Latest Announcements
Please subscribe to receive email notifications of announcements and other parish events. Already subscribed or using a mobile device? For best results, scroll to the bottom of the page and exit the mobile version.
Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out
Monday, 5 November 2026, Malek's Pizza Palace
present our flyer or mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
ANNOUNCEMENTS for the 31st Week in Ordinary Time
During the visit of Saint Bernadette’s Relics November 5-6, there will be NO 9am Mass on Friday morning. Please see page 8 in this weekend's bulletin for the full schedule. Parish Ministry Volunteers are needed, please check out our parish website or signup here for opportunities to welcome our Patroness, Saint Bernadette.
The annual ECHO yard sale is this Saturday, October 31st, from 8 am to noon in the school gym. Proceeds will help local residents experiencing an emergency and those with long-term low-income needs.
The Knights of Columbus are asking for your support in filling a Box of Joy with presents like small toys, toiletries, and more for children in need. Boxes will be collected for delivery on the weekend of November 7 and 8.
All Saints Day falls on Sunday, November 1st this year, therefore we will follow the regular Saturday and Sunday Mass schedule. The All Souls’ Day Mass schedule for Monday, November 2nd will be 7am, 9am, Noon and 7:30pm (bilingual) for all our deceased. Remembrance envelopes, in which you may include the names of your deceased family or friends, are in the vestibule of the church and parish office. Please return them by October 30.
This weekend we will continue our Work of Mercy Fundraising efforts by raffling a chance to win Fr. Don’s beautiful, framed prints; This years’ prints are of Mdina, Malta and Orvieto, Italy. Raffle tickets begin at $ 10 each and are available after all Masses. Tickets are sold separately for each print. All proceeds will support Rise Against Hunger.
Help us share the warmth this season! We are collecting new winter coats to support children at North Springfield elementary school. They are requesting 50 coats for children in all grades. Please consider a winter coat for a child in need, an Amazon Wish list has been created: “Winter Coats”. For your convenience you may use the Tap to Give plate on the back of the pew to check out our published list or check out the list here. Thank you for supporting our local Work of Mercy.
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.
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.
Happy 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time! This Sunday, we celebrate All Saint's Day! It is a solemn Christian feast dedicated to celebrating the lives and examples of all saints. "Saints” refers to people who lived lives of exceptional holiness and are believed to be in heaven. As Catholics, we are called to be Saints. You can find suggestions to celebrate All Saints Day here: https://www.catholicicing.com/saint-post-directory/
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
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org
Tuesday, November 3 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.
Our next monthly meeting will be on November 10 at 7pm in the Bradican Room. We will be assembling the gift labels for the parish annual Giving Tree as well as addressing Christmas cards for seminarians and other religious. It’s a great way to start getting into that holiday spirit!
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 us this Monday, November 2nd for Daily Mass and Donuts from 9-10:30am. All high schoolers are invited to spend their day off with us, beginning with 9 am Mass, followed by donuts and games in the Youth Room.
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
5ed
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
This week I found myself having to defend myself to a friend who invited me for a coffee two months ago and that I didn’t respond. Well, I responded, but my response was that I would let him know when that might be. I never did.
Then I began to think. Do you realize all we have done in the past two months? And what is yet to come? Sometimes it is good to pause, take a breath and see how far we have come.
With the beginning of school the middle of August there was a lot as last-minute preparations had to be completed, a lot of back-to-school events, and the parish ministry year’s first gatherings in all areas of parish life came back to full speed. It was that week that I read something about the relics of Saint Bernadette coming to the USA and I called right away and got on the list. We have been preparing all this time.
Interviews of confirmation teams completing their preparation for the sacrament last weekend were happening, and I was meeting all the applicants for our OCIA program, so many good people who are looking for more in their faith and community. I was a week in Wyoming meeting donors for our non-profit Holy Land Christians Society. The middle school lockers were still not here.
The first full week in October, after our Lord of the Miracles festival I was in Birmingham at the Christian Churches Together Forum. There were a lot of meetings on the search committee for the new CEO of Catholic Charities and design development meetings about our new Parish Life Center.
We are now in the midst of one big week after another. After the parish picnic (about 3K people came, I estimate), Confirmation was celebrated last Saturday. Now the diocesan Catholic schools accreditation team is here this week, after our faculty and staff completed a year of preparation.
Then next week, of course, we are the Virginia stop on the national tour of the relics of Saint Bernadette (who even knows how many pilgrims might come?), and the week after that is the meal packing event Rise Against Hunger for three days. The next week Rick and I will be attending the National Workshop on Christian Unity in Chicago. It has been crazy.
