Rectory Office

Phone: 860-628-4713 Fax: 860-628-7341 E-Mail: stthomassouthington@gmail.com Web Sites: www.stthomassouthington.org www.facebook.com/groups/104009621923

St. Thomas Convent

Address: 20 Eden Place Southington, CT Phone: 860-621-1904

Office of Religious Education

Phone: 860-628-9679 E-mail: stchurchre@gmail.com

Southington Catholic School

Address: 133 Bristol Street Southington, CT Phone: 860-628-2485 Fax: 860-628-4942 Web Site: www.southingtoncathlolicschool.org

August 9, 2020

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Saint Thomas Church 99 Bristol Street, Southington, CT 06489-4599

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35).”

Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil: 4:00PM (Church)

Sunday: 7:30AM & 10:00AM (Church)

Weekday Mass Schedule Monday & Tuesday: 7:30AM (Church) Thursday & Friday: 12:10PM (Church)

Saturday: 8:00AM (Church)

Our Parish Mission Statement

We, the Roman Catholic faithful of St. Thomas parish, nourished by God’s Word and by the

Sacraments, welcome and serve the Family of God. Through evangelization, education, and spiritual

development, we demonstrate the true meaning of God’s love by living in the image of Christ.

Parish Staff

Priests Rev. Joseph R. Cronin—Pastor fr.cronin@aohct.org Rev. John E. Cockayne—(Senior Status)

Deacons Angelo J. Coppola—(Senior Status) Vincent J. Raby

Music Ministry Emil Kopcha—Director Kathy Kopcha—Assistant

Office Manager Heidi Malley

Business Manager Marc Ingriselli

Trustees Susan Howard Paul Miano

Plant Manager Casey Potthoff

Custodial Staff Bonnie Guimond –Part Time Ron Lemire –Part Time Marty Lopatosky Harry Masterbone

Director of Religious Ed. Sr. Marie Roccapriore, MPF

Southington Catholic School

Principal Eileen Sampiere

Office Manager Loretta Putala

Advancement Director Mary Alexander

Custodian Rick

Sanctuary Candles

Church: World Peace

Chapel: Anna Loprieato Requested by Bob & Pierina Kowolczyk

Rectory Office Hours Monday—Friday 8AM-4PM

SATURDAY, August 8—St. Dominic, Priest 8:00AM Andréa Del Santo—Anniversary Requested by

wife & children

4:00PM Marco Ingriselli, Sr.—25th Anniversary

Requested by wife & children

SUNDAY, August 9 —19th Sunday/Ordinary Time 7:30AM Doreen Fasulo Requested by Michael Fasulo

10:00AM Anna Lopreiato—Anniversary Remembrance Requested by husband, Matthew

MONDAY, August 10—St. Lawrence, Deacon and

Martyr 7:30AM Joan Olson Requested by Dorothy Charette

TUESDAY, August 11—St. Clare, Virgin 7:30AM Guarino Zacchia—Anniversary Requested by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Gagnon

WEDNESDAY, August 12—St. Jane Frances de

Chantal, Religious

NO MASS ON WEDNESDAYS

THURSDAY, August 13—Saints Pontian, Pope, and

Hippolytus, Priest—Martyrs 12:10 PM Luca, Teresa, & Antonio Requested by Mario Leonetti & Family

FRIDAY, August 14—St. Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr 12:10 PM The Parishioners of St. Thomas Church

SATURDAY, August 15—Assumption of the Blessed

Virgin Mary (NOT A DAY OF OBLIGATION) 8:00AM Sarah Kolosky Borelli Requested by John & Diane Kolosky

4:00PM Patti Yorski Requested by husband &

daughter

SUNDAY, August 16 —20th Sunday/Ordinary Time 7:30AM Sophie Mongillo—Birthday Requested by family

10:00AM James Kaufmann & Robert Baldwin Requested by the Baldwin Family

Father Joe’s Notes My dear friends,

I’m on vacation. (Well, as you

read this, I am. As I write it, I’m at

the parish in my office.) I’m not

sure where I will be as you read this

or what I will be doing, but I can be

certain of one thing; I am not in

Hawaii! That sounds odd, but I

hoped it might be a possibility.

As I tried making plans and saw all the places we cannot

travel without self-isolation, I noticed Hawaii was missing

from that list. I double checked the state websites and lists,

and sure enough, Hawaii is one of the few state exempt from

the travel ban here. Hawaii is one of only two states where I

have not been, so I thought it might be a good chance. I

began to research places and flights. Then I checked the

covid19 websites. While Hawaiians can travel to

Connecticut without restrictions; however, Nutmeggers do

not have the same privileges there. That state has a

mandatory two week quarantine for all inbound travelers,

regardless of the transmission status of the flight’s origin.

