BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Advent Christm
as Season Newsletter 2014
Advent Christm
as Season Newsletter 2014
Advent Christm
as Season Newsletter 2014
Advent Christm
as Season Newsletter 2014-- -- 2015
2015
2015
2015
“Being humble helps us share the burdens of others.” Pope Francis
PARISH COMMUNITY LIFTS EACH OTHER UP WITH SERVICE
Inside this issue:
Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the
will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thes 5:17
Members of the Blessed Sacrament Parish Men’s Club shared their time and talent recently at the home of one of their members. A ramp was built on to the front of Cal’s residence upon his return home from
rehab.
Cal and Joanne Gilbert are most appreciative of the addition. Truth be told, they are thrilled that this dynamic group came to their aid in the best way possible! Not only that, Cal was able to provide ideas from inside as the project unfolded. The work began early in the day, and
was completed by dinner time.
Pastor’s ColumnPastor’s ColumnPastor’s ColumnPastor’s Column 2
Worship & Spiritual GrowthWorship & Spiritual GrowthWorship & Spiritual GrowthWorship & Spiritual Growth 3
Faith FormationFaith FormationFaith FormationFaith Formation 6
Youth MinistryYouth MinistryYouth MinistryYouth Ministry 8
Coming SoonComing SoonComing SoonComing Soon 9
Pats’ ColumnPats’ ColumnPats’ ColumnPats’ Column 13
Service & JusticeService & JusticeService & JusticeService & Justice 14
FAMILY SOUP KITCHEN
A mighty team of volunteers meets at the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall in Niles to prepare and serve lunch monthly from September - May. This particular team is composed of families who have made the commitment to be the hands and heart of Christ in their method of service. This ministry is made richer in that these families also sit down to share the prepared meal with the people who need a meal that day. “This ministry teaches young children the value of each person and the importance of service, all within the enjoyment of a meal,” said Pastor Tom Eisweirth. Fr. Tom encourages all to try this ministry, either as a family on the third Saturday (see
p. 14 for info), or with our SVdP So-ciety on the third Thursday.
Call the parish for details!
S H O U T F O R J O Y! Handel’s
Messiah Sunday, December 7, 2014
4 and 7 p.m. Blessed Sacrament Parish
with the musical talents of
Warren Civic Chorus & members of
the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra
The first Sunday of Ad-vent marks the beginning of the new Liturgical Year. Advent is a time for us to prayerfully re-flect on God’s coming into the world. We wait in hope for the coming of Christ and our annual celebration of Christmas. It is a time of waiting, a time of prayer, a time of recommitment to what it
means to be a disciple of Christ. Please note that our Advent Reconciliation Service on Sunday, December 14, at 3 p.m. Pope Francis tells us “the forgiveness of our sins is not something we can give ourselves. Forgiveness is asked for, is asked of another, and in Confession we ask for forgiveness from Jesus. ...it is a gift of the Holy Spirit who fills us with the wellspring of mercy and of grace… In the celebration of this Sacrament, the priest represents not only God but also the whole community, who sees itself in the weakness of each of its members, who listens and is moved by his repen-tance, and who is reconciled with him… ...Do not be afraid of Confession! ...Be courageous and go to Con-
fession! Document to General Audience St. Peter’s Square, Wed 2/19/14
On the Fourth Sunday of Advent, as darkness begins to descend upon us, we will gather in our wor-ship space for a unique prayer experience that origi-nated in a remote French village near the Swiss border. The village is called Taize. In that village, there is an old church building that was originally given to a newly formed community by the papal nuncio to Paris. That person later became Pope John XXIII. In the late 1960’s young people from all over the world began flocking to that remote ecumenical monastery of Taize in Southern France. Brother Roger of Taize writes: “To celebrate such an all-inclusive prayer only a few people are needed, and already the heart becomes more encom-passing in an encounter with Christ. And in addition, if these people were to join, at least once a week, the prayer of the local Christian community, the worship of a parish or congregation where all generations are present, including little children, young adults and eld-erly persons, then the universality of communion in Christ would find a clear expression. Prayer is a se-rene force at work within human beings, stirring them up, changing their hearts, never allowing them to close their eyes in the face of evil, of wars, of all that threat-
ens the innocent of this world… All who walk in the footsteps of Christ, while holding themselves in the presence of God, remain along side other people as well. They do not separate prayer and solidarity with others.” I invite the entire parish to join me and my Priests’ Support Group in this Taize prayer experience on Sunday, December 21, at 4:30 p.m. I think it will be a blessing for all of us! Please check the bulletin for other activities this Advent. I want to thank those of you who have re-sponded by saying yes to using your time, your talent and your treasure to support the efforts of our parish. On Sunday, November 9 we hosted our Community Outreach Day; over sixty parishioners volunteered to help and we had thirteen requests for assistance. It certainly was a great day for our parish community! Highlights will appear in the next newsletter. I also want to thank those of you who have elected to participate in electronic giving. This will certainly help the office staff in maintaining records. It will also assist the Administration Commission and Parish council in future planning for the parish. If you need assistance in registering or making changes please call the parish office to direct you. Our parish fundraisers were well attended and very helpful for the parish. Once again, I express my thanks to all the volunteers who helped make such a success of our events. Details about each event can be found in this newsletter. I want to invite you to attend our Annual Vol-unteer Appreciation Dinner at Di Vieste’s Banquet Hall on North River Road in Warren. It takes time and talent of many individuals to ensure the life of Blessed Sacrament Parish and I am very proud of you for choosing to share your gift! We are planning this event for Sunday afternoon, February 8, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. There will be more information about this in the bulletin after Christmas.
PASTOR’S COLUMN
Page 2 BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Page 3
WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL GROWTHWORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL GROWTHWORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL GROWTHWORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH Submitted by Pat Campbell
TAIZE PRAYER
AROUND
THE CROSS
Steal a few quiet moments on the shortest day
of the year!
During the craziness of the preparations for Christmas, why not set aside a few minutes to center mind and heart in calming prayer in the style of the Taizé com-munity?
Join us Sunday, December 20 at 4:30 p.m. in the church.
NOTE: Taizé Prayer includes singing, psalms, a scripture reading, interces-sory prayer and silence.
BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
PLEASE HELP WITH UPCOMING HOLYDAYS…
Monday, December 8 -- Immaculate Conception. Liturgies at 8:30 a.m. with the school students, and 7 p.m.
Wednesday, December 24 -- Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord. Liturgies at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m.
Thursday, December 25 -- Nativity of the Lord. Liturgy at 10 a.m.
Wednesday, December 31 -- Vigil of Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
Thursday, January 1 -- Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
If you could offer your help as a hospitality minister -- greeter, usher, altar server, lector or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at the Masses you plan to attend, you’d be helping the community a great deal. Please check the gathering space for sign up sheets. The December 8 sign ups are ready as you receive this newsletter. The sign ups for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day will be ready on December 10.
Please sign up in the gathering space to minister at these special liturgies. We are particularly in need of parish ministers for the VERY CROWDED 4 p.m. liturgy on Christmas Eve. Can you help? All ministries are needed.
PLEASE NOTE: YOU WILL HAVE TO ARRIVE EARLY FOR THE LITURGY WHERE YOU WILL MINISTER. IF THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP.
LITURGICAL MINISTERS Needed for Holy Days of Obligation
Find out about the Bible and
Catholic teaching concerning it.
