ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHURCH 134 East Bishop Street Bellefonte, PA 16823

REV. GEORGE I. JAKOPAC, Pastor DEACON THOMAS E. BOLDIN . MRS. KRISTINA TICE, School Pr incipal

MASS SCHEDULE Saturday: 5:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:15 AM Daily: See Bulletin BAPTISMS By Appointment. MARRIAGE Notify Pastor 9 months in advance. St. John was established in 1828

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 11:00 AM CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS Call Rectory. Rectory Phone: 814-355-3134 E-mail: ........ saintjohnsoff@gmail.com Web:www.bellefontecatholicchurch.org School Phone: 814- 355-7859 School Website: www.saintjohnsch.net

Saturday, December 26th 5:00 PM Joseph Kresovich, J r . (Wife, Melissa and Children) Sunday, December 27th 8:00 AM Barbara L. Waite (The Family) 10:15 AM Deacons of Altoona-Johnstown Diocese (Deacon Tom & Shirley Boldin) Monday, December 28th 9:00 AM J im Smith (The Family) Tuesday, December 29th 8:00 AM Communion Service Wednesday, December 30th 8:00 AM Communion Service Thursday, December 31st A Holy Day of Obligation No 8:00 AM Mass New Year’s Eve! 6:00 PM Anthony Rose (The Rose Family) Friday, January 1st NEW YEAR’S DAY! A Holy Day of Obligation 8:00 AM William Edmiston (Virginia Sager) Note: Mass at St. Kateri: 10:00 AM Saturday, January 2nd 5:00 PM Ruggiero Family Deceased (The Family) Sunday, January 3rd 8:00 AM Harry Keeler (The Family) 10:15 AM Everett Bird (Knights of Columbus, OLV Assembly) LITURGICAL MINISTER/SERVER SCHEDULE: Saturday, 5:00 PM January 2nd Servers: Elizabeth Knepp & Kayla O’Leary E.M.s: Julia Gardner & Connie McCuley Lector: Lucia Stover Music Ministers: Jay Zimmerman & Ida O’Donald Sunday, 8:00 AM January 3rd Servers: Natalie Kormanik & Cecili Stanton E.M.s: Christine Surovec & David Harry Lector: Christine Surovec Music Ministers: Adult Choir Sunday, 10:15 AM January 3rd Servers: Allison Berkey & Kaitlyn Berkey E.M.s: Brian Alterio & Kristina Tice Lector: Joseph Pietrowicz Music Ministers: Jay Zimmerman & Adam Witmer Our EMail Address is saintjohnsoff@gmail.com Our Website: www.bellefontecatholicchurch.org Rectory Office Hours: Monday thru Thursday: 8:30 AM—5:00 PM; Fridays from 8:30 AM—12:30 PM FYI: Our School Website is: www.saintjohnsch.net

WE PRAY ERFULLY ASK GOD TO BLESS EACH OF YOU, OUR FAITHFUL PARISHIONERS, ABUNDANTLY THROUGHOUT THIS UPCOMING NEW YEAR.

YOU ARE WISHED A NEW YEAR OF PEACE AND HAPPINESS AND HEALTH OF MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT!

NOTE: NEW YEAR’S DAY IS A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION, THE FEAST OF MARY THE MOTHER OF GOD. MASS TIMES: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31ST AT 6:00 PM AND FRIDAY, JANUARY 1ST AT 8:00 AM. MASS AT ST. KATERI IS FRIDAY AT 10:00AM ALL DAY ADORATION Our next All-Day Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be NEXT Monday, January 4th immediately following the 9:00 AM

School Mass. Adoration will close at 2:00 PM. REMINDER: WE WILL NOT HAVE REGULAR CCD CLASSES THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27TH OR JANUARY 3RD. CCD WILL RESUME ON JANUARY 10TH. TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: ENJOY YOUR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY BREAK! NOTE: THE CONFIRMATION CLASS WILL HAVE CCD ON JANUARY 3RD. LOOKING AHEAD: SUMMER FUN DAY As you are hitting the After Christmas Sales, we

will need prizes for our 2016 Summer Fun Day. Since Bingo is so popular, instead of the “Basket Raffle”, we are having a “Showcase Bingo”

featuring prize packages of differing themes. They don’t need to be wrapped and we are collecting items now. Some categories to consider

purchasing: Gifts for the men or the ladies, gifts for kids, and kitchen and home items. Please keep these in mind as you are out doing some after-

holiday shopping.

