Church of Saint Philip
Neri,
Pennsburg
December 14, 2008
|
Rev. Robert A.
Roncase, Pastor Deacon Michael J.
Franks,
Permanent Deacon Rev. Edmond J. Speitel, Pastor Emeritus Rev. John J. Scarcia, Retired Pastor Rev.
Raymond W. Smart,
Retired, Resident Shirley
Misiak,
Office Manager Mark J.
Meinzer,
Business Manager Catherine
E. Faust,
Director of Music Patricia
A. Schleeweiss,
School Principal Jeffrey
W. Daley,
Director of Religious Education Colleen
Daley,
Parish Youth Minister Sister
Patricia Kelly, M.S.B.T., Parish Outreach Rectory Phone 215.679.9275 Rectory Fax 215.679.0386 School Phone 215.679.7481 Religious Education
Phone 215.541.3120 Religious Education
Fax 215.541.1398 Parish Social Hall
Phone 215.679.8116 Parish Outreach Phone
215.679.2282 Neri Center Phone 215-679-6490 Church & Rectory
Address: 1325 Klinerd Road Pennsburg, PA 18073 Hours: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Email Address: spnofc@comcast.net Website Address: www.spnparish.org School Address: 6th & Washington Streets East Greenville, PA 18041 Hours: 8:00 AM – 2:30 PM Website Address:
www.spnelementary.com Religious Education
Center Address 565 Main Street East Greenville, PA 18041 Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Neri Center Address 6th & Washington Streets East Greenville, PA 18041 ROSARY: Prayed every Saturday
after the 8:00 AM Mass. |
SCHEDULE
OF MASSES
Saturday – Vigil Mass – 5:00 PM Sunday
– 7:30, 9:30, 11:00 AM Weekdays – In the Chapel Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
& Saturday – 8:00 AM Wednesday – 7:00 PM HOLY
DAYS: 8:00
AM, 9:30 AM, 7:30 PM Eve of
Holy Days –5:00 PM CHAPEL
OPEN FOR VISITS The
Chapel will be opened Monday thru Saturday until
7:00 pm for your visits to the Blessed Sacrament. CONFESSIONS Saturdays: 4:00 – 4:45 PM Eve of
Holy Days: 4:15 – 4:45 PM BAPTISMS Celebrated the 2nd & 3rd Sundays of each
month. Please
call the Rectory to schedule. 2nd Sunday
Baptisms are held at the 11:00 AM Mass 3rd Sunday
Baptisms are held at 12:30 PM PRE-JORDAN
CLASSES 1st
Monday of every month at 7:30 PM in the Rectory meeting room. MARRIAGES Arrangements
should be made at least SIX MONTHS
before the date of the wedding. NEW
PARISHIONERS Welcome to your new home! Please stop by the rectory between 9:00 am -
3:00 pm to fill out a registration card.
We are happy to have you in our parish and want to get to know you. SHUT-INS Please
call the Parish Outreach Office. SACRAMENT
OF THE ANOINTING Please
call the Rectory. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Every
1st Friday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM in the church, followed by Benediction. FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS
If
you wish to have a floral arrangement placed in front of the altar, please call
the rectory |
OUR PARISH MISSION
STATEMENT
WE ARE THE CATHOLIC PARISH COMMUNITY OF ST. PHILIP
NERI, ANSWERING CHRIST’S CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP THROUGH WORD, SACRAMENT AND
SERVICE.
WE PROCLAIM GOD’S HOPE AND LOVE TO ALL.
LET US PRAISE
CHRIST TOGETHER
Printed in the Bulletin today is an abbreviated version of our Parish
Financial Report. The report we send to
the diocese is much more detailed.
Included for your information is our Operating Income. The includes the total of all income in the
parish, Sunday collections, special collections, tuitions, donations, fund
raising income, interest and dividends.
For the second year in a row, our income has exceeded 1 million dollars.
Unfortunately, expenses as in your
homes have also increased. Also
included this year is a synopsis of my Annual Pastor’s Report. This gives statistical information about the
parish. This too, here, is in an
abbreviated form. To date we have 1,744
registered households at St. Philip Neri.
