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a message from Bishop Michael Burbidge
Bishop Burbidge has invited all parishes in our Diocese to participate in a special Week of Service this November. Saint Bernadette Church and School will partner with Rise Against Hunger to raise $ 75,000 to purchase the raw ingredients and pack 150,000 meals, here at Saint Bernadette that will support educational programs around the world—a true Corporal Work of Mercy in action. To make this life-changing event possible, prayers, financial gifts and volunteers are needed. Just the cost of one venti cup of coffee can provide six nutritious meals for a hungry child! Please see this week's bulletin or visit our parish website for more details. Sign-up opportunities will be shared in the coming weeks. It starts with a meal—together, we can make a world of difference.
Fr. Iacona will be visiting our parish this weekend to speak at all the Masses on behalf of Cross Catholic Outreach, which was founded to forge a stronger and more supportive link between parishes in America and the priests and nuns serving the poor in the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America.
On Saturday, October 4, bring your beloved pets for a special Blessing of the Animals in honor of Saint Francis’ feast day. We will meet at 10am in the front parking lot in front of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Sunday, October 5 is Respect Life Sunday. Join us as we participate in the 38th annual Life Chain, praying and quietly standing in public witness to the sanctity of human life! Our parish meets at Key Middle School on Franconia Rd., 2pm.
Come as you are - you are welcome here! Walking with Purpose Women’s Bible Study ministry returns October 14 and 16 for a 22 week study. Please see today's bulletin page 7 for more information about the program and this years' theme "Touching the Divine"
Thank you to all who have responded to our request to reduce our parish envelope costs. If you are receiving offertory envelopes but don’t use them or no longer wish to receive them, please contact our parish office so that we can remove that service from your registration file. Remember Second and Special Collections can be done electronically through Faith Direct.
You are invited to join Bishop Burbidge in praying and fasting every Friday in October before the Nov. 4 elections that will decide the next governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, along with all 100 seats in the House of Delegates. For more information regarding election resources please visit the Virginia Catholic Conference 2025 Resource hub at vacatholic.org.
Don’t forget, if you haven’t, to return your commitment card for parish ministry – Pray, serve and give, for the coming year. Please drop it in the mail or bring it by the office.
+ Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates!
El Señor de los Milagros/Lord of the Miracles Mass, procession and dinner: Saturday, October 11
Parish Family Picnic, Saturday, October 18
Silver Diner Dining Night Out to benefit our RAH Meal Packing Event, Monday, October 20, 5-8pm
Malek's Dining Night Out to benefit our RAH Meal Packing Event, Monday, October 27, 4-9pm
ECHO Yard Sale, Saturday, November 1
FAITH FORMATION
Living the Liturgical Year:
Happy October! October is the month dedicated to the Rosary. The Rosary is a powerful prayer given by the Virgin Mary to St. Dominic. It draws people closer to God and strengthens their spiritual lives. We celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7. It commemorates the naval victory of the Christian fleet over the Muslim Turks at the Battle of Lepanto with the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. An activity you can do with your children is by making rosaries and saying the rosary as a family. You can find instructions to different rosary crafts at this link: https://www.catholicicing.com/celebrating-month-of-rosary-html/.
Volunteers for 2025-2026 ~ As we prepare to plan for the upcoming Religious Education school year, please discern if you would like to help. We are in need of Lead Catechists and aides. If interested, please contact the Religious Education Office or fill out the Volunteer Form on the website. You will also find the QR Code at the bulletin board.
Upcoming Religious Education Activities:
Regular Classes: October 7-8,14-15,21-22,28-29
Saturday SPRED Class: Oct. 18
Family Mass Learning: Oct. 4-5 at all Masses except the 7am Mass
Sunday Family Faith Formation Class: Oct. 5
Confirmation 2025 Session 2: Oct. 5, 6-15-7:30pm at the school
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. No need to RSVP. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org. Monday, October 6 is our next Dinner with Friends at 5pm, at Saratoga Pizzeria, 8050 Rolling Road. This casual meal is one of our normal dinners on the 1st the 3rd Monday of every
month.
Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, October 14 at 7pm in the Bradican Room. Our theme is month is “Making a Difference.” We will hear from Deb Beard of Catholic Charities Diocese of Arlington and a member of St Bernadette parish. She will provide information about how we can each help make a difference in the many good works of Catholic Charities.YOUTH MINISTRY
High School Socials
All high schoolers are invited to join us for Tuesday Socials every Tuesday from 7-8:30pm! Meet in the youth room (in the parish office) for games, ice cream, and a discussion on the faith.
