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Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out
Monday, June 15, Silver Diner, Springfield Town Center, 5-8pm
present our flyer or mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
Starting June 3, let us pray the Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a parish. USCCB resources for the Novena are reprinted in this bulletin starting on page 8. This observance is in preparation for the consecration of our country to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus on June 11. The final prayers for June 10 will be in the bulletin next week.
Join us for our annual Eucharistic Procession on Corpus Christi Sunday, following the 5pm Mass next Sunday, June 7.
The last day for coffee and donuts before summer break is June 14. We will have donuts on May 24 even though it’s a three-day weekend. Mary’s Comfort will be the host. After Spanish Mass the last donuts before summer will be June 14. Coffee and donuts will resume September 13.
Please join us as we bid a fond farewell for Fr. Jeb as he embarks on his new assignment as Pastor of Saint Philip Church in Falls Church on Sunday, June 21 after the 11am Mass in the gym.
Then, join us as we welcome Fr. Daniel Rice to the parish on Sunday, June 28 after the 11am Mass in the gym.
Due to the very generous support of St. Bernadette Parishioners, our high schoolers have been able to raise 100% of the funds needed for them to attend Workcamp later this month. On behalf of our teens and adult volunteers, thank you for supporting our work of making homes warmer, safer, and dryer for our neighbors in need.
All rising 6th through graduated 12th graders are invited to our summer events for youth. See the bulletin or the parish website for complete information on middle school and high school summer events.
FAITH FORMATION
Living the Liturgical Year:
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi. It is a feast that celebrates the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. You can find information and activity suggestions about Corpus Christi & the Real Presence here: https://app.formed.org/app/videos/2431051. You can sign up for your parish subscription. Create an account by entering your email and looking for St. Bernadette Church, 7600 Old Keene Mill Rd., Springfield, VA.
Registration will open in June for next year. Continue your child's growth in the faith by signing them up for classes in 2026-27! Our class sessions will be on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and we will again offer our Special Religious Development class on Saturday mornings for students with special learning needs and our Family Faith Formation classes once a month on Sunday afternoons (for grades K-5) where parents take a larger role in their child's faith formation. Registration information will be in the parish bulletin, on the website, and will be sent via Flocknote to all currently registered children in the first week of June. Who should register? All currently registered students, including all Confirmation 2026, Confirmation 2027, and students preparing to receive First Eucharist next school year. Classes will begin on September 1 & 2. Questions about your child's registration? Call the Religious Education Office or contact the staff via email.
Volunteers for 2026-2027 ~ We are still in need for volunteers (assistant catechists, teen catechists, and hall monitors). If interested, please contact the Religious Education Office or fill out the Volunteer Form on the website http://stbernpar.org/religious-education-volunteers/.
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. No need to RSVP. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org.
Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, June 9 at 7pm 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.” All women of the parish are welcome!
YOUTH MINISTRY
High School
All Rising 9th - graduated 12th graders are invited!
* Daily Mass and Donuts - Every Tuesday from June 30 – August 11. 9-10:30am
* Escape Room: Saint Bernadette Edition - Thursday, July 16, 7-8:30pm, Youth Room
* King’s Dominion Day - Wednesday, July 29. $40. Beginning with the 9am daily Mass
* End of Summer Social - Wednesday, August 12, 7-8:30pm at the Rectory Patio
Rock climbing at Sport Rock - All 9-12th graders are invited to join us at Sport Rock for rock climbing on Sunday, June 14. The cost is $15. Contact Grace to register!
Associates of St. John Bosco College Night ~Tuesday, June 30 - 7pm at Holy Spirit
Calling all rising college freshmen! Join us for a College Night with the Associates of St. John Bosco. Meet other rising freshmen and upperclassmen who will be attending your school and learn how to strengthen your faith while in college! All St. B’s students will go get ice cream after the event is over! Registration is required. Contact Grace for more information!
Middle School Youth Ministry
All rising 6th - 8th graders are invited to our Summer Drop-Ins! Join us June 24, July 8, July 22, and August 5 for fun, games, friends, and of course, ice cream! We will meet from 6:45-8pm in the gym.
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
As the different chapters in our lives are written, I recognize one thing that is consistent for myself. I always feel at home at the altar. I am grateful to gather around your beautiful altar with you.
