2016 BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY...

BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

Advent Christm

as Season Newsletter 2015

Advent Christm


Advent Christm


Advent Christm


-- -- 2016

2016

2016

2016

4TH ANNUAL PARISH COMMUNITY OUTREACH DAY

DRAWS RECORD NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS

Inside this issue:

Pastor’s ColumnPastor’s ColumnPastor’s ColumnPastor’s Column 2

Worship & Spiritual GrowthWorship & Spiritual GrowthWorship & Spiritual GrowthWorship & Spiritual Growth 3

Youth MinistryYouth MinistryYouth MinistryYouth Ministry 6

Faith FormationFaith FormationFaith FormationFaith Formation 7

Program UpdatesProgram UpdatesProgram UpdatesProgram Updates 8

Pats’ ColumnPats’ ColumnPats’ ColumnPats’ Column 13

Service & JusticeService & JusticeService & JusticeService & Justice 14

S H O U T F O R J O Y!

Handel’s

The Messiah

Sunday, December 6, 2015 4:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Blessed Sacrament Parish

with the musical talents of

Warren Civic Chorus & members of

the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra

American Red Cross

BLOOD DRIVE

Monday November 30 2-6 p.m.

Reagan Hall

Adults & Students 16* years +

Schedule your appointment time

in advance --

Call 1-800-RED

CROSS

or visit redcross-

blood.org

Paperwork required including parental

consent

After four years of planning an Annual Day of Service for our parish community to participate in, it seems the concept has caught on...in fact, very well!! The first three years saw marked involvement, both from families requesting assistance at their homes and families signing up to be the ones pro-viding the help.

What a fabulous way for a large parish to bring eve-ryone together! While the de-tails of the November 2015 Community Outreach Day will not be available prior to this newsletter going to press, the response from families shows that this is a strong, vibrant stewardship parish!

A majority of calls for help involved the need for am-bitious groups to rake leaves and clean up yards. Some calls came in for additional

help at homes of parishioners -- and their neighbors -- who shared that they have little family in the area to help out in getting their properties ready for the winter.

These acts of generos-ity of physical strength and stamina were so very much appreciated by our parishion-ers. Some helpers will have ended the day with much dis-comfort, yet delight in a job well done.

Volunteers came for-ward who would set the dinner table in Reagan Hall to feed the workers a meal at the end of their service time. Others provided baked goods or bev-erages to round out the meal. Parishioners who are business people in the community pro-vided food for the meal. There would be no shortage of any-thing in this feast!

Families new to the parish worked hand-in-hand with others who have been members for years and years...and great work would be their common goal, while sharing their backgrounds and forming new relationships. And in forming these new ties, many lessons were to be en-joyed through the task at hand. Service, yes. Community, yes. Formation, yes indeed!

Catholic social teach-ing helps us to see the world through new eyes and to dis-cover opportunities to live out our faith that we might other-wise overlook. According to our social tradition, there are two basic ways we must re-spond to human needs -- charitable works and social justice. Through charitable works, we identify people who

(Continued on page 15)

Before celebrating ves-

pers on April 11, 2015,

Pope Francis formally

announced the 2015-2016

extraordinary jubilee or

Holy Year of Mercy. The

Holy Year is to begin on

December 8, and in soli-

darity with the Holy Fa-

ther, the Diocese of

Youngstown will have a

special Mass at St.

Columba Cathedral at

2:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 6. All parishes of the

diocese are welcome to attend and mark the opening of

the Holy Year. During this year, all Catholics are en-

couraged to contemplate how merciful God has been to

them, and to understand better how they are called to

be merciful to others in turn.

Mercy, the pope wrote, is “the beating heart of

the Gospel.”

“How much I desire that the year to

come will be steeped in mercy, so that we

can go out to every man and woman, bring-

ing the goodness and tenderness of God,” he

wrote. “May the balm of mercy reach every-

one, both believers and those far away, as a

sign that the kingdom of God is already pre-

sent in our midst.”

Nothing in the church’s preaching

or witness, he said, can be lacking in mercy.

And he urged all Catholics to spend more time

practicing what traditionally have been called the cor-

poral and spiritual works of mercy. The corporal

works are: Feeding the hungry, sheltering the home-

less, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, visiting the

imprisoned, giving drink to the thirsty and burying the

dead. The spiritual works are: Converting sinners,

instructing the ignorant, advising the doubtful, com-

forting the sorrowful, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiv-

ing injuries and praying for the living and dead.

Here is the Vatican’s translation of the pre-

pared text of the pope’s brief homily given that eve-

ning:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The greeting of the risen Christ to his disci-

ples on the evening of Easter, “Peace be with you!

(John 20:19), continues to resound in us all. Peace,

especially during this Easter Season, remains the desire

of so many people who suffer unprecedented violence

of discrimination and death simply because they bear

the name “Christian.” Our prayer is all the more in-

tense and becomes a cry for help to the Father, who is

rich in mercy, that he may sustain the faith of our

many brothers and sisters who are in pain. At the same

time, we ask for the grace of the conversion of our own

hearts so as to move from indifference to compassion.

St. Paul reminds us that we have been saved

through the mystery of the death and resurrection of

the Lord Jesus. He is the reconciler, who is alive in

our midst offering the way to reconciliation with God

and with each other. The Apostle recalls that, notwith-

standing the difficulties and the sufferings of life, the

hope of salvation which Christ has sown in our hearts

nonetheless continues to grow. The mercy of God is

poured out upon us, making us just and giving us

peace.

Many question in their hearts: Why a Jubilee

of Mercy today? Simply because the church, in this

time of great historical change, is called to offer more

evident signs of God’s presence and closeness. This is

not the time to be distracted; on the contrary, we need

to be vigilant and to reawaken in ourselves the

capacity to see what is essential. This is a time

for the church to rediscover the meaning of the

mission entrusted to her by the Lord on the

day of Easter: to be a sign and an instrument

of the Father’s mercy (cf. Jn 20:21-23). For

this reason, the Holy Year must keep alive the

desire to know how to welcome the numerous

signs of the tenderness which God offers to the

whole world and, above all, to those who suf-

fer, who are alone and abandoned, without

hope of being pardoned or feeling the Father’s love. A

Holy Year to experience strongly within ourselves the

joy of having been found by Jesus, the Good Shepherd

who has come in search of us because we were lost. A

Jubilee to receive the warmth of his love when he

bears us upon his shoulders and brings us back to the

Father’s house. A year in which to be touched by the

Lord Jesus and to be transformed by his mercy, so that

we may become witnesses to mercy. Here, then, is the

reason for the Jubilee: because this is the time for

mercy. It is the favorable time to heal wounds, a time

not to be weary of meeting all those who are waiting to

see and to touch with their hands the signs of the close-

ness of God, a time to offer everyone the way of for-

giveness and reconciliation.

