PARISH PRAYER CHAIN If you would like to help respond to prayer requests (for anyone in need—not just Parishioners), please contact Rosalynd Perlick-Spencer (570-663-2212), Susie Reichlen (570-553-2618), or Mary Keenan (570-553-2431). If you have actual prayer requests, please call anyone on the list and many prayers will be offered for your particular intention.

OUR LORD IS WAITING FOR YOU TO ADORE HIM "Just as you can’t be exposed to the sun without receiving its rays, neither can you come to Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament without receiving the divine rays of his grace, his love, his peace." The following hours of adoration are open at St. Augustine's Eucharistic chapel: Tuesday 11-12 (noon); Tuesday 12-1PM; Wednesday 1-2PM; Thursday 6-7PM; Friday 7-8PM. If you would like one of the permanent hours listed or if you would like to take an hour on a trial basis, call Andrea Chen at 607-669-4875.

DECEASED Please pray for the deceased, especially Dick O’Boyle, husband of Kay O’Boyle. We also pray for Raymond Conroy, brother of Helen Hyde; Marie Mayers, aunt of Larry, Bob, Denny and Cathy O’Reilly, Mary Ellen Griffin, and Sharon Welch, and Melba Watkins, great grandmother of Kaleigh (Joe) Griffin. May they rest in peace. Amen. SANCTUARY LIGHTS, ADORATION VIGIL CANDLES & DEVOTIONAL CANDLE DONATIONS

A Devotional Candle at St. Francis burns for a Special Intention requested by Joe Purr. A Devotional Candle at St. Francis burns for a Special Intention.

A Devotional Candle at St. Francis burns for Special Healing Intentions. CHURCH CLEANING

St. Francis cleaner for the month of April—Eileen Drab. St. Augustine cleaners April 13 to 19—Julie Perlick; April 20 to 26—Martha Steed & Maureen Wilson. Volunteers are needed to clean St. Augustine Church. If you can help, call the rectory.

PRAYER LIST

Lord, hear our prayers for the sick of our Parish and Community listed below and for those who are not listed and in need of our prayers. Katelyn Andre, Michael Haefner, Bill Jones, Jr., David Zevan, Rita Powers, Debbie Jones, Julia Zangara, Kyle Stoddard, Mary Lou Gregg, Sophie Padula, Madigan Gow, John Flynn, Christine Rothwell, Donald & Theresa Baum, Mary Bakay, Donnie Butler, Tommy Williams, Stephen Ambrose, Toni Colardino, Evelyn Palulis, Mary Riley, Tom Wenman, Linda Hollenback, Jennifer Lynn, Jerry Lynch, Tyler Fletcher, Anna Mae Coleman, Joshua Welch, Jean Ryan, Richard Hutchinson, Mary K. Long, Joshua Kaminski, Kathy Holt, Aleisya Abrams, Agnes Neville, Steve Hundiak, Christopher Polk, Mary Lou Fahs, Molly Penderf, Butch Rosencranz, Ruth King, George Kotch, Brooke Arnold, Hallie Brooks, Ken Roon, Rosemary Boyle, Sarah Murnigahan, Candy Coney, Walter O’Rourke, William Chaney, Mary Cadden, Frank & Sandy Szabo, Nancy Lynch, Daniel Gavin, Sue Anderson, June Riley, John Bauer, Adam Kelly, Francis Zernone, Shawn Burns, Quinn Seymour, Doddie Mondi, Pauline VerValen, John & Alberta Zielinski, Bob Fedroff, Virginia Raftis, Fred Russell, Dorothy Catlin, Marie Donahue, Nancy, Matt & Emily, Bob Murphy, Robyn Lawson, Vicky Nelson, Marie Chillemi, Rita Flynn, Mike Rafferty, Elton Carr, Peter Purtell, Kaleena Dughi, Molly Getter, Sam Miner, Debbie Drewry, Bill Sheredy, Bub Davis, H.T., D.K., Kevin Phalen, J.K., S.C.F., Rusty Carmen, Ronalee Eckert, Chelsea Judson, Doug Wheaton, John Paul Jones, Valerie Newhart, R.G., B.F., Brian Rockefeller, Amanda Branning, and Deborah Gregory. May they regain full health. Please pray for the needs in our Parish Intention Books. Our Lady of Good Health, pray for us. Amen.

ARMED FORCES LIST Please pray for those in our Armed Forces, especially those from our Parish and Community, Cortney Allen, Christopher Reichlen, Patrick Allen, Shane Kalpokas, Ryan Gormley, Mike Griffith, Reed Shave, Matthew Kramer, Dustin Ryder, Ricky Trowbridge, Bobby Brostoski, Ryan Neville, Anthony Flynn, Jason Raymond, A. Jay Tewksbury, Jennifer Buttacavoli, Andrew Muscarelle, Adam Barziloski, Lukas Crisman, John Matousek, David Teetsel, Lisa Phillips, Carrie Krouse, Ryan Newberry, Wayne M. Bennett, Duane Thomas, Joseph Elliott, Michael and Sean Plitt, Mark W. Gregg, Bradley J. Bryant, and all who serve with them. May they all be protected and safe from harm and return home soon to their families and friends. Amen. Please call the rectory when the person you put on the Prayer List or Armed Forces List can be removed. If you know of anyone on the list who has passed away, please let us know so that their name can be removed from the list. OIL SPILL: Please continue to pray for a successful cleanup of the remainder of the spill.

The Roman Catholic Community of ST. BRIGID PARISH,

(St. Francis Xavier Church, Friendsville, Pa.

and St. Augustine Church,

Silver Lake, Pa.)

(St. Brigid’s Cross)

P.O. Box 75 • 17 Cottage Street • Friendsville, Pa. 18818 www.ourparishcommunity.com • Phone (570) 553-2288

E-mail: sfxc@epix.net Father Casimir (Cas) Stanis, Pastor

Kenneth S. Brennan, Deacon

PARISH MISSION STATEMENT “We the faithful of the Roman Catholic Community of St. Brigid Parish, (St. Francis Xavier and St. Augustine Churches), in union with our Holy Father, the Pope, and the Diocese of Scranton, are called through baptism to share in the mission which Jesus Christ has entrusted to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We in this Faith Community, under the leadership of our Bishop and our Pastor, cooperate to proclaim the Gospel in accordance with the teaching of the Church, to celebrate the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, for the salvation of all, and to witness by grace to the Kingdom of God so as to promote a culture of life, justice and peace. We especially endeavor to foster spiritual growth and evangelization in our present and future generations by drawing parish members back to active participation.”

