THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY PARISH January 24th, 2016 ~ Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

P O Box 307, Dushore, PA 18614 Parish Office - 1 St. Francis Drive, Mildred, PA 18632

(570) 928-8865 Fax (570) 928-7972 Email ~ ihmparish@frontier.com

Website ~ ihmdushore.com Our Pastoral Staff

Parish Administrator ~ Reverend Richard Rojas Director of Religious Education ~ Mrs. Kathleen Clark

Administrative Assistant ~ Ms. Diane Fowler Director of Liturgical Music~ Deborah Rojas

Mass Schedule

Saturday

4:00 PM St. Basil’s Church, Dushore

Sunday

7:30 AM St. Francis of Assisi Church, Mildred

9:30 AM St. Basil’s Church, Dushore

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturdays ~ 3:15 – 3:45 PM St. Basil’s Church, Dushore

Sundays ~ 6:45 – 7:00 AM St. Francis of Assisi Church, Mildred

Or by appointment

St. Basil the Great

Church

Dushore, PA

St. Francis of Assisi

Church

Mildred, PA

St. John Neumann

Shrine

Sugar Ridge, PA

St. Francis of Assisi

Chapel

Eagles Mere, PA

A Welcoming Community: You enter this Church … not as stranger, but as a guest of God. He is your heavenly Father. Come, then, with joy in your heart and thanks on your lips into His presence, offering Him your love and service. Be grateful to the strong and loyal ones who, in the name of Jesus Christ, built this place of worship, and to all who have beautified it and hallowed it with their prayers and praise. Ask His blessing on those who love His house of faith as the inspiration of their labor, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit, and may that blessing rest on you, both in your going out and your coming in.

Parish Registration: You must be a registered member of The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish to receive Baptism, Confirmation, First Penance, First Holy Communion, Marriage and to receive sponsor letters from the pastor.

New Members: Please stop by or call the parish office and register. (If you are leaving the parish, please notify the office before you leave). Thank you.

Change of Address: Please notify the parish office as soon as possible if you have had a change of address.

Inactive Catholics: As a welcoming parish, we ask every parishioner to ask God to put in your heart people whose hearts we need to reach out and touch with God’s love. “Before you talk to men about God, you talk to God about men.” Please, call, write, leave in an envelope in the collection the name, address and phone number of the person. Father would be delighted to meet with them.

SACRAMENTAL LIFE

RCIA: The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process to bring non-Catholics into the faith. Anyone seeking information or interested in becoming a part of this community of faith can call the parish office.

Sacrament of Baptism: Baptisms are scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month following the 9:30 AM Mass. In order to understand and better appreciate this special sacrament, parents are required to attend the Pre-Baptismal Program, which is held on the last Saturday of each month at 7:00 PM in St. Basil’s Rectory. Please contact the rectory to schedule your child’s baptism.

Sacrament of Marriage: Couples contemplating marriage should notify the rectory at least six months prior to the date to allow necessary time for proper preparation.

Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick: Urgent calls will be attended to at any time of the day or night.

Visitation of the Sick: Please call the parish for visitation of the sick at home, in the hospital, or health care facility.

Parish Mission Statement: We, the Catholic faithful of The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, in union with our Holy Father, the Pope, and our Bishop, are called through Baptism to share in the ministry which Jesus Christ has entrusted to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. As priest and lay faithful in a rural area, we utilize our energy to serve the spiritual needs of the Kingdom of God to promote a culture of life, justice, and peace to this generation and the generations that follow us.

Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Heavenly beauty and splendor of the Father, you are the most valued Heavenly

treasure. New Eve, immaculate in soul, spirit and body, created of the godly seed by the Spirit of God, you are the

spiritual Mother of mankind. Pure Virgin, full of grace then and now, your whole being was raised Heavenly in full glory, to be elevated

above all the hosts within the Kingdom of God. O Heavenly Mother, Queen of Heaven and earth, I recognize the glory of your highest title, the Immaculate

Heart of Mary! Loving Mother, dispenser of endless blessings, you who continually intercede on our behalf,

please present my need before your loving Son, Jesus. (Mention your request)

O Immaculate Heart of Mary, I know that you are now presenting my need before Jesus, for you have never turned away those in dire need.

