Third Sunday of Lent

A Catholic Faith Community Since 1908

St. Rita of Cascia

March 3, 2013

MASS TIMES
SUNDAYS: Sat. 5:30 pm (Vigil), 7:30 am, 10 am & 12 N WEEKDAYS: Mon., Tues., Fri, and Sat. 8 am (Wed. & Thurs. 8 am Communion Service) HOLY DAYS: (eve of) 5:30 pm; (day of) 8 am & 6:30 pm

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
(Confession) Saturdays 4-5 pm or by appointment DEVOTIONS Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Saturday 7:50 am ADORATION First Friday 8:30 am5 pm, Rectory Oratory

Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V.F.Pastor Deacon Manuel Valencia Deacon John Hull 318 North Baldwin Avenue, Sierra Madre Mailing Address: 50 East Alegria Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 Phone: 626/355-1292 FAX: 626/355-2290 www.st-rita.org

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENTMARCH 3, 2013

Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V. F.Pastor
626.355.1292 x. 228 revkrek@st-rita.org Dcn. Manuel & Chela Valencia deaconmanuelvalencia@gmail.com 626.355.1292 Dcn. John Hulljohnhull65@gmail.com 626.355.1292 Weekend Presiders: 10 am MassFr. Chris Thiel, OFM Capuchin 12 Noon MassRev. Msgr. John Morales Liturgy & Worship
Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers: David & Jill Muhs 355.9810 em@st-rita.org Altar Servers, Youth: Kathy Ganino: 626.398.9302 Altar Servers, Adult: Bill Cosso Eucharistic Adoration: Kathy Ganino: 626.398.9302 Rosary Prayer Group: Susan Day: 355-3835 Sacristans: Sat. Vigil: Gary Fidone/Bill & Patti Huber Sunday Masses: 7:30-Bill Cosso/David Banis; 10:00-David Muhs; 12N-Bernie Grace Weekdays: John Bigley, Margaret Duran Porter: (Evening Church Lockup) Sheila Palazzolo Environment: Barbara LeVeque /Gil Lazo 355.1292

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Parish Ministries and Organizations

How to Contact Us
Parish Office/Mailing Address 50 East Alegria Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am to 6pm; Sat. 9 am to 1 pm. Office Email: ParishAdmin@st-rita.org Director of Administration
Mary Lou Butler: mlbutler@st-rita.org 355.1292

Ministries & Organizations

Bereavement Ministry: Call Parish Office: 355.1292 Christian Family: Sheila Pierce 355.8332 Greeters & Ushers: Erny Henry: 626.289.3504; 626.446.6715 Mens Club: Nick Sotis: 358-2495 nick.sotis@pro-sites.net New Members/Welcome: Contact the Parish Office St. Rita Guild: Patty Sullivan: 355.3707 psullivan514@gmail.com Senior Ministry: Marilyn McKernan, marilyn@st-rita.org Shawl Ministry: Mary Taillac 355.3179 Marilyn Delgatto 355.8717

Pastoral Council Vice Chair

George Landis: 626.792.0445

Finance Council Chair

Bill Sullivan: 355.3707

St. Rita SchoolOffice: 626.355.6114

Principal: Joanne Harabedian jharabedian@st-rita.org

Other Contacts
Archivist: Marilyn McKernan, marilyn@st-rita.org Bulletin Submissions: bulletin@st-rita.org or drop off at Office Public Relations: ParishAdmin@st-rita.org Registration Information: rc@st-rita.org 355.1292 Webmaster: Ralph Seymour: seymour@seymourmedia.com

Director of Liturgy & Music Paul Puccinelli: mm@st-rita.org Director of Religious Education Cristina Cullen: 355.3841 dre@st-rita.org Director of Youth Ministry/Confirmation Theresa Bui Costanzo: 626.590.8828 ym@st-rita.org RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) Team: Deacon Manuel and Chela Valencia; Susan Blakeslee: rcia@st-rita.org

Let Saint Rita Be There For You . . .

Communion for Sick and Homebound Parishioners
St. Rita ministers provide Communion home visits. Contact the Parish Office (355.1292) or Jill Muhs 355.9810 em@st-rita.org.

For Information about the

Sacrament of Baptism
Baptismal Preparation for parents and godparents: 7 8:30 pm the last Monday of the month. Call for Reservations. Baptisms are usually the first Sunday of the month.

