The Epistle Online:  September 6, 2017
  
St. Paul Catholic Parish
St. Paul Church + Sacred Heart Church

In This Issue
Quick Links
Fall 2017
  
Back to School and Ministry
    
  
As the students start a new school year and return to religious ed classes, our parish also begins a New Pastoral Year.
 
We welcom e back all who serve on our many different ministries and committees.   
    
If you would like to get involved, please visit our website or contact us to learn more.
 
Getting involved can be as simple as praying for those on our Prayer List or as active as teaching Religious Ed .
All are welcome!
  
THANK Y OU  to all who donate your 
time, talent and treasure to St. Paul Parish!
Our Faith 
Pop Quiz!
  
In the spirit of Back to School, it's time for a POP QUIZ!  
 
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE 7 QUESTIONS CORRECTLY?

1.  Which of these famous people are Catholic?
    • Tom Brady - NFL Quarterback and Super Bowl Champion
    • Martin Sheen - Award-Winning Actor and Director
    • Simone Biles - Olympic Gymnastics Gold-Medalist
    • Milania Trump - First Lady of the United States and Fashion Model
2.  Who was known as the "dumb ox" and became the patron saint of schools and students? 

3.  Do the Church's teachings approve of body piercings and tattoos?

4.  True or False:  Fr. Robert has a blog.

5.  What's the name of this statue? 
It's located in the 'old wing' of St. Paul Church.)

 

6.  What is the mascot of Saint Paul School? 

7.  The month of September is devoted to Our Lady of Sorrows.
What are the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Mother?

CLICK HERE FOR THE ANSWERS!
Our Faith
The Mass
  
Continuing with our education theme, check out the videos below for a mini-lesson on the meaning and importance of The Mass.

" The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life." 
-Catechism of the Catholic Church

Why go to Mass?
  
Even the best teacher might find it difficult to explain
The Importance of the Catholic Mass  in 3 minutes. 
 
- Click to see why we give this video an A!
  

How well do you understand the Catholic Mass?
  
Can you name the different parts of the Mass? without Googling it? 
  
- This short Intro video is a must. 
 

[For those who want to learn even more, Jeff Cavins has an entire series on  The Parts of the Mass .]

Can we have a teaching 
Mass at St. Paul?
  
Many of you have asked this question, and w e hope to make it happen sometime soon. 
  
In the meantime, we found a substitute teacher! This video from  Fr. Mike Schmidtz answers many common questions. 
  
Click here for more from Fr. Mike on YouTube
Our Ministries
Fall Event Committees!
    
Two of our ministries are featured in this issue. Due to many changes that have taken place during the past year,  two major parish/community events landed on back-to-back weekends in September at the busy start of the school year and new pastoral year.   All hands on deck!

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SATURDAY, SEPT. 9th
  
They knew it would be a lot more work, yet the Parish Picnic Committee embraced the idea of making several changes this year: moving the picnic across the street to the New Parish Green, adding a fun Hawaiian Theme, and holding the 4:00pm Mass Outdoors!
 
The group has done a wonderful job planning this annual event. Many thanks to Linda Sorrentino for leading the charge and to all of the committee members for their dedication and hard work.

Volunteers are still needed - please CLICK HERE to sign up!
  
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FRIDAY, SEPT. 15th - SUNDAY, SEPT. 17th

With  two food booths this year, due to the merger of St. Paul and Sacred Heart, and with the earlier date for the Fair, o ur Berlin Fair Committee got to work extra early this summer. They held meetings and cleanup days in July and August to make sure they'll be ready to go on Sept. 15th!

Many thanks to Ewa Whiteside for hopping in the driver's seat, adjusting to the changes, and to all of the committee members for their time and energy!

Volunteers are still needed - please CLICK HERE to sign up!
Our Youth
High School Kick-Off!
      
It's been almost one year since the kick-off of our Berlin Catholic Youth Ministry here at St. Paul Parish. 
  
The first EDGE Middle School event was held last October. Activities continued throughout the school year and into the summer, and the kids have had a lot of fun. They were also given time to learn about their faith, to share it, and to practice it. We hope to keep keep growing and improving our EDGE middle school ministry, and we are looking forward to our next event on October 1st.
  
We are excited to announce the launch of our High School  youth ministry! There were a few events during the summer for high school students, such as the Steubenville East Conference and Open Gym Nights, and now we're ready to put our plans for a  weekly youth group into action. The launch of our high school youth ministry will be on  November 12th ! More information will be released soon in preparation for this next step for BCYM. If you know a high school student, please encourage him or her to be a part of this exciting movement in our parish!

