A People Set Apart Parish Staff Pastor.....Rev. Rubin Reynolds Administrative Assistant....Julie Carpenter Administrative Assistant....Sandy Dardeau Bookkeeper.Renae Schexnaydre Business Manager...Kathleen LoCicero Consultant on Call..Sammy Chestovich Director of Christian Formation...Mary Kruse Maintenance Supervisor......Ron Duhon Pastoral Associate.........Robin Richardson PSR Secretary...Sharon Buquoi Jr. Youth Director......Dana Millet Sr. Youth Director....Garrett Tregre November 29, 2015 Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil Mass:....... 4:00 pm Sunday Masses...8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 am Monday, Wednesday - Friday......8:30 am Tuesday Communion Service... 8:30 am Reconciliation Saturdays: 3-3:30 pm and before daily Mass. Other times by appointment with priest. Parish School of Religion Principals: Patricia Sanchez........High School Flory Reynolds.. Middle & Primary School Parish Office Hours Monday - Thursday...8:00 am to 5:00 pm Friday........8:00 am to Noon Telephones Parish Office..... (225) 647-8461 Fax......(225) 647-5125 E-mail:.........stmark@eatel.net New Parishioners: Please complete the registration form which can be found on our website and return to the parish office. Church Certificates: For all sacramental certificates, contact Julie Carpenter at 225-647-8461 Sacrament of Baptism: Baptisms are held the First Sunday of each month, following 11:00 a.m. Mass. Parents of infants and children under age 7 are to attend 1 Baptism Seminar. (If pregnant, attend as early as possible during the pregnancy.) Baptism Seminars are held on the Tuesday following the first Sunday of the month at 6:30 pm. *Baptism of children 7 years and older must go through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults adapted for Children. Contact Mary Kruse at 225-647-8461 Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA): For adults inquiring about becoming Catholic and baptized Catholics who lack Confirmation and Holy Communion, contact Donna Chestovich at 225-938-0985. Sacrament of Matrimony: Christian Burial: Couples need to contact the parish office six months prior to their planned wedding date. Families should contact the parish office, as soon as possible, prior to making other funeral arrangements. Pastoral Care of the Sick: Contact the office in regards to those who are seriously ill, hospitalized and homebound. Emergency calls are made immediately. Vocations for Priesthood and Religious Life: Contact the office of Vocations and Seminarians at 225-336-8779 or visit their website at www.diobr.org. Prayer Line Request: Contact the Parish Office 225-647-8461 Visit our website: www.stmarkgonzales.org for vital information or like us on Facebook:
Schedule of Events November 29 6:00 pm Senior Youth Group December 1 9:00 am Blue Army 9:30 am Moms & Tots 6:00 pm Adult Choir Practice 6:30 pm KC Officers December 2 10:00 am Small Faith Meeting 6:00 pm RCIA December 4 9:15 am Sewing for Charity December 5/6 All Masses KC Calendar Sales December 6 6:00 pm PSR Please pray for the soul of: Mr. Ehlert John E.J. Moore, Jr. Who passed away November 10, 2015 We will continue to remember him, his family, friends and loved ones in our prayers. KC Charity Calendar Fund Raiser Pick up your KC Calendar before and after all masses beginning next weekend December 5th, 6th and December 12th and 13th. Calendars are $20.00 each and are also available in the parish office. We ve had several winners from St. Mark for the year 2015. Don t be left out. Please make checks payable to KC Charity Calendar A VOCATION VIEW 1st Sunday of Advent St. Paul tells us that the love we received from the Lord must increase and be shared with those around us; that we need to be holy before God. Are you willing to teach the Gospel to others and to help prepare them for the coming of the Lord? If yes, call or email Fr. Matt Dupré at 225-336- 8778 or email mdupre@diobr.org, or visit the website at www.diobr.org/vocations. ONE BOOK, ONE CHURCH The Diocese of Baton Rouge invites you to join in a diocesan wide reading program for Lent 2016. The book title is: Return of the Prodigal Son, by Henri Nouwen. The retail cost of this book is $16.00. With all the parishes participating we were able to get the book for $7.00. If you are interested in participating in the book read please submit your name, address, phone number and $7.00 in an envelope marked: ONE BOOK, ONE CHURCH. We are ordering 150 books. Orders will be filled in order of requests made. Lent is early next year so make your requests before Christmas. Books will be available after the New Year. Families wishing to light the Advent wreath during Advent, please contact Robin at the parish office at 225-647-8461 to schedule day and time. Fiscal Year 2015 16: Stewardship of Treasure 20th Sunday, November 15, 2015 Building Fund Envs, loose cks, ACH & 2nd collection First Sunday of Advent November 29, 2015 I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land. Jeremiah 33:15 Weekly Budget - /+ Offertory $ 10,536.00 $ 11,826.92 $ (1,290.92) Maintenance $ 2,249.00 $ 2,730.77 $ (481.77) Pop Coin $ 79.40 $ 79.40 Total $ 12,864.40 $ 14,557.69 $ (1,693.29) November 2015 Monthly Note -/+ $ 7,236.50 $ 5,694.70 $ 1,541.80 Thank you for your generous stewardship contributions.
