St. Agnes St. Agnes St. Agnes Catholic Community A Perpetual Adoration and Stewardship Parish PARISH OFFICE 3966 Chestnut Ave. Concord, CA 94519 Tel: (925) 689-0838 Fax: (925) 689-7899 Office Hours: 9:00am - Noon * 1:00pm - 4:30pm, Monday-Thursday Website: www.stagnesparish.net * E-Mail: [email protected]January 8, 2017 January 8, 2017 THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD “Epiphany, also Theophany or Three Kings’ Day, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God in his Son as human in Jesus Christ.” - Wikipedia
THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORDTHE EPIPHANY OF THE LORDTHE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
“Epiphany, also Theophany or Three Kings’ Day, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God in his Son as human in Jesus Christ.” - Wikipedia
Secretary: Ana Kelley [email protected] Website: www.stagnesconcord.com
SCHOOL OFFICE
Dear Friends,
Today we celebrate the feast of Epiphany. The Greek word Epiphany means appearance or manifestation. God revealed himself in many ways. God’s revelation of himself to the non-Jewish people represents the wise men who followed the star.
Who were these “magi” who were guided to the infant Jesus by a star? Where did they come from? Where did they go? We do not know. To make sense of the story, we must pay attention to its symbolism. Read in that way, we find that the story has five stages. The magi, whom we also call the wise men: saw; they searched; they found; they worshiped; and they returned home.
But they return home transformed. They searched and found the new king of Israel. They have been touched by this experience, touched by God. Then they returned home but in a different way. After worshipping the Child Jesus, they were transformed and took a different route in their lives and home.
We return home from church each week, from our encounter with Jesus here in the Eucharist. We too have been touched by God. We too have a message for others. And it is this. God is not far off. In all our sorrows, in all our temptations, sufferings, difficulties and joys, God is with us. God is close to us always – even when we stray far from him. That is the gospel – the good news.
May we continue to see, search, find, worship and return with the message that God is close to us. Fr. Johnson
SUNDAY COLLECTION FOR DECEMBER 25: $25,418.00 SUNDAY COLLECTION FOR JANUARY 1: $12,934.00
Includes Faith Direct Giving We thank you for your Stewardship.
3
.
DAILY MASS IN THE CHAPEL Monday - Saturday at 8:00 AM. (Communion Service on Wed.)
PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION - Chapel Contact Sumner or Veronica Peery at 827-0916 for scheduling.
FOR ADULT LEARNING:
SCRIPTURE SHARING - Thursday 9:30 a.m. in the Ministry Ctr.
FOR MINISTRY:
PRAYER TREE - A ministry of people who pray specifically for those who are ill. Please notify the parish office if you or a member of your family are in, or going into, the hospital.
HELPING HANDS: Please call Joanne Doorack at 798-1735.
MARTINEZ SHELTER MEALS: Plan a meal for 35 residents. Purchase & prepare food; serve dinner at the shelter. Please contact to volunteer: Yvonne Mennel: 925-200-6716 or [email protected].
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL MINISTRY Please contact the St. Vincent de Paul Hotline at (925) 689-0838, Ext. 250.
MINISTRY TO THE SICK: Please call Naomi (925) 768-3587.
CARING HANDS-JOHN MUIR HEALTH: Contact Stacy Appel by e-mail at [email protected].
Faith and Spirituality
PLEASE PRAY FOR HEALING
Ron Artale GinaMarie Balbuena Amalia Bunge Ana Bunge Marge Casey
Trinity Cereghino George Conlow William Cumins Stephen Dixon Maria Hills
Roberto Icaza Ken Klovee Camila Koven Fr. Peter Loffredo Joshua Monitz
Micah Pilkerton Elizabeth Renfro Ellie Rowe Gina Rubin Maureen Ryan
Connie Schulte Rick Smith Carolyn Thompson
Please Note: Names that have been on the list longer than 6 months were removed. If you need your loved one’s name put back on the list or added, please call the church office.
