Saint Cecilia Parish And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying... Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. Luke 2: 13-14 Nativity, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1732 Christmas Two Thousand Sixteen
SAINT CECILIA ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH ANNULMENTS Joe Fondacaro, 871-5757 ext. 222, jfondacaro@eastsideregion.org BAPTISMS Barb Browarsky, 871-5757, ext. 202 BEREAVEMENT Barb Browarsky, 871-5757, ext. 202 BOOSTERS & GYM SCHEDULING Vince Woodall, 871-5757, ext. 204 vwoodall@stceciliacincinnati.org BULLETIN Vince Woodall, 871-5757, ext. 204 vwoodall@stceciliacincinnati.org COMMUNICATIONS Steve Sullivan, steveco@fuse.net CUB SCOUTS Jeff Krietemeyer, 324-6497 DAY OF ADORATION Laurie Kamp, 871-5757, ext. 243 EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS & LECTORS Dave Rosselot, 396-6022 FESTIVAL Doug & Joy Kornish Dkornish@cinci.rr.com, Jkornish@cinci.rr.com FLEA MARKET Anita & Carl Dalessandro, anitacarl@fuse.net FOCCUS MARRIAGE PREP Susan Kellison, suekellison13@gmail.com GIFT BEARERS Joanne Brinkman, 871-3230, jmbrinkman@zoomtown.com GIRL SCOUTS Sharon Krietemeyer, jskrietemeyer@hotmail.com GREETERS Nancy Worrall, nanworrall@aol.com Saint Cecilia 3105 Madison Road Cincinnati, OH 45209 (513) 871-5757 www.stceciliacincinnati.org www.facebook.com/stceciliacincinnati Rev. Jamie Weber, Pastor 871-5757, ext. 201 / jweber@eastsideregion.org Rev. Jason Williams, Parochial Vicar 871-5757, ext. 205 / jwilliams@eastsideregion.org Barb Browarsky, Rectory Secretary 871-5757, ext. 202 / bbrowarsky@stceciliacincinnati.org Cody Egner, Regional Dir. of Religious Ed. 871-5757, ext. 215 / cegner@eastsideregion.org Mike Goedde, School Principal 533-6060 / mgoedde@stceciliacincinnati.org Robert Kellison, Music Dir./Stewardship 871-5757, ext. 208 / bkellison@stceciliacincinnati.org Marta Misleh, Assistant to the Pastor 871-5757, ext. 207 / mmisleh@stceciliacincinnati.org Matt Springer, Reg. Dir. Fin. & Operations 871-5757, ext. 204 / mspringer@eastsideregion.org HOSPITALITY Geneva McPherron, 731-9547 LEGION OF MARY Barbara Browarsky, 871-5757, ext. 202 MOMS GROUP Holly Hemak, moms@stceciliacincinnati.org OAKLEY FOOD PANTRY & COMMUNITY DINNER Stan Messerly, 731-2500 PASTORAL COUNCIL Jason Hemak, 919-3491 RESPECT LIFE GROUP Brigid McLinden Duffy, 379-0821, bswartz@fuse.net PTO Patricia Donnelly & Renee Dawson, 533-6060 SACRAMENT OF THE SICK Fr. Jamie Weber, 871-5757, ext. 201 ST. VINCENT DE PAUL Tom Schimian, 871-5757, ext. 203 SERVERS Ron Case, 399-9331, rwmsc@yahoo.com VISITATION GUILD 871-5757, ext. 209 HOME DISTRIBUTORS/VISITS Fr. Jamie Weber, 871-5757, ext. 201 WEDDING COORDINATOR Marta Misleh, 871-5757, ext. 207 mmisleh@stceciliacincinnati.org WEDDING RESERVATION Bob Kellison, 871-5757, ext. 208 bkellison@stceciliacincinnati.org WELCOME COMMITTEE Angela Egner, (413) 854-7253, angelaegner15@gmail.com WORSHIP COMMISSION Mark Milliron, mmilliron501@gmail.com YOUNG ADULT GROUP Janelle Allen, 313-2196, janelle.r.allen@gmail.com W EEKLY S CHEDULE M ASS INT ENT IONS FOR THIS W EEK WEEKEND MASSES: Sat. 4 PM & Sun. 8 & 10 AM DAILY MASSES: Mon.-Sat. 9 AM, Wed. 6:45 AM THE ROSARY: Mon.-Sat. 8:40 AM DAILY COMMUNION SERVICE: Mon.-Sat. 8 AM HOLY DAY MASSES: 9 AM, 12:10 PM & 5:30 PM LATIN MASSES: Tues. 9 AM CONFESSIONS: Mon.-Sat. 9:30 AM, Wed. 7:05-7:15 AM and 7:05-7:50 PM, Sat. 3-3:30 PM, Sun. 7-7:30 AM and 9-9:30 AM ADORATION: Wed. 9:30 AM-8 PM HOLY HOUR: Wed. 7-8 PM STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Fri. 9:30 AM BAPTISMAL PREPARATION: Please register for your baptism at www.stceciliacincinnati.org under the Sacraments tab. You can also select your class dates there. MASS SCHEDULE FOR ST. MARGARET-ST. JOHN: Mon.