St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church

Masses for the Week

Altar Server's Schedule

Second Collection

Please be generous in your spiritual and financial donations to the Slovak Catholic Federation for the financial assistance of the Slovak Institute of SS Cyril and Methodius.

Donations

Donations have been received and are gratefully acknowledged for the following:

Our parish community extends their sincere sympathy to the family of PETER MICHINOK who passed away last week. May he enjoy eternal peace.

Lenten Opportunities

The Lenten season opens this week on Ash Wednesday, February 25th. The blessing and distribution of ashes will be featured at all services of the day in St. Joseph Church: Mass at 9:00am, Mass at 7:00pm, and in St. Stanislaus Kostka Church: Mass at 9:00am, Prayer Service at 12:05pm, Mass at 5:30pm.

Also, kindly note that, in addition to the morning daily Mass, Monday thru Saturday, alternating weekly between the two Churches, there will be two evening Mass opportunities throughout Lent. On Tuesdays, at 7:00pm, Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph Church; on Wednesdays, at 5:30pm, Mass will be celebrated in St. Stanislaus Kostka Church.

The Stations of the Cross Devotion, a vernerable Lenten exercise, will be conducted, with the school children participating, in both Churches on Thursdays at 1:15pm. On Saturdays, immediately following the 9:00am Mass, the Stations of the Cross Devotion will be conducted in the Church designated as the Worship Site for that week.

As Easter nears, on Monday, March 30th, a Lenten Communal Penance Service will be conducted at 7:00pm in St. Joseph Church. At the conclusion of the service, several priests will be available for the individual hearing of confessions.

Similar to Advent, we are distributing Lenten publications for your personal and family use: one book of reflections for each day of Lent, the other a magazine with a multi-faceted approach for each week of Lent. Take a copy of the one which best meets your needs. Inserted in each will be the materials for your kind participation in the Lenten Rice Bowl Program. Plan on making a spiritually beneficial Lent this year.

Confessions

Next weekend, Confessions will be heard on Sunday morning, March 1st, from 9:45 until 10:15am, prior to the scheduled Parish Mass.

Days of Eucharistic Devotion in March

On the weekend prior to the Feast of St. Joseph, March 14th-15th, Days of Eucharistic Devotion will be observed when the Blessed Sacrament will be solemnly exposed upon the altar from the morning to the evening, welcoming parishioners to spend some private moments of reflection and prayer in Church before the Jesus of the Eucharist.

On the First Day, Saturday, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will follow at the conclusion of the 9:00am Mass and continue all throughout the day. The Blessed Sacrament will be reposed just before the 6:30 evening mass.

On the Second Day, Sunday, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will follow at the conclusion of the 10:30am Mass and continue all throughout the day. At 4:00pm, A Solemn Eucharistic Service (not mass) will be offered featuring Prayers and Scripture, Procession and Benediction.

Coming during the Lenten Season, these twin days of Eucharistic Devotion provide additional opportunities of spiritual nourishment. Grace, peace and companionship await you before Jesus' Sacrament of Life.

St. Joseph Table

On the concluding Day of Eucharistic Devotion, Sunday, March 15th, the hospitiality of the St. Joseph Table will be extended to all our parishioners and friends in the School Hall. There, immediately following the 4:00pm Service, a bountiful presentation of covered dish offerings will be spread out, inviting all to feast and enjoy. In honor of our Parish Patron, we strengthen the bonds by which we are a faith community and break bread together in the friendship of the Lord.

Our St. Joseph Table will need the generous assistance of many fine cooks and kitchen wizards to meet the demands of the occasion. If you could provide us with a covered dish item or dessert, please contact Fran Shesko  who is coordinating our culinary resources. The Women's Club will provide the hot sandwiches and cold cuts entree. Don't be shy; your baked beans or creamed scalloped potatoes could make all the difference! Give Fran a call today. Thank you from a very grateful St. Joseph!

The Rosary Society

Won't you join us in the recitation of the Rosary during the Lenten season beginning February 28th and March 1st and thereafter at every Saturday evening Mass and Sunday morning Mass. Just 15 extra minutes before each Mass is all that is required. There is no surer means of calling down God's blessing upon the family. Remember - Saturday evenings at 6:15 and Sunday mornings at 10:15.

Congratulations

Our parish recently received notification of the performance of our high school students on the First Semester Report. We are particularly proud of those who demonstrated academic excellence. Elizabeth Catanese '99 ranked number 10 in the class. Students who achieved first honors include: Kathryn Catanese '01, and Elizabeth Catanese '99. Among those earning second honors were the following students from our parish: Shannon Hamara '98. Melissa Rhoades '98.

Parking Woes

When parking your car on the Charles Street lot, please move all the way in and fill up the spaces closest to the school building. Doing otherwise deprives others of coveted parking spots. It takes only minutes after Mass for this lot to empty, so whatever waiting involved would surely be minimal. A little consideration makes for happier parishioners all around. Thank you!

Help Needed

Comboni Missionary Sisters need your help! They have families in need of good used furniture: sofas and chairs, kitchen or dining room tables and chairs, beds, bed linens, microwaves, dishes, pots, pans.

Also, the Spanish Community is starting a Choir and could use an electric guitar thats in good condition.

If you would like to donate any of these items, please call Sr. Consiglia or Sr. Joan at 380-9229.

Women’s Club News

Easter/Spring Bazaar - Sunday, March 29th. That date is fast approaching so we hope you are working on your crafts, etc. We also hope you will make a special effort to fill our bake table this year. We are looking for nut rolls, poppy seed rolls, paskas (Easter Bread) cookies, cakes, kiefli, squares, pitzelles or anything that might be your specialty. Ann Hamilton, Chairperson of the Bake Table will be calling you. Please say “Yes” to her and tell her what you will be baking. Thanks in advance for your support.

At our last Pierogie Making Session (20 turned out, thanks) we made 73 dozen pierogies. Our goal is 200!! Please help us reach this goal next Saturday, February 28th starting at 8:00 AM.

40 Hours Eucharistic Devotions - Covered Dish - Coordinated by the Women’s Club. Don’t forget to call Fran Shesko and let her know how many in your family will be attending.

75th Anniversary Questionnaire

Attached to this Bulletin, you will find a Questionnaire regarding our 75th Anniversary Celebration in 1999. We hope you will take the time to read it and complete it and drop the form into the Women's Club Drop Box in the vestibule before, Sunday, March 8th. We need the input of the parishioners to help us plan for this very special event. We are looking for ideas, recommendations and anything that