SAINT PETER S CATHOLIC CHURCH January 3, 2016 Behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. Adoration of the Magi Oil on wood painting by Leonardo da Vinci 104 West First Street Mansfield, Ohio 44902 Mass Schedule: Saturday: 5:00 pm Sunday: 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am Monday & Friday 5:30 pm Tuesday - Thursday 6:30 am Spanish Mass: Resurrection Parish, Lexington Sunday: 6:00 pm Phones: Rectory & Parish Center:419-524-2572 High School, Jr. High: 419-524-0979 Grade School: 419-524-3351 Montessori: 419-524-3351 Fax: 419-522-2553 Gifts to Msgr. Dunn Foundation: 419-524-2572 Ext. 2125 Parish Office Hours: Monday - Thursday: 7:30 am - 8:30 pm Friday: 7:30 am - 7:30 pm Saturday: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Sunday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm Parish Business Manager: Mr. David Barber (Interim) Sacrament of Baptism: Please contact the Parish Center to begin plans for the baptism of your baby or child. Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday: 3:00-4:30 pm Other times by appointment Sacrament of Marriage: Arrangements should be made at the Parish Center at least six months in advance of the ceremony. Sunday Nursery: Every Sunday during 9:30 and 11:30 am Mass, located in the Day Care Center in the basement of the High School. Bulletin Deadline: Monday, 12:00 noon. All requests must be submitted in writing or email. Website: www.mansfieldstpeters.org Staff emails are found on the website Pastoral Staff: Fr. Gregory R. Hite, Pastor Fr. Jeremy Miller, Parochial Vicar Mr. Bill Johnson, Director of Music & Liturgy Ms. Lynne Lukach, Pastoral Associate Mrs. Elizabeth Wurm, Director of Religious Ed. & Youth Minister Deacons: Mr. Terry Philpott Mr. John Reef St. Peter s School System: Mr. Michael Wasiniak High School, Jr. High School Mrs. Madalyn Bauer Elementary School Mrs. Tammy Kemerling Montessori Pastoral Care Contacts: Mrs. Vickie Palmer 419-524-2572 Hospital & Follow-up Mrs. Vickie Palmer 419-524-2572 Nursing Homes/Assisted Living & Prayer Pipeline Deacon John Reef 419-529-3694 Shut-ins/Homebound A Parish of the Saint Juan Diego Deanery, Diocese of Toledo
Page 2 St. Peter s Catholic Church, Mansfield, Ohio January 3, 2016 MASS INTENTIONS Monday, January 4 +Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious 5:00 pm Rosary 5:30 pm Gary Shoemaker Tuesday, January 5 +John Neumann, Bishop 6:30 am Sam Guarino Sr., Mary & Sandy Guarino Wednesday, January 6 Christmas W eekday 6:30 am Paul N. Ludwig 9:00 am Betty L. Wilson Thursday, January 7 Christmas W eekday 6:30 am Richard Marshall Friday, January 8 Christmas Weekday 5:00 pm Rosary 5:30 pm Sylvester Thomas Saturday, January 9 Vigil of The Baptism of the Lord 5:00 pm Richard S. Zack Sunday, January 10 The Baptism of the Lord 7:30 am Parish 9:30 am Charles N. Moore 11:30 am Brigadier General John A. Maurer LECTOR / COMMUNION MINISTER Saturday, January 9 5:00 pm L C Byrne, C Eighinger D B Schartl, B Nihei, M Joyce, T & D Hipp, D & C Campbell, V Zack D Falquette Sunday, January 10 7:30 am L B Danuloff, L Danuloff D M Collet, M Hawkins, J Gehrisch, L Lukach, L Simmons B Marshall, K Randall 9:30 am L D Forster, C Henrich D T Baker, T Frasz A Randall, F Schuster, I Cervinski, J Kastelic, B Connolly, D Dreskler, M Meinzer, C Merle M Riggleman, A Seiss, S Weber, C Raff 11:30 am L J Liston, M Jones D K Yockey, C Becker, H Deel J Laskey, B Riley, S Rizzo, K Schreck, L Strauser, need three MASS SERVERS Saturday, January 9 5:00 pm JJ Keffalas, Z Keffalas, S Keller Sunday, January 10 7:30 am M Butler, M Givens, A Lorenz 9:30 am S Ambrose, A Baldasare, A Baldasare 11:30 am O Deel, G Farragher, E Fesler Counters - Sunday, January 10 P Weitzel, J Genter, B Genter, P Lapczenski Kid s Word, January 10, 2016 9:30 - Patti 11:30 - Tricia Epiphany of Our Lord And so, Epiphany is upon us. How are we greeting the Christ Child? What gifts do we bring to the King? What can we say to Emmanuel God-with-us or to Mary and Joseph there by his side? Do we