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Rosary Rally
You are welcome to attend a Rosary Rally on Saturday, March 20, in the church parking lot by the rectory at 12:30 p.m. as part of the spiritual campaign of “America Needs Fatima.”
Raise the Region
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to St. Columba School as part of the 2021 First Community Foundation’s “Raise the Region”! This 30 hours event begins on Wednesday, March 10, at 6:00 p.m. Your donation will be stretched by a contribution from Blaise Alexander Family Car Dealerships. Our school has faced many financial challenges this…
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BISHOP GAINER’S REORGANIZATION LETTER is included in this week’s bulletin and is posted below on this page for your information.
DIOCESAN ANNUAL CAMPAIGN
It is time again for the Diocesan Annual Campaign, the campaign that funds the spiritual and corporal works of mercy for the Diocese of Harrisburg. This year the theme is “Faith Alive.”
Last year’s campaign was able to support more than 90 ministry related programs, directly impacting hundreds of thousands of people in our communities.
You may wonder how the annual assessment is determined for each parish in the diocese. It is based on the previous year’s collections income times 13% (size of the parish) = $96,150. Our assessment this year, therefore, is $96,150.
It would be helpful if all of us could give to the Diocesan Annual Campaign. In that way, we could meet our goal.
ST. COLUMBA SCHOOL is now accepting rolling registration from preschool age students starting at three years old through eighth grade. Please contact the school office for a personal tour at 570-784-5932. You are guaranteed a well-rounded and extensive Catholic education for your child.
NEW: St. Columba School’s Catholic Schools Week activities are highlighted in this edition of Diocesan News.
NEW: Visit the St. Columba School website for more of our Catholic Schools Week activities and videos.
YOUR OLD PALM BRANCHES from past Palm Sundays should be burnt or buried. This type of disposal honors their sacred purpose and returns them to the earth in a dignified way. Anyone can do this, but if you don’t have the ability to burn or bury them, drop off your palm branches at the parish office.
PEANUT BUTTER COLLECTION
The Bloomsburg Rotary Club, in relationship with the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard, is collecting peanut butter from February 15 – March 17. Snack sizes are appreciated – please, no glass containers. You may drop off donations at: Diversified Technology: 95 E. 10th St, Suite 2 (10th St Plaza, old AGWAY building), Towne Camera: 154 W Main St, Bloomsburg, YMCA: 30 E 7th St, Bloomsburg, Wesley U M Church: 3rd & Market St, Bloomsburg, St. Columba Church: (Entry @ Rectory Parking Lot): WHLM: 124 E Main St, Gym at the Warehouse: 338 W 6th St, Bloomsburg Police Dept. 119 E 7th St, Bloomsburg Health & Fitness: 1150 Old Berwick Rd. Thank you for your generosity.
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES SALE
This year we will not be celebrating Girl Scout Sunday in March because of Covid restrictions. Although our Girl Scout Troops are not meeting in groups right now, the girls would still like to raise money for future activities and donate some of their earnings to a local charity. We have a Cadette/Senior troop and a Brownie troop. Since our parishioners have supported us so generously in the past, we would like to sell cookies by taking orders. We have: Lemon-Ups, Trefoils (shortbread), Do-si-dos (peanut butter), Samoas (coconut), Tagalongs (chocolate peanut butter), and Thin Mints for $4/box. S’mores and Toffee- tastics (gluten free) are $5/box.
To order, you may email Lori Traupman or call or text 570-594-3754. You may also order online with a credit card at the troop’s website and choose “Have Girl Scout Troop 32401 deliver the cookies” to avoid shipping charges. Delivery will be in mid-March. You can also donate cookies locally or to troops overseas. Thank you for your support!
This Week in Our Parish
– a calendar for the week of March 7, 2021 –
LENTEN SCHEDULE
7:30 a.m. Mass (Monday through Friday)
8:00 a.m. Mass on Saturdays
School Stations of the Cross – 1:30 p.m. on Fridays
Stations of the Cross – 7:00 p.m. on Fridays
WAY OF THE CROSS
Please join the Harrisburg Diocesan Council of Catholic Women to pray Mary’s Way of the Cross every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. during Lent. Please contact them to connect by Zoom.
FIRST EUCHARIST PARENT MEETING
There will be a parent meeting on Monday, March 8, at 7:00 p.m. in the church. Msgr. Lawrence will give an instruction on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to parents of students who will be making their First Eucharist. The meeting will last until about 8:15 p.m.
The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist will be administered for the first time to our St. Columba second grade parishioners on Saturday, May 1, at 10:00 a.m.
