Saint Cecilia. First Sunday of Advent. 1 December Our Lady of Expectation

Transcription

1 Saint Cecilia P A R I S H First Sunday of Advent 1 December 2013 Our Lady of Expectation

2 St. Cecilia Parish Advent Giving Tree Our annual Advent giving tree has arrived! Your gift purchase will bring tidings of comfort and joy this Christmas to many children, parents and senior citizens who live in our neighborhood. Here is some information on the organizations that we are supporting this year. our community news PROJECT HOPE works in partnership with families so they can move up and out of poverty. They do this by being a catalyst for change in the lives of families and in the systems that keep them poor; developing and providing family support solutions for homelessness and poverty; and advocating for just public policies that strengthen families. We have received requests from 85 children. Each child requests two toys and one practical gift. The FAMILIES IN TRANSITION (FIT) program has been in operation for 14 years, working to help families become stabilized, to secure adequate and affordable housing and to develop the skills and ability to maintain their homes in their respective communities. Families waiting to move live in one of 22 small apartments on two floors at the Huntington Avenue YMCA. We have received gift requests from 22 single parents and their children. WALTHAM HOUSE is a group home program, run by the Home for Little Wanderers, designed to provide a safe and supportive living environment for GLBT youth ages Waltham House offers residents a safe and nurturing environment, including 24-hour staffing, in which to live while they prepare for family reunification, independent living and future selfsufficiency. Information about the Gift Tags: THE ELDERS LIVING AT HOME is a program of Boston Medical Center that supports elders in making the transition from homelessness to housing. Their mission provides supportive services to help elders overcome barriers to permanent housing. They provide a range of services to a diverse group of older adults who are homeless, who have been homeless and who may be at risk of becoming homeless with the goal of helping them maintain their independence in safe, affordable permanent housing for as long as possible. The individuals served by ELAHP are very low-income, and many are socially isolated. Most would not be remembered at Christmas at all and our gifts help meet their significant material needs, but also offer them the much needed human touch and the feeling of being remembered and recognized as the unique, blessed individuals they are. Homelessness is one of the most complex and challenging social problems in the United States. Pine Street Inn has crafted an ambitious plan to focus its efforts on permanent supportive housing. Pine Street currently owns and manages more than 600 units at 35 sites throughout greater Boston. The supportive housing model employed by Pine Street, incorporating case managers and house managers, has proven extremely effective in keeping individuals housed long-term. A comprehensive plan encourages each individual to reach his or her potential. The plan includes accessing health services, job training or mental health resources. We have received gift requests from clients who live at Pine Street Homes. Project Hope DO NOT WRAP the gift. Attach tag to the outside. Due Monday, December 16 by 12 noon. All other agencies Wrap the gift and attach tag to outside. Due Wednesday, December 18 by 3:00 pm. Gift cards: Gifts cards can be for any amount. For stores not indicated suggestions are: CVS, Walgreens, Payless Shoes, Marshall s, Whole Foods, Shaws/Stop and Shop, Best Buy or restaurants like Pizzeria Uno, Boston Market or Panera. If you cannot find the gift, a gift card to the store most likely to have it is acceptable. For expensive items a a gift card toward the purchase of the gift is very much appreciated! Late Gifts Will be delivered but not in time for Christmas. If you are able to purchase additional gift cards these will be given to individuals who request assistance during the Christmas season. Ministers of the Liturgy Saturday 5:00 p.m. Laura Andromalos, lector Sunday 8:00 a.m. Rev. Thomas Gariepy, CSC, celebrant Louvere Walker, lector Sunday 9:30 a.m. Moira Macdonald, Tim Pratt, & Rosaria Salerno, lectors Sunday 11:15 a.m. Joe Castellano, Natasha Pierre, & Josh Fairchild, lectors Sunday 6:00 p.m. Conor Kelly & Zachary Boutin, lectors today s readings Isaiah 2:1-5 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:37-44 next sunday s Readings Isaiah 11:1-10 Romans 15:4-9 Matthew 3:1-12 special intentions Saturday, November 30 5:00 p.m. Claire & Bill White, Memorial Sunday, December 1 9:30 a.m. Carol Howland, Memorial Sunday, December 1 11:15 a.m. Chuck Botosh, Memorial food for Catholic Charities This week's featured donation item is: SPAGHETTI! Next week's featured donation item is: TUNA! Donations of cereal, pasta, macaroni & cheese, tomato sauce, peanut butter, canned tuna, and canned chicken breast are always accepted. Please leave food donations in the narthex baskets. 3

