A Catholic Faith Community Since 1908 A Catholic Faith Community Since 1908 A Catholic Faith Community Since 1908

MASS TIMES
SUNDAYS: Sat. 5:30 pm (Vigil), 7:30 am, 10 am & 12 N
WEEKDAYS: Mon., Tues., Fri, and Sat. 8 am
(Wed. & Thurs. 8 am Communion Service)
HOLY DAYS: (eve of) 5:30 pm; (day of) 8 am & 6:30 pm
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
(Confession) Saturdays 4 - 5 pm or by appointment
DEVOTIONS
Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Saturday 7:50 am
ADORATION
First Friday 8:30 am - 5 pm, Rectory Oratory
Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V.F.Pastor
Deacon Manuel Valencia Deacon John Hull
318 North Baldwin Avenue, Sierra Madre
Mailing Address: 50 East Alegria Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone: 626/355-1292 FAX: 626/355-2290 www.st-rita.org




The Lord

is near

to all who call

upon Him.

Psalm 145
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEJULY 20, 2014 2



Msgr. Richard Krekelberg, V. F.Pastor
626.355.1292 x. 228 revkrek@st-rita.org
Dcn. Manuel & Chela Valencia
deaconmanuelvalencia@gmail.com 355.1292
Dcn. John Hulljohnhull65@gmail.com 355.1292

Weekend Presider:
10 am MassFr. Chris Thiel, OFM Capuchin

Parish Office/Mailing Address
50 East Alegria Ave., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am to 6pm; Sat. 9 am to 1 pm.
Office Email: ParishAdmin@st-rita.org

Director of Administration
Mary Lou Butler: mlbutler@st-rita.org 355.1292
Pastoral Council
Parish Office: 355.1292
Finance Council Chair
Bill Sullivan: 355.3707

St. Rita SchoolOffice: 626.355.6114
Principal: Joanne Harabedian jharabedian@st-rita.org

Director of Liturgy & Music
Paul Puccinelli: mm@st-rita.org
Director of Religious Education
Cristina Cullen: 355.1292 dre@st-rita.org
Director of Youth Ministry/Confirmation
Theresa Bui Costanzo: 626.590.8828 ym@st-rita.org
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)
Team: Deacon Manuel and Chela Valencia;
Susan Blakeslee: rcia@st-rita.org

How to Contact Us
Parish Ministries and Organizations

Liturgy & Worship
Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers: David & Jill Muhs
355.9810 em@st-rita.org
Altar Servers, Youth: Kathy Ganino 626.398.9302
katganino@charter.net
Altar Servers, Adult: Bill Cosso 355.5656
Eucharistic Adoration: Kathy Ganino 626.398.9302
katganino@charter.net
Rosary Prayer Group: Susan Day 355-3835
Sacristans: Sat. Vigil: Gary Fidone/Bill & Patti Huber
Sunday Masses: 7:30-Bill Cosso/David Banis;
10:00-David Muhs; 12N-Bernie Grace
Weekdays: John Bigley, Margaret Duran
Porter: (Evening Church Lockup) Sheila Palazzolo
Environment: Denise Villalovos/Gil Lazo gil@st-rita.org 355.1292

Ministries & Organizations
Bereavement Ministry: 355.1292 bereave@st-rita.org
Christian Family: Ana Ptasinski 355.3146
Greeters & Ushers: Erny Henry 626.289.3504 626.446.6715
Mens Club: Nick Sotis: 358-2495 nick.sotis@pro-sites.net
New Members/Welcome: Contact the Parish Office
St. Rita Guild: Patty Sullivan 355.3707 psullivan514@gmail.com
Senior Ministry: Marilyn McKernan, marilyn@st-rita.org
Shawl Ministry: Mary Taillac 355.3179 Marilyn Delgatto 355.8717

Other Contacts
Archivist: Marilyn McKernan marilyn@st-rita.org
Bulletin Submissions: bulletin@st-rita.org or drop off at Office
Public Relations: ParishAdmin@st-rita.org
Registration Information: rc@st-rita.org 355.1292
Webmaster: Ralph Seymour: seymour@seymourmedia.com

Let Saint Rita Be There For You . . .
Communion for Sick and Homebound Parishioners
St. Rita ministers provide Communion home visits. Contact the Parish Office 355.1292 or Jill Muhs 355.9810 em@st-rita.org.

