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 17

+Frank and Anna Valente

Req. by Anthony & Yvonne Valente

Sunday, July 18

8:00am

+Fred Metzner

Req. by The Golankiewitz Family

9:30am - Livestream

+Curtis Livingstone

Req. by Roger and Anne Scott

11:30

+Dominic Winum

Req. by Joan Weston

Monday, July 19

8:30am - Livestream

Paula Gjerstad

Req. by Steve and Lucia O'Hara

Tuesday, July 20

8:30am - Livestream

+Kathy Maher

Req. by Sandra Juiliano

Wednesday, July 21

8:30am - Livestream

+Frank Joseph

Req. by The Byrnes Family

Thursday, July 22

8:30am - Livestream

+Katherine Grace Tolla

Req. by The Divine Marcy Cenacle Group

Friday, July 23

8:30am - Livestream

Eugene Byrnes - Healing

Req. by The Byrnes Family

Saturday, July 24

+Ronald Morzillo

Req. by The Cocchi Family

Sunday, July 25

8:00am

+Mary Jennings

Req. by The Byrnes Family

9:30am - Livestream

+Nancy Sorgie

Req. by Al and Kathryn Guido

11:30

+Daniel Tracy

Req. by The Lionetti and Gannon Families

Announcements

Save the Dates:

Monday, September 27th - Annual Golf Outing

Sunday, October 24th - Father Prince's Jubilee Ordination Anniversary Celebration

Saturday, November 13th - Annual Raffle and Silent Auction

Ministry Highlight

Our Day of Service at Dorothy Day Hospitality House

Our parish has been supporting the poor at Dorothy Day for over 35 years. Our day of service is the second Sunday of every month. Last Sunday, July 11th, our parish team was able to feed over 150 people, and the ongoing need is great. Three parishioners have already volunteered to help in August. We could use at least two more helpers. Please sign up in the vestibule if you are able to help. The sign up sheet can be found on the bulletin board. In addition, we need more volunteers going forward. Please consider this ministry and If you are able to help in a future month, please reach out to Gladys Gannon 203-438-2521.

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.

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.

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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.
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Father Prince's Weekly Reflection

Reflection for the 16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

What more peaceful, beautiful picture is there than that of a shepherd, standing in a lush green field, watching over his little flock of sheep? The readings today use this picture in one way or another to tell us of the tender care and the wise, constant guidance that the Lord provides for those who trust in Him. “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” Of course if we live – as so many of us today – somewhere between the shopping mall and the three minute car wash or tucked into the shade of the expressway, that picture of the lone shepherd, the lush green field and the fluffy white sheep may seem very far away – rather like a lovely dream world, and a Lord who is a shepherd may seem very far away too.

Being a shepherd is, I think, something like being a parent. The pictures are beautiful but the fine print in the job description is something else again. Skinned knees, broken legs, and sleepless nights with sick children, lost shoes, bad report cards and endless fights and squabbles, all that is part of being a parent. Likewise, chasing after straying sheep, fishing them out of the brambles and tending them through long cold rainy days is all part of being a shepherd too.

St. Paul tells us how the Lord is our shepherd. Peace is the theme of his letter – just as it is the theme in the picture of the shepherd. But the source of peace is different. He says that the Lord is our peace. It is not the lovely surroundings, the good weather, the exterior harmony of the world that is the source of peace, but the Lord is our peace. Peace is a person and peace is personal. That means this peace, which is Christ Jesus, is different from the way we normally think of peace. It is by the death of the shepherd, Jesus, the sheep are saved and peace restored. It is by Jesus’ death on the cross that the distance between God and his people is bridged. That is the way Christ Jesus is our peace.

There is an old fable about a little ant that felt he had been given a raw deal. It seems he had been assigned to carry a piece of straw so long and heavy that he staggered beneath its weight. To add to his frustration, his progress was brought to an abrupt halt by a large gap in the pathway. Seeing no way of getting across that deep divide, he became discouraged and was ready to give up on his mission. Suddenly, he thought of a solution. His backbreaking load could actually be turned into a blessing. He carefully pushed the straw over the crack, crossed over it to the other side, and resumed his journey. He was given the power to transform his heavy burden into a friendly bridge.

Let the fable about the little ant and the word-picture of the shepherd help you go into deeper meditation of our personal and yet mystical relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

Catechism Corner

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Anointing of the Sick

318. How is this sacrament celebrated?

The celebration of this sacrament consists essentially in an anointing with oil which may be blessed by the bishop. The anointing is on the forehead and on the hands of the sick person (in the Roman rite) or also on other parts of the body (in the other rites) accompanied by the prayer of the priest who asks for the special grace of this sacrament.

Further reading: CCC 1517-1519, 1531

319. What are the effects of this sacrament?

This sacrament confers a special grace which unites the sick person more intimately to the Passion of Christ for his good and for the good of all the Church. It gives comfort, peace, courage and even the forgiveness of sins if the sick person is not able to make a confession. Sometimes, if it is the will of God, the sacrament even brings about the restoration of physical health. In any case this Anointing prepares the sick person for the journey to the Father's House.

Further reading: CCC 1520-1523, 1532

320. What is Viaticum?

Viaticum is the Holy Eucharist received by those who are about to leave this earthly life and are preparing for the journey to eternal life. Communion in the body and blood of Christ who died and rose from the dead, received at the moment of passing from this world to the Father, is the seed of eternal life and the power of the resurrection.

Further reading: CCC 1524-1525

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

Mission Co-Op

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 206 gifts worth $82,635 from 167 donors bringing the parish up to 91.31% 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.