Pastor Rev. Robert L. Ruston

Sts. Gregory & Barnabas Parish Welcome to 

Daily Mass: (See inside for locations)

8:00AM Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Friday

6:30PM Thursday

Weekend Liturgy:

Saturday: 4:00PM (Daisytown)

Sunday: 8:00AM (Bon Air)

11:00AM (Daisytown)

120 Boltz Street 408 Luzon Avenue

Johnstown, PA 15902

Phone: 814-536-6818

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 2:00PM

Visit us on the WEB!

www.ssgregbar.org

Join us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/groups/SSGregoryBarnabas/

Reconciliation: Saturday: Noon—12:30PM & 3:15—3:45PM (Daisytown)

Sacrament of Baptism: Parents are to be examples to their children by being regis-tered, active members of the Parish. Please call the rectory office to make arrangements.

Sacrament of Marriage: Couples planning to marry are to make arrangements at least nine months prior to their wedding date. Diocesan Guidelines regarding Marriage Prep-aration must be followed. The Catholic party/parties is/are to be registered, active members in the parish.

Anointing of the Sick: Please call the church office if you have a family member or friend in the hospital who would like to receive the Sacraments. The homebound and parishioners in nursing homes should also receive the Sacrament of the Sick and Holy Communion.

Parish Membership: New members are always welcome! If you are moving into, within, or out of the Parish, please call the Rectory Office and let us know.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA): All who would like more information about membership in the Roman Catholic Church are invited to call the Church Office.

EMAIL: stsgregbar@dioceseaj.org

United In Christ MISSION STATEMENT

As Catholic Christians, we will live to serve God and each other. And do His will as one family united in Faith. We will teach, serve, and be an example to the youth of the parish that they will come to a full understanding of Christ and His plan for their lives. We will nurture the gifts and talents of all parish members and use them wisely for the glory of God. We will compassionately implement the Spiritual and Corporal works of Mercy for those in our Parish, Diocese and throughout the world. Through the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we affirm our Communion with Christ and each other. All are welcome.

1 S L M 1, 2020

Sts. Gregory & Barnabas Parish

MASS SCHEDULE (Mass Stipend $10)

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Sunday, Mar. 1st Family Day—No Classes

Friday—FISH FRY Both Locations

Next Sunday, Mar. 8th K-11, Confessions 9th Grade

Family members are asked to present Offertory Gifts at weekend masses being offered for their loved ones.

March 1, 2020

 

RELIGIOUS ED SCHEDULE CLASS 9:30AM - 10:45AM

CHOIR PRACTICE We would love to Grow our Choir!

Come Join Us in Song!

Choir Practice every Wednesday in Bon Air at 6:30PM. Please contact:

Marlene Kotch 539-8292

IN STITCHES

New Members welcome! 6:30PM—8PM Rectory

Basement Next meeting dates:

Feb 25, Mar. 10 & 24

March 3/1 Family Day—No Classes 3/8 K-11, Confessions 9th Grade 3/15 K-11, Confessions 7th Grade; Confirmation Session 9th Grade 3/22 K-11, Confessions 3rd Grade 3/28 Confirmation/1st Eucharist Retreat

(2nd graders 10AM-Noon in Bon Air & 11th graders in Bon Air 7AM-7PM

3/29 K-10 April

4/5 All Service Hours are due today! 4/5 K-11; Rite of Sending 11AM (11th

Graders) Sponsor & Candidate Manda-tory Session during regular class time

4/12 Easter Sunday—No Class

Gospel Meditation—1st Sunday of Lent Life can easily spin us out of control. While there are so many wonderful opportunities before us, we can also get easily distracted and exhausted. There is always something to do, respond to, or check. The clut-ter of our lives can take us off course, and the best remedy for getting back on track is the experience of the desert. Here we can face our demons square on, resist them, and get back on course. We desperately need the season of Lent. This simple time of year forces us into greater awareness and grounds us in what is good and true. What weighs you down and keeps you trapped? Maybe you are trying to do too much and please too many people. It could be that your fragile self-image is always pushing you to prove yourself and find success. Anxiety and worry, ultimately due to a lack of faith, can quickly tempt you with despair. It could be that you are listening to too many voices and allowing all of the negativity that is present erode the genuine goodness in your heart and in all of God’s creation. Or maybe you struggle too much with fear. Perhaps so much so that you are far too preoccupied with your own agenda and goals and left with little psychological or spiritual room to consider and respond to the plight of your neighbor. Do anger, bitterness, stubbornness, and hatred have homes in your heart? How about greed, gluttony, pride, apathy, or lust? For many, their passions and what can be found on the internet are their down-fall, and they are robbed of their inner life and freedom. What is it, specifically, that tempts you away from a childlike trust in God? Define this and use the next few weeks to allow God to chart you a course away from them. Silence, being alone, grace, honesty, struggle, tears, and dryness are all found in the desert. You will also find God and your true self in this holy place. Ready to go? ©LPI

