JJANUARYANUARY 3, 20163, 2016—— FFEASTEAST OFOF THETHE EEPIPHANYPIPHANY

Our Parish Mission:Our Parish Mission:Our Parish Mission: Christ calls our parish family to be a Christ calls our parish family to be a Christ calls our parish family to be a

beacon of hope in a rapidly changing community.beacon of hope in a rapidly changing community.beacon of hope in a rapidly changing community.

SSAINTAINT PPAULAUL

CCATHOLICATHOLIC CCHURCHHURCH

Address:

140 Walnut Street, Weirton, WV 26062

Phone: 304-748-6710

Web site: stpaulcommunity.net

Prayer Line: 304-748-4245

& 304-564-3114

Pastor: Rev. Larry W. Dorsch

E-mail: lwdorsch@comcast.net

FFEASTEAST OFOF THETHE OOUTSIDERSUTSIDERS SSEEINGEEING JJESUSESUS Since today’s Feast celebrates the manifestation of Christ to those outside the community of faith of his

time, perhaps it is a good time for us to take a moment to try and understand those who may be foreign to us, those whose traditions and beliefs we do not know. Though the worldwide Islamic community is

nearly as large as our own Christian community, because we do not live nearby many Muslims we do not have much opportunity to see or appreciate their religion. Instead we get a distorted view from those who adopt a radical, even heretical kind of Islamic faith. Below is an overview of some aspects of that faith as

presented in a PBS FRONTLINE documentary:

Islam, which is typically translated as "submission to God" (Quran, chapter 3, verse 19), is derived from the Arabic word salam, which means "peace." When Muslims greet one another, they will do so by saying "Assalamu Alaikum," which means "peace be upon you."

Worldwide, there are 1.2 billion Muslims. There are 6 million Muslims in the United States and Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the country. Islam is the dominant religion throughout large portions of Asia and Africa, with the largest Muslim populations living in Indonesia (170.3 million), Pakistan (136 million), Bangladesh (106 million), and India (103 million). (Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations)

Most Arabs are Muslims, but most Muslims are not Arabs. Islam is the second largest of the three major monotheistic religions, the others being Christianity and Judaism.

Muslims believe that the Quran is God's word as revealed to the prophet Muhammad (570-632 C.E.) through the angel Gabriel.

There are five basic beliefs of Islam: 1.Belief in one god. (Allah is the Arabic word for god, not believed to be a separate god from the Judeo-Christian version.) 2.Belief in prophethood (Muhammad and the ones before him, e.g., Abraham, Moses, Jesus) 3.Belief in the justice of God 4.Belief in the Imams (or Apostles) of God (Shiite belief) 5.Belief in the Day of Judgment

The practice of Islam is based on "five pillars":

1.Shahada: to declare one's belief in God and the prophetic role of Muhammad; 2.Salat: to pray five times every day (dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and evening); 3.Zakat: to give charity to those in need; 4.Sawn: to fast from food, water, and other bodily pleasures during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan; 5.Haj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if this is physically and economically possible.

Jihad (struggle) is not the initiation of violence in the name of Islam. Rather, the religious precept directs Muslims to study, preach, and defend Islam. Muslims worship God directly. Religious leaders do not have any divine characteristics; people and objects are not considered holy. It is, in fact, sacrilegious to worship anything or anyone outside of God. The Quran, the holy Book, contains much of the basic information told in the Hebrew Bible as well as other inspirational material. Islam is very family-oriented. The primary means of transmitting the religion are through the family. Therefore parents, both mothers and fathers, take on a big responsibility when raising children. This family orientation also translates into a community-oriented way of life that can greatly conflict with Western notions of individuality. There are two main sects of Islam: Sunni and Shiite. One of their main differences is in their beliefs about who were

the leaders following the death of Prophet Muhammad. Sunni, from the Arabic word for "tradition," accepted the succession of Muhammad's elected successors. The majority of Muslims in the world today are Sunnis. Shiite, from the Arabic word for "faction," believe that leaders must be descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali. They rule Iran and also have a sizeable presence in Iraq and Syria. 3. Wahhabism, an extremely strict interpretation of Islam founded in the 18th century by Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab, is practiced in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It is the form of Islam espoused by Osama bin Laden. It is often discounted by Islamic scholars.

