ADMINISTRATION CENTER 1125 Romine Avenue McKeesport, Pennsylvania Gaudete! means Rejoice! The LORD is near!

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1 ADMINISTRATION CENTER 1125 Romine Avenue McKeesport, Pennsylvania Telephone: MARK (6275) Fax: Father Rowan Hall: Parish Nurse Office: x13 Youth House: C.C.D. Office: Mon Yough Catholic School: Victim Assistance Hotline: DECEMBER 2012 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT PASTOR Reverend Daniel T. Straughn, S.T.L. Gaudete! means Rejoice! The LORD is near! LIBERTY SITE (LB) 3210 Liberty Way McKeesport, PA MASS SCHEDULE Mon., Wed. & Fri...8:30 a.m. Sat. Vigil... 6:00 p.m. PORT VUE SITE (PV) 1125 Romine Avenue McKeesport, PA MASS SCHEDULE Tues., Thurs. & Sat....8:30 a.m. Sunday...8:00 a.m. Sunday...11:00 a.m. SAINT MARK PARISH MISSION STATEMENT (Ratified January 11, 2009 by the People of Saint Mark Parish) We, the people of Saint Mark Parish, are a welcoming community, cherishing the traditions of our Catholic faith. Unified by our rich heritage in the Mon Yough Valley, we are committed to the call of our Baptism by listening to and putting God s Word into action. Nurtured by the Eucharist and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we walk with Christ celebrating and spreading the good news of the gospel through prayer and humble service to all. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION 5:15 p.m. Saturdays at the Liberty site and upon request. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM Classes are held at the Port Vue site for Grades K-8 on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. 10:45 a.m., September thru April. SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE Engaged couples are to participate in a Marriage Preparation Class. Please call the Administration Center 6 months prior to the anticipated wedding date. SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM Baptisms are the 1 st Sunday and 3 rd Sunday of the month after the 11:00 a.m. Mass. Pre-Baptism Class is required. Please contact the Administration Center three months prior to the anticipated birth. OFFICE HOURS: Monday thru Friday 9:00 a.m 4:00 p.m.

2 SAINT MARK PARISH Rosary prior to daily morning mass MONDAY, December 17, 2012 COMMUNION SERVICE (Intention Fulfilled Privately) 8:30am Mary Louise Mayher..... LB (Frances Yanity) TUESDAY, December 18, :30am Theresa Davelli... PV (Dennis and Rita Gdovic) WEDNESDAY, December 19, :30am John Schultz LB (Morning Mass Group) THURSDAY, December 20, 2012 COMMUNION SERVICE (Intention Fulfilled Privately) 8:30am Cecelia Wozniak PV (daughter Joan) FRIDAY, December 21, :30am Clarence Rollason... LB (Debbie Long) SATURDAY, December 22, :30am Walter Wygonik..... PV (wife Barbara and children) 6:00pm Bernard and Louise Bradley... LB (Family) SUNDAY, December 23, 2012 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT 8:00am Patricia Ruzich McCarthy... PV (Evelyn Dewey) 11:00am THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT 16 December 2012 For the People of Saint Mark Parish... PV Baptism Instruction Class The next Baptism Class for parents is Monday, January 7, 7:00pm at Saint Mark Parish, Port Vue Library. Please call to register. This class is required prior to Baptism. Readings for the Week of December 16, 2012 Sunday: Zep 3:14-18a/Phil 4:4-7/Lk 3:10-18 Monday: Gn 49:2, 8-10/Mt 1:1-17 Tuesday: Jer 23:5-8/Mt 1:18-25 Wednesday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a/Lk 1:5-25 Thursday: Is 7:10-14/Lk 1:26-38 Friday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a/Lk 1:39-45 Saturday: 1 Sm 1:24-28/Lk 1:46-56 Next Sunday: Mi 5:1-4a/Heb 10:5-10/Lk 1:39-45 Stewardship MCKEESPORT, PA 9 December 2012 Offertory Collection...$6, Immaculate Conception...