Parish Support

Over the Easter Sunday weekend of March 23rd, we received $9,094 in ordinary support, and $5,975 in the Easter collection.

The next collection for our Capital Improvement Fund will be held .

Thank you for your continued support!

Building Fund

Our St. Leo's Parish Building Fund Campaign continues and we have now reached toward our goal of $1.6 million. THANKS!

At present we have received gifts with many potential donors still being solicited. Please consider the "Tree of Life" memorial.

If 14 donors pledge $2,500 over five years, we will attain our goal.

Welcome

You enter this Church... not as a stranger, but as a guest of God. God is your heavenly Father. Come, then, with joy in your heart and thanks on your lips into God's presence, offering God your love and service.

Be grateful to the strong and the loyal ones who, in the name of Jesus Christ, built this place of worship and to all who have beautified it and hallowed it with their prayers and praise.

Ask God's blessing on those who live this house of faith as the inspiration of their labor, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit, and may that blessing rest on you, both on your going out and your coming in.

Pastoral Visits

If there are parishioners who are homebound, in a nursing facility, or in the hospital and who wish pastoral visits and Holy Communion, please contact the Rectory by calling 978-537-7257.

We rely on parishioners to notify us if there are patients to be visited. Please keep the Rectory informed.

Due to the new confidentiality guidelines for Leominster hospital, the hospital will no longer be able to notify us when parishioners are in the hospital. Unless you specifically ask the chaplain to contact us, we will not know of your admission.

Therefore, we ask that you please call us if you would like a visit while in the hospital. If you anticipate a stay in the hospital, please let us know so we can keep you in our prayers.

Wedding Banns

None This Week

Religious Education

Grades 1-6 meet on Saturday from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.

Grades 7-11 meet on Monday nights from 7:00 - 8:15 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Medeiros at 978-537-7257 or 978-537-1194.

Registration for Religious Education 2007 - 2008

If you are new to our parish program, please call the rectory 978-537-7257 to request a registration form or you can download a form.

Religious Education Calendar.

The files above require the Adobe Acrobat Reader®

ALTAR SERVERS

On April 25, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. at St. Joseph Church, 49 Woodland Street, Fitchburg, the Serra Club of Worcester North will honor all altar servers, at a special prayer service presided over by Bishop Robert J. McManus of our diocese.

All servers are welcome as well as family members. Refreshments will follow. Please call the rectory to reserve a place before March 16th (978-537-7257).

SPRING BREAKFAST

St. Cecilia's Parish will be holding a "Spring Breakfast" on Sunday, April 20th in the Parish Center from 7:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast will include Jeanine's Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries, Scrambled Eggs, Home Fries, Ham with Pineapple Glaze.

Adults $8, Seniors/Children $5, children under 5 free. Tickets will go on sale March 16th and continue thru April 13th. Tickets may be purchased at the rectory or call Marilyn at 978-537-5495. TICKETS WILL NOT BE SOLD AT THE DOOR.

FIRST EUCHARIST PREPARATION

Make-Up Classes will be held in the auditorium on Saturday March 29th, from 10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

The 3rd and final Preparation Class will be April 6th, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

ST. LEO BOY SCOUT TROOP 11 PANCAKE BREAKFAST

Our Boy Scout Troop will have its annual Pancake Breakfast and Spring Flower Sale on Sunday, April 6th from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in our auditorium.

Price is $4 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. All are welcome.

ARE YOU INTERESTED?

There is an opening on the Diocesan Pastoral Council for a lay representative from our Montachusett Area. The Council advises Bishop McManus on church issues from the perspective of church members. If interested in being nominated, please call Fr. Doran at the rectory 978-537-7257.

MAKE-UP FUEL COLLECTION

In April we begin phase 3 (our make-up collection) to help defray our heating costs during our present heating season.

All of us are aware on our personal level of the increased energy costs this year and our five buildings are no exception. Thus far this season we have spent $56,291 for heat and have received $13,302 in phases 1 and 2 of our annual appeal.

PLEASE BE GENEROUS.

CATHOLIC FREE PRESS

This is the time to renew or to begin a subscription to our diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Free Press. Cost for the 52 issues is still just $23 annually.

For the latest in Catholic news on the international, national and local levels, subscribe today.

PILGRIMAGE

Bishop Robert McManus of our diocese will be leading a pilgrimage to Quebec City, Canada, for the 49th International Eucharistic Congress from June 18th - 23rd, 2008.