LITURGICAL MINISTERS FOR JANUARY 9 & 10, 2016

Ministers of

Communion Lectors Altar

Servers

Greeters

Ushers

Saturday

January 9

5 pm

Mary Ann Petrelle

Evelyn Gaumer

Lawrence Pearce

David Parker Thomas Sessi

Kristina Lesho

Mary Hadabos

Carolyn Cooper

Theresa Elias

James Elias

John Cummings

John Porco

Ron Panko

Not Filled

Sunday

January

10

8:30 am

Jeannie Duffy

Monica LeFever

Terri Nejus

Christine Holmes

Cole LeFever

Nicholas Serafine

Joan Dayoub

George Kobuilnicky

Mikki Marino

Mark Marino

Thomas Beaumont

Paul Duffy

Patrick Gurrera

Thomas Lorello

Sunday

January

10

11 am

Angela Reinard

Bernadette Whalen

Melissa Perkins

Marlene Hamilton

Carla Gianni Young

Angie Impellicceiri

Edie Wilson

Kim Edmiston

Gary Impellicceiri

Emma Impellicceiri

Sara Impellicceiri

Jerry DeFilippo

Cathy Horstman

Darlene Sessi

David Whalen

Robert Baker

Robert Chuma

Ed Halsey

Richard Budney

Sunday,

January

10

6 pm

Bennie Parr

Not Filled

Not Filled

Darlene Parr David Connors

James Sauer

A.D. Mastrantoni

Michael Mastrantoni

Mark White

Michael Cucarese

TTABLEABLE OFOF HHOPEOPE Free Hot Meals are provided at First Methodist Church on West Street 5-6 pm Monday. Everyone is welcome to come to share the meal and the fellowship. Our next parish day to serve will be January 29th. Sign up sheet is in the back of the church.

NNEVEREVER AALONELONE The local support group for parents, family, friends and community interested in drug and alcohol

addiction is now meeting here at St. Paul’s in our parish office conference room on Monday evenings at 6:00. This wonderful group has been providing encouragement as well as education and support to those in our area struggling with issues related especially to the abuse of substances. If you have these issues in your family or know someone who does, come on Mondays to find a welcoming group

of folks, many of whom have been there and/or are there!

CCOMMUNITYOMMUNITY BBREADREAD BBASKETASKET Don’t forget non-perishable foods, soaps, paper products for distribution at our

ecumenical food pantry. January our parish is asked to bring Manwich. Bring them to the offering baskets to be presented at mass.

SHARING FAITH WITH OUR CHILDREN Our Family Faith FUNdamentals program for pre-school through grade eight children continues

from 9:40 through 10:50 every Sunday morning in the morning above the parish office. We have three classes that meet to help our children enrich their Catholic faith. If you children are not yet

registered or participating, please call the office immediately this week and sign them up and then bring them to class next Sunday.

Born that we no more may die, Born to raise us from the earth, Born, to give us second birth,

Hark, the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King.”

Adult Bible Study

Our weekly study of the coming Sunday’s Gospel will resume on Tuesday, January 5, at 6:30 in the Office

Conference Room. All are welcome.

This week: Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord Isaiah 60: 1-6 Ephesians 3:2-3a,5-6 Matthew 2:1-12

Background: “Epiphany” is a Greek-rooted word that literally means “manifestation” or “revelation”. In the context of today’s Feast it means the manifestation of the Christ to the Gentiles, non-Jews, in the persons of the ‘magi’, the visitors from afar who seek him out by the guidance of the star. This story from Matthew’s Gospel—so very different from those of Luke’s—- opens the Gospel message

to those who do not have the benefit of the bible and the long history of God’s mercy to the people of Israel. Like the rest of Matthew’s Gospel this infancy story presents Jesus and his

message as a gift from God to all nations and all peoples. Thank heavens, since most of us do not have a Hebrew ancestral heritage!

