The Church of St. Gerard Majella THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME NOVEMBER 19, 2017 ADDRESS 9600 Regent Avenue North Brooklyn Park, MN 55443-1499 OFFICE HOURS Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Saturday and Sunday: CLOSED EUCHARIST Saturday 5pm, Sunday 8:30, 10:30 am WEBSITE: www.st-gerard.org Like us on FACEBOOK St. Gerard s Youth TWITTER handle: @StGerardYM St. Gerard s Youth INSTAGRAM: @StGerardYouth Parish Office: 763-424-8770 Fax Number: 763-424-4327 Faith Formation: 763-424-8600 PASTORAL Services Rev. Thomas Santa, C.Ss.R. - Parochial Administrator Rev. Tuan Pham, C.Ss.R. Bro. Bruce Davidson, C.Ss.R. Rev. Matthew Bonk, C.Ss.R. Rev. Patrick Keyes, C.Ss.R. Barbara Staats - Business Administrator Anne Tiller - Pastoral Minister Amy Wittak- Liturgical Ministry Tim Smith - Dir. of Liturgical Music Colette O Brien - Communications Judy Foster - Dir. of Faith Formation Emily Wenner - Youth Faith Formation Coordinator Heidi Schleif - Preschool & Elementary Coordinator SUPPORT Services Sue Czerniak - Secretary/Receptionist Dianne Goodwin - Secretary/Receptionist MAINTENANCE Services Dave Neuman - Maintenance Operator Roger Popham - Custodian All Are Welcome! We are a Catholic community striving to love God and our neighbors. No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here! Who Am I To Judge? Matthew 25:21 --Pope Francis Hearing Assistance Devices are available at the Sound Desk in the Church. Low-Gluten hosts are available. Please call the parish office for more information.
The Church of St. Gerard A NOTE FROM THE PASTOR As you read these few words I am in Arizona at the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson (www.desertrenewal.org) for the last segment of the Redemptorist renewal program that I have been working with for the last two years. This two-week renewal program is the last in a series of six such programs. It has been well received by the members of our Redemptorist community and has helped us in our community and personal renewal of life. We are always striving to keep our community life as vibrant and as fresh as possible and this period of renewal is one such effort. I hope you enjoyed the different approach that I used last weekend to highlight the need for as full as possible participation in our community offertory. The envelopes, the electronic giving, and the soon to be implemented App option for contributing to St. Gerard s financial stability, is essential for all of us. What I attempted to do was to illustrate our level of participation in this weekly effort, not just through words and slides with which we have become familiar, but also with an activity that I hope was both educational and also at least a little bit fun. Thank you for your participation and for your continued support of our parish needs and obligations. As a result of the tabulation of your preferences during the activity we reported to the Finance Committee and to the Parish Council the listing of your stated priorities: Youth Ministry (140 responses representing $170,863.31); Debt Reduction (101 responses representing $94,547.97); Church Maintenance (93 responses representing $105,783.50); Non-Contributor (92 responses representing $1,200.00); and Liturgy and Music (83 responses representing $60,746.00). All in all this little exercise reflected the participation of approximately 509 families and individual participants. Thank you so much! I will share with you additional feedback as we consider what we have learned from this little exercise. Please consider joining us on Thanksgiving morning for a beautiful Eucharist of Thanksgiving. We will gather in church on Thursday morning at 9:30 AM and thank the Lord for all of the blessings we have received. Although Thanksgiving Day is an important celebration for our country and a poignant reminder of how blessed we are as a country, it is also an opportunity to thank the Lord for his goodness to us. We have so much to be grateful for and, although there are still many challenges ahead of us, it is good to pause and to celebrate our blessings. We have reached and surpassed our goal for the new digital projectors. Thank you to everyone who participated and who made this fund-raising effort a success in just a few short weeks. The digital projectors will soon be installed and I hope that you will immediately appreciate the new clarity these new projectors bring to our liturgical celebration. They also make it possible for us to use our The Church of St. Gerard projection capacity in ways that will further enhance not only our liturgical celebrations but also the necessary communication about parish events and opportunities. Traditional pulpit announcements can now be limited to only what is absolutely necessary. Between the projection screens, our social media capacities, the weekly bulletin, the video monitor in the gathering space, and our parish App which will be launched and ready for use on the weekend of December 9-10, we have many more effective ways to communicate. That is all for this week. I hope that everyone enjoys the blessings of the time we spend together as family and friends during the Thanksgiving holiday. Don t forget to take a moment in the midst of all of the activity to pray and to thank the Lord for all that you have been blessed with. Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving! Rev. Thomas Santa, C.Ss.R. For the Redemptorist Community and Staff THANKSGIVING MASS Please join us in giving thanks at a Thanksgiving Mass on Thursday, November 23rd at 9:30am. Let us give thanks together! ADVENT BOOKS AVAILABLE Have a better Advent! Pick up an Advent book from the Gathering Space. Large-print and Vietnamese available. ANOINTING OF THE SICK The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick will be celebrated in the Church on Sunday, November 26, following the 10:30 am Mass. WORLD MISSION SUNDAY - THANK YOU! Thank you for expressing your missionary spirit with your gifts of support during World Mission Sunday, the weekend of October 21 and 22. Our parish collected $887.50 to help bring good news to small, young and often poor mission dioceses worldwide. PROJECTOR DONATIONS - THANK YOU! New Projector Donations Goal: $25,000 As of Monday, November 13: $26,400 We have met and exceeded the goal for the new projector! Installation will take place November 20/21. Thank you for your generosity! YEAR END FINANCIAL STATEMENT You can find the Fiscal year end 2016-17 statement and this year's budget on the NEWS page of our website, www.stgerard.org
Justice and Outreach ANGEL TREE PROJECT The Angels are here! The Angel Tree Project has a long history at St. Gerard s. Your generosity has brightened the Christmas Season for innumerable families throughout the years. Please consider selecting one, two or more angels from the trees this year. Please return your gifts by Saturday, December 9. Thank you in advance! CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Next weekend is the collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Over 46 million people in the United States live in poverty. This collection supports programs to empower people to identify and address the obstacles they face as they work to lift themselves out of poverty. By supporting this collection you give people a hand up, not a hand out. Learn more about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development at www.usccb.org/ cchd/collection. To donate online, visit the GIVING page of our website, www.st-gerard.org. HOLIDAY GIFT WRAPPING PROJECT Want to help? Visit the St. Gerard s Youth Homelessness Project display in the gathering space to sign up to help wrap holiday gifts for the youth at the Avenues for Homeless Youth programs on Saturday, December 9 at Brookdale Covenant Church. This is a great holiday project for families and youth. For more information, contact Cindy Shevlin-Woodcock at 612-240-2627 or jcwoodcock@embarqmail.com LOAVES AND FISHES St. Gerard s hosts Loaves and Fishes on the 4th Friday of every month. Our next date is Friday, November 24th. We serve from 5-7 pm at St. Stephen's in Minneapolis. Sign up to serve on the easel in the Gathering Space. Contact Karen Brenteson at 763-561-7411 with any questions. FAIR TRADE MARKETPLACE AT ST. GERARD S St. Gerard s will host a Fair Trade Marketplace the weekend of December 2 & 3, where high quality, fairly traded gifts and food items will be on sale. Plan to shop and to learn more about how fairly traded items change people s lives by insuring that low-income artisans and farmers receive a fair wage for the products they produce. Many new items will be available including jewelry, baskets, coffee and chocolate! COMMUNITY GARDEN St. Gerard's Community Garden construction is nearly complete. Over 1,000 hours of time and labor have been invested already! The garden will open in the spring, 2018. Registration packets will be available January, 2018. If you are interested in learning more, visit the GET INVOLVED (Outreach) page on our website or contact Anne Tiller at annet@st-gerard.org or 763-424-8770 x120. Faith Formation CAN YOU BE A PRAYER PARTNER? Our First Eucharist/Reconciliation and Confirmation students need your prayers! Sign up to be a prayer partner and support a student through prayer during their Sacramental year. You are also welcome to send them notes of encouragement during the year and be present when they receive their Sacrament. Contact Emily Wenner to get involved as a prayer partner. JOIN US FOR YOUTH GROUP! High school youth group meets on Sunday, November 19th from 7:30-9:00pm in the youth room. Middle school youth group meets on Wednesday November 29th from 7:15-8:15pm in the youth room. Come meet new friends, share your faith, and have fun! SAFE ENVIRONMENT PRESENTATION Please plan to attend the mandatory Safe Environment Presentation for faith formation. A parent/guardian must attend with each youth. Preschool, Kindergarten, and Elementary Safe Environment Presentation: Monday, November 27, 6:00-7:15pm. Students who are unable to make their presentation will be asked to do a make-up lesson during class time. FIRST RECONCILIATION MEETING The second parent/child meeting for First Reconciliation will be on Monday, December 4 from 6:00-7:15 pm in St. Francis Hall. At least one parent is expected to attend with each child. Don't forget to complete and bring your Lesson 1 and 2 pamphlets! MIDDLE SCHOOL LOCK-IN Attention all 6th-8th graders: Join hundreds of other youth for a lock-in at the Maple Grove Community Center on Friday, December 15th! There will be inflatables, skating, swimming, dodge ball, pizza, awesome prizes, and much more! Permission forms are available by the faith formation bulletin board and on the youth ministry website, or contact Emily Wenner to get signed up. ADULT FAITH FORMATION PRESENTATIONS Adult Faith Formation will soon be looking at offering presentations between Sunday masses with guest speakers. Are there topics you would like to see presented or questions you have about our catholic traditions and teachings you would like to see addressed? Contact Judy Foster at judyf@st-gerard.org. We encourage your input! YOUTH CONNECT WITH US! Follow us for activities and exciting ways to get involved! twitter: @StGerardYM instagram: @stgerardyouth website: www.st-gerard.org and click on YOUTH!
