SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL, PRAY FOR US! Parish Office Hours

Monday-Thursday: 9 am to 3 pm

Mass Schedule

Vigil Mass

(Saturday) 5:00 p.m.

Sunday Mass

8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Weekday Mass

M,T,W,F 8:30 a.m.

Confessions before daily

Mass; Saturday 4:15 p.m.

The Parish in the heart of the Endless Mountains Serving Bradford County since 1841

SACRAMENTS

The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated Sundays after the 11:00 a.m.

Mass. First time parents are asked to attend a welcoming session prior to

baptism. Godparents are asked to present a sponsor card. Please call the

parish office as soon as possible after your child’s birth to plan his or her

baptism.

The Sacrament of Marriage—engaged couples should notify the pastor

at least six months prior to their proposed date. Couples participate in a

preparation program.

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick—please call the parish of-

fice for visitation of the sick at home, in the hospital, or health care facili-

ty.

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is the official process used

by the Church to bring adults into the Catholic faith.

SPIRITUAL DEVOTIONS

The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary

and the Divine Mercy Chaplet are prayed

in common before weekday Masses.

The Perpetual Novena of the Miracu-

lous Medal is prayed in common every

Monday after the 8:30 a.m. Mass.

Eucharistic Adoration is held from 9:00

a.m. on the Thursday preceding First Fri-

day until 2:00 p.m. on Friday in Grotto

Hall and the church.

Sacred Heart Devotions are prayed in

common after First Friday Masses.

Devotions to the Immaculate Heart of

Mary are prayed in common after the

First Saturday Masses.

Parish Prayer Line requests

Call Annette at 570-265-9691.

Pastor: Rev. Edward L. Michelini

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time † January 22, 2017

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

SS. Peter & Paul Parish, a community of faith called by God to deepen

our relationship with Jesus Christ, serves the Lord by sharing our time,

talent and treasure. As disciples of Christ, we are called to bring Jesus

Christ to ourselves and others: our children, the sick, the poor, the fallen

away Catholics and those who need to hear God’s message of uncondi-

tional love and forgiveness. SS. Peter & Paul Parish is a beacon of light

rooted in Jesus Christ, passed on to his successor, our Holy Father the

Pope, and is guided by our local bishop to build the Kingdom of God on

Earth. It is our mission to shine the light of Jesus Christ in our world and

to spiritually enrich the individual members of the parish as well as the

larger community through word, worship, sacrament and service.

St. Agnes School Parish Dates To Remember

Jan 22: 9:15 - 10:30 am CCD classes resume

2 pm Pro-Life Rally Bradford County Courthouse,

then to the United Methodist Church

Jan 23: 7 pm Parish Pastoral Council

Jan 24: 1 pm: Bible Study Group in Grotto Hall

7 pm: RCIA Grotto Hall

Jan 25: 6-8 pm: ARISE Leaders Workshop in Grotto Hall

7 pm: Bible Study Group in the church

Jan 27: March for Life, Washington, D.C.

Jan 28: Breakfast @ Jones *

Jan 29—Feb. 5: Catholic Schools Week

Jan 29: CCD classes meet in church

St. Agnes PTG Breakfast, Open House, and more;

See more details in article at left

Jan 30: 5 pm: 175th Committee

Jan 31: 1 pm Bible Study Group

7 pm RCIA

Feb 1: 7 pm Bible Study Group

Feb 8: 1 pm: Widow’s Support Group in Grotto Hall

5 pm: Social Activities Dinner @ Woody’s *

*For reservations call 570-721-1062

Saints Peter & Paul CCD Sundays 9:15-10:30 in St. Agnes School

Jan. 22: Classes resume Jan. 29: Classes in church

Listening Materials – Each Program is generally 12 - 25 minute talks on CD

Fr. Ed has purchased a series of recordings from Now You Know Media. The 18 CDs deal with vari-

ous topics; however, each offers an opportunity to expand and enhance our spiritual growth. See all the topics

listed below::

The Gospel of John Rev. Donald Senior, C.P., STD

Becoming the Beloved Disciple of John’s Gospel Fr. Daniel Crosby, OFM, Cap.