If you have contacted me and I haven’t replied please know it hasn’t been intentional. I’d like to say that things after Thanksgiving will be a little slower but, right, that will be Advent! Let’s just say “Happy Easter” now!
___________
We mentioned that Bishop Burbidge asked everyone to fast and pray during October for the election this week. This is so you can clear your minds and put God back into the confusing moments of our todays. I would ask everyone to do two things. As we spoke about conscience formation and Catholic Church teachings, about the reverence we must have for all lives whose dignity is rooted in the image and likeness of God, I hope you have had the chance to really take some peaceful time and pray, and think this through, and then VOTE! Americans all have a right to vote and to a free and fair election and I pray that there isn’t a lot of drama and efforts to do damage to the process.
I was disheartened to see the alleged mani-pulation of our 12 arch/bishops and the photo taken in the oval office. I can’t understand what they were doing there anyway, arranged for a photo whose likeness to the Last Supper was not lost on me. The timing is just too curious right before elections and most bishops have rightly claimed that what happened is wrong, this administration trying to look like (even claiming that) they have the Catholic Church in their back pockets. Try to free yourselves from the blindness of party politics, and just vote for what you believe to be right, not wrong. There is so much deception in the world right now that it is often difficult to discern what is even true. The remedy to finding the truth isn’t fighting, it is prayer asking God to show us the path.
Finally, do what I’ve been trying to do. These fall days have been so beautiful. It is okay to get lost in this beauty that God has given to us. Go for a short walk and allow yourself a clear head and a blameless heart. Imagine God there with you (he is) and listen for his Word in the whisper of blowing leaves. His voice isn’t in the ugliness we hear in the news, it isn’t in all the sadness and suffering we see; it is in the response we notice in our hearts to do something to help those who are sad and suffering. We’re on the right path when we are so busy we don’t know how we will get from this week to next. With God, we do.
The Lord be with you,
Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out
Monday, 26 October 2026, McAlister's Deli, Rolling Rd
present our flyer or mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
ANNOUNCEMENTS for the 30th 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
During the visit of Saint Bernadette’s Relics November 5-6, there will be NO 9am Mass on Friday morning. Please see page 8 in this weekend's bulletin for the full schedule.
The annual ECHO yard sale is this Saturday, October 31st, from 8 am to noon in the school gym. Proceeds will help local residents experiencing an emergency and those with long-term low-income needs.
The Knights of Columbus are asking for your support in filling a Box of Joy with presents like small toys, toiletries, and more for children in need. Boxes will be distributed after Mass this weekend and collected for delivery on the weekend of November 7 and 8.
All Saints Day falls on Sunday, November 1st this year, therefore we will follow the regular Saturday and Sunday Mass schedule. The All Souls’ Day Mass schedule for Monday, November 2nd will be 7am, 9am, Noon and 7:30pm (bilingual) for all our deceased. Remembrance envelopes, in which you may include the names of your deceased family or friends, are in the vestibule of the church and parish office. Please return them by October 30.
This weekend and next, we will continue our Work of Mercy Fundraising efforts by raffling a chance to win Fr. Don’s beautiful, framed prints; This years’ prints are of Mdina, Malta and Orvieto, Italy. Raffle tickets begin at $ 10 each and are available after all Masses. Tickets are sold separately for each print. All proceeds will support Rise Against Hunger.
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.
Happy 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time! On October 28, we celebrate the Feast Day of Saints Simon and Jude. They were Apostles of Christ who had taken on the mission he entrusted to his followers to spread the Gospel (“Good News”). Tradition tells us that they preached in the Middle East and parts of North Africa. You can find suggestions how to celebrate their feast day here: https://catholicprintableclub.com/blogs/october-feast-days/how-to-celebrate-the-feast-of-sts-simon-and-jude-october-28.
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. 27/28
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, November 3 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.
Our next monthly meeting will be at a NEW TIME on Sunday, October 25, 2:30pm in the Bradican Room. Noted local author Melanie Rigney will be our guest speaker. Melanie has published several books about lives of the saints. Her topic will be ‘Your Life With the Saints…and How to be One.” Free autographed book for first 30 attendees! ALL WOMEN OF THE PARISH ARE WELCOME
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,
We are in a very good time in the life of our parish.
I want to first express my thanks to all of you who worked so hard once again to bring our parish picnic to life, with such organization and kindness. Thanks to Rick, certainly, and all those who led teams of volunteers for an event perfectly fit for the beautiful day it suddenly became about the time the picnic began. We wondered about the weather, for sure, it was cold and windy, some rain, and suddenly the sun came out and the sky was, once again, what I like to call “picnic blue.”
