December 30, 2018 Feast of the Holy Family

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1 1626 W. 26th Street Erie, PA December 30, 2018 Feast of the Holy Family Pastoral Staff Father Philip Pinczewski ~ Pastor pastorphil@bserie.org Father Michael DeMartinis ~ In Residence mike.demartinis@prep-villa.com Kevin Kunik ~ Permanent Deacon kevinkunik@hotmail.com Jane Wagner ~ School Principal jwagner@eriecatholic.org Jennifer Durney ~ Facilitator of Religious Education jdurney@bserie.org Kathy Golden ~ Director of Music kgolden@bserie.org Joyce Wickles ~ Business Manager jwickles@bserie.org Diane Fisher ~ Parish Secretary dfisher@bserie.org Mass Schedule Daily Mass in the Chapel: 7:00am School Liturgy on Wednesday in Church September May (check Mass Schedule for time) Saturday Vigil: 4:00 pm Sunday: 8:30 & 11:00am & 7:30 pm Reconciliation Saturday: 3:00-3:45pm Anytime by appointment

2 2 Blessed Sacrament Parish Mission Statement To nourish our love of God through Jesus Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Centered in the Eucharist, we are developing a faith community through prayer, education, worship and Christian fellowship. As stewards of God s love, we strive to share our gifts and talents for the service of God and all His people. Parish Office Office Hours Monday Friday 8am 4pm Closed for lunch Noon 1pm Fax Website dfisher@bserie.org School Cafeteria Gym Scheduling Mark Kloecker Prayer Requests Bulletin Deadline Dave Pianta President of Ushers Lindsey Farrell PTC President Monday at noon pianta3403@aol.com lafarrell32@gmail.com Maureen Decker Chairperson of Pastoral Council Carmen Phillips carmp03@msn.com maleedecker@gmail.com Chairperson of Finance Council Susannah Klins sklins21@gmail.com Chairperson of School Advisory Al Smith allen.smith@ge.com Knights of Columbus Jim Theisen Webmaster for: Michael Scalise Parish Directory Parish Foodbank Coordinator webmaster@bserie.org twintek@velocity.net HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE HEARING DEVICES AVAILABLE THE WEEK AHEAD MONDAY, DECEMBER 31 No 7am Mass Vigil Mass: 5:30pm Parish Office Closed TUESDAY, JANUARY 1 Mass Time: 9:00am Parish Office Closed WEDNESDAY, January 2 Daily Mass 7am School Liturgy 1:15pm Choir 6:00pm THURSDAY, January 3 Daily Mass 7am FRIDAY, January 4 Daily Mass 7am First Friday Communion Calls SATURDAY, JANAURY 5 Confessions 3:00-3:45pm Mass 4:00pm SUNDAY, JANUARY 6 Masses: 8:30am, 11am & 7:30pm No Coffee & Donuts Rel Ed K 10 Confirmation / Sponsor Class 6:00pm Followed by Rite of Enrollment TIME Do not squander time, or that is the stuff life is made of. Benjamin Franklin

3 3 Monday, December 31 7th Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord NO 7AM MASS 5:30 +Donald Loewel / Family Tuesday, January 1 Solemnity of Mary 9:00 +Mark Chulick / Kathleen & Family Wednesday, January 2 Sts. Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen 7:00 +Brennan Family / Gerry Hughes ** 1:15 +William & Margaret Reed / Estate of Sister Mary Alice Reed Thursday, January 3 Christmas Weekday 7:00 +All Souls ** Friday, January 4 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton 7:00 +Susan Teribery / Weindorf Family ** Saturday, January 5 Epiphany of the Lord 4:00 *People of the Parish Sunday, January 6 Epiphany of the Lord 8:30 +Jack Albertson / Rip & Linda Flaherty 11:00 +Florence Spiringer / Judy Lackovic 7:30 +Mary Pirrello / Children * Living MASS INTENTIONS ** 7AM MASS IN THE CHAPEL SANCTUARY CANDLE The Sanctuary Candle will burn this week in loving memory of Delphina Clemente from Jean Gleason. ALTAR BREAD The Altar Bread and Wine at this week s Masses are in loving memory Doris Cooney from the Fisher Family. FAMILY PERSPECTIVE Today s gospel contains this truth about parenting: but his parents did not know. One of the reasons parenting is so difficult is because our children don t tell us everything. If the Holy Family had trouble with their