St. Elizabeth Seton Parish

Transcription

1 St. Elizabeth Seton Parish 520 Ridgebury Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut Second Sunday of Advent December 9, 2018 Parish Office Phone: Fax Hours: Mon. Fri. 9:00 AM 1:00 PM Religious Education Phone: Fax: Hours: Mon. Wed. 9:30 AM 1:00 PM Pastoral Team Fr. Joseph A. Prince, Pastor Fr. Justin Raj, Parochial Vicar Deacon Francis J. Foyt Coordinators of Religious Education Mrs. Marie Trebing (Catechetical) Mrs. Gigi Pekala (Administrative) Parish Office Secretary Mrs. Sarah Sorgie Youth Ministry Middle School: Mrs. Cindy Bruno High School: Ms. Gina Donnarummo Music Director/Organist Michelle Fraser Guitar Accompanist Mr. Michael Canavan Finance Committee Chair Mr. Steve O Hara MASS SCHEDULE Daily Mass: Monday - Friday - 8:30 a.m. (Morning Prayer before Mass at 8:20 a.m.) Saturday: Confessions - 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Vigil Mass - 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:00, 9:30, 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (No 5:00 p.m. Mass: Christmas Day, New Year s Day, Easter Sunday and Thanksgiving Day.) Easter Mass Schedule: Saturday 7:30 pm Vigil, no 3:30 p.m. Confession, no 5:00 p.m. mass Sunday 7:00, 8:00, 9:15, 11:00 and 12:30 Christmas Mass Schedule: Christmas Eve: 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 11:00 p.m. Christmas Day: 8:00, 9:30, 11:30 a.m. Parish Coffee Hour: following the 9:30am Mass on Sundays September through June. Baked goods are always welcome. Mission Statement We are a spirit-filled Catholic Community of faith-centered people dedicated to the growth of God s Kingdom, and the living of the Gospel. We proclaim the Good News of Salvation to all by living a life of faith and loving concern for all our sisters and brothers.

2 MASS INTENTIONS Saturday December 8-Immaculate Conception 9:30 A.M. +Dennis Murray Req. by The Cavalea Family 3:30 P.M. Confession 5:00 P.M. +James Lompasso Req. by Victor and Jody Lampasso Sunday December 9 8:00 A.M. For Our Parishioners 9:30 A.M. +Nate Cavallo 3rd Anniversary Req. by Jacqueline Abair & Family 11:30 A.M. +Julianna Carraturo and Family Req. by Dolores Pin 5:00 P.M. +Nancy McGovern Req. by the McGovern Family Monday December 10 8:30 A.M. +Deanna Alexi Req. by Steve and Lucia O Hara Tuesday December 11 8:30 A.M. +Beatrice Donofrio Req. by Steve and Lucia O Hara Wednesday December 12 8:30 A.M. +Sheldon J. Michaelson Req. by Sarah Sorgie Thursday December 13 9:30 A.M. +Serge Bernard Req. by The Bernard Family Friday December 14 8:30 A.M. Victims of Sandy Hook Req. by St. Elizabeth Seton Parish Saturday December 15 3:30 P.M. Confession 5:00 P.M. +Charlene Cimino Req. by The Pekala Family Sunday December 16 8:00 A.M. +Barbara and John Carideo Req. by the Aruilio and Carideo- Brewer Families 9:30 A.M. +Anne Mattola Req. by Jeremy and Nicole Buturla 11:30 A.M. +Marie Varnerin Req. by Ron and Kathy Cococcia 5:00 P.M. +Christof J. Wingenter Req. by the Binette Family Second Collections: This Week: Retirement Fund for Religious Next Week: Christmas Flower Offering LIVING THE CONSECUTIVE NOW Even though we have no choice but to live here and now, we do have a choice as to how we will listen for and heed God s will for us in the here and now, and in the hereafter. INSIDE THE READINGS The first reading is from the book of the prophet Baruch, who also may have served as Jeremiah s scribe or secretary. Along with Jeremiah, Baruch is taken to Egypt. However, when the book of Baruch opens, the scribe turned prophet is now in Babylon. The final form of the book may be dated as late as the second century B.C. and is composed of four sections: the letter to Jerusalem, praise of Wisdom, Baruch s poem of consolation, and a letter of Jeremiah. Today s first reading is part of Baruch s poem of consolation, in which he encourages the mourning city of Jerusalem, echoing the language of Second Isaiah. The overall tone of Paul s Letter to the Philippians is that of joy. In today s reading, Paul prays with joy because the Philippians have partnered with Paul in the gospel. This partnership, or koinonia in the Greek, is demonstrated by a shared suffering with Paul and a participation in the Spirit. But koinonia can also mean contribution, and it may be that Paul is particularly pleased by their generosity. The Gospel reading introduces John the Baptist by situating his ministry within political temporal markers. The fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius can be reckoned between A.D. 27 and 29. Pontius Pilate was prefect of Judea from A.D. 26 to 36. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, was the tetrarch (leader of a quarter) of Galilee and Perea from 4 B.C. to 39 A.D., and his brother Philip had the same title and ruled over regions north and east of the Sea of Galilee from 4 B.C. to 34 A.D. Luke also refers to the temple priesthood (though Annas and his son-inlaw Caiaphas were not both high priests at the same time). Unlike the other evangelists, Luke presents John as having been called by God ( the word of God came to John ), but similar to the other Gospel writers, John will remain only a prophetic messenger who proclaims a baptism of repentance and recognizes that one mightier than I is coming. RESPONDING IN PRAYER God of all times and ages, you make mountains low, straighten crooked paths, and smooth ways that are rough. Help me to receive your Word today and live in ways that prepare the way for your Son, Jesus Christ, today, this Advent, and every day of life that you give me.

