Page 1 Second Sunday of Advent 8 December 2013 Saint Luke Church, Whitestone, New York
Sunday Celebration of the Eucharist The Sunday Eucharist with its Scripture Readings is at the heart of the Advent Season. The traditional lighting of the Advent Candles recalling the longing for Christ, true light of the world will be celebrated at each Sunday Mass. Faith Sharing Groups As we prepare for the great Feast of Christmas 2013, Sister Theresa will offer the opportunity to reflect upon the Gospels of the Sundays in Advent. After the 12 Noon Mass on the Wednesdays preceding the four Sundays of Advent (Nov. 27 th, December 4 th, 11 th and 18 th ), parishioners are invited to the Pastoral Center for an hour of faith sharing and reflecting together on the beautiful themes of Advent which flow from the Sunday Gospels. For more information, contact Sister Theresa at (718) 746-8531. Evening of Prayer A quiet evening of reflection on the gift of our Savior in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament on December 6 th at 7:00pm. The Christmas Tree Lighting Make the night radiate with the Light of Christ. Join the community in lighting the parish Christmas Tree on the Great Lawn and sing Christmas Carols as the Nativity Scene is blessed. The celebration will take place on Sunday, December 8 th following the 5:00pm Mass. The Giving Tree The Giving Tree is an opportunity for people to share their blessings at Christmas with those less fortunate. The tree will be located in the church and ornaments may be taken the weekend of November 30 th. Please see the flyers in this week s bulletin for more details. Lessons & Carols Celebrating the birth of Jesus, Nine Lessons and Carols in a service of worship which traditionally occurs during the Advent and Christmas season. Our Adult, Italian and Youth Choirs will lead us in the singing of Advent hymns and anthems to help us prepare for the birth of the Savior on Sunday, December 15 at 3:00pm. Christmas at Saint Luke Celebrate the joy of Christ s birth here at Saint Luke Church. Please consult the parish bulletin for details or you can consult our parish website for details on all the Advent events and celebrations. Visit the website at: stlukewhitestone.org. Page 2
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SUNDAY COLLECTION November 30 & December 1 $13,731 Envelopes Mailed 1,959 Amount Needed $13,425 Envelopes Received 538 BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP A Bereavement Support Group provides a safe place where people who are grieving the loss of loved ones can share their experiences with others who are in similar situations, who have similar concerns and who are better able to understand the grief process. Our Bereavement Group at St. Luke Parish currently meets on the first Tuesdays of each month in the Pastoral Center (formerly the lower church) at 7:30pm. If you need further information or if you are interested in attending the bereavement sessions, please contact Sister Theresa (718) 746-8531 who facilitates the group and who also offers Bereavement Counseling where needed. During the next months, the group will meet: Tuesday, January 7th Tuesday, March 4 Tuesday, February 4 Tuesday, April 1 The holiday seasons which are fast approaching, are very difficult times for those who are grieving, so please remember in your prayers, our parishioners, friends and neighbors who are suffering through the loss of loved ones. ****************************************** 2013 ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL Renewing Our Faith Through Acts of Charity Your support of the Appeal is truly remarkable. As of December 3rd a total of $109,155 has been pledged by 419 donors with $99,388 already received in payment. Although we have made our parish goal in pledges, please continue to fulfill your pledge so that we will make our goal in money received. As you know the 2013 Annual Catholic Appeal ends as of December 31, 2013. Please make every effort to complete your pledge payment by that date. It s not too late to make a pledge or give a gift. Every act of support for the Appeal is so important. Please make your gift in whatever amount to the Annual Catholic Appeal. Need assistance? Have questions? Please call Valerie at 718-746-8102. Again, thank you and God bless. ****************************************** Thank you to all those who contributed to the special collections taken up for the typhoon disaster victims in Southeast Asia. Through your goodness a total of $5,353 was collected. May God bless you for your generosity. The St. Luke Youth Group thanks the Msgr. Dillon Council of the Knights of Columbus, Council 5872 for assisting us with the bus for our service trip! Thank you! Page 6
MISSION STATEMENT As a community of believers in Jesus Christ and in Communion with the universal church, we strive to follow the Lord s command to love God and one another. Rooted in word and sacrament, we grow together as a Eucharistic community inviting all to the Good News of Jesus. IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Since the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8 th, occurs on a Sunday of the Advent Season, the church transfers the celebration to Monday, December 9 th. As a result, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, although celebrated is NOT a holyday of obligation. The Mass schedule, therefore, is as follows: Monday, December 9 7:00am 10:30am 12 Noon Page 7
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CELEBRATE! THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING ON THE GREAT LAWN Sunday, December 8, 2013 This special event will begin immediately after the 5:00pm Mass. Page 10
