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St. Monica Church
St. Monica Church
WELCOME TO ST. MONICA PARISH December 29, 2019
Dear Parishioners,
Although we are still in the Christmas Season, even if the “world” thinks it is over, I hope that you have a tremendous New Year’s celebration. Be safe, please. My prayer is that 2020 will truly be a year of grace for all of us!
Our Masses for the Holyday of Obligation will be at 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, and at 9:30 A.M. and 11:30 A.M. on Wednesday, January 1, 2020.
Many thanks to all who are making this Christmas Season so beautiful: the decorators, the musi-cians, the choirs, the Readers, the servers, etc., etc., etc. BUT, most importantly, thanks to YOU the assembly who have gathered to celebrate these most important feast days! May God bless you all.
This weekend we are celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Perhaps we may think that this special family, living SO LONG AGO and SO FAR AWAY, might not be rele-vant for families today. But that is hardly the case. Just like families today they enjoyed times of great joy, but also suffered through terrible hardships. The delights of a newborn baby was accompanied by the fear that led them to flee to a foreign land (Egypt). Next weekend let us pray that the faith and love shown by the Holy Family may sustain us through both our joys and our struggles. As is our custom we will have the annual Blessing of Families at all the Masses this weekend.
Tuesday, January 1, 2020, is the Octave Day of Christmas: Mary, the Holy Mother of God. On this special day we honor Mary in her role as the Mother of God, the “Theotokos,” (literally the “God bearer”), as defined by the Council of Ephesus in 431. The Council defined that Mary is the Theoto-kos” because her son Jesus is both God and man: one divine person with two natures (divine and human) intimately and hypostatically united. She made possible Jesus’s coming into the world, fully human and fully divine. May we consider the ways we can bring Christ into our world and look to Mary as a model of selfless obedience to God.
Next weekend we will observe the 12th Day of Christmas, with the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. On that day we will celebrate the manifestation of Jesus to foreigners … the magi from the East. What had originally been known only to Mary and Joseph, and soon shared with intimate friends like Mary’s relatives, Elizabeth and Zechariah, then revealed to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’s birth, has now been made known to these visitors from the East. Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Sav-ior, the “newborn king of the Jews,” had been born. May we rejoice, for his saving presence has been made manifest to all.
Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament will NOT happen on New Year’s. Nor will we have Confessions at 3:30 on New Year’s Day. We will resume both on Wednesday, January 8, 2020.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, PLEASE NOTE: On Saturday, January 11, there will be a meeting for ALL Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, those who are regularly sched-uled at our Masses here as well as those who take Holy Communion to the Sick, either at home or in the various nursing homes in our parish. The meeting will begin at 9:00 A.M. here at the Parish. (The exact place will be in next week’s bulletin.) Please allow yourself a two hour window for the meeting, although I hope it will be over prior to 11:00 A.M. If you are an active parishioner, confirmed, and 18 or over, you are eligible to be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. If you would like to be a Minister, you are also invited to attend this meeting. If you have any questions, please write me ([email protected]) with questions. We are going to implement a few changes, (nothing earth shattering!), and we’d like to address ALL of our Extraordinary Ministers at the same time. It saves us all time! Thank you so much. Continue on next page……………..
WELCOME TO ST. MONICA PARISH December 29, 2019
PARISH WEEKLY COLLECTION DECEMBER 15: ENVELOPES $28,035.00; LOOSE $1,936.28; ONLINE GIVING $9,057.17; CHRISTMAS $340.00; FLOWERS $45.00; IMMACULATE CONCEPTION $50.00; RETIRED RELIGIOUS $100.00; SEMINARY/CHRISTMAS $205.00; AND THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.
PARISH FINANCIAL UPDATE AS OF DECEMBER 15 Year to date deficit (July 1—December 15) —$88,105.75 Weekly budget $27,295.00. Actual received $23,569.85 Due to early bulletin submission December 22 will be in the next bulletin.
Bells at Mass: In the past bells ringing at Mass, at various times during the Mass, was the norm. Since the Mass is now in English and the priest is generally “facing the people,” the number of times bells would be rung has gone down. They are still permitted (according to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal) before the Consecration (at the epiclesis), and at each of the Elevations of the Sacred Host and Chalice. (Number 150 says: “A little before the Consecration, if appropriate, a minister rings a small bell as a signal to the faithful. The minister also rings the small bell at each elevation by the Priest, according to local custom.”) In many parishes here in the Archdiocese it is the “local custom.” We have discussed implementing this at the Worship Committee and it was unanimously agreed to do so. So once we get the servers (“the minister”) trained, we will be implementing the use of the bell at those three times in the Mass. The history of the bells being rung goes back centuries and it was origi-nally the church bell(s) that was (were) rung at the Holy, Holy, Holy, and at the other times of the Mass, to alert the people that our Lord was coming to be with us through the Sacramental Species of the conse-cration bread and wine. I hope that it would bring more reverence and attention to what is happening at the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass. Again, as above, if you have any questions, please write me ([email protected]). Thank you. The Apostleship of Prayer: I have covered this the past two weeks, and I don’t have room to do much more at this time other than to give you the intention for the month of January. I encourage you to PLEASE offer this prayer daily and ask the Lord to listen to our prayers.