Retreat with the Gospel of John Fr. Felix Just, SJ, PhD

The Mass: Welcome to the Sacred Banquet Fr. John Baldovin, SJ

The History of the Mass Fr. John Baldovin, SJ

The Reformations Prof. Christopher M. Bellitto, PhD

The Council of Trent Fr. John W. O’Malley, SJ, PhD

Discerning God’s Will the Jesuit Way Fr. Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ, PhD

A Jesuit Retreat with Rev. Howard Gray, SJ Fr. Howard Gray, SJ

An Ignatian Retreat with Rev. Joseph Tetlow Fr. Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ, PhD

The Spiritual Exercise of St. Ignatius Loyola Rev. Brian O. McDermott, SJ

The Way to God: A Guide for Men Rev. James J. Clarke, PhD

A Spirituality for the Modern Individual Rev. James J. Clarke, PhD

Finding Spiritual Direction: How to Find Your Way in a Chaotic World

Fr. Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ, PhD

Christian Meditation: Entering the Mind of Christ Dr. James Finley, PhD

The Spirituality of Dying and Death Prof. Darleen Pryds, PhD

Meaning: Exploring the Big Question of the Cosmos with a Vatican Scientist

Dr. Guy Consolmagno, SJ, PhD

Galileo: Science, Faith, and the Catholic Church Dr. Guy Consolmagno, SJ, PhD

If you would like to borrow one of these CDs for a reasonable period of time, please see Fr. Ed and he

will gladly put you into the program – give him your name, phone, e-mail and which presentation(s) you

would like to listen to in priority order.

Catholic Schools Week begins January 29. St. Agnes

School activities open to the public next Sunday are:

8:00-11:00 am: Community Breakfast in JFK Hall

$8 Adult; $6 Student/senior citizen;

$30 maximum for families of 5 or more

9-1: Scholastic Book Fair

9-1: Open House and Pre-Registration

11:00 am: Children’s Mass and Choir

Promise Tree Silent Auction begins Jan. 29 for a week

Saturday, Feb. 4: 7 pm Trivia Night (open to public)

9:30 pm: Promise Tree Silent Auction Concludes

Liturgical Ministers Jan. 28-29 Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist Sat. Vigil 5 pm: Joanne & Patrick Barry, Sharon Kaminsky Sun. 8 am: Murray O’Donnell, Hank & Louise Schelter 11 am: Donna Brown, Barbara & Ed Krauss Lectors: Sat. Vigil 5 pm: Sandy Kasenga Sun. 8 am: Carol Brubaker 11 am: Bob Gisler Altar Servers: Sat. Vigil 5 pm: Gary Raupers, David Smith Sun. 8 am: Emma Morgan, Sidney Bride 11 am: Katherine West, Sam Tavani Musicians Sat. Vigil 5 pm: Joel Christian Sun. 8 am: George Dzus, Marie Seibert 11 am: Carol Madill, Children’s choir Hospital & Personal Care Home: Mary Alice Demangone

Bradford County Manor: Donna Brown

Altar Care 1/28/17 Karyn Paulish

Marissa and Megan Paulish

Collection Counters 1/23 Team B

Mass Intentions Jan. 21 - 29 Sat. Vigil 5:00 pm: Antonio, Carmela & Margaret Tama

(Family)

Sunday 8:00 am: Our Parishioners

11:00 am: Phil Johnson (Ann & Jeff Smith & Sons)

Mon. 8:30 am: Venus Metcalf (Jim Hoffmann Family)

Tues. 8:30 am: Dr. Stephen E. Becker (Katharine Becker)

Wed. 8:30 am: Charlotte Gates (Kate Snell & Family)

Thursday: No Mass

Fri. 8:30 am: Kevin B. Barrett (John & Chris Sullivan)

Sat. Vigil 5:00 pm: John Wiegand (Sally Wiegand)

Sunday 8:00 am: Our Parishioners

11:00 am: Jerry Smith (the Sullivans: Ray, Walt,

Jim, John & Chris)

Offertory Jan. 8, 2017

Sunday Offering $ 3,399.00

Aid to Education $ 444.25

Special Envelopes $ 119.00

Thank you for your generosity!

