St. Mary Church And St. Ann Mission

A Pennsylvania Charitable Trust 117 Lencer Drive

Leeper, PA 16233

Phone: (814) 744-9919

Fax: (814) 744-8624

E-mail: samarch@zoominternet.net Web: www.stmarycrown.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/stmarycrown Reverend James P. Power, Pastor

Email: jpower@eriercd.org Michael J. Dittman, Deacon Assistant

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

A joyful occasion for the whole parish. Parents must be registered and

active members. Classes are required. Please call St. Mary’s Church

Office for arrangements.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

St. Ann Mission—Saturday: 4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

St. Mary Church—First Sunday of the month at 10:15 a.m.

Also by appointment.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

Diocesan Common Policy requires at least six months advance

notification before any plans are made to allow time for evaluation and

sacramental preparation.

FACILITATOR OF FAITH FORMATION

Sheila Martz 782-6473

HALL RENTAL

Call St. Mary’s Church Office: 744-9919

CATHOLIC RURAL MINISTRY

Sister Marian Wehler, OSB

Sister Tina Geiger, RSM

7 Pulaski Street, Oil City, PA 16301

814-677-2032 ruralministry@yahoo.com

REMEMBER ST. MARY/ST. ANN IN YOUR WILL

“I give and bequeath to St. Mary Parish and/or St. Ann Mission,

PO Box 41, Crown, PA 16220, the sum of ____dollars, real estate,

and/or stock for the purpose of assisting St. Mary Parish and/or

St. Ann Mission in furthering the work of the Church.”

WEEKEND LITURGIES

Saturday: 5:00 p.m. - St. Ann - Marienville

Sunday: 8:30 a.m. - St. Mary - Crown

Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - St. Mary - Crown

Weekday Liturgies: Please consult the Bulletin.

In the event of a Funeral, there will be no daily Mass.

The Mass Intention will be rescheduled.

Holy Days: Consult the Mass Schedule.

MISSION STATEMENT With faith in Jesus Christ and commitment to living Gospel values, the parish of Saint Mary, Crown and its mission of Saint Ann, Marienville, in communion with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie and the Universal Church, serve the people of northern Clarion County, eastern Forest County and seasonal visi-tors. By calling forth and utilizing the gifts of each individual and through the celebration of the Eucharist and the other sacraments, the mission of our community is to advance the Good News and the spiritual development of each in-dividual in order to achieve eternal salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

PASTORAL CARE OF THE SICK Please notify the office if a family member or parishioner is hospitalized, recovering at home, or in a Nursing Home. Visitation, Communion, and/or the Anointing of the Sick can be made available to them.

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph December 27, 2020

Sacrament of Reconciliation St. Ann Church — Saturday at 4:15 p.m.

St. Mary Church-First Sunday of the month at 10:15 a.m.

The Lord remembers his covenant forever.—Psalm 105

NEXT WEEK’S READINGS The Epiphany of the Lord 1st Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6 2nd Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 NEXT WEEK’S SCHEDULES January 2 & January 3 Lector: 5:00 p.m. John 8:30 a.m. Emma 11:00 a.m. Henry COLLECTION COUNTERS January 3, 2021 Jana, George, Dale, Joyce

From the Desk of Father James

Saturday, December 26 M:5:00 p.m. Fred Zacherl By Nancy & Family

Sunday, December 27 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph C:8:30 a.m. All Parishioners C:11:00 a.m. Deceased Members of the Grumbaugh & Inesso Families By Rene Grumbaugh

Monday, December 28 C:8:30 a.m. Howard & Regina (Sis) Staub By Michele Schrecengost– Kibbey

Tuesday, December 29 C:8:30 a.m. John R. Grumbaugh By Rene Grumbaugh

Wednesday, December 30 C:8:30 a.m. Henry S. Gregory By George & Anne Gregory

Thursday, December 31 C:7:00 p.m. All Souls Remembrance

Friday, January 1 M:8:30 a.m. All Parishioners

Saturday, January 2 M:5:00 p.m. Sherry Stinebiser By Mary Belle Benson

Sunday, January 3 Epiphany of the Lord C:8:30 a.m. Anthony Lencer By Skip & Milly Cussins C:11:00 a.m. All Parishioners

Dear Parishioners

““Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a man-ger” (Luke 2:10-12). Thus shepherds were told to look for a sign, and this sign is nothing extraordi-nary: simply a child born in a stable and laid in a feeding troth.

This is for us a sign of how God reigns - he does not come with power and outward splendor, ruling with strength - he wants from us only what this child wants from us - our love.

