Saint Mary Parish 4001 Saint Mary s Drive 360.293.2101 v 360.293.8556 f www.stmaryanacortes.org December 16, 2018 Third Sunday of Advent Liturgy Schedule Saint Mary Parish Celebration of the Eucharist Weekend Saturday Vigil Mass... 5:00 p.m. Sunday Mass.. 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. Weekday Tuesday...5:00 p.m. Wednesday Saturday.. 9:00 a.m. First Friday Mass....... 9:00 a.m. First Saturday Sacrament of Reconciliation....9:00 a.m. Benediction and Mass 10:00 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation Half hour before Daily Mass in addition to the following: Saturday.. 3:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Sunday..... 7:30 a.m.; 10:15 a.m. Our Sacred Purpose Our purpose at St. Mary Parish is to live our devotion to Christ in the Eucharist and our compassion for Christ in one another, to build a welcoming community that will love and serve God and neighbor, and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Saint Paul Parish St. Paul Church and Fr. Twohy Spiritual Center 17456 Pioneer Pkwy. La Conner, WA98257 Mail: c/o 4001 Saint Mary s Drive 360-293-2101 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. Isaiah 61:1 Liturgy Schedule Saint Paul Parish Sunday Mass: January 13 and 27 at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday Mass: January 15 and 29 at 5:00 p.m. Readings for the week... You can find readings for every day at www.usccb.org/nab The Liturgy of the Hours the official daily prayer of the church is at www.divineoffice.org The Vision That Unites Us Build Community Grow Spiritually Passionate Disciples Our Three Pastoral Priorities Welcoming Formation Stewardship The Values That Guide Us Community Prayer Evangelism Commitment
Parish Directory St. Mary Parish Office: 360-293-2101; FAX: 360-293-8556 4001 Saint Mary s Drive www. stmaryanacortes.org Parish Office Hours: Monday through Friday Monday through Friday: 10:00 a.m. Noon,1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. Parish Pastoral Team Rev. Mel Strazicich, Pastor Ext. 101 Ruth Miller, Parish Administrator Ext. 102 ruth.miller@stmaryanacortes.org Daniel Gutierrez, PA for Faith Formation Ext. 104 fform@stmaryanacortes.org Ben Maes, PA for Liturgy Ext. 106 liturgy@stmaryanacortes.org Marcia Maes, Receptionist Ext. 100 aa1@stmaryanacortes.org Brandee Theriot, Administrative Assistant Ext. 103 adminast@stmaryanacortes.org Deacon Cary Parnell 509-860-5826 deaconcary@stmaryanacortes.org Parish Councils Pastoral Council: Mark Leopold, Co-chair Dave Vacanti, Co-chair Finance Council: To be determined St. Paul Parish Office 360-293-2101 17456 Pioneer Parkway La Conner, WA 98257 Mail: c/o 4001 Saint Marys Dr. Parish Office Hours Contact Ruth Miller at 360-293-2101 x102 ruth.miller@stmaryanacortes.org Parish Pastoral Team Rev. Mel Strazicich, Pastor Ruth Miller, Parish Administrator Immaculate Conception Regional School (360)428-3912 Gwen Rodrigues, Principal 1321 E Division St. Mount Vernon, WA 98274 Mass Intentions December 18: Rubiel Cadavid + December 19: Charles Blackburn + December 20: Mark Freier + December 21: Tim Fowler + This week at St. Mary and St. Paul Sunday, December 16 7:30 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation 9:30 a.m. WFC Sacramental Prep Classes Only 10:15 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation 11:00 a.m. Mass 12:00 p.m. Healing Prayer Ministry 12:00 p.m. Staging of Christmas Decorations St. Paul, Swinomish Reservation Monday, December 17 6:00 p.m. Simbang Gabi Choir Rehearsal Tuesday, December 18 4:30 p.m. Seven Sorrows Rosary 4:30 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation 5:00 p.m. Mass Wednesday, December 19 8:30 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation 9:00 a.m. Mass 10:00 a.m. Steps in a Journey 6:00 p.m. RCIA Thursday, December 20 8:30 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation 9:00 a.m. Mass 4:00 p.m. Christmas Pageant Rehearsal 5:30 p.m. Christmas Altar Server Rehearsal Friday, December 21 9:45 a.m. Seven Sorrows Rosary 3:00 p.m. Chaplet of Divine Mercy 6:00 p.m. Mass 7:00 p.m. Simbang Gabi Celebration Saturday, December 22 No morning Mass 10:00 a.m. Christmas Choir Rehearsal 12:00 p.m. Christmas Pageant Dress Rehearsal 3:30 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation 5:00 p.m. Mass Sunday, December 23 7:30 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation 10:15 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation 11:00 a.m. Mass 12:00 p.m. Christmas Decorating St. Paul, Swinomish Reservation Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 12
