Readings for the Weekend, September 24th & 25th 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Ezekiel 18:25-28 The Lord spoke through Ezekiel: “Hear now, house of Israel:…If he turns from the wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life.” Second Reading: Philippians 2:1-11 Paul quoted an ancient hymn: “Though Christ was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave and obediently accepted death on a cross. So God exalted him and gave him a name above every other name.” Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus said that outcasts enter God’s reign because of faith but not the righteous who lack repentance: “tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.” PRAY FOR THE SICK: Gail Ballard, Michael Blake, Jewel Burns, Julie Bussey, Kimberly Cather, Rhonda Ciovacco, Rosemary Dempsey, Harold Dill, Lawrence Dill, Faye Nell Erwin, Liddie Fowler, Charles Franklin, Sabra Morgan Goodwin, Allen Greene, Sandra Green, Steve Guyton, Brenda Hawkins, Mr. & Mrs. Clyde Haynes, Rachel Helms, Guy Hicks, Betty Sue Horton, Carlee Huffman, Betty Jay, Paul Johnson, Frank Jones, Jim Key, Barbara LaDay, Jim Lee, Kenny Lee, B.J. Long, Don Maddox, Laura Maddox, Julio Martinez, Marilyn Matthews, Carolyn McKeever, Don Meadows, Louise Meadows, Jo Melton, Leon Messina, Bernard Miller, David Montgomery, Pearl Newberry, David Nix, Rick Nogosky, Charlene Plunkett, Glenda Powers, Brittney Pugh, Pete Ragusa, Mary Rowell, Vita Russo, Christy Simmons, Kim Sloan, Baby Jack Smith, Betty Spence, Nora Spence, Catherine Sullivan, Cathy Swimelar, Regina Thacker, Mildred Tidwell, Mike Vines, Katie VonHagel, Lillian White and Gatham Wyatt. Please keep these, all the sick and their caregivers in your prayers. If you know of anyone who should be added to or removed from this list please contact Pegi. THANK YOU: The family of Ericka Karch, wish to thank the kind and generous people of St. Patrick's Church, for their out pouring of love and support during our recent loss. Your prayers, Mass cards and numerous kind words have been such a comfort to all of us. The delicious meal allowed us to have a last gathering of our family and friends, who had come from near and far to honor Ericka's short life. Thank you from our heart. Jonathan, Jade and Jonny Karch. Linda and Jon Karch. PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS: especially our families, friends and loved ones who are currently in harms way: Dominic Angeles, Darryl Balcom, Michael Miller, and Barbara Salvagio. Please keep all of our brave men and women in your prayers. If you know of anyone who should be added to or removed from this list please contact Pegi in the Church office. PARISH CENSUS: the parish census and time and talents search has begun this weekend and will continue next weekend. It is very important that each family be included in this census.If you will be out of town please contact the office for a census and time and talents cards.

PLEASE HELP ! There are a number of vacancies on the telephone committee. These vacancies create a burden for the rest of the team. Could you spare a few minutes of your time on the occasions when we need to contact our parish family? We could really use at least 10 additional volunteers and would gladly accept more. The more we have the less time it takes to contact the parish family. With enough volunteers it should only take about ten to fifteen minutes per person. Also with enough volunteers we could have alternates in case a team member is out of town, ill or not able to call their list due to other circumstances. If you feel you would be able to help please contact Liz Smith or the Church Office.

PASTOR’S CORNER

MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY to Mary Ann Tudisco and her family on the occasion of the death of their beloved Sam. May God bear you up with his grace during this time of loss.

DON’T FORGET that daily Mass is now celebrated at 8:00 AM, Monday through Friday. We need volunteers to serve as Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. If your children are home schooled why not speak with me about training them as altar servers for daily Mass?

NEXT WEEKEND is pledge Sunday for Catholic Charities. Our goal for this year is $32,000.00! I would like to challenge every family to donate $120.00. (Remember, you can spread your pledge out over the next year and pay as little as $10.00 dollars a month.) Please see the insert to read about the good things that Catholic Charities money does right here in our own Diocese of Birmingham. Please be generous.

PLEASE SEE the enclosed flyer about our Parish Retreat Day on Saturday, October 22, 2005. The theme is Behold Your Mother: Mary and the Christian Life. All are invited to register for this event

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CATECHETICAL SUNDAY is September 18th. We will Recognize and Commission all of our Faith Formation Teachers and volunteers grades K – 12 at the 10am Mass.

