I'm sure you have noticed that the installation of the drainage system for our church parking lot has begun. Most of the work has taken place in the area around  where the outside  Stations of the Cross are located. Below are pictures of some of the work that has been done in that area.

The Ladies fellowship Annual Spring Coffee Hour was held this morning, June 12, 2010 at Saint Paul's Father Rausch Hall. The fellowship was well attended by the Ladies of the Community and we shared a delicious continental breakfast.
Among the breakfast treats there was an array of tasty Breads, Coffee Cakes, and Fruits. All prepared by the loving hands of our Parish Ladies. We also enjoyed some added treats which were sinfully delightful, since they were drizzled in "Chocolate".

Our Guest Speaker was Mrs. Charlene Caramore and the theme was " Taste and See".  Mrs. Caramore walked us through the process of how chocolate is processed and what ingredients to add to fully develop its velvety smoothness. She said "We too can become as sweet an delightful as a piece of "Chocolate" if we get rid of our bitterness or "stony hearts" and Follow Jesus especially if we do it together with our Sisters and Brothers in Christ.
 

Wednesday morning, June 2nd was the day that the Hancock Community Education Foundation graduated the Preschool Class of 2010. The youngsters practiced the program the day before, but performing in front of an audience proved to be a little intimidating. A lot of the distraction came from the youngsters waving to their family and friends that they spotted in the audience. That's  not really a distraction, it's just being friendly.

A slide show of all the activities the youngsters have been involved in over the past year was enjoyed by the everyone. Refreshments topped off the morning before the children were turned over to their parents for a long summer recess. 

On Friday May 28th, 35 people boarded the bus from St. Paul's parking lot to attend a Wilkes-Barre Yankees game in Scranton. The weather was hot, but the rain held off and the fireworks display was just as exciting as the game, especially since the Yankees  won. Everyone must have gotten so involved in what was going on around them that they forgot to take pictures, even though there must have been more than one camera in the group. The pictures that Danielle took is the only ones I have been able to get so far.

A special thanks go to Carol Lohndorf for procuring the refreshments that were consumed on the trip, as well as making all the sandwiches. Last year the kids devoured all the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the adults ate the ham & cheese, and roast beef. This year Carol made extra P&J sandwiches, but the kids wanted something else. What a difference a year makes in eating habits or was it because they just got older by a year?

Bishop Howard Hubbard traveled to Hancock on Thursday, May 20th to Confirm 5 young adults from St. Paul's and 7 from the Family Foundation School. Confirmed from St. Paul's were: Kelia Octavian Mason, Shannon Valentine Miller, Shane Patrick O'Brien, Gary Joseph Resti III and Anthony Anthony Seely. A reception was held in the Father Rausch Hall following the Confirmation Mass, providing an opportunity for pictures to be taken with Bishop Hubbard.

A procession and the Crowning of Mary took place at the 9 AM Mass on Sunday, May 16th. The month of May is designated as a time to honor our Blessed Mother in a special way. Four of our young people that received their 1st Communion just 2 weeks ago participated in the crowning. Two of the pictures below look identical, but we did get them to smile a little in the second one.

On April 29, an ceremony was held at the Father Rausch hall to honor Christopher Leonard. Chris received his Eagle Scout award that evening and became one of only 2 percent of the Boy Scouts that accomplish this difficult task.

In addition to this honor, Chris received letters of commendation from Pope Benedict, Father Christopher Welch, Father Stephen Morris, Rotary International, President Obama, local service organizations as well an a number of representatives in government.

CONGRATULATIONS CHRIS!!!!

Christopher is the son of Michael and Barbara Leonard of Equinunk Pa.  He is17 years old and is a senior at Hancock High School.  Chris began his scouting career as a Tiger Cub in Pack 75.  He earned the Arrow of Light, Cub Scouting’s Highest Award in 2003 and then crossed over to join Boy Scout Troop 74.

During his years in the Troop, Chris has held the positions of Chaplain Aide, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader.  In the fall of 2009, he earned the Ad Altare Dei, which is the Catholic Religious Medal.  Chris’ Eagle Scout Project took place at St. Paul the Apostle Church where he supervised cleanout of the church basement and building of shelves to store items used at the church.  Money to cover supplies for his project was earned by working the Bingo concession at St Paul’s for four weeks.

Chris has been an Altar Server at St. Paul’s for eight years.  While at Hancock Central School he has been on the merit and honor roll and he is a member of the National Technical Honor Society.  Chris is a 4 year member of the Varsity Golf Team.  After graduation in June, Chris plans to attend Vermont Technical College and study Construction Management.

Al Barbarino and his wife Mary Ann visited St. Paul's the weekend of April 24th and 25th. Al is a Lay Franciscan of the St. Padre Pio Shelter in New York City and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He sings for the poor and the homeless, as well as the war victims of Bosnia and Croatia. He has sung throughout the United States and other countries and his  music is available on CD, DVD and VHS.

Al was at St. Paul's about 4 1/2 years ago and was invited back this weekend to sing at the Masses as well as speak on his life as a Lay Franciscan. He also spoke on what it means to be a Catholic. In church on Sunday afternoon he sang some of his recordings and gave an inspiring reflection about the Rosary and what it means to be a Catholic in a world that is in such turmoil when it comes to living our lives the way Jesus would expect us to.

For more information you can visit his web site by clicking on this link:  www.albarbarino.com

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational food cooperative committed to providing food assistance to families through out the United States. Angel Food was founded in 1994 with the intent of helping neighbors stretch their dollars. Angel Food has no qualifiers and participation is open to anyone and everyone. Because of our buying power and low overhead we are able to sell a box of food directly to you for just $30.00. That's a cost savings that will help you expand your food budget every month.

Every month, Angel Food creates a tasty menu that consists of both fresh and frozen food items. There are also special combination boxes for your special needs.

Representatives will be on hand to place orders for the month of May at the Father Rausch Hall.

May 4, 1 - 3PM and May 6,  6 - 7PM.

For more information Please Call Socorro Marin 607-637-2582 or pick up an order form at St. Paul's Church Office Hancock, New York. Be an Angel and Become a Volunteer to this ministry. You too will be helping your neighbor!

(Just a side note as to what it takes to make all this happen. Your orders do not just show up at the Father Rausch Hall automatically. It requires someone taking a pick up truck and trailer to Binghamton and picking up the food order at 5AM on Saturday morning. That 5 AM is not a typo. That job always seems to fall on Socorro and her husband David. Then there  are the few volunteers that help unload and sort things before anyone can pick up their orders. Just thought you would like know this. More help is always appreciated. Submitted by (Paul)

The 9AM Easter Sunday Mass filled St. Paul's to capacity with people even standing in the rear of the church. The Mass was followed by a wonderful continental breakfast in the Father Rausch Hall sponsored by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. The story of Easter was read to the children by Valerie Hunter and a visit by the Easter Bunny kept the kids entertained until it was time for the egg hunt. The weather really cooperated this year with unusually warm temperatures, considering Easter came early this year.