Catholic Life Congress

We are pleased to let you know that we will be present at the Catholic Life Congress coming up on Friday, November 17. We will have our newest titles availabe for you to purchase. Of course, during this Year of Faith, we encourage our readers to enhance their indepth knowledge of the faith with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and other titles. One of our most popular "faith" titles is The Basic Catechism. Presented in a question and answer format, it is based on the four pillars of the Catholic Catechism: faith, sacramental life, commandments and prayer. It is a handy guide for all: both the experienced Catholic and the new comers. For the little ones there is a brand new title about the soul: Forever You. A new video with many four minute segments on lives of Saints is a must-have for classrooms.
Here are some peeks at our newest titles:

November

As we enter this Year of Faith, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will celebrate its once-a-year Catholic Life Congress on Novembert 17th, 2012. the Congress will take place at the downtown Sheraton Hotel on N. 17th Street in  Philadelphia's Center City area. The Sheraton is directly across the street from the Archdiocesean Pastoral Center which is 222 N. 17th Street. Pauline Books & Media will be present to help you live out the Year of Faith with an extensive display of books and media for personal
and classroom use. Mark your calendars for a full day of faith-filled enrichment!
Check out this link:

http://www.phillycongress.org/

Beginning the Year of Faith

On October 11th, Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the Year of Faith. This Year commemorates the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II, Just two days earlier the Pope opened a Synod of Bishops from around the world to face the challenges of "new evangelzation." In this Year we celebrate the gift of Faith. The Synod offers a challlenge to invite others to Faith. The Year of Faith invites us to "Open the Door of Faith" ever wider to embrace more and more peope yearning for the peace of Christ. And it offers us Catholics "in the pews" opportunities to deepen our rootedness in Faith in Jesus Christ.
The Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey is beginning this Year with a diocesan Eucharistic Congress.
The celebration of the Eucharistic Congress embodies what Pope Benedict wrote in his letter "Porta Fidei" (The Door of Faith):
"We want this Year to arouse in every believer the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope. It will also be a good opportunity to intensify the celebration of the faith in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, which is “the summit towards which the activity of the Church is directed; ... and also the source from which all its power flows.” "
We Daughters of St. Paul will hold a display of appropriate books and media to offer to those attending the Eucharistic Congress.
For all of you in the Trenton Diocese and Northen parts of the Philadelphia Archdiocese what a great opportunity to begin this special year than with prolonged Eucharistic adoration and good media to nourish our spiritual life during the year. The Congress is being held at the PNC Arts Center, Holmdale. See the website at http://www.dioceseoftrenton.org/page.aspx?pid=372.
Have a blessed beginning of the Year of Faith!

Our Whereabouts

The summer was so full that when September came our blog was neglected. We apologize for not keeping you updated.
Five Sisters marked their silver anniversaries, two marked 60 years of profession, and three of us celebrated 50 years. In the photo below one of the silver jubilarians is visible on the left, Sister Domenica and Sister Mary Joan 60th anniversary; Sr. Irene Mary, Sr. Mary Peter and Sister Majorina are golden jubilarians.

For those of you in Philadelphia, we are continuing our search for a new Pauline book and media center. One of the Sisters serving in Philadelphia celebrated her golden jubilee as a professed Daughter of St. Paul: Sister Mary Peter Martin.
 Sister joined nine other Daughters of St. Paul who are also jubilarians at our Boston Provincialate and Novitiate in August.
After a few weeks of vacation the two Sisters of the Philadelphia community celebrated the Feast of Mary's Nativity, Sr. Mary Peter's 50th anniversary, and the going-away party for Sister Cynthia Guza.
About 25 people attended the Mass concelebrated by Father Dennis Gill and Monsignor John Wendrychowicz. At the end of Mass the Sisters thanked the priests and their guests for celebrating with them and for all the help these friends have contributed for many years in Philadelphia and New Jersey.
We pray for all of our friends, volunteers and Pauline Cooperators without whose help we would not be able to reach so many people. For all of you readers who could not be present, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We look forward to seeing you at various events in the Philadelphia/Harrisburg and Trenton areas especially.
Have a blessed continuation of October, Pro-Life Month, and Month of Mary's Rosary.

