ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH

Transcription

1 Welcome to ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH 115 Plymouth St., Plymouth, Wisconsin FATHER PHILIP D. REIFENBERG - Pastor Saturday Mass 4:00 p.m. Sunday Mass 9:30 a.m. with Children's Liturgy of the Word 6:00 p.m. 2nd and 4th Sunday Weekday Mass 8:00 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday Eucharistic Adoration 3:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays in Church Confession 9:30 a.m. 2nd and 4th Saturday Mission: We, the faith community of St. John the Baptist Parish, believe that we are called daily to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ: to learn, to share, and to live the message of Jesus. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we recognize that we are unique with diverse gifts from God and that we are to develop these gifts to nurture and strengthen our faith community Advent and Christmas Schedule Advent Penance Service December 17 / 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Vigil Masses December 24 / 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Christmas Day Mass December 25 / 9:30am

2 St. John the Baptist Parish First Sunday in Advent December 2, 2018 Dear Parishioners of St. John the Baptist: Happy New Year! With the first Sunday of Advent, we begin the new Church year. This year is the third year C Year of our three-year cycle of Sunday readings, with the Gospel selection generally coming from the Gospel of St. Luke. And once we get back into Ordinary Time following the Advent-Christmas Season, the Gospel will follow Luke s version of Jesus public ministry, beginning with Chapter 4. Luke s Gospel, commonly portrayed as being more woman-friendly than either Matthew or Mark, also treats us to two parables that are unique to it: the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. It should be a good year... at least, from a Sunday Mass perspective. The new Church Year also coincides with the 175th anniversary of the creation of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, the celebration of which kicked off last Sunday afternoon with a special Mass at the Cathedral. Archbishop Listecki was joined by all of our Auxiliary Bishops (Sklba, Haines and Schuerman), former Auxiliary and now Bishop of La Crosse, Bishop William Callahan, Bishop Joseph Perry (Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago) and Bishop David Malloy (Bishop of Rockford). As part of his opening words at this Mass, Archbishop Listecki announced the sudden and unexpected death of Bishop Robert Morlino, the Bishop of Madison. Bishop Morlino had been in Madison for the last fifteen years, and he has certainly left his imprint on the entire diocese. Please pray for the priests and the people of the Diocese of Madison as they grieve their loss and await the appointment of their new bishop. Prayer cards for the Anniversary Year are available in the vestibule. Please take one home and pray it often for our families, our parish, and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. On a completely different vein, the times in which we live demand that we consider what was previously unimaginable. Active shooter tragedies in schools, churches and nightclubs in Pittsburgh, Charleston, Florida, Texas, Tennessee and California give lie to the conviction that it can t happen here. For the past year or so, we have been struggling with what measures we might take to lessen our vulnerability to such acts of violence. SJB School Principal Amy Nelson and her teachers have been working with the Plymouth Police Department to enhance the safety of our school building and to train our children how to react under various threatening scenarios. Amy Albers, our Director of Faith Formation, has likewise been working to keep children enrolled in our Wednesday and Sunday Faith Formation programs safe as humanly possible from such dangers. What to do with Church, however, poses some very serious challenges. Obviously, we want to and need to be a welcoming and physically accessible place. So, before Mass on weekends and holydays, we will continue to have all doors to the Church unlocked, including those lower level ones on the Pleasant Street side of the building and the ones leading from the parking lot into the Church Hall, thereby providing access to the stairs and to the elevator for those who need it. But starting on the first weekend in January, those doors will be locked ten minutes after Mass begins; so, too, will the doors at the south end of the upper parking lot. After that point, only the main doors will be left open, and late-comers will be directed by signs posted at those doors to use the main entrance if they are late. We realize this procedure will constitute a serious inconvenience to anyone who through no fault of their own gets delayed on the way to Mass. Finding a parking spot can be tough as Mass time draws near, and getting from where you park to any door is already difficult enough! We hate to add to the frustration you d likely be feeling under such circumstances, but we need to minimize the risks to whatever extent possible. Thanks for your understanding. Father Phil The Feast of the Immaculate Conception St. John the Baptist Mass of Anticipation, December 7th at 6:30pm St. Thomas Aquinas December 8th at 8:00am The celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a holy day of obligation for Catholics. Advent Reconciliation Services St. Thomas Aquinas Tuesday, December 11th at 6:30 p.m. St. John the Baptist December 17th at 6:30pm Now Available in the Church Gathering Space The Little Blue Book Advent and Christmas Seasons Six minute reflections on the Gospels of Year C Congratulations to Norman and Virginia Halloran as they celebrate their 70th Wedding Anniversary May their celebrations of Marriage be a source of great joy and blessings! Advent Prayer Tree As we joyfully await the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, please place your Advent prayers on our Advent Prayer Tree. Strengthen the bond of prayer that ties us as a family of faith.