One of the first things I felt compelled to do when I came was to uncover that amazing altar. Someone told me I should write about this – that many of the newer members of the parish might not even know its significance. Ours is the altar at which Saint John Paul II presided on the National Mall in 1979 – it is a world treasure, a sacred relic. There is a little picture of that Mass on the south wall of the vestibule. Over time the green wood seems to have dried, and split, and twisted dramatically which, for me, makes it even more stunning. I imagine the real wood of the cross, which was the first altar. It is an honor for us to celebrate the Mass here.
Of course, the altar is only the starting point. It is the sacred portal where God’s eternal love and mercy takes concrete expression in time and space. It is here that the veil in the Holy of Holies is torn top to bottom, where God’s dwelling is open to all; he becomes present to us and we encounter him in his Mystery Presence in Christ. As people brought into one with him in baptism, we die with him daily until that day in which we shall rise to new life. In that space between the cross and the tomb we live, continuing the mission of the Father to bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and to those in sorrow, joy.
In this encounter with our loving God, we are left speechless. The love stretches from end to end, the thread that runs through all people who ever have or ever will live. Having been given the knowledge of that love we can do nothing but proclaim it through our actions, offering our life for the spread of this love. That communion of saints gathers at every Mass at every altar in one constant movement of call and
response, sacred conversation and ex-changing self in communion, singing with angels and belonging to that company of witnesses all present in this moment of eternity. The thread of love binds us with all who have gone before, and all who are yet to be born. We are one, and fully alive.
Translating this sacred banquet into every moment, every relationship we have, every place we go, is the work of disciples who go about seeking constant renewal. Every parish family follows this path described so often by Pope Francis, after the Tradition of the Second Vatican Council. We first must openly acknowledge, encounter each other in welcome and respect, without prejudice, with humility. Soon follows a dialogue of truth, an exchange of knowledge, freely offered and respectfully received. Once we learn of each other, we discover goodness, and relationship. Love is not a concept; it only exists in the fabric of a relationship that has been established and nurtured. Love cannot exist for its own sake, any more than service for serving itself. These can only be authentic if there is a person in relationship who is the object of that love. That person is God.
As God is a community of Persons, so we too, made in his image and likeness, must enter that relationship as a community of persons, each with our gifts and dreams which are our unique contribution to the Body of Christ. We journey together. For this reason, we do not exist for ourselves, but empty ourselves seeking radical trust in God, to speak only the words the Holy Spirit offers, words of unity and mercy.
Our sixth/seventh grade Confirmation teams work together as a group to accomplish three corporal and three spiritual works of mercy. After these are complete, we gather and discuss what happened. “Whom did you serve?” I ask. After listing all the names or groups of people, we find that, at the heart of the work, it is Jesus himself who is served. Then I ask, “Who was it that they encountered?” Realizing that it would not be our names or our personal details but rather our love that anyone would remember, we realize that it is Jesus who serves through us. Community, the Body of Christ, happens when Jesus serves, and Jesus is served.
Each one of us is called to a vital role; no one is left out of God’s plan. The full flourishing of a community working together using their gifts is a great expression of Jesus’ presence in the world. The Church doesn’t exist for herself, but rather that Jesus might be made present to heal the world. So may we be!
The Lord be with you,
9
Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out Kickoff
Thursday, June 4, Malek's Pizza Palace, 4-9pm, Mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
Starting June 3, let us pray the Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a parish. USCCB resources for the Novena are reprinted in this bulletin starting on page 8. This observance is in preparation for the consecration of our country to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus on June 11. The final prayers for June 10 will be in the bulletin next week.
Join us for our annual Eucharistic Procession on Corpus Christi Sunday, following the 5pm Mass next Sunday, June 7.
The last day for coffee and donuts before summer break is June 14. We will have donuts on May 24 even though it’s a three-day weekend. Mary’s Comfort will be the host. After Spanish Mass the last donuts before summer will be May 31 and
June 14. Coffee and donuts will resume September 13.
FAITH FORMATION
Living the Liturgical Year:
Happy Trinity Sunday! Trinity Sunday is the Sunday following Pentecost. We celebrate the Trinity: Three Persons, One God. What better way to celebrate, teach and enjoy the day by making Trinity Sundaes! Create your Trinity Sundaes by using Neapolitan ice cream: three flavors, one ice cream 😉 May 31 is also the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the day Mary had visited her cousin Elizabeth and the infant in her womb (St. John the Baptist) leaped for joy. And Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit cried out "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Registration will open in June for next year. Continue your child's growth in the faith by signing them up for classes in 2026-27! Our class sessions will be on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and we will again offer our Special Religious Development class on Saturday mornings for students with special learning needs and our Family Faith Formation classes once a month on Sunday afternoons (for grades K-5) where parents take a larger role in their child's faith formation. Registration information will be in the parish bulletin, on the website, and will be sent via Flocknote to all currently registered children in the first week of June. Who should register? All currently registered students, including all Confirmation 2026, Confirmation 2027, and students preparing to receive First Eucharist next school year. Classes will begin on September 1 & 2. Questions about your child's registration? Call the Religious Education Office or contact the staff via email.
