C H R I S T M A S : A C E L E B R AT I O N O F J OY

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1 2017 A Newsletter of St. Mary Magdalen Parish ADVENT: THE SEASON OF PRAYERFUL WATCHING The Season of Advent was added to the Church calendar in the sixth century, as a mini-lent to prepare us for the coming of Christmas through prayer, fasting and works of charity. Although the penitential character diminished over the years, Advent was still a season of penitential practices until the liturgical reforms of Changes to the Lectionary and the liturgical calendar have transformed Advent into a season of prayerful watching. At the start of the season, we await the second advent or coming of Christ, the King of the Ages. Only when He does not return in glory do we then turn our attention to His birth, the first coming of the Lord. The Sacrament of Penance is an important part of our preparation for the coming of Christ. By celebrating the reconciliation Christ gained for us, we open our hearts and lives more fully to His love. During Advent there will be eight communal celebrations within the county and several times for the individual celebration of the Sacrament of Penance. COMMUNAL CELEBRATIONS of the SACRAMENT OF PENANCE Dec 6 (Wed - 6:30 pm) St. Mary in Pinckney Dec 11 (Mon - 7 pm) Holy Spirit in Hamburg Dec 12 (Tues - 7 pm) St. Augustine in Deerfield Twp Dec 13 (Wed. - 7 pm) St. John in Hartland Dec 14 (Thurs - 7 pm) St. Joseph in Howell Dec 16 (Sat. 9 am) St. Patrick in Dec 18 (Mon. 7 pm) St. Mary Magdalen C H R I S T M A S : A C E L E B R AT I O N O F J OY The original liturgical celebrations of the birth of Christ began in the Holy Land with customs which eventually spread to the rest of the Church. Three special Liturgies proclaimed the good news. The first was celebrated in Bethlehem during the night. Afterwards the participants walked by torch light to Mt. Zion near Jerusalem for a second Mass around dawn, called the Mass of the Shepherds. Later in the day, a third Liturgy - the Mass of the Word Made Flesh - was celebrated in the Church of the Tomb of Christ. For 1700 years, these three separate Liturgies marked the birth of Christ. In 1969, the liturgical reforms added a fourth celebration: the Vigil Mass. We will have two Vigil Liturgies on Christmas Eve, the first will be at 4 pm and the second at 6:15 pm, At these two Liturgies the children will act out the Gospel Story as it is proclaimed. These Liturgies are very popular, especially for families with younger children. The Mid-Night Mass, which will begin at 10 pm, is the primary Liturgy of Christmas and is especially beautiful. Imitating the Christmas Liturgy of the fifth century, it begins in semi-darkness. Three readings from the Old Testament remind us of how the promise of a Savior guided God's people and prepared us to hear the Good News of Jesus' birth. The morning Mass of the Shepherds (10am) is much simpler, also very beautiful. Liturgies: Christmas Eve 4, 6:15, & 10pm Christmas Day 10am.

2 FROM THE PASTORAL COUNCIL Our Pastoral Council met on Wednesday, November 15 after the Mass of Remembering. The council received an update on the progress of the new video system and the bell tower plaza. We also had a lively discussion of the pilot effort of the Alpha Program in which some council members are participating. The praise and the concerns of the participants will be passed on to the coordinators for the next phase of Alpha which will begin in January. We had a lengthy discussion on how to use social media to better communicate with our younger parishioners. We will continue working on this. The Finance Council is considering a proposal from a generous parishioner to change over our entire lighting system to LED. The cost and the maintenance of this change would be paid for out of the savings from our energy bill. Finally, we have been offered a Steinway Piano for the chapel at a cost of $15,000. We already have some memorial donations that will pay for about a third of this amount. The FC proposed paying for the rest of it by initiating a $25 for the 25th Anniversary effort after the first of the year. The PC favored the idea. Fr. David F. Howell Terese Banas Sr. Maryetta Churches Douglas Fekete Jeri Gawlowski Russ Gentner Bruce Heatley Valerie Maravolo Members of Pastoral Council Bob Metz Greg Milosek Mary Beth Potrykus Terry Davidson Betty Socia Lauren Trapp Rachel Riesser Diane Whiton, Sec. FROM THE FINANCE COUNCIL July June 2018 For Month Ending October 31, 2017 Actual Actual Fiscal Annual Fiscal INCOME Oct 31 Year to Date Budget Church 149, ,738 1,528,900 Witness To