ST. CECILIA NEWS FROM THE PEWS

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1 Parish Office at for assistance. ST. CECILIA NEWS FROM THE PEWS November 2008 November 2015 Pastor s Musings As I was looking at foliage on our property and the surrounding area just a few minutes before beginning to write this article, I couldn t help admire the beauty but also remember that the marvelously colored leaves would soon be falling to the ground and that before we know it winter (or at least winter-like weather) will be upon us! This led me to bring to mind that as this occurs, there will be a lot happening in our community. This year the Solemnity of All Saints falls on a Sunday. On that day we honor the many women and men of faith who have inspired us throughout the centuries because of their openness to God s grace and calling. Neither canonized Saints nor those in the communion of saints have their titles because they were perfect or sinless. Rather, they were open to conversion and to God s grace when they found it offered to them in their lives! The Feast of All Souls will be on Monday, November 2, While not a Holyday of Obligation, many like to come to Mass to remember their deceased loved ones and friends. There will be Masses at 8:15 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. that day. At the 7:00 p.m. Mass we will remember those buried from Saint Cecilia during this past year. Also, you are invited to write the names of deceased whom you wish to remember in the Book of the Deceased. On Sunday, November 22, 2015 we celebrate the Solemnity of Jesus Christ: King of the Universe. This is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. As you may remember, November 22 is normally the Feast of Saint Cecilia, but a Solemnity of the Lord outranks the Feast of a Saint. On Thursday, November 26, 2015, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Mass on Thanksgiving Day will be at 9:00 a.m. We will continue our tradition of bringing non-perishable food items for the Westland Area Food Bank. On Sunday, November 29, 2015, we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. This is the first Sunday of the new liturgical year. We will switch to Year C in the Sunday Cycle of Readings and Year II in the Daily Cycle. At the 9:30 a.m. Mass on the First Sunday of Advent, we will celebrate the Rite of Welcoming for those in RCIA who will become catechumens. Please check out the many new programs that have begun or will be beginning at our parish. That Man Is You continues as does Bible Study. You will be hearing many things about our upcoming Alpha Program. We now have a Lending Library in the Gathering Space. There is an effort in process to form a High School Youth Group. Saint Cecilia is a happening place! Come and see! Father Leo Connolly

2 COMMUNITY BILLBOARD BLOOD DONATION DRIVE COMING UP! The American Red Cross will conduct a Blood Drive here on Thursday, November 5 from 2 to 8 p.m. in Meeting Rooms A & B. Both new and experienced donors are invited. A typical blood donation takes approximately an hour; the actual donation is about 20 minutes. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds, be in generally good health, and have a positive ID (Red Cross donor card or photo ID showing date of birth). Please plan to participate in this needed cause! Receive a Pint for a Pint coupon from Culver s and a chance to win a special reward. Sign up the weekend before! ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT will begin on Friday, November 6 after the 8:15 a.m. Mass. The adoration will conclude just before the 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass on Saturday, November 7. In November, the special prayer intention is for the Faithful Departed. The December intention is for those who will be alone this holiday season. VACATION SCHEDULE NOTES The deadline for the December issue of News from the Pews is Monday, November 9. Also, the deadline for both the November 22 and 29 Sunday bulletins will be noon on Monday, November 16. These earlier deadlines will help us to accommodate the printer s schedule. St. Cecilia School and Preschool will start their Thanksgiving Vacation on Wednesday, November 25 and return on Monday, November 30. The Parish Office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27. P.S.R. classes, including the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, will NOT meet on Sunday, November 29 or on Monday, November 30. There will be no Children s Liturgy of the Word on Sunday, November 29. THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS will be sponsoring a Breakfast to Support Seminarians on Sunday, November 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the School Hall. The breakfast will include: choice of pancakes (Regular or Blueberry), Sausage, Hash Brown, Sausage Gravy & Biscuits, Egg Strata (Sausage or Veggie), and Juice/Milk/Coffee. Cost will be: Adult - $5.00, Child - $3.50, and Family - $ OUR NEXT FIFTH SUNDAY COLLECTION is November 28 & 29. Members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society will be at the church doors to accept your donations for their work with needy families in our local area. SCRIP NEWS Got Lots of Gifts to purchase? Well, a great way to spread out the expense is by purchasing SCRIP Gift Cards. Purchase a few now and set them aside to use over the next couple of months. You will spread the cost of the holidays and won t be hit with a huge expense come Christmas! This makes an easy way to budget for the holidays too! Did you know that you can reload many restaurant or store gift cards? The list is growing! Please note: You must have purchased the original gift card through SCRIP to reload. To do a reload, or just to order cards we do not keep on hand in our inventory, go to create a free account with our organization s number EA1A , and browse away! If you own or run a business which gives out gift cards as a bonus, please consider ordering them through us. For large orders of cards or more information on the SCRIP Program, please contact Tonya Lancia, our SCRIP coordinator at tonyalancia@gmail.com. BOOK FAIR will be at St. Cecilia School during the week of November 2-6. School families will shop during the school day throughout the week. Parents are invited to shop on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (11/4-6) from 8:00 AM 9:00 AM. Parents may also shop during parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday evening from 3:30-7:30. All parishioners are invited to shop at the online book fair from October 28-November 10. This is a great way to do some early Christmas shopping. Books ordered through the Online Book Fair will be delivered to the school by the end of November. Please contact Miss Hughes (chughes@cdeducation.org) to arrange for her to contact you when the books arrive. The online fair can be found through this site: SPECIAL MASSES THIS MONTH All Souls Day is Monday, November 2. As in past years, we will have a Mass in Commemoration of the Faithful Departed at 7:00 p.m. It will be followed by a reception in the Prayer Chapel. We particularly invite families who have lost a loved one this past year to attend the Mass and reception. Our Thanksgiving Day Mass will be held at 9:00 a.m. The date is Thursday, November 26. Please bring a nonperishable food item with you. At the Offertory time of the Mass, you are encouraged to bring the items up and place them in the baskets by the steps to the sanctuary area. These items will be used by the Food Pantry to help needy families in our area.

