Serving the communities of Bon Air, Carrick, Baldwin and Overbrook Office: 3198 Schieck St. Pittsburgh, PA 15227 Phone: (412) 884-7744 ~ Fax: (412) 884-2300 Web: holyapostlesparish.org ~ Email: holyapostles@holyapostlesparish.org Office Hours: 9:00am - 3:00pm ~ Monday ~ Friday CLERGY Pastor Parochial Vicar Deacons Reverend Stephen A. Kresak ~ skresak@holyapostlesparish.org Reverend Levi R. Hartle ~ lhartle@holyapostlesparish.org Michael J. Babcock ~ mbabcock@holyapostlesparish.org James R. Grab ~ jgrab@holyapostlesparish.org Timothy B. Zenchak ~ tzenchak@holyapostlesparish.org PASTORAL STAFF Administrative Assistants Mary Ann Negley ext. 201 Kathleen Schmidt ext. 204 Bulletin Editor Judy Lee bulletin@holyapostlesparish.org Maintenance Music Directors Jeff Jenney, Len Lis Zvonimir Nagy znagy@holyapostlesparish.org Eileen Hite ehite@holyapostlesparish.org Julene Pegher Office Cleaning Office Secretary Judy Lee ext. 200 jlee@holyapostlesparish.org Pastoral Associate Mary Swindal ext. 202 mswindal@holyapostlesparish.org Religious Education REA: Lori Mandela lmandela@holyapostlesparish.org RE Secretary Rosina Zilionis ext. 222 rzilionis@holyapostlesparish.org Youth Ministry Deacon Tim ext. 207 tzenchak@holyapostlesparish.org Safe Environment Lou Ann Shannon safeenvironment@holyapostlesparish.org DAILY MASSES 8:00AM Wednesday & Friday 9:00AM Mon, Wed & Friday 8:00AM Tues, Thurs & Saturday 9:00AM Tuesday St. Wendelin St. Albert St. Basil St. Norbert SATURDAY VIGIL MASSES 4:00PM 4:00PM SUNDAY MASSES 8:00AM 9:00AM 10:30AM 11:30AM St. Basil St. Albert St. Wendelin St. Norbert St. Basil St. Albert CONFESSION 11:00AM - Noon Saturday St. Basil The sacrament of reconciliation is always available to those seeking it by making an appointment with a priest. December 18, 2016 Fourth-Sunday of Advent
Dec. 17th Through Dec. 25th FOURTH-SUNDAY OF ADVENT 4:00 PM ST. ALBERT Henry Buechel: Family 4:00 PM ST. BASIL Living & Deceased of Holy Apostles Parish Wilma Moeslein : Family Marie & John Merletti & Rose & Ignazio Porro : Shirlee & Jeff 10:30 AM ST. BASIL Augustin & Bondi Families : Nancy Bondi 11:30 AM ST. ALBERT Charles Sr., Julia & Charles Jr. : Family MONDAY WEEKDAY December 19 9:00 AM ST. ALBERT Dec. Mbrs. Pahler, Miller & Seidel Families : Dot Seidel TUESDAY WEEKDAY December 20 8:00 AM ST. BASIL Eugene Rahuba : Daughter, Linda Jim Hanlon : Ann & Family WEDNESDAY WEEKDAY December 21 Ryan Graham : Mom & Family 9:00 AM ST. ALBERT William Jenks : Barca Family THURSDAY WEEKDAY December 22 8:00 AM ST. BASIL Cynthia Belsterling : FRIDAY WEEKDAY December 23 Eugene Waigand : Family 9:00 AM ST. ALBERT Robert Taylor : Wife & Family SATURDAY NO MORNING MASS 4:00 PM ST. ALBERT 4:00 PM ST. BASIL 4:00 PM ST. NORBERT 4:00 PM ST. WENDELIN 10:00 PM ST. WENDELIN 12:00 AM ST. BASIL SUNDAY 10:30 AM ST. BASIL 11:30 AM ST. ALBERT CHRISTMAS EVE All Masses are for the Living & Deceased of Holy Apostles Parish CHRISTMAS DAY All Masses are for the Living & Deceased of Holy