There were no exemptions for people who could produce test

results showing a negative status. While we will welcome

them opening, they will not do so for us. So that vacation is

off the table for another year.

As my plans changed once

more, I began to think how our

relationship with God is a bit like

the Hawaiian situation. God is

the source of our life and our

salvation. We cannot earn the

mercy of God; it’s a free gift.

The Lord calls us and chooses us.

We rely on Christ’s love and

compassion to bring us to

Heaven. Having said that, we still have to say yes. Our God

can do everything to demonstrate His desire to save us, but

we have to want it. God may love us, but we need to return

that love. The relationship depends upon the reciprocation of

love and acceptance from both parties. God may be all

powerful, but He will not force our hands. We have to be

just as open to receiving the love, mercy, and salvation as the

Lord is to offer it.

As I am away, wherever it may be, I will pray for all of us.

My prayer is that we will all be open to the movement of the

Holy Spirit in our lives. I hope we all understand the

amazing gift our God is offering to us. I also hope and trust

we all will respond accordingly. None of us wants to be the

person who ban’s God’s entrance!

Hopefully yours in Christ, Fr. Joe

Question: Father, I know this is a stupid question, but what

happened to St. Joseph?

Answer: It isn’t a stupid question at all. We know all about

what happened to the Blessed Mother, thanks to Scripture and

our feasts throughout liturgical calendar, but we never see

such a clear picture of St. Joseph. The Gospel of Matthew

tells us that he is there to marry Mary and raise Jesus. He

takes them down into Egypt to protect them from King Herod

and then moves them to Nazareth after Herod’s death. We

also hear in Luke that Joseph is there when they travel to the

Temple in Jerusalem when Jesus is 12 years old. After that,

Scripture drops him from the story. We know that his

absence means that he has died by the time Jesus begins is

public ministry at the age of 30. This explains why Jesus

entrusts his mother to the care of the Beloved Disciple at the

cross, since she is a widow and her only son is dying.

Somewhere between Jesus’ teens and turning thirty, St.

Joseph dies in Nazareth. He would have died with the

Mother of God and the Son of God at his bedside, and so he

has become the patron saint of happy death. That is why so

many cemeteries are named in his honor.

Ask Father

Readings for the week of August 9, 2020

Sunday: 1 Kgs 19:9a,11-13a/Ps 85:9-14/Rom 9:1-5/

Mt 14:22-33

Monday: 2 Cor 9:6-10/Ps 112:1-2,5-9/Jn 12:24-36

Tuesday: Ez 2:8-3:4/Ps 119:14,24,72,103,111,131/

Mt 18:1-5,10,12-14

Wednesday: Ez 9:1-7;10:18-22/Ps 113:1-6/Mt 18:15-20

Thursday: Ez 12:1-12/Ps 78:56-59,61-62/Mt 18:21-19:1

Friday: Ez 16:1-15,60,63/(Ps) Is 12:2-6/Mt 19:3-12

Saturday: Rv 11:19a;12:1-6a/Ps 45:10-12,16/

1 Cor 15:20-27/Lk 1:39-56

Next Sunday: Is 56:1,6-7/Ps 67:2-3,5-6,8/

Rom 11:13-15,29-32/Mt 15:21-28

There will be no

Confessions heard on

Saturday, August 15th

.

Also, August 15th

is not a

day of obligation this

year—on a Saturday!

Parish Information Devotions & Groups

Holy Hours In the chapel—rectory basement

CURRENTLY ON HOLD

Eucharistic Adoration In the chapel—rectory basement

CURRENTLY ON HOLD

Miraculous Medal Novena In the chapel—rectory basement

CURRELY ON HOLD

Italian Rosary Group CURRENTLY ON HOLD

Lap Blanket Ministry Parishioners make blankets for patients in local health

care facilities . Anyone who crochets is invited to join

us in the church basement. One Wednesday Evening a

month 7:00-8:15PM. Canceled until further notice.

Ladies Guild The Ladies Guild meets the first Monday

of each month, and hosts hospitality in

the church meeting room each first

Sunday after both 7:30 & 10:00 mass.

Bible Study Group We will be taking a break over the

summer. We will resume in

September. We will be reading the

Book of Joshua. We will start fresh

for any new participants. We hope to

have an in person class and also live-

stream. See you this fall!

Sacraments

Baptism Parents, contact the rectory to schedule a

baptism. There’s a preparation meeting for

parents having their first child baptized.