Mother dearest, I await your favorable answer, submitting myself to the Divine will of the Lord, for all glories are His for ever and ever. Amen.

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, January 24th, 2016

Sunday Readings

First Reading: Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 Ezra gathered the people and read to them from the book of the Law of God. He interpreted that law clearly, so that everyone understood what he had read. He then told them to go and rejoice in the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: 19

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 Paul explains that a body is composed of may different parts, and that each part has its own purpose and is important. He compares this to the Church, describing how we are one body composed of many members. All members should show concern for each other and understand that we are all vital to the body as a whole.

Gospel: Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 Luke discusses his decision to write about the events he and the other disciples had witnessed. He begins by telling of Jesus reading a passage from the book of Isaiah, where the anointed one is portrayed. Jesus finished by telling the people that they had seen that passage fulfilled in their hearing.

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and his reputation spread throughout the region. He was teaching in their synagogues, and all were loud in their praise. ‘The spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore he has anointed me, He has sent me….’ ‘Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.’”

It is not difficult to picture the scene as written. People who had met Jesus in various towns, who listened to His words and witnessed the power He exercised, were certainly attracted to Him. He became well known and others sought Him out. Here we find Him in His hometown, and as the guest teacher He read the scripture and then applied it to Himself. Surely, all were amazed and satisfied.

We gather today, not because of the reputation of Jesus, but because we know Him as Savior and Friend. We seek Him out because we have need of Him. He repeats the words written by Isaiah to remind us of His mission. He brings the gospel, the good news to others, calls for a freedom from what holds us back, to liberate those caught in the trap of sin, addiction, and hurts of any kind. We too are sent to announce to others the message of Jesus today.

Because we belong to the body of Christ, His mission is now entrusted to our church, and we as members continue that same mission. How often when we hear people say ‘the church should do this or that’ we fail to realize that we are the ones to live the gospel where we are, as did the people of Nazareth.

DAILY READINGS

MONDAY~ THE CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE

Acts 22:3-16; Ps 117:1bc, 2; Mk 16:15-18

TUESDAY~ ST.S TIMOTHY AND TITUS, BISHOPS

2 Tim 1:1-8; Ps 96:1-3, 7-8a, 10; Mk 3:31-35

WEDNESDAY~ St. Angela Merici, Virgin

2 Sm 7:4-17; Ps 89:4-5, 27-30; Mk 4:1-20

THURSDAY~ St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Doctor of the

Church

2 Sm 7:18-19, 24-29; Ps 132:1-5, 11-14; Mk 4:21-25

FRIDAY

2 Sm 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Ps 51:3-7, 10-11; Mk 4:26-34

SATURDAY

2 Sm 12:1-7a, 10-17; Ps 51:12-17; Mk 4:35-41

SUNDAY~ FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Jer 1:4-5, 17-19; Ps 71:1-6, 15, 17; 1 Cor 12:31, 13:13

In Loving Memory

The Altar Candles in St. Basils Church are

burning in loving memory of Father Joseph

Hornick by Debby & Michael McDonald

The Altar Candles in St. Francis Church are

burning in loving memory of Stephen Kravetz by

Debby & Michael McDonald

2016 Church Calendars for the new year are

available in the back of each church. Thank you to

Dean, Kay, Jeff & Kim Homer for the gift of the

calendars!

Weekly Liturgical Celebrations

Saturday, January 23 3:15 ~ 3:45 PM Dushore Sacrament of Reconciliation 4:00 PM Dushore Peter Finan by the Family Sunday, January 24 6:45–7:00 AM Mildred Sacrament of Reconciliation 7:30 AM Mildred Mass for the People 9:30 AM Dushore Sr. Alicia Cavanaugh by Mr. & Mrs. Joseph McDonough Monday, January 25 9:00PM Dushore Edward & Frances Burke Kelly by Edward M. Kelly Tuesday, January 26 9:00AM Mildred John McDonald by Rosalie Burkey & Roseanne Lukachik Thursday, January 28 9:00AM Mildred Steve Hoodak by Mr. & Mrs. Michael Hoodak Friday, January 29 9:00AM Dushore Mary Richlin by Theresa Weaver Saturday, January 30 3:15 ~ 3:45 PM Dushore Sacrament of Reconciliation 4:00 PM Dushore Deceased Members of the Tubach & Christini Family by The Family Sunday, January 31 6:45–7:00 AM Mildred Sacrament of Reconciliation 7:30 AM Mildred Mass for the People 9:30 AM Dushore Elaine L. Rogan by The Family

