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St. Bernadette
Catholic Church
Parish Notes
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Table of Contents |
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St. Vincent de Paul Society Advent Sunday Funday Sacraments: Baptisms Thank You from the Editors Mark Your Calendars |
New Hymnals Lasting Impression Art in the Church During Advent Share in the Environment in ... Quieting Room / Library Join the Choir Did you Ever Wonder About... Christmas Service Schedule |
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St. Vincent de
Paul Society: Caring for the poor in our Midst St. Vincent de Paul is the patron, but not the founder, of the Society that bears his name. That title belongs to Frederic Ozanam, a Catholic law student enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1831. Ozanam was challenged by a fellow student, who, though acknowledging the many past good works of the Catholic Church, asked, "What do you do n0ow?" On Ozanam's twentieth birthday, April 23, 1833, he and six other men formed a group which eventually took the name "The Society of St. Vincent de Paul." Their chosen patron, St. Vincent (1581-1660), was a French priest called "The Apostle of Charity" and "Father of the Poor." who was renowned for helping the destitute and for working with the priests and parish missions. The Society was established in the United States in November of 1845 in St. Louis, Missouri, where the national headquarters is still located today. The local society of Vincentians (as the members are called) began in October of 1958 at St. Mary Church, the only parish in Lancaster at the time. Monsignor Winsel was pastor, and the founding lay members included William Competti, Paul Lonergan, Frank McCauley, Larry Murphy, Ray Pence, and five or six other. From their first location in the 100 block of West Main Street, they have survived many moves and setbacks, including a fire in November of 1984 that completely destroyed their store and its contents. Their current store at 424 Locust St. is clean, roomy, and comfortable and their "fleet" of vehicles now consists of two large trucks. Every Wednesday, volunteers drive these trucks through out Lancaster and Fairfield County to pick up donations of used furniture and appliances for later distribution to those in need. Several times a year, the trucks visit surrounding churches, so that people can bring their donations to winter, weekend Masses. The Vincentians distribute the food and clothing collected. They deliver baskets of food at Christmas and throughout the year. They assisted our parish with the huge shipment of goods to El Salvador, and have periodically extended their outreach to the poorer counties of southern Ohio, including the St. Francis Center in MacArthur. Currently, the Lancaster group has 25 members. Their newly elected president is Frank Coz from our parish; other St. Bernadette members include Paul Dryer, Louis Halland, Paul Lonergan, John Marcello, and Jerome Welker. Their spiritual advisors are Sr. Louis Mary and Deacon Paul DeShaies. They hold meetings every Tuesday evening, and they participate in several social events throughout the year. Members lead the rosary at church one evening per week during May and October; all parishioners are welcome to attend. Their store is open for sales from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Donations are accepted until 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Manager Bonnie Hall will be glad to schedule a Wednesday pickup time or provide further information at 653-6037. There are many ways in which you can support the work of the Vincentians: dropping off nonperishable food donations anytime at the church entrance; bringing nonperishable food donations to the Thanksgiving Mass at St. Bernadette; dropping off clothing donations at the store, or waiting until one of the weekends when the St. Vincent truck arrives at the church parking lot (they'll help you unload your vehicle!); and giving monetary donations to the Vincentians on the fifth Sunday of the month, placing a donation in the collection basket, or mailing a donation to the store at any time. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which aids some twelve million persons annually in the United States alone, welcomes your support. You can help members to fulfill their vision, rooted in prayer, to "embrace the world in a network of charity." Many thanks to Paul Lonergan, who contributed most of the information for this article. You can read more about the national organization at http://svdp.wbai.com. If you are interested in membership, contact Paul Lonergan, liaison for our parish, at 653-7394.
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Advent Sunday Funday
November 20, 2005
On Sunday, November 20, from 9AM - 12PM, St. Bernadette will have its annual Advent Sunday Funday. This fun-filled event is ideal for the whole family! Activities include a pancake breakfast, Advent Wreath making, crafts, and shopping. Many of the activities are free of charge, others involve a small fee to cover the costs of materials. This is a wonderful opportunity for your to get ready to celebrate the Advent season, We'll see you there!! |
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St. Bernadette
Purchases New Hymnals Father Walter and Liz Latorre (liturgical music minister) began to discuss the possibility of purchasing a hard bound hymnal this summer. There were twp primary concerns which prompted this discussion. The first was a question of stewardship. The old hymnals, which are published on a yearly basis, have to be replaced every year. This cost the parish $1000-1200 per fiscal year, and copyright restrictions prevented the parish from using them for additional years. The second consideration was the aesthetic quality of the worship environment at St. Bernadette. The newspaper print pages are of poor quality and they ripped easily; by midsummer, many of the books are in poor condition. After consultation with the liturgy planning committee and the liturgical ministries committee, the decision was reached to purchase the Journeysongs, 2nd edition hymnal published by Oregon Catholic Press. This hymnal has a wide variety of hymns, traditional and contemporary, and contains most of the songs which our congregation sings on a regular basis. The total cost for these hymnals, including books for the cantors and instrumentalists, is $6000. To defray the cost of this purchase, the parish is going to hold a hymnal sponsorship drive in the month of November.
