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Streaming Masses and Announcements for the Week of 21 August 2022

STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

fleur cross logo We have changed our parish office hours to the summer schedule. We will not be open weekday evenings or on Sundays until after Labor Day.

fleur cross logo Consider RCIA, The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults for all those interested in becoming members of the Catholic Church. Monday meetings begin September 12, please call the parish office to register!

fleur cross logo Join us for our monthly Taize ecumenical prayer service Monday of this week at 8pm in the church. A beautiful, peaceful way to pray for unity in the Church and end the day.

fleur cross logo Purchase your Peruvian chicken dinner tickets after Masses this weekend for our celebration on Saturday, September 17, 12-5pm in the gym. LA POLLADA BAILABLE will be a celebration of delicious food, as well as cultural dancing and music during the afternoon. Meals may be purchased for dining in, or carry out, cash or credit card. There will be NO tickets sold at the door, as all meals must be prepared in advance! Celebrate unity with us! Proceeds will go to the Capital Campaign for the Parish Life Center. Volunteers are needed for all logistics of setting up, serving and cleaning up, as well as bringing lots of boiled potatoes to serve as a side! Talk to our folks after Mass to learn more.

fleur cross logo The Knights of Columbus will offer the Back-to-school Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, August 28 following the 9 & 11 am Masses in the School cafeteria.

+Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates!

Parish Life Weekend – September 17-18
La Gran Pollada (Parish Super Peruvian Chicken Dinner) – Saturday afternoon, September 17
Anniversary Mass for the Dedication of our church, Friday, October 14
El Senor de los Milagros/Lord of the Miracles Mass and Procession – Saturday, October 15
Parish Family Picnic, Saturday, October 22
ECHO Yard Sale, Saturday, October 29

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 21 August 2022

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

If you haven't noticed, parish life is coming back this year, hopefully without a viral complication! It is so great to see our teachers and staff back at school this past week. Spirits are high and it is good to see everyone again, though the summer seemed very short! I want us to make sure that we go out of our way this year whenever we see our teachers and staff to thank them and make sure they feel very appreciated for the good work they are doing. Teaching has been a very challenging vocation for a while now and all of us pulling together in support of them will make their lives better and happier.

Some have commented on the demise of our vestibule gift shop. It has sat untended since even before the pandemic began and, although we get an occasional inquiry about purchasing something from there, the internet is far too convenient for our brick and mortar. Even after pandemic we asked for four months for volunteers and didn't get a response. We are donating the inventory to a group of women religious, the Sisters of the Incarnate Word, who go into the poorest neighborhoods and set up ministry to the poor. Our gift shop will provide them a start-up at a church in Baltimore, to help make religious articles more affordable to the poor, and maybe even help them with some income for their ministry.

Finally, the Ministry Fair on Parish Life Weekend is September 17-18. Be sure to consider your gifts and prayerfully figure out how you plan to contribute time and talent to the life of the parish and the mission of our parish in the community! Sign ups will happen that weekend.

The Lord be with you,

Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 14 August 2022

STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

fleur cross logo We have changed our parish office hours to the summer schedule. We will not be open weekday evenings or on Sundays until after Labor Day.

fleur cross logo Consider RCIA, The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults for all those interested in becoming members of the Catholic Church. Monday meetings begin September 12, please call the parish office to register!

fleur cross logo The deadline for Religious Education registration for parish children is NOW! Classes start August 28-29. Please register!

fleur cross logo Purchase your Peruvian chicken dinner tickets after Masses this weekend for our celebration on Saturday, September 17, 12-5pm in the gym. LA POLLADA BAILABLE will be a celebration of delicious food, as well as cultural dancing and music during the afternoon. Meals may be purchased for dining in, or carry out, cash or credit card. There will be NO tickets sold at the door, as all meals must be prepared in advance! Celebrate unity with us! Proceeds will go to the Capital Campaign for the Parish Life Center. Volunteers are needed for all logistics of setting up, serving and cleaning up, as well as bringing lots of boiled potatoes to serve as a side! Talk to our folks after Mass to learn more.

fleur cross logo Monday, August 15 is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although not a holyday of obligation this year, we will celebrate additional Masses at noon and 7:30pm (bilingual)

fleur cross logo.Our previously scheduled Town Hall Meeting on August 14 has been postponed awaiting additional information from the Diocese.

fleur cross logo The Knights of Columbus will offer the Back-to-school Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, August 28 following the 7 & 9 am Masses in the School cafeteria.

+Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates!

