Wisdom from St. Paul

"I have become all things to all, to save at least some." (Corinthians 9:22)

Scout Sunday

Today, marks the celebration of Scout Sunday throughout our nation. Please keep our Scouts, Scout Masters and all who support them in your prayers. Our parish has been the home of Scout Troops for many decades.

The scouts will be honored at the 9:00 Mass today. Congratulations to all of the scouts who have achieved special awards. For over 100 years the Scouts have helped to form our children into faithful citizens of tomorrow. May their work continue to prosper.

Parish Share Program

The annual Parish Share Program Appeal will take place in two weeks - the Sunday before Lent begins (February 18th and 19th). You should receive a letter from Fr. Feeney early this week outlining information regarding this important fundraising campaign for our parish.

Every dollar collected over our goal is ours to use for our own needs in the parish. Every dollar collected is exempt from any future assessment. This appeal gives us the means to make our dreams and goals for the parish a reality. Your gift, your sacrifice, helps our parish tremendously.

Parent Meeting

There will be a Parent Meeting this Thursday, February 9th, 2012 for those parents whose children will be receiving the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) for the first time during Lent. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Church Hall.

Building the Mystical Body

Finally, St. Scholastica, whose memorial we celebrate on Friday said, "All religious are under an obligation, in accordance with the particular vocation of each, to work zealously and diligently for the building up and growth of the whole mystical body of Christ and for the good of the particular churches. It is their duty to foster these objectives primarily by means of prayer, works of penance, and by the example of their own lives."

Walk Away from Our Sins

Turn to God

This year for Lent, walk away from a particular bad habit, fault or weakness such as: jealousy, envy, greed, gossiping, etc. Use this time to work on growing closer to God by cleansing yourself of a problem area in yourself.

A basket holding foot prints will be placed at each entrance to the church. Please pick one up and write what you will be working on during Lent. When finished, place it in the other basket marked "Lenten Footprints". As an offering to God and to show our love, these footprints will be stitched on the purple shroud that will hang from the cross during Lent.

These baskets will be on the tables from February 5th through February 19th and will be collected after the 4 pm mass on February 19th.

Palm Collection

Once again this year during our Mardi Gras Celebration, we will burn our old palm and watch it become the ashes used on Ash Wednesday. Marked containers are placed at all doors of the church. You may deposit your old palm now through February 14th.

Please be sure to join us on Tuesday, February 21st at our Mardi Gras Celebration. Our time together begins in church at 6:30 p.m. followed by our burning of palm.

Pre-Cana - Feb 10-11

If you are considering getting married within the next year, you are required, by the Diocese of Pittsburgh, to attend Pre-Cana Classes. It's not too late to register. We are now taking registration from Parishioners and Non-Parishioners, for the February 10th & 11th Class.

Please call 724-225-1425 Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m. if you would like to attend the Winter Class.

Landings Program

The Called By Name Committee are preparing to begin another Landings session this spring on February 13th through April 23rd.

The Landings program is for Catholics who have been away from the church and would like to return. If you know of anyone thinking about returning to the sacraments and attending Mass, please have them call Bill Bryker at 724-222-6480 or e-mail calledbyname@icwashpa.org. An encouraging word or setting a good example may be all that is needed to interest someone in returning to their faith.

Adoration/Benediction

The phrase, "putting your best foot forward," can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but usually it means to do something by giving it your all. Yet, have you thought what this might mean from a faith perspective? Have you ever considered "putting your best foot forward" to mean following in the footsteps of Jesus?

As we enter into this Lenten Season, let us remember to "Put our best foot forward" and "give our all" to the Lord. What better way to start our journey with Jesus by giving Him our all - through prayer and praise - during that special time of Adoration when He is present in the Holy Eucharist upon the altar.

Please consider "Putting your best foot forward" on Monday, February 13, 2012 for Adoration from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m, for a quiet time of private prayer, to be followed by Benediction from 6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (closing prayer led by the priest). Come for a few minutes or as long as you like, and be strengthened in your faith journey with the Lord!

Please mark your calendar now for these others dates too: 3/12; 4/9 and 5/14. (*All I. C. groups are reminded to schedule your own group time for Adoration on at least one of these dates.)

- Blessings, The Immaculate Conception Worship Committee.

Food Collection

The Food Pantry thanks everyone for their support in 2011. Unfortunately, the new year doesn't alleviate the need for food. Food collection is always the third Sunday unless that date puts it too close to Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Here are the dates for food collection in 2012. Please mark your calendar. February 18/19; March 17/18; April 14/15; May 19/20; June 16/17; July 14/15: August 18/19; September 15/16; October 20/21; November 10/11 (early because Thanksgiving is the 22nd) in cooperation with the Saint Vincent DePaul Society; December 15/16.

For more information on how you can help, call Janice Coen at 724-225-4726.

JFK Pre-School Registration

Registration is now open for JFK Pre-School for ages 3 & 4. Call the office at (724)225-1680 or look here for more info. Ask about our "Parent Tours". Tuition assistance is available for qualifying families.

Housekeeper Needed

HOUSEKEEPER NEEDED FOR THE RECTORY !
3 days a week - 6:00 am - 12:00 pm
Please direct interest to Kathy at the Rectory @ 724-225-1425

CDA News

Hope everyone has had a Merry Christmas and doing well. NO February Meeting due to weather. We will resume in March. Hope to see you then !

Consecrated Life Sunday

Today is Consecrated Life Sunday. Consecrated Life is a call from God, a vocation to form one's life to Jesus Christ through living as He did in poverty, chastity and obedience.

