St. Kateri Tekakwitha CATHOLIC CHURCH 16101 Rotunda Drive Dearborn, MI 48120 DECEMBER 17, 2017 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT STAFF Rev. Terrence D. Kerner, Pastor Rev. Gary Morelli, Weekend Associate Rev. Mr. Thomas Leonard, Deacon Grace Lakatos, Faith Director Kevin Jakubowicƶ, Organist Office Staff Mary Masley, Ellie Sajewski DIRECTORY PHONE: 3133363227 FAX: 3134416769 WEBSITE www.stkateridearborn.org EMAIL info@stkateridearborn.org OFFICE HOURS MondayFriday: Noon and 1:004:30 PM LITURGIES Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 9:00 & 11:00 AM Tuesday: 6:40 PM WednesdayFriday: CONFESSIONS Saturday: 3:00 PM ADORATION Tuesday: Noon6:30 PM PERPETUAL HELP DEVOTIONS Tuesday at 6:30 PM and Thursday at For Marriage, Baptism and Confirmation information, please call the Parish Office. ARCHDIOCESE OF DETROIT www.aod.org BOOK & GIFT SHOP Open weekends before & after Masses FROM THE PASTOR S DESK By Fr. Terry Kerner I with Fr. Gary & Deacon Tom wish all our parishioners and visitors a very Blessed Christmas. Our prayers this holy and joyful time of the year are for you and your families. May this season bring you many joyful days and blessings. At the same time I want to thank all our liturgical ministers parish staff and the multitude of volunteers who give so much of their time and effort over the holidays and throughout the year. St. Kateri is truly a parish of committed members and generous service. Please thank them when you have the opportunity. Please keep a copy of this week s bulletin with the following Liturgy schedule. As you can see, we have plenty of opportunities in the coming days to pray together. HOLIDAY LITURGY SCHEDULES COMMUNAL PENANCE SERVICES December 18th 2 PM & 7 PM Sacred Heart MASS SCHEDULE 4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT December 23 (Saturday) 4 PM Fr. Morelli December 24 (Sunday) 9 AM Fr. Kerner 11 AM Fr. Morelli CHRISTMAS EVE December 24 (Sunday) 4 PM Fr. Kerner (Sunday) 6 PM Fr. Morelli CHRISTMAS DAY December 25 (Monday) 10 AM Fr. Sands HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH December 30 (Saturday) 4 PM Fr. Morelli December 31 (Sunday) 9 AM Fr. Kerner 11 AM Fr. Morelli NEW YEAR S EVE December 31 (Sunday) 4 PM Fr. Kerner NEW YEAR S DAY January 1 (Monday) 10 AM Fr. Morelli
Page 2 PARISH NEWS FAITH FORMATION The Giving Tree still has some tags available for Nativity of Our Lord Parish, Vista Maria, and St. Patrick s Senior Center. They are very grateful for your kindness. We encourage all who may not have had a chance to select a tag to pick one or more up this weekend. Gifts may be returned until Monday, December 18th. Please remember that items are not to be wrapped this year at the request of our recipients. Food donations can be made in checks, cash or gift cards from Meijer s or Kroger s. We are truly grateful for your kindness and your generosity. May God continue to bless you. Our Holiday Mail for Heroes has truly been a success. We will submit our final count in next week s bulletin. Once again we thank you for taking the time to remember those who are defending our country. JPII GIFT AND BOOK SHOP NEWS By Pat Urban & Barb Cataldo Remember to stop by the Gift Shop for last minute Christmas gifts. Small items such as pocket coins, lapel pins, chaplets, prayer cubes and devotional booklets make great stocking stuffers for adults and children. In addition to being open this weekend before and after Masses, we are also open on Tuesday, December 19th from 11:30 AM to 6:30 PM. The shop will be open on Saturday, December 23rd before and after the 4:00 PM Mass. We will be closed on Sunday, December 24th and the weekend of December 30-31. Hope you can stop by to browse. We do get busy immediately after many Masses, but please be patient and visit with friends in our beautiful gathering space while you wait. OPAŁTKI OPAŁTKI available at the parish office and the book store requested donation is $1 per pack. THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Gaudete Sunday derives its name from the opening prayer of the Mass for this day, where we pray, "Gaudete in Domino semper" (Rejoice in the Lord always). So in the midst of Advent fasting and devotions, we rejoice because the time we have been preparing for is almost at hand. You may see rosecolored vestments and additions to the church environment due to this special Sunday. A day like this is always good to remind us not to take ourselves too seriously. The life of a Christian is not always easy, but it is one of joy. If we keep our heads bowed too long, no one will be able to see the smiles on our faces. The New Evangelization calls us to spread the good news with a joy that can be infectious. I remember being at a Eucharistic Congress one time where there was a booth set up by an order of sisters promoting vocations. I couldn't help but to take notice of how much they laughed and how they smiled. I thought, "Who wouldn't want to see what they