3 The Sacrament of Reconciliation With the completion of our Sacrament of Reconciliation series, we are hoping that you have learned something that will help you participate even more fruitfully in this sacrament. It truly is a healing sacrament. You might remember making your first confession and shaking with fear of what the priest might say to you. Today in this sacrament you can find peace and calmness as though you are speaking directly with Christ. Please come back home and receive extra grace to help you reform your life and experience Christ s love and mercy in a most amazing way. Thank you to St. John the Baptist Compassionate Hearts Committee for bringing us this informative series about the healing Sacrament of Reconciliation. Extra copies of the schedule for the Sacrament of Reconciliation at other churches in the county are available in the Gathering Space. Proposed Chapel Re-Purposing Project Informational Question and Answer Session The SJB Advent Giving Tree Facilitated by Bill Marklein and Anne Smith Monday, December 10 at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, December 13 at 8:45 a.m. There are numerous options for this space to help us better welcome and include all who visit our beautiful church. We encourage you to attend these respectful, facilitated sessions, so that all voices are heard and considered in this important project. Thank you for being the Good Samaritan. Your support of our local St. Vincent de Paul Conference enables the work of caring for our neighbors in need to continue. Together, we make a difference on our community! The Thanksgiving Day Collection for the Plymouth St. Vincent de Paul Conference was $1, To date, (July November) our parish has collected an additional $1,382 through poor box donations. The St. Vincent de Paul donation box is located to the left of the main exit doors. If you would like to contribute you can place your donation in the box or mail a check directly to: SVdP SJB Conference, 2225 Eastern Ave, Plymouth WI, "The Wish" Program This program provides "household" Christmas presents to families in our area. The tree in the Gathering Space has tags with a families "wish". Please take a tag, purchase the gift item and place the unwrapped gift with the tag beneath the Giving Tree by Dec. 16. Hat, Mitten and Scarf Collection SJB Christian Women's Society Place unwrapped items around the Giving Tree by Dec. 16. St. Vincent de Paul will distribute them to needy children. Holiday Cheer (Toy ) Program St. Vincent de Paul, Plymouth & Salvation Army This program offers parents the opportunity to "shop" for Christmas gifts for their children. We are collecting new, unwrapped toys, games and crafts items. Items for year olds are especially needed. Please place donations under the Giving Tree by Dec. 14. The last date in 2018 that SJB is providing a meal at the Welcome Table will be on Tue., Dec. 11, We need volunteers to bring salads and desserts for our meal that evening and to assist with serving and clean-up. Please contact either Kathy Halloran at (halloranka@gmail.com) or Monica Kleinhans at (mrkleinhans12@gmail.com) if you can help. The Welcome Table provides food and fellowship every Tuesday evening at Redeemer Lutheran Church. This location is wheelchair accessible. This is a great opportunity to visit with others and let someone else do the cooking! Please consider inviting a friend, neighbor or family member to this weekly event. The fellowship hall opens at 5:00 pm and a free dinner is served at 5:30 pm. Thank you to all who volunteered their time and talents at the Welcome Table in SJB will again participate in the Welcome Table in 2019 and those dates should be available soon.