It is dedicating oneself to God for the service to the Church and for the salvation of the world. The most well known form of religious life is where men and women publicly pronounce vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, live in community, and share life in common, and a commitment to ministry. The greatest number of religious is women, called sisters and among men there are both brothers and priests. It was they who educated young Catholics, created hospitals, and performed with devotion the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Please remember to pray for all religious priests, brothers and sisters.

Prayers for the Poor

In the Gospel today, we find that Jesus would rise very early before dawn and go to a deserted place to pray and then he went out to preach and to heal. Praying for the poor can bring the love and peace of Jesus to those who live in fear and doubt, loneliness and dread.

Prayer & Friendship

The New Year is here and it's time to consider making a special New Year's resolution. Why not join our Wednesday evening Prayer Group at 5:30 PM?

Stop for 1 hour at the rectory on your way home from work. Spend time thinking on the upcoming Sunday's gospel, sharing, learning from others and experiencing community while developing your own spiritual life. All are welcome.

What's New

Cookie Club Alert!

It's time to fire up the ovens again! Just a few reminders about club membership. Three Golden Rules of the Club - (1) No Meetings (2) Always bakers choice (3) Homemade Goodies only! Telephone calls take a long time. The policy is ONE call (speak to the baker) and move on to the next person on the list.

If you signed up to bake and HAVE NOT BEEN CALLED it is because we did not reach you the first time. Please call Jo Ann Balta at 724-225-2554 if you want to remove your name from the list.

CLUB OPEN FOR NEW MEMBERS . . . JOIN TODAY! Parish organizations should remember the "hospitality" for your event belongs to you. Club members ONLY bake! REMINDER, bakers need 2 weeks notice !
 

Events and Notes This Week

Van Transportation Available

The parish van is available for anyone needing a ride to the 9:00 A.M. Sunday Mass. Please note that the van is NOT handicap accessible. To make arrangements, please call the rectory at 724-225-1425. There is no fee for this service.

Bereavement Support Group Meetings

Bereavement support groups are open and available, at no charge or age restriction, to anyone who has experienced loss of a loved one. These meetings are facilitated by Amedisys and are held monthly at the following venues:

Washington Senior Citizens Center - the 1st Wednesday of the month at 1PM
Claysville Senior Citizens Center - the 4th Tuesday the month at 1:30PM

If you have any questions, please call Keith Meier, Amedisys, on 724-746-6581.

Mortgage Help

 
The St. Vincent de Paul Society has mortgage help available to Parishioners who may be in need because of the tough economy. Contact us in complete confidence at 724-986-5595.

What's New

Free HealthCare

 
If you are between the ages of 18-64, have no health insurance and need medical care, call CATHOLIC CHARITIES FREE HEALTH CARE CLINIC AT 412-456-6911.

How to Help

Who would you contact if an adult victim of abuse would come forward? Inform the victim that you are required by policy to contact the Diocese of Pittsburgh Victim Assistance Coordinator (Rita Flaherty) and inform her of what was reported. Also, encourage the victim to contact the VAC (Rita Flaherty) directly at 412-456-3060 or toll free at 1-888-808-1235 and make a first hand report.

Free BP Checks

Are you looking for a healthy 2012 New Year's resolution? How about this one? 2012 New Year's Resolution - Have my Blood Pressure checked regularly ! ! !

The Health and Wellness Cabinet is going to help you keep this one. We will hold regularly scheduled Blood Pressure clinics the 3rd Sunday of each month after all masses.

What's involved in it you may ask? - simple - just wait a few minutes after mass, see the volunteers, have your blood pressure checked, recorded on a small wallet size card that you will use each time you come to the clinic, and then go about your day. Please take a few minutes to avail yourself of this free service that could prove life changing for many of us.

My Neighborhood

IC Neighborhoods

A map of the Neighborhood Groups can be found here on the Neighborhood Regional Map page online. If you don't remember what group you belong to, check it out...

Then to find your Neighborhood Contact.. just look at the Neighborhood Contacts page...here..... We're under "MINISTRIES" on the menu selection.

And if you want to know what's going on in your own Neighborhood, check out the IC Neighborhood Updates page. Let your contact know if your neighbor needs prayers, or if a son is coming back from active service, or a big 50th anniversary is near.

Children's Liturgy

Recycle for JFK

Do you typically throw away your newspapers, magazines, and junk mail? Are you looking for ways to help the environment? If you answered yes to either the aforementioned questions, consider bringing your unwanted paper to church to place in the large green dumpsters in the lower parking lot of the John F. Kennedy Catholic School parking lot. JFK Catholic School receives money for the paper placed in the dumpsters. Recycling helps our school and the environment.

Shop-n-Save Receipts

Shop-n-Save has a program that lets us receive FREE assemblies from the Carnegie Science Center, Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium!!

All we have to do is total up receipts and send them in to the JFK Catholic School office or place them in our JFK Catholic School box inside Shop-n-Save. It is a green & yellow box with JFK clearly marked on the outside sitting on the bench located after the checkout registers. Please only send in receipts totaling $10 or more.

Thank You for supporting us!

Market Day

January sales were a little down. Hopefully next month they will go up. January's profit was $340.28. The total since September is $2,440.66. Thanks for all the orders. Please feel free to call me with any questions or orders at 724-222-0930.

What's New

New & Improved At the Back of the Church

The pamphlet case in the vestibule of the church is NEW and IMPROVED! The case is stocked with categorized educational and inspirational materials. There are separate sections on: Vocations, Sacraments, Ordinary Time, Seasonal Time, Family life, Parish organizations, Outreach/Service. In addition there is a special category labeled "Catholic Response". Here you will find "official" Church teaching.

When you take a pamphlet take a moment to drop a quarter in the "Poor Box" located near the front door. Your accumulated quarters will help those less fortunate than ourselves. THANK YOU!