The Roman Catholic Community of ST. BRIGID PARISH, (St. Francis Xavier Church, Friendsville, Pa. St. Augustine Church, Silver Lake, Pa.)
-mail: sfxc@epix.net Facebook: St Brigid Parish
Deacon Ronald D. Maida dorronto@protonmail.com Deacon Paul J. Brojack
HOLY DAY Tuesday, August 15
MINISTRY SCHEDULE
St. Francis—12:00NN—Lector—Dick Manjerovic; Ministers—Mike Griffin & Joanne Nolt; Servers—volunteers; Rosary—Mary Shaughnessy
St. Augustine—6:00PM Lector Jerry Guinane; Ministers Eileen McDonald & Bob Allen; Servers volunteers; Rosary volunteers
Saturday, August 19—4:30PM—St. Francis: Lector—Patti Dudock; Ministers—Joyce Barnum & Joanne Nolt; Server volunteer; Rosary Loretta Guiton; Greeter volunteer
Sunday, August 20—8:00AM—St. Francis: Lector Amanda Reeves; Ministers Chris & Katie Volk; Servers Aiden Reeves; Rosary John Butler
Sunday, August 20—10:30AM—St. Augustine: Lector Dave Rebello; Ministers Sr. Bette Brown & Tanya Dearborn; Servers volunteer; Rosary volunteer; Greeter volunteer
DECEASED
Please pray for the deceased, especially Maureen Miller, mother of Fr. Kevin Miller; Roselynn Cramer, mother of Fr. David Cramer; and Bill Bennett who was known to many in our Community. May they rest in peace. Amen.
PRAYER LIST
Lord, hear our prayers for the sick of our Parish & Community listed below and for those who are not listed and in need of our prayers, especially all suffering from cancer, Lyme disease, or Covid-19. Kaitlyn Andre, Michael Haefner, Bill Jones, Jr., Ruth King, Kyle Stoddard, Sam Miner, Sophie Padula, Tom Wenman, Toni Colardino, Madigan Gow, Amanda Branning, Daniel Gavin, Tommy Williams, Kathy Holt, Linda Hollenback, Don Zaleski, MaryLou Fahs, Elton Carr, Jim Raftis, Bub Davis, Tyler Fletcher, William Chaney, Joe Grindel, Chelsea Judson, Trisha, Mary Guido, Hallie Brooks, Mark Kovach, Brooke Arnold, Robyn Lawson, Ned Offner, Butch Rosencranz, Shawn Burns, Quinn Seymour, Emily D., Marie Donahue, Barbara Mahoney, Rusty Carmen, Adam Price, Greg Lasgowka, Terry, Cameron & Levi White, Natalie Dawn Abell, Tom Ellison, the Reed Family, Don Higgins, Raub Family, Todd Legg, Ryan Hayes, Sean McMahon, Thomas McWilliams, Marty Mosher, Chad Grindel, Cathy Ballogg, Mary Ann Casterline, Janice Jacobs, Patricia Charpinsky, Diane Holleran, Ethel Reid, Jack Kelly, Kineer Worgen, James Dughi, Peg Broadwater, Christopher Dauber, Jay Gurn, “D”, Frances Murphy, Adrian Stephens, Mike Wilcox, Sophia ILichishin, Alice Walsh, Josh Zaleski, Caleb Scepaniak, Dana Marsh, Lori Rawlins, Mary Joan, Brendan Merritt, R.M., Mark Pasteka, Reilly, Millie, Tim Fruehan, Caesar & Edith Siedlecki, John, Lori Hammerly Coleman, Brendan Kelly, Pat Walsh, Angelo Scarfalloto, Emily Graves, Cathy Albert, Robert Nemcek, Wayne Hibbard, Laura Nelson, Garrett Farr, Mary Keenan, Everly Hausmann, Dr. Silversti, Gloria, George Coleman, Sally Saunders, Dennis Byerly, Linda, Marie Cavalarro, Sully & Patty Cavallaro, Evelyn Ferro, Briana Grisdale, Gregory Diorio, Mike Coleman, Nicholas, Joyce Danielewicz, Alex, Alice, Mike & Pat Stelacio, Jessica Lawrence, Joseph Santora, Carol Garcia, Sophie Holgash, Nellie Manarchuck, Fr. John Victoria, Monica Gibson, Diane Coffee, John Waldron, Millie Chamberlain, Bill Noldy, Jr., Cathy Edsell, Patricia