FAITH DIRECT
A Terrific New Year’s Resolution
No need to worry about carrying your checkbook or envelopes to church anymore. Faith Direct is the innovative solution that allows you to support our parish using electronic funds transfer from either a bank account or credit/debit card just as you may do now with your mortgage payment, cable bill or other expenses. Enroll online today at www.faithdirect.net (our parish code is CA646) or stop by the Welcome Table for a brochure.
10:45 a.m. Susana Macadaeg—Repose Priscilla Manalac—Repose Deceased Members of the Fenolis Family
5:00 p.m. For the People of St.. Agnes, Living and Deceased
Parish Events and Meetings
Sunday, January 8, 2017 Knights of Columbus selling Crab Dinner Tickets after all Masses. 8:30 a.m. RCIA—A.R. 3:00 p.m. Confirmation—Cauchi Hall 3:00 p.m. Confirmation Parents and Sponsors Meeting in Church 6:00 p.m. Life Teen—Cauchi Hall
Monday, January 9, 2017 8:00 a.m. Daily Mass—Chapel 10:00 a.m. Just Faith—A.R. 5:00 p.m. Faith Formation—Classrooms 7:00 p.m. Kinder Night—Kinder Classroom 7:00 p.m. EDGE—Cauchi Hall 7:00 p.m. Pastoral Council—A.R. 7:00 p.m. Reaching Out Committee—G.P.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017 8:00 a.m. Daily Mass—Chapel 8:00 a.m. Tax Aide Class—A.R. 9:30 a.m. STARS Meeting—G.P. 3:00 p.m. Vinnie’s Little Helpers—A.R. 6:00 p.m. PACE Meeting—8th Gr. Classroom 6:30 p.m. 1st Reconciliation—Church 7:00 p.m. La Morita Meeting—Cauchi Hall 7:00 p.m. Baptism Prep Class—G.P.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017 8:00 a.m. Communion Service—Chapel 8:00 a.m. Tax Aide Class—A.R. 6:00 p.m. Development Meeting—School 7:30 p.m. Jim Gill Band Practice—Church
Thursday, January 12, 2017 8:00 a.m. Mass—Church 9:30 a.m. Bible Study—A.R. 1:30 p.m. School Prayer Service—Church
Knights of Columbus selling Crab Dinner Tickets La Morita Mexico Group selling Dinner Tickets
5
.
Parish News and Activities
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
JANUARY 9 Kinder Information Night—7:00 p.m., School 13 Santo Nino Mass at 6:30 p.m., Church 21 Women’s Retreat—9:00 a.m. at Cauchi Hall 21 Knights of Columbus Crab Dinner, 6:00 p.m. 28 La Morita Mexican Dinner, 6:00 p.m. 29 Catholic Schools Week—Open House at
School following 9:00 a.m. Mass
CRAB & TRI-TIP DINNER
The Knights of Columbus will host its annual Crab and Tri-Tip Dinner on Saturday, January 21, 2017. No-host cocktails begin at 6:00 p.m., with dinner served at 7:00 p.m. The Concord High School Ladies First Choir will provide entertainment.
Ticket price is $50. Children 4-12—$5 (no crab). Under 3, no charge.
For information, call Sumner Peery at 510-376-0326 or e-mail [email protected] or David Wood at 925-207-0270, e-mail [email protected]. Checks to be made payable to “Knights of Columbus #15344.”
ST. AGNES SCHOOL REGISTRATION
St. Agnes School has 2017/2018 Registration Packets available for pre-school through 8th Grade. A Kinder Information Night is taking place on January 9th for all prospective families. Please contact the school at 925-689-3990 or visit their website at www.stagnesconcord.com.
SHELTER RESIDENTS GRATEFUL FOR ST. AGNES ATTENTION
As the New Year begins, we look upon the accomplishments of 2016. Preparing meals for the residents of the Mountain View House Family Shelter is one of our annual St. Agnes success stories. This past year, parish volunteers served 20 regular dinner meals and 2 emergency meals. It takes an average of 5 people to plan a meal, purchase the food, make and serve the meal to about 35 homeless moms, dads and children. So, for the 22 meals served this year, approximately 110 volunteers gave their time, used their cooking talents, and paid out of their own pockets for the one meal they served.