3 MINISTRIES VOLUNTEERS The Worship committee gratefully recognizes the weekly liturgy ministers who will serve in our Masses next weekend December 15th & 16th. Saturday Vigil: Connor Hunt ASE) Sara Hunt (ASE) Chaz DellaCorte (ASE) Chris Fusaro (EUC) Barbara Frates (EUC) Nancy Rafferty (EUC) Pamela Fusaro (LEC) Sunday, 8:00 AM Liam Ferguson (ASE) Volunteer Needed (ASE) Volunteer Needed (ASE) Donna Keough (EUC) Matthew Keough (EUC) Patricia Keough (EUC) Jerry Sulli (LEC) Sunday, 9:30 AM Julia Palmiotto (ASE) Claire O Hanlon (ASE) Grace O Hanlon (ASE) Regina Butcher (EUC) Jim Callahan (EUC) Vincent Daly (EUC) Eileen Doyle (EUC) Marcia Nelson (EUC) Carol Maiolo (LEC) Sunday, 11:30 AM Makena Skrobar (ASE) Melissa Skrobar (ASE) Victoria Skrobar (ASE) Wendy Lionetti (EUC) Marie Trebing (EUC) Dennis Nauheimer (EUC) Raymond Kurkjy (LEC) Sunday, 5:00 PM Hannah Talbott (ASE) William Talbott (ASE) Volunteer Needed (ASE) Ellen Adamski (EUC) Rich Adamski (EUC) David Shofi (LEC) EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS OF MERCY: If you would like someone to bring the Eucharist to you, please call Deacon Frank Foyt, We visit the ill, homebound, the hospital and nursing homes. MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH GROUPS: All MS and HS students are welcome to attend our meetings and youth mass the 4th Sunday of each month. We also plan service projects and fun activities. Questions? Please contact Cindy Bruno (203) (MS) or Gina Donnarummo (HS). PRIME TIMERS: A fellowship group of men and women who have the time and desire to come together on weekdays for social and service events. Monthly meetings are held on the first Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. in McKeon Hall. For information call Kathryn Guido at SES MEN S GROUP: Meets the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 in the Parish Center. Contact: Rich Adamski rejcadamski@att.net OUTREACH: is a group of parish volunteers who work with local charities to help those who are less fortunate. Coordinators: Connie Tomasetti, & Mia Belanger PARISH NURSES: Meet periodically throughout the year. Offer blood pressure screenings and an annual flu clinic. Contact: Carol Tyrrell (203) DOROTHY DAY HOSPITALITY HOUSE: The second Sunday of each month is our day of service. Call Gladys Gannon at PRAYER TREE: In times of crisis it is helpful to know that we are not alone. If you need prayers for you or a loved one, please send your prayer request to SESPrayertree@gmail.com. If you do not have or access to the internet you may contact Cyndi Smalley-Markovitz at FAMILY ASSISTANCE: Want to help? Need help? Call Fr. Prince RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA) is a program offered to non baptized and Christians of other traditions to learn more about the Catholic faith and to be welcomed into our Catholic Community. Please call the Parish Office. SUNSHINE COMMITTEE: This ministry welcomes new parishioners, provides rides to doctor appointments, SES functions, and prepares meals as needed during illness or for families with new babies. If you or someone you know in the parish needs assistance please call the parish office WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY: Join us as we deepen our faith studying the Word of God. Contacts: Anita Morris and Deb Varnerin PARISH ADVISORY COUNCIL Meets the second Tuesday of the month, September through June. Parishioners with questions or suggestions should contact any PAC member listed. Mia Belanger Michelle Broggy Molly Burich Sonia Girolamo Michele Goodman Neal Hicks Mary Hynes Kelly Molloy Russell Porter Jerry Sulli TRUSTEES Ernie Conti Victor Lampasso

4 NURSES CORNER December, 2018 Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 The holidays are supposed to be joyful so people who experience great sadness and depression often will not share their true feelings with others. Those who might have the holiday blues include parents whose children no longer live at home, seniors who are widowed or have lost many of their friends, and any person who is separated from family and friends. These losses and separations take the joy out of their holidays. To give them back some enjoyment, include them in your activities, encourage them to get involved in church and acknowledge their feelings and losses. Support them when they are blue. VISITS TO THE SICK If you would like to have one of our priests or deacon visit a relative or friend in the hospital, rehabilitation facility, or home, please call the parish office at MASS INTENTIONS If you have requested a Mass Intention and you and your family would like to bring up the gifts of bread and wine at Offertory time, please check in with one of the ushers when you arrive at church. They will do their best to be sure you are able to participate in this special way at the mass for your loved one(s). THANK YOU The Outreach Committee would like to thank the parish for the successful Veterans Drive. We collected $390 grocery gift card and many boxes of toiletries and clothing items. Thank you for your kindness and generosity towards our veterans in need!!! COFFEE HOUR Our next coffee hour will be on December 16th and will be hosted by the Men s Group. Please join us in McKeon Hall after the 9:30am Mass for some holiday cheer. If you would like to host a coffee hour in the future, please call Mary Hynes. (203) The following dates are still available: January 27th and February 24th. SAVE THE DATE The Saint Elizabeth Seton Family Dinner will be held on Saturday, January 12, 2019 after the 5:00pm Mass. All are welcome and we hope to see you all there. PAC The Parish Advisory Council will meet this Tuesday, December 11th at 7:30pm in the Parish Center. LECTOR MEETING All parishioners who are currently serving in the Lector ministry are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, December 12th in the church at 7pm. This meeting is being held to update our lectors on the revisions to the liturgical norms. PARISH MEMBERSHIP If you are not already a parishioner here at St. Elizabeth Seton, we invite you to join our parish family. Anyone wishing to join the parish should complete a Parish census form in the back of the church and call the office to make an appointment to be personally welcomed by our Pastor, Father Joseph A. Prince. One must be an active, registered parishioner to receive an eligibility certificate to act as a sponsor for Baptism or Confirmation. Please notify the office if you move and/or change your telephone number.

5 St. Elizabeth Seton Parish Christmas and New Year Mass Schedule Readings for the Week Second Sunday of Advent December 9, 2018 God has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low. Baruch 5:7 Monday: Is 35:1-10; Ps 85:9-14; Lk 5:17-26 Tuesday: Is 40:1-11; Ps 96:1-3, 10ac, 11-13; Mt 18:12-14 Wednesday: Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Jdt 13:18bcde, 19; Lk 1:26-38 or Lk 1:39-47, or any readings from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nos Thursday: Is 41:13-20; Ps 145:1, 9-13ab; Mt 11:11-15 Friday: Is 48:17-19; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Mt 11:16-19 Saturday:Sir 48:1-4, 9-11; Ps 80: 2ac, 3b, 15-16, 18-19; Mt 17:9a, Sunday: Zep 3:14-18a; Is 12:2-6; Phil 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18 Confessions: Saturday, December 22 nd from 3:00-4:30pm Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24 th 3:30pm Holy Mass 5:30pm Holy Mass 7:30pm Holy Mass 10:30pm Christmas Concert 11:00pm Holy Mass Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25 th 8:00am Holy Mass 9:30am Holy Mass 11:30am Holy Mass No 5pm Mass Confessions: Saturday, December 29 th from 3:30-4:30pm New Year s Eve Solemnity of Mary - Vigil, Monday, December 31 st 5:00pm Holy Mass in the Church New Year s Day, Solemnity of Mary, Monday, January 1 st 9:30am Holy Mass 11:30am Holy Mass No 5pm Mass MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

6 Forgot your Envelope? Another way to manage your weekly offertory or give a one time gift is with Online Giving. You can manage your giving right from your computer or phone. Go to sesparish.org and click on the Online Giving link it s quick and easy! Your regular support helps sustain our parish and you will never have to worry about forgetting your envelope again. YOUR WEEKLY GIVING SACRAMENTS OFFERTORY COLLECTION STATS PRIOR WEEK Gross Offertory Collec on $ 9,109 $ 9,259 Diocesan Assessments $ 1,366 $ 1,389 Net Offertory to Parish $ 7,743 $ 7,870 Thanksgiving $ 259 Fiscal Year (FY) Results Starting July 1 FY 2019 FY 2018 Jul1 Sep 30 Jul 1 Sep 30 Reg Receipts, Religious Ed., Other $ 180,361 $ 137,009 Fund Raising Receipts $ 487 $ 8,950 Total Regular Receipts $ 180,848 $ 145,959 Parish Opera ng Expenses $ 178,243 $ 164,523 Surplus/(Deficit) Before Emergency Fund $ 2,605 $ (18,564) Emergency Fund Receipts $ 15,632 $ 11,816 The seven sacraments; Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Matrimony, and Holy Orders are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions. Any adult wishing to learn more about the Sacraments and be in communion with our Catholic Church is invited to call our office, learn more about, and participate in our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program. Baptism This Sacrament of initiation and welcome into our faithcommunity may be celebrated during a weekend mass or at 1:00 P.M. on the second and fourth Sunday of the month. A Baptism class is held on the 3rd Sunday of every other month at 1:00 P.M. in the Parish Center and is attended prior to the baptism of your first child. You may attend before your child is born, and call the office to register. Eucharist Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. John 6:35 Thus in the Eucharistic Liturgy we are joined with Christ on the altar of the cross and at the table of the upper room. The Sacrament can be received daily at Mass or delivered to the homebound upon request. Confirmation In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized person is sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and is strengthened for service to the Body of Christ. Penance The Sacrament of Penance is an experience of the gift of God s boundless mercy. Time for confession is offered every Saturday afternoon from 3:30-4:30 P.M. in our Church, Tuesday evenings from 7:00-8:30 P.M. at St. Joseph s in Brookfield, and on Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:30 P.M. at Sacred Heart in Danbury. Anointing of the Sick Jesus came to heal the whole person, body and soul. If you would like to have one of our priests or deacons visit you, a relative, or a friend in the hospital, rehabilitation facility, or at home, please call the parish office. Holy Matrimony The Marriage covenant refers to the relationship between the husband and wife, a permanent union of persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God. It is also a liturgical act and Catholics are urged to celebrate their marriage within the Eucharistic Liturgy. Couples are encouraged to make arrangements at least 6 months prior to the wedding. Attendance at the Diocesan Marriage Preparation Program or Engaged Encounter is mandatory. Please call the office for an appointment to begin planning. Holy Orders Ordination to the priesthood is always a call and a gift from God. Those who seek priesthood respond generously to God s call using the words of the prophet, here I am, send me (Is 6:8). For more information about vocations to the priesthood and diaconate, please visit

7 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS OFFICE TELEPHONE: OFFICE FAX: WEB PAGE: DECEMBER 2018 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CALENDAR Sun. 12/9 9:30 a.m. Mass Liturgy of the Word in the Chapel Mon. 12/10 4:30-5:45 p.m. Religious Education Classes for Grades 1 through 7 in Jubilee Memorial and McKeon Hall Tues. 12/11 4:30-5:45 p.m. Religious Education Classes for Grades 1 through 7 in Jubilee Memorial and McKeon Hall Wed. 12/12 4:30-5:45 p.m. Religious Education Classes for Grades 1 through 7 in Jubilee Memorial and McKeon Hall Thurs. 12/13 11:45 a.m. 2 p.m. Confirmation Session #4 in McKeon Hall and the Jubilee Memorial NO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES FROM DECEMBER 17, 2018 THROUGH JANUARY 2, CLASSES RESUME ON JANUARY 7, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND BLESSED NEW YEAR! REMINDER: Any child, who has missed a substantial number of religious education classes, will not advance to the next grade level. OFFICE HOURS: Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs. 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and afternoon hours vary according to class schedules and other Religious Education events