teenager, why do we think it will be easier for us? MARRIAGE MOMENTS January 1 is the feast of Mary, the Mother of God. In these days of the "Me Too" movement, regaining respect for women is getting a lot of attention. This is good, but healthy marriages already exhibit this. Husbands, tomorrow honor your wife's unconditional "yes" to love you. The love will be returned to you in time. Ministry Schedule for January 5 & 6 SATURDAY 4:00pm SUNDAY 8:30am SUNDAY 11:00am EUCHARISTIC MINSTERS Barb Peterson Linda Koket Tracy Kunik Denise Lif Mike Cannavino Amy Scalise Lisa Angiolelli Diane Fisher Marilyn Konopka Kelly Konopka Michelle Wiesen John Winiecki Kevin Kujan Jeannene Willow Cheryl & Ed Brzezinski Karyn & Butch Coughlin SACRISTAN Carolyn Johnston Marianne Zimmerman Jan Tssario LECTOR Chris Blakeslee Jim & Janine Calabrese Emily Kujan ALTAR SERVERS Madison McDevitt Ruth Kunik Jonah Kunik Kate Kunik Annabella LaCastro Ava Baney Kayla Bogdanski Sarah Komorek Conor Bish Maria Bruschi PRESIDER Fr. Phil Fr. Phil Fr. Mike

4 4 READINGS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 30 Sunday: 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28/Ps 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10 [cf. 5a]/1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24/Lk 2:41-52 Monday: 1 Jn 2:18-21/Ps 96: 1-2, 11-12, 13 [11a]/Jn 1:1-18 Tuesday: Nm 6:22-27/Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 [2a]/Gal 4:4-7/Lk 2:16-21 Wednesday: 1 Jn 2:22-28/Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 [3cd]/Jn 1:19-28 Thursday: 1 Jn 2:29-3:6/Ps 98:1, 3cd-4, 5-6 [3cd]/Jn 1:29-34 Friday: 1 Jn 3:7-10/Ps 98:1, 7-8, 9 [3cd]/Jn 1:35-42 Saturday: 1 Jn 3:11-21/Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5 [2a]/Jn 1:43-51 Next Sunday: Is 60:1-6/Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, [cf. 11]/Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6/Mt 2:1-12 OBSERVANCES FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 30 Sunday: The Holy Family Monday: St. Sylvester I, Pope; New Year's Eve Tuesday: Mary, the Holy Mother of God (holy day of obligation); New Year's Day; World Day of Peace Wednesday: Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops & Doctors of the Church Thursday: The Most Holy Name of Jesus Friday: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious Saturday: St. John Neumann, Bishop Next Sunday: The Epiphany of the Lord SPONSOR CERTIFICATES For those who are asked to be a sponsor for Baptism and/or Conformation, a sponsor certificate can only be issued to registered, active members of Blessed Sacrament Parish. They must have received all their Sacraments including Confirmation, attend weekly Mass and receive Holy Communion regularly. If married, it must be a valid marriage in the Church. Please don t ask us to make exceptions, these are the guidelines set by the Church which we must follow. $$$$$ RAISE THE ROOF LOTTERY $$$$$ 12/17 #534 Lorraine Lepkowski $50 #535 #533 no winners 12/18 #919 #920 #918 no winners 12/19 #318 #319 no winners..#317 Shannon Weber $10 12/20 #804 #805 #803 no winners 12/21 #000 #001 no winners 12/22 #489 #490 #488 no winners 12/23 #887 #888 #886 no winners 12/24 #186 #187 #185 no winners 12/25 #975 #976 no winners #974 Theresa Conti $10 JANUARY TICKETS are available $5 per ticket 93 chances to win this month Congratulations to TERRI CONTI Winner of the $50 Seller s Drawing for December! Please help us keep this lottery going. It has helped pay for roof repairs in the past and hopefully will be there for upcoming repairs. The tickets are only $5 and you have three chances every day of the month to win!! If you buy 10 or more tickets, you receive a free ticket CALENDARS are available in the lobby of Church. Thanks to the Francis V. Kloecker Funeral Home for sponsoring the calendars each year. There are two designs to choose from. Question for Children: Why is it important to obey our