July 29, 2025

Summer News at Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish!

July 29, 2025

Daly Update

I can’t believe it is August. I’m shocked that summer is almost over. Some of us are trying to squeeze in that one last vacation. But for the most part, we’ve started to transition back into the swing of fall. How has this happened? Many of our friends are leaving for college in the next few days. Wasn’t it just yesterday that the kids were getting out of school?

I heard a psychologist say once that time seems to pass more quickly as we get older because we’re experiencing fewer “firsts.” When we are continually experiencing new things, time seems to stand still while we’re living them. After we’ve repeated those events numerous times, they don’t faze us much anymore — and before we know it, months have passed, seasons have changed, and it’s time to start the annual cycle again.

In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus tells the rich man that if he wanted to be perfected, to have it all, he needed to sell all his goods, give the money to the poor, become rich in heaven, and then come follow him. What the young man lacked was that he had too many possessions! When faced with the choice between Jesus and his stuff, the young man chose his stuff and went away sad. He couldn’t free himself from a life that consisted of possessions, a life that while it can bring certain pleasures can never bring true happiness, because as Saint Augustine reminds us: our hearts are restless until they rest in God.

Jesus gets right to the heart of one of the most important questions any human being needs to answer: What I am living for? What am I working for?

We would do well to reflect on these questions this week.

With prayers,

Fr. Shawn

Join Us For The 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 3, 2025

4:00 PM Vigil at St. James

9:00 AM at St. Elizabeth Seton

and livestreamed

11:00 AM at St. James

*** Stay for coffee and conversation after the Sunday morning masses***

Other Fun Tidbits

Seventh Annual Knights of

Columbus Golf Outing

Friday, September 19, 2025

Timberlin Golf Club, Berlin CT

Lunch/Registration at 11:00AM

Scramble Format ~ Shotgun Start at 12:30 PM ~ Buffet Dinner to follow

$150 per golfer includes 18 holes of golf w/cart, lunch and buffet dinner, cash prizes, raffle prizes.

$55 dinner only

For more information, contact Mike DiBattisto (860-713-9070) or Mike Lombardo (860-869-2231).

Learn More Here

Seeking musical, dance, comedic acts for the Second Annual

St. Josephine Bakhita Parish

Variety Show

Friday, October 17, 2025

7:00PM

Parish Center at St. James

For more info or to sign up email: Joy@sjbrh.org or call 860-529-8655 x17.

Participants must sign up by Monday, September 30, 2025.

Pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes & Spain

April 28 - May 8, 2026

Deacon Michael and Krystyna Ward are pleased to announce that they will be leading a pilgrimage to Fatima in Portugal, Lourdes in France and notable sites in Spain along the way from April 28-May 8, 2026.

Arriving in Lisbon from New York and after a brief stop in Lisbon we will be moving on to our first major spiritual pilgrimage site visit at Fatima. From there we will stop in the Spanish cities of Salamanca, Valladolid and Burgos on our way to our second major pilgrimage site at Lourdes in southern France. At Lourdes we will visit the apparition site and related points of interest. Leaving Lourdes we will return to Spain visiting the mountaintop monastery at Montserrat before concluding our pilgrimage in Barcelona, visiting the famous Gaudi-designed Holy Family Church and other points, with some free time for exploring this beautiful city, before heading home!

If you are at all thinking of going, or are just curious, please contact Deacon Michael at saintjmdeacon@gmail.com or call him at 860-836-8218.

Learn More Here

Funeral Liturgy Planning

Funeral liturgy and music planning can be stressful for families who have just lost their loved ones. Consider making these choices yourself well ahead while all is well; choose the readings and music that are meaningful to you.

Once choices are made with music directors Joy O’Sullivan or Elizabeth Husmer, the planning materials are safely saved. You’d also have copies for yourself and whomever you choose to entrust with the information. Contact either Joy@sjbrh.org, 860-529-8655 x17 or Elizabeth@sjbrh.org, 860-529-3222 for information or consultation. Click the button below to look at our on-line resources for funeral planning.

Parish Funeral Planning Resources

Saint Josephine Bakhita

Faith Sharing Group

All are welcome to join the Saint Josephine Bakhita Faith Sharing Group. Our next meetings will be Tuesday, August 19 and Tuesday, September 16, from 10:30-12:00 noon at Saint Elizabeth Seton Church. This group grew out of our parish Awakening retreat in November 2024. At our meetings we start with a presentation of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 and then we engage in discussion regarding how the Holy Spirit is working in our lives. For additional information or to RSVP, please contact Michael Lonergan at 860-638-7080 at Mikelonergan53108@sbcglobal.net.

Seeking Musicians to Join

St. Josephine Bakhita Parish

Dixieland Band

The band is forming to play at the picnic on September 7. Three rehearsals will be scheduled for Wednesdays in August. We especially need low brass, trumpet and drums.

For more info or to sign up email: Joy@sjbrh.org or call 860-529-8655 x17.