Fifth

Sunday
of
Easter

St. Rita of Cascia

A Catholic Faith Community Since 1908

May 3, 2015

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 am - 5 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

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTERMAY 3, 2015

Parish Ministries and Organizations

How to Contact Us
Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V. F.Pastor
626.355.1292 x. 228 revkrek@st-rita.org
Dcn. Manuel & Chela Valencia
deaconmanuelvalencia@gmail.com 355.1292
Dcn. John Hulljohnhull65@gmail.com 355.1292
Weekend Presider:
10 am MassFr. Chris Thiel, OFM Capuchin
Parish Office/Mailing Address
50 East Alegria Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:15 am 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

Pastoral Council
Parish Office: 355.1292

Finance Council Chair

Bill Sullivan: 355.3707

St. Rita SchoolOffice: 626.355.6114

Principal: Joanne Harabedian jharabedian@st-rita.org

Director of Liturgy & Music

Paul Puccinelli: mm@st-rita.org

Liturgy & Worship

Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers: David & Jill Muhs
355.9810 em@st-rita.org
Altar Servers, Youth: Kathy Ganino 626.398.9302
katganino@charter.net
Altar Servers, Adult: Bill Cosso 355.5656
Eucharistic Adoration: Kathy Ganino 626.398.9302
katganino@charter.net
Immaculate Heart of Mary Prayer Group: Susan Day 355-3835
Sacristans: Sat. Vigil: Gary Fidone/Stephen Bollman
Sunday Masses: 7:30-Bill Cosso/David Banis;
10:00-David Muhs/Paula Garavaglia, Terri Eliassen;
12N-Bernie Grace
Weekdays: John Bigley
Porter: (Evening Church Lockup) Sheila Palazzolo
Environment: Denise Villalovos/Gil Lazo gil@st-rita.org 355.1292

Ministries & Organizations

Bereavement Ministry: 355.1292 bereave@st-rita.org
Christian Family: Ana Ptasinski 355.3146
Greeters & Ushers: Erny Henry 626.289.3504 626.327.9480
Mens Club: Dave Loera d.loera@verizon.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

Director of Religious Education

Other Contacts

Cristina Cullen: 355.1292 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; and
Susan Blakeslee:
rcia@st-rita.org

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

Let Saint Rita Be There For You . . .

Communion for Sick and Homebound Parishioners

St. Rita Eucharistic Ministers provide Communion home visits. Contact the Parish Office 355.1292 or Jill Muhs 355.9810 em@st-rita.org

Anointing of the Sick

Please notify us (355.1292) for the Anointing of the Sick, the sacrament intended for the seriously ill or dying and 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.

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 director; refer you
to our Bereavement Ministry and Music Ministry; and offer you helpful guidelines that will aid in the selection of readings for a Mass or
Memorial Service. We know 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.

For Information about the Sacraments

BaptismPlease contact the Parish Office for further information on the Baptism process and requirements.
Reconciliation and First EucharistPreparation 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.

MatrimonyContact the Parish Office upon engagement; at least six months is needed for preparation of this joyous sacrament!
ConfirmationA two-year program for freshman/sophomore age teens. Apply through the Office of Youth Ministry.

SAINT RITA

OF

CASCIA CHURCH

REV. MSGR. RICHARD KREKELBERG

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

I am the Vine. You are the branches.

We accept Jesus as the vine
and we know that we are the
branches. But we pray that
those being baptized, those
entering into Holy
Communion, those marked
with the Holy Spirit in
Confirmation, and those
celebrating graduations will
come to the conviction that it
is so importantso vitalfor
the Church and for the world
that they see and perceive
themselves as branches
stemming from Christ in order
to bear fruit. Indeed, we need
all of them to realize that their
lives will only have meaning if
they respond to Gods voice
and live their lives as
vocationsvocations to
BE CHURCH!
Last Sunday evening, Msgr.
James Loughnane, our
Regional Episcopal Vicar, told
our Confirmation candidates
that they had many saints to
look up to as role models,
especially the saints that they
chose for their Confirmation
patrons. In particular he drew
attention to the to-becanonized Blessed Junipero

