2nd Sunday of Lent
SUNDAY SCRIPTURE – QUESTIONS TO PONDER
~ Is it easy or difficult for you to trust where God is leading?
~ How is grace essential to living a holy life?
~ How do you listen to the voice of Jesus in your life?
(Pastoral Liturgy)
READINGS FOR THE WEEKEND: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030523.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.
PARISH WEBSITE: Visit: www.saintpolycarp.org/.
WEEKLY PARISH BULLETIN: CLICK HERE . BULLETIN OVERFLOW: Bulletin Overflow – CLICK HERE
THIS WEEKEND, MARCH 4/5 (& Monday, March 6th – Friday, March 10th)
The SECOND COLLECTION this weekend, March 4th and 5th, is for Catholic Relief Services and Church in Latin America. This collection allows the Church to help our neighbors around the world. Please be as generous as your means allow. THANK YOU!
CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD (CLOW) will take place this Sunday, March 5th during the 10:30 am Mass. All children ages PK – 4th grade are welcome to join us. Children will be called to come forward before the First Reading. They will return to you after the General Intercessions.
PARISH BABY SHOWER: Sponsored by Brother Vincent Columbiettes this Sunday March 5th from 12-2 pm at St. Polycarp Mother Drexel Hall. Supporting the Wilmington Pregnancy Center and the families the center serves. Please bring your gift unwrapped. NO RSVP NEEDED. Please come support this special event!
Questions? Contact Linda Montuori at (302) 270 – 5347 or lindamontuori@yahoo.com
PSR – ALL GRADES – In-Person classes this week.
PSR Grade 2 and ISP – Sacramental Prep meeting for parents at 9am in Room 3.
COOKIES! Our Girl Scout Troop will be selling Girl Scout Cookies at the doors of the Church this weekend after Masses.
AGAPE RESCHEDULED: The March Agape scheduled for Sunday, March 5th, has been rescheduled. This Agape, hosted by the Liturgy Committee, has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 19th to coincide with the Blessing of the two St. Joseph Statues. The inside statue of St. Joseph will replace the statue on the St. Joseph’s side in the Sanctuary. The outside statue of St. Joseph will be placed next to the Parish Hall on the South Street side of the building. Please join us for the blessings and Agape.
REMINDER: Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Roman Catholic Church from age 14 onwards. ~USCCB
Corned Beef & Cabbage on Saint Patrick’s Day? But it’s a Friday in Lent! No problem for area Catholics this year. The Most Rev. William E. Koenig, Bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, has granted Catholics in Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a dispensation from the obligation to abstain from meat on Saint Patrick’s Day, Friday, March 17th, 2023. This dispensation is given in recognition of the contributions of Irish immigrants to the life of the Diocese and their indebtedness to St. Patrick for the gift of their Catholic faith. Catholics who take advantage of the dispensation, are encouraged to, “undertake a work of charity, an exercise of piety, or an act of comparable penance on some other occasion during the Third Week of Lent,” according to the dispensation decree. To read the decree CLICK HERE
ST. PATRICK’S DAY DINNER: The Knights of Columbus will again be sponsoring a St. Patrick’s Dinner on Saturday March 18th after the 4:00 pm Mass. More information will follow with flyers on the bulletin boards and in Sunday bulletins. We again look forward to seeing you at this event.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS & BENEDICTION: Fridays in Lent at 7pm.
THE PARISH OFFICE is in need of volunteers to help out at the front desk. Please consider helping in this important role. Various times and dates available. Let us know what is convenient for you! If you are interested in helping or would like more information, please contact Kathy Watts at the church office 302-653-8279 or via email office@saintpolycarp.org.
BULLETIN OVERFLOW: Check out our “Bulletin Overflow” to learn about various Lenten activities around the Diocese. CLICK HERE TO VIEW BULLETIN OVERFLOW
NEXT WEEKEND, MARCH 11/12 (& Monday, March 13th – Friday, March 17th)
TIME CHANGES next weekend!!!! Set clocks forward one hour!
BLESSING OF ALTAR SERVERS AND SACRISTANS takes place next Saturday, March 11th at the 4:00 pm Mass.
GIRL SCOUT SUNDAY is next Sunday, March 12th. Please keep all Girl Scouts and their leaders in your prayers!
THE VOCATION CHALICE MINISTRY: March 12th at the 10:30 am Mass – Penny Gugliuzzo. Please arrive 15 minutes before Mass starts to pick up (or drop off) materials in the sacristy.
