September 20, 2020 The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

St. Joseph ParishLocated at 864 Chicora Rd.

Chicora, PA 16025724-445-3713

Fax: 724-607-1183 Office Hours by PHONE only:

M. T. Th. - 9:30am-Noon

Mater Dolorosa ParishLocated at 409 North Main St.

Chicora, PA 16025724-445-3713

Office Hours by PHONE only at St. Joe Rectory:

M. T. Th. - 9:30am-Noon

St. Wendelin Parish Located at 210 St. Wendelin Rd.

Butler, PA 16002724-287-0820

www.stwendelinbutler.comOffice Hours:

M. W. F. - 9:00am-Noon

VICARIATE FOUR

GROUPING 438

N. Oakland Chicora

Carbon Center

Page 2 St. Joseph, Mater Dolorosa & St. Wendelin Parishes September 20, 2020

A Message from Fr. Matt...Dear Brothers and Sisters,One of our high school kids said something interesting to me the other day. He asked what it was like when I was in high school. How did we communicate with our friends and our parents without cell phones? How did we know if someone “liked” us since there was no Instagram to post on and like? How did we know what was going on without Snapchat? It was an interesting and funny conversation. It is amazing how much we depend on being able to have immediate contact with people these days. The best reaction came when he asked me, how did I call home for a ride from football if I wasn’t sure when practice would end? I told him that I would make a collect call from the pay phone and the person who answered would refuse it and then know to come pick me up. He was in stunned silence. I’m sure he was thinking...“what is a pay phone?” and “what in the world is a collect call?” So the interesting thing came after this conversation. Instead of saying what I expected, “How did you people even live?” He said, “Man, that sounds nice. I wish I grew up in the 80s!”

It was a good time to grow up. It was simpler. I’m sure everyone when they get to be my age feels that way about the time when they grew up. There was some good television back in the 80s too. Do you remember a show called “Who’s the Boss?” Tony Danza was in it. He played a former pro baseball player who was hired to be the housekeeper for a hard-charging, divorced adver-tising executive. She was type A and he was the opposite. It was a funny show. It popped into my head as I looked at our Readings for this week. Because in a lot of ways, the Readings ask us, who is the boss?The First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah and the Responsorial Psalm call us to seek the Lord. We will find Him to be generous and merciful, but still the boss, whose thoughts and ways we won’t always understand. In the Second Reading, St. Paul longs for unity with Jesus in Heaven but knows that while it is hard, the work that he has been given to do by his boss Jesus is worthwhile and important and necessary for the good of others. St. Paul is torn but committed to follow where Jesus leads him.

In the Gospel, the question “Who is the boss?” is stated plainly. It is also answered plainly. The landowner is the boss. He is generous. He is merciful. He is just, maybe not in the eyes of the first workers, but according to Him. The landowner is the boss. His ways don’t fully make sense to the workers, but they don’t have to. It isn’t their place, it’s the owners.Jesus says that this is the way it is for those who follow Him. He will be kind, generous and merciful. But, it might not always feel that way. His thoughts are high above our thoughts and His ways high above our ways, as the First Reading reminds us. It is hard to hear that, right? Especially these days when information is at our fingertips and every competing opinion is proven emphatically just by looking up and choosing the side you think is right. Everybody thinks that they have the inside knowledge and the right to declare what is right and wrong, who is canceled, and who we should listen to. We have enshrined each individual as the boss of their lives, in seemingly total control. And when things aren’t the way we think they should be, we block, we quit, we cancel. A friend of mine just got a bad diagnosis from the doctor. It is a diagnosis that no one wants to hear. Her response was anger, which is understandable. Then she said that she has decided that she will not live with this disease. I love her very much but she is a product of our culture today. She thinks she is the boss. She thinks that her thoughts are above God’s thoughts and her ways above His.“Man I wish I had grown up in the 80s,” the high school kid told me. It was simpler. We didn’t have control of everything, but do you know what? We still don’t. We aren’t the boss. Our “boss-ness” is a mirage. Probably one of the most important questions that we can ask ourselves these days is “Who IS the boss?” It is not me. It is not you. God is the boss. He is a boss who is kind and merciful, and confusing sometimes. He is hard to figure out, especially when He asks you to face something tough. But figuring God out is not our place, because we aren’t the boss. He is. God will always have your eternal good in mind.This week, as you face what you have to face, easy or hard, simple or tragic, ask yourself this question, “Who is the boss?” Remember that it is not you.Peace and Love,Fr. Matt

