Find the latest news, activities and events
in our weekly bulletin
(above).
Continuing Activities and Resources
| Want to
know more about the Sisters (Women Religious) in our Diocese?
Check out this link: Click
here |
Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration at St. Louis
The St.
Louis Church community on Danforth Street celebrated the Feast of
our Lady of Guadalupe with a reenactment of Juan Diego and the
presentation of the Castilian Roses.
Creative
Ministries: What is prayer shawl ministry about?
Sponsored by
the St. Louis Women's Society
The
making of a prayer shawl is a spiritual practice which embodies our
prayers for the receiver. It is a gift freely given with no strings
attached. Made in prayer as prayer for prayer; the shawls are passed
hand to hand and heart to heart. Prayer shawls are never sold, as
putting a price on a shawl defeats the purpose of the ministry. If you
would like detailed information about this global ministry, much
material can be found at
www.shawlministry.com . If you would like information about our
local ministry – Sisters of Veronica; please contact Theresa
twebber5@maine.rr.com or call 655-6301.
Inter-Cluster Prayer Shawl Ministry:
The "Sisters of Veronica" typically meet before and after
Mass on the third Thursday evening of each month, and now also on
the second Tuesday in the morning.
All are welcome and invited to attend as much of each meeting as
their schedule allows.
A prayer shawl is a shawl made prayerfully by one
individual for another. This ministry began with a group of people
who knit
or crochet, or who want to learn. They create shawls for people in our parish clusters and for Maine Medical Center patients.
Light refreshment will be served following Adoration. Members bring knitting needles, crochet hooks
and/or hands to be blessed by Father Paul Marquis at Mass on any
third Thursday.
One member wrote:
"I
have been working on
a knit shawl for a MMC
mother using the trinity stitch. As I started I kept trying to think
of prayers that would have a cadence to fit the knitting. As of now
I am using on the knits: Bless this / mother / and
child. On the purls Jesus / I trust / in You."
Pictured below is Fr. Paul blessing prayer shawls at one meeting.
Thursday meetings are held at Saint Louis Church located at 279
Danforth Street Portland. Other meetings may be at a different
location.
FMI call / e-mail Theresa Webber 207-655-6301 /
twebber5@maine.rr.com
About the Knights of Columbus at St
Louis Polish Church
Sponsored by the
St. Louis
Knights
of Columbus
The Knights of
Columbus is a men's organization created to unite men in their faith
and help others in times of need. Through their Good Neighbor
Project, one of the Knights programs distributes donated bread and
pastries from Panera Bread to those in need. Frank Piveronas
spearheads this project and has been the "bread man" dropping off
welcome goods to the Friendship House in South Portland every
Saturday. The Friendship House is well known to St Louis Parish from
its founding in 1985. When it was located on Brackett Street in
Portland, the Parish donated food from its annual dinner events.
Frank states, "We will continue to be a friend to Friendship House
helping with food and other wish list items".
For
schedules, minutes and other information about the Finance and
Pastoral Councils, please go to the
Pastoral Council and Finance Council
pages.
Catholic
News and Media
The
Presence Radio Network Seeks Volunteers: Maine's first Catholic
radio station, The Presence, is looking for volunteers to serve on
parish teams. Team members will help build awareness of the Catholic
radio station, and spread enthusiasm for it. One activity may be
handing out cards after Mass encouraging people to listen to The
Presence. The station is at 106.7 FM and on line at www.thepresence.fm. Call 865-9933 or
volunteer through the website www.thepresence.fm
“Heart
of the Nation” TV Mass can now be seen on the ION television
network. This broadcast, based in Milwaukee, is aired Sundays at
9:30 a.m. on the ION television network. ION is available through
cable and satellite channels (please check your local listing).
“Heart of the Nation” TV Mass is a ministry to the sick and
homebound and also serves as a welcome to those who have fallen away
from the Church or have yet to discover the Catholic
faith.
The Diocese of Portland has a Facebook page! This tool reaches
out to help parishioners and others keep up with what’s happening in
our Church. Once you contact Facebook, you can sign up to
automatically receive all the short messages we post to our page
rather than having to frequently connect with our internet site.
Please visit us at http://www.facebook.com/PortlandDiocese or
simply follow the link provided on the homepage of our diocesan
website ( www.portlanddiocese.org ).
The
Portland Peninsula and Island Parishes has a Facebook page too!
Click on the Facebook icon to go there. "Like"
the page, and help to welcome an online community of followers.
Stewardship
Remember to use your parish collection envelopes
when visiting other parishes in order to keep your contributions
coming to your home parish when you are away. Additional
contributions will be gratefully accepted by the parish you are
visiting to help support their mission and ministry. To obtain
budget envelopes for 2011, please contact the Pastoral
Center.
Catholic Education and Faith
Promote
Catholic Education: Catholic
schools provide children a positive environment for learning. Growth
and education is enhanced through structure, affirmation,
consistency and recognition of self-worth. Each child develops
intellectually, morally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and
physically. Catholic education encourages and broadens children’s
understanding of social justice and peace. Each day begins with
scripture and prayer, and Jesus is the role model of behavior.
