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4 Dracut Road, Hudson, NH 03051 • Tel (603) 882-7793 • Fax (603) 595-1465

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FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

24 May 2020

God Alone! Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The fourth letter to the Churches in the Book of Revelation is ad-dressed to the Church of Thyatira, a city about forty miles south of Pergamum. The ancient city of Thyatira is the modern city of Akhisar in Turkey. Both in the time of the author of the Book of Revelation and today, the main income of this city is its trade busi-ness. As with many of the ancient cities, there were many festivities in honor of pagan deities. To this church, the Lord addresses these words, “’I know your works, your love, faith, service, and endur-ance…Yet I hold this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jeze-bel, who calls herself a prophetess, who teaches and misleads my servants to play the harlot and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I have

given her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her harlotry. So, I will cast her on a sickbed and plunge those who commit adultery with her into intense suffering unless they repent of her works. I will also put her children to death. Thus, shall all the churches come to know that I am the searcher of hearts and minds and that I will give each of you what your works deserve’” (Rev. 2: 19a; 20-23). Here again, Christ praises the Church for its good works, especially its commitment to the poor. However, there are Christians among the members of this Church who have turned to the worship of false gods. Jeze-bel is the wife of the Old Testament King of Israel Ahab who opposed the prophet Elijah. She turned the heart of her husband and of the people of Israel to worship the false god of Baal and began to kill the prophets of the Lord. The chosen people of the First Covenant forsook God and turned to a false god. As a result of their idolatry, a severe drought plagued the land. Eventually, the prophet Elijah confronts the idolatry of the royal family and of the people of Israel on the summit of Mount Carmel. The whole event is recorded in 1 Kings 18. When Elijah confronts the people of Israel, he challenges them: “Elijah approached all the people and said, ‘How long will you straddle the issue? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.’ But the people did not answer him” (1 Kings 18:21). In the same way, some of the Christians in the Church of Thyatira were straddling the faith. They professed Christ on the one hand, but on the other, they tolerated and even participated in the worship of pagan deities. This is the primary indicator of the presence of lukewarmness, when Christians profess Christ, but begin to tolerate sin and evil or even remain silent in its presence. If the prophet Elijah stood in our midst today, he would pose the same question as he did to the people of Israel. We see this played out in the wider spectrum of society, but it can also play out in our own souls as well. Fr. Cyril C. Martindale was a twentieth century Jes-uit priest, author, and philosopher. He writes most compellingly, “This lesson, if none other, is cried aloud by the apocalypse – that the world does not offer us nonchalantly a choice between good and the less good, even between good and ill, but there is a conflict, an appalling battle for our souls; that the armies of heaven and hell are clashing over us and for us; that dragon and wild beast are ravening for us; that satan has no will but to brand us forever with his mark; that if we do not worship God, and find Him everywhere and re-worship him there again, the whole world turns into an idol, into a thousand idols….John feels that if you do not love our Lord, you ought, at least, to hate him; if you hate, you can love; but there are those who are unable, apparently, to take any due attitude toward him. To be in contact, as we necessarily are, with these vast realities, and to be unaware of them – that is the fatal state.” So, what is the antidote? Decide for Christ! In the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and the disciples encounter a woman named Lydia, a tradeswoman, “a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God; [she] listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying” (Acts 16:14). Although she had honored God, she had not made the choice to follow Him decisively. After the Lord opened her heart, she and her family were baptized. They decided for Christ!

In Jesus and Mary,

Fr. Michael

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MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Saturday, May 23

Vigil (The Seventh Sunday of Easter) 4:00PM—+Del and Marie Roy, by Paul and Claudette Roy

Sunday, May 24 (The Seventh Sunday of Easter) 8:30AM—+Joseph Tru Do, by his family and +Norah Mills, by her family 10:30AM—For the People of the Parish

Monday, May 25 (Saint Bede the Venerable; Saint Gregory VII, Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi) 8:30AM—+Mary and Chester Sojka Wednesday, May 27 (Saint Augustine of Canterbury) 8:30AM—+Mildred Reynolds, by Joan Malone