3 Prayers & Occasions Our Sick Please pray for all our sick and for those who are in need of our prayer, especially Jennifer Serpico, Heather LoRe, Rudy Kikel, Annette Kulas, Steven Whitkens, Patricia Macdonald, Lucie Kelly, Anthony Simboli, Lisa Caputo, Jeanne Tibbs, Bill Croke, Anne Frenette Handly, Jan Igras, Ruth Frost, Roséa Aubrey, Chuck Campion, Brenna Smith, Mildred McLaughlin, Hannah Mai Devery, Susanne Coyne, Ken Bennett, Vincent Fiorda, Domenic Iannaccone, Jim Mootos, James Geller, Cameron Robinson, Jaheel Robinson, John Karcher, Robert Lupis, David Walsh, Paul Claveau, Michael Claveau, David Worster, Derek Schall, Max Tubman, Jennifer Murdock, Susan Noll, Julie Downey, Michael Bean, Marilyn Inniss, Mary Broussard, JoAnn Serpico, Bill MacNeill, Daniel Feeley, Donna Thagard, Penny Maynard, and Ivy Fray. Welcome to Saint Cecilia We are pleased to welcome the following newly registered members of our parish: James Perencevich of Boston, Magda Bilis of Brighton, and Timothy Janek of Newton. If you have not already registered with the parish, there are forms in the narthex for this purpose or you may register on-line at Baptisms Today we celebrate the baptisms at the nine-thirty liturgy of Seamus John Hurley, son of Pat and Susan Hurley; and of Grant Kellogg Morris, son of Halsey and Laura Morris and little brother of Pierce and Teddy. The Christian community welcomes you with great joy, Seamus and Grant! Anniversary of Four U.S. Churchwomen Martyred in El Salvador December 2, 1980 The word "martyr" is derived from the same Greek word as "witness" and for Maura Clarke, Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel, and Jean Donovan, their witness to serving the poor indeed led to their deaths. Thirty three years ago tomorrow, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel and lay missioner Jean Donovan drove their van to the El Salvador airport and picked up Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford. Members of El Salvador's National Guard stopped their van and they were taken to an isolated location where they were sexually and physically abused before being brutally murdered. Pray for all victims of violence and for all who put themselves in harm's way at the service of the Gospel. World AIDS Day Today we commemorate World AIDS Day. Remember in your prayer all those who live with HIV/AIDS. Remember also those who care for individuals with this virus loved ones, physicians, nurses, and nursing assistants, as well as for scientists who work to find a cure. Patient Drug Counseling and Blood Pressure Screening The Phi Delta Chi Professional Pharmacy Fraternity of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy is with us today to answer any medication questions and conduct blood pressure screenings after the 9:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 6:00 p.m. liturgies. There will also be registered pharmacists and pharmacist interns available. We are grateful to the Brothers of Phi Delta Chi for this service. Little Blue Books for Advent The Little Blue Books for the season of Advent and Christmastide are now available. Consider spending six minutes daily with these reflections based on the Gospels for Cycle A. These books are in baskets in the rear of the church. Please take one home and spend just six minutes per day in reflection. This is a great way to keep Advent and prepare for the coming of the Lord at Christmas. A Note of Gratitude Feeding the hungry is a greater work than raising the dead." Saint John Chrysostom As the meals and celebrations of Thanksgiving weekend wind down and we enter into Advent, a period of expectant waiting and preparation for our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, we would like to express our gratitude to so many of you who support and volunteer with our ministries that work to feed the hungry in our midst. We thank those who helped create a joyful Thanksgiving for Pine Street Inn guests and Morville House residents. We also thank all of those who have volunteered over the past year in so many ways with Community Servings, Pine Street Inn, Women's Lunch Place, and Catholic Charities Haitian Multi-Service Center food pantry. MY SOUL IN STILLNESS WAITS: ADVENT PRAYER SUNG EVENING PRAYER Thursdays - December 5, 12, 19 at 6:30 p.m. Monday - December 9 at 6:30 p.m. The church gathers in the evening to give thanks for the day that is ending and to lift up to God the needs and sorrows, the joys and hopes, of the world. Evening prayer lasts half an hour. TAIZÉ PRAYER Sunday, December 22 at 6:00 p.m. A meditative hour of song, scripture and silence using chants and prayers from the Taizé community. Saint Cecilia Parish 4

