The Epiphany of The Lord January 5, 2014 Epiphany of Our Lord Church - December 29, 2013 Page 1
Epiphany Proclamation 2014 While a day like Christmas is fixed in our minds and on the calendars on December 25th, many of the important feasts of the Church year move, based upon the date that Easter is set. Easter changes each year moving to the Sunday after the "Paschal Full Moon," and can fall between March 22 and April 25. In ancient times before calendars were common, most people did not know the dates for the upcoming Liturgical Year. On Epiphany Sunday, the upcoming dates were "proclaimed" after the gospel in this way: Dear brothers and sisters, the glory of the Lord has shone upon us, and shall ever be manifest among us, until the day of his return. Through the rhythms of times and seasons let us celebrate the mysteries of salvation. Let us recall the year's culmination, the Easter Triduum of the Lord: his last supper, his crucifixion, his burial, and his rising celebrated between the evening of the Seventeenth day of April and the evening of the Nineteenth day of April, Easter Sunday being on the Twentieth day of April. Each Easter -- as on each Sunday -- the Holy Church makes present the great and saving deed by which Christ has for ever conquered sin and death. From Easter are reckoned all the days we keep holy. Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, will occur on the Fifth day of March. The Ascension of the Lord will be commemorated on the Twenty-Ninth day of May. Pentecost, joyful conclusion of the season of Easter, will be celebrated on the Eighth day of June. And, this year the First Sunday of Advent will be on the Thirtieth day of November. Likewise the pilgrim Church proclaims the passover of Christ in the feasts of the holy Mother of God, in the feasts of the Apostles and Saints, and in the commemoration of the faithful departed. To Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is to come, Lord of time and history, be endless praise, for ever and ever. Amen. Epiphany of Our Lord Church - December 29, 2013 Page 2
Art and Environment We thank all the volunteers who donated their valuable time and talent to help decorate the Christmas Nativity Crib and the Church sanctuary. The Gospel of Matthew Join us for four sessions on Wednesdays at 9:15 a.m. in the Rectory Meeting Room. Any questions: call Ken Clancy at (215) 699-8950. Joyful Noise High School students who wish to make a joyful noise to the Lord (Psalm 100:1) by participating in our teen choir and various other liturgical ministries this Sunday, Jan. 5, The Epiphany of the Lord, at the 9:30 a.m. Mass may contact Allie McCrae, or Jamie Roop at eoljoyfulnoise@gmail.com. First Penance The Sacrament of First Penance will be celebrated on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. in the Church. Please pray for the children as they prepare to receive God s mercy, forgiveness and grace. Old Testament Scripture Study Our Scripture Study on Thursday night continues for the Spring Semester beginning Jan. 9. Our topic for this semester is Enjoying the Old Testament. The sessions will consist of a 25 minute DVD presentation with the remainder of the session devoted to our usual lively discussion about the topic for that evening. The Old Testament retains a significant place in the Canon of the Roman Catholic Church in that typology, or the movement of the plan of salvation, matters so much in our study. Typology looks at the prophecies of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament and then helps uncover those prophecies in the New Testament. It makes the class all the more interesting. As we move closer to the date, please consider joining us. Deacon Ken Belanger, St. Helena Rectory, (610) 275-7711. High School Students Retreat The first Regional Kairos Retreat will take place Feb. 13-16, 2014 for high school juniors and seniors that do not have the opportunity to go on Kairos at their high school (i.e. they attend public school, are being homeschooled or any other circumstance). Kairos is a 4-day, 3-night retreat helping high school-aged school to grow deeper in their faith. The price for this retreat is $250. If you are interested in signing up or learning more, please visit our website, http:// paregionalkairos.weebly.com. If you would like to donate or sponsor a retreatant, please email us at paregionalkairos@gmail.com. HRRCS New Student Registration 2014-2015 Tuesday, Jan. 14, 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, 8-10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, 