FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
SUNDAY SCRIPTURE – QUESTIONS TO PONDER
~ Jeremiah speaks of a time when all will come to know God. What does it mean to you to know the Lord?
~ What does obedience to Christ look like in your life?
– Is there anything you‘re being invited to let go of to follow Christ more deeply?
FASTING AND ABSTINENCE: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Roman Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Roman Catholic Church from age 14 onwards. ~USCCB
Stations of the Cross and Benediction – at St. Polycarp
Fridays in Lent at 7 pm (No Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.)
ST. DENNIS CHURCH (GALENA, MD): Stations of the Cross – Fridays in Lent at 5 pm and 7 pm (Spanish) (There are 7 pm Stations on Good Friday)
RECONCILIATION:
Saturdays, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm at St. Polycarp (No Confessions on Saturday, March 30th, Holy Saturday.)
Sundays, following 10:30 am Mass through March 24th.
Sundays, 7:00 am – 7:30 am at St. Dennis (No Confessions on Easter Sunday.)
Deanery Lenten Penance Service – Thursday, March 21st, at 7 pm at Holy Cross, Dover (Several priests will be available to hear confessions)
Reconciliation Monday, March 25th, – Monday of Holy Week
3 pm – 5 pm at St. Polycarp (Fr. Herring)
6 pm – 8 pm at St. Polycarp (Fr. Jim & Fr. Hynes)
3 pm – 5 pm at St. Dennis (Fr. Jim)
6 pm – 8 pm at St. Dennis (Fr. Oscar – Spanish & English)
PLEASE NOTE:
Corrections to previously announced times:
The Easter Vigil Mass at St. Polycarp will begin at 7:30 pm, not 8:00 pm
Easter Sunday Masses at St. Dennis are 8 am, 9:30 am (not 10:00 am) and 11 am
PLEASE ALSO NOTE:
Easter Sunday Masses at St. Polycarp are celebrated at 8:00 am and 10:00 am
Holy Thursday – Thursday, March 28th
Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Dennis – 7 pm
(No Mass at St. Polycarp)
Good Friday – Friday, March 29th
Passion of the Lord at St. Polycarp – 3 pm
Holy Saturday – Saturday, March 30th
No Confessions either Parish
Easter Vigil at St. Polycarp – 7:30 pm
Easter Sunday – Sunday, March 31st
St. Polycarp at 8:00 am and 10:00 am
St. Dennis at 8 am, 9:30 am and 11 am (Spanish)
READINGS FOR THE WEEKEND: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031724.cfm
LIVE-STREAMING: Visit https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE for live stream at 8:30 am, Tuesdays & Wednesdays and 4 pm on Saturdays.
PARISH WEBSITE: Visit: www.saintpolycarp.org/.
WEEKLY PARISH BULLETIN: CLICK HERE . (New Bulletins are posted on Fridays.) Thank you to all of our weekly bulletin sponsors for your support during the year! Your support has not gone unnoticed by our parish community and is so appreciated!
BULLETIN OVERFLOW: There’s always information that doesn’t fit in our Bulletin – Bulletin Overflow – CLICK HERE
THIS WEEKEND, MARCH 16/17 (and Monday, March 18th – Friday, March 22nd)
BROTHER VINCENT KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS regret that they have to CANCEL the ST. PATRICK’S DAY Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner for next weekend..
SECOND COLLECTION this weekend is for our Parish Maintenance.
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CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD: will take place this Sunday at the 10:30 am Mass. CLOW is offered every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month during the 10:30 am Mass. This is a wonderful opportunity for children in PreK-4th grade. Children will be called forward before the First Reading and will return to you after the General Intercessions. Our catechists and assistants have cleared background checks.
