General Announcements
Would you, or someone you know, be a good addition to the St. Paul's Parish Council? CLICK HERE for information.
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Wanted: Donations of New or Gently Used items for Silent Auction at The Well Retreat Center’s Annual BBQ & Fund Raiser for Sept. 26, 2010. No item too big or small; arrangements can be made for delivery or pick-up. Please call 757-255-2366 or email staff@thewellretreatcenter.org
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8 Aug 10: Donations Needed for Priest
Vestments
We have a need for a set of four (4) priest vestments (red,
purple, green and white) and a cope (vestment similar to a cape worn
during benediction). Many times we have visiting priests without
vestments and also on special occasions when matching vestments would be
desired. The total cost will be $3,777.00. If you are interested in
donating to this cause, please call the parish office at 397-7066. Thank
you for your generosity!
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29 Aug 10: St. Paul’s Nursery— Open on Sundays during the 10:30 AM Mass
Children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years are
welcome. The nursery is in the Father Walsh Center (on Washington
Street, next to the church) and opens at 10:15 AM and closes at 11:45
AM. There is a registration form for parents to complete when their
child is dropped off the first time. The forms will be available in the
nursery each Sunday. There is no cost for this service. For more
information or if you are interested in volunteering, please call Bonnie
Harris, St. Paul’s Nursery Coordinator, at 686-
1485.
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29 Aug 10: Diocese of Richmond Safe
Environment Program -
VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children
What are the VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children
Programs ?
The VIRTUS programs assist the Church in being a safe haven
for children and serve as a messenger for preventing child abuse
within the Church and society in general. By identifying the best
practices designed to help prevent wrongdoing and promote
"right-doing", the VIRTUS® programs empower organizations
and people to better control risk and create child-safe
environments. Who should attend a VIRTUS® Program?
Maximizing a child-safe environment begins with making adults
more aware of the ways children and adults interact with each
other. All diocesan employees, clergy, religious, teachers, staff,
and all adult volunteers who regularly or routinely work with
children or youth participate in a Protecting God’s Children
training session. But all adults are welcome to attend, regardless
of whether you have children involved in a church program. The
information presented at a Protecting God’s Children is
applicable to all areas of a child’s life – in church, at school and
in any extracurricular activity. The Cluster
Parishes will be offering a VIRTUS® training
session on Saturday, October 2nd, at St. Mary’s
Catholic Church,
536 Homestead Road, Chesapeake, VA 23321. The
session will
begin at 9:00 AM and will end no later than noon.
For more information, or to register for a VIRTUS® training
session, please visit the diocesan website,
www.richmonddiocese.org and
follow the VIRTUS® link at the
top right of the page. If you do not have access to a computer,
please call Marisa Beebe at 966-5461 to register for the training
session. If you have any questions, please contact Marisa Beebe,
Coordinator of Christian Formation, at mrcbeebe@cox.net or at
966-5461.
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1 Aug 10: Help Wanted: Looking for Volunteers who are willing to help with laundering the church communion linens . If interested, please call Barb Lewis (757-484-8325) for details.
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18 Jul 10: DRESSING RESPECTFULLY FOR
MASS: Warmer weather in many parts of the country means
wearing lighter, more casual clothing. Still, something that could be
worn to play a sport, clean the garage, or work in the yard (shorts,
strapless tops, etc.) are not appropriate for Mass. God deserves your
“Sunday best” even in the summertime.
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6 Jun 10: Attention Graduating High
School Seniors: The Office of Campus and Young Adult Ministry
is asking for some information from you. Why, you ask? If you are
attending a college or university we would like to assist in your
transition. We will send to the Catholic Campus Minister the
information
you provide below (or online) and you can expect to be contacted,
welcomed to the campus and community of Catholic students and informed
of opportunities for you. However, if you are entering the work force
and relocating to a new area, your name will be forwarded to the Pastor
at a nearby parish or a young adult group. These groups will welcome you
to their activities. Please go to
http://www.richmonddiocese.org/cyam/index.htm and select the link
“College Bound” in the left column to provide a brief bit of information
to the Diocese so that we may provide it to the parish or campus
ministry nearest you as you transition from high school to college,
technical school, or the workforce. We thank you very much for your
assistance.
