December 2, 2018 Holy Family Church 129 Winthrop Street, Watertown, NY 13601 Phone: 315-782-2468 E-Mail: hfchurch@twcny.rr.com Website: www.holyfamilywatertown.org PASTOR: IN RESIDENCE: DEACONS: TRUSTEES: SCHOOL BOARD: PARISH STAFF Pastoral Associates: Rev. Steven M. Murray Rev. Leo A. Wiley Rev. Msgr. Paul E. Whitmore Deacon Edward R. Miller Ret. Deacon Michael J. Allan Mrs. Maureen Van Wormer Mr. John Eisenhauer Mr. Michael Ledoux Sr. Angelica Rebello, SCC Patrick Bates Christian Formation Director: Sr. Angelica Rebello, SCC 782-6750 R.C.I.A. Director: Kathy Allan 315-785-8576 Business Administrator: Carol Brown 315-408-6301 Secretary: Organist: Judy Geng Edward Kemp IMMACULATE HEART CENTRAL SCHOOL School Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Robert H. Aucoin 315-629-4678 School Principal: Mrs. Lynise Lassiter 315-788-4670 Vice Principal:(7-12): Mr. Geoffrey Andrews 788-4670 Vice Principal (K-6): Mrs. Kari Conklin 788-3935 BAPTISM: Baptisms are generally scheduled on Sunday. Parents must attend a class held on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 PM. WEDDINGS: Arrangements should be made six months In advance by calling for an appointment with a priest or deacon. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Confession/Penance - Saturday 4-5 P.M. SACRAMENT OF THE SICK: Upon Request - Please call Fr. Murray if you are planning on having any surgery and he will be happy to anoint you. Holy Family Church Welcomes Everyone No matter what your present status is in the Catholic Church; no matter your family or marital status; no matter where you are in the practice of faith; no matter what your self image may be; you are invited, welcomed and loved at Holy Family Church.
RECTORY OFFICE HOURS Monday, 12:30PM- 4:00PM; Tuesday Thursday, 9:00AM-4:00PM, closed for lunch noon-12:30pm; Friday, 9:00AM-1:00PM. Sunday December 2, 2018 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 9:00 Christian Honan by His Family 11:00 Anneliese Weiss by The DeJesus and Strong Families 5:15 People of the Parish Monday December 3, 2018 Saint Francis Xavier, Priest 9:00 Dorris Powers by Her Family Tuesday December 4, 2018...Advent Weekday Saint John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church 9:00 For the Souls of James and Joan Connelly and Bernard Palumbo by Jack and Christine Palumbo 10:00 All Souls (Summit) Wednesday December 5, 2018 Advent Weekday 9:00 For the Intentions of Daniel and Esther Godinho by Sister Angelica Rebello Thursday December 6, 2018...Advent Weekday Saint Nicholas, Bishop 9:00 Frances McGowan and Deceased Members of the McGowan Family by The Estate of Frances McGowan Friday December 7, 2018...Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church 9:00 Lance Marzano by His Family and Friends Saturday December 8, 2018 THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Holy Day of Obligation 9:00 People of the Parish Second Sunday of Advent 5:15 Alfred DeCastro by Ed Becker and Daughters Sunday December 9, 2018...SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT 9:00 Keith James Robbins by His Family 11:00 Ralph Van Wormer by His Family 5:15 Frances McGowan and Deceased Members of the McGowan Family by The Estate of Frances McGowan BAPTISMAL PREPARATION CLASS The next class will be Monday, December 10th, at 7PM in McGivney Hall. Please call the Rectory at 315-782-2468 during business hours to sign up if you are planning on attending this required class. Thank you. THIS WEEK IN OUR PARISH Sunday: December 2nd Blood Pressure Screening after Masses (Gathering Area) 10:00AM Religious Education for Grades K-8 (Greystone Building) 11:00AM Confirmation Year I 12:00 noon Coffee Hour (Gathering Area) Monday: December 3rd Tuesday: December 4th 10:00AM Mass (Samaritan Summit Village) 6:00PM IMPACT Youth Group for 6-12th graders (Greystone Building) Wednesday: December 5th 10:00AM Legion of Mary (McGivney Hall) Thursday: December 6th Friday: December 7th Saturday: December 8th Holy Day of Obligation 9:00AM Mass Obligation for the Holy Day is fulfilled by attending this 9:00AM Mass. 4:45PM Praying the Rosary (Church) INQUIRY If you are interested in the Catholic Faith or know of someone who is, please contact our R.C.I.A. Director Kathy Allan at 315-785-8576 for an appointment. DECEMBER 2: FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Readings: Jer 33:14-16/1 Thes 3:12 4:2/Lk 21:25-28, 34-36 Jesus tells his disciples that at the end of time, people will be afraid. This is a logical response to the end of the world. But Jesus tells us to stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. Our redemption is at hand. Jesus is coming. We await his coming. We prepare for his coming, not just as a little baby at Christmas, but as our Lord and King with power and glory at the end times. Jesus tells us to be vigilant. Let us pray together the words of St. Paul: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all... to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
