September 3, 2020
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,
Greetings and blessings! I had an opportunity to get away last week for some r&r. I was able to go to a quiet and safe spot in southern Vermont. It was time to reflect and regroup in preparation for an interesting Fall season ahead.
When I was much younger, I had the frequent opportunity to travel up to Vermont for day trips with family and friends. Often our destination was the small Benedictine Priory in Weston. We would attend Mass and then go feast at a fine eatery in the region. As a young high school and college student I was often inspired by the Priory’s spirituality and their concern for social justice.
So, this past week, I thought it was time to visit the Priory once more for old times’ sake. When I drove onto the property, not much has changed. However, I was startled by the “ghost town” effect that was before me. There was not a soul on the property, all the buildings were locked up tight and there was a general sense of abandonment.
I realized, after the initial shock, that they are taking every precaution due to the covid-19 virus. Many of the monks are up in age and are continuing to isolate. However, this may not be a huge burden for them. After all they are called to silence and quiet community living. I do pray they will be able to maintain their vibrant presence and their vital contemplative ministry and be reopened soon to inspire many other people (like me) in this wonderful tradition of our Church.
And now for two important announcements:
Our Dynamic Catholic Event “Find Your Greatness," which was to be held at Incarnation Church, Wethersfield, will now be virtual. We can participate in this life-changing event from the comfort of our homes on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. The details will be posted on the website at www.thechurchoftheincarnation.com.
If you bought tickets for the event there are options for you to consider:
If you have a computer or tablet, or other devices please send your email address to [email protected]. They will send your email address to Dynamic Catholic and they will send you the link for the virtual event.
If this option is not possible, then you may call the Event Team at Dynamic Catholic and they will be happy to process a refund to you. Please call 1-859-980-7900. Please tell them your name and the parish that you are from in Wethersfield or Rocky Hill and they will take it from there.
If you bought tickets for someone else, please go to the Incarnation Church website and there is a form to click with directions.
Please know that the planning team worked very hard to bring this exciting event to you and they are truly saddened by the change.
Finally, just a simple reminder of an upcoming second collection for the support of Elementary Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford, which will take place here at St. Josephine Bakhita Parish on the weekend of September 26-27. You can only imagine the stress that the pandemic has placed on schools in general and on Catholic parochial schools, in particular. Most Catholic elementary schools face economic stresses in a normal year. This year they need our help more than ever. I pray you can consider some financial help via this special annual collection. If you receive giving envelopes through the mail or contribute on-line, you will be aware of the scheduled collection. If you do not have those options for contributions, and would still like to make a donation to the schools…please forward a check made out to the parish and we will pool all donations and forward the funds to the Archdiocese School Office. Ever so grateful!
Fr. George Couturier
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Sunday Mass Schedule
Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at St. James capacity of 80 people
Sunday at 9:00 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Seton capacity of 50 people
Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at St. James capacity 80 people
Reservations are required!
We have a limited seating capacity & we need a written record of attendees for contact tracing.
There are two options for making your reservations:
Online
Sign up online at www.saintjosephinebakhita.org for the upcoming weekend starting Tuesday morning. Reservations will close by Thursday evening or before if we reach capacity. We need to close the reservations by Thursday evening so that we can prepare for the weekend Masses. When you make your reservation, enter the # (quantity) of people attending from each household. We will set up the reservation system one week at a time.
By Phone
If you have no access to internet, call 860-529-8655 and our office staff will assist you with reservations. Please call only on Tuesday or Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. You will need to call each week for the upcoming weekend. Do not leave a voicemail, there will be no guarantee to reserve a seat by voicemail.
Read the Guidelines for attending Sunday Mass - Click Here.
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The Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 6, 2020
We will continue to livestream the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass using Facebook Live. The recording will also be available afterward on the Parish Facebook page at the link below. You do not have to have a Facebook account to watch. You can click 'not now' when invited to join Facebook. Click on "Videos." On the "Videos" page, click on the red "live" button to watch the livestream starting at 9:00 AM Sunday. If you visit the "Videos" page after the mass is over, click on the image of the mass to watch the recording.
Exciting News: We will begin livestreaming the 11:00 AM Mass starting September 13, 2020!
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We have been blessed in the last month to celebrate the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation. Now we are ready to launch registration for our 2020-2021 Faith Formation Program. While things will look different, at least for the first half of our year, we are excited for the chance to bring new ideas and share our faith together! There is a well-known quote that says, "Don't be afraid of change. You may lose something good, but you may gain something better." That is our hope for our program this year!
