HOLY ROSARY CHURCH
Washington, DC

Serving Italians and all Catholics on the move in the Greater Washington DC Area since 1913

Bulletin
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

September 21, 2008 – 25th Sunday of
Ordinary Time
9:00 Lily Brooks
10:30 Fausto & Rosa Falcone
12:00 Flaim Family
Monday, September 22, 2008 – Weekday
12:05 Luisa Rabaiotti
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 – St. Pio of Pietrelcina
12:05 Thanksgiving to the Infant of Prague
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 – Weekday
12:05 Ann. Mickey Holt-Zappalà
Thursday, September 25, 2008 – Weekday
12:05 Giuseppe Zizzo
Friday, September 26, 2008 – Weekday
12:05 Mary Lizak
Saturday, September 27, 2008 – St. Vincent de Paul
11:00 Padre Pio Group
4:30 Wedding Benjamin Alves & Melissa Hurley
September 28, 2008 – 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time
9:00 Michele & Maria Giacinta Del Borrello
60th Wedding Anniv. Diana & Donald Dickhute
10:30 Rose & Giuseppe Furgiuele
12:00 Gervasio Family

LECTORS THIS SUNDAY
9:00 Joseph Harchick
10:30 Marco Randazzo and Adriano Romano
12:00 Alex LoBianco

The collection for Sunday, September 14 was $3,060.58.

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
With his irritating and puzzling parable of the landowner of the vineyard today Jesus is inviting us to look into ourselves, into our competitiveness, our envy, our feelings of superiority and to remember that we are all children of the same God, equally dependent on God’s generosity and love, equally called to live with generosity and love toward each other.
God does not depend on what we do or how much we do or on our situation in life when giving us our so-called wages. God’s generosity is boundless and is given to all. God doesn’t follow our ideas of justice but gives love gratuitously and generously, regardless of our worthiness. Remember that God’s ways are not our ways. They are so much better than we can imagine in our wildest dreams.

VENTICINQUESIMA DOMENICA DEL TEMPO ORDINARIO
Nell’insolita parabola del padrone della vigna nel Vangelo di oggi, Gesù ci invita a guardare dentro di noi, al nostro spirito di competere, alla nostra invidia, e ai nostri sentimenti di superiorità e a ricordare che siamo tutti figli dello stesso Dio, ugualmente dipendenti dalla generosità e dall’amore di Dio, ugualmente chiamati a vivere con generosità e amore verso tutti.
Dio non è condizionato da quello che facciamo o come lo facciamo quando ci dà la nostra ricompensa. La generosità di Dio è senza limiti ed è goduta da tutti. Dio non segue le nostre idee di giustizia, ma offre gratuitamente e generosamente il suo amore, senza guardare ai nostri meriti. Le vie di Dio non sono le nostre. Sono molto migliori di quanto le possiamo sognare.

 

"He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?' Thus the last will be first, and the first will be last." - Mt. 20:13-16

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Readings for the Week of 21 September 2008
Sunday: Is 55:6-9/Phil 1:20c-24, 27a/Mt 20:1-16a
Monday: Prv 3:27-34/Lk 8:16-18
Tuesday: Prv 21:1-6, 10-13/Lk 8:19-21
Wednesday: Prv 30:5-9/Lk 9:1-6
Thursday: Eccl 1:2-11/Lk 9:7-9
Friday: Eccl 3:1-11/Lk 9:18-22
Saturday: Eccl 11:9-12:8/Lk 9:43b-45
Next Sunday: Ez 18:25-28/Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5/Mt 21:28-32

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CONSCIENCE AND THE CATHOLIC VOTER

As this election year proceeds, it is important for us to be informed about the issues which confront us in national, state, and local elections, and understand how they pertain to the common good and to the human dignity of each person. A well-formed conscience, wrote Bishop William E. Lori, Chair of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, is necessary for participating well in the political process. But conscience is not something that allows us to justify doing whatever we want. The human conscience does not create right and wrong but rather perceives it. Therefore, Catholics have a serious and lifelong obligation to form their consciences in accord with human reason and the teaching of the Church. This aids the process of moral reasoning as we study the issues of the day, party platforms, proposed legislation, and government policy. For example, when life begins, wrote Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, is not a matter of faith, but a matter of science. The scientific research available to us today confirms that the joining of the human egg and sperm begins a new human life that will continue through its many natural stages, from embryo to fetus to infant to child and on until death. Thus direct abortion is gravely contrary to the moral law.
It is sometimes alleged that the Church is only concerned about abortion. Nothing could be further from the truth. No other non-governmental institution provides more educational, charitable, and social services than the Church. Catholics are called upon to build “a civilization of love,” a civilization where the rights and dignity of each person – especially those who are most vulnerable, the unborn and the frail elderly – are respected from the moment of conception until natural death; where the family, based on the love of husband and wife, welcomes children into the world and imparts to them the truths and values that make good citizens; where the hungry and the homeless are assisted, the immigrants welcome, the environment protected, and all legitimate paths to peace are pursued. It is in light of that task of ours that we evaluate the moral quality of what is proposed by candidates and public officials, and work proactively for the ongoing transformation of our society.

