St. Nicholas Parish. CLERGY Rev. George P. Blais

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1 St. Nicholas Parish El Toro Road, Laguna Woods, CA (949) ; FAX (949) ; School of Religious Education: (949) Our Parish Mission Statement St. Nicholas Parish is a Catholic community, celebrating our faith through the Sacraments, Liturgy, Prayer and Service. We strive to nurture family life and to create one body out of many in the Lord. We share the Good News with people of all ages, cultures and faith backgrounds. Pastor Parochial Vicar Deacon Deacon Deacon CLERGY Rev. George P. Blais Rev. Quyen Truong Rev. Msgr. John Campbell Rev. Gerald Walker Rev. Brendan Hankins Rev. Jack Sewell Rev. Chin Dang Wayne Thompson Chau Tran Gerardo De Santos MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 4:00PM, 7:00PM in Spanish Sunday: 7:30AM, 9:00AM, 10:45AM, 12:30PM, and 5:00PM in Vietnamese. Monday through Friday: 7:00AM and 9:00AM Saturday: 9AM Filipino Mass: 5:30PM, First Saturdays, October-June. Holy Days: 4PM Vigil, 7AM, 9AM, 12PM, 6PM and 7:30PM in Vietnamese RECONCILIATION (Confession) Saturday: 9:45AM to 10:15AM and 3:00PM to 3:45PM or by appointment. BAPTISM Fourth Sunday of the month at 2:00PM. Arrangements must be made a month in advance. Parents must attend two preparation sessions. MARRIAGE Arrangements must begin at least six months in advance with a priest of the parish. ANOINTING OF THE SICK Call Parish Office in an emergency. Special Service celebrated in fall/spring as announced. FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS At the death of a family member, please call the Parish Office at your earliest convenience to plan for the Mass of Christian Burial. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION DAY 24-hour adoration begins the second Wednesday of the month at the 9:00AM Mass. DEVOTIONS & BENEDICTION Wednesday evenings at 7:00PM; Vietnamese 2nd Wednesday of the month at 8PM. Recitation of the Holy Rosary and Benediction. Parish Office Hours: Sunday: 8:30 AM 1:30 PM Monday through Friday: 9 AM 12 Noon; 1 PM 7:00 PM; Saturday: 9 AM 12 Noon

2 Dear St. Nicholas Parishioners, On this, we look back in our history as we remember how John the Baptist was sent into the world to prepare the way for the Lord. John was not, and is not, the Messiah. He was sent as a messenger of God, the last prophet to prepare the world to meet the Lord. He preached the need for repentance, and this message was not only meant for the people of his time, but also for us in this day and time. We are reminded to repent and prepare ourselves to meet the Lord in our lives today. Like John, we are encouraged to go out into the world and prepare people today to make themselves and others ready to meet the Lord. On Tuesday this week, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is the day that we remember when Mary, our Blessed Mother, appeared to Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico. Mary s message to Juan Diego was the same as all of her apparitions. She invites us to come to her Son, come to the Sacraments, and be the voice of Jesus in and to the world. As we remember that great occasion in the life of the Church, let us join with Mary and all the Saints in pointing the way to the Lord by how we live our lives, focused on the Gospel. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of all of the Americas. Fr. George Hispanic Group Events All Parishioners are invited to these Hispanic Group events: Tuesday, December 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe: 6am Procession from the Parish Center 6:30am Las Mananitas in the Church 7am Mass in Church 8am Reception Parish Center after Mass Thursday, December 21 Las Posadas at 6:00pm in the Parish Center. Las Posadas commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge for the birth of the baby, Jesus. Retirement Fund for Religious Collection THIS WEEKEND December 9th and 10th Your gift in the collection helps to provide prescription medications, nursing care, and more for thousands of elderly religious sisters, brothers and religious order priests who worked for many years for little, if any, pay. Like many Americans, religious communities face the monumental challenge of funding eldercare. By 2027, retired religious are projected to outnumber wage-earners by more than three to one. We appreciate your generosity. NEWS OF COMFORT In a time of preparation, much of it having to do with material things, it is good to hear the words of Isaiah, Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God (Isaiah 40:1). In a time of such stress and rush, when our usual burdens are augmented by piles of Christmas preparations, we can choose to slow down, take some time to heal, and appreciate the enormous gift we are about to receive. Christ, the Son of God, has become one of us, and knows our human limitations. Yet God, even now, is freeing us from the burdens that our inattentiveness to our God and to our deepest inner longings have heaped upon us. The Lord comes, not as a king with mighty armies, but as a shepherd leading the flocks with care and tenderness. Isaiah prophesies good news: our oppression is over, our sins forgiven. The savior we have awaited is coming, not the first time, but in the end times, as our salvation. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. Stewardship of Treasure Weekly Required Budget December 3 $26, $28, $25,856.00

3 Parish Calendar This Week Monday: 7AM Tillotson Family 9AM Eliodoro Romero (d) Tuesday: 7AM Regina Tressen (d) 9AM Thi Ngoc Nguyen (d) Wednesday: 7AM Caesar Dimson (d) 9AM Bill and Esther Blanc (d) Thursday: 7AM Moslie Meyers (d) 9AM Phyllis Connell (d) Friday: 7AM John Patrick Fealey (d) 9AM Therese Blais (d) Saturday: 9AM Cually Bacer (d) 4PM David Scharff 7PM Natividad Rodrigues (d) Sunday: 7:30AM Anthony Chiralli (d) 9:00AM Daniel Smith (d) 10:45AM For the Parish 12:30PM Harry Kolb (d) TODAY S READINGS We Remember All Our Beloved Deceased who entered their new and eternal lives in Christ. Grant to all our dearly departed, eternal rest, O Lord, and may your light shine on them forever. First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 The rugged land shall be made a plain; the rough country, a broad valley. Psalm 85: Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation. Second Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14 Conduct yourselves in holiness, hastening the coming of the day of God. Gospel: Mark 1:1-8 I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. MONDAY Sewing Group, Small Hall, 8AM Religious Education for Elementary, Parish Center, 4:15PM Spanish Rosary, Church, 6:30PM TUESDAY Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast, Parish Center, after 7AM Mass Religious Education for Elementary, Parish Center, 4:15PM Spanish RCIA, Room C, 6PM SRE Confirmation I, Parish Center-upstairs, 7PM 7 & 8 Grade SRE, Parish Center-downstairs, 7PM St. Nicholas Chorale, Small Hall, 7:15PM WEDNESDAY Eucharistic Adoration, Church, begins at 9AM Mass Bereavement Ministry, Room B, 10AM Religious Education for Elementary, Parish Center, 4:15PM Devotions & Benediction, Church, 7PM Hispanic Choir, Room C, 7PM Filipino Choir, Small Hall, 8PM THURSDAY Faith Alive-Faith Sharing, Room A, 10AM Hispanic Council, Room C, 6:30PM RCIA, Parish Center-Room 201, 7PM St. Nicholas Choir, Small Hall, 7:15PM FRIDAY Divine Mercy-St. Faustina Study, Room C, 9:45AM Hispanic Bible Study, Small Hall, 7PM Baptism Preparation Spanish, Room B, 7PM Baptism Preparation English, Room C, 7:30PM SATURDAY Hispanic Choir, Room C, 4PM SUNDAY Library is OPEN, Room C, 8:45AM Simbang Gabi, Church, 6:30PM The School of Religious Education and the Parish Offices will be closed on Wednesday, December 13th, as the Staff will be attending an Advent Retreat. The Parish Office will be open from 5pm to 7pm. Area Advent Penance Services Monday, December 11 at 7PM Santiago de Compostela Wednesday, December 13 at 7PM St. Kilian Friday, December 15 at 7PM San Francisco Solano Wednesday, December 20 at 7PM St. Nicholas

