Catholic Social Services MANNA collections
Catholic Social Services is sponsoring its annual MANNA food collection to stock food pantries for the summer. Summer is an especially difficult time for food donations. Because of inflation, many families have a hard time paying for the food. Saint John parishioners and friends are invited to take home a MANNA bag on Sundays May 14 and 21 and to return the bag filled with food to church on Sundays May 21 and 28 or at any time during the last two weeks of May. The food will be donated to our neighbors at Saint Malachy and our Capuchin sponsored food pantry at Padre Pio Prayer Center in Frankford.
Catholic Charities Collection
This Sunday, Barry Martin of Saint John’s Hospice will speak at the 8:30, 10:30 and 12:30 Masses on behalf of the Catholic Charities Collection. We will have a second collection next weekend, May 27-28. Catholic Charities is not just “another second collection”. It is the major annual fundraising program of the Archdiocese and most of the money is directed towards the Church’s charitable work in our Archdiocese. Please bring or mail a generous contribution. There are envelopes in the pews. I will remind you of this important fundraising program from time to time over the next few months.
Jack’s Yacs event
All young adults (people in their 20s and 30s) are invited on Sunday, June 4 after the 6 PM Mass to join a barbeque in the friary patio behind the church.
Confirmation
Saint John Church plans to begin a Confirmation preparation program for school age children (grades 6 through high school) in the Fall of 2023, culminating in the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation in the Spring of 2024. If there are children who wish to join our Confirmation program, please contact Father Tom.
Summer picnic
All Saint John’s parishioners and friends are invited to a summer picnic on Sunday, July 9 from 12 noon to 3 PM in the patio behind the friary and the parish center. Volunteers are needed to prepare food and organize activities. If you’d like to help, contact Father Tom.
Capuchin Province of Saint Augustine 150th anniversary
In 1873, three Capuchin friars came from Bavaria to found a new Capuchin community in Pittsburgh. This venture became the Capuchin Province of Saint Augustine and in 1991 the Province came to Philadelphia. The friars plan to celebrate this anniversary at Saint John’s on Sunday August 6 at the 12:30 Mass. Those served by Capuchins at Holy Redeemer and in Frankford will also be invited. A social will follow in the parish center.
Laudato Si Week
“Laudato Si” Week begins today; the theme this year is “Hope for the earth; Hope for Creation”. The annual Catholic celebration is inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical and began in 2016 to encourage people to care of our common home, the earth. If you’d like to learn more, please view the film, "The Letter" which tells the story of four "social poets" affected first-hand by the climate crisis who traveled to Rome to meet Pope Francis. During Lent at Saint John’s we offered a viewing of “The Letter” in the context of an afternoon of prayer. If you were unable to attend, you can go to "Laudato Si week 2023" and click on "view movie". I urge you to read Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment. Representatives of the Laudato Si Circle will be at the entrance to the church today to distribute copies of the encyclical and to answer any questions that you might have.
Light the City
Our young adults and our entire parish are invited to participate in a night time street evangelization event on Saturday, August 26. Mark your calendars and plan to spend the evening evangelizing those who pass by Saint John’s on that Saturday evening.