May the Mother of God open our eyes, so that

we may comprehend the task to which we have been

called; and may she obtain for us the grace to experi-

ence this Jubilee of Mercy as faithful and fruitful wit-

nesses of Christ. Excerpts from cnsblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/11/pope-mercy-is-the-beating-heart-

of-he-gospel/ posted 4-11-15 by Cindy Wooden

PASTOR’S COLUMN


WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL GROWTHWORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL GROWTHWORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL GROWTHWORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH Submitted by Pat Campbell


“In God’s Time” – Advent in a Reflective Hour of Spoken

Word and Song

The parish debut of this Advent presen-tation by Samm Lewis and Pat

Campbell. 7 p.m. in the Chapel.

Parish Kick-Off of “The Year of

Mercy”

After the 7 p.m. Holy Day Mass. A look at the Pope’s favorite devotion – Mary, Undoer of Knots – and how

she can help us. Holy Family Hall

“Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”

Transform the “Year of Mercy” from an idea to a daily faith-strengthening gift! Begin with 7 p.m. Evening

Prayer in the Chapel.

Join us...each session wraps up with dessert in Holy Family Hall.

Steal a few quiet moments as the days get shorter!

Why not set aside a few minutes to center mind and heart in calm-ing prayer, in the style of the Taizé community?

Join us Sunday, December 20 at 4:30 p.m. in the church. Give the gift of prayer time to yourself as the celebration of Christmas nears!

Taizé Prayer includes singing, psalms, scripture reading, inter-cessory prayer and silence.

This ancient prayer of the church

will be prayed during the Advent

season as Evening Prayer, on Mon-

day, December 14 and Tuesday,

December 15, to begin our final

Advent Tuesday session.

Join us in the Chapel at 7 p.m.

Evening Prayer will take place in

January on Monday the 11th, and

each Tuesday, beginning January 5.

ADVENT TUESDAYS

All Are Welcome! Liturgy of the

Hours TAIZE PRAYER

AROUND THE CROSS

MEN’S ADVENT PRAYER

BREAKFAST Join Fr. Tom and other men of the parish each Monday of Advent at Panera Bread on Elm Road, 7 a.m., for Men’s Prayer Breakfast.

Mondays, November 30, December 7, 14, & 21

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Advent Reconciliation Service Sunday, December 13, 3 p.m.

Join together with other members of the Warren Catholic churches for the Advent Communal Reconciliation

Service on SUNDAY, December 13, at 3:00 p.m. in Blessed Sacrament Church.

A communal penance service includes the Opening Rite, Liturgy of the Word, Examination of Conscience, Individ-

ual Confession and Absolution, a Song of Praise and Concluding Rite. This is not a “formula” chosen only by

Blessed Sacrament, this is Form II of the Rite of Penance of the Roman Catholic Church. We join together for

prayer and then make our individual confession (where we receive Penance). We come back together to conclude

the service, lifted up by the support of the presence of other believers. This is the only form of communal penance

approved for use throughout the United States.

Father Eisweirth and several other area priests will be available to hear confessions. Here we have the opportunity to

join in prayer with others. In this way we

“obtain from God’s mercy pardon for having offended him and at the same time reconciliation with

the Church, which we have wounded by our sins and which by charity, example, and prayer seeks

our conversion.” Lumen Gentium, Vatican Council II, no. 26 (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church 4, no. 146)

As the Year of Mercy gets under way, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a wonderful way to experience God’s

mercy in a deep way. In a communal setting we can share the gift of God’s mercy as we reconcile ourselves with

one another.

For those who have been away from the sacrament for a long period, perhaps this service will be an opportunity to revisit the Sacra-

ment of Reconciliation. You can join the community in the service even if you do not wish to take advantage of individual confession

and absolution. All are welcome! The service is open to people from all area parishes.


Scripture Study Winter 2016:

Divine Mercy Tuesday January 5 -- Tuesday February 9 The session follows our parish Evening Prayer at 7 p.m.

(session runs 7:30 – 9 p.m.)

in the parlor of Blessed Sacrament Church

NO ASSIGNMENT BEFORE THE FIRST SESSION

‘Divine Mercy’ will be offered on six consecutive Tuesdays, 7:30-9 p.m., following Evening Prayer in the chapel at 7 p.m. $20 includes materials. Nine hours, general CEU’s available.

Please bring a bible to each session along with “Divine Mercy” materials provided at registration.

Registration takes place after all of the Masses December 26/27 and January 2/3. You may also register at the parish office. Materials may be picked up when payment is made.

Checks payable to Blessed Sacrament Parish

Fundamental Commitment: Prayer - Presence - Preparation - Participation

Eucharistic Bread Bakers Welcome Eucharistic bread will be baked

for each of our Advent weekends.

Please join with other bakers in

the school kitchen any Saturday

during Advent. Our usual meet-

ing time will be Saturday at 10:00 a.m., but if a morning

funeral is scheduled, we’ll move this to 1 p.m.

Saturday Nov 28, Dec 5, Dec 12, Dec 19

We’ll work together to prepare two batches of the bread

for the three weekend liturgies. We welcome elementary

aged children through adults – join in the fun! No bread

baking (or even baking) experience is needed, as the

bread we make is VERY simple – only involving whole

wheat flour, white flour and hot water. That’s it! We

knead the dough, let it rest, shape it and cut it. With a

few hands we are able to accomplish this preparation in

less than one hour and enjoy some fellowship time while

we are at it. NOTE: We’ll also be baking bread for the

Thanksgiving liturgy on Tuesday, Nov 24 at 6 p.m. – All

are welcome!

Advent Items The Advent season begins with 4:00 p.m. Mass November 29.

You are sure to find helpful resources to aid you as you journey through Advent. LITTLE BLUE BOOK (Diocese of Saginaw) Advent DAYBREAKS The PAX CHRISTI Advent publication ADVENT CALENDARS for Children Stop by the table in the gathering space to see what items are

available! Items available through December 13. The Worship and Spiritual Growth Commission

makes these resources available. There is a small charge for each item.

“At Home With the Word” 2016 Our new liturgical year begins with the Advent sea-son. Prepare for the weekly liturgy with At Home With the Word. Makes a great Christmas gift!! Find the readings for the Sundays of the new liturgi-cal year, beginning with the First Sunday of Advent, 11/29/15 - and ending with Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, 11/21/16. “This book invites you to be at home with God’s word. Read and ruminate on the Sunday scriptures, by yourself or with others. Whether you use the book for meditation or study, it will nourish you all week long to act on God’s word in the world as you prepare to hear the scripture proclaimed at Sunday liturgy.” Copies available in the Gathering Space after any weekend

Mass, or in the parish office. $6.50; Large print $9.

Make a Choice to Share Your Love of Music & Love of the Lord! Short Term Commitment – Long-Term Reward

“Joy to the World – a Christmas Welcome!”

In just three rehearsals we will form a choir to sing at one of our 4 & 6 p.m. Christmas Eve Masses

Sing the familiar songs of Christmas and welcome those who fill the church at these Masses!

Be a part of our FIRST Christmas Eve Welcome Choir!

All families, students (grade 3 & above), youth and adults, are encouraged to take part. No audition! No music reading required!

