Parishioners - please note a date change! The Catholic Woman's Club of Berks County is celebrating their 100th anniversary on SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24TH at the DoubleTree of Reading with a luncheon and program. It begins at 1:00 and ends at 4:00. For more information, please contact Marcia at 484.794.0680 or email to mwertrn@ptd.net

Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat -An intimate spiritual journey for anyone seeking healing after abortion. In a safe, supportive, non-judgmental environment you can focus on this painful time in your life and enter into the process of healing. Through scripture readings, guided meditations and activities flowing from the meditations, you can experience God’s compassion and forgiveness. For registration infor-mation contact: Carol Swavely, MA,1.866.3RACHEL (Toll Free) or 610.435.1541, ext. 373. You may also email Carol at cswavely@allentowndiocese.org. The retreat will be held July, 23, 24 and 25, 2021 at the St. Francis Retreat House in Easton. Deadline for Registration is July 16.

Did you know that 13% of PA adults lack even basic literacy skills and that 21% of adults in the United States read below a 5th grade level? If you are concerned about the literacy issues affecting our society and would like to make a difference, the Mother Veronica Resource Center at 449 S. 6th St. in Reading needs you! The Mother Veronica Resource Center, sponsored by the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, provides classes in English as a Second Language (ESL), GED Test preparation, Citizenship preparation, and Computer Training; tutoring; and educational and social services resources to Reading area adults who come seeking a better way forward. We are looking for individuals with teaching experi-ence or a background in Education to serve as: ESL class instructor GED Language Arts class instructor or tutor. Being bilingual in English and Spanish is a plus, but not necessary. We are also looking for Computer Training instructors, who are bilingual in English and Spanish and have basic and intermediate computer skills. If you are patient, passionate about teaching, and share our core values of hospitality, respect, commitment, and encouragement, the Mother Veronica Resource Center invites you to get in touch for more details. Please call Sister Cara at 484.516.2138 or email mveronicacenter@gmail.com.

BERKS CYO—An 8th Grade Scholarship of $500.00 is awarded to one boy and one girl who participated in CYO during their elementary years and plan to attend Berks Catholic High School in the fall. If you meet the above requirements and wish to be considered, you will need to complete an application. Students currently attending Catholic schools will receive the form from their principal. Those participating in PREP or who are being homeschooled please contact Susan Teaford at St. Benedict’s Church at 610.856.1006 or via email at secretary@churchofsaintbenedict.org for the application form.

The Mifflin Food Ministry remains operational. The next food distribution will be on Saturday, June 19th between 9:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. A request for the following items for the food ministry would be greatly appreciated: Paper towels, kleenex, bathroom tissue, small bags of rice, rice-A-roni, peanut butter, and canned chicken. The Mifflin Community Food Ministry is accepting donations of food and other needed items on the porch of 54 Chestnut St. in Mohnton, Pa. There is no contact, just a drop off. For those that are writing a check, please make check out to: Mifflin Community Food Ministry Please mail checks to: Zion Evangelical Church 57 N Church St. Mohnton, Pa. 19540. Thank You once again for your continued generosity! Stay safe! Questions or concerns can be directed to Kate Roche' 610.777.4792

CONFIRMATION INFORMATION Attention Parents/Guardians & Students. We have been notified by the Bishop’s Office that Confirmation will take place on November 22, 2021 at 4:30 PM – Confirmation will be held at St. Benedict’s this year for our Eight Grade students. Please mark the date on your calendar and notify your child’s sponsor. More information will be forth coming at a later date.

ST. JOHN’S PRAYER LINE is celebrat-ing it’s 21st Anniversary! We currently have 32 “Prayer Warriors”, many who have been with us since we began in June, 2000. If you have a Special

Intention for someone you would like us to pray for or if you would like to find out more about us, please call Judy Peters at 610.775.8965.