NOTABLE EVENTS IN JANUARY: Friday, January 22nd: A special 7:00 PM Mass This Friday Evening Mass is sponsored by our Catholic Daughters Court in honor of the Right

to Life March in Washington DC. Saturday, January 23rd - Confirmation Retreat This one-day retreat will be held here at St.

John’s. Tuesday, January 26th: Parish Council Meeting: 6:30pm

Finance Council Meeting: 7:00pm

*** WEEK OF DECEMBER 27TH, 2015 *** Page Two St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church

PLEASE NOTE: ST. KATERI’S MASS TIME IS NOON ON SUNDAYS!

Page Three Bellefonte, Pennsylvania THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH

WEEKLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR WEEKEND 12/20/2015

ST. JOHN’S CHRISTMAS GIVING TREE THANKS Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Giving Tree Project another huge success this year. Through your enormous generosity, St. John’s was able to help over 300 children, adults, and families in the area. This was the 20th year for this project and once again, St. John’s parishioners responded with an overwhelming outpouring of support and kindness. Your generous donations benefited students and their families from the Bellefonte and Bald Eagle school dis-tricts along with residents from Centre Crest and clients from FICS, Early Intervention Services, Parenting Plus, and Catholic Charities. You helped to make Christmas a lot brighter for many people! Thank you to all the CCD students and volunteers who helped with sorting the gifts and loading them into the vans. Thank you to the Knights of Columbus for the delicious breakfast. A special thank you to everyone who gave monetary donations to help with the purchasing of all the gifts! God Bless you all!!! May you all have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year.

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS COOKIE SALE THANK YOU! A big THANK YOU to all the generous people who made this year’s cookie sale such a HUGE success! Some of you made the cookies and the fudge, some of you helped package and sell them and some of you purchased the goodies. (Sorry 10:15 AM Mass attendees, we sold out at the end of the 8:00 AM Mass!) Our total in sales and donations was $1,720 which means $860 goes to Fr. Ralph’s Holy Name of Mary Academy in Ghana and $860 will be sent to Bellefonte, India to The Order of “Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians” Mission House. Thanks also for all the cookie tins that were sent in for us to use. Please keep saving your unwanted tins from over the holidays for us to use for next year’s sale. Again, thanks for your generosity and support! HOST A FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT Since 1952, International Fellowship, Inc., a non-profit organization, has been successfully exchanging students to and from the United States. Families in this area are invited to reach across the borders and host a high school aged exchange student for the semester or the academic year. The students come with their own spending money and are covered by health/accident insurance. All that is required of a host family is to provide a room, board, laundry facilities and some tender loving care. You can be married, single, have kids or no kids– even grandparents can apply! We are currently seeking volunteer Host Fami-lies. Please check out our w ebsite at www.internationalfellowship.org for m ore infor-mation about our program. We can be contacted via email at infelwes@gmail.com or write us at the following: International Fellowship, Inc. P.O. 130 West-field, NY 14787. Also, our toll free num ber is 1-800-647-8839. Also, there is a rip-off phone number sheet on the bulletin board at the front entrance of the church. It’s never too early or too late to start thinking about hosting! Thank you for your response.

TUNE INTO WJVM 90.3-FM OR WEJO 104.7-FM RADIO (State College/Boalsburg) hear Bishop Barron! Celebrate the joy-filled Christmas Octave with our special pro-gramming. In addition to Pope Francis, Bishop Robert Barron will be featured in 2016. (i-Phone & Android apps for the station are available - visit waob.org for details.) Locally, we are scheduling groups/families for prayer during January. If you would like to pray, contact Sheryl Balkey at (814)238-6288 or voiceofdivinemercy@gmail.com. Remember, just $100/day keeps our Catholic voice on the air. Our 501(c)3 organiza-tion is volunteer-run and your tax-deductible donation may be mailed to: Voice of Divine Mercy, PO Box 862, State College, PA 16804-0862. (You may also visit www.wjvm.org to stream our programming or to donate via PayPal.) We ask that you keep the homebound, hospitalized, and imprisoned members of our listening audience in your prayers. Lastly, we thank those who have faithfully supported our efforts in 2015. May God continue to abundantly bless our evangelization efforts!

