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Third Sunday of Advent December 15, 2013

April 24, 2011 , 2010
Saturday, December14th 5:00 PM William Vizer + Sunday, December 15th 9:00 AM For the People of the Parish 11:15AM Edward P. Novak+ Monday, December 16th 8:30 AM Ric Havel+ Tuesday, December 17th 8:30 AM Helen Murawski+ Wednesday, December 18th 7:00 PM Irene Maschak+ Thursday, December 19th 8:30 AM Intention Available Friday, December 20th 8:30 AM Intention Available Saturday, December 21st 5:00 PM Bob Jack+ Sunday, December 22nd 9:00 AM For the People of the Parish 11:15 AM Betty Walker and All Departed Souls+ Liturgical Minister Schedule Saturday, December 21, 2013, 5:00pm Lector: Mia Preston Servers: M. Levanoff / C. Walker E.M.s: A. & M. Lincoln Sunday, December 22, 2013, 9:00am Lector: Larry Smith Servers: J. Mycek / T. McKee E.M.s: L. & D. Linder / P. & B. Chamberlin Sunday, December 22, 2013, 11:15am Lector: Mary Mennell Servers: M. & C. Boyle E.M.s: S. Havel / M. Piazza

We welcome Father Thomas Stock as the next Pastor of St. Stephen. He has been the Parochial Vicar (what we used to call an Associate Pastor) at St. Francis Xavier Church in Medina so hes somewhat local! He is planning to have the 8:30am Mass here on December 31st, and he officially begins his assignment on January 1st. Again I ask your prayers for him and for me as we both prepare for our transition. I continue to give thanks for you and will always remember you in my prayer. December 28th and 29th I will be celebrating my last weekend Masses with you. So I would like to say goodbye to each of you personally after each of the Masses that weekend. We will have some coffee and donuts available in the Gathering Room after each Mass so I hope you can stop by and let me thank you for your kindness and support these past 4 years. On December 17th, the Church changes its Advent focus from a preparation for the second coming of Christ to a preparation to celebrate the first coming of Christ. As such, it would be appropriate this week for you to bless the Christmas tree you have at home. Here is a prayer from the Churchs Book of Blessings that you can use: Lord our God, we praise you for the light of creation: the sun, the moon, and the stars of the night. We praise you for the light of Israel: the Law, the prophets, and the wisdom of the Scriptures. We praise you for Jesus Christ, your Son: he is Emmanuel, God-with-us, the Prince of Peace, who fills us with the wonder of your love. Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we illumine this tree. May the light and cheer it gives be a sign of the joy that fills our hearts. May all who delight in this tree come to the knowledge and joy of salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sunday, 10:00am 10:00am 7:00pm Monday, 7:00pm 7:00pm Tuesday, 9:00am 7:00pm Wednesday 7:30 am 5:30pm Thursday, 7:00pm Friday, Saturday, 8:00pm

Readings for the Week of December 15, 2013 Third Sunday of Advent Is 35:1-6a,10; Ps 146; Jas 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11 Monday Nm 24:2-7,15-17a; Ps 25; Mt 21:23-27 Tuesday Gn 49:2, 8-10; Ps 72; Mt 1:1-17 Wednesday Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72; Mt 1:18-25 Thursday Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71; Lk 1:5-25 Friday Is 7:10-14; Ps 24; Lk 1:26-38 Saturday Saint Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33; Lk 1:39-45 Sunday Fourth Sunday of Advent Is 7:10-14; Ps 24; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24 Sunday

December 15th Offertory Counter Team 2 PSR (Hall) Adult Ed. (Church Meeting Room) Advent Communal Penance Service December 16th Guitar Group Practice (Church) Boy Scouts/Webelos (Hall) December 17th Liturgical Life Committee (Church Mtg Rm) Choir Practice (Church) December 18th Eucharistic Adoration Stephens Meals & More (Hall) December 19th Choir Practice (Church) December 20th No Events Scheduled December 21st AA Meeting (Hall)

