AUGUST 21, 2022

On August 21, 1879, the Blessed Virgin appeared to 15 parishioners in Knock, Ireland.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians will celebrate this apparition by attending
the 11:00 a.m. Mass on August 21st followed by a potluck picnic at 1:00 p.m.
at Waterway Park in St. James. All parishioners are invited to attend the picnic.
The Ladies’ Ancient Order of Hibernians will also have baked goods for sale.
Contact Pat Naughton (804)921-3895 or pnaughton09@gmail.com.

About The AOH
The Ancient Order of Hibernians is America’s oldest Irish Catholic Fraternal Organization founded concurrently in the coal-mining region of Pennsylvania and New York City in May,1836. The Order can trace its roots back to a series of similar societies that existed in Ireland for more than 300 years. Today the AOH exists in America, Canada, Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland, however, while the organizations share a common thread, the American AOH is a separate and much larger organization.The early Irish societies were born of a need in the mid-fifteen hundreds to protect the welfare of fellow Irish Catholics, and especially the clergy who risked immediate death to keep the Catholic Faith alive in occupied Ireland after the Penal Laws of 1691. These various secret societies were formed across the country to aid and comfort their people by whatever means was available. Similarly, the AOH in America was founded at New York’s St. James Church on May 4,1836 by men emulating these Irish societies, to protect the clergy and churches from the violent American Nativists who attacked Irish Catholic immigrants and Church property. At the same time the vast influx of Irish Immigrants fleeing Ireland’s Great Hunger in the late 1840’s, prompted a growth in many Irish societies in the USA – the largest of which was, and continues to be, the AOH.

Active across the United States, The Order seeks to aid the newly arrived Irish, both socially and economically. The many Divisions and club facilities located throughout the U.S. have traditionally been among the first to welcome new Irish immigrants. Here, the Irish culture — art, dance, music, and sports are fostered and preserved. The newcomers can meet some of ‘their own’ and are introduced to the social atmosphere of the Irish-American community. the AOH has been at the forefront for issues concerning the Irish, such as; Immigration Reform; economic Incentives both here and in Ireland; the human rights issues addressed in the MacBride Legislation; Right-To-Life; and a peaceful and just solution to the issues that divide Ireland.
The Order has also provided a continuing bridge with Ireland for those who are generations removed from our ancestral homeland. The AOH sponsors many programs associated with promoting our Irish Heritage such as the IRISH WAY PROGRAM, SCHOLARSHIPS and NATIONAL HISTORY DAY sponsorship.
We invite all Catholics of Irish birth or descent to seek admittance to the FINEST Irish Catholic Organization in the World — all we would ask is for you to live our motto of: “Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity”.

About the LAOH  

The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Inc was first organized as an Auxiliary of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America in 1894 with the women’s organization being authorized to form its own governing structure, subject to the approval of the men officers of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America. The men’s organization is commonly referenced as the AOH, while the ladies’ organization was first referenced as the LAAOH and is now known as the LAOH. The women of the LAOH and the men of the AOH worked both collaboratively and independently on projects and events for nearly 110 years adhering to the final authority of the men’s organization.
The Ladies Auxiliary of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America (LAAOH), after some study, completed the legal process to incorporate as a separate entity from the AOH. The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Inc was incorporated in New York in 2004 as a separate legal organization with its own governance structure wholly separate from the governance structure of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America.
Today, the LAOH and the AOH continue their strong collaborative working relationship with each organization working to carry out its mission to uphold and defend the teachings of the Catholic Church, to aid and support the Irish people as they strive for a united, and peaceful independent Ireland, and to foster and perpetuate the history, culture, and traditions of the Irish people. Both LAOH and AOH members strive to meet their mission through living their motto of Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity in their daily living.

Dia ‘s Muire dhuit! (God and Mary be with you)

Don’t make this journey alone.                                   

Members of the Bereavement Ministry are reaching out with love, spiritual support, and concern to parishioners who are grieving the death of a loved one.

Our gatherings are every Wednesday at 10:00 am.

A new group will begin September 5th at 10 a.m.  Meetings are every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the church. Please contact Barbara Scholz to register or for more information, email:         barbarascholz0@gmail.com; phone number 843-301-9380.

