Sacrament of Reconciliation:

Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the church,

or by appointment at the rectory

Sacrament of Matrimony:

Contact the parish priest at least one year

in advance of the ceremony to fill

out Diocesan Pre-Nuptial forms, plan the

Pre-Cana Conference and wedding

ceremony before setting a date for marriage

African Ministry:

Fr. Jacques Coly

(413) 682-6852

Hispanic Ministry:

Deacon Pedro Rivera-Moran

(413) 732-3175

Custodian:

Mr. Pablo Mercado

Prayer Line:

Mrs. Lynn Hanks

Mrs. Martha Tidlund

Mrs. Margaret Coty

Rosary:

Every day before Mass at 7:30 a.m.

Parish Information and Registration:

Welcome to our worship community!

Please introduce yourself to the parish priest

after Mass. We invite you to become a member

of our parish. Please call the rectory to register.

Sacrament of Baptism:

By appointment

Pastoral Care and Anointing of the Sick:

Please call the rectory if you know of someone

who is homebound, in the hospital, or in a

nursing home who would like a visit

Spiritual Life

Deepens our appreciation of the Sacraments, Sacred Scripture, Church

Life and Prayer with scheduled programs to members of the parish

St. Brigid’s Parish Community

122 North Pleasant Street

P.O. Box 424

Amherst, Massachusetts 01004

(413) 256-6181

Reverend John T. Smegal

Pastor

Rectory:

122 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA

(413) 256-6181

Msgr. Lane Pastoral Center:

43 North Prospect Street

(413) 256-6181

Emergency Calls:

You can always contact a priest

Call (413) 256-6181

Lord’s Day Masses:

Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

Sunday at 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.

Eucharistic Adoration:

Every Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Daily Mass:

8:00 a.m. (seven days a week)

Holy Day Masses:

Vigil of Holy Day at 6:00 p.m.

Holy Day at 8:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 6:00 p.m.

The Parish Community of

Saint Brigid Serving the communities of Amherst, Leverett, No. Amherst, Pelham, Shutesbury, So. Amherst,

New Salem and Sunderland

ST BRIGID’S PARISH AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SATURDAY, April 28, St Peter Chanel 8:00 AM for the souls of Finian & Mary Shea SATURDAY, April 28, Fifth Sunday of Easter 4:00 PM Deceased members Serduck & Patti Families SUNDAY, April 29, Fifth Sunday of Easter 8:00 AM for the soul of Stanley Stosz 9:15 AM First Communion Rehearsal 10:30 AM for the soul of Mary McDonnell 12:30 PM for the soul of Jorge Rodríguez

MONDAY, April 30, Easter Weekday 8:00 AM for the soul of Stanley Kopinto TUESDAY, May 1, Easter Weekday 8:00 AM the souls of Alfred & Henrietta LaVerdiere

WEDNESDAY, May 2, St. Athanasius 8:00 AM for the souls of Frank & Kathryn Basile THURSDAY, May 3, Sts. Philip & James 8:00 AM for the soul of William Kosloski

FRIDAY, May 4, Easter Weekday 8:00 AM for the soul of Lena Kopinto SATURDAY, May 5, Easter Weekday 8:00 AM for the soul of M. Grace Marconi SATURDAY, May 5, Sixth Sunday of Easter 4:00 PM for the soul of Ann Gedmin SUNDAY, May 6, Sixth Sunday of Easter 8:00 AM for the soul of Walter Oliveria 10:30 AM for the souls of Angelo & Marietta Iantosca 12:30 PM Nereida Amezquita & Marciala Maisonet

WEEKEND OF MAY 5/6, 2018 ALTAR SERVERS: 4:00pm A Como, P Como 8:00am C MacDougall 10:30am A Martins, A Martins LECTORS: 4:00pm T Cadigan 8:00am K Grogan 10:30am K Rath EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS: 4:00pm ME Salvini, J Volpe 8:00am P Lannon, M Lengieza, C Nelson 10:30am T Anderson, J Lake, T Schmitt ALTAR GUILD: May 8 Mary Ellen Salvini, Harriet Eddy, Susanne Gavin, Wilma Ortiz, Donna Feng HOSPITAL VISIT May 8 L Kielbasa MASS AT AMHERST NURSING HOME 10:30am Thursday, May 17

WEEKLY FINANCIAL REPORT

Weekly Parish Budget……………….$4,800.00

April 22, 2018……….……………....$3,471.00

Thank you for your support!

