St. Robert's Church Bulletin, May 6, 2001

St. Robert's Catholic Church

1380 Crystal Springs Road, San Bruno, CA 94066

Tel: (650) 589-2800

PARISH BULLETIN
May 6, 2001
Fourth Sunday of Lent

    

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Dear Friends:

Once again, we sat together reading today’s Gospel (John 10:27-30):

Jesus said: "‘My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one."

Such a short reading, but it tells us so very much of how God, our Father, and Jesus, our Good Shepherd, love us.

Jesus speaks to each of us in the silent recesses of our heart. All we need to do is to sit quietly and listen. Jesus wants us to know Him as He knows us — in a deep, personal way. Being able to listen to Him when He speaks to us will protect us from the many other voices that clamor for our attention. We will learn how to focus on what is really important in life ... our love for God and for all the people He sends into our lives.

We have the security that nothing, great or small, can separate us from Jesus. No matter how alone we may feel, He will never leave us. He has placed us in a wonderfully safe position — in His hands — never to be removed. When we have faith in Jesus, we can overcome every temptation, fear, and anxiety. All we need do is to make decisions that will keep us close to Him and so we pray: "Jesus, help me to get to know Your voice so that I can stay in the safety of Your hand. Thank You for your unfailing, ever-faithful love. Thank You for the gift of eternal life."

Sincerely,
Gene & Anna May

    

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Dear Parishioners,

Seventy-seven young parishioners received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Wester on April 27th. Thank you to Kevin Carey (the younger), Sister Mary and all the confirmation teachers for your dedication to these young men and women during their period of preparation.

The 16th annual Parish golf tournament was a great success-almost one hundred for golf and two hundred for dinner. Thank you to the Men’s club for sponsoring this fund raiser that benefits the sports program of the school. Special thanks to Dennis Dorn who gave so much of his time to make it all happen.

Congratulations to Katie Caughman of the 8th grade for winning the Serra Club Vocation essay contest. Congratulations also to Kevin Dachauer of the 6th grade for writing the winning essay in the Pro-Life essay contest.

Sincerely,
Father Ring

    

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"The Book of the Gospels"

St. Robert Parish (as well as the rest of the U.S. Church) has a new Book of the Gospels. The U.S. bishop’s conference approved its publication effective last September 30, the Feast of St. Jerome, the great Scripture scholar of the 5th century. As a part of our recently revised Lectionary (the set of readings used for liturgy), it closely follows the English scripture translation of the New American Bible.

Why do we have a Book of the Gospels separate from the Lectionary? The introduction to the Book of the Gospels tells us:

Formal liturgical books containing readings from Sacred Scripture have been common in the Church from the time of Saint Gregory the Great. In our own day every effort is made to assure that the Scriptures are bound in books which are "worthy, dignified, and beautiful."

>This is particularly true of the Book of the Gospels which is venerated above all the books of readings by Churches of both East and West. So clearly is the Book of the Gospels a sign of Christ present in the liturgy, that it is revered with the same holy kiss given to the altar. For this reason it is desirable that "cathedrals and at least the larger, more populous parishes and the churches with a larger attendance possess a beautifully designed Book of the Gospels, separate from any other book of readings." (Introduction to the Book of the Gospels, #5-6.) - Pat Kelly

    

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WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS

5/07 Monday 6:30 Rita Bartolic †
8:30 Michael Kelly †
5/08 Tuesday 6:30 Bridgrajh Harrinauth (L)
8:30 Judy King †
5/09 Wednesday 6:30 Don Andrew Alchera †
8:30 Adalin Lagomarsino †
5/10 Thursday 6:30 William Kovacich, Sr. †
8:30 Manuel Falzon †
5/11 Friday 6:30 Catherine Callicotte †
8:30 Eugene J. Martin †
5/12 Saturday 8:30 Ana Kovacevic †
4:30 All Mothers
5/13 Sunday 7:30 All Mothers
9:00 All Mothers
10:30 All Mothers
12:00 All Mothers
5:30 All Mothers
    

READINGS FOR NEXT SUNDAY

FIFTH SUNDAY of EASTER
Acts 14:21-27 Revelation 21:1-5 John 13:31-35

    

Our sincere sympathy to the families of
Fr. Bill Thom, S.J.,
Michael Bezzina,
Fr. Enda Heffernan, O.F.M. Cap.,
Linda Margaret Peterson, &
William Bohm

who died recently.

