Pastor: Parochial Vicar: Deacons: Office Administrator: Rectory Phone: Office Phone: Fax: website:

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2 Living the Word of Christ Together Pastor: Parochial Vicar: Deacons: Office Administrator: Rectory Phone: Office Phone: Fax: website: Father Bruce Riebe Father Jan Cizmar Bill Fredrick, Robert Kirschner Michele Wiltshire December 6: St. Nicholas St. Nicholas stands out in the Church as a model of faith and an example of virtue. Nicholas was Archbishop of Myra in Lycia in the fourth century. He is called the Wonder-worker. His greatness lies neither in theological works nor in writings. He is a personification of a shepherd, a defender, and an intercessor. For us, Nicholas is a man of faith. He shows us what humility is and teaches us the values of moderation and poverty. All generations have acknowledged him as a holy bishop. With St. Nicholas we stand in faith and worship, seeing him as a model for our Christian lives and a model for Christian leadership. We ask him to pray to Christ for us. December 8: Immaculate Conception This feast is celebrated to remind us that the Theotokos was conceived and born into this world free from the stain of original sin. Although the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was defined by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854, the feast known in the East under the name of Child-begetting of St. Anne and celebrated on December 9 dates back to at least the fifth century. St. John Damascene in his First Sermon on the Nativity of Mary says: Why is the Virgin Mother born of a once sterile mother? Plainly, because it was necessary that the road to that which was to be a new thing under the sun and the chief among wonders should be paved by wonders and that a gradual ascent should be made from the lower to the more sublime. We celebrate two Solemn Holydays this week. Liturgies both nights will be at 7:00. Mirovanije $$ next weekend will be sent to Christ the Bridegroom Monastery in Burton, adding to their Gala total.

3 December 4, 2016 Glory to Jesus Christ! Liturgy Schedule Monday December 5 8:00 a.m. Nick Soley by Joan Gajdor Tuesday December 6 Solemn Holyday: St. Nicholas 7:00 p.m. Millie Babin by Family Wednesday December 7 8:00 a.m. Dolores Lechko by Frank/Janet Petruno Thursday December 8 Solemn Holyday: Immaculate Conception 7:00 p.m. Frank/Ann Skabar by Mel/Pauline Skabar Friday December 9 8:00 a.m. Ed Keshock by Mary Jo & Children Saturday December 10 4:00 p.m. Bill/Janet Joyce by Tony/Jackie Amato Sunday December 11 10:30 a.m. Intention of the Parishioners Altar Servers Lectors Greeters December 6 7:00 p.m. B. Kirschner & N. Armbrust December 8 7:00 p.m. J. & A. Loya December 10 4:00 p.m. C. & T. Macik R. Evans G. & J. Huntz December 11 10:30 a.m. A. Steen, G. Karaffa, C. Csornok K. Lambourne & M.Cohn A. Percic & L. Tinter Do not ask for fulfillment in your life, but for patience to accept frustration Next weekend liturgical calendars and envelopes for 2017 will be available in the vestibule. There will also be a sign-up sheet for anyone who is currently not a parishioner and is interested in joining. (We thank the Hopko Funeral Home for once again sponsoring the calendars.) If envelopes are not your thing, you also have the option of electronic giving. Call the office if you would like more information ( ). There are some additional times schedule for the Sacrament of Confession. December 17 3:00-3:45 December 18 9:30-10:15 Christmas Eve 10:00-noon (Fr. Jan) 2:00-4:00 (Fr. Bruce) There will not be a 4:00 liturgy on Christmas Eve. The Service will be at 10:00 p.m. (The Christmas Day liturgy starts at 10:30 a.m.) A lot of people utilize our church mail system to get Christmas cards to fellow parishioners. It s actually a great idea since you don t need a full address and you save money on a stamp. The A-OK Club asks for a nickel donation (it s never gone up unlike the cost of a stamp). Put the money in the ARK (Acts of Random Kindness) found beneath the mail slots. AND don t forget to start checking your slot each week especially through Christmas! Gifts are due back under the tree by the close of liturgy on December 18. Gift cards can be placed in the appropriately marked container near the tree. Please remember all the sick/suffering in your prayers, especially Greg Karaffa (Cleveland Clinic); Mary Jane Dietz (Greenbrier Healthcare; rehab); Charlotte Picha (Danbury Assisted Living; rehab); Susan Lambourne (home); Lea Varner (home); and Joe Kochis (home). We are hosting the next A.C.E. (Adult Catholic Education) program on December 7 at 7:00. Father Andrew Summerson will present Reading the Bible Through the Mystical Hymns of Early Christians. Eastern Rite Christians sing their theology and interpret the Bible in light of their hymns. To this end Father will describe the work of some early hymnographers. He will highlight the ways in which these individuals explored the biblical narratives, making these familiar stories come to life in unfamiliar ways through the power of music and song. Father Summerson is the Assistant Director of Religious Education for the Diocese of Parma. He holds degrees from John Carroll University and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He is an adjunct professor at John Carroll and St. Mary Seminary. His talk will be held in the Activity Center. We are looking for bakery donations. Contact Barbara Fortlage with questions or for more information ( ).