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PRE-BAPTISM PROGRAM --- When preparing for the Baptism of your child, parents must attend a Pre-Baptism Class. Godparents are welcome and encouraged to attend. The class is held once a month usually on the third Monday night of the month at 7:30pm. The Baptismal Liturgy is usually celebrated on the second and fourth Sunday of the month at 3pm. No Baptism can take place until the church receives a copy of the child s Birth Certificate as required by the diocese. If you are planning a Baptism, please note the following dates: Baptism Sunday Baptism Class December 29 December 16 January 12 & 26 January 13 February 9 & 16 February 10 March 9 & 23 March 10 When considering godparents, please understand that a Godparent should: 1. be a firm and enthusiastic believer, ready, willing, and able to help his or her godchild live a Christian life. 2. be at least sixteen years old. 3. lead a life in harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken. 4. have received all three of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. 5. not be the child s parent. For more information and to schedule a baptism appointment, please call Sister Theresa at (718) 746-8531. Page 13
ST. LUKE SCHOOL WHERE FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE MEET 718-746-3833 www.slswhitestone.org Celebrating 103 Years of Excellence in Catholic Education 1910 2013 Congratulations to the following students in St. Luke School who have achieved the Principal s List in the second trimester marking period! The Principal s List is awarded to students in grades 4-8 who have attained a trimester grade average of 95% or above. Karina Arzic Josip Banovic Matthew Buddenhagen Nicole Celentano Emily D Urso Isabella DePaola Samantha DeTurris Nicole DiSalvo Anna DuCroiset Juliana Estevez Joseph Hili Sabrina Hili Olivia Kegel Justin Keszthelyi Mary Le Patrick Le Christopher Leichnam Tina Li Joseph LiCalzi Michael Loccisano Emily Mauro Julia Manno Christopher Meich Peter Paolo Alexis Papadopoulos Lucas Papadopoulos Kevin Rivera Michelle Runco Gianella Solis Timothy Sommer Steven Spiezia Brianna Stephenson Isabella Valverde Gregory Walsh Matthew Weinberger Christopher Wukovits Joseph Zuccarello Page 14
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IN MS. O BRIEN S PRE-K TURKEYS ARE STANDING ALL IN A ROW! Learning about The first Thanksgiving was a month long, integrated lesson in Ms. O Brien s Pre-K class. One of the best ways for children to learn is by using what they know. So we compared Thanksgiving then and now to give the students a better understanding of this point in history. We learned about traveling on the Mayflower (transportation), how clothes were made and how food was hunted, grown and prepared. Each student then contributed to the class storybook describing their favorite means of transportation, their favorite Thanksgiving food and what they would bring on a long journey. After having a delicious turkey feast in class, we joined hands in thanks to celebrate all the wonderful gifts God has given us. Page 16
Be sure to tune into The Great Christmas Light Flight on Monday, December 9, (9:00-10:00PM) on ABC. The Lynch Family, parishioners of St. Luke, will be highlighted on this episode. This first reality competition program is a new series in which 20 families from across America will decorate their homes to the extreme for Christmas with a total of $250,000 in prizes. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition s Michael Maloney and Sabrina Soto will serve as judges for the series. Be sure to watch and cheer them on! Page 17
SCRIPTURE READINGS Mon. - Gn 3:9-15,20; Eph 1:3-6,11-12, Lk 1:26-38 Tues. - Is 40:1-11; Mt 18:12-14 Wed. - Is 40:25-31; Mt 11:28-30 Thurs. - Zec 2:14-17; Lk 1:26-38 Fri. - Is 48:17-19; Mt 11:16-19 Sat. - Sir 48:1-4,9-11; Mt 17:9a,10-13 WE PRAY FOR THE SICK: FRANCIS McKENNA ANNA PUMA ELIZABETH LEA MELKUN GERARDINA VITA TIMOTHY BOYLE ELIZABETH ANN SAVINO MARIA MADRIGAL RAYMOND CAREW HELENE CROWLEY NICHOLAS MIGLINO AND FOR THE DECEASED: ALFONSO VALENTI CHRISTINE TAKACS SUSAN M. BOPP SISTER CATHERINE T. REILLY, O.P. MARGARET ORZO *********************************** MEMORIALS The Altar Bread is given in memory of NATALIE CRISCIONE at the request of Marilyn Rice. The Sanctuary Lamp is given in memory of MICHAEL & DIANA O CONNOR at the request of The Michael O Connor Family. The Altar Candles are burning in memory of ALBERT PICOZZI requested by Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Bullaro. ANNOUNCED MASSES FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 9, 2013 Monday, December 9 The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patronal Feastday of the United States of America Tuesday, December 10 8:30 Nunzia Viso 12:00 Aloyz Trajbar (16th Anniversary) Wednesday, December 11 7:00 Dominic & Rosemarie Pugliese 12:00 Mirko Trdoslavic Thursday, December 12 8:30 Desmond McDonagh 12:00 Rocco Michielli & Family Friday, December 13 7:00 Silvia Rauzi 12:00 Nunzio DePalma (31st Anniversary Saturday, December 14 8:30 Ida Bacchia *********************************** COLLECTIVE INTENTIONS MASS The next Collective Intentions Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, December 14 at 12 noon At this Mass we pray for CHARLIE McALEER MARIE ALICE CLARKE EAMONN BOYLE MARIA DiMARIA JOSEPH TOTINO Page 18
ANOTHER THANK YOU From Saint Leo Church, one of the recipients of the food drive sponsored by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul on the weekend of November 23 & 24. Page 19
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