December 24, 2017 Nativity of the Lord

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1 December 24, 2017 Nativity of the Lord A Message from our Pastor In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God. He was in the beginning with God But those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God. (J 1:1,12) Christmas brings us this message every year. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, who is with God, the Father, became a man for our salvation. When we accept this truth, He comes to us with His power. The joy of Christmas comes from this mystery. It is a true joy that never ends. It is a joy that turns tears into peace. It is a joy that gives life. My wish for you this Christmas is that you will open your heart to the true joy of Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas! Fr. Marek

2 What s Happening at Our Parish... Mass Schedule Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Saturday, December 30th at 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass Sunday, December 31st at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God Monday, January 1st at 9:00 a.m. 5th Sunday Rosary The Knights of Columbus will have their 5th Sunday Rosary on Sunday, December 31st at 7:50 a.m. It will be a rosary for life. Please join the the Knights and your parish family in this simple but powerful means of expressing our Catholic faith and improving our family s prayer lives. The Respect Life Committee will be hosting donuts after the 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Masses. St. Katharine Drexel School Advisory Council The School Advisory Council (SAC) is underway this year. If you are interested in joining a committee, we would love your help. Please contact the committee lead for more information. 1. Curriculum: Christine Ramirez - logicedu4you@gmail.com 2. Development: Andrew Vranesic - andrew.vranesic@gmail.com 3. Facilities: Mandi Lupher - mlupher@paxchristi.org 4. Finance: Betsy Lyle - betsyflyle@gmail.com or Thomas Wolf - thomas.e.wolf@gmail.com 5. Catholic Culture: Thomas Wurtz - thomaswurtz@yahoo.com 6. Marketing/Communication: Estefania Burns - dimuri@yahoo.com or Karen Wolf - karenjanewolf@gmail.com Nativity of the Lord -2- December 24, 2017

3 End of Year Giving Any cash or check donations for 2017 must be turned into the parish office by Noon on Friday, December 29th. Any stock donations need to be submitted to Rob Faughnan at the Diocese by Friday, December 15th. Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ leads naturally to the practice of Stewardship. These linked realities, discipleship and stewardship, then make up the fabric of a Christian life in which each day is lived in an intimate, personal relationship with the Lord. ~ USCCB s Pastoral Letter: Stewardship: A Disciple's Response (2002), p.14 VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION DINNER hosted by Fr. Marek and the Parish Staff We appreciate all you do for our parish! Join us on Friday, January 26th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. GAMES Family Feud Sign-ups for teams will be at the entrance when you arrive (please arrive by 5:45 p.m. to sign-up) FOOD/BEVERAGES Olive Garden/Dessert Bar Vegetarian and Gluten-Free options available Beer and Wine will be served FELLOWSHIP Spend time with your fellow parishioners. It's a great way to meet new people! RSVP to Joanne at or jlafond@paxchristi.org We pray to the Lord: Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will offer their affordable, non-invasive and painless health screenings at Pax Christi on February 9, Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms which can lead to a ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs which is a strong predictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat which is closely tied to stroke risk; and a bone density screening, for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis. Register for a Wellness Package which includes 4 vascular tests and osteoporosis screening from $149 ($139 with our member discount). All five screenings take minutes to complete. In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any package priced above $129, please call or visit communitycircle or text the word circle to Weekly Mass Flower Offering If you would like to donate flowers for a weekend Mass in memory of a loved one, contact Joanne in the parish office at jlafond@paxchristi.org or Cost is $35.00 per week. Respect For Life For a growing love of each human person from conception to natural death. That the life of every human person, from conception to natural death, might be enshrined and protected in our laws. For a growing love of God's little ones, in the womb, in the nursing home or at death's door: That we might love with the love of Jesus. ~ Catholic Conference of Bishops Couples Night Out Attention All Couples! Join us for a fun and exciting night out at Pax Christi on Friday, January 5th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. We will gather together with couples in our community to enrich our marriages and have fellowship with other couples in the parish. Childcare is available. Appetizers and adult beverages will be provided. There's no charge, but donations are gladly accepted. Pax Christi Catholic Church -3- Littleton, CO