Hope ,000 Religious Ed/Preschool 23,066 54, ,000 TOTAL INCOME 172, ,646 1,873,900 EXPENSES Church 68, , ,600 Building Mortgage 41, , ,500 Religious Ed/Preschool 12, , ,800 TOTAL EXPENSES 122, ,761 1,873,900 INCOME/(LOSS) 50,205 16,885 REMAINING BALANCE 11/1/17 - Building Mortgage - $2,663,700 Jill Angell Dominic DiCicco John Hammang Danny Hazen Ray Hlavaty Sue Hlavaty Fr. David F. Howell Edward Loniewski Members of Finance Council Mario Maravolo Marsha McBride Holly Moltane Cary Schmidt Bob Sinke Matthew Uphoff Dave Wisniewski Bookeeper FROM THE TIME AND TALENT COUNCIL Our Time & Talent Council met Wednesday, October 25 after the Mass of Anointing. We discussed the success of the Task Oriented Ministry Fair and we discussed ways that we could attract folks to serve on the Time & Talent Council. Devon Wolf gave the Council a report on the results of last spring s parish survey. We will discuss what we have learned from it at our next meeting on Wednesday, November 29. Ed Bixler James Chevalier Mary Kay Edoff Dianne Hardy Members of time and Talent Council Father David Howell Mike Olsem Mary Beth Potrykus 2 David Rychlick Dan Schifko Eric Silvestri John Wood Elaine Tripi Don Powell

3 RELIGIOUS FORMATION from Roxanne Hundsrucker We congratulate 38 the following list of youth from our parish who received the third Sacrament of Christian Initiation; Confirmation! These youth and their parents worked very hard on their journey towards this Sacrament. They prayerfully made their decision to be confirmed and receive the seal of the Holy Spirit. I would also like to thank the Confirmation team for all their hard work with our youth. Please pray the Holy Spirit continues to grow in our youth and guides them in all that they do. Nena Anderer Gabrielle Anthony Amanda Baerwalde Katherine Baerwalde Theodore Bester Gabriel Bidinger Rachel Black Alexander Burant Brian Callaghan Catherine Carruthers Elizabeth Chevalier Paige Ciuzicki Nicholas Coopersmith Autumn Decker Sebastian Dembowski Paige Falk Caden Farhat-Tomaszewski Andrea Ferrazza Gray Glasser Lorenzo Gradowski Mitchell Grosso Jessica Kean James Keiffer Grace Kennedy Griffen Lang Julianne Levoska Isabella Livingston Ashley McKaig Americo Milani Liugi Milani Annabella (Grayce) Nist Isabella Rabold Jack Schaller Ethan Sweet Madeline Vernon Herbert Warner Michael Warner Remington Wroblewski Religious Formation Advent Wreath Prayer During Advent, all of our Wednesday/Thursday classes will gather in Church for prayer and to light the Advent wreath at the beginning of class - all are welcome to join us! We will start right in church and dismiss into the classes after the lighting. Jesse Tree Para Liturgy: During our regular Religious Formation class times we will host a Jesse Tree Para Liturgy in the church (Para Liturgy may refer to any liturgical celebration outside the normal approved celebrations that would be conducted by a priest or deacon. Novenas, prayer services, Stations of the Cross, etc. could all fall into this category. Once again, they would be conducted by lay persons rather than clergy.) Bob Metz, retired DRE and member of our Parish Council and Formation Team will lead the children in this beautiful service. I encourage everyone to join us at one of the following services: Wednesday, December 13 at 5 pm and again at 7 pm or Thursday, December 14 at 5 pm. THANKS AND PRAISE from Sr. Maryetta Churches We give thanks and praise for all who assisted in three HUGE MAILINGS over the past month. You did a wonderful job in getting everything in perfect order for a quick mailing! Thanks a million! 3

4 OF FAITH & SERVICE from Sr. Joyce Hoile OSF ADVENT BY CANDLELIGHT Saturday Dec. 2 at 7pm YOU are invited to this Evening of Reflection and Friendship to prepare for the Advent Season and the coming of Christ. All are Welcome: women, men, teens, families and friends. Come and be inspired by the messages of the Gospel. Hostess instructions and reservation forms can be found in the gathering area on the Community Life table. Seating is limited. Reservations are important. NEW TO THE PARISH OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2017 Joan Tilford Kate & James Georges Jodi Abbott Ellen & Mark Silverest Amy & Dave Nagy Thaddeus & Cadence Laura & Matt Fischer Sue & John Masek Nicole & Scott Lambert Deacon & Hadley Cathy & Mike Barry Tricia Witt Milford Celeste & James Montgomery Howell Stacey & Jason Apap Nick, Joe & Olivia Milford Britney & Dan Schloss Judy Hirschfield Julie & Luke Sparkman Charly & Gianna Margaret & James Henne Howell Carolyn & John Repyak Andrea & Alex Howell Dick Schaft Daniel Szymanski