∗ Share your joy at the birth of God’s Son! ∗ Make new friends! ∗ GIVE THE GIFT of WELCOME this

Christmas Eve! ∗ Enjoy 3 rehearsals AND a special snack! ∗ Please accept this invitation! This special choir will sing for the 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. liturgies. Par-

ticipants choose the most convenient liturgy for them or for their family.

Rehearsals take place… Sunday, December 6, 1-3 p.m. Sunday, December 13, 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday, December 20, 1-3 p.m.

Recordings available -- if you cannot attend all rehearsals! Children younger than grade 3 welcome with their family! Teens welcome -- bring a friend! Adults welcome, bringing a child is NOT a requirement!

Contact Director of Music & Worship with questions.


Joy to the

World!!

This sacrament will be available immediately fol-lowing the 4 p.m. liturgy on Saturday, December 26. After Mass ends, please move to the chairs near the piano. Loved ones accompanying those to be anointed are wel-come to sit behind their friend/loved one and touch their shoulder as Father lays hands on them and again as he anoints them, joining all present in pray-ing for those who are anointed. This sacrament is primar-ily a sacrament of physical healing and spiritual strengthening. Anointing of the Sick is available after Mass the fourth Sat-urday of each month throughout the year.

Anointing

of the Sick

We are still praying, still waiting, in joyful hope!

Join us the first Tuesday of the month – December 1 and January 5 – to pray the Stations of the Cross for peace. Simply meet in the church at noon. This prayer will involve spoken prayer along with simple singing. Here is a way to join with others to give voice to your desire for peace in this complicated world. Questions? Call Pat Campbell at the parish office.

Stations of the Cross for Peace

IMPORTANT DATES

EARLY 2016

• Scripture Study

starts: January 5

• Newsletter Deadline:

January 15

• Youth Ministry Pan-

cake Breakfast:

February 7

• Ash Wednesday:

February 10

• Soup Suppers begin:

February 16

• AHA Pasta Cook-

Off & Wine Taste:

February 28

• Easter Sunday:

March 27

Putting Mercy

Into Practice

The Worship and Spiri-tual Growth Commis-sion begins its Year of Mercy publications with “Advent: ‘The Year of Mercy’ and the Season of Hope.”

Copies will be available throughout the Advent season in the gathering space.

Scripture references and reflection ques-tions are included.

LITURGICAL MINISTERS Needed for Holy Days of Obligation PLEASE HELP WITH UPCOMING HOLYDAYS… Tuesday, December 8 Tuesday, December 8 Tuesday, December 8 Tuesday, December 8 (Immaculate Conception – a holyday of obligation/The Year of Mercy begins)

Thursday, December 24 Thursday, December 24 Thursday, December 24 Thursday, December 24 (Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord – holyday of obligation)

Friday, December 25 Friday, December 25 Friday, December 25 Friday, December 25 (Nativity of the Lord – holyday of obligation)

Thursday, December 31 Thursday, December 31 Thursday, December 31 Thursday, December 31 (Vigil of Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – holyday of obligation)

Friday, January 1 Friday, January 1 Friday, January 1 Friday, January 1 (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – holyday of obligation)

If you could offer your help as a hospitality ministers (greeter, usher), altar server, lector or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at the Masses you plan to attend, you’d be helping the community a great deal. Please check the gathering space for sign up sheets. The December 8 sign ups are ready as you receive this newsletter. The sign ups for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day will be ready December 10.

PLEASE: YOU MUST ARRIVE EARLY FOR THE LITURGY WHERE YOU WILL MINISTER. IF THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP.

Tuesday, December 8, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There will be two liturgies – one at 8:30 a.m. (with the school students) and another at 7:00 p.m. Check the sign up sheets to see what jobs need to be filled.

Thursday, December 24, Christmas Eve, Vigil of the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord there are three Liturgies 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m.

Friday, December 25, Christmas Day, Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord there is one Liturgy held at 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, December 31 (the Vigil of the Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God) there is one Liturgy – 7:00 p.m.

Friday, January 1 (The Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God) there is one Liturgy – 8:30 a.m. Please sign up in the gathering space to minister at these special liturgies. We are particularly in need of parish ministers

for the VERY CROWDED 4 p.m. liturgy on Christmas Eve. Can you help? All ministries are needed.

YOUTH MINISTRYYOUTH MINISTRYYOUTH MINISTRYYOUTH MINISTRY / / / / E.P.I.C. Teens younger victims, Amer-

ica’s youth find themselves

engaged in a battle they

never prepared for. Hear

the shocking true stories of

two “All-American” teen-

age girls tricked into traf-

ficking. Eighteen-year-old

Brianna was an honor-roll

student, cheerleader and

worked at a local café.

Thirteen-year-old Lacy was

an active member of her

youth group, and a volun-

teer in her community.

Both were manipulated.

Both were exploited. Both

were chosen. This compre-

hensive video resource

reveals the warning signs,

and sometimes fatal conse-

quences of sex trafficking,

to equip teens to protect

themselves and others from

being trapped in the hor-

rific and violent sex indus-

try.

Again, please plan on at-

tending this movie and

discussion.

For more informa-

tion you can call Brenda

Antenucci, member of

NEOCAHT, Northeast

Ohio Coalition Against

Human Trafficking, in the

parish office or go to

sharedhope.org/chosen.

Our youth group not only has the respon-sibility to serve the church, but to be good examples to the younger children at Blessed Sac-rament - to make them excited about participat-ing in youth activities at the church. It may also make the adults in the parish stop to think - if the teens can help put together a mass - what can I do?

When Pope Francis visited the US, he told a story about St. Katherine Drexel going to Pope Leo XIII about the needs of the mis-sions. Pope Leo asked her - "What about you? What are you going to do?". That is a question I feel teens should ask themselves.

Pope Francis said "Each of us has to respond, as best we can, to the Lord's call to build up his Body, the Church. We, as the future of the church, need to answer the call to respond.

God Bless, Wil Thompson

“Chosen”

Film about the dangers of

human trafficking, for

teens, parents, and other

interested adults!

On Sunday, January 24,

there will be a showing of

the movie, “Chosen” in

Reagan Hall, for all parish

families with students in

grades 7-12. This movie is

age-appropriate, highlight-

ing two teenage girls’ ex-

perience with human traf-

ficking. The movie is 30

minutes; we’ll divide up

for discussion afterwards.

Please mark your

calendar and plan on com-

ing and/or bringing your

teens to this important

event. We are showing this

in January to help protect

our young people, raise

awareness, and honor Na-

tional Slavery and Human

Trafficking Prevention

Month.

About the movie:

“As traffickers narrow their

target to lure younger and

HOW I SEE IT...

Liz McCue and I are the co-leaders for this year's Kairos retreat. I am really hoping for a big turnout and that eve-ryone will have a great time. Many of the teens from Blessed Sacra-ment, St. William's, and other area churches will attend.

I know that Kairos is an amazing event and that everyone who attends will have fun, make new friends, and grow in our Catholic faith. I pray that all the participants will leave with a great im-pression of the retreat and want to return and participate next year. It had such a great impres-sion on me, that I wanted to help lead this year. I hope it will have the same effect on this year's participants.

