July 19, 2020

Sixteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

Welcome to . . .

“The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

Saint Aidan Parish “Grow in Jesus, engage in community, and go forth to make disciples.”

From Father Dave A couple of months ago, I was on hospital call in my former assignment. I was called to give support to a young couple in the birth center. After praying with this couple, I got on the elevator and pressed the key to return to where I entered the hospital. The elevator stopped but the doors did not open. I was stuck. I did not have my cell phone with me. I pressed the emergency call button, and nothing happened. I was stuck in the elevator alone. I pounded on the door. I cried for help. For what seemed like an eternity I felt paralyzed and lost. I could hear voices, but I felt so far away. It was as if my world stopped. Thankfully, after about 15 minutes a hospital worker rescued me. I was able to go on with my day, but I could not stop thinking about the significance of that moment, especially as I was on the threshold of great change in my life.

When I took that moment to pray, I found that it became a metaphor for me about what happens when we fail to change. We become stuck. We stand still.

Life demands that we change and change often. Someone once said, “If we do not change, we die.” Change is synonymous with life. It is so hard to embrace change, however. The pandemic has caused us to change our lifestyles. In addition, The On Mission for the Church Alive! has challenged us to change our view of Church and what it means to be Church. Needless to say, the whole idea of parish has been broadened as we hear more and more about mergers.

As I reflect upon our transition, I liken it in many ways to marriage. A couple falls in love. They desire to be together for the rest of their life. They become married. From the moment of their wedding day, their life changes with in-laws, shared holidays, new customs, etc. Life is never the same, but hopefully, it is better. They receive many gifts on their wedding day, but one that they do not receive is a scorecard. Together they are to give their all without counting the cost.

The marriage of Saint Alphonsus and Saint Alexis into Saint Aidan is one arranged by the Holy Spirit. In many ways, life will be different, but hopefully better. It is what we choose together to make of it. One thing that is certain is that it can never be the same.

As a result of the fact that parish life as we knew it will be different, there is inevitable grief. In our humanness, we grieve what was. From my own experience of losing my parents back to back, I know how heavy grief can be. One of the things I discovered in my grief is that it can very easily turn into selfishness. Instead of keeping Jesus at the front and center, we can make everything about ourselves in our loss. As your pastor, invite us all to look beyond ourselves in this time of change to what we can be and do together. This is our moment!

In the midst of our collective and personal grief, we all need to keep in mind that our faith is not about buildings, turf, names, or money. Nor is our faith about who wins or loses. Our faith is about a relationship lived out with Jesus Christ in the context of the Church. The goal of this faith is not only communion with Jesus and one another but salvation. We all want to get to heaven.

The primary purpose for the Church’s existence is to save souls. This work is something we all share through our baptism. Every day we are to make it about Jesus. Jesus is the reason! He is always there to accompany us through the changes and challenges of our lives. Thank you, Jesus! Let us move forward together following his lead.

Please be sure to see the article by Dave VanVickle in this week’s bulletin. I am sure you join me in wishing Dave and his family all of the best of God’s blessings and health. Thank you, Dave, for your service.