JUAN 15:1-8 El evangelio de hoy está centrado en la imagen de la vid y los sarmientos y la necesidad de dar fruto. La vid tenía un simbolismo bíblico bien arraigado; esta era considerada como símbolo de vida, fecundidad y prosperidad, desde el Antiguo Testamento. Los profetas usaron también la imagen de la viña para explicar el enorme amor y cuidado de Dios por el pueblo. NUESTRA CULTURA La mayoría de las fiestas tienen comida y bebida como signos de abundancia. Todo se celebra alrededor de la mesa, donde siempre hay frutos de vida. El compartir los frutos de la tierra y de nuestro esfuerzo es signo de hermandad.

REFLEXIONES PARA LA HOMILÍA Todos queremos tener éxito, lograr frutos en la vida, poder decir al final de ella que hicimos algo bueno o importante; pero debemos hacernos

algunas preguntas: ¿por qué? ¿Para qué? ¿Cuál es el objetivo final que perseguimos en nuestras acciones? ¿A quién va a favorecer? Y, lo más importante de todo, ¿con qué fuerzas cuento? Las respuestas a estas preguntas nos darán, en cierto modo, la medida en que daremos frutos o no; pero, sobre todo, se trata de pensar a quién estamos unidos para

lograr esos frutos. Si contamos solamente con nuestra propia fuerza, las cosas van a ir mal. Confiar mucho en uno mismo —como confiar demasiado poco— lleva a la esterilidad sin remedio. Cuando alguien se fía mucho de sus propias fuerzas, acaba irremediablemente por ver cómo se le desmorona todo, como si fuera una torre de naipes. Se veía bien, pero era inestable. Quizá hayamos tenido experiencias como esta: hacer, triunfar, tener éxitos y luego llegar a un punto donde todo se derrumba y parecemos la sombra de quienes éramos. No hay vida. Entonces sería bueno preguntarse qué había debajo de cada logro: ¿solamente la confianza en nuestra propia fuerza? Ahí tendríamos la respuesta de por qué ocurrieron las cosas de esa forma. De la misma manera, siempre que algo ha dado un buen fruto, algo ha hecho bien a otros y ha resultado en gracia, bendición y bien para otros, podríamos preguntarnos qué o, mejor dicho, quién estaba detrás. Ahí también encontraremos la respuesta: solo puede haber verdadera vida cuando Cristo está presente. En el evangelio de hoy se nos dice que quien no está unido a la vid verdadera, quien no tiene su fundamento en algo sólido (y algo verdaderamente sólido, que da vida, solamente puede ser Dios) no solo se hundirá, sino que se secará y morirá. Cristo no es solo la base, sino la savia y el todo; sin él, no

podemos hacer nada.

PARA LA REFLEXIÓN ¿A qué aspiro? ¿Qué bien traería eso? ¿Qué frutos pienso que se me piden? ¿En quién me apoyo? ¿Cómo mantengo viva mi relación con Dios, para que pueda dar frutos?

LA RESURRECCIÓN DE JESUCRISTO cambió el curso de la historia y es un fundamento de la fe cristiana. Este acontecimiento tiene implicaciones para cada uno de nosotros y nos exige una respuesta personal. La piedra que cerraba el sepulcro no fue removida para que Jesús pudiera salir, sino para que otros pudieran entrar y ver que Jesús no estaba allí. Al igual que el otro discípulo que entró en la tumba con Simón Pedro, nosotros también necesitamos pasar por el proceso de buscar, aprender, ver y —lo más importante— creer. Jesucristo resucitó de entre los muertos, tal como dijo; consecuentemente, podemos estar

seguros de que cumplirá todo lo prometido y confiar en su palabra. Los cristianos estamos llamados a creer lo increíble, a recibir lo inconcebible y a derrotar lo que parecía invencible. Respondamos dando testimonio de que Jesucristo es nuestro Señor y Salvador, y viviendo amorosamente con la certeza de que la muerte no es el final; hay vida eterna con Dios. Ángel Carrión Tavárez, Ph.D.

