Last weekend at the 10:00 Mass, I was happy to look around the assembly and see at least seven of our new Catholics at Mass. I often hear that their First Communion is so exciting, but even more special is their second Communion when they are a regular Catholic in the pews, going forward to receive Jesus united with the rest of the community. 

The new Catholics continue to meet weekly after receiving their sacraments for a period the Church calls Mystagogy, which means “to lead through the mysteries.” This is a season of reflecting on and unpacking all of the spiritual treasures they have received in the sacraments. There is so much richness, so many signs and symbols, so much grace received, we do not want the experience to pass in a blur. The same goes for the rest of us in the parish!

If you have been receiving Communion every Sunday for 50 years, you have received the Blessed Sacrament 2,600 times! That doesn’t count any daily Masses or special Masses for funerals, weddings, etc. I bet some of you may have received Communion closer to 10,000 times! We can easily fall into a habit of receiving the sacraments on a regular basis and can lose the sense of wonder and awe, the realization of what and Who we are really receiving! 

Let’s join our new Catholics in this period of Mystagogy. When you are at Mass this weekend, pay attention to the liturgy like you are experiencing it for the first time. Allow yourself to wonder at the meaning of the rituals. Feel the tremble of awe when simple bread and wine becomes the real Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Recognize your humble and contrite heart, unworthy to receive such a gift, but fully and completely loved so much that our Lord wants to be united with you in the Sacrament despite your flaws. Go forth from the Mass a changed person, embracing the grace received to be the presence of Jesus Christ to others. 

Let your 2,601^st Communion be the one that changes your life!

Tree removal at St. Alphonsus: After recommendation of the maintenance and property planning committee, we will be removing the trees near the our Lady of Olive shrine at the front entrance of Saint Alphonsus Church. It will also help to improve the view of our beautiful St. Alphonsus Church from the roadway. If there are any questions or concerns, they can be directed to my assistant, Kelly Wagner.

New Sound System: The new sound system has been ordered for St. Alexis Church. It will cost approximately $75,000. We have currently received $55,000 in contributions towards it. If you would like to contribute, please make a check payable to St. Aidan Parish and write sound system in the memo line. Thank you for your generosity.

Our final day of Wednesday Faith Formation is April 24.
Our final Family Program is Sunday, May 5. 

Please pray for our children who will be receiving their First Holy Communion at the following Masses:

April 27 at 4:00 pm at St. Alexis

April 28 at 11:30 am and 2:00 pm at St. Alphonsus

May 4 at 4:00 pm at St. Alexis

May 5 at 10:00 am St. Alexis

April 14: Game Night  Come try out our 10 foot soccer dartboard. Maybe pickleball is your thing? We will also have ice cream sundaes!

April 15: Join us for a night at go-karting and fun! If you would like more info please reach out to Christine Miller at cmiller@saintaidanparish.org.

Saint Aidan Kentucky Mission Trip June 23-29, 2024

Calling all incoming High School freshman through seniors to join our first ever mission trip! It is a fun, meaningful and easy way to earn your service hours for the school year. To inquire more about this trip, please contact Christine Miller at cmiller@saintaidanparish.org.

We are in need of monetary donations for supplies needed for our seven home projects and to help sponsor a teen to attend this mission trip. Your donations would be greatly appreciated!

Full sponsor - $300

Half sponsor- $150

Checks may be made payable to: Saint Aidan Parish and please include Mission Trip 2024 in the memo line. 

Hoagies are from John Marshall Catering. We are offering your choice of Turkey or Italian for $10 each. 

Dates are:

Wednesday, April 24th @ 6:30pm (following the closing CCD Mass) at Saint Alexis

Saturday, April 27th after the 4:00 pm Mass 

Sunday, April 28th after ALL Sunday Masses (7:30, 9:30, 10:00, 11:30 and 5:00)

You can pre-order by Tuesday, April 23 (for pick-up on Wednesday evening) or Wednesday, April 24 (for pick-up Saturday or Sunday after Mass) online HERE. Limited in-person sales are cash or check only. We appreciate you supporting Saint Aidan's 2024 Mission Trip and helping us reach our fundraising goals!

The antidote to sensuality is chastity. Humility conquers pride. Fortitude overcomes laziness. Love of comfort is countered by detachment. By acquiring the virtues of chastity, humility, fortitude and detachment, we can attain interior freedom and the ability to love God. Without these virtues, we could become like Adam. He lacked the fortitude and the humility to fend off Satan in the Garden of Eden and as a result became the very first “wimp.”

Join us on Monday, April 15 at 6:00 pm at The Ark & The Dove on Babcock Blvd to explore how to meet the challenge of growing in our faith. All men are welcome. For more info, contact Paul Spence at 724-713-8633.