M (SG) 8:00AM

T (SB) 8:00AM

W (SG) 8:00AM

T (SG) 6:30PM

F (SG) 8:00AM

S (SG) 4:00PM

S (SB) 8:00AM

(SG) 11:00AM

Pat Freidhoff by Patricia (Kohan) Rosenbaum

Edward, Sophie, and James Utnik by John Patrick

Charles Schellhammer Family by Ed Schellhammer

Christopher Nanna by Gram & Pap

Members Purgatorial Society Catherine Huss-Birth 3/7 by Children, Grandchildren & Great Grandchildren

William J. Amelia “Mitzi” Vibostok by Children & Grandchildren

Robert R. Freiwald by Andy & Mary Helen & Family

DURING INCLEM-ENT WEATHER, Ss. Gregory & Barnabas Parish will follow the Conemaugh Valley School District’s sched-ule as we have for the

last few years. If the school district is on a delay OR cancelled due to weather and Mass was scheduled in Bon Air on that day, the Mass is moved to Daisytown. The Parish Office open late if school is can-celled. All meetings/activities will be can-celled if school was cancelled. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Snow Days!!!

In your Prayers please remember

R S Mother to Carl Jr., Gregory & Jeffery; Grandmother to Jessica, Crystal, Carl III, Erica, Brent, Jeffrey Jr., Denton and 7 great-grandchildren ; who died recently. May she rest

in peace. May God bless and console her family.

MembersofPurgatorialSocietyJun.2019‐May2020 Aug.2019‐July2020Con't. Dec.2019‐Nov.2020

Margaret "Margie" Martinec Michael S. Dragovich Lillian Bell Andrew "Soup" Martinec

Eleanor Dierling Oct.2019‐Sept2020 Feb2020‐Jan2021Bonnie Bernardy James Fisher John & Albina Sweltz

Charlotte Costlow Edward & Sophie Utnik July2019‐June2020 Norman Costlow James Utnik Hilda Rose Rosenbaum Mary Torok Dorothy Mesaros

Arthur H. Byers Frank Torok Anna Elka Jamey Petrick

Aug.2019‐July2020   Mar.2020‐Feb.2021Thelma & Melvin Ponchek Margaret "Peg" Deitke

Francis Kudel William Shiley Anna Marie Dragovich Michael Shiley

My name is James Cosgrove for my confirmation project I will be collecting for a treatment facility by the name of

CHOR. I myself have benefited from this facility because of some medical issues that I have. CHOR houses both male and female residents. I will have boxes in the vestibule of each worship site starting the weekend of March 7/8 and finishing March 14/15. Items being collected new and gently used clothing for peers 8-18 years old, toiletries, gift cards, slippers, non violent x box games, earbuds, stationary, and empty prescription bottles. If any questions or donations need picked up please contact myself or Bev Deitke at 535-2081. Thank you for support.

CONFIRMATION PROJECT

FROM THE DESK OF FATHER BOB

Do you know someone who needs pray-ers? Please contact Debbie Washington at 536-3616 or dlwashi@hotmail.com to place a name on the parish Prayer Chain! Boxes for requests are also located in the vestibules of our worship sites.

PRAYER CHAIN

 

Ryan Wood, Army; CDR. Nathan S. Brezovic, US Navy; Fr. Frantisek Hal-ka, Army; Lieutenant Colonel David Dietz, Army; Petty Officer Tony Pinkas, Navy; PVT Neisner Tyler, Ar-my National Guard, Fort Leonard Wood Missouri (Neisner being deployed to Afghanistan Jan 2020). Please contact the parish office (536-6818) if we need to add or re-move any of our military personnel from this list. Thank you.

PRAYERFUL REMEMBRANCE FOR

ALL SERVING IN THE MILITARY

PLEASE, if you have a loved one ad-mitted to the hospital or nursing home contact the office. The hospital may take your church information, but we are not always notified. Fr. Bob likes to get to the hospital in a timely man-ner, but cannot if he doesn’t know. Thanks for your help.

HOSPITALIZED

Gone are the ashes on our foreheads of this past Wednesday. Now in this Lenten sea-son of 2020 we begin the journey to Easter. In our first scripture reading we are told the story of Israel, which includes some of the main figures from the Old Testament: Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Ezekiel. It is through these sacred stories that we come to a better understanding of the story of Jesus as told by the Apostle Paul and the evangelists Matthew and John.

As a Pharisee trained in the interpretation of the law, Paul was obviously familiar with the story of creation and the fall of Adam and Eve as their were ejected from the Garden of Eden by their disobedience when they ate of the “forbidden fruit” of the Tree of Life. The trag-ic consequences of sin and death for all people were the result. Paul however saw in the death of Jesus the universal gift of life and the acquittal of sin for all people. He realized that in the obedience of Jesus to the will of His Father we were also freed from the fear of death, for if we walk in His light, we will also be reborn to eternal life in our dying.