What will the program look like?
The safety of all our children and catechists is our top priority, so we will only gather when we feel it is safe to do so. We will begin in October with an online platform. We are putting resources and videos together to design an online learning experience that will be enhanced by simple, fun activities that our children and our families can do together to strengthen our faith at home. Our catechists will reach out to you and your children and stay in contact with you through this new online platform. When we are able to, we hope to meet in small groups. If this does happen, you will always have the option to stay with the online platform if you are more comfortable.
How do I sign my children up?
Click on this link and it will take you to our online form. Fill it out and submit. Contact us with any questions. We can be reached at [email protected] or 860-529-1274.
Your Faith Formation Team
Monica, Beth, Carol, and Linda
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So, Maybe You Want To Become A Catholic….
Times such as those we are living through now often prompt people to examine what we believe, how we make sense of the world and examine just what we live by, and why, and where “all this seems to be going."
If you are interested in how Catholic Christian faith may relate to these questions, explore these realities and the possibility of becoming a Catholic, we are certainly happy and eager to help.
Maybe you know someone who may be interested as well. We’re glad to help them out too if we are able.
If so….contact Deacon Michael at [email protected] (best) or by phone at 860-529-3222 Ext 14 and leave a message and we’ll get back to you.
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Not Confirmed?
Want To Be?
It’s never too late. Even if you are way “past the age” or even a little ;-) ...and not yet Confirmed...you can be. You certainly are not alone. Many, for a variety of reasons, find themselves in this situation. We can help with that!
So..If you have not yet received the Sacrament of Confirmation and would like to, contact Deacon Michael at [email protected] (best) or by phone at 860-529-3222 Ext 14. Leave a message and we’ll get back to you.
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Fall Bible
Reading & Reflection
Starting in October
“Living for a Just Society”
Matters of “social justice” have certainly been in the news and in the air in our nation with a particular intensity over the past few months. “What do you mean by that?” is a common question that arises in response and the ensuing discussion can often be difficult. Some find the idea too abstract to be useful. Others see it as an invitation to an argument.
On Wednesdays this fall Saint Josephine Bakhita Adult Bible Study will be offering a 6-part read and reflect series on “Living for a Just Society,” exploring what Sacred Scripture has to offer to guide us when engaging and responding to these important matters. The series begins on Wednesday October 7 and will be convened ONLINE in light of the current precautions appropriate to control the spread of COVID-19.
All are welcome, including friends and family of parishioners. No special knowledge of Scripture is required. Email Deacon Michael with any questions or concerns that you might have at [email protected].
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Faith and Racial Equity:
New Read, Reflect, and Discuss
Convening at St. Josephine Bakhita This Fall
In recent months matters of racial have resurfaced as a particular major public concern in our country. Many are challenged about how to think through and do something about this reality.
Starting on Tuesday evenings, Saint Josephine Bakhita will be offering a 8 session read/reflect/discuss series on racial equity. Developed by JustFaith Ministries, this series looks at this issue through the lens of Christian faith. This particular series will explore issues of power and privilege in our society and their implications for matters of racism, inequality and justice in important areas of our national life.
The series, facilitated by Saint Josephine Bakhita parishioners, begins on Tuesday, October 6 and will be convened ONLINE in light of the current precautions appropriate to control the spread of COVID-19. Check out the Saint Josephine Bakhita Adult faith Formation page at the parish website https://www.saintjosephinebakhita.org/adult-faith-formation- for details about how to participate.
Questions can be addressed to Deacon Michael at [email protected] or by phone at 860-529-3222 Ext. 14 and leave a message.
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Celebrating the Fifth Anniversary of Laudato Si'
This May we celebrated the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si' - Care for Creation. The year from May 2020 to May 2021 has been declared the Laudato Si' Anniversary Year. To emphasize the Anniversary, we have added a Care for Creation page to the parish web page. To explore the page, Click Here.
You are invited to enjoy the page, click on the links and explore the content, especially the Exploring the Encyclical video. The page is changeable so look for announcements
of updated content throughout the year.
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Donate to Our Shelters
& Pantries
Now more than ever, the shelters and food pantries that our parish supports need our help. Food or gift certificates can be ordered online (Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc.) and shipped directly to the organizations. Please contact
with any questions. As always, thank you for kindness and generosity! To learn what items are most needed and the mailing addresses, Click Here.
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Complete this simple online form to update your contact information for our parish.
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St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
767 Elm Street
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
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