7/11/21 Parish Picnic; RCIA; Hurt & Healing

07/11/21

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Greetings in the Lord Jesus, our Redeemer and King, and may His glorious and immaculate mother obtain for our parish family abundant graces.

Please mark your calendars for Sunday, August 22, 2021 for the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our new parish feast day. This year to celebrate the feast day, we will hold a Parish Family Picnic at Fred Taddeo Memorial Park from 2:00PM to 5:00PM.

We have a great team planning and coordinating:

• Melissa Catanzarite
• Rocco Ferri
• Petrus & Linda Masciantonio
• Lesa Mastrofrancesco
• Denise McCreary
• Skip Powell
• Eric Schrift

RSVP for our picnic here on our website or by calling the St. John the Baptist Pastoral Center Office at 724.775.3940. THE RSVP DEADLINE IS SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 2021.

We will need donations of: pop, water, variety pack snack-sized bags of assorted chips. The drop-off date for pop and water is Saturday, August 7, 2021 at the back door of O'Connell Hall (St. Frances Cabrini Church) from 11:00AM to 1:00PM. We will also need volunteers! There’s a separate SignUp Genius on our website for volunteers (and donors). We will have games for the whole family including bingo and a Cornhole Tournament. Sign up for the tournament when you arrive from 2:00PM to 2:30PM, in teams of two. The tournament will begin at 2:30PM.

♦

Do you know someone who has expressed interest in becoming Catholic or has asked you questions about our Catholic Faith? Or maybe you know someone who is Catholic and has been away from the Church. An encouraging word from you might be the nudge that would make the difference. RCIA, our parish Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults will begin again this Fall. Please contact Deacon Bob for information. RCIA is a weekly meeting that allows for questions and an informal way to explore Catholicism. The first several weeks are for inquiry; no formal commitment is expected.

Alternatively, we sometimes hear from people who have work schedules that require travel or an unpredictable schedule. I am currently providing instruction for 3 gentlemen who do not have the ability to make a regular occurring meeting on one particular day or time. This is also an option.

What about family members or friends who have been hurt by the Church or by a priest, and have been away as a result? Would they be receptive to a conversation with one of us, where they could be heard; and where, with God’s power, reconciliation and healing might come about? Please do not hesitate to reach out to one of the priests assigned to our parish.


In the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Fr. Jean-Luc