 Have you marked your calendar for the CCW Rummage sale?
You won't want to miss it! Details available on the parish website here
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 Any parish families who have children enrolled in our school, please check out the new PTO Facebook page! You can find it here
 QPR Suicide Prevention Training Session Date: Saturday, September 24, 2016 Time: 9:00am to 12:30pm Location: St. Joan of Arc School Library Cost: No Charge *This presentation was arranged by our Parish Nurse Ministry and will be presented by Philhaven. The maximum number of participants is limited to 30, so please use the registration form below or call the parish if you plan to attend. Anyone under the age of 18 is welcome, though parental permission is needed.)
 It is hard to believe but it is almost the end of July! School starts back in one month! You can either do one of two things: pack as much into the next four weeks as possible or just slow down, savor each moment of summer and relax. I suggest the latter. Sometimes it seems that the faster we go, the more we miss of life and all the many blessings that surround us.
Just a quick update on the convent. The Sisters are into the new house and are loving the smaller, cozier living situation. Thanks so much to everyone who helped them settle in. The old convent (we have to think of another name to call these places other than “new” and “old” convent!) is pretty much emptied out. Catholic Charities came on Thursday and took some things like beds, dressers, chairs, etc., for use in houses and apartments they fix up for the poor and refugees. At some point I would like to have an open house to let you see the convent before the makeover into parish offices and meeting space…and then after it is done. It really is a great (big!) building and I thank you for the support you have given me in undertaking this project. I don’t think we will be disappointed. Have a great rest of the summer! God bless you, Father Al  Studies Show The Ten Commandments Are Good For You! An article published on the website SpiritualDirection.com yesterday begins:
The Ten Commandments are not good because God gave them to us; he gave them to us because they are good. You don’t have to believe God or even believe in God to realize that the rules for everlasting life are also good rules for just plain living. To read the full article, click here  We'd like to take a moment to celebrate one of our youngest parishioners, Rowan Tressler, who was recently presented a pretty awesome award.
Rowan is now a second grade student at St. Joan of Arc School. His first grade teacher entered an essay he wrote into a "Cultural Traditions" essay contest from the Dauphin County Commissioners office. Rowan's essay was chosen from hundreds of submissions and he received his award yesterday. The winning essay was written around his family's tradition of the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, which has Catholic origin. How the tradition got started and why it’s celebrated isn’t exactly known. It is believed to have started when Catholics fasted to anticipate the birth of the baby Jesus on Christmas Day. They would refuse to eat until they received Holy Communion during Midnight Mass. That’s when “Cena della Vigilia,” or the Christmas Eve dinner, would begin. Catholics from various parts of Italy believe that meat should not be eaten on the Eve, which is why Italians indulged in what has now become known as the seafood bonanza, or more accurately, the “Feast of the Seven Fishes.” It is believed by many that eating seven different types is representative of the seven sacraments. The Tressler family is active in our parish community and school. We are grateful for all the gifts of time and talent they bring to our parish! If you have any news or special announcement you would like to share with the parish, we would be thrilled to hear from you. Please email communications@stjoanhershey.org
The Pro-American Educational and Cultural Exchange (PEACE) is a Christian, Non-Profit Organization, with US State Department Designation since 1988. PEACE specializes in the high school cultural exchanges between the US and Latin America, East Asia and a few other countries.
They are currently in need of a host family for a 17 year old transfer student from China. He is enrolled at Hershey High School, but just needs a host family. A host family can gain insight into another culture, as well as help to shape a future leader's perception of our country. Our mission is to develop Godly leaders in an ungodly world. What better place than in your congregation? Many have a high schooler in the home, but couples with small children, childless couples, empty nesters, and even elderly widows and widowers, have all hosted successfully.  In the gospels, there are many times where Jesus goes off by himself or with his disciples to rest and relax. They find a quiet, out-of-the-way place to re-energize for the days and weeks of evangelization ahead. We can understand Jesus’ need to rest when we read some passages where he is going all day long with the people coming out to him to hear his words and be cured of their illnesses. Once we are told that there were so many people coming to him that he didn’t even have time to eat. That is why Jesus needs to rest. As we all do.
Our lives are so very hectic that we need to find some out-of-the-way place to be reinvigorated for the work that we all need to do. That is why we have vacations. I hope that all of you get time away from your daily activities and find real rest and relaxation this summer. I hope that you don’t come home from your vacation even more exhausted! (That happens all too often and then you have to wonder why we are so stressed!) Enjoy your time with family and friends, take some quiet time with the Lord, and enjoy a break from your daily routine. If Jesus knows the necessity of rest and time away, so should we! Father Al  Please join us for the Summer Second Saturday Social! The Second Saturday Social will be held on July 9th after the 5:15 mass. Join other parishioner in the school cafeteria for hot dogs, chips drinks and fellowship.
*Hosted by the Knights of Columbus. During the summer months our regular Second Sunday Socials are replaced with "Second Saturday Socials". |
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