Parish 316 East Broadway Avenue ~ Clifton Heights, PA 19018 Partnering Parishes, (Drexel Hill) and (Chester) Office Hours Monday - Friday 8:30AM -4:00PM Phone 610-623-0409 Fax 610-623-2926 E-mail sacredheartchurch@rcn.com Parish Website: www.sacredheart-cliftonheights.net FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT ~ DECEMBER 24, 2017 Rev. Msgr. George A. Majoros, M.Div., M.S., Pastor 092 SACRED HEART COVER PAGE 1
Dear Partnering Parishioners, Today we retell the wonderful story of Christmas when God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to save us from sin and death. Our divine Lord humbled Himself to take on our humanity that we might share His divinity. This truth points to the real meaning of Christmas. God the Father s gift of His only Son a gift of infinite love-- prompts all believers to celebrate this sacred event by sharing with others. The miracle of Christmas is meant to continue as believers, realizing the blessings they receive from a loving God, share out of love for others, especially those in need. Saint Francis of Assisi, who built the first Nativity crèche prayed, It is in giving that we receive. By doing so we will enrich the world, the church and our families with God s love. Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that, as we are bathed in the new radiance of Your Incarnate Word, the light of faith, which illumines our minds, may also shine through in our deeds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. (Collect: Christmas Mass at Dawn) Most Grateful: I am most grateful to all our parishioners who helped prepare our Churches: St. Charles, and St. Hedwig for the Christmas Season. Their love and devotion for Our Lord is truly expressed in the way they decorated and beautified our Churches. You give meaning to the phrase, many hands working together makes the burden lighter! Greatly Indebted: Please accept my personal thanks for all the Christmas cards, greetings and gifts that you sent to us priests who serve you on a regular basis, especially Father Joseph Zaleski, Father Edward Kelly, Father John McKenzie, OSA, Father Herbert Sperger, Father Michael Speziale, and Father Richard McGowan, S.J., our Parish son of St. Charles, who comes on high holy days. We are truly blessed to have these fine priests! God bless you and please remember them in your prayers too! So on behalf of Deacon John Farrell, along with the staffs at all our Churches, we wish you and your families all the blessings of this Christmas Season and a very happy and blessed New Year in 2018! Please Remember: The Sunday after Christmas, Sunday, December 31 st we will follow our regular weekend schedule of Masses at our Churches. Saturday, December 30, 2017 : 4PM Vigil (Confessions: 3:00-3:45PM); St. Charles: 5:30P.M. Vigil (Confessions: 4:30-5:15) Sunday, December 31, 2017-Holy Family Sunday : ; St. Hedwig Chapel: 9:15AM; St. Charles: 10:00AM and 4:00P.M. In addition, for those seeking another way to celebrate New Year s Eve, I invite you to a Special Vigil Mass on Sunday evening, December 31 st at 10:00P.M. at Church as we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. We will begin with a Holy Hour of Reparation and Seeking Grace for the New Year at 9:00P.M to 10PM. Following the Special 10PM Mass, our festivities will continue for anyone who wishes to join in a Social in St. Charles Parish Hall to ring in the New Year. Everyone is asked to bring finger food, snacks and beverages to share. All are welcome! Masses on New Year s Day, January 1, 2018 are 8:30A.M. at St. Charles Church and 12Noon at Church. THANK YOU I am deeply appreciative for your generous support of our parishes through your consistent use of your Sunday Church envelopes, your special Christmas offering, and your donation to the Annual Stewardship Appeal. May the Lord bless your goodness! Parishioners who are preparing their taxes may wish a record of their contributions for the year 2017, please notify the rectory offices after January 15, 2018. 092-2
