A Catholic Community...

God has placed within each human heart, the desire to come to know, love, and serve God. Roman Catholics have responded to this divine call by embracing the Catholic faith. For us, to be all that God created us to be means that we live a life of faith based on the Gospels and we do so as members of the Catholic Church. There are others, as their lives unfold, that begin to wonder if God is not calling them to come to know God through the Catholic faith. The Church calls these people “Seekers” or “Inquirers” and has established a process by which they may discern if God is calling them to be Catholic. This process is named the R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). It is a journey that involves learning about Catholicism and the community of faith they wish to join. Members of the community of faith or parish have an important role in accompanying these Seekers on this journey. Parishioners are asked to pray for them, to role model what it means to be a Catholic disciple of Christ, and to take an active role (when possible) in the process by attending sessions and volunteering to help the Seekers discuss the readings/Gospel from our Sunday liturgy during our Dismissal Rites. The R.C.I.A. process is for anyone who is ● baptized in the Catholic Church, but may not have made First Communion or been Confirmed; ● baptized in another Christian Church, but now desires to become a member of our faith community; ● someone who has not been baptized. Please pray about whether you are being nudged to explore the Catholic Faith or to invite someone to consider this process. You might even be called to take an active role in helping prepare those who come forward as Seekers. If this sounds like something you may want to be involved in or if you have any questions, please contact Mary Ann Obark at Maryann.Obark@dor.org or 585-490-0389.

Due to the Priests’ Convocation, there will be no Masses on May 17th and 18th. We will have Communion Services on those days.

The Mission of Office of our diocese each Summer invites a missionary group to share about their mission work in all the parishes. Next weekend, May 21-22, we will have a guest speaker at all the masses offering the annual mission appeal. Foundation for Children in Need is a Catholic lay organization based in Arlington Heights, IL. Dr. Geetha Yeruva, Founder of FCN is very happy to visit us and share about their mission work in the interior villages of India. FCN sponsors 2000 children and college students. They have been responsible for building several schools, boarding homes, a community health center and two homes for the elderly. 2000 children born with Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate are helped with free corrective surgeries in the past 8 years. We welcome Dr. Geetha and encourage you to support their mission work generously. There will be a second collection taken up on next weekend. To know more about their mission work, please visit: www.fcn-usa.org.

This past week, 35 members of our combined Faith Formation community of STM, OLQP, OLOL & SA were Confirmed by Bishop Matano at Sacred Heart Cathedral.  We are so very proud of their hard work, the gifts they have shared, and the spiritual depth they possess.  Please make sure to congratulate them and continue to support them in their faith journey!

JOIN US FOR TACOS FOLLOWED BY AN EXPLORATION OF THE EVENING'S TOPIC DESCRIBED BELOW.  If anyone is interested in babysitting for their children, please contact Meghan at meghan.robinson@dor.org.  We have a couple of CASE trained parish volunteers who are happy to babysit at church.   If you have dietary restrictions or would like to bring a side or a dessert, please email Meghan. Thanks for your consideration! The Face of Mercy After dinner we will focus on the theme of Mercy/Forgiveness and reflect on questions such as : -Are there limits to human forgiveness? -How do the Scriptures address Mercy? -What are the corporal/spiritual works of mercy? -What is the difference between righteousness and mercy? -Who is forgiveness for? -How do you experience the mercy of God? Can we see our "life embraced by a God whose name is Mercy, a God always ready to turn our failings and sins into a capacity for deepened compassion?"   -Elaine Prevallet, S.L. "May the balm of mercy reach everyone, both believers and those far away, as a sign that the Kingdom of God is already present in our midst!" - Pope Francis

Forms are available on our website, at church entrances and through the Faith Formation newsletter! Thank you for registering early so that we can plan for the upcoming year!!

The Faith Formation program is hosting a May Crowning at all four Brighton Regional parishes on Saturday, May 14th from 1:00pm - 3:30pm. We are inviting all parishioners who wish to join us to attend any or all of the Crowning services as we honor Mary, the Mother of God and ask for her intercession for Peace in our families and in our World. A decade of the Rosary will be said at each site along with the crowning of the Marian statue at each parish. Please join us! 1:00pm - 1:30 pm at St. Anne 1:45pm - 2:15pm at Our Lady Queen of Peace 2:30pm - 3:00pm at Our Lady of Lourdes 3:00pm - 3:30pm at St. Thomas More with reception to follow!

Please be sure to stop at the entrance to each church to write down your mother's or other women who were/are special in your lives. These books will be presented at the altar during the Masses on Mother's Day.

Thursday & Friday April 21 & 22 10:00am - 6:00pm Boutique Clothing - many new items with tags, purses, jewelry and extras. Don’t miss this amazing event! Bring a friend and have some fun! St. Louis Church 64 S. Main St. Pittsford Credit cards accepted for purchases over $35.00

Calling all altar servers - past and future!! (Kids and Adults) Margaret will have training (and retraining) sessions for anyone interested in continuing or joining this ministry. To be eligible you must have made your 1st Eucharist and be willing to be scheduled for weekend liturgies. These sessions ill take place at OLQP on: April 4 & 5 from 5:00-6:00 (re-training) April 25 & 26 from 5:00-6:00 May 2 & 3 from 5:00-6:00