THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24 WEEKDAY 5:00 p.m. Vincenzo Alvaro (Church) 5:00 p.m. Audrey LaSala (Parish Hall) 7:30 p.m. I Anthony & Lilla Truscello SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD 9:00 a.m. People of the Parish 11:00 a.m. Edward Kennedy MONDAY, DECEMBER 26 SAINT STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR 8:30 a.m. Mary Brown TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27 SAINT JOHN, APOSTLE & EVANGELIST 6:30 a.m. Eugenio Preite and Alberico Lio 8:30 a.m. Fannie Wyatte WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28 THE HOLY INNOCENTS, MARTYRS 6:30 a.m. Marian Wilson 8:30 a.m. Special Intention Natasha Mauger THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29 5TH DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD 6:30 a.m. Alexius Naui 8:30 a.m. Byron & Gertrude Fox and Albert & Mary Grimme FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30 THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH 6:30 a.m. Maria BaLuu 8:30 a.m. Guerino Preite and Angelina Fabiani SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 7TH DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD 5:00 p.m. Jennie DiRoberto SUNDAY, JANUARY 1 SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD 7:30 a.m. People of the Parish 9:30 a.m. Doris June Wolf 11:30 a.m. James Bidan, Jr. SATURDAY 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass in Parish Hall 5:00 & 7:30 p.m. Vigil Mass Church SUNDAY, THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD 9:00 a.m. Mass in Church 11:00 a.m. Mass in Church MONDAY PARISH OFFICE CLOSED 6:30 p.m. NO Religious Education Classes 7:00-9:00 p.m. NO RCIA TUESDAY PARISH OFFICE CLOSED 7:30-9:00 p.m. Charismatic Prayer Group Parish Hall Lobby A WEDNESDAY 9:00 a.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet Chapel 9:00 a.m. Marian Prayer Group All Purpose Room THURSDAY 9:30 a.m. Prayer Shawl Ministry All Purpose room 2:00 p.m. Flame of Love Rosary Chapel 6:15, 7:30 p.m. NO Choir Practices this evening FRIDAY PARISH OFFICE CLOSES AT NOON 8:30 a.m. MASS in Church 3:30 p.m. Singing of Divine Mercy Chaplet Chapel SATURDAY 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass Church SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 SOLEMNITY OF THE HOLY FAMILY 2ND COLLECTION will be for the SOLEMNITY OF MARY 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 a.m. Masses in Church DATES AVAILABLE FOR SANCTUARY FLOWERS: January 29, 2017 (Offering $50) DATES AVAILABLE FOR FLOWERS AT THE BLESSED MOTHER SHRINE: January 29, 2017 (Offering $30) DATES AVAILABLE FOR CHAPEL FLOWERS: January 29, 2017. (Offering $30) CANDLES AT THE BLESSED MOTHER SHRINE are lighted this week for the Special Intention of Hansie (1); in loving memory of Antonio Marrone, donated by his wife, Doris, daughters and grandchildren (1); In loving memory of Betty Schrack, donated by her sister, Bonny Fry and Family (1); in loving memory of DiMascio and Posavec Families (2); In loving memory of Ignatius Angelo, donated by his Family (2). DATES AVAILABLE FOR CANDLES AT THE BLESSED MOTHER S SHRINE: January 8, 22, 29; February 5, 2017. (Offering $5 per candle) CANDLES AT THE SAINT JOSEPH SHRINE are lighted this week are In loving memory of Betty Schrack, donated by her sister, Bonny Fry and Family (1); in loving memory of John Bennett, donated by his wife, Doris and Family (2); in loving memory of DiMarcio and Posavec Families (2); in loving memory of Arthur Viani, donated by his Family (1); in loving memory of Theodore Jasinski, donated by his wife, Theresa (1). DATES AVAILABLE FOR CANDLES AT THE SAINT JOSEPH SHRINE: January 8, 15, 22, 29; February 5, 12, 19, 26, 2017. (Offering $5 per candle) Rosary is recited every weekday at 8:00 a.m. in the CHAPEL and at 8:00 a.m. before Mass celebrated at the School. TODAY S READINGS NEXT SUNDAY S READINGS (December 25, 2016) (JANUARY 1, 2017) 16:Is 52:7-10 18:Nm 6:22-27 Ps 98:1-6 Ps 67:2-3,5-6, 8 Heb 1:1-6 Gal 4:4-7 Jn 1:1-18 Lk 2:16-21 IN YOUR CHARITY, please pray for the repose of the souls of JOSEPHINE YARRISH, sister of Helene Pendzinski and aunt of Paulette Underkofler; KELLY UMSTEAD, granddaughter of Anna Farrell; HARRY WASIELE, a former parishioner. May the Lord comfort all those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. CHRISTMAS FLOWER LISTS are available in the narthexes of the Church. Thank you for remembering your loved ones and helping us decorate the Church for the Holidays.
THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD Stewardship, A Way of Life Tithing God s Plan for Giving Tithing Income for December 18, 2016 In pew Collection $ 14,162.00 Online Giving 423.00 $ 14,585.00 December 20, 2015 $ 38,639.50 From the Pastor: Many thanks to those who have responded to the tithing appeal. Your generosity is deeply appreciated. From a Parishioner: We pray that others will follow our example. Good Deed for the Week from a 5th Grader: Taking care of the dog everyday. Please Remember Good Shepherd in Your Will Next Sunday, January 1, we will have 2 Collections: First Collection will be the Regular Sunday Envelope and the Saint Francis Soup Kitchen; and the Second Collection will be for the Solemnity of Mary. Many thanks to all those who made the Church so beautiful for the Christmas Season. To Barb Zabady, Amanda Spahr, Ann Warnock, Doreen Rovito, Horace Busch, and the Youth of the Parish for decorating the church so beautifully, to Janice Hans for laundering the altar server robes, to Tony Ciucci, the Junior and Adult Choirs, our Cantors, Liturgical Ministers, our Parish Staff, and all who participated in our liturgies. May our memory of this Christmas encourage us throughout the new year. Also, a special word of thanks to all who contributed to the Christmas Flower Collection, which enabled us to decorate the Church so nicely again this year; but, most especially, to all who contribute so generously throughout the year in the regular collections; your tithing contributions, not only help us pay the bills, but more importantly are an expression of faith in God and the mission of the Church. Thank You! Thank You! Shouts of Joy Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. (Is. 9:1) In Nigeria, constant power failure leaving the people without light, days at a time, is often the norm. It is not uncommon to see entire neighborhoods in darkness dotted by individual houses powered by generators for those with the means. For these people with such experiences of living constantly in darkness, there is jubilation each time power is restored, even though it is only for short periods at a time. They rejoice with shouts of joy which reverberate through entire neighborhoods because of the simple comfort they get from the use of basic household appliances only when there is power. Besides, they no longer dwell in darkness. On this feast of the Nativity of Christ, we too rejoice with shouts of joy. We rejoice because Christ has come to dispel the darkness in our lives. He takes away all the afflictions brought upon us by the forces of darkness. The darkness we often struggle with may not be due to power failure, but the unseen forces working against our well-being. It is a darkness we experience in our struggles that often leave many lost in the storms of life, a darkness many are up against as they strive to live a good life in a world that often glamorizes evil and opposes the good; a darkness experienced in times of loss and grief, as many struggle with existence itself. But on this day, we want to let out a shout of joy because the LIGHT has come in our midst and the veil of darkness is lifted. For that, we rejoice! Father Ben Faneye FIRST FRIDAY EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT - On January 6, after the 6:30 a.m. Mass in the Chapel, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed until Vespers and Benediction at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome during the day to make a visit to pray. Sheets are available in the Chapel Narthex to sign-up. Please note special times for Rosary, Quiet Prayer, Divine Mercy Chaplet Recitation and Intercessory Prayer with Music and Singing. Please join us for this monthly First Friday Gathering and Celebration!
PARISH OFFICE HOURS Christmas & New Years Please note that the Parish Office will be closed on Monday, December 26, and Tuesday, December 27, for the Christmas Holiday. For New Years, we will be closing at Noon on Friday, December 30, and reopen Tuesday, January 3, 2017. Blessings to all! HOLIDAY MASS SCHEDULE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY Fri., December 30 6:30 & 8:30 a.m. SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD Sat., December 31 (Vigil). 5:00 p.m. Sun., January 1, 2017.7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 a.m. FYI - Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) If you re age 70½ or older, the IRS has reinstated a popular tax break available to those who make charitable donations from their individual retirement accounts in 2016. Under the law Traditional IRA, owners 70½ and older can donate (up to $100,000) from their accounts to 501(c)(3) charities. This will count towards the mandatory withdrawals those in this age bracket are required to take each year from an IRA. The donor will receive no tax deduction for this charitable contribution; however, the taxpayer does not have to include the IRA withdrawal in his or her taxable income. If you would like Good Shepherd to benefit from this form of gift, please instruct your IRA custodian to issue a check directly to Church of the Good Shepherd. Please take a moment to register your Giant A+ Bonuscard and help support Good Shepherd School. To register, visit www.giantfoodstores.com/aplus and scroll down to the center of the page to select REGISTER YOUR CARD from the red box on the right marked FOR CUSTOMERS; or, call the A+ School Rewards Hotline at 1-877- 275-2758 for assistance. Good Shepherd is #20741. From all of the students at Good Shepherd, THANK YOU for all of your love and support. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Neighbors Helping Neighbors ACTS: THE SPREAD OF THE KINGDOM: Come join your fellow parishioners as we travel with Saint Paul on his missionary journeys to spread the faith from Jerusalem to Rome. The remaining 10 sessions of our Bible study program of the Acts of the Apostles will be offered beginning on Tuesday, January 31, 2017, during the day from 10:00 a.m.-noon and on Thursday, February 2, 2017, in the evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. If you did not attend the fall session of Acts, you will still benefit from the second half of this program following Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Registration for this upcoming program will occur in early January. Look for this in upcoming bulletins. Those who attended the Fall session do NOT have to register for this second half. Remember to utilize the Community Aid collection bin which is located in the Good Shepherd parking lot behind the Parish Hall. Community Aid is a faith-based, locally run, non-profit organization that raises funds for distribution to local schools, churches, synagogues and non-profit organizations. Your donations of clothing and shoes can be purchased by people in need for a greatly reduced cost in the Community Aid store on the Carlisle Pike. For every pound of clothing we collect and donate, a stipend is given back to Good Shepherd Church. This money is utilized to support the needy within our parish community. Receipts for donated goods for this 501 (C)(3) charity are available at the Community Aid store on the Carlisle Pike. We would like to thank MYERS-HARNER FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES, INC. this week for sponsoring an AD in our weekly bulletin. (SPONSORS DEFRAY THE COST OF PRINTING THE BULLETIN.)
THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD Religious Education & Youth Group News Please contact Mrs. Spahr at aspahr@gsschpa.org or 717-737-8216 to RSVP and for additional information. Substitute Catechists Needed! The Religious Education Office is looking for people to fill in on Monday evenings when the primary Catechists are unavailable to teach. You do not need to be a teacher. You simply need to be open to God s call and willing to share your faith. We will provide you with the necessary materials and guidance. Please prayerfully consider offering your time and talent. Contact Amanda Spahr at the above numbers. Taking Decorations Down: Adults and Youth are needed to assist in helping take down the Christmas Decorations on Sunday, January 15, after the 11:30 a.m. Mass. To sign up please email Amanda Spahr at the above email address. Living Stations of the Cross: We need youth in grades 6-12 to participate in this year s Living Stations. If you participate you will gain at least 10 service hours. Participating in Living Stations is a great way to enter into the Lenten Season. Please join us for a meeting on Sunday, February 26 at 5:00 p.m. in the All Purpose Room at Good Shepherd Church. Practices are Sundays from 4:00-5:00 p.m. for music and 5:00-7:00 p.m. for acting through Lent. No experience needed. We welcome anyone in grades 6-12! Contact Amanda Spahr at 717-737-8216 or aspahr@gsschpa.org with any questions. Adult Volunteers for Living Stations of the Cross: This year s Living Stations of the Cross Program will not be able to go on without your help!!!! Mrs. Spahr is looking for a few adults to assist her on Sundays during Lent from 4:00-5:00 p.m. for music and 5:00-7:00 p.m. for practices. In addition to Sundays the volunteers will need to be available for the dress rehearsal on Tuesday, April 4, 5:00-7:00 p.m. and the night of the performance on April 7. Adults would be responsible for helping to organize, discipline and teach the Living Stations of the Cross. Adult volunteers must be cleared through the Harrisburg Diocese Youth Protection Program. There is no charge to do this, but will take 3-4 hours to complete. Please contact Mrs. Spahr at above numbers. THE PARISH LOTTERY WINNERS from December 14 thru December 18 are: Kathleen F. Keller Joe Catalano Mike Fatula 12/15 winner/seller Abigail Ramsey Tonya Grenville Arnold Wellner Congratulations to all the winners! In a Parish Family throughout the year many gifts are given and received by many people, which is a true expression of sharing time, talent and treasures for the benefit of the parish and local community Once again this year, the Manna Bag Food Collection at Thanksgiving and the Christmas Angel Tree Project were resounding expressions of charity for others and gratitude to God for blessings received. The Lord is good and His people should reflect that love in their words and actions. And many have done so again this year through these projects. A special word of thanks goes to Bonny, Don and Conor Fry for coordinating these projects. Their capable skills are evident in the gathering and distribution of items to needy families. And also to the Youth of the Parish and the Youth Ministry who helped. This year many families have been assisted with food and Christmas needs. Many people helped and many items were collected. To all, many thanks! Many of the blessings that are shared throughout the year are done anonymously or through long hours of meetings and hard work. Many people help one another quietly without any recognition; others take on leadership roles in parish organizations, some serve on parish committees and boards. To all, a Special Thanks. The Lord has blessed us with many gifts. Let us celebrate them now and continue to share them in the new year. Let us help one another on the journey of life. A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! from your Priests, Deacons, & Parish Staff!
