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Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out
Monday, 5 October 2026, El Paso Restaurant, Commerce Street
present our flyer or mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
ANNOUNCEMENTS for the 27th Week in Ordinary Time
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
Parish Offices will be closed Monday , October 10 in observance for the Federal Holiday.
All are invited to the Lord of the Miracles (El Senor De Los Milagros) celebration. on Saturday, October 3 at 10am. The Lord of the Miracles is a mural painted of Jesus Christ that is venerated in the country of Peru and throughout the world by Peruvians. The mural became famous after it withstood the many violent earthquakes that shook the City of Lima and for this reason it became known also as “The Lord of Earthquakes,” a divine sign that recognizes the Lord God as all powerful. There were many who swore the image was responsible for miracles that happened in their lives. The image became known as the “Lord of Miracles” and now is the Patron Saint of Peru.
This weekend’s Second Collection will support our parish’s annual Corporal Work of Mercy for 2026 — Rise Against Hunger. Our goal is to raise $75,000 to purchase the raw ingredients needed to pack 150,000 nutritious meals. These meals will be shipped to educational and feeding programs in schools around the world, as well as to communities where families and children have limited access to food. Last year, more than 1,000 volunteers came together for this special three-day event. For more information, please visit the parish website. Donations can be made through the Tap to Give plates in the pews, ParishSOFT Giving, under “Second Collections” or the Parish Second Collection or Visitor Envelope. It starts with a meal, and it starts with YOU!
Life Chain, parish meets at Key Middle School on Franconia Rd., 2pm
Our parish thrives because of the gifts and generosity of its members. We invite you to explore the many volunteer opportunities available and consider how you might share your time and talents in service to our parish community. Whether you want to just stick your toe in or jump in the pool, there is an activity that can bring out the best in you! Discover where God may be calling you to serve. Please visit the parish website for more information or complete an interest form HERE.
We are pleased to introduce Tap to Give, a convenient and secure way to make electronic donations through our ParishSoft Giving platform. To use the Tap to Give feature, simply tap your NFC-enabled smartphone or smart-watch on the Tap to Give device. Make sure NFC is enabled on your device. (Bluetooth is not required for NFC payments.) ParishSoft Giving supports both Apple Pay and Google Pay, making your donations fast, secure, and convenient. Thank you for your continued generosity and for supporting the mission and ministries of Saint Bernadette Parish.
Please plan to join us for our Rise Against Hunger Dining Out Nights. Participating restaurants include Silver Diner, Malek’s Pizza Palace, McAlister’s Deli, Delia’s, Milano’s, El Paso, and Saratoga Pizzeria. Each restaurant will generously donate a portion of their proceeds from meals purchased by our parish families. A complete Dining Nights calendar and flyers which you will need to take with you are available in the church vestibule and on the parish website.
FAITH FORMATION
Volunteers for 2026-2027 ~ If you feel called to help with the Religious Education program, we are in need of volunteers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6–7:15pm (arrive by 5:45pm). For Tuesday: hallway helpers, sixth grade (first year Confirmation) lead, and four aides for various classrooms. For Wednesdays, Fourth Grade Lead, sixth grade (first year Confirmation) lead, one hallway monitor, and three aides for various classrooms. Feeling called to help? Need to know more? Please contact Lynn Jones at ljones@stbernpar.org or 703-451-8576 ext. 136.
YEAR 1 CONFIRMATION KICK-OFF: Don't forget to join us this Sunday, October 4 at 6pm in the Gym. All students should attend with a parent. We will be going over important information for Confirmation preparation. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Happy October! October is the Month of the Rosary. The rosary is a Christ-centered prayer, which features the core prayers of the Catholic Church (Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Apostle's Creed, Hail Holy Queen, and the Fatima Prayer). It meditates on the lives of Jesus and Mary while seeking Mary's intercession. It is considered a "double" sacramental and spiritual weapon; both the object and the prayer. One rosary activity you can do with your children is to make the one decade rosary craft found here: https://www.catholicicing.com/easy-rosary-craft-for-kids/. Did you know that you can say the decade of the rosary in two and a half minutes? You can say the Mysteries throughout the day when you are needing some time of reflection, when things are not going right, or making dinner with the kids. Before you know it, you would've said the whole Rosary and it isn't as daunting.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word - Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is a program for 3-6 year olds. The children leave the 9am Mass with their catechists during the Liturgy of the Word so they can hear the Word of God at their level. Child-ren return to Mass during the offertory and worship with their families for the remainder of the Mass. The program is held most Sundays from September through July except holiday weekends.
Please remember there are no cellphones and electronic devices allowed in the classroom. 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
Upcoming schedule
Regular classes: Oct. 6/7, 20/21, 27/28
Family Mass Learning: Oct 3/4, please bring a rosary
Family Faith Formation: Oct. 4
Sunday Doughnut Social: Oct. 25
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org
Tuesday, October 6 is our next Dinner with Friends at 5pm, at Saratoga Pizzeria, 8050 Rolling Road. We meet for this casual meal on the 1st and the 3rd Tuesday of every month. No need to RSVP.
YOUTH MINISTRY
High School
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. Contact Grace Mee for more information!
Join high schoolers all throughout the diocese of Arlington at RALLY on October 25 from 11am-9pm. RALLY is an all-day event that includes Mass with Bishop Burbidge, speakers, music, games, and more! Check out the Youth Ministry page on the parish website for more information and permission slips.
Middle School
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, beginning in September! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm.