From the constitution on the sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council

Christ is present to his Church Christ is always present to his Church, especially in the actions of the liturgy. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, in the person of the minister (it is the same Christ who formerly offered himself on the cross that now offers by the ministry of priests) and most of all under the Eucharistic species. He is present in the sacraments by his power, in such a way that when someone baptizes, Christ himself baptizes. He is present in his word, for it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church. Finally, he is present when the Church prays and sings, for he himself promised: Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst. Indeed, in this great work which gives perfect glory to God and brings holiness to men, Christ is always joining in partnership with himself his beloved Bride, the Church, which calls upon its Lord and through him gives worship to the eternal Father. It is therefore right to see the liturgy as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ, in which through signs is addressed to the senses of man’s sanctification is signified and, in a way proper to each of these signs, made effective, and in which public worship is celebrated in its fullness by the mystical body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the head and by his members. Accordingly, every liturgical celebration, as an activity of Christ the priest and of his body, which is the Church, is a sacred action of a preeminent kind. No other action of the Church equals its title to power or its degree of effectiveness. In the liturgy on earth, we are given a foretaste and share in the liturgy of heaven, celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem, the goal of our pilgrimage, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, as a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle. With the whole company of heaven, we sing a hymn of praise to the Lord; as we reverence the memory of the saints, we hope to have some part with them and to share in their fellowship; we wait for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, until he, who is our life, appears, and we appear with him in glory. By an apostolic tradition taking its origin from the very day of Christ’s resurrection, the Church celebrates the paschal mystery every eight days, the day that is rightly called the Lord’s day. On Sunday the Christian faithful ought to gather together, so that by listening to the word of God and sharing in the Eucharist, they may recall the passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God who has given them a new birth with a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The Lord’s day is therefore the first and greatest festival, one to be set before the loving devotion of the faithful and impressed upon it, so that it may be also a day of joy and of freedom from work. Other celebrations must not take precedence over it, unless they are truly of the greatest importance, since it is the foundation and the kernel of the whole liturgical year.

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Tuesday, February 2nd is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This feast marks 40 days having passed since our celebration of Christmas, hard as that might be to believe. This is the traditional day in which candles are blessed for church and home use. Blessed Candles will be available in each of the churches. Suggested donation is $5.00.

The Feast of Saint Blaise February 3rd

February 3rd is the commemoration of Saint Blaise. St.

Blaise, the bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, is believed to

have been martyred in the persecution of Licinius in

the early 4th century. Little is known about his life, but

tradition tells us that he saved a small boy from

choking on a fish bone. Because of this, he is

associated with the healing of throats and on February

3rd, the feast of Saint Blaise, the church continues its

ministry to the sick with the blessing of throats. Since

Mass will not be held on Wednesday, throats will be

blessed immediately following the weekend masses of

January 30th & 31st.

Our Weekly Parish Offertory Collection

The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish

January 16th and 17th

$5,119.80

Thank you for your generosity!

January Second Collections

January 30 & 31~ Campaign for Human

Development

Word of Life

“Jesus showed us the self-sacrificial nature of love

when he laid down His life for us, and we are called

to follow in his footsteps. We are called to be his

hands and feet, caring for and loving others.”-

USCCB 2015-16 Respect Life Program

Patron of the Week

Twin Spruce Tourist Home

Please support our patrons on the back of the bulletin.

