SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST

Come,Holy Spirit

Page 1 ~ May 20, 2018

Dear Friends, This weekend we join the Church in celebrating the great Solemnity of Pentecost: the ‘Birthday of the Church’! (Pentecost, literally, means ‘fifty’; we celebrate this feast fifty days after our celebration of Easter.) Today we celebrate that moment in time, when the Holy Spirit, as promised by the Lord Jesus, descended upon the Church and strengthened the Apostles and disciples of the Lord to boldly proclaim the gospel. On that first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles the gift of Grace, through which they would undertake the evangelical mission of the Church; that same Grace is what has continued to empower the Church in her mission through the centuries, to this very moment, and will continue to guide and strengthen the Church until the end of time. A beautiful reminder of the Holy Spirit in our lives can be evidenced through the grace of God mani-fested through the ‘fruits’ of the Holy Spirit – our actions and expressions that reflect the influence of the Holy Spirit in what we say and do. Saint Paul, in the fifth chapter of his Letter to the Galatians, identifies the fruits of the Holy Spirit. They are: -Charity or Love (Saint Paul uses these two words interchangeably). Charity is the love of God and of neighbor, without any thought of receiving something in return. It is not a “warm and fuzzy” feeling, it is much more profound. Charity, or love, is expressed in concrete action towards God and our fellow man. -Joy is the state of being undisturbed by the negative things in life. -Peace is a tranquility in our soul that comes from relying on God. Rather than getting caught up in anxiety for the future, Christians, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, trust in the providence of God. -Patience is the ability to bear the imperfections of other people, through a knowledge of our own imperfections and our need for God’s mercy and forgiveness. -Kindness or Benignity, is the willingness to give to others above and beyond what we own them. -Goodness is the avoidance of evil and the embrace of what is right, even at the expense of one’s earthly fame and fortune. -Longanimity or Long-Suffering is patience under provocation. While patience is properly directed at other’s faults, to be long-suffering is to endure quietly the personal attacks of others. -Mildness or Gentleness is the grace to be mild (or gentle) in behavior and to be forgiving, rather than angry; a willingness to be gracious, rather than vengeful. -Faith, as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, means living our life in accordance with God’s will at all times. -Modesty is the grace of humbling yourself, acknowledging that any of your successes, achieve-ments, talents, or merits are not truly your own but gifts from God. -Continence is self-control or temperance. It does not mean denying oneself what one needs or even necessarily what one wants (so long as what one wants is something good); rather, it is the exercise of mod-eration in all things. -Chastity is the submission of physical desire to right reason, subduing it to one’s spiritual nature.Chastity means indulging our physical desires only within the appropriate contexts—for instance, engaging in sexual activity only within marriage. As we celebrate this beautiful feast of the Holy Spirit, may we recognize His presence in our lives, calling us to a holiness of life, evidenced by the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives!

Come Holy Spirit,fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created, And You shall renew the face of the earth.O, God,

who by the light of the Holy Spirit,instructs the hearts of the faithful,

grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wiseand ever to rejoice in His consolations, through Christ Our Lord. Amen!

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

HOSTS FOR CELIAC DISEASEWe have special hosts available to anyone who suffers from Celiac disease. Only those who suffer from Celiac disease may use these hosts. Please see Father O’Sullivan or Father Brady before Mass.

ADULT ALTAR SERVERS NEEDED!Have you been called to serve? We are in need of adult men and women altar servers to assist at funerals. You will be thorough-ly trained. If you are wondering how you can volunteer at our Church in a profound way, please consider this important ministry. If interested, please contact the Parish Office at 215-295-4102.

