St. Bernard Parish 2040 Hillside Ln. Green Bay, Wisconsin 54302 (920)468-4811 - www.stbernardgb.org December 22 & 23, 2018 Parish Office (920) 468-4811 Religious Education Office (920) 468-4390 Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Friday - 8:00-Noon School Office (920) 468-5026 Pastor Fr. Mark Vander Steeg Deacon Keith Holschbach Deacon Larry Mastalish Deacon Bernie Terrien Pastoral Associate Sr. Caroline Castellini OP Music & Liturgy Coordinator Joe LeBeau Business Manager Ginny Gigot School Principal Crystal Blahnik Parish Nurse Ann Kaufmann Director of Religious Education Adam Horn Youth Minister/Confirmation Cassian Utrie Adult Faith Formation/RCIA Joanne Griesbach R.E. Assistant Jeannine Hadzima Receptionist/Office Tina Drewiske Publications/Office Lori Froelich Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturday: 2:30-3:30 pm Sunday: 5:30 pm Tuesday: 5:30 pm Sacrament of Marriage Contact the Parish Office at least 6 months prior to the date. Sacrament of Baptism Contact Deacon Larry Mastalish at 468-4922 Thinking About Becoming Catholic? Contact Joanne Griesbach 468-4811/joanne@stbernardcong.org
ST. BERNARD PARISH PAGE 2 Mass Intentions The saving graces of the Mass are for: Monday, December 24 4:00 pm the souls of Rose Mary Ashley, Esther & Henry Polasik (Church) 4:00 pm the souls of Anthony & Virginia Pigeon (Gym) 6:00 pm the People of St. Bernard Parish Tuesday, December 25 8:00 am the soul of John Tilkens 10:00 am the souls of Clyde & Shirley Pasterski Wednesday, December 26 8:45 am the soul of Lee Ann Laurant Thursday, December 27 8:45 am the soul of Bill Stodola Friday, December 28 8:45 am the souls of Ronald & Leona Lelou Saturday, December 29 2:30 pm Confessions 4:00 pm the souls of Merle Watermolen, Norm, Helene, and Jim Chaudoir Sunday, December 30 8:00 am the soul of Patricia Moss 10:00 am Deceased Members of the Froelich and Bero Family 5:30 pm Confessions 6:30 pm the People of St. Bernard Parish In Sympathy We extend our sympathy to the families and friends of Ernest Walker. Please keep them in your prayers. Holy Day Masses Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God Dec. 31 Vigil Mass 5:30 pm Jan. 1 Holy Day 8:45 am Holiday Office Hours Dec. 24-Christmas Eve-CLOSED Dec. 25-Christmas Day-CLOSED Dec. 26-CLOSED Dec. 27-OPEN -8:00 am-noon Dec. 28-OPEN 8:00 am-noon Dec. 31-New Year s Eve-OPEN 8:00-Noon Jan. 1-New Year s Day-CLOSED Prayers for a very blessed Christmas season to you and yours wherever Christmas Day finds you. For some of us we are still in the midst of making memories with our families. Enjoy these graced days! Be patient, laugh, take the time to listen, talk and treasure this snap shot of time. We will not see these memories again until we reach heaven. For others of us, the season brings mostly memories of bygone days. This can bring a certain blue feeling to this time of year. You are not alone. What to do with this? If you are feeling blue, my encouragement is to turn your eyes more fervently toward the promise that the first Christmas brings. To see with faith the consolation that is hidden in the little Christ child. In this child is all the passing of years that each human person experiences and also the reality of each of our deaths. This child carries all of us and all of this joined to himself. Our Baptism, so long ago, joined us to the Savior. He also carries our resurrection from the dead and the life of the world to come. There is no true lasting Christmas joy and peace without the reality of a final lasting Easter. It is the final Easter that restores all that has been lost through the passage of time. Let the beauty of this Christmas season console your heart with the truth that we will one day see an even richer beauty, with our own eyes, the beauty of many family and friends who are now lost and then at last restored. I hope you get a chance to go up and take a closer look at our beautiful Nativity scene. Each year Joe LeBeau and very few elves are tasked with assembling this scene. In the height of the busyness of this season, time is taken to assemble this Christmas scene. New this year are the two shepherds! No more of my lamenting their absence. The shepherds are donations to our parish. They look great! Come up close and have a look. Bring the kids! All of these pieces are from the Demetz Art Studio in Italy. What a treasure for our parish. I extend my thanks for all the kind Christmas cards and gifts I have received this year. As Christmas Day draws nearer and nearer my ability to keep up with written thank you notes becomes more and more challenging. I certainly try. It is a wonderful thing to receive your cards full of encouraging words and expressions of faith. Christmas cards continue to have an air of nostalgia and beauty to them. There is something very precious and honored about receiving a hand written note. I treasure your Christmas cards, even more than the holiday card from the bank. So thank you very much! Fr. Mark Vander Steeg