Apostles Parish This week our parish Sanctuary s Candles are lit for the following intentions. St. Albert Church 3198 Schieck St. ~ Pittsburgh, PA 15227 Ella Jarmulowski Geneo & Debbie Simeone And Bethany Granata Grandparents St. Basil Church 1735 Brownsville Rd. ~ Pittsburgh, PA 15210 John & Jeffrey Lieb Family St. Norbert Church 2413 St. Norbert St. ~ Pittsburgh, PA 15234 Harry & Dorothy Logue Children St. Wendelin Church 2728 Custer Ave. ~ Pittsburgh, PA 15210 Philamino & Giuseppe Garofalo Daughter
Holy Apostles Parish Stewardship PARISH OFFERTORY (includes any second collections) SATURDAY: December 11, 2016 (BOTH MASSES) 4:00 PM.$ 6,309.50 SUNDAY: 8:00 AM.$ 3,555.20 9:00 AM.$ 1,965.42 10:30 AM. $ 2,316.36 11:30 AM.$ 2,088.25 MAIL IN AND DROP OFFS....$ 3,228.35 TOTAL OFFERING. $19,463.08 ( Details can be obtained at the Parish Office ) SATURDAY: December 11, 2016 (BOTH MASSES) 4:00 PM $362.00 SUNDAY: Total Combined Parish Share Program The four previous balances have been combined. 2016 PSP GOAL $ 175,685.00 8:00 AM.$ 92.00 9:00 AM.$ 35.00 10:30 AM. $ 45.00 11:30 AM.$ 255.00. MAIL IN AND DROP OFFS....$ 320.00 TOTAL OFFERING $1,109.00 PSP COLLECTED TO DATE... $156,797.00 TOTAL STILL DUE. $ 18,888.00 (Details can be obtained at the parish office) Let Us Pray! O Lord, giver of life and source of freedom, I know that all I have received is from your hand. Gracious and loving God, You call us to be stewards of Your abundance, the caretakers of all you have entrusted to us. Help us to always use Your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously. Send the Holy Spirit to work through us, bringing Your message to those we serve. May our faithful stewardship bear witness to the love of Jesus Christ in our lives. We pray with grateful hearts, in Jesus name. Amen. Holy Apostles Ministries, Meetings & Happenings Saturday, December 17th Santa Lunch 11:30 AM 2:30 PM (Formation Building Downstairs ) 2017 Wednesday, January 4th Men s Fellowship Meeting (St. Albert the Great Church Meeting Room ) Monday, January 9th Calendar Party Meeting 6:30 PM ( Formation Building Upper Floor ) Wednesday, January 11th Ladies of Charity 12 noon to 2 PM (Formation Building Upper Floor ) Saturday, January 14th Soup will be collected at St. Albert the Great (Formation Building at. 11 AM) Sunday, January 15th Soup Sunday, ( Soup will be sold at all the Church s after Mass) Wednesday, January 18th Ladies of Charity Meeting 6 PM ( St. Norbert s ) Wednesday, February 1st Men s Fellowship Meeting ( St. Albert the Great Church Meeting Room ) Saturday, February 4th Festival of Praise 7 to 8:30 PM ( St. Albert the Great Church ) Saturday, February 25, Holy Apostles Century Club ( St. Albert the Great Formation Building Lower Level ) Need more information? Lost your bulletin? You can always check the Holy Apostles Website! www.holyapostlesparish.org The site is full of up-to-date information, as well as wonderful pictures of our parish events! Check it out!