    

WEEKLY INTENTION

As a Parish Community, we pray...

For the children who come to the table of the Lord for the first time, for their parents and teachers. May they be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

    

WE WELCOME THE NEWLY BAPTIZED

Andrew John Coaker

    

SICK RELATIVES AND FRIENDS

We pray for the ill: Sharon Aiello, Marilyn Arancibia, Bastiaan Blumenthal, Marcia Bourne, Ann Burns, Sister Cabrini, Arthur Candia, Josie Clarke, Nan Connolly, Ana Cosgaya, Imelda Daly, William & Sandra Dill, Adela Florez, Elsie Grech, Randall Guerro, Denise Hawald, Joanne Johnson, Koret Koelman, Muriel Krause, Josephine Lavoie, Marky, Rosemary McHale, Jeanne McHugh, Terry McLeod, Catherine Okulove, Sister Nancy Reynolds, Mary Shick, Cyndy Smerdel, Kari Stellino, Don Vickery, Walton and June Dickhoff, Gordon Sinks, Daniel McHale, Ilaria Belluomini, Elenore Morgan, Leonardo Velarde III, Shirley Ann Rider, & Bernie Voight.

    

SPIRITUAL BOUQUET FOR MOTHER'S DAY

As a spiritual Gift to your mother, you will find cards in the vestibule of the Church, to have her remembered in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered at St. Robert’s, in observance of Mother’s Day, May 13th.

    

AIDS LUNCH
May 9th

We are scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday of each month. If you can prepare a favorite cookie, snack or lunch item for 10 to 12 people, please drop it off at the Children’s Chapel, in the back of Church, by 9:00 AM on May 9th. Please pack the items in a non-returnable container. Frozen items can be donated.

We appreciate all your help

    

CONGRATULATIONS to Una Uniacke winner of the Filipino gift basket at the Fil-Am Group’s Open House. THANK YOU to all who lent their support.

    

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Cash for Class
Help our School win $2000

If you have shopped at Tanforan, please turn in your receipts at the information booth on the 2nd floor at Tanforan, in the vestibule of the Church, or the Rectory. For questions or more information Call Linda Cuddy.

    

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BEEN AWAY FROM THE CHURCH FOR A WHILE? NEVER RECEIVED BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, OR FIRST COMMUNION

We would like to invite any adult who has been away from the Sacraments or who has never received Baptism, Confirmation, or First Communion to please call the rectory and leave a message for Deacon Rusty Duffey. We would love to hear from you as we begin to prepare for our next class sessions.

    

EMERGENCY PRAYER NETWORK

The Emergency Prayer Network continues to pray for your specific intentions that require a concerted effort due to their critical nature. To facilitate the network, please call Michele Pipinich. The network then prays frequently for the next 72 hours. We would appreciate a return call with the outcome so we can praise God for His faithfulness.

    

RECEPTION OF COMMUNION

If anyone finds it difficult to walk up to the front of church to receive Communion, we would like to offer you assistance. We can have a eucharistic minister come to you, where you are seated, or have an usher escort you. If you need help, please call Pat Kelly at 589-2800, or speak to an usher or eucharistic minister before Mass.

    

SCHOOL OF PASTORAL LEADERSHIP

The School of Pastoral Leadership presents:

The Called & Gifted Workshop

Enabling Catholics to explore their unique,
personal call from God and to discover the
gifts God has given them for the sake of others.

Friday, June 15, 2001
7:00pm - 9:30pm
Saturday, June 16, 2001
9:30am - 4:00pm

St. Anselm Church Hall
San Anselmo

For more information,
contact the School of Pastoral Leadership
at 415-242-9087 or spl@att.net.