High School Youth Diocesan Rally - Sunday October 26, this annual event is an opportunity for the young Church in the Diocese of Arlington to gather each year to for fun, entertainment, prayer, and to celebrate the Catholic faith. RALLY includes Mass with Bishop Burbidge, Eucharistic Adoration, inspirational speakers and entertainers, breakout sessions, inflatable games, music, and more! The cost is $25, and adult volunteers are needed. Contact Grace Mee at gmee@stbernpar.org for information on how to register.
Middle School Youth Ministry - our next gathering is 15 October
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm.
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
Greetings from Ephesus this evening as I write this letter. Today we visited the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary where she lived with Saint John on a high mountain ridge overlooking the ancient city until her Assumption into heaven. We then walked throught he ancient city with its temples, residences, library, and the theater where Saint Paul preached to 25,000 people. You can find photos of Corinth, Athens, and Crete from our first week sprinkled throughout this bulletin.
One of the things we talk about as we travel is the whole broader concept of pilgrimage. Is not every person in our parish -- in our world -- in the process of journeying to God, even if they don’t realize it? Life is the ultimate pilgrimage as we continue to collect messages and tools to make our way from here to there. There, of course, is not here, and so we must focus on what is there which makes it more desirable than here. The destination needs to be defined, and our resolve in reaching it necessarily requires prior planning, with real anticipation and holy hope.
But the process of getting there is the primary captivating experience we encounter in new places with new people. What we experience along the way is what shapes us into the people we are to become. The saints and holy people and contexts we find along the way can form us in ways we could never determine for ourselves. The sometimes uneasy or awesome things we discover shock us out of our complacency of everyday routines. We are inspired. We are humbled. We can still be surprised. God isn’t necessarily surprising, but we discover things about him that we would not otherwise have known or even imagined.
Those who travel and put themselves into this requirement for change are pilgrims who acknowledge that something has to change. Our now is not enough. But you don’t have to cross oceans to do this. You have the power of imagination and prayer to create this context wherever you are.
Celebrate the people you encounter, whether they be in a foreign land or your next door neighbor. God will use whatever context you have in order to accomplish in you what he has planned for you.
We met one such person today. His name is Ashley, and he got his degree in textile design 31 years ago in university and then went to work in Turkiye. Originally from Australia, and a Christian, he settled with his family near the ancient city of Ephesus and took over management of a failing carpet weaving factory. His goal was to save a centuries-old tradition of Turkish carpet weaving that was in decline, welcoming women in desperate situations to learn the art and craft of carpet weaving, giving them a new chance for education and employment.
His carpet designs, often based on centuries-old traditions of various cultural traditions, have won international design awards around the world.
We watched several women working at the loom making beautitul designs. We were given a presentation of the many carpets that have been produced. Carpets can take one person several months to complete up to two women 5 years.
I was so moved by this guy, a Christian in an overwhelmingly Muslim culture, who has taken his gifts and applied them so totally to the resurgence of culture and renaissance of an ancient art for the benefit of people in need, that I had to buy a carpet. They aren’t cheap -- but I promised him that I would tell you about him in case you might like to purchase a beautiful investment carpet and help advance a great art culture. I can’t think of a more beautiful application of God’s plan in the live of a lay person. He gave our parish a carpet which I will hang in one of our public spaces.
At any rate, we are having a beautiful pilgrimage. Early on I had encouraged our pilgrims to consider it as a “chill”grimage. Spiritual awareness shouldn’t be stressful! We have celebrated Mass in the archeological site of Corinth, at a Catholic church in Athens, at Saint John the Baptist church in Santorini. We have some interesting places for Mass coming throughout, and I want you to know you remain in our prayers everywhere.
The Lord be with you,
a message from Bishop Michael Burbidge
Bishop Burbidge has invited all parishes in our Diocese to participate in a special Week of Service this November. Saint Bernadette Church and School will join this effort by partnering with Rise Against Hunger to pack 150,000 meals that will support educational programs around the world—a true Corporal Work of Mercy in action. To make this life-changing event possible, both financial gifts and volunteers are needed. Just the cost of one venti cup of coffee can provide six nutritious meals for a hungry child! Please see this week's bulletin or visit our parish website for more details. Sign-up opportunities will be shared in the coming weeks. It starts with a meal—together, we can make a world of difference.
Fr. Iacona will be visiting our parish next weekend to speak at all the Masses on behalf of Cross Catholic Outreach, which was founded to forge a stronger and more supportive link between parishes in America and the priests and nuns serving the poor in the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America.
Sunday, October 5 is Respect Life Sunday. Join us as we participate in the 38th annual Life Chain, praying and quietly standing in public witness to the sanctity of human life! Our parish meets at Key Middle School on Franconia Rd., 2pm.
