Pastor’s Corner . . . Pope Benedict XVI has declared this year to the Year of Saint Paul:  from June 28, 2008 until June 29, 2009. He announced this last year in a homily delivered at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome on the eve of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul: “A very old tradition, which goes back to apostolic times, recounts that not far from here was where Saints Peter & Paul had their last encounter before martyrdom. They were said to have embraced each other, and to have blessed each other reciprocally. They are depicted on the main door of this Basilica in the scene of their martyrdom. From the very beginning then, Christian tradition has considered Peter and Paul inseparable, even if they each had a different mission to fulfill. Peter first confessed his faith in Christ; Paul received the gift of being able to plumb the profundity of its richness. Peter founded the first Christian community coming from the chosen people; Paul became the apostle of the gentiles. With different charisms, they worked for a single cause: building the Church of Christ. In the Readings, the liturgy offers for our meditation a well-known text of St. Augustine: "Only one day is consecrated to the feast of the two apostles. But they were also a single unit. Even if they were martyred on different days, they were one. Peter went ahead, Paul followed...Thus we celebrate this feast day, consecrated for us by the blood of these apostles" (Disc. 295, 7-8).
    And St. Leo the Great commented: "Of their merits and their virtues - which were superior from all accounts - we cannot think of anything contradictory or divisive, because election had made them equal, their efforts similar and their end alike" (In natali apostolorum., 69, 6-7).
Leo the Great said in this respect, addressing the city: "These are your holy fathers, your true shepherds, who, As much as they were humanly very different from each other, and even if their relationship was not without tensions, Peter and Paul therefore appear as the initiators of a new city, as a concretization of a new and authentic way of being brothers, made possible by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
    And so we can say that today the Church of Rome celebrates its birthday, inasmuch as the two Apostles had laid down its foundations. Moreover, Rome now realizes with greater awareness that is its mission and its grandeur.
St. John Chrysostom writes that "the sky is not as bright when the sun sheds its rays as the city of Rome which radiates the splendor of those burning torches (Peter and Paul) through all the world...This the reason why we love this city...for these two pillars of the Church" (Comm. a Rom 32). 
    In Rome, the link that gave Peter and Paul a common mission has assumed from the first centuries a very specific significance. Like the mythical brothers Romulus and Remus, attributed with the founding of Rome, Peter and Paul likewise are considered as founders of the Church of Rome.
During this year of the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul, our parish will celebrate with two special activities: 
    --During the parish Advent and Lenten Missions, Monsignor James Turro, a world-renowned scripture scholar, will offer six lectures on the letters of St. Paul;
    --Fr. Walsh and I will visit and bless every parishioner’s home [of those who would like their homes blessed] during the year.
     For your part, parishioners might try imitating St. Paul by bringing family members or friends who have been away from the Church to Mass, in an effort to win hearts and minds for Our Lord.
May Saints Peter and Paul guide and protect us in this bi-millennial celebration, working for the Glory of God and the salvation of souls in communion with the Successor of Saint Peter, in the Church established by Our Lord on His Apostles.   ---Msgr. DiGiovanni

Please pray for the sick…Jim Bosilevas,  Felica Stamadinli, Vinci Balbucci, Pasqualina Bruzzesi, Carmella Micik, Eleanor McNamee, Nancy Geikie, Vicki Manes, Anthony Sansone, Margaret Woods, Paul Forte, Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titina Tarantino, Jennifer Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore.

Please pray for those who have recently died… Rose Magorane, Ralph Stain, Jr. Susan Perretta, Mary Louise Deluca, Viola F. Russo, William Speranza, George Lampman, Robert Geikie, Florence DeSilva, Margaret Mine, Reta Satoriti, Marcello Santagata, Louis Manes, Paul Dudash, John Borron, Fouchard Paulemon, Louis Meyer, Phillis Doherty, Violet Roddy, Wallace Stewart.

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions.  All are welcome on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the rectory.  If you’ve studied high school Latin, you’ll be fine; we all help each other; please join us: you know more than you think! After Latin, Stay and join us for:

St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies will next meet on July 2nd at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory:  Popes of the Early Church: All are welcome.  Please join us. July’s topic will be the Popes of the Early Church. HOWEVER, because of traffic problems on some July Wednesday evenings, the dates are slightly altered for the reading course on the Popes. We’ll meet on Wednesdays: July 2 & 9, and on August 6th at 7:30 pm in the rectory. Sorry for the inconvenience.

New Testament Greek . . . anyone interested in a summer introductory study group, please contact Monsignor DiGiovanni.

St. John’s Bible Study… New and Improved: Bible Study will change its format and become more intense. We will use The Bible Timeline Series for 25 Thursdays beginning September 25th through May 7th.  If you are interested, please call the Parish Office to register so that we can order the appropriate materials.  BIBLE STUDY WILL NOT MEET DURING THE SUMMER. We’ll begin in September.
 
Peter’s Pence Collection . . . Please drop your Peter’s Pence Collection envelope into the ONE basket that will be passed at the Offertory.  There will only be one collection today.
 
Parish Picnic: Sunday, September 14th:  Parish picnic at Cove Island. Details to follow.  

St. John’s Towers Tenant Meeting . . . an important meeting will be held for the tenants of Saint John’s Towers on Monday, June 30th at 7:00 p.m. --Msgr. Nagle Hall.  All are most welcome to attend.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING:  An Instruction Session in NFP will be offered on Monday, July 7th at 7:30 p m.  All are welcome.  Please contact Lisa Frawley if you plan to attend (203-254-6615).

Moms & Tots . . . a group of moms and children meet with Fr. Walsh each first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. in church for Eucharistic adoration, followed by snacks in the parish hall. Please join us.  Our next meeting will be on July 8th.

Sunday, June 22, 2008    $11,115.00

Sunday, June 24, 2007  $ 10,304.13
I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Hymns for this weekend . . . (1) 166  (2) 223.  The Creed for the Noon Mass may be found in the hymnal at No. 289.

Choral Music for the 12:00 Noon Mass . . . Mass Ordinary: Missa ‘Tu es Petrus’ – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, 1525-1594. Offertory Motet: Tu es Petrus – Charles-Marie Widor, 1844-1937 (Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 16. 18, 19). Communion Motet: Ave verum Corpus – William Byrd, 1540-1623 (Hail true Body, born of Mary the virgin; suffering, sacrificed truly on the cross for men; from whose pierced side water flowed and blood. Be merciful to us at the judgement of death, O sweet Jesus, O merciful Jesus, O Jesus Son of Mary. [From a 14th cent. Gradual at Limoges, trans. Rev. A. Fortescue]. The Gregorian chants proper to this Sunday are: Introit Nunc scio vere (Now I know in very deed, that the Lord hath sent His Angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. [Acts 12, 11]  V.: Lord, Thou hast proved me, and known me: Thou hast known my sitting down and my rising up. [Ps. 139. 1, 2]); Gradual Constitues eso (Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth: they shall remember Thy name, O Lord. V.: Instead of fathers, sons are born to thee: therefore shall people praise Thee. [Psalm 45. 17, 18]); Alleluia Tu es Petrus (Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church. Alleluia. [Matthew 16. 18]); Offertory Constitues eos (Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth: they shall remember Thy name, O Lord, throughout all generations. [Psalm 45. 17, 18]); Communion Tu es Petrus (Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church. [Matthew 16. 18]).

Ad Altare Dei Award. . . Congratulations to Reed McMurchy of Boy Scout Troop 9 on his recent reception of the Ad Altare Dei Medal from Bishop Lori at the annual Boy and Girl Scout award ceremony. Reed is the son of Jeannene and Kevin McMurchy.

St. Maria Goretti Society . . . for the spiritual formation of young ladies of the parish, from 8th - 12th grades. Questions, please contact Fr. Walsh.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of young men from 8th – 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.

St. John’s in The News . . .
. . . 100 years ago, or so:

The Connecticut Catholic:
July 4, 1885: “The national holiday this year in our town brings no public demonstration to the peoples’ view, and if it were not for our grand annual picnic at Woodside Park, the day in town would be quiet and pass almost devoid of enjoyment. The picnic this year will freely come up to any of former years and deserves to be patronized by a very large attendance, and considering the object for which it is given, all ought ensure its success beyond any question. Mass will be said that morning and afterwards the various societies will form in line and march to the Park. The children of the Sunday school will head the procession then the drum corps, St. Joseph’s Temperance society, St. John’s Benevolent society, St Patrick’s Temperance society, and A.O.H. headed by St. John’s Cornet band. Two very interesting games of baseball will be played at the grove. The Rose Hills of Stamford play the Port Chester club, and the Y and S of Stamford will try the Greenwich boys.”

The Connecticut Catholic:
July 3, 1886: “Mr. John Downey has returned home to spend his vacation from Montreal seminary.” (Editor’s note: The Reverend John Downey, a vocation from St. John’s, Stamford, celebrated his 50th anniversary as a priest in 1937.)

The Stamford Advocate:
July 1, 1905:  Catholic Sisters Take Vows. “A profoundly solemn double ceremony – the profession and reception of members into the Order of Sisters of Mercy – was held in the little chapel of Mr. St. Joseph’s Convent at Hartford, yesterday morning. It was conducted by Rt. Rev. Bishop Tierney. Bishop Tierney’s assistants in the service were Rev. Father Murray, chancellor, and Rev. Father Ryan of St. Patrick’s, Hartford. Priests from various parts of the diocese were in the sanctuary, and in the auditorium were many nums and friends of the candidates. Among the young women who took the black veil was Miss Harriet Kane, daughter of Mrs. Catherine Kane of this city, whose name in religion is Sister Rose Marie.” (Editor’s note: Sister Rose Marie taught fifth grade in St. John’s School from 1947 to 1949.)

The Stamford Advocate:
July 3, 1901:  LIGHTNING, HAIL AND WIND. CROSS FALLS FROM R. C. CHURCH  “The large granite cross that was fixed on the top of St. John’s R. C. Church was broken off near its base and sent flying to the ground below. The ponderous cross struck on the great granite steps of the main entrance to the church, smashing two of them in such a manner that it will be necessary to replace them, and knocking the heavy granite balustrade at the south of the flight, several inches out of plumb. Pieces of the cross struck the concrete walk and tore holes it it. The damage to the church is estimated at about $300. It is believed that the cross was blown from the edifice by the wind rather than demolished by lightning.”

Lost and Found . . . The parish has a collection of items left behind in church.  If you have lost something, you may find it at the parish office in the rectory: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Mass Intentions

Saturday, June 28
4:00 +Vincent Freccia – Birthday Remembrance req. wife Dolores

Sunday, June 29
  7:30 +Simone Parisi req. Angelo Capponi & Family
10:00 Intention of the Holy Father
12:00 Intention of Father Joseph Camellien
 6:00 In honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Monday, June 30
  8:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family
12:10 +Roseanne Fazio req. her uncle Frank D’Amico

Tuesday, July 1
  8:00 Special Intention Susan Bobroske req. Fr. Terence P. Walsh
12:10 +Amy Reed req. Luz Contreras

Wednesday, July 2
   8:00 +Reddy & Alice MacDonald & Family req. Mary Maloney
 12:10 +Charles Pascale req. John Pascale

Thursday, July 3
8:00 +Dila Haidar req. Granddaughter
12:10     +Thomas Henry req. John, Tim, Tony

Friday, July 4
  8:00 +Robert S. Hill req. Family
12:10 +Anthony Ramos req. Lilian & Alvina Ramos

Saturday, July 5
  8:00 Gavin Samedi Birthday req. Anne Marie Samedi
12:10    All Souls in Purgatory req. Stephanie O’Hara

Miraculous Medal Novena: Mondays, 8:30 a.m.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed., 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation …are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00-8:00 a.m.

St. Anne’s Family Society . . . will resume in September, meeting monthly for the whole family: Eucharistic adoration, Benediction, a potluck supper and spiritual talk.  More details to come.

“Peter, do you love Me?”
-Fr Terry Walsh      

The most important journey we take in this life begins at the threshold of what can be an unfamiliar road – a road that can only be traveled with the help of God’s grace – it is that spiritual journey that leads to union with God. If we ask Him, our Lord will take us along the most beautiful roads. If we ask Him, He’ll bring us to spiritual heights that we simply haven’t even begun to imagine. The journey begins with the firm conviction that Jesus is truly present - in our midst – in all the most ordinary circumstances of our lives. As we begin to seek the path of holiness, we might begin to wonder exactly how it is our Lord will lead us along this unfamiliar road. The answer begins with a question: “Do you love Me?”
 Jesus asks each one of us the same question He put to Peter on the shores of Galilee. “Do you love Me?” It’s a question that demands thoughtful reflection. We ought to take care not to respond impetuously. If we take the leap – if we take that 1st step into the Heart of Jesus – everything will change! We’ll begin to see through the eyes of God. Our values will necessarily change. It all begins with that 1st step – that “I believe” – that sincere desire for fulfillment that can only be found in Christ – that pure gift of faith which is given when we ask for it. If we let Him, our Lord will astound us with incomprehensible graces and boundless love. If we let Him, He’ll captivate our hearts and minds and open to us the way to everlasting peace and happiness. He’ll reveal Himself to us – deep in our hearts – so that we will abide in His love. Perhaps, at this very moment, you find yourself at this crossroad in your spiritual journey to God. The world tugs away at your heart – it tries to pull you away from what is truly good and pure and beautiful with what is fleeting. Yet, your heart searches for something more – something you somehow know the world cannot provide. There’s a spark for what is real and true and holy. Perhaps, as you stand at that crossroad, you gaze down the trail blazed by Jesus and consider – for a moment – the cost. What will it take to travel that road? Do you ponder with wonder and awe – and with confidence? Or, has fear clouded your vision? What if I get lost along the road? What if I meet with unexpected difficulties? What will it cost me? While contemplating your path, imagine, for a moment, Jesus standing beside you. You don’t see Him – but He sees you. His gaze waits to see what you’ll choose, hoping you’ll choose Him. He’s almost begging with His eyes – pleading with your soul: “Follow Me – My yoke is easy, My burden Light.” ‘Let Me show you the wonders of my love. Please. Come on…If you only knew the gifts and fruits that await you. If you’d just try – take that first step. Turn off the TV – put aside the internet. Come, spend time with Me. Sit with me for 10 minutes and ask for whatever you want – I’ll give it to you.’ Is it wisdom you want – so that you can help your children negotiate the snares of this world – you’ll have it. Is it an understanding heart you desire – so that you’ll have compassion for those poor, forgotten souls suffering all around you – consider it done. Perhaps you seek the gift of fortitude - so that you can muster the strength to forgive a wound suffered at the hands of a friend – or, to ask forgiveness for a wound you’ve inflicted on another. I can help. Ask Me. Walk with ME. I am really and truly present. I’ll lead you – if you let Me. Trust ME. Peter did. He traveled the road of holiness. It wasn’t without suffering and trial. In Jesus’ greatest hour of need, Peter stared down the path of holiness and ran the other way. It cost too much. In the worst night of Jesus’ life, when He needed Peter the most, he denied Him – 3 times! That hurt. Yes, Peter fell. He struggled. He failed. He suffered the crushing agony of denying Jesus. He knew Him and still, He denied Him. But Peter did not despair. How many times have we been in Peter’s shoes? How many times have we turned away from Jesus at home, at school, at work? How many times have we calculated the cost and said ‘I’m not going to pay that price!’ It’s too hard. I can’t forgive. I won’t forgive. Peter, “Do you love Me?” Peter answered Jesus by emptying Himself of his self-will. He stood up for Jesus and proclaimed His Name to the world – he no longer counted the cost - so that everyone could share in the same gift of love that he discovered when he took up his Cross and followed Jesus. He was ridiculed, thrown into prison, endured persecution – YEAH – it cost Him – and through each and every trial, Peter entered deeper and deeper into the abode of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. He forgot himself and so discovered himself. He fed the lambs; he tended the sheep with the deepest humility – the greatest love – ultimately stretching out his hands – it cost him his life. If today you find yourself at that Crossroads, standing at the threshold – peering out at path of holiness that lies before you – considering the cost – listen for that gentle plea – ‘Be not afraid. Follow Me – I’ll provide all the necessary things – just say yes. Can you hear the echo of His voice in your soul: “Do you love Me?” I will fill your heart with every grace and blessing and like Peter, you too will be able to say with all your heart and soul, “Yes, Lord, I love you!”

Pastor’s Corner . . . Everyone knows that June is the most beautiful of months—it’s a fact! Everyone, likewise, would agree that June is the first month when summer finally seems to be a real possibility. For the Church, too, June has the unofficial duty of ushering in a new liturgical season: Ordinary Time: Please, contain your excitement!  Until Advent [Sunday, November 30th], we’ll have 25 weekends of Sundays in Ordinary Time, when neither the divine initiatives of the Incarnation, nor of the Passion, nor of the Resurrection of the Lord is particularly commemorated.  And yet, at every Mass, every aspect of God’s works for mankind is celebrated and made present.
  The reality of Ordinary Time is that it refers to God’s work for our salvation: His centuries’ long preparation of humankind for the coming of His Son in the flesh, Our Lord’s ministry, His establishment of the Church, His sacrifice on the Cross and His triumph over sin and death in the Resurrection, and how these saving events by Christ affect the lives of individual souls who come after Him--now.
  So, with June as the first full month of Ordinary Time, continuing through the summer and fall, the Church places before the eyes of the faithful the examples of holiness of real people: the saints. Men, women, children like ourselves, who loved Our Lord so much that they passed lives of heroic virtue and goodness. They wouldn’t have thought their lives so extraordinary, because they lived them in love for Our Lord. And they tried to show that love for God in their charity towards God’s image—every man, woman and child they came into contact with.
  Here are a few examples: during June there are 10 feasts of martyrs: St. Justin [2nd century, Rome], Sts. Marcellinus & Peter [4th century, Rome], Sts Charles Lwanga and 21 companions [19th century, Uganda], St. Boniface [8th century, Germany], St. Barnabas [1st century, Holy Land],
Sts. John Fisher & Thomas More [15th century, England],
St. John the Baptist [1st century, Holy Land], St. Irenaeus of Lyons, [3rd century, France], Sts. Peter & Paul [1st century, Rome], The First Martyrs of Rome [1st century, Rome].
  There are other saints commemorated throughout Ordinary Time through November, and not just martyrs. Here are a few examples of summer saints: St. Anthony of Padua, St. Aloysius Gonzago, St. Elizabeth of Portugal, St. Maria Goretti, St. Benedict, Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Mary Magdalene, Sts. Joachim & Ann, St. John Vianney, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, St. Clare, St. Monica, and, of course, Our Lady, who is commemorated every Saturday, and on the Feasts of Our Lady of Mount Carmel [July 16] and of Her bodily Assumption into heaven [August 15].
  These are only a few of the saints given us as examples of Christian life during these upcoming months. If you’re looking for an easy and fascinating summer reading assignment, read the lives of the saints--either on line, or in the New Catholic Encyclopedia [which is on line, and at the Ferguson library]
  Ordinary Time can be seen as boring, unless you look at the saints who lived real Christian lives. They’re good examples of how to be active Christians, and how to find happiness here on earth and happiness in heaven.
—Msgr. Stephen DiGiovanni

Please pray for the sick… Felica Stamadinli, Vinci Balbucci, Pasqualina Bruzzesi, Carmella Micik, Eleanor McNamee, Nancy Geikie, Vicki Manes, Anthony Sansone, Margaret Woods, Paul Forte, Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titina Tarantino, Jennifer Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore.