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

7:30 AM The McVan Family, requested by Janice and Bernie McVan9:30 AM Lauri, requested by her mother, Ginnie Napolitano11:30 AM Florence, John and Jack Oberc, requested by the Bittner Family

Monday, May 21: Saint Christopher Magallanes8:00 AM Cynthia Ann Gergel, requested by her Parents

Tuesday, May 22: Saint Rita of Cascia8:00 AM Deacon Jim Hartmann, requested by the Ross Family

Wednesday, May 23 Wednesday in Ordinary Time8:00 AM Father Timothy O’Sullivan, requested by the Ross Family

Thursday, May 24: Thursday in Ordinary Time8:00 AM Henry Grezlak, Jr. (11th Anniversary), requested by his wife, Carol Lynn Grezlak

Friday, May 25: Saint Bede the Venerable8:00 AM Catherine E. Walsh, requested by her daughter, Karen

Saturday, May 26: Saint Philip Neri8:00 AM Kay Grossi, David Craig, and Pat Hieser, requested by the Sargent Family5:30 PM Rosemary Fabrizio, requested by Joseph Fabrizio

Sunday, May 27The Most Holy Trinity

7:30 AM All the Members of our Parish9:30 AM Walter Kenny, requested by his wife, Dorothy11:30 AM Vicky, requested by her mother, Ginnie Napolitano

Sunday, May 20 No Events Scheduled Monday, May 21 Blessed is She Women’s Group, 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Tuesday, May 22 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 Wednesday, May 23 Lectio Divina, 8:35 AM to 9:35 AM YDisciple (All Boys), 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Rosary at Manor Care, 6:15 PM to 6:45 PM Social Concerns Meeting, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM Thursday, May 24 CRS in Action ESL Class, 10:00 AM to Noon YDisciple (All Girls), 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Adult Choir Practice, 7:00 PM to 9:15 PM Friday, May 25 Divine Mercy Chaplet, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM Jr. CYO Youth Group Meeting, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Rosary, 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM

Saturday, May 26 Miraculous Medal Novena, immediately following 8:00 AM Mass Confessions, 4:00 to 5:00 PM

Sunday, May 20Pentecost Sunday

ST• JOHN THE EVANGELISTROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH THIS WEEK AT

THE RESULTS ARE IN!! On the weekend of May 5/6th, Father O’Sullivan conducted a poll during all of our Masses to see the preferred times of our parishioners for possible new Mass times for our Saturday evening and Sunday Masses. Many thanks to all who participated in the poll! Our new Mass schedule, which will take effect beginning Saturday, June 2nd, effects only our Saturday evening Mass; the poll indicated strongly that our current Sunday morning Mass times are preferred.

Our new Saturday evening Mass time will be at 4:00 pm.The Sacrament of Confession will be available on Saturday from 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm.

Our Sunday morning Mass times remain at 7:30 am, 9:30 am and 11:30 am.

For our Saturday evening Mass time, the poll indicated:174 parishioners preferred the 4:00 pm Mass time; 171 parishioners preferred the 5:00 pm Mass time; 166 parishioners preferred the 5:30 pm Mass time;

and, 84 parishioners preferred the 4:30 pm Mass time.For our Sunday morning Mass times, the poll indicated:

314 parishioners preferred to keep our current Mass times of 7:30 am, 9:30 am & 11:30 am; 153 parishioners preferred the 7:30 am, 10:00 am & 11:30 am times;

112 parishioners preferred the 8:00 am, 10:00 am & 12 Noon Mass times; and, 24 parishioners preferred the 7:30 am, 10:15 am & 12 Noon Mass times.

GOD BLESS THE CHILDREN!On Sunday, May 6th, Father Timothy O’Sullivan Baptized

Arianna Burneodaughter of Renzo and Duverlis Burneo

andCamryn Koretsky

daughter of Kenneth and Rachel Koretskyin our Catholic faith.

May the Blessings of their Baptism Dayalways keep the presence of the Lord in their lives!