PSR will be selling chocolate bars at the doors of the Church next weekend after both Masses.
UPCOMING/ONGOING
SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! Time to think about ordering your MEMORIAL BRICK! After the cold dark days of winter, the spring season brings new life; everything comes alive. Adding your MEMORIAL BRICK to the walkway of our Blessed Mother is a unique way to keep your memories alive. It is a way to remind us of all those special loved ones or occasions forever. If you would like to become a part of the walkway to our Blessed Mother, with your name or the name of a loved one, now is a good time to do so! There are several ways to order your bricks. You can order through Faith Direct at: Faith Direct MEMORIAL BRICK (you do not need to sign up for Faith Direct), use the QR code below or return your form* with payment of $80 to St. Polycarp Church. Envelopes marked with “Memorial Brick” may be placed in the Offertory collection, delivered to the Parish Office (place in black box), or mailed to the Parish Office.*Forms can be found on our parish website or at the entrances into the church.
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Tuesdays from noon to 8pm in the Chapel. We need a few more people to sign up for a scheduled Adoration time slot so we can expand our Adoration hours. Please consider this devotion. You can come to the adoration chapel and in the peacefulness there He will speak to your heart, and you will return eagerly because He has so much to share with you. There are hours available on Tuesday, Call or Email Cheryl Thomas; salcrest7@gmail.com, 659-3388
FINANCE COUNCIL: The Finance Council is looking to increase its membership. If you would like to be a part of the Finance Council, please reach out to John Fcasni at (609) 529-1986 or john.fcasni@gmail.com.
CHANGE THE WORLD: BECOME CATHOLIC! Is there someone you would like to invite to explore the Catholic faith – someone unbaptized, or baptized in a non-Catholic Christian tradition? Do you know someone who needs Confirmation and/or First Eucharist? Perhaps, the Catholic faith can fulfill their desires for a closer relationship with Our Lord. Then, the RCIA process is for them. Please contact Deacon Frank Weber for more information. DeaconFrank@saintpolycarp.org or leave a message with the Parish office at (302) 653-8279.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD (CLOW) takes place on the first and third Sundays of the month during the 10:30 am Mass. All children ages PK – 4th grade are welcome to join us. Children will be called to come forward before the First Reading. They will return to you after the General Intercessions. All catechists and assistants have a cleared background check. If you are interested in helping with this ministry, please contact Erica Taylor at (302) 653-4101. Next CLOW – Sunday, March 5th at the 10:30 am Mass.
THE VOCATION CHALICE MINISTRY: Please consider signing up to host the vocation chalice in your home for a week. Text or call Alice Gaston at (302) 670 – 7924. For more information visit https://saintpolycarp.org/vocation-chalice/ Penny Gugliuzzo; March 12th at the 10:30 am Mass – Neda Biggs; March 26th at the 10:30 am Mass – Laura Pajerowski, April 16th at the 10:30 am Mass – Pete Sanphy
CONNECTED IN CHRIST (ADULT FAITH FORMATION) meets every Tuesday at 9:30 AM in the Parish Library – ALL are welcome. Please join us. If you have any questions, please call Cookie Ruane at 302-540-6429.
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.
FORMED: Have you had the opportunity to dive into FORMED? To sign up visit www.formed.org. Type in our Parish zip code (19977) and follow the steps to sign up or you can use the QR code below. Take advantage of your free subscription to FORMED! Enjoy thousands of hours of quality Catholic content!
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!
BULLETIN SPONSORS: 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!
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
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:
CATHOLIC FORUM/RELEVANT RADIO: Saturdays at 1:30 pm on Relevant Radio 640AM. On Saturday, March 4th, Marlene Watkins will discuss her book, “Everyday Miracles of Lourdes”, 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.
LET US PRAY:
Dear God,
You teach us the Corporal Works of Mercy so that we can live out the lessons of Christ in today’s world. During this Season of Lent, help us to live your teachings throughout our families, our communities and the world. Amen.
The Corporal Works of Mercy are acts of love that address the physical and material needs of others. The Corporal Works of Mercy are:
- Feed the hungry.
- Give drink to the thirsty.
- Shelter the homeless.
- Visit the sick.
- Visit the imprisoned.
- Bury the dead.
- Give alms to the poor.
To learn more about the Corporal Works of Mercy CLICK HERE