Immaculate Conception Catholic Church 522 Main Street • P.O. Box 399 • Marydel, Maryland 21649-0399

Phone: 410-482-7687 • Fax: 410-482-7253 www.iccmarydel.org

Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Fridays 9:30-Noon, Closed Wednesdays.

Because of the limited size of our staff, hours are subject to change. It’s best to call first.

March 18, 2018 – Fifth Sunday of Lent

Eucharist of the Lord’s Day

Sunday: 8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. (in Spanish)

Weekday Eucharist Thursday 7:00 p.m. (in Spanish)

Holydays of Obligation As announced in the bulletin

Reconciliation After the Sunday morning Masses,

Thursday evening 6:30pm And by appointment at any reasonable time

Pastoral Care and Liturgy Very Rev. James S. Lentini, V.F., Pastor Rev. Idongesit A. Etim, Parochial Vicar Rev. John T. Solomon, Parochial Vicar

Deacon James M. Tormey, Sr. Deacon Sherman Mitchell, III

Christian Formation Mrs. Alicia Poppiti, D.R.E. Hispanic Ministry Mrs. Arline Dosman

If you or someone you know is in need of financial assistance, please call

St Vincent DePaul (302) 670-6702

The Sacraments

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process in which adults and children of catechetical age join the Catholic Church. Please contact Deacon Sherman Mitchell III, our R.C.I.A. Coordinator, for details at 302-492-0753.

Parents wishing to present their children for Infant Baptism must participate in an orientation session. Please call the parish office at 410-482-8939 for details.

Please contact Alicia Poppiti at 410-482-8939 about the preparation of young people for Confirmation, or about children’s first reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

Couples planning Matrimony meet with the Pastor or one of the Deacons at least one year in advance of the wedding date they are considering. Please call the parish office to arrange for this meeting.

Pastoral Care of the Sick: The Anointing of the Sick is appropriate for anyone faced with hospitalization or a serious challenge to health. When a hospital admission is planned, please arrange to receive the Anointing here beforehand, if at all possible. Our lay ministers to the sick bring Holy Communion to those unable to come to Mass for any length of time. Please call the parish office to arrange for these services.

Your Pastor, Deacons and parish staff members are always happy to speak in confidence with anyone who senses a call to ordained ministry or religious life.

Dear Parishioners,

As Lent progresses, it casts our eyes forward towards

Holy Week. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday (next

weekend) and carries us from that sacred day through to

the Sacred Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy

Saturday), culminating with Easter. The period called

Holy Week is perhaps the most deeply spiritual and

reflective time of year for Catholics. It is when minds

and hearts are called to reflect upon Christ’s triumphant

entry into Jerusalem on a Sunday and his death in that

same city on the following Friday. The events that fill up

the time in between those two days are the stuff that

speaks to the heart of our faith. I want to spend this

week's Pastor's Column and next week’s with some

thoughts on Holy Week.

Harmony and Me… Putting the obscure 1970s song

reference I just made aside, Scripture scholars will not

like what I am about to do, but from a faith perspective

what I am about to do is a long-standing and understood

practice: I am going to harmonize the Gospels of

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Harmonization of the

Gospels is when one takes the four Gospels and attempts

to integrate them together to give fuller telling of the life

of Christ; it provides a rich spiritual referent for the

faithful to understand the events of Holy Week in a more

comprehensible and linear form. It is what the Church

does liturgically during the period of Holy Week.

I’ll see your bet, and I’ll raise you. Let’s step into the

Wayback Machine and go back to the day before Palm

Sunday. It is on that Saturday (don't call it Palm

Saturday, please), that Christ gave his faithful a taste of

what was to come. It was on that day that Christ raised

Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44). Lazarus had been

a friend of Jesus who passed away suddenly; Christ

famously wept for him (John 11:35). Lazarus sisters’

Martha and Mary both said to Christ that if he had been

there their brother would not have died. And at that point

Christ does something profound: He cries out in a loud

voice for Lazarus to rise from the grave (John 11:43-44).

This is a fulfillment of John 5:28, when Christ tells the

faithful, “the hour is coming in which all who are in the

tombs will hear his voice.” Indeed, Lazarus heard the

voice of Christ – and he rose. But let’s be clear, Lazarus

came back to life into this world as he was before –

however he now had a miraculous story to tell his

grandkids. Within a week of this miraculous event, the

meaning of resurrection would be changed forever – and

for better.