The MORNING OFFERING: (Traditional prayer): O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer, and in particular for the intention recommended by our Holy Father this month: promotion of World Peace, we pray that Christians, followers of other religions, and all people of goodwill may promote peace and justice in the world.
(An alternate prayer): God, our Father, I offer You my day. I offer You my prayers, thoughts, words, actions, joys and sufferings in union with Your Son Jesus’ Heart, who continues to offer Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit, Who guided Jesus, be my guide and my strength today so that I may witness to Your love. With Mary, the mother of our Lord and of the Church, I pray especially for this month’s intention: promotion of World Peace, we pray that Christians, follow-ers of other religions, and all people of goodwill may promote peace and justice in the world. I pray that you and yours are having a blessed Christmas season and will have a most blessed 2020.
Please remember that for Catholics this year’s Christmas season runs until January 12.
Fr Joe Weber
WELCOME TO ST. MONICA PARISH December 29, 2019
2020 FREE THROW CHAMPIONSHIP The Knights of Columbus will host their Free Throw Championship Friday, January 17 at 7:30 P.M. in the St Monica gym. The event is FREE and open to boys and girls age 9-14. The gym will be open at 7:00 P.M. for warm-ups. Please bring your CYC card or birth certificate as proof of age.
YEAR END DONATIONS According to IRS regulations in order to credit contributions to donors 2019 charitable accounts your gift must be received in the calendar year of 2019. There are 3 ways to be sure your gift is credited to your 2019 stewardship account. You may write a check that is received at the Parish Office or in the offertory basket at Mass by 12/31/2019. The check must be dated 2019. You may send a check to the Parish Office in the mail. The date of the check must be 2019 and it must be postmarked no later than 12/31/2019. You may make an online contribution through our electronic online giving system. The link is available on our Parish Website, www.stmonicastl.org. All gifts received by 12/31/2019 will be recorded on your 2019 stewardship statement.
HOLIDAY HOURS FOR THE RECTORY We reopen Monday, December 30, which allows us to do the deposits, log end of year donations, and replenish the votive candles. The Rectory office will close Tuesday, December 31 at noon until Thursday, January 2.
MASS INTENTIONS—DECEMBER 30– JANUARY 4 MONDAY SIXTH DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD 6:30 A.M. GERRI RAHM TUESDAY St. Sylvester 6:30 A.M. Michel Bartlon 5:00 P.M. Mary Leona Weber WEDNESDAY Solemnity of Mary 9:30 A.M. PEOPLE OF THE PARISH 11:30 A.M. SPECIAL INTENTION Thursday STS. BASIL AND GREGORY NAZIANZEN 6:30 A.M. . TIENUP FAMILY Friday Holy Name of Jesus, First Friday 6:30 A.M. WALDEMAR AND BARBARA SIDORUK Saturday ST. ELIZABETH ANN SEATON, FIRST SATURDAY VIGIL, EPIPHANY OF THE LORD 5:00 P.M. PURGATORIAL SOCIETY
PRAYERS FOR HEALING. PLEASE REMEMBER Ruth Begnaud, Mildred Dickherber, Shirley Dunker, Estelle Flanakin, Charlotte Griffaw, Bill Guiot, Christina Hartley, Bob Huseman, Sylvia Indelicato, Ronald Kalupa, Nina Kelly, Kara Koeninger, Gloria Luca, Patricia Mohan, Lourdes Manalo, Eileen McDonough, Joan Middendorf, Rose Miller, Ann Miller, Fred Mueller, Cecilia Mullikan, Jack Powers, Michael Reinhardt, Mary Renner, Joseph Ritacco, Helen Sander, Marge Sallwasser, Dennis Sarris, Jeannett Sarris, Joe Schmitz, Rose Slee, Joe Sonderman, John Staszkiewicz, Shirley Vien, and Fr Timothy Vowels. Persons remain on the public Prayers for Healing list for six weeks unless otherwise requested. OUR SYMPATHY TO Shelly and Chris Giles, their children, Grant and Hope on the death of their son and brother, Luke Masters; to Lois Mans and her family on the death of her mother, Opal Zimmerman. May they be living with God and may all be consoled. WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Great Marriages Don’t Happen, Couples Make Them! “Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Offer your spouse the treasures of each other by participating in a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend. The next weekends are February 7-9, and April 24-26 at the Courtyard Marriot in St. Peters, MO.
https://stl-wwme.org/schedule.php or call or text 314.649.7317.
WEEKLY CALENDAR 12/29 NO CHILDREN’S LITURGY 12/30 NO CHILDREN’S CHOIR 12/31 NO PSR 1/2 NO ADULT CHOIR 1/5 NO CHILDREN’S LITURGY NEW YEAR’S EVE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31,2019 5:00 P.M. MASS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2020 9:30 A.M. AND 11:30 A.M. MASS
WELCOME TO ST. MONICA PARISH December 29, 2019
BLOOD DRIVE AT ST. MONICA We registered 27 donors, had 2 deferrals, resulting in 25 units on a goal of 30. Each whole blood donation can be broken into multiple components. Seventy-five lives can be impacted based on the result so this drive alone. Once again school qualifies for the LifeSavings grant of $275 for school technology funding.