Volunteers for 2026-2027 ~ We are still in need for volunteers (assistant catechists, teen catechists, and hall monitors). If interested, please contact the Religious Education Office or fill out the Volunteer Form on the website http://stbernpar.org/religious-education-volunteers/.
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. No need to RSVP. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org.
Tuesday, June 2 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 Rising 9th - graduated 12th graders are invited!
* Daily Mass and Donuts - Every Tuesday from June 30 – August 11. 9-10:30am
* Escape Room: Saint Bernadette Edition - Thursday, July 16, 7-8:30pm, Youth Room
* King’s Dominion Day - Wednesday, July 29. $40. Beginning with the 9am daily Mass
* End of Summer Social - Wednesday, August 12, 7-8:30pm at the Rectory Patio
Rock climbing at Sport Rock - All 9-12th graders are invited to join us at Sport Rock for rock climbing on Sunday, June 14. The cost is $15. Contact Grace to register!
Associates of St. John Bosco College Night ~Tuesday, June 30 - 7pm at Holy Spirit
Calling all rising college freshmen! Join us for a College Night with the Associates of St. John Bosco. Meet other rising freshmen and upperclassmen who will be attending your school and learn how to strengthen your faith while in college! All St. B’s students will go get ice cream after the event is over! Registration is required. Contact Grace for more information!
HS Girl’s Small Group
All high school girls are invited every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 7–8:30pm in the Youth Room for a night of fun games, fellowship, and small group discussions about the Faith. Our last meeting of the school year is May 28.
Middle School Youth Ministry
All rising 6th - 8th graders are invited to our Summer Drop-Ins! Join us June 24, July 8, July 22, and August 5 for fun, games, friends, and of course, ice cream! We will meet from 6:45-8pm in the gym.
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
Something remarkable happened last weekend, in case you hadn’t heard. My brother Bob is now Father Bob at 60 years of age. Of course, there were jokes going around about how three time’s (going to seminary) a charm, but I had a lot of time to reflect on Bob’s life and how selfless he has been. There were several opportunities for people to give witness to Bob’s goodness and humility all these years, never speaking about himself or his marvelous career. He faithfully laid priesthood aside until our parents were cared for and at rest. I wrote in his card that he has been a priest all these years and the sacrament finally caught up to him.
Isn’t that exactly what we have been talking about for weeks? The priesthood of the faithful – your priesthood – which gives credibility to the words of consecration. Not the consecration of bread and wine, or even of a priest, but the consecration you received at baptism. Set aside for a sacred purpose.
The other takeaway I got from this past weekend is how we really need to cele-brate each other more than we do. Here was a 60-year-old man who has had a full life of caring for people and being cared for, jumping some pretty high hurdles, incredibly successful, doing most things really well and with integrity. Person after person this weekend spoke about how Bob had touched their lives in really significant ways. It was truly a celebration. It occurred to me that we don’t get around to this kind of community sharing until the person we love has died.
I want to say today that the funeral is too late. We need to be consciously seeking ways to celebrate each other right now. It is in these moments that the glue of community solidifies. Memories are wonderful, even great, but they are in the
past and we need them now to strength-en and deepen our bonds in families and communities. What might be an action in the present moment must not be al-lowed to be reduced to sentimentality. God gives us these moments and, like the rest of his Word of revelation, we need to be paying attention.
What might those celebrations look like? When we were growing up, not a lot of emphasis was placed on birthdays. We would receive presents, and Mom always baked angel food cakes (the kind you blend by hand and cool upside down so they don’t sink). She was pretty impressive in this regard! But there was never a king-for-the-day feeling and certainly a day off school was not at all in the negotiation. (Actually, come to think of it, negotiation wasn’t actually a word when I was young.)
