We are having a BAKE SALE after Mass this Sunday, May 14, 2017 to benefit our parish project:

HELP US HELP HAITI

Donations of baked goods for the sale would be greatly appreciated.

As you know, our parish is working with Food for the Poor to raise money to provide essential resources for a family in Haiti.  In addition to this Sunday’s Bake Sale, we are asking our parishioners and friends to make a donation (payable to St. Joseph Church), place it in an envelope marked “Food for the Poor” and drop it in the collection basket by June 4.  We will send one check to Food for the Poor.

If you would prefer to donate via credit card, please visit our campaign page on the Food for the Poor website: www.foodforthepoor.org/stjoescheltenham
Please share the above-noted website with your family and friends on social media and ask for their assistance in our parish project.  Thank you!

Prayerful best wishes are extended to the families of Astrid, Jonathan, Juliette and Travis who received their First Holy Communion at our Church on Sunday, April 23, 2017.  May the joy and peace of Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist be with you always!

Our 2017 First Communicants with Father Harrison, Catechists Kevin Dinh, Jalia Harris and Valerie Melecio, and Deacon Cella

By Mfsad (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

“Saint Joseph is a man of great spirit. He is great in faith, not because he speaks his own words, but above all because he listens to the words of the Living God. He listens in silence. And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in the readiness to accept the Truth contained in the word of the Living God.” (St. John Paul II)

“I have great love for Saint Joseph, because he is a man of silence and strength. On my table I have an image of Saint Joseph sleeping. Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church!” (Pope Francis)

St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church and our parish patron, pray for us.

Image: Daniel Irmler, churchhacks.com

Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend.  Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour this Saturday night, March 11, 2017.  We wouldn’t want anyone to be late for church!

Gifts made to the 2017 Catholic Charities Appeal will provide support needed to tens of thousands of people through countless organizations, programs and ministries throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The beneficiaries are grouped into five key areas:

• Education
• Social Services
• Evangelization, Parish and Spiritual Life
• Clergy
• Local Mission Activities

Last year, our parish raised 92% of its assigned goal.  With your help, we could get to 100% of this year’s assigned goal!  To donate, or for further information, visit the Catholic Charities website.

We continue to collect nonperishable goods for the Food Bank at St. Helena Parish.  This coming Sunday, February 5, 2017 is Souper Bowl Sunday.  We are asking everyone to bring one can of soup to church this Sunday.  There will be a table in the gym where you can drop off your donation.  Thank you for your love of neighbor!

This Sunday, January 29, 2017 is the final Sunday that Eagle Scout candidate Justin Convery will be collecting clothing and toiletries for six shelters for Homeless Veterans.  We are looking for any new or gently used men’s clothing and toiletries.  Sizes can range from medium to 2XL.

If you have any questions, please call him at (484) 362-9733.  Thank you!

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia rejoices to have one of her own priests appointed to this ministry, Msgr. George Majoros, Pastor of St. Charles Borromeo in Drexel Hill and Sacred Heart in Clifton Heights.  To learn more about Msgr. Majoros’ extended Missionary of Mercy ministry, click here.

Approximately 60 million abortions since the 1973 decisions of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton reflect with heartbreaking magnitude what Pope Francis means by a “throwaway culture.”  However, we have great trust in God’s providence.  We are reminded time and again in Scripture to seek the Lord’s help, and as people of faith, we believe that our prayers are heard.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), no. 373, designates January 22 as a particular day of prayer and penance, called the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children: “In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.”

As individuals, we are called to observe this day through the penitential practices of prayer, fasting and/or giving alms. Another way to take part is through participating in special events to observe the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

For further resources, visit the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Today would have been the 88^th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  In his “I Have a Dream” speech, he stated, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Dr. King’s call for racial equality is echoed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). “Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin.  Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity.” (CCC 1934).

Photo by Mr. Joseph Ferrera. Creative Commons License.

Pope Francis has granted a Plenary Indulgence opportunity for the Centennial Year of Our Lady of Fatima.  To read more about how the indulgence may be obtained, click here.

To see how else to celebrate the Fatima anniversary, visit the Archdiocesan Fatima Centennial webpage: www.archphila.org/Fatima.