Page 2 St. Florian Parish 4th Sunday of Advent

USHERSDecember 2017

4:00 PM C. Cowperthwaite, E. Pindara,T. Zalewski, N. Zalewski

8:00 AM T. Gibson, T. Nester, M. Noworyta9:45 AM E. Lihota, G. Slusarczyk,

T. Baker, M. Gasior11:30 AM R. Manriquez, J. Gonzalez,

M. Suarez, R. Ortiz

READERSDecember 2017

4:00 PM V. Maccagnano8:00 AM R. Kopaczewski9:45 AM S. Baker

11:30 AM I. Jimenez

ALTAR SERVERS

SATURDAY, December 30

4:00 PM A. Bonczek

SUNDAY, December 31

8:00 AM A. Shea

9:45 AM J. Wojtas

11:30 AM D. Ranos

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERSDecember 2017

4:00 PM M. CowperthwaiteP. O’RourkeC. Ranos

8:00 AM P. GadusJ. GibbonsK. Gibson

9:45 AM D. KarczewskiP. MaccagnanoC. Malone

11:30 AM A. DavilaM. Suarez

CANTORS

SATURDAY, December 304:00 PM Laurie

SUNDAY, December 318:00 AM Bob9:45 AM Judy

Week of December 24 ­ 30The Tabernacle Candle will be lit this week in memory of

Ken Baker ­ FamilyThe Gifts of Bread & Wine are donated this week in memory of

Ken Baker ­ Family

MASSES FOR THE WEEK

Weekend, December 23 & 244:00 PM + Larry Moll ­ Wife8:00 AM + Lorraine Zalewski ­ Family9:45 AM + Fr. Joe Pachorek ­ Drosos Family

21st Anniversary11:30 AM + Emilia Silva & Denise Vera ­ Family

Christmas Eve9:00 PM + For the Parishioners

Monday, December 25 ­ Christmas Day8:00 AM + Jackie Wigsmoen ­ Family9:45 AM + For the Parishioners

Tuesday, December 268:00 AM + John & George Lembas ­ Felicia & Daughters

Wednesday, December 278:00 AM + Henry Bugajski ­ Grandchildren

Thursday, December 288:00 AM + Betty Peak ­ Rosary Ladies Sodality

Friday, December 298:00 AM + Stella Jasek ­ Pat & Vince Maccagnano

Saturday, December 308:00 AM + Jim Cummings ­ The Cowperthwaites4:00 PM + Betty Peak ­ MaryLou & Chuck

Sunday, December 318:00 AM + Blessings for Fr. Robert9:45 AM + Ken Baker ­ Family

11:30 AM + For the Parishioners

Page 3St. Florian ParishDecember 24, 2017

Monday ­ December 25The Nativity of the Lord: Mass At Dawn

Reading I Isaiah 62:11­12Reading II Titus 3:4­7Gospel Luke 2:15­20

Mass During the DayReading I Isaiah 52:7­10Reading II Hebrews 1:1­6Gospel John 1:1­18

Tuesday ­ December 26 ­ St. StephenReading Acts 6:8­10; 7:54­59Gospel Matthew 10:17­22

Wednesday ­ December 27 ­ St. JohnReading 1 John 1:1­4Gospel John 20:1a, 2­8

Thursday ­ December 28 ­ The Holy InnocentsReading 1 John 1:5—2:2Gospel Matthew 2:13­18

Friday ­ December 29 ­ St. Thomas BecketReading 1 John 2:3­11Gospel Luke 2:22­35

Saturday ­ December 30Reading 1 John 2:12­17Gospel Luke 2:36­40

Sunday ­ December 31 ­ The Holy FamilyReading I Genesis 15:1­6; 21:1­3Reading II Hebrews 11:8, 11­12, 17­19Gospel Luke 2:22­40 or 2:22, 39­40

READINGS FOR THE WEEK Mass Schedule for Christmas4th Sunday ofAdvent

Sunday , December 24English 8:00 AMEnglish 9:45 AMSpanish 11 :30 AM

Christmas Eve Mass

Sunday , December 24Mass at Night 9:00 PM

Christmas Day

Monday, December 25Mass at Dawn 8:00 AMMass During the Day 9:45 AM

Holy Family

Sunday, December 31English 8:00 AMEnglish 9:45 AMSpanish 11 :30 AM

Solemnity ofMary, Mother ofGod

Monday, January 1 9:00 AM

We wish you and your families a most joyousChristmas! May you create warm memories tocherish for a lifetime. Let us welcome in the

Christ-child with open arms and pray for the gloryof heaven to come into the hearts of humanity.

