St. Anselm Catholic Church December 18, 2016 Fourth Sunday of Advent They shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." - Matthew 1:23 97 Shady Lane, PO Box 1061, Ross, CA 94957 Parish Office: (415) 453-2342 Office Fax: (415) 453-8713 Clergy: Fr. Jose Shaji, Pastor ext. 15 Email: Fr.Shaji@saintanselm.org Deacon Bernie O Halloran Deacon Ed Cunningham Deacon Bob Meave Parish Secretary: Sissy Ratto ext. 10 Religious Education: Natalie Larraga D.R.E. ext. 20 Dre@saintanselm.org Health-Senior Ministry: Rose Shadduck (415) 453-6533 Music Director: Michael Mello (415) 453-2342 St. Anselm School: Kim Orendorff, Principal School Office: (415) 454-8667 School Fax: (415) 454-4730 Parish Email: info@saintanselm.org Parish Website: www.saintanselm.org School Website: www.stanselmschool.com CYO Website: www.stanselmcyo.org Mass Schedule: Saturday Vigil 5:00pm, Sunday 8:00am, 10:00am, and 5:00pm Weekday Mass: Monday through Friday 8:00am Tuesday & Thursday 5:30pm Parish Office Hours: 8:30am-1:00pm, 2:00pm-5:00pm Holy Day Masses: 8:00am, 11:00am, 5:30pm Reconciliation: Saturdays 4:00pm-4:45pm or by appointment Baptism: Preparation Class required, call parish office Sacrament of the Sick: Anytime upon request. Contact Pastor. Matrimony: Six months notification required prior to desired date. Contact Pastor. St. Vincent de Paul Help Desk: (415) 454-0366 Helping Hands: (415) 453-2342 Eucharist for Homebound: (415)-453-2342 St. Anselm s Parish is a Catholic community formed by families, individuals and clergy that worship together, celebrate the sacramental life of the Church, and seek to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ everyday. We welcome, serve, and educate.
Dear Parishioners, During the Advent and Christmas season the focus of our attention is on Mary and the child, Jesus. We tend to overlook the role of Joseph. The Gospel reading taken from Matthew speaks about Joseph. Joseph is portrayed as a devout and sensitive man. We overlook the fact that Joseph was a courageous man who took the pregnant Mary into his home as his wife in response to a dream. He did not dismiss it as a dream, but looked at it as a message from God. What can we learn from this response from Joseph? We can learn that God is active in our lives as he was in the life of Joseph. God uses simple ways to inspire us and to tell us what we need to do in our lives. If we can spend a few minutes to reflect on our lives, we will see many instances wherein God inspired us. We will also realize that every time we responded to those inspirations God made a difference in our lives. During this Advent and Christmas season let us keep our hearts and minds open to God s inspirations so that God can continue to work in us and transform us. We are coming close to the end of the year and I want to remind you that we are short of our Archdiocesan Annual Appeal by $22,410. If you have not made a contribution this year, I would request you to prayerfully consider making a donation to AAA so that we will not have to pay the amount from our regular collection. Yours Sincerely, Fr. Jose Shaji, Pastor. Christmas at St. Anselm Church Individual Confessions Saturday, December 24 th - 10:00am-11:30am Christmas Eve Masses: Saturday, Dec. 24 th 4:00pm Children s Choir 6:00pm Religious Ed. Children s Choir 9:00pm Adult Choir Christmas Day Masses: Sunday, Dec. 25 th 8:00am Ensemble Christmas Music 10:00am Adult Choir 5:00pm New Year s Eve Mass: Saturday, Dec. 31 st 5:00pm New Year s Day Masses: Sunday, Jan. 1 st 8:00am, 10:00am, 5:00pm St. Anselm Church Stewardship Registered Parishioner Families 2016 = 1675 Last Sunday Collection (Envelope & Loose): $5,540 Retired Religious- $2,130 *Please log on to Parish Pay and update your CC expiration date! Second Collections: Centennial Building & Maintenance December 18 St. Anselm School January 1 Centennial Building & Maintenance-January 15 Mon. Tues. Wed. Dec. 19 8:00 am Mila Ampil (INT) Dec. 20 8:00 am Mildred McGuinness (D) 5:30 pm Gen O Connor (D) Dec. 21 8:00 am Francesco Emma (D) Thurs Dec. 22 8:00 am 5:30 pm Fri. Sat. Sun. MASS INTENTIONS Communion Service Ray Whitehouse (D) Dec. 23 8:00 am Bill Broderick (D) Dec. 24 4:00 pm 6:00 pm 9:00 pm Dec. 25 8:00 am 10:00m 5:00 pm Joe McGarry (D) Special Intentions Langley/McPartlin Families David Goldberg (D) Parish People Special Intentions As a community we ask God s blessing for the ill: Mark Gardner, Garth Stanton, Steve Leland, Christopher Goward, Richard Green, Barbara Gilligan, Irene Lorente, Louisa Espinosa, Chris Spada, Terese Marklinger, Vincent Boyle, Joan Madden, Jeanie Paganetti, Al Dallara, Antoinette Hanna, Rita Wardner, Jonathon Scott, Erik Week, Allison Chichizola, Sara Stander For the repose of the soul of: Peggy Formichi For those serving in the military: Adam Dear, Robert Ernest Gebhardt, Tyler Lopez, Alex Boatwright, Sean Courtz, Elizabeth Baumsteiger, Christian Miller READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25 Tuesday: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-4ab, 5-6; Lk 1:26-38 Wednesday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45 Thursday: 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Lk 1:46-56 Friday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-34; Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-10, 14; Lk 1:57-66 Saturday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Lk 1:67-79 Sunday: Vigil: Is 62:1-5; Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27 29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Mt 1:1-25 [18-25] Night: Is 9:1-6; Ps 96:1-3, 11-13; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14 Dawn: Is 62:11-12; Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12; Ti 3:4-7; Lk 2:15-20 Day: Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:1-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 [1-5, 9-14]
Green Tip: How green is your holiday? Here are a few tips to make it fun and eco-friendly. *Remember to bring your own reusable bags when shopping; *Add rechargeable batteries and a charger to gifts of battery operated toys; *Give a living plant to your favorite aunt instead of scented candles; *If you are buying candles, look for beeswax, not (petroleum based) paraffin; *Use greeting cards and gift wrap from recycled paper; *Tie packages with fabric ribbons, not plastic; *Use LED outdoor lights, on a timer. What are some of your family s favorite green practices? Let s share! AN UNUSUAL CHRISTMAS PRESENT We are fast approaching another Christmas and the often frantic rush to buy the right gift for our spouse or loved one. How about a wholly different take on the season of giving give him or her a 3 day retreat free of home responsibilities and full of the spirit of Christmas, a Cursillo weekend? Cursillo, a Spanish word meaning a short course in Christian living, is a unique retreat experience that is presented largely by lay individuals who share their Christian walk in life through a series of informal talks and discussions. It is open to adult men and women of all Christian denominations and provides an opportunity to reflect on values and goals as Christians and is filled with music, great food, and tremendous humor. Cursillo weekends are held at the Angela Center in Santa Rosa. Our next weekend will be March 23rd 26th for men, and March 30th-April 2nd for women. January 29th, at the 10:00am Mass, you will hear from parishioners who have made Cursillo, and after Mass, there will be an opportunity to ask questions and pick up an application. Come join us and give the gift that may last a lifetime! SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Fourth Sunday of Advent Wednesday: St. Peter Canisius; Winter Solstice Friday: St. John of Kanty Saturday: The Vigil of Christmas Christmas Schedule for the Rectory Office: The Office will be closed on Friday, December 23rd and Monday, December 26th. ADOPT-A-FAMILY CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF CHRISTMAS TREES We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who took a gift request ornament from our Christmas tree last weekend. We look forward to every wish being fulfilled by the very generous and thoughtful parishioners of our St. Anselm Church community. Return wrapped gifts, with the name tag attached, to the church no later than December 17 th -18 th. Financial donations are greatly appreciated and can be made by picking up an Adopt-A- Family envelope from the vestibule of the Church. Help spread Christmas Cheer to others in need, and make our 25th Anniversary our most successful year of giving. BRINGING HOLY COMMUNION TO HOMEBOUND PARISHIONERS: If you know of a parishioner who is unable to attend Mass but would like to receive Holy Communion, please contact the Rectory so that arrangements can be made for a Eucharistic Minister to bring the parishioner Holy Communion. Homebound includes anyone who is unable to attend Mass on an ongoing basis or anyone who is temporarily unable to go to Mass due to, for instance, a surgery, illness or injury. Christmas & New Year Eves St. Anselm's is the host for the homeless REST dinners on both Christmas and New Year Eve. We need additional volunteers to prepare and share the meal. Dinner is served at the First Presbyterian Church in San Anselmo; we arrive at 5 pm and leave by 8 pm. If you are able to share your holidays with those who are spending their holidays on the hall floor, please email stanselm.restdinners@yahoo.com. You will then receive a link to the online schedule. Thank you. Do you want to make a difference in our community? Volunteer with your neighbors to help us understand homelessness in Marin County. On Friday, January 27 th, Marin County will be conducting our 2017 Point-in-Time Count to understand the number of homeless individuals living throughout the county. We are in need of community