Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 5, 2012

Parish News Notes:

A Thank You from Hope Centre

January 17, 2012

Dear Father Mulligan

I met with Tim Donohue, the chair of St. Kevin’s Pastoral Council this afternoon and he presented me with the generous donation of $11,000.00 made to The Hope Centre as part of Share Advent.

With the continued downturn in the economy of Welland the need for the services that we provide to the community of Welland are in demand more than ever. This donation will enable us to continue to work for the members of our community to assist them with a “hand up”!

We will be very diligent stewards of the funds which have been entrusted to us by the Parish of St. Kevin’s – a partnership that is special to us. We look forward to continuing to work together in this very important work.

Gratefully, on behalf of the Board of Directors, Staff, Volunteers and the people we serve at The Hope Centre and The Hope House,

Pat Kemp, Executive Director and Paul Turner, Board Chair

Development and Peace Action Campaign:

There are still brochures describing the action and the solidarity action cards available in the Foyer. It could be that you know others who would want to participate in this action with St. Kevin’s. Please take extra cards. You may return them signed next week.

Liturgical Ministries at St. Kevin’s

In a couple of weeks, we will be sending out the new schedule for Readers, Ministers of Communion and Servers. A few points:

• Thanks very much to all who have been serving the community at our liturgies.

• It could be that some might want to withdraw for a while from ministry for any number of reasons. If this is the case, please notify the Office to that effect.

• And it could be that you have served as a liturgical minister in the past and are now open to participating again. You would be most welcome. Please give a call to the Office.

• We have special needs for the two 5:00 p.m. liturgies, Saturday and Sunday, and for the 11:30 Sunday morning Mass. If you are now a minister and are open to serving at these times, please let the Office know.

• We remind you, if you are unable to be present for the times you are scheduled, please arrange to have another take your place.

• We do have a few who would like to participate in our liturgical ministry. Soon, we will have a training session for Readers, Ministers of Communion and Servers. Should you be open to participating in this very rich ministry to the brothers and sisters in our liturgical assembly, please call the Office.

• And we take this occasion to recognize our music ministers and our choir. Our music coordinator, Stephanie Menicanin, is always ready to welcome new members into the Choir. If interested, Stephanie is available on Sunday, always at the 10:00 Mass and sometimes at the 8:30 Mass and the 5:00 p.m. Mass.

A return to the catechism! Back to the basics.

25 Questions about the Mass (Les Miller, Novalis 2010) is a very informative booklet that we give to the parents of our First Communion children to assist them in sharing their own faith with their children. Actually, this rich little text is intended for young students in the intermediate grades of our Catholic schools. But it can be very helpful to adults as well. From Les Miller’s text, we revisit the Creed:

What is the Creed? After the homily, the people gathered at Mass stand up as a sign of unity and respect. They say the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed aloud together. These are statements about our faith that we all agree on. They are the basics of our beliefs. Each creed has three parts. The first part states our belief in God the Father, the Creator. The second part states our belief in Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Saviour. The third part states our belief in the Holy Spirt, who guides the Church and each of our lives.

• These statements were written during the time of the early Church. The Church has kept them ever since.

• People used to think the Apostles’ Creed was written by the apostles, who were followers of Jesus. While this may not be historically true, these statements are an inspired summary of the apostles’ teachings. The Apostles’ Creed has twelve parts: one for each of the apostles.

• The Nicene Creed came from the Council of Nicea in the year 325. Some people questioned whether Jesus was divine. This challenge allowed the Church to state clearly that Jesus is fully God even though he is fully human. Also, we believe in one God in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

• In the Mass, you will hear God called “Father.” This language comes to us from the Bible and the Church. The Church teaches that God cannot be easily summed up in human words. “Father” does not capture who God is. No one word can. The church doesn’t use the name “Father” to say that males are better than females. It is a way of understanding that God is like a loving yet powerful parent. (You might wonder why we don’t call God “Mother.” Actually, the image of God as a mother does appear from time to time in the Bible!) In recent years, people have looked for different images for God, beyond Father and Mother, that reflect our modern ways of thinking.

Parish Planning:

• February 7 – Social Justice Committee Meeting – 7:00 p.m. Rectory

• February 11 – Our Lady of Lourdes 10:00 Mass – Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick

• February 14 – Liturgy Committee meeting – 9:30 a.m. Rectory

• February 14 - 15 - 16 – Third First Communion Parents Meeting 6:30 p.m.

• February 21 – Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday

• February 22 – Ash Wednesday

Remember the needs of the Food Bank!

As the calls to St. Vincent de Paul are increasing, so are the numbers using the Parish Food Bank.

This Weeks needs:

1. large cans of Apple Juice
2. sweetened and unsweetened apple sauce

Our parishioners are so very good in stocking our Food Bank.

THAT MAN IS YOU!

Saturday Mornings from 6:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.

