The Parish of St. Agatha Milton ~ Quincy, MA December 23-24, 2017 StAgathaParish.org ST. AGATHA RECTORY Office Hours Monday - Friday 9am-4pm 432 Adams Street Milton, MA 02186 ST. AGATHA SCHOOL 440 Adams Street Milton, MA 02186 SCHEDULE OF MASSES Daily Masses: Monday-Friday: & Saturday& Holidays: 8:00am Reconciliation: 3:45-4:15pm on Saturdays. Any other time by appointment Weekend Masses: Saturday: 4:30 pm Sunday: 7:30 am 9:00 am 10:30 am 12:00 noon 5:00 pm Holy Days: As Announced There are assistive devices for the hearing impaired available in the Sacristy before all Masses. Low gluten hosts are available. Please see priest before Mass if needed. Christmas Eve Mass Schedule Dec 24th 4pm in the Upper Church & Parish Center Gym 6pm Pageant & Children s Choir 11:45pm Prelude Music & Carols Midnight Music Ensemble & Christmas Day Mass Schedule Dec 25th 7:30am 9am 10:30am Traditional Choir 12 noon NO 5PM MASS On Monday, New Year s Day, Jan 1st, the Masses will be at: 8am and noon. MISSION STATEMENT St. Agatha Parish is a Christian Community of Catholics from Milton, Quincy and beyond, whose Mission is to demonstrate Love by: proclaiming and celebrating God s Presence on earth; being open and welcoming to all; reaching out to our sisters and brothers near and far; providing opportunities for prayer, service, education and recreation. In living this Mission, we accept our responsibility for giving witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Eucharistic Adoration Every Friday after the 9am Mass in the Chapel until reposition at 1pm. Legion of Mary meets every Wednesday after the 9am Mass. The rosary is recited every morning before the 9am Mass. Please join us. Fourth Sunday Of Advent St. Agatha Parish Phone: 617-698-2439 Rectory@StAgathaParish.org Fax: 617-698-1517 Parish Website: www.stagathaparish.org Clergy Rev. William B. Palardy, Pastor Rev. Jason M. Makos, Parochial Vicar Deacon Daniel F. Sullivan Rev. Patrick McLaughlin, Senior Priest in Residence Rev. Thomas Powers, Senior Priest in Residence Deacon Baldemar Garza, Seminarian Intern Parish Administration Mr. Jack Riley, Finance and Operations Manager Ms. Kathy Monahan, Administrative Assistant and Bulletin Editor Music Ministry MusicDirector@StAgathaParish.org Ms. Agata Orzechowska, Director of Music St. Agatha School Phone: 617-696-3548 School@StAgathaParish.org Fax: 617-696-6288 School Website: www.stagathaparish.org/school Mr. David Marion, Principal Mrs. Michelle Tierney, Administrative Assistant Mrs. Joan Brown, Tuition Coordinator ST AGATHA FAITH FORMATION 617-696-1388 Grades 1-8 FaithFormation@StAgathaparish.org Mrs. Ellen Cronin, Director Mrs. Jenn Caputo, Administrative Assistant Grade 9-11 & Young Church Ministry 617-696-8978 YoungChurchMinistry@StAgathaParish.org Mr. Brian T. Pellicano
Fourth Sunday of Advent December 23-24, 2017 A Note from Our Pastor, Hearty thanks to the many people who have worked tirelessly for us to lift up our hearts and souls in praise of God for the birth of His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ: the Boy Scouts who set up our manger outside the church; the 8 th -graders from St. Agatha School who transported all the figures and delicately positioned them in that same manger; the members of our Art and Environment Committee who decorated the upper church and the chapel so beautifully; our Faith Formation students who decorated the Christmas trees up and down; our several choirs, cantors and instrumentalists who with Agata and Brian have been rehearsing for our Christmas Masses; Maggie Reardon and those working with her in organizing and directing the Christmas Pageant, and of course the children who participate in it; Meg Kaster, Kathy Keil, and Deacon Dan Sullivan for organizing a group of families and other parishioners who will be serving as greeters at the Christmas Eve Masses. Please note the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass Schedule on the cover of the bulletin. The one collection taken up at the Christmas Masses supports the Clergy Health and Retirement Fund for the priests of the Archdiocese of Boston. Thank you for your support, especially since we have 2 wonderful senior priests in Fr. Pat McLaughlin and Fr. Tom Powers here who serve our parish with such dedication and who benefit directly from this collection. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior this weekend, I want to share with you excerpts from a Christmas Homily of Pope St. Leo the Great of the fifth century, taken from The Liturgy of the Hours, volume 1. New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1975, pp. 404-405: Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born; let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness. No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness. In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God s wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its creator. Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God s kingdom. May you and all your loved ones have a blessed Christmas Season! Fr. Palardy Christmas ~ One Collection for the Clergy Health and Retirement Trust This weekend is the diocese-wide collection to benefit the Clergy Health and Retirement Trust which cares for the needs of our 590 priests. Our priests are always there for us; they share Christ s good news, perform good works, and build communities of good faith. Your support helps care for their health and well-being in retirement. You can learn more about the Clergy Health and Retirement Trust and make a gift online at clergytrust.org. Follow us on Facebook @ClergyTrust. Thank you in advance for your prayers and support. Christmas Break Social for Young Adults On Friday January 5 th, from 6pm on in the Gathering Space there will be a get-together for college-age students and other young adults. The 2 young adults on our Parish Pastoral Council are working with several others to plan an evening of good food and lots of fun. Fuller details in next week s bulletin. Please call 617-698-2439 and we will arrange for a minister of communion to bring Eucharist to you.
St. Agatha Parish FEATURED WEEKLY READING THE WEEKLY UPDATE Milton Quincy THEME: God s Spirit comes to us in ways we least expect. As you hear this reading about Mary today, what words or phrases strike you? What in this reading touches your heart? Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you. But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. But Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no relations with a man? And the angel said to her in reply, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God. Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. Then the angel departed from her. Pastoral Planning December 24 ~ Fourth Sunday of Advent Today s Gospel is the wonderful story of the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary. Over the years we have seen many artistic renditions of the Annunciation story. Take a moment today, before the festivities of Christmas get underway, to pray with your favorite image of this story and ask for Mary s help by praying the Hail Mary. Weekly Budget Dec. 16-17 In-Pew Collection Christmas is truly a special time in the year. It is a time to rejoice in the birth of our Savior and to give thanks to His Mother Mary for saying yes to God s call. It is a time to share memories of days gone by, and a time to renew our hope for the days ahead. It is a time to give of ourselves to family, friends, and those in need. It is also a time to give thanks for the many gifts God has bestowed on us. Here at St. Agatha Parish those gifts are manifold. When you look around you today consider how fortunate we are to have the beautiful worship space and the renovated lower level. Consider also the many people who give of their time and talent to make our experience of the Liturgy so meaningful. From the priests, to the various ministers, to the team that decorates and beautifies the Church throughout the year, we are so blessed to have this myriad of people who share their gifts with all of us. Then consider the people who so willingly give of themselves in the many ministries we have in the parish. The overwhelming response to this year s 26 th Annual Giving Tree Project is but one example of our faith community in action. We are also blessed by a wonderful school, an emerging Life Teen program and so many other signs of vibrancy. We are further blessed by talented and committed staff in both the parish and school who help the parish community to live out its mission each day. God is good. In addition to the good news below about exceeding our Weekly Offertory budgeted amount for the third consecutive weekend, there is also good news about the Grand Annual. The total continues to rise and as of December 19 th it stood at $140,453, bringing us ever-closer to our budgeted goal of $170,000. There is still time to contribute before the end of the year, so if you have not yet had the opportunity to do so, your participation is very much needed and would be most welcome. Thanks so much for your support of the parish. Weekly Offertory Report Electronic Collection Dec. 16-17 Total Offertory Jack Riley Weekly Difference Total Difference YTD $13,235 $11,002 $2,637 $13,639 $404 -$30,731
