September 11, 2011

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

St. Veronica Church 434 Alida Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080

Phone: 650-588-1455 www.stveronicassf.com Fax: 650-588-1481

Forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.

Established 1951

The Unmerciful Servant, Rembrandt 1660

Parish Office Hours Monday to Friday

8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Lunch Noon - 1:00 p.m.

Phone: 650-588-1455 Fax: 650-588-1481

Parish Staff Fr. Charles Puthota, Ph.D., Pastor Fr. Linh Nguyen, Parochial Vicar Fr. Joe Walsh, In Residence

http://rico50.blogspot.com Deacon Roger Beaudry Deacon Joseph LeBlanc Sandy Kearney, Parish Manager Patricia Spiteri, Parish Secretary Karen Guglielmoni, Faith Formation & Wedding Coordinator Christopher Lindstrom, Music Director 650-588-1455 Ext. 308

St. Veronica Catholic School Phone: 650-589-3909

Kathryn Lucchesi Pam Cavagnaro Principal Vice Principal

Parish Office email: churchoffice@stveronicassf.com

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION

Sacrament of Baptism Baptismal Preparation classes are held once a month.

Call the Parish Office 588-1455

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Classes from October 2nd through Pentecost.

Call the Parish Office to register 588-1455

Faith Formation: 650-588-1455 Ext. 305 Catechetical instructions (1st to 8th grades)

Confirmation Classes: 588-1455

Reflection Is forgiveness ever easy -- especially with a repeat offender? "Seven times?" Peter asks. "Seventy-seven times," Jesus replies. Today's readings give us the major reason to forgive others: God has forgiven us. There's more. Not to forgive is to let anger and wrath poison our hearts. Being unforgiv-ing can imprison a person, resulting in bitterness, revenge, and a slow death of the spirit. Not to forgive can be more costly for the one offended. Paul tells us we belong to the Lord, are called to serve him to do his will, which is the will of the Father. And God's will is that we forgive one another. When the risen Lord first appeared to the disciples in the upper room, he wished them peace, and then gave them the power of the Spirit to forgive. This work is not limited to our going to the sacrament of reconciliation. ♦ Have you known the grace of being forgiven? ♦ Have you known the freedom of forgiving another per-

son?

Mass Intent ions WEEK of September 11, 2011

Sun 09/11 6:45 † Elsie Trollman 8:00 Jim & Auri Piguing 9:30 † Steven Dub 11:00 † Pat Bruns 12:30 People of St. Veronica

Mon 09/12 6:30 † Felix Rojo 8:30 Paz Sison Tue 09/13 6:30 † Francisco Espana 8:30 † Mario Feliciana Wed 09/14 6:30 † Michael Grieco 8:30 † Mickey Hart Thu 09/15 6:30 † Carlos Diaz, Sr. 8:30 † Margarita Baluyot

Fri 09/16 6:30 † Thomas O’Rourke 8:30 † Carlos Diaz, Jr. Sat 09/17 8:30 † Jane Zammarchi 5:00 † Mario Feliciano

Sun 09/18 6:45 † Margarita Ancanan 8:00 † Ang & Pete Warnke 9:30 † Clayton Dobb 11:00 † Delfin Mamaradlo 12:30 People of St. Veronica

St. Veronica Parish

Mass Schedule

Saturdays: 8:30AM & 5:00PM Sundays: 6:45, 8:00, 9:30, 11:00AM, and 12:30PM

Holy Days: 6:30, 8:30AM, & 6:30PM Monday—Friday: 6:30 & 8:30AM

Confessions

Saturdays: 4:00—5:00PM

Liturgy of the Hours Monday—Friday: Morning Prayer at 6:00AM

Eucharistic Adoration

Monday—Friday: 9:00AM—9:00PM

Parish Registration

Please complete and return form to the parish recto-ry, or simply drop it in the collection basket.