follow His star? Do we live lives that do Him homage? Just as the magi from the east departed for their country by another way after seeing the newborn King, so do we chart a new course on this Epiphany and in this New Year. To paraphrase an oft-quoted Fulton Sheen line about the Wise Men: If we have truly encountered Christ, how can we possibly return home the same way we came? The words in one of our Catholic Choir Christmas Concert songs at Richland Correctional this year have stayed on my mind and in my heart: Bring your peace into our violence, bid our hungry souls be filled. Word now breaking heaven s silence. Welcome to our world. Fragile finger sent to heal us, tender brow prepared for thorn. Tiny heart whose blood will save us, unto us is born, unto us is born. So wrap our injured flesh around You, breathe our air and walk our sod. Rob our sin and make us holy, perfect Son of God, perfect Son of God. Welcome to our world. (Words and music by Chris Rice) May our encounter with Christ this Christmas Season enliven us to greet all we meet with expressions of peace and welcome. Welcome to this Year of Mercy called by our Holy Father Pope Francis. Here at St. Peter s we will have many special opportunities to grow in our faith and in living lives of mercy. Welcome to our catechumens and candidates those who gather each Sunday for RCIA and those who will soon gather on six Saturdays for the condensed RCIA all traveling on a new route to encounter Jesus in the Sacraments at the Easter Vigil. Welcome to our soon-to-arrive parish Business Manager Jon Blazak and his family as they settle into a new home and new parish community. Welcome to the opportunities to support our parish Capital Campaign and to watch the fruits of this campaign unfold in needed care and upkeep of our beautiful church. Welcome to each new day God gives us this year. May we use our time, talents, and treasure to build up our families and our community and to always hear and respond to the cries of the poor. May the praise of the Lord be ever on our lips, and may all find blessing in Christ, the Word-made-Flesh on this feast of Epiphany and all through the year. Your sister in Christ, Lynne Lukach
Page 3 St. Peter s Catholic church, Mansfield, Ohio January 3, 2016 Please Pray for the Sick of our Parish Krista Marshall, Michael Davis II, Madeline Taddeo, Helen Green, Rose Mary Lang-Martin, Don Blank, Pam Taylor, Nick and Hilda Schemine, Mary Ann Gibson, Nancy Stanton, Bill Miller, Beverly Strauser, Mary Moyer, Connie Dalton, Rick Finnerty, Mary Yeager, Margie Caldwell, Beth Weiland, Elizabeth Risacher, Pat Colarosa, Michael Wells, Dina Riley, Greg Betscher, Andrew Weaver, Debbie Ashley, Aaron Blank, Andy Taracko, Christy Selby, Jim Brook, Brett Booth, Shirley Falls Klutts, Clara Powell, Louise Steggall, Loretta Parr, Theresa Prendergast Names will only be listed for 4 weeks. If you wish to have your name appear an additional 4 week period, contact the Parish Center at 419-524-2572. NEW PARISH BUSINESS MANAGER As the result of an intensive search process, I am pleased to announce that Mr. Jon Blazak has been selected as the new Parish Business Manager for St. Peter s Parish, effective January 18, 2016. Jon holds a Bachelor and Master of Accountancy degrees from New Mexico State University and is a Certified Public Accountant. A product of 12 years of Catholic education, he most recently served on the Board of Directors of a K-12 Catholic school in Phoenix, Arizona, and has experience in consulting, finance, and human resources. Originally from Indianapolis, Jon looks forward to returning to the Midwest. A practicing Catholic, Jon is married and has two children - a 2 year old daughter and a newborn son. Please welcome Jon to our parish community! Father Gregory R. Hite, Pastor Have you considered some creative giving techniques to use in making a contribution to our Preserving Our Past, Securing Our Future Campaign? Creative giving techniques may allow you to : Increase your current income. Avoid