|
ST. PAUL PARISH
A Franciscan Family of Faith
|
|
Peace be with you! During this beautiful month of May, our high school students will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation (May 6), our third graders will receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist (May 13), we will celebrate the Ascension of the Lord (May 18) as well as Pentecost Sunday (May 28), we will honor our Blessed Mother in a special way, and so much more.
Please join us as we give thanks and praise to God for all of these blessings and for everything in our lives that is good and beautiful!
| |
Please let us know if you have questions or comments about this May issue of our parish newsletter! Note that some browsers may truncate this email. You may need to click "View entire message" at the bottom to read all the news! | | |
|
Vocations
Today, April 30th, is World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
Br. Nicholas Romeo, Vocations Director for the Franciscan Friars in our region, will be visiting us on May 12/13.
So if you see an unfamiliar friar on the parish campus that weekend, say hello to Br. Nick!
In related news, Georgetown University recently published the results of a survey of soon-to-be-ordained priests. The study of over 300 men revealed some interesting statistics...click here for more.
Click here for vocations information from Franciscan Voice.
Click here for vocations information from the Archdiocese of Hartford.
| | |
|
May, The Month of Mary
The custom of honoring our Blessed Mother in a special way during the month of May began centuries ago.
A May Crowing ceremony will be held by our school children on May 9. The Church will celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13 and the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 31.
Of course, we also celebrate Mother's Day on May 14. In addition to honoring our own mothers, we also celebrate Mary, our mother and the Mother of the Church on this special day.
Click here for Nine Ways to Celebrate the Month of Mary!
To learn about praying the Holy Rosary in our parish and online, click here or on the image.
| | |
|
Coffee And
The St. Paul Parish Council is sponsoring two “Coffee And” gatherings for parishioners:
-
Today, April 30 after the 10:30am Children's Mass at St. Paul Church. Please come downstairs after Mass and enjoy some light refreshments and fellowship.
-
Sunday, May 7 after the 9:30am Mass at Sacred Heart Church. Please join us in the Sacred Heart Church Hall downstairs.
All are welcome! We hope to see you there!
| | |
|
|
National Day of Prayer May 4th
The 2023 National Day of Prayer Event in Berlin will be held on Thursday, May 4 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Veterans' Memorial Park.
Please join us as we pray for our Nation!
Prayers will be said specifically for the Seven Centers of Influence in our nation:
- Government
- Military/First responders
- Media-Arts
- Business
- Education
- Church
- Family
The national theme this year is "Pray Fervently in Righteousness and Avail Much".
-James 5:16b
As Christians this is a powerful opportunity to pray in the Name of Jesus Christ in the public square for our nation.
Questions about the event can be forwarded to Maryann Lexius, 2023 NDP Local coordinator at Isaiah55-6@comcast.net.
For more information about the National Day of Prayer, visit www.nationaldayofprayer.org.
| | |
|
Ascension of The Lord
Thursday, May 18, is the feast of The Ascension of The Lord and is a Holy Day of Obligation.
Mass times are as follows:
- Wednesday, May 17 - 5pm Vigil Mass
- Thursday, May 18 - 7am, 8:45am*, 12pm and 7pm
*School Mass - All are welcome.
| | |
|
|
Pentecost Sunday
Pentecost Sunday is May 28.
We'll have more on this feast day in the next Epistle newsletter. In the meantime, any artists out there might want to take 15 minutes to watch The Pentecost Film.
"If one person sees this work and is moved to reflect on the Holy Spirit, then this painting has succeeded."
| | |
|
|
CULTURE OF LIFE
Assisted Suicide: Coming for Connecticut?
On Monday, May 1 at 6:30pm, our Culture of Life Ministry will host a special presentation by Peter Wolfgang, Executive Director of the Family Institute of CT.
This special event on the topic of Assisted Suicide will be held in the St. Paul Church Hall.
*Note the event will be in the Church Hall, not the school gym.
Registration is not required but is helpful for planning. Click here to register.
To learn more about the issue of Assisted Suicide, click here for an overview.
If you have any questions, please email Ashley from our Culture of Life Ministry at respectlife@stpaulkensington.org.
| | |
|
|
Saints of the Season
May 1 - Saint Joseph the Worker
Patron saint of fathers, workers, married people, persons living in exile, the sick and dying, for a holy death and more.
Click here for 11 Quick Facts about St. Joseph the Worker from EpicPew
May 30 - St. Joan of Arc
Patroness of France, soldiers, captives, and those ridiculed for their piety.
Click here to read more about this famous saint who died when she was only 19 years old!
| | |
|
HomeFront
This year's HomeFront project sponsored by our Social Action Ministry will take place on Saturday, May 13.
This volunteer-driven program provides free home repairs to low-income homeowners, enabling them to remain in their homes. Volunteers work with professionals to repair, paint, and improve yard conditions.