4 School News St. John the Baptist Catholic School - 3K-Grade 8 A Message from the Principal Advent is a time of waiting and a time to prepare your hearts for the coming of Jesus. This Advent season the children and the staff will meet every Friday morning for a prayer time. It will be a time to reflect and a time for allowing hope, joy, love and peace to enter our lives. We will focus on the Church s themes of: the Gift of Holiness, the Gift of Human Life, the Gift of One Another and the Gift of the Lord. Students will also meet our mission of serving others through a service project of creating cards for the home bound and placing a prayer on the Church s prayer tree. In addition, the teachers will be volunteering at Project Angel Hugs. I invite you to experience Advent with our school family. Our Advent Prayer Times will be in Church, Fridays at 8 am. Advent Blessings, Mrs. Amy Nelson, Principal Faith Formation News Adults, Young and Youth Faith Formation SJB Faith Formation: What do we teach in 1 st grade? Our children in 1 st grade are learning many of the essentials of our Catholic faith. Some of the things they learn: The Sign of the Cross, the Our Father and the Hail Mary The two great commandments that Jesus gave us: To Love God and to love ourselves and others Baptism welcomes us into God s family Jesus was sent to show us how to love God The different seasons of the Church and the stories about the Christmas, the Last Supper, and Easter The importance of telling the truth and that God encourages us not to sin Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. Jesus said, Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19:13-14 St. John the Baptist School Proudly Presents Elf Jr. December 13 and 14 6:30pm / December 15 1:00p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Buddy, the would-be elf, is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Tickets are available at the school and parish offices. School Board Committee St. John the Baptist School Board, along with Christ Child Academy's and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's School Board, took advantage of the opportunity to meet with Dr. Tom Kiely from Marquette University. Dr. Kiely presented the topics of "Using Board Committees to Advance the Mission of the School" and "The Board Development Cycle: Moving Beyond Reporting to Action." The presentation enabled the School Board members to reflect on the roles and tasks that they are advisory for. Dr. Kiely went over what a meeting agenda should or should not include, the rules of order and he introduced the types of committees that schools may consider. He shared what tasks these types of committees are responsible for and how they can best be effective to making school improvements. Dr. Kiely emphasized how the School Board should have regular mission-based discussions. The next School Board Meeting is scheduled for January 3, 2019 in the school conference room. Parish Finance With sincere gratitude, we extend our thanks for your generous support of St. John the Baptist Parish. Parishioner Offerings (Envelopes) Building & Grounds October 2018 July October 2018 July October 2017 Change Year-todate $65,503 $216,146 $193, ,554 $ 4,514 $ 16,273 $ 15,674 + $ 599 Offertory $ 4,629 $ 18,856 $ 20,851 - $1,995 This section will bring you monthly reports on general giving, as well as various topics of parish finance and financial stewardship.