Congratulations!Matt & Hannah

Weltermarried on September 12, 2020

at St. Wendelin Parish

Monday:Eph 4:1-7, 11-13; Ps 19:2-5; Mt 9:9-13

Tuesday: Prv 21:1-6, 10-13;

Ps 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44; Lk 8:19-21Wednesday: Prv 30:5-9;

Ps 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163; Lk 9:1-6Thursday:

Eccl 1:2-11; Ps 90:3-6, 12-14, 17bc;Lk 9:7-9Friday:

Eccl 3:1-11; Ps 144:1b, 2abc, 3-4;Lk 9:18-22Saturday:

Eccl 11:9-12:8; Ps 90:3-6, 12-14, 17;Lk 9:43b-45

Sunday: Ez 18:25-28; Ps 25:4-9;

Phil 2:1-11 [1-5];Mt 21:28-32

September 21-27

CONGRATULATIONS! Jerod & Tiffany Hack

on the baptism of their sonWAYLON PAUL HACK

on September 13, 2020

MAY JESus ALWAYS BE HIS LIGHT

Monday, September 21Noon Mass at MDFor Bean Callihan By Paul & BrendaOpen church 11am till Mass startsTuesday, September 228am Mass at SW For Cryl HesidenceOpen church after Mass till 10amWednesday, September 2310am School-only Mass at SW (Due to building capacity limitations)For Regis P. Neff By Gary O’DonnellOpen church temporarily suspended for school Mass

Wednesday, September 23 continued6pm Confessions at MD Open church 6pm till Mass starts at 7pm at MD For Ronald Thoma By Pauline BoyleThursday, September 248am Mass at SW For Denny Nebel By Mary JoOpen church after Mass till 10amFriday, September 25Noon Mass at SJ For Rose Filges By Norma MillerOpen church 11am till Mass starts

Saturday, September 2611am Confessions at SW and MD and 11:45am at SJ4pm Mass at SWFor Francis J. Neff By Mother, Brothers & SistersSunday, September 278am Mass at MDFor Jimmy Hipple By Mom, Paige, Dylan, Aunts, Uncles & Rest of Fmaily9:30am Mass at SJFor Parishioners of St. Joseph, Mater Dolorosa & St. Wendelin11am Mass at SWFor Tom Bayer By Mary

The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Page 3

Monday-Sunday, September 21-27 ~ MASSES, CONFESSIONS, OPEN CHURCHES

MATER DOLOROSA

Offertory at Mass 9/12 & 9/13............$3,343.00Offertory Online ...................................... $566.00Total Offertory ....................................$3,909.00Weekly Goal ......................................... $5,800.00Fiscal Year Goal ................................. $300,000.00Total Toward Fiscal Year Goal ............. $42,425.96Project Fund .............................................. $75.00Project Fund Online ..................................... $5.00Adopt A Child............................................. $45.00Adopt A Child Online ................................... $5.00Parish Share ............................................... $90.00Parish Online ............................................. $20.00Total Parish Share .................................$110.002020 Parish Share Goal ....................... $47,710.00Total PSP Received 2020/21 ............... $19,721.00Bishop’s Education Fund .......................... $180.00Feast of the Assumption ............................ $20.00

Offertory at Mass 9/13 ......................$437.00Offertory Online ........................................ $45.00Total Offertory ...................................... $482.00Weekly Goal ..................................... $1,500.00Fiscal Year Goal .............................. $75,000.00Total Toward Fiscal Year Goal ............ $6,953.00Parish Share: Monthly Envelope on Appeal ....... $90.00PSP Online .................................................$00.00Total Parish Share ................................... $90.00 2020 Parish Share Goal ..................... $6,289.00Total PSP Received 2020/21 ............ $12,062.00Bishop’s Education Fund ........................ $67.00Holy Land/Good Friday .......................... $10.00

ST. JOSEPH PARISHOffertory at Mass 9/13 ................... $1,919.00Offertory Online ...................................... $155.00Total Offertory ................................... $2,074.00Weekly Goal ..................................... $3,400.00Fiscal Year Goal ............................ $175,000.00Total Toward Fiscal Year Goal .......... $16,823.00House .................................................. $100.00Parish Share: Monthly Envelope on Appeal ...... $550.00PSP Online ............................................. $20.00Total Parish Share ..............................$570.002020 Parish Share Goal ................... $20,985.00Total Received 2020/21 .................. $14,975.00Bishop’s Education Fund ........................ $45.00