Take a look at how a constitution
from the Second Vatican Council
changed the world of Scripture
scholarship and each Catholic’s
potential relationship with sacred
Scripture. Using the resource, The Word of God at
Vatican II: Exploring Dei Verbum
written by Ronald D. Witherup, SS, join the staff in exploring the way we look at Scripture and how it has changed. Here is a look at some of what we will ponder
together
Did you ever wonder how the Bible became such an essential part of being a Catholic in our Day? Dei
Verbum—The Dogmatic Constitu-
tion on Divine Revelation—remains one of the foundational teachings of the Second Vatican Council. Dis-cover how this teaching continues to direct our efforts in liturgy, edu-cation, and spirituality, and helped
to move the Bible into the heart of
parish faith formation.
The Vatican II’s Dogmatic Consti-tution on Divine Revelation is uni-versally acclaimed as one of the council’s most important docu-ments. Published in 1965 after a long and circuitous route through-out all four years of the council, Dei
Verbum sets forth the Catholic Church’s official teaching about divine revelation and the complex interrelationship between Scripture and Tradition. With the approach of the fiftieth anniversary of the constitution, this book—intended for general audiences—summarizes the history and principal teaching of this groundbreaking document. Accompanying the text of The
Word of God at Vatican II is a para-graph-by-paragraph commentary and an exploration of the impact the constitution has had in the church’s life. Readers will be amazed at how
influential Dei Verbum continues to
be, even today.
Please accept the invitation of the parish staff to join us to explore the place of Scripture in our Catholic faith life. We will join together on Tues-day, November 25, and on the first three Tuesdays of Advent, December 2, 9 and 16, to look at The Word of
God at Vatican II and to discuss the way Scripture and tradition work to-gether to guide our steps. We will begin each evening with prayer in the chapel, then move to Holy Family Hall for a short presentation -- fol-lowed by sharing and discussion. The evening will wind up with dessert at
8:25 p.m.
Pre-register by calling the parish office at 330-372-2215, or by signing up on our new parish website at
bspcc.org.
Catholicism: Scripture and Tradition
BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Page 4
Joy to the
World!!
Please accept this invitation to join Blessed Sacrament’s
Christmas Eve Family Choir This special choir will sing for the 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. liturgies. Participants choose the most convenient liturgy for their family. We will have THREE rehearsals
Sunday, December 7, 1–3 p.m. in the Parish library
Sunday, December 14, 1–2:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 21, 1–3 p.m.
All ages are welcome! Second grade and older are welcome on their own or with other family members. Younger children are welcome with their families, knowing that they will have to be attentive during Mass and rehearsals. Adults who are not accompanied by children are welcome.
You will have a reserved seat! Sing together as a family and experience Christmas Eve
in a wonderful new way!
Contact Pat Campbell at the parish office with any questions!
Liturgy of the Hours during Advent
This ancient prayer of the church will be prayed during the Advent season as Evening Prayer on the Tues-days of Advent December 2, 9 and 16 to begin our Tues-day Adult Education presentations, on Monday, Decem-ber 15, and also on Tuesday, November 25, before the first of the Advent sessions. Join us in chapel at 7 p.m. Our Advent Tuesday sessions will conclude in Holy Family Hall with dessert! Evening Prayer will take place each Tuesday beginning
January 6, and also on Monday, January 12.
Advent Items The Advent season begins with 4 p.m. Mass
on November 30.
Stop by the table in the gathering space November 22 & 23 or December 6 & 7
for Advent items to help you and your family cele-brate the season of Advent.
The Worship and Spiritual Growth Commission is again making a number of resources available to help us as we journey through Advent. There is a small charge for each item.
See these items -- and more!
• LITTLE BLUE BOOK (Diocese of Saginaw)
• Advent DAYBREAKS (Fr. Paul Turner)
• WAKING UP TO GOD IN OUR MIDST (Pax Christi)
• ADVENT CALENDARS for Children
Eucharistic Bread Bakers Welcome Eucharistic bread will be baked for each of our Advent weekends again this year. If you are willing to help in the preparation of this bread, please mark your calendar and join with other interested bakers in the school kitchen any Saturday during Advent. Our usual meeting time will be Saturday at 10:00 a.m., but if a morning
funeral is scheduled, we’ll move this to 1 p.m.
Saturday Nov 29, Dec 6, Dec 13, Dec 20
We’ll work together to prepare two batches of the bread for the three weekend liturgies. We welcome elementary aged children through adults – join in the fun! No bread baking (or even baking) experience is needed, as the bread we make is VERY simple – only involving whole wheat flour, white flour and hot water. That’s it! We knead the dough, let it rest, shape it and cut it. With a few hands we are able to accomplish this preparation in less than one hour and enjoy some fellowship time while
we are at it.
NOTE: We’ll also be baking bread for the Thanksgiving
liturgy on Tuesday, Nov 25 at 6 p.m. – All are welcome!
“At Home With the Word” 2015
Our new liturgical year begins with the Advent season. To help parishioners prepare for weekly liturgy, we make available a book of the readings for the new year. This year we have decided to make At Home with the Word that book. A copy would make a wonderful Christmas gift.
You’ll find all of the readings for Sundays, beginning with the First Sunday of Advent – November 30, 2014, and ending with Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe - November 22, 2015.
“This book invites you to be at home with God’s word. Read and ruminate on the Sunday scrip-tures, by yourself or with others. Whether you use the book for meditation or study, it will nourish you to act on God’s word in the world as you prepare to hear the scripture proclaimed at Sunday liturgy.”
Copies in the Gathering Space after any week-end Mass or in the parish office. $6.50. Large print $9.
Page 5 BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Advent Reconciliation Service Sunday, December 14, 3 p.m.
This sacrament will be available immedi-ately following the 4:00 p.m. liturgy on Saturday, December 27. After Mass ends, please move to the chairs near the piano. Loved ones accompany-ing those to be anointed are welcome to sit behind their friend/loved one and touch their shoulder as Father lays hands on them, and again as he anoints them, joining all present in praying for those who are anointed. This sacrament is primarily a sacrament of physical healing and spiri-tual strengthening. Anointing of the Sick is available after Mass the fourth Saturday of each month throughout the year.
Join together with other members of the Warren Catholic churches for the Advent Communal Reconciliation Service on
SUNDAY, December 14, at 3:00 p.m. in Blessed Sacrament Church.
A communal penance service includes the Opening Rite, Liturgy of the Word, Examination of Conscience, Individual Confession and Absolution, a Song of Praise and Concluding Rite. This is not a “formula” chosen only by Blessed Sac-rament, this is Form II of the Rite of Penance of the Roman Catholic Church. We join together for prayer and then make our individual confession (where we receive Penance). We come back together to conclude the service, lifted up by the support of the presence of other believers. This is the only form of communal penance approved for use through-
out the United States.
Father Eisweirth and several other area priests will be available to hear confessions. Here we have the opportunity to
join in prayer with others. In this way we
“obtain from God’s mercy pardon for having offended him and at the same time reconciliation
with the Church, which we have wounded by our sins and which by charity, example, and prayer
seeks our conversion.” Lumen Gentium, Vatican Council II, no. 26 (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church 4, no. 146)
Make plans now to attend this special service. For those who have been away from the sacrament for a long period, perhaps this service will be an opportunity to revisit the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You might also wish to join with
the community in the service even if you do not wish to take advantage of individual confession and absolution.