(We estimate there could be as many as another 250 or more unregistered
households living in our parish boundaries).
Of the 1,744 registered households, 1,338 are contributing members. The
number 1,338 includes any amount given during the year. (This would include a yearly total as low as
$5 dollars). On the report, you also
will see any major renovations or purchases that took place in our Church,
Social Hall (gym) and School.
I thank you for your continued support for the parish. Our Financial Report is made up of figures
and numbers. However, this doesn’t
include the full picture. The countless
acts of service, the thousands and thousands of volunteer hours; these continue
to overwhelm me. God Bless you for all
you give, for all that you share and for your wonderful celebration and
prayerful participation.
You truly live out the statement…..Praise Be Jesus Christ…now and
forever! Fr. Roncase
CHAPEL OPEN FOR VISITS
Our Chapel is open Monday thru Saturday from 9:00
am to 7:00 pm for visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
ADVENT
PENANCE SERVICE - CONFESSIONS
On Tuesday evening December 16th,
we will have our Advent Penance Service in Church at 7:00 pm. There will be 8 priests available for
Confession. Prepare for Christmas by
receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
DAILY MASS ON
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17th
Mass on Wednesday evening will take
place in Church at 7:00 pm. Our PREP
students will be attending Mass.
DECORATING
THE CHURCH FOR CHRISTMAS
We will be decorating Church for the
Christmas Season on Sunday, December 21st at 2:00 pm. As always, much help is needed. Please come and join in the work and fun!
2009 MASS BOOK is now open for Mass
intentions. Stop by the rectory or call
Shirley at the rectory.
Serving at Mass December 21
Extraordinary Ministers Lectors
5:00
pm – Janet Kendra Larry
Concio
Lee Johnson
Priest
Claire Holcombe
Annemarie Quigley
Jim Quigley
7:30
am – Joan Varallo J.
Sakelouckas
Wally Varallo
Priest
Denise Guckin
Jim Michels
Dina Corrado
9:30
am - Jenny Josko Matthew
Horvath
Mary Godshall
Priest
Deacon
Joshua Hewitt
Lillian Hewitt
Bill Gurgick
Lisa Gurgick
Andrew Souder
Mary Weber
Marianne Peters
Michael Dougherty
11:00
am – Sarah Franks Luke
Verna
Anna Kells
Priest
Deacon
Bob Hermley
Jeanne Hermley
Dana Orr
Amanda Charlton
Maryanne Charlton
Kevin Charlton
Tinamarie Evans
Mary Goodfellow
Serving at Mass December
28
Extraordinary Ministers Lectors
5:00 pm – Dave Boone Bob
Piccone
Teri Boone
Priest
Priest
Jim Camarata
LaRue Emmell
7:30 am – Stephanie Greczek Pete Frank
Amy Rodgers
Priest
Pat Scheerbaum
Maria Rodgers
Chuck Rodgers
9:30 am – Joan Pongia Terry Benner
Anthony Pongia
Priest
Judy Sledgen
Rose Anderson
Mary Ellen Paulk
11:00 am – Barbara Schwind Eileen Davis
Bob Schwind
Priest
Mary Lavin
Marlene Leidy
Anita Weilnau
Third Sunday of Advent
December 14, 2008
Monday
– December 15
8:00
am – Edward Dobrzynski, (Stella Rozanski)
Tuesday
– December 16
8:00
am – Francis & Kathryn Reers,
(Carol & Jim Knisley)
Wednesday
– December 17
7:00
pm – Mass in Church
Leila Roberts (Joan
Wieder)
Thursday – December 18
8:00 am – Second Anniversary, Francis G.
Keating,
(David Gregory)
Friday – December 19
8:00 am – Edward Dobrzynski, (Jack &
Christine Gibbs)
Saturday – December 20
8:00 am – Ralph Bolognese
5:00 pm – For the living & deceased
members
of the Parish.
