St. Paul the Apostle Parish Office: 815-725-1527 Parish Fax 815-730-9907 School: 815-725-3390 Religious Education 815-725-6927 Youth Ministry: 815-730-8599 RCIA (Roberta Lemke) 815-725-1403 Parish Email: parishsec@stpauljoliet.com Rev. John Klein, Pastor frjohn@stpauljoliet.com x243 Rev. John Belmonte, S.J., Resident x230 Rev. James Lennon, Weekend Celebrant Deacon William Bevan, III Deacon John Freund jfreund@dioceseofjoliet.org Lynne Passarella, Parish Secretary x200 Denise Rowan, Business Manager x203 Mary K. Robbins, Principal x401 Sr. Karen Marie Lanigan, O.S.F., D.R.E. x301 Jeremy Hylka, Dir. Of Liturgy & Youth Minister x320 Tanya Rand, Dean of Development & Marketing x201 Raymond Kaufmann, Director of Music Saturday, January 4 4:30PM John Bowde3n by: Friend Sunday, January 5 7:30AM Stella Dumser by: Family 9:00AM The People of St. Paul the Apostle 10:30AM William Hickey by: Hickey Family Monday, January 6 7:30AM Robert Louch by: Gloria Louch Tuesday, January 7 7:30AM Edward Janes by: P. Phinney Wednesday, January 8, 8:30AM Dr. Vincent DiGiulio by: R. DiGiulio Thursday, January 9 7:30AM Elizabeth Carlan by: Eleanor McGuire Friday, January 10 7:30PM Marcella Sulzborger by: Annette Nigro Saturday, January 11 4:30PM Scott Strysik by: Linda Strysik Next Sunday, January 12 7:30AM Helen & Ben Cabay by: Anne Prock 9:00 AM James Hickey Sr. by: Mrs. D. Hickey 10:30 AM The People of St. Paul the Apostle NEXT WEEKEND S LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS TIME READERS EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS Saturday, January 11, 2014 4:30 PM A Kokosz/ D Lennon R Baskerville/ P & C Wilda/ E Cora R Ward/ J Pultorak/ N Pultorak Sunday, January 12, 2014 7:30 AM L Hoffman/ A Henderson C Lehman/ L Deiss/ C Schultz/ M A Schwerha A Prock/ S Hostert/ P Stroud 9:00 AM K Sawyer/ T Bailey M Walsh/ A Theobald/ F Theobald/ M Kucek K Sawyer/ D Bailey/ S Smith 10:30 AM L Garcia/ B Bodach M L Crossen/ N Louck/ J Hatfield/ M Maloney G Egizio/ D Fonza/ S Hobbs Next Weekend s Servers: Saturday, January 11, 2014 4:30 PM P Kasheimer/ L Serrato/ S Serrato Sunday, January 12, 2014 7:30 AM B Kohler/B Hinkleman/ G Underhill 9:00 AM D Tubongbanua/ M Trizna/ G Hardin 10:30AM L Gregurich/ J McGinnis/ J Scherf Weekday Mass: Mon-Fri 7:30 AM (Wed 8:30 AM when school is in session) Saturday Vigil: 4:30 PM Sunday Mass: 7:30,9:00,10:30 AM Holy Day Masses: Variable-check bulletin. Reconciliation: Sat 3-4 pm or by appointment. Baptism: Usually 2nd Sunday of the month after 10:30am Mass. A preparation meeting for parents is mandatory. Call the parish office for details Weddings: Engaged parishioners must contact the parish office at least 6 mos. prior to intended date, and before making any arrangements. RCIA: Classes from September to Easter for those interested in becoming Catholic. Becoming a Parishioner: Please contact the parish office to register All Are Welcome!