193 St.John the Evangelist

Page 3 ~ May 20, 2018

Next Sunday’s Readings – May 27, 2018Prepare for Sunday Mass by reading, reflecting and pray-ing the readings with family and friends.Reading 1Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40Responsorial PsalmPsalms 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22Reading 2Romans 8:14-17AlleluiaRevelations 1:8GospelMatthew 28:16-20

ADMINISTRATION

PARISH ORGANIZATIONSAdoration Society: Maria DiDonato, Cynthia Mariotti Adult Faith Formation: Sister Marganne Drago, 215-295-4102Aid 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: Connie Drummond, 215-493-5897

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), Noreen Conlin (mother of Frank Traynor), Louis D., Edward, Dennis Flynn (daughter-in-law’s father of Chris and

Diane Ledes), Patricia Funk, Joseph Jaconski (brother of Mary DiTanna), Ann M., Bernard Matulis, Gregory

O’Brien (brother of Diane Ledes), Angela Planche (friend of Elisa Costas), Helen Sargent (wife of Raymond Sargent), Milt and Bettyanne Simonds (mother and father

of Elizabeth Simonds), Derrick and Marty Warren,and all residents of Manor Care and Arden Court.

Come, Let Us Worship The Lord!On the Weekend of May 5/May 6, 2018

194 people joined us at our 5:30 PM Mass;175 people joined us at our 7:30 AM Mass;231 people joined us at our 9:30 AM Mass;

and 246 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.

First Sunday in May 2018 Regular Sunday Collection $ 12,173Number of Envelopes 329First Sunday in May 2017Regular Sunday Collection $ 13,123Number of Envelopes 401YTD Collection (July 1, 2017 – May 6, 2018) $562,805Average Number of Envelopes 368

Thank you for your continued generosity!

God Bless Our Service MembersPlease keep in your thoughts and

prayers all service men and women, along with their family members, 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)

193 St.John the Evangelist

Sponsoring our Youth at SteubenvilleWe officially have a total number of 32 people (youth and chaperones) going on our annual Steubenville retreat this year in June! As we have fundraised all year for this event, we want to first thank you for all your endless support. We are still shy of our fundraising goal, and we are about 2 months away from the trip! If anyone would like to make a donations towards the funds of this trip, please contact Meghan! Thank you for all that you do for our youth of the Parish!

Vacation Bible School CounselorsAnyone who is entering 6th grade through graduating seniors in high school are eligible to become counselors for Vacation Bible School. If your son/daughter is interested, please fill out a counselor application form and return to Meghan by June 11th. Applications are available on the parish website under “Youth Ministry News.”

Pretzel SaleOur next pretzel sale will be held on June 9th and June 10th after all of the Masses. Thank you for your support!!

Trenton ThunderEach year, as a thank you to our Altar Servers, we take them to a Trenton Thunder game. This year we opening it up to the whole parish as well!! Join us July 14th at 7 PM for a Trenton Thunder game (and fireworks)! Tickets will be given to Altar Servers and their families first, then open to the parish at a first come first served basis. Tickets are $28 and include an all you can eat buffet. Email Meghan to reserve yours today!

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: SHIP-WRECKED, RESCUED BY JESUS!!

Page 4 ~ May 20, 2018

Youth Ministry AnnouncementsYouth Minister: Meghan Horn

http://www.stjohpa.org/youth-ministry or 215-295-4102

PREP HAPPENINGS Barbara Ann Nuzzolo, Director of Religious EducationSEE MORE ABOUT PREP ON THE WEBSITE:

