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The Epiphany of the Lord January 3, 2016

Friday January 8th

7:00 a.m. Special Intention 9:00a.m. School Mass—Daniel Bailey on His First Anniversary Requested by His Family

7:00 a.m. John & Hannah O’Connor Requested by Peter & Mary Mongillo

Tuesday January 5th: Saint John Neumann, Bishop

Wednesday January 6th

7:00 a.m. The People of St. Bridget

7:00 a.m. Helen Havrilla Requested by Sandy & Bill Walsh

7:00 a.m. Souls in Purgatory

Thursday January 7th

Altar Servers

January 2nd & 3rd 4:00p.m. Christian & Alexandra Hakim, and Tristan Colafati 7:30a.m. John & Joseph Deko, and Grace & Maggie Jinks 9:00a.m. Jameson Hardy, Luke Audie, Conner Perry and Serena Staples 11:00a.m. Aidan, Kian, and Rory McCormack 4:00p.m. Hunter Valarose, Andrew Cherrone, and Juliana Janezic

January 9th & 10th

4:00p.m. Rapillo, Amann, Fletcher and Puckhaber 7:30a.m. Strell, Ali, Manning and Murcko 9:00a.m. Longo, Ciampi, Cara and Patrick Walsh 11:00a.m. Biddiscombe, Foti and Putnum 4:00p.m. Christian & Alexandra Hakim, and Tristan Colafati Extraordinary Ministers

January 2nd & 3rd

4:00p.m. R. Kozaczuk, J. Kozaczuk, R. Roczynski, J. Roczynski 7:30a.m. Rowinski, Christolini, Kasinskas, Saviello 9:00a.m. Cherrone, S. DeSantis, M. Ricciuti, Glazweski 11:00a.m. Caldarella, Devine, Larkin, Pikulski 4:00 p.m. Please consider volunteering

January 9th & 10th 4:00p.m. Clark, Elengo, J. Roczynski, R. Roczynski 7:30a.m. Kasinskas, Christolini, Saviello, Bernard 9:00a.m. Ciaburri, J. Ginnetti, M. Ricciuti, Pisani 11:00a.m. Lonergan, Caldarella, Pikulski, C. DeSantis 4:00 p.m. Please consider volunteering

Readers

January 2nd & 3rd 4:00 p.m. Triolo

7:30 a.m. Gomes, 9:00 a.m. Higgins, 11:00 a.m. T. Centorino, 4:00 p.m. D.J. Ciampi

January 9th & 10th 4:00 p.m. S. Centorino

7:30 a.m. McCormack, 9:00 a.m. Johnson, 11:00 a.m. P. Schommer, 4:00 p.m. V. Shemo

7:30 a.m. Generoso Violano and Michael Violano Requested by Angela & Marty Krause 9:00 a.m. Katherine Napoli Requested by The Family 11:00 a.m. John Peter O’Reilly III Requested by Marian Quinlan 4:00 p.m. In Living Prayer for Norbert Hootsmans Requested by Megan and Clare Bernard

9:00 a.m. Deceased Members of the Gura Family Requested by Tony & Joan Ginetti 4:00 p.m. Harold Tarini Requested by Mr. & Mrs. Vin Fuoco

Saturday January 9th

Sunday January 10th: The Baptism of the Lord

Altar Care January 3rd

Dorothy Lines, Janet Stigberg

Eucharistic Adoration Schedule

Friday, January 8th

1-2pm– Mary Fletcher and Audrey McCarthy-Rehor 2-3pm – Claire Robitaille and Mary Alyce Lee

3-4pm - Ed St. Martin and Kathleen O’Neill

Please contact the rectory if you are interested in par cipa ng in Eucharis c Adora on or if you cannot make

your scheduled me.

