March 12, 2006
2nd Sunday of Lent
Weekend Mass Intentions
Saturday,  March 11
   4:00 PM  Mass in Honor of St. Anthony by Normand & Jeannine Fraser
Sunday,  March 12
   8:00 AM  For Albert Newell by his wife Rita Newell
   9:30 AM  For the parishioners of St.Paul
Saturday,  March 18
    6:00 PM  Intention of the Celebrant
Sunday,  March 19
   9:30 AM  For Alcide & Annette Fraser  by Normand & Jeannine Fraser

Communion Service during Lenten Season

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 ________

Thank You Father Lemay:
    Over the past year, St. Paul Parish has had the opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist with Fr. Jean Lemay.  This is Father’s last weekend with us.  We want to thank him for the gift of self which he has brought to us and our families.  His kind smile and eloquent homilies have enriched us and have given us much food for thought in our spiritual journey.  Thank  you Father for all you have done.  We wish you well in your ministry as you continue to serve God’s people.

Women’s Prayer Group
    The women’s prayer group will be meeting this week, Wednesday, March 8, 2006 at 6:30 PM.  We will be using the Lenten scriptures for our time of reflection.  All women are invited to attend. If you are new to the parish, we would be happy to meet you  Please join us in the Rectory living room.

New Mass Schedule       The new Mass schedule related to the twinning of our two parishes will take effect on the weekend of March 18/19.  Beginning on that weekend the Masses at St. Paul Parish will be 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 began on the weekend of September 24/25th.  We hope to be able to offer the program at all Masses but we will have to have a sufficient number of teachers and monitors to staff the three Masses.  If we do not have enough volunteers we will have to limit the classes to two Masses.   Grades 4 – 10+     All children in grades 4 – 10 will be attending the new program that is being initiated in the parish this year.  This means that they will attend classes once a month with their parents and the rest of the parish.  This class will be complimented by work at home which will enable the children to deepen their understanding of the theme of the month as well as to process the information on a day to day basis.  .    Since there will be only one class per month, parents will be asked to commit this weekend time as a priority to Christian Formation. The class may be made up by attending the class at St. Peter Parish the following weekend.  The classes will begin in October.  A  schedule for the year  has been mailed out to parents who have children previously enrolled in Religious Formation. Our first class is Sunday, October 16, 2005 from 11am - 1pm. The next class is scheduled for April 2, and May 22, 2006.  Both classes will be 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
2nd  Sunday of Lent
Theme: (The Beloved)
Reading I: Genesis 22:  1-2, 9-13, 15-18 (Abrahams’s Sacrifice)
Reading II: Romans:8: 31-34(God is for Us)
Gospel:  Mark 9: 2-10 (The Transfiguration)

Question for Adults:    Where do I find hope when confronted with the existence of evil?
     At first glance we think we may know the obvious answer to this question.  As believing Christians we know that we find our Hope in God.  We know that we cannot find Hope in the material aspects of life.  They are superficial at best and a major distraction at worse.  We cannot find true Hope in our own thoughts because we often fail to see beyond the evil we are trying to understand and make sense of.  Where then can we find Hope?
    Of course God is the ultimate source of our Hope.  But is there a place or a situation where we can turn to be strengthened and enlightened when we see evil in the world day after day after day?  Perhaps we are so overwhelmed with this horror that we neglect to see the Hope that is right before our eyes.
    What we need to do this week is to learn how to “see” again.  If we are “wide awake” to the life in front of our eyes we will soon see many things, people, realities, etc. that will give us Hope.  God will not allow evil to win.  Only we will allow this.  If we feel that evil is dominating the world it is probably because we do not open our hearts and minds to the goodness, kindness, and compassion around us.
     What do you see in your world that helps to balance the evil around you?

Question for Children?   How will I act as a beloved child of God this week?      This question is simply another variation on the theme of the Lenten call to love God as He loves us.  When we are convinced that someone loves us, we want to love them back.  If we are not selfish, we show our response in action.  Try to help your child to respond to God’s love for him/her. Remind them that they have an important part to play in this world.  By acting as  a child of God, i.e., being kind, caring, generous, helpful, etc.  they have the power to give Hope to others even adults.   Help them to think of ways they can respond to this gift of love. 

Community News