MISSION STATEMENT Blessed by the Holy Spirit, the multicultural community of St. Thomas the Apostle strives to follow Jesus Christ in order to know, love and serve God, to support one another in the parish and to become the visible presence of Christ in the world by living the Gospel.

Weekend Masses: Saturday Vigil 5:00pm

Sunday 8:30am & 10:30am Spanish 1:00pm

Vietnamese (2nd & 4th Sunday) 6pm

Liturgy of the Hours: Tues thru Fri 8:45am

Daily Mass: Tues thru Fri 9:00am

Eucharistic Adoration & Benediction: Fridays following the 9am Mass

Adoración al Santísimo: Jueves 7:00pm

Reconciliations/Confesiones: Sat/Sábado 4:00-4:45pm or

by appt/con cita

MASS INTENTIONS

Sat. Dec 31 5:00pm †Joseph McIntyre

Requested by the Veloso Family

Sun. Jan 01 8:30am †Fr. William Leonard

Requested by Paula Carr

10:30am †Dalina Javier Steiner Requested by Evelyn Lee

1:00pm Para los feligreses de

Santo Tomas

6650 Dorchester Road North Charleston, SC 29418

Office: 843.552.2223 Fax: 843.552.6329

Sacramental Emergency: 843.718.9224

Church Office Hours:

Mon—Thurs 9:00am to 3:00pm

Fri 9:00am to 1:00pm Closed Sat & Sun

The Diocese of Charleston Bishop:

The Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone

Administrator Rev. Arnulfo Jara Gálvez

administrator@stthomasparish.net Deacon:

Deacon Gabriel Cuervo Parish Staff:

Secretary & Bookkeeper: Joy Kabaitan

secretary@stthomasparish.net Receptionist:

Diana Brito Maldonado Hispanic Ministries:

Edgar Angel edgargangel@yahoo.com Coordinator of Rel Ed:

Gloria A. Rios faithfirst@stthomasparish.net

Director of Music: Val Horick

SACRAMENTS

For the Sacraments of Baptism and Marriage, an appointment with Father AJ is

required prior to making any arrangements. Please contact the church office for an

appointment.

PARISH MEMBERSHIP

Active members of our parish are identified by their generosity of time, talent and treasure. Stewardship is determined by: 1.) Being formally registered and active in the parish for at least three months 2.) Faithful attendance to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation 3.) Regular support of the parish using the envelope sys-tem; 4.) Involvement in at least one ministry or organiza-tion in the parish is preferred. These criteria are used to verify parishioner status for: sponsor certificates; enrollment in parochial schools; participation in sacramental, educational, pastoral and social ministries; activities and enrich-ment programs; and use of facilities and services. No activity shown for six months will move a person to an Inactive Status.

Please remember to pray for, visit or call our members that

are sick, shut-in, or hospitalized.

Clyde Baber, Irma DeVore, Amparo Diaz, Kirby Frasier, Jesús Garcia, Cedra Hubler, Ethel Hussar, Debra Kelly, Bill Knoblach, Fabiana Lisanti, Bobby McAdams, Tony Mou-zon, Dusty Rhodes, Ernesto Ruiz Morales, Gail Padgett, Marj Pianzio, Ann Skinner, Arlene & Dominic Sta-bile, and Martín Vera.

MIEMBROS DE LA PARROQUIA

Los miembros activos de nuestra parroquia se iden-tifican por su generosidad de tiempo, talento y su participación se determina por: 1.) Estar formalmente registrado y activo en la pa-rroquia durante por lo menos tres meses 2.) Fiel asistencia a Misa los domingos y días de precepto 3.) Apoyo a la parro-quia mediante el sistema de sobres; 4.) La participación en al menos un ministerio u or-ganización en la parroquia se prefiere. Estos criterios se utilizan para verificar el estado del feligrés en nuestra parroquia para: proporcionar cer-tificados; inscripción en escuelas parroquiales; parti-cipación en ministerios sacramentales, educativos y pastoral social; actividades y programas de enrique-cimiento; y uso de instalaciones y servicios. Un feli-grés inactivo por seis meses se moverá a un estado inactivo.