A Letter From Dave VanVickle Dear Friends, One of the hardest parts of anyone’s life can be when God closes the door on something that you love. For a long time now, even before I heard that Fr. Bonnar was coming to be our new pastor, I had been praying about how to handle the family situation. I have the needs of a full-time and sometimes more than full-time position with a growing Catholic community like Saint Aidan. I have known for a while that I could not meet the demands of managing staff, planning and running events, and helping to lead this community while also being able to serve my family and the almost constant medical needs. I had a great relief of my anxiety when I met with Fr. Bonnar, and he could sense that I was being pulled in two different directions. I want to stress that Fr. Bonnar did not have the same anxiety as I did, but was more concerned about my family and my own personal well-being. Together, we decided the best thing for me to do would be to take some time to focus on my family and “catch up” in a sense and then find a position that would be far less demanding. I am truly thankful to Fr. Bonnar for his understanding and generosity during my transition over the next two months. My biggest regret is that this happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wish I could see your faces and tell you what a major impact this community has had on myself and my family over the last two years. As you may know, I have worked with Catholic communities all over the country but we have never felt the real family connection that we do here. I am so thankful for the relationships we have built here. I am especially grateful for two things that I feel the need to mention. The first is the Men’s group that was founded at St. Alphonsus Parish. Many of you dropped everything for three months or longer and made our new house into a home fitting a family with special needs like mine. You truly are our family and always will be. The second is the incredible outpouring of love and support we received from the entire community when my wife Amber was diagnosed with cancer. I could never imagine how generous and caring a parish could be. I hope to be with you all once again and thank many of you in person when the regular Masses resume. I will have you all constantly in my prayers and thoughts. I know many of you are worried that you won’t receive regular updates about Amber’s progress. Please feel free to email me at davevanvickle@gmail.com and I will try to send out regular updates. I’ll close by recommending to you our family motto which many of you may remember: “The only thing that matters is going to heaven and bringing as many people with you as possible.” I love you all very much and will miss serving you greatly. In the Heart of Jesus, Dave VanVickle

To love is to learn to follow Christ with others. LOVE

WE PRAY FOR THE SICK

We entrust to the care of Christ the Divine Physician, those members of our parish families of Saint Aiden who are in need of healing in body, mind or spirit, especially: Brian Bart Rachel Borck Jeannie Bukaukus Emma Bullick Rick Collins Connor Cunic Gloria Dudowski Nancy Greer Patricia Gross Stanley Hofstetter Betty Howell David Hoza Gilbert Huckestein John Hunsinger

Al Korade Lois Leahy Eugene Mancino Gerard McArdle Liz McArdle Michelle Mehok Ron Mehok Diane Miller G. James Neelan Irene Schultz Janice Spowal Amber VanVickle David Zappa Prayer Shawl Recipients

If you know of a parishioner or have a loved one who is ill, please contact the Parish Center and let us know. We will place that person’s name on the prayer list for four weeks. Intentions may return to the list upon monthly requests. Contact the Parish Center at 724.935.4343 or 724.935.1151 to add a loved one onto the list.

SCRIPTURE READINGS TODAY’S READINGS

First Reading: For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. (Wis 12:16) Psalm: Lord, you are good and forgiving. (Ps 86) Second Reading: And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will. (Rom 8:27) Gospel: “‘Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Mt 13:30b) Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass ©2001, 1998, 1970 CCD. The English translation of Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

Sunday: Wis 12:13, 16-19/Ps 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16 [5a]/ Rom 8:26-27/Mt 13:24-43 or 13:24-30 Monday: Mi 6:1-4, 6-8/Ps 50:5-6, 8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23 [23b]/Mt 12:38-42 Tuesday: Mi 7:14-15, 18-20/Ps 85:2-4, 5-6, 7-8 [8a]/ Mt 12:46-50 Wednesday: Sg 3:1-4b or 2 Cor 5:14-17/Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5- 6, 8-9 [2]/Jn 20:1-2, 11-18 Thursday: Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13/Ps 36:6-7ab, 8-9, 10-11 [10a]/Mt 13:10-17 Friday: Jer 3:14-17/Jer 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13 [cf. 10d]/ Mt 13:18-23 Saturday: 2 Cor 4:7-15/Ps 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6 [5]/ Mt 20:20-28

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE Saint Aidan Parish wishes to extend sympathy to those who mourn the loss of a loved one, especially the soul who recently passed through death: Loretta Marchese (85) wife of Michael. May the choirs of angels welcome her and, may she find eternal rest.

OUR NEW TEMPORARY MASS SCHEDULE

SATURDAY: 4:00 p.m. Live Anticipated Mass Outside – Saint Alexis parking lot

SUNDAY: 7:00 a.m. Live Stream Mass – Saint Alphonsus Church. Due to multiple other opportunities to receive the Eucharist, there will be no distribution of Communion following live streamed Mass. 8:00 a.m. Live Mass Outside – Saint Alexis parking lot 9:00 a.m. Live Mass Outside - Saint Alphonsus parking lot starting July 26. 10:00 a.m. Live Mass Outside – Saint Alexis parking lot

WEEKDAY MASS SCHEDULE

MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 8:00 a.m. – Saint Alexis Church Face masks are required.