1-3 p.m. Child must be at least age 5 by 9/1/2014 to register for Kindergarten. Child must be at least age 6 by 9/1/2014 to register for Grade 1. To complete the application process, the parent/ guardian will need to provide copies of the following: Birth Certificate, Certificate of Baptism. If your child has received additional sacraments, we must have their complete dates. Immunization Record, Registration Fee $75 per student, Letter of subsidy payment from your pastor, if applicable. Custody Papers, if applicable. Please note that there will also be a technology fee of $75 per student and a lunch duty fee of $50 per family. In addition, there is an ipad insurance fee in grades six through eight of $75 per student. These fees are all due to Holy Rosary prior to the first day of school. If you have any questions regarding registration, please feel free to contact Beth Sheldon at bsheldon@holyrosaryregional.com Catholic Schools Week Open House Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014 1 p.m. 3 p.m. If you would like to schedule an individual tour of the school, please call the school office at (610) 825-0160. Altar Flowers For the benefit of those new to our parish, or not aware of this devotion, following are the details of our Altar Flowers Donations. The Art and Environment volunteers are devoted to make the altar look beautiful for every occasion. Arrangements can be sponsored by individuals in memory of the deceased, or for a special intention for the living. Your donation to the Altar Flowers helps our altar look beautiful. Call Lydia Hayward at the rectory (610) 828-8634 to reserve the date. Peter Cosumano* Todd Bailey Hanna Garman* Thomas J. Gibbons* Joseph Hreha Steve Idzik* Carter Janssen Jim Jones, Jr.* Please Pray For The Sick Bill Keenan* Michael Koneski Mary Lauer Patricia Miamidian* Helen Miller* Michael O Kane John Paoloca* Mary Pizzico* Jeff Phipps Jill Ramos Deacon Bill Radetsky* Joseph Rozecki Nancy Varaso Sandra Young* *Parishioner Epiphany of Our Lord Church - December 29, 2013 Page 3
Kairos can open a teen s heart to God, If you let him By Melanie DeFrancisco, Melanie DeFrancisco Reprinted with permission from CatholicPhilly.com Dec. 16, 2013 When it comes to the Kairos retreat, there is really only one word that I can use to describe it: life-changing. Although this unique experience is something that almost cannot be put into words because of how amazing it is, I can explain how much it has touched and changed my own personal life. Before I went on my own Kairos back in June, I was very confused about the whole retreat. I had a few very close friends in the grade above me that had gone and came back so changed by it and would constantly tell me how much it affected them and that they couldn t wait for me to finally get to experience it. So many times I thought to myself, What could possibly happen in just four small days that can make people who have never talked a day in their lives, suddenly come back friends? How can people who didn t even want to go in the first place, come back completely loving it? How can people who wanted nothing to do with God before, suddenly come back with a completely different outlook on faith and God? These questions were all answered for me in the most special way when I finally got to experience my own Kairos retreat. Contrary to some misconceptions, Kairos is absolutely not a place where you sit down and listen to lectures about religion all day. Kairos is about getting to see God in so many special and unexpected ways. One of the biggest challenges in living out our faith seems to be going to Mass every Sunday and actively participating in the sacraments. When we think about going to Mass, many people automatically dread it and think it is going to be the most boring hour of our whole week. Well, on Kairos you not only find yourself enjoying Mass but actually listening to what is being taught instead of allowing the words to just go in one ear and out the other. You truly start to understand the importance of Mass and why we are there and want to be there. Epiphany of Our Lord Church - December 29, 2013 Page 4
