St. John Fisher Roman Catholic Church

From our Pastor ~ February 6, 2022

5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C22

Have you ever had an experience of the presence of God?

Isaiah saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne with Seraphim stationed above. Rather than being filled with joy, Isaiah felt woe and a sense of doom. Simon Peter, his partners James and John, and their fishing buddies were overwhelmed by their catch of a great number of fish. Simon Peter, fell before the knees of Jesus and asked Jesus to depart from him, confessing that he was a man full of sin. And Paul writes to the Corinthians that the Risen Jesus appeared to him, the least of the apostles because he was persecuting the church of God.

Monthly Food Drive

FEBRUARY 12TH AND 13TH Please mark your calendars:

Our monthly Food Drive is the 2nd full weekend of every month.

Suggested donations: Cereal, oatmeal, hearty canned soups, baking supplies, canned meats, canned fruits and toiletries.
Please check that the "Best By" dates have not been exceeded; otherwise, the Food Bank will need to dispose of them. The Food Bank does not distribute overthecounter medicines for either adults or children, and so we cannot accept donations of these items.

For the Home Goods Room: Used items in good condition such as pots and pans, towels, pillowcases, sheets (especially queen), lamps and new bed pillows.

Thank you for assisting our brothers and sisters in Christ. Please keep all those impacted by hunger in your prayers.

Knights of Columbus 2021 POSTER CONTEST WINNERS

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2021 Poster Contest!!

Age Group (5-7) - Delaney Jordan
Age Group (8-10) - Grace Jordan
Age Group (11-14) - Rebecca Koonankeil

The winning posters have been submitted for continued judging at our District/Regional Level. Then, Jurisdictional and International judging will occur. You created beautiful, insightful and inspiring work, Delaney, Grace and Rebecca. Prizes will be awarded. Congratulations!

To all our entrants, “What amazing work!” You have inspired us all to continue to recognize and emphasize the true meaning of CHRISTMAS, the birth of our Savior. Thank you all for participating in this year’s Knights of Columbus Poster Contest!

From Our Pastor ~ January 30, 2022

4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C22

“Wanted: a person to speak on my behalf. Your words (or rather mine) will not be heeded by most. You will disturb the rich and the powerful and give hope and comfort the poor and the insignificant. As a result you will suffer, called a charlatan, and mocked, but I will be your help. If interest, please send a résumé to Cloud3, P.O. Box 123, Trinita, Apocalypse 00001-123. We will contact you by WHOOSH or by VISION.”

How many here are interested? But, guess what? Whenever you were baptized, you were anointed with chrism as priest (bringing people to God and bringing God to people), king (sharing in God’s kingdom), and PROPHET! This responsibility summons all of us to speak “to social, political and religious leadership, to judicial officials, to power brokers, to those involved with a community’s economy and well-being.”^[1]

International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking

Please take a moment on February 8, the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking and Feast Day of St. Bakhita, patron saint of human trafficking survivors to say a prayer for the victims of Human trafficking and consider attending an online presentation hosted by Social Justice at St. Mary’s - the McGivney Way (New Haven). Register by visiting the Office for Catholic Social Justice website or by using this link on our parish website.

“Human trafficking is a crime against humanity. We must unite our efforts to free victims and stop this crime that has become ever more aggressive, that threatens not just individuals, but foundational values of society.” Pope Francis.

Click Here to Register

Did You Know

Saint Blaise Blessing Throat The Blessing of the Throats, a tradition started in the 16th century, is typically celebrated on the feast day of St. Blaise, February 3. Legend states that while imprisoned St. Blaise, a Bishop and Doctor, was said to have miraculously saved a young boy from fatally choking on a fish bone and is subsequently the Patron Saint of throat illnesses.

Father Sas will be giving a blessing of the throats after both masses on the weekend of February 5th and 6th.

Feast Day of St. John Bosco

Saint John Bosco St. John Bosco, who is celebrated with a feast day on January 31, is the patron saint of editors and publishers, schoolchildren, magicians, and juvenile delinquents due to his work helping at-risk children. Understanding that a key to providing real opportunities for children was education, St. John Bosco started schools for both boys and girls in poverty. “We do not go to Holy Communion because we are good; we go to become good.”

