Irish Messenger. Important Upcoming Dates. Save the Date. November 30, Dec. 13 2:00 PM Dismissal. Dec. 14 Evening Adoration 5th Grade 5:30-7 pm

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1 St. Patrick School 100 Harvey Street Washington, IL November 30, 2017 Irish Messenger Important Upcoming Dates Dec. 13 2:00 PM Dismissal Dec. 14 Evening Adoration 5th Grade 5:30-7 pm Dec. 18 Christmas Program PK3 M/W Dec. 19 Christmas Five Points 6:00 PM Christmas Program PK3 T/Th, PK4 Dec :30 Dismissal Christmas Break (NO Preschool) Dec. 20 End of 2nd Quarter Report Cards Jan. 5 Jan. 3- School Resumes Save the Date Dec. 1 Chili & Baked Potatoe Bar Farewell Father Julius (see flyer) Dec. 2-3 Father Julius Farewell Party after all Masses Gym Dec. 2 PND Breakfast with Santa 9:00-10:00 am Dec. 17 Midwest Food Bank-Morton Christmas Baskets TBA Jan. 15 No School Martin Luther King Day Jan. 28-Feb. 2 Catholic Schools Week Jan. 29 Kindergarten-Preschool Information Night 6-7:30 pm March 3 Pot of Gold Countryside 6:00 pm UPCOMING SPORTS DATES NOV. 30 8TH GIRLS RE- GIONAL FINALS- HOME 5:30 PM NOV. 30 BOYS BASKET- RANKIN 5:00 PM DEC. 2 BOYS COUNTY TOURNEY BEGINS-HOME DEIC. 2 ST. PATS VS. SOUTH PEKIN 9AM DEC. 4 ST. PATS VS. RANKIN 4 PM DEC. 5 ST. PATS VS. ROBEIN 6:30 PM DEC. 7 ST. PATS VS. DELAVAN 6:30 PM Reverence, Reverence, Respect, Respect, Responsibilty Excellence Responsibilty..Excellence in Academics in and Academics Faith and Formation Faith Formation

2 VIRTUE OF WEEK This week our virtue theme is OBEDIENCE- The strength to comply with and respect the authority of those in positions of leadership. OBEDIENCE is necessary for success in life. We need to have OBEDIENCE on this team, in our relationships, in our future jobs if we really expect to be able to work together and be unified in purpose and principle. PRAYER MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL St. Patrick School would like to express their sincere thanks to Father Julius. His service here has impacted the lives of faculty, staff, and families. He has touched our lives through his words and his generous spirit. We will truly miss seeing his shining face. Please take the time over the next few weeks to thank him for all he has done for this school and parish. There are many opportunities to say our goodbyes. First, this Friday, December 1 is the Chili and Potato Bar at the KC Hall at 5:00 pm. There will be a celebration after all the Masses this weekend in the gym. And he will be celebrating his final All School Mass on December 20 at 8:15 am. Let us all let him know how much we appreciate his time and service to our community. Washington Lions Club is available as a resource to those parents to assist them in the cost of glasses for their children. The program is intended to provide a supplement to those who have no insurance to get eye exams and to purchase glasses. Parents interested in this program may contact Pam Tonka at ptomka@aol.com or Thank you, Lord, for this day, this opportunity, this time together. Strengthen our wills and forge our resolve to be OBEDIENT in our pursuit of excellence in every area of our life. REFLECTIONS YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH OTHERS IS NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. YOU ARE CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF YOUR FRIENDS LIVES, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE. SOONER OR LATER, WE ALL RISE OR FALL TO THE LEVEL OF OUR FRIENDSHIPS YOU HAVE A GOD-SIZED HOLE. YOU CANNOT FILL IT WITH THINGS, MONEY, OTHER PEO- PLE, EXPERIENCES, OR ACCOM- PLISHMENTS. ONLY GOD CAN FILL THAT HOLE GOD GAVE YOU YOUR PARTICU- LAR MIX OF TALENTS AND ABILI- TIES BECAUSE THEY MATCH UP WITH THE MISSION HE HAS IN MIND FOR YOU. MATTHEW KELLY, RESISTING HAPPINESS Reverence, Respect, Responsibilty Excellence in Academics and Faith Formation 2

3 Congratulations to the 8 th Grade Girls Basketball team. Regional Champs! Please come to cheer them on in Sectionals Wednesday, December 6th at 6:30 at St. Mary s Pontiac!!!!

