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MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK
MON., DEC. 8
Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
TUES, DEC. 9
WED., DEC. 10
THU., DEC. 11
FRI., DEC. 12
SAT., DEC. 13
SUN., DEC. 14
6:30
9:00
12:05
7:00
6:30
9:00
6:30
9:00
6:30
9:00
6:30
9:00
8:00
5:30
7:00
8:30
10:00
11:30
5:30
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Susan Benzou – John Seidel & Family
John Masucci – Masucci & Isakson Families
Derry Kenning – Family
Kelli Anne Gartland – Family
Ann Hulswit – Jed & Cornie Costello
Ann Holub-Morelli – Legnard Family
Rev. Paul Spodnick (former Adm. – 1976)
John Allen III – Brotherhood-in-Action
Meri Pillepich – John Pillepich & Family
Camille Tortosa – Clothing Bank
Blessed Mother’s Intentions
Rosalie Robotti – Jed & Cornie Costello
Joe Quatraro – Friend
F. Sabbas J. Killian – Jerolimo Family
Catherine & Joseph Kelly – Family
Deborah Quinn – DeLuca Family
Rose D’Ambrosio Maturo & Andrew D’Ambrosio
Frank Raftery, Sr. – Ron & Bobbie Patzer
Kelli Anne Gartland – Family
WELCOME TO THOSE WHO WERE NEWLY BAPTIZED
Ava Isabella Pasqualone
Peyton Summer Snyder
III – Michael Nagy & Stephanie Lawlor
Next weekend, 12/13-14there will be a second collection for the
RETIREMENT FUND for RELIGIOUS.
GOAL: $15,000
COLLECTION: $13,836
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PARISH OFFICE (744-5777)
Sheila Kurjiaka: Bulletin Editor
Kate Fitzgerald: Secretary
Paul Orsino: Property Manager
Steve DeMarco: Parish Council President
Jane Shannon: Cemetery Administrator
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (743-4557)
Mary Ferri: Director
Peggy Gavin: Secretary
Dennis Nauheimer (RCIA): 794-9488
MUSIC MINISTRY
Mike Macelletti: Music Director
Elizabeth Barnes: Choir Director
ST. MARY SCHOOL (744-2922)
Sister Anne McCarthy: Principal
Linda Curry: Secretary
MASS SCHEDULE
Monday – Friday: 6:30 & 9:00am
Saturday: 8:00am & 5:30pm
Sunday: 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, 11:30am & 5:30pm
CONFESSION SCHEDULE
Saturday: 11:30-12:00noon; 4:00-5:00pm.
BAPTISMS: Every Sunday at 1:00pm.
(Call the Rectory to Schedule.)
PRE-BAPTISM CLASSES: Twice a Month.
(Call the Rectory to Schedule.)
ARRANGEMENT FOR MARRIAGE:
Couples must meet with a parish clergyman at
least six (6) months before the marriage is to be
celebrated.
Fr. Corey’s Comments
You know it’s the little things in life that really make you happy; conversely, it’s the little things
in life that can make you crazy. For years, I have felt that I was holding onto a rope that was
slathered with grease and slipping down the rope. Ok, what am I am talking about… the
falling apart of Christmas. More and more the word Christmas is becoming the generic word “holiday”.
Now, I know we are living in difficult times, and “Merry Christmas” doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but
is it? Let’s look at the phrase “Merry Christmas” for a moment. When we wish someone a “Merry
Christmas” what are we really saying? Well, to those who believe and have a relationship with Christ we
are wishing them a time of grace and love that comes from the Incarnation of Christ, (a celebration of the
grace that comes from Christ becoming God/Man and the love and reconciliation His birth means). Now,
for those who don’t have a relationship to Jesus, are we wishing them a curse, a malevolent appeal, a
cause of unhappiness or harm? Of course not! We wish everyone, no matter what their religious
affiliation (or lack of) peace on earth and good will towards all. That is what the term “Merry Christmas”
means. It is in no way an insult or a negation of another’s preferences. Let us not water down what we
believe. Let us respect those who are different from us. Since the beginning of our country this phrase is
synonymous with joy and brotherhood, and the fact that Love became one of us. Please, say “Merry
Christmas” this year! It is Christmas, not just a holiday; it is a Christmas Tree, a Christmas Card,
Christmas presents, Christmas lights, Christmas parties, Christmas Crafts Bazaars, Christmas Concert...
CHRISTMAS!!! If you know someone that celebrates Hanukkah or Kwanza, wish them a Happy
Hanukkah or a Happy Kwanza. I am sure they will appreciate us not watering down their religious or
cultural celebration. Keep it in mind as we prepare for the upcoming holiday… um, I mean Christmas.
