March 24, 2019 Third Sunday of LentThird Sunday of Lent Mar 31: 4th Sunday of Lent Reading I: Joshua 5:9a, 10-12 Reading II: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 STEWARDSHIP

March 24, 2019

Third Sunday of Lent

Mar 31: 4th Sunday of Lent

Reading I: Joshua 5:9a, 10-12 Reading II: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

STEWARDSHIP UPDATE:

Average Weekly Regular Offertory Amount Needed

to Meet Our Annual Budget = $5,050

Offertory for Mar 17: $ 6,119

“Give and it shall be given to you.” - Luke 6:38

Thank you for your generous contributions.

CHURCH OF SAINT THOMAS MORE A Community of Parish & University Ministry PO Box 620, Durham, NH 03824; 868-2666

The office open Mon, Tues, & Thurs 9am - 3pm; Weds 9am - 1pm

Masses: Mon, Tues, Weds at 12:10pm

Food Pantry: Thursdays 4pm-6pm

Welcome Child of God!

No matter what your present status in the Catholic Church, No matter your personal history, age, income, background, gender, race, ethnicity or spirituality, or marital situation,

No matter your own self-image of holiness or virtue, You belong to Jesus Christ and you belong to us!

You are invited, accepted and respected here at the Parish of Saint Thomas More.

Take our hands, Lord Jesus, leading us in courage to confront with courage the forces which oppress and divide. Take our hearts, Lord Jesus, and open them to the truth which will set others free.

Accompany us on our way, Lord Jesus, as we seek to share our Roman Catholic faith and life in your Spirit.

For March 23rd – 25th

Saturday, 5pm – Anna Veilleux (2nd Anniv) Sunday, 9am – Sister Clare Hennessey

Sunday, 11:15am – Gerry Maheu Monday, 12:10 – Sisters of Annunciation Monastery OSB

For March 30th – 31st

Saturday, 5pm – Louis Cloitre Sunday, 9am – Richard Wood

Sunday, 11:15am – Floyd Ramsey

Psalm 31 is an exercise in self-examination, transparently candid. The desire to be cleansed is intense, for the consciousness of sin oppresses its author. “Wash me thoroughly,” he begs, ”create in me a clean heart.” And the whole poem, in its prayerful power, challenges us in our struggle to be

open, to be lowly in God’s sight. The author of Psalm 31 – possibly King David – comes before God with a number of stark imperatives: have mercy, blot out, wash me, purge me, and so on. There’s urgency as well as realism about this highly personal prayer. Yes, just occasionally, it is proper to almost grovel as the Psalmist does when we pray; to come before the Almighty and admit: “Lord, my name is mud!” May God’s insistent love and our own change of heart gradually inch our way forward to holiness. Fr. Andrew

Fr. Andy is NOT sending out emails requesting iTunes or Google Play cards! Staff (and others) have been

receiving bogus emails that look like they are from Fr. Andy. THEY ARE NOT. Please check the actual email address emails are sent from. Fr. Andy does NOT have a gmail account. Please spread the word. Thank you!

Second Collection next weekend…

for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Catholic Home Missions. We appreciate your generous support!

Faith Formation

Upcoming classes:

Mar 24, Mar 31, and Apr 7. Last class April 14.

Middle School Faith Formation

Next sessions are April 1, and April 15 (last class) from 6-7:30pm.

HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH MINISTRY

Life Teen: Sun, Mar 24 6-8:30 pm (snacks) Confirmation Retreat Sat, Mar 30 10am - 2pm Family Stations Fri, Apr 5 7pm - 7:45pm Prepping for Holy Week Sat, Apr 13 9am - 5pm

LENT ~ Giving UP ~ Doing For ~ Make a Difference

We are delighted! Our Parish Service Commission has a new coordinator,

Beth Pescosolido. Good SAMS outreach is part of Service Commission and provides meals for parishioners who ask for help...new baby, accident, illness. If you need assistance or want to share a meal, contact Beth through [email protected].

Do you know someone who is homebound who would like a visitor or to receive communion?