All are welcome! The service is open to people from all area parishes.
Anointing
of the Sick
We are still praying, still waiting in joyful hope!
Join us the first Tuesday of the month – December 2 and January 6 – to pray the Stations of the Cross for peace. If you’d like to participate, simply meet in the church at noon. This prayer will take less than a half hour and will involve spoken prayer along with simple singing. Here is a way to join with others to give voice to your desire for peace in this complicated world.
Questions? Call Pat Campbell at the parish office.
Stations of the Cross for Peace
MEN’S ADVENT PRAYER
BREAKFAST
Join Fr. Tom and other men of the parish each Monday of Advent at Panera Bread on Elm Road, 7 a.m., for Men’s Prayer Breakfast.
Mondays, December 1, 8, 15, 22
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Little Rock Scripture Study Winter 2015
GOSPEL OF MATTHEW II
January 6 - February 10 7:30 -9 p.m. in the Parlor
For continuing participants, $10 includes study guide only; no assignment for the first session. For those beginning this study, $20 includes materials; please look over the first part of the study prior to Janu-ary 6. Please bring a bible to each session along with study materials 9 hours general CEU’s available
Registration: in gathering space 12/27 & 28 and 1/3 & 4, or in the parish office during the week.
Materials may be picked up when payment is made… Checks payable to Blessed Sacrament Parish
Fundamental Commitment: Prayer - Presence - Preparation - Participation
Bambinelli Sunday
It's customary for the pope to bless Infant Jesus figures that children and families bring to St. Pe-ter's Square in Rome on the Third Sunday of Ad-vent. Some parishes, including ours, offer the same blessing at Masses on December 21, the weekend before Christ-mas. Deacon Bob reads the book, “Bambinelli Sunday” to the children, and then
blesses the figures during the CLOW sessions.
Please have your children participate in this spe-cial time. However, if you aren’t able to attend one of these blessings, or you forgot to send your figurine, simply hold the Infant from your creche reverently in your hand and invite those you live with to pray as you read this blessing:
God our Father, you loved us so much you sent us your only Son, Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary,to save us and lead us back to you. We pray that, with your blessing, these images of Jesus might bea sign of your presence and love in our homes. Good Father, give your blessing to all who gather with us this Christmas, family and friends.
Open our hearts, that we might receive Jesus in joy, do always what he asks of us and see him in those who need our love. We ask this in the name of Jesus, your beloved Son, who came to give peace to the world. You who live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Blessings to all of you
and may you have a Merry Christmas!
FAITH FORMATIONFAITH FORMATIONFAITH FORMATIONFAITH FORMATION Submitted by Brenda Antenucci
Page 6 BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Thirty five second graders are beginning to prepare to for their First Reconciliation, which will be celebrated on Monday February 2 at 6:30 PM. Our first set of parent preparation sessions will be December 14 at 10:10 a.m. in the chapel; we meet again on
December 17 at 6:30 p.m.
All parents who have children who will be receiving this sacrament must attend one of these sessions for session I, and then for Session II which will be on January 11 in Reagan Hall and January 14 in Holy Family Hall. Session
II is for parents and their child.
Families are asked to please complete your books together as you model for your children God’s unconditional love and forgiveness. Our parent and family preparation sessions are mandatory as we seek to fulfill our diocesan
guidelines and responsibilities as outlined in the Code of Canon Law and the National Catechetical Directory: “Parents have a right and duty to be intimately involved in preparing their children for [sacraments]. Catechesis aims to help parents grow in under-standing and appreciation of the [sacrament] and participate readily in catechizing their children”. Thank you for your participation in and dedication to these programs, as we work together to prepare our chil-dren for life in the community
as Catholic Christians!
FIRST RECONCILIATION FIRST COMMUNION
This year we look for-ward to the celebrations of First Communion on Sunday, May 10, at both Masses, and at all week-end Masses the weekend of May
16 and 17.
Please remember that you need to turn in your child’s baptismal certificate if he/she was NOT baptized at Blessed Sacra-
ment. Families with second graders should start thinking about which Mass time is best for your
celebration.
The first set of preparation sessions for First Communion are February 8 and 11 (parents only), and the second set of sessions are March 15 and 18 (with child). The mandatory retreat is Sun-day, April 19 from 10:10 -2:30 p.m. in Reagan
Hall and the church.
The letters and registration forms for these sacraments have already been sent out, so please mark your calendars with these important dates. If you have not received these materials, need extra forms, or have questions or concerns, please call Brenda at the parish office as soon as
possible.
FAITH FORMATON SESSIONS 2014-2015
Page 7 BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Our Blessed Sacrament Faith Formation program is off to a great start for this year. We have a wonder-ful, dedicated group of volunteer cate-chists, helpers, children and family participants! They are working, pray-ing, and learning together in an excit-ing and dedicated way! These parents, grandparents, and “friends of our youth” have answered the call to be catechists this year and we all remain grateful as they dedicate themselves and enthusiastically carry out the mis-
sion of teaching and forming disciples.
I also thank the catechists from last year who have moved on to other endeavors: Jill Alvetro, Lonnie Isenberg, Chris Ray, Heather Moosally, and Chris Heltzel. I’m al-ways impressed by the dedication of
our volunteers!
This year’s catechetical theme is “Teaching about God’s Gift of Forgiveness”. The catechists are stressing the need for forgiveness…both giving it and accepting it. We are reminded that Jesus’ teaching of offer-ing forgiveness “70x7” times (Matt. 18:22) means not 490 times, but that
we offer forgiveness as often as neces-sary…as God continually offers un-conditional forgiveness for us…into infinity! Another way that we will be focusing on forgiveness is that during Lent this year we will hold a family retreat focused on forgiveness during one of the Sunday morning FFS ses-
sions.
Early in October we cele-brated St. Francis’ Feast Day and Re-spect Life month with a communal prayer and blessing in our beautiful brick garden. During “Respect Life” month the students also participated in First Step For Change, the Catholic Charities’ baby bottle change collec-tion and service learning curriculum. The money collected buys wipes, dia-pers, formula, etc., which assists poor families during pregnancy and into early childhood. Some of our young people also serve by counting the
change which is collected.
We will also collect house-hold and cleaning items like Clorox wipes, Lysol, Windex, toilet bowl cleaner, etc., for “Harriet’s Cupboard”,
BLESSED SACRAMENT FFS
Pre K - Ms. Ronnie Scrabis, Mrs. Tracey Jaros
Kindergarten - Mrs. Anna Grzebieniak,
Mrs. Liz DelGarbino
1st - Mrs. Michelle Fabrizio, Mrs. Molly James
2nd - Mrs. Angie Summers, Mrs. Jackie Weston
3rd - Mrs. Mary Brown
4th - Mrs. Laurie Faulk
5th - Mr. Chris Doutt, Mrs. Kathy Anerino
6th - Mrs. Ann Gebhardt
7th - Mrs. Melissa DeJacimo
8th - Mrs. Brooke Steines,
Mrs. Rosanna Montecalvo
FFS office staff -- Ms. Anastasia McLeod,
Mrs. Melissa McLeod, Mrs. Kerrie Olzewski,
Mrs. Mary Goffos
Please thank all these wonderful catechists and office helpers for sharing their time and talent
as they pass on our faith to the children!