Sunday – December 21, Fourth Sunday of Advent
7:30 am – Francis Reers, (The Children)
9:30 am – Helen & Joseph Swann,
(Daughter, Charlotte)
11:00 am – Charlotte Pulli, (Luanne & Joe
Pulli)
FLOWERS/ROSES
The red roses placed
on the Blessed Mother & Sacred Heart Altars are in memory of Caroline
Dornisch, requested by Trish Dornisch.
The floral
arrangement on the center altar is in memory of Caroline Dornisch,
requested by Trish Dornisch.
WE INVITE
YOUR PRAYERS
For the sick, those in hospitals, nursing homes and also for their
caregivers.
Please pray in particular for:
Rev. John J.
Scarcia, Jack Conlen, Mary Conover, Barbara Duklis, Olga Durco, Jake Kriebel, Baby Owen Gilbreath, Betty Watkins &
Baby Robert John Riegel, Jr.
For those who
have died, and in particular for Lena DeGennaro, grant them eternal rest and peace.
Please note: Every first week of the month,
the names on our Prayer of the Faithful – Ill, will be removed. Anyone wishing to add a name or have a name
removed from the Prayer of the Faithful – Ill, please call the rectory office
between 10:00 am – 2:00 pm; or email to: spnofc@comcast.net
BUILDING MEMORIALS
Give a St. Philip Neri Memorial
Gift!
For a
donation of $25 or more, there is a beautiful folder recording the gift and
donor to be presented to the family. A
Mass is offered each month.
In memory of Gordon Heckler requested by:
Victor &
Veronica Diehl and children,
Employees
Association of Harleysville Insurance.
In memory of Robert M. Thompson, requested by:
Mike &
Lynda Cordovano.
We also have “Living Memorials” for those special
occasions in life.
PARISH
ORGANIZATIONS
Knights of Columbus – Fr. Leo J. Letterhouse Council #6614 meets every second Sunday of the
month in the Council Meeting Room at the rectory. Consider joining us by calling Duke Doherty at: 215-679-0660.
St. Philip Neri Craft
Guild
– Meets the first and third Tuesday of each month in the Social Hall Meeting
Room from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Note: no
meetings in the month of December.
Our next meeting will be: Tuesday,
January 6, 2009. For more information, please call Connie Marks at: 610-287-9829.
Boy Scouts – Tuesday evenings in
parish Hall from 7:00 pm- 8:30 pm. Join
our Boy Scouts by calling Mark Walther at: 610-754-6541.
Cub Scouts – Thursday evenings in the Neri Center, East
Greenville. Join our Cub Scouts by calling
Alicia Tryon
at: 215-679-4193 or email to: Cubpack591@yahoo.com.
CYO Sports – For more information, please contact Kevin
Loose at: 215-679-5481.
Parish Youth Ministry – For more information, please contact
Colleen Daley at: 215-541-1716.
SUNDAY
COLLECTIONS
December 9, 2007 December 7, 2008
Envelopes: $ 9,499.00
Envelopes: $8,603.50
Loose 1,584.00 Loose 1,333.00
Children 74.60
Children 55.00
Total: $ 11,157.60 Total: $9,991.50
Special collection:
Religious - $1,520.00
Census – year-to-date:
$26,192.00
Hoagie Sale – December
2nd
$833.00
ACTIVITIES - *BINGO*
Kitchen
opens 5:00 pm – Bingo – 6:30pm
Working
Thursday – December 18th – Team #2
All
regular games pay $50
FINAL
COVER – ALL SPECIAL PAYS: $500
Bingo: December 4, 2008
Players: 76
Games: $1,135.50 – Kitchen: $ 290.80
Total: $ l,426.30
MEETINGS and EVENTS THIS WEEK
Sunday, December 14th –
Anointing of the Sick & Elderly at all Sunday Masses
Sunday, December 14th
– No Little Church
Sunday, December 14th
– Breakfast w/Santa – gym – 7am – 12:30 pm
Sunday, December 14th
