July 8, 2025

Summer News at Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish!

July 8, 2025

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,

Thank you for your warm welcome, I am truly grateful to be here as your pastor.

In the readings for this coming Sunday, Jesus holds up the Good Samaritan as a model of the kind of love that we are required to have as disciples. As Christians, we should have an even deeper reason for standing up for the needy and oppressed. It is the love of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for every single person. We are all loved by God. There is no human person who is not made in God’s image and likeness.

Therefore, there is no one whom we have a right not to love. There is no one we have a right to overlook. And there is no one we have a right to abandon when they need us. After telling the parable, Jesus asked the lawyer which of these three proved himself a neighbor and the lawyer responded, “The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Fr. Shawn Daly

Pastor

Join Us For The 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 13, 2025

4:00 PM Vigil at St. James

9:00 AM at St. Elizabeth Seton

and livestreamed

11:00 AM at St. James

Other Fun Tidbits

Become a Cross Bearer at Saint Josephine Bakhita

A Cross Bearer's Ministry is to lead the entrance procession with the altar cross, followed by presider, deacon, candle bearers if present. The presider lets all involved know when it is time to line up. The cross bearer would lead the procession out at the end of mass as well. Again, the presider indicates when it is time to move to the front of the altar to process out. Other minor details would be covered in a quick training session. This invitation is for men and women & older boys and girls.

Arriving 15 minutes before mass and having the strength to carry the cross are required. Both campuses need cross bearers. Having more people involved would allow us to have a rotating schedule as well as having substitutes when needed.

Questions and concerns? Interested in signing up? Speak to Father George, Elizabeth Husmer or Joy O'Sullivan.

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

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

Responsorial Psalms at Mass

Question often asked of music directors & cantors: Why are you singing the psalms and verses that are not in the hymnals?

What you need to know about Responsorial Psalms: The Responsorial Psalm which follows the first reading, is intended to be sung by a cantor/choir with the response sung by the congregation at the invitation of the song leader - Call and Response style.

The psalms for each week of the 3-year cycle have been chosen by the Church and reflect the theme of the first reading. The readings cannot be changed, but there is more flexibility with the psalms. Music Directors may choose to use:

chants that appear in hymnals with responses composed and supplied by each hymnal publisher;
composed psalms using other melodies with melodic verses that follow the prescribed texts or are paraphrased;
OR, occasionally, substitute psalms approved by the Church, like psalms 19 and 34. This is usually only done if no suitable music setting can be found.

In all of these cases, the spirit of the given psalms should be followed.

One other factor that can influence the choice of psalm music settings: The nature of the parish, its history and worship style: traditional, contemporary, cultural, etc.

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

Parishioners and friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita have been so blessed to join Fr. George in Evening Prayer on Facebook every evening since the start of the pandemic. With great joy we announce that our practice of praying together virtually each evening will continue under the leadership of Pastoral Council members Steven Hinchey and Bob Murray. Thank you to Steven and Bob for stepping up and continuing this sacred, communal prayer tradition so treasured by our faith community!

Support our ongoing food and cereal collections for our monthly delivery to the Rocky Hill and Amazing Grace food pantries. Non-perishable food items and cereal boxes can be dropped off at either church location: St. James Church: Father Shea Hall, Mon - Fri (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM) or before the masses at 4:00 or 11:00. St. Elizabeth Seton Church: Bins located near the kitchen, Mon - Fri (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM) or before the Sunday mass at 9:00.