St. Mary Church. Fourth Sunday of Advent December 24, 2017 PO BOX 67 IRELAND, IN

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1 St. Mary Church Fourth Sunday of Advent December 24, 2017 PO BOX 67 IRELAND, IN PHONE: (812) FA X : ( ) St Mary Church Fr. Joseph F Erbacher, Fr. Effie, Pastor, Ext jerbacher@evdio.org Deacon John Huether..jhuether@evdio.org Dianne Gogel, Secretary, Ext dgogel@evdio.org Sherri Hartley, Secretary, Ext chartley@evdio.org Stan Heim, Property Manager, Ext sheim@evdio.org Martha Schmitt, PCL, Ext mjschmitt@evdio.org Charlene Sermersheim, Music Annette Witte, Cleaning Parish Contacts Bereavement Meals, Sherri Hartley Church Decorations, Janet Schitter Finance Council, Audrey Wehr Holy Trinity Catholic School, Lauren Emerson , Ext 40 Ireland K of C, Grand Knight, Allen Reckelhoff Ireland K of C Building Rental - Allen Reckelhoff Parish Nursing, Deb Brescher Parish Council President,Pat Gress Prayer Line, Bev Himsel St Anne s Society, President, Lynn Mehringer Director of St John Bosco Youth Ministry Angie Greulich St. Mary s Mission Statement: St. Mary Church is a community of faith united in Eucharist and committed to seeking God through prayer; sharing our gifts of time, talent and treasure; providing formation and education for children and adults; responding to the needs of people by sharing our faith and resources. We are dedicated to living and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Parish Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm Website:

2 St. Mary Church Mass Schedule Saturday 4:30pm Sunday 7:00am and 10:00am Tuesday (12-26) there will be no Mass Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7:30am *There will be no morning Mass on funeral mornings. Also when school is cancelled or delayed because of the weather, there will be no morning/evening Mass. Sacrament of Reconciliation at St. Mary Church First Friday 7:00-7:20am Saturday 3:00-4:00pm *On Saturday when there is a wedding, there will be no confessions. Anointing of the Sick: Notify the parish office if there is a need for Fr. Erbacher to administer Anointing of the Sick. Sacrament of Baptism: Baptisms will take place the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month with Fr. Erbacher or Deacon John. Call the Parish Office to make an appointment. Sacrament of Marriage: Parishioners who wish to be married at St. Mary Church are asked to contact the parish office six months prior to setting a date. This will provide time for prayer, preparation and paperwork. Homebound Parishioners: Communion calls are made on Monday mornings to parishioners homes. Call the parish office if you would like a visit from our Eucharistic Minister. Gift Bearers: If you would like to carry up the gifts at offertory, please let the ushers know. Building For Our Future - New Church Campaign Campaign Goal...$ 6,000, Amount in Pledges. $ 5,260, Cash Collected to date......$ 2,410, (These totals are as of December 15) New Members Welcome - Registering in a parish is a declaration of your desire to be part of a Catholic community and a commitment to the life of a parish family. Being a registered parishioner makes things easier when it is time for infant Baptism, religious education registration, weddings, when asked to be a baptismal or confirmation sponsor, rental of parish buildings. buying a burial plot and even funerals. We are often asked by other parishes to provide affidavits for baptismal and confirmation sponsors. We can only do this if a person is a registered, active, and contributing member in our parish. How do you know if you are already registered? A registered parishioner receives all parish mailings and monthly tithing envelopes. Registration forms are available by calling or stopping by the church office. Mass Intentions Confessions on Saturday, December 23, 3:00-4:00pm Sat-Dec 23 4:30 pm Helen Gress Sun-Dec 24 7:00 am Members of St. Mary Parish 10:00 am Tom Renner Christmas Eve, December 24 (Sunday) 4:00 pm Lawrence & Bernita Stenftenagel - Fr. Erbacher Effie 6:00 pm Mary & Herman DeKemper Family - Fr. Ackerman 9:00 pm Flower Donors - Fr. Erbacher Effie Christmas Day, December 25 (Monday) 7:00 am John & Dottie Jerger Family - Fr. Ackerman 10:00 am Morris & Millie Weidenbenner - Fr. Erbacher Effie Tues-Dec 26 No Mass Wed-Dec 27 7:30 am Ralph & Joyce Knust Thurs-Dec 28 7:30 am Emil Goeppner Fri-Dec 29 7:30 am Ray & Sally Stenftenagel Sat-Dec 30 4:30 pm Greg, Dick & Alvina Leinenbach Sun-Dec 31 7:00 am Members of the Parish 10:00 am Leroy Schnaus Monday, New Year s Day, January 1 8:00 am Arthur Mathies Readings for the Week of December 24, 2017 Sunday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16/Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29 [2a]/Rom 16:25-27/Lk 1:26-38 Monday: Vigil: Is 62:1-5/Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29 [2a]/ Acts 13:16-17, 22-25/Mt 1:1-25 or 1:18-25 Midnight: Is 9:1-6/Ps 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13 [Lk 2:11]/Ti 2:11-14/Lk 2:1-14 Dawn: Is 62:11-12/Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12/Ti 3:4-7/Lk 2:15-20 Day: Is 52:7-10/Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6 [3c]/Heb 1:1-6/Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14 Tuesday: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59/Ps 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17 [6]/Mt 10:17-22 Wednesday: 1 Jn 1:1-4/Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, [12]/Jn 20:1a, 2-8 Thursday: 1 Jn 1:5--2:2/Ps 124:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8 [7]/Mt 2:13-18 Friday: 1 Jn 2:3-11/Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6 [11a]/Lk 2:22-35 Saturday: 1 Jn 2:12-17/Ps 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10 [11a]/Lk 2:36-40 Next Sunday: Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3 or Sir 3:2-6, 12-14/Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9, [7a, 8a] or Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 [cf. 1]/Heb 11:8, 11-12, or Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17/Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22, January Area Events 8: Deadline to register for the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University being held January 16-March 20 at St. Celestine Dining Hall. $100 per individual or family/engaged couple for the class and materials. Call St. Isidore Office at or register.

3 Fr. Erbacher, Effie and the staff of St. Mary Parish would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! We pray that all of you have the opportunity to spend time with your family and friends. Thank you for all the kindness, support and generosity you have shown to St. Mary Parish this past year. Thank you to all the behind the scene help we have at our parish. The choir, catechists, bereavement meal workers, the volunteers who help make all our Masses special, all the people who helped with the fund drive and the wonderful parishioners who helped decorate for Christmas. It is beautiful!! Be sure and take a few moments and reflect upon the Manger and the image of our Lord. Parents, please take your children to the front of church and visit with Jesus. May Christ bring peace and joy into your lives. Merry Christmas!! Building For Our Future Drop off your aluminum cans on the trailer in the parking lot. The Building For Our Future Campaign would like to reach out to former parishioners who might have an interest in giving to the new church. If you have a friend or relative who you think might be interested in making a donation, please let the parish office know. We will be glad to get information out to them. Embroidered St. Mary Church hats in the parish office for $5. Divine Providence Eucharistic Adoration Chapel has open hours for adoration. If you are interested in filling any of these hours, please contact the number or send an or dp@adorationmanager.com. Saturdays 2:00-3:00pm 1st, 2nd, 3rd Saturday of the month 11:00pm-12:00am (midnight) The Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is located in the Parish Center on the campus of Precious Blood Parish. Please spend an hour with Jesus. St. John Bosco Youth Ministry St. John Bosco Catholic Youth Ministry reaches out to youth in grades 6 through 12 from St. Mary, Holy Family, Precious Blood, and St. Joseph. Check out more Bosco info and announcements at: December 29: Middle School Youth Night 6:30-8:00pm in the Precious Blood Gym & Endress Hall. Wear your best Christmas Cheer Outfit. January 3: High School Youth Night 8:30-9:30pm at the Bosco House. **Parents: St. John Bosco Youth Ministry is taking registration for the 1st Annual Middle School Retreat in March. During the weekend retreat, high school students will lead the youth in games, faith challenges, bonfires, zip lines and a rope course. Spots are limited so parents, be sure to register your middle school youth soon. Contact Angie for questions. Bosco is using the free app Remind this year to keep families in the loop regarding middle and high school youth events. To be added to Bosco s class, text@bosco20 to Everyone is welcome, but parents and teens are highly encouraged to join! High School Youth Nights are a time of answering the hard parts about our faith, growing in our relationship with Jesus, hanging out with friends and of course, snacks are provided. High school teens will not only learn about their faith but they will also find out a little bit of what their personal mission is in life.

4 This Week s Parish Events Sunday [12/24]: Sunday Masses will be celebrated at 7:00am and 10:00am. Christmas Eve Masses will be 4:00pm, 6:00pm and 9:00pm. Monday [12/25]: Merry Christmas Bless us Lord, this Christmas with quietness of mind; teach us to be patient and always to be kind. Amen Helen Steiner Rice Christmas Day Masses will be at 7:00am and 10:00am. Parish Office is closed. Tuesday [12/26]: No Mass today. Parish Office is closed. No Choir Practice tonight. Wednesday [12/27]: Quilting noon to 4:00pm in the rectory basement. St Anne s Sewing 6:00pm in the Rectory basement. Thursday [12/28]: Friday [12/29]: THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD "She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Today we celebrate that the prophetic dream of St. Joseph was fulfilled! Jesus is born! A Savior has come to deliver us--emmanuel, "God is with us." Christmas is a feast of fulfillment, a holiday of deep and enduring happiness. Jesus is the longawaited Messiah who sets us free from the misery of our own sins. This is the ultimate gift of Christmas Day. We exchange gifts today as a sign of our love for one another to be sure, but also as a concrete, visible way to celebrate the gift that we have first received from God. On this most festive day of the year, we are invited to exult in this fact and spare little effort or expense to show our gratitude and joy. Christmas is a holy day and as Christians it is our day in a most definite and undeniable way. Yes, Christmas is a little taste of heaven, the perfect gift that lies in wait for those who love the Lord. December 23 and 24, our Mass times will remain the same for the Sunday obligation: 4:30pm, 7:00am and 10:00am. December 25 is a Holy Day of Obligation. The Mass times are: December 24, Christmas Eve, 4:00pm, 6:00pm and 9:00pm and December 25, Christmas Day, 7:00am and 10:00am. Participating in Mass the evening of December 24 only fulfills one obligation The Holy Day and not Sunday. Upcoming Parish Events January 14: Confirmation at 10:00am Mass. February 17-19: TEC (Teens Encounter Christ). For information or an application go to March 30: Easter Egg Sale and Bake Sale in the Community Center Cafeteria. April 5: American Red Cross/St. Anne Blood Drive - 2:00-7:00pm. April 28 & 29: 1st Communion Mass at 4:30pm on Saturday and 10:00am on Sunday. May 20: Graduating Seniors Mass and Meal. July 21-23: TEC (Teens Encounter Christ). For information or an application go to September 9: St. Mary Church Picnic December 17, $100 Irish Sweepstakes Raffle Winners are Jesse and Beth Sermersheim. Prayers and well wishes to Jack Fleck and Amanda Reckelhoff who will be married on Saturday, January 13. Keep Jack and Amanda in your prayers. (Pub I)

5 Servers: Liturgical Ministers for December 30 & 31 4:30 pm Cody Scherle - Cheyenne Scherle 7:00 am Hannah Schwenk - Grace Weidenbenner 10:00 am Nick Mendel - Brayden Clark Extraordinary Ministers: 4:30 pm Jill Weidenbenner - Gina Scherle - Ruth Small Adam Schmitt - Patrick Gress 7:00 am Marlene Goeppner - Kathy Burton - Robin Fromme Susan Oeding - Julie Hopf 10:00 am Ronald James - Sharon James - Mandy Harris Amber Leinenbach - Tammy Sermersheim Lectors: 4:30 pm Cindy Gress 7:00 am LeRay Durcholz 10:00 am Barb Hopf Ushers: Lectors Website: (Year B) 4:30 pm Leonard Spellmeyer - Greg Weidenbenner 7:00 am Adam Hopf - John Wilz 10:00 am Dave Hasenour - Stan Vollmer Sunday School: 10:00 am No Sunday School until Thank You!! This bulletin is furnished to the Parish without charge. The advertisements that appear completely defray all publishing costs with which the church would otherwise be burdened. Please patronize these sponsors as a Thank You for their generosity. Marriage Saving-the Post Session Phase - The post-weekend phase of Retrouvaille is as crucial to the healing of a troubled marriage as the initial weekend experience. During the post-weekend sessions, the weekend technique is further developed and combined with additional tools to explore other areas of the marriage relationship. The registration deadline for the January 12 program is January 5. To register call the Diocese of Owensboro Family Life office at or felliott3232@yahoo.com or visit the web site at Attention Engaged Couples! If you heard that you and your fiancé need to attend a marriage preparation program before the big day, then you heard right! Our next Unveiled Marriage Prep. Overnight is February 16 & 17. For details, you can ask your parish staff; call Catholic Charities at ; review Unveiled online at or register online at Tickets for Holy Trinity Catholic School s the HOOT go on sale Friday, January 5, from 7:00-9:00am in the St. Joseph Parish Center. the Hoot will be held on January 27, at KlubHaus 61 in Jasper. Doors open at 5:30pm, dinner at 6:30pm. Tickets will be sold on first come, first served basis, so get yours before they run out! Tickets are $30 each. All tickets must be paid for by cash or check at time of purchase. Checks can be made payable to Holy Trinity Catholic School. the Hoot is an all adult evening of food, fun and fellowship. The evening includes dinner, music, cash bar and lively auctions for oneof-a-kind and priceless items. All proceeds benefit Holy Trinity Catholic School. For updates, visit The Hoot for Holy Trinity Catholic School on Facebook.