ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH December 18, 2016—Fourth Sunday of Advent ALL ARE WELCOMED TO OUR PARISH! We are so pleased that you chose to celebrate with us this weekend. We warmly invite you to active participation in our liturgical celebration. Please feel free to approach one of our Ministers of Hospitality if you are in need of any assistance. No matter what your present status in the Catholic Church, your current family or marital situation, your past or present religious affiliation; no matter what your personal history, age, background, sexual orientation, gender, race, or color; no matter what your self-image or self-esteem: YOU are invited, welcomed, accepted, loved, and respected at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Ithaca, New York. The mission of St. Catherine of Siena Parish is to inspire, engage, and nurture our community through worship, witness, and service. La misión de la parroquia de Sta. Catalina es inspirar, cuidar y motivar la participación de nuestra comunidad a través del culto, testimonio y servicio. PARISH MISSION STATEMENT St. Catherine of Siena Church is a Tompkins County Living Wage Employer FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT The angel of the fourth Sunday of Advent proclaims: Trust in God! His love is stronger than your fear. God has given us good reason to trust in Him. Our sacred texts attest to that. The only thing that can dispel our fears is to trust in God.
Transcript
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
December 18, 2016—Fourth Sunday of Advent
ALL ARE WELCOMED TO OUR PARISH! We are so pleased that you chose to celebrate with us this weekend. We warmly invite you to active participation in our liturgical celebration. Please feel free to approach one of our Ministers of Hospitality if you are in need of any assistance. No matter what your present status in the Catholic Church, your current family or marital situation, your past or present religious affiliation; no matter what your personal history, age, background, sexual orientation, gender, race, or color; no matter what your self-image or self-esteem: YOU are invited, welcomed, accepted, loved, and respected at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Ithaca, New York.
The mission of St. Catherine of Siena Parish is to inspire, engage, and nurture our community through
worship, witness, and service.
La misión de la parroquia de Sta. Catalina es
inspirar, cuidar y motivar la participación de nuestra comunidad a través del culto, testimonio y servicio.
PARISH MISSION STATEMENT
St. Catherine of Siena Church is a Tompkins County Living Wage Employer
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
The angel of the fourth Sunday of Advent proclaims:
Trust in God! His love is stronger than your fear.
God has given us good reason to trust in Him. Our sacred texts attest to that. The only thing that can dispel our fears is to trust in God.
COUNCIL CHAIRS Pastoral Council: Joseph Babcock Finance Council: Joe Kiely
NEW PARISHIONERS Welcome to our parish community! Registration packets are available at all Church entrances and at the office.
STEWARDSHIP Our Sister Parish We enjoy an ongoing exchange of people and prayer with St. Anthony’s in the Dominican Republic. Donations to the “loose change bowls” located at each Church entrance provide meals and education for over 200 children at the parish daycare center.
Almsgiving 10% or more of all donations we receive go to the poor and needy.
Clothing for the Needy Clean used clothing in good condition accepted 24/7 at the shed adjacent to the parking lot.
MASS SCHEDULE Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday: 5 p.m. Sunday: 9 & 11:30 a.m. Mass in Spanish: 4th Sunday of the month, 5:30 p.m.
Daily Mass Schedule Monday: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9 a.m. Brookdale Senior Living: 4th Tuesday of the month, 10:15 a.m.
Accommodations: Gluten-reduced hosts are available; notify a staff member. Personal listening receivers are available from the Sacristy.
SACRAMENTS Reconciliation Saturday at 4 p.m. or by appointment
Infant Baptisms We’re so happy about the new addition to your family. Parents participate in a preparation program prior to baptism. Please contact the office three months prior to the baptism.
Marriage Congratulations on your engagement! As with the other sacraments, prior preparation is necessary. Please contact the office at least six months before the wedding.
Anointing of the Sick/Visitation Please contact the office for arrangements for individual anointing or for a visitation to someone who is sick or homebound. For emergencies after hours, please call Fr. Joe at 585-747-3649. Families should alert the Parish Office when family members are in the hospital. Hospitals are no longer able to provide parishes with this information. If you would like to have someone prayed for at Mass and/or added to the Prayer Corner in the bulletin, we invite you to call the Parish Office at 257-2493.
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (R.C.I.A.) For information on becoming Catholic, or questions about the Catholic faith, contact Ann Marie Eckert.
Holy Orders For information about vocations, contact Carol Dady with the Diocesan Office of Vocation Awareness at 585-461-2890 or [email protected].
PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES Eucharistic Adoration Wednesdays at 7 p.m. & Fridays at 9:30 a.m. in the Church
Rosary Fridays at 5 p.m. in the Church
Prayer Groups Centering Prayer and Ignatian Prayer Groups meet throughout the month. Small Christian Communities also meet weekly. For more information, call Ann Marie Eckert.
St. Catherine of Siena Parish 302 St. Catherine Circle, Ithaca, New York 14850
A vibrant Catholic Community where all are welcomed, challenged, and supported in their life’s journey.
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church December 18, 2016
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Today Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24
Next Sunday Is 52:7-10; PS 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (Mt 1:23)
Friday, December 23 Parish Office Closed 9:30 a.m. Strength Training 4:00 p.m. Youth Choir 5:00 p.m. Praying the Rosary Saturday, December 24—Christmas Eve 9:00 a.m. AA 4:00 p.m. MASS: Lisa Topoleski by MacKenzie, Fraser & Delani Topoleski 7:30 p.m. MASS: Rawlins & Tutta Colquitt by Susan Piliero 11:00 p.m. MASS: Hillick, Solomon & Haynor Families by June, Tammy & Cali Michele Sunday, December 25—Christmas Day 10:30 a.m. MASS: Donald Hall by Kathleen Hall & the Lentini Family; Doris & Joe LeMoine by Nadine LeMoine; and Our Parishioners
WHAT’S HAPPENING—DECEMBER 19–25 Monday, December 19 4:00 p.m. Youth Choir 5:30 p.m. MASS: Jerry Dimmler by Jessica Ryan Tuesday, December 20 Parish Office Closed at 12 p.m. 9:00 a.m. MASS: Our Godchildren by Jeff & Jane Doyle 4:00 p.m. Youth Choir 7:30 p.m. Adult Choir Wednesday, December 21 9:00 a.m. MASS: Thomas C. Bailey by Mary Lou Bailey- Smith 7:00 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration Thursday, December 22 9:30 a.m. Meeting Christ in Prayer 4:00 p.m. Church Decorating for Christmas 7:30 p.m. Adult Choir
STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE
OFFERTORY INCOME, December 11, 2016
Collection: $11,647
EFT Donations: $5,941
Mailed-in Donations: $7,402
TOTAL: $24,990
WEEKLY BUDGET: $10,577
VARIANCE: + $14,413
MONTHLY SUPPORT FOR THE PORTAL DE BELÉN, NOVEMBER:
Checks to the Portal de Belén Foundation: $110
Online Giving: $50
Dominican Republic Bowls: $946
TOTAL: $1,106
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MONTHLY BUDGET: $1,000
VARIANCE: + $106
PRAYER CORNER
Please hold in prayer those who are sick: Robert Edger, Dageiry Custodio, Thomas Brown, Kristin Shevalier, Frank Slattery, Nan Bylebyl, Yumi Choi, Jerry Klumb, Ruthanne Bruen, Milagros Ramos, John Benedict, Anita Malone, Christina de Roos Bain, Garrison H. Davidson Jr., Silas Martinez, Craig Trowbridge, Bob Orrange, Marilyn Pollutro, Colin Hayward-Toland, and David Hyatt.
Please hold in prayer those who have died in the peace of Christ: Margy Dillon (sister of Bob Hagin), Rose Steidl, and Stephen Dean (brother of Pastor Tim Dean, chaplain at Cayuga Medical Center).
CATHOLIC MINISTRIES APPEAL
We’ve raised $23,220 toward our goal of $48,418. Please prayerfully consider pledging to the CMA.
Parish-Wide Opportunities
HELP US DECORATE FOR CHRISTMAS! We will be decorating the Church for Christmas this
Thursday, December 22, from 4–6 p.m. There are jobs for all ages and abilities, although we do need a crew of people who are able and willing to climb ladders to decorate the wall ledges. Speaking of ladders, we need as many as we can get—but they need to be 6 ft. or taller to be of help. Thanks to anyone who can come! If possible, please let Ann Marie know that you are coming ([email protected] or 257-2493).
WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS Michael Theisen, a well-known speaker and workshop presenter (and former Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Rochester) will be here at St. Catherine’s on January 27–28 to talk to parents. Research on young people and faith has been very clear about the most powerful force in shaping their developing faith—their parents. Children reflect the faith of their parents and the practices learned and shared within the home. Let’s come together as parents and explore some suggestions for taking the next steps in growing deeper in faith at home. The Friday workshop will include dinner from 6–7 p.m., followed by the workshop until 9 p.m. Saturday morning’s workshop will include morning hospitality and will run from 9–11 a.m. Babysitting is available during both of these sessions for those who register at least one week in advance. This workshop is designed for parents with school-aged children and younger. A donation is appreciated, but all are welcome. Register by contacting Ann Marie at 257-2493 or [email protected].