Parish Champion for Sacred Heart Dynamic Catholic is Joe Volpe

By their deeds shall you know them.

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest lay Catholic family service organization. We as members

of the Sacred Heart Council focus on developing programs that best serve the needs of our local community. All the good works are driven by our four core principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. We are a band of brothers, more than 225 strong, doing good in the service of God, our parish, and our neighbors.

We also encourage all parishioners to visit our website at www.kofc12537.org to see news, photos, and details of our activities.

Contact

Are you interested in helping those in need, serving your parish and growing in your faith? Discover how easy it is to make a difference in your life and that of others! Please contact pnaughton09@gmail.com for more information.

Upcoming Events

Click here for our event calendar.

Ladies Guild Monthly Meeting 

May 6, 2024 in the Social Hall.

Please plan to arrive early for fellowship and to sign up for our events.
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The Legion of Mary was founded by Servant of God Frank Duff in Dublin, Ireland in 1921.  It has since grown to be one of the largest apostolic organizations of lay people in the Catholic Church, with well over 3 million members giving service on a voluntary basis in over 170 countries. The spirituality of the Legion is essentially based on the approach of St. Louis de Montfort as put forward in the spiritual classic “True Devotion to Mary.” The essential aim of the Legion apostolate is the sanctification of its members through prayer, the sacraments, and a total dedication to Christ through the intercession of His Holy Mother.

Active members of the Legion of Mary become instruments of the Holy Spirit through a balanced program of prayer and service. Based on the Gospel, this service may include but is not limited to visiting the sick and aged in Assisted Living and Nursing Home facilities, pro-life ministries, religious education, parishioner home visitation and participation in public displays of faith- especially those which include and promote praying of the holy rosary. Legionaries are ultimately under the spiritual guidance of the Pastor or his designee.

Membership in the Legion of Mary is open to all baptized practicing Catholics over the age of 18. There are two types of Legion membership- active and auxiliary. Active members attend a weekly meeting centered around the rosary and are also required to perform an assigned weekly service. Auxiliary members support the works of active members through specific prayers attached to the daily recitation of the holy rosary.

For more information please leave your name and contact information at the Church office or email Jane Walker at Jwalkjmj@gmail.com or Theresa Lominac at Tmlominac@aol.com.

Men’s Faith Sharing

The Men’s Faith Sharing group is open to discuss all things Catholic.
Members share the experience of being Catholic and their views on the issues facing the church.

This group also presents a Lenten program and participates in the Stations of the Cross.

Meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month in a classroom.

The Pastoral Council is a consultative body whose policies and decisions require the authority of the pastor to become effective. Its function is established under the Pastoral Council guidelines of the Diocese of Raleigh.

In responding to the Lord who has called the parish to be a community of faithful disciples, council members are challenged to ongoing renewal through prayer, study, listening, and dialogue. In working with the pastor to develop priorities and directions for the parish, the council is to become the means of achieving full participation by the whole parish community in its mission by giving all a voice in assisting the pastor in his guidance and direction of parish life.

Please refer to the current bulletin for the next Pastoral Council Meeting.

Responsibilities

The goal of the Parish Pastoral Council is not imply to serve the members of the parish, but to work with the pastor to develop a common vision and purpose, actively advocate for the poor and the powerless, and extend Christian commitment to the surrounding neighborhoods and communities. Toward that end, a statement of mission for the parish community is orchestrated by this body and becomes the reference point for activity in the parish.

In addition the council’s responsibilities will also include ways:

1. To provide a structured way for laity, religious, and priests to coordinate, encourage, promote, and participate in the apostolic and spiritual work of the parish.
2. To provide recommendations for parish priorities, directions, and policies through pastoral planning;
3. To promote communication, understanding , and collaboration among parish organizations and between the parish, the Diocese and the universal Church
4. To provide a continuous and integrated survey of the spiritual and temporal needs of the parish and the community. They should work closely with the pastor to develop and implement programs aimed at meeting these needs.
5. To serve as a permanent structure for construction dialogue among priests. , religious, and laity of the parish so that all can work in close cooperation as a truly Christian community, fulfilling the mission of Christ.
6. To show by example how the total parish community, working together, can promote the kingdom of Christ and proclaim His Gospel.

