651 East Springfi eld Road Springfi eld, Pennsylvania 19064

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1 Holy Cross Church 651 East Springfi eld Road Springfi eld, Pennsylvania December 3, 2017 The First Sunday of Advent IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS Business Office / Rectory Parish School Religious Education Convent Pastoral Minister Music Director Youth Minister...jbraconnier@stkevin.com Website contactus@holycrosscatholics.org MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Evening: 4:30 PM Sunday, Upper Church: 8:30 and 11:00 AM Holy Day: 8:30 AM and 7:00 PM Weekday: 8:30 AM CONFESSIONS Saturday, Lower Church: 3:30 to 4:15 PM MARRIAGE POLICY Arrangements are made directly with the Parish Priests, within six months before the intended wedding date. Weddings are reserved for active parishioners. Pre-Cana Session is required. Please call Rectory for appointment with Parish Priests. Our next Pre-Cana day will be on April 7, To register, call Bill & VISITATION TO SICK AND INFIRM Please call the Rectory or Mrs. Judy Vacca, Pastoral Minister, when a parishioner is hospitalized or homebound. REGISTRATIONS By Appointment. All Catholics living in the parish should register at the Rectory. Please call Parish Office to make an appointment with one of the Parish Priests. PARISH PASTORAL STAFF Rev. John D. Gabin... Pastor Deacon Robert Frankenberger Deacon Joseph N. Gousie Deacon Kevin Harrington Sr. Loretta Saudarg, RSM...Business Manager Mrs. Judy Vacca...Pastoral Minister Mrs. Maureen Ward...Principal Mrs. Kelly Meliti... Director of Religious Education Mr. Timothy Reilly... Music Director Mr. Jeffrey P. Braconnier...Youth Minister BAPTISM POLICY Baptisms are celebrated every Sunday, except for the fi rst Sunday of the month, at 12:00 PM. Please call the rectory at to set up an appointment with a Priest. First time parents and godparents are required to attend a Baptism Preparation Session. Only when Certifi cates of Eligibility from godparents are presented, then a date for the baptism can be set. The Baptism Preparation Sessions are held the fi rst Sunday of the month at 12:00 PM in the Upper Church, with registration required. To register, please call the parish secretary during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM). Registration must be made prior to the last Friday of the month. If no registrations are received, a session may not be held. BUSINESS OFFICE HOURS (Entrance through the middle, rear door of the Church) Monday Friday Only: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Closed for Lunch 12-1 PM); Closed Saturday and Sunday

2 PASTOR S CORNER The holy season of Advent, which begins today, is a reminder to prepare not only for the celebration of Our Lord s birth, a season of hope and joy, but it also has a penitential aspect. The Church indicates this with purple vestments at Mass and the Gloria omitted. Our extra prayer time, sacrifices, self-denial, and charity can add to the hope and joy of this holy season. I encourage you to participate in the various Advent activities our parish is offering: daily Mass, the Sacrament of Confession on Saturday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:15 PM in the lower church, the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, the Giving Tree, School Candlelight Service on December 13, the Church decorating on December 10 and 16, and the PREP Christmas Pageant on December 10. Preparation is needed for the way our families, Church and society celebrate Christmas. We must include in our Christmas planning some genuine reflection on Christ in the manger and a resolution for personal and social renewal. He, Himself, came among us as one Who was lowly, humble, and poor. At the same time, He was the Messiah Who redeemed us from every moral misery, as well as the prophet of hope at the kingdom of heaven. So, let us enjoy the decorating, feasting, and fellowship of this Holiday Season without forgetting for a moment that it is a holy time and that Jesus is the reason for the season.. Volunteers Needed For Church Christmas Decorating Stable and Trees Sunday, December 10, 12 Noon Flowers Saturday, December 16, 9:30 AM Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary A Holy Day of Obligation Friday, December 8 Masses: 8:30 AM and 7:00 PM HC 024 1