Please pray for those who have recently died… Susan Perretta, Mary Louise Deluca, Viola S. Russo, William Speranza, George Lampman, Robert Geikie, Florence DeSilva, Margaret Mine, Reta Satoriti, Marcello Santagata, Louis Manes, Paul Dudash, John Borron, Fouchard Paulemon, Louis Meyer, Phillis Doherty, Violet Roddy, Wallace Stewart.

2 GREAT upcoming EVENTS:

MONASTIC RENEWAL OF SAINT BENEDICT: Sunday, June 29th: The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul: 11:00 a.m. Lecture/ 12:00 noon Choir Mass:  : Father Cassian Folsom, founding Prior of the Monastery of St. Benedict in Norcia, Italy, the birthplace of St. Benedict, will speak on Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican II, in the Monsignor Nagle Hall, followed by 12:00 noon Solemn Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. The choir will sing the Tu Es Petrus Mass setting by Palestrina. All are welcome.

Parish Picnic: Sunday, September 14th:  Parish picnic at Cove Island. Details to follow.

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions.  All are welcome on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the rectory.  If you’ve got high school Latin, you’ll be fine; we all help each other; please join us: you know more than you think! Stay and join us for:

St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies will next meet on June 25th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory:  History of the Monks of Syria: led by Doctor Lois Gandt, we will read English translations of the works by St. Theodoret of Cyrrhus.  All are welcome.  Please join us. July’s topic will be the Popes of the Early Church.

New Testament Greek . . . anyone interested in a summer introductory study group, please contact Monsignor DiGiovanni.

St. John’s Bible Study… New and Improved: Bible Study will change its format and become more intense. We will use The Bible Timeline Series for 25 Thursdays beginning September 25th through May 7th.  If you are interested, please call the Parish Office to register so that we can order the appropriate materials.  BIBLE STUDY WILL NOT MEET DURING THE SUMMER. We’ll begin in September.
       
Banns of Marriage: 3rd:  Ryan T. Supple & Michelle Guevara

St. John’s Towers Tenant Meeting . . . an important meeting will be held for the tenants of Saint John’s Towers on Monday, June 30th at 7 p.m  in the Msgr. Nagle Hall. All are most welcome to attend.

Sunday, June 15, 2008    $ 10,642.00
Sunday, June 17, 2007  $ 10,934.83
I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Scott Turkington is teaching in Chicago this week; there will be no music for the Masses.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING:  An Instruction Session in NFP will be offered on Monday, July 7th at 7:30 p m.  All are welcome.  Please contact Lisa Frawley if you plan to attend (203-254-6615).

Saint John’s Job Fair. . Looking for a Job:  If you’ve been looking for a job but hitting dead-ends, you need our help to compose a resume, cover letter, or simply to get some direction. This is a FREE group, led by one of our parishioners, Melanie Szlucha, a professional career coach, who has offered her services to help those looking for jobs to present your self more effectively, in writing and in person. The purpose of these meetings is to help jobseekers find solutions to individual challenges.  If you’re interested, please bring a written resume or cover letter that you’ve written. More information is available on Melanie’s website:
www.reallygreatresume.com or via her email:
Melanie@redinc.biz The meeting will take place in the Monsignor Nagle Hall on Monday, June 23rd at 7:30 p.m. Please call the rectory to register: 324-1553, ext. 21. There is NO charge; bring a friend.

St. Maria Goretti Society . . . for the spiritual formation of young ladies of the parish, from 8th-12th grades. Questions, please contact Fr. Walsh.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of young men from 8th – 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.

Lost and Found . . . The parish has a collection of items left behind in church. If you have lost something, you may find it at the parish office in the rectory: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Moms & Tots . . . a group of moms and children meet with Fr. Walsh each first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. in church for Eucharistic adoration, followed by snacks in the parish hall. Please join us.  Our next meeting will be on July 8th.

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.

Join the Conversation . . . Bishop William Lori has started a “blog” to share news: www.BishopLoriBlog.org.

St. John’s in The News . . .
. . . 100 years ago, or so:

The Stamford Advocate:
June 23, 1871: “There will be another celebration held on the fourth of next month somewhat similar to that which took place last year. The members of the Catholic church intend to have a grand procession in the morning. They have invited the fire companies to assist in the celebration, and already favorable response has been made by one of the companies. The benevolent and temperance and other societies connected with the Catholic church will participate in this procession. An excellent band of twenty pieces has been engaged, and other arrangements have been made which will tend to make a grand display and a glorious time. The line of march will be so arranged that the majority of our citizens will be able to view it, and the point of destination will be Woodside Park. At the Park a regular picnic will be held and all the accompanying pleasures of a dinner and a dance will then be enjoyed. In the afternoon, Prof Brooks, the celebrated aeronaut, will make an ascension from the Park, which will be an additional attraction and the citizens of Stamford generally are called upon to contribute toward this extra expense. Subscriptions will be received at the Prof’s office, or by Messrs. J. J. Horan, John S. Burke, or can be left at this office.”

The Connecticut Catholic:
June 24, 1876: “St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore has reported that for the diocese of Hartford, Reverend James C. O’Brien was granted sub-deaconship.”

The Stamford Advocate:
June 28, 1907: 8 GIRL GRADUATES RECEIVE DIPLOMAS AT EXERCISES IN RICH’S HALL. CATHOLIC PAROCHIAL SCHOOL.  “The closing exercises of St. John’s parochial school were held in Rich’s Hall, yesterday afternoon, and were attended by an audience that quite filled the hall, and which was plainly very much impressed with the work of the school children, who now for the first time have a building which is in keeping with their achievements and ambitions. The program was rather long, including 20 numbers, but there was no delay between the various parts, and, as most of the selections were brief, as well as interesting, the exercises didn’t in the least drag. The graduates are all girls, eight in number. Their final examination for the High School was passed so creditably that Supt. Willard wrote a letter to Sister Mercedes, the teacher of the highest grade, congratulating her on the showing of the class, and speaking in terms of the warmest praise of the training which the examination disclosed. The members of the class, each of whom received a diploma of graduation from St. John’s school are: Margaret Teresa Brennan, Katherine Elizabeth Burke, Helena Josephine Burnes, Anna Monico McCormick, Mary Elizabeth Morrow, Sarah Catherine Morrow, Mary Alexius Quinn, and Mary Agnes Spruss.” (Editor’s note: the class of 1907 was the first graduating class of the then new St. John School.)

Mass Intentions

Saturday, June 21
4:00 +Charles & Josephine Davis req. Joseph Melfi

Sunday, June 22
  7:30 Special Intention Mary Young Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim
10:00 +Louise Comerford req. Amanda Pape
12:00 Benedictine Monks of Nursia req. Alex Marchetti
 6:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family

Monday, June 23
  8:00 +Deceased Members of the Paulemon & the Milien Families req. Montainse Paulemon
12:10 Thanksgiving to God req. Montanise Paulemon

Tuesday, June 24
8:00 Special Intention Marc JayCee Butiu req. Michelle Madrazo
12:10 +Susie M. Brown req. Ray R. Raju Great Nephew

Wednesday, June 25
   8:00 Special Intention
 12:10 Special Intention Msgr. DiGiovanni req. Millie

Thursday, June 26
8:00 Special Intention Theresa Shea req.  Tony Janeiro
12:10   Thanksgiving to Saint Anthony

Friday, June 27
  8:00 Special Intention Marie Cognetta req. Pauline Whitehead
12:10 +Paul Giancola req. Terenzio Family

Saturday, June 28
  8:00 Special Intention Joseph H. Kim req. Joseph  & Mary Kim
12:10    Special Intention Georges Paulemon req. Mother

Miraculous Medal Novena: Mondays, 8:30 a.m.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed., 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation …are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00-8:00 a.m.

St. Anne’s Family Society . . . will resume in September, meeting monthly for the whole family: Eucharistic adoration, Benediction, a potluck supper and spiritual talk.  More details to come.

The Christian Moral Life

Freedom and Responsibility         - Fr. Terry Walsh
Part II
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”(2 Cor 17)
 There is an objective moral Truth. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Truth is a Person, not an opinion. Where He is, there is Truth, there is Life. He longs to dwell IN each of us, if we’ll open our hearts to receive Him. The Scriptures tells us that the Truth is written in our hearts by God Himself. We’re able to discern and understand the Truth; indeed, we have an obligation to seek the Truth and once we discover it, to adhere to it. The biggest obstacle to our living in the Truth is the sin of Pride. Pride clouds our vision and leads us down the road of selfishness. There’s a sort of “self-absorption” that leads to the erroneous understanding that somehow the human person is at the Center of the Universe and the whole world revolves around the subjective person. So we hear common phrases along the lines of “I’ll respect ‘your truth’ if your respect ‘my truth,’ which of course is nonsense. The simple principle of Non-Contradiction applies. A thing can’t be true and false at the same time. The Catechism teaches: “The exercise of freedom does not imply a right to say or do everything. It is false to maintain that man, ‘the subject of this freedom,’ is ‘an individual who is fully self-sufficient and whose finality is the satisfaction of his own interests in the enjoyment of earthly goods’…by deviating from the moral law man violates his own freedom, becomes imprisoned within himself, disrupts neighborly fellowship, and rebels against divine truth”(ccc 1740).
 While it’s true that we must “follow our conscience” it is no less true that we are obligated to FORM our conscience (Scripture, Sacraments, Prayer, Good Deeds – in a word, Grace). While we certainly owe respect and kindness to all people, we’re called to witness to the Truth, and this may lead to disagreements concerning any number of issues. Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, we’ve been given the grace to teach and defend the faith, in other words, to teach and defend the truth, but to do so with love and respect. If we’re going to be faithful to our “Life in Christ” witnessing to our Lord though our fidelity to the Truth, then we need to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Truth. How can we give what we do not possess? Ah, we’re back to the virtue of Humility. “Lord, teach me.” That humble little prayer expresses a desire to put aside our own opinions so that we can become rooted and grounded in the Truth. Consider the retort our Lord makes to the proud Sadducees who thought themselves wise and learned but were in fact harboring resentment to the Truth because it got in the way of the “lifestyle” they had grown accustomed to living. Jesus said: “Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God”(Mk 12:24)? Have we fallen into the same trap? When we offer opinions on the moral life, are these based upon the Will of God, which is perfect, beautiful, pure, and holy (and is easily discovered in the humble heart who seeks the Truth through the Word Himself in Sacred Scripture) or, are these opinions based on the standards set by the world, the cultural norms “agreed upon” by the loudest voice and the most money? Another came to Him, seeking the Truth, and asked Jesus: “Which commandment is the first of all? Jesus answered, ‘The first is “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” ‘The second is like this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself’”(Mk 12:28). The Moral Life: “Faith working through Love”(St Paul).

Pastor’s Corner . . . June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion that centers on the physical human heart of Jesus Christ as a symbol of His divine love for mankind. Throughout the centuries, the human heart has been a sign of human love—what do you normally send out on Valentine’s Day, except a card with hearts all over it? Every form of devotion to Our Lord’s humanity has as its object the devotion to the entire Christ who is the Word Incarnate: the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of the Eternal Father, who became a man so that mankind could share in God’s divine life.  So our devotion to Jesus’ Sacred Heart is a devotion to much more than an organ that pumped blood. Our devotion to His Sacred Heart of flesh is as the true and natural symbol of His threefold love: His human love; His sensible and spiritual love, infused with supernatural charity; and His divine love as the Word Incarnate, the Son of God made man. The thoughts of the early Church Fathers are based on two texts from John’s Gospel: John 7: 37-39: “Jesus said, ‘If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” And, John 19: 33-7: “But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.” These and other passages were joined to view the Sacred Heart as the fountain from which issues the Holy Spirit from the Savior’s wounded side.  From this came the idea of the Church as born from the pierced Heart of Christ as the new Eve from the side of the new Adam. This was developed during the Middle Ages, as greater devotion to Our Lord’s heart became more popular.  St. Bonaventure wrote, “The Church was to be formed from the side of Christ as he slept on the Cross . . . Then, as from a fountain—Christ’s innermost heart—the price of our salvation would pour out, giving to the Church’s sacraments the power of conferring grace and of being for those who live in Christ a drink of the living water ‘that gushes up for eternal life.’” [Reflections on The Tree of Life] Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Gertrude the Great, especially, were devoted to the Sacred Heart as a means to more deeply penetrate and join oneself to the mystery of the Incarnate God living in the Church and Her sacraments. The visions of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque [1601-1680] brought public attention and devotion to Jesus and His Sacred Heart.
The Heart of Christ, then, is the symbol of the total love of His person for the Eternal Father and for mankind. Through and beyond the human heart, through this devotion one goes to the total love of the Word Incarnate, and also to that love by which the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit love sinful humanity—not merely as a group, but loves each of us individually, and desires to redeem each of us for eternity by means of Christ’s Incarnation and Suffering, Death and Resurrection, made present through the Church and the Church’s sacraments.  The image of Jesus’ Heart, afire with love, crowned with thorns, and pierced, has become the symbol par excellence of the Incarnation, the passion and depth of God’s love for us that led the Three Persons of the Trinity all to contribute to our salvation through the life and Cross of Jesus. We should all cultivate a personal devotion to Our Lord’s Sacred Heart as a reminder of that Divine Love for each of us and to stimulate our personal response to that Sacred Love. —Msgr. Stephen DiGiovanni

Monthly Collection . . . The second collection today will be the monthly collection for the parish.  Your generosity is appreciated.
 
Please pray for the sick… Felica Stamadinli, Vinci Balbucci, Pasqualina Bruzzesi, Carmella Micik, Eleanor McNamee, Nancy Geikie, Vicki Manes, Anthony Sansone, Margaret Woods, Paul Forte, Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titina Tarantino, Jennifer Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore.

Please pray for those who have recently died… Susan Perretta, Mary Louise Deluca, Viola S. Russo, William Speranza, George Lampman, Robert Geikie, Florence DeSilva, Margaret Mine, Reta Satoriti, Marcello Santagata, Louis Manes, Paul Dudash, John Borron, Fouchard Paulemon, Louis Meyer, Phillis Doherty, Violet Roddy, Wallace Stewart.

3 GREAT upcoming EVENTS:

AROUND the World DINNER:
 Sunday, June 22nd at 5:00 p.m.: Our annual fund raising supper and auction.  Please join us to help raise funds to repair our church bell tower. Tickets:  $100 each.  Please call the rectory: 324-1553, ext. 21.

MONASTIC RENEWAL OF SAINT BENEDICT: 11 a.m. Lecture/ 12:00 noon Choir Mass:  Sunday, June 29th at 11:00 a.m.: Father Cassian Folsom, founding Prior of the Monastery of St. Benedict in Norcia, Italy, the birthplace of St. Benedict, will speak on Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican II, in the Monsignor Nagle Hall, followed by 12 noon Solemn Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. The choir will sing the Tu Es Petrus Mass setting by Palestrina. All are welcome.

Parish Picnic: Sunday, September 14th:  Parish picnic at Cove Island. Details to follow.

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions.  All are welcome on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the rectory.  If you’ve got high school Latin, you’ll be fine; we all help each other; please join us: you know more than you think! Stay and join us for:

St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies will next meet on June 18th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory:  History of the Monks of Syria: led by Doctor Lois Gandt, we will read English translations of the works by St. Theodoret of Cyrrhus.  All are welcome.  Please join us. July’s topic will be the Popes of the Early Church.

New Testament Greek . . . anyone interested in a summer introductory study group, please contact Monsignor DiGiovanni.

Bible Study…Monthly meetings. Our next meeting is June 19th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory.  We’re reading the Book of Revelation.  All are welcome!

St. John’s Bible Study… New and Improved: Bible Study will change its format and become more intense. We will use The Bible Timeline Series for 25 Thursdays beginning September 25th through May 7th.  If you are interested, please call the Parish Office to register so that we can order the appropriate materials.
       
Banns of Marriage: 2nd:  Ryan T. Supple & Michelle Guevara

Sunday, June 8, 2008    $ 10,868.00

Sunday, June 10, 2007  $ 11,353.25

I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”
---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Scott Turkington is away from the parish, teaching in Chicago this week; there will be no music for the Masses.

