I am writing this from the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I am enjoying my annual week at some friends' house in this very sleepy and removed from civilization's hubbub area. The weather has been windy (so much so that walking on the beach was impossible until yesterday afternoon) and rainy (it would arrive, fall heavily and once you were soaked retreat until another opportunity to "get ya" occurred). Still the shear peace of the environment cannot be displaced. I love it and am enjoying every moment of my stay.

Peace is a word that is central to this Sunday's gospel. Jesus proclaims it as his final gift to his friends as he prepares to hand himself over to the completion of the mission entrusted to him. Commenting on this gift of peace, Jude Siciliano, a very insightful Dominican priest who generously shares his insights into scripture on a weekly basis writes: "We know the kind of peace we need these days and it is a peace only Jesus' Spirit can confer. We need wise leaders who can bring God's peace despite the failures at peacemaking we are encountering in the world. We need the Spirit to bring healing to our troubled and wounded Church. We need a peace-rendering Spirit to draw together our parishes that are divided by arguments large and small. We need a Spirit that will renew our conviction that our Savior is the Prince of Peace, so that we can bring his peace into our families, schools and workplaces. We also need the Spirit's vision to appreciate the peacemaker and non-violent folks in our midst whose voices and actions are often ridiculed as being naive or ignored because their ways seem 'impractical in our modern world.'"

Not unrelated to this is the welcome news that Northern Ireland has again taken a giant step towards a lasting peace among all people Catholic and protestant. We owe a great deal to those among us who are steady in their witness to the possibility of peace through non-violent means. It is worth thinking about how we can be witnesses to non-violence in our own personal relationships as a place to start for both experiencing the peace of Christ and contributing to peace in our own very violent American culture.

I'll be around this weekend so you'll never know I was gone!

• Ascension Thursday
  Thursday is Ascension Thursday and a holy day of obligation. In this event the Church celebrates the conclusion of Christ's earthly mission and his return to the Father where he is present to us always. He lives now to intercede on our behalf. Masses are at 8:00, Noon and 7 a.m.
• MULCH RAFFLE
  Winners will be drawn after the 10:30 Mass every weekend in May beginning today! You still have a chance to win 10 cubic yards of Native Pine Mix Bark Mulch- a $350 value--DELIVERED (within a 15 mile radius)! Tickets are $5.00/each or 5/$20.00 and can be purchased after all Masses. All proceeds benefit St. Bernard's Building fund.
• WINNER'S CHOICE AUTO RAFFLE--DRAWING MAY 30th
  This is it--the final month of the raffle. You still have time to purchase a ticket - $20 each or 6 for $100. You only need 1 ticket to win so see John after Mass or call the parish center at 295-0387.
• The Buzz - Deadline for the next issue is Wednesday, May 23
  Please send photos (with ID provided) and/or articles (no longer than 300 words) to Carol Sarro at oceanus58@cox.net or leave in the pick-up box at the parish center.
• 5th Annual Stewardship Fair -- SAVE THE DATE...Sun., Sept. 23!!!
  Watch the bulletin for more details.
• The "Giving Dreams a Hand" Auction sponsored by the Office for Youth Ministry will be held at Aldrich Mansion on Wednesday, May 9. Please do your part to support this vital effort! On-line bidding has begun and will continue through May 6. Go to the Youth Ministry website www.ymcyoprov.org for more information and to place your bids! Tickets to the event are available by contacting the office at 278-4626 ($25 donation).
• TEXMEX DINNER
  The Knights of Columbus will have a TexMex Dinner on Saturday, May 12th, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at the Council Hall. Menu:Beef and Chicken Fajitas, Ranch Beans, Spanish Rice, Taco Bar (make your own). $9.00/person, $5.00/children12 and under; children 6 and under free. Reservations required by May 10th. Call and leave a message at 295-0507.
• Roast Beef Dinner at the Knights of Columbus on Saturday, May 19th, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m, at the Council Hall. Menu: Roast Beef au jus, baked potatoes, string beans almondine, salad bar. $9.00/person, $5.00/children 12 & under; children 6 and under free. Reservations required by May 17th. Call and leave a message at 295-0507.
• MARRIED COUPLES
  Can people tell God is alive in your home and marriage? Let Worldwide Marriage Encounter help your home be a more powerful domestic church. Upcoming dates are June 22-24, July 20-22 and September 14-16. For more information call 1-800-710-WWME or (401) 397-8752 or visit our webpage at www.ri-me.org.
• The Emmaus Youth Center is sponsoring a Search for Maturity weekend during May 18-20 at the Emmaus Youth Center in Riverside. Any high school youth (grade 10+) or college age young adult is welcome to attend. Contact the Emmaus Youth Center at 433-4327 for any additional information or to register.