Angry Birds. Christ’s miracles really ticked off the

powers-that-be at the time (the leaders of the Pharisees

and the Chief Priests). His miraculous works and

preaching had challenged them at times. But now, this

raising a man from the dead -- this was simply a step too

far in riling the faithful to turn from listening to their

leaders to listening to this rabble-rousing Messiah. The

Chief Priests and the Pharisees convoked the Sanhedrin

(an assembly of leaders) asking the question: “What are

we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If

we leave him alone, all will believe in him” (John 11:47-

48). Another group called the Sadducees, which held

that there was no such thing as resurrection (Mark

12:18), was also nonplussed by our Savior’s preaching

and teaching. Scripture say, “they consulted together to

arrest Jesus by treachery and put him to death.”

(Matthew 26:4). It is clear that from this day forward his

detractors actively planned to kill him. Thus the stage is

now set for Holy Week.

Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday finds Jesus not just in Judea

(where he had traveled to raise Lazarus) but rather in the

heart of Judea – he was entering Jerusalem. In Delaware

terms, he didn’t just go into Kent County, he went right

into the capital city of Dover… right into where the

governing authorities exercised power. Coming off of

the miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead and his

other miracles, deeds and preaching, Jesus received a

hero’s welcome (Matthew 21:8-9, Luke 19:37-38), kind

of like the Eagles did in Philly early this year, and like

the Phillies did back in… okay, we’ll need the Wayback

Machine again for that one. In any event, our Lord

entered the city and people laid palm branches and their

cloaks at his feet. This is much the way in a different era

a monarch would be herald by trumpet blares and have

rose petals tossed on his path. If you think the high

priests of Judea and authorities were upset with this

Messiah figure on that Saturday, well on Palm Sunday,

they were fit to be tied. Since Christianity views Sunday

as the beginning day of the week, we start our Holy

Week on Palm Sunday. Also, since Palm Sunday marks

the beginning of the time of Christ’s Passion, it is

commonly called Passion Sunday. Passion Sunday was

the centerpiece of a former Church season known as

Passiontide (which ran from the 5th Sunday of Lent

through the start of the Triduum).

In next week's column... the Monday of Holy Week and

onward!

Yours in Christ,

Fr. James Lentini

Pastor

MASS INTENTIONS:

Sunday, Mar 18 8:30 William F. Sullivan Sr. 11:00 Sachiko Saus Misa en Español 1pm For the People Thu Mar 22 7pm For the People

Sunday, Mar 25-Palm Sunday 8:30 Ed & Delores McGowan 11:00 For the People Misa en Español 1pm For the People

Holy Thursday Mar 29 7pm For the People

2018 Mass book is now open. To schedule a Mass, please contact the office

COLLECTION TOTALS:

Regular Offertory: $ 3665.38 Supplementary: $ 427.50 Second Collection Today: Supplementary

Your continued support of the work of your Church is much needed, and appreciated.

List of Schedule and Masses for Holy Week is

enclosed as an insert in this week’s bulletin

STEWARDSHIP OF TIME & TALENT

Collection Counters

Mar 18 Elisa & Tom Costello

Mar 25 Marilyn Dixon & Maurilio Gabriel

Apr 1 Ann Lawson & Assistant

Church Cleaning Crew

Marzo 23, 2018 Grupo #2

Juan Díaz Reynoso, Marlene García, Leonel Juárez,

Ángela Córdova, Bernardo De Paz

Marzo 30, 2018 Grupo # 3

Marinda Escalante, Elías González, Alfonso, Perez,

Oscar Roblero, Edgar Velásquez, Rubelina Ortiz

Altar Servers

March 25

8:30am Mass – Averi Locke & Mike Dixon

11:00am Mass – Vince Haass & Joanna Santizo

Spanish Misa 1pm – Emily & Yorly Escalante

Lectors

March 25

8:30am Mass – Diane Smith

11:00am Mass – Laura Schlaupitz

Spanish Misa 1pm – Roman Cuin, Juan Diaz

Eucharistic Ministers

March 25

8:30am Mass – Deacon Tormey, Chris & Joyce Ford

11:00am Mass – Deacon Mitchell, Bob Vanvessan, Paul

Lardizzone

Spanish Misa 1pm – Dolores Cuin, Carlos Miguel,

Flora Pérez, Genaro Pérez, Antonio Pérez

Knights of Columbus Next meeting Tues, March 27th in the Knights Hall Meeting @ 7pm

All members are encouraged to attend.