Parish Life Weekend – September 17-18
La Gran Pollada (Parish Super Peruvian Chicken Dinner) – Saturday afternoon, September 17
Anniversary Mass for the Dedication of our church, Friday, October 14
El Senor de los Milagros/Lord of the Miracles Mass and Procession – Saturday, October 15
Parish Family Picnic, Saturday, October 22
ECHO Yard Sale, Saturday, October 29

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 14 August 2022

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

This week I'm happy to report that we have met with the diocesan Office of Planning, Construction and Facilities and are awaiting the go-ahead to take the next steps toward our Parish Life Center building project with a parish hall and conference rooms.

As you may recall, after lessons learned from COVID and our exper-ience of an armed person on campus during a school day last year, we have re-thought our development plan with a better eye to health and security. We were planning on building a parish hall as a second story above our middle school wing – which would have been a beautiful project – but it would have mixed school students and teachers and the general public too freely. As a result, we began developing the idea of building a new Parish Life Center addition literally on the front of the existing parish center. We held a Town Hall meeting in March to present the ideas to the parish, as well as a follow-up meeting in April to discuss first responses from the diocese, and all plans were enthusiastically received by all present.

A complication of COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine and resulting inflation is that a $7.5M building is now, realistically, probably over $10M due to limited supplies and costs of resources. The diocese asked us to develop a plan with an $8M budget, phasing the construction if necessary to eventually accomplish what is needed now by the parish. We did so, and Bishop is considering our immediate request to move forward working with the county on zoning and environmental impact studies. Since we would be adding to the footprint of impermeable structures, we may need to address the way we manage storm water and drainage into the surrounding creek. All of this is good news, so we do everything the right way to serve the parish well into the future.

This work with the county will probably take a year, which gives us a year to re-introduce our Capital Campaign, in which time we need to secure an additional $3M in new pledges. This might be a three-year extension of a current pledge, as well as an appeal to all our new families to make a serious investment in the future of our parish. Since the last campaign began, we have added 635 new families!

We have scheduled the next Town Hall Meeting this Tuesday, August 16 at 7pm in the church when we will have an informal discussion and answer further questions you may have. I am excited about the possibility of having a Parish Hall which could accommodate large meetings along with several other large meeting rooms, generous restrooms and an elevator which will make the entire parish center building accessible to all. As we have moved the parish hall project to a visible place in the front of the campus, we must remember that our school still needs an elevator in order to be accessible to students with special needs. Right now only one wing is handicap accessible.

Please pray for the success of our development plan and capital campaign extension, and how you might get involved!

The Lord be with you,

Streaming Masses and Weekly Announcements for the week of 7 August 2022

STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

fleur cross logo We have changed our parish office hours to the summer schedule. We will not be open weekday evenings or on Sundays until after Labor Day.

fleur cross logo We are pleased to invite you all to be part of our Chicken Dinner event known as “ La Pollada Bailable,” Sept.17, 12 to 5pm. Volunteers are needed to assist with ticket sales after all Masses and the day of the event. Please see page 6 of today's bulletin for more information. All proceeds support the parish Capital Campaign.

fleur cross logo Please consider our Catholic School. We invite you to visit our website, stbernpar.org/parishschool, if you would like to see what we can do for your child. You are welcome to call our Saint Bernadette School office at 703-451-8696 to learn more, or to arrange for a tour. Registration is still open for all classes, we hope to see you soon.

fleur cross logo Think about RCIA. The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults begins September 12 and we welcome all who are interested in becoming Catholic. 

fleur cross logo  Monday, August 15th is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although not a Holy Day of Obligation this year, we will celebrate additional Masses a noon and a Bilingual Mass at 7:30pm

+Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates!

Parish Life Weekend – September 17-18
La Gran Pollada (Parish Super Peruvian Chicken Dinner) – Saturday afternoon, September 17
Anniversary Mass for the Dedication of our church, Friday, October 14
El Senor de los Milagros/Lord of the Miracles Mass and Procession – Saturday, October 15
Parish Family Picnic, Saturday, October 22
ECHO Yard Sale, Saturday, October 29

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 7 August 2022

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

This is the fifth of a series of letters to draw your attention to the new apostolic letter from Pope Francis, titled Desiderio desideravi.

He continues: "How do we continue to let ourselves be amazed at what happens in the celebration before our very eyes?" He then talks about that moment of Pentecost when the church became "the initial cell of the new humanity." Those first men and women were reconciled because they were pardoned, alive because he is alive, true because the Spirit of truth dwells in them – only they could break out of the cramped space of spiritual individualism. They could now break the Bread in the certain knowledge that the Lord is alive, risen from the dead, present with his word, with his gestures, with the offering of his Body and his Blood. The celebration is now the priveleged place of encounter with him. As he quotes Romano Guardini, "We must learn anew how to relate as fully human beings."