RCIA—Adult Sacraments Anyone interested in becoming Catholic, give us a call!

Reconciliation Confessions are Saturdays 3:00 PM until 3:30 PM in

the reconciliation room in the church (you must wear a

mask when coming), THERE WILL BE NO

CONFESSIONS ON AUGUST 15th

Marriage We need a minimum of six months for preparation.

Couples should contact Father Joe to set up a meeting.

Sacrament of the Sick Should you, or someone you know, need an anointing,

please call Father Joe at the rectory to schedule a visit.

Homebound / Hospital Please, contact the rectory if you or a family member is

homebound or in the hospital. We can arrange for a

Eucharistic Minister to bring you the Blessed

Sacrament at home.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

St. Thomas Cemetery

If you or your family are looking to purchase a plot or

niche in the columbarium, give us a call in the rectory

office. We’ll have our Plant Manager, Casey Potthoff,

meet with you and explain the options for graves and

markers. Please, call the rectory to schedule a meeting.

Sponsor Certificates

They’re available in the sacristy or in the rectory office.

You must be an active parishioner, registered with our

parish for at least 6 months. The use of the envelopes helps

verify that you’re an active parishioners. You must also

have completed your Sacraments of Initiation and be in a

valid marriage. If you have questions, call us.

New Parishioners

Welcome to St. Thomas! We’re delighted to have you join

us. Introduce yourself to Father or the Deacons after Mass.

Parish registration forms are available in the sacristy and

the rectory office. Take one for the family, and a separate

form for each member. Once completed, mail them to us

or drop them in the collection basket.

Collections for August 2nd

Weekly—$7582 / Online—$1872

† Southington Catholic School †

St. Thomas Religious Ed. † Break-

fast Cup-

board:

Southington Catholic School is col-

lecting boxes of breakfast cereal to

help Southington Community Ser-

vices meet the increased need dur-

ing the summer months. Please

consider adding an extra box of ce-

real to your weekly grocery list.

Your donation will be collected in

the lobby of SCS at 133 Bristol

Street on Monday –Thursday

mornings. Please call for more in-

formation 860-628-2485.

Thank you for helping to ease the

pain of hunger In our community.

Welcome Back!

Southington Catholic School anticipates a return to the classroom and is

working to secure a safe and healthy environment for all our students

from pre-k3 to grade 8. Our large classrooms and small class sizes will

assist in the providing social distancing. The health and safety of each

student is paramount in planning for our reopening. Please contact us at

860-628-2485 for more information on our full time, 5 day a week

reopening. New registrations for the upcoming school year are welcome.

Join Our Team: Southington Catholic School is a seeking a

responsible and caring adult to supervise students in the before school

program AND the popular afterschool program. Please contact

Southington Catholic School at 860-628-2485 for additional information

about this part-time 5 day a week position.

REGISTRATION & CLASSES

We will make some changes to the program for this year.

Confirmation will meet on Sundays in the school cafeteria 6:00

and 7:30 PM. They will be divided into smaller groups.

All students in grades 1 to 8 will meet on Mondays between 5 and

6 PM. Go directly up to the classrooms (not in the cafeteria).

This will allow ample time to sanitize rooms after school and after

catechism. We must follow all guidelines of the state & Archdiocese

of Hartford. These changes allow for this. For anyone

uncomfortable sending a child to classes, we have a few options.

Register a child (not in sacramental preparation) for home

study. You will be given the book. When the lesson is finished,

the student completes review questions. Every other month, you

will send in the completed answers.

For the sacramental preparation, we’re looking into an online

course. We will notify you on this as it progresses.

Class sizes will be limited to about 12 children per class for in

person classes.

Classes begin Sunday, September 13th and Monday, September

14th. Register at the rectory.

Sacramental Ceremony

Make Up Sessions Stewardship Thought

Elijah recognized the voice of God

not in the strong and heavy wind,

not in the earthquake, and not in the

fire, but in a tiny whispering sound.

May we find enough quiet in our

clamorous world to hear His voice

and discern what He is calling us to

do and be. Our Sunday Visitor, Stewardship by the Book: Bulletin Bits

Based on the Sunday Readings, by Sharon Hueckel, Second Edition 2004,

page 12).

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

We will be collecting school supplies for families in need this year. Suggested items include: backpacks, binders, folders, notebooks, book covers, pens, pencils,, erasers, crayons, markers, etc. Instead of dropping donations in bins at the entrances of the church as in years past, we ask that you deliver them directly t o S o u t h i n g t o n Community Services at 91 Norton Street, or drop

them off at the rectory office Monday through Friday. All items will be donated to local students in need. Thank you for your most generous support.

