The Church of the Incarnation 544 Prospect Street

Wethersfield, CT 06109

Rev. James M. Moran

Pastor

Mrs. Noranne Wamester Pastoral Associate

Mrs. Audrey Saharek Pastoral Assistant

Mrs. Maggie Seaver

Coordinator of Middle School Faith Formation Youth Minister

Mrs. Teri Aiudi

Rectory Office Assistant Faith Formation Secretary

Mrs. Theodora Niver Director of Music

Vanessa Crowley

Lorissa Heath Rosanne Sweeney Gowdy

Andrew Russo Heather Picard

Gianna Bielenda Cantors

Marguerite Heinimann

Rectory Assistant

Toni Munoz Sacristan

Mass Schedule

Confessions on Saturdays from 3:45 - 4:30p.m. Vigil Mass: Saturday at 5:00p.m.

Sunday Masses: 8:30 & 10:30 a.m. Daily Mass: (Mon. - Fri.) 9:00 a.m.

Recitation of the Rosary before 9:00 a.m. daily Mass

Sacrament of Baptism By previous appointment

Sundays at 12:30 p.m. in the Baptistry of the Chapel.

Weddings Please contact a priest 6-10 months prior.

New Parishioners and Faith Formation Registration

The Church of the Incarnation welcomes new parishioners. All forms are available at the main entrance of the church. Please mail or place in the

collection basket. You may also visit our website for printable forms at:

www.thechurchoftheincarnation.com

Rectory Hours 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Rectory Fax Church E-Mail Faith Formation Website address: (860) 529-2533 (860) 721-6595 cincarnation@sbcglobal.net (860) 529-6765 www.thechurchoftheincarnation.com gotellit15@gmail.com

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Incarnation St. Patrick's Dinner is Mon., March 12th, doors open at 6pm., Fr. Crawford Hall. Thanks for purchasing a ticket.

The Second collection this weekend will be the monthly collection. Prayer Shawl Ministry resumes on Wed., March 14th at 9:30 am in Fr. Crawford Hall. Men’s Association will meet on Wed., March 14th at 7pm in Fr. Crawford Hall. House of Bread collection next weekend. Coffee & sugar are needed. Incarnation Parish Council mtg. next Sun., March 18th at 7pm in the Chapel.

Our Lenten Environment on Laetare Sunday

Today in the sanctuary you see flowers that are of God’s creation. They symbolize the new spring which embraces us as we pre-pare to embrace and receive the Risen Lord. Our Lenten cross is decorated with a limb from the dogwood tree which legend tells us is the tree from which the crosses of cruci-fixion were made. It had been a tall sturdy tree but after a time the trunk and branches grew slender, bent and twisted. No longer could it be used for making planks of wood. The legend continues that many traits were left to remember the dogwood’s former use. Its flower has four petals, shaped like a cross. The edge of each petal has a stained nail dent. The middle of the dogwood flow-er resembles a crown of thorns. May our endeavors with our Lenten environ-ment inspire us to prayer on our journey to the Paschal Lamb.

SATURDAY, MARCH 10TH 5:00pm—Joseph & Angeline Santomenno SUNDAY, MARCH 11TH 8:30am– Santa & James Cobisi and Tina & Frank Tummillo 10:30am– Sebastian & Mary Bianca MONDAY, MARCH 12TH 9:00am— Helen & Nashan Kalousdian and the Deceased members of the Kalousdian Family TUESDAY, MARCH 13TH 9:00am–For all our parishioners WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14TH 9:00am–Douglas Campbell THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH 9:00am– Eleanor Mazzarella FRIDAY, MARCH 16TH 9:00am– Josephine & Ed Guzewicz SATURDAY, MARCH 17TH 9:00am—Felicia & Matteo Spataro 5:00pm–Deceased members of the Loura, Santos & Gaspar Families SUNDAY, MARCH 18TH 8:30am– Irene & Jack Cahill 10:30am– Deceased members of the Forgetta, Labbadia & Davia Families The Sanctuary Candle will burn from 3/12/2018– 3/18/2018 For A Special Intention. The Blessed Virgin Mary Candle will burn from 3/12/18—3/18/2018 in memory of Walter Napierata Sr. & Walter Napierata Jr.