NEXT MEETING – JUNE 7
Sacred Heart Respect Life Ministry: Our next quarterly meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 7, at 3:00 pm in the Main Conference. All are invited to attend. New members are always welcome!

MAY 14
MOTHERS’ DAY
May Crowning of the Blessed Mother Statue for the Unborn
(Knights’ Council event)

FIRST FRIDAY HOLY HOUR
Link: Respect Life First Friday Holy Hour

WEEKLY

Two possible pro-life laws to watch in the North Carolina Legislature

Palliative Care and Hospice
“Death is a decisive moment in the human person’s encounter with God the Savior. Helping the Christian to experience this moment with spiritual assistance is a supreme act of charity. It encompasses the patient with the solid support of human relationships to accompany them and open them to hope… While palliative care cannot entirely eradicate suffering from people’s lives, it provides an authentic expression of human and Christian care—allowing us to ‘remain’ at the side of a suffering person, as the Blessed Mother and the beloved disciple remained at the foot of the Cross.”
USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities “The Witness of the Good Samaritan: Palliative Care and Hospice” 

* FROM THE WILMINGTON MARCH FOR LIFE *
Father Imbaratto’s talk on personhood at the March for Life Wilmington. 
Father Imbaratto’s talk on personhood…

Rachel Guy being interviewed by EWTN in 2021 shared by Joe Volpe! She’s amazing!
Rachel Guy Interview…

Your tax dollars could pay for abortions for veterans!

The U.S. Senate will be voting soon on whether to overturn a recent Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) rule that provides taxpayer funded abortions on-demand for veterans, and their spouses and kids. For decades, the law has stopped the VA from providing abortions in its health care benefits packages. Last September, the VA violated this law, as well as long-standing practices preventing taxpayer funding for elective abortion, and issued a regulation to provide such abortions – even in States where they’re now illegal. Further, the rule does not protect the conscience rights of workers who could be forced to participate in abortions. The U.S. Senate will vote soon to overturn the VA’s rule, and your senators need to hear from you. Please tell them to not turn VA hospitals into illegal abortion clinics. Women — especially our heroes in need of care — and their children deserve better.

Messages in your own words can be more effective. Please consider customizing with your own story.

To learn more about how the VA rule has these effects and the USCCB’s response, you may view our original regulatory comment letter to the VA here.

TAKE ACTION NOW

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/-I7uzsx8e8Sps12npp4zpA

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Respect Life Ministry

SIGN THE PETITIONS

If you would like to sign the petitions in opposition to Walgreens and CVS stores selling
the chemical abortion pills at their local stores in Southport and surrounding areas,
please sign the petitions at:
https://www.nrlc.org/communications/contact-information-for-cvs-and-walgreens/
Father Thanh and the Parish Council members also sent a letter to the CEOs of these pharmaceutical companies.

MARCH 11-19
St. Joseph Adoption Novena (March 11–19, 2023): Leading up to the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 20, join us in praying the St. Joseph Adoption Novena St. Joseph Adoption Novena | Respect Life. Invoking the intercession of St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, we will pray the Lord blesses all who travel upon the path of adoption.

THURSDAY, MARCH 23 - 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. 
University of North Carolina at Pembroke's annual Human Trafficking Conference

The conference is free and open to the public. Please feel free to share this email with your colleagues and anyone else who would be interested in this topic.

Registration is now open at www.uncp.edu/humantrafficking.
Human Trafficking Conference Flyer

The Final Judgement
“When the time comes, as it surely will, when we face that awesome moment, the final judgment, I’ve often thought, as Fulton Sheen wrote, that it is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no advocates, you are there alone standing before God — and a terror will rip your soul like nothing you can imagine. But I really think that those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. I think there’ll be a chorus of voices that have never been heard in this world but are heard beautifully and clearly in the next world — and they will plead for everyone who has been in this movement. They will say to God, “Spare him, because he loved us,” — and God will look at you and say not, “Did you succeed?” but “Did you try?”  Henry Hyde

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Click here for Respect Life photo album…