February 11th – Session 18: Penance: Conquering the Flesh

• Turn Away Form Sin and be Faithful to the Gospel
• Your Time is Not Your Own
• Purity of Heat Starts with the Eyes
• The Working of a Man’s Brain
• The Chemistry of Addiction
• Steps to Purity
  

 Please join us.  For more information call or email Garret Smits at 905-732-9471 or email

Catholic Women’s League News:

1. A BIG THANK YOU to all those who helped us with the Penny and Bake Sale, from the set up crew, the bakers, sellers, callers, runners, patrons, the clean up crew and those who made donations. Your help, donations and support made our fundraiser a huge success. We apologize if we’ve missed anyone. Than You again.

2. 2012 membership are now due $20.00 – the blue envelope is in your box of envelopes for 2012. If you are sending a cheque please make it payable to the C.W.L. Don’t forget to put your name on your envelope.

3. March 2nd – World Day of Prayer.

4. April 11 and 14 – Retreat at Mount Carmel.

Food Bank –Raffle tickets

Food Bank –Raffle tickets will be offered after every Mass the weeks of February 4th and 5th and February 11th and 12th for a chance to win one of several hand knit sweaters or scarves. The tickets will sell for $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. The draw will take place after the 5:00 p.m. Mass on February 12th and the winners will be notified by phone. The proceeds will be used to support the good work the Food Bank does in assisting those in need.

A Celebration of Love:

Fr. Stanley Makacinas, Carmelite, invites you to celebrate your love during a special evening together Tuesday, February 14, 2012 Candlelight Dinner at 6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer and Renewal of Vows. Reservations required Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre at 905-356-4113. Link

Mount Carmel Retirement Home

Are you alone? Getting tired? Mount Carmel is an ideal Retirement Home for older adults who prefer independent living supported by personal services. Operated by the Carmelite Sisters for 90 years in St. Catharines, Mount Carmel offers an affordable, professional and caring environment, enriched by a Christian atmosphere, daily Mass and other devotions. Please call 905-685-3755 or email for a tour of this beautiful Home.

Catholic Marriage Tribunal

If you are considering remarriage in the Catholic Church at some point, or hoping to enter a marriage with someone previously married, please speak to a priest, or contact the Diocesan Catholic Marriage Tribunal in St. Catharines at 905-687-8817. Information Pamphlets are available through the parish.

PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Due to the privacy laws, the hospital does not list our parishioners by address or parish unless you state your religion as ST. KEVIN PARISH when you are admitted. It would help the parish visiting team if when the hospital asks religion – you respond ST. KEVIN'S PARISH. If you or a family member enter a hospital for several days please be sure to call the parish office to let us know if you wish a visit. If you wish the Anointing of the Sick before an operation, either at home or while in the hospital, be sure to inform the parish office. A priest will come as soon as possible to administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. We also have a group of lay people from our parish who each week visit or bring communion to Catholic parishioners in the hospital. Please, we need to know that you are there!

Time for reminders on parking at St. Kevin's:

• The parking lines and spaces have been renewed (recently painted) for all to see and observe.

• We all know that we are limited in our parking possibilities.

• The dynamic for parking is modelled after ferry-boat parking – first on and first off all facing in the same way always being careful to move forward and fill in the correct parking space.

• So – PLEASE park in the correct space and in the same direction.

• We have problems when a car comes in off of Niagara Street and then turns contrary to the arrow-directions and stays in a lane (blocking further movement in that lane) all for the sake of making a quick get-a-way after Mass. Other parishioners come to the priests to launch a complaint against these traffic miscreants.

• Exiting the wrong way onto Niagara Street after a Sunday Mass can be very dangerous for pedestrians and for other cars.

• Keep in mind that there are three lanes coming in off of Niagara Street and once into the parking lot a fourth lane opens up. PLEASE try to use all four lanes always moving forward.

• Be sure to shut windows and lock the doors of your car.

• Parking on the streets surrounding the parish, please be prudent and follow the rules for parking on side streets.

POP CANS WANTED.

The Niagara Warehouse of Hope would love to have all your empty pop cans. All aluminum cans (no metal cans please) including beer cans are welcome. You can bring them to the ALUMINUM CAN bin on the south side of the parking lot. I would like to thank everyone who have been bringing cans for many years, keep up the good work. The money from the sale of the cans is being used to send goods to the poor countries. If you have any questions, call me, Ben Obdeyn at 905-892-4721.

Funerals and the place for a Eulogy

Many parishioners understand the policy of the parish when it comes to a eulogy and a funeral. We follow the instruction of the Canadian Conference of Bishops and more particularly we adhere to the following policy of the Diocese of St. Catharines established in 1999.

DIRECTIVES FOR EULOGIES AT FUNERAL MASSES:

The Order of Christian Funerals (#27) states "A brief homily based on the readings is always given after the Gospel reading at the funeral liturgy and may also be given after the readings at the vigil service but there is never to be a eulogy."

The fact that a eulogy is not permitted does not mean that there is no reference to the deceased person during the homily. A eulogy is described as "a formal speech of high praise of a person." Those who preach are directed to dwell on God's compassionate love and the paschal mystery as proclaimed in the scripture readings. Reference to the person's life of faith and love is obviously appropriate. It is the "high praise" of a eulogy in the strict sense of the word, praise which has no reference to Christian life, that is out of place in an act of worship.