Call the Pastoral Center for more information about Catholic
education in greater Portland.
Camp
Fatima for boys and Camp Bernadette for girls: The camps are
located in the Lakes Region of NH. They offer 2-week overnight
sessions for children, ages 6-15. For information about camps,
contact Michael Drumm at 603-364-5851 or email mdrumm@diocamps.org,
or visit www.diocamps.org.
Catholic Newman
Club at the University of Southern Maine:
Where college
students can find their spiritual home.
Contact Joy Geertz, graduate of Bowdoin
College appointed as campus minister for USM, UNE, and Bowdoin
by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. joy.geertz@portlanddiocese.org.
|
Child Advocacy
For the safety of our children, "Protecting
God's Children" training sessions are required for anyone who works
regularly with children, including: catechists, musicians and choir
members, parish employees, priests and deacons. These sessions are
open to any parishioner wishing to attend. A schedule of classes
being offered is located on the Diocesan Web site. http://www.portlanddiocese.org/calendar.php?cid=16&category_id=.
Extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist must be commissioned to
minister to the community. Please contact michele.bernier@portlanddiocese.org
for details.
The Community
Partnership for Protecting Children is an active collaboration
of public service agencies and faith based groups around the city of
Portland, working together to provide services families need to keep
children safe. Please help to get the word out about these needs,
and about opportunities, such as the following announcement:
Foster families
needed: CPPC, Casey Family Services and others in our community
are working to recruit potential foster parents in the Greater
Portland area. The need in this area continues. The goal is to have
children who have been removed from their birth families, either
temporarily or permanently, remain in their communities whenever
possible. Please contact your parish office if your family is able
to help.
Learn more about the CPPC at www.cppccumberland.org.
Faith Formation classes are held in all
parishes throughout our cluster. It’s never
too late to have your child join us. Bring your children in to
learn about our faith and have some fun too! Find class details and
schedules on our Faith Formation
resource page.
Ways to Show
Compassion and Love
Portland
Peninsula and Island Parishes Prayer Line: Need Prayers? For
yourself? For a loved one? For a problem? For an intention? Our
Prayer Line prays for all our ongoing prayer requests every day. It
is confidential and no names are used. Donna Lebel is the Prayer
Line Coordinator. She can be reached at 774-7120. You may leave a
message. She will never ask the name of the caller. Those wishing to
be a part of the group who prays for others can also call Donna.
Volunteers: Every parish needs volunteers.
Every person has something to offer. Anyone who sees a need in the
church is welcome to contact the Pastoral Center for volunteer
opportunities to help. Please contact michele.bernier@portlanddiocese.org
or call 773-7746.
Good deeds abound! Has someone done a good
deed for you? Send the story to the Michele at michele.bernier@portlanddiocese.org.
Names will not be used, but let's work together to collect stories
of some of the wonderful things that happen in our cluster every day
between ordinary people.
Trauma Intervention
Program (TIP) is looking for caring
people to join a team of fellow citizen volunteers, trained to
provide emotional and practical support to the victims of traumatic
events i.e. sudden deaths, accidents, suicides, etc. We are called
by Police, Fire and ER personnel in Portland, South Portland,
Westbrook, Gorham and Scarborough, Falmouth, and Windham. To
register for a training or for more information call Susan Scanlon
at 318-3400 or Gary Landry 650-4249.
In
our faith, torture has no place.
Please join the National Religious Campaign Against Torture in a
video and discussion to inform and educate. Visit www.nrcat.org/300in30. Show Ending
US-Sponsored Torture Forever, a short 20 minute video. Pledge
that torture IS a moral issue. This message from Catholic
Charities Maine Parish Social Ministry, "Loving God & Neighbor
Together", 1-800-CARE-002, psm@ccmaine.org.
Hospice volunteers: VNA Home Health &
Hospice offers training or hospice volunteers. This extraordinary
training will prepare attendees to work as a volunteer with
individuals and families facing a terminal illness. VNA Home Health
& Hospice, 50 Foden Road, So. Portland. For information about
the next training, contact Linda at 400-8714 for an application, or
e-mail hopkinsl@vnahomehealth.org.
A pre-training interview is required.
Attention Men ~
Kairos is a group of men (many are retired) who twice a year go up
to the Maine State Prison in Warren, Maine, and spend a weekend with
prisoners. To learn more about Kairos, call Fr. McKenna at 775-1084
or call Dan Roy at 549-5684, or visit Kairos on the Web at www.kairosprisonministry.org.
Want to Share in Jesus’
Healing Ministry? If you are compassionate, non-judgmental,
hospitable, and comfortable reaching out to those experiencing
broken relationships or major losses like divorce, God may be
calling you to minister to the divorced in our Church. Catholic
Charities Maine Family Life Institute hosts a 2 day training program
for new Divorce & Beyond group facilitators. If you have been
divorced at least two years and think you might be ready to be a
facilitator, please contact Bill Wood at 1-800-CARE-002, ext. 2672,
or e-mail bwood@ccmaine.org for
information about the next session.
