4th Sunday of Advent, December 20, 2015 SAINT JAMES PARISH 602 W. 2ND STREET WASHINGTON, IOWA 52353 (319) 653-4504 WWW.STJAMESWASHINGTON.ORG Contact Information Pastor Rev. Bernie Weir Office: 653-4504 ext. 1 Cell: (319) 458-0412 bweir@stjameswashington.org Parish Office Genoveva Diaz...653-4504 ext. 2 gdiaz@stjameswashington.org Business Manager Mary Ward...653-4504 ext. 3 mward@stjameswashington.org Faith Formation Coordinator Lori Fritz...653-4504 ext. 4 lfritz@stjameswashington.org Youth Ministry Coordinator Mary Sue Marek...653-4504 ext. 5 mmarek@stjameswashington.org School Principal Chet Wisniewski...653-3631 ext. 1 cwisniewski@stjameswashington.org School Office Becky Adam...653-3631 ext. 2 badam@stjameswashington.org Prayer Chain Mary Fladung... (319) 653-6142 Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday... 5:30pm Sunday... 9:00am, 11:30am Spanish Rosary Sunday... 8:35am Wednesday. 4:00 pm (Halcyon House) Thursday... 3:00 pm (McCreedy Home) Thursday...4:00 pm (Care Center) s Thursday at 5:30pm-6:00pm and Saturday at 4:30pm-5:00pm. Mission Statement To Glorify God through Word, Worship and Service.
SOCIAL ACTION SATURDAY KITCHEN St. James parishioners will again be preparing the Saturday Kitchen meal at the U. P. Church on December 26th. Please consider volunteering to work either a shift or all morning. Help is needed with cooking, set up, serving, dining room and clean up. Cooking and set up start at 9:00 am. and clean up is done around 1:00 pm. We also need cakes/bars/ other simple desserts. To volunteer, please call Connie Carey at 653-2089 or email her at JCCarey@mchsi.com. A HUGE THANK YOU to those who have helped with past meals! SCRIP CARDS Scrip Gift Cards to many of your favorite local and national retailers are available for sale. Stop by the parish office or school office. Gift cards are purchased for normal face value and the retailers donate a portion of the sales to St. James School. These funds go towards our school scholarship fund or a student of your choosing at St. James School. Scrip will be for sale on Sunday after the 9:00 am Mass or you can stop by the school or parish office. YOUR INVITED! Please join us for the Last day of la. It will be on Wednesday, Dec. 23rd at 6:30pm followed by an Authentic Mexican meal and piñata for everyone. NEWS/NOTES SCHOLARSHIP St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, is expanding Catholic scholarships, which may be awarded to students who are active members of parishes, who graduate from a Catholic high school and/or who intend to be involved in campus ministry during their time at St. Ambrose. An online scholarship application is available at www.sau.edu/catholicscholarships. Priority deadline is Jan. 15, 2016. Admittance to the university is required for eligibility. Prospective students may qualify for multiple scholarship opportunities, grants and financial aid. For more information, call 563-333-6300. BULLETIN DEADLINES Due to the upcoming holiday, deadlines for submitting information for the bulletin are noon on: December 22nd for the weekend of January 3rd. Following the holidays, the weekly deadline for the bulletin articles will be Monday at noon. FAITH FORMATION There will be no Sunday Faith Formation on Sunday, December 27th. We still have two times scheduled for s before Christmas. December 21 st & 22 nd from 5:30 to 6:30 PM each night. Las s: We still have three s left this year. If you have not been able to attend one yet join us Monday-Wednesday at 6:30 PM. On the 23 rd we have a great feast, piñatas, prizes and outstanding fellowship. Join us for at least one of these traditional celebrations. Two things I know for sure. Most of us prepare way to much food for our Christmas dinner. The second is that there will be people alone on Christmas Day. If you hear about someone who will be alone, even if you hear about them 10 minutes before you sit down to eat, invite them over. Keep your eyes open for young adults who might be alone. We have young single people who live in Washington and their families live in other places and they can t get away to visit