Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time s2

THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 11, 2016

Choir Christmas Concert – The annual Choir Christmas concert is today!!! Sunday, December 11th at 2pm here at St. Ann’s. This concert, which is free of charge, will feature our St. Ann’s Children’s Choir, Elkton High School’s Advanced Women’s choir and the St. Ann’s Parish Choir. It’s sure to put you in the holiday spirit. There will a light reception following the concert in the Social Hall. Hope to see you there!

Christmas Giving Tree –Gifts are due today! In order to ensure safe delivery of the gifts, please make sure you ATTACH THE TAG TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE GIFT AND LEAVE IT EITHER UNDER THE TREE OR INSIDE THE RECTORY. For more info contact Katie O/Connor at [email protected]. THANK YOU!!!

St. Ann’s 2016 Christmas Mass Schedule

December 20th 6pm Communal Penance Service & Individual Confession December 24th 5pm (Church & Social Hall) Christmas Eve Mass December 24th 7pm & 10pm (Church) Christmas Eve Mass December 25th 9am & 11am (Church) Christmas Day Mass December 26-30th 9am Daily Mass (there will not be any 6:30am or 8am mass) December 31st 5pm Vigil January 1st 9am & 11am New Year’s Day Mass Please note that there is NOT any morning mass on December 24th, Christmas Eve. Also, the Rectory Office will be closed December 23rd & 26th for the Christmas Holiday and December 30th & January 2nd for New Year’s.

Msgr. Dewson Council Knights of Columbus – The Knights will be selling Christmas cards after Sunday masses for the next few weeks. These are high quality cards at very reasonable prices. Please look for their table after all Sunday masses in front of the church. The proceeds support the Knight’s charitable activities for our church, school and community. Thank you for your support!

Offertory Update - For the month of October, 2016, offertory contributions were $47,455.45 which was $2544.55 under budget. The same time period –October 2015, contributions were $45,947.73. Year to date (fiscal year started in July 2016) actuals were $199,092.31 which was $907.69 under budget. The same time frame in 2015 - actual totals were $181,515.22. As always, thank you for your contributions to St. Ann’s Church.

Deanery Penance Service – Today, Sunday 11st, 3pm at St. Elizabeth. Fr. Kevin Nadolski will be the homilist and multiple priests will be there for confessions.

