Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God January 1, 2017 St. Mary Catholic Church Hagerstown, MD St. Michael Catholic Church Clear Spring, MD
Dear Parishioners, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! While Christmas morning may seem like a distant memory and our thoughts turn to the new calendar year, the Christmas season is in full force! Today is the last day of the Octave of Christmas and the season continues until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. An Octave is an eight day celebration of a particular feast where each day is celebrated as if it were the proper feast itself. The most important mysteries of the Faith have these special celebrations. The modern liturgical calendar only has two octaves Christmas and Easter. The Extraordinary Form Calendar (as it was in 1962) has these same two plus one for Pentecost. Further back in history other feasts such as Corpus Christi, the Assumption, and Sts. Peter and Paul had octaves as well. Sometimes we still see remnants of them in the current calendars. The Baptism of the Lord is a good example of how we still see some remnants of these. In the Extraordinary Form calendar, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is always on January 13, eight days after the Epiphany on January 6, even though there is no longer an Octave of the Epiphany in this version of the Liturgical Calendar. This year in the Ordinary Form, the Baptism of the Lord is on Monday, January 9; however, it is normally the Sunday following the Epiphany. In either calendar, the Baptism of the Lord is the official close to the Christmas season. Still, in a certain sense, the celebration of Christmas lasts even until February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple (often called Candlemas ), which marks 40 days after Christ was born, the time for offering one s first born child to God in the Temple. This observance of Christmas is seen in very simple ways in the Liturgy, such as the Marian song that concludes Compline each night, Alma Redemptoris Mater. St. Peter s Basilica, in Rome, leaves its large nativity scene and Christmas Tree up until this day. Here at St. Mary s, we will mark this day with a special candlelight procession and Mass in the Extraordinary Form. All of this is to say that the Christmas Season is too important to be celebrated all in one day! The fact that God became man and was born of the Virgin Mary is a beautiful mystery that deserves our prayerful attention along with joyful celebration for some time. The different feasts of the Christmas season mark the different stages of the Lord s earthly life before His public ministry began. How can you mark these days with a greater sense and awareness of Christ s birth? How long will you keep some of your decorations up or offer the greeting Merry Christmas? Are there still Christmas parties to throw or cards to write? Perhaps it s too late to do things much differently this year, but I hope you ll join me in thinking about how each of us can mark the Christmas season next year with fitting celebration even outside of the Liturgy. And speaking of January 6, please don t forget it s the first night of Called To Greatness, our new youth ministry program. It is going to be awesome! If you are in high school, I hope to see you from 7:00 9:00, and with a friend! Finally, please know how grateful I am to each of you for all your kindness to me with your thoughtful prayers, cards, and gifts. Thank you especially for your generosity to St. Mary s as a whole. Thanks to you (and firstly, God s grace!) we are a strong and thriving community of faith. I truly feel blessed to be here with all of you. Again, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to each of you! God bless you and keep you in His care, Father Cibelli
St. Mary Stewardship Blessings 12/18/2016 Attendance 757 Offertory $8,694.25 Online Giving 2,894.50 Total $11,588.75 Amount Needed** $15,239 **This is the amount of weekly collection that would allow St. Mary to break even for fiscal year 2016 Poor Box $ 228.97 School Support 1,426.30 Christmas 60.00 Other 145.00 *Not used for St. Mary operating expenses St. Michael Stewardship Blessings 12/18/2016 This week s second collection is for Embracing Our Mission Next week s second collection is for School Support. Thank you for your continued generosity! Offertory $832.00 School Support 10.00 Christmas 50.00 Amount Needed** $749 **This is the amount of weekly collection that would allow St. Michael to break even for fiscal year 2016 *Not used for St. Michael operating expenses The Sacrament of Baptism Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift. We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship. Starting in January 2017, St. Mar y s will be offer ing the gift of baptism on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month at 12:30pm. The baptism class will be scheduled for either the fir st or thir d Sunday of each month in the Conference Room of the Parish Center from 12:30 to 1:30pm. (Please check the bulletin for the final determination of date). It is very important that babies be baptized as soon as possible and preferably within six weeks of birth. Therefore, Fr. Cibelli is offering this sacrament more often. A good precedence would be, as soon as parents begin to announce their pregnancy, to call and schedule their baptism agenda shortly after. CCD Classes will resume next week, January 8, 2017 with our Family Life Program for 2 weeks. In case of snow, please listen to your radio; if announced that the Snow Emergency Plan is in effect at 8:00AM, CCD Sunday School of Religion will be cancelled. The following web site www.chart.state.md.us will give you the Snow Emergency information.