4 School of Religious Education SRE Elementary: Monday through Wednesday, Dec , in the Parish Center from 4:15pm to 5:30pm. 7th & 8th Grades: Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 7pm to 8:30pm, downstairs in the Parish Center. Confirmation I: Tuesday, Dec. 12, upstairs in the Parish Center, from 7pm to 8:30pm. Special Events in December TODAY Sunday, December 10th, after the 9am and 10:45am Masses, Santa Claus will be visiting at Coffee and Donuts in the Parish Center. Don t forget to bring your Angel Tree Gift, by Dec. 13th. Last week of classes for Elementary and Junior High and Confirmation is December 17th. The School of Religion will be closed for the Christmas and New Year s break the weeks of December 24th and 31st. Classes will resume on January 8, 2018 for Elementary, and January 9th for Junior High and Confirmation. On Christmas Eve, December 24th, our SRE Students and Youth Ministry will be presenting a Christmas Pageant at 3:30pm in the Church followed by Mass at 4pm. A Heartfelt Thank You To The Knights of Columbus and the Hispanic Prayer Group for hosting the St. Nicholas Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving Day. Great big HUGS to all the volunteers who worked for days to prepare food, serve the attendees and work on Thanksgiving Day. God bless you all! Check us out on Facebook! Teen/Family Choir Rehearsal: Choir Rehearsal on Thursday, Dec. 21st at 7:30pm in the Choir Loft. We will be singing at the 3:30pm Christmas Pageant and at the 4pm Mass on Christmas Eve. We will also sing at the Saturday, Dec. 30th, 4pm Parish Mass. Teen/Family Choir will be Christmas Caroling at local retirement homes on Sunday, Dec. 17. We ll meet at St. Nicholas at 12:30pm and carpool to the locations. For more information, call Gwen at We need volunteers to perform in our annual Christmas Eve Pageant please call the SRE Office, , if you are interested in taking part. There are NO speaking parts! Today, Dec 10, Confirmation & Youth Ministry students will be serving Coffee and Donuts, and our special guest will be Santa Claus! Santa will be here after the 9am and 10:45am Masses. Join us and discuss how the Bible can help us in our everyday lives. Bible Study on Tuesday, Dec. 19 from 6pm 7pm in the Youth Ministry room. If you ve missed a Confirmation I or II class, you may attend one of these to make up for your absence. The Angel Tree will be up until December 11th. Angel Tree gifts should be brought to the Parish Office by Wednesday, December 13th unwrapped please! Gifts will be distributed to South County Outreach and other charitable organizations in the county. Thank you for your generosity! Pennies from Heaven Update Del Moses (pictured above center front) and some of the workers, who donated their time and talent to cook and serve Parishioners a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner on November 23rd, stand ready for the crowd (pictured below)! We are grateful to all who contributed to the Pennies from Heaven Drive, on Sunday, November 12th. We collected a total of $1,257.00, which was sent to the Diocese. These donations support right-to-life organizations. Your generosity is appreciated! St. Nicholas Senior Singles We are gathering for lunch on Friday, December 15th at 12:30pm, at Macaroni Grill, Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo. Reservations required: Call Joan at New members invited and welcomed! Friendship with the love of God in our hearts.