LOCAL PRISON MINISTRY—PCGG “…then the king will say to those on his right, Come you who are blessed by my father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founda-tion of the world…for when I was in prison you came to visit me.” Matt 25 34-36 Prison Christian Growth Group (PCGG) brings the love of Jesus Christ into our Prisons across the Common-wealth of PA including SCI Benner and SCI Rock-view. There is a tremendous need for a Catholic presence in these prisons. PCGG is reaching out to those who can share their walk and visit our prisoners. There is no re-quirement except your love and time. We visit Benner and Rockview on the first and second Saturdays of each month. If you have ever wanted to explore this calling Please contact Paul Tobin, Coordinator for PCGG Benner and Rockview at pbt.2015@live.com.

K OF C TOYS FOR TOTS BREAKFAST THANK YOU The Knights of Columbus would like to thank everyone who took part in the recent All-You-Can-Eat- Breakfast to benefit Toys for Tots. The breakfast was a rousing success as more than 100 people ate breakfast. There were about 3 boxes of toys gathered for Toys for Tots as well as about 45 or so people who paid for their meal. Some others also made an additional donation. The Knights were proud to present the toys to Toys for Tots on Monday along with a check for $192.00 which was the profit after expenses from the Break-fast. Hope to see many of you at our January Breakfast.

NO REPORT IS AVAILABLE DUE TO THE EARLY

PUBLICATION DEADLINE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS AND YOUR GENEROSITY

THANK YOU to all St. John Catholic School and Parish families for your

support throughout the past year. We extend our heartfelt wish that God’s

blessings fill your heart and strengthen your family in the upcoming year.

Best Wishes for a Joyous New Year! MEMORIALS & DONATIONS We have received a donation to the Angel Fund from Genevieve Robine. This donation will assist with the tui-tion of student(s) attending our school. We appreciate the generosity of our alumni and would like to thank the following for their support of Catholic educa-tion by their donation to our annual fund : Richard F. Torsell, Jr. We have also received a donation to our annual fund from the following friends: Sr. M. Leonette Bower, IHM. Thank you to all of our benefactors and God bless your generosity to and support of our school. POT O’GOLD ONLINE AUCTION St. John Home & School Association is getting ready to run our 4th annual online Pot O’Gold fundraiser. We are currently seeking auction items, services and unique ex-periences. Become an auction donor and gain valuable exposure for your business! To learn more, please watch upcoming bulletins or call the school office at 355-7859. 125th ANNIVERSARY ORNAMENT We are currently selling St. John School Christmas orna-ments, commemorating our 125th year of educating the children of our Parish and community. Ornaments can be purchased at the school office, the Rectory office or Plumb’s Drug Store. The ornaments are $10 each with checks to be payable to St. John School. ************************************************************ THE YEAR OF MERCY FREE APP The Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis for 2016 began on December 8th. Celebrate this Jubilee Year of Mercy with a great new free app from Our Sunday Visitor! The theme for the year which is “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful,” is reflected in the elements of the app which include the following: Daily Reflections on Mercy Daily Scripture Reflections Book Excerpts Year of Mercy Resources Pope Francis’ Tweets Throughout the Year Year of Mercy News Stories Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena And much more Choose your favorite store to download your free app: either App Store or Google play and enjoy all year your “365 Days to Mercy” from Our Sunday Visitor.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES The next scheduled CCD Classes for Kindergarten through 10th Grades are on Sunday, January 10th at 9:00 AM in the school. 11TH GRADE CONFIRMATION CLASS Please Note: The next 11th Grade Confirmation Class will be held NEXT Sunday, January 3rd from 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM in the school auditorium. For any questions or concerns, please call Deacon Tom or Shirley Boldin at 355-4234 or email stboldin@verizon.net. ST. CLEMENT CHURCH IN JOHNSTOWN SUPER BOWL/SUPER CASH SWEEPSTAKES TICKETS FOR SALE Win a trip for 2 to SUPER BOWL 50 in San Francisco, CA, (winning package includes MANY extras) plus $1,500 travel cash. Grand Prize Winner has $10,000 cash option. Donation is $10. For more information or tickets, please contact Dave Pavlik at (814)243-9446 or dapavlik@atlanticbb.net or call Suzie or Nancy at St. Clement Church at (814)255-4422. Thanks for participating. GIRLS’ VARSITY VOLLEYBALL COACH NEEDED AT ST. JOE’S CATHOLIC ACADEMY A Head Coach is need for the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Program at St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy. Interested applicants should send an email and coaching resume to SJCA Athletic Director, Chad Walsh at cwalsh@stjoeacad.org. If you have any questions, please call him at (814)808-6118. 2016 ADULT ENRICHMENT CLASSES OFFERED Deacon Chip Young will be offering the following two courses, Sacraments and Church History, at Holy Spirit Parish in Lock Haven. The 8 week course Sacraments will be held Wednesdays from 6:30 — 8:30 PM beginning on January 6th. The 10 week course, Church History will be held Wednesdays from 6:30 — 8:30 PM beginning on March 9th. To register, please contact Marybeth at the Office of Adult Enrichment and Lay Ecclesial Ministries at (814)361-2000 or email her at mheinze@dioceseaj.org. Registration forms are also available online at www.dioceseaj.org/lay-ecclesial-ministry. All are welcome to sign up and attend. CHURCH CLEANING/DECORATING THANK YOU! Many thanks to the Catholic Daughters and to everyone who showed up to help clean and decorate our church for the Christmas Season. It looks truly beautiful as always! We would also like to extend our grateful thanks to everyone and anyone who volunteered in any way this past year to help our church functions run so smoothly. We are so blessed with having such a generous and caring parish family here at St. John’s. May God bless you for a Happy New Year! CHARITY If you truly want to help the soul of your neighbor, you should approach God First with all your heart. Ask Him simply to fill you with Charity, the greatest of all virtues; with it you can accomplish what you desire. —St. Vincent Ferrer