CYO Sports - Winter Sports Registration is now OPEN
Joining sports teams can be a rewarding experience for young athletes. Saint Bernadette's CYO sports offers a variety of options, including cross country, tennis, track & field, basketball, cheer, and volleyball, fostering both physical fitness and teamwork. Participating helps in developing athletic skills but also emphasizes the importance of faith, sportsmanship, discipline, and community involvement. These programs often create a supportive environment where players can build lasting friendships and learn valuable life lessons. CYO sports are open to children who attend Saint Bernadette’s school or are enrolled in the parish’s religious education program this school year.
Registration for basketball and cheer is now open. Register for basketball by 10/19 and cheer by 11/1.
Please register at - https://reg.sportspilot.com/106541/leagues
If you have any questions, please reach out to your parish CYO Reps - Gina Soriano (gvsoriano@gmail.com) or Catherine Luby (catherineeluby@gmail.com).
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
This week Bishop Burbidge sent out an appeal to all Catholics to use the tools of prayer and fasting to form their consciences with regard to the upcoming ballot. Fasting is a practice that is used by many religions as a discipline to help growth in spirituality. Muslims don’t eat anything (or drink water, if possible) for nearly a month whenever the sun is shining. They break their fast with an iftar dinner at sunset each day. Imagine if the Catholic Church required that of all her members - that, and pausing to pray five times a day...
The Jewish people just celebrated Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, their holiest day of the year, when adults abstain from all food and water from sunset to nightfall the next day, about 25 hours. They also fast on specific holy days and historical commemorations throughout the year from sunrise to sunset. Imagine.
The Catholic Church used to use the same tools. Up until Vatican II, you would have to fast from food or water from midnight if you were to receive Eucharist at Mass. Shortly before Vatican II, it was reduced to three hours. Now it is one hour. And for ten minutes after receiving Holy Communion. It seems like so little, especially if you have a distance to drive to Mass and the homily is long, you might be able to eat right up to leaving home. As for donuts after Mass, that is why we have so, so many announcements after Communion, so you can be sure to observe your ten minute fast after Communion! (not really, but it works, if you think about it).
He is asking us, in October, to pray the rosary on Sundays, and the Stations of the Cross on Fridays. And he is asking us to fast from social media on Sundays, and to commit to one daily meal and no meat on Fridays. Of course, we fast on two days a year now, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and no longer have the requirement to abstain from meat on Fridays (except Fridays in Lent) as long as you replace it with a corporal or spiritual Work of Mercy.
Interesting, a new form of fasting, social media. With the usual forms of fasting, I don’t think there is such an immediate benefit to one’s self. You are not going to lose weight by cutting back on the carbs two days a year. But in the case of social media...
I did a little AI investigation. What has the Church been saying about social media? It turns out, the Church has been talking about it for a while. Church leadership, including recent warnings highlighted in Vatican communications guidelines and papal messages, has repeatedly condemned how digital platforms foster “spirals of hatred,” misinformation, and ideological silos that damage Church unity. (I personally avoid these feeding frenzies because they are the least Christian expressions of “Christianity” that find today.)
I discovered a document from the Dicastery for Communications I somehow overlooked in 2023, a 20-page document titled “Towards Full Presence. A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media.” It asks the questions: What kind of humanity is reflected in our presence in digital environments? How much of our digital relationships is the fruit of deep and truthful communication, and how much is merely shaped by unquestioned opinions and passionate reactions? The first two, not much. The third? Who knows? And how much of our faith finds living and refreshing digital expressions? And who is my “neighbor” on social media?
The 2023 document says “...the role of artificial intelligence in the years to come will increasingly impact our experience of reality.” Yes, indeed. Experts and clergy note that the constant emotionalism and personalization of online feeds compromise critical thinking, replacing traditional communal worship and charity with reactive hostility.
From my vantage point, social media is not making us better people, but rather less human and more divided. Rather than allowing social media algorithms reward extreme opinions that do us damage, simply fast. Fast.
The Lord be with you,
Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out
Monday, 28 September, McAlister's Deli, Rolling Rd
present our flyer or mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
ANNOUNCEMENTS for the 26th Week in Ordinary Time
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
Please note the change in Date and Time for the Blessing of the Animals. We will gather at the grotto Friday evening, October 2nd at 6pm due to our Lord of the Miracles Celebration the following morning.
All are invited to the Lord of the Miracles (El Senor De Los Milagros) celebration. on Saturday, October 3 at 10am. The Lord of the Miracles is a mural painted of Jesus Christ that is venerated in the country of Peru and throughout the world by Peruvians. The mural became famous after it withstood the many violent earthquakes that shook the City of Lima and for this reason it became known also as “The Lord of Earthquakes,” a divine sign that recognizes the Lord God as all powerful. There were many who swore the image was responsible for miracles that happened in their lives. The image became known as the “Lord of Miracles” and now is the Patron Saint of Peru.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) will be selling raffle tickets after all Masses on September 26/27 for a trip for to to Ireland! Tickets are $10 or 3 for $25. Cash and checks accepted. Proceeds are used to fund our charitable giving to include 8th grade graduation scholarships, Mary’s Comfort, Project St. Patrick (Seminarians) and our annual St. Patrick Coloring Contest. Try your luck of the Irish.
Help fill the St. Lucy Food Project warehouse with much needed food for hungry children. Please mark your calendar for our next St. Lucy Project Food Drive the weekend of September 26/27.