ACTIVITIES AHEAD IN OUR PARISH CONFIRMATION YEAR II will be Sunday, December 9th, at 11:00AM.Basket Spirit will be Sunday, December 16th at noon for CONFIRMATION YEAR II. SUPPORT THE RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS. A donor writes, Your flyer touched my heart seeing the retired religious, such memories surfaced. Do you remember the sisters, brothers, or religious order priests who made a positive difference in your life? Today many are elderly and need assistance. Their religious communities struggle to meet retirement needs while continuing to serve the People of God. Please give generously to next week s second collection. PENNIES FROM HEAVEN The Knights of Columbus will be at the doors of the Church after Masses the weekend of December 15th and 16th collecting for our Seminarians. Thank you in advance for your support. YOUNG ADULT GROUP Please join the Young Adult Group (ages 18-39) on Thursday, December 20th, 6:30PM at Holy Family s Rectory for dinner and discussion. To RSVP or for any questions, please email Fr. Steve at frsteve@twcny.rr.com. YOU MAY DROP OFF NEW AND USED DONA- TIONS TO THE COLD WEATHER DRIVE SUCH AS COATS, MITTENS, SCARVES, HATS AND BOOTS IN THE BOXES IN THE CHURCH AND WE WILL DE- LIVER ALL THE ITEMS TO THE WATERTOWN UR- BAN MISSION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS AND SUPPORT TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE. ALTAR AND ROSARY NEWZBITES THE ANGELA DAVIES, SHARE THE WARMTH WITH SENIORS PROJECT is under way. Your donations of lap robes, slip-proof slipper sox and tote bags for wheelchairs or walkers are being accepted at the rectory during business hours. Tote bags for wheelchairs and walkers may be purchased, or use your crafty skills to create one. Keep in mind that buttons and other fasteners may pose difficulty for many who have arthritis. These special gifts will be distributed to our parish shut-ins just before Christmas. Thank you for not forgetting those who are not able to be out and about. ALTAR SERVER SCHEDULE DEC. 8TH & 9TH 5:15 9:00 Claire and Jillian Draper, Bennett and Carter Pistner 11:00 Keely and McKenna Cooney 5:15 Carson, Henry and Lauren Brown ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OUR PARISH ADVENT MEDITATIONS WITH MARY: Croghan, NY Join us for Rejoice : Advent Meditations with Mary at St Stephens in Croghan on Wednesday December 5th 2018, 7:00pm. For more information call Parish Office at 315-346-6958. An Advent Prayer Journal can be purchased at https:// shop.ascensionpress.com/collections/rejoice that has Daily Scripture, Prayer & Reflections for the Advent Season. NEW VIRTUS TRAINING SESSION Thursday, December 9th 2PM at St. Peter s Church, Lowville. OUR MOTHER OF THE EUCHARIST PRAYER GROUP Thursday, December 13th, 6:30PM-8:00PM, Msgr. Sechi Hall at St. Anthony s Church. Come Join us for song, praise and worship. Any questions, please contact Lourdes Hough at 315-788-0604. all are welcome. OUR PARISH SCHOOL NEWS ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME! IHC is currently accepting nominations for our Athletic Hall of Fame. Please visit ihcschool.org for nomination form or to submit online. The deadline to nominate is December 10th. Any questions please contact mike.delaney@ihcschools.org. DO YOU LOVE TO KNIT? CROCHET? Join is Sunday, December 9th, 1:00PM at IHC s Jr/Sr High for Immaculate Heart Central s 10th annual COMMUNITY WIDE Knit-In, Needles with a Point to benefit Syrian refugee children. For more info and to register please email patricia.minterpowell@ihcschool.org or call 315-646-1813 by Friday, December 8th. SCHEDULE FOR THE IHC MYSTERY PLAYERS Sunday, December 2nd St. Mary s Canton at 6:45PM Sunday, December 9th St. Cecilia s Adams at 6:30PM Sunday, December 16th Holy Family. Watertown at 7:15PM Through the use of special lighting, pantomime and liturgical readings, this group of High School seniors and adults presents a moving, dramatic meditation that promises to be the highlight of our Advent Season. This group has travelled extensively in New York State and in surrounding states plus Canada. We strongly encourage everyone to attend this unique and powerful prayer. The Giving Tree is set up in the Church. Please take a gift tag from the tree for Catholic Charities and the Children s Home and help a child s Christmas be brighter. Please return the unwrapped gifts and gift cards to the Rectory by Friday, Dec. 7th.
