All Parishioners in grades 7 through 12 are invited to come learn about and experience Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Saint Joseph Chapel tonight, June 29^th from 7:00 PM until 8:30 PM.

In his Pastor’s Desk article last week, parishioner Dan McCarthy asked “If you had the opportunity to be face to face with God, what would you want to tell Him?” This teen group adoration experience will provide an opportunity for you to have that kind of encounter, a personal conversation with God.

Light refreshments will be served in the Parish Center after the period of adoration. Please feel free to bring your friends!

https://vimeo.com/148643920

On the morning of June 27, it was announced that the Holy Father has appointed Reverend Monsignor Alfred A. Schlert as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown. Archbishop Chaput has released a statement regarding this appointment. The full text is below . Sincerely in Christ, Rev. Msgr. Daniel J. Sullivan Vicar for Clergy STATEMENT OF ARCHBISHOP CHARLES J. CHAPUT, O.F.M. CAP.  ON THE APPOINTMENT OF MONSIGNOR ALFRED A. SCHLERT AS THE NEW BISHOP OF ALLENTOWN “Monsignor Alfred A. Schlert’s appointment as the 5th Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown is a moment of joy for the Church in Pennsylvania and I’m confident he will carry on the work of his predecessors with compassion, zeal, and fidelity. As a native Pennsylvanian, and an alumnus of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Bishop-elect Schlert has an intuitive sense of life in our Commonwealth, the challenges facing the Church here, and the importance of the people and institutions of Northeastern Pennsylvania. His wide ranging pastoral and administrative experience as a parish priest, Catholic educator, and Vicar General in the Diocese of Allentown will serve him well in the office of bishop. The Holy Father has given a true gift to all those Bishop-elect Schlert will shepherd. As he prepares to begin his episcopal ministry, I offer Bishop-elect Schlert heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the priests, deacons, religious, and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. I ask that people of good will across the state welcome him as a brother and pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen him as a successor to the Apostles.” +Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Archbishop of Philadelphia

Pennsylvania’s constitutional deadline of June 30to pass a state budget is quickly approaching.

House Bill 250, which would increase tax credits available under the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program by $50 million (raising it to $175 million) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program by $25 million (raising it to $75 million), overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.

Budget negotiations are taking place and this issue is currently being considered, so NOW is the time to remind members of the House to maintain support for an increase and to urge state senators to follow suit by voting for EITC and OSTC increases!

The EITC and the OSTC programs have always achieved bipartisan support and have been acclaimed as two of the best educational programs Pennsylvania offers to students in both public and private schools.

The tax credit scholarships have been an investment that has paid dividends for students seeking a Catholic or other private education in Pennsylvania. Every Catholic school in all corners of this great Commonwealth benefits from the EITC or OSTC programs.

Each year more than 40,000 families get a scholarship that permits the parents to send their children to a school that best meets their needs. It gives these families a true choice in the right educational path for their children.

We need your help to urge all lawmakers to invest in success and support the expansion of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs by voting YES on a state budget that includes an increase in the programs’ line items.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/Zf4wf8x3b_PNhBA-YvoJyw

Thank you to all the women who gathered last evening to inquire about the new women’s spirituality program titled Walking with Purpose.  It was a great evening it  filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit and excitement to begin the  full program on Wednesday, June 14th.

We are very happy to share that over 40 women gathered on Wednesday, June 7th to discover what this new spiritual Program is all about.  It was an exciting evening filled with chatter and wonder.  You could really feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the parish center conference room.

It is not too late to join Walking with Purpose!

The program will formally begin on Wednesday, June 14^th at 7:00 PM in the Parish Center.  It will be a Connect Coffee Talk which invites all women to participate for the evening without committing to the whole Series.  Connect Coffee Talk consists of social time, a DVD presentation on The Beauty of a Childlike Faith and small group discussion.   Just call the rectory at 215-946-4040 and give your name if you are interested in attending any of the gatherings.

The rectory will be closed for Memorial Day Weekend from Saturday, May 27 through Monday, May 29, and will re-open on Tuesday, May 30 at 9:00 AM.  Enjoy the holiday weekend and travel safely!