Hutchinson, Chris Mortensen, Clyde & Mary Tims, Louise Darrow, Aaron Fredendall, Louise Eastman, Diane, Kathy Du Duv, Michelle Weiss, Niki Rogers, Shirley Conboy, Joseph Olszewski, Wade Leach, Curtis Edwards, Matthew Gatto, Marge Murphy, Mark, Robert Pratt, Ellen Bieleski, Kylie Keenan, Becky Jenner, Sara Kelly Price, Tucker White, Liam Little, Terri Grindel, Kris Kiesly, Jerry Wells, Fred Brown, Rosa Prieto, Theo Goodrich, Madigan, Genevieve Coleman, Ed Snee, Anita James, Shirley McWilliams, Mary (Jones) Edsell, Carl Whitehead, Peter Strojny, Anthony Siedlecki, Eileen Maruschok, Shirley Rockefeller, Tony McHugh, Val Mosier, Hunter Allen Sapp, A.J. Pass, Beckett & Gavin Shy, Leonard Howell, Sue L., Bryce Histand, Ken Warner, Jay S., George Thrasher, Jay C., Norma Volk, Kathy Conklin, Gary Fisher, Joan Middendorf, Marie Mirabelli, Mike, Louie, Clint Wise, Carol Jarnigan, Ben LaRue, Nathan, and Kevin Pierson. Please pray for all the needs in our Parish and Community. Our Lady of Good Health, pray for us. Amen.
ARMED FORCES LIST
Please pray for those in our Armed Forces, especially those from our , Ryan Gormley, Christopher Reichlen, Mike Griffith, Matthew Kramer, Ryan Neville, Shane Kalpokas, Dustin Ryder, Steven Shelp, Ricky Trowbridge, A. Jay Tewksbury, Lukas Crisman, Ryan Newberry, Mark W. Gregg, Andrew Muscarelle, Lisa Phillips, Adam Barziloski, Quinn Gurn, Marty Conboy, Wayne M. Bennett, Joseph Elliott, Bradley J. Bryant, John Baltsley, Mara Redding, Michael Redding, James Hemmerly, Amberlynn Villanella, Jacob Balchikonis, Rip VanWinkle, Jonathan Green, Cameron, Garrett Kiehle, and all who serve with them. May they be protected & safe from harm & return home safely and soon. Amen.
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 13th, 2023
Forget not, Lord, the life of the poor!
MASS / SERVICE SCHEDULE
Sat. Aug. 12 4:30PM St. Francis Church - VIGIL: 19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sun. Aug. 13 8:00AM St. Francis Church - 19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
MAUREEN MILLER (Fr. Kevin’s Mother) by St. Brigid Parishioners
10:30AM St. Augustine Church - GENE & BILL MCNAMARA by Jim McNamara
Mon. Aug. 14 12:00NN St. Francis Church - NO MASS
Tue. Aug. 15 12:00NN St. Francis Church - ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY—FR. CAS STANIS by Loretta Guiton
6:00PM St. Augustine Church - SAM FIKE by Nancy Fike
Wed. Aug. 16 8:30AM St. Augustine Church - NO MASS
Thur. Aug. 17 8:30AM St. Augustine Church - NO MASS
Fri. Aug. 18 12:00NN St. Francis Church - NO MASS
Sat. Aug. 19 4:30PM St. Francis Church - VIGIL: 20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
20th Anniv. KATIE SCHULER by Roger & Sandy Gardner
Sun. Aug. 20 8:00AM St. Francis Church - 20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JOHN, HELENE, FRAN & DAVID GUITON by the Long & Mack Families
10:30AM St. Augustine Church - ELISABETHA KORBEL by Heidi Jaeger
CONFESSION SCHEDULE
Saturday—St. Francis Xavier—before 4:30PM Mass—3:30 to 4:15PM
Sunday St. Francis Xavier following 8:00AM Mass 9:00 to 9:30AM
Sunday St. Augustine following 10:30AM Mass 11:30 to 12Noon
WEEKLY STEWARDSHIP REPORT
Thank you for your generosity in last weeks collection. The collection total was: $ 4,796.50.
