6
MISSION STATEMENT
Saint Mary of the Annunciation is a Roman Catholic Christian Community centered around the Eucharist, welcoming all, while growing through faith and stewardship.
ST. MARY OF THE ANNUNCIATION PARISH
EUCHARISTIC LITURGY Saturday (Vigil) 4:00 pm
Sunday 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 am Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 am
(Lower Church Chapel)
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM Baptisms are celebrated monthly at 1:00 pm. A Baptism class is held for all new parents and godparents on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm in the Parish Center. To schedule your Baptism or for more
information, please call Lisa Hudson at the Rectory.
SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY Please call the Parish Office to schedule an appointment to begin the preparation process and to confirm a date and time for your wedding.
This process should begin at least six months in advance of the desired
SACRAMENT OF THE SICK If you would like to receive the Sacrament of the Sick prior to hospital
admission or any other reason, please contact the Rectory.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturdays from 3:00-3:45 pm or call the Parish Office for an appointment.
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Fridays after the 9:00 am Mass until Noon in the Lower Church Chapel.
ROSARY FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE Wednesdays at 7:00 pm in the Parish Center Chapel.
ST. MARY OF THE ANNUNCIATION PARISH
ST. MARY SCHOOL
4 Myrtle Street, Melrose, MA 02176
School Website: www.stmaryschoolmelrose.org School Office: 781-665-5037
46 Myrtle Street, Melrose, MA 02176
Parish Website: www.stmarysmelrose.org
Parish Office: 781-665-0152 Fax: 781-665-2750
Hours: 9:00am—4:00pm, Monday—Friday
PASTORAL STAFF
Rev. Shawn Allen Pastor
Rev. Charles Hughes In Residence
Rev. John Janko, SDB Weekend Assistant
Ms. Marge Keohane Operations Manager
Mr. Christopher Beza Principal, St. Mary’s School
781-665-5037 [email protected]
Mrs. Janine Hanley Mrs. Linda Simko
Directors of Religious Education 781-590-4948
Mrs. Paula Lowell Music Director
Mrs. Lisa Hudson Parish & Religious Education Secretary
Mrs. Jaclyn Meehan Confirmation Coordinator
Mr. George Riley Maintenance Supervisor
617-834-6670
Saint Mary Parish, Melrose, MA
WELCOME TO ST. MARY’S! If you are visiting and looking for a spiritual home, we welcome you to our
Saint Mary of the Annunciation Parish Community. We hope that you find the worship and liturgy uplifting and an encouragement to your faith.
We invite you to participate in the life of our parish. Whatever your age or walk of life, we want this parish to be your spiritual home.
We are a community centered on excellent liturgy, helping people of all ages grow in relationship with Jesus, and welcoming all.
Please introduce yourself to one of the priests after Mass. We want to know you and serve you.
Please pray for those who are ill and especially for
Maureen McIsaac Stephen McFarland
Ellie & Paul Pistorino William Doherty Robert Nobrega
Patricia DeGaravilla
Our Sanctuary Lamp is lit in memory of
Saint Mary Parishioners
Please pray for our recently deceased loved
ones. Laura Limone Jennie Martell
We pray in a special way for whatever reason.