He asks us to consider the regular rhythm of our assemblies in which we come together to celebrate the Eucharist on the Lord's Day. Ordained ministers carry out a pastoral action of the first importance when they take the baptized faithful by the hand to lead them into the Paschal Mystery. It is not only the priest, but the entire Church, the Body of Christ, that realizes this and includes everyone: "A celebration that does not evangelize is not authentic, just as a proclamation that does not lead to an encounter with the risen Lord in the celebration is not authentic." This is because the nature of the Liturgy does not consist of a mental assimilation of some idea but in real existential engagement with his person. Liturgy is about praise, about rendering thanks for the Passover of the Son whose power reaches our lives. We literally become him.

Consistent with the method of Incarnation, this existential engagement happens in a sacramental way, not with spiritual abstractions: we use bread, wine, oil, water, fragrance, fire, ashes, rock, fabrics, colors, body, words, sounds, silences, gestures, space, movement, action, order, time, light. This whole of creation is a manifestation of the love of God and is holy. The whole of creation is assumed, to be placed at the service of the encounter with the Word: incarnate, crucified, dead, risen, ascended to the Father, all fruit of the earth and work of human hands.

We can't add anything to the beauty of the inaccessible light where God dwells, Pope Francis says, nor can we add to the perfection of the angelic song which resounds eternally. The Liturgy gives glory to God because it allows us – here, on earth – to see God in the celebration of the mysteries, and in seeing him to draw life from his Passover. We, who were dead through our sins and have been made alive again with Christ – we are the glory of God.

Guardini writes: "Here then is outlined the first task of the work of liturgical formation: man must become once again capable of symbols." Our openness to the transcendent, to God, is constitutive of us. Not recognizing this leads us not only to not knowing God, but being incapable of knowing ourselves.

The Lord be with you,

Streaming Masses and Weekly Announcements for the week of 31 July 2022

STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

fleur cross logo We have changed our parish office hours to the summer schedule. We will not be open weekday evenings or on Sundays until after Labor Day.

fleur cross logo Please join us for First Friday Adoration this Friday, August 5th in the Church. Take a moment and spend some quiet time with our Lord. Holy Hour begins at 7pm.

fleur cross logo Religious Education registration for parish children continues. Please register now! Classes start August 28-29. 

fleur cross logo Please consider our Catholic School. We invite you to visit our website, org/parishschool, if you would like to see what we can do for your child. Call the School office to learn more, or to arrange for a tour. We have          openings in grades 1,4,6 and 7, we hope to see you soon

fleur cross logo The Saint Bernadette Summer Theater Program presents the biblical tale of Joseph and his "coat of many colors," retold in musical technicolor!  July 28, 29 & 30 @ 7:30pm. Performances at Bishop Ireton High School. Discount tickets are on sale after all Masses this weekend.

+Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates!

Parish Life Weekend – September 17-18
La Gran Pollada (Parish Super Peruvian Chicken Dinner) – Saturday afternoon, September 17
Anniversary Mass for the Dedication of our church, Friday, October 14
El Senor de los Milagros/Lord of the Miracles Mass and Procession – Saturday, October 15
Parish Family Picnic, Saturday, October 22
ECHO Yard Sale, Saturday, October 29

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 31 July 2022

 Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

This is the fourth of a series of letters to draw your attention to the new apostolic letter from Pope Francis, titled Desiderio desideravi.

He speaks about an authentic wonder as we participate in the Mass and realize that God is entering our human time and space with incarnate signs (water, bread, wine, oil, memory, Word) under which is the reality of the presence of his life, his Body and Blood, his Holy Spirit. Otherwise, he says, we can render ourselves unavailable to the ocean of grace that is offered to us in the Liturgy. He contrasts this incarnational human spirituality with a generalized, conceptual, disembodied spiritualism for which most people settle today, missing the point of our participation in the Mass.

He contrasts this necessary wonder to the "sense of mystery" which some people claim to have been lost in the liturgical reforms of Vatican II. So much Tradition, so little time. I understand this feeling completely and wanted to share with you an experience I had in college.

There was a time that I was studying voice, perhaps with a career in opera in mind (if I was lucky? until I finally admitted I really didn't enjoy opera much). We studied various operas, and worked on various arias as a part of our course of vocal training. We learned how to sing them without actually understanding the foreign languages in which they were written. The exalted, glorious sounds of opera which had stood for centuries were a stable standard, the combination of sounds of beautiful music and voices, whatever it meant.