http://www.stjohnpa.org/PREP or call 215-295-9239

CATHOLIC SCHOOL NEWS

I hope that your Mother’s Day was more than you expected and that you were able to enjoy a relaxing day. The PREP pro-gram ended the school year and will resume the Sunday after Labor Day. My prayer is that you find time to relax and enjoy the lazy, hazy days of summer with those you hold dear. Our sixth graders received their Confirmation on May 10, 2018 and we are proud of the 39 who were confirmed in the Spirit. We now challenge them to continue learning about their Catholic Faith by attending the PREP middle School Program that is held on Sunday mornings from 9:45 am until 11:00 am. The catechist will be Mr. Vince Bodnar. Mr.Vince Bodnar shares his love for the Catholic Faith with the students and does so in a gentle and welcoming manner and provides each student a safe place to learn and discuss the tenets of the Catholic Faith. Our present seventh and eighth graders really enjoyed coming to class and they are willing participants. They set the standards high for all the other students that are their age!!! There is much enthusiasm for this program and the students who attended were learning and becoming stronger witnesses of their faith. Our goal is to double the number of students (17) with an even larger number. You can join us whenever you wish. Come in September and see what this class is all about. We provide a flexible year where weekly attendance, though encouraged, is not a requisite for participating in the class. The purpose of this class is to connect the students with a leader who is able to lead discussion from the material found in the Bible. What an awesome realization the students make when they discover that their faith is an integral part of their everyday life!!! So much dedication and love for his faith is evidenced weekly as Mr. Bodnar prepares for the seventh and eighth and ninth graders each Sunday morning. This is the seventh year that Mr. Bodnar has held this class starting with only three students. Mr. Bod-nar resides with his wife and children as parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Parish and is the coordinator of the ministry of “Men’s Faith Share.” Centered on discussion so that each student” makes the Catholic Faith their own,” Mr. Bodnar delves into points of the doc-trine that hold the interest of the students in a non-threatening peer setting. The springboard for his discussion comes from selections of the Bible. He wants all his students “to take ownership of their faith and keep it through young adulthood.” This is a daunting task that is made easier under his guidance. There are resource materials that are used on this grade level to help guide the students with their faith journey. And the Dunkin Donut lattes and beverages that Mr. Bodnar treats the students to weekly make the class a little sweeter than it would ordinarily be!!! All parents are encouraged to register their seventh or eighth or ninth grade child for this program. And as was said at the start of this article, it is never too late to register. Ceasing to learn about the Catholic faith in sixth grade hampers the full understand-ing of the many tenets of faith that are part of an individual’s faith journey. The registration forms can be found on the website. Please consider this as an opportunity to provide your child with the opportunity to learn more about this wonderful Catholic Faith of ours.

SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST PARISH

NIGHT AT THE TRENTON THUNDER

SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2018 7:00 PM

Tickets are $28 for the picnic area and include an all-you-can- eat buffet. Come enjoy the Fireworks Spectacular!(Tickets will be offered to altar servers and their families first,then to other parishioners on a first come, first served basis.) We have a limited amount, so email Meghan (youthministries@stjohnpa.org) to reserve your tickets today.

Page 5 ~ May 20, 2018

Knightly NewsSOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE(socialconcerns@stjohnpa.org)

What can our faith community do to minister to those with mental illness and their families?According to the National Institute of Health, in a given year about one in four people have a diagnosable mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disease, schizophre-nia, among others. One in 17 people has a severe mental illness. Mental illness en-compasses biological, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of the individual affected. The illness also impacts the lives of the person’s family. Severe mental ill-ness often raises profound questions of faith such as why does God allow sickness or why me? As a faith community we are called to support individuals and their families through their time of crisis when the illness first occurs and in the ensuing life with ongoing recovery from it. The spiritual dimension is critical to the recovery process. We can offer spiritual comfort through our prayerful presence in people’s lives by acknowledging their pain and supporting them through the healing and recovery pro-cess.

“Welcome one another, then, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Roman 15:7

FUTURE EVENTS:

Feed My Flock: May 20, 2018, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM, Pastoral Life CenterSewing/Knitting/Crocheting, Craft Meeting: May 21, 2018, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM in the Parish Religious Education CenterShared Meal: May 25, 2018, 6:00 PM in the Parish Religious Education Center

DONATIONS: (Please leave in the St. Gianna room )

Backpack Center – Spaghetti O’s/canned ravioli, etc.Soldiers’ Ministry - used cell phones or chargers

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased..” Hebrews 13:16

PASTORAL CARE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

JESSE TREE PROGRAM 2017

A heartfelt thank you to all of our parish-ioners who gave so generously of their time and treasure. We were truly blessed to have so many wonderful volunteers this year. More than 69 grandparents, parents, and children lovingly prepared angel wish tags, sorted and/or delivered the more than 1,500 gifts that poured into the Church. This is in addition to the hun-dreds of you who took the time to fill the wishes of 596 children from 266 local fami-lies in need. We are especially thankful to those parishioners who donated general use funds which enabled us to purchase gifts for the remaining wishes on the tree. A special shout out to Sister Marganne, Darlene, John, Bob & Maureen for their help in setting up/dismantling the trees, coordinating the announcements, and managing all of the gifts as they arrived at the Church and the Parish Office.