We start the process all over again each year. Are you able to gather a group of friends and serve one 6 PM dinner meal in either March, June, September, or December? Dates that are open in 2017 and in need of a volunteer team are:
Wed, March 8 Thurs, March 9 Fri, March 10 Tues, June 6 Wed, June 7 Thurs, June 8 Friday, June 9
Please contact Yvonne at 925-200-6716 or [email protected] for further information.
NEW TO OUR PARISH? WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
HAVE QUESTIONS?
We have the place where you can get (almost) all of your questions answered! Stop by the Welcome Table after Mass at the back of the church, and one of our friendly volunteers will be happy to help you. We have racks of forms, information on sacraments and ministries, and periodically offer tickets for sale to parish events at this one-stop location. And when you turn your parish registration form over to our volunteer, we will have a small gift for you as our way of letting you know that we are very glad to have you as part of our family.
If you are friendly and can freely offer smiles, we would love to have you as part of our team of Welcoming volunteers. It only takes a few minutes to learn the ropes, and 15 minutes of your time after Mass to help others. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Donna Roberts by e-mail at [email protected]. TRUE HAPPINESS Abandon yourself utterly for the love of God, and in this way you will become truly happy. —Blessed Henry Suso
6
.
LA MORITA MEXICO YOUTH MISSION DINNER
Save the date: Saturday, January 28, at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Agnes Church Hall—the Annual Mexican Dinner. You may buy your tickets after all Masses for the next two weekends or order them at [email protected] or 925-212-7679. The cost will be $20 a person and $65 for a family. Come have fun and support local youth and their sponsors as they raise funds again to build homes in Tijuana during Easter week. This is our second year under sponsorship of our new non-profit corporation, the La Morita Mexico Youth Mission, but the wonderful food and our mission of helping poor families in Tijuana remain unchanged!
Community Activities WALK FOR LIFE WEST COAST and Respect Life Events
Thursday, January 19th
Youth Rally with Sisters of Life, St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco 8:45am, lunch provided, Gr. 9-12
Friday, January 20th Annual Prayer Vigil for Life, St. Dominic's Church, San Francisco 5:00pm Standing Up4Life Rally & Walk, Oakland City Hall 12-2:00pm Conversations4Life Benefit Dinner, St. Stephen's Parish Hall, Walnut Creek 6:00pm All Night Eucharistic Adoration, St. Peter and Paul Church, San Francisco 8:00pm - 7:00am
Saturday, January 21st Walk for Life West Coast, Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco, Silent No More 10:45am; Rally 12:30-1:30pm; Walk 1:30pm Mass, St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco 9:30am Mass, National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, San Francisco 5:00pm Barbeque, Star of the Sea Parish, San Francisco 5:00pm
Sunday, January 22nd Students for Life National Conference, St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco 9:30am
For a trip planning guide and more info: http://www.walkforlifewc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/WFL_Trip_Planner_2017.pdf or http://www.walkforlifewc.com/ .
ST. AGNES WOMEN’S RETREAT—THE KISS OF GOD
A women’s retreat is being offered at St. Agnes for all school and parish women on Saturday, January 21st from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Cauchi Hall. Come experience a day where we will pray, reflect and share on what the reality of being kissed by a loving God means for our relationships with God, self and others. What will be the outcomes in your lives when we embrace the reality of being kissed and loved into existence?
The retreat is being facilitated by Sr. Rosheen Glennon, CSJ, who has been a Spiritual and Retreat Facilitator for many years. She brings simplicity, a joy of life, and a “sense of wonder” to this ministry because of her many years as a kindergarten and first grade teacher and as a Pastoral Associate.
8
.
Thank you to all of the children, their parents and the adults who helped to make the Baby Jesus Mass so very special on Christmas Eve (above), and to the Children’s Schola Choir who shared their gift of voice at the 9:00 a.m.