Monday January 4th: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious

7:30 a.m. Lucille Fitzsimmons Requested by The Family 9:00 a.m. Regino Delegiro Requested by His Family 11:00 a.m. Claire Ruotolo Requested by Kathleen O’Neill 4:00 p.m. Michael George Requested by The Family

9:00 a.m. Pasqualina & Giuseppe Tranquillo Requested by Ernesto & Anna Zarra 4:00 p.m. Gary Vesentin Requested by Adolph & Eleanor Vesentin

Saturday January 2nd: Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church

Sunday January 3rd: The Epiphany of the Lord

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The Feast of the Epiphany…celebrates that day when the visitors from the East, the Magi, brought to the infant Lord gifts of gold, frankin-

cense, and myrrh, gifts that speak to us of his royalty, his priesthood, and his sacrifice. As we celebrate the Epiphany, we are also at the beginning of the year 2016 in the Year of our Lord, which also happens to be the Extraordinary Jubilee Holy Year of Mercy called for by Pope Francis. As we contemplate the gifts of the Magi to our Lord, let us think of the gifts we ourselves can offer Him. Certainly we are called to offer Him all that we are, but we are also called to reflect His presence in our words and actions. What better time to consider how we may better do this in our lives than as we cele-brate the Feast of the Epiphany and begin this special year of God’s grace. As I said last weekend in this article, “we enter into this New Year mindful that it is a time of new hope, a time of new enthusiasm, a time of new energy…a New Year offers (us) fresh starts, new chances, and hopeful beginnings.” As I con-template this I cannot help but think of what blessings this year will bring to our lives, and most especially to our Parish Family. I hope and pray we are open to these blessings. I take this time to express my gratitude to you all for the blessings of the past year. First and foremost I express gratitude to God, for His guidance of our family of faith and for His love for us. Gratitude to Father McCarthy, Deacon Wilber, Sister Patricia and the entire Pastoral Staff...I can never adequately thank the members of our Pastoral Staff who meet every Friday to collaborate as we seek to continually work with parish volunteers to implement

new programs and activities to bring us together as a family of faith. I am most grateful to each of them for their love for the Church, their love for our parish, and their hard work and dedication in pointing the way to Jesus Christ. Gratitude to our Parish Staff…Our staff work so diligently in a variety of ways whether as Sacristan, Office Staff, Custodians, or any number of other positions held here. I am most grateful to our staff for their daily work in assisting Father McCarthy and I in our ministry among you. Special gratitude for all their extra efforts in preparation for Christmas! Gratitude to the many parishioners who volunteer in so many capacities…Each and every day

our parish is blessed with volunteers who work to truly Go, and Announce the Gospel in our parish and community. I wish to express my gratitude to each and every one of them who seek to serve the people of God: our Cantors, Musicians, Eucharistic Adorers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers, Ushers, our Church Decorating Committee (who worked so hard to deco-rate our Church and School for the Christmas celebrations, GREAT JOB one and all), Money Counters, office volunteers, the Ladies Guild, the Pro-Life Committee, the Prayer Shawl Committee, the Bereavement Ministry, the Social Outreach Committee, the Advent Giving Tree Committee, the Buildings and Grounds Committee, the Bible Study Group, the Knights of Columbus, the Home and School Association, our Parish Trustees, the Parish Finance Council, and the Parish School Board, and the various Parish Dinners and Picnic Committees (and any other committee I might have missed) for all their time, talent and treasure which they share to provide for the needs of our parish and school family. But most importantly, I wish to thank you the people of our parish family. I thank you for your love and dedication to our Parish, for your great generosity, especially financial generosity which enables us to offer the great variety of programs and activities, and for your presence at Mass both daily and Sundays. We exist as a parish family because of each of you. God bless you and thank you for all you do for our parish family! I express special gratitude to all who sent Christmas cards, cookies, and other delicious treats to Father McCarthy and me during the season. We are most grateful to you for your thoughtfulness, kindness and generosity to us. As always remember to pray for our parish family and ask God’s blessings as we build His kingdom here. Please know that I am pray-ing for you, and I ask for your prayers for me, that together through the intercession of Saint Bridget, our Patron, and united in the Eu-charist, we will reflect the presence of Jesus to the world.

Nota bene (Italian for “note well”) On the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, after the Gospel, the priest or deacon, in keeping with an ancient practice of Holy Church, announces from the pulpit the moveable feasts of the current year: Here is the announcement:

Know, dear brothers and sisters, that, as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by leave of God’s mercy we announce to you also the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Savior. On the 10th day of February will fall Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season. On the 27th day of March you will celebrate with joy Easter Day, the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the 5th day of May will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the 15th of May the feast of Pentecost. On the 29th of May, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. On the 27th day of November, the First Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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Saint Bridget School “Fostering academic excellence, community awareness and spiritual growth.”

On behalf of the students, faculty and staff of St. Bridget School, we wish you all the best for the New Year!