On Saturday, October 4, bring your beloved pets for a special Blessing of the Animals in honor of Saint Francis’ feast day. We will meet at 10am in the front parking lot in front of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Come as you are - you are welcome here! Walking with Purpose Women’s Bible Study ministry returns October 14 and 16 for a 22 week study. Please see today's bulletin page 7 for more information about the program and this years' theme "Touching the Divine"
Thank you to all who have responded to our request to reduce our parish envelope costs. If you are receiving offertory envelopes but don’t use them or no longer wish to receive them, please contact our parish office so that we can remove that service from your registration file. Remember Second and Special Collections can be done electronically through Faith Direct.
FAITH FORMATION
Living the Liturgical Year:
Please remember that the Confirmation kick-off meetings are this month! It is a mandatory meeting for both parents and children held at the church from 6:15-7:15pm. Confirmation 2027 kick-off will be on September 14 and Confirmation 2026 kick-off will be on September 28.
On September 29, we celebrate the feast day of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. St. Michael is known for fighting Satan and casting him to hell. St. Gabriel for appearing to Mary at the annunciation to tell her that she was going to have baby Jesus. St. Raphael is a known for being a healer. These three archangels have been mentioned in the Bible by name. One fun way to celebrate is to have a feast day feast with Devil’s Food cake, deviled eggs or blackberry pie. You can also pray the St. Michael’s Prayer with your children:
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Family Donut Social ~ Mark your calendars! Plan to join us Sunday, September 28, in the school cafeteria for fellowship, hospitality, and kids’ activities after the 9am Mass! Come visit with other parish families while you enjoy coffee, juice, and donuts while your children do some fun activities with volunteers!
Volunteers for 2025-2026 ~ As we prepare to plan for the upcoming Religious Education school year, please discern if you would like to help. We are in need of Lead Catechists and aides. If interested, please contact the Religious Education Office or fill out the Volunteer Form on the website. You will also find the QR Code at the bulletin board.
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. No need to RSVP. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org. Monday, October 6 is our next Dinner with Friends at 5pm, at Saratoga Pizzeria, 8050 Rolling Road. This casual meal is one of our normal dinners on the 1st the 3rd Monday of every
month.
Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, October 14 at 7pm in the Bradican Room. Our theme is month is “Making a Difference.” We will hear from Deb Beard of Catholic Charities Diocese of Arlington and a member of St Bernadette parish. She will provide information about how we can each help make a difference in the many good works of Catholic Charities.YOUTH MINISTRY
High School Socials
All high schoolers are invited to join us for Tuesday Socials every Tuesday from 7-8:30pm! Meet in the youth room (in the parish office) for games, ice cream, and a discussion on the faith.
High School Youth Diocesan Rally - this annual event is an opportunity for the young Church in the Diocese of Arlington to gather each year to for fun, entertainment, prayer, and to celebrate the Catholic faith. RALLY includes Mass with Bishop Burbidge, Eucharistic Adoration, inspirational speakers and entertainers, breakout sessions, inflatable games, music, and more! The cost is $25, and adult volunteers are needed. Contact Grace Mee at gmee@stbernpar.org for information on how to register.
Middle School Youth Ministry - our next gathering is 1 October
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm.
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
As I write this letter it is Monday afternoon and we don’t leave for pilgrimage until Wednesday evening! Please know we will pray for you everywhere we go, and ask that you remember us, too. In case you’re curious about our journey, here is a short itinerary:
Thursday, Sept 25 - arrive Athens (evening)
Friday - Corinth
Saturday - Athens
Sunday - Crete
Monday - Santorini
Tuesday - Ephesus
October 1, Wednesday - Mykonos
Thursday - cruising day
Friday - Philippi
Saturday - Thessaloniki
Sunday - cruising day
Monday - Piraeus to Istanbul
Tuesday - Istanbul
Wednesday - Return to US
Maybe you’d like to do a little research about these fascinating places, many of the stops along the journeys of Saint Paul, and the people to whom he wrote letters.
My brothers and sisters we are living in very strange times. I came across this quote to the left and suggest everybody clip it and put it on your refrigerators.
It has been my experience that people can become hostile at what you say and what you didn’t say. Most days it is better to keep silent. But sometimes you have to say something and must pick your words very carefully.
People in today’s world are just angry. Some people use words to provoke anger in others. So much is said today that is not true, nor kind, nor necessary. But that does not mean humanity turns to killing, even though the words themselves may be flawed.
See how hate can spiral, like a tornado that rolls in and sweeps everyone and everything that isn’t grounded off to places where they never would have gone.
It is time for us to measure our words, to regulate our emotions and just pray. I was speaking with a person this week, so full of anger and threats, even expressing desire to do harm to others. I was at a loss to know what to say. To prepare for this kind of encounter we need to think up some simple, nonthreatening strategies.
