The RCIA, Rite of Christian initiation for Adults, is beginning its period of Inquiry. During this time Non–Catholic adults are invited look at their own faith journey and how the Catholic Church can help meet their spiritual needs. If you are interested in looking at the Catholic Faith and how the RCIA process can assist you in this endeavor please contact Deacon Bruce Zorio at [email protected] or call the parish office at Ext. 137
Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 18, 2016
Saint Christopher
Christmas Eve Mass In the Church
4:00, 6:00, 9:00 and Midnight 4:00pm Children’s Mass in
Presentation High School Gym 4:00pm in the Healy Hall
Christmas Day
7:00, 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 and 12:30pm
Please note, there will be no Weekday 6:30am Mass after Christmas. The Weekday Mass will re-
sume on Tuesday, January 3rd.
The parish office will be closed for Christmas starting Friday December 23rd and re-open on Monday January 2nd. Have a safe and healthy holiday. We wish you and your family a blessed New Year.
The 7th Annual St. Christopher Parish Christmas Concert
Sunday, December 18th after the 6 p.m. Mass from 7:15 - 8:30 p.m. in the St. Christopher Church
Bring your family and friends to enjoy this free Christmas Concert and get into the Advent and Christmas Season through song and music!!
Sponsored by the Holy Name Society
featuring two professional performers and our very own St. Christopher parishioners Peggy Schrader & Dave Coldren of the Rhythm & Truth Band.
The Rhythm & Truth Band will perform a number of traditional Christmas and holiday songs as well as songs written and recorded by Peggy. This is a wonderful chance to get into the Advent and Christ-mas Season through song and music.
Christmas cookies, hot coffee and hot chocolate will be served prior to the star t of the concert and during the short intermission. (No food or drink will be allowed in the church.)
ANNUAL MEMORIAL MASS
A special Mass of Remembrance for all our loved ones who died in 2016, will be held on Wednesday, January 25 at 7:00pm. If your loved one passed away in 2016, whether or not they were a parishioner here, you are in-vited to attend. If you would like them in-cluded in the photo presentation during Mass, please submit a photo of them as soon as possible. Include the name of the de-ceased, the name & address of the person the photo should be returned to. You may mail or drop off to Loretta Pfaff, Msgr. Allen Cen-ter 2278 Booksin Ave., SJ 95125 or by email to: [email protected]. All parishion-ers, family and friends are invited to join in this special commemoration of our deceased loved ones. There will be a light reception following the Mass sponsored by St. Christo-pher Grief Ministry. Questions, call Loretta, 264-5114.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17
4:30 Yvonne Pine, Lorraine Igoe, Joe & Ann Serio, Rosaro, Anna & Salvatore Serio, Irean, Joseph & Fank Sunseri, Cathryne & Tony Quartuccio Lidia Collaco
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18
6:30 Yvonne Pine, Helen Boshell, Eva Moses, Mary Zane Aumack, Joe Mills
8:00 Yvonne Pine, Michael Giammona, Virginia Tongnetti, Earl Clay, Pat Miner Assunta & Stanislao Fortino
9:30 Yvonne Pine, Paul Russo, Jeanice Owens, Angela “Gigi” Gemma-Taft, Stephen D’Arrigo, Pedro Roa
11:00 Yvonne Pine, Maietta Family, Ruby Foote Mildred Vargas, Mary Cetani, James Dibona, Angela Brigall, Genevieve Beardsley
12:30 Yvonne Pine, Daisy & Frank Dinapoli, Norene Scholz, Douglas David Boucher
6:00 Yvonne Pine, Juan Miguel Chan
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS (408) 264-8764
Religious Education Office Hours: Office hours- Mon.–Thurs.
8:30-a.m.-Noon and 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Out of Town? FYI There is a web site, you can access when ever you are out of town and need a church for Mass, Go to www.masstimes.org and look up churches and Mass times, where ever you are. Check it out.
Over 50’s Club Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year!
Our membership meeting and luncheon is on Friday, Jan.13th at 11:30 am. The gates open at 11:00 for parking. Lunch will be catered by Zanotto's. It will include a 1/2 turkey sandwich, salad, dessert and water. Coffee will be provided by the club. The cost is $7.00. Please make checks payable to Over 50's club. Payment must be in Lore's hands by Jan.6th, no exceptions. Mail checks to Lore at Lore McCoy 1311 Vierra Ct. S.J. Ca. 95125 We will play Bingo following lunch.
Our Day of Recollection is Monday, January 16th in Walsh Hall. School is not in session on this day, so gates will be open and there will be plenty of parking. We begin at 9:00am and adjourn at 2:30 with Mass included. Coffee, tea and snacks will be provided. Please bring your own lunch Our speaker will be Father Chris Bennett. Come and join us for a faith-filled day. Open to all parishioners and their guests. Please call Jo Bertaccini @ 266-7364 to secure a place.
