St. Paul's Church, Candia, NH

August 31, 2008
22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Weekend Mass Intentions
Sunday, August 31
9:30 AM For Dora Hastings by the Robert family
Sunday, September 7
9:30 AM For Leon & Alexina Therrien By Normand & Jeannine Fraser

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 24, 2008
St. Paul, Candia
Envelopes   $1313
Loose           296
Credit 340
Total    1949

Last weekend envelope users contributed 84% of our income.

(Amount tithed for the poor and needy: $117.86)
Thank You so much for your Generosity.

Please Note: The Saturday evening Mass at 6:00 PM, which has been suspended for the summer months, will resume on Saturday, September 14, 2008. Please notify your friends and family members who usually attend this Mass.

The Life and Letters of St. Paul is a workshop being co-sponsored by the Diocese of Manchester and St. Anselm College on September 27, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The workshop, which will be held at the Dana Center, will help participants to relate to St. Paul the person, his companions, and the journeys they took. It will help you gain insights into how to read the letters of Paul and to understand the message of Paul to the various communities he addressed. A NT scholar, Professor Sweetland will conduct the workshop. He is a full time professor at St. Anselm College and holds a doctorate in Theology from the Universtiy of Notre Dame. Please register by Sept. 18, 2008. You can register online at www.catholicnh.org/stpaul

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
22th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Theme: (Taking Up the Cross)
Reading I: Jeremiah 20: 7-9 (A Fire Burning in My Heart)
Reading II: Romans 12:1-2 (Do Not Conform Yourselves to This Age)
Gospel: Matthew 16:21-27 (The Challenge to Follow Christ )

Question for Adults: In what ways might I have allowed my faith to become a matter of routine and mental assent rather than a personal relationship? This is a problem that is very common in our faith. The second part of the question is especially challenging for people who are cerebral in their quest for perfection. Regardless of the situation, it is important to recognize our manner of approaching our faith journey. Take some time this week to reflect on this.

Question for Children? How has Jesus’ love for me allowed me to do difficult things? Take the time to discuss this question with your child. Although straightforward, perhaps your child has not given this question much thought.

What is the meaning and purpose of the RCIA? The axiom RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Most Catholics are baptized as infants and grow up in Catholic homes, learning their faith over many years, and gradually coming to share in the full sacramental life of the church. Adults who are either unbaptized or were baptized in another Christian tradition, become Catholic through a process called the Rite of Christian initiation of Adults, or the RCIA. This is a process restored to the church from its earliest history. It is not a program, but attempts to provide spiritual formation for each person according to his or her needs. There are a number of rites or liturgical celebrations that mark the stages of the person’s journey into full membership. Full initiation is accomplished for the baptized person with a profession of faith, Confirmation and a full sharing in the Eucharist. The unbaptized are baptized at the Easter Vigil at which time they are also accepted through full initiation into the church. The process is designed to minister to each individual, meeting their individual needs. For those already baptized and formed in Christianity, the time could be shorter.

Community News

The RCIA Process is scheduled to begin in late September. If you or someone close to you is interested in beginning the process of becoming a fully initiated catholic, please call the office for more information. This process involves catechesis for people who are not yet baptized or for those who are baptized but are not fully catechized (not instructed in the faith.) The entire process culminates at the Easter Vigil when candidates are received into the church. There is a similar but separate process for children aged 7 -17.

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.

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

The Hospice of Visiting Nurse Association of Manchester. . . & So. NH Inc. in partnership with Villa Crest Nursing and Retirement Center will start a free Hospice Volunteer Training Course on Saturday, September 20, from 9:00a.m. to 3:00p.m., and continue every Thursday evening 6:00p.m. to 8:30p.m. through June 21 at Villa Crest, 1276 Hanover St., Manchester, NH.
    This comprehensive training program will equip participants with the necessary skills to provide non-medical aid and support to terminally ill individuals and their caregivers. Trained volunteers will work with the hospice team of health care professionals to provide emotional support, respite care, as well as grief and bereavement support to family members
    Any interested member of the community including homemakers, retirees, college students, professionals and couples who have the desire to provide such an important service are invited to explore Hospice Volunteering.   Pre-registration is required and class size is limited. Please call Linda Krisch, Volunteer Coordinator at 663-4008.

NH CursilloMass. . . Please join the NH Cursillo 4th Day community in celebrating 44 years of Cursillo in NH with a NH statewide Cursillo Mass, Friday, Sept 26 at 7 pm at St. Catherine of Siena Parish on Hemlock St. Manchester, NH
Please feel free to contact Therese Finegan at 232-3583 for questions.

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.

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.