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 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.

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

Sunday, October 21, 2018

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

World Mission Sunday

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20—St. Paul of the Cross, Priest

8:00AM Robert Raby (60th Anniversary) Requested by Vinny & BJ Raby

4:00PM Daniel Charette (11th Anniversary) Requested by Family

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21—29th Sunday in Ordinary

Time

7:30AM Bette Longo (Birthday)—Req. by Tony, Nance, & Bill

10:00AM Michael Giannelli—Requested by Family

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22—St. John Paul II, Pope

7:30AM The Parishioners of St. Thomas Church

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23—St. John of Capistrano, Priest

7:30AM Louisa Volpe (Anniversary) Requested by the husband, Joe Volpe

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24—St. Anthony Mary

Claret, Bishop

NO MASS ON WEDNESDAYS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25—Weekday

12:10PM John A. Macri—Requested by Sr. Mary Macri

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26—Weekday

12:10PM Luca, Teresa, & Antonio Leonetti Requested by Mario Leonetti & Family

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27—Weekday

8:00AM Antonio & Carmelinda DelSanto Requested by daughter & family

4:00PM Ada, Angelo, Francesca, Pasquale & Luigi

Valentino—Requested by Jerry & Vittorie Altieri

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28—30th Sunday in Ordinary

Time

7:30AM Michael Bengston—Req. by Rose Tedesco & family

10:00AM Francesca & Giovanni Colaccino and Peter &

Immculata Altieri Requested by Joe & Anna & family

Parish Staff

Priests Rev. Joseph R. Cronin—Pastor fr.cronin@aohct.org Rev. John E. Cockayne—(Senior Status)

Deacons Angelo J. Coppola—(Senior Status) Vincent J. Raby

Music Ministry Emil Kopcha—Director Kathy Kopcha—Assistant

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: For the Protection of the Unborn

Chapel: Tim Mulvey & Ann Scanlon Requested by Ellen Clement

Rectory Office Hours Monday—Friday 8AM-4PM

Father Joe’s Notes My dear friends,

For the last year, Southington

Catholic School has been preparing

from reaccreditation. The faculty and

staff have been evaluating the program

and writing reports. We have walked

through the facility making sure that

we meet safely requirements. All this

was done so we could submit the

paperwork to the New England

Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). After

the preparations, the time has come for the team to visit.

It will begin this Sunday evening, and they will remain

a few day. The team will conduct interviews and check

our reports again the reality of what they find. Pray for

us that all goes well and that the recommendations

NEASC makes will be productive. I look forward to

meeting the team and working with them.

While the task to prepare for this visit has been

enormous, it has already been useful. We identified

issues in the process and managed to make corrections.

We have updated the inadequate electric supply for the

classrooms, replaced and supplemented technology for

all grades, revamped safety precautions, and reworked

dismissal routines. We established an endowment fund

for greater financial stability. The effort to prepare

reports help us see the school in a new light. We were

forced to examine things we took for granted or ignored.

After all the labor we have done, I can honestly say we

have strengthened our program at Southington Catholic

School. It’s a wonderful school and I

am very proud to be a part of the

community.

We all may dread evaluations and the

effort to examine things in our lives,

but they can be very useful tools.

Think of how many projects you may

have half done at home or piles you

have yet to examine on your desk.

When company is coming, it forces us

to deal with it. The issues we’ve learned to live with

can be solved and the messes we ignore can be cleaned.

It can be helpful to evaluate our homes, school,

parishes, communities, and lives. To see life with new

eyes can be transformative. It isn’t easy, but it does

produce results that make our world better.

As Southington Catholic School faces this time of

evaluation, we are reminded we all can benefit from the

same effort ourselves. As you pray for us in this

process, we will pray for you as you look to your

spiritual home. May it help you make the changes you

need and appreciate the good that is there that perhaps

you have been missing.

Happily yours in Christ, Fr. Joe

Question: Father, what’s contemplative prayer and is it

Catholic?