September 12 & 13 ST. WENDELIN PARISH

~ A Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser for Tucker Reddick is TODAY, Sunday, September 20, 11am-6pm at the Herman Fire Hall. Also available are Chinese Auction and 50/50 tickets, raffles and more. Proceeds go toward medical expenses.~ RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) classes begins Thursday, September 24, 7pm at St. Wendelin Church. There is still time to register. Contact Cathy Rodgers at cathyrodg-ers77@gmail.com or 724-388-5207.~ Without knowing when our temporary Mass schedule will end, scheduling Mass intentions for all three Parishes for 2021 has been placed on hold. Continue to check the website and bulletin for updates. Questions? Nicole at 724-287-0820 or swparish@stwendelinbutler.com. ~ We are looking for a few people interested in volunteering with our new Live Stream programming. All ages are welcome, but you need to be comfortable with computers, cameras, and video and audio equipment. We have a YouTube channel: North East Butler County Parishes - check it out!~ Due to Church capacity limitations, as of now, the Wednes-day Mass at 10am is for school children and teachers only.

The Mass will be live streamed on the Parish website: https://www.stwendelinbutler.com.~ Important information about our Parish merger is posted on the website: https://www.stwendelinbutler.com/. Letters were mailed to registered Parishioners on September 1 outlining where we are in the process and what is coming next. Thatletter is the final Grouping-wide correspondence about the merger, but you can sign up for emails under the Merger Information drop down tab on the website. Stay in the know!

Parish Notes

Thank you to the William Liberto Family for the donation of two beautiful blue banners to Mater Dolorosa Church, in memory of Patricia Liberto and Tyler Barger.

Page 4 St. Joseph, Mater Dolorosa & St. Wendelin Parishes September 20, 2020

Catholic Identity ProgramThis program highlights a variety of virtues and values

through short lessons, prayers, Scripture references, and more.

This Week’s Virtue:HOLINESS

Holiness is sharing in God’s goodness and

responding to His love by the way we live

our lives.Holiness comes through grace.

Grouping Information

St. Wendelin School is hosting an Online Purse Raffle on Sunday, October 25 at 6pm. Tickets for the main raffle are $20 each, which gives you a chance at winning one of 12 purses. There is also a side raffle for a chance for one winner to win three amazing purses. Pictures will berandomly posted of the main ticket purses leading up to the event on the school’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/St-Wendelin-School-311866048839741/. Make sure to check back often and share with your friends. Proceeds benefit St. Wendelin School. To purchase tickets use the listed links or contact Nicole Karenbauer (724-290-8611) for tickets. The following links are also on the school website: https://www.stwendel-inschool.com/and the parish website: https://www.stwendelinbutler.com/MAIN TICKET RAFFLE: https://checkout.square.site/buy/NZTUUSZ3UEJEGMPAAU7X5AWOSIDE RAFFLE TICKET: https://checkout.square.site/buy/4LY5EVPDJLYAVP7VG66RJB7M50/50 TICKET: https://checkout.square.site/buy/52XJQXJHVYTGDKEXHSVWK3P2

This week’s St. Wendelin School Student of the Week is:

KELLEN WATTERSONKellen is a

Kindergarten student at St. Wendelin School. Kellen likes to come to school to learn stuff. He likes to play with

his little brother, Judson.Star Wars toys are his favorite thing

to play with. He has watched all of the Star Wars movies

more than once. When Kellen grows up, he would like to be

in a Star Wars movie! Congratulations to

this week’s St. Wendelin School

Student of the Week,KELLEN WATTERSON!

Religious Education Program for St. Joseph-Mater Dolorosa Grades PreK-Grade 5 that meets in the Ritz-ert Center will begin the year with remote learning for at least the first semester. Families were contacted via mail. First Communion candida-tes will have a monthly in-person session at SJ. The first meeting will be a discussion with parents about this year’s Sacrament preparations. New families or any current student who did not get a mailing should contact Program Director Vanessa Birch at vbirch33@gmail.com or at 724-712-1362.

Faith Formation information for St. Wendelin Grades 1-8 and St. Joseph-Mater Dolorosa Grades 6-8 is on the website: https://www.stwendelinbutler.com/. Families who registered in previous years should have received a packet in the mail and an email with attach-ments. Students have the choice of in-person/remote or remote-only classes. If you are new to the prog-ram, contact Gina at 724-287-0820 or drestwendelin@gmail.com. Registration deadline is Monday, September 28. In-person classes start Sunday, October 4.

Surely, these St. Wendelin School fans of the Black n Gold are the reason our Steelers’ season started with a WIN!

FALL FAITH FORMATION AT ALL PARISHESSJ-MD PreK-5 SW 1-8 & SJ-MD 6-8

Online Purse Raffle