Saint Thomas Church 99 Bristol Street, Southington, CT 06489-4599

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35).”

Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil: 4:00PM (Church)

Sunday: 7:30AM & 10:00AM (Church)

Weekday Mass Schedule Monday & Tuesday: 7:30AM (Chapel) Thursday & Friday: 12:10PM (Chapel) Saturday Morning: 8:00AM (Chapel)

Our Parish Mission Statement

We, the Roman Catholic faithful of St. Thomas parish, nourished by God’s Word and by the

Sacraments, welcome and serve the Family of God. Through evangelization, education, and spiritual

development, we demonstrate the true meaning of God’s love by living in the image of Christ.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

The Most Holy Trinity

Rectory Office

Phone: 860-628-4713 Fax: 860-628-7341 E-Mail: stthomassouthington@gmail.com Web Sites: www.stthomassouthington.org www.facebook.com/groups/104009621923

St. Thomas Convent

Address: 20 Eden Place Southington, CT Phone: 860-621-1904

Office of Religious Education

Phone: 860-628-9679 E-mail: stchurchre@gmail.com

Southington Catholic School

Address: 133 Bristol Street Southington, CT Phone: 860-628-2485 Web Site: www.southingtoncathlolicschool.org

SATURDAY, MAY 26—St. Philip Neri, Priest

8:00AM Michael Mongillo Requested by Regina Mikulak

4:00PM The deceased members of the Feighery Family Requested by Rosemary, James, Jr., Maura, and Jordan

SUNDAY, MAY 27—The Most Holy Trinity

7:30AM John Hur Requested by the Hur Family

10:00AM Rocco Calabrese Requested by his Family

MONDAY, May 28—Weekday (at cemetery)

9:00AM All the deceased parishioners

TUESDAY, MAY 29—Weekday

7:30AM Elaine Gineo Requested by Family

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30—Weekday

NO MASS ON WEDNESDAYS

THURSDAY, MAY 31—The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin

Mary

12:10PM Joseph DePaolo Requested by wife, Patricia

FRIDAY, JUNE 1—St. Justin, Martyr

12:10PM Giuseppe & Anjela Raggozzino Requested by their Grandchildren

SATURDAY, JUNE 2—SS Marcellinus & Peter, Martyrs

8:00AM Parishioners of St. Thomas

4:00PM Alfonso & Maria Fragola Requested by Mickey and Frank

SUNDAY, JUNE 3—The Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ

7:30AM Margaret & George Pepi Requested by Richard & Beth

10:00AM Dr. John E. & Geraldine Cockayne Requested by Family

Parish Staff

Pastor Rev. Joseph R. Cronin fr.cronin@aohct.org

Deacon Angelo J. Coppola

Music Director Emil Kopcha

Office Manager Heidi Malley

Business Manager Marc Ingriselli

Trustees Susan Howard Stanley Maigarie

Plant Manager Casey Potthoff

Custodial Staff Daniel Conant Bonnie Guimond Marty Lopatosky Harry Masterbone

Director of Religious Ed. Sr. Marie Roccapriore, MPF

Southington Catholic School

Principal Eileen Sampiere

Office Manager Loretta Putala

Advancement Director Mary Alexander

Sanctuary Candles

Church: Louise & Edward Sieruta

Birthday—req. by LouAnn Sieruta

Chapel: Deceased Military

Altar Flowers in Church

For Joe & Dolores LaPorte

60th Wedding Anniversary

Rectory Office Hours Monday—Friday 8AM-4PM

Father Joe’s Notes My dear friends,

Two weeks ago, I drove up to Ottawa,

Ontario for my overnight. I went to see

the Canadian Tulip Festival. It’s a long

way to go to see some flowers (the trip

is a seven hour drive), but it was worth

it. The festival was spectacular. I

walked miles of garden lanes and past

beds planted along the pathway up the

Rideau Canal. There were more than

one-hundred varieties of tulips, and

more than one-million bulbs! The blooms were sin-

gles, doubles, wild species, peony flowering, and lily

flowering types in a broad spectrum of colors. The

entire effect was quite spectacular.