ON THE JOURNEY from Erin Wolfe This fall, seven adults and nine children have been finding out more about the Catholic faith by attending Inquiry sessions on Monday and Tuesday nights. We have discussed Catholic beliefs, practices, and spirituality and have explored how God is calling all of us. It has been a season of discovery. Those who choose to continue on this journey will celebrate the Rite of Acceptance on the First Sunday of Advent at the 9 am Liturgy. This is the next step on their journey toward receiving the Easter Sacraments. This journey is not one they will embark on alone. As a community of believers, we have the privilege of being there for them. Please keep them in your prayers, that they will be open to hearing the call of the Lord in their lives and will embrace this journey. As we enter this Advent season, we remember that even as practicing Catholics, we are all called to be open to the Lord and embrace the journey we are on! The growth is not reserved for those in our RCIA process. May your Advent be filled with the blessings that come from listening for the Lord s voice in your life. 4

5 YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS from Margaret Callaghan It s the most wonderful time of the year! It s what the songs say. It s what the movies portray. It s magical and wonderful and beautiful. Although that may be true in regards to these perspectives, for some it may be a really hard time. It s usually cloudy and really cold. It s dark early and the roads can be slick. And for some it s hard because also this time of the year is about being with family and surrounding yourself with siblings, cousins, grandparents For some this isn t easy or even possible. No matter how you view this time of the year, I pray that God is a part of your celebrations and gatherings. Let the season unfold slowly in the four weeks of Advent. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and take quiet time to listen. In the closing Liturgy last month at the National Catholic Youth Conference, the Bishop s message was simple. If you can only take five minutes to pray and be still, start there. The more you pray, the more you ll pray. Start simple and see where it takes you! The season of Advent is four weeks long. There are three purple candles and one pink one. Prayer, Penance, Pink (Joy) and Preparation are the themes for the season. Start with prayer and grow in relationship with God. Spread love by forgiving those who need it or ask for yourself knowing that after we settle such matters, we are gifted with Joy, so celebrate all things good from God. Now with the closing in of the holiday itself, prepare (yourself) to welcome others with love and inner peace. It seems too simple a plan to carry out and be true but as the Bishop spoke of in his homily, you have to start someplace so why not start simply in prayer. Ask a friend to journey with you this season of Advent. Back in October, we collected socks. We took bags and bags of them with us to our overnight experience in Flint for the needy. We wrapped two pairs together with a note of love and encouragement to hand out. Thank you so much for your generosity! Many are grateful for what you have given. If you are interested in participating in our annual Winter Weekend Getaway scheduled for January 27-28, please have your payment of $100 in to Margaret Callaghan by December 19. The cost covers lodging and 5 meals. Please rsvp your intention to participate by ing yminister1@gmail.com. During the month of December, we have three Sunday evening meetings on the 3, 10 and the 17th. All high school students are welcome to join us. On Friday December 22, we will celebrate the season with a party. Keep an eye on the bulletin for details but for now, mark your calendar. A group of 16 youth and 4 adults spent a weekend in Indianapolis last month with 25,000 other youth and adults participating in the National Catholic Youth Conference. Take a minute to look at the pictures posted in the gathering area. What you ll see are people who look happy, who are having fun and are enjoying their time. I invite you to talk with these people and what you ll hear are people who were moved by the Holy Spirit, who are excited about their faith and relationship with God. The happiness and joy you see in the pictures you will hear in their voices. Joy is not only an emotion or something we feel when good things happen, but a choice and result of having God in our lives. These youth are filled with joy! Ask them about their experience and listen for God in their story. You ll see it I promise! EDGE (all Grade Students) We have only one meeting in December and that is our EDGE celebration! Come Monday December 11 to celebrate EDGE Style! We will feast and share in God s grace. Please bring a $10 gender neutral, wrapped gift to exchange. It can be as simple as an itunes gift card or one to MJR. We will eat, pray, have fun and reflect on the sharing all things good. 5