CONFESSION SCHEDULE

Saturday - 4:30PM Mass - St. Francis Church - Confessions - 4:00 to 4:20PM Sunday - 8:00AM Mass - St. Francis Church - Confessions immediately following Mass

Sunday - 10:30AM Mass - St. Augustine Church - Confessions - immediately following Mass Or any convenient time upon request. WEEKLY STEWARDSHIP REPORT

Thank you for your kindness & generosity in our Parish collections: St. Francis (4:30PM) $ 1,366.00; St. Francis (8:00AM) $ 809.00; St. Augustine (10:30AM) $ 1,051.00.

LIFELINES “The newborn child gives itself to its parents by the very fact of its coming into existence. Its exis-tence is already a gift, the first gift of the Creator to the creature.” — Blessed John Paul II, Letter to Families, 1994

HOLY COMMUNION UNDER ONE ELEMENT AND SHAKING HANDS

We are suspending shaking hands at the sign of peace. Please acknowledge those around you with a wave or nod of the head. We also have Holy Communion under one species; the Precious Blood will not be offered until Easter.

MASS SCHEDULE Vigil: (Palm Sunday)—Passion of the Lord

Sat. April 12 4:30PM St. Francis Church - RITA GRIFFIN by Mike & Mary Ellen Griffin

Sun. April 13 8:00AM St. Francis Church - Anniv. CARL MILLER by Pauline Miller & Family 10:30AM St. Augustine Church - INTENTIONS OF OUR PARISHIONERS

Mon. April 14 12:00NN St. Francis Church - Special Intentions of CHRISTINE LEONARD by Rose & Max Raub

5:30-7PM St. Francis Church- (“The Light Is On For You” ~ Confessions) Tue. April 15 8:30AM St. Augustine Church - (Mass & Stations of the Cross)

AARON REICHLEN & PAUL SHAFFER by Bob and Susie Reichlen

4:00PM St. Peter’s Cathedral (Chrism Mass—Scranton) Wed. April 16 8:30AM St. Francis Church - CECILIA DEGNAN by Tom & Margaret Flaherty

Holy Thursday—Mass of the Lord’s Supper Thur. April 17 7:00PM St. Francis Church - JEROME RYAN by the Estate

Good Friday—Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion Fri. April 18 12:00NN St. Augustine Church - (Stations of the Cross)

7:00PM St. Francis Church - (Passion & Veneration) Holy Saturday—Easter Vigil

Sat. April 19 8:00PM St. Francis Church - CHIP BARNUM by the Family Easter Sunday—Celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection

Sun. April 20 8:00AM St. Francis Church - Deceased Members of the CONBOY FAMILY by Larry & Debbie Purtell

10:30AM St. Augustine Church - ANNE M. TAYLOR by Frank & Mary Ellen Kania

(Palm Sunday)—Passion of the Lord

PARISH LOTTERY CALENDARS To date 801 Calendar returns have been made, leaving 199 not back yet. Returns can be placed in the collection basket or mailed to the Rectory. If you have taken Calendars that you cannot sell, please return them as soon as possible so that they can be sold. Thank you all for helping with this important fund raiser!

THANK YOU—CARE & EDUCATION OF PRIESTS Thank you to all who donated to last weeks second collection. A total of $ 502.00 was contributed.

FOOD CARDS/FOOD PANTRY EASTER FOOD CARDS: We have a total of (14) families on our Food Card list. You may put your donation, (check or cash), in the collection basket in an envelope marked “attention: Kay—Food Cards” or mail it to the rectory. All donations are needed and are greatly appreciated. To date we have a total of $ 1,030.00 or $ 73.57 per family.

FOOD PANTRY: We are now preparing for Easter Baskets. Donations for hams would be appreciated and should be put in the collection marked Food Pantry. Any checks must be made payable to “The Food Pantry”. Thank you for sharing with others. May God bless you a hundredfold.

CHURCH CLEANING FOR EASTER A cleaning bee will be held at St. Augustine Church THIS Tuesday, following 8:30AM Mass and Stations of the Cross. A cleaning bee will be held at St. Francis Church THIS Tuesday at 9:00AM. Anyone who can help to clean is invited to join. Many hands make light work.

ATTENTION ALTAR SERVERS & PARENTS Altar Servers and their parents are reminded to take albs home to be laundered before Holy Week.

ALTAR & ROSARY SOCIETY NEWS Thank you to all the ladies who baked goodies and brought other items for the Easter Sunshine Baskets. Very nice baskets were prepared this year! Congratulations to our new Altar & Rosary Officers: President—Helen Burns; Vice-President—Rosemary Calabretta; Secretary—Camille Doyle; and Treasurer—Ellen Bieleski. Thank you ladies for accepting these important jobs.

FUNERAL DINNERS Thank you to everyone who donates food and helps by working at funeral dinners. Your help is greatly appreciated, especially by the families of the deceased. If you are interested in helping at dinners by working or by making food, please call Barb Pichette (570-663-2769) or Betty Ellen Hardy (570-553-2372).

KNIFE RADA SALE St. Brigid Altar & Rosary Society is selling Rada knives. Orders can be placed with a member of the Altar & Rosary or can be placed on-line by going online to www.helpourfundraiser.com and use customer number 504671. The password is mrsa01pw. Do not use capital letters in the password.

CYO NEWS Congratulations to St. Brigid Varsity Girls CYO Team for winning the championship. Special thanks also to coach Jay Chen. Congratulations everyone—good job!

NEUMANN CENTER BOTTLE & CAN DRIVE The CYO basketball teams are sponsoring a bottle & can drive to replace the scoreboard control box. Donations can be left at Neumann Hall Tuesday nights between 6 and 9PM or anytime at the Vestal Center Redemption Center, Route 26 next to the Car Wash and VanDervort’s Mini Mart. (Just mention your donations are to benefit St. Brigid Parish/CYO.) Thank you for your support.

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE FUND RAISER FOR MOM’S HOUSE An Outback Steakhouse Fundraiser to benefit Mom’s House will be held on Thursday, April 24th between 11AM and 10PM. Support Mom’s House while treating yourself to lunch or dinner out!! Fliers are available in the back of the Churches. Present them while ordering at Outback in Vestal and 15% of your total check will be donated to Mom’s House. Thank you for your support.

CONFESSION SCHEDULE

Saturday - 4:30PM Mass - St. Francis Church - Confessions - 4:00 to 4:20PM Sunday - 8:00AM Mass - St. Francis Church - Confessions immediately following Mass

Sunday - 10:30AM Mass - St. Augustine Church - Confessions - immediately following Mass Or any convenient time upon request. WEEKLY STEWARDSHIP REPORT

Thank you for your kindness & generosity in our Parish collections: St. Francis (4:30PM) $ 1,366.00; St. Francis (8:00AM) $ 809.00; St. Augustine (10:30AM) $ 1,051.00.