The kind of celebration I’m talking about, I guess, requires a certain amount of life lived, and lived in the context of others. Things remembered that we share in joy and sorrow, and those we can share them with. Bob’s celebration brought together our extended family, so many of his friends from college who came from all over the country, people he worked with all these years, people from his seminary experiences. This kind of context is vital to our identity and our sense of purpose. It is precisely this that Pope Leo and others are defending in the face of artificial intelligence that can’t possibly know who we are, as the product of so many relationships and experiences. There must be time for storytelling and refreshing memories. Rediscovering so many things that need to be rediscovered or risk being lost to future uncertainty. Aren’t these the things that anchor us and bring even more new opportunities?
Maybe those of us from the 60s and 70s should challenge the 80s/90s and early 2000s to themed celebrations that focus on this community and the world at the time? Celebrate where we’ve come from and consider how things might have been different? What have we allowed to slip away that we need to bring forward into the future? The faith250 program is hoping to do this in the context of our country’s 250th anniversary. I wonder what that might look like in the context of Saint Bernadette?
Where have we all come from, and where would we like to go together? What are tools we have learned along the way, and how can we look to each other to make the journey more meaningful, holy, and alive?
The Lord be with you,
Rise Against Hunger / Saint Bernadette Dining Nights Out Kickoff
Monday, May 25, McAlister’s Deli, 4-8pm, Mention Saint Bernadette when ordering!
Our second collection this weekend supports the annual Mission Cooperative Plan Appeal for our diocese. Our parish mission organization is Order of St. Augustine Vicariate of Tanzania, to help those who do not have access to basic pastoral and sacramental services as well as basic needs – like food, shelter, and healthcare. If donating by check, please make your check payable to our parish and put “MCP” in the memo line. You can strengthen the global Church! Please be generous.
Join us on Pentecost Sunday, May 24 for Solemn Vespers, following the 5pm Mass at 6:15pm. A most beautiful way to close the Easter Season celebrating the birthday of the Church.
Parish Offices will be closed Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day. NO 7am Mass today!
Save the date: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with Bishop Burbidge. Please plan to join church leaders and members from all over the MetroDC area as we come together to show unity in divided times! HERE at Saint Bernadette, Tuesday, May 26, 7pm followed by a reception. Invite your friends!
Please plan to join us as Concerts at Saint Bernadette presents a free event: Brazilian Music Immersion: “From the origins of Samba to Bossa Nova” with Dr. Luiz “Pepe” Barcellos, Friday, May 29 at 7:30pm. a light light reception follows.
FAITH FORMATION
Living the Liturgical Year:
Living the liturgical year Happy Pentecost Sunday! Did you know that Pentecost is called the birthday of the Church? It is the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, empowering them to begin the mission of spreading Jesus’ message to all nations. The Apostles preached the Gospel, and some 3,000 people were baptized on that day. One fun way to teach your children about Pentecost is to make straw and paper fire launchers. You can find instructions here: https://outuponthewaters.com/straw-and-paper-fire-launcher-pentecost-craft-for-kids/. And watch a video about Pentecost here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBLGM3K9yMw
Registration will open in June for next year. Continue your child's growth in the faith by signing them up for classes in 2026-27! Our class sessions will be on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and we will again offer our Special Religious Development class on Saturday mornings for students with special learning needs and our Family Faith Formation classes once a month on Sunday afternoons (for grades K-5) where parents take a larger role in their child's faith formation. Registration information will be in the parish bulletin, on the website, and will be sent via Flocknote to all currently registered children in the first week of June. Who should register? All currently registered students, including all Confirmation 2026, Confirmation 2027, and students preparing to receive First Eucharist next school year. Classes will begin on September 1 & 2. Questions about your child's registration? Call the Religious Education Office or contact the staff via email.
Volunteers for 2026-2027 ~ We are still in need for volunteers (assistant catechists, teen catechists, and hall monitors). If interested, please contact the Religious Education Office or fill out the Volunteer Form on the website http://stbernpar.org/religious-education-volunteers/.
Upcoming Religious Education Activities
SPRED Classes: May 30
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. No need to RSVP. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org.
Tuesday, June 2 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 Rising 9th - graduated 12th graders are invited!
* Daily Mass and Donuts - Every Tuesday from June 30 – August 11. 9-10:30am
* Escape Room: Saint Bernadette Edition - Thursday, July 16, 7-8:30pm, Youth Room
* King’s Dominion Day - Wednesday, July 29. $40. Beginning with the 9am daily Mass
* End of Summer Social - Wednesday, August 12, 7-8:30pm at the Rectory Patio
Rock climbing at Sport Rock - All 9-12th graders are invited to join us at Sport Rock for rock climbing on Sunday, June 14. The cost is $15. Contact Grace to register!