Then one summer we did a vacation program for children, and performed exerpts from "The Marriage of Figaro." I really struggled: we sang the musical selections not in Italian, but in English. You might even say my struggle was sort of a crisis. Could it be possible that this music just uses everyday words that we would use in normal conversation? Doesn't it have to be more precious than just words? In my mind I had made the art superhuman. It somehow had to be more.

This was a profound experience for me, and I can imagine it translates into the same experience people had when the Mass came to be offered in English. I remember the struggle my parents described. For me, as a child, I remember the joy of understanding it for the first time.

It is in this understanding that the difference lies. Vatican II made full, active, conscious participation of the assembly a priority. It wasn't enough to just show up, even if that experience might, if you were lucky, be somewhat entertaining. Mass is not our entertainment, it is our action. That action is only meaningful if you know what you are doing.

Pope Francis calls for authentic liturgical formation to teach all of us why we do what we do. Only then do we own the sacred action rather than watch someone else do it.

The Lord be with you,

 

Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 24 July 2022

STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

fleur cross logo We have changed our parish office hours to the summer schedule. We will not be open weekday evenings or on Sundays until after Labor Day.

fleur cross logo Next weekend's second collection is for Parish and Facilities Maintenance.

fleur cross logo Religious Education registration for parish children continues. Please register now! Classes start August 28-29. 

fleur cross logo The Saint Bernadette Summer Theater Program presents the biblical tale of Joseph and his "coat of many colors," retold in musical technicolor!  July 28, 29 & 30 @ 7:30pm, Matinee July 20 @ 1pm.
     Performances at Bishop Ireton High School. Discount tickets are on sale after all Masses this weekend.

+Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates!

Parish Life Weekend – September 17-18
La Gran Pollada (Parish Super Peruvian Chicken Dinner) – Saturday afternoon, September 17
Anniversary Mass for the Dedication of our church, Friday, October 14
El Senor de los Milagros/Lord of the Miracles Mass and Procession – Saturday, October 15
Parish Family Picnic, Saturday, October 22
ECHO Yard Sale, Saturday, October 29

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 24 July 2022

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
 
This is the third of a series of letters to draw your attention to the new apostolic letter from Pope Francis, titled Desiderio desideravi (“I have earnestly desired...”).  Time will tell, but I believe this will be considered one of his most significant teachings.  It is about the Mass, the sacraments, and our place in the Liturgy.  Please give it the time required for an attentive reading.  You can just google it, or click here for a direct link.
 
Pope Francis speaks of Liturgy as a living encounter with the Risen Christ, not just a memory or recounting, but a reality which is the culmination of salvation history at the Last Supper.  Jesus, in his Mysteries, the Christ-church, continues the work of salvation here and now and for all time.  The Greek word for liturgy literally means "work;" it is our job.  We literally continue his offering of love to the Father.
 
In the next sections of his letter, Pope Francis reflects on the nature of this encounter, which can run the risk of being an isolated, private devotion keeping one "imprisoned in his or her own thoughts or feelings."  A kind of subjectivism can creep in that makes it all about me.  No wonder many have fallen away from the practice of Liturgy, saying, "I just don't get anything out of it."
 
Or, he says, Liturgy can become a rote ritual that results in style without substance.  It is a door to grace, not something to be inspected and verified.  It is not something we have earned or somehow merited, or determine.  We encounter it, already given, as an action received, a gift.  Salvation cannot be earned through our own merits:  it is "the liturgical celebration [that] purifies us, proclaiming the gratuity of the gift of salvation received in faith.  Participating in the Eucharistic sacrifice is not our own achievement, as if because of it we could boast...  Certainly, we are not worthy to enter his house; we need a word of his to be saved.  The Liturgy has nothing to do with an ascetical moralism.  It is the gift of the Paschal Mystery of the Lord which, received with docility, makes our life new" (20).
 
The continual rediscovery of the beauty of the Liturgy is not the search for a ritual aesthetic or the satisfaction of a scrupulous observance of the rubrics.  To be sure, Pope Francis reminds us, we must carefully tend to every aspect of the celebration (space, time, gestures, words, objects, song) and every rubric must be observed, or we might rob the assembly of what is owed to it – nothing less than the fullness of the Paschal Mystery as it is set down by the Church.  
 
What is still required for the encounter is full participation.
 
He talks about an ocean of grace that floods every celebration which we can prevent from washing over us if we lack the astonishment that God has made the Paschal Mystery present to us in the concreteness of sacramental signs.  It is this astonishment that we seek together not as an "I," but as a "we," through the senses of our humanity that has been made new in the One who became Man that we might know the life of God.
 
The Lord be with you,