East Coast Family Conference

This coming Saturday we head to Trenton, New Jersey for the East Coast Catholic Family Conference. The Conference will take place in the Sun National Bank Center at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and South Broad Street in Trenton. Doors open at 7:30 AM. (Enter through Gate A).
 Several nationally known speakers will be presenters among them Father Andrew Apostoli, CFR, and Father Michael Calloway, MIC.
The event will conclude with Mass at 4:30 PM. We Daughters of St. Paul will be present with an extensive book and media display.


 

July 14 and 15 in New Jersey

Last week 25 young women visited our Boston Novitiate House and headquarters of Pauline books and Media. Their week ended with the solemn yet joyful ceremony of the perpetual religious profession of sister Marlyn. the event took place in sister's home parish in East Boston, Massachusetts. the Mass was celebrated in English and Spanish. Sister whose parents hail from Costa Rica grew up in a bi-lingual environment.
We send our congratulations to Sister Maryln and our prayers as she soon begins her new assignment as one of our Pauline editors.
Farther down the East Coast we in Philadelphia will be visiting a parish in New Jersey this coming weekend: St. Gabriel's Church in Marlboro, New Jersey. Once again we will offer a display of books and media for all ages at all the weekend Mass. See the church's website at: http://www.stgabrielonline.com/Pages/default.aspx
Many of our Sisters are enjoying our once-a-year spiritual retreat at our St. Thecla Retreat House. There are retreat houses throughout the USA and Canada which offer weekend, or even one-day retreats. A retreat is a great opportunity to pray and listen to what God may be telling us. A good book is also a way to do an "at home" retreat. Find one for yourself at our website: http://www.pauline.org/.

Cancellation

Due to unforeseen events, our visit to Our Lady of Hope Church which is listed on our calenar for July 8 is postponed tentatively until the end of September.

Fourth of July

We are blessed to be in the City of Brotherly Love, where the USA was born 236 years ago. courageous men risked their lives by signing the Declaration of Independence. We were at Old St. Joseph church in downtown Philadelphia this past weekend--ony a block away from the major historic sights. St. Joseph's itself is historic: the first Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia. It is impressive to ponder that the church has existed in that alley since 1733--before the Declaration of Indepence. Thanks to William Penn's foresight and toleration, St. Joseph's remained open when some protested that the "Romish Chapel" was not of the  "established" religion (at that time the Church of England.) We are grateful to the early Jesuits who founded the parish as well as the current Jesuits who staff St. Joseph's now.
Here are some photos of our display this weekend:

Charismatic Asian Indian

Beginning on Friday, June 22nd and lasting through the early afternoon of June 24th, Catholic Charismatics especially of Indian descent will gather in Philadelphia for an event that is bound to bring about a spiritual renewal. Many speakers have been invited from bishops to inspired lay people. We Daughters of St. Paul and Cooperators will be present with a display of books and media to reinforce the messages the people will hear.
The Conference will take place at St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church at 608 Welsh Rd., Philadelphia PA 19115. The church is close to the intersection of Grant Avenue and Welsh Rd.

