A Word from Father John
"This joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase. I must decrease."
Today the Church celebrates the Nativity of John the Baptist. Saint John teaches us an important lesson about joy. True joy does not simply come from a life of comfort or material gain. In fact, we can attain immense joy by decreasing, thus allowing the love of Christ to increase in our hearts.
In what ways might we be called to decrease so that our joy will be made complete?
Fr. John Stokely
Parishioners Active in the Armed Services
Parishioners and the family members of parishioners who are currently serving in the Armed Forces will be acknowledged in a Book of Prayer at the 9:00 AM Mass on Independence Day, Wednesday, July 4. Forms are available in the narthex to list the names of loved ones who are serving in the military. Please return the form to the ministry center by this Monday, June 25, to have your loved ones included in the roll call at the Mass.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW)
From now through Sunday, August 27, CLOW will be conducted for both age groups (pre-K & K and grades 1-4) during the 9:30 AM Mass only (not at the 11:30 AM Mass). Thanks to all who offer their stewardship service to CLOW throughout the year!
To learn more and/or to volunteer as an adult leader or teen aide, contact CLOW coordinator, Andrea Bell (
Stewardship Call for Liturgical Ministers
Don't just GO to church, BE the Church! We need liturgical ministers in all areas: Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Readers of the Word, Liturgical Greeters, Ushers, Hospitality Ministers, Sacristans, Singers and Musicians, Sound Techs and Liturgical Decorators! For more information contact Gen Miceli (610-646-6550 or
RCIA News
RCIA Inquiry: "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you." – St. Augustine. All restless hearts are welcome to the RCIA Inquiry meetings. Contact Beth Riordan (
Mass Intentions for the Week
June 23-24: Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Saturday, 5:30 PM- Patricia Ostrowski
Sunday, 8:00 AM- Nicholas Sciallo
Sunday, 9:30 AM- People of Saint Elizabeth
Sunday, 11:30 AM- Paul W. Stokely (4th Ann)
Monday, 7:30 AM- Peter Ippolito
Tuesday, 7:30 AM- Helen Carey
Wednesday, 7:30 AM- Helen O’Driscoll
Thursday, 7:30 AM- Anthony Spino (25th Ann) & Daniel Keating, Jr.
Friday, 7:30 AM- Edward Wise
Saturday, 8:30 AM- Mary Ellen Harkins
June 30-July 1: 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday, 5:30 PM- Eugene Planchak Sunday, 8:00 AM- Adelynn Mc Allister Sunday, 9:30 AM- Michael Ardoline, Jr.
Sunday, 11:30 AM- People of Saint Elizabeth
Readings: Wisdom 1/13-15; 2/23-24; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8/7, 9, 13-15; Mark 5/21-43.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: Please note that between now and August 27, Exposition will close at 4:30 PM on Monday afternoons. There is no Exposition on Labor Day, September 3.
Prayer Corner
Please pray for all those who are ill, including Lauren Arnold; Theresa Ayo; Lawrence Brescia; Katharine Buzin; Carl Conway; Edward Czarnecki; Chiara Scotto DiMarco; Josephine Fletcher; Maureen Bole Gibbons; Beverly Gregor; Christine Harding; Joseph Miceli; Susan Morgan; Andrew Mulherin; Rosemary Reitz; Harry Rohlfs; Pietro Sano and Sarah Wisely.
We also remember those who have died, especially William J. Amarant, Sr., father of William Amarante and all those who have given their lives in service to our country. May all are departed loved ones rest in peace!
Baptism News
The next session of Pre-Jordan I: Your Baby’s Baptism will be held on Saturday, July 14, and the next session of Pre-Jordan II: A Call to Christian Parenting will be held on Saturday, August 11. Both programs begin at 10:30 AM. To register for a Pre-Jordan Program and/or to arrange for a baptism, call 610-321-1200.
Parish School News
Peacemakers: Congratulations to the students who earned the Peacemaker award for exhibiting the virtue of Mercy, awarded at the Closing Mass on Friday, June 15. May we all learn from their good example! Have a great summer!
2018-2019 School Year: Have you been considering enrolling your child in our parish school? The application period for next year remains open for all grade levels. For more info and application materials, contact Liz Oulton (
Elementary Faith Formation
EFF Staff: We love and thank our EFF volunteers for making the year so amazing! We are now building our 2018-19 team and welcome all gifts and interests for a variety of positions. No experience needed - training is provided. Contact Beth Riordan or Anne Polese at the EFF office (610-646-6545).
Registration for 2018-2019: Registration for next year is now open, with a new online option! Go online to stelizabethparish.org or call 610-646-6545.
Pre-Cana Program
Are you planning a wedding? Saint Elizabeth will be offering a marriage preparation program, Pre-Cana, on September 21-22. If you are engaged and looking for a program to attend, go to the parish website (www. stelizabethparish.org) for information.
