June 20, 2010
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Weekend Mass Intentions

Sunday,  June 20
    9:30 AM  For Frank Huard  1st Anniversary By his wife Cindy

Last Scheduled Mass for the Parish
Sunday,  June 27
    9:30 AM Parishioners of St. Paul

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. 

Question of the Week
12th Sunday in Ordinary time
Theme:  (Taking Up Our Cross)
Reading:  Zechariah 12: 10-11; 13:1 (They shall Mourn)
Reading II: Galatians 3: 2-29, (Clothed with Christ)    
Gospel: Luke 9: 18- 24 (The Son of Man Must suffer)

Question for Adults:  What will people learn about Jesus if they see me at work or driving or interacting with my spouse and children? The expression, ‘we are the Body of Christ’ does not always hit home in the sense that it is meant to. Very simply it means that we must realize and act upon the fact that we are the visible presence of Christ to others.  This means that our actions must tell the world who and what Christ is all about.  Do we remember this when we are out and about?  Do we act as if we are representing God’s son?   Or, do we forget what it means to be a Christian as soon as we walk out of church on Sunday?  Let’s make it a point to be serious about our Christian commitment.  Who knows?  Maybe we have more influence that we realize.  Wouldn’t that be wonderful for our world?

Community News

NH Catholic Charities 2010  
    The NH Catholic Charities has taken on a new ministry to help the unemployed.  It is a type of support group to help people become employed.  The following is an example of the group presently ongoing in Hampstead, NH.
    Liz Bowen had been out of work for seven months when she first visited the Employment Support Group at St. Anne Church in Hampstead.  “It was the first place that I had gone that I wasn’t just a number.  I wasn’t just an applicant, I wasn’t just another person who was out of a job,” Bowen said.  “I was someone who was out of a job, but who had other people to lean on.”
    About a month after she started attending the group, where she had her resume critiqued and heard tips on how to land a job, Bowen did just that.  She attributes her new job to Deacon Bill Mullen’s explanation of an “elevator speech” – a pitch to employers that tells them why they should hire someone.  The pitch is short enough to be made during an elevator ride.
    “I received a phone call for an entry-level position and, instead of saying, “No, thank you, I’m not interested,” I just gave my little elevator speech,” she said.  Two weeks later, she was hired in her longtime filed, conducting training for a collection agency specializing in student loan defaults.
    Mullen started the support group a year ago and has kept it going with the help of NH Catholic Charities.  The group is open to anyone and meets twice a month.  “Since we started, we have had probably 100 different people attending our meetings,” he said.  “Of that group that we have had, probably 27 or 28 have found employment.
    The meetings open and close with a prayer, and feature breakout sessions where people can have their resumes critiqued and hone interview skills.  Members of the church community who have expertise in human resources – such as Atkinson resident Robin Doyle, human resources director for Captivate Network Inc. – donate their time to help others.  Marie Sullivan of Hampstead, assistant director of the career development center at Rivier College in Nashua, and Frank Sullivan, a retired human resources director from Hudson, also pitch in at each meeting.
    The people that are there offering their services are all just volunteers,” said Bowen.  “they could be at home with their family from 7 to 9, but they’re not.  They’re there, helping people to get employed.” 
    Mullen said the group began after parishioners began approaching clergy after Mass, asking if there was something the church could do to help because they had been laid off. Mullen, a part-time member of the clergy at the time, had recently been laid off from his full-time job in human resources and approached Catholic Charities about conducting a one-time seminar.  That grew into a group that has offered camaraderie, friendship and support for the last year.  People who have found work often come back, Mullen said.
    “Whenever anyone has a success story, we invite them back to share with out members how they got work and maybe share leads with us, too,” he said.  One woman was unemployed for 17 months before beginning a new job last week.  . . .In addition to receiving support from one another, a counselor from Catholic Charities also offers emotional support.
    “We try to make people feel good, and I try to give them encouragement,” Mullen said.  “We’ve had people out of work 16, 18 months,  that are still with us.  What do we do?  We try to help them stay as positive as we can when they come together.
    “It a great resource for the community,” he said of the group.  “It’s great, not an ego booster, but it’s a support thing.  You have people around you who are in the same situation, and you can get a lot of support that way.”  The group is open to all.  If you would like to join such a group contact Catholic Charities for more information

Called to Serve
    Would you like to learn more about your faith?  Are you a volunteer at your parish?  Would you like to be certified as a catechist?  Would you like to gain leadership skills in order to help your parish or Catholic school?  Would you benefit from learning in greater depth what the Church teaches?  If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then Called to Discipleship is for you!
       Called to Discipleship is composed of the sixteen hour Core Course, Skills Formation Day and Retreat Day.  It is not necessary to participate in all three components of the program unless you want Diocesan Basic Catechist Certification.  Many people who take the Core Course are simply parishioners who want to learn more about their faith.  Called to Discipleship is offered in three deaneries each year.  For your convenience, the Core Course; An Introduction to Theology is offered online through the University of Notre Dame STEP Program.  For more info go to:  http://www.laycentre.org/programs.html.

Holy Cross Early Childhood Center
Holy Cross Early Childhood Center has provided preschool to NH children for more than fifty years.  We now offer full day early childhood programs in addition to our half day preschool programs.  Our teachers are certified Early Childhood or Elementary teachers.  Our kindergarten and preschool programs are developmentally appropriate and follow NH Early Learning Guidelines from the State Department of Education.  We are offering a summer program for children four years of age through six and a half.  If you are looking for a small, values driven early childhood setting while you work this summer, give us a call at 603-668-0510!  Or if you are a working family looking for Quality early Learning Programs for your child as well as full time Childcare, Holy Cross might be the place for you!

A Look at Upcoming Events

Attention teens ages 15-18
    Come for two weeks of fun, faith, and learning. . . . Magdalen College summer Programs include classes taught by college professors focusing on Philosophy, Music, and catechesis.  In addition participants will go on day trips to the istoric sites of Boston, hike in the white Mountains of New Hampshire, participate in sports, and put on a theatrical production.  Teens will stay on the Campus in Warner, NH, meet other teens from all over the country, and learn about the Catholic faith in a fun setting.  For more information please visit www.Magdalen.edu or call 603-456-2625. Sessions run as follows: Session 1 June 20 – July 3  $36 aday
Session 2:  July 7th – July 20th   $50 a day
Session 3:  July 26th – August 8th  $50 a day

Thinking About Remarriage
    The Thinking About Remarriage Workshop Day provides an enrichment opportunity for couples when one or both have been previously married.  The program serves couples who are just thinking about remarriage and engaged couples who plan to remarry.  Visit www.catholicnh.org/marriage for details or call the Office of matrimony 669-3100, ext. 172

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, Ethel Thomas, Jean Swindler, Roger Plante, Joseph Gesel, Jacob Desrocher, Cindy Huard, Deborah McGovern, 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.