Weekend of August 12-13,2023

Dear Friends,

This has certainly not been our summer for air-conditioning! No sooner do we get the air-conditioner in Saint Timothy’s church repaired, and the air-conditioner at Saint Bartholomew’s stops working. It seems that the solution to these problems is never easy or simple. The technicians discovered that, on both sides of Saint Bartholomew’s Church, squirrels had eaten through the wiring through which the freon (which, of course makes the air cold) travels. The technicians are in the process of replacing the wiring and everything else that goes with it. The cost of this will be in the ballpark of $14,000. That, of course, is a lot of money for us, but we need to get the system repaired so that not only the air-conditioning system works but also so that the heating system works (it’s all the same unit).

In light of this unexpected but necessary capital expense, I would ask you, especially the Saint Bartholomew parishioners, to try to add more to your regular Sunday donation, if that is at all possible. Please know that your sacrifices are much appreciated by me, and very necessary for the comfort of our parishioners and for the upkeep of our beautiful church.

This coming Tuesday, August 15, is the great summer feast of Our Lady, the Solemnity of the Assumption. Our Mass schedule for this feast day is as follows: 6:30 and 8:30 A.M., 10:00 A.M. at Saint Bartholomew’s, 12:05 Noon, and 7:00 P.M.

Next Saturday evening, August 19, the 4:00 Mass at Saint Bartholomew’s will be a Solemn Mass to celebrate Saint Bartholomew’s Feast (which is actually the following Thursday, August 24). After Mass we will be having a parish picnic, complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, soft drinks, and other treats. Everyone is cordially invited and encouraged to join us as we celebrate our holy patron, who is included among the band of twelve who were the closest friends of Jesus.

In light of the fact that school will be beginning in just a few weeks, I take this opportunity to once again remind you of our wonderful Blessed Trinity School. We have a fine school, with a very healthy enrollment, and an excellent faculty who are very committed to the mission of the Church. Our school is second-to-none in every way, including a challenging academic program designed to meet the needs of all our students, and an array of co-curricular and extra-curricular clubs and activities. We are very blessed, and have much for which to thank God!

Many of our classes are full for the upcoming school year, but we do have some openings in a few grades. If you have a child, or know of a child, who would benefit from a superior Catholic education, please call our school office (215-338-9797) to speak with our Principal, Mrs. Maureen Pfeiffer, about registering. If you do have a child, please don’t hesitate in calling---the spots are filling quickly, and once a grade is closed you will be placed on a waiting list! Mrs. Pfeiffer or a member of our staff would also be very happy to give you a tour of our school buildings, and to answer any questions you may have about Blessed Trinity.

I also remind those parents whose children do not attend Catholic school of your obligation to ensure that your children are educated in our Catholic faith. Our Parish Religious Education Program (P.R.E.P.) exists for this purpose. From September through May, classes are held every Wednesday afternoon, from 4:30 to 6:00 P.M. Children in Grades K through 8 who do not attend Catholic school should attend. Mrs. Cheryl Kirschman, our devoted Coordinator of Religious Education, and our dedicated PREP faculty, provide an excellent learning environment for our children to learn about the faith. If you have not enrolled your child in our PREP for the 2023-2024 school year, please call the rectory as soon as possible to do so. This is especially important if your child needs to receive the Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist, and/or Confirmation. Should you have any questions or concerns, please call the rectory and Mrs. Kirschman would be happy to answer them.

I once again call to your attention the ad in this bulletin regarding Christian Initiation for Adults. This process will be beginning in the fall. This journey of faith is for those adults and young adults who have never been baptized, those who were baptized in another Christian denomination and would like to be received into the Catholic Church, and those who were baptized Catholic but never were catechized and/or never received the sacraments of Eucharist and/or Confirmation. If you know of anyone who falls into any of these categories, please encourage them to call the Rectory to speak with me so that they can begin this journey and be received into the Church at Eastertime.     

            Know that you and those you love are daily remembered in my Mass and my prayers.

                                                                                    Love and prayers,
                                                                                    Father Olivere