The Church of the Incarnation

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2 The Church of the Incarnation 544 Prospect Street Wethersfield, CT Rev. James M. Moran Pastor Mrs. Noranne Wamester Pastoral Associate Director of Faith Formation Mrs. Audrey Saharek Pastoral Assistant Mass Schedule Confessions on Saturdays from 3:45-4:30p.m. Vigil Mass: Saturday at 5:00p.m. Sunday Masses: 8:30 & 10:30 a.m. Daily Mass: (Mon. - Fri.) 9:00 a.m. Recitation of the Rosary before 9:00 a.m. daily Mass Mrs. Maggie Seaver Coordinator of Middle School Faith Formation Gr Youth Minister Mrs. Filomena Marinelli Coordinator of Elementary Faith Formation Gr. K-6 Sacrament of Baptism By previous appointment by calling the rectory. Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Celebrated in the Baptistry of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Mrs. Teri Aiudi Rectory Office Assistant Faith Formation Secretary Weddings Please contact a priest 6-10 months prior. Mrs. Theodora Niver Director of Music Vanessa Crowley Lorissa Heath Rosanne Sweeney Gowdy Andrew Russo Heather Picard Gianna Bielenda Cantors Marguerite Heinimann Rectory Assistant Toni Munoz Sacristan Rectory (860) Fax (860) Church cincarnation@sbcglobal.net New Parishioners and Faith Formation Registration The Church of the Incarnation welcomes new parishioners. All forms are available at the main entrance of the church. Please mail or place in the collection basket. You may also visit our website for printable forms at: Rectory Hours 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Faith Formation Office (860) gotellit15@gmail.com Website address:

3 Page Three First Sunday of Advent..December 2, 2018 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1ST 5:00pm James Noonan SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2ND 8:30am Rita Ware 10:30am Jack Lawlor & the Deceased members of the Murphy & Lawlor Families MONDAY, DECEMBER 3RD 9:00am For all our deceased parishioners & benefactors TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4TH 9:00am Alessandra DiMattia WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5TH 9:00am For all our parishioners THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6TH 9:00am Raymond C. Esposito FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7TH 9:00am Anthony DiCicco Sr. 5:30pm Nancy Cavallaro, Loreto DiMattia, Vincenzo & Maria Frederica DiMattia SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8TH THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY 9:00am For all our parishioners 5:00pm Lino & Elena Giammarco and Michael Sessa SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9TH 8:30am Arthur Boudreau & Arthur & Yvonne Breton 10:30am Marge & Jim Amodio The Sanctuary Candle will burn from 12/3/ /9/2018 in memory of James Letizio. The Blessed Virgin Mary Candle will burn from 12/3/18 12/9/2018 in memory of Frances C. Setzko. Thank you for your Annual Collection donations! Donations will be gratefully received through We are at $89,250 of $100,000 goal. Project Baby Love collection this wkd. Disposable diapers & wipes are requested. Ho, Ho, Ho, Santa is on his way to Incarnation Church for our 17th Annual Children s Christmas Party this Sun., Dec., 2nd.hosted by The Men s Club. Join us in Fr. Crawford Hall after 10:30am Mass. This event is free! There will be a special Christmas story presentation by Fr. Moran, a magic show, Christmas Music, coloring, a photo with Santa, & goodies for the young & old at heart!! Pictures will be available December 8th & 9th after mass in Fr. Crawford Hall. Women s Club Cooking Team: Monday, December 3rd, 1-3pm, Fr. Crawford Hall. Employment Support Group: If you are in need of a job, call Ken at (860) Saturday, December 8th is The Feast of The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Holy Day of Obligation. A vigil Mass will be celebrated at 5:30pm on Friday, December 7th and at 9am on Saturday, December 8th. The 5pm mass on Saturday afternoon, December 8th is the vigil mass for the Second Sunday of Advent. Any interest in joining our Incarnation Parish Council? Call Audrey at (860) There are 3 mtgs. per year, usually held in the Chapel at 7pm on Sunday evenings. The second collection next weekend will be the Retired Fund for Religious collection.