It gave me a deep joy and sense of satisfaction, not because I did anything to make it happen, but because I witnessed what real community can be. It is rare in this world - maybe it always has been, but there are these moments when suddenly the sun comes out and the world seems new, and fresh, filled with all these good people who are enjoying the food they brought to share and each others’ company. Thank you for my sense of gratitude.
I hope you never think your presence in the parish isn’t significant or deeply appreciated, especially at Mass. We mean it when we read “we aren’t complete without each and every one of you.” Often our Protestant brothers and sisters might be surprised by that statement because they might have been led to believe that we are exclusive of them. Of course, we aren’t, but there are some things that we can only share when our unity is complete and honest. But being incomplete without them isn’t something many Catholics consider, either. It matters that you are here.
That is what makes last Saturday so remarkable. The communion that we discover on Sundays (even if only out of obligation) becomes more beautiful when you see so many people choose to come together to enjoy our community on a Saturday afternoon. It (as always) was a perfect day. We have photos of the picnic in this bulletin on pages 12-15.
_______________
This is a busy time for everyone here at the parish office. If you are contacting us and don’t get an immediate response, please be patient. Having finished the picnic, we now turn to the visit of the relics of Saint Bernadette and Rise Against Hunger.
We need your help! With regard to the relics, if you can volunteer, go to the ministry section in our recently-published Parish Renewal Handbook, Ministry Catalogue and Annual Report and find the contacts for each of the five ministry group leaders, who are also members of our Parish Advisory Board. They are helping to organize the many aspects of this relic visit. We have heard from people as far away as South Carolina and really have no idea whether we will welcome 2,000 or 10,000 pilgrims. There will be a lot of crowd control, parking lot direction, and greeters who can help people to know the campus.
The schedule is full. The relics arrive at 3pm on Thursday November 5, and veneration of the relics will follow. People will not be allowed to touch the reliquary, but will pass by in front in silent veneration. You might bow, or make the sign of the cross with the water from Lourdes which will be on a table within reach along with some stones from the grotto that you may touch. We are printing commemorative holy cards for the occasion.
Mass will take place at 6:30pm in the church. We will be prepared to livestream the Mass on the two new screens for an overflow crowd in the gym. Eucharistic ministers -- we may need to call on all of you!
At the close of Mass we will announce that anyone who does not intend to stay for the procession or later should leave, as the lane in front of the church past the grotto and up to the gym will be closed. Our candlelight rosary procession will follow that path then from the gym back to the church. Veneration will follow (as before) until 10pm Thursday.
The relics will NOT be present at the 7am Mass, and the 9am Mass on that Friday is canceled. The church reopens again at 1pm for a public Mass, and veneration of the relics will continue until the farewell at 3pm.
As you can see, there are many moving parts and we will need a lot of help with setting up, overseeing the events, and helping clean up after. As I said, we can’t predict what this looks like, but I’m sure it will be a beautiful time for our parish family to celebrate the visit of our patron saint. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us! Saint Bernadette, pray for us!
The Lord be with you,
2:
Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out
Tuesday, 20 October 2026, Milano's Family Restaurant, Commerce Street
present our flyer or mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
ANNOUNCEMENTS for the 28th 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
Join us for our monthly (third Monday) Taizé Prayer Service on Monday night, October 19, 8 - 8:45pm. Come for a peaceful moment of simple song and silence and pray for Christian Unity.
The annual ECHO yard sale is next Saturday, October 31st, from 8 am to noon in the school gym. Proceeds will help local residents experiencing an emergency and those with long-term low-income needs.
The Knights of Columbus are asking for your support in filling a Box of Joy with presents like small toys, toiletries, and more for children in need. Boxes will be distributed after Mass next weekend and collected for delivery on the weekend of November 7 and 8.
All Saints Day falls on Sunday, November 1st this year, therefore we will follow the regular Saturday and Sunday Mass schedule. The All Souls’ Day Mass schedule for Monday, November 2nd will be 7am, 9am, Noon and 7:30pm (bilingual) for all our deceased. Remembrance envelopes, in which you may include the names of your deceased family or friends, are in the vestibule of the church and parish office. Please return them by October 30.
Next weekend, we will continue our Work of Mercy Fundraising efforts by raffling a chance to win Fr. Don’s beautiful, framed prints; This years’ prints are of Mdina, Malta and Orvieto, Italy. Raffle tickets begin at $ 10 each and are available after all Masses. Tickets are sold separately for each print. All proceeds will support Rise Against Hunger.
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.