For more information check their website: http://www.queenmaryministryusa.org/.
The St. Thomas Parish website has directions http://www.syromalabarphila.org/

A Movie Not to Miss

In case you have not seen it, I suggest you go to see the new film on the Cristeros War which ravaged Mexico from 1926--1929. The War was an attempt on the part of Catholics to restore their religious liberties which had been brutally trampled by the Mexican government's leader Plutarco Elias Calles. Andy Garcia stars as the non-practicing husband of a devout church-goer played by (Eva Longaoria). Garcia's portrayal of  General Gorostieta is a perfect fit. Known as a sort of agnostic but respectful of others' right to worship, Gorostieta was hired by the Cristeros whose mottoe was Long live Christ the King, or Viva Cristo Rey! Garcia does a fine job in the role of the general who succeeded in weaving together a formidable army from volunteers from all over the country. Mauricio Kino, a fourteen year old newcomer,  portrays a likeable Jose Del Rio who witnessed the martyrdom of Father Christopher Magallenos. He and a buddy fled to the Cristero camp after witnessing the murder of a photographer who wanted to show the world proof of the torture inflicted on the victims of the government's persecution. Jose and Father Christopher are now part of a veritable holy army who have been beatified or canonized as Saints and martyrs for the faith.
Rather than complain that there are not enough wholesome movies, support movies such as For Greater Glory. To see a review click on this link:
http://www.moviefone.com/movie/for-greater-glory/55688/main?sem=1&ncid=searchusmovi00000016&s_kwcid=TC|15224|%2Bgreater%20%2Bglory%20movie||S|b|22497773995

A Good Movie

Recently we had the privilege to view a screening of the new movie "For Greater Glory"  in downtown Philadelphia. In this week's current bulletin our Parish of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary contains a letter from Archbishop Chaput recommending the movie. For Greater Glory tells the true story of the "Cristeros" or the "Cristiada" War which took place in Mexico in the late 1920's. 90,000 people died in that war including hundreds of priests and lay people who resisted the anti-Christian laws of the government.
I read an interview with the film's director Dean Wright. He had been captivated by the story of the Cristeros who fought to gain freedom of religion and free speech in Mexico. When he met with the daughter of the main character who is well portrayed by Andy Garcia, Wright became even more engaged with the story. For years the Cristeros were unknown in their own country because the laws enacted in the early 20th century were still on the books until 1992. The whole era was barely mentioned in many schools.
Now Providence would have it that "a cause worth dying for" is being made known to a greater audience. Thanks to this movie many more will repeat with conviction the Cristeros' motto: "Viva Cristo Rey!" Long live Christ the King!
See a trailer of the film:
http://www.moviefone.com/movie/for-greater-glory/55688/main?sem=1&ncid=searchusmovi00000016&s_kwcid=TC|15224|%2Bgreater%20%2Bglory%20movie||S|b|22497773995

Corpus Christi

Tomorrow is the Feast of Corpus Christi in the USA and Canada. The title means the Body and the Blood of Christ. We firmly believe in the real presense of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The awesome God who raised the dead, healed the leprous, preached the Good News of Salvation and who died and rose for us is truly present in the white host hidden in the tavbernacle, and consummed at our Masses.  Enjoy this feast day of Our Lord by participating even more deeply at Mass.

June Events

We began our month of June surrounded by over 2,000 enthusiastic Charismatic Catholics at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown--center city--Philadelphia. It was uplifting to see so many people most of them from the East Coast who are so very in love with God and his people. The program was enriched by music and liturgies from the Eglish-speaking, Haitian, Filippino and Hispanic cultures. It was truly a "catholic"/universal event.

Our next Pauline Book & Media display will be at all the weekend Masses June 16th and 17th at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Cape May, New Jersey. We may be using our new 10' x 10' canopy/tent to house our book and media display. Please check the parish website for more details on Mass times, etc. http://ladystarofthesea.org/olss/

We congratulate the six newly ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. And, congratulations too to the six newly ordained priests for our neighboring Trenton Diocese! May you all enjoy a blessed ministry of priestly life and service. Best wishes too for our newly ordained permanent deacons who are of such great assistance to our priests.

