St. Paul's Church, Candia, NH

August 17, 2008
20th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Weekend Mass Intentions
Sunday, August 17
9:30 AM Intention of the Celebrant
Sunday, August 24
9:30 AM Intention of the Celebrant

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 August 10, 2008
St. Paul, Candia
Envelopes   $2605
Loose           180
Credit 340
Total    3125

Last weekend envelope users contributed 94% of our income.

(Amount tithed for the poor and needy: $187.50)
Thank You so much for your Generosity.

On the Way. . . On Thursday morning I accepted an invitation to join the bishop and others priests at the mother-house of the sisters of St. Joan of Arc on the outskirts of Quebec. The Bishop was there to concelebrate Mass with the nuns who had served in this diocese since 1919. I was looking forward to that morning, not only to con-celebrate with my brother priests but also to be with nuns I had known and respected since my youth. This community was founded in Worcester, MA around 1914 by an Assumptionist priest from Alsace-Lorraine who was responding to the requests of pastors in New England who were in need of women to help in the rectories. Fr. Clement Staub was inspired to bring women together and train them in this most demanding ministry: the personal care of priests, nutrition, laundry, etc. The first rectory in which this new community of nuns was assigned was in my home parish, Infant Jesus in Nashua. They eventually spread out into many parishes in our diocese, as well as the care of the monks at St. Anselm Abbey. This past Spring the sisters had to withdraw from the Abbey after 80 years of service, thus bringing to an end the long service of their community in the diocese of Manchester. Even though their motherhouse had been transferred from Worcester to Canada early in their history, the community attracted many American women to a religious vocation. In addition, my father’s sister had been a postulant in the community before her death around 1920. I have personally know many of the sisters, several who were originally from Nashua, my home town, and one of whom even did some babysitting for my parents when my brothers and I were very young. When the bishop asked sister to reveal some personal secret that she may have about me she declined to answer but simply gave a sweet smile, one that earned her a great big hug. Needless to say I enjoyed my visit tremendously.

Holy Apostle Paul, help me at the beginning of this new day to offer my body and the whole of my life as a living sacrifice to God. Do not permit me to conform myself to this age but rather, by your intercession, may I be transformed by the renewal of my mind. Through this renewal help me to judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing, and perfect. For the one whom I seek and serve is Jesus Christ who is the Lord, now and forever. Amen.

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

2007-2008 Schedule (click here)

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 2008-2009 will begin on the weekend of September 20th and 21st. Classes are held during both weekend Masses.

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. The first class for parents and children in this program will be October 12, 2008. All GoF classes are held on Sundays from 4 – 6 pm.

Schedule of Classes

Question of the Week
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Theme: (Persistent Faith)
Reading I: Isaiah 56: 1, 6-7 (Do What Is Just)
Reading II: Romans 11:11-15, 29-32 (The Gifts and The Call of God
Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28(The Canaanite Woman)

Question for Adults: When has compassion for another moved me beyond my comfort zone?
Compassion is a gift from God that enables us to think with our heart. It is almost impossible to have compassion on our own terms. Like every other gift offered to us by God, compassion can be accepted or refused. We are often tempted to refuse the gift when we see that putting it into practice will take us out of our comfort zone. However, if we are working hand in hand with God we can be moved to compassion beyond this comfort zone. Perhaps you have had such an experience and were surprised at your own abilities. Do you remember such an experience? What moved you to action?

Question for Children? When has my faith in Jesus helped me to be courageous? Courage is a gift that is based on Faith. When we sincerely believe that God loves us and will do what is best for us, we tend to act in ways that shock others as well as ourselves. Talk to your child about God’s love and concern for us. Discuss how this affects their Faith in God. Does this faith help them to be more courageous in difficult situations? Why or why not?

