St Bridget of Ireland December 15, 2019 CATHOLIC CHURCH 1024 W. Main St. Berryville, VA 22611

t. Bridget (or Brigid) of Kildare is one of the three major patron saints of Ireland Pastor: Salong with Saint Patrick and Saint Columba. Saint Bridget’s faith and labors for Father Paul Grankauskas the Lord are remembered among the Irish people through prayers, sacred places, Rectory: blessings and customs. St. Bridget was an extraordinary woman of faith: strong in P 540-277-2943 • F 540-277-2945 her mission, loyal to the Lord, faithful to the Church, generous to the poor and [email protected] hospitable to missionaries. St. Bridget laid strong foundations for the Church in Hours: Mon-Fri 9 AM - 4 PM (closed 12-1 PM) Ireland. Her feast day is February 1st, the first day of the Celtic Spring. Religious Education: John Sengewalt 540-277-2948 Sacramental Information: Mass Schedule: [email protected] Please check Mass Times and Intentions Knights of Columbus: Baptisms: for weekly changes inside bulletin. [email protected] Sunday, after 9:00 AM Mass Saturday Bus. meeting 2nd Tue 7 PM Hobert Hall Contact the Rectory Office at 540-277-2943 9 AM and 5:30 PM (Sunday Vigil) Office of Youth Ministry: [email protected] Office Hours: Sunday: Monday - Friday 9 AM - 4 PM 9 AM and Noon Music Ministry: Stacy Sefton [email protected] Marriage: Weekdays: Organist: Contact parish priest at least six (6) months Monday & Tuesday Noon Jenny Sorenson [email protected] prior to proposed date of the wedding. Wednesday 9 AM Contact the Rectory Office at 540-277-2943 Thursday & Friday Noon Eucharistic Minister / Lectors: Chet Lewandowski 540-722-7231 Office Hours: Holy Days: Servers: Monday - Friday 9 AM - 4 PM 12:05 PM and 7 PM John Sengewalt 540-277-2948 Sacristan: Nationwide Mass Schedule: Confessions: Becky Jackson 540-955-1715 Saturday 4 PM - 5 PM www.thecatholicdirectory.com Sunday 8 - 8:30 AM Ushers: Hospitalized and Homebound: Parish Office 540-277-2943 Rosary: Notify the rectory at 540-277-2943 so Men’s Club: The rosary is prayed after the 12:05 PM that the hospitalized and homebound Meets the last Saturday each month Mass on the 1st Friday of each month parishioners may receive the pastoral 8 AM, in Hobert Hall (7:30 Breakfast). care of the church. Dick Drake [email protected] Prayer List: Women’s Group: Contact Becky Jackson at 540-955-1715 Website: www.stbridgetberryville.org Meets 1st Tues. each month after noon Mass Except for July and August FISH: Christi McMullen Coffee & Donut Sundays: Food collection is in the narthex on the 2nd [email protected] Sunday each month. Please give generously. 1st Sunday: Men’s Club 2nd Sunday: Knights of Columbus St. Bridget’s Bulletin Deadline Noon Monday Faith Direct: www.faithdirect.net 3rd Sunday: Youth Ministry [email protected] Ruth Hayes 540-277-2943 St. Bridget of Ireland