The 4th Annual Jerome C. Bradley Dinner Dance October 8 - Plans have been finalized for the 4th annual Jerome C. Bradley Memorial Dinner Dance that promises to be the best ever. We have a new and more comprehensive food menu that includes more food and more choices. We have a new disc jockey that promises to make our entertainment the best ever. And then there's the fellowship. We will all be together to share a night of fun, good food, conversation and dancing. It is important that you purchase your tickets as soon as possible. Just contact Louis J. Muro or any Knight of Columbus to get your tickets. If you want to engage family or friends for a night out together, we will certainly reserve a table for you so that you can all sit together. Thanks for your great support. A portion of the proceeds from this years Dance will be donated to Cystic Fibrosis Research with the remainder going to support the Knights of Columbus Council here at St. Patrick Church. 2nd Annual Birmingham Touch-A-Truck Sunday Sept. 25, 1 - 5 p.m., at the Hoover Met. Benefitting Her Choice and Local Pregnancy Centers. Fun.. Educational...Food...Prizes…Raffles Classic & Exotic Car Show Face Painting... Clowns...Fire Truck Rides Kids & families will be able to get up close and personnal with some of their favorite BIG RIGS! Many construction vehicles, trucks, & public safety equipment will be displayed. General Admission $5.00...Family $20.00 Children under 2 are Free More info please call (205) 585-7541

SPIRIT SUNDAY! for Grades 9-12 is today (Sunday) from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. We begin a new round of featured topics and menu selections! Tonight's menu is tried and true for youth groups across America -- pizza!! Please come to the SPIRIT Room for a night of fun and friendship. A $2 donation to help cover the cost of the food is requested but not required.

NCYC PAYMENT #2 for those attending the National Catholic Youth Conference next month is due next weekend as Mass. Please place your payment in an envelope with your name on it and place it in the envelope on the SPIRIT Bulletin Board.

JUSTCATHOLIC.COM is a religious goods store that offers crucifixes, bibles, rosaries, books, DVDs, and much more! When you shop JustCatholic.com, a portion of your purchase is rebated back to the SPIRIT Youth, as well as the parish and the diocese. For more information, please take a JustCatholic.com business card from the SPIRIT bulletin board next to the church office.

MISSING PICTURE: A framed picture is missing from the Family Life Center lobby. The picture is from a newsletter and shows an article and picture about TOPSoccer that featured Nicholas Sandlin. If you know where the picture is or what happened to it, please call Kevin Whitaker (608-1429). If you would rather leave anonymous information, please do so via a note pinned to the SPIRIT bulletin board by the church office. We are not interested in necessarily finding out how the picture disappeared -- we would just like the article and picture returned.

THE SUNSHINE CLUB: will meet Wednesday, September 21st after a 10:30am Prayer Service. (Not a Communion Service) The cost is $5.00 and includes a lunch of Sandwiches, Salad, Chips and Dessert and 10 Games of bingo. Please come and enjoy the day with us.

SEWING MACHINES NEEDED TO HELP THE POOR: If you have an old sewing machine you are not using please consider donating to the poor. Donations can be dropped off at St. Joseph Hall. ST. ALOYSIUS FALL FESTIVAL: St. Aloysius Parish will hold its Annual Fall Festival on Sunday, September 25th from 12 Noon to 4PM. There will be food and games, including raffle drawings for $2,000.00, $1,000.00, and $500.00. Saint Aloysius is located at 751 Academy Drive, only three blocks from exit #108 on I20/59. (Academy Drive Exit) ATTENTION SENIORS: St. Francis Xavier Parish will hold its monthly activity for Catholic Senior Adults of the Birmingham area on Thursday, September 22, 2005. from 11am – 2pm. Mass will be celebrated at 11:00AM followed by lunch and bingo. The cost is $5.00.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

CATHOLIC CENTER OF CONCERN: If you are helping a family that has been evacuated due to the Hurricane please call the Catholic Center of Concern for help with that family. Sr. Adeleangela has stated that help is available to parishioners within the Diocese that are helping particular families who have lost everything. SHELTER NEEDS: Evacuees from Hurricane Katrina have been moved from the BJCC Exhibition Hall to the Bessemer City Auditorium. They are in need of toiletries, clothes, washing powder, irons and ironing boards, toothpaste, brushes and combs, hair binders and headbands, towels and wash rags and cleaning rags and supplies. If you are able to help by donating any of these items, please either take them directly to the shelter located across the street from the Bessemer City Hall or bring them to the church and place them in the conference room and we will take them to the shelter for you.