This Week at St. Gerard s INTENTIONS MON-FRI 8:25 AM - Eucharist & Liturgy of the Hours TUE 9:00 AM - Perpetual Help Devotion MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20 8:25 am - Communion Service TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21 8:25 am - Veronica Schultz WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 8:25 am - Clausen Family THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23 9:30 am - Parish Families of St. Gerard & San Raphael FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24 8:25 am - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25 5:00 pm - Jack Fischer SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26 8:30 am - Peter Hoang 10:30 am - Ron Bashel PARISH EVENTS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20 6:00 pm - Elementary FF Classes 7:30 pm - Boy Scouts/Parent Committee TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21 9:00 am - Perpetual Help Devotion 9:30 am - Womens Prayer/Support Group 5:00 pm - KC Council Meeting 6:00 pm - Welcoming Committee 7:30 pm - Regent AA WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 9:00 am - Eucharistic Adoration 7:00 pm - Choir Rehearsal THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Thanksgiving - Office Closed 9:30 am - Eucharist FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Office Closed 9:00 am - Loaves & Fishes Prep 5:00 pm - Loaves & Fishes - St Stephens SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25 4:00 pm - Private Confessions 5:00 pm - Eucharist SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26 8:30 am - Eucharist 10:30 am - Eucharist 11:30 am - Anointing of the Sick PLEASE PRAY for the sick and ailing members of our parish community, and all those in our Parish Prayer Book, especially: Jean Eidem Also remember those loved ones who have died, especially: Francis Kryzsko READINGS FOR NOVEMBER 26, 2017 Christ the King! Ezekiel 34:11-12,15-17 1 Cor 15:20-26,28 Matthew 25:31-46 SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM Baptisms are celebrated 2 weekends per month. Please call the Parish Office to schedule a date and register for the preparation class. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday at 4:00 pm or any time by appointment. SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE Parishioners planning to celebrate their marriage should contact the parish office at least six months prior to the desired date. QR CODE
Community Announcements WELCOME TO ST. GERARD S! If you are visiting St. Gerard's today and would like more information about the parish or how to become a member, please stop by the Welcome Desk in the Gathering Space, pick up a new member packet, and sign our guest registry. You may also visit our website, www.st-gerard.org, to find more information and register online! Thank you for worshipping with us today! We are so happy to have you here! KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS SOUP SUPPER The St. Gerard s Knights of Columbus thank our parishioners for their support of our soup supper. We hope you enjoyed our wild rice soup while helping us provide additional coats for children in our community through our KC Coats for Kids Program. Proceeds from the supper were $415. Thank you! KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BABY BOTTLE CAMPAIGN The St. Gerard Knights of Columbus thank you for supporting the campaign with your financial support of the Northside Life Care Center. We are now at the end of the campaign and we are asking everyone who still has a bottle to now turn them in. Please return them at the collection at Mass, to the Parish office, or to any member of the St. Gerard s Knights of Columbus. Thank you! FARE FOR ALL Fare For All provides fresh, quality food at a lower cost than a typical grocery store. It helps families stretch their food budget and access nutritious foods that tend to be more expensive. Fare For All offers value, quality and nutrition in food packages. The package contents change throughout the month. During November and December they are offering holiday packages at $30. Fare For All accepts cash, credit, debit, and EBT cards (no checks). To learn more visit www.fareforall.org or 763-450-3880. 2017 ADVENT/CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE 1 st Sunday of Advent Dec 2, 5:00pm and Dec 3, 8:30am & 10:30am 2 nd Sunday of Advent Dec 9, 5:00pm and Dec 10, 8:30am & 10:30am Advent Reconciliation Service Thursday, Dec 14, 7:00pm 3 rd Sunday of Advent Dec 16, 5:00pm and Dec 17, 8:30am & 10:30am 4 th Sunday of Advent Dec 23, 5:00pm and Dec 24, 8:30am & 10:30am Christmas Eve Dec 24, 4:00pm (Children s Mass) Dec 24, 6:00pm & 10:00pm with 9:30pm Christmas Carols Christmas Day Dec 25, 10:00am with 9:30am Christmas Carols