LIFELINES “The newborn child gives itself to its parents by the very fact of its coming into existence. Its exis-tence is already a gift, the first gift of the Creator to the creature.” — Blessed John Paul II, Letter to Families, 1994

HOLY COMMUNION UNDER ONE ELEMENT AND SHAKING HANDS

We are suspending shaking hands at the sign of peace. Please acknowledge those around you with a wave or nod of the head. We also have Holy Communion under one species; the Precious Blood will not be offered until Easter.

MASS SCHEDULE Vigil: (Palm Sunday)—Passion of the Lord

Sat. April 12 4:30PM St. Francis Church - RITA GRIFFIN by Mike & Mary Ellen Griffin

Sun. April 13 8:00AM St. Francis Church - Anniv. CARL MILLER by Pauline Miller & Family 10:30AM St. Augustine Church - INTENTIONS OF OUR PARISHIONERS

Mon. April 14 12:00NN St. Francis Church - Special Intentions of CHRISTINE LEONARD by Rose & Max Raub

5:30-7PM St. Francis Church- (“The Light Is On For You” ~ Confessions) Tue. April 15 8:30AM St. Augustine Church - (Mass & Stations of the Cross)

AARON REICHLEN & PAUL SHAFFER by Bob and Susie Reichlen

4:00PM St. Peter’s Cathedral (Chrism Mass—Scranton) Wed. April 16 8:30AM St. Francis Church - CECILIA DEGNAN by Tom & Margaret Flaherty

Holy Thursday—Mass of the Lord’s Supper Thur. April 17 7:00PM St. Francis Church - JEROME RYAN by the Estate

Good Friday—Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion Fri. April 18 12:00NN St. Augustine Church - (Stations of the Cross)

7:00PM St. Francis Church - (Passion & Veneration) Holy Saturday—Easter Vigil

Sat. April 19 8:00PM St. Francis Church - CHIP BARNUM by the Family Easter Sunday—Celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection

Sun. April 20 8:00AM St. Francis Church - Deceased Members of the CONBOY FAMILY by Larry & Debbie Purtell

10:30AM St. Augustine Church - ANNE M. TAYLOR by Frank & Mary Ellen Kania

(Palm Sunday)—Passion of the Lord

PARISH LOTTERY CALENDARS To date 801 Calendar returns have been made, leaving 199 not back yet. Returns can be placed in the collection basket or mailed to the Rectory. If you have taken Calendars that you cannot sell, please return them as soon as possible so that they can be sold. Thank you all for helping with this important fund raiser!

THANK YOU—CARE & EDUCATION OF PRIESTS Thank you to all who donated to last weeks second collection. A total of $ 502.00 was contributed.

FOOD CARDS/FOOD PANTRY EASTER FOOD CARDS: We have a total of (14) families on our Food Card list. You may put your donation, (check or cash), in the collection basket in an envelope marked “attention: Kay—Food Cards” or mail it to the rectory. All donations are needed and are greatly appreciated. To date we have a total of $ 1,030.00 or $ 73.57 per family.

FOOD PANTRY: We are now preparing for Easter Baskets. Donations for hams would be appreciated and should be put in the collection marked Food Pantry. Any checks must be made payable to “The Food Pantry”. Thank you for sharing with others. May God bless you a hundredfold.

CHURCH CLEANING FOR EASTER A cleaning bee will be held at St. Augustine Church THIS Tuesday, following 8:30AM Mass and Stations of the Cross. A cleaning bee will be held at St. Francis Church THIS Tuesday at 9:00AM. Anyone who can help to clean is invited to join. Many hands make light work.

ATTENTION ALTAR SERVERS & PARENTS Altar Servers and their parents are reminded to take albs home to be laundered before Holy Week.

ALTAR & ROSARY SOCIETY NEWS Thank you to all the ladies who baked goodies and brought other items for the Easter Sunshine Baskets. Very nice baskets were prepared this year! Congratulations to our new Altar & Rosary Officers: President—Helen Burns; Vice-President—Rosemary Calabretta; Secretary—Camille Doyle; and Treasurer—Ellen Bieleski. Thank you ladies for accepting these important jobs.

FUNERAL DINNERS Thank you to everyone who donates food and helps by working at funeral dinners. Your help is greatly appreciated, especially by the families of the deceased. If you are interested in helping at dinners by working or by making food, please call Barb Pichette (570-663-2769) or Betty Ellen Hardy (570-553-2372).

KNIFE RADA SALE St. Brigid Altar & Rosary Society is selling Rada knives. Orders can be placed with a member of the Altar & Rosary or can be placed on-line by going online to www.helpourfundraiser.com and use customer number 504671. The password is mrsa01pw. Do not use capital letters in the password.

CYO NEWS Congratulations to St. Brigid Varsity Girls CYO Team for winning the championship. Special thanks also to coach Jay Chen. Congratulations everyone—good job!

NEUMANN CENTER BOTTLE & CAN DRIVE The CYO basketball teams are sponsoring a bottle & can drive to replace the scoreboard control box. Donations can be left at Neumann Hall Tuesday nights between 6 and 9PM or anytime at the Vestal Center Redemption Center, Route 26 next to the Car Wash and VanDervort’s Mini Mart. (Just mention your donations are to benefit St. Brigid Parish/CYO.) Thank you for your support.

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE FUND RAISER FOR MOM’S HOUSE An Outback Steakhouse Fundraiser to benefit Mom’s House will be held on Thursday, April 24th between 11AM and 10PM. Support Mom’s House while treating yourself to lunch or dinner out!! Fliers are available in the back of the Churches. Present them while ordering at Outback in Vestal and 15% of your total check will be donated to Mom’s House. Thank you for your support.

PARISH PRAYER CHAIN If you would like to help respond to prayer requests (for anyone in need—not just Parishioners), please contact Rosalynd Perlick-Spencer (570-663-2212), Susie Reichlen (570-553-2618), or Mary Keenan (570-553-2431). If you have actual prayer requests, please call anyone on the list and many prayers will be offered for your particular intention.

OUR LORD IS WAITING FOR YOU TO ADORE HIM "Just as you can’t be exposed to the sun without receiving its rays, neither can you come to Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament without receiving the divine rays of his grace, his love, his peace." The following hours of adoration are open at St. Augustine's Eucharistic chapel: Tuesday 11-12 (noon); Tuesday 12-1PM; Wednesday 1-2PM; Thursday 6-7PM; Friday 7-8PM. If you would like one of the permanent hours listed or if you would like to take an hour on a trial basis, call Andrea Chen at 607-669-4875.