FROM FATHER JOHN: If the Magi had come in search of an earthly King, they would have been disconcerted at finding that they had taken the trouble to come such a long way for nothing. Consequently they would have neither adored nor offered gifts. But since they sought a heavenly King, though they found in Him no signs of royal pre-eminence, yet, content with the testimony of the star alone, they adored: for they saw a man, and they acknowledged a God. ~ St. John Chrysostom I would like to share with a homily from St. Leo the Great on the Feast of the Epiphany which we celebrate today. St. Leo the Great is one of the few popes who have been given the title the Great. His papacy began in the year 440 AD and ended with his death in 461 AD. His pontificate was, along with St. Gregory the Great s pontificate, one of the two most important pontificates from approximately the time of the conversion of Emperor Constantine until the Middle Ages. It was during his papacy that the Dogma of the Petrine Primacy was firmly established within the Deposit of Faith. He combated various heresies including Pelagianism, Manichiasm, and Monophysitism. He continually worked to for the unity of the ; a unity that was rooted in sound Christian doctrine. The loving providence of God determined that in the last days he would aid the world, set on its course to destruction. He decreed that all nations should be saved in Christ. A promise had been made to the holy patriarch Abraham in regard to these nations. He was to have a countless progeny, born not from his body but from the seed of faith. His descendants are therefore compared with the array of the stars. The father of all nations was to hope not in an earthly progeny but in a progeny from above. Let the full number of the nations now take their place in the family of the patriarchs. Let the children of the promise now receive the blessing in the seed of Abraham, the blessing renounced by the children of his flesh. In the persons of the Magi let all people adore the Creator of the universe; let God be known, not in Judea only, but in the whole world, so that his name may be great in all Israel. Dear friends, now that we have received instruction in this revelation of God s grace, let us celebrate with spiritual joy the day of our first harvesting, of the first calling of the Gentiles. Let us give thanks to the merciful God, who has made us worthy, in the words of the Apostle, to share the position of the saints in light; who has rescued us from the power of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. As Isaiah prophesied: The people of the Gentiles, who sat in darkness, have seen a great light, and for those who dwelt in the region of the shadow of death a light has dawned. He spoke of them to the Lord; The gentiles, who do not know you, will invoke you, and the peoples, who knew you not, will take refuge in you. This is the day that Abraham saw, and rejoiced to see, when he knew that the sons born of his faith would be blessed in his seed, that is, in Christ. Believing that he would be the father of the nations, he looked into the future, giving glory to God, in full awareness that God is able to do what he has promised. This is the day that David prophesied in the psalms, when he said: All the nations that you have brought into being will come and fall down in adoration in your presence, Lord, and glorify your name. Again, the Lord has made known his salvation; in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. This came to be fulfilled, as we know, from the time when the star beckoned the three wise men out of their distant country and led them to recognize and adore the King of heaven and earth. The obedience of the star calls us to imitate its humble service: to be servants, as best we can, of the grace that invites all men to find Christ. Dear friends, you must have the same zeal to be of help to one another; then, in the kingdom of God, to which faith and good works are the way, you will shine as children of the light: through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with God the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen. I don t know about you but I have never once forgotten that December 25 th is Christmas. In fact, I look forward with joy to this day every year. But, I often struggle to remember when Ash Wednesday will be or when Pentecost will be or etc. In centuries past, people did not have calendars (or smartphones) readily available to keep track of all the moveable feasts of the liturgical year so the would proclaim the calendar of upcoming moveable feasts on the Feast of the Epiphany. One of the ancient traditions of the is the option to sing the Gospel and the Announcement of Easter and the Movable Feasts at mass on the Feast of the Epiphany. But since I thought it would be unkind of me to subject you to my singing, I decided to print the announcement here instead. Know, brothers and sisters, that as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by leave of God's mercy, we announce to you also the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Savior. On the fifth day of March will fall Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season. On the twentieth day of April, you will celebrate with joy Easter day, the Paschal Feast of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the twenty-ninth day of May, will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the eighth day of June, the feast of Pentecost. On the twenty-second day of June, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. On the thirtieth day of November, the First Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. I hope and pray that this Christmas Season has brought, and will continue to bring, great joy, excitement, peace and love into your life and the life of your family. Please keep me and all the people of our parish in your prayers as I pray for you daily.
Parish News St. Paul s FOLLOW Youth Ministry Members always welcome. You must be confirmed and/or in high school! Contact Youth Minister Jeremy Hylka at 815-730-8599 or stpaulsyouth@sbcglobal.net Website: www.stpaulyouth.com Facebook: St. Paul s Youth Ministry Joliet Twitter: stpaulsfollow Instagram: stpauljolietyouth Text Message News Reminders: text @drstp to 815-207-8341 Pro-Life Mass with Bishop Conlon Sun., Jan 5 at 11am at the Cathedral. Mission Week in Ohio all high school students are welcome to join us for our week-long Catholic Heart Mission Week to Toledo, Ohio June 8-14. A deposit of $85 with form is due January 7. Please contact our office for more information. FOLLOW Night Tues., Jan. 7, doors open at 5:30pm; meeting from 6:30-9pm;Theology of the Body. Daybreak Sat., Jan. 11 from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Annual School Fund In the first two weeks of our Annual Fund process, we were given more than $15,000 in gifts from parishioners, school families, and alumni across the country. We are so very grateful that we are off to a great start. If you have not yet donated to the Annual Fund, please consider joining us: be a part of something big. Help St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School continue its tradition of academic excellence steeped in Catholic tradition, values, and practices. All donations of any size are greatly appreciated. Donations to our Annual Fund will be used for updating textbooks, updating library books, upgrading technology equipment, and building the tuition angel fund to provide more scholarships for families who qualify for financial aid. Thank you to all who have supported our Annual Fund Drive. St. Paul s is now on Facebook and Twitter! LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/stpauljoliet FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: stpauljoliet R.E.P. NEWS In need of information about Our Religious Education Program? Please call the REP office at 815-725-6927 REP classes will resume on Monday, January 6 at 5:45 pm. Parents are asked to stop at the REP desk to pick up student progress reports. St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School News Classes resume tomorrow after a two-week Christmas Holiday. If December was busy, January is even more so with special presentations about vocations, Internet safety, prayer with movement and music, the Catholic view of Family Life for 5 th graders parents, and the six-day celebration of Catholic Schools Week. Fr. Burke Masters will bring two seminarians and talk to our 7 th and 8 th graders about vocations on January 7th. If you have met Fr. Burke, you know what an inspiration this will be for our junior high students. Please pray for all our young people who are considering a religious vocation. Mark your calendars for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday the 14 th. Detective Rich Wistocki of Be Sure Consulting, in conjunction with the Will County State s Attorney s office, will talk to our 5 th - 8 th graders in the afternoon about the latest developments in staying safe from harassment and predators while on the Internet. He will give a very informative presentation to all interested adults that evening at 6:30 p.m. in A4. If you love a child who has a smart phone, i-pad, or Internet access on the computer, you will want the latest news about how to keep that child safe. Rich is a renowned expert in the field and a dynamic speaker. People always tell me after his presentation, This guy is great! You have to bring him back again. OUR PRAYERS AND WISHES FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO OUR TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Sunday, January 5 9:00am Mass 10:00am RCIA 10:30am Mass 12:00pm Basketball Practice Convent Monday, January 6 5:45pm REP Classes School/ AC 7:00pm A A Meeting A 1 Tuesday, January 7 3:45pm Basketball Games 5:00pm Youth Ministry Convent 6:30pm Baptismal Prep A 1 6:30pm Boy Scouts School Hall Wednesday, January 8 8:30am Mass 3:00pm Home & School Mtg. A 4 Thursday, January 9 3:00pm Children s Choir 3:45pm Interviews w/ Diana A 2 6:30pm Adult Choir Practice 7:00pm Spirit & Truth Convent/ Friday, January 10 6:15pm Girl Scouts / Wendel A 2 Saturday, January 11 9:00am Basketball Practice 3:00pm Confessions 4:30pm Mass 5:30pm Music Ensemble Sunday, January 12 9:00am Mass 10:00am RCIA Convent 10:30am Mass 11:30am Baptisms 12:00pm Basketball Practice For the most current calendar information please go to www.stpauljoliet.com Patricia Balla Erin Bartel Gerri Bertino Mason Briese Patricia Burda Noemi Canales Laura Criel Sally Drauden Jean Fabich Judith Gahala Harn Family Pray for the Sick Please remember the following people in your prayers who are seriously ill or who are suffering from long-term illnesses: Matt Gross Sami Henderson James Hickey, Jr. Ann Juhlmann Ann Kane Mary Kaplan Helen Locher Carol Malnar Shirley Max Helen Meyer Terry Meyer Betty Modlin John Mowbray Jeanie Nunuue Kurt Palmer Kay Prock Walter Ratkovich Amy Remallard Lisa Savero Barbara Schreiner Richard Schreiner Tony Simone Louis Toka Sal Ventura Lorraine Welch