Next weekend’s Second Collection will support our parish’s annual Corporal Work of Mercy for 2026 — Rise Against Hunger. Our goal is to raise $75,000 to purchase the raw ingredients needed to pack 150,000 nutritious meals. These meals will be shipped to educational and feeding programs in schools around the world, as well as to communities where families and children have limited access to food. Last year, more than 1,000 volunteers came together for this special three-day event. For more information, please visit the parish website. Donations can be made through the Tap to Give plates in the pews, ParishSOFT Giving, under “Second Collections” or the Parish Second Collection or Visitor Envelope. It starts with a meal, and it starts with YOU!
All couples celebrating a Golden or Silver Anniversary are invited to a Wedding Anniversaries Mass on Sunday, October 18, 2:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Please call the parish office to register no later than Monday, Oct. 2.
Our parish thrives because of the gifts and generosity of its members. We invite you to explore the many volunteer opportunities available and consider how you might share your time and talents in service to our parish community. Whether you want to just stick your toe in or jump in the pool, there is an activity that can bring out the best in you! Discover where God may be calling you to serve. Please visit the parish website for more information or complete an interest form HERE.
We are pleased to introduce Tap to Give, a convenient and secure way to make electronic donations through our ParishSoft Giving platform. To use the Tap to Give feature, simply tap your NFC-enabled smartphone or smart-watch on the Tap to Give device. Make sure NFC is enabled on your device. (Bluetooth is not required for NFC payments.) ParishSoft Giving supports both Apple Pay and Google Pay, making your donations fast, secure, and convenient. Thank you for your continued generosity and for supporting the mission and ministries of Saint Bernadette Parish.
Please plan to join us for our Rise Against Hunger Dining Out Nights. Participating restaurants include Silver Diner, Malek’s Pizza Palace, McAlister’s Deli, Delia’s, Milano’s, El Paso, and Saratoga Pizzeria. Each restaurant will generously donate a portion of their proceeds from meals purchased by our parish families. A complete Dining Nights calendar and flyers which you will need to take with you are available in the church vestibule and on the parish website.
FAITH FORMATION
Volunteers for 2026-2027 ~ If you feel called to help with the Religious Education program, we are in need of volunteers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6–7:15pm (arrive by 5:45pm). For Tuesday: hallway helpers, sixth grade (first year Confirmation) lead, and four aides for various classrooms. For Wednesdays, Fourth Grade Lead, sixth grade (first year Confirmation) lead, one hallway monitor, and three aides for various classrooms. Feeling called to help? Need to know more? Please contact Lynn Jones at ljones@stbernpar.org or 703-451-8576 ext. 136.
Sunday doughnut social - Plan to join us today, September 27 after the 9am Mass, 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 doughnuts while your children do some fun activities with volunteers!
Children’s Liturgy of the Word - Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is a program for 3-6 year olds. The children leave the 9am Mass with their catechists during the Liturgy of the Word so they can hear the Word of God at their level. Child-ren return to Mass during the offertory and worship with their families for the remainder of the Mass. The program is held most Sundays from September through July except holiday weekends.
Please remember there are no cellphones and electronic devices allowed in the classroom. 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
Upcoming schedule
Sunday Doughnut Social: Sept. 27
Confirmation 2026 Learning Session #2: Sept. 27, 6pm in the school
Regular classes: Sept. 29/30, Oct. 6/7, 20/21...
Family Mass Learning: Oct 3/4
Family Faith Formation: Oct. 4
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org
Tuesday, October 6 is our next Dinner with Friends at 5pm, at Saratoga Pizzeria, 8050 Rolling Road. We meet for this casual meal on the 1st and the 3rd Tuesday of every month. No need to RSVP.
YOUTH MINISTRY
High School
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. Contact Grace Mee for more information!
Join high schoolers all throughout the diocese of Arlington at RALLY on October 25 from 11am-9pm. RALLY is an all-day event that includes Mass with Bishop Burbidge, speakers, music, games, and more! Check out the Youth Ministry page on the parish website for more information and permission slips.
Middle School
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, beginning in September! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm.
CYO Sports - Winter Sports Registration is now OPEN
Joining sports teams can be a rewarding experience for young athletes. Saint Bernadette's CYO sports offers a variety of options, including cross country, tennis, track & field, basketball, cheer, and volleyball, fostering both physical fitness and teamwork. Participating helps in developing athletic skills but also emphasizes the importance of faith, sportsmanship, discipline, and community involvement. These programs often create a supportive environment where players can build lasting friendships and learn valuable life lessons. CYO sports are open to children who attend Saint Bernadette’s school or are enrolled in the parish’s religious education program this school year.
Registration for basketball and cheer is now open. Register for basketball by 10/19 and cheer by 11/1.
Please register at - https://reg.sportspilot.com/106541/leagues
If you have any questions, please reach out to your parish CYO Reps - Gina Soriano (gvsoriano@gmail.com) or Catherine Luby (catherineeluby@gmail.com).
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
Week before last I got to spend a few days in Jackson, Wyoming, where my friends Mary Kay and John live. They have the oldest dude ranch in the valley, Triangle X, actually predating Grand Teton National Park which surrounds them. If you want a good dose of the Beauty of God, I recommend it.
Mary Kay and I, and another friend Feras, started the Holy Land Christians Society 25 years ago to support and enable the well-being of Christians who then were simply trying to survive, particularly in Bethlehem and the West Bank and Gaza. Over the past 25 years things have only gotten worse and worse for Palestinian Christians, so much suffering and anxiety. The Christian population at the time of the creation of the state of Israel from their lands and homes has dropped from 30% to 0.4%. In the land where Christianity began.