Pastor’s Words Remember the first Star Wars movie? In the last scene Luke Skywalker hears the voice of his mentor, Ben Kenobi, telling him the Force is with Mass Times him. With new confidence, he shuts off his computer and fires the torpedo that destroys the space station. How often do we see and hear & Intentions such things in movies and stories: the hero, down and out, is inspired Mass Intentions made at the Parish office by the memory of a teacher or loved one and finds new courage to do GF-Green Field RH-Rose Hill what must be done. Monday December 16 Today’s Gospel is a little bit like that. John the Baptist, in prison, sends Noon No Mass some of his disciples to Jesus to ask if he is the Messiah, or should they expect someone else? Coming from John, it should strike us as an odd question. He was the one Tuesday December 17 who called Jesus the Lamb of God. He’s the one who sent Andrew and John after Jesus, saying, “He must increase. I must decrease.” He’s the one who said Jesus should baptize him instead of Noon Mass † Paul & Rita Haberling the other way around. If John knows all of this, why does he ask the question? Wednesday December 18 It’s possible the question was meant more for his disciples. Perhaps John was trying to get them 9 AM Special Intention to follow Jesus. Our Lord’s answer to their question is an invitation to see for themselves what Philip Wilcox John already knows: the dead are raised, the blind regain their sight, the lame walk. These are the signs of the Messianic age, and the disciples of John need to recognize that. However, Our Thursday December 19 Lord says they need to tell John the answer. Perhaps being in prison had shaken John. He had Noon Mass † William Donohoe done all that God had called him to do, but here he is in prison, facing death. Perhaps even he needed the reassurance that the Kingdom of God had come so that he would not be afraid. Friday December 20 Perhaps some of has been in a similar place. We try to do the things that are good and right, but Noon Mass † Eleanor Florence our life seems to be full of suffering and struggles of one kind or another – worries about our families, realization of our sins and mistakes, being misunderstood or bullied by others, health Saturday December 21 issues. We come before the Lord looking for some reassurance that, amidst it all, God still loves 9 AM Special Intention us. We want to hear that; we want to feel it. John McMullen & Family 5:30 PM Parish Family I’ve spoken with people who have told me that, in moments of crisis and prayer, they sometimes hear a small voice – they can never quite tell where it comes from – that says not to be afraid. Sunday December 22 It comes quietly, but with conviction. Sometimes God can speak to us that way. God can often 9 AM † Susan Lewandowski speak to us through our reading of the Scriptures, especially the Gospels. We have to remember that the Gospels aren’t simply stories about a historical figure. Jesus Christ is the Word, who was Noon Mass † Gene Murray with the Father even before the Word began, made flesh. His words do not pass away. They can be the immovable rock on which we stand when life is chaos. He tells us that not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father knowing about it, and we are worth a lot more than a sparrow. He tells us he came to give his life as a ransom for ours. He tells us he is with us everyday until Prayer List the end of the world. He tells us he came to take up a cross, that he would be misunderstood Remember the following in your prayers: and ridiculed. If we can take these things to heart, he tells us the one thing we want and need to hear: I love you, I am with you, I understand you. Tricia & Courtney Dabney, Tom Lewandowski, Phillip Wilcox, We may not hear God’s words whispering in our ears the way Luke heard Ben Kenobi, but we John Cameron, Maggie O’Connor, can hear Him speaking to us if we know where to look. His words speak to us in silence but can Theresa Vesey, John Caroselli, speak to us with great power. Fred Curtis, Bob Lewis, Michael Boyd, Jim Willis, Tony Tringale, Eileen Murray In Our Lord, and David Smith. Fr. Paul Grankauskas Please pray for the repose of the souls of Beverly Ann Terry and Ron Latz and for their families. 2019 Christmas Schedule Confessions: Thursday 12/19 - 7 PM ≈ Friday 12/20 - 7 PM Saturday 12/21- 4 PM ≈ Sun. 12/22 - 8 AM & 7 PM Please contact Becky Jackson at Masses: Christmas Eve Tuesday 12/24 - 5 PM Family Vigil Mass & 8 PM 540-955-1715 to be added Solemn Mass of Christmas ≈ Christmas Day Wednesday 12/25 - 9 AM or taken off prayer list. New Year’s Day: Tuesday 12/31 - 11 PM Vigil Wednesday 1/1- 10 AM Mass Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God December 15, 2019

FYI Parish Office will be closed on December 24, 25 & 26th and January 1st for the Christmas / New year Holiday. Saint of the Week