Steubenville East Conference Testimonies
In case you missed it, nine of our high school students attended the  Steubenville East Youth Conference 2017  in July.   C lick on the video to see clips with commentary from a few of our high school kids. Next summer we hope to send many more high school students to this conference!
 Pastor's Inbox
...and the responses from Fr. Robert
  
Dear Fr. Robert:  When I came to Mass on the Holy Day I noticed there were two toilets sitting on the grass behind the school. They look terrible.
  
Response:  When we gutted the old locker rooms to make room for better chair storage and remodeled the faculty room, they were no longer needed. I'll make sure they are gone before the school meetings start.  I agree, they detract from the appearance of our campus.
 
Dear Fr. Robert:  Why did you block my door to the front old wing?
  
Response:  One of our 104-year-old steps cracked last week and I don't want anyone hurt. We have contacted a mason to explore ways to repair the steps. They are brownstone and crumbling. The steps will remain blocked until they are safe. God forbid that someone should hurt themselves.
 
Dear Fr. Robert:  I drove by yesterday and all these young people wearing red shirts were in the parking lot. What was that about?
  
Response: Those kids were part of a Steubenville East Reunion which we hosted at St. Paul. The event began with Mass and ended with Adoration. The young people had a fun time together. As our youth ministry continues to grow, I hope you will see more and more young people on our property.
 
Dear Fr. Robert : That darn light is still out in the new wing. Why?
  
Response:  We can't figure out if it is the bulb or the wires. I've asked Pete, our electrician, to check it out once it gets a little cooler. It's very hot up there right now. I appreciate that burned out bulb really bothers you guys at the 7:30am Sunday Mass. The guys at the 4:00 PM Mass used to tease me too, but they gave up. Take a deep breath and remember perfect is in heaven.

And from the 'Pastor's Outbox'...   a recommendation from Fr. Robert :

"This is worth watching."   

Men's Conference 2017: Dr. Scott Hahn Keynote
Our Staff
Admissions Director at Saint Paul School
This section of the newsletter aims to help you put names with faces and allow everyone in our parish family to get to know each other better.
  
             
In this Back to School issue, we're happy to spotlight the Director of Admissions for Saint Paul School,  Ellen Bertolami.
  
For many families who choose Saint Paul School, Ellen is their first point of contact. Her friendly disposition, professional manner and attention to detail have been, and continue to be, a tremendous asset to the school. Enrollment is strong at the school in large part due to her hard work and dedication.
  
Ellen has been a member of the staff for five years.  Prior to joining us, Ellen worked in Human Resources for over 20 years. Her corporate background and  experience   in areas such as recruiting, retention and marketing, have  been extremely valuable  in her role as the Admissions Director for our parish school.

Ellen and her husband Mark live in Kensington with their two daughters,  Meaghan (Grade 8) and Kaitlin (Grade 3). They are members of St. Paul Parish, and the girls have a ttend St. Paul School since they were three years old. We are blessed to have the Bertolamis as part of our parish and school families!

  
Thinking about Saint Paul School for next year?  Applications for the 2018-2019 school year will be accepted on December 1. If you'd like more information about the school or to arrange a tour or classroom visit, Ellen will be happy to help you!  Send her an email at  admissions@stpaulkensington.org .
Prayer for Texas
    
Our parish will hold a second collection this weekend (Sept. 9/10) to help those affected by the flooding in Texas.
   

Please pray for those who are suffering and for those who are working selflessly to provide relief. 
Parish Calendar

  
For a complete listing of all of the great things happening at our parish,
visit our  online calendar.

Here's a September preview:

Thursday, September 7
6:00pm VIRTUS Training (Keeping our children safe)

Saturday, September 9 
4:00pm Mass Outside On The Parish Green
5:00pm Parish Picnic  COME IN HAWAIIAN ATTIRE!

Friday, September 15, 16 & 17   
Berlin Fair Weekend - Sign up today! 

Thursday, September 21
9:30am Saint Paul School Golf Tournament

Saturday, September 23
5:00pm Family of Faith Wine & Cheese Get-Together


Save the Dates!
  
40 Days for Life* Eucharistic Adoration - Monday, October 9th
Italian Night - Saturday, November 4th
Christmastime Shopping Boutique - Friday, November 10th

*See the latest bulletin for a complete list of the 40 Days for Life events
The Epistle Online
We hope this newsletter will be a helpful resource for you, providing information about what's  going on in our parish and sharing content on both spiritual and practical matters related to our Catholic faith.  The Epistle  is so named as a tribute to our patron, Saint Paul, whose letters to the earliest Christians still guide and inform us today.
  
As always, w e value you and your opinions. Feel free to share your thoughts with us.
PASS IT ON

Please forward this Newsletter to a family member or friend so they too will have an opportunity to learn something new and to see all the great things that are happening at 
Saint Paul Parish.
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"For it is in giving that we receive."
-Saint Francis of Assisi

A Ministry of the Conventual Franciscan Friars,  Our Lady of the Angels Province