SPONSORS/GODPARENTS To be a godparent for Baptism, a person must be 16 years or older and a practicing and fully initiated Catholic, having completed the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. If married, the union must be recognized by the Catholic Church. One Catholic godparent is required; 2 godparents (one male & one female) is the ordinary and recommended practice. Keep in mind the purpose of a sponsor is to give good example and support in the Catholic faith of the baptized. Documentation of eligibility for all Catholic godparents are required from the Catholic Church where they are registered and attend weekly mass. If you have eligibility questions, please call (302)654-8504 before choosing any godparents. The next required Baptismal Preparation class will be Thursday, January 19th at 7pm in the St. Ann’s School Library. To register, please call the rectory at (302)654- 5519 or [email protected]. 302ann1 Saturday December 10 Decorating the Church for Christmas 8:00 A.M. Rev. Msgr. Paul J. Taggart St. Ann’s is looking for volunteers to adorn our 5:00 P.M. Theresa A. & Thomas W. Faulkner, church. The date needed is December 21st after Sr. the 8am mass. If you can help, please contact the Sunday December 11 rectory at 654-5519. Thank you! 7:30 A.M. Paul D. Bradley 9:30 A.M. Francis Grimes 11:30 A.M. Parishioners Attention Lectors – The workbooks are ready Monday December 12 for pickup in the sacristy. Get yours today. 6:30 A.M. Bernadette Strzalka 8:00 A.M. Daniel Reynolds Tuesday December 13 Second Collection This Weekend For Religious 6:30 A.M. Christopher Leach Retirement – Aging religious need your help. 8:00 A.M. Mary Rothberg Senior catholic sisters, brothers and religious order Wednesday December 14 priests have offered their lives in service to others – 6:30 A.M. David Lee Wilson educating the young, comforting the sick, seeking 8:00 A.M. Henry, John & Jimmy Mauk justice for the oppressed. Today, many are frail, Thursday December 15 elderly and in need of assistance. Your gift to the 6:30 A.M. Tom Wertz Retirement Fund for Religious helps to furnish 8:00 A.M. Catherine & John Doraz medications, nursing care and other necessities. Friday December 16 Please give generously to today’ second collection. 6:30 A.M. William McClafferty 8:00 A.M. Bruce Kirk Snow Removal Help – St. Ann’s is looking for Saturday December 17 able bodied individuals to be available on an “on 8:00 A.M. Deceased members of the John D. call” basis to help with the snow removal on our Kelly & Albert S. Azar families sidewalks and steps around the Church and 5:00 P.M. Braun & Mooney families School. Compensation will be on an hourly basis. If Sunday December 18 you are interested, please contact Joe Marge at the 7:30 A.M. James Kane, Sr. Rectory office at 654-5519. Thank you. 9:30 A.M. Parishioners 11:30 A.M. Msgr. John Henry Dewson Pray for the sick, shut-ins and elderly of our Parish. MARK THE DATES!!!!! Here’s just a few things St. Ann’s has coming up in 2017! The Chapel of Divine Mercy is open 6am to January 29 Catholic School Open House 10pm, 7 days a week with the Blessed Sacrament February 4/5 Blessing of Throats exposed. Can you offer an hour of your time? Visit March 1 Ash Wednesday www.adorationchapel.org to sign up. You can March 11 Pasta Night also call Chris at 584-1422 or Nan at 656-8438. March 31/April 1 Musical – Disney’s Aladdin, Jr. April 9 Holy Week ST. ANN’S PRAYER LINE – to place a name or Check the website (stannwilmington.com) and special request on the prayer line email Joe/Shirley bulletin for details as they become available. Ackerman at [email protected] or 384-7513. Religious Vocations –in today’s gospel reading, Catholic Radio – Listen to Catholic Radio every Jesus describes John the Baptist as the one who Sunday morning at 10:05am on WDEL 101.7FM, was sent ahead of Him to prepare His way. In our 1150AM and www.wdel.com. Next Sunday, day and age, God calls women and men to prepare December 18th, tune in to learn about the new His way in the hearts of all people by serving as book, “Angels of the Lord”. Listen to past episodes religious sisters and brothers, as deacons and as at catholicforumradio.libsyn.com or search priests. If you think God might be calling you to “Catholic forum Radio” on iTunes podcasts. religious live or priesthood, call or write Fr. Norm Carroll, Diocesan Director of Priestly and Religious Vocations at 573-3113 or [email protected]. 302 ann2 The Flame of Love Devotion - is based on the On-Line Grave Locator – If anyone has trouble spiritual journal of Elizabeth Kindelmann, a locating a family member buried at our diocesan Hungarian woman of great faith who struggled to cemeteries, search the App Store for “Wilmington raised her family during the years of Communism in Catholic Cemeteries”. A free App will be available Hungary. Her husband died in 1946; Elizabeth had for downloading that will enable the user to search to raise their six children as a single mother. She our burial date base and find GPS navigation to a lost many jobs because of her faith, but she never particular location. In addition, family members lost her faith in Jesus Christ. Her spiritual journal have the option of placing online memories of their has been examined and approved by the Church deceased loved ones. This service is free of for our study and our growth in faith. Mr. Anthony charge. When visiting the cemetery be sure that Mullin is the National Coordinator for the Flame you are aware of your surroundings. Hide any of Love Devotion. He will be giving a dynamic valuables out of sight and be sure to lock your car talk on the devotion and how the Flame of Love and take your keys. If you have questions, call relates to Our Lady of Fatima and the triumph of 656-3323. her Immaculate Heart on Monday, December 12, at 7:00 pm at Our Lady of Fatima Church. FAITH ENVIRONMENT-SAFE ENVIRONMENT – Everyone is welcomed to attend. Also, visit the Did you know that in 2003 in response to the United website at www.flameoflove.us for more States Conference of Bishops’ Charter for the information and for a free spiritual journal to Protection of Children, the Diocese developed a follow along. Don’t miss this wonderful safe environment program entitled For the Sake of opportunity to learn about the Flame of Love Gods’ Children? The Bishop, all priests, deacons, Devotion. You are encouraged to attend and to seminarians, religious brothers and sisters and all bring a friend!! lay employees and volunteers participate in the program to assure that a comprehensive safe Coming Up: environment exists in our parishes, schools and 12/11 2pm Choir Christmas Concert institutions. For more info, go to www.cdow.org 12/13 1pm School Reconciliation and click on For The Sake of God’s Children. 12/14 7pm Choir 12/15 7:30pm SVDP St. John-Holy Angels Lottery Fundraiser – 12/16 10am Kentmere Mass Looking for Christmas gifts for neighbors, teachers, 12/16 1:15pm School Christmas Concert etc.? St. John/Holy Angels Lottery Calendars are 12/20 9:15am School Advent Prayer $20 each with 90 chances to win between $50 and Service $250. Only 1000 calendars will be sold. Sales run 12/20 6pm Communal Penance through December 31. Winning numbers are Service based on the Delaware State Lottery’s Play 3 night 12/21 7pm Choir drawing from January 1 to March 31. For info or to 12/22 12pm School dismissal for purchase a calendar, call 302-731-2219 or email Christmas break [email protected]. Advent Prayer Worldwide Marriage Encounter –“The desert and Light of the world, enter the darkness of our hearts the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and renew us in faith, hope and love. As we and bloom”. As we await the coming of the Lord, prepare to celebrate the great mystery of the let us rejoice and encourage our marriages to Incarnation, help us to see your presence in our bloom by participating in a Worldwide Marriage world, especially in the needs of the poor. Encounter weekend on March 24-26, 2017 in Strengthen us to become true peacemakers able to Rehoboth Beach, De. For more info, visit the love our enemies and forgive those who have website www.wwme-delmar.org or to register, call offended us. Lead us to acknowledge our own Tony & Linda Massino at 302-220-9833. sinfulness, accept your mercy and extend your healing love to those around us. Amen… Special Mass – is celebrated for those impacted by the sickness of addition each Wednesday in Advent at St. Matthew Church in Newport Delaware at 6:15pm. Come remember loved ones who have died from alcohol and drug addiction.

302ann3