St. Mary Church Holy Mass Intentions January 2-8, 2017 Day Date Mass Mass Intention Monday 1/2 6:30 Robert Hagelberg 8:30 Virginia Carroccia Tuesday 1/3 6:30 Henry Mills 8:30 Mary Crowe Wednesday 1/4 6:30 Vance Paris 8:30 Special Intentions of Rosemary Koch Thursday 1/5 6:30 Cletus Hockman 8:30 Special Intentions of Lily Ortiz Friday 1/6 6:30 Special Intention of Anna Kamas 8:30 Special Intention of Maria & Ted Axline Saturday 1/7 8:30 In Honor of Immaculate Conception 5:15 Bill Hudson RESPECT LIFE: Plan now to join tens of thousands from the Archdiocese of Baltimore and across our country for the Annual March for Life in Washington, DC on Friday, January 27, 2017 (due to the Presidential Inauguration). St. Mary does have tickets for the Youth Rally and Mass for Life at the Verizon Center prior to the National March. Therefore our chartered bus will leave at 6:00 a.m. from Walnut St., and return to St. Mary about 5 to 6:00 p.m. Call Eric Colliflower at 301-440-3295 to reserve your seat on the bus. Goodwill donation to cover transportation cost will be taken on the bus. Sunday 1/8 8:00 St. Mary and St. Michael Parishioners 9:30 Special Intentions of Christopher Hackett 11:00 Special Intentions of Joan Bernhard 12:50 Robert Bialek St. Michael News St. Michael Mass Intention Philbert Mellott Readings for January 1 8, 2017 Sunday 1/1 SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD Numbers 6:22-27 / Luke 2:16-21 Monday 1/2 Tuesday 1/3 Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops & Doctors of the Church 1st John 2:22-28 / John 1:19-28 The Most Holy Name of Jesus 1st John 2:29 3:6 / John 1:29-34 Wednesday 1/4 USA: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious 1st John 3:7-10 / John 1:35-42 Thursday 1/5 USA: St. John Neumann, Bishop 1st John 3:11-21 / John 1:43-51 Friday 1/6 St. Andre Bessette, Religious 1st John 5:5-13 / Mark 11:7-11 Saturday 1/7 St. Raymond of Perryafort, Priest 1st John 5:14-21 / John 2:1-11 Sunday 1/8 THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Matthew 2:1-12 The hosts being used for the month of December have been donated by Helen Lockard in loving memory of her husband, Frederick Lockard. The candles being used for the month of December have been donated by Sandra Elkin in loving memory to honor her father, Joseph A. Sekerak.
