St . Francis Xavier Parish

26 CHESTNUT LAND ROAD NEW MILFORD, CT 06776

860-354-2202 Web Site: www.sfxnewmilford.org

Email: sfxparish@sfxnewmilford.org Office Hours: 9 A.M. - 5 P.M.

Mon. - Thurs. (Closed on Friday)

PASTORAL TEAM Rev. Gerald Dziedzic, Pastor

PapaGer621@att.net Rectory Phone: 860-799-7449

Rev. Chacko Kumplam

Parochial Vicar

Deacon Alfred “Al” Gambone Deacon.al.sfx@gmail.com

SUPPORT STAFF

Chris Grenier, Administrative Assistant

Parish Office & Faith Formation CGrenier@sfxnewmilford.org

860-354-2202

Jocelyne Verrastro St. Francis Cemetery/Finance Office

JVerrastro@sfxnewmilford.org 860-350-6753

FAITH FORMATION 860-354-5372

Mary Elizabeth Barta, Coordinator Gr. K - 5

Mbarta.sfxnewmilford@gmail.com

Sue Pullen, Coordinator Gr. 6 - 10 TRIBE (Jr. Youth Group) (Gr. 6 - 8), ACTS 29 (Teen Group) (Gr. 9-12)

& Confirmation SPullen@sfxnewmilford.org

HOLY INFANT NURSERY

HolyInfant@sfxnewmilford.org 860-354-7284

Mailing Address & Office Location

1 Elm Street New Milford, CT 06776

Fax # 860-355-9485

MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil at 5:00 p.m.

Sunday at 7:30 & 10:00 a.m. and *5:00 p.m. Tuesday & Thursday at 6:30 pm & Wednesday & Friday at 8:00 am

(*no 5:00 p.m. Mass during June, July and August)

SACRAMENTS CONFESSIONS

Saturdays 4:00 - 4:45 p.m. *Additional Confessions on the First Saturday of the month 12 -1 pm

BAPTISMS

Call Parish Office - 860-354-2202. MARRIAGES

Contact the priest 1 year in advance.

MINISTRY TO THE SICK The parish clergy and Ministers of Holy Communion visit New Milford Hospital, Candlewood Valley Health & Rehab, Village Crest Center

for Health & Rehab and some homebound regularly. For other specific visits, please contact the Parish Office.

WELCOME

We are glad you are here. If you would like to join the parish, please call the parish office.

PRAYER LINE

For the phone please call 860-354-2202 For email please send to: prayerline.sfx@gmail.com

Page Two March 22, 2020

SATURDAY VIGIL - March 21 5:00 P.M. + Emilio Olabarrieta Requested by his wife Fourth Sunday of Lent SUNDAY - March 22 7:30 A.M. + Constance Samoska Requested by Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Samoska, Jr. 10:00 A.M. + The Mullane & Heelan families Requested by the Mullane family 5:00 P.M. + Maggie Bryne Requested by Dr. David & Nancy Lynch MONDAY - No scheduled Mass St. Oscar Romero, Bishop and Martyr TUESDAY - March 24 6:30 P.M. + Scott Rossell Requested by his family & friends The Annunciation of the Lord WEDNESDAY - March 25 8:00 A.M. + Anthony Gasparino Requested by William & Anita Jones THURSDAY - March 26 6:30 P.M. + Erma Chidichimo Requested by the Tedesco family FRIDAY - March 27 8:00 A.M. + Sadie Pope Requested by Duey & Sally Adams SATURDAY VIGIL - March 28 5:00 P.M. + Beth Baldi Requested by the Northville Elementary School - retired teachers Fifth Sunday of Lent SUNDAY - March 29 7:30 A.M. + Mae & Ralph Trapanese (53rd anniversary) Requested by Linda & Bill Kamp 10:00 A.M. + Brian Savoir Requested by the 10 am Choir 5:00 P.M. + Raymond & Catherine Rebholz Requested by Dorothy Stewart

St. Francis sends a final farewell

to our dearly departed: David Michael Franco Althea Roy Clonaris

Alison B. Wells John Anthony Catapano

Marilyn Swanson

PRAYER:

Dear God,

Please keep my family, friends and loved ones safe during this time. Please watch over them and let good health,

happiness and blessings shower upon them. If someone is hurting today, kindly comfort them

and make them well again.

