The Church of the Incarnation 544 Prospect Street Wethersfield, CT 06109 Rev. James M. Moran Pastor Mrs. Noranne Wamester Pastoral Associate Mrs. Audrey Saharek Pastoral Assistant Mrs. Teri Aiudi Rectory Office Assistant Faith Formation Secretary Mrs. Gina Burby Middle School Coordinator Mrs. Theodora Niver Director of Music Robert & Diana Hamel Musicians Vanessa Crowley Lorissa Heath Rosanne Sweeney Gowdy Andrew Russo Heather Picard Bonney Cantors Toni Munoz Sacristan Mass Schedule Confessions on Saturdays from 3:45-4:30p.m. Vigil Mass: Saturday at 5:00p.m. Sunday Masses: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 a.m. Daily Mass: (Mon. - Fri.) 9:00 a.m. Recitation of the Rosary before 9:00 a.m. daily Mass Sacrament of Baptism By previous appointment Sundays at 1:00 p.m. in the Baptistry of the Chapel. Weddings Please contact a priest 6-10 months prior. New Parishioners and Faith Formation Registration The Church of the Incarnation welcomes new parishioners. All forms are available at the main entrance of the church. Please mail or place in the collection basket. You may also visit our website for printable forms at: www.thechurchoftheincarnation.com Rectory Hours 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Rectory Church Fax Incarnation Church E-Mail Address Office of Faith Formation (860) 529-2533 (860) 721-6595 cincarnation@sbcglobal.net (860) 529-6765 gotellit@aol.com Website address: www.thechurchoftheincarnation.com
Page Two The Baptism of the Lord...January 10, 2010 SATURDAY, JANUARY 9TH 5:00pm - Emeddia & Rocco Summa SUNDAY, JANUARY 10TH 8:00am - Sebastiano & Concetta Boscarino and Sally & Sonny Vaughn 9:30am - Peter Gangloff 11:00am Deceased members of the Krupa Family MONDAY, JANUARY 11TH 9:00am Sal Brunetti TUESDAY, JANUARY 12TH 9:00 am For all our Parishioners WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13TH 9:00am Joanne & Fred Lepore THURSDAY, JANUARY 14TH 9:00am Myles Connolly Sr. FRIDAY, JANUARY 15TH 9:00 am Rose Mangiafico SATURDAY, JANUARY 16TH 5:00 pm Luke Orsini SUNDAY, JANUARY 17TH 8:00 am Giuseppina & Antonio Mazzei 9:30 am Deceased members of the Karas Family 11:00 am Tiberio Pace The Sanctuary Candle will burn from 1/11/2010 1/17/2010 in memory of Sebastiano & Concetta Boscarino and Sally & Sonny Vaughn. The Blessed Virgin Mary Candle will burn from 1/11/2010 1/17/2010 in memory of Rose Mangiafico. Thank you to all who recently donated to our Annual Collection Fund. We have exceeded ninety-four percent of our goal. We continue to gratefully receive donations. Fr. Moran. The Second Collection this weekend is the Monthly Collection. The Women s Club cooking team will meet this Monday, January 11th from 1-3pm in the kitchen of Fr. Crawford Hall. Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet this Wednesday, January 13th from 9:30-10:30am in Fr. Crawford Hall. There will be a House of Bread collection next weekend, coffee & sugar are requested. Thank you. March For Life in Connecticut to be held on January 22nd at the State Capitol in Hartford at 11:30 am. Before that there will be a 9:30am Mass at Holy Trinity Church, 53 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, followed by one hour of Adoration. The March for Life in Washington, D.C. will be held on January 22nd. A bus will leave Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell at 10pm on Thursday evening, January 21st. Call Jean Sipper at (860) 379-1543 to attend.