Well, Mary Kay is 85 and slowing down a little, and a good number of our donors are her friends in Wyoming. It was time for several of our board members to go and meet them, and thank them, and introduce ourselves. What we found was a wonderful group of caring, concerned friends who are all focused on our common mission.
My purpose is not to promote HLCS (but if any of you have questions I’d love to talk about it with you) nor to ask for your finan-cial support (though I certainly wouldn’t refuse), but to tell you my impression of the 50 or so generous-hearted people I met those days in Jackson. My reflection became much deeper the Friday that week when I was back, and the Gospel was about how Jesus went about with the Twelve preaching and healing, accompanied by the many who provided for them out of their resources, including three women mentioned by name: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna. For a woman to be mentioned in those days was rare, a seminary professor once taught us, because they did not matter. It was the ones who were considered powerless who were there in the middle of Jesus’ ministry, making it happen. Amazing.
The mission in Palestine is desperate, certainly, and the work is a struggle, and the results are humble. Our board of directors can accomplish only as much as our friends of HLCS make possible. We had our 50 friends for brisket dinner in Mary Kay and John’s backyard with the Tetons rising above the trees and as I watched them I was thankful, and keenly aware that here were the Marys, Joannas, Susannas, Barbaras, Mary Kays, Johns, Catherines... who enable the Lord to work.
It is the same in Palestine, in Wyoming, and in Springfield. There is work to be done and we are the ones who must go to work. If we don’t, nothing will get done. We are responsible as priests, prophets, and kings inserted into this culture to steer it back to God, to heal wounds and care for each other. To sanctify, to proclaim, to lead, all three from each of us. Not because it is a good thing to do – because it is who we are.
It is who you are.
Commitment Sunday was last Sunday and this is your chance, you can still respond by making an offering of yourself using your gifts and talents. Please don’t disregard it. Think of the good you can do for others; the best is what it will do for you.
OCIA has started again and, again, I see how it is a kind of microcosm of our wider community. Seekers meet seekers, they get to know each other. Learning together makes everyone learn faster, just as sharing faith makes faith grow so much faster. Jesus becomes clearer as we see the spark of his life in each other. Something new is happening as we walk together on the journey of rebirth and renewal. Imagine this vision for our parish family. So much possibility.
All we need is more Joannas, and Marys, and Michaels, and Patricias.
The Lord be with you,
Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out
Monday, 21 September, Silver Diner, Springfield Shopping Center
present our flyer or mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
ANNOUNCEMENTS for the 25th Week in Ordinary Time
This is Commitment Sunday! Review our Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalog and Annual Report and commit to how you will be involved in parish life and ministry this year!
Join us for our monthly Taizé Ecumenical Prayer service on Monday, September 21 at 8pm in the church. Bring your friends, all are welcome!
Concerts at Saint Bernadette presents internationally prize winning flutist Guilherme Andreas, David Mathers, piano. Friday, Sept. 25 at 7:30pm. A light reception will follow.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) will be selling raffle tickets after all Masses on September 26/27 for a trip for to to Ireland! Tickets are $10 or 3 for $25. Cash and checks accepted. Proceeds are used to fund our charitable giving to include 8th grade graduation scholarships, Mary’s Comfort, Project St. Patrick (Seminarians) and our annual St. Patrick Coloring Contest. Try your luck of the Irish.
Help fill the St. Lucy Food Project warehouse with much needed food for hungry children. Please mark your calendar for our next St. Lucy Project Food Drive the weekend of September 26/27.
All couples celebrating a Golden or Silver Anniversary are invited to a Wedding Anniversaries Mass on Sunday, October 18, 2:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Please call the parish office to register no later than Monday, Oct. 2.
Please note the change in Date and Time for the Blessing of the Animals. We will gather at the grotto Friday evening, October 2nd at 6pm due to our Lord of the Miracles Celebration the following morning.
Our parish thrives because of the gifts and generosity of its members. We invite you to explore the many volunteer opportunities available and consider how you might share your time and talents in service to our parish community. Whether you want to just stick your toe in or jump in the pool, there is an activity that can bring out the best in you! Discover where God may be calling you to serve. Please visit the parish website for more information or complete an interest form HERE.
We are pleased to introduce Tap to Give, a convenient and secure way to make electronic donations through our ParishSOFT Giving platform. To use the Tap to Give feature, simply tap your NFC-enabled smartphone or smart-watch on the Tap to Give device. Make sure NFC is enabled on your device. (Bluetooth is not required for NFC payments.) ParishSOFT Giving supports both Apple Pay and Google Pay, making your donations fast, secure, and convenient. Thank you for your continued generosity and for supporting the mission and ministries of Saint Bernadette Parish.
Please plan to join us for our Rise Against Hunger Dining Out Nights. Participating restaurants include Silver Diner, Malek’s Pizza Palace, McAlister’s Deli, Delia’s, Milano’s, El Paso, and Saratoga Pizzeria. Each restaurant will generously donate a portion of their proceeds from meals purchased by our parish families. A complete Dining Nights calendar and flyers which you will need to take with you are available in the church vestibule and on the parish website.
