THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, Rev. Thomas J. Whitman, Pastor Director of Religious Ed: Sr. Sandy Pedone, H.M. Parish Secretary: Lori Vasconi Financial Secretary: Carol Koch Maintenance: Brad Goodall Music Director: Mary Messina Office Hours Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (closed 12:30-1:30 PM) Schedule Saturday Vigil - 5:15 PM Sunday - 8:30 & 11:00 AM Weekday: M, T, Th, Fri - 8:00 AM Wed. - 12:10 PM (Check weekly bulletin for changes.) Confessions Saturday: 4:00-4:30 PM or by request. Religious Education Program Sundays, 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM CCD Grades K-10 at Case Avenue Elem. School, Grade 11 in the church annex. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Every Wednesday after the 12:10 PM in the Mother s Chapel. Shenango Valley Catholic School System Mr. William Lyon, Principal, Kennedy Catholic Middle and High Schools: 724-346-5531 Mr. Joshua Testa, Principal St. John Paul II: 724-342-2205 PARISHIONER PRE-REGISTRATION FORM NAME STREET CITY & ZIP PHONE E-Mail Place completed form in today s collection basket or drop it off in the church office. New Member Address Change Update Info Baptism: Please contact the parish office to schedule a time and date. A pre-baptism class is required. No baptisms during Advent and Lent. Matrimony: By appointment six months in advance. Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA): Please call the church office at 724-981-3232. Prayer Line: For intentions, please call 724-342-3456.
PASTOR S COLUMN PARISH COMEDY NIGHT: This is the last weekend to buy your tickets. Please purchase your tickets by Sunday, January 13. We will be holding another parish comedy night on Friday, January 18, consisting of dinner and professional comedians with clean humor. These have been wonderful evenings and we hope you will consider joining us for this year s event. Invite family, friends and neighbors. Tickets are available from Fr. Tom after all es. CHRISTMAS UN-DECORATING: We will be taking down the Christmas Decorations after the 11:00am this weekend. We can always use help taking things down and cleaning things up. We will start around 12:15pm. All are welcome to help. SCRIPTURE CLASS: Fr. Tom will be offering another Scripture class this one will be on the Passion Narratives. We will be looking at the Gospel of Mark and his Passion over a four week period. Classes will be at 7:00pm in the choir room on February 6, 11, 20, 25. February 6 & 20 are Wednesdays and February 11 & 25 are Mondays. You will need a Bible, paper, and a writing instrument. CHRISTMAS COLLECTION: Thank you for your generosity in the Christmas Collection this year. We collected just a little over $20,000. As we have been doing each year, we tithed, 10%, of this collection to the Prince of Peace Center. Last year we had one anonymous donor who promised to match what the parish tithed to Prince of Peace, and that donor has agreed to the same terms this year. We also have another anonymous donor who agreed to match our parish tithe. As a result of all that generosity, a check for $6,000 will be going to the Prince of Peace Center on behalf of St. Joseph Parish. Thank you for your generosity to this worthwhile cause. At some point in time we need to reflect on all the good things that we do as a parish on behalf of those in need in our community: whether it is this contribution to the Prince of Peace, the dedicated work of those in our parish food pantry, the dedicated work of those who work with our West Hill After School Program, our support of our Sister Parish in the Yucatan, and the list goes on. These are some of the unsung heroes of our parish and how we continue to be involved in the very mission of Jesus each and every day. CHRISTMAS SERVICES AND DECORATIONS: I know Fr. Jason and I offered our thanks publicly at all the es on Christmas to all those who made our Christmas celebrations so wonderful. I just want to offer that thanks one more time. People don t realize how much work is involved in these special seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. Our liturgy committee is truly a hard working group of people headed by Sandy Swogger; Mary Messina and Jeff Trimble did a tremendous job with the various choirs and music at all the services, our Confirmation students and several parish volunteers gave of their time to light the trees and set up the decorations, our parish staff does all the behind the scenes work that helps to make everything flow smoothly. I want to thank all those who volunteered as Ushers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and Greeters for these celebrations. I am sure I forgot someone, but it was not on purpose. I thank you all again for making this Christmas one to remember. REFLECTIONS ON THE READINGS: This weekend we bring our Christmas season to a close with the Baptism of Jesus. It is interesting how this event is depicted in each of the Gospels. Today we hear Luke s version of this event. Luke really doesn t tell us much about the actual baptism but has Jesus at prayer among all those who have been baptized. Luke portrays Jesus at prayer, here at the beginning of his public life, and in the garden and on the cross, at the end of his public life. Jesus at prayer will be one of Luke s themes throughout this year. We might wonder what kind of prayer Jesus used. It might have been the traditional Jewish prayers that he grew up with, or it might have just been a conversation between Jesus and the Father. It might be a good reminder for ourselves to look at how we pray and to not neglect traditional prayers, and not to be unwilling to try new forms of prayer that might be more spontaneous or lead us deeper into this relationship we have with God. Baptism is about leading us deeper into our relationship with Jesus in such a way that we become immersed in his life, death, and resurrection. Baptism leads us deeper into this mystery of Jesus becoming one with us that we celebrate in Christmas, but does not end here. This might be a time to pick up Luke s gospel and reflect on how God is with us in the stories Luke tells and in the stories of our own lives.