Saint John’s Job Fair. . Looking for a Job:. If you’ve been looking for a job but hitting dead-ends, you need our help to compose a resume, cover letter, or simply to get some direction. This is a FREE group, led by one of our parishioners, Melanie Szlucha, a professional career coach, who has offered her services to help those looking for jobs to present your self more effectively, in writing and in person. The purpose of these meetings is to help jobseekers find solutions to individual challenges.  If you’re interested, please bring a written resume or cover letter that you’ve written. More information is available on Melanie’s website:
www.reallygreatresume.com or via her email:
Melanie@redinc.biz The meeting will take place in the Monsignor Nagle Hall on Monday, June 23rd at 7:30 p.m. Please call the rectory to register: 324-1553, ext. 21. There is NO charge; bring a friend.

St. Maria Goretti Society . . . for the spiritual formation of young ladies of the parish, from 8th-12th grades. Questions, please contact Fr. Walsh.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of young men from 8th – 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.

Lost and Found . . . The parish has a collection of items left behind in church. If you have lost something, you may find it at the parish office in the rectory: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

St. Mary’s Family Fair . . . June 18-22nd on Elm Street. A $5.00 entrance charge per person [children under 13 are free when accompanied by an adult]. Rides, food, silent auction and raffle. Come join the fun.

Join the Conversation . . . Bishop William Lori has started a “blog” to share news: www.BishopLoriBlog.org.

St. John’s in The Advocate . . .
. . . 100 years ago, or so:

June 21, 1872: “Preparations for the ceremonies of laying the corner stone of the new Catholic Church are nearly complete, and the occasion – Sunday, June 23rd – will undoubtedly be a memorable one among the Catholic fraternity.”

June 21, 1878:  Annual Picnic. “The societies connected with St. John’s Roman Catholic church will hold their annual picnic in Woodside Park as usual on the Fourth. The attractions on the ground will include a game of base ball, a good horse trot, and games of various kinds. The managers promise a good time generally. The Stamford Cornet Band will be in attendance throughout the day.” (Woodside Park is now Scalzi Park)

June 19, 1922: ITALIANS OBSERVE ST. VITO FIESTA – SOLEMN HIGH MASS IS HELD AT ST. JOHN’S.  “Italians of Stamford observed the Saint Vito fiesta on Saturday and Sunday with the usual jollity and enthusiasm. The celebration was marked with the opening of a carnival for the benefit of the Sacred Heart R. C. Church on the proposed church grounds at Schuyler Avenue. Solemn High Mass was celebrated at St. John’s Church on Sunday morning with Rev. John Kelly officiating. The mass was followed by a procession through the principal streets of the city and the West End with the statue of the patron saint. The procession ended at the Schuyler Avenue grounds where there was a benediction by Father Kelly.”

June 16, 1928:  REV. F. J. LALLY TAKES CHARGE OF ST. JOHN’S CHURCH.  “The Rev. Francis J. Lally, newly appointed pastor of St. John’s Catholic Church, arrived yesterday from Waterbury to take over the duties of the local parish. Father Lally, who succeeds the late Rev. James C. O’Brien, comes here after a service of about 18 years as pastor of St. Thomas’ Church in Waterbury. Before assuming the Waterbury pastorate he had for 13 years been pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Windsor, and during his career in the Hartford diocese had been assistant at St. Peter’s Church in East Hartford. Father Lally was born in Stratford and received his preliminary education there and at the Bridgeport High School. He attended St. Charles’ College and St. Bonaventure’s College, Allegheny, N. Y. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1886 in St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hartford, and assigned to St. Mary’s Church, East Hartford, going to St. Peter’s Church in that city in 1893. He was made pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Poquonock in 1900 where he remained until 1911 when he was given the important pastorate of St. Thomas’ Church, Waterbury. He has established an excellent record in the diocese for his preaching and administrative ability. His kindly and genial personality has already made for him many friends in Stamford. The Rev. Henry M. Callahan has been acting pastor of St. John’s Church since the death of Father O’Brien.”

Moms & Tots . . . a group of moms and children meet with Fr. Walsh each first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. in church for Eucharistic adoration, followed by snacks in the parish hall. Please join us.  Our next meeting will be on July 8th.

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.
Mass Intentions

Saturday, June 14
4:00 +DeRosa, Kronk, Capobianco & Edwin Clark req. John & Joan Kronk

Sunday, June 15
  7:30 Special Intention Richard Paul Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim
10:00 Thanksgiving to the Sacred Heart of Jesus req. Margarita Arenas
12:00 Saint Padre Pio 6th Anniversary of Canonization req. Our Lady of Loreto Altar Guild
 6:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family

Monday, June 16
  8:00 +Carmella D’Ariano req. Mazza & D’Ariano & Family
12:10 In Thanksgiving to Santo Padre Pio req. Giannitti Family

Tuesday, June 17
  8:00 +John Maloney req. Mary Maloney
12:10 Special Intention Anita Lindquist req. The Valles Family

Wednesday, June 18
   8:00 +James Touhey req. Family
 12:10 Souls in Purgatory req. Fabiola C.

Thursday, June 19
8:00 Devotion to St. Jude for Daniel req. Wife & Daughter
12:10   Special Intention Marie Cognetta req. Pauline Whitehead

Friday, June 20
  8:00 +Charles W. DuVernouy req. Wanda & Paul Verille
12:10 +Achille & Micilia Paulemon req. Montanise Paulemon

Saturday, June 21
  8:00 Special Intention Eleanor Theresa Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim
12:10    +Violet Logsdail req. Mr. & Mrs. Antonio Marchetti & Family

Miraculous Medal Novena: Mondays, 8:30 a.m.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed., 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation …are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00-8:00 a.m.

St. Anne’s Family Society . . . will resume in September, meeting monthly for the whole family: Eucharistic adoration, Benediction, a potluck supper and spiritual talk.  More details to come.

The Christian Moral Life
Freedom and Responsibility         - Fr. Terry Walsh
Part I
“It was God who created man in the beginning, and left him in the power of his own inclination. If you will, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice. He has placed before you fire and water: stretch out your hand for whichever you wish. Before a man are life and death, and whichever he chooses will be given to him.” – Sirach 15: 14-16

Saint Paul teaches in his letter to the Galatians, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery”(5:1). Through the gift of divine life, that is, through Baptism, which comes to us through the sacrifice of Jesus, we have access to every grace necessary to turn away from the slavery of sin and darkness and instead ‘walk in the Light of Christ.’ As we grow in our knowledge of God (Bible, Sacraments, Prayer, Keeping the Commandments) we grow in the habit of virtue, habits that are perfected by the supernatural grace of the Holy Spirit. We simply need to choose to follow our Lord. He doesn’t force us; rather, he presents us with the offer of life with and in Him, as well as the “cost” of discipleship, and then – “…whichever we choose, he gives us”: Eternal Beatitude, Heaven, or, sadly, the pains of Hell. Our actions, free and deliberate choices, have eternal consequences. We were created for eternal happiness in the perpetual light of Heaven. We prove our love for God by living in communion with Him here on earth – putting Him at the center of our lives. St. Augustine said, “We all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated”(De moribus ecclesiae catholicae) and Augustine asks the question, “How is it, then, that I seek you, Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you”(Confessions). And so, we must ask the question, “How can I best love God; how ought I live my life?” It’s a question that leads each of us to a particular vocation within the “vocation” of Christian Discipleship, or what St. Paul calls, “faith working through love.” He tells the Galatians: “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself””(5:14).
 As we grow in our knowledge of God (Scriptures, Prayer, Sacraments, Good Deeds) we can more faithfully imitate our Lord. He said, “Whatever you ASK in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ASK anything in my name, I will do it”(Jn 14:13). How pleasing it is to our Lord when we ask Him to lead us to Himself – to guard our hearts and minds – to heal us of our sins and to fill us with his love. How beautiful the life of grace for those that SEEK to do his will; to live in communion with him today, right now, at this very moment and every moment, in a gentle and harmonious way, confident in his abiding love. He calls each of us to himself. He places before us the eternal water of divine grace or the eternal fire, and he waits. He gives us the gift of freedom (without freedom, we couldn’t love) and he thirsts for our love. He gives us all that we need when we freely choose to cooperate with Him for the accomplishment of our Eternal Salvation. “By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude”(ccc1731).

Pastor’s Corner . . . What are you doing for the summer? Have you at least chosen a few good books to read?? Books!! No one reads books anymore! Well, I would hope you do. After all, this IS Saint John’s, and a good book list for the summer is an important part of mature summer experience that is both fun and good for you. So, if you’ve not yet chosen your summer reading, let me help you: let’s do some history, and jump back a few centuries, while remaining very modern.
The parish’s St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies has begun its fourth year of summer and fall lineup of reading groups, meeting each Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the Rectory. The readings are all in good English translations. Here they are:

June: History of the Monks of Syria;
July: Popes of the Early Church;
August: Western Monasticism;
September: John Cassian’s Conferences;
October: The Cappadocian Fathers;
November: Saint Helena and her Shrines of
                   Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
 One of the great things about being Catholic, besides being a part of the Church established by Our Lord and the Apostles, is that we belong to the only Church found throughout the world, still teaching the same truth Christ handed on to His Apostles for the salvation of the world. So, for example, what does a study of the monks of ancient Syria have to do with anything? A lot! After Rome, the Church in Syria, centered in the city of Antioch, was the most dynamic. Both were established by Saint Peter, and both led the way in both theological definitions and in methods of holiness of life, seen especially in the life of hundreds of thousands of monks and consecrated women. The early writings of the Church Fathers speak to us today, since we share the same faith in the same Church.  We may live centuries and continents away from ancient Syria, but we are joined with those who professed and lived the same faith in the same Church, which is the Body of Christ.
 June’s study of the early popes of the first three centuries gives us a glimpse into the early life of the successors of Saint Peter in the city where Saints Peter and Paul lived, taught and were martyred; July, August and September return to various aspects of the monastic life, so vital for the development of European culture, and our own today. October will look into the lives and writings of some of the greatest eastern Catholic theologians, Saints Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory Nazianzen and Basil the Great, whose theology and spirituality still affect us today; November will bring us to visit the two great shrines of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem and His suffering, death and resurrection in Jerusalem.  Still major places of pilgrimage, they enshrine those places where God entered human history and made mankind sharers in His divinity. 
 So, join us during the summer: you’ll be the envy of everyone at the beach because you’ll have the most interesting of summer reading!! Come back in the fall, and we’ll help warm up your minds with spiritual gems that will make your hearts and souls glow with the love of God.  All-in-all, you’ll discover how wonderfully modern it is to go back to the future and study the ancient Church, so still very much alive and new.
 The rectory front door is open at 7:00 p.m. every Wednesday, so just walk in and join the other 20 or 30 parishioners who have already discovered the fun of Church history and come each week. Pick up a few St. Monica Institute book marks at all the church exits: great reminders to read during the summer. ---Msgr. DiGiovanni

Please pray for the sick… Pasqualina Bruzzesi, Carmella Micik, Susan Perretta, Eleanor McNamee, Nancy Geikie, Vicki Manes, Anthony Sansone, Margaret Woods, Paul Forte, Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titina Tarantino, Jennifer Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore.

Please pray for those who have recently died… Mary Louise Deluca, Viola S. Russo, William Speranza, George Lampman, Robert Geikie, Florence DeSilva, Margaret Mine, Reta Satoriti, Marcello Santagata, Louis Manes, Paul Dudash, John Borron, Fouchard Paulemon, Louis Meyer, Phillis Doherty, Violet Roddy, Wallace Stewart.

3 GREAT upcoming EVENTS:

AROUND the World DINNER:
 Sunday, June 22nd at 5:00 p.m.: Our annual fund raising supper and auction.  Please join us to help raise funds to repair our church bell tower. Tickets:  $100 each.  Details to follow!
 
MONASTIC RENEWAL OF SAINT BENEDICT: 11 a.m. Lecture/ 12:00 noon Choir Mass:  Sunday, June 29th at 11:00 a.m.: Father Cassian Folsom, founding Prior of the Monastery of St. Benedict in Norcia, Italy, the birthplace of St. Benedict, will speak on Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican II, in the Monsignor Nagle Hall, followed by 12 noon Solemn Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. The choir will sing the Tu Es Petrus Mass setting by Palestrina. All are welcome.

Parish Picnic: Sunday, September 14th:  Parish picnic at Cove Island.

Young Adult Faith on Tap… For men and women in their 20’s and 30’s normally at Bennigan’s Restaurant – just across the street - from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on the 2nd Monday of each month. THIS MONTH: Our JUNE 9th meeting will take place at the Parish Rectory, 279 Atlantic Street – COOKOUT. Bring a friend!

Banns of Marriage:    1st:  Ryan T. Supple & Mitchell Guevara
            3rd:  Vu Nhat Tran & Thao Vu
Sunday, June 1, 2008    $ 12,415.00

Sunday, June 3, 2007    $ 11,642.64

I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Hymns for this weekend . . . (1) 246  (2) 187. The Creed for the Noon Mass may be found in the hymnal at No. 289.

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions.  All are welcome on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the rectory.  If you’ve got high school Latin, you’ll be fine; we all help each other; please join us: you know more than you think! Stay and join us for:

St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies will next meet on June 11th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory:  History of the Monks of Syria: led by Doctor Lois Gandt, we will read English translations of the works by St. Theodoret of Cyrrhus.  All are welcome.  Please join us.

New Testament Greek . . . anyone interested in a summer introductory study group, please contact Monsignor DiGiovanni.

Bible Study…Monthly meetings. Our next meeting is June 19th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory.  We’re reading the Book of Revelation.  All are welcome!

Moms & Tots . . . a group of moms and children meet with Fr. Walsh each first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. in church for Eucharistic adoration, followed by snacks in the parish hall. Please join us.  Our next meeting will be on July 8th.

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.

COFFEE HOUR…Not during the summer. Will return in September.

The Cardinal . . . We’re looking for anyone who appeared in that film, shot at Saint John’s in 1961. Even if only on screen for a moment as one of the school children or inside the church, please give me a call.  Msgr. DiGiovanni—324-1553, ext. 11
 
Lost and Found . . . The parish has a collection of items left behind in church. If you have lost something, you may find it at the parish office in the rectory: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Join the Conversation . . . Bishop William Lori has started a “blog” to share news: www.BishopLoriBlog.org.

St. John’s In the News…
. . .100 years ago, or so:

The Stamford Advocate:
June 11, 1869: A CARD. “The children of St. John’s Roman Catholic Sunday School, take this method of expressing their thanks to Mr. Isaac Sellect, for the free use of his beautiful and romantic grounds, known as “Latin’s Rocks,” on the occasion of their first annual Picnic, held June 3rd, 1869. To Mrs. J. Ayres – that estimable lady whose kindness to us during the Fair will not be forgotten; and who so generously sent us a supply of ice-cream for our Picnic – we acknowledge our heartfelt indebtedness. Capt. Skiddy, for the generous loan of flags, will please accept our best thanks. J. B. Knapp, Esq., may rest assured that his liberal supply of ice, will in no way tend to chill our tender affection for him. Our Sunday-school teachers, who contributed so largely to our amusement during the day, will be remembered with lively gratitude. P. REILLY, Supt.”

The Connecticut Catholic:
June 9, 1894: STAMFORD.  “On Tuesday evening the Catholics of Stamford gathered at the parochial residence on Atlantic street to manifest, by their presence and enthusiasm, their love and respect for their former pastor, Rt. Rev. Bishop Tierney. It was his first visit to Stamford since being elected Bishop and he received a right royal welcome. All the societies connected with the parish headed by St. John’s band, marched to the residence of Father Rogers, which was decorated in a very beautiful and artistic manner with American flags, bunting and Chinese lanterns. The moment the bishop and visiting clergyment appeared, cheer after cheer broke forth. Father Rogers introduced the Bishop in his usual cheerful way. Bishop Tierney declared that such a demonstration and reception was entirely unexpected and was only another token of the many which the people of Stamford ever manifested to him. Music and fireworks closed an evening which will long be remembered by all who were present. Thursday morning the sacrament of confirmation was administered by Bishop Tierney to five hundred children and thirty-six adults at St. John’s church. Every seat of the large edifice was filled , many standing during the entire service.”

The Stamford Advocate:
June 15, 1908: “Father Matthew of the Franciscan order closed the three days’ devotion which has been conducted in St. John’s R. C. Church by his order, yesterday. His sermons, both in the morning and evening, made a deep impression on the congregations. He has a remarkable voice with wonderful carrying power, and at times he could be heard right out on the street. He devoted a considerable portion of his morning sermon to the inconsistency of the attitude of many in rejecting mysteries of church doctrine, and accepting without question far greater mysteries in science and in nature. He instanced a number of scientific facts, which nobody can explain but the existence of which no one disputes. This theme was suggested by Trinity Sunday, and the great mystery of the Trinity.”

Mass Intentions
Saturday, June 7
4:00 +Elizabeth Daly req. Leon

Sunday, June 8
  7:30 Special Intention Richard Paul Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim
10:00 Special Intention
12:00 Msgr. DiGiovanni – God’s Blessings req. Our Lady of Loreto Altar Guild
 6:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family

Monday, June 9
  8:00 +Rose Faugno, req. Beth & Frank Carpanzano
12:10 +Nicholas, Eva, Charles, Charles, Jr. Anne & Joseph Kronk req. Mary Churley

Tuesday, June 10
  8:00 Special Intention Stephen Piatt
12:10 Special Intention Yolanda Rodriguez

Wednesday, June 11
   8:00 +Joseph Villamagna req. Friends
 12:10 Special Intention Diane Strain req. The Valles Family

Thursday, June 12
8:00 In Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus req. Fabiola C.
12:10   +Dominick Sanseverino req. Pinto Family

Friday, June 13
  8:00 +Norman Baker Jr. req. Family
12:10 +Edward Boreski req. Stephen O’Hara

Saturday, June 14
  8:00 +Hope & Joseph McAleer req. Family
12:10    +William Mancusi req. Mr. & Mrs. Antonio Marchetti

Miraculous Medal Novena: Mondays, 8:30 a.m.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed., 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation …are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00-8:00 a.m.