2014 - 2015 Catechists
another Catholic Charities outreach to the poor in our local community. Pope Francis stated in his Day for Life
Greeting:
“Even the weakest and the most vul-
nerable, the sick, the old, the unborn,
and the poor, are masterpieces of
God’s creation, made in his own im-
age, destined to live forever and
deserving of the utmost reverence and
respect.”
On October 27 the 6-8th grad-ers celebrated World Youth Day by listening to presentations from our own Blessed Sacrament and JFK stu-dents who participated in mission trips to Kentucky, and India. Our students were also treated to free donuts as together we honored these young peo-
ple, who are our present and future!!
We look forward to Advent! On December 7 we will celebrate the season with a family gathering honor-ing Mary and “Our Lady of Guada-lupe”. We will pray together, make a craft, and have a snack, asking parents to participate in this family celebra-
tion.
Sundays 10:10 a.m.-11:20 a.m.
November 30, No FFS
December 7 -- family Advent event
December 14, 21
Communal Reconciliation Service, December 14, 3 p.m.
January 4, 11, 25
February: 1, 8, 22
March: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
April: 19, 26
May 3
Note: No morning FFS as follows:
December 28
January 18, February 15, Easter, April 5, & April 12
First Communion May 10, and 16 & 17, 2015
YOUTH MINISTRYYOUTH MINISTRYYOUTH MINISTRYYOUTH MINISTRY E.P.I.C. Teens
facilities & deposit, t-shirt, food & activities. Please call your parish about assistance or for a possible sponsorship. Fundraisers are TBA. November 23 6-7 p.m. Mini Retreat #2 St. John Paul II Social Hall 420 North St. NW, Warren
Retreat: Jan 24-25 Sat 9 a.m. -- Sun 5:30 p.m. @ Villa Maria Education Spirituality Center 2105 Evergreen Rd. Villa Maria, PA 16155
We will start with a prayer service at 9 a.m.,
BSP Chapel, 3020 Reeves Rd. NE -- then head to the Villa.
or your youth minister.) Marisa Pipino, a senior at John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, is organizing this retreat for the second time, with the assistance of other teens from area parishes. She will be working with Brooke Steines from Blessed Sacrament Par-ish in Warren. If you have any questions please contact Brooke at the parish office. This retreat is for 9th-12th graders from all area parishes and all schools, public or parochial.
Please make a commit-ment and sign up for the weekend -- to meet new people of the same faith! Everything hap-pens for a reason. Learn things about yourselves
and others! We will touch on topics that teens are facing today and the teens will hear witness talks from high-schoolers on this stu-dent-led retreat. We will have small group shar-ing, opportunities for alone time, and for prayer and reflection. Our area priests will be present for a prayer ser-vice and Mass over the weekend. We don’t want to give too much away, so please join us for this special weekend retreat! Once you are a participant, you will have the opportunity to be-come a leader at next year’s retreat. $70 fee is due on Dec 1, for retreat
Kairos is a Greek word meaning “God’s Time”. Kairos is also a type of retreat for youth to strengthen their relation-ship, not only with God, but with themselves and others. This retreat chal-lenges your faith but also helps you understand your relationship with God, and helps you know that you are not alone. Two mini-retreats are planned so the partici-pants can get to know one another before the final retreat in January. (*You do not need to attend the mini retreats in order to come in January, but it is encouraged to meet people and to do retreat activities. Please try to make at least one...and RSVP to Marisa
Page 8 BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
WORLD YOUTH DAY
HIGHLIGHTS
“My trip to Kentucky (Summer 2014) was very eye-opening for me. While I was there, the people in Cumberland, KY were extremely friendly with us. They were so poor, yet they were so very happy to see us. I believe the trip has helped me to grow closer to my faith as a Catholic and towards God.” Will Thompson, BSP EPIC teen, Sophomore at Mineral Ridge High School
“My Kentucky mission trip (Summer 2013 & 2014) was an unforgettable experience. It granted me the opportunity to meet new people, strengthen bonds with friends, help people experience new things. Abigail Downing, BSP EPIC teen, Sophomore at Howland High School
World Youth Day 2014...Patricia Salcone, mission trip chaperone; EPIC teens Wil Abigail and Brooke Steines,
Blessed Sacrament Parish Youth Minister
Fr. Tom Eisweirth and other members of the par-ish staff are currently in-volved in a planning effort for a speaker/support series entitled “Lighting the
Way.”
We are working with local churches and nursing home administra-tors to plan an effective and comprehensive series to help families as they face issues, questions, and concerns dealing with their own aging process, or those of a parent, grandpar-
ent, etc.
Would YOU like to be involved in this plan-ning process? Would YOU like to present information on a topic that you have expertise in?? Would YOU like to attend these
sessions, and bring your
questions??
Please call Fr. Tom, Brenda or Paula in the parish office to indicate your interest in any of those areas. This has be-come an ecumenical and community-wide effort, and we want -- and appre-ciate -- your input and par-ticipation in any of these
areas you feel called to!!
It is our hope that we can minister to families in the community by pro-viding important informa-tion in a safe, non-threatening environment to open up dialogue among generations about these
important matters.
Look for informa-tion about programming to begin in the Spring of
2015.
Family Nights! LIGHTING THE WAY
Page 9 BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Baptismal Preparation Session Our next Baptismal Preparation Session will take place SUNDAY, January 11, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, at 1:00 p.m. in the parlor. Those wishing to have a child baptized BE-FORE LENT need to be sure to attend (Lent begins February 18; no Baptisms during Lent). Please contact the parish office to let us know you will be there! Plan to take part in the class before your child is born, as during the third trimester of your pregnancy. Families need to be registered members of the parish. It is our hope that they regularly partici-pate at Mass, considering themselves to be mem-bers of the parish community. Also, in choosing godparents, they should be Catholic, as they are to help the parents in raising the child in the Church.
Baptisms are normally celebrated on the fourth weekend of the month. Parents are REQUIRED to attend a baptismal session prior to their child’s baptism. The preparation session offers an opportunity to discuss the sacrament of baptism in the life of this child. We do not celebrate baptisms during the season of Lent.
A great time was had by all families, parents, chil-dren, and youth as we joined together for a fun eve-ning at Irons Mill Farmstead on October 11! Thirty of us were able to attend, enjoying the fellowship, corn maze, hay ride, bonfire, slide, and so much more! Grandparents attended for free since we had
enough paying parents and families!
We look forward to other family evenings, on February 7 and April 18. These will be pizza and pot luck events. We’ll find an age-appropriate movie for the February night, and plan a game night for
April.
We hope these events will provide our fami-lies and young people a chance to get to know one another better in a casual family friendly atmosphere at our church. If you have any suggestions for a fam-ily activity OR you would be willing to help plan and “execute” the evening, please call Brenda or Brooke
in the parish office!
A Look Into the Future!
Ash Wednesday -- February 18, 2015 Ordinary Time is only 5 WEEKS after Christmas Time ends!
Easter 2015 – April 5
From Pope Francis… “...I greet young people, the sick and newlyweds.
May the Virgin Mary help you,
dear young people,
to understand ever more deeply the value of sacrifice
in your human and Christian formation;
may she support you, dear sick,
in facing pain and illness with serenity and strength;
and may she guide you, dear newlyweds,
in building your family
on the solid foundation
of fidelity to God’s will.” Documents to General Audience, St. Peter’s Square, Wed 2/19/14
J O I N U S!!
