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 (Chapel)

Thursday & Friday: 12:10PM (Chapel) Saturday Morning: 8:00AM (Chapel)

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

Sunday, August 5, 2018

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 Web Site: www.southingtoncathlolicschool.org

SATURDAY, AUGUST 4—Weekday

8:00AM Michael Volpe Requested by his Granddaughter,

Maria LaPorta

4:00PM Marco Ingriselli,—23rd Anniversary Requested by his Wife & Children

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5—18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

7:30AM Anna LoPreiato—1st Anniversary Remembrance Requested by her Husband Matthew

10:00AM Saveria Sabino.—Anniversary Remembrance Requested by Daughter Josephine & Famly

MONDAY, AUGUST 6—The Transfiguration of the Lord

7:30AM Parishioners of Saint Thomas

TUESDAY, August 7—St. Sixtus II, Pope, and

Companions, Martyrs, St. Cajetan, Priest

7:30AM Parishioners whose funerals were in July:

Louis Drzewiecki, Charlene Chain, Gary

Celella, Faye Carbone, Theresa MacKenzie,

Guido Chiulli

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8—St. Dominic, Priest

NO MASS ON WEDNESDAYS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9—St. Teresa Benedicta of the

Cross, Virgin & Martyr

12:10PM Doreen Fasulo Requested by Michael Fasulo

FRIDAY, AUGUST 10 St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

12:10PM Faye Carbone Requested by Rose, Joe, Louise, Mike, Ginny, Tom, & Dolores

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11—St. Claire, Virgin

8:00AM Antonio Renzi—Anniversary Remembrance Requested by his Wife Louisa

4:00PM Patti Yorski —Requested by her Husband & Daughter

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12—19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

7:30AM Steven & Florence Legat Requested by their Children Deborah, Kevin, & Alan

10:00AM Peter & Immacolata Altieri, & Giovanni &

Francesco Colaccino

Requested by Joe &Anna , & Family

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 Stanley Maigarie

Plant Manager Casey Potthoff

Custodial Staff Daniel Conant Bonnie Guimond 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

Sanctuary Candle Church: In Memory of Kenny Bouchard

Requested by his Sister Priscilla & Family

Chapel: The Homeless

Rectory Office Hours Monday—Friday 8AM-4PM

Father Joe’s Notes My dear friends,

I’m sure that everyone in Southington (and the entire

state of Connecticut, for that matter) has heard about

my incident at Lourdes. For the few who haven’t, let

me explain. When I was heading to the Grotto, I sat on

a wall by the river. I fainted. I was face down on the

pavement. I regained consciousness as a group of peo-

ple began to lift me. Doctors, nurses, and various peo-

ple gathered to help. EMTs came and then a medical

crew followed in an ambulance. They summoned a

doctor from the hospital, and she came to check my

health.

To give the back story, France had been experiencing

a heat wave. It was the sixth day of 90+ degree tem-

peratures, and most sites had no air conditioning. With

that heat, I lost my appetite. I hadn’t eaten much for a

few days. I also came to Lourdes stressed over the

rental car It died. It was a combination of bad gas,

overheating, and the battery being drained. The vehi-

cle was towed, and I was waiting to arrange a new

rental car before I headed to the shrine. It all took its

toll. As I pushed ahead to get to the Basilica of the Im-

maculate Conception, I overheated myself. Without

proper meals, I had no energy. It was all the perfect

storm. After walking through the Basilica and around

the grounds, I was spent. Taking the time to stop put

me over the edge. My body shut down. It was a clas-

sic case of heat exhaustion.

After trying to answer questions in English, French,

Italian, and Spanish, I explained that it was the heat.

They ran tests. My blood pressure was OK and so was

my heart rate. Every test came back fine. I kept trying

to explain that I was overheated. Lying on the pave-

ment and in the air-conditioned ambulance did the

trick. They eventually realized I was just overheated. I

promised that once I went through the line to the Grot-

to, I would get a cold drink, head back to my hotel, eat,

and go right to bed. That reassured them. They let me

go, watching me as I walked the path. After that, I

committed to forcing myself to eat, even if not hungry,

and to hydrating, even if not thirsty. It worked. The

rest of the trip (so far!) has been uneventful.

I went to Lourdes because it was a place my Grand-

mother Robinson found people of great faith. I went,

but I found something different. I found people of

great compassion. No one cared that I was a priest –

they didn’t even know. They didn’t care if I were

Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or

Atheist. They just saw that I was a person in need.

They ran to help me. Despite different languages and

cultures, they did what they could to help. Some gave

me water. Other fed me sugar cubes. Someone

poured holy water over my head. Those who could do

nothing else simply prayed. In a place where the sick

are front and center, not pushed to the sidelines, they

care for people. Whether it was someone to push a

wheelchair, lift a person to tough the Grotto, or people

greeting strangers with kindness, they all cared. The

compassion of people there toughed my heart. I

laughed thinking, “Who comes to Lourdes and gets

sick?!” I do! But that incident helped me see how

compassion can make all the difference in the world.