Kindly print all information

Name(s) ____________________________________

Name(s) ____________________________________

Address ____________________________________

___________________________________________

City & Zip ___________________________________

Phone ______________________________________

E-mail: _____________________________________

Updating Current Parish Registration

Moving / Please remove from mailing list.

___This is a new registration

Please call me.

Please remember the sick and the care-givers in our community. Pray that they may find comfort

and healing in Christ.

Please contact the Parish office if Homebound Eucharistic services are needed.

Saturday 09/03 5:00PM 1969.25 253.50 2222.75

Sunday 09/04 6:45AM 1417.00 164.00 1581.00

8:00AM 792.50 157.00 949.50

9:30AM 1249.00 262.00 1511.00

11:00AM 890.00 160.00 1050.00

12:30PM 1133.00 287.00 1420.00

TOTALS: 7450.75 1283.50 8734.25

Day Mass Time 1st. Collection Parish Maintenance Totals:

SAVE THE DATES

• September 13, 2011 - 7:30PM - Baptism Prep Class in the Church

• September 18, 2011 - Catechetical Sunday

• September 24, 2011 - SV Festival Car Show

• September 23, 24, & 25,2011 - St. Veronica Parish All-Star Festival

• September 29—October 2, 2011 - Cathedral Festival of Flowers

• October 2, 2011 - RCIA Classes 9AM, Pastoral Center

• October 29, 2011 - 19th Annual Santini Golf Tournament and Dinner

Welcome Newly Registered Parishioners!

Our Parish continues to be blessed and enriched by the presence of registered parishioners:

Antonio & Faatafa Matuu

May St. Veronica Church offer you a place where you can

bring your sorrow and joys, your pain and triumphs and peace for your soul.

Please remember in your prayers the recent losses in our Parish Family.

Mafalda Mambrin - Died August 30, 2011

Coleman Connolly - Died September 1, 2011

“Eternal Rest Grant Unto them, O Lord…”

Thank you for your sacrificial offering to St. Veronica Parish. It is needed and appreciated.

Next week’s 2nd collection will be for the benefit of the Priests’ Retirement Fund.

From the Pastor's Desk GOD'S FORGIVENESS AND OURS

“Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” Matthew 18:33 Two neighbors, Kevin and Jack, had a long-standing quar-rel. One day Kevin suddenly took seriously ill. Calling the parish priest for the last rites, his wife requested him to patch up her husband’s quarrel with Jack. After a great deal of persuasion, Kevin agreed to Jack being called to his deathbed for reconciliation. Jack said readily, “Let’s make up, Kevin. Let bygones be bygones.” Kevin agreed rather reluctantly. But as Jack was preparing to leave, Kevin, rais-ing himself on one elbow in bed and shaking his other fist, said: “Remember, Jack, this counts only in case I die.” Forgiveness does not come easy for most of us. It is per-haps the most difficult gift we are called to give. When others have wronged us and we have suffered the sad con-sequences on account of that, it is extremely hard for us to let go of the hurts and offer forgiveness. This Sunday, the tenth anniversary of the heartbreaking 9/11 tragedy, we cannot but view the Word of God in light of what happened a decade ago and the ongoing sorrow, grief, and anger. On my family visits to New York, my brother and I usually walk by Ground Zero and silently watch with deep sadness the sacred spot and the bustling construction activity as the Freedom Tower rises like a phoenix from the ashes. It is obvious that justice must be served, that no one ever has the right to destroy life, and that individuals and nations must protect themselves against violence and aggression. At the same time, we know in the depths of our hearts that only through forgiveness can we hope to find peace, heal-ing, and grace. Calling us to constant and continuous process of for-giveness (“not seven times, but seventy-seven times”), Je-sus makes the insightful and intimate connection between God’s forgiveness and ours. It is along the lines of Jesus establishing the inalienable connection between love of God (Deuteronomy 6:5) and love of neighbor (Leviticus 19:18), thus forging the love commandment.