Thursday, May 28 (Easter Weekday) 6:30PM—+Elizabeth Beatrice (4th Anniversary), by Kim Taralli

Friday, May 29 (Easter Weekday) 8:30AM—+Joseph Dube, by Joan Malone

Saturday, May 30 (Easter Weekday) 8:30AM—+Francis J. McNamara (21st Anniversary), by his family

Vigil (Pentecost) 4:00PM—+Mary Donahue St. Louis, by John, Ginny, and Cecile Adams

Sunday, May 31 (Pentecost) 8:30AM—+Irene Frechette, by the Rondeau Family and +Judith Emmett, by the Schofield Family 10:30AM—For the People of the Parish

On Sunday, June 14th, our annual Corpus Christi Procession will take

place. On this year’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Father Michael, Deacon Ray, and the Knights of Columbus will process with the Blessed Sacrament from the parish grounds to an outdoor altar about two miles up the road. Further details will be forthcoming, but mark this date on your calendar for a livestream after the 10:30 a.m. Mass.

MAY 24, 2020

THIS WEEK AT CHURCH

By decree of the Most Rev. Bishop Peter A. Libasci, Mass is not open to the general public until further notice in cooperation with CDC

social distancing recommendations for slowing the spread of coronavirus.

The Parish Office and Saint Kathryn Religious Goods are closed until further notice. Office staff

check parish voicemail and emails remotely during normal parish business hours, Monday-

Thursday, 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m. The church is open for prayer every day from

7:00 a.m.—8:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 24th Livestream Holy Mass/stkathryns.org (10:30A) Monday, May 25th Remote Parish Office Closed in observance of

Memorial Day.

Wednesday, May 27th

Adoration/Church (5:30A-7:00P) Staff Meeting/Online (9:45-10:30A) Thursday, May 28th

Sacrament of Reconciliation/Church (5:30-6:15P) Friday, May 29th

Rehearsal for Laste-Flynn Wedding/Church (5:00P) Saturday, May 30th

Sacrament of Reconciliation/Church (9:15-10:00A) Laste-Flynn Wedding/Church (11:00A) Sunday, May 31st Livestream Holy Mass/stkathryns.org (10:30A)

Sanctuary Lamps: +Mary and Chester Sojka

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THE SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

ORDER OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF

ADULTS Are you thinking about becoming

Catholic? Responding to God’s Call No matter when you begin to consider Catholicism, rest assured that God is present from the first moment of your spiritual journey. There are many reasons you may

yearn to deepen your relationship with God. The Search for Meaning We live in a secular culture that constantly bombards us with subtle messages that tell us we aren’t good enough, we don’t have enough, and we need something new to make us happy. The Search for God The search for God almost always involves a struggle with the image of God that was instilled in us as children. The Search for Belonging We live in a technological world, but despite our capacity for instant communication, we often feel alone. The Search for Truth The quest for truth solely through history, philosophy, literature, or theology often brings to light misconceptions about Catholic beliefs that have no basis of reality. The Search for Family Unity Many find that as they discover more about the Catholic faith, their initial desire based on family unity becomes a deep, personal desire to enter into the community as a disciple of Jesus. Deciding to find out more? Contact Deacon Ray

Marcotte at deacon.ray@stkathryns.org.

SEEKING HOST FAMILY FOR FOREIGN

EXCHANGE STUDENT My name is Morgan

Tondreault and I am looking for a family in the Hudson area to host Samuele from Italy, who will be a high school exchange student this fall semester. Samuele is 16, going on 17, and describes himself as positive, optimistic, and friendly. He is an active Catholic who would like to continue participating in his religion on a weekly basis while here in the USA. His hobbies include soccer, reading, going to church, and cars. Samuele has taken 10 years of English and 3 years of Spanish and Latin, and his teachers describe him as fair, honest, and respectful. Samuele says, “I have always been fascinated by the American life and culture and I want to live in it.” For more information, please contact Regional Director for NH, Lonna Abbott at lonna@stsfoundation.org or 978.776.6043, or visit stsfoundation.org.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BLOOD DRIVE The

