SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST

Page 1 ~ April 1, 2018

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME Saint John the Evangelist Parish warmly welcomesShana Singh, a student at Notre Dame High School, who was received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil.

Our prayers are with you!

Sunday, April 1 - Happy Easter NO EVENTS SCHEDULED Monday, April 2 NO EVENTS SCHEDULED Tuesday, April 3 Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, 8:30 AM to 6:50 PM Little Flowers Girls Club, 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM Benediction, 6:50 PM to 7:00 PM Blue Army Holy Hour, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM The Prophets, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Wednesday, April 4 Lectio Divina, 8:35 AM to 9:35 AM Rosary at Manor Care, 6:15 PM to 6:45 PM Thursday, April 5 YDisciple (All Girls and Boys), 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Adult Choir Practice, 7:00 PM to 9:15 PM Friday, April 6 Divine Mercy Chaplet, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM Designer Bag Bingo, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Saturday, April 7 Miraculous Medal Novena, immediately following 8:00 AM Mass Confessions, 4:00 to 5:00 PM

ST• JOHN THE EVANGELISTROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH THIS WEEK AT

RICE BOWL OFFERINGSAll Rice Bowl offerings will be collected from now until Thursday, April 5th. The CRS offers three ways for you to send your donations:• Participants bring their filled rice bowls to the Parish

Office• Send checks made out to Saint John’s and bring it to the

Parish Office or put in the Sunday Collection Basket (please write Rice Bowl on the memo line)

• Send a check, made payable to CRS, directly to CRS Rice Bowl, PO Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21297

• Thank you.

Dear Friends, On this great feast of Easter, I am happy to resume writ-ing to you, through my ‘A Helping of Shepherd’s P.I.E.’ There is no greater day to be filled with faith and joy than this celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection! Because today we join with Christians throughout the world in celebrating the great feast of the Resurrec-tion of Our Lord Jesus Christ! The Resurrection of Jesus is the single most important event in the history of mankind! Through His resurrection, Jesus validated everything He preached during His public ministry. By His resurrection, Jesus confirmed that He is the Son of God who came to earth to reconcile mankind with our heavenly Father. In that one, single, historical event — the most important event in hu-man history, when Jesus' dead body was glorified and resurrected to life — the whole world was given hope that, in Christ Jesus, we too can live eternally. Today’s Easter celebration is the greatest feast in all of Christendom! It truly is a celebration that what God intended for mankind from the beginning of time, is now possible because of the divine sacrifice perfectly accepted on that first Easter morning. Today I am delighted to welcome all who join us at Easter Sunday Mass to offer thanks to Almighty God for the gift of His Son’s Resurrection. I welcome to our parish, especially, our guests and visitors who join us today for our celebration of Easter. I ex-tend special words of welcome to our young adults who are home from college and who join us in prayer. I welcome home those members of Saint John the Evangelist Parish who have moved from Lower Makefield and Morrisville, but who are returning to visit family and join us for Mass. Please know that your presence lends greatly to our prayers and our parish’s celebration this joyous day. On behalf of Father Brady, Father Benn, Deacon Bob, Deacon Jim, Deacon Tom, Sister Marganne and our entire parish staff, I extend to you and to your family our prayers and wishes that the joy and faith of this day will remain with you, your families and in your homes throughout this year of grace!

A Blessed Easter to one and to all!

Through the intercession of Saint John the Evangelist, may we be living examples of the gospel that he has handed onto us! Fr. O’Sullivan

An Easter Dinner Blessing

Almighty and Eternal God, we gather today to celebrate this great feast of our redemption promised us through the complete and perfect sacrifice of Your

Son. His death gave us Your forgiveness; His resurrection promises us

eternal life! You have given us the faith to realize the power of Jesus’

resurrection; give to us, also, the grace to proclaim it in word and in deed!

Give us Your guidance and strength to be like Your Son’s apostles! May we turn to Blessed Mary, the mother of the risen Lord,

to continually lead us to her son! As we gather at this table,

strengthen us through this food to boldly and faithfully proclaim Jesus’ resurrection!

We make this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God

for ever and ever! Amen!

