MATRIMONY Arrangements must be made with one of the priests at least 8 months in advance of the date before social plans are made. If either party has gone through any form of civil or religious marriage with another person the priest is not permitted to set a date for the wedding until the Bishop’s office has been consulted.

PREBAPTISMAL CLASS For those anticipating the birth and subsequent Baptism of their first children, class is held on the second Tuesday every other month. January, March, May, July, September, November at 7:30 p.m. in the Upper Room.

ROSARY Daily following the 8:00 a.m. Mass/Upper Room

CHOIR Tuesday Evenings at 7:00 p.m.

ADORATION CHAPEL The Chapel of Divine Mercy is open from Sunday 6:00 p.m. through 10:00 a.m. Saturday 24 hours per day. Additional Eucharistic Adorers are always welcome. Please consider volunteering an hour of your time and contact Gary Tennyson at 203-953-1200/email tennysg@comcast.net or R. Scott Goodfellow at 203-394-2248/email rscottgoodfellow@aol..com.

OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

PASTOR Rev. Birendra Soreng PAROCHIAL VICAR Rev. Russell Augustine DEACONS Deacon Andrew Dzujna Deacon F. Paul Kurmay Deacon T. Emmet Murray DIRECTOR OF MUSIC Mr. Peter Nelsen (203-650-0768) CANTOR Maria Damianou (203-814-8261) DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Mrs. Patricia Nettleton (203-377-3158) YOUTH MINISTRY Mr. Jared Forcier (203-876-1621) www.stmarkyouthgroup.org PARISH BUSINESS MANAGER Mrs. Susan Lenahan (203-377-0444) PARISH SECRETARY Mrs. Paula Mollica (203-377-0444) ST. MARK SCHOOL Mrs. Donna Wuhrer, Principal PARISH TRUSTEES Mr. Frank Bevacqua Mr. Martin Poniatowski PARISH FINANCE OFFICER Mrs. Miriam Costa (203-380-8583)

500 Wigwam Lane, Stratford, Connecticut 06614 Rectory Phone: 203-377-0444 / Fax: 203-386-8071 • Parish Website: www.stmarkstratford.org

Religious Education Phone: 203-377-3158 • School Phone: 203-375-4291

Bequests to St. Mark are strongly encouraged and gratefully accepted. Sugges�on: When a loved one dies, advise rela�ves & friends to make a

dona�on to “St. Mark Bldg. Fund” in memory of the deceased, and include this wish in the obituary no�ce.

MASS SCHEDULE: Saturdays: 8:00am, 5:00pm - Vigil

Sundays: 7:30am, 9:00am, 10:30am

& 12:00 Noon

Weekdays: 8:00am

Holydays: 5:30pm - Vigil, 8:00am, 12:00

Noon & 7:00pm

Confession Schedule: Saturday 3:30pm -

4:30pm

NEW PARISHIONERS

WELCOME to our Parish Family!

To be officially registered, please ask an

Usher for a Census Card, fill it out and

return it in person, or by mail.

Saturday, March 11, 2017 thru Sunday March 19 2017

Saturday 5:00 Rosaria Mucciacciaro RB Perugini Family Sunday 7:30 Victoria DungDung RB Ruth Janega 9:00 Paul Nettleton RB Family 10:30 Henry Rafferty (Anniversary Mass) RB Family 12:00 Stephen Kubica RB Family Monday 8:00 All Parishioners Living & Deceased Tuesday 8:00 Roselle Davidson Viola and Anthony Cywinski RB Family Wednesday 8:00 Christine Mastroni RB Fran Pettinella Thursday 8:00 Margaret Gourdeau RB Husband Friday 8:00 Wynne Family RB Family Saturday 8:00 Joseph Cordone RB Wife 5:00 John and Julia Kasinak RB Family Sunday: 7:30 James, Delia, and Jimmy Whelan RB Family 9:00 Mohyde, McQuilton, and Butler Families RB Family 10:30 Breton and Donnachie Families RB Family 12:00 Calcagno Family RB Vecsey Family