Join us for our First Holy Communion Class on

Sunday, May 6 at 10:30 Our prayers for all of them and their families

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER APRIL 29, 2018

MOTHER’S DAY ROSES We donate about $500 to the Right to Life around Mother’s Day and we ask for a donation for roses we offer on Mother’s Day. Your support is appreciated. It is a way of honoring the Right to Life volunteers.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

SATURDAY, MAY 12

The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and the Leona Duval Award will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at the 4pm Mass.

IN WHAT WAY IS THIS A HEALING SACRAMENT?

We see Jesus and the Apostles performing many acts of healing in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles. We may be tempted to believe that God no longer heals since physical healings are less frequent these days, but healings still take place in remarkable numbers. Today, they are often done through the mediation of the medical professions. In the Anointing of the Sick, the focus is on the possibility of a spiritual and/or a physical healing. The prayers address the sick person as a whole, which includes all aspects of our human life. So while a physical or psychological ailment may be the most obvious cause of the person’s suffering, other aspects of the person’s health are also taken into consideration. Many times, the spiritual healing is far more dramatic than the physical. And sometimes this takes the form of an increased ability to accept the physical illness and its suffering. Death is a reality of our human life, and we need not try to deny that fact when it becomes obvious or inevitable. In such cases, the Sacrament of Anointing prepares a person for death, which includes spiritual healing and the forgiveness of sins. If death is imminent, the Eucharist is offered as Viaticum (food for the journey). As always, the grace of the sacrament and the wisdom and abilities of human nature work together when we face serious illness. We don’t want to highlight one over the other. God works just as effectively through the medical professionals as he does through the sacraments. We want to include the sacraments, however, as a clear statement of faith in God’s presence and care for the suffering. To ignore it would be tantamount to ignoring the doctor. FIRST HOLY COMMUNION UPDATE

Our goal is to prepare well each student for the sacraments. You can help us by your participation at Mass, in the classroom and preparing your son and daughter at home. April 22 - 9:15AM Rehearsal

April 29 - 9:15AM Rehearsal

May 5 - 9:00 AM Saturday Rehearsal Rehearsals for First Holy Communion will include MUSIC prep May 6 - 10:30AM First Holy Communion Mass followed by a reception in the parish center ST BRIGID’S TRADITION It has been our tradition to celebrate First Holy Communion as a parish community. This means to attend Mass and the reception. PLEASE HELP US PLAN FOR FIRST HOLY COMMUNION ON SUNDAY May 6, 2018. To make a contribution to this Sacrament, we ask each grade for their help with the following:

Grade K & One: make a banner for the Altar

Grade Three: Bring paper plates and napkins

Grade Four: Bring juice, water or milk

Grade Five: light sandwiches, finger food, veggies

Grade Six: Bring desserts Help us make this day special - thank you for your support!

LEONA DUVAL AWARD NOMINATIONS

This is an award to honor a senior parishioner, 60 years of age or older, who has significantly contributed to the life of St. Brigid’s and the community. The nominee should be a faithful, worshipping and active member of the parish for at least 10 years. Please drop off the completed form in the nomination box or mail to St. Brigid’s, Box 424, Amherst

MOTHER’S DAY RAFFLE

There will be a Mother’s Day Raffle for a lawn mower or $1,000.00 cash. Tickets are $5.00 for one or 3 for $10.00. The drawing will be held on Mother’s Day. Tickets are available after all Masses or call the Rectory at 256-6181.

CONFIRMATION MAKE-UP CLASSES - IMPORTANT!

There will be two Confirmation Make-up Classes for those stu-dents who have missed classes during the school year. Please contact Gaudence Ndikumana 413 835 1669

CEMETERY DECORATIONS

Decorations are allowed from Mother’s Day to Labor Day (summer decorations) and November 1 to April 1 (winter decora-tions). No artificial flowers or shrubs are allowed. No more than two pots of flowers per lot. Thank you!

GRACIAS! THE BEST PUPUSAS ON SALE

Our thanks for the support and great dedication from the Hispanic Community this week for offering a delicious menu for all to enjoy. They raised $720 donated to the church. Gracias!

THANK YOU FOR A BEAUTIFUL HOLY WEEK To all the choir, the altar servers, ushers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and to those who cleaned and polished the church -thank you! If you participated in the Holy Week services you already know how beautiful they were. Our thanks to those who began the week with a pancake breakfast, to those who prepared the food and to those who donated all the food - thank you! What a great week! To those away for the Easter week - we missed you! But you missed a great parish event!