http://www.facebook.com/stagathaparishmiltonquincy December 23-24, 2017 2018 Winter Windfall Calendars There s still time to pick up a Saint Agatha School Winter Windfall Calendar! * $5 per calendar * 31 chances to win * Perfect for Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers * 100% of profits directly benefit Saint Agatha School For more information or additional calendars, please stop by or contact the school office at 617 696-3548. On Sunday, January 7th, 2018, families of children baptized in the past several months are invited to join us at the 9am Mass that day to receive a special blessing from the parish. After Mass there will be refreshments to enjoy with other parishioners in the Gathering Space of the church. Families of young children have many ways to participate in St. Agatha s parish: 1. Family Mass, 9am every Sunday, where crying babies are loved just as they are! 2. Coffee hours after Sunday Family Mass twice a month 3. I Am Special program for 3-4 yr olds, which meets during the 10:30am Sunday Mass in the Hall during the school year to help children form a connection with God s love. Please join us! SENIOR TAX WORK OFF PROGRAM FOR MILTON SENIOR RESIDENTS If you are a senior resident of Milton and have lived in your own home for the past five years you may be eligible to participate in a program to reduce your real estate taxes. The town has 25 slots available for residents to volunteer for approximately 62 hours during 2018. If you qualify for the program and complete your hours, you will receive $750 off your real estate tax bill. This is a wonderful opportunity to lower your real estate taxes while providing a valuable service to the town. Please call the Milton Council on Aging at 617-898-4893 for more information. SAVE THE DATE! Building Hope Together: Voices of Saint Rock 2018 Gala Fundraiser March 1, 2018 Granite Link Golf Club 6pm Cocktails 7:30pm Dinner & Program Early bird tickets are $125, after February 20th, $150 Tickets will be available for sale in January, or by sending a check to SRHF, 372 Granite Ave., Suite 1, Milton, MA 02186 or go to www.saintrock.org to pay online. Sponsorship opportunities available. More details to come! The Spirituality for Everyday Living mini-retreat series will begin the New Year with Follow Your Bliss led by Peggy Patenaude of Taking Time Out. It will be held on Wednesday, January 10 at Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham, MA from 10:00am--12:30pm. (Coffee at 9:30am) Cost is $25. Pre-registration required. Contact Peggy at 508-548-9149 or timeoutretreats@comcast.net. For more information, visit www.timeoutretreats.com. LAST CALL: The Story of My Life, a women s retreat weekend, will be held at Miramar Retreat Center in Duxbury, MA January 12-14, 2018. For more details, contact Peggy. See above contact information. NEED HELP? The Caring Circle dares to care Call 617-337-3225 for short-term nonfinancial help or visit www.mcccaringcircle.org
Rectory@StAgathaParish.org December 23-24, 2017 FAITH FORMATION UPDATES Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy and holy Christmas season from the Faith Formation Office, Gr. 1-6, Ellen Cronin and Jennifer Caputo. We are so blessed to have such wonderful volunteers participating in ministry here. A special thanks to those catechists who do not even have children or grandchildren currently in the program but who volunteer in response to our baptismal call to share the faith: Mark Broderick, Pat Clasby, Elizabeth Mahon, Barbara McLaughlin, Ginny Shea, and Ann Simmons. You are wonderful! There is still room for others to join this wonderful little band of disciples; with flu season upon us, we are always in need of substitute teachers. CONFIRMATION & YOUNG CHURCH MINISTRY