Associates of St. John Bosco College Night ~Tuesday, June 30 - 7pm at Holy Spirit
Calling all rising college freshmen! Join us for a College Night with the Associates of St. John Bosco. Meet other rising freshmen and upperclassmen who will be attending your school and learn how to strengthen your faith while in college! All St. B’s students will go get ice cream after the event is over! Registration is required. Contact Grace for more information!
HS Girl’s Small Group
All high school girls are invited every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 7–8:30pm in the Youth Room for a night of fun games, fellowship, and small group discussions about the Faith. Our last meeting of the school year is May 28.
Middle School Youth Ministry
All rising 6th - 8th graders are invited to our Summer Drop-Ins! Join us June 24, July 8, July 22, and August 5 for fun, games, friends, and of course, ice cream! We will meet from 6:45-8pm in the gym.
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
Be sure to carve out a little time from your schedule today to consider the significance of what we celebrate this Pentecost Sunday.
On our parish website, at the bottom of the front page, is a line I wrote when I first came to Saint Bernadette. It was something that came to me while I was praying in the church one day of Lent, I think. I wrote, “The Liturgy is the moment of the Cross and the empty tomb, when the public life of Jesus paused, and the public life of his believers began. In Liturgy our life becomes Christ, and we are sent from the altar to fulfill his works, a mission that he received from his Father and that we have inherited by his mercy.”
Today I add to it that the Holy Spirit is our connectedness to our inheritance, the bond of love that is the dynamic relationship of begetting and being begotten of the Father and Son, co-equal and consubstantial, which is poured into our hearts. The Son is “begotten, not made,” and we who were made, are begotten by the Spirit of God, our inheritance. As heirs, we are also responsible for mission, and that mission is not an individual calling. It is for a community.
The Apostles and disciples are together when this decisive change comes suddenly from heaven. The Promise is realized as human gathering anticipates and divine gift fulfills. John Paul II said that Pentecost is a communication of the very vitality of God who gives himself to men for continual sanctification.
In this way, the Spirit does something essential for the Church’s infancy: the witness of the Spirit of truth becomes “one with that of the Apostles,” fusing divine and human testimony into “one saving reality,” and from that one fusion flows the evangelization entrusted to the Church as her mission.
They left that upper room after locking themselves inside for nine days, not knowing what to do next, and went outside. They boldly told their story, and the story of Jesus and what happened to him, and who was responsible for doing it. What happens at Pentecost is not the practiced words of humans, nor is it a kind of prophecy that flows through them like an oracle. It is the marriage of the two, a synergy, a Word that reaches the heart of seekers and touches them in a way greater than knowledge or emotion. 3,000 were baptized that day.
The Holy Spirit is also the principle of unity and order in the Church. The Spirit “dwells in the Church and in the hearts of the faithful as in a temple,” prays and bears witness within them, guides the Church “into all the truth, unifies her in communion and ministry,” and provides “varied hierarchical and charismatic gifts” (John Paul II).
In our study of Divine Revelation, there are three sources, or “fonts,” of how God reveals himself to the world. Sacred Scripture takes first place. It is the Word of God, not in the sense of spiritual dictation, but how God moves the hearts of people to carry forward oral traditions, and later the inspiration and encounters God has with prophets and evangelists.
The Gospels are the most important scriptures, because they are the real-time accounts of God’s Word-made-flesh, Jesus Christ. As a complex human person, however he taught not only by words but also by actions and example. These constitute the second font of revelation called Tradition. Tradition includes communal life, worship, veneration of the Mother of God, and other aspects which happened but were not necessarily recorded in Scripture.
As the Church continues to be guided by the living Holy Spirit for continual sanctification, we value the teaching Magisterium of the Church to carry forward into different cultures and circumstances the perennial faith of the Church in a way that is faithful and true. We do not rely on our own opinions or judgments to guide the Church, because as we have seen in so many instances, often all we find is ever greater division.
For this unity we must pray—for a new Pentecost! Join the Church as we pray for Christian unity this Tuesday night with bishops and leaders, here at 7pm.