What is the significance of the Roman Numerals following a Pope’s name such as Benedict. XVI, John Paul II or John XXIII? A newly appointed pontiff often takes the name of a saint they he respects and admires. Very often there have been other pontiffs who have favored the same saint. The Roman numeral attached to a pope’s name tells us how many previous popes have had the same identical name in the past 2000 years. Our present pope took the name Benedict for several reasons. He is the 16th pope to have the name of Benedict. Without the number the pope could easily be confused with other pope’s of the same name. Our previous pope took a name that only one pope had taken thus the name John Paul II. John Paul I had a very short pontificate. His name was a combination of too previous popes, John XXIII and Paul VI.

Community News

St. Anthony School has something new coming this fall. They will be offering Introductory Language Instruction in Spanish, French and Chinese to all students. We are a Pre-K – 6^th grade elementary school offering comprehensive Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies along with daily prayer and Religion class. We have full day Pre-K and Kindergarten Programs. City school bus transportation is available. For more information visit us on the web at www.stanthonyschool-nh.com or call 622-0414.

Annual Pilgrimage for Men This year’s pilgrimage will depart from Ste. Marie Parish in Manchester NH, right after the 7:15 AM Mass on Friday August 22nd, 2008. We will spend the day at the St. Joseph Oratory or some men may choose to go into Old Montreal and see sites like Notre Dame Church. We will meet for prayer and a talk by Geoff Ashman on Friday night at 9:00 P.M. in the Oratory. On Saturday, we will start at 10:00 AM with rosary led by Fr. Marc Montminy, followed by Mass, a tour of the Oratory by Fr. Marc and end the day with the Stations of the Cross on the top of Mount Royal. We will return to Ste. Marie Parish around 10:30 PM.
The cost is $95.00 per person which includes travel by Coach Bus and overnight stay at the Oratory in the St. John Pavilion. Continental Breakfast is included. Other means extra. For questions, comments or concerns, please contact Chris at 623-6682 or at chrisghunt@vitanova.org.

Food Pantry for August This month our pantry shelves are in need of Tuna, Ramen soup, instant Rice and Potatoes, Macaroni & Cheese. Thank you very much for all you do for those less fortunate.

A Look at Upcoming Events

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish invites you to join in an exciting course for adults. In celebration of the Jubilee Year of the Apostle Paul we will be offering a seven session Bible study highlighting St. Paul’s teachings about the sacraments. We will use the book St. Paul: A bible study guide for Catholics by Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J. We will meet on Monday evenings – September 15, 22,and 29, October 6, 13, 20, and 27th in our parish center, at 844 First NH turnpike, Northwood, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Please call Our Lady of Lourdes rectory 435-6242 by September 7th to sign up for the class so that we can have books available for our first meeting. The cost for the book is $8:95 We look forward to having you with us for this class.

Celebrating Birth: Religious and Cultural Traditions   Join the Women of Faith for an event of Celebrating Birth at the Manchester City Library Auditorium (at the side entrance on Amherst St.) on Monday, September 8th at 6 p.m. Meet women from other faiths. Come to learn about rituals and traditions from Greek Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Protestant faiths. The session is free and open to all women. Please RSVP by Sept. 1st to Barbara Lantiegne at 668-5366 or blantiegne@verizon.net subj. WOF.

News from your Adopted Baby
“I Like to Listen to My Mommy’s Voice!”
    In the last two months the baby continues to gain weight. He/She is developing a layer of fat that will keep him/her warm after birth. In the 9th month the baby will shift to a head-down position, preparing for birth. The lungs are now fully developed and capable of making the transition to breathing air. After birth he/she will continue the human growth process for many years to come.

Crafters Wanted
    St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Bedford, NH will be hosting a “Quality” Craft Fair on November 1, 2008 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM. This fair featuring high quality, hand crafted items is held in a fantastic location that has easy access to the highway, free parking and is handicapped accessible. For inquires and application form, call Sharon at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish at 669-7444. Application deadline is October 15 or when space sells out.

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: Frank Huard, 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.