• Christmas Caroling
and Bowling -- De-
cember 14, 2014
• Souper Bowl of
Caring and Pancake
Breakfast --
February 1, 2015
Up-and-Coming Youth Ministry Activities…
Ahhhh, the atmosphere! The food! The music! The prizes! The dancing!! FESTA! 2014 proved to be a fabulous WARM evening to celebrate the Abruzzo region of Italy. The Trumbull Country Club was transformed to reflect the colors of this mountainous region of Italy, and those whose families with origins there com-pleted the richness of the atmosphere with their warmth, and good cheer, and festive moods.
For five years, this annual event has featuree the beauty of the Italian heritage. It seems the more we celebrate this country, the more we learn, the more we love it!! Linda Cetrone and her com-mittee delight with celebration! This year, the proceeds from this event totaled $9,300!! Thank you to all in attendance, and to those who supported this event through raffle ticket purchases!
The Grand Prize winner of the week-long stay at a condo in Myrtle Beach, SC, was Janelle Falcione, CONGRATULATIONS!!! The 2nd Prize of $250 cash was won by Rae Kohut, CONGRATULA-TIONS!!! The 3rd Prize of Dinner for 6 with Fr. Tom Eisweirth was Mike Giangardella, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
In addition to five baskets for raffle and a 50/50 raffle was a spe-cial raffle of a week-long stay at a condo at Seven Springs, PA. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!!
Lucille Bayman, Ohio State-themed basket.
Lucia Bright (left) wine basket.
Bill Gerrity limoncello basket.
Brenda Antenucci Italian tray and wine basket.
Jean Winger won the Lottery tree basket.
Tom Lazor won the condo stay at Seven Springs.
David Zock won the 50/50 raffle.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR PARISH!!
If you would like to celebrate your ethnic heritage - Italian or other - and be part of planning such an event, please contact Fr. Tom at the parish office with your ideas!
Page 10 BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
F
E
S
T
A
2014
Christmas Program for
Women…
CONTAGIOUS CHRISTMAS Wednesday December 10
12 p.m. and 7 p.m. HOLY FAMILY HALL
Spread Christmas joy! JOY is contagious! You’ve probably noticed when you smile, other people smile back. It’s catch-ing! Joy shouldn’t be kept to ourselves -- it should be spread around. And there’s no better time of year to do it than Christ-mas, when we celebrate the joy Jesus’ birth brings to us all. Discover how you can spread the joy of Christmas!! Call the parish office to register for the Noon or 7 p.m. time slot.
HOLY LAND HOLY LAND HOLY LAND HOLY LAND
ITEMS ITEMS ITEMS ITEMS
AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE
DECEMBER 6 & 7DECEMBER 6 & 7DECEMBER 6 & 7DECEMBER 6 & 7 We welcome Suhair Musleh and family to our parish on the first weekend of Decem-ber! Suhair will feature arti-cles from the Holy Land of Bethlehem. She always brings something more wonderful than we recall from the year before! These items are sure to please every eye, and make wonderful gifts during this holy season of the year!
BLESS
ED
SA
CRA
MEN
T P
ARIS
H C
ATH
OLIC
CO
MM
UN
ITY
BLESS
ED
SA
CRA
MEN
T P
ARIS
H C
ATH
OLIC
CO
MM
UN
ITY
BLESS
ED
SA
CRA
MEN
T P
ARIS
H C
ATH
OLIC
CO
MM
UN
ITY
BLESS
ED
SA
CRA
MEN
T P
ARIS
H C
ATH
OLIC
CO
MM
UN
ITY —— ——
AD
VEN
T 2
014
AD
VEN
T 2
014
AD
VEN
T 2
014
AD
VEN
T 2
014
Wee
ken
d M
ass
esW
eeken
d M
ass
esW
eeken
d M
ass
esW
eeken
d M
ass
es—— ——
Satu
rday, 4:0
0 p
.m.; S
unday, 9:0
0 a
.m. and 1
1:30 a
.m.
Satu
rday, 4:0
0 p
.m.; S
unday, 9:0
0 a
.m. and 1
1:30 a
.m.
Satu
rday, 4:0
0 p
.m.; S
unday, 9:0
0 a
.m. and 1
1:30 a
.m.
Satu
rday, 4:0
0 p
.m.; S
unday, 9:0
0 a
.m. and 1
1:30 a
.m.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRID
AY
SATURDAY
Novem
ber 30
First Sunday
of Advent
Y
ear
“B”
beg
ins
No FFS
N
o C
off
ee a
nd
Don
uts
Decem
ber 1
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
Men’s Advent Prayer
Breakfast-7 am-Panera
Am
eric
an R
ed C
ross
B
lood
Dri
ve
2—
7 p
.m.
Rea
gan
Hal
l
C
om
e and
sa
ve u
s,
Lo
rd o
ur
God
;
let
you
r fa
ce s
hin
e upo
n u
s,
tha
t w
e m
ay
be
save
d.”
Decem
ber 2
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Chu
rch
Stations of the Cross
for Peace, Noon
7 p.m. Evening Prayer,
Catholicism
:
Scripture & Tradition”
Th
e W
ord
of
God
at
Vat
ican
II
Exp
lori
ng D
ei V
erb
um
Dessert Follows
Decem
ber 3
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
Saint Francis
Xavier, Priest
Parish Pastoral
Council—
7 p.m.
Rectory
Go
and
tea
ch a
ll n
ati
on
s,
says
th
e L
ord
:
I a
m w
ith
yo
u a
lwa
ys,
unti
l th
e en
d o
f th
e w
orl
d.
Decem
ber 4
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
Musicians Rehearsal
7 pm
See
k th
e L
ord
whil
e h
e m
ay
be
fou
nd
;
call
him
wh
ile
he
is n
ear.
Decem
ber 5
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
First Friday
Beh
old
, ou
r L
ord
sha
ll c
om
e w
ith
po
wer
; h
e w
ill
enli
gh
ten
the
eyes
of
his
ser
van
ts.
December 6
“Mes
siah
” D
ress
Reh
ears
al-
Churc
h ;
9—
Noo
n
Eucharistic Bread
Baking, 10 a.m.
(1 p.m. if a.m. funeral)
______________________
4:00 p.m. Mass
V
igil
of
the
2nd
Su
nd
ay
of
Ad
ven
t
Gif
t It
ems
from
Bet
hle
hem
Decem
ber 7
Second Sunday
of Advent
FFS/Pre-K -8
“Family Celebration”
10:10-11:20 in Reagan
Coffee and Donuts
Christmas Eve
Family Choir, 1-3 pm
Handel’s “Messiah”
Performances
4 and 7 pm
Gif
t It
ems
from
Bet
hle
hem
Decem
ber 8
SOLEMNITY OF THE
IMMACULATE
CONCEPTIO
N
HO
LY
DA
Y
of
Ob
ligat
ion
8:30 am & 7:00 pm
Masses in Church
Patronal Day of the
United States of America
Men’s Prayer Advent
Breakfast-7 am-Panera
Decem
ber 9
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
7 p.m. Evening Prayer,
“Catholicism
:
Scripture and Tradi-
tion”
Th
e W
ord
of
God
at
Vat
ican
II
Exp
lori
ng D
ei V
erb
um
Dessert Follows
T
he
da
y of
the
Lo
rd i
s n
ear:
beh
old
, h
e co
mes
to s
ave
us.