FAITH FORMATION
Volunteers for 2026-2027 ~ If you feel called to help with the Religious Education program, we are in need of volunteers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6–7:15pm (arrive by 5:45pm). For Tuesday: hallway helpers, sixth grade (first year Confirmation) lead, and four aides for various classrooms. For Wednesdays, Fourth Grade Lead, sixth grade (first year Confirmation) lead, one hallway monitor, and three aides for various classrooms. Feeling called to help? Need to know more? Please contact Lynn Jones at ljones@stbernpar.org or 703-451-8576 ext. 136.
Living the Liturgical Year - On September 21, we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist. He was an apostle and one of the writers of the Gospel. Did you know he was a tax collector who became an apostle? Tax collectors in Jesus’ time were despised and put in the same category as sinners. They were seen as traitors to their nation. You can find activities to teach your kids about St. Matthew here: https://catholicprintableclub.com/blogs/september-feast-days/how-to-celebrate-the-feast-of-st-matthew-september-21
Children’s Liturgy of the Word - Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is a program for 3-6 year olds. The children leave the 9am Mass with their catechists during the Liturgy of the Word so they can hear the Word of God at their level. Child-ren return to Mass during the offertory and worship with their families for the remainder of the Mass. The program is held most Sundays from September through July except holiday weekends.
Please remember there are no cellphones and electronic devices allowed in the classroom. 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
Upcoming schedule
Regular classes: Sept. 15/16, 22/23, 29/30
SPRED Classes: Sept. 12, 19
Family Mass Learning: Sept. 19/20 after all Masses
Family Faith Formation: Sept. 20
Sunday Doughnut Social: Sept. 27
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org
Tuesday, October 6 is our next Dinner with Friends at 5pm, at Saratoga Pizzeria, 8050 Rolling Road. We meet for this casual meal on the 1st and the 3rd Tuesday of every month. No need to RSVP.
YOUTH MINISTRY
High School
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. Contact Grace Mee for more information!
Join high schoolers all throughout the diocese of Arlington at RALLY on October 25 from 11am-9pm. RALLY is an all-day event that includes Mass with Bishop Burbidge, speakers, music, games, and more! Check out the Youth Ministry page on the parish website for more information and permission slips.
Middle School
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, beginning in September! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm.
CYO Sports - Winter Sports Registration is now OPEN
Joining sports teams can be a rewarding experience for young athletes. Saint Bernadette's CYO sports offers a variety of options, including cross country, tennis, track & field, basketball, cheer, and volleyball, fostering both physical fitness and teamwork. Participating helps in developing athletic skills but also emphasizes the importance of faith, sportsmanship, discipline, and community involvement. These programs often create a supportive environment where players can build lasting friendships and learn valuable life lessons. CYO sports are open to children who attend Saint Bernadette’s school or are enrolled in the parish’s religious education program this school year.
Registration for basketball and cheer is now open. Register for basketball by 10/19 and cheer by 11/1.
Please register at - https://reg.sportspilot.com/106541/leagues
If you have any questions, please reach out to your parish CYO Reps - Gina Soriano (gvsoriano@gmail.com) or Catherine Luby (catherineeluby@gmail.com).
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 reflect on the bishop’s letter which we read at all the Masses last weekend and the responses some members of our parish family had in reaction to it, I have a few reflections.
First, it wasn’t a condemnation of anyone. It is not up to us to judge anyone. Only Jesus knows our hearts and will take care of that on the last day. Our job is to love and respect all people. Society, and in particular politics, has infiltrated our Church culture in a way that many have forgotten this fact. The confusion has extended to matters of faith and our responsibility to all living persons, and made them issues of liberal v. conservative along partisan lines. Truth does not require anyone’s endorsement. It isn’t something determined by a poll. Something isn’t true because the Church says it is. The Church says it is because it is true. As well as what is false.
Our world is shifting all over the place when it comes to public opinion. I had a good friend who was a Baptist pastor and he said that when he became a pastor he was considered pretty conservative. Today, he is considered a liberal compared to where the Baptist Church has gone. I have had this experience, too.
The Virginia bishops’ call to reject two revisions to the state constitution with regard to human life and family go to the heart of the process of how people can properly form their consciences. Your conscience is that internal refuge where each of us hears the call to do good and avoid evil. Once formed to the best of your ability, you must follow your conscience. But what happens when the tools you have to form your choice are not true?
Also, conscience is not a license to do whatever you want. It requires life-long education and soul searching through objective truth and divine law. It is possible not to agree, but there must remain an openness to seek religious assent of intellect and will, rather than dissent.
There is no intention, if I understand the bishops’ letter correctly, to overturn anything that is already in place in our laws, whether they agree with them or not, but they are seeking to prevent the erosion of the soil underneath the foundation upon which moral decisions are made.
All are loved; all of us are on this journey of life together seeking what is right. We can’t allow ourselves to forget this.
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This is Commitment Sunday! Please consider making real commitments of how your prayer life might look in the coming year, how you might get involved in the life of our Church, and how you might more generously support our mission and ministries.
Environments today foster a general lack of commitment. Sociologists say that, driven by social media, people are exposed to a relentless paradox of choice. When a “better option” always seems to be just one click away, the psychological investment in a job, relationship or project seems to rise dramatically. Commitment is increasingly viewed as a restriction of freedom rather than a vehicle for fulfillment. Lack of commitment becomes an unconscious survival mechanism which results in a kind of isolation.
Ironically, what we do as a community is actually what all of us need. Ministry to others is, in itself, a supreme good. But it is also good for us. Social connectedness and a deep sense of belonging are fundamental human needs that profoundly protect our long-term physical and mental health. Holiness from prayer raises a sense of self-worth in relationship with God who loves us unconditionally; ser-vice gives us a sense of purpose and fulfillment; giving activates our ability to love.