St. Anne’s Family Society . . . will resume in September, meeting monthly for the whole family: Eucharistic adoration, Benediction, a pot luck supper and spiritual talk.  More details to come.

St. Maria Goretti Society. . . for the spiritual formation of young ladies of the parish, from 8th-12th grades. Questions, please contact Fr. Walsh.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of young men from 8th – 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.


Prayer
                                 (a clarification)       -Fr. Terry Walsh
The Catechism (2726) cautions us about the nature of prayer – that it is fundamentally a relationship with God – speaking and listening: “Some people view prayer as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration to reach a mental void. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures…” At first glance, it might seem that the Church is frowning upon prayers that are by nature, repetitive. Clearly, that is not the case. Rather, the Church cautions us as to the intention we hold in our hearts as we pray. Consider the beautiful devotion of the Holy Rosary. It is a devotion that focuses on 20 Mysteries of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each time we faithfully enter into these mysteries we grow in grace. By allowing the Mysteries to enter into us – into our hearts and minds - we become more aware of the Sacrificial love and the unparalleled humility of our Lord. When we truly enter into the devotion with our hearts lifted up to heaven, we will receive the graces we need to imitate our Lord. We will become like him. In the deeper regions of our hearts, He is there. And He helps us understand the beauty of the Incarnation, the joy of the Visitation, the new life of grace forged through his Nativity. Likewise, he teaches us about the cost of this life: the intensity of his suffering in the garden of Gethsemane and the pain of betrayal; the anguish of the Cross. We also meditate on the Glorious Mysteries that we are called to share – if we follow him. Meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary helps us see the path more clearly. Our petitionary prayer grows more refined because our awareness of our vocation becomes clearer to us. This of course comes about through many forms of prayer. In this example of the Rosary, the “repetitive nature” of the devotion is NOT a thoughtless repetition of the same words; rather, it is a pathway, a contemplative conduit of the words Jesus Himself gave to us – Our Father – and a humble consideration of what those words mean when we contemplate the Annunciation or the Baptism of our Lord, or the Agony of His Passion. It is a thoughtful consideration of the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, throughout His life. And, it’s the realization that we are indeed Her children and as such, are called to a life in imitation of Her Son. Through our Mother’s intercession, we will see the path more clearly. Every prayer we utter from the heart draws us closer to God. That faithful approach to the Rosary (or to the Devotion of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, or the Divine Mercy Chaplet, or any other “repetitive” prayer) – with BOTH Heart and Mind lifted up - is far different than a simple “recitation” of “repetitive” words. In addition, as we grow more spiritually mature, the effects of our prayers will touch us more profoundly and move us to a greater love. We leave behind the simple desire for the “feel good” consolation and move to a deeper understanding of the real and true PRESENCE of God IN us. That’s not to say that we will not receive the “feel good” consolation – but - that it’s not the end nor is it the reason for our prayer. The end is God Himself and the reason is a greater love for Him, a greater understanding of His love for us, and a clearer vision of how we may become more like Him. Put yourself in our Lady’s Hands. She will lead you to Her Son. Recall the words of our Lord: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and you will”(Mk 11:24).

Pastor’s Corner . . . “The audience assembled on Sunday morning last”  [May 30, 1886] “at 10 o’clock in the new Catholic church of Stamford, was limited only by the capacity of the building, which spacious as it is, could not contain all who sought admission within its walls. While hundreds more stood outside, not less than twenty-five hundred people, obtained entrance, and witnessed the impressive ceremonial of dedication by the Rt. Rev. Bishop McMahon and the priests chosen as his assistants for the occasion.” Thus did the Stamford Advocate begin its report of the dedication ceremonies of the upper church, adding, “The new church is undoubtedly one of the very finest ecclesiastical edifices in the state.” [The Stamford Advocate, June 1, 1886]
 The property was purchased in 1870 by the pastor, Father John Fagan, from Andrew J. Bell for $12,000. Unwilling to sell to any Catholic, the assistance of a Protestant gentleman with pro-Catholic sentiments was secured. Mr. Henry T. Smith purchased the land, and then sold it to the parish. Original plans were drawn up by James Murphy of Providence, R.I., and the cornerstone laid on June 23, 1872. Work began in earnest by the Murphy & Kennedy Company during the pastorate of Father Michael Tierney, and the lower church opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1876. There the work stopped for lack of funds. Father William Rogers renewed the work in 1882, contracting John Ennis, who “devoted himself almost exclusively to this work for the last four years.” [ibid.] Total construction time was 16 years to complete our church.
 The stone, front steps and altar attracted especial notice from the newspapers. According to the New York Times, the stone used for the church was quarried at Leeds Island, near New Haven, “from which the stone used for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty came.” [N.Y. Times, May 31, 1886] The pink granite exterior steps, as well as the granite hand rails on the front entrances [each weighing 8 tons!], came from the same quarry. The altar is of Italian and American white marbles, with Mexican onyx columns and decorations, and was pronounced to be “the most beautiful altar in the United States.” [The Stamford Advocate, November 20, 1885]
 All in all, Stamford was quite impressed: Saint John’s was the largest church in the state, and the ceremonies were attended by nearly the entire 4,000 person Catholic population of the city, with 25 priests and the Bishop of Hartford, and 24 other assistants and seminarians attending. Nowhere in Yankee Connecticut had there been such an expression of the rapid growth of the Church as on May 30, 1886 in Stamford, an up-and-coming city in southwestern Fairfield County.  The preacher for the day was Father Ignatius Horstmann, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, who reminded those assembled of the pace of Catholic growth in town: “What a change forty years have brought about in the Catholic Church here in Stamford. The progress of Catholicity in your midst can be read from these facts: from the Mass offered up in private houses to the modest frame chapel on Meadow Street, that was twice enlarged and improved, then to this magnificent structure worthy to be called a cathedral. At first a few faithful, now one-third of the entire population of the town.” [The Connecticut Catholic, June 5, 1886]
 All the accounts, besides narrating the beauty of the building, commented on the extraordinary cost of construction: $250,000, and the fact that there only remained  $50,000 in debt. The devotion of the Catholics of Stamford to Stamford’s Mother parish was evident then, and continues today.  As St. John’s was the home to the first Catholic immigrants to the Stamford area, so we continue, offering assistance and a spiritual home to all Stamford. Happy Anniversary, St. John’s! –Msgr. DiGiovanni

Please pray for the sick… Susan Perretta, Eleanor McNamee, Nancy Geikie, Vicki Manes, Anthony Sansone, Margaret Woods, Paul Forte, Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titina Tarantino, Jennifer Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore.

Please pray for those who have recently died… Viola S. Russo, William Speranza, George Lampman, Robert Geikie, Florence DeSilva, Margaret Mine, Reta Satoriti, Marcello Santagata, Louis Manes, Paul Dudash, John Borron, Fouchard Paulemon, Louis Meyer, Phillis Doherty, Violet Roddy, Wallace Stewart.

3 GREAT upcoming EVENTS:

AROUND the World DINNER:
Sunday, June 22nd at 5:00 p.m.: Our annual fund raising supper and auction.  Please join us to help raise funds to repair our church bell tower. Tickets:  $100 each.  Details to follow!
 
MONASTIC RENEWAL OF SAINT BENEDICT: 11 a.m. Lecture and 12 noon Choir Mass:
Sunday, June 29th at 11:00 a.m.: Father Cassian Folsom, founding Prior of the Monastery of St. Benedict in Norcia, Italy, the birthplace of St. Benedict, will speak on Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican II, in the Monsignor Nagle Hall, followed by 12 noon Solemn Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. The choir will sing the Tu Es Petrus Mass setting by Palestrina. All are welcome.

Parish Picnic:
Sunday, September 14th:  Parish picnic at Cove Island.

Moms & Tots . . . a group of moms and children meet with Fr. Walsh each first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. in church for Eucharistic adoration, followed by snacks in the parish hall. Please join us.  Our next meeting will be on June 3rd.

Young Adult Faith on Tap… For men and women in their 20’s and 30’s normally at Bennigan’s Restaurant – just across the street - from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  We’ll meet there the 2nd Monday of each month. But, our JUNE 9th meeting will take place at the Parish Rectory, 279 Atlantic Street – COOKOUT. Bring a friend!

Banns of Marriage:  2nd  Vu Nhat Tran & Thao Vu

Sunday, May 25, 2008    $ 10,712.00
Sunday, May 27, 2007    $ 8,326.85
I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”
---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Hymns for this weekend: (1) 225  (2) 234.

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions.  All are welcome on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the rectory.  If you’ve got high school Latin, you’ll be fine; we all help each other; please join us: you know more than you think! Stay and join us for:

St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies will next meet on June 4th at 7:30 pm in the rectory: History of the Monks of Syria: led by Doctor Lois Gandt, we will read English translations of the works by St. Theodoret of Cyrrhus.  All are welcome.  Please join us.

Bible Study…Monthly meetings. Our next meeting is June 19th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory.  We’re reading the Book of Revelation.  All are welcome!

COFFEE HOUR…Not during the summer. Will return in September.

The Cardinal . . . We’re looking for anyone who appeared in that film, shot at Saint John’s in 1961. Even if only on screen for a moment as one of the school children or inside the church, please give me a call.
Msgr. DiGiovanni—324-1553, ext. 11

St. Maria Goretti Society…For the spiritual formation of young ladies from 9th - 12th grades will meet on Sunday, June 1st after the 12:00 noon Mass from 1:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.  in the Rectory.  For more information, please call Rosa Marchetti at 348-0232.

Lost and Found . . . The parish has a collection of items left behind in church. If you have lost something, you may find it at the parish office in the rectory: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Join the Conversation . . . Bishop William Lori has started a “blog” to share news: www.BishopLoriBlog.org.

 St. John’s In the News…100 years ago, or so:

The Connecticut Catholic:
June 4, 1881: STAMFORD. “In spite of the blinding northeastern rain storm that raged last Friday evening, all the sodalities and a large number of St. John’s congregation came together in the unfinished portion of the church to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Rev. Father Rogers elevation to the priesthood.  For a few days before, Father Rogers had been surmising that something of an unusual and interesting character was transpiring among the sodalities, but it was not until 7:30 o’clock on the evening in question, that he got in possession of the pleasing fact that they were about to manifest their appreciation of his eight years of zealous and self sacrificing labors among them by presenting him with an address, a beautiful chalice and a gold water vessel.  At the hour named, a messenger informed him that his presence was desired in the church, and he proceeded there at once, entirely unconscious of the real purpose for which he was wanted.  On entering, a scene presented itself for him that at once astonished and bewildered him.  Before him, in neat attire, and wearing the regalia of their orders, five sodalities were arrayed, viz. Children of Mary, Holy Angels, St. Aloysius, and Sacred Heart.  On a platform improvised for the occasion, the glittering testimonials were arranged, on the right of which stood an immense basket of rare flowers, and on the left an illuminated address encased in a superb frame.  Father Rogers having taken his seat, to which he had been conducted by the Rev. Father Walsh, and having recovered from his surprise, the sodalities under the leadership of Sister Gabriel, who presided at the organ, broke into a song of “Welcome to Our Pastor,” filling the church with harmony.  Then Master D. Hanrahan delivered the following address in a clear, well modulated voice: “Reverend and very dear Father – Long have we desired to testify our gratitude and give expression to the sentiments of sincere affection which animate our hearts, and anxiously have we looked forward to an occasion like this, that we might be permitted to do so. Be assured, dear Father, we are not insensible to the more than paternal solicitude in the desire we feel to make an adequate return, but conscious of our inability to do so, we must give vent to our feelings in words.  For this purpose we have assembled here this evening and called you in or midst to thank you, our fine and devoted Father, for your generous disinterestedness toward us.  Our warmest expressions would faintly convey to you the affection which prompts the effusion of our sentiments in your regard.  A return for all this we cannot hope to make.  No, we leave the reward to Him to bestow who is the principle of all your actions, and whose holy spirit animates your zeal, and if He has promised not to be unmindful of a cup of cold water, given in His name, what may we not hope for, for you?  You who have given your life, your health, your talents, your all, to His divide service.  We pray with all the fervor of our souls that a long life of usefulness may be given you, and that St. John’s may ever enjoy the fruits of your ministry.  Dear Father, we have a little favor to ask; and that is your gracious acceptance of this little gift, a trifling testimonial of the reverence and esteem in which your memory is enshrined in the hearts of your devoted children of St. John’s”.” (Editor’s Note – The Reverend William H. Rogers was pastor from 1876 to 1900. The Sanctuary Lamp was a gift to Father Rogers on the occasion of his 25th anniversary held on June 3, 1896.)

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.

Mass Intentions
Saturday, May 31
4:00 +DeRosa, Kronk, Capobianco & Edwin Clark req. John & Joan Kronk
Sunday, June 1
  7:30 People of the Parish
10:00 Rev. Msgr. Nagle Birthday req. Lilian & Alvina Ramos
12:00 Thanksgiving to the Sacred Heart of Jesus req. Anne Marie Samedi
 6:00 +Laverne Bernard req. Shirley Hinnau
Monday, June 2
  8:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family
12:10 +Amy Reed req. Luz Contreras
Tuesday, June 3
  8:00 +Dila Haidar req. Granddaughter
12:10 +Elizabeth Daly req. Family
Wednesday, June 4
   8:00 Thanksgiving Wedding Anniversary William & Josephine McGraw req. William & Josephine McGraw
 12:10 In Honor of St. Francis req. Maria
Thursday, June 5
8:00 Special Intention Birgitta O’Brien-Costantino
12:10   +Mr. Octavias & Venilia Mehu req. by their grandchildren
Friday, June 6
  8:00 Special Intention Molly Festo
12:10 +Patrick & Vera Dandry req. John Pascale
Saturday, June 7
  8:00 Special Intention Henry Saraniero req. Sharon Gannon
12:10    +James Pepe req. Mr. & Mrs. Antonio Marchetti

Novena of the Miraculous Medal:  Mondays, 8:30 a.m.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed., 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation …are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00-8:00 a.m.

St. Anne’s Family Society . . . will resume in September, meeting monthly on a Sunday evening for the whole family, with Eucharistic adoration, Benediction, a pot luck supper and spiritual talk.  More details to come.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of boys from 8th – 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.

The Battle of Prayer
                             (Prayer II – Revisited)    -Fr. Terry Walsh
 Why is prayer a ‘battle’? There are many ‘erroneous notions’ of prayer, as the Catechism calls them, which we must battle. “Some people view prayer as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration to reach a mental void. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures. Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is incompatible with all the other things they have to do: they ‘don’t have the time.’ Those who seek God by prayer are quickly discouraged because they do not know that prayer comes also from the Holy Spirit and not from themselves alone”(ccc2726). Consider meditating on Paul’s letter to the Romans, ch.8 as well as the 4th part of the Catechism (“Christian Prayer” –it helps us understand the nature of prayer as well as how to pray in very practical ways). Often times, prayer involves a battle against distractions or perhaps dryness. But these are overcome by simply turning our hearts to God and asking for His help. When we humbly ask for the grace to pray better, to be consoled, to let go of distractions and to be nourished by divine grace, we will be given all we need and more. That’s not to say we won’t have to struggle from time to time. Yet, even in those periods of difficulty, our Lord is walking with us, helping us to put aside presumption and despair and instead walk the humble path of love and trust.  Perhaps you might simply pray: “Come, Holy Spirit, free my heart and mind of all distractions during this Holy Mass, or during this prayer of the Rosary, or during my reading and meditating on the Scriptures.” What a wonderful prayer of trust and fidelity. We already know that apart from Jesus we can do nothing. He’s already made that abundantly clear in the Allegory of the Vine and the Branches (Jn 15). All good things come from Him and prayer opens our hearts to a greater appreciation of his goodness to us and our complete dependence upon Him. Augustine wrote, “God wills that our desire should be exercised in prayer, that we may be able to receive what he is prepared to give.” But are we willing to be transformed and come to desire “the things that are above” – the graces of faith, hope, and love that form us into “new creations” and lead us to a new spiritual strength and wisdom that ‘enables the soul to rule the body’? Consider the words of St. Ambrose, “That man is rightly called a king who makes his own body an obedient subject and, by governing himself with suitable rigor, refuses to let his passions breed rebellion in his soul, for he exercises a kind of royal power over himself. And because he knows how to rule his own person as king, so too does he sit as its judge. He will not let himself be imprisoned by sin, or thrown headlong into wickedness.” Prayer is indispensable in realizing this spiritual maturity.
Consider a lesson from the Catechism: “The great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us this: Prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God. We pray as we live, because we live as we pray. If we do not want to act habitually according to the Spirit of Christ, neither can we pray habitually in His name. The ‘spiritual battle’ of the Christian’s new life is inseparable from the battle of prayer”(ccc 2725).

