St. Michael Church

ANNANDALE, VIRGINIA 22003 Website: www.stmichaelannandale.org E-mail: church@stmikes22003.org

RECTORY, 7401 St. Michaels Lane 703-256-7822

SCHOOL, 7401 St. Michaels Lane 703-256-1222

CONVENT, 7421 St. Michaels Lane

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (CCD) 703-941-9403

MASSES: Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 7:00 a.m. (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite), 8:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Weekday Masses: See Inside Bulletin

CONFESSIONS: Saturday: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and at 7:00 p.m. SHARP. Wednesday: 6:30 p.m. SHARP. Advent & Lent special schedule. BAPTISMS: Baptisms are celebrated on the first and third Sundays of the month, after the 12:30 p.m. Mass. All parents must attend a class prior to the baptism of their child. Please call the rectory for information and assis-tance. (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) HOLY MATRIMONY: Please notify one of the priests at least six (6) months before the wedding. Cohabitation (living together before marriage) is not lawful; such cou-ples will be asked to separate. SICK CALLS: Please notify the Rectory for visits and/or Communion Calls to the sick, shut-ins and those in the hospital.

ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL: Pre-K3 through grade 8. For information, contact the school office at 703-256-1222. Website: stmikes22003.org. Principal: Daniel V. Cinalli, daniel.cinalli@stmikes22003.org RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: For all children attending public school, Pre-School through grade 12. Director of Religious Education: A d i n a O r d o n e z , 7 0 3 - 9 4 1 - 9 4 0 3 o r ccdstm@outlook.com. PARISH MEMBERSHIP: Registration forms are available from the ushers after Mass on Sunday or you may stop by the rectory during the week. Parish membership is required for the recep-tion of either Baptism or Matrimony. Please notify the rectory when your telephone number changes and also when you are moving within or outside the parish. RECTORY OFFICE HOURS: 9 a.m. — 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. WEEKLY NOVENA: Wednesdays at 7 p.m., Novena of The Miraculous Medal, unless otherwise noted. PREGNANT AND NEED HELP? CALL 1-800-848-5683

CLERGY OF PARISH Pastor: Rev. Alexander R. Drummond

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Richard T. Carr, Rev. Brian B. McAllister Permanent Deacons: Deacon David S. McCaffrey, Deacon Roger T. Ostrom (retired)

Celebrating

64 years: 1953~2017

4th Sunday of Advent

December 24, 2017

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The Priest’s Mass Intentions * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sunday, December 24 7 a.m. Rev. Fr. Rogatien Rondineau 8:30 a.m. People of the Parish 10:30 a.m. Dr. Salvatore J. Culosi + 12:30 p.m. Barbara Newberry + 5 p.m. Madelene Nguyen & Vincent Bui + 10 p.m. Regina Plunkett Monday, December 25 7 a.m. Silvia (DaHye) Lee + 8:30 a.m. The Chuppe Family 10:30 a.m. Maria Ngo Nguyen + 12:30 p.m. Matthew Tenney Tuesday, December 26 8:30 a.m. Frank Kelly + 12 noon Leo & Ann Biven + Wednesday, December 27 8:30 a.m. Rev. Fr. Joseph Clark 12 noon Harry & Isabel Ballard + Thursday, December 28 8:30 a.m. Rev. Fr. Kevin Fimian 12 noon Jerry Walsh + Friday, December 29 8:30 a.m. Joan & Pedro Iraneta + 12 noon Etta Hook + Saturday, December 30 8:30 a.m. Rev. Fr. Kevin Beres 5 p.m. Louelle D. Moreno Sunday, December 31 7 a.m. Maria Ngo Nguyen + 8:30 a.m. People of the Parish 10:30 a.m. Jose David Borda + 12:30 p.m. Christian Robert Stahl