Note From the Pope, During the General Audience, Pope Francis continued his weekly catechesis on the Ten Commandments. SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHISIS IN ENGLISH Dear brothers and sisters, In our continuing catechesis on the Ten Commandments, we now turn to the final commandments: You shall not covet your neighbor s wife You shall not covet your neighbor s goods. These last commandments in some sense sum up the entire content of the Decalogue. For all sin, as Jesus teaches (cf. Mk 7:23), is ultimately born of covetousness: the evil desires that lurk in the human heart. The Ten Commandments, by teaching us how to live rightly with one another and with God, show us our need for a liberating change of heart that can only be received through the gift of the Holy Spirit. They invite us to abandon our self-seeking and the illusion of our self-sufficiency, and to acknowledge one s spiritual poverty our need for salvation. The humble recognition of our spiritual poverty thus opens our hearts to God s mercy, which transforms and renews us, enabling us to live righteous lives in the sight of the Father, redeemed by the Son and taught by the Holy Spirit. In this way, we learn to show to others the mercy that we ourselves have received in Christ. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the Lord s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you! NEXT SUNDAY S READINGS Baruch 5:1-9 Psalm 126:1-6 Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Luke 3:1-6 The Lord has done great things (Ps), leading his people out of slavery to the glorious splendor of Jerusalem (1). Let us make ready the way of the Lord (3) by abounding in love and in works of justice (2). OUR TITHING PARISH THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME This Year $ 7,873.00 Last Year $ 8,621.00 Youth $ 32.00 Campaign for Human Development/ $ 2,082.25 Black and Indian Missions 2018 Campaign for Human Development/ $ 2,066.00 Black and Indian Missions 2017 OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE This Year $ 6,379.00 Last Year $ 7,727.00 Youth $ 11.00 Watertown Urban Mission 2018 $ 1,713.00 Watertown Urban Mission 2017 $ 5,487.00 Pennies From Heaven (Nov) $ 370.63 Food Pantry 280 Critical Needs 119 Cold Weather Drive 287 Thank you for your continued generosity! CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE Total Pledges and One Time Gift $405,761. Total Participating Households 167 Let s keep up the good work! Our goal is $750.000. Note From the Pastor, A PRAYER FOR ADVENT Mary, O luminous mother, holy healing heart! Eve brought sorrow to the soul, but by your holy Son you pour balm on death s wounds and travail. You have indeed conquered death! You have established life! Ask for us life. Ask for us radiant joy. Ask for us the sweet, delicious ecstasy that is forever yours. Amen St. Hildegard of Bingen Mary Margaret Filley Beverly King
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: As we approach a time of year when we celebrate the birth of Christ there are three lessons that Pope Francis speaks of from Mary, Christ's mother. He said Mary teaches people to experience the joy of Christ and share it with others; to never let adversity beat you down; and always help those in need with love and mercy. Our greatest gift for giving should embody those lessons. Give gifts that will be good for our common home.
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT December 2, 2018 Strengthen your hearts in holiness. Are you being called to grow in holiness as a priest, deacon, religious brother or sister? Talk to Fr. Steven Murray at 315-782-2468 or Fr. Doug Lucia at 315-386-2543/ dlucia@rcdony.org or Cathy Russell, the Diocesan Vocation Coordinator at 315-393-2920, ext. 1450/crussell@rcdony.org. See us also on Facebook or at www.myvocation.net.