THE ADULT FAITH FORMATION CLASS will be held on Sunday, September 28, 2008, after the 9:00 AM Mass in the Lower Church Hall.

RELIGION CLASSES will begin on Sunday October 19, 2008. Children who will be 7 years old next year and can receive Holy Communion, and youngsters 12 and over who wish to receive Confirmation are encouraged to register. Parents can pick up registration forms in back of Church.

THE SECOND COLLECTION NEXT SUNDAY is for the Pastoral Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa, which is the fastest growing part of the universal Church and at the same time the neediest part of our family of faith. In the past 25 years, the number of Catholics in Africa has increased from 55 million to 144 million and the number of priests by 73 percent. Over 70 percent of Africans live on less than $2 per day and this poverty cripples the ability of the local Church to raise sufficient funds for pastoral needs from the faithful. Our financial contributions h elp support pastoral outreach, catechetical programs, Catholic schools, program of evangelization, education of seminarians, and continuing education of the clergy. Thank you for you kind consideration of the urgent needs and the great promise of the Church in Africa.

THE ARCHBISHOP APPEAL is steadily making progress toward achieving the goal for the 2008 campaign. The goal for our parish is $12,861.00. As of August 31, 2008, the total pledged from our parish was $17,810.00, and the total amount received was $13,825.00. Thank you to every donor here at Holy Rosary Church who has made a gift to the 2008 Archbishop’s Appeal. Your gift will touch the lives of many people throughout the Archdiocese of Washington in a very special way.

FALL MAILING: Our parishioners and friends received the Fall Mailing from our Church which includes a brochure with the schedule of events for FY 2008-2009, memberships forms for the Sodality of Mary and the Holy Name Society, a subscription renewal form for the new Voce Italiana, a brochure of our Casa Italiana Language School, and an order form for the book of the history of our parish, “An Italian American Community of Faith: Holy Rosary in Washington, DC. Please respond to this annual mail. Thank you.

LA CLASSE DI CATECHISMO PER ADULTI avrà luogo domenica 28 settembre 2008 dopo la Messa delle nove nella sala sotto la Chiesa.

LE CLASSI DI CATECHISMO cominceranno domenica 19 ottobre, 2008. Bambini che avranno sette anni l’anno prossimo e posssono ricevere la Prima Comunione, e ragazzi, 12 e sopra, che desiderano ricevere la Cresima, sono incoraggiati a iscriversi. I moduli d’iscrizione si trovano nel retro della Chiesa.

LA SECONDA COLLETTA DOMENICA PROSSIMA è per il Fondo di Solidarietà Pastorale per la Chiesa in Africa, che è quella che sta crescendo più di tutte le altre, e allo stesso tempo è la più bisognosa di tutte. Negli ultimi 25 anni il numero dei Cattolici in Africa è aumentato da 55 milioni a 144 milioni e il numero dei preti è aumentato del 73 percento. Ma più del 70 percento degli Africani vivono con meno di $2 al giorno e questa povertà paralizza l’attività pastorale della Chiesa locale. Il nostro contributo finanziario darà la possibilità di sostenere attività pastorali, programmi di catechismo, scuole cattoliche, programmi di evangelizzazione, formazione di seminaristi e la formazione continua del clero. Grazie per il vostro aiuto ai bisogni urgenti e alla grande promessa della Chiesa in Africa.


L’APPELLO DELL’ARCIVESCOVO stà lentamente raggiuingendo il traguardo della campagna del 2008. La meta per la nostra parrocchia è di $12,861.00. Al 31 agosto il totale promesso dai nostri parrocchiani era di $17,810.00 e il totale finora raccolto era di $13,825.00. Un grazie sincero a tutti i donatori della nostra parrocchia del Santo Rosario che hanno contribuito all’Appello dell’Arcivescovo. Il vostro dono toccherà la vita di tante persone nell’Arcidiocesi di Washington in un modo speciale.

IN QUESTI GIORNI, parrocchiani e amici riceverttero posta contenente un depliant con l’orario degli eventi parrocchiali per l’anno fiscale 2008-2009, applicazioni per il Sodalizio di Maria e la Società del Santo Nome, una forma per rinnovare l’abbonamento a Voce Italiana, un depliant della nostra Scuola di Lingua, e una forma per ordinare il libro della storia della nostra Chiesa, “An Italian American Community of Faith: Holy Rosary in Washington, DC.” Favorite rispondere a questo apppello annuale. Grazie.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS: Mark your calendar!