Welcome to St. George Church

Transcription

1 Welcome to St. George Church A Parish with Spirit and Heart! 74 Old Glenwood Rd. West Falls, NY Web: stgeorge.wf@gmail.com Office: (716) Fax: (716) Faith Formation Office: (716) Fr. Pascal (Pat) Ipolito, Pastor Kathy Kita, Pastoral Associate, Director of Faith Formation Week of December 20, 2015 Fourth Sunday of Advent From the Pastor s Desk Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS, has created a wonderful painting of the Visitation, titled the Windsock Visitation. The two dark-skinned women embrace. They are smiling. He includes words of St. Jane de Chantal, founder of the Visitation order, that describe their meeting as a place of delight and rest. I want to leap for joy whenever I see it. John leaped in Elizabeth s womb. Elizabeth called Mary blessed because Mary believed that the words of God s promise would be fulfilled. She believed. We are five days from Christmas. The days can be hurried. The nights can be harried. Yet the promise of joy is in the air. We celebrate the time when God s promise of peace begins to be fulfilled. Do we believe that ours is the time of fulfillment? Do we believe that God s promised justice and peace, light and hope, mercy and visitation are meant for us? Do we believe that God s will for us is to know God-with-us, Emmanuel, every day? Do we believe that our believing this promise can lighten the darkness and lessen the evil that surround us and fill our world? Believe it or try to live as you believe today. Let God s love fill you, Christ s light shine through you, and the peace of the Spirit surround you so clearly that people say of you and me, Blessed are you who believe that what was spoken to us by the Lord would be fulfilled. Visit someone who gives you hope. Leap for joy in honor of the Visitation of Elizabeth and Mary. Make clear that God is with us. God of promise and fulfillment, visit us with Christ in ways that bring us peace, light, and hope. Empower us to visit others with the fruit of Mary s womb, Jesus. Where do you see signs that God s promises continue to be fulfilled this Advent season? To whom might you turn for light, hope, or joy in any darkness or pain you carry this year? Shalom! Fr. Pat Excerpted with permission from Living the Word (

2 MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK Saturday, December 19 5 pm In Thanksgiving for and honoring all Mothers Sunday, December 20 8:30 am Richard B. McCormick, MD, by the Family Sunday, December am In Thanksgiving for healing and prayers for Shirley Miller and Little Sam, by Shirley Miller Monday, December 21 8 am Souls to be remembered from All Souls Day Tuesday, December 22 8 am Souls to be remembered from All Souls Day Wednesday, December 23 8 am CHRISTMAS EVE Thursday, December 24 5 pm 10 pm Communion Service and Novena Ray Deibel, by Kathy & Gene Deibel John Wojewodzski, by the Wojewodzski family CHRISTMAS DAY Friday, December am Dorothy Dolce, by Frank & Louise Dolce Saturday, December 26 5 pm In Thanksgiving for and honoring all Fathers Sunday, December 27 8:30 am Janice Bartoszek, by the Dziulko family Sunday, December am Michael Harrigan, by Mary Alice and the family The next First Friday falls on New Year s Day, so we will not have Adoration following the Mass; Friday, January 1st at 10 am in the Church. Confession: Saturday from 4:00-4:30 pm Christmas Eve Children s Mass: 5 pm Christmas Eve Vigil Mass: 10 pm Christmas Day Mass: 10 am PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR SICK & SHUT-INS, especially: Loretta Ellis, Doris Ellis, Angie Antonelli, Peter Brady, Maryanne Mueller, Michael Schafer, John Branicky, Marsha Shuler, Dorothy Knaier, Louise Zelonis, Gina Reger, Richard & Antoinette Pucillo, Joe Arcara, Lou Williams, Delores Gebhard, Jeanette Dipiano, Susan Dorobiala, Judy Zielinski, Nancy Service, Jocelyn Tragarz, Sr. Mary Dee, Allison Kruger, Sr. Mary Ellen Twist, Jill Janik, David Dobson, Colette Longboat, Kathy Grover-Castro, Jim Moeller, Jim Cafferty, Linda Bettinger, Mario Nunez, Sarah Friedhaber, Jason Estabrook, Crystal Oats, Dianne Emerling, Bill Petrie, Sophie Cooke, Margo McClelland, Steve Curvin, David Kroll, and Dave Isbrandt. Religious give thanks. We cannot begin to repay all who contribute. Writes a Catholic sister. So we pray to God, who is never outdone in generosity, to reward you. Heartfelt thanks for your donations totaling $1, to last week s collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. May God bless you for your goodness! PARISH COUNCIL NEEDS YOU! New members are needed for our 2016 Parish Council. Won t you please consider serving your parish as a member of Parish Council? 2016 Parish Council Nomination forms have been placed at each church entrance. Please complete a form and mail it or drop it off to the Rectory. Kindly submit your Nomination forms no later than Sunday, December 20th.

