Weekend of August 5-6, 2023

Dear Friends,

We celebrate today the great feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which presents to us the beautiful image of the transfigured Jesus, who allows himself to be revealed in glory to his closest friends, reminding them not only of what he will be after his resurrection, but also of what we shall all be after our own entrance to eternal life. The mystery of the transfiguration, next to that of the resurrection itself, is meant to give us hope: hope that one day, for every person who lives on this earth, as well as for the earth itself and even the universe, we shall become, in the glory of God himself, perfectly recreated, perfectly transformed, so as to live in the light of God for all eternity.

As we gather this weekend to celebrate the Eucharist, we find ourselves in the first weekend of August, and, quite naturally, our minds are beginning to turn toward the opening of school, which is about four weeks away.

In light of the fact that school will be beginning in just a few weeks, I take this opportunity to 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.

At the entrances to our churches are copies of a book, which is titled This Is My Body. The author of this book is Bishop Robert Barron, who is presently the Bishop of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota. Bishop Barron is a very popular Catholic author and evangelizer, who has written many books and has produced many Catholic videos and educational programs in the past several years through the organization he founded, Word on Fire. Bishop Barron wrote this book in light of the Eucharistic Revival we find ourselves in the middle of at this time here in the United States. The book, which is easy to read, is a wonderful summation of what we as Catholics believe with regard to the Eucharist, and a clear course of what we must do, as individuals and as a Church, to ensure that the Eucharist remains the center of our lives as Catholics.

I invite you to take a book and read it, especially during this time of Eucharistic Revival. I believe that you will agree with me that the book is what I refer to as a “keeper,” that is, a book that you will read more than once. It contains a lot of good, solid Eucharistic theology, as well as food for thought as we contemplate the great gift that is ours in the Body and Blood of Christ. Please feel free, as well, to take a book to someone who may not be able to come to church.
           
Tuesday, August 15^th, 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.

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

                                                                                    Love and prayers,
                                                                                    Father Olivere