Anointing of the Sick
Please notify us (355.1292) for the Anointing of the Sick, the sacrament intended for the seriously ill or dying and Our Lords special presence
and companionship in serious time of need. Anointing may take place in the home, at the hospital or elsewhere and as often as once a month.
If someone should die without anointing, remember that the desire to receive is sufficient.

If You Should Experience the Loss of a Loved One Please call us at 355.1292
If you feel you will be in need, or your loved one has passed, we will assist in making arrangements with your chosen funeral director; refer you
to our Bereavement Ministry and Music Ministry; and offer you helpful guidelines that will aid in the selection of readings for a Mass or
Memorial Service. We know this can be a tough time and we want you to know that your parish is there for you. PLEASE UNDERSTAND we
only have one resident priest; sometimes arrangements for another priest may be needed.

For Information about the Sacraments
BaptismPlease contact the Parish Office for further information on the Baptism process and requirements.

Reconciliation and First EucharistPreparation for children who have attained the age of reason (usually during 2
nd
grade) is
arranged either through the Office of Religious Education or St. Rita Elementary School.

MatrimonyContact the Parish Office upon engagement; at least six months is needed for preparation of this joyous sacrament!

ConfirmationA two-year program for freshman/sophomore age teens. Apply through the Office of Youth Ministry.

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH 3

REV. MSGR. RICHARD KREKELBERG
PASTORS CORNER

Dear Parishioners,

While I am on my annual vacation, I offer for your consideration a Homily from Father Charles Irvin, a retired priest
of the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, as well as the Founding Editor of Faith magazine. Msgr. Richard
When it comes to facing failures in life,
the farmer in today's Gospel parable
sounds a lot like many of us. We work
hard, and only sometimes succeed.
Most of the best things that we give to
others are not by them well received.
Most of what we want to plant in the
lives of those around us doesn't "take";
it doesn' t become rooted and
permanently planted in their lives.

All of us have to deal with failure,
those areas where the best we've given
to others comes up lacking, falling
short of our hopes, our dreams, and
our great expectations.

There are some biblical commentators
who suggest that the parable of Jesus
we just heard was autobiographical.
That may well be true. Jesus certainly
had to face a whole lot of apparent
failure. He knew full well the pain of
failure. He was born and raised in
Nazareth and his own hometown folks
rejected Him. His own Hebrew
countrymen rejected His message.
His handpicked twelve apostles? Well,
one of them sold Him out for thirty
pieces of silver and the others fled
when He was crucified. Peter wasn't
too swift to take His message to heart,
Thomas was the doubter, and the
others weren't much better either.

Up to this point my remarks all sound
terribly dismal and discouraging. But
my point today is that we need to
remember that Jesus did not let
apparent failure stop Him. In His
parable, Jesus went on to speak about a
crop that yielded a harvest in successful
amounts, some yi elds bringi ng
spectacular success. Today's Gospel
parable is not a dirgeit is a
celebration; it is a story of hope, not of
despair.

Any crisis has within it both danger
and opportunity. True there are evils
that surround us, but many of those
evils are slowly being overcome. God
is at work among us bringing good out
of evil.

You and I, like all good farmers who
continually face disasters of every sort,
need to seriously engage ourselves in
the enterprise of faith and hope,
planting the best of what we have, and
then letting Gods sun, wind, and
gentle rains do the rest. The best years
of our lives, and the best that we have
given to others in them, or are giving
right now, or will give in the future,
will not be fruitless.

Many times I am called upon to
console parents who poured out all of
their love and faith into their children,
taught them the Catholic faith, sent
them to religious education classes, or
to Catholic schools, only to have them,
as adults, leave our Church and go
elsewhere, many times to a type of
religion that requires little if any faith
but which gives good feelings. We
must remember in such cases that the
love and the faith that we've planted in
the hearts of those around us,
particularly in the hearts and souls of
our children, will eventually blossom.
The hopes and dreams that we've
planted in others will germinate, grow,
and yield a harvest of some extent,
even if our efforts do not now appear
to be unqualified successes.