People always look puzzled when I tell them about

the festival. Most don’t know it exists. What does

Canada have to do with tulips? Well, that’s an inter-

esting story. Canada sent troops to liberate Holland

from Nazi occupation during World War II. They

hosted the Dutch noble family fleeing the war. Out of

gratitude for all they did, the Netherlands began gift-

ing hundreds of thousands of tulips each year after the

war. Beginning in 1953, Ottawa began hosting its tu-

lip festival at the suggestion of a photographer, Malak

Karsh. He was an immigrant from Turkey, the origi-

nal source of wild tulips that were hybridized by the

Dutch. The festival shows a unity between the three

nations, and how beauty can come from people and

nations cooperating in a time of crisis.

I found it interesting that my trip to the festival fell

as I was helping others deal with crises.

One friend was facing his father’s bat-

tle with leukemia and Alzheimer’s that

had all taken a serious turn for the

worst. Other friends were facing health

scares with the mothers. My sister was

dealing with her husband having a

stroke and all the issues that come with

that. Through it all, I just remembered

the tulip festival. Show people kindness

and welcome them in a time of chaos.

Reach out to those whose lives are in upheaval. You

may not be able to do much, but what little you can

could make a huge difference. They’ll know they’re

not alone. Who knows, maybe something beautiful

will come of helping others in dark moments.

Christ calls us to be beacons of his love and mercy

in the world. We’re asked to walk beside our brothers

and sisters always, but especially close when things

are difficult. When people come together to face a

crisis, it can help them overcome the obstacles. When

it’s all over, wonderful friendships might blossom.

Hopefully yours in Christ, Fr. Joe

Question: Father, when you hung cloths on the cross and

corpus in church, why were they crooked?

Answer: Well, there are no directives in decorating churches

that tell us how to drape fabric on a cross. We could hang it

so it is all balanced and symmetrical, but that’s easier said

than done. The more symmetrical you try to make it, the

more the irregularities show. You could spend hours trying

to hang it just so there are no parts out of line. I’m not that

compulsive! (Plus, nothing else in this church is quite

centered: the alter is off, the tabernacle is off, the corpus is

off, the aisle is off the paneling on the choir loft is off, the

light over the door is off, the front door is off…Well, maybe

I AM that compulsive and OCD!) We hung them askew to be

more interesting visually and easier to do. The other reason

has to do with the cross itself. Symmetry implies order,

balance, and calm. It’s staid and refined. There is nothing

staid or refined about the crucifixion. It’s a brutal act. There

is nothing calm about it. It is a dynamic act of love by our

God. We try to inject a more energetic look to reflect the

dynamism of the cross. There is nothing calm and placid

about the Resurrection; it is a dynamic action of God to

conquer death. That is why we draped fabric on the corpus

askew; to speak of the energy of God who acts is love for us.

Ask Father

Readings for the Week of May 27, 2018

Sunday: Dt 4:32-34, 39-40/Ps 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22

[12b]/Rom 8:14-17/Mt 28:16-20

Monday: 1 Pt 1:3-9/Ps 111:1-2, 5-6, 9 and 10c [5]/

Mk 10:17-27

Tuesday: 1 Pt 1:10-16/Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 [2a]/

Mk 10:28-31

Wednesday: 1 Pt 1:18-25/Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

[12a]/Mk 10:32-45

Thursday: Zep 3:14-18a or Rom 12:9-16/Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5

-6 [6]/Lk 1:39-56

Friday: 1 Pt 4:7-13/Ps 96:10, 11-12, 13 [13b]/Mk 11:11-26

Saturday: Jude 17, 20b-25/Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6 [2b]/

Mk 11:27-33

Next Sunday: Ex 24:3-8/Ps 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18 [13]/

Heb 9:11-15/Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

Parish Information Prayers / Devotions

Holy Hours In the chapel—rectory basement

Tuesdays: 11:00AM—Noon (for vocations)

Thursdays: 11:00AM—Noon (with Benediction)

Eucharistic Adoration In the chapel—rectory basement

Thursdays 8:00AM—11:00AM

Miraculous Medal Novena In the chapel—rectory basement

Tuesdays at 7:00PM

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Bible Study Group

This will be our last class before summer break.