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• Prayer/Worship
  • Rosary for the Unborn every Friday
  • Rosary to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary the First Sunday of each month
  • America Needs Fatima Rosary Service Sunday in Oct
  • Knights of Columbus Stations of the Cross for the Unborn
  • Knights of Columbus May Crowning of the Blessed Mother Statue to the Unborn on Mothers’ Day
• Pastoral Care
  • Quarterly meeting with Pastor and the Ministry members
  • Diaper Drive for Catholic Charities in Aug-Sep
  • Baby Item Donation Basket for Brunswick County Charities (Year ’round except during Diaper Drive and Ladies’ Guild Dresser Project
• Advocacy
  • Love My Life Youth Rally and March for Life in Raleigh
  • 40 Days for Life in Wilmington
• Education and Outreach
  • Weekly Pro-Life Info in Parish Bulletin in the “Culture of Life Corner”
  • Respect Life Bulletin Board Display
  • Coordination with Knights of Columbus Respect Life Initiatives
  • Member of Cape Fear Deanery Pro-Life Organization
• Contact Info
  • Parish Respect Life Coordinator – Joe Volpe
    • 609-744-9823
    • jvolpe21@gmail.com
  • Assistant Parish Respect Life Coordinator – Christine Volpe
    • 609-744-5162
    • nanavolpe8@gmail.com

Mission of the Sacred Heart Parish Respect Life Ministry

 The Parish Respect Life Ministry is tasked with supporting the objectives of the Diocese of Raleigh Respect Life Initiatives and Programs. Specifically, The objectives of the parish pro-life ministry are to:

• coordinate parish implementation of the annual Respect Life Program, promoting it to agencies and organizations in the parishes, especially schools and religious education programs; and encourage parish discussion groups to use the program as a basis for their discussions
• promote and assist pregnancy counseling and comprehensive maternity support services, as well as post-abortion counseling and reconciliation programs, and make these well known in the parish and local community
• develop or adopt, where feasible, a parish-based ministry to pregnant women and their children
• encourage and support parishioners’ involvement in services to help those who are chronically ill, disabled, or dying and their families
• sponsor programs of prayer in the parish to pray for mothers and their unborn children, for those who are dying, for those who are disabled, for prisoners on death row and those they have harmed, and indeed for all who are in need, that the culture of death that     surrounds us may be replaced by a culture of life
• foster awareness of the need to restore legal protection to the lives of unborn children to the maximum degree possible and to safeguard in law the lives of those who are chronically ill, disabled, or dying
• keep parishioners informed of upcoming important legislation; and, at the direction of the diocesan pro-life director, organize letter-writing, postcard campaigns, or similar appropriate activities when important votes are expected
• The Parish Respect Life Ministry should play a vital role in parish life and enjoy the strong support of priests and other key personnel. The committee should also dovetail its efforts from time to time with other programs of the parish. For example, in many parts of the country, parishes conduct programs where parishioners study and discuss the teachings of the faith. Members of the pro-life committee should take part in such programs and invite other program leaders to take part in pro-life initiatives.

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’   – Matthew 25:40

The Sacred Heart Social Justice Committee meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 11:00 am, from September through May. We invite you to join us for our meetings to get involved with one or more of our activities. You may also contact us through the church office. We can always use more helping hands!  Our current activities include:

Little Free Library – Sacred Heart sponsors a Little Free Library that is located at Smithville Park at 8340 River Rd SE in Southport. It is adjacent to the playground at the park. If you’d like to donate new or used children’s books (ages 0-8), please look for the bin located in the church’s common area.

Monthly Hospice Lunch – Each month, we provide lunch for patients and their families at the Lower Cape Fear Lifecare’s SECU Hospice House of Brunswick in Bolivia. The families are so appreciative!  If you’d like to help, we provide sandwiches, fruit and dessert each month for 12 people. Contact Lee Maxwell through the church office. 

Annual Blood Drive – Each year in May, the Social Justice Committee holds a blood drive – our last drive was on Friday, May 10, 2024. If you’d like to help with the set up or administration of the next event – please contact Jenna Spell through the church office.

Backpack Drive for Matthew’s Ministry – Each year, Sacred Heart parishioners fill 300+ backpacks with food items requested from Matthew’s Ministry, which provides Brunswick County students who are children of the “working poor” (school social workers usually identify these children) with a backpack full of food each Friday. If you’d like to help, please contact Shirleyan McHale through the church office.