HELPING KIDS COPE WITH HURRICANE KATRINA: Parents and teachers are looking for material that they can use to help children cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Choose from a variety of projects to respond gently to the differing needs of children as they process what the nation has been experiencing. The material can be used by families or schools and can be reproduced freely. Included are prayer services, answers to kids' BIG questions, activities, comfort prayers, Kids-to-Kids Project, and how to help children of different ages cope with national tragedy. For more information contact Pauline Online a @ http://www.Pauline.org

HURRICANE SURVIVORS ASK FOR BIBLES: As people were rescued from the Superdome in flooded New Orleans and transferred to Texas, the Daughters of St. Paul and Mrs. James Hunt heard a request over and over again: “Now that we have food and other essentials, the most important thing we need right now is a Bible.” “We have a storeroom full of books of comfort we could send to these people: Bibles, Surviving Depression, God is Here… When Bad Things Happen, small prayer books for courage and strength in times of anxiety and difficulty, coloring books for the kids,” Sr. Margaret Charles Kerry said, as she spoke with Mrs. James Hunt, initiator of the plan. And the project to send Books of Comfort to the Hurricane Survivors was born.“It’s important to rebuild homes,” said Sr. Anne Joan Flanagan, a Daughter of St. Paul stationed in Chicago who is herself from New Orleans. She has spent days following Hurricane Katrina trying to locate her family members. She knows now, first hand, that it’s also important “to rebuild lives.”Books of Comfort will bring Bibles and other books of spiritual comfort and healing to people throughout the Gulf Coast Region. The books of comfort will be distributed with the help of religious communities working in the areas affected by the hurricane. The Daughters of St. Paul had to leave their own convent and Pauline Books & Media Center in New Orleans and have a community near the shelters for the hurricane survivors in San Antonio, Texas. Donations to send Books of Comfort can be made online at www.pauline.org; by calling 1-800-876-4463; or by sending a check made payable to Daughters of St. Paul to Books of Comfort, Daughters of St. Paul, 50 St. Paul’s Ave., Boston, MA 02130.

What so ever you do for the least of these, you do for me.

Catholic Charities Appeal Pledge Sunday

October 2nd

Be a part of the services offered by:

Catholic Family Services

Office of Religious Education Youth Ministry

Office of Lay Ministry The Diocesan Campus Ministry

Vocations Apostolate with Mentally Retarded Persons

Office of Black Ministry Hispanic Ministry

No gift is too small – when given from the heart!

Mass Schedule: September 17th – September 24th

Saturday 09/17 5:00pm Bernard Miller

Sunday 09/18 10:00am Mass for the People

Monday 09/19 8:00am Liz Smith

Tuesday 09/20 8:00am Sara & Will Stack -† RIP

Wednesday 09/21 8:00am Johanna Canzoneri

Thursday 09/22 8:00am Joe & Louise Chicarello-† RIP

Friday 09/23 8:00am Eddie Oberst-† RIP

Saturday 09/24 5:00pm Marie Ciulla-† RIP

VOCATION VIEW: God calls people at different times and in various ways. You’re never too old or to late to give your life to God. Generosity is his hallmark. ( Matthew 20:1-16) Sponsored by the Serra Club.

Weekly Events and Meetings

Sunday Sept. 18 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Catholic Charities Sunday Catechetical Sunday “Absolute Presence” vocal practice following Mass. Knights Sunday

Parish Census begins SPIRIT Sunday Night Supper (Gr. 9-12) 5-7pm Monday Sept. 19 Choir Rehearsal 6:30pm Soprano & Melody Voices Tuesday Sept. 20 Youth Ministry Leaders Meeting 6-8pm Wednesday Sept. 21 FAITH FORMATION 6:30pm grades 1-12 Sunshine Club 10:30

Legion of Mary 6:30pm Thursday Sept. 22 Friday Sept. 23

Saturday Sept. 24 Sunday Sept. 25 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Catholic Charities Sunday Kateri Circle SPIRIT Mass 10am

SPIRIT Sunday (Gr. 6-8) 5-7pm

BULLETIN NOTICES should be turned in no later than noon on Wednesday. LOST AND FOUND: There are several articles in lost and found. Please call the Church Office for assistance. Any items left in lost and found over 3 weeks will be distributed to the poor through the Catholic Center of Concern or other appropriate outlets. ROSARY- DAILY MASS -NOVENA PRAYER: A Rosary will be prayed at 8:30am in the Chapel followed by the Daily Prayer for Vocations and the Miraculous Medal Novena Prayer after the 8am daily Mass. A Rosary is prayed at 9:30am in the Chapel each Sunday morning and at 4:30 each Saturday evening. Volunteers are requested to lead the Rosary. The primary intention of the Rosary prayed is: “An end to abortion.”

DAILY MASS MINISTRY: a very important part of participating in the liturgy is by volunteering to be Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion during daily Mass. We currently have a number of openings for September that we need to fill. If you are able to help with this ministry please sign the sheet in the Narthex.