You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased. Feast of the Baptism of the Lord January 12 & 13, Blessed Trinity Catholic Church

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1 Parish Mission Statement We, the members of Blessed Trinity Parish, share a common bond of love given to us through the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity. As the loving Father does, we welcome and support everyone who enters our faith community. As His Son exemplifies, we humbly strive to be a learning, giving, caring, and teaching parish eager to serve, evangelize, and give generously of ourselves to others. As the Holy Spirit inspires and leads us, we are a faithful, prayer family that worships God through the many gifts and ministries with which the Lord has blessed us. Blessed Trinity Catholic Church 958 E. Tuscola St., Frankenmuth, Michigan Feast of the Baptism of the Lord January 12 & 13, 2019 You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.

2 Blessed Trinity Catholic Church Page 2 Frankenmuth MI This Week in Our Parish Tuesday, January 15 3:00 p.m. Grades 3 & 4 Faith Formation Classes Wednesday, January 16 8:30 a.m. Mass 9:00 a.m. Rosary 11:00 a.m. Adult Study Group 3:00 p.m. Grade 5 & 6 Faith Formation Classes 6:00 p.m. Finance Council Meeting Thursday, January 17 Memorial of St. Anthony 3:00 p.m. Grades 1 & 2 Faith Formation Classes Saturday, January 19 4:00 p.m. Individual Reconciliation until 4:30 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Mass Sunday, January 20 Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 9:00 a.m. Mass 11:00 a.m. Mass 11:00 a.m. Children s Liturgy of the Word; FF3 s, FF 4s & Kindergarten Classes 6:30 p.m. Youth Ministry Gathering Scripture Readings for January 19 & 20, 2019 Isaiah 62:1-5 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 John 2:1-11 Need Prayers? Call the Parish Prayer Network with your prayer needs and concerns: Ginger Hall at or Nanci Lyon at You can also submit prayer requests on our parish website. When you visit Blessed Trinity during the week or when you come to weekend Mass, be sure to write your prayer intentions in the Book of Life in the back of church. our sanctuary candle is sponsored by Jeff & Suzanne Filek General Information If you would like to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, please call the parish office for more information. If you would like to have your child baptized, call the parish office for information. Baptisms are celebrated regularly, except during Lent. Adults who are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith are invited to call the parish office for more information. Are you planning a wedding? Please call the parish office before setting a wedding date. Six months are required for preparation. Would you or someone you know wish to celebrate the Anointing of the Sick? Please call the parish office to request an individual anointing. Please remember that when entering a hospital, you should register as a member of Blessed Trinity Parish. When confined at home, please contact our parish office. New parishioners are always welcome at Blessed Trinity. If you wish to join our community, please contact the parish office for an appointment to register. Text and pictures for the weekly bulletin is due by 12:00 noon on Mondays to: lsnyder@blessedtrinityfrankenmuth.org. Prayer for a New Bishop Let us pray, Almighty God, eternal shepherd and guide, in your love for us, grant to the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw a shepherd who will guide us to be Christ s heart of mercy, voice of hope, and hands of justice. Help him to fill our hearts and minds with the truth of the Gospel, the power of the sacraments and the desire to build up your holy church. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

3 Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Page 3 January 13, 2019 Thoughts from our Pastoral Administrator The Sacrament of Baptism is a very, special occasion. A few years ago, on a trip to the Holy Land, we spent time at the Jordan River. John the Baptist, the precursor to Christ, first baptized followers there with water. There are many pictures of people wading into the river, presenting themselves to John to be baptized. The use of water symbolized a cleansing or washing away of sins, but moreover meant a change in lifestyle; leaving behind the ways of old and embracing the new teachings of Christ. Jesus, without sin, appears and mingles among the other followers. He doesn t stand out or bring any attention to himself. Before his baptism, Jesus entered the human life of the common people, sharing the human conditions of those around him. He without sin, shared in the human aspirations of others in their search for the meaning of life, a desire for change and aspiration for something new. Once submerged in the waters of conversion, immediately after his baptism, Jesus immerses himself in prayer. Then the skies opened, the Holy Spirit appeared and a voice is heard, attesting to his sonship. The incarnation of God s Son opened a place in humanity to make way for divinity; Jesus baptism and prayer open a breach in the sky so that, through the action of the Spirit, our life will ascend to its true dignity. Now, not only baptized in water, we are baptized in Christ with fire and the Holy Spirit. Symbolism is important and Holy Water, our Baptism Candle, use of a white garment and Holy Chrism Oil each have sacramental meaning. By Baptism, we become the sons and daughters of Christ; aligning with the mission of Christ. Our relationship becomes trinitarian through Jesus with God the Father. It becomes for us the key that unlocks the door to a relationship with Christ. It allows us to establish a way of life or lifestyle aligned with our beloved Father. Instead of what we may think we want from the secular world and what s best for me, we adopt an attitude of service with Christ. What role does God have for me as a new missionary for Christ? As baptized Christians, together we start our public ministry in spreading the Good News and living the lives destined for us as followers of Christ. Deacon Larry Deford O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to You, we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things. (St. Ignatius of Loyola, ) Ladies Bible Sharing Ladies Bible Sharing will begin on Tuesday, January 22 and run through April with the topic of Being Disciples of Jesus. We meet on Tuesday mornings in room 7 at the parish from 9:30-11:00 a.m. All parish ladies and friends are welcome; call Val Sulfaro at to reserve your spot! Welcome to Blessed Trinity! We are happy to welcome these new folks to our parish family: James & Diana Urbanik Annemarie Palmer Nancy Wade Through the winter and the cold, our faith can weaken and grow old, so we ache to find a song of a God, one to whom we can belong. Instead of power shown as might, a tiny baby in your light; we find a child who sings the way. Come now, be born in us today.

