The Hillsgrove Catholic

PRAYER

LENTEN MASSES will be offered daily at St. Francis Church at 8am & 12:05pm Monday through Friday and 8am on Saturday.

PRIVATE ADORATION of the Blessed Sacrament is always available at St. Francis Church which is regularly open.

CONFESSIONS are heard daily at St. Francis Church at 7:40am and also on Saturdays at 3:30pm. On Saturday, March 8, from 8am – 2pm confessions will be heard all day at St. Paul Church, Broad S., in Cranston. All welcome!

PENANCE SERVICES are offered at several times during the Lenten season. Consult the calendar on the reverse.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS, LENTEN SERMON & BENEDICTION: The Stations of the Cross, Lenten Sermon, and Benediction at 7pm at church every Friday of Lent. The Lenten Sermon topic this year will be Modern Saints. The Stations of the Cross will also be celebrated on the Fridays that school is in session at 2pm as listed on the calendar on the reverse.

LENTEN WEDNESDAY EVENING ADULT STUDY:

Each Wednesday of Lent parish adults and friends of St. Francis are invited to an hour discussion period on the PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST in the school library at 7pm. Public invited.

PARISH MISSION

St. Francis Parish will offer its annual parish mission to all parishioners and to the public as well beginning Sunday, February 10, at 7pm and continuing through Wednesday, February 13. Franciscan Father Raphael Bonanno will preach the mission offering Mass daily at 12:05pm and leading services each evening at 7pm. Father has served in the Brazilian missions, in Rome, and lately with Franciscan Ministry of the Word, preaching missions and retreat throughout the United States and Canada. Developing the themes of God’s Love, Forgiveness and Healing, the mission will reach out as well to parish homebound, school children and religious education classes. There will be opportunity for confessions and the anointing of the sick. Father Bonanno will preach at all Masses on the weekend of February 9 & 10, offer the daily 12:05pm Mass and then lead the mission services on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7pm.

FASTING

FAST & ABSTINENCE DAYS are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday only.

ABSTINENCE DAYS are all Fridays of Lent.

Fasting means one full meal, two smaller meals and no snacking between meals.

Fasting binds all Catholics from 18 to 59 years of age. Abstinence means no meat at all – no beef, poultry, pork. Abstinence binds all Catholics over 14 years of age.

ALMSGIVING

OPERATION RICE BOWL: As Lent begins we start our participation in Operation Rice Bowl, the Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services. Each day in Lent as you fast or eat fewer desserts (for example), put the monies you save in the bowl for the poor. Please remember to bring in your Rice Bowl contribution on Palm Sunday.

PENNIES FOR PRESCRIPTIONS: please leave your loose change in the container provided at the church door. Over $700 has been collected for this purpose so far.

FOOD FOR THE POOR: canned goods and non-perishable food items are in great demand. Please continue your practice of leaving new, unopened food items in the basket provided in the Church foyer. Later in Lent a special project for the Rhode Island Family Shelter will be announced.

EASTER BASKETS: Traditional grocery baskets in the form of market gift cards for the needy will be provided by St. Francis Church with the cash donations made as you leave church on the Sunday before Palm Sunday (March 15/16). These gift cards benefit persons throughout the year.

EASTER CARDS FOR SHUT-INS. The homebound of the parish truly appreciate the cards and greeting that are sent by their fellow parishioners. Two weeks before Easter the addresses of parish homebound will be inserted in the bulletin as at Christmas. Please extend the parish greetings!

OUR TROOPS: The Parish Council Social Action Committee and the Knights of Columbus request that we remember the work of our troops in the Middle East.

AID FOR AFGHANISTAN SCHOOLS: plastic zip-lock bags (10”x13”) filled with one spiral notebook (8”x10”), one pen, two pencils, small pencil sharpener, eraser, small note pad, to be left in the rear of the church anytime before Easter. Similar unbagged items may be left as well. The parish will forward. Thank you!

AID FOR COMBAT SUPPORT HOSPITAL IN IRAQ: small pillows, small blankets, towels, shower togs, t-shirts, lounge pants, undergarments, DVDs, personal notes of gratitude, to be left in specified box in the rear of church. The Knights will forward to Iraq. Thank you!


