April 16, 2024

Easter Season Happenings at Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish

April 16, 2024

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,

Happy Easter!! May the blessings of this Holy Season be with one and all!

Just to let you know that Fr. Anthony Federico, Archdiocese Director of Vocations, will be visiting our parish for all the weekend Masses. While I am away visiting family, he will speak on the present campaign for vocations in the Archdiocese of Hartford. I truly believe you will be inspired by his message and energy.

Also, I ask for your prayers for our pilgrims going to Italy under the very capable hands of Deacon Michael and his wife Krystyna. May they have a safe and inspiring journey to not only the beauty of Italy but, also, the awesome religious sites of our Catholic Tradition.

Sometimes our life can seem like a whole truckload of boulders. We break a leg, the IRS calls, our kids get in trouble, the routines of daily life grind us down, and we dream of escaping. But try as we may, we can’t crawl out of our skin. So how do we keep going?

But Jesus offers us an alternative. “I am the Good Shepherd,” he says. “I know each of you by name. I know what your heart really desires, and I am inviting you to walk with me to a new place where you can get it all right. The path is long and winding, but you will never lose your way if you walk with me and remember just one thing: If you want to get a life, you have to give your life away every day—for love.”

Jesus’ way is the only way of living that can ever set us free and give us peace. So don’t walk a path that leads to nowhere. Walk with him and experience the joy of watching your neighbors flourish and thrive precisely because you gave them a part of your life—for no other reason but love. May Jesus, our Good Shepherd, guide you as you strive to grow into his likeness.

Peace,

Father George Couturier

Pastor

Click Here to enjoy a beautiful gallery of pictures from our Easter Celebrations!

Join Us For The Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 21, 2024

4:00 PM Vigil at St. James

9:00 AM at St. Elizabeth Seton

and livestreamed

11:00 AM at St. James

The Good Shepherd by Fr. Emanuel Franco, O.Carm.

Click Here to Register for Bakhita Bible Camp

Adult Faith Formation Opportunities

Introduction to Bible Study

Tuesday Evenings at 7:00 PM

Saint James Parish Center

May 14, 21, 28

June 4, 11, 18, 25

Deacon Michael will be offering an easy and fun 7-week series introducing the Bible. It will build your confidence and knowledge about the Bible…what it is, how to navigate it and how we read and use it as Christians.

No prior knowledge or experience…. no problem…that’s the point!!

The series will be offered starting on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM starting Tuesday May 14, 2024 at the Saint James Parish Center. Session should be about 75 minutes long. It will be possible to join these sessions online as well, via Google Meet. Please indicate interest at registration to help us plan.

Preregistration is required by May 5, 2024 to help with ordering materials. Friends and family are welcome. There is a $10 fee for the text. Low-cost bibles will be available for those who need or wish to purchase one (please indicate interest in purchase at the time of registration).

Learn More Here

Introduction to The Mass

Wednesdays

10:00 AM & 7:00 PM

May 15, 22, 29

June 5, 12, 19

We gather to pray together at Mass each week. Worship of God in the Mass is the most distinctive activity of the Church. It is a thing that we all do together.

Understanding the roots of the Mass in scripture can help us experience this prayer more deeply together.

Starting in May, Deacon Micheal Ward will be offering a 6-part series exploring the Scriptural foundations of the Mass. Exploring these foundations of each part of the Mass will help us to see just how the saving truths of Scripture are made present to us and for us in the liturgy that we share so often.

Please come along as we journey into this encounter with what is so familiar, which we hope to see in a new and deeper way.

The series begins on Wednesday May 15, 2024. Two identical sessions are offered each week at 10:00 AM at Saint James Parish Center and then again at 7:00 PM at St. Elizabeth Seton Church. It will be possible to join the 7:00 PM evening session online as well, via Google Meet (please indicate interest at registration to help us plan).

All are welcome. Familiarity with Scripture is helpful but not necessary. There is a $10 book fee. Registration required by May 5, 2024 to help us plan. Please register as soon as possible by email at saintjmdeacon@gmail.com or by phone leaving a message at 860-563-5151.

Learn More Here

Archbishop's Annual Appeal

The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal changes lives through service. In addition to assisting the underserved of our communities, your gift helps those discerning a vocation to the priesthood. Your gift to the Appeal is an investment in the future of our Church and our faith. Thank you to the parish families who have made a gift or pledge commitment to the 2024 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. If you have not yet had the opportunity, please consider prayerfully supporting the many “Good Works” of the Archdiocese. Please know that every dollar of your gift will have a positive impact in someone’s life. All funds contributed to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal are used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the Appeal literature, which can be found here. No Appeal funds are ever used for legal fees or settlements.

Other Fun Tidbits

Inviting Altar Servers

Girls and Boys who are in, or above, grade 4, and have received their first Eucharist are invited to become an altar server. In addition to children, we invite teens and adults to join our ministry. Those who serve at Mass learn about the liturgy firsthand and assist in the action during the Mass. Being an altar server teaches children from a young age to love, revere and praise God. Please contact Joy at Joy@sjbrh.org for more information or to sign up at either or both campuses.

Bereavement Support Group

A new Bereavement Support Group will begin in April under the leadership of Bill Pilkington. Bill recently retired from Hartford Healthcare where he served in Spiritual and Bereavement Services for over 30 years. The group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at the St. James Rectory.

Contact Fr. George at frgeorge@sjbrh.org to learn more and to sign up to attend.