Parish Staff Nancy Caro Sacristan Laura Bell Head of School 703.759.4129 Maggie Radzik Head of School 703.759.4129 Anson Groves Dir. of Religious Ed. 703.759.3530 Sharon O'Donnell Religious Ed Secretary 703.759.3530 Anson Groves Dir of Catholic Youth Org 702.759.3530 Rick Webb Gen. Mgr. Financial Dir. 703.759.4350 Dr. Kimberly Hess Director of Music 703.759.4350 Judy Wood Parish Secretary 703.759.4350 Jackie Fox Bulletin Editor 703.759.4350 Guillermo DeLeon Director of Facilities 703.638.4301 Email address: deleonscs@gmail.com Emiro Soto Maintenance Rosa Hernandez Support Staff Stephen Dolenc Web Master stephendolenc @gmail.com Mass Intentions Sunday, February 21 8:00 a.m. Nahad Zaatar V 10:00 a.m. Pro Populo 12:00 Enda Coogan V Monday, February 22 9:00 a.m. Mary Jane Bondi V Tuesday, February 23 9:00 a.m. The Michael Hughes Family Wednesday, February 24 9:00 a.m. Mary Jane Bondi V Thursday, February 25 9:00 a.m. Joe Dolly Friday, February 26 9:00 a.m. Craig McCormick V Saturday, February 27 9:00 a.m. Susan Scully V 5:30 p.m. Mr. and Mrs. Aime Goyette READINGS AND CELEBRATIONS FOR THE WEEK Sunday, First Sunday of Lent Dt 26: 4-10, Ps 91, Rom 10: 8-13, Lk 4: 1-13 Monday. Weekday in Lent 1 Pt 5: 1-4, Ps 23, Mt 16: 13-19 Tuesday, The Chair of St. Peter Is 55, 10-11, Ps 34, Mt 6: 7-15 Wednesday, Weekday in Lent Jon 3: 1-10, Ps 51, Lk 11: 29-32 Thursday, Weekday in Lent Est C: 12, 14-16, 23-25, Ps 138, Mt 7: 7-12 Friday, Weekday in Lent Ez 18: 21-28, Ps 130, Mt 5: 20-26 Saturday, Weekday in Lent Dt 26: 16-19, Ps 119, Mt 5: 43-48 Opus Dei Recollection A priest of the Opus Dei prelature presents an "Evening of Recollection" for women on the 3rd Monday of each month from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. in the Church. The schedule for "Evenings of Recollection" for men may be obtained by visiting Website: restonstudycenter.org. For further information call 703.689.3433. A Word from Father Drummond Every year on the first few Saturdays following Ash Wednesday, priests throughout the country, and perhaps the world, hear people confessing to missing the Day of Obligation, Ash Wednesday. But in point of fact Ash Wednesday is not a day of obligation. The irony here is that even though it is not a day of obligation, if one believes it to be so and misses mass for no truly grave reason, then it is indeed a sin to be confessed! Obligation or not, Ash Wednesday still is probably the most popular mass of the year after Christmas and Easter. Even though some Protestant denominations observe Ash Wednesday, the imposition of ashes does not have the same significance for non-Catholics as for Catholics. Ash Wednesday is deeply rooted in our very identity as Catholics. The imposition of ashes is seen as almost equal to a Sacrament and many who are indifferent to the actual mass are anxious to receive ashes. It is not unusual to receive calls asking if the ashes are imposed at the beginning or the end of mass, and sometimes even, the caller will want to know if an exact time can be pinpointed for the ashes! The desire for the ashes without the mass sadly misses the whole meaning of the day. The actual practice of imposing ashes as a sign of penance is rooted in an ancient Hebrew tradition which encompasses not only the use of ashes, but also dung, both of which are poured over the head and accompanied by the rending of one's clothes. In Scripture we see Queen Esther do this as she prepares to intercede with the Persian King for her people. I sometimes speculate on what Ash Wednesday would be like if we used dung or ripped our clothes. I do not imagine that dung would be too popular, but I can see that the rending of clothes might appeal to some who would save old clothes to wear and perhaps even weaken the fibers so as to make the rending a little easier. Of course any such action done for show would have absolutely no merit spiritually and could, in fact, be sinful exactly because it is done for show. Lent is a time for drawing away from the world, drawing away from sin and growing closer to God. By the outward sign of the imposition of ashes at the beginning of Lent, we should begin an interior overhaul of our spiritual lives. Our lives need to be marked inwardly by penance, not for the sake of the penance itself, but that through genuine penitential acts we may during this season draw nearer to the Lord and through that become more of the person He wants us to be. The Lenten Season Prayer - Fasting - Almsgiving The annual Lenten season is the fitting time to climb the holy mountain of Easter. The Lenten season has a double character, namely to prepare both catechumens and the faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery. The catechumens, both with the rite of election and scrutinizes, and by catechesis, are prepared for the celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation; the faithful, ever more attentive to the word of God and prayer, prepare themselves by penance for the renewal of their baptismal promise. Stations of the Cross will be offered each Friday during Lent at 7:30 p.m. in the Church. Take time to participate in this venerable tradition of the Church and meditate on our Lord's sacrifice for our sins. Church Regulations Regarding Fast and Abstinence: Abstinence from meat (beast or fowl) is to be observed by all Catholics fourteen years old and older on Ash Wednesday and on all the Fridays of Lent. This