PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK OF OUR PARISH FAMILY
Candido Andino, Baby Charlotte, Monica Becht, Ann Kapuscinski, Alice Minarovich, Sherry Propheter, Irma Rhoney, Lisa Troche, Pat Valone, Kathy Westerburg.
DECEMBER
Wine – Hosts – Sanctuary Lights – Memorials
ST. JOHN CHURCH
Wine – In Memory of Minnie and John Colera
By Children and Grandchildren
Hosts – In Memory of the
Deceased Members of the Calamunci Family
By Gust Calamunci and Family
Sanctuary Light – Week of December 4th – 10th
In Memory of Rosalie Consiglio (Birthday)
By Sebastian and Gerri Mazzurco
SS. PETER AND PAUL CHURCH
Hosts – In Memory of Agostino “Gus” Pellerino
By Sally Corkery and Ted Bogdan
Sanctuary Light – Week of December 4th – 10th
In Memory of the Carlson and Sheffield Families
By Mary Beth Carlson
ALTAR & ROSARY SOCIETY NEWS
In celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception this Wednesday, December 8th, the ladies will gather for a luncheon following the 12:10 PM Mass at SS. Peter and Paul Church. So that we may properly prepare the hall, any member who has not been contacted or responded to the invitation to attend is asked to call Liz Carlson at 665-8896 or Tina Russo at 664-5043 no later than Monday afternoon
CHRISTMAS DECORATION FUND
We are once again accepting names in memory of or in honor of loved ones, living and deceased, for our Christmas flowers and decorations. Minimum donation is $15 and we will be purchasing plants to adorn St. John and SS. Peter and Paul Churches during the Christmas season. To place an order, fill out the coupon below. DEADLINE IS MONDAY, DECEMBER 19TH. Any requests received after Monday, December 19th cannot be honored! A special insert in the bulletin of Christmas Day, December 25th will list those remembered.
You may put your coupon with payment in a plain white envelope marked “Christmas Decoration Fund” and place it in the collection basket or mail it to the parish office at 508 Cherry St., Jamestown. You can also drop your envelope in the mail slot on the front porch of the rectory (to the left of the front door).
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CHRISTMAS DECORATION FUND
_______$15.00 ENCLOSED
In Memory of:________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
In Honor of:__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Purchased by_________________________________________
Phone:_______________________________________________
Second Sunday of Advent
MASSES FOR THE WEEK
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3
St. Francis Xavier
4:00 (St. John) James and Catherine Corkery and Family by Sally Corkery
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4
Second Sunday of Advent
7:15 (SSPP) Philip and Joanna DeSantis by Ron and Kathy DeSantis
9:00 (St. John) Joseph and Mary Sobera by Jerry Holmes Family
11:00 (SSPP) Dorothy and Richard Olson by Larry and Betty Brown
MONDAY, DECEMBER 5
12:10 (SSPP) Vi Rewers, Birthday by Daughters
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6
St. Nicholas
9:00 (St. John) Denis McAuliffe by Family
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
12:10 (SSPP) Jack Kibler by Sally Twichell
5:00 (St. John) Vigil Mass for Feast of Immaculate Conception – For the Souls of the Faithful Departed
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Holy Day of Obligation
7:00 (SSPP) Philip DeSantis, Anniversary by Family
9:00 (St. John) Agostino “Gus” Pellerino by Fran Reimondo and Verna Williams
12:10 (SSPP) Teresa and Gilbert Caskey by Estate
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
St. Juan Diego
12:10 (SSPP) Souls of the Faithful Departed
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10
4:00 (St. John) Walt Roode, Birthday by Family
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11
Third Sunday of Advent
7:15 (SSPP) Marianne and Jeanne de la Cerda by de la Cerda Family
9:00 (St. John) Russ Germaine, Anniversary by Germaine Family
11:00 (SSPP) Charlie Adams, Birthday by Ellen Adams
FEAST OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Thursday, December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses for the Feast day are as follows:
Wednesday, December 7th – Vigil Mass at 5:00 PM at St. John Church; Thursday, December 8th – 7:00 AM – SS. Peter and Paul Church; 9 AM – St. John Church; and 12:10 PM – SS. Peter and Paul Church.
YOUR FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP
Sunday, November 20 – Collection Total – $7,588.65
Sunday, November 27 – Collection Total – $7,060.41
Thank you for your support of our parish ministries!
RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS
Next weekend’s Second Collection is for the Retirement Fund for Religious. Your gift works for elderly religious by helping to furnish medications, nursing care, and more. Please support next weekend’s second collection, and give to those who have given a lifetime.
ADVENT RECONCILIATION
Each year during the seasons of Advent and Lent, parishes throughout the country participate in an initiative called, “The Light is on for You” in which the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is made available at extra times. Here at Holy Apostles, in addition to the regularly scheduled 3:15 PM time every Saturday at St. John Church, Father Dennis will be available for confessions on Wednesday, December 7th at 3:45 PM at St. John Church (prior to the Vigil Mass for the Immaculate Conception), and on Wednesday, December 14th, and Wednesday, December 21st at 5:00 PM in the St. Joseph Chapel at SS. Peter and Paul Church.
In addition, we will have an ADVENT PENANCE SERVICE for all of the Jamestown area parishes on Monday, December 12th at 7:00 PM at Our Lady of Loreto Church in Falconer, following which a number of priests will be available for confessions.
ADVENT STUDY SESSION
During Advent, the processional hymn sung at the beginning of our Masses is, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Did you ever take the time to consider the words and the imagery of this very familiar hymn? They are rooted in a long standing custom of Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours during the latter part of the season. On Wednesday, December 14, we will have a study session on the “Great O Antiphons” which are the inspiration for this hymn. This will be held at SS. Peter and Paul Church hall at 7:00 PM (following Evening Prayer at 6:30 PM in the St. Joseph Chapel). Everyone is welcome to attend.
NEWS FROM CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS
It’s Holiday Cookie Time for Catholic Daughters! Members of Court St. Gertrude #92 will be selling plates filled with holiday cookies after all Masses at St. John and SS. Peter and Paul Churches next weekend. Be assured there will be something there to satisfy your sweet tooth! Thanks for your support!
BAPTISM CLASS FOR PARENTS
The next Baptism Class for Parents will be Thursday, Dec. 8th at 6:30 PM in SS. Peter & Paul Church hall. If you have a child to be baptized at Holy Apostles, and you haven’t attended a class in 5 years, (or ever), you need to attend this class. Call the parish office at 664-5703 to make a reservation.
HONORING THE BLESSED MOTHER
One of the hallmarks of our Catholic tradition is the respect and honor we give to the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the season of Advent this is part of our public worship as we observe two feast days commemorating the working of God’s grace in her life. These provide us with the opportunity to consider how Mary is not only the mother of Jesus but also the example par excellence of what it means to be his follower.
On Wednesday of this week (December 8) we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on which we proclaim that from the first moment of her life Mary was preserved from original sin. The Gospel for the Mass (Luke 1: 26-38) is the account of the angel Gabriel being sent to Mary in Galilee to announce the birth of Jesus. The Church understands the words spoken to her, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” (vs. 28) and, “you have found favor with God” (vs. 30) to indicate freedom from sin by virtue of the presence of the Holy Spirit in her life. Thus, even before she was aware of that presence, or indeed before she was capable of being aware of it, God’s grace was there. It is that grace that empowers her both to question how the birth will come about and to proclaim herself willing to co-operate with God in the bringing forth of human redemption.
This feast invites us to consider the action of the Holy Spirit in our own lives and how ready we are to follow Mary’s willingness to serve God. Remember that the same Spirit that was present in Mary’s life is given to us in baptism, strengthened in confirmation, and nurtured in the Holy Eucharist. Thus the Immaculate Conception is an invitation to us to learn from Mary how to discern God’s will for us and to consider we like her are willing to do it.
Next week, on Monday, December 12, we will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe which commemorates the apparitions of Mary to St. Juan Diego on Tepeyac hill in Mexico from December 9-12, 1531. The very familiar image of Our Lady is a reminder of how she continues to fulfill her role as “handmaid of the Lord” (Luke 1:38) in calling peoples from all times and places to faith in her Son. The Gospel for this feast can be either that which was used for the Immaculate Conception or the account of Mary’s visit with Elizabeth prior to the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1: 39-47). Both afford us the opportunity to consider the presence of the Holy Spirit in Mary’s life and how her willingness to serve God affected the lives of those with whom she came in contact.
Thus, as we honor the Blessed Mother in the coming weeks we would do well to pray for the grace to follow her example of faith in discerning God’s will for us and asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith. As Mary was told, “nothing will be impossible for God.” She believed that. Do we?
Be at peace,
Father Dennis Mende