December 22 & 23, 2018 PAGE 3 4TH Sunday of Advent For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. (LUKE 1:44) When you hear the scripture readings and Gospel reading each Sunday, do you leap for joy? If not, don t blame the lecturer or priest, rather look inside yourself. Do you prepare for Mass each week or do you just show up an expect to be entertained? We are called to be active participants, not passive by-standers. GRACE 2018 Annual Appeal Consider the gift of education in your year-end charitable giving. Your gift to the 2018-19 GRACE Annual Appeal will offer the blessing for any families who desire a Catholic education for their children. Many of us in our parish communities have been blessed with the gifts of Catholic education, and can carry on what we have learned and witnessed in our faith in giving back to our GRACE Catholic schools. Donations can be mailed to: GRACE Annual Appeal, 1087 Kellogg Street, Green Bay, WI 54303 or at www.gracesystem.org/donate. Thank you for your prayerful consideration for GRACE in your year-end charitable giving. Adoration, a time of prayer and meditation. Every Tuesday of the month we have Adoration starting at 5:30, confession, and Mass. For many years we have had all-day Adoration on the 1st of the month, which continues to this day. We are looking for a coordinator to continue to schedule volunteers for each hour on the 1st Tuesday of each month. We are also in need of volunteers to fill in some of the afternoon time slots. Pray about it, and if you feel called, please contact Sheila: Sheiladee77@gmail.com. Religious Education News Adam Horn-R.E. Director St. Bernard School Kris Hess, Administrative Assistant The Week Ahead: December 26 There will be no Religious Education classes until January 23. Enjoy the break! Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Scrip News Tabitha Wallenfang, Scrip Coordinator There are no scrip sales 12/22, 12/23, 1/1 and 1/2 due to the holidays. Scrip 2019 Earn more rebates for our school and parish in 2019! Buy your scrip online for hundreds of vendors right at your fingertips. Email scrip@stbernardcong.org to get started! For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.-john 3:16 May you have a Peaceful and Blessed Christmas Season! The Faculty and Staff at St Bernard Catholic School Peace Pray Learn
4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT PAGE 4 ALPHA!! A series of interactive sessions that runs for 10 weeks, where one can rediscover and explore the Christian Faith. Each session focuses on one of the basic issues around the faith and is designed to engage and inspire conversation Each session consists of three parts: Meal: A great way to get to know each other Talk: 25-30 minute video presentation Small Group Discussion: Share thoughts and ideas without criticism or judgment Also included is one Saturday Day Away All ALPHA sessions are held in Bishop Hall at the following days and times beginning in January: Tuesday: 6:00-7:30 pm (1st session ends at 7:45) Wednesday 6:00-7:15 pm (for Parents/Guardians of Children in the Religious Ed. program; follows the RE schedule) Thursday: 11:30 am -1 pm (1st session ends at 1:15) The Saturday Day Away is on March 2nd, from 9:30 am to 3 pm (Be sure to plan ahead!) There is no charge to participate, however, free-will offerings will be gratefully accepted. These are collected toward the end of the program. SPACE IS LIMITED! Get your registration in early, Go to http://www.stbernardgb.org/alpha.html or Fill in the form found on the central pillar in the narthex and return to the parish office. Communion Distributer Needed Seeking volunteers for distributing Holy Communion at Aurora Hospital to all Catholic patients on Mondays. Please contact Sr. Caroline at 920-468-4811 for more information or interest in this ministry. God bless! Moved, Dropped your land line or changed your e-mail address? PLEASE contact: St. Bernard Parish Office at 468-4811 or e-mail Tina at: tina@stbernardcong.org. Deck The Halls at St. Bernard Parish The church environment, whether it is flowers, trees, banners, candles, etc., is an ongoing ministry throughout the year. As we prepare to transform our worship space into an environment suitable to welcome our Savior, many of us may have someone we would like to remember in a special way. All donations will be recognized in the bulletin in January. Please use the envelope that was included in your joyful giving packet. Thank you! Paper Drive Fundraiser At your convenience, Dec 15-23 a designated dumpster will be in the NE corner of the St. Jude parking lot, 1420 Division St. GB. Acceptable paper includes any clean paper you would normally put in a city recycling bin. Paper and cardboard only, please NO garbage. Mark Your Calendar!! Saturday, January 19, 2019 Finding Jesus in a Noisy World A One-Day Retreat St. Bernard Parish Chapel Led by Sisters Marie Bernadette and Lucia of the Missionaries of the Word, Baileys Harbor, WI
WWW.STBERNARDGB.ORG PAGE 5 AREA CONFESSION SCHEDULE St. Bernard Tues. 5:30-6:30 pm Sat. 2:30-3:30 pm Sun. 5:30 pm St. Philip the Apostle Sat. 3:15-3:45 pm (English) Sun. 10:30-10:55 am (Spanish) Holy Cross Prince of Peace Thurs. 5:00-6:00 pm Resurrection Sat. 3:15-3:45 pm St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Sat. 2:15-3:30 pm Wed. 6:00-8:00 pm St. Mary of the Angels Sat. 3:30 pm Sun. 8:30 am St. Matthew Sts. Peter and Paul Sat. 3:30 pm Sun. 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 12pm St. Willebrord Mon.-Fri.7:00 am, and 11:30am Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help Sun.-Fri. 10:00-10:45 am Sat. 9:15-10:45 am