SACRAMENTOS

Para los Sacramentos de Bautismo y Matrimonio, incluyendo una Quinceañera,

se requiere una cita con el Padre Arnulfo antes de comenzar sus arreglos.

Por favor, contacte la oficina para fijar su cita.

2017 Religious Ed Calendar

01/01 Mary, Mother of God/No Class 01/08 Epiphany of the Lord 01/15 Jesus’ life is a continual teaching 01/22 Jesus is the Light of the world 01/29 God loves each of us

2017 Calendario de Catequesis

01/01 María, Madre de Dios/No Clase 01/08 Epifanía del Señor 01/15 Vida de Jesús es una enseñanza continua 01/22 Jesús es la luz del mundo 01/29 Dios ama a cada uno de nosotros

PARISH INFORMATION

The collection for the weekend of

Dec 24th & 25th will be included in next weeks bulletin.

Stewardship of Treasure

Lectores Y Ministros Enero 8, 2017

Lectores

Guillermo Urzúa Cesar Palomar

Ministros de Eucaristía Miguel & Carmen García Alberto & Cristina García

Acólitos

Heidi Ailin, Johan Duque Lucio Lisanti

The church office will be closed until Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017 at 9am.

We’d like to wish each of you a most a

Prosperous New Year!

Our Catholic Young Adult, Young Pro-fessionals, and Young Families (Age 18-35) Ministry is now meeting at a different location each Thursday every week at 7pm. Usually it will be hosted at the home of one of the members of the group, but on occasion we will be meeting at a location out at a restaurant somewhere in the immediate area. Please see our Facebook page for loca-tion updates each week or please con-tact Richard White directly at 505.307.1974.

Las oficinas de la parroquia estarán cerradas hasta el martes 3 de

enero de 2017 a las 9 de la mañana.

Les deseamos a cada uno de los

miembros de nuestra comunidad un prospero 2017!

A reminder to our Religious Education par-ents that even though there may not be

class in session, we should still be attend-ing Mass each week.

Be sure to have your children bring their Sacrament books to have Father sign that

they attended Mass. This is one of the requirements to receive a Sacrament.

If you will be out of town, have the priest of

the church where you attend Mass sign your book.

El padre en Vacaciones

El padre Arnulfo no estará dispo-nible durante la próximas sema-

nas. Regresara hasta el viernes 20 de enero de 2017.

Ore por su retorno seguro

Father AJ on Vacation

Father will be unavailable for the next few weeks. Father will return on Fri-

day, January 20th. Please include him in your prayers for

a safe return.

Un recordatorio a los padres de la educa-ción religiosa que a pesar de que no esta-mos programados para tener clase, debe-mos asistir a Misa. Asegúrese de que sus hijos traen sus libros de Sacramento y tener el signo del padre que asistieron a Misa. Este es uno de los requisitos para recibir un sacramento. Si salen fuera de la ciudad, pida que el sacerdote de la iglesia que asistes, firmar su libro.

A New Year’s Prayer

May God make your year a happy one! Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain, But by strengthening you to bear it,

as it comes; Not by making your path easy, But by making you sturdy to travel any path;

Not by taking hardships from you, But by taking fear from your heart;

Not by granting you unbroken sunshine, But by keeping your face bright, even in

the shadows; Not by making your life always pleasant,

But by showing you when people and their causes need you most, and by mak-

ing you anxious to be there to help. God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you

for he year ahead. ~Anonymous

Please welcome the following families to our parish:

E.A. Ainge

C. & C. Bastarache V. & R. Cardenas

A. Galvan Morales y A. Olmos Prado P.G. Madonia

D. Tomas y S.I. Perez V. Bui & P.T. Tran

D. Valencia y K. Lopez

Rosary Club Our next Rosary Club meeting will be on Saturday, January 14th at 1pm in

the social hall. We will hope you’ll join us.

Club del Rosario Nuestra próxima reunión del Club de Rosario será el sábado, 14 de enero a

la 1pm en el salón comunal. Los esperamos.

