A Catholic Faith Community Since 1908

July 21, 2013

St. Rita of Cascia

MASS TIMES
SUNDAYS: Sat. 5:30 pm (Vigil), 7:30 am, 10 am & 12 N WEEKDAYS: Mon., Tues., Fri, and Sat. 8 am (Wed. & Thurs. 8 am Communion Service) HOLY DAYS: (eve of) 5:30 pm; (day of) 8 am & 6:30 pm

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
(Confession) Saturdays 4-5 pm or by appointment DEVOTIONS Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Saturday 7:50 am ADORATION First Friday 8:30 am5 pm, Rectory Oratory

Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V.F.Pastor Deacon Manuel Valencia Deacon John Hull 318 North Baldwin Avenue, Sierra Madre Mailing Address: 50 East Alegria Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 Phone: 626/355-1292 FAX: 626/355-2290 www.st-rita.org

16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEJULY 21, 2013

Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V. F.Pastor
626.355.1292 x. 228 revkrek@st-rita.org Dcn. Manuel & Chela Valencia deaconmanuelvalencia@gmail.com 626.355.1292 Dcn. John Hulljohnhull65@gmail.com 626.355.1292 Weekend Presiders: 10 am MassFr. Chris Thiel, OFM Capuchin

Parish Ministries and Organizations

Liturgy & Worship
Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers: David & Jill Muhs 355.9810 em@st-rita.org Altar Servers, Youth: Kathy Ganino 626.398.9302 Altar Servers, Adult: Bill Cosso 355.5656 Eucharistic Adoration: Kathy Ganino 626.398.9302 Rosary Prayer Group: Susan Day 355-3835 Sacristans: Sat. Vigil: Gary Fidone/Bill & Patti Huber Sunday Masses: 7:30-Bill Cosso/David Banis; 10:00-David Muhs; 12N-Bernie Grace Weekdays: John Bigley, Margaret Duran Porter: (Evening Church Lockup) Sheila Palazzolo Environment: Denise Villalovos/Gil Lazo gil@st-rita.org 355.1292

How to Contact Us
Parish Office/Mailing Address 50 East Alegria Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am to 6pm; Sat. 9 am to 1 pm. Office Email: ParishAdmin@st-rita.org Director of Administration
Mary Lou Butler: mlbutler@st-rita.org 355.1292

Ministries & Organizations

Bereavement Ministry: 355.1292 bereave@st-rita.org Christian Family: Sheila Pierce 355.8332 Greeters & Ushers: Erny Henry 626.289.3504 626.446.6715 Mens Club: Nick Sotis: 358-2495 nick.sotis@pro-sites.net New Members/Welcome: Contact the Parish Office St. Rita Guild: Patty Sullivan 355.3707 psullivan514@gmail.com Senior Ministry: Marilyn McKernan, marilyn@st-rita.org Shawl Ministry: Mary Taillac 355.3179 Marilyn Delgatto 355.8717

Pastoral Council
Parish Office: 355.1292

Finance Council Chair

Bill Sullivan: 355.3707

St. Rita SchoolOffice: 626.355.6114

Principal: Joanne Harabedian jharabedian@st-rita.org

Other Contacts
Archivist: Marilyn McKernan marilyn@st-rita.org Bulletin Submissions: bulletin@st-rita.org or drop off at Office Public Relations: ParishAdmin@st-rita.org Registration Information: rc@st-rita.org 355.1292 Webmaster: Ralph Seymour: seymour@seymourmedia.com

Director of Liturgy & Music Paul Puccinelli: mm@st-rita.org Director of Religious Education Cristina Cullen: 355.3841 dre@st-rita.org Director of Youth Ministry/Confirmation Theresa Bui Costanzo: 626.590.8828 ym@st-rita.org RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) Team: Deacon Manuel and Chela Valencia; Susan Blakeslee: rcia@st-rita.org

Let Saint Rita Be There For You . . .

Communion for Sick and Homebound Parishioners
St. Rita ministers provide Communion home visits. Contact the Parish Office 355.1292 or Jill Muhs 355.9810 em@st-rita.org.

For Information about the

Sacrament of Baptism
Baptismal Preparation for parents and godparents: 7 8:30 pm the last Monday of the month. Call for Reservations. Baptisms are usually the first Sunday of the month.