-Fri. 11:45 AM, Sat. 3 PM, Sun. 9 & 11 AM MASS SCHEDULE FOR ST. ANTHONY: Sun. 8:30 & 11:30 AM MONDAY, DECEMBER 26 (Saint Stephen) 8:00 AM Communion Service 9:00 AM Nancy Brannan Off Ed & Lois Zepf TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27 (Saint John) 8:00 AM Communion Service 9:00 AM Special Intentions of Fr. Jason Williams by A Friend WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28 (The Holy Innocents) 6:45 AM Families of Saint Cecilia 8:00 AM Communion Service 9:00 AM Gene Hanawalt Off Herta Larison 9:30 AM Eucharist Adoration (9:30 AM 8:00 PM) Holy Hour 7-8 PM with Confessions until 7:50 PM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29 8:00 AM Communion Service 9:00 AM Families of Saint Cecilia FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30 (Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph) 8:00 AM Communion Service 9:00 AM Mary Wellman Off The Family SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 8:00 AM Communion Service 9:00 AM Living Members of St. Cecilia Parish 4:00 PM Deceased Members of St. Cecilia Parish SUNDAY, JANUARY 1 (Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God) 8:00 AM Families of Saint Cecilia 10:00 AM Families of Saint Cecilia Adoration. Every Wednesday beginning at 9:30 AM and concluding with HOLY HOUR, 7-8 PM. 2
CHRISTMAS 2016 A CHRISTMAS REFLECTION by FATHER JASON WILLIAMS THE PASTOR S CORNER Merry Christmas, everyone! Our season of Advent is over, and the anticipation that has been building is complete. Now we celebrate the beautiful feast of Christmas. The birth of our Savior brings joy to the world. Let us commit to worshipping Our Lord with zeal. The Christ Child was the greatest gift to us. I would like you to also enjoy the gift from our parish to your family of a special book that will help you continue to receive your Christmas blessings throughout the season. Amen? Amen! And the Word became flesh and lived among us. -John 1:14 To my parish family at St. Cecilia, you are always in my prayers. May each of you have a heart full of joy as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus. Merry Christmas and Happy 2017. Fr. Elmer Smith REMEMBER ST. CECILIA AT CHRISTMAS The people of St. Cecilia are most generous to the parish especially during the Christmas season. We rely on the generosity of families and friends to help meet our budgeted expenses, primarily the upkeep of this beautiful church. Since Christmas is on a Sunday this year, please be mindful of your Christmas donation in addition to your regular weekly donation. Your special Christmas offering is greatly appreciated and will not go unrewarded. You can make your special gifts online as well as your regular offertory giving. For more info, visit www.stceciliacincinnati.org and click on the Online Giving link on the home page. Today a Savior has been born for you. The angelic proclamation of the birth of Jesus must have been a moment of mixed emotions for the humble shepherds who first heard the heralding in of the long-expected Messiah. Undoubtedly their hearts were moved by the glory of the heavenly host, their fear overcome by promised hope. Above all, in the silent poverty of a stable they gazed in wonder at the marvel of God s love: a child, innocent and vulnerable, yet Lord and Savior. Such a scene is ours to contemplate as well, for we are invited to share in that same moment of grace through the liturgy. For centuries, our brothers and sisters in the Church have pondered these mysteries in gratitude, singing the hymn Christ, Redeemer of Our Race. Its words still strike the heart. O Christ, Redeemer of our race, Thou brightness of the Father s face, Of him, and with him ever One, Ere times and seasons had begun. Thou that art very Light of Light, Unfailing hope in sin s dark night, Hear thou the prayers thy people pray, The wide world o er this blessed day. Remember, Lord of life and grace, How once, to save a ruined race, Thou didst our very flesh assume, In Mary s undefiled womb. This day, as year by year its light, Sheds o er the world a radiance bright, Tells how, descending from the throne, Thou savedst man, and thou alone. The heavens above, the rolling main, And all that earth s wide realms contain, With joyous voice now loudly sing The glory of their newborn King. And we, who by thy Precious Blood, From sin redeemed are marked for God, On this the day that saw thy birth, Sing the new song of ransomed earth. 3
Saint Cecilia Roman Catholic Parish The Year in Pictures 4
CHRIStmaS 2016 5