taxes. Make a generous gift to our campaign and our church community. Some creative giving strategies to consider: Cash and Personal Property Life Insurance and Life Income Plans Real estate and Securities Gifts through your Will by bequest Charitable Remainder Trust and Charitable Lead Trust Charitable Gift Annuity and Retirement Funds To learn more about these Creative Giving Strategies, register with the Parish Center Office to attend the next Creative Giving Seminar to be held Monday, January 25, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. (Location to be announced.) This event is free and open to all. Refreshments will be provided. Questions? Call Kara at 419-524-2572 ext. 2133. CENTERING PRAYER GROUP: Meets every Monday in the St. Paul room 6-7p.m. Silent prayer followed by an educational video and reflection. All are welcome. Please join us! For more information, call Wanda at 330-608-2250. St. Peter s Music Series Catholic Schools Week Concert: January 31, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. A favorite of young and old alike! Come and enjoy listening to the talented faculty & students in grades 1-12 of St. Peters and surrounding Catholic schools. FREE! Bring a friend or two or more. An uplifting way to spend your afternoon! Cancellation Twelfth Night Festival Due to financial constraints, the St. Peter s Music Series Festival of Lessons and Carols for Twelfth Night scheduled for 3:00 pm on January 3rd, has been cancelled. PARKING LOT SAFETY & EMERGENCY: Please remember to lock car doors and keep valuables out of sight when you come for weekend Mass. Also, please do not park in emergency lanes, behind the priests garage doors or the center isle lane - - it makes it impossible for rescue vehicles to help us! Regular Sunday On-Line Donations School Christmas December 20, 2015 $ 11,150.00 - $ 240.00 $ 5,221.50 - $ 1,993.00 Children $ 25.47 Mailed In Sunday Mailed In School $ 1,327.00 $ 420.00 Direct Deposit $ 3,434.00 Totals $ 23,810.97 Building Improvement Fund: 223.00 Weekly Average Needed: $25,000.00
Page 4 St. Peter s Catholic Church, Mansfield, Ohio January 3, 2016 RECYCLING January 8, 2015 10 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. BLUE BARRELS January 9 and 10 Dear Friends in Christ, As we close this year s Christmas Season, we would like to express our sincere thanks for all who helped with preparing for the celebrations in our parish church: The music was superb! Thanks to the various choirs, instrumentalists, cantors and Bill Johnson who worked for weeks behind the scenes. Our sacristans and liturgical planners, especially our parish youth and friends and all our generous volunteers. Our parishioner police protection, who always work quietly behind the scenes. All members of our Liturgical Committee who created such a beautiful environment and all those who set up the nativity scene. Our ushers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, readers and altar servers. To our parish office staff and parish receptionists. Those who cleaned the pews, the lanterns, replaced light bulbs and secured the church. To those who minister on a regular basis to our sick and shut-ins and those who are hospitalized. To those who donated their time and talent to the Christmas Classic, especially Ann Brown and her committee. What a beautiful part of our parish culture! To our Mass Coordinators, to those who prepared before Mass and for those who washed and ironed our linens. To all who responded to our Giving Tree appeal. To the St. Vincent de Paul Society and their assistance to families in need. Lord, please don t let us forget anyone You know who they are and they are blessed by you! Many people were so generous in dropping off goodies to the rector! Your cards and thoughtful gifts were very appreciated! That unexpected doorbell ring at the kitchen from a parishioner adds to the festivity of the season. Thank you, Lord, for the nice weather, so that your faithful people were able to get to Church. We thank you, too, for their