Anointing of the Sick

Please notify us (355.1292) as early as possible for the Anointing of the Sick, the sacrament intended for the seriously ill or dying. It is Our Lords special presence and companionship in serious time of need. Anointing may take place in the home, at the hospital or elsewhere and as often as once a month. If someone should die without anointing, remember that the desire to receive is sufficient and the Lord cares!

Sacraments of Reconciliation and first Eucharist

Preparation for children who have attained the age of reason (usually during 2nd grade) is arranged either through the Office of Religious Education or St. Rita Elementary School.

If You Should Experience the Loss of a Loved One

Please call us at 355.1292 If you feel you will be in need, or your loved one has passed, we will assist in making arrangements with your chosen funeral directors; refer you to our liturgy and music directors; and offer you helpful guidelines and a book that will aid in the selection of readings for the Mass or Memorial Service. Areas we can help you with prior to the passing may help in the planning of funeral services. We know that this can be a tough time and we want you to know that your parish is there for you. PLEASE UNDERSTAND we only have one resident priest, sometimes arrangements for another priest may be needed.

Sacrament of Matrimony
Contact the Parish Office upon engagement; at least six months is needed for preparation of this joyous sacrament!

Sacrament of Confirmation

A two-year program for freshman/sophomore age teens. Apply through the Office of Religious Education.

NOTE: Adult applicants for the sacraments should contact the Parish Office.

Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

See adjoining column.

SAINT RITA
REV. MSGR. RICHARD KREKELBERG

OF

CASCIA CHURCH

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PASTORS CORNER
Dear Parishioners,
In todays gospel passage from Luke, Jesus shocks his listeners by telling them that their sins are just as bad as those of a particular group of Galileans punished by Pilate and also eighteen famous citizens of Siloam, whose tremendous suffering Jesus audience judged to be due to their great sins. No, Jesus declares, your sins deserve the same punishment! Is this not another way of Jesus teaching us judge not lest you yourself be judgedcondemn not, lest you be condemned? Certainly it is. (And certainly the air these days is rife with judging and condemning.) And yet we persist. The problem is that we are so conditioned culturally that our judging and condemning does not strike us as sometimes outrageousoutrageous, because we have not even walked a yard, let alone a mile, in the persons shoes who we are judging and condemning. Jesus saw the judgment of the people he was addressing as over the top, and so does he often know our judging and condemning as overly excessive. Coming to a conclusion about anothers state before God often gives us sense of conclusion and security, but it is St. Paul, the super-catechist of the New Testament, that warns us, Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall. At some point, our own judgments need to surrender to God as the only just judge. It is exactly at this point that we are able to move on. As our Lenten retreat continues and Jesus points the way to conversiona tough road indeed at timeswe may be encouraged by Jesus walking with us, his companionship. In Exodus, we heard a most amazing thing: Moses asked for Gods name, and God gave it to him! The best way I can bring home the significance of God revealing Gods self by name, is simply to print two words IDENTITY THEFT. Most sensible people are most careful these days about giving out their personal information, because, in the wrong hands, that information is power. Yet God gives his name, I AM (strange as it may sound), as gift and trust to Moses and the Chosen People. It makes Moses and the Hebrews feel exponentially more personal with and bonded to God. For us however the gift becomes so much more profound as Jesus reveals God to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, because now we may call upon God with praise, thanksgiving, and petition IN JESUS NAME. So this Third Sunday of Lent offer us two significant opportunities: 1) to come to terms that we are not on firm ground in our human and imperfect attempts to judge and condemn and that we are even liberated when we give it to God; and 2) to realize how awesome it is to call upon Godin Jesus nameespecially when it concerns our own conversion! Combined, these two opportunities are a clear and sure path to personal humilitythe place where we stand to receive Gods transforming grace. The Blessed Mother understood this. St. Rita understood this. Can we understand and embrace it! Msgr. Richard

SEDE VACANTE (see page 4 for an accompanying picture)

