St. Anthony's Newsletter March 24, 2023

St. Anthony Church Newsletter

March 24, 2023

Visit our website

Parish Events Calendar

Parish Photos

Weekly Bulletin

Upcoming Events and Announcements

Lenten Season 2023

View the flyers below for more details about the

Lenten happenings at St. Anthony Church!

The Stations of the Cross is tonight at 6:30 in the Church. Join us as we follow the passion of Christ through prayer.

Volunteers from our Music Ministry and our Stewardship Committee are hosting tonight's soup supper at 5:45 pm. Come and enjoy a variety of delicious, but meatless, homemade soups!

For week 5 of our Lenten Parish Corporal Works of Mercy Project, we are focusing on comforting the sick. Please consider writing a card to cheer up and offer prayers to someone at St. Mary's Hospital, Waterbury Hospital, and Elim Park Health Care Center!

THE POWER OF SACRIFICE

Lent can feel like a long time. Sometimes we’d like to skip right to Easter! But through prayer and sacrifices, we share in Christ’s suffering and prepare for the joy of his resurrection. This Lent, we’ve learned how people in Honduras, the Philippines and Kenya made sacrifices so their families and communities can thrive. How have your Lenten sacrifices helped your family and community and communities around the world?

Click here to learn more.

Our Parish Fish Fry is 1 week away! Order a breaded baked or fried fish meal today!

Corporal Works of Mercy -

Thank You!

For week four - Shelter the homeless,

we collected toiletries for the VA hospital in West Haven. The Minicucci Family delivered the donated items to the hospital earlier this week. Thank you everyone for your generosity!

Volunteers needed for

Holy Thursday

After the Last Supper Jesus “rose from supper, laid aside His garments, and girded Himself with a towel. Then He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” (Jn. 13:4-5) This was one of Christ’s final actions before His passion and death. It was the creation of a new commandment; that we should serve one another.

Each year on Holy Thursday at the Mass of the Last Supper we recreate this moving example of love and service when our Pastor Father Gregory washes the feet of twelve members of our parish. It is one of the most important moments in our Church year.

We are seeking twelve adults to participate in what is now called the Mandatum – the Mandate of Christ. There are no requirements to participate other than a willingness to bring Jesus’ message of service and commitment to our parish family. Mass on Holy Thursday (4/6) begins at 6:30 pm.

If you are willing to volunteer please contact David Byrne

in the Parish Center at 203-758-4056 ext 17 or by email.

Volunteers needed to decorate

the Church for Easter!

We are looking for volunteers to help decorate our church for Easter.

We will meet in the church at 9:00 AM on Saturday April 8 to unload the flowers then decorate the sanctuary and the rest of the church for the holiest day of the Church Year.

If you can help, please let us know by calling David Byrne

at 203-758-4056 ext 17 or email volunteercoordinator@stanthonyprospect.org

New Day Bereavement Group

Are you grieving the loss of a loved one?

St. Anthony Church is offering a 9-week program where individuals can share their grief stories and learn about the grieving process and its tasks for healing. The sessions are conducted by trained facilitators, who have experienced grief in their own lives, and are able to help you move through the tasks of grief. It is not a therapy session, but an opportunity to share with others who have experienced losses themselves. All denominations are welcome. The sessions begin Wednesday, March 29 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. There is no cost for this program. Books used in the group are generously donated by Prospect Memorial/The Palmerie Family Funeral Home.

Registration is needed, as space is limited. For information, call

Charlotte Scaviola 203-758-5711, Claudette Decilla 203-758-6283, or

Jill Blewitt 203 758-5599.

Prepare yourself for this weekend's Mass:

The Fifth Sunday of Lent

This Weekend's Readings

Gospel Reflection:

A God Who Weeps With Us

It strikes me every time I read the story of Lazarus’ resurrection. Of all the amazing and surprising things to occur in this Gospel passage — dead man walking! (well, dead man hopping, really) — it is this small detail that never fails to catch my eye, never fails to compel me and confound me.

Why did Jesus weep?

He knows the ending of the story. He knows Lazarus will be raised. So why does he weep? ...click here to continue reading!

Catholic Question Corner

Who invented the Stations of the Cross?

The first Stations of the Cross were walked by Jesus himself on the way to Cavalry. Known as the “via Dolorosa” (“The Way of Suffering”) or the “Via Crucis” (“The Way of the Cross”), ut was marked out from the earliest times and was a traditional walk for pilgrims who came to Jerusalem. The early Christians in Jerusalem would walk the same pathway that Jesus walked, pausing for reflection and prayer. Later, when Christians could not travel to the Holy Land, artistic depictions of “The Way of the Cross” were set up in churches, or outside, and Christians would walk from station to station, reading the Gospel account of the Passion, or simply praying and reflecting on each event. While the content or place of each station had changed, the intention was to take a mini-pilgrimage and follow - literally - in the footsteps of Jesus.

This devotion became better known in the Middle Ages, and the Franciscans are credited with its spread. Lent is a time when many people make the Stations and some churches present Passion plays or Living Stations. But anyone can pray the Stations at any time. It is a simple and personal reflection on the passion of Jesus and what it means to us.

Faith Formation

Faith Formation classes for the 2022-2023 school year are now in full swing!

Save the date!

Grade 6 has decided that their service project this year, will be to host a drive-thru cereal drive on Saturday, April 22^nd, from 9 to 12 pm. This will be here in our church parking lot.

Save the dates!

The following dates were set for the

Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation for this Spring:

The celebration of the Sacrament of First Communion will take place on Saturday, May 13th at 11 am at Saint Anthony Church.

The celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation for this year is on

Saturday, May 6 at 1 pm.

This will take place at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford.

Visit our website to view photos of our Faith Formation classes in action!

Youth Formation Wish List

The Youth Formation program is seeking donations of some items that you may have laying around at home for some upcoming activities and projects:

Construction paper - red, pink & purple

Ziplock bags - quart sized

Thank you so much!

Please note that when Region 16 dismisses school early due to bad weather or cancels school for the day, we will not have any Faith Formation classes that day. We will also alert on Channel 3, and update our social media pages

if we choose to cancel.

Volunteer Opportunities

Are you looking for opportunities to volunteer?

Volunteering is a great way to become involved in our Parish, meet Parishioners, and complete community service hours!

Please visit our website for a full description of the outstanding opportunities.

Bingo: As BINGO at St. Anthony's continues to grow, we are in need of more volunteers for various jobs including calling the game, working on the floor, sealed ticket sales, working in the kitchen, and more.

Please consider volunteering once a month!

If you would like to volunteer for any of these community service opportunities, please contact David Byrne, Volunteer Coordinator,

at 203-758-4056 ext. 17 or by email volunteercoordinator@stanthonyprospect.org