The Notre Dame de Lourdes School Carnival operates on our parish school grounds from Thursday 26 September through Saturday 28 September. Volunteers are needed each evening to help with the success of the Carnival. Volunteer opportunities are available in the kitchen, baked goods area, funnel cake, ticket booths, raffle booths, security, and parking. Scheduled shifts are from 6 pm through 8 pm, 8 pm through 10 pm, or 6 pm through 10pm. Please contact Notre Dame de Lourdes School for further information. Thank you to those who have volunteered and thank you for your consideration.
Also, the Carnival is sponsoring a Raffle for the opportunity to attend a Phillies Spring Training game on Monday 17 March 2025. The Phillies will play the Toronto Blue Jays at Bay Care Park in Clearwater, Florida. The raffle includes two tickets to the game, air fare, and hotel from Thursday 13 March until Tuesday 18 March. Raffle tickets cost $10 each and can be purchased at the Notre Dame de Lourdes School office weekdays from 9 am through 2 pm. A minimum ticket sale is required for the trip; a cash payout will be offered if the minimum is not met. The drawing will be at the Carnival on Saturday 28 September at 9 pm. Thank you for your interest and participation.
Our parish community recently welcomed Archbishop Nelson Perez to Notre Dame de Lourdes for the annual Summit celebration sponsored by the gentlemen of the Philly Frassati House at the former Notre Dame de Lourdes Rectory. The evening began with a Mass at Notre Dame de Lourdes, celebrated by the archbishop, followed by dinner, and a concert of Christian music on the grounds of the Frassati House. The evening concluded at midnight with a holy hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament at our Notre Dame de Loudes Worship Site. The archbishop was very impressed with our worship space, school, grounds, and the missionary spirit of so many of our parishioners. Thank you to the gentlemen at the Philly Frassati for all the planning and hard-work in organizing such a wonderful and spirt-filled end of summer celebration, and for reminding us that the Eucharist is indeed the source and summit of our lives.
The Philly Frassati house is named for Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Blessed Frassati was an early twentieth century Italian layman who was known for his thoughtful, creative, charitable actions. Blessed Frassati was also known for living according to the spirit of each of the eight Beatitudes. Along with fulfilling the Beatitudes, Blessed Frassati, according to Pope Francis, “(had) the vitality of the Holy Spirit in him, as well as the love of Jesus and for his brothers and sisters.” Blessed Frassati promoted the Church’s social teaching and emphasized the need for social reform. Pope St. John Paul II, who beatified Blessed Frassati in 1990, saw Blessed Frassati as a “beneficial influence on his own youth”, and he was “impressed with the force of his Christian testimony.”
Blessed Frassati was a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society as well as a Third Order Lay Dominican. He died on 4 July 1925 at the age of twenty-four. A 2025 canonization is expected although the date has not yet been determined.
Finally, today, 8 September is the celebration of the Birthday of the Blessed Mother. We offer a heartfelt Happy Birthday to Our Lady and we seek her intercession as we pray.
“Mary, woman of listening, open our ears; grant us to know how to listen to the word of your Son Jesus among the thousands of words of this world; grant that we may listen to the reality in which we live, to every person we encounter, especially those who are poor, in need, in hardship.
Mary, woman of decision, illuminate our mind and our heart, so that we may obey, unhesitating, the word of your Son Jesus; give us the courage to decide, not to let ourselves be dragged along, letting others direct our life.
Mary, woman of action, obtain that our hands and feet move “with haste” toward others, to bring them the charity and love of your Son Jesus, to bring the light of the Gospel to the world, as you did. Amen.”
Pope Francis, 31 May 2013.