Church of St. Richard of Chichester Barnesville, PA

Parish Office Hours:

Monday, Wednesday & Friday

9:00 am - 12:00 noon

Pastoral Note

Dear parish family,

This week our country will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day amidst pandemic conditions. Some families may not be able to get together as usual to share the Thanksgiving Day meal. Thanksgiving Day, as you know, has its roots in giving thanks to the Lord our God for his blessings amidst the trials of settling in the New World. Please remember to pray for the conversion and healing of all people in the world, especially for our country and those who are sick and suffering.

We are blessed as Catholics that our Lord established in his Church the daily celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacrament of the Eucharist which literally means “Thanksgiving" and is the ultimate “Thanksgiving meal" of our Lord’s real presence, Body, Blood, Soul and divinity in the Most Blessed Sacrament, who nourishes and feeds our bodies and souls drawing us into communion with Him.

The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1325)

In order to continue promoting vocations awareness, I would like to share with you Part 2 of quotes from Saint John Paul II, Pope, encouraging young people to consider vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Please share this vocations information with any young people you know among your family, friends and neighbors who may be considering or receptive to considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life.

I hope and pray that all of our parish families have a blessed Thanksgiving Day.

May God bless you and keep you,

+Father Eric Tolentino

(Pope St. John Paul II: Vocations Part 2)

"When and how does God call?

How many young people do not possess the truth, and drift along without a "reason why"; how many, unfortunately, after empty and exhausting searches, disappointed and embittered, have given and still give themselves up to despair! And how many have succeeded in reaching the truth only after years of tormented questioning and painful experiences!

Just think, for example, of St. Augustine's dramatic path to arrive at the light of truth and at the peace of regained innocence! What a sigh he heaved when at last he

arrived at the light! And he exclaimed with nostalgia: “Sero Te amavi!" (Late have I loved thee.)

Just think of the effort the famous Cardinal Newman had to make to arrive with the force of logic at Catholicism! What a long and painful spiritual agony! It is really a great thing to know that one possesses truth. He has chosen you, in a mysterious but real way, to make you saviors with him and like him. Yes, Christ calls you, but he calls you in truth. His call is demanding, because he invites you to let yourselves be "captured" by him completely, so that your whole lives will be seen in a different light. Let yourselves be seized by Jesus and try to live just for him!9

As we reflect together on the life which Jesus gives, I ask you to have the courage to commit yourselves to the truth. Have the courage to believe the good news about life which Jesus teaches in the Gospel. Open your minds and hearts to the beauty of all that God has made and to his special, personal love for each one of you.

Young people of the world, hear his voice! Hear his voice and follow him!10 There is a wonderful way of experiencing love in life: it is the vocation to follow Christ in the celibate state freely chosen or in the state of virginity for the love of the kingdom of heaven. I ask each one of you to question yourselves seriously about whether God may not be calling you to one of these paths. And to all of those who suspect that they may have this possible personal vocation, I say: pray insistently to receive the needed clarity, but then reply with a joyful yes'.11 God has, in fact, thought of us from eternity and has loved us as unique individuals. He has called every one of us by name, as the Good Shepherd "calls his sheep by name" (Jn 10: 3).12”

9. Rome, Italy, October 13, 1979

10. Denver, USA, August 14, 1993
11. Cordoba, Argentina, September 8, 1985

12. Christifideles Laid, no. 5830, December, 1988

Please Note:

Green Phase, Part 1

1. The faithful who attend Mass will be required to wear

masks and maintain social distancing.

Family groups may be seated together.

2. Please bring your own hand sanitizer.

3. For Sunday Masses, I plan to use the overflow Mass

procedure having some people seated in the lower church

hall with the Mass projected on the screen, while the Mass

is celebrated in the church. This procedure will be

eventually discontinued sometime during the Green

Phase Part 1 or 2, since more parishioners will be able to

attend Mass in the Church proper.

4. Sunday Mass attendance will be limited to 80 people

in the church (50% of the church seating capacity) and 20 people in the lower church hall for the overflow Mass procedure.

A maximum of 25 people permitted in the church hall

for non-liturgical functions.

5. Sunday Mass attendees may enter the church using

the ramp door only, 30 minutes before the

scheduled Mass.

6 Weekday Mass attendance will be limited to 80

people (50% of the church seating capacity) in the

church.

A maximum of 25 people permitted in the church hall

for non-liturgical functions.

7. Weekday Mass attendees may enter the church using

the ramp door only, 30 minutes before the scheduled

Mass.

8. The Saturday vigil Mass for Sunday will be at

4:00 PM .

Sunday morning Mass will be at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM.

Sunday 8:30 AM Masses will also continue to be

live-streamed for those unable to attend Mass.

This procedure will eventually be discontinued sometime

during the Green Phase Part 1 or 2, since more

parishioners will be able to attend Mass in the Church

proper.

9. Weekday Masses will be at 8:00 AM Mondays,

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 6:00 PM

on Thursdays.

10. Holy Communion for people attending Mass will be

distributed immediately at the end of Mass in the Church

only. After the people, who attended Mass, receive

communion in the church, please exit using the ramp door

of the church. After finishing distributing Holy Communion

in the church after the Sunday Masses only, one of the

clergy will be available outside of church at the bottom of

the ramp to distribute communion to anyone in the parking

lot who was not able to attend Mass.

Diocese of Allentown

Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator::

Ms. Wendy S. Krisak, M.A.,NCC, LPC– Direct Phone: 800-791-9209

victimsassistance@allentowndiocese.org

Diocesan Secretary for Youth Protection:

Pamela Russo, MSW, MS - Phone: 610-871-5200 Ext. 2204

prusso@allentowndiocese.org

The Diocese of Allentown provides assistance to anyone who, as a minor, was sexually abused by a priest, deacon, or employee/volunteer of the Diocese/Parish. Parents, guardians, children, and survivors of sexual abuse are invited & encouraged to contact the Diocese of Allentown for more info about this program. The fullness of compassion should be extended to these victims by the Church. To lean more about the Diocese of Allentown’s Youth Protection

Programs, Sexual Abuse Policy, & Code of Conduct, please visit www.allentowndiocese.org & click on “Youth

Protection” in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Sacraments

Sacrament of Baptism

Sacrament of Marriage

Baptisms are celebrated after the 10:30 am Sunday Mass. Parents need to be registered parishioners and attend a Baptismal Preparation Class. At least one Godparent must be a practicing Catholic for a valid reception of Baptism and also obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from

their parish. Please call the parish office to schedule an appointment with the Pastor.

Sacrament of Marriage

Arrangements should be made at least one year prior to the proposed wedding date to begin pre-nuptial instructions. Please call the parish office for more information and schedule an appointment with the Pastor.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturdays @ 3:30pm in the vestibule or call the rectory to schedule an appointment.

Sponsor Eligibility

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Certificates of Eligibility for Baptism & Confirmation require the sponsor to be an active & registered member of the parish. Please call the parish office to schedule an appointment with the Pastor.

Church of St. Richard of Chichester Barnesville, PA

Mass Schedule

Pastoral Note

Please Note:

Diocese of Allentown

Sacraments

Sacrament of Baptism

Sacrament of Marriage

Sacrament of Marriage

Sacrament of Marriage

Sacrament of Marriage

Sacrament of Marriage

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Sponsor Eligibility

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Sacrament of Reconciliation

About Saint Richard

Parish History

Photo Gallery

Calendar of Events