In the gospel parable, the forgiven servant should in turn have forgiven the fellow servant. When he was not able to do it, it resulted in the first forgiveness being taken away. The servant was worthy of the forgiveness of the king only to the extent that he was able to extend it to others. Even as God forgives, we have to forgive. God forgives our tres-passes as we forgive those who trespass against us. When we cannot forgive those who harm us, we lose our moral and spiritual grounding for God’s mercy. It is not God who stops forgiving us, but we who deny ourselves the possibility of receiving God’s forgiveness. This insight is also enshrined in the book of Sirach: “Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?” There are three dimensions of forgiveness. The spiritual forgiveness is God’s prerogative. Psalm 103 rightly cele-brates it: “The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger and rich in compassion.” God has indeed thrown all our sins into the deepest ocean and has posted a sign that reads: No fishing! Practically, we could celebrate and cherish God’s forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least twice a year--- before Christmas and Easter---and live daily in the spirit of it. The spiritual forgiveness can happen only if we choose to practice personal and social forgiveness. Practically, on the personal level, we can start with our own family and friends. Forgiveness will salvage marriages and families, and help build peace and harmony in our personal and pro-fessional arenas of life. The social forgiveness is also necessary between nations and religions and among racial, ethnic, tribal groups. Wars and violence are perpetrated because we have not so far learned the art of forgiveness. Haven’t we learned any les-sons at all from all the wars, bloodshed, hatred, and anger that have ravaged human history? Practically, we could influence nations and governments toward legislation and policy that promote dialogue rather than confrontation. Your Friend and Pastor, Charles Puthota, Ph.D. (This Scripture reflection by Father Charles Puthota was published in Catholic San Francisco this weekend of Sept. 10-11, 2011)

Preparing for the New Missal Translation

Seek Comfort in Prayer Together

Mass and Healing Liturgy in memory of our Little ones

Saturday, September 17, 2011—11:00 a.m.

Bishop Robert McElroy, principal celebrant Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery

1500 Mission Road, Colma, CA Rachel Shrine

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) ARE YOU SOMEONE OR DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE

WHO. . . ♦ Has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic? OR ♦ Was baptized Catholic as a child, but has not cele-

brated the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist? We offer an opportunity to come together in a small group to learn more about our faith. Sessions focus on the teachings and experience of Church and prepare individuals to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Con-firmation, and Eucharist during the Easter season. We will have our first session on October 2, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. in the Pastoral Center. Please call the Parish office at 650-588-1455 for more detailed information.

Scheduling your child’s Baptism at St. Veronica

The next available dates are December 3 and 17, 2011.

Our calendar fills up quickly so call the Parish Office and reserve your date soon!

Forgiveness Prayer

We pray that we might have the gift of forgiveness, both of receiving and giving it to others in turn.

We ask the Holy Spirit to empower us to be able to forgive

what the world judges to be "unforgiveable." While for us it can seem impossible,

with God all things are possible.

Invite your friends for Wednesday night Bingo

Location: St. Veronica Falcon Hall Games begin at 7:00 p.m.

Proceeds to benefit St. Veronica Catholic School

What exceptional event comes to mind about a retired priest . . ?

How has one of our retired priests been a special person for you or your family? Did he help you through a tough time or maybe cele-brate a milestone in your family’s sacramental life? There are almost ninety priests in our Archdiocese who are retired. Almost all of these retired priests stay active to the degree they can. Our retired priests are even now regularly asked to celebrate Mass, perform baptisms, witness marriages, hold funeral services, mentor younger priests, and hear confessions. Many of them celebrate im-portant dates during their retirement years, reaching a 60th anniver-sary of ordination and beyond. Many of these men take care of their personal needs themselves, and depend on the Priests’ Retirement Fund for assistance. On Friday, October 21st, we are holding the First Annual St John Vianney luncheon at St. Mary’s Cathedral. This gathering will honor the retired priests of the Archdiocese and help raise funds for the Priests’ Retirement Fund. It will be a wonderful opportunity to show your appreciation to the retired priests for the many ways you have been blessed by them. Come join us in honoring them. For reservation and tickets, you may call the Parish office or contact the Office of Development at (415) 614-5580 or email at sfdevelopment@sfarchdiocese.org.