We are Generations. We are Growing. We are Goretti. Schedule a SHADOW DAY for 7th & 8th Grade Students 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. What better way to learn about something than to experience it yourself? Visit our school and follow a current 9th grader through a typical day at St. Maria Goretti. Please wear your school uniform. Lunch is on us! Contact the Admissions Office today at 301.739.4266 x132 to sign up for your Shadow Day. Come see what the Goretti Family is all about! HIGH SCHOOL PLACEMENT TEST* DATE: Saturday, January 7, 2017 TIME: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. To learn more on how to register, please visit http://goretti.org/hspt *Test required for all incoming freshmen 1535 Oak Hill Avenue Hagerstown, MD 21742 (301) 739-4266 www.goretti.org
Saint Mary Catholic School ******************************************************************************************************************************** 218 W. Washington Street 301-733-1184 Hagerstown, Maryland 21740 Fax 301-745-4997 Mrs. Patricia A. McDermott, Principal January 3, 2017 Dear Parents: Happy New Year! Although we are only about halfway through this school year, plans are underway for the 2017-2018 school year! This packet includes next year s tuition rates and a re-registration form. The re-registration period runs from January 4 through January 20. On January 20, registration for students new to Saint Mary Catholic School will begin. We are asking all current families to return the re-registration form and the $250.00 fee per family to the office by January 20. This way, when new applications are accepted, we will have a better idea of the availability of spaces in each grade level. Please note the re-registration fee increases to $275 for families not re-registered by January 27, 2017. With a new year comes some new changes as we are taking a proactive approach to keep our school healthy and thriving. At the suggestion of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and following the example of numerous other Catholic schools in the Archdiocese, St. Mary Catholic School will be offering a Welcome Grant Program for the 2017-2018 school year exclusively to students enrolled in a public school who actively participate in a local Catholic parish. These students who are entering grades 2-5 will receive a tuition discount for two consecutive years; $2,000 off the first year s tuition and $1,000 off the second year s tuition. There are a limited number of grants available per grade through May 1, 2017. Grants will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis. We truly believe this new program will be a positive step for the future of our school and benefit our existing students and families. We want to provide the best learning environment for all and be able to offer more resources to all students. A second change starting next school year is the method of making tuition payments. We have always used FACTS Management Company when applying for tuition grant and aid assistance. With the start of the 2017-2018 school year, we are joining the other Archdiocese of Baltimore schools in partnering with FACTS Management Company to help us manage our tuition payment program. FACTS is used by many schools locally and over 6,500 schools nationally. We are excited to offer the efficiency and convenience of this program to our families. Many families over the years have been requesting the online payment options available using a tuition management company. Through FACTS automatic payments can be made from a checking or savings account or from a variety of credit cards. More information about transitioning to FACTS will be disseminated in February. We appreciate the sacrifices you make in choosing a Catholic education and that you are entrusting SMCS to partner with you in educating your child(ren). Our best marketing team is comprised of parents who believe in Catholic education and are committed to St. Mary Catholic School. Please help us increase our enrollment by encouraging other families to choose St. Mary Catholic School. Warmest regards, Mrs. Patricia A. McDermott Mission Statement: Saint Mary Catholic School empowers children in their faith journey and promotes academic excellence and life-long service inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a nurturing community.