Praying for our Military CDR Roger Leech, USN L.CPL. Jobil Anne Robinson, USMC Thomas Mullinaux, USAF Lt. J.G. Scott Cadmus, USN ATCS (AW) Justin Lartigue, USN MM CPO Jon Walsh, USN Johnny C. McDonald, USN 1st Lt. Britta Vivaldo, USMC Lt. Kimberly Dillon, USN Major Alain Martinez, USAF LCDR Andrew Gibbons, USN MIDN2C Hope Hurtado, USN Lt. Tom Cruz, USN Miguel Boza, USAF Lt. Ashley I Lewis, USN Perpetual Adoration St. Peter Julian Eymard Chapel AVAILABLE HOURS SUNDAY: 12, 1, 2 am MONDAY: 10 pm TUESDAY: 2-4 am, 4 pm WEDNESDAY: 3 am, 11 pm THURSDAY: 12-4 am, 11 pm FRIDAY : 3 am SATURDAY: No open hours Alliance of the Two Hearts and Communion of Reparation is on the First Friday of every month, with 24-hour Adoration in the Church. Contact Sally 360-293-3222 Stewardship of Treasure Fiscal year 7/1/2018 6/30/2019 Collection for December 8-9, 2018 Offertory $ 6,800 Online Giving $ 1,650 Total $ 8,450 Weekly Goal $ 9,200 Immaculate Conception 1,508 Faith Formation Reminder Whole Family Catechesis Sacramental Prep classes only will meet Sunday, December 16 after. Christmas Decorating Your Help is Needed! We will begin staging for Christmas decorating on Sunday, December 16 after the 11:00 a.m. Mass. Decorating will take place on Sunday, December 23 after the 11:00 a.m. Mass. We are hoping for many helpers to get the job done as efficiently as possible. Christmas Pageant Rehearsals Rehearsals for our Children s Christmas Pageant will be Thursday, December 20 at 3:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 22 at noon. The Christmas Pageant takes place during the 5:00 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve. All children are invited and encouraged to participate! Simbang Gabi Celebration Friday, December 21 join us for our very first Simbang Gabi celebration with Mass at 6:00 p.m. immediately followed by food, fun, and fellowship in the traditional Filipino style in the Parish Hall. The March For Life in Olympia will be Tuesday, January 22. We will begin with Mass at 8:00 am at St. Mary, Anacortes and depart by bus at 8:30 am. Signups will begin after Masses the weekend of January 5-6, and continue the following weekend. Bus fare is $20 for adults and children 12 years of age and over; $10 for children ages 5 to 11; and $5 for children under 5. All reserved signups must be paid in advance (all signup fares are final). We will provide an onboard breakfast of muffins, coffee, oranges, and juice for the kids. Each person will need to provide their own lunch. The return trip is scheduled to depart from Olympia at 2:00 pm and to arrive at St. Mary at 5:00 pm. Make your check payable to St. Mary Parish. If you have any questions or special needs with, call Susan Tibbles (360-293-8598); or Walt Daspit(360-678-4535), Co-Chairs for St. Mary Respect Life Committee. Please see the handouts in the narthex area for complete sign-up information for the March for Life event. The Belles of St. Mary are asking for donations to help needy families buy Christmas gifts for their family members. The Belles coordinate with St. Vincent de Paul Society which purchases and distributes the gifts each year. Please make checks payable to St. Vincent de Paul with the notation Christmas Families in the memo section. If you choose to give cash, please put it in an envelope marked SVDP and include your name. Your contribution may be placed in the collection basket at Mass or dropped off at the parish office. The deadline for your donation is Monday, December 17 th. Thank you for your generosity and kindness of heart.