Sure, our world is a mess now, but it
always has been. We need to see that
there is also an amazing amount of
goodness in it. And so, keep on
planting God's good seeds in the lives
of those near to you. Faith and hope
are what should be in our hearts, not
defeat and despair.
Faith and Hope
Rev. Charles Irvin
Genevieve Collins
Long-time parishioner & former
lst Grade teacher at St. Rita School


MASS INTENTIONS

SATURDAY, JULY 19
8:00 AM Tom Johnson RIP
5:30 PM For All Parishioners
SUNDAY, JULY 20
7:30 AM Laurence Johnson RIP
10:00 AM Juliana Vedasto RIP
12 NOON Rev. Francis Alabart RIP
MONDAY, JULY 21
8:05 AM Virginia Duvall INT
TUESDAY, JULY 22
8:05 AM Msgr. Alfred Hernandez RIP
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23
8:05 AM Communion Service
THURSDAY, JULY 24
8:05 AM Communion Service
FRIDAY, JULY 25
8:05 AM Burnetta Johnson RIP
SATURDAY, JULY 26
8:05 AM Stacy Hinds Reed RIP
5:30 PM Peter Carson RIP
SUNDAY, JULY 27
7:30 AM For All Parishioners
10:00 AM Jeannette Beignau RIP
12 NOON Larry Hoover RIP

FEAST DAYS

MondaySt. Lawrence of Brindisi
TuesdaySt. Mary Magdalene
WednesdaySt. Bridget
ThursdaySt. Sharbel Makhluf
FridaySt. James
SaturdaySs. Joachim & Anne

TODAYS READINGS

First ReadingYou taught your
people that those who are just must
likewise be kind (Wisdom 12:13, 16-19).
PsalmLord, you are good and
forgiving (Psalm 86).
Second ReadingThe Spirit comes to
aid us in our weakness (Romans 8:26-27).
GospelJesus proposes parables to the
crowds, teaching them of the reign of
God (Matthew 13:24-43 [24-30]).




SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEJULY 20, 2014 4

PLEASE PRAY FOR
THOSE WHO
HAVE REQUESTED
OUR PRAYERS

Willard Bochte, Joann Ruggles, Margaret
Duran, Eric Gilmore, Lori Ann Little,
Guia Canizales, Anne Frealy, Eva
Shammon, Margie Schubert, Sheila Pierce,
Mary Zuckerburg, Emily Young, JoAnn
Douglass, Mary McColl, Evelyn Tres,
Barbara Hester, Phil Huddleston, Gerald
Drean, Charlotte Bollman Fuchs, Gerry
Krekelberg, Leah Greteman, Raymond
Payne, Peter Delgatto, Jr., Montserrat
Marti, Jordan Alabart, Linda Milligan,
Susan Skousen, Brooke Manning, Arthur
Contreras, Jr., Robert Quinonez, Richard
Krier, Patsy Starkey, Jean Mansour, Jacob
Bigley, Dorothy Van Gorden, Maria
Carmen Marti, Dennis & Clare Marquardt,
Kathleen Ramsey, Tonyja Blakeslee, Addie
Marshall, Jackie Bagnuolo, Mary Ellen
Isoard, Rose Mary Taquino, Paul Viger,
Zdenka Czerny, Hal Finney, Ailey
Gardner-Ybarra, Eva Bernejo, Edith Olah,
Lancelot Loera, Fred Mycroft, Brian Eck,
Alex Arranaga, Anna Mary Hession,
Joseph Moore.













This Weeks Featured Saint
St. Mary Magdalene
Except for the mother
of Jesus, few women
are more honored in
the Bible than Mary
Magdalene. Yet she
could well be the
patron of the
slandered, since there
has been a persistent
legend in the Church that she is the
unnamed sinful woman who anointed
the feet of Jesus (Luke 7:36-50).

Most Scripture scholars today point out
that there is no scriptural basis for
confusing the two women. Mary
Magdalene, that is, of Magdala, was
the one from whom Christ cast out
seven demons (Luke 8:2)an
indication, at the worst, of extreme
demonic possession or, possibly, severe
illness.

Father Wilfrid J. Harrington, O.P.,
writing in the New Catholic Commentary,
says that seven demons does not
mean that Mary had lived an immoral
lifea conclusion reached only by
means of a mistaken identification with
the anonymous woman (Luke 7:36).
Father Edward Mally, S.J., writing in
the Jerome Biblical Commentary, agrees
that she is not...the same as the sinner
(Luke 7:37), despite the later Western
romantic tradition about her.

