ST. JEROME CHURCH 23 Half Mile Road Norwalk, CT 06851 ~ 203-847-5349
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 3, 2017 MISSION STATEMENT We the people of St. Jerome Parish, a Roman Catholic community, proclaim our belief in the message and mission of Jesus Christ. As disciples of Jesus we are called to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to work for its values in the local community and beyond. We are committed to: worship, religious education, shared faith and service. We welcome all people with respect, acceptance and support. SABBATH MASSES Saturday 4:00 PM Sunday 8:00 AM 9:15 AM Young Children's Mass 11:00 AM 6:00 PM Teen Mass DAYS OF OBLIGATION Vigil 7:00 PM Holy Day 9:00 AM, 7:00 PM WEEKDAY MASSES Mon-Sat 9:00 AM HOW TO FIND US Parish Website: www.stjeromenorwalk.org Parish Email: norwalkstjerome@cs.com REACH email: reachstjerome@optonline.net Parish Facebook: St. Jerome Norwalk REACH & TOTAL Facebook: REACH St.Jerome Parish Twitter: @StJeromeNorwalk REACH & TOTAL Twitter: @REACHstjerome Instagram: reach.total.stjerome Parish Staff PASTORAL STAFF 203-847-5349 Rev. David Blanchfield, Pastor Rev. Rojin Zacharias K.M., Parochial Vicar Rev. Michael Hoag, S.J., Weekend Assistant Deacon Dean Finch 203-847-6397 dean.william.finch@gmail.com PARISH OFFICE 203-847-5349 Mrs. Pat Florio, Secretary Office Hours, Mon-Fri 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (REACH) 203-846-2111 Mrs. Kathy Coyne, DRE Mrs. Natalie Raduazzo Mrs. Kathy Rohr YOUTH MINISTRY (TOTAL) Joe and Daniela OʼCallaghan 203-847-0321 jocallaghan@optonline.net danielaoc@optonline.net MUSIC MINISTRY 203-847-5349 Mr. Donald Nelson PARISH COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON Dan Loch 203-846-3980 FINANCE COUNCIL Jerry Holdridge 203-966-3658 ALL SAINTS CATHOLIC SCHOOL 203-847-3881 Pre K Grade 8 139 West Rocks Road Norwalk, CT 06851 Mrs. Linda Dunn, Principal FAITH DIRECT ONLINE GIVING 866-507-8757 www.faithdirect.net Sign up using our church code: CT46, or by mailing a paper enrollment form available in the parish office. Also available on our website at www.stjeromenorwalk.org/faith-directenrollment.pdf
12/2 9:00 am Mary Pelletier (Daughter, Marie) VIGIL FOR SUNDAY 4:00 pm Mark Delgado (Elizabeth McCauley) FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 12/3 8:00 am Paul Kennedy (son, Brian) 9:15 am Christopher Hauptman (Dan & Florence Loch) 11:00 am Vincenzo Iannone, Jr. (family) 6:00 pm Anne & Paul Kuczo (family) 12/4 9:00 am Robert Romano (Teresa) 12/5 9:00 am Mary Pelletier (Jan & Dominick Vento) 12/6 9:00 am for the People 12/7 9:00 am John Denicola (Sheila & Tom Rietano) VIGIL FOR THE HOLY DAY 7:00 pm Rose Marie Lepore THE IMMACUALTE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY 12/8 9:00 am Paul Cifatte (Cornelia) 7:00 pm Sean Sullivan 12/9 9:00 am for our First Responders VIGIL FOR SUNDAY 4:00 pm Dominick Pollastro (family) SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT 12/10 8:00 am for our Confirmation Candidates 9:15 am Ileane Glica (Chuba family) 11:00 am Angela Ferrone 2:00 pm CONFIRMATION 6:00 pm Robert Eidt (Chris & Helen Eidt) Altar Flowers Altar Flowers may be memorialized for a donation of $50. Please call the Parish Office several months prior to your desired date. Adoration & Silent Prayer Every day between 4:00PM and 5:00PM. Contemplative Prayer Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM. Come spend some quiet time with the Lord. Widows Support Group Meets at 9:30AM on the second Thursday of the month in the Kevin Eidt Youth Room. Perpetual Novena Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal takes place each Monday following morning Mass Rosary & Divine Mercy Prayers Monday through Saturday after daily Mass Baptisms Please call the parish office during regular office hours to schedule. Required Pre-Baptism Class is required for the first child baptized at St. Jerome. Reconciliation One hour before vigil on Saturday. Also anytime by appointment. Marriages Please contact the Parish Office at least six months in advance. Anointing of the Sick First Wednesday of each month, immediately following the 9:00 AM Mass, in the sanctuary. Anyone with an ongoing medical condition or who is seriously ill, anticipating a medical procedure or operation, is welcome to come. Gluten Free Hosts are available at all Masses. If you require a gluten-free host, please see the officiating priest before Mass. Bringing up the Gifts at Mass If the Mass intention has been requested by you or for your loved ones, and you would like to bring up the Gifts at the Offertory, please let the ushers know that you are present and would like to bring up the gifts. The altar flowers for this weekend have been donated in memory of Jess Yap by Priscilla & Sen-Pin Kao.
Here we go, Advent is here and the Fourth Sunday of Advent is Christmas Eve day. I must admit the thought strikes me with terror. These past two months have been astonishingly busy. Five weddings in October, two funerals a week, many weekends with four baptisms, as the song says, Stop the World, I Want To Get Off. Yes, let s admit the truth, I am getting older and can no longer keep multiple balls in the air. Now comes a shortened Advent, and Christmas is looming. So, I need Advent, as time to try and keep to the discipline of a prayer that makes sure I focus on the many ways God comes to me each day. If I can do that, all will be well. Speaking of watching for moments that touch your heart, here is one. On Monday, I did the funeral of Andy Taloni, for 66 years the husband of Stella. As I was leaving the cemetery, waiting to turn left on Richards Avenue, a police car stopped and put on its flashers. The car ahead of me made the left hand turn and I was next. It was not clear why the police car was stopped (I had not been doing wheelies in the cemetery.) I made the turn and the cruiser edged closer to me, the window rolled down, and I asked the officer if everything was all right. He laughed, gave me a big smile and said hello. It was one of our own parishioners! I told him it was great to see him and thanked him for the courtesy of letting me out. His kindness touched my heart. Our parish is fortunate to have a number of firefighters and police officers. When you call they come, and I am always happy to see them. Advent is like that, the Lord shows up in unexpected places, and if we notice, our heart is warmed. Take home an Advent booklet and take Advent seriously. THIS WEEK AT ST. JEROME. Sunday 12/3 REACH grades K-6 meet in the morning 2nd grade Parent Meeting after 9:15 Mass Hall REACH grades 7-8 meet in the evening Contemplative Mass 6:00 PM TOTAL meets after the 6:00 PM Mass Monday 12/4 Women s Scripture Group 9:30 AM 2nd Grade Parent Make-up meeting 7PM Room 5 Tuesday 12/5 Wednesday 12/6 Contemplative Prayer 7:00 PM Women s Scripture Group 7:30 PM Thursday 12/7 Friday 12/8 Saturday 12/9 Men s Ministry 7:00 AM
WEEKLY OFFERTORY SUMMARY November 26, 2017 $4,625 November total to date $40,000 November Offertory Budget $48,662 As always, thank you for your generous donations to our parish! We pray for those who bravely serve our country in the military and those deployed in dangerous locations. Thank God for those who have returned home safely. Our service people include: Spec. Jason Kulik, United States Army PFC Andrew Chimento, United States Army PFC Devon Barker, United States Army LCpl. Jack H. Whitney, USMC ARISE & SHINE DIOCESAN CHRISTMAS CONCERT Join Bishop Caggiano & the Diocesan Youth Choir for the annual Arise and Shine Christmas Concert at the Regina Quick Center at Fairfield University 7:00 p.m. on December 17, 2017. Tickets are available online and at the box office for $20. Please visit the diocesan website -http:// bridgeportdiocese.com - for more information. 2017 Giving Tree Gift Tags are available on our Giving Tree for you to select. Tags include gift requests for the Education & Hope program, a local family in need & Parishioners of Our Lady of Monseratte in Moca, Puerto Rico. Please consider sharing the Giving Spirit Of Christmas with those in need. All gifts need to be returned, unwrapped & placed by the Giving Tree by SUNDAY, December 17th. ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST COMPLETE VIRTUS TRAINING!! SAFE ENVIRONMENTS ******IMPORTANT ****** All volunteers 18 years and over must be in compliance with the diocesan mandate. P l e a se s ee t he V I RTUS w e b s i te (www.virtusonline.org) click First-time registrant, click view a list of sessions, search Bridgeport, CT (Diocese). Some upcoming training dates: Catholic Center (Bridgeport) 12/5 9:30 AM St. Catherine of Siena (Riverside) 12/11 7 PM Sunday, December 3 Grades K-6 meet at 9:15 Mass followed by class. Grades 7-8 meet at 6:00 Mass followed by class. Next Sunday, December 10 Grades 1-6 meet at 9:15 Mass followed by class. Grades 7-8 no class PARENT MEETING 2nd Grade & Sacrament class There is a meeting for all families of children receiving the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist this school year. The meeting is this Sunday, December 3rd just after the 9:15 Mass in the Parish Hall. Make-up meeting Monday, December 4th at 7PM in Room 5. TWEETS OF THE WEEK @Pontifex There is also hope for those that have done wrong. Jesus came for this: it is possible to be reconciled with God and begin a new life. @BishopCaggiano When we consider that Christians of all ages continue to die because of their witness to Christ, we should be encouraged to witness to our faith without fear. For if they remain faithful at such great personal cost, why s h o u l d w e n o t d o t h e s a m e? #solidarityinsuffering @JamesMartinSJ Gospel: Jesus contrasts the actions of the widow who, though poor, offers her whole livelihood to God, with some religious leaders who swallow widows houses. In other words, a stark contrast between some rapacious religious leaders and the generous poor.
On November 18 and 19, the TOTAL teens and team participated in the fifth annual NIGHT IN A BOX. 39 teens spent the day serving others. We raked leaves for our parishioners, planted tiny trees, brought donations to the clothing shed, helped around the church, and made decorations for the shelter. We filled 60 leaf bags at one house alone!! Our speaker this year was Bob Genuario, a board member of the Open Door shelter and long-time St. Jerome parishioner. After hearing him speak about the way the shelter helps Norwalkers in need, we ate a simple soup supper and planned on spending the night outdoors in cardboard shelters. The forecast was not good so we decided to spend the night in the parish hall, in cardboard shelters of course, while taking on the persona of a homeless person. We took a moment to remember and pray for those who do not have the option of moving inside during bad weather. The teens who participated are Dylan Ackerman, Keegan Agostino, Brigitte Arcoite, Stephen Arduino, Kristen Beaumonte, Dillon Blair, Benjamin Boccanfuso, Betsy Burke, Kyle Canevari, Seamus Carbin, David Chuba, Julia Cunningham, Cecilia Clyne, Olivia D Elia, Daniella DiBlasio, Ryan Doyle, Brendan Edvardsen, William Edvardsen, Chris Ely, Austin Hall, Jordan Hogan, Maisara Kapaduala, Adam Lipson, Briana Muro, Sean Murawski, Matthew O Callaghan, Alexander Reeves, Brinn Renwick, Sara Roach, Peter Rogalski, Jack Spahr, Bill Sullivan, Ryan Trani, Nico Tullio, Julia Turek, Bianca Velez. We also had some TOTAL alumni helping: Emma and Tori Turchick, Frankie Passarelli, Joey Agostino and Ryan Williams. Our kids learned to be grateful for what they have, know when they have enough, and to be thankful that they have the choice to sleep inside. They also expressed how grateful they are for their families, their homes, their schools, their opportunities, and their parents. Sometimes we have to walk a little bit in someone else's shoes to really appreciate how blessed we are. A huge THANK YOU goes out to the adults who helped during the event: Karen and Dave Hall, Joan McFarland, Judi Dennehy, Cathy and Chris Mulford, Pat Olson, Claudio and Mary Beth Ronzitti, Marie Beaumonte, Annette Velez, Robyn DiBlasio, Laura Arduino, Shelli Sullivan, Jeff - Spahr, Brent Reeves, Barbara Murawski, Aracely Feighery, Emily Rogalski, Anne Marie D Elia, and most especially to Dianne Turchick. With Dianne s vision and leadership, NIGHT IN A BOX has helped raise over $10,000 and collected hundreds of toiletries to help the Open Door Shelter. Please remember the Open Door Shelter this Christmas Season and donate to help the homeless in our neighborhood. Monetary donations, toiletries, new or gently used blankets, sheets and towels can be dropped off at St. Jerome or to the Open Door Shelter at 4 Merritt Street, South Norwalk, CT 06854. Our funeral reception committee has recently hosted a record number of receptions in our church hall. Special thanks to all the caring volunteers who prepare the food, set-up, serve and clean-up. The grieving families are very grateful for this opportunity to share a meal after their loved one s funeral mass. We always have room for more helpers on the day of the reception. There are 3 teams who alternate the receptions. A shift is about 3 hours, and generally each team prepares a reception only 3 or 4 times per year. If you would like to help, please contact either Francie Mansager 853-6489, Annette Maiberger 846-9329, Ronalee Grant 847-7962, Carol Caragine 846-9277, or Domenica Gioiella 846-9155. NIGHT IN A BOX Toiletries for the Open Door Shelter are still being collected (See list below). Please help us make the holidays a special time for the clients of the Open Door Shelter by contributing monetary donations or toiletries. Trial size items are requested of the following: Adult size toothbrush Toothpaste Wide tooth comb Body Wash Washcloth 3 Pack of pocket tissues Shampoo & Conditioner Lip Balm Hand lotion Disposable razors/shaving cream Deodorant