25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
SUNDAY SCRIPTURE – QUESTIONS TO PONDER
– How can your parish help root out an injustice?
– For whom do you pray each week?
– Consider the choices that you made this week. Whom did you serve?
READINGS FOR THE WEEKEND: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091822.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.
If you are interested in being involved in this ministry, please email Judy at communications@saintpolycarp.org.
PARISH WEBSITE: Visit: www.saintpolycarp.org/.
WEEKLY PARISH BULLETIN: CLICK HERE . BULLETIN OVERFLOW: Bulletin Overflow – CLICK HERE
THIS WEEKEND, SEPTEMBER 17/18 (& week of September 18)
SECOND COLLECTION this weekend is for our Parish School of Religion. Thank you for your continued generosity in supporting the religious education of our youth.
BLESSINGS: Installation and Blessing of the Pastoral and Finance Councils will take place tomorrow, Saturday, September 17th, at the 4:00 pm Mass. The Blessing of Catechists will take place Sunday, September 18th, at the 10:30 am Mass.
CATECHETICAL SUNDAY will be celebrated this Sunday. We thank God Almighty for all those who serve as catechists and for those who assist them in providing leadership in religious formation in our Parish.
ANNUAL PARISH PICNIC THIS SUNDAY! Please join us this Sunday, September 18, after the 10:30 Mass, for our Annual Parish Picnic. The Knights of Columbus and Columbiettes will 
provide hot dogs, burgers, and fries. Please provide your own sides for your family and bring a chair if you’d like. Water and Rita’s Italian Ice will also be provided. Check out our Huge Bounce
House and Dunk Tank too! Tickets for the Dunk Tank will be $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. We will also be having a 50-50 Raffle, $1.00 per ticket, or 6 for $5.00. Drawing will be held at about 1:00 and you must be present to win. The weather should be beautiful! All are welcome.
PSR ENVELOPE FUNDRAISER : Thank you so much for your support of this important fundraiser last weekend! If you didn’t take an envelope, and would like one, some are still available at the front and side door (near hall). How does it work? Check out the display of envelopes at all the Church doors. Each envelope has a different dollar amount on it. Choose which envelope(s) you want to fill. In the envelope you pick, place the amount marked on the front & place it in the collection basket this weekend or next week/end. You may also drop it off or mail it to the parish office. Make checks payable to St. Polycarp Church PSR (In the memo, clearly mark Envelope Fundraiser). The beautiful artwork on the envelopes was done by our PSR students. If you choose to keep the envelope for a keepsake, feel free to place the dollar amount in a different envelope. No amount turned in is too small. If everyone gives a little, it will add up to a lot!!! As always, we thank you for your continuous support & prayers. May God bless. This fundraiser is to raise funds to help support the rising costs of running our program and to aide in tuition assistance for our families in need.
MATCHING GIFT PROGRAM – 2022 FAITH AND CHARITY CATHOLIC APPEAL: Read this weekend’s bulletin for an important announcement concerning matched giving by one of our parishioners! Please consider a gift to the Faith and Charity Catholic Appeal if you have not already done so. Presently we, St. Polycarp Parish, have not met our goal.. Our diocese’s Faith and Charity ministries are essential to caring for our people and building up our church.
ADULT FAITH FORMATION – CONNECTED IN CHRIST: Parishioners are continuing to view the video series, The Wild Goose every Tuesday after the 8:30 Mass. Come join us. If you have any questions, please call Cookie Ruane at 302-540-6429.
NEXT WEEKEND, SEPTEMBER 24/25 (& week of September 25)
BLESSINGS: The Blessing of the Professional Staff will take place next Sunday, September 25th, at the 10:30 am Mass.
PRIESTHOOD SUNDAY will be celebrated on Saturday, September 24th, and Sunday, September 25th.Please keep all Priests (both current, retired and deceased), Deacons, and all men considering the call to the Priesthood in your prayers. At Masses next weekend, the cantor will lead us in prayer for our Priests. Please pick-up a copy of the Bulletin as you enter Mass next weekend so that you will be able to pray the prayer along with everyone else.
THE VOCATION CHALICE MINISTRY: This Sunday, September 25 at 10:30 am Mass – Ndione Family, Please arrive 15 minutes before your mass time and pick up materials in the sacristy.