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A Word from Father Drummond

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The most popular day of the week for weddings is Saturday, which is understandable. In some Parishes they are allowed later in the day, and inevitably brings up the question, “Can this Mass count for Sunday?” Short answer: NO. This year with Christmas on a Monday, some will ask of the Christmas Eve Masses at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., can they count for Sunday too? Same answer as above. The only time the Christmas Mass can count as the Sunday Mass is (as was the case last year) when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. As a priest, it saddens me when people try to find a loophole so they do not have to attend Mass two days in a row. Where is the Faith? Where is the Love? Even when Christmas falls in the middle of the week, we have people who seldom attend Sunday Mass, and even more seldom, Confession, coming and presenting themselves for Communion. This attitude betokens both a lack of Faith and of Love. As Catholics we have an obligation to attend Sunday Mass and certain High Holy Days on whatever day of the week they fall. This is a serious obligation. The obligatory nature of Sunday Mass is due both to our own weakness which often leads us to do only the minimum required and to the very real need we have for God. Ideally we should attend Mass out of love for God rather than a sense of obligation. One of the great attractions to me about the Catholic Church when I was still Protestant was that Mass is offered every day. Very quickly after I converted, I became a daily communicant, and if for some reason I missed a day, I actually felt the lack. The Mass is one of God’s great gifts to us, giving us an opportunity to encounter Christ directly and provided we are in the proper spiritual state may receive Him in Communion. And even when for whatever reason we cannot receive Communion we can still bask in the presence of the Eucharist. The greatest Christmas gift of all, indeed the greatest gift of all is Christ Himself. He is what it is all about — the Christ Mass. He is our Salvation in eternity, let us not begrudge Him even a minute of our time for without Him we are nothing. May you all have a very Happy, Healthy and, above all, a very Holy Christmas.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * In Our Parish

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Christmas with the Parish Priests -- will take place on Saturday, Decem-ber 23rd, after the 5 p.m. Vigil Mass. The party will be held in the All Pur-pose Room. All are invited; mark your calendars!

The Parish Office -- will be closed Monday and Tuesday of this week, December 25th and 26th. Holy Land Olive Wood Carvings -- On the weekend of Dec. 23rd & 24th, 2017 there will be a display of beautiful olivewood handmade carvings from the Holy Land in Our Church. These Carvings are made by the Christians of Beth-lehem who use them as their source of income. These broth-ers and sisters of ours are enduring hardships at this mo-ment because of the volatile situation in their home country. Christians in the Holy Land used to be more than 37% of the population. There is less than 1% now because of the situation. As Christians of faith, it is our duty to support our brothers and sisters in Bethlehem. YOU can support them by purchasing some of these beautiful carvings after Mass. Poor Box -- during Advent monies collected in the Poor Box will go to Catholic Charities. End of Year Giving -- Help our Parish…Help Others. While we are preparing for Christmas with friends and fam-ily, it’s important to stop and reflect on the many blessings that God has given us. It is also a time to be mindful that not

