FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2015 Rev. Thomas J. Whitman, Pastor Director of Religious Ed: Sr. Sandy Pedone, H.M. Parish Secretary: Lori Vasconi Financial Secretary: Carol Koch Music Director: Nancy Rehner Maintenance: Brad Goodall Office Hours Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (closed 12:30-1:30 PM) Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil - 5:15 PM Sunday - 8:30 & 11:00 AM Weekday: M, T, Th, Fri - 8:00 AM Wed. - 12:10 PM (Check weekly bulletin for changes) Confessions Saturday: 4:00-4:30 PM or by request. Religious Education Program Sundays, 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM CCD Grades K-10 at Case Avenue Elem. School, Grade 11 in the church annex. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Every Wednesday after the 12:10 PM Mass in the Mother s Chapel. Shenango Valley Catholic School System William Lyon, Principal, St. John Paul II: 724-342-2205 Vicki Wagner, Principal, KCMS: 724-346-5531-Ext. 4 Heidi Patterson, Principal, KCHS: 724-346-5531 First Sunday of Advent PARISHIONER REGISTRATION FORM NAME STREET CITY & ZIP PHONE E-Mail Place completed form in today s collection basket or drop it off in the church office. New Member Address Change Update Info Baptism: Please contact the parish office to schedule a time and date. A pre-baptism class is required. No baptisms during Advent and Lent. Matrimony: By appointment six months in advance. Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA): Please call the rectory office at 724-981-3232. Prayer Line: For intentions, please call 724-962-5996, 724-347-2527 or 724-981-0377.
PASTOR S COLUMN ADVENT PREPARATION: Advent begins this week. There are booklets at the exits entitled, What Am I Doing for Advent This Year? Feel free to take one. The booklets help you to prepare for Advent by inviting you to think about various traditions for Advent and Christmas, as well as some background on the season. The booklet invites you to think about how you will prepare for the coming of Christ in the Advent season by means of prayer, activities, and charitable works. ADULT EDUCATION CLASS: I have been trying to decide on what kind of Adult Education Class would be helpful to people. I recently finished a book by Fr. James Martin, S.J., entitled, Jesus: A Pilgrimage that I think would make a nice introduction to Scripture Study and an introduction to praying with Scripture. The course would basically be a reading of a few chapters of the book each week, discussion about the Scripture passage, and any additional information I might provide relevant to the Scripture passages. The course would begin on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 7:00 PM in the Choir Room. The class would run about an hour and fifteen minutes. The classes would conclude in June of 2016. We would not be meeting every Wednesday. A full schedule will be given at the first class. The nice thing is that if you can t make one of the classes, you still have the book to read the material we covered and the next class won t be dependent on what happened the week before. You will need to purchase the book prior to the class it is available at Amazon.com in book form and in Kindle form. FUND RAISING COMMITTEE: We currently have 5 people on this committee and they are doing a great job. But we are looking for a few more members to help us come up with ideas and plan the events, some are fund raising events and some are more social events. If you are interested in helping please, contact Fr. Tom. REFLECTION ON THE READINGS: This first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the Church year and yet comes at the end of our calendar year when we may be worn out, tired, and exhausted. And the readings for this first Sunday of Advent invite us to set our sights on something much more profound than Christmas trees and lights, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, gift giving, or even the cozy reunion of family and friends. The readings challenge us to think about the darkness that surrounds us in the shortness of days, in our own personal suffering, in the international violence and wars, the racial tensions of the past year in our own country, in the unjust events of things close to home and in the world at large. And as we reflect on these difficult and dark challenges to life, we are asked to ponder where our sense of hope comes from in these difficult and sometimes overwhelming times. The prophet Jeremiah reminds the king Zedekiah in the first reading that earthly, kingly power will ultimately fail, and had been failing for many years, but that somehow in the midst of all this rubble and hopelessness God would raise up a person who would give us something to hope in beyond the things of this world. The justice and integrity of Jesus would overcome the conflicts and destruction of our world and give us hope, not for something of this world, but hope for something that was lasting and eternal. Paul in the second reading speaks about love: a love that is mature and radical, a love that would be a reflection of the very love of God. The more we grow in this kind of love, the more the kingdom of God is made visible in our world. This advent season is a time for us to allow our hearts to be stretched to new limits in terms of the kind of love we share with other people. And by allowing our love to grow and mature, we help to make God s love more visible in our world. And in the gospel, Luke reminds us of the fearful images of the end of the world that are so often placed before us, and he counters them with the hope that is found in the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of this earthly world. It is not a nostalgic remembering of the baby Jesus in a manger but the hope of the future his coming was meant to spark. How are we preparing for the coming of Jesus at the end of time? Where are our hearts in need of the hope that this second coming of Jesus will bring? Are we overwhelmed by the tiredness of our lives or the darkness and struggle that seems to surround us? The single candle on the advent wreath this Sunday will remind us that what Jesus started over 2000 years ago can at times seem to be as insignificant as this single candle in the midst of the darkness of our world. The presence of God can seem to flicker in and out of our consciousness in the hectic days that are Advent. But that single flickering candle in the darkness is a reminder of how we need to protect, care for and fuel that single flame, because it is the only hope that is real and sustaining in the midst of the darkness of these days.
