Shrine Church of St. Bernadette

Upcoming Events
·         There will be a special mass of remembrance during the Easter season to remember our living and deceased relatives and friends. Included in the monthly envelope packets and in the back of the church are the offering envelopes.  The schedule of masses is as follows:  March 24^th – March 29^th: 9:00AM.
·        Mass in Honor of St. Bernadette, Wednesday, April 16^th at 7:30 PM.  More information to follow.
·        If you have received the appeal letter in the mail, please return it to the Diocese, making sure that you list St. Bernadette as the parish.  If you will be making a pledge, please do so as soon as possible since the appeal not only helps the Bishop, but also helps our parish.  Please be as generous as your means will allow.

• CONGRATULATIONS FATHER JOHN  for celebrating his 25^th ANNIVERSARY OF ORDINATION on Thursday, March 20^th.  Since it was Holy Thursday, we will have a parish celebration on the Sunday after Easter, March 30^th, at the 12:30PM Mass.  A reception with refreshments will follow.  All are welcome!
• Special Novenas
  We will be reciting the Novena Prayers to our Lady of Lourdes and to St. Bernadette after every Sunday and weekday mass, until the end of the Anniversary of Our Lady’s Apparitions to St. Bernadette at Lourdes, which is December 8th, The Feast of the Immaculate Conception. You will find the prayers in the pew holders in front of you. Please return them to the proper place for all to use.
• Celebration of Christian Renewal
  An extraordinary event comes to Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights.  Find hope in the human experience.  Friday, April 25^th at 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM; Saturday, April 26^th 1 PM – 4:30 PM. More information to follow.
• Divine Mercy Sunday:  The first Sunday after Easter (March 30, 2008) is the FEAST OF DIVINE MERCY.  A booklet explaining the devotion and the novena can be obtained at the Rectory for a donation of $3.00.
• Easter Duty
  After they have been initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, all the faithful are bound by the obligation of receiving Holy Communion at least once a year. This precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season, unless for a good reason it is fulfilled at another time during the year. By special indult, in the United States, the time period for fulfilling this precept has been extended to include the period between the First Sunday of Lent (February 10, 2008) to Trinity Sunday (May 18, 2008).

Parish Meetings & Committee News

• Altar Rosary Society
  Will be sponsoring the Annual Communion Brunch following the 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday April 13, 2008.  Please see the flyers in the back of Church for more information.
• Holy Name Society
  The meetings are set on the Monday after the second Sunday of the month.
• Evangelization Committee
  The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 7:30 PM in the lower rectory.  The St. Bernadette Evangelization Committee invites you to join them for their weekly prayer group on every Monday night at 7:00 PM in the Rectory. The lectionary readings will be studied and reflected upon. Everyone is welcome!
• Outreach Committee More to follow
• Worship Committee
  The meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 7:00PM in the rectory.  Please see our bulletin located in the vestibule of the Church.