everyone is as fortunate. While shopping for gifts and plan-ning gatherings with loved ones, please consider setting aside an extra part of your budget to support the work of St. Michael with a tax-deductible donation. FORMED -- in the upcoming Christmas season, find some great things on FORMED; FORMED is like Catholic Netflix! It has movies, video study material (many with study guides), audio study material, audio books and ebooks. Go to FORMED.org with your e-mail and password; if you did not yet register go online and do so today (St. Michael’s parish code is: 6VZDHB). The code is for anyone registered in the parish or living in the parish boundaries. Call Deacon McCaffrey (571-643-6895) if there are any questions. Diocesan Men’s Conference -- all men of the parish are invited to the ninth annual diocesan Men’s Conference on Saturday, March 3rd, 2018. This year’s conference – enti-tled Marked Men -- Made for Greatness – will feature re-nowned speaker Fr. Mike Schmitz and more! The event will be held at St. Joseph's in Herndon. Breakfast, lunch, and Mass with Bishop Burbidge will be included. Registration begins January 3rd. Go to www.arlingtondiocese.org/men for more details or to register or contact your St. Mi-chael’s Parish captains Eric Rossi at este-venr@yahoo.com or 202-649-0522or Steven Rossi at StevenRossi@yahoo.com or 202-525-7552. IT IS NOT TOO LATE! -- The Sunday Scripture Study Group has just completed the first two of a 20-session study of Church History called EPIC, published by Ascension Press and featuring the program creator, Steve Weidenkopf, on DVD. The program covers the Catholic story from Pente-cost to Pope Benedict XVI. We are still reviewing the pe-riod of Roman Persecution and Early Heresies (100-299 AD). Much more to come! We meet (as indicated) on Sun-days from 9:45 to 11:45 AM in room 3 on the lower level of the Junior School. Sessions are facilitated by fellow parish-ioners. Cost of study materials is $30.00. Come early and enjoy breakfast refreshments and good fellowship. For more information and to pre-register, please call Pavo James at 703-642-8378 or Bill Deshler at 703-321-9730. Afternoon of Recollection -- a priest of Opus Dei presents an Afternoon of Recollection for women on the second Wednes-day of each month from 1-3 p.m. in the church, and consists of two meditations, scriptural reading or the Holy Rosary, and the opportunity for confession. Additionally, a priest of Opus Dei hears Confessions every Wednesday afternoon (except on the 1st Wednesday) from 1-4 p.m. For more information regarding either of these, please contact Lorraine Anderson, 703-425-0921. Perpetual Adoration -- Time with the Lord is always time well spent! To sign up for an hour or for more information, contact Rosemary Duffy at 703-256-4468. Currently, we are in most need for members on: Tuesdays 9-10 a.m.; Fridays 4-5 a.m., and 1-2 p.m.; Saturdays 7-8 a.m., 8-9 a.m., and 5-6 p.m.

Christmas Schedule 5 p.m. Family Mass

10 p.m. Mass at Night 7 a.m. Tridentine Low Mass

8:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m.

12:30 p.m. (Novus Ordo Latin)

December 31 Eucharistic Holy Hour 11 p.m.

