SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (DIVINE MERCY) MASS INTENTIONS: 8:00 p.m. Saturday, April 22 + Carol Gerlach (Love Kathy & Guy King) 8:00 a.m. Sunday, April 23 For the People 10:00 a.m. Sunday, April 23 First Communion Caleb Frazee, Dylan Kline, Madison Lewis, Brady Metzger, Coye Ours, Cody Stapleton, Josiah Stapleton, Lyla Swain and Fatima Valadez 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 24 NO MASS 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 25 NO MASS 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26 NO MASS 8:00 a.m. Thursday, April 27 NO MASS 8:00 a.m. Friday, April 28 NO MASS 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 29 + John Payne (Deb Payne) 8:00 a. m. Sunday, April 30 For the People 10:00 a.m. Sunday, April 30 Living & Deceased Members of Knights of Columbus SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES:

Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Friday: Saturday:

Second Sunday of Easter (or of Divine Mercy) Yom Ha-Shoa (Holocaust Remembrance Day) St. Mark Administrative Professionals Day St. Peter Chanel; St. Louis Grignion de Montfort; Arbor Day St. Catherine of Siena

Total collection: April 15/16 $2,318.32 Easter Envelopes: $975.00 Average expenses last 4 weeks: $3,137.80 Total in Electrical Fund: $149,232.65 Total Pledged for Electrical as of 3/9: $131,209.25 Attendance: Holy Thursday (56) Good Friday (53) Easter Vigil (51) Easter Sunday 8:00 (154) 10:00 (156) MINISTERS: SAT. APRIL 29 5:30 PM EUCHARIST: _ _ SUSAN GUST LECTOR: JACKIE JONES SERVERS: KRYSTAL DAVISON GABBY MCCONNELL USHERS: FRED CALVERT _ MIKE MCCONNELL

Pastor’s Notes Jesus’ words to Saint Thomas “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” apply to all of us. None of us have had the experience of placing our fingers in the marks of the nails or placing our hand into Jesus’ side. Yet as Christians we claim belief in Christ as our risen Savior. But, even more this weekend when we celebrate the First Communion of some of our children, these words take on an even deeper meaning. We believe in the unique, substantial presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. We believe Christ is present in this holiest of sacraments through the eyes of faith. We cannot see Him, yet we know He is there to heal and strengthen us. We can never hope to understand how this can be true, but we still believe. Christ who died and rose for us, comes to use to unite Himself with us and give us a foretaste of that eternal union with God for which we all yearn. And in coming into communion with Christ we also believe that through Him we come into communion with one another. When we come to receive our Lord’s body and blood we are publicly declaring two things: First, we wish to be one with Jesus in this most special and intimate way. Second, we wish to be truly one, in Jesus, with those receiving with us. However, this public desire for the fruits of the Eucharist, in and of itself, is not enough to ensure that we are properly disposed either to receive the Sacrament or make use of the graces it offers. No sacrament, not even the Most Holy Eucharist, is magic. Christ pours out the sacramental graces upon us to build upon the grace we already have. As Saint John Paul II stated in Chapter 4 of Ecclesia De Eucharistia the “celebration of the Eucharist…cannot be the starting point for communion; it presupposes that communion already exits, a communion which it seeks to consolidate and bring to perfection.” Thus, as St. Paul told the Corinthians, we must always examine ourselves before receiving the body and blood of Christ. Obviously, we cannot deepen our union with Christ in the Eucharist if we have already destroyed our relationship with him by committing a mortal sin. The Eucharist cannot help us because the very sanctifying grace on which it builds has been destroyed in us. Thus, the Church continues to teach that it is necessary for us to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving the Eucharist if we find ourselves in a state of grave sin. Also, reflecting on the implications of being one with our fellow communicants should always be part of our preparation for the worthy reception of our Savior’s sacred body and blood. However, this second aspect of communion preparation is one that like the first we may too often take for granted. Thus we celebrate with our First Communicants today and pray for them. We pray that they will always remember that today was the day when Christ came to them in this unique way to join them to Himself and one another. And we pray that their love for the Blessed Sacrament will grow stronger each day until they achieve eternal life and are happy with Jesus Christ for all eternity.

SUN. APRIL 30 8:00 AM PAM ROACH PAUL KOCH ELIJAH LEWIS NOAH LEWIS CHRIS DAVISON ALLAN STAPLETON

Father Tom

SUN. APRIL 30 10:00 AM _________________ KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS___________________ KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS___________________ KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS___________________ KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS__________________

DOUBT: There lives more faith in honest doubt, Believe me, than in half the creeds.

