Saint Joseph Catholic Church
29119 Point Lookout Road
P.O. Box 175
Morganza, Maryland 20660
Phone: 301-475-3293 Fax: 301-475-0491
E-Mail: stjosephmorganza@yahoo.com
Website: www.stjosephmorganza.org
Father Keith A. Woods, Pastor
Deacon James A. Somerville – Deacon John Walter Somerville
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 16, 2015
CCD Information – Please contact the Rectory Office
Parish Secretary – Mrs. Mary C. Wood
Saturday Evening Mass:
5:00 p.m.
Sunday Masses:
8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Weekday Masses:
8:00 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
Confessions:
4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Saturday
Baptisms:
Please call the Rectory to make arrangements. Parents must be practicing
Catholics in this Parish or able to provide a letter of permission from the
the proper parish for Baptism here. Godparents, if not St. Joseph
parishioners, must provide a letter that they meet the requirements: a
practicing Catholic, at least 16 years old, have received Baptism, Confirmation,
and First Communion and, if married, in a marriage recognized by the Catholic
Church. A baptized non-Catholic may serve as a Christian witness.
Marriages:
Please call the Rectory at least six months in advance of the wedding
Sacrament of the Sick:
Those hospitalized or home-bound to receive the Sacraments, call the Rectory.
Rectory Office Hours
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday
From Father Woods
Strength from the ancients
We live in times that are challenging for the practice of our Catholic Faith. It is good for us to be
reminded that there are challenges in every age; that we are not unique. We can be inspired by the
heroic witness of those who have undergone persecution for their faith, yet remained faithful to Jesus.
Over the next few weeks we will hear the accounts of a few of these witnesses.
The Account of the Martyrdom of St. Justin (An anonymous eyewitness)
The saints were seized and brought before the prefect of Rome, whose name was Rusticus. As they
stood before the judgment seat, Rusticus the prefect said to Justin: "Above all, have faith in the gods and
obey the emperors." Justin said: "We cannot be accused or condemned for obeying the commands of our
Saviour, Jesus Christ." Rusticus said: "What system of teaching do you profess?" Justin said: "I have
tried to learn about every system, but I have accepted the true doctrines of the Christians, though these
are not approved by those who are held fast by error."
The prefect Rusticus said: "Are those doctrines approved by you, wretch that you are?" Justin said:
"Yes, for I follow them with their correct teaching." The prefect Rusticus said: "What sort of teaching is
that?" Justin said: "Worship the God of the Christians. We hold him to be from the beginning the one
creator and maker of the whole creation, of things seen and things unseen. We worship also the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was foretold by the prophets as the future herald of salvation for the
human race and the teacher of distinguished disciples. For myself, since I am a human being, I consider
that what I say is insignificant in comparison with his infinite godhead. I acknowledge the existence of a
prophetic power, for the one I have just spoken of as the Son of God was the subject of prophecy. I
know that the prophets were inspired from above when they spoke of his coming among men." Rusticus
said: "You are a Christian, then?" Justin said: "Yes, I am a Christian." The prefect said to Justin: "You
are called a learned man and think that you know what is true teaching. Listen: if you were scourged and
beheaded, are you convinced that you would go up to heaven?" Justin said: "I hope that I shall enter
God’s house if I suffer that way. For I know that God’s favour is stored up until the end of the whole
world for all who have lived good lives." The prefect Rusticus said: "Do you have an idea that you will
go up to heaven to receive some suitable rewards?" Justin said: "It is not an idea that I have; it is
something I know well and hold to be most certain." The prefect Rusticus said: "Now let us come to the
point at issue, which is necessary and urgent. Gather round then and with one accord offer sacrifice to
the gods." Justin said: "No one who is right thinking stoops from true worship to false worship." The
prefect Rusticus said: "If you do not do as you are commanded you will be tortured without mercy."
Justin said: "We hope to suffer torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved. For this
will bring us salvation and confidence as we stand before the more terrible and universal judgement-seat
of our Lord and Saviour."
In the same way the other martyrs also said: "Do what you will. We are Christians; we do not offer
sacrifice to idols." The prefect Rusticus pronounced sentence, saying: "Let those who have refused to
sacrifice to the gods and to obey the command of the emperor be scourged and led away to suffer capital
punishment according to the ruling of the laws." Glorifying God, the holy martyrs went out to the
accustomed place. They were beheaded, and so fulfilled their witness of martyrdom in confessing their
faith in their Saviour.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Mass Intentions for August 17th to August 23rd
8:00 a.m.
William Cardinal Baum
8:00 a.m.
Special Intention
8:00 a.m.
Thomas W. Bradburn, Jr.
No Mass Scheduled
8:00 a.m.
Janet L. Townsend
8:00 a.m.
Sara Jeanne Speer
5:00 p.m.
Bernadette Tyer
8:00 a.m.
Mary Agnes “Aggie” Farrell
10:00 a.m.
Jenny Bowles
6:00 p.m.