2007 Catholic Charity Fund Appeal

"Remarkable Wonders are Done Through You"

I would like to express my gratitude to those of you who have made a gift to the 2007 Catholic Charity Fund Appeal. If you have not already contributed, please make your pledge today.
Parish Goal: $95,065.00
Number of Families 406
Actual to Date: $62,591.46
Number of Cash Gifts: 167
Number of Pledge Gifts: 78

Congratulations to the First Eucharist Class of 2007! Forty-nine boys and girls received the Blessed Sacrament for the first time yesterday.

Their catechists: Mike Brennan, Kerry Coleman, Steve St. Onge, Steve Flaherty and Caroline Murphy are to be commended and thanked for their hard work and dedication in getting the children ready for the big day.

Special thanks to the parents who helped out at the First Eucharist retreat last weekend- Bonnie Roy, Jen Bousquet, Debra Paolino and Lisa Papa. We couldn't have done it with out you!

9th Grade Confirmation Candidates: Watch your mail in the coming weeks for important information about selecting your sponsor.

Service project information is available on the website in the "Confirmation Corner".

Next Full Service is Sunday May 27th. Self service is available in Church vestibule and Parish Center. Call Deborah (885-6405) for other times.

Mothers' Day and First Communion Cards and gifts can be found in the Parish Center. The vestibule location (inside and to right of front doors of Church) throughout May features books on "Mary and other Holy Women" in honor of the traditional "month of Mary" as well as Mother's Day.

The Youth Ministry is getting ready for our annual TAG SALE and if you have treasures to donate - you may drop them off on Saturday, May 26th from 9 am-12 pm or Wednesday, May 30th from 3-7 pm downstairs in Halloran Hall. We will be there to accept and sort the donations. Please DO NOT Donate old TVs, computers/parts, car tires, and any large pieces that are not in VERY GOOD condition. If they do not sell then we will need to find a way to be rid of the items and that can be difficult. We are looking for toys, books, clothes, kitchen items, appliances that work, outdoor equipment, tools, holiday decorations, knick knacks...... and so on. Thank you in advance for helping with this project. If these days do not work for you or you need a pick-up, please call Dawn at 461-3048 or birondawn@yahoo.com.

Save the Date: The Youth Ministry Appreciation Celebration is on Friday, June 1st from 6-8pm at a location TBA.

Two groups are continuing with our study on "Scriptures of the Rosary." This week the topic is on the Mysteries of Light (a.k.a. the Luminous Mysteries). New participants are always welcome. Call Deborah at 885-6405 or email dlmccoy@cox.net for more information.

Is this you? Or somebody you know? For any number of reasons baptized Catholics do not always complete their initiation into the Church. This is done through the Sacrament of Confirmation and receiving Holy Communion. This is a simple process of preparation that results in the satisfaction of participating fully in the sacramental life that Christ has given us for our joy and support. For more information call Father Reardon.

Those who would like to bring the bread and wine to the altar, please call the Parish Center at 295-0387 to arrange.

Click Here for Today's Reading

For prayerful preparation during the week before Sunday Mass, please visit http://liturgy.slu.edu. Reflecting on the spirituality of the scriptures before Mass can have a great impact on hearing the Word proclaimed on Sunday.

Please submit bulletin materials directly to the Parish Office, or via e-mail to parishcenter@sbcwickford.org, attention to Jane Allen. The deadline for the submission is Tuesday by 5:00 pm. Please take into consideration the cutoff time and the space limit. Thank you.

Stewards know themselves to be both recipients and caretakers of God's many gifts.

St. Bernard's now offers parishioners the opportunity to make their budget contributions by Direct Debit. Call the Parish Center, 295-0387 for further information.

May 5 / 6	Actual $7,158.40	Budget
Through 04/30/07	Actual $321,047	Budget $307,661

ACH $497.50

Matching Contributions: Many companies offer matching funds for donations to non-profit organizations. If you donate weekly to St. Bernard's your company might match it! Please take time to find out if your company has this policy.

Thank you for your continuous support and generosity.