SAINT CECILIA ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH Faith Formation at Saint Cecilia SAINT CECILIA provides many opportunities for prayer, study, and fellowship centered on Jesus Christ. Each faith formation activity is designed for you to experience the power of the Holy Spirit within our community. This past year has brought many changes to our faith formation program. As you are most likely aware, in July of this year, our parish, along with St. Anthony and St. Margaret- St. John parishes, joined together to form the Eastside Pastoral Region. Joining together in this way has presented us with the wonderful opportunity to work together in many different aspects, including faith formation. Over the past few months, we have revised many programs, composed and presented new faith formation opportunities, and effectively worked together in order to build up the Kingdom of God. Here are a few highlights from this year: Grade. We have been covering multiple topics, such as the Holy Trinity, creation and the fall, the sacraments, the Church, and prayer. It is in this program that our 2nd Graders prepare for first Holy Communion and first Reconciliation as well as where our 7th and 8th Graders prepare for Confirmation. To register for this wonderful program, please visit our parish website and under our Faith Formation tab, click PREP. From there, simply fill out the online form at the bottom of the page. In September 2016, we closed out the Jubilee Year of Mercy by studying the series Divine Mercy: RCIA PREP-Grade 2 PREP-Grades 4-8 We began another season of Catholicism 101: The RCIA Experience in October where an overwhelming 60+ people registered for the class. In previous years, the average number of participants hovered around 25-30. This number can be broken down to 32 people interested in becoming Catholic, 13 people interested in helping coordinate the class by joining the RCIA team, and 16 parishioners who wished to simply learn more about their faith. This year, we joined forces with St. Anthony Parish and St. Margaret-St. John Parish to offer a combined RCIA process. In light of this joint effort, we had to revise nearly every aspect of the class. This included updating the curriculum, creating a Spanish section and a children s section of RCIA, and creating a unique parish sponsor program. If you are interested in becoming Catholic or know someone who is, or you are already Catholic and would simply like to learn more about your faith, please feel free to come to our class on Wednesday evenings in the St. Cecilia Commons from 7 8:30 PM each week. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Catholicism 101 has something to offer everyone! Our Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) started the 2016/2017 school year on Sept. 11. PREP meets on Sunday mornings from 8:30-9:45 AM and follows the school calendar. This year, we have 4 classes: Kindergarten-1st Grade, 2nd-3rd Grade, 4th-6th Grade, and 7th-8th Study on Divine Mercy The Second Greatest Story Ever Told. This 10-week series featuring Fr. Michael Gaitley told the dramatic history of God s love and mercy as interwoven through the transformative message of St. Faustina, the miraculous appearance of Mary at Fatima, the witness of Maximilian Kolbe, and the world-changing papacy of Pope St. John Paul II. Over 45 people signed up for this study, which included a video lecture, small group discussions, and, of course, a meal and an adult beverage or two. We were very excited to welcome Fr. Joshua Wagner to speak at our Advent Mission on Dec. 5-7. Fr. Joshua Wagner is a priest from the Diocese of Columbus. The theme of the 6
CHRISTMAS 2016 parish mission was The Four Phrases That Will Change Your Life: Learn to Heal Broken Relationships with God and Others and Find Peace within Yourself. Fr. Wagner discussed sin, love, redemption, the importance of the phrases I m sorry and I forgive you, and the importance of the phrases, I thank you and I love you. Fr. Wagner effortlessly presented on this most important topic, while including comedy that made for a fruitful week full of joy and laughter. We are excited to announce that our parish has renewed our subscription to a dynamic new online platform called FORMED. Every parishioner will have 24/7 access to the best Catholic content on any device, including your computer, smartphone and tablet with Internet access. With FORMED, you ll find video programs that explain the Catholic faith, explore the deepest meaning of marriage, receive Bible studies on a variety of topics, and includes inspiring audio talks. And you ll find presenters like Dr. Tim Gray, Dr. Edward Sri, Dr. Mary Healey, Chris Stefanick, Dr. Scott Hahn, Bishop Robert FOLLOW ME: MEETING JESUS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN An 8-Week Series featuring Edward Sri Beginning January 9, 2017 3 Sessions available: Mon., 7-8:30 PM in St. Cecilia Commons Mon., 9:45-11:15 AM in the St. Cecilia Parish Center Mon., 12:15-1:45 PM at St. Margaret-St. John Parish Cost: $20.00 Follow Me: Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John is your guide to a personal encounter with Christ. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus seeks after us. He comes to meet us and beckons us to follow him. He calls us to be his disciples, to trust him, to open ourselves to his merciful love, and to love others as he has loved us. Follow Me invites you to experience the joy of a renewed friendship with Christ. Upcoming Opportunities Barron and a lot more. They re all part of our parish subscription. It truly is the Catholic faith on demand. Here s how easy it is to get FORMED: Go to www. FORMED.org. You should see the registration box for parishioners. Type in the parish code (YX2P22). Now set up a username and a password. Now you are all set to use all the great programs on FORMED.org anytime by simply logging in. As you can see, St. Cecilia Parish is offering many, many areas for study, prayer, and growth in our relationship with Jesus Christ. There is a program here for everyone, regardless of age. We personally invite each of you to take advantage of one or many of these faith formation opportunities. We are all called to bring Christ to the world. Let us support one another as we walk this faith journey together so that we may truly let the light of Christ shine through our lives. Let us praise the Lord and give Him thanks! Mr. Cody Egner, Director of Religious Education FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY A 9-Week Series featuring Dave Ramsey $ $ Beginning January 8, 2017 Sun., at 11:15 AM-12:30 PM in the St. Cecilia School Building Material Cost: $93.00 (One membership with materials can be used by you and your spouse. Very helpful material is included in this kit.) WE ALL NEED A PLAN FOR OUR MONEY. Financial Peace University teaches God s ways of handling money. Through video teaching, class discussions and interactive small group activities, FPU presents biblical, practical steps to get from where you are to where you ve dreamed you could be. Get rid of debt, manage your money, and spend and save more wisely. Seats for this class are filling up fast so register soon! ST. CECILIA LENTEN EXHIBIT: SHROUD ENCOUNTER Date: March 23, 2017, 7-8:30 PM in St. Cecilia Church Shroud Encounter is a dramatic big-screen experience and in-depth exploration into the mysteries of the Shroud of Turin. Using a CSI approach, audiences are taken on a thought-provoking adventure through early Church history, ancient art, modern science, and medical forensics. Could the shroud be the most important archaeological artifact ever found, or is it just a medieval fake? Does it provide clues to what happened during the crucifixion and resurrection, or is it just a pious artwork created to represent these events? After thousands of hours of scientific analysis, the shroud remains a profound mystery. To register for either of these series, go to the parish website Faith Formation: Adult Faith Formation and follow the registration instructions. After you register, your materials will be mailed to you. Contact Cody Egner, at (513) 871-5757, ext. 215, or cegner@eastsideregion.org with any questions. 7
SAINT CECILIA ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH St. Cecilia School Dear Parishioners: On behalf of the faculty and staff, students and their parents, I want to thank you for your continued support. It has certainly been a busy school year for our students and staff as this year St. Cecilia officially joined a blended learning network of 12 other Catholic schools nationally through a grant with Seton Education Partners. Teachers and students have done an excellent job adapting teaching and learning strategies, effectively implementing blended learning, an approach in education that combines traditional classroom instruction with small group and specially targeted computer, standards based learning. In addition to this transition, many other activities and additions have helped to make this a busy but fruitful school year. The second half of the year will be equally as hectic with registration for the 2017-18 school year beginning in January for our preschool and