Renew your commitments with us!
The Lord be with you,
Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out
Monday, 14 September, El Paso, Commerce Street, All Day
present our flyer or mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
ANNOUNCEMENTS for the 24th Week in Ordinary Time
Watch your mailbox! All registered parishioners will be receiving our Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalog and Annual Report, probably beginning September 7. We will celebrate Parish Life Weekend September 12-13, and Commitment Sunday the following weekend. Please review the book and consider how you might get involved in parish life!
The Knights of Columbus Annual 5K Fun Run and Walk at Burke Lake Park is 2 weeks away. Please see the bulletin to register. Registration costs increase after September 20.
Join us for our monthly Taizé Ecumenical Prayer service on Monday, September 21 at 8pm in the church. Bring your friends, all are welcome!
Concerts at Saint Bernadette presents internationally prize winning flutist Guilherme Andreas, David Mathers, piano. Friday, Sept. 25 at 7:30pm. A light reception will follow.
Troop 995 will be holding its fall car wash fundraiser in the Saint Bernadette parking lot on Saturday, September 12th from 8am through 12pm. Donations greatly appreciated
The Knights of Columbus is sponsoring this year's Soccer Challenge on 19 September 2026, at Saint Bernadette's Field from 8am through noon. It is open to boys and girls from 9-14 years old. More information will come next week’s bulletin.
Help fill the St. Lucy Food Project warehouse with much needed food for hungry children. Please mark your calendar for our next St. Lucy Project Food Drive the weekend of September 26/27.
All couples celebrating a Golden or Silver Anniversary are invited to a Wedding Anniversaries Mass on Sunday, October 18, 2:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Please call the parish office to register no later than Monday, Oct. 2.
Our parish thrives because of the gifts and generosity of its members. We invite you to explore the many volunteer opportunities available and consider how you might share your time and talents in service to our parish community. Whether you want to just stick your toe in or jump in the pool, there is an activity that can bring out the best in you! Discover where God may be calling you to serve. Please visit the parish website for more information or complete an interest form HERE.
We are pleased to introduce Tap to Give, a convenient and secure way to make electronic donations through our ParishSOFT Giving platform. To use the Tap to Give feature, simply tap your NFC-enabled smartphone or smart-watch on the Tap to Give device. Make sure NFC is enabled on your device. (Bluetooth is not required for NFC payments.) ParishSOFT Giving supports both Apple Pay and Google Pay, making your donations fast, secure, and convenient. Thank you for your continued generosity and for supporting the mission and ministries of Saint Bernadette Parish.
Please plan to join us for our Rise Against Hunger Dining Out Nights. Participating restaurants include Silver Diner, Malek’s Pizza Palace, McAlister’s Deli, Delia’s, Milano’s, El Paso, and Saratoga Pizzeria. Each restaurant will generously donate a portion of their proceeds from meals purchased by our parish families. A complete Dining Nights calendar and flyers which you will need to take with you are available in the church vestibule and on the parish website.
FAITH FORMATION
Parent meetings were held on the first day. If you missed the meeting, check the Flocknote that was sent on September 4! This year, parents should look for a weekly Flocknote email with information about your child’s program. Please read these weekly as we provide updates, faith formation tidbits, and information on upcoming events. (Note: Students in SPRED and Family Faith Formation groups, who do not meet on Tuesday or Wednesday, will have different parent meetings but should still read the Flocknote!)
Volunteers for 2026-2027 ~ If you feel called to help with the Religious Education program, we are in need of volunteers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6–7:15pm (arrive by 5:45pm). For Tuesday: hallway helpers, sixth grade (first year Confirmation) lead, and four aides for various classrooms. For Wednesdays, Fourth Grade Lead, sixth grade (first year Confirmation) lead, one hallway monitor, and three aides for various classrooms. Feeling called to help? Need to know more? Please contact Lynn Jones at ljones@stbernpar.org or 703-451-8576 ext. 136.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word begins September 13 - Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is a program for 3-6 year olds. The children leave the 9am Mass with their catechists during the Liturgy of the Word so they can hear the Word of God at their level. Child-ren return to Mass during the offertory and worship with their families for the remain-der of the Mass. The program is held most Sundays from September through July except holiday weekends. Our first session is on September 13!
Please remember there are no cellphones and electronic devices allowed in the classroom. 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
Upcoming schedule
Regular classes: Sept. 15/16, 22/23, 29/30
SPRED Classes: Sept. 12, 19
Family Mass Learning: Sept. 12/13 after all Masses
Family Faith Formation: Sept. 20
Sunday Doughnut Social: Sept. 27
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org
Tuesday, September 15 is our next Dinner with Friends at 5pm, at Saratoga Pizzeria, 8050 Rolling Road. We meet for this casual meal on the 1st and the 3rd Tuesday of every month. No need to RSVP.
YOUTH MINISTRY
High School
High School Tuesday Socials begin August 25
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. Contact Grace Mee for more information!
Middle School
Middle School Youth Ministry begins September 2
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, beginning in September! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm.
CYO Sports
A rewarding experience for young athletes, Saint Bernadette CYO sports offers a variety of options, including cross country, tennis, track & field, basketball, cheer, and volleyball, fostering both physical fitness and teamwork, as well as the importance of faith, sportsmanship, discipline, and community in a supportive environment where players can build lasting friendships and learn valuable life lessons. CYO sports are open to children who attend St. Bernadette School or are enrolled in the parish’s religious education program this year year.
