The Epistle Online:  June 21, 2017

St. Paul Catholic Parish
St. Paul Church, Kensington + Sacred Heart Church, East Berlin

In This Issue
Quick Links
Summer 2017
  
May your soul find time to rest this summer

First Day of Summer, June 21, 2017

Come to me,  all you who labour and are overburdened,  and I will give you rest.  Shoulder my yoke and learn from me,  for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29

St. Edmund's retreat facility on Enders Island in Mystic 

Summer 2017
A few reminders


Camp started on June 19th and continues through August 11th
CLICK HERE for information or to register!



REGISTER TODAY for Religious Ed
The Religious Ed office will be closed for a few weeks during July, but Registration is OPEN.   CLICK HERE to register for the 2017-2018 school year.



Summer Schedule at the Parish Office  (485 Alling Street)
Office will close at noon on Fridays during July
Office will also be closed on the following dates:
 - July 3 & 4 for Independence Day
 - August 10 & 11 for the Parish Staff Retreat
Parish Green
Thank You
On Sunday, June 4th, Fr. Robert and the KGS Committee hosted a Parish Green Dedication Ceremony  with hundreds of parishioners in attendance. The completion of our Parish Green was certainly a cause for celebration, and the unveiling of our beautiful new statues was met with reverence and joyful applause.
  
Take a moment to enjoy this brief video that captures some of the highlights from this special day.   Thanks to Friar Tim for making this great video!

Unveiling of the Statues
Unveiling of the Statues (1:55)

KGS Committee members voted unanimously to dedicate the Parish Green to Fr. Robert. The dedication was a surprise and left him momentarily at a loss for words during the ceremony. After the brief pause, and with a heartfelt nod, he said, "Thank you. I am very moved."

   An amazing transformation:
Thank you to ALL who helped make this beautiful Parish Green a reality!
Our Youth
Lots of Activity!

Open Gym Nights!
  
Our Youth Ministry Core Team is hosting Open Gym Nights this Summer.  All  Middle a nd High School students are welcome! 

Click on the image for details.



The last Middle School EDGE event of the school year will be held on  Sunday, June 25th from 6:00-7:30pm .   It will include a Fidget Spinner Talent Show and a Build-Your-Own Ice Cream Sundae.
  
CLICK HERE to sign up!    Incoming 6th graders welcome!



L ifeTe en Convention   
  
Friar Tim, John Imbimbo, our Youth Minister, and  two 
members of the Youth Ministry Core Team,  recently attended a LifeTeen Convention in Texas.
  
The group attended seminars, worship services, training sessions and met inspiring people from all over the country, and they  came back with a lot of enthusiasm and great ideas about how we can help our kids grow in Faith.   We're blessed to have such terrific young men in our parish family.

  
Students to Attend Conference
  
Our Youth Ministry program will sponsor nine teenagers from our parish to attend the Steubenville East                                                            Conference  in Lowell, MA.
  
John Imbimbo, Friar Tim and Zack Maura (Youth Ministry Core Team member) will chaperone the July outing and the group will be joining up with young people from St. Dominic's Church in Southington.

Please keep all of our young people in your prayers as they continue along their journey of faith.

* * * * * * * * * * * * 
  
Click HERE to visit our Youth Ministry page and HERE for our Youth Ministry Facebook page to keep up on all the great things happening in our program!
Religious Ed
If not you, who?
Pictured in this section are just a few of our many amazing catechists.   W e are so grateful to these generous men and women and to ALL of our catechists who  find time in their busy schedules to help  pass on our Catholic faith to the children and teens in our parish.

THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU


Kara Satalino, a  newcomer last year, will teach two classes again this year, both 2nd & 4th grade. Kara is an elementary school teacher. Last year only 9/66 volunteers were professional teachers.
  
  



  
  
Lucy Halkias will teach 7th grade.  Like many other teachers, she advances each year with her students.  Lucy is a Marketing Associate.
  
  



Marco & Aimy Caracoglia taught Confirmation classes for two years, and they are returning to do it again for their son! Marco works in commercial plumbing and heating. Aimy works for a university food service provider.






Rin a Kavarsky, a retired grandmother, will teach her granddaughter's 2nd grade class. This is her 3rd year teaching.