Due to the quarantine for corona virus

back in the spring, all our sacramental

celebrations were all postponed. We

have now rescheduled them for this fall.

Please mark your calendars with these

new dates and times.

First Reconciliation For all catechism students - Friday,

September 25th at 6:00 PM in church.

For all SCS school students - to be

scheduled during school in September.

First Holy Communion For SCS school students – Saturday,

September 26th at Noon with rehearsal

during school the week prior in church.

For our catechism students with a last

name A-L – Saturday, October 3rd at 10:00

AM with a rehearsal Sunday, September

27th at 2:00 PM in church.

For our catechism students with a last

name M-Z – Saturday, October 3rd at

12:00 PM with a rehearsal Sunday,

September 27th at 4:00 PM in church.

Confirmation Friday, October 23rd at 7:00 PM with a

rehearsal on Sunday, October 18th at 7:00

PM in church.

Should there be a problem with one of

these dates, please contact the rectory

office. We will see if we can help you.

GOLF TOURNAMENT Bread for Life’s 4th annual golf tournament

will be run this year in a new and creative

way. The “tournament” will be held for

three weeks (from September 1-23) instead

of on one specific day. Foursomes can

schedule their “tournament” tee off date and time at Hawk’s

Landing Country Club after registering with Bread for Life.

The $75 per golfer registration fee includes 18 holes of golf,

one cart per person, $10 voucher to Club 19, and a $30

donation to Bread for Life. Winning players--men, women,

and mixed teams--will be awarded gift certificates from local

restaurants. For details please visit our website at

www.southingtonbreadforlife.org or call Bread for Life

at 860-276-8389.

Su

pp

ort our A

dvertisers—

Tha

nk th

em for h

elpin

g u

s!

Della Vecchia Funeral Home 860-628-2293 www.dellavecchiafh.com

Manor Inn 860-628-9877 Manorinnrestaurant.com

Al Joy Tire Service 860-628-2728

Youssef B. Khawaja, MD Internal Medicine & Endocrinology

860-621-9353

Plantsville Funeral Home 860-621-4656 www.plantsvillefuneralhome.com

Giovanni’s Pizzeria 860-621-2299

Jones Engineering, LLC Property Surveys 860-621-0700

Wisniowski & Sullivan, LLC Attorneys at Law 860-620-9335

Bouchard Day-Care 860-628-2981 Infants to School Age

Global Mechanical LLC 860-681-4101

Skyline Restoration 860-793-8470

ADT Home Security

1-855-225-4251

Ragozzino’s Deli & Catering 860-621-6979

Serfafino Pharmacy, INC 860-628-7979

www.stores.healthmart.com/serafinopharmacy

Religious Teachers Filippini 860-621-1904 www.filippiniusa.org

Waste Material Trucking Company, INC Residential & Commercial 860-747-6816

Showcase Realty Inc. 176 North Main Street—Southington 860-276-2000

Landino Landscaping Residential and Commercial

860-620-2133 www.landinolanscaping.com

PN Auto Body & Repair 860-793-1999

V.Nanfito Remodeling & Repairs 860-621-6898

CV Tool Company 860-621-0494

Volpe & Sons Automotive 860-628-0067

Della Porta EyeCare, LLC 860-582-0702 www.bristoleyes.com

Franciscan Home Care and Hospice Care 203-238-1441 www.FranciscanHC.org

Connecticut Casualty Company 1-800-922-2886 www.ctcasualty.com

Catholic Cemeteries Association of the

Archdiocese of Hartford, Inc.

Altar Flowers

The floral arrangements in our

sanctuary enhance our liturgical

setting. The donation for flowers is

$100.00. If you would like to

sponsor or dedicate the floral

arrangements in memory of

someone, please contact the

rectory. The dedication and

donation will be acknowledged in

the bulletin.

This Week’s FloWers

In remembrance of

Joseph DePaolo

Requested by his Wife

PLEASE HELP FEED THE

HUNGRY IN OUR COMMUNITY

Bread for Life’s food donations are down

42% this quarter. Without the help of our

community, this puts an extra burden on the

food pantry. There is a need right now for

the following items listed below.

tuna fish in cans or

pouches

baked beans

fruit in cans or individual

cups

chili in a can

jello box or in individual

cups

stuffing

We understand that this is a

difficult time for many people.

If you are able to give, and

would like to donate, you can

drop items off on the front porch of Bread

for Life between the hours of 8am-4pm,

Monday-Friday, at 31 Vermont Ave. Thank

you for your generosity!