The Church of St. Christopher

130 Midland Avenue

Staten Island, New York 10306

Parish Office: (718) 351-2452

Fax: (718) 351-1174

Office Hours: Monday - Friday,

9:30am - 4:00pm

Web: www.stcstmmsi.org

The Church of

St. Christopher and

St. Margaret Mary

December 11th 2016 - 3nd Sunday in Advent

The Church of St. Margaret Mary

560 Lincoln Avenue

Staten Island, New York 10306

Church Office: (718) 351-2612

Fax: (718) 987-0446

Office Hours: Monday - Friday,

9:30am - 2:30pm

Web: www.stcstmmsi.org

Rev. Joseph M. McLafferty, Pastor

Rev. John P. DeLora, SIUH Chaplain, in residence

Rev. Edgar Devina, in residence

Rev. John A. Boehning, Weekend Celebrant

Rev. Deogracias Lingao, Weekend Celebrant

Rev. Thomas J. Mullin, Weekend Celebrant

Deacon Patrick Graham

MASSES Monday - Friday: St. Christopher …… 9:00am St. Margaret Mary ... 8:00am

Monday: Island Shores ….….. 10:30am, Residents Mass

Saturday: St. Christopher ….… 9:00am and 4:30pm (Vigil)

Sunday: St. Christopher ….… 9:15am, 12:00pm and 7:00pm St. Margaret Mary ... 8:00am and 10:30am

Holy Days of Obligation ……………… as announced

CONFESSION Saturday: St. Christopher ….... 1:30pm - 2:30pm Otherwise by appointment; call ……… (718) 351-2452

BAPTISMS By appointment. Interviews of parents seeking baptism for their

children are arranged by calling the Parish Office; (718) 351-2452.

MARRIAGES By appointment with one of the priests at least six months in

advance of the wedding date. Please contact the Parish Office for further information; (718) 351-2452.

SICK CALLS Please call the Parish Office; (718) 351-2452.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Monday - Friday: St. Christopher …… 12:00pm - 4:30pm

Coordinators: Barbara Fiore (917) 593-4743 or Terry Warner (718) 979-0258

NEW PARISHIONERS All new parishioners are invited to register at the Parish Office

and to participate in our parish life.

ST. CHRISTOPHER SCHOOL 15 Lisbon Place, 10306 (718) 351-0902

Mrs. Catherine Falabella, Principal

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION and RCIA 560 Lincoln Avenue, 10306 (718) 351-2119

Mrs. Barbara Regan, Coordinator

PARISH CENTER 136 Midland Avenue, 10306

MASS INTENTIONS

Saturday, Dec 10th 9:00am (C) 4:30pm (C) Sunday, Dec 11th 8:00am (M) 9:15am (C) 10:30am (M) 12:00pm (C) 7:00pm (C) Monday, Dec 12th

8:00am (M) 9:00am (C) Tuesday, Dec 13th 8:00am (M) 9:00am (C)

Wednesday, Dec 14th 8:00am (M)

9:00am (C)

Thursday, Dec 15th 8:00am (M) 9:00am (C)

Friday, Dec 16th 8:00am (M) 9:00am (C)

Saturday, Dec 17th 9:00am (C) 4:30pm (C)

Sunday, Dec 18th

8:00am (M) 9:15am (C) 10:30am (M) 12:00pm (C) 7:00pm (C)

Kathleen Owens Lt. Philip Petti, FDNY & Toni Petti Louis Cretella & Sylvia Scotto Holy Name Society Sally Brady Dec’d Members of Michael Laterza Fam. For the Parishioners Robert Donohue Mary & Thomas Rossi Vito DelPriore Isabella Frittitta Martin Egan Jr. Andrew Owens

For the Parishioneers Dec’d members of the Cigliano, Rubicco and Catucci Families

Mary Salhany Anne & James Favaloro Matthew Pietromonaco David Kettyle

Marie Evers Members of the Legion of Mary Alan Giordano Frank Della Jacono, Imre Potoczki and George DeAbreo Richard Willis

(C) St. Christopher Church (M) St. Margaret Mary Church

PRAY FOR OUR SICK “... touch only the tassel on his cloak,

and as many as touched it were healed.” -Mark 6:56

NOTE: Those in bold were added this week.

Dear Jesus, Divine Physician and Healer of the sick, we turn to you in this time of illness. O dearest com-forter of the troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with your gentle love, and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden. Dear God, we place our worries in your

hands. We place our sick under your care and humbly ask that you restore your servant to health again. Above all, grant us the grace to acknowledge your will and know that whatever you do, you do for the love of us. Amen.