ENJOY A VIRTUAL, LENTEN DAY RETREAT
“A Spirituality of Non-Violence,” presented by Sr. Anita M. Constance, sponsored by St. Cyril Spiritual Center in Danville, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., on Saturday, March 13. This Lenten Day of reflection, prayer, and sharing is an opportunity to lean into the love of God and learn how to transform the areas of subtle violence within our lives and discover the grace in our limitations and faults. For more details and to register by March 5, call (570)-275-3581 or visit www.sscm.org After registering, you will be contacted via your email for a link .
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME begins next Sunday, March 14. Remember the saying: “Spring forward!” Turn your clocks ahead one hour.
ROSARY RALLY
You are welcome to attend a rosary rally on Saturday, March 20, in the church parking lot by the rectory at 12:30 p.m. as part of the spiritual campaign of America Needs Fatima.
LENTEN RICE BOWLS will be available in the back of the church this weekend. CRS Rice Bowl is Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten faith-in-action program for families and faith communities. The proceeds from the Rice Bowl Collection are used to fund both projects that assist the poor in our diocese and in overseas efforts through Catholic Relief Services.
HOLY COMMUNION WILL BE DISTRIBUTED at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday for those who want to come to the church after Sunday Mass just for Communion.
RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION
During this COVID-19 Pandemic, it is highly recommended that reception of Holy Communion be on the hand because of the concern of the transmission of the virus to others when received on the tongue. If you determine to receive on the tongue, please wait until the end of the Communion line.
Thank you to everyone for your understanding.
Parish Stewardship
February 28, 2021 – $14,642
March 1, 2020 – $12,292
This Week’s Offering – Weekly
Next Week’s Offering – Weekly
Mass Schedule for this Week
SATURDAY/March 6, 2021
8:00 a.m. Mary McDermott (an old friend)
5:00 p.m. Harold and Teresa Freyland (Jerry and Janice Maertz)
SUNDAY/March 7, 2021
8:00 a.m. William Rovito (Brian and Lucille Pope)
10:30 a.m. People of the Parish
MONDAY/March 8, 2021
7:30 a.m. Theresa Conniff (Joe Scopelliti)
TUESDAY/March 9, 2021
7:30 a.m. Frederick Mahoney (Alicia Smiley)
WEDNESDAY/March 10, 2021
7:30 a.m. Michael S. Billets (Karen Miller)
THURSDAY/March 11, 2021
7:30 a.m.
FRIDAY/March 12, 2021
7:30 a.m. Lori Haines Groody (John & Cheri Brennan)
SATURDAY/March 13, 2021
8:00 a.m. Intention of Bernie Staniszewski (Pat Golla)
5:00 p.m. Leo Deschenes (Linda & Ralph Hall and Family)
NEXT SUNDAY/March 14, 2021
8:00 a.m. Richard Marston (Knights Assembly #974)
10:30 a.m. People of the Parish
BLESSED MOTHER CANDLE
In loving memory of David Dietz (Mom, Dad, Emily and Adam).
ST. JOSEPH CANDLE
In loving memory of Verna and Robert Kasinowski (Dietz Family).
ST. GIANNA CANDLE
In loving memory of Lottie and Adam Leschinsky (Dietz Family).
KNEELERS DOWN
Please remember to leave your kneeler down when exiting the pew, so that we know which pews to clean. In the cafeteria, please keep your folding chairs turned towards the church. Thank you. Helpers always welcome!
Hearing the Word of the Lord
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Perhaps the statement in the Book of Exodus may cause us to ponder: “For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God.” Jealousy means that the person wants what is his. He wants to hold on to what belongs to him. What that means is God has created us for Himself and does not want to lose any one of us. Praise God that He is a jealous God or else we might be lost!
Jesus was jealous of His Father’s house also. His house was to be a house of prayer, a place where His people could gather and pray as a community. “Thank you, God, for being a jealous God for our benefit and for our welfare.” He tells us that we are to keep His commandments and to use His house for prayer. In that way, we can be faithful to Him.
– Msgr. Bob Lawrence
Be Prepared for the Word of the Lord
Readings for this Sunday, March 7, 2021
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Exodus 20: 1 – 17
Psalm 19: 8 – 11
I Corinthians 1: 22 – 25
John 2: 13 – 25
Readings for next Sunday, March 14, 2021
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
II Chronicles 36: 14 – 16, 19 – 23.
Psalm 137: 1 – 6.
Ephesians 2: 4 – 10.
John 3: 14 – 21.
Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Part Three: Life in Christ
CHAPTER THREE
God’s Salvation: Law and Grace
THE MORAL LAW
What is the grace that justifies?