3 CATHOLIC CONFERENCE OF OHIO ELECTION 2015 In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. The responsibility to make political choices rests with each person and his or her properly formed conscience. Catholic voters are called to properly form their consciences in preparation for voting and for the continued advocacy for just laws and policies required after voting. This process should focus on moral principles, the defense of life, the needs of the weak, and the pursuit of the common good. It requires constant prayer, understanding of Church teaching, and discernment that goes beyond campaign rhetoric and partisan politics. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops There are three statewide issues on the November 3, 2015 ballot. Voters are encouraged to carefully and prayerfully study each of these issues. The Catholic Bishops of Ohio have taken a supportive position on Issues 1 & 2, while opposing Issue 3. General Election Day is November 3, ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION NEWS Girls and Boys Basketball: Practice will begin the week of November 9th. Girls and Boys in Grades 4-8 can sign up at the athletic web site. The Athletic Association will do everything it can to put players in their current grade level and with St. Cecilia based on the numbers that sign up for each team; grades may be combined, or combining with another school may be needed. cilia. Also, check out the web site for the latest Athletic News, Schedules and the Weekly Poll. Bowling: St. Cecilia is looking to start back up its bowling league. Students in grades 6-8 who are interested should go to the athletic web site and sign up. This will be once a week. The association is working to get a place and time and we hope to have this locked down soon. We are also trying to get an idea for numbers, so if interested please sign up now. HIGHLAND GAMES This year s Parish Festival hosted the first St. Cecilia Highland Invitational Games, organized by Josh Beatty, son of Al and Stephanie Beatty. Along with his younger brother, Jeffrey Beatty, the two would like to announce that Jeffrey qualified for the Mid-Atlantic Championship Highland Games in Richmond, Virginia on October 25 th. Jeff is the only athlete from Columbus and one of three from Ohio to be invited to this competition. The next Parents Night Out is scheduled for Friday, November 20 th from 6:30-9:00pm. There are still a few open spots remaining if you would like to register your children for this program. Contact Katie Wohrle at or kwohrle@saintceciliachurch.org with any questions. Attention all high school students Plan on joining us for our first Life Teen night at St. Cecilia! We will be having a glowin-the-dark dodgeball night on Saturday, November 21 st from 6:30pm 9:00pm in the Parish Center (gym). Life Teen is a Catholic youth ministry program designed specifically for high school aged students. However, you don t need to be Catholic to attend! Come check us out, bring a friend, and enjoy a night full of fun, food, and friends. We ll provide dinner and all the excitement of glow-in-the-dark dodgeball. There is no cost to attend this night, but we are taking donations of cake mixes and tubs of icing for the St. Vincent de Paul Society Christmas basket program. Can t make it on the 21 st? No worries mark your calendars for our next Life Teen night scheduled for Saturday, December 19 th! Contact Katie Wohrle at or kwohrle@saintceciliachurch.org with any questions. All 6 th, 7 th, and 8 th grade students plan on joining us for 5:00 Mass on Saturday, November 7 th. After Mass, we will proceed to the gym for another great Edge night from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Bring a friend and be ready for a night full of fun and excitement! In addition, the St. Vincent de Paul Society has asked if the Edge group could donate boxes of cake mix and tubs of icing for their Christmas food basket program. The students will be helping to assemble these food baskets in December details will follow later. If you could donate a few boxes or tubs of icing, in lieu of the typical $5 donation, it would be greatly appreciated! Contact Katie Wohrle at or kwohrle@saintceciliachurch.org with any questions.