4 Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Page 4 January 13, 2019 Youth Ministry News Tonight/Sunday from 6:30-8:00 p.m., our grades 7-12 youth will gather for a March for Life event. We will march in recognition of all who will do the same on January 18 in Washington, D.C. Please dress warmly! Our warm up to the new year was a great success last Sunday night. Thanks to all who attended. We started outside and warmed up with hot chocolate and donuts. We then went inside and discussed our FAITH resolutions. (See pictures from our gathering on this page!) We are building a faith community and it starts with this incredible group of young people who their BT youth group a priority. I understand that some parents need to transport their son or daughter here and I appreciate it. (Please let me know if there is ever a transportation issue.) At last Sunday s gathering, everyone received a list of our scheduled events for January through May. This list will also be posted in the youth room and monthly postcard reminders will be sent. Please always read the bulletin and check out the BTC-Youth Facebook page for changes to the schedule. If you have questions, please text me! Leaders lead.and we have incredible leaders at BT. Whether they are young adults who were former youth group members, those who are in college, or those who are current members in junior high or high school.they all seem to step up and take the lead when asked! I look forward to visiting the grades 1-5 classrooms this semester in search of future leaders. The National Catholic Youth Conference will be held on November 21-24, By March, I will need to reserve BT spots. Any of our youth in grades 9-12 are invited to take part. If you haven t attended, you need to! Let me know of your interest. Our youth are reading the bulletin and finding their names. Is Faith Breinager reading this bulletin? If so, contact me for your gift card! Kathy Cramer ~ Director of Youth Ministry kcramer@blessedtrinityfrankenmuth.org No matter how educated, talented, rich, or cool you believe you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all. Integrity is everything. Our sponsor of the week is: Bavarian Inn Restaurant To view this ad, see the back of the bulletin. Please patronize our sponsors. They make the bulletin possible.

5 Blessed Trinity Catholic Church Page 5 Frankenmuth MI Faith Formation News After the Epiphany Children s Mass began last Sunday and all the angels, choir, and actors were in place, I sat down to just enjoy it. There was a lady sitting behind me who I ve not seen before. She leaned forward and whispered to me that this was her first visit to our parish. This is so beautiful, she said, just beautiful. And indeed, it was beautiful, as it is every year! (See the wonderful pictures on this page!) It is such a joy to watch the Gloria Angels twirl, to listen to the children s choir, and to watch as the older children narrate and enact the Gospel reading of the Epiphany. The children bring their best and most sincere efforts as a gift to us and to God. Please join me in congratulating all our students who participated in the Epiphany Children s Mass. Thank you to everyone who helped with this Mass: Alissa Hetzner and Brad Maki for their musical and liturgical skills; our liturgical dancers, including Sydney DuRussel, Emma Maki, Louella Grablick, Ana Harris, Kate McAvoy, and Gabby Cleveland; Amy Collings, who shortened Gloria Angel gowns on Saturday afternoon; Stella Grablick, who offered her time and talent; and all the other moms and dads who helped organize and waited patiently when our rehearsal went long. Special thanks to Ava Daugharty, who was our baby Jesus this year, and to her family for sharing her with us. Thanks also to Fr. T.J. Fleming for inviting the children to come and sit with him during his homily - and for inviting them to participate in the homily! Pam Daily ~ Coordinator of Faith Formation pdaily@blessedtrinityfrankenmuth.org Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

