PENTECOST SUNDAY
ST. NICHOLAS PARISH From the Pastor’s Desk Today is the Feast of Pentecost. We recall the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. This Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Love that proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Love between the Father and the Son that is so total, absolute, and faithful that it is a “Person” in its own right: “The Third Person of the Holy Trinity.” Therefore the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son” as we pray in the Creed. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that unites and empowers the Body of Christ, the Church, in the world. The Easter Season has come to an end with the celebration of Pentecost, now Christ’s Passover is fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Today the Holy Trinity is fully revealed: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The glory of God’s creation, damaged by sin is now redeemed and sanctified. The Holy Spirit that was promised by Jesus has come into the world to be our advocate and guide. The Holy Spirit draws us into deeper communion with God. The Holy Spirit is the love that is perfectly shared between the Father and the Son. This Spirit, the love of God draws us into the very life of God: the Holy Trinity. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5) As we read in the Gospel of St. John, on the night of the Resurrection Jesus appeared in the upper room and breathed on the Apostles saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In this outpouring of the Spirit the first order of business was the forgiveness of sin. The power of the Holy Spirit, given to the Apostles was a matter of restoring the divine likeness damaged by sin. This was the primary mission of Jesus, the forgiveness of sin, and now it is the primary mission of the disciples and the Church. With the forgiveness of sin communion is now possible. We read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (737) “The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This joint mission henceforth brings Christ’s faithful to share in his communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Spirit prepares men and goes out to them with his grace, in order to draw them to Christ. The Spirit manifests the risen Lord to them, recalls his word to them, and opens their minds to the understanding of his Death and Resurrection. He makes present the mystery of Christ, supremely in the Eucharist, in order to reconcile them, to bring them into communion with God, that they may bear much fruit.” “Thus the Church’s mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity.” (378) Today, Pentecost is considered to be the birthday of the Church. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples went out in order to draw all people into Christ, the Church, the Kingdom. It is the Spirit of love that draws all people to Christ. It is in and through him that we are drawn into God: the Holy Trinity. With the Holy Spirit we are given Gifts, which we receive in the Sacrament of Confirmation. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit draw us into a deeper relationship with Christ in the Church. The gifts of the Holy Spirit as we recall are Knowledge, Wisdom, Counsel, Understanding, Fortitude,
Reverence and Fear of the Lord. These gifts help us to live deeply as followers of Jesus Christ. Only with these gifts can we honestly say that we see and understand the world as God intended. We do this most especially within the Church. These gifts animated with the love of God give us a genuine vision of the world and draw us into the Kingdom. The tell tale sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit within our lives and our community is identified by the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. As we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church… “The FRUITS of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-control and Chastity.” (No.1832). Each of these “fruits” is a sign and a foretaste of Heaven because they create an environment in this life that is indicative of their fullest perfection in the Kingdom of God. When these “fruits” are presented to us in this life we experience the goodness of God. They are like passageways through which we go beyond into greater goodness. They guide us into a deeper and more profound life in the Spirit: God. This life has many struggles and we need great assistance and reassurances along the way. We depend on the graciousness of God for all good things. With the “fruits” of the Holy Spirit we are encouraged and reassured that we are on the right track. We have a desire for more. We are fortified with