A Reflection from Fr. Henry |
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Fellow St Jude Parishioners:
The recent and sad campaign to pull some of Dr Seuss’ books from the shelves brought back memories of how much his works (both in print and on television) were such a big part of my childhood. I especially remember anticipating and finally sitting down in front of the television every year at Christmas time, as a boy, to watch the classic Dr Seuss’ Grinch.
The Grinch gave me my first teaching as a young boy of the importance of “the heart.” “And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. And then the true meaning of Christmas came through.”
So my first teaching of the importance of the heart came from watching the Grinch.
Then as is part of the coming of age that every teen experiences through puppy love, I learned that the seat of love really is really and truly in the heart as I got my heart broken more than once.
And as I grew in the faith, in particular through my devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I fully realized the importance of the heart and love — in this case that perfect love that only Jesus as God is capable of as represented by his Sacred Heart, and by extension the level of pure love his mother was able to experience, owing to the fact that she was free of original sin, as represented in her Immaculate Heart.
As I look back on my own life, I am continually reminded of how I am subject to that original sin that all of us card-carrying members of the human race are subject to — that which we inherited from our first parents Adam and Even, and that which, when left to our devices, produces in us a love that is oftentimes at best half-hearted and distorted and manipulative.
It is only in our imitation of Jesus, and in particular our devotion to his Sacred Heart, that our own hearts can be transformed to the extent that we can love whole-heartedly and single-mindedly and purely without distortion and manipulation.
So on on this Friday on the church’s calendar, on which we focus on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us renew our devotion and thereby enable ourselves to more fully imitate Jesus’ own Sacred Heart as we allow our own hearts to be transformed.
And then to get a second boost, let us know that tomorrow on the church’s calendar is the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in which we, through our devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, allow our hearts to continue to be transformed.
Yes, it is through our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate of Mary that our hearts will be transformed, allowing us to love as God intends us to love.
Yours in our common devotion the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Fr Henry
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Annual Catholic Appeal Update
As of June 11, 2021 Saint Jude, Monroe raised 339 gifts worth $127,195 from 296 donors bringing the parish to 150.35% of its $84,600 goal.
Thank you, St. Jude Community for your generous support!!
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Pope Francis: The church needs fragile pastors - not...
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Pope Francis told a group of priests studying in Rome that if they do not want to be pastors, spending time with the faithful, they should request dismissal from the priesthood and concentrate on academics instead.
Read more
www.americamagazine.org
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A Reflection on the Sacrament of Reconciliation -...
Introduction For several years, the Diocese of Bridgeport has sponsored Reconciliation Monday.[1] Held at the beginning of Holy Week, various parishes throughout the entire diocese offer additional time for confessions. Thousands of confessions...
Read more
www.bridgeportdiocese.org
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Project Rachel – June 12, 2021
Day of Prayer and Healing
Are you or someone you know carrying the pain and sorrow of losing a child to abortion? The Diocese of Bridgeport is hosting an Entering Canaan Day of Prayer and Healing for women on Saturday, June 12, 2021. For confidential registration or more information, call 203.416.1619 or email projectrachel@diobpt.org. God’s mercy, healing and forgiveness are waiting for you!
Project Rachel, the U.S. Catholic Church’s ministry to those who have been involved in abortion, is a diocesan-based network of specially trained priests, religious, counselors and laypersons who provide a team response of care for those suffering in the aftermath of abortion. In addition to referring for Sacramental Reconciliation, the ministry provides an integrated network of services, including specially trained priests, support groups, retreats and referrals to licensed mental health professionals.
The Diocese of Bridgeport is committed to assisting those who are seeking help through the Entering Canaan model of healing.
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Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Join us Tonight Friday, June 11, 2021 at 7pm
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
As we continue to make progress exiting the effects of the pandemic, Bishop Caggiano has requested every parish in the Diocese to acknowledge, remember and pray for all those who have died from COVID-19, as well as those who have suffered greatly from its impact.
We will recite evening prayer together, Fr. Henry will give a homily and we will have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for quiet reflection and to sit with the Lord.
If you have a loved one who has died from COVID-19 and would like their name to be included in the service, please contact Mary Beth Rauser at 203-516-1821 or mbauser@hotmail.com.
The Service at St. Jude will be live-streamed and the Bishop will also be live-streaming his service from the Cathedral as well.
May our prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus bring comfort to the sorrowful, eternal life to the deceased and renewed hope to us all.
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Join us in wishing Fr. Henry a great send-off!