Our youth group participates in many ac-tivities in the church. We put together our first teen led Mass for World Youth Day on October 25. It was a challenging experience, but well worth it.


At right,

Brenda

hosts a

parent-student

meeting in the

church to

kick off the

Faith

Formation

Year.

Above, Youth Ministry students talk about flat Francis with their leaders.

FAITH FORMATON SESSIONS 2015 - 2016


Our Blessed Sacrament Faith Forma-

tion program is off to a great start for

this year. We have a wonderful, dedi-

cated group of volunteer catechists,

helpers, children and family partici-

pants who all returned from last year.

What a blessing they are

for our children!

Early in October we celebrated the

Pope’s visit to America and our fami-

lies by hosting a prayer service in the

church. The children and parents

wrote names of those they felt were

good role models and have passed

their faith on to them. Look for these

chains hanging around the church!

From Pope Francis in his homily on

the Baptism of the Lord, January 13,

2014:

“Before ascending to Heaven,

Jesus told us to go out to the

whole world to baptize. And

from that day until today, this

has been an uninterrupted

chain: children were baptized,

and then their children, and then

these children’s children…And

today this chain continues. I

would like to tell you this: you

are those who transmit the faith,

the transmitters; you have a duty

to hand on the faith to these chil-

dren. It is the most beautiful

inheritance you will leave to

them; the faith! Only this. To-

day, take this thought home with

you. We must be transmitters of

the faith. Think about this, al-

ways think about how to hand on

the faith to your children.”

Blessed Sacrament

FFS 2015-2016 Sundays 10:10AM-11:20AM

November 29, No FFS

December: 6 (family Advent event)

Dec. 13, 20

Communal Reconciliation Service,

Dec. 13, 3:00 p.m.

January 3: No FFS

January 10, 17, 24, 31

Our next major event will be an

Advent prayer service on Sunday,

December 6 at 10:10 a.m. in

Reagan Hall, celebrating the Feast

Day of St. Nicholas. This will be

for all Blessed Sacrament families

with children in PreK- 8th grade.

You don’t have to be in FFS to

come and enjoy this time with your

child.

We’ll pray, make a craft, and have

a snack! Are you willing to help?

Please call Brenda in the parish

office to volunteer!

ADVENT FAMILY

EVENT

First Reconciliation and Eucharist 28 children are currently preparing to receive Reconciliation and their first Eucharist. Please pray for these children and families during this special year of preparation.

If you have not received a letter for your child and you are interested in having your child prepared for these sacraments, please call Brenda in the parish office.

The following dates are mandatory for parents and children in the preparation process!

**First Reconciliation

Preparation Sessions**

Session I, Parish Chapel (Parents only)

Sunday, December 13, , 10:15 -11:15 a.m.

OR Wednesday, December 16, 6:30-7:30

Session II, (Parent and Child),

Sunday, January 10, 10:15 -11:15 a.m.

OR Wednesday, January 13, 6:30 -7:30

First Reconciliation, Monday, February 1, 6:30 p.m.

group celebration in the church; reception follows

** First Eucharist Preparation Sessions**

Session I, Parish Chapel (parents only)

Sunday, Feb. 21, 10:15-11:15 a.m.

OR Wednesday, Feb. 24, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Session II, (parent and chil d)

Sunday, March 13, 10:15-11:15 a.m.

OR Wednesday, March 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

April 10, 10:10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Retreat- (Parent and child)

First Communion Celebrations May 1, May 7/8

-- all Masses OR on other weekends after Easter,

convenient for your family.

February 7, 21, 28

March 6, 13, 20

April 10, 17, 24

May 1

Note: No morning FFS- Dec. 27,

Jan. 3, Feb. 14, March 27 (Easter)

April 3

FAITH FORMATIONFAITH FORMATIONFAITH FORMATIONFAITH FORMATION Submitted by Brenda Antenucci

Bambinelli Sunday Join us the Third

Sunday of Advent,

December 20,

to celebrate

Bambinelli Sunday.

Children are

welcome to bring

Infant Jesus figures

to be blessed at Masses on that Sunday, the weekend be-

fore Christmas, during the CLOW sessions.

It’s customary for the pope to bless Infant Jesus

figures brought to St. Peter’s Square in Rome. We are

happy to offer this blessing!

Project Rachel Ministry According to statistics, one of every three women of child-

bearing years in the U.S. has had an abortion. As a result

many of our neighbors and parishioners may be suffering

in silence from the long-lasting effects of abortion. With

the approach of the Jubilee Year of Mercy called for by

Pope Francis, the Office of Pro-Life, Marriage and Family

is working to reinvigorate Project Rachel Ministry in our

diocese. The Pro-Life Secretariat of the U.S. Conference

of Catholic Bishops uses the following working definition

for Project Rachel:

Project Rachel, the Catholic Church’s ministry to those

who have been involved in abortion, is a diocesan-based

network of specially trained priests, religious, counselors,

and lay persons who provide a team response of care for

those suffering in the aftermath of abortion. In addition to

referring for Sacramental Reconciliation, the ministry pro-

vides an integrated network of services, including pastoral

counseling, spiritual direction, support groups, retreats and

referrals to licensed mental health professionals.

Please pray for those involved in this ministry. If you feel

called to be involved in this ministry, contact

[email protected].

Family Nights! A great time was had by all families, parents, chil-

dren, and youth as we joined together for an evening of fall

fun at Irons Mill Farmstead on October 17! Twenty-two of us

“toughed out” the rain and SNOW, but still enjoyed the fel-

lowship, corn maze, bonfire, slide, and so much more! Next

year we hope we’ll be able to go earlier in the day, and earlier

in the year!

The next family event will be a movie night on Sat-

urday February 20 at 5:30 pm. for ALL parish families!!

We’ll provide pizza, and ask each family to bring a snack or

dessert. We’ll pray, do a simple activity, pop popcorn, and

enjoy a movie. Bring a pillow or blanket -- and a friend if

you’d like! This is a simple night of fellowship and fun. Call

Brenda in the parish office to sign up and possibly to help

with set up and/or clean up!! Your help will make this event

possible -- and fun!

Hospitality Receptions Please call the parish office to help with one of our hospi-

tality receptions! We host simple receptions for Messiah

musicians December 6, First Reconciliation February 1,

Confirmation April 17, RCIA February 14, and Easter

Vigil March 26!

We need you!! Please give an hour or two to provide a

warm welcome from the Blessed Sacrament Community!

Card Ministry to the Homebound Would you like to be part of a group who, on a quarterly

basis, signs, labels, and stamps cards which will be mailed

to our homebound parishioners?? Please call the parish

office and sign up for this ministry, which will help us

keep in touch with and reach out to those who find it diffi-

cult to join us for Mass and other parish events!

Together with Christ Death is nothing at all -- I have only slipped away into

the next room. Call me by my old familiar name, speak

to me in the easy way which you always used.

Laugh as we always laughed together. Play, smile, think

of me, pray for me. Let my name be the household word

that it always was. Let it be spoken without effort.

Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever

was; there is absolutely unbroken continuity. Why

should I be out of your mind, because I am out of your

sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, some-

where very near, just around the corner.

All is well. Nothing is past, nothing is lost. One brief

moment and all well be as it was before. Only better,

infinitely happier and forever.

We will all be one together with Christ.

Words of comfort as prepared by Mary Grace Kraft


Baptismal Preparation Session Our next Baptismal Preparation Session will take place

SUNDAY, January 10, the Feast of the Baptism of the

Lord, at 1:00 p.m. in the parlor. Those wishing to have

a child baptized BEFORE LENT need to be sure to attend

(Lent begins February 10). Please contact the parish office

to let us know you will be there! We hope you will make

plans to take part in the class before your child is born.

Please consider preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism

during the third trimester of your pregnancy.

Those having children baptized need to be registered pa-

rishioners. Please call the office or stop by the table on the

weekend of New Parishioner Registration.

The first Lighting the Way Se-

ries of informational sessions about re-

sources available in our community for

our aging population was a very welcome

program. The series was a collaboration

of local agencies, nursing centers and

churches, whose purpose was to present

current reliable information to families

who are facing important life decisions.

Speakers from the community were

enlisted to share this important informa-

tion in their area of expertise.

We thank our speakers for the

time they took to enlighten our commu-

nity about important and ever-changing

facts that could shape their end-of-life

decisions. Also, we thank the pastors and

volunteers from organizations and

churches for their time and effort.

Based on feedback from this first

series, the program will be offered again

in the Spring of 2016. Look for informa-

tion to be made available about topics and

locations!

LIGHTING THE WAY


Divorce and Beyond When a marriage ends it is more than a separation of two

people. It is a death of an important part of your life.

Divorce and Beyond is a popular program for

adults who have gone through a divorce, and offers nec-

essary support and guidance you need to help you

through the divorcing process. It helps participants

through the stress, anger, and guilt, and will lead you to

ultimate forgiveness, happiness and growth.

Divorce and Beyond is a series for men and

women who are already divorced or have filed for di-

vorce. Each session covers the primary emotions experi-

enced as a person works through the divorce process.

Please contact the parish office if you’d like to

inquire and/or sign up for this program. It is written by

Brother James Greteman, Leon Haverkamp, and Elsie P.

Radtke. More information is available at http://

www.actapublications.com.

We are planning to offer this program in the

Spring of 2016. Please continue to look for details.

Please contact the parish office if you feel the need to

speak with Fr. Tom immediately about your situation.

Many thanks to Pat Campbell

for her vision! Over one year

ago she invited Tony Alonso to

Blessed Sacrament Parish for a

concert. Tony truly WOWED

the audience on Friday, October

9, with his musical presentation

of songs from his vast reper-

toire.

Tony is a gifted artist

and musician who has written

beautiful songs of praise and

worship and devotion to Our

Lord, songs that absolutely reveal his

love of God. Truly wonderful!!

The following morning Tony

led a prayerful and reflective morning

session complete with, of course, song,

as well as silence and sharing.

Thank you Tony -- and the best to you as

you continue studies toward your doctor-

ate degree!! Come back soon!!

Fourth Grade girls from

Girl Scout Troop #116

took the lead in this

year’s baby bottle collec-

tion of spare change dur-

ing October -- Respect

Life Month. Money col-

lected by the Troop will

benefit young families

with children in our dio-

cese.

This helpful group is already talking about how they’ll

further take the reins for next October’s drive.

Awesome job!

KUDOS! THANK YOU,

LADIES!

TONY ALONSO IN TOWN

2015 FIRST STEP FOR CHANGE


(Above) The enchanting voices of students from JFKCS-LC during their Tuesday morning Masses complements each liturgy!

Under the direction of Mrs. Tina McCue, the students praise God in song each week. Join us in the celebration of Mass with

lower campus students at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesdays! At right, students in grades 4+ are encouraged to learn to serve as altar

servers for Tuesday morning Masses, and priests from Warren area parishes have followed a rotating schedule to lead Mass at

Blessed Sacrament for the Tuesday liturgies. Fr. Michael Balash, Pastor of St. William Parish in Champion, leads Mass one

Tuesday in October.

HAVE YOU MET NANCY? In her spare time, Nancy Higham,

our parish Administrative Assistant,

enjoys gardening and crafts, and

treasures time with family. She was

raised in Warren of Italian-Catholic

descent. She and husband Marty are

blessed with five children and six

grandchildren.

While she has learned a lot

in her new role in the parish already,

Nancy has found her knowledge of

the Catholic faith has been enhanced

by her varied one-on-one encounters

with the people she meets in the

front office.

She has discovered that no

two days are alike in the parish of-

fice, and admits she enjoys the vari-

ety. She enjoys working with Fr.

Tom and the staff, noting they are a

nice collaboration of people.

Since her childhood she has

always enjoyed doing things for oth-

ers...it is a natural extension of her-

self, she says! Her mornings often

begin with greeting the team of St.

Vincent de Paul Society members

who respond to requests for food.

There is a

steady flow of

calls coming

in, and sur-

prise visitors

at the window,

things that

keep her busy

all day. She

enjoys being

productive;

her cup of tea,

as she calls it,

is keeping the

database accurate and up-to-date.

People have been keen to

the changes made to the front office

in the few months since she arrived,

first a lot of noise and a lot of dust,

then a group of men in jeans and

flannel shirts. Construction?! Well,

renovations. The front office is get-

ting a facelift, and Nancy has been

leading the effort, with the help of

Dan and Gio. It is her hope that the

work will be completed by the end

of November, updates being made to

improve the efficiency of the office.

Prior to working at Blessed

Sacrament Parish, Nancy was em-

ployed for 18 years as Office Man-

ager at Blessed Sacrament School

(aka Queen of All Saints, Notre Dame, now

John F. Kennedy Catholic School). She

comes to us with a strong back-

ground in organizational and people

skills. Nancy has always found our

building has a welcoming atmos-

phere, a spirit of welcome that per-

meates the entire building -- offices,

school, church. That spirit is also

evident in the people she encounters

who work here, who visit here, who

worship here. She has quickly ad-

justed in her new role.

In making the transition to

the parish office, Nancy says it was a

privilege to have been trained by

Karen Lazor. She’d come to know

Karen while working at the school.

It is Nancy who now sends people

on their way when exiting the build-

ing with the phrase we’ve all heard

over the years from Karen, “Enjoy

the sunshine!”

Nancy’s favorite Scripture

verse is from Isaiah 41:14…’For I

am the Lord, your God, who grasps

your right hand. It is I who say to

you, Fear not, I will help you.’

WELCOME, NANCY!

TUESDAY MORNING MASS, CHOIR

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SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRID

AY

SATURDAY

Novem

ber 29

First Sunday

of Adven

t

Year “C

” begins

No FFS

No Coffee and Donuts

Retirement Fund for

Religious collection

Novem

ber 30

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

Feast of St. Andrew,

Apostle

Men

’s Adven

t Prayer

Breakfast-7 am-Panera

American Red Cross

Blood Drive

2—

6 p.m

. Reagan Hall

Come and save us, Lord our

God; let yo

ur face

shine

upon us, that we may

be saved.

Decem

ber 1

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Church

Stations of the Cross

for Peace, Noon

“In G

od’s Tim

e”

Presentation in the Chapel,

7 p.m

.

Dessert Follows

in H

oly Family H

all

Beh

old, our Lord shall come

with power; he will en

lighten

the eyes of his serva

nts.

Decem

ber 2

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

Parish Pastoral

Council meeting

7pm, rectory

Beh

old, the Lord comes to

save his peo

ple; blessed

are

those prepared to m

eet him

.

Decem

ber 3

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

St. Francis Xavier,

Priest

Musicians Reh

earsal

7 pm

Go and tea

ch all nations,

says the Lord; I am w

ith you

alw

ays, until the en

d of the

world.

Decem

ber 4

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

First Friday

Wait for the Lord w

ith cour-

age; be stouthea

rted

, and

wait for the Lord.

(Psa

lm 27)

December 5

“Messiah” Dress Rehearsal-

Church ; 9—

Noon

Eucharistic Bread

Baking, 10 a.m.

(1 p.m. if a.m. funeral)

The Lord is our Ju

dge,

our Lawgivier, our King;

he it is who w

ill save us.

4:00 p.m

. Mass

Vigil of the 2nd Sunday

of Advent

Decem

ber 6

Second Sunday

of Adven

t FFS -- ALL

“Family Celebration”

10:10-11:20 in Reagan

Coffee and Donuts

Spanish M

ass 9am,

Providence Center

Christmas Eve

Welcome Choir, 1-3 pm

Handel’s “Messiah”

Performances

4 and 7 pm

Decem

ber 7

8:30 am M

ass, Chapel

Mem

orial of St.

Ambrose, Bishop &

Doctor of the Church

Men

’s Prayer Adven

t


I am the good shep

herd, says

the Lord

; I kn

ow m

y sheep,

and m

ine kn

ow m

e.

Decem

ber 8

Solemnity of the

IMMACULATE CONCEPTIO

N

Holy Day of Obligation

8:30 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Masses in Church

Patronal Day of the

United States of America

OFFIC

IAL PARISH

KIC

K-O

FF of

“The Year of Mercy” --

Mary, Undoer

of Knots, follows 7 p.m

.

Mass, Holy Family H

all

Dessert Follows

Decem

ber 9

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

All Seasons 55 &

Over

11:30 a.m

.

Parish Library

Merciful and gracious is the

Lord, slow to anger and

abounding in kindness.

(Psa

lm 103)

Decem

ber 10

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

Musicians Reh

earsal

5:30 pm

Let the clouds rain down the

Just O

ne, and the ea

rth bring

forth a Savior.

Decem

ber 11

Service of the Word w

ith

the Distribution of Holy

Communion -- 8:30 a.m

.

The Lord w

ill co

me; go out

to m

eet him

! H

e is the

prince of pea

ce.

Decem

ber 12

Feast of Our Lady of

Guadalupe, Patroness

of America,

8:00 a.m

. in the Chapel

Eucharistic Bread

Baking, 10 a.m.


4:00 p.m

. Mass

Vigil of the 3rd Sunday

of Advent

Relay for Life

Cookie Sale This W

eekend

Decem

ber 13

Third Sunday

of Adven

t FFS/Pre-K — 8

Parent 1st Rec m

tg 10:10am

Coffee and Donuts

Christmas Eve

Welcome Choir, 1-2:30

3 p.m

. Communal

Pen

ance Service

Relay for Life Cookie Sale

this weekend.

Confirmation 6-8 p.m

.

December 14

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

Mem

orial of St. John

of the Cross, Priest &

Doctor of the Church

Men

’s Adven

t


Blessed

are the poor in

spirit; the Kingdom of

hea

ven is theirs.

December 15

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Church

7 p.m

. “Mercy, Mercy,

Mercy” - The Year

of Mercy in M

y Life,

Chapel

Dessert Follows

Holy Fam

ily Hall

Come, O

Lord, do not delay;

forgive the sins

of yo

ur peo

ple.

December 16

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

Parent Meeting,

1st Reconciliation

Option 2

6:30 p.m

.,

Holy Family H

all

Theology on Tap,

off site

Raise yo

ur vo

ice and tell the

Good N

ews: Beh

old, the

Lord G

od comes w

ith power.

December 17

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

Musicians Reh

earsal

7 pm

O W

isdom of our God M

ost

High, guiding creation w

ith

power and love

: come to

teach

us the path of kn

owl-

edge!

“O” Antiphon

December 18


ith


Communion —

8:30 a.m

.

O Lea

der of the House of

Isra

el, giver of the Law to

Moses on Sinai: co

me to

rescue us with your mighty

power!

“O” Antiphon

December 19

Family Soup K

itch

en

9 a.m

.

Eucharistic

Bread Baking,

10 a.m.


4:00 p.m

. Mass

Vigil of the 4th Sunday of

Advent

Relay for Life

Cookie Sale This W

eekend

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1:30 a

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unday, 9:0

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1:30 a

.m.

Satu

rday, 4:0

0 p

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unday, 9:0

0 a

.m. and 1

1:30 a

.m.

Satu

rday, 4:0

0 p

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unday, 9:0

0 a

.m. and 1

1:30 a

.m.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRID

AY

SATURDAY

Decem

ber 20

Fourth Sunday

of Adven

t

NO FFS

No Coffee and Donuts

Christmas Eve

Welcome Choir,

1-3 pm, Church

TAIZ

E PRAYER

4:30 p.m

.

Relay for Life

Cookie Sale This W

eekend

Decem

ber 21

8:30 a.m

. Mass —

Chapel

Men

’s Adven

t Prayer


Worship &

Spiritual Gro

wth

Commission M

eeting, 7 p.m

.

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of

eternal light, sun of justice:

come and shine on those w

ho

dwell in darkness and in the

shadow of dea

th.

“O” Antiphon

Decem

ber 22

8:30 a.m

. Mass -- Chapel

O K

ing of all nations and

keystone of the Church:

come and save m

an, whom

you form

ed from the dust!

“O” Antiphon

Decem

ber 23

8:30 a.m

. Mass -- Chapel

O Emmanuel, our King and

Giver of Law; co

me to save

us, Lord our God!

“O” Antiphon

Decem

ber 24

Office closed

No M

orning M

ass

VIG

IL of

CHRISTMAS

4 p.m.,

6 p.m.,

11 p.m.

Decem

ber 25

Office closed

CHRISTMAS

DAY

One liturgy, 10 a.m.

December 26

Saint Stephen

,

The First M

artyr

4:00 p.m

. Mass

Vigil of the Feast

of the Holy Fam

ily

Anointing of the Sick

follows 4 p.m

. Mass

Decem

ber 27

Feast of the

Holy Family

NO FFS

No C

offee &

Donuts

Decem

ber 28

Office closed

No M

orning M

ass

Feast of the

Holy Innocents,

Martyrs

We praise yo

u, O G

od, we

acclaim

you as Lord; the

white-robed

arm

y of martyrs

praise yo

u.