Next Week: The Baptism of the Lord

Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11; Titus 2:11-14-14; 3:4-7 Luke 3:15-16; 21-22

PRAY FOR OUR SICK MEMBERS Trinity East: Paul Sirback , Golden Oaks—Theresa Petroski Country Club Nursing Home: Frances Oliver Weirton Geriatrics—Inez Oliver Wyngate: Virginia Yoklic Serra Manor—Lillian Beagle, Gloria Frankovitch Chris Dorich is at 71 Darlington Rd, Room 141, Beaver Falls, PA 15010

Breadbasket helps out the needy all year. The month of January our parish is asked to donate Manwich. We thank our parishioners for their support.

PRAY FOR OUR TEENS! In the church, you will see a display of our Candidates for Confirmation to be held on June 18th at 5 pm. St. Paul Cemetery News: St. John—Section 9 is now open for the sale of in-ground burial graves. Call St. Paul Cemetery for more information or to purchase one of these graves. Family FUNdamentals resumes today, January 3rd at the normal time of 9:40 am. We are proud to announce that Christine Holmes, our parishioner, has been appointed Development Director for St. Paul School.

Phase 1: CAMPAIGN PROGRESS AS OF DECEMBER 30

Donor Pledged Amount Foundations $136,000.00

Alumni $10,000.00

Christian Mothers $15,000.00

Holy Name $10,000.00

Parishioners $258,555.00

School Parents $30,660.00

Businesses $7,050.00

TOTAL $467,265.00 GOAL $500,000.00

BALANCE NEEDED $32,735.00

We thank everyone who has contrib-uted to our Capital Campaign Fund. These figures are calculated as of December 30, 2015. This Campaign will last for three total years. We appreciate all the sacrifices made for the sake of our school. Please continue to support this fund by making your check to St. Paul School and placing it in the collection basket or mailing it to 140 Walnut Street, Weirton, WV 26062

We wish all our parishioners a healthy,

safe, prosperous & Blessed New Years.

Weekly Collection

Envelopes $ 6830.00 Offertory $523.00 Christmas $6750.00 Advent $2366.00

Cath. Charities $896.00 candles $397.00 Renovation $1412.00

OUR PARISH THIS WEEK

Saturday January 2

4:00 pm 5:00 pm

Confession Sunday Eucharist (Mary Senker)

Sunday January 3

The Epiphany

8:30 am 9:40 am

11:00 am 6:00 pm 7:00 pm

Sunday Eucharist: (Mary Paris) Faith FUNdamentals Sunday Eucharist/Children’s Church (Emagene & Bob Kerr) Sunday Eucharist: (For All Our People) Alcoholics Anonymous in cafeteria

Monday January 4

8:00 am 6:00 pm

Weekday Eucharist: (George Paar) Never Alone Meeting (Conference room)

Tuesday, January 5

8:00 am 6:30 pm

Weekday Eucharist (Margaret Castelli Bracaglia) Weekly Word in conference room

Wednesday January 6

9:30 am 5:45 pm 7:00 pm

School Christmas/Epiphany Mass Voices of Hope rehearsal Adult Choir rehearsal

Thursday January 7

8:00 am

Weekday Mass (Helen Derosky)

Friday January 8

8:00 am Weekday Eucharist (Elizabeth Laurine Wilson)

Saturday January 9

4:00 pm 5:00 pm

Confession Sunday Eucharist: (Margie Damino)

Sunday January 10

Baptism of

the Lord

8:30 am

9:40 am 11:00 am 6:00 pm 7:00 pm

Sunday Eucharist: (Living & Deceased Members of Christian Mothers & Holy Name) Faith FUNdamentals Sunday Eucharist/Children’s Church (Madeline Greco) Sunday Eucharist: (For All Our People) Alcoholics Anonymous in cafeteria

Don’t forget your parish, please consider giving a percentage of whatever remains in your estate to the parish memorial endowment fund. Bequests for the parish should read, “To the Most Rev. Michael J. Bransfield, Bishop of Wheeling Charles-ton or his successors in office for the exclusive use of St. Paul Parish (or School) in Weirton, WV Memorial Endowment Fund.”