CHRISTMAS COLLECTION: As has been the tradition at St. Joseph, we will tithe (10%) the Christmas collection to support the good work of the Prince of Peace Center. I thank you in advance for your generous support of this collection and this worthy cause. CHRISTMAS SERVICES: For those who are planning ahead, Masses on Christmas Eve will be at 4:30 and 7:00 PM and Masses on Christmas Day will be Midnight and 9:30 AM. PENANCE SERVICES: will be Monday, December 14 at Good Shepherd in West Middlesex and Tuesday, December 15 at St. Joseph both services begin at 7:00 PM. Other parishes penance services are yet to be determined. PLEASE PRAY FOR Mike Stockan, Bob Miller, Tina Sanson, Eugene Bianco, Jr., Sally White, Simon Jacobson, Tyler Branca, Helen Gett, Ruth & Anthony Perry, Lydia Ghirardi, Betsy Moore, Beverly Redmond, Bill Flecher, Paul DeJulia, Lisa Rosa, Joyce Reardon, Brian Karing, Vivian & Grace LaCamera, Jane Leyde, Julia Gagliardi, Ed L., Elizabeth Donnelly, Kelly Heinze, Leland DeAngelis, Piper Anderson, Eugene & Mary Ellen Zreliak, Francis Niehaus, Audrey Lacey, Ann Oliver, Marie Nicastro, Judy Paulitz, Theresa Hovanec, Joan Burke, Mike Moroco, Barbara LeMon, Rose Faylo, Sue McLaughlin, Ron Iovino, Francis Petrini, Bill Vasconi, Jr., Vonnie O Hara, Ann & Keith Lepak, Josephine Reale, Richard Perrine, Barb Wareham, Gerrie Derr and Fred Haines. REMINDER HOSPITAL STAY / CHURCH VISIT If you or a loved one are hospitalized at either Sharon Regional Health System (SRHS) or Farrell-UPMC, please call the church office at 724-981-3232 to notify us of your family name and room number so we will be able to visit and distribute Holy Communion to you or your loved one. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. CURSILLO NEWS There will be an Ultreya/Christmas dinner for all Cursiesta s on December 3 at St. Bartholomew Church, Sharpsville. We will gather to celebrate Mass with our community with Fr. Matt Strickenberger as celebrant at 7:00 PM followed by a Christmas Pot Luck Dinner. We ask that you please bring a dish to share. We hope to see everyone there, so please pass our Ultreya/Christmas message to other Cursiestas! WELCOME Baptized this weekend is Asher Thaddeus Herman, son of Michael and Renee Herman. FEATURED FOOD PANTRY ITEM Paper Towels Next week s featured item - paper towels. Please place your donations in the shopping cart located in the Gathering Space. UPCOMING FEATURED ITEMS Toilet Tissue - Jelly - Bar Soap Volunteers are always welcome. If you d like to volunteer, please report to the church s lower level at 8:30 AM on our next distribution day, Friday, December 4. COMMUNITY FOOD WAREHOUSE CFW of Mercer County is in need of help. Volunteer just a few hours a month delivering boxes from the Community Food Warehouse van to the Senior Apartment Complexes throughout the Shenango Valley. For more information or to volunteer, please call the warehouse at 724-981-0353. Remember Your Loved Ones St. Rose and St. Mary Cemeteries are offering beautiful live 10 inch Christmas wreaths to be placed on your loved one s grave site. Each wreath will have a red velvet bow and pine cones and our staff will place the wreath on the grave site for you. Cost per wreath is $25. For more information or to place your order, please call Beth Kelly at 724-301-0686. TO ALL MINISTERS UPCOMING SCHEDULING Altar Servers - Lectors - Eucharistic Ministers - Greeters As the fourth quarter scheduling is coming to an end, we are preparing for the new year