DECEASED Please pray for the deceased, especially Dick O’Boyle, husband of Kay O’Boyle. We also pray for Raymond Conroy, brother of Helen Hyde; Marie Mayers, aunt of Larry, Bob, Denny and Cathy O’Reilly, Mary Ellen Griffin, and Sharon Welch, and Melba Watkins, great grandmother of Kaleigh (Joe) Griffin. May they rest in peace. Amen. SANCTUARY LIGHTS, ADORATION VIGIL CANDLES & DEVOTIONAL CANDLE DONATIONS

A Devotional Candle at St. Francis burns for a Special Intention requested by Joe Purr. A Devotional Candle at St. Francis burns for a Special Intention.

A Devotional Candle at St. Francis burns for Special Healing Intentions. CHURCH CLEANING

St. Francis cleaner for the month of April—Eileen Drab. St. Augustine cleaners April 13 to 19—Julie Perlick; April 20 to 26—Martha Steed & Maureen Wilson. Volunteers are needed to clean St. Augustine Church. If you can help, call the rectory.

PRAYER LIST

Lord, hear our prayers for the sick of our Parish and Community listed below and for those who are not listed and in need of our prayers. Katelyn Andre, Michael Haefner, Bill Jones, Jr., David Zevan, Rita Powers, Debbie Jones, Julia Zangara, Kyle Stoddard, Mary Lou Gregg, Sophie Padula, Madigan Gow, John Flynn, Christine Rothwell, Donald & Theresa Baum, Mary Bakay, Donnie Butler, Tommy Williams, Stephen Ambrose, Toni Colardino, Evelyn Palulis, Mary Riley, Tom Wenman, Linda Hollenback, Jennifer Lynn, Jerry Lynch, Tyler Fletcher, Anna Mae Coleman, Joshua Welch, Jean Ryan, Richard Hutchinson, Mary K. Long, Joshua Kaminski, Kathy Holt, Aleisya Abrams, Agnes Neville, Steve Hundiak, Christopher Polk, Mary Lou Fahs, Molly Penderf, Butch Rosencranz, Ruth King, George Kotch, Brooke Arnold, Hallie Brooks, Ken Roon, Rosemary Boyle, Sarah Murnigahan, Candy Coney, Walter O’Rourke, William Chaney, Mary Cadden, Frank & Sandy Szabo, Nancy Lynch, Daniel Gavin, Sue Anderson, June Riley, John Bauer, Adam Kelly, Francis Zernone, Shawn Burns, Quinn Seymour, Doddie Mondi, Pauline VerValen, John & Alberta Zielinski, Bob Fedroff, Virginia Raftis, Fred Russell, Dorothy Catlin, Marie Donahue, Nancy, Matt & Emily, Bob Murphy, Robyn Lawson, Vicky Nelson, Marie Chillemi, Rita Flynn, Mike Rafferty, Elton Carr, Peter Purtell, Kaleena Dughi, Molly Getter, Sam Miner, Debbie Drewry, Bill Sheredy, Bub Davis, H.T., D.K., Kevin Phalen, J.K., S.C.F., Rusty Carmen, Ronalee Eckert, Chelsea Judson, Doug Wheaton, John Paul Jones, Valerie Newhart, R.G., B.F., Brian Rockefeller, Amanda Branning, and Deborah Gregory. May they regain full health. Please pray for the needs in our Parish Intention Books. Our Lady of Good Health, pray for us. Amen.

ARMED FORCES LIST Please pray for those in our Armed Forces, especially those from our Parish and Community, Cortney Allen, Christopher Reichlen, Patrick Allen, Shane Kalpokas, Ryan Gormley, Mike Griffith, Reed Shave, Matthew Kramer, Dustin Ryder, Ricky Trowbridge, Bobby Brostoski, Ryan Neville, Anthony Flynn, Jason Raymond, A. Jay Tewksbury, Jennifer Buttacavoli, Andrew Muscarelle, Adam Barziloski, Lukas Crisman, John Matousek, David Teetsel, Lisa Phillips, Carrie Krouse, Ryan Newberry, Wayne M. Bennett, Duane Thomas, Joseph Elliott, Michael and Sean Plitt, Mark W. Gregg, Bradley J. Bryant, and all who serve with them. May they all be protected and safe from harm and return home soon to their families and friends. Amen. Please call the rectory when the person you put on the Prayer List or Armed Forces List can be removed. If you know of anyone on the list who has passed away, please let us know so that their name can be removed from the list. OIL SPILL: Please continue to pray for a successful cleanup of the remainder of the spill.

The Roman Catholic Community of ST. BRIGID PARISH,

(St. Francis Xavier Church, Friendsville, Pa.

and St. Augustine Church,

Silver Lake, Pa.)

(St. Brigid’s Cross)

P.O. Box 75 • 17 Cottage Street • Friendsville, Pa. 18818 www.ourparishcommunity.com • Phone (570) 553-2288

E-mail: sfxc@epix.net Father Casimir (Cas) Stanis, Pastor

Kenneth S. Brennan, Deacon

PARISH MISSION STATEMENT “We the faithful of the Roman Catholic Community of St. Brigid Parish, (St. Francis Xavier and St. Augustine Churches), in union with our Holy Father, the Pope, and the Diocese of Scranton, are called through baptism to share in the mission which Jesus Christ has entrusted to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We in this Faith Community, under the leadership of our Bishop and our Pastor, cooperate to proclaim the Gospel in accordance with the teaching of the Church, to celebrate the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, for the salvation of all, and to witness by grace to the Kingdom of God so as to promote a culture of life, justice and peace. We especially endeavor to foster spiritual growth and evangelization in our present and future generations by drawing parish members back to active participation.”

2014 REGULATIONS FOR LENT All faithful of the Diocese of Scranton are reminded of Diocesan Statute No. 41, which addresses the penitential aspect of Lent: “The season of Lent is penitential in nature and during Lent penance should be not only internal and individual, but also external and social (Sacrosanctum Concilium, No. 5, 109). Pastors are obliged to avoid scheduling activities in the parishes which in any way could possibly detract from the external and social penance required by Lent.” During Lent the following fast and abstinence regulations are observed: · Good Friday, April 18th, is a day of fast and abstinence. · All Catholics who have reached their 14th birthday are to abstain from eating meat on Good Friday. · All Catholics over 18 years of age to the beginning of their 60th year are bound to the obligation of fasting. Those bound by this rule may take only one full meal and two smaller meals unless dispensed or excused.