ANNUAL FORUM: This years’ annual forum is taking place Sunday, September 25th, in the Mother Drexel Hall, following the 10:30 am Mass. All are invited. The forum is presented by the Pastoral Council and Finance Council. The forum offers parishioners valuable information regarding the different committees of Saint Polycarp, and a brief synopsis of each committee. This will be an open forum where parishioners can voice their ideas, concerns and dreams. Coffee and pastries will be available for all those who attend.
PSR FIRST CLASS INFORMATION AND CALENDAR: First class for Grades P/K to 4 will be held on Sunday, September 25th at 9 am. Students and at least 1 parent/guardian will meet in the Church. First class for Grades 5 – 8 will be held on Tuesday, September 27th at 7pm in the Church. Students and at least one parent/guardian will meet in the Church. To view the calendar, visit https://saintpolycarp.org/religious-education/
SHARE IN THE SPIRIT: Next week, parishioners throughout the diocese will be asked to help make the dream of a Catholic education a reality for many struggling Catholic families. Monies raised through this collection coupled with the diocese’s tuition assistance endowment provides financial assistance to hundreds of deserving families who seek a Catholic education for their children but who cannot afford the full cost of tuition. We ask you to generously support next week’s Share in the Spirit collection. God bless you for your ongoing goodness. To learn more about the Share in the Spirit collection and its importance, go to the diocesan website at www.cdow.org/sharespirit.html.
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER SHRINE (Old Bohemia): Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, September 25 at 4:00 PM at St. Francis Xavier Shrine (Old Bohemia), 1690 Bohemia Church Road, Warwick, MD 21912. The presider will be Reverend Mark Kelleher, pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Middletown, DE, will be the presider. For more information visit our Bulletin Overflow.
UPCOMING/ONGOING
WEEKDAY MASSES: Tuesday and Wednesday at 8:30 am.
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS: Join us along with your furry, fuzzy, scaly, hard shelled, long haired, short haired beloved pets on Sunday, October 2nd at 12:15 pm for the Blessing of Animals as we celebrate and honor St. Francis of Assisi.
RESPECT FOR LIFE MINISTRY IS COMING SOON. Respect life from the womb to the tomb, and everywhere in between.
The first brainstorming meeting is Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at 7pm in the Parish Library.
All are invited to attend.
GIRL SCOUTS is about so much more than the cookie. This program provides girls with opportunities to learn new skills in art, science, sports, and leadership. Our girls are active in community service projects, striving to make the world a better place. Girls in grades K-12 are welcome to join. Meeting times for our troops that meet at St. Polycarp will be Thursdays, from 6-7, starting in October. For more information, please contact Tracie Bruno at Tracie.Bruno@comcast.net
BROTHER VINCENT COLUMBIETTES are selling Boscov Passes again this year. Profits from these sales help Brother Vincent Columbiettes support our many charitable activities. The Columbiettes will be at the doors of the Church after Masses on the weekend of October 8/9. This event is Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at any Boscov store.
YOUR $5.00 SHOPPING PASS BUYS A FULL DAY OF
~ 25% Off Discount Shopping Pass
~ A Chance to Win Fabulous Door Prizes
Contact Beth Bishop at (845) 443-1799 or BishopLBV@aol.com; or ask any Brother Vincent Columbiette.
To coincide with the three-year National Eucharist Revival which began in June of this year, we will be holding a class on Saturday, 
October 22nd at 9:00 am for all people interested in the ministry of Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. This class is for Extraordinary Ministers of St. Polycarp who have not returned since pre-covid days, Extraordinary Ministers who have transferred here from another parish and new people who feel a love and desire for the Eucharist and want to be a part of this beautiful ministry. To attend you must contact Cindy Kennedy at kennedy-078@msn.com prior to this event to register and get further information.
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.
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! 
SHARE THE HARVEST: The Share The Harvest table is now under the Portico. This allows our parishioners to share their abundant yield from their gardens with their Church family. All are welcome to share and receive. Thank you to those who have shared their veggies!
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 process down the aisle to the priest who will have the pyx in his hand and let him know you need a gluten-free host
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/
September 25th at 10:30 am Mass – Ndione 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 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 tomorrow’s episode, Saturday, September 17th, Father Brian Lewis will give us a preview of the Diocese of Wilmington’s upcoming Marian Pilgrimage. 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: St. Januarius – September 19 Protection Prayer
Oh, we pray you to pray for us, sure that we will be answered; and saved from all the evils that oppress us from all directions.
Save us from unbelief, and you will see that the faith, by which you have generously sacrificed your life, always, always produces fertile fruits of saints made among us.
Amen.