  


  
Jenn Jurgen (pictured far left with her daughter) and 
Imelda Mongillo (pictured at left with her two sons)  have been co-teaching together for 3 years. They'll be volunteering together again this year, teaching a 3rd grade class and helping the children prepare for their First Communion. Jenn  works in University Relations. 


Gail Kulinski has taught  for more than 10 years, often two classes per year! She prepared her son and his classmates for Confirmation last year and will return this year to teach her daughter's 1st Year Confirmation class. Gail works in payroll services.  


We are still in need of teachers, room parents, substitute teachers, event chaperones and office help for next year! 

Please pray that those whom the Holy Spirit calls to this ministry will hear and respond. 

If you are willing to volunteer, please contact  Robin Veronesi, Director of Religious Ed, at 860-828-1934 or [email protected] .
myParish App
"I'm not texting, I'm praying!"

The St. Paul Parish App is ready for you to download! It's free.

To install, just go to your app store and search for " myparish" (one word) or text " app" to 88202 and you'll receive a link to download.

Once installed, choose St. Paul Parish and start using all the great features. You can view our parish calendar, get news updates from the archdiocese and from Catholic news outlets, listen to our Friars' homilies and other podcasts, get daily readings and reflections, view the weekly bulletin, and much more.

Check it out and let us know what you think!
Summer Reading
Staff Picks!
    
* Top 10 Summer Reading Suggestions *
  
From the Friars and Staff Members at St. Paul Parish
We hope you take time this summer to relax and enjoy some of these inspiring titles!
  
A good book can renew your soul and change your life.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
  
(This one is for the kids!)
  
When Will Wilder "borrows" a sacred relic believed to protect the town of Perilous Falls ...   the impulsive twelve-year-old unwittingly awakens an ancient evil endangering all of Perilous Falls.  

(Recommended for Grade Levels 3-7)



  
Poignant reflections on loss and its meanings are collected in this succinct volume aimed at a broad audience...

From Fr. Robert: 
This is a great book which I just finished. It is so powerful that I have decided to start over at the beginning and read it again.



A.D. 30: A Novel  by Ted Dekker
  
The outcast daughter of a powerful Bedouin sheikh in Arabia
 is called on to protect the very people who rejected her. Their enemies launch a sudden attack with devastating consequences...
  
Friar Tim recommends this one!




Excerpt: "If Christian men are going to change from a pitiful, wimpy bunch of "really nice guys" to men who are made in the image of God, they must reexamine their preconceptions about who God is and recover their true "wild" hearts..."




   
Hart guides the reader through a deeper understanding of the Catholic mass. He keeps the reader engaged with humor and incredible insight. 

The mass is the root of our Catholic faith, so shouldn't we understand what's really going on? 
 


  
The Rhythm of Life is a brilliant and clear-eyed rejection of the chaotic lifestyle that has captured the world, written with common sense, humor, and extraordinary insight.   This book is destined to change lives!

Also by Matthew Kelly:  Rediscover Catholicism,  Resisting Happiness

 
  
The popular Christian apologist Kreeft tackles many of the tough questions of our day concerning Christianity. In a series of imaginative "dialogues", Sal the Seeker and Chris the Christian deal with the profound mysteries of the Gospel.
  
This is one of John Imbimbo's recommendations. He also suggests Jesus Shock by Peter Kreeft

 
  
For kids and adults! Epic battles between good and evil, fantastic creatures, betrayals, heroic deeds, and friendships won and lost all come together in this unforgettable world.
  
C.S. Lewis seems to be a favorite of several staff members! The Screwtape Letters, by Lewis was near the top of the list too.
 


  
This book walks readers through the Sunday Mass readings. It provides clarity to the readings ... and challenges the reader to reflect on the readings through prayer, journaling, and action.  
Great for teenagers!

 
  
A quick easy and refreshing read on a happy life based on the movie Lord of the Rings. Smith offers great insight into the mind of J.R.R Tolkien's novel about how hobbits live the good life with the wisdom of both morals and action. 


*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
 Pastor's Inbox
...and the replies
Dear Fr. Robert,  Please tell the people who planted our gardens this year how beautiful they are. Our property always looks so good. It makes me proud when I drive by.
  