CHRISTMAS ALTAR & FLOWER FUND To share in decorating the altar for Christmas, you may donate to the Christmas Altar and Flower Fund in memory of a loved one or as a sign of praise and worship. Special envelopes are available in the ves-tibule of the Church or you may use a plain enve-lope. Enclose the names of those you would like remembered with your donation and either drop in the collection basket or at the Parish Office.
CHRISTMAS FLOWER OFFERING IN MEMORY OF:
Sarah Carolyn DeCarli, Don DeCarli, Steven DeCarli, Bernice DeCarli, Ed & Agnes Wallace, MaryAnn Wallace, Donald Wallace, Karen Wal-lace, Helen Blackford, Danny Blackford, Eva Ha-zen, Eleanor Agulara, Eleanor Alexander, James & Patricia Murphy, The Salvador Torras Family, Car-rigan Family, Cecilia & Jose Goyeneche, Rev. Dea-con Sal Alvarez, Eva Moses, Mobeck Family loved ones, Anna & Anthony Barcelona, Michael Kiley,
Ernie & Esther Santos, Michael Hausler, Vilma Collins, Anita & Pedro Roa, Anthony Motta,
From the Religious Education Office Staff of St. Christopher Parish: We wish all of the parish fami-lies who have children enrolled in our various Rel. Ed. programs a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. We give thanks for your continued support with the religious formation of your children. The Rel. Ed. Office will be closed for Christmas break from Dec. 14th through Jan. 3rd; we will re-open on January 4th. Religious Education Programs: The Tuesday pro-gram will resume on January 10, 2017. The Sunday program will resume on January 15, 2017. Liturgy of the Word: Liturgy of the Word will resume on January 8, 2017. Junior High Program: Chr istmas break for this program will be from Dec. 18th through Jan. 15th. This program will resume on Jan. 22nd.
Out of Town? FYI There is a web site, you can access when ever you are out of town and need a church for Mass, Go to www.masstimes.org and look up churches and Mass times, where ever you are. Check it out.
Social Justice
Confirmation: The next Confirmation sessions will be on Thursday, January 12th and Thursday, Febru-ary 2nd at 7-8:30 pm in Walsh Hall. Contact Chris Miller at [email protected] or 408-395-7949 for addi-tional information.
Youth Group: All high school aged students and their friends are welcome to attend Sunday even-ing youth group sessions in Walsh Hall from 7:00- 8:30pm. As always, dinner is provided, and topics relevant to teenagers will be presented/discussed. The full youth ministry schedule can be found on the parish website. Sessions in January include: January 8 and January 22nd.
Young Adults: St. Christopher Young Adults are a group of parishioners ages 18 to 39, single and mar-ried, who are connected by our Catholic faith and who actively participate in the life of the Church. Our mission is to “continue lifelong learning in a Catholic environment through spiritual growth, re-flection, and service as we strengthen our relation with God though each other, our faith, and our com-munity.” Please contact youth and young adult min-istry coordinator Chris Miller at 408-395-7949 or [email protected] for more information.
A big Thank you, to all who helped with our Adopt a Family Program. On Saturday, we distributed, Presents and Gift Cards to over 250 Children and Food Baskets to their fami-lies. It is only with your help, that we are able to give so generously. Thank you, and may your family have a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year.
Thank you , Nancy Melander Outreach Director
“The true apostle is first of all a person who is “tuned in”, a servant ready for God’s action.”
St. John Paul II, Athens, May 5, 2001
“…..the Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known…it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing.”
Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi
“This Council exhorts Christians, as citizens of two cities, to strive to discharge their earthly duties con-scientiously and in response to the Gospel spirit. They are mistaken who, knowing that we have here no abiding city but seek one which is to come, think that they may therefore shirk their earthly responsi-bilities. For they are forgetting that by the faith itself they are more obliged than ever to measure up to these duties…nor are they any less wide of the mark who think that religion consists of acts of worship alone and in the discharge of certain moral obliga-tions, and who imagine they can plunge themselves into earthly affairs in such a way as to imply that these are altogether divorced from the religious life…This split between the faith which many pro-fess and their daily lives deserves to be counted among the more serious errors of our age. Long since, the prophets of the Old Testament fought ve-hemently against this scandal and even more so did Jesus Christ Himself in the New Testament threaten it with grave punishments…Therefore, let there be no false opposition between professional and social activities on the one part, and religious life on the other. Christians who neglect their temporal duties, jeopardize their eternal salvation.”
Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, 43
In the gospel, Joseph is a righteous man. He seeks to do what is right. Then, Joseph discovers that what is right is not what he and the tradition has called for. God asks him
for something unconventional. “Take Mary as your wife.” Believe that all this is happening by “the power of the Holy Spirit.” Joseph is invited to think outside the box. Are we too invited to think outside the “box” of our culture and the conventional value system of our country ? We too are called to be faithful to the vision of God and work for a new era of peace and justice for all.
December 18: International Migrants Day Any questions or comments please direct them to: Thomas Walsh [email protected]
All women and men of the parish are welcome to join the St. Christopher Parish Ladies'
Guild and Holy Name Society.
