November 15, 2015 St. Patrick Catholic Church 140 Church St., Portland, MI 48875 Phone: 517-647-6505 Fax: 517-647-7807 Parishof"ice@portlandstpats.com www.stpatrickportland.com Rev. Larry J. King, Pastor Dcn. Don Sobolewski, Pastoral Associate The Mission of St. Patrick Parish is: To celebrate the Eucharist, To proclaim the Good News, To encourage Stewardship as a way of life and To grow in Faith, Justice, Love and Service to all. Mass Schedule: Reconciliaon: Eucharisc Adoraon: Saturday 4:30 pm Saturday 3:00 pm Monday, Noon 5:00 pm Sunday 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am or by appointment Wednesday, Noon 7:00 pm & s: Tuesday 6:00 pm 9:00 pm-12:00 am Wednesday 7:30 am Parish Office Hours Thursday 9:30 am Friday 7:30 am Mon.-Fri.: 8:00 am-4:30 pm Closed 12:30 pm-1:00 pm for lunch Wed. evening: 6:00 pm-9:00 pm
ST. PATRICK CHURCH Page 2 PORTLAND, MICHIGAN Masses for the Week of November 15, 2015 Mon. 11/16 Tue. 11/17 Wed. 11/18 Thu. 11/19 1 Mc 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63; Ps 119; Lk 18:35-43 Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious 2 Mc 6:18-31; Ps 3; Lk 19:1-10 6:00 PM Doug Gensterblum 2 Mc 7:1, 20-31; Ps 17; Lk 19:11-28 7:30 AM For those on our Prayer List 1 Mc 2:15-29; Ps 50; Lk 19:41-44 THIS WEEK IN OUR PARISH November 15, 2015-November 22, 2015 School Mass Music Practice, 1:15-3:15 PM, Church 1 Mc 4:36-37, 52-59; 1 Chr 29; Lk 19:45-48 Sat. 11/21 Sun. 11/22 The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 1 Mc 6:1-13; Ps 9; Lk 20:27-40 Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Dn 7:13-14; Ps 93; Rv 1:5-8; Jn 18:33b-37 ALTAR APPOINTMENTS Nov 21st & 22nd STEWARDSHIP REFLECTIONS And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. MARK 13:26 We will all have that day when we are standing before God and our life is played out like a movie. When this happens and God asks each of us, What have you done with the gifts that I have given you? How will you respond? That we continue to develop and nurture our gifts and give back with increase. Congratulations to the following who were baptized recently at St. Patrick Church Sponsor of the Week: Wagonwheel American Grill Danica Rand Ginther daughter of Ritchie & Tina Ginther Baptized by Deacon Don Sobolewski
Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Page 3 November 15, 2015 Forgiven Once and For All Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 If you want to be forgiven, you do something to make up for your offense. You buy flowers. You replace what you broke. You take back your words. You say, I m sorry. Life is never the same after sin and forgiveness. You become a person who is capable of a particular sin. But with forgiveness you become a person who can repent. People who became suspicious because of your sin now trust you because of your repentance. Everyone sins. But not everyone admits it. Not everyone apologizes. Not everyone seeks forgiveness. And not everyone grants it. Life is never the same after sin it sometimes gets worse. Life is never the same after forgiveness it usually gets better. The Letter to the Hebrews presents the ministry of Jesus as an exercise in forgiveness. His death parallels the sacrifice that priests offered daily for the forgiveness of sins. But Jesus did not have to be crucified daily. He died once. As the perfect Son of God, his one action sufficed to win forgiveness for us all. Caring for our Global Family Inspiring Quotes by Pope Francis from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) In the heart of the Family, no one is rejected. Feel the warmth of being God s Family. Family Perspective By Bud Ozar Today s Gospel teaches us UNCERTAINTY is normal. There are some things in life which no one knowsf only the Father. Marriage and parenting are full of uncertainty. Like the fig tree in the Gospel, the people we love grow and change.. Forgiveness doesn t happen until some words or actions take place. We usually don t extend forgiveness until the offender admits the wrong. In the case of Jesus, he has taken the action for us. He has offered himself in sacrifice for our forgiveness. He has made reconciliation easy. When we become aware of our sin, we confess our fault. Forgiveness is already ours. Be a Hero! Donate Blood! Financial Activities The St. Patrick Catholic High School chapter of the National Honor Society is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive on November 17th from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm in the St. Patrick Parish Hall. To schedule an appointment to donate, please see an NHS member or visit www.redcrossblood.org.walk-ins accepted. Appointments honored. Stay connected with our mobile app-download now at myparishapp.com Deadline for submission in the November 29th bulletin will be Monday, November 16th at 10:00 AM
ST. PATRICK CHURCH Page 4 PORTLAND, MICHIGAN Youth Corner JUNIOR HIGH See you Friday right after school on Friday. HIGH SCHOOL See you this Sunday at 6:00 pm at CIA headquarters for the great apple famine challenge. My good friend Wild Bill will be joining us. Bring a flashlight! This week s I challenge you!!! Do you Trust Jesus are you willing to fall for HIM and trust he will be there to catch you? Say what?! Let s go to the video: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhnrvb-m-p4 In Christ s Peace Mr. George Faith Formation New News Up-coming dates: November 16 th - Thanksgiving Food Drive (Bring in canned goods) November 23 rd - NO CLASS November 29 th - Prison/Jail donations due Up-coming Events November 23rd Catechist In-Service November 25th-Thanksgiving Eve Mass, 6:00 PM Fifth graders participating in Prayer Service. Holiday Fest Come and Join Us at the 5th Annual Holiday Fest St. Patrick School will be represented in the 5th Annual Holiday Fest parade sponsored by the City of Portland on Saturday, December 12 at 6:00 p.m. We want to have a large group of parents/students/ staff/supporters walking in the parade behind our school banner. The theme of the parade is Old Time Christmas, and every entry is asked to display holiday lights--so bring along your glow necklaces, light up attire, or any other creative display of Christmas spirit. More information will be coming soon. Watch our Facebook page and school website for details. Eucharistic Adoration A Holy Hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament is so important to Jesus that a multitude of souls go to Heaven who otherwise would have gone to hell. Jesus revelation to Blessed Dina Belanger If you or someone you know is interested in going to Eucharistic Adoration but do not drive, let us know and rides can be arranged. Call Mike Cook at 517-242-1352. Kindergarteners having prayer with Mary & Deacon Don blessing their Rosaries Knights Of Columbus News The Portland Knights of Columbus Council 2168 will be sponsoring a bus trip to Firekeepers Casino on Wednesday, December 2, 2015. The cost is $30.00 with each participant receiving $20.00 in casino play and a $5.00 food voucher. The bus will leave the Knights Hall parking lot located at 690 Maynard Rd, Portland at 9:00 AM and arrive at the casino at 10:00 AM. The bus will depart the casino at 3:00 PM and arrive back in Portland at 4:00 PM. Participants must register in advance for this trip. For more information or to register, contact Rich Schneider at (517) 647-4567 or Steve Goodman at (517) 516-2408, or John Vallier at (517) 647-6409. If you are interested in joining the Knights of Columbus, contact Bill Vallier at gk2168@mikofc.org
Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Page 5 November 15, 2015 St. Patrick School Blessed with Families of all Sizes This is part two of a three-part series as we look more closely at a very special subset of our school families the ones who currently have four or more students enrolled at the school. We talked to them to see what they have in common and what their thoughts are on Catholic education. Jayson and Jenny Lyon have four children enrolled at St. Patrick: Cole-8th, Connor-6th, Camden 3rd, and Claire-2nd. Jenny says, When it was time to enroll Cole for Kindergarten we were prayerfully led to St. Patrick. Since Jayson and I were not raised in Portland, we hardly knew anybody in the parish and really didn t know much about the school. We just loved knowing that prayer, Mass, and learning the Catholic faith would be part of Cole s day. This was just the beginning of what we now hold as one of the best decisions we have ever made. As each of our kids reached enrollment age, the tuition became more of a challenge. Over the years there have been many times when we just didn t know if we would be able to continue. One particular time we went as far as sitting the oldest boys down and telling them they might have to switch schools the following year. They disappeared into their rooms and came back with their arms full of their favorite things. They said, If you sell this can we stay? That was it; we knew that no matter what we had to do, this was where they would stay, and God has blessed us for it. I m not saying we still don t have times when it gets hard, but now it is a family effort. The blessing is, we really don t mind what we have to give up. The kids understand that if you really believe in something you may have to forgo a want for the sake of a better cause. So with this wonderful life lesson along with the many, many other reasons we love our St. Pat s family, we choose St. Patrick School. Pat and Stacy Russman have four children who attend St. Pat s: Summer-9th, Payton-5th, Isabella-3rd, and Joesie- Preschool. Stacy says, We are truly blessed to send our four children to St. Patrick School. The school is our extended family. The families here are so generous and kind. They always lend a hand. We love that our children are learning about Jesus all day. They participate in weekly Mass and holy days, practice the Rosary and learn about Advent, Lent, and service projects to help those in need. We have several opportunities to be involved in our childrens education. The staff is very approachable and compassionate, and communicate very well. We know our children are getting an amazing education that will