Matthew tells us of the temptations of Jesus in the desert before His approaching cruci-fixion. His community of faith likely heard this story in the light of their forty-year experience in the desert wilderness. But where ancient Israel failed, Jesus was victorious. We are connect-ed to our ancestors in faith by both sin and death. Each of us in varied ways have been disobe-dient to God’s commands, and each of us has that desert experience when we sin. But the Good News is that Jesus has the power to overcome sin and death in our lives when we are humble enough to admit our failures and the bad choices that we may sometimes make on our earthly journeys to His Kingdom.

We are not being asked to wear sackcloth, and within a few hours the ashes on our foreheads will be gone. However, if we use this season well, we will be filled with the joy of Easter because we have been given the opportunity and the invitation once again to proclaim the good news of our redemption and celebrate with joy because we have in essence been reborn again in this Lenten season and have every reason to rejoice.

Fish Fry Week in Daisytown: Fridays, Feb 28, Mar 6, 13, 20, 27; Apr 3, 10 

 Thursdays fish is cut and packed. This process takes approximately two hours beginning at 8:00AM. It is also time to clean the shrimp. Again this process can be done in 2 hours if we have enough help. 

 Thursdays at (NEW TIME!!!)5:00PM we will begin baking for the dessert counter. 

BAKING HELP NEEDED! During this Lenten Fish Fry Season, we will be baking everything Thursday evening starting at 5:00 PM. We could used extra help during this time. Please come lend a hand. First baking session will be Thursday  

 Friday mornings 8AM, is when we bread the shrimp & fish, cut cabbage and prepare the cole slaw.  

 Friday afternoon we begin serving at 4PM. 

 We also need extra help after the dinner is completed at 6:30PM to pack and store the leftovers and do the final cleanup. REMINDER: 10th & 11th Grade Spring Group Service Project is to reset hall 9:00AM Sunday mornings.

Fish Fry Week in Bon Air: Fridays, Feb 28, Mar 6, 13, 20, 27; Apr 3,  

 Thursday morning 8AM-approx.10AM extra help men/women to cut cabbage, prepare noodles for haluski, bake cakes, table set up. 

 Friday morning 8AM-approx.11AM extra help men/women to cut and bread fish; prepare baked fish; finish making haluski, coleslaw, prepare perogies, assemble "take-out bags". 

 Friday afternoon servers needed at 4PM. We also need extra help after the dinner is completed to pack and store the leftovers, wash dishes, and clean off counters/stove/fryers/reset tables etc. 6:30PM.

WE NEED YOU! NEW VOLUNTEERS WELCOME!! If you have never worked the din-ners we would be more than happy for you to join the ranks and share your culinary/serving skills with us.

LENTEN FISH FRY FRIDAYS

The Weekend of the Collec on Today, our parish will take up the 128th annual Na onal Black and Indian Mission Col-lec on. Our support of this col-lec on helps build the Church in African American, Na ve American, and Alaska Na ve communi es from coast to coast. Schools, parish religious educa on programs, and dioc-esan ministries depend on your generosity to help them spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ! You can help meet unmet needs with a generous contribu on today. Thank you for your sup-port.  

FINANCIAL NEWS Fiscal Year July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020

Offertory Totals for the week of Feb. 23, 2020

We begin collecting for the 2021 Catholic Ministries Drive through your weekly offertory on March 1st. You will be receiving Pledge cards from the diocese to finish out the 2020 drive. Please wait for your CMD statement from the parish to filling out your card. Statements will be mailed next week.

Weekly Needs $5,000

2/23/2020 $3,938

(Over/under) $1,062

Weekly Offering $3,597

Misc. Income $186

Votive Candles $45

Building Fund $30

Easter Flowers $30

First Offering $2

Ash Wednesday $48

Total $3,938

TV M $21

A W $48

C R $20

B I $25

In The Community: Perogie orders @ St. Therese’s Church in West End: Call in orders Mondays during Lent between 9AM-11AM at 539-7633. Potato/cheese w/without onion. Pick up on Friday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. $7/doz. (during Lent every week except Holy Week.) Diocese launches new communications tool: Staying connected to the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is now as easy as having your smart phone handy. The diocese is pleased to launch a new communications tool that allows the faithful to sign up for text messages and alerts from the diocese. To register, text daj to 84576. It is the most convenient way to stay in touch with your Catholic faith. Sign up today!