Fr. Robert and theStaff of St. Florian Parish

Merry Christmas!

Wesolych Swiat!

Feliz Navidad!

Christmas blessings to all!

Welcome!A warm welcome to all who have come to worshipwith us this Christmas season. We hope that itis a time for all to renew friend­ships, to celebratewith family and to give thanks to our God whohas blessed us so richly.

If you are visiting our parish with friends or familyor perhaps reacquainting yourself with our parishfamily after some time has passed, please knowthat we are honored by your presence.

May the new year bless you abundantly with therichness of friends, good health to sustain you, andan open heart to feel the presence of God.

May the spirit ofChristmas bring you peace,

the gladness ofChristmas give you hope,

the warmth ofChristmas grant you love.

~Author Unknown

Page 4 St. Florian Parish 4th Sunday of Advent

2018 Calendars

We will distribute calen-dars the weekend of

December 30/31 . There will bea special blessing at the 4:00pmMass on Saturday as we welcome the new calendaryear. Our special thanks to Elmwood Chapel fortheir generosity in sponsoring our 2018 calendars.

We pray for...Loretta Borowski, Michael Boston, KevinChocholek, Ricky & Cindy Cholipski, AustinCichy, Philip Corich, Martin Covarrubias, MaryLou Cowperthwaite, Dorita De Cardona, DavidDonahue, Catherine Drilling, Rosie Dunmore,Marietta Falbo, Elena Fank, Laurie Ferry, CharlotteFrjelich, Bob Frjelich, Tom Gadus, Irma Garcia, AllysaGarcia, Yesenia Guajardo, Rosa Guadalupe Guajardo,Sara Janet Guzman, Helen Hennessy, Maryann Henney,Tristan Hirosky, Baby Ian, Tony Jackson, Charlene Jones,Edward Kawa, Larry Kawa, Karen Kil, Bob Konecek,Martha Kowalkowski, Kelly Kozloski, Helen Larson, JohnLarson, Beth Lasseter, Thomas J. Lohr, Hector Maya,Joseph B. Mistarz, Jr., Ricardo Morales, GenovevaNateras, Policarpo Naya, Shirley Ostrowski, FeliciaPancer, D. J. Plys, James Rago, John Rosmanitz, JoShanahan, Lillian Smierciak, Alfonso Soto, LindaStannish, Lynn & Dwayne Tempe, Chestine Trzupek,Asunción Villalpondo, Rita Wilck, Dianne Williams,Stanley Wrona, Sr., Residents of Hammond ­ WhitingCare Center and Residents of Dolton Health Care Centerand Residents of Burnham Terrace.We pray for the homebound, sick and hospitalized. If your name appears inthe above list and you no longer wish to be included due to recovery, pleasecontact the Rectory at (773) 646­4877.

Oplatki (Christmas Wafers)

Available in Church after all masses and at the Rectory

Office for $3.00 per package.

HOW TO HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMASOur modern observance of the Christmas season seemsto begin in the fall, as stores are filled with holidaydisplays, and end on December 26th, when Christmastrees start peeking out from the trash. However, cele-brating Christmas as a Catholic means that, as muchas we can, we follow a radically different calendar—one given to us through the ancient wisdom and traditionofthe Church—before, during, and even after December 25th.

December 25 is only the beginning ofthe Christmas season.

The Feast of the Holy Family. This feast is celebratedwithin Christmas “octave”. It is a fitting day to thankGod for our own families and pray for a deepening ofmutual love, in imitation of the Holy Family.

The Feast of the Holy Innocents, December 28. Onthis day, we remember the children killed by Herod inhis determination to end the life of the Messiah. Thiscan be a day of prayer for the innocents of today whoare exploited and abused—many people now pray onthis day for the victims of abortion— and an opportunityto think about bringing the compassion of Christ tothose in need.

The Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, January 1.The octave day of Christmas is both a feast honoringMary, the Mother ofGod, and a day ofPrayer for WorldPeace. Our celebration of the New Year can be deepenedby prayer that our world will be open to the peace Jesusoffers.

