St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church

Masses for the Week

Welcome

We welcome the following families into our Parish Community: Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Oleykowski and their son, Matthew Ryan and Mr. & Mrs. Brian Ford.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

This weekend, Confessions will be heard on Sunday, September 13th, from 9:45 to 10:15am, prior to the Evening Mass. Also, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available anytime upon request.

Your Prayers are Requested

In the kindness of your prayers, please remember the sick: Julia Esposito, Casper Hracho, Vera Lahm, John Yankech, Mary Riley, Sophie Zelina, Rose Guldan, Dorothy Hayes; and the dead: Andrew Garay.

Vatican II Revisted

Next Sunday, September 20th, at 2:00pm, WHYY-TV/Channel 12 will present "Reflections on Vatican II," a two hour documentary that chronicles the history and lasting effects of the Second Vatican Council on the Catholic Church and the world at large. Over three years in the making, this documentary will offer viewers an exceptional inside look at the Council as revealed by those who were there. From beginning to end the story is monumental! Plan now to watch next Sunday afternoon.

A Little Something Extra

In keeping with this month's PBS broadcast of "Reflections on Vatican II" (described above), a special insert page is being attached to our parish bulletin each weekend in September. The printed piece itself is called "Faith Connection", and it will offer feature articles on the Second Vatican Council. We hope it provides religious enrichment for you. Let us know what you thought of "Faith Connection" over its four weeks of distribution.

R.C.I.A. Classes Forming

The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults is the approach offered by our parish family both to welcome new members from other religious denominations or no Church affiliation and to complete the Sacraments of Initiation for adult Catholics who have received only Baptism. In a friendly and informative manner, the beliefs and the practices of the Catholic Faith are presented over a series of weekly sessions, beginning in the Fall and continuing to the Spring. Quite simply, the R.C.I.A. Program is the Church's way of making new Catholics and full Catholics. For further information or to register, please contact Father John at 384-1172. We are looking to open our new series on October 14th.

Choir News

Rehearsals for the Adult and Youth Choirs will begin on Monday, September 21st. If you ever thought of joining one of these groups, now is the time. I’d love to see some new faces this year. The choirs sing during regular services and at special services during the holidays. There are no tryouts, all you need is a desire to sing. For a small investment in time, I think you’ll find it a very rewarding experience. This year is particularly exciting because we will be preparing for several special events to mark St. Joseph’s 75th Anniversary.

For the next few months, the organists and cantors at St. Joseph’s will also be providing the music for St. Stanislaus Kostka’s services. Because of these extra responsibilities, it was necessary to move the rehearsals for the Adult Choir to Monday night. On Mondays, the Youth Choir will rehearse from 6:45pm to 7:30pm in the choir loft, followed by the Adult Choir rehearsal which will run from 7:30pm to 8:30pm.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask any of the organists or cantors, before or after Mass. I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting some new ones on the 21st.

Craig Cigas
Music Director, St. Joseph’s Church

75th Anniversary T-Shirts

75th Anniversary t-shirts will be sold at the masses this weekend. The cost is adults $10.00 and children $8.00. The t-shirts will have the 75th Anniversary logo, designed by Barbara Glass. Proceeds from the sale of these shirts will help defray some of the costs relating to our celebration of this momentous anniversary. Your support will be greatly appreciated. If we do not have your size, we will be placing more orders in the near future. Call Mary Frances Johnson at 384-6427 to place an order if you miss us this weekend.

CCD Teacher Meeting

There will be a meeting for all CCD Teachers Sunday, September 13th, after the 10:30 Mass. The meeting will be held in the school hall.

Special Invitation for September 27th

Over the past week, the households of our Parish should have received the flyer announcing the Grand Communion Breakfast for the men, young men and high school boys of St. Joseph Church. It will take place on Sunday, September 27th, in the Parish Hall, immediately following the 10:30am Mass. Rev. Mr. Frank Clark, Director, Archdiocesan Family Life Office, will be the featured speaker. Because of the gracious generosity of the Women's Club, there will be no cost to the participants. This is an invitation being offered to reach out to the men, young men and high school boys of the Parish, and to provide them with a spiritual and social occasion to be in one another's company. The favor of a reply is requested no later than September 21st by returning the completed form at the bottom of the mailed flyer or call Ann B. Cigas at 384-2955. Come, enjoy a full country breakfast and "a guys morning out!"