Dear Parishioners, It strikes me strange to call you that, because by the time you get this letter, you will no longer be my parishioners. I guess it would be more appropriate to have said Dear Friends. In truth, that is what it most feels like, now that I am gone from St. John's Family of Faith. I don't feel like I have moved from a

parish, it feels more like I've moved from family and home. And although it is true that when a priest transfers from his parish he does leave his parishioners, it comforts me to know, that when a friend leaves friends, the distance only makes the heart grow fonder. I'm sorry that I can't write a personal letter to all of you. God knows, my desire to do so is great, and I do have much to say by way of thanks. What I don't have much of, is time. I could say thanks for your time given to me; the love you showed me; the friendships we've shared and, please God, will continue; and yes even though these are great and important to me, they are not the things that brought us together. It was faith that made our paths cross. And so, for this one precious gift that surpasses all others, a joy that I cherish even more than life itself, I can't begin to say my thanks to you enough. I can only hope that in the time God graced me with, in serving as a pastor to the family of St. John’s that I have helped your faith to grow a little stronger and blaze a little brighter. A week before I found out where I was to move to, one of my nephews asked me: "Uncle Rich, why do people call you Father?" I answered him, but since then, I've given it much more thought. If a priest learns to "father" his people, it is only because his people have first fathered him. If the priest learns to shepherd the people, it is because he has first learned from his people what it is to feed one another, what it is to lay down one's life. I have always believed that the grace of priesthood is so intermingled with the grace of the people that the holiness of one, depends on the holi-ness of the other. There is only one flock and one Shep-herd, and the moment the priest assumes that he is not a member of the flock, is the moment that he fails to be a shepherd. With all the love of my heart - to the flock at St. Johns, to which I was greatly blessed to be a part – thanks for fathering me and shepherding me! Love and prayers,

Fr. Rich

St. John Baptist de la salle June 20th 2021

www.stjohnsfamilyoffaith.com TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

MONDAY, JUNE 21 – St. Aloysius Gonzaga 8:00 a.m. Elizabeth Milanek TUESDAY, JUNE 22 – St. Paulinus of Nola, St. John Fisher & St. Thomas More 7:00 p.m. Joe Firth WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23 - Weekday 8:00 a.m. John Haile THURSDAY, JUNE 24 – Nativity of St. John the Baptist 7:00 p.m. Janet Mc Bryan FRIDAY, JUNE 25 - Weekday 8:00 a.m. Sue Swoyer

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME SATURDAY, JUNE 26 4:00 p.m. Rod & Judy Stephan (50th Wedding Anniversary) SUNDAY, JUNE 27 8:30 a.m. People of the Parish 10:30 a.m. Joseph Sottosanti

Please direct all bulletin and website inquiries to the Parish Communications Coordinator, Sarah Capato at 610.850.4978 or sarah@stjohnsfamilyoffaith.com.

Bulletin submissions are due Thursday, ten days prior to the Sunday of publication.

SATURDAY, JUNE 26 – 4:00PM Lector: Cindy Trygar EM: Mary Ellen Symanski, Renee Premici, Maria Biancone, Bernadette Yohn SUNDAY, JUNE 27 – 8:30AM Lector: Tony Farina EM: Judy & Bob Peters, Kathy Burke, Nick Bentz SUNDAY, JUNE 27 – 10:30AM Lector: Tom Cuba EM: Kate Roché, Renee Reali, Craig & Alverda Turnbaugh, Vicki Pinder

Sanctuary Lamp for the week of 6/20-26 in loving memory of George Hlodash, Sr. (requested by Shirley & Linda Hlodash)

Weekly stewardship

SUNDAY 6/6: $11,307.50

Altar Bread for the month of June in loving memory of June & Jardell Yohn, Sr.

(requested by the Yohn Family)

Mass intentions for the week

Upcoming liturgical ministers

Away from home? Find a mass wherever you are by visiting www.masstimes.org

First Reading: Job 38:1, 8-11 Job, in his suffering, questioned the power of God. The Lord proclaims his power and indicates that even the sea is subject to his will. Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 Christ died for all of us that we may live for him. An-yone who believes in Christ enters into new and eternal life. Gospel: Mark 4:35-41 During a bad storm, Jesus ordered the wind and sea to be still, and his disciples were quite amazed at his power. Jesus reminds them to trust and have faith, even in times of danger.

Todays readings

Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service If you have an allegation of abuse against a bishop, please con-tact the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service at www.ReportBishopAbuse.org or by calling 800.276.1562.

DIOCESAN OFFICE OF SAFE ENVIRONMENT Pamela J. Russo, M.S.W, M.S. Secretary, Youth Protection and Catholic Human Services P.O. Box F, Allentown, PA 18105-1538 610.871.5200 ext. 2204 or prus-so@allentowndiocese.org VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR Mrs. Wendy S. Krisak Kalamar DIRECT LINE: 1.800.791.9209 Parish Safe Environment Coordinator: Bernadette Yohn 610.777.1697 or st.jbdls@verizon.net