Happy Friday!
Here’s what’s going on at St. Mark as we prepare to celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter.
WE HAVE A NEW POPE! Our prayer for Pope Leo XIV:
Lord, source of eternal life and truth,
give to your shepherd a spirit
of courage and right judgment, a spirit
of knowledge and love. By governing
with fidelity those entrusted to his care,
may he, as successor to the Apostle
Peter and vicar of Christ, build your
Church into a sacrament of unity, love,
and peace for all the world.
Amen
WE WISH ALL MOTHERS, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, godmothers, and mothers by heart, a very Happy Mother’s Day. We thank you for the love and care you so freely share with all the lives you touch. The Men’s League will provide flowers for moms at all Masses this weekend. Enjoy your day!
THERE IS ONE COLLECTION THIS WEEKEND: Stewardship.
HAPPY NURSES WEEK to our many parishioners who are nurses! And a huge thank you to the Parish Nurse Team for their dedication and support doing Blood Pressures the third weekend of every month. They provide support and smiles to all parishioners. We are so fortunate to have a super dedicated team. Our Parish Nurse Team will be checking blood pressures after Masses next weekend, May 17 and 18. You may also bring left-over and expired medications; the nurses will properly dispose of them.
ST. MARK ANNUAL RESPECT LIFE DIAPER DRIVE wraps up this weekend, May 10th and 11th. The drive benefits young families at Malta House and Birthright. Larger sized diapers are especially needed (size 3, 4, toddler). Collection boxes will be at the church entrances.
MAY CROWING: Please join the Ladies Guild on Monday, May 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the church for recitation of the Rosary and crowning of the Blessed Mother. Refreshments will follow the prayer service in the Upper Room. All are invited!
MASS BOOK 2026: The 2026 Mass Book will open on Monday, June 2, 2025. Masses may be arranged in writing or email, lrobertson@stmarkstfd.org (email requests will not be fulfilled until payment is received.) Masses are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.
NO PHONE CALLS OR IN-PERSON REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED
Stipends are required at the time of scheduling. Masses and Collective Intention Masses are $10.00 each. Each family may schedule three (3) Masses: two (2) weekend Masses and one (1) weekday Mass. Also, the Perpetual Candle which runs Sunday through Saturday may be scheduled at $10.00 per week.
Please print legibly. Please provide the date(s) you would like. Please provide alternate date(s) in case someone has already selected your date. Please provide the time for your Mass and alternate times in case someone has already selected your time. Please print legibly how you wish the intention to be remembered e.g., Smith Family,etc. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER WITH YOUR REQUEST. The office will send you a receipt for your payment as well as a sheet listing your Mass intentions. Please save the sheet.
THE LONG HILL GARDEN CLUB is having its’ annual Plant and Garden Tag Sale this Saturday, May 10th, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Trumbull Library at 33 Quality Street, Trumbull, CT. All plants are home-grown and repotted for sale to the public. The event features a children’s craft table, Mother’s Day gift baskets, and garden items at very reasonable prices. This is the Garden Club’s Major Fundraiser for the year. Stop by, shop, and enjoy the day!
PLEASE JOIN OUR KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS for Daily Rosary and Litany Devotion to our Blessed Mother, which began on Thursday, May 1, and continues through the month of May. The devotion will begin at 7:00 p.m. on weeknights, after the 5:00 p.m. Mass on Saturdays, and after the 11:30 a.m. Mass on Sundays. All are welcome, the Rosary will be prayed in the church or outside by the statue of the Blessed Mother if the weather is nice.
EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION have now been scheduled to serve at the weekend Masses. The schedule for the upcoming weekend will be published weekly in the bulletin. If you are not currently a Eucharistic Minister, or if you were a Eucharistic Minister whose mandate has expired, and you would like to be added to the schedule, please call the church office. Eucharistic Ministers are required to complete training and be issued a mandate by the Diocese.
CONGRATULATIONS! We are pleased to announce what we hope will become an annual tradition: The Outstanding Service to St. Mark RC Church Award. This award will be given annually to two individuals/couples who have gone above and beyond in service to our church. Nominations will be accepted from the entire parish through February 28th, and we will announce the recipients on or near the Feast of St. Mark (April 25th).
This year's recipients are Michael and Paula Mollica and Jared Forcier. All three individuals have been serving our community for many years and much of the work they do is done behind the scenes. They have been involved with cleaning, decorating, youth group, IT/Video services and a long list of projects. It is rare to see something happening at St. Mark in which they aren't involved. We thank them for their heroic efforts and pray that many more will follow their lead. Please join us in congratulating this year's honorees.
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BLOOD DRIVE will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Parish Center. Please visit www.redcross.org and click on the Give Blood link to register.
BIBLE STUDY with Fr. Reggie meets on Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Upper Room. Please email Laura (lrobertson@stmarkstfd.org) to register.