LENTEN REMINDERS Lent is a time for sacrifice and for spiritual renewal as we reflect upon our baptism and the call given to each of us to walk as disciples of the Lord. We are provided with three personal challenges associated with our individual observance of Lent: · Almsgiving – generously giving to those in need · Fasting – practicing self-discipline and self-denial · Prayer – reading, hearing and reflecting on the Word of God Lent is also a penitential season. It is a time to seek forgiveness, to look inward, and to admit our shortcomings and failures. It is a time to regroup and to prepare. How can you spend your time during Lent? · By “giving up” things you hunger after, such as sweets or alcohol; or activities you desire, such as vacations, concerts or movies. · By “doing” things to help others, such as offering an extra donation to the poor or helping those in need by providing food or clothing. · By “adding” to our normal routine, such as going to daily Mass, praying the Stations of the Cross and going to confession.

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD CONFESSION Preparation: Before going to confession, take some time to examine your conscience. This might be done by reviewing your life in comparison to the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the example of Christ’s life. Pray to God for forgiveness. Going to Confession: 1. The priest will welcome you, and you both make the sign of the cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 2. You continue with these traditional words: Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been (how long) since my last confession. You might also add any other background that will allow the priest to be most helpful to you in the circumstances of your everyday life. 3. The priest will encourage you to have trust in God, and invite you to confess your sins. Speak freely and honestly – nothing you say in confession will ever be repeated by the priest. The priest may talk with you about how to make up for the sins you confess. He will then assign an act of penance corresponding to the nature of the sins – this may take the form of prayer, self-denial, and especially service to one’s neighbor. 4. Act of Contrition – you offer a prayer expressing sorrow for your sins and resolving not to sin again. You may say this in your own words, or use this traditional prayer: My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Saviour Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy. 5. Following this prayer, the priest extends his hands over your head and says the words of absolution: God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. As the priest concludes this prayer, he will make the sign of the cross over your head – you bless yourself and respond, Amen. 6. The priest will invite you to go in peace. After Confession: When you leave the confession room, take a few minutes of private prayer and thanksgiving. Plan how you will complete the assigned act of penance. Make a firm resolve to continue your conversion by a life renewed according to the Gospel and the love of God.

Lent continues until the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, April 17th.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Many people have questions about the Sacrament of Penance. You may have questions that are not addressed adequately here or at all. Please do not hesitate to bring those questions to Fr. Cas or to contact the Diocesan Office for Parish Life for additional resources (570) 207-2213. Do I have to go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion like everyone did years ago when I was a child? If you are conscious of having committed a mortal sin, then, yes, you must first go to receive Jesus’ forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance and be restored by Him to loving communion before you can come to receive Him in Holy Communion. The reason why young children must receive the Sacrament of Penance before first Holy Communion is to ensure that they have cleaned their inner “temples” to receive the greatest Guest of all. The same principal applies to all of us. If one has not committed any serious sins since his or her last good confession, then it is not necessary to confess before receiving the Holy Eucharist. May I receive the sacrament if I’m divorced? If you are civilly divorced but have not remarried or were validly married in the Church after receiving a declaration of nullity for your first marriage, then, yes, you may receive the Sacrament. If you have remarried outside of the Church or have entered into a cohabitating relationship, then those predicaments must be addressed before you can receive absolution. Pope John Paul II addressed this situation in 1981. “The church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon sacred scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic communion divorced persons who have remarried. They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict that union of love between Christ and the Church that is signified and effected by the Eucharist. … Reconciliation in the sacrament of penance, which would open the way to the Eucharist, can only be granted to those who, repenting of having broken the sign of the covenant and of fidelity to Christ, are sincerely ready to undertake a way of life that is no longer in contradiction to the indissolubility of marriage. This means, in practice, that when, for serious reasons such as, for example, the children's upbringing, a man and a woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, they ‘take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples’” (FC 84). If you’re in these circumstances, you are encouraged to talk to a priest in the light of God about your present situation and possibly begin an investigation of whether your first marriage was valid. Diocese of Scranton – The Light Is On For You – www.dioceseofscranton.org - 7 Can a priest ever rightly deny me absolution? A priest will normally try to do everything he can never to have to deny someone absolution. But on some rare occasions he will find himself in a situation where he has no choice. This occurs when the penitent lacks one of the three elements that make for a good confession: either the penitent confesses no sins even after the priest assists in examining the conscience; or the penitent does not even have imperfect contrition for the sins committed; or, most frequently, the penitent lacks a firm purpose of amendment to address a situation of serious sin, like a living arrangement incompatible with the Gospel. In such cases, the priest will normally pray with the penitent so that he or she may receive God’s help to remedy a situation from which the person may presently see no way out. I’ve heard that in some places people receive “general absolution” all at once, without needing to go individually to a priest. Is this valid? The Church teaches, “In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal celebration of reconciliation with general confession and general absolution. Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear each penitent's confession. Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time. In this case, for the absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of individually confessing their sins in the time required. The diocesan bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist. A large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not constitute a case of grave necessity” (CCC 1483). For practical purposes, outside of an imminent danger of death situation, these conditions would never obtain in our Diocese. Can my sins be forgiven outside of the Sacrament of Penance? God, who created the sacraments for our salvation, is Himself not bound by them. Our sins are first forgiven, of course, through the sacrament of baptism. For post-baptismal sins, the Church has always taught that, for example in a danger of death situation without the possibility of recourse to the sacrament of confession, God could forgive our sins if we pray to him with perfect contrition. The reality is, however, that we can never know if we’ve made a perfect act of contrition. The Church teaches, therefore, that “individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from this kind of confession” (CCC 1484). The great gift of this sacrament is that, if we confess all our serious sins with sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment, we do not need to doubt whether our sins have been forgiven. God created this sacrament so that we might know that he has forgiven us through the ministry of priests.