God is our Creator and in him all living things havetheir existence. He enlightens our minds, so that wemay come to know and worship him. He has sent hisfaithful witness, Jesus Christ, to announce to us whathe has seen and heard, the mysteries of heaven andearth. Since you acknowledge with joy that Christ hascome, now is the time to hear his word, so that you mightpossess eternal life.

Page 5St. Florian ParishDecember 24, 2017

From the Pastor's Desk:

Dear Parishioners of St. Florian,

Thank you for your generosity and for all you do for St.Florian. At this time, when the heating season is approach-ing, we are trying to meet the demands that this means.

As you know, our heating bills are high every year. Our

old Church boiler is not only old, it is not sufficient for

our needs. Once it is turned on our gas bills skyrocket

because the controls on the boiler are not precise. We

are still waiting for the TO TEACH WHO CHRIST IS

campaign to give us money to install a new boiler, but

we need to wait until the campaign is over before we

receive any money, so there is still a couple of years

ahead of us. Meanwhile we have to face high heating

bills. We are still paying on last winter's bills and the

new heating season will begin in about 2 months. To

prevent the accumulation of all the heating bills I would

like to ask you to increase your donation in the ENERGY

ENVELOPE. I hope that the heating season will be mild

for all of us, but once the Church boiler is turned on

we are still paying for the usage.

I will keep you in my prayers, please keep me in yours.

Yours in Christ

Fr. Robert

NEWEST HISTORY OF ST. FLORIAN PHOTO

Fr. Robert P. Marchwiany, Pastor, with the TO TEACHWHO CHRIST IS COMMITTEE

Spring of 2016

BE SURE TO JOIN US FOR OURFAMILY MASS AT 9:45 AM!

Fr. Robert

Anyone interested inrenting Konsowski Hall,

please call the rectory formore information.

If you are new to the parish, stop in the rectory to register.

The St. FlorianSelf­Defense

Program

Come join "The St. Florian Self-Defense Program." All ages maysign up, children and adults. For moreinformation, please call (708) 476-8615.

ST. FLORIAN CHURCHis back on Facebook

Information and events will be posted on the

Florian Hegewisch user page.

Christmas Offerings

We encourage everyone to use their special Christmas

envelope for their family’s Christmas gift to the Parish.

As you have given so generously in the past, we hope

you are able to continue to do so this Christmas.

Also, please remember to use your Christmas Flower

envelope to help with the cost of our flowers and de-

corations used in Church throughout the Christmas

season.

Page 6 St. Florian Parish 4th Sunday of Advent

MARK YOUR CALENDARJan 4 Choir Rehearsal (Church) 10:00am

Jan 9 Bible Study (KH) 7:00pm

Jan 11 Choir Rehearsal (Church) 10:00am

Jan 12 Holy Name (PMR) - OffMtg 7:00pm

- Gen Mtg 8:00pm

Please pray for ourService Members:

Eugene Zmija, U.S Air Force ­ Sgt EricL. Abram, U.S. Air Force ­ Aaron Alvarez,U.S Navy ­ MSgt James Ritchie, U.S. Air Force ­Capt. Christopher Conner, U.S. Marine Corps ­ Sgt.Michael Marszalek, U.S. Army ­ Robert A. Islas, Jr.,U.S Navy ­ Capt. Lisa Klekowski, US. Army ­ PFCPatrick Paskiewicz, U.S. Army ­ Petty Officer SecondClass Laura A Tomczak, U.S. Navy ­ Master Sgt.Christopher Saberniak, U.S. Air Force ­ A1C NicolaosHofbauer, U.S. Air Force ­ Sgt. Ernest Silva, U.S. MarineCorps ­ Jonathan Daniel Ladowski, U.S. Marine Corps.

If you know of a family member who is no longer serving, please contact theRectory at 646­4877 so they may be removed from this prayer list.

St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box $245.00Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to our mem-bership, their families and friends. We wish to thankthe people of the parish for making it possible to meetsome of the needs of our neighbors during 2017. Wewould also like to thank all those who donated moneywith the Thanksgiving SVDP envelopes.

What does it mean to be a Parishioner?1 . It means to be officially REGISTERED in the

rectory! We need your family information in ourbusiness system.