As of one minute after midnight Thursday February 28th, the first minute of Friday, March 1st, 2013, the Church became Sede Vacantethere is a vacancy in the Holy See, the Chair of Peter is vacated and in expectation of a Successor. Let us PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! First of all, for Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), for his health and for his intentions before Godwhich only God fully knows! Then let us pray for the College of Cardinalsfor their safety in travel and that they will surrender their minds and hearts to the Holy Spirits guidance. We must also pray for The Universal Church, the People of God, that all of ushumble before Godwould be as Mary at the Annunciation praying Fiat Voluntas Tua, May it be done to us according to your Word! When Mary and Joseph were processing what was happening in their lives, there were threats, accusations, and all manner of anxiety and worry all around them and in themuntil they realized that surrender to Gods will was necessary and that in that surrender would be foundFREEDOM! Just to share with you a little, I have found myself of late imagining myself in St. Peters square looking up at the balcony just when the greythen whitesmoke appearsand what I would be praying for and what I would think when that man walks out on the balcony. My prayers are all over the map, but in the end, my prayers may be summed up in one wordRECONCILIATIONfor all in our Church, in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (Church local) and in the Church throughout the world (Church Universal) that needs healing and reconciling to Jesus, The Way, The Truth, and The Life. I remember the last time I saw the elected walk out on the balcony, and I have to confess that I was shocked. I was WAY off. And now as I look back over the past eight years, the operative word is surprise; I would never have guessed what now has actually constituted the pontificate of Benedict XVI. So this time I am much more ready to give it to God and to begin praying immediately for the man who appears on the balcony, that he simply place himself in service to Gods people, so as to reconcile himself and us to Jesus. I pray that he may usher us into Holy Communion with God and with each other, that he may help us all to find ourselves first and foremost having the common denominator of being created in the image and likeness of Godand take it from there! Now, imagine you are there in St. Peters Square on that day, at that moment. Where are YOU in heart and mind and soul? Msgr. Richard

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENTMARCH 3, 2013

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SATURDAY, MARCH 2
8:00 AM 5:30 PM

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

James Hegarty RIP For All Parishioners

7:30 AM Sister Christine of Mary O.C. D. RIP 10:00 AM Most Reverend Joseph Sartoris INT 12 NOON Madeline Moloney RIP

PARISHIONERS WHO REQUEST OUR PRAYERS FOR HEALING AND RETURN TO GOOD HEALTH Rosemary Fryzm, Andy Pulley, Katherine Haderlein, John J. McCoy, Andy Heller, JoAnn E. Douglass, Kathleen Ramsey, Tonyja Blakeslee, Addie Marshall, Joanna Singleton, Jackie Bagnuolo, Mary Ellen Isoard, Tim Stanley, Antoinette Wassef, Theresa Morcos, Aspet Herapetian, Rose Mary Taquino, Selma Tuffs, David Duran, Paul Viger, Julie Meyer, Zdenka Czerny, Cliff Hancuff, Wendy Wolf Fadel, Dorothy Van Gordon, Hal Finney, Christa Owen, Ailey GardnerYbarra, Cathy Hundshamer, Eva Bernejo, Laurie Larkin Masella, Edith Olah, Matteo Begnoche, Lancelot Loera, Fred Mycroft, Clare Marquardt, Brian Eck, Alex Arranaga, Anna Mary Hession, Mildred Vocelka, Joseph Moore, Effie DeGroot, Ned Vento.

MONDAY, MARCH 4
8:00 AM

AND

TUESDAY, MARCH 5
8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM 5:30 PM

Margaret Slaughter RIP

8:00 AM Walter Mathew Brueggen RIP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6 THURSDAY, MARCH 7 FRIDAY, M ARCH 8

Communion Service Communion Service

Spiritual Growth
Tuesday, March 5, RCIA
7:30 pm Parish Office Meeting Room Contact Deacon Manuel for information.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9 SUNDAY, MARCH 10

Tage Anderson RIP Zona Pease RIP The Feeney Family INT

Wednesday, March 6, Evening Prayer

5:30 pm Meditation 6 pm Prayer Rectory Oratory Contact Deacon John for more information.

7:30 AM For All Parishioners 10:00 AM Clarence Wesley Evans RIP 12 NOON Antonio and Brunko Borgudan RIP

Thursday, March 7, Bible Study

7 - 8:30 pm Parish Office Meeting Room

FEAST DAYS
Monday, March 4St. Casimir Thursday, March 7Ss. Perpetua and Felicity Friday, March 8St. John of God Saturday, March 9St. Frances of Rome

Sede Vacante
Chair of St. Peter behind the Main Altar in the Basilica of St. Peter Rome, Italy

TODAYS READINGS
First ReadingI have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have come to rescue them (Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15) PsalmThe Lord is kind and merciful
(Psalm 103).

