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Saint John Vianney Happenings - July 21, 2017
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Join in Prayer
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Baby Charlie Gard
Dear Friends,
Today, I'm sharing a t
hought provoking and insightful piece written by Melissa Moschella, Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics at Columbia University and author of "To Whom Do Children Belong? Parental Rights, Civic Education and Children's Autonomy," which was printed via USA TODAY Opinion.
Please join me in continuing to fervently pray for a renewed respect for life from conception to natural death and for Charlie and his parents.
May the Lord give you peace.
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Family Happenings
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Remember in Your Prayers
Mary Eloise Gretz passed away peacefully on on July 19, 2017. She was the wife of the late Robert J. Gretz and a long time member of SJV. Eloise is survived by 4 children and 7 grandchildren. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on
Monday July 24, at 11:00 A.M at St. John Vianney Church. There will be a visitation in the church beginning at 10:00 A.M. with Mass following at 11:00 A.M.
You can find more information at the McConaghy Funeral Home
website.
PREP News
The Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) is seeking Teachers, Substitute Teachers, Classroom Aides, and Hall Monitors.
The St. John Vianney Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) is in need of a few enthusiastic adults to serve as teachers, substitute teachers, classroom aides, and hall monitors beginning in September for the academic year 2017-2018. Classes are forming and will take place every Wednesday from 4:00-5:15 PM. We are also looking for teenagers and young adults who are interested in performing community service. Please consider participating in this rewarding ministry by sharing your time and talents with the youth of the parish.
For more information, please contact Mary Anne Monroe, Director of Religious Education, at (610) 642-0938 or
MMonroe@sjvgladwyne.com.
Rising Juniors - Class of 2019
Alexandra (Lexi) Urbine
begins her Junior year at Hallahan this fall. Lexi recently had an amazing trip to visit her brother in China. She has a goal to be fluent in at least 3 languages-English, hopefully Spanish, and maybe Arabic or Hindi. She also wants to be an engineer but not sure what kind. Lexi's favorite classes are chemistry, government, and precalculus. She ranks near the top of her class and enjoys participating in sports.
The SJV Scholars Program is making a difference in the lives of deserving students and their families. You can show your support by making a pledge at
www.sjvscholars.com.
Welcome New Parishioners
Last month we welcomed several new parishioners to St. John Vianney.
James and Margaret Connor
are formerly with St. Margaret's parish. They are both enjoying their retirement.
Jane Arronson
is a teacher with Gladwyne Montesori.
Kathleen Johns
is a retired nurse.
Please be sure to give them a warm
SJV Welcome
when you meet them at church or around town.
RCIA is the process through which people explore the Catholic Faith to determine if they wish to join the Catholic Christian Community. It is a program of shared discussion, instruction, prayer and community experience.
Classes are held from 7:30 PM to 9:15 PM
Monday, September 11, 2017 through May 21, 2018.
For more information call the St. John Rectory at 610-642-0938 or send send Monsignor Leighton an email with your name, address and phone number .
For More Information Contact Select International Tours at
There are still dates available for Masses in 2017. If you would like to schedule a Mass intention in 2017, please call the Rectory at 610-642-0938.
The suggested offerings are $10.00 for a weekday Mass or Saturday morning and $25.00 for a Saturday Evening Mass and Sunday Morning Mass.
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The Newman Connection
80% of students stop practicing their faith at some point during college.
Newman Centers are Catholic ministry centers at non-Catholic universities. These centers provide pastoral services and ministries to their Catholic communities, in particular to the Roman Catholic student population within universities.
Newman Centers were named in honor of Cardinal John Henry Newman and were inspired by Newman's writings. The first Newman Center was established in 1893 at the University of Pennsylvania.
If you have a student leaving for college, you can still help safeguard their faith journey from interruptions by connecting them to Catholic campus ministry and help them keep the faith while in college. Make the connection at the Newman Connection website at
http://www.newmanconnection.com/
St. John the Baptist parish community, in Ottsville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1743. It was the first Catholic parish in Bucks County. Since 1912 the parish has been administered by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart whose religious order is based in Aurora, Illinois.
The first permanent church of St John the Baptist was built in 1798 but was destroyed by a fire in 1853. The second church was completed in 1855. This simple white church building, located at the base of Haycock Mountain and now known as Old St. John's, stands to this day as a beacon of calm and serenity in the midst of an historical cemetery dating back to 1745 when the earliest settlers were buried.
St. John the Baptist covers the largest area of any parish in the Philadelphia Archdiocese, over 240 square miles. Bucks County is one of the fastest growing areas of Pennsylvania. The parish too has increased in membership, and a new and larger church building was erected and dedicated on May 18, 2003.
The parish of St. John the Baptist believe they are "stewards" of the faith when they come together to pray, worship, share fellowship, play, study and perform corporal works of mercy. They are a community of members celebrating God's works, Christ's life and the Spirit's love. You can read more about the parish on their
website.
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Pastor's Message
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July 23, 2017 - Six
teenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners,
Liturgy, the public worship of God, is the most important thing that we do as Catholic Christians. The Second Vatican Council states that Liturgy is the source and summit of our Christian lives. When we gather together to worship God on Sundays, we enter more deeply into the mystery of our God and God's presence in our lives.
We speak to God in prayer and hear God speak to us through the proclamation of God's Word in the Scriptures. We acknowledge that God is our creator Whom we adore. We thank God for the many blessings that we receive. We ask God to forgive us for our sins and we beseech God for the other things that we need for our families, our friends, our community and our world.