The primary purpose of our organizations is to build and strengthen the St. Christopher community by hosting fundraisers and community events through-out the year. Our joint efforts fund St. Christopher’s school sports programs, parish and school technolo-gy and building upgrades, tuition assistance and nu-merous other local charities. Events such as the St. Christopher Festival, Benefit Auction, Antique Show and Western Welcome provide many opportunities to get involved. For more information about Ladies’ Guild, please visit www.stchrisladiesguild.org or email [email protected] or call Kelly Miller at (310) 739-6248. For more infor-mation about Holy Name Society, please email Paul Borelli at [email protected]
Eve Mass ThestudentsofSt.ChristopherReligiousEduca-tionProgram,studentsofSt.ChristopherSchool,andchildreninourParish,Grades1-8,areinvitedtoparticipateintheChildren’sChristmasEveMassthatwillbecelebratedonDecember24that4:00pminthePresentationHighSchoolGym.Ifyourchild(ren)isinterestedinparticipatinginthisliturgyitis“MANDATORY” thathe/she/theyattendbothpractices.Pleasenotethatwearepracticingintwodifferentlocations.
*Prac ce in St. Christopher Church Monday, 12/19 @ 3:30-4:30 (choir only /music dis-tributed) 4:30-6:00 (readers/non-readers/roles as-signed) *Prac ce in Presenta on Gym Friday, 12/23 @ 3:30-4:30 (choir only) 4:30-6:00 (readers/non-readers) Please indicate if your child(ren) would like to par cipate in the choir or have a reading or non-reading role by December 5th Religious Ed students please email Sr. Felicia [email protected]
Announcing the 2017 St. Christopher Antique Show
Planning is now in full swing for the 2017 St. Chris-topher Antique Show, which will be held January 27 – 29, 2017. This popular parish tradition - which benefits the parish and school, as well as many local charities - would not be made possible without your generous support, including sponsorships. For more information on how you can help sponsor the event, please visit the show web site at www.stchrisladiesguild.org/antique-show. No amount is too small! On behalf of the Ladies Guild, thank you in advance for your contributions.
Next Children’s Choir
The next date for the Children’s Choir to sing at the 9:30am Mass will be Sunday, January 8th. Rehearsal will take place on Sunday before Mass at 8:15am in the Marian Rm of Msgr. Allen Center. If your child would like to join, please bring them to the rehearsal or email Loretta at [email protected].
If you left a picture of your loved one in the church during the month of November for All Souls, you can pick it up in the parish office, during office hours. Mon—Thursday, 8:30am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
Second Collection for Religious Retirement Thank you for supporting senior religious. A sister from Indiana writes, “Because of your kindness, our elderly sisters will have the comfort, security, and joy of living out their remaining hears here in their home. You tru-ly honor them and their many years of service by your generosity.” Religious across the United States offer sincere thanks for your generosity to last week’s collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious
IN REMEMBRANCE Let us pray for all who have died,
that they may rejoice with the Risen Lord, especially:
Andrew Trapani and Fiacro Ruiz
Gerry Thompson Irma Reilly Chuck Hart Bill Percy
Roz LeFevre Christine Silva Janet DeMattei Jerry Brickley
Robert D. Holman Margaret Server
Marcus Espinoza, Cornell Wade, Marty Rattay, Roy LeFevre,
Martha & Charles Gregersen,
Dave Oliverio, Margret Gaffaney,
Al & Jean Trznadel, Lena Iaconis
Pray for the ill in our Parish
We continue to pray for all the men and
women serving our country in this time of war:
Alex Ngo, Tim McCullough, Joey Bellomo, Nick Badagliacco, Matthew Ward, Angelo
Totanes, Ciro LoBono, Tyler Hammerness, Branden Alwine, Greg Cook, Connor McDonald, Christian Dietz, Connor Quinn, Adam Christo-
pher Madewell, Richard Stayskal, Larry Chartier, Andrew Morgan, Derek Carroll, Allen Ellerbee, Obadihah Petteway, Eric Gentrup, Michael Arnone, David Wells, Ryan Trapani,
Rafi Miranda, Spencer Fishman, Ryan A. Johnson, David Ryan, Benjamin Owens-Filice,
Christopher Healy, and Christine Doudell
Please Pray for us!!!
The Christopher Ministry provides meals to parish-ioners during times of temporary crisis or hardship. If you or a fellow parishioner needs the help of the Christophers’, please contact the Ministry Chairper-sons. Also, please consider becoming a Christopher and helping provide this important and comforting service to members within the community. Thank you in advance for your support.
Interested in connecting with moms in the St. Chris community? The St. Christopher’s Moms Group (SCMG) provides parents of children from birth through age five with support, friendship, and com-munity. The SCMG offers a variety of activities and playdates for all types of moms and interests. For more information, or to become a member, email Aubrey Amatelli at [email protected].
The SCMG is excited to host fun holiday parties this season! For details on the party or to join the SCMG, email us at [email protected].
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