Decem
ber 10
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
Contagious
Christmas
Women’s Holiday Event
12 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Beh
old
, th
e L
ord
co
mes
to
save
his
peo
ple
: b
less
ed a
re
tho
se p
repa
red t
o m
eet
him
.
Decem
ber 11
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
Musicians Rehearsal
7 pm
Let
the
clo
ud
s ra
in d
ow
n
the
Just
One,
an
d t
he
eart
h
bri
ng
fo
rth a
Sa
vio
r.
Decem
ber 12
Feast of Our Lady of
Guadalupe,
Patroness of America
Ser
vice
of
the
Wo
rd w
ith
the
Dis
trib
uti
on
of
Holy
Co
mm
un
ion —
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ble
ssed
are
you
, dau
gh
ter,
by
the
Mo
st H
igh
Go
d, a
bove
a
ll t
he
wo
men
on
ea
rth
; an
d
ble
ssed
be
the
Lo
rd G
od
, th
e
crea
tor
of
hea
ven
and
eart
h.
Decem
ber 13
Saint Lucy,
Virgin and M
artyr
Eucharistic
Bread Baking,
10 a.m.
(1 p.m. if a.m. funeral)
4:00 p.m. Mass
V
igil
of
the
3rd
S
und
ay
Rel
ay f
or
Lif
e C
ook
ie S
ale
Th
is W
eek
end
Decem
ber 14
Third Sunday
of Advent
FFS/Pre-K — 8
Coff
ee a
nd
Donu
ts
Pa
ren
t-1
st R
ec.
Mtg
.
Christmas Eve
Family Choir, 1-2:30
COMMUNAL PENANCE
SERVICE –3 p.m.
Youth M
in. Caroling 4:30 off site
Youth M
in. Bowling 6 off site
Rel
ay f
or
Lif
e C
oo
kie
Sal
e T
his
Wee
ken
d
December 15
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
Men’s Advent
Breakfast-7 am-Panera
Even
ing P
rayer
, 7
pm
Worship and
Spiritual Growth
Commission—7 p.m.
Show
us,
Lo
rd, yo
ur
love
,
and
gra
nt
us
you
r sa
lva
tion
.
December 16
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Chu
rch
7 p.m. Evening Prayer
with “Catholicism
:
Scripture and Tradi-
tion”
Th
e W
ord
of
God
at
Vat
ican
II
Exp
lori
ng D
ei V
erb
um
Dessert Follows
Co
me,
O L
ord
, do
not
del
ay;
forg
ive
the
sin
s
of
you
r peo
ple
.
December 17
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
Par
ent
Mee
tin
g
1st
Rec
on
cili
atio
n
Op
tion
2
6:3
0 p
.m.
–H
oly
F
amil
y H
all
O W
isdo
m o
f o
ur
God
Mo
st
Hig
h, gu
idin
g c
reati
on
wit
h
pow
er a
nd
love
:
com
e to
tea
ch u
s th
e p
ath
of
know
ledg
e!
“O
” A
nti
ph
on
December 18
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
Musicians Rehearsal
7 pm
O L
ead
er o
f th
e H
ou
se o
f
Isra
el, g
iver
of
the
Law
to
Mo
ses
on
Sin
ai:
com
e to
res
cue
us
wit
h y
ou
r m
ighty
po
wer
!
“O
” A
nti
phon
December 19
Ser
vice
of
the
Wo
rd w
ith
the
Dis
trib
uti
on
of
Holy
Co
mm
un
ion —
8:3
0 a
.m.
O R
oo
t of
Jess
e’s
stem
,
sign
of
God
’s l
ove
for
all
his
peo
ple
: co
me
to s
ave
us
wit
ho
ut
del
ay!
“
O”
An
tiphon
December 20
Family Soup Kitchen
9 a.m.
Eucharistic
Bread Baking,
10 a.m.
(1 p.m. if a.m. funeral)
4:00 p.m. Mass
V
igil
of
the
4th
Su
nd
ay
R
elay
fo
r L
ife
Cook
ie S
ale
This
Wee
ken
d
BLESS
ED
SA
CRA
MEN
T P
ARIS
H C
ATH
OLIC
CO
MM
UN
ITY
BLESS
ED
SA
CRA
MEN
T P
ARIS
H C
ATH
OLIC
CO
MM
UN
ITY
BLESS
ED
SA
CRA
MEN
T P
ARIS
H C
ATH
OLIC
CO
MM
UN
ITY
BLESS
ED
SA
CRA
MEN
T P
ARIS
H C
ATH
OLIC
CO
MM
UN
ITY —— ——
AD
VEN
T/C
HRIS
TM
AS
2014
AD
VEN
T/C
HRIS
TM
AS
2014
AD
VEN
T/C
HRIS
TM
AS
2014
AD
VEN
T/C
HRIS
TM
AS
2014
-- -- 2015
2015
2015
2015
Wee
ken
d M
ass
esW
eeken
d M
ass
esW
eeken
d M
ass
esW
eeken
d M
ass
es—— ——
Satu
rday, 4:0
0 p
.m.; S
unday, 9:0
0 a
.m. and 1
1:30 a
.m.
Satu
rday, 4:0
0 p
.m.; S
unday, 9:0
0 a
.m. and 1
1:30 a
.m.
Satu
rday, 4:0
0 p
.m.; S
unday, 9:0
0 a
.m. and 1
1:30 a
.m.
Satu
rday, 4:0
0 p
.m.; S
unday, 9:0
0 a
.m. and 1
1:30 a
.m.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRID
AY
SATURDAY
Decem
ber 21
Fourth Sunday
of Advent
NO FFS
No
Co
ffee
an
d D
on
uts
Christmas Eve
Family Choir,
1-3 pm, Church
TAIZE PRAYER
4:30 p.m.
Rel
ay f
or
Lif
e C
ook
ie S
ale
Th
is W
eek
end
Decem
ber 22
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss —
Ch
ap
el
Men’s Advent Prayer
Breakfast-7 am-Panera
O
Kin
g o
f a
ll n
ati
on
s an
d
keys
ton
e of
the
Chu
rch
: co
me
and
sa
ve u
s, w
ho
m
you
fo
rmed
fro
m t
he
du
st!
“O
” A
nti
phon
Decem
ber 23
O E
mm
anuel
, G
od
wit
h u
s,
ou
r K
ing
an
d l
aw
giv
er, th
e ex
pec
ted
of
the
na
tion
s and
thei
r Sa
vio
r: c
om
e to
save
us,
O L
ord
ou
r G
od
. “
O”
An
tiph
on
Decem
ber 24
Off
ice
clo
sed
VIG
IL of
CHRISTMAS
4 p.m., 6 p.m.,
11 p.m.
Decem
ber 25
Off
ice
clo
sed
CHRISTMAS
DAY
One liturgy
10 a.m.
Decem
ber 26
O
ffic
e cl
ose
d
No
Ma
ss o
r
Co
mm
un
ion
Ser
vice
Saint Stephen,
The First M
artyr
Ble
ssed
is
he
who
co
mes
in t
he
na
me
of
the
Lo
rd:
the
Lord
is
God
a
nd
ha
s g
iven
us
lig
ht.