A Prayer for our Military God our Father, walk through my house and take away all my worries; and please watch over and heal my family. Heavenly Father, hold our troops in Your loving hands. Protect them as they pro-tect us. Bless them and their families for the self-less acts they perform for us in this, our time of need. These things I humbly ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Please pray for: Darrin J. Denmon,

PMB 155; P O Box 30800, Honolulu, HI 96820 PVT Stephen MacElhaney

“Punisher” 5th Platoon 1-7bFABN 41404 b-battery Blair Street

Ft. Sill, OK 73503 Natalie Dymond

9030 Moccasin Lake, San Antonio, Tx 78245 RCT Sharif Welton

1st RTBN PLT 1004 CO B, Box 16135, Parris Island, SC 29905

Matthew J. Dailey 114 East Cochran Ave,Unit 110

Clovis, NM 88101 Air Force Captain Shawn M. McDonald

145 Kings Highway; Apt 307 Dover, DE 19901

Airforce SSGT Amber Adams

Liturgical Ministers for January 30 & 31 Special Ministers of Communion

4:00 PM Dushore T. Karaban 7:30 AM Mildred J. Walsh 9:30 AM Dushore D. Fite

Lectors 4:00 PM Dushore R. Green 7:30 AM Mildred R. Gumble 9:30 AM Dushore J. Fite, J. Wheeler

Altar Servers 4:00 PM Dushore 7:30 AM Mildred R. Thomas 9:30 AM Dushore S. Pedro, Z. Pedro

Greeters 4:00 PM Dushore C. & C.A. Gindele 7:30 AM Mildred R. Hope 9:30 AM Dushore J.& D. McDonough, F. Burgmann

UpdateoftheAnnualDiocesan

Appeal:

OurParishGoal:$41,000.00

TotalRaised:$36,895.00

UnderGoal:$4,105.00

PercentageofParishionersPledgedasof

1/12/2016

37.95%(178outof469peoplepledged)

Donate for the Year of Mercy to the Heat & Eat

Fund

Donate to the Heat and Eat fund which was established

by Father Joe to help parishioners and those in need of

food or fuel oil. Anyone who is in need of assistance may

contact the parish office at 570-928-8865. We receive

many requests in the winter when heating oil is high and

our parish has been able to help those in our community

through those difficult times. Last year, the parish was

able to help 13 families providing over $3,100.00 in

assistance The generosity of our parishioners has made

this possible. Please consider contributing to this fund

with any size gift. Contact the parish office at 570-928-

8865, or write on your check, “Heat and Eat Fund” and

include it with your offering. Let’s be a blessing to others

this ‘Year.’

2015 Financial Statements of Parish Support

Please contact the rectory if you would like your

financial statement of parish support mailed to

you. Statements will not be sent out unless the

rectory is notified. You may also stop in at the

rectory and pick it up.

“Beside each believer stands an Angel as protector and

shepherd, leading him to life.”

—St. Basil the Great

Chosen: IHM Youth Program

IHM Parish Youth (Grades 7-12) are invited to

meet for spiritual enrichment! The next meetings are Monday, February 1, 8,

15 at 7:00 PM– 9:00PM in the Cave (St.

Francis Rectory Basement, Mildred)

Homemade goodies will be provided

For more information contact Elly Rojas at

570-928-9819, register online at ihmdushore.com,

or join our Facebook group Chosen by God

Knights of Columbus

Ham Dinner

Friday, January 29,

2016

St. Basil’s Hall,

Dushore

4:00 – 7:00 PM

Reflec&ng on the Gospel

Jesus is enfleshed in the lives of those who

encounter him, the gospel’s very fulfillment, throughout

the ages. Now we—our own lives—announce the meaning

of the Word proclaimed and enfleshed. We can do so

because, like Jesus, in our bap>sm we also have been

anointed with the Spirit. By our bap>sm we have received a

share in Jesus’s saving deeds. As his followers, we make

present his saving mystery.

Living the paschal mystery means that we

con>nually look for the poor, cap>ve, blind, and oppressed

among us. We don’t have to look very far! “Today this

Scripture passage is fulfilled” is now true only when we

ourselves respond to those around us who need a

nourishing, strengthening, joyful word. This means that

God’s word isn't’ something we only hear on Sunday, but

becomes a living word in our hearts, inspiring us to be in

our very selves living gospels. As we gradually grow into

being anointed by the Spirit, we, like Jesus, are the

fulfillment of the Scriptures.

