3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you, O Lord, my rock and redeemer.
READINGS FOR THE WEEKEND: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012322.cfm
LIVE-STREAMING: Visit https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE for live stream at 8:30 am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 4 pm on Saturdays. Please bear with us as we work through the challenges with our live streaming. If you are interested in being involved in this ministry, please email Lisa at lisa.titus@saintpolycarp.org or Judy at communications@saintpolycarp.org.
PARISH WEBSITE: Visit: www.saintpolycarp.org/.
With the rising number of covid cases and after receiving new recommendations from the diocese, our Pastoral Council, Liturgy Committee and our staff came to the consensus with the following recommendations:
To help control the spread of covid-19, particularly the Omicron variant, it is highly recommended that masks be worn during all Masses and while inside all buildings. Please sanitize your hands upon entering. With the exception of devotionals (Flame of Love, Divine Mercy, Eucharistic Adoration, Confessions, Mass) committees/ministries will not be meeting in-person. Please check with your ministry chairperson for virtual links.
HERE I AM LORD! Calling all transplants! Were you a Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion in another parish? Are you ready to resume your stewardship as a Eucharistic Minister? A small group is already forming to begin their ministry here at St. Polycarp Church. If you were commissioned as a Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion in the past and are ready to serve here,
please contact Cindy Kennedy at kennedy078@msn.com or (302) 653 – 7525 ASAP. One small meeting is all it takes to resume your ministry.
THIS WEEKEND, JANUARY 22/23
BLESSING OF LECTORS will take place tomorrow, January 22nd at the 4:00pm. Mass.
RITE OF ENROLLMENT FOR FIRST EUCHARIST, for those children who will be receiving Jesus for the first time in the spring, will take place on Sunday, January 23rd, at the 10:30 am Mass.
PSR GRADES P/K – 4, Sunday, January 23. No in person classes. Lessons will be posted on PSROnline. Please check your email for important information from Mrs. Taylor.
SECOND COLLECTION this weekend is for Parish Utilities.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS POLAR BEAR PLUNGE for SPECIAL OLYMPICS collection to support this event will take place at the Church doors this weekend after both Masses.
More than ever Special Olympics still needs our support. If you miss this weekend’s collection at the doors, you can still support this event by placing your donation in an envelope marked Polar Bear Plunge or Special Olympics and then placed in the collection basket, the black box under the portico, or mailed to St. Polycarp Church, 55 Ransom Lane, Smyrna DE 19977. Checks should be made out to Knights of Columbus-Brother Vincent Council. Please make all donations by Sunday, January 30th. Thank you for your generous support.
WORLD’S FINEST CHOCOLATE: PSR kicks off its biggest fundraiser of the year this weekend! Once again, we are selling our World’s Finest Chocolate Candy Bars! All candy bars must be ordered and paid for ahead of time. Order forms are inserted in this weekend’s bulletin. (Or Click here to print an order form.) Please return forms along with payment to the black drop box under the portico or in the collection basket at Church marked PSR Chocolate Sale. Make checks payable to St. Polycarp PSR. To place your order online (Using credit card, debit card or bank account) CLICK HERE As always, thank you for your support!
THE WEEK OF JANUARY 23
TAX LETTERS: Tax letters were sent out this past Tuesday to all whose email we have on file. If you did not receive one, and would like one, please contact the parish office.
PSR GRADES 5-8, Tuesday, January 25th. No in person classes. Lessons will be posted on PSROnline. Please check your email for important information from Mrs. Taylor.
Bishop Robert Barron’s series “THE CREED”. Connected in Christ’s presentation of Bishop Barron’s ‘The Creed’ Tuesdays, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. If you wish to receive a link to this six-week program, please email Peggy O’Connor at peggyo52@aol.com.
THE WEEK OF JANUARY 30
BLESSING OF CANDLES will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 2nd, at the 8:30 am Mass. Parishioners are asked to bring any candles they wish to be blessed with them that day. Please keep your candles with you in the pew and hold them up when Fr. Jim does the Blessing. A table will be set up in the Sanctuary showing the different candles used in our Parish.
THE VOCATION CHALICE MINISTRY: January 30th – The Brimson Family
UPCOMING/ONGOING
CHANGE THE WORLD: BECOME CATHOLIC! If you know someone who is looking for a new beginning and wants to learn more about the Catholic Church, “personally invite” them to our RCIA sessions, Monday evenings at 6:30pm. The RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is for individuals who are unbaptized, baptized in other faith traditions or Catholic adults wishing to receive Confirmation and Holy Eucharist and seeking full membership in the Catholic Church. We are all called to share the “Good News” and you can make a difference by simply asking! Please contact Deacon Frank Weber for more information at DeaconFrank@saintpolycarp.org or leave a message with the Parish office at (302) 653-8279.
THE VOCATION CHALICE MINISTRY: Each week a family will receive the Vocation Chalice at Mass and take it home with the promise to “pray for vocations” during that week. The family should place the chalice in a prominent place in their home and gather together each day to pray for the awareness of vocations. At the end of the week, the family will bring the chalice back to church so the next family can take it home. A booklet will accompany the chalice that has prayers and instructions. We need your prayers and for you to sign up. Call or text Alice Gaston 302-670-7924 to sign up. See the Bulletin for schedule. January 30th – Brimson Family, February 13th – Marshall Family
REDNER’S MARKETS 1% SAVE-A-TAPE FUNDRAISER: Turn your food shopping into cash for our parish. Simply be sure to obtain and scan your Redner’s Rewards Card each time you shop. Save your whole receipt. Bring your receipts to the Parish Office or put them into the collection basket. There is no expiration date – you can turn receipts months old in!
Thank you to our Bulletin advertisers! We appreciate your support!
USEFUL LINKS:
WEBSITE: www.saintpolycarp.org.
BULLETIN: https://www.jppc.net/onlinebulletins/301template.pdf
BULLETIN OVERFLOW: https://saintpolycarp.org/this-weeks-bulletin/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SaintPolycarpCatholicChurch/
ONLINE GIVING: Please consider becoming an e-giver. It is easy to make your weekly or one time contributions in support of the Parish. For more information and to sign up for online giving, visit faith.direct/DE831
ST DENNIS: http://www.stdennischurch.org
DIOCESE OF WILMINGTON – LIVE STREAMING https://www.youtube.com/user/DioceseofWilm
THE DIALOG: http://thedialog.org/ Newspaper of the Diocese, copies available as you leave Church or online
FROM THE DIOCESE:
CATHOLIC FORUM/RELEVANT RADIO: Saturdays at 1:30 pm on Relevant Radio 640. On Saturday, January 22nd tune-in to hear an interview with the co-founder and co-president of Catholic Women in Business, Elise Crawford Gallagher. Listen online anytime at cdow.org/CatholicForum, or by searching “Catholic Forum” on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Amazon Music podcasts.
LET US PRAY: January 22: Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Heavenly Father, Creator of all Life,
We thank you for the gift of Life that you have given to each of us. You have made us Your children, and filled us with Your Holy Spirit.
We turn to You now, Our Father, to ask for Your protection for our unborn brothers and sisters. We pray that mothers and fathers will place the Life of their unborn children above their own needs and wants. We pray that family and community members will offer their support for unborn children. We pray that the well-being of both mother and child will be the focus of all health care workers. And we pray that government leaders will seek ways to uphold the dignity of human life.
We place all these prayers before you through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amen.