6:00pm ~ 8:00pm

Church Hall

 Games ~ Prizes ~ Face Painting

Balloon Magicians

Cajun Music, Jambalaya, & desserts!

 FUN FOR ALL AGES!!!

  All are invited to attend.

Sign-up boards are at the entrances.

 Donations accepted at the door.

 Hosted by: Neighborhood 2

Ash Wednesday , February 22nd, 2012

Masses:  6:45am, 12:10pm, 7:00pm

Lenten Daily Mass Schedule:

Monday ~ Thursday: 6:45am

Monday: 9:00am; Wednesday: 10:00am

Tuesday & Thursday: 9:00am Communion Service

Friday: 6:45 & 9:00am Communion Service

Lenten Penance Services:

St. Ann’s, Manlius

Sunday, March 18  ~  2:00pm

St. James, Cazenovia

Tuesday, March 20th  ~  7:00pm

Soup Suppers:

Wednesdays ~ 5:45p to 6:45pm:  February 29, March 7,14,21,28

Stations of the Cross:

“Varied” Formats will be offered.

Wednesdays following Soup Suppers ~ 7:00pm

Palm Sunday Sunday, April 1st

Masses: Saturday Vigil, 5:00pm; Sunday 9:00am & 11:00am

Holy Week Schedule

Holy Thursday, April 5 – Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper, 7:00pm

All Night Adoration in “The Garden”, 8:00pm

Good Friday, April 6 – Conclusion of Adoration, 8:00am

Solemn Commemoration, 12:00pm

Stations of the Cross, 7:00pm

Holy Saturday, April 7 – Blessing of Easter Food, 12:00pm

Easter Vigil Mass, 8:00pm

Easter, April 8 – Masses: 9:00am, 11:00am

Lenten Material

Lenten materials will be available at the entrances, including Little Black Books, Lenten Books for Reflection and Rice Bowls.

Three examples of the responses that I found helpful for reflection were the following:

• “God is real. Prayer, trust, then tackling any situation facing you, regardless of your feeling of competence, gives you a feeling of peace as you face a task.”
• “Live as though life is short…because it is.  The point is not to be depressed by this knowledge but to act on it, making sure to do important things now.”
• “Stop worrying.  Or at least cut down.  It’s a colossal waste of your precious lifetime.”

I’m sure these quotes say something to many of us.  Would you like more great wisdom?  Check out the website and wisdom on over 15 different life topics, including faith and spirituality.

These jewels of wisdom are also published in the recent book, “30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans.”

Peace,

Father Kevin

For each of us finding time for solitude, silence, and prayer is often a challenge as well. For the most part, it’s a problem of time – where there is far too much to do and never enough time get it all done.  This means as we set and reset  our “to-do” list, time for reflection, quiet and conversation with the Lord may never happen from day to day, week to week or even for months on end.  All good intentions aside, it’s not because we don’t want to pray, but that it never even makes the list and we are not making it a part of the things that drive our day-to-day schedules.

Knowing that our relationship to Christ, as well as our sense of balance, requires time out to listen and talk to the Lord, we need to simply “find the time.” It may sound too simple, but handle it like other driving forces in our lives, make an      appointment on the schedule you keep in your datebook or on your phone, laptop or home computer.

If it was important to Jesus, it’s got to be important to us.

 The cost per person will be $150 per person.  We are hoping to fundraise around $200 per person additionally (the total per person is $350).

There are only 16 spots available for this trip.  To save your spot please submit a deposit of at least $50 to Julie by Thursday March 1st!

Find out more information about the organization we will be going through at http://www.groupweekofhope.com

 As each of us goes into the world as disciples to do that work, it is important to remember that we never go alone. The Scriptures remind us of that in many different ways.  From the words of Moses and Jesus as they address the people about love for God and neighbor, to the letters of St. Paul, we are reminded that we are working together to bring life, peace and prosperity to all.  Our togetherness as disciples is why so much of what we are able to accomplish on behalf of Christ and the Gospel is what we do as a parish community.

With that perspective, the ministry and work done in our parish depends on the prayer, service and generosity of all of us.  So whatever we give, even if we consider it very little, matters a great deal.

Shortly, we will individually reflect on the increase we may be able to give, or start giving, through our offertory collections.  The collective increase we can contribute together will make the difference in placing our work as a parish on a consistently solid financial foundation.

As I pray for your participation in our increased offertory campaign, I am grateful for all the gifts given to the parish and know that together we can continue to do great things for God.

Peace,

Father Kevin

St. James, the namesake of our parish, was known at the time that followed the resurrection of Jesus for the energy and passion that he gave to living and proclaiming his faith.  We continue to live our faith in that same tradition as each of us makes a contribution to the life and spirit of our parish.

