Reflection from Fr. Joseph

I do not have a gift with languages. The only class I ever failed in school was Latin, as a high school freshman (I never took it again). My Hispanic parishioners at St. Mary’s in Stamford used to laugh at my “gringo” pronunciation and my inability to speak their native tongue. Ironically, my sister is a high school Spanish teacher who has studied Arabic, Chinese, and Latin…I suppose she got the linguistic gene!

But I am told that translation is a notoriously difficult task. Words have nuances and multiple meanings, and it’s sometimes hard to get the full meaning. I spoke about that recently in a homily when I talked about Jesus’ injunction to “Be perfect” is really the Greek word telos which can mean perfect, fulfilled, complete. Each word has its plusses and minuses in encompassing the entire meaning of telos.

There are two ways to translate: literal (or direct) translation, where it’s a word-for-word translation…or dynamic (also called indirect) translation, where it’s more important to get the meaning and not necessarily the exact wording. There are pros and cons of each method. Direct translation can be clunky and sometimes humorous or absurd (for example, the French word for potato ispommes de terre, which literally means “apple of the earth” – just try ordering an “apple of the earth” in an American restaurant!). But dynamic translation relies heavily on interpretation, which means it could be inaccurate, and it can miss the richness of the multifaceted word choice of the original author.

So when the Church translates the Sacraments and prayers into English, it’s not always easy to do it well. All of the “standard” texts are Latin. When the Sacraments were originally translated into English in 1970, the translators used dynamic translation techniques to render the English version. But in the mid-2000s, there was pressure in the Church to re-translate the texts, to provide for a more accurate translation that is more faithful to the original language. Hence, we all remember the “new translation” of the Mass which debuted in 2011 (remember learning “consubstantial” and all those new words?). A humorous joke amongst priests is that we know exactly how long someone hasn’t been to Mass if they still respond to “The Lord be with you” with “And also with you!”

But the Mass was only one part of the retranslation project. Over the past decade, the Baptism and Marriage rites were also retranslated, and they are working on the other Sacraments and funeral rites as well.

But if you have been to Confession this Lent, you may have noticed that there is a new translation of the prayer of Absolution, which debuted on Ash Wednesday! It’s not a huge change, but I like it because of its richness. The line that was affected was:

Old translation: sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins

New translation: poured out the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins.

I like this new translation for several reasons. First, because it is a literal translation of the Latin, which brings us into greater unity with the universal Church, who have all been saying “poured out” in their own language. Second, because it has a beautiful connection with the Blood of Christ. Remember that the new translations of the Mass says, “This is the Blood of the New and Everlasting Covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” So the Blood which is poured out over us and into us through the Eucharist achieves its merciful purpose in Confession. Third, it makes a beautiful connection of the Holy Spirit and water – in John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of the Spirit as “rivers of living water” in the souls of the faithful. So the Spirit is like water, poured out upon the Church, for the forgiveness of sins. Finally, I just love the image of pouring out, which is far more poetic and less prosaic than sent.

Some may think, “Why is this important? Does it really matter?” It does matter, because of a very important principle in the Church (and really in all religions): the idea of lex orandi, lex credendi  - “the law of prayer is the law of belief”. How we pray impacts what we believe. The words we say in our prayers reveals to us what we believe about God. All true Catholics are orthodox which comes from two Greek words meaning “right glory” – when we give God the proper worship, then by necessity we will do so with the correct belief about the truths of our Faith.

So, all of this is a roundabout way of saying – I hope you hear the new words of Absolution this Lent…by coming to Confession! This weekend, we have Confessions before and after every Mass – as we embark upon our Lenten journey, which is primarily about repentance and the mercy of God, we must drink deeply of the mercy poured out upon us in Confession!

It is with great joy that we invite you to participate in the many celebrations and activities planned throughout this coming year to celebrate our Parish 50th Anniversary. Please see the Schedule of planned events in our website. https://www.stjuderc.org/50-years.html

SIGN UP FOR THE NEXT 50th ANNIVERSAY CELEBRATION EVENT!!

