November 18, 2025

Fall News from Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish!

November 18, 2025

Daly Notes

Dear Friends,

My friends, I can’t believe Thanksgiving is coming! I would like to bring a couple of things to your attention. First, we will host this year’s Rocky Hill Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM at St. Elizabeth Seton Church. Secondly, join us for Mass on Thanksgiving morning at 9:00 AM at Saint James Church. Please note the time change from our ordinary Thursday morning mass time.

Before we start the season of Advent and prepare our hearts to celebrate Christmas, we end the season of Ordinary Time by celebrating Jesus under the title of "King of the Universe."

In the next month, we will frequently hear the phrase, “Jesus is the reason for the season,” that is, that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place. It is important to keep that in mind because our preparations for Christmas often make us forget that. Today, however, we are saying the same thing, but in a bigger way. Jesus Christ is not only the reason for the Christmas season. Jesus is the reason for everything!

As we enter into this final week of our liturgical year, we would do well to walk together as disciples of Christ the King.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Shawn

Join Us Next Weekend For

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

November 22, 2025

4:00 PM Vigil at St. James

November 23, 2025

9:00 AM at St. Elizabeth Seton

and livestreamed

11:00 AM at St. James

Join Us For The Rocky Hill Thanksgiving Service

Tuesday, November 25

7:00 PM at

Saint Elizabeth Seton

Join Us Thanksgiving Day

Thursday, November 27

9:00 AM at Saint James

and livestreamed

Other Fun Tidbits

Thanksgiving Food Baskets &

Grocery Store Gift Certificates

Create a Thanksgiving Food Basket for a household of 4-6 people to donate to Rocky Hill Human Services and deliver to either church the weekend of November 22-23.

Donate gift certificates to local grocery stores to compliment the Food Baskets and enable families to buy turkeys and perishable foods. Bring the gift certificates to mass on November 22-23 or mail them to the Church Office in time for the weekend.

Learn all about where to donate and how to build your basket, Click Here.

URGENT NEED:

Food & Cereal For Our Local Pantries

We continue to seek food and cereal donations for our monthly delivery to the Rocky Hill and Amazing Grace food pantries. In light of the current increased food needs during our government shutdown, please consider additional food/cereal donations as you are able. Items in demand include: Condiments, Progressive and Chunkie Soups, Coffee (non k cups), Cake Mix and Frosting, Brownie mix, Gravy, Broth, Salt and pepper, Rice.

As always, our Rocky Hill food bank and the Amazing Grace food pantry are very appreciative of our generosity. Thank you! Non-perishable food items and cereal boxes can be dropped off at either church location.

Annual Holiday Fair

Bake Sale & Cookie Walk

Donations of baked goods and cookies are needed for our annual Holiday Fair. We have many talented bakers in our parish and each year they donate delicious homemade baked goods for our very popular Holiday Fair Bake Sale & Cookie Walk. We can never have too much! Every last crumb sells! Please sign up to donate one or more items.

Bake for the Bake Sale

Bake for the Cookie Walk

Holiday Fair Volunteers Needed

Planning for our annual Holiday Fair is well underway. We need lots of volunteers to help make it all happen! Click the button below or scan the QR Code to sign up to help! If you prefer to talk to someone about volunteering, call Kathy Alexander at 860-563-5859.

Click Here to Volunteer at the Holiday Fair

Ornaments Needed

We are seeking new or gently used holiday ornaments for the Holiday Fair. Collection Bins will be placed at the entrances of both Churches.

Early Access to Holiday Fair Items Available NOW!

Knit, crochet and Sew Good Works has Holiday Fair items available again this year for early purchase, or to order. Returning items include Irish knit sweaters, table runners, quilts, cobbler aprons and more. (Some items are limited and may not be available by the fair.) Great Gift ideas! For more information or to make an appointment, contact Vivian Orsini at vorsini24@aol.com, or text 860-906-7433 and leave a message.