TRAINING SESSION FOR PARISH VOCATION CONTACTS On Saturday, January 18, 2014, the Vocation Office and JAVA will host a training session from 9:00am 12:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet for those who are interested in promoting vocations in their parish. We are asking each pastor to send at least 2 representatives from their parish to this meeting. This will be a great way to develop a culture of vocations in your parish. We will be discussing practical ways in which vocations can be promoted in the parish. We are trying to take the burden off of busy pastors. Please send the names of those who will be attending to John Matyasik from the Serra Club at jmatyasik@stpiuslombard.org. There is no cost for this training session. Fr. Burke will celebrate Mass at 8 a.m. at the Cathedral before the training session. MEN S DISCERNMENT GROUP All men age 17 and older are welcome to our Men s Discernment Group. We will be using the book To Save A Thousand Souls by Fr. Brett Brannen to discuss relevant topics to discern a priestly vocation. Books will be provided for those who do not already have one. January 19, 2013, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Discovering Christ Coming to St. Paul the Apostle Parish! Enjoy a light dinner, listen to dynamic teaching and join in a small group discussion about the meaning of life in Jesus Christ. Discovering Christ is a seven-week series that will begin Wednesday January 22nd at 6:30pm and includes a lifechanging retreat on Saturday, March 1st. Wednesday meeting dates are 1/22, 1/29, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, 3/19 and 3/26. This course is designed for you to revitalize your faith or to bring your friends and family who have been away from the church and are open to exploring the meaning of life in Jesus Christ. Check out the You Tube video at : For Information or to register Contact Deacon John Call: 630-212-6002 Email: jfreund@dioceseofjoliet.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-qph2_3n2k Special Offer: If you are a baptized Catholic, age 18 or over, have received First Eucharist, but have never been confirmed this program could serve as preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Contact Deacon John for more information.
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Today we remember the three wise men from the East who came to pay homage to the infant Jesus, bringing him rich gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gifts we bring our time and service and some share of what we earn for the work we do are equally precious in His sight. LIGHTS While looking up to heaven and praying has anyone noticed what we have been able to do with the lighting fixtures in the church. They are bright and laminating our church just as they did when they were brand new. A big thank you to all parishioners for their weekly contributions that make work like this possible. Hospitality Ministry is looking for Greeters to welcome parishioners to St. Paul s at all weekend masses. Requirement: A Sunny Smile and a Positive Greeting to those coming for Mass. All we are asking is one Saturday or Sunday a month. You choose your favorite mass. For more information: call Dolores Fassola 815-725-2022 Thank You. Thank you to our music director Mr. Ray Kaufmann, and Mr. Vince McGirr the head of the Arts and Environment Committee for the beautiful music and surroundings in church during our Christmas masses. Their work with the choir, musicians, and committee members has made our Christmas celebration very special. We all appreciate the hard work and talent needed to make all this happen. Thank you to all of the greeters who wore their biggest smiles and welcomed everyone to Christmas Mass at St. Paul's. Hopefully we can bring those sunny welcomes into the New Year. SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: The Epiphany of the Lord; National Migration Week Monday: St. André Bessette Tuesday: St. Raymond of Penyafort; Julian Calendar Christmas SUNDAY OFFERING THANK YOU! Offering for Sunday, Dec. 15.$14,719.00 Collection Amount Budgeted...$16,731.00 Week s Budget Shortfall.. ($ 2, 012.00 ) Year to Date Shortfall.. ($31,202.00) Our Parish depends on a weekly collection of $16,731.00 to meet our budget. Thank you for your generous support of our parish. Your donations of time, talent, and treasure enables us to provide many ministries and services for the benefit of our parishioners and the local community. God bless you and your family!