Saint Elizabeth Parish Religious Education Preparation PREP (CCD) Mrs. Mary Spieker Director of Religious Education dirreled@sercc.org 610-266-0695 St. Elizabeth s Parish web site: http://www.sercc.org/ February 2018 Holy Father's Prayer Intention for February - Say "No" to Corruption That those who have material, political or spiritual power may resist any lure of corruption. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday February 14, 2018. St. Elizabeth Mass times are at 9:00 AM, 12:15 PM & 7:00 PM LENTEN REMINDERS: Lent is a time for sacrifice and for spiritual renewal as we reflect upon our baptism and the call given to each of us to walk as disciples of the Lord. We are provided with three personal challenges: 1. Almsgiving generously giving to those in need 2. Fasting practicing self-discipline and self-denial 3. Prayer reading, hearing and reflecting on the Word of God Lenten Fasting Rules 1) Abstinence on all the Fridays of Lent, and on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. No meat may be eaten on days of abstinence. Catholics 14 years and older are bound to abstain from meat. Invalids, pregnant and nursing mothers are exempt.
2) Fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting means having only one full meal to maintain one's strength. Two smaller, meatless and penitential meals are permitted according to one's needs, but they should not together equal the one full meal. Eating solid foods between meals is not permitted. Catholics from age 18 through age 59 are bound to fast. Again, invalids, pregnant and nursing mothers are exempt. Operation Rice Bowl Children s Donation Boxes The children of St. Elizabeth Parish will be asked once again to collect donations for Operation Rice Bowl. Our children in Pre-K through 8 th grade will be given small donation boxes once Lent begins. Please return all boxes by Monday, March 26. All donations will be sent directly to Catholic Relief Services to help fund their efforts of bringing food and drink to our hungry world. When you give to CRS (Catholic Relief Services) Rice Bowl: 25 percent of your donations go to hunger and poverty alleviation efforts in your own community. 75 percent of your donations support CRS s humanitarian relief programs in 100 countries worldwide. ($10 provides a family with 2 weeks of food) http://www.crsricebowl.org/about/ We thank you for supporting this important ministry. SACRAMENTAL UPDATE REMINDER Children preparing for the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist should attend Liturgy of the Word on Sunday, February 25 at the 9:45 AM Mass. First Reconciliation We congratulate the following children who have received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time on Wednesday evening, January 24. Please continue to pray for them and for their families as they begin preparation for the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Justin Caban Giann Denny Valery Ferreira Viviana Ferreira Rocco Fonzone Cody Kremsner AddisonMuretta Taige Nguyen Aaron Pham Makaila Ruvolis Isaak Smith Jade Snyder Logan Tehonica Julian Torres Avery Toth Elianna Young Rylan Young Alexis Zeigafuse
Confirmation Students preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation: Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on Thursday, March 1 @ 4:30 P.M. with Bishop Alfred Schlert at St. Elizabeth Parish - Confirmation Interviews are scheduled for Monday, February 12. Service hours must be completed at this time. CONFIRMATION PRACTICES: Confirmation practice for all candidates is Wednesday, February 21 at 6:00 PM in church Practice will last approximately 45 minutes to an hour. All parents are asked to come into church to pick-up their children. Candidates will be given their Confirmation robe at this time. PLEASE NOTE: The Sacrament of Reconciliation is being offered every Saturday at St. Elizabeth Church from 3:30 4:15 PM as well as before each weekend Mass. Confession will bring your child into the state of grace needed to receive Confirmation. Sponsors are also encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at a suitable time before the Confirmation ceremony. A Second Confirmation Practice A Second Confirmation practice for candidates and their sponsors is planned for Sunday, February 25 immediately following the 11:30 AM Mass at Saint Elizabeth. Candidates are expected to attend the 11:30 AM Mass and sit up front in their assigned seats. Sponsors may sit anywhere in the church and will be given their assigned seats for Confirmation during the practice. Immediately following Mass we will have a light lunch in the parish hall. Sponsors are invited to join us at this time. We will then gather in the church for our final practice at 1:00 PM. This will last approximately one hour. CONFIRMATION CELEBRATION VOLLEYBALL & PIZZA PARTY MONDAY, APRIL 9 Where: St. Elizabeth Parish Hall Who: 8 th grade PREP & St. E s School Students Food: All you can eat pizza & drinks Time: 6:15 PM 7:30 PM
You worked hard to prepare for Confirmation this year, so now is the time to kick back and share the Spirit with your classmates and friends. Are you up for the challenge! Hope to see you there! ATTENDANCE Parents are responsible to make certain that their child does make-up work if they have exceeded our three-absent per year policy. I will only notify you of how many make-up assignments are necessary, your choices of assignments, and when they are due. I am sorry if you find this an addition burden, but in all fairness this has been the policy at St. Elizabeth s PREP and all are reminded each year of this policy. Without some kind of accountability, our policy and program would become meaningless. All parents with students over the three-absent limit will be receiving a note via e-mail by mid March. Then it is in your hands to carry out the assignment in a Christian spirit. If you have any questions or can offer a substitute makeup opportunity such as service hours, please contact me directly. Prayer Services Planned! Many thanks to our 6 th grade class for the beautiful Pro-Life Mass they hosted on January 29. Our 5 th grade PREP class will soon begin to plan for our St. Joseph Feast Day Prayer Service to be held on Monday, March 19 at 6:15 PM. All parents and families are welcome and urged to attend and pray with us! Monday, March 19 St. Joseph Feast Day Prayer Service Planned by 5 th grade PREP Monday, April 23 PREP Closing Mass All are welcome to attend! For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20 Homework Please check to make sure your child has completed the homework assignment given each week. In most cases, homework is given weekly with an added e-mail reminder. Our PREP teachers work very hard preparing lessons and challenging our students to complete work and come to class ready to share. Together, we can train our children to know, understand, and value our faith through our own words and examples.