– Children’s Liturgy of the Word – Church – during the 9:30 am Mass
Sunday, December 14th
– Knights of Columbus General Meeting – rectory – 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 14th
– Men’s 30 & over basketball – 8pm
Monday, December 15th
– Grade School Christmas Concert – gym – 7:00 pm
Tuesday, December 16th
– CYO Sports – gym – 5-10 pm
Tuesday, December 16th
– Boy Scouts – gym – 7:00 pm
Tuesday, December 16th
– Parish Advent Penance Service (Confessions) – Church – 7:00 pm
Wednesday, December 17th
– CYO Sports – gym – 5-9 pm
Wednesday, December 17th
– Cub Scout Parent Meeting – Neri Center – 6:00 pm
Wednesday, December 17th
– ALPHA – gym – 6:30 pm
Wednesday, December 17th
– PREP (Religious Education) Advent Mass – Church – 7:00 pm
Thursday, December 18th
– Bingo – gym – 6:30 pm
Thursday, December 18th
– Cub Scout Pack Meeting – Neri Center – 6:45 pm
Thursday, December 18th
– RCIA – rectory – 7:00 pm
Sunday, December 21st
– Little Church – gym – 9:30 am
Sunday, December 21st
– Children’s Liturgy of the Word – during the 9:30 am Mass
Sunday, December 21st
– CYO Sports – gym – 12:00 noon – 8:00 pm
Sunday, December 21st
– Decorating the Church for Christmas – 2:00 pm
Sunday, December 21st
– No Parish Youth Ministry
Sunday, December 21st
– Men’s 30 and over basketball – gym – 8:00 pm
UPCOMING
MEETINGS
St. Philip Neri New
Year’s Eve Party – Wednesday, December 31st – gym – 9:00 pm to 1:00
am
Holy Day of Obligation
– Thursday, January 1st – Vigil Mass – Wednesday, December 31st
- Church – 5:00 pm; Masses on Thursday,
January 1st – Church – 8:00 am & 10:00 am
1st Friday –
January 2nd – Mass in Church at 9:00 am – Evening Prayer and
Benediction in Church at 7:00 pm
Pre-Jordan Baptismal
Class – Monday, January 5th – rectory – 7:30 pm
Knights of Columbus
Come-n-Go Bingo – Saturday, January 10th – gym – 6:00 pm
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
PREP SCHEDULE:
December 17 – PREP Mass/Social in Hall – 7pm
December 24 – no class
December 31 – no class
January 7 – classes resume – Happy New Year
January 14 – class
January 21 – class
January 28 – class
February 4 – class &
First Communion Parent Meeting – 6:10
pm – Mandatory Meeting
February 11 – class
First Communion Parent Meeting – 6:10
pm – Mandatory Meeting (SNOW DATE)
February 18 – class
February 25 – Ash Wednesday –no class
February 27 – Stations of the Cross – 7:00 pm
March 4 – class
March 11 – class
March 16 – First Penance Prayer Service – in
Church at 7:00 pm
March 18 – class
March 25 – NO CLASS – Parish Mission – Church
March 31 – First Communion Retreat – Social
Hall/Church
THE EDGE
It is the youth leader’s prayer that each and every tween/teen build a
closer relationship to Christ and His Church.
For more information, please call Mrs. Daley at: 215-541-1716 or email
to: prolifer53@comcast.net.
SCHOOL
NEWS
St.
Philip Neri School
Honor
Roll
December
2008
|
Grade |
Distinguished Honors |
First Honors |
Second Honors |
|
4 |
Laura
Vetter |
Kate
Ferdock Nora
Myers Danilo
Perez Madison
Wood |
Thomas
Beck Ashley
Serafin |
|
5 |
|
Hayley
Martin Hannah
Mattaliano Richard
Smith Cooper
Wright |
Kelsey
Gallagher Sara
McMahon |
|
6 |
Emily
Beck Keira
Koch Patrick
Souder |
Nicholas
Camarata Allison
McCausland Brynn
Shrom Patrick
Vetter |
Lauren
Serafin |
|
7 |
|
Joshua
Williams |
Philip
Myers Isabel
Perez Zachary
Washko |
|
8 |
Jackie
Smith Regina
Souder |
Tia
Camarata Christopher
Hillegass E.J.
