March 7, 2010
3rd Sunday of Lent

Weekend Mass Intentions
Saturday, March 6
    6:00 PM For Yvette Lamontagne By Jeannette Alimi
Sunday,  March 7
    9:30 AM  For Parishioners of St. Paul
Saturday, March 13
    6:00 PM For the Parishioners of St. Paul
Sunday,  March 14
    9:30 AM  For Francis Huard By his wife and family

During Lent there is a Mass at 12 noon every Tuesday at St. Peter Parish in Auburn.

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 ________

Christian Formation News

All children from k – 10 must register for Religious Education each year.  The registration does not roll over from one year to the next.  We will be mailing a registration form through e-mail in the near future.  If you have not received a form by mid-August it is because we do not have your e-mail address or perhaps you are not yet registered in the parish so we do not have any pertinent information related to you family.  You can call the office between Monday –Thursday at 483-8481 to update your e-mail info or you can pick up a registration in the entrance of the church. Grades K- 3  The children in grades K – 3 attend classes during the weekend liturgies.  We use a Lectionary Catechesis which is based on the Gospel of the week.  Kindergarten students are not obliged to attend regularly. However beginning with grade 1, students must attend classes on a weekly basis during the Mass, as the program for 1st Communion is a two year program.  The program for the school year 2009-2010 will begin on the weekend of September 19th and 20th.  Classes are held during both weekend Masses. We would need some volunteers to help out as monitors during the classes.  Please contact the office if you can do this. Grades 4 – 10 +, Generation of Faith     This program is designed for both parents and children.  Parents who have children in grades  4 - 10 are asked to attend these monthly sessions. The adult session gives them an opportunity to refresh their memory on important matters of the faith as well as giving them the chance to share with other adults on pertinent issues of faith.  All GoF classes are held on Sundays from 4 – 6 pm.  Our next class will be held on March 14th. Confirmation Program:      The Confirmation students will begin their two year program on Sunday, September 27, 2009.  Our next class is scheduled for March 7, 2010.  Second year students must have completed year one in full, i.e., two classes per month from September through April.  Attendance at Generation of Faith only does not satisfy the requirements for Confirmation.  All students are also asked to attend Mass on a weekly basis.  The retreat for the 2nd year students is scheduled for March 13, 2010.  It will be held at St. Peter Parish (lower level) from 10:00am – 1:00pm.                       Schedule of Classes

Question of the Week
3rd Sunday of Lent
Theme:  (Repent)
Reading: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 (The Burning Bush)
Reading II: Cor. 10: 1-6:10 – 12 (Examples for Us)
Gospel: Luke 13: 1- 9 (The Fig Tree)

Question for Adults:  What changes can I make in my daily life to atone for my past sins and failings and to help me do better in the future?
    If you are like the majority of the people,  when you read or listen to a question like the above,  you probably tend to wince and think, “I don’t think I’m such a bad person,” and then you spend a few minutes recalling all the good you have done over the years, all the sacrifices you have made for your family and friends, etc.  Typically, we don’t enjoy seeing ourselves as sinners, although, in the depth of our being we all know we need help.  In short, however, we must ultimately admit that we are all sinners.  We have all turned away from God at some point, maybe not completely, but in some manner.  Usually we  sin by pushing God away and trying to do things our way.  We basically decide we don’t need God (until some crisis or tragedy happens)  All too often we act like adolescents.  We want our independence but we neglect to realize that our parents have our best at heart. We are unappreciative and disrespectful.  We are focused on our needs and care very little for God’s plan or vision, after all, what does he know.  He just doesn’t understand.
    Lent is a wonderful time to look at ourselves in the mirror and to take a good long look at what we see.  Is there something we should change in our way of thinking or in our behavior?

Question for Children:  Who among my friends is in most need of a helping hand?  What can I do this week to show them God’s love?  Giving of ourselves is what Lent is all about.  We look at the cross and we see that Jesus gave of himself to the point of dying.  Very few of us are asked to go that far but all of us are invited to give something for someone else.  Encourage your child to think of the people he/she knows and try to see which of these people may need some help.  Helping people does not always mean giving them something concrete such as money.  Sometimes our friends need someone to be with, spend some time with, be listened to.  Encourage your child to do this.   

Community News

Our Food Pantry If you would like to help our food pantry during this Lenten season, we especially need Canned Soup, Tuna,  Instant Potatoes, canned Pastas and Spaghetti sauce.  We can always use cereal.  Thank you so much for your generosity.  You have no idea how appreciative people are when they come and we have something to offer. 