Carol Albunio Daniel Arnone Ann Basso Paul Cigliano Sal Cigliano Terence Crowley Mary Graham Delmar Edwina Dunne Brendan Fitzpatrick Marie Flannery Frank Gillick Kathleen Gillick Cornelius Keane Shannon Klatt

Michael Leone Nicholas Lombardi Jake LoNigro Diego Lopez Baby Milo Maggiore Richard Malanga Delia Mandia Delia Mayott Anne McGovern Jeffrey Miller Timmy Mohin Stephen Murray Frank O’Donnell Matthew Onorato

Grace Parker Judy Paul Franco Poire Thomas Puleo Steven Rivera Ryan Ryszetnyk Robert Sabatino, Sr. Grace Sasanelli Alexis Savattere Phyllis Savattere Eleanor Shields Helen St. John Roe Vasquez Janet Viso Alice Wilson

REFLECTION DECEMBER 11, 2016 3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT "The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised." Jesus has quite a résumé. When asked whether or not he is the long awaited Messiah, Jesus replies with this list of his credentials as proof of his position. These signs and wonders speak volumes, to be sure. But perhaps the most interesting line on the list is his concluding one, "the poor have the good news proclaimed to them." Why does he count this among his litany of miracles? What is so remarkable about sharing good news? Perhaps Jesus included this element of his work--the preaching of good news--to remind his followers that the physical healings were not the ultimate goal of his mission. Rather, the spiritual healing that comes from hearing the good news of salvation is what Jesus was really about. The "poor"--which in a sense means all of us sinners, trapped by the poverty of the sins that enslave us--are freed by Jesus' message of a loving God who wants to bring us into his kingdom. Our poverty is erased by his richness. His mercy "undoes" our sin and we are invited to become the children of God who share in the glories of his heavenly abode. Sometimes it's tempting to just want the visible miracles. But the invisible ones--the conversions that take place in the silence of the human heart--are truly the more important works of God. Such interior transformation is what leads us to eternal life; even a physical cure won't last for eternity--death still comes at some point. But the really good news is that this miracle of conversion is available to all of us. And this season of Advent is the perfect time to let God work his miracles in our hearts.

ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

Join us each weekday for Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Eucharistic adoration is observed from 12:00 Noon to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday in St. Christopher Church. Please try and find some time in your day to visit and pray. We are always in need of more people for a visit because the Blessed Sacrament cannot be left unattended. If you are interested in signing up for a specific time please call the rectory.

MEMBERS IN THE SERVICE

Please remember the following members of our Parish Family currently serving in the US Armed Forces.

ARMY Major Suzanne L. Jones, DDS,ABGD,FAGD NAVY Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan Matthew Gardiner Max Davidson, Navy Fighter Pilot Benny Davidson, Submarine Officer AIR FORCE Master Sgt. Elisa Nickolic MARINES Pvt Vincent Gennaro Master Gunnery Sgt. Frederic Zeyer PFC Denis Hugh Corrigan, Jr.

If you have a family member who is an active duty military member please notify Peggy Rybarczyk (718) 351-2452 of their their name, rank and branch so we can add them to our prayer list.

“… A TIME TO MOURN …” - Ecclesiastes 3:4

Pray for the souls of Edmund Stephens, Richard Adkins, and John Downes and their families.

“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live” - John 11:25-26

FOR THE WEEK OF December 11th

The Bread and Wine at St. Christopher Church are being offered in memory of Kevin Walsh.

The Scantuary Light at St. Christopher Church

is being lit in memory of Kevin Walsh and at St. Margaret Mary Church it is lit in Memory of Anna Mella

A PIE FOR A PINT!

BLOOD DRIVE

Sponsored by St. Christopher - St. Margaret Mary’s Holy Name Society

And the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation in Memory of Nicholas Alessi

Please Eat Before Donating & Bring Photo I.D. Any medical questions, contact Maura Timmins-Baeszler of Staten Island University Hospital @ 226-1558.

GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE! D O N A T E B L O O D !

Today, Sunday, December 11th , 2016 from 8:00am until 1:00pm in the St. Christopher’s Community Center, 136 Midland Ave.

Jimmy Max Pizzeria will donate a certificate

for a free “Pie for a Pint!”

P LE A SE CA LL M A R K A LE S SI AT

718-980-4894 for a sign-up time.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

On Monday, Dec 12th at 11:30am there will be a Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Christopher Church. The Mass will be in Italian/English with an Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The winner of $257.00 for our November 50-50 drawing was

Barbara Vito

OPLATKI WAFERS

The custom of Oplatki Wafers, unblessed Christmas Wafers, comes to us from Eastern Europe. They are served to family, friends and neighbors on Christmas Eve and are a foretaste of the Eucharist that we receive in Holy Communion at Christmas Mass. The wafers can be found in St Christopher Church.