Corpus Christi School Open House

Are you wondering if your child is on track academically? You are not alone. Perhaps you’d like to consider some other educational options. Corpus Christi School of Wethersfield, a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, will host a special Weekend Open House on Sunday, January 30th from 11:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. at Corpus Christi School, 581 Silas Deane Highway. Corpus Christi students benefit from smaller class sizes and personalized instruction as evidenced by their recent successes. Students scored over 4 GRADE LEVELS ABOVE their current grade in the Language Arts/Reading portion of their recent standardized tests. Imagine how your child could soar!! Tours will be available; teachers, students, and parents will be on hand to answer questions. The school encompasses PreK - 8th grade. To register, please visit our website https://corpuschristischoolct.org/ or call 860-529-5487

Please Help Our Confirmation Community Help Others

Our Confirmation Community will once again be preparing a meal at the end of January for the men at ImmaCare Shelter in Hartford. The class will also be making 50 care bags for the clients at the shelter. If you would like to support our Confirmation community, please consider donating any of the following: single serve high protein snacks such as nuts, beef jerky, granola bars or peanut butter crackers; a $5 gift card to Dunkin Donuts; heavy socks; Chapstick or pocket size tissues. All donations may be left in the baskets by the entrances to the church. Thank you in advance for your support of our Confirmation Community and those who struggle with finding secure housing.

From Our Pastor ~ January 23, 2022

3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time C22

I think we all have a general definition of what a community is. Sometimes it describes a group of people living in a defined geographical area, say like Marlborough. Sometimes it describes a group of people having similar values, beliefs, or goals, say like a parish community like St. John Fisher. Today’s readings are concerned about community.

After the end of the Babylonian Exile, the returning Jewish people probably didn’t know the Law of Moses and most of them didn’t understand Hebrew. That set the scene of today’s 1^st reading. Ezra, a student of the Law, and Nehemiah who was sent by the Persian government to oversee the rebuilding of the Temple and Jerusalem, thought it wise to read, translate and interpret the Law to the men, women and all those old enough to understand, in order to provide them with a foundation for their community. This took longer than from dawn to noontime since the reading of the Law encompassed probably the 1^st 5 books of the Jewish Scriptures^[1]; and so it continued for 6 more days. The people were weeping, possibly because they recognized how far their behavior had been from the ideals of the Law and, I think, they were overwhelmed by God’s care for them.

Dates to Remember in Prayer

January 22: Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.

January 24: We celebrate the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of writers. Join us in praying his prayer, Be at Peace.

9 Days for Life ~ Novena

9Days4Life

Life begins at conception and deserves to be protected. Sign up to pray with
THOUSANDS of Catholics during the 9 Days for Life novena, Wednesday,
January 19 - Thursday, January 27.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

From Our Pastor ~ January 16, 2022

2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time C22

“Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)

What confidence Mary had in her son, that he would do something to keep the wedding festivities going. After being rebuffed for making her plea, she had to feel some pain. “My hour has not come” (John 2:4), he says to her; he is not free to ignore or alter the Father’s plan.

Covid Issues: Message from Archbishop Blair

"Even in the absence of a civil requirement, masks should be worn by all and social distancing should be maintained appropriately, including in the communion line."

"For now, it would be best to refrain from unnecessary circulation in church, from processions and from greeting people before and after Mass."

"With regard to music, it would be best to keep it at a minimum or reserved only for a cantor/organist. If more than one is singing, they should be at least 5 feet apart and 12 feet apart from the priest and others." I take it from this restriction that will be NO CONGREGATIONAL SINGING FOR NOW.

The Archbishop also regrets the burden of these restrictions."Charity, however, as well as the duty to take reasonable care of our physical health and to protect that of others, requires measures commensurate with the seriousness of the threat that is posed. I am grateful for your cooperation. I pray daily for your good health and that of the people.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Leonard P Blair
Archbishop of Hartford"

Saint John Fisher Women’s Retreat Weekend

Please join the women of Saint John Fisher for our parish retreat at Our Lady Of Calvary Retreat House in Farmington, January 14th, 7pm 16th, 12pm. It is a wonderful way to connect with the women in our parish and to reconnect with God and yourself. For more information, please visit their website, www.ourladyofcalvary.net. You can also contact Nicky Banbury @ 860.832.2047 with any questions.