Boy’s JV Basketball team

SBS Annual Open House

Sunday, January 31st, 10am-1pm

The 17th Annual School Auction will take place on Saturday, February 27th at the Aqua Turf in Southington. Please use the

web address below to view more information on the auction and how you can become a sponsor.

h ps://stbridgetschool.ejoinme.org/greatgatsby2016

Facebook for St. Bridget and

Alumni Friends Calling all St. Bridget School Alumni and Friends of St.

Bridget School! Be sure to like us on our Facebook Page! Our Facebook pages are St. Bridget School,

Cheshire and St. Bridget Alumni, Cheshire.

Don’t forget your Box Tops! They can be dropped off at the school office.

WELCOME!

No matter what your present status in the Catholic Church,

No matter what your current family or marital situation,

No matter what your current personal history, age, background, or race,

No matter what your own self-image— You are Invited, Welcomed, Loved,

and Respected here at Saint Bridget Parish. We are here to welcome and serve you.

Together we are all called to conversion in Christ.

Book Study: “The Return of the Prodigal Son” Six Wednesdays from January 20 to February 24

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in St. Bridget Parish Center

“The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Henri Nouwen is the author’s all-time favorite book. It grew out of his reflections on Rembrandt’s painting that depicts this parable. After reading this book you will never view the parable with the same eyes. His insights give a new twist to the parable that will both enlighten and challenge you. The parable’s message of mercy and compassion make it appropriate to read and study this Jubilee Year of Mercy. We hope that you can join us. To register, call Sr. Patricia at 203-272-3531 x1312. You can order the book on your own or have St. Bridget Parish order it for you.

The offertory for December 20th was $14,720.00. Online giving for the week of December 20th was $1,215.00. An addi-

tional $918.00 was collected for Retired Religious. The Christmas offertory for December 25th was $21,078.00.

An additional $24,522.00 was collected as a Christmas Gift. The offertory for December 27th was $11,073.00. Online

giving for the week of December 27th was $1,015.00. Thank you for your kind generosity!

Please go to www.stbridgetcheshire.org to donate online.

Morning of Reflec on: “The Spiritual Adventure of Our Later Years”

Thursday, January 28, 2016 10am-Noon St. Bridget Parish Center

Have you ever thought about your later years as the greatest spiritual me in your life? While aging naturally presents us with challenges, there are ways to open our minds and hearts to new possibili es. Join us for a Morning of Reflec on as we consider the graces available to us in our later years. We will also reflect on our “spiritual legacies” - the spiritual blessings we want to leave behind for future genera ons. Presenters: Amy Ekeh, MA Theology and Ruth Mulhern, R.N.

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Ask Father

We know many of you have questions about our Catholic faith because you ask us in passing all the time. Please submit them so that all the parish can benefit from the answers! Please continue to simply write it down and put it in an enve-lope clearly marked “Ask Father”, and it will be answered in the order in which it was received. Only one question will be answered each week. We hope this will be a way for us all to grow in our understanding of the faith.. Q. Should all Catholics and Christians be baptized? What is the end result if they are not baptized? A. This is a rather involved question to answer in this short answer column, but I will give you tidbits of the teachings of the Church and encourage you to look more deeply into this topic in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Christians, and thus we as Catholics, have always interpreted the Bible literally when it declares, "Baptism saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Je-sus Christ." (1 Pet. 3:21) Thus the early Church Fathers wrote in the Nicene Creed (A.D. 381), "We believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins." And the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The Lord himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation [John 3:5]. . . . Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament [Mark 16:16]" (CCC 1257). Thus, as the question is posed above should all Catholics and Christians be baptized, the answer is clear, if one is a Catholic or Christian then they have heard the Gospel and thus should be baptized. Of course the Church also teaches that "those who die for the faith, those who are catechumens (seeking baptism), and all those who, without knowing of the Church but acting under the inspiration of grace, seek God sincerely and strive to fulfill his will, are saved even if they have not been bap-tized" (CCC 1281; the salvation of unbaptized infants is also possible under this system; cf. CCC 1260–1, 1283). I realize this is just a cursory look at a more complex issue but I have provided the references in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) for you to look into this more in depth if you so desire.