When I run across another’s blatant hostility against immigrants, I usually lead with the idea that we are all immigrants. One time this didn’t work, the cancer was deeper than what was immediately visible. The conversation eventually can come around to the reality that we are a nation of immigrants, and immigrants have always been treated like unwanted trash. One group after another. Wouldn’t it be wonderful (and holy) if we did not assign a degree to the extent by which a person is made in the image of God? That every human is equally deserving of those basic human rights which are spoken of in our own Declaration of Independence? All humans...and yet even the signers of the Declaration looked the other way about the enslaved persons they owned.
Before October 7, 2023, I was working with an interfaith group hoping to address what polls showed to be an alarming rise of Islamophobia among members of the Catholic Church. After the attack, any such dialogue was put on hold. But the problem remains. We should do our best to put the mirror up to ourselves when we find (sometimes unexpectedly) cultural vestiges such as Islamophobia and antisemitism in ourselves. Hopefully the example will cause others to stop before they speak words without thinking. Once words have flown, you can’t get them back.
A Jewish theologian from Haifa spoke recently at our Nostra aetate at 60 Conference at Georgetown. She had an interesting perspective. She said that Jews, Muslims and Christians have lived together in the Holy Land for centuries, in peace. (There are neighborhoods around Jerusalem where this has been the case for centuries, such as the neighborhood where John the Baptist was born.) The conflict didn’t start in the Holy Land, she said, until all of the persecution, injustice and inhumanity in the West came home. The Holocaust, she said, was a western reality which shaped the current situation. It takes a long time for that kind of hatred to find peace. And yet we must try to bring peace to all these broken places, trusting that God’s will will result.
The Lord be with you,
Watch your mailbox! All registered parishioners will be receiving our Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalog and Annual Report. Please read it! We are celebrating Commitment Sunday this weekend. Please review the book and discover how you might get involved in parish life!
Bishop Burbidge has invited all parishes in the Diocese to participate in a Week of Service this coming November 9-15, Saint Bernadette Church will be partnering with Rise Against Hunger to purchase and pack 150k meals to support educational programs throughout the world. The cost of just one venti cup of coffee can provide 6 life-changing meals for a child! Please see page 12 of today’s bulletin and watch for more details and signup opportunities in the coming weeks. It Starts with a Meal.
The Knights of Columbus will be collecting donations for the Coats for Kids program this weekend and next weekend. Their goal is for no child to go without a coat during this winter season.
On November 4, Virginians will be selecting candidates for all 100 seats in the House of Delegates as well as for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General. We will host a nonpartisan voter registration event after the 9am, 11am and before the 1pm Mass in Spanish next Sunday 21 September. The registration deadline for the general election is Friday, October 24. All materials will be bilingual.
Sunday, October 4 is Respect Life Sunday. Join us as we participate in the 38th annual Life Chain, praying and quietly standing in public witness to the sanctity of human life! Our parish meets at Key Middle School on Franconia Rd., 2pm.
On Saturday, October 4, bring your beloved pets for a special Blessing of the Animals in honor of Saint Francis’ feast day. We will meet at 10am in the front parking lot in front of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.
All couples celebrating a Golden or Silver Anniversary are invited to a Wedding Anniversaries Mass on Sunday, October 19, 2:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Please call the parish office to register no later than Monday, October 3.
Come as you are - you are welcome here! Walking with Purpose Women’s Bible Study ministry returns October 14 and 16 for a 22 week study. Please see today's bulletin page 7 for more information about the program and this years' theme "Touching the Divine"
Thank you to all who have responded to our request to reduce our parish envelope costs. If you are receiving offertory envelopes but don’t use them or no longer wish to receive them, please contact our parish office so that we can remove that service from your registration file. Remember Second and Special Collections can be done electronically through Faith Direct.
FAITH FORMATION
Living the Liturgical Year:
Please remember that the Confirmation kick-off meetings are this month! It is a mandatory meeting for both parents and children held at the church from 6:15-7:15pm. Confirmation 2027 kick-off will be on September 14 and Confirmation 2026 kick-off will be on September 28.
On September 23, we celebrate the feast day of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. He started his service to the church as a 5 year-old altar server, eventually devoting his life to God at the age of 15 as a Capuchin Friar. He had a special relationship with his Guardian Angel, showing us that our Guardian Angels protect us and nudge us to do what is right. You can watch this video about St. Padre Pio with your children to help them learn about the saint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLOIx_ux400. To honor St. Padre Pio, you can teach your children the Guardian Angel prayer:
Angel of God, my Guardian dear
To whom God’s love, commits me here.
Ever this day (night) be at my side,
To light and guard, to rule and guide.
Family Donut Social ~ Mark your calendars! Plan to join us Sunday, September 28, in the school cafeteria for fellowship, hospitality, and kids’ activities after the 9am Mass! Come visit with other parish families while you enjoy coffee, juice, and donuts while your children do some fun activities with volunteers!
