Faculty/Staff Formation Alice I. Hession Director of Formation Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools.
Saint Thomas Church...2020/08/30 · 4:00PM Mario, Antonietta & Stefano Votino Requested by...
Transcript of Saint Thomas Church...2020/08/30 · 4:00PM Mario, Antonietta & Stefano Votino Requested by...
Rectory Office
Phone: 860-628-4713 Fax: 860-628-7341 E-Mail: [email protected] 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: [email protected]
Southington Catholic School
Address: 133 Bristol Street Southington, CT Phone: 860-628-2485 Fax: 860-628-4942 Web Site: www.southingtoncathlolicschool.org
August 30, 2020
22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
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 (Church) Thursday & Friday: 12:10PM (Church)
Saturday: 8:00AM (Church)
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.
Parish Staff
Priests Rev. Joseph R. Cronin—Pastor [email protected] 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 Paul Miano
Plant Manager Casey Potthoff
Custodial Staff Bonnie Guimond –Part Time Ron Lemire –Part Time 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
Custodian Rick Barrett
Sanctuary Candles
Church: Returning Students
Chapel: Returning Teachers
Rectory Office Hours Monday—Friday 8AM-4PM
SATURDAY, August 29—Passion of St. John the
Baptist 8:00AM The Parishioners of St. Thomas Church
4:00PM Dolores Biafore Requested by Carmine & Sue Votino
SUNDAY, August 30 —22nd Sunday/Ordinary Time 7:30AM Imogene & Leo Paul Lacombe Req. by son, Larry
10:00AM Saveria Sabino—5th Anniversary Requested daughter, Josephine, & son-in-law, Pasquale
MONDAY, August 31—Weekday 7:30AM The Parishioners of St. Thomas Church
TUESDAY, September 1—Weekday 7:30AM The deceased members of the Sukatski Family
Requested by Rose & Joe Sukatski
WEDNESDAY, September 2—Weekday
NO MASS ON WEDNESDAYS
THURSDAY, September 3—St. Gregory the Great,
Pope & Doctor of the Church 12:10 PM Asuncion Lopez Gomez Requested by Carlos
Gomez, Terry, Bill, Tony, and Tom Lombardi
FRIDAY, September 4—Weekday 12:10 PM Dom Mongillo, Sr. & Dom Mongillo, Jr.
Requested by wife & mother
SATURDAY, September 5—Weekday 8:00AM The Brotherhood of Hope—40th Anniversary Requested by Zachary Janowski
4:00PM Mario, Antonietta & Stefano Votino
Requested by daughter, Mary Nigo
SUNDAY, September 6 —23rd Sunday in Ordinary
Time 7:30AM Michael Hession—Anniversary Remembrance
Requested by family
10:00AM Deacon Thomas Lopatosky Requested wife & family
Father Joe’s Notes My dear friends,
September’s just around the corner. Normally, we’d be
going back to school and parish activities would commence.
Well, this isn’t a normal time. School opening has been
delayed until September 11th. Catechism will begin that
weekend, but not many have registered. Our parish picnic
and other fall actives have been cancelled. Organizations, like
the Ladies Guild, are still on hiatus for the time being, until
public health alerts have been lifted. Archbishop Blair has
extend the dispensation to attend Sunday liturgies through
November 28th. So what do we have to do?
Mass will continue with all health and safety precautions.
We will wear masks and maintain social distance. We will
limit the number of people in church in accordance with state
regulations, and we will continue to sign up in advance. We
will check temperatures and sanitize our hands. With these
procedures, we can maintain liturgical life here, which we
will also continue to stream online.
School and catechism will resume this fall. We will follow
all health and safety directives from the Archdiocese of
Hartford, local board of education, public health office, and
the State of Connecticut. Our custodians have been preparing
well to meet the challenge. In person classes will resume, but
there are also options for distance learning. We are working
very hard to continue teaching the faith to our young people.
We will resume our Bible study this September, beginning
on Thursday, September 10th. It will be a bit different. We
will meet in the church for a live afternoon session at
1:30PM. It will also be streamed on our Facebook group.
You can view it live from home and ask questions on the
livestream, or watch any time later, and I will try to field
questions that come in from people who watch the recording.
We will pick up study of the Book of Joshua once more,
starting from the beginning.