FEATURED FOOD PANTRY ITEM Next week s featured item - Crackers. Please place your donation in the shopping cart located in the Gathering Space and thanks for checking the expiration date! PLEASE PRAY FOR: Darlene Lenhart, Lorraine Penhos, Ed Thomas, Ann Jofery, Ed Benedict, John Keaveny, James Robert and Bill Lasche. UPCOMING FEATURED ITEMS Peanut Butter - Canned Vegetables - Canned Tuna If you d like to volunteer, please report to the church s lower level at 8:00am on our next distribution day, Friday, January 18. ATTENTION FOOD PANTRY REGISTRATION All clients (new and past clients) must register as a NEW CLIENT each year. New registrations will continue again on Friday, January 18, from 9:30-11:00am. St. Joseph Food Pantry is open to anyone that falls within the government guidelines. To register, please come prepared with: Valid Photo ID, Proof of Income, Proof of Address. FUNERAL Our sympathy and prayers to the families of Caroline Rogan and Marilyn Sham. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. BAPTISM CLASS If you are planning to have your child baptized, a baptism class is required for the parents. A baptism class is scheduled for Wednesday, January 30 at 7:00PM in the choir room. To register, please call the church office at 724-981-3232. SPECIAL THANK YOU to Tim & Sandy Swogger for their generous amount of time and talent in constructing our new LED Advent Christmas wreath. SUPER BOWL CHILI FEST Sunday, Feb. 3 Noon to 1:30pm St. Joseph's Guild Hall The St. Joseph Confirmation Class will be serving some delicious TAILGATE Chili directly following the 11am on Super Bowl Sunday, February 3 as a service project to help support our Sister Parish St. Francis Xavier in the Yucatan. Cost for a bottomless mug of Chili is $5.00 per person (kids under 6 free). Quarts will also be available for sale for $4 each. If you would like to pre -order chili quarts to pick up that day, please call or text 724-977-6993 by JAN. 31. Come warm your tummy and support a great cause!! If you would like more information, please contact Brian Feikles at 814-806-6918 or Notre Dame Church at 724-981-5566. WEEKEND COLLECTION - December 21, 2018 Number of Adult envelopes used. 259 Number of unused envelopes... 600 Sunday Offertory......$ 9,892 Deficit........($ 758) Religious Retirement...$ 49 WEEKEND COLLECTION - December 30, 2018 Number of Adult envelopes used. 218 Number of unused envelopes... 641 Sunday Offertory......$ 8,124 Deficit........($ 2,526) Christmas.$20,056 Religious Retirement...$ 120 WEEKEND COLLECTION - January 7, Number of Adult envelopes used. 275 Number of unused envelopes... 584 Sunday Offertory......$10,239 Deficit........($ 411) Solemnity of Mary.$ 1,248
Intentions +Indicates Time Monday, January 14 Heb 1: 1-6 / Mk 1: 1-14-20 +8:00 James Schimp (Family) Tuesday, January 15 Heb 2: 5-12 / Mk 1: 21-28 +8:00 Ann Tarkanick (Cecelia Alter) Wednesday, January 16-Heb 2: 14-18 / Mk 1: 29-39 +12:10 Francis X. Petrini (Mary Ann & Joe Biro) *2:30 West Hill Ministries Thursday, January 17 Heb 3: 7-14 / Mk 1: 40-45 +8:00 Christine Featherstone (Jim & Ruthann Black) +1:30 Ridgewood-Mary Sagulla (Estate) *2:30 West Hill Ministries *6:00 RCIA-choir room Friday, January 18-Heb 4: 1-5, 11 / Mk 2: 1-12 +8:00 Marcia Driscoll (Joann Sangregorio) *6:00 COMEDY NIGHT Saturday, January 19-Is 62: 1-5 / 1 Cor 12: 4-11 / Jn 2: 1-11 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME +5:15 Joe Perrine (Mom & Dad) Sunday, January 20 Is 62: 1-5 / 1 Cor 12: 4-11 / Jn 2: 1-11 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME +8:30 Marcia Driscoll (William & Carol Murrin) +11:00 Deceased Members of Our Parish Saturday, 19, Vigil 5:15 PM Ministry Schedule for January 19/20 M. Norman E. Anderson, M. Goodwin, S. Messina, P. Dach, D. Dach, T. H. Cole, Volunteer A. Jordan, M. Jordan, N. Jordan GS: B. & F. Smeraglia Fr: L. Volansky Sunday, 20, 8:30 AM Sunday, 20, 11:00 AM S. Cleary J. McLaughlin, S. Missory, M. Christman, S. Delp, P. Emery, J. Vukovich, R. Vukovich A. Schupp, N. Schupp, S. Schupp GS: G. Beshero K. Bonomo D. D Amore, Dr. D Amore, J. Kaibas, S. Feeney, D. Ranelli, J. Grandy, L. Dach, V. Mulligan, D. Yao, P. Piccirilli, Volunteer H. Busi, R. Busi, B. Dach, C. Joseph GS: G. & O. Pacsi Fr: T. McCallen, L. Voytko CL M. Smith WEEKDAY-HOSPITAL January 20 15 - F. Giroski SRMC - P. Dach 16 - K. Mueller Nugent - G. Pacsi 17 - P. Radasevich Clepper - F. Smeraglia
LAST WEEKEND TO PURCHASE TICKETS Please see Fr. Tom after all es. THANK YOU Food Pantry volunteers and clients wish to thank all of you who bought gifts for the annual Christmas distribution. Your generosity made Christmas brighter for the eligible children who received them. A big Thank You to the students who helped us carry on such a cold day, and to our volunteers who are always there helping. A special thank you goes out to our unnamed angels who are always there when we need you, for which we are truly grateful. We also thank those of you who faithfully donate Feature Food Items to our pantry. Our client numbers are growing and these items fill in for those not available at the Community Food Warehouse. We could not help our clients without your continued support and generosity.