Volunteers for 2025-2026 ~ As we prepare to plan for the upcoming Religious Education school year, please discern if you would like to help. We are in need of Lead Catechists and aides. If interested, please contact the Religious Education Office or fill out the Volunteer Form on the website. You will also find the QR Code at the bulletin board.
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. No need to RSVP. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org. Monday, October 13 is our next Dinner with Friends at 5pm, at Saratoga Pizzeria, 8050 Rolling Road. This casual meal is one of our normal dinners on the 1st the 3rd Monday of every
month.
Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, September 14 at 7pm in the Bradican Room. YOUTH MINISTRY
High School Socials
All high schoolers are invited to join us for Tuesday Socials every Tuesday from 7-8:30pm! Meet in the youth room (in the parish office) for games, ice cream, and a discussion on the faith.
All High schoolers are invited for dinner, games, a fellowship on Saturday, September 13. Meet in the Bradican room from 6-8:30pm!
All 9-12th grade boys are invited to join us for a bonfire, s’mores, and games on Thursday, September 25th from 7-8:30pm. Meet on the rectory patio. Contact JP McLaughlin for more information (JPMcLaughlin@stbernpar.org)
Daily Mass and Donuts - September 23 - All high schoolers are invited to take advantage of the FCPS student holiday and join us for 9am daily Mass, followed by donuts and fellowship in the youth room until 10:30.
Middle School Youth Ministry - our next gathering is 1 October
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm.
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
Well, everybody, it is Commitment Sunday when we make a commitment to do something extra for parish life, and maybe give a little more to the offertory to help the parish keep up with the cost of living.
By the time I’m preparing this letter, I haven’t heard from anyone who has received their Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalog and Annual Report. Bulk mailing is frustrating. I can only ask that you read it when it comes (or look for the copy on the parish website with a link on the front page) and really think about what you might do in the coming year. Remember, the time for dating God and keeping our options open is over.
If your catalog and commitment card come, please fill out your card and drop it in the second collection. It also comes with a return envelope which is also very handy. If your packet doesn’t arrive until next week, please consider returning your offertory of prayer, time and treasure the following weekend.
Monday and Tuesday of this week I’m attending a national conference at Georgetown University about Nostra aetate. This 1965 (60th anniversary) constitution from Vatican II, the shortest of all, redefined our relationship with people of other religions, particularly Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu people. It literally changed the way the Church is to look at people who are not baptized. All are made in the image of God, it says, and all persons require our respect, acceptance, and kindness. All persecution and hatred is not the Christian way.
Nostra aetate began as a document to redefine ourselves with the Jewish people. It condemned 2,000 years of persecution and derision that the Jewish people suffered from the Christian churches, mostly the Catholic Church. The Jewish people are not to be blamed for the death of Jesus, and are to be considered the older brothers and sisters they truly are. It says, basically, that God does not make mistakes and therefore has not withdrawn his covenant with them. It leaves still a lot of questions which need to be worked out by sincere dialogue, but it was a start for healing.
The way dialogue begins is when we connect as human beings. The relationship has to be the beginning, because dialogue has to arise out of authentic concern for another. Getting to know each other, differences are not impediments to friendship, and frank, honest conversations can happen. Too often we enter into dialogue with others because we want to say something about ourselves: you must do so to hear something about them.
The keynote speakers and panels were very interesting. One priest who has been working with Jewish Catholic dialogue for three decades said the light finally went on for him when he was told by a rabbi that their dialogue didn’t work because of his arrogance. “You looked down on us for 2,000 years... and now you have decided to recognize me as an equal... and determine the terms by which we do this? What arrogance!” He continued about how it might be better to start with a conversation about what both people in the dialogue might expect or hope to accomplish, to attain an outcome that would be meaningful for all.
Today (Monday) was all about the Jewish-Catholic relationship. Tomorrow will be Islam and the Dharmic Traditions (Hindu and Buddhist).
Did I tell you? We will host our Burke-Springfield Interfaith Thanksgiving Prayer Service on Tuesday, November 25. Please, mark your calendars!
This Wednesday 41 pilgrims and I will start our pilgrimage in the steps of Saint Paul. We won’t be making the trip in the exact sequence as Saint Paul, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t travel on Celebrity Infinity. But we will be visiting the places he visited: Corinth, Athens, Crete, Ephesus, Thessaloniki, and Philippi. And, since we have gone all that way, we are going to add Mykonos, Santorini, and of course Istanbul.
It’s a pilgrimage and when we go we take all your intentions with us at Mass in all these remarkable holy places. If you would like me to celebrate a Mass for your intention, please contact Janet in the office. Τα λέμε σύντομα (See you soon!)