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEKSunday, April 1

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

7:30 AM All the Members of our Parish9:30 AM All the Members of our Parish 11:30 AM All the Members of our Parish

Monday, April 2: Monday within the Octave of Easter8:00 AM Marjorie J. Fullan, requested by Arthur Fullan and Family

Tuesday, April 3: Tuesday within the Octave of Easter8:00 AM All Priests, requested by the St. John’s Blue Army Wednesday, April 4: Wednesday within the Octave of Easter8:00 AM Stephen Vitale, requested by Virginia Percudani Denike

Thursday, April 5: Thursday within the Octave of Easter8:00 AM Charles P. Walsh, requested by his daughter, Karen

Friday, April 6: Friday within the Octave of Easter8:00 AM Vitale and Driscoll Families, requested by the Driscoll Family

Saturday, April 7: Saturday within the Octave of Easter8:00 AM Members of the Dever, Lerro, and Sargent Families, requested by the Sargent Family8:00 PM All the Members of our Parish

7:30 AM Kevin McCoy, requested by Ken and Josh McCoy9:30 AM Deceased members of the Vidunas Family, requested by the Gladwell Family 11:30 AM Richard Strauss, requested by Kathy, Joan and Jenna Graves

Sunday, April 8Sunday of Divine Mercy

REST IN PEACEIn your kindness, please pray for the happy repose of the soul of

Annette Macecevic,wife of Joe Macecevic,

andOlga Rivas-Plata,

sister of Ana Maria Rivas-Plata

May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in

peace.

God Bless Our Service MembersPlease keep in your thoughts and prayers all service men and wom-en, along with their family mem-bers, when so many are far from

home throughout the world. We are forever grateful for all the

sacrifices that they and their families have made.

Lt. Timothy Abbracciamento (son of John and Ana Abbracciamento)

Lt. Commander Matthew Piasecki

(nephew of Alan and Linda Marquis)

Majors David and Ann Driscoll(grandchildren of Joseph and Mary Loncosky)

Chief Petty Officer Jim Buckley, USN(cousin of Linda Russell)

Second Lt. Daniel P. Cummings(son of John and Christina Cummings

Ensign Stephanie G. Radzinski, USN(daughter of Rick and Maria Radzinski)

Commander Robert J. Roadfuss(friend of Rosemary and Kevin Hayes)

Your brother in Christ, Fr. Walter J. Benn

Well as Father O’Sullivan has informed you, he feels ready to resume his duties as Pastor of St. John the Evangelist fol-lowing Easter Sunday. It is an undestate-ment to say that being here at St. John the Evangelist has been a wonderful experi-ence for me. From the moment I arrived, everyone has welcomed me with warmth and gratitude. As I shared with you on my first weekend here, I am impressed with

the spirituality of SJE and how that spirituality drives your pri-orities as a Parish Family. So many of you are “other” centered. You have the true spirit of Stewardship. You have blessings in your life; you recognize that God is the source of those bless-ings and in gratitude for those blessings, you strive to love God back by how you use your Time, Talent and Treasure. I am also very impressed with the dedication and professionalism of SJE’s parish staff. They work selfishly, cheerfully and without complaint under difficult circumstances. It is important that you know that they do this for you. Today is Easter Sunday, the greatest Feast in Chris-tianity. Easter is not about bunnies, baskets or egg hunts. It is about conversion. It is about being like our Creator in whose image you and I were made. It involves turning away from what estranges us from God; turning towards Him and most importantly, moving towards Him. These are not easy things to choose or to do, because it means we must “die” to those things that would draw us away from our Father. That is why Easter must always be understood in the light of Our Lord’s life, His Gospel and his Passion and Death. Easter should not and cannot be separated from Calvary. There is no such thing as painless Discipleship. Nevertheless, Easter also reminds us…….hope-fully, inspires us to believe in God’s promise to us; namely, that Discipleship leads us back to where Adam and Eve first encoun-ter Him; namely, in the Garden. It is no accident that it is in a garden that Mary Magdalene first encounters the Risen Lord. We are called to enter into this mystery as individuals, but also as a communities, as a body of believers, as spiritual families. It has been my joy to discover this in you, the spiritual family of St. John the Evangelist Parish and to be nourished by it. Stay the way you are!

The Parish “Temp!”

193 St.John the Evangelist

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Next Sunday’s Readings – April 8, 2018Prepare for Sunday Mass by reading, reflecting and pray-ing the readings with family and friends.Reading 1Acts 4:32-35Responsorial PsalmPsalms 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24Reading 21 John 5:1-6AlleluiaJohn 20:29GospelJohn 20:19-31

ADMINISTRATIONThird Sunday in March 2018 Regular Sunday Collection $ 12,015Number of Envelopes 360Third Sunday in March 2017Regular Sunday Collection $ 14,826 Number of Envelopes 403YTD Collection (July 1, 2017 – March 18, 2018) $476,960Average Number of Envelopes 365

Thank you for your continued generosity!