Religious Education Office Donna Yatcko, Director

Rebecca Flyntz, Admin. Asst. Open from 9am until 1pm

203-272-6504

“The light of Christ is so clear and strong that it makes the language of the cosmos and of the Scriptures intelligible, so that all those who, like the Magi, are open to the truth can recognize it and join in contempla ng the Savior of the world.”

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Our fifth grade Mass will take place at the nine o’clock Mass on Sunday January 10th. All the fifth grade students of Saint Bridget Parish are invited to attend.

Our Sunday Religious Education classes for Elementary School students will resume on Monday January 4th and Sunday January 10th. The next class for grades 7 and 8 is January 10th at 8:30 am at St. Bridget School. The next class for the Confirmation Program is January 10th at 5 pm at St. Bridget School. Watch your e-mail for Community Service op-portunities. Parents, please consider signing up to volunteer as a Door Monitor during your child’s class time. We need your help to keep our children safe!

INCLEMENT WEATHER: Please update your text alerts for delays and cancellations. All our stu-dents will be receiving more information on our

inclement weather procedures.

The candle before our Tabernacle shines this week for

Deceased Members of the Ferrucci and Martone Families

The Giving Tree Commi ee would like to thank all the generous families of

St. Bridget Church for their overwhelming response to this year’s Christmas wishes

placed on the Giving Tree. Your generosity has brightened this holiday for 130+ families which in-

cludes 23 children and 32 teens, plus 30 adults at a local care facility. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Learning about our Catholic Faith

The apostle, taking as an example family rela onships, states that “Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanc fy her” (Eph 5:25-26). Christ loved the Church, by giving himself on the cross. And this means that the Church is holy because she comes from God, who is holy. You could say to me, “But the Church is made up of sinners; we see them every day.” And this is true: we are a Church of sin-ners. And we sinners are called to let ourselves be trans-formed, renewed, sanc fied by God. Throughout history, some have been tempted to say that the Church is the Church of only the pure and the perfectly consistent, and it expels all the rest. This is not true! This is heresy! The Church, which is holy, does not reject sinners; she does not reject us all; she does not reject us because she calls everyone, welcomes them, is open even to those furthest from her; she calls every-one to allow themselves to be enfolded by the mercy, the tenderness, and the forgiveness of the Father, who offers everyone the possibility of mee ng him, of journeying to-wards sanc ty.

Pope Francis

General Audience, 2 October 2013

Saint Bridget Prayer Line

Requests for prayer may be submitted to the Prayer Line by calling Dell Kasinskas at 203-272-0070 or emailing akasins@sbcglobal.net. There is a need for "pray-ers", that is, people who pray. Please consider offering your time. Please join us for the new Pastor’s

Dinner Club…Registration will contin-ue till the event but the sooner you reg-ister the sooner you are eligible for the weekly gift. The cost of the dinner is $100 per person.

As soon as you register and pay for the dinner, you will be assigned a number on our registration list. Each week, with assistance of a random number finder, a number is chosen and that individual is given a gift of $25. This occurs until the night of the dinner. At the dinner additional larger gifts will be given. Consider being a Table Captain and coordi-nate gathering 8 or 10 of your fellow parishioners, family or friends to join you. Flyers for registration are at all the doors of the Church. Registration forms along with the monies may be mailed to the rectory, placed in the collec-tion, or dropped off at any time. What a great way to gather together on April 23, 2016 at the Aqua Turf and enjoy an evening of fine food, beverages, and entertainment. A great night out with your parish family and friends.

Congratulations to Marc Ciampi whose number was chosen for the $25 gift for last

week! And to Jim Bednarek whose number was chosen for the $25 gift for this

week!

St. Bridget School 17th Annual Auction Sponsorship Opportunities Available!!

Please consider being a part of this exciting event taking place at the Aqua Turf on

February 27, 2015.

Take a look at our new auction website and picture your logo there with a link to your website!

https://stbridgetschool.ejoinme.org/greatgatsby2016

Please contact Krista Ostuno 203-509-6056 or Courtney Hansen 203-376-2990 for details.

