Welcome to Sts. Gregory & Barnabas Parish United In Christ Pastor Rev. Robert L. Ruston Daily Mass: (See inside for locations) 8:00AM Monday C K N 25, 2018 MISSION STATEMENT As Catholic Christians, we will live to serve God and each other. And do His will as one family united in Faith. We will teach, serve, and be an example to the youth of the parish that they will come to a full understanding of Christ and His plan for their lives. We will nurture the gifts and talents of all parish members and use them wisely for the glory of God. We will compassionately implement the Spiritual and Corporal works of Mercy for those in our Parish, Diocese and throughout the world. Through the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we affirm our Communion with Christ and each other. All are welcome. Tuesday Wednesday Friday 6:30PM Thursday Weekend Liturgy: Saturday: 4:00PM (Daisytown) Sunday: 8:00AM (Bon Air) 11:00AM (Daisytown) 120 Boltz Street 408 Luzon Avenue Johnstown, PA 15902 Phone: 814-536-6818 EMAIL: stsgregbar@dioceseaj.org Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 2:00PM Visit us on the WEB! www.ssgregbar.org Join us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/ groups/ssgregorybarnabas/ So Pilate said to him, Then you are a king? Jesus answered, You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to tes fy to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice. - Jn 18:37 Reconciliation: Saturday: Noon 12:30PM (Daisytown) Saturday: 3:15 3:45PM (Daisytown) Sacrament of Baptism: Parents are to be examples to their children by being registered, active members of the Parish. Please call the rectory office to make arrangements. Sacrament of Marriage: Couples planning to marry are to make arrangements at least nine months prior to their wedding date. Diocesan Guidelines regarding Marriage Preparation must be followed. The Catholic party/parties is/are to be registered, active members in the parish. Anointing of the Sick: Please call the church office if you have a family member or friend in the hospital who would like to receive the Sacraments. The homebound and parishioners in nursing homes should also receive the Sacrament of the Sick and Holy Communion. Parish Membership: New members are always welcome! If you are moving into, within, or out of the Parish, please call the Rectory Office and let us know. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA): All who would like more information about membership in the Roman Catholic Church are invited to call the Church Office.
Welcome to Sts. Gregory & Barnabas Parish November 25, 2018 WEEKLY SCHEDULE MASS SCHEDULE (Mass Stipend $10) Sunday, November 25th Christ the King No Classes Thanksgiving Break Wednesday, Fr. Bob s Day off Saturday, December 1st Eucharistic Adoration 10AM Next Sunday, December 2nd 1st Sunday of Advent K-11 M (SG) 8:00AM T (SB) 8:00AM W (SG) 8:00AM T (SB) 6:30PM F (SB) 8:00AM S (SG) 4:00PM S (SB) 8 :00AM (SG)11:00AM Family members are asked to present Offertory Gifts at weekend masses being offered for their loved ones. Helene Goller by Children Daniel Freiwald by Mother, Alberta Tammy Goller by Bill & Karen Yurkovich Violet Wieczorek by Mr. & Mrs. Larry Goetz Michael Zelek by Dennis Kotzan For the People Fr. Daniel J. O Neill by Michael Kost & Paula Dawson Carol Kawchak by Angeline Mastovich RELIGIOUS ED SCHEDULE CLASS 9:30AM - 10:45AM 11/25 No Classes Thanksgiving Break 12/1 Eucharistic Adoration 12/2 K-11 12/8 First Reconciliation 