Gifts of the Spirit

The Holy Spirit helped us to meet many good people as we celebrated the Vigil and the Feast of Pentecost this past weekend. We witnessed people "alive in the Spirit" as we presented God's Word through the media at the Trenton Charismatic Rally on Saturday and with a display at all the Masses at St. Rose Parish in Belmar, New Jersey. In Belmar we made use of our tent which is 10' x 10'. It is really a sort of dome-top with metal supports. It served us well as a portable Pauline Book & Media Center. The tent preserved our books from the gentle rain which fell at intervals in the morning. We recalled that we are Daughtes of St. Paul who is "The" Apostle, and a tent maker as well! St. Paul took care that none of our editions were wet nor were we.

 Memorial day was spent with friends near the ocean. It was a day of real rest and relaxation. Whenever I see the ocean I think of St. Catherine of Sienna's words: "Jesus is our Sea of Peace."

Tomorrow May 31st the Church celebrates the Feast of the Visitation of Mary to St. Elizabeth. Mary had Jesus within her as she greeted Elizabeth. For us Daughters of St. Paul this is a day of celebration for us as we are reminded that we too bring Jesus with us to all we visit. He is in the disguise of his Word. and various forms of today's media: books, DVD's, CD's and many other forms of media.

Plan to Join Us at these Events:

On Thursday evening, tomorrow night, Father Dennis Gill will give his final presentation on Participation in the Liturgy at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, 222 N. 17th Street in downtown Philadelphia. We will have a focused display featuring the Daily and Sunday St. Paul Missals in the Center Auditorium. We highly recommend Father Gill's teachings on the Liturgy. Each session has been very enlightening. The talks are free and free parking is available in the lot next to the building.

On Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday we will serve as "The Book Store" for the National Catholic Charismatic Conference to be held at the Philadelphia Conference Center in downtown Philadelphia. You don't have to be a "Charismatic" to attend. The genuine enthusiasm and devotion of the Catholic Charismatic Movement is a gift to all of us from the Holy Spirit. The speakers on their program are always upbeat and dynamic as well as faith-filled. Come and let your faith be rejuvenated! Check out the Conference's website:
 http://www.nsc-chariscenter.org/NSCconferences.asp

Tuesday of Opportunity

Even though we are experiencing a "soft day" (of rain) as the Irish call it, the Lord has good things in store for us. Of course the rain makes the grass and the flowers grow. The rain is a symbol too of the goodness and grace of God which falls on us abundantly in many forms. The chance to be indoors while it pours outside can give us the opportunities to grow in our faith

. This evening is one of those "golden moments" when Father Dennis Gill will share with anyone who comes his wealth of knowledge on the sacred Liturgy. The class begins promptly at 7:00 PM and ends at 8:30. The focus will be especially on the Mass. For those who are looking for the daily or Sunday Missals, there will be a selection available at the talk tonight in the auditorium of the Pastoral Center, 222 North 17th Street. Free parking is available in the lot next to the building.

Time for the Spirit

Creating a culture of Pentecost is the theme for the Trenton Diocese's Charismatic Conference. The Conference will take place from 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM this coming Saturday, May 26th at St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, 3500 South Broad Street, Hamilton, NJ 08610. Sister Cynthia and Sister Mary Peter will represent Pauline Books & Media with a book and media display at the Conference. Of course, their display will feature resources on the Holy Spirit. One of the featured titles is "The Sanctifier" by Archbishop Luis Martinez. Another, more compact book, also by Archbishop Martinez is "Secrets of the Spirit."

Folks in the Trenton area and north of Philadelphia may want to attend to enliven their faith and to take advantage of the Pauline Media display. On Saturday evening, May 26th, and on Sunday May 27th, the Sisters will hold a book and media display at St. Rose Church in Belmar, New Jersey.

An Enrichment Opportunity

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is offering two more classes this month of May on the Liturgy. Father Dennis Gill who heads the Office for Worship has so far given two in depth classes on what happens at Mass, the place of the Trinity in our Liturgy, and lots more. You are invited to attend the next two sessions which are held in the Auditorium of the Pastoral Center at 222 North Seventeenth Street in downtown Philadelphia. Free parking is available in the lot next to the building. There is no cost involved. Father's approach is that of an indepth meditation on what God is doing for us and with us, rather than an academic exercise. You will go away from these classes enriched and better equipped for Mass and whatever your role in the Liturgy may be. The next class is Tuesday evening May 22nd from 7:00 -- 8:30 PM; the last class for the season is Thursday evening, May 31st from 7:00 PM until 8:30 PM.