The idea of “making a contribution” may seem more obvious to those in the parish who give of their time and talents in outward ways. Many of you spend time teaching in the Religious Education program. Some of you serve on the Pastoral Council, give time to one of our important working committees or serve in one of our liturgical ministries.  But everyone, even if your life only allows your attendance in church, makes  a contribution.  What this means is that every parishioner is equally important to what makes up our parish.  Together, with many individual contributions, we respond to the call to serve  Jesus.

A critical part of what we share and how we serve is how, together, we support the parish financially.  Now, before you read further you may hear your inner voice saying:  “Okay here we go, it’s the “money thing.”   Make no mistake, it is a financial request, but giving financially is the fuel that keeps the engine of our parish life vibrant and moving.  It is also something that is very much tied to what happened in the days of the apostles and the early church.

And that is that people gave of what they had to ensure that their faith communities would not only have the means to serve them and others in the challenges of life, but that it would have a solid foundation to serve for years to come.

Next weekend, as I help the parish reflect on what we give to the parish community, I ask that everyone keep that history in mind.  Financial giving, like all the other ways that people so generously give, is a vital part of our Christian tradition and its effectiveness.

I understand that everyone’s financial situation is different, especially in these challenging times.  Only you can answer whether or not you can increase your  giving, or whether or not you can begin a giving practice.  But know that the combination of everyone’s gift, however great or small, will ensure our success in meeting  a real need.

Peace,

Father Kevin

The Diocesan Youth rally will be held on March 3rd, 2012 at Bishop Grimes Jr./Sr. High School in East Syracuse, NY from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The rally will feature live music from the Bob Rice Band who has previously performed at various Steubenvilles, NCYC and concert tours across the nation.

The MC and feature presenter wil be national speaker Ennie Hickman who will use his humor and insight to strengthen the Faith of everyone who attends.

Also there will be:

• Engaging workshops
• Inflatable games, prizes and more!
• Mass with Bishop Cunningham
• Grades 7-12
• Cost: $35. Includes lunch

The rally will again have the exciting Interactive Park in the second Bishop Grime’s gym as we did in previous years, more breakout sessions for youth and youth leaders and the fabulous pizza lunch with snacks as in years past and Mass and Adoration with Bishop Cunningham!

So you definitely do NOT want to be left behind for the Race for the Cross Diocesan Youth Rally 2012.  For more information, contact Julie Hagan at 655-4871 or stjyouth@twcny.rr.com

Download a flyer here! (large file, may take a few minutes to load)

Stanley John Derdzinski, III recently passed away at the age of 18.

Donations can also be sent to the address below. I appreciate all support. Some good should come from the worst of situations. Stan will never be forgotten.

Central NY Community Foundation, Inc.

c/o Stan Derdzinski Memorial Scholarship Fund

431 E. Fayette Street

Suite 100

Syracuse, NY 13202

Working to maintain the strength of this parish and to continue its work of bringing Christ to others, depends on what we do now to keep it on a solid foundation.   That involves not only maintaining the strength of our programs, the quality of our prayer life, the commitment to serve and the vitality of our community life,  but also what we do financially.

On the weekend of January 29^th, we begin a six week process of asking everyone to reflect on their financial generosity to the parish.  We are asking you to examine the possibility of either giving for the first time or increasing your support.

Every parish in the diocese has gone through this process over the past two years.  St. James will be one of the last in this process, as we have been focusing on the need to complete the successful Capital Campaign that has helped us to update our facilities and set funds aside for future capital needs.

I am fully aware we are living in economic times that are a challenge to many.  I also know that some people in our parish are giving all that they can at this time.   Understanding these limits, the intention of this process is for all of us to reflect on how and when we can help our parish income meet the expenses that help so many.  For many of us, that time is now.

As was pointed out in our financial report last October, our offertory income, the main source of operating the parish and its ministries, has not been increasing over many years, however we all know that operating expenses have increased.  This often leaves us short of what we need to operate from month to month.  Annual fund raising events have been critical and beneficial, but even so,  expenses are soon to catch up to us.

If all this sounds rather dire, it’s not meant to be. Having gone through this increased offertory process at my last assignment, I believe that if everyone does something, the combination of many gifts will get us where we need to be and keep us there.

Please keep an open mind to the process before us and know how grateful I am for the many ways that people are generous to their parish, not only financially, but with their time and talent as well.  St. James has a great history and that generosity will ensure its continued strength as a source of prayer, education, support and spiritual strength for so many.

Peace,

Father Kevin