We don’t need to travel to the ends of the earth to see

people who could use some help; it just takes opening

our eyes at home. If we look at the world with com-

passion for those in need, we will see them and be of

help. That was my lesson at Lourdes.

I look forward to seeing you all next weekend! God

bless you!

Happily yours in Christ, Fr. Joe

Ask Father

Question: Father, someone once told me Mass cards

are a waste of money. They don’t do anything. The

person told me I should give a grieving person money

to go buy a dinner. What do you think?

Answer: Well, it depends on your point of view. Some

see Mass cards as a waste. Why not give a gift? We

tend to give gifts at happy occasions, like birthdays and

anniversaries. I think giving a gift at the death of a

person just sends a bad message. Dropping off a meal

is a lovely thing, but handing them cash just seems a

little tacky. It really does show a lack of empathy. The

Mass card does do something. It lets a grieving person

know you care. It gets people who may never have

known the deceased to pray for that person. For one

who is grieving, it is helpful to know that others care

and remember the person he or she loves dearly. You

do not have to give a Mass card, but it is a nice gesture;

besides, it is a work of mercy to pray for the dead. You

are not only helping the person grieving know you care,

you help other Christians in their work to pray for their

brothers and sisters who have died. It really serves the

whole Church

Parish Information Prayers / Devotions

Holy Hours In the chapel—rectory basement

Tuesdays: 11:00AM—Noon (for vocations)

Thursdays: 11:00AM—Noon (with Benediction)

Eucharistic Adoration In the chapel—rectory basement

Thursdays 8:00AM—11:00AM

Miraculous Medal Novena In the chapel—rectory basement

Tuesdays at 7:00PM

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Bible Study Group

We have completed our study for this year. We will

begin a new study in September when we will study the

Book of Genesis. All are welcome to join us.

Thursdays at 1:30PM—Chapel (Rectory basement)

Thursdays at 7:00PM—School Cafeteria

(The classes cover the same material—you need only attend one)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

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 will have our Plant Manager, Casey Pottoff,

meet with you and explain the options for graves and

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

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 If you’ve never been baptized or you belong to another

denomination and want to join the Catholic Church, we

can help you! Any Baptized Catholic adult who hasn’t

received other Sacraments, we can help you. Call us!

Reconciliation We hear Confessions on Saturday afternoons from

3:00PM until 3:30 PM in the reconciliation room in the

church, or call Father Joe to make an appointment.

Marriage The Archdiocese of Hartford requires a minimum of

six months for marriage preparation. Couples should

contact Father Joe at the rectory to schedule 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.

Sponsor Certificates

They are available in the church sacristy or in the

rectory office. You must be an active parishioner,

registered with our parish for 6 months or more. The

use of the envelope system helps us in verifying that

you’re an active parishioners here. You must also

have completed your Sacraments of Initiation and be

in a valid marriage. If you have question, call us.

New Parishioners

Welcome to St. Thomas! We are delighted to have

you join our parish family. Introduce yourself to

Father or the Deacon after Mass. Parish registration

forms are available in the sacristy and the rectory

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

form for each family member. Once completed, mail

them to us or drop them in the collection basket.

Collections for July 29th

Weekly—$5643/ Online—$933

† Southington Catholic School †

St. Thomas Religious Ed.

†

Do you have a child who has not made any or

all of his or her sacraments? We will have a

class, beginning this fall, for any child who

needs to prepare for Baptism, Reconciliation,

and First Holy Communion. It’s not too late.

We can help. We are enrolling students from

4th grade through high school for special

sacramental help. Call Sister Marie for info!

Get on board with us! Registering for the

2018-2019 school year!! There is still time to

get on board with

Southington Catholic

School—Fall 2018!

The Admissions Office

at Southington Catholic

School will continue to

accept registrations over

the summer months.

Call 860-628-2485 to

arrange a convenient

time to visit and explore

the advantages of small

class sizes with very

challenging academics at SCS. We enroll students from

PreK 3 through 8th grade.

Things you should know about Southington Catholic School

Our students, on average, test at least two grades ahead of their actual year in skill levels. 7th grade social studies students tested at the same level as college freshmen!

Our students learn Spanish in every grade level from Pre-K through 8th grade. Our graduates have gone on to be nationally ranked and honored in the study of the language.

Students in our school learn to read and write in cursive.

Every student has personal access to a computer in class (iPads for lower grades & Chrome Books for upper grades). Every room has a smart board and technology is integrated.

We have smaller class sizes with more one on one attention from the teachers, helping us achieve higher standards.

Visit the school to see the difference for yourself! The office is open this summer.