Family Connection Children learn to trust God's mercy and for-giveness when they experience forgiveness from those closest to them. We hope that we model God's love and forgiveness within our family life. Today's Gospel re-minds us that forgiveness is measured by its quality more than its quantity. Invite your family to consider some recent times when family members sought the forgiveness of anoth-er. Ask if there were any statements made that put con-ditions on our forgiveness such as “I will play this game with you if you apologize for knocking over my blocks” or “I will accept your apology after you clean up your room.” Do we sometimes “keep count” or put conditions on our forgiveness of one another? This is something we may be doing without realizing it. Ask if we sometimes find ourselves sounding like Peter, concerning ourselves with quantity of forgiveness rather than offering forgiveness abundantly and uncon-ditionally. Reflect upon the parable that Jesus tells. What does the servant do that makes the king so an-gry? He refuses to forgive his fellow servant the debt that he owes. Because we have all received God's for-giveness, God expects that we will also be forgiving toward others. Jesus' answer to Peter's question is found at the end of the parable. The number of times that we forgive one another is less important than the depth of our forgiveness. We must forgive one another from the heart.

Faith Formation 2011-2012 Registration Open

It's time to register for Faith Formation. Forms can be found on the parish web site under the Faith Formation link. Our pro-gram provides religious instruction and spiritual formation for children in grades 1-8 and Confirmation. Classes for grades 1 - 8 begin on Sept 17th & 21st. Classes are offered on:

• Wednesday afternoons: 3:30 - 4:45 p.m. for grades 1-6

• Wednesday evenings: 7:00 - 8:15 p.m. for grades 7 & 8

• Saturday mornings: 9:00 - 10:15 a.m. for grades 1-6 Just a reminder that the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation are two-year programs. Contact Karen at 650-588-1455 or via e-mail at reled@stveronicassf.com with any questions. If you have not yet registered with St. Veronica parish, please complete a Parish Registration Form found in this bulletin or download a full form from our website at www.stveronicassf.com.

Last week’s Scripture puzzle solution. How well did you do?

2011—2012 Student Council News We extend our sincere congratulations and appreciation to the 2011-2012 student leaders. Know that our prayers are with you as you represent your respective classes and the St. Ve-ronica Catholic School student body during this school year. Student Body President: Jenna Reynolds Vice-President: Amanda Vallecorse Secretary: Dylan Kay Treasurer: Siena Attard Commissioners: Daniel Camou, Analiese Marquez, Kesaia Langi and Cameron Yap.

7th grade class representatives: Trenton Birch, Patrick Brosnan, Danielle Rodriquez, Leanne Yuen

6th grade class representatives: Bryce Almario, Julia Attard, Diego Morales, Isabella Vincenzi

5th grade class representatives: Alexandria Marquez, Marco Morales, Victoria Pieri, Maya McGee

Donations for the Various Booths are now being accepted at the Parish Office.

Booth Some Suggested Donations

Classic Car Show Material Model cars, car care materials

Pets, Pets and more Pets Pet Accessories, beds, cages, books, all pet foods, etc.

Liquor & Libations Beer, wine, spirits, mixers, glassware/barware, etc.

Sports Fan Booth Memorabilia, hats, bats, balls, cards, team goods, etc.

Sweet Tooth Cravings Bags of candy, baked goods, cookies, anything chocolate!

Holiday Lane Ornaments, decorations, festive ware for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.

Bottle mania 2-liter Soda Bottles (Coke, Sprite, orange, punch, etc.)

Face Painting Supplies for face painting, aprons, make up sponges

Toy Booth Games, balls, dolls, puzzles, stuffed animals, etc.

September 23, 24, & 25, 2011