Listen to Him!
“Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white.”
The Son of God came into this world that we ourselves might be transfigured. The Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus is not solely for His sake, but for our sake. What was about to happen immediately after Peter James and John experienced the Lord Jesus transfigured before them? The Passion of Death of the Lord.
Jesus knew how weak the faith of his Apostles was (and he knows how weak our faith is as well!), so he gives them a glimpse of the Glory of His Divine Nature. That must have been overwhelming to the disciples of the Lord! And if the Glory of the Transfigured Lord Jesus wasn’t enough for them– then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus! Two of the greatest Prophets of the Old Testament were before their eyes. The Gospels do not tell us that Peter, James and John heard what they were conversing about, but conversing with Jesus is clearly important!
Lent is a time of conversing with the Lord Jesus. Conversing with the Lord also means listening to him. Conversing and listening go hand in hand. During a conversation, there is a giving and receiving. This conversation between the Lord Jesus, Moses and Elijah can teach us something. That is, our disposition toward the Lord should be one of openness and receptivity. We need to be open and docile (teachable) to Jesus. What might the Lord be asking of me? Sometimes in a conversation, the temptation is to always be the one speaking instead of the one listening.
Lent is about listening… Obviously listening to the Lord, but also listening to the needs of those around us.
God Loves You,
Fr. Dunn
Lenten Schedule 2021
Good Friday and All Fridays in Lent are days of fast and abstinence
Stations of the Cross: Every Friday at 6 PM with the exception of Good Friday at 7 PM
Confessions: Every Saturday from 3-3:45 PM (except Holy Saturday)
And Sunday’s in Lent 11-11:45 AM
Confessions will also be heard Monday March 29th from 3-9 PM at
St. Josephs in Brookfield, St. Peters in Danbury and St. Edwards in New Fairfield
Theology on Tap: Tuesday March 9th at 7 PM in the Church Hall
Fireside with Fr. Dunn/Fr. Ford: March 21st at 4 PM
Catechesis on St. Joseph: March 21st at 11 AM/ Tuesday March 23rd at 7 PM
Holy Week Schedule and Easter Mass Schedule
Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper Thursday April 1st at 7:30 PM
Good Friday Service, Friday April 2nd at 3 PM
And Stations of the Cross, at 7 PM
Easter Vigil Mass, Saturday April 3rd at 8PM
Easter Sunday Masses, April 4th at 8 and 10 AM and 12 PM
Fireside at 4:00, with Fr. Dunn and Fr. Ford!
Join us Sunday, March 21st at 4 PM for a livestream discussion with Fr. Dunn and Fr. Ford (zoom in on our live discussion or join us on our Facebook page, instructions will follow and be given beforehand).
The theme for the discussion is entering into Holy Week and rising to new life on Easter!
Come nourish your souls and strengthen your spirits during this holy and special time of the year. I hope you will join us!
Adoration Every Friday after Mass!
Something that is very important to both Fr. Ford and I, is Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. We both are deeply devoted to Jesus in the Eucharist. Prayer, especially in front of the real presence of Our Lord, is what supports and blesses the work we do at St. Gregory. Without regular and devout prayer in the presence of Our Lord, a Parish will truly suffer. Therefore, we will offer Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for one hour (from immediately after the 8 AM Mass to 9:30 AM). Going forward this will continue every Friday. I encourage you to help bring blessings to both our Parish and your personal life by joining us for this Holy Hour.
Thank you ahead of time for your interest and prayers!
Weekly Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy!
The theme for our Parish and school this year will be, “Jesus I trust in You!”
These are the words found at the bottom of paintings of the Divine Mercy of Jesus.
In thanksgiving to Jesus and asking for His and Mary’s continued blessings and
protection this year, we’re adding two weekly devotions to our Parish Calendar. First, we will recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy every Friday at 3 PM with the Blessed Sacrament exposed.
Second, we will pray the rosary every Monday at 9:30 AM, asking for our heavenly
Mother’s intercession. The children of our school will livestream and participate from our school (others may do so as well), and parishioners are encouraged and most welcome to attend. I truly believe in the power of prayer and that these additions will bring many blessings to our Parish and School!
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No School, No Mass
Please note when our school is closed due to inclement weather, there will be no weekday 8 AM Mass as well. If the roads are considered too dangerous for children to come to school, they are dangerous for people to come to Mass. If there is a school delay only, Mass will still take place at the regular 8 AM time.
This applies to weekday Masses only.
A private Mass will still be said for any scheduled intention sometime that day.
Also, any parishioner who scheduled an intention for a cancelled Mass, is welcomed to schedule another Mass at no cost. Weekend Masses are never cancelled, but please use caution in inclement weather. Call the office if you have any questions.
The Women of St. Gregory
The Women of St. Gregory meet the 2nd
Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room.
New members are always welcome!
Women’s Sewing and Craft/Weaving Group meet Monday at 12:00 p.m. and
Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the
Community room.
Questions, contact Isabel King
at 203 –512-7307 or
Evelyn De Felice at 203-792-0824
Walking with Purpose
This year’s study is
John’s Gospel
“Touching the Divine”
In person and virtual sessions are being offered on Wednesdays in the morning and evening.
For more information, contact Suzanne
scurra@diobpt.org or Rene 203-417-9865
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
Starting in October the Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet every first and third Saturday of the month at 9:30. a.m. in the Parish Community Room.
