The Church of the Incarnation 544 Prospect Street Wethersfield, CT 06109 Rev. James M. Moran Pastor Mrs. Noranne Wamester Pastoral Associate Director of Faith Formation Mrs. Audrey Saharek Pastoral Assistant Toni Munoz Sacristan Mrs. Marguerite Devitt Rectory Office Assistant Mrs. Maggie Seaver Coordinator of Middle School Faith Formation Gr. 7-12 Youth Minister Mrs. Filomena Marinelli Coordinator of Elementary Faith Formation Gr. K-6 Mrs. Teri Aiudi Faith Formation Secretary Mrs. Theodora Niver Director of Music Vanessa Crowley..Lorissa Heath Rosanne Sweeney Gowdy.....Andrew Russo Heather Picard...Gianna Bielenda Cantors Marguerite Heinimann Rectory Assistant Rectory (860) 529-2533 Fax (860) 721-6595 Church E-Mail cincarnation@sbcglobal.net Mass Schedule Confessions on Saturdays from 3:30-4:15p.m. Vigil Mass: Saturday at 5:00p.m. Sunday Masses: 8:30 & 10:30 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 by calling the rectory. Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Celebrated in the Baptistry of the Blessed Sacrament 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. Faith Formation Office (860) 529-6765 gotellit15@gmail.com Website address: www.thechurchoftheincarnation.com
Page Three The Baptism of the Lord..January 13, 2019 SATURDAY, JANUARY 12TH 5:00pm George & Sally D Esopo SUNDAY, JANUARY 13TH 8:30am Tibero Pace 10:30am Rose Airo Mangiafico MONDAY, JANUARY 14TH 9:00am Joanne & Fred Lepore TUESDAY, JANUARY 15TH 9:00am Myles Connolly Sr., Sarah Ann Marie Privitera & Carmelo Privitera WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16TH 9:00am For all our Parishioners THURSDAY, JANUARY 17TH 9:00am Gildo Alberto Colasacco FRIDAY, JANUARY 18TH 9:00am Sister Betty Burns SATURDAY, JANUARY 19TH 5:00pm Paul D. Console SUNDAY, JANUARY 20TH 8:30am Frank, Vincenza & Silvia Bulanti 10:30am Frank Mandile The Sanctuary Candle will burn from 1/14/2019 1/20/2019 in memory of John, Angelo, Leonard Sr. & Bernadette D Onofrio. The Blessed Virgin Mary Candle will burn from 1/14/19 1/20/2019 in memory of Rose Airo Mangiafico. The Second Collection this weekend is the monthly collection. Thank you! Employment Support Group: If you are searching employment, call Ken Mendoza to set up an appointment at (860) 729-5960. Church of the Incarnation Men s Club: Next meeting is Wednesday, January 16th at 7pm in the rectory meeting room. There is a House of Bread collection next weekend. Coffee & sugar are always appreciated. Thank you so much for your kind support! Fourth & fifth grade boys & girls interested in becoming Altar Servers at Incarnation are invited to meet with Father Moran at 11am on Saturday, February 2nd in the Church. The meeting will last one hour and will be the first of three consecutive sessions that will prepare those interested in serving at our Eucharistic celebrations. If you are interested in attending please call Audrey prior to the first session at the rectory at (860) 529-2533. Thank you. Join us at our annual St. Patrick s Dinner Monday, March 11, 2019 Fr. Crawford Hall 6:30 p.m. $15.00 p. p. Traditional corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, Home-made Irish soda bread, coffee/dessert. A raffle with LOTS of great prizes!! Always a sell out so don t delay! Call your family/friends & reserve a table. Reservation deadline: 2/25/2019 All Payments must be in by 2/28/2019. Checks payable to: Church of the Incarnation Please see flyers at entrances.
