Pastor’s Note: March 24, 2019
Third Sunday of Lent
Under Construction, Spiritual Renovation
This weekend we celebrate the Third Sunday of Lent. The readings today focus on forgiveness, conversion and patience. In the First Reading from the book of Exodus, we read how the Lord appears to Moses in a burning bush and calls him to shepherd the people of Israel out of Egypt. In the Gospel of Luke, we read how Jesus urges the people to repent by teaching the “Parable of the Fig tree.” This Gospel is often called the “the gospel of second chance.” Like the merciful and compassionate gardener, God continues to see our worth and calls forth that goodness is within each one of us. God’s love is constant and unconditional. Repentance is a major theme running through Luke’s gospel. Forgiveness requires repentance. We are half way through Lent. Let us use this time for conversion and preparation of renewal of baptismal promises at Easter.
This coming Tuesday we welcome Bishop David Zubik to the Catholic Community of the East End as we celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for Forty-Five of our Eighth Graders!
Under Construction, Spiritual Renovation
Pittsburgh East Regional Catholic Elementary Schools As announced last week in the Pittsburgh Catholic newspaper and in in our bulletin, the Diocese has named a new board of directors to the lead the Pittsburgh East Regional Catholic Elementary Schools (which will include St. Bede School). Representing each of the parish groupings, the fifteen person board will eventually become a governing body providing oversight of elementary schools in the East Region. James Maher Jr. will be representing our grouping.
Please note that Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy in Wilkinsburg along with St. Benedict the Moor School in the Hill District and North Side Catholic Assumption Academy in Brighton Heights will form their own Regional Board and have a Regional Director starting in July since they are Extra Mile Foundation funded schools.
Pastor Verification Forms Any Catholic parent who has a child in a Catholic Elementary School needs to set up an appointment with me to sign the Pastor Verification Form verifying that their children listed are baptized and that the family is a registered participating member of one of the parishes of the Catholic Community of the East End of Pittsburgh. These individual appointments also help me get to know the parents and families.
Upcoming Lenten Activities:
Confirmationfor the CCEEP community will be onTuesday, March 26 at 7pm at St. Bede Church with Bishop Zubik.
Taize and Penance Service- Sunday, March 31 at 3pm at St. James.
Lenten Day of Reflection- Sunday, April 7, 1 to 3pm- St. James with Fr. Thomas Burke and Fr. David Taylor.
“Light is On for You”- Wednesday, April 10, 6pm to 9pm at St. Bede. (church will be open for Private Prayer, Meditation and Confession).
Living Stations- Palm Sunday, April 14, 7:30pmSt. Ferdinand Parish Youth Ministry Program performs “Living Stations” at St. Bede.
Parish Improvements The gas line for the kitchen stove in the St. James Rectory kitchen was updated.
A new Whirlpool refrigerator was installed in the St. James Rectory kitchen. Special thanks to the Ladies of Charity of Holy Apostles Parish (my home parish in Baldwin/Carrick/Overbrook) for purchasing this much needed new appliance.
Various plumbing upgrades were installed in the St. James Rectory last week by registered Master Plumber, Dennis Hamovitz. He replaced the main “stack” drain pipe from the basement to the third floor which had a crack in it, replaced the drains and water lines including the hot and cold pipes in the second floor bathroom, and removed old brass pipes from the basement to the third floor.
New smoke detectors were installed in the St. Charles Lwanga Rectory.
New glass water and wine cruets were donated for St. Bede by JMJ Catholic Bookstore in Bethel Park.
Congratulations
Congratulations to
Malachi Damian McCoy who made his “Profession of Faith.” A Profession of Faith is when a Baptized Christian is baptized in another non Catholic Christian Church but wants to become Catholic. Malachi is a First Grader at St. Bede School and is the son of Bethany Anderson and Damian McCoy and grandson of Carolyn Anderson.
Something to Think About… Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in the winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe