S A I N T L AW R E N CE R O M A N C AT H O L I C

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1 S A I N T L AW R E N CE R O M A N C AT H O L I C CHURCH 6222 Franconia Road, Alexandria, Virginia (office) (fax) Prayer to St. Joseph for the Narthex Update-Expansion Project D e c e m be r 9, S e c on d S un d ay o f Ad ve n t Parish Clergy Rev. Ronald J. Gripshover, Jr., Pastor office@stlawrencealex.org Rev. Daniel S. Spychala, Parochial Vicar vicar@stlawrencealex.org Rev. Joseph Okwei Ocran, In R esidence Deacon Michael A. Waters Permanent Deacon & Finance Manager deacon@stlawrencealex.org O glorious St. Joseph, you were chosen by God to be the foster father of Jesus; the most pure spouse of Mary ever Virgin; and the head of the Holy Family, and you have been chosen by Christ s Vicar as the heavenly patron and protector of the Church founded by Christ. Therefore, it is with great confidence that we implore your powerful assistance for our narthex update-expansion project. By your great intercession for us, St. Joseph, help us to build up Christ s Church by guiding this project to its completion. O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, we place this our intention for our parish in your hands. St. Joseph, Protector of the Holy Church Pray for us! St. Lawrence Pray for us! Parish Staff Parish Secretary Cynthia Dr eslin office@stlawrencealex.org Director of Religious Ed Anne-Marie Pierce religioused@stlawrencealex.org Youth Minister J oseph Stakem youth@stlawrencealex.org Music Director Raymond St. Pier r e music@stlawrencealex.org 0706 HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS SUNDAY Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00am and 12:30pm (Extraordinary Form Latin Mass) HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS WEEKDAY M - F: 6:15 and 9:00 a.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. CONFESSIONS M 9:30am; W 7:00-7:45pm; F 6:45am; S 3:30-4:30 pm December 9, 2018

2 Second Sunday of Advent MASS SCHEDULE AND OFFERINGS MONDAY, 12/10 - Saint Melchiades 6:15 am Adela Florez 9:00 am Pedro Jose Florez TUESDAY, 12/11 - Saint Damasus I 6:15 am Josifa & Elenita Mangubat 9:00 am John Neary WEDNESDAY, 12/12 - Anniversary of the Dedication of St. Lawrence Church 6:15 am Gene Schamel 9:00 am Virginia Picardo THURSDAY, 12/13 - Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr 6:15 am Maria Yen Do 9:00 am Louis Santone, Sr. FRIDAY, 12/14 - Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church 6:15 am John Thuan 9:00 am Marguerite Roland SATURDAY, 12/15 - Saint Christiana 6:15 am Eduardo Kern 5:00 pm Ruben Lacerona SUNDAY, 12/16 - Gaudette Sunday (3rd Sunday 7:30 am Katherine Palladino of Advent) 9:00 am Rose Charney 11:00 am Tommy Frye 12:30 pm Parishioners of Saint Lawrence Our second collection next weekend is for the Parish Operations and Maintenance Fund. This fund goes toward routine and emergency maintenance of parish buildings and grounds. Your Parish family thanks you for your generous support. Please pray for the sick of our parish family including Jay Farabaugh, Melanie Brady, Helen Mekenie, Justin Pham, Raymond Stanekenas, Joan Chapman, Brian Padfield, Rita MacQueeney, Donald Lawson, Alice O Connor, Minh Tran, Anthony Torres, Leah Bloom, Richard Kuron, Sr., Jack Marzan, Matthew Peters, Cindy Kuron, Patricia Lewis, Christian Escoto, John Bonfanti Chris Henderson, Baby Leah and Chris Bacon. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs This Week in Our Parish Confessions after 9:00 am Mass Religious Education Classes 7:00-8:15 Novena to OLPH - 7:15 pm Rosary Makers after 9:00 am Mass Legion of Mary - 7:30 pm Hammond Hall High School CCD Classes 7:00-8:15 pm RCIA Classes - 7:00 pm Hammond Hall Eucharistic Adoration 9:30 am - 7:15 pm Fatima Prayer Cell after 9:00 am Mass Divine Mercy Chaplet - 3:00 pm Religious Education Classes 7:00-8:15 Holy Hour 7:15-8:15 pm Confessions 7:00-7:45 pm Contemporary Choir Practice - 7:30 pm Knights of Columbus (Marian) 7:30 pm Friday Confessions 6:45 am Sat. Pro-Life Rosary am (2839 Duke St.Alex) Confessions 3:30-4:30 pm Anniversary of the Dedication of St. Lawrence Church - Dedicated on December 12, 1970 The Anniversary of the Dedication of our Church is this Wednesday, December 12th. Note that in accordance with the dictates of the Roman Missal, we will celebrate the Mass for the Dedication of a church instead of the Mass for the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. From the Vocations Office: Is the Holy Spirit asking you to be a shepherd he feeds his flock in the priesthood, diaconate or consecrated life? Call Fr. Michael Isenberg, (703) , or write: michael.isenberg@arlingtondiocese.org.

3 With Your Help, We Move Slowly, But Surely, Toward Meeting Our Goal! In the 8th week of this campaign we have received pledges in the amount of $698,665 (and in cash: Goal $1.2 Mil $228,626). We thank the 232 families who have responded to the call $1 million to support this project. Now we ask $750,000 the remaining 1550 registered families to pray on the matter and respond. $500,000 $250,000 Donation NOTE: If you would like to have your pledge made and paid via electronic transfer (e.g.; from your Credit Card or Bank Acct)...Visit Faith Direct and enter your pledge!! For More Information See SACRAMENTAL INFORMATION AND SERVICES Baptisms - First and Third Sundays at 1:45 p.m. by appointment. Parents are requested to make arrangements one month in advance and must be registered members of the parish. First time parents must attend a one session pre- Baptismal class, usually held on the second Saturday of the month at 10:00 a.m. in the Rectory office. Parents are encouraged to attend this class before the birth of their child. Baptisms in the Extraordinary Form may be requested by calling the parish office. Sponsor Certificates - These are Parish testimonies to the fact you are a practicing Catholic in the parish and are issued to those wishing to be a Godparent or sponsor for a Confirmation candidate. You must be registered in the parish and first time Godparents must attend a class before a certificate will be issued. Sacrament of Matrimony - Contact the parish office 6 months before your desired wedding date. Marriage Preparation is required by Church Law to enable a couple to fully understand the holiness and obligations of the Sacrament. Note that living together before marriage is sinful and harmful to future marriage. Couples who are living together will be asked to live separately during the marriage preparation time. Religious Education (CCD) - All children not attending a Catholic School who are in the first grade and up should be enrolled in the Parish Religious Education Program. Call the Religious Education Office at (703) for information. R.C.I.A. - The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process by which adults (and children who have reached the age of reason) are instructed in the Doctrine of the Church and are prepared to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist. If you or someone you know would like to inquire about becoming a Catholic, please call Anne-Marie Pierce, Parish Registration - Prior to receiving particular services from the parish, one must be registered. Registration is now able to be conducted online, on the Parish website, and registration forms are available at the rectory or in the vestibule of the Church. For additional information, call the Rectory office. Prayers/visits for Ill or Homebound - If you are ill and would like to be placed on the prayer list or have communion brought to the home, please contact the parish office to make arrangements.

4 Advent Reflections with Bishop Burbidge - In anticipation of the joyful season of Advent, the Office of Communications for the Diocese of Arlington has created a resource of daily spiritual reflections offered by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge. These reflections can be prayed privately or with the entire family throughout Advent. Please see the post on our website to access a special video message from the Bishop and these daily reflections at Women's Conference - All women of the diocese are invited to register for the 2019 Women's Conference to be held on Saturday, March 2, Hear "Miracles Do Happen" with gifted healer, Sr. Briege McKenna, OSC and author of the book "Miracles Do Happen"; and Fr. Donald Calloway, a priest of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception and author of No Turning Back and other devotional books. Mass will be celebrated by the Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington. The conference is held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Herndon from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. To register visit Pro Life Weekly Pro-Life Rosary outside the Duke Street Abortion Clinic. Please join St. Lawrence and other area parishes each Saturday morning from 9:00 am - 10: am, in a weekly Rosary conducted outside the abortion clinic at 2839 Duke Street, Alexandria, around the corner from Bishop Ireton High School. For further information, contact the rectory or Bruce Borzino, 703- CCW Scholarship - Once again this year, the St. Lawrence CCW is offering a scholarship to a young lady of the parish. Application deadline is March 1, You can access the scholarship application at CCW-Scholarship-Application.pdf Days of Recollection for Men and Women Discerners Could Christ be calling you to the priesthood or religious life? Take a step to find out. The Office of Vocations will hold a day retreat for women on Sunday, December 16, and a day retreat for men on Saturday, December 22. Both run from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. and are open to those 17 years and older. Religious sisters will be present for the women, and seminarians, priests and men religious will be at the men s. For more information and to register contact the Office of Vocations, or vocations@arlingtondiocese.org. Deadline to sign up is December 7. The December Share Sunday will again benefit St. Lawrence parishioners and a few area religious in need this Christmas. If you d like to help, please see the list of food basket items we are collecting at all Masses the weekend of Dec : Grocery store gift cards, fruits (fresh or canned), vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned), frozen white fish, canned tuna in water, cheddar cheese, mac & cheese, regular yogurt (any flavor including plain), dried apricots, raisins, applesauce, soups, cream soups, broths, gravy, stuffing, boxed potatoes, mixes for quick breads, cornbread, muffins, canned sweet potatoes, canned green beans and French fried onions, pasta sauces, canned pie fillings, cranberry relish or sauce, juices, tea, coffee, hot chocolate mix, holiday paper products, plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and dessert mixes such as cake or brownies. If more convenient, you may also leave pantry items in the gray donation bin in the ladies restroom at church or drop off any gift cards at the Rectory. Thank you for your support! Experience Christendom Summer Program (ECSP) for rising high school seniors. Five one-week sessions are available beginning June 9-15 and ending July Registration opened December 1 and financial assistance is available. For more information and to discover why attendees call it their best week ever, go to their website Christendom.edu/ experience Financial Note It is nearing the end of the tax year. All donations for the Narthex Update Project or for the Church made in 2018 will be deductible if you itemize for the 2018 year come April 15. If you make donations from an IRA or other retirement funds that have never been taxed, you avoid paying any tax. If you are over 70, and have a required minimum distribution--it can be directly sent to the parish--avoiding Paying tax on any interest/growth!! WITH THE STOCK MARKET STILL AT VERY HIGH LEVELS - Consider making a gift of appreciated stock to our parish or our Building Update. You will receive an income tax deduction and avoid capital gains tax on the stock appreciation. For more information, please call (703) or visit: giving/gifts_stock.aspx

5 The Giving Tree is now up in the Church. Please take a tag or two and buy a gift or a gift card for a family in need a great way to give to those less firutnate. All gifts and gift cards need to be returned by December 11th. Please bring gifts and gift cards to the rectory office. Gift Wrappers are needed to wrap boxes for the Food Baskets for the needy. Boxes need to be ready before December 19th when they will be distributed. If you have any extra wrapping paper you would like to donate, it would be appreciated. For details, contact Anne-Marie Pierce in the Religious Education Office by at religioused@stlawrencealex.org or by calling Advent Arts Program: Friday, December 14 at 1:30 pm and 7:00 pm PreK - 8th graders will perform dramatic and musical selections to celebrate how we prepare for the Nativity. All are welcome. We are accepting applications for : Please register now in order to reserve your child(ren)'s spot for next school year. Share the treasures of a Catholic education with your child(ren)/grandchild(ren). angelusacademy.org Advent Calendars are available now. Also featured on the book rack are Ignatius Catholic Study Bible Guides for various books of the Old and New Testament. Check the book rack frequently as contents change on a regular basis. Koinonia's Clothing Closet Needs - small and medium men s warm clothing especially shirts, sweats and coats; and women s small and medium coats. Donations may be left in the gray bin in the ladies' restroom at church or dropped off at Koinonia, 6037 Franconia Rd (behind Franconia United Methodist Church). When you are traveling out of the area, go to to find a Catholic Church near you. Remember that leaving the area on vacation does not mean a vacation from hearing Holy Mass. It is a mortal sin to miss Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation through your own fault. Religious Education/Youth Educating our Youth in the Faith is the Future of Holy Mother Church. Religious Education Classes: Children entering 1st through 12th grade who are not attending a Catholic school should be registered in the parish Religious Education program. If you have not registered your child(ren) for Religious Education for the school year, please do so ASAP as classes have begun. Registration is still open and forms are available at the Religious Education Office, in the Church or the Rectory Office. For more information or if you have questions, please call the Religious Education Director, Anne-Marie Pierce at ST. LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOLER AND PARENT NEWS! High School/Teen Religious Education class is held every Tuesday night from 7:00-8:15 pm. All High School teens are welcome and registration will remain open. For Advent and Christmas we will be studying/ discussing Opening the Word Advent-Christmas Year B and watching Mary of Nazareth. Parents and teens can even watch at home! This series can be found on Formed.org Go to Formed.org and use our parish code Z2NDHT to create your own free account. Attention Parishioners! The Youth of St. Lawrence will be hand making our Famous Christmas Ornament Angels in the next two weeks and we will display them for donation the third weekend of December. All funds raised will go toward our trip to WorkCamp in June FORMED.ORG Study...Watch...Listen...Read (provided at no additional cost to you) St. Lawrence Parish maintains a subscription to FORMED.ORG which provides access to the best Catholic audio talks, movies, ebooks and video-based studies from trusted providers like Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, Catholic Answers, St. Paul Center and more! For Example: You can look at a study of the readings for advent look under Study for year B and click on Faith Formation. Prepare the way for yourself and your family this Advent by studying scripture. We are called to put our Faith into practice. To learn more and to grow in Faith, go to the following site: to create your free account for great information and videos on our Faith. Use access Code Z2NDHT.