Serra and Blessed Archbishop

Oscar Romero. He also held
up Pope Francis himself as a
saint in our times. But then he
told them that there was a
fourth person for them to look
for today and then said that it
was anyone of them! Each of
the saints were branches of the
Jesus, the Vine, and lived his or
her faith with courage in their
own time and as part of their
own generation. Being a saint
is worked out in our daily
livesevery day of our lives.
This year on retreat with our
Confirmandi, I had a particular
feeling that our youth do want
to know what it means to carry
on being the branches.
Thank God they want to know!
We must pray that the Easter
Season and living the risen
life of faith, hope, and love
gives all of us what we need to
support them on their quests
on their journey with Jesus to
the Father. We must also allow
them space enough to grow.
Choosing Jesus 2000+ years
after he walked the Earth,
requires knowing enough and
having enough information to

make the comparison between

what Jesus offers and what the
rest of history and the world
offers us. None of us gets to
escape the apostle Thomas
doubts, but if we are persistent,
surely we will arrive at the
apostle Peters need to testify
that it is only Jesus who offers
the words of eternal life.
While scary for adults (especially
parents) the challenge of
accompanying the young on their
journey should still be a cause for
joy. It should definitely be an
opportunity for deepening our
own faith, of living it by giving
best example, and of honing our
skills in the area of articulating
why we believe what we believe.
At the same time we have good
reason not to get discouraged.
After all, the Father is the
grower! The Holy Trinity has
this whole evangelization thing
worked out.
What is really
required of us is that we provide
fertile ground and then to cultivate
that ground. Jesus, the Vine, is
strong and vigorous in faith, hope,
and loveSO MAY THE
BRANCHES BE!

Msgr. Richard
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www.crs.org

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTERMAY 3, 2015

MASS INTENTIONS
SATURDAY, MAY 2

8:00 AM Lawrence Breslin RIP

5:30 PM Joan Rita French RIP

SUNDAY, MAY 3

7:30 AM For All Parishioners

10:00 AM Jack Heany RIP
12 NOON Esther Sulli RIP

MONDAY, MAY 4

8:00 AM Rev. Frank Russo RIP

TUESDAY, MAY 5

8:00 AM George Turner RIP

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
8:00 AM

Communion Service

8:00 AM

Communion Service

8:00 AM

Ho Kahn RIP

THURSDAY, MAY 7
FRIDAY, M AY 8

SATURDAY, MAY 9

8:00 AM Angelo Tarzia RIP

5:30 PM For All Parishioners

SUNDAY, MAY 10

7:30 AM Mary Irene Newell RIP

10:00 AM For All Mothers
12 NOON Mary Zuckerberg INT

SPECIAL OBSERVANCE

PLEASE PRAY FOR

THOSE WHO REQUEST
OUR PRAYERS
Celia Merritt, Garvin Stanislawski, Gary
Inocente, Ethan Sandoval, Adam Throop,
Janet Watson-Contreras, Barbara Jean
Wood, Arthur Little, Ernest Kopka, Vera
Delgatto, JF Mahoney, Kelly Solomon,
Linda Theriault, Heather Hagan, Mike
Wolf, Jean Wood, Jos Colayco, Mario de
la Torre, Barbara Vanni, Freya Sheasby
Bailey, Anna Schube, Aubrey Randolph,
Joseph Malvin, Randy Graff, Toni
Navarro, Susan Watson, Juanito &
Marilou Pe, Margaret Duran, Guia
Canizales, Anne Frealy, Eva Shammon,
Margie Schubert, Mary Zuckerburg, Emily
Young, JoAnn Douglass, Mary McColl,
Evelyn Tres, Barbara Hester, Gerald
Drean, Charlotte Bollman Fuchs,
Raymond Payne, Peter Delgatto, Jr.,
Montserrat Marti, Jordan Alabart, Susan
Skousen, Brooke Manning, Arthur
Contreras, Jr., Robert Quinonez, Jean
Mansour, Jacob Bigley, Maria Carmen
Marti, Clare Marquardt, Kathleen Ramsey,
Tonyja Blakeslee, Addie Marshall, Jackie
Bagnuolo, Mary Ellen Isoard, Rose Mary
Taquino, Paul Viger, Hal Finney, Eva
Bernejo, Edith Olah, Fred Mycroft, Joseph
Moore.