4 Kroger Community Rewards 1. Create an account or sign in 2. Click the "Community" tab 3. Choose "Kroger Community Rewards" 4. Enroll NOW 5. Enroll under Community Rewards 6. Type in St. Patrick or Choose St. Patrick in Washington, IL 8. Shop and use your Kroger Card (3% of sales goes to St. Patrick School) www. Goodsearch.com/goodshop(thousands of top retailers, coupons & savings) Amazon will donate.5% of all eligible purchase to St. Patrick School. It is easy to shop. 1. Go to smile.amazon.com. 2. Create an account. You will be asked for name, and password. You will be asked to search list charitable organization. We are listed as St. Patrick Church and School 3. If you have an account and another charity. Sign in to your account. At the top of the page your current charity will be listed. Click on it and select change and enter St. Patrick Church and School. Remember all always go to smile.amazon.com to shop

5 Helping our children grow in their Catholic faith. December 2017 St. Patrick School Doreen Shipman, Principal Open the gifts of Advent St. John of the Cross Mystic, reformer, and Doctor of the Church, St. John was raised by his mother, a poor silk weaver, in Spain. He entered the Carmelite Order in 1563, and was inspired by St. Teresa of Ávila to lead a much-needed reform of his Carmelites. For this, some of his brothers imprisoned him in a tower for almost a year until he escaped. He is also known for his beautiful poetry on the soul s search for God. Trust in the Lord There is a Person who can keep you going, trust in him! It is Jesus! Trust in Jesus! The Lord is always with us. He comes to the shores of the sea of our life; he makes himself close to our failures, our frailty, and our sins in order to transform them. Pope Francis Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). It s hard to compete with the breathless excitement of Christmas but Advent has a beauty all its own. When families step out of the busy pace of life during Advent, the Christmas celebration at the end becomes all the more heartfelt. Create rituals. Life is to be different during Advent quieter, more reflective and rituals can help. Light a candle every day in an Advent wreath. Gather to read some of the Nativity story (Luke 1:5-2:40), drawing it out until Christmas. For an hour each night, turn off the lights in your home and work by candle light. Make small sacrifices. The holidays can herald a season of excess. Instead, create a Sacrifice Stocking for Jesus. The idea for the Jesse Tree comes from the prophet Isaiah, who said, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him (Isaiah 11:1-2). The shoot is Jesus, who was born from Jesse s family line. Encourage each child to make small sacrifices foregoing dessert, performing an unasked chore, befriending a lonely classmate. Write each sacrifice on a slip of paper and place it in a Christmas stocking in the four weeks before Advent. On Christmas morning, read each gift in the stocking offered to the Babe as the first gifts of Christmas. Let music make the mood. The right music can help create a quiet mood during the season. Pick a time each day to play only spiritual and religious carols. Choose songs that tell of God s love for us. Or, make up new words to your old favorites. Why do Catholics create Jesse Trees for Advent? The ornaments of the Jesse Tree represent Jesus ancestors and the extraordinary purposes to which God put them. When we seek God and listen to him, he will do amazing things in our lives, too. Copyright 2017 Success Publishing & Media, LLC