kindergarten classes and February for grades 1-8. Interested families that may have children in grades PK-8 are encouraged to call the school office and provide contact information, as we are expecting waiting lists at many grades. It is an exciting time at St. Cecilia, and we are appreciative of parishioners who help to support our school. We wish you all a Merry Christmas, and may God bless you and your loved ones in 2017! Mr. Michael Goedde, Principal Blended learning offers specialized software that provides content lessons covering standards in both math and reading at students individual levels and is part of daily instruction. Following morning prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, students recite the St. Cecilia School slogan each morning. It speaks to the values that we hope are instilled in all of our students. To inspire students to work hard and to let them know that many opportunities will present themselves in varied fields, patron saints can be found in all classrooms. Students know their stories, and hopefully will use them to help inspire and guide them. St. Cecilia has introduced a Spanish Mass, celebrated every third Sunday of the month at 5PM, to reach out to its ever-growing Catholic Hispanic population within the school. 8
CHRIStmaS 2016 Improvements continue to take place throughout the school building. This past summer, room 5, located on the second floor across from the old computer lab, was remodeled. It is a fantastic space! The Science Guys (with some new faces) have returned to St. Cecilia to do monthly labs with students in grades 4-8. Students continue to be recognized monthly for their achievements. Students that have academically grown the most within the month are crowned champions for the month, and three students, one each from K-2, 3-5, and 6-8, are recognized for best exhibiting St. Cecilia School values. Field trips and other special activities allow students to have experiences beyond the classroom to help them to become more well-rounded individuals. Preschool (Ages 4-5/full-day) & kindergarten registration and open enrollment begins on Jan. 3, 2017. Registration for current school families begins on Feb. 1, 2017. Open registration for families with students currently outside the school begins Mar. 1, 2017. Call the school office at 533-6060 for more information. Save the Date! Open House is Sunday, January 29. 9
SAINT CECILIA ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH Make a joyful noise unto the Lord sing unto the Lord with the harp with trumpets make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King. Psalm 98 Music Ministry at Saint Cecilia From the earliest of times, we have been encouraged to sing sing to God. No other season of the Church year brings out the singer in all of us as does Christmas. It was St. Francis of Assisi who introduced the Christmas carol (along with the Nativity crèche), and from Italy Christmas carols quickly spread to Germany, France, Spain and England. Silent Night Perhaps the best known Christmas carol is Silent Night, written in 1818 by an Austrian assistant priest Joseph Mohr and the church organist Franz Gruber. Whether it was because the church organ was broken or because Fr. Mohr just loved the guitar, the congregation listened as the choir sang Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht to the accompaniment of Fr. Mohr s guitar for the very first time at that midnight Mass in St. Nicholas Church in Austria. Today, Silent Night is sung in more than 180 languages by millions of people and is the most recorded song. O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) This carol is attributed to John Francis Wade, a Catholic layman and a music teacher residing in France, where he made his living copying and selling music and by giving music lessons to children. He combined the Latin text with a bit of music and published the resulting hymn in his own 1751 publication of Cantus Diversi. But the song s popularity dates from a performance of Adeste Fideles at the Portuguese Embassy Chapel in London, which so impressed the Duke of Leeds that he had it arranged for choir and ensemble for his Christmas celebration in 1795. A century later, Frederick Oakley, an Anglican minister who converted to Catholicism, felt that if Catholic congregations had good literary texts to sing, they would sing