CONFESSIONS Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Confession will be offered outdoors at the Saint Alexis location.

MASS INTENTION REQUESTS The practice of requesting a Mass to be offered for loved ones, living or deceased, is a beautiful part of our Catholic tradition. The Mass is the greatest prayer; it is the sacrifice of Christ. Masses may be offered for the living as well as for the repose of the soul of someone who has died, for family difficulties, for sickness, birthdays, anniversaries, as well as in thanksgiving. We are currently in need of many Masses for the coming months. We cannot assign a specific date or a Mass time due to the fluidity of COVID-19 changes, but the Masses will be listed in the bulletin the week prior to that Mass online under “Current Bulletin.” Mass Intention Requests may be found on our website by clicking this link: saintaidanparish.org and then look under “Liturgy”. You must pay for the Mass request online. If you have any questions, please contact the Parish Center at 724.935.4343 x 221.

OUR ADVERTISERS

Thanks to our bulletin advertisers for supporting our parish this week: Please offer your patronage to our sponsors or be sure to thank them when you have the opportunity to do so. It is through their support that our weekly bulletin is made possible!

Hepler Contracting, LLC

See the full list of our advertisers on our website under

“Our Current Bulletins.”

Mass Intentions

2020 Parish Share Assessment: $ 285,076 Collected: $ 158,552

July 6 through July 12, 2020 Regular Electronic Total Offertory $ 12,895 $ 38,389 $ 51,284

Parish Share $ 2,495 $ 8,345 $ 10,840

School $ 26 $ $ 26

Maintenance $ 200 $ $ 200

Mary Fund $ 38 $ 272 $ 310

Catholic Education $ 170 $ 60 $ 230

Peter’s Pence $ 160 $ 11 $ 171

Other Holy Days $ $ 28 $ 28

Future Diocesan Collection $ $ 44 $ 44

Votives $ 35 $ $ 35

TOTAL $ 16,094 $ 47,594 $ 63,688

General Donation $ 75 $ 445 $ 520

Offices Remain Closed We continue to have our parish offices remain closed to the public until further notice. Our staff is still working and will return calls or emails during regular office hours. If you have an emergency you may call the office at 724.935.4343 or 724.935.1151 ext. 221.

Saturday, July 18 - St. Camillus de Lellis 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

In Honor of Thomas M. Clogan - Linda Clogan † William Obrycki - Christine Ebken

Sunday, July 19 - Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 7:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

In Celebration of George and Kathleen Lyons’ 63rd Anniversary - The Family † For the Living and Deceased Members of St. Aidan Parish In Celebration of Harry and Mary Ann Harrison’s 50th Anniversary

8:00 a.m. † Mary Brandon - Marilyn, Jack and Amy Tuesday, July 21 - St. Lawrence of Brindisi

8:00 a.m. † Larry Sampietro - The St. Aidan Ladies of Charity Wednesday, July 22 - St. Mary Magdalene

8:00 a.m. † Richard “Jose” Stofko - Eli and Noah Bailey Thursday, July 23 - St. Bridget, Religious

8:00 a.m. In Celebration of Fr. Dave Bonnar’s Anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood - The Staff

Friday, July 24 – St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest 8:00 a.m. † Henry J. Gebhardt, Jr. - The Gebhardt Family

Saturday, July 25 - St. James, Apostle 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

Special Intentions for Jean Ulicny - Joan C. Cerny In Honor of Betsy Momich - Alicia and David Berardinelli

Sunday, July 26 - Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 7:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

The Living and Deceased Members of Saint Aidan Parish † Joanne L. Heim - Bernadette Marshalek † Albert L. Wessel - The Children † Andrew Posey - Jennifer and Michael Posey

Monday, July 20 - St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr

Saint Aiden Income

Enrolling for 2020-2021 Academic Year Blessed Francis Seelos Academy is now enrolling students for preschool through 8th grade for the 2020-21 school year. Located on two campuses in Wexford, Blessed Francis Seelos Academy is committed to graduating academically prepared students who are also exemplary Christians. We are offering virtual or in-person tours. Call 724.935.1152 or email Principal Robert Reese at rreese@seelosacademy.org for more information.