are about?" Does our joy in the Lord serve as an invitation for others to seek out Christ? May the joy of the Lord be yours on this Gaudete Sunday! The Lord is coming, soon and very soon! A LIGHT FOR OTHERS continued Donor In Honor of Vera & Filippo Ciavaglia Assunta & Antonio Ciavaglia Ethel & Robert Miller Tuesday, December 19th 6:40 PM Sam Oliverio (by Family) Wednesday, December 20th St. Peter Canisius Parishioners of St. Kateri Thursday, December 21st Wilma Condon (by Maryann Condon) Friday, December 22nd Irene Wayne (by Family) Saturday, December 23rd St. John of Kanty 4:00 PM Mark Herring (by Lina Herring) Maryann Lapham ( by Vera & Phil Ciavaglia) Joseph Kolenda (by wife Angie) Greg Dreyer (by Barb Hartman) Sunday, December 24th 4th Sunday of Advent Vigil of Christmas Jane Below (by Amy & Mark Catallo) 11:00 AM -Health of Fr. Kerner & Successful Surgery of Fr. Morelli (by Fran & Sam LaMacchia) John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." - Jn 1:26-27 Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass 2001, 1998, 1970 CCD
Page 3 OPłATKI The tradition of the Opłatki originated in Poland during Early Christian times. This Christmas Custom began with a simple white wafer, baked from flour and water. The wafers are wonderfully designed to display Christmas images, such as the Nativity. Families enjoy the Opłatki typically right before the Christmas Eve meal. The entire family will gather around the table with the Opłatek. 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 Opłatki Christmas wafer is 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 Opłatki allows for one s immediate family to come together and share the love they have for one aother. The Opłatki tradition is one that is easy and fun to introduce to the family at Christmas time. All it requires is a simple wafer paired with love and affection, and the willingness to share it. This is a heartwarming tradition that will complete your family s time together during the Christmas season. Opłatek are available in the Gift Shop and the Parish Office. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS We will be holding a blood drive on Sunday, January 7th, 2018, from 9 AM - 3 PM. To schedule your appointment visit redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor keyword gpw. There will not be Polish Dinners or Fish Fry between Friday, December 22nd and Tuesday, January 2nd. Veronica s Catering will be back on Friday, January 5th, 2018. GOSPEL MEDITATION - ENCOURAGE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE "There is one... coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." Untying sandal straps was no prestigious job. In the days of John the Baptist, those straps would have been especially unpleasant to deal with. Besides the usual odors that accompany sockless leather footwear, there would have been the grime and dirt from the sandy roads and paths that swirled around the people who went everywhere on foot. Taking off someone's shoes upon their arrival was the task of the lowly servants. So when John says he's unworthy of doing this task for the "one who is coming after me," he is putting himself in a very humble position. And rightly so. John realizes that the Christ-the Anointed One, the Messiah-is so far above him, so far above any of us, that we are truly unworthy of him. Indeed, the Son of God is not just the greatest of men; he is God-made-man and in his presence we most appropriately should bow in humble homage. Yet this God chose to stoop down to our human level and walk among us. He chose to get his sandals dirty. And still today he chooses to allow us to encounter him as a friend and companion. But as John reminds us by his example, this encounter with the Lord is not the result of our own merits or accomplishments. We are sinners who stand in need of Christ's help. But thanks be to God, he is always willing to extend this help to us. As St. Paul says in today's epistle, "May the God of peace make you perfectly holy." Indeed it is God who does the perfecting, not us by our own power. So let us approach the Lord this Advent season with a spirit of hopeful humility, trusting that God alone can make us worthy of welcoming his Son. DECEMBER PRAYER REQUESTS Carlilosot Anasco Auora Balino Jesse Batayeh Kayed Batayeh Salima Batayeh Sarah Batayeh Lea Berta Rose Brunetti Elaine Bucholtz Sue Dunham Elizabeth Fiddock Keith Godin Peg Hengesbaugh Dolores Hnot Tom Kramer Mike Martin Patricia Mazzola Katherine Miller Dolores Noonan Anthony Oliverio Jan Penrose Eunice Robinson Olga Rowe Anthony Rzucidlo Leonard Schabath Ed Schuler Bill Sikora Fr. Larry Siroskey Brother Jerry Smith Henry Staunton Nellie Taylor Toni Terns Gary Tonilas Jeanette Tonilas Yvette Tremaine-Cook Kathleen Urbiel John Witalec, OFS Ann Zombeck Rocco Zuccaro Form for the Sick List Name Month Requested by Note that the name will be removed from the sick list at the end of the month unless a request is resubmitted.
