Blase was a Bishop of the early Church who had a great story of grace. Today, the Church has the tradition of blessing throats and seeking God's intercession for our health. Fr. Chris will be blessing throats this weekend after all Masses. Join us!
Two weeks ago, Father Chris preached about our need to be people who NEED THE WORD OF GOD. Listen to the homily and check out these resources to help you grow in dependence on God's Word:
Bible Timeline Podcast - listen for 20-30 minutes a day and you will have the Bible done in a year! You can also get it as an email daily
YouVersion of the Bible App which has amazing Devotionals and Bible Study plans. They have an App to use for Kid's Bible Study too.
Daily Mass Readings with a Reflection emailed to you each day
Free Commentary on much of the Bible - more than you can imagine on some of your favorite books of the Bible
Pope Francis has asked that TODAY be a DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE.
DID YOU READ THIS WEEK'S CHURCH BULLETIN?
NEED INFORMATION ON COVID TESTING AND COVID VACCINES? Please note that vaccines are no longer offered every Friday. Please call the Parish Office for details.
As a community of faith, we hold each other in prayer each day...
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK: Deacon Bill (who suffered another minor stroke), Earl, Hank, Joe, Pat, John, Helen, Dolores, Bernita, Marjorie, Horace, Marjorie, Cindy, Patricia, and all who are sick with COVID or struggling with mental illness
FOR THOSE WHO ARE GRIEVING: Tony (who lost his wife), Lynette and Linda (who lost their dad), Colleen (who lost her husband), The Scutt Family (who lost their husband and dad), and those grieving a loved one from the violence in our City.
FOR SPECIAL NEEDS: that we choose faith over fear in the midst of the ongoing COVID Pandemic; that we find housing for Feenie, a single mom from Haiti who is pregnant and has two children (she is currently seeking asylum status in USA); for Wazmina and her children as they continue to adjust to life in Philadelphia; for Shonda to find an apartment, for peace in Ukraine, for young families who are without a Church Home, for people who struggle with loneliness at Valentine's Day
The Church is considering a new saint...a young man who died in Pakistan in 2015. Learn about Servant of God Akash Bashir
A Black History Month initiative of the City of Philadelphia involves lessons in financial literacy and entrepreneurship. Check this out - and share it with others too!
Valentine's Day is approaching... is there a "Catholic" approach to Valentine's Day?
Why wait until you’re engaged to prepare well for marriage? Learn about communication, male/female complementarity, conflict resolution, healing, forgiveness, and much more now! Relationship Ready: The Single Catholic’s Roadmap to Marriage is an 8-week interactive, online course that offers the tools necessary to have fruitful dating relationships and lasting marriages - the only program of its kind!
You can order your FREE at-home COVID Tests from the US Government.
We will not be having our Valentine's Brunch for Couples as normal due to lack of interest. We will try again next year!
The MEN of the Parish are encouraged to make a weekend retreat at the Malvern Retreat House on February 26, 27 & 28. Fr Chris will be the presenter of the retreat. Scholarships are available to assist with the retreat. Interested? Please call Atiba at 267-588-8888. There is also a way to participate virtually is you would rather experience the retreat from home.
Tired of Netflix and Amazon Prime? Why not feed your soul with something more? Watch some videos (even movies) on FORMED (our parish has a membership and you can create your own account). Watch classic films on Mary, the Mother of God, and St. Joseph and there are great videos for the little ones too! You can also download audiobooks and ebooks too! Resolve to get good content into your mind in 2022!
Check out CatholicPhilly. You can sign up to receive a weekly email from them as well. Stay informed!
We have a new APP for our parish. Please search for St. Raymond where you get your apps. Or you can text 'straymondapp' to (833) 363-7471, for a quick way to download the app. There are many wonderful features that will be a blessing for you as you experience our Digital Campus. There is another new app available called AMEN. Get it today and use it in your daily life of prayer.
We mourn the passing of Cleo Benton who died last week. His funeral will be Saturday, Feb. 5th at 10:30 am at St. Raymond. Pray for his sister and daughters.