Wahl Leah
Williams |
Austin
Jaman Starla
Lata Mia
Lowe |
PARISH NEWS
FROM THE PARISH
OUTREACH OFFICE:
ELIZABETH MINISTRY
NEWS
Can you remember
when a brief conversation with your mom, sister or friend left you feeling
energized and encouraged? The support
of women for women is essential during the childbearing years – we all want to know that someone else understands our joys and sorrows
and that someone does care. The
Elizabeth Ministry at St. Philip Neri Parish reaches out to women in our parish
to celebrate the expectancy, birth or adoption of a child, to console and
comfort a woman experiencing the frustration of infertility, the pain of
miscarriage or child death and even the confusion of raising a child with
special needs. In following the example
of our Blessed Mother as she visited the expecting St. Elizabeth, we want to
sincerely love and support women in their time of need and happiness.
If you would like to
serve other women in our parish or if you know someone who could use an
understanding friend, please contact LaRue Emmell: 215-679-3086.
FRIENDLY VISITORS MINISTRY
Are you recently
retired? Is God calling you to serve
someone in need? “As long as you did it
for the least of my brothers, you did it for me.” Friendly Visiting is the ministry for you!
There are only two
things required:
1.) a short
orientation program,
2.) a willingness to
listen.
If you can serve
God’s people as a Friendly Visitor, please call the Parish Outreach Office at:
215-679-2282. Leave your name and number. (speak slowly)
Won’t you consider
joining us as we serve our parishioners who are in need of a friend?
H.O.P.E.
Do you need a FREE
ride to appointments, store, bank, phone assurance, light housekeeping? Volunteers are willing to respond to these
needs.
Please call H.O.P.E.
Outreach Office at 215-679-2282 or Kathy & Bob Talbot: 215-541-0250.
HOSPITAL VISITS
Please call the
rectory to request a visit when you or a family member is hospitalized. Due to the Privacy Act, a request to have a
priest or the hospital minister visit and/or bring Holy Communion can be made
only by you or a family member.
CHARISMATIC PRAYER
GROUP
Every
Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the Chapel following the 7:00 pm Mass.
Come to grow
closer to God and experience the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer, praise,
song, scripture reading, teaching, witnessing, and use of the charisms.
Discover the
love of God in a more profound way.
Call Rich
Grochowski at: 610-323-1127 for more information.
LITTLE FLOWER GIRLS
CLUB
Little Flowers
Girls’ Club is a catholic program for girl’s ages 5-10 based on learning
catholic virtues through the lives of catholic saints, scripture, and the
catechism of the Catholic Church. The
club strives to bring the catholic faith alive and inspire the girls to become authentic
catholic women.
The Little Flowers
meet at the Neri Center, East Greenville, on the First Tuesday of the month at
6:30 pm. The schedule will be as follows:
January 6th, February 3rd, March 3rd, April
7th,
May 5th & June 2nd.
If you are interested in this club, please call Dana
Orr at 215-679-8223; or: DANA@GOODNEWS4HEALTH.NET
or check the website: WWW.ECCEHOMOPRESS.COM
THE GIVING TREE IS HERE!
The “Giving
Tree” has been set up in the Sanctuary of the Church.
If you wish
to participate, take a tag from the tree, purchase the item described, wrap the
gift if you desire, affix tag, and return it as soon as
possible. All gifts should be returned
by Sunday, December 14th.
Any gift not returned by December 14th, can be dropped off at
the Social Hall on Monday, December 22nd from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
The gifts
will benefit Birthright in Pottstown, St. Mary’s Franciscan Shelter and
Catholic Social Services. For more
information, contact Eileen or Pat at: 215-234-0124.
Sponsored by the SPN Respect Life Committee
Adult Altar Servers
We will be
putting together a practice for any interested adult who would like to serve
funerals and holy day Masses where student altar servers are not available.
