OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Readings for the Week of September 25 Sunday: Ez 18:25-28/Phil 2:1-11/Mt 21:28-32 Monday: Zec 8:1-8/Lk 9:46-50 Tuesday: Zec 8:20-23/Lk 9:51-56 Wednesday: Neh 2:1-8/Lk 9:57-62 Thursday: Dn 7:9-10,13-14/Jn 1:47-51 Friday: Bar 1:15-22/Lk 10:13-16 Saturday: Bar 4:5-12,27-29/Lk 10:17-24 Next Sunday: Is 5:1-7/Phil 4:6-9/Mt 21:33-43

ERIE, PA

Saturday - September 24 - Weekday 5:00 p.m. Deceased Residents of Grandview Manor (1st Friday Communion Group) Sunday - September 25 - Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 7:30 a.m. Mass for all Parishioners 9:00 a.m. Dick & Lou Murray (family) 11:00 a.m. Dolores Karle (Menc family) Monday - September 26 - Weekday/Ss. Cosmas & Damian 7:00 a.m. Deceased Members of the Helminski/Baranski family (Walter & Dorothy) Tuesday - September 27 - St. Vincent de Paul 7:00 a.m. Anna Alloway (family & friends) Wednesday - September 28 - Weekday/Ss. Wenceslaus & Lawrence Ruiz & companions 7:00 a.m. Joe Charles (Pat & Rich Newbrough) 8:45 a.m. Paul Kowalczyk (wife, Rosemary & Daughter, Kim) Thursday - September 29 - Ss. Michael, Raphael & Gabriel 7:00 a.m. Elizabeth & Gordon Mahoney (Betsy & Sally) 9:00 a.m. No Mass Friday - September 30 - St. Jerome 7:00 a.m. Michaela Galena (Ann Winschel) 9:00 a.m. No Mass Saturday - October 1 - St. Therese of the Child Jesus 9:30 a.m. Blessing of Pets (Pavilion) 5:00 p.m. Carl Nowak (family) Sunday - October 2 - Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 7:30 a.m. Paul Kowalczyk (family) 9:00 a.m. Elaine Knoll (Joyce Crishock) 11:00 a.m. Mass for all Parishioners The Sanctuary Lamp will burn in memory of Frank Filipowski as requested by his daughters, Adrienne & Francine

Monday - September 26 6:30 p.m. Legion of Mary (Church) Wednesday - September 28 9:30 a.m. Church cleaning 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice (Church) 9:00 p.m. Mens Basketball (SH) Thursday - September 29 6:30 p.m. Folk Group practice (Church) Saturday - October 1 9:30 a.m. Blessing of Pets (Pavilion) 4:00 p.m. Confessions
Sunday - October 2

9:10 - 10:40 a.m. 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Religious Education K - 10
11th Grade Confirmation Session (Mpr) Parent Meeting simultaneously (SH)

WEEKDAYS OF SEPTEMBER 25 7:00 a.m. Dan Rathburn SATURDAY - OCTOBER 1 5:00 p.m. Andrew Williams SUNDAY - OCTOBER 2 7:30 a.m. Alexis Federici/Michael Kinecki 9:00 a.m. Adam Beaufort 11:00 a.m. Corey Smith

REVEREND JOSEPH T. SCHEFFNER ENDOWMENT FUND Parishioners and friends are encouraged to remember their loved ones at the time of death or for any special occasion by contributing a memorial gift to the ENDOWMENT FUND. The Fund provides parish support and tuition assistance to parish children who attend Our Lady of Mount Carmel School. Brochures concerning the Fund and remittance envelopes are available in the back of the church. Tuition assistance from the inception of the Fund is $76,235.00. Contributions to the Fund since inception are $143,670.00.

Carmelite Spirituality To find God, we have only to seek solitude and to look within ourselves. St. Teresa of Jesus

TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

SACRIFICIAL GIVING Last week the collection was $5,762.00 Each week we need to collect $9,730.00 Envelope sets mailed 994 Envelopes received 258 Thank you to those who use their envelopes regularly and to all who have increased their Offertory. RCIA Are you interested in the Catholic Church? Have you been thinking about becoming a Catholic? Would you like to know more about Catholicism? Are you a baptized Catholic but have not yet completed your initiation (First Communion and/or Confirmation)? The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process by which people enter the Catholic Church. It generally runs from September through April. If you or someone else you know may be interested and would like more information, please contact Fr. Hahn at the rectory (825-7313) to pre-register anytime. PASTORAL COUNCIL POSITIONS The Pastoral Council is looking for four (4) invidivuals interested in preserving the Mission of OLMC Parish. Terms on Pastoral Council run for a duration of three (3) years. If you are interested in sharing your time and talents with your Parish family in this capacity, please contact Tim Nowakowski @ 825-9183 or TimWWJD@AOL.com, or call Fr. Ray at the rectory.. HOLY LAND GIFTS The Musleh family of Bethlehem will visit us once again next weekend. Following all Masses, there will be a display in the vestibule of hand-carved, olive wood crucifixes, nativity scenes and other religious goods. Please look over the carvings available and help support this self-help project that enables Christians to maintain their presence in the holy land of Christs birth.
FALL FESTIVALS Enjoy Buffet Breakfast at St. James Place next Sunday, October 2, serving from 8:00 until 11:00 a.m. Adults, $6.00, Seniors, $5.50, children ages 6 - 12, $4.50 and children under 6, $2.00. No reservations needed. St. Stanislaus Parish Day celebration next Sunday, October 2 serving a Polish Platter dinner from 12:00 noon until 6:00 p.m. Adults, $10.00; children 6 - 12, $5.00; children under 5, free. Special awards, bake sale, chinese auction, theme baskets, raffles and childrens game, fun for all ages. All proceeds benefit the Parish. St Joseph/Bread of Life is holding their 5th annual Oktoberfest October 7, 8 & 9. Serving authentic German cuisine & Omas Coffee House. There will be music, theme baskets and Mercedes Benz drawing Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Free parking and admission. Proceeds benefit St. Joseph church restoration and Maria House Projects.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

THOUGHTS ON THE WAY UP MOUNT CARMEL Well, summer is officially over and our thoughts turn to our Autumn activities. Next weekend will be our blessing of animals in observance of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. The blessing will be in our picnic pavilion on Saturday, October 1 at 9:30. Plan to attend and pray down a blessing on all the pets of the parish. We also begin our planning for the annual Feather Party. We have been looking for a new team of Chairpersons to coordinate this fun event which has been a very successful fund-raiser for the parish. I will be making some phone calls to invite parishioners to volunteer for this task. Unlike Fr. Scheffner, I will just ask for volunteers, not inform you that you have been chosen in advance! Please consider giving some of your time to assist the parish in this endeavor. On the subject of renovation and construction in the parish, I am still gathering estimates for the work in our church sanctuary. I hope to be able to present the choices to our Building and Grounds Committee very soon. I am sorry to say that our lighting project in our parish school will be delayed. First Energy decided to reduce the energy rebate from 65 cents a watt saved to 5 cents. And this is after we filed our application in full and on time and after they confirmed that they had received it and that it was complete! I dont know what excuse they have for reneging on their agreement, but we dont have much choice besides hoping that they will offer the program again in the near future. I guess that large corporations dont have to be accountable like the rest of us. We would have liked the savings that our more efficient lights would have meant to our parish budget. On a happier note, I have received many positive comments about our new church lighting and the improvements to the sound system. It is nice to be able to see and hear clearly. We may even have to turn down the volume when certain people are preaching! We dont want to shatter our new windows! On the subject of our windows, the Retirees have been working on the metal frames for the windows to make them more attractive. I really like the darker color of the stain they have applied. It makes the colors in the windows stand out even more. With classes in our parish school and in the Religious Education program well underway and the Commissioning of our Teachers and Catechists last Sunday, we now turn our attention to RCIA and the Confirmation program. Both will begin the first week of October. Note the announcement about RCIA in this bulletin. If you, or someone you know is interested in the Catholic Faith, call the rectory and let us know. We want to arrange our classes to accommodate all the participants schedules. Confirmation classes will begin the first Sunday of October. We have a large class this year and the team and I cant wait to get started. Thanks to all our teachers and catechists for the wonderful job that they do in raising up our parish children in the faith. Well, get your jackets and sweaters out and prepare to enjoy what will undoubtedly be a wonderful Fall season. Fr. Ray ROSARY MARCH All members of the parish are cordially invited to attend the 17th annual Erie Diocesan Rosary March and church service at St. Peter Cathedral on Sunday, October 9 at 2:00 p.m. For those unable to march, the Rosary will be recited in the Cathedral while the march is taking place. The speaker will be Fr. Robert Karl, Pastor of St. Peter & Paul Byzantine Catholic Church in Erie.

WHATS WRONG WITH ME? St. Lukes Church extends an invitation to you to attend a study session for adults on the subject CONFESSION to be presented by Fr. Jason Glover of Gannon University. The session will be offered Sunday, October 9 from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. in the cafeteria, and again on Monday, October 10 from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the Mothers Chapel of the church. He is coming to clear up what bothers us about receiving this complete forgiveness.