4 Mariapoch Gala The second annual Miracle of Mariapoch gala will be held February 18 from 6:00-9:30 at the Cathedral Center in Parma. The event will include a small plate buffet catered by Shrine Advisory Board member and chef, Bob Dirda. Wine and beer are also included in the $35 per person ticket cost. Unique raffle baskets and silent auction items will also be featured. All proceeds will benefit the capital improvement program at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch in Burton. Contact Bob Dirda ( ) or Deacon Bill ( ) to purchase tickets. The Ladies Auxiliary is selling albums of Christmas in the Slavonic Tradition (carols sung by the St. Joe s Choir on Orleans Ave.). Cost is $10. Sandwich making will take place next Saturday in the Education Center at 9:30. The Advisory Board will meet on Tuesday at 7:00. The choir is scheduled for a practice on Wednesday at 7:00 in the loft. The altar server Christmas Party is December 20. If your son will be attending, make sure he signs the sheet in the sacristy by December 18. Our teens are joining with the youth at St. Mary s to watch the movie God is not Dead. Starting time at the Crystal Chalet (next to the church) is 2:00. Discussion and refreshments will follow the showing. (Bring a floor pillow or blanket for comfort.) Contact Fr. Jan with any questions or if transportation from St. Joseph Church is needed ( ). St. Mary s is located at 4600 State Rd. in Cleveland (just north of I-480). Candles and fireplaces should always be attended. Keep candles out of children s reach and away from trees, wreaths, curtains or other flammable items. Avoid using old lights with frayed/exposed wires, loose connections or broken sockets. Keep medications high and out of sight of children. Use a designated driver if drinking and buckle up. Safe food handling don t rinse raw meat before cooking; use a food thermometer; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and keep 4 days or less in the fridge; wash hands often while cooking. Blood Pressures Checked Next Weekend Your Weekly Offering November 20, 2016 Sunday: 10 Student Envelopes: Cash: Candles: Holy Days: Thanksgiving: Total: Last weekend s mirovanije collection of $ was forwarded to Pharmacists for Life in Columbus as they continue to assist those affected by Hurricane Matthew. The Garfield Heights Knights of Columbus (Deacon Bill is one of the chaplains and other parishioners are members) is collecting Coats for Kids. The box will remain in the vestibule through next weekend. Listed below are the winners from the November Grand Drawing. $1,500 #130 Andrea Feltes 500 #45 Dorothy Sabo 300 #176 Norm Ditty 200 #101 Fran Russo November 27, 2016 Sunday: 10 Student Envelopes: Cash: Candles: Holy Days: Thanksgiving: Total: $3, $3, $2, $3, Interested in E-Giving??? $100 #155 Joyce Hanigaski 100 #149 Mike Jardan 100 #200 Albert Matyas 100 #131 Carmilla Zingale 100 #255 Sandra Goodell There are still a few openings for the 2017 session. The cost is $70 which includes a free ticket to the dinner/ dance and grand drawing, as well as a chance to win a weekly prize of $60. If you are interested, contact chairman Joe Csornok ( ) or any one of the captains (Mike Karaffa, Jeff Cifranic, Judy Weitzel, Larry Vasil, Joe Rhoda, Chuck Ricco or Linda Szucs.) We ll be decorating the church for Christmas after liturgy on December 18. Volunteers are needed. (The trees and manger will be set up on December 16 starting at 12:30. Extra hands are welcome then as well. Let Dawn Tinter know you are coming with an at dawn.tinter@geometry.com.)

5 As We Prepare for the Miracle The central miracle is the Incarnation. God became Man. Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this. Is the infinite capable of the finite? Can deity take on humanity? That question challenged great Christian thinkers of the past, who found it difficult to tell God what he was or was not capable of doing. They decided that even if they couldn t fully understand the Incarnation, they could accept it. That happens more frequently than we care to admit because we don t fully understand most things. That s because God always exceeds our expectations. Lots of stories, lots of teachings, lots of coincidences in Scripture seem unlikely, irrational or almost beyond belief, but that doesn't make them false. Space travel, electrical circuits, the miracle of birth, the amazing complexity of our DNA we do not fully understand any of these, but we accept them. In fact, if we had a God who was easily understood, we might rightly question his wisdom or his standing as God. Likewise, if we had a Word of God that contained only clear, simple, obvious t r u t h s, w e w o u l d p r o b a b l y q u e s t i o n whether they truly came from an infinite, all-knowing deity. The truth is that our God is an awesome God awesome in power, h oliness, wisdom, grace, faithfulness and e v e r y o t h e r characteristic we can imagine. That means that he is also awesome b e c a u s e h e became one of u s i n t h e Incarnation the central miracle. PARISH INFORMATION ACTIVITY CENTER & HALL RESERVATIONS: PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: (24 hours) CONFESSIONS: One half hour before liturgies for fifteen minutes and by request MEN S CLUB: 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. LADIES AUXILIARY: 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. A-OK CLUB: 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. COFFEE SOCIAL: Every Sunday after liturgy EASTERN CATHOLIC FORMATION (ECF) CLASSES: Sundays 9:00 a.m. 10:20 a.m. BULLETIN INFORMATION DEADLINE: Tuesday noon

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