5 Please note early Bulletin deadlines! With holidays and Publisher requirements, articles for our bulletin have EARLY DEADLINES! Articles submitted after the required Due Date will not be published in the bulletin. Bulletin Date December 24th December 31st January 7th, 2018 Articles Due By December 13th December 15th FOOD BOXES for Senior Citizens over age 60. Community Action Partnership of Orange County is collaborating with St. Nicholas Church and local churches to provide monthly food boxes for Seniors the second Tuesday of each month. Following are income guidelines: Family Size Monthly Income 1 $1, $1, $2, $2, $3, Distribution of boxes will be on Tuesday, December 12, from 2-4pm, at the Lutheran Church of the Cross (back parking lot), El Toro Rd., Laguna Woods. SIMBANG GABI St. Nicholas Parishioners are invited to come on Sunday, December 17th at 6:30pm in the Church. December 20th December 10, 2017 Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Mark 1:3 Simbang Gabi is a Filipino Catholic tradition celebrated as an Advent Novena Mass to prepare for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone is invited. A reception will follow in the Parish Center. Christmas Flower Donations We will be accepting donations of Poinsettias (preferably red) in memory of your loved ones to help decorate the Church and Parish Center for Christmas. Please bring the flowers to the Parish Office by Thursday, December 21st. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Many people think that Saint Francis originated the Christmas crèche, but its origins go far back. The Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome has housed what is said to be relics of the cradle of Jesus since the seventh century. In time, every year during the Christmas season the reliquary (container for relics) was surrounded by an increasingly grand three-dimensional scene of the place of Jesus birth. Rocks and trees, houses, streams, figurines of villagers going about their daily tasks were all included. It was a very dramatic presentation. If you ve ever seen an elaborate model train installation, you get the idea. The proper term for this depiction is presepio, from the Latin word for surround or hedge. Over the centuries, the custom spread first to churches, and then to aristocratic homes. In Italy, whole chapels are often set aside for the presepio, and it is not unusual to have hundreds of figures. It can sometimes be a challenge to locate the Holy Family amid the crowd, almost like a Where s Waldo? children s book. The oldest surviving presepio is in St. Mary Major and dates from the thirteenth century, although many pieces have been broken or lost. Saint Francis of Assisi took a decidedly creative step in 1233 in the village of Greccio, when he directed his followers to fill a manger with hay and tether an ox and ass nearby. He then invited the villagers to attend Mass outdoors near the crib, the worshipers themselves becoming a living presepio. By the seventeenth century, the tradition was well-established, particularly in Naples, and had a firm hold in Portugal, Spain, and in the Provence region of France. Today, it is not unusual to find presepios with five hundred figures, a vivid reminder of Emmanuel, God-with-us! Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Wordnet Productions presents: The Word in the World. Dec 10th: Struck by God: True God Fr. Mike Illuminates Paul s explanation of Jesus two natures, divine and human, both were needed to save us from sin and death. TCT (Direct TV-377) - now on Sundays, 4am -record it!! (TCT is on Channel 205 in Laguna Woods Village.) Or go to Program Archives, or YouTube: Wordnet Productions Channel. Our Monthly Day of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins this Wednesday, December 13, at the 9AM Mass and continues until just prior to the 9AM Mass on Thursday, December 14. We invite and encourage you to spend some time with Our Lord in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Come to the Parish Library! The Library is open on Sundays, 8:45am to 12:45pm, and the last Wednesday of the month, 2pm to 4pm. Starting January 7th, 2018, the Library will only be open the 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month, 8:45am 12:45pm, and we will no longer be open on Wednesday afternoons. We have a cart of free items: rosaries, prayer cards, etc. We are located in Room C, behind the Parish Office.

6 St. Nicholas Advent Penance Service 15 Priests Wednesday, December 20th at 7:00PM in the Church Sacrament of Reconciliation: SATURDAY, December 23: at 9:45am and 3:00pm Christmas/New Year s Mass Schedule, 2017 Sunday, December 24, 2017 Fourth Sunday of Advent Masses at 7:30am, 9am, 10:45am, 12:30pm Note: We will not have a 5pm Vietnamese Mass. Solemnity of the Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord 4:00pm, (English) SRE Family Mass with Teen Choir [3:30pm Christmas Pageant and Christmas Carols.] 6pm, (English), with St. Nicholas (9am) Choir with String Quartet [Prelude at 5:30pm] 8pm, Vietnamese Mass in the Church 8pm, Spanish Mass in the Parish Center 10:30pm with St. Nicholas (10:45am) Chorale with oboe & flute [Prelude at 10:00pm] Monday, December 25, 2017 Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord: 8:00am, with Cantor and Piano 10:00am, with St. Nicholas Chorale 12:00 Noon, with Cantor and Organ Tuesday, December 26, 2017 Day after Christmas Masses at 7am and 9am Sunday, December 31, 2017 Feast of the Holy Family: Masses at: 7:30am, 9am, 10:45am, 12:30pm, 5pm Vietnamese Monday, January 1, 2018 Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God: 9:00 A.M., and 11:00 A.M. (Not a Holy Day of Obligation in Diocese of Orange.)