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Fr.
Charles
Puthota
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From
the Pastor's
Desktop
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A
Message from
Father Charles
Puthota
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March
17,
2024
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Dear
Parishioners of
St.
Elizabeth,
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Archdiocesan
Annual Appeal (AAA)
2024: We are
making steady progress.
Thank you for donating
generously for the
fourth consecutive year.
Please see the names of
donors in the bulletin.
The total amount to
raise is: $32,089. So
far you have donated
$29,548.00 The balance
amount to reach is:
$2,541.00. If you are
able to give 1.5%, which
is $500, it would be
wonderful. Please do
give whatever you can
quickly and generously.
This fundraiser, which
is actually a
faith-raiser, is to
support the ministries
of the Archdiocese,
something that we are
called to do each
year.
Lent leading up to
the Holy Week:
We are in the fifth week
of Lent. Next Sunday is
Palm Sunday and the
Sunday after that is
Easter. This sacred
season of spirituality
and simplicity, of
compassion and caring,
of penance and
perseverance, continues.
Palm Sunday will usher
in the Holy Week. It's
the most sacred time in
the liturgical calendar.
The suffering, death,
and resurrection of
Jesus have close
parallels to our life,
as we make sense of our
human condition. May
this week be a special
time of closeness to God
and to one another. As
far as possible, let's
pause from our hectic
lives and
preoccupations, from our
anxiety and anguish, and
look up at the cross of
Christ, that symbol of
shame and death, which
has become the
life-giving source for
everyone for all time. I
invite everyone to
participate in the
paschal mysteries
celebrated at our
parish. Please see the
schedule in my Easter
letter to the whole
parish, which is on the
way, and also in the
bulletin. Let's get
ready psychologically
and spiritually for the
Holy Week.
Happy
St. Patrick's Day, March
17:
Traditionally we
celebrate the Feast of
St. Patrick on March 17,
though this year the
Sunday liturgy takes
precedence over feast
day liturgy. Happy St.
Patrick's Day! Here's
the famous prayer of St.
Patrick called the
'Breastplate prayer':
"Christ with me, Christ
before me, Christ behind
me, Christ in me, Christ
beneath me, Christ above
me, Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of
every man who thinks of
me, Christ in the mouth
of everyone who speaks
of me, Christ in every
eye that sees me, Christ
in every ear that hears
me."
Irish Blessings
for St. Patrick's
Day: 1. May
your neighbors respect
you, troubles neglect
you, the angels protect
you, and Heaven accept
you. 2. May your home
always be too small to
hold all of your
friends. 3. May the road
rise to meet you, may
the wind be always at
your back, may the sun
shine warm upon your
face, and rains fall
soft upon your fields,
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the
hollow of His hand. 4.
May your glass be ever
full. May the roof over
your head be always
strong. And may you be
in heaven half an hour
before the devil knows
you are dead. 5. May the
Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers
bless you. May the luck
of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of St.
Patrick behold you.
Solemnity of the
Feast of St. Joseph,
March 19: The
foster father of Jesus,
St. Joseph is the patron
saint of workers,
carpenters, fathers, and
of the universal Church.
Joseph in his dreams
discerns God's call and
carries out the will of
God. He is attuned to
the voice of God in his
life. He is told to
accept Mary into his
home and as his wife. He
is highly considerate
and just as he plans on
setting Mary aside
quietly, but is
reassured by the angel
that she has conceived
through the power of the
Holy Spirit. He flees to
Egypt with the divine
baby and Mary after
being prompted to do so
by the angel. He returns
when it is safe again,
heeding the voice of
God. He is a man of few
words. He protects Jesus
and Mary and cares for
them by plying his trade
of carpentry. He is a
patron saint of happy
death because it's
believed that when he
was dying he was
privileged to have Jesus
and Mary at his
deathbed.
The Word of God,
Fifth Sunday of
Lent: In the
context of the impending
death of Jesus, the Word
of God invites us to
journey closer to Jesus.
In the gospel, there is
an interesting story of
the Greeks wanting to
see Jesus and they go to
Philip. Philip goes to
Andrew. They both then
go to Jesus and tell him
about it. It tells us
that we need to go to
others for inspiration
and growth in our faith.
Also, we have the
calling to lead and
guide people to
experience Jesus. There
are many in our own
families that long to
encounter Jesus. They
may not even be aware of
this longing. We need to
be perceptive and find
ways of leading them to
Jesus, as Philip and
Andrew were able to do.
We all need each other
as we make our journey
to the heart and mind of
Jesus Christ, from whom
blessings flow for now
and forever.
Think About it:
The Look of
Jesus: In the
gospel according to Luke
we read: But Peter said,
"Man, I do not know what
you are talking about."
At that moment, while he
was still speaking, a
cock crew; and the Lord
turned and looked
straight at Peter... and
Peter went outside and
wept. Reflection: I
related well with the
Lord. I would converse
with him, thank him, and
ask for help. But always
I had this uneasy
feeling that he wanted
me to look at him... And
I would not. I would
talk, but look away when
I sensed he was looking
at me. I was afraid I
should find an
accusation in his eyes
of some unrepented sin.
Or a demand: something
he wanted from me. One
day I summoned up
courage and looked!
There was no accusation.
No demand. The eyes just
said, "I love you." And,
like Peter, I went
outside and wept.
(ADM)
Saint John the
23rd: When Pope
John XXIII was dying,
Cardinal Testa came to
see him and asked:
"How's my friend,
Roncalli?" The pope
answered with great
effort: "Your friend
Roncalli is really bad,
but I heard on the radio
that John XXIII is much
better."