HOLY WEEK MASS SCHEDULE Monday—April 14th—12:00NN—St. Francis Xavier Church

Tuesday—April 15th—8:30AM—St. Augustine Church (Chrism Mass—St. Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton—4:00PM)

Wednesday—April 16th—8:30AM—St. Francis Xavier Church Holy Thursday—Mass of the Lord’s Supper

April 17th—7:00PM—St. Francis Xavier Church—(Mass & Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 11:00PM) Good Friday—Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion

April 18th—12 Noon—St. Augustine Church—Stations of the Cross April 18th—7:00PM—St. Francis Xavier Church—Passion & Veneration of the Cross

Holy Saturday April 19th—8:00PM—St. Francis Xavier Church—Easter Vigil Mass

Easter Sunday—Resurrection of the Lord April 20th—8:00AM—St. Francis Xavier Church—Resurrection of the Lord

April 20th—10:30AM—St. Augustine Church—Resurrection of the Lord (Fr. Buckley will say this Mass.) HOLY WEEK MINISTRY SCHEDULE

HOLY THURSDAY, APRIL 17TH—ST. FRANCIS CHURCH—7:00PM: Lectors—Larry & Thomas O’Reilly; Servers—Katherine & Matthew Gatto and Curtis & Gabe Spila; Rosary—Alice Carr GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 18TH—ST. AUGUSTINE CHURCH (STATIONS OF THE CROSS) - 12NOON: Servers—volunteer if available GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 18TH—ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH (PASSION & VENERATION OF THE CROSS) - 7:00PM: Lectors—Johanna Higgins & Rosanne Williams; Servers—Shelby Funk, Christopher Higgins, and Katie & Thomas Williams; Rosary—Mary Tims HOLY SATURDAY, APRIL 19TH—ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH—8:00PM: Lectors—Betty Ellen Hardy & Johanna Higgins; Ministers—Sean Kelly & Cathy O’Reilly; Servers—Christopher Higgins, Declan Giannone, and Curtis & Gabe Spila; Rosary—Margaret Flaherty EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 20TH—ST. FRANCIS CHURCH—8:00AM: Lectors—Dick Manjerovic; Ministers—Helen Burns & Susanne Wolf; Servers—Patrick & Marty Conboy; Rosary—Helen Burns EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 20TH—ST. AUGUSTINE CHURCH—10:30AM: Lector—Judy Adams; Ministers—Bob Allen & Anne Hawley; Servers—Emma, Hallie & Linsey Milligan; Rosary—Ann Zalepa (new volunteers are welcome & needed)

SCHEDULE FOR STATIONS OF THE CROSS DURING HOLY WEEK Tuesday, April 15th—following 8:30AM Mass at St. Augustine Church

Friday, April 18th—12 Noon at St. Augustine Church CHRISM MASS

All the faithful of the Diocese are invited to attend the Chrism Mass at Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton, THIS Tuesday at 4:00PM. At this Mass priests from throughout the Diocese will renew their priestly promises before the Bishop, and the oils to be used for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick and Holy Orders will be blessed. Participation in the Chrism Mass is a beautiful way to pray for and support the priests of the Diocese.

EASTER PLAY AT NEUMANN HALL The children of our religious education program (CCD) are presenting an Easter Play this Sunday (Palm Sunday). This will take place at Neumann Hall after 10:30AM Mass. We will also have a light lunch, so families are asked to bring snacks or drinks to share. Class will be held at the regular time and those students who have already attended Mass may stay until the time of play. All members of the Parish are invited to attend.

One of the most important Sacraments in our lives as Christians is found in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. “The Light Is On For You”– the final session is on Monday evening from 5:30-7:00pm, at St. Francis Church, Friendsville, and all the Parishes in the Diocese of Scranton. You are welcome to come to St. Francis Xavier Church or to go to any other Catholic Parish in the Diocese of Scranton.

No penance services are being planned for St. Brigid Parish. If you wish to go to Confession and haven’t done so already, please come to St. Francis Church THIS Monday evening, or St. Francis or St. Augustine Churches before or after Weekday or Weekend Masses.

CHOIR PRACTICE FOR HOLY WEEK & EASTER The Choir is practicing for Holy Week and Easter on Tuesday evening at 6:30PM in St. Francis Church. Please consider joining the choir to help make our services even more beautiful.

OPERATION RICE BOWL—You’re invited to participate in CRS Rice Bowl! Rice Bowl Envelopes are in your envelope boxes and can be put in the collection at any time during Lent. The Rice Bowl Collection will be taken up on Holy Thursday as the Second Collection. Your prayers, fasting and almsgiving this Lenten season help Catholic Relief Services provide life-saving assistance in nearly 100 countries. CRS works on our behalf to care for the poorest in our world and to end global poverty.

GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION Our Parish will support Christians in the Holy Land thru the Good Friday Collection. Please support our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land by giving to this special collection. The Pontifical collection allows for care of Christianity’s holiest sites and for God’s people living in the Holy Land.

EASTER FLOWERS Thank you to everyone for their generous donations to the Easter Flower Collection. To date the Collection totals $ 819.00. (Easter Flower envelopes are still being accepted. Place yours in the collection today.)

EASTER BASKET BLESSING The Easter Basket Blessing will be held in St. Francis Xavier Church on HOLY SATURDAY, APRIL 20TH at 11:00AM. Anyone who would like to have their Easter Basket blessed is welcome to attend. (There will be no Egg Hunt this year as it was decided the Hunt should be held in the Hall and the Hall is not available.)

LITTLE MEADOWS FIRE COMPANY—EASTER EGG HUNT An Egg Hunt will be held at the Little Meadows Methodist Church starting at 1:00PM on Sunday, April 13th. All children are welcome. Sponsored by the Little Meadows Fire Company and the LM Methodist Church.

ANNUAL ST. BRIGID PARISH GARAGE SALE AT NEUMANN CENTER The Annual Garage Sale at Neumann Center, Choconut will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 30/31, from 8AM to 6:00PM. You can participate in one of the following ways: Rent a table for $ 5.00 to sell your own treasures. You may set up after 5:00PM on Thursday, May 29th OR donate items to the Parish to be sold. Items must be clean, usable, and working. We will accept clean children’s clothing this year. We will accept items on Thursday, May 29th, after 5:00PM. If you have questions or to reserve a table, please call Homan’s at 553-2860.

FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION VIA THE WEINBERG FOOD BANK This free food distribution for those in need is for RESIDENTS OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNT ONLY. Any resident of Susquehanna County who needs food is welcome. Distribution will be held Tuesday, April 15th, from 12Noon to 2:00PM, at the Little Meadows United Methodist Church. (Please note the new distribution hours.) The Weinberg Food Truck also is at the Ladies Auxiliary Hall in Lawton on the 4th Thursday of every month from 1 to 3 and 5 to 7PM. The next distribution date is Thursday, April 24th.

TRIP TO IRELAND An (8) day (7) night trip to Ireland will be held October 2-9. For more info. call Kelly Allen (570-934-2725).

2014 REGULATIONS FOR LENT All faithful of the Diocese of Scranton are reminded of Diocesan Statute No. 41, which addresses the penitential aspect of Lent: “The season of Lent is penitential in nature and during Lent penance should be not only internal and individual, but also external and social (Sacrosanctum Concilium, No. 5, 109). Pastors are obliged to avoid scheduling activities in the parishes which in any way could possibly detract from the external and social penance required by Lent.” During Lent the following fast and abstinence regulations are observed: · Good Friday, April 18th, is a day of fast and abstinence. · All Catholics who have reached their 14th birthday are to abstain from eating meat on Good Friday. · All Catholics over 18 years of age to the beginning of their 60th year are bound to the obligation of fasting. Those bound by this rule may take only one full meal and two smaller meals unless dispensed or excused.