We mourn the passing of Awilda Justiniano who died Sunday. Her funeral was postponed from last Saturday and will be Saturday, Feb. 5th at 2 pm at St Raymond. Pray for her dear husband Tony.
We mourn Pierre Scutt, who worshipped here with his wife and daughters Yoline (who worked in our office at one time) and Melissa (who teaches in our 5th grade). His funeral will be Saturday, February 12th at 10 am. Pray for the family!
How will the month of February enrich your knowledge of Black History (in the world, our nation, our city, our neighborhood? There is much to learn and much to share. What is your plan? Cardinal Gregory shared a message with the Church of Washington, DC. There are things to do in Philadelphia too - LEARN MORE. The Free Library has a full calendar too! Be sure to join us this Sunday at 10 am as Fr Steve Thorne returns to St. Raymond to celebrate Holy Mass, Preach and update us on the Archbishop's Commission on Racial Healing.
Jesus wants you to be his disciple in 2022 (and every other year). At times we struggle with what this means. In 2022 we are offering SAINT RAYMOND GOES OUT to train more people in being Missionary Disciples of Jesus. In just 10 - 45 minute sessions over the year, you will be invited to walk more and more as a disciple. Interested? Want to learn more? Contact Richara at richara@saintraymond.net Check out the flier (and invite a friend to join you)...
Last year, Pope Francis called for the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The “theme” for the Synod is: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” The Holy Father formally began this process last October in Rome and the process is unfolding (at different rates of speed) in Diocese across the world. The word “Synod” comes from a Greek word that means, “to be on the journey together.” All of us by virtue of our Christian baptism are on a path together. It is important that as we continue the journey that we first, open ourselves to the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit affords the possibility of conversion for each and every one of us. That same Spirit changed the hearts of those first followers of Jesus from fear to faith. We are all in need of conversion and we all need the Holy Spirit. Fr. Chris is not sure what the process will “look like” in Philadelphia. However, the Parish Staff are exploring ways to gather your hopes for the Church (especially our parish) in the next year, three years, and beyond. Throughout this process, we invite you to pray to the Holy Spirit so that this journey of Catholics throughout the world will yield a deeper sense of communion, participation, and mission in our lives. In addition, as we journey together, we invite you to listen not only to the Holy Spirit but also to voices of others. Pope Francis wants the experience of this Synod to be one that is always rooted in dialogue. While we have much to share, there is also even more for us to learn especially when we step back and attentively and prayerfully listen to others whose experience of the Church may be similar to ours but also may be very different. The 2nd reading from St. Paul this weekend reminds us that we need to insights, gifts, and desires of each Christian worshipping with us. The framework of the Synodal journey involves a host of questions for us to ponder in our dialogue. We will be offering opportunities at St. Raymond to share your answers to these questions in Lenten Life Groups, through electronic surveys and by writing thoughts on a piece of paper and putting them in the suggestion box in the back of Church. Stay tuned…
The Cenacle is a new resource of the pro-life community to serve families in Frankford. The Cenacle is a joint venture between the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia (Fr. Chris is the Chair of their Board) and Catholic Social Services. They are currently serving 150 women, many of whom are "abortion-vulnerable" (would choose abortion without the practical resources and friendship being offered by The Cenacle). A group of St. Raymond parishioners scraped wallpaper months ago to prepare the beautiful space. Others have donated baby clothes and diapers. Come tour the space and be filled with awe of the work God's people are doing!
The life of Servant of God Father Augustine Tolton is inspiring to everyone who learns it! One of the ways people can encounter the amazing story of his life is through a "one-man" play that has been touring the nation for years. Many from our parish saw the play a few years ago at LaSalle University. The play is coming back! Join us Sunday, February 27th at 7 pm at Our Mother of Consolation Church in Chestnut Hill. Our parish will offer 100 complimentary tickets. Details to come. Interested in more information or helping to promote the play at St. Raymond? Contact Cynthia Brown at cynthiaarlenebrown@gmail.com