Email inquiries to SBSGreatGatsby@gmail.com

Prayer at the Beginning of the New Year

O God, who are without beginning or end,

the source of all creation,

grant us so to live this new year,

whose beginning we dedicate to you,

that we may abound in good things

and be resplendent with works of holiness.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity

of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Honor Students Notre Dame High School Honor Students

Jus n Dillon Tyler Pyne Nicholas Dobie Michael Sansone Evan Mikulski Jeffrey Tyrrel

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Our U.S. Military Prayer List Captain Cassandra Andrea USAF Captain J. Michael Andrea USAF

Captain David B. Beale, 101 Airborne Division Sergeant Brian Caouette

Captain Leslie Ann Capuano, USMC LT JG Hollis Ann Capuano, USN

Sergeant 1st Class David Colafati, US Army STS-1 Jake Ford, US Navy

Petty Officer 2nd Class Martin Houston, US Navy Cdr. Thomas A. Ianucci, USN, Chaplain

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jim Muthig 1st Lieutenant Dennis L. O’Reilly, USMC

Corporal David T. Peterson USMC Ensign Jake Patrick Reid, USN

1Lt. Alexander James Topitzer, 2nd Infantry Division 2Lt. Matthew Neil Topitzer, 2nd Infantry Division

Captain Ryan Van Wie, US Army Airman First Class Joe Villano USAF

Corporal Bernard Vitti, Jr. Marine Corps

If you have names to place on our U.S. Military prayer list, please contact Mary Beth in the Rectory at

203-272-3531 or office@stbridgetcheshire.org with the names of family & friends who are on active duty. Please

provide name and branch of service. In this way, our whole parish community can help bring them home safely

by our prayers.

Through the grace of God, parishioners continue to be very generous with dona-tions to the Community Food Pantry. The needed items vary, but this week

we have a particular need for: Ketchup, mayo, shampoo conditioner, toilet paper and facial tissues. Please continue to donate any items you would like to donate. PLEASE DELIVER PERISHABLE GOODS WHEN WE ARE OPEN. The Food Pantry CANNOT ACCEPT EX-PIRED or OPENED items. The Pantry is located at 51 Railroad Avenue, Cheshire, CT (behind Rossini’s Pizza). Hours are: Monday-Wednesday-Friday mornings, 9:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday, 3:00 p.m.– 6:15 p.m. The phone number is 203-699-9226 and the mailing address for any monetary donations you wish to send is: Cheshire Community Food Pantry

P.O. Box 457, Cheshire, Connecticut 06410

Thank you for your continued support of the Food Pantry and for helping our fellow neighbors!

PARISH BINGO THURSDAY EVENINGS

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP SELL TICKETS, WORK IN THE KITCHEN,

AND TO BE CALLERS! If you are interested, please come on

Thursday, or call Nancy (860) 212-6426. The doors to the Parish Center open at 5:30 p.m. and BINGO begins at 7 p.m. The jackpot for Thursday,

January 7th will be $125.00! Come early and have dinner with us for only $4.00!

Men’s over 30 basketball Sundays @ 7pm in the school gym

Anointing of the Sick If you or your loved one is in the hospital or home-

bound and would like to arrange for the Anointing of the Sick, please call the rectory.

Ministers of Communion If you or a loved one is homebound, in a nursing home

of convalescing after surgery, call the rectory to ar-range for a communion visit.

Friendly Visits New to St. Bridget-A team of trained volunteers is in the making to provide visits to parishioners who are

homebound or in a nursing home.

Parish Visitor Program Many of us have experienced the isolation of being sick and being forced to stay indoors. If this were a permanent situation, we can imagine how lonely and isolating this could be. At this time we are forming a Parish Visiting Program at St. Bridget Parish so our homebound persons, those in senior housing or nursing homes could have a regular visitor. A Par-ish Visitor is not the same as an Extraordinary Min-ister. On Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at 7 pm in St. Bridget Parish Center we will have an informa-tional meeting. Please call Sr. Patricia at 203-272-3531 x1312 if you are interested or have questions.

A en on 8th and 9th Graders Discover why St. Paul Catholic High School has become the choice for more and more families! We invite you and your family to a end our Open House on Saturday, January 9 at 10:00 a.m. Tours of our building, mee ng our faculty and visi ng our fami-ly are all part of our open houses and are open to all prospec-

ve students and their parents. Pre-registra on is suggested, but not required. To register please visit www.spchs.com/admissions On Saturday, January 16 at 8:00 a.m., St. Paul Catholic High School will hold its Placement Exam for prospec ve 9th and 10th grade students. If you or someone you know has a pro-spec ve 9th or 10th grader and is interested in taking the exam please visit www.spchs.com/admissions to register today or call our Admissions Office at 860.584.0911 x34.