March 19, 2006
3rd Sunday of Lent
Weekend Mass Intentions
Saturday,  March 18
    6:00 PM  For the parishioners of St.Paul
Sunday,  March 19
   9:30 AM  For Alcide & Annette Fraser  by Normand & Jeannine Fraser
Saturday,  March 24
   6:00 PM  For the parishioners of St.Paul
Sunday,  March 26
   9:30 AM  Dorothy Vallee  1st Anniversary  by Rene & Claudette Bessette

Parish News and Notes

Parish office hours
    Our parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The Pastoral Associate is in most afternoons until 4:00 PM.  If you need to come in the PM please give us a call to make sure someone is here. Messages can always be left on the answering machine. 

Are you registered?
     Are you new to our parish?   If you are, please pick up a registration form in the vestibule of the church. Registration is very important.  Just drop it in the basket or mail it to our office.  Thanks!  We are always happy to receive new parishioners.  We welcome you and pray you will be happy here with us.

Please use church envelopes 
    Envelope users provide the bedrock of our financial support.  Please consider using them.  New packets of envelopes are mailed every three months. If you would like to receive some but you are not yet on the mailing list, please call Jeannine to give her your name and address. Thank you!

Envelope Request Form ____ I want to support our parish on a regular basis. Please add me to the envelope list. Name ______________________________ Address___________________________ Town ________________,NH Zip ________

St. Paul Expansion Committee
Dear Parishioners of St. Paul,
    As St. Paul Parish twins with St. Peter Parish, Auburn, we are faced with several challenges:  only two Masses per weekend, a growing population in a growing part of New Hampshire, a lack of space in our church, not enough parking room in our lot.  St. Paul Pastoral Council will immediately establish an “Expansion Committee” to meet these challenges.  Not only will a greater capacity in church alleviate the overcrowding, but it will also be inviting for new parishioners to join our parish.  Your suggestions for membership on this committee can be communicated to Mr. Normand Fraser or Mr. Lionel Beliveau.  The committee will also be able to form sub-committees to oversee specific issues that may arise.  The more people involved, the less the burden on the few.
                                Fr. C. Peter Dumont, Pastor

New Mass Schedule The new Mass schedule related to the twinning of our two parishes is presently in effect.  This new schedule began on  the weekend of March 18/19.  As of that weekend the Masses at St. Paul Parish have been as follows: Saturday – 6:00 PM Sunday -    9:30 AM

The 7th Trumpet Mass
    “The need for priests is great”.  Pray for priestly vocations on the Feast of our Patron, Saint Joseph.  Please join Bishop John McCormack and over 1,000 people from around New Hampshire at Saint Joseph Cathedral on March 19, 2006 at 3:00 p.m.   All are invited.  For more information, please go to www.liveinblackand white.com or call Father Jason Jalbert at (603)660-3100 x132.

A few months ago the finance council recommended the implementation of electronic contributions for weekly contributions. Our Parish is now able to take your offertory donations through Credit or Debit card.  If you wish to make you contribution in this manner, simply go to our website's home page and make your contribution on-line.  You can also fill out a form at the office.

Food Pantry Needs! ! !
    Our food pantry is being used quite regularly this winter and we are completely out of certain foods.  We especially need,  Tuna,  any kind of Soup,  ready prepared canned meals such as Ravioli, Chili, Spaghetti etc.  We could also use canned fruit and Spaghetti Sauce.  Please no pasta for a while.  Thank you all so much!

Christian Formation News

Grades K – 3     The children entering grades K- 3 this fall will be attending Lectionary Catechesis as they have been in the past. The program runs from mid-September to mid-May.  We do offer the program at all Masses .   Grades 4 – 10+  This year we are initiating a new program for the children in these grade levels.  The classes are held once a month and the program is geared to the entire family. Parents are asked to attend the sessions as there is an adult component to the program. Our first class was Sunday, October 16, 2005 from 11am – 1pm.  The last two classes of the school year are:  April 2, and May 22, 2006.  All classes will are held from 11:00 – 1:00 pm.  If you are new to the parish or if you child is just beginning his/her formation, please call the parish office for a registration blank.     Confirmation students will also meet one extra time per month.  The date for  March is as follows: March 5, 2006.  It will be held at 12:30PM immediately following the 11:30 Mass in Auburn.  All students from both parishes will meet together in Auburn for these meetings.

Question of the Week
3rd  Sunday of Lent
Theme: (The Power & Wisdom of God)
Reading I: Exodus 20: 1 - 17 (The Law)
Reading II: 1 Cor. 1:22-25(Proclaiming Christ Crucified)
Gospel:  John 2: 13-25 (Raising the Temple)

Question for Adults:    What miracles have I experienced in my life, and how have they led me to God?
    If you have not had the privilege of witnessing one of God’s miracles, you would probably be tempted to take this question more literally or perhaps more concretely.  That is to say, you would more likely think of a miracle such as a healing such as we read about in the gospels.  This would not be a minor miracle in the least.  However, the question above is not necessarily hinting at such an experience.  Rather it is geared to those miracles that each one of us experiences in life, whether we are conscious of them or not.
    What types of miracles do we experience in our present day.  If we had the desire and the time to do so, we could probably make a very long list of them.  There are the types of experiences we often refer to as aha! experiences or times we see or are privy to beautiful or wonder filled sights that take our breath away and all we can say is Wow! Or
“O My God! 
    Depending on the length of our years, we have all seen at least a good number of varied miracles.  We have witnessed the birth of a child, the healing of a very sick friend of relative, the narrow escape of someone from a car accident or fire  or we have witnessed the change of heart of a spouse or child.  We have all seen the beauty of the firmament, the grandeur of the mountains or ocean or the marvels of earth carvings that only God could create.
    How, then, have these led you to God?

Question for Children?   What would I do if I witnessed a miracle of God?
    Any child who would not be left awe struck in the presence of a miracle would definitely be an exception to the natural law.   Perhaps what this question is asking of your child is to open their eyes to various happenings in their lives.  Perhaps they have not yet been accustomed to paying attention to the marvels around them.  Children today are used to seeing many things on television which may have the negative result of becoming jaded. This would be a wonderful time to help them see.   

Community News