The Lord be with you,
PARISH EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS – 17 May 2026, The Ascension of the Lord, The Seventh Sunday of Easter
The St. Lucy Spring Food Drive is coming up! The St. Lucy Food Project collect and distribute food where it is most needed in the Diocese. Our St. Lucy Food Drive will be held on May 16 & 17 at all Masses. Please drop bags BEFORE Mass.
The Knights of Columbus will be collecting donations on the 16th and 17th of May in support of KOVAR - Virginians with Intellectual Disabilities, is a nonprofit organization founded by the Knights of Columbus with a mission to improve access to affordable housing, job training, sports participation, and personal care for Virginians with Intellectual Disabilities. More information can be found on https://www.kovarva.org/
Join thousands of organizations and millions of Good Neighbors as we serve together this May 16 for a historic day of love and service. Kindness is contagious! Small acts of kindness reduce depression, anxiety, loneliness, social isolation, cortisol levels, chronic inflammation, and mortality risk. While increasing happiness, health, resilience, optimism, longevity, human connection and a sense of significance.
Please join us in supporting the St. Lucy Food Drive beyond our parish boundaries! Invite friends, family and neighbors to donate non-perishable food to the drive on Saturday May 16 from 9am-1pm (in addition to our collection at Masses). SMALL ACTS. BIG IMPACT. FULL STOP. Good Neighbor Day America learn more here.
Join the Filipino Catholic Community, with the diocesan Multi-cultural Ministries Office, invites you to join in celebrating the Flores de Mayo here, on May 16. The evening begins with a rosary procession at 6pm and Mass at 7pm, followed by a reception in the gym. For more information please email amaremusicministry.flores@gmail.com.
Our monthly Ecumenical Prayer Service is this Monday, 18 May at 8pm in the Church. Please plan to join us, bring friend and experience and evening of prayer and song in the Taizé tradition.
Join us on Pentecost Sunday, May 24 for Solemn Vespers, following the 5pm Mass at 6:15pm. A most beautiful way to close the Easter Season celebrating the birthday of the Church.
Save the date: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with Bishop Burbidge. Please plan to join church leaders and members from all over the MetroDC area as we come together to show unity in divided times! HERE at Saint Bernadette, Tuesday, May 26, 7pm followed by a reception. Invite your friends!
Please plan to join us as Concerts at Saint Bernadette presents a free event: Brazilian Music Immersion: “From the origins of Samba to Bossa Nova” with Dr. Luiz “Pepe” Barcellos, Friday, May 29 at 7:30pm. a light light reception follows.
FAITH FORMATION
Living the Liturgical Year:
Happy Feast of the Ascension of our Lord! Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, forty days after Easter. It traditionally fell on Thursday, but the majority of U.S. dioceses have moved it to the 7th Sunday of Easter. Watch a video about the Ascension here: https://youtu.be/UcFw8pLBSIo?si=VklSCzaUNz6Nycm0. Suggestions for other activities are here: https://www.asceticlifeofmotherhood.com/blog/celebrateascension
Mark your calendars! The First Communion Mass will be held on Saturday, May 15 at 5pm or Sunday, May 16 at 9 am or 11 am.
Registration will open in June for next year. Continue your child's growth in the faith by signing them up for classes in 2026-27! Our class sessions will be on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and we will again offer our Special Religious Development class on Saturday mornings for students with special learning needs and our Family Faith Formation classes once a month on Sunday afternoons (for grades K-5) where parents take a larger role in their child's faith formation. Registration information will be in the parish bulletin, on the website, and will be sent via Flocknote to all currently registered children in the first week of June. Who should register? All currently registered students, including all Confirmation 2026, Confirmation 2027, and students preparing to receive First Eucharist next school year. Classes will begin on September 1 & 2. Questions about your child's registration? Call the Religious Education Office or contact the staff via email.
Volunteers for 2026-2027 ~ We are still in need for volunteers (assistant catechists, teen catechists, and hall monitors). If interested, please contact the Religious Education Office or fill out the Volunteer Form on the website http://stbernpar.org/religious-education-volunteers/.
Upcoming Religious Education Activities
SPRED Classes: May 30
First Holy Communion: May 16 at 5pm (RE), May 17 at 9am & 11am (RE)
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. No need to RSVP. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org.
Tuesday, May 19 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 attend our Thursday night small group sessions. Guys’ Small Groups will be on 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 7pm in the Youth Room. Girls’ Small Groups will be on 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 7pm in the Youth Room.