We will have our annual Cookies and Milk fundraiser this Monday, February 12 to benefit the Missionary Childhood Association. http://www.propfaith.net/onefamilyinmission/mca.aspx The cost is only $2.00 for two cookies and a cup of milk or water; however, we gladly accept extra donations for this important cause! (If your child has a food allergy, please send in an alternative snack.) Thanks for your support! Mark Tuesday, March 20 on your calendar to come help with the Community Meal for the Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative hosted at St. Elizabeth s Parish Hall from 4 6:30 PM. February 2018 St. Elizabeth Youth Ministry for Grades 6-7-8-9 Upcoming Events for Spring 2018 Theme of the year: Christian Unity SUN 2/11: Fudge with Father! @ Parish Hall, 6-8pm SUN 2/25: Christian Unity @ YM Room, 6-8pm Who doesn t like fudge! Help Father Pendzick make his favorite recipe. Will pack some to sell at March breakfast! Reflect on our theme for this year + game night! with snacks of course March 2018 SUN 3/11: Breakfast + fundraiser @ Parish Hall, 8:30-11pm Jewish Seder Service @ Parish Hall, 5pm We are eating breakfast and selling Easter flowers and fudge at the Parish Breakfast! You won t want to miss this! Learn about our Jewish Brethren and the traditions of our faith!
TUES 3/20: Community Meal @ Parish Hall Our Lenten service project to volunteer in serving a meal for our fellow neighbors. THURS 3/29: Church Hopping Holy Thursday Mass @ 7pm Join us as we celebrate Holy Thursday Mass together at 7:00pm then visit the 4 area churches to pray, watch, and wait for Jesus! Presidents Day There is no class on Monday, February 19, because of the holiday. Enjoy your long weekend! Inclement Weather In case of inclement weather, please watch for an announcement of cancellation for St. Elizabeth PREP Classes, Whitehall, on WFMZ. I will try to get the message announced as soon as possible. Rule of Thumb: If the Whitehall-Coplay School District has cancelled classes or has an early dismissal, we will not have class. WFMZ TV Note: Schedule delay or closing information will be listed on our website and not on Channel 69 (except for extreme weekend weather conditions). February Birthdays Happy Birthday to: Justin, Gion, Mateo, Olivia, Aaron, Landon, Trey, Aubree, Miss Kayla Mosser, Mrs. Kelly Smith & Mrs. Spieker. Remember to come to Holy Mass each weekend to strengthen your soul for another week of challenges! Mass times at St. Elizabeth s are: Saturday 4:30 PM Sunday 8:00 AM, 9:45 AM and 11:30 AM
The Origin of St. Valentine The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom. http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=159 http://www.catholic.org/saints/fun_facts_arch.php?saint=370 Guardian Angel Prayer Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom God s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. Happy Valentines Day! I ll be thinking and praying for all of you. Mrs. Mary Spieker Director of Religious Education
CLASS SCHEDULE 2017-2018 2018 SAINT ELIZABETH PARISH PREP (CCD) PARISH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM 6:00 PM 7:30 PM FEBRUARY 5 Monday Class 6:00 7:30 PM (Adoration) 12 Monday Class 6:00 7:30 PM MCA (HCA) Cookies & Milk Fundraiser- $2.00 pp 14 Wednesday Ash Wednesday Mass 7:00 PM 19 Monday NO CLASS Presidents Day Holiday 26 Monday Class 6:00 7:30 PM (Christina talk to 6-7-8 - Seder) CONFIRMATIN CLASS IN UPPER ROOM Confession & Confirmation video!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whxotvyvkmm MARCH - PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO GO TO CHURCH DURING HOLY WEEK 5 Monday Class - Confessions during class for grades 2-8 6:00 7:30 PM 12 Monday Class - Traditional Stations of the Cross 6:00 7:30 PM (Adoration) 19 Monday Class 6:00 7:30 PM St. Joseph Prayer Service (6:15 6:45) Hosted by 5 th Grade 25 Palm Sunday Living Stations of the Cross in Church 6:30 PM 26 Monday Class 29 Holy Thursday Church Hopping after the 7 PM Mass of the Lord s Supper 30 Good Friday 31 Holy Saturday APRIL 1 Easter Sunday 2 Easter Monday No Class Easter Holiday 9 Monday Class 6:00 7:30 PM Confirmation Class Pizza & Volleyball Celebration 16 Monday Class 6:00 7:30 PM (Adoration) 23 Monday Last class & Mass (6:15 PM) 6:00 7:30 (Progress reports issued) 30 Monday Second Grade Practice for Holy Communion 6:00 7:00 MAY 1 Tuesday Second Grade Communion Retreat 8:30 A.M. 2:30 P.M. 5 Saturday First Holy Communion Second Grade 10:00 A.M.