Page 4 Readings for the Week December 17, 2017 Sunday: Is 61:1-2a, 10-11/ Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54 [Is 61:10b]/1 Thes 5:16-24/Jn 1:6-8, 19-28 Monday: Jer 23:5-8/Ps 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 [cf. 7]/Mt 1:18-25 Tuesday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a/Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17 [cf. 8]/Lk 1:5-25 Wednesday: Is 7:10-14/Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 [cf. 7c and 10b]/Lk 1:26-38 Thursday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a/Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 [1a; 3a]/Lk 1:39-45 Friday: 1 Sm 1:24-28/1 Sm 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd [cf. 1a]/ Lk 1:46-56 Saturday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-24/ Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14 [cf. Lk 21:28]/Lk 1:57-66 Next Sunday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16/Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29 [2a]/Rom 16:25-27/ Lk 1:26-38 DECEMBER FOOD NEEDS Children s Cereal Mashed Potatoes Spinach Ketchup and Mustard Canned Fruit Spaghetti Sauce: Jar or Can Coffee ANSWER A savior has been born
Page 5 LITURGY SCHEDULE DECEMBER 23RD & 24TH 4:00 PM 11:00 AM Celebrant Fr. Morelli/Dn. Tom Fr. Kerner/Dn. Tom Fr. Morelli/Dn. Tom Reader Frank Bonfiglio Janeen Bodary Pam Lewis Ciborium Cup 1Nicoleta Uicker 2Betty De Milde 1Therese Terns 2Lina Herring 1Rachele Karteczka 2Mary Below 1Steve Perry 2Cassie Potok 1Theresa Skora 2Margaret Skora 1Lisa Le Page 2Gary Lewis Altar Servers Alina U. Sarah R. Maya K. Helen J. Erabella L. Harrison L. EVENTS Dec. 16 Kindergarten 4 PM Dec. 16 Faith Formation 5 PM Dec. 17 AA 2 PM Dec. 19 Novena 6:30 PM Dec. 21 Seniors 11 AM Dec. 22 AA 8 PM Dec 24 Masses 9 AM & 11 AM Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Masses 4 PM & 6 PM Dec. 25 Christmas Mass 10 AM WELCOME VISITORS We are so pleased to have you visit our church. We joyfully welcome you into the family of St. Kateri parish. If you would like to become a member of our parish and join in the fun and service, please drop this completed form below in the offertory basket, register at the Book & Gift Shop or stop by our parish office Monday-Friday, 9 AM to Noon and 1 PM until 4:30 PM. Name(s) Address City & Zip Phone Number STEWARDSHIP December 10, 2017 Week 24 Current Year to Date Budget $ 7,400.00 $ 177,600.00 Current $ 6,505.00 $ 177,038.00 Variance $ (895.00) $ (562.00) Immaculate Conception collection $ 2,936.00 - LITURGY SCHEDULE DECEMBER 24th & 25th Christmas Eve & Christmas Day 4 PM Fr. Kerner Reader Rob Ciavaglia Ciborium Carmen Rodriguez Cindy Hudson Cup Therese Terns JoAnn Curtis Altar Ser. Tyler H. Lilly B. 6 PM Fr. Morelli Reader Gloria Koss Ciborium Kathleen Kelly Lina Herring Cup Cassie Potok Paula Uicker Altar Ser. Helen J. Alina U. 10 AM Fr. Sands Reader Nancy Coyne Ciborium Pam Lewis Gary Lewis Cup Nina Cataldo Barbara Cataldo Altar Ser. Sara J. Paul J. Anthony P. Alfano U. S. Marines Mark E. Baran U. S. Air Force Louis J. Bardel Brendan Burns U. S. Navy Conor Burns U. S. Navy Nicholas Carleton Kari Crawford James R. Donahue Perry W. Edgell V. Dalton Evans Mitchell Kaczmarek Diamond Knight U. S. Air Force Adam Krot U. S. Army Kathleen Lyons Teresa Lyons Timothy Lyons Raymond J. Pawlowski Connor Plate Garrett Quick Adam Schneider Christopher Shiner Haley Valentine Joseph R. Walker Please notify us if you wish to add someone to our list.