Readings for the Week of August 5, 2018 Sunday: Ex 16:2-4, 12-15/Ps 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54

[24b]/Eph 4:17, 20-24/Jn 6:24-35

Monday: Dn 7:9-10, 13-14/Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 [1a, 9a]/2

Pt 1:16-19/Mk 9:2-10

Tuesday: Jer 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22/Ps 102:16-18, 19-

21, 29 and 22-23 [17]/Mt 14:22-36 or 15:1-2, 10-14

Wednesday: Jer 31:1-7/Jer 31:10, 11-12ab, 13 [cf.

10d]/Mt 15:21-28

Thursday: Jer 31:31-34/Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

[12a]/Mt 16:13-23

Friday: 2 Cor 9:6-10/Ps 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9 [5]/Jn

12:24-26

Saturday: Hb 1:12--2:4/Ps 9:8-9, 10-11, 12-13 [11b]/

Mt 17:14-20

Next Sunday: 1 Kgs 19:4-8/Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

[9a]/Eph 4:30--5:2/Jn 6:41-51

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 that week.

This Week’s Flowers: In Memory of Joseph DePaolo

RCIA Class is being formed

Are you interested in becoming a Catholic or

know someone who is? Are you a baptized

Catholic, but you never received your other

Sacraments? We can help!

We will be forming a new

group for our RCIA group

(Rite of Christian Initiation

for Adults). This class will

prepare people for baptism,

reception in the faith, and

Confirmation at the Easter

Vigil. Call the rectory with

questions or to register.

BABY BLANKETS FOR BAPTISMS

Do you know how to quilt or sew?

Please consider using your talent

to make baby blankets for

baptisms here at St. Thomas. For

more information, call the

Rectory at 860-628-4713.

PASTORAL COUNCIL

The next Meeting of the

Pastoral Council will be

held on Monday, August

20th at 7:30pm in the

Parish Center. Should

any parishioner have a

question or concern

about our parish that they would like to see discussed at

the meeting, they are encouraged to call one of the

Pastoral Council representatives. You may also email

the members of the Pastoral Council by going to the

parish Web page. The members of the Pastoral Council

include: Dan Vendetti 860-621-7808, Joe DellaPorta

860-628-8703, Diane Snow 860-869-4197, Kathleen

Baldwin 860-628-8465, Michael Casey 860-628-8473,

Larry Ryan 860-621-2443, Walter Kustra 860-621-0490

Sonya Jelks 860-325-0124, Sara Nadeau 860-620-4559.

The ex-officio members are Father Joseph Cronin,

Sister Marie(DRE), Eileen Sampiere, Deacon Angelo

Coppola, and Deaconn Vinny Raby. Stan Maigaire and

Susan Howard, Parish Trustees.

THANKYOU

To everyone who contributed recipes

for the parish cookbook. Over 170

recipes have been collected. The

finished cookbooks are tentatively

due for sale beginning at the Parish

Picnic in September.

DRIVERS NEEDED

The Connecticut Hospice is looking

for volunteers to drive homecare

patients to Dr. appointments, or

families to visit the inpatient hospice

in Branford. Call 203-315-7510

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

Giovanni’s Pizzeria 860-621-2299

www.giovannisofsouthington.com

Plantsville Funeral Home 860-621-4656

www.plantsvillefuneralhome.com

Steve’s Family Restaurant 860-621-7116

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

D’Amato Construction Company, INC General Contractors 860-583-3489

Patrick Baker & Sons Religious goods and supplies

1-800-243-6385 www.ChurchGoods.com

Bill’s Auto Body Clinic, INC 860-628-8627

V.Nanfito Remodeling & Repairs 860-621-6898

CV Tool Company 860-621-0494

Catholic Match.com/CT

ATD Home Security 1-888-862-6429

www.parishstore.com

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

Paul Gregory’s—Bistro & Catering 860-621-9999

Su

pp

ort our A

dvertisers—

Tha

nk th

em for h

elpin

g u

s! Share Your Voice!

The Archdiocese of Hartford is

beginning the process of a

Synod ( a local council of the

Church tasked with issues of

administration and application

of doctrines). All parishes are

asked to have a listening

session to gather information

for the Archbishop. Our

meeting will be in the church

here on Thursday, August

16th at 7PM. All parishioners

are invited. Each person is limited to about 2 minutes

per topic. You are asked to consider three questions:

1) What are we, as an Archdiocese, doing well?

2) What are we, as an Archdiocese, doing not so

well?

3) What are we, as an Archdiocese, not doing that

we should be?

I hope you will come and share your thoughts and

insights to help the Synod move our Archdiocese

toward a positive future. Thank you!

WOMEN’S RETREAT

The South Windsor Catholic Community St.

Junipero Serra Parish is sponsoring a Women’s

ACTS retreat Sept. 20-23rd at My Father’s House,

Moodus, CT. The ACTS retreat is a three-day, three

night Catholic lay retreat presented by women. This

is a simple, reverent, Catholic retreat that begins on

Thursday evening, Sept.20th and will end on Sunday,

Sept. 23rd with a morning Mass and reception. For

info visit actsct.org or contact MaryAnn Harris at

860-280-7798.