Friday, April 15, 2011

Tea & Talk

Tickets are still available for our Tea & Talk!  Contact Michele at smgrespectlife@gmail.com or 267.263.2668 to register!  You can purchase your ticket ($10 donation requested) at the door!

St. Maria Goretti Parish Center
1601 Derstine Road, Hatfield
Tea Service begins promptly at 2pm, with guest speaker, Marie Joseph, taking the podium at 2:30pm.

Reconciliation will take place, beginning at 3:30pm, in the Chapel at the Main Church, prior to the 5pm Vigil Mass.  




Come and enjoy freshly baked goods and sandwiches, with bread donated by Bakers on Broad in Souderton, and made with love by members of the SMG Respect Life Committee!!!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

February 2011 RLC Meeting

The meeting came to order at 7:30am and began with discussion on the recent abortion and life issues in the news.  Ron and Nancy Boak, Peter and Michele Haytko, Barbara Smith, and Jody Villalba were in attendance.  Ron opened the official meeting with a prayer and Scripture reading.

Michele shared that, with her work in bereavement and promoting life from the moment of conception, she is working as a moderator of the Philadelphia Suburbs Chapter of Faces of Loss, Faces of Hope, found online at www.facesofloss.com.  The Chapter can be found via facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Face2Face-Philadelphia-Suburbs/181325135234768?v=wall

Ron and Nancy updated everyone on the March for Life:  52 of the 54 person bus was filled and included 18 people from Mary, Mother of the Redeemer parish in Montgomeryville.  SMG parishioners paid $16pp or $32pf (as the bus was subsidized by the Parish); MMR parishioners paid the full $41pp, however the Knights of Columbus subsidized their parishioners.  We received a total of $1046 in donations, which covered the costs of dinner, METRO passes, the parking pass, and paid a little over $200 towards the $1450 cost of the bus rental.

The Committee discussed the 40 Days for Life campaign and SMG's participation in the vigils at Collegeville.  To help promote parish involvement, Committee members have agreed to do 2 weekday evening, 2 weekday morning, and 2 weekend afternoon carpools during the 6 weeks.  Committee members will agree to dates that the will "lead" the group and will meet in the Church parking lot to both drive and lead people to the Collegeville Planned Parenthood site.  They will be in charge of leading the Rosary and the devotions that will take place for an hour.  This is to encourage parishioners to attend (as well as to attend alone).  During Fridays, members have discussed going to the Warminster site (where actual abortions take place); Nancy volunteered to lead a group out there on Good Friday for the procession and prayer service organized by Nativity of Our Lord parish.  40 Days begins March 9th and runs through April 17th.

The 2011 Annunciation through Christmas parish education program was discussed.  Candles have been ordered.  We were given a discount through the company and paid $2 per candle; we will request a $3 per candle donation, to help fund our Ladies Tea & Talk (see below).  We will need people to man the table on the last weekend of February and the first weekend of March.  An email will be circulated for sign-ups.  We also need to make 100 "prayer cards" with the prayers parishioners are being asked to say weekly/daily as we remember the time of Christ's life in the womb of the Blessed Mother.

The first Tea and Talk planning is underway!  Marie Joseph of the Bucks Co. Women's Center is our guest speaker (more information on Marie can be found on her website, http://firedupcatholics.com/).  The parish library has been reserved from 1pm-6pm for our April 16th event.  The plan is to set up from 1pm-2pm, have the program run from 2:30pm-3:45pm, and then give participants an opportunity for Reconciliation prior to the Vigil Mass.  Gary has agreed to make Scones and Michele will make Irish Soda Bread.  Carmen has agreed to lend her teapots and the group will be providing china tea cups/saucers.  Jody has purchased high end paper plates and Barbara has purchased nice napkins.  Michele will contact local businesses about donating food for the event, however if that is not possible, members will get together the morning of the event to make tea sandwiches and desserts.  We will provide baskets of tea per table and Peter & Ron will be responsible for keeping tea pots of hot water on the tables, as well as serving the courses of the tea itself.  Michele will contact Cheryl regarding having 6 circular tables set up in the library and where to get linens for the tables.  Each table will have 8 chairs, for a total of 48 possible.  Our priests will be invited to attend; prayer warriors and special supporters from the parish will receive a handmade invitation from Jody.  The suggested donation per ticket is $10.

Disciples in Mission: the booklets are in.  Peter and Michele will be hosting the DIM gathering at their home during the Sundays of Lent from 3pm-4:30pm, with a potluck meal immediately following.  Booklets are $6 per book and couples are encouraged to share a book.

First Saturday Rosary for Life: beginning in March, the group will alternate homes for a 20 Mystery Rosary for Life on the First Saturday of each month.  The morning cycle will take place at 10am, followed by a potluck lunch; the afternoon cycle will take place at 3pm, followed by a potluck dinner.  The Haytko's will host the March afternoon Rosary and provide the 20 Mystery format.

The meeting ended at 10:15pm.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Rosary for Life: January 24, 2011

How to pray the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (After the Fatima Prayer, the recitation of "Jesus, Protect and Save the unborn." transforms a regular rosary into a Rosary for Life to end abortion.)





JOIN US, today, at 1:22pm, for a 20 Mystery Rosary for Life, in memory of all those who have died since the Roe.v.Wade decision 38 years ago.  We will meet in the main church at 1:15pm.  Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for Adoration in our chapel, until 5pm Benedictions.