That grace is the gratuitous gift that God gives us to make us participants in his trinitarian life and able to act by his love. It is called habitual, sanctifying or deifying grace because it sanctifies and divinizes us. It is supernatural because it depends entirely on God’s gratuitous initiative and surpasses the abilities of the intellect and the powers of human beings. It therefore escapes our experience.
What other kinds of grace are there?
Besides habitual grace, there are actual graces (gifts for specific circumstances), sacramental graces (gifts proper to each sacrament), special graces or charisms (gifts that are intended for the common good of the Church) among which are the graces of state that accompany the exercise of ecclesial ministries and the responsibilities of life.
Sponsor of the Week
We would like to thank the Sponsor of the Week
THAT’S AMORE
for sponsoring an ad in our weekly bulletin.
BISHOP GAINER’S REORGANIZATION LETTER
February 2021 My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, One year ago, on February 19, 2020, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg (RCDH) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. While the Covid-19 pandemic has delayed the proceedings, we have continued to work in earnest with the Federal bankruptcy court and interested parties. As a step in this process, on February 8 and 9, the RCDH, our present and historical insurance providers, and the survivors of abuse (individually or through a committee representing their interests) met for the first mediation. This mediation process is an effort to work together to reach a consensual resolution regarding the survivor claims against the RCDH.
At this time, there is little I can say as the mediation discussions are confidential. However, I am able to report that progress was made between the involved parties and that all parties intend to continue negotiations and mediation, to reach a consensual resolution that will acknowledge the harm suffered and provide for meaningful and fair compensation for survivors. As was explained at the beginning of this process, filing for reorganization was the only option to right our financial situation, especially after the significant legal and investigative costs we incurred due to the Grand Jury Subpoena and years of declining revenues. I have full confidence that at the conclusion of this process, our Diocese will have a much stronger foundation to build, and rebuild, upon. I also wish to take this opportunity to address our annual financial audit.
Typically at this time of year, we would publish the results of this annual financial audit in The Catholic Witness and on our Diocesan website. Due to the ongoing bankruptcy process, we are unable to release financial statements for the fiscal year end June 30, 2020 until this process is complete. We do provide regular financial updates to the bankruptcy court and all documents related to this process can be found online. We still have several months of reorganization efforts ahead of us.
As this process continues, I encourage you to visit www.hbgdiocese.org/reorganization-information for the most up-to-date information. I humbly ask for your prayers for our Diocese as we continue this process. May God grant us every grace needed during this difficult time. May Mary, Mother of the Church and our Mother, intercede with Her Son to be our strength and support.
Sincerely Yours in Christ, Most Reverend Ronald W. Gainer Bishop of Harrisburg
CELL PHONE FRAUD
Please be aware that another round of similar text messages from someone pretending to be Msgr. Lawrence and asking for iTunes gift cards is happening again. Please know that these scammers are becoming more and more savvy and that this crime is being committed all across the country, stealing thousands of dollars from good-hearted people. Also know that Monsignor will NEVER contact you to ask for monetary help. Anytime you receive a text presumably from Msgr. Lawrence, double check the original cell phone number AND call the Parish Office. NEVER give a caller any personal information. Fraudulent calls and text messages can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission and we encourage you to do so.
REGARDING THE COVID VACCINE
With the release of the COVID-19 vaccines, Bishop Gainer has prepared a letter addressing the moral concerns of the vaccine options. Inserted into this week’s bulletin is the Bishop’s letter. Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities reiterate that, given the urgency of the crisis, “the lack of available alternative vaccines, and the fact that the connection between an abortion that occurred decades ago and receiving a vaccine produced today is remote, inoculation with the new COVID-19 vaccines in these circumstances can be morally justified.”
PROCLAMATION OF THE DATE OF EASTER ON EPIPHANY dates from a time when calendars were not readily available. It was necessary to make known the date of Easter in advance, since many celebrations of the liturgical year depend on its date. The number of Sundays that follow the Epiphany, the date of Ash Wednesday, and the number of Sundays that follow Pentecost are all computed in relation to Easter. The following proclamation is a reminder of the centrality of the resurrection of the Lord in the liturgical year and the importance of the great mysteries of faith, which are celebrated each year.
“Know, brothers and sisters, that, as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by leave of God’s mercy we announce to you also the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Savior.
On the seventeenth day of February will fall Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season.
On the fourth day of April you will celebrate with joy Easter Day, the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On the thirteenth day of May will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On the twenty-third day of May, the feast of Pentecost.
On the sixth day of June, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
On the twenty-eighth day of November, the First Sun-day of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, To whom is honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
UPDATED: A FOUNDATION TO BUILD UPON
The Diocese has created a special page that contains several resources, including some Frequently Asked Questions and court documents. Visit the Diocese Information page to learn about this process.
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