parents? Why is it important to obey God? Question for Youth: Jesus was obedient to his parents, even though he was the Son of God. Why is obedience so important? Is it something you struggle with? Question for Adults: How are you, too, called to our Father s house? December 31 January 1 January 2 January 3 January 4 January 5 January 6 31 CLUB Pray for Vocations Phyllis Marchini Mary Jo Fulton Sue Shannon, Frank Tokarczyk Patricia Brown Carol Delo Marianne Zimmerman Mary Lou Peterson Members of the 31 Club agree to go to daily Mass and /or offer prayers on a particular day every month for an increase of vocations to the Church. One of the best ways to increase vocations is through prayers, and the greatest prayer we have is the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Please call the Parish Office if you want to be in the 31 Club and experience the satisfaction that comes from helping to fulfill a great need in the Church.

5 5 From Our Pastor, Fr. Phil At this Sunday s Mass we will learn that even the Holy Family had their own share of challenges, and so we have hope for ourselves and our family situations. Our homes and families ought to be places of security, welcome, love, care, concern, and forgiveness. Speaking about such things does not mean as much as living them. The same is true for the Holy Family. Their behaviors spoke more loudly than their words. Today on this feast of the Holy Family, let s consider what message we convey by our actions. This might be a good Sunday to visit or call a member of your family you might not have heard from during Christmas. You could also use this day and the upcoming Holy Day to invite a member of your family to come see our church while it is decorated for Christmas. Which leads me to the next point; thank you a thousand times for the gift of our church decorators. They have put in hours upon hours of planning, organizing and executing what you and I benefit from. Some churches have professional florists decorate the church, I think Blessed Sacrament is totally the best in the city. It is done by our parish family members with much love! Thank you! Peace, Fr. Phil USHERS' CORNER: A very special thank you to all church decorators and Ushers who lent a hand in the set-up you have outdone yourself this year!! There will be a sign-up sheet for New Year's masses in the back of the church by the usher's room. Please sign up so we have enough coverage at all the masses. - Please join us at our meetings, held on the third Thursday of each month. - We are in need of a JV Cheerleading Coach if interested, please call Mark Kloecker, our Athletic Director, at We are accepting payments for 2019's dues. These remain at an inflation-resistant $10. You can pay any Usher Board member, or mail to the Blessed Sacrament Ushers, P.O. Box 3903, Erie, PA Reminders for all Ushers: Please wear your blazer and tie to Mass. Also, please check in with the Mass Captain before the start of Mass to see if your help will be needed at Offertory. - We are here to serve. If any parishioner has any questions or needs any help, please let one of us know. - Make sure to "like us" on Facebook Peace, David Pianta, President It is the Lord who forgives all your sins, who heals every one of your ills, who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns you with love and compassion, who fills your life with good things renewing your youth like an eagle s. Ps. 103 These are tough times for the church we love so much, and work so hard for...the church who is founded on Jesus Christ, the one who saves, who forgives, who loves. Let us always remember that though we may like certain priests or parishes more than others, it is Jesus Christ whom we love and serve. The Holy Spirit is purging our church to make us whole and holy again. May God lift your hearts, though heavy and hurting, and give us a song of joy to sing to His name. Holy God, We Praise Thy Name.