New at St. Rita

Bereavement Support Group
First MeetingSunday, May 17
4 pm - 5:15 pm
Parish Office Meeting Room*
This 6-week series presents an
opportunity for those who would like a
chance to hear some good thoughts,
share some feelings of loss, and be with
a group of others walking the same
path. The Facilitators will be Deacon
John Hull, our Bereavement Ministry
Leader, and parishioner Kelli Artinian,
a member of the Bereavement Team.
We encourage you to attend and
perhaps find hope and strength as you
continue life without your loved one.
Information:
Deacon John Hull 355-1292
johnhull65@gmail.com
* Subsequent meetings will be in OMalley Hall.

Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center

Presents

Thursday, May 7
The 64th annual National Day of Prayer.
The theme this year is Lord, Hear Our Cry.
More information: nationaldayofprayer.org

TODAYS READINGS
First ReadingBarnabas reported to
the apostles how Saul had seen the Lord
on the way (Acts 9:26-31).
PsalmI will praise you, Lord, in the
assembly of your people (Psalm 22).
Second ReadingThis is Gods
commandment: that we may believe and
love (1 John 3:18-24).
GospelI am the true vine; whoever
remains in me will bear much fruit
(John 15:1-8).

Living with the Wounded

and the Weak
Ailey Gardner-Ybarra
Daughter of Aishling Gardner & Charles Ybarra
Sister of Nina &Gavin
Granddaughter of Luis & Inez Ybarra

Cliff Hancuff
Brother of Mary Bollman
Uncle of Stephen Bollman

Christianity is the
spirit of Jesus Christ
at work in the world.
Anonymous

Tuesday, May 12, 9 am - 4 pm

This day-long retreat is for those who
are living with or caring for someone
who is developmentally disabled,
someone who is elderly or frail, has
dementia or Alzheimers, or any
condition that requires significant
personal care. Dr. Michael Downey will
lead you through this day of
replenishment for your spirit.
$65/person, includes lunch.
Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center
700 N. Sunnyside Ave., Sierra Madre
Register online at materdolorosa.org
or 355-7188

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH

Youth Ministry

St. Rita Guild Meeting

EDGE Middle School Ministry

Monday, May 4, 4-5:15 pm, Gara

This Friday, May 8 at 9am

Parish Office Meeting Room

Next Youth Nite

Wed., May 13, 7-8:30 pm, OMalley

Come join us for our final

preparation meeting for St. Rita
Feast Day! We need your ideas and
Theresa Costanzo ym@st-rita.org your help.

Religious Education
Classes for 1st-5th Graders

Monday, May 4, 4-5:15 pm, Gara

Preschool Sunday School

During the 10 am Mass for children

ages 3-5. Above Gara Hall in the
Pre-K Classroom. No registration is
necessary.
Cristina Cullen dre@st-rita.org

We also need volunteers to help at

St. Rita Feast DayFriday, May
22so please give us a call if you
want to be involved. Most shifts are
two hours long, beginning at 8 am
and continuing until about 7 pm.
Patty Sullivan 355-3707
psullivan514@gmail.com

Mothers Day
Spiritual Bouquet Cards
Now Available in the Vestibule
Use these special cards for
remembering your motheror any
mother. The 10 am Mass on Mothers
Day, May 10, will be celebrated for the
intention of all mothers, living or
deceased.
Keep the Mothers Day card and
envelope to give to your loved one;
fill out the donation envelope and drop
it in the Offertory basket or bring it to
the Parish Office. Please return this
donation envelope ASAP so the names
of those you are remembering can be
placed on the Altar.

Congratulations to the St. Rita School children

who received their First Holy Communion
on Saturday, May 2
Thank you to the parents, teachers, our Religious
Education Team, and our Pastor for helping
the children prepare for this Sacrament.