this glimpse of Heaven here and now as we set our sights on our Heavenly home. On a completely different note, the 2016 Bishop’s Annual Appeal is now taking place throughout the diocese. Every year the funds raised through this effort are an assurance of the continued work of the diocese. Our parish participation is something that needs to be addressed at this time. Over the years we have not done very well in participation in this annual appeal. No one really wants to hear about this, but we must give our attention to this matter. There is one goal that I think we can accomplish in this matter. It is the goal of greater participation in the appeal. We have, according to current records, 1,088 households in the parish. Last year we had 162 households participating in the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. That is approximately 14.89% of the parish participating in the appeal. This participation was down from the previous year which was about 18% participation. Simply put, this is not acceptable. We need greater participation. Thus we have to wake up the missing 85%. My suggestion is that everyone (individual households) must take an Appeal envelope, fill in the information and make a contribution to this year’s annual appeal. The envelopes are located in the pews. We need greater participation in this matter. I do not want to preach on this responsibility that we all share. We all know our responsibilities. Support of the work of the Diocese of Columbus is one of those responsibilities. Therefore, let this be a gentle reminder of our responsibility to the parish and the diocese. I just ask that every parishioner assume their individual responsibility, take an envelope and respond accordingly. Have a great week. Fr. Ralko
MAY 15, 2016
Church Support May 8, 2016 OFFERTORY $9,095.00 Diocesan Tax $ (650.00) Fenwick Subsidy $(3,060.00) Rosecrans subsidy ($290.00) Available for Parish Operations $5,095.00 Parish Operating Expenses $(8,200.00) Religious Education Expenses $(800.00) Other Income $2,300.00 Weekly deficit $(1,605.00) May God bless you for supporting your parish This week we pray Week IV of the Liturgy of the hours. We pray for the following who have died recently: Delores Ann Longstreth Henry Sulens
DIOCESAN SENIOR CITIZENS DAY CELEBRATION IS JUNE 6 The 39th annual diocesan Senior Citizens Day Celebration is Monday, June 6, 2016, at St Edward the Confessor Catholic Church, 785 Newark Granville Rd., Granville, OH. Bishop Frederick F. Campbell will celebrate Mass at 10:30a.m. Mass will be followed by a luncheon. Registration for the celebration is $10. This annual event is a great opportunity of prayer, food and fellowship with senior citizens from around the 23 county Catholic Diocese of Columbus. To register, please send a check payable to the Office for Social Concerns, Catholic Diocese of Columbus, 197 E. Gay Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215. For questions, call (614)241-2540 or email at
[email protected]. Registrations are requested by June 1 CARD PARTY The Daughters of Isabella will sponsor a Card Party on Tuesday, June 14th in the St. Nicholas Social Hall (church basement). The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and play will being at 7:00 p.m. There will be door prizes and refreshments. The cost to play is $3.00. Pre Jordan Class St. Nicholas will hold a Pre Jordan Class for parents and godparents of infants and small children who are to be baptized on Tuesday, May 31 at 7 PM in the Parish Office Building. Please call Mary Lou Staker 7404537141 to register.
New Liturgical Schedule If you do not receive your schedule via e mail, please pick up your copy next to the sign in sheet this weekend.
Bishops Annual Appeal “Our Church, in this Year of Mercy, reminds us to renew our commitment to care for others. The life of Jesus exemplifies a great empathy and love for all of God’s children. Through our prayers and contributions, we too can show our care and love of our brothers and sisters by supporting the vital ministries and programs, made possible by the Appeal. The good people of our parish will benefit from many of these programs. For instance, the education of our youth through the support of Catholic Schools and our Parish School of Religion, preparation courses for those about to be married, and the education of our future priests and deacons, just to name a few. This year our parish goal is $75,498.67 which can be realized if everyone answers the call. Any amount raised over this goal will be returned to our parish to be used for our needs. No gift is too small, so please pray about this and give what you can. “Emmanuel- Be His Hope To Others- God With Us.””