4 Faith Formation THE BEST CATHOLIC CONTENT ALL IN ONE PLACE FORMED.org/register Pax Christi Parish Code: 84a30b It s easy to get FORMED: Go to You should see the registration box for parishioners. Type in the parish code: 84a30b. Set up a username and a password that will be your own personal login information. You are all set to use all the great programs on FORMED.org anytime by simply logging in. Gospel Reflection Sunday Mass has three scripture readings plus a psalm. Are you able to determine the connection each week? On Friday morning after Mass a group of us meets to discuss the readings and gain insight into how they connect. We would welcome more attendees. Look for us in the Great Hall. We have extra copies of the readings for your use. If you can't come each Friday, come as often as you can. Sacraments Sacramental Preparation. The Diocese of Colorado Springs requires that children who want to prepare to celebrate First Reconciliation, First Communion or Confirmation must have at least one year of religious education (at Pax Christi, Growing In Faith Together ) or Catholic school prior to the year they will be preparing, and continue that education during the year of preparation. For additional information, please check our website at First Reconciliation and First Communion. Contact Ginger Giesen at jgiesen@paxchristi.org or Youth Confirmation. Youth must be in 8th grade or older. Please contact Chenele Shaw at cshaw@paxchristi.org or The Process for Becoming Catholic. For information on the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) or RCIA Adapted for Children, please contact Ginger Giesen at jgiesen@paxchristi.org or Baptism. Contact Ginger Giesen at jgiesen@paxchristi.org or to schedule a time to attend the Baptism Preparation Classes (2) prior to the baptism. All parents are required to take these classes and must be registered members of the parish. Sacrament of Marriage. Contact Joanne at jlafond@paxchristi.org or to schedule your wedding date and start the preparation process. Sacrament of Reconciliation. Tuesday - Fridays from 8:30-8:50am in the Church, Thursdays from 6:30-7:30pm in the Chapel, Saturdays from 4:00-4:30pm in the Church, or by appointment. Anointing of the Sick. Please call for the priest to anoint the sick person before surgery or at the onset of any serious illness at When the Parish Office is CLOSED, if you have a SACRAMENTAL EMERGENCY, please call our emergency line at , option 2. This line is for emergencies ONLY! J.O.Y. Ministry. Volunteers take communion to individuals confined to their homes, hospital, nursing home or hospice. Contact Joanne at jlafond@paxchristi.org or Funerals. When a loved one dies, please call the Parish Office prior to making funeral plans. Funerals are not scheduled on Holy Days or Sundays. Nativity of the Lord -4- December 24, 2017

5 Youth Ministry Our Middle School group meets on Wednesdays from 6:00-8:00 p.m. All 7th and 8th grade students are invited to attend. This group strives to form the youth as disciples of Jesus Christ, striving to glorify Him in relationships and situations in life. We form friendships in Christ through fun games and fellowship. We deepen our faith and challenge each other through small group discussions. We encounter God through prayer and the Sacraments. We strive to deepen our faith and incorporate it into our daily lives as disciples of Christ through engaging talks, small group discussions and prayer. Young men & women s discipleship groups meet on Thursday nights from 7:00-9:00 p.m. All high school aged young people are welcome! Go to and click on Youth for information on our programs, registration forms and schedule! If you are you interested in volunteering with youth ministry or have questions about our programs, please contact Chenele Shaw at ymdirector@paxchristi.org or Parish Ministries Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Our mission is to serve the Body and Blood of Christ to members of the Eucharistic Assembly. Time commitment is twice monthly at Mass and a yearly update training. Please prayerfully consider serving in this ministry. If interested, please contact Bill Bena at bill.bena@lmco.com. ************** Newcomers Ministry Our mission is to welcome all new parishioners to be part of our Parish community. We greet new and incoming parishioners and welcome them into the life of the Parish. We also assist by offering information for ministry involvement. If you enjoy meeting new people, this ministry is perfect for you! Contact Jan Morgan at or janmorgan6@comcast.net, if you are interested. Food Bank of the Rockies Pax Christi is a site for Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) Mobile Pantry. FBR is here on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. The distribution line opens at 11:00 a.m. until the food runs out. The need for food is basic. All are invited to take advantage of this opportunity. Volunteers of all ages are welcome to help distribute the food. For more information, call our Parish Office. ************** J.O.Y. J.O.Y. Ministry takes communion to Catholic residents in nursing homes located in Highlands Ranch and Castle Pines. You are needed to help those who cannot attend Mass by taking them Holy Communion following the 8:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. If you would like to give of yourself to residents in need for 1½ to 2 hours once or twice a month, please contact the Parish Office at or supportstaff@paxchristi.org. St. Elizabeth s Pantry Open Wednesdays and Fridays 10:00 a.m. to Noon We currently need the following: Paper Towels ~ Aluminum Foil Sandwich Bags ~ Toilet Paper Cleaning Supplies ~ Laundry Soap Body Wash ~ Shampoo ~ Deodorant Drop off items in the brown bin in the Great Hall. Monetary donations accepted. ** We cannot accept opened, used or expired items. Thank you for your generous support of our pantry! ************** Ushers Ushers greet people, help with the collection and guide people to Communion. Because ushers work with youth, Safe Environment training and background checking is mandated by our Diocese. If you have questions or would like to volunteer, contact David Ash at dtash@reagan.com. For more information on our ministries, go to and click on Ministries Pax Christi Catholic Church -5- Littleton, CO