4 Page Four First Sunday of Advent..December 2, 2018 FAITH FORMATION IN ACTION CHILDREN S LITURGY OF THE WORD Children s Liturgy of the Word will take place on Sunday, December 2nd at the 10:30 am Mass. Our presiders are Filomena Marinelli and Michael Stefano. Confirma on Candidate Ryan Brady and his family will be hos ng the refreshments. Join us for juice, munchkins and fellowship at the conclusion of Mass and for our Annual Children s Christmas Party in Fr. Crawford Hall! ADVENT WREATHS FOR SALE If you missed the Advent Wreath Decorating Event, you still have the chance to get your Advent off to a great start with a pre-made Advent Wreath from our Faith Formation Families. The wreaths, both pre-made ($20) or ready-to-decorate ($10) will be available for sale this weekend in Father Crawford Hall. All proceeds benefit the Incarnation Faith Formation program. FAITH FORMATION (GRADES 1-6) All classes are held in Fr. Crawford Hall according to the me/grade level. GRADE 1 meets on Saturday, December 1 from 8:30-9:45 a.m. GRADE 3 meets on Sunday, December 2 from 9:30-10:15 a.m. followed by 10:30 a.m. Mass and Children s Liturgy of the Word. Children from all grade levels are welcomed to carry the banner and follow the entrance procession. GRADE 2 meets on Saturday, December 8 from 8:30-9:45 a.m. GRADE 1 meets on Sunday, December 9 from 9:30-10:15 a.m. GRADE 6 meets on Tuesday, December 11 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. GRADE 4 meets on Wednesday, December 12 from 5:00-6:15 p.m. GRADE 5 meets on Wednesday, December 12 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. PIZZA & MOVIE NIGHT: All Grade 1-6 Faith Formation Students are invited for a free movie night of fun on Friday, December 7th, 6-8:30p.m in Fr. Crawford Hall. We will be showing The Star, 2017 animated movie about the animals experience of the First Christmas. Included will be Pizza, Popcorn, Desserts, a Nativity Story, and a craft! Please register through your online form or lightthewayincarnation@gmail.com This is a drop-off event. This is an opportunity for parents to enjoy the time to shop, dine, relax, etc. KIDS CAFÉ CHRISTMAS COLLECTION It is time again for our traditional Goodie Bag Collection to benefit Kids Café in Hartford! During the Advent season, Faith Formation families fill goodie bags full of treats/fun items for the children who attend Kids Café. Please bring your treat bags to your next scheduled class no later than December 14! Thank you for your generosity! EVENING OF REFLECTION FOR ADULTS: The Evening of Reflection for Parents & All Adults entitled, Finding Peace Amidst the Chaos has been rescheduled to Thurs., January 10, :30 p.m. in Fr. Crawford Hall followed by refreshments. Our presenter is Kelly Henderschedt, Director of Catechetical Education, Archdiocese of Hartford. Amidst the chaos, gift yourself with time and the opportunity to slow down the speed of life and breathe in the grace of the God who loves us. Youth Ministry: Our next gathering is this Sunday, December 2nd from 6:30-8pm in Fr. Crawford Hall. All high schoolers/college kids are welcome to join us as we spend time this Advent reflecting on emptying our hearts of all the clutter in order to make room for Baby Jesus. Join us! 7th & 8th grade Faith Formation: Our next gathering for Grade 8 is Tuesday, Dec. 4th, Grade 7 will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 5th. Class is held from 6:30-8pm in Fr. Crawford Hall. Confirmation 2019 :The next gathering for our 9th graders will be on Sunday, Dec. 9th from 3:00-6pm in Fr. Crawford Hall.

5 Page Five PRAYER FOR HEALING God of endless love, ever caring, ever strong, always present, always just: You gave your only Son to save us by the blood of his cross. Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace, join to your own suffering the pain of all who have been hurt in body, mind, and spirit by those who betrayed the trust placed in them. Hear our cries as we agonize over the harm done to our brothers & sisters. Breathe wisdom into our prayers, soothe restless hearts with hope, steady shaken spirits with faith: Show us the way to justice & wholeness, enlightened by truth & enfolded in your mercy. Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts, heal your people s wounds and transform our brokenness. Grant us courage and wisdom, humility and grace, so that we may act with justice and find peace in you. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. CHILDREN S LITURGY OF THE WORD: Children gather on the Altar for Children s Liturgy of the Word. First Sunday of Advent..December 2, 2018 Please enjoy these pictures of our parish families gathering to decorate Advent wreaths and learn about our Advent traditions.