A Marian Parish in Mary's Month

This coming weekend we Daughters of St. Paul will have a Pauline Books & Media display at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Secane, PA. In the month of May which is dedicated to Our Lady, it is a privilege for us to be present at a parish dedicated to Our Lady as is the parish we will visit in Secane. You are invited to see what we have this weekend by attending Mass at Our Lady of Fatima. The schedule is as follows: On Saturday evening Mass is at: 4:30 PM. On Sunday the Masses are as follows: 6:30 AM; 8:00 AM; 10:00 AM and 12:00 noon. The Church address is 1 Fatima Drive, Secane, PA 19018. We look forward to seeing you at Our Lady of Fatima, http://olfsecane.org/

Mary's Month

Our last weekend in April was spent at Holy Name Parish in Harrisburg, PA. Holy Name has a beautiful new church which blends the modern and the traditional. Holy Name parish is home to Sister Jennifer, a Daughter of St. Paul, missioned in California. Many parishioners remember Sister who was active in the folk choir and other parish groups. Our Pauline book & Media display was well received. In fact, the display at Holy Name Church in Harrisburg will remain open for this coming weekend May 5th and 6th. Thanks to many generous people who helped us Sisters after all the Masses this past weekend.

On Mother's Day weekend we will be closer to home at St. Albert Church on Welsh Road in Huntingdon VAlley, PA. During the month of May we honor our own mothers as well and in a special way we honor Mary, Mother of God, and our spiritual mother. During these post-Easter weeks we witness many youngsters receiving First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Pauline Books & Media offer many titles to use for appropriate gifts for your favorite young people. Of course for Mother's Day there are many titles for moms young and more mature. Visit us at our displays or order from our email at philadelphia@paulinemedia.com. Or, you may call us at 215-676-9494. May you enjoy a lovely month of May filled with joy and many graces. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is offering a wonderful opportunity to grow in our faith and in a deeper understanding of worship: our Mass and liturgy. Father Dennis Gill who heads the Office for Divine Worship is presenting three talks in the forthcoming weeks of May. Father's presentations are more of a retreat than a class. We invite you to join us as we participate in this wonderful opportunity to deepen our knowledge and love of our Lord expressed in our Catholic way of praying. The talks take place from 7:00 -- 8:30 PM in the auditorium (first floor) of the Pastoral Center, 222 North 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday evening, May 16; the third lecture is Tuesday evening, May 22nd; and the final presentation is Thursday, May 31st. For more information contact by email worship@archphila.org, or call 215-587-3537.

Triple Header Weekend

For those of you who would like to see a Pauline Book & Media display you may have a chance this weekend! We will be at three different venues:

Saturday, April 21st we will provide a book and media display at the Retreat given at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary by His Eminence, Cardinal Burke. The event goes from 9:00 AM until its closing with Holy Mass at 4:00 PM.

On Saturday in Lancaster, PA at the Marriot onvention Center, we will have a book & media display at the Catholic Men's Conference which opens its doors at 8:00 AM, and begins its conference at 9:00 AM.

On Saturday evening, April 21, and at all the Masses on Sunday, April 22, we will be at St. John Neumann Parish on Delp Rd. in Lancaster, PA.