Page Four The Baptism of the Lord..January 13, 2019 FAITH FORMATION IN ACTION FAITH FORMATION (GRADES 1-6) All classes are held in Fr. Crawford Hall according to the me/grade level. GRADE 2 meets on Saturday, January 12 from 8:30-9:45 a.m. GRADE 1 meets on Sunday, January 13 from 9:30-10:15 a.m. GRADE 3 meets on Saturday, January 19 from 8:30-9:45 a.m. GRADE 2 meets on Sunday, January 20 from 9:30-10:15 a.m. Families are encouraged to a end Mass together at 8:30 a.m. prior to class or at 10:30 a.m. at the end of class. GRADE 6 meets on Tuesday, January 22 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. GRADE 4 meets on Wednesday, January 23 from 5:00-6:15 p.m. GRADE 5 meets on Wednesday, January 23 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. GRADE 4 RETREAT Our Grade 4 students will par cipate in an a ernoon retreat on Saturday, January 26 from 3:00 5:00 p.m. in Father Crawford Hall followed by 5:00 p.m. Mass and a Pizza Social at 6:00 p.m. to conclude our day. Families are encouraged to join their children at Mass and a erwards for pizza/fellowship. CHILDREN S LITURGY OF THE WORD: Sunday, January 27, 2019 at the 10:30 am Mass. Our presiders will be Anne Camilliere & Trisha Pesce along with Confirma on Candidate Abby Malerba. The family of Jamie Condon will host refreshments. GRADE 3 PARENT FIRST EUCHARIST MEETING A mandatory mee ng for parents of Grade 3 children receiving their First Holy Communion will be on Monday, Jan. 28 at 7p.m. in Fr. Crawford Hall. At least one parent MUST be in a endance. 7th & 8th grade Faith Formation: Next gathering for our 8th grade class is Tues. Jan. 15th, and our 7th grade class will meet on Wed. Jan. 16th. Class is held from 6:30-8pm in Fr. Crawford Hall. Youth Ministry: All high school aged kids are welcome to join us for our next gathering on Sunday, Jan. 20th from 6:30-8pm in Fr. Crawford Hall. East Catholic High School There is still time to explore East Catholic for your High School years! We will be hosting an additional Entrance Exam on Saturday, January 26th at 8:30 a.m. Come see what opportunities await you. Pre-registration is preferred but not required. You may visit us at www.echs.com to reserve your spot or you may reach out to Ms. Devlin, Director of Admissions, at 860-649-5336 ext. 6238.
Page Five The Baptism of the Lord..January 13, 2019 PRAYER CORNER Family Prayer in Honor of the Baptism of the Lord All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Reader (member of family): Today the heavens are opened, the Spirit descends and the voice of the Father is heard: This is my beloved Son. My favor rests on him. Alleluia! Leader: Send your Holy Spirit upon us to flood us with new life. Bestow your spirit of adoption on the members of this family and all who seek you. Lamb of God, cleanse us of our sins and keep us faithful to your Commandments. Better Together is a new program created by Dynamic Catholic. It is designed to help couples create great marriages. It speaks to engaged couples and to couples who are already married and wish to re-energize their marriage. It is a call to re-engage the faith component in marriage. You can access Better Together by googling: dynamic catholic marriage enrichment. When you sign up, you will be sent wonderful marriage enrichment videos. There are 5 or 6 segments of videos that speak to various topics. If you have any questions or wish to gain more information, please call Noranne Wamester at 860-529-6765. If you have signed up to receive this program online, please let Noranne know as I am seeking to form a sharing group. Reader (member of family): Gracious God, as we celebrate today the mystery of your Son s Baptism, renew within our hearts our own baptismal call. Through our actions we may be children of the Father. May we be true disciples who listen to your Word, who strive to walk in holiness and who serve others with compassion and love. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit. All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Wethersfield UNICO Macaroni Dinner Save the Date: Wethersfield UNICO s 40th Annual World Famous Macaroni Dinner will be held on Sunday, February 10th from 11:30am 4pm at the Wethersfield Community Center, Greenfield Street. Snow Date is Sunday, February 17th. Please come and join UNICO, your family and friends for a delicious dinner of pasta with home made sauce and meatballs, garlic bread and more. This is UNICO s primary fundraiser for all the charitable activities that are done year round, including our College Scholarships for residents of Wethersfield and Rocky Hill. For more information about our scholarship program and an application please visit our web site at www.wethersfieldunico.org
Page Six The Baptism of the Lord..January 13, 2019 In His baptism, Jesus shows His solidarity with us, with our efforts to convert and to be rid of our selfishness, to break away from our sins in order to tell us that if we accept Him in our life He can uplift us and lead us to the heights of God the Father. Homily of Pope Benedict XVI on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord 2013. Moreover, Jesus shows His complete submission to the will of His Father. Pray for those who are discerning a call to live their baptismal commitment as priests, brothers, or sisters. Call Fr. Michael Casey, Director of Vocations, Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, at phone number (860) 761-7457, or e-mail vocations@aohct.org or visit the web at www.hartfordpriest.com. Please pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate & religious. Vocations Holy Hour: New Time/Day: Vocations Holy Hour and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will be at Incarnation every Tuesday from 9:30-10:30am in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. All are welcome as we pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate & religious life. Prayer For Peace held at Incarnation Church 30 minutes prior to 9am Daily Mass. Come, O Holy Spirit, and Renew the Face of the Earth! Legion of Mary mtg. every Monday at 9:45am in Fr. Crawford Hall at Incarnation Church. The object of the Legion of Mary is the Glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer & active cooperation in Mary s and the Church s work. We are updating The Church of the Incarnation parish website. Any committee chairpersons that need to update info. on the website, please call Noranne or Audrey at (860) 529-2533. SAVE THE DATE: FEBRUARY 22, 23, & 24, 2019. Join us at our parish Men s Retreat at the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, West Hartford, CT. Theme this year is: NO ORDI- NARY PATH... Register at: www.holyfamilyretreat.org. or Call John Ewaski (860) 306-0509 or Bill Carroll (860) 604-6793. Women s Retreats also available on the website. Join The Wethersfield Knights of Columbus for Dinner at Bertucci's restaurant in Newington. Flyer/coupon at church exits. Enjoy a family meal & help raise money for the Knights charities. If you have reserved a Mass for a loved one, please let the ushers know prior to Mass if you intend to bring up the gifts. Please follow the Cross Bearer down the aisle before communion. Thank you. Attention all parents/guardians: During Mass we request that children would always be accompanied to the restrooms by a parent or adult. If you are leaving town for the winter, please call the rectory so that we can place your envelopes on inactive. When you return, kindly call and we will re-activate them. Thank you! A huge thank you for the overwhelming response to our Handbell donations. If you would like to see the handbells please see Mrs. Niver in the Choir Loft.