6 Page Six First Sunday of Advent..December 2, 2018 Jesus announces his return to our world. The Lord is near. He uses signs that anticipate his arrival. Am I able to read these signs? What is God asking of me? If He is asking you to consider a vocation as a priest, or religious call Fr. Michael Casey, Director of Vocations, Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, at phone number (860) , or vocations@aohct.org or visit the web at Please pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate & religious. Vocations Holy Hour: New Time/Day: Vocations Holy Hour and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will be at Incarnation every Tuesday from 9:30-10:30am in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. All are welcome as we pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate & religious life. Prayer For Peace held at Incarnation Church 30 minutes prior to 9am Daily Mass. Come, O Holy Spirit, and Renew the Face of the Earth! Legion of Mary mtg. every Monday at 9:45am in Fr. Crawford Hall at Incarnation Church. The object of the Legion of Mary is the Glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer & active co-operation in Mary s and the Church s work. Join Us! We are blessed to have a beautiful outdoor Nativity Scene. We invite parishioners to take pictures with your family in front of our lovely Nativity Scene. It is located outside in front of the main entrance of church. WEDDING BANNS PAOLO CARBONE & IRMA MAGALI AMAYA MORE We continue our 20th Advent Giving Program.Angel Tree: Flyers are at the exits. Please take an angel home with you. They can be found at the locations throughout the church. Return your UNWRAPPED gifts WITH YOUR ANGEL ATTACHED no later than Dec., 9th and place them under the Advent Giving Christmas Tree in the Narthex. The gifts must be returned by Dec 9th so that they can be delivered on time. God Bless you for helping those less fortunate during our most Blessed Season of Christmas! Attention all parents/guardians: During Mass we request that children would always be accompanied to the restrooms by a parent or adult. Knights of Columbus Mtgs: Due to Renovations at Christ the King Parish, mtgs. will be on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Old Wethersfield until further notice. 4th Degree will meet at 7pm - 3rd Degree will meet at 7:30pm. Join The Wethersfield Knights of Columbus for Dinner at Bertucci's restaurant in Newington. Flyer/coupon at church exits. Enjoy a family meal & help raise money for the Knights charities. We are updating The Church of the Incarnation parish website. Any committee chairpersons that need to update info. on the website, please call Noranne or Audrey at (860) SAVE THE DATE: FEBRUARY 22, 23, & 24, Join us at our parish Men s Retreat at the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, West Hartford, CT. Theme this year is: NO ORDINARY PATH... Register at: or Call John Ewaski (860) or Bill Carroll (860) Women s Retreats also available on the website. BAPTISM LEAH ROSE ERRICO

7 Page Seven First Sunday of Advent..December 2, 2018 THE PROMISE OF JUSTICE We are in fairly good company when we ask God for justice. Often enough we hear and agree with the lament of the people of Israel asking God why the wicked prosper. However, when we call out for justice, we usually want someone to get his or her comeuppance. God s justice is something other than this, of course. God s justice comprises a wonderful rightness between God and humankind. Today, Jeremiah looks ahead to a time when a just one will sprout from the shorn-off stump of Jesse of the house and family of David. Life was not fair in Jeremiah s time. Israel s kings held the promise of God s fidelity, but it was difficult to see how God s promise could be realized through them. Nevertheless, Jeremiah lifts his voice & announces that the Promised One will come. Luke s Gospel echoes that announcement, and Paul is filled with sturdy encouragement. And so Advent begins with a promise. TODAY S READINGS First Reading The days are coming when the L will fulfill the promise made to Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 33:14-16). Psalm To you, O Lord, I lift my soul (Psalm 25). Second Reading Abound in love for one another and for all (1 Thessalonians 3:12 4:2). Gospel Stand erect and raise your heads; your redemption is at hand (Luke 21:25-28, 34-36). READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Is 2:1-5; Ps 122:1-9; Mt 8:5-11 Tues: Is 11:1-10; Ps 72:1-2,7-8,12-13,17;Lk 10:21-24 Wednesday: Is 25:6-10a; Ps 23:1-6; Mt 15:29-37 Thursday: Is 26:1-6; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a; Mt 7:21, Friday: Is 29:17-24; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Mt 9:27-31 Saturday: Gn 3:9-15, 20; Ps 98:1-4; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Lk 1:26-38 Sunday: Bar5:1-9; Ps 126:1-6; Phil 1:4-6,8-11;Lk 3:1-6 SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: First Sunday of Advent; Monday: St. Francis Xavier Tuesday: St. John Damascene Thursday: St. Nicholas Friday: St.Ambrose;1st Friday, Pearl Harbor Remem. Day Saturday: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary First Sunday of Advent December 2, 2018 I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land. Jeremiah 33:15 TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Occasionally, someone raises a surprised complaint that while Christmas arrives on Santa s sleigh at the Macy s parade on Thanksgiving Day, the Church doesn t catch on too fast. They may even say that Advent is a new fangled idea. Not so. To trace its beginnings, we have to go back to the fourth or fifth century in France (then Gaul), when Epiphany was the favored day, next to Easter, for baptism. The old pagan structures of Rome were collapsing then, and many people sought to be baptized. Since adults always prepared for baptism by fasting, folks counted back a few weeks for a kind of retreat. Before too long, bishops were advising everyone to attend church frequently beginning on December 17. Soon, artists were imagining ways of expressing the Advent mystery, and in Italy this gave rise to beautiful mosaics of empty thrones awaiting the arrival of the Lord of all creation. Advent as we know it develops on two separate tracks: the first having to do with our spiritual preparation for celebrating the Christmas feast, and the second having to do with the way this is organized and expressed in the liturgical readings and prayers every day of the season. Christmas Eve this year is Monday, December 24th. Daily Mass will be held at 9am. Christmas Eve Monday Evening, December 24th we will offer a Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at 5pm and a Mass During The Night at 10pm. PLEASE NOTE: There will be NO MIDNIGHT MASS. Tuesday, December 25th, Christmas Morning Masses will be held at 8:30 am & 10:30am. Christmas Confessions will be offered on Saturday, December 22nd from noon and from 3:45-4:30pm. Christmas Flowers: In your packet of December collection envelopes you will find an envelope to provide Christmas flowers in memory of loved ones. Kindly return it before Christmas. PLEASE NOTE: As of January 1, 2019 our Saturday Confession time will change. New time for Saturday Confessions will be 3:30-4:15pm.