This past year has been an exciting, eventful and rewarding year for me as your pastor. We are one week away from celebrating the birth of Christ our Lord in this beautiful season of Christmas. As I visited our four churches, I took some time to sit, reflect, and pray. I realized how blessed I am this Christmas and how much more special it is to me because I witnessed another birth, something truly wonderful, the birth of Holy Apostles Parish, OUR PARISH. I couldn t help but think that one of the greatest gifts, the greatest blessings God has given me this year is the gift of being a part of something so special. Thank You for allowing me to be a part of your lives and for your continued prayers and support. May our Lord fill your hearts and your homes with His love, peace and joy this wonderful season and all throughout the year. Please note the Christmas Mass Schedule for this year. Every year I try to work out a schedule that is based on average attendance throughout the year as well as ease of access. I also try to make our Christmas Masses available to people who rely on public transportation to get there. Please note that due to the number of masses on Saturday, Christmas Eve, there is no morning Mass scheduled and there is no morning Mass Monday, the day after Christmas Day. The following are our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses. Christmas Eve NO MORNING MASS 4:00 PM ST. ALBERT 4:00 PM ST. BASIL 4:00 PM ST. NORBERT 4:00 PM ST. WENDELIN 10:00 PM ST. WENDELIN 12:00 AM ST. BASIL Celebrations of Life s Journey Christmas Day Fr. Steve 10:30 AM ST. BASIL 11:30 AM ST. ALBERT Our sympathy is extended to the families of: Victoria Komoroski, Norman Haley, Lois Coyne and Jeffrey Daly Eternal Rest Grant to Them O Lord, And Let Perpetual Light shine on Them. If you need to prepare for the baptism of your infant, and you have not had the preparation seminar, please contact Deacon Mike at (412) 884-7744, extension 206 to schedule a time. The time it takes is 45 minutes to one hour. We will work to schedule a time that is convenient for both mom and dad to attend. Sponsors are also welcome. If you already have had the training, just call Deacon Mike and he will get you on the schedule for your newest arrival. God bless and congratulations! Together we welcome Please remember members of our parishes who are in nursing homes, the homebound, the sick and their caregivers in your prayers. May God s mercy shine on them. all children who were baptized into our faith & parish family over the past year. Congratulations to the parents and Godparents!
By Stephanie Logue Advent Events Continue Holy Apostles Parish is an energetic, vital community as evidenced by the many events that bring our people together. On the evening of December 5, our women s groups celebrated together at their annual Christmas party. Happy faces, good food, Christmas music, and a gift exchange all contributed to a festive event. The second Festival of Praise took place on Saturday December 10. Fr. Levi led the prayer, song, and catechesis and was joined by the festival band, our combined choir, Fr. Michael Ackerman, and current seminarians. Light refreshments were served afterward. It was a beautiful and inspirational evening and the perfect nourishment for our souls as Christmas nears. As always, additional pictures from both events can be found on the parish website (holyapostlesparish.org) ADVENT WEDNESDAY HOLY HOUR Come together for this traditional liturgy, and peaceful time for prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. December 21 7:00-8:00PM St. Wendelin Church Attention Parish Groups! If you have anything you would like in the bulletin, please email your article to bulletin@holyapostlesparish.org by Monday at noon for that week. Thank you. CHRISTMAS PARISH OFFICE HOURS The parish office will be closed for the Christmas Holiday beginning Friday, December the 23rd at NOON and remain closed until Tuesday, January 2nd at NOON. Please hold all NON-EMERGENCY calls until the office re-open. The priests will still be taking NON-EMERGENCY calls and returning messages when they are able. CHRISTMAS WAFERS Oplatki, Christmas wafers originated in Poland and have been a tradition at Christmas for many families and are becoming more popular again. There are small baskets at each of our churches in the front of the church for those who would like them. They are $3.00 The Oplatki are enjoyed by families, typically right before the Christmas Eve meal. The entire family will gather around the table with the Oplatek. Generally the eldest member of the family will begin the ritual by breaking off a piece of the wafer and passing it to another family member with a blessing. This blessing can simply consist of what you desire for your loved one in the upcoming year whether it be good health, success, or happiness. The purpose of this act is primarily to express ones unconditional love and forgiveness for each member of his or her family. The significance of the Oplatki Christmas wafer is in that it shadows the Eucharistic meal that Catholics participate in at each Mass. Just as we share in the Eucharist as one family in Christ and receive Christ s love through the Eucharist, the Oplatki allows for one s immediate family to come together and share the love they have for one another. This symbolism is deepened by the fact that the name of the town where Jesus Christ was born, Bethlehem, means "House of Bread," which makes the Oplatki A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU The Holy Apostles Staff would like to thank all of our Parishioners,who have made the past year A joyful one for all of us! We would also to thank all of our volunteers Who give so generously of their time and talents.