If you are
interested, please call the rectory and leave your name and phone number and
Deacon Mike will contact you.
We welcome
men and women, husband and wife teams and teams of friends who would like to
serve together. We will discuss
scheduling at the practice.
Please
call this week so we can get started as soon as possible. Practice has been scheduled for Tuesday,
January 13, 2009 at 7:30 pm in the Church.
COME-N-GO BINGO
St. Philip Neri Social Hall
Saturday – January 10, 2009
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Games begin at 6:30 pm
Cost: $.25/game
Menu: hotdogs, bar-b-que
& drinks
If you bring a non-perishable item to benefit Open Line, you play
two free games of bingo!
Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus
FREE THROW CONTEST
St. Philip Neri Social Hall
Monday – January 19, 2009
Registrations begin at 6:30 pm.
This contest is for boys and girls ages ten (10) years old thru
fourteen (14) years old.
Questions? Call Bernie at:
215-679-8275.
PRE-CANA WORKSHOP
The St. Philip Neri Pre-Cana Team will
be offering a Workshop for couples preparing to marry in 2009.
The Workshop dates are all Monday
evenings on:
January
12, 2009
January
26, 2009
February
2, 2009
February
9, 2009 &
February
16, 2009
You are required to attend all five (5)
evenings to complete the Workshop.
Please call the rectory to register for
this Pre-Cana Workshop.
Parish Bulletin
Transmission Schedule
Announcements
for the December 28th bulletin must be submitted to Shirley by Wednesday,
December 17th.
Announcements
for the January 4th bulletin must be submitted to Shirley by Friday,
December 19th.
BINGO VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED
We are in need of Bingo Volunteers for
BOTH the kitchen, and working the floor, checking winning Bingo cards.
You only work one each month on
Thursday evenings. We have 4 teams for
both the kitchen and floor and are in need of help on each team.
CAN
YOU HELP?
NOT
EVERY WEEK –
JUST
ONE WEEK, ONCE A MONTH!
If you can help, please check the area
you are interested in.
PLEASE PRINT AND RETURN IN THE
COLLECTION BASKET OR TO THE RECTORY.
_____KITCHEN
_____FLOOR WORKER
Name: _________________________
Phone:_________________________
Breakfast
Volunteers NEEDED
Our Parish Breakfast
is a major fundraiser for our Parish and a tremendous Community and Parish
Social Event. We are in need of more
parishioners to help with this monthly event.
Our breakfast is held the 4th Sunday of each month (excluding
November & December).
CAN
YOU HELP?
Not
the entire morning…
but
only a few hours each month!
Please print and return in collection basket or to the
rectory:
Cooks: Line
Servers:
___6am-9am ___6:45 am- 9:00 am
___9am-11am ___9:00 am – 11:00 am
___11am-1pm ___11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Dishwashers: Cleaning
the gym:
___7:30am-10:00 am ___12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
___10:00 am – 12noon
___12noon – 2:00 pm
Washing Trays Dessert
table, coffee
___8am-10am ___7:00 am – 9:00 am
___10am – 12noon ___9:00 am – 11:00 am
___12noon-1:30 pm ___11:00
am – 12:30 pm
Name: _________________________
Phone: ________________________
MARCH FOR LIFE
Join Father
Roncase as he leads our parish on the “March for Life” in Washington, D.C. on
Thursday, January 22, 2009. The bus
will leave from St. Philip Neri parking lot after the 7:30 am Mass. Cost is $25 per person (includes dinner and
metro pass). $20 per student (dinner
and metro pass inclusive also)
On this, the
36th Anniversary of the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision which legalized
abortion, we ask you to join THOUSANDS from across our great land, in our
nation’s capitol to discourage our new president from fulfilling his campaign
promises, to abolish all existing laws that protect unborn children.
We will park
at RFK Stadium.
STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!
Sponsored by: Our Parish
Call Joe at:
215-679-3637 for more information, to make payment and to reserve your seat!
Based on FIRST COME-FIRST SERVED!
NO TRESPASSING NOTICES
No doubt you
have noticed the new signs stating “NO TRESSPASSING”.