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6 Mass Schedule and Intentions SJB - St. John the Baptist STA - St. Thomas Aquinas, Elkhart Lake Saturday, December 1 4:00pm SJB Robert Atkinson 4:00pm SJB Bill Nolte 5:30pm STA For the People of St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas Aquinas Sunday, December 2 8:00am STA Ralph Gries 8:00am STA Mary Jane Popelka 9:30am SJB David Mueller 9:30am SJB Guido and Mary Sartori Monday, December 3 8:00am SJB Sally Meyer Tuesday, December 4 8:00am SJB For the Children of St. John the Baptist Wednesday, December 5 8:00am STA Marguerite Rice Thursday, December 6 8:00am SJB For the Deceased Members of St. John the Baptist Friday, December 7 8:00am STA Jon Ahlswede 6:30pm SJB Martin Hetzel Saturday, December 8 8:00am STA Steven Busch 4:00pm SJB Living and Deceased Members of the Harold R. Meyer Family 4:00pm SJB Living and Deceased Members of the Wirtz and Schneider Families 5:30pm STA Chuck Leon 5:30pm STA Gene Schweitzer Sunday, December 9 8:00am STA Joan Mueller 8:00am STA Audrey Barrette 9:30am SJB For the People of St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas Aquinas Scriptures First Sunday of Advent - December 2, st: Jeremiah 33:14-16 (3C) 2nd: Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 Gospel: Luke 21:25-28, Second Sunday of Advent - December 9, st: Baruch 5:1-9 (6C) 2nd: Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Gospel: Luke 3:1-6 The Week at St. John the Baptist December 2-8, 2018 Sunday... December 2 9:00am... Rosary for Life/Church Monday... December 3 3:30pm... Eucharistic Adoration/Church 6:30pm... Stewardship Mtg./Church Mtg Rm Tuesday... December 4 9:00am... Walking W/Purpose Bible Study/Parish Office 6:30pm... Knights of Columbus Mtg./Parish Office 7:00pm... LTAA Boys Basketball/Gym Wednesday... December 5 6:00pm... Walking W/Purpose Bible Study/Parish Office 6:00pm... FF Gr 1-8/School 6:15pm... FF Gr 9-10/School 7:00pm... Adult Volleyball/Gym Thursday... December 6 8:30am...Mission Quilters/Parish Office 6:00pm... Classic Choir Rehearsal/Church 8:00pm... LTAA Girls Basketball/Gym Saturday... December 8 9:30pm... Private Confession/Reconciliation Rm Shop AmazonSmile and Support SJB Parish and School! What is AmazonSmile? - AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support SJB every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to SJB. You can even still use Amazon Scrip at checkout! Try it today! Catholic Women s Charity Club (CWCC) will meet on Wednesday, December 5th at 7:00 PM, in Van Treeck Hall at St. Peter Claver Church in Sheboygan. There will be a business meeting and Christmas social to follow. Interested members are invited to attend. If you need transportation to/from the meeting please contact Virginia at or Mary at For more information about CWCC check out our web site at Another way to connect with what is happening at St. John the Baptist Parish Find us and LIKE us at

7 St. John the Baptist Parish Information Sacramental Celebrations Eucharistic Liturgies: See the front cover of Bulletin. Baptism: Contact the Parish Office Reconciliation: 2nd and 4th Saturday from 9:30-10:00am in the Reconciliation Room. Marriage: Contact the pastor no later than six months prior to day of the wedding. Very Reverend Philip D. Reifenberg Shared Pastor Parishes of St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Trustees Bill Barbieur Treasurer Tom Paul..Secretary Pastoral Council Chair : Adam Schneider Members: Michael Hartke, Bill Marklein, Tony Mischo, Cheryl Nicholson, Keith Ott, Joel Pierce, Tony Glenboski, Isabel Roy Finance Council Chair : Jim Birenbaum Members: Bill Barbieur, Mark Gumm, Tom Paul, Joel Pierce St. John the Baptist School Amy Nelson..Principal Ann Penkwitz...School Secretary Joel Pierce. School Board Chair St. John the Baptist Faith Formation Amy Albers Director of Faith Formation Nancy Kultgen.Faith Formation Assistant Contacts Cemetery..Parish Office Prayer Needs.Kate St. Vincent de Paul sjbplymouth.org Parish Membership We welcome you to the St. John the Baptist Parish Family. To receive a registration form or to notify us of an address change, please complete the form below. Place the completed form in the collection basket, or return it to the Parish Office (115 Plymouth Street, Plymouth 53073). Name Address: Phone: New Parishioner Address Change Bulletin Deadline Please submit announcements to the parish office by noon on Monday. bulletin@sjbplymouth.org Parish Office Contact Information Hours: 8:30am-Noon and 1:00-4:00pm Phone Website sjbparish@sjbplymouth.org Lisa Schoneman.....Director of Administrative Services Paige Katzfey...Pastoral Associate Katie Kleiber.....Communications Coordinator Julie Krueger.Parish Secretary Scott Dedlow...Building Maint./Dir. Of Music &Liturgy Hearing Assistance: The induction loop system for hearing device users is installed in church. To take advantage of this hearing assistance, please turn your hearing device to the T coil setting and sit in either of the middle two sections of church. St. John the Baptist Bulletin Advertiser of the Week Josef Schwartz, D.M.D & Frank Gatyas, D.D.S. Family Dentistry The support of our advertisers helps offset the cost of publishing our bulletin. Please thank them when you can and support them with your business.