St. Mary Catholic School: 2016-2017 Trimester One High Honor Roll: 8 th Grade: Emma Beal, Lauren Beck, Luke Clement, Olivia Craver, Caroline Dillard, Emma Flint, Nicholas Kornilow, Havilah Mangalapati, Morgan McMahon, Joseph Mele, Owen O Connor, Jackson Pentony, Yousuf Qaum, Stephen Reiter, and Tyler Tran 7 th Grade: Ty Ambush, Susan Concordia, Daniel Duncan, Logan Flanagan, Lydia Giannaris, Noah Hall, Gabrielle McCafferty, Anna Rohan, Rayan Shahid, Matthew Stine, Hannah Webster, and Zachary Zanetti 6 th Grade: Phillip Aguila, Gabriel Bachtell, Michelle Beck, Victoria Craver, Brianna Ellis, Noah Karn, Armani Kenney, Jesse Mangalapati, Connor McCardell, Isabella Muto, Spencer Pentony, Sofia Qaum, Jillienne Smith, Lucy Strama, Erica Weaver, Evan Weaver, and Daisy Zheng Honor Roll: 8 th Grade: Anne Balog, Lucas Hammer, Liam Harbert, Madelyn Ortiz, Niko Piette, Adam Rappaport, Mason Reed, Allie Sherman, and Gabriella Tedeschi 7 th Grade: Lleyton Foster, Ashley Kenny, Saif Khan, Maxwell Larkin, Krystal Nogales, and Rachel Rohan 6 th Grade: Elise Bamforth and Olivia Dyson K Cecilya Pryor Good S.A.M. s for December 2016 1 Nina Rahimian 5 Isabelle Becker 2 Emma Karn 6 Elise Bamforth 3 Nathaniel Bachtell 7 Logan Flanagan 4 Neekie Rahimian 8 Joseph Zabrucky
St. Mary 224 W. Washington St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 Phone: 301-739-0390 Fax: 301-739-7082 Email: church@saintmarysonline.org Church website: www.saintmarysonline.org School website: www.stmarycatholicschool.org Pastor Rev. Ernest Cibelli Associate Pastor Rev. Lawrence Adamczyk Pastor Emeritus Rev. George Limmer Lay Corporators Frankie Corsi Dave Moats Parish Council Officers Rhonda O Malley, President Jeff Ortiz, Vice-President Valerie Ricketts, Rec. Secretary Mary McNeil, Corr. Secretary Mass Schedule Saturday: 8:30 am and 5:15pm Sunday: 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am and 12:50pm (Extraordinary Form) Monday-Friday: 6:30am and 8:30am Holy Days: 7:30pm on the day and 7:30pm vigil CONFESSION: Saturday: 11:30am-12noon and 4-4:45pm ROSARY: Monday-Saturday at 8:00am Sunday at 9:00am NOVENA PRAYERS: Wednesday at 8:30am Mass ST. MICHAEL, Clear Spring: Sunday Mass at 10:30am Father, ASK THE PRIEST In Eucharistic Prayer I, at the beginning of the prayer, we pause to pray for your servants, N., and all gathered here. Who are the servants we should be remembering in that moment of silence? Every Eucharistic Prayer has a similar structure. Each Prayer has an epiclesis (the calling down of the Holy Spirit) when the priest extends his hands over the bread and the wine. Each Prayer contains the words of consecration. Each Prayer prays for the living, the dead, the pope, the local bishop, and invokes the Blessed Mother, etc. The invocation in question, your servants, N. and N. and all gathered here is the prayer for the living, the Church Militant, who are struggling to achieve holiness of life. The N. is an abbreviation for Name and refers to the intention of the living person for whom the Mass is being offered. And since the Mass is really offered for the entire Church (The Church Militant on Earth, the Church Suffering in Purgatory, and the Church Triumphant in Heaven), the priest then adds and all gathered here. The Commemoration of the Dead is found later in the phrase your servants, N. and N., who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace. The other to places where N. appears is where the priest is called to insert the name of the reigning pope and the current (arch)bishop. In this way the parish does not have to buy a new Missal every time the pope or the bishops changes. Ask The Priest is a continuing feature of the Bulletin. If you have a question regarding the Catholic faith, please place your question in the box on the back table.
SCHOOL NEWS Prospective parents and students are invited to visit Saint Mary Catholic School each Tuesday from 9:00 11:00 a.m. Staff members will be available to give tours and to answer questions of prospective parents. Witness student participation in the classroom, observe a typical day, feel the energy in our hallways, and watch the children socialize during break. What a great chance to see SMCS students in action! Upcoming Retrouvaille Weekend January 27-29 in Columbia, Maryland 4 Stages of Marriage The 4 stages of marriage are: (1) Romance, (2) Disillusionment, (3) Misery, and (4) Awakening. Many marriages experience the first 3 Stages. Marriages that end in divorce never make it to the 4th Stage of Awakening. Don t give up without learning about the 4th Stage of Awakening. If your marriage suffers from Disillusionment or Misery please contact Retrouvaille (pronounced retro-vi with a long Our next weekend is January 27-29, 2017. All calls and inquires are confidential. To register or obtain more information visit our website at:www.helpourmarriage.com, call (443) 400-7017, or email: 3015@retrouvaille.org At no time on the weekend are you required to talk to the group or presenting couples about any marital problems you may be experiencing. Looking for the Longest Married Couple in 2017 Worldwide Marriage Encounter is searching for the longest married couple. One national winner and winners from each of the 50 states are recognized each year. This project is held to honor the commitment of married couples and to give hope and inspiration to younger couples that they too can have long and lasting marriages. Nominations must be received by January 