April 14, 2026

Happy Easter! News from Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish

April 14, 2026

Daly Notes

Dear Friends,

In our Gospel, this weekend we’re told of two disciples who were traveling from Jerusalem to a town about seven miles away called Emmaus. The horror and shock of the crucifixion had shattered their hopes and dreams. On their way home, Jesus begins to walk with them, but they don’t recognize Him. The disciples only realized it was Jesus when He broke the bread, which was the Eucharist.

We are a lot like those disciples walking along on the road to Emmaus, concerned over the events in our lives. Can we learn to recognize Jesus in others? That’s the key; that’s what opens our eyes to Jesus’ presence among us. When we encounter people with broken hearts, Jesus is there. When we try to offer comfort to someone, Jesus is there. When we encounter someone who is experiencing loss, pain, and suffering, Jesus is there.

Isn’t that what Jesus was teaching us in the parable of the last judgment? He will ask us if we recognized Him in human brokenness: “When I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” [Matthew 25]

We are all walking our own roads through life. So, the question for us to ask ourselves is simply: Can we, will we, recognize that Jesus is walking with us? Will we recognize Jesus in “the breaking of the bread”?

Yours in the Risen Christ,

Fr. Shawn

*Road to Emmaus by Michael Torevell

The joy of Holy Week lives on! This Easter we had the great joy of welcoming five new members into full communion with the Church through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist. Enjoy our photo gallery and share in the beauty of our Holy Week celebrations! Special thanks to Bill Betterini for capturing all the photos of the Easter Vigil and Tom Dzimian and Lisa Orchen for taking photos on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Browse the Photo Gallery Here

Join Us for The Third Sunday of Easter

April 19, 2026

4:00 PM Vigil Mass at St. James

9:00 AM Mass at St. Elizabeth Seton
and livestreamed

11:30 AM Mass at St. James

Bakhita Bible Camp Registration Form

Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish

Fernand & Yvette Couturier Scholarship Fund

Applications Now Available

Deadline For Complete Applications is May 1, 2026

A scholarship fund has been established at St. Josephine Bakhita Parish in the loving memory of Fernand and Yvette Couturier, the parents of Father George Couturier, the Pastor of our parish from 2016 to 2026.

In 2026 the parish plans to make multiple awards of $2,000 each for graduating high school seniors who have been active members of the parish community and will be continuing their education in the fall of 2026.

There is a fillable PDF application form available to download below.

The deadline for completed applications is May 1, 2026.

Announcements of awards are anticipated prior to June 1, 2026

Questions can be addressed to Deacon Michael at dcn.michael@sjbrh.org.

Download Scholarship Application Here

Saint Josephine Bakhita

Faith Sharing Group

All are welcome to join the Saint Josephine Bakhita Faith Sharing Group. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. We meet in person, at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, from 10:30 AM -12:00. We will be discussing two of the beatitudes. We meet on the third Tuesdays of the month from now to June 17, 2026. We also have a Charismatic Prayer Group that is led by Kristie Bilcharz. This group meets on Zoom on the first Tuesdays of the month.

The Awakening Retreat will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026 from 10:00 AM -5:00 PM at Saint Elizabeth Seton Church. If you have questions about both groups and the Awakening Retreat, please contact Michael Lonergan at 860-638-7080 or Mikelonergan53108@sbcglobal.net. I will forward your information to Kristie regarding the Charismatic Prayer Group.

Awakening Retreat Registration Form

The Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish Picnic Needs You!

We're building our Parish Picnic Planning Committee and looking for a few good people to help make this beloved community tradition a success! We're currently seeking volunteers for three key roles:

Set-Up Coordinator – Help develop the set-up plan and direct volunteers on picnic day.
Children & Family Activities Team Lead – Plan the fun for our youngest parishioners and their families!
Custodial/Janitorial Team Lead – Keep our grounds clean and green on the big day.

Committee members attend monthly meetings beginning in May and play a hands-on role directing volunteers on the day of the picnic — Saturday, September 13, 2026. Interested? Reach out to Danielle Hollister at danie7@cox.net or Jennifer Hussey at thehusseys95@att.net for more details. We'd love to have you on the team!