¾ It’s a wonderful thing that near or far, St. Mary Parish is not far from the hearts and minds of our
parishioners no matter where they are. Elaine and Pete Bartkus recently made a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land, and while visiting the Holy Sepulcher (the burial place of Jesus), they had a Mass celebrated for
our Parish. Thank you so much Bartkus Family. What a beautiful blessing your trip must have been and
what a blessing for us to be lifted in prayer at such a holy and sacred place.
¾ Congratulations to our Bethel Veteran Parishioners who received the Veteran’s Wartime Service
Medal at the program at Bethel Middle School. About 350 attended. State officials presented the medals
to over 185 Veterans. Dear Veterans, we thank you for your dedication and service to our country. You
have our prayers and gratitude. We also pray for those who gave their lives so that we may be free.
¾ Becoming a priest is never an easy decision. Men hear God’s call in a variety of ways. Personally, I
never actually heard a “call”. Becoming a priest was just something I felt naturally called to all my life. I
guess you could say it was a constant feeling I always had. My family are Churchgoers (Mass on Sunday
and Holy Days) but not especially overly religious. And, you have to admit; I am not the ‘stereotypical’
candidate. But, with prayer, encouragement and cooperation with the Holy Spirit, I journeyed through
the seminary (with a few bumps along the way) until I was ordained in 1986 (December 20th as a matter of
fact). Imagine doing all your Christmas shopping and getting ready for ordination.) Obviously, a man
must be in tune with God speaking to his heart and soul. But, without a doubt support and prayer by
family, community and friends is vital. Next weekend we shall have in the vestibule of the Church the
names, addresses and e-mails of the current men studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of
Bridgeport. Please take a name of a seminarian and keep them in your daily prayers and drop them a line
(either by mail or e-mail). Your prayers and notes will be a tremendous moral and spiritual support to
these men who are training to serve God and the Church.
More Comments
One of the joys of our ministry as clergy
is the offering of the Sacraments. One
of the most unpredictable Sacraments is
Baptism. What is predictable is that through the
pouring of water and the use of the Trinitarian
formula (I baptize you in the Name of the
Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit) a
child is welcomed into the Church, the family of
God, becomes a child of God and all sins are
washed away. Unpredictable is the participation
of the baby or babies. Most times, the children
practice with their voices for future concert
performances. Other children may be on safari
around the Church and also decide to sing like
they were in Carnegie Hall. So, you got to go
with the flow. But, I am reminded of a story.
After the Baptism of his baby brother in Church,
Little Johnny cried all the way home in the back
seat of his car. His father asked him what was
wrong, and finally, the boy sobbed, “That priest
said he wanted us brought up in a Christian
home, and I want to stay with you guys!” Like I
said, you got to go with the flow.
Maybe you didn’t know this, but we
have a Lost and Found here at St.
Mary Parish. Unfortunately, all the
stuff we have is Found, not Lost.
The collected treasures can be found in the
Usher’s Room at the front of the Church.
Please, take a look and see if anything belongs to
you. To start the New Year off right, all unclaimed treasures will be sent the weekend of
Dec. 14th to organizations that can use them.
¾ Advent Meditation Booklets are available in
the vestibule of the Church for each family to use
as prayer material to prepare for Christmas. The
booklet, called “Day Breaks”, is a wonderful tool
to settle down, calm down and relax with the
Lord during this Holy Season. Last year we
offered a similar booklet for Lent, and many said
it was very helpful.
CHRISTMAS FLOWER DONATION:
If you wish to make a donation toward
flowers for the Church in memory of loved
ones, please put your donation in the basket or
bring it to the Rectory.
COFFEE & … will be served after the
8:30 & 10:00 Mass on SUN., DEC. 14th.
MON., DEC. 8, Immaculate Conception,
is a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses will
be at 6:30 & 9:00am, and 12:05 & 7:00pm.
LECTOR WORKBOOKS are available in the Vestry. Please sign the
sheet provided when you pick one up.
Holiday sign-up sheets are in the Vestry. If you
wish to serve a Christmas Mass, please sign up by
WED., DEC. 17th, or call Sheila (744-5777).
MASSES: Christmas Eve – 4:00, 4:15 (school),
6:00pm, & 12 Midnight (12:00 – MC’s only).
Christmas Day – 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, & 11:30am.
ST. MARY BOOK CLUB – NO Dec. Meeting
Jan. Book: “My Life with the Saints”,
by James Martin, S.J. Please join
Deacon John in the Childrens’ Room at
7:30pm, on TUES., JAN. 27th, for discussion.
MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS
SUN., DEC. 14th, 3:00pm, Church
Take a break from the hustle and bustle
to reflect on the “reason for the season”. Come
join the St. Mary’s Choirs for an afternoon of
carols and scriptures followed by refreshments.
Give the gift of prayer this Christmas.
The SENIOR YOUTH GROUP will
be selling “Heavenly Stock” after all
the Masses this weekend and next, DEC. 13/14.
