ST.

DAMIEN OF MOLOKAI CATHOLIC

PARISH
722 WEST MAIN STREET • MONONGAHELA, PENNSYLVANIA 15063
Parish Office: 724-258-7742 • Parish Fax: 724-258-8733 • Madonna Catholic Regional School: 724-258-3199
Website: stdamienofmolokai.org • Email: stdamienparish@verizon.net
Diocesan Victim Hotline: 1-888-808-1235

MARCH 18, 2018 - THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

PASTORAL STAFF MISSION STATEMENT
Fr. William R. Terza ............................................. Pastor St. Damien of Molokai is a Catholic parish family which recognizes and
stdamienterzab@verizon.net embraces the gifts and talents of our faith filled people. The life of our
Deacon Al Poroda.............................Permanent Deacon patron saint inspires us to lead lives of love, hope and charity. Moving
DeaconAl611@gmail.com or 724-258-7742 x 13 forward, we will grow through our liturgy, teachings and outreach to all,
Mrs. Kathryn Wray ............................. Director of Music with the help of God and the gifts received through the Holy Eucharist.
kfwray188@gmail.com
Mrs. Patricia Forsyth ................. Asst. Director of Music
pattyforsyth@comcast.net
Mrs. Kathy Miller ............................ Lead Administrator
kmiller@madonnacatholic.com
Mrs. Kathy Miller ................................. Faith Formation
kmiller@madonnacatholic.com
Phyllis DeMedio .............................................. Secretary
stdamiendemediop@verizon.net
Peggy Romeo ................................................... Secretary
stdamienromeop@verizon.net
Helena Glaneman .......... Safe Environment Coordinator
Alexsei521@yahoo.com or 724-503-7325
ST. DAMIEN FINANCIAL COUNCIL
Gloria DeRosa Alfred Galilei Steven Markovich
Richard Pantaleo Randall Rodriguez
ST. DAMIEN PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL
Joyce Amatangelo Kathleen Barkey Thomas Caudill
Nancy Cole Sandra Craig Kris D’Andrea
James Greaves Thomas Kustron Denise Majoris
Anna Markovich Juliann Romasco Walter Tabory
INTERIM MASS SCHEDULE
Saturday Vigil .................................................. 4:00 p.m.
Sunday ........................................8:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.
Monday–Friday ............................................... 8:00 a.m.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Tuesday................................................... 8:30–9:00 a.m.
Saturdays ................................................ 3:00–3:30 p.m.
All Masses & Reconciliation are at St. Damien
of Molokai Church 722 West Main Street
BAPTISMS: 1st & 3rd Sundays at 12:15 p.m. and 4th
Sunday at Mass.
WEDDINGS: Please make arrangements by calling the
Parish Office 6 months in advance.
Page Two St. Damien of Molokai Parish, Monongahela

March 18, 2018 ST. DAMIEN FAITH FORMATION

The Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 18: 9:30-10:45am Grades 1-8
March 25: 9:30-10:45am Grades 1-8
April 1: EASTER BREAK - No Classes
Saturday, March 17, 2018 April 8: 9:30-10:45am Grades 1-8
4:00pm Martin, Mary, Thomas & Sr. Peggy
Flaherty CDP (Dorothy Weldon) The Way of The Cross
Sunday, March 18, 2018 Monday mornings at 8:45am,
8:30am Living and Deceased Members with the children and
of the Parish Friday evenings at 6:30pm
11:00am Paul, Frances & Paula Hazen
(Hazen Family)
Monday, March 19, 2018 Man Up Meeting
8:00am Ernie Gross (Wife, Mary) The Man Up men’s group will meet on
8:45am Stations of the Cross with the Wednesday, March 21st in Fr. Abbate Hall/
children St. Anthony School Bldg., Park Avenue.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
8:00am Carmella & Gaetano Guliano
(Daughter, Mary) Tuesday Morning Bible Study (Parish Center)
Wednesday, March 21, 2018— Every Tuesday morning from 11:00am-12Noon)
8:00am Remembrance Mass Servants of the Little Way (Chapel) The first
(Ladies of Charity) Tuesday of every month at 6:00pm.
Thursday, March 22, 2018 Holy Hour—(Church) The third Wednesday of
8:00am Paul & Nancy Geary (Family) each month @ 7:00pm
Friday, March 23, 2018
Eucharistic Adoration (Chapel) This Friday
8:00am Graser Family (Judy Coltogirone) from 12:00noon—6:00pm. Call 724-747-7071
1:30pm MCRS School Mass for scheduling.
6:30pm Stations of the Cross
Saturday, March 24, 2018 Catholic Men’s Fellowship The 1st & 3rd Sat-
urday of each month at 7:30-8am at St. Damien
4:00pm Alex DeRosa for Adoration, to St. Francis for 8:30am Mass
(Dan & Martha Ghilani) and then to breakfast.
Sunday, March 25, 2018 - Palm Sunday
8:30am Living and Deceased Members Holy Name Society (Church) Second Sunday of
each month with Rosaries at 8am and then to the
of the Parish
parish park for the meeting after the 8:30am
11:00am Alyce Kubica Mass.
(Daughter, Susan Secrist)

