THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME NOVEMBER 16, 2014 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2014 5:30 P.M. Marie & Edward Kulak Intentions of Ted Luciani Fred Kressaty John Murphy Ann Dietz Intentions of Charlie Tenga SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2014 7:30 A.M. Fred Kressaty Edward & Doris Bacigalupo 10:00 A.M. Mary Luciani Adoracion Asuncion Glorioso Alfredo Calimlim – 2nd Anniversary 12:00 P.M. Fred Kressaty Leonorfo Katada Jose R. Gonzalez MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014 8:00 A.M. Nunzio DiLaura TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2014 8:00 A.M. Ronald J. Kilgallen THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 8:00 A.M. Jarod Fisher FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 8:00 A.M. Theresa Casazza SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014 5:30 P.M. Deceased members of the Danowski Family Marie & Edward Kulak Jerome Campo Fred Kressaty Frank & Josephine Falciglia James Vollaro Anna Daloisio SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014 7:30 A.M. Ann Marie Hivish 10:00 A.M. Charlie Trovato Mary Luciani Joseph Colella Domenick Bello 12:00 P.M. Fred Kressaty Leonorfo Katada Delores Gammero Blaise Shirazi – 3rd Anniversary Frank & Bella Oriole Anthony & Helen Merle Pray daily for the safety of our servicemen and women serving their country. PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS Flora Assidio Mary Carton Grace Reid Nina Margossian Dorothy Fila Laurie Roth Nick Wolkiewicz Stacey Caropreso Lori McPartland Nick Spina Jimmy Bailey Gladys Sledge Infant Michael Soojian Elliot Marcano Margaret Puzio Baby Juliet Sinisi Carmela Fusco Baby Ryder Sasso Frances De Maria Jennifer Ambramson Margherita Davis Deacon Charlie Tenga Dorothy King DECEASED: Our Deceased Loved Ones SICK: CHURCH MEMORIALS Church Tabernacle Candle in memory of Richard Dinmore requested by Vi Heller. WEEKLY OFFERING Sunday - $5,563.00 Thank you for your continued support. Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ: “Well done, my good and fruitful servant…” Matt 25:14-30 “Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2280). The First Reading, from the Book of Proverbs is grounded in words of wisdom. The image we are given of a worthy wife and mother is immersed in this metaphor about wisdom and living in fear of the Lord. Not fear as one who is frightened or paralyzed, but the wisdom of one who lives in awe of the wondrous power and majesty of God – the God who offers that love to us. The Hebrew adjective used for “worthy” is hayil, and was used to describe the kind of valor and strength found in armies. That is the kind of courage it takes to enter into this kind of relationship with God. This description of a worthy wife and mother is grounded in a particular cultural time and is not meant as a rationale for only women to act in this way. Rather, it calls us to ground ourselves in this kind of awe and the courage of being in relationship with the Lord. The passage is no excuse for sexism anywhere – not in families, societies, cultures, or religions. In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew, we hear another story about readiness and being prepared. It’s a familiar story, but it’s worth paying attention to the details. A man entrusts three servants with exorbitant sums of money (we believe one talent equaled fifteen years’ worth of laborers’ wages) and leaves town. He entrusts each one with abundance according to each one’s ability. Two invest theirs and add to the amount, and one digs a hole and buries it. We see how the master responds to all three: there is swift affirmation and judgment, and no excuses are considered right for the third servant’s inaction. What are we to make of this parable, especially in light of Paul’s admonition to walk in God’s light alert and follow the ways of the Lord? The master trusts the servants, and God entrusts us with the word – everything animate and inanimate. God trusts us to be good stewards and to continue the work Jesus Christ laid out for his disciples. If we wait for further instructions or for Jesus’ Second Coming to be certain, we will have wasted our time – it will be the same as wasting fifteen years’ wages. If we go on living as if we had one more day to act as God bids, even if we live as if we have another hour or another minute, we do not understand the urgency of the Good News. We are exhorted to act now, be resourceful, and use our lives and all that we have been given. We should not be hesitant about the Good News of God’s loving kindness. We must tell the world the Good News of the amazing, abundant gifts we have been given. We must live freely and fully alert every moment to God’s astonishing, saving love. St. Francis of Assisi Church Fiscal Update July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014 I share with you a report on the fiscal standing of St. Francis of Assisi Church, for the time period of July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014. This brief overview provides a transparent accounting of our fiscal management. This is a snapshot picture not a detailed annual report that a large corporation would produce. The biggest event in our Parish this past year was the closing of our St. Francis of Assisi School at the end of the 2013-2014 academic year. Seeing that we did not have excess funds to pay for the second half of the school year, we took out a loan from the Diocese of Paterson in the amount of $95,000 so that we could meet our financial obligations to the school. One of the biggest factors involved with the decision was a sixteen-year steady decline in enrollment. Unfortunately, we had to raise the tuition which put our school out of reach for many families. Based on an enrollment of less than ninety students for this year, the difficult decision to close was made. Now for some good news…Our 53rd Annual Carnival was a great success! After expenses, we netted a profit of $55,000. This year, Carnival funds are being used to help with much needed deferred maintenance projects as I wrote about in previous bulletins. Also, our Religious Education program is thriving. We have over two-hundred children who are here on Monday afternoons or Sunday nights learning about our faith. An area where we need everyone to pitch in is fundraising. In the past, the major fundraisers were run by the School to benefit the School. Fundraisers now take place to help with Parish expenses so we need everyone