Page Four Fourth Sunday of Lent..……March 11, 2018

All Families are encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation dur ing this Holy Season of Lent. Faith Formation will be held for Grades K - 6 at Emerson Williams School on Sat., March 17th.

Fr. Crawford Hall communities will meet at designated times.

Children’s Liturgy of the Word:

Sunday, March 18th, 10:30am Mass. Join us for refreshments in Fr. Crawford Hall Confirmation 2018 Young Gentlemen’s Retreat: Sunday, March 18th from 12:30-3pm in Fr. Crawford Hall. Youth Ministry: Next gather ing is an outing to the movies. Join us on Sunday, March 18th as we meet at the Berlin The-aters to watch the newly released “I Can Only Imagine,” a gripping reminder of the power of forgiveness, and that no one is ever too far from God’s love. Time of movie to be determined. Contact Maggie Seaver at: seaver711@aol.com if interest-ed in joining us. 7th and 8th Grade Faith Formation: Next class will be held on March 20th for Grade 8 and March 21st for Grade 7- 6:30–8pm Fr. Crawford Hall.

NEW DAY BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP will meet this Monday, March 12th at 1pm in the rectory. The Church of the Incarnation awards two scholarships annually for parishioners entering area Catholic High Schools. Deadline to submit applications is April 1st. Call Noranne at 529-6765. All weather/storm related cancellations will be aired on WVIT, WFSB, Fox 61, WTIC, and on our website. You may also check their websites.

Steubenville Catholic Youth Conference: July 13th – 15th at UMASS, Lowell, MA Members of our Youth Ministry are very excited to once again be attending this weekend of prayer, music, motivational talks from nationally recognized Catholic speakers, mass, adoration, and reflection. Any high schooler (or present 8th grad-er) who would like to join us for this amazing wkd. please contact Maggie Seaver at: seaver711@aol.com. Spots fill up quickly.

Easter Communion Regulation: Catholics are obliged to receive Communion at least once between the First Sunday of Lent and Trinity Sunday. We have Low Gluten Hosts for parishion-ers who need them. Please let the pr iest know prior to Mass of your request. We will now have a General Intercession mentioned in the Prayer of the Faithful for all men and women who serve in the Armed Services including our own parishioners Rice Bowls are available at the entrances. CRS Rice Bowl is a Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten faith-in-action program for families and faith com-munities. Thanks for your support.

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“From the Valley to the Mountain:

Lenten Reflections to Prepare Us for the Resurrection”

Thurs., March 22nd., 7pm , Fr. Crawford Hall

Incarnation Women’s Club welcomes you to an evening of prayer, presentation & reflection with Kelly LaCava Henderschedt, Director of Catechetical Education for the Archdiocese of Hartford. Lent is a perfect time to reflect upon our lives to see how we traverse the valleys & mountains. It is a time to ponder areas of our lives where resurrection needs to occur and cel-ebrate the moments where resurrection has happened. Come be inspired by Kelly during this prayerful Journey Through Lent. Parish-ioners/friends are welcome. See the Bi-Lines. Parish Communion Supper

Tuesday, April 17, 2018 Mass 6:00 p.m. Incarnation Church

Dinner 7:00 p.m. Father Crawford Hall Family Style Dinner Menu

Garden Salad, Pasta Marinara Chicken Francaise, Stuffed Filet of Sole

Vegetable Medley, Roasted Potatoes Dessert, Coffee and Tea

The Women’s Club invites the men and women of the parish and friends to the Communion Supper. We are excited to have as our guest speaker for the evening the new archivist for the Archdiocese of Hartford, Bridgette Woodall. Bridgette has a keen interest in history and extensive experience in or-ganizing and preserving historic information. Reservations: Judi Farinella, 124 Lantern Lane, Wethersfield, 860-563-0083. $29 per person, checks payable to Church of the Incarnation. Reservation deadline is April 11.