JR. YOUTH GROUP will meet today,
SUN. DEC. 7th, at 6:30-8:00, in the
Parish Hall to make Christmas Gifts
for the residents of the Bishop Curtis Homes.
Early Dismissal: MON., DEC. 8th,
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
All are invited to attend our annual
St. Mary School Christmas Concert
on WED., DEC. 17th, at 7:00pm, in the Gym.
Are you planning on shopping online this
Christmas season? You can shop hundreds of
merchants (like LL Bean, Lands End and Target
just few), by logging onto www.onecause.com,
and St. Mary School will receive a small percentage of what you spend. Please log on, join
OneCause, designate Saint Mary School (not St.
Mary) and start shopping in this online “mall”.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
NEXT REGULAR MEETING:
MON., DEC. 8th, at 8:15pm, in the Parish Hall.
The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men’s
fraternal society dedicated service. If you are 18
or older and are interested in joining, please visit
http://pavia48.tripod.com/ or call Paul DiMarzio
(778-2840) for more info.
With Christmas only a few weeks away
the K of C FOOD COLLECTION will
continue to DEC. 15th. Please consider
donating turkeys, hams, and canned goods to
provide families with Christmas dinners.
Breakfast cereals are also welcome.
This year our parish community will once again
sponsor a “Giving Tree” program to reach out to
Bethel families during this Christmas season. The
program for 2008 has a threefold nature with the
tree itself located in the vestibule of the Church.
1. Gift Envelopes – Return the pre-labeled envelope with a donation to help families pay
fuel or utility bills, household repairs, etc.
Cash or a check payable to: St. Mary Church.
2. Gift Certificates – Christmas envelopes suggesting a gift certificate for department stores,
supermarkets, record or video stores, hairdressers, drug stores, Staples, Loew’s
Theaters, pre-paid phone and gasoline cards.
(Please consider using Bethel merchants, if
possible.) These certificates will allow parents
to choose gifts their children need.
Deposit Bethel Community Council envelopes
and Gift Certificates in the specifically marked
boxes by WED., DEC. 10th. Please label store
and amount of certificate on the outside of the
envelope.
3. Ornaments – The tree will also be decorated
with Christmas tags which will suggest a
specific gift (e.g., basketball) or a category
(school outfit for an eight year old girl).
Please wrap the gift and attach the tag. Place the
gift under the tree by WED., DEC. 10th. Any
questions, please call Rel. Ed. (743-4557).
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ANNUAL SANTA’S WORKSHOP
for Dorothy Day
SAT., DEC. 20th, 2008
St. Mary’s past efforts have made Christmas a
happy occasion for thousands of less fortunate
children in the greater Danbury area. You can
make this a really nice time of year for more
children by leaving new unwrapped toys, games,
and puzzles in the boxes provided in the Church
vestibule. Anyone who would like to volunteer to
help can email Mike Oles (moles5@comcast.net).
Anyone who is homebound or
unable to attend church who would
like to receive the Eucharist, especially for holy days, may call Mary Walsh (7981237) to arrange for a visit.
ST. MARY HOLIDAY MASS SCHEDULE
CHRISTMAS CONFESSION SCHEDULE
BEREAVEMENT: Our Parish community is ready to help you cope with
the loss of a loved one. Please call Deacon Oles
(203 733-5880) if you need any assistance.
12TH ANNUAL COOKIE EVENT
St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Bethel
on SAT., DEC. 13th, from 9:30–12noon.
All homemade cookies and fudge will be $8.00
per pound. Thousands of cookies to choose from.
SAT., DEC. 20th -
11:30-12noon
4:00- 5:00pm
MON., DEC. 22nd -
7:00- 8:00pm
TUE., DEC. 23rd -
4:00- 5:00pm
WED., DEC. 24th -
9:30-10:00am
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WEDNESDAY, DEC. 24th – CHRISTMAS EVE
MORNING MASS VOTING
Voting will be this week and next.
4:00pm (Church),
4:15pm (School),
6:00pm (Children’s Choir),
Please place your vote (ONE VOTE ONLY,
PLEASE) in the box in the vestibule or drop
it at the Rectory.
(11:30 Sing-along at Church),
Votes will be counted on THURS., DEC. 18th.
THURSDAY, DEC. 25th – CHRISTMAS DAY
I would attend daily Mass if it were at:
_____
6:30am
_____
6:45am
_____
7:00am
_____
7:15am
_____
7:30am
12:00 Midnight (Adult Choir)
7:00am, 8:30am, 10:00am, 11:30am.
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NEW YEAR’S DAY MASS SCHEDULE
WED., DEC. 31st: New Year’s Eve –
6:30, 9:00am, and 5:30pm.
THURS., JAN. 1st: New Year’s Day –
7:00, 9:00, and 11:00am.