Registration is open for Sharing Christ! If you have gone through Following Christ at St. Aidan Parish or any other parish, please join us for Sharing Christ. We are all called to Evangelize and spread the Good News, but sometimes we can be at a loss for how to go about doing this. We may be afraid of rejection, afraid we will push someone away or that we will fail. In Sharing Christ we will learn how to be brave, be bold, and share the Good News that God Exists, Jesus died for our salvation and that HE LOVES YOU!!! We will meet every Thursday from April 18 through May 23 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm in the cafeteria at St. Alexis. Childcare will be provided if needed. The retreat will be on Saturday, June 1 from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm. Email christlife@saintaidanparish.org to register! 

Saint  Aidan Parish will be having Altar Server training on the following dates and times:

Monday May 6^th at 6:00 p.m. at St. Alexis Church

Friday May 10^th at 6:00 p.m. at St. Alphonsus Church

Saturday June 8^th at 2:00 p.m. at St. Alexis Church

Sunday June 9^th at 12:30 p.m. at St. Alphonsus Church (after the 11:30 a.m. Mass)

Please sign up HERE!

Saint Aidan Parish will be having Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion training on the following dates and times:

Monday May 6^th at 6:45 p.m. at St. Alexis Church

Friday May 10^th at 6:45 p.m. at St. Alphonsus Church

Saturday June 8^th at 2:45 p.m. at St. Alexis Church

Sunday June 9^th at 1:15 p.m. at St. Alphonsus Church

Please sign up HERE!

Great news! Our parish partnership with Hallow continues through Pentecost Sunday (May 19). If you haven't signed up yet, we encourage you to check it out. It's only $1.

Hallow is the #1 prayer app. Through prayer and meditation rooted in the Catholic faith, Hallow helps people grow closer to God and find peace. It also connects people - in a real way. On the Community tab within the app, members are able to share prayer intentions, encourage one another, and learn about their faith through personal reflection. Be sure to join our Parish Community by visiting the "Community" tab (bottom right of screen) and searching "St. Aidan Wexford".

Christ is risen! As His disciples, we are called to go forth and spread the good news of Christ's Resurrection. The fruitful ministries at our parish are examples of how many of you have answered, and continue to answer, that call. To ensure such work can continue requires not only gifts of time, but also of financial help. I ask you to prayerfully consider supporting our parish with electronic donations through Faith Direct.

You’ll provide us with consistent support that helps us always be at the ready with programs, services, and ministries for our church families and for those in need throughout the community.

Register today by: 

·Visiting faith.direct/PA47

·Calling Faith Direct Customer Service at 866-507-8757

·Texting “Enroll” to (724) 932-6440

Thank you for your continued support of our parish family.

Will you prayerfully consider being a permanent or a substitute adorer at:

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.

Did you know that our parish serves nine Nursing Care/Senior Living Facilities?! We provide Mass to each facility under the direction of our wonderful chaplain, Fr. Daniel Straughn, and many volunteers take Holy Communion to various facilities during the weeks when we do not have Mass. We need a few more volunteers to join our Advance Team which helps Fr. Daniel by getting to the facility early to set up and assist him at Mass. In addition, as our list of requests grows, we need more volunteers to take Holy Communion to our homebound parishioners. If you are interested in helping, please contact Barb Griffith at ministries@saintaidanparish.org.

Divine Grace Parish will be hosting a live Diocesan Protecting God’s Children training session on Sunday, April 21 from 1:30 – 4:30 pm in McAndrew Biller Hall at St. Ferdinand’s Church in Cranberry Township. If you have been thinking about volunteering for your parish and obtaining the required clearances to do so, this is a great opportunity to attend the training in person and complete the necessary forms. Pre-registration for this event is required. To register, or if you have questions, please contact Christine Kunz, Divine Grace Parish Safe Environment Coordinator at ckunz@divinegracepgh.org or call 724-776-2888 ext. 101.

The Ark and The Dove Retreat Center in Gibsonia is hosting a Holy Spirit Retreat from April 19-21. Participants can register for overnight registration ($150), commuter registration ($100), or virtual registration ($50). We invite you to attend and experience a deeper encounter with the Holy Spirit. To register, visit thearkandthedoveworldwide.org/HolySpirit. Space is limited, so register today! Speakers include Fr. John Mary, OSB, Sr. Joan, DLJC, Fr. John Sweeney, Sr. Marie Fidelis, DLJC, Sr. Rita, DLJC, and more!

The loss of a spouse is a traumatic experience. The Beginning Experience® ministry provides a weekend program to help widowed, divorced, or separated men and women of all faiths to work through their grief to move forward on their life journey with hope. The next weekend program is April 19-21, at St. Emma Retreat Center in Greensburg. To register, visit BeginningExperiencePittsburgh.com or call Kim at 412-352-2653.