Wedding Anniversary Mass

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph C.

Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, and the

Office for Parish Life wish to invite couples

celebra>ng their 25th or 50th wedding anniversary in

2016 to a diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass

on Sunday, June 5. The event includes a 2:30 pm

Mass at St. Peter’s Cathedral followed by a

recep>on. Requests for an invita>on, with a mailing

address, should be made through your parish office

before March 7.

St. Basil’s Calendar Raffle Winners

Congratulations to the following winners of the

St. Basil’s January Calendar Raffle!

1/13/16 #023 $ 50.00

Ticket Not Sold

1/1416 #387 $ 50.00

Ticket Not Sold

1/15/16 #797 $ 50.00

Ticket Not Sold

1/16/16 #440 $ 50.00

Barbara Speary, Dushore

1/17/16 #453 $ 100.00

Mary Finan, Dushore

1/18/15 #450 $ 50.00

Norman Taylor, Dushore

2015 Nite at the Races

Total

$12,165.89

Great Job!

Bloodmobile

St. Basil’s Hall

Thursday, February 4th, 2016

Mike Norton Benefit

Liturgy CommiHee Mee>ng

Thursday, January 28th, 2016

4:00PM

St. Francis Rectory

Please note the date and >me change!

“A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to

worship Him than a luna>c can put out the sun by

scribbling the word, ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.”

—C.S. Lewis

Catholic Campaign for Human

Development The annual national collection for the Catholic

Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) supports our brothers and sisters in need by bringing them new hope, building community, and addressing the root causes of poverty.

The collection will be taken up in parishes in the Diocese of Scranton on the weekend of January 30-31, 2016. The theme, "Working on the Margins," focuses our attention on the poor and vulnerable who can often be overlooked as we go about our daily lives.

"In this Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis, we are reminded that all of us are welcome to encounter the Christ through God's grace. No one is excluded from the mercy and love of God."

Bishop Bambera noted that Pope Francis has urged us to "Go and seek out and encounter the most needy!" Supporting the Catholic Campaign for Human Development enables us to answer this call.

"We are incomplete until we encounter the love of God and then learn to freely give this love away to all whom God has placed within our lives," the Bishop said. "Our mission as disciples of Jesus will be fulfilled if we engage the journey of faith honestly, if we acknowledge our need for God's merciful presence in our lives, and if we are humble and generous enough to encounter and serve one another along the way."

Catch Our

Spirit… Celebrate

Catholic

Schools

Week January 31-February 6, 2016

Celebrate Catholic Schools Week by attending

one of our Catholic School Open Houses! You are invited to come experience our

communities of faith and academic

excellence. From Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, our students live their faith,

challenge their minds, serve their

communities, and build lifelong friendships.

For specifics about the Open Houses or for more information about our Diocesan Catholic

Schools, including tuition assistance

opportunities, please visit www.DiocesofScranton.org/CatholicSchools.

As families register their students for the upcoming school year, consider becoming an

Academic Angel! Your contribution is an

investment in a child’s future…the outcomes

speak for themselves. Our schools offer an instructional environment that challenges the

mind, while inspiring and strengthening the

spirit. Please consider supporting our students for the 2016-17 school year. You

can designate the gift as a memorial or as an

honor for someone special. You can also select a particular school to receive your gift

or allow us to allocate it to the area with the

greatest need. Contributions can be sent to

the Diocese of Scranton Scholarship Foundation, 300 Wyoming Avenue,

Scranton PA 18503.

Ecumenical Celebra&on of God’s Word

The Diocese of Scranton will host an Ecumenical

Celebra>on of God’s Word on Monday, January 25,

2016, at 12:10PM in the Cathedral of Saint Peter,

Scranton. There will be no 12:10 PM Mass that day in

the Cathedral. All are welcome to aHend. Clergy and

representa>ves from various Chris>an tradi>ons and

ecumenical agencies will be present.