St. Basil the Great Church Dushore, PA

St. John Neumann Shrine Sugar Ridge, PA

St. Francis of Assisi Church Mildred, PA

St. Francis of Assisi Chapel Eagles Mere, PA

P O Box 307, Dushore, PA 18614

Parish Office ~ 1 St. Francis Drive, Mildred, PA 18632 (570) 928-8865 Fax (570) 928-7972

Email ~ ihmparish@frontier.com Website ~ ihmdushore.com

Our Pastoral Staff Parish Administrator ~ Reverend Richard Rojas

Director of Religious Education ~ Mrs. Kathleen Clark Administrative Assistant ~ Ms. Diane Fowler

Director of Liturgical Music ~ Mrs. Deborah Rojas

Summer Mass Schedule Saturday

4:00 PM St. Basil’s Church, Dushore Sunday

7:30 AM St. Francis of Assisi Church, Mildred 9:00 AM St. Basil’s Church, Dushore

10:45 AM St. Francis of Assisi Chapel, Eagles Mere The Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturdays ~ 3:15 – 3:45 PM St. Basil’s Church, Dushore Sundays ~ 6:45 – 7:00 AM St. Francis of Assisi Church, Mildred

Or by appointment

The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish July 31st, 2016 ~ Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Welcoming Community: You enter this Church … not as stranger, but as a guest of God. He is your heavenly Father. Come, then, with joy in your heart and thanks on your lips into His presence, offering Him your love and service. Be grateful to the strong and loyal ones who, in the name of Jesus Christ, built this place of worship, and to all who have beautified it and hallowed it with their prayers and praise. Ask His blessing on those who love His house of faith as the inspiration of their labor, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit, and may that blessing rest on you, both in your going out and your coming in. Parish Registration: You must be a registered member of The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish to receive Baptism, Confirmation, First Penance, First Holy Communion, Marriage and to receive sponsor letters from the pastor. New Members: Please stop by or call the parish office and register. (If you are leaving the parish, please notify the office before you leave). Thank you. Change of Address: Please notify the parish office as soon as possible if you have had a change of address. Inactive Catholics: As a welcoming parish, we ask every parishioner to ask God to put in your heart people whose hearts we need to reach out and touch with God’s love. “Before you talk to men about God, you talk to God about men.” Please, call, write, leave in an envelope in the collection the name, address and phone number of the person. Father would be delighted to meet with them. SACRAMENTAL LIFE RCIA: The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process to bring non-Catholics into the faith. Anyone seeking information or interested in becoming a part of this community of faith can call the parish office. Sacrament of Baptism: Baptisms are scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month following the 9:30 AM Mass. In order to understand and better appreciate this special sacrament, parents are required to attend the Pre-Baptismal Program, which is held on the last Saturday of each month at 7:00 PM in St. Basil’s Rectory. Please contact the rectory to schedule your child’s baptism. Sacrament of Marriage: Couples contemplating marriage should notify the rectory at least six months prior to the date to allow necessary time for proper preparation. Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick: Urgent calls will be attended to at any time of the day or night. Visitation of the Sick: Please call the parish for visitation of the sick at home, in the hospital, or health care facility. Parish Mission Statement: We, the Catholic faithful of The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, in union with our Holy Father, the Pope, and our Bishop, are called through Baptism to share in the ministry which Jesus Christ has entrusted to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. As priest and lay faithful in a rural area, we utilize our energy to serve the spiritual needs of the Kingdom of God to promote a culture of life, justice, and peace to this generation and the generations that follow us.

Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Heavenly beauty and splendor of the Father, you are the most valued Heavenly

treasure. New Eve, immaculate in soul, spirit and body, created of the godly seed by the Spirit of God, you are the spiritual

Mother of mankind. Pure Virgin, full of grace then and now, your whole being was raised Heavenly in full glory, to be elevated above all

the hosts within the Kingdom of God. O Heavenly Mother, Queen of Heaven and earth, I recognize the glory of your highest title, the Immaculate Heart of

Mary! Loving Mother, dispenser of endless blessings, you who continually intercede on our behalf,

please present my need before your loving Son, Jesus. (Mention your request)

O Immaculate Heart of Mary, I know that you are now presenting my need before Jesus, for you have never turned away those in dire need.

Mother dearest, I await your favorable answer, submitting myself to the Divine will of the Lord, for all glories are His for ever and ever. Amen.

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, July 31st, 2016

Sunday Readings

First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23 “Vanity of vanities.” Sometimes we may work for wealth, wisdom, and knowledge only to discover that it has been left for someone who did not toil for it. The offering of our work, fatigue, and pain, if not for God, can also be a kind of vanity.

Responsorial Psalm: 90

Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 Paul urges us to seek what is good and from God, encouraging us to put our minds on the spiritual. He reminds us that, as Christians, we have died with Christ and are hidden with Christ until his glory is once again revealed. We are all one in Christ.

Gospel: Luke 12:13-21 On being requested to settle a question of inheritance, Jesus heeds us to beware of all covetousness because our life does not consist on the wealth of possessions. Through the lesson of a parable Jesus reinforces this teaching, explaining that those who store up the treasures of wealth and possessions are not the richest in God’s eyes.

Saint John Neumann Shrine, Sugar Ridge is very much part of many people’s summer. The great

simplicity of the shrine makes it a place of beautiful pilgrimage and devotion. Masses will be

celebrated at the shrine this summer at 2:30 PM on August 7th and September 4th.

Pastoral Council Meeting Tuesday, August 2nd ~ 7:00 PM St. Francis Rectory, Mildred

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Who Cares?

Everything is vanity, the reading from Ecclesiastes says. You toil in the day; you’re anxious in the night. And it’s all just vanity. Who cares? No wonder many people think Ecclesiastes is a depressing book! But notice that Jesus says something similar in the Gospel reading. The rich man was thinking about building bigger barns. But, in the parable God says to him, “You fool! This night your soul will be required of you, and somebody else will get all your stuff.” What will the rich man care about his barns then? And that’s the problem with many of the things we care about in this life, barns or material good of any kind: you lose them when you die. The same thing is true of a lot of what we spend our lives on. Those things don’t amount to anything in the long run; and like the rich man, we waste the part of our lives that we used up on them. There is time spent struggling for the next honor or the next accomplishment. There is time consumed on sorrowing over not getting the next honor or accomplishment. For that matter, there is time frittered away watching TV or “doing nothing” in any other way. Picture yourself as you come before God at your death, returning to God the talents he entrusted to you. Will you care about any of those things then? That’s why Ecclesiastes says they are vanity. Whatever good is in them is transient; they die when you do. In the long run, then, who cares about them? You can’t take any of them with you when you die, any more than the rich man could take his barns with him. When you come before the face of God, you won’t care about them then either. Ecclesiastes is a consoling book, not a depressing one. The transience of earthy goods should be comforting to us. Barns may be good, but, in the long run, getting them – or losing them – is not of overwhelming importance. We can do our work in quiet, and we can suffer our reverses in quiet too, because none of these things last. Love lasts. Work done in love, for love of the Lord, lasts. And the Lord is ever-lasting. What is worth caring about is what lasts.

~Eleonore Stump

Weekly Liturgical Celebrations Saturday, July 30 3:15 ~ 3:45 PM Dushore Sacrament of Reconciliation 4:00 PM Dushore Francis Cullen by Pat & Karen Cullen Sunday, July 31 6:45 – 7:00 AM Mildred Sacrament of Reconciliation 7:30 AM Mildred Joseph & Nellie Bohensky & deceased family members by the family 9:00 AM Dushore Myrtle Kramer by Joe & Diane McDonough 10:45 AM Eagles Mere Mass for the People Monday, August 1 9:00 AM Dushore Robert Medl by the family Tuesday, August 2 9:00 AM Mildred Helen Kriel by Terri, Jenna, Emily & Jake Peters Thursday, August 4 9:00 AM Mildred Michael Kaier by Suzanne Kaier Friday, August 5 ~ First Friday 9:00 AM Dushore Lucille Muller by Paul Muller 3:00 PM Dushore Divine Mercy Chaplet 3:30 PM Dushore Reposition & Benediction Saturday, August 6 3:15 ~ 3:45 PM Dushore Sacrament of Reconciliation 4:00 PM Dushore Mary E. & Gene McMahon by Abe & Bettyann Goodyear Sunday, August 7 6:45 – 7:00 AM Mildred Sacrament of Reconciliation 7:30 AM Mildred Tom Sick by Jerry & Dolly Sick & family 9:00 AM Dushore Keith Popadich by Deb & Ron Gutosky 10:45 AM Eagles Mere Mass for the People 2:30 PM Sugar Ridge Deceased members of the Cullen family by the family

DAILY READINGS Monday ~ Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Doctor of

the Church Jer 28:1-17; Ps 119; Mt 14:13-21

Tuesday ~ Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop; Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest

Jer 30:1-2,12-15,18-22; Ps 102; Mt 14:22-36 Wednesday

Jer 31:1-7; (Ps) Jer 31:10-12b,13; Mt 15:21-28 Thursday ~ Saint John Vianney, Priest

Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51; Mt 16:13-23 Friday ~ The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary

Major Na 2:1,3,3:1-3,6-7; (Ps) Dt 32:35c-36b,39abcd,41; Mt

16:24-28 Saturday ~ THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD

Dn 7:9-10,13-14; Ps 97; 2 Pt 1:16-19; Lk 9:28b-36 Sunday ~ NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Wis 18:6-9; Ps 33; Heb 11:1-2,8-19; Lk 12:32-48

“I wish not merely to be called Christian, but also to be Christian.” ~Saint Ignatius of Loyola

From a sermon by Saint Caesarius of Aries,

bishop

Divine and human mercy Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive

mercy. My brothers and sisters, sweet is the thought of mercy, but even more so is mercy itself.

It is what all men hope for, but unfortunately, not what all men deserve. For while all men wish to

receive it, only a few are willing to give it. How can a man ask for himself what he refuses

to give to another? If he expects to receive any mercy in heaven, he should give mercy on earth.

Do we all desire to receive mercy? Let us make mercy our patroness now, and she will free us in

the world to come. Yes, there is mercy in heaven, but the road to it is paved by our merciful acts on

earth. As Scripture says: Lord, your mercy is in heaven.

There is, therefore, a human and a divine mercy. Human mercy has compassion on the

miseries of the poor. Divine mercy grants forgiveness of sins. Whatever human mercy

bestows here on earth, divine mercy will return to us in our homeland. In this life God feels cold and

hunger in all who are stricken with poverty; for, remember, he once said: What you have done to

the least of my brothers you have done to me. Yes, God who sees fit to give his mercy in heaven

wishes it to be a reality here on earth. What kind of people are we? When God gives, we wish to receive, but when he begs, we refuse to

give. Remember, it was Christ who said: I was

hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. When the

poor are starving, Christ too hungers. Do not neglect

to improve the unhappy conditions of the poor, if

you wish to ensure that your own sins be forgiven

you. Christ hungers now, my brethren; it is he who

deigns to hunger and thirst in the persons of the poor.

And what he will return in heaven tomorrow is what

he receives here on earth today.

What do you wish for, what do you pray for, my

dear brothers and sisters, when you come to church?

Is it mercy? How can it be anything else? Show

mercy, then, while you are on earth, and mercy will

be shown to you in heaven. A poor person asks you

for something; you ask God for something. He begs

for a morsel of food; you beg for eternal life. Give to

the beggar so that you may merit to receive from

Christ. For he it is who says: Give and it will be

given to you. It baffles me that you have the

impudence to ask for what you do not want to give.

Give when you come to church. Give to the poor.

Give them whatever your resources will allow.

Our Weekly Parish Offertory Collection

The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish

July 23rd & 24th, 2016

$5,229.68 Vacation Bible School Collection

$593.88 Our estimated budget figures show that our parish

offertory collection needs to be at or above

$5,300.00 each week to meet all of our financial

obligations. We will be publishing in the bulletin

where we stand financially so you can see when help

is needed.

Budget goal ……………………………. $5,300.00

Offertory this week……………………….. 5,229.68

Under goal …………………………….. $ 70.32

August Second Collections0 August 6th & 7th ~ Care & Education of Priests

August 13th & 14th ~ Building & Maintenance

August 20th & 21st ~ Parish Mission Appeal

August 27th & 28th ~ Churches in Eastern Europe

Thank you for your generosity!

Word of LifeWord of LifeWord of LifeWord of Life: “As with every vocation, marriage

must be understood within the primary vocation

to love, because humanity ‘is created in the image

and likeness of God who is himself love’” (CCC,

no. 1604). ~”Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan”

A Pastoral Letter of the USCCB

www.goo.gl/Fik6F2

Patron of the Week

P. Dean Homer Funeral Home

Please support our patrons on the back of the bulletin.

Dressing Appropriately Even if our churches aren’t air conditioned, we need to be conscious of the way we dress for Church. More than anything else, our dress and attire should suggest our reverence and respect for the special presence of the Lord found in

Church. As delighted as we are to see each and every person here at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, we do offer a gentle reminder to all that modest attire is desired.

We have all been invited to the most important

table in town, the Lord’s. Let us dress

appropriately!

Liturgical Ministers for August 6th & 7th Special Ministers of Communion

4:00 PM Dushore T. Karaban, D. Homer, T. Finan

7:30 AM Mildred K. Bohensky, J. Walsh 9:00 AM Dushore J & D. McDonough, R. Farrell

Lectors 4:00 PM Dushore R. Green 7:30 AM Mildred S. Moyer

9:00 AM Dushore D. Hallam, J. Wheeler

Altar Servers 4:00 PM Dushore 7:30 AM Mildred R. Thomas 9:00 AM Dushore Z & S. Pedro

Greeters 4:00 PM Dushore J. & E. Richlin 7:30 AM Mildred R. Hope

9:00 AM Dushore J. & D. McDonough, T. Karaban

A Prayer for our Military God our Father, walk through my house and take away all my worries; and please watch over and heal my family. Heavenly Father, hold our troops in Your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in this, our time of need. These things I humbly ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Please pray for: Darrin J. Denmon

PMB 155; P O Box 30800, Honolulu, HI 96820 PVT Stephen MacElhaney

“Punisher” 5th Platoon 1-7bFABN P O Box 35524, Wainwright, Alaska 99703

Natalie Dymond 9030 Moccasin Lake, San Antonio, TX 78245

Matthew J. Dailey 114 East Cochran Ave, Unit 110

Clovis, NM 88101 Air Force Captain Shawn M. McDonald

145 Kings Highway; Apt 307 Dover, DE 19901

Airforce SSGT Amber Adams

Summertime

You are reminded that there is no vacation from

God. Please remember your obligation to attend

Mass every weekend and Holyday. It is still a

mortal sin to miss Mass (except for inclement weather and illness). Masses on weekends are

readily available in most vacation spots. When

out of town for the weekend, your parish still needs your weekly tithe for support. Just as you

must still pay the cable, electric, and other

utilities when you are away on vacation, so too

your parish needs your constant continuous support. Enjoy the Summer!

Notice Regarding Reporting Sexual Abuse of a Minor

It is the policy of the Diocese of Scranton to report any

allegation of sexual abuse of a minor to law

enforcement. If you are a victim of sexual abuse

committed by a priest, deacon, religious or lay

employee or volunteer of the Diocese of Scranton, you

are encouraged to immediately report the matter to

law enforcement. If any priest, deacon, religious, lay

employee or volunteer of the Diocese of Scranton has

cause or reason to suspect that a minor has been

subjected to any form of abuse, including child sexual

abuse, the matter will be reported to law enforcement.

In accordance with the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Laws, reports of

suspected child abuse should also be made immediately

by phone to the 24-HourChild Abuse hotline (ChildLine)

at 1-800-932-0313 or electronically at

www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis

It is also the policy of the Diocese to adhere to all civil

and state regulations. To this end, the Diocese is equally

committed to adhering to the norms of the Code of

Canon Law and to upholding the tenets of the USCCB

Charter for the Protection of Children and Young

People, which includes supporting victims of sexual

abuse in their pursuit of emotional and spiritual well-

being. As such, information regarding an allegation of

sexual abuse of a minor should also be reported to the

Victim Assistance Coordinator Mary Beth Pacuska at

(570-862-7551) or to Diocesan officials, including the

Vicar General, Monsignor Thomas M. Muldowney, V.G.,

at (570-207-2269).

Healing for Failed Marriages: The Year of Mercy Offers an Opportunity to Bring Healing. When marriages fail, Catholics may be unclear about their relationship to the Church.

� “I am civilly divorced and not sure

whether I can continue to receive the Eucharist or be a part of the parish community.”

� “I am not sure about the status of my marriage. It would be helpful to talk to

someone who could explain it to me.” � “My spouse and I would like to have our

marriage blessed in the Church.”

� “I don’t know what an annulment really is and why I would want one. Also, I heard they are expensive.”

Do any of these voices sound like you or someone you know? In the Diocese of Scranton, the annulment process is now more “user

friendly” than you might expect, and there is no longer a processing fee. Please contact the Diocesan Tribunal Office at 570-207-2246 to

begin a conversation.

IHM Parish Summer Mass Schedule Beginning on Saturday, July 3rd through

Sunday, September 4th, 2016, our summer

Mass schedule will be as follows:

SATURDAY

4:00 PM St. Basil’s Church, Dushore

SUNDAYS

7:30 AM St. Francis of Assisi Church, Mildred

9:00 AM St. Basil’s Church, Dushore

10:45 AM St. Francis of Assisi Chapel,

Eagles Mere

St. John Neumann Shrine Sugar Ridge:

Sunday, August 7th ~ 2:30 PM

Sunday, September 4th ~ 2:30 PM

Know a Marriage that Needs Help: Throw them a lifeline and tell them about Retrouvaille, an international program that helps couples who are experiencing marital difficulties. This program is for all couples, at any stage of marriage that needs help to communicate with each other in a more attentive and loving manner. The next program in the Scranton Diocese begins August 26-28, 2016 at The Ramada Inn, Clarks Summit, PA. Please call 800-470-2230 for more information or to register or visit the website at www.helpourmarriage.org.

Altar & Rosary Society News

CALLING ALL BAKERS! Our biggest fund

raiser, the Annual Bake Sale is coming up on

August 13th, FOUNDERS DAY, in Dushore.

We will need all kinds of baked goods: breads,

muffins, cupcakes, cookies, etc. Please call

Anne Silla 570-482-3535 if you are willing to

provide something. Because of the heat, please

do not use heavy icing.

We will also be accepting donations to our

Bakeless Bake Sale Fund. Thank you.

Potluck Picnic Benefit for Elly Rojas College

Tuition Costs

The Canton Council of the Knights of Columbus are

sponsoring a potluck picnic benefit for Elly Rojas’s

college tuition costs on Sunday, August 14, 2016 at

12:30 PM in St. John’s Church, 133 Exchange

Street, Troy, PA. The Knights of Columbus and

Ladies Auxiliary will provide pierogies, hot dogs,

and other delicious foods. Call the parish office for

more information.

Know Someone Interested in Becoming a Catholic?

These lazy and often hazy days of summer afford each of us the opportunity to contact those persons whom we know have shown interest in learning about the Catholic faith. By reason of our baptism into Christ, each of us is obligated to reach out in God’s name. Help awaken the seed of faith in others! Encourage them to become part of The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish RCIA Program (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). It is a process designed for adults who have heard God’s word and seek to enter more deeply into the way of faith of the Catholic Church. For more information please contact Donn Tourscher at 928-9361 or the rectory, 928-8865.

2016 Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Bazaar Raffle

The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Bazaar Raffle tickets are now available. The tickets are $15.00 and include 101 cash prizes. There will also be a “Bonanza Drawing” on October 9th, and a “Seller’s Appreciation Drawing” will be on the night of the Bazaar, November 6th. A special thanks to Debbie Hill who organized and chaired the Raffle – for more information contact Debbie, 928-8730, or Linda at 928-8408. First drawing will be September 18th. Please return any unpurchased tickets to the rectory so that they may be sold. The Bazaar will be held on Sunday, November 8th in St. Francis of Assisi Hall.

Religious Ed Teachers/Aide Needed

The IHM Religious Education Program needs to

fill the following positions for the 2016-2017

school year:

Kindergarten Teacher Aide

First Grade Teacher

Sixth Grade Teacher

If you are interested in sharing the faith with

children, please contact Kathleen Clark, DRE at

hayes.clark@frontiernet.net or Diane Fowler at

the Parish Office, 570-928-8865.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Summer Festival 2016

Income

Money Raffle $3,512.00

Ad Book 2,550.00

Picnic Sponsors 2,100.00

Donations 90.00

Chicken Barbecue 3,082.00

Money raised the day of the Picnic 10,052.83

Total Deposits $21,386.83

Expenses

Start Up Money $1,250.00

Licenses

Small Games of Chance 125.00

Liquor License 30.00

Dente’s Tent Rental 1,245.00

Doubleshot Polka Band 450.00

Bishop’s Port-a-Potties 170.00

Raffle Winners (Money) 1,000.00

Hurley’s (Chicken BBQ Supplies) 1,522.68

Tootie Yankalunas 237.31

Dushore Beverage 158.75

Fundraising USA 120.00

Keystone Bingo 54.00

Total Expenses $6,362.74

Income $21,386.83

Expenses 6,362.74

Total Profit $15,024.09

“When everything falls apart, only one thing sustains our hope: God loves us, he loves

everyone!” ~Pope Francis, Tweet on July 17, 2015