help them grow to be disciples of Jesus. Randy Hodge-School Administration Together We Rise: Duffle Bags for Love On December 11 the students from St. Patrick School will be donating the money raised from their Jean Day to Duffle Bags for Love, a campaign through the not-for-profit organization Together We Rise. This undertaking hopes to raise $1250 to provide duffel bags to children who are placed in foster care in the Portland/Ionia County area. Law enforcement officials say that many times when children are removed from their homes, they take very few belongings with them, and the few items they do take are usually carried in garbage bags. Duffel Bags for Love is a attempting to buy 50 duffel bags and to place some simple items inside---items that will add to the dignity and comfort of the child who has been displaced. For complete information, or to donate to this effort, please visit the website. Or send your donation to Duffel Bags for Love, c/o St. Patrick School, 122 West, Portland, MI 48875. The project is aimed at completion by December 20, 2015. Every dollar will help. School parents Nic and Shelly Schneider are heading up this project. Feel free to contact them for information.. Feel free to contact them at schneiderfam@wowway.com for information. The project is aimed at completion by December 20, 2015. Every dollar will help. Website: http://www.togetherwerise.org/fundraise/portlandmi2015
ST. PATRICK CHURCH Page 6 PORTLAND, MICHIGAN Christmas Cards for Our Homebound We will again send Christmas cards to the homebound members of St. Patrick Church. We want them to know that they are still part of our parish family, and that we are thinking of them. If you know the names of any homebound parishioners that you think would like to receive cards, please call Karen Stevens at 517/627-7699. Prison Jail Ministry Christmas Drive We are asking parishioners for donations to our annual Prison/Jail Ministry Christmas Drive. We are collecting: New-Packaged white tube socks and New reading glasses, Plastic framed, in +1.00-+1.75 strengths. The donated items will be used at the various jails, shelter and juvenile detention centers within the Diocese. Please call Jude Acheson at 616-475-1255 or email jacheson@dioceseofgrandrapids.org. Deadline is December 15th. Thank you in advance! Tornado Rebuild Project The Tornado Rebuild Project Fundraiser has officially begun. Everyone is encouraged to spread the information found on our website, stpatricksrebuild.org, with Alumni, friends, or companies outside of the immediate area to let them know of our needs. If you would like a sample email to help distribute this message to your contacts, please email Todd Davlin, the Athletic Association President (Tdavlin@grangernet.com) or the business manager Mike Johnson (mikejohnson@portlandstpats.com). Right to Life Portland Right to Life meets Tuesday Nov.17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Portland District Library, Community Conference Room. We welcome people of all faiths to join us in our efforts to protect the rights of the unborn and most vulnerable members of our society. Seeking Black Friday shoppers! Advent Retreat for Empty Nesters Advent is traditionally a time of waiting. Waiting for all things in life to come our way is often difficult or frustrating. But, what happens when the waiting is over and a new phase of life is on our doorstep? Has your last child recently moved out? Was your nest empty and now an adult child has moved back in? Has the time you thought you'd have together been taken up with the care of elderly parents? Join us for a day of reflection, conversation and prayer about this time of the Empty Nest and what may lie ahead for your spouse and you as a new horizon opens up in your lives. Cost: $70 per couple Go to www.lifeprocesscenter.org and click on Upcoming Retreats tab for more information. Where: Franciscan Life Process Center, Lowell Campus Lowell Campus, 11650 Downes St. NE. When: Saturday, December 5, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm As you know, the biggest shopping day of the year is the greatest time to pick up items for our annual Shamrock Auction. Please think about us as you are snagging those great deals. We ask that each parish family donate $25 toward this event. You can either give a cash donation and we will do the shopping for you, or you can pool your money with other families and purchase a larger item. Electronics, bikes, kayaks, sporting goods, and furniture often come with great prices this day. Please contact Amber Fogarty at (517)243-1850 for questions, or if you wish to drop your donation off. If you wish to donate money toward this cause, please place it in an envelope marked SHAM- ROCK AUCTION and turn it in to the school office or place it in the collection basket. Thank you! Looking for a Catholic Event in our area? Go to www.catholiceventfinderr.com to find Catholic sponsored events in our area
Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Page 7 November 15, 2015 Parish Staff (517) 647-6505 School Website: www.portlandstpats.com Ministries