We have created an online bulletin board (Padlet) where you have the opportunity to post a message to Fr. Henry as he prepares to leave St. Jude Parish. Feel free to write a special memory, offer a prayer, post a picture or say goodbye to him. We would like as many people as possible to make this a special memory for Fr. Henry.
Simply visit: https://padlet.com/amyhermanns/jnifv5huagd2ngdt and click on the plus sign (+) in the bottom right corner of the screen. A box will pop up where you can type a message, or upload a photo, etc.
Let's tell Fr. Henry how much he will be missed by posting a special message to him!
If you have questions, contact aworonick@snet.net
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Wanted: Family Photos and Videos!
We will also be creating a photo/video montage/slideshow for Fr. Henry to be shown at his going away reception. You can participate by submitting either photos of you or your family or a brief (30 to 90 second) video of you and your family saying good luck or farewell wishes. (You can easily create a video using your smartphone!) Items should be emailed as attachments to communications.stjuderc@gmail.com by June 20th. |
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Welcome Reception for Fr. Joseph - July 3 and 4
There will be a reception after all the masses during the first weekend of Masses July 3 and 4 with Fr. Joseph. If you are planning to attend the reception, please RSVP using the attached Sign up Genius link so that we will have an approximate number to plan refreshments. The installation mass is planned for November. Thank you!
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Happy (Meteorological) Summer St. Jude's Community. I am so excited that the sun is beginning to shine, restrictions have been lifted, and this ministry can begin to take the shape we have prayed for over the last 14 months. Below please find the dates and times for our summer youth group meetings:
Sunday, June 13th 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm in the Parish Hall
Sunday, June 27th 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm in the Parish Hall
Sunday, July 11th 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm in the Parish Hall
Sunday, July 25th 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm in the Parish Hall
Sunday, August 8th 6:00 pm - 7:30pm in the Parish Hall
Sunday, August 22nd 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm in the Parish Hall
Also! Be on the lookout for additional opportunities for the youth to get involved with our parish. (There is sure to be something fun popping up in August for our elementary students).
Finally, if you are an adult parishioner and would like to volunteer with the youth group please be in touch! The commitment is as much or as little as you would like and we are always looking to grow our group. Email Shannon with any questions: shannon.carey@stjuderc.com
Shannon E.B. Carey
Youth Coordinator
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St. Jude Food Pantry Update |
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Current items of greatest need for our pantry are tuna, jarred pasta sauce and especially boxed children’s cereal which is perilously low at this time.
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A quick reminder of the Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquet program follows:
For June St. Jude Food Pantry will benefit from this program for purchases in the Newtown store.
The St. Jude Food Pantry will be beneficiary of the program for the Monroe S&S store in the month of July.
The Stop & Shop Bloomin' 4 Good Program, which launched in February 2021, is an easy way for shoppers to give back. Every $9.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker sold supports a hunger organization local to the Stop & Shop in which it was purchased. Our food pantry will receive a $1 donation for every $9.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet purchased at the Newtown Stop & Shop throughout the month of June and at the Monroe Stop & Shop during July. Simply look for the red circle sticker display as shown when making your floral purchase.”
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Parish Center available!
We are still marketing our parish center (former school building) with the hope of offsetting operation costs. Please contact the parish office for more information.
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Save the date!
Please mark your calendars now and join our Parish Family in celebrating a week-long Octave for the Assumption of Our Blessed Mother beginning August 15th at the 11:30 Mass and culminating August 22nd at the 11:30 Mass celebrated by Bishop Caggiano.
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Have you read any good books lately?
There’s a group of 9 St Jude parishioners who give an overwhelming score of ‘10’ to their most recent Book Group choice, Learning to Pray, A Guide for Everyone. James Martin, SJ, has written a book that explains how anyone can have an intimate relationship with God. I can already hear you thinking “What, another book on prayer?” YES and it is outstanding! Read some of the comments from a group of St. Jude parishioners who have been praying for many, many years…
· I didn’t realize there were so many ways to pray.
· I loved his (Fr James Martin’s) approach and spontaneity. It was as if he was talking to a friend who was sitting next to him.
· “Knowing God is more important than knowing about God”. That’s what this book is all about.
· Anyone could learn something from this book.
· It’s a book you can refer to anytime for a particular topic, or read many times from cover to cover and learn something new.
· It teaches you to treat Jesus like a friend with whom you can discuss anything.
· The book helps your prayer become alive.
· My adult daughter is coming home for a visit. I’m going to leave this out for her and hope that she will pick it up.