Sorry, No Donuts The Youth Ministry regrets that they will not be hosting donuts this Sunday, St Ado of Vienne: they will resume hosting on the third Sundays next year. Ado was born in Sens, France Bulletin announcements: For the December 22nd & 29th issues copy must be submitted to around 800 and educated at the the Parish Office byMonday Dec. 16th for the holiday schedule. Benedictine abbey of Ferrieres. A noble by birth, Ado renounced St. Bridget Women’s Group: Thank you to everyone who participated in the Giving Wall! With your help, we will be delivering over 200 gifts to children and families in need. Our next event his inheritance and became a will be the “Christmas Cookie” Bake Sale on Saturday, December 21st after the 5:30 PM Mass Benedictine, in time assigned to and Sunday, December 22nd from 10:00-1:00 PM. This will be our last Bake Sale until Spring, so the monastery of Prum, near , don’t miss out on some yummy treats! Germany. Ado’s holiness made Starting today, Sunday, December 15th, we will also be participating in the St. Bridget Epipha- him enemies, and he was forced ny Basket Drive. This is a Parish Program that will assist the elderly, home bound, and nursing to leave Prum. He went to home residents of our community. Please take a fish from the Giving Wall or bring an item from on a pilgrimage and remained the Epiphany flyer to the Narthex. We will assemble the items on Sunday, January 5th at 2:00 there for two years. He then went PM. Please help us to spread the light of Christ this holiday season! to , where he found an Decorating the church will take place after the noon mass on Sunday December 22nd. All are old copy of the Roman invited to help with this tradition at St. Bridget of Ireland. . Using this, Ado wrote a new version, published in Faith Direct is easy to use and directions by visiting this website www.faithdirect.net. Our 858. In Lyons, Ado was welcomed parish code is VA605 or call 866-507-8757 (toll free) for more information. by St. Remigius, the archbishop. Knights of Columbus - Keep Christ in Christmas He served as a pastor in Lyons Kids Ages 5-14: The Knights of Columbus is sponsoring a poster contest for you! Posters must until 860, when he became the illustrate the Keep Christ in Christmas theme. Three age groups: 5-7, 8-10 & 11-14. The prize Archbishop of Vienne, appointed for each group is a $50 gift card and a chance to compete in the district, state and national con- by Pope Nicholas I. Ado reformed tests. We had a district winner last year! Entries must be received by noon today December 15th. For complete contact information, rules and entry form visit KofCBerryville.org the clergy in Vienne and wrote the lives of St. Desiderius and St. December 15, 2019 Divine Mercy Said: “Look at the sky. Do you see this moon and these Theuderis. He also opposed the stars? These stars are the souls of faithful Christians, and the moon is the souls of religious. Do actions of Lothair II, the king of you see how great the difference is between the light of the moon and the light of the stars? Lorraine, who tried to set aside his Such is the difference in heaven between the soul of a religious and the soul of a faithful Chris- tian. True greatness is in loving God and in humility.” (St. Faustina Diary 424) lawful wife to marry his mistress. Lothair bribed officials to get a “Used with permission of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.” divorce from his queen, Theutber- Backpack Ministry: Thank you so much for your generous support. Together with twelve ga, but was undone when Ado other Clarke County Churches, we are helping to feed 75 CCPS students each weekend and went to Rome and denounced the holiday. You may contribute tuna and Chef Boyardee products in the clear tubs in the Narthex. plot to the pope. Ado remained in If you would like to help out, email [email protected]. Vienne until his death in 875. His Feast Day is December 16th. Veritas Young Adults Group: The Young Adults of Saint Bridget are joining Father Paul and other members of the St. Bridget family to sing Christmas carols to the residents of Rose Hill on December 27th, time TBD. Our new calendar will be posted soon. For more information email us at [email protected]. Spiritual Thought Religious Education Program “Kind words can be short No Religious Class December 22nd and 29th. and easy to speak, but their echoes are Help Needed truly endless.” We need Ushers at all three of the Saturday & Sunday Masses. Please contact the parish office - St. Mother Teresa - Calcutta if interested. This opportunity is open to High School Youth.

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