For ages 2-4 *child must be 4 a er Sept.30th* 2, 3 &5 day op ons 9:00a.m. -12:00p.m. extended day available from 12:00-1:30p.m. Registra on open to St. Mark Parishioners December 7, 2015 Open to the public February 1, 2016 For informa on call the Parish Office 225-647-8461 Just a reminder to our generous parishioners who selected an Adopt-an-Angel. Please return your wrapped or bagged gifts (with red & green ornament tags securely attached) to church next weekend (12/05 & 12/06). KC Ladies Auxiliary members will be in the parking lot before all Masses collecting the gifts. As always, thank you for your support of this program. Advent Penance Service Schedule for Area Churches All Services are at 7:00 p.m. Location Day Date St. Anthony Darrow Wednesday December 2nd Holy Rosary St. Amant Thursday December 3rd Sacred Heart Gramercy Wednesday December 9th St. John Prairieville Thursday December 10th St. Mark Gonzales confirmation students are expected to attend Monday December 14th St. Theresa Gonzales Tuesday December 15th
CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Thank you for your contributions to the collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)! Your generous gifts will help CCHD end poverty in the United States through better education, improved housing, and economic development. Through CCHD and its beneficiaries, we demonstrate Catholic social teaching and carry out Jesus mission to bring glad tidings to the poor...to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free (Lk 4:18)....begins when we block that special time on our calendars. Lent will come quickly next year. Our Parish Mission is scheduled: Sunday, January 31 thru Thursday, February 4, 2016. Father Wade Menezes, CPM will be with us from the Fathers of Mercy, a missionary preaching Religious Congregation based in Auburn, Kentucky. Our Mission theme: Celebrating the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy! Make plans to be with us! BIBLE STUDY UPDATE: The Fall Session of The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation study has concluded. This study has an Introduction and 23 chapters. We have just completed through chapter 7. Beginning January 7th the next 8 chapters will be covered and then we will complete the study in the Fall of 2016 beginning September 27th with the final chapters. It is still possible to join in on this wonderful Bible Adventure. Visit www.evangelization.com to sign up and purchase material or call Robin in the parish office, 647-8461, for information. There is time to catch up or just join where the next session will begin. We have over 50 participants and would love to see you part of that growing number. Please consider this opportunity to grow in the knowledge of your faith and deepen your covenantal relationship with our awesome God of Mercy. We Pray, Equipped to Build the Kingdom By God s grace, we are Equipped to Build the Kingdom, and we have joined today to celebrate an integral element of that work, our devotional emphasis the vital Stewardship of Prayer. In honor of your decisions to pray for God s blessing in our parish, we appreciate your participation in today s special Stewardship of Prayer Sunday. Perhaps you ve already thought a great deal about this year s commitment. Others of you are still praying about your involvement. Grateful for all of you and your intentions, we will hold your commitments in prayer. Please post your Commitment Card in a convenient place, so that you are reminded of your intent throughout the year to come. Thank you for your desire to serve God in this parish and for your willingness to seek his will in your service to the glory of Christ. God has equipped us to build his kingdom in our time, in this place, as part of his glorious Catholic Church. St. Paul s prayer on behalf of the Colossians extends to each of you. We do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God. We minister together to each other and to many throughout the greater community and around the world, and we give to support the programs and ministries of our parish: our food pantry providing Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets, the KC Ladies Auxiliary - annual Adopt and Angel, parish fund raisers that support our Catholic School students, projects that assist in maintaining and upgrading our Church facilities, the Altar Society gift shop and candles that allows them to care for the sanctuary needs of the parish and many other ministries of the parish. To affirm those efforts, to gain wisdom in that work, and to ensure we follow God s lead, we, together as a parish family, seek Him. Thank you for your commitment to pray.