4 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION/ACTIONS PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL MEETING October 7, 2015 The Feast of St. Cecilia falls on the Solemnity of Christ the King this year. Parish Council recommends that no celebration of St. Cecilia Day be held. The chair of the Social Committee will contact the director of liturgical music suggesting a reception following Lessons and Carols. Fr. Connolly had submitted a written report. Jason Stewart is the parish s facilities manager, working with the Facilities Committee and contractors, forming various plans for maintenance, and overseeing the custodial and maintenance staff. Father reminded all to be sure to place any meeting or activity on the parish calendar as soon as possible after setting a date and time. The Parish Lending Library is progressing and books, DVDs, CDs, books-on-tape are welcomed. Sunday Scripture Study continues, but might be discontinued during the Alpha program. People are needed to mentor middle-school children in the Emerald Glen area as part of St. Vincent DePaul s Bridges Out of Poverty program. Plans for a parish mission and parish retreat are on hold. Fifteen people represented this parish in the Friends of the Poor Walk, earning $2,200 for the St. Vincent DePaul Society. The Christmas Baskets program is on schedule. The 2015 net profit from the Festival was $47, The possibility of moving the festival to an earlier date has been suggested and the many factors which would affect this are being studied, including conflicts with events sponsored by other parishes and civic groups. St. Cecilia Church will be hosting the Alpha Course to parishioners and guests beginning January 11. The Alpha Course is an opportunity for people to explore life and the Christian faith in a friendly, open, and informal environment. Each session involves a simple meal, a main talk via DVD, and some time to say what one thinks, ask questions, and discuss the material presented in the talk. Alpha is free (a free-will offering will be suggested) and is open to everyone, all faith traditions and to those who have none. Volunteers are needed and planning meetings are underway. A parish Welcoming Committee has been set up. They are reviewing the current welcoming packet. Plans are that when new parishioners register, the pastor will send them a personal welcome card. Then a member of the Welcoming Committee will contact them offering to meet with the family at a convenient Mass time when they will give them a welcome packet personalized for their family needs, help them contact with people in the parish. The committee has also discussed having a Welcome Table in the Gathering Space. The Athletic Association s Board of Directors are: Bob Kapala, athletic director; Chris Cheatham, assistant athletic director; Josh Dinan, treasurer; Natosha Daily, secretary; and Katie Wohrle, parish youth minister. Heather Gossett is uniform commissioner, Scott Wheaton is field commissioner. A concessions commissioner is being sought. The Board meets on the third Sunday of every month. The first high school LifeTeen night is scheduled for November 21 with a glow-in-the-dark dodgeball tournament. Invitations will be mailed to all high-school-aged parishioners and announcement will be made to Bishop Ready and St. Charles students at school. The Parish School of Religion began on September 13 with over 130 students registered and inquiries from four other families with intention to enroll. Instructional sessions in RCIA meet on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the chapel; at this time, five adults are enrolled. There are 64 participants in the Bible Study on Mary which will run for eight weeks. Adult Confirmation preparation was cancelled because no one expressed interest. The next regular meeting of the Parish Pastoral Council will be Wednesday, November 4, 2015, in the chapel. (Note: This summary is abbreviated to fit the space available. For a fuller summary, log on to the parish web site (saintceciliachurch.org; click Parish Pastoral Council, then select Meeting Schedule/Minutes).