Second ReadingThose who think they are standing secure should take care not to fall
(1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12).

GospelI shall cultivate the ground around the fig tree and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future (Luke 13:1-9).

(See page 3, Pastors Corner, for text)

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH

St. Rita School
Edge Monday, March 4, 4 pm, OMalley Youth NiteWednesday, March 13, 7 pm, Gara Youth MassSaturday, March 16, 5:30 pm Year 2 ConfirmationSaturday, March 16, OMalley Parents Meeting at 4 pm followed by class meeting at 4:30. For information on any of the above Theresa Costanza ym@st-rita.org 590-8828

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Mark your calendar Fri., March 8Hooping It Up! St. Rita students will be shooting hoops to raise money to install an electronic security system on both campuses. Do you know a St. Rita Student? Would you like to sponsor them (or call the school and well give you a students name) for 25 cents/more per shot.? Every hoop made earns your pledged amount! Thanks for your support! Sat., March 16Father/Daughter Dance, 7-9:30 pm in OMalley Hall. Join in the fun! $35/family includes dancing, entertainment, specialty drinks, appetizers, photo souvenirs, raffle and more! Sat., April 13Wine Fest, 7-9:30 pm at La Salle. Watch for details. St. Rita School Office 355-6114

St. Rita Mens Retreat

Weekend of March 22-24

Dont wait to sign upwere filling up and there are only a limited number of rooms still available. For more information, please call: Bill Cosso 355-5656 Dave Muhs 355-9810 Rich McCoppin 355-2871 Gary Miller 355-6440 Duncan MacGillivray 355-0762 Pat Wickhem 416-8824 Rudy Van Cleef 355-8169

Senior Ministry at CLIMB

Our Valentines Day ice cream social at CLIMB (Center for Living Independently for the Multi-handicapped Blind), was a success! We served chocolate or vanilla ice creamregular, sugar-free, or lactose-freein cones or bowls. We also offered a variety of cookies and candies, and left popsicles in the freezer for a future treat. Our St. Rita School kindergarten & first graders made touchy-feely valentines for us to give to the residents. Thank you to the parishioners who responded to our request in the Bulletin to participate in this event Carol Alcorn, Diana Anderson, Kathy Ganino, Rosemary Hagerott, Mary Lou Kopka, Barbara LeVeque, Sheila Pierce, Shirley Schirmer, Genevieve Stubbs & Mary Taillac. We were thanked repeatedly and asked to please come back again! Marilyn McKernan

St. Rita Mens Club Invites You to Our World Famous Spaghetti Dinner
Celebrating St. Patrick and St. Joseph!
Please join us on Sunday, March 10th from 4:30 -7:30 pm for a fantastic spaghetti dinner. Tickets are $10/adults and $5/kids. Children under 5 are free! Entertainment will be provided by The Irish Dancers, and therell be a no-host bar. Best of allbuild your own dessert at our Ice Cream Sundae Bar for an additional $5 per person.

To purchase tickets:
Alan Leahy 355-9783 Nick Sotis 358-2495

Stations of the Cross & Soup Kitchen Friday, March 8

Stations of the Cross are held in the Church at 6 pm. The Soup Kitchen follows (@6:45 pm) in Gara Hall. Share a simple meal and enjoy the fellowship. This Fridays meal will be hosted and prepared by the St. Rita Guild. A guest speaker or video presentation on a Lenten theme will be at @7:15 pm. All donations for the simple meal served are given to feed the hungry and to help the poor.

Deadline for Bulletin articles is Thursday, 10 days before desired publication date. bulletin@st-rita.org or bring to the Parish Office.