2017 Annual Catholic Appeal will commence the weekend of March 11/12, 2017. This year’s appeal, “Sharing God’s Gifts, Transforming Lives,” is our opportunity to look beyond our parish and share in the life and mission of the Church. By sharing our gifts, we proclaim with joy the Good News of the Gospel by example and witness in our parish and in our surrounding community. Please consider generously making a donation to the appeal. Our 2017 parish goal is $137,000. Stations of the Cross will be prayed in the Church at 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Fridays during Lent. 40 Cans for 40 Days The Knights of Columbus will once again be holding their “40 Cans for 40 Days” food drive to benefit the Sterling House food pantry. Dry, non-perishable foods will be collected Calling All Youth and Young Adults: Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has called for a Synod of Bishops 2018. The theme, “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment,” will challenge bishops to consider how we can do a better job of engaging young people in faith. Bishop Caggiano would like to know your thoughts on faith, prayer life, and more. Visit www.tellbishopfrank.org and share your thoughts anytime between now and April 15th. The survey is open to anyone between 12 and 29. Message from Cardinal Dolan: Cardinal Dolan has invited the parish men to the 2017 Archdiocesan Men’s Conference on Saturday, April 1, at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, NY. There will be speakers, Mass, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The theme is “Faith Every Day.” To learn more r e g i s t e r , v i s i t www.ArchNYMensConference.eventbrite.com Teen Mass A Huge Success...and it Continues!!!! Our first teen/youth Mass was a tremendous success. Our next Mass will be celebrated on March 19, at 12:00. A light lunch in the church hall for all teens/youth will follow the Mass. However, “youth” of all ages are welcome to the Mass! Entering the Mystery: A Lenten Reflection: Spend some time reflecting on the longing in your heart to enter into the mystery of becoming Paschal/Easter people. Monday, March 27, 9:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. Diocese of Bridgeport, Queen of Saints Hall, 238 Jewett Avenue, Bridgeport. Contact Joe Long at 516-286-3545 or jlong@rclbenziger.com. Attendance is free and a light lunch will be served. We are happy to welcome Elise Amelia Rodriguez, recently baptized into the community of the Church, and to a new, loving relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ Parish Nurses: The Parish Nurses will be taking blood pressures after all Masses March 18/19. Stop by, get a reading, and say hello! Also, your old prescriptions may be given to the Parish Nurses to be disposed of by the Stratford Police Dept. NOTE: Bulletin announcements work! The Parish Nurses successfully took over 50 BPs on “Know Your Numbers” weekend and gave out St. Vincent Medical Center healthy choice packets too.

Volunteer Needed: A parishioner is in need of transportation to Mass at 12:00 on Sundays. If you can help, please contact Paula at the parish office.

Readings for this Sunday may be found in Catholic Community Hymnal Second Sunday of Lent

Section 505A

UPCOMING EVENTS March 11/12: 2017 Annual Bishop’s Appeal Begins March 13: Ladies’ Guild Guest Speaker Program 3/13 thru 4/ 28: Lauralton Hall “Shadow” program March 14: Bereavement Group begins March 17 & 24: First Reconciliation March 26: Catholic Relief Services Collection “Jesus in Disguise” 2nd Collection March 27: Entering the Mystery Lenten Program April 1: 2017 Men’s Conference, Yonkers NY April 9: Palm Sunday—Stations and Benediction at 2:00 p.m. Shrine of St. Margaret, 2523 Park Ave. Bridgeport, CT Main celebrant: Bishiop Caggiano

Remember! Every First Friday Holy Hour will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the church.

Parish Lenten Dinner and Raffle will be held on Friday, April 7, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Center, with a snow date of Saturday, April 8, 2017. This year we are planning on returning to the “Fish and Chips” dinner only. Coleslaw, bread and butter, soda or water, and coffee and dessert are also included. BYOB. Cost: $15 adult; $10 children. Please return your completed reservation form with your payment starting in the weekend collections, or drop it off at the parish office. Reservation deadline is Tuesday, April 4, 2017. Dinner is by reservation only; there will be no walk-ins. Tables of 8 or 10.

Lenten Dinner Reservation Form

(Please Print)

Name: ______________________________

Phone: ______________________________

No. Attending: ____________ ___________

(Adults) (Children)

Payment Enclosed: $___________________

$15 per adult; $10 per child

(Make checks payable to St. Mark Church)

Please sit me with: ____________________

St. Mark School Science Fair: We would like to acknowledge and congratulate the winners of this year’s Science Fair. Grade 6: 1st Place – Madison McMahon and Skyler Johansen/ Can Penicillin Grow on Food? 2nd Place – Timothy Scalzo/Landfill Losers 3rd Place – Skylar Alicea/Bottle Water…Worth the Money? Honorable Mention – Brooke Fitzsimmons/How Does Smell Affect Taste? Grade 7: 1st Place – Kaitlyn Szscepanski/Watt’s the Efficiency of Solar Cells? 2nd Place – Michael LaMonica/Testing Tie Dye Milk 3rd Place – Mya Zayas/How Safe is your Water? Honorable Mention – Anthony Britto/Can You See the Light? Honorable Mention – Tay’vian Laing and Jude Pastorok/Color My Memory Grade 8: 1st Place – Kaitlyn Feliciano and Jenna Koonitsky/How Sweet Is It? 2nd Place – Liam Millot and Matthew Morales/Can You(V) See the Light? 3rd Place – Kaitlyn Grassia/Antacid Potency Honorable Mention – Christian Garry and Jonathan Bushka/How Acidic Are Different Liquids? Congratulations to Grade 5 for participating in their first Science Fair. While they did not participate in the judging portion, they did a spectacular job on their projects!

