 Today we celebrate the Solemnity of The Most Holy Trinity. On this day we reflect on the unique teaching of the Christian Church on the nature of God. Saint Athanasius famously (and beautifully) gave us a Creed that delves into the great mystery of the Holy Trinity. The image below was used during the Middle Ages to make clear what the Church teaches about the Holy Trinity. It is still useful today.  The Shield of the Trinity, a visual representation of the doctrine of the Trinity, derived from the Athanasian Creed. The Latin reads: "The Father is God, The Son is God, The Holy Spirit is God; God is the Father, God is the Son, God is the Holy Spirit; The Father is not the Son, The Son is not the Father, The Father is not the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is not the Father, The Son is not the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is not the Son."
Father Al
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 First Friday Eucharistic Adoration will be held in the Church following the 9:00 am Mass on Friday, June 4th with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. There will be no healing prayers due to a special Holy Hour.
At 6:00 pm Deacon Matthew Morelli will celebrate a Holy Hour in preparation of his Ordination to the Priesthood on Saturday. All are invited and encouraged to attend.  In observance of Memorial Day the Parish Office will be closed May 27th & 28th.
Mass will be celebrated Monday, May 28th at 9:00 am.  Time is running out to register for Vacation Bible School - Please don't miss this great opportunity for your child!
Registration for this year's Vacation Bible School, “Splash Canyon”, was extended to May 30th. Please sign up your children (Ages 4 – Grade 5) to attend this fun week of activities June 25-29. Cost is $15 per child to cover materials. Forms are online here, outside the REP office, in the church and the parish office.  Today we celebrate the great Solemnity of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, in which we call to mind the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the early Church! Pentecost brings the Easter Season to a close but it is by no means an end to reflecting on the Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus and the Sending of the Holy Spirit. We still live out the Paschal Mystery in our lives and in our Church to this very day. The Dying and Rising of Christ is made new through the power of the Holy Spirit every day of the year until the end of time. One of the challenges for Christians today is to not think of Pentecost as a “once and done” event. The Holy Spirit has been with the Church since the beginning and will be with us until the end of time. The Holy Spirit has guided the Church (sometimes through some very rough times!) and the Holy Spirit is leading us and guiding us still. Where is the Holy Spirit leading us in this third millennium of Christianity? We cannot know completely. I think the early Church would be surprised at where this billion-plus member Church is now! All we can do is be open to the Spirit in our lives and pray fervently and sincerely, “Come Holy Spirit, Come!”
Father Al  May is National Stroke Awareness Month. You can help ‘Save A Life’ by acting F. A. S. T. When someone is having a stroke, every minute counts. Just as putting out a fire quickly can stop it from spreading, treating a stroke quickly can reduce damage to the brain. If you learn how to recognize the telltale signs of a stroke, you can act quickly & save a life - maybe even your own.
Acting F. A. S. T. can help stroke patients get the treatments they desperately need. The stroke treatments that work best are available only if the stroke is recognized and diagnosed within 3 hours of the first symptoms. Stroke patients may not be eligible for these if they don’t arrive at the hospital in time. If you think someone may be having a stroke, act F. A. S. T. and do this simple test: F - FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? A - ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? S - SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange? T - TIME: If you see any of these signs call 9-1-1 right away. *This message is courtesy of our parish's Nurse Ministry. To learn more, visit the Nurse Ministry page of our website here  The Respect Life Ministry of St. Joan of Arc is trying to revitalize their ministry and is seeking new members. This very important ministry does not require much of your time (meeting only once a month). They are looking to create more awareness of the culture of death which is pervasive throughout our country and the world. Please give this serious consideration and give them a call. Gerry Kaiser: (717) 982-5237 | (717) 533-6608 or Mary McInerney: (717) 533-4846.
 REP is looking for volunteers. We are always looking for people to help as hall monitors, classroom aides and catechists. No experience is necessary - just a desire to help in the faith formation of our youth. If you are interested, please contact Earl Tropp at (717) 533-7168 Ext. 122 or email: etropp@stjoanhershey.org
 Our VBS program is looking for a few folks who can sew simple costumes for our children to wear in our Bible lesson activity: simple tunics and sashes that can be pulled overhead and tied at the waist similar to what is pictured here.
If you can help, please contact Marcie Warner at (717) 533-7168 Ext. 112 or email: mwarner@stjoanhershey.org  May and Mothers go together! Today we celebrate Mother’s Day and we give thanks to God for the gift of our mothers. May we always be grateful for the women who carried us in their wombs and gave us life! There is great truth in the maxim, “the hand that rocks the cradle holds great power!” How our mothers (and fathers) form us in our character. The Church teaches us that the family is the “domus ecclesiae” or “the home of the Church”. It is the place where we learn how to be a Christian! It is from our mother’s laps that we learn our prayers; it is from our mothers that we learn how to be a Christian gentleman or gentlewoman; it is from our mothers that we learn the ways of love, compassion and forgiveness. May we eternally be grateful!
May is also the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. From the May Crowning in church (I thank the First Holy Communicants for their help with this last week!) to shrines to Our Lady in the garden in home to an extra rosary during the month, during May we renew our devotion to the Blessed Mother of God! May our devotion be sincere, lively and heartfelt. Oh what a Mother we have in the Blessed Virgin Mary! “Pray for us, O holy Mother of God! That we may made worthy of the promises of Christ!” |
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