8 Page Eight First Sunday of Advent..December 2, 2018 Best Advent Ever 'Tis (almost) The Season We prepare for everything we consider important in life. And that includes Christmas. We visit family and friends, bake cookies, decorate our trees and shop for gifts until we are ready to drop. This year, prepare for Christmas in a different way. Join our parish for BEST ADVENT EVER, a free program from Dynamic Catholic that will help you slow down and focus on what matters most during the busy holiday season. Each day of Advent, you'll receive an with: Short inspirational videos from Allen Hunt and Dominick Albano with guest appearances from Matthew Kelly. Practical tips for everyday life Real-life stories to encourage you in your faith journey Plus, every Sunday during the program, you'll receive a thought-provoking video reflection that will help you understand how the Gospel relates to your own life. Today is the First Sunday in Advent Advent Wreath Lighting Families in the Light As we celebrate the beautiful season of Advent, we invite our parishioners to participate in the lighting of the Advent wreath during the four weeks of Advent. The sign-up poster for the lighting schedule can be found in the Narthex. The Advent wreath is green in color and is a sign of new life. The circle shape reminds is that God's love for us never ends. The Advent candles signify the strong contrast between darkness and light. As the coming of the Christ Child draws closer another candle is lit, each candle dispelling the darkness a little more as we wait with great expectation for the birth of the Christ Child, the Light of the World. Let us together be LIGHT to one another. Again, we welcome you to light our Advent wreath at a Mass of your choice. When it is your time to light the wreath, please tell the celebrant/sacristan prior to mass that you will light it. Become a Parish Champion for The Church of the Incarnation "Everyone wants to belong to a vibrant faith community...and re-energizing your parish can start with you. Become a Parish Champion for Incarnation Church. It's a simple yet powerful way to inspire your fellow parishioners by sharing free copies of our life-changing books, CDS and Catholic programs with them. Are you ready to share the genius of Catholicism with everyone in your faith community?" Dynamic Catholic What does a Parish Champion Do? "Every month Parish Champions distribute free Dynamic Catholic books or CDS, share our world class Catholic programs with our parish Champion team leaders, pray for their parish and interact with our Parish Champion team leader to discover new ways to breathe life into their parish community." Dynamic Catholic Noranne Wamester, Pastoral Associate is the team leader for our parish. If you would like to join her in this wonderful endeavor, please call her at (860) The free gift for Christmas is a book entitled "The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity" written by Matthew Kelly. It is featured on Dynamiccatholic.com. It will be distributed for those who are interested at the 10:30am Mass on Sunday, December 16, 2018 (Gaudete Sunday) at all exits by our parish Champions. They will also be available at the 5:00pm Mass on Saturday, December 22nd and Sunday, December 23rd at the 8:30am Mass. God bless you all.