Pastor’s Corner . . .Have you ever read the sixth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel?  The chapter opens with Our Lord feeding the five thousand by multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish.  Following the miracle, Our Lord took his apostles and fled to the mountains, because he knew the people would otherwise have forced him to be king of Israel. No one understood His real purpose and work: to save humankind from Adam’s sin and from Death. The Apostles are next seen in a boat on Lake Tiberias, when Jesus walks on the water, and they are frightened, thinking him a ghost. “It is I, do not be afraid,” Jesus told them.  Finally, by verse 22, Our Lord begins his discourse on the Eucharist.  The crowd he’d fed the previous day found him, and listened as he taught. But Our Lord knew they were there only because he had fed them, and that they wanted more free food!  Jesus began by teaching them not to work for food that will perish, but for that which will give eternal life.  When they asked where they might find such food, he responded, “I am the bread of life”, and “I am the living bread from heaven. If anyone eat of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Eleven times in one chapter, Our Lord repeated this, affirming over and over again, “My flesh is real food and my blood real drink.”  What did he mean?  Maybe he meant what he said. This is certainly possible. But, for those who had tracked Jesus down looking for more food, their response to His words was to abandon Him, saying,   “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”  If Our Lord were simply using a metaphor, don’t you think he would have run after those people to clarify that He was only speaking symbolically?  But He didn’t run after them. He let them go.  In fact, He turned on his apostles to ask them “Do you also wish to go away?” seeing that they too found his teaching about the Eucharist hard to believe.  He did mean what He said: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life everlasting and I will raise him up on the last day.  For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, abides in me and I in him.” He meant precisely what he said, and the Church understood that immediately.
In the catacombs of Rome, and in much literature of the first three centuries, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is clearly presented: in the sign of bread and fish.  The early Church developed a simple undercover sign for Jesus: the fish. Since each letter of the word FISH in Greek [IXTHUS] is the first letter of a statement of faith about Jesus: “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” You might see this acronym today on bumper stickers—a fish with the name of Jesus.  When it was presented alongside loaves of bread in
the Roman catacomb frescoes, it represented the Eucharist: the outward appearance is bread, but the inner reality is THE FISH—Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior. At Mass, through the invocation of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine are transformed into the actual resurrected Body and Blood of Christ. No mere symbol: a deeper reality.  God who created all from nothing, now uses his creation—simple bread and wine—transforming them that God becomes our food, so we become transformed to be more God like in our lives.
The Church commemorates this reality this weekend in the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.  During the 12 noon Sunday Mass, as part of the Church founded by Christ, we will make a public profession of our faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist during our indoor procession with the Most Blessed Sacrament. Jesus meant what He said; the Church means what she professes, for that faith and that reality will lead to eternity.
—Msgr. DiGiovanni

Please pray for the sick… Eleanor McNamee, Nancy Geikie, Vicki Manes, Anthony Sansone, Margaret Woods, Paul Forte, Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titina Tarantino, Jennifer Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore.

Please pray for those who have recently died… Viola S. Russo, William Speranza, George Lampman, Robert Geikie, Florence DeSilva, Margaret Mine, Reta Satoriti, Marcello Santagata, Louis Manes, Paul Dudash, John Borron, Fouchard Paulemon, Louis Meyer, Phillis Doherty, Violet Roddy, Wallace Stewart.

Moms & Tots . . . a group of moms and children meet with Fr. Walsh each first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. in church for Eucharistic adoration, followed by snacks in the parish hall. Please join us.  Our next meeting will be on June 3rd.

3 GREAT upcoming EVENTS:

Solemn Vespers and Benediction:  Friday, May 30th at 6:30 p.m., to celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of our church in 1886. This will be an annual event, so please plan to join us. Refreshments to follow.

AROUND the World:
Sunday, June 22nd at 5:00 p.m.: Our annual fund raising supper and auction.  Please join us to help raise funds for our church bell tower. Tickets:  $100 each.  Details to follow!
 
Parish Picnic:
Sunday, September 14th: Parish picnic at Cove Island.

MEMORIAL DAY. . . Please pray for our veterans who have served so faithfully to defend our nation. Pray for those who have died, and for those who serve our great nation today.

Young Adult Faith on Tap… For men and women in their 20’s and 30’s normally at Bennigan’s Restaurant – just across the street - from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  We’ll meet there the 2nd Monday of each month. But, our JUNE 10th meeting will take place at the Parish Rectory, 279 Atlantic Street – COOKOUT. Bring a friend!

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions.  All are welcome on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the rectory.  If you’ve got high school Latin, you’ll be fine; we all help each other; please join us: you know more than you think! Stay and join us for:

St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies will next meet on June 4th at 7:30 pm in the rectory: History of the Monks of Syria: led by Doctor Lois Gandt, we will read English translations of the works by St. Theodoret of Cyrrhus.  All are welcome. Please join us.

Bible Study…Monthly meetings. Our next meeting is June 19th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory.  We’re reading the Book of Revelation.  All are welcome!

Banns of Marriage:  1st Vu Nhat Tran & Thao Vu

Sunday, May 18, 2008    $ 10,309.20
Sunday, May 20, 2007    $ 12,980.60

I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Hymns for this weekend: (1) 118  (2) 117. The Creed for the Noon Mass may be found in the hymnal at No. 289.

Choral Music for the 12:00 Noon Mass:  Mass Ordinary: Missa ‘Lauda Sion’ – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, 1525-1594. Offertory Motet: Lauda Sion – F.C. de Arauxo (The text may be found in the Missalette on page 50.). Communion Motet: Ave verum Corpus – William Byrd, 1540-1623 (Hail true Body, born of Mary the virgin; suffering, sacrificed truly on the cross for men; from whose pierced side water flowed and blood. Be merciful to us at the judgement of death, O sweet Jesus, O merciful Jesus, O Jesus Son of Mary. [From a 14th cent. Gradual at Limoges, trans. Rev. A. Fortescue]. Motets at the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament: O salutaris Hostia – Pierre de La Rue, 1452-1518; Tantum ergo – Tomás Luis de Victoria, 1548-1611. The Gregorian chants proper to this Sunday are: Introit Cibavit eos (He fed them with the finest of wheat, alleluia; and with honey from the rock he satisfied them, alleluia, alleluia. Rejoice in honour of God our helper; shout for joy to the God of Jacob. [Ps.81:17,2,3,11]); Alleluia Caro mea (My Flesh is the True Food, my Blood is the True Drink; he who eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood abides in me, and I in him. [John 6:56,57]); Sequence Lauda Sion (The text may be found in the Missalette on page 50.); Offertory Portas cæli (The Lord opened the doors of heaven and rained down manna upon them to eat; he gave them bread from heaven; man ate the bread of angels, alleluia. [Ps. 77:23-25]); Communion Qui manducat (He who eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood, abides in me, and I in him. [John 6:57]).

St. Maria Goretti Society…For the spiritual formation of girls from 9th - 12th grades will meet on Sunday, June 1st after the 12:00 noon Mass from 1:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.  in the Rectory.  For more information, please call Rosa Marchetti at 348-0232.

COFFEE HOUR… After the 10:00 a.m.  Mass.  All are welcome.

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.

Lost and Found . . . The parish has a collection of items left behind in church. If you have lost something, you may find it at the parish office in the rectory: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Join the Conversation . . . Bishop William Lori has started a “blog” to share news: www.BishopLoriBlog.org.

St. John’s In the News…100 years ago, or so:
The Sun (New York):

May 25, 1886: STAMFORD’S NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH. “The members of St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Stamford conceived the idea sixteen years ago of erecting a new home of worship. The building, which had been in use since the establishment of the church, was too small to accommodate the increasing Catholic population which now has grown to 4,000. The site selected is at the junction of Atlantic and Bell Streets. The earnestness with which Catholics of Stamford and vicinity entered into the plan encouraged Father Fagan, then pastor, to undertake a building larger and more beautiful than the most enthusiastic could hope for. The edifice stands today completed. Father Fagan died soon after the work was begun, but his successor, Father Tierney, now of Hartford, continued it. As soon as the basement floor was finished, the old church was turned into a schoolhouse, and the congregation has since worshiped in the basement of the new church. For two or three years, the work lagged. In November 1882, Mr. John Ennis, who had retired from pedestrianism and became a resident of Stamford, was induced to undertake the work of completing the building. He brought to the work long experience as an architect and builder and he gave it his entire thought. Father Rogers, who succeeded Father Tierney, began work in the Fall of 1882 with a debt of $80,000 on the growing building. Since then he has reduced the debt $30,000 besides steadily continuing the work. The edifice is now finished with the exception of the spire and the date of dedication has been fixed for Sunday, May 30th.
The Stamford Advocate:
May 31, 1941: Stamford Mourns Its War Dead at Memorial Parade, Cemetery Rites. “At St. John’s Cemetery, the service of tribute to the memory of all the dead was under the sponsorship of St. John’s parish with members and clergy of other Catholic parishes taking part. The religious and patriotic exercises were held before an altar erected near the center of the cemetery.  Announced in Catholic churches last Sunday that the ceremonies would be held for the first time with the hope that they would become an annual Memorial Day event to honor all the dead, the attendance which they drew yesterday was far beyond the expectations of those in charge, it was said. The Rev. N. P. Coleman, pastor of St. John’s Catholic Church, was the speaker at the memorial services in St. John’s Cemetery. Father Coleman paid tribute to the soldiers dead and said that “the liberties which we now enjoy were won for us by the sacrifices of the soldiers and sailors of all American wars.” Father Coleman asked those participating to remember in their prayers those gone before them and to keep alive the memory of those whose service to their country established peace and liberty. The Rev. Michael J. Sullivan pronounced the invocation; Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was recited by Joseph Labelle of St. Basil’s School; and Rev. Francis S. Morrissey lead in several prayers.”

Mass Intentions

Saturday, May 24
4:00 Special Intention of Rev. Paul Check req. Millie
Sunday, May 25
7:30 Special Intention of Margaret Mary Cycon req. Cycon Family
10:00 +Patrick Forlenzo req. Christopher, Michelle, & Mary Anne
12:00 +Aniello Preziosi 42nd Anniversary req. Your Children, Grandchildren & Great Grandchildren
6:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family
Monday, May 26
8:00 Special Intention of Fr. Albert Audette
12:10 Veterans of the Parish
Tuesday, May 27
8:00 Special Intention of Fr. Jean Ridly Julien
12:10 +Mary Ellen Santoro req. Marie Carr
Wednesday, May 28
8:00 Souls in Purgatory req. Fabiola Contreras
12:10 Special Intention of Mireille & Family
Thursday, May 29
8:00 Special Intention of Maya Rovegno
12:10   Special Intention
Friday, May 30
8:00 Special Intention of Christopher Flynn
12:10 In Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus req.
Fabiola C.
Saturday, May 31
8:00 Special Intention of Eleanor Theresa Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim
12:10    Special Intention Joseph H. Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim

Novena of the Miraculous Medal:  Mondays, 8:30 a.m.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed., 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation …are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00-8:00 a.m.

St. Anne’s Family Society . . . will resume in September, meeting monthly on a Sunday evening for the whole family, with Eucharistic adoration, Benediction, a pot luck supper and spiritual talk. More details to come.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of boys from 8th – 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.

The Habit of Prayer
        (Revisited)                                                                   - Fr. Terry Walsh
 
       How often does it feel like “the burden of prayer?” How do we pray? When, where, and how often? Am I doing it right? Shouldn’t I be getting some answers, some feedback from God? To begin, prayer is that intimate conversation we have with God in that quiet place in our soul, even in the midst of an often times noisy world all around us. St. Therese calls prayer quite simply a ‘Surge of the Heart toward God.’
There is so much to say about prayer, but I will simply focus on a few practical points for consideration. Prayer is of course indispensable in our spiritual growth. It is a necessary activity that prepares us for faithful reception of the Sacraments, for a deepening of our knowledge and understanding of God and consequently of ourselves; prayer enables us to examine our lives in light of the Gospel teachings and informs our conscience so that we might seek forgiveness for those occasions when we realize we have offended God or one another.
In prayer, we’re able to offer thanks and praise to God, we’re able to adore Him, we’re able to petition Him for whatever we need or for some particular gift that will benefit someone else in need. 
    If we’re able to receive so many varied and beautiful graces through prayer, why is it so difficult to pray sometimes? 
    Well, it might simply be that we don’t work at it. It is, after all, a relationship. If too little attention is given to examining “the prayer life” how can it grow? That’s NOT the same thing as saying ‘too little time’ is spent in prayer. The time for prayer will quite naturally vary from person to person, depending on one’s vocation, along with a whole host of other circumstances. The “attention” I’m speaking about has more to do with the quality of our prayer life. It is, in many ways, an “organic” activity – it’s a living relationship with God: it changes, it grows, it deepens, provided there is due attention given to it. 
    As a practical matter, I’d recommend that you consider forming a “foundation” to your daily prayer. This might include a brief, but deliberate, morning offering, something as simple as standing at the foot of the Crucifix in your room and offering the day to God - asking Him to bless your family, your work, your play, and so on. Naturally, it would be good to take a few moments at the end of each day to examine – briefly – how you did in light of the Gospel. Read the Scriptures everyday. Let the habit of growing in the knowledge of God be real food for your soul every single day. It only takes 10 minutes. Reflect on one of the Mysteries of our Lord’s life through the beautiful devotion of the Rosary, which will take another 10 minutes. And finally, perhaps, take 10 minutes to simply tell God what’s on your mind and in your heart. He really wants to hear it from you. What trust, what an act of faith and hope and love as you simply give it all to Him and ask for whatever you need to heal and to grow. This would be a good beginning. See where the Holy Spirit leads you. One thing is certain, if you seek Him through a deepening of your prayer, He will reveal Himself to you in that “inner room” of your soul. Prayer will no longer seem strained, or a burden, but rather, it will become alive and fresh and as natural as the air you breathe.

Pastor’s Corner . . . The True God reveals Himself to us. Made in His image and likeness, we are capable of being loved by God, and, in return, we are capable of loving Him. The inner reality of God was revealed to us in the Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Read the Gospels, and you can see that revelation: begin with the Annunciation: the Angel Gabriel announced to the young Mary that she had been chosen to bear the eternal Son of God.  “The Son of the Father allows himself to be borne into a human womb, and so the heavens open in a new way and reveal a threefold life in God.” [Balthasar, The Threefold Garland, p. 27.] This image is clearly seen in various Medieval altarpieces: the Father with right hand raised in benediction sends the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove, from whom a beam of light descends to the womb of the Blessed Virgin, and in the light ray can be seen an infant Jesus, carrying a Cross.  “The Father sends the Eternal Son; the Son allows Himself to be sent; and the overshadowing Holy Spirit fashions a body for him from the flesh of the assenting Virgin Mary.” [Sayward, The Mysteries of March, 7]
This revelation of the Three Divine Persons in the One God, whose love for one another overflows to work for our salvation, continues throughout the Gospels, in the teachings of Our Lord, but also in historic events: Jesus Baptism, the Transfiguration, His sacrificial death, His Resurrection and Pentecost.
This God is radically different from the gods of mythology, who are embroiled in the events of the world in order to exercise their divine whim, or to discover some type of divine fulfillment.  The True God is a community of three Persons, each sharing divine life and attributes, each distinct and rational, capable of love. Their eternal relationship one with another is precisely that—the Father loves the Son from all eternity; the Holy Spirit is that divine love between Father and Son. Therefore, the involvement in history, from God’s creation of the universe and of man and woman, is not by mechanical necessity. God’s creation, and His relationship with man and woman, created by Him in His image and likeness—free willed, capable of love, rational—is one of love, not necessity. This God who shows us such generous love IS love in Himself, before anything else existed. Creation is a product of God’s interior love amidst the Three Divine Persons of the Trinity.  He does not need to create, nor to love us. Charity being God’s very essence, seen in the relationship among the Three Persons, overflows to create those upon whom that love might be lavished. The Incarnation—God becoming a man--, the Cross and the Resurrection of God in the crucified flesh, are manifestations of the depth of that love, which the Three Persons of the Trinity join in, to free us from sin and the grave, to share their divine and eternal life of love with us.  No mythology here—this is not the gods taking the form of creatures to entertain or fulfill themselves. The True God is unchangeable, and unsuffering. The historical reality that God took on human flesh, was crucified and raised in that human flesh are not the changing of God into a man, but the taking up of our manhood into God.  [“non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum.”—pseudo-Athanasian Creed, DS 76, 36].
“God is love”, as Saint John tells us, by which he refers to the relationship of the Three Persons within the Trinity. That love pours out to us, in creation and redemption. We should be so charitable to others, obedient to Christ’s command: “love one another as I have loved you”—willing to sacrifice oneself, one’s ego, pride, ambitions or agenda, and, thus, work for their salvation.  —Msgr. DiGiovanni

Please pray for the sick… Eleanor McNamee, Nancy Geikie, Vicki Manes, Anthony Sansone, Margaret Woods, Paul Forte, Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titina Tarantino, Jennifer Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore.

Please pray for those who have recently died… Viola S. Russo, William Speranza, George Lampman, Robert Geikie, Florence DeSilva, Margaret Mine, Reta Satoriti, Marcello Santagata, Louis Manes, Paul Dudash, John Borron, Fouchard Paulemon, Louis Meyer, Phillis Doherty, Violet Roddy, Wallace Stewart.

Moms & Tots . . . a group of moms and children meet with Fr. Walsh each first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. in church for Eucharistic adoration, followed by snacks in the parish hall. Please join us. Our next meeting will be on June 3rd.

Catholic Communication Campaign Collection . . . Please drop your envelope into the ONE basket that will be passed at the Offertory.  There will only be one collection today.

4 GREAT upcoming EVENTS:

Church in China Mass:
Saturday, May 24th at 12:10 p.m. The Holy Father has asked that Masses be offered in Catholic churches around the world for the government persecuted Catholic Church in China.  Saint John’s will offer Mass on May 24th. Representatives of the Cardinal Kung Foundation will be present.  All are welcome.

Solemn Vespers and Benediction:  Friday, May 30th at 6:30 p.m., to celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of our church in 1886. This will be an annual event, so please plan to join us.

Passport to the World:
 Sunday, June 22nd at 5:30 p.m.: Our annual fund raising supper and auction.  Please join us to help raise funds for our church bell tower. Tickets:  $100 each.  Details to follow!
 
Parish Picnic:
Sunday, September 14th: Parish picnic at Cove Island.

Young Adult Faith on Tap… For men and women in their 20’s and 30’s normally at Bennigan’s Restaurant – just across the street - from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  But, our JUNE meeting will take place at the Parish Rectory, 279 Atlantic Street – COOKOUT. We’ll meet there the 2nd Monday. Bring a friend!

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions.  All are welcome on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the rectory.  If you’ve got high school Latin, you’ll be fine; we all help each other; please join us: you know more than you think! Stay and join us for:

St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies will next meet on June 4th at 7:30 pm in the rectory: History of the Monks of Syria: led by Doctor Lois Gandt, we will read English translations of the works by St. Theodoret of Cyrrhus. All are welcome. Please join us.