OUR PARISH SEDER MEAL

Monday March 27 - 6:00 PM St Jude Social Hall

Passover and the story of the Exodus have great symbolism for Christians and the Last Supper was a Passover meal. Come experience a traditional Passover Seder

One In Christ – The 2023 Bishop’s Appeal

Your gifts at work

Future priests of the Diocese of Bridgeport receive comprehensive formation in theology, pastoral ministry, personal growth, and, most importantly, the spiritual life at seminaries chosen by the Bishop to best suit the needs of the seminarian and of the diocese. Preparation for the Priesthood takes anywhere from six to eight years, depending on the age and educational background of the man when he enters. All of our seminarians receive graduate degrees in theology prior to their ordination.  Through your generous gift to the Bishop's Appeal, the Diocese will be better able to support men who are discerning priesthood and may respond generously and courageously to that call. 

Thank you for your gift.

To make a gift, or for more information, please visit us at 2023BishopsAppeal.org, call (203) 416-1470 or scan with your phone.

Annual Bishop's Appeal Brochure and Home QR

Parish News

Ignatian Parish Pilgrimage

Please join us for the first phase of the Ignatian Parish Pilgrimage we are co-sponsoring with St. Stephen’s. It begins on Saturday morning, March 4^th at 10:30 in the Social Hall at St. Jude Church. It will be the first of four lectures led by Fr. John Murray, a Jesuit priest with the Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Fairfield University. A lecture is scheduled each Saturday morning during March.  Bring a friend. The Pilgrimage is an important part our Lenten journey for deepening our relationship with Christ, improving our relationship with each other, and helping us grow in personal holiness. Please see our parish website for more details.

Notes From the Music Ministry

Music and Lent

Having begun this Ash Wednesday and lasting through Good Friday, you will find at the ends of each pew pieces of cardstock. On that sheet is the Mass Setting, otherwise known as the Mass Ordinaries, that we will be using during Lent. During this more penitent liturgical season, we will sing the Kyrie and of course replace the Alleluia with an acclamation. We will also change the Holy, Holy (the Sanctus) to the familiar Latin Chant that should bring back some memories. All the music you need is right before you. Please participate - you will catch on quickly. 

Additionally, the music during the Lenten Season is also noticeably different. There will not be prelude or postlude music before or after Mass. This is to encourage quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament present in the Tabernacle. Musical interludes are omiited as well, and hymns are frequently set in a minor key, typically less pleasent to the ear. Liturgically, Lent is not "business as usual", just like our personal approach to fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. We have to enter the fallow desert with Christ in anticipation of a joyous Easter. 

Adult, Children's Choir, and Contemporary Choir

Now is a great time to consider stepping up and joining our group of volunteers in our Music Ministry. Please see me if you would like to participate in either any of our musical groups. 

St. Stephen Bereavement Support Group

Have you suffered the loss of a special person in your life? Our Bereavement Ministry can offer you hope of coping with your grief. It is open to anyone you may know who needs help. The 10-week course with a guided workbook provided will begin on Tuesday, March 21st from 4:00-5:30pm. Registration is required. Please call the rectory at 203-268-6217. A call will be returned to you by one of the bereavement facilitators. 

Food Pantry Update



Now that we have collectively begun our Lenten journey with the three pillars of Lent (prayer, fasting and almsgiving) in mind we ask that you consider a donation to our pantry. Preparations are underway for our Easter distribution with the items in greatest need at this time being: rice side dishes (Rice-A-Roni), canned soup, jarred pasta sauce, pasta and as always boxed children’s cereal. Please continue to monitor this newsletter for updates as we draw closer to our Easter distribution for assistance with perishable items. Thank you again for your continued support of our ministry!

St Jude & St Stephen Seniors Group

St Jude & St Stephen Seniors Group meeting is on Thursday, March 9 at 1:00PM in the Msgr. Sabia Social Hall.

The topic this month will be Lent.

All who consider themselves a senior are welcome!

Joint Stations with St. Stephen's!

All parishioners are invited to pray with our sister parish for Stations of the Cross on Friday, March 10 at 6:30pm at St. Stephen's! Join us for Adoration, a reflection, and then Stations of the Cross. A beautiful opportunity for our two communities to come together in prayer this Lent! Please note: there will be NO Stations or Adoration at St. Jude's that night.