4 The advent wreath Advent wreaths were originally part of folk traditions of Northern Europe. Wreaths of evergreens were decorated with candles to symbolize life and light during the dark months of winter. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God. Evergreens stay green all year and so signify continuous life. Each of the four candles represent one of the Sundays of Advent. We needn't worry about the colors of the candles; traditionally, three violet candles and one rose candle are used, but you may prefer to use all royal blue candles, four violet candles or four white candles. The symbol is the flame, not the color. Each Sunday, the light of the wreath glows brighter as a reminder that Christ comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. Tonight, light the first candle, sing a verse of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, re read part of today's Gospel, and say a brief concluding prayer. If you prefer, here is a prayer that you can use. FIRST WEEK Light one of the violet candles. During the rest of the week, this candle is relit at the evening meal or whenever you choose to do so. Jesus, as we wait for your coming, help us not to be afraid and to trust in you. As we light this candle, we remember that you bring the light of hope into our lives. May your Word be always in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts. Amen. CATHOLIC CHARITIES GALA Greater Boston Catholic Charities' annual Christmas dinner gala will be held Friday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m. at the Seaport Hotel, Boston. This year's event honors Brother Celestino "Tino" Arias, OFM Cap., who is Mission Director and Guardian of the post-novitiate friary of Saint Francis in Jamaica Plain. Individual tickets for the black tie gala are $500. All proceeds will benefit the programs and services of Greater Boston Catholic Charities' basic needs programs. For more information, please contact Mark Lippolt at mlippolt@hammondre.com. advent candles FOR SALE TODAY AND NEXT SUNDAY It s time for the Advent wreath! Today we say goodbye to the old liturgical year and set aside the Gospel of Luke in order to welcome Cycle A and the Gospel of Matthew. It is not too late to consider having an Advent wreath at home. All you need is a circle of fresh greens and four candles, one for each of the four Sundays of Advent. Traditionally, three violet candles and one rose candle are used, but some people prefer to use blue, which recalls the color of the night sky before daylight returns. You could also use all white candles. A nice custom is to set up the wreath on your dinner table and light a candle (or candles) during dinner each evening. In the next four bulletins, we ll include a prayer of blessing that can be said during the lighting of the candle(s). This Sunday and next, we will be selling sets of Advent candles for $8.00 in the narthex. Annual christmas bookshop Our annual pop-up Christmas bookshop to benefit the library at Saint Rose School in Chelsea will be held on Sunday, December 8 & 15 in the parish hall immediately following the 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. masses. Please stop by an browse for a new collection of children's books. CHRISTMAS FLOWERS You are invited to remember your loved ones by donating towards the Christmas flowers that will grace our sanctuary. In the back of the church you'll find envelopes that you can use for this purpose. Please drop the envelope in the collection basket or hand it to any staff person. The names of those remembered will be published in the Christmas bulletin. Please be sure to PRINT clearly. our aids memorial quilt Throughout history quilts have symbolized a legacy of memory and community. The Saint Cecilia AIDS Memorial Quilt, inspired by the NAMES Project which originated in San Francisco and is now based in Atlanta, was first dedicated at the Jesuit Urban Center in November of 1995 and brought to Saint Cecilia four years ago. It is a tapestry that binds us together and reminds us of the loved ones, friends, and partners this community has lost to the AIDS virus. In the mid-nineteen nineties, Michele Audet, Paul