Besides the Congress itself, visits will be made to the shrine of Ste. Anne de Beaupre, Montmerency Falls, and Old Quebec.

The cost is $1395 for twin occupancy. Please contact the rectory for additional information (978-537-7257). A $500 deposit is due March 15th.

ST.THOMAS MORE SCHOLARSHIP

Law students may obtain an application for the St. Thomas More Scholarship by contacting:

The St. Thomas More Society
Chancery Office
49 Elm Street
Worcester, MA 01609

Or you may call the chancery at 508-791-7171, and ask for Eileen in the Diocesan Tribunal.

Applicants may be currently enrolled in an accredited law school or entering their first year. Applicants or their parents must be members of a parish in the Diocese of Worcester.

The scholarship is usually in the amount of $3,000. The deadline for returning the application June 30, 2008.

OUR FATHER'S HOUSE

Is presenting its annual fundraiser on April 12th at 8:00 p.m. at the Dukakis Performing Arts Center at Monty Tech in Fitchburg.

The show is the #1 Beatles show in the world: "1964...The Tribute."

Tickets are $40 and available at Our Fathers House, Bovenzi and Donovan Bldg. (14 Manning St. #102, Leominster) and the IC Credit Union on Bemis Road in Fitchburg.

BULLETIN ADVERTISING

Liturgical Publications, Inc., our publisher, will have a sales representative available within the next couple of weeks for those interested in placing a new ad in our bulletin.

To place your ad, please contact the sales person listed on the ad page or our office. We would like to thank our present advertisers for renewing their ad. Keep in mind: our advertising sponsors make our publication possible.

PRO-LIFE THOUGHT

"Although it is a fundamental embryological truth that each of us was once an embryo, the advocates of embryonic stem cell research are eager to portray human embryos as different from the rest of us, unable to make the grade, and hence fair game for destruction at the hands of those who themselves are no longer embryos."

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

On Fridays, beginning after the 7:00 a.m. Mass and concluding with Benediction at 4:00 p.m.

Parishioners are needed to be present with the Eucharist during the day. Please call the rectory to give us a time slot when you can visit with Our Lord.

Parishioners are asked to volunteer to spend an hour or a half-hour in Church because the exposed Blessed Sacrament should never be unattended.

Remember the words of Jesus to His Apostles, "Could you not watch one hour with me?"

Pro Life

Since the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand for all nine months of pregnancy, almost 50 million unborn American children have been killed by abortion.

More unborn children die every year than Americans died in all the nation's wars combined.

Food Drive

Our Saint Vincent de Paul Society and Catholic Charities will be collecting food, and canned goods for distribution to those in need .

Your monetary donations and donations of canned goods and other non-perishable food items allow us to help many needy families of our Parish each month. Please bring your donations to the back of the Church before Mass.

Thank you for your generosity.

New Parishoners

Are you new in Leominster or unaffiliated with a Catholic parish here? If so, please consider joining St. Leo's Parish. We always welcome new parishioners and feel it very important to show a warmth and openness to new individuals or families.

Please take the time to register at St. Leo's rectory. We should have the pertinent personal information about you and your family.

You can even add or update your information online!

PARISH MISSION

St. Anthony Parish in Fitchburg is sponsoring a parish mission from April 7th - 9th.

Monday (4/7) the session will be from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. but on Tuesday and Wednesday (4/8,4/9) there will be two sessions each day (1:00 - 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.).

The presenter is Sister Marie Micheletto from Omaha, Nebraska. All are welcome.

TAX RECEIPTS

2007 tax receipts for church contributions are now available. Anyone wishing a receipt is asked to call the rectory at 978-537-7257.

Please Give Blood

The American Red Cross Blood Donor Center opens at the Leominster Elks, 134 North Main Street every Tuesday from 1:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Give the Gift of Life!

ACTION HEALTH SERVICES

Offer mobile and land-based primary medical, dental and behavioral health care services.

They are available to assist individuals in securing & maintaining health insurance coverage, locating primary health care and providing assistance with additional community services.

For more information call 978-878-8110. And see their flyer on our bulletin boards.

Spaghetti Dinner

St. Leo's School is sponsoring a Spaghetti Dinner on Monday, March 31st from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. at the Leominster Elks.

Adults $6 and seniors/children $5. All food is donated by the Gondola Restaurant and take-out is available.

Pray For

Please remember in your prayers our parishioners who are on active duty in our military and others commended to our prayers.