generous contributions to the welfare of our parish and our parish ministries. May the love of Our Savior grant you peace in this coming year! Father Hite and Father Jeremy Merry Christmas The administration, staff and students of St. Peter s Catholic School wish a Blessed and Merry Christmas to all St. Peter's parishioners. May the light of the season lead you to peace, the love of friends and family, and the warmth of home. Back To Heartland Gathering High School Students: Register now for the Back to Heartland High School Gathering January 17th -18th at the Galion Saint Joseph Activity Center. It begins at noon on Sunday and runs until 11 a.m. on Monday. Cost is just $15 if prepaid by January 12th or $20 at the door. The weekend includes faith building, speakers, fun, games and fun! The Junior High Back to Heartland Junior High School Gathering is Sunday, February 14th from 1-7p.m. at Saint Francis in Willard. The day includes games, workshops, food, prayer and dancing. Cost is $10.00 if prepaid and $15.00 at the door. Families are invited to join us at the closing liturgy at 6 p.m. at Saint Francis Xavier. For more information regarding these events contact Youth Director, Elizabeth Wurm at 419-524-2572. Official Policy Announcement Whenever a county/city within the Diocese of Toledo is placed under a Level 3 Snow Emergency, during which all roadways are closed to non-emergency personnel, the Catholic Churches within that geographic region will cancel the scheduled Saturday Vigil, Sunday, or Holy Day Masses. Roman Catholics in that region, therefore, are dispensed from the obligation to attend Mass. If Masses are cancelled, Catholics are encouraged to participate in Holy Mass via television, radio, or internet, making a spiritual Communion. When Mass is cancelled, all other diocesan, parish, or school events in the geographic region are also cancelled. Protecting Seniors Nationwide Monitoring Service 1-877-801-8608
Page 5 St. Peter s Catholic Church, Mansfield, Ohio January 3, 2016 AUDITIONS Auditions for the 2016 Parish Production of The Music Man are as follows: Tuesday, January 5th 6-8 pm Wednesday, January 6th 6-8 pm Saturday, January 9th 10a.m.-12 noon All auditions will be held in the V.E. room of the high school. Bring a prepared piece to sing or you can perform a well known song such as Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, etc. All ages and experience levels are welcome to audition! COLD & FLU SEASON To prevent the spread of influenza and other viruses, the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and St. Peter s Parish ask everyone to please keep the following points in mind while at church: Anyone who is ill with a cough and fever is reminded they do not have an obligation to attend Sunday Mass. In fact, it is better they do not attend Mass and infect others. Anyone who feels ill should not receive the Precious Blood from the Chalice. Eucharistic Ministers are asked to wash their hands before and after Mass and use hand sanitizer before communion distribution. Some people do not wish to shake hands at the sign of Peace. Please respect this. A bow of the head or wave of the hand shows consideration. We encourage everyone to practice good hygiene, especially washing hands on a regular basis. Jubilee Year of Mercy The Epiphany of the Lord In this Jubilee Y ear of Mercy, Epiphany celebrates God s mercy shining on the magi from a guiding star. Their kingdoms were far from Jerusalem, their religions far from God s covenant with Israel. At first the star led the magi to Jerusalem, where they could recalculate their quest with the help of God s own GPS, the Jewish scriptures. How challenging and humbling for the magi to discover that they would find the world s Messiah not in a palace but with a poor couple in an insignificant village. That s where God s mercy, shining in the star, led the magi to worship Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Today the magi invite us to recalculate our life s journey during this Jubilee