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10 May 10: St. Paul's Church
Bell In our historic church, we are fortunate to have one of the largest
and finest bells in the area. It was cast by the McShane Bell Foundry of
Baltimore, Maryland in 1903. It measures 53 inches in diameter and
weighs approximately 3,500 pounds. It contains remnants of the bell from
the fourth St. Paul's which burned on March 28, 1897. The following is
an excerpt from an article that appeared in The Portsmouth Star on May
9, 1904 at the time of the dedication of St. Paul's church bell:
After a silence of about seven years, the citizens of Portsmouth are
soon to hear again the sweet notes of the “Angelus” floating out on the
early morning air from the belfry of St. Paul's. Generations of
Portsmouth families have passed from childhood into the grave under the
sound of the “Catholic Church bell.” Until it tolled its own death knell
in the disastrous fire of March, seven years ago. St. Paul's bell, as it
rang out morning, noon and eventide was inwrought in the affections and
habits of our people.
A major enhancement has been recently completed on our bell with the
addition of a new striking system, 106 years after its dedication. The
new system, installed by the McShane Bell Foundry (the same company that
cast the bell in 1903), allows the bell to strike the hour, ring a
funeral toll, ring the “Angelus”, and
ring a full peal for special celebrations such as weddings. The new
system was given in memory of Raymond W. and Annie D. Ficenec.
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18 Apr 10: Parents—we need your help! Please assist your small children when using the Church bathrooms. We have made some changes to the doors which may be difficult to open and we now have hand blowers. Also, we continue to have the toilets stopped up with toilet tissue, etc. causing them to over-flow. Please help your child when they need to use the restroom.
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28 Feb 10: Justice for Immigrants
Postcards
Immigration reform legislation may soon be considered Congress.
Help us show your Senators and Representatives that Catholics and other
supporters of immigrants want our elected officials to enact meaningful
and compassionate immigration reform. Please go to:
http://www.capwiz.com/justiceforimmigrants/issues/alert/?alertid=14503781&type=CO
Click on the "Go" or "Take Action" button to fill out and send your
postcards to your federal lawmakers.
Our Bishop in unison with the USCCB supports comprehensive reform for
our nation’s immigration system and urges you to join us in this effort!
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21 Feb 10: Information on the 2010 Legislative Agenda of the Virginia Catholic Conference, which represents the public-policy interests of the Commonwealth's Catholic bishops and their two dioceses, is available at all exits of the church. Additional information on the Virginia Catholic Conference can be found at www.vacatholic.org.
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14 Feb 10: Haiti Donations
·A new law allows you to claim donations for Haitian relief on
your 2009 tax return. To be eligible for a deduction on your 2009 tax
return, donations must be made after Jan. 11, 2010 and before March 1,
2010. You have the option of deducting these contributions on
either your 2009 or 2010 tax return, but not both. Federal law
requires that you keep a record of any deductible donations you make. Be
sure to keep a bank record, such as a cancelled check or a receipt from
the charity. Contact the parish office at 397-7066 if you need a
special contribution letter for your Haitian relief donations. For
more additional information go to IRS.gov
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14 Feb 10: Inclement Weather Policy: A reminder, when Portsmouth Catholic Regional School is canceled due to inclement weather, our Cluster and Parish Offices are closed as well.
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31 Jan 10: Birthright is an emergency pregnancy service that provides resources and assistance for a woman who may be pregnant. It is staffed completely by volunteers who provide friendship counseling, take and respond to hotline calls, help with fundraising projects, and assist with determining resources that are available in the community. Interested persons may call Birthright at 489-0222 or Maria at 620-1473 for further information.
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13 Dec 09: Anne Bernadette Dail and
Caitlin Howerton, are offering Irish Dance lessons at
Centenary United Methodist Church on Cedar
Lane. The program will begin in mid January and is open to parishioners
and non-parishioners ages 5-13.
Please send an email of interest with the age(s) of the children and any
questions you may have to
portsmouthirishdance@gmail.com. Depending on the response, we may have
more than one class during the week, so spread the word!
Both Anne Bernadette and Caitlin are championship Irish dancers and have
been teaching for several years and look forward to passing on this
wonderful tradition to your child.
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1 Nov 09: “DECOLORES" fellow Cursillistas: If you have completed a mens or womens Catholic Cursillo Weekend, come live out your Fourth Day and support the revitalization of the Greater Hampton Roads Cursillo Community (GHRCC). The goal is to establish regional Ultreyas and Groupings then reestablish our local Cursillo weekends. The first step is to identify all current Cursillistas within each parish. Please contact Greg Branigan at 757-572-1198 or email donold@managemytime.com for access to the GHRCC website.
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18 Oct 09: If you would like
to donate Altar Flowers in Honor of or In Memory of a loved one, please
call the Church Office, 397-7066 to reserve your weekend for Altar
Flowers. The Church Office will handle ordering the flowers at $40.00
per arrangement.
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30 Aug 09: Retrouvaille (Re
tro vi' with a long i) – Thinking about separation or divorce?
Is your marriage or that of a relative or friend in trouble? Do
you know how to save that marriage, or do you feel helpless?