Anointing of the Sick

Please notify us (355.1292) as early as possible for the Anointing of the Sick, the sacrament intended for the seriously ill or dying. It is Our Lords special presence and companionship in serious time of need. Anointing may take place in the home, at the hospital or elsewhere and as often as once a month. If someone should die without anointing, remember that the desire to receive is sufficient and the Lord cares!

Sacraments of Reconciliation and first Eucharist

Preparation for children who have attained the age of reason (usually during 2nd grade) is arranged either through the Office of Religious Education or St. Rita Elementary School.

Sacrament of Matrimony
Contact the Parish Office upon engagement; at least six months is needed for preparation of this joyous sacrament!

If You Should Experience the Loss of a Loved One

Please call us at 355.1292 If you feel you will be in need, or your loved one has passed, we will assist in making arrangements with your chosen funeral directors; refer you to our liturgy and music directors; and offer you helpful guidelines and a book that will aid in the selection of readings for the Mass or Memorial Service. Areas we can help you with prior to the passing may help in the planning of funeral services. We know that this can be a tough time and we want you to know that your parish is there for you. PLEASE UNDERSTAND we only have one resident priest, sometimes arrangements for another priest may be needed.

Sacrament of Confirmation

A two-year program for freshman/sophomore age teens. Apply through the Office of Religious Education.

NOTE: Adult applicants for the sacraments should contact the Parish Office.

Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

See adjoining column.

SAINT RITA
REV. MSGR. RICHARD KREKELBERG

OF

CASCIA CHURCH

PASTORS CORNER

Dear Parishioners,
While I am away on my vacation, I leave the following Reflection for your consideration. Msgr. Richard What Paul writes to the Colossian can be disastrously misunderstood: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. Is suffering a good thing? Should we seek out opportunities to suffer? And how is it that our suffering fills what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ? What could be lacking in the One who is God from God, light from light, true God from true God? We should note that Paul does not solve the problem that provoked Job: Why does the just one suffer? There is no available answer to that question, as God, speaking from the whirlwind, made known to Job. The just and the unjust will suffer. It is part of our human condition, the consequence of our humanity, of original sin. Paul does not attempt to solve the unsolvable but gives us a Christina context for enduring what we must. We endure what we must in hope, as Paul writes, to bring to completion for you the Word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. Even in our suffering, we share in the glory of Christ. For this great gift, let us bless the Lord and give God thanks. In this way, we live not as fatalists or pessimists, but as Gods hopeful people, knowing that suffering will not rob us of our human dignity. Our sufferings are joined to those of Christ and His body, the Church. We know that we have the opportunity to face suffering in such a way as to enhance rather than diminish our human dignity. We look to the Scriptures for models of the just, and of those noble in their sufferings. We hear of Abraham and Sarah who had lived long and justly, but who had no children. Visited by divine messengers, Abraham learns that Sarah will bear a son. Martha and Mary, too, are examples to use of hearing and putting into practice Gods Word. While Mary may have chosen the better part, we can be sure that she and Jesus both were soon eagerly to dig into the lunch prepared by Martha. Perhaps Marthas story and lament are to suggest that we each play our own valuable part in accordance with Gods stewardshipto bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. The story has a lot to tell us about our busy lives today. We are to do good, but one of the good things we are to do is to slow down and hear the word of life. William C. Graham

16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEJULY 21, 2013

PARISHIONERS WHO REQUEST OUR PRAYERS FOR HEALING AND RETURN TO GOOD HEALTH

SATURDAY, JULY 20
8:00 AM 5:30 PM

SUNDAY, JULY 21

Jason Ross RIP Gloria McCormick RIP

7:30 AM Norman Barton RIP 10:00 AM Thomas McGoldrick RIP 12 NOON For All Parishioners

MONDAY, JULY 22
8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM

Ashley Biely, Jean Mansour, Celia Merritt, Denis Keegan, Jacob Bigley, Gerald Krekelberg, Cathy Fiore, Madelyn Shaull, Dorothy Van Gorden, John J. McCoy, Diane Ridley, Richard Forcione, Maria Carmen Marti, Dennis & Clare Marquardt, Rosemary Fryzm, Andy Pulley, Katherine Haderlein, Andy Heller, JoAnn E. Douglass, Kathleen Ramsey, Tonyja Blakeslee, Addie Marshall, Joanna Singleton, Jackie Bagnuolo, Mary Ellen Isoard, Tim Stanley, Antoinette Wassef, Theresa Morcos, Aspet Herapetian, Rose Mary Taquino, Selma Tuffs, David Duran, Paul Viger, Julie Meyer, Zdenka Czerny, Cliff Hancuff, Wendy Wolf Fadel, Hal Finney, Christa Owen, Ailey Gardner-Ybarra, Cathy Hundshamer, Eva Bernejo, Laurie Larkin Masella, Edith Olah, Matteo Begnoche, Lancelot Loera, Fred Mycroft, Brian Eck, Alex Arranaga, Anna Mary Hession, Mildred Vocelka, Joseph Moore, Ned Vento.