FOOD ITEMS FOR THE BACKPACK * NO GLASS ITEMS *

Diocese of Raleigh Toiletries Drive for the hard-working migrant workers that produce our food here in North Carolina, who attend the Diocese’s Migrant Worker Encounter event, usually held in August. We collect the toiletries during the month of July.  Look for detailed information in the church bulletin during the summer.

The Social Justice Committee also looks for ways to help the poor – examples are:

• • Support for WARM (Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry)

• • SOIICF Hunger Walk

• • Protection of the environment (i.e. supplying reusable grocery bags to parishioners, or partnering with other churches on safe electronics disposal, etc.)

Do you have other ideas to help those in our community? Please join us at our monthly meetings on the 3^rd Wednesday of the month.

SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE: PURPOSE AND STRATEGIES
The Social Justice Committee provides education on Catholic Social Teaching and based on those teachings, organizes activities to address long-term problems in our community. It does this by:
Organizing educational programs and initiatives, e.g., Seminars on Laudato Si, Care for God’s Creation, immigration reform; Fact Sheet on Poverty, Hunger and Homelessness in Brunswick County; recycling program at Sacred Heart.
Developing programs and activities to address issues in our community, e.g., Resource Fair, support for the Food Pantry, Adopt-a-Backpack program to support of Matthew’s Ministry; support for home repair, WARM; sheltering the homeless for one week in winter – with Street Reach and SOIICF churches. Advocacy, e.g., for reducing homelessness in Brunswick County.

Many, many thanks for the generous support!

Committee and a few other volunteers assembling Breakfast-Lunch bags for those in Winter Sheltering program last year.

2019 Southport Day of Service (a Trinity UMC event for 18 years, was expanded to include all member churches of the Southport Oak Island Interchurch Fellowship (SOIICF)

The Social Justice Committee piloted Sacred Heart’s involvement in the Service Day on Saturday April 6, 2019.

Leaders of the various projects were:
Bob Trzeciak, Knights of Columbus. and Pat Naughton, Hibernian men’s group, – the clean-up on Dosher Cut-off, Hwy 211 with the collection of debris from the roadside.

Tom Parnell, The Men’s Prayer Group and Scriptures, – the outdoor planting work for the church with plants and pots ready to go.

Ruthann Donaldson & Shelly Keenan – Ladies Guild – the church plantings, closet clean-up and special plantings for the new statue. The powder blue SHCC Tee shirts were a hit!

The Social Justice Committee meets in at Sacred Heart on the third Wednesday of the month in a designated classroom. Questions about how you can join or help our ministry… Please call the church office at 910-457-6173 for more information. 

WELCOME COMMITTEE

The purpose of this committee is to meet and assist new parishioners to Sacred Heart. As we have a large parish, it is often difficult to feel at home when you are new. The Pastoral Assistant notifies the Welcome Committee Coordinator when a parishioner registers at Sacred Heart. The coordinator assigns this person/family to a volunteer to welcome them.

The welcome volunteer contacts the new parishioner to arrange a personal meeting. This is an opportunity to share information about Sacred Heart and its activities, as well as learn about their previous parish and involvement. The volunteer offers them the Sacred Heart Welcome Packet and a gift of a holy water bottle with a home blessing. Any needs of the parishioner/family can also be identified at this time. The volunteer can also offer information about where to seek assistance either in the parish or in the community.

If you are interested in joining this ministry, please contact the church office and leave a message for the Welcome Committee coordinator.

The volunteer will also share their contact information, should they need additional support while adjusting to Sacred Heart.

As the number of volunteers grow, it would be ideal to link the volunteer to a new parishioner/family who live in the same community or town, ie., Winding River, St. James or Boiling Springs. This can increase Catholic fellowship and spirit during the week and not just at Mass. It would be ideal for the volunteer to follow up with the parishioner/family periodically for a few months to ensure that they feel part of the Sacred Heart family.

We also sponsor a yearly “Meet the Pastor” reception for new parishioners…

2023 “MEET THE PASTOR” RECEPTION FOR NEW MEMBERS

2022 RECEPTION FOR NEW MEMBERS
A reception for new members who joined over the past year was held in the social hall on May 25, 2022. It was well attended and the feedback was very positive. Pictures from the reception follow…

Welcome Reception