MISSION STATEMENT

We are a Roman Catholic parish, centered in Christ through the celebration of the Eucharist. Through the grace

of this sacrament, we are empowered as individuals and in community to imitate Christ through prayer, outreach, fellowship, and education.

ST. JOHN NEUMANN CATHOLIC CHURCH Powhatan, Virginia

Saint John Neumann Catholic Church 2480 Batterson Road Powhatan, VA 23139

Telephone: 804-598-3754 Fax: 804-598-1467 Email: sjn_general@yahoo.com

Website: www.sjnpowhatan.org Office Hours Tuesday – Friday: 9am – 4pm

In case of an Emergency after office hours, please call Dustin Griffith at (804) 398-8504.

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (Cycle A) April 9, 2017

IN HIS SERVICE: Rev. Walter Lewis - Pastor

(FrWalterLewis@gmail.com)

Rev. Mr. Ed Schmidt - Permanent Deacon

(Deacon.Ed.SJN@gmail.com)

Rev. Mr. Pat O’Donnell - Permanent Deacon

(podonnel45@hotmail.com)

Rev. Mr. Tom di Stefano – Permanent Deacon

(Deacon.Tom.sjn@gmail.com)

Rev. Mr. Jim Tubbs – Permanent Deacon

(jimtubbs25@gmail.com)

Gary Fitzgerald - Minister of Music

(fitzgerald.ge@gmail.com)

Lee Mecca - Business Manager

(Lee_SJNOffice@yahoo.com)

Mary Cleary-Liturgical Coordinator and Worship (liturgy@sjnpowhatan.org)

Jeannie Kennedy-Children’s Ministry

(childrensministry@sjnpowhatan.org)

Pastoral Council Chairperson

Wade Evans – wevans3@comcast.net

Finance Council Chairperson

Tim Benusa - (tim@benusacpa.com)

Director of Christian Formation

Ed Schmidt - (Deacon.Ed.SJN@gmail.com)

Temporalities Chair

Don Rissmeyer - (drissmeyer@amtengineering.com)

Deadlines

Bulletin Notices: Request in writing by 9:00 AM Tuesday

prior to the weekend of publication. Send by email to liturgy@sjnpowhatan.org or printed copy to Mary Cleary. All

requests are subject to editing/ space availability. Announcements or bulletin inserts, and weekend space (Narthex) must be presented for approval at least 2 weeks in advance, call: 598-3754.

Liturgy Schedule

Weekend Mass Times

Saturday 5:00pm

Sunday 8:30am & 11:00am

Confession Times Saturday 3:45pm – 4:30pm;

or by appointment with Fr. Lewis.

Weekday Masses – Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 9:00 AM in the Chapel.

Rosary – Wednesday 9:45 AM in the Chapel.

Sacrament of Baptism (Infant) – Please contact the parish office to make arrangements. Requirements: Families must be registered and participating in the Parish for at least 3 months before attending the required preparation class. Expectant parents are encouraged to attend class before the birth of their child.

Sacrament of First Penance & Eucharist – First Sacraments are celebrated in the 3rd Grade. Families must be registered and participating in the Parish; children must be enrolled in parish Religious Education or attend private Catholic school. Previous year’s attendance in a religious education program is required.

Sacrament of Confirmation – Candidates for the adolescent Confirmation Program must be active members of the parish who have received both Baptism and Eucharist, and are both at least 15 years of age and enrolled in at least the tenth grade.

Sacrament of Matrimony – At least one of the parties must be registered and participating in the Parish for at least 3 months prior to contacting the Parish priest to begin pre-marital preparation. You must plan to begin pre-marital preparation 6 months prior to your proposed wedding date.

R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) – For those who are seeking God and choose to enter a journey of faith and conversion leading to initiation into the Roman Catholic Church. Please contact the parish office.

Anointing/Hospital Visit – If admitted to a hospital or confined at

home, please call the parish office to arrange for a visit, communion and/or Anointing of the Sick. The Sacrament of Anointing is celebrated the last Sunday of each month at 9:45

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR Sunday, April 9 9:45 AM Breaking Open the Word [FVH] 9:45 AM Gr. 1-6 Religious Education [Ed Hallway] 9:45 AM RCIC [Library] Monday, April 10 7:00 PM Boy Scouts [FVH] 7:00 PM Ladies of Grace [M/P Room] Tuesday, April 11 10:00 AM Bible Study with Deacon Ed [M/P Room] 10:30 AM Happy Homemakers [St. Elizabeth] 6:30 PM Cub Scouts [FVH] Wednesday, April 12 9:00 AM Weekday Mass [Chapel] 9:30 AM Parish Rosary [Chapel] 7:00 PM Evening of Lenten Reflection [M/P Room] 7:30 PM Adult Choir [Church] Thursday, April 13, Holy Thursday 7:00 PM Mass of the Lord’s Supper [Church] 7:30 PM Awaken to Hope Al-Anon Meeting [St. Thomas]

8:00 PM To midnight: Adoraton [Chapel]

Friday, April 14, Good Friday 3:00 PM Stations of the Cross [meet in Narthex] 4:00 PM Divine Mercy Novena