Membership is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practicing Catholics. For more info, contact Grand Knight, Bruce Kelley (302) 502-6040 or kelley29@comcast.net Follow us on Facebook

Assistance is needed caring for the linens used in our

Church. Please consider offering your time and talents to

help. A little time would mean so much! Contact Ann

Marie Weer (410) 482-7237

SCHEDULED EVENTS

Sun, Mar 18 - 9:40am SRE Classes

Sun, Mar 18 – 2pm RICA

Tues, Mar 20—6:30pm First Communion Prep-hall

Fri, Mar 23 – 7pm Stations of the Cross

Fri, Mar 23 – 8pm Stations rehearsal for Pilgrimage

Sat, Mar 24 – Wilmington CYO Pilgrimage

Encounter

Alefa

We encounter Alefa in Malawi, where seeds are helping her family survive an uncertain climate this Lent? How can you care for God’s creation this Lent? How can you support those, worldwide, who are forced to flee their homes to find safety or better opportunities? Visit www.crsricebowl.org

Marriage & Family Life Corner

Marriage Moment –

Spring officially begins Mar. 20. The changing of the seasons can remind us of the changing seasons of marriage. Are you experiencing any transitions in your marriage? A new job, a move, a baby? Health or money problems? Aging? Don't fight the change. Embrace whatever it brings.

Parenting Pointer –

As your child matures it's often hard to know when to help or give advice and when to hold your tongue. Ask yourself: Will this action empower my child to become more independent, or will it foster continuing dependence on me?

Saint Thomas More Academy invites you to attend their 2018 Spring Open House!

Stop by to get MORE acquainted with the faculty and staff at Saint Thomas More Academy. Learn how you can get MORE out of your high school experience.

When: Tuesday, March 20th

Time: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Location: 133 Thomas More Drive, Magnolia, DE 19962

Saint Thomas More Academy, a co-ed Catholic college preparatory school in the Diocese of Wilmington, educates young women and men of all cultural and economic backgrounds for academic excellence using Catholic teachings and Gospel values; promotes integrated arts, community service and athletics; develops individuals, in a safe environment, to share their God-given gifts; and graduates well-rounded citizens. Get MORE at Saint Thomas More.

FROM THE DRE’S DESK

School of Religious Education

September 24, 2017-May 6, 2018 9:40am-10:50am

NEEDED: TEACHERS! APPLY HERE FOR NEXT YEAR! Share your gifts and get the rewards in heaven. We will need 3 or more teachers for religious education on Sunday mornings from September to May. Please take the time during Lent this year in prayer and discernment on serving the young people and families of our Parish. Please contact Alicia Poppiti with any questions, 410-482-8939 at parish office.

Catechetical Day (“Call to Missionary Discipleship”) with Bishop W. Francis Malooly will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at St. Thomas More Academy. Bishop Malooly will individually recognize DREs and Catechists celebrating significant anniversary years. Please pray for our catechists and thank them.

Walk His Way. Bishop Malooly invites

youth and young adults from all

parishes and schools to join him as we

come together for the ninth annual

Pilgrimage on Saturday, March 24,

2018. Young people from across the

diocese will carry the diocesan pilgrimage cross

through the streets of Wilmington with the Bishop

as a representation of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem

and His journey on Good Friday to Calvary.

Please pray for our Pilgrims from

Immaculate Conception.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Fifth Sunday of Lent Theme: Death and New Life

Question for Children: Name one thing you can do or

stop doing that will help you have a better friendship

with Jesus.

Question for Youth: Sometimes one thing needs to die

in order for something new to be born. When have you

experienced this in your own life? What do you need to

let go of now for something new to grow?

Question for Adults: Name one area in your life that

you need to let go of, to die to, in order to rise with new

life.

5to domingo de Cuaresma Tema: La muerte y la vida nueva

Pregunta para los niños: Menciona una cosa que

puedes hacer o dejar de hacer que te ayudará a tener una

amistad más cercana con Jesús.

Pregunta para los jóvenes: A veces algo tiene que

morir para que nazca otra cosa nueva. ¿En qué

momentos has experimentado esto en tu propia vida?

¿Qué necesitas dejar ir ahora para que crezca algo

nuevo?

Pregunta para los adultos: Mencione un área de su

vida de la que necesita desprenderse, o tiene que dejar

morir, para tener una nueva vida.