On October 22, we celebrate the Feast Day of Pope St. John Paul II. He had a global legacy that revitalized the papacy, influence in world politics, and renewed the emphasis on human dignity. He loved youth ministry and founded World Youth Day. Learn more about him from this video released before his canonization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9lYvkmY874. Did you know that we have a 2nd class relic used by Pope St. John Paull II? Our church altar was used by him when he celebrated the Mass on the National Mall in October 1979.
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. 20/21, 27/28
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 20 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.
Our next monthly meeting will be at a NEW TIME on Sunday, October 25, 2:30pm in the Bradican Room. Noted local author Melanie Rigney will be our guest speaker. Melanie has published several books about lives of the saints. Her topic will be ‘Your Life With the Saints…and How to be One.” Free autographed book for first 30 attendees! ALL WOMEN OF THE PARISH ARE WELCOME
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,
Finally, the Church is always attentive to what is taking place and developing in society (cf. GS, 44). It is the task of the whole People of God, especially pastors and theologians, to discern what in the cultures of our time is worthy of consideration, always taking the Word of God and the Tradition of the Church as the supreme criteria for discernment. This requires a balanced mind, free from cultural trends, capable of viewing the world in a positive light while remaining steadfast in preserving and presenting the Gospel message in its entirety. Indeed, ‘it is certainly not by watering down the content or softening the demands that Christianity can be made attractive.’”
These are words quoted from Pope Leo’s General Audience at Saint Peter’s last week (the full text is here on pages 10-11).
Last week at the Christian Churches Together annual forum I found myself asking the plenary how it is, if we are Christian Churches Together, that we are not making any sort of statements in response to the events of our modern day. Even in our neighborhoods where we are Christian churches together, we are not as a group proclaiming the Gospel, as Gaudium et spes says, discerning what in the cultures of our time is worthy of consideration through the lens of the Gospel and sacred Tradition free from cultural trends.
This is where we have failed, I think. We seem to be unable to free ourselves from thinking about truth without thinking like the world. It is the mind of Christ we must focus on, not politics. As soon as someone accuses another of being political (“weaponizing religion”) communication shuts down.
We have to begin, as Catholic Social Teaching always does, with the dignity of the human person. A person’s dignity is not lost if they find themselves away from home, or having committed a crime, or not living up to the expectations of other human persons. All are equal in dignity -- not because we/they have done anything to deserve it, but simply because we/they are created in the image and likeness of God. That likeness demands our reverence, as repugnant as their acts might be.
My mom used to say that Jesus never said you had to like everyone; he said that you have to love them.
That said, behavior can have consequences. Rights come with corresponding duties. A community can determine which of those rights might be withheld from bad actors, as long as those rights withheld do not deny their dignity as human persons.
Having just come from Birmingham, I witnessed the fallout of a big chunk of our history where human and civil rights were denied for no reason at all except for the fact that one human being decided that another human being was somehow deficient or unworthy of the treatment they themselves enjoyed.
I asked the plenary gathering at CCT if it would be possible for us to take a high ground without personally judging others by simply saying that what we are seeing now is not OK. The treatment, terror, and violent deportation of immigrants to places unknown in our country is not OK. These wars that dictators in our world are sparking for the sake of their own power and control is not OK. Our modern times have proven that one doesn’t need to conquer anymore: just disable a country and make them dependent. It is not OK to kill even an inmate whose crimes might be seen as worthy of death. That inmate still has dignity, and perhaps still a lifetime to actually find conversion of heart. When Benjamin Franklin started the penitentiary system (notice the word penitence in penitentiary) he belived that doing time could bring about contrition, forgiveness, and rehabilitation of a person who otherwise might be thrown away.
We have been hearing some really good messages from Pope Leo. Last week he declared the death penalty inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2267). He made clear that justice doesn’t require it. The common good can be protected, he said, and the demands of justice can be met without capital punishment. Modern prisons protect citizens without completely taking away the possibility of redemption from those who are guilty.
The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called the livestream plan of an upcoming execution a barbaric promotion of a culture of death. Soldiers are already seeking religious exemptions so they won’t be forced onto a firing squad, in case this becomes a new norm from the dark ages.
Evil is in the world, and we must resist it. But beware of whom it can make you become in the process. Look to Christ, be well.
The Lord be with you,
2:
Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out
Tuesday, 20 October 2026, Milano's Family Restaurant, Commerce Street
present our flyer or mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
ANNOUNCEMENTS for the 28th 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.
Please join us for our Anniversary Mass for the Dedication of our Church on Wednesday, October 14 at 7pm in the Church. Light reception to follow.
All are invited to our Saint Bernadette Parish Picnic on Saturday, October 17th, from 1-5 pm. There will be great music, food, and games for the whole family, see today's bulletin to see what food you should bring. Volunteers are also needed!