6 6 Sunday, December 30, 2018 FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH Resume the conversation It happens all the time: The younger generation departs from traditional ways, while the older one wrings its hands and predicts the end of the world. The kids are abandoning our values, mistrusting our institutions, taking terrible risks, and setting out in a dark direction! Without a doubt, the turnover of each generation is the end of a world that is, the one the rest of us knew, built, and got comfortable in. Each family has to keep the lines of communications open, so that wisdom gets passed on and change becomes less scary. Holy families keep the conversation going. TODAY'S READINGS: Sirach 3:2-6, or 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; Colossians 3:12-21 or 3:12-17 or 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; Luke 2:41-52 (17). Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father s house? Monday, December 31, 2018 MEMORIAL OF SYLVESTER I, POPE Old friends remembered On New Year s Eve, tradition has us questioning, rhetorically, whether old friends should be forgotten, but that goes against the grain for Catholics who try as a community to preserve the memory of those who have served the Lord with distinction. Some, like Pope Sylvester I, have rather sparse legacies which is surprising for one of our longest reigning popes ( ). But we do know that he enjoyed the Roman emperor Constantine s favor and was able to expand the church s influence and dedicate many churches, including the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. Take time to consider your own legacy of faith today, and then raise a glass for all the forgotten Christians who put their faith into practice in each generation. TODAY'S READINGS: 1 John 2:18-21; John 1:1-18 (204). All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. Tuesday, January 01, 2019 SOLEMNITY OF MARY, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD / OCTAVE DAY OF THE NATIVITY Make a free and fresh beginning Turning a new page on the calendar always invites a fresh perspective even more so when it s a brand-new calendar! So lose your chains. You re invited today to let go of the old year, both what we have done and what we have failed to do. Time to give and receive pardon for offenses. Time to craft resolutions and adopt new habits. Time to become people of justice and peace. On this eighth and final day of Christmas, accept the gift of your true identity: a free child of God, heir to a land of relentless hope. TODAY'S READINGS: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 (18). You are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. Thursday, January 03, 2019 MEMORIAL OF THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS What s in a name? How you talk about someone by name shows the regard or lack of it you have for them. God gave the Israelites the commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Honoring the name of God, though, means more than not using it casually. It also involves showing respect for the One the name represents. That there is a feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus should come as no surprise. Devotion to Jesus name goes back many centuries, and the Franciscan saints Bernardine of Siena and John of Capistrano helped to make it popular. Honoring the name honors Jesus the person and his presence in your everyday life. TODAY'S READINGS: 1 John 2:29 3:6; John 1:29-34 (206). Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Friday, January 04, 2019 MEMORIAL OF ELIZABETH ANN SETON, RELIGIOUS Losing leads to finding Elizabeth Ann Seton ( ) was canonized in 1975, the first U.S.- born person to be so. Her life was relatively short and filled with more than its share of grief and loss. Always a deeply religious woman, her losses deepened her faith and motivated her to convert to Catholicism as an adult. This was a rather dramatic step to take in early American society, where Protestant-Catholic relations were not all that positive, to put it mildly. Sometimes our life experiences lead us to take actions of which others will disapprove. If we are motivated by charitable love and compassion, however, our inner voice will guide us to make the right decisions, whether we gain the approval of others or not. TODAY'S READINGS: 1 John 3:7-10; John 1:35-42 (207). When Jesus turned and saw them following him, he asked, What are you looking for? " Saturday, January 05, 2019 MEMORIAL OF JOHN NEUMANN, BISHOP Striving for greatness English wasn t a second language for John Neumann ( ), it was a seventh or eighth. Along with his native Slovak, he mastered at least six more European languages. As if that weren t enough, when he was bishop of Philadelphia, he saw how Irish immigrants struggled with American English, so he learned Gaelic to help them out. Lots of new arrivals to America have trouble with English. Wouldn t it be saintly if we, like John Neumann, worked to learn a new language so we could help? Greatness, Jesus reminds us, is about serving those in need. Qué bueno! TODAY'S READINGS: 1 John 3:11-21; John 1:43-51 (208). Jesus said to Nathaniel, You will see greater things than these. Daily renewal