If you have a concern about sexual abuse of a child or young person by anyone in a parish or diocesan position - clergy, volunteer or paid staff - please contact Bishop Brandt’s delegate for matters of sexual misconduct. He may be reached at 724-837-0901, ext. 221.
Parishioners are reminded to contact the Parish Office with any new information regarding registration. Any changes in addresses, phone numbers, or family member information should be sent to the office so that our records may be updated. Young adults who have established new residences outside of their parents’ home need to register with their current information. Members who have recently married and are remaining as members of St. Vincent should contact the office to establish their own file in our census records. We appreciate your assistance in keeping our records updated.
Dress appropriately - the way we dress affects our attitude and behavior and the way we dress reflects the respect and esteem we hold for the Mass.
Be considerate to those who spend time in personal prayer before and after Mass.
Sit, please. With the exception of Christmas or Easter there is no reason for people to be standing at the back of the Church during Mass.
Stay until the end of Mass. Mass is not over until the closing hymn has been sung.
Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, or other electronic equipment.
Parishioner Shut-in or Nursing Home Information Form
Please send the following information to update or verify parish records with the names and addresses of parishioners who are homebound or reside in nursing homes or personal care homes: name of parishioner, name of nursing/personal care home, address of home, with room number, telephone number of nursing home and/or the resident’s room (if applicable), your name/telephone number. Please send this information to the parish office or drop it in the collection basket. Thank you.
PARISH SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION POLICY
Children intending to participate in the Parish Sacramental Preparation process in the fall of 2010 (next September) are expected to participate in at least one full year of formal religious instruction prior to being invited to enter into the initiation process. Children entering first grade in the fall of 2009 (this September) are expected to be enrolled in a Catholic school or in our Parish Children’s Faith Formation Program if it is the family’s intention to seek full initiation in the spring of 2011.
Once children have received the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist, the Church anticipates that children will continue to nurture their faith through prayer and regular participation in the sacraments as well as formal instruction in the faith through Catholic school or the Parish children’s and youth faith formation programs. Because faith formation is a lifelong process, all members are encouraged to participate fully. Questions about Parish faith formation programs should be directed to Dee Argall at 724-539-8629, ext. 16.
Letters of invitation for Sacramental Preparation beginning this September will be sent to eligible families in early September.
RCIA
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) welcomes and initiates new members into our Catholic Faith Community. RCIA is for those persons who are not baptized, those who have been baptized in another denomination, and those who have been baptized in the Catholic Faith and would like to complete their initiation through the Sacraments of confirmation and Eucharist. RCIA Inquiry Sessions begin on Thursday, September 11, with a tour of St. Vincent Basilica. Inquirers will gather in the Lobby of the Parish Center at 7 p.m., All are welcome!
ARE YOU A REGISTERED PARISHIONER?
Please do not assume that you are a registered member of St. Vincent Basilica just because you attend Mass. If you have not filled out a registration form or are not receiving monthly envelopes through the mail, we may not have a record of you. Newly married couples are to fill out a registration form with their new address and telephone. Please stop at the Parish Office for a form or call to have one mailed to you.
Parishioners who are moving, within or out of the parish, should let us know so we can update our records.
Young adults who are out of high school or college and working are encouraged to notify the Parish Office. You will be set up with your own record in our database, whether you still live at home with your parents or have established a new residence outside of your parents’ home.
How do I know if I am a registered parishioner of St. Vincent Basilica Parish?
Registered parishioners receive church envelopes. If you are not receiving church envelopes, you may not be registered and should call the Parish Office at 724-539-8629 to confirm if you are a registered member.
Does it matter whether I am registered or not?
Parish registration is required to be married or to have a child baptized. It is also necessary in order to be a sponsor for Baptism or Confirmation.
Why should I use my church envelopes? I’d rather just put in loose money.
Regular use of church envelopes is a sign of regular Mass attendance and the only way we have of knowing that you are an active parishioner!
Any changes in your family information (address, telephone, marital status, new addition, children move away, singles marry, parishioner in nursing home, family member dies, etc.) should be reported to BettyAnn Bridge, Parish Secretary, at 724-539-8629, ext. 11.
A sponsor certificate verifies that a person belongs to a particular parish and attends Mass there regularly. The certificate also verifies that someone fulfills all the Church requirements to be a sponsor for Baptism or Confirmation, including age, the completion of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation); and if married, is in a valid marriage. A sponsor certificate can be obtained by meeting with a parish priest in person - simply call for an appointment. Those who are choosing sponsors are advised to choose carefully.
THE ORDER OF CHRISTIAN FUNERALS AND CREMATED BODIES
Reverence for the Sacredness of the Human Body - Because the human body is integral to the human person, it is difficult to think of a person apart from their body. "Thus, the Roman Catholic Church's reverence and care for the body grows out of a reverence and concern for the person whom the Church now commends to the care of God." The long-standing practice of burying the body of the deceased in a grave or tomb continues to be encouraged as a sign of Christian faith. However, the Church does not forbid cremation as a means of disposition of the body, unless it has been chosen for reasons which are contrary to Church teaching.
Preference for the Presence of the Body - The body of a deceased loved one forcefully brings to mind the mystery of life and death. As Christians, the body of the deceased speaks also to our belief that we are destined for future glory at the resurrection of the dead. Therefore "the Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for its funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in its rites."
Funeral Rites - When cremation is chosen, the Church prefers that the body be cremated after the Funeral, thus allowing for the presence of the body at the Funeral Mass. When circumstances require it, however, cremation and committal may take place even before the Funeral liturgy. All the usual rites which are celebrated in the presence of the body of the deceased may also be celebrated in the presence of the cremated remains.
The primary symbols of the Roman Catholic funeral liturgy are retained even when the funeral liturgy is celebrated in the presence of the cremated remains. The remains should be treated with the same dignity and respect as the body. They may be carried in procession and/or placed on a table where the coffin normally would be. The Paschal Candle and sprinkling with holy water are primary symbols of baptism and should be used during the Funeral Mass. However, the pall is not used. Photographs and other mementos may be used at the vigil, but are not appropriate for the Mass.
Final Disposition and Memorialization of the Cremated Remains - "Cremated remains may be buried in a grave, entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium or even buried at sea." The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground is not permitted. Likewise, "keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires." The principle of respect for the cremated remains of a deceased Christian mirrors the respect afforded their body. The body is always laid to rest with solemnity and dignity.
All references taken from the Order of Christian Funerals, Appendix: Cremation: 1997.
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Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania encourage the clergy and faithful to observe the necessary stand precautions to protect the health of others during this flu season, and especially with the risks related to H1N1 influenza (swine flu). The Bishops additionally direct the following for the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy and for flu prevention:
• The distribution of the Prescious Blood for the faithful is suspended. The faith of the Church teaches that Christ, whole and entire, is received even under only one species.
• The exchange of the sign of peace is to be offered without any physical contact. When the priest celebrant extends the invitation for the sign of peace, the faithful, instead of a handshake, may bow to the persons nearby.
These directives issued by Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania are effective Sunday, October 28, 2009 until determined otherwise by the local Bishop.
If you would like to present the bread and wine at Mass, please let the ushers know before Mass. This is a good family way of helping to participate in the Mass.
Volunteers are needed to help with the flower garden below the statue of Boniface Wimmer at the front of the Basilica. If interested, please call Br. Elliott Maloney at 724-532-6600.
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