All adults of the parish are invited to consider volunteering for Workcamp. We can find a role for anyone willing to help. We are especially in need of contractors with skills in home repairs (no license necessary) and female crew leaders to serve alongside our teens during the week of Workcamp. Please contact our parish Stakeholder, Matthew Frey, for more information - matthew_c_frey@yahoo.com.
HS Girl’s Small Group
All high school girls are invited every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 7–8:30pm in the Youth Room for a night of fun games, fellowship, and small group discussions about the Faith. Our last meeting of the school year is May 28.
Middle School Youth Ministry
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm. Wednesday, May 20 will be our last gathering for this school year.
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
The Lord be with you,
The St. Lucy Spring Food Drive is coming up! The St. Lucy Food Project collect and distribute food where it is most needed in the Diocese. Our St. Lucy Food Drive will be held on May 16 & 17 at all Masses. Please drop bags BEFORE Mass. The blue bags and lists of needed items will be handed out this weekend of May 9 & 10.
The Knights of Columbus will be collecting donations on the 16th and 17th of May in support of KOVAR - Virginians with Intellectual Disabilities, is a nonprofit organization founded by the Knights of Columbus with a mission to improve access to affordable housing, job training, sports participation, and personal care for Virginians with Intellectual Disabilities. More information can be found on https://www.kovarva.org/
Join thousands of organizations and millions of Good Neighbors as we serve together this May 16 for a historic day of love and service. Kindness is contagious! Small acts of kindness reduce depression, anxiety, loneliness, social isolation, cortisol levels, chronic inflammation, and mortality risk. While increasing happiness, health, resilience, optimism, longevity, human connection and a sense of significance.
Please join us in supporting the St. Lucy Food Drive beyond our parish boundaries! Invite friends, family and neighbors to donate non-perishable food to the drive on Saturday May 16 from 9am-1pm (in addition to our collection at Masses). SMALL ACTS. BIG IMPACT. FULL STOP. Good Neighbor Day America learn more here.
Join the Filipino Catholic Community, with the diocesan Multi-cultural Ministries Office, invites you to join in celebrating the Flores de Mayo here, on May 16. The evening begins with a rosary procession at 6pm and Mass at 7pm, followed by a reception in the gym. For more information please email amaremusicministry.flores@gmail.com.
Join us on Pentecost Sunday, May 24 for Solemn Vespers, following the 5pm Mass at 6:15pm. A most beautiful way to close the Easter Season celebrating the birthday of the Church.
Save the date: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with Bishop Burbidge. Please plan to join church leaders and members from all over the MetroDC area as we come together to show unity in divided times! HERE at Saint Bernadette, Tuesday, May 26, 7pm followed by a reception. Invite your friends!
Please plan to join us as Concerts at Saint Bernadette presents a free event: Brazilian Music Immersion: “From the origins of Samba to Bossa Nova” with Dr. Luiz “Pepe” Barcellos, Friday, May 29 at 7:30pm. a light light reception follows.
FAITH FORMATION
Living the Liturgical Year:
Happy 6th week of Easter! On May 14, we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Matthias the Apostle. He was a disciple who replaced Judas. He was with Jesus from the very beginning of his ministry when he was baptized by John until Jesus’ ascension. He preached the Gospel and helped build the early Church. He is honored for his faithfulness and mission. You and your children can learn more about St. Mattias here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7l67iWOaiM
Mark your calendars! The First Communion Mass will be held on Saturday, May 15 at 5pm or Sunday, May 16 at 9 am or 11 am.
Registration will open in June for next year. Continue your child's growth in the faith by signing them up for classes in 2026-27! Our class sessions will be on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and we will again offer our Special Religious Development class on Saturday mornings for students with special learning needs and our Family Faith Formation classes once a month on Sunday afternoons (for grades K-5) where parents take a larger role in their child's faith formation. Registration information will be in the parish bulletin, on the website, and will be sent via Flocknote to all currently registered children in the first week of June. Who should register? All currently registered students, including all Confirmation 2026, Confirmation 2027, and students preparing to receive First Eucharist next school year. Classes will begin on September 1 & 2. Questions about your child's registration? Call the Religious Education Office or contact the staff via email.
Volunteers for 2026-2027 ~ We are still in need for volunteers (assistant catechists, teen catechists, and hall monitors). If interested, please contact the Religious Education Office or fill out the Volunteer Form on the website http://stbernpar.org/religious-education-volunteers/.
