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Message Board Check out our Bulletin for all that is going on! For more information refer to this week's bulletin. ANGEL HANDS Angel Hands is a ministry in our parish for parishioners who need temporary assistance with meals due to an illness, surgery recovery time, an accident, long term illness or to help out a care giver taking care of a loved one. Call Barb Carrodus 623-1680. Parishioners interested in receiving a meal are asked to contact the above phone number. Please do not hesitate to call for help when you need a helping hand! WANT TO BE AN ALTAR SERVER? TRAIN? Is anyone interested in becoming an Altar Server? It is open to students in grade 3 and older. Please call the rectory at 623-5526 a time will be set for training. I need someone or 2 to help with the training. Is anyone interested in a few hours of training? Please call the rectory also. Fr. Rich. St Thomas Hall Policy The Hall building will be used for CCD and funeral luncheons and Parish events and Parish groups; and any events will be run by Parishioners and Parish groups, and any fundraisers will be solely for the Church and official Parish groups. St Thomas Hall Policy PRAY FOR VOCATIONS Pray for all priests, deacons and religious of our diocese, that their example of generous service might be an invitation to the young people of our diocese to commit their lives to the service of Christ and His Church. The Kayla Ann Nicodemus Scholarship Endowment Fund As a tribute to Kayla, the Kayla Nicodemus Endowment Fund was set up for graduating senior altar servers of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, who are continuing their schooling through higher education. Each qualifying graduate will equally share these scholarship funds. The Nicodemus/Kaminski families will match dollar for dollar all donations up to $16,000. This is your opportunity to recognize our young boys and girls who faithfully serve at mass. All donors will be recognized by the Foundation for income tax purposes. Contributions of any amount can be sent to: Independent Catholic Foundation of Altoona-Johnstown Kayla Nicodemus Endowment 3618 5th Avenue, Suite 1 Altoona, PA 16602 Or you can place your contribution in an envelope marked Kayla in the church collection. Make sure that your name and address is on the envelope so that you can be recognized. Knowing Kayla, I am sure she will ask God to send special blessings on all the altar server recipients starting their higher education. Thank you for the support you have shown Kayla, The Nicodemus/Kaminski Families TAX INFORMATION See if you can give a charitable gift from your regular IRA or retirement fund without paying any taxes if you are 70 and ½ years old when you make the gift. Check with your tax advisor. VOLUNTEERS FOR DESSERTS If you would like to be placed on the list of volunteers the Guild calls to make a dessert for funeral luncheons, please call the rectory. Thank you. PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN TRAINING FOR ADULTS Anyone who volunteers or works with children in any capacity needs to have training through the Diocesan Virtus program. There are many training sessions available throughout the diocese. To register for a session log on to www.virtus.org go to Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown and pick a date and time that best suits you. If you do not have a computer, please call the Children and Youth Protection/Safe Environment Office at 814-693-9333. All paperwork for clearances and background checks will be handed out at the training session. The only thing you need to take with you is the names and addresses of three references. Once you have gone through the training your back ground checks and clearances are done every three years automatically. There are no exceptions, if you want to volunteer in any capacity, you MUST go through this training. Thank You. ADDRESS FOR MISSIONARY FROM LIBYA Fr. Emmanuel Sackor C/O SMA Fathers 23 Bliss Avenue Tenefly, NJ 07670 HELP AVAILABLE Does anyone need help getting their food from the Bedford Food Pantry? If you do please call Mark at Hep’s Custom Cycles at 624-0006. LIFE THOUGHT “Unborn children do not have a voice, but they are young members of the human family. It is time to look at the unborn child and recognize that it is really a young human, who can feel pain and should be treated with care,” Senator Sam Brownback in support of the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act. PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN Is Your Child on a Sexual Predator’s Buddy List? In order to send an instant message over the internet, the sender must know the recipient’s user name. Most programs ask for a user “profile,” which may contain specific personal information such as age, sex, interests, and other identifying information. It is important for children using the internet to be cautioned about what they reveal in such a profile. Instant messaging can be the perfect conduit for the sexual predator who can choose a child from the profiles based on characteristics he or she prefers in a victim. The real-time, private aspects of instant messages are perfect channels for perpetrators to meet unsuspecting children. Once the perpetrator adds them to his or her own buddy list, the predator knows when the child is online. The process of establishing a relationship and grooming the child for sexual activity has begun. Children & Youth Protection and Advocacy Office, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown at 814-886-8250 HOSPITAL VISITS AND SICK CALLS Federal law governing the confidentiality of patient information (HIPPA