to support the Craft Fair, the Calendar Raffle, the Grocery Store Gift Cards, etc. We also need volunteers to help out with certain activities like selling the Calendar Raffles and the Grocery Store Gift Cards. As far as future spending goes, we will strike a balance between building our bank account back up, catching up on much needed maintenance, and paying off the school loan to the Diocese (current balance owed is $85,000). We need everyone to pitch in to bring us back to good fiscal health. This means keeping up with donations to the weekly collection along with keeping up with pledge payments to the Partners in Faith Campaign and the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. Statement of Operations St. Francis of Assisi Church Income Collections Donations/Bequests National Collections Program Fees Total $350,837 $ 56,271 $ 41,101 $ 39,817 $488,026 Expenses Salaries/Benefits $167,010 Operating Costs Operations $ 37,744 Office $ 36,362 Facilities $ 67,105 Diocesan Assessment $ 42,202 Total $350,423 Surplus/(Deficit) $137,603 Subsidy to School ($213,000) Net Surplus/(Deficit) ($75,397) May God bless our future and give continued fruitfulness to this work and all the works of our hands and hearts. Fall Craft & Vendor Fair & Calendar Raffle This Sunday we have our annual Fall Craft and Vendor Fair and we kick off our next Calendar Raffle. Please support the Craft Fair by attending on Sunday, November 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and bring some friends with you. We need the Calendar Raffle to be a success so please purchase one or more tickets. Loyal readers of this Bulletin know that we usually end up with repeat winners. The Calendar Raffle tickets also make excellent stocking stuffers. If you have had to buy wrapping paper or candy to support your co-workers’ children or your neighbors’ children, here is your chance for payback. Please consider taking a packet of ten tickets to sell. Thanks for your continued support of our fundraisers and our Parish. Sincerely in Christ, Fr. David Pickens Pastor St. Francis Religious Education News Let Us Share Our Thoughtfulness with Others! 9th Grade Service Project Our ninth graders will be collecting items for the Wanaque Food Pantry from November 1 through November 23. Extremely Need: Non-Perishable Food Soups, fruit, peanut butter, jelly, cereal, tuna, chili, pasta, sauces, drinks, coffee, tea, condiments, canned food items, boxes of food items. Other Needs: Non-Food Items Shampoo, conditioner, soap, paper products, first aid items, and baby formula: Enfamil, Similac, Good Start, and diapers. PLEASE help our ninth graders help others by donating! Please bring donations to our Religious Education Classes. For Parishioners: there will be boxes in the Narthex. Thank you St. Francis Community for your help and support! “Help us who have received so freely from you to give as freely in our turn, and so have the pleasure of giving as well as the happiness of receiving.” Calendar Raffle Sweepstakes Time 90 Opportunities to Win with each Ticket Prizes Total $5000 Since tickets may win more than once, each $10.00 donation gives you 90 chances to win. All proceeds from this fundraiser will help defray the cost of building maintenance. Every day is a chance to win a great prize. A winner will be chosen for each day from December 25th through March 24th. Check the special days for bigger prize money! All parishioners are asked to support this fundraiser for the parish and to sell at least 10 raffle tickets. Packages of 10 tickets will be available after all the masses. You can also pick up packages from the rectory. Individual tickets will also be available for sale after all masses beginning Saturday, November 15th through Sunday, Dec. 21st. Tickets may also be purchased at the rectory or by contacting the chairperson below. Please show your support and help our parish! Erika Reid Calendar Raffle Chairperson 973-628-7917 eareid@optonline.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ST. FRANCIS ANNUAL PARISH CHRISTMAS PARTY Sponsored by St. Francis Ladies Guild Monday, December 1st at 6:30 P.M. At “Il Palazzo Restaurant”, 600 Ringwood Avenue, Wanaque Featuring a Buffet Menu: Italian Brushetta Display and Fancy Cheese Platter Assorted Thin Crust Pizza and Stromboli Breads Penne with Vodka Sauce Chicken Marsala, Sliced Flank Steak Tender Veal and Peppers Eggplant Rollatini Tilapia String beans Roasted Red Potatoes Fresh Baked Dinner Rolls Mixed Garden Salad Fresh Seasonal Fruit Pastries & Cookies Unlimited Soda, Coffee, and Tea Price: $30.00 all included per person Any questions please call Carol Funcheon at 973-835-3803. RSVP deadline is November 26th. (Firm) Please return below reservation to rectory attn: Carol Funcheon Christmas Party Reservation Name_____________________________________________ Phone Number______________________________________ Amount Enclosed____________________________________ Preferred Seating____________________________________ “SOUP’S ON” Saturday, November 22, 2014 following 5:30 P.M. Mass SOUP AND SANDWICH SUPPER (sponsored by St. Francis Ladies Guild) Come join us for a bowl of steaming homemade soup, sandwich, dessert, and some “warm” hospitality! Only ……$10.00 – adults $5.00 – children 12 years and under For reservations call the rectory at 973-835-0480 Thank You Thank you to the Parish for donating to my Eagle Scout project. With all the money donated I have enough to buy all the supplies I require. The parish did an amazing job with donations. We raised $1,581 this weekend. I greatly appreciate the support from the parish. You guys are the reason this project will be able to happen. Thank you again! Sincerely, Freddy Ackerly LAKELAND NURSING HOME SCHEDULE SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014 Pat Demarest & Mary Oliveira LECTORS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014 5:30 P.M. Giovanna Vollaro SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014 7:30 A.M. Jay Markot 10:00 A.M Gil Boroski 12 NOON Mike Durkin EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014 5:30 P.M. Karen Cisco & Lynn Magnini SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014 7:30 A.M. Sue Raoul & Mary Kearns 10:00 A.M. Jackie & Annie Rivera 12 NOON Tony Mazza & John Arendas ALTAR SERVERS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014 5:30 P.M. Open SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014 7:30 A.M. Victoria Sheridan 10:00 A.M. Samantha & Stephanie Reilly 12 NOON Alana Beshaw & Timothy Kenny