Young Adult Ministry

Check out the flyer in the Vestibule
about Biceps & Bibles or for more
information
bicepsandbibles.com
info@bicepsandbibles.com
Priya Tharayil trosep84@yahoo.com

Bulletin Submissions
Articles are due by Thursday, 10 days
in advance of publication weekend
desired. Be sure to send pictures (jpeg
format) from your events also! You
may submit your information either to
the Parish Office or send to
bulletin@st-rita.org

Questions? Please contact

Rosemary Hagerott 355-1292 x226

Kaitlyn Andrews
Eric Baham
Madeline Barber
Jordan Boskovich
Matea Cepielik-Weeks
Jacqueline Chavarry
John Crane
Grace Culver
Zachary De Leon
Dorothy Driscoll
Maya Eriksson
Dylan Gallardo
Abigail Gleason
Lauren Kilpatrick
Caroline Krappman
Emily Lavin

Theresa Magkawas
Tristan Morse
James Nolan
Lauren ONeill
Nora OReilly
Lauren Oseguera
Holly Rettig
Joseph Sandoval
Dane Shepard
Jake Smith
Jarett Smith
Luke Smith
Morgan Sullivan
Alexander Wallace
Emily White

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTERMAY 3, 2015

Capital Campaign
Update

This Week at St. Rita

This Sunday, May 3Baptism

In the Church 1:30 pm Deacon Manuel

Thursday, May 7Liturgy of the Hours

Evening Prayer
5 pm Meditation 5:30 Prayers In the Parish Office Oratory
Friday, May 8St. Rita Guild Meeting
See page 5 for information.

Saturday, May 9First Holy Communion

For children attending St. Rita Religious Education.

10 am In the Church

Save the Date

Thank you to all who have contributed, helping to ensure

the future of our parish and our school.
Number of pledges:

196 families

Total Amount pledged or donated:

$2,910,425

Cash received to date:

$1,274,690

Watch next weeks Bulletin for a special thank-you insert

listing the names of all who have donated or pledged to
our Strengthening our Holy Communion, Growing in Faith, Hope
and Love Campaign.
Theres still time to have your name includedsubmit
your pledge to the Parish Office by this Tuesday, May 4th.

Tuesday, May 12Daytime Retreat for Caregivers

At Mater Dolorosa
See page 4 for more information.

Sunday, May 17Grief Support Group

A newly offered 6-week program here at St. Rita.

See page 4 for more information.

Saturday, June 13Summer Luncheon

Sponsored by the St. Rita Senior Ministry and open to all.
Guest Speaker: A representative from the Sierra Madre Police
Department will speak about fraud, scams, safety,
Neighborhood Watch, and more.
Further details in future Bulletins.

Catholic
Community
Saturday, May 9Alumni Dance. For alumni, friends, and families of
Cantwell High School and Sacred Heart of Mary. From 7:30 pm until 12
am. Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High School Cafeteria, 329 N.
Garfield Montebello. 90640.

Information/tickets: 323/887-2066 x515

Weekend of May 15-17Worldwide Marriage Encounter. This
weekend will give you the gardening tools you need to help your
marriage grow and blossom. At the Hilton Garden Inn in Arcadia.

Information: David & Teri Muse 644-1775

Next Sunday is Mothers Daysee page 5 for

information about our Spiritual Bouquet cards
(available in the Vestibule).

June & July Summer CampsFamily Camps & Girls Camp.

Sacred Heart Retreat Camp, Big Bear Lake. Your donations to help send
needy children to camp are also requested.

For information:

909/866-5696 Sacredheartretreatcamp.com

ST. RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH

March and April Maintenance & Repairs Report

March Income
Expenses (utilities, repairs, etc.)
Total carried forward

Number of parishioners donating

Number of parish families
Percentage of families contributing

$ 7,828
$ 7,428
$ 400
160
1282
12%

April Income
Expenses (utilities, repairs, etc.)
Total carried forward

Number of parishioners donating

Number of parish families
Percentage of families contributing

$6,946
$6,785
$ 161
163
1282
12%

March extraordinary expenses included termite inspection/repairs and significant replacement of bulbs and other
electrical items. April extraordinary expenses included repairs/inspection of church air conditioning system as well as

lighting replacements in the parking lot.

To contribute to our Maintenance & Repairs Collection, use the blue envelope in your packetor any envelope
or a checkand just write For Maintenance Only. Or you may pay onlinechoose Maintenance.

All funds stay at St. Rita.

Thank you for your support!