Answer: Contemplative Prayer is a wordless prayer in

which the heart, mind, and soul focus upon the

greatness of God. It looks to the merciful and loving

life of Christ. This is different than meditation, which

tries to understand God’s revealed truth and how I

should live that as a Christian. They are both forms of

Catholic worship with ancient traditions. To explain

them a bit further, meditation is like looking at a

relationship in your life. You may ask yourself quietly:

why do I love this person; where is this relationship

going; how can I make things better? Contemplation is

more simply seeking to spent time with one you love –

God. It’s just making yourselves present and sitting

with the Lord without words or questions. This

relationship is harder to achieve, but is very rich. It’s

like experiencing the joy of simply being with a person

you love with no need to speak. That is contemplative

prayer, and it is a very Catholic type of prayer.

Ask Father

Readings for the Week of October 21st

Sunday: Is 53:10-11/Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 [22]/

Heb 4:14-16/Mk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

Monday: Eph 2:1-10/Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4ab, 4c-5 [3b]/

Lk 12:13-21

Tuesday: Eph 2:12-22/Ps 85:9ab-10, 11-12, 13-14

[cf. 9]/Lk 12:35-38

Wednesday: Eph 3:2-12/Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6 [cf. 3]/

Lk 12:39-48

Thursday: Eph 3:14-21/Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19

[5b]/Lk 12:49-53

Friday: Eph 4:1-6/Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 [cf. 6]/

Lk 12:54-59

Saturday: Eph 4:7-16/Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5 [1]/

Lk 13:1-9

Next Sunday: Jer 31:7-9/Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 [3]/

Heb 5:1-6/Mk 10:46-52

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

Italian Rosary Group First Tuesday of each month—7:30PM (Parish Center)

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Bible Study Group

Classes will meet this Thursday, October 25th, when

we will cover Genesis, Chapter 12—The Call of

Abram. All are welcome to join us!

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

Thursdays at 7:00PM—Chapel (Rectory basement)

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

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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.

Collections for October 14th

Weekly—$5776 / Maintenance—$2173 / Online—$1160

† Southington Catholic School †

St. Thomas Religious Ed. †

Mark your

calendars!

We have set some of the dates for this year’s program.

We will let you know as more dates are confirmed.

9th Grade Retreat January 6, 2019

1:00-5:00PM at Mary Our Queen

Teaching Mass Sunday, March 24, 2019—4:00PM

(Mandatory for First Communion & Confirmation Students)

First Holy Communion Saturday, May 4, 2019—10:00AM

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

they learn how to

compose 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

current 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.

OPEN HOUSE

ELECTION DAY

On Tuesday, November 6th—

Election Day, Southington

Catholic School will host an

Open House. If small class size

and a challenging curriculum

are important to your family,

you’re invited to tour our

school. From the early reading

skills programs in pre-k and

kindergarten, to the middle school curriculum that pre-

pares students for advanced placement in high school,

Southington Catholic School is a priceless advantage

you can give your child. Please call 860-628-2485 for

more information or to schedule a personal tour.

Help Wanted! Grant Writer: Southington

Catholic School is looking for an

individual with experience in

writing grant proposals for non-

profit organizations/school. If you

are interested or

know someone who

might be, please

contact us in the

Advancement Office

at 860-628-2485.

THE MEN’S RETREAT CAN...

Revive your body, soul and

mind.

Re-charge your spiritual

wellbeing through

conferences, workshops,

prayer services, and

relaxing time.

Join the parish men that go every year on retreat the

weekend of Nov. 2nd-4th.

For information go online at www.holyfamilyretreat.org

or call 860-760-9705. You may also call our parish

representatives: Joe Della Porta 860-628-8703, or Larry

Ryan 860-621-2443.

SOUTHINGTON CHURCH WOMEN UNITED - FALL PRAYER SERVICE

Friday, November 2nd at 1:00 pm at

the Grace Methodist Church, 121

Pleasant Street, Southington. The

program is entitled “Reaching for

Wholeness-In Harmony with God’s

People. Refreshments will be served

after the meeting. The meeting is free for all attending. As

part of the service, there is a “least coin” collection which

attendees may freely contribute loose change. There is

also a free will offering for 2018 World Community Day.

The meeting should last 90 minutes, including the social

time with refreshments.Any questions, call Robin Taillie

860-919-3783 or email rtaillie@cox.net

St. Thomas Parish invites you to a celebration of an

ALL SOULS MEMORIAL MASS Friday, November 2nd at 7:00 PM

at St. Thomas Church

We remember all of our beloved dead, especially those parishioners who have died in the past year. A reception will be held following the Mass in the parish basement.