PRIVACY RULE) does not permit the release of any patient’s names to anyone other than a member of the clergy such as a Priest, Minister or Rabbi. This means that the hospital and/or nursing home will no longer automatically notify the Church when you or a loved one is in the hospital and/or nursing home. YOU OR YOUR GUARDIAN MUST CALL THE CHURCH to let us know when illness strikes. PRO-LIFE REFLECTION Abortion advocate, Sarah Blustain admits that: “Abortion is a right that ends in sorrow, not celebration. It’s not like women’s suffrage or the equal access to public accommodations, rights whose outcome is emotionally unambiguous. The choice of a legal abortion is no longer something to celebrate. It is a decision made in crisis, and it is never one made happily.” PRAY that like the wise virgins we may fill our lamps with wisdom and knowledge that we may better defend the sacredness of all human life. Teaching Touching Safety Program PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN: All schools and religious education programs of the diocese are required to provide the instructional sessions for children and youth. The Diocese has chosen the Teaching Touching Safety Program to accomplish this. If a parent or guardian refuses to allow their child to be instructed, they must complete a written statement of that fact. The School or religious education program will provide instructional materials to those parents who refuse, with the hope that they will instruct their own child. Children and Youth Protection and Advocacy Office, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Adult Stem Cells Research Researchers at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston have identified adult stem cells that may have the capacity to repair and regenerate into most tissue types in the body. “This is a very unique property that until this time had only been found in embryonic stem cells,” commented the head of the research team whose findings were published in the February 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Catholic News Service. PRAY: For all elected leaders, that they may justly use their God-given power to protect the weak and defenseless. ABORTION AND EATING DISORDERS You may not realize it, but there is a disturbing connection between abortion and eating disorders. As Psychotherapist Dr. Theresa Burke states in her book, “Forbidden Grief,” “I have been repeatedly amazed by the intensity of feelings of grief, anger, rage and betrayal surrounding clients’ abortion experiences. I have also been deeply saddened to see how long women have carried these destructive feelings inside. Never to be shared, released or even recognized. In many cases, these repressed feelings are channeled into eating disorders.” In a study conducted by the Eliot Institute, which analyzes the after-effects of abortion, 38.6% of the women involved in post-abortion counseling programs reported having bulimia, anorexia, or binge eating after their abortions. Burke writes, “Women generally feel trapped by their eating disorders – continually doing something they despise and detest. For many, this reenacts the experience of feeling trapped into choosing abortion.” The link between abortion and eating disorders is yet further evidence that abortion is harmful to women, both physically and psychologically. – Mary Vitale vitale@paprolife.org NEWS PAMPHLETS Are on the shelf in the entrance of the Church. These include Breaking the DiVinci Code, How to Celebrate the Year of the Eucharist, and a bookmark of Pope Benedict XVI. The wooden boxes are for donations for the St. Vincent de Paul Society for the care of the needy. All literature is FREE. DEADLINE FOR BULLETIN ARTICLES REMINDER: Deadline for articles going into the Bulletin is Tuesday. Any articles in after the deadline will be published the following week. Thank you. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The Hollidaysburg Veterans Home (514 residents), is seeking volunteers to spend some time with our war torn veterans who have given so much to our country. We also need a volunteer seamstress to perform minor sewing and hemming. If you are interested, please call the volunteer Office at (814) 696-5371 or 696-5571. CONCERNED ABOUT AN ALCOHOLIC/ADDICT IN YOUR FAMILY Are alcohol and other drugs affecting your family life? Want to discover the light at the end of the tunnel? Come and experience 2 evenings with Sr. Fran Stein, R.SM. who has extensive experience helping people recover spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. This 2-part series held at these locations: Thursdays, 10/7 & 14 at Prince of Peace, Northern Cambria; Thursdays, 10/21 & 28 at St. John the Evangelist, Belefonte. All sessions are from 7:00pm, -9:00pm Sponsored by the Family Life Office – 814-886-5551. Cost is $10.00 each session. Reservations are necessary one week before the first session in each location. Make checks payable to “Family Life Office”, 5379 Portage St., Lilly, PA. 15937. HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY St. Thomas Council #1439 have provided “How to Pray the Rosary” including the new Mysteries of Light to be said on Thursdays during the week. The pamphlets are on the shelves in the back of the Church. ALTAR FLOWER MEMORIALS Our parish invites memorial donations for altar flowers. You may wish to memorialize a deceased loved one, commemorate an anniversary, etc. Your name and the intention will be included in the bulletin the weekend your flowers are placed on the altar. Call the monthly coordinator listed on the Flower Calendar in the back of the church for more information. HOUSE BLESSING Please call the Rectory (814-623-5526) if you desire to have your house blessed. Adult Basic Education For over 19 years, Bedford County Literacy Council (BCLC) has offered Adult Basic Education to the region through volunteers. We currently have more adults wanting to learn to read or improve their math skills than volunteers available to work with them. Volunteering individually or as a group is great publicity for your business and a way for professionals to give back to the community. No experience is necessary. All you need is a few hours each month of your time and an open heart. The BCLC offers FREE tutor training, materials and on-going support. We currently have clients and small groups at all levels of education needing your help. We also have opportunities with mentally challenged adults and inmates at the Bedford Co. Jail. Call 839-4480 for more information. Pre-registration is required! HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE PRIESTHOOD? If the answer is yes then the Vocation Office welcomes you to consider participating in the Fr. Demetrius Gallitzin Discernment Program. While pursuing an undergraduate degree at your college (St. Francis, Mount Aloysius, UPJ, Penn State, Juniata, Lock Haven). You work closely with the Director of Vocations in a flexible program that offers regular opportunities for prayer, Christian Service on/off campus, good food, and conversations on spirituality and fraternity. Each participant meets regularly with a priest/spiritual director. Participants may join the diocesan seminarians for retreats and other events. There is no charge for the program. You can reserve your spot for the 2005 Fall semester by contacting Fr. John D. Byrnes, Director of Vocations at (814) 472-5441 or by email at jbyrnes@dioceseaj.org PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN In the general societal context, the effects of sexual abuse are far reaching. A high percentage of the faithful are either directly or indirectly touched by sexual abuse. Those who have committed sexual crimes have assaulted the peace and dignity of us all. Sexual abuse robs victims of their sexual safety and security and for many their emotional well-being. Damage to spirituality is often severe. If you or someone you know has had such an experience as a child or youth with a member of the clergy or a church employee and has been unable to share that experience or to seek help, we encourage you to call the Children & Youth Protection and Advocacy Office, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown at 814-886-8250. PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN Mousetrapping on the Internet The word “mousetrapping,” is an advertising practice where someone trying to leave one Web site is automatically forwarded to another site. Although this technology has legitimate uses, such as in e-shopping, internet predators have cashed in on the practice for their own purposes. Mousetrapping can be a frightening experience for children who may be automatically forwarded to a site with page after page of sexually explicit content. A child may become so frightened that they resort to unplugging the computer to get rid of the objectionable material. Unless a parent or other adult has talked to the child in advance about safe internet usage, they may never reveal this experience and therefore remain vulnerable to future contacts by the unwanted site. Children & Youth Protection and Advocacy Office, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown at 814-886-8250. NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING (NFP), a scientific method of regulating conception approved by the Catholic Church, is based on the awareness of a couple’s fertility and their selective abstinence. It can be used to achieve or postpone pregnancy. It is a helpful tool for infertile couples. Two methods of NFP are taught in our diocese: For the Sympto-Thermal method contact Rosemarie Kiesewetter of NFP of the Alleghenies at 814-946-3544; for the Billings Ovulation Method contact the diocesan Family Life Office at 814-886-5551; familylife@dioceseaj.org. INACTIVE CATHOLICS: Baptized Catholics who have not been practicing their faith are most welcome to return to the Church. Please call the Rectory. CHRISTIAN INITATION: This process sees to the needs of adults who wish to become Catholic. Catholics baptized as infants who have never received the sacraments of First Holy Communion or Confirmation are also invited to this process. Call the Rectory for details. CARE OF THE SICK: Those confined to home due to illness or age should contact the rectory. Arrangements will be made to bring the Eucharist and if needed, the Sacrament of the Sick. ENVELOPES: Regular use of envelopes provides a stable income for the parish and enables us to prepare a budget. A record of your contributions is kept and a statement will be mailed upon your request. PROJECT RACHEL: Is a program of counseling, compassion, and healing for women & men who have been involved in an abortion. Call (814) 884-8000 or email ProjectRachael@dioceseaj.org HURTING RELATIONSHIPS? Spouse to Spouse or Spouse to Child. Call (814) 535-6538. BIRTHRIGHT Believes that every pregnant woman has the right ot give birth, and every child has the right to be born. Call 1-800-550-5900 or go to www.birthright.org CREMATION The Church allows cremation but the preferred option is with the body present in the church, the cremation taking place after the Mass, then the cremains must be buried. Keeping the ashes in the house or scattering the ashes are not in keeping with the traditional dignity accorded by the Church for the deceased.
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