LIFELINES
“Abortion affects countless marriages more than many people recognize. But there is no doubt that God will bring great healing to those who trust in his infinite mercy. If a past abortion can be acknowledged and addressed, a married couple can make great strides in experiencing even more fully God’s design that ‘the two shall become one’ (Mt 19:5).”
~ USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, “Healing within Marriage from an Abortion” (NABRE © 2010 CCD. Used with permission.)
WELCOME
We welcome Fr. Jim Nash who celebrates Masses with us this weekend. Please continue to pray for a Priest to get here soon and for many vocations to the Priesthood in the Scranton Diocese. (There will be no weekday Masses until further notice.)
THANK YOU—COLLECTION FOR THE CARE & EDUCATION OF PRIESTS
Thank you all for your generosity in last weekends collection for the Care & Education of Priests. Our collection total was $ 751.00.
PARISH PICNIC (& BASKET RAFFLE)
Our Annul Picnic is THIS Sunday from 11:30AM to 2PM. If you pre-ordered dinners, you are reminded to stop by the Hall and pick them up between 11:30 and 2PM.
Basket Raffle—
As of Friday at Noon there are 43 awesome Baskets!!! Tickets are $ 1.00 per chance. The Baskets are available for viewing and tickets are available to purchase at the pavilion.
Raffle tickets—We have great prizes: $ 500.00; Gas Grill; Fire Pit; Tall Pines Gift Certificate for Greens Fees for 18 Holes for 4 people. We also have chances on “An Evening at the Lake” (for 4 people) and “Winners Choice of ONE (1) Adirondack Bar Chair OR (1) Folding Adirondack Chair” from Mountainside Fruit Market. Tickets are available for purchase at the pavilion. 50/50 Raffle tickets In addition to the regular raffle, $ 20.00 - 50/50 tickets are being sold. A limited number of tickets will be available at the pavilion.
ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY TUESDAY, AUGUST 15TH
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Holy Day of Obligation this year. Mass will be celebrated on the Holy Day, Tuesday at 12Noon at St. Francis Xavier Church and 6:00PM at St. Augustine Church. (There will be no vigil Mass this year.)
MISSION CO-OP APPEAL
We welcome Fr. Andrew for Masses next weekend. Fr. Andrew will represent the Sunyani Diocese, Ghana, West Africa and will preach the Mission Co-operative Appeal this year.
MASS FOR SUICIDE HEALING AND REMEMBRANCE
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is September. Bishop Bambera will celebrate a Mass for Suicide Healing & Remembrance on Sunday, September 17th at 12:15pm at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton. Mass will serve to remember loved ones lost to suicide, and to promote healing for those grieving their passing. Those attending Mass will be invited to offer a flower in memory of a loved one who died from suicide. All are welcome. Mass will livestream on the Diocesan website, YouTube channel and Facebook. For more info contact the Office for Parish Life 570-207-2213 or oplgeneral@dioceseofscranton.org.
Deacon’s NOTE
Did Peter really walk on the water - leave the boat and trip across the waves in the headwind un l he took his eyes off Jesus and sank? It sounds a bit magical or highly drama c. Readers of the gospel would not even have asked that ques on. They would believe and say, 'Peter always walks on the water'. They would mean that all of life is pu&ng trust in God, and that sinking in life begins in taking eyes off God…………..
We too walk on water - all the me. We walk in trust and know that some mes that trust in God is so real that we can give our lives to him forever.
God Bless. Deacon Ron Maida
UPDATED SCHEDULE—FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTIONS—SEPTEMBER 2
On Saturday, September 2nd, we observe the Fatima First Saturday Devotions in reparation for offenses against the Immaculate Heart of Mary as our Lord and Lady requested of Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the three shepherd visionaries of Fatima. Please consider participating as we seek to fulfill our Savior's & Blessed Mother's request for prayer and penance in reparation to her most Sorrowful & Immaculate Heart. All are invited.
