Scroll through this week's Flocknote for our Mass Schedule, Gospel Reflection, Announcements and more.

Mass Schedule/Intentions this Week

If you are unable to join us in person you may connect to the livestream Mass via our Facebook page or our website. The Daily 8:30A.M. and Sunday 9:30A.M. Masses are livestreamed. You can view the recording anytime.

Saturday, July 3

+Henry Bylicky

Req. by Diane Bylicky

Sunday, July 4

8:00am

+Paul and Eleanor Hoff

Req. by Bob and Mary Young

9:30am - Livestream

+Charles Pankenier

Req. by Roger and Anne Scott

11:30

+Anthony Dalessio

Req by The Golankiewicz Family

Monday, July 5

8:30am - Livestream

Nora Sheehy - Special Intention

Req. by The Byrnes Family

Tuesday, July 6

8:30am - Livestream

+John J. Sheehy

Req. by The Byrnes Family

Wednesday, July 7

8:30am - Livestream

Eugene Byrnes - Special Intention

Req. by The Byrnes Family

Thursday, July 8

8:30am - Livestream

Anne Byrnes - Special Intention

Req. by The Byrnes Family

Friday, July 9

8:30am - Livestream

+Patricia Murphy

Req. by Jim and Cindy Bruno

Saturday, July 10

+Rudolph DeDivitis

Req. by The Lampasso Family

Sunday, July 11

8:00am

+Amelia DiBarotolo

Req. by Rosemarie Ferrante

9:30am - Livestream

+Megan McLaughlin Patterson

Req. by The Pavain Family

11:30

+Anthony Borrello

Req. by Deacon and Mary Foyt

Announcements

Wedding Bells

Please join us in congratulating Charlie Cipriano and Drew Fauser who were married in our church on Saturday, June 26th, 2021.

Confession

The Sacrament of Confession is offered every Saturday at 3:30pm in the Church Vestry. To read a personal and theological reflection about the meaning and importance of the Sacrament please click here. This reflection was authored by Mrs. Anna Bendiksen who is a convert to the Catholic faith.

In and Around the Diocese

HUGS

Hope Understanding Guidance and Support.

On Friday August 27th, 2021 at 6:30 P.M., a special prayer service for family members and friends of victims of child sexual abuse by clergy and by others will be held at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Church, 138 Candlewood Lake Rd, Brookfield, CT 06804. The prayer service is being coordinated by family members of victims together with a community of survivors and the Office of Safe Environment of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Father Shawn Jordan, Father Larry Carew and Deacon Joseph Cann will lead our prayer service. The Service is open to family members of victims and all those who have been impacted by sexual abuse as a minor by clergy and by others. Our community of family members is called HUGS which stands for Hope Understanding Guidance and Support. Click here for more information.

Saint Joseph Statue

Click here for a special project to own a Saint Joseph Statue during this Year of Saint Joseph. This is a great gift for Confirmations, graduation, weddings, house warning, for Dads, for priests, for one's self. Your statue will be blessed in the Holy Land before coming to America. This project will create jobs for Christians living in Bethlehem, that's where Saint Joseph first held baby Jesus in his hands. We must never abandon our Christian Holy Land. Read the flyer and buy one if you can. Orders must be received before July 7th.

14th Annual CT Catholic Men's Conference

Men of the parish, please save the date for September 25th and plan to attend the Annual Men's Conference to be held at the New Britain Stadium. Please visit www.ctcatholicmen.org or click here to see the flyer for more details.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter

To support married couples during this time of social distancing, Worldwide Marriage Encounter is sponsoring virtual marriage experiences. Some are on weekends and are seven sessions on weekdays from 7:00pm to 9:30pm. Couples will explore their individual personality styles, improve listening and communication skills, understand God’s plan for their marriage, and learn how to keep their relationship a priority. Registration is limited and a $100 application fee is required. For more information or to apply, call Frank & Margie Pearson at 860-337-2447 or visit them at https://wwmectw.org/.

Happy Father’s Day! Take time for your marriage by attending the Worldwide Marriage Encounter experience on Thursdays/Mondays Jul 8-29

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Wedding Jubilee Mass

Save the Date: The wedding jubilee Mass will be held at St. Matthew Parish on September 25, 2021 at 10:30am and 1:00pm. Registration information will follow in the near future.

Byzantine Iconography Workshop

Learn to write/paint an icon according to the ancient techniques using contemporary mediums such as gouache and acrylic paint. This is a 5 day workshop to be held July 26-30th. Click here for more details.

News and Views

For more Diocesan News and Events visit the Diocesan Website
To receive daily Catholic news you can subscribe to the National Catholic Register
If you would like to see what's happening in Rome visit: News from the Vatican - News about the Church - Vatican News
Rather listen? Tune in to Veritas, our local Catholic Radio Station, during your day at 1350 on your AM dial.
EWTN TV Channel Finder
EWTN News
EWTN Religious Catalogue
EWTN News organizations – NCR, CNA, ChurchPOP
EWTN Radio Affiliates Map Radio Affiliate Map
EWTN Radio on SiriusXM Satellite Radio
EWTN Podcasts
Streaming - Watch Live, Listen Live
EWTN App
Social Media – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Father Prince's Weekly Reflection

Reflection for the 14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A man complained to his doctor that he was losing his hearing. After questioning the man about his life style, the doctor told him that he was drinking too much brandy. “Kick the brandy habit and your hearing will improve,” said the doctor. Several weeks later, the man went back to the doctor with the same complaint. “I told you to stop drinking brandy,” the doctor shouted in the man’s ear. “Apparently you are not following my advice.” “I did follow your advice for a time,” the man replied, “but I started drinking again last week. As long as I didn’t drink, I was able to hear. But nothing I heard was as good as the brandy.”