well. He translated the Latin Adeste Fidelis into the English version, O Come, All Ye Faithful. This carol is among the most recognizable Christmas tunes in existence. Minuit Chrétiens/Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night) This carol is among the most beautiful of all Christmas carols and one of the most popular, with excellent lyrics (both French and English) and a superb melody. The song was first sung at the midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 1847 in Roquemaure, France. However, the song was immediately attacked by the Church authorities not because of the nature or subject of the song, but rather the attacks were based on the reputation of the composer! He was Jewish; and his heritage was deemed to be incompatible with the composition of a Christian religious song. One French bishop denounced the song for its lack of musical taste and total absence of the spirit of religion. In 1855, John Sullivan Dwight (1813-1893), a Unitarian minister, American music critic and journalist, discovered the song and was deeply moved by its message. He freely translated Minuit Chrétiens and published it in his Journal of Music as O Holy Night. Dwight s strong abolitionist views influenced aspects of his translation, including Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, And in His name all oppression shall cease. Known for its difficulty to be sung well, the carol is considered the premier of Christmas solos. Joy to the World Isaac Watts Father of English Hymnody is credited with the words to this carol based on Psalm 98. A hundred years later, American composer and music educator Lowell Mason embarked on the task of producing a hymnal whose tunes would be drawn from the work of European classical composers such as Haydn and Mozart. Published in 1822 by the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, Mason s hymnal turned out to be a great success. Although Joy to the World is often attributed to Handel, Handel did not compose the carol. One might say that Mason was more inspired and borrowed a few musical ideas from Handel s Messiah; however, nowhere in the Messiah will you find the entire musical composition of Joy to the World. This is just a bit of trivia of how these Christmas treasures have come to us. We are encouraged to take that spirit of Christmas into our daily lives and make a joyful noise. God loves to hear it! 10
CHRISTMAS 2016 A Pilgrimage to ROME & ASSISI with Father Jamie Weber NOV. 9-17, 2017. Register at www.stceciliacincinnati.org. The Memorare Society of Saint Cecilia was established to create a reserve fund to be used for future restoration projects and major maintenance needs. We encourage our parishioners and friends to remember St. Cecilia Parish by including it in their estate plan. A bequest to St. Cecilia will continue your financial support of the parish for many years after you have joined the communion of saints in heaven. Help keep St. Cecilia Church a beautiful inspiration for the Oakley community and beyond. Make a commitment. Register for online giving. Visit www.stceciliacincinnati.org. Click on the Online Giving link on the home page. Create your account. It s that simple. An easy way to give the way you want. For additional info or help setting up your account, contact Bob Kellison at (513)871-5757, ext. 208. NEW YEAR S EVE FIREWORKS Sat, Dec 31, 7:45 8:15 PM Oakley Square Come start New Year s Eve off with an all-ages-friendly countdown and fireworks display at the corner of Markbreit and Madison in the parking lot of the forthcoming Tap & Screw Brewpub. The Cincinnati Recreation Commission will have treats for kids while supplies last. Countdown begins at 8 PM. COLLECTIONS FOR THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 11 Envelopes/Loose Change $11,218.00 Online Giving $3,853.00 TOTAL $15,071.00 Holy Day $2,201.00 Retirement Fund for Religious $3,853.00 St. Vincent de Paul Society $1,743.16 I SER VER SCHEDULE FOR THE W EEK OF DEC E MBE R 26 J ANUAR Y 1 I MONDAY 9 AM - B. S. Dalessandro & R. Case TUESDAY 9 AM - R. Case WEDNESDAY 9 AM - R. Case THURSDAY 9 AM - R. Case FRIDAY 9 AM - D. Hilgefort & J. Hilgefort SATURDAY (New Year s Eve) 9 AM - R. Case & C. Behrens 4 PM - J. Prues, J. Weber & J. Keller SUNDAY (New Year s Day) 8 AM - J. Pearson, C. Brereton & R. Peddicord 10 AM - Donovans, Max Simon, C. Herzner, 11