We know that the great command of the old law is “you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). But how are we to love that which seems distant, which we can only catch a glimpse of? At Christmas we celebrate that God is no longer distant, no longer unknown, no longer beyond our reach. He has become our neighbor - and not just any neighbor, but the weak-est and poorest among us: an infant. In this way he teaches us to love the weak, to defend the poor, to support those who cannot support themselves. In a world dominated by arrogance and pride, the poverty of God is a message that we constantly need to hear.

May this Christmas season inspire us to seek and to find God not in extraordinary displays of power and strength, but in the simplicity of the infant lying in the manger. Merry Christmas, Fr. James

Lector: 12-31-20 7:00 p.m. St. Mary Bob 1-1-21 8:30 a.m. St. Ann Jim

Please support our sponsors!!!

SNYDER’S AUTO BODY INC. TYLERSBURG, PA.

814-744-9218

The Diocese of Erie, along with all dioceses of the United States, has policies and procedures in place to address the national problem of child abuse and to aid in creating safe environments. The diocese is committed to on-going screen-ing and training of paid or volunteer persons who have reg-ular contact with our children and youth under the age of 18. It is committed to the yearly in-servicing and training of our children, youth and parents regarding touching-safety and safe environment. To see what the Diocese of Erie is doing to keep children and youth safe, check out http://www.eriercd.org/protectyouth.htm For more information, contact Cindy Zemick at the diocesan offices at 814-824-1195.

Bulletin Announcements: Any information for the bulletin MUST be written and in the church office by noon on Friday, a week before the date to be published due to printer schedules.

VOCATION CROSS—Families are needed to sign up for the vocation cross beginning with the month of March 2021. Please call the church office at 814-744-9919.

PRAYER CHAIN—If you wish to put someone on the Prayer Chain, please contact Sheila Martz at 229-3083 or Jane Wallace at 927-8566.

St. Ann’s Women’s Club now has a new supply of Micro-fiber streak-less cleaning cloths. Cost is $5.00 each. Contact any St. Ann Women’s member or call the Church office at 744-9919.

Child Protection and Creating Safe Environments- Keep-

ing God’s Children Protected and Safe: The safe environ-ment training of our children and youth is a key component in the Policy for the Protection of Children. Each year our schools and parishes are mandated to provide this training to all youth in catholic school and parish programs. Since 2003 over 200,000 children have received age-appropriate abuse prevention education. The Diocese maintains a working rela-tionship with agencies in each of our 13 counties to provide training for our youth in schools and parishes. In addition, the Office for the Protection of Children and Youth maintains a media library containing videos for schools and parishes to provide child abuse prevention education. From 2016-19 over 31,000 parents have also received child abuse prevention education. Visit https://www.eriercd.org/childprotection/ to see what the diocese is doing to help maintain safe environ-ments for children and youth.

Knights of Columbus will meet Monday, January 11th 2021 at 6:00 p.m. in Stutz Hall.

12-13-2020 $1,685

Catholic Stewardship Appeal 2020 To date 102 families have responded with pledg-es totaling $41,415.00 Every dollar over our goal remains in our Parish. Our Parish goal is $21,962.00 for 2020. Total paid to date is $38,285.00, leaving a balance of $3,130.00 to be satisfied by Dec. 31, 2020.

Faith Formation/Religious Education Registration If your child is new to the Faith Formation program, please call the office (744-9919) to let us know prior to registration. If you have any questions, please contact Shelia Martz (782-6473-home; 229-3083– cell). Thanks!

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ST. HUBERT’ COUNCIL #10341 GUN RAFFLE WINNERS 1ST HENRY—LEVER ACTION 308 WIN. CAL. MODEL # H014-308, OR $600.00 CASH

Bill Coradi 2ND WEATHERBY, SEMI-AUTOMATIC, 12 GAUGE SHOT GUN, FOR 2 3/4 OR 3” SHELL OR $400.00 CASH

Seth Bauer 3RD RUGER-SEMI AUTOMATIC. 22CAL, RIFLE MODEL # 10/22, OR $200.00 CASH

Carolyn Martin PRIZES MUST BE PICKED UP WITHIN 90 DAYS OR FORFEITED.

January 2021 Lottery Tickets are due back December 27th, 2020

St. Ann Women’s Club has cancelled the Annual Christmas Party due to Covid-19.