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! TRIVIA NIGHT We had a great time last year at our first (now annual) Trivia Night. Individual, couples, and whole groups came and laughed, joked, guessed, ate, drank, and ultimately had a really fun night. Our team is already at work coming up with new questions and and some fun new additions to the night. Mark your calendars now for Saturday, February 11, from 7–9 p.m. and please plan on joining us. The cost is only $10. Bring your own food and drink and share it at your table, and perhaps go home with a nice gift card to spend while having bragging rights for the whole year about how smart you are. Registration for Trivia Night will begin in mid-January.
LEARN ABOUT THE BIBLE
The New Testament—the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, Letters, and Book of Revelation—are at the heart of our faith. They tell us who Jesus is, what he did, and how his life, death, and resurrection transformed the world. Knowing what is in the Bible, and how it all works together, can help us better understand God’s plan for our salvation. St. Catherine’s Scripture Study for January/February is called Panorama of the New Testament and, over the course of five weeks, it will introduce you more fully to all of these writings. The study will be held on Monday nights beginning on January 9 and
continuing until February 6 from 7–8:30 p.m. in the Parish Center. The cost for the books is $20 and they can be purchased on January 9 at the first meeting. This study is designed for everyone—those who know almost nothing about the Bible and those who know a lot. All are welcome.
PARISH OFFICE CLOSING FOR CHRISTMAS The Parish Office will be closed for Christmas from December 23–January 2. Many thanks for your consideration.
A vibrant Catholic Community where all are welcomed, challenged, and supported in their life’s journey.
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church December 18, 2016
MASS TIMES FOR CHRISTMAS
Christmas Eve
4 p.m. Children’s Mass
7:30 p.m. Mass
11 p.m. Midnight Mass
Christmas Day
10:30 a.m. Mass
Caroling will begin 30 minutes prior to all Masses.
Please note: The Children’s Mass at 4 p.m. and Midnight Mass at 11 p.m. are very crowded. We encourage you to come early and to carpool if possible. You are welcome to save seats, but we encourage you to be as welcoming as possible to others.
MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH MINISTRY Middle School Youth Ministry will not gather the weekends of December 18 and 25 and January 1. We will resume sessions on January 8. We wish all of our youth and their families a safe and happy holiday!
WREATH AND POINSETTIA FUNDRAISER This is the final weekend to pick up your wreath and poinsettia orders for our Youth Ministry fundraiser. We had a record-breaking year this year! We sold 180 wreaths and 125 poinsettias this year. That is 17 more wreaths and 69 more poinsettias than last year! We want to thank Rose and Randy Blinn for helping deliver the wreaths from Candor to St. Catherine’s and the parents and youth who gave their time during the wreath and poinsettia selling, decorating, and pickup. We are so grateful for all who supported this fundraiser and hope you enjoy your wreaths and poinsettias.
NO SESSIONS ON DECEMBER 18 AND 25 AND JANUARY 1 Our faith formation programs for children and youth (CFF, MSYM, HSYM) will not meet this Sunday, December 18. Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) will still gather during the 9 a.m. Mass on this day. All programs including CLOW, CFF, MSYM, and HSYM will not gather on the following two Sundays, December 25 and January 1. We hope this will allow families to spend time together and enjoy the holiday season. All sessions will resume on Sunday, January 8.
PEACE PINS 14850 TO SUPPORT REFUGEES During the weekend of January 14/15 after all of the Masses, we will be offering Peace Pins for a free-will donation. Peace Pins 14850 is a private group of people in Ithaca, including some of our own St. Catherine’s parishioners, who want to embrace the refugee families arriving in Ithaca this coming year. To do so, they are raising funds by selling red, white, and blue beaded safety pins as a communal rejection of bigotry and discrimination. One hundred percent of the donated money will go to Catholic Charities of Tompkins and Tioga County, who will use it to support these families directly. Their hope is that the Peace Pins will be a symbol of your solidarity and compassion for them and for everyone. Our children in grades 1–6 will be making some of the Peace Pins during their whole group session focused on the theme of refugees on January 8.