6 THE WEEK AHEAD Monday December 18 9:00a-5:00p MBP Counseling 9:30a-11:30a Biblical School 6:30p-7:30p RCIA Tuesday December 19 9:30a-11:30a Pax Moms 1:00p-3:00p Prayer Shawl 4:15p-5:30p Choir (1st Year) 6:00p-7:30p Finance Council 6:30p-8:00p St. Vincent de Paul 6:30p-8:30p Bible Timeline 7:00p-9:00p MomsNext 7:30p-9:00p Pastoral Council Wednesday December 20 9:30a-10:30a Prayer Chain 10:00a-12:00p Pantry 11:00a-12:00p SKD Advent Play 5:15p-6:30p Choir (2nd Year) 6:00p-8:00p 8th Grade Confirmation/ Edge Program 7:15p-9:00p Choir (M/W Schola) Thursday December 21 9:30a-10:00a Spanish Rosary 6:00p-7:00p HS Confirmation 6:30p-7:30p Adoration/Confession 7:00p-9:00p HS Discipleship Friday December 22 Parish Office Closed 6:00a-7:30a Point Men 9:45a-11:15a Gospel Reflection 10:00a-12:00p Pantry Saturday December 23 No Events Scheduled Sunday December 24 No Events Scheduled 12/23 5:00p Mass for the People 12/24 8:30a Evan Commeau/Family 12/24 10:30a The Post Family 12/24 4:00p Gail Stickney (d) 12/24 7:00p Irene Ayers (d) 12/25 12:00a Janet Burkett (d) 12/25 9:00a John Burkett (d) 12/26 9:00a Manuel Novoa 12/27 9:00a Rocio Guillen (d) 12/28 9:00a Diane Ojile 12/29 9:00a Ted Knoblauch (d) The Catholic Legacy Society was created to honor our legacy donors who have named their parish, Catholic school or a ministry of the Diocese of Colorado Springs as a beneficiary in their will or trust, retirement account, charitable gift annuity or charitable trust, life insurance policy, or through the establishment of an endowed fund. The Diocese is grateful to acknowledge these special benefactors during their lifetimes. And, in conjunction with our mission, this special society provides an opportunity for benefactors to make their philanthropy a perpetual legacy for themselves and an example for their families. It also creates an infrastructure of support that makes our parishes, schools and ministries stronger, sustainable and better equipped to reach future generations. If you have named your parish, a Catholic school or a ministry of the Diocese of Colorado Springs in your estate plan, or are considering doing so, we invite you to become a member of the Catholic Legacy Society. For more information go to thecatholiclegacysociety.org. PARISH STAFF Phone: Fax: Pastor: Fr. Marek Krol Direct dial: mkrol@paxchristi.org Deacon: Thomas Sandusky Direct dial: tsandusky@paxchristi.org Business Manager: Lisa Walker Direct dial: businessmanager@paxchristi.org Administrative Assistant: Joanne Lafond Direct dial: supportstaff@paxchristi.org Director of Music: Raymond Ortiz Direct dial: choraldirector@paxchristi.org Director of Discipleship: Ginger Giesen Direct dial: faithformation@paxchristi.org Director of Youth Ministry: Chenele Shaw Direct dial: ymdirector@paxchristi.org Head Catechist: Roberta Marsh Direct dial: restaff@paxchristi.org Maintenance: Victor Corral Direct dial: maintenance@paxchristi.org St. Katharine Drexel School: Cynthia Vigil Direct dial: cvigil@paxchristi.org Nativity of the Lord -6- December 24, 2017

7 MASS SCHEDULE Tuesday thru Friday: 9:00am Saturday: 5:00pm Sunday: 8:30am, 10:30am & 5:00pm Holy Days (weekday): 6:30am and 7:00pm Sacrament of Reconciliation: Tuesday - Friday: 8:30-8:50am Thursday: 6:30-7:30pm (Chapel) Saturday: 4:00-4:30pm or by appointment PARISH OFFICE HOURS Monday thru Thursday: 9:00am - Noon & 1:00pm - 4:00pm Friday: 9:00am - Noon Phone: Fax: Sacramental Emergencies: , option 2 New Parishioners & Visitors We welcome you to our parish! Parish Stewardship of Treasure Contributions to Pax Christi for December 10, 2017 Regular Offertory: $18,997 Debt Reduction: $1,014 Weekly Offertory Needed: $28,000 Smart Decision Service When you provide a check as payment, you authorize us either to use the information from your check to make a onetime electronic fund transfer from your account or to process the payment as a check transaction. Go to for more information about our parish and to register. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Have you signed up for Online Giving? If you would like to use this service, go to and click on Stewardship/Giving It s convenient, easy and secure. q rsst r r r1234 5r t6rs 78910❶❷❶❸❹ ❺9❻❼ ❺❼❽❾❿❺ ➀❼810❶➁❼➂ 7❺➃➀❶➁❽❾ ➄❺❼8❽➅➃➆ ➈➁➁➉➅❽❿❶9❸❽❾ ➄❺❼8❽➅➃ ➊➅❼❼➁❺ ➄❺❼8❽➅➃➆ ➋➉8➀❼➀ ❽❸❷ ➌➋➍➀ ➎➏➐➑➒ ➓ P P ➇ Ï Ð ÑÒÓÓÔ ÕÖ ØÙÚÙÛÜÝÛ Þ ßÒØØàÙá âö ãàòäùôå âæóùçøýó èàòéùä Ñæää ßÝÓØêÒÓÔ ëìíìî ïððñìòòì

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