Each week in this column, I try to address issues that are important and meaningful for us as a Christian community, living in the Catholic Church, which are key to each of us.  I find no more meaningful topic than the one I address today: Our Crusade of Prayer for Vocations.
When I was installed as your Pastor in early September of 1998, I said that I would shortly announce the formation of a Crusade of prayer for Vocations before the Blessed Sacrament. I did and we began that in late November.
The following are the important elements of this:
1!) It begins at morning Mass each Friday.
2) Following Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the Monstrance and placed in front of the Tabernacle.
3) There is then prayed ‘Morning Prayer’ of the Church whose intention is for an increase of vocations to the Religious Life and the Priesthood.
Following Morning Prayer, men and women arrive in Church to spend a half hour or an hour to pray for Vocations. It is truly an edifying sight to see men and women coming to Church all day long, to pray before the Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament which is exposed in the Monstrance before the Tabernacle.
I am so pleased to tell you that in Our Lady of Perpetual Help, we have a wonderful group of parishioners who support this Crusade and come to Church each Friday.
This is the greatest need in the Church today. 
I am fully convinced that the presence of seminarians in our parish, the constant ability to speak with them, get to know them, pray with them, observe them, is a source of edification for the entire Parish.
I live and breathe each day, hoping, praying, wishing, wanting, that soon a man will come forward from Our Lady of Perpetual Help to say “yes” I want to be a priest. I want to serve the Lord as a priest. I want to give my life as a priest.
For myself, I remember when I was in the second grade of a Catholic School, one day, the teacher asked each of us to stand by our desk and tell the class what we wanted to do in life when we grew up.  I stood up and said, “I want to be a priest.” From that day, until the day I was ordained in the Cathedral in Norwich, I never changed my mind. I never changed my purpose or my desire. I was so blessed to have been given the example of marvelous parents who practiced their faith. My Father made a visit to Church every day and my mother was a daily communicant, until old age and poor health prevented her from doing so. When I graduated from High School in 1958, I went to see my Parish priest and told him I wanted to be a priest and he took me to see Bishop Flanagan, the first Bishop of Norwich. I was accepted and spent three years at Saint Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield and 6 years at Saint Bernard Seminary in Rochester, New York. They were among the happiest years of my life.  I love being a priest and pray that many more will come forward to serve as priests.
Parents: Encourage your sons to become priests. Teach them how to do so. Encourage your sons and daughters to become Religious Men and Women. 
The Catholic Church cannot be the Church Jesus instituted it to be if it does not have priests. We need more priests. JOIN OUR CRUSADE OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS. PRAY FOR VOCATIONS EVERY DAY.
                                   Monsignor Bride

Banns of Matrimony:
Second Time:    Brian David Ziolkovski    and
                          Jennifer Merle Bysko

                             COLLECTIONS
Sunday, October 15, 2006

TURN CLOCKS BACK
NEXT WEEKEND!!!

Eastern Standard Time begins next Saturday night,
October 28th.
ALL MASSES ON SUNDAY,
October 29th, will be on  Eastern Standard Time.

(Mid –October   2007)
Next Fall, in October of 2007, Our Parish Pilgrimage will travel to Paris with a visit to Notre Dame, Saint Vincent dePaul, St. Catherine Laboure, St. Theresa of Lisieux.   Travel to Chartres Cathedral, the eastern wine Country of France, the City and Cathedral of Tours (France),  Pau where we will stay for our visit to Lourdes (a trip highlight), then to Avignon and the former palace of the popes, to Paray le Monial and Saint Margaret Mary (Chapel of the Apparitions of the Sacred Heart) and then to Ars and Saint John Marie Vianney’s Church, his body and the Basilica, to Lyon and back to parish and Home.
Set aside mid October –   2007    (10 days ) NOW

A NEW TELEVISION !
Recently, Father R. Roughan retired as Pastor of Saint Paul Church in Waterford. He then moved to Windham Falls in Groton.  His new dwelling is much smaller than the rectory and in fact, too small for his very large 50 inch television set.  He has graciously  given this beautiful instrument to Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish. He has purchased a new (smaller) set which fits nicely on his wall and will provide him many hours of relaxation and rest in his retirement. At present the 50”  set is in the rectory cellar. Once the Fair/Bazaar/Tag Sale is over, we will move the TV to the hall. It will not be connected for regular television watching but Monsignor will purchase a DVD Player which will enable the parish to view pertinent movies, educational programs, material for Religious Education for youth and adults. Thank you Father for your generous gift and kindness to OLPH. 

                  Announced Masses

Monday,  October 23rd        29th  week in Ordinary Time                         
7:30 A.M. Intention of Celebrant
Tuesday,  October 24th   29th  week in Ordinary Time                                               
7:30 A.M.  Segunda DeGuia   (The Pritchett Family)
Wednesday,  October 25th   29th  week in Ordinary Time                                             
7:30 A.M.   Bronislaw Niedojadlo    (Stanley & Connie Kuzdizal)
Thursday,  October  26th    29th  week in Ordinary Time            
7:30 A.M.  Parishioners of OLPH
Friday,  October 27th   29th  week in Ordinary Time                                                    
 7:30 A.M.  Joseph Muscarella  (Anna Muscarella)