The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, our Sr Megan Mary Thibodeau’s religious order is asking for our help. During Lent they are asking for prayers and for donations to help them build a Mother House in Corpus Christi Texas, where Sr Megan is the General Superior of the order. +

To quote their request:

It’s Lent and we are excited! ON Ash Wednesday we kicked off our 40 Days + 40 Dollars + 40 Friends campaign to raise funds for our new Motherhouse. We humbly ask you to consider donating 40 dollars during these 40 days of Lent and sharing our need with 40 friends or 10 friends to share with 4 of their friends. Please also keep an eye out for our Behind the Habit posts on Facebook which are short glimpses of the lives of our sisters who may one day live in this new Motherhouse.

Since Sr Megan was formed here at St Jude and we are her home parish it would be great to support this effort. If you feel the Lord move you to help, please send donations to: SOLT Sisters, PO Box 4116, Corpus Christi’s TX 78469.

PRO-LIFE MINISTRY

Please join our Pro-life Ministers for a Prayer Vigil on Sunday, March 19th from 2-4pm in front of Planned Parenthood on Main Street in Bridgeport as we pray for an end to abortions including the abortion- inducing medications now available over-the-counter. 

MARCH FOR LIFE in Hartford. We encourage participation in this important March on March 22nd, especially since we have our own bus leaving from St.Jude's.

If you are unable to participate in the MARCH, please prayerfully consider joining us for ADORATION of the BLESSED SACRAMENT in Church following the 9:00 Mass any time between 9:30- 4:30.

ST. JOSEPH PARISH

       Shelton, CT

LENTEN FISH FRY

MARCH 3^RD • 10^TH • 17^TH 5-8 pm

Clam Chowder, Fried Fish, Baked Fish,

Cole Slaw, Raffles and Much More…

50 Fairmont Place • Shelton

Parish Hall (Lower Church)

203-924-8611

www.SJCshelton.org

Bring home Saint Jude's traveling statue of the Holy Family. Materials will be included to do a 7-day preparation for Consecration to the Holy Family. To learn more, visit: https://afc.org/family-consecration/

May God bless you and your family through the intercession of the Holy Family!

Rehearsals are under way for the Living Stations of the Cross, and we’re still looking for a few more actors, particularly teenagers who might be interested in the roles of Jesus or Blessed Mother Mary and girls of any age who may wish to play the Weeping Women of Jerusalem. (All acting parts are silent — there’s nothing to memorize!)

Rehearsals are on Sunday evenings at 6 p.m. in the church, and the Living Stations will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Good Friday, April 7.

Email Peter Blair at [email protected] if you wish to join us.

We have a group of parishioners who will be visiting the Holy Land next month. They have offered to take our Parish's prayer requests with them. You can submit them anonymously on this Google form.

The Amen app is the free Catholic prayer app that inspires a daily conversation with God through faithful meditations and nourishing Scripture. A perfect companion for the whole family this Lenten season!

March Family Newsletter now available - see below!

Do you have extra egg cartons?

St Jude's Kids Club is seeking donations of empty egg cartons for an April craft. If you have some that you would like to donate, please leave in the entryway next to the food pantry donations and label them "For kids club". Many thanks to all of those who have donated so far - we have collected close to 40 egg cartons!

Do you want to have a superabundant marriage?

If so, come join us and meet other young couples and learn 7 Steps to a Superabundant Marriage.

We invite you to join us in a series of talks to enhance your marriage and your spirituality. There is no cost.

First meeting for couples will be an introduction and social night on Saturday, March 25 at 5:30 PM in the St Jude Social Hall. It will be a pizza and wine event!

RSVP: Mike Bonomo phone/text 203-257-3224. Email: [email protected]

Please indicate if childcare needed at the event.

2023

CAMP ADORE

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Summer with the Sacred Heart

June 26-30, 2023 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

for children entering Grades 1-6.

This year's theme is "Summer with the Sacred Heart"

Registration is now OPEN click here. Sign up early to secure a spot!

Email Jessica Iannotta if you are an adult or teen interested in volunteering or helping with preparation or donations.

Mom's Group Announcements

Next meeting Thursday 3/23 at 7:30 pm.

Our next monthly mother's Zoom rosary is Wednesday 4/5 at 9 pm and will continue on the first Wednesday of every month e-mail Jessica Iannotta for more information.