Quo Vadis

Quo Vadis is a yearly retreat for high school men.  All men graduating 8^th – 12^th grade are eligible to attend.  The retreat is held at Black Rock Retreat Center in Quarryvillle, PA.  Quo Vadis means “Where are you going? “  so this retreat is an opportunity for young men to be exposed to God’s will for their life and how they can build up the church no matter what their vocation is.   This year  Quo Vadis  will be having a game of Bubble Ball between some of our priests/school ministers/youth ministers and the Seminarians.  You can access the Promo Video here:https://youtu.be/0ETKnQcZq4U

Quo Vadis registrations are only open for a couple more weeks so if you know a young man who is interested please let me know and pass on the information to them asap!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

BBVC

BBVC – is a reboot of a one-day retreat we used to do for middle school men at the Seminary – Brothers of Borromeo Vocations Camp.  It is a day of prayer, games, Mass and an opportunity for these young men to visit St. Charles and meet our Seminarians. Click here for the registration form.  All men graduating 6^th – 8^th grade are eligible to attend.

URGENT – Tell PHRC: Reject Changes That Threaten My Freedom

Proposed Change Would Undermine Personal Privacy and Religious Liberty

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) is proposing a dangerous end-run around the legislature that seriously threatens your personal privacy and religious liberty. We need you to take action today to protect your freedom!

Here are the details in a nutshell:  For nearly 50 years, the PA Human Relations Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of “sex.” Throughout all those decades, sex has always been defined in law and practice to mean “male” and “female.”  

Now, the PA Human Relations Commission, which consists of nine unelected officials appointed by the governor, is looking to effectively redefine “sex”  (the word as it appears in the law) to mean “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” (phrases that are not in the law).  These are broad-ranging phrases with imprecise definitions that will spur expensive lawsuits and undermine our freedom.

This proposed action is a blatant attempt to take power and authority from the people and our elected representatives, and it puts our freedom and personal privacy in danger.

·        This action would enable the PHRC to force open locker rooms & dressing rooms, showers and restrooms in schools, stores, movie theaters, churches and businesses to those of the opposite sex that identify otherwise. To put it more simply, it would allow males into women’s showers and restrooms, and women into men’s rooms.

·        This action would empower the PHRC to prevent religious schools, ministries and other faith-oriented organizations from hiring only those that abide by the standards established by that faith.  For example, Christian schools would no longer be able to solely hire teachers and staff members that adhere to and live by Christian teachings on human sexuality.

·        This action could empower the PHRC to eventually force homeless shelters, camp cabins and school and college dorms to open up to those of the opposite sex that identify otherwise.  Imagine forcing a shelter for abused women to admit a person – male in every way, except how he identifies – in amongst the other residents. 

LGBT advocates have sought to make this change through the legislature for more than a decade without success – thanks to an outpouring of citizens who understand how this will undermine privacy and religious freedom.  Now, unelected government officials are seeking to push this harmful policy upon all Pennsylvanians. Your voice is needed to stop this unlawful action.

Here are three things we need you to do:

1) Tell the PA Human Relations Commission to reject this guidance. The commission is taking public feedback on this proposed guidance change now through Friday, May 26. Click here to send an email voicing your disapproval of this guidance.

2) Use Twitter to send @PA_HumRelComm your message. We encourage you to send a direct message to them and to also sign up for our Thunderclap twitter campaign, which will automatically send a one-time message on Thursday, May 25th at 12 noon. Here are a few sample messages you can use:

.@PA_HumRelComm No guidance that creates new definition of sex, harms my privacy rights & religious freedom. #PHRC pafamily.org/urgent

.@PA_HumRelComm No change needed – proposed guidance will only hurt my privacy rights & religious freedom. #PHRC pafamily.org/urgent

.@PA_HumRelComm Where is the evidence for the need of your proposed guidance change? Don’t create problems. #PHRC pafamily.org/urgent

3) Encourage your friends and family to take action as well. You may forward this email, direct attention to pafamily.org/urgent, and/or share on social media: 

It is only because of the action you have taken along with thousands of others across Pennsylvania that we’ve been able to fight back against this agenda that attacks our core freedoms. I trust I can now count on your continued action today.

Thank you,

Michael Geer, President

Pennsylvania Family Institute