These signs
have been installed to limit our liability in the event of an accident due to
negligence occurring during any NON-PARISH activity.
It has come
to our attention there are members of the public using our property for
non-parish related activities. While
the church welcomes use of the property and its facilities for parish-sponsored
activities, our parish should not be held legally responsible for non-parish
related activities, especially an accident occurring during a non-parish
activity, such as skateboarding, playing ball or Driver’s Education practice.
Thank you for
your understanding.
ARCHDIOCESAN NEWS
Religious Classes at
St. Charles Seminary
Take a class at St.
Charles Seminary! The Religious Studies
Division announces its Spring 2009 course schedule. Registrations for the Catechetical Institute non-credit adult
catechesis classes, undergraduate courses, and applications for the Master of
Arts Program are now being accepted. To
register, go to: www.scs.edu and click on
Religious Studies – Register for Classes.
The Spring Semester
begins January 20th.
LOOKING FOR FOSTER
PARENTS
Catholic Social
Services is looking for single or married adults to become foster parents to
children of all ages and races. There
is a special need for families who can provide care to TEENAGERS – a
population that needs love, guidance, and support as they move into
adulthood.
To learn more about
becoming a foster parent, please call Melissa at: 215-587-2458!
AREA NEWS
PERMANENT DIACONATE
INFORMATION NIGHT
Monday – January 12,
2009
Corpus Christi Parish
Center
Conference Room D
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Have you ever
wondered about the role of Permanent Deacon in the Church or what it takes to
become a Permanent Deacon? Have you
considered the possibility (even for a moment) of serving the Church in this
way? This information night will
explore the formation process of the Permanent Diaconate and provide you with
the necessary information to assist you in the discernment process.
To register, please
contact Deacon Frank Langsdorf at 215-855-1311 or franklangsdorf@aol.com
ST. PIUS X HIGH SCHOOL
FUNDRAISERS
Mark your calendars
now for the 4th Annual Festival of Food and 14th Annual
Live and Silent Auction planned in the Spring of 2009 at St. Pius X High
School. The Festival of Food is slated
for Sunday, January 25th from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm and will feature
local restaurants and caterers spotlighting their delicacies.
The Auction – “By
the Sea” – is scheduled for Saturday, March 28th beginning at 6:00
pm and will feature items in both a silent and live auction as well as gourmet
food stations. Both of these events are
to be enjoyed by the attendees 21 years of age and older. You can reserve your tickets now for both
events. They also make great Christmas
gifts for the “hard-to-buy” individual.
Call 610-326-8990 ext. 31 or email at: development@stpiusxhs.org. to
reserve your tickets.
Invest just five minutes a day, and your faith will deepen
and grow—a day at a time.
Sunday,
December 14, 2008
Third Sunday
of Advent; Gaudete Sunday
Reasons for our joy
Though it is
still Advent, we’ve probably been to one or two Christmas parties already.
Jumping the gun is unfortunate, because anticipation is so much part of joy.
There is joy in longing, joy in thinking about the Beloved who is on the way to
our door, joy in preparing so that the welcome will be palpable. As a culture
we have forgotten deferred gratification. We despise waiting. We even encourage
our children to grow into little adults long before they are ready. Can we, for
a day, find joy not in scurrying about to tick off another “must do” item?
Resist an E-Z Christmas that will fizzle out on December 26 when the season is
just beginning. Let your celebration of God-with-us build, little by little,
warming your heart like firelight.
Today’s readings: Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11; 1
Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28
“John came
for testimony, to testify to the light. He was not the light, but came to
testify to the light.”
Monday,
December 15
Advent weekday
See beyond what’s there
Children and prophets see things
others don’t see. The prophet Balaam saw beyond the violence and injustice of
his own generation to a time when the nation would be led by a great king who
would arise in Israel. The people of his day needed a vision like his to endure
the troubled times in which they lived. Today kids are seeing elves and flying
reindeer while the rest of us look for bargains and Uglydolls. We need to have
the prophetic vision of a child to see hope in a little baby born in a stable.