THE RESPECT LIFE MINISTRY is collecting items for Easter Baskets for patients at DHCI. A box will be outside Mother Drexel Hall through this Sunday, March 17th. We were asked to go very easy on candy due to dietary issues. The patients cannot do actual jigsaw puzzles. However, items we can supply: puzzle books (Sudoku, Find a Word, etc.) stuffed animals, cookies, crackers, hand lotions, books, socks and handmade crafts.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE – THIS SUNDAY: March 17th at 2 pm. Come cheer for St. Polycarp Church as we walk through the streets of Smyrna in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade! Better yet, come walk with us and represent St. Polycarp in the parade. Walking with us – meet us at 1:30 pm in our Church Parking Lot. WEAR GREEN! Questions? – Contact Chairperson Deanna Lail at dlail14@comcast.net or 302-535-2957.
ANNUAL OFFERTORY REFLECTION: Reminder- Intentions of offertory giving are due March 17th. Annual Offertory Reflection intentions are needed for the preparation of our Parish Budget, and we need everyone’s participation. If you haven’t returned yours, please be sure to do so THIS WEEKEND. Thank you for your support! (Offertory Reflection Intention Cards can be found in the pews. Completed cards can be dropped in the collection baskets.)
THE DEANERY PENANCE SERVICE will take place this Thursday, March 21st, at 7 pm at Holy Cross Church in Dover.
Several Priests will be available to hear confessions.
EASTER NOVENA MASS REMEMBRANCE: Living or deceased, the best gift you can give a loved one is the gift of the Mass. Please use the Easter Mass Remembrance envelope to enjoin your friends and family in our most holy celebration.
EASTER FLOWERS Proclaim that spring is upon us as they symbolize hope and new life. Add to the beauty of our church during the upcoming Easter season by using your Easter flower envelope to help us proclaim that Jesus has risen!
EARLY BULLETIN DEADLINE: Submissions for the March 31st Easter Bulletin are due by the end-of-day THIS Monday, March 18th. Email all submissions to submission@saintpolycarp.org.
HOLY COMMUNION TO THE SICK AND HOMEBOUND – Do you know someone who is sick or homebound and not able to make it to Mass? We would love to give them the opportunity to receive Holy Communion in their homes. Please contact April Corrales at (302) 220 – 9616 or Lori Ostrowski at (302) 540 – 6522
READ THIS WEEKEND’S BULLETIN for updates from the following Ministries – Liturgy, Christian Formation & Finance Council. CLICK HERE FOR BULLETIN
NEXT WEEKEND, MARCH 23/24 (and Monday, March 25th – Friday, March 29th)
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
Next Sunday, March 24th is Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week, the holiest week in the Church’s calendar.
EASTER EGG HUNT & AGAPE – Next Sunday, Palm Sunday, March 24th – Brother Vincent Knights of Columbus will be hosting an Easter Egg Hunt for our youngsters and the March Agape, following the 10:30 am Mass on March 24th. All children are invited to participate in the egg hunt. There will be prizes!
Children are asked to bring their own baskets!
CALLING ALL CHOCOLATE LOVERS! Next Weekend, March 23rd & 24th, are your lucky days!!! We have a “Limited Supply” of bars we will be selling after both Masses next weekend. Look for us at all the doors. Bars are $1 each. Don’t miss out!!! Once they are gone…they are GONE. All proceeds benefit PSR.
SODALITY’S RAFFLE AT PALM SUNDAY’S AGAPE: Sodality is having a raffle on Palm Sunday, March 24th, at the AGAPE after the 10:30 am Mass in Mother Drexel Hall. Enhance your Easter Season celebration with a beautiful sculpted piece of art depicting the religious events from Palm Sunday (the 1st day of Holy Week) through the Ascension of Jesus (the 40th day after the Resurrection). This piece of art can be viewed on the table in the hallway near the Sacristy. The raffle tickets are 3 for $5.00 and will be sold only at the Palm Sunday Agape.