Blanca Eva Amezquita Mendoza

(Mother of Lauro Sanchez)

TUESDAY, JULY 23

Paul Fuchs RIP

Mark Schriyer

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24 THURSDAY, JULY 25 FRIDAY, J ULY 26

John Fuchs RIP

Communion Service Communion Service Mike Steele RIP

LISTEN
We never know when God might surprise us and pay us a visit. Sometimes Gods visits come with good ideas or with a strong awareness that were not alone. Sometimes they come with a deep sense of peace or with a twinge of conscience. Sometimes they come when we meet a person who is in desperate need of our help. And, of course, God comes to visit us as our life in this world reaches its end. The first reading is about Abraham who welcomes three strangers. Its hard to picture Abraham preparing such a lavish banquet for his guests with such energy and agility since he was about 100 years oldI have to wonder what kind of vitamins he was taking! Abraham didnt realize at first that it was God whom he was entertaining. God had come to tell him that his lifelong desire that he and his wife, Sarah, would have a son would finally be fulfilled. As God assured Abraham of this blessing, Abraham could see that their roles were reversed. Suddenly, Abraham was not the prosperous desert chieftain providing hospitality to three hungry travelershe was simply a creature of God receiving a blessing from his Creator. This first reading prepares us for the story of Martha and Mary as they are visited by the One who could give them every blessing and the word of life. You can just imagine Jesus smiling as he says Martha, Martha. It is a friendly response. In telling her one thing is important, it does not imply that the practical necessities of life, such as eating and drinking were not important. Its more that Martha was not taking the time to just listen to our Lord and to speak with him. It was time to slow down and hear the word of life. Father Joe Robinson

SATURDAY, JULY 27
5:30 PM

SUNDAY, JULY 28

Mary & Bill Graham 60th Anniversary INT For All Parishioners

7:30 AM John Taylor Faire INT 10:00 AM Patricia Hardy RIP 12 NOON Frances E. Cosso RIP

FEAST DAYS
Monday, July 22St. Mary Magdalene Tuesday, July 23St. Bridget Thursday, July 25St. James Friday, July 26Ss. Joachim and Anne

TODAYS READINGS
First ReadingAbraham shows hospitality to three visitors (Genesis 18:1-10a). PsalmHe who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord (Psalm 15). Second ReadingThe mystery hidden from generations past has been manifested; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory (Colossians 1:24-28). GospelJesus converses with Martha and Mary about service and contemplation (Luke 10:38-42).

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH

St. Rita Youth Ministry Mission to Belize
Youth NiteWednesday, July 24, 7 pm, Gara Mass at the BeachFriday, August 2 ServiceUnion Station, Sunday, Aug. 4, 7:30-10am Have a great summer and dont forget to check in at your St. Rita home from time-to-time! Theresa Costanzo ym@st-rita.org

In early June, the St. Rita Youth Ministry led a group of 17 adventurous and compassionate souls to serve for a week in Orange Walk, Belize. What an experience! Working in assigned service teams, we were able to help a poor Catholic community in San Jos village by constructing a paved sidewalk to prevent rain and mud from tracking into the church entrance, and also provided shade coverage for the entrance. We painted the church doors and chairs, put screens onto windows of the villagers homes, organized a Vacation Bible School day for over 100 children, fed lunch to the children at the House of Mercy, and painted a beautiful banner for the front of the Church. Beyond the opportunity to serve, our experience taught us so much more! We had firsthand experience of being in solidarity with the people at San Jos village, most of whom are poor cane sugar farmers living in very small, dilapidated houses. Despite their lack of comfort and material goods, our new friends were beaming with smiles. Instead of complaining about their squalid living conditions, they talked about their faith in God who sustains them every day. Through them, we encountered the living Christ. His teaching on the Beatitudes jumped out of Scriptures and spoke to our hearts. Now we understand what Jesus meant when he said, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. We were humbled. Every day after dinner, our faith community of about 65 people worshipped together at Mass. Our group was blessed with a passionate music leader and two dedicated priests, Fr. Carl, a fun-loving Irish priest from Florida, and Fr. Kelly, a young high school chaplain from Virginia. Mass was so uplifting when everybody fully participated in the prayers and the lively singing. At the end of the week, one teen from our group broke into tears as she shared how she has grown so much spiritually through witnessing the strong and active faith of the other participants. After Mass, we were able to share our service experiences and spiritual reflections with one another. During this one intense week in Belize, we really lived like the faith community described in the Acts of the Apostle. Our teens were amazing! They worked hard and were awesome big brothers and sisters for the children of San Jos village. Although the teens suffered from much personal discomfort, they were full of life, love, and laughter throughout the week. One of our teens proudly boasted over 100 insect bites on her body as her badge of courage. Our teens not only bonded with each other, but made a lot of new friends with participants from other parts of the U.S. By the time we were flying back to Sierra Madre, our teens were already talking about wanting to go on next years mission trip. St. Rita, we have been bitten by the missionary bug! (See pictures from our trip on page 7 of this Bulletin.)