Goulet, Jean Marino, Mimi Rittenburg, and Janine Shahbaz, members of the Jesuit Urban Center s Last Tuesday Dinner Program (a program founded to serve a nutritious and delicious dinner on the last Tuesday of each month to people living with HIV/AIDS), came together to determine how best to honor the many wonderful people they loved who had died. It was during this gathering that the idea of an AIDS Memorial Quilt was born. Pedro Carasquilto, a Jesuit scholastic who was stationed at the church at this time, helped design this powerful visual reminder of so many lives cut short by the AIDS virus. Each Quilt panel in the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt is 3 feet by 6 feet; eight panels are sewn together to create full size quilts of 12 square feet. The Saint Cecilia AIDS Memorial Quilt is modeled after a full size quilt. The bold primary colors used in the Quilt contrast with its solemn symbolism. The Quilt evokes both Christian imagery and the memory of those who have died. IHS is derived from the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus (IHSOUS). In ancient times, this became a widely recognized monogram of the Christ. IHS is also featured in the Jesuit crest. The red AIDS ribbon is looped through the H. Each star circling around the central image represents someone from our community who died from AIDS. Michele, Paul, Jean, Mimi and Janine placed the Quilt on the altar of the church and lovingly inscribed the first ninety-three names on the stars. Names are added each year before it is displayed on the Sunday nearest World AIDS Day a stark reminder that AIDS is still with us. Calling us to the hope born of faith is a verse from the prophet Zephaniah, edging the Quilt in four-inch letters: I will sing and dance before the Lord. With happy song God will dance for you with shouts of joy. For God now rejoices over you. world aids day Today, December 1, we commemorate World AIDS Day and bless our AIDS Memorial Quilt hanging in the rear of the church. Begun at the Jesuit Urban Center by dedicated volunteers in 1995 and brought to Saint Cecilia Parish when the Urban Center closed, our Quilt is a powerful visual reminder of the men and women affiliated with these two parishes whose lives were cut short by the AIDS virus. At the conclusion of the Prayer of the Faithful during the eleven-fifteen Mass, designated members of the assembly will come forward for the solemn reading of the 149 names inscribed on the Quilt. We are thrilled that Sister Zita Fleming will be one of our readers this year. A Sister of Saint Joseph of Boston for more than fifty years, Sister Zita was the longtime director of Catholic Charities Office of AIDS Ministry, a position she held from 1990 until the Office was closed in A tireless educator and advocate for the marginalized, Sister Zita was instrumental in the creation of four residences for people living with AIDS. Today at 1:30 p.m., the Saint Cecilia Rainbow Ministry will host a screening of the documentary We Were Here. The New York Times said of this film, Of all the cinematic explorations of the AIDS crisis, not one is more heartbreaking and inspiring than We Were Here. The ninety minute documentary was directed by the critically-acclaimed David Weissman. The Saint Cecilia Rainbow Ministry will also be hosting the hospitality after the eleven-fifteen liturgy today. 4th Annual Write for Rights Your words can save lives! We will mark International Human Rights Day, by once again coming together as a community and taking part in Amnesty International s Write for Rights Global Writea-Thon. On Sunday, December 8, we will meet in the Parish Pastoral Center from 1-3 p.m. to write letters and cards demanding that the human rights of individuals in several different cases are respected, protected and fulfilled. And through our action we will show solidarity with those suffering human rights abuses and help bring about change in people s lives. Pen, paper, and suggested texts for the letters will be supplied. Please stop by whether you can write one letter or ten. And please bring your friends. Refreshments will be served. If you would like to participate, or have questions please contact Mark Lippolt at mlippolt@hammondre.com. 6 7

5 ADVENT GIVING TREE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Sunday, December 15 Wednesday, December 18 Organize incoming gifts (Sunday) Deliver gifts to Project Hope in Dorchester (Sunday and Monday) Assist with gift organization and other deliveries (Sunday Wednesday) If you d like to help contact Ann at: anntenfour@yahoo.com Approximately 15 volunteers needed. New volunteers, families and kids encouraged to help!