TIME Do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of. —Benjamin Franklin

Family of the Month: Mike Dechant 50/50 Winner: Ker ry Wolber t

https://www.eriercd.org/childprotection/

Marienville/North Clarion Food Pantry: Items need-ed are, boxed dinners, boxed potatoes, boxed stuffing, canned pumpkin, canned yams, cake mix, dish soap, Jell-o or pudding, canned fruit, canned cranberry sauce, evaporated milk. Items need to be in the Church before January 24th. Please remember monetary donations are always welcome. Checks can be mailed to: Marienville/North Clarion Food bank, Marienville Methodist Church, P.O. Box 281, Marienville, Pa. 16239.Your generosity helps families in our community. Please no expired food items! COATS AND CHRISTMAS DEC-ORATIONS WILL NOT BE COLLECTED BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 LIMITATIONS.

A Family Perspective The gospel today shows Mary and Joseph weren’t ‘perfect’ parents. If you have ever been ‘amazed’ and ‘astonished’ at what came out of your child’s mouth, then you are in good company. If there were times you ‘didn’t understand’ your children or felt ‘anxious’ about their behavior so did Mary and Joseph. Parenting is tough but it is also the stuff of holi-ness.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION PRAYER My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Ho-ly Sacrament. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot receive you at this moment sacramentally, come at least spiritu-ally into my heart. I embrace you as if you were al-ready there and unite myself wholly to you. Never per-mit me to be separated from you. Amen

St. Mary Church is in need of Maintenance Person to per-form general repairs, cut and trim grass, including the ceme-tery, and level and reseed graves in the cemetery. This is a part time, paid position, which is available immediately. Please contact Father James or the church office if you are interested in this position, 814-744-9919.

Our parish has an opening for a part time Secretary/ Bookkeeper. This is a paid position. Applicants should have accounting and bookkeeping experience in addition to computer knowledge, Microsoft Excel, Word, Quick books and Publisher with five years work-ing experience in general office duties. If you are inter-ested in this position, please contact Father James or call the church office 814-744-9919.

Our parish is in need of a person to clean the Rectory. This is a part time paid position. If interested please contact Fr. James or call the Church office at 814-744-9919.

SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Jo-seph Monday: The Holy Innocents Tuesday: Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativi-ty of the Lord; St. Thomas Becket Wednesday: Sixth Day within the Octave of the Nativ-

ity of the Lord Thursday: Seventh Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord; St. Sylvester I; New Year’s Eve Friday: The Octave of the Nativity of the Lord; Mary, the Holy Mother of God; World Day of Prayer for Peace; New Year’s Day; First Friday Saturday: Ss. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazian-zen; First Saturday

CHILDREN OF ETERNITY You are children of eternity. Your immortal crown awaits you, to reward your duty and love. You may in-deed sow here in tears, but you may be sure there to reap in joy. —St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

https://www.eriercd.org/A-Family-Perspective-1-12-2020.html

(There are no Anniversaries during this time)

December 28 Kay Seigworth December 29 Carter McLaughlin December 30 Don Cyphert January 1 Alex Lencer Brittany Parrett January 2 Trey Bauer Charles Carroll Ellen Peters Dorothy Trkula Bob Wolbert

WE ARE GOD’S HOLY FAMILY The scriptures of Israel are filled with many stories of barren couples who were miraculously granted the gift of children by God. Surely the best known among these is the first reading from today, from which Luke took inspiration when he recounted the miraculous birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and the more miraculous birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph. In each instance, we are given examples or role models of those who trusted in God. More than examples of those who trust, they are models of self-surrender. They aban-doned their own presuppositions and prejudices about the workings of the world and turned their lives over to belief in a God who can make life grow where none ought to; a God who can turn death around into a new and unimagined life; a God who can, today, take a tiny child of humble parents in an insignificant town and make him into a light for all the world. This is what we, as God’s holy family, are called to do each day: to trust not in ourselves and the way we think things should be, but to open ourselves and surrender ourselves in faith to a God of endless promise. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

FEAST OF FAITH Processions Why does the liturgy begin with a procession? It is not just a practical matter of getting the ministers of the liturgy from the sacristy to the sanctuary. The procession is a powerful sign of who we are as Christian people. We are not static, staying in one place. We are going some-where. Our procession leads us to the altar, sign of Christ’s presence in our midst. We move, we process, because we recognize our need for what Christ is prepar-ing for us at that table. We go forward eagerly, because we are hungry for that heavenly food. This procession is an orderly one: servers, deacon, priest presider. Each is set apart by distinctive vesture: albs for the altar servers, dalmatic for the deacon, chasu-ble for the priest. The procession is an image of the hier-archical structure of the Church. On a deeper level it is an image of unity in diversity. We are all on a journey to the heavenly city, but each of us is clothed with different gifts. We all receive the call to service, but not in the same way. Only by coming together in all our wonderful variety can we achieve the work of the kingdom. —Corinna Laughlin, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.