Please join us with your yarn and needles.
Contact Stephanie Martin at stephaniemartin@outlook.com for additional information.
Faith Formation
If You Have Not Registered
Your Child for our Faith Formation
Program, Please Call the Office at
203-797-0222
March
-Tuesday, March 2 @ 6:00pm: Mandatory meeting for all
parents of children receiving First Holy Communion
-Tuesday, March 2 @ 7:00pm: Mandatory meeting for all
parents of children receiving Confirmation
-Tuesday, March 9 @ 7:00pm: Theology on Tap
-Sunday, March 21 @ 11:00am: Catechesis on St. Joseph
Session 1
- Tuesday, March 23 @ 7:00pm: Catechesis on St. Joseph
Session 2
Every Friday at 6:00pm: Stations of the Cross
Leadership Institute of The Diocese of Bridgeport
Sunday Family Rosary
Join other families in the Diocese in saying the Rosary every Sunday at 7:30 pm.
Visit www.formationreimagined.org and click on the praying hands.
If you have any questions, please email Rosary@diobpt.org
St. Gregory the Great School is Hiring!
Part Time Technology Teacher
Part Time Spanish Teacher
These are immediate openings.
Resumes should be sent to Suzanne Curra at sgs.curra@sgtgs.org
McGivney Council #29 is the Knights of Columbus chapter for much of Danbury, including St. Gregory The Great parish. Men (18+) are welcome and encouraged to join. In addition to numerous other charitable efforts, our Council has a focus on supporting Catholic education, Youth programs, and assisting the needy with our Coats for Kids and food donation programs.
Please visit our website at www.KoC29.org or our
facebook page at facebook.com/kofc29 for additional information.
Our Council can also be contacted via email at
KofC29@gmail.com or by voicemail at 203-744-9562
PARISH PRAYER LIST
Irene Anderson, Tommie DeSantis, Patti Skok, Robert
Carolan, Linda Salvador, Robin Brundage, Jr., Vicki Denicola, Dave Sutton, Joe Vick, Isiah Matthew, Arlene Kuderna, Valerie Geerer, Ellen Boyle, Kenneth Towery, Dr. John Famigletti, Barbara Janseen, Brigid Guertin, Mark Cefaloni, Susan Gallagher, John Muro, Carol Gershkowitz, Dr. Ephram Rebong, Michael Jaber, Doris Ryan, Sharon Tharas, Mary Ann Petronio and David and Darlene Collins
BIRTHRIGHT NEEDS VOLUNTEERS!
Birthright is an emergency pregnancy service offering free pregnancy
tests, friendship counseling, and practical support. Our guiding principle: It is the RIGHT of every pregnant woman to give BIRTH and the RIGHT of every child to be BORN. Birthright has served in Connecticut since 1972 and helped thousands of mothers and babies. There are 8 Birthright locations in our state. Please call 1-800-550-4900 for the Birthright nearest you. Training is provided. Spanish speaking volunteers are especially needed. If you have gently worn MATERNITY or BABY CLOTHING please call to arrange a drop off! Thank you!!!
Arise Annual Catholic Appeal
I am immensely grateful for your support last year to the Diocese of Bridgeport’s 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal. What a challenging year it was and thanks to the generosity of so many we were able to serve thousands of Fairfield County individuals and families through our ministries and programs. Catholic Charities alone served over 1.2 million meals since the pandemic began.
This week you will receive information by mail about our 2021, Arise
Annual Catholic Appeal and how your support assists the ministries and programs our parishes cannot provide to the community on their own. We cannot do it without you and I am immensely grateful for your support of works of Faith and Ministry; Education and Catechesis; and Charity and Pastoral Services the Appeal provides to all people in the Diocese of Bridgeport.
To donate and get further details on the Appeal go to 2021ACA Bridgeport.com
Help Stop State Sponsored Suicide
Politicians in Hartford are again considering assisted suicide legislation. The Public Health Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly is considering legalizing a form of suicide in our state commonly referred to as "aid-in-dying" or "physician-assisted suicide". The Committee has raised House Bill 6425 "An Act Concerning Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients".
Modern hospice care and the proper use of pain medications render suicide unnecessary, and we need to be mindful of the threat that a suicide mentality poses to vulnerable people and to people with disabilities.
Many people believe that a physician is deeply involved in this process. This is not true. The physician orders the mixture of medications, the patient must then consume the deadly cocktail of drugs without assistance. Many times without even a physician or nurse present.
We should never allow legislators to establish suicide as a solution to medical issues. Don’t let the state persuade us that it’s dignified for an ill person to sign their own execution order. Don’t let the state create an environment where ill people will feel they have a “responsibility to die”.
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Catholic teaching condemns physician-assisted suicide because it, like murder, involves taking an innocent human life:
Suicide is always as morally objectionable as murder. The Church's tradition has always rejected it as a gravely evil choice: To concur with the intention of another person to commit suicide and to help in carrying it out through so-called "assisted suicide" means to cooperate in, and at times to be the actual perpetrator of, an injustice which can never be excused, even if it is requested. Saint Augustine writes that "it is never licit to kill another: even if he should wish it.” True "compassion" leads to sharing another's pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear. (John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, no. 66).
TAKE ACTION:
Go to the website below, read more on the issue and then sign the petition to stop the legalization of assisted suicide in Connecticut
Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference
Offertory
February 14, 2021
$7,302.54