The Lord be with you,
Watch your mailbox! All registered parishioners will be receiving our Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalog and Annual Report, right about now. Please read it. Visit ministry leaders in the tents outside Masses next weekend and consider how you might get involved in parish life!
Join us for our monthly Taizé Ecumenical Prayer service on Monday, 15 September at 8pm in the church. Bring your friends, all are welcome!
The Knights of Columbus will be collecting donations for the Coats for Kids program this weekend and next weekend. Their goal is for no child to go without a coat during this winter season.
On November 4, Virginians will be selecting candidates for all 100 seats in the House of Delegates as well as for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General. We will host a nonpartisan voter registration event after the 9am, 11am and before the 1pm Mass in Spanish next Sunday 21 September. The registration deadline for the general election is Friday, October 24. All materials will be bilingual.
All couples celebrating a Golden or Silver Anniversary are invited to a Wedding Anniversaries Mass on Sunday, October 19, 2:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Please call the parish office to register no later than Monday, October 3.
Thank you to all who have responded to our request to reduce our parish envelope costs. If you are receiving offertory envelopes but don’t use them or no longer wish to receive them, please contact our parish office so that we can remove that service from your registration file. Remember Second and Special Collections can be done electronically through Faith Direct.
FAITH FORMATION
Living the Liturgical Year:
Another week of Religious Education in the books. Please remember there are no cell phones allowed in classes, and smart watches will need to be put in “do not disturb” mode. Children should bring their book(s) in their clear plastic folder each week to class, and parents should check the folder weekly for assignments and information from the catechist. Class times on Tuesday and Wednesday are 6-7:15pm-- please arrive and pick-up on time! Students arriving more than 15 minutes late will have to be signed in by a parent at door 1.
Please remember that the Confirmation kick-off meetings are this month! It is a mandatory meeting for both parents and children held at the church from 6:15-7:15pm. Confirmation 2027 kick-off will be on September 14 and Confirmation 2026 kick-off will be on September 28.
Today, September 14, we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The feast commemorates two historic events, the discovery of the True Cross of Christ by St. Helena and the dedication of the basilica on Calvary (Church of the Holy Sepulcher) built by her son, St. Constantine the Great. You can read about the story of the discovery of the True Cross here https://faithandfabricdesign.com/2013/09/activity-feast-of-exaltation-of-holy.html and it gives you a directions of the Holy Cross activity to do with your children. Or you can go on a pilgrimage to the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington, DC to see the replicas of the Holy Land shrines.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is held during the Sunday 9am Mass to proclaim God’s Word to our three-to-six year old children at a level they can understand. If you would like to sign your child up, please use this link: https://forms.office.com/r/jtBEQmQ0ys or scan the QR code at left. As the CLOW team preps for the new school year, we are in need of volunteers to help teach the children and to be classroom aides. If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please reach out to Kathryn Melton at yanezka@gmail.com or Lynn Jones at ljones@stbernpar.org.
Volunteers for 2025-2026 ~ As we prepare to plan for the upcoming Religious Education school year, please discern if you would like to help. We are in need of Lead Catechists and aides. If interested, please contact the Religious Education Office or fill out the Volunteer Form on the website. You will also find the QR Code at the bulletin board.
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. No need to RSVP. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org. Monday, September 15 is our next Dinner with Friends at 5pm, at Saratoga Pizzeria, 8050 Rolling Road. This casual meal is one of our normal dinners on the 1st the 3rd Monday of every
month.
NEW DATE! Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, September 16 at 7pm in the Bradican Room. We have a very special program tonight. Father James will favor us with a vocal and guitar performance including some self-composed songs and some more familiar and popular favorites. This will surely be an evening not to be missed!YOUTH MINISTRY
High School Socials
All high schoolers are invited to join us for Tuesday Socials every Tuesday from 7-8:30pm! Meet in the youth room (in the parish office) for games, ice cream, and a discussion on the faith.
All High schoolers are invited for dinner, games, a fellowship on Saturday, September 13. Meet in the Bradican room from 6-8:30pm!
All 9-12th grade boys are invited to join us for a bonfire, s’mores, and games on Thursday, September 25th from 7-8:30pm. Meet on the rectory patio. Contact JP McLaughlin for more information (JPMcLaughlin@stbernpar.org)
Daily Mass and Donuts - September 23 - All high schoolers are invited to take advantage of the FCPS student holiday and join us for 9am daily Mass, followed by donuts and fellowship in the youth room until 10:30.
Middle School Youth Ministry - our next gathering is 17 September
Next gathering - September 17 - All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm.
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
I used a quote by Pope Francis in my homily last week that has stayed with me. Do you remember as we watched him walk completely alone through an empty Saint Peter’s Square at the height of the pandemic, and the world watched Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the front, locked doors? Kneeling there he prayed to God a prayer of confession for how we have not been good stewards of the gifts we have received, not heeded unprecedented levels of suffering, wars and injustice, not listened to the cry of the poor or of our ailing planet. He said, “We carried on regardless, thinking we would stay healthy in a world that was sick.”