5 Respect Life Spiritually Adoptive Baby Project Your adoptive baby is now 8 months old. Everything in your baby s body is preparing for her entry into the world. The baby looks pinkish and smooth now that a good layer of fat has been laid down under the skin. She is also developing immunity from her mother s antibodies to protect her until she develops her own resistance to illness several months after birth. BINGO TEAM SCHEDULES If you are interested in volunteering as a Bingo Team Member or Substitute, please call the Parish Office ( ). Teams work every five weeks, about 4 hours an evening. Each team works 10 or 11 times in one year. We have teams on both Sundays and Tuesdays; you choose which night is better for you. Team Members, please clip and save this schedule of dates. As always, if you are going to miss a scheduled date for your team, please obtain a substitute. If you need a replacement list of workers, please call ( ) or stop in the Parish Office. Sundays Tuesdays Team 1 Nov. 1, Dec. 6, Jan. 10 Nov. 3, Dec. 8, Jan. 12 Team 2 Nov. 8, Dec.13 Nov. 10, Dec 15 Team 3 Nov. 15, Dec. 20 Nov. 17, Dec. 22 Team 4 Nov. 22, Dec. 27 Nov. 24, Dec. 29 Team 5 Nov. 29, Jan. 3 Dec. 1, Jan. 5 St. Cecilia Early Childhood and Child Care Cookie Tray Sale You can purchase delicious Christmas cookie trays at Breakfast with Santa on December 5 th and after the Masses on the weekend of December 5 th and 6 th. The containers (2 dozen cookies) will be priced at $7.00 each, or 3 containers (6 dozen) for $ We will also have buckeyes and pizzelles available for sale. The annual sale will benefit St. Cecilia s Early Childhood and Child Care Programs! REQUEST FOR FARMHOUSE FEAST DONATIONS As some of you may be aware, for the past several years Bob Evans has given our parish several Farmhouse Feasts at Thanksgiving and Christmas. They are unable to do so this year. There are several families in our parish who have really benefitted from being able to receive these meals. If anyone is interested in making a donation so that we might be able to purchase some of these Farmhouse Feasts for Thanksgiving, you can do so by marking a blank envelope and placing it the Offertory Basket sometime over the next few weeks or you can send it or drop it off at the Parish Office. Any checks should be made out to Saint Cecilia Church. Envelopes should be marked Farmhouse. Please be sure to include your name, etc. should you wish the donation to be included on Offering Statement this coming January. Thank you for your considering this. THE ADVENT GIVING TREE PROGRAM Gifts due Sunday, Dec 6 Our Advent Giving Tree program has been in the planning stages and is now ready to begin for Advent. We have committed to 450 gifts this year from three organizations, Catholic Social Services Adult program; Children s program; Columbus Home Healthcare; and 50 money envelopes, which will be used to help members of our parish family. Money envelopes may be placed in the collection basket during Mass. Ornaments will be placed on two Christmas trees for the weekends of Nov. 21/22 and Nov. 28/29. There may be one or two items listed on the ornament. Please only purchase one item, securely box and wrap the gift. Tape the paper ornament securely to the package with the name of the person showing. Please keep in mind that these gifts are moved multiple times prior to making it to their final destination. Do not add bows, ribbons, decorations or candy canes to the outside of the box. There is no guarantee that decorations placed on the outside will make it to their destination. Gifts can be returned on Nov. 28/29 and all gifts must be returned by Sunday, Dec. 6. If you have any questions or lose an ornament, you may call Brenda Case at or the Parish Office at for assistance.

6 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION Parent Baptism Class - Parents who wish to have an infant baptized at St. Cecilia are expected to attend one of our monthly Parent Baptism Classes, held in the Parish Office Conference Room immediately after the noon Mass. The next date is Sunday, November 8. It is desirable that both parents attend the session; Godparents are also encouraged to attend. It is recommended that the infant not be brought to the session. Parents need to be registered in the parish, and should also be pre-registered prior to attending the class. Please call the Parish Office ( ) to do so. If no one pre-registers for a session, that session will be canceled. If the parents are not registered members of Saint Cecilia Parish, they will need to present a letter from their current pastor giving permission for the Baptism to be held at St. Cecilia. Confirmation The second set of paperwork is due on December 1. This includes the Confirmation Name Form and the Retreat Permission Form. If a candidate did not receive Baptism and/or First Communion in our parish, we also need a copy of the Baptismal Certificate from the Parish of Baptism. We encourage our candidates to begin working on earning Service Hours, if you haven t already done so. Upcoming on-site volunteer opportunities include Breakfast with Santa (Sat., Dec. 5) and the St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Basket Program (Fri. & Sat., Dec ). If your child can work on projects at home, please contact Kyle Kowaleski ( or kkowaleski@saintceciliachurch.org) for ideas, such as making the paper ornaments which are needed for the Giving Tree. PSR PROGRAM Our religion class schedule this month is: Sunday classes will meet on November 1, 8, 15, and 22. The Monday Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level II will meet November 2, 9, 16, and 23. Since Thanksgiving is celebrated on Thursday, November 26, our break falls on November 29 & 30. All classes will resume on Sunday and Monday, December 6 & 7. THANKSGIVING Bountiful God, You have blessed us in many ways in the beauty and richness of our land, and in the freedom we enjoy. You have given us even greater gifts in the care of those who love us and the grace to believe in you. May we be grateful for all these blessings not just today, but every day. Help us to turn our gratitude into action by caring for those in need and working for a more just society. Bless this wonderful meal before us, bless each of us at this table and be with all those we love. We give you thanks through Jesus our Lord. Amen. Catholic Update Mealtime Prayers Through the Year, St. Anthony Messenger Press. Provided by the Marriage and Family Life Office, Diocese of Columbus. MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR BREAKFAST WITH SANTA! Saturday, December 5 Seatings at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. More information to come!

7 SAINT CECILIA CHURCH 434 NORTON ROAD COLUMBUS OH Address Service requested Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Galloway OH Permit No. 28 VETERANS DAY NOVEMBER 11, 2015 On November 11 as we commemorate Veterans Day by recalling the sacrifices of our service men and women, we are mindful of those currently serving our country, both here and overseas. Praying for their safe return to their friends and loved ones, we lift them up: Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Christ our Lord. Amen.