We look forward to seeing our friends in Lancaster and at St. Charles this weekend.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Happy Easter! Christ is risen! Yes, Christ is truly risen!
This entire week is an Easter celebration in our liturgy. Sunday, April 15, will be Divine Mercy Sunday. St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in South Philadelphia will host a Pauline Book & Media Fair at all their weekend Masses. Materials will be available in English, Spanish, Indonesian and some in Vietnamese. We look forward to seeing some of our readers at St. Thomas Aquinas at S. 17th and Morris (N.W. corner of 17th and Morris). See the parish website at http//www.staquinas.com/

Holiest Week

Today Christians celebrated Palm Sunday. We commemorated the day when Jesus of Nazareth was hailed a king and greeted with palm-waving enthusiasts. Before the week was out, some of the same people turned on him with fists in the air demanding that Jesus be crucified. Today at all the Masses celebrated in the Roman Catholic church the narrative from St. Mark's gospel was proclaimed. Today's gospel ended on a somber note: Jesus' tomb was sealed by a large stone. Two women named Mary watched what happened and noted the tomb's location.
With the perspective of Christian believers we wait and watch as the two Mary's did until next weekend when the "mourning is turned into joy" and the "weeping into dancing" when the stone is rolled away and the tomb is empty.
Together let us honor our Lord whose Passion and Death we commemorate this week. Let us, especially on Holy Thursday, thank him for the gift of the priesthood and the Eucharist. For those who take a day off on Good Friday, may it be a day of prayer and silence commemorating the Lord's death on Calvary. When we were kids our mother reminded us to be more quiet on Good Friday and to pray more. It's still valid advice today.
These weeks of Lent have been busy for us at Pauline Books & Media. We were privileged to meet many good people at a variety of venues: the ManUpPhilly Men's Catholic Conference; books and media displays at St. Raymond's church inOak Lane area; at St. Vincent's in Richboro; at the Natural Family Planning Conference hosted at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Southampton; at St. Maria Goretti in Hatfield, PA; at St. Teresa School in runnemeade, NJ; at Our Lady of the Lake in Medford, NJ; and at Mom Heart of the Home retrat in Downingtown.
At each of these events a few dedicated and generous men and women helped us in countless ways: with lifting of boxes, packing, cashiering, and a myriad of ways We promise our prayers in a special way this week for all whom we have met in this Lenten season; all who helped us in many ways; and all who offered their prayers and sacrifices for our intentions.
Our next event will be a book and media display at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in South Philadelphia. It will be exciting to be in a parish with Mass in four languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Indonesian! We will be at St. Thomas on Saturday evening April 14, and at all the Masses on Sunday, April 15.
Earlier on Saturday, we will hold a display at St. Charles Seminary with the two books of Monsignor Brian Bransfield: The Human Person in the Thought of John Paul II, and Living the Beatitudes.
Have a good Holy Week!

Monsignor Bransfield and Hatfield

On Saturday March 24, Monsignor J. Brian Bransfield will give the opening address at the Pennsylvania Natural Family Planning Network Conference. The group will meet at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, 611 Knowles Drive (off of Huntingdon Pike) in Southampton, PA. Pauline Books & Media will be present especially with Msgr. Bransfield's two books: The Human Person and Living the Beatitudes. The Pauline table will also have Theology of the Body titles and other family friendly titles.

On Saturday evening, March 24th, and at the three Sunday Masses on March 25, St. Maria Goretti Parish in Hatfield, PA will host a Pauline Book & Media display. Books to help in our Lenten journey, Easter, First Communion and Confirmation titles, and many uplifting Cd's and DVD's will be available. For the Mass schedule and address of St. Maria Goretti Parish, please check their website: http://www.stmariagoretti.net/

Many new Pauline Book & Media titles have arrived. If you happen to be in the Southampton or Hatfield areas this weekend, stop by at Our Lady of Good Counsel or at St. Maria Goretti to see what's new and very useful. Of course, we will have the St. Paul Daily Missals and the St. Paul Sunday Missals available. These two titles are year-round companions to help us follow and live the Liturgy.

Blessings as you continue your Lenten journey! We look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Marching On

Blessed John Henry Newman wrote the song "Onward Christian Soldiers" which I first heard over the PA system during the sole year that I attended public school. The tune from that hymn seems to match the pace of our activity this month.