LECTOR TRAINING—JANUARY 9 Mark your calendar now for our upcoming lector training on Monday, January 9. Steve Jesch will lead this training session from 6:30–7:30 p.m. in the Church. For questions, or to let us know you are coming, please contact Patricia Sipple at [email protected] or 257-2493.
DIOCESAN PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY God becoming one of us is the ultimate confirmation of the inherent dignity of human life. That dignity does not depend on how functional or productive we are. We have dignity because we are. Yet the elderly, the disabled, those who are not getting the care they need, are vulnerable in the face of the push to legalize physician-assisted suicide here in New York State. Learn more and advocate to protect the dignity of all human lives. Check out www.dor.org and click on Public Policy for more information. Diocesan Public Policy Weekend is February 4–5.
FIRST RECONCILIATION Congratulations to those who will be receiving God’s grace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time this weekend: Hailey Abshire, Frieda Bernstein, Vera Mae Camel, Evening Doyle, Ethan Dumont, Simon Dumont, Caitlin Fagan, Harris Germain, Dylan Gilbert, Alexis Gondek, Dametri Hynes, Lily Italo, Patrick Jasinski, Giovanni McBride, Molly Mingos, Annabelle Negley, Jack Negley, Keegan Nicolette, Ryan Parmenter, Jai Julio Penalver, Sidhartha Penalver, Meara Pollock, William Shaw, McKenna Syer, Joe Van Fleet, and Jenuel Vazquez.
Youth Faith Formation
“IN THE LOOP” WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH MINISTRY High School Youth Ministry will not gather the weekends of December 18 and 25 and January 1. We will resume sessions on January 8. For our last session on December 11, twenty high schoolers and three adults gathered to make treats and gifts for Loaves and Fishes. During the two hours we were gathered, the youth made 10 apple pies, 50 bags of Reindeer Chow, and 24 gingerbread kits. Some of our high school youth and parents will head to Loaves and Fishes on Tuesday, December 20, to pass out the gifts and have a table for people to make their own Christmas cards. The pies will be baked and served for their Christmas dinner.
A vibrant Catholic Community where all are welcomed, challenged, and supported in their life’s journey.
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church December 18, 2016
Company is coming! When I was a kid, that phrase meant that I needed to clean my room and help clean other parts of the house. It meant that tablecloths were ironed, sidewalks were shoveled, and we kids needed to be on our best behavior. But it also meant that we were going to get to eat some special foods and visit with people we didn’t see all the time. “Company is coming” meant that I got to try out being an adult by helping to serve or clean
up. For me, this was all exciting—a moment outside of my family’s normal moments. As an adult I treasure all that I learned when company came to my childhood home.
Company is coming! When we open our doors next weekend for Christmas Masses, many people will walk through who have never been here before. Others will be returning after months, years, or even decades away (from Ithaca, from the Church, or both), and we get to welcome them home. Still others are our friends, neighbors, or family members who don’t always come to Church, but when they do, they come here. In each case, we get to celebrate their presence in our midst. You can help “iron the tablecloth” by decorating the Church with us on Thursday from 4–6 p.m. You can also help by volunteering as a minister for our Masses. We need help at all of them, but particularly at the 4 p.m. Mass. If you are free (even if you are going to come to a different Mass later), perhaps you can come at 3 p.m. and serve as a hospitality minister, helping us to welcome people, find room for folks, take up the collection, and be around to help if needed. (Let me know—we can sign you up!) You can help by the way you interact with those who sit around you, by squeezing in to allow one more person a seat, by smiling and offering a warm welcome to others—especially those you don’t know. You can even help by carpooling or parking in the faraway spots so the company has a place when they arrive. Someone is coming to Church next weekend who needs the welcome we can provide. It might make it a good experience for them, but it might also invite them back to a relationship with God that has been missing in their lives. These are holy days for us—rare opportunities—in more ways than one.
Company is coming! The news this week of the continuing holocaust in Aleppo, Syria, is heartbreaking and overwhelming. Innocents are being slaughtered as the city is reduced to rubble. The people who have escaped with nothing but their lives, years or just a few days ago, need us to prepare for them. They wanted to stay in their homes and raise their families and take care of their own, but the bombs rained down and the bullets tore apart their lives, and now we must respond. Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (www.ithacawelcomesrefugees.org) is preparing for when our first families arrive (from Syria or likely elsewhere). You can help with goods, your time, and/or your money. Catholic Relief Services (www.crs.org) is working in partnership with Caritas to provide for the basic needs of the refugees in the Middle East and Europe. Your donation can make a real difference. Advocacy is needed to let our political leaders know how much our hearts break to witness this slaughter of innocents and destruction of a region while the United States talks about closing our own borders to refugees from Syria. Your email or phone call could make a difference too. Our Christmas celebration should be tinged with the knowledge of all that is happening in the world, especially in places like Aleppo, because we can’t genuinely welcome the birth of the Savior into our world if we don’t also recognize our own need to be saved. Perhaps holding these concerns in our hearts allows us to be a little more thankful, kinder to those who are hurting, more patient with those who disagree with us, more generous with our resources, and more prayerful. This January 1, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the World Day of Peace, begun by Pope Paul VI. As we gather on that day, may our prayers reach the ears and hearts of all those who can help bring about peace, including ourselves, and transform our world so that, in this particular case, we don’t have to prepare for company, but can allow all to live in peace in their own communities.