FOLLOW THE YOUTH GROUP ON @ staggieslifeteen or Brian s high school YouTube channel at StaggiesLT Merry Christmas from the Life Teen Youth Group! High School Worship Ministry: If you are a teen interested in singing or playing with our group contact Brian Pellicano at the parish office! Currently looking for: a pianist, a guitarist, a percussionist and vocalists!!! HIGH SCHOOL MISSION TRIP July 21 st 28th, 2018: Register NOW! Registration is now online for our high school mission trip to West Virginia! We have 30 high school spots and 15 adult chaperone spots on a first come, first serve basis. This is an incredible experience where we will work together to repair up to 7 homes for families of great need. The cost is $350 per teen and just $250 per adult chaperone. Every volunteer (teen and adult) will be responsible for helping to raise money for our trip. There are many costs that excluding registration add up to about $14,000. Any additional financial support from our parishioners is greatly appreciated. Please note, once you submit a registration YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO GO. Don t wait the spots are filling fast! I look forward to making the trip with you! MISSION TRIP ADULT LEADERS NEEDED To all adults 21+ years of age. I am counting on you yes you to consider volunteering your time and efforts to be part of our adult leadership team for this year s mission trip. It is truly an amazing experience. If you know of anyone who has gone on ASP, I encourage you to talk to them about their experience as a volunteer. Details again are listed in the previous paragraph, contact Brian for more details via bpellicano@stagathaparish.org or by phone at 617-696-8978. Thank you and God bless! ASP PARENT INFO NIGHT: Tuesday, January 9 th 7-8pm - Gathering Space If you have a teen interested in participating on this trip, I encourage you to attend our parent info night at the above date and location to learn the basics about the trip. You WILL be able to register your teen at this meeting. If you have questions about this meeting, please call Brian our youth minister at 617-696-8978. Confirmation Upcoming classes: 10 th Grade Session 6 Sunday January 7 th 3:30-4:50pm in the Gathering Space EDGE 7 th /8 th Grade Upcoming sessions: Session 6 Thursday, January 11 th 6:30-8pm in the Gathering Space In the joy of Christ, Brian Pellicano Youth Minister, Confirmation Coordinator
Saint Agatha School Milton ~ Quincy Currently accepting applications for the 2018-2019 academic year. Pre-school ages 3 and 4 Kindergarten through Grade 8 For more information or to schedule a visit please call 617 696-3548 Celebrate Christian Values Excel in Education The students at St. Agatha School entertained family and friends with a lovely program of Christmas songs in their annual concert. Saturday 8:00am 4:30pm Sunday 7:30am 10:30am 12:00pm 4:00pm 6:00pm Midnight Monday 7:30am 10:30am 12:00pm Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 8:00am 4:30pm Sunday 7:30am 10:30am 12:00pm 5:00pm December 23 Birth 27th Anniversary December 24 18th Anniversary For the 9th Anniversary December 25 December 26 Anniversary Birth December 27 Health & Well- December 28 1st Anniversary December 29 MASS INTENTIONS December 30 1st Anniversary December 31 30th Anniversary 15th Anniversary For the Anniversary John E. Toland Anthony F. Spinelli Anne A. Donahue Parishioners of St. Agatha Claire Carten & Mary Corcoran Michael Curtin Children s Choir & Pageant Music Ensemble & Traditional Choir Betty S. Duffy Veronica Mahoney John O Leary Being of Parishioners Maria Thai-Nguyen & Family Elaine Doherty For Successful Surgery Anna MacDonald Margaret Roche Patricia Ann Baxley Mary E. Ritchie Daniel F. & Anne M. O Sullivan & Kayla E. Naughton Parishioners of St. Agatha Cecilia Zwiercan-Suchecki SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATIONS Baptism: 2:00pm on the 2nd/4th Sundays of each month. Please call the Rectory to arrange/ask questions regarding other arrangements. Reconciliation: 3:45-4:15pm on Saturdays Any other time by appointment Marriage: Call one of the parish priests or deacon. Arrangements are ordinarily to be made at least 6 months before the proposed marriage. Every Monday Doors Open @ 4:30pm BINGO begins at 6:40pm Come and Play School Parents, your help is needed. Thank You Volunteers!!!