An update on things happening in the parish:

• School has started and so far, so good!  (I am writing this on Day 2!)
• Just a reminder that REP will be starting on September 8.  Remember to register if you haven’t done so yet!
• Last year, we had two seminarians from Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg as part of their Field Education Assignment.  They worked in Ministry to the Sick and did a great job.  This year we have FIVE seminarians assigned to us!  Three of them will be teaching in the school and maybe REP and two of them will be visiting the Penn State Rehab Hospital and once again doing pastoral visits to the sick.  I think we have Father John Trigilio to thank for this.  He is the head of Field Education at the Mount and knows that Saint Joan of Arc is a good place to train future priests!
• I am looking for a volunteer to replace Joe Yaklowich as one of our sacristans here in the church.  Joe will be retiring on September 20 and, once again, we thank him for his faithful service to the parish.  The sacristan will be in charge of the flowers in the church, help with decorating the church seasonally, and work with brides and grooms (but to be honest, it is mainly the brides!) in arranging for flower arrangements at weddings.  Give me a call if you are interested. 
• Just a reminder that at the end of the month (yes, it is September already!), we will celebrate Eucharistic Devotions here in Hershey.  Mark your calendar for September 29 through October 1 for our Forty Hours.  Father Arena will be coming back to preach each evening.
• As the summer comes to an end, I am sure everything is crazy-busy in most of your lives but why not add one more thing into your already-busy schedule and volunteer for something here at the parish! The parish, school, CYO, REP, and all of our organizations are always looking for new people to help!  Think about it.  Do it as a way to respond to all the blessings God has given to you in your life!

​It has been a year since the Pennsylvania Attorney General issued the report on Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Clergy in the state.  It was a gut-ripping experience and the Church will be affected by the revelations of crimes and cover-ups for years to come.  In our bulletin today, we have an insert from the Diocese of Harrisburg listing some of the actions it has taken to address this horrendous scandal.  Please read it and, as usual, I am always open to your thoughts and comments.  Here at Saint Joan of Arc, we have tried to address some of the issues with our town hall meetings last fall and the various adult education and prayer opportunities over the past few months.  In September, I will present the following nights of education and discussion:

• September 12 at 7 PM “Saints who have experienced sexual abuse”
• September 26 at 7 PM “Prayer as a way toward healing.”

I invite all adults to attend.  I realize that some think we are not dealing with it enough and others who wish we would stop talking about it.  All I can say is that we will continue to address the issue on a regular basis.  I would certainly invite suggestions from the parish on how to address this topic more at length and with greater depth.  May God continue to bless those who have suffered abuse in any way but especially those abused by clergy members. 

I received quite a bit of input into keeping our Summer Schedule as our regular Mass Schedule throughout the year. Usually, when I ask for feedback about changing something in the parish, I rarely get such a response from those who think it is a great idea. Normally it is the people who oppose a change who write or call. But in this case, it was the vast majority who said they liked the new schedule. Therefore, the Schedule of Masses here at Saint Joan of Arc will be the following:

• Saturday and Sunday evenings at 5:00 pm
• Sunday Mornings at 7:30 am, 9:30 am, and 11:30 am

The main concern about changing the Mass Schedule was about the REP times. In order to accommodate parents wanting to make sure that their kids get to REP AND Mass (the “and” is important!), Sunday morning REP will be held at the following time:

• REP from 10:30-11:20 am

This allows families two Masses to attend on Sunday Morning either directly before or after REP. It was brought to my attention that 75 minutes for the religious instruction of 1st through 6th graders are a lot! I think the 50 minutes will be much better for the students and their parents alike!
The Milton Hershey School students attended Mass at 10:30 AM. Starting this Fall, they will attend the 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday.
Thanks, everyone, for your comments and suggestions!
 

Do you know a college student in our parish who is graduating this Summer? Submit his or her name to be listed in an parish-wide acknowledgement! Deadline to submit is August 30, 2019.

Submit a graduate here

Sweaters and jumpers are $5. Everything else is $2. Large sized khaki pants, which can be worn at McDevitt, are available.

​Thank you to the generous parishioners who have helped many families realize their dream of providing a Catholic School education for their children. This year more than ever, the school has received requests for financial assistance.
 
Parishioners may contribute by sponsoring a child’s, or children’s, tuition for the year or by contributing any amount to this necessary fund. We hope to help everyone who needs it. Please prayerfully consider a donation today.

Contact Deb Rizzotto at (717) 533-2854, ext. 123 or drizzotto@stjoanhershey.org for more information or to make a contribution.

"We often assume parenthood happens easily after ‘I do,’ but for many married couples, it does not… If you experience difficulty bringing a child into your family, know that you are not alone. God is with you, and his Church desires to walk with you.”

-Seven Considerations While Navigating Infertility, USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities
 

Our Religious Education Program includes a class that supports students with special needs. This class meets on Sundays for one hour (10:15-11:15 am) and utilizes a small group instructional format. Other options available for students include a helper to provide 1:1 assistance in the regular REP class based on the needs of the child, or identifying a volunteer to provide instruction to your child outside of the classroom.
 
For more information, please contact Earl Tropp, Director of Religious Education.

Earl: (717) 533-7168, Ext. 122 | etropp@stjoanhershey.org

Learn more about our Religious Education Program here.
 

​It was rather disturbing to read a recent Pew Survey on the knowledge that Catholic Americans have on various religious issues. It was revealed that only 50% of Catholics in the United States have a correct understanding on the Eucharist, which is the center of our sacramental lives of us Catholics. Fifty percent correctly stated that the Eucharist is truly the “Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity” of Jesus Christ that we receive each week in Holy Communion. The other 50% thought the Eucharist was merely a symbol! (Seventy one percent of American Catholics knew correctly what Purgatory is and that is not one of those doctrines that we talk about all the time!) I always wonder if when they do these surveys whether they make any distinction between active and inactive Catholics, meaning those who regularly go to Mass and are involved with the life of the Church. To make it clear, this is a brief teaching on what the Church teaches about the Holy Eucharist from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

• The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."
• The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's Passover, that is, of the work of salvation accomplished by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, a work made present by the liturgical action.
• By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is present in a true, real, and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood, with his soul and his divinity (cf. Council of Trent: DS 1640; 1651).
• Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance.
• Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ increases the communicant's union with the Lord, forgives his venial sins, and preserves him from grave sins. Since receiving this sacrament strengthens the bonds between the communicant and Christ, it also reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ.

This is just a short overview of the Church’s teaching on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Pick up the Catechism and learn more!