RECONCILIATION MONDAY: Our third annual Reconciliation Monday will take place on Monday, March 25th, from 3 – 5 pm and 6 – 8 pm, here at St. Polycarp and at St. Dennis. Not only will we have confession here in our church during that time, but all parishes in the diocese will be holding confessions. So if it is more convenient for you to go to another church closer to work, feel free to do so. Please invite those friends and family members who have been away from the Sacraments to take advantage of this opportunity. Visit cdow.org/ReconciliationMonday for more information.
LENTEN RICE BOWLS: Rice bowls are returned to Church at the end of Lent.
UPCOMING
DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY: On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7th and the vigil on Saturday, April 6th, please stay for about 10 minutes after Mass to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Literature will be provided so that you can follow along.
FORMED: A Catholic Art Show for Kids – Looking for a new family activity this Lent? Help your children’s faith and artistic gifts grow through this series from the Augustine Institute: Drawing Closer to God: A Catholic Art Show for Kids. Join art teacher Ms. Kim as she teaches your family how to draw different scenes from the gospel story. Your children will also gain insights into
Scripture as she shares the rich biblical background of each image they create.
Use this QR code for A Catholic Art Show for Kids!
FORMED: Thanks to a very generous and thoughtful parishioner, our FORMED Subscription has been RENEWED for another year! Please SIGN UP NOW and begin enjoying the abundant amount of Catholic content that FORMED has to offer! You won’t be disappointed! To gain full access to FORMED; follow these simple steps:
~Go to: www.formed.org or scan QR Code
~Enter our parish’s zip code (19977)
~Click on St. Polycarp Church
~Enter your name and your email address
ONGOING
THREE YEARS OF ABUNDANT GRACE AND TRANSFORMATION – EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL
MISSION: To renew the church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
VISION: To inspire a movement of Catholics across the United States who are healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist—and who are then sent out on mission “for the life of the world.”
SATURDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION at St. Polycarp will take place monthly at the Vigil Mass for the Second Sunday of the month. Eucharistic Adoration at St. Dennis Church (Galena MD) will take place on the Fourth Sunday of the month following the 8 am Sunday Mass – no Adoration on Palm Sunday.
Upcoming Saturday Eucharistic Adoration at St. Polycarp: Saturday, April 13th, Saturday, May 11th, Saturday, June 8th, Saturday, July 13th, Saturday, August 10th
TUESDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Tuesdays from 9 am to 8 pm in the Chapel. Do you have one hour to spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament? Call Cheryl Thomas at (302) 363 – 0404 or email her at salcrest7@gmail.com. All are welcome to stop in and adore Jesus between 9 am and 8 pm in the Chapel on Tuesdays. Stay for 10 minutes, 1 hour…
THE VOCATION CHALICE MINISTRY: Please consider signing up to host the vocation chalice in your home for a week. Families and individuals are encouraged to sign up! Text or call Alice Gaston at (302) 670 – 7924. For more information visit https://saintpolycarp.org/vocation-chalice/
CONNECTED IN CHRIST (ADULT FAITH FORMATION) meets every Tuesday at 9:00 am in the Parish Library – ALL are welcome. Please join us. If you have any questions, please call Cookie Ruane at (302) 540 – 6429.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD: Children’s Liturgy of the Word is offered every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month during the 10:30 am Mass. This is a wonderful opportunity for children in PreK-4th grade. It mirrors the worship experience of the larger community in an engaging and interactive style. They will listen to Scripture and engage in discussions about what they have heard at their age level. Children will be called forward before the First Reading and will return to you after the General Intercessions. Our lead catechist is Anna Skinner. She, along with her assistants, have cleared background checks.
GLUTEN FREE? Do you have an intolerance to gluten? If so, our parish offers gluten-free wafers to be consecrated for you. Please see our Sacristan 10 – 15 minutes before Mass and let them know that you need a gluten-free wafer put in the pyx. At Communion, please proceed down the aisle to the priest who will have the pyx in his hand and let him know you need a gluten-free host.