We will be offering our bereavement ministry this fall, with
some changes. Following contact precautions, the group will
be spilt into smaller clusters that meet in various rooms,
maintaining limited exposer to people. This gives us the
chance to help those dealing with grief, especially in this
unusual time then we could not have all the normal rituals of
the funeral rite. It will look a bit different, but it will meet
the same need.
We may be living in unusual times with unique challenges,
but we will still strive to minister to your needs in the face of
the challenge. It will all look different, but the same love of
God will be offered, if just in a new package. Bear with us as
we continue to do our best to adapt to the circumstances.
Together, we will face the challenge and get through
together, even if we walk six feet apart!
Joyfully yours in Christ, Fr. Joe
Question: Father, why don’t people bow their heads at the
name of Jesus anymore?
Answer: Many of you were trained that at the mention of
Jesus’ name, you should bow your head. It has roots in
Scripture. St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians,
“Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave him the
name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend in heaven and on the earth and under
the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord to the glory of God the Father (2:9-11).” Well, that
would explain genuflecting, but not bowing your head. The
Second Council of Lyons in 1274 stated that the faithful
should reverence the name of Jesus by bending the knee in
their hearts, which could be shown with a bow of the head.
What is that supposed to mean? We honor the name of Jesus,
our Savior, rather than taking his name in vain. So the
custom of bowing one’s head at the mention of Jesus’s name
began almost 750 years ago! Is it a sin not to do it? By no
means is it a sin, but it’s a nice custom to keep. Here is the
correct custom found in the liturgical guidelines for all who
do it. You bow the head at the name of Jesus, but not at the
mention of Christ, which is simply a title. It is considered
even more appropriate to bow your head at the mention of the
Holy Trinity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is also
considered proper to bow your head at the mention of the
name of Mary, but only when referring to the Blessed Mother
and not a person you know named Mary. The same liturgical
guidelines also state that you should bow your head as the
crucifix and the priest process past you at the beginning and
end of Mass, and that as the priest leave the Mass, you bow
your head and pray for him. (I like that one! I can use all the
prayers I can get.) So why don’t people bow their heads
anymore? The practice has never been abandoned; it’s just
part of the culture of Catholicism that is vanishing in the
modern world with greater and greater informality. If you
still bow your head at the name of Jesus, Mary, and the Holy
Trinity, good for you. Don’t force others to do so, but you
can teach them this blessed custom to help them reverence
God and the wonderful gift of salvation. When done with
knowledge and purpose, it is a great thing!
Ask Father
Readings for the week of August 30, 2020
Sunday: Jer 20:7-9/Ps 63:2-6,8-9/Rom 12:1-2/Mt 16:21-27
Monday: 1 Cor 2:1-5/Ps 119:97-102/Lk 4:16-30
Tuesday: 1 Cor 2:10b-16/Ps 145:8-14/Lk 4:31-37
Wednesday: 1 Cor 3:1-9/Ps 33:12-15,20-21/Lk 4:38-44
Thursday: 1 Cor 3:18-23/Ps 24:1b-6/Lk 5:1-11
Friday: 1 Cor 4:1-5/Ps 37:3-6,27-28,39-40/Lk 5:33-39
Saturday: 1 Cor 4:6b-15/Ps 145:17-21/Lk 6:1-5
Next Sunday: Ez 33:7-9/Ps 95:1-2,6-9/Rom 13:8-10/
Mt 18:15-20
Parish Information Devotions & Groups
Holy Hours In the chapel—rectory basement
CURRENTLY ON HOLD
Eucharistic Adoration In the chapel—rectory basement
CURRENTLY ON HOLD
Miraculous Medal Novena In the chapel—rectory basement
CURRELY ON HOLD
Italian Rosary Group CURRENTLY ON HOLD
Lap Blanket Ministry Parishioners make blankets for patients in local health
care facilities . Anyone who crochets is invited to join
us in the church basement. One Wednesday Evening a
month 7:00-8:15PM. Canceled until further notice.
Ladies Guild The Ladies Guild meets the first Monday
of each month, and hosts hospitality in
the church meeting room each first
Sunday after both 7:30 & 10:00 mass.
Bible Study Group We will be taking a break over the
summer. We will resume in
September. We will be reading the
Book of Joshua. We will start fresh
for any new participants. We hope to
have an in person class and also live-
stream. See you this fall!
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 Anyone interested in becoming Catholic, give us a call!