Hang a Flyer About the Holiday Fair Where You Live, Work or Gather! Download & Print Flyer By Clicking Here.

Saint Josephine Bakhita

Faith Sharing Group

All are welcome to join the Saint Josephine Bakhita Faith Sharing Group. Our next meetings will be Tuesday, November 18, 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.

Our Haitian Promise Update

More than two decades ago our parish community made a commitment to our sisters and brothers in Haiti – the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Working with Out Reach to Haiti, we formed a “twin relationship” and have consistently sent financial support monthly and aided after natural disasters. In safer times, we visited in person to worship and learn from the people of Saintard.

Though Hurricane Melissa did not hit Haiti severely, we received this translated reply when we asked about our Haitian faith family. While we will have a fundraising booth at the Holiday Hair, we wanted share up-to-date news. Below is a portion of the message from Fr Franckel Fenelus, Pastor of Ste Anne Parish in Saintard:

I hope you are well! I thank all for the Parish financial support that helps us every month.

Where we are, we are not bad now, except that there are things that cannot work well.

1) Hurricane Melissa broke our economy because the plantains we plant to sell to buy what we need has a problem. Where we get water was destroyed so we can't irrigate our plantains. If there is no solution before long, we will lose our crops.

2) As for the school, because several students did not have money to come to school we do not have many students. So children haven’t come to school yet, even though we’ve been open since October 1.

But the hardest thing is the we do not have enough to meet teachers demands. They also ask us to pay for their vacation and an increase in their salaries. We understand this, but we don't see how we can increase the school's budget. The solution is if we find people who pay school fees for at least 100 children

3) Because of the way the area itself is full of hunger, full of misery, people think that I have money, that is the cause of my life being at risk. They often become more and more persistent and ask me for money and food. It's mainly the plantains that I used to give them and when I get a little money, that is not easy for me and the people. But they really like me to stay among them.

To learn more about Our Haitian Promise, stop by our booth at the Holiday Fair on November 22, 2025!

Attention Early Shoppers:
The Giving Trees are Coming!

Early shoppers: Here is your reminder that our parish Giving Trees will be returning soon! You may want to take advantage of early holiday sales as we prepare to bless others again this year.

This year, we are bringing joy to so many. Here is a sampling of the organizations and needs:

Residents at Apple Rehab in Rocky Hill: These wonderful men and women have a simple Christmas wish of a new shirt or sweatshirt to help them feel loved and warm this winter. We are collecting Men’s and Women’s Sizes: Medium through 3X.

Solnit Center for Teens in Middletown: would love new colorful socks for women size 9 to 11, men’s socks too, crocs and jibbitz for crocs, stress balls, Lego kits age 12 -18, $10 gift cards Walmart & Dollar Tree.

Friendship Center in New Britain: Families in need asking for PJ’s men, women & children, squishmallows, batman toys, Disney princess, Walmart gift cards.

ImmaCare Homeless Shelter: White socks & $5.00 McDonald’s gift cards.

Retired Missionary Priests & Brothers at Holy Apostle in Cromwell: Gift cards to West Side Market.

New Horizons Family Violence Services & Healthcare for the Homeless Programs: The needs are endless! Women’s PJ’s size M through XXL, winter hats & gloves, children’s hat & glove sets, twin sheet sets, towels, washcloths, laundry detergent, gift cards to CVS & Walmart.

SPECIAL REQUEST: SOCKS, SOCKS & MORE SOCKS. The number one item needed this year is packages of white socks. Maybe find a BOGO deal and pass on the free one!

Your generosity makes a difference! Stay tuned for more details when the Giving Trees go up and thank you for helping us wrap our community in God’s love this Advent and Christmas.

PLEASE RETURN ALL UNWRAPPED GIFTS & GIFT CARDS BY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2025. BOXES WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE ENTRANCES OF BOTH CHURCHES.