LENTEN REMINDERS Lent is a time for sacrifice and for spiritual renewal as we reflect upon our baptism and the call given to each of us to walk as disciples of the Lord. We are provided with three personal challenges associated with our individual observance of Lent: · Almsgiving – generously giving to those in need · Fasting – practicing self-discipline and self-denial · Prayer – reading, hearing and reflecting on the Word of God Lent is also a penitential season. It is a time to seek forgiveness, to look inward, and to admit our shortcomings and failures. It is a time to regroup and to prepare. How can you spend your time during Lent? · By “giving up” things you hunger after, such as sweets or alcohol; or activities you desire, such as vacations, concerts or movies. · By “doing” things to help others, such as offering an extra donation to the poor or helping those in need by providing food or clothing. · By “adding” to our normal routine, such as going to daily Mass, praying the Stations of the Cross and going to confession.

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD CONFESSION Preparation: Before going to confession, take some time to examine your conscience. This might be done by reviewing your life in comparison to the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the example of Christ’s life. Pray to God for forgiveness. Going to Confession: 1. The priest will welcome you, and you both make the sign of the cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 2. You continue with these traditional words: Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been (how long) since my last confession. You might also add any other background that will allow the priest to be most helpful to you in the circumstances of your everyday life. 3. The priest will encourage you to have trust in God, and invite you to confess your sins. Speak freely and honestly – nothing you say in confession will ever be repeated by the priest. The priest may talk with you about how to make up for the sins you confess. He will then assign an act of penance corresponding to the nature of the sins – this may take the form of prayer, self-denial, and especially service to one’s neighbor. 4. Act of Contrition – you offer a prayer expressing sorrow for your sins and resolving not to sin again. You may say this in your own words, or use this traditional prayer: My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Saviour Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy. 5. Following this prayer, the priest extends his hands over your head and says the words of absolution: God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. As the priest concludes this prayer, he will make the sign of the cross over your head – you bless yourself and respond, Amen. 6. The priest will invite you to go in peace. After Confession: When you leave the confession room, take a few minutes of private prayer and thanksgiving. Plan how you will complete the assigned act of penance. Make a firm resolve to continue your conversion by a life renewed according to the Gospel and the love of God.

Lent continues until the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, April 17th.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Many people have questions about the Sacrament of Penance. You may have questions that are not addressed adequately here or at all. Please do not hesitate to bring those questions to Fr. Cas or to contact the Diocesan Office for Parish Life for additional resources (570) 207-2213. Do I have to go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion like everyone did years ago when I was a child? If you are conscious of having committed a mortal sin, then, yes, you must first go to receive Jesus’ forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance and be restored by Him to loving communion before you can come to receive Him in Holy Communion. The reason why young children must receive the Sacrament of Penance before first Holy Communion is to ensure that they have cleaned their inner “temples” to receive the greatest Guest of all. The same principal applies to all of us. If one has not committed any serious sins since his or her last good confession, then it is not necessary to confess before receiving the Holy Eucharist. May I receive the sacrament if I’m divorced? If you are civilly divorced but have not remarried or were validly married in the Church after receiving a declaration of nullity for your first marriage, then, yes, you may receive the Sacrament. If you have remarried outside of the Church or have entered into a cohabitating relationship, then those predicaments must be addressed before you can receive absolution. Pope John Paul II addressed this situation in 1981. “The church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon sacred scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic communion divorced persons who have remarried. They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict that union of love between Christ and the Church that is signified and effected by the Eucharist. … Reconciliation in the sacrament of penance, which would open the way to the Eucharist, can only be granted to those who, repenting of having broken the sign of the covenant and of fidelity to Christ, are sincerely ready to undertake a way of life that is no longer in contradiction to the indissolubility of marriage. This means, in practice, that when, for serious reasons such as, for example, the children's upbringing, a man and a woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, they ‘take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples’” (FC 84). If you’re in these circumstances, you are encouraged to talk to a priest in the light of God about your present situation and possibly begin an investigation of whether your first marriage was valid. Diocese of Scranton – The Light Is On For You – www.dioceseofscranton.org - 7 Can a priest ever rightly deny me absolution? A priest will normally try to do everything he can never to have to deny someone absolution. But on some rare occasions he will find himself in a situation where he has no choice. This occurs when the penitent lacks one of the three elements that make for a good confession: either the penitent confesses no sins even after the priest assists in examining the conscience; or the penitent does not even have imperfect contrition for the sins committed; or, most frequently, the penitent lacks a firm purpose of amendment to address a situation of serious sin, like a living arrangement incompatible with the Gospel. In such cases, the priest will normally pray with the penitent so that he or she may receive God’s help to remedy a situation from which the person may presently see no way out. I’ve heard that in some places people receive “general absolution” all at once, without needing to go individually to a priest. Is this valid? The Church teaches, “In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal celebration of reconciliation with general confession and general absolution. Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear each penitent's confession. Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time. In this case, for the absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of individually confessing their sins in the time required. The diocesan bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist. A large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not constitute a case of grave necessity” (CCC 1483). For practical purposes, outside of an imminent danger of death situation, these conditions would never obtain in our Diocese. Can my sins be forgiven outside of the Sacrament of Penance? God, who created the sacraments for our salvation, is Himself not bound by them. Our sins are first forgiven, of course, through the sacrament of baptism. For post-baptismal sins, the Church has always taught that, for example in a danger of death situation without the possibility of recourse to the sacrament of confession, God could forgive our sins if we pray to him with perfect contrition. The reality is, however, that we can never know if we’ve made a perfect act of contrition. The Church teaches, therefore, that “individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from this kind of confession” (CCC 1484). The great gift of this sacrament is that, if we confess all our serious sins with sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment, we do not need to doubt whether our sins have been forgiven. God created this sacrament so that we might know that he has forgiven us through the ministry of priests.

