Peace Be With You!
 
Today is the fiftieth day of Easter! Hard to believe but it has been seven weeks (Sunday, April 21 ^st) when we celebrated Easter Sunday. Throughout these seven weeks we have been reading from the Acts of the Apostles how the church grew after Jesus had resurrected. With our churches being decorated with beautiful flowers, the fifty day celebration of the Risen Lord comes to an end today as we celebrate Pentecost. The Jewish people celebrated Pentecost for centuries before it became a feast. It was a celebration of the fiftieth day of Passover. Pentecost traditionally marks the birth of the Church.
 
Today we read in the Gospel of John, Jesus appears to the disciples granting them his gift of peace and commissioning them with the gift of the Holy Spirit to carry on his work.
 
We are called to put to use the gifts we have been given by God in order to build up the church- the body of Christ. With joy we renew again the covenant of Baptism and pray to the Holy Spirit that in our celebration Christ himself will be among us and that we who share in his body and blood will be filled with his Holy Spirit and become one body, one Sprit in Christ.
 
Peace Be With You!
 
Summer Daily Mass  Because Fr. James, Fr. Augustine and Fr. Cajetan will be traveling most of the summer, we will be just having 9am Daily Mass Monday thru Saturday at St. Bede from June thru August. There will be no 8am Daily Mass at St. James or Mother of Good Counsel during the summer.
 
Parish Survey Thank you to everyone who participated in our CCEEP Mass Survey. A total of 447 surveys were returned. Our Joint Pastoral and Finance Councils will be meeting this coming week to discuss the survey. We will keep you posted as to when the new mass schedule will be implemented.
 
Under Construction Our STREAM Lab construction project is underway at St. Bede School to upgrade several classrooms on the ground floor of the building. Please note because of the construction this summer, the school building and playground will be closed for safety and security purposes.
 
In the next few weeks the St. Bede Rectory Roof will be undergoing repairs. Funds from Our Campaign for the Church Alive will be used to fund this project.

Parish Improvements
A new Hot Water Tank had to be installed in the St. Bede Rectory this past week. Special thanks to our Maintenance Staff, Paul and Matthew Denk for cleaning up the water in the basement when the old unit leaked.
 
Thank You to all the volunteers who helped with the “Moving Day” last Friday at St. Bede School in preparation for the construction. Special thanks to Carolyn Menard for her leadership!
 
Thank you to the CCEEP Parishioners who helped with the set up and clean up for Fr. Cajetan’s Graduation Party last Saturday night in the St. James Chapel.
 
Catholic Education Plus on KDKA RADIO 1020AM Tune into KDKA Radio, on Sunday, June 23, for “Catholic Education Plus” my guests will be: Joe Messina alumnus and school parent at St. John the Baptist School in Plum and Alex Skeba an alumnus from St. Joseph School in Verona.  
 
Congratulations to Cecila Pearl Musser who is being Baptized this weekend.
 
Congratulations to six teachers in across the Diocese of Pittsburgh for receiving the Golden Apple Award which honors outstanding individuals who devote their lives to Catholic education in Catholic Schools. This year’s awardees include: Marjorie Heasley - Blessed Trinity Academy - Glenshaw; Katherine MacCamy - St. Joseph - Verona (CCEEP parishioners Marge and Tom Pikunas’ granddaughter); Geraldine Muraco - Our Lady of Grace- Scott Twp; Lynda Reilsono - St. James- Sewickley; Lori Rossi - Bishop Canevin - Crafton; and Barbara Venturella - Northside Catholic/Assumption Academy- Brighton Heights.
 
Deacon Ordination This weekend at Mary, Mother of the Hope Church in New Castle, Michael Faix and Matthew Hawkins will be ordained Transitional Deacons. (Matt has helped out at St. Charles Lwanga Parish the past several years). We pray for both of these men as they are ordained to serve the Church of Pittsburgh!
 
Welcome A special welcome to Amber Sunseri, Christopher and Noah Luther, and Casey and Alexandra Totten who recently registered in our grouping.
 
Something to Think About…