All are welcome to join us.

A MINISTRY OF PRAYER WITH

LAP-BLANKETS

Our parish is involved in a ministry of

distributing lap blankets to the sick and

elderly in various health-care facilities. We

invite anyone who can crochet or knit to make

them at home, then join us on the last

Wednesday of each month to pray and

package them in the church basement at 7:00pm. Contact Sr.

Marie 860-621-1904. The next meeting will be October 24th.

New members are welcome.

Archdiocese of Hartford

2018 Women’s Conference November 3rd

10:00 AM—5:00 PM

Hartford Marriott Farmington

Keynote Speaker:

Kerry A. Robinson,

Founding executive director and

current Global Ambassador of

Leadership Roundtable

What’s included?

Dynamic workshops and spiritual breakouts,

including opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration

and Confession

Women-centric vendor hall

Lunch in community

Time to celebrate our Roman Catholic Faith!

Visit www.CatholicEdAOHCT.org to register for a day

of inspiration, spiritual nourishment, and sisterhood!

Ladies Guild Parish Cook Books

Cookbooks will be on sale after all the

Masses next weekend, October 27th &

28th. They are $10 a piece. Each book

is filled with delicious recipes made by

St. Thomas Parishioners and some local

restaurants. Fr. Joe submitted a few too!

It makes a great keepsake or special gift

for someone. Buy one or two now!

Della Vecchia Funeral Home 860-628-2293 www.dellavecchiafh.com

Manor Inn 860-628-9877 Manorinnrestaurant.com

Al Joy Tire Service 860-628-2728

Youssef B. Khawaja, MD Internal Medicine & Endocrinology

860-621-9353

Giovanni’s Pizzeria 860-621-2299

www.giovannisofsouthington.com

Plantsville Funeral Home 860-621-4656

www.plantsvillefuneralhome.com

Steve’s Family Restaurant 860-621-7116

Ragozzino’s Deli & Catering 860-621-6979

Serfafino Pharmacy, INC 860-628-7979

www.stores.healthmart.com/serafinopharmacy

Religious Teachers Filippini 860-621-1904 www.filippiniusa.org

Waste Material Trucking Company, INC Residential & Commercial 860-747-6816

D’Amato Construction Company, INC General Contractors 860-583-3489

Patrick Baker & Sons Religious goods and supplies

1-800-243-6385 www.ChurchGoods.com

Bill’s Auto Body Clinic, INC 860-628-8627

V.Nanfito Remodeling & Repairs 860-621-6898

CV Tool Company 860-621-0494

Catholic Match.com/CT

ATD Home Security 1-888-862-6429

www.parishstore.com

Volpe & Sons Automotive 860-628-0067

Della Porta EyeCare, LLC 860-582-0702 www.bristoleyes.com

Franciscan Home Care and Hospice Care 203-238-1441 www.FranciscanHC.org

Paul Gregory’s—Bistro & Catering 860-621-9999

Su

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dvertisers—

Tha

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elpin

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s! WINTER CLOTHING DRIVE

Donations of coats, hats, gloves and

mittens will be collected after Masses

Oct. 20/21 & 27/28. All items will go

to Southington Social Services as part

of our ongoing outreach to those in

need in our community. Items may be

dropped off at the rectory weekdays

until 4:00 p.m. Please call the rectory

for any additional information.

Plan Ahead!

Thanksgiving Day Mass Thursday, November 22nd

8:00 AM in the church

Advent Parish Mission Monday, December 3rd—

Wednesday, December 5th

7:00 PM in the church

This year’s theme is one of Stewardship.

Lessons and Carols Sunday, December 9th

4:00 PM in the church

This is a celebration of readings and song,

hearing the ancient prophesies of the

Messiah, how they are fulfilled in Jesus

Christ, and singing songs of praise.

MASS BOOK FOR 2019

The Mass book for 2019 is

now open for you to schedule

intentions for the year. You

may stop by the rectory or

call between 9:00AM and

4:00PM Monday through

Friday. (Please note, you

may book no more than three

Masses per family at this

time.) You may also book a

remembrance of a sanctuary

candle or altar flowers.