Decem

ber 29

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

Fifth Day within the

Nativity of the Lord

A light of revelation to the

Gen

tiles and glory for yo

ur

peo

ple Israel.

Decem

ber 30

8:30 a.m

. Mass -- Chapel

Sixth Day within the

Octave of the Nativity

of the Lord

A holy day has dawned

upon

us. Come, you nations, and

adore the Lord. Today a

great light has co

me upon

the earth.

Decem

ber 31

No M

orning M

ass

Seventh Day within the

Octave of the Nativity of the

Lord

The Word of God becam

e flesh and dwelt am

ong us.

To those who accepted him

he gave power to become the

children

of God.

Vigil of the Solemnity of

Mary, Mother of the

Church

7 p.m

. Mass, Church

January 1

Office closed

Solemnity of the

Blessed Virgin M

ary,

Mother of God

Holy Day of Obligation

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Church

January 2

Memorial of Sts. Basil

the Great & G

regory

Nazianzen, Bishops &

Doctors of the Church

You have but one Father in

hea

ven; yo

u have but one

master, the Christ.

4:00 p.m

. Mass

Vigil of the Epiphany

January 3

Solemnity of the Epiphany

No FFS;

No Coffee &

Donuts

January 10

Feast, Baptism

of the Lord

FFS/Pre-K

--7

10:10am Patent/Child

Reconciliation m

tg, RH

10:10 am Confirmation

Session

11:30am Confirmation

Rite of Enrollment

Baptism

Prep 1pm

January 4

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

Christmas W

eekday

MEMORIA

L O

F ST.

ELIZ

ABETH ANN

SETON, RELIG

IOUS

Men

’s Prayer


The greatest among you m

ust

be yo

ur servant.

Whoever humbles him

self

will be exalted

.

January 5

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Church

MEMORIA

L O

F ST.

JOHN NEUMANN,

BISHOP

Stations of the Cross

for Peace, Noon

Even

ing Prayer 7pm;

Scripture Study

7:30pm

You have but one Father in

hea

ven; yo

u have but one

master, the Christ!

January 6

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

Christmas W

eekday

Parish Pastoral

Council—

7 p.m

.

Glory to you O

Christ, pro-

claim

ed to the Gen

tiles.

Glory to you, O C

hrist,

believed in throughout

the world.

January 7

8:30 a.m

. Mass—

Chapel

Christmas W

eekday

Musicians Reh

earsal

7 pm

The Lord has sent me to

bring glad tidings to the poor

and to proclaim

liberty to

captives.

January 8


ith


Communion —

8:30 a.m

.

Christmas W

eekday

Je

sus proclaim

ed the Gospel

of the kingdom

and cured eve

ry disea

se

among the peo

ple.

January 9

Christmas W

eekday

4:00 p.m

. Mass

Vigil of the Baptism

of

the Lord

The peo

ple w

ho sit in

darkness have seen a great

light, on those dwelling in a

land ove

rshadowed

by dea

th

light has risen.

PATS’ COLUMNPATS’ COLUMNPATS’ COLUMNPATS’ COLUMN

Dear Friends of our column,

In honor of our tenth anni-versary of providing you with our own brand of knowledge and humor, we are re-printing some of our favorite Pat An-swers to Perplexing Questions. This particular column dates back to Advent 2007 and is one of our favorites.

Dear Pats,

You girls have been very helpful in supplying infor-mation about the Catholic faith. I appreciate being able to read the parish newsletters, learn about the church and have a good time doing it! I’m definitely a fan of the Pats Column (it’s the first thing I read when the newslet-ter arrives!).

My question seems like it’s something I’m sup-posed to know, but I don’t remember ever having it explained to me. Can you help? Here goesN

What do we celebrate on the feast of the Immacu-late Conception? I al-ways thought it was about Mary’s sinless conception of Jesus, but someone told me that it was about Mary being conceived without sin. Wait a min-ute. How did that slip by me?! Can you clear this up? Thanks girls!

Sincerely,

Lourdes Fatima (a Mary fan)

Dear “Lourdes”,

First, we really appreci-ate the way you signed your note - your crea-tive use of the names of two holy places where visions of the Blessed Mother took place. What a joy it is for us to benefit from the knowledge and wisdom of the Blessed Sacrament family.

As to your question, let us first ask you – would it make a difference to your faith? We just want you to keep in mind that you are living your faith each day. When you come to Mass to celebrate the Solemnity of the Im-maculate Conception, your heart is probably filled with love for Jesus’ mother; as you participate in the liturgy, whose im-maculate conception you are celebrating probably won’t shift or shake your belief that Jesus is the Son of God. This doesn’t answer your question, but we feel it’s an important part of what we discuss when we talk about our faith with others. Some of the details might be unclear, but the underly-ing love of God and the trust we have in the Son and Spirit ultimately hold us and lift us up.

December 8 is the So-lemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. That long title (not the way we usually hear it) gives a hint – this Holy Day of

Obligation honors Mary’s unique position of being conceived without original sin in the womb of her mother. We don’t read that in the Scriptures, but, as with some of our Catholic Christian faith, what we believe is based on both the Word and on the wisdom that has come to us through cen-turies of practice. The feast has been around since the 7th century in the East, but the dogma (a teaching of the Church revealed implicitly or ex-plicitly by Sacred Scrip-ture or Sacred Tradition, to be believed by the faithful) wasn’t defined until 1854. We celebrate her immaculate concep-tion to remind us that Mary was, from the time

she was conceived, prominent in God’s plan of redemption.

Don’t forget to go to Mass on December 8! It’s on a Saturday this year, but it’s one of the few holy days that continues to be one of obligation, even when it falls on a Saturday or a Monday. We’ll celebrate Mass here at 8:30 a.m. on December 8.

(Just a note – there are still six holy days of obli-gation in the United States – and three of them are feasts of Mary.)

Lourdes, we hope we’ve answered your question. Thanks for writing! Keep reading and send in those questions when they come to you.

Love, The Pats


Our own two Pats (Campbell and Rogan) answer any questions you might have about Church practice, rules, history, tradition and ritual.

Early registration begins in February,

great incentives! Call the parish for information!

330.372.2215 Must be minimum of 18 years of age

to participate Proceeds benefit parish ministries

SERVICE & JUSTICESERVICE & JUSTICESERVICE & JUSTICESERVICE & JUSTICE

ST. VINCENT de PAUL SOCIETY Thank You from the SVdP

of Blessed Sacrament

This past budget year ending on Sept. 30, 2015, SVdP society of Blessed Sacrament was able to service 25 clients with food every month. We were able to feed 1,655 men, women and children at the Thursday Soup Kitchen at the Trumbull Country SVdP Deanery. Through your generous donation of used clothing we were able to help over 1,100 people with clothing, and finally, we were able to help 1,509 people with Christmas, Easter and Summer food baskets. We want to thank all of our donors for their generous mone-tary and clothing donations.