A Weekly Bible Study

4th Sunday of Lent 2 Chronicles 36:14-23

Today’s first reading paints a portrait of Judah’s despicable behavior and the people’s refusal to heed the prophets’ warnings. As we carefully read through these lines we may find ourselves quite shocked at some of its graphic detail. We may even find ourselves thinking that in our own day things have not changed! But the “Chronicler*” is not exaggerating the sinful exploits of the “princes, priests and people.” And neither will the Lord exaggerate what he is about to do, as “his anger was so inflamed there was no remedy” but destruction.

We have read on occasion in this column of the devastating impact of the Babylonian captivity. It is hard for us to imagine the vision in today’s pas-sage: that the very house of God was burnt and its sacred objects destroyed. God takes away what is most precious to his people, their temple and its rituals. When the Lord’s house is laid waste, will they finally recognize the Lord’s anger at their sin-ful ways? They will only realize it in retrospect as they examine their own behavior.

If we find ourselves in that first line of today’s reading we might take comfort in knowing that Jesus has come to call to repentance not the right-eous, but the sinner. Unlike the people of Judah, we need to heed the voices of the prophets around us who call us to conversion.

Thankfully, today’s first reading ends on a posi-tive and hopeful note. God again triumphs! The people of Judah will suffer their fate but the Lord will send an unlikely agent (Cyrus of Persia) to restore the temple and fix their broken hearts. God will likewise send his Son to bring salvation to us all. The temple of Christ’s body now destroyed by crucifixion will be raised up to new life on the third day. And therein lies our hope.

*The two Books of Chronicles closely parallel the events of Samuel and 1,2 Kings which detail the rise and fall of the monarchies of Israel and Judah. In Chronicles, David is portrayed as an ideal king, precursor of the Messiah.

BAPTISMS

Graham Steven Copland Jade Marie Sliva

Page Six Fourth Sunday of Lent..…….March 11, 2018

Consider a life of preaching, teach-ing, and service as a priest, deacon, sister or brother. Call Fr. Jeffrey Gubbiotti, Director of Vocations, Archdiocesan Center at Saint Thom-as Seminary, Tel. (860) 242-5573, or e-mail to vocations@aohct.org. Vocations Holy Hour: Incarnation Church. First Friday of the month, 9:30am Blessed Sacra-ment Chapel. Prayer For Peace: Incarnation Church 30 minutes prior to 9am Daily Mass. Come, O Holy Spirit, and Renew the Face of the Earth! Legion of Mary mtg. every Monday at 9:45am in Fr. Crawford Hall at Incarnation Church. The object of the Legion of Mary is the Glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer & active co-operation in Mary’s and the Church’s work. Please Jon Us!

Lenten Mass Schedule: Dur ing Lent daily mass at Incarnation will be held at 9am Monday-Saturday excluding Holy Thursday, Good Friday & Holy Saturday.

For your information, Christ the King Parish will celebrate daily mass during Lent at 7:30am at Corpus Christi Church & 5:30pm at Sacred Heart Church. Christ the King Parish will celebrate Sat-urday morning Mass at Corpus Christi at 7:30am.

Mondays during Lent are Confession Day in the Archdiocese of Hartford.

Incarnation Church offers confessions on Lenten Mondays from 7-7:45pm. Our regular confession schedule continues on Saturdays—3:45-4:30pm.

Lenten Regulations: Catholics ages 14 and older are to abstain from meat on all Fridays during Lent. The rule does not apply when health or ability to work

would be seriously impacted. Catholics who have celebrated their 18th birthday, but have not yet marked their 59th are to fast on Good Friday. On days of fast, one full meal is allowed. Two other meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be tak-en according to individual needs but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and juices, are allowed.