6-Feb	Ash Wednesday	Mass at 8am, 12:05pm, 5:15pm; Greenwich Village Mass at 2pm; Bible Study at 7pm
7-Feb	Thursday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; School Science Fair.
8-Feb	Friday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Stations 2pm & 7pm
9-Feb	Saturday	Morning Mass at 8am; Vigil Mass at 4pm; Parish Retreat Master preaches
10-Feb	Sunday	Masses at 8am & 10:30am; Parish Retreat Master preaches
11-Feb	Monday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Opus Dei 1pm; CCD at 7pm at Mission Parish Retreat at 7pm with confessions
12-Feb	Tuesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; CCD Grades 1-5 at 3:30pm Parish Retreat at 7pm with anointing
13-Feb	Wednesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Greenwood Mass at 2:15pm Parish Retreat at 7pm with concluding Mass
14-Feb	Thursday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; School Financial Aid requests must be submitted.
15-Feb	Friday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Professional Day, No School; Stations at 7pm
16-Feb	Saturday	Morning Mass at 8am; Vigil Mass at 4pm
17-Feb	Sunday	Masses at 8am & 10:30am; Rite of Election at 10:30am Mass
18-Feb	Monday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; School Winter Vacation
19-Feb	Tuesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; School Winter Vacation; Council 7pm
20-Feb	Wednesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; School Winter Vacation; Sunny View Mass 2pm; Bible Study 7pm
21-Feb	Thursday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; School Winter Vacation
22-Feb	Friday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; School Winter Vacation; Stations at 7pm Catholic School Boards Inservice Meeting, Metacomet CC 7pm.
23-Feb	Saturday	Morning Mass at 8am; Vigil Mass at 4pm
24-Feb	Sunday	Masses at 8am & 10:30am; 1^st Communion Class attends 10:30am Mass RCIA Retreat 1pm at St. Philip Church, Greenville
25-Feb	Monday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; CCD at 7pm
26-Feb	Tuesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; CCD at 3:30pm; Liturgy 7pm
27-Feb	Wednesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Matt XXV Mass at 1:30pm; MARRIAGE PREP at 7pm
28-Feb	Thursday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm
29-Feb	Friday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Stations at 2pm & 6pm MARRIAGE PREP at 7pm;
1-Mar	First Saturday	First Saturday Devotions; Morning Mass at 8am; Vigil Mass at 4pm; First Confessions at 12noon at church
2-Mar	Laetare Sunday	Masses at 8am & 10:30am; MARRIAGE PREP at 10:30am Mass
3-Mar	Monday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; CCD at 7pm
4-Mar	Tuesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; CCD at 3:30pm; School Board Meeting 7pm
5-Mar	Wednesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Bible Study 7pm
6-Mar	Thursday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm
7-Mar	First Friday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Stations at 2pm & 7pm; Adoration
8-Mar	Saturday	Lenten Masses 8am & 4pm
9-Mar	Sunday	Lenten Masses 8am & 10:30am
10-Mar	Monday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; CCD at 7pm; Professional Day – No school at St. Francis
11-Mar	Tuesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; CCD at 3:30pm; PSA at 6:30pm
12-Mar	Wednesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Bible Study 7pm
13-Mar	Thursday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Catholic Schools Day at the State House
14-Mar	Friday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; Stations at 2pm & 7pm
15-Mar	Saturday	Lenten Masses 8am & 4pm
16-Mar	Palm Sunday	Lenten Masses 8am & 10:30am
17-Mar	Monday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; School & CCD Confessions; CCD at 7pm
18-Mar	Tuesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; School & CCD Confessions; CCD at 3:30pm; Council at 7pm
19-Mar	Wednesday	Lenten Masses 8am & 12:05pm; School & CCD Confessions; Bible Study 7pm
20-Mar	Holy Thursday	School Prayer Service at 2:15pm; Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7pm; Adoration until midnight.
21-Mar	Good Friday	Stations at 12pm & 3pm; Communion Service at 7pm
22-Mar	Holy Saturday	Easter Vigil at 7:30pm
23-Mar	Easter Sunday	Easter Masses 8am & 10:30am