The diocesan policy suggests the following moments that are appropriate times for a eulogy:

• at the Vigil Service
• at the cemetery
• at the reception which follows the Mass

A Review of Some Parish Policies

1. Requests: We often receive requests for baptism or marriage, or Pastoral References for teachers, who are not members of St. Kevin's Parish. Examples would be: They might like our church and so want to get married here although they live elsewhere. Or: they were baptized here and so they would like their child to be baptized here although they live elsewhere. Or: I went to Notre Dame College School. The main point here is "they live elsewhere". Now – wherever elsewhere might be, there is a Catholic parish there. Our policy is to minister to the parishioners of St. Kevin's. We have more than 3400 families; there is a lot of ministry work for us to do here. Our focus and attention is first and foremost on our own parishioners.

2. Parishioners should be registered: And here it is important to remember – that all of our parishioners should be registered in the parish, that is, on our books with names and phone numbers and addresses.

3. Young Adults: There is a point when the young person must register in our Parish. It does not suffice to say my parents are members of St. Kevin's and I was confirmed at St. Kevin's when that person has been living on his or her own. The young adult should not depend on the faith and loyalty of parents or grandparents but must take ownership of his or her own faith. That means, as well, the young person should be engaged in the financial support of the Parish.

4. Support of the Church: One of the precepts of the church – parishioners should be generous in supporting the material needs of the church. Today, we do this best by regularly using envelopes to help with the expenses of administering a very large parish such as St. Kevin's.

5. Needing a Letter of Permission: Hospitality is a wonderful characteristic of St. Kevin's Parish. And we do want to be open and hospitable to folks who are not registered members in the parish. Yet – we must be careful to observe church laws and regulations. We will consider doing a marriage or a baptism of those folks from elsewhere. But – we must ask that the person or persons making this request of us have a "letter of permission" from elsewhere, that is, from the parish in which they are actually living - a letter from the Pastor of that parish giving us permission to do the baptism or marriage. Without such a letter of permission our policy must be to refuse to do such baptisms or marriages.

6. Weddings: To be married in St. Kevin's, one should be registered in the parish. Please call at least six months in advance to make arrangements. If not a registered member of our parish, we must have a Letter of Permission from the Pastor in which the person(s) is registered. (See above.)

7. Baptisms: To be baptized in St. Kevin's, one should be registered in the Parish. Please call as early as possible to arrange a baptism. If one is not registered, we must have a Letter of Permission from the Pastor in which the family is registered. (See above.)

8. Pastoral References for Teachers: Pastoral references for teachers are given for those persons who are registered in St. Kevin's Parish. The Pastoral Reference for teachers testifies that the person practices his or her faith regularly. Sunday Eucharist is the great Christian norm for the practice of the faith. The Pastoral Reference for teachers inquires as to how active the person is in participating in different dimensions of parish or civic life.

9. Godparents / Christian Witness for Baptism: At baptism, a Roman Catholic sponsor is called a Godparent. All Godparents for Baptism should be practicing Catholics. One of the sponsors at baptism must be a Roman Catholic, 16 years of age and already confirmed. A non-Catholic sponsor is called a "Christian Witness". (This presumes that the non- Catholic is indeed a practicing Christian and baptized in a Christian church). In choosing a Godparent for baptism, parents should keep in mind that a Godparent at baptism should also be the person's sponsor at Confirmation.

10. Confirmation Sponsors: A Confirmation sponsor must be a practicing Roman Catholic, already confirmed and 16 years of age. We ask the sponsor at Confirmation to have a brief meeting with the Pastor of his/her Parish. Simply inform the Pastor of your desire to act as a Confirmation sponsor at St. Kevin's and kindly ask the Pastor to sign the Sponsor Form. The Sponsor Form itself presents in a clear way the expectations for a Confirmation Sponsor.

11. Parish Pastoral Practice.
    •   If someone is seriously sick at home or in the hospital, please call the office. One of the priests will be happy to visit.
    •   If one is unable to come to Sunday Eucharist over a long period of time, please call the office and arrange for a communion visit on the part of our Eucharist Ministers.
    •   When spending time in the hospital, please indicate that you are Roman Catholic and a member of St. Kevin's.

Sunday Offering Envelopes for 2011:

Envelopes for 2011 are available in the foyer. Please destroy all envelopes from previous years–the assigned number is used for recording and Income Tax receipt. If your old number has been changed, your contribution may be credited to someone else. This year the ink colour is BLACK. If you did not use envelopes last year, and wish to use them in 2011, please fill in a registration form and take a blank box and write your full name and address on the first few envelopes.

REMINDER:

Are You Registered in Our Parish?

Please do not take for granted that you are registered in the parish just because you attend Mass here. If we have no record of your parish membership, it could be quite embarrassing to us, or to you or your family, when someone wishes to make wedding plans, have a baby baptized, or if you have been asked to act as a sponsor for baptism or confirmation. Please fill out a registration form. This form is on the shelf in the book stand in the foyer of the church. When you have completed the form, place in the collection basket or return it to the Parish Office