June 17, 2025

Summer Happenings at Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish

June 17, 2025

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,

Little kids are not the only ones who get hungry. We are all hungry in so many ways. Ice cream cones and big, rare steaks can fill some of our empty places for quite a while. But our really big hungers are for more than that. Our big hungers are for love that lasts, for friendships that won’t go away, for someone to hold us up when we are down and to hold our hand when we die.

Jesus is the only one who can satisfy those really big hungers. He is our companion, and he gave us his own body and blood to be food for our journey and medicine to heal our hearts.

Will this powerful medicine and holy food that we receive at every Mass actually heal us and make us strong? Or will it just pass through us—like some fast food—and disappear without a trace? It all depends on us.

If Jesus finds an open, trusting heart when he comes to us, he will be able to get inside us and heal the parts of us that are hurt or wounded. He will be able to comfort the parts of us that are sad, disappointed, lonely, or afraid. And he will be able to make us strong and full for life.

When we approach the altar at communion time this weekend, Jesus will come to the door of each of our hearts and ask us to let him in. Will he find us too distracted or too busy? Or will we invite him in and spend some time with him, listen to what he has to tell us and feel his touch which can change everything?

Peace and Blessings!

Fr. George Couturier

On behalf of the Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Staff, thank you to all who have joined in celebrating Fr. George as he prepares to retire at the end of June!

Enjoy a Beautiful Gallery of Celebration Pictures Here

Join Us For The Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ

June 22, 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

Saint Josephine Bakhita Faith Sharing Group

All are welcome to join the Saint Josephine Bakhita Faith Sharing Group. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, June 24, 2025 from 10:00-11:30 AM at St. Elizabeth Seton Church. This group grew out of our parish Awakening retreat in November 2024. At our meetings we start with a presentation of a gift of the Holy Spirit of Fortitude and then we engage in discussion to share how the Holy Spirit is working in our lives. All our welcomed to join. For additional information or to RSVP, please contact Michael Lonergan at 860-638-7080 at Mikelonergan53108@sbcglobal.net.

Leadership Needed for the Holiday Fair

The Holiday Fair Committee is looking for a volunteer or volunteers to manage the administrative tasks for the Holiday Fair Committee. Some responsibilities of the role include scheduling committee meetings, setting the agenda and moderating planning meetings, coordinating with office staff, acting as point of contact for sub-committee leads and Holiday Fair related questions as they arise. If you are interested in this leadership position and helping steer a major annual fundraiser and would like to learn more, please contact Jo-Ellen Vendetti at sjbholidayfair@gmail.com.

Outdoor Places to Pray

at Saint Josephine Bakhita

Now that the warm weather has arrived, consider taking your preferred prayer style to a quiet place on the grounds of either church campus.

Saint James campus offers several outdoor spots: the Labyrinth behind the church/next to the parish center as well as the benches between the two buildings. Other prayerful spots include the statue of Christ behind the center as well as on the tree covered lawns near the church.

At Saint Elizabeth Seton campus, a garden devoted to Mary is a good spot for prayer and lies across from the church with benches (and has a lending library, too!). A sheltered gazebo sits in a shaded spot opposite the rectory. Benches on the church porch during the week offer quiet as well.

Inside or outside of either campus, there are peaceful places to pray. Visit our church properties and spend time with our Lord.

Clothing Collection

Support the Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish Clothing Collection. We accept clothing in clean, good to excellent condition. Place donations in the collection bin in the front foyer of St. James Church (behind the divider). Unfortunately we are no longer able to accept household goods.

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. Please continue to pray for an increase of vocations,

and especially for the two men being ordained to the priesthood. Thank you to the parish families who have made a gift or pledge to the 2025 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. If you have not yet participated, please prayerfully consider a gift today. Be assured 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.