faith
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We hope this newsletter will be a helpful resource, providing information about our parish and sharing content on spiritual and practical matters related to our Catholic faith. The Epistle is so named as a tribute to St. Paul, our patron, whose letters to the earliest Christians still guide and inform us today.
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L E N T 2 0 2 1
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February 17, 2021
Mass Schedule at St. Paul Church
7:00am, 12 Noon, 5:00pm, 7:00pm
School Mass: 8:45am and 10:15am
Daily Mass
Monday to Friday - 7:00am & 5:00pm
Stations of the Cross
Fridays of Lent
7:00pm at Sacred Heart Church
Feb. 19 & 26 and March 5, 12, & 26
Saint Paul School Stations of the Cross (All are Welcome)
1:00pm on March 5 & 26
2:00pm on Feb. 19 & 26 & March 12 & 19
Confessions
Mercy Mondays 7:00pm - 8:00pm, Feb. 22 to March 29
Saturdays 8:30am - 9:30am & 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Holy Hour
Mondays 7:00 - 8:00pm
Tuesdays 4:00 - 5:00pm
All events are at St. Paul Church unless otherwise noted.
Abstinence and Fasting Reminder
During Lent Catholics age 14+ are obliged to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, all Fridays in Lent and Good Friday.
Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting means only one full meal is to be eaten. Other food eaten on a Fast Day should not equal a full meal.
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Please note that we are no longer asking parishioners to Sign Up for Mass
(except for Ash Wednesday).
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Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel
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Haven't decided what to DO or what to GIVE UP for Lent?
We polled our friars, staff and teachers to see what they have planned!
Here are their inspired ideas about what they will DO:
1. "Go to church every day for Mass or just to pray"
2. "Give up worry"
3. "Attend Eucharistic Adoration each week"
4. "Give up self guilt for situations I cannot control"
5. "Pray the Rosary daily"
6. "Count my blessings each night to focus on all of the good that has happened this year"
9. "Read one Christian fiction book"
10. "Pick up Catholic, saint, inspirational books"
12. "I'll be working on a prayer shawl. This also gives me time for some quiet prayer and meditation"
13. "I am doing the 33 days of preparation for Consecration to St. Joseph"
14. "I'm joining the Exodus 90 ascetical program (for men)"
And here's what some of our staff members plan to GIVE UP:
 1. "Ice cream"
2. "Wine and potato chips"
3. "Facebook and chronic Googling"
4. "Secular TV shows/movies and instead watch something from FORMED.org
5. "Put the time I would be spending on Facebook to Prayer Time instead"
Some of our TEACHERS also shared what they will be doing with their students in class:
1. Discuss and write down what Lent is all abut and how we can better prepare for Easter
2. Light our Lenten log daily, our counterpart to the Advent wreath
3. Discuss the Stations of the Cross in detail
4. Do a class activity to help others as part of the almsgiving spirit of Lent
5. List and memorize the Stations of the Cross
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I want to be transformed
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"I don't want to check boxes, I want to be transformed."
This statement was made by one of our staff members about Lent.
Lent is indeed a time of transformation!
During these 40 days, we are invited to grow closer to Jesus.
We are invited to grow in holiness.
Lest you think that change is not possible, consider these stories of dramatic transformation:
From persecutor to Christian... He believed the teachings of Jesus violated Mosaic Law and zealously harassed, and even jailed, anyone who followed those teachings.... [more]
The day everything changed. September 26, 2009... [more]
"...his close friend.. said that the doctor's conversion to the faith was 'one of the great Catholic moments of the 20th century in the U.S.'... [more]
(This article was posted at the time of Dr. Nathanson's death in 2011.)
"From Agnosticism to Catholicism"
"It was a suicidal friend who inadvertently initiated Matt Fradd's conversion story when he was twelve years old...."
Watch this engaging video by Australian author, speaker & podcast host!
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem" (Mt 20:18)
Lent: a Time for Renewing Faith, Hope and Love
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St. Joseph, pray for us!
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December 8, 2020 through December 8, 2021
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| | 2021: Embracing the Year of St. Joseph to Grow |
Want to know more about this 'silent' man? Click on the link above.
"A table overflowing with good Italian food honoring St. Joseph is a traditional Sicilian custom. The feast of San Giuseppe began in the Middle Ages when Sicily was suffering from a severe drought and the desperate people begged St. Joseph for rain. When they received rainy weather in response, they held a huge "feste" in Saint Joseph's honor. Even today, Sicilians go to Mass before their St. Joseph's day dinner and then process to their festive tables, decked out in flowers, breads, and all sorts of Italian foods..." [more]
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Confession is the gift of truth
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In his homily on January 31st, Fr. Peter spoke about the
spiritual battle that has been going on throughout human history and our own personal histories. In this battle, the devil wants to make our lives miserable by separating us from God. To stay strong, Fr. Peter urged us to stay close to Jesus, stay close to the truth, and stay close to others in need.
"There is no reason to lose hope or to give into fear," he said.
"Stay close to the truth. The devil's main weapon is deception. He manipulates our selfish tendencies by spreading lies and half-truths...
He fights to keep us out of the confessional.
Confession is the gift of truth. We face the truth about ourselves by confessing our sins, our weaknesses, our failures, and God, through the priest, reminds us of the truth, mercy, and forgiveness and unconditional grace. The devil loves the darkness. Confession unleashes the light.
Click here to listen to Fr. Peter's homily. (Skip to 18:00 mark)
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Here are some reminders for anyone who might find them helpful:
(You can open this link in church before confession. It's really okay.)