Amen!

Archdiocese of Hartford We received the following: Dear Fr. Dziedzic, I am pleased to appoint you Dean of Deanery One, for a term of three years, effective immediately. I am grateful for your willingness to accept this additional responsibility and for your devoted pastoral care of Saint Francis Xavier and Our Lady of the Lakes parishes. As dean you will work in collaboration with my office in communicating important information to the parishes in your Deanery. I ask that you also work closely with the Vicar for Clergy, Monsignor James Shanley, on the Personnel Board, as well as with the Episcopal Vicar, Monsignor Joseph Donnelly, in coordinating various programs of pastoral nature on the local level. Convening regular Deanery meetings for the priests is particularly important as well. Thank you again and please be assured of my prayers. Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair Archbishop of Hartford

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER: HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE: April 9: Holy Thursday Liturgy of our Lord’s Supper Mass at 7:00 pm

April 10: Good Friday: Ecumenical Stations on the Green at 12:00 noon

Liturgy of our Lord’s Passion at 3:00 pm Stations of the Cross at 7:00 pm

April 11: Easter Vigil Mass at 8:00 pm April 12: Easter Mass at 7:30 am & 10:00 am (no 5 pm)

Page Three March 22, 2020

OFFERTORY - = $ 2,194.00 Martha & Mary - = $ 1,325.00 Please note that you may sign up for *Online Giving or save your donations to give once we are back up and running. *How Do I Get Started? 1. Visit our parish website. 2. Click on the Online Giving link. 3. Click on the Create New Account link. It’s that simple!

BEQUESTS

We appreciate the thoughtfulness of parishioners who have made a bequest to St. Francis Xavier Parish. These charitable gifts build our parish endowment to help pass on our Catholic faith to future generations.

SOCIETIES/MINISTRIES/ORGANIZATIONS Parish Pastoral Council President - Donna Marie Cooper-O’Boyle dmcoboyle@aol.com Liturgical Ministries: Altar Servers - Peter Tagley 860-868-7821 Children’s Liturgy - Julie Pokrinchak 860-354-2202 Eucharistic Ministers - Deacon Al Gambone 860-946-9776 Greeters - Noreen Fanella - nafanella@att.net 860-355-2625 Lectors - Barbara Mullen 860-354-6436 Music Ministers - Tina Oviatt 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, *Christian Martirano 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass Michael Fitch & Matt Williams 5:00 p.m. Sat. & Sun. Masses Ushers - Herman Izzard 860-354-0430 Prayer/Catechetical/Service Ministries: Confraternity of the Rosary - First Monday - Noon, Church Hall Knit for Life - please contact the office for further information Knights of Columbus - Frank Greco 860-799-5148 Lay Missionaries of Charity - Joan Kick 860-354-1323 Maintenance Ministry - Tom and Cathy Valedes 914-912-1432 or 860-488-3126 Our Lady Queen of Peace Prayer Group - Thurs., 2:00 p.m. Church Hall Parish Prayer Line - phone 860-354-2202 OR Email: prayerline.sfx@gmail.com Prayer Shawl Ministry - Jo DeCosa 860-355-0342 Pro-Life Ministry - R.C.I.A. - Robert & Barbara Mullen 860-354-6436 Women’s Guild - Second Tuesday of Month - 7 p.m., Church Hall Youth Ministry - Sue Pullen 860-354-5372 ACTS - TEEN (High School Youth) (Gr. 9-12) TRIBE (Jr. Youth Group) (Gr. 6 - 8) Outreach Ministries: Beautification Committee - Joe Caruso 860-355-0670 Community Garden Ministry - Steve Pullen 860-354-2202 Mass Taxi - need a free ride to Mass? Mark Speede 860-210-0289 Martha & Mary Community Care - Chris Grenier 860-354-2202 Meals Ministry - Chris Grenier 860-354-2202 Affiliated Groups: Recovery Anonymous - 7 pm, Thursday, 3rd Floor Parish Center Boy Scout Troop 66 - Cub Scout Pack 66 - Chairman - Robert Oram 203-942-1254 Cub Master - Kevin Ford - 860-350-2193

