FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER MASS INTENTIONS:

Pastor’s Notes

5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28 For the People 8:00 a.m. Sunday, April 29 James & Harriet Davison (Donor) 10:00 a.m. Sunday, April 29 + Barbara Schopis Bell (Rosemary Schopis) 8:00 a.m. Monday, April 30 + Leo Dovyak (Pam Withrow Dovyak) 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 1 + Helen Marie Rocchi (Rocchi Family) 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 2 Rose Walls (Donor) 8:00 a.m. Thursday, May 3 Lil Babbitt & Red Babbitt (Donor) 8:00 a.m. Friday, May 4 All Souls (The Thompson’s) 8:00 a. m. Saturday, May 5 David, Kara, Colton, Ayden, Philomena & Titus Stapleton (D. J. Stapleton) 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5 Jaga Sebastian (Baptism) (Sebastian Family) 8:00 a.m. Sunday, May 6 For the People 10:00 a.m. Sunday, May 6 + Barbara Bell Schopis (Rosemary Schopis)

As scripture records it is in God alone that we live and move and have our being. That is why we can never find true fulfillment in anything that is not God. When we start believing that the things of this world such as wealth, power, and fame, can make us truly happy we fail to realize that none of these things can really satisfy us because none of them are capable of giving us life. Only God can fill us with what we truly need. Only God can enable us to truly become all we can be. Jesus likens our relationship with Him as that between a vine and its branches. The branches cut off from the stem cannot survive on their own. They take their life from the common stem. While the stem can always grow new branches, the branches separated from the stem ultimately die. Thus, we are totally dependent on Christ. As St. Augustine noted “Our Lord’s words…were not: You can do little without me, but: You can do nothing. Little fruit or plenty, there can be neither without him, because without him nothing can be done.” The grace we receive enables us to do the good God calls us to do. God prunes us so that we can be more open to that grace that enables us to produce more fruit. Seeing ourselves as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, it is easy to see how the sacramental life of the Church flows into each of us. The sacraments, especially the most holy Eucharist, both enable us to bear the fruit that God knows we can and at the same time strengthens our relationship to Christ the head. Frequenting the sacraments strengthens us so that it is less like that we will be broken off from the stem.

SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES

Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday:

Fifth Sunday of Easter St. Pius V St. Joseph the Worker St. Athanasius Ss. Philip and James; National Day of Prayer First Friday First Saturday; Cinco de Mayo

Branches torn from the stem may still be saved provided they are grafted back on the stem in time. Jesus conferred on the Church the power to forgive sins for this reason. Jesus does not want any of us to perish. Once again, He knows each of us by name and considers us priceless. Only our own willfulness will cause us to be cast into the fire. Jesus has chosen us for eternal life. (To be continued)

Total collection: April 21/22 $2,243.00 Average expenses last 4 weeks: $3,825.51 Total in Electrical Fund: $190,155.73 Total Pledged for Electrical as of 7/24: $141,209.25 Attendance: 8:00 PM (73) 8:00 AM (80) 10:00 AM (177)

MINISTERS: EUCHARIST: LECTOR: SERVERS: USHERS:

SAT. MAY 5 5:30 PM SUSAN GUST RENEE DAVISON KRYSTAL DAVISON GABBY MCCONNELL KEITH DAVISON ROBERT KING

Father Tom

SUN. MAY 6 8:00 AM PAM ROACH ALICE DACHOWSKI AUSTIN STAPLETON CODY STAPLETON ALLAN STAPLETON ED DACHOWSKI

SUN. MAY 6 10:00 AM_______________ JANET NORTH ______ ALLEN WHITE _______________ COLTON STAPLETON AYDEN STAPLETON ________________ ALEX WHITE MIKE STAPLETON _______________

BE WHAT YOU SEEK: Even as you seek a virtuous, fair and good spouse . . . it is fitting that you should be the same. St. Bernardine of Siena

FATHER THOMAS HAMM, JR. PASTOR

APRIL 29, 2018________ LIVING BRANCHES

The Gospel and second reading for this Fifth Sunday of Easter emphasize the need for us to remain in Christ, and he in us. This shared life finds expression in the image of the one vine and many branches. We become living branches of the vine, members of the Body of Christ through baptism, Eucharist, and confirmation, sacraments of sharing God’s own life. The First Letter of John describes the fruit of this vine as active love of neighbor: “And his commandment is this: we should believe . . . and love one another” (1 John 3:23). Our first reading from Acts shows us an example of someone who shares in Christ’s life in the person of Saint Paul. Paul’s fearless witness, even at the risk of his life, is proof to everyone that the risen Lord’s Spirit truly fills him with life and is bearing fruit in him. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