This beautiful video from FORMED.org
"explores the grace and healing offered in Confession"
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Our family of faith
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Our annual Lenten Collection at St. Paul Parish will be held from
Ash Wednesday through March 28, 2021.
The collection is sponsored by our Social Action Ministry to benefit
These charitable organizations need your support to help families in crisis.
Please help if you can!
PRUDENCE CRANDALL WISH LIST:
Gift cards to Stop & Shop & Walmart, towels (large & small for bathroom), pillows, twin comforter sets, twin sheet sets, bras (L, XL, XXL), women's underwear (S, M, L, XL), girls underwear, women's leggings (S, M, L, XL ), laundry detergent, cleaning supplies of any kind.
FAMILY PROMISE WISH LIST:
Paper towels, toilet paper, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, dish detergent, dish sponges, garbage bags, toothpaste, antibacterial hand soap, disinfectant spray, disinfectant wipes, children's shampoo, body wash, feminine products, aluminum foil, zip top plastic food bags, facial tissues.
ALL ITEMS MUST BE NEW. Please leave your donations in one of the three entryways of the church. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.
RELIGIOUS ED
Our Religious Education families have embraced our NEW Blended Learning model, and so far it has been a great success. The goal of the new program is to connect faith to everyday life and to integrate family prayer and Catholic Faith Traditions with each child's faith formation.
One of the February activities is to prepare meatless meals on Fridays.
Hey look! It's our old (young) friend "Fri Ti"!
Friar Tim was here at St. Paul Parish in the summer of 2017 for a ministry internship. He worked with our youth minister, helped out in our school and summer camp, and got some first-hand experience on what it is like to be a Friar working with a parish community. Although Friar Tim was only here for a short time, he quickly became a beloved member of our parish family.
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Hope springs eternal
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SPRING SACRAMENTS, HOLY DAYS and OTHER GOOD STUFF...
Confirmation Dates
Saturday, April 17 at 10:30am & 1:00pm
Saturday, April 24 at 10:30am & 1:00pm
First Reconciliation Date Saturday, March 13 at 9:30am & 11:00am First Communion Dates Saturday, May 1 at 10:30am Saturday, May 8 at 10:30am & 1:00pm
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St. Patrick's Day
Wednesday, March 17
Enjoy this video!
It was recorded in the Spring of 2020, shortly after the COVID related shut downs began in Ireland. It sure does seem like a LONG time ago!
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| | The Irish Blessing - over 300 churches sing a blessing over Ireland & beyond |
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Fresh Wind - Hillsong Worship
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| | Fresh Wind (Official Audio) |
Spirit sound
Rushing wind
Fire of God fall within
Holy Ghost
Breathe on us we pray...
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UPCOMING DATES:
Palm Sunday -March 28
Holy Week - begins March 29
Good Friday - April 2 Easter Sunday - April 4
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Saint Paul School
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We are so blessed and thankful for Saint Paul School. The children have been attending school all year long for in-person learning and extra curricular activities such as Mock Trial, Sports, and Robotics. The school has also accommodated all staff and students who chose to stay home and participate remotely. Please continue to pray for all of the students, teachers and staff at Saint Paul School, especially as we seek to hire a new principal!
Contact Admissions Director, Kelly Esposito, if you would like to learn more about our parish school and how to apply! [email protected] 860-828-4343 x136
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Catholic High School & Scholarships
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We are happy to share information about scholarships that we receive from charitable organizations!
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS The Knights of Columbus Monsignor Thomas L. Greylish Council, #3675 will award two college scholarships to 2021 graduating high school students. Click here to learn more.
CATHOLIC GRADUATES CLUB The Catholic Graduates Club of Greater Hartford will award three scholarships of $2000 each to Catholic students who are high school seniors and plan to attend a 4 year college in the Fall of 2021. Applicants must reside in Hartford County. Deadline is March 15. For info or an application, see your high school principal or guidance counselor.
NEW BRITAIN COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN The NBCCW is pleased to offer two, $1,000 scholarships to either 8th graders planning to attend a Catholic High School or high school seniors planning to attend college. Digital applications can be obtained by emailing a request to [email protected] or a hard copy application can be picked up at the parish office. The deadline for applications has been set for April 9th.
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Choosing an education for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make as a parent. If you are considering Catholic High School for your child/children, contact an Admissions representative today to schedule an in-person or virtual tour. Find out what these great schools have to offer and how they continue to thrive during these difficult times.
Ask about financial assistance as well. A great education at one of our nearby Catholic high schools may be more affordable than you think!
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Monday Meetings
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The parish staff has been holding their Monday Meetings online since last spring. Once everyone got familiar with the "unmute" button, it worked out nicely! We look forward to the day we can once again get together for meetings in the Parish Center.
L to R, Top to Bottom: Maura Gaffney, Fr. Joe, Flora Sitnick, Joan Vancour (no camera on computer), Robin Veronesi, Dan Tome, Fayne Molloy, Fr. Michael (with halo glowing behind him), Jeff Batter, Bill DiCicco (in the background!), Diane Funk, Christina Norton. Missing from meeting: Fr. Peter (He claimed he had an appointment. haha!)
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QUICK LINKS
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Did you know you can receive the bulletin by email each week?
Thank you for your continued support of St. Paul Parish!
"Reaching Out, Healing Together"
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The Epistle Online
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As always, we value you and your opinions and feedback about this newsletter!
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"For it is in giving that we receive."
-Saint Francis of Assisi
A Ministry of the Conventual Franciscan Friars, Our Lady of the Angels Province
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