Lent begins this Wednesday. Ash Wednesday in the Church:   7am Mass and Distribution of Ashes; 12pm Service of Word and Distribution of Ashes; 7pm Mass and Distribution of Ashes.  Fridays: Adoration, in the Chapel, from 12pm to 3pm; Stations of the Cross, in the Church at 6:30pm.  Rosary in Chapel, thirty minutes before weekend Masses. Adult Lay Formation Sessions will begin during the first full week of Lent. Topics, presenters and times will be announced.

Father Sy’s Appeal for Hope: Fr. Sy will soon need volunteers to help mail out his African Appeal for Hope. If you can help, please call the office at 215-438-2925.

OMC Movie Screening: On Sunday, March 10th, Our Mother of Consolation Church, in Chestnut Hill is hosting a screening of Diary of a City Priest, at 2pm in  the Parish Hall. A brief discussion will follow. the event is free and snacks are available.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES APPEAL: Please join us in supporting the Catholic Charities Appeal as it continues to impact those in need all over the greater Philadelphia Area. Pledge cards are available in the pews or you may visit
catholiccharjtiesappeal.org to make your donation today!

HELP NEEDED
Melvin Sparks, recent resident at My Place Germantown, has moved to an apartment in Germantown. He wants to
supplement his Social Security by providing handyman services. If you need painting, or need an extra pair of hands with projects, please give Melvin a call at 267-745-9919.

Second Collection: The second collection will be taken up for the Parish Retreat on the following dates:  Jan 5-6; Feb 9-10; Mar 2-3; Apr 6-7; May 11-12; June 1-2; July 13-14; Aug 3-4; Sept 14-15; Oct. 5-6.

PARISH RETREAT: Save the Date! Mark your calendars! One year from now (November 8-10, 2019), we will hold our next Parish Retreat at the  beautiful Malvern Retreat Center. Open to all  parishioners 18 and over, this special weekend will help us deepen our faith journey and strengthen our community as together we focus on our common call: Weaving God’s Tapestry
of Love. A Saturday-only option will he available, as well as transportation for those who need it. We anticipate that the retreat cost will he heavily subsidized by parish fundraising efforts in the year to come, including a monthly second collection beginning December 8/9. (You can buy a $10 mug anytime to benefit the retreat fund.) Please hold the date, and watch for
announcements as details unfold and as retreat sub-committees in need of volunteers are formed. Above all, please pray for the work of the Core Team, that we may open ourselves to God’s deepest desires for our faith community.

“Please Pray for Sick” section in Bulletin: All friends of Vincent will be eliminated, since many have been in for two to five years. We will start a new list immediately. If you want someone on the prayer list, please contact the office with the names.

Ministry Meetings after 6pm: If your ministry meets in the evening, please make sure your meeting is scheduled and the ministry head has a key or that someone will be in the rectory to open the door.

Seeking Volunteers for Nov. 2019 Retreat: Good news! St. Vincent’s is planning a weekend retreat at the Malvern Retreat House, Nov 8-10, 2019. Those who were able to attend our 2016 retreat in Harvey Cedars remember what wonderful opportunities for faith sharing and community building a parish retreat provides. We will share more news in the coming months; right now, retreat co-chairs, Wiley Redding and Christine Eberle are seeking dedicated volunteers to form the Cor Team (Cor= heart!) This is a 15 month commitment to the planning process, including monthly meetings (generally on Saturdays) and committee work. We are seeking volunteers with passion and skill in the areas of Publicity, Logistics, Art, Hospitality, Program Design and Fundraising. Intrigued? Contact Wiley at wiredding21@gmail.com or Christine at christine0707@me.com with your name, phone number, and area(s) of interest. Please note: the Cor Team will kick-off our work together with a half-day retreat on Saturday, September 8 from noon to 4!

Parish Pastoral Council: The Parish Pastoral Council has adopted a set of by-laws. You can read them here.

One neighbor at a time, or maybe four, six or eight! We want to have dinners together because we really want to become a community of friends. We want to get to know each other better, and the best way to do that is to sit at the table just to enjoy each other’s company around good food and conversation. We propose to have dinners where members of the parish sign up for a meal without knowing who their hosts are, or even who the other guests will be, except for one other person if you want to go as a pair. We will start in June , and we hope by the fall everybody will  be signing up enthusiastically as hosts or guests. The mechanics of how this will work will be explained next week. Meanwhile, if you are willing to host a blind dinner, please place a card with your name, some possible dates, and how many people you can host, but do it secretly! You will call your mystery guests and give them details. Perhaps ask them to contribute a simple dish, bread, or an appetizer for the meal. Perhaps just bring their appetites and their good will. It is very likely that we will all make new friends, and that our Parish will be come stronger, a true people in community.