The St. Rita Religious Education Program (for ages 318) is gearing up for Falland we would love for you to be part of it. We have a variety of volunteer opportunities and we welcome all parishioners to stop by our information table this weekend to see where we need help. If you are a parent and interesting in having your child attend our Program, please stop by and pick up registration materials. Cristina Cullen dre@st-rita.org 355-3841

Backpack & School Supplies for St. Francis Center (SFC)

Please donate a few items for this collection for the inner city poor. Collection boxes are located in the Vestibule. The drive ends on Sunday, August 4.

Pleaseno used items. Flyers listing the needed

items are in the Vestibule.

AndWe need volunteers to take the items from the Vestibule to Gara Hall (after each week-end Mass); to help us sort the donations weekly; and finally to prepare everything for the SFC van pick-up! For more information or to volunteer
Rosemary Hagerott rc@st-rita.org 355-1292 x226

Deadline for Bulletin articles is Thursday, 10 days before desired publication date. bulletin@st-rita.org or bring to the Parish Office.

16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEJULY 21, 2013

Meetings, Ministry & Special Events

This Week at St. Rita

This Weekend, July 20 & 21 Religious Education Information Sunday
After All the Masses Outside of Church See page 5 for more information.

The following families joined our St. Rita Faith Community in June
Hector, Monica (Moran) & Dru Beltran Martin Cahungal Michael, Elizabeth, Madeline & Eleanor Campbell Alberto & Karla Embry Marie, Rita, & Victoria Gomez Leslie Guettler Oliver, Jasmin & Jason Jovellanos James Kenney John, Eureka, & Matthew Moline Aaron, Melanie, Marcus & Gavin Wooler

Save the Date

Sunday, July 28Knit for Kids
Information available outside of Church after all the Masses Ana Ptasinski 355-3146

Monday, July 29Baptism Preparation Class

7 pm Parish Office Meeting Room For August 4 Baptisms

Fingerprinting at St. Rita* Saturday, August 17

Fingerprinting will be available here at St. Rita from 10am-1:40 pm & again from 3:20-5:20 pm. Appointments are required! Please call the School Office to set an appointment time or for further information.

Sunday, August 4Final Day for donations

St. Francis Center Backpacks & School Supplies See page 5 for more information.

Sunday, August 4Baptisms

In the Church 1:30 pm Deacon Manuel officiating

School Office 355-6114 * Also offered at Immaculate Conception on Friday, August 16please see below for contact information.

Saturday, August 17Fingerprinting

See article in next column for more information.

Catholic Community & Local Events

Grief Support Group, Journey Through Grief August 13-September 17, 10:30-Noon You are invited to a six week support group designed for those who have lost a loved one. A safe environment is offered to share feelings, discuss fears, and gain strength for the journey that lies ahead. San Gabriel Recreation Center, 250 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel 91776 Susan Coyle 626/974-2045 Susan.coyle@vitas.com

Dont take a vacation from Mass

When youre traveling, you can find the nearest Church location and schedule of Sunday Masses on the website: Masstimes.org

Dont take a vacation from supporting St. Rita

You may write one check for the weeks you will be away and either put it in the Offering Basket before or after your vacation. Thank you!

FingerprintingFriday, August 16. Immaculate

Conception Church, 740 S. Shamrock, Monrovia 91016. Must call for an appointment; times in afternoon or early evening. 626/358-1166

ST. RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH

St. Rita Belize Mission Team Members