Second Collection

The second collection this weekend is for Society Dues.

January 28-29 will be the annual Catholic Campaign for

Human Development—special envelopes are in the back

of the church this weekend; remember to mark your name

on that envelope for contribution credit.

A Sanctuary Lamp burns this week for:

Phil Johnson (Jackie & Garrett Johnson)

Tax Statements

Your 2016 Contribution Tax Statements will be avail-

able by request—contact the parish office by

e-mail to stppp@epix.net or call 570-265-2113.

Mother Theresa of Calcutta

“If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out.

To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.”

Catholic Campaign for Human Development

Next week, our second collection will be for the Cath-

olic Campaign for Human Development. Over 46

million people in the United States live in poverty.

This collection supports programs to empower people

to identify and address the obstacles they face as they

work to life themselves out of poverty. By supporting

this collection, you give people a hand up, not a hand

out. Learn more about the CCHD at:

www.usccb.org/cchd/collection.

Bible Study Program

Bible Study Groups (BSG)

will be held on Tuesdays at

1:00 pm and on Wednes-

days at 7?00 pm.

We will be using Jeff Cavins’ Bible Study Timeline

Program. Sessions should be about 75 minutes, using

a DVD presentation with discussion format.

The Bible Study program will suspend meet-

ing during the ARISE program in Lent.

If you are interested, come to the scheduled

meeting time and learn with others – it would be good

if you have a Bible to read and reference. All are wel-

come and encouraged.

THIS WEEK ONLY: the Wednesday even-

ing group will meet in the church instead of Grotto

Hall. This week’s reading preparation is: Genesis,

chapters 1-3, and (optional, and if you have one) The

Catechism of the Catholic Church 279-421.

Finance Meeting Postponed

The Finance Council Meeting has been postponed

until Feb. 6.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - Jan. 18-24

Continue to pray for unity among Christians; Bishop

Bambera’s Ecumenical Mass in Scranton will be at

12:30 pm on Jan. 25, and will be televised on Catholic

Television (CTV); All are welcome to attend.

RICHARD M. FARLEY CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

———————————

521 MAIN STREET 570-265-4993

TOWANDA, PA 18848 FAX: 570-265-5996

e-mail: rmfarley@epix.net

Knights of Columbus TOWANDA COUNCIL, No. 3915

7 Poplar St., Towanda PA 18848

Meetings 2nd/4th Wednesdays at 7 pm

Contact: 570-265-2113

If you would like to join our parish, contact: SS. Peter & Paul Church—106 Third St.—Towanda PA 18848

Call 570-265-2113 or email stppp@epix.net

REQUEST FOR PARISH REGISTRATION FORM

Name ____________________________Date__________

Address____________________________________________

City,Zip _________________________Phone _____________

ST. AGNES SCHOOL A Roman Catholic School of the Diocese of Scranton

Pre-K (3 & 4 Years of Age) to Grade 6 Middle States Accredited (570) 265-6803 102 Third Street

Towanda PA 18848

www.edline.net/pages/StAgnes

570-268-7653 570-888-2202

PLEASE THANK

these SPONSORS

Of our

Parish bulletin

PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS_

Rosie Beale; David Walsh Brubaker; Kathy Campbell; Patricia Coleman;

David Conklin; Margaret DeMarco; Patricia Dibble; Joe Dorsey; Stephanie

Duggan; Margaret Dunkle; Mike Dunkle; Helen Finlan; Richard J. Finnegan;

June Goodrich; Jim Grimes; Sally Groff; Ann Thompson Haglich; Linda

Hilscher; Evelyn Hoff; Glenna Hoffman; Adam Kelly; Timothy Leo Lenox;

Connie Leone; Annette McClure; Deany McGarrigle; Mickey McGarrigle;

Sharon Mahaffey; Margaret Miller; Nate Miller; Charles Palmer; Kathleen

Lenox Reider; Eugenia Serpe; Craig Sullivan; Mackenzie Kempner Taylor;

Two Special Intentions; Dennis Trask; Lani Wood.