DATES TO REMEMBER IN THE NEW YEAR OF 2017: January 31 First Penance Church March 1 Ash Wednesday Church March 19, 20, 21 Forty Hours Church April 9 Palm Sunday Church April 12 Parish Penance Service Church April 16 Easter Sunday Church April 22 Confirmation Church May 6 First Eucharist Church COURTESY ANNOUNCEMENTS ST. THERESA PARISH HOSTING ESTATE PLANNING SEMINARS on Tuesday, January 3, at 1:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m., in the Parish Social Hall. Mr. Joseph L. Paese, CFP will explore various estate planning strategies. Mr. Paese is a McDevitt & Shippensburg graduate. Topics to explore: How to preserve your estate for your heirs; potential joint ownership pitfalls; understanding Power of Attorney arrangement; revocable Living Trust; gifting strategies; how PA inheritance taxes & federal estate taxes will affect your family. RSVP: December 28 to Trisha Koch-Allen at (717) 525-3429. Attention All Women: We warmly invite women from around the Diocese to join us as we gather at the Diocesan Center for our 3rd Prayer Shawl Retreat on Saturday, January 21, 2017, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The program, hosted by the Harrisburg Diocesan Council of Catholic Women's Organization Commission, will include Mass, prayer, knitting / crocheting, fellowship and lunch. You are welcome to attend even if you are a beginner and would like to be part of this time of fellowship and sharing. While the program is free, advance registration is required so that we can arrange a comfortable work area and plan for lunch. Please call Kathy Kokoski at 717-448-8899 or Deb Black at 717-514-8815 or email them at kakoko120@comcast.net or mvdb01@verizon.net. Please register early as space is limited. Deadline: Friday, January 6. Courtesy Announcements Are you solidly pro-life? Are you looking for a way to support the pro-life mission while utilizing your skills to handle billing operations? If so, this approximate 30-hour per week part-time position may be for you. We are a nonprofit organization that administers a government-funded program in three states that assists pregnant women who are experiencing unexpected/unplanned pregnancies. We are seeking a pro-life individual with experience and/or the proper skill sets to perform billing processing. The primary responsibilities of this position include: (1) accurately and timely processing bills received on a daily basis via our online system; (2) generating accurate and timely end-of-month and end-of-year billing invoices and professional reports; (3) maintaining an accurate database; (4) responding to billing questions from the field both via telephone and online; and (5) generating and preparing reports as needed by the Executive Staff at any time. A variety of other program and projects tasks not directly related to the primary position are also involved on an ongoing basis. This position first requires dedication and full support of our pro-life mission. Secondarily, the applicant should possess strong computer skills, high proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Word, clerical and organizational skills, attention to detail, excellent proofreading ability, and skill sets to learn billing processing. Training will be provided. Competitive wages based upon experience and abilities. Equal Opportunity Employer. If you are truly dedicated to our pro-life mission and also open to ever-changing assignments, then send (1) your confidential cover letter/email that includes your pro-life philosophy and experiences, and salary requirements, and (2) send your resume, to: ra-operations@comcast.net. The failure to comply with these requirements will result in you not being considered for this position, no exceptions. Drawing to be held on Saturday, February 25, 2017, at the Good Shepherd School Parent Social. You must be 18 years or older to participate in this raffle. Winner need not be present to win. Winner is responsible for paying federal withholding tax, sales tax, title, and registration fees for the vehicle. DREAM CAR GIVEAWAY: Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100. For more information: visit www.gsschpa.org/lexus or call 717-737-7261. Prizes: The grand prize is a 2017 Lexus NX200t (MSRP $44,667). The winner* may pick the color Lexus NX200t of their choice from in stock vehicles at Bobby Rahal Lexus. *The winner may elect a cash prize of $35,000 in lieu of the vehicle. 2 Second prizes of $500. 3 Third prizes of $100. Tickets and Odds of Winning: Raffle tickets may be purchased up until the day of the drawing from Good Shepherd School or Parish Office. Tickets will be available for sale in the Parish Office from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during Office Hours or at the School from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on days that School is in session or reserved online at www.gsschpa.org/lexus (will be held for 7 school days for payment.) A strict limit of 4000 tickets will be available for this drawing. At the drawing, the first ticket pulled will be for the 2017 Lexus NX200t. The 2nd and 3rd tickets pulled will be for the 2nd prizes; 4th, 5th & 6th tickets pulled will win the 3rd prizes. Once a ticket is pulled, it will not be reentered into the drawing for additional chances to win. Winner will be notified via phone and email. Winner will also be posted at www.gsschpa.org.