Dear Parishioners, Looking Back Last Sunday: Second Sunday of Advent Prepare the Way of the Lord! St. John the Baptist goes out into the desert, where the people of Israel first received their identity from the Lord, to prepare a new heart for a new Savior. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill made low. There are good and bad mountains. What are the bad mountains in your life? They are the obstacles, nay the idols, that get between you and God, between you and your loved ones, between you and your spiritual life. What are the bad valleys? Those are the repeated patterns of negative behavior that create literal canyons of sin-sickness in our hearts and even our physical minds. The program of St. John the Baptist is baptism, repentance and forgiveness of sins. Baptism: a formal act (like Confession) where we leave our old life behind and turn over a new leaf. Repentance or conversion: adopting a new mindset so that we see ourselves as God sees us. Forgiveness of sins: absolution of guilt allows us to move on with our lives in a fresh way so that we might live as free children of God. The Sacrament of Confession is the primary way we live out this program of John the Baptist. Each time we confess our sins, even our repeated ones, another layer of sediment is removed and the water of God s grace can run more smoothly into an open heart. Let us take advantage of the opportunities we have left this Advent for a good Confession! - Fr. Straz Sunday of the Third Week of Advent begins with the Prophet Zephaniah's announcement of liberation and God's presence among the people after decades of their own infidelity. In Luke's Gospel John the Baptist is the focus of the expectation in the people who come to him asking what to do. He exhorts them to integrity and charity and announces the one who is to come: He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. On Monday we reach the last eight days of Advent and the focus of the weekday readings returns to the gospels with stories from Jesus' family in the time before he was born. In Matthew's genealogy, we see the ancestors of Jesus. Joseph decides to divorce the pregnant Mary until an angel appears to him in a dream, saying, It is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. The rest of the week we have nearly all of the first chapter of Luke's gospel. Elizabeth and Zechariah, struggling with their inability to have a child, are told they will have a child named John who will be filled with the Holy Spirit. When Zechariah doubts, he is struck speechless. Thursday's gospel is the beloved story from Luke's gospel of the Annunciation with Mary's humble response, May it be done to me according to your word. Mary sets out to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary's response to Elizabeth: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior for he has looked upon his lowly servant...from this day all generations will call me blessed. From the Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer, the Creighton University s Online Ministries website: http://www.creighton.edu/collaborative Ministry/online.html. Used with permission The third week of Advent this year is especially full because it is essentially the last week of Advent. In these familiar readings is an invitation to us to ask again for help, perhaps especially in dealing with our fears. In many of this week's gospels an angel, a messenger from God, reassures these holy but very human members of Jesus' family over and over: Do not be afraid. Fear can stop us from asking God for the very help we need in our lives. In the midst of what our culture tells us should be a picture-perfect holiday season, we can step back and get in touch with our fears and ask God to help us deal with the relationships we are afraid of, the family tensions that make us apprehensive and the stress that can take us out of the spirit of Advent reflection. If we pause for just a minute, we can feel in our hearts that Jesus is saying gently to us each day: Do not be afraid. These very busy days can still be a time for us to focus our desires, perhaps each morning at the side of our bed, while in the shower or while going about our daily errands. We can ask God to remind us again that what we are doing in our daily lives is touched by the sacred because God is present in even the most mundane tasks. We are moving toward the end of our Advent journey. Even if we don't feel like we have started on Advent yet, we can begin today. We are being invited: Do not be afraid!
Join Us For Our First Simbang Gabi Mass A Philippine Tradition 6 p.m. Friday December 21, 2018 Reception and potluck to follow Saint Mary s Catholic Church Anacortes, Washington Reverend Father Mel Strazicich
ST. MARY PARISH ST. PAUL PARISH Christmas and New Year Calendar Sunday, December 23 Fourth Sunday of Advent 7:30 a.m. Confessions* 10:15 a.m. Confessions * 11:00 a.m. Mass 12:00 p.m. Church Decorating *Last Confessions before Christmas Monday, December 24 Christmas Eve 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass with Children s Pageant 11:00 p.m. Christmas Carol Prelude 12:00 a.m. Midnight Mass with Incense Tuesday, December 25 Christmas Day 10:00 a.m. Mass with Incense Wednesday, December 26 Thursday, December 27 6:00 p.m. Mass 7:00 p.m. Octave Potluck Friday, December 28 6:00 p.m. Mass 7:00 p.m. Octave Potluck Saturday, December 29 No Morning Mass 3:30 p.m. Confessions 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass 6:00 p.m. Octave Potluck Sunday, December 30 7:30 a.m. Confessions 10:15 a.m. Confessions 11:00 a.m. Mass with Incense Monday, December 31 6:00 p.m. New Year s Vigil Mass No Confessions 7:00 p.m. Octave Potluck Tuesday, January 1 New Year s Day/ Solemnity of Mary 10:00 a.m. Mass No Confessions Wednesday, January 2 PARISH OFFICES OPEN Thursday, January 3 PARISH OFFICES OPEN Tuesday, December 25 through Tuesday, January 1 all Parish Offices will be closed. Regularly scheduled classes and meetings will resume after the New Year. Please note: on Wednesday, December 26. Daily Mass will resume on Friday, January 4. Wishing you a blessed Christmas and New Year