$ Average Weekly Expenditure... $8,166.41* Weekly Surplus / (Deficit)... ($2,150.28) Sanctuary Lamp/Altar Bread & Wine This week the Sanctuary Lamp at the Liberty site burns for the welfare of William Barto from the Ladies of Charity. This week the Sanctuary Lamp at the Port Vue site burns for the welfare of George Pavlic from Ladies of Charity. Activity Schedule Monday, December 17, :30-7:30pm, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, LB 7:15 pm, Rosary, LB Wednesday, December 19, :00am, Miraculous Medal Novena, LB 7:00-9:00pm, Adult Choir practice, PV A Second Collection will be taken on Christmas Day for Christmas Charities for Children and Youth. Christmas MASS Schedule Monday, 24 December Christmas Eve 4:00PM: Port Vue site 6:00PM: Liberty site / Children s Mass 12:00AM: Port Vue site / Midnight Mass Tuesday, 25 December Christmas Day 10:00AM: Liberty site Administration Center CLOSED The Parish Administration Center is closed Tuesday, 25 December and Wednesday, 26 December so that staff may enjoy the holiday with their families. Should you have an emergency, please leave a message and someone will get back to you a soon as possible. SNOW CANCELATIONS For everyone s safety, a delay or cancelation at South Allegheny Elementary Middle or Senior is our notice of cancelation of morning Mass (or Communion Service). Please listen to the radio or watch TV for delays or cancelations. Your safety is most important. Saint Mark Common Grounds The Coffee House at the Port Vue worship site is open today following the 8:00am Mass. Join us for coffee and fellowship!

3 Third Sunday of Advent DECEMBER 16, 2012 $1,300 January Lottery Raffle Ticket January s monthly ticket plays the 7:00pm PA Lottery on Monday, January 7, Tickets for the January Lottery Raffle are sold after Mass. Saint Mark Parish 50/50 In your offertory packet, there is a tan colored envelope marked 50/50 Drawing--Donation $5.00. On Monday, December 31, 2012, all envelopes are placed in a drum and one lucky winner is drawn to win half of the take. $14,000 BIG MONEY Ticket The BIG MONEY Ticket is back by popular demand! This ticket is to go off on the 7pm 1 st number drawn PA Daily Number on Monday, December 31, A Special Bonus of $1,000 goes to the seller of the winning ticket. Advent RECONCILIATION Services Date: Sunday, 16 December 2012 Time: 3:00 PM Location: Saint Jude Parish Date: Monday, 17 December 2012 Time: 7:00 PM Location: Corpus Christi Parish Date: Tuesday, 18 December 2012 Time: 4:00 PM Location: Saint Patrick Parish Date: Wednesday, 19 December 2012 Time: 7:00 PM Location: Saint Robert Bellarmine Parish Reconciliation offered each Saturday at 5:15 PM at our Liberty site, and anytime upon request. Christmas Flower Offering Please use the envelope in your packet for your donation for Christmas Flowers and supplies to decorate both of our worship sites. If you make a donation in memory of a loved one, please print his/ her name on the back of the envelope and please print clearly. Thank you for your generosity and love. Christian Mothers and Ladies Guild A Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year! Communion Sunday: Saturday, 5 January 2013, 6PM at our Liberty site No meeting in January. Keep praying for everyone! Eternal Rest For the repose of the soul of Brian Santora of our Youth Group. We extend our deepest sympathy and prayers to his family and friends. Oplatki Christmas Wafers Oplatki Christmas Wafers are on sale after all Masses. There are four wafers in one package for just $2.50. You may purchase them in the Sacristy at the Port Vue site or in the Vestibule at the Liberty site. Appeal for Toys Saint Mark Food Bank is collecting NEW toys only for children from infants to 10 years old for Christmas. Please deposit new toys in Food Bank boxes at either worship site. Any questions call Lori DiMarco or loriadimarco@gmail.com KENNYWOOD CHRISTMAS LIGHTS When: Sunday, 16 December 2012 TODAY Time: 4:30pm-Please arrive on time to receive discount rate Where: In front of the entrance gates at Kennywood Price: $12.00 (group discount rate) Come for a fun-filled evening at Kennywood. Enjoy the Christmas lights, music, rides and food with our Saint Mark Parish Family. All are invited! Bring family and friends. See you at Kennywood! Questions call Cheryl Hopkins at Christmas Gift Giving With the countdown until Christmas and most people finishing up their holiday shopping and worrying about giving just the right gift to friends and loved ones, please add one more special gift to your list Saint Mark Parish. Please be generous when considering your gift to the parish this Christmas. Invitation to our Parish Christmas Party! Our next Saint Mark Parish festivity is our Christmas Party scheduled for Saturday, 12 January The celebration begins at 5:00pm with a Christmas Concert performed by our Saint Mark Music Ministry, followed by the celebration of the Eucharist at our 6:00pm Mass, and our party begins at 7:00pm in Father Rowan Hall. MERRY CHRISTMAS! All invited! Christ Light of the World Award The Christ Light of the World Award is being presented to Jacob Riggs and Daniel Evans of our Saint Mark Parish on 16 December at the 11:00am Mass. Congratulations!!! Please keep praying that we all come to a greater realization and acceptance of GOD s mighty and tender LOVE for us, and we then come to share that same love with one another. GOD LOVES YOU!!! Yes, you! Accept His love, and live!!! GOD LOVES YOU! Accept His love, and live! Share His love, and thrive!

4 Third Sunday of Advent JUNE 2, 2002 DECEMBER 16, 2012 THE LORD IS IN OUR MIDST! The Advent Series on 3 weekends in December will reflect on the theme: THE LORD IS IN OUR MIDST! Throughout the series Doctor Maureen Crossen from the Theology Department of Carlow University will reflect on the Readings of the liturgy that draw us more closely to the Lord in our midst through prayer and living lives of love, mercy, and justice. The series will take place on the First, Second and Fourth Sundays in Advent at all the Masses. Please keep praying so we all can better recognize the presence of God in our midst. LITTLE BLUE BOOK THE LITTLE BLUE BOOK for the Advent and Christmas seasons are available at both Worship sites. The book contains readings for each of the 28 days of the Advent Season, and the 15 days of the Christmas Season. This book provides the framework for you to enjoy one of the oldest traditions of prayer called Lectio Divina sacred reading. You read a short passage in the book each day and simply let God speak to you through the words, guiding you to reflections that sometimes seem to come from nowhere. People are often surprised at how easy it is to pray this way, and how deep such prayer can be. It can change your day. It can change your life. Please take only one book per family to ensure that everyone gets a copy. God loves you! God bless you! Gift for Life All of our Saint Mark Parish families are invited to take part in a special holiday project. Each family is asked to buy an EXTRA Christmas gift. Any baby item, large or small (clothing, diapers, blankets, etc.), is appreciated. We ask you please wrap these items in wrapping paper only. Do not put the items in a box, and if possible, mark BOY or GIRL. Bring your special present with you on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and lay your gift before the manger at either worship site. There is a special Children s Mass at 6PM on Christmas Eve at the Liberty site a perfect time to for children to present their gifts. For more information, please contact Pat Muic: Decorating the Churches We Need You!!! Your help is needed to decorate our Worship sites for Christmas: Sunday, 16 December at 10:00AM, Liberty site Join us and have some fun!!! Thanks to those who decorated the Port Vue site Saturday morning! The Celebration of the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas The Feast Day of Saint Nicholas is Thursday, 6 December. We will celebrate this special day on 16 December after the 11:00am Children s Liturgy Mass. Can you guess who our special guest will be? Rediscover Catholicism There are 250 books (125 at each site) that are free to anyone who wishes to rediscover our Faith as a Catholic. Please take one per family and please pass it on to another when finished. Rediscover Catholicism is an early Christmas gift from an anonymous donor from our parish who wants to share this awesome book. LEARN MORE and ENJOY! All Ministry is to support and effect unity, strength and vitality. When we work together, it is easier and better for everyone. Thanks for working together for the sake of our entire parish family. If we are living for ourselves, we are not really living, we are dying. Live and love for others, and we all will have life and life eternal. Christmas MAIL BOXES The Christmas mail boxes are set up at each worship site. Please take a card or two and mail it to a shut in. Also, please keep all of our shut ins in your thoughts and prayers during this Christmas Season. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!! SNOW CANCELATIONS For everyone s safety, a delay or cancelation at South Allegheny Elementary Middle or Senior is our notice of cancelation of morning Mass (or Communion Service). Please listen to the radio or watch TV for delays or cancelations. Your safety is most important. Saint Mark Parish Bingo Saint Mark Parish is hosting an afternoon of Bingo on Sunday, 27 January 2013 at Father Rowan Hall. Doors open at 12:30 pm. Early bird games begin at 1:30 PM and regular bingo games at 2:00PM. ALL PAPER Format. Regular games pay $50, Specials pay $100, and Jackpot pays $75. Chinese Auction, 50/50 Raffle Tickets and Instant Bingo too. Tickets are $20. Any questions, please contact Helen Picone: PRAISE THE LORD! THANKS to all who planned, prepared and assisted with the relocation of our parish administration center. New address: 1125 Romine Avenue. Praise GOD! And thank YOU!

5 SAINT MARK PARISH MCKEESPORT, PA To live our Faith, we need to know our Faith! Year of Faith: 11 October 2012 to 24 November 2013 " They called the Church together and reported what GOD had done with them and how He had opened the door of faith..." (Acts of the Apostles 14:27). The Incarnation God s Son became human to save us from sin by reconciling us with God, to bring us God s love, to be for us a model of Holiness and to give us a share in God s own life by making us children of God. Incarnation refers to the fact that the Son of God took on a human nature to bring about our salvation. Belief in the Incarnation is the distinctive sign of Christian faith. Jesus Christ is truly God and truly human. From the beginning the Church has held this belief and defended it against heresies (false teachings) that denied it. Jesus has both a human body and a human soul, with human intellect and will. Therefore, in his mortal life on earth, he had human knowledge, which was limited: Scripture says that he grew in wisdom and age. Because his human nature was united to the Divine Person, however, Christ had a special awareness of His status as Son of the Father, an ability to see into human hearts, and an understanding of God s plans. Christ had a human will that was perfectly attuned with His divine will. He had a real body, which made God visible. He had human emotions and a heart full of love for us. Catechism of the Catholic Church (Articles ) Scripture and Tradition All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me Matthew 28:18 The pinnacle of God s revelation is, of course, Jesus Christ. Jesus speaks and acts with the authority of God because He is God. Jesus, in turn, commissioned his Apostles to carry on His mission and sent His Holy Spirit to be with the Church. For Catholics, Scripture and Tradition are inseparable, forming one sacred deposit of the Word of God Catechism of the Catholic Church (Article 97). Tradition, in this context, is not just the act of doing something a certain way because that s how it s always been done. Tradition is the faithful handing-on of the Teaching of the Apostles under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This responsibility for the faithful handing-on of the teaching of the Apostles belongs to the Magisterium - the teaching office of the Church. The Magisterium refers to the Bishops, our teachers, in communion with the Pope and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We rely on the Magisterium to authentically teach and interpret the truths of our faith. When Catholics are seeking guidance from God s Word, we can turn to the Bible. However, we can also consult Church Tradition. We find the answers by turning to the Catechism of the Catholic Church for the answers to our questions. We recognize the movement of the Holy Spirit guiding us as a Church to find the truth through the Word of God that comes to us in a living Tradition. Paprocki, A Well Built Faith The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us JOHN 1:14