 The Season of Lent began in the early Church as a time for catechumens to begin the intensive spiritual preparation necessary to receive the Sacraments of Initiation (baptism, confirmation and Eucharist) at the Easter Vigil. The catechumen may have already been going through formation for a number of years and this was the final preparation before becoming a Catholic.
Lent gradually became a time for all Christians to reflect on their baptismal promises and to see how well he or she was living them out in daily life. The disciplines of fasting, prayer and almsgiving became a way to deny oneself, focus on spiritual things and help the needy and the poor. With the restoration of the catechumenate (now known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) after the Second Vatican Council, we once again emphasize the baptismal nature of the Season of Lent. Perhaps a simple exercise for all of us during this Lent is to reflect upon the question asked at every baptism: “Do you accept responsibility for raising your child in the practice of the faith, by loving God and our neighbor?” Of course, for parents this a grave responsibility but for us who are adults we can ask the same question regarding ourselves. “Are we practicing our faith? Are we loving God and our neighbor?” These are the most basic things we do as baptized Christians? How would you answer those questions? Father Al
0 Comments
 The SJA Youth Choir: The St. Joan of Arc Youth Choir will begin rehearsals for Easter Sunday on Saturday, March 5, at 10am in the choir loft. All interested young people who are interested in singing on Easter Sunday, March 27, at 10:30 Mass, are invited to join this choir under the direction of Music Director Beth Palmer. There are no auditions nor age limits. Subsequent rehearsals are: Saturday, March 12, 10am in Room C in the school; and, Saturday, March 19, at 10am in the choir loft. Guest Choir March 6th:
The Bishop McDevitt Concert Choir under the direction of Mr. Chad Reed will be singing at 10:30 Mass on March 6. Parishioner Becky McInerney is a member of this esteemed musical ensemble. St Joan of Arc is very blessed to host this choir!  Bulletin sponsorships are essential to our parish's communication efforts. When a company chooses to advertise in our church bulletin, they are not only promoting their business to our parish community, but also making a financial sponsorship to help offset the cost of printing this weekly publication.
The parish bulletin is the main source of communication our parish has to get information to out to parishioners on a regular basis. The cost of producing a publication like this each week would certainly be a financial hardship if it wasn't for this sponsorship program. We are so very grateful for the generosity of our bulletin sponsors. In an effort to express that gratitude we highlight a sponsor each week on our website, social media sites, and in our bulletin. If you would like more information about becoming a bulletin sponsor for the St. Joan of Arc Church parish bulletin, please contact Mike Jurosky at 1-800-233-8200 ext. 3140 or by email.  We are excited to announce a new phone system was installed in the Parish Office and School this week. When calling the parish office now you will hear a greeting from Father Al and a short menu to help direct your call. If you know the 3 digit extension of the person you wish to speak with, you may dial it to connect directly to that person. A full listing of extensions can also be found on our website here.
Please know you have the option to go directly to Susan Robison, our parish secretary, by pressing zero at any time. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we adjust through this transition. We would like to express our gratitude to this week's bulletin sponsor, Wicker East. Thank you for your continued support!   This week we begin the Bishop’s Annual Lenten Appeal. It is amazing what we do as a diocese and as an individual parish in making possible the ministries of Bishop Gainer throughout the diocese! What the Bishop’s Annual Lenten Appeal does is support the necessary Works of Mercy which we as a parish cannot do on our own. Think about some of the ministries our money supports:
Finds caring homes for children through Foster Care Programs; finds housing for women recovering from addiction; provides shelter for homeless families; supports married and family life; ministers to those in prison; brings the healing power of Christ to those who are sick; spreads the Gospel through evangelization, educations and formation endeavors; uses radio, television and print media to spread the Good News; ministers to our college students through Campus Ministries throughout the diocese; helps with the temporal and administrative needs of our parishes, schools and Institutions; brings Jesus to those who are physically, emotionally or mentally disabled. These are just a few of the ways that we do the work of Jesus Christ through our contributions to the Bishop’s Annual Lenten Appeal. Please be generous. Our goal this year is $236,500. This is just $100 more than last year’s goal so I know that we can do it! To be able to continue the work of the Church in a small way is really a privilege because we are touching the lives of so many who are in need of our help. Always remember the words of Jesus: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me!” Father Al  If you would like to memorialize flowers for a loved one at Easter, please fill out the form below and return it to the parish office no later than Friday, March 11, 2016 by 3:00 PM. 
 A Message To Adult Catholics who have never received the Sacrament of Confirmation:
Adults who have already been baptized, made their First Holy Communion, but have not received the Sacrament of Confirmation are encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation to complete the Sacraments of Initiation. If any adult is interested in receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation this year, please call or email the parish office for more information. We would like to express our gratitude to this week's bulletin sponsor, Perfect Image. Thank you for your continued support!  |
Subscribe to our blog today so you do not miss any parish news!
Archives
April 2021
Categories
All
|
||
RSS Feed