them. If you have a neighbor like that, don t assume someone else is going to invite them for Christmas. Give them a call. CHRISTMAS MASS December 24 th and 25 th Christmas 24 th 5 PM English 7 PM Spanish 25 th Midnight English 9 AM depending on who is there Bi-lingual or English New Year s Masses December 31 st 5:30 PM January 1 st 9 AM Men s Night Out: December 29 th 6:30 until everyone goes home. The rules are the same as last year. You must be at least 18 years old. You have to have your wife s, girlfriend s or mother s permission to attend. You don t need to bring anything. The parish will provide everything. We will have coffee and tea. If you want something more adult to drink, bring it with you and some to share. Call the parish office to make your reservation at 319-653-4504 Invite your friends and family. END OF YEAR GIVING The end of the year is almost here. If you want to write a big check to the parish or a small check and want it list on your contribution sheet you need to have it to us before December 31 st. MERRY CHRISTMAS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, As always I hope you get at least some of what you want for Christmas and most of what you need. I hope that everyone can be with their family. If not maybe next year. Call your parents. Don t just text them. Drive safe we want you back next week. Many blessings. Father Bernie 2
Some Useful Phrases Good morning=buenos días Good afternoon=buenas tardes Good night=buenas noches Hello=Hola See you later=hasta luego Goodbye=Adios How are you?=?como esta usted? I am fine, thank-you=estoy bien, gracias. I am pleased to meet you=mucho gusto en conocerte. Thank you very much=muchas gracias. You re welcome=de nada. Please=Por favor Good luck=buena suerte Cheers=Salud Readings for the Week of December 20, 2015 Sunday: Mi 5:1-4a,Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19,Heb 10:5-10, Lk 1:39-45 Monday: Sg 2:8-14,Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21,Lk 1:39-45 Tuesday: 1 Sm 1:24-28,1 Sm 2:1, 4-8,Lk 1:46-56 Wednesday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-24,Ps 25:4-5, 8-10, 14,Lk 1:57-66 Thursday: Morning: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16,Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29,Lk 1:67-79 Friday: Vigil: Is 62:1-5,Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29,Acts 13:16-17, 22-25,Mt 1:1-25 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 Saturday: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59,Ps 31:3-4, 6, 8, 16-17, Mt 10:17-22 Next Sunday: 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28 or Sir 3:2-6, 12-14, Ps 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10,1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24 or Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17,Lk 2:41-52 Liturgical Publications Inc FAMILY LIFE SUNSHINE COMMITTEE Help St. James reach out to parishioners in need. If you are aware of someone who needs a card of encouragement or concern call Charlotte Lindmeier at 653-6274. MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Longest Married Couple January 10 th Deadline is approaching: "Worldwide Marriage Encounter is again conducting its annual search for the Longest Married Couple in the United States as well as each of the 50 states. Please consider nominating family or friends who are blessed with long marriages. Couples can only win by being nominated and the nominations should be sent to Dick & Diane Baumbach at dickanddiane66@bellsouth.netor by calling 321-613-5180. Nominations can also be mailed to Dick & Diane Baumbach at 8934 Puerto Del Rio Dr. #402 Cape Canaveral, FL 32920." MARRIAGE MOMENTS (Winter Solstice) The winter solstice brings the longest night of the year. Warm it with candlelight. For some couples, however, dark nights bring depression. If you are among those who are currently struggling in your marriage, turn to the power of prayer as one resource. For more information visit www.susanvogt.net PARENTING POINTERS These last few days before Christmas can be hecticconcerts, cooking, creating gifts... As the nights