Retrouvaille is designed to help troubled marriages. It gives spouses
the tools to re-awaken the love, trust and commitment that originally
brought them together. The program has also been successful at leading
some couples to reconciliation after having separated or divorced. For
more information about the program call Bruce & Colleen at (800)
470-2230 or (804) 639-1870 or visit the our website
www.HelpOurMarriage.com
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16 Aug 09: Cathedral Exhibits Open on Sunday
Mornings: The Museum of Virginia Catholic History exhibits located in
the Baptistery Gallery and Crypt & Undercroft at the Cathedral of the
Sacred
Heart will be open to the public every Sunday immediately after the 9am
and 11am Mass. All are welcome to come and tour these new exhibits.
There is No Admission Fee.
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3 May 09: A parishioner has lost a black leather prayer book which is very old and had belonged to her mother. Please, if anyone has found this very sentimental prayer book call the Church Office at 397-7066.
There are many other articles in our lost and found box in the glass room in the back of the church. Please look in this box if you have lost a hat, sweater, glasses, keys, books, baby items, etc. We will need to dispose of these articles if they are not claimed in the near future.
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19 Apr 09: The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart invites you, your family and friends to visit this national historic landmark and center of diocesan worship and outreach - throughout the Easter Season and during the summer. You can now view the results of extensive preservation of the original seat of the Virginia Diocese (now Richmond Diocese), and, the newly installed Museum of Virginia Catholic History. More than 1,800 donors have given to The Centennial Preservation Campaign for your Cathedral since the Campaign was launched diocesan-wide. Funds secured to date total $4.2 million in gifts, pledges and historic preservation tax reimbursements. The goal is $6.0 million. Bishop DiLorenzo announced a $500,000 Challenge Gift to inspire all to participate as you can. Contact info: 804/359-5651, ext. 118; kkremer@richmondcathedral.org.
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9 Nov 08: Are you interested in Quilting? I am interested in starting a “Quilting Bee” at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. We could meet on a mutually decided day or evening. The quilting bee can be whatever we want it to be. Anyone in our Cluster, or even your friends, outside the Cluster are invited. Please email me at ljennison1@verizon.net (the first letter is lower case l for Laura, the second after Jennison is the number one), please put quilting bee in the subject line), or call me at home, 483-1858. I think we would all enjoy the fellowship and the knowledge that would be shared.
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Refugee & Immigration Services, a ministry of the Richmond Catholic Diocese located in Hampton, is currently in need of a vehicle in good running condition for the office. A van (or other large vehicle) is preferred for use to transport refugee families to various appointments in the Hampton Roads area. Additionally, bikes are also needed for refugees to use to get to and from work. Please contact Karen Schomaker at (757)-247-3600 ext 17 for more information.
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St. Ann’s Basilica in Scranton, PA, televises the Daily Mass during the week at 3:30pm on HDTV Channel 263.
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SINGLE CATHOLIC ADULTS: Looking to meet people of similar backgrounds? Tidewater Catholic Alumni Club (TCAC) is a local organization of college graduates of the Catholic faith who gather together for religious, social, and cultural activities. Full membership is open to single Catholics over the age of 21 who are either 4-year or 2-year college graduates, and are free to marry in the Catholic Church. However, partial membership is also available. Our current members are generally in the age range of 30’s to 50's. We always welcome new people and new ideas. For more information contact Hope at 595-6996 or Lisa at 480-8737 and visit the Tidewater Catholic Alumni Club (TCAC) website at www.freewebs.com/tidewatercatholicalumniclub/.
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We are missing seven of our “floral oasis blocks” that were stored on top of one of the metal cabinets in the work room in the church. One of our parishioners graciously donated these so that we could have fresh flower arrangements in our sanctuary. If you have taken these without permission, we ask that you consider reimbursing the church for these. Please contact the Church Office before using or borrowing supplies from the church. Thank you!
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We ask that if you have borrowed a Communion Pyx to take Communion to a loved one and are not using it, to please return it to the Church Office or leave in the sacristy of the church. We must continue to purchase these when they are not returned. Thank you for your cooperation.
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Please Note: Our new deadline for bulletins: Announcements must be in the Parish Office by NOON on Friday.
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We kindly request that you not park in the parking lot behind the rectory. Not only do our Pastor and Parochial Vicar park there, but visiting priests and any priest(s) who reside in the rectory. In case of an emergency and to allow the priest easy access to and from the parking lot, we ask that these parking spaces be available to the priests and staff only. Thank you for your cooperation.
PLEASE do not park in the parking lot of Monumental United Methodist Church at the corner of Washington and Queen streets. They were gracious to allow us to park in their lot from time to time when needed. Cars will be towed at your expense if you park in their lot without permission. Please honor this request.