10th, 2017. To nominate a couple you know, please visit us at http://wwme.org or contact us directly at 321-804-2310. The more we honor the Blessed Virgin, the more we honor Jesus Christ, because we honor Mary only that we may the more perfectly honor Jesus, since we go to her only as the way by which we are to find the end we are seeking, which is Jesus. St. Louis De Montfort The Legion of Mary is an international association of the faithful of the Catholic Church, who serve the Church on a voluntary basis It was founded in Dublin, Ireland in 1921 as a Catholic Marian movement. The Rosa Mystica Praesidium at St. Mary Church in Hagerstown, MD is inviting anyone interested in this apostolic work to join us or to start a new Praesidium in their own parish. Our meeting are every Friday morning at 9:30AM in Parish Center Conference Room. If interested contact the Parish Office 301-739-0390. Micah s Backpack committee is in need of soup (cans or microwaveable) and macaroni and cheese cups or pouches. These donations for the months of December and January would be greatly appreciated. Wishing you all a blessed holiday season.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS New council website for keeping informed of council news: www.kofc1365.org Brotherhood Council Meetings 2nd & 4th Thursdays at 8pm in the Council Hall. Our Trustee for 2016-2017 is Cel Shannon. For information, please contact Cel Shannon at cel_s67@hotmail.com. Bingo Bingo Bingo. Every Tuesday at the Knights of Columbus Hall (20340 Leitersburg Pike, Hagerstown, MD 21742) Starting at 6:45 pm we conduct 34 bingo games for the public. Please join us and have fun. Every practical Catholic man over the age of 18 should become a Knight. We need your help. Speak with a night about joining our order. The Knights of Columbus has launched a FREE smartphone app on Android and Apple ios platforms that show what the Order has to offer eligible Catholic men and their families! Featuring an overview of the Orders work in providing security to families, as well as its charitable and Church activities, The "Knights of Columbus: Join Us" app is a concise and engaging way to share with potential new members the good works and insurance protection made possible by K of C membership. Users can also access an online form which they can complete as a first step in becoming a Knight! The app is available for FREE download through itunes or the Google Play store. The Frederick M. Grossman Memorial High School Scholarship Designed to assist those Brother Knights holding membership in councils within the jurisdiction of Maryland in paying tuition for their sons and daughters at accredited Catholic High Schools; three grants of $1,500.00 per year, for up to four years, will be awarded. Awards will be made on the basis of academic excellence, personal qualifications, and financial need. The children of deceased members are also eligible, provided the member was in good standing at the time of death. The William J. O Brien Jr. Memorial Catholic High School Scholarship Three grants of $1,500.00 per year for up to four years will be awarded. This program is open to any Catholic student who is a resident of the State of Maryland to include children and grandchildren of a member of a Knights of Columbus council within the jurisdiction of Maryland. Applicants must have been officially accepted at or must be students at accredited Catholic High Schools. Applications will be judged on academic excellence, personal qualifications, and financial need. Application period is from October 1, 2016 to February 1, 2017.All applications must be received by the Scholarship Committee no later than February 1, 2017. Interested parents and students my obtain specific information and applications by writing to: Maryland State Council Knights of Columbus State Scholarship Chairman C/o Phil Asplen 2525 POT Spring Road, L-503 Timonium, MD 21903 Or by contacting our web site www.kofc-md.org and clicking on the Scholarship Opportunities link. SVDP Like the shepherds, we wish to remember the incarnation event glorifying and praising God and with Mary we keep these things, reflecting on them in our hearts. Like Mary, we must assume a contemplative stance toward God s marvelous deeds of salvation. God revealed the divine will and plan to Mary for her part in the plan of salvation; she responded with a yes that she contemplated throughout her life. Christmas reveals God s will for our salvation and asks of us our contemplative yes. When we wish each other Happy New Year as Christians, we are really wishing each other a grace-filled year of responding to God s revelation and a year of contemplating what we have seen and heard so that we can come to understand life with more depth and insight. May our Happy New Year be a pledge to, like the shepherds and Mary, embrace in joy and peace God s presence to us and in us. (Living Liturgy, p.32)