Parish Council News

Current: Check the St. Francis Xavier website (www.sfxnewmilford.org) and our parish App for updates. A word from Donna-Marie: “Be not afraid” as St. John Paul II always reminded. Keep praying. Don’t panic. Be smart. WASH your hands. Check on your elderly neighbors. Trust God. Love one another.

Page Four March 22, 2020

WE HAVE A DATE: The Sacrament of Confirmation will be administered on Friday,

June 5th at 7:00 p.m. by Monsignor Joseph T. Donnelly, with Mass.

FIRST COMMUNION 2020 REMINDER: Please call the office at 860-354-2202 in the office if you have any questions or concerns. THE FIRST COMMUNION CROSS C E R E M O N Y W I L L B E RESCHEDULED DUE TO THE CANCELLATION OF ALL PARISH EVENTS.

FAITH FORMATION CALENDAR CLASS SCHEDULE:

ALL FAITH FORMATION CLASSES AND SPECIAL EVENTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED!! WE WILL NOTIFY ALL WHEN THIS CHANGES IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE PRAY AND ALSO IF YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK AT HOME YOU MAY DO YOUR CLASS AND HOMEWORK LESSONS. WE WILL TRY TO MAIL OUT OTHER LESSONS, BUT PLEASE LOOK ON THE WEBSITE: www.sfxnewmilford.org AND ON THE APP FOR OTHER IDEAS AND OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. YOU MAY CALL THE OFFICE AT 860-354-2202 AND WE CAN ALWAYS LEAVE ITEMS IN THE MAILBOX IF YOU WISH TO PICK UP. TAKE CARE, STAY HEALTHY AND GOD BLESS!!

Saturday, April 4th from 7:45 am - 1:00 pm at the New Milford Community Ambulance Training Room, 1 Scoville St. For an appointment, please visit: redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council #40.

Reason for Hope Young Adult Conference

In our young adult world it’s not hard to find reasons to become anxious about the future: student loan debt, a culture where relationships are barely screen-deep, etc. Is that all our generation will be known for? Or, are we called to hope in something greater? To hope in Someone greater? On June 13th, join Crossroads4Christ in finding our Reason for Hope in the person of Jesus Christ, and learn how to share this Hope with the world. We will have a full day filled with inspiring keynotes, practical breakout sessions, opportunities for spiritual nourishment, ample time to connect with other young adults, and amazing entertainment to cap off the night. Open to all young adults between the ages of 18-39; scholarships are available! If you are not a young adult, we invite you to help us share this event and consider donating a scholarship ticket! Visit www.crossroadsforchrist.org for more details and registration. Register now - early bird pricing ends on March 31st! With questions, or to find out about giving a scholarship, contact conference20@crossroadsforchrist.org For sponsorship/v e n d o r i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t sponsorships@crossroadsforchrist.org. We’re ready to find our Reason. Are you?

DONATION TAX STATEMENTS: If you use the parish envelope system and would like a printout of your parish yearly donations for 2019, please call Chris in the Parish Office at 860-354-2202 or email her at cgrenier@sfxnewmilford.org. Please include you name, address, phone number and envelope number. Thank you.

Archbishop’s Annual Appeal

In just few short weeks, our parish has raised $$$$ for the 2020 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal supports many important ministries and programs. Gifts are allocated towards religious education programs, youth ministries, local charities, the education of our seminarians, our retired clergy, our Catholic schools and the many ministries provided by the Archdiocese. If you have not made a gift, please prayerfully consider making a pledge or one-time gift. Join us, your parish community and Growing in Faith, Giving in Love, by sharing your blessings. All funds contributed to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal are used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the Appeal literature, which can be found at https://archdioceseofhartford.org/appeal/ No Appeal funds are ever used for legal fees or settlements.

