Saint Josephine
Bakhita Parish

Easter Season
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,
 
Easter greetings and blessings to one and all!!! We now bask in the afterglow of the Great Feast with its hope, joy, renewal, light, and peace. We have been in the long cold days of the tomb these past months…now we are beginning to emerge with Jesus with the hope of new and refreshing days ahead.
 
During our Holy Week/Easter celebrations we walked the journey to Calvary, the tomb and the Resurrection. For so many around the globe we do understand the perils of that journey…. but we, with the eyes of faith, are confident that all will be well.
 
This past weekend we were able to increase our seating capacity at both churches. We were at capacity for each celebration. However, we were painfully aware of the desire for others to attend in person. In the months ahead we hope and pray to continue to increase the capacities for each church and Mass. It all depends on the continued vaccinations and safety guidelines helping us to reduce and eradicate the effects of the virus. We believe God’s grace is at work in conjunction with our responsible and active cooperation in the process of bringing healing and hope.
 
The heart of the Great Feast of Easter is the amazing grace of God’s Mercy. A mercy that wants to set us free from fear, doubt, worry and disconsolation. A mercy that wants to reign in our hearts, minds, and spirits. A mercy that wants to enlarge our hearts, so we too become mercy to one another. So important is the truth about mercy, that we claim this Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday in loving remembrance of the devotion to Mercy so loved by Saint Faustina.
 
As you leave church this coming weekend, a generous donor has provided Divine Mercy prayer cards for your ongoing use to remind you of the powerful transformative grace of God’s Mercy. The power of Easter working in each of us.

Peace and Blessings,

Fr. George Couturier


Enjoy this digital Easter Card with prayers that you will enjoy a most blessed and holy Easter Season!
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. George
Second Sunday of Easter
Divine Mercy Sunday
April 11, 2021
Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish will livestream the 9:00 AM & 11:00 AM Sunday Mass using Facebook Live. The livestream of the Mass can also be viewed on the front page of our website. The recordings remain available afterward on the Parish Facebook page. Join us!



To sign up to attend, Click Here.
For the Sunday Music, Click Here.
For the Sunday Readings, Click Here.

Easter Bible Reading & Reflection
“God to the Rescue - The Story of Exodus”
The Book of Exodus, the story of God’s liberation of the Israelites from bondage in slavery and their deliverance is a foundational story of Judaism...and Christianity as well. The drama, suspense, heroism and power speaks to us in surprising ways today as a story of faith and the deliverance of a people that speaks to us in our uncertain and turbulent times as well.

On Wednesdays during the Easter season Saint Josephine Bakhita Adult Bible Study will offer a 6-part read and reflect series on the Book of Exodus. Through contemplating the experience of bondage, liberation, wandering and arrival under God’s care we can learn important lessons for our own lives and Christian faith here and now.

The series begins on Wednesday April 21, 2021 at 7:00 PM on ZOOM.

All are welcome. No special knowledge of Scripture is required. Pre-registration is requested by midnight Tuesday April 6th. For further details and information on how to participate, Click Here.
Retrieving Women’s Voices
Discover the Women Doctors of the Church
Come and encounter four of the most remarkable women in the history of the Church: Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, Therese of Lisieux and Hildegard of Bingen. Despite living in different countries, centuries, and cultural contexts these women continue to inspire us with their wisdom and faith. Join us to see how each woman’s powerful insights and wisdom can guide our own lives as they model holy, intelligent and passionate lives for us.

On Thursdays during the Easter season Saint Josephine Bakhita Adult Faith Formation will offer a 6-part series examining the legacy of these remarkable Christian women. Our guide for this exploration will be Dr. Elizabeth A. Dreyer Professor Emerita at Fairfield University. The format for this series is video lecture supported watch, discuss and learn. A study guide is available at very nominal cost. 

The series begins on Thursday April 22, 2021 at 7:00-8:30 PM at the Saint James Parish Hall, 767 Elm Street in Rocky Hill. It will meet each Thursday for six weeks. This will be an in-person event and remote online access and participation will not be available. 

All are welcome. No special knowledge is required. Pre-registration is required as space will be limited to COVID-19 limitations on in-person gatherings. Distancing and face masks will be required, no exceptions. 
 
To register email Deacon Michael at saintjmdeacon@gmail.com or call 860-529-3222 Ext 14 and leave a message.

For more information, Click Here.
All members of the Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish community are invited to join in the faith activity for the month of April called "Creating a Paschal Candle." To learn more, Click Here. Email pictures of your Paschal Candle to the Faith Formation Office at reo@sjbrh.org.
Support Michael Ribera's Annual Blood Drive
Michael Ribera is a 16-year-old member of the Saint Josephine Bakhita community from Cromwell who was born with an extremely rare immune disorder. In order to maintain his health, Michael receives monthly immunoglobulin infusions, each of which requires about 2,000 donors. Over the course of Michael's last eight years of infusions, he has had to rely on over 161,000 donors to keep him alive and healthy. Please consider donating blood in Michael's honor. The 5th Annual Blood Drive for Michael will take place at Cromwell Middle School on Saturday April 17, 2021 from 8:00a.m. - 1:00p.m. Appointments are required. To schedule an appointment please contact 1-800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org - code IGIBEAR. Learn more here.
In these trying times, the need of our surrounding community grows and the assistance provided by the Appeal becomes all the more crucial. If you have not yet made your gift to this year’s Appeal, please consider doing so in the days ahead. Your gift to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal will help continue the vital services, ministries and programs that help so many throughout our Archdiocese. All funds contributed to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal are used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the Appeal literature, which can be found here. No Appeal funds are ever used for legal fees or settlements.
St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
767 Elm Street
Rocky Hill, CT 06067