December 27
Saint John,
Apostle and Evangelist
4:00 p.m. Mass
V
igil
of
the
Fea
st o
f th
e H
oly
Fam
ily
A
no
inti
ng o
f th
e S
ick
foll
ow
s 4
p.m
.
Decem
ber 28
Feast of the
Holy Family
NO FFS
N
o C
off
ee a
nd
Don
uts
Decem
ber 29
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
F
ifth
Day
wit
hin
th
e O
ctav
e o
f th
e
Nat
ivit
y o
f th
e L
ord
A
lig
ht
of
reve
lati
on
to t
he
Gen
tile
s an
d g
lory
for
you
r peo
ple
Isr
ael
.
Decem
ber 30
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
S
ixth
Day
wit
hin
th
e O
ctav
e o
f th
e
Nat
ivit
y o
f th
e L
ord
A h
oly
day
ha
s d
aw
ned
upon
us.
Co
me,
yo
u n
ati
on
s, a
nd
ado
re t
he
Lo
rd.
To
da
y a g
reat
ligh
t ha
s co
me
upon
the
eart
h.
Decem
ber 31
No
Mo
rnin
g M
ass
Sev
enth
Day
wit
hin
th
e O
ctav
e o
f th
e
Nat
ivit
y o
f th
e L
ord
Vigil of the
Solemnity of Mary,
Mother of God
7:0
0 p
.m.
Mas
s
Th
e w
ord
of
God
bec
am
e fl
esh
an
d d
wel
t a
mo
ng u
s. T
o t
ho
se
wh
o a
ccep
ted
him
he
ga
ve p
ow
er
to b
eco
me
the
chil
dre
n o
f G
od
.
January 1
O
ffic
e cl
ose
d
SOLEMNITY OF
THE BLESSED
VIR
GIN
MARY,
MOTHER OF GOD
Ho
ly D
ay
of
Ob
ligat
ion
8:30 a.m. Mass—
Church
January 2
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
First Friday
Saints Basil
the Great and
Gregory Nazian-
zen,
Bishops and Doctors of
the Church
Yo
u h
ave
but
on
e F
ath
er
in h
eave
n;
you
have
bu
t on
e m
ast
er, th
e C
hri
st.
January 3
T
he
Word
of
God
bec
am
e
fles
h a
nd d
wel
t a
mo
ng
us.
T
o t
ho
se w
ho a
ccep
ted
him
he
ga
ve p
ow
er t
o b
eco
me
the
chil
dre
n o
f G
od
.
4:00 p.m. Mass
V
igil
of
the
Ep
iph
any
January 4
Feast of the Epiph-
any
FF
S/P
re-K
— 8
, 10
:10
-11
:20
Coff
ee a
nd D
on
uts
Bap
tism
al P
rep
—1
p.m
.
January 11
Feast -Baptism
of the
Lord
Ch
rist
mas
Sea
son
En
ds
FF
S/P
re-K
-8 ,
10
:10
-11
:20
Coff
ee a
nd D
on
uts
Parent/Child Reconciliation
Mtg. 10:10 in Reagan
January 5
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
Men’s Prayer
Breakfast-7 am-Panera
A h
oly
day
ha
s d
aw
ned
upon
us.
Co
me,
yo
u n
ati
on
s, a
nd
a
do
re t
he
Lo
rd. T
oda
y a
gre
at
ligh
t ha
s co
me
upon
the
eart
h.
January 6
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Chu
rch
Stations of the Cross
for Peace, Noon
Even
ing P
rayer
, 7
pm
Scripture Study Begins:
“The Gospel of Mat-
thew
, Part II” -7:30
p.m.
Th
e L
ord
ha
s se
nt
me
to
bri
ng
gla
d t
idin
gs
to t
he
Poo
r a
nd
to p
rocl
aim
lib
erty
to c
apti
ves.
January 7
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
All Seasons
Lunch—11:30 a.m.
Parish Pastoral
Council—
7 p.m.
Glo
ry t
o y
ou
, O
Ch
rist
,
pro
cla
imed
to
the
Gen
tile
s.
Glo
ry t
o y
ou
, O
Ch
rist
,
bel
ieve
d i
n t
hro
ugh
ou
t
the
wo
rld.
January 8
8:3
0 a
.m.
Ma
ss—
Cha
pel
Musicians Rehearsal
7 pm
Th
e L
ord
ha
s se
nt
me
to b
ring
gla
d t
idin
gs
to t
he
Poo
r an
d t
o p
rocl
aim
li
ber
ty t
o c
ap
tive
s.
January 9
Ser
vice
of
the
Wo
rd w
ith
the
Dis
trib
uti
on
of
Holy
Co
mm
un
ion —
8:3
0 a
.m.
Je
sus
pro
cla
imed
th
e G
osp
el
of
the
king
do
m a
nd
cure
d e
very
dis
ease
a
mong
th
e peo
ple
.
January 10
T
he
peo
ple
who
sit
in
da
rknes
s ha
ve s
een a
gre
at
lig
ht,
on
tho
se d
wel
ling
in
a
lan
d o
vers
ha
dow
ed b
y d
eath
lig
ht
ha
s ari
sen
.
4:00 p.m. Mass
V
igil
of
the
Bap
tism
o
f th
e L
ord
Page 13
PATS’ COLUMNPATS’ COLUMNPATS’ COLUMNPATS’ COLUMN
Dear Pats,
I love your column and have wondered if anyone has ever asked you ladies about why so many people leave before Mass is over and before the priest has left the church. Maybe it is my age show-ing, but it seems disrespect-ful to go to Communion and then walk out the door. I sometimes find myself un-able to leave with a smile when I watch people speed to the door to leave in front of our priests. When is Mass over? Do those who leave early still get credit
for being at Mass?
Thanks!
Ramona...Remaining Until
the End
Dear Ramona,
Thank you for expressing your concern over the prac-tice of leaving Mass early. We frown on the practice, too, but find it is not some-thing easy to end. As we are often told, we can only con-trol our own actions. Your questions did bring us to some interesting conversa-tion, so here is what the Pats
would like to offer.
Some parishioners may recall our former pastor sharing a story from a fel-low priest who pointed out to the congregation how odd is seemed to him that people who left early had larger derrieres than others. It brought some light-hearted laughter and, by the way, NOT ONE PERSON left early that day! It is fair to say that the magic only worked for that day. The
next week there were people present who had not heard that particular homily, so did not even have a second thought about the people who were watching them leave early. Yes, it was a very low number that week, but we think the homily’s effect on early departing people only stuck with those who were staying until the
end anyway.
When the subject of leaving early comes up, we are always reminded that there are some valid rea-sons. We think there is a need to see these as excep-tions. Those who know the Pats know that we always take comments made to a group as being directed to us. If Father would say something about concern over many people arriving late for Mass regularly and we had been late that day due to a flat tire, we would think he was telling us that we were doing something wrong and had disappointed him. Of course not! Just as with your question, some-one who has a valid reason to leave early one day is not the source of concern. It is those who regularly leave, as if there is a timer set and to stay longer would to be to take too much time in church. If dinner is on the stove and we have to get home before the house burns down, perhaps it would be better to start the dinner later or to go to a
different Mass.
At the end of the Mass we hear the Deacon or Priest say, “Go in peace,
glorifying the Lord by your life.” (This is one of four dismissals from The Roman
Missal.) Mass has ended, but it is our practice to stay and sing a song at the end during most liturgical sea-sons. During Lent we often remain in silence and that is a real challenge. Will peo-ple stay in place until the
ministers process out?