PSR CLASSES TODAY SUNDAY, APRIL 29 AFTER THE 10:00 AM MASS. THERE WILL BE PRACTICE FOR MAY CROWNING, WHICH WILL BE NEXT SUNDAY, MAY 6 AT THE 10:00 AM MASS. EVERYONE IS INVITED TO THE RECEPTION IN LOURDES HALL TODAY AFTER THE 10:00 AM MASS to honor and say to good-bye to Bob and Ellen Schopis who will be moving to the Columbus area the first of May. CONFESSIONS AFTER THE 8:00 AM MASS ON THURSDAY, MAY 3. LIVE YOUR FAITH- SERVING THOSE IN NEED. Grow Spiritually. Develop Christian Friendships. In the Gospel today, Jesus says “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” Indeed, by helping the poor we can “bear much fruit” and we find that with Jesus we can do everything. Your donations this weekend showed that you are indeed disciples of Jesus as it will be used to assist families in need with food, utilities, rent and other bills. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!! OUR PARISH HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS are MATTHEW MOREAUX & CATIE WHITE who attend Gallia Academy and ROBYN NANCE & AUSTIN STAPLETON who attend South Gallia. We are planning our Baccalaureate Mass for these high school seniors on Sunday, May 27 at the 10:00 Mass. If you have a conflict with this date please notify the parish office ASAP so we can determine a new date. Also, we would like a wallet size picture by May 16th to put on the bulletin board. RIGHT TO LIFE HAS STARTED THEIR BABY BOTTLE CAMPGAIN. Please pick up a baby bottle and put your loose change in it and return to the back of church. Thank you in advance for your support! DPSC UPDATE As of now we have received $19,139.00 in pledges of our $35,739.00 goal for our 2018 DPSC drive. If you have not yet made a pledge consider prayerfully what you can do. Remember no pledge is too small. Envelopes are now in the pews that you can use to make your pledge. Once you have made a pledge, you may go to www.diosteub.org/onlinepayments to make payments securely by credit/debit card. Thanks as always for your support. NAMES ON THE PRAYER LIST WILL REMAIN FOR 30 DAYS AFTER 30 DAYS THEY WILL BE REMOVED UNLESS YOU NOTIFY THE OFFICE.

These names will remain until APRIL 30, 2018 Please pray for the health and the healing of our friends and relatives:

Gisela Alonzo, Donna Altizer, Bruce Bailey & Family, Bobbi Lynn Barrett, Wayne Bergdoff, Brianna & Lela Brown, Ginger Caldwell, Andrew Calvert, Doug Caruthers, Rita Conley, Marge Cornett, Harriett Davison, Karen Davison, Keith Davison, Eddy Dodson, Betty Doerfer, Sue Freyberg, Jonnie Lou Gabrielli, Tony Gallagher, Albert Grable, Kelly Haas, Larry Haas, Dreama Hamid, Bonnie Harrison, Margaret Haskins, Patrick Hays, Billy Hendrix, Richard Hill, Doug & Barb Johnson, Lauren & her baby, Phyllis Leport, Marilyn Mason, Davey Matheny, Jim McCausland, Linda McConnell, Bill Merry, James Merry, Russ Miller, Lee Ann Mollohan, Eva Pozoga, Peggy Ramey, Bart Repass, Jeff Rider, John Rocchi, Mariah Scarberry, Charlotte Shaffer, Lyle Shillington, Dr. Mel Simon, Lori Stevenson, Charles Surber, Len Sutton, Jamie Weis, Jack Williams, Dennis Wittenberg and Patrick Wolfe.

THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS, T.O.R. OPENHOUSE & MAY CROWNIING We invite you to celebrate our 30th anniversary with us at our Open House and May Crowning on Saturday, May 19 th at our monastery, 369 Little Church Road, Toronto, Ohio. We will have a free lunch from 11:30 am-1:30 pm, an outdoor May Crowning at 1:30 pm, and a Pentecost Vigil Mass at 4:00 pm. No reservations necessary; donations are gratefully accepted. For more information, please visit our website at www.FranciscanSistersTOR.org or call (740) 544-5542. We hope to see you there! SUPPORT THE CATHOLIC HOME MISSIONS APPEAL TODAY! Right now, over 40 percent of dioceses in the United Sates are considered home mission territory because they are unable to fund the essential pastoral work needed in their communities. Your support funds programs, such as religious education, seminary formation, and lay ministry training, to build vibrant faith communities right here in the United States. Please by generous. More information can be found at www.usccb.org/home-missions. COME ONE, COME ALL, YOUNG AND OLD TO OUR PARISH CLEANUP DAY. It is next Saturday, May 5 starting around 8:30 or 8:45 (after the 8:00 am Mass). We offer weed pulling, bush trimming and much, much more! PRAYING FOR THE SICK AT MASS – As you may know, we have far too many persons on our sick list to pray for all of them individually during the Universal Prayer at Mass. Unfortunately, we often still have too many names listed in our petitions. From now on, we will limit the reading of names to persons who are new to the sicklist, those we know to be critically ill, those who are hospitalized or having surgery, and those near death. We will remove names after three weeks unless we know they remain hospitalized, their condition has worsened, or they are dying. Also, if you wish a friend or loved one’s name read, please be sure you have their permission. Sometimes people do not want their names read in public and we should respect their wishes and their privacy. Thanks for your understanding.

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION In medieval times, one country, Scotland, linked its economy to the liturgy. Four holy days of the church calendar were keyed to the legal year. On these days, rents were due, clergy and servants were paid, and contracts and leases would begin or end. The term days were Pentecost (called Whitsunday), the Feast of Saint Martin on November 11 (Martinmas), the Feast of the Presentation on February 2 (Candlemas), and August 2 (Lammas), a harvest festival. On Lammas day, the first loaf of bread from the summer wheat harvest was given to the village priest. After the Reformation, which swept the Catholic festivals away, the term days were gradually detached from the old feasts. It was only in 1990 that the term days were anchored on the 28th of February, May, August, and November. Today the old Scottish universities are the last hold-outs, still naming their terms or semesters after the old festivals. Scottish students today may not know about the liturgical year, but they still call the fall term Martinmas, and the spring session Candlemas. —Rev. James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.