Are you being called to the Priesthood? Come socialize, talk, and hang-out

with priests, and men like yourself,

who think the Lord may be calling

them to be a priest. Find out about

the amazing life of the Priesthood.

CAS – North will meet on March 21, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption in Hockessin, Delaware. For more information, contact Father Chris Coffiey at FrCoffiey@sjbde.org or call 302-999-0211.

CAS – South will meet at 6:30 p.m. at Saint John the Apostle Church, 506 Seabury Drive, Milford, DE on Monday, March 19, 2018. Contact Father John Solomon at fatherjohnsolomon@gmail.com or 302-674-5787.

Columna del párroco padre James Lentini 18 de Marzo,

2018. Queridos feligreses,

A medida que avanza la Cuaresma, con miras hacia la Semana Santa. La Semana Santa comienza el Domingo de Ramos (el próximo fin de semana) y nos

lleva desde ese día sagrado hasta el Triduo Sagrado (Jueves Santo, Viernes Santo, Sábado Santo), que culmina con la Pascua. El período llamado Semana Santa es quizás el tiempo del año más profundamente espiritual y reflexivo para los católicos. Es cuando las mentes y los corazones están llamados a reflexionar sobre la entrada triunfal de Cristo en Jerusalén un

domingo y su muerte en la misma ciudad el viernes

siguiente. Los eventos que llenan el tiempo entre esos dos días son lo que habla al corazón de nuestra fe. Quiero pasar esta Columna del Pastor de esta semana y las próximas semanas con algunas reflexiones sobre la Semana Santa.

Armonía y Yo... poniendo la oscura referencia

de la canción de los años 70 que acabo de dejar a un lado, los eruditos de las Sagradas Escrituras no les gustará lo que estoy a punto de hacer, pero desde una perspectiva de fe lo que voy a hacer es una práctica

largamente entendida: voy a armonizar los Evangelios de Mateo, Marcos, Lucas y Juan. La armonización de los Evangelios se produce cuando uno toma los cuatro Evangelios e intenta integrarlos para dar una narración más completa de la vida de Cristo; proporciona una

rica referencia espiritual para que los fieles entiendan

los eventos de la Semana Santa en una forma más comprensible y lineal. Es lo que la Iglesia hace litúrgicamente durante el período de la Semana Santa.

Veré Tu apuesta, y Te Ensalzaré. Pasemos a la Máquina del recuerdo y regresemos al día antes del Domingo de Ramos. Es ese sábado (por favor, no lo llames Sábado de Ramos), que Cristo les dio a sus

fieles a que probaran lo que estaba por venir. Fue en ese día que Cristo resucitó a Lázaro de entre los muertos (Juan 11: 1-44). Lázaro había sido un amigo de Jesús que de repente falleció; Cristo famosamente lloró por él (Juan 11:35). Las hermanas de Lázaro "Marta y María le dijeron a Cristo que si él hubiera estado allí, su hermano no habría muerto. Y en ese

punto, Cristo hace algo profundo: Grito con fuerte voz a Lázaro para que se levantara de la tumba (Juan 11: 43-44). Este es un cumplimiento de Juan 5:28, cuando Cristo les dice a los fieles, "Cuando llegue la hora en que todos los que están en los sepulcros oirán su voz". De hecho, Lázaro escuchó la voz de Cristo, y se

levantó. Pero seamos claros, Lázaro volvió a la vida en este mundo como lo era antes, sin embargo ahora tenía una historia milagrosa para contarle a sus nietos. Dentro de una semana de este evento milagroso, el significado de la resurrección sería cambiado para siempre, y para lo mejor.

Angry Birds (Pájaros Enojados). Los milagros de

Cristo realmente marcaron los poderes de ese

momento (los líderes de los fariseos y los Sumos Sacerdotes). Sus trabajos milagrosos y su predicación a veces los habían desafiado. Pero ahora, esto de levantar a un hombre de entre los muertos - esto fue

simplemente un paso demasiado lejos para sacudir a los fieles para que dejaran de escuchar a sus líderes y escucharan a este Mesías agitador. Los Sumos Sacerdotes y los fariseos convocaron al Sanedrín (una asamblea de líderes) haciéndose la pregunta: "¿Qué hacemos? Este hombre está haciendo muchos milagros. Si lo dejamos seguir así, todos creerán en él

"(Juan 11: 47-48). Otro grupo llamado los saduceos, que sostenía que no había tal cosa como la resurrección (Marcos 12:18), también quedaron desconcertados por su predicación y su enseñanza de nuestro Salvador. Las Escrituras dicen: " Se pusieron de acuerdo para arrestar a Jesús mediante un engaño

y darle muerte" (Mateo 26: 4). Está claro que desde este día en adelante sus detractores planearon

activamente matarlo. Por lo tanto, el escenario ya está listo para la Semana Santa.