We pray for all those who are lonely,
for those who have no one to pray for them,
Saturday, December 7 4:00 pm Mr & Mrs David Hurley
Sunday, December 8 7:30 am Beatriz San Juan Gomez 9:30 am John Kelleher 11:30 am Carmela Denisi & Family
Mon day, December 9 9:00 am Private Intention
Saturday, December 14 4:00 pm James P Mooney
Sunday, December 15 7:30 am Patricia Mahoney 9:30 am Maureen Connelly 11:30 am Carol A Morrell
Mass Schedule for Christmas
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Christmas Eve
4:00pm upstairs and downstairs this Mass ONLY
6:00pm
Wednesday, December 25, 2019 Christmas Day
8:00am and 11:00am
REFLECTION FOR DECEMBER 8, 2019
What does it mean to be worthy? There are a few dif-ferent ways to approach this question. Today’s Gospel highlights two: the way of the Pharisees and the way of John the Baptist. Our faith values good works and disci-pleship. Perhaps, then, we “earn” our worth by adhering to the right doctrines and following the right pious practice. The Pharisees thought they were worthy. Due to their
religious pedigree and proper procedures, they were self-satisfied. John the Baptist’s words to them are strong. “Do not resume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’” Of course, Jesus (and John) don’t omit the responsibility for moral behavior. John gives the Pharisees quite a strong warning in that regard. “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance … every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” It’s a question of attitude. Of disposition. It’s a matter of the heart. If anyone would be worthy in this scenario, it’s John the Baptist. Je-sus himself will name him the greatest of prophets and a great man. John, however, recognizes his own lowly place in the grand scheme of things. “The one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals.” The Pharisees take pride in being “better” than others. John embraces humility in Christ being “better” than him. We don’t self-generate our own worthiness. We receive it as a gift from God. In a few short weeks, we’ll celebrate the birth of Christ. Bishop Ven. Fulton Sheen wrote about the Nativity in his “Life of Christ”: “Because [Jesus] was born in a cave, all who wish to see Him must stoop. To stoop is the mark of humility. The proud refuse to stoop and, therefore, they miss divinity.” God invites us to prepare our hearts this Advent. When you consider your own life, where are you looking for your worth? This Christmas, are you prepared to stoop? ©LPi
Our Parish website is a work in progress but there’s lots new.
Check out our Photo Albums
under the Parish tab.
www.stmarysmelrose.org
Second Sunday of Advent
Readings for December 8, 2019
Second Sunday of Advent
First Reading Isaiah 11:1-10 Responsorial Psalm Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 Second Reading Romans 15:4-9 Gospel Matthew 3:1-12
In today’s first reading, Isaiah presents a hope-filled picture of the Kingdom that Christ came to establish. Pray the Our Father each day this week and as you do so, pray for the grace to notice the glimpses of the kingdom that are spring-ing up around you – acts of welcome, of kindness, of mercy and love.
Readings for December 15, 2019
Third Sunday of Advent Gaudete Sunday
First Reading Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 Responsorial Psalm Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 Second Reading James 5:7-10 Gospel Matthew 11:2-11
Today’s second reading from the letter of Saint James is four verses that are packed with meaning and encourage-ment. The words “patient” or “patience” appear four times. The world will tell us that time is running out, so BUY NOW! The Church is telling us that Jesus will come whether the shopping is done or not, so patience! This week try to build in five minutes of quiet time each day to remember a loved one in prayer. That’s a gift we can all use, and it is price-less!
Sgt Paul Consoli, US Army Major Martin Forrest, USMC
LtCol Steven Gerardi, US Army Cpl Matthew Gregorio, USMC
Pvt Michael Butler, USMC L/Cpl Daniel Morelli, USMC
Sgt Brian Crawford, US Army LtCol Bernard Banks, US Army
H.C. Evan Carroll, USN Sgt Patrick Briatico, USMC
E3 James E. Wilson, US Army AB Dan Munday, USAF
SR Patrick Casey, USCG Cpl Kevin J. Doherty, USMC Cpl Cam DeCroteau, USMC
SPC Bradford Saunders, US Army Major Eric DiNoto, US Army
Aft Devon Emery, USAF
Lt Patrick Forrest, USMC Cpl Mark Gregorio, USMC
L/Cpl Jare Wimberly, USMC LtCol McGregor, USMC
SPC James LaCroix, US Army WO James Pappa, US Army SS Jessica Rainwater, USAF
S/F Justin E. O'Brien, US Army Lt J/G Quincy King II, USAF Lt John R Moreschi Jr., USN Cpt Daniel J. Parker, USAF Sgt Mickhail Jean, US Army Sgt Jacob Pezzini, US Army
Cpl Michael Igo, USMC Sgt Sean D. Mooney, ARNG L/Cpl Michael Baker, USMC
Pfc Matthew Hanley, US Army
Please pray that God will watch over and safeguard our men and women
serving in the military. We thank you for your service.
PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN
The updated guidelines now require everyone to take this course every 5 years. Our next PGC session is this evening Sunday, December 8 in the Lower Church at 6:30pm. Contact Jaclyn Meehan for any questions at [email protected]
CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS CHOIR Grades 2 and up
We will be forming a special Children's Christmas Choir to sing on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th, at the
4:00pm Mass.
There are two remaining Friday afternoon rehearsals from 4:00-5:00pm in the Parish Center Living Room:
Dec 13th, and Dec 20th.
To sign up, please contact Paula Lowell, Director of Mu-sic, at (978) 658-0161, Email: [email protected]
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT
Tuesday, December 17, 2019 7:00pm
Come celebrate the Birth of Our Lord with an evening of lessons and carols sung by all our
students in our Upper School, Grades 5-8
The theme this year is "The Angels Proclaim the Birth of Jesus"
Come join us and be reminded of the true meaning of our Christmas season!
SAINT MARY SCHOOL WINTER CALENDAR RAFFLE FUNDRAISER
Winter calendar raffles are being sold by families at St. Mary's School. The cost for each calendar raffle is $10.00. A cash prize winner will be chosen every day from Christmas until January 31. These make great gifts and stocking stuffers. The calendars come in a Christmas card format for easy gifting. If you would like to purchase calendar raffle tickets for Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers, they are availa-ble in the school office (781.665.5037 - 4 Myrtle Street, Melrose).
December 8, 2019
SAINT MARY PARISH CONFIRMATION PROGRAM
Next Class is Monday, December 9 Guest Speaker, Julie Nolan 7pm-8pm
Please contact our Coordinator, Jaclyn Meehan for any questions Email—[email protected]
The ST VINCENT DePAUL GIVING TREE is a way to help people in need in our area for the
Christmas Season!
The Giving Tree started 2 week-ends ago. We request all ornaments be returned with their gifts to the tree by NEXT Sunday, December 15th to give proper time for delivering the gifts. Please remember to return the ornament with the gift as we use this to sort the gifts. If your gift is a Gift Card please include the value of the card. If one ornament has multiple packages, please write the code from
the ornament on the additional packages. An example of the code is x-2017-34 or H1-09. So grab an ornament for your Black Friday shopping!
Weekly Offertory Collections for October and November
Weekend of October 6 In Pew Collection—$6,415.. Online Collection—$1,536.
Weekend of October 13 In Pew Collection—$6,852. Online Collection—$2276.
Weekend of October 20 In Pew Collection—$7,022. Online Collection—$937.
Weekend of October 27 In Pew Collection—$5,261. Online Collection—$3816.
Weekend of November 3 In Pew Collection—$7,027.. Online Collection—$1,362.
Weekend of November 10 In Pew Collection—$5,549. Online Collection—$2,305.
Weekend of November 17 In Pew Collection—$6,886. Online Collection—$2,068.
Weekend of November 24 In Pew Collection—$5,692. Online Collection—$584.
Thank you for your continuous generosity and commitment to our Parish.
GRAND ANNUAL COLLECTION UPDATE
I want to thank all the parish families who have contribut-ed to this year’s Grand Annual Appeal. Your support and generosity are gratefully appreciated. The Grand Annual is an important part of our annual reve-nue and necessary to cover the day-to-day operating ex-penses. To date, we have received $39,182, which is al-most half of our goal. If every parish family makes a dona-tion as their means allow, we will have another successful Grand Annual! Your donation may be made in installments if that’s more convenient for you. We ask every parishioner consider a gift as your means allow. You may also make a one-time gift online on our website (stmarysmelrose.org). Please be sure to choose “Grand Annual” as the fund for your gift. Thank you. Father Shawn
ONLINE GIVING – DOWNLOAD THE “CONNECTNOW GIVING” APP!