6 Save the date December 10 PARISH CHRISTMAS CONCERT FEATURING THE COPLEY SINGERS Please plan to be with us on Tuesday evening, December 10 at seven o clock for our parish Christmas concert, featuring the Copley Singers, under the direction of Brian Jones. This will be a wonderful evening for both adults and children. Following the concert, there will be a festive reception in the Parish Hall. Founded in 2006, the Copley Singers is a congenial group of auditioned volunteers and professionals, all dedicated to the art of fine choral singing and the joy of communicating their love of this art to the public. Director Brian Jones is Emeritus Director of Music at Trinity Church, Copley Square, an active organ concert artist, and guest conductor with many recordings to his credit. The group has performed throughout New England, including programs in Boston, Cambridge, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha s Vineyard, and many other venues. They collaborated with the Harvard University Choral Scholars in the 2007 Easter Service at The Memorial Church at Harvard, and offered a hymn festival for a convention of the Organ Historical Society several years ago in Plymouth, led on that occasion by Brian Jones and the late Reverend Peter J. Gomes. In the spring of 2009, they joined with the Ensemble Singers of Bermuda to perform a special concert which was part of the 400th anniversary of the establishment of the Island. They were honored in September, 2010 to be invited to sing for the memorial service of Rosemary Thompson, daughter of Harvard composer Randall Thompson. In 2011 they were invited to sing at the 9/11 Tenth Anniversary Commemoration at Trinity Church Wall Street in Lower Manhattan and were one of nine choral groups that performed at the full day concert featuring celebrated choirs from New York City, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Boston regions forever linked by the tragic events of 9/11. You won t want to miss this fun evening. Tickets are $20 ($10 for students and seniors and no charge for children) and will be sold at the door. from our fourth graders PLEASE HELP KEEP THE DOORS OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES FOOD PANTRY OPEN We have been studying what God asks of us. We are called to act with justice; We are called to love tenderly; We are called to serve one another; To walk humbly with God. We learned about kids who do not have enough food, clothes, medicine and cannot afford to go to school in places like El Salvador and Uganda. We wanted to try to do something but then we decided to do something in Boston. We heard Father John say that they could not keep the doors open at the Catholic Charities food pantry because they do not get enough food for kids. After we discussed lots of ideas, this is what we decided to do: Write about the problem for the bulletin and the website. Make flyers and posters to remind people to bring food to church. Write a speech and speak after communion at the 9:30 Mass on December 8th. And collect food at the 9:30 a.m. Mass on the four Sundays of Advent. PLEASE BRING FOOD! Thanks, Grade 4 CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS NURSING OPPORTUNITY The Cathedral of the Holy Cross is looking for a Director of Volunteers of the parish nursing program. This nurse should be a person of Catholic faith, who has a current Masachusetts license as a registered nurse, with a minimum of five years experience. A community health nursing background is preferred. Good communication and interpersonal skills required. Responsible for: Monthly blood pressure screening at three satelites. Coordination of volunteer nurses involved with parish nursing. It is estimated that this position requires about 50 hours per month. This is a paid volunteer position. Please call Cathedral Office at one human family, food for All JOIN POPE FRANCIS AND THE GLOBAL CHURCH IN A WAVE OF PRAYER TO END HUNGER We invite everyone in the parish to set aside at least thirty minutes at midday on Tuesday, December 10 to be part of a wave of prayer which will cross through all continents of the world. The wave launches the Caritas campaign, "One Human Family, Food for All," which aims to end global hunger by On December 10, Pope Francis will launch this worldwide movement to respond to the needs of the poor and vulnerable in our midst by praying and acting to end hunger. At noon local time, a global wave of prayer will begin in Tonga and will progress around the world until it reaches American Samoa some 24 hours and more than 164 countries later. Join Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, and the network of Caritas Internationalis agencies providing relief to people suffering from hunger around the globe in participating in the wave of prayer. Pledge your support and share the word about this worldwide movement to change hearts and systems to enable all of God's children to access affordable and nutritious food. For more information and to pledge to take part in this wave of prayer, please visit org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_key=12414 drivers NEeded Each month parishioners have the opportunity to pick up donated meat, dairy products, and produce from a South Shore supermarket and baked goods from two Whole Foods' locations and deliver it to Catholic Charities' Haitian Multi-Service Center in Dorchester along with the packaged food items donated at Saint Cecilia. This vital ministry takes place at seven-thirty on Sunday mornings and can be completed in time to attend the nine-thirty parish liturgy. We need five cars each time we deliver to Catholic Charities. If you can help with this important parish ministry, please Mark Lippolt at