From the Desk of Deacon Dave
The readings this weekend seem to be a little “fishy." In the first reading, we jump into the second half of the story of Jonah the prophet as he reluctantly preaches the message of the Lord to the evil citizens of Ninevah. I say Jonah was reluctant because he only preached the Lord’s message after a large fish swallowed him up and spit him out three days later after he tried to run from the Lord. But despite himself, Jonah was successful because God is in the business of changing hearts. You might even consider popping some popcorn and sitting down with your children or grandchildren to watch the animated story of Jonah. Do a Google search for “Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie (2002)”. The movie lasts 82 minutes and I guarantee that you will laugh and learn some Biblical truths.
In today’s Gospel, we hear Mark’s version of Jesus calling four fishermen - Andrew and Peter, James and John - to drop their nets and become fishers of men. Thankfully, they chose to follow Jesus, sit at his feet, and form his inner circle of apostles. With the help of the Holy Spirit after the Ascension, they helped to spread the Gospel to every land and people. We, as members of Christ’s Church, are also called, equipped, and strengthened through the Church’s teachings and sacraments to continue their mission of fishing for men and spreading the Gospel through evangelization.
I recently read that there are basically four reasons why people do not catch fish: 1. Some are using the wrong bait. 2. Some are fishing in the wrong lake, that is, they don’t know where the fish are. 3. Some have the right bait and they’re in the right lake, but they don’t just don’t know how to fish. 4. Finally, some have the right bait; they’re in the right lake; and they know how to fish but, they’re just not fishing. The problem is not that we have the wrong bait. The Gospel message can hook any fish when we tell our life story and how we were hooked. The problem is not that we have the wrong lake, the lake is full of fish … ex-Catholics in our families and on our streets. The problem is often of ignorance or apathy. There are many Catholics who don’t know how to share Jesus and sadly, there are many who don’t care to share Jesus. They have been blessed with our faith and nourished by the sacraments, but fail to share the Good News. If you knew that Best Buy was giving away free iPads, would you share that good news with everyone you know? Sure you would! Our faith offers so much more … freedom from the lure of sin and the joy of a life united with God, both here and forever more.
The good news is that St. Aidan Parish offers many opportunities to discover and share Christ with others … through our Men’s Fellowship and Women’s Endow Groups; through involvement in our Faith Formation, Youth Group and Young Adult Group; through various Bible Studies and Small Group gatherings; even through community involvement in our Fish Fry, Summer and Fall Festivals, and the Passion Play. To know Jesus is to share Jesus, and a relationship with Jesus begins with the Holy Mass where we hear His Word and receive His Love in the Eucharist. In this year of Eucharistic Revival, may we seek to grow closer to the Lord, and invite others to know him as well. Remember, God is in the business of changing hearts.
Ministry News
Faith Formation
The Family Program meets on Sunday, February 4.
The next Catholic HOM session is February 7 during Faith Formation.
The next service Saturday is February 10 at 9:00 am in the cafeteria.
Life Teen Ministry
January 21: “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”
Saint Thomas Aquinas names four primary categories people often use as substitutes for God: wealth, power, pleasure, and status. These four areas are alluring and promise safety and security but are waiting to devour us if we trust them too much. Unfortunately, when relying on these “goods” to comfort us, we forget where we should truly place our trust and create substitutes for God rather than trusting Him. Throughout this series, we will take a closer look at each of these substitutes and how they can adversely affect our relationship with the Father if we are not careful about how we view and use them.
The goal of “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing” is for teens to recognize the four substitutes for God identified by St. Thomas Aquinas and gain insight on how to be counter-cultural by choosing Christ-like virtues.
Young Adult Ministry
January 22: The Young Adults will continue to journey through our prayer book.
Prayer of Contemplation: All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18
Dinner: Penne pasta and meatballs in sauce, bread, and salad
Mission Trip to Kentucky
The trip is set for June 23-29, 2024 in David, Kentucky. We will be staying at the David School, a regional trade school with cabins on the property.
Informational Meeting
Informational meeting for adults, teens, and anyone interested in learning more about this mission trip please join us February 16 after the 10:00 AM Mass at St. Alexis Church, in the Youth Room.
For more information please contact Christine Miller at cmiller@saintaidanparish.org (use subject line: Mission Trip)
Walking With Purpose
Another glass of wine, just one more episode on Netflix, a little more scrolling on Instagram…Women are numbing out at ever-increasing rates. Why? What is it about our lives that makes us feel so overwhelmed? What might change if we figured out how to build lives that we don’t want to escape?