Memoriam: St. Mark is announcing an addition to our memoriam program. As you know, you may order single or collective intention Mass cards. We are now offering the opportunity for parishioners to reserve the Sanctuary Lamp to burn in memory of a loved one for a week at a time. There is no card to be provided; the Sanctuary Lamp memoriam will be announced in the weekly bulletin. The cost is $10. Please call Paula in the parish office if you are interested in reserving the Sanctuary Lamp.

Parish Planning Team: The PPT is looking for parishioners interesting in becoming the Director of two new committees: our welcoming and communications committees. However, many have expressed interest not as a “director,” but as a volunteer for either of these committees. Yes, yes, yes!!! We welcome your participation, either as a “director” or as a “volunteer.” Please call the rectory office to leave your contact information, or drop off a completed form if you want to apply for a “director” position.

Electrical: An underground conduit broke unexpect-edly causing water to get into our main power source. We will have to perform excavation to fix this problem and will do so as quickly as possible, but we have to be cautious due to the high voltage in this under-ground line. In the meantime, we are operating on minimal power consumption without our microphone system and organ. This portable microphone will be used until the problem is fixed. Thank you for your un-derstanding.

FORMED: Father Birendra has purchased for the parish

a program titled “Formed.” This on-line site is

accessible to the entire parish for one year. FORMED is

currently being used with our evening adult learning

program held on Monday evenings. However, all are

welcome to access this rich, diversified website for their

own spiritual enrichment. Moms and Dads, there are

wonderful animated movies for the children to watch,

such as Ben Hur and The Story of Fatima. Books,

movies, programs, and audio are all available for you

to use at your leisure. Materials are available in English

and Spanish.

Instructions to sign up:

Go to the website Formed. Org

Go to Register : Sign up free using your parish code

Type the parish code which is : 8YVYF3

Give your email

Click Go

Register in your name giving your information

Create a Password then Submit

Go to your email in-box and verify your email

You are ready to logon to your account

Next time when you have to logon, go to logon,

give your email and you are done.

Pray for: Bob Haborak, Fedare Hrinak, Jeff Mastroni, Julie Koloules, Bob Wargo, Mark Burry, Jose Millet, KathySkinner, Matthew Freetas, Diane Vanderwaylan, Caroline DiRiusso, Toni Stabile,

Kathleen Hampton, Shirley Fenn, Michael Howard, Katie Bleekrod, Mary King, Christina Alterio, Evelyn Garafolo, Andy Yankowski, Carol Gay, Elaine Hauge, David Gallo, Julia Sellers, Mary Kahanec, Lillian Butler, Michael Hostetter, Jr., Rachel Maietto, Joan Watkins, Marilyn Lonzenski, Mark Bensen, YvonneWilson, Henry Pawley, Marie Pfrommer, Samantha Frattarola, Claire Hromjak, Eddie Corcoran, Bette Stumpp, Mike Czech, Spencer Grady, Eleanor Cornese, Lee Everetts, FrankVitucci, Sr., Terri Nardone, Cayden Morin, Felizardo Cipriano, Connie Dezso, Chelsea Wheeler, Mark Morreale, Gary Iadarola, Donna Bizak, Alex Convertito, Edward Recupero, Daniel Marzella, Quinn Faerdy, Linda Bates, Elmer Klosterman, Anthony DeLarosa, Mike Paternoster, Lisa Sinise,Abigail Feehan, Mike White, Pete Deyo, Lisa Whitaker, John Hoffman, Sara Chmielewski, Melissa Crocco, Ericka Janosko, Jean Radomski, Alice Gruninger, Barbara Galli, Mary Seery, William Turner, Christopher Bartmess, Jodi McDonald, John Krause, Justine Mamone, Wayne Wyman, Mary Jane Kosa, Ed Burns, Lucille Guglielmoni,Theresa Montelli, Sandra Boccuzzi, Sharon Rotunno, PatViellette, Michael Petro, Nick Forrest, Lillian Koegler, Terry Calgreen, Linda Suytak, Christopher Brogan, Jacqueline Carroll, Eleanor Strazzeri, Clare Ford, David Borba, Will Malik, Lelia Carneiro, Jason Swarbrick, Jyllian Golias, Christopher Rascoll, Luke Daniel Giasullo, Carolyn Puchowicz, Margaret Martin, Clare Duff, Camryn Baroni, Annie Healey, Veronica DeVitto, Bob Clark, Marta Kosh, Bob Dortenzio, Marilyn Bedford, Richard French.