mlippolt@hammondre.com. Our upcoming dates are: December 1, 8, 22, & 29 christmas eve choir We are looking for people to join our Christ mas Eve choir. This is a one time open commit ment. Once again, we will have two Christmas Eve liturgies at four o'clock and six-thirty. Please come and sing at either or both Masses, whatever your schedule allows. Rehearsals will be held in the church at seven o'clock on two Thursday evenings, December 12 and December 19. If you are interested, please see music director Richard Clark or e mail him at RClark@stceci liaboston.org. advent, Grief, & loss: waiting for the light THURSDAYS - 12/5, 12/12, & 12/19 FROM 6:00 7:30 P.M. SAINT CECILIA CHURCH - PARISH PASTORAL CENTER OFFERED BY COLLEEN SHARKA, MA, LMHC Dealing with grief and loss is difficult at any time, but it is especially challenging during the holidays when we hear of joyful family gatherings and hopeful expectations. We can feel overwhelmed, sorrowful, and extremely vulnerable. While others celebrate, we grieve. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, a job, a role, a relationship, or health: all involve working through a grief process. While we approach this process individually, the way we negotiate it is affected by the people in our lives and the environment around us. Self-care and spiritual support can make a tremendous difference at such a time. This 3-week support group will provide an opportunity to explore the aspects of grieving, within the spiritual context of Advent. Like the people of Israel in exile, when we suffer loss we are forced out of our familiar lives into the unknown. Advent offers us the opportunity to find comfort and lessen our isolation as we journey with readings and psalms full of grief, hope, and trust. We are encouraged to bring all we are experiencing and feeling to the One who yearns to be with us Emmanuel. The promise is kept as Advent cumlinates in the birth of the Christ Child. This support group is led by Colleen Sharka, LMHC (MA Licensure #7109), a psychotherapist and spiritual director. The cost of attending all three sessions is $100. For more information or to enroll, please contact Colleen Sharka at (617) or colleen@stillharbor.org

7 What am I experiencing in my life, as Advent begins? Many of us are in an ideal place to begin Advent, but we don t know it. It can be tempting to think that, because we are struggling these days, we can t enter into Advent without a big change in our mood or without distancing ourselves from our real experience. Nothing could be further from the truth. Advent is about letting God come to us. We do the letting and God does the coming. And, the whole mystery of our faith is that God is not reluctant to come into an unusual relationship (like Mary and Joseph s) or to be born in the poverty of a makeshift stable. We are tempted to prepare for Advent by cleaning everything up first by, in effect, saving ourselves first. Our opening to Advent is to realize we need saving and to accept the saving love of our God. So, what are we experiencing? That is the first Advent question. If we chew that question, then the Isaiah reading will sound so good to our ears. Are we the people who walk in darkness or have thick clouds over us? Is the way before us full of valleys and hills? Does it seem like we are in a desert? Are there wild beasts out there who are ready to devour us? Have we been guilty of some things we aren t proud of? Have we lost touch with who we really want to be? Has our fidelity become a bit shabby? Then, Isaiah proclaims that our God is ready to come and save us. And, none of the things that I see as barriers even matter to God. Then, is Advent a passive season? No, we have work to do, but it is different from what we first think it is. It starts with understanding what our preparation is. If we haven t prepared our hearts to be open to asking for salvation, we ll never shout, beg, plead, Come, Lord, Jesus! Our work is to become who we are. Advent is a humble season, a season of self-awareness. To say it another way, before we decorate our homes for Christmas, we have to clear away some of the false masks we might wear. These made up identities help us be more presentable to others, and at times they even fool us. When I look in the mirror, which me do I see? There is nothing wrong with putting our best foot forward in public, and it is quite understandable when we want others to see our best selves. But, before our own consciences and before God, we want to be transparent and real. We want to have no illusion. If there is 12 struggle in my life and there has to be some struggle in all our lives then we want to acknowledge that before our God and to let that struggle be the door into Advent s graces. How can we have hope and expect God will come to us? The readings of Advent open up a whole series of promises, full of powerful images, that keep reminding us that our God will come to save us. They free our imaginations to see and experience that coming with drama and joy a banquet with choice wines and rich, juicy food. They invite us to imagine when a time will come for singing. They give us the opportunity to hope beyond our wildest hopes in the past the lion will lie down with the lamb and they will prepare for war no more. They open our hearts to imagine the love of our God embracing us in the coming of one like us, who knows our life and its struggles and offers us the hope of the Spirits presence with us every day, in every moment. What are the key first steps to enter into Advent? We can all slow down. We can all breathe more deeply. We can all begin to trust that this will be a blessed time. Then, when we let ourselves be who we are, and hear the Scriptures, we can begin to