Year to follow the star of God s mercy along the way of humble love, to discover a renewed personal relationship with Jesus ourselves and so become guiding stars leading other seekers to find Jesus, too. Now that our Preserving Our Past, Securing Our Future Campaign is officially underway, we are looking for a few special angels to help elevate the standard of giving for everyone by making one of the few key pacesetting gifts that we need to assure our campaign s success. Several gifts in an amount equal to 1% to 10% or more of our overall goal would be a God send to us and will all but assure our success. Please, check out the Campaign Messenger Newsletter to view the gifts that have been given and those that are still needed. Check out the various ways that gifts can be made, which may enable you to make larger and more beneficial gifts than you thought were humanly possible. In short, consider becoming one of the angels we need for a successful campaign and make an awe-inspiring, uplifting gift. Your generosity is sure to be richly blessed...with maybe a wing...definitely a prayer and God s abundant grace...and other earthly and heavenly rewards that await. Have you considered any of the CREATIVE GIVING techniques in making a contribution to our Preserving Our Past, Securing Our Future Campaign? Creative Giving Techniques May Allow You To: Increase your current income. Avoid taxes. Make a generous gift to our campaign and our church community. Creative Giving Strategies To Consider: Cash, Personal Property, Life Insurance, Real Estate Securities, Charitable Remainder Trust, Life Income Plans Gifts Through Your Will by Bequest, Retirement Funds Charitable Lead Trust, Charitable Gift Annuity To learn more about these Creative Giving Strategies, register with the Parish Center Office to attend the next Creative Giving Seminar to be held on Monday, January 25, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Location for the meeting to be announced soon. This event is free and open to all. Refreshments will be provided. Questions? Call Kara at 419-524-2572. Mark your calendars for VBS (Vacation Bible School) 2016! VBS will take place July 11th-14th right here at St. Peter s! On Monday, April 4, 2016, there will be an organizational meeting at 7p.m. in the Family Room for all interested teens and adults who would like to help with this event. If you are not able to come to the meeting but would still like to help, please contact Elizabeth Wurm at 419-524-2572. Also, a Wish List of needed items is available at the Parish Center. Donations keep the costs low and the fun factor high!
Page 6 St. Peter s Catholic Church, Mansfield, Ohio January 3, 2016 We want to recognize and say a special prayer for the 277 parishioners celebrating birthdays in the month of January especially the 16 people who are 85 and above: Thomas Stanton, Stanley Twardzik, Doris Moore, Anna Wilging, John Taylor, Virginia Imhoff, Mary Jo Earnshaw, Frances Sneeringer, Mary Phelps, Rosalie Cusic, Ann Bishop, Frank Platania, Raymond Anton, Jakob Schmidt, Sue Swetlick, and Kenneth Gabor. May God continue to shower his blessings upon you. If you are above 85 and we missed your birthday, please let us know. The Master Class held Monday, December 21, 2015 with Broadway star and Mansfield native, Jenni Barber, was a resounding success! Students of all ages around the Mansfield and Richland county area were treated with a fun-filled and highly informative class that sharpened their vocal and acting skills. Ron Robinson, Jr., a sound engineer and mixing specialist with Atlantic Records in New York City, was also on hand to offer his insight and knowledge. Special thanks to Jim Cox, the Vega family and all supporters of the St. Peter s Department of Theater and Performing Arts / Music Series for helping to make this possible for the youth of our community! Jenni Barber, works with St. Peter s junior, Marrin Eighinger on her comedic monologue. Photo courtesy of Emily Dech, Staff reporter for RichlandSource.