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Your
Friend and
Pastor,
Father
Charles Puthota, Ph
D.
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Further
Listening
Sessions
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Toward
the Synodal Meetings in October
2024
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In
preparation for the second
session of the Synod in October
2024, the Vatican has asked all
dioceses all over the world,
including in the United States,
to hold listening sessions on the
following two questions:
- "Where
have I seen or experienced
successes -- and distresses --
within the Church's
structure(s)/organization/leadership/life
that encourage or hinder the
mission?"
- "How
can the structures and
organization of the Church
help all the baptized to
respond to the call to
proclaim the Gospel and to
live as a community of love
and mercy in Christ?
Deadline
to submit the answers to the
U.S. Bishops' Conference is
April 8. These reports will be
synthesized regionally and
nationally--- and the final
report will be sent to the
Vatican Synodal Office by May
15, 2024.
The
Vatican's guidance that shaped
the above questions incorporates
four questions:
- "How
can we enhance the
differentiated
co-responsibility in the
mission of all the members of
the People of God?";
- "What
ways of relating, structures,
processes of discernment and
decision-making with regard to
mission make it possible to
recognize, shape, and promote
co-responsibility?";
- "What
ministries and participatory
bodies can be renewed or
introduced to better express
this co-responsibility?" and,
- "How
can these relations be
creatively articulated in
order to find 'a dynamic
balance between the dimension
of the Church as a whole and
its local roots?'
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.............................................(Source:
America Magazine and
NCR)
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The
Synod on Synodality
October 2021 to October
2024
Theme:
Communion, Participation,
Mission: The Synod on Synodality
is a three-year process of
listening and dialogue that began
with a solemn opening in Rome on
October 9 and 10, 2021. The
synodal process will conclude in
2024. Each individual diocese in
the whole world has gone through
a process of preparation for the
Synod. The Synod is both an event
and a process in which the whole
People of God are called to walk
to gather together toward what
the Holy Spirit helps it to
discern as being the Lord's will
for his Church. Pope Francis has
invited the entire Church to
reflect on a theme that is
decisive for its life and
mission: "It is precisely this
path of synodality which God
expects of the Church of the
third millennium. This journey,
which follows in the wake of the
Church's "renewal" proposed by
the Second Vatican Council, is
both a gift and a task: by
journeying together and
reflecting together on the path
that has been made, the Church
will be able to learn through Her
experience which processes can
help Her to live communion, to
achieve participation, and to
open Herself to mission." The
16th Ordinary General Assembly of
the Synod of Bishops will be held
in two sessions. The first one
from October 4 to 29, 2023. The
second session will be in October
2024.
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What
is a synod? A synod in the
Catholic Church is both an event
and a process where clergy,
religious, and laity gather to
discern important matters of the
faith. It is a journey of search
rooted in the Holy Spirit. Synods
are transformative events that
lead to renewal in the life of
the Church. The current synod is
called Synod on
Synodality. Its a
synod that would explore the very
processes of synod and examine
how as the People of God we are
journeying together. Pope Francis
says: Synodality is the way
of being the Church today
according to the will of God, in
a dynamic of discerning and
listening together to the voice
of the Holy Spirit. You
might want to be informed more
about this Synod by going online
and doing your own research.
Do check out the Synod
website
https://www.synod.va/en.html
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MASS
SCHEDULE
as of
November 23,
2023
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Saturday:
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..
4:30
p.m.
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Sunday:
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..
8:30
a.m. & 10:30
a.m.
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Monday
thru Saturday:
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..
8:30
a.m.
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Holy
Days:
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..
8:30
a.m. & 6:00
p.m.
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Confessions:
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..4:00
p.m. on Saturdays before the 4:30
Vigil Mass
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10:00
a.m. on Sundays before the 10:30
a.m. Mass
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PARISH SACRAMENTAL
CELEBRATIONS
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SACRAMENT
OF
BAPTISM
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SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
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High
School Students
should call the
Religious
Education
Office for more
information.
Adult
confirmation is
available on an
individual
basis.
-.Details
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SACRAMENT
OF THE
ANOINTING OF
THE
SICK
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Call
the Parish
Office in case
of serious
illness and
before surgery
and hospital
care. -
Details
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SACRAMENT
OF
EUCHARIST
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Our
Eucharistic
Ministers are
available to
bring the
Eucharist to
the sick or
homebound.
Contact the
Parish Office.
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Details
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SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
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Saturday
3:30pm to
4:15pm or by
appointment. -
Details
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SACRAMENT
OF
MARRIAGE
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There
is a six month
period of
preparation for
the celebration
of this
Sacrament.
Contact the
Parish Office
to make
arrangements. -
Details
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Faith
Formation
- Cantwell
Hall
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Saturday
9:00am to
11:00am. -
Details
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Parish
Office:
(415)
468-0820
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Benediction
and Our Lady of
Perpetual Help
Novena:
Wednesdays
after the 8:30am
Mass.
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Legion
of Mary
Meeting
5:00pm Monday in the
Church.
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1000
Hail Mary's
Third
Saturday after the
8:30am Mass until
3:30pm.
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Over
50
Group
Thursdays at 12:00pm in
Cantwell Hall.
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Rev.
Charles Puthota, Ph. D.,
Pastor
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Sandy
Mehrwein,
Parish
Secretary
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Patricia
Spiteri,
Pastoral
Coordinator
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Laurrie
Digneo,
Coordinator
of Faith
Formation
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