quietly pray, Come, Lord, Jesus. We might expand that prayer, in quiet moments of our days ahead, Come into my life. I trust you don t mind if it is still messy. I believe you love me, because I need your love. I don t fear you can t find the way to my heart. Come and fill me with peace and the love only you can give. Some of us will want to open our hands on our laps or hold up our arms in the privacy of our rooms and say out loud, Come, Lord, Jesus, come into this house, into my family, into our struggles. Come and heal us, and give us join again. Come and unite us and let us experience, each in our own way, a bit of the joy you are offering me now. And, before a single decoration goes up, we have prepared for Christmas message with the foundation of faith, with the mystery of Advent s gift. God wants to be with us. Advent is letting God s will be done in our hearts and in our everyday lives. Taken from Creighton University's Online Ministries' website. Parish RESOURCES Parish Office & Mailing Address 18 Belvidere Street, Boston, MA Hours Monday Friday, 9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Phone Fax info@stceciliaboston.org Website Parish Staff Rev. John J. Unni, Pastor Mark Donohoe, Pastoral Associate for Administration, mdonohoe@stceciliaboston.org Scott J. MacDonald, Director of Faith Formation and Leadership Development, smacdonald@stceciliaboston.org Jeanne Bruno, Coordinator of Pastoral Outreach, jbruno@stceciliaboston.org Richard J. Clark, Director of Music and Organist, rclark@stceciliaboston.org Caroline Gélinas, Executive Assistant, cgelinas@stceciliaboston.org Maureen Sullivan, Special Projects Manager, msullivan@stceciliaboston.org Assisting Clergy Rev. Thomas Gariepy, CSC Rev. Peter Grover, OMV Rev. James Shaughnessy, SJ Rev. George Winchester, SJ Schedule for Liturgy Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday 8:00 a.m. Lord s Day Sat 5:00 p.m.; Sun 8:00, 9:30, 11:15 & 6:00 p.m. Holy Days 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Reconciliation By appointment at any time. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the communal process through which non-baptized men and women become members of the Catholic Church. It is also suitable for those baptized in different faith traditions who are interested in becoming Catholic, or, for those who were baptized Catholic, but have yet to receive the sacraments of eucharist and confirmation. For more information, please contact Mark Donohoe. Baptism for Infants Infant baptism is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month. For more information, please contact Mark Donohoe. Faith Formation for Children To register your child for our Faith Formation Program, please contact Scott MacDonald in the parish office. Marriage Couples who wish to prepare for marriage should contact Mark Donohoe in the parish office at least six months in advance. 13 Care of the Sick To arrange for the Sacrament of the Sick, for Holy Communion to be brought to those unable to attend the Sunday celebration, or for Viaticum for the Dying (Holy Communion for those in danger of death), please contact the parish office. It is always possible to anoint the sick during regularly scheduled liturgies. Order of Christian Funerals The parish is prepared to celebrate the Vigil (wake) in the church. Please contact the parish office for more information. Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Team The CAP Team is responsible for training all parish staff and volunteers in mandated reporting laws and the Protecting God s Children program (VIRTUS). They also provide consultation and support to anyone in the parish who has concerns about reporting child abuse and neglect. Please contact Lois Flaherty (loisflaherty@gmail.com), Maria Roche (maria.roche15@gmail.com) or Letitia Howland (l_howland@hotmail. com) if you have any questions or concerns. The Archdiocese of Boston has in place a vigorous program to protect children from harm and to educate its ministers and faithful about the nature of abuse, with a goal of increasing knowledge, creating a safe environment for children, and recognizing and reporting potentially dangerous situations. The full text of the policy is also available in the narthex and parish office, as well as on our website. For Those with Celiac Disease If you have celiac disease, please let us know. We have a supply of low-gluten altar bread available for those who cannot tolerate gluten. Hearing Assistance in Church The church is equipped with an FM listening device. Small receivers are available for anyone who may have trouble hearing the sound system. Simply request a receiver from any one of our greeters before Mass. Access for the Disabled The church is accessible by elevator. Sunday Parking Reduced-rate parking is available on Sundays at the Prudential Center parking garage and at the Hilton Boston Back Bay; Sunday parking is also available at LAZ Parking (53 Belvidere Street maximum of three hours). Be sure to have one of our greeters validate your parking ticket before returning to your car. Saint Cecilia Rainbow Ministry Saint Cecilia Rainbow Ministry is a GLBTQ community at Saint Cecilia. For more information, contact stceciliarainbowministry@gmail.com. Joining Our Community We re happy that you re with us! Our community offers a warm, spiritual home for a diverse group of Catholics. We come from many neighborhoods in and around Boston but also have parishioners from as far afield as Marlborough, Newburyport, and Stow. Please introduce yourself to a staff member, drop in for coffee on Sunday, or fill out a new parishioner form in the gathering space. No matter what your background, please know that you are always welcome at Saint Cecilia.