Reconciliation Confessions are Saturdays 3:00 PM
until 3:30 PM in the reconciliation
room in the church (you must wear a
mask when coming),
Marriage We need a minimum of six months for preparation.
Couples should contact Father Joe to set up 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.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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’ll have our Plant Manager, Casey Potthoff,
meet with you and explain the options for graves and
markers. Please, call the rectory to schedule a meeting.
Sponsor Certificates
They’re available in the sacristy or in the rectory office.
You must be an active parishioner, registered with our
parish for at least 6 months. The use of the envelopes helps
verify that you’re an active parishioners. You must also
have completed your Sacraments of Initiation and be in a
valid marriage. If you have questions, call us.
New Parishioners
Welcome to St. Thomas! We’re delighted to have you join
us. Introduce yourself to Father or the Deacons after Mass.
Parish registration forms are available in the sacristy and
the rectory office. Take one for the family, and a separate
form for each member. Once completed, mail them to us
or drop them in the collection basket.
Collections for August 23rd
Weekly—$5802 / Online—$2763
† Southington Catholic School †
Due to the quarantine for corona
virus back in the spring, all of our
sacramental celebrations were
postponed. We have now
rescheduled them for this fall. Please
mark your calendars with these new
dates and times.
First Reconciliation For all catechism students - Friday,
September 25th at 6:00 PM in church.
For all SCS school students - to be
scheduled during school in September.
First Holy Communion For SCS school students – Saturday,
September 26th at Noon with rehearsal
during school the week prior in church.
For our catechism students with a last
name A-L – Saturday, October 3rd at
10:00 AM with a rehearsal Sunday,
September 27th at 2:00 PM in church.
For our catechism students with a last
name M-Z – Saturday, October 3rd at
12:00 PM with a rehearsal Sunday,
September 27th at 4:00 PM in church.
Confirmation Friday, October 23rd at 7:00 PM with a
rehearsal on Sunday, October 18th at
7:00 PM in church.
Should there be a problem with one
of these dates, please contact the
rectory office.
Sacramental Make
Up Sessions
STEPS TO
SAFETY—5K Please register for a safe and fun 5K
that will help Southington Catholic
School defray the costs of safety supplies needed for opening
school in September, under COVID 19 precautions. Visit our
website:www.southingtoncatholicschool.org to register and
order your special 5K tee shirt. With a minimum donation of
$25.00, you will be able to wear your shirt on the weekend of
September 18-20 as you walk/run/bike your own 5K course.
Help us keep Catholic education a viable option in Southington.
For more information, call 860-628-2485 ext 114..
REGISTRATION & CLASSES
We will make some changes to the program for this year.
Confirmation will meet on Sundays in the school cafeteria
6:00 and 7:30 PM. They will be divided into smaller groups.
All students in grades 1 to 8 will meet on Mondays between 5
and 6 PM. Go directly up to the classrooms (not in the
cafeteria). This will allow ample time to sanitize rooms after
school and after catechism. We must follow all guidelines of the
state, Archdiocese of Hartford, and the local board of health.
These changes allow for this.
For anyone uncomfortable sending a child to classes this year,
we have a few options.
Register a child (not in sacramental preparation) for home
study. You will be given the book. When the lesson is
finished, the student completes review questions. Every other
month, you will send in the completed answers.
For the sacramental preparation, we’re looking into an
online course. We will notify you on this as it progresses.
Class sizes will be limited to about 12 children per class
for in person classes.
Classes begin Sunday, September 13th and Monday,
September 14th. Register at the rectory.
St. Thomas Religious Ed. †
Southington Catholic Parishes
Collaborating On Monday, August 3, 2020, representatives from all five parishes in
Southington (Immaculate Conception, Mary Our Queen, St. Thomas, St.
Dominic, and St. Aloysius) met to continue discussing collaboration in
ministries. While each parish entity will remain open and operate their
respective schedules of Masses for weekends and holy days, they have
agreed to cooperate in the following ways.
All five parishes will take ownership of Southington Catholic School.
They will support the school with a monthly subsidy. A committee will
meet this month with representatives from each of the five parishes chaired
by the head of the finance committee from Southington Catholic School.
This allocation committee will determine the best way to divide the subsidy
based on proportionality to population and resources. This common
agreement will be reviewed annually to adjust for population, finance,
subsidy needed, and any other changes to the parishes. Their
recommendations will be given to the pastors.
