December 30, 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 30, 2018 THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH 9:00 Norm Cummings by David Cummings and Lance and Cheryl Evans 11:00 Allen Fox by Lee and Donna Combs 5:15 People of the Parish Monday December 31, 2018 Seventh Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord Saint Sylvester I, Pope 9:00 Frances McGowan and Deceased Members of the McGowan Family by the Estate of Frances McGowan 5:15 People of the Parish Tuesday January 1, 2019...THE OCTAVE OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD, SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD Holy Day of Obligation 9:00 Kris Marsala by Ralph and June Marzano 10:00 All Souls (Samaritan Summit Village) Wednesday January 2, 2019 Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church 9:00 Michael Griffin by Busy BG s Senior Club Thursday January 3, 2019 Christmas Weekday The Most Holy Name of Jesus 9:00 Keith and Dolly Smith by Rosemary Burns 10:00 All Souls (At the Summit) Friday January 4, 2019...Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious 9:00 Deceased Members of the Ellingsworth and McIlroy Families by Pat BAPTISMAL PREPARATION CLASS The next class will be Monday, January 14th, 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 Monday: December 31st Tuesday: January 1st Rectory Closed Happy New Year! 10:00AM Mass (Samaritan Summit Village) Wednesday: January 2nd 10:00AM Legion of Mary (McGivney Hall) Thursday: January 3rd Friday: January 4th 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. THE HOLY FAMILY, JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH December 30, 2019 Did you not know that I must be in my Father s house? If the Lord is calling you to grow in wisdom, age, and favor as a priest, deacon, sister or brother, 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. Saturday January 5, 2019 The Epiphany of the Lord 5:15 Beverly Donohue by Celebration Sunday January 6, 2019...THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD 9:00 Jerry Tufo by Carrol and Family 11:00 1st Anniversary R.J. McCarthy by Jane Fadden 5:15 People of the Parish
ACTIVITIES AHEAD IN OUR PARISH BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING Our Parish Nurses will be in the Gathering Area of the Church the weekend of January 5th and 6th taking blood pressures after Masses. Please stop by and have yours checked. Winter can be a very stressful time of year so please take advantage of this ministry that is offered to us and have yours checked, and also thank our nurses for offering this special ministry to us. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The next class is scheduled for Sunday, January 6th, 10:00AM-10:50AM for grades K- 8 in the Greystone Building. HAPPY NEW YEAR. CONFIRMATION YEAR I will meet Sunday, January 6th, 11:00AM-2:00PM, and CONFIRMATION YEAR II next session is Sunday, January 20th at 11:00AM-2:00PM. HAPPY NEW YEAR. IMPACT Youth Group for 6th-12th graders will meet Tuesday, January 8th, 6:00PM-7:30PM in the Greystone Building across from Holy Family Church. PRAYING THE ROSARY the Legion of Mary will be praying the Rosary Saturday, January 12th beginning at 4:45PM. Everyone is invited to this prayer gathering before the 5:15PM Mass. PENNIES FROM HEAVEN The Knights of Columbus will be at the doors of the Church after Masses the weekend of January 12th and 13th collecting for our Seminarians. Please be as generous as possible. FINANCE AND PARISH COUNCIL will meet Monday, January 14th, 7:00PM in the Rectory. EVANGELIZATION TEAM MEETING is scheduled for Monday, January 21st, 7:00PM in McGivney Hall. DECEMBER 30: THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH Readings: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14/Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17/Lk 2:41-52 Jesus was found in the temple after three days, and all were amazed at his understanding. The readings today remind us that, although our children are gifts from the Lord, they are not ours. Like ourselves, they are Children of God, for us to love and raise. As children of God, we must also continually deepen our own relationship with the Father and the mission he has given us. As we celebrate this feast of the Holy Family, can we look to Jesus in Nazareth to understand what it means to be God's son or daughter, and can we make our home a domestic church where our children can come to know the love of God. ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OUR PARISH SPAGHETTI & MEATBALL DINNER: Saturday, January 5th, at St. Mary's Parish Center in Evans Mills, 4:00PM-7:00PM. $7.00 for adults, $6.00 for senior citizens, $5.00 for children under 12 and children under 5 eat for free. For more information call 315-629-4678. Benefit Indian River Knights of Columbus OUR MOTHER OF THE EUCHARIST PRAYER GROUP will meet Thursday, January 10th, 6:30PM- 8:00PM in Msgr. Sechi Hall at St. Anthony s Church. Please come and join us for song, praise and worship. SURVIVING DIVORCE: 12-week program The Surviving Divorce Program offers support and healing for people who are separated or divorced. The groups meet once a week for 12 weeks. New groups are starting in Massena and Watertown in late January. To register, go to https://www.rcdony.org/family-life/ surviving-divorce-support-group.html. For more information, contact Steve Tartaglia at 315-393-2920 or startaglia@rcdony.org. NEW EVANGELIZATION SUMMIT 2019 The Annual New Evangelization Summit will take place in Ottawa on May 4, 2019. The speakers for this year will be Fr. James Mallon, Cardinal Gerald C. Lacroix, Michael Dopp, Fr. John Bielawski, Michelle Thompson and Michelle Moran. Registration will not officially open until February 2019, but the Office of the New Evangelization would like to reserve a block of seats for participants from the Diocese of Ogdensburg. In a change from previous years, this year the New Evangelization Summit will be a one-day event and will be FREE. If you are at all interested in attending this one-day summit, please contact Marika Donders, Director of the New Evangelization at mdonders@rcdony.org or 315-393-2920 so we can keep you updated. JANUARY 1: SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord Readings: Nm 6:22-27/Gal 4:4-7/Lk 2:16-21 Mary teaches us a wonderful lesson today: Mary reflected on all these things (the message from the shepherds of what they had been told about the Christ Child) and she reflected on them in her heart. Do we follow her example and ponder the meaning of scripture and homilies in our heart? Do we take time to sit with the Word of God and allow Jesus to speak to us and then take time to reflect on what He means to our daily life? Perhaps, as we begin this New Year, we can resolve to set aside a few minutes each day to read a bit of scripture and then so simply reflect on the Word of God. Today let us go with the shepherds to the manger, listen to their story and, together with them and the Church, glorify and praise God.