Page Three The Baptism of the Lord...January 10, 2010 Saturday: Faith Formation will meet at Emerson-Williams on Saturdays at 9am. Parish Family Home Communities will meet as scheduled. Grade 7 Faith Formation will have their retreat on Sunday, January 10th from 4-7pm in Fr. Crawford Hall. Grade 8 Faith Formation will have their retreat on Sunday, January 17th from 4-7pm in Fr. Crawford Hall. All parents whose child is receiving First Reconciliation on January 23rd, will gather on Monday, January 11, 2010 at 7pm for a parent only meeting in Fr. Crawford Hall. East Catholic High School make-up exam will be held on January 23rd at 8am to all eighth graders who were unable to take the December exam. Call (860) 649-5336 x 238. St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol.Open House on Sunday, January 24th from 2-4pm, 1001 Stafford Avenue in Bristol. The Second Placement Exam for St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol will be given on Saturday, January 30th from 8am-12 noon at St. Paul Catholic. Call (860) 584-0911 for information. Children s Liturgy of the Word will take place next Sunday at the 9:30am Mass. Children ages 4 through Grades K 6 are escorted by CLW Team Members to Fr. Crawford Hall to hear the Gospel in words that are understood by children. We then gather after Mass for fellowship in Fr. Crawford Hall for juice and munchkins. Fourth & fifth grade boys & girls interested in becoming Altar Servers at Incarnation are invited to meet with Fr. Moran at 11am on Saturday, January 30th in the Church. The meeting will last one hour and will be the first of four consecutive sessions that will prepare those interested in serving at our Eucharistic celebrations. Congratulations to the Incarnation Varsity Girls Basketball Team who won their game last weekend against Corpus Christi. It was an exciting game that Incarnation ended up winning by one basket. South Catholic High School class of 1974 35th-Year Reunion, Saturday, January 16th at The Hawthorne Inn at 7:30pm. Contact Joyce at morejoyfitness@gmail.com
The Baptism of the Lord...January 10, 2010 Page Four Stewardship Message Baptism of Our Lord..Jesus, whom God called my beloved Son, is also the servant of whom Isaiah speaks in the first reading. We who are baptized in Christ must follow His example and use our time and resources in the service of God and neighbor. A Family Perspective.It is appropriate that the marriage at Cana was the first sign where people saw and believed God acting in Jesus. In a married couples loving fidelity we catch glimpse of God s love for each of us. Marriage is a sign leading us to believe. A Nun Run is a twenty-four hour experience for women, ages, 18 to 45, who may be considering a vocation to the religious life. The January 16-17, 2010 Nun Run will acquaint the participants with life in religious communities in Connecticut. Sisters from other religious communities will be joining us for prayer and faith sharing. You will have the opportunity to pray with us, eat with us, hear our stories and laugh with us. So plan to be part of a whirlwind weekend that will give you and inside look into the life of a Religious Sister. There is no fee for the weekend and transportation will be provided. Call Sister Maria Iannuccillo, SSND at (203) 762-4152 to receive a flyer. Hosted by the CT. Vocation Council of Women Religious. If you are receiving church envelopes from our envelope company in Buffalo, New York and are not using them, please notify Audrey at the rectory. Unused Church envelopes are an unnecessary expense for the Church. Thank you for your understanding! Men s Retreat: The Incarnation Men s Retreat at the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford has been changed to March 5, 6, & 7th. Call 521-0110 or visit their web site at: www.holyfamilyretreat.org. The Baptism of the Lord January 10, 2010 He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