2nd Grade 12/9 K-11, Confession 11th Grade 12/16 K-11, Conf. Session 11th Grade with Sponsors 12/23 Christmas Vacation 11th Grade will attend 8AM Mass, then decorate Bon Air; 10th Grade will attend 11AM Mass, then decorate Daisytown 12/30 New Years Day Family Day No CCD 2019 1/5 10th Grade Double Retreat 8AM- 4PM includes Sponsor 1/6 K-9, 11th Grade class in BA, then undecorating; 10th Grade class then undecorating Daisytown CHOIR PRACTICE Prac ce is every Wednesday in Bon Air at 6:30PM. New members Welcome!!! Please contact: Marlene Kotch 539-8292 IN STITCHES Next Meeting: November 27th Join us the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month from 6:30 to 8PM in the Rectory Basement! New Members welcome! Liturgical Reflection Throughout this liturgical year the inserts have reviewed the funerary rites of the Church with special attention to the care and final disposition of the body. The deceased Catholic normally has the following rites prayed at death: Vigil for the Deceased, Funeral Mass, and Committal Rites. If cremation was chosen, the Church asks that the body of the deceased be present for the Vigil and Funeral Mass. Both the body and the cremated remains of the deceased Catholic are to be formally buried in a cemetery accompanied with the Committal Rites. Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown List of current Penance Services: Saint John Gualbert Cathedral, Johnstown December 9th 1:30PM Church of Transfigura on December 12th 6:30PM Saint Patrick, 609 Park Avenue, Moxham December 13th Our Mother of Sorrows, 415 Tioga Street, Johnstown December 17th We will add more as we receive them. St. Andrew November 30 By Priscilla Marck The feast of Saint Andrew invites us to ponder his response to Christ s call: Come a er me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they le their nets... (Mt. 4:19-20). With his brother Peter, Andrew immediately le his fishing nets to catch souls for the Kingdom. Are we hesita ng to respond to Christ this Advent because we are wai ng for just the right moment, those perfect circumstances that will allow us to be just as quick as Andrew? Sadly, we may discover that while we were wai ng for that illusive moment, we failed to be a en ve to the here and now invita ons of everyday life, missing opportuni es to respond with the generosity of a true follower of Christ. Reprinted with permission from: Apple Seeds, Fr. Brian Cavenaugh, T.O.R. A November Feeling November is the season to settle down before the fireplace and look back, to remember and to be grateful. Also, it can be seen as the in-between season the lull period of post harvest and pre-christmas. It is the month when the leaves have fallen, and the weather turns gray. November is a time for saints, for poor souls, for veterans and for giving thanks. The lectionary readings have a November feeling to them, an end time appeal, but filled with hope. The real question to be asked in November is not if there is life after death, but is there life after death. John H. Rhoads wrote: Do more than exist, live. Do more than touch, feel. Do more than look, observe. Do more than read, absorb. Do more than hear, listen. Do more than think, ponder. Do more than talk, say something. Ralph Waldo Emerson said: We are always getting ready to live, but never living. God is not a God of the dead but of the living. Are you among the living? Are you alive for God? Reprinted with permission from: Apple Seeds Fr. Brian Cavenaugh, T.O.R.