To add a name to this published Prayer List, call the office at 265-2113 or email your request to stppp@epix.net.

OTTAVIANI OPTOMETRY

1932 GOLDEN MILE RD 55 MAIN ST P.O. BOX 599 P.O. BOX 505 WYSOX PA 18854 WYALUSING PA 18853

PHONE: 570-265-6816 PHONE: 570-746-1610

Your Ad fits HERE

Call 570-265-2113

stppp@epix.net

SS. PETER & PAUL CEMETERY JAMES STREET - N. TOWANDA

2 AND 4 Grave Lots Available

Business Office: 106 Third St., Towanda PA 18848 570-265-2113

BARRETT LAW OFFICES Patrick J. Barrett, III

Attorney and Counselor at Law

507 West Pine Street 21 Troy St. - PO Box 157 Athens, PA 18810 Canton, PA 17724 570-888-0297 570-673-5180 Fax: 570-888-4142 or 570-364-5799 patrick@barrettlawofficepa.com Fax: 570-673-5780 patbar.law@frontiernet.net

#1 in the #2 Business

Residential - Commercial

Oil Field

Monday – Friday 7 am – 5 pm

Weekends by Appointment

Pumping - Tank Installation

Tank Location - Broken Pipes

Repairs - Chemicals

Pump Repairs - Tank Replacement

A Community Funeral, Cremation, and Memorial Resource Service Owned & Operated by the Bowen Family

Providing Professional Services that Respond to Personal Needs

Complete Pre-Arranged Funeral Planning — Burial And Cremation Services.

Out-Of-Town Receiving and Transfer Service, Monument Service

www.bowenfuneralhomes.com

Bowen-Farr Funeral Home

570-258-3456

6 Gordon Farr St.—Ulster, Pa. 18850

Brandon B. Allis

Funeral Director—Supervisor

sor

Maryott-Bowen Funeral Home Inc.

570-265-2272

217 York Ave., Towanda PA 18848

James A. Bowen

Funeral Director, Owner / Supervisor

ADVERTISE HERE

Call 570-265-2113

stppp@epix.net

“New Heart, New Spirit” Season 4 sign-up February 4-5, 2017

Please visit us at: www.ARISETowanda.weebly.com Like us on FaceBook at: www.facebook.arise.towanda.pa

FOR ALL YOUR LEGAL NEEDS

DUVALL, REUTER & PRUYNE 14 Park St. Towanda PA 18848 570-265-2115 www.pruynelaw.com

Quality Legal Services Since 1969

James A. Pruyne, Esq. Christopher S. Bradley, Esq.

1841– 2016

SS Peter

and Paul

Church

It's Time to ARISE Again! Season 4 of Arise brings us to a new theme:

New Heart, New Spirit

Will you join us again this season? Or maybe join us for the first time? Perhaps this will be the Lent

where your Heart and Spirit learn to SOAR with new spiritual growth and understanding!

Sign-Up Weekend is February 4 & 5 with

Small Group meetings beginning February 26, our first week of Lent.

Let's make this Lenten Season one to remember!

Questions? Call Christina 570-297-9403

February 26, 2017 — Mardi Gras Theme Announced

This year, our Mardi Gras theme will be in celebration of SS Peter & Paul’s 175th Anniversary. We invite

everyone who attends to come dressed in a costume, representing any period between 1841 to the 1970’s.

Get historic, get creative— and you may win a prize for best costume!

Fabulous Food is to be expected; Bob Brenner will MC with music and games. The rest is up to you.

Mark your calendar for Sunday, February 26, 2017. So that we can plan for adequate food, please sign up—

the sign-up sheets will be in the back of the church next weekend.

Monday, January 23: Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

January 22 is the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision of the Supreme Court to legalize abortion in

our country. Bishops across this country have designated it as a day of prayer and penance; because it falls on

Sunday this year, our prayers and penitential acts for the establishment of legal protection for unborn children

are requested instead on Monday, January 23. Please also continue to pray for the right to life from conception

until natural death for all.