Registration for Cross Country, Tennis, Track & Field is now open for registration. Please register at - https://reg.sportspilot.com/106541/leagues
Questions? Please reach out to parish CYO Reps - Gina Soriano (gvsoriano@gmail.com) or Catherine Luby (catherineeluby@gmail.com).
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
As we come to Parish Life Weekend again this year, I have a couple of reflections which come to me with urgency. Maybe this is me fulfilling my Baptism with a prophetic message!
I don’t think we as Church understand our roles according to the dignity and responsibility of our Baptism. We will never really understand who we are and what we are supposed to do with this life if we don’t seriously sit with the Lord and think this through.
Think about how Mary – when confronted with the complexity of life and its many unexplained mysteries as the Mother of God – how she “treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19, 2:51). Her response to the mystery of Christ was one of attentive faith. She receives God’s works, preserves them within herself, and gradually seeks to understand their meaning. Her pondering is not passive daydreaming, but prayerful contemplation – bringing together the angel’s message, Elizabeth’s greeting, the shepherds’ testimony, and the prophecies concerning her Son.
Mary becomes a model for the Church and for every Christian who must grapple with the real questions about the hows and whys of this life, always with an eye on the horizon, from which the Lord will return.
We ritualize this reality at Saint Bernadette with our Parish Life and Commitment Weekends. If we don’t take inventory of our prayer, our service, and our tithing, if we don’t confront it and respond with deeper commitment to grow in these ways, we won’t allow Word and Sacrament to change us, to shape our lives.
This is the meaning of our theme this year: “Stir up the waters of baptism among you. You are PRIESTS. PROPHETS. KINGS.” We unpack what that means in the first pages of our Parish Life and Ministry Directory 2027, what Saint Peter meant by saying, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, so that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2).
“Stir up the waters of baptism among you,” understood metaphorically, is an exhortation to renew, awaken, or make fruitful the grace received in Baptism.”
Stirring up those waters among us, like the pool of Bethesda, will be the source of healing and belonging for a nation that needs to rediscover its holiness.
Baptismal water is associated with new birth through water and the Holy Spirit, cleansing from sin, dying and rising with Christ, incorporation into the Church, and the continuing action of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life of our precious community at Saint Bernadette. Stirring it up suggests our awakening the baptismal identity and grace already present in us. The Easter Vigil itself connects baptismal water with the grace of the Holy Spirit and with rising to new life in Christ.
I interviewed all of our Confirmation candidates receiving the sacrament in October and spoke about how most of us were infants and our parents and Godparents made our profession of faith for us. The Rite of Confirmation begins with them making that profession for themselves, finally. Now is the time to own it and take up responsibility for their Church, I told them.
Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2). The Christian life is not lived in an imaginary future when circumstances will finally be perfect. God’s grace encounters us in the present moment. Now is the time of conversion. Now is the time for forgiveness and mercy. Now is the time to give ourselves as a holy offering to God and each other. This is my prayer for our parish family.
The Lord be with you,
Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out
Monday, 14 September, El Paso, Commerce Street, All Day
present our flyer or mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
ANNOUNCEMENTS for the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time
Watch your mailbox! All registered parishioners will be receiving our Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalog and Annual Report, probably beginning September 7. We will celebrate Parish Life Weekend September 12-13, and Commitment Sunday the following weekend. Please review the book and consider how you might get involved in parish life!
Our parish offices will be closed on Monday, 7 September, in observance of the Labor Day holiday. Please note: NO 7am Mass on Monday only
Join us for our monthly Taizé Ecumenical Prayer service on Monday, September 15 at 8pm in the church. Bring your friends, all are welcome!
Troop 995 will be holding its fall car wash fundraiser in the Saint Bernadette parking lot on Saturday, September 12th from 8am through 12pm. Donations greatly appreciated.
The Knights of Columbus is sponsoring this year's Soccer Challenge on 19 September 2026, at Saint Bernadette's Field from 8am through noon. It is open to boys and girls from 9-14 years old. More information will come next week’s bulletin.
Help fill the St. Lucy Food Project warehouse with much needed food for hungry children. Please mark your calendar for our next St. Lucy Project Food Drive the weekend of September 26/27.
All couples celebrating a Golden or Silver Anniversary are invited to a Wedding Anniversaries Mass on Sunday, October 18, 2:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Please call the parish office to register no later than Monday, Oct. 2.
Our parish thrives because of the gifts and generosity of its members. We invite you to explore the many volunteer opportunities available and consider how you might share your time and talents in service to our parish community. Whether you want to just stick your toe in or jump in the pool, there is an activity that can bring out the best in you! Discover where God may be calling you to serve. Please visit the parish website for more information or complete an interest form HERE.
We are pleased to introduce Tap to Give, a convenient and secure way to make electronic donations through our ParishSOFT Giving platform. To use the Tap to Give feature, simply tap your NFC-enabled smartphone or smart-watch on the Tap to Give device. Make sure NFC is enabled on your device. (Bluetooth is not required for NFC payments.) ParishSOFT Giving supports both Apple Pay and Google Pay, making your donations fast, secure, and convenient. Thank you for your continued generosity and for supporting the mission and ministries of Saint Bernadette Parish.