I hope to celebrate Christmas with you, but if you are traveling, please remember that we are praying for you, “our St. Catherine’s community spread throughout the world.”
Peace,
A vibrant Catholic Community where all are welcomed, challenged, and supported in their life’s journey.
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church December 18, 2016
FROM CATHOLIC CHARITIES On behalf of the people whom we serve, Catholic Charities extends an enormous thank you to the parishioners at St. Catherine's for donating the warm winter wear and gift card as part of the Advent Giving Tree. Cold weather brings added stress to low-income families, so your kindness is especially appreciated at this time of year. Thank you for being part of Catholic Charities’ mission!
—Laurie Konwinski, Deputy Director
School News
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Catholic students become U.S. Deputy Secretaries of the Treasury! Immaculate Conception School celebrates alumna Mary John Miller, United States Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. A m o n g h e r m a n y responsibilities in guiding our nation, Mary is responsible for developing and coordinating the Treasury’s policies and guidance in the areas of financial institutions, federal debt financing, financial regulation, and capital markets. Thanks for making us proud, Mary!
Immaculate Conception School is looking to hire a part-time after-school aide to fill a recent vacancy. The position would have hours from 3–5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Immaculate Conception School continuously accepts registrations for all of our academic programs, pre-K through sixth grade. Tuition assistance and parish subsidy are available. Call the school at 273-2707 or visit icsithaca.org for more information about Ithaca’s Catholic school.
ADVENT GIFT-GIVING PROJECT—ST. JUDE Throughout Advent, the children and youth in grades 1 through High School Youth Ministry have been collecting money to purchase events, supplies, and treatments as gifts for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. During the middle of November, each class chose a specific gift that they worked to purchase. Last Sunday was the last day of the service project. We are incredibly proud to say that our faith formation children and youth raised a total of $811.96 and were able to purchase 15 gifts for this amazing organization. This amount is $111.96 more than the anticipated goal of $700, so we were able to purchase two more gifts for this hospital of hope. Below are the gifts and the amount each class purchased: 1st Grade: Art Supplies for a Patient and Share of
a Holiday Party—$100 2nd Grade: Toys for the Hospital Areas—$25 3rd Grade: No Mo’ Chemo Party—$25 4th Grade: Share of One Day of Oxygen—$75 5th Grade: Share of One Day of Oxygen and
Special Fun Events—$150 6th Grade: Share of Chest X-Ray—$100 MSYM: Rehab Weights, No Mo’ Chemo Party,
and Video Games for Teen Rooms—$125 HSYM: Share of One Day of Oxygen and No Mo’
Chemo Party—$100 Extra Gifts Purchased Due to Extra Donations: Share of Platelet Transfusion—$50 Share of Physical Therapy—$50
Respect Life Ministry News
MARCH FOR LIFE Join other pro-life supporters from Ithaca on one of two buses leaving late evening Thursday, January 26, for the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., returning late evening Friday, January 27, with stops for breakfast and dinner. Seats are $25 each. Buses will arrive in time to take part in a variety of events prior to the march, including the March for Life Expo; Mass at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception; the annual National Memorial Prayer Service for the Pre-born, Their Mothers and Fathers; the Youth Rally and Mass for Life; the Prolifecon Digital Action Summit; and the Pre-March Rally on the National Mall. For more information, email [email protected] or call Carolann at 607-351-6668 or MaryAnne at 315-246-7479.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Dec. 17/18 Wreath and Poinsettia Pickup Dec. 22 Christmas Decorating Jan. 1 Solemnity of Mary Jan. 9 Lector Training Jan. 27/28 Parenting Workshops Feb. 11 Trivia Night
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church December 18, 2016
A vibrant Catholic Community where all are welcomed, challenged, and supported in their life’s journey.