Friday, January 27: March for Life in D.C.

Youth from our parish are joining thousands of others in the annual March for Life in our nation’s capital on

Friday this week. We pray for their safety on this journey, and for the hearts of our legislators to be touched in

the promotion of the sanctity of life.

Confirmation Classes

Students in the Diocese of Scranton will now have the opportunity to be confirmed as early as

the end of their 8th grade year or the beginning of their 9th grade year. Any student wishing to be con-

firmed will need to have completed AT LEAST 2 years of Confirmation preparation (Confirmation 1 and

Confirmation 2), which will generally be during the student’s 7th and 8th grade, and have made application

for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation in the spring of that year.

It is hoped that this new schedule will make it easier for each student in the Diocese to receive the

sacrament at an appropriate time in his/her spiritual development. Please note: students who have not been

confirmed, and will be entering the 7th grade or above this fall, MUST REGISTER this spring to be includ-

ed in the next Confirmation class. Registration forms will be available at the entrance to the church begin-

ning the first Sunday in February. Each year following this first class under this new Confirmation process,

a new Confirmation preparation class will be formed within the parish. Parents who may have some ques-

tions are asked to speak with Marie Siebert, Kathie Joyce or Fr. Ed. Thank you for your assistance in this

important preparation and process for your children.

Catch Our Spirit…

Celebrate Catholic Schools Week

January 29 – February 4, 2017

Celebrate Catholic Schools Week by attending one of our Catholic School Open Houses! You are invited to

come experience our communities of faith and academic excellence. From Pre-Kindergarten through 12th

grade, our students live their faith, challenge their minds, serve their communities, and build lifelong friend-

ships. For specifics about the Open Houses or for more information about our Diocesan Catholic Schools,

including tuition assistance opportunities, please visit www.DioceseofScranton.org/CatholicSchools.

St. Agnes Open House on Sunday, January 29

Breakfast— Book Fair— Open House/Registration —Promise Tree Auction

See the top of page 2 in this bulletin for details of all these events open to the public on Sunday next week;

also open to the public will be Trivia Night on Saturday, February 5.

St. Agnes Basketball - What an Effort! Tournament Champions

Congratulations to the St. Agnes 5-6 Grade BB Team for shaking off Saturday 2 point losses to both

Troy and Wyalusing only to come back on Sunday to defeat both Troy and Wyalusing for the St. Agnes Tour-

nament Championship. All four of those games were extremely competitive and character-building. Credit is

also extended to the Troy and Wyalusing teams – good games, you had everyone on the edge of their seats.

A word of thanks is extended to all who helped organize and assist at making this tournament happen –

thanks especially to the basketball officials for their service.

RCIA Program

The RCIA program continues to meet Tuesday evenings at 7 pm in Grotto Hall. Anyone interested in learning

more about the Catholic faith is most welcome to attend. See Christina Fleury, Joel Christina or Fr. Ed.

It Really is Worth the Effort

The parish has been able to negotiate access to Spiritual Formation materials covering a broad range of

topics and for all ages.. This access is on a trial basis for the month of January. This is a great resource for

kids and adults in the parish. Anyone in the parish can access this information by going to the website;

www.formed.org and entering at the Login

Email: demo @ formed.org with Password: MotherMary (Case sensitive. No spaces.) Fr. Ed is very

interested in hearing what you think about these materials – one way or the other.

Looking Ahead:

a. Bible Study Program each non-ARISE Tuesday at 1 pm and Wednesday at 7 pm

b. ARISE Program sign-up Weekend – February 4 - 5, 2017 – Groups start Monday February 27, 2017

c. Men’s Cursillo – weekend of March 30 thru April 2.

d. Interdenominational Lenten Luncheons – Wednesdays beginning March 8 thru April 5, 2017

e. Wednesday Night Lenten Mass and Soup, Salad or Sandwich

f. Presentations concerning Matthew’s Gospel after the Wednesday Night Mass/dinner program

g. Men’s Convocation – Saturday May 6, 2017