March 22, 2021
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,
It is amazing how fast the Lenten Season has come and gone. I do hope the season was filled, not with extra busyness, but fruitful reflection and prayer in preparation for the holiest of all seasons, Holy Week.
Many folks have had very positive responses to the many virtual presentations such as Sacred Spaces, musical meditations, and events, Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, etc. Technology has been a blessing in so many ways during this past year. The entire staff of St. Josephine Bakhita wish you and yours every blessing in the holy days to come that begin with the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday.
Many folks have great traditions around the reception of Palms. Even though we still have limited capacity restrictions and reservations for each church building, we will be distributing blessed Palms at NOON until 1:00 p.m. on Palm Sunday at St. James campus. It will be a drive-by operation in which you do not need to leave your car. Drive by the front of the church and I will be waiting for you.
Even though there is emerging light at the end of the long dark tunnel of the covid pandemic, we are still taking the necessary precautions for your protection. There will still be the necessity of making reservations www.saintjosphinebakhita.org or call office M-F 9-2 to attend a given Mass or service for Holy Week and Easter. Reservations begin Palm Sunday afternoon online for the Holy Week and Easter Masses and services. It will still be required to wear a face covering and to socially distance. You will be happy to know, our seating capacity (by reservation) at St. James has been raised from 80 to 100 and at St. Elizabeth Seton from 50-60. With more people wisely making the decision to be vaccinated, this will enable us to gradually increase the seating capacities further over the next few months, we hope.
Peace,
Fr. George Couturier
Our music ministry is creating a special prayer experience for all of us this Lent. A Lenten Prayer Service: Reflections on the Passion of Christ in Word and Song will premier on our Parish FaceBook Page and our YouTube Channel this Friday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m. Please plan to join us virtually to pray, reflect and sing as we journey toward Holy Week.
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Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
March 28, 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!
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Drive By Church To Pick Up Your Palms |
If you plan to attend mass by livestream on Palm Sunday, drive over to the St. James Campus between Noon and 1:00 PM to pick up your palms. |
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Daily Mass Schedule
Mondays - 8:30am at St. Elizabeth Seton
Tuesdays - 8:00am at St. James
Thursdays - 8:00am at St. James
Fridays - 8:30am at St. Elizabeth Seton
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Lent Evening Prayer
Fr. George will livestream Evening Prayer on Monday-Friday at 5:00 PM on the parish Facebook Page and the website. All are welcome!
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Pray The Stations of the Cross this Lent
The Stations of the Cross invite us to use all our senses as we reflect prayerfully and walk intentionally with Jesus through his suffering, death on the cross and resurrection. Here are some of the ways available:
Attend Stations of the Cross
Fridays at 5:30pm at St. James Church
Pray The Stations of the Cross with Fr. George Virtually
Pray the Stations of the Cross for Children & Families
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Sorrowful Mysteries
of the Rosary
By meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, we accompany Jesus through his final twenty-four hours leading to his death on the cross. Pray the Rosary with Fr. George anytime on FaceBook and YouTube.
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Reconciliation
Every Lent, all of the members of the Body of Christ are called to repentance. In response to Jesus' call to repentance and as an outward sign of metanoia, celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation - Monday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 30 at 6:00pm at St. Elizabeth Seton Church.
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Holy Week Schedule
Reservations to attend services will open on Sunday afternoon, March 28
Passion (Palm) Sunday – March 28
4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass at St. James (capacity 100)
9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Elizabeth (capacity 60) and livestreamed
11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. James (capacity 100) and livestreamed
12:00 noon: Drive by pick up of Palms at St. James
Holy Thursday – April 1
7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. James (capacity 100) and livestreamed
Adoration for one hour after Mass in Church
Good Friday – April 2
3:00 p.m. Celebration of Our Lord’s Passion at St. James (capacity 100)
3:00 p.m. Celebration of Our Lord’s Passion at St. Elizabeth Seton (capacity 60)
and live streamed
7:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross (virtual only on our parish Facebook Page)
Holy Saturday – April 3
12:00 noon Blessing of Easter Foods at St. James
8:00 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass at St. James (capacity 100) and livestreamed
Easter Sunday – April 4
9:00 a.m. Easter Mass at St. James (capacity 100)
9:00 a.m. Easter Mass at St. Elizabeth (capacity 60) and livestreamed
11:00 a.m. Easter Mass at St. James (capacity 100) and livestreamed
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Lent Giving Opportunities
The Lenten practice of alms-giving calls us to a renewed commitment to charitable giving. Our annual parish Lent Giving Project will look different this year due to COVID restrictions but together we can make a huge difference in the lives of those served by our local agencies. We are collecting the following four items because they are in such high demand:
Breakfast Cereal
Granola Bars
Men’s & Women’s Underwear/Boxer Briefs
Men’s T-shirts (Size L & XL)
Donations can be dropped off at either church location:
St James Church: Father Shea Hall, Mon-Fri (9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.) or before the masses at 4:00 or 11:00.
St Elizabeth Seton Church: Bins located near the Church kitchen, Mon - Fri (9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.) or before the Sunday mass at 9:00.
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Since You Asked About Our Organ
by Joy O'Sullivan
My daughter, video editor Christina O’Sullivan, had to cut a lot of video when putting my Sacred Space Video together. Here is more of the story. The Austin Organ currently at St. James was built in 1943 for the Immaculate Conception Church in Hartford (what is now Immacare). When the church closed, St. James bought the organ, which is made up of the console, pipes and motor, and moved it to our choir loft in 2001. Several people have commented that they were married to the sound of that organ at Immaculate Conception and have had marriage renewals, or sadly, funerals to the sound of that same organ at St. James. The St. James choir loft was built to fit an electronic organ (which doesn’t have pipes), so where the choir once gathered, there are now pipes. It’s a pretty tight fit up there when there is a full choir and additional instruments. Speaking of the pipes, there are 1,800 of them: some wooden, and some metal. They range in size from two inches to 16 feet long. When the original organ motor (from 1943) stopped working in 2017, it was replaced with a motor from a 1919 organ. I will say it again, “they don’t make ‘em like they used to.” The Austin Organ Company of Hartford built the organ in 1943 which is odd, because most manufacturing at the time was for the war effort. Austin Organ built the largest outdoor organ in the world in 1915 in Balboa Park, San Diego. I was pretty psyched to see that. Any other questions? Email joy@sjbrh.org or call 860-529-8655 x17. I can’t wait till I can give a personal organ tour to whoever wants one.
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The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal helps provide the critical funding needed to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, counsel those in despair, offer much-needed assistance to the unemployed, and make medical care available to those without health insurance. Your gift to the 2021 Appeal will help to continue these and other vital ministries, services, and programs that reach out to so many in need. Please visit the appeal website at www.archdioceseofhartford.org to learn more and make your gift today. 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.
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St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
767 Elm Street
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
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