The number of families we are able to provide a Christmas basket to this De-cember will change from 2014, as the num-ber will come down. As we look ahead to 2016, this same trend will continue, due to the escalating cost of food.

Please continue to support us through the year with our monthly ‘Bag It, Bring It’ collection of pantry items; monthly Feed My Sheep envelopes; and various drives as announced through the parish office. Please contact the parish office if you are willing to help with daily food calls for SVdP Society. Your support is ex-tremely important to the many people we serve! Thank you!!

How well do you care for your heart? Accord-ing to Chris Pacileo, Heart Walk Director for the Youngstown Division the AHA, their mantra is 'LIFE is why we walk'. Chris, who served as one of our celeb-rity pasta judges in 2014, has seen heart disease in his own family, and believes this slogan is key.

At Blessed Sacrament Parish, we have partici-pated in fundraising for the AHA Heart Walk since 2003. We have welcomed the community to join us in a friendly competition, using everyone's favorite - PASTA - as the means to do so! The committee host-ing this event has proudly raised an average of $4,500 per year for the AHA.

Please consider joining us, as an amateur competitor in the pasta challenge, as an attendee at the event, or as a team volunteer!

Save the date -- Sunday, February 28, 2016,

immediately after 11:30 a.m. Mass. Join us for a sampling of fine professional pastas, and/or amateur pastas. The challenge has been amazing over the years! All attendees have a voice in selecting the best in each of the two catego-ries! Proceeds benefit the AHA Heart Walk. Ticket sales begin February 1. An amateur wine competition has rounded out the event over the years...you will like

the changes we will make next year!

Join us -- we hear everyone loves being Italian on Sunday!!


Saturday March 5, 2016, 5:30 p.m. Covelli Gymnasium

PASTA COOK OFF & WINE TASTING BENEFITS

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

CASINO NIGHT & TEXAS HOLD ‘EM SAVE THE DATE!

Festa!Festa!Festa!Festa! Saturday, April 9, 2016

6-11 p.m.

Trumbull Country Club Proceeds benefit Blessed Sacrament Parish ministries

Join our Parish

Relay for Life Team!

Blessed Sacra-ment’s RFL team re-mains strong and full of great energy! We con-tinue to be blessed with many success stories in our parish family, and praise God for the op-portunities to walk with others during very diffi-cult treatments. We pray always for strength and compassion, and remain hopeful with each person with can-cer.

Our fundraising efforts continue: Orders will be taken for our Annual Cookie and Nut Roll Sale. Stop by the table near the parlor after Mass, or call the parish office for infor-mation. Items will be ready for pick-up Dec. 12 & 13, and extras (IF any) will be sold the

following weekend! Order early!!

Our team will be selling tickets to the Sunday, January 17 Trumbull New Theatre production “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kin-dergarten”! Join us for a fun afternoon!! Kin-dergarten takes a funny, insightful, heart-warming look at what is profound in everyday life. It’s an evening of theatrical storytelling in revue format, with monologues, dialogues, and multiple voice nar-ration, enhanced through the use of live piano underscoring, which provides fluidity, charm, and emotional texture. The delightful stories feature colorful characters such as a shy little boy, a man whose dream of flying carries him high over Los Angeles, a “Mother

RELAY FOR LIFE -- we need you!


of the Bride” who’s staged a perfect wed-ding, and a modern-day Greek philosopher who finds the meaning of life in a piece of broken mirror from WWII. These stories celebrate our very existence, from the whimsy of childhood to the wisdom of old age. The show will start at 3 p.m. Tickets remain a bargain at $15/person. Snacks & raffles make for even more of a great after-noon. Look for informa-tion when you pick up your holiday pie, or place your cookie order!

Consider sharing the items you no longer need for our Spring ga-rage sale! Items will be accepted March 29 & 30, and during the sale 3/31 & 4/1 & 2. Contact Judy Gerrity with any questions!

Cancer affects about

1 in 2 men and 1 in 3

women in their lifetime.

So there’s a good chance

you know at least one

person who has been

affected by cancer --

perhaps even yourself.

Despite this staggering

statistic, there is hope.

More and more people

are surviving cancer

every day in part through

lifesaving research and

treatments. AHA-RFL

Our team has decided on a theme for our tent at Courthouse Square -- and you’re going to LOVE IT!! We need your input, your vision, your ideas to bring it to life! See the weekly bulletin for meeting information.

WARREN

RELAY

FOR LIFE

MAY 6-7, 2016

need assistance and then go out and help them. Catholic social teaching also tells us there is a second necessary response to meet human needs – through social justice. So-cial justice means we work to change the structures of our community that give rise to these needs in the first place. For example, if someone is hungry, we might ask, “Why are people hungry?” We may then write a letter to an elected offi-cial, write an opinion piece to

the local newspaper or organize a hunger banquet to raise awareness about the problem and advocate a way or ways to address it. (USCCB)

In November 2015, thirty-one requests were made for assistance. A total of one-hundred forty-five volunteers came forward in anticipation of offering help. According to Ja-son Wolf who brought the idea to our parish from his family’s involvement at a prior parish family, the steady increase of requests and volunteer helpers should rise from year to year.

This happening at our parish is just as it had in his past experi-ence.

According to Fr. Tom, “This Day of Service is an ex-tension of who we are as an alive and vibrant parish, some-thing our faith challenges us to be, something we can take pride in as we move into the Year of Mercy.”

Thank you for all that you do!

And will do for one another!

May God bless the work that

we do, always!

(Continued from page 1)

3020 Reeves Road NE

Warren, OH 44483

Phone: 330.372.2215

Fax: 330.372.6380

E-mail: [email protected]

We’re on the web!

www.bspcc.orgwww.bspcc.orgwww.bspcc.orgwww.bspcc.org


RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

JOIN US TO WORSHIP THE LORD! Vigil of Christmas, Thursday, December 24, 4 p.m.+, 6 p.m.+, & 11 p.m. Mass

+ The 4 and 6 p.m. liturgies will mark the “Joy to the World - a Christmas Welcome!” debut!

The Pre-Mass carol singing will begin 30 minutes prior to Mass. Join your voice with others in praise to our

Newborn King! Doors open at 2:45pm for the 4pm Mass; at 5:20pm for the 6pm Mass; at 10pm for the 11pm Mass.

Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 10 a.m. Mass The Pre-Mass program will begin 30 minutes prior to Mass. Doors will be open at 9 a.m. Vigil of the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,

Saturday, December 26, 4 p.m. Mass Anointing of the Sick follows this liturgy

The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Sunday, December 27, 9 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. Mass

Vigil of the Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God

Thursday, December 31, 7 p.m. Mass

Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God A holy day of obligation Friday, January 1, 2016, 8:30 a.m. Mass

Vigil of The Epiphany of the Lord, Saturday, January 2, 4 p.m. Mass

The Epiphany of the Lord, Sunday, January 3, 9 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. Mass

Vigil of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Saturday, January 9, 4 p.m. Mass

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

January 10, 9 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. Mass

The Christmas Season ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Ordinary Time is only four weeks after Christmas Time ends,

and Lent begins, on Ash Wednesday, February 10!

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