Knights of Columbus Council #5162 will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive on Saturday, June 5th in the Church Hall. Donation hours will be 9 am to 2 pm. The Blood Drive is an essential activity, as outlined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Governor’s Emergency Order #17. The Red Cross is taking special precautions during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure the safety of donors and staff. These precautions include: • All donors are temperature-screened before being permitted into the blood drive. If bodily temperature is above 99.5°F, the donor is asked to donate another time instead • All Red Cross staff are asked to check their temperature before presenting to work, and will not report for work if they are showing any symptoms or test above 99.5°F • Blood donors are asked to use hand sanitizer before and during the donation process • All staff, volunteers and donors will be required to wear face masks or coverings at the blood drive • Staff wear gloves throughout the donation process, changing gloves between every donor • Donor beds are sanitized between every donor • Red Cross is implementing social distancing space of 6 feet between donors wherever possible. Whole blood and “Power Red” (i.e. “double red”) donors are accepted. Please sign up now on-line at: www.rcblood.org/appt. Once registered, save time by using RapidPass® to complete your pre-donation reading and health history online before you come to your appointment. Get started at: www.RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass. The need for blood is constant, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need. Please volunteer.

CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAGIN This

weekend, we take up the collection for the Catholic Communications Campaign. This collection supports diocesan and national efforts to ensure a Catholic presence in the media as well as Catholic communications programs such as Parable Magazine and our diocesan website. Please prayerfully consider how you may be able to contribute.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REGISTRATION

Religious education registration forms for grades 1-10 for school year 2020-2021 are available online at https://www.stkathryns.org/religious-education-grades-1-10

and in the back of the church. Register by June 1st to avoid late fees! Tuition is $40/child and $80/family maximum. Confirmation this year will be for grades 3, 6, and 7. Please get your registrations in as soon as possible to ensure that your children are placed in the group that is convenient to your schedule.

Bann II

John Thomas Thompson and

Marielle Antoinette Choiniere

are to be married at Saint Kathryn Church,

Hudson, NH on August 7, 2020.

William Bayruther Schaub and Hannah Katerie

Fox are to be married at Saint John the Evangelist

Parish, Davison, MI on August 29, 2020.

DAILY ROSARY Each evening at 6:30 p.m.,

parishioners pray the Rosary in the main church (in

the chapel on Wednesdays due to adoration).

Please join us if you are able! There may be a

maximum of 10 people in the church or chapel at a

time with at least six feet of distance between

parishioners, preferably wearing masks and gloves.

If the space is already at capacity, please pray the

Rosary in union with us either outside on the

beautiful church grounds or in your vehicle. May is

Mary’s month; we turn to our Mother for aid at this

challenging time and always.

MAY 24, 2020

REFLECTING GOD’S GENEROSITY TO US

Offertory (mail): $ 2,752.00 Online: $ 6,530.00 Total: $ 9,282.00 Our weekly parish budget is $11,900.00. Thank you for signing up for automatic online giving at stkathryns.org/donate or for mailing offertory checks to the main office at 4 Dracut Road, Hud-son, NH 03051.

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BRICKS FOR MARY’S GARDEN Please support a

Mary Garden renovation project for the PMA sisters by buying an engraved brick. The project will create a secluded garden for the sisters for private prayer. It will include a brick pathway leading to an area with a bench and a pedestal to hold a repainted statue of the Blessed Mother. Your message will be engraved in a brick that will be carefully placed on the path where it will be seen each time someone enters the garden! Please mail your order form with a check made out to James Bord and send it to: Bricks for Mary’s Garden 6 Hazelwood Dr. Hudson, NH 03051 The message cannot be longer than three lines. Each line may be up to 14 characters long, in-cluding spaces.

