St. Paul's Church, Candia, NH

September 16, 2007
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Weekend Mass Intentions
Saturday, September 15
   6:00 PM For Mrs. Lucie Raby by Kevin & Michelle Fraser & family
Sunday, September 16
    9:30 AM Intention of Celebrant
Saturday, September 22
   6:00 PM Intention of Celebrant
Sunday, September 23
    9:30 AM For John & Rita Lefebvre by Barry & Mary Stevens

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 ________

Update on Parish Income

Weekend of September 2, 2007

St. Paul, Candia
Envelopes   $ 0
Loose           0
Credit    0
Total
The report for Sept. 9 was not available at the time of the bulletin printing.

Last weekend envelope users contributed % of our income.
(Amount tithed for the poor and needy: $.0)

Thank You so much for your Generosity.

The 6:00 PM Mass. . .will resume on Saturday September 15, 2007. Please spread the word.

Religious Education teachers needed
Our parish is in great need of men and women who would like to give some of their time to the ministry of Christian Formation. We are in need of teachers for the younger children as well as the middle school aged program. If you think you could assist us in this important ministry but you have questions or reservations, please call Lorette at 483-8481 or feel free to send us an e-mail at stpaulcandia@comcast.net
Lorette will be away the week of Sept. 9-14.

Meeting for Parents of Confirmation Students . . . If you have a son or daughter in High School who has not yet been confirmed and you wish to begin the process leading to Confirmation, you are asked to attend a meeting on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 6:30 pm. At least one parent must attend this meeting. If you are unable to attend on Sept. 23rd, please call Lorette in order to re-schedule a meeting.

Electronic Offering:
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 fill in the following and return to our office.
*****************************************
Name on Card___________________________________
Address________________________________________
Please Check: ______MasterCard ______Visa
______Debit MasterCard _____Debit Visa
Card Number:____________________________________
Expiration:_________________Amount:_______________
How often do you want this transaction to occur?
____One time _____Weekly_____Bi-Weekly ______Monthly

Signature:________________________________________
Email___________________________________________

Christian Formation News

2006-2007 Schedule (click here)

Grades K – High School
All children from grade K – the end of Confirmation must register. The registration does not roll over from one year to the next. You can pick up a form in the back of the church or you can visit the parish office Monday – Thursday during office hours or give us a call at 483-8481 and ask us to mail you a form. We would be happy to do this

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 l, students must attend classes on a weekly basis as the program for 1st Communion is a two year program. It is vital that students continue with their Christian Formation even after their 1st Communion. This year’s program will begin on September 15, 2007

Grades 4 – 10 + The classes are held once a month and the program is geared to the entire family. Parents are strongly urged to attend the sessions as there is an adult component to the program which helps them to deepen their knowledge of the faith as well as making it possible for them to compliment the practice of the faith in the home. We will resume classes in September.

Question of the Week
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Theme: (The Incredible Mercy of God)
Reading 1: Exodus 32: 7-14 (The Lord’s Mercy)
Reading 2: Timothy 1:12-17 (Saving Sinners)
Gospel: Luke 15: 1-32 (Parables of Repentance)

Question for Adults: What can I do to reach out to people I may have formerly judged?
    This is really a difficult question, not because it is hard to understand but because it assumes that we have reached a place where we are ready to admit that we have judged others wrongly. Many people cannot admit this. They would rather live in denial than in truth. For this reason it is difficult to reach out to the people we have judged. Even when we do admit it we do not want others to realize that we have been harsh judges. This is something we want to hide in the deep recesses of our own being. Admitting our guilt and being willing to move on to repentance takes a great deal of courage. Only then are we ready to reach out to the people we have formerly judged.