    

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The Death Penalty

Recently, Pope John Paul II wrote to President Bush asking clemency for Timothy McVeigh. A few parishioners have asked for more information about the Church’s stand on the death penalty. Presented here is an excerpt from an address given to the National Press Club in May of 2000 by Cardinal Roger Mahony, the Archbishop of Los Angeles. The title of the talk was: NEW ETHIC - JUSTICE WITHOUT VENGEANCE. If you would like a full copy of his comments, please contact me.-Fr. Ring


In the Catholic Church, teaching on the death penalty has developed over time. For centuries, the Church accepted the right of the state to take a life in order to protect society. But over time and in the light of new realities, Catholic teaching now recognizes that there are nonviolent means to protect society and to hold offenders accountable. Church teaching now clearly argues for the abolition of capital punishment.

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the conditions under which a life can be taken—even to protect the lives of others—have been narrowed significantly. Specifically, the Catechism states:

"If bloodless means are sufficient to defend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order and the safety of persons, public authority should limit itself to such means because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person."

How do these principles that uphold human life and dignity apply to the complex matter of capital punishment? In reflecting on Catholic teaching, we must conclude that "even the most hardened criminal remains a human person, created in God’s image and possessing a dignity, value and worth which must be recognized, promoted, safeguarded and defended." Simply put, we believe that every person is sacred, every life is precious—even the life of one who has violated the rights of others by taking a life. Human dignity is not qualified by what we do. It cannot be earned or forfeited. Human dignity is an irrevocable character of each and every person.

In the last decade, the Holy Father has reminded us that the purpose of punishment should never be vengeance. Rather, it is a "condition for the offender to regain the exercise of his or her freedom. In this way authority also fulfills the purpose of defending public order and ensuring people’s safety, while at the same time offering the offender an incentive and help to change his or her behavior and be rehabilitated."

The pope states that "the nature and extent of punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon and ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society." He goes on to say, "As a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically nonexistent."

The reality is that the penal system in the United States, perhaps better than all other countries, has the ability to permanently isolate dangerous individuals.

Now even some death penalty supporters are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the status quo. The arbitrary manner in which the death penalty is sometimes applied; the disproportionate number of racial and ethnic minorities and low-income persons on death row; the fiscal burdens borne by penal institutions; and, most disturbingly, the mounting evidence that innocent people have been convicted and sentenced to death—all these factors have sown considerable doubt in the minds of elected officials and the public at large.

....As we have pointed out in previous statements, the death penalty is further indication of a culture of violence that haunts our nation. Sadly, we are the most violent nation on earth not currently at war. It is reflected in our movies and music, our television and video games, in our homes, schools and on our streets. More ominously, our society is tempted to solve some our more significant social problems with violence. Consider this:

—Abortion is promoted to deal with difficult or unwanted pregnancies.

—Euthanasia and assisted suicide are suggested as a remedy for the burdens of age and illness.

—Capital punishment is marketed as the answer to deal with violent crime.

A nation that destroys its young, abandons its elderly and relies on vengeance is in serious moral trouble.

The Catholic bishops of the United States join with Pope John Paul II in a recommitment to end the death penalty. Our faith calls us to be "unconditionally pro-life." We will work not only to proclaim our anti-death penalty position, but to persuade others that increasing reliance on capital punishment diminishes society as a whole.

    

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Parish Council & School Board.....St. Robert’s Parish Council and School Board elections ae taking place this weekend, May 5th & 6th. Please vote outside of church today.

Men's Club.....meeting, Monday, May 7th. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Call Dan Uroz for reservations.

    

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MONDAY, MAY 7th
6 - 10 pm, Men’s Club.....Hall

TUESDAY, May 8th
3:30 - 8 pm, Religous Education.....Hall
6:30 - 8 pm, Legion of Mary.....Library
8 - 9 pm, Teen Club.....Hall/Kitchen

WEDNESDAY, May 9th
9 am, Aids Lunch.....Children’s Chapel
9 - 10 am, Grief Group.....Mary’s Chapel
7:30 - 9 pm, Bible Study.....Convent

THURSDAY, May 10th
3:30 - 4:30 pm, Religious Education.....Hall
7 - 9 pm, RCIA.....Chapel
7 - 9 pm, Fil/Am.....Library

SATURDAY, May 12th
10 am & 12 Noon, First Eucharist....Church

SUNDAY, May 13th
9 am Mass, Crowning of Mary.....Church
10-11:30a Fil/Am....Hall
4 - 6 pm, Tongan Group.....Hall

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