The program will take place on Friday night, 7:00-8:30 PM, and all day on Saturday, beginning with Mass in the church at 8:30 AM and concluding at 4:00 PM.
You can register by going to the parish website: click on Parish..sacraments..marriage..Pre-Cana program registration. If you would like to become part of the Pre-Cana team or if you have questions, contact Gen Miceli in the parish services office (610-646-6550).
Pastoral Outreach Events
Here are several opportunities to help those who are in need this summer. Please take a moment to consider these stewardship opportunities to "share our time, talent and treasure in service to the needs of others."
Casseroles for St. John's Hospice: The next collection weekends are July 7-8 and August 11-12. We also need people to help collect the casseroles on these weekends. For details, please contact Angie Fiore (
VBVM Food Collection: We will be collecting food to re-stock the pantry at Visitation BVM on the weekend of July 14-15. Manna bags will be available on the weekend of July 7-8, to be returned on July 14-15.
Collection of School Supplies: On the weekend of August 11-12, we will hold a back-to-school collection for supplies for local children. If you are away on vacation, you can drop your donation at the parish office between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM any day the week before the collection. To help with collections before Mass, contact Julie and Will Christman (
Transportation Committee: This team drives people to Mass on Sundays and occasionally to medical appointments during the week. If you are going to Mass and have room in your car, please consider picking up someone who otherwise would not be able to make it to church. Contact Gerry Caggiano (
Joseph’s People
If you are unemployed, underemployed or in transition, you are welcome to attend Joseph's People. For the summer months, Joseph's People will meet on the third Monday evening of the month at 7:00 PM in St. Luke.
All are welcome. The next meeting will be on Monday, July 16. For more information contact Dan Winand (
Bereavement Ministry Team
Each of us has been touched by grief in some way in our lifetime. The parish Bereavement Ministry Team exists to help those who have lost a loved one during their most difficult times. There are many ways that you can be of service to our parish by being involved in the team. We are looking for compassionate people to join this ministry to help us meet the needs of our parishioners by making a visit to plan the funeral Mass, serving or greeting at the funeral, or other behind the scenes jobs. Please consider joining us - training is provided! For more information contact Gen Miceli (
Youth Ministry News
For information about youth ministry at Saint Elizabeth, go to the home page of the parish website (www. stelizabethparish.org) or contact Ryan Schwalm (
High School Youth Group: meets weekly on Tuesday nights, 7:00-8:30 PM in the CLC.
Are you a web master? St. Elizabeth HSYG and MSYG are seeking help to create a vibrant website for youth ministry. Your talent will help to spread the word about all the amazing opportunities for youth to participate in their faith, the parish family and the wider community.
SEAM
CYO Track: Congratulations to the boys and girls teams for winning 1st place in the Regional Championships at Bishop Shanahan HS on May 5!
At the Area Championships at Plymouth Whitemarsh HS on May 20, the boys won 2nd place and the girls won 3rd place. And at the Archdiocesan Championship Meet for 110 teams at Franklin Field on June 2, the boys won 3rd place and the girls won 8th place! Kudos to both teams and all their coaches. Happy summer!
CYO Soccer: Attention grades 5 to 8 soccer players! Registration is now open for CYO girls and boys soccer. Go to seamcyo.com to join the team and represent your parish! For more information, visit seamcyo.com or email
Girls Fall CYO Volleyball: Registration is open now through August 10! Girls in grades 4-7 can now register online by going to the parish website and follow the "link" to Saint Elizabeth Athletic Ministry. Practices start before school starts, so register now. Coaches and parents needed! To volunteer, contact Craig Bauhaus (
Financial Corner
Thank you for your consistent financial support of our parish community throughout the year.
Regular Collection for June 9-10, 2018
Weekend Contributions: $19,274.45
[Amount of Loose Cash: $1,020.95]
Midweek & Auto-Giving: $19,294.50
Total Regular Collection: $38,568.95
Number of adult envelope contributions: 655
Thank you for your support of the annual Peter's Pence Collection to support the charitable works of the Holy Father around the world. Additional contributions may be dropped into the regular collection basket next weekend or sent directly to the parish ministry center.
We encourage parishioners who are out of town on vacation weekends to continue their financial support of Saint Elizabeth during the summer months. Why not consider Auto-Giving all year long?
Note for Parents of School-Age Children
At the end of June, our Parish Data System computer program automatically promotes school children to the next grade. If your child/children have just graduated from elementary school, middle school, high school, if they will be attending a different school in September or if they will be repeating the same grade for another year, please contact the parish ministry center (610-321- 1200), so that we can keep accurate records on their progress. In addition, please let us know if you have young adult children who are now living on their own outside the parish. Thanks for your cooperation.