for busy Catholics Invest just five minutes a day, and your faith will deepen and grow a day at a time. Wednesday, January 02, 2019 MEMORIAL OF BASIL THE GREAT AND GREGORY NAZI- ANZUS, BISHOPS, DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH Let your light shine God... wants you to become... lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the glory of him who is the light of heaven, wrote Saint Gregory Nazianzus (329-c. 390), the monk who was an Emily Dickinson of the early 2017 TrueQuest Communications. TakeFiveForFaith.com; church happiest in seclusion writing poetry and theology on the love mail@takefiveforfaith.com. All rights reserved. Noncommercial of God. But his lifelong friend and fellow monk, Saint Basil the Great reprints permitted with the following credit: Reprinted with permission from TakeFiveForFaith.com. Scripture citations from the (c ), was more active than contemplative, talking Gregory into becoming a bishop to help fight heresy. Gregory wasn t cut out for leadership, however. He resigned, resenting Basil for not seeing his true New American Bible Revised Edition. For more information about TAKE FIVE and our regular contributors, go to PrepareTheWord.com. Free daily and app available online at talents. Do we let our own light shine as brightly as it could? 2017 TODAY'S TrueQuest READINGS: Communications. 1 John TakeFiveForFaith.com; 2:22-28; John 1:19-28 mail@takefiveforfaith.com. (205). I TakeFiveForFaith.com/subscribe. All rights reserved. Noncommercial reprints permitted with the following baptize credit: with Reprinted water. Among with permission you stands from one TakeFiveForFaith.com. whom you do not know, Scripture citations from the New American Bible Revised Edition. For more information the about one coming TAKE FIVE after and me. our regular contributors, go to PrepareTheWord.com. Free daily and app available online at TakeFiveForFaith.com/ subscribe.

7 7 FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY A PRAYER FOR FAMILIES Heavenly Father, You sent Your own Son Jesus to become part of an Earthly family with Mary and Joseph. And so you understand what families face each and every day. Give families the gift of JOY. May they find laughter and happiness in the moments shared with each other as they grow together. Give families the gift of STRENGTH. May they turn to you in times of struggle and may they know the power of Your love, to help them through their darkest challenges. Give families the gift of PEACE. May their lives be free of worry and sadness. May they treasure every moment You have given them together. AMEN BELOVED NIGHTS: REGROUP AS A COUPLE The Office of Chastity Education of the Diocese of Erie is offering Beloved Nights on Sunday, January 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the following four locations: St. Mary s Church, 325 Church St., St. Marys; Church of the Beloved Disciple, 1310 S. Center St. Extension, Grove City; St. Brigid Church, 383 Arch St., Meadville; and St. Mark Catholic Center, 429 East Grandview Blvd., Erie. These are evenings for married couples of all ages, as well as engaged couples, to reconnect amidst the busyness of life. Free baby-sitting is offered, with a complimentary dinner provided for children. Couples will enjoy fellowship, a video and discussion, and then an off-site date night of their choosing. RSVPs necessary to provide adequate child care. For more information, go to A PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR COMFORT on difficult days SMILES when sadness intrudes RAINBOWS to follow the clouds LAUGHTER to kiss your lips SUNSETS to warm your heart HUGS when spirits sag BEAUTY for your eyes to see FRIENDSHIPS to brighten your being FAITH so that you can believe CONFIDENCE for when you doubt PATIENCE to accept the truth COURAGE to know yourself LOVE to complete your life SAVE THOSE BOX TOPS! The Priests and Staff would like to wish you and your family a very Happy, Healthy & Holy New Year ~*~*~*~*2019*~*~*~*~ Blessed Sacrament School is a Box Top School. We will happily accept your Box Tops for Education all year long. Just bring your Box Tops with you to church and place them in the Box Tops container in the vestibule. The school holds two collection drives throughout the school year. One in October and one in February. For each Box Top submitted, our school earns 10 cents. The money earned is used to help our 8th graders with graduation and field trip expenses. We thank you for your continued support of our school students! PLAN FOR UPCOMING PRO-LIFE EVENTS IN ERIE AND D.C. People for Life in Erie is organizing several important events in January. For more information, go to the website or call The events are: Jan. 12 at 9 a.m. Annual Pro-Life Breakfast, Bayfront Convention Center, Erie Jan Bus trip to National March for Life in Washington, D.C. Jan. 26 at 11 a.m. Erie March for Life starts at Perry Square in downtown Erie SAVE AROUND BOOKS The books are full of hundreds of buy one get one free discounts along with many other great discounts. Stop in the Parish Office and check them out. The book is $25 and pays for itself after using it a few times! They make nice Christmas gifts! JANUARY-FEBRUARY MINISTRY SCHEDULES were ed out, extra copies are available in the Sacristy for those who do not have . Any questions please call Diane in the Parish Office at