Response: Thanks so much for your kind words. The people who planted our gardens always do a great job and this year I was out of town on planting day so I can't take any credit. Our garden committee is a clear example of how we can do something beautiful for God if we all pitch in. If you ever get tired of weeding your own garden come on over and pick a spot.  
  
Dear Fr. Robert , Last week when I came to church there were all kinds of chalk drawings in the drive way. Why do the kids have to do that? It looks messy. 
  
Response: Don't worry the creations on the driveway only last until a couple of cars drive over them, they get sprayed with the hose or it rains. As far as I am concerned we are lucky to have little ones in our parish who leave their art work in the driveway.
  
Dear Fr. Robert,  Now that we have the parish green why don't we do something with it?
  
Response : Rest assured, I am always open to ideas and willing hands to help us get the job done. 
  
Dear Fr. Robert, Why is Sacred Heart Church always locked and St. Paul Church always open? It's not fair.
  
Response : Sadly because there is no longer a regular presence on our Sacred Heart campus this makes it much more vulnerable to vandalism or worse. We would never forgive ourselves is something happen to our church because we weren't attentive to the security of our property. I know it is a big adjustment for some but we just can't leave the property open like we did in the past with no one to keep an eye on it. 
   
We have just finished installing smoke detectors which will notify the parish staff if there is ever a problem at Sacred Heart.
   
St. Paul is open from 6:00am until 6:00pm. We are able to leave it open because someone is always here to keep an eye on it and respond to any emergencies in a timely fashion. In the recent past there have been several event's which needed attention and we were there to respond.
Our Staff
Welcome Friar Tim!
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.

  
We're very happy to have Friar Tim Blanchard at St. Paul Parish!
  
Friar Tim is doing a ministry internship with us this summer, and he'll be with us through the end of July, working with our youth minister, helping out with Summer Camp, and getting some first-hand experience on what it is like to work with a parish community. 
  
CLICK HERE to read a letter from Friar Tim!  
June/July 2017 Calendar
  
June 21 6:00pm Rosary at Sacred Heart Church

7:00pm Master of Ceremony Meeting

7:00pm Liturgical Enrichment
June 23 6:00am Men's Group Meeting

7:30pm AA Meeting
June 24 3:00pm  Confessions
June 25 8:00am Family of Faith 'Coffee And'  

6:00pm EDGE Youth Ministry Event
June 26 6:30pm Youth Ministry Open Gym
June 27 10:15am Altar Server Trip to Lake Compounce

7:00pm Culture of Life Meeting
June 28 6:00pm Rosary at Sacred Heart Church
June 30 11:00am Blood Drive at Sacred Heart Church

12:00pm FoodShare Truck at Sacred Heart

7:30pm AA Meeting
July 1 10:00am Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart
3:00pm Confessions
July 2 1:15pm Baptisms
July 3 Parish Center Closed  (No 5 pm Mass)
July 4 Parish Center Closed  (No 5 pm Mass)
July 5 6:00pm Rosary at Sacred Heart Church
July 7 7:30am First Friday Breakfast

6:00pm Wedding Rehearsal - Simeone/Glaser

7:30pm AA Meeting
July 8 1:00pm Wedding - Simeone/Glaser

3:00pm Confessions
July 10 6:30pm EDGE Youth Ministry - Open Gym

7:00pm Registration for New Members
July 11 7:00pm Baptismal Preparation
July 12 6:00pm Rosary at Sacred Heart Church

6:30pm Core Team Meeting
July 13 12:00pm 13th of the Month Rosary
July 14 12:00pm FoodShare Truck at Sacred Heart

7:30pm AA Meeting
July 15 3:00pm Confessions
July 16 1:15pm Baptisms
July 17 6:30pm EDGE Youth Ministry - Open Gym
July 19 6:00pm Rosary at Sacred Heart Church
July 20 6:00pm Wedding Rehearsal - Cole/King
July 21 3:00pm Wedding - Cole/King

7:30pm AA Meeting
July 22 3:00pm Confessions
July 24 6:30pm EDGE Youth Ministry - Open Gym
July 26 6:00pm Rosary at Sacred Heart Church
July 28 12:00pm FoodShare Truck at Sacred Heart

7:30pm AA Meeting
July 29 3:00pm Confessions
July 31 6:30pm EDGE Youth Ministry - Open Gym

See our  web calendar for any changes and for a complete listing of all future 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