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES The next scheduled CCD Classes for Kindergarten through 10th Grades are on Sunday, January 10th at 9:00 AM in the school. 11TH GRADE CONFIRMATION CLASS Please Note: The next 11th Grade Confirmation Class will be held NEXT Sunday, January 3rd from 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM in the school auditorium. For any questions or concerns, please call Deacon Tom or Shirley Boldin at 355-4234 or email stboldin@verizon.net. ST. CLEMENT CHURCH IN JOHNSTOWN SUPER BOWL/SUPER CASH SWEEPSTAKES TICKETS FOR SALE Win a trip for 2 to SUPER BOWL 50 in San Francisco, CA, (winning package includes MANY extras) plus $1,500 travel cash. Grand Prize Winner has $10,000 cash option. Donation is $10. For more information or tickets, please contact Dave Pavlik at (814)243-9446 or dapavlik@atlanticbb.net or call Suzie or Nancy at St. Clement Church at (814)255-4422. Thanks for participating. GIRLS’ VARSITY VOLLEYBALL COACH NEEDED AT ST. JOE’S CATHOLIC ACADEMY A Head Coach is need for the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Program at St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy. Interested applicants should send an email and coaching resume to SJCA Athletic Director, Chad Walsh at cwalsh@stjoeacad.org. If you have any questions, please call him at (814)808-6118. 2016 ADULT ENRICHMENT CLASSES OFFERED Deacon Chip Young will be offering the following two courses, Sacraments and Church History, at Holy Spirit Parish in Lock Haven. The 8 week course, Sacraments, will be held Wednesdays from 6:30 — 8:30 PM beginning on January 6th. The 10 week course, Church History, will be held Wednesdays from 6:30 — 8:30 PM beginning on March 9th. To register, please contact Marybeth at the Office of Adult Enrichment and Lay Ecclesial Ministries at (814)361-2000 or email her at mheinze@dioceseaj.org. Registration forms are also available online at www.dioceseaj.org/lay-ecclesial-ministry. All are welcome to sign up and attend. CHURCH CLEANING/DECORATING THANK YOU! Many thanks to the Catholic Daughters and to everyone who showed up to help clean and decorate our church for the Christmas Season. It looks truly beautiful as always! We would also like to extend our grateful thanks to everyone and anyone who volunteered in any way this past year to help our church functions run so smoothly. We are so blessed with having such a generous and caring parish family here at St. John’s. God Bless You with a Happy New Year! A CHEERFUL GIVER A cheerful giver does not count the cost of what he gives. His heart is set on pleasing and cheering the one to whom the gift is given. —-St. Julian

910066 St. John Evangelist Church 134 E. Bishop Street Bellefonte, PA 16823 814-355-3134 Contact: Fr. George Jakopac gjakopac@archbalt.org Software Using: Win 8 Adobe DC Publisher 2013 Transmission Time: Wednesdays, 11:30 am Special Instructions: