HOLY CROSS PARISH COMMUNITY

Transcription

1 HOLY CROSS PARISH COMMUNITY Founded and Staffed by the Congregation of Holy Cross Visit us on Facebook at: Holy Cross Parish Easton, MA Mission Statement Holy Cross Parish, a community centered in the Eucharist, is committed in faith and love of Jesus Christ to fulfill the profoundly human and spiritual needs of its parishioners and the larger community it serves. We seek to inspire all, through deeds and by example, to do the work of Christ: to make God known, loved, and served. Pastoral Staff Fr. Brad Metz, C.S.C., Pastor Marie Chabot, Director of Faith Formation Gail Shea, Parish Secretary Fr. Jim Preskenis, C.S.C., Parochial Vicar Christopher Iannitelli, Director Of Music Paul Celia, Plant Manager Deacon George Zarella, Pastoral Associate Patria Ferragamo, Youth Minister Deborah Kelley, Finance Contact Information 225 Purchase Street Easton, MA Phone - (508) Web Address - Please submit bulletin notices to the office in writing by 9 a.m. on Tuesdays Office Hours Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mass Schedule Saturday: 4:00 p.m. - Sunday: 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday - 9:00 a.m. Holy Days of Obligation - 9:00 a.m. & 7 p.m. Sacraments Baptism: Contact a member of the pastoral team to schedule a baptism for your child or for preparation for adult baptism. Sacrament of Christian Marriage: Please contact one of the priests eight months to a year in advance to schedule your wedding and begin preparations. Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday from 3:15-3:45 p.m. or anytime by appointment. Sacrament of the Sick: This sacrament is available to anyone who is ill. Please let us know if you or anyone you know is hospitalized or homebound. Welcome Please introduce yourselves and register in order to become a member of this community of believers. We welcome your gifted presence in the life of our parish.

2 HOLY CROSS CHURCH Dear Parishioners, The celebration of Thanksgiving Day this past Thursday caused me to reflect on my thankfulness for the parishioners of Holy Cross Parish. Many of you made a donation toward the gift baskets for our Holly Fair and will volunteer at the Fair itself. A large number of you will take a tag from the Giving Tree to help those in need. At the same time, many of you continue to provide our monthly meal at MainSpring Homeless Shelter, and to make donations toward our monthly Outreach Sunday collection or to our St. Vincent de Paul Society. And of course I give thanks for all who are helping to support the parish through our Parish Special Appeal, and who will support the pastoral ministries of the Diocese through the Catholic Charities Appeal in the spring. Without your dedication we simply could not do all that we do, and would not be the vibrant parish that draws so many families to our parish community. In the Sunday bulletin we often include a brief Thank You to various parish groups and organizations that offer vital service to our parish community. I m sure that I have inadvertently left out a particular parish group that deserves recognition or, worse, the name of a parishioner active in that group. If so, I sincerely apologize, and hope that someone will alert me to the oversight. I wish I could acknowledge by name all the parishioners who dedicate so much of their time, talent, and treasure to our parish, but space would never permit me to do so. Please know how much I, and the pastoral team, appreciate all you do and are for Holy Cross Parish. One parishioner I would like to acknowledge at this time is Donna Cunha, who received the Marian Medal from Bishop da Cunha at last Sunday s Marian Medal Award Ceremony at the Cathedral. Each year the Diocese honors one outstanding individual from each parish with this special recognition. While there are many parishioners here at Holy Cross deserving of this award (you may recall that Paul Giorgio received the Marian Medal last year), the pastoral team nominated Donna in recognition of his many years of dedicated service to our parish. Donna is best known as the coordinator of parishioners who tirelessly work behind the scenes as the God Squad, keeping the church clean and tidy week after week. She has served as an RCIA sponsor multiple times and is one of the regular weekly attendees at the Seeking God with Deacon George scripture study sessions on Wednesday evenings. She is an extraordinary minister of communion at our Sunday Masses. In the past Donna has volunteered at the Fall Festival and Holly Fair and was an active part of the Moms and Tots gatherings here at the parish. She bravely accepted an invitation from me to witness to her life of faith during the homily at this past year s Baccalaureate Mass. Donna and her husband Bob graciously bring their horses as a main attraction during the Blessing of the Animals for the feast day of St. Francis. Donna s contagious smile and dedication to Holy Cross Parish and her family are hallmarks of her love of life and gift of faith. Donna Cunha and Paul Giorgio are representative of so many faithful members of Holy Cross Church who contribute to the life of our parish community. I give thanks for them and for all of you who contribute your faithful presence, dedicated service and ongoing generosity to making God known, loved and served at 225 Purchase Street and beyond. Let us all continue thanking God on this Solemnity of Christ our King. God Bless, Father Brad (The Son of Man) will anser them, Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the lease of these, you did not do it tome. (Matthew 22:45) Who are the least of your sisters and brothers for whom you do care? Who are those whom you ignore? You are invited to use this question for personal and/or family reflection during the month. Parish groups are reminded to begin one meeting this month with a five to ten minute shared reflection on this question. Teaching Mass December 10 at 5:30 On December 10th, the 5:30 Teen Mass will be a Teaching Mass as well - if you have ever wondered why we do the things we do, or what's really going on up there, this is the Mass for you! Fr. Brad will be aiming the teaching at the teenagers, which makes this a perfect learning opportunity for all ages, and all parishioners are welcome to join us for this special event. Please note: the Teaching Mass will run a little longer than the typical Sunday Mass. 2 Christmas Cookies and More! Our Cookie Stroll is very popular at the Holy Cross Holly Fair. We need lots of your favorite Christmas cookies! Please help by bringing two dozen of your favorite recipe to the parish center on Friday, December 1st or Saturday, December 2nd anytime from 9 am 4 pm. Not a cookie baker? Other bakery items are welcome! Questions? Please contact Claire Smith at ; claire.smith@comcast.net. Thank you! It s Not too late!!! No, it s not too late to volunteer to help at the Holly Fair. Join the fun! Please contact: Claire Smith: ; claire.smith@comcast.net. Thank you.

3 SOUTH EASTON, MA Rosemary Burke Diane Cheevers Bob Cunha Phil D Alessandro Lindsay Franzoni Jennifer Fleming Chris Goffredo Isabella Hoffman Margaret Hogan Mark Jussaume Matt Leitzmann Liz McGinnis Sid Smith Tuesday, November 28 9:30 a.m.: Prayer Shawl Ministry 7 p.m.: Bible Study Wednesday, November 29 9:30 a.m.: St. Andre Bessette Intercessory Prayer Group 6 p.m.: Children s Choir 6:30 p.m.: Cub Scouts 7 p.m.: Seeking God with Deacon George Thursday, November 30 9 a.m.: Mass and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 7 p.m.: Adult Choir Friday, December 1 9:30 a.m. Bible Study 7 p.m.: Women s Cursillo Reunion Saturday, December 2 Holly Fair 5-7 p.m. 7:30 a.m.: Men s Cursillo Reunion 8:30 a.m.: Morning Rosary Sunday, December 3 Holly Fair & Breakfast with Santa 8 a.m.-1 p.m. 4:30 p.m.: Teen Ensemble Rehearsal Looking Ahead December 10: Annual Mass of Communal Anointing, 11:30 a.m. December 10: Giving Tree Gifts Are Due Back December 15: Movie Night/Parent Night Out, 5-9 p.m. Lion King 3 Parish Special Appeal Our sincere thanks to all who have already made a pledge on behalf of our Parish Special Appeal, dedicated to raising funds needed for the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of our parish plant as well as some major projects. Our Goal: $50,000 Pledged: $20,645 Still Need: $29,355 It is through your generous support that we are able to maintain our high level of parish activity as well as the quality of our parish facilities. We appreciate your generosity in this year s Special Appeal. Please place your pledge card and envelope in the regular Sunday collection basket during November. You can also mail or bring it to the parish center. Extra pledge cards are available on the windowsills at the side entrances and in the church vestibule. December 2 & 3 Lectors Altar Servers Communion Ministers 4 p.m. Leslie VanLaarhoven Kevin Brennan Penny Brennan Mary Marsh Teresa Connor Janine Couture Kathy Emerson 8:30 a.m. Diane Jussaume John McLaughlin Laura McIntyre Robert Farrell, Jr. Marian Goode Karen Mekler Sue Sessler 10:00 a.m. Jackie Hazel Paul Giorgio Dennis Mizdail Fran Long Chris Behan Frank Paul Isabel Peterson Denise Urquhart Bill Urquhart The Giving Tree is up and full of tags! Through your generosity, many families in need will be able to enjoy the Christmas season. Please select a tag or tags, purchase the requested gift, wrap it (Louison Shelter gifts are not wrapped), place the original tag, along with the white tag, which indicates what the gift is, on the gift. All gifts need to be back by Sunday, December 10 th in order to give us time to sort and distribute the gifts for Christmas. The Parish Health Ministry invites you to our Mass with Anointing of the Sick on Sunday, December 10 th, at 11:30 a.m. All who would like to receive this sacrament are welcome, along with their families and caregivers. This sacrament is not only for those near death but for anyone suffering in mind, body, or spirit, offering us the healing graces provided by this sacrament of the sick. A light lunch will be served after the mass. If you need a ride or special accommodations, please call the Health Ministry office at ext. 116 or Ginny Croak at vcroak@holycrosseaston.org. 3

4 NOBEMBER 26, 2017 The Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet on Tuesday, November 28th, at 9:30 a.m., in the parish center. Any questions, please call Pat Brophy at Movie Night/Parent Night Out Friday, December 15, 5-9 p.m. Lion King 3 The cost is $10/child, which includes 2 slices of Papa Gino s Pizza, 1 bottle of water, unlimited popcorn, child sitting. Candy and soda will not be sold this night. Schedule: 5-6:30 p.m.: Bingo/Various Games 6:30-7:30 p.m.: Pizza 7:30-9 p.m.: Movie: Finding Dory If you want to joins uf for the movie only there is no charge, but a parent must be present. Wear your pajamas and bring a sleeping bag and pillow! Please R.S.V.P. by December 12 to debgoveia.holycross@gmail.com. All proceeds will be donated to the MainSpring House Brown Bag Lunch Program. Confirmation Candidates Need community service ours? Please volunteer for this event by ing debgoveia.holycross@gmail.com. Yes, It s that Time of Year! Here are Some Tips on Avoiding the Flu: Get a flu shot! It takes about 2 weeks for the vaccine to reach it s full potency Wash your hands frequently using warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol based hand sanitizer Avoid touching your nose and mouth Avoid close contact with those folks who are ill Drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest. Eat a balanced diet. Clean surfaces at home with a disinfectant cleaner If you do get the Flu According to the CDC, the definition of Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused the the influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each year. Young children, those who are immunosuppresed and the elderly are at particular risk for the flu. The symptoms of the flu are: Fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, headache and fatigue If you think you have the flu, contact your doctor, drink plenty of fluids, get lots of rest and monitor your temperature. Use over the counter medications only if o.k. with your doctor. Stay Home!! The collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) provides funding for groups that make lasting change and uplift the poor in the United States. CCHD s grants improve education, support economic development, and create affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods. Help us continue to defend human dignity and build communities of solidarity. Please place the envelope in the regular collection. Envelopes for this special collection are available In the church vestibule. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Seeking God is a program, led by Deacon George. All are welcomed and all necessary material is provided each night the group meets. This program meets on Wednesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. 4 The next monthly baptism preparation date is December 9. All are at 10 a.m. Please call the parish office at (508) to register. All baptisms will be scheduled with Fr. Brad.

5 OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE The following items are requested to help these local agencies serve those in need: Father Bill's/Mainspring Homeless Shelter in Brockton Deodorant, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, combs, canned vegetables Birthright Baby wipes, diapers, small drug store gift cards Family & Community Resources Canned soup, pasta and sauce, mac & and cheese, rice, canned fruit & vegetables, side dishes, toiletries My 's Brother's Keeper Cooking oil, salt, pepper, spices, flour, sugar, baking mixes, pancake mix and maple syrup, sponges, foil, plastic baggies/ wrap, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, paper goods, dishwashing liquid Jon David Louison Family Shelter Snacks for kids lunches, baking mixes, canned goods, macaroni and cheese, juice, pasta Donations are gratefully accepted in the vestibule of the church on the first Sunday of every month. Every month the agencies are amazed by how generous Holy Cross Parishioners are to those in need in the community. Thank you for your continued support! Saint Andre Bessette Intercessory Prayer Group The Prayer Group will meet on Wednesday, November 29 th at 9:30 a.m., in the chapel. Prayers of intercession will be offered for our priests, the needs of the parishioners, the petitions in the book of intercession, the petitions in the prayer box, our relatives, friends, and any other particular needs. Anyone interested in joining us is welcome. For information or prayer requests, call Fran Long at(508) or the parish center at (508) Saturday, November 25 4:00 p.m.: Helen Pocius, Birthday Remembrance requested by Marianne and Don Klok Sunday, November 26 8:30 a.m.: Patrick Brennan, Birthday Remembrance requested by his wife Paula and family 10:00 a.m.: Marie Madden, 90th Birthday requested by Rosemary and Jerry Burke Monday, November 27 9:00 a.m.: For the People of the Parish Wednesday, November 29 9:00 a.m.: Dan Crane, Birthday requested by his daughter Laura Butler Friday, December 1 9:00 a.m.: Mary Cartwright requested by Debbie and Phil D Alessandro Saturday, December 2 4:00 p.m.: Michael Garner requested by Ellen & Paul Decristofaro & family Please join us at 8:40 a.m., Monday through Friday, to pray the rosary before morning mass, and on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in the Brother Andre Chapel. Morning Mass Remember that morning mass is celebrated in the Brother Andre Chapel in the parish center Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m., except Thursday when mass is followed by Benediction and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the church. Bible Study meets weekly on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday mornings at 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Both groups are studying a panorama of the New Testament. It is a survey of God's people from the Gospels to the Book of Revelation. Everyone is welcome. Come. Join either group. Share this opportunity to grow in faith and understanding of Scripture with other parishioners. For more information call : Fran Long (508) or franlong313@gmail.com. 5

6 6