Upcoming Religious Education Activities
Regular classes: May 12-13
SPRED Classes: May 30
First Holy Communion: May 16 at 5pm (RE), May 17 at 9am & 11am (RE)
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Come and enjoy warm fellowship and great food. No need to RSVP. For more information, please email us at women@stbernpar.org.
Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, May 12 at 7pm in the Bradican Room. Bring a picture of yourself as a young child. We will enjoy walking down memory lane sharing our special childhood memories.
Tuesday, May 19 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 attend our Thursday night small group sessions. Guys’ Small Groups will be on 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 7pm in the Youth Room. Girls’ Small Groups will be on 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 7pm in the Youth Room.
All adults of the parish are invited to consider volunteering for Workcamp. We can find a role for anyone willing to help. We are especially in need of contractors with skills in home repairs (no license necessary) and female crew leaders to serve alongside our teens during the week of Workcamp. Please contact our parish Stakeholder, Matthew Frey, for more information - matthew_c_frey@yahoo.com.
HS Girl’s Small Group
All high school girls are invited every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 7–8:30pm in the Youth Room for a night of fun games, fellowship, and small group discussions about the Faith. Our last two meetings of the school year are May 14 and May 28.
Middle School Youth Ministry
All 6th-8th graders are invited for games, snacks, and fun every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month! Meet in the school gym from 6:45-8pm. Wednesday, May 20 will be our last gathering for this school year.
To learn more about our middle and high school ministries,
please contact Grace Mee, gmee@stbernpar.org
Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
The apostles laid hands on believers while in Samaria to receive the Holy Spirit, on individuals to appoint or consecrate them for specific ministry roles, such as the setting apart of the seven deacons for service to the community and the commissioning of missionaries.
In Greek, this laying on of hands is called epiclesis, or the invocation of the Holy Spirit to sanctify, or consecrate. This laying on of hands is used in the:
• prayer over the waters used for ritual Baptism;
• prayer over the holy oil, chrism, which carries the Holy Spirit – as well as hands laid on each, or over all, for Confirmation and Holy Orders;
• prayer over the gifts in eucharistic prayers, - “make holy, therefore, these gifts, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
• prayer of absolution in Reconciliation: “He has poured out his Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins: through the ministry of the Church may God grant you pardon and peace…;”
• Marriage nuptial blessing – the miracle of two becoming one;
• prayer at the ordination, laying on of hands and oil for priests and deacons.
Jesus instructed believers to lay hands on the sick to initiate recovery, and a command followed by Paul and others (Acts 28:8, Mark 16:18) who used this act to set people apart for missionary work.
Consecration means to set aside someone or something for a sacred duty. It is more than just a blessing like we might bless rosaries, but similar – you bless a rosary and it is set aside for prayer, not to be worn as jewelry. Or the altar. Once consecrated, it is to be used only for the holy work of sanctifying.
Objects, places, or people are made holy, sanctified, or set apart for a sacred purpose through a solemn religious rite. It implies dedication to God or a divine purpose, can involve vows or blessing. It means being separated from common, secular use to a dedicated, sacred function.
You are already consecrated by baptism.
Last week we heard in Peter’s first letter: “Beloved: Come to him, [you,] a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
To be set aside for priesthood. The priesthood of the faithful. Through Baptism, YOU share Christ’s priesthood and become a “holy priesthood.” YOU offer spiritual sacrifices by living faith, hope, and charity, participating actively in the Church’s liturgy, and serving according to YOUR vocation in Christ’s mission as priest, prophet, and king in witness of holy lives and practical charity.
It is a poverty of understanding that would delegate the priesthood only to priests and deacons. You live out the baptismal priesthood you received—not by replacing ordained ministry, but by participating in Christ’s mission in your own vocation and place in the world.
• PRIEST: by fully participating in the Mass, offering yourself with the gifts of bread and wine, by making of your whole life an offering of thanks to God;
• PROPHET: confessing, adhering to faith, deepening it, bearing witness to the world. Preaching the Gospel in your actions, even without words;
• KING: the greatest among you must become the servant of all, building the kingdom of truth and life, holiness and grace, justice, love and peace.
St. Peter continues: For it says in Scripture: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame. Therefore, its value is clear for you who have faith, but for those without faith: The stone that the builders rejected, Jesus, has become the cornerstone, a stone that will make some people stumble... by disobeying the word, or by their indifference.
NO. WE are a chosen race, a royal priest-hood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that we may announce the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.
The Lord be with you,