STAINED GLASS DAMAGE & RESTORATION

The stained glass windows were made by Mayer’s Studies of Munich, Germany in 1925. The damage is confined to the two panels that are now replaced with plywood. A photo of the window is shown in the front of the church on the easel. The interior wooden sash and the exterior protective glass were also damaged and need repairs. The estimate for the repair is $19,330.00. The windows are being repaired.

UPCOMING EVENTS Student Exam Baskets Movie Night First Holy Communion & Reception Sacrament of the Sick & Reception Leona Duval Award Mother’s Day Roses Mother’s Day Raffle Appreciation Dinner for Religious Education Teachers RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Jesus is best communicated in the home. Parents form a “Domestic Church.” They are the first teachers of their children in the faith. Our thanks to all those who have supported our religious education programs during the year! We are looking for teachers for the coming year and have asked you to continue to bring Christ into you homes.

Ad info. 1-800-477-4574 • Publication Support 1-800-888-4574 • www.4lpi.com St. Brigid, Amherst, MA 03-0151

Pelham Auto ServiceRoute 9 on the Amherst/Belchertown line

1315 Federal Street, Belchertown, MA 01007

413-253-9302Foreign Car Specialists Since 1972

HOME HEALTH CARECOMMONWEALTH

REGISTRY OF NURSES

Rn’s, Lpn’s, Cna’s/Chha’s

Celebrating 28 Years 1989-2017

Home Care. Makes Life Easier.

Up to 24 hrs care/ 7 days a week tailored to your needs

Call 413-527-2527WWW.CRNHOMECARE.COM

85 North Whitney St., Amherst, MA

413-549-7911 | www.almadan.com“ Seeking compassionate Shared Living providers to

open their homes to support an adult with

developmental disabilities. Providers are well

compensated with a tax free stipend. For more info

contact Shannon Guenette at 413-549-7911 ext. 15

or at Shannon.guenette@Almadan.com.”

BRESNAHAN INSURANCE AGENCY, Inc.

The Bresnahan Family

100 Whiting Farms Rd., Holyoke

Tel. 413-536-0536

231 Triangle St., Amherst

Tel. 413-549-1100

www.bresnahaninsurance.com

MATUSZKO

AIR CONDITIONING

HEATING • REFRIGERATION

413-374-1087Hadley, MA

BOYDEN & PERRONGARAGE, INC.

Lawn & GardenPower Equipment

Sales & ServiceGeneral Automotive Services

41 South Whitney St., Amherst

253-7358

MICHAEL J. SERDUCKATTORNEY AT LAW, PARISHIONER

256 North Pleasant St., Amherst

253-5761www.attyserduck.com

General Practice

Accepting New Patients

Linda Robinson Dental

Route 9 Hadley

587-0888 Call for an Appointment Today Linda Robinson, DMD

www.lindarobinsondental.com

AMHERST’SONLY LOCAL CHOICE FOR

SHORT STAY REHABILITATIONSPACIOUS PRIVATE ROOMS AVAILABLE

www.cecaa.com

413.256.8185Call for more information or to schedule a personal tour.

Email: anh@cecaa.com | Fax: 413-256-0138150 University Drive, Amherst, MA

Ziomek & ZiomekAttorneys at Law

27 University Drive, P.O. Box 6

Amherst, MA 01004

Megin Z. Ziomek

S. Peter Ziomek, Jr.

Tel. 413-549-0080

Fax 413-549-5764

(413) 345-1513 Cellmadeline."ood@era.com

2 Lyman Street, South Hadley, MA

MADELINE FLOOD, REALTOR®ERA LAPLANTE REAL ESTATE

Servicing Hampshire, Hampden & Franklin Counties.

A Locally Owned Neighborhood Pharmacy

Competitively Priced • Shop and Compare

Over 20 years of experience

Easy Prescription Transfers...we do all the work

413-253-0387381 College St., Amherst(Next to Florence Savings)

Contact Jessica Floyd to place an ad today!

!"#$%&'()*+,#-.#/.(800) '001'20' x6289

Rte. 116, S. Amherst, MA

256-6100www.sibiespizza.com