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ST. MARY MAGDALEN ALL THINGS CONSIDERED NEW YEAR A new year is much like a Christmas tree with a pile of presents all around it. One might look at a gift and suspect what might be in it, but often it is only a guess and those are frequently wrong. We will come to know what is there as each gift is unwrapped and opened. No one, except God, knows what 2018 will have in store for any of us. At best, we know it will be a mixture of good and bad, wonderful surprises and difficult moments. We can worry and obsess over what problems may loom in the coming year, or we can approach each day as a real gift from God. Trusting that the God who gave us the gift of another day will also give us the grace to make the best use of whatever another day may bring. I invite you to begin the New Year with Liturgy at 10 am on New Year s Day. Begin the new year with the Lord and trust that nothing will happen this coming year that you and the Lord can t handle together! Amen! THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS began on Christmas and will end with the feast of the Epiphany next Sunday, Jan 7. The feast celebrates the revelation of the Son of God to the world. The Gospel proclaimed that day will tell us of how the star revealed to the Magi a wonderful event, leading them to find the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. This wonderful feast day is the perfect opportunity for all of us to reflect on how we might share the gift of Christ with others, especially those who rarely or no longer practice their Catholic faith. Next weekend, I will invite all of us to consider how we might be the star that leads others to Christ! TWENTY FIVE YEARS 2018 will mark the 25 th year of our parish and we will celebrate it all year long. It will begin on Saturday, January 13, with a special Liturgy with Bishop Boyea at 4:30 pm. In the spring, we will invite everyone to have their picture taken for a new 25 th Anniversary edition of our parish pictorial directory. On Thursday, June 28, we will celebrate the 25 th anniversary of the founding of the parish and the 20 th anniversary of the dedication of our church. The weekend of July 21\22, we will celebrate the Feast of St. Mary Magdalen with the 4:30 liturgy on Saturday. After mass, we will have a block party with food trucks in the parking lot and a beverage tent nearby. On Sunday, September 9 we will have our 25 th Anniversary Picnic. We will close out the year with a special Liturgy on Saturday, Dec. 1, the 25 th anniversary of the first Liturgy at Farms Middle School. Over the course of the year, there will also be other ways we will celebrate our community. Fr. Dave Howell THIS WEEK S LITURGIES BRIGHTON, MI January 1, Monday, The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Nm 6:22-27/Gal 4:4-7/Lk 2:16-21 10:00 am St. Mary Magdalen January 2, Tuesday, Sts. Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church 1 Jn 2:22-28/Jn 1:19-28 9:00 am +Deacon Jack Daunt January 3, Wednesday, Mass of Anointing 1 Jn 2:29-3:6/Jn 1:29-34 7:00 pm +Bea Ostrowski January 4, Thursday, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious 1 Jn 3:7-10/Jn 1:35-42 9:00 am +Patrick Hackett January 5, Friday, Saint John Neumann, Bishop 1 Jn 3:11-21/Jn 1:43-51 9:00 am +Martha Magry January 6, Saturday 1 Jn 5:5-13/Mk 1:7-11 January 7, Sunday, The Epiphany of the Lord Is 60:1-6/Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6/Mt 2:1-12 4:30 pm Vigil +John Morrison 9:00 am +Keith Dunn & Jan Jandasek 11:00 am St. Mary Magdalen THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD Isaiah 60: 1-6 The last part of the book of Isaiah contains the words of a prophet who lived after the Jews returned from exile. They found their temple destroyed and the city leveled. But the prophet, with the eyes of faith, sees a wonderful future for Jerusalem. Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6 The Ephesians were a community in which Jewish and Gentile converts lived side-by-side. The author of this letter confirms that God s saving grace is available to everyone, whatever their background. Matthew 2: 1-12 Matthew s purpose in telling this story is the same one that governs his whole gospel, that is, to demonstrate that every prophesy and promise of old has come to fulfillment in Christ. Resistance too, is part of God s plan, since only the death of the Messiah will bring God s plan to fulfillment. Reflect: What do the gifts the Kings brought symbolize? What gifts will you give to Jesus today? 2
STEWARDSHIP REPORT Week of 12/17/2017 Approximately 1551 people participated Env/Cash $ 19,650 EFT/Online $ 16,868 TOTAL $ 36,518 Children s Collection $98.33 MASS OF ANOINTING will be celebrated Wednesday, January 3, at 7:00 pm. All who have a serious or chronic illness, or are facing surgery, are encouraged to attend. THE WEEK AHEAD Monday, January 1 OFFICE CLOSED 10:00 am Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Liturgy 6:00 pm Magdalen s Kitchen Tuesday, January 2 NO PRESCHOOL 7:00 pm Boy Scout Comm. Meeting 7:00 pm Boy Scout Troop Meeting 7:30 pm K of C Business Meeting Wednesday, January 3 9:00 am Preschool 9:15 am MOMS Group 1:00 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry 4:30 & 6:30 Religious Formation/Pet Food Collection 7:00 pm Mass of Anointing 7:30 pm Worship Thursday, January 4 9:00 am Preschool 5:30 pm Religious Formation/Pet Food Collection 7:00 pm Baptism Class 7:30 pm Music Ministry Friday, January 5 9:00 am Preschool 9:45 am Yoga 1:00 pm Pain Sake Saturday, January 6 8:30 am Host/Helper training for Alpha 4:30 pm RCIA Sunday, January 7 9:00 am Family Program 10:10 am New Parishioner Meeting 11:00 am Kindergarten Formation 12:45 pm Baptisms 7:00 pm Youth Group SAINT MARY MAGDALEN PARISH 2201 South Old U.S. 23 Highway Brighton, Michigan 48114 Phone: 810-229-8624 Fax: 810-229-6471 Preschool: 810-229-0010 Website: www.saintmarymagdalen.org OFFICE HOURS Monday Thursday... 8:30am 8:30pm Friday..8:30am-4:30pm SACRAMENTAL INFORMATION Weekend Liturgies: Saturday: 4:30pm Sunday: 9 & 11am Weekday Liturgies: Mon., Thurs., Fri.: 9am Wed.: 7pm Sacrament of Penance: Saturday: 11:30am 12noon Infant Baptism: Call Erin Wolfe Sacrament of Matrimony: Please contact the office at least nine months prior to wedding date. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK Mark Ashton Sue Beaumont Taylor Brake Jeanne & Eugene Buel Larry Buslepp Jerry Carb Ryan Cirelca Linda Coffman Carol Conklin Hugh Conahan Pam Connor Keith Craffey Leeann Davenport Cienna Ditri Patrick Doyle Sean English James Farhat Tamara Fella Kylie Flint Bill Gamble Rosemary Gamble Steven Gautherat Greg Grech Dorothy Guidos Julie Hargenrader Barb Hemmi Julia Herrell MaryAnna Horkan Mel Kaminsky Herb Langer Mary Ellen Langer Robert Laginess Kelly Luck Gwen Maes Darlene March Rita Marcy Annie & Drew Martin Lori Martin Jean Mayer Dennis McCusker Tom McSweeney Emily Metcalf Diane Morrison Charlotte Nason Peggy Ortiz Stan Osdras Nancy Pellerito Sam Petrocella Ray Ruszczynski Michelle Schmid Ron Sherman Kim Siegrist Matt Siragusa Stephanie St. Clair Ryan Thomas Marylyn Trader Jennifer Wichmann Tom Zremski Anthony Bushra Chris Emily Heather Matt Mike 3
ST. MARY MAGDALEN RELIGIOUS FORMATION NEWS Roxanne Hundsrucker Today we celebrate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph It is fitting that we celebrate our own families on this Feast of The Holy Family. I encourage all families to take time out today to do something special together, even if it is just a phone conversation or a video chat that can be shared with multiple family members. I hope that all our students and families, as well as other parishioners and visitors, have enjoyed time spent together while celebrating Christmas! Just a reminder that Christmas is not just one day, but an entire season; twelve Days of Christmas, which began on December 25 and ends close to or on the Epiphany of the Lord on January 7. Here is a clever tradition to begin with your family: Fill A Jar Need a new tradition to begin the new year? One way to reflect on your blessings as the days and months pass is to fill a Blessing Jar. Simply find a container (ideally with a lid), and place it in a prominent place in your home. Next to it, set slips of paper and writing utensils. Encourage every family member to jot down one thing they re grateful for every day. If you have a large family, you may need one jar for each person. You can also use different colored paper slips for each family member. Every week, sit down together and review the many ways that God is present in your lives, or wait until the end of 2018 to review them. Upcoming Events This week we begin collecting pet food for Livingston Area Pet Pantry (LAPP) What you can bring: Dry dog and cat food (opened is accepted), cans of dog and cat food, kitty litter, dog or cat collars and leashes, treats (opened is accepted), and any other types of pet food. This food collection is led by our First Grade Religious Formation students. Your donations can be placed in the Marked Blue Bin in the Gathering Area. YOUTH NEWS Margaret Callaghan BRIGHTON, MI Happy 2018! May God bless your new year with friendships and family to rejoice with you in the good times, and courage, strength and determination for the tough times. Starting anything new is exciting and full of hope. Our week-long summer trip with the National Relief Network is scheduled for the week of July 29 through Aug 3. Keep an eye on this bulletin column for more details. The cost is $550 for transportation, lodging, food and of course the NRN yellow shirts. A little closer to date, come February 11, we will be joining the 9 th grade Confirmation prep class for a parish-wide Youth Alpha. Think about being a part of this wonderful, spiritual journey with us. This video-led program will be an opportunity to grow in relationship with Jesus and with one another through small group table discussion. Something a little different is that attendance for the program is necessary. Each week builds on the last and the small group depends on consistency. All 9 th graders will participate through their prep class, all other youth should register with Margaret Callaghan at yminister1@gmail.com. Each small group will be led though discussion by a youth host and an adult helper. Even closer yet is our Winter Weekend Getaway scheduled for January 26-28. Contact Margaret at the above mentioned email address if you are interested in coming along. Be sure to stay up-to-date with the YG Remind texts. Just text the message @stmmyg to 81010. EDGE is a middle school youth group for students in 6 th, 7 th and 8 th grades. All students are welcome to join us the second and fourth Mondays of the month, 7-8:30pm, in our Youth Room. These meetings are planned with you in mind and are filled with movement, games and discussion. We grow in relationship with God as we grow in relationship with one another. Our meetings for January are Monday the 8 th and the 22 nd. Contact Margaret Callaghan by email at yminister1@gmail.com with any questions. 4
OF FAITH AND SERVICE Sr. Joyce Hoile, OSF CHARITY & JUSTICE Friday, January 19 at 7:00 pm Ask questions. Share with us how YOU want to grow in your Faith. Would you like to return to regular worship in the Catholic Church? Do you have a desire to go deeper in living your faith? Do you want to feel a sense of belonging, friendship, giving as well as receiving? If so, please come to a session. Sister Joyce and Father Dave will meet with you, Friday, January 19, at 7 pm to hear your interests and concerns. Please come. ALPHA @ ST. MARY MAGDALEN Wednesdays 10am-12pm Thursdays 6:30-8:30 pm Would you like to start the new year exploring your faith? Are you wondering where Christ fits into your life? Do you sometimes feel disconnected from your faith? Starting January 10 & 11 Alpha begins at St. Mary Magdalen. Alpha includes a meal (continental breakfast or simple dinner), a short video, and time for small group sharing. Take this time to refresh and renew your faith and meet others in our St. Mary Magdalen family. Childcare is available. Registration forms are in the Gathering Space under the large white and red Question Marks. Drop forms in the Alpha Box located in the Gathering Space, mail to the office, or email to alpha@saintmarymagdalen.org. Questions? Call Sandi in the church office at 810-229-8624. Mom's Group is a place where moms of all ages can share their joys, struggles, and stresses in a loving and fun Christian environment. New members welcome! This winter, the Mom's Group will be participating in the Wednesday morning Alpha Series from 10am-noon. Breakfast will be provided, and childcare is available at no charge. Please fill out an Alpha Registration form as soon as possible. If you would like to be in a group with other Mom's Group moms, please put "Mom's Group" in the spot where you can request a group. For more info please contact Erin Wolfe in the office. Shelter the Homeless! The Severe Weather Network provides refuge for individuals struggling with homelessness in Livingston County. Various churches provide a host site and other parishes provide staffing. Our parish is scheduled to staff the shelter during the week of February 25 - March 3, at w hich time we will provide meals, transportation and overnight chaperones. Training will be provided. Please sign up in the gathering area at the Charity and Justice table where more details are available! Contact lisaklein44@gmail.com with any questions. I Rebecca Taylor & Frazer Burton May you all enjoy the splendor and love of the Christmas season. We are truly thankful for the many blessings that you so lovingly bestow throughout the year on Livingston County Catholic Charities (LCCC) and most of all, those that we serve in Jesus name. Your prayers, gifts of time, and donations through the Loaves & Fish appeal, memorials or special gifts bring Help and Hope to Livingston County individuals and families who turn to LCCC in their time of need. Thank you for caring & sharing. God Bless! Wishing you all a Blessed 2018! The Board & Co-workers Livingston County Catholic Charities 5
ST. MARY MAGDALEN PHOTOS!!!! If you have photos you took at parish events, at ministries in action, etc., please email to: photos@saintmarymagdalen.org. (Electronic files only please) We will be collecting them and making selections for the 25th Anniversary Church Photo Directory that will be produced in the spring!! Card Making Class Tuesday, January 9, at 1 pm Class is taught by a professional instructor and the $5 fee includes all materials. You will make three cards and it is asked that you donate one birthday card to Meals On Wheels. Please consider helping us put a smile on the face of a client by joining this fun class. Please call Pam at 810-772-8252 to register so we have enough materials available. MEN S RETREAT January 19, 20 and 21, 2018 Friday, 5 pm until Sunday, 1 pm Come join the men of our parish for our annual Men s Retreat. For more information, contact Deacon Jim in the parish office. Important Please be advised that all contributions for the year 2017 should be in the church office by December 31, 2017 to receive credit for this tax year. Funds received after this date, will be posted to the year 2018. Thank you. ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE Mon. Jan. 1 Tue. Jan. 2 8:30 am Zumba 7:00 pm Boy Scouts Wed. Jan. 3 4:30 pm Religious Formation 6:00 pm Hartland Eagles Baseball Thu. Jan. 4 8:30 am Zumba 8:30 pm Men s Basketball Fri. Jan. 5 Sat. Jan. 6 Sun. Jan. 7 9:00 am Family Program 7:00 pm Youth Group BRIGHTON, MI PASTORAL STAFF Pastor Fr. David F. Howell pastor1@saintmarymagdalen.org Deacon H. David Scharf deacon1@saintmarymagdalen.org Deacon James Chevalier deacon2@saintmarymagdalen.org Deacon Gary Prise deacon3@saintmarymagdalen.org Deacon Devon Wolfe deacon4@saintmarymagdalen.org Formation - Evang. Adults Sr. Joyce Hoile, OSF pastmin1@saintmarymagdalen.org Pastoral Minister Sr. Maryetta Churches. OP pastmin2@saintmarymagdalen.org Youth Minister Margaret Callaghan yminister1@gmail.com Dir. Rel. Formation Roxanne Hundsrucker dre1@saintmarymagdalen.org R.C.I.A. & Infant Baptism Erin Wolfe baptisms@saintmarymagdalen.org Liturgist/IT Specialist Diane Kubus liturgist@saintmarymagdalen.org Pastoral Musician Steven H. Schulte steve@colleengleason.com Director of Preschool Kathie Anderer preschool1@saintmarymagdalen.org Bookkeeper Dave Wisniewski bookkeeper@saintmarymagdalen.org Rel. Form. Admin Asst. Karen MacDonald sect2@saintmarymagdalen.org Administrative Asst. Gayle Zawisa sect3@saintmarymagdalen.org Administrative Asst. Sandi Phillips sect4@saintmarymagdalen.org Administrative Asst. Diane Whiton sect5@saintmarymagdalen.org Facilities & Maintenance Dan Tuthill maint1@saintmarymagdalen.org MINISTERS OF PRAYER Sun. Dec. 31 Jan Altermatt Mon. Jan. 1 Larry & Gwen Maes, Shirley Brake Tues. Jan. 2 Mary McKaig Wed. Jan. 3 Carolyn Crabbe Thur. Jan. 4 Rita DeRaud, Joe Martinez Fri. Jan. 5 Colleen Atwood Sat. Jan. 6 Judy Brown 6
LIVINGSTON YAM: YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY EVENTS & HAPPENINGS FOR THOSE 18-35 Save the Date: www.livingstonyam.com i.d. 9:16 LIVINGSTON DISCIPLES' NIGHT Special LIVE Event.Come ask a priest! Thursday, January 11 St. Joseph Howell 6:30 pm Mass with Fr. John Rocus followed by Dinner and 8:00 pm Live Talk & Discussion Don t miss this chance to get your questions answered - LIVE! Visit www.livingstonyam.com for more info or find us on Facebook. MONTHLY MASS & DINNER Sunday, January 28 5pm Mass @ St. Patrick, Brighton 6:30pm Dinner @ Block Brewing 1840 S Old US Hwy 23, Brighton, MI 48114 Come gather in prayer and grow as community! Questions? Contact Shannon 810-588-7665 or livingstonyam@gmail.com SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24th 6:00PM to 9:00 PM @ St. Patrick Church Dave Cooney Memorial CHILI COOK-OFF Make your best pot of chili and enter it into this fun competition. Or just come to enjoy and sample the culinary delights of our local chefs. Watch for more details! WELLNESS QUOTE You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. 7