“Y María conservaba todas estas cosas,

meditándolas en su corazón”

“El Señor ha perdonado mis Pecados” La primera afirmación de Francisco en la catequesis del último domingo de diciembre, fue que Dios no ha abandonado a su pueblo y no se ha dejado derrotar por el mal, por-que Él es fiel, y su gracia es más grande que el pecado. Y si Dios vence el pecado quie-re decir que “Dios reina”, explicó. “Son estas las palabras de la fe en un Señor cuya po-tencia se inclina hacia la humanidad, se abaja, para ofrecer misericordia y liberar al hombre de lo que desfigura en él la imagen bella de Dios, porque cuando estamos en el pecado la imagen de Dios se desfigura”. Pregunto yo ahora ¿cómo andamos vos y yo frente al espejo espiritual?, ¿nos parece-mos más a Jesús o al maligno? Mientras tanto el Papa argumentaba: “El cumplimiento de tanto amor será justamente el Reino instaurado por Jesús, aquel Reino de perdón y de paz que nosotros celebramos con la Navidad y que se realiza definitivamente en la Pascua. Y la alegría más bella de la Navidad es aquella alegría interior de la paz: el Señor ha cancelado mis pecados, el Señor me ha perdonado, el Señor ha tenido misericordia de mí, ha venido a salvarme. Esta es la alegría de la Navidad”.

La Iglesia Católica quiere comenzar el año pidiendo la protección de la Santísima Virgen María. La fiesta mariana más antigua que se conoce en Occidente es la de "María Madre de Dios". Ya en las Catacumbas o antiquísimos subterráneos que están cavados debajo de la ciudad de Roma y donde se reunían los primeros cristianos para ce-lebrar la Misa, en tiempos de las persecuciones, hay pintu-ras con este nombre: "María, Madre de Dios". Si nosotros hubiéramos podido formar a nuestra madre, ¿qué cualidades no le habríamos dado? Pues Cristo, que es Dios, sí formó a su propia madre. Y ya podemos imagi-nar que la dotó de las mejores cualidades que una criatura humana puede tener. Pero, ¿es que Dios ha tenido principio? No. Dios nunca tuvo principio, y la Virgen no formó a Dios. Pero Ella es Madre de uno que es Dios, y por eso es Madre de Dios. Y qué hermoso repetir lo que decía San Estanislao: "La Madre de Dios es también madre mía". Quien nos dio a su Madre santísima como madre nuestra, en la cruz al decir al discípulo que nos representaba a nosotros: "He ahí a tu madre", ¿será capaz de negarnos algún favor si se lo pe-dimos en nombre de la Madre Santísima?

AROUND THE DIOCESE

Safe Environment St. Thomas and the Diocese of Charleston are committed to ensuring a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Dioce-san Office of Child Protection Services at 843.853.2130 ext. 206 or the Victims Assistance Minister at 800.921.8122. In accordance with Diocesan mandates, the fol-lowing documents are available at the back of the church: Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator Brochure (English and Spanish), “How to Report Allegations of Sexual Abuse” flyer and Sexual Misconduct or Abuse Report Form.

CARIDADES CATOLICAS

Las Caridades Católicas tienen una persona que habla español y a quien pueden llamar a (843) 377-1357 ext. 33. Existen diferentes tipos de ayuda a los que se puede recurrir. Entre otros bolsas de alimentos . Los invita-mos a contactarlos.

Ambiente Seguro St. Thomas y la diócesis de Charleston se com-prometieron a garantizar un ambiente seguro para niños y adultos vulnerables. Si usted tiene alguna pregunta o inquietud, por favor póngase en contacto con la oficina Diocesana de servicios para la protección de niños en 843.853.2130 ext. 206 o el Ministro de asistencia de las víctimas en 800.921.8122. Según mandatos diocesanos, los siguientes do-cumentos están disponibles en la parte posterior de la iglesia: diocesano víctima asistencia Coor-dinador folleto (inglés y español), "Cómo informe las alegaciones de Abuso Sexual" publicitaria y mala conducta Sexual o formulario de informe de abuso.