Ordering Your Priorities: Building a Life Well Lived is an immensely practical Bible study that will help you put the most important things first. We’ll begin by paying attention to the One who made us, because He can best tell us what we need for our lives to run well.
Ordering Your Priorities is ideal if you...
- Are ready to discover not only what matters most in life but also how to prioritize those things
- Long to feel satisfied at the end of the day, knowing that you’ve loved your family not just in your heart but also in your schedule
- Want to create a life that you don’t need to escape
Details
- Tuesday evenings, January 16 - March 5
- 6:30-7:30 PM
- We will meet virtually for this study, then will be back in person in the Spring! An email will be sent with the link.
- Register here
Marian Consecration
Our Blessed Mother wants nothing more than to lead us to Jesus, so we join together as a diocese to consecrate ourselves to her, that through falling more in love with her, she would teach us how to love her Son. Come each week for a talk on Marian consecration and spirituality, leading up to consecration to Mary.
We will meet every Tuesday from January 9 through February 11. The location will change weekly. Please check the link here for the various locations.
March For Life
The March for Life takes place in Washington, DC each January. On January 19, we will begin with 5:30 am Mass, participants then board a bus which departs from the Saint Alphonsus parking lot at 6:00 am for Washington, DC, where it meets up with marchers from all across the United States to peacefully walk in support of life. Following the March, the bus returns to Saint Alphonsus later that evening. If you need special accommodations, please contact the parish office at (724) 935-4343 and ask for Christine Miller. A free will offering to defray bus costs will be collected. An additional free will offering will be asked for a bus driver tip. Anyone under the age of 18 and traveling without a parent must have a permission slip signed by a parent to attend (found here). For more info, please contact Christine Miller at cmiller@saintaidanparish.org. Sign up for the March here
Volunteer Appreciation Party
Saint Aidan Parish would like to invite all volunteers to join us for a celebration of your commitment and love for this great community! Please RSVP if you are able to join us.
February 2 beginning at 5:30 in the Cafeteria at the Faith Formation Center (previously referred to the St. Alexis School).
Food and beverages to be provided.
If you previously RSVP'd please do so again as the date has changed.
Other Parish News
Special Collection
On January 20th – 21st, a special collection will take place to benefit the students of St. Anthony School Programs and DePaul School for Hearing and Speech. We have been so blessed to have the support of the parishes around the Diocese and look forward to your continued support this coming year! The children of St. Anthony School Programs and DePaul School for Hearing and Speech have flourished and grown thanks to the generous gifts parishioners throughout the Diocese of Pittsburgh have provided.
St. Anthony School Programs offers an inclusive education to children ages 5-21 with Down syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other special needs. DePaul School for Hearing and Speech teaches children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who have severe speech delays to listen, speak, and learn. Together, St. Anthony’s and DePaul School empower students to become active and contributing members of their respective communities. Together, through this special collection, we can support our students' spiritual and academic growth, and give back the joy they share with us, each day.
Here is how you can help the children of our programs:
- Please put the enclosed fliers and/or graphics in your bulletin or display in your parish community spaces to raise awareness of the Diocesan collection and these two critical programs in the Diocese.
- Please encourage your parishioners to participate in the special Diocesan collection and help them to understand the importance their support means to the success of some of the youngest members of our faith.
- Remind your parishioners to please update their Faith Direct accounts so they may also contribute to this special collection.
With your support and prayers, we are confident God will continue to work through our programs to help our students grow and succeed. This special collection also allows us to reach out to families within the Diocese who need our services. Thank you for giving your heart to these children.
Eucharistic Adorers Needed at St. Aidan Parish
Will you prayerfully consider being a permanent or a substitute adorer at:
- St. Alphonsus Church on Mondays (Adoration is from 12:30 pm to 7:00 pm)
- St. Alexis Church on First Fridays (Adoration is from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm)
There's an immediate need on First Fridays at St. Alexis Church from 11:00 am to noon for a permanent adorer. Email devotions@saintaidanparish.org or call the Parish Office at 724-935-4343 and provide your name, phone #, email address, the church and the time slots that you will cover and if you can be a permanent adorer or substitute adorer.
Passion Play Auditions and Rehearsals
Passion Play practices will take place every Tuesday and Thursday beginning Jan. 23. They will take place on the new side of St. Alphonsus church 6-8. Any parishioner can be a part of this!! They just need to email me that they want to be a part of this. Just show up at the practices. We have many families that do this as their Lenten journey. The more the better!
Performance dates are Friday and Saturday at 8, March 22nd and March 23
Protecting God’s Children Training Event
If you plan on volunteering for the Fish Fry, Parish Festival, or Vacation Bible School you must have your clearances and they must be up to date.