We will be reading James, 4:13-5:20—Concluding

Encouragement. All are welcome to join us.

Thursdays at 1:30PM—Chapel (Rectory basement)

Thursdays at 7:00PM—School Cafeteria

(The classes cover the same material—you need only attend one)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

St. Thomas Cemetery

If you or your family are looking to purchase a plot or

niche in the columbarium, give us a call in the rectory

office. We will have our Plant Manager, Casey Pottoff,

meet with you and explain the options for graves and

markers. Please, call the rectory to schedule a meeting.

Sacraments

Baptism Parents, contact the rectory to schedule a

baptism. There’s a preparation meeting for

parents having their first child baptized.

RCIA—Adult Sacraments If you’ve never been baptized or you belong to another

denomination and want to join the Catholic Church, we

can help you! Any Baptized Catholic adult who hasn’t

received other Sacraments, we can help you. Call us!

Reconciliation We hear Confessions on Saturday afternoons from

3:00PM until 3:30 PM in the reconciliation room in the

church, or call Father Joe to make an appointment.

Marriage The Archdiocese of Hartford requires a minimum of

six months for marriage preparation. Couples should

contact Father Joe at the rectory to schedule a meeting.

Sacrament of the Sick Should you, or someone you know, need an anointing,

please call Father Joe at the rectory to schedule a visit.

Homebound / Hospital Please, contact the rectory if you or

a family member is homebound or in

the hospital. We can arrange for a

Eucharistic Minister to bring you the

Blessed Sacrament at home.

Sponsor Certificates

They are available in the church sacristy or in the

rectory office. You must be an active parishioner,

registered with our parish for 6 months or more. The

use of the envelope system helps us in verifying that

you’re an active parishioners here. You must also

have completed your Sacraments of Initiation and be

in a valid marriage. If you have question, call us.

New Parishioners

Welcome to St. Thomas! We are delighted to have

you join our parish family. Introduce yourself to

Father or the Deacon after Mass. Parish registration

forms are available in the sacristy and the rectory

office. Take one for the entire family, and a separate

form for each family member. Once completed, mail

them to us or drop them in the collection basket.

Collection for May 20th

Weekly—$7,890/ Communications—$1,800/ Online—$1,188

† Southington Catholic School †

St. Thomas Religious Ed.

Southington Catholic School

has what you want

for your children!

We have small class sizes.

Our middle school students

test, on average, two grade

levels ahead of their peers.

Our students learn to read

and write in cursive, and how to

compose paragraphs and essays.

Our pre-K is an academic program that

prepares students to be kindergarten ready.

We have a welcoming atmosphere and our

students are kind to each other and to adults.

We are enrolling now for the

2018—2019 academic year. Give us a call! Feel free to ask us questions

about the school or to take a tour. Arrange to

have your child shadow a class for a day.

†

GROCERY AND SCRIP CARDS

You can order

grocery cards, gas

cards, department

stores gift cards,

movie tickets, etc.

Every purchase

you make earns us

rewards for

Southington Catholic School. Gift cards are great for

birthdays, thank you gifts and holidays. Please call the

school (860-628-2485) for more information and to

obtain a complete list of participating retailers. This

list is also available at the rectory. THANK YOU!

HELP OUR SCHOOL!!!

MATCHING GRANTS Does your employer

participate in a “matching”

donor program? Several

large corporations in our

region will match your

donation to a verified non-

profit, such as a Catholic

school. Is your company

one that will reward their

employees for volunteer

hours to a non-profit? You might be surprised!

Please call the Advancement Office (860-628-

2485 ext 114) at Southington Catholic School

for more information on how you can partner in

supporting Catholic education in our town.

OUR STUDENTS THANK YOU!