SKILLED VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
There is a great need for skilled professionals to help with the following home repairs:
- Window installation
- Deck railing installation
- LVT (vinyl flooring) installation
- Wall and Sheetrock rebuild (bathroom/closet).
- Deck painters
- Interior painting
If you would like to volunteer, please click here to sign up!
All volunteers age 14+ are enthusiastically welcomed. You can work the entire day (begins at 7:30 a.m.) or any window of time that works for you. Lunch and snacks are provided.
| | |
|
Religious Education
Please pray for our young people who will soon receive these holy sacraments:
-
Confirmation - Saturday, May 6 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford
-
First Holy Communion - Saturday, May 13 here at St. Paul Church
The dates for our upcoming Children's Masses are as follows:
-
Today! April 30 at 10:30 a.m.
- May 7 at 9:00 a.m.
-
May 21 at 10:30am.
If your child would like to volunteer at these Mass, please let us know! Email religioused@stpaulkensington.org.
| | |
|
Faith and Film
It's categorized as a horror film and was given an R rating, but according to the creators of the new movie, Nefarious, the film is "neither inappropriate for viewing by Christians nor scandalizing in any manner. It contains neither sexual sin nor foul language."
Click on the image to see the trailer.
For a look behind the scenes, check out this interview with Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman, co-writers/directors of the film.
“... it is a sobering reminder that there’s good and evil, God and the devil, and that this battle is going on every moment of every day, 24 hours a day,” the creators explained.
*NOTE: Since the movie is classified as a horror film, the trailers for other films shown in the theatre are mostly for horror films. You may want to skip the previews.
| | |
|
Flower Sale
The Knights of Columbus Msgr. Thomas L. Greylish Council #3675 will host a Mother’s Day Flower Sale on the St. Paul Parish Green over Mother’s Day Weekend.
- Saturday, May 13 - 8:30am to 5:30pm
- Sunday, May 14 - 8:30am to 2:30pm
Thank you in advance for your support!
Proceeds will support Scholarships and other charitable groups within St. Paul Parish and the Town of Berlin.
| | |
|
|
Lenten Collection for Underground New England
To all who donated to the Lenten Collection for The Underground New England, please read this heartfelt thank you note.
"She told me she couldn’t remember the last time someone had given her a present without asking for anything in return."
"The sheer joy in this house when I showed up with something for all the children was infectious."
| | |
|
Saint Paul School
Saint Paul School's production of The Wizard of Oz will be held next weekend!
Click here for tickets.
Visit our school's website to learn about all that's happening at our parish school!
| | |
|
|
Registration for Saint Paul Summer Camp 2023 is now open!
Click here for forms and details.
| | |
|
|
Saint Paul School's 34th Annual Golf Open will be held on Friday, June 16th, 2023 at Stanley Golf Course in New Britain.
Click here or on the image for registration and sponsorhip information!
| | |
|
Women of Faith
All women of the parish are invited to join our Women of Faith group.
The next gathering will be on Thursday, May 11 at 7pm in the St. Paul Church Hall. Fr. Martin will lead us in praying the Rosary.
For more information, visit our Women of Faith page or email Cheryl, Lynn and Karen: womenoffaith@stpaulkensington.org
| | |
|
|
Save the Dates
Our annual Ministry Fair is normally held on Pentecost Sunday, but since that falls during Memorial Day weekend this year, our Ministry Fair will be held on June 3 and 4.
Our Parish Picnic will be held on Saturday, June 24th after the 4pm Mass which will be celebrated outside.
Save the dates, and we hope to see you there!
| | |
|
Archbishops Annual Appeal
Just a reminder that the 2023 Archbishop's Annual Appeal is underway. Click here for details.
Our parish goal for 2023 us $108,000, unchanged from last year. Thank you to all who donate to this important initiative!
| | |
|
|
Coffee with Veterans
"Our veterans love this!"
One of our parishioners, Karen Cote, let us know about a new event being held at the local American Legion Post.
We're happy to help get the word out to any local veterans who may want to attend.
It's held on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Click on the image for all the details.
| | |
|
Catholic High School
Have you considered Catholic High School for your 7th or 8th grader, or for your current high school student?
Contact Admissions today to learn how your child can receive an excellent Catholic education and so much more!
Ask about financial assistance!
East Catholic, Manchester
Mercy, Middletown
Northwest Catholic, West Hartford
St. Paul Catholic, Bristol
Xavier, Middletown
| |
Visit our website and social media pages to stay informed on all that's happening in our parish! | |
"if then my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14 | |
This Epistle Online newsletter aims to be a helpful resource, providing information about happenings 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 Saint Paul, our patron, whose letters to the earliest Christians still guide and inform us today. Thank you for reading our newsletter. God Bless. | | | | |
