FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
LAETARE SUNDAY – REJOICE!
The Fourth Sunday in Lent is known as Laetare Sunday. The Lenten Season is more than half over. The celebration of the Easter Feast is drawing near –
the Church rejoices! Rose vestments are worn by the Priest. This rose color reminds us of joy in the midst of penance and anticipation
SUNDAY SCRIPTURE – QUESTIONS TO PONDER
~ How has the Lord been inviting you to deeper conversion this Lent?
~ How would you define grace?
– What does Jesus tell us about the reason He was sent into the world? How does that make you feel?
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) (7 pm Stations only 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
6 pm – 8 pm at St. Polycarp
3 pm – 5 pm at St. Dennis
6 pm – 8 pm at St. Dennis – (Fr. Oscar – Hispanic & 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 28
Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Dennis – 7 pm
(No Mass at St. Polycarp)
Good Friday – Friday, March 29
Passion of the Lord at St. Polycarp – 3 pm
Holy Saturday – Saturday, March 30
No Confessions either Parish
Easter Vigil at St. Polycarp – 7:30 pm
Easter Sunday – Sunday, March 31
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/031024.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 9/10 (and Monday, March 11th – Friday, March 15th)
TIME CHANGES THIS WEEKEND – SPRING FORWARD!
Set clocks ahead one hour.
Don’t be late for PSR or Mass on Sunday!
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Saturday, March 9th Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will take place at the end of the 4 pm Vigil Mass for the Second Sunday of the month, this Saturday, March 9th. Please plan to stay and spend some time with Jesus. Out of reverence for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, please do not leave while the host is being placed in the monstrance and until Fr. Jim leaves. When you do leave, please leave silently as others are praying.
SECOND COLLECTION this weekend is for Operation Rice Bowl. Operation Rice Bowl offers an opportunity to pray for and directly assist the poor in this country and overseas.
FAITH WITH FRIENDS – Join us this Sunday at 9 am! Sip on wisdom-infused coffee, donuts sent from the heavens, and sweet divine fellowship! We will gather in the library on the following Sundays – March 10th, 24th; April 14th, 28th at 9:00 am. What’s in the holy mix?
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES are coming this weekend! On March 9th and 10th our Girl Scouts will have cookies available for purchase after Mass. You can order them in advance, and we will deliver them to your doorstep! Money raised from Cookie sales help fund the activities that the girls do, such as camping, earning skills badges, and service projects. Donated cookies from St. Polycarp parishioners will taken to the Seaman’s Center of Wilmington, the same organization that we support with the Christmas at Sea program. We thank you in advance for your support and prayers for our girls. Cookie Link: https://bit.ly/49oRT78 Contact Tracie Bruno: Tracie.Bruno@comcast.net.
THE RESPECT LIFE MINISTRY is collecting items for Easter Baskets for patients at DHCI. A box will be outside Mother Drexel Hall through 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: March 17th at 2 pm. Our Parish & Family Life Ministry would love to have you walk in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade with our banner and float to represent our Church, St. Polycarp. If you are not able to walk in the parade and have time to help decorate a float we would appreciate your assistance! Please contact Chairperson Deanna Lail at dlail14@comcast.net or 302-535-2957.
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 Monday, March 18th. Email all submissions to
submission@saintpolycarp.org.
NEXT WEEKEND, MARCH 16/17 (and Monday, March 18th – Friday, March 22nd)
UPDATE: 
BROTHER VINCENT KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS regret that they have to CANCEL the ST. PATRICK’S DAY Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner for next weekend..
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!
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.
EARLY BULLETIN DEADLINE: Submissions for the March 31st, Easter Sunday, bulletin are due by the end-of-the-day on Monday, March 18th. Email submissions to submission@saintpolycarp.org
UPCOMING
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.
FORMED has a wonderful short video series, Bread of Life: The Eucharist in Galilee, that takes you through the beautiful scenery of actual places in Galilee where Jesus performed so many of His miracles. Dr. Tim Gray presents short, 6–10-minute videos, that constantly refer to the Old Testament to show how it foreshadowed Jesus giving us the Eucharist in the New Testament. If you enjoy history these videos will be sure to pique your interest.
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
WE NEED YOUR HELP! ARE YOU BEING CALLED TO SERVE?
SOCIAL CONCERNS: The DHCI* ministry is in need of assistance to help Deacon Frank with the 10:30 am Communion Service on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Type of assistance needed: help with bringing residents to the prayer area and set up. If interested, contact Pablo Resto at pabloresto@msn.com or Anne Marie at theaterowl@yahoo.com . (*Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill, located in Smyrna)
BULLETIN BOARDS: Thank you! We have a volunteer!
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: March 9th, Saturday, April 13th, Saturday, May 11th, Saturday, June 8th, Saturday, July 13th, Saturday, August 10th
TUESDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Tuesdays from 9am to 8pm 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 9th episode of Catholic Forum, we talk to Deacon Tommy Watts, Diocese of Wilmington Chaplain to the Boy Scouts, and Phil Betley, Scoutmaster of Troup 285, sponsored by St. Elizabeth Parish in Wilmington, Delaware. 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:
CABRINI: Soon to be out in certain theaters beginning March 8.
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 22 through Sunday, March 24. For updates about the event, the full schedule and video, please visit https://steparish.org/.
SMYRNA-CLAYTON MINISTERIUM CROSS WALK: Good Friday, March 29th
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.
“THE CHAIR”: The series tells the story of the Catholic Church in America today. It highlights each bishop, his cathedral, and important aspects of the diocesan history. You can access the series here – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPu38Ui5dTDIXL2dAlmSBBROUBx6DMGVK. To view the episode about our Diocese visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEjo2GtH-dM&t=51s
LET US PRAY: St. John of God – March 8
Saint John of God, heavenly Patron of the Sick,
I come to you in prayer to seek your help in my present sickness.
Through the love which Jesus had for you
in choosing you for the sublime vocation of serving the sick,
and through the tender affection
with which the Blessed Virgin Mary placed upon your head
a crown of thorns as a symbol of the sufferings
you would undergo in the service of the sick
to attain to your crown of glory,
I beg you to intercede for me to Jesus and Mary
that They may grant me a cure,
if this should be according to the Will of God.
Amen.