March certainly soldiers on. At one time our US Presidents' inaugurations took place on March 4th--as they "marched forth" leading our nation. For us Paulines March is a rush in that our schedules are bursting at the seams with holy activity! Today we have a skilled volunteer who is preparing all of the back orders for our new St. Paul Sunday and Daily Missals.

Last night we were present at St. Agnes Parish in Sellersville, PA at the parish mission. Several people took advantage of our display to stock up on spiritual reading for themselves. A religious education teacher was delighted to purchase the book, "The Kids Book of Prayers About All Sorts of Things." One of her students had purchased it during the weekend. The teacher found a prayer that lent itself well to her class on preparation for First Reconciliation.
On Saturday, March 10, all the catechists of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will meet at Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, PA. We will be present with a display of books and media resources in English and Spanish.

This coming weekend, March 10 and 11th, we will have book and media displays at all the Masses at St. Vincent's in Richboro, PA. You will find St. Vincent's at 654 Hatboro Road in Richboro, PA 18954. The church office phone is
215-357-5905.
On Sunday evening, March 11th, Sister Mary Peter will give a Lenten presentation on Reparation at St. Mary's Church in Schwenksville, PA. And on Wednesday evening the Sisters will give an Introduction to St. Paul once again in Schweknsville.

March Breezes In

March arrived meekly in Philadelphia while it blew in harshly in tornado country. We pray for those suffering from violent weather. In the meantime, we are grateful for the mild weather we are experiencing in the mid-Atlantic.
Our March calendar is filling up!
Tomorrow, March 3rd, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia hosts The Catholic Men's Conference Manup Philly, at Archbishop Ryan High School on Academy Road in Northeast Philadelphia. We will be present with Pauline Books & Media, especially supplying copies of Father Brian Bransfield's two awesome books: Living the Beatitudes; and The Human Person in the Thought of John Paul II. Father Brian will start off the men's spirituality conference with his keynote address at 8:15 AM!

On Saturday evening, and on Sunday March 4th, Pauline Books & Media will be available at St. Agnes Church in Sellersville, PA. At St. Agnes the display will be available again on Tuesday evening, March 6th, and Thursday evening, March 8th, during the Parish Mission. See their parish website at: http://www.stagneschurch.org/pages/index.php

On Saturday evening, March 3rd, we will also be at St. Raymond of Penafort Church in Philadelphia for their 5:00 PM Mass. And, we will be there for the Mass at 10:00 AM. St. Raymond's is at Williams and Vernon Streets in North Philadelphia,(1350 Vernon Street, Philadelphia, PA 19150). St. Raymond's website is:

http://www.saintraymond.net/

Our faithful UPS driver brought us several boxes last night. We were delighted to open them and find the brand new St. Paul Daily Missal, and the St. Paul Sunday Missals. For those who have been patiently waiting, it has been well worth the wait! They are beautiful!

Best regards to all for a grace-filled Lenten journey.

Lent -- A New Spingtime

Lent is from an old Germanic word for springtime. Spring calls for polishing up, cleaning up, and preparing for the new life that blossoms in the spring and summer months. Our spiritual life is in for an overhaul when we take our Lenten journey seriously. A retreatdirector once said that a good book will tell you much more that a good friend would dare to say!

Pauline Books & Media has much to offer for the springtime of our souls! Lenten Grace is one of the titles that helps us meditate, pray over and act on the Word of God for each day of Lent.

This weekend you will have the opportunity to see and acquire Pauline editions at the Trenton Dioces's Catholic Men for Jesus Christ Conference. It will be held at St. Raphael's Parish campus on Broad Street in Hamilton (Trenton), NJ. The Bishop of Trenton will be there as well as others, such as the lay author, Patrick Madrid, to reinforce our motivations for being Catholic Christians who follow Jesus more closely.