I hear it all the time in the confessional. I was talking to a friend of mine who is a pastoral care counselor who spoke about the general reality in the therapeutic community. We are living in a time of uncertainty, confusion, and despair. So many people who do not know what to do. They are “stuck.”
I’m working on planning the Burke/Springfield Interfaith Thanksgiving Prayer Service (HERE! Tuesday, November 25 - mark your calendars!) and came across a song while I was gardening last week. I don’t think I had heard it before, but it will be the song for the combined interfaith choir. The song is “Thankful,” sung by Josh Groban.
Somedays, we forget to look around us. Somedays, we can’t see the joy that surrounds us. So caught up inside ourselves, we take when we should give. So for tonight we pray for what we know can be; and on this day we hope for
what we still can’t see. It’s up to us, to be the change, and even though we all can still do more, There’s so much to be thankful for.
Look beyond ourselves, there’s so much sorrow. It’s way too late to say I’ll cry tomorrow. Each of us must find our truth, we’re so long overdue.
So for tonight we pray for what we know can be; and everyday, we hope for what we still can’t see...
The solution is to get out of ourselves, and discover something greater. Enough! The solution to depression is not mindless busy-ness. In fact, that often makes it worse. But ask the question: what would you be doing? What can you do to make a difference? What is important to you? What kind of world – what kind of Church – do we leave for our children?
The therapeutic response for a person in distress is to identify their values. And their boundaries. Ask if they hold themselves accountable? And focus on gratitude to God who has given us so many things we forget on a daily basis to acknowledge. Share that knowledge and faith will grow. Faith that is shared grows many times faster than when I am alone.
The same question applies to a parish community on Parish Life Weekend. Have we identified our values? Our limits? Do we hold ourselves accountable for the life of this parish family?
So what do we do about that? The answer is to do something. Actions reveal the integrity of our words. Act, and just do the next right thing.
This weekend is Parish Life Weekend, perhaps you’ve heard. What I do know is that nothing will happen if we don’t act. The challenge to you this weekend is to consider this place where you belong, and your part in making it stronger and more beautiful, all of us together. Through a deeper commitment to the spiritual life. Through a deeper commitment to care for someone or serve others in Church work. Through a deeper commitment to help our parish afford our vision to grow in prayer and service to God and each other.
Pages 14-21 in this bulletin are reprinted from a previous year, a reflection on discipleship (and the four pillars of hospitality prayer, formation, and service) and its authentic expressions. Please review it.
Also, I hope everyone has received our Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalog and Annual Report. Please read it. We did a lot of work to produce it!
Prayerfully consider how we will discover something greater than ourselves in the coming year. “See,” Jesus says, “I make all things new.” He does that through our service as the living members of his Body in this place, in this time, as we work together to advance the work of salvation.
The Lord be with you,
Watch your mailbox! All registered parishioners will be receiving our Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalog and Annual Report, probably beginning September 5.
We will celebrate Parish Life Weekend September 13-14, and Commitment Sunday the following weekend. Please review the book and consider how you might get involved in parish life!
Join us for our monthly Taizé Ecumenical Prayer service on Monday, 15 September at 8pm in the church. Bring your friends, all are welcome!
All couples celebrating a Golden or Silver Anniversary are invited to a Wedding Anniversaries Mass on Sunday, October 19, 2:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Please call the parish office to register no later than Monday, October 3.
Thank you to all who have responded to our request to reduce our parish envelope costs. If you are receiving offertory envelopes but don’t use them or no longer wish to receive them, please contact our parish office so that we can remove that service from your registration file. Remember Second and Special Collections can be done electronically through Faith Direct.
FAITH FORMATION
Living the Liturgical Year:
Happy September! There is a lot going on in the Catholic Church this week. Today, September 7, Pope Leo XIV will canonize Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassiti. Their devotion to the Eucharist was central to their spiritual life. Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint who died in 2006 and was known for his computer-savvy which brought attention to Eucharistic miracles, and Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died in 1925 and was a Third Order Dominican known for his charity. EWTN has produced documentaries about them. You can learn about Carlo Acutis in the “I Am With You” documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUpqQneSOFM. You can watch American pilgrims visit places close to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVFAZm1j_fo or watch the EWTN documentary “To The Top,” Verso I’alto (“To the heights”).
Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is held during the Sunday 9am Mass to proclaim God’s Word to our three-to-six year olds at a level they can understand. If you would like to sign your child up, please use this link: https://forms.office.com/r/jtBEQmQ0ys or scan the QR code at left. As the CLOW team preps for the new school year, we are in need of volunteers to help teach the children and to be classroom aides. If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please reach out to Kathryn Melton at yanezka@gmail.com or Lynn Jones at ljones@stbernpar.org.