Last weeks collections: 12/08/13 Offertory - $2538.50, Retirement Fund for Religious $665.00, SVDP - $166.50. Thank you! Please remember the sick in your prayers: Ron Guidetti, Eleanor Roe, Margie Keep, Freda Brazis; Pat Siddall, Louise Bauer, Tracy Lenhoff, Mary Cooke, Alene & Raymond Smith, Bob Coon, Jim McWeeny, Sr. Clare Ellen Wittman, Ray Hirsch, Marilyn Reith, Lilly Gawlinski, Jared Johnson, Deacon Joe Johnson, Barb Ciuca, Dan Klamert, Nancy Catalano, Jessica Johnson, Lois Yehlik, June Kost, and all those on our prayer board. DEACON'S CORNER: Do you feel particularly blessed at this wonderful time of the year? The best way that I know of to say thank you to God is to share the gift of life with others. In this case I am talking about foster care and adoption. Foster parents provide a loving, secure, caring and safe place for children to live until the family resolves its problems. Adoption is a legal process that creates a lifelong commitment and relationship between parents and children not born to them. Either of these options is a great way to thank you to God and a wonderful way to enrich the life a child that might never meet a faith-filled person like you. Religious give thanks. Thank you for accompanying us as we care for our elder sisters, writes a religious superior. Your gift to last weeks collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious helps support nearly 34,000 sisters, brothers, and religious order priests past age 70. May God bless you abundantly for your goodness. Irish Christmas Concert The Music Ministry of St. Columbkille Catholic Church presents our annual Christmas Concert, A Christmas Blessing from Ireland, on Sunday 22 December 2013, at 4 p.m. in the church, at 6740 Broadview Rd in Parma. The concert is free and open to the public; a free will offering will be taken to support the music ministry. A reception will follow in the vestibule of the church. For more information, contact Jon Thibo, Director of Music at St. Columbkille, 216-524-1987, ext. 27. WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Turn a good marriage into a great marriage through a Marriage Encounter Weekend! Recharge your marriage; give your spouse the gift of yourself and your time. The next weekend is scheduled for: 14-16 February 2014 at the Cambria Suites in Uniontown. For more information and reservations please call Dom & Deb Reo at 330-305-9963. You can also register online at: www.wwme.org/new.html. LEADERSHIP FOR A NEW DAY (LFND) ATTN Men & Women in your 20's & 30's: Do you want to integrate mission and values in the workplace? Applications are now being accepted for the first cohort of Leadership for a New Day participants! LFND is an interactive leadership formation. Participants come from a variety of settings: faith-based, public, private, and non-profits agencies. You will meet great people and be paired with professional mentors. There are only 20 slots, which will be filled on a rolling basis. The inaugural class begins January 2014. To learn more, or download an application, visit our website: https://sites.google.com/site/lfndcle/home or find us on Twitter@LFNDCLE or at facebook.com/LFNDCLE.

JOY TO THE WORLD - WATCH SPECIAL EWTN CHRISTMAS PROGRAMMING EWTN is proud to take you to Rome for LIVE Christmas Day Masses with Pope Francis, and to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. with its magnificent choir. Throughout this Christmas Season, enjoy inspiring musical performances animated features, specials for children and teens, movies and new holiday presentations perfect for the entire family. Watch EWTN (Direct TV 370). Visit www.ewtn.com for more information. An invite from Bishop Lennon The Solemnity of St. John the Evangelist is celebrated on Friday, 27 December 2013. You are invited to honor St. John as the Patron Saint of our Diocese, our Cathedral Parish, and the Cathedral Church itself. Bishop Lennon will celebrate the 12:00 noon Mass with the addition of special music. At 7:00pm, Bishop Lennon will preside at Solemn Sung Vespers. All are welcome, especially the young and those preparing for initiation. Free secure parking is available. Come and celebrate the Feast of our Patron Saint in the beauty of the Christmas Season at St. John Cathedral. Stephens Meals & More Volunteers: Joyce Smith & Bev Zeigler Help us celebrate Jesus at our Epiphany Party on January 5 th! Lets show Fr. Stock how we party around here by doing what we do best! On Sunday, January 5, 2013, we start gathering in the hall at 12:00 noon with side dishes and place settings, followed by a feast at 12:30. Make plans now to attend this wonderful family event! Ladies of the Parish Ladies Guild has been asked to provide cookies and/or Christmas desserts for the Meals and More Christmas dinner on Wednesday December 18th. Please drop off any items at the Hall on Tuesday or Wednesday. Thank you for supporting this great community event. Father Jim's Farewell Please join us to say goodbye to Father Jim and thank him for the spiritual and scriptural guidance that he has given us over the past four years. We will meet in the Gathering Room after each Mass on December 28th and December 29th. Ladies Guild will be providing drinks and pastries. If you are able to bring a pastry to the Mass you are attending that would be appreciated. Thank you. Nativity Sets Needed for Church Decoration As we decorate the Church on Sunday evening December 22, 2013 at 5:30pm, we will be needing several Nativity sets to fill the shelves in back of the church. It was such a beautiful display last year that wed like to do it again. You can bring them with you when you arrive for Solemn Advent Evening Prayer on The 22nd, or you can call Kay Kelling-Owen to arrange a time that you can drop them off if you cant make it that evening. Call Kay at 419-853- 4339 to see if your set is the size were looking for. Pope Francis Named Time Magazines Person of the Year Time Magazine announced their choice of Pope Francis for the 2013 Person of the Year, stating that he is changing the tone and perception of the Church.