CRS: Today we hear the call of Moses to lead his people from oppression to freedom.  God promises to be with them as they journey to a new life.  Our participation in CRS’ Rice Bowl project unites us in prayer, fasting, and giving with the millions of people throughout the world who suffer from poverty, injustice, ware disease or lack of education.

Candia Woman’s Club – Scholarship
    The Connie L. Lofgren Continuing education Scholarship is given annually to a Candia woman who has returned to a post-secondary school after a three year or more absence from an educational institution.  This scholarship in the amount of $500 (paid directly to the college or school) is given in memory of Connie L. Lofgren, a long time member of the GFWC Candia Community Woman’s Club.  Continuing with the process of learning, changing, and growing had been an important part of Ms. Lofgren’s life as well as an ongoing commitment of the  Woman’s Club.  Applications are available at the Candia Town Hall, Smyth Library, and Candia Post Office.  The deadline is:  applications must be postmarked on or before:  March 27, 2010.  Mail to GFWC Candia Community woman’s club
PO Box 152, Candia, NH 03034.

A Look at Upcoming Events

Spring Hospice Volunteer Program
    VNA of Manchester will start a free Hospice Volunteer Training Program on Saturday, April 17, 2010, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and then continuing every Thursday evening from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. through June 10, 2010.  Some of the topics to be covered are hospice philosophy, compassion through active listening, medical aspects, grief and bereavement.  Trained volunteers will work with the hospice team of health care professionals to provide services that help patients stay at home with dignity during a terminal illness.  Any interested member of the community including homemakers, retirees, college students, businessmen and women are encouraged to explore hospice volunteering.  Pre-registration is required and class size is limited.  Please contact Linda Krisch, Volunteer Coordinator, at 603-663-4008 or e-mail lkrisch@elliot-hs.org

Natural Family Planning Classes.   There will be a workshop on NFP at St. Joseph’s Parish in Epping on the following three weekends:  March 28, April 25, and May 23, 2010.  Please contact Barbara at 463-7456 to pre-order materials by March 14th.  For further information visit:  www.ccli.org  Pre-registration required in order to purchase necessary materials. 

Operation Helping Hands
    NH Catholic Charities is seeking volunteers, 10 – 15 people, for the week of May 22 to May 29 to travel to New Orleans to participate in Operation Helping Hands.  The focus of the week is to elp needy homeowners to clean up their neighborhoods and restore their homes.  This is the 10th service trip that Catholic charities and Operation Helping Hands have done to New Orleans since Hurrican Katrina.  Volunteers travel at their own expense.  Simple meals and basic accommodations will be provided.  For more information or to reserve a space, please call Parish and community Outreach coordinator Leonard Campbell at 528-3035 or e-mail lcampbell@nh-cc.org

Vianney: by Leonardo Defilippis During this year of the priest the Diocese of Manchester is sponsoring a one man performance by Leonardo Defilippis on the life of Jean Marie Vianney.  This was done with a generous donation by the Knights of Columbus. The presentation will be held at the Dana Center at St. Anselm College at 100 St. Anselm Dr. Manchester, on Monday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m.  Please join us in this celebration.

Shhhh! It’s a Secret!  Rev. Michael Kerper will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of his priesthood in May.  There is a surprise celebration being planned for him at Corpus Christi Parish in Portsmouth.  We would like to extend an invitation to parishioners from his previous assignments in Franklin and Candia to come and celebrate with us. The celebration is schedules for May 23, 2010.   It will begin with Mass at 4:00 PM followed by a Pot Luck Dinner. This will take place at St. James Church on Rte. 1 in Portsmouth.    If anyone has (copies of) photos of Fr. Kerper they would like to share with us for the celebration, we would appreciate them!  Also, Fr. Kerper has a collection of political buttons and we plan to collect some (old & new, all parties) to make a display, so if you have any, those would be welcome too!  Please send photos/buttons to:
Attn:  Brenda
Corpus Christi Parish
2075 Lafayette Rd.,   Portsmouth, NH 03801

CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS Please remember the following people and intentions in your daily prayers: Our sick parishioners and friends…    Please pray for the following people:   Josephine Stout, Cecile Gendron, Kimberly Mirolo, Rita Sullivan, Kathy Gauthier, Jean Swindler, Roger Plante, Joseph Gesel, Jacob Desrocher, Cindy Huard, Deborah McGovern, Ethel Thomas, Gordon Gladden and Carol Sheperd.   For peace in the world, especially in the Middle East… For those serving in the armed forces... For families experiencing stress due to financial, emotional or relational problems For our sister parish in Haiti... For vocations to full-time ministry, especially the priesthood, the deaconate, religious life lay ministry...     If you would like to add a person or intention, please let us know. If people on the sick list are no longer in need of prayers, please let us know.