Page Five March 22, 2020

CANCELLED!! The Knights of Columbus Council #40 will hold its business meeting on the 1st THURSDAY of every month at St. Francis Xavier Church Hall at 7:30 p.m. and its social meeting on the 3rd THURSDAY of every month, same time, same place.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” Let the Lord be the shepherd of your marriage by attending a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. The next weekend is July 10-12, in East Windsor, CT. For more information, call Pat & Mary Jo McLaughlin at 860-315-2127 or visit them at https://wwmectw.org/.

Novena for Life The Knights of Columbus remain firmly committed to defending the right to life of every human being - from the moment of conception to natural death. Our Novena for Life prayer cards are at the side entrances to Church. Prayer began after 5 pm Mass on Saturday, March 14 and will end on Sunday, March 22. We ask that you say the prayer each of the 9 days to complete the Novena.

40 CANS FOR LENT

By donating one can of food per day, we can raise hundreds or even thousands of pounds of food to help support the needs of our New Milford brothers and sisters. Although the emphasis is on canned goods; any and all types of food are welcome. Monetary donations are also welcomed since they allow Loaves & Fishes to purchase necessary items that may be in short supply. A collection table is located on the right side of our altar. The Church will be open mornings so that individuals can still come and pray. If you are able to donate you may do so during that time or please be generous when we are all gathered together again. Items collected so far will be donated to Loaves & Fishes and also the Social Services Food Bank to help our many families affected by these trying times. We thank you for your generosity to our families, friends and neighbors. May God continue to bless us all.

WE are still collecting items for the Missions: If you have any of the following items: rosaries, prayer cards, medals, small religious books, Bibles, etc. to send to the missions, please drop them off at the Church or the parish office or contact Judy at 860-354-7254.

ROSARY FOR PEACE

Lent is a season of repentance, fasting and prayer. Also a perfect time to rediscover the Start a new family tradition praying the Rosary together during Lent, following all the key moments and events of Jesus’ life that we know from the Gospels, while at the same time praying

for healing from the wounds in our own lives. Please join us the weekend April 4 and April 5th, one half hour before each Mass to pray the Rosary. Rosaries and guides are provided. Any questions call Mary Morris at 860-354-2900.

CANCELLED!!

Sponsored by our Knights of Columbus Every Monday night

VFW Hall (Avery Road, New Milford) Doors open at 5:45 p.m.

BINGO begins at 6:30 p.m.

CANCELLED!!

CONNECTICUT MARCH FOR LIFE

Visit CtMarchforLife.org for more information Help us turn Connecticut into a state that protects the unborn and rejects euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide for our sick and dying. Help make Connecticut a state that shows true respect and compassion for all life.

FIRST FRIDAY Will be held at St. Francis Xavier on the odd months (January, March, May, July, September and November), following the Friday 8:00 am Mass. And it will be held at Our Lady of the Lakes on the even months (February, April, June, August, October and December), following the Friday 9:00 am Mass.

VOCATION REFLECTION Clear the mud from your eyes and see! The one who heals also calls us to follow. Jesus sys we must do the works of God, thereby including us to participate in God’s saving works. If you feel the call to take part in God’s works as a priest or religious, contact Fr. Michael Casey, Director of Vocations, Pastoral Center, phone 860-761-7456, e-mail vocations@aohct.org or visit the web at www.hartfordpriest.com

TENEBRAE Come join us this Triduum for Tenebrae, the sung Offices of Readings and Morning Prayer. Enriching the faithful for centuries, Tenebrae is at once one of the most dramatic, splendid and rare feature of Holy Week. Explanatory meeting: Mon., April 6th at 7 pm We recommend you attend the explanatory meeting in order to better understand the history, spirituality and mechanics of the Triduum services. If you are unable to do so, so that we may make sufficient copies, please email Deacon Al to RSVP at: Deacon.al.sfx@gmail.com Tenebrae itself: Holy Thursday, April 9th at 8 am Good Friday, April 10th at 8 am Holy Saturday, April 11th at 8 am