Religious Education at Little Flower
A Quarterly Newsletter
Lent 2009
Office of Religious Education
301-320-5233, www.lfparish.org
5607 Massachusetts Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20816
My dear Parents,
Lent 2009 is upon us! It is our annual pilgrimage to Easter, a worldwide retreat, a joyful season, as well as a season of penitence. In his Lenten message this year, Pope Benedict writes that Lent is “an itinerary of more intense spiritual training.” In view of the economic uncertainties of our times, I have suggested that this Lent be a return to basics after the example of Jesus -- a time of more focused “prayer,” faithful “fasting” and generous “almsgiving.”
My hope is that this will be a family Lent at Little Flower, a time for the families of the parish to walk together on the road to Easter. Now in its third year, a special Mass takes place on Ash Wednesday, February 25 at 7:15 a.m. for our CCD children and parents. Bagels and juice are provided after the Mass! In addition, for those who cannot make that early Mass on Ash Wednesday, our 7:00 p.m. Mass is suggested. New this year, our 7th and 8th grade CCD students will meet for that Mass with a 15-minute reflection on Lent afterwards in the church with Deacon Dallas Herold.
You might consider coming as a family to the Stations of the Cross that take place every Thursday evening during Lent at 7:30 p.m. Confessions are heard every Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
There will be witness talks between 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. in the school hall on Sunday, March 1 with Kathy Pomerenk, on Sunday, March 8 with Mary and Peter Hamm, and Sunday, March 15 with Jeff Norris. You won’t want to miss these parishioners as they share their faith journeys.
As we embark together on this season of grace, this special season of additional prayer, fasting and almsgiving, my prayer is with you and your families. Let us pray for each other! You should have received an eight-page parish brochure which sets forth all of the offerings at Little Flower this year to assist you during this holy season of Lent. They are concrete means by which we can make our pilgrimage of conversion to the Father this year. I encourage each of you, if you have not already done so, to write down with your families some concrete ways of living Lent 2009.
We pray for each other, our children and families as we prepare to celebrate this wonderful, penitential and joyful season of Lent together at Little Flower.
Prayerfully in the Lord,
Rev. Msgr. Peter J. Vaghi
Pastor
CONFIRMATION CELEBRATION
Fifty-five candidates are preparing to be confirmed by Auxiliary Bishop Barry Knestout on Monday, March 16. Please keep these young people in your prayers as they receive this sacrament of initiation, signifying their mature Christian commitment and a deepening of their baptismal gifts.
MAY JOY!
Mark your calendar for Sunday, May 3 when we will welcome our First Communicants into full participation in our parish community at the 9:00 a.m. Family Mass. Following that mass, all the children are invited to take part in an indoor May Procession honoring our Blessed Mother. Children are encouraged to bring a flower or small branch from their yard to place at the base of her statue. We will sing Marian hymns and pray a decade of the rosary together.
PLAN AHEAD: (all are Sunday unless otherwise noted)
FEBRUARY
25 – Ash Wednesday; Lent begins: Masses at 6:30AM, 7:15AM, 8:15AM, 12 Noon & 7PM (ashes distributed during Masses)
MARCH
5 – First Thursday Talk – Moral Life: Living the Hope Within Us. 7AM - RMR, 7:30PM - SMR
22 – Rose Mass – RE classes will be dismissed from the parking quad, not the parish hall
29 – LF-John Carroll Society lecture by Archbishop Donald Wuerl: “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church,” 3PM in the church
31 – Tues., First Communion Parents’ mtg., 7:30PM
APRIL
2 – First Thursday Talk – Moral Life: Living the Hope Within Us. 7AM - RMR, 7:30PM - SMR
4 – Sat., Come Home for Easter, 9AM – Noon – Confessions; 12 - 12:30PM - Penance Service; 12:30 - 5PM – Confessions; 12 - 2PM – Easter Hams for Martha’s Table
5 – Palm Sunday
9 – Holy Thursday, Noon and 7PM Masses
10 – Good Friday, Noon Meditation: “The Seven Last Words of Christ” by Msgr. Vaghi; 1PM – Good Friday Walk: Following the Cross of Jesus; 3PM – Stations of the Cross, followed by Confessions; 7PM – Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday
11 – Holy Saturday, 12-1PM – Confessions; 8PM – Easter Vigil
12 – EASTER! Masses at 7:30AM, 9AM, 10:30AM, and 12:30 PM
MAY
2 – Sat., First Communion, 10AM
3 – 9AM Welcome Mass for First Communicants and May Procession (No RE classes for 2nd grade)
10 – Mother’s Day – no RE classes
17 – Closing Mass for RE
SNOW REMINDER
In case of inclement weather, please check your email for a message from your child’s teacher or call the Religious Education office (301-320-5233) to hear a recorded message about the status of Religious Education classes.
NEW EDITOR NEEDED
Are you looking for an easy way to contribute to the Religious Education program? Consider volunteering as editor of the RE newsletter. No experience is required -- if you possess attention to detail and the ability to work within deadlines, this could be the perfect volunteer opportunity! The newsletters allow parish staff and RE teachers to communicate with parents in one succinct publication, rather than distribute numerous flyers throughout the year. If you are interested in writing these quarterly Religious Ed. newsletters, please contact Sister Roberta or Kathy Pomerenk at Kathleen.pomerenk@verizon.net.
Religious Education classes for Grades K-6 are held Sunday mornings at Little Flower School, 10:15AM – 11:30AM . Classes for Grades 7-8 are held Wednesday evenings at Little Flower School, 7:30-8:45PM.
Contact our Director of Religious Education, Sr. Roberta Thompson, S.N.J.M., with questions: 301-320-5233.
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