One of the other amazing things I got to experience on Kairos was not only getting to receive the sacrament of reconciliation myself but also watching, if not everyone, almost every single person on the retreat go to confession and coming out of it feeling so relieved and ready to start fresh with God this time, rather than against him. You also get to experience God through other people and their stories that have led them to be where they are today. You get to share your own stories and open up to others and to God about things that maybe you ve never really felt comfortable with sharing before because Kairos is 100 percent judgment-free. Unfortunately, in everyday life, as I m sure many of us know all too well, it is extremely difficult to not feel judged and very often we can allow our insecurities to get the best of us. However, on this retreat, you can allow yourself to forget about all the worries, fears, doubts and so much more that can unfortunately come with everyday life. Now I know all of this may seem completely crazy and unrealistic to someone who has not been on a Kairos retreat before, and that is completely understandable! However, if you haven t experienced this retreat and you ever have the opportunity, take it! I can almost guarantee it will be one of the best decisions of your life. I know it was for me. I truly believe there is a time and place for everything, and I can t thank God enough for blessing me with the opportunity to not only go on my own retreat, but then to go back a few months later and get to lead and watch others find God. It is truly an indescribable and life-changing experience that everyone should get to be a part of. Luckily for all of us, Kairos does not stop after those four days end. Kairos is something that lives on in each of its members for the rest of their lives if they let it. God is present now and always, we just have to let him in, and Kairos is a place where we can finally really see that door to God being wide open. We all need God, and he s calling each and every one of us to something so special and so much bigger than ourselves. He is calling each of us to open up the door and let him come into our lives and change it all for the better. The only question that seems to be left is: will we let him? For the first time in the Philadelphia Archdiocese, a Kairos retreat will be offered to Catholic public school students and home-schooled students. Visit CatholicPhilly.com Melanie DeFrancisco is a senior at Archbishop Carroll High School, Radnor, and a member of Epiphany of Our Lord Parish, Plymouth Meeting. Archdiocese of Philadelphia Copyright 2013 CatholicPhilly.com Epiphany of Our Lord Church - December 29, 2013 Page 5
MASS INTENTIONS Monday, Jan. 6 8:30 a.m. Amber N. Bernsteil Tuesday, Jan. 7 8:30 a.m. Marian Sawchynsky Wednesday, Jan. 8 8:30 a.m. Anthony Cottonaro Thursday, Jan. 9 8:30 a.m. Eliseo Betti Friday, Jan. 10 8:30 a.m. Joseph Fanelli Saturday, Jan. 11 8:30 a.m. Sr. Joan Daly Happy New Year! Our Parish Priests and our staff members wish all our parishioners a healthy, and holy happy New Year! Red Cross Platelet Drive Epiphany of Our Lord hosts Red Cross Platelet donors the third Friday of each month on a bus in the parking lot. These are scheduled donation times starting at 1:30 p.m. and take approximately 2 1/2 hours for the procedure. Platelets are extremely important to cancer patients and others with serious illnesses. If interested, please contact Linda Harris at (610) 941-4478. Your time and donation is greatly appreciated. Stewardship is a way of life. Tithing is God s Plan for Giving. Last Week s Tithe $ N/A Last Year s Tithe $ 15,144 Children s Tithe $ N/A From the Pastor: Congratulations and prayerful best wishes to all as we celebrate our parish patronal feat day on this solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. With God s grace, we continue to manifest Christ to the world Please Remember in your Prayers Mary Jane Feeley Who died Dec. 20 Mother of Mary Ann and Susan Feeley Angelo D. Guerra Who died Dec. 17 Husband of Martha Guerra Father of Tina, Sarina, Filippa and Angela Brother of Ronald & Robert Guerra John O Neil Who died Dec. 16 Father of Patrick, Timothy and Kevin O Neil Michael Shea Who died Nov 8 Brother of Robert Shea In Loving Memory Baptism We welcome to our parish family Christian Grayson Messina Ellie Grace Williams Baptized Dec. 29 Pro-Life Rose Devotion to Mary For the benefit of those new to our parish, or not aware of this devotion, following are the details of our ongoing Pro- Life Rose Devotion to Mary. The Respect Life Committee (RLC) of our parish sponsors a devotion to Mary consisting of a specially selected, beautiful rose, which adorns the Blessed Mother s shrine for a week beginning Saturday. Roses can be sponsored by individuals in memory of the deceased, or for a special intention for the living. Proceeds are used by EOL s Respect Life Committee to support various pro-life activities. They are an important source of income. The Rose is very popular and it fills up very fast. Don t miss on those specific dates. To sponsor a rose, please do the following: Call Lydia Hayward at the rectory to reserve the date (610) 828-8634. Send a $10 donation to Lydia, to schedule the rose for your date (checks may be payable to the Respect Life Committee). Epiphany of Our Lord Church - December 29, 2013 Page 6