PARISH ORGANIZATIONSAdoration Society: Maria DiDonato, Cynthia Mariotti Adult Faith Formation: Debbie Brzezynski, 267.918.8834Aid for Friends: Mary Africa, 215.428.9581Altar Servers: Father Timothy O’Sullivan, 215.295.4102Community Food Dr.: Cathy & Joe McLean, 267.833.3177Blessed Counters: Father Timothy O’Sullivan, 215.295.4102CYO Athletic Directors: Mike & Mary McGill, 215.337.8282Disability Advocate: Kathy Ross, 215.736.8017Extraordinary Ministers Holy Communion: Sister Marganne Drago, 215.295.4102Faith in Action/Staying Put in Bucks County: Susan Cridge, 215.295.5726 Funeral Liturgy Assistance: Rosemary Goode, 215-493-7424Hospitality/Bakery Basket: Ann Damron, 215.736.3527Knights of Columbus #7515: Grand Knight, Joseph Retallick, 267.997.1087 Lectors: Sister Marganne Drago, 215.295.4102Men’s Faith Share: Vince Bodnar, 215.321.5155Pastoral Council: Magda Manetas, 215.295.2512Prayer Network: Lisa Petrino, 215.295.6468Respect Life: Ed Barry, 215.295.4335Seton Society: Tom Brunner, 215.734.3031Social Concerns Committee: Diane Coyle, 215.493.8472Ushers/Greeters: Father Timothy O’Sullivan, 215-295-4102Women of the Word Prayer Group: Bunny Maffey, 215-369-3183

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICKRobert Amadio, Merriam B. (friend of Kristen Yost),

Nancy Baradziej, Michael Barkovich (son of Michael and Diana Barkovich), Tom Biester,John Camerlengo,

(brother of Carmine Camerlengo), Kathy Camerlengo (niece of Carmine Camerlengo), Claudia (5 yrs. old -

granddaughter of Karen and William DiBraccio), Louis D., Edward, Leo James Ferdinand (grandson of

Michael and Toni Schwartz), Dennis Flynn (daughter-in-law’s father of Chris and Diane Ledes), Patricia Funk, Ann M., Joseph Jaconski (brother of Mary DiTanna),

Bernard Matulis, Angela Planche (friend of Elisa Costas), Milt and Bettyanne Simonds (mother and father of

Elizabeth Simonds), Derrick and Marty Warren, Joseph Wasiakowski (husband of Shirley Wasiakowski),

and all residents of Manor Care and Arden Court.

Come, Let Us Worship The Lord!On the Weekend of March 17/18, 2018

224 people joined us at our 5:30 PM Mass;145people joined us at our 7:30 AM Mass;248 people joined us at our 9:30 AM Mass;

and 284 people joined us at our 11:30 AM Mass.

Thank You For Making The Lord A Priority In Your Life!

VISITING THE SICKIf a family member is sick, in the hospital, at home or in a Nursing Home, and they would like a short visit by one of our members, please call the Parish Office at 215-295-4102.

BAKERY BASKETThe Bakery Basket sponsored byPREP will be held next Sunday, April 8th, in the Deacon James Hartmann Meeting Room after the 9:30 and 11:30 AM Masses. Please stop by and enjoy some food and friendship. All are welcome!

HANDS IN SERVICEThe team of four ladies who sharethe laundering of the linens used by the priests at Mass has lost one of its members to retirement in another city.

They are in need of a person who can assist them one week a month. If you are interested in helping, please contact Fran Burek at 215-493-5227.

193 St.John the Evangelist

Designer Bag BingoDesigner Bag Bingo will be held on April 6th from 7-10 PM. Doors will open at 6:30 PM. Reserve your spot for $30 today. Email Meghan at youth-ministries@stjohnpa.org.

SAVE THE DATE! Vacation Bible School this year will be held from July 9th-13th, from 9:00 AM -12:15 PM. Please mark off these dates so you can attend VBS 2018: SHIPWRECKED, RESCUED BY JESUS!!

Easter Egg HuntThe Easter Egg Hunt this year will be held on April 8th, after the 11:30am Mass. It is open for all children 0-12 years old, cost is $10 per family. RSVP at stjohncatholicmoms@gmail.com. Donations of plastic eggs and non-treat egg stuffings can be dropped off in the Parish Offices until Friday, April 6th, 2018.