Question for the Teens:    One of God’s greatest virtues is his ability to forgive us no matter what happens. Is it often difficult for you to forgive someone who has hurt or offended you in some way? Do you make it a point to keep a grudge? Do you find it difficult to be a Christian because we are expected to be a forgiving people?
    If you have answered in the affirmative to any of the questions above, you are probably very normal. Most people have great difficulty forgiving others who have offended them. This is precisely what the point of the Gospel is. Jesus says that we must forgive. This is not an option. One of the reasons this is so important is that we are doing ourselves a great disservice when we hold on to our grudges. It takes a great deal of energy to keep a grudge. It is an emotional drain on our system. It prevents us from enjoying life to the fullest. So, if you can, let it go!

Question for Children? How can I show God’s forgiveness in my actions with others?
   Forgiving others is not always easy. Try to help your child to understand how important this concept is and how they can put it into practice.

Community News

Hospice Volunteer Training Fall Session
A terminal diagnosis can be a lonely experience. At a time when understanding is needed most, many Hospice patients find themselves isolated even from family and friends. You can help end that isolation by becoming a Hospice volunteer. We will teach you how to provide compassionate support to those patients at the end of life and their families.
Ten week Hospice volunteer training begins September 14 and continues each Friday from 9am to noon through November 16, 2007 at the offices of Rockingham VNA & Hospice at 137 Epping Road Exeter, NH. For more info: call Martha Chandler, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, at 772-2981 or 800-540-2981.x140

A Look at Upcoming Events

Independence & Aging . . . A Statewide Resource Fair
    This Fair is a great opportunity to explore and experience the full range of resources and services supporting the independence of older adults in NH. Please take advantage of this opportunity. Visit the vendors. Enjoy some refreshments. Gather valuable information. To learn more about this exciting event visit our website at www.independenceandaging.com or call 800-244-8119, if you have questions. Whether you are visitor or vendor we hope to see you there. The fair will be held on October 1, 2007 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH.
Who should Attend? If you are an adult, a service provider, a caregiver, a family member, a volunteer, a healthcare provider or if you belong to a senior group or are a state agency or government official, you are encouraged to attend. All are welcome.

Attention all Women Parishioners
    The Ladies Guild of St. Peter Parish in Auburn are extending an invitation to all the women of St. Paul Parish to join them in their monthly gatherings. The meetings are held once a month on the last Tuesday of every month from September through April. Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and generally last about 1 ½ hours. Meetings often have speakers on topics of interest to the group. Activities include Christmas Parties and other social events. The group is also involved in community support.
If you are interested, please join us at our first meeting of the new new on September 25th. Hope to see many of you there.

Jesus Quest. . .A Women’s Retreat
    The Sisters of the Presentation of Mary invite you to come delve into God’s Holy Word and allow God’s own Spirit to delve into your heart!
Where: Our Lady of Hope House of Prayer, 400
               Temple Rd. New Ipswich, NH
When:    Friday September 21st at 7pm until
               Sunday September 23rd at 1 pm.
Who:      Women ages 18 and up
Cost: $60.00 to $110 as able
To Register: Send your name, address, tel. # and e-mail with a $25.00 deposit to
Sr. Lorraine Aucoin, pm
495 Mammoth Rd.,   Manchester, NH 03104
For info Contact Sr. Lorraine at srlorraine@yahoo.com

The Srs. of the Precious Blood
700 Bridge St. Manchester, NH 03104
will host an Hour of Prayer for Vocations to the Consecrated Religious Life in their Chapel on Sept. 25, 2007 at 7 p.m. Please join them in asking our Eucharistic Lord to stir up a great desire among our Catholic faithful to pursue vocations to religious life.

The RCIA Process (the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. . . is a process through which adults or older children become more familiar with the truths and theological teachings of the Catholic Church. The program was developed for persons seeking full initiation in the church whether or not they may have been baptized in another Christian denomination. If you of someone you know thinks or feels that it is the time to take this step, or is you would simply want more information before committing yourself, please contact Lorette at 483-8481 or see her after Sunday Mass.

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: Marie Keenan, Betty Lintz, Cecile Gendron, Lori Aguilera, 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.