Bible Study…Monthly meetings. Our next meeting is June 19th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory.  We’re reading the Book of Revelation.  All are welcome!

COFFEE HOUR… After the 10:00 a.m.  Mass.  All are welcome.

Sunday, May 11, 2008    $ 12,517.03
Sunday, May 13, 2007    $ 12,057.37
I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Hymns for this weekend . . . (1) 96  (2) 99  (Tune: St. Flavian). The Creed for the Noon Mass may be found in the hymnal at No. 289.

Choral Music for the 12:00 Noon Mass . . . Mass Ordinary: Mass for Three Voices – William Byrd, 1540-1623. Offertory Motet: Benedictus sit Deus – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791 (Blessed be God the Father, and the only-begotten Son of God, and the Holy Spirit; for he has dealt with us according to his mercy. [Cf. Tobit 12:6]). Communion Motet: - O veneranda Trinitas – Jacob Handl, 1550-1591. The Gregorian chants proper to this Sunday are: Introit Benedicta sit sancta Trinitas (Blessed be the Holy Trinity and its undivided Unity; we shall ever give him thanks, for he has dealt with us according to his mercy. O Lord, our Governor, how admirable is your name in all the earth! [Tobit 12:6; Ps. 8]); Alleluia Benedictus es, Domine (Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers; and worthy to be praised for ever.[Daniel 3:52]); Offertory Benedictus sit Deus (Blessed be God the Father, and the only begotten Son of God, and the Holy Spirit; for he has dealt with us according to his mercy. [Cf. Tob. 12:6]); Communion Benedicimus Deum cæli (Let us bless the God of heaven and utter his praises before all who live; for he has dealt with us according to his mercy. [Tob. 12:6]).

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.

IMPRESSIONIST GIVERNY: AMERICAN PAINTERS IN FRANCE, 1885- 1915. You are cordially invited by the Stamford Historical Society on a day trip to the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT on Thursday, June 12th to view the new Impressionist exhibition recently highlighted in the Advocate. Bus transportation and lunch at the Old Lyme Inn are also included.  Call Mary Ann Lawlor at 203-461-9422 for details.

The Stamford Chorale…will perform the Faure Requiem on Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in St. John’s Lutheran Church, 884 Newfield Avenue, Stamford, CT.  Tickets are $15.00 general admission.  Tickets may be obtained at the door or by calling Janet Gill-Gentry at 203-249-9072 for further information.

Lost and Found . . . The parish has a collection of items left behind in church. If you have lost something, you may find it at the parish office in the rectory: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
 St. John’s In the News…100 years ago, or so:

The Stamford Advocate:
May 21, 1880:  ORGAN CONCERT. “The new pipe organ recently purchased for St. John’s R. C. Church, now being placed in position, will be ready for use on Sunday, 30th inst. On Monday evening, 31st inst., a grand instrumental concert is to be given by Chas. W. Smith, Esq., assisted by a full chorus of vocalists. The programme includes some of the most classical selections, and without doubt, the concert will be a fine one, well worth attending. Mr. N. K. Ferris is also to make the instrument speak to the soul.”

The Stamford Herald:
May 19, 1886: Local News. “A week from next Sunday occurs that great event at St. John’s Roman Catholic Church – its dedication to divine worship.”

The Stamford Advocate:
May 20, 1909:  FATHER O’BRIEN SAILS. “Rev. James C. O’Brien and party left town about 8:30 this morning, and sailed on the Carpathia for Rome at 1 p.m. Father O’Brien was accompanied by his niece, Miss Flemming, and his nephew, Rev. Charles A. Leddy of Mystic. He will be abroad about 10 or 12 weeks. There are about 80 priests on the trip to Rome, this being made for the purpose of taking part in the golden jubilee of the American College at Rome. After these ceremonies Father O’Brien will tour through Italy, France, and other places on the continent and will then visit England and Ireland. He will spend some time in Ireland. A number of friends went to New York to see the party off. Last night, the pastor was kept busy receiving good wishes from his friends until a late hour. Between 8 and 9:30, the parsonage was full of people who had called to wish the priest a bon voyage, and the visitors continued to come until much later. In fact, the evening was turned into a reception, although Father O’Brien had wished to slip away very quietly.”

The Stamford Advocate:
May 25, 1931: SODALITY OF ST. JOHN’S CHURCH HONORS VIRGIN MARY  “About 200 members of the Children of Mary Sodality of St. John’s R. C. Church participated in the impressive ceremony of the May crowning of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the church, last evening, beginning at 7:30. The attendance was so large that many late-comers were grouped about the entry. The procession of members in white with green wreathes, laid tributes of many flowers at the feet of the statue. Miss Emily McRedmond, president of the Sodality, carrying a magnificent bouquet and wearing a bridal veil and white satin train, advanced to the altar of the Blessed Virgin, where she draped a lace mantle on the head of the statue and at the words “Crown oh Crown Our Lovely Queen” sung by the Sodality, she placed a beautiful golden crown presented by the Sodality, on the statue. The ceremony was one of the loveliest held in Stamford for some time, and had one of the largest groups ever to participate in such a service here.”

Join the Conversation . . . Bishop William Lori has started a “blog” to share news: www.BishopLoriBlog.org.


Mass Intentions

Saturday, May 17
4:00 +DeRosa, Kronk, Capobianco & Edwin Clark req. John & Joan Kronk

Sunday, May 18
7:30 Special Intention of Richard Paul Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim
10:00 +Dorothea Maksymowicz req. Mary Churley
12:00 Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI – God’s Blessing req. Our Lady of Loreto Altar Guild
6:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family

Monday, May 19
 8:00 Special Intention
12:10 Special Intention of Scott Turkington

Tuesday, May 20
8:00 Special Intention of Olivia Rovegno
12:10 Special Intention of Fr. Terry Walsh

Wednesday, May 21
 8:00 In Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary req. Fabiola C.
12:10 +Steven Churley req. Mary Churley

Thursday, May 22
8:00 Special Intention of Fr. Cipriani req. Millie
12:10   Special Intention of Fr. Walsh req. Millie

Friday, May 23
8:00 Special Intention
12:10 Special Intention of Maria Zajac & Family

Saturday, May 24
8:00 Fr. Brian Gannon 11th Anniversary in the Priesthood
12:10    For the Catholic Church In China

Novena of the Miraculous Medal:  Mondays, 8:30 a.m.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed., 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation Sponsors…are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00-8:00 a.m.

St. Anne’s Family Society . . . will resume in September, meeting monthly on a Sunday evening for the whole family.

St. Maria Goretti Society…For the spiritual formation of girls from 9th - 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  For more information, please call Rosa Marchetti at 348-023.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of boys from 8th – 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.

May, the month of Mary
- Fr. Terry Walsh
(Revisited)

May is the month of Mary. It’s a wonderful time to reflect on the virtues of our Lady and seek to grow in our knowledge and understanding of Her role in Salvation History. It’s said that while Mary is our Queen, She is even more our Mother. As members of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, Her only Son, we become Her “Spiritual Children” at the moment of our Baptism. As faithful sons and daughters of so magnificent a Mother, we come to know Her and love Her more deeply through prayer and of course by imitating Her love for Christ. Recall the words of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: “It’s so easy to be proud and harsh and selfish – so easy; but we have been created for greater things. How much we can learn from our Lady! She was so humble because She was all for God.” Mary intercedes for us at the Throne of God with a Mother’s love. We simply need to go to Her and ask for Her help and intercession. Saint Anthony Mary Claret explains: “Mary is the heart of the Church. This is why all works of charity spring from Her. It is well known that the heart has two movements: systole and diastole. Thus Mary is always performing these two movements: absorbing grace from her most holy Son, and pouring it forth on sinners.”
Like Jesus, we too must observe the 4th Commandment – we must be obedient children. As we reflect on Her role as Queen and Mother we will naturally come to know and love Jesus more profoundly. May is a wonderful time to reflect upon our relationship with our Mother so that we might come to love and honor Jesus through Her. The month begins with the celebration in honor of Her Spouse, St. Joseph the worker. On May 13th, we honor Her apparition at Fatima when She called for the conversion of Hearts, the turning away from sin, and a more faithful life of prayer, especially reflecting on the Mysteries of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Her Son through the Holy Rosary. What a wonderful and effective family prayer. May ends with the Feast of the Visitation, honoring the humble love of Mary toward her cousin Elizabeth, who was preparing to give birth to John the Baptist. Mary likewise comes to us in our need with the same love she showed to Elizabeth.
One way we can honor our Lady during this month of May would be to reflect on what the Saints have written about Her. There is much written in Her honor. Perhaps reading what many consider to be the definitive book on the Blessed Mother, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Louis de Montfort or perhaps The Secrets of the Rosary by the same Saint. Let the graces flow. In the words of Pope John Paul II: “Yes, our guide is a strong column. [Mary] accompanies the new Israel, the Church, in its pilgrimage towards the promised land through Christ our Lord. In this way, Our Lady of the Pillar is a ‘flaming torch’ and the ‘throne of glory.’ She affir ms the faith of a people who never tire of asking her in the Salve Regina: ‘Show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.”
Mary, Queen of Peace, Pray for us.

Pastor’s Corner . . . The Annual Bishop’s Appeal is moving ahead. By means of this diocese-wide collection, Bishop Lori is able to continue the many services offered by the Catholic Church in Fairfield County. Among those works funded by the Annual Bishop’s Appeal are: the soup kitchens here in Stamford and Bridgeport, Catholic schools, seminary studies for young men preparing for the priesthood, health care facilities and nursing homes, the Fairfield County Catholic, and the services of Catholic Charities.  Without the support of Catholics throughout the diocese, many of these services would be discontinued. In this time of economic difficulties, when families need help in so many varied ways, from financial assistance for basic necessities of life to counseling and rehabilitation programs, these services provided by the Diocese of Bridgeport are so very necessary.
Each parish contributes to the Annual Bishop’s Appeal. Our parish goal this year is $85,000. So far, we’ve raised about $60,000. Please, if you have not yet made a donation to the Annual Bishop’s Appeal, consider doing so today so that we can make our goal. Even if we fall short of the goal, the parish will have to pay the full $85,000, raising the money some way or another. I know very well how difficult things are for many of you, with cost of gas of other essential commodities rising daily. But, I ask you to consider helping those who have even less than you, and who need our help so very much.
Pledge envelopes can be found at the doors of the church. Please take one home, or fill it out today, and put it in the basket during the collection at Mass, drop it off at the rectory, or mail it to us at your convenience.
I am very grateful to those parishioners who have made a gift or pledge to the bishop, and ask those who have not, to make one today, so that Bishop Lori may continue the many good, charitable and educational works of our diocese. God bless you. —Msgr. DiGiovanni
 

Statue Report. . .Last week, the statue of Our Lady of Mercy was damaged when a vandal tackled it, toppling it from its pedestal in front of the rectory, trampling the garden and breaking the lighting in the process. I’m grateful to the Stamford Police Department for their speedy assistance given early Friday morning after I discovered the damage.  The Stamford Advocate, likewise, was kind enough to run a brief story on the front page, reporting the incident, as did Channel 12 News and Channel 8 News.  I am very grateful, likewise, to the many parishioners and fellow citizens of Stamford who expressed their concern. Our Lady will be repaired during the next few weeks, and should be restored to her garden by
June 1st.

Please pray for the sick… Eleanor McNamee, Nancy Geikie, Vicki Manes, Anthony Sansone, Margaret Woods, Paul Forte, Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titina Tarantino, Jennifer Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore,

Please pray for those who have recently died… William Speranza, George Lampman, Robert Geikie, Florence DeSilva, Margaret Mine, Reta Satoriti, Marcello Santagata, Louis Manes, Paul Dudash, John Borron, Fouchard Paulemon, Louis Meyer, Phillis Doherty, Violet Roddy, Wallace Stewart,

Monthly Collection . . . The second collection today will be the monthly collection for the parish.  Your generosity is appreciated.

Moms & Tots . . . a group of moms and children meet with Fr. Walsh each first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. in church for Eucharistic adoration, followed by snacks in the parish hall. Please join us. Our next meeting will be on June 3rd.

Clothing Drive… is extended for one more week. The Sisters of Life are grateful for your support.

4 GREAT upcoming EVENTS:
Church in China Mass:
Saturday, May 24th at 12:10 p.m. The Holy Father has asked that Masses be offered in Catholic churches around the world for the government persecuted Catholic Church in China.  Saint John’s will offer Mass on May 24th. Representatives of the Cardinal Kung Foundation will be present.  All are welcome.

Solemn Vespers and Benediction:  Friday, May 30th at 6:30 p.m., to celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of our church in 1886. This will be an annual event, so please plan to join us.

Passport to the World:
 Sunday, June 22nd at 5:30 p.m.: Our annual fund raising supper and auction.  Please join us to help raise funds for our church bell tower. Tickets:  $100 each.  Details to follow!
 
Parish Picnic:
Sunday, September 14th: Parish picnic at Cove Island.

Young Adult Faith on Tap… For men and women in their 20’s and 30’s at Bennigan’s Restaurant – just across the street - from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  We will meet there the 2nd Monday each month - bring a friend!  Next meeting: Monday, May 12th –
Fr. Ringley on The Mass

St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies will next meet in June.

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions.  All are welcome on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the rectory.  If you have only studied Latin during high school, please join us: you know more than you think!

Bible Study…Monthly meetings. Our next meeting is May 15th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory.  We’re reading the Book of Revelation.  All are welcome!

COFFEE HOUR… After the 10:00 a.m.  Mass.  All are welcome.

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.

Sunday, May 04, 2008    $ 12,132.00

Sunday, May 06, 2007    $ 11,643.57
I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Hymns for this weekend . . . (1) Come, Holy Ghost (note: this hymn is in the Missalette at No. 273  (2) 92. The Creed for the Noon Mass may be found in the hymnal at No. 289.

Choral Music for the 12:00 Noon Mass . .  Mass Ordinary: Missa ‘Præparate corda vestra  – Steffano Bernardi, c. 1576-1636. Offertory Motet: Loquebantur variis linguis – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, 1525-1594 (The apostles spoke in many tongues, alleluia, of the great works of God, alleluia. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in many tongues of the great works of God, alleluia. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Alleluia.). Communion Motet: Veni Creator Spiritus – L. Abbott, b. 1948 (Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up Thy rest; come with Thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which Thou hast made. Kindle our sense from above, and make our hearts o'erflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply. [attrib. Rabanus Maurus]). The Gregorian chants proper to this Sunday are: Introit Spiritus Dominus (The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world, alleluia; and that which contains all things, knows every language spoken by men, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia; Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; and let those who hate him flee before his face. [Wisdom 1:7; Ps. 67]); Alleluia Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people, and enkindle in them the fire of your love.); Sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus (The English text may be found in the hymnal at No. 313.); Offertory Confirma hoc Deus (Confirm, O God, that which you have accomplished in our midst; from your holy temple which is in Jerusalem, kings shall offer presents to you, alleluia. [Ps. 67:29-30]); Communion Factus est repente (Suddenly, a sound came from heaven like a rush of a mighty wind, in the place where they were sitting, alleluia; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and announced the great God had done, alleluia, alleluia. [Acts 2:2,4]).

Happy Mothers’ Day to the moms of the parish!!

IMPRESSIONIST GIVERNY: AMERICAN PAINTERS IN FRANCE, 1885- 1915. You are cordially invited by the Stamford Historical Society on a day trip to the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT on Thursday, June 12th to view the new Impressionist exhibition recently highlighted in the Advocate. Bus transportation and lunch at the Old Lyme Inn are also included.  Call Mary Ann Lawlor at 203-461-9422 for details.

The Stamford Chorale…will perform the Faure Requiem on Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in St. John’s Lutheran Church, 884 Newfield Avenue, Stamford, CT.  Tickets are $15.00 general admission.  Tickets may be obtained at the door or by calling Janet Gill-Gentry at 203-249-9072 for further information.

 St. John’s In the News…100 years ago, or so:

The Stamford Advocate:
May 19, 1871:  CONSECRATION OF THE NEW ROMAN CATHOLIC CEMETERY “Yesterday will long be a memorable day among the Roman Catholic fraternity of Stamford. The new cemetery was solemnly consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Bishop McFarland. The Bishop was attended by the local Catholic clergy, and many other clergymen from various parts of the diocese. An immense concourse of people were present to witness the ceremonies which were of the most imposing character. The remains of the late Rev. Fathers O’Neil and Reynolds were exhumed from their resting place in the churchyard and conveyed to the new cemetery where they were re-interred with ceremonies befitting the occasion. In the forenoon, the Bishop administered the rite of Confirmation in the church, over three hundred and fifty persons being confirmed.”
May 12, 1882: St. John’s School Entertainment “It was a scene of extraordinary interest which was witnessed in the Town Hall, last Thursday. In the Gallery every seat was occupied and very many found “standing room only.” The body of the hall, except a few of the rear seats, was equally crowded. The entire audience probably numbered not far from thirteen hundred persons. The stage itself presented an animated spectacle, which, probably for most of the audience, had greater interest than the very best scenic resources of Janitor Daskan. It was crowded by long rows of neatly dressed children, the youngest in front and the older ones ranged behind in the order of their stature. It was evident that the teachers and directors of the school had taken the greatest pains in preparing the entertainment, and though there was no lack of good material, there must have been some difficulty in managing so much of it. But everything moved finely. Each number of the programme followed its predecessor promptly and skillfully. Quite a number of young girls exhibited a good degree of proficiency on the piano. All the choruses were well – some of them excellently – rendered. Some of the solo parts showed merely that the teachers, who had done so much, could not put old heads on young shoulders, but if they could, perhaps on the whole, it would be better not to do it.”

The Connecticut Catholic :
May 14, 1881:  “Our beloved pastor, Father Rogers, sailed for the “sunny south” Saturday in company with ex Commissioner Brennan and his son, Charles Brennan. Rev. Father Walsh will take charge of the parish during Father Rogers’ absence.