Did you know you can get the online giving app on your Apple or Android phone? Just go to the app store and search for “ConnectNow Giving” and select “Get”. You will need to enter the zip code for St. Mary’s. The app will be added to your phone and yo u can now sign up for a new account, make changes to your existing account or make an online donation during the Offertory while the basket is being passed. You may also schedule a recurring monthly donation if you choose. Once your basic information is entered, you may make donations as well as changes at any time. We hope to expand our base of online givers. During the winter months, Mass attendance is light-er due to weather issues, flu season, snowbirds, and other reasons. When attendance is down, the offertory is down! Some parishioners have mentioned feeling a little uncom-fortable not placing anything in the basket when it is passed at Mass. No need to worry about this. By not placing a do-nation in the basket, you are simply choosing a more con-venient way to give that works for you. We currently have more than 150 families who give online so that’s why you may notice many do not drop a donation in the basket. Our goal is to have 250 families within the next year. If you do not use a computer, you can still set up an ac-count by calling the rectory. You also can arrange with your bank to have checks mailed directly to Saint Mary’s each month. We have several families who contribute this way. Whatever way you choose to give, we are most grateful for your support and commitment. Saint Mary’s is blessed with a stable financial base and no debt…..and we hope this continues well into the future. Thank you for your continued generosity!
CHURCH CLEANING for CHRISTMAS During Advent, we focus on prayer and preparation. Another way to make our Advent journey more meaningful is hands-on helping others. Giving the church a thorough cleaning for Christmas is an essential part of the preparation. We need volunteers who can give a couple of hours to this task on Saturday, December 14th at 10 am. If you can help, please call Margaret Small at 781-665-1002. If, by chance, there is a Funeral on that morning, Margaret will let you know of an alternative date/time. Thank you.
Saint Mary of the Annunciation School and PTO News
Visit the St Mary’s School Website www.stmaryschoolmelrose.org
www.facebook.com/stmaryschoolmelrose
MISSION STATEMENT
Saint Mary of the Annunciation School is a Catholic commu-nity of learners living the way of Christ. We instill disciple-ship, integrity and academic excellence in a safe, caring
environment. Our mission is to educate faith-filled leaders for the future.
PTO MEETINGS
Meetings will be held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.
Next meeting is on Wednesday, December 18th. Mark Your Calendar!
Please join us as we need everyone’s help to make this a successful year for all our children!
UPCOMING PTO EVENTS
Snowball Express Friday December 20th
Children will be able to shop for gifts! The 8th graders are available to wrap the purchases that day. It
will be a fun experience for all!
Parents Night Out Thursday January 16th
Giggles Comedy Club-Prince Pizza
$25 per ticket Come and enjoy unlimited pizza and a comedy show!
Cash bar. It is sure to be a fun night out with lots of laughs!
Tickets can be purchased online through Eventbrite.
February Half Day Event Friday, February 7th
Gymja Warrior
Father-Someone Special/Daughter Dance
Saturday February 8th
Annual Auction “Back to the 80s”
March 28, 2020 6:00-10:00pm Bellevue Golf Club
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Will you help out? Please email any PTO Officer to let them know.
Thank you in advance!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Tuesday, Dec 17—Christmas Pageant Friday, Dec 20—PTO sponsored Snowball Express - PreK Pageant—Last Day of Classes Wednesday, Dec 25—Christmas Day Wednesday, January 1—New Year’s Day Monday, Jan 6—School resumes Tuesday, Jan 7—MAP Testing Begins Wednesday, Jan 8—School Liturgy Thursday, Jan 16—PTO Parents Night Out—Giggles Comedy Club at Prince Pizza Monday, Jan 20—Martin Luther King JrDay—No School Tuesday, Jan 21—Winter Clubs Begin Thursday, Jan 23—Progress Reports K-8 Sunday, Jan 26—Catholic Schools Week Begins
WINTER CALENDAR RAFFLE
FUNDRAISER
Winter calendar raffles are being sold by fami-lies at St. Mary's School. The cost for each calen-dar raffle is $10.00. A cash prize winner will be chosen every day from Christmas until January 31. These make great gifts and stocking stuffers. The calendars come in a Christmas card format for easy gifting. If you would like to purchase calendar raffle tickets for Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers, they are available in the school office (781.665.5037 - 4 Myrtle Street, Melrose). The funds raised from this year's raffle will allow us to realize two major objectives in our school's multi-year plan: the purchase of math curriculum resources and books for K - grade 6 (projected May 2020) and installation of two filtered water bot-tle filling stations (projected July 2020). We thank you in advance for your support of this year's Win-ter Calendar Raffle fundraiser.
Blessings for a happy, healthy Christmas season,
Mr Chris Beza, Principal