All five parishes will combine for a joint religious education program
for the 2021-2022 school year. This year, we will discuss location,
personnel, and programs for that time. We will align all the programs now
to coordinate sacramental preparations. We agree to prepare children for
First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in third grade. Confirmation
programs will begin in eight grade and continue through ninth grade.
Confirmation will be in fall of tenth grade. This time of adjustment will
make the combination easier the following year.
With covid restrictions, no youth activities will be held at this time. We
plan to operate a joint youth ministry in 2021 when group meetings are
deemed safe, hopefully in spring. In the meantime, Deacon John Thorpe
will meet with people from the various parishes to plan what shape a new
youth ministry program may take. Any parishioners interested in this
should contact us this month.
A common daily Mass schedule will begin in January of 2021. Masses
will be celebrated at Immaculate Conception Church. Monday through
Friday, there will be Masses at 7:30 AM and Noon. On Saturday, there
will be a 7:30 AM Mass. All priests will take turns covering the Mass
schedule, and Immaculate Conception will be responsible for booking the
weekday Mass intentions. (Each parish will print the intentions in their
bulletins.) We will look into offering extra times for Confessions before or
after these Masses during the week to expand on times the Sacrament is
offered. Exact times are still to be determined. Immaculate Conception was
chosen since it is centrally located, is smaller and easier to heat and air
condition, and creates activity at the site. Other parishes will host other joint
programs as they begin to operate.
We will look into creating a common Southington Catholic website.
We can use this to place common announcements, post news for the school,
religious education, youth ministry, and Masses. We could see about using
it to stream the daily Masses online, increasing our digital presence. This
will not only be useful during times of restriction for the virus, but also for
the future growth of the Catholic community in town. It could be a useful
means of evangelization.
We thank everyone who has prayerfully worked so hard to develop t he plan
so far. Thanks go to all those participating. We will inform you as
additional information is available.
RCIA: Rite of
Christian
Initiation for
Adults
Are you an adult who
was never baptized but what to
belong? Are you a Christian of
another denomination looking to
become part of the Catholic
Church? Were you baptized
Catholic but never completed your
other Sacraments? We can help!
We have a group that can help you
explore the options to join the Faith.
Call us at the rectory and Deacon
Vinny Raby will speak to you about
the options we have available. We
will have a groups forming this fall
meeting all proper social distancing
requirements.
Stewardship
Thought
In today’s second
reading, St. Paul
exhorts the Romans
to total
stewardship.
“Brothers and
sisters,” he urges,
“... offer your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
pleasing to God.”
Our Sunday Visitor, Stewardship by the Book:
Bulletin Bits Based on the Sunday Readings, by
Sharon Hueckel, Second Edition 2004, page 13
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Catholic Cemeteries Association of the
Archdiocese of Hartford, Inc.
Catholic Biblical School
THIS MONDAY—August 31st is the LAST
DAY to apply for the Catholic Biblical
School this year! We're piloting remote
and hybrid options, so don't miss out. To
apply, go to: https://catholicedaohct.org/
prospective-students/applying-to-cbs
Rosaries for Peace In response to the violence and rioting
across our country, parishioners from the
Southington Catholic churches have been
uniting in praying the Rosary for Peace &
Racial Healing on Saturday mornings,
socially distancing outside of the churches.
Come join in praying the most powerful
weapon against evil for our country asking
for our Lady’s intercession.
St. Dominic- 8/29/20 at 9am
Mary Our Queen- 9/5/20 at 9am
Immaculate Conception- 9/12/20 at 9am
St Aloysius- 9/19/20 at 9am
St. Thomas- 9/26/20 at 8:30am, after 8am mass
St. Dominic- 10/3/20 at 9am
Prayer for Peace and Racial Healing
God of justice, In your wisdom you create all people in
your image, without exception. Through your goodness,
open our eyes to see the dignity, beauty, and worth of
every human being. Open our minds to understand that all
your children are brothers and sisters in the same human
family. Open our hearts to repent of racist attitudes,
behaviors, and speech which demean others. Open our ears
to hear the cries of those wounded by racial
discrimination, and their passionate appeals for change.
Strengthen our resolve to make amends for past injustices
and to right the wrongs of history. And fill us with courage
that we might seek to heal wounds, build bridges, forgive
and be forgiven, and establish peace and equality for all in
our communities. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.