• COL Francis Burns
• SGT Andrew Ciprotti
• LTC Arthur Elbthal
• SRA Elizabeth Galvin
• 1LT Ryan Hamel
• CPT. Matthew James
• PFC Jarred Merriam
• LCDR Shane Sullivan

If you have other soldiers that you wish parishioners to pray for, please contact the rectory.

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

Join St. Camillus Parish, Fitchburg to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, March 30th.

The schedule is:
12:45 p.m. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Confession
2:00 p.m. Holy Mass
2:45 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration
3:00 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet
3:15 p.m. Benediction and Final Blessing.

Also veneration of the Divine Mercy Image and St. Faustina's Relic. Refreshments in the church hall. All are welcome!

Adopt a Seminarian

The Serra Club of Worcester North invites St. Leo parishioners to adopt a seminarian of our diocese by sending a card or note and letting him know we care.

The designated seminarian is:
Michael Clements
Mount Saint Mary's Seminary
16300 Old Emmitsburg Road
Emmitsburg, MD 21727-7797

INNER HEALING WORKSHOP

A workshop on "Inner Healing" with Episcopal Canon Mark Pearson will be held on Saturday, March 29th, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Mark's Church, 60 West Street.

Active in the church's healing ministry, Canon Pearson regularly leads healing services, classes and conferences.

Cost is $25 and reservations can be made by calling 978-537-3560.

Food Stamps

New eligibility information about Food Stamps

Did you know that there is no asset limit for families with children under the age of 19 years old who apply and that a family of four can make up to $3,442 per month gross & many legal immigrants are now eligible! (Pending certain criteria)

You can apply for food stamps online or call 866-950-FOOD.

Open Gym

Now that we have our new gymnasium, we will be opening it up for open gym basketball (for starters – maybe others sports as interest develops).

We will have an open gym on Tuesdays for women from 8:00 - 9:30 p.m. and Wednesdays for men from 8:00 - 9:30 p.m.

These times are for ages 15 and above.

RCIA

Are you a non-Catholic interested in becoming a Catholic? Are you a baptized Catholic who has never received the Sacraments of Eucharist, Reconciliation and or Confirmation? Do you need Confirmation before marriage?

If so, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is geared especially to you. Beginning in September, it comprises classes and prayer experiences every other Tuesday and culminates with the Sacraments at Easter.

Please consider prayerfully your call to join us and contact Fr. Doran at 978-537-7257.

St. Leo's Adult Choir

Our choir is looking for new voices and for people who love liturgy and love to sing. Please come forward and join our choir at rehearsals on Thursday nights at 7:00 p.m. and singing at the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sundays.

St. Benedict said, "Whoever sings prays twice." Please lift your voice in praising the Lord.

PARISH TRIP

Once again this year St. Leo's in conjunction with Collette Vacations will offer a parish trip for those interested.

The trip this year will be from September 4th – 11th and will feature the Northern National Parks of the U.S.

We will visit Salt Lake City, Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, Idaho Falls and other sights. The cost is $1,699 per person double occupancy.

Monday, March 3rd at 7:00 p.m. in the new conference room, a Collette representative will give an overview of the trip as well as future planning for the Oberamegau Passion play in 2010. This meeting is open to anyone interested in either adventure.

Same Sex Marriage

As Boston's Archbishop Sean O'Malley has stated:

"Marriage as the union between one man and one woman must be approved on its own merits. Joining this amendment to the issue of civil unions deprives the people an opportunity to express their views on marriage. Citizens have that right. Linking the two coerces people in a way that is unfair. Voting on them respects the will of the public."

Call the Senate clerk or our State Senator Robert Antonioni, at 617-722-2356 or the House clerk or our state representative, Representative Jennifer L. Flanagan, at 617-722-2356 to register your opinion.

Marriage Encounter

A Get-Away Weekend!!! Do you need a vacation? Give yourself and your spouse time away from the pressures of work and everyday responsibilities. Enjoy a chance to talk and listen to that special someone who loves you!

Enrich your relationship by attending a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend.

It's a great time to rekindle communication and enjoy a weekend away.

Upcoming dates are coming soon.

For more information call: Ray & Beth 1-800-710-WWME or visit www.wwmema.org.

Marriage

Many Massachusetts state representatives and senators have remarked that a simple phone call is the most effective form of expressing your personal opinion.

Call your state representative and state senator to express your personal support for the institution of marriage between a man and a woman. They can be reached at 617-722-2000 or visit www.voteonmarriage.org and click 'COMMUNICATE' to find your state legislator's name and direct telephone number.