6 Blessed Trinity Catholic Church Page 6 Frankenmuth MI Clothesline Store News The Clothesline Store in Frankenmuth is in desperate need of winter clothing for children: school clothes, coats, boots, and gloves. If you have these gently-loved and clean items, please drop them off at the Clothesline Store. Winter coats and cold-weather clothing is also in need for adults. As always, Clothesline Store volunteers are grateful for your donations. If you would like more information about this ministry, please contact the parish office at We Are Stewards On-line Giving ~ December 23-29, 2018 Parish Adult Contributions... $1, Parish Debt Retirement Christmas Contributions Total... $1, Weekend ~ December 29 & 30, 2018 Parish Adult Contributions (126 envelopes)... $4, Christmas Contributions (4 envelopes) Children s Contributions (1 envelope) Weekend Loose Parish Debt Retirement (3 envelopes) Weekend Total... $5, On-line Giving ~ December 31 - January 5, 2019 Parish Adult Contributions... $2, Parish Debt Retirement Holy Day Contributions... 1, Total... $4, Weekend ~ January 5 & 6, 2019 Sponsor Sanctuary Lamp Parishioners are invited to make an offering for the candles used in the sanctuary lamp (the lamp that burns 24/7 before the tabernacle) which reminds us of the presence of the Risen Lord in the Blessed Sacrament that is reserved in the tabernacle. The light comes from a large candle placed in a red glass container and burns for seven days. The candle is generally replaced on Friday or Saturday each week throughout the year. If you would like to make an offering of $50.00 for these candles in honor or in memory of a family member, friend, neighbor, etc. please call the parish office to find out which weeks are available. If it didn t work out, it just means God is planning something better. Parish Adult Contributions (193 envelopes)... $7, Children s Contributions (4 envelopes) Weekend Loose... 1, Parish Debt Retirement (8 envelopes) Holy Day Contributions (61 envelopes)... 1, Initial Offering Contributions (56 envelopes) Weekend Total... $11, Children s Stewardship Messages: Caroline s talent ~ playing basketball; Jack s talent ~ helping mom. Jesus is Baptized by John After his baptism, Jesus goes into the desert for 40 days to pray about what he has discovered. He is tempted to use this knowledge for his own gain, but instead, he leaves the desert to begin his ministry. The rest of his life is spent trying to convince others (that includes us) that we all are sons and daughters of God; a God who loves us unconditionally as the best-ever Father would. Remember the prayer Jesus gives us begins, Our Father. Everything else Jesus teaches follows this. If we open ourselves to God s love and allow that love to forgive our sins and heal our hurts, we begin to experience our kinship with God and all peoples. When we really believe that we are a son or daughter of God, we begin to see how precious and valuable we are. Because we are loved unselfishly, we can then love selflessly. And like our brother Jesus, we can become healers and peacemakers. And God s plan of justice, peace, and harmony can become a reality in our lives.

7 Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Page 7 January 13, 2019 Parish Weather Policy Religious Education Classes and Activities: when the Frankenmuth Schools are closed for the day, all afterschool and evening religious education classes and activities are cancelled. When the beginning of the school day is delayed, classes and activities will be held as scheduled. If weather conditions deteriorate during the day, the Director of Faith Formation makes the decision about the after school classes for the children, in consultation with the school principals. Parish Offices and Events: when the Frankenmuth Schools are closed for the day or the start of the school day is delayed, the church offices will be closed until 11:00 a.m. and all morning events at the parish are cancelled. Day and evening events will be held, weather permitting. Parishioners are encouraged to call the parish office regarding cancellations. If Frankenmuth Schools cancel evening activities, all parish evening activities are cancelled. If weather conditions worsen during the day, the parish offices may be closed and activities cancelled. Parishioners are encouraged to call the parish office regarding cancellations. Worldwide Marriage Encounter Marriage Encounter weekends will be held on January at Holiday Inn-Troy or on March at St. Francis Retreat Center-Dewitt. Apply online at: wwme.org. Coming Events at the Center for Ministry Go Deeper With God Women s Silent Retreat will be held on Friday, February 1 - Sunday, February 3. Diocesan Pilgrimage to Mexico City with Fr. Christian Tabaras will take place on Saturday, February 23 - Thursday, February 28. Women s Day of Recollection: The Martha- Mary Balance of Daily Life will be held on Saturday, February 23 from 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call the Diocesan Center for Ministry at for more information about any of these events. All are welcome!