All Saints Day falls on Sunday, November 1st this year, therefore we will follow the regular Saturday and Sunday Mass schedule. The All Souls’ Day Mass schedule for Monday, November 2nd will be 7am, 9am, Noon and 7:30pm (bilingual) for all our deceased. Remembrance envelopes, in which you may include the names of your deceased family or friends, are in the vestibule of the church and parish office. Please return them by October 30
Join us for our monthly (third Monday) Taize Prayer Service on Monday night, October 19, 8 - 8:45pm. Come for a peaceful moment of simple song and silence and pray for Christian Unity.
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.
On October 15, we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Teresa of Jesus otherwise known as St. Teresa of Avila. She is a Doctor of the Church and founder of the discalced Carmelites. Discalced means “without shoes,” but it has a greater meaning. They dedicated themselves to a life of prayer. She described the soul as an interior castle made of crystal with God in the center. You can find an Interior Castle craft for St. Teresa of Avila here: https://www.elevatortoheaven.com/teresa-of-avila-craft/
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. 20/21, 27/28
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 20 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.
Our next monthly meeting will be at a NEW TIME on Sunday, October 25, 2:30pm in the Bradican Room. Noted local author Melanie Rigney will be our guest speaker. Melanie has published several books about lives of the saints. Her topic will be ‘Your Life With the Saints…and How to be One.” Free autographed book for first 30 attendees! ALL WOMEN OF THE PARISH ARE WELCOME
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,
I’m writing this letter on Tuesday morning in the middle of this year’s annual forum of Christian Churches Together in Birmingham. CCT is a relatively new ecumenical annual, national gathering of churches who enter into a particular dialogue topic each year. This year, the topic is how we begin the process of deep healing of the deep divisions which wound our world, our country, and our church families.
CCT was actually begun 20 years ago when it was noted that there were families of Christianity that were not intentionally participating in active dialogue because, for whatever reason, they didn’t feel like they were being heard. I must admit that, when all the churches are considered individually, the Catholic Church is overwhelmingly large. CCT is a consortium of five Christian families which makes the sizes more equal: Roman Catholics, Mainline Protestants, Orthodox, Historic Black Protestants, and
Evangelicals/Pentecostals. This is the first group with which such a dialogue has intentionally involved all five of these “families” and given them equal voice.
Each day a different family leads prayer. For some of us the kind of free-flowing prayer of Evangelicals and Pentecostals can seem a bit uneasy. This is one of the benefits of this gathering: we stretch, we come to understand each other more.
CCT is based on a particular kind of ecumenical dialogue (between baptized peoples) called Receptive Ecumenism. Receptive, because the emphasis is on listening and receiving what the other has to say with respect and reflection. Often it results in undoing old presuppositions of each other and misunderstandings. We live in a world that is a lot of talk and not a lot of listening.
I am excited about the prospects of our con-versation this week. Our emphasis is going to focus on prayer, and in particular the way we pray together as unique families. I have adapted the USCCB prayer service for immigrants, enslaved persons, and refugees which we did at Saint Bernadette in early September for the Cathedral of Saint Paul tonight here in Birmingham. I’m going to talk the uniquely Catholic and mostly misunderstood practices of prayer asking Mary and the saints to intercede for us, and the difference between veneration and worship. When we place flowers before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe it is because we honor her, not worship her. We thank her for her patronage of the Americas, and entrust to her all the people who are suffering and at risk today in our continents.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Next weekend is our parish picnic! Like other years, it is a celebration of our parish family life filled with entertainment, games, activities and good food. Please remember that everyone is asked to bring a side dish according to your last name alphabetically - whether that be a side salad or vegetables, fruit, desserts, or snacks. Look for the pages later in this bulletin for reference. We ask that snacks be nonperishable, because whatever is left over we will give to ECHO.
The picnic is just the beginning! Look forward to our church dedication’s anniversary Mass, the visit of the relics of Saint Bernadette the first week of November, and the amazing Rise Against Hunger project the week following that. It is a busy time!
If you recall, the Rise Against Hunger project we were able to accomplish last year provided 175,000 meals for children in East Timor, an island north of the Philippines. Rise Against Hunger sends these nutritious meals to schools in the poorest parts of the world where children actually come to school because they know they will have a meal to eat -- and receive an education, too. We don’t really have any concept of this kind of poverty, and yet hundreds of millions of our brothers and sisters across the world don’t know anything else. Please be generous in helping us buy the ingredients, and when sign-up opens for volunteers, be sure to join us!
The Lord be with you,
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,