You may return your Easter Flower enve-lope anytime from now until Easter . If you will be going into the hospital for a long-er period than just a day, please call Audrey at the rectory at (860) 529-2533. Due to pr ivacy rules, it has become increasingly difficult for Fr. Moran to locate patients that are in the hospital. Join The Wethersfield Knights of Columbus for Dinner at Bertucci's restaurant in Newington. Flyer/coupon at church exits. Enjoy a family meal & help raise money for the Knights charities. The Men’s Association wants YOU! Our an-nual membership drive is underway & renewal letters have been mailed to all current members. Applications are at entrances. All men are invited to join! Dues—$10 per year. Call Audrey at (860) 529-2533 or Michael at (860)-667-2099. The Incarnation Men's Association is pleased to announce they will be sponsoring a bus trip to Yankee Stadium on May 5th against the Cleveland Indians. Each ticket is $ 90.00 - The seats will be on "Field level" in sections #135 and #136 - home run territory! Package includes: Deluxe motor coach trans-portation, beverages on the bus - bottled water, soda, beer, wine, a snack and a game tick-et. Parking at Incarnation Church. Bus leaves at 9AM to allow time to tour the stadium. All are welcome - you may bring your own bottled water and wrapped sandwiches in a clear plastic bag. Call Jim Pettit - (860) 402-3074 - to reserve tix or email: Spencer3600@Yahoo.com. Thank you! Bishop Peter Rosazza is leading a pilgrimage to Ireland from the 4th to the 13th of Sept. If interested email him at: prosazza@aol.com or call him at St. Thomas Seminary's main number, (860) 761-7430. Thank you.

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TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Year B of the Lectionary has the Letter to the Ephesians today. Ephesus, today in Turkey, was in the first century a great Greek city, the center for the wor-ship of Diana, the goddess of the hunt. It was a vast city even by modern standards, having nearly half a million people in the time of Paul. Yet that was a time of economic recession and moral decay. No wonder Saint Paul stayed here the longest. It gave him an enor-mous and religiously curious audience. His preaching stirred up the artisans who depended on the pilgrims who came to honor (and buy mementos of) seventeen gods and goddesses enshrined in the city’s temples. You can still see the open-air theater where Paul’s homily triggered a riot. Paul did have success here, and many conversions among Jews and Gentiles. They seem to have struggled with hope, perhaps because of their suffering from economic woes and isolation. Some old traditions say that the Apostle John lived out his days here, and that the Blessed Mother was cared for by him. There’s no biblical basis for this, but it is certain that a small house just outside the city has been treasured by Christians and Muslims for centuries as the last dwelling of Mary. Long ago, the harbor silt-ed up and the city was nearly abandoned, becoming a small village. As is so often the case, that accident of history preserved the ancient city, so that archeologists have been very successful in revealing ancient Chris-tian sites. One such site is the Church of Mary, proba-bly the first church to be dedicated to the Blessed Vir-gin, and the site of the Council of Ephesus in 431. To-day, a visit to Ephesus is one of the most rewarding journeys for any pilgrim. Northwest Catholic Entrance Exam: Wed., March 21st, 8:30am.Go to aselig@nwcath.org

MERCY HIGH SCHOOL: Get M-Powered! For 6th –9th Graders. Mercy High School’s 2018 Higher Achievement Pro-gram (HAP). Academic Skills, Sports, Crafts, Arts, Community Service. For Girls rising to 7th & 8th Grade. Monday, July 9th—Friday, July 20th 9am– 3pm. See the website for more infor-mation about the 2018 Basketball Clinic, 2018 Soccer Clinic, 2018 Theater Arts Program & 2018 Vocal Intensive program. Register at: www.mercyhigh.com.