Project Rachel: It's never too late … “After I finally dealt with my abortion and
allowed myself to grieve the loss, I was able to reclaim my broken maternity.”
Find comfort and peace at the next Rachel's Vineyard Retreat Weekend, sponsored Catholic Charities Maine Parish Social
Ministry. For an understanding ear and to learn
more, call 871-7464
(Portland), Ext. 2670; toll-free at 1-800-CARE-002; or
e-mail: psm@ccmaine.org All inquiries are strictly
confidential.
Marriage and Family
Retrouvaille: Rediscover a loving marriage
with a Retrouvaille (pronounced re-tro-vy) weekend. If your
marriage is tearing the two of you apart, if there is little or no
meaningful communication, if you are considering separation or
divorce, we believe Retrouvaille can help you. To register for the
next weekend or for more information, visit www.HelpOurMarriage.com
or call 1-800-470-2230.
Catholic Charities
Maine Family Life Institute offers the following services:
Birthline, Project Rachel, Natural Family Planning, FOCCUS, Marriage
Enrichment, Divorce Ministry, Marriage Preparation, Parish
Inclusion, & Catholic Campaign for Human Development. For
information, call 1-800-CARE-002 ext. 2670, or e-mail familylifeinstitute@ccmaine.org.
Don’t go through divorce
alone. You can find hope and
healing in a “Divorce & Beyond” group. Our 8 week, facilitated
groups are a caring and compassionate place where you can share
thoughts and feelings with others who are also experiencing the loss
of a marriage.
For more info &
to register for the next session, please call 1-800-CARE-002, ext.
2672. E-mail: psm@ccmaine.org. Pre-registration is
required. For the comfort and confidentiality of our members,
no walk-ins, please. The fee has been $25.00.
Struggling with Alcohol/Drug Issues?
Catholic Charities of Maine Counseling Services offers confidential
substance abuse and mental health counseling for those experiencing
problems and/or family members needing assistance. Immediate
appointments available. Walk-ins welcome. Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
at 250 Anderson Street, Portland, or call 775-5671.
Find more marriage and family resources at
Catholic Charities of Maine, www.ccmaine.org.
Preparing for Marriage? Our Cluster-wide
Marriage Prep program ("Unitas") for couples seeking marriage
preparation. This is a time tested program that has benefited many
couples over the years. For more information, contact Steve &
Kathy Beirne at 772-2968.
Invest in your Marriage
and reap the benefits...You’ll get more from spending just 44
hours together on a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend than you
would from a 10 day romantic cruise. Each weekend is designed as a
private experience between husband and wife that develops deeper
communication, restores hopes and dreams, renews passion, affirms
the uniqueness of each couple and inspires good marriages to grow
into even better marriages. The registration fee is $50 and a
freewill donation is accepted at the end of each weekend. For more
information or to register for the next Marriage Encounter weekend,
contact Dave & Ellie at 207-933-4237 or go to www.wwmeNewEngland.org.
Do You Want To Strengthen Your Marriage?
Visit www.foryourmarriage.org brought to you by
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops - for helpful tips from
married couples and others on living a happy and holy married life.
Catholic Charities Maine Family Life Institute encourages you to
check out their daily marriage tips, like this one. "Yeah, you won,"
said the irate wife to her husband, "and now you get to live with
the loser." In your marriage, win/win outcomes are a better way to
resolve disagreements.
Back to the Home Page
For information about
the Diocese of Portland, visit www.portlanddiocese.org
Our Parishes: Click on each image to
visit the individual parish Web sites
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Cathedral of the
Immaculate Conception |
St. Peter |
Sacred Heart /
St. Dominic |
St. Christopher |
St.
Louis |
WORDING FOR POSTERS,
FLYERS, AND OTHER CLUSTER MATERIALS
The Roman Catholic Community of the Portland
Peninsula and Island Parishes of the Diocese of Portland, Maine
includes five parishes: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception,
Sacred Heart / St. Dominic, St. Christopher, St. Louis, and St.
Peter. Visit www.cluster21portland.org.
What's in a name?
Identity, unity,
and a sense of place...like children who know their family's home
address and telephone number.
When speaking of the grouping of parishes
currently known in the Diocese as Cluster 21, please call us: The
Portland Peninsula and Island Parishes.
In formal correspondence, please call us: The
Roman Catholic Community of the Portland Peninsula and Island
Parishes in the Diocese of Portland, Maine, or
The Roman Catholic
Community of the Portland Peninsula and Island Parishes in Maine, or
simply
The Portland
Peninsula and Island Parishes, or
The cluster of churches known as the Portland
Peninsula and Island Parishes.
Cluster Logo:
High
Resolution for printing - 300 dpi, jpg
Low resolution for
the Web - 72 dpi, jpg