3 MONDAY DECEMBER 4 Saint Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church 8:30 AM Catherine Judge, Catherine & Paul Ruane TUESDAY DECEMBER 5 8:30 AM Peter Gaudiosi, Sr. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6 Saint Nicholas, Bishop 8:30 AM Margaret & Thomas Walls THURSDAY DECEMBER 7 Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church 8:30 AM Dorothy & Tom Cassidy FRIDAY DECEMBER 8 The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary 8:30 AM Margaret McMonagle & Mary Rupp 7:00 PM Matthew Humphreys SATURDAY DECEMBER 9 Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin 8:30 AM Angie Forlano NEXT WEEKEND MASS INTENTIONS SATURDAY DECEMBER 9 4:30 PM Richard McCarthy SUNDAY DECEMBER 10 8:30 AM Caradino & Phyllis DiGregorio 11:00 AM People of Holy Cross TIS (almost) THE SEASON We prepare for everything we consider important in life. And that includes Christmas. Join our parish for Best Advent Ever, a free program that will help you prepare for Christmas in a unique way. Each day you ll receive an with... * Short inspirational videos from Matthew Kelly and Dr. Allen Hunt * Practical tips for your everyday life * Real-life stories of hope TO SIGN UP, VISIT BestAdventEver.com/Beautiful Hope Prayer for Advent Wreath First Week All-powerful God, increase our strength of will for doing good, that Christ may find an eager welcome at His coming and call us to His side in the Kingdom of Heaven, where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit one God, forever and ever. Amen. This Week s Flowers Are in Memory of the Rokos and Richardson Families HC 024 2

4 FROM THE PASTOR S DESK A New England colonial state legislature was in session when an eclipse of the sun occurred. Not having an understanding of eclipses, many of the legislators panicked thinking that it was the end of the world. They hastily moved to adjourn, so they could flee to their homes. One of the legislators spoke up in the midst of the panic and confusion: Mr. Speaker, if it is not the end of the world and we adjourn, we will look like fools. If it is the end of the world, I would want to be found doing my duty. I move, sir, that candles be brought so we can work. As we move into our new church year, and as we begin our anticipation of the celebration of Christmas, it is most appropriate that on the First Sunday of Advent we listen to a passage from St. Mark s Gospel about the future. Because Advent is as much about our future as it is a preparation for Christmas. Our Lord had promised that He would return. St. Mark s readers, living in war and threatened by Roman troops, began to despair. Where is Jesus? Would He really return? It was beginning to feel as if Our Lord s promise to return was an empty one. So Mark emphasizes Jesus promise with a single word: Watch. This word is actually our hope. Watch, for God will always surprise us. But we are not to be caught fiddling our thumbs. This hope belongs to those who have embraced their duty to God s kingdom. If we are to appreciate Christmas, we must realize that we need God. If we don t need God, the coming of His Son is no big deal. The surest way we show we believe in Our Lord s promise is to stay busy with the responsibilities that Jesus gave us. Jesus came once. He will come again. Advent is a promise that the future always holds hope. Also, since there is always hope, we must make the present meaningful. Christmas reminds us that Jesus came once. Advent is a reminder to stay focused. He will come again. CEMETERY BLANKETS The Holy Cross #15482 will be holding their Annual Cemetery Blanket Sale. Price will be $22.00 per blanket. Due to some requests last year we are also going to be selling 22"/24" Door Wreaths w/bow as well. Wreaths are also $22.00 each. To place an order, you can call, text or Andy or gfrandy@juno.com and leave your name, phone number and the amount of blankets/wreaths that you wish to order. Please leave your contact information. There will also be order forms on the tables in the vestibules of Holy Cross Church throughout the sale. If you contact me by , I can also send you a form electronically. Checks/orders can be sent by mail. Make checks payable to: Holy Cross KOC # Checks can be mailed to: Cemetery Blankets, c/o Andy Grajek, 492 Indian Rock Drive, Springfield, PA Cemetery blankets will be available for pick up in the Holy Cross School Parking Lot on Saturday - 12/9/17 from 9:00 AM until Noon. HC 024 3