# 776400 1200 bulletins please St. Peter Church 104 W First Street Mansfield, OH 44902-2199 419-524-2572 Attn: Claudia/Cindy
Page 8 St. Peter s Catholic Church, Mansfield, Ohio January 3, 2016 LOOKING IN THE RIGHT PLACES Appearances can be deceiving, as the saying goes. As we celebrate the epiphania, the appearing of the eternal Word of God on earth, this is still true. What rapturous foresight must have filled Isaiah as he wrote the words we hear today. How, for four hundred years, they must have filled the hearts of the people of Israel with hope for the day when God s glory would shine on them. How deceived some must have felt when the glory of God came to them in the lowliest and humblest of human lives. We have many expectations about how the divine presence will appear among us. But we can also set ourselves up, through these expectations, to miss the divine glory when it truly appears. We get caught up in looking for the star, forgetting that the star is not the divine sign, the babe is. It may take a persistent journey for us to come upon the true appearance of God s glory in our lives: Jesus Christ. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Over the next few weeks, if you were to stroll around Prague or Budapest or Kraków, you might see curious grafitti scratched in chalk over some doorways: 20 + C + M + B + 16. The families dwelling behind those doors have celebrated the Epiphany door blessing. They have gathered before the feast-day meal, probably after Mass, and the head of the family has traced the sign of the cross on the piece of chalk. Standing on a ladder, the leader traces the numbers for the new year, and the letters C M B for Christus Mansionem Benedicat, Latin for May Christ bless this house. The letters also point to the names that tradition has assigned to the mysterious magi, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar although scripture tells us nothing of their number, their country, or their names. The blessing speaks of journeys ended and journeys begun at the doorway, and prays that all journeys be as satisfying as was the magi s. It prays that the house beyond the door have the quality of love and peace that the magi marveled at when they at last arrived in Bethlehem. In some countries where the Soviet Union tried to impose a harsh atheism, the vigor of this household custom survived all efforts to erase Christian customs. In the years of struggle, the chalked blessings were a pervasive sign of defiance, and now in the light of new freedoms, they are a sign of the resilience of our tradition and the fulfillment of the magi s quest for meaning and peace. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. TODAY S READINGS First Reading Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! The LORD shines upon you and the glory of the Lord appears over you (Isaiah 60:1-6). Psalm Lord, every nation on earth will adore you (Psalm 72). Second Reading The mystery has been made known that the Gentiles are coheirs, copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6). Gospel Magi from the east arrived, saying, Where is the newborn king of the Jews? (Matthew 2:1-12). 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 Catholic Women's Club is offering a $500.00 Scholarship to a High School senior girl who is planning to attend college. You do not have to be attending a Catholic high school or plan to attend a Catholic college to apply. Call the Parish Center office for details. The next Catholic Women s Club luncheon will be January 13, 2016. It will be held at the Road House Br own Derby. Lunch is at 12:00 pm. All Catholic women from any parish in our deanery are invited to attend. If you are new, we encourage you to join us and get to know the Catholic women in our area. You may call Kathy Adamescu at 419-989-5049 or Sharon Houseworth at 419-347-1631 to make your reservation. READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: 1 Jn 3:22 4:6; Ps 2:7bc-8, 10-12a; Mt 4:12-17, 23-25 Tuesday: 1 Jn 4:7-10; Ps 72:1-4, 7-8; Mk 6:34-44 Wednesday: 1 Jn 4:11-18; Ps 72:1-2, 10, 12-13; Mk 6:45-52 Thursday: 1 Jn 4:19 5:4; Ps 72:1-2, 14, 15bc, 17; Lk 4:14-22a Friday: 1 Jn 5:5-13; Ps 147:12-15, 19-20; Lk 5:12-16 Saturday: 1 Jn 5:14-21; Ps 149:1-6a, 9b; Jn 3:22-30 Sunday: Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 29:1-4, 3, 9-10 or Ps 104:1b-4, 24-25, 27-30; Acts 10:34-38 or Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Lk 3:15-16, 21-22 ATTENTION CLASS OF 1966: The Class of 1966 Class Reunion will be held August 20, 2016 at Café on Main. For more information, contact Jim at jearnshaw@neo.rr.com or Skip & Sue Malaska at vmalaska@neo.rr.com. Time to be announced. For more Class reunion information or help in locating classmates, please contact Jason Crundwell at 419-524-2572. St. Peter s High School Come and See Us Visitation Day : St. Peter s High School will hold its annual all-deanery Come and See Us Visitation Day on Tuesday, January 12th from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Student visitors currently in 8th grade through 11th grade can meet administrators, teachers, staff and current students, tour classrooms in session and enjoy a free cafeteria lunch. A Q&A session will also be available. For more information, please call the high school office at 419-524-0979.