We ask for a donation of $1 per packet.

YOUR ENVELOPE COUNTS

Dec. 4, 2016 St. Christopher $7,312 - Joint regular collection $1,918 - Retirement Fund for Relgious

Thank you for your continuing generosity

BIBLE VS. CELL PHONE

What would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

╬ What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

╬ What if we flipped through it several times a day?

╬ What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?

╬ What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

╬ What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

╬ What if we gave it to our kids as gifts?

╬ What if we used it when we traveled?

╬ What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go ..hmm...where IS my Bible? Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phones, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being disconnected. Why? Jesus already paid the bill.

OUR LECTOR SCHEDULE

For the weekend of December 17 & 18 the following are asked to Lector at the Mass indicated:

12/17 @ 4:30pm(C) C. Volpicello ; 12/18 @ 8:00am(M) J. Funk;

12/18 @ 9:15am(C) L. Cordato; 12/18 @ 10:30am(M) Sr. Barbara Heclo;

12/18 @ 12:00pm(C) A. Sigua; 12/18 @ 7:00pm(C) E. Brady.

OUR ALTAR SERVERS

For the weekend of December 17 & 18 the following are asked to assist on the altar at the Mass indicated (remember to wear black shoes):

St Christopher

12/17 @ 4:30pm Sophia & Gabriella Mannino; 12/18 @ 9:15am Christopher Mooney & Andrew Reid;

12/18 @ 12:00pm Gabriella & Peter Camiolo & Luca Biundo;

12/18 @ 7:00pm John & Emily Drivick.

St Margaret Mary

12/18 @ 8:00am - Erin & Abby Memmesheimer; 12/18 @ 10:30am - Michael & Gianna Granucci and

Isabella Campoverde.

AN ADVENT RETREAT THANK YOU AND CHALLENGE

Our thanks is extended to:

all those that attended last Saturday’s, December 3rd Advent Retreat. It was a wonderful way to begin the Advent season in “Preparing the Way” for the “coming” of our Savior and Lord

Father Joe for his unbounding spiritual leadership, guidance and words

Faith Formation for organizing and presenting the Retreat, especially: Joe DiFinizio, Jerry LePre, Lorraine LePre and Barbara Regan.

For those who would like to view the Retreat’s presentation, please visit our website at www.stcstmmsi.org.

During this Advent season and throughout the new liturgical year we would like to challenge all of our parishioners to practice the following spiritually HABITS : H – Holy Hour: Start with 10 minutes of daily prayer and watch it grow over time to an hour. A – Accountability: Be transparent with at least one friend who will hold you accountable to being a disciple. B – Bible: Let God’s Word transform your mind and connect you to Jesus in prayer and study. I – Invest: Tithe and serve in the mission of the parish. T – Tell: Courageously tell others about your faith and invite them to faith in Jesus Christ. S – Sacraments: Participate as frequently as you can in order to receive the grace to grow as a disciple.

Let us remember to

KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS

THE GIVING TREE

Please select an angel from our Giving Tree. There are trees in each of our churches. So if all the angels are gone from one, you may still be able to participate by selecting an angel from the other. The angel will have some hints as to whom it is for (a child, an adult, a boy or a girl), and therefore you’ll know the appropriate store to get a gift card from. Once you’ve purchased the gift card, please put the card and angel, in an envelope, writting the name of the church the angel is from on the outside, and drop in the collection basket. Thank you.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT Mark your calendar for our annual St. Christopher and St. Margaret Mary Christmas Concert on

Saturday, December 17th at 6:00pm in the church of St. Margaret Mary.

Join us for the fabulous Concert, Tree Light-ing and Fellowship Gathering with hot coffee, tea, chocolate and goodies immediately after the Concert in the Olympia Activity Center.

We have an outstanding line up, including:

Triple Threat Theater; under the direction of Diane Zerega with Paul Light, Music Director and Dee Kanevsky, Artistic Director.

Wagner High School Show Choir; Diane Zerega, Director.

Wagner High School Advance Chorus; Keith Waage, Director

and our own Patty Beniquez, St. Christopher and St. Margaret Mary Music Director.

This is a don’t miss event. Spread the word, bring your family and friends. There is no admission fee other than a

“great big Christmas smile”.

THE AVE MARIA GIFT SHOP

The Gift Shop, located at Holy Child Parish, 4747 Amboy Road and is open Saturday: 4p.m. – 7 p.m. and Sun-day: 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. The 1st Sunday of the month the hours are: 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. There is a variety of religious articles. These make great

Christmas gifts. They also have a variety of the Christmas lawn signs available.