A Parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford

The St. Catherine Parish Legacy Fund is committed to en-suring the long-term stability of our parish and its minis-tries. Please consider a gift in lieu of flowers upon a love one's passing as a way to ensure our community will thrive well into the future.

The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica 9 November 2014

Parish Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m.

Pastor The Reverend Michael Whyte 860 658 1642

PARISH STAFF Administrative Assistant-Parish Office Mrs. Lisa Cerchia 860 658 1642 or stcathy@comcast.net Director of Religious Education Mrs. Kathi Bonner 860 658 4737 or kathidre@aol.com Director of Youth Ministry Mrs. Judy Pluta 860 408 9888 or judyplutaym@gmail.com Music Director Mrs. Susan Zybert 860 216 6519 or susanzybert@comcast.net Facilities Manager Mr. Michael Grappone 860 658 1642 Parish Council President Mr. Tom Tanski 860 658 4430 Finance Council Chairman Mr. Scott Muryasz 860 693 4164 Parish Legacy Fund Chairman Mr. Peter Pabich 860 408 1254 Parish Lay Trustees Mrs. Melissa Horbal, (860)651-7844 Mr. Joseph Capozzoli, (860)352-2390

Thanks for worshiping with us.

If you would like to join our parish

family, fill out a yellow membership form found

in the vestibule or atrium and mail it to us, drop

it in the collection basket or

call us at 658 1642.

Mass/Liturgy Schedule: Saturday Vigil at 5:00 p.m. Sunday Masses at 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend, NO 5:00 p.m. Sunday Mass) Daily Mass at 8:30 a.m., Monday through Wednesday, and Friday. (Yearly) Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday from 4:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Baptisms and Baptismal Preparation: Please call the parish office at 860 658 1642 Sacrament of Holy Matrimony: Please call the parish office at 860 658 1642 at least 6 months in advance Choir Practices: Adult—Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. Youth—Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. Contemporary Music Group—Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.

Bulletin Deadline: Monday at 10:00 a.m. Website News: email to: StCatherineWebMaster@Comcast.net 265 Stratton Brook Road, Box 184, West Simsbury, Connecticut 06092 Tel: 860 658 1642 /Fax: 888 297 3134 Email: stcathy@comcast.net Website: www.stcatherine.info

WELCOME! We welcome all visitors who are celebrating with us today. As is

our custom at St. Catherine of Siena, please remain in your pew

for the singing of the first and last verses of the recessional

hymn.

Religious Education News

Confirmation I & II meet on Sunday,

Nov. 16th.

Grade 4 Class Mass is Sunday, November 16th

at 5pm. All 4th Graders should be at the church no later

than 4:30 pm. All are required to attend. Please remember

to bring a non-perishable food item for the food pantry.

First Reconciliation is Sunday, Nov. 23rd at

3pm!Please be at the church by 2:45pm ~ families will

sit together.

Saturday, November 8th @ 5:00 pm Mass for Anthony & Lucia Brancato, requested by their family;

Sunday, November 9th @ 8:00 am Mass for

William Paradis, requested the Small Christian Community;

Sunday, November 9th @ 11:00 am Mass for Theresa Murphy, requested by Mary & Ed Bouquillon;

Sunday, November 9th @ 5:00 pm Mass for

Dolores Faltys, requested by Jim & Tina Yablonski;

Monday, November 10th @ 8:30 am Mass for Juliann Maida, requested by the Ferri family;

Tuesday, November 11th @ 8:30 am Mass for

All Veterans, living and deceased;

Wednesday, November 12th @ 8:30 a.m. Mass for

Tom West, Sr., 3rd anniversary; Tom West, Jr., 8th anniversary, requested by Betty West;

Friday, November 14th @ 8:30 am Mass for

Guilia Morelli, requested by the Berardelli Family;

Saturday, November 16th @ 5:00 pm Mass for Thomas McManus, requested by Ed & Mary Bouquillon;

Sunday, November 16th @ 8:00 am Mass for

Stanley Burk, requested Pat & Gil Hatch;

Sunday, November 16th @ 11:00 am Mass for Lucille Duford, requested by Betty Farina; and,

Sunday, November 16th @ 5:00 pm Mass for the Intentions of our Grade 4 Students.

WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS

Offertory Collection Weekly Collection: $11,403.70 Loose Cash/Checks $ 1,594.70 Envelopes $ 8,506.00 Cathedraticum* -$ 627.21 School Tax* -$ 627.21

*Parish taxes (5.5%) paid to the Archdiocese for services to the parish. Repair & Refurbishment …$ 60.00

This weekend’s second collection is for Repair & Refurbishment.

YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS—The month of

November is filled with Youth Ministry activities!

SENIOR HIGH YOUTH MINISTRY Sunday, November 9th, 6:00 pm, Russell Hall

A guest speaker from FOOD SHARE will be with us to present

HUNGER 101—a series of interactive activities sure to raise

our awareness. You will be surprised. This is a great way to

prepare your heart for Thanksgiving and the holiday season. (No

pizza tonight - please bring one non-perishable food item to

donate to food share.)

Friday, November 14th to Sunday, November 16th—

TWA—Teen Weekend Away. We gather for departure at

6:00 pm in the parking lot.

Friday, November 21st, 7:00 pm, Russell Hall

The St. Catherine Social Justice Committee and Youth Ministry

gather together to watch the short film, A Place at the Table. This

is a remarkable film about hunger in America. Can you join us

for 75 minutes on a Friday evening? Please bring a friend.

Sunday, November 23rd, 6:00 pm, Russell Hall

Thanksgiving pies! Join us for the Youth Group tradition

making apple pies for area soup kitchens and shelters. BRING:

6-7 apples, an apple peeler and a cutting board from home.

We will provide the rest. (Please put family name on the utensils)

Adult helpers are needed!

Please contact JudyPlutaYM@gmail.com.

JUNIOR HIGH YOUTH MINISTRY Monday, November 10th 7:00 pm—Thanksgiving

applesauce! Join this Jr High Youth Group tradition making

applesauce for area soup kitchens. BRING: 6 apples, an apple

peeler and a cutting board from home. (put family name on

utensils.) Pizza will be served. Adult helpers are needed. Please

contact JudyPlutaYM@gmail.com.

Friday, November 21st 7:00 pm, Russell Hall

The St. Catherine Social Justice Committee and Youth Ministry

gather together to watch the short film, A Place at the Table, a

film about hunger in America. Can you join us for 75 minutes on

a Friday evening? Please bring your friends.

Saturday, November 22nd - Junior High Youth

Ministry goes to FEED THE HUNGRY in Hartford. We will

gather at St. Catherine at 9:30 am, travel to Hartford together,

make sandwiches and serve lunch at the soup kitchen and return

by 1:30 pm. There is a limit on the number of teens that can fit in

the Mercy shelter kitchen for this project. Parent chaperones are

invited to join us. Please contact JudyPlutaYM@gmail.com.

“Bethlehem Christian Families” will be here, from the Holy Land, representing the

Christian wood carvers of Bethlehem that rely on

tourism to support their families. Their mission is

to bring and sell the Olive Wood Carvings to

Catholic Churches in the United States to help the

Christian families remain in their homes and

support their families. Please look over these carving that are

available to you at the weekend of November 15th&16th in

Russell Hall and support this self-help project that enables to

keep Christians in the Holy Land. Your help and understanding

in this crucial matter is greatly appreciated.

FROM FATHER MICHAEL...

Parking With the expansion of the parking lot I want to draw our attention to the handicapped parking currently in place. As a religious institution we are exempt from ADA requirements both in the parking lot and in the building. Not sure why, as this makes no sense to me. However, rules and regulations should not “trump” doing what is righteous. If we were to be held to the ADA requirements, we would need to have a total of “6” handicapped parking spaces, we currently provide 10 such spots. However, this Sunday at the 11 a.m. Mass, all ten spots were being utilized though not all of the vehicles parked in these spots exhibited a handicapped parking tag or license plate. I want to ask our parishioners to please only park in the handicapped spots if you or someone in your vehicle are handicapped and if your vehicle bears the Connecticut-required permit. We now have a new lot and plenty of

spaces to accommodate our parishioners. Thank you! Remember, that when parking in the new back lot, the easiest entrance into the Church is by taking the sidewalk into the automatic door into RUSSELL HALL and then going into the Church. It is actually a shorter walk from the new lot to Russell Hall than it is to walk from the rectory to the Church.