Have you enrolled

your children yet in

this coming years’

Religious Education

Program here at the

parish? It’s time to do

so now. Registration

forms are available in

the rectory office, and

the forms should be

completed as soon as

possible. (There will be a late fee of all forms

submitted after June 30th.) Classes will be in

held in Southington Catholic School.

Confirmation students in ninth and tenth

grade will meet on Sundays from 6:00PM

until 7:30PM. Grades one through eight

will meet on Mondays in two sessions. The

first session will meet from 4:15PM until

5:30PM, and the second will meet from

6:00PM until 7:15PM. Please, call Sister

Marie with any questions.

MEMORIAL DAY MASS

A Mass for the deceased

members of St. Thomas

Parish will be celebrated

at the cemetery on

Memorial Day, Monday,

May 29th at 9:00 AM

Those attending are

asked to bring their own

lawn chairs. In the event

of rain, the Mass will be

celebrated in the church.

Knights of Columbus Catholic Citizenship Award

The Knights of Columbus Assembly #122 is holding it's Annual Catholic Citizenship Awards luncheon on Sunday, June 10th from Noon to 3:00PM a t H a w k s L a n d i n g C C , Southington. This years honorees are Ann Bendyk - Immaculate

Conception Church, Martin Jansen - Mary Our Queen Church, Vincent Raby - St. Thomas Church, Roger & Linda Lemire - St. Dominic Church and Daniel Spatafore - St. Aloysius Church. We are so blessed to have such wonderful nominees representing our catholic faith in our churches and in the community. We also want to thank all 5 Catholic Churches for participating in this wonderful honor of our faith. All are invited to celebrate with the honorees so please come out and show support for your fellow parishioners and all that they do for us. The offering for the reception is $32 per person, advanced payment is greatly appreciated. RSVP by June 1st by contacting Philip Mazzatti at 860-276-8228 or mazzophi@att.net for reservations. Payment should be made out to the Knights of Columbus Assembly #122 and mailed to 59 Marcy Drive Southington CT 06489.

Franciscan

Sports Banquet and

Silent Auction

Tuesday, June 5, 2018—5:30 to 9:30PM

at the Aqua Turf Club

Honorees: Rece Davis, Commentator, ESPN, Saint

Francis Award, and Claire Smith, Coordinating

Editor, ESPN, Saint Clare Award; Joe D’Ambrosio,

“Voice of the Huskies” Dean of Sports Award;

Bernie Schilberg, President and CEO, Prime

Materials Recovery, Jim Calhoun Community

Service Award; John Salerno and Betsy Tooker,

Tops Market, Mother Shaun Appreciation Award.

All proceeds from the banquet and auction go to the

benefit of the Franciscan Life Center, counseling &

education, and Franciscan Home Care and Hospice

Care, care of the sick and end of life care.

For more information, call 203-237-8084 or visit

flcenter.org or franciscanhc.org.

Ladies Guild

June 4th will be our last meeting before summer It will

be an ICE CREAM SOCIAL and a time to make plans

for the coming year. Meetings will resume in

September Have a great summer.

June 9 & 10 - ANNUAL COOKIE WALK. This will

take place in Church basement after all masses. Raffle

tickets will be sold. PARISHIONERS are welcome to

donate cookies, as well. Please drop off downstairs on

Saturday, June 9th beginning at 2:30PM.

ITALIAN ROSARY SOCIETY

The Italian Rosary Society meets will meet at

The Summit in Plantsville on Tuesday, June

5th at 7:30PM. We invite anyone who would

like to pray the Rosary in Italian to join us. For

further information, just contact Antoinette

Barbato, 860-302-0228.

Bus to the Cathedral

We are looking into hiring a

bus to bring parishioners to

the cathedral for Vinny’s

ordination. If you would be

interested in this, please call

us by this Tuesday at Noon.

Ordination Reception You’re invited to a brunch in the school cafeteria on

Sunday, June 3rd, after the 10AM Mass. We will

celebrate the ordination of our friend, Vinny Raby, to

the deaconate. Wish him well and celebrate years of

formation coming to fruition in a new ministry.