Blessed Francis Seelos Academy

God’s Word for Children

Pastor Reverend David J. Bonner, STB/ dbonnar@saintaidanparish.org/x 224 Senior Parochial Vicar Reverend William D. Wuenschel/ wwuenschel@saintaidanparish.org/ x 233 Deacons Deacon Albert Heiles/aheiles@diopitt.org Deacon Jeffrey J. Ludwikowski/jludwikowski@diopitt.org

Director of Parish Operations/Business Manager Chuck Goetz/cgoetz@saintaidanparish.org/x 223

Office Manager MaryEllen Pendel/mependel@saintaidanparish.org/x 221

Bookkeeper/Safe Environment Coordinator Mary King / mking@saintaidanparish.org/ x 212

Directors of Music Christopher Brewer/cbrewer@saintaidanparish.org/x 226 Mary Heagy/mheagy@saintaidanparish.org Assistant Music Director - Lisa Hoffman

Director of Religious Education Louis Bosco / lbosco@saintaidanparish.org/x 215 Religious Education Program Manager

Paula Green /pgreen@saintaidanparish.org/x 225 Coordinator of Youth Ministry /Young Adults David Piccirilli / dpiccirilli@saintaidanparish.org/x 227

Receptionist/Secretary Gail Clendaniel / gclendaniel@saintaidanparish.org /x 210

A Parish of the Diocese of Pittsburgh - diopitt.org

SERVED BY OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (temporarily closed)

JOIN US!

To become a registered member of the parish family, please visit our website at www.saintaidanparish.org. Introduce yourself to us at Mass!

MARRIAGE

Arrangements must be made with a priest at least six months in advance of the desired wedding date.

HOLY ORDERS For information about the priesthood or the vowed religious life, please contact Fr. Dave or the Vocation Office of the diocese at 412.456.3131 or visit pghpriest.com.

BAPTISM Celebrated on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. or at 1:00 p.m. at Saint Alexis during the COVID-19 by appointment. Arrangements should be made through the Parish Center several months in advance. Parents need to be registered parishioners and complete a pre-baptism class before scheduling a baptism.

MINISTRY TO THE SICK AND HOMEBOUND

Communal anointing is celebrated periodically. Anyone who is anticipating surgery is encouraged to request this sacrament prior to being admitted to the hospital. Individuals who are unable to attend Sunday Mass and want to receive the sacraments are asked to please call the Parish Center.

Website: saintaidanparish.org Phones - 724.935.1151 or 724.935.4343 Fax - 724.935.1270

A Pennsylvania Charitable Trust

* Bulletin announcements and flyers are due by 12:00 p.m. Friday, a week in advance of publication. *

We Welcome You Home!

North Hills Regional School Board - www.nhrces.org

BLESSED FRANCIS SEELOS ACADEMY

S A P D Parish Office: 10090 Old Perry Highway Wexford, PA 15090

PRAYER

Eucharistic Adoration Every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at the Saint Alexis old bell Tower during COVID-19.

Prayer Ministry- To initiate a request for urgent prayers contact the following people: Barb Busi at 412.366.4829, Norma Heyl at 724.935.1094 or Jo Labrise at 724.935.3826. If you would like to be a part of this important ministry to pray for others, please contact them.

RECONCILIATION

Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Saint Alexis. Confessions will be held outside during COVID-19.

Principal Robert Reese - rreese@seelosacademy.org

School Secretary K-8 Patty Anfang - panfang@seelosacademy.org 724.935.1152

School Secretary Pre-K Chris Schlieper - cschlieper@seelosacademy.org 724.935.3940

DIOCESAN VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR 412.456.3093 (Office)

1.888.808.1235 (Hot Line) PA Child Line - 1.800.932.0313

Call 911 immediately if a child is in danger.