7:00 PM Celebration of the Lord’s Passion [Church] Saturday, April 15 10:00 AM Blessing of Easter Baskets [Narthex] 8:00 PM Easter Vigil Mass (begin outdoors) [Church] Sunday, April 16, Easter 8:30 AM Easter Mass [Church] 11:00 AM Easter Mass [Church]

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING

Week of: April 10 – April 16 DAY Scripture Readings Mon Is 42:1-7 Jn 12:1-11 Tue Is 49:1-6 Jn 13:21-33,36-38 Wed Is 50:4-9a Mt 26:14-25 Thu Ex 12:1-8,11-14 1 Cor 11:23-26 Jn 13:1-15 Fri Is 52:13-53:12 Heb 4:14-16;5:7-9 Jn 18:1-19:42 Sat Gn 1:1-2:2 Gn 22:1-18 Ex 14:15-15:1 Is 54:5-14 Is 55:1-11 Bar 3:9-15,32-4:4 Ez 36:16-17a,18-28 Rom 6:3-11 Mt 28:1-10 Sun Acts 10:34a,37-43 Col 3:1-4 Jn 20:1-9

MASS INTENTIONS: Thur 7:00 PM + Ann McDonald Lewis Sat 5:00 PM Martha Williams

Sun 8:30 AM + John “Jack” Hagerty

Sun 11:00 AM People of St. John Neumann

Powhatan Food Pantry

The Powhatan Food Pantry requests your assistance with providing the following food Items to help the hungry, elderly and needy in our county during the month of April: Mustard,

Mayo, Ketchup, Small Bags (2 lb) of Sugar, Cooking Oil.

Stewardship

Most of us know today as Palm Sunday, although officially in the Church it is called Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, and to many Church leaders it is simply Passion Sunday, which comes from the Latin name for it, Dominica Passionis. We have reflected on this day previously how the liturgy begins with great joy and becomes more and more somber with the reading of the Passion.

During the procession of the palms Jesus arrives in Jerusalem to great tumult and rejoicing as the people cry out “Hosanna… blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest.” As the Mass progresses we get an overview of what is to occur during this holiest of weeks, including the institution of the Eucharist, the pas

Imagine the confusion of the Twelve Apostles. Jesus has been spending time with them in the recent weeks prior to the Passion trying to get them to understand that His time of suffering was near and approaching, and that is the reason He must go to Jerusalem. And here is the crowd welcoming and praising and laughing and celebrating His presence.

We are not much different in many ways, but now is the time for us to really embrace and understand the sacrifice the Lord made for each of us, and the incredible gift He has given us. In the coming days it is our final chance to truly rededicate ourselves to being His disciple.

Create a legacy of giving. Please remember St. John Neumann in your estate plans.

$ WEEKLY FINANCIAL INCOME STATEMENT $ 04/02/17

Year-To-Date Sunday/Holy Day Giving vs. Budgeted: Current Collection vs.

2016/17 YTD 2015/16 YTD Budgeted Budgeted $372,958 $375,893 $381,440 ($8,482)

Operational: Income* vs. Expenses* as of 01/31/2017: Income Expenses Increase/(Deficit) Jan. $ 45,399 $ 59,339 ($13,940) Jan. YTD $312,865 $359,989 ($47,124)

* Excludes funds received for designated purposes.

Baptism Preparation There will be a Baptism Preparation class April 18, at 6:00 PM in the Multi-purpose room. Remember, expecting parents can attend the class before the baby is born!

Please contact the office at 598-5734 if you are interested in taking the Baptismal Preparation Class!

If no one registers, the class will not be held.

What does it mean to be an “Active Catholic?” Frequently, those seeking to celebrate Marriage, have their children baptized, or serve as sponsors for Confirmation or Baptism request a letter stating that they are parishioners. To receive such a letter, one must be registered in the parish, attend Mass regularly, and be committed to stewardship of time, talent and treasure. In any parish community, one means of verifying participation is through the use of parish offertory envelopes. If you choose not to participate in the support of the parish, or are unable to contribute at this time, please at least note your prayerful support on your envelope and place it in the weekly offertory. We will then be aware of your continued participation, and you will not be noted as “inactive” on our parish roster.

RCIA News This weekend our Elect attended a retreat at which they were presented and invited to consider the Our Father as a model for all prayer. They are now ready to celebrate Holy Week with us and enter into the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, First Holy Communion) at the Easter Vigil Mass. Please continue to pray for Alex and Elizabeth Wiemer as we all walk with them through these final days of preparation.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process through which adults and unbaptized older children enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Neu Waves Congratulations to Joni Peck and Beth Belcher who are winners of the St. John Bosco award given to outstanding youth workers. This award

is given to adults who give generously of their time to serve young people joyfully at the Youth Workers Appreciation Dinner given by the Diocese of Richmond.

Little Sisters of the Poor Thank you for your generosity to the Little Sisters of the Poor! They collected $3,366.26 last weekend which, as you know, will go a long way in helping the poorest of our society.

Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Blessed

Sacrament Huguenot Catholic School. This year’s Beef and Music festival will be held on Friday, May 5

th, from 5:00-10:00 PM on

the Barham-Sowers Field, 2501 Academy Rd. Featuring The Jangling Reinharts and a

Kids Zone. Please see: http://www.bshknights.org/bmf-2017 for more information and to purchase tickets.

Annual Diocesan Appeal

2017 Annual Diocesan Appeal –

Building Our Family of Faith. Oftentimes when we think about our Catholic Church, we think about St. John Neumann. Although this is under-standable, it is also essential to realize that we are a part of a much larger family of over 236,000 Catholics covering 33,000 square miles. The reason the Appeal is so vital is that it allows our Diocese to fund large ministry needs that one parish alone cannot address. The nineteen ministries supported by the Appeal work together to ensure that we are advancing our parishes, supporting our clergy and growing our faith. If you have not had the opportunity to contribute, please pick up a pledge envelope from our parish office. You can also donate securely online, as well as learn more about the nineteen ministries the Appeal supports, by visiting http://richmondcatholicfoundation.org/giving/annual-appeal/. Please join us in supporting the 2017 Annual Appeal.

Care Notes During this season of Lent our new CARENOTES focus on comforting those who are mourning the loss of someone close: Turning to God in Times of Grief, and A Lenten Journey Through Grief and Loss. A more complete CARENOTES bereavement library is available in the St. John Bosco classroom. Our CARENOTES are always free: Take One and take heart; Give One and give hope.

Święconka (Blessing of the Easter Baskets) One of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions is on Holy Saturday. Baskets containing a sampling of Easter foods are brought to church to be blessed on Holy Saturday. The basket is traditionally lined with a white linen or lace napkin and decorated with sprigs of boxwood (bukszpan), the typical Easter evergreen. Poles take special pride in preparing a decorative and tasteful basket with crisp linens, and boxwood and ribbon woven through the handle. Observing the creativity of other parishioners is one of the special joys of the event. The foods in the baskets have a symbolic meaning:

eggs - symbolize life and Christ's resurrection

bread - symbolic of Jesus, the “bread of life” In some cases, special loaves marked on top with a cross are baked for the occasion.

lamb - made of butter, cake or even plaster. It is the centerpiece of the meal. Christ is seen as the "Lamb of God."

salt - represents purification, hospitality, prosperity, and justice.

horseradish/pepper - symbolic of the bitter sacrifice of Christ and the bitter herbs of Passover. It is also an acknowledgement that in life one must accept the bitter with the sweet.

Ham or sausage- symbolic of great joy, abundance and the generosity and mercy of God.

Wine - A small quantity of wine is sometimes included. Wine represents Christ's blood, shed on the cross.

Vinegar—symbolizes the gall given to Christ at the crucifixion.

Easter cakes - The forty-day period of self-denial is over, and it is once again time to enjoy life's sweetness!

The food blessed in the church remains untouched according to local traditions until Sunday morning.

Fr. Lewis will be blessing Easter Baskets, Saturday, April 15th, at 10:00AM.

Caregiver Support Group If you are a caregiver, Powhatan has a Caregiver Support Group that is a great resource. Please see the poster on the kiosk for more information.

SJN Library Did you know? You can search SJN Library from your

personal electronic devices; from home, work, or school? The web link for the search is located at the bottom of the

library web page. (www.sjnpowhatan.org/home/library.) You will receive a confirmation once your item is ready for

pick up. Please see the insert in this week’s bulletin! Opportunities Elsewhere in the Community

Richmond Symphony Orchestra returns to Saint Michael Catholic Church, 4491 Springfield Road, Glen Allen, Tuesday, April 11, 7pm. For a number of years, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra performed their MasterWorks Concert Series at St. Michael Church while their permanent home was being renovated. Now, as St. Michael celebrates its 25th Anniversary Year, the Symphony is returning with a special concert of favorite and sacred music. We would like to invite members of your parish to attend this evening of classical and sacred music. This promises to be a lovely interlude during Holy Week. Information at www.saint-mikes.org Tickets available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2890440.

Don’t Delay, Register Today! Registration is now OPEN for the 10th Annual St. Edward-Epiphany Eagle 5k Challenge, Join us at 8am on Saturday, May 6 at the USATF-certified Woodmont course adjacent to SEES. Fees: 5k Challenge: $30. Little Eagle Color Fun Run: $20. Sponsorships still available, great marketing opportunity! For more information, please visit www.eagle5k.com. Questions? Contact Jaime Brooks at jaimedbrooks@gmail.com or Kelly Fibich at: kfibich@gmail.com. We will see you on the course!

SJN Library

Did you know? You can search SJN Library from your personal electronic

devices; from home, work, or school?

The web link for the search is located at the bottom of the library web page.

Once you have identified the item you want you can utilize the web site search function to

reserve that item.

(To assist you in your search there are links to lists of the items sorted by Title, Author, and Subject.)

You will receive a confirmation once your item is ready for pick up.

For your convenience your item can be placed on the RED BOOK CART in the

Narthex…

Just look for the shelf marked RESERVED items.

For information and advertising rates, contact Lee Mecca at 598-3754 or sjn_general@yahoo.com