Fourth Sunday of Lent—March 31, 2019

Dear Friends in Christ:

It is Lent: Answer the call to Encounter Christ…how are we doing with our Lenten practices? Are we seeking ways to draw ourselves closer to Jesus? Are we truly practicing prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as a means to answer the call to Encounter Christ, to in fact become a better reflection of His light and love in and through our own words and actions?

We continue our Lenten journey mindful that there is still time to draw ourselves closer to the Lord. In particular, our readings this weekend call us to contemplate the need for reconciliation in our lives, or rather, the need to experience God’s mercy. (I wrote about the Sacrament of Reconciliation last weekend. So if you missed it visit our website and read it.) Saint Paul writes in our second reading this weekend, “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” I encourage you to consider this invitation and to avail yourselves of the opportunity to experience God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Remember, you can stop by on Saturdays at 3PM or between 7:30AM and 8:30AM on Monday mornings to experience God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Remember, it doesn’t matter how long it has been since your last confession nor whether you even remember how to go to confession. The priests are there to help you! You will not be judged, you will not be yelled at, and you will not be embarrassed.

Rather, you will be welcomed, loved, and forgiven by the mercy of God. SO WHY WAIT?!

A Lenten challenge from your Pastor! Will you accept? I challenge you to share with someone what we are doing in our parish. Share with them your experiences with the spiritual and social events and activities of our parish and, ultimately, invite them to join you! Bring a family member or friend to our Lenten Suppers, or Adoration, or Stations of the Cross. Bring someone who may have stopped practicing their faith to Mass with you. You are the means through which others come to know the Lord and His love. Why wait to bring them to the table where He nourishes us in Word and Sacrament? Can we all invite one person back to the Church, back to the practice of their faith? I think we can!

UPDATE…our Lenten Parish Corporal Works of Mercy…this past weekend the generous people of our parish donated 2,177 pairs of socks and 305 onesies as we Clothe the naked! Truly amazing! Your constant generosity to help those in need is so inspiring for me. It is evidence of your love for Jesus and your understanding that in helping those in need we are helping Jesus Himself. This weekend we are collected those Thinking of You, Praying for You, and Happy Easter cards to be delivered to our homebound parishioners as well as those in the nursing care facilities here in town as we Visit the sick. NEXT weekend we will be having a second collection to help Saint Vincent DePaul Shelter in Waterbury as we seek to Shelter the homeless.

It is NOT TOO LATE to come to one of our Lenten Suppers…I hope you and your family will join us for one of the remaining Lenten Suppers.

It is great to see so many from our parish family coming together, young and old, for a delicious Friday Supper, great conversation, and some fun activities for the kids. Supper is served from 5-7 PM. Come have a Lenten Supper then join us in the Church for Stations of the Cross at 7PM!

Thank you to Charlotte Alix, daughter of James and Heather, for providing us such a great advertisement! She thoroughly enjoyed her meal. Come and see why! I hope to see you there soon!

Saint Bridget School NEWS…A couple of Fridays ago we announced that our Principal Mrs. Jennifer Furlong has decided to resign as Principal of Saint Bridget School. In her letter to the school families Mrs. Furlong wrote, “The Saint Bridget School community has given me four wonderful years of professional and spiritual growth, new relationships, and wonderful memories. After much contemplation and discussion, I have made the difficult decision to resign as Principal effective June 30, 2019. This decision did not come lightly. Ultimately thinking of my family’s needs and the idea of my gifts being better suited in a smaller school, closer to home, is what led me to make this decision.”

I am sure I speak on behalf of all of us, school families, faculty and staff, and parishioners, when I express gratitude to Mrs. Furlong for her dedication to Catholic education, her leadership in the classroom, and for the past 4 years of leadership at our school as Principal. We wish Mrs. Furlong success in her future endeavors and promise her our prayers as we move forward.

In light of her resignation, I announce that I am forming a Search Committee to assist me in selecting the next principal for Saint Bridget Parish School. I am working with School Board Chair, Dr. Margaret Palmeri, in choosing those individuals who will assist us in this most crucial and important process.

As always, remember to pray for our parish family and ask God’s blessings as we build His kingdom here. Please know that I am praying for you, and I ask for your prayers for me, that together through the intercession of Saint Bridget of Sweden, our Patroness, and united in the Eucharist, we will reflect the presence of Jesus to the world.