Volunteers for 2025-2026 ~ As we prepare to plan for the upcoming Religious Education school year, please discern if you would like to help. We are in need of Lead Catechists and aides. If interested, please contact the Religious Education Office or fill out the Volunteer Form on the website. You will also find the QR Code at the bulletin board.
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. No need to RSVP. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org. Monday, September 15 is our next Dinner with Friends at 5pm, at Saratoga Pizzeria, 8050 Rolling Road. This casual meal is one of our normal dinners on the 1st the 3rd Monday of every
month.
NEW DATE! Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, September 16 at 7pm in the Bradican Room. We have a very special program tonight. Father James will favor us with a vocal and guitar performance including some self-composed songs and some more familiar and popular favorites. This will surely be an evening not to be missed!YOUTH MINISTRY
High School Socials
All high schoolers are invited to join us for Tuesday Socials every Tuesday from 7-8:30pm! Meet in the youth room (in the parish office) for games, ice cream, and a discussion on the faith.
All High schoolers are invited for dinner, games, a fellowship on Saturday, September 13. Meet in the Bradican room from 6-8:30pm!
Middle School Youth Ministry - our next gathering is 17 September
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm.
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
This past week we completed the Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalog, and Annual Report for 2025 and sent it to the printer. You should be receiving it in the few days around this weekend.
When you get the catalog, I ask that you read it prayerfully to consider your place at Saint Bernadette. It is good to belong; it is better and healthier, both spiritually and emotionally, to belong and be involved! Once again this year, I ask everyone to consider how they plan to grow (1) in prayer, (2) in service, and (3) in giving to the parish offertory during the coming year. If we don’t make concrete commitments, we maybe just do whatever we did last year, or grow indifferent. The growth we want is living more deeply connected to God and his family. Our life of grace depends upon it. The finances of our parish with ever-rising costs also depends on you.
The first part of the catalog has some texts (Sacred Scripture and other Church teachings) for your reflection and meditation. Read a little bit at a time, allow the thoughts to resonate in your memory. Those of us who are older can remember back to a time (I hope) when we lived our lives with the Church more at our center. Much of our younger people today simply don’t know what that could be like. Our world works very hard to draw us away from God and from each other, and convince us that the practice of faith (religion) isn’t as necessary or as important. Unfortunately, too many people have bought the lie. Prayer and Sacred Scripture is something that we need every day. Making our “living sacrifice of praise” to God at Mass is not only required. It is the one thing that shapes us into Christ himself and makes us come alive. That life quickly begins to stagnate as soon as people stop coming to Mass to offer themselves to the Father in Jesus.
The second part of the catalog is a listing of all the ministries in the parish. You are asked to look through this section and prayerfully consider where God might be calling you to serve. Choose one. There is not a person that God is not calling to serve among his people. It might not be in the Church itself, it might be outside, at work, in the home. But the way he calls us is through the gifts we were given at Baptism. In this case, the Called and Gifted Workshop or something like it is so important, taking time to consider our life experiences and see where God was working through us: those moments when we realize that we couldn’t have done that alone, it must have been God with us. Whatever gift you were working through at that time is the path God has for you, and you are invited to take that path not only to serve as Jesus serves, but to find fulfillment. Talk to a representative of Called and Gifted to see if you would like to include it on your Commitment Card. If there is interest, we will plan another Workshop.
(1) Decide how you will add to your commitment of prayer working on your relationship with God in the coming year. Then (2) Choose your ministry for the coming year. You will have the added opportunity to speak with people already serving in various parish ministries under the tents in front of church before and after all Masses on next weekend, September 13-14. This year we will not have sign-up sheets at the tents, you will include your commitments of time and talent on the Commitment Card the next weekend, September 20-21. Give a new ministry a try—if it doesn’t bring you to life, if it becomes a chore, then that is not the ministry for you. The Church is not a place anymore where people must just fill the gaps of need as volunteers. You must respond because you are truly called.
Finally, everyone is asked (3) to prayerfully consider if the contribution you make to the Church is enough. As Rick Caporali said at all the Masses in early Summer, our Sunday collections have stayed pretty much flat for eight years. Maybe it is time to consider giving more? Like the cost of living, the costs of running a parish have continued to increase, as always, and as we develop ministries, add the staff needed to bring our parish community and ministry to life, and expand our campus, your support is needed more than ever. Please, give it consideration.
Now is the time for our parish to dream about what is possible with the new building. Possibilities increase exponentially with the space to achieve them. The Holy Spirit is leading us in the direction of becoming a great community and light for all.
The Lord be with you,