Page Five The Baptism of the Lord...January 10, 2010 Year for Priests Appreciation Day If you are leaving Wethersfield for the winter, please notify the rectory so that we can As part of the Year for Priests which the Pope place your envelopes on inactive. When you announced last June, the Weth., Catholic return, kindly call and we will re-activate community will hold a Priest Appreciation them. Thank you. Day on Sunday, January 31, 2010. Three events are planned one at each parish. There will be a Rosary prayed at Sacred Wethersfield St. Patrick s Day Parade Heart at 9:15am, a Mass at Corpus Christi at Fundraiser honoring Sheila Glynn as Town 10:30am and a Reception held at Incarnation Marshall and Joseph Hickey Jr. as Town from 1:30-3:30pm. This will be a special Honoree will be held on Sat., January 23rd, time to pray for priests that have served 2010, at the Wethersfield Community Center. Wethersfield in the past as well as today. We Corned Beef Dinner/dancing to the Billy will also pray for vocations for our future Eagan Band. Call Mike Hurley at (860) priests. At the reception you will have an 529-3420 or Sue Dudley (860) 529-5866. opportunity to express your appreciation to all of our priests. For your information...we are trying to close out our books for the year 2009. If you booked a 2009 Mass, and wish to make a Mass offering, please do so asap. Thank you! BAPTISMS Corpus Christi Women s Club Bus Trip to the Bushnell on February 14th to see The Lion King. Call Natalie at the rectory at (860) 529-2545. Violet Ginger Gilbertson Lauren Jennifer Grigas
Page Six The Baptism of the Lord...January 10, 2010 MANIFESTING THE SPIRIT The Christmas season closes this Sunday with the Baptism of the Lord. This feast is a sister to last week s feast of the Epiphany. Each of them celebrates an epiphany, or a manifestation of the Spirit of God in Jesus first in his birth, and now at his baptism. The divine Spirit is manifested in all of the scriptures for this feast. Psalm 104 highlights the Spirit of God creating and renewing the earth, while the reading from Isaiah describes God restoring Israel. In Luke s account of the baptism of the Lord the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus. And the letter from Titus reminds us that the Holy Spirit was richly poured out on us also, through the bath of rebirth (Titus 3:5, 6). TODAY S READINGS First Reading Isaiah speaks of the Servant whom the Lord upholds; he shall bring forth justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7) or Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11. Psalm The Lord will bless his people with peace (Psalm 29) or Psalm 104. Second Reading Jesus was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit; he went out healing and doing good (Acts 10:34-38) or Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7. Gospel A voice comes from heaven proclaiming Jesus as the beloved Son, with whom God is well pleased (Luke 3:15-16, 21-22). SAINT HILARY (c. 315-367) January 13 Born in Poitiers, France, whose populace would later elect him bishop, Hilary, married and a father, was converted from paganism to Christianity through his reading of scripture. The focus of his prayerful study was the Prologue to the Gospel according to John, which portrays Jesus as the divine Logos, eternally begotten of the Father. As a result, Hilary became in the words of the biblical scholar Jerome, the Latin Trumpet against the Arians, heretics who believed Jesus to be merely human, not divine. In defense of Christ s divinity, Hilary was not only eloquent in debate but utterly fearless in the face of relentless persecution and even exile. Thus by the witness of his own discipleship, Hilary taught that faith in Jesus as the divine Son of God has consequences. Reflecting on Jesus challenge to his disciples, You are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), Hilary notes that, as salt both preserves from corruption and adds savor to food, so must the faithful disciple bear a witness that, by word and example, leads others to immortality and virtuous living. TURNING THE TIDE When everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. Harriet Beecher Stowe READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: 1 Sm 1:1-8; Mk 1:14-20 Tuesday: 1 Sm 1:9-20; Mk 1:21-28 Wednesday: 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20; Mk 1:29-39 Thursday: 1 Sm 4:1-11; Mk 1:40-45 Friday: 1 Sm 8:4-7; 10-22a; Mk 2:1-12 Saturday: 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1a; Mk 2:13-17 Sunday: Is 62:1-5; Ps 96; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Jn 2:1-11 SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES HURTFUL SIN Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful. TEMPER AND PRIDE Benjamin Franklin Temper is what gets most of us into trouble. Pride is what keeps us there. Anonymous Sunday: Wednesday: Saturday: Baptism of the Lord; National Vocation Awareness Week St. Hilary Blessed Virgin Mary