Adoration Chapel Schedule

Our Stewardship of Treasure

Sunday, March 5, 2017 $10,147

Sunday, March 6, 2016 $10,498

Annual Collection 2017 $36,152

Annual Collection 2016 $34,943

Let light eternal shine on them , O Lord,

with Your saints forever, for You are merciful.

Readings for the Week of March 12th, 2017

“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

God calls all of us to leave behind our old ways and to follow Him, placing our complete trust in Him. Some of the old ways that we may have to struggle to leave behind might be materialism, selfishness, and greed. Yet God promises to show us a new land and a better way to live.

Readings for the Week of March 12, 2017

Sunday: Gn 12:1-4a/Ps 33:4-5, 18-20, 22/2 Tm 1:8b-10/Mt 17:1-

9

Monday: Dn 9:4b-10/Ps 79:8-9, 11, 13/Lk 6:36-38

Tuesday: Is 1:10, 16-20/Ps 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23/Mt 23:1-12

Wednesday: Jer 18:18-20/Ps 31:5-6, 14-16/Mt 20:17-28

Thursday: Jer 17:5-10/Ps 1:1-4, 6/Lk 16:19-31

Friday: Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a/Ps 105:16-21/Mt 21:33-43,

45-46

Saturday: Mi 7:14-15, 18-20/Ps 103:1-4, 9-12/Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

Next Sunday: Ex 17:3-7/Ps 95:1-2, 6-9/Rom 5:1-2, 5-8/Jn 4:5-42

or 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

Chapel Snow Closings: When snow or bad weather forces the closing of the Adoration Chapel, we will announce the closing on WICC 600AM radio and post the news on CTWEATHER.com (under closings in Public Organizations). In general, the Chapel will be closed anytime the Stratford Public Schools are closed. If at any time during the winter you feel you should not drive to the chapel, please stay home and be safe.

Shirley Conway

Bereavement Group: “There Will Be A New Day” will start March 14th at 9:00 a.m. in the Upper Room at St. Mark’s Church. The program is geared toward helping those saddened by the loss of a loved one. This program helps you to share your feelings with other group members who can empathize with your experience. Participants will meet for 10 sessions. For further information or to register, contact Susan Monk at 203-257-6999. Lauralton Hall invites all 7th grade girls to spend a day as a shadow student March 13 thru April 28. For information, call the Admissions Office at 203-877-2786, ext. 144. Lauralton Hall is proud to announce the following High Honors and Honors students for the 2nd academic quarter: Emily Bump, Honors ; Kelly DeRosa, Honors ; Dorothy Goodrich, High Honors; Sophie LaBella, Honors; Abby Ligas, High Honors; Lily Mulin, High Honors; Mia Mulin, Honors; Alexandra Sciallo, Honors; Christina Wood, Honors. Ladies Guild: Meeting to be held Monday, March 13, 2017 in the Upper Room at 6:30 p.m. Program starts at 7:00 p.m. Guest Speaker is Norma Fairbaugh. Norma is a retired teacher and has been a club speaker for many years. Her talks are mainly humorous. Norma’s program is titled “On Aging: Now I Know Why Old People Wear Slippers.” Please join us for a very enjoyable, entertaining, and fun evening. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome!

Fairfield University, Center for Catholic Studies: The Center for Catholic Studies announces their 2017 Spring calendar of events. Event: Jewish-Christian Engagement Event: Annelies: A Choral Setting of the Diary of Anne Frank, performed by the Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut. Sunday, March 26, 2017 at 3:00 p.m., Quick Center Kelley Theatre. Event: 11th Annual Commonweal Lecture: “Revelations Religious and Secular: What Commonweal Has Taught Me.” Held Wednesday, April 19, 2017, 7:30 p.m., Dolan School of Business Dining Room. All events are free and open to the public!

Defending our Religious Freedom: President Trump has pledged that his administration will do everything in its power to defend and protect religious liberty. We urge the fulfillment of this promise, including an end to regulations and other mandates by the federal government that force people of faith to make impossible choices. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has expressed their fervent hope that the new leadership will reinstate basic protections for religious freedom.

Sacred Heart University: Jesus Christ Superstar will be performed Palm Sunday weekend, April 6-8 at 8:00 p.m. and April 9, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts. $5 off using discount code for the general public is: CTJCS. Senior and Student discount tickets available too. Call the box office: 203-371-7908. Online tickets at edgertoncenter.org.

Secular Franciscan Holy Spirit Fraternity invites all to St. Anthony of Padua Church, 140 South Pine Creek Road, Fairfield, CT, on Saturday, March 18th at 9:30 a.m. to celebrate Mass and attend their fraternity social/meeting. For more information, contact Susan Lenahan at the parish office Tuesdays or Thursdays.