St. John Fisher Roman Catholic Church

St. Vincent DePaul Sandwich Collection

We will collect sandwiches on Thursday, October 28th

We will NOT gather after 8:30 a.m. Mass to make sandwiches as a community. Sandwiches may be dropped off at the church during regular business hours or from 7:00 p.m.27:30 p.m.

From Our Pastor ~ October 10, 2021

28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B21

“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”^[1]

NOTHING!

You cannot inherit eternal life on your own. Inherit means “to receive from an ancestor or to receive from a predecessor”^[2]. It’s ours as a gift, freely given by God as heirs, won for us by Jesus Christ through his death and resurrection. It’s not a business transaction by which we make a deal with God, a kind of “tit for tat” or in Latin, “quid pro quo”.

Columbus Day Prayer

Creator God, hear our prayer this day as we observe this national holiday. Help us to have a greater awareness of your magnificent gifts to us, the riches of our land, the splendors of the diverse peoples who form our country. Help us to view all your good gifts with respect and gratitude. Help us to understand that we need the forgiveness of those from whom we acquired this land and to learn to respect it as they did. Heal our divisions and bring us to unity.

Celebrate St. Francis This Month

Celebrate St. Francis this month by getting outside and enjoying creation. Here are some suggestions of ways to care for God’s creation and our common home:

Take a family nature walk such as the Salmon River trails x Read the story of creation in Genesis
Make a collage of photos from nature
Pray before and after meals expressing gratitude for those who grew and prepared our food.
Use cloth napkins, ceramic mugs or reusable cups
Make a bird feeder with pinecones, peanut butter and bird seed for our feathered friends
Recycle whenever possible
Read about some saints that cared for creation and creatures such as:

Birthright Needs Volunteers and Donations

Birthright is an emergency pregnancy service offering support to pregnant woman in crisis.Volunteer opportunities include friendship counseling, clerical and clothing work. Please call 1-800-550-4900 for more information.

We are also in need of gently worn maternity and baby clothing. Please call to find the nearest chapter to arrange drop off.

Help Others by Donating to Goodwill

Since August 2020, St. Vincent DePaul has provided over $4,000 in clothing vouchers to their clients. These vouchers allow clients to choose clothes for themselves, reducing the embarrassment and stigma associated with poverty. This program allows individuals in our greater community to maintain their dignity. As you go through your closets this fall, please pick up a yellow donation card at the church before you bring your donations to Goodwill. Yellow donation cards can be found at the entrances to the church.

From Our Pastor ~ October 3, 2021

27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B21

Recently there has been opposing letters in The Rivereast concerning the Bible; on the one hand questioning its authenticity and on the other defending its view of history. While some arguments on both sides have a bit of validity, both sides show a lack of understanding about what the Bible is and what it is not.

A Note From Our Music Director

Breaking Bread 2021 Beginning September 19, we will start singing new Mass parts at the Sunday Masses. The Mass of Christ the Savior Mass parts can be found in the missalette if anyone would like to look at them beforehand (921-930).

Thank You

Special thanks to all those who are volunteering their time and their talents to share their faith by being a catechist this year. We are incredibly blessed to have such a dedicated team guiding our young people as they grow in faith. Please keep them and our youth in your prayers as they begin another fruitful year of ffaith formation.

Deepest Gratitude

Our deepest gratitude to all the parishioners who supported our Confirmation Community by donating snacks and drinks for the 10th grade retreat. We deeply appreciate your donations and ask that you continue to pray for these young men and women as they take the final steps in preparing for Confirmation on November 6th.

Peace Prayer of St. Francis

May we consider the life of St. Francis on his Feast Day of October 4th and his desire to live as Christ lived as we pray:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

East Catholic High School

Our admission process for the 2022-23 school year has officially started! Please go to our website: echs.com/Admissions-Process to fill out our online application. Also, please mark your calendars: our Open House is scheduled for Thursday, October 28th at 6:45 pm. It will be followed by Placement Test on Saturday, October 30th at 8:30 am. The second date for the Placement Test is Saturday, November 13th at 8:30 am. Looking forward to welcoming you at East! Go Eagles!

Calling All Juniors and Seniors

Looking to get a jumpstart on your green cord service hours? Need to do some service hours that will have a real impact while you have some fun? Mrs. O’Neill has a variety of projects that you might be interested in supporting. We are also looking for strong leaders to join our Teen leadership team in developing future programs and service projects. Reach out to Mrs. O’Neill at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested. We wish you all a wonderful year.

Blessing of the Pets

Pets Blessing

In celebration of the Feast of St. Francis, we will once again be offering the blessing of the pets on Sunday, October 3rd at 12:30pm. If you can’t make the blessing or do not have a pet, take some time on October 4th, the feast day of St. Francis, to go outside and notice the wonder of God’s creation.

St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment, recognizing God’s beauty in all of creation.

From Our Pastor ~ September 26, 2021

26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B21

Are you an “innie” or an “outie”? Think about it; an “innie” or an “outie”. I’m not asking about bellybuttons. That would be “TMI” (Too Much Information) as well as totally inappropriate.

An “innie” means you belong to an “in” group or a group that’s respected, e.g., an athletic team, or someone you want to around because they have it all such as stunningly good looks, wearing the latest style, and having an outgoing personality. An “outie” is almost completely opposite, someone who is easy to ignore, having average looks, isn’t up on the fashion world, and has a personality that is more introverted or shy. ^[1]

September 22nd ~ First Day of Autumn

I praise you, Lord, for autumn:
for falling temperatures and morning chill, trees turned gold and red, brown and orange, falling leaves and blowing leaves,
the smell of burning leaves,
the joy of leafpile jumping.

I praise you, Lord, for autumn:
the interplay of outside temperatures
and inside warmth,
the promise of cider and pumpkin bread,
the blessing of blankets and sweaters.
I praise you, Lord, for autumn:
the beauty and hope in the change of season, the promise that the coming of autumn heralds another ending,
a new beginning.


Upset?	John 14
Weak?	Psalm 18:1-29
Lonely?	Psalm 23
Sinned?	Psalm 51
Worried?	Matthew 8:19-31
Anxious?	Phillippians 4:4-9
Unhappy?	Colossians 3:12-17
In Danger?	Psalm 91
Depressed?	Psalm 27
Lack of Faith?	Exodus 14
Others Unkind?	John 15
Need Courage?	Joshua 1
Need Direction?	Psalm 73:21-26
Seeking Peace?	Matthew 11:25-30