Note From the Pope, In his daily homily at Casa Santa Marta, the pope invited Christians not to lose the ability to dream about the future, despite difficulties one is confronted with. POPE FRANCIS Each of us needs to dream about our family, our children, and our parents: to imagine how I would like their lives to go. Priests, too, need to dream about what we want for the faithful. Dream as the young dream, who are unabashed in their dreams and find their path there. Do not lose the ability to dream, because to dream is to open the door to the future. The pope also referred to St. Joseph. He said he was a man of dreams who was responsive to God's call. However, Pope Francis added that St. Joseph was not a dreamer who has their heads in the clouds but not grounded. EXTRACTS FROM PAPAL HOMILY He helped him grow and develop. So he looked for a place for the child to be born. He looked after him, helped him grow, and taught him to work: many things in silence. He never took possession of the child for himself. He silently let him grow. He let him grow: This idea could help us immensely, we who by nature always want to stick our noses in everything, especially in the lives of others And we start gossiping, talking But he let him grow, silently watching over him and helping him. Dreams are a privileged place to seek after truth, because there we cannot defend ourselves against the truth. They come, and God speaks through dreams. Not always, because often it is our subconscious that comes forth, but many times God chooses to speak through dreams. He often did so in the Bible. In dreams. But Joseph was a man of dreams, but not a dreamer, okay? He wasn t abstract. A dreamer is something different. It s someone who believes goes off has his head in the clouds, and doesn t have his feet on the ground. Joseph had his feet on the ground. But he was open-minded. Don t lose the ability to dream the future. Each of us needs to dream about our family, our children, and our parents: to imagine how I would like their lives to go. Priests, too, need to dream about what we want for the faithful. Dream as the young dream, who are unabashed in their dreams and find their path there. Do not lose the ability to dream, because to dream is to open the door to the future. Be fruitful in the future. I invoke upon all of you, and your families, the joy and peace of the Lord Jesus. God bless you! OUR TITHING PARISH THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Note From the Pastor, This Year $ 9,481.50 Last Year $ 8,650.50 Youth $ 41.00 Thank you for your continued generosity! CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE Total Pledges and One Time Gift $425,000 Total Participating Households 182 This is 76% of our goal with only 19% of parishioners participating Let s keep up the good work! Our goal is $555.000. The original Diocesan goal was $555,000, so perhaps I was too optimistic in the first place. However, situations change and one of our original goals was to purchase the Lennox property. The price was raised from $225,000 to $275,000 which is from my perspective a ridiculous price even at $225,000. It is far more than the property is worth. Several developers have been interested, however, they want to purchase most of the churches parking lot on the State St. side of the church. Also during this time we have worked with Jake Johnson and the State Street Market, providing 20 additional parking spaces which can be used by both the church and the market. This will be paved in the spring as winter came too fast. Our goal will still enable us to hopefully secure our beautiful stained glass windows and do some necessary repairs to insulate the newer part of the rectory. If you have not prayerfully considered a pledge or one time gift to It s Our Church, It s Our Future, I hope you will. Some time in the new year we will receive a parochial vicar (an assistant priest), Fr. Antony Pappu a priest from India. There are two priest from his community working in our Diocese at this time. Their order is Herald of the Good News. I know you will all make him feel welcome here as you did with Sr. Angelica Fr. Steve NEXT SUNDAY S READINGS Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-12 All nations are invited to sing the Lord s praises (1, Ps) for they have been called to hear the good news (2) and worship the long awaited Messiah and King (3) with the gift of their lives.
PLANNED GIVING: Please Consider Our Parish in Your Estate Plans When considering gifts in your Will or estate plans please remember our parish. Gifts can be made to our parish in the following manner: Specific dollar amount: a percentage of your estate or a particular asset such as savings bond, life insurance, real estate or other valuables. For more information contact: Scott Lalone, Executive Director, Development Office 315-393-2920, slalone@rcdony.org.
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: What brings joy to your heart as you recall this past year s experiences of the awesomeness of God s power and love manifested in Creation? In the Canticle of the Three Young Men (Daniel 3:57-88), they found an abundance of aspects of Creation for which to Bless the Lord even ice and snow, frost and chill, along with light and darkness, birds of the air and all water creatures. To end the year why not pray the Canticle or make up your own prayer of praise to God for the things that bring 'joy to your heart.