Saint Josephine
Bakhita Parish

Easter Season
April 27, 2021

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,
 
I wish to offer you an update on the guidelines for attendance at Masses at both churches at St. Josephine Bakhita Parish. Beginning the first weekend of May, capacity at both churches will be increased. We will raise St. James from 100 to 130 and St. Elizabeth Seton from 60 to 75. This increase is presuming that, like the State of Connecticut statistics, approximately 50% of our population has received at least one dose of the vaccine. Therefore, we can presume that many more folks are now able to attend church in light of vaccinations.
 
Despite the recent announcement from our Governor, we are still taking a gradual and safe approach to our reopening fully. Reservations, face coverings, social distancing and hand sanitizing will still be required for the next period of time. We will announce a further increase of capacities in the very near future depending on the virus infection rates in the State of Connecticut. The lifting of the suspension of the obligation to attend Mass may occur on Pentecost Sunday May 23, 2021. We will let you know more once the Archbishop’s Office has communicated with us about this matter.
 
For those who have been fully vaccinated and desire to attend yet are still hesitant to make a reservation to attend Mass in person…there is still the safe and wise decision one could consider by attending a weekday Mass. Presently, the average attendance at a weekday morning Mass is about 25 people. Reservations are not required for weekday Masses.
 
If I have learned anything this past year…it is the gift of patience and prudence. I ask for your understanding and help in moving ahead with a gradual reopening. But I also ask that we do this safely and wisely. I certainly want to get back to a “full-tilt,” wide open and vibrantly active parish once again. We are well on our way…but I ask for a bit more patience. Pray for me and our staff in the days ahead. We appreciate your support and understanding.

Our sincerest desire is to wholeheartedly welcome everyone back completely, as soon as possible, with safety and care. We are well on our way in accomplishing that goal!

Peace and Blessings,

Fr. George Couturier
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 2, 2021
4 PM Vigil, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM
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 Mass in person, Click Here.
For the Sunday Music, Click Here.
For the Sunday Readings, Click Here.
Sacrament of Reconciliation News
We as so happy to share that 27 of our young children in our Faith Formation program are celebrating their First Reconciliation during the months of April and May. We ask for your prayers and God’s blessings upon them as they come to know Jesus in a closer way. They worked very hard with their catechists and their families during this challenging year to prepare for this special sacrament in their lives. They will continue in the Fall to prepare for their First Eucharist to be celebrated in the Spring of 2022.
Seeking Gardening Help at St. James Church
There are two projects for people with greeenish thumbs. You’ll note that flowers from the property are used to decorate the altar area now through the Fall. We need help propagating the flowers. There is a fallow area near the rectory that could be put to use as a flower garden, with your assistance. 

For our other project, parishioner, Mary Roche, who kindly took care of flowers in the front of the building is no longer able to help. We thank her for her assistance and the beautiful pots that she brought each season to decorate our entrance. We are looking for gardeners to take on this responsibility

If you would like to help in maintaining this small area or if you want to start a flower garden, call Joy at 860-529-8655 x17 or email Joy@sjbrh.org
Great News from Our Parish Outreach Ministry

Saint Josephine Bakhita Parishioners supported patrons of Immacare through the Adopt-A-Client for Valentine's Day campaign. This great article from the Immacare newsletter tells the story:

Adopt-a-Client Program Brings 86 Smiles: ImmaCare is blessed to have the support of many selfless and generous people, two of whom helped make a significant difference in the lives of many individuals this year.   
  
Working alongside ImmaCare’s Teresa Wierbicki, Carl Bach and Corinne Santos organized a donation drive for individuals from the Rocky Hill community who wanted to give back this past Valentine’s Day. Corinne wrote to these individuals, “As we began 2021 with a sense of hope and a very hard year behind us, what better time than now to help provide to those in need?”  
  
ImmaCare Housing Case Managers worked with clients to identify gifts that would make a difference for them. Some clients asked for sweatsuits and pajamas, others asked for kitchen appliances, and others simply asked for a fresh new bedding set. On February 1st, the list was shared via social media as well as with the parishioners of St. Josephine Bakhita in hopes that each client would be “adopted.”  
  
Within 24 hours, 16 of the 86 gifts had already been ordered, and by the goal date of Valentine’s Day, each client had been adopted. Several individuals generously adopted two, three, and even four clients to purchase gifts for.  
  
Carl, who is also a recently appointed Board Member of ImmaCare, reflected on the campaign saying, “This project was important to me as it provided the opportunity to assist my primary charity, ImmaCare, while allowing me to collaborate with, and introduce a member of my community and church family (Corinne) to the wonderful organization that ImmaCare is.”  
  
Corinne said, “I grew up in a very philanthropic family and had wonderful role models, my parents, and grandparents, to guide me and show me ways to give back to my communities. The ability to help ImmaCare and provide support to your organization and more importantly, impact your clients, has been incredibly meaningful to me and my family.”  
  
Thanks to Carl Bach, Corinne Santos, and the Rocky Hill Community, the first-ever Adopt-a-Client Program was a tremendous success with many lives blessed. 

Lent Giving Program a Huge Success: Enjoy this short video about our Lent Giving Program co-organized by Carl Bach and Sandy Ambrose. Click Here.

Thank you to all for your generous and kind support of our Outreach Ministries. Our collaborative efforts make a huge difference for local community agencies!
The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal provides help to those in need! Together, we can and do make a profound difference in the lives of many individuals and families, in a way that exceeds anything we could hope to achieve on our own. Please consider supporting this important initiative. Every gift makes a difference. Organizations such as Immacare, Saint Josephine Bakhita Prison Ministry, Sew Good Works and the Wethersfield Food Bank right here in our own community received funding from the Appeal’s Vicariate Outreach Program that makes a difference in the lives of our local neighbors. 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.
Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish has a new YouTube Channel. Subscribe today!
St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
767 Elm Street
Rocky Hill, CT 06067