Domingo de Ramos. El Domingo de Ramos encuentra a Jesús no solo en Judea (donde había viajado para resucitar a Lázaro), sino más bien en el

corazón de Judea: estaba entrando en Jerusalén. En términos de Delaware, no solo ingresó en el condado de Kent, sino que se dirigió directamente a la ciudad capital de Dover... justo donde las autoridades gubernamentales ejercían el poder. Después de la resurrección milagrosa de Lázaro de entre los muertos y sus otros milagros, obras y predicaciones, Jesús

recibió una bienvenida de héroe (Mateo 21: 8-9, Lucas 19: 37-38), algo así como lo hicieron los Eagles en Filadelfia al temprano este año, y como lo hicieron los

Phillies... vale, necesitaremos entrar en el baúl de los recuerdos otra vez para eso. En cualquier caso, nuestro Señor entró en la ciudad y una gran

muchedumbre alfombraba con sus mantos y colocaban ramas de palmera y cubría con ellas el camino de sus pies. Este es la manera en una era diferente en que, un monarca sería heraldo por trompetas y pétalos de rosas arrojados en su camino. Si crees que los sumos sacerdotes de Judea y las autoridades estaban molestos con esta figura del Mesías ese sábado, bueno

el Domingo de Ramos, estaban en condiciones de estar atados. Como el cristianismo considera el domingo como el primer día de la semana, comenzamos nuestra Semana Santa el Domingo de Ramos. Además, dado que el Domingo de Ramos marca el comienzo del tiempo de la Pasión de Cristo, comúnmente se llama

Domingo de la Pasión. El Domingo de la Pasión fue la

pieza central de un antiguo tiempo en la Iglesia conocida como Passiontide (periodo desde el quinto domingo de Cuaresma hasta el comienzo del Triduo).

En la columna de la próxima semana...

¡el lunes de Semana Santa en adelante!

Tuyo en Cristo, P. James Lentini Párroco

Holy Week and Easter Schedule

2018

Monday, March 26

7:00p.m. Chrism Mass at Holy Cross

Holy Thursday, March 29

7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper

(Bilingual)

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

until 11:00 p.m.

11:00 p.m. Night Prayer

Good Friday, March 30

No Mass or Confessions

12:30 Walking Stations of the Cross

(Spanish)

3:00 p.m. Celebration of the Lord’s

Passion-Veneration

7:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross

9:00 p.m. Dramatization of the Passion

of Christ- at Holy Cross

Holy Saturday, March 31

8:00 p.m. Easter Vigil

Mass begins outside with “Blessing of

the Fire”

followed by procession into church

VIGIL following Mass

Easter Sunday, April 1

8:30 a.m. Mass in Church

10:00 a.m. Mass in Church **

(different time)

12:00 p.m. Mass in Church (Spanish)

**

NOTE:

There will be no 7:00 p.m. Mass

Semana Santa y Pascua de

Resurrección 2018

Lunes, 26 de marzo

7:00 p.m. Misa Crismal- en la Santa

Cruz

Jueves Santo, 29 de marzo

7:00 p.m. Misa de la Cena del Señor

Bilingüe

Adoración del Santísimo Sacramento

hasta las 11:00 p.m.

11:00 p.m. Oración de la noche

Viernes Santo, 30 de marzo

No Hay Misa o confesiones

12:30 Estaciones de la Cruz

3:00 p.m. Celebración de la Pasión del

Señor

7:00 p.m. Estaciones de la Cruz

9:00 pm Estaciones de la Cruz en

Vivo – Español- Santa Cruz

Sábado Santo, 31 de marzo

8:00 p.m. Vigilia Pascual

La liturgia comenzará afuera con

"Bendición del fuego"

seguido por procesión a la iglesia

Domingo de Pascua, 1 de abril

8:30 am Misa en la iglesia

10:00 am Misa en la iglesia

12:00 p.m. Misa en español en la

iglesia

NO habrá Misa a las 7:00 pm