Saint Aidan Parish will be hosting a training session for the Diocesan training Protecting God’s Children on Sunday February 4, 2024 at 1 PM in the Blessed Seelos Academy Cafeteria. If you have been thinking about obtaining Diocesan clearances, this is a good opportunity to be able to get everything done for most Parish volunteer positions!
Assistance will be available to register as a volunteer on the Diocesan website and filling out forms for state clearances. The training for Protecting God’s Children will be presented by Phyllis Haney, the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s Secretariat for the Protection of Children, Youth & Vulnerable Adults.
Pre-registration is required. To register, or if you have questions, contact Mary King, Saint Aidan Parish Safe Environment Coordinator at mking@saintaidanparish.org or call 724-935-4343 x212.
Knights of Columbus Council 3907 Financial Wellbeing Seminars
As you may be aware, the Knights of Columbus Council 3907 is sponsoring four informational sessions all related to your Financial Wellbeing to show our appreciation and thank everyone for their generous contributions and support of all of our charitable efforts These sessions are open to anyone who would like to attend and all the sessions are totally free without cost or obligation and no one who attends will be contacted.
We recently completed our first session on Tuesday, January 9 covering Retirement Planning which was very well received. If you missed this session, you will not be behind as all the sessions are designed to be attended independently of the other sessions
All of the sessions will be held on Tuesday nights starting at 7:00 pm and will last approximately one hour and will be held at the Ryan Center at
St. Alphonsus Church (Blessed Seelos Academy gymnasium). Please mark your calendar to save the following dates and join us for some informative and insightful sessions:
February 6 – How Insurance Can Work for you - David McIntosh, FIC K of C
March 12 – Understanding Social Security – Neil Mager – Sr Financial Advisor SMA
April 9 – Understanding Medicare – Lisa Lauro Sr. Health Care Specialist SMA
Thank you once again for your past generosity.
Knights of Columbus Aid & Support After Pregnancy (ASAP) Program Begins
St. Aidan Parish and the Knights of Columbus Council #3907 remain committed to serving Mothers and their children in need. The Knights ASAP (Aid & Support After Pregnancy) Program is sponsoring an item drive for Mothers & their children beginning this weekend, January 27th. & 28th. All proceeds will benefit Angels' Place, an organization supporting low-income single parents & their children at two locations. A list of critical needs will be detailed on baby feet tags on the ASAP Blue Display in the Narthex at St. Alexis Church. Parish support is requested to provide for the needs of the Mothers & their children by taking a tag from the ASAP Blue Display and purchasing the item listed. Monetary donations can also be made. All purchased items must be returned to the St. Alexis Narthex by Sunday, February 11th. A playpen in the Narthex will serve as the collection point. Knights representatives will be handing out ASAP Program information after all Masses at St. Alexis & St. Alphonsus on January 27th. & 28th.
Walking With Moms In Need (WWMIN)
Saint Aidan Parish cherishes the dignity of every human life and seeks to make our Catholic church a loving community for pregnant and parenting moms and dads. The Catholic church should be a welcoming place where those with these needs find help. We want to offer ongoing confidential support and resources during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Saint Aidan Parish is among the first in our diocese to join a nationwide United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB - usccb.org) initiative called Walking with Moms in Need (WWMIN - walkingwithmoms.com), a new and confidential parish network of resources for those who don’t know where to turn for help with:
• Planned and unplanned pregnancy support or crisis pregnancy.
• After childbirth support and parenting support.
• Pregnancy loss (abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss).
All parishioners are invited to actively join us in helping those in our community who need it. Once the program is up and running it will include:
• A WWMIN resource list and website.
• Parish projects to support women and men in need.
• A fully engaged Catholic pastoral support program through the priests and deacons.
• Being an ambassador for the program.
• Actively engaging the parish in prayer for WWMIN.
Questions on Walking with Moms in Need?
Contact Keith Young at wwmin@saintaidanparish.org or talk with any of the WWMIN Core Team – Beth Ann Veres, Kim Nolan, Mark Mitros MD, Maria Myron, Barb Griffith, Jen Bailey, Tina Ricci, Pam Surano. Know someone who needs help immediately? Contact Kim Antonacci-Nolan at wwmin@saintaidanparish.org or 724-935-4343 ext 263.
Please pray for all involved in this project.
Need Help Now? Call or text the Women's Choice Network
Call 412-687-7767
Text 412-776-6687
Have questions? wwmin@saintaidanparish.org | 724-935-4343ext263
