To see this week’s Bulletin CLICK HERE
Below is additional information that is not included in the current Bulletin or additional details of the information that is included in this week’s Bulletin.
VIA CRUCIS 2025 at St. Anthony of Padua Parish
Are you interested in performing in the annual Via Crucis, (Latin for Way of the Cross) during the Lenten Season? The entire family is invited to be part of the cast or support group. Sign up by emailing stanthony.viacrucis@gmail.com (Include your name, age, grade, and contact information.) You can also sign up in person on Sunday, January 19th, (in the Church) at 1:30 pm.
ACCEPTING 2025-2026 TUITION ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS
The Diocese of Wilmington is accepting applications for tuition assistance for the 2025-2026 school year. All families considering Catholic education or currently enrolled are invited to apply, as every family’s situation is reviewed individually. The application deadline is Friday, January 31st, with no exceptions. Do not miss this opportunity to invest in your child’s future through Catholic education! The application can be found online at factsmgt.com/aid.
ANNUAL WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS
Bishop William E. Koenig invites all married couples in the Diocese of Wilmington to the Annual Wedding Anniversary Mass on World Marriage Sunday, February 9th, at 1 pm at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Newark, DE. Those celebrating significant anniversaries in 5-year increments (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50), or any anniversary beyond 50, will receive a special certificate from the Bishop. Reservations are needed, no matter what the anniversary year. Reservations are required by Tuesday, February 4th. Questions may be referred to the Office for Marriage and Family Life at 302-295-0657 or by emailing OMFL@cdow.org. Registration can be completed by using the following link – https://cdowcym.wufoo.com/forms/zdx6q1g0hx3jsm/
Bishop Koenig will be available for photos with interested couples beginning at 12 pm and again after the Mass. If you would like to have a photo taken with Bishop Koenig, please arrive at 12 pm or plan to stay after Mass.
RETROUVAILLE: REDISCOVER THE LOVE IN YOUR MARRIAGE: The Retrouvaille Program is for married couples facing challenges in their relationship.
The next program will be held February 14th – 16th, 2025 at the Family Life Center in Malvern, PA. For more information, or to register, visit https://www.helpourmarriage.org/ or call 215-766-3944 or 800-470-2230. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
* A marriage program that helps couples restore their marriage and rebuild a loving relationship.
* A Christian marriage program, Catholic in origin, where couples of all faiths or no faith background are encouraged to attend.
* Primarily a practical program to improve communication, build stronger marriages, and help couples reconnect.
* Presenters are not trained marriage counselors, but rather couples sharing their personal stories of marital struggles and the tools they used to rediscover their love.
Tens of thousands of couples have healed their marriages through Retrouvaille (pronounced Retro-vy). If you know anyone who could benefit from this program, please pass this on. Couples learn to build communication skills and to increase intimacy. It provides help for marriage problems, difficulties or crises. For more information, visit www.HelpOurMarriage.org or call 215-766-3944 or 800-470-2230. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
FROM THE DIALOG: Get the latest Catholic news sent free to your inbox. Sign up today for The Dialog newsletter, The Angelus. You’ll receive our newsletter, The Angelus, with the latest diocesan news, spiritual columns and feature stories of interest to people in our schools and parishes. You’ll also get breaking news alerts from TheDialog.org and information from our Dialog partners. To sign up, visit thedialog.org and click the “Get Our Newsletter” link at the top of every page. Type in your email address and you’re done.
XAVIER SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND: Are you or someone you know looking for spiritual and inspirational books in an accessible format? Xavier Society for the Blind provides braille, large print, and audio materials in the Catholic tradition, free-of-charge, to blind/visually impaired people worldwide. In addition to the Missalettes for Mass, Xavier Society’s free offerings range from biographies of saints, to theological dissertations and Catholic classics, to contemporary titles by popular authors. To learn more please visit xaviersocietyfortheblind.org or call 800-637-9193.
SMYRNA-CLAYTON MINISTERIUM FOOD PANTRY is located downstairs at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 22 N. Union St., Smyrna. The pantry is open from 9:30 am to 10:30 am, Monday through Friday. Here at St. Polycarp, we have containers for your food donations in the hallway outside of the Mother Drexel Hall. We collect food all year round. Please no expired food. The pantry is in great need of cereal, juice boxes or pouches, peanut butter and jelly, hamburger helper, tuna helper, canned tuna, canned meat, sloppy joe sauce (Manwich), boxed spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, vegetable beef and chicken noodle soups, macaroni and cheese, and Chef Boyardee canned pastas. Please NO CANNED vegetables or beans are currently needed.
MEMORIAL BRICKS
Have you noticed the beautiful ‘Memory’ walkway leading to our outdoor Blessed Mother statue? There’s not time like the present to add your memory brick. Whether you desire to commemorate a loved one, a special occasion, or simply your family name, the choice is yours. There are two ways to order your bricks. To order through Faith Direct: CLICK HERE (you do not need to sign up for Faith Direct), or return your form with payment to St. Polycarp Church in an envelope labeled “Memorial Brick”. Please place the completed order form and a check for $100.00, made payable to St. Polycarp Church, in the envelope. You can place it in the Offertory collection, deliver it to the Parish Office (place in black box), or mail it to St Polycarp Church
Parish Office, 55 Ransom Lane, Smyrna, DE 19977-1617. Forms can be found on our parish website or at the entrances into the church.
ST. POLYCARP REMINDERS:
REDNER’S 1% SAVE-A-TAPE FUNDRAISER Hang onto those receipts until we are all together again!
Turn your food shopping into cash for our parish. If you are a Redner’s shopper, we would welcome your participation. It is so easy! Simply be sure to obtain and scan your Redner’s Rewards Card each time you shop. (Remember to shop only out of necessity.) Save your whole receipt. Bring your receipts to the Parish Office or just put them into the collection basket. There is no expiration date — even receipts months old can be turned in! Your receipts will generate cash for us. What a hands-down and effortless way to help St. Polycarp Church.
REMINDER ABOUT THE PARKING
Please do not park in front of the dumpsters on Monday through Friday. This prevents the Waste Management Collection and the Recycling Collection from being picked up. Thank you for your cooperation!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Don’t forget to arrive earlier for Mass so that you won’t miss the announcements!
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR ADVERTISERS:
Thank you to our local advertisers who support our parish with their advertisement on the back page. Let’s support them, too! Have you checked them out lately?
We want our Bulletin advertisers to be successful and we thank them for their continued support of our weekly bulletin.
Please support our advertisers whenever possible and ask if they can be found on the Finding Faber app.