COMMUNAL RESPONSIBILITY The people of God forgot the covenant and flouted God’s laws. They did not listen to the prophets among them, who spoke for God in warning them. Prophets are sent from God to remind us why we are here, but they are often, even in our own time, mocked, disre-garded, and mistreated rather than thanked and listened to. The book of Chronicles tells the results of these sins: the destruction of the temple and all of Jerusalem, mur-der, mayhem, and finally exile to a foreign land. Why are these stories in the Bible? Just to inform us of what hap-pened to our ancient forebears? What good would that be unless there were a message and a warning for us as well? Are we people who follow the teachings of God, who obey the words of Christ in the second covenant in his blood? Or do we continue to wreak works of dark-ness and violence? We are reminded by these readings that we will be judged as a people, not just as individu-als. TODAY’S READINGS First Reading — The wrath and the mercy of the L are revealed in the exile and liberation of the Chosen People (2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23) or 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a. Psalm — Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you! (Psalm 137) or Psalm 23. Second Reading — God, who is rich in mercy, brought us to life with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-10) or Ephesians 5:8-14. Gospel — The Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life (John 3:14-21) or John 9:1-41 [1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38]. . READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Is 65:17-21; Ps 30:2, 4-6, 11-13b; Jn 4:43-54 Tuesday: Ez 47:1-9, 12; Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9; Jn 5:1-16 Wednesday: Is 49:8-15; Ps 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18; Jn 5:17-30 Thursday: Ex 32:7-14; Ps 106:19-23; Jn 5:31-47 Friday: Wis 2:1a, 12-22; Ps 34:17-21, 23; Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 Saturday: Jer 11:18-20; Ps 7:2-3, 9bc-12; Jn 7:40-53 Sunday: Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51:3-4, 12-15; Heb 5:7-9; Jn 12:20-33 Alternate readings (Year A): Ez 37:12-14; Ps 130:1-8; Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45 [3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45] SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Fourth Sunday of Lent; Second Scrutiny; Daylight Saving Time begins; Girl Scouting Sunday Friday: Abstinence Saturday: Saint Patrick

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Our Lenten Journey:

Dear Parishioners, We are pleased to gift our parishioners with a book entitled "Beautiful Hope." This book of shared stories will be a wonderful way to become more reflective during this prayerful season. "If we are to become people who can shine the light of faith into the

darkness of our world, things must change. We need an infusion of hope so we can see more clearly and live boldly as children of God." Quote taken from the commentary on the back cover of this book. The books are available at all exits. We ask that you take one per family. Share in the reading of the messages and let us all live in HOPE. They will be replenished each week until they are gone. If

you wish to special order more books for your family members, call Noranne Wamester at (860) 529-6765.

Also, all are encouraged to go online to: DynamicCatholic.com and sign up for The Best Lent Ever. This is a free, short daily reflection given by Matthew Kelly.

What a way to start the day. Share this with your family and friends. May Hope fill our hearts during this beautiful season.

Noranne S. Wamester, Pastoral Associate

SPRING SEED SALE TO BENEFIT

ST. LUKE FOUNDATION FOR HAITI The Sixth Grade Faith

Formation Family of Filomena Marinelli and Paola Houlihan will be sponsoring a Spring Seed Sale to benefit the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti founded by Father Rick Frechette, a native of Wethersfield & currently serving as a priest and doctor in Haiti. This project is part of our class “almsgiving” project for Lent.. The seed packets will be on sale the weekend of Palm Sunday, March 24-25 and will include inspirational scripture passages chosen by the students. Please come by our tables in the Narthex & Fr. Crawford Hall and purchase some seeds or simply make a donation. A huge thank you goes to the Zagaja, Adduci,& Mogel families for organizing this fundraising event. Pope Francis has asked our parish to support the Pontifical Good Friday Collection, which helps Christians in the Holy Land. Your support helps the church minister in parishes, provide Catholic schools and offer religious education. The Pontifical Good Friday Collection also helps to preserve the sacred shrines. When you contribute to the Pontifical Good Friday Collection, you become an instrument of peace and join with Catholics around the world in solidarity with the church in the Holy Land.