IS THAT YOU, FR. JIM? If you receive emails or texts from Fr. Jim asking for favors, gift cards or gifts or stating something similar to “I am currently busy in a meeting now, no calls so just reply to my email.”, please ignore and delete. If an email looks suspicious and you’re not sure, give the office a call.
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 in receipts months old!
THE 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 thru Friday. Due to the increased need in the community, the Pantry is in great need of cereal, juice boxes or pouches, peanut butter & jelly, hamburger helper, tuna helper, canned tuna, sloppy joe sauce (Manwich), boxed spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, vegetable beef and chicken noodle soups, macaroni & cheese, and Chef Boy Ardee canned pastas. No canned vegetables or beans are currently needed. Please, no expired items. Here at St. Polycarp we have bins under the coat rack in the hallway near the bathrooms to accept your donations.
BULLETIN SPONSORS: Thank you to all of our weekly bulletin sponsors for your support during the year!
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 CHURCH: http://www.stdennischurch.org 153 N. Main St. Galena, MD 21635 (410) 648-5145
DIOCESE OF WILMINGTON – LIVE STREAMING https://www.youtube.com/user/DioceseofWilm
FOR THE SAKE OF GOD’S CHILDREN: https://www.cdow.org/giving/fsgc/
THE DIALOG: http://thedialog.org/ Newspaper of the Diocese, copies available as you leave Church or online
EWTN: ewtn.com
FROM THE DIOCESE:
BISHOP KOENIG INVITES YOU TO THE NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE ON JULY 17th-21st, 2024, IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN. To read the letter of invitation, CLICK HERE
BE THERE WHEN GOD MOVES: The 10th National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN. From July 17th–21st, 2024, thousands of passionate Catholics will gather for a transformative experience on a scale this generation has never seen. Whether you join us for one day or all five, the grace you receive will spill out into our community when you return home—deeply in love with the Eucharist and excited about the future of the Church in America. Visit EucharisticCongress.org to learn more about the event and explore the full schedule for each day.
CATHOLIC FORUM/RELEVANT RADIO: Saturdays at 1:30 pm on Relevant Radio 640AM. On the March 16th episode of Catholic Forum, learn the eastern roots of Irish Christianity with author, Connie Marshnner. CLICK HERE You can listen online at cdow.org/CatholicForum, or by searching “Catholic Forum” on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Amazon Music podcasts. “Like” Catholic Forum on Facebook at facebook.com/CatholicForum @CatholicForum.
BULLETIN OVERFLOW: Visit Bulletin Overflow https://saintpolycarp.org/overflow/ for details on the following and more!:
CABRINI: Now through March 20th at limited theaters including Westown Movies in Middletown and Cinemark Christiana. The movie Cabrini, is based on the inspiring true story of a woman’s fight for humane treatment, better living conditions, and increased compassion for immigrant orphans at the turn of the 20th century. Cabrini follows Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant whose heart and ambition helped her to build an empire of compassion for the least fortunate of New York City. Eventually becoming the first American saint of the Catholic Church, Cabrini devoted her life to fighting for the happiness and health for individuals in the margins of her society. Did you know that one of our classrooms/meeting rooms here at St. Polycarp is named in honor of Mother Cabrini?
EUCHARIST ENCOUNTER WEEKEND: St. Elizabeth Parish and School are honored to host the Eucharistic Miracles of the World Exhibit, collected and designed by +Blessed Carlo Acutis, from Friday, March 22nd through Sunday, March 24th. For updates about the event, the full schedule and video, please visit https://steparish.org/.
SMYRNA-CLAYTON MINISTERIUM CROSS WALK: Good Friday, March 29th
DELAWARE STATE COLUMBIETTES’ LADIES RETREAT AT ST. JUDE PARISH IN LEWIS, DE on Saturday, April 13th.
A RACHEL’S VINEYARD CATHOLIC RETREAT Friday, April 19th – Sunday, 21st, 2024. This retreat offers emotional and spiritual healing for anyone who has struggled with the pain of abortion.
LET US PRAY: Traditional Irish Blessing 
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.