Contact Roberta MacBride to get the conversation started at [email protected].

Marina’s Miles 5K

Saturday, April 6 at 10am At Oyster River high School

Race/walk in memory of former parishioner, UNH student &

Oyster River HS graduate Marina Slavin to raise money for a scholarship to be awarded to an Oyster River HS student.

To register for the race or donate, visit MarinasMiles.org. Donations accepted at the church office (made out to Marina’s Miles 5K).

Marina’s Miles is a 501c3 non-profit charity.

St. Patrick’s Celebration Thank you to everyone who helped make the

St. Patrick’s Day celebration a fun experience for all: those who cooked, cleaned up, decorated, planned, St. Patrick himself, and all who joined us for the fun!

Join us for

Lenten Soup & Bread!

Wednesdays during Lent : March 27, April 3 & 10 6pm: Supper 7pm: Prayer / Reflection in the church

This week’s topic:

Jesus and the Social Justice Message

with Alicia Paley, MA (candidate)

Signups to bring soup/bread are in the Church foyer.

STM PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY

Prayer Shawl Ministry is a profound & meaningful opportunity for you to share your love of knitting or crocheting with those who are sick or lonely, seeking healing and hope.

We hope you will join us for our next meeting on Tues, Apr 2 in the Student Center Library, 11am – noon.

If you have questions or know anyone who would benefit from God’s healing love by receiving a shawl, please contact the STM office at

868-2666, or Mary Ann Marchi at 868-2019.

THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS pre-release animated movie on Tues, Mar 26 at Dover Baptist Church Sanctuary. Doors open 5:30pm, movie starts 6pm. Offering for Revelation Media. Snacks provided, nursery available.

N.H. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ANNUAL PROLIFE SEMINAR Respect life display on Sun 3/31 at St. Joseph Cathedral in Manchester from 12pm – 4pm. Guest speaker: Brother Knight Dennis Pedley from St. Gianna’s Place in Londonderry, which helps women facing crisis pregnancies. Representatives from several prolife organizations will be there with information. Free offering luncheon at noon. Speakers begin at 12:45pm. Registration deadline 3/27. Con-tact Ron DiStasio at [email protected] or 595-7837.

LAY CARMELITE COMMUNITY IS FORMING at Corpus Christi Parish in Portsmouth. Are you called to live your baptismal promises more fully? Do you desire to deepen your relationship with Jesus, and seek a fuller prayer life? The Carmelite way of life includes private daily prayer, service, learning, and being part of a community. Come to an Information Night on April 4 at 6pm at the Corpus Christi Parish Center (845 Woodbury Ave, Portsmouth). Future meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month. For more info, email [email protected]

WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Is your marriage bearing fruit? Don’t wait until it is too late; make time for your marriage by attending a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. The next Weekends are Apr 13-14, 2019 in Brewster, MA and Jun 8-9, 2019 in Medway, MA. For more information, call Stephen & Michelle O'Leary at 800-710-9963 or visit them at https://wwmema.org/.

RECOVERY WITH HOPE AND DIGNITY Educational Awareness Forums on the opioid epidemic & substance use disorders presented by NH Seacoast Rotary Clubs. Apr 11 Portsmouth HS Auditorium, May 9 Winnacunnet HS Auditorium, June 3 Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Garrison Wing Auditorium. 6-8pm. To register: http://evite.me/tmdWStcbmu

Update on the

2019 MATCHING GIFT CAMPAIGN

(as of 3/18/19)

We have received one pledge of $5,000 and ten donations totaling $4,350!

This means we need an additional $650 of donations to

earn the pledge amount and have a total of $10,000! Please help us reach that goal. Every donation, no matter what size, is very much appreciated!

Updated “thermometers” showing our progress

have been posted at the doors of the Church over the past couple of weeks.

Don’t wait! Only 1 week left to donate! THANK YOU!