FROM THE DESK OF FATHER BOB HOSPITALIZED We all, for the most part, like stories of kings and queens, be they childhood fairy-tales or real-life royalty. Many watched the televised wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, decades ago, but more recently the wedding of their son Prince William to Kate Middleton. The image of a king is deeply rooted in the ancient world and often approached the status of the divine. Julius Caesar received honors of divinity in his lifetime, and after he was assassinated the Roman Senate officially declared him divine. Even the kings of Judah and Israel were sometimes called divine or sons of God. But isn t that the name by which we are called even to this day by the virtue of our baptism, the beloved sons and daughters of God. It is with the great Feast of Christ the King that our Church brings another liturgical year to a close this weekend. Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent as we begin Cycle C of our scripture readings. Our Gospel passage brings us to the encounter between Jesus and Pilate, who asks Him, What is truth? He doesn t see the very incarnation of truth, the King of Kings, standing before his very eyes, and because of his blindness he will hand Jesus over to death. But don t we do the same every time we choose the darkness of sin over the light of Christ s message proclaimed in the Gospel accounts? Spiritual Resolutions We work on our physical fitness but what about our spiritual fitness? NOVEMBER: Lift up children around you who are discouraged. Strengthen them. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. (Heb. 12:12-13) The year has probably shown you that becoming stronger in faith and love is no easy exercise. Have compassion on others who struggle to grow, too. Listen to them and be a source of encouragement for them, especially the children around you. Excerpted and reprinted with permission from: Catholic Parent, 200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN 46750 PLEASE, if you have a loved one admitted to the hospital or nursing home contact the office. The hospital may take your church information, but we are not always notified. Fr. Bob likes to get to the hospital in a timely manner, but cannot if he doesn t know. Thanks for your help. PRAYER CHAIN Do you know someone who needs prayers? Please contact Debbie Washington at 536-3616 or dlwashi@hotmail.com to place a name on the parish Prayer Chain! Boxes for requests are also located in the vestibules of our worship sites. PRAYERFUL REMEMBRANCE FOR ALL SERVING IN THE MILITARY Ryan Wood, Army; CDR. Nathan S. Brezovic, US Navy; Fr. Frantisek Halka, Army; Major David Dietz, Army; Petty Officer Tony Pinkas, Navy; Second Infantry Brigade & Det 1, Company C, 2nd 104th; Navy Corpsman Marina J. Sumrada, Annapolis (MD) Naval Academy Hospital Please contact the parish office (536-6818) if we need to add or remove any of our military personnel from this list. Thank you. Angel Trees will be out the weekend a er Thanksgiving. We appreciate your generosity in helping these families. Please remember we are asking that gi s be returned as soon as possible so that we may account for all the tags. Also, be sure to tape the tag from the tree on the gi. Feel free to drop them off at the office any me Mon-Fri between 9AM-2PM. The last day to drop off gi s will be December 17th. We are to deliver the gi s to Vic m Services first thing Tuesday morning on December 18th so they can take them to the families that day. We appreciate your help in ge ng them back to us as early as possible. Thank you! Christmas Flower Offering Your envelope is included in your offertory mailings. Deadline to return these offerings for publication is December 16th. Again, we remind you to PRINT legibly so that your memorials may be published correctly. Thank you! Oplatki Wafers will be available this weekend in the sacristy for those who celebrate this ancient custom. Breaking and sharing the wafer on the eve of Christmas is symbolic of our best wishes extended to family and friends, accompanied by expressions of forgiveness. Thus we share harmony and joy in the birth of Christ as we pray for peace and happiness in our hearts and homes. Packs of three wafers, along with explanation of tradition, can be purchased for $1.00. Snow Days!!! DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, Ss. Gregory & Barnabas Parish will follow the Conemaugh Valley School District s schedule as we have for the last few years. If the school district is on a delay OR cancelled due to weather and Mass was scheduled in Bon Air on that day, the Mass is moved to Daisytown. The Parish Office open late if school is cancelled. All mee ngs/ac vi es will be cancelled if school was cancelled. Thank you for your understanding in this ma er.