obligation prohibits the eating of meat, but not eggs, milk products, or condiments of any kind, even though made from animal fat. Fasting means limiting oneself to one full meal on a given fast day. Catholics who are eighteen years of age but not yet fify-nine are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On fast days two additional smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength. However, the two smaller meals together may not equal one full meal. Moreover, eating solid foods between meals on fast days is not permitted. Many Thanks From The Nicaraguan Committee Thank you for the Poor Box donation to support the Missionary Sisters of The Fiat of Mary. The Nicaraguan Committee and Sister Paula Hidalgo of the Nicaraguan Missionary Sisters of the Fiat of Mary want to thank Father Drummond and the parishioners of St. Catherine of Siena for their generous donation of $1600 from the Poor Box. This money will help support the sisters work with orphans and abandoned children. Respectively, Nicaraguan committee Pray for the Sick and Homebound of our Parish Joshua Basile, Dianne Burrell, Tom Case, Catherine Choo, Jonathan Choo, Moira Connor, Bryan Cox, Dona Curry, Flora DeLeon, Betsabe deSoto, Marjorie Dolak, Eileen Drennan, Christa Drummond, Br.David Eddy, Marilyn Flynn, Gerald Green, Brian Hack, Bernadeete Hong, Joan Keller, Ed Kondracki, Carol McCarty,Susan McQuade, Peter Milchalski, Murray Schooner, John Spencer, K.L. Sypal, Chick Wilson, David Wilson, Jr., Jan Wouters, Anthony Yantiss Pray for Those Who have Fallen Asleep in Christ James Anthony, Maryann Barron, Philip Calanchini, Joe Cassella, Peter Choo, Bill Corr, Joseph Dunne, George Gibson, Bill Hale, Mary Elizabeth Jones, Cynthia Randall, Victor Wouters Pray for our Armed Forces Personnel Patrick Bouchoux, Jordan Bowren, Brendan Dunne, Mark Falcon, Christopher Frediani, Michael Holtz, Brian Horn, Kathleen Mahoney, Josh Moore, Matthew O'Neil, Mathew Rowell, Justin Smallwood The Blessed Sacrament THIS IS MY BODY - THIS IS MY BLOOD Eucharistic Adoration and Holy Hour A Holy Hour is simply an hour set-aside totally for the Lord; an hour consecrated to God. It is a time to recollect our mind, heart and spirit in order to focus them on God and more specifically our Eucharistic Lord. To make a Holy Hour is to make a decision to spend one hour with our friend, our Savior and Lord who is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in oration and in contemplation that is full of faith, and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease. - John Paul II To sign up for adoration or for information regarding adoration please contact Diane Cieslak 703.678.3919. 24 hour Eucharistic Adoration begins after the 9:00 a.m. Mass on Wednesday and ends with reposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 8:55 a.m. on Thursday. 24 hour Eucharistic Adoration also begins after the 9:00 a.m. Mass on every First Friday of the month and ends with reposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 8:55 a.m. on Saturday. Holy Hour is every Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. Communion and Blessings A very common liturgical abuse of our times happens during the reception of Holy Communion when persons who cannot receive Communion nevertheless line up with their arms crossed over their chest, as a "message" to the priest that they want a blessing instead of Communion. This is liturgically incorrect on a number of levels. First and foremost, the time for Communion is the time for Communion. The Communion line is not, and should not be, the blessing line. Secondly, the liturgical actions of the priest during Mass are highly regulated, and quite specific of what to do and when to do it. The actions of a good liturgist may seem spontaneous, but they are not and should not be. Unfortunately, owing to the confused time in which we live, some people are instructed to present themselves, arms crossed, before the priest at Communion time for a blessing. To make things even more confused, some people present themselves with crossed arms as a sign that they wish to receive on the tongue! Children who have not yet made their first Communion may come up with their parents who are receiving, but should not present themselves individually for a blessing. Others, who cannot receive, for whatever reason, should remain seated. The proper time for the blessing follows the prayer after Communion, which blessing all receive together. Christ House Food Donation Drive St. Catherine's continues its efforts to support the work of Catholic Charities. Please help us to help others. The following non-perishable food items are requested: Canned meats (corned beef, spam, chicken), canned tuna, canned fruit and vegetables, peanut butter, jelly, cereal, pasta, instant potatoes, macaroni & cheese kits. Please be so kind as to limit contributions to these items, and please check the expiration dates. Labeled bins will be placed in the narthex of the church. Gift cards from Giant or Safeway are another option that you might find more convenient. Please place gift cards in an envelope marked "Christ House" and place in the collection basket at Mass or drop off at the Parish Office. The Pro-Life Committee The Pro-Life Committee invites you to join us the last Saturday of the month, from 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. We will pray the Rosary outside