Diocese of Manchester Safe Environment Announcements

#8 Keep Kids Safe - Boundaries in Ministry: Expressing Affection We all care about children and want to communicate our affection to them. However, physical boundaries, in other words, “personal space,” must be respected. Here are some appropriate ways of expressing affection towards minors when ministering to them:

Verbal praise and encouragement Handshakes or “high-fives” Pats on the shoulder, back, or head (when culturally appropriate) Side or shoulder-to-shoulder hugs Sitting beside small children Holding hands during prayer

For more information about child safety, visit: www.catholicnh.org/safety

Empty wrapping paper tubes needed

...to store Church blueprints. All sizes help… the bigger the better! Please drop at parish office during office hours, or between the front double doors of the student center if the office is closed.

CARING & SHARING

For this week the Pantry needs are:

meal helpers, tomato paste, jello, puddings, stuffing, taco shells, taco sauce, taco seasoning Thank you!!

200 CLUB

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

And good luck pursued the winners of the 200 Club drawing on March 17 at the St. Patrick’s Day dinner.

Congratulations to Gina Lewis, Carol Ober, and 2nd time winner Steven Castro

You can have your chance to be a monthly winner at the next drawing on April 28 by reserving your number now! It’s $200 for an annual

or $100 for a semi-annual membership.

Renewing members may contact Tom Dolan at 603-659-7162 or

[email protected] if you are unsure of your renewal date.

SUNDAY- 5 PM- Student Mass St Thomas More Church

6 PM– Student Supper St Thomas More Student Center

TUESDAY- 1 PM– Community Lunch Holloway Commons Dining Hall 2nd Floor– Look for Our Table! WEDNESDAY- 7:15 PM– Catholic Student Org (CSO) MUB 334

FRIDAY- 5:00 PM– Community Dinner at HoCo

6:00 PM— Women’s Group- MUB 334 Men’s Group– Lighthouse

UNH Campus Ministry Spring 2019– Vol. 7

APRIL 9TH- SERVE @ CROSS ROADS !

Our next date to serve this semester is on Tuesday 4/9! We will meet at 4:20 PM at the Student Center and return by 7:30 PM.

We will prepare dinner on Monday 4/8 from 3 to 5 PM in the student Center!

Contact the Campus Minister (Ryan Cornelissen) for more details!

Hello parishioners and students! Welcome back! I hope your Lenten journey is off to a great start and that you are making some good time and space for God in your daily life. As we approach the halfway point of Lent, I encourage you take a few minutes to evaluate how your practices are going! Have you found a way to fast from something, and feast on something else (as the poem from a previous week’s bulletin suggested)? Are prayer, fasting and almsgiving each receiving equal weight this Lent? If not, it’s never too late to start! Peace, -Ryan Cornelissen, Campus Minister [email protected]

Weekly Events!

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES!

NEXT VOLUNTEER DAY- APRIL 13TH!

Hello wonderful students! Please note a change from the March calendar, we will be volunteering with Habitat for Humanity on Saturday April 13th from 9 AM to 3:30 PM. The date change is due to the 5K Benefit event– Marina’s Miles that is taking place on Saturday April 6th!

LOVE SERVICE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND WISH THE CHURCH DID TOO? GOOD NEWS- IT DOES!

Please join us for “Catholic Social Teaching 101” on Sunday nights after the Student Supper in the Student Center Library at ≈ 7 PM to learn about and discuss the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching! STARTED FEBRUARY 17TH

- Life and Dignity of the Human Person - Call to Family, Community and Participation

- Option for the Poor and Vulnerable - Rights and Responsibilities

- Solidarity - Care for God’s Creation

- The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

Contact the Campus Minister (Ryan Cornelissen) for more details!

WEEK 4-

Option for the

Poor and

Vulnerable

Please join us in a special event with

our very own Father Andrew

Cryans for a teaching Mass, on MONDAY MARCH 25 AT 7 PM!

In addition to having the opportunity to ask questions you have about the Mass, this is an opportunity to learn about what the first Masses were like for the early Church! There is something new for all of us to learn here!

We will meet in the St. Thomas More Student Center in the library. Contact Ryan for details!