Benediction at Midnight

Mary, Mother of God January 1st

(not a Holy Day of Obligation this year) 10 a.m. Tridentine Low Mass

12 noon

Please Pray for: Tuy Nguyen*; Cathy Callaghan*; Ellen Louise Daily; Steve Maitland*; Rose Guinan*; Dan Keller; Lili Lang; June & Norman Grimm*; Julia & Sophia Lattanzio; Carlton Hanson; Sr. Paul Marie; Dan Weiler*; Delia Sinn; Julie Molony Lee; Joe Meister; William Jeoff Robbins; Mary Roche*; Marco Tulio Gamba; Terry Spragens; Madelyn Respicio Cabatic; Rose Bledsoe; Bob Cafarella; Terry Chuppe; Michelle Soumier; Elsa Noriega*; Paul McEnrue*; Julia Garcia; John and Marie Si-benik*; Charlie Wisecarver*; Theresa Corcoran*; Jean Kratoch-vil*; Irma Barrera; John Carlson; Charles Salvo*; Elizabeth Medved*; Beatrice Clark*; Robert and Courtney Villareal*; Tracy Wilson; Michael Malovic*; Rosemary Dooley*; Ariadne Pasa; Maria Kerrinckx*; Richard Owen*; Diana Bethea*; Ma-rissa Ann Wuerthele*; Diana Pascoe; Jean O. Cole; Cecile McNeill*; Lilia Prieto; with apologies to anyone we dropped; to re-add names call the Parish Office for next week. Here are the names of family members -- of parishioners who are serving our country overseas: PFC Mark Haugh, USMC; Cdr. David Stabish, USNavy; Alex Puentes USNavy; Sgt. Ram-sey Hamilton; LtJG Grace Dalton, USNavy; Ens. Andre Acevedo, USNavy; Maj. John D. Barringer, III, USAF; LCpl Benjamin C. Martino, USMC; Lt. Matthew Becker USNavy; and…. [call Mary at the parish office, 703-256-7822, and we’ll keep our prayers going for our military in harms way.] The Secular Carmelite Vocation -- is open to all men and women, married or single. The Carmelites are those faithful who, by special vocation, undertake to live an evangelical life in the world imbued with the spirit of contemplation, in imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Carmelites in the Capital Area, meet the 2nd Sunday of the month from 1-4:30 PM in the St. Michael Senior School. Please contact Dr. Amadea Tette, 703-750-6478 or Janet Hiller, 703-280-1595 for further information. American Heritage Girls Troop VA 0894 -- Our girls scouting program is open to all girls in grades Kindergarten–Grade 12. We meet every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month in the All Purpose Room from 7 p.m.-8:15 p.m. Both youth members and adult leaders are needed to help continue to make our program successful. Please email or call Jermaine Perkins for additional info: wrauthor@gmail.com or 703-658-4876. Trail Life Troop 894 -- Meetings for the newly formed St. Mi-chael TL Troop 894 have begun. The Trail Life Boy’s Scouting Program is open to all boys in grades Kindergarten-Grade 12. Both youth members and adult leaders are needed to help make our new program successful. Please contact Jim Perkins at 703-615-2607 or jim@jim-perkins.com with any questions. Is God calling you to serve as a Eucharistic minister to pa-tients and families in hospitals? -- Inova Fairfax Medical Cam-pus at 3300 Gallows Road in Falls Church, VA is seeking volun-teers to serve with the Catholic Spiritual Care Volunteer Team in this capacity. Volunteers visit Catholic patients and their fami-lies in the hospital to offer presence, prayer and Communion. Training is provided. Please contact Rosa Villegas at Inova Fair-fax at 703-776-3767, M-F, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. if you would like additional information.

Be aware and alert -- of your surroundings. There have been reports of increased theft in the area. Do not leave valuables in the pews; ladies, please carry purses with you at all times.

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Saint Michael School is growing! -- We have added a 2nd PreK 4 class, and a 2nd Kindergarten class. We still have spaces available if you are interested. If you would like a tour of our school, or if you have any questions, please call Michelle Kennedy at the school office 703-256-1222.

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Youth Group -- meets Sunday evenings at 6 PM in the All Purpose Room of the Junior School Building. Need some Catholic R&R? -- Too often we try to live a faith we don't know or understand. Some of us stumble along with it, going through the motions. Others simply walk away. If you’d like to ‘renew and refresh’ your Faith, join us for a 5-part series on the Seven Sacraments. Using materials from the Augustine Institute, we’ll explore the essentials of our Faith in a way that will inform our minds and inspire our hearts. Begins January 7, 2018 at 1:45 PM in the All-Purpose Room, Junior School.

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * “Be it done unto me according to your word.” -- Obedience to the Lord’s will is the fruit of humble prayer. If you think God is inviting you to a deeper consecration as a priest, dea-con, brother or sister, call Father J.D. Jaffe at 703-841-2514, or write: j.jaffe@arlingtondiocese.org. Youth Music Festival -- Bishop O’Connell High School in-vites all 6th through 8th grade students to be a part of their 4th annual Youth Music Festival on Saturday, Dec. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day includes music clinics, performance and much more. This event is free, but a reservation is necessary. For more information and to register, visit www.bishopoconnell.org/festival. National Symphony Orchestra at the Monastery -- The Na-tional Symphony Orchestra will perform a FREE chamber mu-sic concert at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 7 p.m., as part of the NSO in Your Neighborhood concert series. A light reception follows. Free parking; near Brookland-CUA Metro/H6 bus toward Ft. Lincoln. Information: myfranciscan.org and 202-526-6800.