Mary Magdalene was one of the many
who were assisting them [Jesus and the
Twelve] out of their means. She was
one of those who stood by the cross of
Jesus with his mother. And, of all the
official witnesses that might have
been chosen for the first awareness of
the Resurrection, she was the one to
whom that privilege was given.

St. Mary Magdalene is known as the
"Apostle to the Apostles."

From AmericanCatholic.org



New Feature Column

Starting today, and in future
Bulletins (space allowing), we will
feature a story of a Saint whose
Feast Day is being celebrated
during the upcoming week.

We hope you will enjoy this feature.
SAINT RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH 5




Youth Nites, 7- 8:30 pm, OMalley
Next Youth NiteWed., July 23
Meets year-round, on the second and
fourth Wednesdays of each month.
Youth Nites are for all teens and we
encourage our teens to invite their
friends to join in the fellowship.

Parents/Teens Service Projects
Help with the St. Rita Backpack Drive
for the benefit of St. Francis Center.
We need volunteers to help sort
items after the Noon Mass on
Sunday, August 3. Or help distribute
the donations at the St. Francis Center
on Saturday, August 9.

The second Saturday of each month
we go to St. Francis Center from 9:30
am until 12:30 pm to help sort and
organize their food pantryand then
help distribute the food.

Confirmation Registration packets
are available in the Parish Office and
also online at st-rita.org.

Theresa Costanzo ym@st-rita.org




Religious Education Registration
For incoming 1st 5th graders

Registration materials for the 2014-
2015 Religious Education year are now
available in the Parish Office (50 E.
Alegria Avenue). Registration fee is $50
for the year; classes begin on
September 15 and are held each
Monday from 4 - 5:15 pm.


Cristina Cullen dre@st-rita.org
626/294-9616

Articles for the Bulletin

Please submit to bulletin@st-rita.org
or to the Parish Office. Ask for or
leave a message for Rosemary,
355-1292 x226. Deadline is 10 days
before the desired weekend.

St. Rita Catholic School


For information about
School Office hours, registration for
the new school year, purchase of
scrip and/or gift cards, and more,
please contact the

SCHOOL OFFICE 355-6114

Safeguard the
Children. Did You
Know? The core best
practice for child safety is
to have as much
information as possible and
replace blind trust with knowledge and
healthy suspicion. That means asking
questions: Where are you going? What
will you do while you are there? Who
will be with you? When will you return?
Which adults/parents will be present?
Then evaluate the situation and
determine if it is safe for your child to
participate. Anddont be afraid to say
No. For a copy of Summer Safety
Tips can Help prevent Sexual Abuse
contact
Brenda Melendez
bmelendez@la-archdiocese.org

Volunteers Needed

Our Annual Backpack/School
Supplies Drive begins this weekend.

We need help:
After each weekend Mass to move
the donations from the Church to a
secure location in Gara Hall; And,
after the noon Mass on August 3 to
sort the donations (about 1-2 hours, if
we get 5-6 helpers).
Additionally, we may call you to help
stuff bulletins; resupply offering
envelopes in the pews; work at parish
events; or similar activities.
We will contact you for helpand, if
youre not available, well ask again for
another date/time.

rc@st-rita.org 355-1292 x 226


St. Rita Trivia

No prizes, no competition
just a quiz to see how much
you know about your Parish. Watch for
the answers next week.

True or False?
St. Rita Parish was originally named
for St. Teresa of Avila.

St. Rita School was once staffed by
the Sisters of Loretto.

St. Ritas Mens Club began as the
Holy Name Society.

Multiple Choice
In 1921, a pilgrimage from Los
Angeles, via the Red Car, brought
4000 2000 1500
people to the St. Rita Shrine for the
Feast of Roses.

Confirmation at St. Rita was cancelled
due to the Sierra Madre fire in the
local mountains in
2006 2008 2010

The final graduating class at St. Rita
School of double grades was
1971 1976 1979

Who Am I?
A member of St. Rita Schools first
graduation Class of 24, I went on to
form a famous Boys Choir that would
appear in scores of films, including
Going My Way.

I was the Pastor of St. Rita Church
after Msgr. OMalley and before
Msgr. Gara.

I was the Principal of St. Rita School
from 1967-1979.

Bonus Question
What is the name of our (now
deceased) parishioner who was the
most decorated WWI Army Sergeant,
including being honored by receiving
the Congressional Medal of Honor?