In Broomall, PA at St. Pius V Church this Saturday evening and at all the Masses on Sunday, February 26th, we will have a display of literature, DVD's and CD's to accompany your spiritual journey. http://saintpius.net/

Next Saturday, March 3rd, we will have a display at the Philadelphia Archdiocesan Men's Conference at Archbishop Ryan High School on Academy Road in Northeast Philadelphia. Father Brian Bransfield, a priest of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, will be the keynote speaker. Father Bransfield is an excellent speaker, a great teacher, and very much in touch with the needs of people today. His two books from Pauline Books & Media will be available there along with many other editions. Living the Beatitudes, and The Theology of the Body in the Thought of John Paul II are Father Brian's best selling books. Come to Archbishop Ryan and grow in your faith.

On the Road with St. Paul

This weekend, Feb. 11th and 12th we will have a display at all the Masses at St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Media, PA. (The office address is 2400 N. Providence Rd., Media, PA 19063).
Sunday evening, Feb. 11th and Monday evening, Feb. 13, we will be at St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Media for Father Raniero Cantalamessa’s presentations on the laity and evangelization. Father Cantalamessa, a priest of the Capuchin Franciscan order, is Preacher to the Papal Household.

On Monday morning, Feb. 13th we will be at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, PA with a display to accompany Father Cantalamessa’s presentations to the seminarians and priests of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

On Ash Wednesday, we will be at Holy Martyrs Church in Oreland, PA for all the Masses, including a Mass on Tuesday evening for the PREP classes. The books and media will be available in the church entrance.

New Week, New Life

In our last post we mentioned Sister Annette Boccabello who was drawing near to the end of her time on this earth. In the first hours of Sunday morning Jesus Master came to lead her home. The Sisters who accompanied Sr. Annette Margaret wrote this account of her attitude towards death:
Sr. Annette had a great artistic eye. One of her favorite pictures, which hung on her wall, was that of Renoir’s painting entitled The Promenade. It is a picture of a young bride being led by the hand by her lover up a lighted path. “That’s what’s going to happen when I close my eyes to this life. Jesus will meet me and lead me into His home.” Now Jesus has come to take Sr. Annette Margaret up the light path of His love, leading her with infinite tenderness home.
As we pray for the repose of the soul of this Sister we also ask her to intercede for our needs. We begin a new week. Sister Annette Margaret Boccabello has already begun an eternal existence in the embrace of Jesus. We too are in his presence always. May we be always more aware of this loving presence.
One of the new editions from Pauline Books & Media can be a great source of stability and a reminder of God's presence even on the roller coaster ride of life's ups and downs. Courage in Chaos part of the Classics of Christian Wisdom series injects practical and tried suggestions on how to face difficulties with calm and strength. Taken from the writings of St. Francis De Sales, Courage in Chaos is a great little companion for our spiritual journey.

Great News!

In the photo: Sr. Sylwia & Sr. Emily

Today in our Provincialate Chapel, Sister Emily Marsh becomes a professed member of the Daughters of St. Paul. A year ago as a novice, Sister Emily was here in Philadelphia working alongside of us perpetually professed Daughters of St. Paul. We congratulate Sister Emily as she pronounces her first vows as a Pauline Sister. Her co-novice, Sister Sylwia will return to Poland tomorrow. Sister Sylvia will pronounce her vows in her home country on February 5th. Beside being the anniversary of the death of Mother Thecla, our Co-Foundress, this year Feb. 5th is the world day of prayer for Consecrated Life. (This commemoration falls on or near the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple. In some places it is called Candlemas Day.)

Tomorrow we Philadelphia Daughters of St. Paul will hold a Pauline Book & Media Fair in the Library of St. Agnes School in West Chester, PA. after all the morning Masses. The Book Fair is a fitting way to begin Catholic Schools Week as well as a great means of bringing some of the best in Catholic reading to young people. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow! Blessings on your weekend!