the Falls Church Abortion Clinic located at 900 S. Washington Street. St. Catherine's Book Corner!! Did you know that St. Catherine's has a small but very good Book Corner? It can be found in the Narthex to the left of the door entering the Church. Please check it out, each book has a price slip which you need to remove and put in the small white envelope along with your payment. Just slip the envelope under the door of the Religious Education office. Book selection of the month, 20% off: Homosexuality and the Catholic Church by Father John F. Harvey O.S.F.S. Father Harvey is the Director of the Courage and Encourage support groups and is well aware of the sensitive nature of homosexuality. With his extensive experience ministering to those with same-sex attraction, Fr. Harvey presents the Church's teaching in an objective and pastorally-sensitive manner. Priests, religious, and laity alike will benefit from the many questions considered in this book including: * What is the basis of the Church's teaching regarding homosexuality? * What do many consider to be the cause of same-sex attraction? * Can a person overcome same-sex attraction? * Why is it important for civil law to limit marriage to one man and one woman? * How can a person live the virtue of chastity joyfully? Fr. Benedict Groeschel's comment about this book: "Read this book and rejoice that the work of the Holy Spirit still continues in our confused world." Have you ever wished you could make a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France? Have you visited the Grotto where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette and wish to return? The, please mark your calendars! St. Catherine's will host a Lourdes Virtual Pilgrimage Experience on Sunday, March 7 at 1 pm directly following the Noon Mass. North American Lourdes Volunteers will present a 90 minute spiritual and prayerful pilgrimage which includes the invitation, apparitions and message of Lourdes in the footsteps of Bernadette. During this guided virtual tour you will: touch a piece of the Grotto, experience the baths with water from the Spring at Lourdes, receive a Eucharistic Blessing and experience a decade of the rosary procession-the next best thing to being there-a spiritual journey without the travel! Each pilgrim receives a bottle of Lourdes water to take home. For further information please call: Kathy at 703-450-2827 Organ Recital - February 28th Our Music Director, Kimberly Hess will perform an organ concert on Sunday, February, 28th, at 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon at St. Dominic Catholic Church at 630 E Street Southwest, Washington, DC 20024. Works by Bach, DeGrigny, Schumann and Liszt. A free will offering will be collected and all are welcome. Siena Academy News Mission Statement Our mission is to give glory to God and to assist parents in the role as primary educators of their children by offering specially prepared environments founded upon the principles made by Dr. Maria Montessori. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and the Atrium The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children. It is rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the Church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. Children gather in an "atrium," a room prepared for them, which contains simple yet beautiful materials that they use. You may be wondering how these materials help the religious life of children? If an adult hears a beautiful passage from the Bible, the adult might take a Bible, find the passage, and read it slowly again and again. He or she may think deeply about the words and perhaps speak to God in a thankful or hopeful prayer. But a little child, too young to read, needs another way. In an atrium the child can ponder a biblical passage or a prayer from the liturgy by taking the material for that text and working with it - placing wood figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table, or preparing a small altar with the furnishings used for the Eucharist. Older children who do read often copy parables from the Bible, lay in order written prayers from the rite of baptism, or label a long time line showing the history of the kingdom of God. Win a Car or Cash!* Once again, Siena Academy is participating in the All-Saints Car Raffle. In 2008, a lucky winner came from our parish. Siena Academy keeps $3 of every $5 ticket sold. If you'd like more, the are available in the school or rectory offices. Look for one of the cars to be on display in front of the church on February 13-14. All proceeds will go to benefit the Siena Academy Annual Fund. Shop at Harris Teeter and support Siena Academy Siena Academy is a member of Harris Teeter's Together In Education program. Our account number is 8166. Simply tell your cashier during check-out that you want Siena Academy's account number (8166) linked to your Harris Teeter VIC card. Once the account number is linked, every time you shop during the program, 5% of your Private Label purchases will be contributed by Harris Teeter to Siena Academy's account. Do you shop online? If so, please support Siena Academy (ID number is 500003075) by using the eScrip Online Mall. Shop at over 1,000 of your favorite online merchants and earn up to 16% for Siena Academy. Enroll with www.escrip.com; click on the Online Mall logo at www.escrip.com; and then Shop at your favorite brand name stores and automatically donate to our group. Office of Religious Education Please Note: The Office of Religious Education is closed on Thursdays and Fridays Email the office at reoffice@SaintCatherinesChurch.org for any information. Catechist Corner Confraternity of Christian Doctrine CCD Class Calendar February 22. 