grow longer, a candle can be your friend. Light the 3 rd Advent candle tonight and pause, gaze, take a deep breath. Let the pause refresh and calm you. For more information visit www.susanvogt.net Saturday, Dec. 26th 5:30 pm Sunday, Dec. 27th 9:00 am Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion Marty Beenblossom Dennis Franzen Linda Franzen Tina M. Knutson Deanna Meyer Jean Wehr Randall Wehr Monika Chalupa Aaron Fisher Laura Fisher Eileen Moeller Marjorie Schrock Jerry Strabala Eric Turner Gift Family Melissa Hennigan Jamie Snyder Mass Assistant Teresa Beenblossrom Christal Quigley Altar Server Lector Music Emma Chenoweth Charley Stoutner Teegan Sulentich Nicole Stoutner (1) Carl Berst (2) Kirk Hittner Trevor Quigley Lane Schrock Jack Kleese Dale Torpey (1) Lori Fritz (2) SJ Choir PROTECTING GOD S CHILDREN To report child abuse contact: Iowa Department of Human Services Child Abuse Hotline: 800-362-2178 and if it involves clergy or church personnel also notify Alicia Owens, the Victim Assistance Coordinator, 563-349-5002; vac@diodav.org or PO Box 232, Bettendorf, IA 52722. KC HALL RENTAL To rent the KC Hall, contact Barb Baker @ (641)636-3886-home or @ (319)461-5902-cell
This week at St. James.. Monday, December 21 Adult Faith Formation Tuesday, December 22 Wednesday, December 23 MASS-Nick Gevok 7:00 pm (YR) 6:30 pm (CH & TH) 3:30 pm (Up Home) 6:30 pm (CH & TH) 7:30 am (CH) 6:30 pm (CH & GYM) Thursday, December 24 CHRISTMAS MASS MASS-Fred & Bennetta (Tobin) Ryan 5:00 pm (CH) 7:00 pm (CH) Friday, December 25 MASS-Bernard Schmidt Saturday, December 26 MASS-Donald Lukavsky Sunday, December 27 MASS-Bob Gonzales 12:00 am (CH) 9:00 am (CH) 4:30 pm (CH) 9:00 am (CH) 11:30 am (CH) KEY: THB-Tobin Hall Basement, TH-Tobin Hall, CH-Church, CHB-Church Basement, KC-KC Hall, CR-Conf. Room, GYM-SJ School Gym FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. With those words from St. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, to our Blessed Mother Mary our Gospel on this Fourth and final Sunday of Advent closes. It is appropriate that we are reminded of Mary s stewardship just a few days before she gives birth to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the U.S. Bishops Pastoral Letter on stewardship, Stewardship: A Disciple s Response, The Bishops remind us that Mary is the epitome of stewardship: After Jesus, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary who by her example most perfectly teaches the meaning of discipleship and stewardship in their fullest sense she was called and gifted by God; she responded generously, creatively, and prudently; she understood her divinely assigned role in terms of service and fidelity. As we complete our preparations for the coming of the Lord at Christmas, we need to consider Mary s total trust in God and her willingness to place her entire life at His service, and ours. If we can even be a fraction of the steward she was, we will be ready for Christ s coming and better prepared to be disciples and good stewards. In the midst of our joy and celebration at this holy time, we, too, must bear in mind that we are called and chosen. www.thecatholicsteward.com PARISH OFFICES CLOSED The Parish Offices will be closed from Noon Wednesday, Dec. 23rd thru Friday, Dec. 25th due to Christmas. For an emergency contact Fr. Bernie at (319) 458-0412. PARISHIONER INFORMATION UPDATE Have you remembered to notify the parish of an email or phone number change? Perhaps you had a change of address recently? Please take a moment to keep us informed. Return this form in the collection basket, or at the parish office. Name Address City/State/Zip Home Phone Cell Phone Email I prefer electronic communication. I would like to join St. James Parish. I m moving away, please remove me from roster. CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE To assist in your holiday planning, here is the Christmas Mass schedule: December 24th, 2015 5:00 pm-english Mass 7:00 pm-spanish Mass December 25th, 2015 Midnight-English Mass 9:00 am-mass December 31st, 2015 5:30 pm-english Mass January 1st, 2016 9:00 am-english Mass