The Stamford Saturday News:
May 15, 1886:  “Invitations have been sent out this week by the Rev. Father Rogers to the Reverend clergy to attend the dedication of St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, on May 30th, Sunday. Services are to commence at 10:00 A.M. Mr. John Ennis is finishing the interior of the church in a most satisfactory manner. Everything about the church is full of life and activity. A most excellent musical program is being arranged by the organist, C.W. Smith, that will be appropriate for the occasion.”

Join the Conversation . . . Bishop William Lori has started a “blog” to share news: www.BishopLoriBlog.org.

Lost and Found . . . The parish has a collection of items left behind in church. If you have lost something, you may find it at the parish office in the rectory: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Mass Intentions

Saturday, May 10
4:00 +Vincent J. Freccia, Jr. req. Wife, Dolores Freccia
Sunday, May 11
7:30 +Lina De Vivo 49th Anniversary req. De Vivo & Munro Families
10:00 Intentions of the Mothers of the Parish
12:00 +Agnes Joseph req. Anne Marie Samedi, Niece
6:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family
Monday, May 12
8:00 +Michel & Chenet-Jean Guillaume req. Brothers & Sisters
12:10 +Virginia Carr Birthday Remembrance req. Marie Carr & Eileen Carr
Tuesday, May 13
8:00 Special Intention James Cody
12:10 +John O’Hara Sr. & Son, John req. Stephanie O’Hara
Wednesday, May 14
8:00 +Mary Lou Remy req. Nancy Zerrenner
12:10 Special Intention Ferry Galbert
Thursday, May 15
8:00 +Patrick Kielty
12:10   Special intention Msgr. Stephen M. DiGiovanni
Friday, May 16
8:00 +Mary Lou Remy req. Chris Bassett
12:10 Special Intention George, Millie Terenzio & Family
Saturday, May 17
8:00 Special Intention Stephen Gannon req. Sharon Gannon
12:10    +Violet Logsdail req. The Lancasters

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed. 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Novena of the Miraculous Medal:  Monday 8:30 a.m.

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation Sponsors…are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00-8:00 a.m.

St. Anne’s Family Society. . . will resume in September, meeting monthly on a Sunday evening for the whole family.

St. Maria Goretti Society…For the spiritual formation of girls from 9th - 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  For more information, please call Rosa Marchetti at 348-023.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of boys from 8th – 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.

 The One Perfect Sacrifice

Fr. Terry Walsh
Part 3

   (Reflection on 1Kings chapters 18 and 19)
Elijah recognized the Presence of God in the peaceful, gentle, whispering sound. We, likewise, meet our Lord in the quiet of our daily prayer, even when we’re in the midst of some particular “storm.” When we seek God, He reveals Himself to us, very often in the “tiny whispering sound.” Commenting on this Old Testament scene, St. Irenaeus wrote:“…the sweet rest and peace of the reign of Christ is foreshadowed [in the cave scene] as well. After the wind that moves mountains, after earthquake and fire, the calm and peaceful age of his reign will come, in which the Spirit of God will revitalize and gently encourage the growth of all mankind.” The One Perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ opens the door to the life of grace – the coming of the Holy Spirit – Pentecost. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit draw us into holiness through our faithful cooperation with Him and are manifested in all that we think and say and do. St. Augustine drew several interesting parallels between Elijah and our Lord. He wrote, “Elijah prayed and offered sacrifice, and Christ offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for the whole world. Elijah prayed that rain might fall on the earth; Christ (prayed) that divine grace might flow into human hearts. Elijah’s command to his servant: ‘Go up and look out 7 times, is a foreshadowing of the seven-fold grace of the Holy Spirit to be given to the Church. And the small cloud rising up out of the sea that the servant saw is a symbol of the Incarnate Christ born in the sea of this world”(Sermons). Through their prayerful discernment, the Early Church Fathers peered into the Scriptures in a spiritual way and so offer us many wonderful insights. In the Book of Kings, for example, they suggest that the “Little Cloud” that Elijah’s servant points out is actually a figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The abundant rains pouring out of the Cloud that serve to nourish the dry earth are like the abundant graces that flow through our Lady - through Her humble “yes” to the Incarnation, the Source of all grace. The Early Fathers also suggest that the food that the angel gives to Elijah actually points to the spiritual food that will come to us through the One Perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “by the grace of (the Eucharist) we enjoy the greatest peace and tranquility of conscience during the present life; and, when the hour of departing from this world shall arrive, like Elijah, who in the strength of the bread baked on the hearth, walked to HOREB, the mountain of God, we, too, invigorated by the strengthening influence of this heavenly food, will ascend to unfading glory and bliss.” The Catechism is filled with beautiful insights such as this and is a wonderful source for prayer.
The Holy Season of Easter ends today. We have journeyed to Calvary with our Lord throughout the Holy Season of Lent. We have rejoiced with the whole Church at His Resurrection and Ascension. And today, the Solemnity of Pentecost, we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. St. Basil teaches, “The Power of the Spirit fills the whole universe, but he gives himself only to those who are worthy, acting in each according to the measure of his faith.” In other words, our relationship with God must be nurtured; it must be kept pure; it must be the true treasure of our hearts. St. Basil adds, “To all creatures that share in him he gives a delight limited only by their own nature, not by his ability to give.” Perhaps, in our prayer, when hear the Holy Spirit whisper in our ear, we might hear Him ask us the same question that He asked Elijah: “Why are you here?” We’re here because we love Him. We’re here to praise Him for His Sacrifice – the One Perfect Sacrifice that enabled us to eat from the Tree of Life and dwell forever in the Heavenly Jerusalem. We’ve come to encounter Him in the Confessional – where He whispers to us – “I ABSOLVE you from your sins.” He alone transforms our sufferings into Redemptive Grace, allowing us to participate in saving souls, beginning with our own. He enters our hearts and souls to nourish and strengthen us in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Let us ask Him to repair the Altar of our Heart, to increase our faith, and to fill our souls with an ardent desire to imitate Him in Word and Deed.

Pastor’s Corner . . . Above the central sanctuary window of the Crucifixion is a smaller window in which a bird is portrayed: it is a pelican. White pelicans have long beaks with a fleshy sack attached, serving as a container for transporting small fish to its young.  It’s breast feathers are reddish-brown, and the tip of its beak, red, which gave rise to the ancient folk tale that the pelican pierces its own flesh to feed its young with its own blood, when other food is unavailable.
           In the Physiologus, a 2nd century Egyptian work describing animals and minerals both real and mythological, the pelican is described in this way:
“The little pelicans strike their parents, and the parents, striking back, kill them. But on the third day the mother pelican strikes and opens her side and pours blood over her dead young. In this way they are revivified and made well.  So Our Lord Jesus Christ says also through the prophet Isaiah: ‘I have brought up children and exalted them, but they have despised me’ [Is. 1.2]. We struck God by serving the creature, [Satan and ourselves] rather than the Creator [God]. Therefore He deigned to ascend the cross, and, when His side was pierced, blood and water gushed forth unto our salvation and eternal life.” 
 This imagined life-giving self-sacrifice of the pelican  caught on in Catholic literature, art, architecture and music as a sign of Jesus’ life-giving self-sacrifice on the Cross for us. The ancient hymn Adoro Te, is one example:
“Oh, holy pelican, Lord Jesus,
You cleansed my uncleanness by your blood,
Saving me by just one drop,
Fully cleansing me from every defilement.” [verse 6]
 Dante used the image in his Divine Comedy, referring to Christ and Saint John the Evangelist at the Last Supper: “This is he that lay on the breast of our Pelican, he that was chosen from the cross for the great charge” [to care for the Jesus’ Blessed Mother] (Paradiso, 25. 113).
 Take a look at our pelican window above the Crucifixion window: with wings slightly spread, sitting in a brown rush nest with her five young squawking for food, the bird pierces its breast with its bill to feed the young with its very life blood. It’s meaning is clear, especially in the context of the Incarnation, Death, Resurrection of Our Lord, which are represented in the other windows above the sanctuary. God, who created us in His image and likeness to live forever, sent His Son—the Pelican--to take on human flesh and to offer Himself on the Cross as the only means powerful enough to save us from death.
Unlike the myth of the Pelican, Christ is real. He is not destroyed by death, but destroys death itself, and rises from the grave—the full person, body and soul. Furthermore, to make His triumph complete, He returns to the Father, ascending in His risen body, united to His divinity. The whole human person is now immortal, both body and soul. How do we benefit today, 2,000 years after these events? Through the Church Christ established before He ascended. He breathed the Holy Spirit upon the Eleven Apostles, giving them His power to forgive sins, and His power to extend His triumph over death through the sacraments, especially through Baptism and the Eucharist. It is the Holy Spirit who affects the change in the hearts of believers in Baptism, just as He changes the bread and wine at Mass into the risen bodily real presence of Christ, and who transforms us by the Son’s continual sanctifying of us through His risen manhood.  The Spirit of the Risen Lord, who ascends to the Father in His humanity, places His Church beneath the sign of the Cross—under the sign of the Pelican, whose generous love for us transforms us, if we allow Him. —Msgr. DiGiovanni 
 
Please pray for the sick… Eleanor McNamee, Nancy Geikie, Vicki Manes, Anthony Sansone, Margaret Woods, Paul Forte, Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titina Tarantino, Jennifer Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore,

Please pray for those who have recently died… William Speranza, George Lampman, Robert Geikie, Florence DeSilva, Margaret Mine, Reta Satoriti, Marcello Santagata, Louis Manes, Paul Dudash, John Borron, Fouchard Paulemon, Louis Meyer, Phillis Doherty, Violet Roddy, Wallace Stewart,

4 GREAT upcoming EVENTS:

Church in China Mass: Saturday, May 24th at 12:10 p.m. The Holy Father has asked that Masses be offered in Catholic churches around the world for the government persecuted Catholic Church in China.  Saint John’s will offer Mass on May 24th. Representatives of the Cardinal Kung Foundation will be present.  All are welcome.

Solemn Vespers and Benediction:  Friday, May 30th at 6:30 p.m., to celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of our church in 1886. This will be an annual event, so please plan to join us.

Passport to the World:  Sunday, June 22nd at 5:30 p.m.: Our annual fund raising supper and auction.  Please join us to help raise funds for our church bell tower. Tickets:  $100 each.  Details to follow!
 
Parish Picnic: Sunday, September 14th: Parish picnic at Cove Island.

Theology on Tap – Last one for the year – Thursday May 8th in the Church Hall: Mother Agnes, Sisters of Life: “Mary of Nazareth”

Young Adult Faith on Tap… For men and women in their 20’s and 30’s at Bennigan’s Restaurant – just across the street - from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  We will meet there the 2nd Monday each month - bring a friend!  Next meeting: Monday, May 12th –
Fr. Ringley on The Mass

St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies will next meet in June.

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions.  All are welcome on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the rectory.  If you have only studied Latin during high school, please join us: you know more than you think!

Bible Study…Monthly meetings. Our next meeting is May 15th at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory.  We’re reading the Book of Revelation.  All are welcome!

COFFEE HOUR… After the 10:00 a.m.  Mass.  All are welcome.

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.

TAXES: IT’S NOT TOO LATE…If you live on Social Security and do NOT file Income Taxes, you still QUALIFY for the Economic Stimulus Program. Simply file a return and you will receive the money you are entitled to receive.

Marriage Banns:   Brian Fennessey & Kathleen Delia

Sunday, April 27, 2008    $12,593.00
Sunday, April 29, 2007    $11,300.24
I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Hymns for this weekend . . . (1) 87 (2) 161. Crowning hymn, 10:00 a.m.: Hymn 144. The Creed for the Noon Mass may be found in the hymnal at No. 289.

Choral Music for the 12:00 Noon Mass . . . Mass Ordinary: Missa quarti toni – Tomás Luis de Victoria, 1548-1611. Offertory Motet: Ascendit Deus (God has gone up amidst shouts of joy, the Lord to the sound of the trumpet, alleluia. [Ps. 47:6]) – T.L. de Victoria. Communion Motet: I will not leave you comfortless – Everett Titcomb, 1884-1968 (I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you yet again: Alleluia. And your hearts shall be joyful. Alleluia. [John 14:18]). The Gregorian chants proper to this Sunday are: Introit Exaudi, Domine (Hearken, O Lord, unto my voice which has called out to you, alleluia; my heart declared to you: “Your countenance have I sought; I shall ever see your countenance, O Lord; do not turn your face from me, alleluia, alleluia.” The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? [Ps. 27:7, -9,1]); Alleluia Exivi a Patre (I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; now I am leaving the world and going to the Father. [John 16:28]); Offertory Ascendit Deus (God has gone up amidst shouts of joy, the Lord to the sound of the trumpet, alleluia. [Ps. 47:6]); Communion Pater, cum essem cum eis (Father, when I was amongst them, I kept those whom you had given me, alleluia; but now I am coming to you; I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from evil, alleluia, alleluia. [John 17:12,13,15]).

Trinity Catholic Middle School Entrance Exam . . . will take place on Saturday, May 3rd from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.  The exam is open to those students not presently attending a Catholic school in Stamford.  Parents of prospective students need to register before this date by calling 322-7383.

Lost and Found . . . The parish has a collection of items left behind in church. If you have lost something, you may find it at the parish office in the rectory: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

The Stamford Chorale…will perform the Faure Requiem on Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in St. John’s Lutheran Church, 884 Newfield Avenue, Stamford, CT.  Tickets are $15.00 general admission.  Tickets may be obtained at the door or by calling Janet Gill-Gentry at 203-249-9072 for further information.

 St. John’s In the News…100 years ago, or so:

The Stamford Advocate:

May 6, 1870:  “We expect soon to interview the architect of the proposed new Roman Catholic Church, (Mr. James Murphy, of Providence, R.I.), and lay before our readers a full and detailed description of the building that is to be.  For the present we will content ourselves with a few facts in relation to the new church, which have lately come to our knowledge.  The society at first endeavored to secure the lot on the south side of St. John’s Park, but failing in that, they have finally and absolutely decided to build on their lot on Atlantic Street.  The building, when finished, according to the present plans, will be the finest ecclesiastical edifice in the State of Connecticut, being considerably larger than the new Catholic church lately built in Norwalk, and far more elaborate and costly.  The spire will be two hundred and twenty-four feet high, about fifty feet above the tallest spire now in this village. The entire length will be about two hundred feet, and the breadth in the nave sixty-eight feet, and from side to side in the chancel ninety-three.  It is expected that a large portion of the stone needed in the body of the structure will be obtained from a quarry to be opened in the rear of Mr. Leed’s property on Clark’s Hill.  The trimmings will be of blue stone, imported from a distance.  We understand the work will be proceeding with all possible dispatch.”

The Connecticut Catholic:
May 11, 1878:  “May devotions here morning and evening – Mass in the morning, instruction in the evening and singing by the choir was the chief exercise.  A beautiful shrine in honor of the Blessed Virgin is erected and decked with fairest flowers.  It is a very prominent feature in the church.  Father Tome’s sermon was delivered last Sunday.  The large church was crowded, and the eloquent preacher did ample justice to the text ‘What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul’.”

The Stamford Advocate:
May 7, 1880:  “On Tuesday morning two weddings at the same time were solemnized in the Roman Catholic church by Rev. Father Walsh, assistant priest. One of the bridegrooms was Mr. James Hayes, the keeper of a respectable grocery in West Stamford, formerly an employee of Mr. James H. Olmstead.  In the evening of the wedding day the friends of the parties gathered at the house of the bride’s parents and celebrated to their hearts content.
In the Catholic church the entire month of May is known as the “Month of Mary,” and is dedicated to special services in honor of the Blessed Virgin.”

Join the Conversation . . . Bishop William Lori has started a “blog” to share news: www.BishopLoriBlog.org.

Mass Intentions

Saturday, May 3
4:00 +Curioni family req. Leon
Sunday, May 4
7:30 People of the Parish
10:00 Special Intention Margo Skidd & Family req. Marion Morris
12:00 +Anthony Wollen req. Bill & Marion Morris
 6:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family
Monday, May 5
 8:00 +Frank Skehan, Jr. req. his sister Maureen
12:10 Special Intention Bob & Laurel Silveri
Tuesday, May 6
 8:00 +Amy Reed req. Fabiola Contreras
12:10 +Dila Haidar req. Granddaughter
Wednesday, May 7
 8:00 Special Intention Mary Young Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim
12:10 Special Intention Mary Garofalo
Thursday, May 8
8:00 +Anthony Woollen req. Jimmy & Michelle Sagdati
12:10   +Alan Stuart req. David Lancaster
Friday, May 9
8:00 +Teresa Nandera, sister req. Scholastica Nabwire
12:10 +John Daly req. John Pascale
Saturday, May 10
8:00 +Hope & Joseph McAleer req. Family
12:10    +Scholastica Lloyd req. Family

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00-8:00 a.m.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed. 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation Sponsors…are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

St. Maria Goretti Society…For the spiritual formation of girls from 9th - 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  For more information, please call Rosa Marchetti at 348-023.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of boys from 8th – 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.

Novena of the Miraculous Medal:  Monday 8:30 a.m.