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Would You Like to
Make a Lasting Impression?
Sponsor a St. Bernadette Parish Hymnal !!! Would you like your family to make a lasting contribution to St. Bernadette's Church? Have you been looking for a way to memorialize a loved one who has gone home to the Lord? Please prayerfully consider sponsoring one of our new hard bound hymnals. These beautiful, navy blue, hard covered books are going to be in our pews for the next 10-15 years. Imagine that every week, for the next 10 years, someone came to liturgy, opened a hymnal, and found the name of your family or loved one on a book plate in the front of the book. Imagine that every week, when someone opens the hymnal provided in the name of your loved ones, that someone offers up a prayer to the Lord on their behalf. What a powerful statement about the strength of our community - that we worked together to help make our Sunday liturgies as beautiful and spiritual as possible, and what an awesome opportunity for prayer. There are two ways to participate in this program. First, you can stop by the hymnal table in the school hall after mass during the month of November through Christ the King Sunday. Second, you can copy and mail the informational slip below with your check made out to St. Bernadette Church. If you have any questions regarding this program, please call Liz Latorre at 653-8120. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Yes, I would like to sponsor a hymnal(s). Enclosed is my check for __________ dollars (Each hymnal is $15) I would like my bookplate to be a Gift from ________________________________________ or in Memorial of ________________________________________________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you need additional space, please enclose an additional sheep of paper and Mail to: St. Bernadette Church, Attn. Liz Latorre, 1343 Wheeling Rd., Lancaster Ohio 43130 or drop it in the collection plate.
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A Guide to the
Art in the Church During Advent During Advent, take a moment to look in the corner by the statue of our Lady. There will be framed photographs depicting different people and ideas about preparing for our Lord's birth. We place the frames in the corner centered around Mary, in recognition of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, when Mary was born without sin. The pictures include: John the Baptist: he offers us a new beginning to prepare for the coming of Christ through baptism and repentance. Isaiah the Prophet: he calls on God for salvation for his people and despite their sinfulness and hardness of heart, he knows the Redeemer can save them. Archangel Gabriel: he announces to Mary God's invitation to bear God's Son. Visitation of Elizabeth and Mary: their greeting bears witness, to themselves and the children in their wombs, that believing in God's promise brings glory and happiness to all touched by God's saving presence. -contributed by the Art and Environment
Committee
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Here's How
You Can Share In The Environment In Our Church 1. On Advent Sunday Funday, there will be ornaments for the church Christmas tree on which each family can put their name or someone they would like to remember. Be sure to come find our table and autograph an ornament. 2. On the last Sunday of Advent, we will bring the empty Christmas crèche into the church and place straw in it. Fr. Walter will bless the straw and then each family can take some of the straw home to put in their own family nativities.
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Did You Ever Wonder
About... The Christmas Carol: The Twelve Days of Christmas Nonsense rhyme, secular love song, or musical catechism? Each of these descriptions has been applied to the popular Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," at one time or another. We really know very little about the song, only that it is hundreds of years old and that it originated in either England or France. The "twelve days" of giving extended from Christmas until Epiphany, from December 25 until January 6. Other than these facts, the debate continues about the origins and meanings of the verses. But even if the song was never meant to be used as a spiritual teaching tool, it can still serve as an effective way to remember some of the basic truths of our faith. In the religious version, "my true love" refers to God, and each gift has a symbolic meaning: 1 partridge in a pear tree = Jesus Christ, the best gift of all 2 turtle doves = the Old and New testaments of the Bible 3 French hens = the three theological virtues: faith, hope and charity 4 calling birds = the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John 5 golden rings = the first five books of the Bible, also called the Pentateuch or Torah 6 geese a-laying = the six days of creation 7 swans a-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy (or the seven sacraments) 8 maids a-milking = the eight Beatitudes 9 ladies dancing = the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control 10 lords a-leaping = the Ten Commandments 11 pipers piping = the eleven faithful apostles 12 drummers drumming = the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed Advent will be here before we know it, and carols will be heard throughout the season. Whether or not it was ever intended to do so, the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," can, like many others, help us appreciate the many gifts God has given us.
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Christmas Eve Vigil Mass: Saturday, December 24
5:30 P.M. with the St. Bernadette Youth Choir Christmas Midnight Mass: Saturday, December 24 11:30 P.M. with the St. Bernadette Adult Choir Christmas Morning Mass: Sunday, December 25 10:00 A.M. with Mike Wood, Guitar Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: Sunday, January 1 Saturday at 4:30 P.M. Sunday at 9:00 and 11:30 A.M.
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