Devotions are held at Saint Augustine Church with the following UPDATED schedule:
Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: 9:00am
Recitation of Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary: 9:15am
Adoration and Meditation on Mysteries of the Rosary: 9:45am-10:00am
Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament: 10:00am-10:10am
Communion Service: 10:15am
ADORATION
Please consider spending an hour with Our Lord. New volunteers (fill-ins & permanent) are needed. Many hours are available. Call Rosalynd Perlick (570-663-2212) to volunteer. Adoration is being held in the Church.
PARISH PRAYER CHAIN
If you would like to respond to prayer requests, or if you have a prayer request, please contact Rosalynd Perlick (570-663-2212) or Susie Reichlen (570-553-2618). Many prayers will be offered for your intentions. Please call when the person you put on this Prayer List can be removed, either because of their return to health or because they have passed away.
SANCTUARY & DEVOTIONAL CANDLES
~ A Devotional Candle at St. Francis burns for a Special Intention offered by Joe Purr.
~ A Devotional Candle at St. Francis burns for peace in Ukraine.
~ A Devotional Candle at St. Francis burns for a Special Intention. A Devotional Candle at St. Francis burns for the return to health of all the sick in our Parish & Community offered by St. Brigid Altar & Rosary Society.
FLOWERS FOR THE ALTARS
To provide flowers for St. Francis Church, call the Rectory (570-553-2288); for St. Augustine Church, call Heidi Jaeger (570-663-2459). For both Churches, please call the Rectory with the “Intention” so it can be in the bulletin. Dates are available thru November.
~ St. Francis Flowers are in memory of deceased family and friends offered by Kay Keenan.
CHURCH CLEANING
St. Augustine: August 14 to 20 Cott DeMaree; August 21 to 27 Cott DeMaree; August 28 to September 3 volunteers needed; September 4 to 10 Cott DeMaree; September 11 to 17 Cott DeMaree; September 18 to 24 Mary Homan; September 25 to October 1 Mary Homan
(Please remember Adoration is being held in the Church for the summer. Please clean on Saturday.)
St. Francis cleaners for the month of August are Bub and Dawn Davis.
BENEFIT
Our Parishioner Kylie Keenan is recovering from Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare condition in which a person's immune system attacks the peripheral nerves. A benefit is being held for Kylie in September. The Kevin Class Memorial Golf Tournament, which this year benefits Kylie, is being held at Tall Pines in Friendsville on Sunday, September 10th. There may still be openings for teams to play cost is $ 500.00 a team/ $ 125.00 each, which includes lunch and dinner. (Payment is due by August 23rd to reserve your spot.) Call Tall Pines 553-4653 to register your team. There are Hole sponsorships available for $ 100.00 each and Baskets are being accepted for the Basket Raffle. If you can donate a basket or would like to sponsor a hole, or for more information, please contact Sue Blaisure (570-2504520); Carrie Allen (570-396-1621) or Bill Blaisure (570-677-4839). Presale 50/50 Tickets are being sold for $ 20.00 each or 3 for $ 50.00. Both the Basket Raffles and 50/50 are open to the public. If you can’t donate a basket, perhaps you can stop at Tall Pines on September 10th and take some chances on the 50/50 or Basket Raffles.
1ST ANNUAL FR. CAS STANIS MEMORIAL GUN BINGO
The families of the St. Brigid Parish Youth Group invite you to attend on Saturday, September 30th, at Neumann Hall in Choconut. Doors open at 5PM and Bingo starts at 6PM. Tickets are $ 50.00 each. There will be 20 regular games, 50/50, special buy-in games, and food for sale. All winners must be 18 years old for long guns and 21 for hand guns and pass the PA background check and pick up prizes at Montrose Sporting Good within 30 days. (New York state residents must have hand guns shipped to a NY dealer.) You must have a ticket for admittance to the event. You must be present to win all prizes. Any “No Shows” are considered a donation to the Youth Group. Pre-sale tickets and information are available at Montrose Sporting Goods (570-278-3154); St. Brigid Office or from Kay at Mass (570 2288); and Renee Coy (570-396-6797).