Diocese offers Lenten Video Series: Are you looking to enrich your faith during Lent? The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Office of Com-munications is offering a series of daily video reflections throughout the season. Presenters will offer brief thoughts on topics including prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and the Corporal Works of Mercy. Very Reverend John Byrnes, JCL, JV, Rector of the Basilica of Saint Mi-chael the Archangel and Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, will offer weekly Lenten reflections on Proclaim! TV, which airs every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on WATM ABC 23. Carmelite Community of the Word Lenten Spirituality Program – “No Greater Love” You are invited to the CCW Lenten Spirituality Program to be held Mondays, March 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30 from 10 a.m. to Noon at CCW Incarnation Center. This 5-week series, using DVD presentations by best-selling author Edward Sri, will guide you through the last hours of Jesus’ life. Through readings, DVD presenta-tions, discussions and prayer, come to a deeper understanding of God’s immeasurable and unconditional love. Draw closer to Jesus during the season of Lent. Pre-registration is required by Feb. 24. Cost of pro-gram: $20; Cost of book: $15. Send Registration by mail with payment to CCW Incarnation Center, 394 Bem Road, Gallitzin, PA 16641 or email registration to communityofficeccw@gmail.com regarding credit card payment.

COVER HILL Ladies Auxiliary Subs & Pizza Fundraiser: Subs $6 & Pizza $5. To order call Elsie 535-4963. Pre-Order by: Pick Up By: March 1st by 5PM March 7th at 8:30AM March 29th by 5PM April 4th at 8:30AM April 26th by 5PM May 2nd at 8:30AM May 31st by 5PM June 6th at 8:30AM at Cover Hill Volunteer Fire Co. Benefits the Cover Hill Ladies Aux.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians - Blair County Division will be having their annual Saint Patrick's Dinner Dance on Saturday, March 14th. Congressman Dr. John Joyce, 13th Congressional Dis-trict, will be giving a short talk following the dinner. Social begins at 5:00 pm and dinner 6:00 pm. Tickets $20/adults and $15/students. The event is held in the upstairs ballroom at the Bavarian Hall in Altoona. For tickets, call Timothy Hallinan at 814-944-6143.

COVER HILL SPAGHETTI DINNER March 15th from 11:30-2:30PM at Cover Hill Volunteer Fire Co. Adults $8; Children under 12 $5; Take out available. Benefits the Cover Hill Volunteer Fire Co.

The St. Andrew Church Annual Novena to the Infant of Prague will begin Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 7:00PM and will continue every evening until Monday, March 23, 2020 at 7:00PM. Adoration will be held nightly for 1 hour before the Novena. We will have additional Priests to hear Confessions after Mass every night. All are welcomed!

Families and the Gospel March 1 Matthew 4:1-11 First Sunday of Lent In today’s gospel Jesus cautions it is not enough to provide food for our children; “one does not live on bread alone.” Let Lent 2020 be a time when you are “led by the Spirit” to explore new ways to be a moral guide to your chil-dren.

CMD 2020: $177

ST. GREGORY & BARNABAS LAY MINISTRIES

Ministers are expected to take the responsibility to find a substitute if they cannot fulfill their assignment.

Liturgy Feb 29 / Mar 1 Mar 7/8 Mar 14/15

4:00 PM Lector: D. Stroz

D EM: B P Harteis P Harteis P Harteis Servers:

8:00 AM Lector:

BA EM: B Servers:

11:00AM Lector: S. Rosenbaum JA Kopco

D EM: B M. Krawczyk M Krawczyk

Servers:

SAVE THE DATE! Parish Mission Presents Inspirational Speaker Nina Marie Corona St. Benedict Parish, 2310 Bedford Street, John-stown will be hosting Nina Marie Corona for their Lenten Parish Mis-sion, “Choices: The Hinges of Destiny”. This three night event will be held from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, March 29, 30, and 31, 2020. Each evening will include powerful talks, images, videos, and music for reflection. Practical tools will be offered to help us choose what better leads to a deepening of God’s life in us. Open to all in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, tickets are not required. A love offering will be taken. For more information contact Deacon Michael Russo at 814-288-3036 or by email at michael.russo@atlanticbb.net.

Family Ritual... This Lent, consider some ways that, as a family, you can live out the three Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. With prayer, you could have a daily devotional that you do, or try to go to daily Mass as a family. Make Stations of the Cross a part of your weekly prayer life as a family. If you can’t make it to your local parish, have your family draw and color the different Stations to help understand what they are. In fasting, choose to give something up as a family. Perhaps there will be a food that everyone in the family likes that you can abstain from. Or you could try giv-ing up electronics together, perhaps just on Fridays, or all through the week. For almsgiving, decide on a charity that you will support as a family. Opera-tion Rice Bowl is a great way to do this together as almost everyone in the family can contribute some change to the bowl. Andre McCarville, Director Family Life & Missions Office

Easter Flowers Envelopes: Please return those enve-lopes by April 5th to be included in the memorial listings in the Easter bulletin. Again, we remind you to

“PRINT” legibly so that your memorials may be published.