6 MAGDALEN S PRESCHOOL from Kathie Anderer The Christmas Season is here and the anticipation and excitement is in the air. Behind us are the Halloween parties and our Thanksgiving Celebration. We start the busy month of December off with our Christmas Program on December 10 at 2pm. We are very busy practicing our songs. We hope to have a wonderful afternoon filled with many memories to treasure for years to come. We will fill in the short month of December making presents and talking about Baby Jesus and His Birthday. Enjoy family and make wonderful memories no one will remember the color of the sweater you bought or what you made for dinner. What will count are the memories you make and the smiles you share!. Hug your children and remember that they are little for such a short time. Take it all in and enjoy! December is a busy time of the year for all of us. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle please try to remember the reason for the season and remember to count your blessings. God is so GOOD!! We wish you and your family a Very Merry Christmas! and all of our best wishes to you and yours in the coming New Year! We will be on Christmas break from Thurs., Dec.21 through Jan. 2. Upon our return our theme for the month will be Winter. We will have blue week the week of Jan 8. KNIGHTS CORNER from Ryan Bosn, St. Mary Magdalen Council gk12295@mikofc.org The months of October and early November have been a fun and successful time for the Knights of Columbus at Saint Mary Magdalen. On October 9th, we celebrated the holiday of Columbus Day. Christopher Columbus was a deeply Catholic oceanic explorer. He brought this faith to the New World, while opening the pathway for future settlers to establish the beginnings of our great country. On October 14th, we gathered together for what has become a cherished brotherhood fellowship event in our council: The Harold Reihl Memorial Sausage Fest. This year the event was hosted by Brother Ken Anderer. A great time was had by all and a few hundred pounds of stuffed sausage was brought home to our families for enjoyment in the coming months. On October 15th we served a very special pancake breakfast. We notified the parish ahead of time that the proceeds from this breakfast would be going directly to San Felipe de Apostol in Puerto Rico. This parish, and the community they serve, were greatly affected by Hurricane Maria. Some of the parishioners of San Felipe were on hand for our breakfast. You, the parishioners of Saint Mary Magdalen, came through for this cause like never before. Through the generosity of pancake breakfast diners and other parishioners that just wanted to give, $6,000 was raised for this cause! From the parishioners of San Felipe de Apostol and from our council; thank you! As an aside, the food supplies for our breakfasts are now generously donated by Americus Grill in. Please show them your support and appreciation. Men, we would love to have you join us as a member of our Knights of Columbus council. As you can see above, it is an enjoyable and rewarding way to serve the parish. Your family, the Domestic Church, will be enriched by your example of service. Please contact me or any other Knight at Saint Mary Magdalen if you are interested in joining us! Here are the events on our council calendar between Thanksgiving and Lent: Move Christmas Decorations into Church for Advent: 12/2/17 Pancake Breakfast w/ Blood Drive: 12/10/17 Council Volunteer Event at Gleaners & Christmas Party: 12/16/17 New Year s Eve / 5th Sunday Rosary: 12/31/17 Pancake Breakfast & Free Throw Contest (Kick-off Catholic Schools Week): 1/28/18 Pancake Breakfast: 12/11/18 6