Helpers are needed for the Gun Bingo as well as donations of food or for food. If you can help or donate, please call or text Renee Coy (570-396-6797).
ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Catholics and many other Christians celebrate the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15th . This significant feast day recalls the spiritual and physical departure of the mother of Jesus Christ from the earth, when both her soul and her body were taken into the presence of God.
Although the bodily assumption of Mary is not explicitly recorded in Scripture, Catholic tradition identifies her with the “woman clothed with the sun” who is described in the 12th chapter of the Book of Revelation. The passage calls that woman's appearance “a great sign” which “appeared in heaven,” indicating that she is the mother of the Jewish Messiah and has “the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” Accordingly, Catholic iconography of the Western tradition often depicts the Virgin Mary's assumption into heaven in this manner.
Eastern Christians have also traditionally held Mary's assumption into heaven as an essential component of their faith. Pius XII cited several early Byzantine liturgical texts, as well as the eighth-century Arab Christian theologian St. John of Damascus, in his own authoritative definition of her assumption.
“It was fitting,” St. John of Damascus wrote in a sermon on the assumption, “that she, who had kept her virginity intact in childbirth, should keep her own body free from all corruption even after death,” and “that she, who had carried the creator as a child at her breast, should dwell in the divine tabernacles.”
In Eastern Christian tradition, the same feast is celebrated on the same calendar date, although typically known as the Dormition (falling asleep) of Mary. Eastern Catholic celebration of the Dormition is preceded by a two-week period of fasting which is similar to Lent. Pius XII, in “Munificentissimus Deus,” mentioned this same fasting period as belonging to the traditional patrimony of Western Christians as well.
The feast of the Assumption is always a Holy Day of Obligation for both Roman and Eastern-rite Catholics, on which they are obliged to attend Mass or Divine Liturgy.
2023 MISSIONARY COOPERATION APPEAL
On behalf of the Most Rev. Matthew K. Gyamfi, Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, Ghana, Fr. Andrew will be preaching the Mission Cooperative Appeal next weekend. Currently there are 8 priests from Ghana filling positions as Pastors or Assistant Pastors in the Diocese of Scranton. Please be generous in your donations.
The Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, Ghana, West Africa, was established in 1973. The Diocese covers an area of 19,500 Square km. Most of it is situated in poor rural areas, where most of the people are peasant farmers. These areas have lagged behind the rest of the country in education, basic infrastructure, and healthcare delivery. Because of this situation, the Diocese, when it was created, decided to make social development a major part of and tool for the evangelization of the people living in the diocese.
The Faith is relatively young. The faithful are mainly young families. They are mostly first- and second-generation Christians. In many areas, there is the need for primary evangelization. Fortunately, the response to the Faith is tremendously encouraging. The people accept the faith and join our local Church in large numbers. Some people tend to remain in the Traditional Religion, but the young are accepting the faith. Thus, our congregation is mainly composed of young people. We have over 300,000 baptized in the Diocese. This number represents a third of those who attend the Church, but do not receive the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist for one reason or another.
The Diocese believes in the holistic development of the human person. Therefore, it has made it part of its mission to provide some basic social development projects in areas where public socio-economic services are found wanting. Thus, it focuses on the following areas: primary evangelization, provision of safe drinking water, quality healthcare delivery, and education. In addition to preaching the gospel, we try to:
• Drill water wells to provide clean safe drinking water in our rural communities.
• Establish schools at the grade, high school, and tertiary levels to provide quality Catholic education.
• Open new parishes, which involves building new churches and rectories.
• Organize vocation rallies to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
• Support the seminary education of our college seminarians; and
• Organize workshops on awareness and prevention of diseases such as breast cancer and screening, typhoid fever, HIV Aids, and many other communicable diseases through our health institutions across the diocese/region.
The coronavirus pandemic and the challenging economic conditions of the country has destroyed and halted almost all economic activities. The diocese has been affected financially so much that we count on friends like you for support. Some of the funds we raise in your parish would be used to support the mission of the Diocese including the training of Priests and Religious. Currently the diocese has over 80 Major Seminarians at various stages of Priestly formation in different Seminaries in Ghana and abroad.