Junior and High School CYO RegistrationAll enrollment/permission forms are due ASAP if your son/daughter has been attending youth group this school year. If you are not sure if you have submitted the forms or payment yet, contact Meghan at youthministries@stjohnpa.org. Jr. CYO youth group will be held on Friday’s from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM All H.S. girls and boys will meet on Thursday’s from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Steubenville- Reserve Your Spot!There are limited spaces left for the Steubenville Retreat being held June 22nd-24th, with a Hershey park excursion on Monday, June 25th. It is $40 to reserve your spot. Fundraising is available!!

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Youth Ministry AnnouncementsATTENTION ALL YOUTH

Youth Minister: Meghan Horn http://www.stjohpa.org/youth-ministry or 215-295-4102

PREP HAPPENINGSBarbara Ann Nuzzolo, Director of Religious Education

SEE MORE ABOUT PREP ON THE WEBSITE: http://www.stjohnpa.org/PREP or call 215-295-9239

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK

I am wishing you a happy and blessed Easter. The Risen Lord blesses each of us in a special way each day of our lives. The newness of life is all around us as we enter this Paschal Mystery .Let us take time to be grateful for all these blessings.It is with pleasure that I introduce our third CONFIRMATION teacher; namely, Mrs. Deborah Purowitz who heeds the message of the Risen Lord to go out and teach all the message of the Gospel. There is so much love for the Catholic faith that Mrs .Purowitz brings to her students that they cannot help but understand the im-portance of their receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. She and her husband Mark will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary this summer. St. John the Evangelist has been their church home since moving to Morrisville 26 years ago. They have two sons: Mi-chael who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and lives and works in NYC, and Jonathan who graduated from The Catholic University of America.All of the sixth grade teachers work together and follow the same curriculum. They find it helps our 6th grade families. Email up-dates are sent to the parents informing them of the weekly assign-ments and of the material that was covered in class. Should a stu-dent need to miss a class on Sunday, for example, they complete the assignments that the teacher provides with these weekly emails. This enables them to be right on track with the other students. This year, the teachers of all sixth grade classes continue to incorporate from the Ascension Press video series: CHOSEN into the existing curriculum. This year the theme is: “Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus.” A timeline is used to study the life of Jesus from the Annunciation to Pente-cost. This approach is to show how “everything we do as Catholic Christians comes back to Him- the sacraments, the Mass, works of mercy, everything!” Mrs. Purowitz has found the most “rewarding experience for the scholars of Confirmation to be be their service projects. These em-power our young people. Through their hands-on participation in helping others, the students understand that they really can make a difference in the world!”Sixth grade curriculum focuses on Confirmation preparation. The theme is to “Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus” and to be a witness to Him in our everyday lives. Mrs. Purowitz uses “Walk with Jesus Timeline” to study the life of Christ (from the Annunciation to Pen-tecost) and to show how everything we do as Catholic Christians comes back to Him – the sacraments, the Mass, works of mercy, everything!This year the students chose to help veterans, nursing home and cancer patients, inner-city and special needs children, the home-less, the hungry, as well as family, friends and neighbors. Quotes from their reflection papers include: “I didn’t know so many people need food and shelter in my community”, “I am grateful for what I have”, “helping others makes you feel good”, “service was fun”, and “it made me realize I have gifts from God that I can share with others.” Mrs. Purowitz’s classes are energized by her witnessing this same faith that she wants her student to understand and love. She belongs to the parish faith- sharing groups in the parish. Mrs. Purowitz is al-ways ready to go that extra mile to clarify the tenets of faith that the sixth grade students are required to understand. We are so grateful for all her dedicated work. The above is but a glimpse of the dedi-cation Mrs. Purowitz exemplifies as she continues to concentrate on her goal as she stated to me. “I hope that our students continue to grow and practice their Catholic Faith. It’s a life-long journey for all of us. Please pray for our Confirmandi.” The SAINT MUSEUM will be held in the Parish Center on April 22, 2018 from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM.CONFIRMATION is on May 10, 2018 at 4:00 pm.

CYO Track Registration is now open.Please log onto www.wagdogs.com to register.It is for all St. John's Parishioners from 1st to 8th Grades.Any questions, please contact us at cyodirector@stjohnpa.org.