s first quarter schedule. The first quarter for 2016 will run from January 2/3 through March 26/27. If you are unavailable to serve during any of the first quarter weekends, please remember to log on to your profile at: https://secure.rotundasoftware.com/l/web-terminal/ login/stjosephchurchsharon?use_userename and block off the dates you will not be available to serve by FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11. If you have any questions or need further instructions, please call the church office at 724-981-3232. Banns of Marriage I Brianna Scarmack & Chad Piccirilli QUOTA HEARING AID DONATIONS Quota International of Hermitage, PA is collecting unneeded hearing aids for their hearing aid refurbishing program called Life s Music. If you would like to donate your unneeded used hearing aid/aids, please call 724-962-4409. www.stjosephs-sharon.org
Mass Intentions +Indicates Mass Time Monday, November 30-Rom 10: 9-18 / Mt 4: 18-22 +8:00 M/M Elmer Mehler (Sally Stephenson) Tuesday, December 1-Is 11: 1-10 / Lk 10: 21-24 +8:00 Olga Morgenstein (Joanne Corini) Wednesday, December 2-Is 25: 6-10a / Mt 15: 29-37 +12:10 Living & Deceased Members of the Parish *2:30 West Hill Ministries Thursday, December 3 Is 26: 1-6 / Mt 7: 21, 24-27 +8:00 John Goda (Paula Chieffo) *2:30 West Hill Ministries First Friday, December 4-Is 29: 17-24 / Mt 9: 27-31 +8:00 John T. Pagliaroli (John G. Pagliaroli) Saturday, December 5-Bar 5: 1-9 / Phil 1: 4-6, 8-11 / Lk 3: 1-6 Second Sunday of Advent +5:15 Virginia Galardo (Judy Moroco) Sunday, December 6-Bar 5: 1-9 / Phil 1: 4-6, 8-11 / Lk 3: 1-6 Second Sunday of Advent +8:30 M/M Jack Evans (Joe & Terry Evans) +11:00 Laura Musial (Jay & Carol Mahaffey) 5:15 - Saturday 12-5-15 11:00 - Sunday 12-6-15 8:30 - Sunday 12-6-15 Ministry Schedule for December 5/6 Lector Eucharistic Ministers M. Pass J. Paulitz, M. Sauer, C. Trenga, F. Smeraglia, S. Messina, D. Dach, P. Dach Altar Servers G. Aszalos, M. Aszalos, N. Aszalos Greeters Lector Eucharistic Ministers GS: R. & S. Axtell F: L. Volansky S. Swogger J. McLaughlin, M. Christman, A. U Halie, M. Hansley, B. Poerstel, M. Rubano, M.A. Douglas Altar Servers A. Schupp, K. Schupp, N. Schupp Greeters Lector Eucharistic Ministers GS: J. Moroco A. Carenbauer L. Dach, R. Donnelly, J. Smith, G. Pacsi, M. Smith, J. Kaibas, L. Kilbert, P. Piccirilli, V. Mulligan, M. Dutcher, D. D Amore. Altar Servers I. Bianco, L. Grove, I. Schell, P. Schell Greeters GS: R. & T. Rookey F: J. Hoffman, A. Ward C: C. Alter WEEKDAY-HOSPITAL SUNDAY Dec. 6 Tue. 12/1 - D. Ranelli SRHS - D. Ranelli Wed. 12/2 - K. Mueller Nugent - B. Poerstel Thur. 12/3 - P. Radasevich Clepper - G. Pacsi
Please don t forget to take a copy of: 2016 ALTAR FLOWER DONOR PROGRAM A few weekend dates are still available for the Altar Flower Donor Program for 2016. Please call the church office at 724 981 3232 during weekday office hours to reserve your date. AVAILABLE DATES April 17, May 29, October 2 ROSARY Please join us every Saturday at 4:45 PM, prior to the 5:15 Mass in the Mother s Chapel to pray the Rosary. The Rosary helps us to recall the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Savior. SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS Some men fulfill God s call to holiness by serving as priests or permanent deacons. Men, high school age or older, who feel God may be calling them to pursue the Sacrament of Holy Orders should contact our parish priest.
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