ST. ANTHONY NOVENA
The Solemn 13-week Novena to
St. Anthony will begin this week
after the 8:00am Mass on Tues-
day. Let us come together to
honor St. Anthony and ask his
help for the special needs that
each of us has.
Rest In Peace
In the charity of your prayers we kindly
ask that you please pray for the repose of
the souls of John Augustine & Kathe-
rine Jean (Pileggi) Farriols. May God
grant them eternal rest, may Perpetual Light
shine upon their souls and may all the souls of
the faithful departed, through the mercy of God,
Rest In Peace .
 St. Damien of Molokai Parish, Monongahela Page Three

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

On Palm Sunday (next week) weather permitting there will be a solemn procession with
the palm. At the 11:00am Mass on Sunday those who are able are invited to join us in the
school cafeteria. From that location the procession will move into the church. It is also
completely acceptable to go directly to the church to wait for the procession to enter the
church. At the beginning of Holy Week the Palm Sunday procession recalls and honors Jesus’ triumphal
entry into the Jerusalem and sets the stage for the ensuing events of His passion and death. We are urged
to mark this sacred beginning with great solemnity, devotion and prayer.

We Would Like to See Jesus – To see Jesus is our ultimate goal in life. Yes, there
are many ways that Jesus shows himself to us – in the Eucharist and the other sacra-
ments, in the hearts of those who love and serve in his name – but to meet him in
heaven is what we desire most. Each day, not just during Lent, we should seek to
follow the path that leads to him by living virtuous lives and drawing near to God in
prayer. Yet, we know that we can’t do this alone. In fact, it is the Church that Christ
himself established that is to be our support on this journey through life to the glory
of heaven. As the Church of Pittsburgh is On Mission for The Church Alive! we pray that this initiative
will result in a stronger, more vibrant Church. And while we may wonder if that will mean a difference in
our lives, we should be assured that it will! A stronger local Church means that we will be better support-
ed on our journey with Jesus to eternal life. Whether it’s inspiring celebrations of the sacraments or minis-
tries that provide for the spiritual and temporal needs of all, a stronger Church will allow us to see Jesus
more clearly in our midst and will give us greater hope as we prepare to see him in heaven. Visit onmis-
sionchurchalive.org to learn more and to stay informed.

Members of the Ladies of Charity are reminded that our March meeting will take place this Wednesday,
March 21st beginning with the 8:00 am Mass of Remembrance. The meeting takes place in the parish
center immediately following Mass.
The Ladies of Charity are conducting a Membership Drive. Any ladies of the parish who would like to
join the Ladies of Charity are invited to call Joan Falappi at 724 258-7026.

HOMEMADE RAVIOLI SALE—PICK UP SATURDAY

Our homemade meat ravioli pick-up will be on Saturday, March 24th between 9:00am and
3:00pm. Orders can be picked up in the Kitchen at the Parish Park.
Thank you for your support!
(*There are still some ravioli available for sale by calling the parish office.)

Protecting God’s Children for Adults—Workshops

Where: St. Thomas More Parish (Pittsburgh/Bethel Park)
When: Wednesday, April 11, 2018 @ 12:00pm
or
Wednesday, April 11, 2018 @ 6:00pm
The sessions will be 3 hours long and will be held in the Utopia Room. They are wheelchair accessible.
Please contact Susie Levitt at 412-833-0031 x 0 to register.

DON’T FORGET THE ST. DAMIEN FOOD BANK

March pick-up date is: Wednesday, March 21st
Items needed for the month of
March are: Soup, Canned Fruit & Vegetables, Spaghetti noodles, Cereal & Tuna
*Please be sure to check expiration dates on items given to the Food Bank, Thank you!
Page Four St. Damien of Molokai Parish

Easter Flower Memorials—2018

Envelopes for Easter Flower memorial donations are located at the doors of the
churches. Please return your Easter Flower donations by Sunday, March 25, 2018. This
will insure that your donation and memorial will be placed in the Flower Memorial
publication. Please clearly print all information requested.

The Light is On for You!

Haven’t been to Confession in a while? Stop by any Catholic church in the Diocese of
Pittsburgh this Wednesday, March 21st from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to celebrate the Sac-
rament of Reconciliation. You’ll feel great!

Lenten Reconciliation Services

Monday, March 19th—4:00pm St. Damien of Molokai
Tuesday, March 20th—4:00pm Mary, Mother of the Church
Thursday, March 22nd—6:30pm Our Lady of the Valley
At St. Damien confessions are also available weekly on Tuesdays at 8:30am and Saturdays at
3:00pm. Please note there are NO confessions on Holy Saturday, March 31st.

Seven Church Walk on Holy Thursday—March 29th

ADULTS who are interested in attending the traditional Seven Church Walk on Holy Thurs-
day are asked to RSVP by calling the Parish Office as soon as possible. The adult bus will
leave from Chess St. immediately following the Holy Thursday Mass and travel to St. Isaac
Jogues, Elrama; Nativity, South Park; St. Germaine, Bethel Park area; St. Valentine, Bethel
Park area; St. Joan of Arc, Library; St. Francis of Assisi, Finleyville and return to St. Da-
mien of Molokai around midnight.
OUR YOUTH will be traveling by another bus to churches in the Valley including Our Lady
of the Valley, Donora; Epiphany, Monessen; St. Sebastian, Belle Vernon; Mary, Mother of
the Church, Charleroi; and back to St. Damien of Molokai. The youth bus will be leaving at
8:30pm (immediately following Holy Thursday Mass) from Fr. Leger Hall and returning at
approximately 10:30-11:00pm. (Students will call when leaving the final site.) *Family mem-
bers are more than welcome to join the youth for this traditional Holy Week devotion. Stu-
dents/families are asked to return their registration form by March 25th, or contact Mrs. Miller.

Mary, Mother of the Church cordially invites you to attend our Tenebrae Service on Good Friday,
March 30 at 7:00pm. The term “Tenebrae” is Latin for :shadows,” and is a prayer service held in the
darkness with only candlelight. A Tenebrae service is an opportunity for further meditation and re-
flection on the passion and death of Christ. The scripture readings and choral reflections will serve to
inspire you to deeper prayer and provide the time to experience more fully the Paschal Triduum.

Easter Blessing of Families -- On Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018, Bishop David Zubik together with
his brothers Auxiliary Bishop William Waltersheid and Retired Auxiliary Bishop William Winter
will welcome families of the Diocese of Pittsburgh to the Annual Blessing of Families at Saint Paul
Cathedral in Oakland at 2:00 pm. All are welcome to the Cathedral to receive this special blessing
imparted by our bishops as they also take the opportunity to thank families for the beautiful witness
of love and faith that they share with us.
 St. Damien of Molokai Parish
Offertory Report 03/11/2018
Offertory Mass
4:00pm Our
2062.00 Offering Attendance
8:30am 1403.00 Back
11:00am 1741.00 To 4:00pm 198
God
Mail In 601.00 8:30am 138
11:00am 195
Total $ 5,807.00
Weekly Offertory Goal Total 531
$7,500
Campaign for Human
Development: $1,544.00
Marriage Preparation Class
Couples planning on celebrating the Sacra-
ment of Marriage are asked to note that the Marriage
Preparation Class for our District will be held on
Saturday, April 7, 2018 from 8:30am-6:00pm at Our
Lady of the Valley Parish in Donora. The day starts
with a continental breakfast at 8:30am, class begins
at 9:00am. The class will end with all attending the
5:00pm Mass at Our Lady of the Valley together.
The class will be conducted by Deacon Al and Rae-
Ann Poroda. Completion of Marriage Preparation
Class is required prior to your wedding. To regis-
ter, please call the parish office at 724-258-
7742. Classes may also be found at the diocesan
website. Diocesan Web Page www.diopit.org
Madonna Catholic Regional School
731 Chess St., Monongahela, PA
SPRING FLOWER SALE
MCRS is again selling flowers and plants.
Orders are due by March 23rd.
Call the school office for details.
Breakfast with the Easter Bunny
On Saturday, March 24th at 9:00 AM
in the school cafeteria.
Call Madonna Catholic Regional School at 724-
258-3199 to RSVP
ENROLL NOW
Madonna Catholic Regional School is current-
ly registering students age 3 through Grade
8 for the 2018-19 School Year. Please call
the school office for additional information
or to schedule a tour. Great beginnings last a
lifetime! 724-258-3199.
Page Five
Pastoral Impressions
By Fr. Bill
As Lent comes to a conclusion
the liturgy focuses our attention
more sharply on the imminent
death of Jesus. Jeremiah sets the
tone by describing a new covenant that God
will establish with the people. It carries a mes-
sage of hope, forgiveness, and transformation.
Unlike the covenants of the past, this new cov-
enant will be interior and written on the heart
of each individual. In effect this will move the
responsibility of covenant faithfulness to each
individual. It will inaugurate personal respon-
sibility rooted in interior commitment and
transformation. As the responsorial psalm will
emphasize, this new covenant will create a
clean heart in each and every Israelite. God’s
mercy will cleanse each person from sin..
Jesus exemplifies the importance of his hour
by describing how a grain of wheat must fall
to the ground and die before it can produce
much fruit. One type of life must be surren-
dered in order that a better form emerge. The
life that must be forfeited is the life built
around domination, power, wealth, and pos-
sessions. This is a false sense of life and it
must be given up and replaced by the authen-
tic life rooted in love of God, love of neigh-
bor, and love of self. This life produces much
fruit and leads to eternal life.
Everything is now in place for the coming of
holy week. This last week of Lent offers a
symbolic overview of the journey that is about
to begin. The “hour” of Jesus refers to the
whole passion event that he will undertake be-
ginning with the entrance into Jerusalem.
Whoever serves him must follow him. That
means that Jesus’ hour is meant also for his
followers. To accept his hour was a challenge
and a choice that Jesus had to make. Likewise
for his followers. We must accept the chal-
lenge and respond to what we have seen and
heard.