CYO News

ADDRESS:

PHONE: Email:

Welcome to St. John the Evangelist Church!Our warmest welcome to all who are visiting us for today’s Liturgy. If you are not officially registered in the parish and would like to become a parishio-ner, please fill out this form and place it in the collection basket. Parishioners may also use this form to note any address/phone/email changes.

New Parishioner Address Change

FAMILY NAME:

Page 5 ~ April 1, 2018 OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Knightly News

SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE(socialconcerns@stjohnpa.org)

*You Belong: How to Foster Active Participation in Worship: - April 28, 2018. For more information please refer to our church bulletin board or contact kathyross19@gmail.org

*Mothers of Children with Disabilities Retreat- Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Information from the United Sates Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) The Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments for Per-sons with Disabilities con-tinues:

Marriage- “Couples with intellectual or developmental disablities who be-lieve they are called to the vocation of married life are encouraged to seek counsel by discussing the Sacrament of Matrimony with their families and pastors. For matrimonial consent to be valid, it is neces-sary that the contracting parties possess a suffixient use of reason; that they be fee of any grave lack of discretion affecting their judgment about the rights and duties to which they are committeeng themselves; and that they have the mental capity to assume the essential obligations of the married state. All are Welcome!

“What came to through Him was life, and this life was the light of the human race.”John 1:4

FUTURE EVENTS:Shared Meal Meeting: April 11, 2018, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, SchoolChristmas Bazaar Meeting: April 11, 2018, 7:00 PM to 8:45 PM, SchoolSewing/Knitting/Crocheting Meeting, April 15, 2018, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, St Fran-cis RoomSocial Concerns Meeting: April 18, 2018, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, School

DONATIONS:Backpack Center – Spaghetti O’s/canned ravioli, etc.Soldiers’ Ministry - used cell phones or chargers.The Social Concerns committee supports the Interfaith Food Alliance of Morrisville. The IFA runs the Backpack Center which is a food pantry open four times a month for the families of children identified by the Morrisville Schools as in need. For more information on the IFA or to volunteer, please visit their website: www.interfaithfood-alliance.com.

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” Proverbs 19:17

PASTORAL CARE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

ARE YOU CALLED TO BE A DEACON?

ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIAWEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS

Are you celebrating a special anniversary this year? The annual Archdiocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass will take place on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul at the 5:15 PM Vigil Mass with Archbish-op Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M., Cap. Presiding. This Mass is to pray for and with all married couples who are newlyweds, or who have been married 25 years or more, or 50 years or more. Friends and family are welcome and encouraged to attend. REGISTRATION REQUIRED To register visit: www.phillycatholiclife.org or call: 215-587-0500.

HOST FAMILIES NEEDEDHost Families are desired for several Nacel Open Doorinternational students from France and Spain visiting our area June 30th – July 21st. These B-2 visa students speak English, are fully insured and have their own spending mon-ey for personal expenses. Host Families provide room and board and receive a generous hosting stipend.For more information please contact: Lynn Merk lmerk@team.nacelopendoor.org 215-630-3590Local Representative for Nacel Open Door

We invite Catholic men (and their wives if married) with a deep spiritual life who are between the ages of 29 and 55, and would like to discern a call to serve Jesus Christ and His Church within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as permanent deacons to take the next step and contact us for more information and to register for the upcoming Perma-nent Diaconate Information Night.

2018 Permanent Diaconate Information NightThursday, April 19, 2018

7:00 PM - 9:00 PMSaint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Vianney Auditorium

100 East Wynnewood RoadWynnewood, PA 19096

Registration for this event is required. Please email the following information to Laura Nimmons at lnimmons@archphila.org

Name Address Age Parish Email Marital Status If married, wife’s name

Catholic Social ServicesCatholic Social Services, Bucks County, is seeking help to provide assistance to those in need. We invite you to participate in a diaper/baby item drive to supply familieswith the necessary items to ensure comfort and wellbeing. This diaper drive will take place April 6th, 12 PM to 4 PM and April 7th, 9 AM to Noon. (Donations of any size would be appreciated!)Diaper/baby bath item donations will be accepted at 100 Levittown Parkway, Levittown, PA 19054. Thank you for your continued support and kindness.

Thank You from the Knights of Columbus!A warm and heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Adopt-a-Family program for Easter. Many people helped by providing food and monetary donations, assisting with the food collection, organizing the food for distribution and distributing the food. With your incredible generosity St. John the Evangelist Knights of Columbus Council 7515 was able to provide food for nearly 100 families this Easter. Once again you have come through with your amazing generosity! Thank You!