7 CHARITY AND JUSTICE from Ken Kuna Charity is the response to an immediate need; justice seeks to end the need. As we approach the year-end Holy Days and holidays, it is timely to be thankful. CROP Walk raised funds for local and international food programs. The participation and funds raised exceeded last year by more than double. The response to appeals for the St. Vincent Clothing drive, the Right to Life Christmas item sale and HOPE in a Box continues to be impressive. On behalf of the Charity and Justice team, thank you so much for your wonderful support. With the Christmas season in mind, if you are moved to get involved helping others, Charity & Justice publishes a list of Opportunities to Serve with many volunteer activities listed. We include our upcoming activities and others from around the parish if we know them. Some upcoming projects are: The Advent Giving Tree Once again this year, the Annual Advent Giving Tree will be set up in the gathering area on November 25. As we did last year, we are continuing to support the Brown Evangelical Ministries in Detroit, St. Anne s in Detroit, Cornerstone Senior Day Care in Clio, LACASA, Livingston County Catholic Charities and the Pregnancy Help Clinic. These organizations all greatly appreciate the support of our parish to make a joyful Christmas for their clients. NEW LIFE CENTER The parish is traveling to the NEW Life Center in Flint on December 6. Sisters Carol and Judy provide gifts to nearly a thousand families who would otherwise have no Christmas celebration. We will wrap gifts from 10 to 2. A car pool will leave from the parish parking lot at 9 AM. Pack a lunch and bring a pair of scissors labeled with your name. There is a signup sheet on the Charity & Justice table in the gathering area or contact Ken Kuna at or ken.kuna@gmail.com. Finally, if you are anticipating a new computer in the coming months the charities in Flint can use your old computer. We have a parishioner who has volunteered his time to wipe your drives clean and refurbish the old machine. The Center for HOPE and the NEW Life Center appreciates your donation. PARISH STAFF Pastor Fr. David F. Howell pastor1@saintmarymagdalen.org Permanent Deacons H. David Scharf deacon1@saintmarymagdalen.org James Chevalier deacon2@saintmarymagdalen.org Gary Prise deacon3@saintmarymagdalen.org Devon Wolfe deacon4@saintmarymagdalen.org Pastoral Minister Sr. Maryetta Churches, O.P. pastmin2@saintmarymagdalen.org Religious Formation of Youth Roxanne Hundsrucker dre1@saintmarymagdalen.org Formation & Evangelization of Adults Sr. Joyce Hoile, O.S.F. pastmin1@saintmarymagdalen.org Rite of Christian Initiation, Baptisms Erin Wolfe baptisms@saintmarymagdalen.org Liturgist & IT Specialist Diane Kubus liturgist@saintmarymagdalen.org Rel Formation Adm. Assistant Karen MacDonald sect2@saintmarymagdalen.org Administrative Assistants (Office) Diane Whiton sect5@saintmarymagdalen.org Gayle Zawisa sect3@saintmarymagdalen.org Sandi Phillips sect4@saintmarymagdalen.org Bookkeeper Dave Wisniewski bookkeeper@saintmarymagdalen.org Pre-school Director Kathie Anderer preschool1@saintmarymagdalen.org Youth Ministry Margaret Callaghan yminister1@gmail.com Pastoral Musician Steven H. Schulte steve@colleengleason.com Maintenance Dan Tuthill maint1@saintmarymagdalen.org 7

8 THE DEACONS PAGE SERVANT OF MANY from Gary Prise This time of the year, Advent/Christmas, I have written about the coming of Christ (Advent) or the coming of Christ (Christmas). These two seasons are bookends if you will. Early in Advent the focus is on the end times. Some of the Readings approaching Advent have this same theme. The end of Advent and Christmas of course focuses on the beginning of Jesus earthly journey; the beginning of life. The end, the beginning, and everything in-between is sacred. We, and every person is sacred. We are temples of God. How are we caring for and protecting these temples? In light of the recent act of violence at a church in Texas, each one of us is invited to be more vigilant, aware of our surroundings, around our neighborhoods, around public places we go to, and even our place of worship. It is critical when we see individuals behaving in risky ways, ways that are injurious to themselves and others, to report these incidents. If you observe individuals who are posing a danger here at church, please don t hesitate to report it to a staff member. If the individual is posing an immediate threat to human life, please don t hesitate to report the incident by calling 911. God is with us. We ought not to live in fear, however we ought to be vigilant. By the way, that is another theme of Advent! THE OTHER BENCH from Jim Chevalier Sometimes, despite our best efforts we fall short of our goals. No matter how hard we try, the results are always the same. Yet we know that we must continue to try to carry out God s will. History is full of people who persevered through hardships and achieved great success. One example is a kid nick-named Sparky. This young man failed every subject in the eighth grade, and he was similarly unsuccessful in high school. Socially awkward, he went through high school without a single date. He made the school s golf team, but