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Please Register or Update
Have you moved and now have a change in address, phone number or other
changes? Are you new to the parish? Do you have a child attending the
Religious Education Program? Please pick up a “Parish Registration
Information” form that can be found in the back of the church and return
it to the Church Office to help us update our records or register you
with our Church Office. Thanks!
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Church Etiquette reminder:
Please be courteous and prayerful...do not talk during church if
not necessary, especially during the Consecration;
Please be helpful by picking up tissues, bulletins, papers off the
floor and pews before leaving; do not leave the sanctuary in a
mess; Pick-up kneelers and replace
hymnals back to their proper place; Please
turn off all cell phones and beepers before entering the
sanctuary...this is a holy place;
Please restrict the use of the bathrooms. We know that
sometimes it is an emergency, but we have received many, many
complaints of children and adults using the bathrooms especially
during the Consecration. This is a very important, holy part of
Liturgy. Some of the same children have been seen using the
bathrooms more than once during Mass. Please use the bathroom
before coming to Mass.
Parents need to go with children to the bathrooms. We have
found unused paper towels thrown in the trash and toilets stuffed
with paper. As you know, paper products and plumbers are
expensive! Please do not be wasteful!
(We have been asked once again to repeat all of the above by
YOU, the parishioners. Thank you for your support and
cooperation!)
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Wheels of Love: All Medicare recipients should now be aware that they may be eligible to receive a power wheelchair, paid for by Medicare, if they suffer from conditions such as arthritis, respiratory, disorders, cardiovascular disease, pain, gait instability and other conditions that impair a beneficiary’s ability to participate in completing activities of daily living. For more information for Medicate eligibility call 1-866-631- 3022.
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The Pastoral Care Committee invites anyone who would like to be visited (sick or homebound) or brought Holy Communion to please call the Church Office at 397-7066.
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Mr. Joseph P. Sullivan, one of the original founders of the “Penguin Club” is looking for other members of this club to contact him. Back in the early 1940’s a group of men from St. Paul’s joined in with other men and formed the “Penguin Club” and hosted dances. If you were a member or know anything about the Penguin Club, please contact: Joseph P. Sullivan, RR 2, Box 2130, Beach Lake, PA, 18405; or you may call him at 914-672-3288.
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Print & Electronic ResourcesCD Ministry—Busy? Don’t have time to read faith
inspiring books? Now we have CD’s available in the back of the
sanctuary. Great speakers, inspirational and full of faith information.
Some of the new titles
are: “Change the World in 60 Seconds” by Tom Peterson; “Church Beliefs”
by Jesse Romero; “A Call to Joy” by Matthew Kelly; “How to Apply Our
Faith to our Families” by Kimberly Hahn; and “For Love and Marriage” by
Johnette Benkovic. (This is a good one!) Normally these retail at
$7.00 each but you only pay $3.00. Too busy to read? Listen to them
while driving in your car, travelling, or at home. The CD Ministry can
make a difference. Pick one up now! (6-20-10)
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Former Students of St. Paul's High School
From 1950 to 1956, Mr. Ray Chamberland taught physical education and coached football and basketball at St. Paul's High School here in Portsmouth.
In May 2007, Coach and his wife Rita Reagan Chamberland returned to Portsmouth for the class reunions of the St. Paul's classes from 1955 through 1958. After our dinner, the coach spoke of his many humorous memories from his years here at St. Paul's, and has now agreed to record these and additional memories on a DVD or VHS video. Coach is an excellent and entertaining speaker.
We are offering this recording for sale to those who enjoyed these years at St. Paul's High School, or who have family members who enjoyed them. It would also make an excellent gift, or just a souvenir of a more simple time, the 1950s.
Please complete the below portion of this notice, and mail it to: Patrick Morris, 2221 Banstead Road, Midlothian, Va. 23113, along with your $20.00 check for each DVD or VHS video ordered. This amount covers the DVD or VHS, shipping/ handling, and a donation to the St. Paul's Church Restoration Fund.
All proceeds from the
sale of this video will go to the
Restoration Fund at St. Paul's Catholic
Church, Portsmouth, Virginia.
_______________________________________________
Yes, please mail me _____copies of "Ray Chamberland's
1950-1956 St. Paul's Memories" @ $20.00 each, including
shipping/handling and a contribution to the St. Paul's
Church Restoration Fund.
I prefer DVD________ VHS tape__________
My check for $_____. ____ is enclosed.
Name__________________________________________
Street
Adress__________________________________________
City/State/
Zip_____________________________________________
________________________________________________
(Please cut out and mail with your check)