Bishop Fenwick School is Seeking Teachers for the 2016 – 2017 School Year Bishop Fenwick School is currently accepting applications for the following teaching positions: Middle School (grades 6-8) language arts teacher Requirements: 1. Hold an appropriate Ohio teaching license (K-8, 1-8, or 4-9 language arts; professional, provisional, permanent, or Resident Educator) or be eligible to obtain one by August 2016 2. Current BCI&I and FBI background checks 3. Attend a VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children Safe Environment seminar An Intervention Specialist Requirements: 1. Hold an appropriate Ohio teaching license or be eligible to obtain one by August 2016 2. Current BCI&I and FBI background checks 3. Attend a VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children Safe Environment seminar If you are qualified and interested in one of these positions, please send your resume to Kelly Sagan via email
[email protected] or mail/bring your resume to the school office. You must also complete the application found on the Diocese of Columbus, Office of Catholic Schools website. http://dfe.cdeducation.org/app/teach.html MARRIAGE IS A SACRAMENT What exactly does that mean? You'll learn a new way to find the Lord in your home at a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend. The next two weekends are August 5-7 and November 11-13, both in central Ohio. For more information or to register, contact Paul & Marilou Clouse at 614-834-6880 or visit our website at www.wwmecolumbus.org
PENTECOST SUNDAY LITURGICAL MINISTERS SCHEDULE It is your responsibility to find a substitute if needed. May 22, 2016 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Saturday, May 21 @ 5:15 p.m. Lector: Sharon Coen, Tom J. Pitcock Server: Bill Altier, Judi Peterson Eucharistic Minister – Coord: Alan Burns Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Jim Pottmeyer, Susie Altier Eucharistic Minister: Vicki Burns, Larry Taylor, Dottie Durant, Tom Durant Sunday, May 22 @7:30 a.m. Lector: Stephanie Bridwell, Sue Hillis Server: Dave Eppley Eucharistic Minister- Coord: Corinne Musselman Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Mike Musselman, Jim Hillis Eucharistic Minister: Nancy Thompson Sunday, May 22 @ 9:30 a.m. Lector: George Kopf, Peggy Hill Server: Nathan Hart, Justin Hart Eucharistic Minister - Coord: Michael Drake Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Tom A. Durant, Jane Durant Eucharistic Minister: Betsy Skrobot, David Skrobot, Chris Drake, Jeff Shawger Sunday, May 22 @ 11:30 a.m. Lector: Othello Repuyan, Sam Palleschi Server: Victoria Hall, Will Bernath Eucharistic Minister - Coord: Rose Jones Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Roger Jones, Karen Hardman Eucharistic Minister: Claire Tiberio, Gerald Tiberio, Mary Lou Staker, Dodi Sealock
Our thoughts and prayers remain with those serving our country at this time and with their loved ones at home. We pray for a safe homecoming and that the world may one day be at peace. PLEASE REMEMBER ST. NICHOLAS PARISH IN YOUR WILL. CALL THE PARISH OFFICE AT 453-0597 FOR MORE DETAILS.
Please join us each Monday at St. Nicholas Church at 2:00 P.M. as we gather to pray the Rosary asking Our Lady’s Intercession for the many needs of our nation, community, and parish.
What’s Happening in Our Parish MONDAY, May 16 8:00 a.m., Mass: Robert and Audrey Ralko, Church 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Sign Language Class, Parish Office 7:00 p.m., Catholic Divorce Survival Guide, Parish Office
TUESDAY, May 17 8:00 a.m., Mass: Arthur and Margaret Nelson, Church
WEDNESDAY, May 18, St. John I 8:10 a.m., School Mass: John and Dorothy Walker, Church
THURSDAY, May 19 8:00 a.m., Mass: Carol A. Smith, Church
FRIDAY, May 20, St. Bernardine of Siena 8:00 a.m., Mass: Wayne Dozer, Church
SATURDAY, May 21 4:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Confessions, Church
The Most Holy Trinity SATURDAY, May 21 5:15 p.m. Mass: Fern Cherrington, Church SUNDAY, May 22 7:30 a.m., Mass: St. Nicholas Parishioners, Church 9:30 a.m., Mass: Reg Grear, Church 9:45 a.m. Religious Education, School 11:30 a.m., Mass: L/D members of the Harsh & Schmutz Families, Church
Readings for Week of May 16, 2016 Mon. . . . . . . . Tues. . . . . . . . Wed . . . . . . . . Thurs. . . . . . . . Fri. . . . . . . . . . Sat. . . . . . . . . . Sun . . . . . . . .
Jas 3:13-18 Jas 4:1-10 Jas 4:13-17 Jas 5:1-6 Jas 5:9-12 Jas 5:13-20, 2026 Prv 8:22-31
Mk 9:14-29 Mk 9:30-37 Mk 9:38-40 Mk 9:41-50 Mk 10:1-12 Mk 10:13-16 Rom 5:1-5 Jn 16:12-15
