“Pastor’s Corner” 
As we move into the Advent and Christmas seasons, we will be asking of you to dedicate your time, talent, & treasure to our Church. For many months now, we have been struggling to cope with the “new normal” brought about by the pandemic. While we may still be facing challenges in
the months to come, we want the Advent and Christmas seasons to be joyous! As such, we are seeking volunteers for nearly all the ministry groups in the parish. What does this mean? We are looking for lectors to read at Masses; ushers to greet and guide parishioners & visitors to their seats; individuals to assist with decoration. In lieu of their regular Annual Christmas Bazaar, the women of the Holy Family Council of Catholic Women will be holding several Fundraising events & are requesting goodies to for their sales & raffles. (Please be sure to see Bulletin Page 4 for details). Contact the Parish Office-volunteer. The office will direct you to the appropriate person to get you going in being a light this Advent and Christmas season. The short of it is: We need you, our parishioners, & there are ways you can gather, participate, and spread joy – even now during the pandemic. Let us open our hearts and minds to God this season and truly be thankful for His presence in our lives.”

TODAY’S 2nd COLLECTION-CATHOLIC
CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT:
Our special collection today will support the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Forty million people in the United States live in poverty. This collection supports programs that empower
people to identify & address the obstacles they face as they work to bring permanent & positive change to their communities. Learn more about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development at www.usccb.org/cchd/ collection.

FORMED.ORG: 
Our parish has a subscription to formed.org. FORMED provides us with access to video-based study programs, feature films, audio presentations, and E-books from the Church’s foremost presenters. Just go to formed.org and use our parish enrollment code 54063 to create an account. Then you can begin to explore the rich offerings available to you!

 

WHY DO WE DO THAT? CATHOLIC LIFE EXPLAINED:

Question: 
The Bible says that Jesus condemned gambling, but I notice that so many parishes have them at festivals and other events. What’s correct?

Answer: 
Although Jesus speaks of our relationship with material wealth and the very human struggle with greed, the gospels do not include any specific instructions related to gambling. At the same time, the Church is very sensitive to the needs of those who might struggle with an addiction to gambling, and pastoral care should always be offered to those who struggle with this reality in their life. While it is true that many parish or school communities include gambling or games of chance in festivals and fundraisers (e.g. bingo, roulette, ring tossing, dunking booths, etc.), there is nothing inherently wrong these sorts of events, given they are played fairly and within the limits of reason are not morally objectionable. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us: “Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others” (no. 2413). As in all things, moderation and a sense of healthy limits should be applied to gambling and games of chance. For those who find themselves living with addiction to gambling, help is available in various 12-step and addiction recovery programs. ©LPi

As we move into the Advent and Christmas seasons, we will be asking of you to dedicate your time, talent, & treasure to ourChurch. For many months now, we have been struggling to cope with the “new normal” brought about by the pandemic. While we may still be facing challenges in the months to come, we want the Advent and Christmas seasons to be joyous! As such, we are seeking volunteers for nearly all the ministry groups in the parish. What does this mean? We are looking for lectors to read at Masses; ushers to greet and guide parishioners & visitors to their seats; individuals to assist with decoration. In lieu of their regular Annual Christmas Bazaar, Holy Family Council of Catholic Women (HFCCW) will be holding several Fundraising events and are requesting goodies for their sales & raffles. (Please be sure to see Bulletin Page 4 for details). Contact the Parish Office-volunteer and they will direct you to the appropriate person to get you going in being a light this Advent and Christmas season. The short of it is: We need you, our parishioners, and there are ways you can gather, participate, and spread joy – even now during the pandemic. Let us open our hearts and minds to God this season and truly be thankful for His presence in our lives.”
 

EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP,
RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS:
In Our Midst ~ One day my son came downstairs in our house and went into the kitchen to get himself a bowl of cereal. He had no idea I was in the front room quietly reading something on my smartphone. He poured his milk and reached to grab a spoon. At that moment, I simply said, “Hello.” Startled, he jumped back from the silverware drawer and let out a scream. He would tell this story differently, but it certainly was a scream. He clutched his chest as if he had just seen a ghost. All I wanted to do was say hello. We have all been startled by someone when we thought we were all alone. Sometimes that person in our midst was simply quiet and hidden from our view. Other times, we simply have our head and mind in the clouds to the point we are ignoring the fact we are not alone. At times that person we don’t see, is Jesus. He might seem quieter some days, but he should never be hidden from our view. He is always there with us, in others, and sharing our everyday moments. When we fail to see him in our midst, it is easy to act in ways wewouldn’t if we saw him directly in front of us. We become less giving and more self-centered. No one wants to be surprised one day when suddenly they realize they were not alone, especially if the one who startles us is our God. ©LPi — Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS

ALL SOULS:
The month of November has traditionally been a time to remember our dear departed relatives and friends. If you would like to have them remembered throughout the month at Holy Mass kindly contact our Parish Office. Together, in remembrance, we pray for your loved ones and all the faithful departed.

 

PARISH ACTIVITY:
Do you have a memorable Christmas story to tell and share? Email your story to Rosa Montano at montano_rosa1@hotmail.com and she will post it in our weekly bulletin during the month of December!

 

DID YOU KNOW?

A new postage stamp for Christmas 2020 is our Lady of Guapalo (National News)
***Only 5% of the ocean has been explored.
 

CATHOLIC ART INSTITUTE SACRED ART PRIZE 2020:
Call for Entry: Seeking the finest contemporary sacred art for an online juried exhibition hosted by the Catholic Art Institute, with a world-wide audience and the opportunity to sell work, be featured on the Catholic Art Institute website and podcast. Grand Prize: $1300. Exhibition dates: Online Show from Dec 15, 2020 - Jan 15th, 2021. Submission for Entry Opens: Oct 2, 2020 Submission Deadline: December 2, 2020 Notification Date: Dec 15, 2020. More info at https://www.catholicartinstitute.org/competition

 

Due to the recent Covid cases within our parish Fr. D has asked us to hold off on the start of CCD. It is postponed for now. We will let you know when we have a new start date.

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NOVEMBER:

 Month of All Souls, together in remembrance, we pray for your loved ones and all the faithful departed.

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TODAY!

CCD/Religious Education 2020-2021 Begins: 
We are so happy to have the following staff to teach our young! Thank You! We appreciate you, your time, and your dedication! We could still use extra help if anyone is willing to help teach! Please reach out to Angie or Jeremy!

“If we don’t teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to.” ~ Unknown.

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Pre-School/Kindergarten- Susan Singleton
First Communion- Donna Kelsey
3rd-6th grade- Veronica Gamble
Confirmation- Angie JirakHigh School- Jeremy Jirak

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 As we move into the Advent and Christmas seasons, we will be asking of you to dedicate your time, talent, and treasure to our Church. For many months now, we have been struggling to cope with the “new normal” brought about by the pandemic. While we may still be facing challenges in the months to come, we want the Advent and Christmas seasons to be joyous! As such, we are seeking volunteers for nearly all the ministry groups in the parish. What does this mean? We are looking for lectors to read at Masses; ushers to greet and guide parishioners and visitors to their seats; individuals to assist with decoration. In lieu of their regular Annual Christmas Bazaar, the women of the Holy Family Council of Catholic Women (HFCCW) will be holding several Fundraising events and are requesting goodies to for their sales and raffles. (Please be sure to see Bulletin Page4 for details). Contact the Parish Office - volunteer. The office will direct you to the appropriate person to get you going in being a light this Advent and Christmas season. The short of it is: We need you, our parishioners, and there are ways you can gather, participate, and spread joy – even now during the pandemic. Let us open our hearts and minds to God this season and truly be thankful for His presence in our lives.”

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Our Holy Father’s Monthly Intention:

November 2020 Artificial Intelligence 
We pray that the progress of robotics and artificial intelligence may always serve humankind.

“Nature has its seasons;
The Catholic Church does too.
Her changing colors are a sign
That God makes all things new.” ~ Unknown