5 Lucille Bennett Bob Cassidy Jim Cleary Tom Cleary Stephen Collins Sharon Diemer Mary Dearden Kathleen Dixon Dorothy Eberhard Ruth Facciolo Mary Ann Farrell Nicola Giordano Carolyn Henderson Steven Henderson Kevin Houseman Maren Kanjewski Carole Kime Mary Kull Kendall Lambert Rose Leto Helen Lyons Patricia Lyons Linda Marandola Joanne Marks Kevin McAnulla Barbara McCusker Catherine McNulty Thomas Miller Dan Murphy Frances O Callaghan Eve Palermo Patty Pelly Francis Romano Joseph Sindoni Adeline Sulpizio Nadia Waltanski FOOD PANTRY UPDATE Thank you for all your support with ensuring that our most in need had turkey/ham dinners for Thanksgiving. Our little pantry provided turkeys, hams or both to 110 families in our community. There are some special contributors whom we would like to THANK for making this possible. First to You... our parishioners who give all year and who are especially generous at Thanksgiving. Boy Scout Troops 240, 512, and the Clifton Scouts, Clifton Heights Acme (who designated that all turkey bucks collected this year would go to our pantry) and Brinker Financial who provided us with ham dinners. As a result of all the extra contributions, there will be no food collection during the month of December. Just a reminder, we are open on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 6. If you know anyone in need of food in Delaware County, please have them come to our pantry. God bless all of you. Your Friends from the SVDP Holy Cross Food Pantry 28 th ANNUAL NATIONAL NIGHT OF PRAYER FOR LIFE Come pray with us on Friday, December 8 at 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM, at St. Kevin Church, 200 W. Sproul Road, Springfield. The National Night of Prayer for Life is a prayer service consisting of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the holy Rosary, prayer to St. Michael, silent prayer and hymns. Please join us for all or part of the time. We rely on the intercession of our Blessed Mother! Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary Overbrook 100 East Wynnewood Road Wynnewood, PA Sunday, December 10 * Open House - 1:00 to 4:00 PM: One-hour tours begin at 1:00 PM with the last tour at 3:00 PM. * Christmas Concert - 4:00 PM in St. Martin of Tours Chapel: Christmas concert features St. Charles Borromeo Seminary choir and musicians! * Visit our international Christmas Creche Display * Light refreshments are available before the concert. * A free-will offering to benefit The Sisters of Life at St. Malachy s Parish in Philadelphia, will be collected at intermission. This event is free and open to the public! EVERYBODY CALLS ME FATHER Deacon John Farrell, former parishioner and teacher here at Holy Cross, has put together a book of stories, musings and inspirations that he has written over the past seven years called, Everybody Calls Me Father. Stories included are Catholic Geography, Growing Up in Holy Cross and The Gift of Growing Older. If anyone would like a copy ($20) just call Deacon John at Like pizza, it will be delivered. Several doctors are recommending the book as a sleep aid: read a few pages and you ll fall right asleep. SUNDAY COLLECTION NOVEMBER 19 AMOUNT RECEIVED $10,030 SUNDAY COLLECTION NOVEMBER 26 AMOUNT RECEIVED $ HC 024 4

6 Ten Reasons to Love and Honor Mary The Blessed Mother was part of the Incarnation, birth, first miracle, passion and the death of Jesus and with the apostles for the descent of the Holy Spirit. You can t get too much of a good thing when it comes to loving our Blessed Mother. She wants nothing better to have us join her in heaven because that is what is pleasing to God. So the more we turn to her, the more she will be able to help us. Here are ten reasons to increase our love for the Mother of God. 1) Loving Mary is pleasing to God - We cannot outdo God and no one has ever loved Mary more than God has. God the Father chose her to be the Mother of His only Son, she is the spouse of the Holy Spirit, and mother to God s only begotten Son. 2) She is nothing Therefore, she is everything. As the most humble handmaid of the Lord who is full of grace Mary was the perfect instrument of God because she was nothing else but His instrument, Thomas Merton 3) It s a way to imitate Jesus. Jesus follows the Fourth Commandment and honors His mother, so we should too. 4) It s a way to imitate the saints. I never met a saint who didn t love and honor Mary. Many of them were rarely without a rosary handy. 5) Mary has a proven track record. Jesus performed His first public miracle because His mother asked. He said it was not His time yet, but His mother asked for help. The Bible is clear Mary influences her Son. 6) It s Scriptural to include Mary. The Blessed Mother was part of the incarnation, birth, first miracle, passion, and the death of Jesus and with the apostles for the descent of the Holy Spirit. It is believed that she was present during Our Lord s Ascension. The first part of the Hail Mary is from Scripture and is centered on Jesus. Jesus and Mary go together. 7) It s historical. During Old Testament times, it was the Queen the king s mother in those days to whom people went with their requests. The best chance at getting a good answer from the king was to run it by his mother. That is the way it was done during King David s time and Jesus is descended from the House of David. 8) God Continues to Give Us His Mother. A multitude of Church-approved Marian apparitions shows that God continues to send His mother to help us. For instance, at Fatima, 100 years ago on October 13, there were 70,000 people that witnessed the sun spinning and the soaked ground and clothing instantly drying. Her message to us is to pray and make reparation for sin. 9) Her Rosary is a weapon. Padre Pio and a host of saints called it a weapon against evil and prayed it continually. There are many documented miracle stories and many personal stories attributed to praying the Rosary. 10) Mary is righteous. No one can argue that she must be the most righteous, therefore, the Bible attests to the power of her prayers. THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN HAS GREAT POWER IN ITS EFFECT (James 5:16) GOD WILL HEAR THE PRAYERS OF THE JUST (Prov. 15:20) HC 024 5

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