This is the Covenant of my Blood

 

Sat.       19 October 2002

  3:00p                Confessions

  5:00p    Mass in memory of Albert & Mary Wallace

  6:00p    New Parishioners Dinner - SPS

Sun.      20 October 2002–3rd Sun. “Do This in Memory of Me”

  8:30a                Childcare

  9:00a    Mass in memory of Howard Dunton

10:00a    Coffee Hour

10:20a    CCD (Pre-K through Grade 5) - SPS

11:00a    Mass in memory of William Thomson

4:30-6p  CCD (Grades 6 – 8) – SPS

6:30-8p  CI & CII Religious Education – SPS

Mon.     21 October 2002

  7:00a                Communion Service

6-7:30p                Religious Education Grades 6 – 8 – SPS

  6:45p    Adult Faith Formation – FBR

Tue.      22 October 2002

  7:00a                Communion Service

Wed.     23 October 2002

  7:00a    Mass in memory of Margaret Sewall

  2:00p                Edgewood Communion Service

  6:45p    RCIA Class – FBR

  7:00p                Protecting God’s Children – St. James Hall

Thu.      24 October 2002

  7:00a    Mass in memory of Sr. Dorothy Fullam &

                Rosetta Hafey Renshaw

  6:30p    Boy Scouts

  6:30p    Adult Choir

  7:00p                Contemporary Music Rehearsal

Fri.       25 October 2002

  7:00a    Mass in memory of Catherine Kezer

Sat.       26 October 2002

9am-3pm   CRAFT FAIR 2002 – LC

  3:00p                Confessions

  5:00p    Mass in memory of Anne Schaefer

Sun.   27 October 2002 – 4th Sun. “Do This in Memory of Me”

  8:30a                Childcare

  9:00a    Youth Mass in memory of Olivia & Howard Sibson

10:00a    Coffee Hour

10:20a    CCD (Pre-K through Grade 5)

11:00a    Mass in memory of Ramona Cabrera Webber

    5-8p   Teen Mass – St. Theresa Church, Rye -       CI & CII

 

Readings for the Week of October 20th, 2002

 

Sunday:  Ex. 24:3-8; Hb. 9: 11-15; Jn. 19: 31-37

Monday:                            Eph 2:1-10; Lk 12:13-21

Tuesday:                            Eph 2:12-22; Lk 12:35-38

Wednesday:                            Eph 3:2-12; Lk 12:39-48

Thursday:                            Eph 3:14-21; Lk 12:49-53

Friday:                            Eph 4:1-6; Lk 12:54-59

Saturday:                            Eph 4:7-16; Lk 13:1-9

Next Sunday:                            Ex. 24:3-8; Heb. 9: 11-15; Jn. 19: 31-37.

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY – As previously announced, today is World Mission Sunday in which the Church highlights the missionary activities of the Church throughout the world.  A special collection for the support of these activities will be taken up today at all Masses.  An envelope for this collection was contained in the monthly mailing, and additional envelopes are available at the doors of the church.  As we normally are a one-collection parish, we ask you to make your offering for the support of the parish separate from your offering for the World Mission collection, and deposit both offerings into the one offertory collection.

 

PARISH LIFE COMMITTEE MEMBERS are reminded of a meeting today (Sunday) at 11:30 am in St. Patrick School Hall.  All members are urged to attend this important meeting to plan our 2002-2003 activities.

 

CHILDREN’S CHOIR – will practice tonight (Sunday) 5:30 – 6:30 pm at St. Patrick School in preparation for next weekend’s Youth Mass.  For additional information, please call Roxanne Raeside-Wilton at 436-8812.

 

Parish Outreach

 
 
OUTREACH COMMITTEE meets this Tuesday at 6:45 pm in the Parish Meeting room.  All members are reminded to attend.
 
ADULT FAITH FORMATION meets this Monday at 6:45 pm to discuss the Church’s teachings on Eucharist as they tie into the previous Sunday’s “Do This in Memory of Me” readings.

 

Our GRANDPARENTS’ PROGRAM needs volunteers to deliver monthly greeting cards to seniors living in a nursing home or high-rise.  Each class at St. Pat’s School makes seasonal cards for their adopted grandparent, so a volunteer’s commitment is approximately one hour per month.  If you can assist in this outreach work, or want more details, please call Gayl Callis at 436-0048 x 9.

 

SALVATION ARMY SOUP KITCHEN – Team #1 will serve next Monday, Oct. 28th; and Team #5 will serve Tuesday, Oct. 29th, from 3:15 – 6:30 pm.  For more information, please call Kevin Guy at 436-0525.

 

FRIENDLY VISITORS – will meet Saturday, Nov. 2nd, at 9:30 am.  Our regular bi-monthly gathering will concentrate on the skills needed for this ministry.  If you are a friendly visitor, or wish to know more about how you can join this visiting ministry, please join us in the Parish Meeting Room for this one-hour meeting after the 9 am Mass on All Souls Day.  Refreshments provided.

 

Our New MINISTRY to the POOR will be launched soon! - Would you consider volunteering 2 to 3 hours once every two weeks doing phone intake or office/computer work?  To learn more about how you can be involved in our parish’s new SHARE program, please call Gayl Callis at 436-0048 x 9.  Complete details on this new ministry appear in our recently published October newsletter.  Extra copies are available on the tables in the back of the church.

 

Volunteers needed for CROSSROADS HOUSE Ministry – Immaculate Conception and St. Catherine’s are seeking parishioners who wish to work together during the 5 pm evening meal one night per month.  For more information, please call Gayl Callis, Pastoral Associate, at 436-0048 x 9.