It is both humbling and inspiring to see your love and generosity in action! May God bless you and your families during this Christmas season and in the New Year to come! - The Jesse Tree Committee

Liturgically Speaking Mary, Mother of Us All!Friends, today this article is paying particular attention to Mary, Our Blessed Mother. Having recently celebrated Mother’s Day, how appropriate that we would cast our gaze at the Mother of us all – Mary! Now, you may wonder about Mary’s role in the Sacred Liturgy. Her role is our role: to give worship, honor, and glory to God. She did that all her life and she continues to show us what to do so that we might imitate her. Mary was obedient to God. What does that mean? Well, she paid atten-tion to God and His plan for her. Now, there were challenges to be sure. But, Mary placed complete trust in God and what God was asking of her. In return, God was with her! Mary shows us the way: follow God and His plan and you will never be alone. Now, let’s take a look at images of Mary- pictures, statues, stained glass windows. Do you notice that she is always point-ing to God. When she is holding the Child Jesus in her arms, her eyes are on Him alone. At other times, her hands may be folded in prayer or perhaps outstretched as if beckoning us to go with her to the Lord. One thing for sure: Mary is never point-ing to herself. While she was sinless and goodness personified, her humility never sought personal attention. Mary recognizes her role even now as Mother: interceding on our behalf, always wanting the very best for her children. When we go to Mary, telling her our needs and the desires of our heart, she dutifully goes to her Son, Jesus, on our behalf. As she did for her Child, Jesus, she does for each of us. Mary loves us, protects us, and wants us to love her Son so much. Saint Louis deMontfort said it this way: “When you say Mary, she says Jesus. Mary is the echo of God.” So, does Mary have a role in the Liturgy? As I said earlier, yes she does. Mary, along with the saints and angels, are always offering praise and worship to God. When we are at Mass we join such a GREAT COMPANY with every part of our being di-rected to the Trinity. Mary, in a sense, leads the crowd of believ-ers and is truly living out the role that Jesus gave her from the Cross. Looking at His sorrowful Mother, Jesus’ generous heart gave Mary not only to the faithful disciple, John the Evangelist, but to each and every one of us. Now that we are in the beautiful month of May, in addition to our liturgical life, why not jumpstart some devotional practices which form the rich tradition that defines us as Catholics? We honor Mary as intercessor by praying special novena prayers (as we do following our parish 8 am. Mass on Saturday). Say-ing the Rosary attentively, focusing on the various Mysteries and how they may be applied to our own life, is also highly recommended. All devotions ultimately seek to bring us into closer communion with our Lord through prayers of praise and adoration, thanksgiving and petition. As we recognize Mary in our life as a model of true patience, humility, gentleness, and compassion, we might also see her as a follower. Mary was the perfect follower of Jesus, consenting to God’s plan, journeying on the pilgrimage of faith, listening to God’s word, and remain-ing in close union with her Son as He went to the Cross. Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, pray for us! God bless you! Sister Marganne

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 parish-ioner, please fill out this form and place it in the collection basket, You will be contacted. Parishioners may also use this form to note any address/phone/email changes.

New Parishioner Address Change

FAMILY NAME:

The Knights of Columbus Council 7515 are conducting their Annual Memorial Brick Campaign. Order forms for memo-rial bricks are at the Knights table in the vestibule of the church. Memorial Bricks ordered by the end of July will be installed and dedicated in the fall.

ANNUAL MEMORIALBRICK CAMPAIGN