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome and our own “Temples”

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, which from the beginning of the fourth century when it was given to the pope by Constantine, the palace of the Lateran was the principal residence of the popes, and continued as such for about a thousand years. The fall of the palace from its position of glory was the result of the departure of the popes from Rome during the Avignon period. Two destructive fires, in 1307 and 1361 respectively, did irreparable harm, and although vast sums were sent from Avignon for the rebuilding, the palace never again attained its former splendor. When the popes returned to Rome they resided first at Santa Maria in Trastevere, then at Santa Maria Maggiore, and lastly fixed their residence at the Vatican. After the fires, Pope Sixtus V then destroyed what still remained of the ancient palace of the Lateran and erected the present much smaller edifice in its place. The palace is now given up to the Pontifical Museum of Christian Antiquities. Today, The Papal Archbasilica of St.

John Lateran (Italian: Arcibasilica Papale di San Giovanni in Laterano), commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica, St. John Lateran's Basilica, or just The

Lateran Basilica, is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope. It is the oldest and ranks first among the four Papal Basilicas or major basilicas of Rome (having the cathedra [chair] of the Bishop of Rome), and is the oldest church in the West. Back to today’s readings and our own temples: we continue the theme of the last few weeks regarding our human body and its immortal soul after death—and what it will be like for us after the Resurrection. In order to do this, let us travel back on the road to Emmaus and consider what the disciples saw when Christ appeared to them:

Christ’s body was somehow “different,” and at first the disciples were unable to recognize Jesus and thought He was a stranger—not an alien or extraterrestrial being or a ghost—but a stranger. The change in our bodies is connected in this weekend’s gospel to Jesus’ comment in the Temple to the Jews when He said: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews respond with a comment of how long it took to build the temple and that Jesus’ claim seems unrealistic. But we know, from hindsight, that Jesus was not talking about the physical building but rather He was talking about the Resurrection of the human body after death. The whole point of this conversation by Jesus is that the human person, complete

with an immortal soul, is created in the image and likeness of God. And much like the Temple which was being abused—misused for purposes other than praising God—so too our human bodies (our personhood) can be misused and abused as temples of God’s Holy Spirit. Let us consider this Gospel of John (2:13-22) as asking each of us directly how we “use and respect our human temples of the Holy Spirit—our bodies—to praise

God; how we misuse our bodies, even denying God and His Spirit within us?

1. Do we abuse our body with illegal drugs and legal medications?

2. Do we abuse our body with bad physical relationships? 3. Do we abuse our body with stress in search of material gain over spiritual intentions? 3. Do we abuse our body by self-inflicted illnesses, such as eating disorders and alcohol, abuse; with on-going plastic surgery, or deface it with pins, spikes, and full-body tattoos? 5. Do we fill our minds with good and holy thoughts, with prayerful conversation, or do we fill them with gossip, inane, petty conversation or material- oriented desires only?

Do we truly consider our bodies a temple, a dwelling place, of God’s Divine Spirit and what are we hoping to become after the Resurrection? Do we hope for a

complete transformation in Christ—and expect to become like Him? All this hope in the Resurrection calls us to become true Disciples of Christ in this world. Sharing in His suffering—by being one with Him in caring for others and sharing in their lives so that we may also share in His glorious Resurrection and life everlasting. Eternity is a long time, a very long time, and the choices we make today have a direct bearing on all that we will become and lay the ground work for where we will spend our everlasting days. Let’s build-up a beautiful temple in ourselves to praise God just like the ancients did in building the Lateran Basilica, but may the one we build today withstand the fire!

Catholic TV Network The Catholic TV Network is coming to our area and

is now available on local cable and satellite providers. You can help expand their reach by promoting this upbeat, youthful and exciting new media outlet and powerful resource for people. To help, go to GetCatholicTV.com and petition your cable or satellite provider.

RCIA meets Tuesday, November 18th at 7 p.m. in the Library. You are welcome to

come and see what it’s all about.

Upcoming Meetings/Events NOVEMBER

-Sun, 9th—Senior High Youth Group/RH, 6 p.m.

-Mon, 10th—Parish Council/Library, 7:00 p.m.

-Mon, 10th—Jr. High Youth Group, RH & Kitchen, 7 p.m.

-Tues, 11th—Children’s Choir, MR, 6:30 p.m.

-Tues, 11th—Adult Choir, MR, 7:30 p.m.

-Thurs, 13th—Renew, Library, 10 a.m.

-Thurs, 13th—Contemporary Choir, MR, 7 p.m.