This Week at St. Rita This Week at St. Rita This Week at St. Rita


This WeekendAnnual Backpack Drive Begins
To benefit the children served by the St. Francis Center
See Page 5 for information on how you can help!

Liturgy of the Hours & Evening Prayer
Will resume in September.

Thursday, July 24Bible Study
7 pm In the Parish Office Meeting Room

Save the Date Save the Date Save the Date



Monday, July 28Baptism Preparation Class
7 pm Parish Office Meeting Room
For August 3 Baptisms

Week-end of August 2 & 3Mission Appeal
Foundation for Children in Need (a Catholic lay organization)
Speaker: Dr. Geetha Yeruva, Co-founder/President
See next weeks Bulletin for more information.





SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEJULY 20, 2014 6

Catholic Community
& Local Events






Fingerprinting for VIRTUSWednesday, August 6.
Holy Family, 1501 S. Fremont Ave., So. Pasadena 91030.
Hours 12 - 3:40 pm and 5 - 7:20 pm
Must call for appointment: 626/403-6106

Mens RetreatFriday thru Sunday, August 22 - 24.
Directed by Rev. Stash Dailey from Columbus, OH. The
weekend includes Conferences, Mass, Confession, spiritual
direction, personal prayer time and delicious meals. Sacred
Heart Retreat House, Alhambra.
Registration/Information: 626/289-1353 x 204
Avila Gardens Open HouseSat., Aug. 23. 1-3 pm.
From Atheist to ApostleThe Testimony of Mark
Leon. Avila Gardens, 1171 Encanto Parkway, Duarte 91010
Call to RSVP: 626/599-2214
Happy Birthday!

Our very best, though belated,
birthday wishes to Eunice Banis.
Eunice, a long-time parishioner and
still our organist/pianist at the
Sunday 7:30 am Mass, celebrated
her birthday on July 7.
Congratulations, Eunice, on 90 wonderful years!
Mens Club

Our Annual Installation Dinner was held Friday,
June 20, on the Meadow behind the Parish Office. It
was a beautiful evening to enjoy a good time, both by
members and their guests. Gil Lazo recommended a
caterer who created delicious tacos, quesadillas, rice and
beansand of course we had our own Margarita
Maestro (Bill Sullivan) to keep the meal authentic.

As we said thank-you to those
who served as Officers last year
(Nick Sotis [pictured at right],
Rich Santiago, Justin Smith &
Jerry Capener), we welcomed
our new Board:
Dave Loera, President; Ed
Driscoll, Vice President; Mark
Villalovos, Recording Secretary; and returning as
Treasurer, Jerry Capener.

May the Lord give them strength to continue the
mission of social, spiritual, and charitable activities for
our parish.

Nick Sotis 626/599-8228 nick.sotis@pro-sites.net
Backpack & School Supplies Drive
July 19 through August 3

Please leave your donations in the boxes in
the Vestibule. Thank you for helping the St.
Francis Center!
ST. RITA OF CASCIA CHURCH 7
Are you a registered Member at St. Rita?
Would you like to join us?
Registering in a parish is a declaration of your desire to
be part of a Catholic community. Being a registered
parishioner is a requirement for infant baptism, school
registration, weddings, when asked to be a baptismal or
confirmation sponsor, and even funerals.
Registration forms available
in the Vestibule on our website: st-rita.org
or please contact the Parish Office 355-1292

June Maintenance & Repairs
Income (blue envelopes & directed donations)
$ 8,158
Expenses (utilities, minor repairs, etc.) $11,827
Shortage of funds < $ 3,669 >
Number of parishioners donating 172
Number of parish families 1279

Thank you for donating to our special monthly
collection. In June, we incurred unexpected repairs costs
in addition to an increase in Edison costs for keeping the
Church and Halls cool. We appreciate your donations to
this Special Collection each month. If you have not
contributed in the past, please consider helping us meet
our monthly expenses.

To contribute to our Maintenance & Repairs Collection,
use the blue envelope in your packetor any envelope
or a checkand just write For Maintenance Only. All
funds stay at St. Rita.


Thank you for your support!

St. Rita School Alumni
Please help us update our contact information. Fill out
the form below and place it in the Sunday Offering
basket or return it to the School Office. You may also
email landis@st-ritaschool.org


Name

Phone

Email