Families and the Gospel November 25 Jn 18:33b-37 When we are young, our parents tell us about Jesus and we believe what our parents believe. At some point we must leave our parents faith and ask Pilate s question: Are you the King? Pilate is just asking these questions on our behalf. IN THE COMMUNITY: Cover Hill Ladies Auxiliary Sub & Pizza Sales Call Heather at 243-2987; $6.00 Sub (onion or no onion), $5.00 Pizza (pepperoni or plain) Order by: Nov 25 Pick up - Dec 1 DRIVE-BY SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS: The Church of Transfiguration Church/School Hall 231 3rd Street, Conemaugh. Sunday November 25, 2018 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Meal Includes: Spaghetti & Meatballs Tossed Salad Dinner Roll Dessert $7.00 per meal Follow These Drive-Thru Directions: Enter on 3rd Street. Stop at the first station, place your order and pay $7.00 per meal. By the time you get to the next station your order will be ready. Sacraments Class: The class Sacraments will be offered at two locations this January. Msgr. Robert Mazur will be teaching a 6 week course (2 ½ hour classes) beginning Monday January 7 from 6:30-9:00 PM at Cathedral, Seton Suite, Altoona and Fr. Timothy Grimme will be teaching an 8 week course (2 hour classes) from 6:30-8:30 PM beginning Tuesday January 8 at St. Michael Church Hall, St. Michael. The cost of the course which includes registration and all materials is $65. Participants will explore the history of the sacraments and the post Vatican II Theology of the Sacraments within the context of Christology, Ecclesiology and Ministry. For further information and registration forms visit www.dioceseaj.org/ lay-ecclesial-ministry or contact the Office of Adult Enrichment at 814-361-2000. All are welcome! Bishop Mark Bartchak and bishops na onwide are joining in seven days of prayer and fas ng prior to their general assembly in November, where they will make cri cal decisions regarding the tragedy of clergy abuse. A le er with more details from Bishop Mark is available on the diocesan website -- dioceseaj.org. From Sinners to Saints No one is too far gone for God. Regardless of how many poor choices you ve made, how many people you ve hurt or how you ve broken the laws of God and man, God is still willing to welcome you back withy open arms if you sincerely ask His forgiveness and try to change your ways. Don t believe it? Take the saints for example. A conversion experience is not magic; it is only the first step in a lifetime of striving to grow in virtue and conform one s unruly, rebellious will to the will of God. Our world is full of sinners who turned their lives around to become saints officially canonized by the Church and people who, with the help of God s grace, managed to climb out of the downward spiral toward which their lives and souls were heading. There s St. Paul, who was responsible for the murder of many early Christians before his dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus. And St. Augustine of Hippo led a life of arrogant pride and sexual immorality before offering his mind, heart and soul to God. There are many dramatic stories that give powerful witness to a person s ability to change. Christopher News Notes 5 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004 FINANCIAL NEWS Fiscal Year July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019 Offertory Totals for the week of November 18, 2018 Weekly Offering $2,067 Misc. Income $196 Votive Candles $50 Building Fund $25 Soup Kitchen/ Thanksgiving $137 Thanksgiving $125 Total $2,600 Weekly Needs $5,000 11/18 $2,600 (Over/under) $2,400 Catholic Charities $232 CMD 2019: $146 Thank you for your dona ons for the Special Hurricane Vic ms Collec on. We received an addi onal $40 bringing the to $790 in dona ons for the Vic ms. Your generosity is greatly appreciated! LAY MINISTRY SCHEDULE Liturgy Nov 24/25 Dec 1/2 Dec 8/9 4PM Lector: S. Hall D EM: B P. Harteis P. Harteis P. Harteis (B: Bread) (C: Cup) C Lisa Menett S. Hall L. Menett C Servers: 8AM Lector: MB. D-Rykala MB. D-Rykala BA EM: B MB. D-Rykala MB. D-Rykala C B. McPherson C Servers: 11AM Lector: J. Kopco J. Allison S. Rosenbaum D EM: B J. Kopco R. Rosenbaum C M. Krawczyk M. Krawczyk S. Rosenbaum C Servers: Cover Hill Volunteer Fire Company is having Lunch with Santa & The Grinch Saturday, December 1st from Noon to 2PM MUST PRE-REGISTER 814-243-2987 (Heather) By: November 25 Kids 12 & Under - FREE; $5.00 Parents and Guest (If you do not want to eat no $ required). Come Meet Santa, The Grinch, Have your photo taken (will be posted on our Facebook page), Do a Craft and Receive Treat Bag. Pizza & Punch are being served. Come explore the FIRE TRUCKS, AMBULANCE, AND POLICE CAR!!! We would like to plan a Christmas movie night for Saturday December 22 nd at the church hall in Daisytown. If you are interested, please let Dan Slavick (814-421-9754) or Kristen know.