 

PARISH SUPPORT:  In support of your Parish, last week you generously gave:                                                                       $5,875.54

Amount needed weekly to meet budget                   $5,577.00

 

Special /Designated offerings:

Fuel                                                                        $1,775.00

Repair Fund                                                       $   259.00

All Souls                                                                                $       5.00

Propagation of the Faith                                     $     15.00

Tuition Assistance                                             $     40.00

                                TOTAL                                    $7,971.54

Thank you for your support of the ministry of our Parish.

 

 

BAPTISM CONGRATULATIONS - to the parents of the children who were baptized last Sunday.  We welcome these children into our faith community:  Caitlin Abigail Cullinane, daughter of Christopher & Caroline Cullinane;  Michael Mathewson Michaud, son of Michael & Marcie Michaud; and Abigail Rose Marks, daughter of John & Kelly Marks, and ask God to bless them as they begin  their journey of faith with the risen Lord.

 

 

OPERATION BLESSING – Next weekend, in accordance with our usual custom, we will take up our monthly collection for the support of Operation Blessing and their ministry to those less fortunate than we.

 

ALL SOULS’ DAY – The Feast of All Souls is celebrated on Saturday, Nov. 2nd.  Remembrance envelopes were included in the monthly mailing and are also available at the doors of the church.  A special All Souls Mass will be celebrated on Nov. 2nd at 9 am, and your special intentions will be set on the altar during the month of November and remembered at each of our liturgies.

 

CONNECTED CATHOLICS OF NH – A singles group with programs geared towards the spiritual, social, and educations development of people over 40, is offering an evening with Matthew Kelley Catholic author and speaker, tonight (Sunday) at St. Michael’s Church in Exeter.  Dinner will be available at 5:15 pm at The Loaf and Ladle in Exeter.  For reservations or more information, please call Kathy at 659-5010.  A flyer on this is posted at the doors of the church.

 

PILGRIMAGE TO ITALY – sponsored by St. Michael’s Church in Exeter will be held March 6 – 14th. For additional information, please call Fr. Drouin at 772-2494.  A flyer on this is on the bulletin board.

 

SEACOAST BIRTHRIGHT – An organization dedicated to helping and caring for women experiencing a pregnancy crisis will host a coffee tomorrow (Monday) at 9:30 am at the their offices at 323 Islington St.  All are invited to attend.

 

SUNDAY COFFEE needs a few families to provide Coffee Hour Hospitality after the 9 am Mass.  The commitment involves arranging for snacks, setting up and preparing coffee and juice, and cleaning up.  Your family would rotate with other ministries and family groups on a rotating basis.  If you are considering this ministry, phone Alicia Cuttle, Sunday Coffee Hour Coordinator at (207) 439-2518 or email mecuttles@aol.com.

 

 

 

PARISH CRAFT FEST - Saturday October 26th.  – Join us this coming Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm for our Craft Fest featuring various crafts, raffle; and a Harvest Brunch prepared by renowned Chef Paddy Fitzgerald in the lower church hall.  Come early for best selections and use the Chatham St. entrance.  No charge for admission.  Interested in participating as a crafter or vendor?  Some spaces are still available, so please call Kathleen Dwyer at 433-1877 or Marcia Hansen at 430-9564.

 

FUEL COLLECTION – As previously announced, our annual fuel collection is taken up this month to assist the parish in underwriting the almost $20K annual expense for utilities.  An envelopes for your offering was contained in the monthly mailing.  Additional fuel collection envelopes and a letter from the pastor regarding this matter can also be found on the back table at the rear of the Church.  So far we have received $1966.00 towards this expense.  Donations may be made at your convenience this month by depositing your offering in the offertory collection, dropping it off at the parish office, or by mailing your offering to the parish.  Your generosity in this, our largest annual parish collection will be greatly appreciated. 

 

THANK YOU – to our parishioner Peter Loughlin  who again this year has grown and planted trees at Calvary Cemetery as part of our continuing beautification project.  We appreciate his continuing dedication and kindness.

 

 “This is the Covenant of my Blood.”

 

 

 

Through ritual sacrifice, the Israelites acknowledged their absolute dependence on God.  The shedding and sprinkling of blood from sacrificial animals was a symbolic way of sealing the covenant between God and His people.  The sacrifice of Jesus, symbolized by the total out-pouring of his blood during his passion and finally culminating with his death on the Cross, manifests the total self-giving of the Son for the salvation of humanity.  His Death redeems us from sin, and establishes a permanent Covenant between God and redeemed humanity.  Through the Eucharistic Sacrifice at each Mass, we come into contact with this saving event every time we partake in the Eucharist.  This saving act of Christ infinitely surpasses all acts of “ritual cleaning.”  The death of Christ – the spilling of his blood – goes beyond symbol to reality.  The double sacramental sign of Christ’s Body and Blood shows forth the sacrificial nature of his saving death.  Our sharing in the Eucharistic cup is a sign of our communion with this ONE sacrifice.

 

Though the image of the pierced side of the crucified Christ is very common in artistic depictions of the crucifixion, only John records it in his passion narrative.  Throughout John’s gospel, water and blood figure prominently as signs of salvation.  Their appearance at the “boundary point” between the living and sacrificed Jesus completes the “water and blood” pattern found throughout the gospel.  The discharge of blood unquestionably stressed the sacrificial nature of Christ’s death.  According to the patristic exegetical tradition, the blood and the water symbolized the Eucharist and Baptism, the principal sacraments of the Church, which were born from the wounded side of Christ.