—Alfred, Lord Tennyson

FATHER THOMAS HAMM, JR. PASTOR

APRIL 23, 2017________ A SEASON OF JOY

“They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42). This first line of today’s first reading sets the tone as this fifty-day celebration of Easter opens before us. Today we listen to the teachings of three apostles—Luke, Peter, and John—who remind us that even though we have not seen Christ, we nonetheless are filled with joy as we place our belief in his saving death and resurrection. Each week during the Easter season we will gather as a community of faith to find strength and support from our God and from one another. Each week we will gather to break bread and offer the great prayer of thanksgiving, actions that will manifest the very presence of the risen Christ in our midst. Let us be open to the wonders of this season of joy. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

PLEASE EXTEND A WARM WELCOME to Msgr. Mark Froehlich (retired and lives in Belmont, Oh) who has graciously come to celebrate our Masses in Father Tom’s absence. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SECOND GRADE CLASS ON THE OCCASION OF RECEIVING THEIR FIRST HOLY COMMUNION: Caleb Frazee, Dylan Kline, Madison Lewis, Brady Metzger, Coye Ours, Cody Stapleton, Josiah Stapleton, Lyla Swain and Fatima Valadez EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO GO TO LOURDES HALL AFTER THE 10:00 AM MASS TO A BREAKFAST SPONORED BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS IN HONOR OF OUR FIRST COMMUNICANTS. CONFIRMATION CLASS today Sunday, April 23 after the 10:00 AM Mass. THERE WILL BE NO ADORATION TODAY. NO WEEK DAY MASSES THIS WEEK. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS MEETING/DINNER ON MONDAY, APRIL 24 AT 6:30 PM IN LOURDES HALL.

FATHER TOM is receiving physical and occupational therapy at Bishop Joseph H. Hodges Continuous Care Center at Wheeling Hospital, 600 Medical Park, Wheeling, WV 26003. He is in Room 227 B. Update as of Tuesday is he will see the Doctor on Friday and hopefully have his staples removed. They told him during his evaluation that it may be May 4 before he will be discharged. He misses everyone here and can’t wait to get back home. He thanks everyone for their prayers. Please continue to keep Father Tom in your prayers for a speedy recovery. THIS WEEKEND WE TAKE UP THE CATHOLIC HOME MISSIONS APPEAL. Support the Catholic Home Missions Appeal today! Right now, over 40 percent of dioceses in the United Sates are considered home missions because they are unable to fund essential pastoral work needed in their communities. Your support funds programs such as religious education, seminary formation, and lay ministry training to build vibrant faith communities right here in the United Sates. Please be generous. More information can be found at www.usccb.org/home-missions.

NO BIBLE STUDY ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26. PARISH SCHOOL OF RELIGION classes on Wednesday, April 26 from 6:00-7:00 PM. LIVE YOUR FAITH- SERVING THOSE IN NEED. Grow Spiritually. Develop Christian Friendships. In the Gospel today, Jesus stands in the midst of us and says: “Peace be with you!” During Mass we turn to each other and say “Peace be with you!” When you use your St. Vincent de Paul envelope next weekend April 30 you say “Peace be with you!” to those who are poor and hungry. NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 30 IS THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FIFTH SUNDAY AT THE 10:00 AM MASS. Father Marty Holler called on Monday to extend his thanks to everyone that helped him prepare for our Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter liturgies. He said it made his job a little easy. Thank you to the choir, servers, extra ministers, and those who decorated. NAMES ON THE PRAYER LIST WILL REMAIN FOR 30 DAYS AFTER 30 DAYS THEY WILL BE REMOVED UNLESS YOU NOTIFY THE OFFICE.

These names will remain until April 30, 2017 Please pray for the health and the healing of our friends and relatives:

Resty and Gisela Alonzo, Kali Blazer, Brett Bokovitz, Bob & Joan Browning, Erin Caldwell, Harriett Davison, Karen Davison, Keith Davison, Betty Doerfer, Sue Freyberg,. Jonnie Lou Gabrielli, Albert Grable, Kelly Haas, Larry Haas, Fr, Tom Hamm, Doug & Barbara Johnson, Edna Johnson, Everett King, Robert King, Noah Knackstedt, Davey Mathney, Lee Ann Mollohan, Kassandra Mosher, Phoebe Neal, Baby Ours, Linda Plymale, Mark Porter, Bart Repass, Herlinda Reyes, Jeff Rider, Remo & Helen Rocchi, Ken Ryan, Charlotte Shaffer, Lyle Shillington, Dr. Anthony Sola, Katy Sprow, Wendy Stiles, Irene & Charles Surber, Sandy Vanco, Helga Waldrop, Tyler Ward, Cheynee Waugh, Jamie Weis, Jack Williams, Harry White, Patrick Wolfe and Tombo Woodward.

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION The origins of the custom of burning a lamp before the tabernacle are in Jewish worship, where a lamp called ner tamid or “eternal flame” burns before the ark in every synagogue. The ark contains the sacred scrolls of the Torah. The flame represents the menorah in the Temple, and therefore is never extinguished. In fact, the word “tabernacle” itself is derived from Hebrew, as taber is the Hebrew word for “tent,” and hearkens back to the forty years of wandering in the desert. The pilgrim people were sustained in hope by an awareness that God was not only in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, but had quite literally “pitched his tent with them” in the shelter for the Ark of the Covenant. Some artisans have used this theme of “ark” or “tent” to design a tabernacle for the Blessed Sacrament. In Christian practice, Anglicans and Catholics use a sanctuary lamp to point toward the presence of the reserved sacrament, and Lutherans use it as a sign of God’s presence in the house of worship, but not necessarily as a clue that the Eucharist is reserved. Why, even in an age of electric light, is the sanctuary lamp an oil light or candle? Perhaps not only to point to Christ, the light of the world, but also to point to sacrifice. For the light to exist, there must be sacrifice. The oil or wax is transformed into light, just as those who pray here, or who will receive viaticum from here, are called to transformation in Christ. —Rev. James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.