HOLY WEEK MASS SCHEDULE Monday—April 14th—12:00NN—St. Francis Xavier Church

Tuesday—April 15th—8:30AM—St. Augustine Church (Chrism Mass—St. Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton—4:00PM)

Wednesday—April 16th—8:30AM—St. Francis Xavier Church Holy Thursday—Mass of the Lord’s Supper

April 17th—7:00PM—St. Francis Xavier Church—(Mass & Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 11:00PM) Good Friday—Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion

April 18th—12 Noon—St. Augustine Church—Stations of the Cross April 18th—7:00PM—St. Francis Xavier Church—Passion & Veneration of the Cross

Holy Saturday April 19th—8:00PM—St. Francis Xavier Church—Easter Vigil Mass

Easter Sunday—Resurrection of the Lord April 20th—8:00AM—St. Francis Xavier Church—Resurrection of the Lord

April 20th—10:30AM—St. Augustine Church—Resurrection of the Lord (Fr. Buckley will say this Mass.) HOLY WEEK MINISTRY SCHEDULE

HOLY THURSDAY, APRIL 17TH—ST. FRANCIS CHURCH—7:00PM: Lectors—Larry & Thomas O’Reilly; Servers—Katherine & Matthew Gatto and Curtis & Gabe Spila; Rosary—Alice Carr GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 18TH—ST. AUGUSTINE CHURCH (STATIONS OF THE CROSS) - 12NOON: Servers—volunteer if available GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 18TH—ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH (PASSION & VENERATION OF THE CROSS) - 7:00PM: Lectors—Johanna Higgins & Rosanne Williams; Servers—Shelby Funk, Christopher Higgins, and Katie & Thomas Williams; Rosary—Mary Tims HOLY SATURDAY, APRIL 19TH—ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH—8:00PM: Lectors—Betty Ellen Hardy & Johanna Higgins; Ministers—Sean Kelly & Cathy O’Reilly; Servers—Christopher Higgins, Declan Giannone, and Curtis & Gabe Spila; Rosary—Margaret Flaherty EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 20TH—ST. FRANCIS CHURCH—8:00AM: Lectors—Dick Manjerovic; Ministers—Helen Burns & Susanne Wolf; Servers—Patrick & Marty Conboy; Rosary—Helen Burns EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 20TH—ST. AUGUSTINE CHURCH—10:30AM: Lector—Judy Adams; Ministers—Bob Allen & Anne Hawley; Servers—Emma, Hallie & Linsey Milligan; Rosary—Ann Zalepa (new volunteers are welcome & needed)

SCHEDULE FOR STATIONS OF THE CROSS DURING HOLY WEEK Tuesday, April 15th—following 8:30AM Mass at St. Augustine Church

Friday, April 18th—12 Noon at St. Augustine Church CHRISM MASS

All the faithful of the Diocese are invited to attend the Chrism Mass at Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton, THIS Tuesday at 4:00PM. At this Mass priests from throughout the Diocese will renew their priestly promises before the Bishop, and the oils to be used for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick and Holy Orders will be blessed. Participation in the Chrism Mass is a beautiful way to pray for and support the priests of the Diocese.

EASTER PLAY AT NEUMANN HALL The children of our religious education program (CCD) are presenting an Easter Play this Sunday (Palm Sunday). This will take place at Neumann Hall after 10:30AM Mass. We will also have a light lunch, so families are asked to bring snacks or drinks to share. Class will be held at the regular time and those students who have already attended Mass may stay until the time of play. All members of the Parish are invited to attend.

One of the most important Sacraments in our lives as Christians is found in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. “The Light Is On For You”– the final session is on Monday evening from 5:30-7:00pm, at St. Francis Church, Friendsville, and all the Parishes in the Diocese of Scranton. You are welcome to come to St. Francis Xavier Church or to go to any other Catholic Parish in the Diocese of Scranton.

No penance services are being planned for St. Brigid Parish. If you wish to go to Confession and haven’t done so already, please come to St. Francis Church THIS Monday evening, or St. Francis or St. Augustine Churches before or after Weekday or Weekend Masses.

CHOIR PRACTICE FOR HOLY WEEK & EASTER The Choir is practicing for Holy Week and Easter on Tuesday evening at 6:30PM in St. Francis Church. Please consider joining the choir to help make our services even more beautiful.

OPERATION RICE BOWL—You’re invited to participate in CRS Rice Bowl! Rice Bowl Envelopes are in your envelope boxes and can be put in the collection at any time during Lent. The Rice Bowl Collection will be taken up on Holy Thursday as the Second Collection. Your prayers, fasting and almsgiving this Lenten season help Catholic Relief Services provide life-saving assistance in nearly 100 countries. CRS works on our behalf to care for the poorest in our world and to end global poverty.

GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION Our Parish will support Christians in the Holy Land thru the Good Friday Collection. Please support our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land by giving to this special collection. The Pontifical collection allows for care of Christianity’s holiest sites and for God’s people living in the Holy Land.

EASTER FLOWERS Thank you to everyone for their generous donations to the Easter Flower Collection. To date the Collection totals $ 819.00. (Easter Flower envelopes are still being accepted. Place yours in the collection today.)

EASTER BASKET BLESSING The Easter Basket Blessing will be held in St. Francis Xavier Church on HOLY SATURDAY, APRIL 20TH at 11:00AM. Anyone who would like to have their Easter Basket blessed is welcome to attend. (There will be no Egg Hunt this year as it was decided the Hunt should be held in the Hall and the Hall is not available.)

LITTLE MEADOWS FIRE COMPANY—EASTER EGG HUNT An Egg Hunt will be held at the Little Meadows Methodist Church starting at 1:00PM on Sunday, April 13th. All children are welcome. Sponsored by the Little Meadows Fire Company and the LM Methodist Church.

ANNUAL ST. BRIGID PARISH GARAGE SALE AT NEUMANN CENTER The Annual Garage Sale at Neumann Center, Choconut will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 30/31, from 8AM to 6:00PM. You can participate in one of the following ways: Rent a table for $ 5.00 to sell your own treasures. You may set up after 5:00PM on Thursday, May 29th OR donate items to the Parish to be sold. Items must be clean, usable, and working. We will accept clean children’s clothing this year. We will accept items on Thursday, May 29th, after 5:00PM. If you have questions or to reserve a table, please call Homan’s at 553-2860.

FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION VIA THE WEINBERG FOOD BANK This free food distribution for those in need is for RESIDENTS OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNT ONLY. Any resident of Susquehanna County who needs food is welcome. Distribution will be held Tuesday, April 15th, from 12Noon to 2:00PM, at the Little Meadows United Methodist Church. (Please note the new distribution hours.) The Weinberg Food Truck also is at the Ladies Auxiliary Hall in Lawton on the 4th Thursday of every month from 1 to 3 and 5 to 7PM. The next distribution date is Thursday, April 24th.

TRIP TO IRELAND An (8) day (7) night trip to Ireland will be held October 2-9. For more info. call Kelly Allen (570-934-2725).