Page Seven The Baptism of the Lord..January 13, 2019 CALLED TO SERVE For many weeks now, we have been celebrating the appearance of the divine presence in human form. As a child, he came to Mary and Joseph, was seen by the shepherds, and then by some wandering magi from the East. Today we celebrate another showing, later in time, to a group gathered at the Jordan River. John hesitated to baptize Jesus, whom he recognized as one mightier than I. But he did as Jesus asked, and the Holy Spirit descended and heaven s voice spoke to Jesus, You are my beloved Son. Jesus was beginning his public life of teaching and service. Soon he would start calling others to join him. Peter was one of the first to be called by Jesus. In today s second reading, he announces the heart of the message, peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Peter was called, and you and I are called to spread that message and to serve God s word. 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). READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Heb 1:1-6; Ps 97:1, 2b, 6, 7c, 9; Mk 1:14-20 Tuesday: Heb 2:5-12; Ps 8:2ab, 5, 6-9; Mk 1:21-28 Wednesday: Heb 2:14-18; Ps 105:1-4, 6-9; Mk 1:29-39 Thursday: Heb 3:7-14; Ps 95:6-11; Mk 1:40-45 Friday: Heb 4:1-5, 11; Ps 78:3, 4bc, 6c-8; Mk 2:1-12 Saturday: Heb 4:12-16; Ps 19:8-10, 15; Mk 2:13-17 Sunday: Is 62:1-5; Ps 96:1-3, 7-10; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Jn 2:1-11 The Baptism of the Lord January 13, 2019 He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: The Baptism of the Lord Monday: First Week in Ordinary Time begins Thursday: St. Anthony Friday: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins Saturday: Julian Calendar Theophany (Epiphany); Blessed Virgin Mary TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Merry Christmas! Share that cheerful greeting with some folks today. They may wonder if you have had any Elvis sightings lately, attended Star Trekkie conventions, or were Cleopatra in a previous lifetime. Despite the skeptics, today is solidly within the Christmas season. In fact, in some strands of the Christian tradition it represents the clearest manifestation of the mystery of the Incarnation. On Christmas Day, for example, the Gospel reading is the Prologue of John s Gospel, which reveals the glory of Christ shining through our humanity precisely in his baptism. At any rate, this is an ancient feast, celebrated first in Egypt sixteen centuries ago. More than most other ancient people, the Egyptians understood the life giving properties of water. On this day, they drew water from the Nile, so central in the history of their people, and reserved it in honor. Many other places copied the custom, so that St. John Chrysostom wrote of people in Antioch gathering at midnight to collect flowing water into vessels they brought from home since today there is a blessing on the water. At home for dinner tonight, decorate the table with beautiful bowls of water and white candles, toast one another with goblets of sparkling water, and light a Christmas candle in the window one last time. SELF-DISCIPLINE The greatest of all warriors in the siege of Troy had not the preeminence because nature had given him strength and he carried the largest bow, but because self-discipline had taught him how to bend it. Daniel Webster
Page Eight The Baptism of the Lord..January 13, 2019 Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the 2018 Archbishop s Annual Appeal, Our Faith, Our Future, raised over $10,090,100, surpassing the goal for the 2018 Appeal of $10 million. Donations to the 2018 Archbishop s Annual Appeal enabled the Archdiocese of Hartford through its Vicariate Outreach Program to provide more than one million dollars of financial assistance to over 200 local charities for the third consecutive year. This funding provided support to families and individuals in need of life s basic necessities: warm meals, groceries, a place to sleep, and a place to turn for guidance and counseling. Essentially, the Appeal reaches out to the various communities in the archdiocese, assisting thousands of people rebuild their lives with compassion dignity. The Appeal also provides tuition assistance to Catholic students; support for faith formation; and seminarian programs; assistance to the Malta House of Care mobile health clinics in Hartford and Waterbury that treat patients who are uninsured; and the Emergency Assistance Program that is made possible through parishes and administered by Catholic Charities. By supporting the ministries of the Church, donors send out a strong, spiritual message of faith, hope, and charity that allows the archdiocese to respond to the needs of people in Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury and Litchfield Counties, regardless of race, religion, or color. Every donation contributed to the Archbishop s Annual Appeal is used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the Appeal literature, which can be found at www.archdioceseofhartford.org/appeal-impact-2/ Appeal funds are never used for legal fees or settlements.