FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT NOVEMBER 30, 2008
On the Way....
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at St. Peter Church:
Q. What about the Parish Photo Directory? A. The last individual family photos have been taken, the group pictures have been collected, the layout has been put together and the whole product was sent to the company two weeks ago. All of the above was basically done or coordinated by Shirley. It will take several weeks for Olan Mills to send the booklet back for proofreading, and you will be notified when we receive them..
Q. Is there ever any heat in the church? A. The simple answer is "yes". The more specific answer goes to the more complex. We have radiant heat, pipes snaking through all the floor of the church. Downstairs the pipes are exposed. The rectory is also heated from the central boiler. The boiler has several circulators allowing hot water to the different zones of the parish complex. In trying to be as efficient as possible, we have installed digital thermostats in the church and in the hall to regulate the demand for heat to the hours of occupancy. Understanding that the boiler and the "many times serviced and rebuilt" circulators are at least 45 years old, we must work the "kinks" out of the system each and every year. Your concerns have been heard and are being addressed. In the meantime, "stay cool".
Q. Does Father Dumont take personal appointments? A. Of course. The best way to schedule an appointment is to call me at the parish office on a Monday morning. Appointments are usually held at the parish office, in a confidential setting. These are usually times for spiritual direction, crisis intervention, parish issues, church-related matters, etc. Because your pastor is not trained as a counselor, long-term counseling is referred. I can also be reached via e-mail: stpeteraub@comcast.net
PARISH NURSE: Friday from 7:30-10:00 am.
Weekly Offertory: $6,428
MY SACRIFICIAL GIVING: We are the servants of God, each with his or her own task. We will be judged good stewards if, at His coming, He finds us ready and conscientiously pursuing the tasks to which we have been called.
MONTHLY FOOD DRIVE next weekend is for the benefit of the N.H. Food Bank. With the downturn in the state of the economy, more people are needing assistance and fewer people are donating food. The situation is critical. The items needed most are canned vegetables, soups and canned meats, peanut butter and cereals. If everyone just donated one or two items it would go a long way to helping the Food Bank meet the demand for assistance. Thank you for anything you can donate.
GENERATIONS OF FAITH: Next session at St. Peter Church is Sunday, December 14, from 4:00-6:00 pm.
PASTORAL COUNCIL: Meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 6:30 pm, Parish Conference Room.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY: December 8 is a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses are Monday at 7:00 am and 6:30 pm at St. Peter Church. There is a 7:00 pm Mass at St. Paul Church on Dec. 8.
MEDITATION FOR ADVENT: It can be difficult to prepare our lives for Christ amidst the busy preparations of a material Christmas. The four weeks before Christmas are a time to prepare our families to celebrate Christ’s birth; To prepare our minds to accept that God’s Son became a baby and lived and died for us; to prepare our hearts to accept God’s forgiveness and to change our ways; to prepare our souls to receive God’s healing grace through the celebration of Mass; to take part not only in the work of preparation but also the hope and joy in the midst of our work. Amen.
WELCOME TO NEWLY-REGISTERED PARISHIONERS Jason and Amy Cannamucio, and son Anthony; Jessica Sudak and daughter Aydriana.
CHOIR REHEARSALS: Dec. 3, 10, & 17 from 7:00-8:30 pm in church.
NO DISMISSALS FOR K-3 ON NOVEMBER 29 AND 30.
GROUP WORK CAMP has openings for teens interested in going on our June, 2009, Mission. Are you looking for community service hours for Confirmation? If you are between 14 & 18 years old and would like more information, please call Laura Lambert 483-5125.
CONFIRMATION CLASS THIS Sunday, following the 11:00 am Mass. Remain in church.
EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS, LECTORS AND ALTAR SERVERS: The new schedules have been e-mailed. If you did not receive your Dec.-March schedule, please let Shirley know (623-5429). For those without e-mail, please pick up your schedule on the counter in the sacristy.
Is your marriage tearing you apart? Call Retrouvaille at 1-800-470-2230 or go to www.retrouvaille.org
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has worked closely with lawmakers to seek passage of the Pregnant Women Support Act. Establishing a toll-free number to direct women to places that will provide support during and following their pregnancy; funding collection of accurate data on abortion; providing child care to low income and student parents; providing parenting education in maternity group homes; making the Adoption Tax Credit permanent. This bill did not pass in the present Congress but will be re-introduced in the next Congress. The NH Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will let us know when the bill gets re-introduced so that we can support our Bishops and the bill by contacting our representative.
CHRISTMAS: If you did not pick up a Christmas information sheet last weekend (insert in the bulletin), there are extras at the entryways to church. Our giving tree gifts are listed, information for donations for Christmas decorations, schedule of Christmas Masses, and a list of our shut-ins for purposes of sending them Christmas cards.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS offers Breakfast With Santa on Sunday, December 7, from 8 am to 10:30 am in the Aquinas Center. See flyer on bulletin board.
MASS INTENTIONS
Dec. 1, Mon. 7:00 am Souls in Purgatory by S.M.
Dec. 2, Tue. 7:00 am Lillian Duval by Rita Duval
Dec. 3, Wed. 7:00 am Denise Gallagher by the family
Dec. 5, Fri. 7:00 am To end abortions from parishioners
Dec. 6, Sat. 4:00 pm Peter and Mary Murcko by their daughter Marion
Dec. 7, Sun. 8:00 am Raymond Gallant by his wife Patricia
Dec. 7, Sun. 11:00 am For all parishioners of St. Peter Church
REFLECTION OF THE WEEK
First Reading: Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Gospel: Mark 13:33-37
Advent is a season of expectation (waiting and preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus and also for His return in glory). It is a period to convert our hearts and also to live in hope (as we wait for that which has not yet arrived). This is why it is important not to anticipate our celebration of Christmas. If we being listening to Christmas carols and we begin to put up our Christmas decorations right after Thanksgiving, then when Christmas finally arrives, we will greet it with a sense of relief that we can finally get it over with (for the preparations had dragged on for a month already). If we wait a little longer with our Christmas preparations (and possibly simplify them a bit), then we will have the energy to truly celebrate Christmas and its octave the way that it should be celebrated.
ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK
Once a day during the next 25 days take a moment when everyone expected is in the house and stop. If this is done before meals, light the Advent Wreath candle of the day. No TV, no music or radio, no talking about what has happened...just completely STOP. At first some adults might get a little nervous and anxious (How come I am not doing anything?) and some children may "get bored", but let it be a time when each one becomes conscious of the other; people home alone can become conscious of friends and relatives who can’t be with them at the moment. The whole STOP can be as short as two minutes, but it is never a waste if we open our hearts in silence to a spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling. Of course, this is also where Jesus is found.