volunteers to work alongside currently or previously homeless guides to count the number of homeless individuals they see across all areas of Marin County. There will be a 1-hour training on January 20 th to prepare you for the count, and you do not need any experience with homelessness. The data we collect will be combined with shelter and survey data to give us a valid, accurate snapshot of homeless individuals, youth, and families. The resulting data will also help secure Marin County s funding for homeless services for the following year. Please visit our online registration link at https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017marinpit; or feel free to call Connie Chu, Applied Survey Research, at (408) 813-2419 or Eric Petersen, County of Marin, at (415) 473-3340
St. Anselm Church Calendar of Events SAVE THE DATE December 20 Advent Penance Service-7:00pm January 14 &15 Wine & Cheese after 5:00pm Mass Events Near St. Anselm Parish Friday, January 6, 7:00-8:30 p.m. -Gather@Grand - An evening with Archbishop John Wester speaking on The Vocation and Mission of the Laity. A long-time friend of the Sisters, Archbishop Wester has deep local roots. A fourth generation San Franciscan, he attended Our Lady of Mercy School in Daly City. After seminary, he earned Master s degrees at the University of San Francisco and Holy Names College in Oakland. Ordained in 1976, he served as an associate pastor at St. Raphael Parish, and as teacher, Director of Campus Ministry, and later President, at Marin Catholic High School. Pope John Paul II appointed him an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1998. He was named Bishop of Salt Lake City in 2007, and was installed as the Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2015. Pope Francis has said that the laity are Christ s disciples who are called to animate every place and human activity in the world according to the spirit of the Gospel. Please come listen to Archbishop Wester s thoughts on the role of the laity in the Church today. All are welcome! We will have light refreshments and time for your questions. The Gathering Space - Dominican Sisters Center 1520 Grand Avenue, San Rafael between Acacia and Locust Sts RSVP CommunityRelations@sanrafaelop.org or call 415 453-8303 Christmas Volunteer Opportunities with Catholic Charities Embrace the Christmas season by taking time to serve others and spread holiday joy throughout our community! There are several ways to get involved: -Decorate, wrap gifts, or prepare food at any of the program holiday parties and luncheons. -Donate gift cards to Target, Safeway, or Walgreens to help families in need buy gifts. Visit our website at CatholicCharitiessf.org/All- Opportunities to see the full list of opportunities. To volunteer with Catholic Charities, or for more information, please contact Diane Contreras atmvolunteer@catholiccharitiessf.org or 415-972-1297. Advent Speaker Series St. Patrick Church 114 King Street Larkspur, CA God welcomes you to spend one hour each week during Advent to wait for the One who can dramatically change your life for the better. Will you come and join us so we can await His arrival together? Candlelit prayer time: 6:30 7:00p.m. Guest speaker: 7:00 8:00 p.m. December 21 Sr. Patricia Bruno, O.P. Wisdom Stands at the Door and Waits Wine & Cheese Reception Please RSVP: 415-924-0600
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) News: For the last two and a half months our two RCIA participates, Marielle Leon and Nate Evans, have been receiving catechetical instruction by our Director or Religious Education. This past Sunday, December 11 th 2016, they went through their first RCIA threshold, the Rite of Welcoming and Acceptance. In the Rite of Acceptance, a change of identity takes place: those previously known as inquirers (those who are unbaptized) become catechumens. During the Rite of Welcoming, those who have already been baptized but have not received the rest of the sacraments are now acknowledged as Candidates. On Sunday, we accepted Nate Evans as our new Catechumen and welcomed Marielle Leon as our Candidate. We look forward to walking with them on their journey to full communion with the Church. After the Rite, parishioners had an opportunity to welcome them into our community. We thank Cathy Cunningham for coordinating the reception and all those who contributed. (Marielle, Nate, Natalie) Marielle was accompanied by her Sponsor Mordecai Boone (far left), while Nate was accompanied by his Godparent Mark Vieira (far right) Our Candidate and Catechumen with their friends and family
Bulletin Number: 513520 Church Name and Address: St. Anselm 97 Shady Lane PO Box 1061 Ross, CA 94957-1061 Telephone: 415-453-2342 Contact Person: Sissy Ratto Email: st.anselmoffice@att.net Software MS Publisher 2016 Windows 10 Adobe Acrobat DC Transmission Time: 9:30am Tuesday Number of Pages sent: 6 (including information page)