ST. MONICA 150TH ANNIVERSARY Anyone who would be interested in helping with the parish's 150th anniversary celebration contact
[email protected]. CASSEROLES FOR ST. PATRICK CENTER We need casseroles for this Wednesday, January 1 and Friday, January 3. You will be able to tell where the greatest need is from the sign-up sheets. There is no 6:30 A.M. Mass January 1, so you may use the freezer in the vestibule room to drop off your casseroles at your convenience. Contact Vicki Westall at 314.920.9749 if you need help. Thank you for your generosity!
MEN’S ACTS RETREAT MARCH 26-29 “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption” is our theme this year. To our Christian brothers in Christ Jesus this is an opportunity where to set aside your everyday chores and spend a three-day weekend with other like men. This retreat is lay led assisted by parish priests and offers the opportu-nity for you to renew your spirituality, strengthen your faith and its application in daily life, all right in the season of Lent. Questions, contact Fred Ward [email protected].
ROAR NEWS: It’s almost the New Year! How about making one of your resolutions to stop by our ROAR table (Retailers Offering Added Rewards) after any Mass and support our ongoing fundraise here for St. Monica Parish. For those of you who are new to St. Monica this is a Rewards Program that we use. Parishioners buy gift certificates (we have lots to choose from) and St. Monica earns money back from the retailers. The certificate is an even exchange for you. Whatever denomination of a card you buy is the amount you pay. Questions, or to volunteer to sell after Mass in the vestibule contact MJ 314.541.6167 or
[email protected]. EPIPHANY CONCERT – FREE! The joy of the Christmas season extends through the Baptism of the Lord on January 12/2020. One of the best expressions of Christmas joy is through music, especially the singing of a choir. To enjoy it, plan to treat yourself and your family to an Epiphany Festival. The program will include several Adult choirs from area parishes, including St Monica Choir, all singing their best Christmas music from this year. Choirs and audience sing some carols together too. It’s a merry good time! The concert is always free and open to the public. A free-will offering will be accepted to support Birthright. Details: Sunday, January 5 at Sts Joachim and Ann Parish, 7:00 P.M. A reception will follow.
BINGO The Knights of Columbus to host Bingo at St Richard in O’Brien Hall Saturday, January 18 at 7:00 P.M. Cost of the event is $20 with registration in advance, $25 at the door. Cost includes a packet of bingo cards, drinks, snacks, 15 games of bingo and an evening of entertainment. For reservations call Troy 314.469.1132.
ST. MONICA PARISH SCHOOL OF RELIGION GRADES 1-8 DIRECTOR—Mr. Jim Combs….314.434.2173 DEC 31 AND JAN 1 NO SCHOOL JAN 8 CLASS #16 JAN 15 CLASS #17 ACRE TEST FOR 5TH GR JAN 22 CLASS #18 SAFE TOUCH MAKE UP FOR 5TH GR JAN 29 CLASS #19
SVDP PANTRY AT ST. MONICA The pantry needs shampoo, mac & cheese, rice and canned ravioli/spaghetti.
WELCOME TO ST. MONICA PARISH December 29, 2019
To: All STM Organizational Leaders Subj: Schneider Hall and adjoining meeting room. Date: 9 December 2019 Greetings All! Because we have new flooring in the Hall which we wish to keep looking nice for the next fifty years, and because of limited manpower to reset utili-ties for various meetings and events, we are instituting a standing set up of tables and chairs which should suffice for most all happenings in the church basement. On the next page you will find a mock-up of the hall and tables with eight chairs each which will remain until moved by our maintenance crew on in-struction from the rectory. We request that only our staff move tables and chairs out from storage as to minimize scrapes and other damage to our new floors and walls. Please note the partition walls indicated by dotted lines, which can be opened and closed into sound proof rooms as needed, again only by our maintenance staff. All reservations will continue to be made through the Rectory where any questions involving the hall may be directed. All meetings and events will utilize this standard set up unless a decision is made to change it by the Rectory. Thank you for all your kindness on behalf of our Parish family. Ray Alonzo, Bldg Chrm
WELCOME TO ST. MONICA PARISH December 29, 2019
WELCOME TO ST. MONICA PARISH December 29, 2019
WELCOME TO ST. MONICA PARISH December 29, 2019
INFORMATION SHEET Church Name & Address: St. Monica # 957061 12136 Olive Blvd Creve Coeur, Mo 63141 Contact Person: Patty Greaves 314.434.4211 #330 Software: Win 7—MSPub 2007—AA-X Date of Publication: Jun. 30 Number of Pages Transmitted: Cover + 7 text pages + this page = 11 (2 ad pages) Special Instructions:
FedEx Shipping Address: St. Monica Church 12136 Olive Blvd Creve Coeur, MO 63141 Special Shipping Instructions: Be sure to deliver to the rectory. FedEx Tracking e-mail: [email protected]