3 ROSARY ALTAR BAKE SALE IS UNDERWAY AT ALL MASSES THIS WEEKEND Don t forget to pick up your prepaid plant orders! *** Prayer Shawl ministry will not meet again until Jan. 5, 2015*** Everyone is invited to musically participate in our 5 pm Christmas Eve and 10 am Christmas Day Masses. We will practice the music on Tuesday Dec. 22. Times are 6:30 7:15 pm for children & parents, and 7:30 9 pm for adults. Any questions, please call Lisa Oun at , or lisamjdoun@aol.com. WE ARE PRAYING FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD! Our parish Jesse Tree also includes ornaments representing the O Antiphons - a prayer tradition dating back to the 4th century. The Antiphons (prayers) are recited during evening prayer before and after the Canticle of Mary from December Each Antiphon begins with "O" and calls Jesus a unique title that comes from the prophecies of Isaiah. The first letter of each of these titles, when read backwards, form the Latin words "Ero Cras" which means "Tomorrow I come." More ornaments on the Jesse Tree! The Jesse Tree tradition developed from Isaiah 11:1: A shoot shall come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. Each day of Advent, we adorn the Jesse Tree with illustrated ornaments that represent the people and events leading up to the birth of Jesus. The ornaments tell the story of our salvation, connecting the Advent season with the faithfulness of God across four thousand years of history. Check out the new ornaments for the third and fourth week of Advent! Monday, Jan. 4th: Tuesday, Jan. 5th: Sunday, Jan. 10th: Thursday, Jan. 14th: Sunday, Jan. 17th: Thursday, Jan. 21st: Sunday, Jan. 31st: Sunday, Feb. 7th: Wednesday, Feb. 10th: Saturday, Feb. 13th: SAVE THE DATE! GIFT Catechist & Teacher Aide Meeting Living the Eucharist Team Meeting Youth GIFT Mass & Youth GIFT Session Liturgy Team Meeting Bereavement Ministry Meeting Parish Council Meeting GIFT Family Mass & Parish Faith Festival Annual Pancake Breakfast (Think Theme Baskets!) Ash Wednesday Midwinter Fest Dinner & Dance Social Through your merciful generosity and kindness, over 130 gifts were delivered to grateful recipients at Harvest House, Girard Place, and the Bread of Life Outreach. Thank you for always responding to the call with love and enthusiasm! STEWARDSHIP Weekly offerings last week totaled $10, Offerings for Maintenance & Capital Improvements totaled $ Our parish needs $3, each week in order to meet our financial obligations. We sincerely appreciate your continuing generosity!

4 CHRISTMAS WEEK Monday, December 21st 9 am 1 pm, 2:30 4:30 pm OFFICE HOURS Tuesday, December 22nd 9 am 2 pm Wednesday, December 23rd 9 am 2 pm Christmas Eve: Thursday, December 24th 9 am - 12 pm Christmas Day: Friday, December 25th CLOSED OPLATKI CHRISTMAS WAFERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE on the table at the back of church. The breaking of the Christmas wafer is a custom that began in Poland in the 10th century and is practiced by people of Polish ancestry around the world. It is considered the most ancient and beloved of Polish traditions. (Source: SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL Jesus was born during the night of the year when darkness is the longest. The Savior of the world comes for the people in dark places. The real, lasting, and deep joy is that the Light shines there. Through your gifts to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Light has shone, bringing real, lasting and deep joy to the hearts of the poor who live in dark places in our streets and neighborhood. Last week you assisted over 40 individuals with their upcoming Christmas meals. In addition, your 130+ gifts from the Angel Tree were all delivered to grateful recipients. Thank you. You should truly feel that you did your part this Christmas season. God Bless all. HAITI CHRISTMAS GIFT CARDS are now available on the Haiti card rack in the back of the church. Please consider giving Haiti Christmas Gift Cards to family and friends, which will also provide families at our twin Haitian parish with gifts of farm animals, water purifiers, school tuition, medicines and sanitation facilities. The people of our twin parish will benefit greatly from these gifts. Thank you for your generous support. ALLELUJA! HURRY THE Lord IS NEAR!! It's time to decorate our church for Christmas! We ll meet after the Sunday 11 am Mass in the Church. All are welcome to join us and help out! Many hands make light work! CHRIST THE KING SEMINARY PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES & ITALY Christ the King Seminary will host a pilgrimage to France and Italy in the summer of 2016 in observance of the Year of Mercy. The trip will include visits to Lourdes, Avignon, Nice, Florence, Assisi and Rome over the course of 12 days. Rev. Joseph Gatto, President-Rector of the seminary and Rev. Msgr. Richard Siepka, Director of Spiritual Formation, will serve as hosts. The group will depart from Toronto on Sunday, June 12, 2016, returning Thursday, June 23rd. Initial reservations are due by February 1st. For further details and reservation information visit or call Nadine Oates at JOIN OUR MAILING LIST! Sign up to receive our weekly bulletin, parish news & updates via . Visit to sign up. (Your address will never be shared or used for any other purpose without your permission.)

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