April 2, 2006
5th Sunday of Lent
Weekend Mass Intentions
Saturday,  April 1
    6:00 PM  Patricia Horn by Mr. & Mr. Vinnacombe
Sunday,  April 2
   9:30 AM  For the parishioners of St.Paul
Saturday,  April 8
   6:00 PM  For the parishioners of St.Paul
Sunday,  April 9
   9:30 AM  Robert Lesmerises 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 ________

Liturgy Schedule for Holy Week

Palm Sunday  (April 9)
    Saturday        6:00PM
    Sunday        9:30AM

Holy Thursday  7:00 PM   St. Peter Church, Auburn  (April 13)
 
Good Friday    7:00PM   St. Paul  Church, Candia   (April 14)
   
Easter Vigil     8:00 PM  St. Paul Church,  Candia   (April 15)
   
Easter Morning both Masses in the Church    (April 16)  
    8:00    AM        St. Paul
    9:30  AM        St. Paul

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

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.

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 21, 2006.  The class on April 2nd will be held at St. Peter Church at 4:00 PM due to fact that we will have a special presentation for Lent and we do  not want to ask the speaker to make a double presentation on the same day.  Thank you very much for your understanding.  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
5th  Sunday of Lent
Theme: (Serving the Lord)
Reading I: Jeremiah 31:31-34 (The New Covenant)
Reading II: Hebrews 5:7-9 (Source of Eternal Salvation)
Gospel:  John 12: 20-33(The Grain of Wheat)

Question for Adults:    When have I found life in “giving up” my life?
    As we get closer to Holy Week and the theme of death becomes central to the weekly liturgies, we cannot help but reflect on the fact that we are asked to follow Christ all the way to the Cross.  This is never a popular theme.  No one wants to die, even if we are speaking figuratively as we are when we say that we too must  “give up” our lives.  If we don’t like to think of the idea, it becomes very difficult to put it into practice.  If our philosophy of life is to take care of # 1, then we are in serious trouble.  We may be able to succeed in this latter endeavor but the rising to new life will never come.
     As adults we have all had the experience, or at least the invitation, of giving up our lives to one degree or other, at one point of time in our lives.  Perhaps there are some of us who have done this several times.  There may be many of us who are living through this experience at the present time.
    We “give up” our lives when we live selflessly for someone else.  There are as many ways of doing this as there are circumstances in our lives.  What it comes down to is that we must “die” to our own desires, dreams, and even aspirations.  Our death may persist for a week or it may last a year or two or longer.  The good news is that we always rise to “New Life”.  If we truly died to ourselves then, we rose to a new level of energy, joy, and happiness. 
    What are some of these personal experiences that have invited us to “die” to ourselves?  What was our New Life experience?

Question for Children?   What can I do this week for someone in need?
    Doing something for someone else is a simple enough concept for children to understand.  Perhaps the more difficult thing is to help them narrow things down to a practical level.  Many children often find examples that are relevant enough to the question but it is too demanding and sometimes discouraging for their age and abilities.  After brainstorming with your child, help them to choose ideas on which they can follow through.
  

Community News