The ABCs of Annulment

Saturday, January 22 , at 10 AM to Noon in the Church Hall of St Margaret Church, 24 Academy Street, Madison. The “ABCs of Annulment” event is open to all at no cost. Participants will receive a folder with the required printed materials. No registration is required. For further information, call Br. Larry at 475-221-8464 or email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Knights of Columbus Scholarship

The St. John Fisher Knights of Columbus will honor two worthy graduating high school seniors with a scholarship of $500 each in recognition of service to our community and practice of their Catholic faith in daily life. Applications will be taken through May 31^st 2022 and the scholarship will be awarded in May.

Eligibility, instructions and the application form are available HERE on the St. John Fisher website. Any questions can be addressed to the following e-mail address:: KofC@stjfchurch.org.

Monthly Food Drive

Please mark your calendars: Our monthly Food Drive is the 2nd full weekend of every month.

Suggested Donations: Baking goods such as cake mix, brownie mix, pancake mix, frosting, bread mix, etc. Please ensure that the "Best By" dates have not been exceeded as the Food

Bank will need to dispose of them if they have. The Food Bank does not distribute over the counter medicines for either adults or children so we cannot accept donations of these items.

For the Home Goods Room: used items in good condition such as pots and pans, towels, pillowcases, sheets (especially queen), lamps and new bed pillows.

YOUR DONATIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Catholic News

Faith Connections

YouTube Links

Emergency Bible Numbers


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

Prayer Line Woman Pray 01

Send your prayer requests to stjohnfisher30@yahoo.com or call the parish office @ 295-0001.

Pray The Holy Rosary ~ Fridays ~ 8:30AM
Click here on Friday mornings.
9kh5Y9

Note: to maximize meeting time, please don't login more than 6 minutes early.

Online Giving

UPDATE: Our Online Giving system now is also an App for Apple and Android products! You can download it for free in the App Store, Google Play Store or go to OLGapp.com. If you are new to Online Giving, register by entering our church ID of 1239.

How To Report An Incident Of Sexual Abuse To The Archdiocese Of Hartford

Archdiocese of Hartford
Office of Safe Environment
467 Bloomfield Ave.
Bloomfield, CT 06002

If you have knowledge or suspect that a minor or vulnerable adult (an adult with an intellectual disability) has been sexually abused, in any manner, by personnel of the Archdiocese of Hartford, you are urged to report this information to:

Kathleen D. Nowosadko
Victim Assistance Coordinator
860-541-6475
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Click here to download more information

Special Intention Mass Cards

Mass Card A Healing Prayer

Please remember to schedule Masses you would like intended for deceased loved ones, for specific times, as soon as possible. Mass cards are also available for Masses that are not for the deceased - they are for Masses that will be offered for a special intention, such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries, dealing with illiness, requests for healing, or any special needs. Please feel free to e-mail, call, or stop by the Parish Office with your request.

Sponsor Certificates, Marriages & Baptisms

Sponsor Certificates: A sponsor certificate for Baptism or Confirmation will be provided to current, active parishioners who have been registered with St. John Fisher for a minimum of six months. A Form may be downloaded (click here) or picked up at the parish office, and all applicants must meet with Father to have form signed and sealed after Mass or by appointment.

The Hospital Doesn't Tell Us You're There!

Because of HIPAA regulations, pastors and deacons are not given access to information about parishioners who are in the hospital. Please be sure to contact the parish office if you would like Father Sas, Deacon John, or a Eucharistic Minister to visit you or a loved one who is hospitalized.

Please include the patient's given name, hospital name, and dates of anticipated stay. In case of an emergency, please call Father Sas or Deacon John using the numbers on the front cover of the bulletin. Our pastoral staff is also happy to visit those who are homebound.