Mass Intentions Church 4:00PM + Francis Ceglarski Of Jim & Kathy Skane Sunday, December 24 7:30 AM + James Ward Of Wife Eileen & family Christmas Eve 4:00PM (Christmas Vigil) Living & Deceased Parishioners of Monday, December 25 Christmas Day Living & Deceased Parishioners of 11:00AM Living & Deceased Parishioners of Tuesday, December 26 8:30AM + Mary R. Hudson & Mary E. Czaus Of Whitey Wednesday, December 27 8:30AM + Patrice Murphy Of Mom & Dad Saturday, December 30 4:00PM + Memorial Fund Sunday, December 31 7:30 AM + Cavanaugh, Salute & Lesniak Families Of John Moran Sunday, December 24 9:15AM + Zofia Szymczyk Of Jan & family Christmas Eve 9:00PM (Christmas Vigil) Living & Deceased of Monday, December 25 Christmas Day 9:15AM Living & Deceased of St. Hedwig s Chapel Sunday, December 31 9:15AM + Thaddeus & Stella Klecko Of son, Robert Klecko CANDLE FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER + Richard J. Tarashuk This Bulletin Went To Print Early 092-3 4:00PM Mass Celebrants Weekend of December 23-24 Fr. Zaleski Fr. McKenzie 9:15AM Fr. Kelly 5:30PM Fr. McGowan 10:00AM 4:00PM Mass Celebrants For Christmas Eve & Christmas Day 4:00PM (Vigil) Fr. McKenzie, OSA 11:00AM 9:00PM (Vigil) 9:15AM Fr. Kelly 4:30PM (church) Fr. Zaleski 4:45PM (school hall) Fr. McGowan, SJ 7:00PM (church) Fr. Kelly Midnight (church) Fr. Zaleski Fr. McGowan, SJ 10:00AM Bishop McIntrye 12:00 Noon Fr. Sperger NO 4:00PM Mass Mass Celebrants Weekend of December 30-31 4:00PM Fr. McKenzie 9:15AM Fr. Sperger 5:30PM Fr. Zaleski 10:00AM Fr. Zaleski 4:00PM Fr. Kelly 10:00PM The Following Have Asked For Our Prayers Bill Becht - Walt Bush -Anna Burns - Julian John D Orazio - James Fitzpatrick - Robb Flick- Christine Hanson - Patricia Kaeser- Kaitlyn Klein - Helen Langley - Patrice Laut - Joanne Marks -Jackie McBride -William Papa -Kevin Perkins - Kathy Pivnickas - Jean Sherwood - Tracey Sodermann - Catherine Spinelli - Ted Szyszkiewski - Emilie Wrzesniewski- Al Yakas.
FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP Prayerfully consider your Offertory Gift as your act of praise to God for all HE has given you. - December 17, 2017 Sunday Envelopes 86 $1,654.00 Loose 331.00 Total 1,985.00 Maintenance 169.00 Retired Religious 49.00 Christmas Flowers 32.00 Puerto Rico 562.00 St. Hedwig - December 17, 2017 Sunday Envelopes 36 $823.00 Loose 109.00 TOTAL 932.00 Maintenance 110.00 God Bless Those Who Are Great Stewards To Our Parish! RECTORY OFFICE CLOSED () Due To Vacations And Holiday Schedules The Rectory Office Will Be Closed On The Following Days: Friday, December 22 (at noon), Monday & Tuesday, December 25, 26 Friday, December 29 (at noon) Tuesday, January 2, 2018 Ministers of the Eucharist and Lectors December 30-31 4:00PM J.D Orazio/Johnson/B.D Orazio C. Lenski/McLoughlin Counters: A New Years Day ~ January 1, 2018 12:00 Noon DeVitis/Czerwinski/Dukinas Join Us On January 7, 2018 HOSPITALITY SUNDAY AT ST. CHARLES The First Sunday Of Every Month following the 7:30 & 10:00AM Masses Please stop in for some light refreshments and friendly talk. Lotto Tickets You may still purchase a $25.00 lotto ticket to help with parish finances. Extra forms can be found in the vestibule of the church. Prizes are $500.00 New Years Day $1,000.00 Easter Sunday, $100.00 on Sunday, and $50.00 on weekdays. These make wonderful Gifts. Thank you and good luck! Drawing Begins January 1, 2018 Please Join Parish On New Year s Eve On Sunday, December 31, 2017 St. Charles Borromeo will be having a Holy Hour of Reparation & Grace from 9:00-10:00PM followed by a 10:00PM Special Vigil Mass for the New Year. Following Mass there will be a SOCIAL in the Saint Charles Borromeo Parish Hall. All are welcome. This will be a BYOB as well as bring your favorite snack. Christmas Brunch St. Hedwig Fatima Sodality will host their annual Christmas brunch on Sunday, January 7 at Duffer's Mill, Chichester, following the 9:15 Mass. All are invited. Tickets for Fatima members - $12 and Guests - $15. For more information and tickets contact Frances Kwapisz 484 410-6937. Thank You! To everyone who gave so generously during the St. Hedwig s Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Drive. Your donations will help those less fortunate. A Family Christmas Prayer I think about my family, my relatives, the neighbors, people with whom we will spend this day. Dear Jesus, as I look at their faces and remember their stories, there are feelings of gratitude and some fear and anxiety. Thank you for these loved ones and please forgive me for the ways I have been less than accepting and loving. Please heal the wounds, division and conflicts that stand between us and help me to remember how dearly you love them. I only want to remember that you have come to save us all. 092-4