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9 9 EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP...RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS Do you practice good stewardship with your family? Stewardship is about more than offerings to a church or charity. It is about continually giving of ourselves in a way that gives glory to God. Sharing our gifts with those in our immediate family honors God and is evidence of your gratitude for these people in your life. How can we effectively accomplish this? One way is to reflect on how the 6 characteristics of an Everyday Steward are present in our family relationships. Are we mindful when we are with our family members? Do we focus on them and their needs rather than our phone or TV? Do we hold up our family in prayer? Their concerns should be our concerns. Do we find ways to show how grateful we are for having them in our lives? When we find ourselves lacking in gratitude, we should reflect on what life would be like without them. Do we help one another without being asked because we have a gracious heart? It is easy to take for granted those we see all the time. Hospitality is not just for the stranger or guest. Are we committed to a life of stewardship that not only serves as a good example, but also helps our relatives thrive? Using our gifts without wisdom might mean we have little to give to those we love. Finally, do we hold each other accountable for our decisions and shortcomings? We are on the journey of life together, and no one exists in the Body of Christ alone. Stewardship is about the entirety of our lives. Our faith life is not reserved to Mass on a Sunday. It all begins and ends with those we love. --Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK Families are complicated systems. They can be the most transforming or the most hurtful of experiences. Our families of origin have a huge claim on who we are and who we will become. While families need to help us fulfill some of our human needs, this cannot be their sole purpose or focus. Healthy and happy families consist of folks who always have their eyes on the needs and best interests of the other individuals who make up their family unit. We live in the greater family of the world, which is also God's family. It can't only be about us. We must focus our gaze on the needs and well-being of our brothers and sisters. This whole seeing allows us to see others as God sees them. The Holy Family is the perfect example of how all families can work: our families of origin, the families in which we now find ourselves, and the family of our world. May we look to their example in helping us fine-tune our systems of family life so that God's presence can truly be revealed in and through them! GOSPEL MEDITATION "After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers." As we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, this Gospel exposes us to a strange tension. While this family is one we can look to for an example, they are not quite the same family unit as everyone else. There is an otherness to Jesus, something profound. And yet, perhaps on second thought, are our families so different? When Mary and Joseph encountered Jesus in the temple, "they were astonished." But at what? Mary's response is surprised. They're not astonished that Jesus is preaching in a place for respected teachers. They're not astonished that their son has captured the attention of the wisest men of the time period. They're astonished at his seemingly disobedient behavior! "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." All our children have an "otherness" about them, something that makes them unique and different. They are distinctly not "me." What will our own children become? What temple will they wander off to? Who will they astound? WHY DO WE DO THAT? CATHOLIC LIFE EXPLAINED Question: What do we know about Joseph, Mary, and the rest of Jesus' relatives? Answer: You may see pictures of Joseph, Mary, and a young Jesus on the feast of the Holy Family. What we do know of them has been treasured throughout the ages. Both Joseph and Mary came from the tribe of Judah and were distant descendants of King David. Tradition gives us the names of Mary's parents - Anne and Joachim - and we venerate them as saints. Joseph was a carpenter, and he taught Jesus his trade. We know that St. Elizabeth was related to Mary, and we call St. John the Baptist Jesus' "cousin." In the Bible, we also see references to Jesus' "brothers and sisters." Who were these people? The most likely theory rests in the language of the time period. The Hebrew people spoke Aramaic. This language had no words for specific family roles. All male relatives were "brother" and all female relatives were "sister." Like many people of his day, Jesus had a large family! So large that he got lost and needed to be found in the Temple. When you think of the Holy Family, remember that Jesus probably had quirky uncles, nosy aunts, doting grandparents, and cousins to play with, just like us! When life is not a bed of roses remember who wore the thorns.