Cluster News

• Diocesan Alcohol and Substance Abuse Assistance Program
  The Diocese of Brooklyn has created a program to provide confidential ongoing assistance to parish and community families who suffer from the effects of alcohol and substance abuse. The program provides counseling, support, treatment and care to those seeking assistance. To connect to a network of services that will help you and your family in addressing this concern, please make a confidential call to the Diocesan Alcohol and Substance Abuse Assistance Program Hotline: 1-800-659-1603. Any one with depression can also call the hotline. For general information, please visit Catholic Charities’ website: www.ccbq.org.
• Help the Needy Program
  Knights of Columbus John Hughes Council has created the Help the Needy Program in order to collect food clothing and toys to help the less fortunate. Items must be in good condition. Items can be brought to the council between the hours of 10am to 4:30pm and 7:30pm to 10pm, seven days a week. For more information, call John Adesso at (718) 614-2689 or Frank Marzigilano at (718) 533-0491    
• Italian Board of Guardians
  Located at 7808 18 Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11214 offers Home Companion Services, Counseling Services, Psychological Evaluations and Tutoring Services. Please call 718.232.4242 for more information.   
• Information for Divorced and Separated Catholics
  St. Anslem R.C. Church, 356-82nd Street (Fourth Avenue), Brooklyn, NY 11209, on April 7th, at 7:30pm. Speaker: Father Joseph Grimaldi, Pastor, St. Mark’s Church, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY/Associate Judge of the Diocesan Tribunal.   
• Make your Voices Heard
  The New York State Catholic Bishops have formed a statewide Catholic Advocacy Network of concerned Catholics who want to put their faith into action. Together, we can speak out in support of the poor and vulnerable, the sick and elderly, the unborn, children and families. Our parish encourages you to join this network. There is no cost. The easiest way to join is to go to www.nyscatholic.org to sign up. Or you can send your name, address, phone number and e-mail address to Catholic Advocacy Network, New York State Catholic Conference,  465 State Street, Albany, NY 12203-1004.  Be sure to mention you are a member of St. Bernadette parish in the Diocese of Brooklyn. For more information, see the flyers in the back of the church.  
• Xaverian High School Parent Circle Card Party
  Friday, April 11^th, 2008,  7100 Shore Road, Brooklyn, NY from 7 PM to 11 PM.  The $50 admission includes light refreshments and a value pack of raffle tickets worth $65.  Call 718 – 836- 7100  extension 184 for more information.
• Computer for Adult Beginners
  6 classes, starting on March 31, 2008, from 5 to 7PM.  Tuition is $100.  Registration will take place at the Regina Center, 1258 65^th Street, Brooklyn, NY on a first come basis.  Call the Catholic Migration Office, 718- 236-3000 or email languages4u@cmodob.org.
• Information for Divorced and Separated Catholics: St. Anselm R.C> Church, Melitia Hall,
  
  356 – 82^nd Street, Brooklym, NY, on April 7^th, 2008 at 7:30PM.  Speaker:  Father Joseph R. Grimaldi, Pastor of St. Mark’s Church Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY  and Associate Judge of the Diocesan Tribunal.
  

• Our Lady of Angels –7320 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY is sponsoring a Sunday Afternoon Film Series, April 13^th through April 27^th, at 1:30PM in the auditorium.  April 13^th; The Keys of the Kingdom: April 20^th The Mission: April 27^th; Therese.  Commentary and discussions led by Father James Devlin will follow each film.  Free admission refreshments and parking.  5:00PM Mass in the Church available afterwards.  Please enter through the Memorial Courtyard behind the rectory on 74^th Street.  All are welcome…bring a friend. Please contact Catherine Prisco at 718-492-6138 for more information.

Fund Raisers   

• Memorial Funds
  Remember to support St. Bernadette memorial funds next time you need to memorialize a relative or friend. Arrangements can be made through the Rectory to memorialize with bread, wine, altar flowers, altar candle or sanctuary lamp for one week.
• Prayer Cards
  Available now in the Rectory Office is an assortment of prayer cards for different saints and various special donations. The selection of prayer cards will change depending on the Liturgical season and upcoming feast days. There is a small donation of 25 cents for each card.  
• St. Bernadette Wall of Remembrance
  You can remember your beloved departed with a small cross. The donation for the first year is $200.00 and each additional year is $100.00 The crosses are made from imported wood from Belgium, with the name engraved on a metal plate. There are three ways that the engraving can be made on these plates - “John Doe”, “Mrs & Mrs. John Doe” or “The Doe Family”. Included in this donation will be remembrance each month at the Purgatorial Mass and a special remembrance on All Souls Day. If someone wishes not to re-enroll, we will give them the cross as a keepsake. The cross is placed on the wall with a temporary label, and when the metal plate is engraved, it will be put on the cross. Arrangements can be made through the Rectory Office Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. 
• Box Tops Education
  In the vestibule of the church, there is a large box where Box Tops can be dropped off. Find and clip 10¢ Box Tops coupon on hundreds of General Mills, Ziploc and Kleenex products to help St. Bernadette School can earn up to $60,000.00 per year. 
• 2008 Annual Catholic Appeal
  If you have received the Appeal letter in the mail, please return it to the Diocese, making sure that you list St. Bernadette as the parish. If you will be making a pledge, please do so as soon as possible since the Appeal not only helps the Bishop, it also help our Parish.  Please be as generous as your means will allow.