Fourth Sunday of Advent So many of us experience the ironic reality that Christmas can be the most lonely time of our lives. Some of these "mixed feelings" or "sad feelings" are difficult to recognize or name. For some of us, the Christmas we will celebrate this year pales in comparison to wonderful Christmases of our past - perhaps because we were younger or more "innocent" then, perhaps because some of our loved ones who were central to our Christmas are no longer living or not where I am, perhaps because the burdens and struggles of my life or the changes in our world and the war have robbed this Christmas of something that was there before. For some of us, Christmas will be just another day. Unable to get out to go to church to be with a faith community, and without family or friends to be with, Christmas will be a day we are tempted to ignore. For some of us, Christmas inevitably means family conflicts. Facing the days ahead, whether it be the last few remaining parties, or conflicting demands of family and friends, or the friend or relative who drinks too much, or the experience I'm having that I drink too much and this season is an easy excuse. For some of us, Christmas challenges us with terrible financial burdens. Children today become victims of the gross commercial exploitation of the day. For those of us struggling to make ends meet on a day to day basis, feeling the cultural pressure of buying for our children things which we can't afford, can lead us to put more debt on the credit card in ways that simply push us further and further behind. Some of us, might be really looking forward to Christmas, and not be aware of these struggles with Christmas, yet feel that, in spite of our best efforts to make Advent different this year, there is still something missing, and we still feel un-ready for Christmas. 092-4 MASS SCHEDULE Sunday Schedule (Vigil) 4:00PM, St. Hedwig Chapel 9:15AM (Rosary before Mass) St. Charles (Vigil) 5:30PM, 10:00AM, 4:00PM St. Charles St. Charles Weekdays 8:30AM Mon, Tues, Wed (Rosary AFTER Mass) 8:30AM Thurs, Fri, Sat Holy Days (Vigil) 7:00PM, 8:30AM 12 Noon, 7:00PM Sacrament of Reconciliation 3:00-3:45PM Saturday St. Hedwig Chapel 9:00AM Sunday St. Charles 4:30-5:15PM before Vigil 6:30-7:30PM on the Thursday before 1st Friday St. Charles 9:15-10:00AM on the First Saturday of the month JANUARY 1, 2018 Start The New Year With A Prayer This year January 1st is not a Holy Day of Obligation but all are invited to join us. MASS SCHEDULE 8:30AM Mass 12:00Noon Preparing your Advance Directive Presented by: St. Eugene s and Mercy Fitz Hospital Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 9:30 AM in St. Eugene Parish Hall. Rev. Peter A. Clark, S.J., Ph.D., Professor of Medical Ethics and Director of the Institute of Clinical Bioethics at St. Joseph University along with Sister Donna M. Watto, R.S.M., Vice President, Mission Integration Mercy Fitzgerald and Mercy Philadelphia Hospitals, will speak on Advance Directives and what you need to know to prepare your Living Will and Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney. This presentation will answer your questions about palliative care, spiritual care, hospice care, nutrition and hydration and spiritual care. If you would like to find out more about these very important issues, please rsvp that you will attend to Sr. Betty Burke, Parish Nurse at steugenenurse@rcn.com or call the rectory at 610-626-2866. Special Thanks To Our Decorators Every Year Both Church and take on a beautiful Christmas appearance. This would not happen without the dedication of parishioners. So.. we send out our warmest thanks to the small group of parishioners who come to make look so beautiful. To our maintenance men Mark Wufsus & Brian Litwa, Margie Johnson who takes care of the flowers, and Bob Klecko, who has been decorating at St. Hedwig s for many, many years and does an amazing job. We wish all of you who are so dedicated to the parish a healthy, blessed, and peaceful Christmas and New Year! 092-5