THE SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION When unable

to receive Jesus sacramentally in the Eucharist, a Spiritual Communion can be made: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacra-mentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

PRAYER TO OUR LADY, HEALTH OF THE

SICK O Mary, you always brighten our path as a sign of salvation and of hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who, at the Cross, took part in Jesus’ pain while re-maining steadfast in faith. O loving Mother, you know what we need, and we are confident you will provide for us as at Cana in Galilee. Intercede for us with your Son Jesus, the Divine Phy-sician, for those who have fallen ill, for those who are vulnerable, and for those who have died. Intercede also for those charged with protecting the health and safety of others and for those who are tending to the sick and seeking a cure. Help us, O Mother of Divine Love, to conform to the will of the Father and to do as we are told by Jesus, who took upon himself our sufferings and carried our sorrows, so as to lead us, through the Cross, to the glory of the Resurrection. Amen. Under thy protection we seek refuge, O Holy Mother of God. In our needs, despise not our pe-titions, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen. Adapted from the prayer of Pope Francis

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES Events and information

in this bulletin may be outdated by the time of dis-tribution. Please visit stkathryns.org (and sign up for our email announcements there!) and/or find us on Facebook at Saint Kathryn’s Church for the very lat-est information regarding cancellation of events and any additional protections put into place to slow the spread of coronavirus.

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SAINT KATHRYN PARISH

4 Dracut Road, Hudson, New Hampshire 03051-5006

Telephone: 603.882.7793 Fax: 603.595.1465

Website: www.stkathryns.org Facebook: Saint Kathryn’s Church Store: 603.595.4463

PARISH STAFF Rev. Michael R. Monette, Pastor fr.michael@stkathryns.org

Deacon Raymond V. Marcotte, Permanent Deacon deacon.ray@stkathryns.org

Sister Janice Rooney, SNDdeN, Director of Religious Education sr.janice@stkathryns.org

Charlene Maniotis, Parish Secretary charlene.maniotis@stkathryns.org

Tina Decoeur, Religious Education Secretary tina.decoeur@stkathryns.org

Peter Krauss, Bookkeeper book72worm@aol.com

Larry Franchitto, Music Director lfranchitto@panam.com

Rick Balboni, Grounds Manager/Religious Goods Store Manager rick.balboni@stkathryns.org

Greg Chagnon, Facilities Manager greg.chagnon@stkathryns.org

PARISH OFFICE (REMOTELY) Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00-4:00 p.m. Closed Friday/Weekends

SAINT KATHRYN RELIGIOUS GOODS (CLOSED TEMPORARILY FOR COVID-19 PREVENTION) Our religious goods store is located in the back of the parish office building and has its own parking.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m.

Saturday 9:00 a.m.—Noon

Friday and Sunday Closed

603.595.4463

SCHEDULE OF MASSES (NO MASSES OPEN TO PUBLIC AT THIS TIME) Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 p.m. Sunday Masses: 8:30 a.m.; 10:30 a.m. (livestream); 6:30 p.m.

SACRAMENT OF PENANCE Thursday: 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Saturday: 9:15-10:00 a.m. (and 3:00-3:45 p.m. when normal operations resume)

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM Catechesis takes place with the parents prior to scheduling a date for the baptism. For more information, please contact

Deacon Ray in the parish office.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE Engaged couples should contact the parish office at least six months in advance of the proposed date of the wedding. Please

refer to the marriage policy as found on the parish website.

SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK/COMMUNION TO THE HOMEBOUND Arrangements may be made for Communion to the Homebound or for the Sacrament of the Sick by calling the parish office.

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick should be celebrated at the outset of an illness or when there is a change in the

person’s condition. The Sacrament should also be received prior to surgery.

PROTECTION OF CHILDREN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The diocesan policies are available by calling the parish office or by consulting the diocesan website at www.catholicnh.org.

OPEN FOR YOU! We invite you to use our church, the transept chapel, or the Emmaus Chapel (in the office building) for personal prayer. Our sacred spaces are open daily from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (closed Saturday after the 4:00 p.m. Mass).

Welcome! If you are new to our community, we hope you have felt welcome! If you are a visitor - occasional or frequent

- we’re glad you joined us! If you’re considering parish membership introduce yourself to the pastor after Holy Mass to get

the process underway!

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ST. KATHRYN PARISH HUDSON, NEW HAMPSHIRE 03-0779 May 24, 2020 – Week 26