CCD Kindergarten Aide Needed

We are in need of one or more people to serve as a teacher’s aide for our Kindergarten class. This person would work one-on-one with a child who has special needs. It would be best to have two or more people, so that they could rotate weeks. The aide should be an adult (or student at least 14 years old). If you can help, please stop by the CCD teacher’s meeting in the school hall after the 10:30 Mass or call Frank Lasak at 857-1327. Thank you.

Local CSS Program

The Catholic Social Services is forming a Self-Help Group centering on the beginning issues of divorce. It will meet on Friday evenings, 7:00 to 8:30pm, in the basement of Our Lady of Consolation Church, Parkesburg, running from September 18th to November 6th. Anyone interested, please call 269-4060, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Open House

You are cordially invited to Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook for their 45th Annual Open House. It will be held on Sunday, October 4th, from 12pm to 5pm. There will be guided tours of seminary life, sacred art. Evening Prayer and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 5:00pm. For group guided tours of 15 or more, or for directions, please call Mr. Thomas McLaughlin at (610)667-3394 ext. 246.

High School Emmaus Nights

High School Emmaus Nights for 11th and 12th grade young men are being sponsored by the Vocation Office for Diocesan Priesthood - This series is designed to help the young man who is discerning a call to priesthood. Those discerning will meet on the third Wednesday of each month from 7:30 to 9:00pm at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary beginning on Wednesday, September 16th, 1998. He will come together with other high school students who are in the same process. The evening will include prayer and discussion. No registration is needed. Call the Vocation Office for details, (610)667-5778.

A Family Perspective

Parents, those who act as parents, and spouses can identify with today's Gospel, for they know that there is no rejoicing like the rejoicing over people lost and then found. When we proclaim our jubilation, we should be sure to include the "found" person - what an opportunity to mirror God's love for him/her!

Helping us Help Your Community

Choosing the charity you want your United Way gift to support is an ideal way to be confident that your contribution is assisting those you think need it most. What better organization than Catholic Social Services or one of its affiliated programs to be the choice of your designated contribution?

Catholic Social Services provided services to more than 135,000 children, families and older adults last year. With programs that serve the needs of children, the elderly, the homeless and the unique needs of the Latino community, CSS addresses a broad spectrum of issues affecting your community.

Designating a United Way gift to CSS or one of its affiliate programs is easy. When filling out the Southeastern Pennsylvania United Way Donor form, simply fill in the Specific Care section with the organization and code you wish to support. For other United Way regions, just write in the program you wish to support.

For more information on Donor Choice through the United Way or about Catholic Social Services, contact Lorraine Knight, director, Administrative and Support Services at (215)587-3906.

Family Life Information

Marriage Encounter - The greatest gift we can give our children is our love for one another." To refresh your marital love, make a Marriage Encounter Weekend. For information call 1-800-456-8330.

Natural Family Planning - Classes will be held at St. Charles Seminary, Wynnewood; Immaculate Conception, Jenkintown; St. Joseph Parish, Downingtown. For information and dates, call the Family Life Office at (610)660-9002.

Retrouvaille - is a program that helps couples in hurting marriages put the pieces back together and rebuild loving relationships. If your marriage is tearing the two of you apart, if there is little or no meaningful communication, Retrouvaille may be able to help you. For more information on the program call 1-800-470-2230.

Courage - is a spiritual support group for homosexual men and women seeking to live according to the Church's teaching on sexuality. For information, call (215)587-4505. Confidentiality is assured.

Needlework Guild

Don't forget your donations to the Annual In-Gathering of the Needlework Guild. Call Margaret Florian (384-7875) for further information. Please leave your articles on the table in the Church vestibule. Thank you for your support of this worthy community charity.