Epiphany of Our Lord Church 3050 Walton Road, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania 19462 Phone: (610) 828-8634 Fax: (610) 828-1802 E-Mail: epiphanych@comcast.net www.epiphanyofourlord.com Pastoral Staff Rev. Joseph J. Quindlen, Pastor Rev. James J. Kelly, In Residence (Retired) Permanent Deacons Kenneth P. Clancy, Emil J. Wernert, Michael Pascarella, Jr. William R. Radetzky (Retired), Joel M. Ziff, (Retired) Parish Office Staff Paris A. DiPietro: Business Manager Constance M. Steuer: Director of Music Lydia Hayward: Business Secretary Anthony R. Mashaintonio: Maintenance Supervisor John F. Phipps: Church Sacristan, part-time Cecilia T. Dadario: Administrative Assistant, part-time JoAnn O Connor: Administrative Assistant Nicole Zimmerman: Information Technology Coordinator, part-time Office of Religious Education www.epiphanyofourlord.com (215) 367-5853 Stephanie Quigley: Coordinator, part-time, Nicole Zimmerman: Adm. Assistant, part-time E-mail: rep@eol.comcastbiz.net Office of Youth Ministry Gail Toto: Coordinator, part-time (215) 367-5854 E-mail:ymmin@eol.comcastbiz.net Holy Rosary Regional Catholic School www.holyrosaryregional.com Perpetual Adoration Chapel In order to keep our Perpetual Adoration Chapel open 24/7, we need your help. Please ask a family member or friend to consider spending time with our Eucharistic Lord Jesus. You can come to HIM, to praise and adore HIM or to pour out one s heart to HIM, to ask for inspiration, to be consoled and comforted, to ask for favors and guidance, and to give thanks. Please call Elaine Thorpe at (610) 828-6925. If you can commit to any of the following Open Hours: SUNDAY: MONDAY: TUESDAY: WEDNESDAY: THURSDAY: FRIDAY: 5-6AM, 1-2PM, 3-4PM, 8-9PM 6-6AM, 12-1PM, 11AM-12PM, 4-5PM 5-6AM, 4-5PM, 9-10PM 9-10AM, 4-5PM, 5-6 PM 6-7PM, 7-8PM, 10-11PM 5-6AM, 3-4PM, 7-8PM, 9-10PM, 10-11PM SATURDAY: 6-7AM,11AM-12PM, 12-1PM, 1-2PM, 3-4PM, 7-8PM, 9-10PM NOTE: We are asking the men of the parish to cover the early morning times. Please do not leave any religious articles in the chapel, ie, books, magazines, metals, prayer cards, rosaries, etc. SATURDAY: SUNDAY: DAILY: HOLYDAYS: MASS SCHEDULE 5 p.m. Vigil (fulfills the Sunday Obligation) 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., & 11:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. Monday to Saturday Vigil at 7 p.m., 8:30 a.m., 12 & 7 p.m. CONFESSIONS Saturday: 3:30-4:30 p.m. and by appointment PARISH OFFICE HOURS MONDAY-FRIDAY 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. After 4:30 p.m. by appointment only Closed for lunch: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. SATURDAY By appointment only SUNDAY By appointment only A mail slot is located in the rectory front door. PARISH OFFICE REQUESTS To register in the parish, arrange for a baptism, or request a Certificate of Eligibility for sponsorship at baptism or confirmation, contact the rectory Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (email is preferable). Also, please advise our office staff of any change of address, telephone number or family status. Thank you. Anointing of the Sick First Saturday of the month during 8:30 a.m. Mass or by special request. Please notify the rectory as soon as possible when any parishioner becomes seriously ill or is admitted to the hospital. Baptism Baptisms are celebrated after the 11:30 a.m. Mass every Sunday, with the option of baptism during the 11:30 a.m. Mass on the fifth Sunday of the month. Both parents must attend a Pre-Jordan class, which is held the first Wednesday of every month. Pre-Registration for the class is required by contacting the rectory. Sponsors are required to submit a Certificate of Eligibility from their parish two weeks prior to the baptism. Marriage Notify the priest of your intention to marry at least six months before the date of the wedding to assure sufficient preparation and to arrange for Pre-Cana sessions. Pre-Cana Days are held in April and October. MIRACULOUS MEDAL PERPETUAL NOVENA After 8:30 a.m. Mass every Saturday Epiphany of Our Lord Church - December 29, 2013 Page 7