Please plan to join us for our Rise Against Hunger Dining Out Nights. Participating restaurants include Silver Diner, Malek’s Pizza Palace, McAlister’s Deli, Delia’s, Milano’s, El Paso, and Saratoga Pizzeria. Each restaurant will generously donate a portion of their proceeds from meals purchased by our parish families. A complete Dining Nights calendar and flyers which you will need to take with you are available in the church vestibule and on the parish website.
FAITH FORMATION
Parent meetings were held on the first day. If you missed the meeting, check the Flocknote that was sent on September 4! This year, parents should look for a weekly Flocknote email with information about your child’s program. Please read these weekly as we provide updates, faith formation tidbits, and information on upcoming events. (Note: Students in SPRED and Family Faith Formation groups, who do not meet on Tuesday or Wednesday, will have different parent meetings but should still read the Flocknote!)
Volunteers for 2026-2027 ~ If you feel called to help with the Religious Education program, we are in DIRE need of volunteers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-7:15pm (arrive by 5:45pm). For Tuesday: Confirmation Second Year Lead (7th and 8th grade), First Communion First Year Lead (1st and 2nd grade), First Communion Second Year Lead (2nd and 3rd grade), three hallway helpers, and four aides for various classrooms. For Wednesdays, Fourth Grade Lead, First Year First Communion Lead (3rd through 6th grade), one hallway monitor, and three aides for various classrooms. Feeling called to help? Need to know more? Please contact Lynn Jones at Ljones@stbernpar.org or 703-451-8576 ext 136. Training is scheduled this week, so call now!
Children’s Liturgy of the Word begins September 13 - Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is a program for 3-6 year olds. The children leave the 9am Mass with their catechists during the Liturgy of the Word so they can hear the Word of God at their level. Child-ren return to Mass during the offertory and worship with their families for the remain-der of the Mass. The program is held most Sundays from September through July except holiday weekends. Our first session is on September 13!
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org
Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, September 8 at 7pm in the Bradican Room. We have a special guest. Father James will join us with his guitar! Come enjoy an evening of music and song.
Tuesday, September 15 is our next Dinner with Friends at 5pm, at Saratoga Pizzeria, 8050 Rolling Road. We meet for this casual meal on the 1st and the 3rd Tuesday of every month. No need to RSVP.
YOUTH MINISTRY
High School
High School Tuesday Socials begin August 25
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. Contact Grace Mee for more information!
High School Trivia Night - September 12 - Calling all high schoolers! Join us for Trivia Night on September 12th from 6-8:30 pm! Meet in the Bradican Room for a fun night of dinner, trivia, and fellowship.
Middle School
Middle School Youth Ministry begins September 2
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, beginning in September! 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
Watch your mailbox! All registered parishioners will be receiving our Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalog and Annual Report, probably beginning September 7. 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!
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
Labor Day every year gives us a chance to review Catholic Social Teaching which views work as a participation in God’s creation and insists that the economy must serve people rather than people serving the economy. There is “no time like the present,” as my mom used to say, to remember this when people globally are largely exploited in the interest of personal gain. Every person deserves dignity.
It was the Catholic Church that announced for the first time that a laborer was worth his wage, and that the wage should be a living or just wage, that is, enough for someone to support themselves and their families. Work should build both a healthy society and allow personal growth.
With so much information at our fingertips now, I have done a little research and learned something new.
Labor Day in the United States was started by the Central Labor Union in New York City, with labor leader Peter J. McGuire widely credited as a primary founder who proposed the concept. The first official U.S. Labor Day event took place on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. President Grover Cleveland signed a law on June 28, 1894, making the first Monday in September an official federal holiday.
Peter McGuire was born into a poor Irish Catholic family and raised in the Catholic faith. He quit school and went to work at 11 to support his family when his father went off to fight for the Union Army. In the 1870s he was deeply involved in the campaign for the eight-hour day.
The Church’s teaching on labor came to light first with Rerum novarum, an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891. It was an open letter passed to all Catholic bishops addressing the condition of the working class. It discusses the relationships and mutual duties between labor and capital, as well as between government and its citizens.
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Parish Life Weekend is next weekend!
When asked why the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal was necessary at its beginning, I remember Bishop Loverde saying that, in a perfect world, you wouldn’t have to ask. But people by nature simply don’t give spontaneously. We need to be given a particular time and place to make our commitments which we know are necessary, but too easy to put off.
Next weekend we observe the many opportunities offered by the parish for prayer, service, and financial support of the parish and ministries. It is an intentional time put on the calendar to help us remember our responsibility to each other and to our parish to serve and to give. Life gets busy and it’s too easy to forget. The following weekend September 19-20 is commitment Sunday when we ritualize our intentions by placing our commitment card in the offertory at Mass.
Whatever is possible in a parish commun-ity depends on the entire community, so I ask everyone to take part.
My brothers and I still do Sunday night Zoom calls (since the pandemic) and my younger brother Bob (ordained a priest last May) was telling us about his parish. His school has about 800 students, three classrooms per grade and a big preschool program. He said that Catholic education at their school costs about $9K per student. I asked him what they charge for tuition.
Nothing.
This is a rare glimpse of what is possible. How amazing that would be if we could provide Catholic education to everyone who seeks it! Members of his parish and school are all expected to tithe 8% of their income to the church/school and it pays all their salaries, bills, and expenses. As Catholics we don’t talk as much about tithing, but it is a traditional way of thinking about what we have. Rather than “how much do I have to give?” it asks the ques-tion, “how much do I have to keep?”
The Lord be with you,