-Thurs, 13th—Girl Scouts, RH, 7 p.m.

-Fri, 14th—Making Music Praying Twice, MR, 10:00 a.m.

-Sat, 15th—LEAF RAKE, RH, 7:30 a.m.

-Sat, 15th—Pantry Partners, Vestibule, 9:30 a.m.

-Sun, 16th—Children’s Liturgy of the Word, RH, 11 a.m.

-Sun, 16th—Confirmation 1 & 2/all rooms, 6 p.m.

Social Outreach

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Pantry Partners—This Saturday, November 15, is

the monthly distribution for Pantry Partners. All

volunteers should plan to arrive by 9:00 AM in the vestibule. On November 23, we will partner with

Gables Brigade to distribute Thanksgiving boxes in the afternoon. Thank you for your generous

donations!

Our Children’s Choir needs voices! We are in need of beautiful children’s

voices for our choir which meets on

Tuesdays from 6:30-7:20 p.m. and sings

at two Vigil Masses a month. We are already

preparing for Advent! Please call Susan Zybert at

(860) 216-6519 and join us in singing to the Lord!

ADULT PARISH CHRISTMAS PARTY Date: December 6

Time: 6:15 PM to 11 PM Place: Russell Hall

Price: Early Bird Special $35 per person

through 11/16; POST $40 per person. Buffet Dinner, Beer

and Wine included. Entertainment: Live DJ. Ticket sales

will close 12/3. We are asking everyone to bring an

unwrapped toy to donate.

LEAF RAKE—It is that time again to

help the elderly needy in our Parish as well as our community. Come out and join other parishioners as we rake lawns for those who cannot. Bring the whole family, for what

has traditionally been a fun-filled day. We are looking for people with rakes and blowers. The date for the leaf rake is November 15

th at 7:30 AM in Russell Hall. There are

sign-up sheets in the vestibule and atrium of the church for volunteers as well as to sign up lawns that will need to be raked. Please feel free to contact Bill Tagliatela with questions or if you would like to sign up via e-mail, wtagliatela@gmail.com, (860)338-3695. Lunch will be

served after the raking is complete. Rain date will be

November 22nd. Thank you for all you do.

Make it a family tradition! Don't miss this year's Advent Wreath making on Sunday, November 23 at 12:00 pm in Russell Hall. We'll supply the materials and you will build your original Advent wreath with greens. Please bring a dessert to share. Sign-up Sheet in the Atrium. Volunteers are needed to help

too. Contact Karen or Rich Sickinger at 408-1295 or sickfam@comcast.net with any questions.

ADVENT BIBLE STUDY IS BACK! We will resume our popular Bible Study

Series on Wednesdays and Saturdays during

Advent. The Wednesday morning Bible

Study will actually begin on Tuesday,

Nov. 25th (Wed. 11/26 is the day before

Thanksgiving) and then will continue on

Wednesdays, Dec. 3, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17th, 9:15am-10:30am in

the Library with Kathi Bonner, 2011 CBS Graduate. Saturday

mornings will begin Saturday, Nov. 29th, Dec. 6, Dec. 20th from

9am- 10:30am with Father Michael and Lou Daniels, 2014 CBS

Graduate. Both Wednesdays and Saturdays will cover the same

readings with an emphasis on one particular theme each

week. Flyers and sign-ups will begin this weekend.

Finance Council Meeting on Tuesday,

November 11th at 7 p.m. in the Rectory.

Basketball, Women and the Church:

Changing attitudes in culture and our

Church. All parents and parishioners are

invited to come find out more in this

informative and relevant presentation by

Joan Kennedy, MTS. Join us at Henry James

Memorial School on Nov. 16th, from 9:30 am

-10:30 am. Coffee and donuts are graciously provided by the

Community Life Committee.

Prepare your heart for

Thanksgiving—The St. Catherine

Social Justice Committee invites you to join

them on November 21st at 7 p.m. in Russell

Hall to view “A Place a the Table”, a

documentary about hunger in America particularly regarding

children. Come have a place at our table and see how we are

ONE NATION UNDERFED.

Parish Socializing...

End of Bulletin

Information on this page is not printed

Church: St. Catherine of Siena

City: West Simsbury, Connecticut

Account # 04-0523

Run #

Routing Code: O

Phone: 860.658.1642

Fax: 888.297.3134

Contact: Lisa Cerchia