9 Days for Life
9 Days for Life 2020 will take place Tuesday, January 21 - Wednesday, January 29.
9 Days for Life is the U.S. Bishops’ multi-faceted novena for the respect and protection of human life. Each day, a different intention is accompanied by a short reflection, suggested actions, and related information. Your parishioners are encouraged to sign up to receive the novena by email, text message, or an app at www.9daysforlife.com. The novena begins on January 21 and concludes on January 29.
The USCCB has developed a wide variety of aids and resources to help promote this worthwhile initiative:
- Graphics are available for use in bulletins, social media, websites, etc.
- 9 Days for Lifeflyers to promote the novena in your parish, school, or ministry.
- Printable handouts of the novena
- Bulletin and pulpit announcements for use the weekends of January 11-12 & 18-19, 2020
- Toolkits for priests, deacons, DREs, Youth Ministers, Catholic Schools, etc.
All of this is available at 9daysforlife.com
Let’s join in prayer for the protection of human life. Thank you for all that you do.
PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE!
JANUARY 21-29, 2020
March for Life Trip
St. Thomas the Apostle Knights of Columbus has chartered a bus for people of all ages, weather permitting, for the March for Life held on Friday, January 24, 2020, in Washington, DC. The bus will be in the parking lot of St. Joseph's on the Brandywine Catholic Church, 10 Old Church Road, Wilmington, Delaware at 7:00 a.m. and departing at 7:30 a.m. Seats will be available on a first come basis. The only cost to the individual passenger is a tip for the bus driver. Brown bag lunch recommended. Please contact Jo Ann Van Heest at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 302- 239-0739 to sign up.
St. Dennis Pastoral Council Report- January 9, 2020
Stained Glass Window Restoration:
Work has begun on our Good Shepherd window, and the entry door window is ready to be replaced. St Dennis parishioners have responded with generosity and most of the Phase 1 windows have been sponsored.
National Register of Historic Places: Committee members begin the process of preparing the applications for submission to the National Registry.
St Dennis Church, Rectory & Cemetery will be included in this application.
- Committees: “Soup Sale” fundraiser begins on Sunday, January 19, with Vegetable Beef soup and Chili being offered at $8 per quart. Robin’s Apple Cakes & chocolate chip cookies for sale.
- Building & Maintenance : Re-organizing & prioritizing necessary repairs and updates to St Dennis’ Campus.
- Liturgy Planning: Current considerations are: “Palms to Ashes” ceremony before the Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper on February 25th, Ash Wednesday on February 26th, Lenton Friday Stations of the Cross at 4PM.
- New Mandatory Forms: For scheduling the use or rental of the Hall or a room, & what is expected of the user, please contact Peg at the office. Thank You!
- Clairvaux Farm urgent need: Men’s & women’s NEW underwear in size Large & X-Large. Women’s sports bras. Children’s “Pull Ups”. More to follow!!!
- Beautification Update: Volunteers have graciously planted 120 tulip and daffodill bulbs. Perhaps more of nature’s beauty can be added to enhance our Church grounds in the future! Interested???
- Blood Bank: As a community service, the blood bank drive is scheduled for 2/16/2020 in coordination with Blood Bank of Delmarva. More to follow!!
Next Meeting; February 13, 2020 at 7 PM.
Religious Education News
Please pray for these students and their catechists that as they continue to learn about our faith they may come to a deeper relationship with the Lord.
Communion Norms for the Diocese
Bishop Malooly recently issued norms regarding the celebration of Communion Services in the Diocese of Wilmington. The Bishop has directed that the following be placed in all parish bulletins:
In recent years, it has become somewhat common practice for parishes to schedule Communion Services on those days when daily Mass is cancelled or not scheduled. The Church views Communion Services during the week as an extraordinary exception rather than the norm. (Sunday Mass where no priest is available is addressed below.)
Although the Church does, in limited instances, foresee a Liturgy of the Word with Communion (i.e., a Communion Service) typically on a Sunday, the Church asks that such liturgies be rarely permitted on weekdays and then only by extraordinary exception.
The following guidelines are effective immediately in all parishes and parish mission churches in the Diocese of Wilmington:
- Communion Services may not be substituted for Daily Mass, except in unexpected circumstances. For instance, the scheduled priest fails to show up or has a sudden illness or personal emergency.
- When a daily Mass is cancelled, and published as such in advance, the faithful must be notified of the availability of other daily Masses in surrounding churches.
- In lieu of daily Mass, the Pastor may schedule another type of service: Liturgy of the Hours, a Liturgy of the Word, Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, or the communal recitation of the Rosary.
- In the extremely unlikely event that a priest is indisposed from being able to be present for a Sunday Mass, then the ritual that the Church has provided must be utilized, that is Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest. A priest's absence from Sunday Mass must be for a very serious reason and every effort must be made by him to find a priest replacement.
- The Leader of prayer on those occasions when there is no priest shall be a Deacon, or a Seminarian who has been assigned to the parish, or a Religious, or a Lay minister designated by the pastor. It is a laudable practice that other members of the Lay Faithful share parts of the service.
Hopefully, these new guidelines will eliminate confusion surrounding the question of Communion Services and render us all united in what we celebrate and when and by whom.
