March 14, 2010
4th Sunday of Lent

Weekend Mass Intentions
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
Saturday, March 20
    6:00 PM For Parishioners of St. Paul
Sunday,  March 21
    9:30 AM  For Alcide & Annette Fraser By Normand & Jeannine Fraser

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
4th Sunday of Lent
Theme:  (Welcomed Home)
Reading: Joshua 5:9, 10-12 (The Yield of Canaan)
Reading II: 2 Cor. 5:17- 21(Ambassadors for Christ)
Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 (The Prodigal Son)

Question for Adults:  Am I envious of anyone?  Do I believe that my own blessings are not enough?
    This has to be the ultimate question for today’s society.  How many of us are satisfied for what we have at present.  If we were we would not be working so hard to “make things better” for ourselves and our children. As we enter the second half of Lent, let’s take some time to reflect on our blessings.  We all have some.  Most probably we have more that we even realize.  This question may open our eyes to many things we take for granted.  It can certainly put us on the right path to New Life!

Question for Children:  What person makes my life joyful and good?  Have I thanked God for that person?   Being grateful is one of the best prayers we can offer to God.  Appreciating our family members, our friends, our teachers or our neighbors can lead to a very happy life.  Spend some time with your child talking about the people in their lives.  How do they seem them?  Help them to realize that there are several people who make their lives good.  Help them to identify them and perhaps figure out a way to let them know.

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

The NH Knights of Columbus Pro-Life Seminar will be held on Sunday April 18, 2010 at St. Joseph Cathedral curch hall on Pine St. in Manchester from noon to 4:00 PM.  Our guest speaker is Karen Testerman, known author, speaker, activist and advocate of family values.  The topic of her presentation is “Promoting Faith and Family in NH.”  All are welcome to this even.  For more info e-mail rddistasio@comcast.net.  Deadline is 4/13/10.

Taize Prayer  Blessed Sacrament Parish is providing the opportunity for people to take part in a Taize prayer service.  Taize combines readings, chants, and periods of silence for a chance to connect more closely with God.  If you are interested in learning more about it you can visit www.taize.fr  The parish had their first service last week and thought that parishioners from other parishes may be interested in joining them.  These services are offered on Fridays of Lent (except Good Friday) from 7–8PM at Blessed Sacrament in the church at 14 Elm Street, Manchester.  All are welcome!

Stepping Stones A Bereavement Program for Children and Teens:  The Visiting Nurse Association of Manchester and Southern NH Hospice Program offers an outstanding bereavement program.  The support program is for children and teens – along with an adult parent or guardian – who have experienced the death of a family member or friend.  The program is designed to help facilitate healing by allowing participants to understand and express their feelings of grief.  Our program provides a safe passage through the Stepping Stones of Grief.
        Stepping Stones works with children and teens ages 5 – 18.  and meets once a week for eight weeks.  Each group is facilitated by VNA Hospice Staff and trained Hospice volunteers.  Recreational activities and various art forms are used to facilitate the grieving/coping process.  The subject is serious but the kids have fun and develop supportive friendships.  Information and registration is available on our website:  www.manchestervna.org There is no fee for attending.  Pre-registration is required.  The group will begin on Thursday, March 18-May 6, 2010.  It meets from 6 – 7:30 PM at 2013 Elm St. in Manchester, NH.  Please call Gary at 663-4005.

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. 

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.