The One Perfect Sacrifice

                                   Part 2                   - Fr. Terry Walsh

In 1st Kings, chapters 18 and 19, Elijah calls the people to come near him. And when they approached him, he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been destroyed. He took the 12 stones and built an altar in honor of the Lord with these stones. See how this reflects the Holy Mass and the Sacrament of Confession. Elijah calls the people near him in order to offer the Sacrifice. Likewise, all who come to Mass must draw near the Priest and cry out with Him. The priest is in the very heart of Jesus during the Holy Mass – JESUS TAKES OVER – Jesus is the only One Who can make the sinless offering – there is no sin in Him. Jesus alone offers the perfect and acceptable sacrifice to God the Father.
The Altar upon which Elijah offers the sacrifice is built on 12 stones. I’ve heard it suggested that these stones represent the commandments – the 10 commandments given to Moses in the Old Testament as well as the 2 Commandments Jesus gives us in the New Testament. It’s a beautiful image, really, and calls attention to the importance of knowing and reflecting upon the Commandments in light of our daily lives. When we purify our sacrifice through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we offer our confession in Light of these commandments – and the altar of our heart is rebuilt. It is restored, healed, perfected. We rebuild the Altar in our hearts which has been destroyed by sin with the “Stones” our Lord has provided in order to honor our Heavenly Father. The sin is rooted out. The Altar is rebuilt.
Three times Elijah drenches the sacrifice with water which fills the Trench and flows around the altar. The Water of course represents our tears – the tears of heartfelt sorrow for having offended our Heavenly Father, Who loves us beyond measure.
Next, Elijah cries out in FAITH: ‘Let it be known this day that you are God…Answer me Lord! Answer me, that this people may know that you, lord, are God and that you have brought them back to their senses.” Elijah reveals a compassionate, forgiving God – One Who is constantly calling us to return to Him – to purify our hearts and minds and be sanctified by His Grace.
And, just as the FIRE consumes the Sacrifice of Elijah, so too, does the fire of God’s love receive our cries for forgiveness and purifies us and makes us holy.
After dispatching the false prophets, Elijah fears for his life and flees into the desert where he experiences the “dark night’ – deep suffering of the soul. But God teaches Elijah, and us, that we are not suppose to fear – the spirit of fear does not come from God. Indeed, throughout the Gospels, Jesus tells us: ‘Be Not Afraid!’ In John 14, Jesus comforts us: ‘Let not your hearts be troubled!’ And Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans (8): ‘Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus!’
In the cave, Elijah’s soul is experiencing much turmoil. He is going through so much. And his suffering is represented in nature – the Heavy Wind, the Earthquake, and the Fire. In all these events he doesn’t see God anywhere. Likewise, we don’t always recognize God in the midst of the storms of our lives – but He is near, He is in our midst.
After the storms passed, Elijah heard a tiny, whispering sound and when he heard it, “Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.” He was fully aware that HE was in the Presence of God.
Part 3, Next Week

Pastor’s Corner . . . May, the most beautiful of all months, when the icy grip of winter finally loosens, celebrates the most beautiful and most worthy of all women in human history, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. From its very beginning, the Church has revered Our Lady because of her personal holiness and intimate relationship with the Divine Persons of the Trinity.  The most popular prayer, the Hail Mary, is based on the words addressed to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee,” recalling the wonders God was about to work in her life for the salvation of the world, by which as Our Lady responds, “all generations will call me blessed.” [Luke 1:46-55] Even during her lifetime, Mary was held in high esteem, as was any mother in Jewish society, but especially the mother of someone famous or powerful.  By the end of the first century, Mary is venerated, NOT worshiped, since only God receives worship.  Mary is venerated as the New Eve, especially described in the writings of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who had been taught the faith by Saint Peter himself.  Mary, the most perfect representative of our human race, now makes up in her own virtuous life of faith for the sins of the first Eve. God the Father recreates all creation through Christ, the New Adam, with Mary as the human co-operator.  Saint Athanasius, one of the greatest of the Church Fathers, wrote: “O’ Virgin, your glory transcends all created things because of Christ, O Mother of God the Word. We say that cherubs are sublime, but you are more sublime than they: cherubs support the throne of God, but you support God within your arms.  Seraphs are close to God, but you are closer than they: Seraphs hide their faces with their wings, unable to look at the perfect glory of God, but you not only contemplate His face, but caress and suckle Him.” [Virgin Mother of God] The Council of Ephesus in 431 formally defined the role of Mary in our salvation: Mary can be called the Mother of God, since she gave human form to the Eternal God.  She didn’t create God, as no mother creates her child, but gave birth to the Eternal God in the flesh. The centuries-old popular devotion to Our Lady then became even more popular. As the Church spread throughout Europe in the 5th century and during later centuries, Mary was held in reverence as the mother of all believers, constantly interceding with Her Son for us while constantly pointing us toward her Son.  In Northern Europe, where the winters are harsh, May was the first month of new life, with flowers finally blooming after long winters.  Mary, the greatest boast of our race, and the most perfect representative of humankind, who shared her humanity with God in Jesus, was honored in May especially with flowers that represent the new creation by God through Christ, such as the lily, the rose, the marigold, and numerous wild-flowers, lady-fern, lady’s mantel, lady’s slipper, maidenhair fern, lady’s thimble, to mention only a few.  Our Lady is the exemplar of the Christian life, of one who is totally dedicated to Our Lord.  She is also our mother, the New Eve, who gave birth to a new creation in Christ, who prays constantly for our salvation.  May is naturally the most beautiful of months.  Let us imitate that natural beauty by dedicating ourselves to follow Our Lady, making our lives blossom in virtue in her honor and for the love of Her Son. --Msgr. DiGiovanni 

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.

Please pray for the sick… Eleanor McNamee, Nancy Geikie, Vicki Manes, Anthony Sansone, Margaret Woods, Paul Forte, Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titina Tarantino, Jennifer Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore, Lorraine Lindahl, Marilyn Fabio, Alan Comier, Barbara Schuerger, Brady Rodgers, Gail Ruge, Madam Wong Oi Ling, Fiona Farrell, Billy Therriault, David Lloyd

Please pray for those who have recently died… William Speranza, George Lampman, Robert Geikie, Florence DeSilva, Margaret Mine, Reta Satoriti, Marcello Santagata, Louis Manes, Paul Dudash, John Borron, Fouchard Paulemon, Louis Meyer, Phillis Doherty, Violet Roddy, Wallace Stewart, Patrick Farenga, Marie Swanson, Neill Carey, Margorie Watkins, Antoninette DeMott, Rose Harrington, Maria C. Roldan-Ranero, Frances C. Delaney, Mary Anne Vagnone, Bridget Leen, Lou Tosches, John Darling,

Catholic Homes Missions Appeal Collection . . . Please drop the Catholic Homes Missions Appeal Collection envelope into the ONE basket that will be passed at the Offertory.  There will only be one collection today.

Ascension Thursday . . .is a holy day of obligation. Masses will be offered at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30th and on the Feast Day, May 1st, at 8:00 a.m., 12:10 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.

4 GREAT upcoming EVENTS:

Church in China Mass: Saturday, May 24th at 12:10 p.m. The Holy Father has asked that Masses be offered in Catholic churches around the world for the government persecuted Catholic Church in China.  Saint John’s will offer Mass on May 24th. Representatives of the Cardinal Kung Foundation will be present.  All are welcome.

Solemn Vespers and Benediction:  Friday, May 30th at 6:30 p.m., to celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of our church in 1886. This will be an annual event, so please plan to join us.

Passport to the World:  Sunday, June 22nd at 5:30 p.m.: Our annual fund raising supper and auction.  Please join us to help raise funds for our church bell tower. Tickets:  $100 each.  Details to follow!
 
Parish Picnic: Sunday, September 14th: Parish picnic at Cove Island.

Young Adult Faith on Tap… For men and women in their 20’s and 30’s at Bennigan’s Restaurant – just across the street - from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  We will meet there the 2nd Monday each month - bring a friend!  Next meeting: Monday, May 12th.

TAXES: IT’S NOT TOO LATE…If you live on Social Security and do NOT file Income Taxes, you still QUALIFY for the Economic Stimulus Program. Simply file a return and you will receive the money you are entitled to receive.

COFFEE HOUR… After the 10:00 a.m.  Mass.  All are welcome.

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions.  All are welcome on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the rectory.  If you have only studied Latin during high school, please join us: you know more than you think!


Sunday, April 20, 2008    $ 9,655.00
Sunday, April 22, 2007    $ 11,324.47

I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”
---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta


Hymns for this weekend . . . (1) 198 (2) 76.  The Creed for the Noon Mass may be found in the hymnal at No. 289.

Choral Music for the 12:00 Noon Mass . . . Mass Ordinary: Missa in F – Claudio Monteverdi, 1567-1643. Offertory Motet: If Ye Be Risen Again with Christ – Orlando Gibbons, 1583-1625, Heidi Vanderwal & Mellissa Hughes, sopranos  (If ye be risen again with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on heavenly things and not on earthly tings, for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Whensoever Christ, which is our life, shall show himself. Then shall we also appear with him in glory. Amen.). Communion Motets: Credo quod Redemptor – Alonso Lobo, 1555-1617 (I believe that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And in my flesh shall I see God my Saviour.). Little Lamb, Who Made Thee? – John Rutter, b. 1945, Anika & Heidi Vanderwal, sopranos  (Little lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life and bid thee feed, By the stream and o’er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, wooly bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice: Little lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee; He is called by thy name, For he calls himself a lamb: He mis meek and he is mild, He became a little child: I a child and thou a lamb, We are called by his name. Little Lamb, God bless thee.). The Gregorian chants proper to this Sunday are: Introit Vocem iucundidatis (Spread the news with a voice of joy; let it be heard, alleluia; speak it out to the very ends of the earth; the Lord has liberated his people, alleluia, alleluia. Shout joyfully to God all the earth; sing a psalm to his name; praise him with magnificence. [Cf. Isaiah 48:20; Ps. 65]); Alleluia Ego vos elegi (I have chosen you from the world, in order that you might go, and bear fruit, and that your fruit should last. [John 15:16]); Offertory Benedicite gentes (O nations, bless the Lord our God, let the voice of his praises resound; he has restored my soul to life and he has not suffered my feet to stumble; blessed be the Lord who has neither rejected my prayer nor turned away from me, alleluia. [Ps. 67:8,9,20]); Communion Ego vos elegi (I have chosen you from the world, in order that you might go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should last. [John 15:16]).

Charis Chamber Voices Presents . . . “Love’s Language: the Song of Songs”, Artistic Director, Scott Turkington. Here at St. John’s, the Charis Chamber Voices will present settings by classical and modern composers of the celebrated Old Testament poem, Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon. The concert will include works by Orlando di Lasso, Billings and samplings of 19th century German music, 20th century British motets. Saturday, May 3, at 8 p.m. Suggested donation $25.00 ($20.00 for students & senoirs). Please come & bring your frineds!

Trinity Catholic Middle School Entrance Exam . . . will take place on Saturday, May 3rd from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.  The exam is open to those students not presently attending a Catholic school in Stamford.  Parents of prospective students need to register before this date by calling 322-7383.
Bible Study…Monthly meetings. Our next meeting is May 15th at 7:30 P.M. in the rectory.  We’re reading the Book of Revelation.  All are welcome!

Lost and Found . . . The parish has a collection of items left behind in church. If you have lost something, you may find it at the parish office in the rectory: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
 St. John’s In the News…100 years ago, or so:

The Stamford Advocate:
April 28, 1902: FORTY HOURS DEVOTION “A forty hours’ devotion of the Blessed Sacrament was begun in St. John’s R.C. Church, yesterday, at the close of the 10:30 service – a solemn high mass which was celebrated by Rev. Father Genet of Hartford, assisted by Rev. James C. O’Brien, Rev. Eugene Sullivan and Rev. James Q. Dolan of St. John’s. The devotion opened with a procession of the children of the Immaculate Conception sodality, flower-strewers, and the altar boys of the church, who escorted the Sacrament, carried by the celebrant of the mass beneath a canopy of richly gilded cloth, in solemn procession from the main altar around the church and back again to the altar, where it was exposed for the devotions of the congregation. The little girls were gowned in white and a wreath of smilax encircled the head of each. In the hands of a number were baskets of delicate flowers, which were strewn before the Sacrament. As the procession moved about the church, the chancel choir intoned the solemn words of the Pange Lingua. The large altar of the church was covered with delicate flowers – roses, magnolias, lilies, smilax and other vines. Above the tabernacle on which the Sacrament rested was a large piece of Easter lilies and beautiful white roses. The sanctuary was filled with palms and plants, and in the evening scores of candles were arranged in the form of a cross, stars, and triangles, the glow of which shed a beautiful luster. Hundreds of the congregation visited the church during the day. Guards of honor were present constantly to watch over the Sacrament. During the day members of the Children of Mary and of the Immaculate Conception Sodalities performed this duty. At night member os St. Augustine Council, K of C, and of the Holy Name Society kept vigil. The duty of watching over the Sacrament devolved today upon the Children of Mary and the Immaculate Conception, and this evening on the members of the St. Joseph’s Cadets..”
May 1, 1905:  AN AUTOMOBILE WEDDING. Mr. Bruno and Miss Nanize of Dumpling Pond Set a New Fashion. “Joseph Bruno of Mt. Vernon and Christina Nanize, of the Dumpling Pond district, set a new style in matrimony here, yesterday. Throwing convention to the winds, they rode from the bride’s home to St. John’s Catholic Church in automobiles, and in the rear came a dozen hacks bearing the invited guests. At the head of the procession, attired in all their wedding finery and unmindful of the gaze of hundreds, rode the bride and groom and the maid of honor in a big Cadillac touring car. Following came the other attendants, also in Cadillac touring cars. The guests rode in carriages. The interesting cortege arrived at St. John’s about 9:30. the bridal party formed on the sidewalk and entered the church in order. The couple were united in marriage by Rev. Father Rizzo. After the ceremony the party returned to the bride’s home, where a reception was held.”

Join the Conversation . . . Bishop William Lori has started a “blog” to share news: www.BishopLoriBlog.org.

 Mass Intentions

Saturday, April 26
4:00 +John Mannes 47th Anniversary req. Mannes & De Vivo

Sunday, April 27
  7:30 Wedding Anniversary Thang & Diep Nguyen req. Thang Nguyen
10:00  Special Intention Birgitta O’Brien-Costantino
12:00 +James & Ismalia Machado req. Lilian & Alvina Ramos
 6:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family

Monday, April 28
  8:00 +John McBrien req. Fr. Terrence P. Walsh
12:10 +Joseph P. Valentine, Sr. req. Msgr. Stephen M. DiGiovanni & the Priests of the Parish

Tuesday, April 29
  8:00 Special Intention Kathleen Galpin req. Fr. Terrence P. Walsh
12:10 Special Intention Teresa Mulhern req. Grandchildren

Wednesday, April 30
   8:00 Special Intention The Cassidy Family
 12:10 Special Intention John Paul & Angela Marchetti req. Alessandro Marchetti

Thursday, May 1
8:00 +Amy Red req. Fabiola C.
12:10   In Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary req. Fabiola C.
 5:15 +Joseph Fialko req. Kimberly & Alec Young

Friday, May 2
  8:00 Special Intention Thomas & Donna Cycon & Family
12:10 Special Intention Fr. Check req. The Koetke family

Saturday, May 3
  8:00 +Alfred Reginald Simcock 1st Anniversary req. Renee & Delwyn Antao
12:10    +Eleanor Ingram req. Lisa Fabrizio

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00-8:00 a.m.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed. 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation Sponsors…are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

St. Maria Goretti Society…For the spiritual formation of girls from 9th - 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  For more information, please call Rosa Marchetti at 348-023.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of boys from 8th – 12th grades meets monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.

Novena of the Miraculous Medal:  Monday 8:30 a.m.

The One Perfect Sacrifice
                                     Part 1            -Fr. Terry Walsh
St. Paul teaches us in his letter to the Romans: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a Spirit of slavery to fall back into FEAR, but you received a Spirit of Adoption, through which we cry, ABBA, Father! The Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are Children of God, and if Children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if only we SUFFER with Him so that we may also be GLORIFIED with Him”(Rm. 8). As we prepare for Pentecost, it’s important to reflect on the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Gift made possible through the Perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This series of columns requires a bit of reading: see the story of Elijah that’s found in the 1st Book of KINGS, Chapters 18, 19 (Old Testament). It’s the story of the great Prophet Elijah battling the false prophets in Israel, whose teachings had corrupted God’s people and contributed to their infidelity to the Holy Covenant that God established with His people. Their vision became clouded and they were led astray. As you read the story in your Bible, be mindful of the Altar of the Lord that Elijah seeks to repair, as well as his preparation of the Sacrifice, made in Faith.
 Now, we’re all called to an Active Participation in our Life in Christ – that is – a deliberate act of our will to raise our Hearts and Minds to God – to CRY OUT to our Heavenly Father as His faithful children with complete confidence in His Love. Active Participation isn’t ‘Busyiness’ – but rather, it’s a conscious decision to place ourselves in the Presence of God throughout each day and to order our lives according to His precepts, His Commandments, His teachings. When we seek Him with sincere hearts He will fill our Hearts with the ‘Fire of His Love’ and wash us clean with His infinite Mercy. He will sanctify us with His 7 Fold gift of Grace and speak directly to our Hearts through His Word – and the Word will set us free – free from sin and darkness – free to love, in the Light.
The story of Elijah and the false prophets demonstrates that God is ONE and that all are called to worship Him alone – to offer Him an acceptable sacrifice upon the Altar of our Hearts. We prepare our sacrifice through the great Sacrament of Confession. We purify our sacrifice through the Waters of our tears – that is, through our genuine sorrow for having offended God through sin. Moreover, we offer to God are sufferings and embrace our trials – our Cross, with love – all for the one Who took upon Himself our lowly human nature, died in the flesh, rose in the flesh, and nourishes us each day with His Flesh – because of His love for us. Indeed, when we have been sanctified through the Grace of Confession and offer our sufferings to God the Father in the Holy Mass – through His Only Begotten Son – we actually participate in the Redemption of the world – we help to save souls.
Now let’s take a little closer look at Elijah and the People of Israel. Elijah begins by asking God’s people: “How long will you straddle the issue? (In the RSV, “How long will you go limping with 2 different opinions?) If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, follow Him.” Elijah is questioning the integrity of the people – they’re playing both sides of the fence and Elijah has exposed their duplicity. Yet, he offers them a chance to be reconciled with God by following Him, unreservedly – by placing both feet firmly in the Lord’s camp. We likewise are called to seek Him with an undivided heart – to stay close to Him in the Sacraments – to Pray – to live the Gospel in imitation of Christ!                        PART II NEXT WEEK…….