6 Our present-day Santa Claus has roots in third-century St. Nicholas. Orphaned young, he was left rich and gave money generously. A legend involving the saint concerns a desperate man who needed money to pay his debts. Nicholas secretly threw a bag of gold down his chimney. To the Church, Nicholas is a confessor of the faith, and a holy bishop. St. Lucy lived in pagan Sicily around the year 300 during a time of great religious persecution. Lucy refused marriage to a The saints of Christmas December 2017 Page 2 determined suitor, and he exposed her to authorities as a Christian a charge resulting in her death. The courage of this young martyr is a guiding light for all young women and men. St. Boniface converted many in Germany and the surrounding area to Christianity. He is credited with taking the fir tree for a Christmas symbol. After encountering pagans about to sacrifice a child tied to a fir tree, Boniface cut down the great tree and used it to preach about the Incarnation. Luke 2:22-40, No ordinary child Mary and Joseph were faithful Jews and did what was required by their faith to celebrate the birth of their son. They couldn t afford the customary offering of a lamb and presented two pigeons instead to thank God for their son. To the uninformed observer, Jesus birth was unremarkable and his family quite ordinary. Yet, Simeon immediately recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he prophesied that Jesus was to be a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for Dec. 8 Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1854). On this Holy Day of Obligation, we commemorate that Mary was conceived in St. Anne s womb without original sin. In addition to attending Mass, praying a joyful rosary is a wonderful way to celebrate. Dec. 9 St. Juan Diego (1548). A simple, humble Native American who became a faithful Christian, St. Juan Diego was visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tepeyac Hill in Mexico. She asked him to have the your people Israel (Luke 2:32). Simeon was not alone in recognizing the Lord in the temple. Anna was also filled with the Holy Spirit. Her faith in God s promises gave her hope. The hope God places in our hearts gives us a desire for the kingdom of Heaven. What can a parent do? Teach children to look for Jesus in the world. Encourage them to pray to him. Tell them that the Holy Spirit will reveal the presence of the Lord to those who want to know him, receive him, and to be with him forever. bishop of Mexico build a chapel for her, and had him carry roses to the bishop as a sign. When the roses were emptied from his tilma (cape) before the bishop, it retained the image of the Blessed Mother. Dec. 31 The Holy Family (1st century). On the feast of the Holy Family, we celebrate the family life of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph three people who lived for God. By their love and support of one another the Holy Family is a model for all Christian families. Every year, we have a tradition of visiting my family for Christmas. My parents and siblings live two hours away, so visiting them is special. I was so disappointed last year when a surprise snowstorm prevented us traveling as usual. It was one of the few times I wasn t with my family on Christmas but I couldn t let my disappointment ruin the holiday for my own family. I found out that our next-door neighbors weren t traveling for Christmas, either. They recently moved to the area away from family. So, I invited them for Christmas dinner after Mass. My husband made turkey and fixings, and our guests brought their traditional dishes. We turned on Christmas music and everyone helped finish decorating the Christmas tree. The children played together while the adults chatted. Looking back, that snowstorm turned out to be providential; we all had a wonderful time and made great friends. To help parents raise faithful Catholic children Success Publishing & Media, LLC Publishers of Growing in Faith and Partners in Faith (540) (540) fax (Unless noted Bible quotes and references are from the Revised Standard Version and the New American Bible.) Copyright 2017 Success Publishing & Media, LLC

7 St. Patrick School Doreen Shipman, Principal 3 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Make and bless an Advent wreath. Light the first purple candle each night this week. Family Advent Calendar Set up the Nativity Resolve to pray as a scene together, but family for at least leave out the Holy Family. 15 minutes every night during Advent. To honor St. Nicholas, fill an old shoe with treats and leave it outside someone s door. Decorate a Jesus Candle with symbols of Jesus. Light it at Christmas dinner. In honor of Mary s Immaculate Conception, attend Mass and pray a family Rosary tonight. Clean out your closets of unwanted clothes or toys in good condition. Donate them to a shelter or other charity. 10 Light two purple candles in the Advent wreath each night this week. Sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel. 11 Send a thank-you note to the priests or other parish ministers who enriched your seasonal celebration. 12 Set out a rose tonight in honor of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 13 Today, try to go the whole day without complaining or arguing. 14 Family Movie Night! Make some popcorn and watch a Christmas movie together. 15 Help children make a good examination of conscience and go to Confession together. Then go out for a treat afterwards to celebrate forgiveness. 16 Put up and decorate your family Christmas tree. 17 Light two purple candles and the pink one for joy. See which of you can sing loudest at Mass today. 18 Put a lamp or electric candle in a window to welcome the Christ Child. Light it each night until Christmas Day. 19 Set the Mary and Joseph figures of your Nativity set across the room from the rest of the scene. 20 Take a drive or walk together around your home to look at the Christmas decorations or displays. 21 Give each family member a chance to say thank you for a blessing God has given this year. 22 Write letters to Jesus telling him that you look forward to his coming. 23 Place Mary and Joseph in the Nativity scene. Add grass or straw to the manger to get it ready. 24 Light all four candles in the wreath tonight. Reread today s Gospel Reading, Luke 1: Rejoice! Place the Baby in the manger and read the story of Jesus birth in Luke 2:1-20. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:1-7). Copyright 2017 Success Publishing & Media, LLC

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11 Register at the Park District office or online. Be sure to also check out our Letters from Santa. For information on these or any other Washington Park District events please contact the office at or

12 DAYQUEST ADVENTURE DAYS Come spend the holiday break at the WPD recreation facility. We have DAYQUEST days available on the following dates. These are offered for ages 5-6 th grade from 6:30am 6:00pm each day. $33 per resident November 22 nd ages 5 6 th grade December 22 nd ages 5 6 th grade December th ages 5 6 th grade January 2-5 th ages 5 6 th grade Look for our next brochure arriving the week of December 4 th. For information on these or any other Washington Park District events please contact the office at or matts@washingtonparkdistrict.com