Learning to Pray, A Guide for Everyone was written by Fr. James Martin, a priest who has 25 years of prayer/Bible study/Retreats who says ‘Jesus is a personal friend of mine’. Fr Martin goes on to say “… your childhood image of God may need to evolve” and then he tells us how to do that and how it feels along the way. The book includes topics such as “Beginning a Friendship with God”, “What happens when you pray?”, discerning God’s voice, journaling, and distractions in prayer. It is not a book filled with theology, but rather practical advice from Fr. Martin’s personal prayer journey and experience as a Spiritual Director. Also included are insights from the Bible, as well as numerous Catholic writers and Saints.
As Father Martin says, “For many reasons, some believers don’t try prayer, or they pray less than they could, or they give up on prayer after they’ve started. All these reasons are understandable. But they are also in their own way, dangerous, because they all draw people away from God.
Since some of the fruits of prayer are peace, hope, answers to questions, and a strengthening of one’s faith, why not pick up this book and spend time with God? It can be ordered on Amazon
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Please remember in your daily prayers:
Marge Tranzillo, Judy-Beth Raine, Maria Bertone, Deacon Ronnie Bicknell, Marie Micholovich, Patty Eng, Joseph Bisignano, Sr., Jim Tierney, Sr, Bennett Gulyas, Vincent Daniello, Armando Aversa, Dyana vander Wielen, Christine DeAndrade Recine, Kathryn Bicknell, Barbara Filazzola, David Bath
Also remember all healthcare workers, first responders, caregivers and the men and women of the parish who are in the military.
If you have anyone that you would like to add to the list, please call the office or email with the name to be added.
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Please join us as we pray our Monthly Parish Intention.
Our Petition for June is:
May the love Blessed St. Joseph had for Jesus be the model of love and guidance both for our own fathers and our Spiritual fathers...
We pray to the Lord
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Upcoming Mass Intentions
Sat June 12 5:00pm Avelino Josef
Sun June 13 7:30am Deceased members of the Kealy and
Gallagher families
Sun June 13 9:30am In celebration of 60thwedding
Anniversary -Hank & Kathy Banville
Sun June 13 11:30am Rose and Salvatore Casa
Mon June 14 9:00am Deceased of the Tessier and Coty
Families
Tue June 15 9:00am John Cappella
Wed June 16 9:00am Patricia Hasenjaeger
Thu June 17 9:00am Joseph and Margaret Mende
Sat June 19 5:00pm Michelle Penque
Sun June 20 7:30am The Bernath Family
Sun June 20 9:30am The Pinto and DeAndrade Families
Sun June 20 11:30am Joseph Pozvek
The June Tabernacle Candle will be lit in memory of Isabel Dantas Teixeira and Lucinda Dantas
If the 9:00 am Weekday mass is not listed, an intention has not been requested. Also, there are no public Masses on Friday mornings.
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Monday through Thursday Weekday Masses will be in the main Church at 9 am and live streamed.
The Weekend Masses inside the Church are Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30. Only the Saturday Mass at 5:00 pm and the Sunday 7:30 am Mass are live streamed.
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Please note that on Sunday June 27, 2021, the 8:30am - 8:45am distribution of communion in social hall parking lot will be the final date for communion outdoors
People can call the parish office to arrange to be added to the sick bound and home communion call list, for a clergy to bring them communion at their homes beginning in July
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First Friday Eucharistic Adoration
“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. Matthew 11:28-30
The time that we spend with Jesus in front of the Blessed Sacrament is the best time we will spend on earth. Please join us on the first Friday of every month from 7:00 to 8:00 PM.
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Children's Rosary First Sundays
We meet at 11 am before the 11:30 Mass by the Blessed Mother statue and follow proper covid protocols. No experience necessary.
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Confession Hours
Confessions on Saturday afternoon will be in the day chapel at 3:00 pm on Saturdays. Confessions are also by appointment, please call 203-261-6404, to set up and appointment or emailing.
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St. Jude Religious Gift Shop
St. Jude Religious Gift Shop is located downstairs in the Msgr. Sabia Social Hall. Many new items for all occasions. Baptism, Communion, Confirmation, Rosaries, Bibles, Statues, Medals & more. Variety of cards: Graduation, Father's Day, Birthday, Weddings, Get Well, Sympathy, etc. Come down & browse and find the perfect gift. For more info call: Parish Office - 203-261-6404 or call Fran Cambra - 203-261-2573.
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Parish Office Hours
THE OFFICE HOURS ARE:
MONDAY - THURSDAY 9:00 – 3:00
Please call (203-261-6404) or e-mail (parish.office@stjuderc.com) before coming to the office. Much can be accomplished through a phone call or email, such as requesting masses/mass cards; sacramental records; registering for Baptism; etc.
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St Jude Parish
707 Monroe Tpke
Monroe, CT 06468
203-261-6404
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