Today’s readings: Numbers
24:2-7, 15-17a; Matthew 21:23-27
“I see him,
but not now; I behold him, but not near—a star shall come out of Jacob, and a
scepter shall rise out of Israel.”
Tuesday,
December 16
Advent Novena;
Las Posadas begins
Who’s that knocking?
Today begins the traditional
Mexican festival of Las Posadas, a commemoration of Mary and Joseph’s
journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Customarily neighbors will gather together
in a procession led by a child in angel’s garb and statues of the Holy Family.
Together they seek out shelter (posada in Spanish) at three local
houses, only to be accepted at the last, where the family hosts a celebration
culminating in the breaking of the pińata. As you in your own way seek
to share the path of the Holy Family, consider first how vulnerable a position
it is to beg entrance into another’s home. That is what we all must accept if
we desire the shelter of God’s kingdom.
Today’s readings: Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13; Matthew
21:28-32
“Jesus said
to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going
into the kingdom of God ahead of you.’ ”
Wednesday,
December 17
Advent
weekday; O Antiphons begin at dusk
What O what is an O Antiphon?
These days before Christmas are,
so to speak, the home stretch of Advent, a time of final preparation for the
celebration of Jesus’ birth. To mark this time the church prays the “O
Antiphons.” An antiphon, from the Greek word for “responsively,” is a
short prayer said or sung after psalms or biblical songs. They come up in the
Liturgy of the Hours, but you also pray a kind of antiphon every Sunday: the
psalm response between the first and second readings. We add the O Antiphons—so
called because they all begin with “O”—to evening prayer to make this time
before Christmas special. Drawn from Hebrew scripture, each of them helps us to
understand Jesus.
Today’s readings: Genesis 49:2, 8-10;
Matthew 1:1-17
“O Wisdom, O
holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care.
Come and show your people the way to salvation.”
Thursday,
December 18
Mighty righteous of you
The word righteousness may
sound a little quaint to the ear these days, but the concept behind the word is
central to an understanding of how God works in the world and what God asks of
us. The Hebrew word it corresponds to appears more than 500 times in the Old
Testament, and the Greek word it corresponds to more than 200 times in the New
Testament. Righteousness is chiefly concerned with ethical conduct: It implies
faithfully keeping promises, treating people justly, and adhering to a high
moral code. Being human, we fall short at times, but it is good to keep our eye
trained on righteousness as a guiding light.
Today’s readings: Jeremiah 23:5-8;
Matthew
1:18-25
“O sacred
Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who
gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to
set us free.”
Friday, December
19
Advent weekday
Kings in unexpected places
When it came
time for the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king to replace Saul, God
instructed Samuel to invite Jesse and his sons to a sacrifice. When Jesse
paraded his boys in review before the prophet, God told Samuel that the oldest
and tallest and the most kingly looking were not the guy; the next king was to
be David, the youngest and lowliest, whom Jesse left tending the flocks and did
not even bother to bring along. “The Lord,” God says, “does not see as mortals
see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” If
you live from your heart and look past appearances to the hearts of others,
you’ll find true royalty.
Today’s readings: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a;
Luke 1:5-25
“O Flower of
Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand
silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let
nothing keep you from coming to our aid.”
Saturday,
December 20
Advent weekday
Quiet down
Some years ago Mother Theresa
visited the neonatal intensive care unit of a Boston hospital. As she walked
through the doors of the unit, the machines that usually hum and buzz and beep
somehow stopped making noise, and every single baby fell silent. Mother Theresa
stopped at each crib, spoke with the nurses and parents, had her picture taken
holding a premature infant in the palm of her hand, and left. As the doors
closed behind her, the usual cacophony of the unit resumed unabated. The calm
that surrounded Mother Theresa was a reflection of the peace in her heart.
Advent is a good time to notice our own interior state. What is going on inside
ourselves, and how is it reflected in the world around us?
Today’s readings: Isaiah 7:10-14;
Luke 1:26-38
“O Key of
David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven:
Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and
the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.”