2. What are some of the benefits of being a REG-ISTERED parishioner? You can get a list ofyourannual donations to use for tax purposes. As aREGISTERED parishioner, you can receive sa-craments, be a sponsor or witness for someoneelse receiving sacraments.

3 . Are there any other ways to become a REGIS-TERED parishioner? NO.

Que significa ser un Parroquiano1 . Significa estar oficialmente REGISTRADO en la

rectorial Necesitamos la información de su familiaen nuestro sistema de negocio.

2. Cuales son algunos de los beneficios de estar RE-ISTRADO como parroquiano:

• Pueden obtener una lista de sus donaciones an-uales con propósito de reportar en sus impuestos.

• Como un parroquiano REGISTRADO, puederecibir sacramentos, ser padrino/testigo paraalguien que este recibiendo los sacramentos.

3 . Hay otras maneras que pueda hacerse un parro-quiano REGISTRADO? NO.

WEEKLY OFFERINGSDecember 16 & 17, 2017

Sunday Collections Amount4:00pm Mass $ 863.008:00am Mass $ 509.329:45am Mass $ 476.75

11 :30am Mass $ 299.00Mailed Donations $ 125.00Votives $ 98.00

Actual Received $ 2,371 .07vs Budgeted Goal -$ 4,500.00Deficit ­$2,128.93

Campaign for Human Development $ 5.00Thanksgiving SVdP $ 5.00

Christmas Flowers $ 384.00Our Lady ofGuadalupe $ 139.00Immaculate Conception $ 33.00Religious Retirement $ 56.00Energy $ 150.00Parish Needs $ 343.00Building Improvement $ 130.00Maintenance $ 71 .00

Initial Offering EnvelopesPlease remember to use your Initial Offering En-velope in the January packet. A suggested donationof$10.00 will help defray the cost ofprinting andmailing contribution envelopes.

TO ALL WHO CELEBRATEWhether visitors, long-time residents

or newly arrived in the Parish, weThank God for you.

If you are not registered,or there is a change in your address,

or telephone number,please fill out the form and place it in one

of our collection baskets or mail it tothe Rectory

Thank You

Name: _____________________________________

Phone: _____________________________________

Address: _____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Please CheckOne:

___New Parishioner ___New Phone Number

___NewAddress ___Moving, Remove

from Register

MemorialsAnd Gifts ofRemembrance

You may remember your deceased loved ones in thefollowing ways:

DonationDaily Masses $ 10

Tree ofLife Gold Leaf $ 100Small Stone $ 500Large Stone $1 ,000

The Tabernacle Candlewill be lit in memory of. . . $ 10

The Gifts ofBread andWineare donated in memory of. . . $ 15

Please remember St. Florian Parishin your estate planning

Your Gift, Your Parishwww.parishgift.org

Mission Statement ofSt. Florian Parish Pastoral Council

St. Florian Parish Pastoral Council is a group ofparishioners who work together with the pastor toact as a consultative body for the parish. Ourmission is to build a prayerful, evangelizing andwelcoming spirit for the benefit of the faithcommunity.

MISSION STATEMENT of ST. FLORIAN PARISH

We are Roman Catholics of prayer, service and long-standing tradition guided by thespirit to meet the direct needs of out parishioners and neighboring community in ademanding social environment. We strive to achieve a sense of justice, responsibility,prayerfulness, communication and unity by providing:

• All individuals the opportunity of receiving sacraments• The proper educational environment ­ spiritually, morally, academically• A channel for corporal works of mercy• A time and place for social gathering and fellowship

Our goals and objectives will be accomplished through encouraging active participationin dialogue, evangelization, stewardship, prayer and love.

Worship

Altar ServersChoirs, Cantors & Musicians

Ministers ofCommunionLiturgy CommitteeMinistry ofCare

Ministry ofConsolationMinistry ofLectors

Faith Sharing GroupsUshers & Greeters

Bible Study

Education andAdult Formation

Baptismal PreparationR.C.I.A.

Parish Pastoral CouncilReligious Education

Evangelization Committee

Service

Finance CouncilSt. Vincent de Paul

Parish Organizations

Holy Name SocietyKnights ofColumbusDaughters of Isabella

Ladies Rosary Sodality