10 10 PARISH FAMILY Please pray for those in our Parish Family who are hospitalized, ill, homebound and in nursing facilities and for all our members of the military. Pray for those who have suffered the experience of abuse, may they find through Christ s presence, deep healing and peace. Congratulations to the following students from Mercyhurst Prep who earned honors for the first term: FIRST HONORS: Samuel Applebee, Gabriela McAllister, Kyle Bogdanski, Ruth Kunik, Tyler Warzynak, Morgan Byers and Caitlyn Wisinski SECOND HONORS: Agnes-Lynn Hosu, Giovana Zonna, Zachary Danias, Maria Piecuch, Nicholas Torok, Matteo Ianiro, Demarko Polk, Tia Snippert HONORABLE MENTION: Zoe Angiolelli, Eve Wareham, Joseph Wisinski MEMBERSHIP IN THE PARISH We welcome all Catholic adults living within the parish area to register in our parish. We are glad for all who worship here, including members and visitors. Eventually it would be wise to fill out a registration form. Otherwise, we have no record or ability to fulfill your request for Sacraments, sponsor forms, letters of recommendation, etc. Sometimes people who grow up in the parish presume they are members as adults, but we have no record beyond your childhood. And sometimes, people move into the area and presume that your presence makes you a member automatically. We are happy to meet your spiritual needs, but we also encourage you to register officially. To complete this simple process, contact the parish office at PLEASE.If you are moving or changing your phone number or address, please let us know! You can send us a note, call the Parish Office, us or drop a note in the collection basket. To our snow birds please let us know when you are leaving and let us know when you return; if you would like your mail sent to your winter home, please let us know that as well. If you are going into a assisted living facility, a nursing home or in hospice, PLEASE let us know so we can visit and bring you communion. We depend on you to help us keep our records current. Thanks for your help...any questions call Diane in the Parish Office at SACRIFICIAL GIVING REPORT 12/23/2018 Adult Offering: $ 6, [800] Loose: $ Online: $ n/a [110] Christmas: $ 5.00 Solemnity of Mary: $ Youth Offering: $ [400] Total: $ 7, Christmas Offertory $ 6, Christmas Loose $ 1, Christmas Total $ 8, CATHOLIC SERVICES APPEAL Pledged to Date: $ 70, [278 Pledges] Paid To Date: $ 65, Assessment: $ 62, Unpaid Balance: $ 5, CHILDREN S STEWARDSHIP CORNER During the past week some of our children noted on their Church envelopes some ways they shared their time and talents. We thank them for being true stewards of God s Kingdom through sharing and service by using their Church envelopes. Please encourage your child (ren) to write on their envelopes ways in which they shared their time and talent during the week. It is uplifting to read what they share...we can all learn something from them! Here are some from this week: Feeding my cats, I was good at my great grandparents house, I made my sister smile, I made ornaments for my family. CHILDREN S ENVELOPES We did not pass out new offertory envelopes in the beginning of the school year. If your child(ren) use them and would like a new box, please call Diane in the Parish Office ( ) or dfisher@bserie.org and we will send a box home. We pass out envelopes to students in Preschool thru Grade 8 in the school and in the Religious Education program which is roughly 400 boxes and we only receive back on the average 25 envelopes per week. We enjoy reading what the children write on their envelopes and we know the children enjoy putting them in the basket at Mass, you can see the excitement on their faces when the ushers come up the aisles! We hope more children will use them in the future. They do not have to put any money in the envelopes, but just write a little something on what good things they did for the week.