lost the only important match of the year. Still, he was determined to succeed in one area of his life he considered very important. Despite a rejection from the Walt Disney Studios, Sparky continued to work at cartooning until he became successful. Spark s real name was Charles Schultz, and he gave the world much enjoyment through his Peanuts cartoons. When we serve the Lord, we are doing God s will. If we understand this, we will continue to serve Him with our whole being, just as the sun never stops giving us light. We need to put ourselves in the way of Jesus the way of love. Lack of success should never cause us to give up. And don t forget to wish the Lord Happy Birthday! Have faith, and do the best you can with what you got! THE DEACONS BENCH from Dave Scharf I found the following interesting especially with the Christmas season approaching. 1 Corinthians 13, Christmas Version If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator. If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook. If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing. If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on those I love the most, I have missed the point. Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband (wife). Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, and golf clubs will rust. But the gift of love will endure. Maybe this applies to all every day. 8

9 COUNCIL COMMENDATIONS The Pastoral Council would like to commend the teens for a wonderfully and scary HAUNTED BARN! You did an awesome job to make it scary enough that we will remember it for a LONG TIME! Thank you, thank you, thank you! The Council would also like to commend Hannah Riesser for the outstanding job she has done in the Youth Group. Her sense of responsibility, her being one amongst the teens, and her time investment have added to the AWESOME YOUTH GROUP!!!!! Thanks a billion, Hannah! STAY CONNECTED WITH THE PARISH: On the Web: Our Parish App: Facebook: Parish Newsletter s are sent to registered parishioners with an address on file. If you are not receiving them, please call the parish office with your address. If you have unsubscribed to the newsletter, you are also not receiving events, notifications, reminders and other s that are being sent. Please Diane liturgist@saintmarymagdalen if you would like to subscribe again! Christmas Nativity/ Gospel Re-Enactment This year, we will be doing a re-enactment during the Christmas Gospel at the 6:15 Christmas Eve Mass. There will be 6 actors and about 8 angel singers for Mass. There are no speaking parts, as the deacon will read the Gospel. Rehearsals for the acting roles and the angel choir will be on Wednesday evenings December 6 and 13 from 6-6:30 pm. The practice on December 20 th will be Dress Rehearsal. It will run from 6pm until approximately 7:30. Children in 1 st 8 th grades are welcome to participate. The signup sheet will be found in the Gathering Area in late November. Please call Erin Wolfe at with any questions. Also, watch the bulletin for more detailed information. We wish you a very Blessed Christmas and New Year From the Staff St. Mary Magdalen Fr. Dave Howell Sr. Maryetta Churches Sr. Joyce Hoile Dave Scharf Jim Chevalier Gary Prise Roxanne Hundsrucker Devon Wolfe Erin Wolfe Margaret Callaghan Diane Kubus Steve Schulte Dave Wisniewski Kathie Anderer Diane Whiton Karen MacDonald Gayle Zawisa Sandi Phillips Dan Tuthill Mark Wolf Kathleen Gehring 9

10 Try ALPHA What is ALPHA? Alpha creates an environment of hospitality where people can bring their friends, family and work colleagues to explore the Christian faith, ask questions and share their point of view. Alpha makes it easy to invite friends to have a meal, hear a short teaching talk, and have an opportunity to explore life s biggest questions in a safe and respectful way. What to expect: Food, a talk and good conversation. FOOD: We start with food, because it s a great way to encourage community and to get to know one another TALK: The talks are designed to engage and inspire conversation. Generally thirty minutes long, they can be given as a live talk or played as a video. They explore the big issues around faith and unpack the basics of Christianity, addressing questions such as Who is Jesus? and How can we have faith? DISCUSSION: Probably the most important part of any Alpha: the chance to share thoughts and ideas on the topic, and simply discuss it in a small group. There s no obligation to say anything. And there s nothing you can t say. It s an opportunity to hear from others and contribute your own perspective in an honest, friendly and open environment. When: Alpha is a 12week program offered Thursday evenings or Wednesday mornings starting January 10 th and 11 th, 2018 ending April 11 th and 12 th, Saturday March 3 rd, 2018 is an all-day retreat. Where: Saint Mary Magdalen Church, 2201 S. Old US23 Highway, (810) You may sign up online at: Or fill out the form below Name: Wednesdays Thursdays Phone: Please put me in the same group as: Dietary allergies: Please reply by: December 17, 2017 Return to the ALPHA box in the gathering space, the office, or alpha@saintmarymagdalen.org, 10