March for Life 2011

Be in the SMG parking lot, ready to leave for D.C. by 6:15am.  The bus is LEAVING at6:30am.  We expect to return by 9:30pm.

God bless you!!!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Pray To End Abortion (PFL)

The Catholic bishops of the United States have designated January 22 as a special day of prayer and penance in reparation for the massive killing that has resulted from the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision (handed down January 22, 1973) which permitted abortion throughout pregnancy.

Prayer is the foundation of all we do in the pro-life movement, and Priests for Life invites you to join tens of thousands of others who are offering, each day, a prayer of commitment to build a culture of life. We urge you to pray, throughout the year, the daily prayer to end abortion.  You can find the prayer at www.prayercampaign.org and at the end of this email.

We ask not only individuals to commit to saying this prayer but entire congregations in churches of all denominations.  The pro-life movement is ecumenical and consists of men and women of every religious persuasion.  We also encourage families and schools to say this prayer together.

In addition, please join our Pray to End Abortion cause on Facebook atwww.prolifeprayers.com  There are already over 72, 000 people signed on to this cause.  Let’s get that number into the millions!

Please spread the word about the daily prayer to end abortion to your email lists, from your websites, from your social networking accounts and in any way possible.

This weekend and early next week will hold many pro-life events from Coast to Coast.  Seewww.priestsforlife.org/marchforlife for more information. I hope to see you in the next few days!

God bless you,

pavonenew.jpg

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Respect Life Meeting: January 2011

Due to inclement weather and illness, the January 2011 meeting was conducted via teleconference.  Ron & Nancy Boak, Peter & Michele Haytko, Barbara Smith, and Jody Villalba were present.  The meeting was called to order around 7:40pm with an opening prayer by Peter.


  • The March for Life: the Boak's updated the group on the status of the March for Life.  Our 54 passenger bus is full, and  includes 14 parishioners from MMR.  Ron will be heading up the March, as he will be on the bus, and will coordinate getting to and from D.C., trying to keep the group together, and dinner on the way home.  The bus leaves SMG at 6:30am and will return around 9:30pm.  Unfortunately, neither priest is able to journey to the March this year.  Michele talked with Fr. Peterson, who felt that fundraising was not needed this year, since SMG will fully cover the funds needed.   To accomidate the prayer warriors who cannot attend the March, Michele will host the 2nd Annual 20-Mystery Rosary for Life in the Church, at 1:22pm.  Participants are asked to arrive by 1:15pm, to get settled.  There will be an opportunity for time with the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel after the Rosary.   JANUARY 24, 2011
  • Lawn Crosses: (from Sept. 2010) Fr. Peterson gave permission for the Pro-Life Union of SE PA to display the white crosses, in memory of babies killed through abortion, on the parish lawn.  Michele has called and left a message for John, who is in charge of this project for PLU.  An update on the date of said display will be emailed at a later date.  JANUARY 2011
  • Jody updated the group on the status of "congratulation" cards mailed to new parents.  She was also concerned that she is not receiving all the baptismal forms.  She will contact Cheryl to double check the procedure.
  • Pro-Life Tea:  As both a possible fundraiser, but more as a parish event to bring out new ears for the pro-life cause, it was decided to host a Tea Party with guest speaker Mary Joseph.  Barbara contacted Mary post the meeting and she was up for the challenge!  Michele has contacted Cheryl for a list of possible April dates.  It was decided to suggest a donation for ticket prices, but to affirm that no one will be turned away for an inability to pay.  We will do a traditional tea service, with crudite, finger sandwiches, and desserts, during which Mary Joseph will light a fire and awaken participants to the pro-life cause.  There will be an opportunity for Reconciliation and Mass after the program.  This has been discussed for APRIL 2011.
  • 40-Days Carpooling: It was discussed that many parishioners may feel out of their comfort zones in driving to a Planned Parenthood and praying alone.  To try and encourage parishioners to attend this important vigil of prayer, as well as to give them experience so that they may find the strength to attend alone, the group has decided to organize several carpools, at different times, approximately one per week of the 40 Days prayer cycle, to get parishioners to the Collegeville PP site.  LENT 2011
  • Disciples In Mission: Jody brought up the idea of small group faith sharing to try and encourage more active participation of parishioners not always reached.  The group discussed a lenten Bible study.  Michele has ordered a 10-pack of the Disciples in Mission.  It was discussed to meet on a Sunday afternoon for prayer time and DIM study.  We will promote in the bulletin.  If enough people sign up, we may have to order more materials and split up into multiple groups.  Cost will be $5/couple (family) to cover the cost of the booklet.  This is not a fundraiser.  LENT 2011
  • Life of Christ Parish Participation Activity: for the last few years, the RLC has sponsored an informational life of Christ participation activity for parishioners.  This year, we have decided to continue the bulletin notices of "this week in Christ's life" as we did in 2010, and pair it with pro-life candles and the prayer used in 2009's Tree of Life Spiritual Adoption program.  Michele will order candles and organize a time around the Annunciation to start the activity.  She will also coordinate with Fr. Peterson. MARCH-DECEMBER 2011

The meeting ended just prior to 9pm with a closing prayer by Ron.

Additions or corrections to these minutes can be submitted to Michele.