Although we may not have a taste for brandy, still we can identify with that man. Day in and day out, it seems that whatever we hear is either frightening or dull, and out of boredom or fear or both, we want to tune it out. We want to escape. We get that “Stop the world I want to get off!” feeling. But, there is good news! The God of this universe, the creator of all life is not up there or out there somewhere; is not an absentee landlord; is not detached from our daily problems. He is a God of love and of action and He is with us in the struggle, continuously offering us the power to be a people of love and service. If that doesn’t excite us and astonish us; if that doesn’t ignite our soul, we might go back to the brandy or something like that, or whatever else is denying us our rightful citizenship in the real world where God is truly present.

Our greatest need is to experience God’s abiding presence not only in our worship settings but in all things, in the wonder of creation, in our individual daily life situations, in our joys and sorrows, in our successes and failures, in our tranquil moments and in our troubling times. We pray with the psalmist, “His loving mercy endures for ever.” This awesome affirmation is not handed down to us as just another pious saying but as an expression of a simple soul’s conviction that we were never meant to struggle alone; we were never meant to settle for a lesser God than the one true God whose presence is real and who knows and cares and is working in our lives. Through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, God is acting now to give us life.

In today’s gospel lesson, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue and Mark tells us, “Many who heard him were astonished.” The good news we hear in the readings and in worship is that the great Almighty, the source of all life and the only source of our wholeness of life, through the priceless gift of his only Son is calling us into a living union with Himself and with one another. Can we ever cease to be astonished by this awesome reality?

Catechism Corner

Catechism of the Catholic Church

281. In what way does the Church participate in the eucharistic sacrifice?

In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, their suffering, their prayers, their work, are united to those of Christ. In as much as it is a sacrifice, the Eucharist is likewise offered for all the faithful, living and dead, in reparation for the sins of all and to obtain spiritual and temporal benefits from God. The Church in heaven is also united to the offering of Christ.

Further reading: CCC 1368-1372, 1414

282. How is Christ present in the Eucharist?

Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in a unique and incomparable way. He is present in a true, real and substantial way, with his Body and his Blood, with his Soul and his Divinity. In the Eucharist, therefore there is present in a sacramental way, that is, under the Eucharistic species of bread and wine, Christ whole and entire, God and Man.

Further reading: CCC 1373-1375, 1413

Thank You!

We wish to thank all of our parishioners who have been mailing in or dropping off their donations, and those who have signed up for Online Giving. We appreciate your generosity and desire to continue to support the parish.

Please note that we have upgraded our Online Giving Platform. It is very user friendly. If you shop or do your banking on-line please consider this format for your donations. You have the option to make a one time gift or set up a recurring cycle that suits your timing and budget You can visit the site by clicking the button below.

Online Giving

If you would like to make a one time donation to our Sunday Collection, please click on the button below.

Sunday Offertory

Parish Emergency Fund

Act of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

“Arise”, the 2021 Annual Catholic Appeal calls us to renewed hope and a deepened commitment to serve our neighbor. The call to “Arise” challenges us to put our personal faith into action and provide for the needs of our sisters and brothers, no matter who they may be.

Your gift enables the diocese to continue works of charity, formation in faith, education and catechesis. It provides programs and ministries that feed the hungry and counsel the homeless who live among us; help youth develop their minds and grow in faith; sustain our priests, active and retired; prepare men for the diaconate and the priesthood; provide Catholic education through scholarships; and much more.

Catholic Charities of Fairfield County continues to be a clear leader in providing social services serving our neighbors in need during the crisis began. Catholic Charities programs have remained open providing a broad array of essential services to the most vulnerable members of our community. Catholic Charities is a leading provider of critical food resources throughout the County serving over 1.3 million meals since the COVID crisis began to the homeless, the homebound elderly, and individuals who lost jobs due to the pandemic via our soup kitchens, food pantries, Meals on Wheels program, as well as our Room to Grow pre-school. Your Gift will truly change lives. Joe, a homeless US ARMY veteran who lives in his car and receives breakfast and lunch every day at the Thomas Merton Center said: “If it wasn’t for the Thomas Merton Center I don’t know how I would survive. I feel so welcome and valued here” However, Catholic Charities cannot do it alone. Your gift to the Annual Catholic Appeal will help Catholic Charities continue to do the incredible work that it does for our most vulnerable neighbors in Fairfield County. Thank you for your gift.

Thus far, Saint Elizabeth Seton parish has raised 197 gifts worth $81,065 from 161 donors bringing the parish up to 89.57% of our $90,500 goal.

Thank you for your generosity and support.

Printable Pledge Form, Click Here

Printable Pledge Payment Form, Click Here

ACA ARISE VIDEO

Mass Intentions

If you would like to schedule a Mass intention for a loved one. Please send an email to the office: stsetonparish@comcast.net, or call 203-438-7292.

Prayer Requests

If you have a prayer request, please send an email to the St. Elizabeth Seton prayer tree. SESPrayertree@gmail.com

Church Hours

The Church is open daily 6:30am-4:30pm for private prayer. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 8:30am and is limited to 100 people.

Parish Office

The Parish Office is open daily Monday through Friday 9am to 1pm.

The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, July 5 for Independence Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, July 6th.