MSGR. LAWRENCE J. MCMAON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Applications for the 2025 Msgr. Lawrence J. McMahon Memorial Scholarship are available in the School Office. The Scholarship is open to any 8th grade student of St. Mark School or St. Mark Parish who will be attending a Catholic high school in the fall. The application deadline is May 27th and can be submitted to the School Office or emailed to monsignormcmahonscholarship@gmail.com. If you have any questions, please contact Karen Derleth at (203)521-9546.
CONCERT ON THE GREAT LAWN: Save the date, Wednesday, June 18th featuring the Tony Ferrigno Trio. More information to come!
A NEW FOOD DONATION BIN has been put in the Upper Room. Please help us keep the vestibule and side entrances clear and clean by using this bin for all food donations for Blessed Sacrament and all other food drives. Thank you!
FORMED.ORG: St. Mark has purchased the subscription to Formed, an on-line program that provides extensive reading and viewing materials for our Catholic faith. Books, videos, commentary, family programs, Spanish materials, and much more are available to you FREE OF CHARGE! Instructions for accessing FORMED.ORG are as follows:
Go to Formed.org
Click on “sign up”
Click on “sign up as parishioner”
Type in St. Mark Stratford CT
Type in your name
Type in your eMail address
ST. MARK SCHOOL NEWS:
Handmade blankets needed:
In celebration of St. Mark School’s 60th Anniversary, we are excited to partner with Project Linus for a heartfelt, school-wide service initiative. Our goal is to create 60 handmade fleece blankets to bring warmth, comfort, and hope to children in need.
We invite our parish community to support this effort! The 60th Anniversary Committee is gratefully accepting donations of handmade blankets.
Donations can be dropped off at the St. Mark School Main Office by June 2, 2025. Questions .. contact Jennifer Tayman at AMENTeam@stmarkschool.org.
Thank you for helping us share love and comfort, one blanket at a time!
Golf Tournament:
St. Mark School will be hosting their Golf Tournament on Monday, June 16, 2025, at Orange Hills Country Club. The tournament kicks off at 8:00 a.m. with a shotgun start. Sponsor opportunities are available. Please visit https//birdease.com/stmarkgolfclassic for more information or to reserve your foursome! Please see the attached poster.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR FR. REGGIE ABOUT OUR FAITH? Write it down and drop it in the “Ask your Pastor a Question” box, there’s one by each entrance of the church. Fr. Reggie will answer your questions in the weekly Flocknote.
The Question Box was quiet this week, check back next week for more questions and answers!
THE STRATFORD VETERANS MUSEUM’S mission is to recognize those veterans from Stratford who have served our country honorably in war and in peace and to act as a repository for their stories. The museum is designed to accommodate schoolchildren to foster their appreciation of United States history and the sacrifices of those men and women who made our country possible. The Museum is seeking information about any present of former Stratford residents who served our country, especially any who served in World War II. Please call 203 583 4484 or email svm5952@gmail.com if you have information on veterans to share with the museum’s volunteers. You can read more on their website: www.stfdveteransmuseum.org
THE STRATFORD JUNIOR WOMENS CLUB awards a $500 scholarship annually to a high school senior pursuing higher education. The applicant must be a Stratford resident, however, can attend high school outside of Stratford. Application deadline is May 15. For additional information and an application, please email stratfordjuniorwomensclub@gmail.com
THE NATIONAL HELICOPTER MUSEUM in Stratford (at the Railroad Station Northbound side) is looking for volunteers to become docents. Basic duties are to sign-in visitors and direct them to exhibits. No helicopter experience is required. The Museum is open from June 1 through October 15, Wednesday through Sunday from 1-4 p.m. You can volunteer as much or as little as you want. Call Mike at 203 218 4087 to tour the Museum and meet the other volunteers.
DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT VIRTUS SAFE ENVIRONMENT: The Diocese of Bridgeport is committed to the safety and welfare of our children! As all volunteers are aware, an updated background check and five-year renewal training session is imperative to keeping our children and community safe. For your information, you may visit the St. Mark website, click on “links,” click on “Diocese of Bridgeport” tab, click on “Safe Environment,” and read and review the most current data regarding safety for our children, and elderly, in the community. For those who are volunteers, please make sure you are updated in VIRTUS by visiting your existing account at www.VIRTUSonline.org. Or you may phone the Office of Safe Environment: 203-416-1407.
Additional resources are available and free to all parents at our parish. These resources include articles on human trafficking, youth protection, and care for vulnerable adults. Please visit the Virtus website Resources page for information:
The Diocese of Bridgeport also offers all parents the opportunity to attend Safe Environment training to supplement the Safe Environment training your child receives in public school. Please visit the Diocese of Bridgeport website to learn more and to sign up for this free and valuable training: https://www.bridgeportdiocese.org/safe-environments/home/.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Laura and Joan