Pro Populo
Mass Schedules for August 22nd & August 23rd
Extraordinary Ministers
Lectors
Altar Servers
Saturday – 5:00 p.m.
George Brown & Dale Delahay
Marie Buckler
Geoffrey Buckler & Ryan Huseman
Sunday – 8:00 a.m.
Chris Post & Jackie Post
Carolyn Chase
D’Andre Miller
Sunday – 10:00 a.m.
Billy Benjamin & Billy Johnson
Bill Leonard
M. Hendrick & Nicholas Combs
Please pray for those who are sick in our parish especially Mary & George Falso, Thomas Lionel
Herbert, Cheryl Herbert, Elizabeth Adams, Patricia Long, Alan Burch, Bernadette Herbert, Christina &
Benjamin Ferreira, Sarah Custer, and James Nelson.
Offertory for Sunday, August 9, 2015 - $5,069.00. August School Support Collection - $1,043.00.
Thank you for your generosity.
Please pray for the happy repose of the soul of Alice Imogene Rice. Mrs. Rice’s Mass of Christian
Burial was held in St. Joseph Church on Wednesday, August 12th.
Tickets for Papal Mass - Pope Francis will celebrate Mass on September 23rd at 4:15 p.m. on the East
Front steps of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. During
this Mass the Holy Father will canonize Blessed Junipero Serra. Parishes have been allotted a limited
number of tickets for parishioners to attend the Papal Mass. Some seats are inside the Basilica, some
outdoors near the altar, and some tickets are for the standing area. If you would like to attend, requests
must be submitted in writing to the Rectory either by letter or email by Monday, 17 August. Please
note that the Mass will be celebrated in Spanish and participants may be expected to be in their places
several hours before Mass. If you request a ticket you must be able to insure that you will actually
attend the Mass. Tickets are free and may not be sold or transferred. On your written request please
indicate the names of every person you are requesting a ticket for and your telephone number and email
address.
Bulletin Online – If you miss getting a bulletin after Mass or are away for a weekend, remember that
you can always download the bulleting from our parish website – www.stjosephmorganza.org
Holy Hour – our Holy Hour for the month of August will be held on Monday, August 17th from 7-8
p.m. in the Church. Please plan to spend some time in prayer with the Lord Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament. The Holy Hour concludes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
CCD Registration – registration forms and informational letters have been mailed to all returning
families. Registration forms are placed in the vestibule of the Church for new families. We have had an
ongoing problem with late registrations for CCD that disrupts our ordering of books and supplies which
costs the parish money for expedited shipping. We hope to streamline the registration process this year
and get everyone registered efficiently. There will be no registrations accepted after August 17. If you
have any questions, please call the Rectory Office.
Volunteers are needed for our CCD program this coming year 2015-2016. We are in need of a few
teachers and aides. All teachers and aides must have Child Protection status before they can volunteer in
the classroom. We would like to start the school year with a full staff. For anyone that needs to take the
Virtus class for Child Protection, classes will be held locally at the following locations. Immaculate
Conception Church Hall in Mechanicsville on August 20th at 6:30 p.m., Immaculate Heart of Mary
Church in Lexington Park on August 31st at 6:30 p.m. and Archbishop Neale School in LaPlata on
September 14th at 6:30 p.m. If interested, please call the rectory as soon as possible.
St. Joseph’s Cemetery - Donations are being accepted toward the expense of grass cutting in both St.
Joseph Cemeteries. Please send your donations to St. Joseph Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 175, Morganza,
Maryland 20660.
Don’t forget the poor during the Summer – non-perishable food donations may be placed in the
container located in the vestibule of the Church.
 Remember that aluminum can donations may be placed in the green shed near the Parish Hall.
 Clothing donations may be placed in the container near the entrance to the Parish Hall.
St. George Catholic Church Annual August Dinner will take place Sunday, August 16, 2015 from 12
p.m. until 5 p.m. Crab Cakes, Fried Chicken and Ham, served Family Style. Adult dinners are $26,
Children 6-12 years $10, children under 6 years, free. All carry-outs are $26.
Camp Maria Retreat Center is sponsoring the Camp Maria Raffle – First prize is $10,000, Second
prize $2,500 and Third prize is $500. The drawing will be held on August 22, 2015. Participants do not
have to be present to win. All proceeds from the Raffle will go to support the work of Camp Maria
Retreat Center as it continues to serve God’s people. For tickets or more information, please contact
Ann Kovalcik at 301-475-8330 or director@campmaria.org.
Fun for the whole family – The Care Net Pregnancy Center of Southern Maryland is holding its 4th
Annual “Baby Steps Walk for Life” on September 12, 2015 from 2 to 9 p.m. at St. Mary’s Ryken High
School Track. Go to the website:www.friendsofcnpcsm.com to register online or to print registration
and sponsor forms and more information.
Our Parish Secretary will be out of the parish office on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Father
Woods will be in the office throughout this time.