Youth Encounter and Kid's Club Reminders

Encounter this Friday 3/3 & Kid's Club this Sunday 3/5

Please remember in your daily prayers:

Marge Tranzillo, David Nicolett, Maria Bertone, Marie Micholovich, Vincent Daniello, Dyana vander Wielen, Joe Pinto, Zoey Frigo, Daniel Louis Bianco, Max, Hung Vu, Alfred Zawadski, Dr. John Kezel, Joseph Sheridan, Francisca Testa & family, Catherine Belanger, Stephen Henn, Manny Cambra, Bennett Gulyas, Tom Pleva, James Buturla, Violeta Shala, Vito Melfi, Paul Verespej, Patti F. , Anne DeVita, Anna Harper, Jack Lane, Robert Freeman, Frank Kerekes, Marian Nanchy, Rose C., Joseph T., Rosario Pacheco, Antonia Tedeschi, Charles Metoyer, Liz Guaglianone, Tip B.

All healthcare workers, first responders, caregivers and the men and women in the military.

If you have anyone that you would like to add to the list, please call the office or email with the name to be added.

Please join us in praying our Monthly Parish Intention.

MONTHLY PARISH PETITION

Please join us in praying our Monthly Parish Intention.

Our Petition for March is:

We pray that parents considering aborting their preborn babies, receive the grace to remember that God has given life to their babies and entrusted them to you....

    We pray to the Lord

Upcoming Mass Intentions



Sat    Mar 4         8:30am                 St Jude Parishioners

Sat    Mar 4         4:00pm                Laszlo and Ilona Gaal

Sun   Mar 5        7:30am                 Andrew Henn

Sun   Mar 5         9:30am                 Maximino Pires Monteiro

Sun   Mar 5         11:30am               Tina Pechulis

Mon  Mar 6         9:00am                 Isabel Dupont

Tue   Mar 7        9:00am                 

Wed  Mar 8         9:00am                Bob Gerhard

Thu   Mar 9         9:00am                 Gladys Maloney

Fri   Mar 10       9:00am                 Richard T. Cannone

Sat    Mar 11       4:00pm                Deceased members of the Carlson and

                                                         DelMastro families

Sun   Mar 12      7:30am                 St Jude Parishioners

Sun   Mar 12       9:30am                 Rita Benoit

Sun   Mar 12       11:30am               Rick Buckley

Weekday Masses will be in the main Church at 9 am and live streamed.

The Weekend Masses inside the Church are Saturday at 4:00 pm and Sunday at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30. Only the Saturday Mass at 4:00 pm and the Sunday 7:30 am and 9:30 Masses are live streamed.

(Live-streamed Masses may be viewed at https://www.stjuderc.org/view-masses.html )

Holy Trinity Catholic Academy

503 Shelton Avenue

Shelton, CT

For more information, go to:

www.holytrinitycatholicacademy.org

or call: 203-929-4422

Pre-K 3 through 8^th Grade

Rosary Making Ministry

The Rosary making ministry is making rosaries for the sick of the parish and anyone who would like one. We have been making hand knotted rosaries for the past year. If you would like to join us, we meet on Wednesdays at 1:30 in the social hall. Please contact Karen Talloni 203-952-3451 or email [email protected]

Men’s Bible Study

All men are invited to join for a discussion-based Bible Study on Saturday mornings at 8am in the School Meeting Room beginning September 17, as we study the Sunday readings. For more information, contact Bob Lux at [email protected].

Mary's Messengers Prayer Group Conveniently in between Wednesday’s Religious Education class sessions from 6-6:30 pm. We will learn to say the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and other special prayers for the intentions of our families and Parish.

Flame of Love Rosary

Thursday mornings after 9 am Mass

"Spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all of humanity"

flameoflove.us

St. Jude Religious Gift Shop is located downstairs in the Msgr. Sabia Social Hall. Fr. Joseph's Books and CD's are available in the Gift Shop. Also new items: Gifts and cards, statues, rosaries and more.

Come in and browse. Call Fran Cambra 203-261-2573 or Parish Office 203-261-6404.

Confession Hours

Confessions on Saturday afternoon will be in the day chapel at 3:00 pm on Saturdays.  We are now offering Confession Weekend every first weekend of the month! Come take advantage of God's great mercy by coming to the Sacrament of Confession, offered before AND after every Mass starting the weekend of February 4/5!

Confessions are also by appointment, please call 203-261-6404, to set up and appointment or emailing.