11 LIVINGSTON YAM: YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY EVENTS & HAPPENINGS FOR THOSE I.d. 9:16 LIVINGSTON DISCIPLES' NIGHT with Billy Kangas "Joining Jesus in His Mission: Discovering Divine Intersections in our Life" Thursday, December 7 St. Joseph Howell Discover some practical tools to empower everyday life as ministry and mission. Billy was raised in a strong Lutheran family, and even pursued a call to ministry. He began to ask tough questions about the nature of authority in his own denomination, but couldn t quite buy the idea of papal authority. Eventually, he overcame those theological difficulties and followed the Holy Spirit s leading into the Catholic Church. Still feeling led to use his ministerial gifts in some way, he and some friends started Cultivate, a coffee and tap house committed to addressing hunger, where he is able to facilitate discussions, address community needs, and do many of the other things he loved most about being a pastor. 6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception followed by Dinner 8:00pm Livestream Talk & Discussion Please visit for more info or find us on facebook at "Livingston YAM" **SAVE THE DATE - i.d. 9:16 LIVINGSTON DISCIPLES' NIGHT - JANUARY 11, 2018** *** MONTHLY MASS & DINNER Sunday, November 26 5pm St. Patrick, 6:30pm Mi Zarape, Come gather in prayer and grow as community! *** Saturday, December 16 5pm St. Augustine, Howell 6:00pm Dinner and Christmas Concert Free will offering will be collected for St. Vincent de Paul Questions? Contact Shannon or livingstonyam@gmail.com 11

12 MARKING THE CALENDAR The FEAST of the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION - (DEC 8) Our national holy day honors Mary, who was especially graced from the first moment of life to be the Mother of the Savior. Liturgies for this holy day will be at 9 and 7pm Friday, Dec 8. CELEBRATING the SACRAMENT OF PENANCE Communal Celebrations Dec 6 (Wed - 6:30 pm) St. Mary in Pinckney Dec 11 (Mon - 7 pm) Holy Spirit in Hamburg Dec 12 (Tues - 7 pm) St. Augustine in Deerfield Twp Dec 13 (Wed. - 7 pm) St. John in Hartland Dec 14 (Thurs - 7 pm) St. Joseph in Howell Dec 16 (Sat. 9 am) St. Patrick in Dec 18 (Mon. 7 pm) St. Mary Magdalen CHRISTMAS LITURGIES ++ 4 pm - Vigil Mass ++ 6:15 - The Vigil Mass ++ (Children act out the Gospel at this Liturgy) pm - The Mid-Night Liturgy am - The Mass of the Shepherds ++ THE EPIPHANY - Sunday, January 7 This Feast celebrates the revelation of Jesus as the Savior of the world. By the light of a star, magi, the first Gentiles, found Christ. This Feast celebrates our hope that we will be led by the Light of Christ as well. SAINT MARY MAGDALEN PARISH 2201 S. Old U.S. 23 Highway, MI (810) Fax (810) PASTORAL STAFF Office Hours Mon - Thurs. 8:30am - 8:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm PASTOR Fr. David F. Howell pastor1@saintmarymagdalen.org PASTORAL MINISTER Sr. Maryetta Churches, O.P. pastmin2@saintmarymagdalen.org DEACONS H. David Scharf deacon1@saintmarymagdalen.org James Chevalier deacon2@saintmarymagdalen.org Gary Prise deacon3@saintmarymagdalen.org Devon Wolfe deacon4@saintmarymagdalen.org FORMATION & EVANGELIZATION- ADULTS Sr. Joyce Hoile, O.S.F. pastmin1@saintmarymagdalen.org EDUCATION & FORMATION- YOUTH Roxanne Hundsrucker, Director dre1@saintmarymagdalen.org Karen MacDonald, Admn. Asst. sect2@saintmarymagdalen.org LITURIST & TECH SPECIALIST Diane Kubus, Director liturgist@saintmarymagdalen.org R.C.I.A., INFANT BAPTISM Erin Wolfe, Director baptisms@saintmarymagdalen.org ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Diane Whiton sect5@saintmarymagdalen.org Gayle Zawisa sect3@saintmarymagdalen.org Sandi Phillips sect4@saintmarymagdalen.org BOOKKEEPER Dave Wisniewski bookkeeper@saintmarymagdalen.org MAGDALEN S PRESCHOOL Kathie Anderer, Director preschool1@saintmarymagdalen.org YOUTH MINISTRY Margaret Callaghan yminister1@gmail.com PASTORAL MUSICIAN Steven H. Schulte steve@colleengleason.com MAINTENANCE & CUSTODIAL Dan Tuthill maint1@saintmarymagdalen.org Mark Wolf Kathleen Gehring