High School PSR Dates 2015-2016 6:00 8:30 p.m. December 6, 2015 January 10, 2016 February 7, 2016 March 13, 2016 Save the Dates April 10, 2016 THANK YOU St. Mark Parishioners Youth News Next Meetings Open to all students grades 4th-7th Senior Youth Meeting Sunday, November 29 6:00 pm Meeting are held in the Pavilion and open to all students 8th-12th grades. Junior Youth Meeting Sunday, December 13 3:30 pm Primary Youth Meeting Sunday, December 13 12:00 pm Open to all 2nd & 3rd grade students ** Remember to bring a bag lunch. Thank You To our friends at Lil Prairie Day Care for their contribution to the St. Mark Food Pantry and helping the less fortunate in our area. for answering the call to help our less fortunate brothers and sisters. With the help of your generous response to our food drive, we were able to provide 22 families with enough food and extras for a wonderful feast for them to enjoy on Thanksgiving Day! Each family was so grateful for everything they received. It is truly more blessed to give than receive! Sharon Buquoi Emergency Assistance Coordinator
First Reading The days are coming when the LORD will fulfill the promise made to Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 33:14-16). Psalm To you, O Lord, I lift my soul (Psalm 25). Second Reading May the Lord make you increase and abound in love that you may be blameless in holiness; conduct yourselves so as to please God (1 Thessalonians 3:12 4:2). Gospel There will be signs and you will see the Son of Man coming with power and great glory. Be vigilant (Luke 21:25-28, 34-36). The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. THE COMING KINGDOM Jeremiah could see it coming the kingship of Jesus and the restoration of Jerusalem. But was anybody listening? Is anybody listening now? It must have been tough being a prophet, but Jeremiah was persistent in his message because he knew that it needed to be heard. Also persistent in his message is Paul as he encourages the Thessalonians and all of us to live in accordance with the kingship that Jeremiah foretold. He encourages us to conduct ourselves in ways of holiness so that we may be well prepared for the king s coming. Finally, Jesus himself tells us to be ever diligent so that we may gain favor before our God and King. Jeremiah could see the kingship of Jesus coming. As we begin the season of Advent, Paul and Jesus tell us not only how to prepare for the Kingdom, but how to live it day to day. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Monday: Rom 10:9-18; Ps 19:8-11; Mt 4:18-22 Tuesday: Is 11:1-10; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Lk 10:21-24 Wednesday: Is 25:6-10a; Ps 23:1-6; Mt 15:29-37 Thursday: Today s Readings Readings for the Week (Year C) Is 26:1-6; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a; Mt 7:21, 24-27 Friday: Is 29:17-24; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Mt 9:27-31 Saturday: Is 30:19-21, 23-26; Ps 147:1-6; Mt 9:35 10:1, 5a, 6-8 Sunday: Bar 5:1-9; Ps 126:1-6; Phil 1:4-6, 8-11; Lk 3:1-6 The Sanctuary Light Nathan Bercegeay fly., Alan Bourgeois fly, Carolyn Bercegeay, Margerie Gautreau Masses for the Week Saturday, November 28, 2015 4:00 p.m. Perry Moran, M/M Samuel Babin and the Parish Purgatorial Society Sunday, November 29, 2015 8:00 a.m. For the People of St. Mark Parish 9:30 a.m. Virgil LeBlanc 11:00 a.m. M/M Herman Gautreau Monday, November 30, 2015 8:30 a.m. Helen Jacob Arackal Tuesday, December 1, 2015 8:30 a.m. Communion Service Wednesday, December 2 2015 8:30 a.m. the Parish Purgatorial Society Thursday, December 3, 2015 8:30 a.m. Communion Service Friday, December 4, 2015 8:30 a.m. Memorial Guild Saturday, December 5, 2015 4:00 p.m. Rouyea & Allen flys., Clyde Manuel, Allen Rowell, Elison Hebert fly., Amant Bercegeay fly., Mary Hunt, and the Parish Purgatorial Society Sunday, December 6, 2015 8:00 a.m. For the People of St. Mark Parish 9:30 a.m. Mary Lee Bourgeois 11:00 a.m. Elma Bourgeois The Sanctuary Light and Weekend Mass Intentions are included in the Lector s Welcome which begins 5 minutes prior to each Mass.