Conference on Prayer and The Holy Eucharist

The Eucharistic Knights and St. Theresa Catholic Church in Summerville are sponsoring a free one day conference on “Prayer and the Holy Eucha-rist” featuring radio and YouTube personality Fr. James Kubicki, S.J. who has been the National Director of the Apostleship of Prayer since 2003 and author of the book A Heart on Fire. His book won 3rd place of “Best Spirituality Book of the Year” by the Association of Catholic Book Publishers. The Conference will be held at St. Theresa of the Little Flower located at 11001 Dorchester Rd., Summerville on Saturday, Jan 21, 2017 begin-ning with Mass at 9am and ending around 3pm. There will a complimentary lunch so we would appreciate an RSVP by Jan 17th. For more information or to RSVP, email Karen Weiss at kittyw99@gmail.com, text Michael Beich at 843.324.2410, or leave a voice mail for Sharon Concannon at 843.299.9489. We hope you’ll come.

A TODOS MINISTERIOS Y COMMUNIDADES

Le pedimos a todas las comunidades de la iglesia que llene una forma de solicitud a ser aprobado por el padre para usar cual-quier sitio de la iglesia. Nuestra iglesia segué creciendo pero tam-bién sequemos luchando con eventos con-tradictorios. Le pedimos de que antes de hacer planes o arreglos para utilizar la iglesia o a cual-quiera de sus instalaciones, por favor, asegúrese de que este disponible y que su forma ha sido aprobada por el párroco.

ALL MINISTRIES AND COMMUNITIES

We ask everyone using any church facility, to fill out an event form to be approved by Father. As we continue to grow, we also continue to struggle with conflicting events taking place on campus. We kindly ask that before you make any plans or arrangements to use the church or any of its facilities, please be sure that it is available and that your event form has been approved.

Mary, also known as St. Mary the Virgin, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Mary, Mary Mother of God or the Virgin Mary is believed by many to be the greatest of all Christian saints. The Virgin Mother "was, after her Son, exalted by divine grace above all angels and men." Mary is venerated with a special cult, called by St. Thomas Aquinas, hyperdulia, as the holiest of all creatures. The main events of her life are celebrated as liturgical feasts of the universal Church. Mary's life and role in the history of salvation is foreshad-owed in the Old Testament, while the events of her life are recorded in the New Testament. Traditionally, she was de-clared the daughter of Sts. Joachim and Anne. Born in Je-rusalem, Mary was presented in the Temple and took a vow of virginity. Living in Nazareth, Mary was visited by the archangel Gabriel, who announced to her that she would become the Mother of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. She became betrothed to St. Joseph and went to visit her

cousin, Elizabeth, who was bearing St. John the Baptist. Acknowledged by Elizabeth as the Mother of God, Mary intoned the Magnificat. When Emperor Augustus declared a census throughout the vast Roman Empire, Mary and St. Joseph went to Bethlehem, his city of lineage, as he belonged to the House of David. There Mary gave birth to Jesus and was visited by the Three Kings. Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, where St. Simeon rejoiced and Mary received word of sorrows to come later. Warned to flee, St. Joseph and Mary went to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. They remained in Egypt until King Herod died and then returned to Nazareth. Nothing is known of Mary's life during the next years except for a visit to the Temple of Jerusalem, at which time Mary and Joseph sought the young Jesus, who was in the Tem-ple with the learned elders. The first recorded miracle of Jesus was performed at a wedding in Cana, and Mary was instrumental in calling Christ's attention to the need. Mary was present at the Crucifixion in Jerusalem, and there she was given into John the Apostle's care. She was also with the disciples in the days before the Pentecost, and it is believed that she was present at the resurrection and Ascension. No scriptural reference concerns Mary's last years on earth. According to tradition, she went to Ephesus, where she experienced her "dormition." Another tradition states that she remained in Jerusalem. The belief that Mary's body was assumed into heaven is one of the oldest traditions of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII declared this belief Catholic dogma in 1950. The four Catholic dogmas are: Mother of God, Perpetual virginity of Mary, the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary. The feast of the Assumption is celebrated on August 15. The Assumption was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. According to Pope Pius XII, the Virgin Mary "having completed the course of her earthly life, was as-sumed body and soul into heavenly glory." The birthday of Mary is an old feast in the Church, celebrated on September 8, since the seventh century. Church has long taught that Mary is truly the Mother of God .