23 All classes in session' March 1,2 All classes in session 8,9 All classes in session 15.16 All classes in session 22,23 All classes in session 29, 30 No classes (Holy Week) Other Important Dates May 14 First Holy Communion Practice - 6:00 p.m. 15 Mass of First Holy Communion at 10:30 a.m. Confirmation: March 13 Boys retreat (7th and 8th grade boys) 20 Girls retreat (7th and 8th grade girls) April 26 2nd Confirmation Report Due September 8,15 Final Confirmation Classes in Bishop Justs Hall 22, 29 Final Confirmation Classes in Bishop Justs Hall October TBA Confirmation Catholic Youth Organization Please see the CYO bulletin board for all upcoming events Senior CYO - 8th - 12th grade Meetings on the first Sunday of the month 6-8 p.m. Junior CYO - 4th - 7th grades Meetings on the first Friday of the month 6-8 p.m. Seniors February 26 Lenten Service Project Come and help the Knights serve dinner Juniors Please see the CYO bulletin board for activities The Knights of Columbus News Consider This Opportunity to Serve! The Knights of Columbus are the largest Catholic Men fraternal organization - are you a Knight? For information please contact Kevin Trissell at 703.464.8393 or trissellkofc@verizon.net. trees up to 12 feet tall. As always local delivery is free. Shop early!! Proceeds help support the Knights Charities. Please contact Grand Knigh Kevin Trissell at trissellkofc@verizon.net or at 703.464.8393 with any questions. Lenten Dinners During the season of Lent. beginning Friday, February 19th The Knights of Columbus will, once again support Lenten dinners each Friday during Lent. including March 12th. Please join us in Bishop Justs Hall from 6:30 p.m. until 7:15 p.m. Stations of the Cross will be prayed in the Church following the Lenten Dinner. Please stay and pray with Lenten Season This penitential season of six Sundays and forty weekdays prepares for the high feast of Easter. Len begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with the beginning of the Mass of the Lord's Supper in the evening on Holy Thursday (not Holy Saturday noon, as formerly). Traveling Catholics - Home or Abroad To locate a Catholic Church while traveling at home or abroad visit www.masstimes.org. You will find information/directions on the closest Catholic Church to your destination, along with Mass and Confession times. This Website also offers links to an on-line reference library of: The Day's Readings, Bible, Catechism, U.S. Bishops & Diocese, Saint of the Day, Daily Prayer, Life Ways, Sing Your Praises, Vatican Website, Vatican Library, Vatican Museums and Catholic News. Over 50 Club u March 5 -"Philadelphia Flower Show: - The theme is Passport To The World, which takes you on a breathtaking floral trip around the world: India, The Netherlands, u April 14(Wednesday_ and 17 (Saturday) - Sight & Sound in Lancaster will present its newest show "Joseph" the inspiring journey and restoration of his family especially important in today's world. Sound track with 14 original songs, 30 foot high Egyptian palace on a 300 foot stage that wraps around three sides of the audience. A wonderful buffet at Miller's included. Do not miss this outstanding show $89 complete. u April 25 Spy Museum & Ford Museum - Guided tour, lunch on your own at the Museum, then history and tour of the Ford Museum. See where Lincoln was shot.$Theatre price $61. uMay 10 - 14 Trapp Family Lodge. We stop at Lake George on the way up and back, then 2 nights at the Lodge with magnificent scenery. Visit the famous Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Stowe Village, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and other attractions. Breakfast and dinner included $659Dbl, $824/Single. uJune1 - Day trip with Father Drummong to Mt. St. Mary's City. Lunch included and tour. Visit the Old State House and Port Tobacco, also the Carmelite Monastery (first convent in the Nation) They make rosaries rosaries from dried roses. Do not miss this wonderful trip. $99. Membership in the Club is not required to travel with us! Please call the following for more information and/or registration. Mary Ann at 703.404.8677 or Connie at 703.759.2939 In the Diocese & Other Events Website: www.arlingtondiocese.org Some white-collar jobs are more challenging than others From the Office of Vocations Almighty and eternal God, we pray for those whom you call to serve the Diocese of Arlington as priests. Inspire in them a generous response. grant them courage and vision to serve your people May their lives and service call your people to respond to the presence of your Spirit among us that, faithful to the Gospel and hope of Jesus the Christ, we may announce glad tidings to the poor proclaim liberty to captives, set prisoners free and renew the face of the earth. Amen. The World Apostolate of Fatima When: Sunday,February 28 from 3-4 p.m. Where: St. Thomas à Becket Catholic Church 1421 Wiehle Avenue, Reston At Fatima, Our Lady asked for prayer and sacrifice for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world, and an increain vocations. We hope you will join us in prayer.