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENTMARCH 3, 2013

Meetings, Ministry & Special Events

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This Week at St. Rita

St. Vincent De Paul

Art and Environment Workshop and Planning Session

If you have artistic abilities or if you are willing to be a much needed helping hand in decorating our Church, join us next Saturday, March 9th from 10amNoon in the Parish Office Meeting Room. The session will include some basic information about principles and guidelines in decorating the church for various seasons and feast days, and some specific planning for Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter season. Everyone is welcome! Mary Lou Butler

This Sunday, March 3Bundle Sunday

Lower Church Parking Lot 8 am-1:30 pm

This Sunday, March 3Catholicism

4 pm OMalley Hall Light refreshments served

Friday, March 8Stations of the Cross & Lenten Soup Kitchen

See page 5 for information.

Friday, March 8Hoop it Up! See page 5 (St. Rita School News) for information. Saturday, March 9Art & Environment Meeting See information at top of next column. Saturday, March 9St. Rita Girl Scouts Sabbath Mass
5:30 pm

Did you receive a recent email from Father Richard/St. Rita Parish? If you did, its because we have your current email on file. If you did not receive an email and you would like to be included on future distributions please note, these will be sent sparingly and only for matters of pressing importance send an email to rc@st-rita.org and well add you to our list. Note: only 1 email per family can be utilized.

Opportunities for Spiritual Growth

(See page 4 for times/locations.) Tuesday, March 5, RCIA Class Wednesday, March 6, Evening Prayer Thursday, March 7, Bible Study

Catholic Community & Local Events

Hayden 5K Run, Walk and RollSaturday, March 9, begins at 9 am. The nonprofit Hayden Child Care Center of Santa Teresita presents this event. Family festival from 8am - 1:30 pm, featuring games, food, and entertainment. Registration fee for the 5K is $35 for adults. For more cost information, times, and general information: 626/359-9592 hayden5K.com 3rd Annual Teen Career FairSaturday, March 16 from 1:30-4pm. Motivational speakers; meet and obtain free advice from professionals of a variety of career fields; meet new friends and enjoy live music. Learn how to prepare a resume, interview and more! Admission is free! Madonna Hall, Santa Teresita, 819 Buena Vista, Duarte 91010. RSVP: 626/408-7826 outreach@santa-teresita.org Bereavement Support GroupBegins Wed., April 10, 7 pm. Meets for an additional five evenings April 24, May 1-22. Facilitated by Gloria Leff, LMFT. St. Bede the Venerable Church, 215 Foothill Blvd., LaCaada 91011. Registration/information: 818/679-1841 or 949-4300.

Save the Date

Sunday, March 10Daylight Savings Time
Set your clocks forward one hour! See page 5 for information.

Sunday, March 10Annual Spaghetti Dinner Weekend of March 22-24Mens Retreat

See page 5 for information.

Sunday, March 24Journey to the Cross

Scripture, readings and choral presentation. 6:30 pm In the Church 7 pm Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral

Monday, March 25Chrism Mass

Tuesday, March 26Lenten Reconciliation Service

At St. Rita with Assumption of the BVM parish 7 pm

ST. RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH

Special CollectionsMarch
Sunday, March 10St. Rita Maintenance & Repairs. This monthly collection is for the ongoing maintenance of our parish facilities. All funds stay at St. Rita. If you dont have the special blue envelope, use any envelope or simply write on your checkfor Repairs Only. Sunday, March 10The Catholic Relief Services/ Church in Latin America. This annual collection is used to help in the evangelization of our southern hemisphere neighbors. Holy Thursday, March 28All donations received at this Mass will be used to fund our St. Rita outreach to the poor and hungry. Good Friday, March 29Holy Land Collection. The universal Church participates in this yearly collection for the upkeep of the holy places in the Holy Land. OngoingTogether in Mission. We urge you to make a Lenten sacrifice by donating to this Archdiocesan Appeal. All funds go to struggling parishes and schools to enable them to remain in their neighborhoods. Thank you for your generosity and stewardship

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2012 Tax Donation Acknowledgments

If you are a registered parishioner you may request a letter to acknowledge your total 2012 donations to St. Rita for tax purposes. PLEASE NOTE: Registered parishioners are those who have filled out a Registration Form and have been assigned an ID/envelope number. You may request a letter by sending your full name, address, and parish ID/envelope number (if known) to rc@st-rita.org

or fill out the form below and drop it in the Sunday Offering
or mail to the Parish Office, Attn: RC. NO requests will be taken over the telephone.

Request for 2012 Donations for Tax Purposes Envelope ID# Full Name Address