HOLY APOSTLES COOKIE SALE The Cookie Walk was a GREAT success. Thanks to all of our wonderful Bakers, Candy Makers and Nut Roll Makers. We sold out of every Cookie. CENTURY CLUB Holy Apostles Catholic Parish Century Club February 25, 2017 St. Albert the Great Formation Building Cost will be $100.00 Per Couple Memberships make a great Christmas gift. We are collecting baskets for our Chinese Auction. And unopened spirits for the Basket of Cheer. PARISH T-SHIRTS & SWEAT SHIRTS Our parish T-shirts and sweat shirts are available in the back of the churches this weekend. They would make great gifts. They are grey with our parish logo. The shirts will also be available at the parish office during office hours. The price is $12.00 for T-shirts and $16.00 for sweat shirts. READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25 Tuesday: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-4ab, 5-6; Lk 1:26-38 Wednesday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45 Thursday: 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Lk 1:46-56 Friday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-34; Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-10, 14; Lk 1:57-66 Saturday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Lk 1:67-79 Sunday: Vigil: Is 62:1-5; Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27 29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Mt 1:1-25 [18-25] Night: Is 9:1-6; Ps 96:1-3, 11-13; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14 Dawn: Is 62:11-12; Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12; Ti 3:4-7; Lk 2:15-20 Day: Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:1-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 [1-5, 9-14] ADVENT FESTIVAL OF PRAISE HOLY APOSTLES Festival of Praise HOPE AMONG US SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2017 7:00-8:30pm St. Albert the Great Church Come for a time of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, praise and worship music with our praise band and Holy Apostles choir, adult catechesis. thanks to the Holy Apostles Christian Mothers and Women s Guild.. Questions: Call 412-884-7744 DID YOU KNOW? The first Nativity scene. Did you know that? Christians began depicting the Nativity as early the 2nd century with frescos in the Roman catacombs. In 1223, St. Francis of Assisi created the first living Nativity scene in a cave near Greccio, Italy, at midnight Mass in an effort to make Christmas more meaningful for the townspeople. The scene contained the manger and live animals but not the figure of Mary, Joseph or Jesus. The first stationary Nativity scene was crafted in marble about 65 years after St. Francis midnight scene. Others were constructed in wood, terracotta or stone. After the Middle Ages Nativity scenes could be found in most Catholic churches. More can be found at: www.catholichotdish.com/faith-and-reasons/where-didthe-nativity-scene-come-from/ Our parish is blessed to have four different Nativity scenes. I would encourage you to take the opportunity to visit our four churches to check the out the beautiful decorations and scenes. HOLY APOSTLES CALENDAR PARTY There will be a meeting on Monday, January 9th, 2017 at 6:30 PM on the upper floor of the Formation Building. If you are interested in becoming involved, please join us. The Calendar Party is a great way to meet wonderful people. For more information Call the Parish Office.
CCD NEWS CORNER KID S CORNER CCD NEWS CORNER SUNDAY CLASS SCHEDULE December 18 class 25 NO class (Christmas break) TUESDAY CLASS SCHEDULE December 20 - class 27 NO class (Christmas break) If classes are cancelled due to inclement weather, the announcement will be on the KDKA and WTAE TV stations and on KDKA and WTAE websites under HOLY APOSTLES CCD. Please do not call the CCD or Parish office. The CCD Office will be closed for Christmas break from Thursday, December 22nd thru Tuesday, January 3rd. CCD Annual Advent project: collection of hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and white tube socks in both adult and children sizes. All items must be brand new. We also accept hand knitted and crochet items. Please remember to save your postage stamps and can tabs. CCD collects these items all year. he CCD Program is in need of catechist