In order that we might have a positive liturgical experience when we come to worship, the Church recommends that we celebrate Liturgy in a suitable environment. Our Church is a beautiful building for worship. The colors are warm and welcoming. It is truly a pleasant environment in which to give praise and thanks to God. Hopefully, with our new, quieter air conditioning system, the sound of the air conditioning will not distract us.
The principal places of focus in the Liturgy are the altar which represents Christ and the pulpit where the Word is proclaimed. To a lesser degree, the presider's chair, from which the various prayers are recited, is a focus. Another focus would be the baptismal font through which members enter into the Church.
It is good to keep in mind that we are all celebrants of the Liturgy. Liturgy is not an action in which the priest is the celebrant and everyone else is a spectator. Since we are all celebrants, we need to join together as the people of God in prayer and songs of praise when we come to worship.
Pope St. Pius X is reported to have said, "He who sings prays twice." While there are some people who are not thrilled with singing and who don't appreciate hymns in the Liturgy, it is interesting to note that we do sing at special events in our lives ... birthdays, anniversaries, sporting events, etc. We sing our national anthem. We don't recite it. For those who like to sing, singing the hymns adds a special dimension to our prayers. For those who don't, maybe understanding why we sing would help.
There really isn't anything more important in our lives than worshiping God. When we gather together in Faith, we are in touch with the risen Jesus and have a foretaste of heaven. When we reflect on what it is that we are doing, it all makes sense. We are gathered to praise and give thanks to the God who made us and sustains us in existence.
The role of the ordained priest in worship is to preside over the Liturgy. He speaks to the assembly on behalf of God and presents to God the prayers of the assembly. It is our task to continue to pray with and for one another so that we will grow in an ever deeper understanding of the great mysteries that we celebrate when we come to worship every Sunday.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Msgr. Donald E. Leighton, Pastor
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Did You Know?
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Congratulations Graduates!
Sister Maureen Lawrence McDermott, Superintendent, Secondary Schools for the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Office of Catholic Education, unveils the scholarship totals awarded to the class of 2017 from 17 high schools throughout the five-county region.
The class of 2017 received $319,673,928 in scholarships. Congratulations to all of the graduates!
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What's Coming Up
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Rediscover the Love in Your Marriage!
 Do you feel lost, alone or bored in your marriage? Are you frustrated, hurt or angry with your spouse? Are you constantly fighting or do you simply shut down? Have you thought about separation or divorce?
Retrouvaille may be the LIFELINE that you need!
It is not just a social gathering or series of seminars, but rather a way to rediscover and rekindle the loving relationship in your marriage. Tens of thousands of couples have successfully saved their marriages by attending a Retrouvaille weekend and the six post sessions that follow it.
The next program begins, the weekend of August 11-13 at the Family Life Center in Malvern, PA.
For more information, or to register for one of our weekends, visit our web site at: www.HelpOurMarriage.com or call 1-800-470-2230.
All inquiries are kept strictly confidential.
Philadelphia Catholic Grandparents Association Conference
 Join with other Grandparents for a day of learning, sharing, prayer and support with keynote speakers, Catherine Wiley, Founder, International Catholic Grandparents Association & Jim & Joy Pinto, EWTN's Jim & Joy Show. Topics to include: Your Biblical Mandate, the importance of Grandparents to the Church, the Family and Society, Grandparenting in Secular Times, Practical, Secular and Spiritual Catechesis. Ending with the celebration of Holy Mass.
Catholic Grandparents Association Mission: To pass on our faith & keep prayer at the heart of the family.
Saturday, August 26, 2017 - 8:30 AM - 5:15 PM
St Charles Borromeo Seminary
100 Wynnewood Road Wynnewood, PA 19096
For more information or to register go to the Eventbrite
website.
The AbbeyFest: Faith, Music, and Family Festival
AbbeyFest is the premier celebration of family, friends, and contemporary Catholic/Christian music in the greater Philadelphia area. Over 3,000 children, teens, and parents attended last year!
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Musical headliners: Matt Maher and Mandisa
Location: Daylesford Abbey, Paoli, PA
More info: Visit the website
http://www.theabbeyfest.com/
Reboot! Live! Coming to St. Philip Neri Oct. 5, 2017
Internationally renowned speaker and author Chris Stefanick, along with top performing live music artists, help you REDISCOVER God, and REDISCOVER the life you were made for.
Reboot! Live! is the fun, inspiring and practical experience for all (ages 12 and up), of applying the beauty and genius of the Gospel to every aspect of your life, from prayer and spirituality, to work, dating, marriage, parenting, health and more!
Tickets are $20.00 and there will be a limited amount available so don't delay. For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.reallifecatholic.com/reboot and find the listing for October 5th - St. Philip Neri.
WINE
Women In the New Evangelization
along with the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia Office for the New Evangelization
invite women of all ages to the WINE: National Catholic Women's Conference on
Saturday, October 21, 2017
at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown.
Join women from around the Archdiocese and throughout the country for a day of inspiration, faith, fellowship, and fun. The conference emcee is Catholic author and radio host
Alyssa Bormes
. Dynamic Catholic speakers
Teresa Tomeo, Kelly Wahlquist, Kitty Cleveland, and Sarah Christmyer
will enliven our spirits and ignite our hearts on fire with a renewed understanding of God's boundless mercy!
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Tell Us What You Think
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Please let us know what you think and how we can best stay in touch with you. Have something to share? Send us your news and photos.
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