Here is where re-spect and etiquette come into play. Is it polite to leave the church while the Priest is still standing near the sanctuary? That gets a pretty clear, “No!” from most. Those who distribute bulletins, or cover a table in the gathering space, might leave early to be in place right after Mass. Think about this, though, if every-one waited until Father left the worship space to leave, there would be no need for people to be in place early. They could simple walk out in the final procession and go to where they need to be. Ah, so simple, yet, not al-
ways possible.
The part of your statement about leaving after receiving Communion is also a question that we ponder. One priest who writes often about Catholic
liturgy has written:
In practice some communi-cants never return to their seats. They leave the church after receiving Com-munion. Some come to Communion carrying car keys, purses, or jackets. Liturgical documents do not envision a self-dismissal of the faithful during the Com-
munion rite, which breaks a unity of the Body of Christ at its most focused moment. The widespread practice indicates that many of the faithful poorly appreciate the meaning of Communion and the value of the Closing
rites of the Mass.
Father Paul Turner (Let Us Pray: A Guide to the Rubrics of
Sunday Mass,) suggests a need to have a better understand-ing of Communion and those concluding rites that follow. That is something we often cover in adult edu-cation offerings here at the parish. It is a question that might need to be addressed at liturgy – before Commun-
ion, though (ha!).
The question about “credit” reminds us that we are lucky that we are not God and that God is God! We applaud your desire to experience the entire Mass and we join with you in that desire and in the showing of respect for others by staying in place until the singing ends. We think it best to let our Lord determine any per-
son’s credits.
We trust this little reflection has been helpful to you and we hope to see you smiling after liturgy
next weekend!
Sincerely,
The Pats
BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Our own two Pats (Campbell and Rogan) answer any questions you might have about Church practice, rules, history, tradition and ritual.
SERVICE & JUSTICESERVICE & JUSTICESERVICE & JUSTICESERVICE & JUSTICE
Page 14
IMPORTANT DATES EARLY 2015
• Scripture Study starts: January 6
• Newsletter Deadline: January 12
• Youth Ministry Pancake Breakfast: February 1
• Volunteer Appreciation Dinner: February 8
• Ash Wednesday: February 18
• AHA Pasta Cook-Off & Wine Taste: February 22
• Soup Suppers begin: February 24
• Easter Sunday: April 5
ST. VINCENT de PAUL SOCIETY The Society members are pleased to announce that our finances allowed us to help 150 Trumbull County families with food assistance during the Easter Season, including 259 adults and 257 children. Total costs were $9,294.85 for truck rental $148.90, $77.70 for miscellaneous. During the Summer Season, 111 families received baskets, and this included 207 adults and 253 children. Total costs for this distribution were $6,444.28, in-cluding $28.53 for postage, $79.49 for truck rental, and $63.28 miscellaneous expenses. The Society thanks Fr. Tom Eisweirth for his permission to use the facilities for these distributions; the office staff for re-cording messages for the distribution, and the maintenance staff for helping set up and tear down the distribution materials. Our thanks to Brooke Steines for enlisting student and adult help-ers...Paul Lattanzi, Alex Stirling, Mara Wilson, Kaitlyn Butler, Max and Anastasia McLeod, Rachael Cullison, Richard and Meredith Loges, Patrick Niess, and Melissa McLeod. Our Society thanks all parishioners and benefactors for their support of these events to feed the hungry! We rely on your continuous generosity to feed many! We will host a food basket distribution this holiday season on Wednesday, December 17.
BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
American Red Cross
BLOOD
DRIVE
Monday December 1
2-7 p.m. Reagan Hall
Adults & Students 16* years +
Schedule your appointment time in advance --
Call 1-800-RED CROSS
or visit redcrossblood.org
Paperwork required including parental consent
Stambaugh Chorus concert in our worship space
We are most grateful to have heard the beautiful sounds of the Stambaugh Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Lee, filled our worship space in April 2014. This event was open to the public, and wowed all in attendance!!
Join our Parish Relay for Life Team --
any time!
Blessed Sacrament’s RFL team remains strong and full of great energy! We continue to be blessed with many success sto-ries in our parish family, and praise God for the opportunities to walk with others during very difficult treatments. We pray al-ways for strength and compassion, and remain hopeful with each person with cancer.
Orders will be taken for our Annual Cookie and Nut Roll Sale. Stop by the table near the parlor after Mass, or call the parish office for informa-tion. Items will be ready for pick-up Dec. 13 & 14, and extras (IF any) will be sold that weekend and
the following. Order soon!!
Our team will be selling tickets to the January 25 Trumbull New Theatre production of “Dixie Swim Club”. Join us for a fun afternoon!! The show will start at 3 p.m. Tickets remain a bargain at $15/person. Snacks & raffle baskets make for even more of a great afternoon. Look for information when you place your cookie order!
Consider sharing the items you no longer need for our garage sale in April! Items will be ac-cepted April 7, 8, 9, and during the sale April 9-11. Contact Judy Gerrity with any questions!
Warren Relay for Life May 8-9, 2015
RELAY FOR LIFE
Page 15
PASTA COOK-OFF benefits American Heart Association
Early registration in January and February, great incentives! Call the parish for information! 330.372.2215 Must be minimum of 18 years of age to participate Proceeds benefit parish ministries
Our community thanks the seventy-eight players at our October Casino Night!! $3,769 was realized for our parish ministries. Thank you!!
BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
CASINO NIGHT & TEXAS HOLD ‘EMCASINO NIGHT & TEXAS HOLD ‘EMCASINO NIGHT & TEXAS HOLD ‘EMCASINO NIGHT & TEXAS HOLD ‘EM
Saturday February
28
2015
5:30 p.m. Covelli
Gymnasium
Blessed Sacrament’s Heart Walk Team hosted another successful Pasta Cook-Off & Wine Taste event during February, raising $5,006.16 for the American Heart Association. Well done!! Thank you to the entire com-munity for attending this community-wide event!
Mark your calendar to attend the February 22 event in
2015! Volunteers are needed to assure our success!
3020 Reeves Road NE
Warren, OH 44483
Phone: 330.372.2215
Fax: 330.372.6380
E-mail: [email protected]
We’re on the web!
www.bspcc.orgwww.bspcc.orgwww.bspcc.orgwww.bspcc.org
BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
JOIN US TO WORSHIP THE LORD!
Vigil of Christmas, December 24, 4 p.m., 6 p.m., & 11 p.m. Mass Each Christmas Eve liturgy is preceded by 20 minutes of seasonal music,
including Christmas Carols sung by all!.
Christmas Day, December 25, 10 a.m. Mass Vigil of the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, December 27, 4 p.m. Mass Anointing of the Sick follows
The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
December 28, 9 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. Mass
Vigil of the Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God
December 31, 7 p.m. Mass
Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God
January 1, 2015, 8:30 a.m. Mass Vigil of The Epiphany of the Lord, January 3, 4 p.m. Mass The Epiphany of the Lord, January 4, 9 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. Mass
Vigil of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
January 10, 4 p.m. Mass
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
January 11, 9 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. Mass
The Christmas Season ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord We observe Ordinary Time for less than five weeks before Lent begins!
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U.S. POSTAGE
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