HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH Washington, DC December 1, 2019

We Need a Little Advent By Pennington

You likely know the song from Jerry Herman’s musical, Mame. Mame has lost her fortune in the Wall Street crash of 1929. The mood in the family is hopeless and Mame’s nephew, Patrick, strikes up the household in song with “We need a little Christmas/ right this very minute…it’s one week past Thanksgiving now.” The house is bedecked for Christmas, and all is merry and bright. Christmas creep was a thing, even in 1929 (or 1966 when the show premiered).

This weekend, while the rest of the world is bedecked with lights and ornaments, with candles in the windows and carols at the spinet, the Church enters the season of Advent – a season whose name means “coming” and whose spirit invites us to hope, anticipate, and create a quiet space for God in our lives.

Liturgically, the season has very little to do with Christmas. The predominant focus of Advent has to do with Christ’s second coming, not the first. There is no glimmer of Baby Jesus in the Scripture readings until December 17 and the Fourth (last) Sunday of Advent. Before then, we get ’s beautiful images of God’s holy mountain where lion lies down with sheep, where valleys are filled in and mountains made low, and the glory of God is revealed. This perfection is the fulfillment of God’s reign when Christ comes again in glory. But, we’re not there yet. We wait in quiet hope of that day and make space for God’s coming to us today in hopes of Christ’s return at the end of time.

Advent has everything to do with arrivals, but, interestingly enough, not the arrival itself. Instead, Advent names the in-between time. It names the tension of knowing what is, what is not yet, and existing right in the middle. So much of our everyday life takes place in the tension of not-yet-time. Ask spouses waiting to get married, a patient for a diagnosis, a job applicant waiting to hear from her future employer, a student studying for the test, a child preparing to leave home, a household preparing for dinner guests. And when those things come – the wedding day, the exam, the diagnosis, the new job, the dinner party – how often are the events themselves fleeting moments? Don’t we often learn, grow, and deepen our sense of what we’re capable of more by what we learned in the waiting and not in the event itself? The courtship, the studying and writing, the family and friend support, the endurance learned, the discipline gained are the lessons to be learned more often than the main event. It seems to me, most of our lives are lived in advent time.

Living advent is to dive deeply into the tension of knowing what is to come, but engaging the right now. And so, we light the candles of our Advent Wreaths, welcoming the growing light despite the darkness around us. We create spaces in our homes and lives for quiet and prayer amid the ruckus of secular Christmas cheer. We notice the times in our own lives where we exist in the tension of the not yet and practice quiet joy, holy patience. It’s in these places, maybe, where we can notice God already at work in us, even if we feel like the end isn’t yet in sight. We need a little Advent to remind ourselves that, if most of our lives are spent in waiting, then it’s in the waiting that God comes to us. ▪

MAIN CHURCH PARISH CENTER 36th Street, NW 3513 N Street, NW Becoming Catholic between N and O Streets Washington, DC 20007 Anyone who wants to learn more about the Washington, DC 20007 (202) 337-2840 possibility of becoming Catholic is welcome to come to the RCIA Inquiry Meetings held every Tuesday evening at 7pm in the Faber Room. For more information, please contact Anne Koester at [email protected] or (202) 903-2825. www.trinity.org /HolyTrinity.DC @HolyTrinity.DC @HolyTrinityDC

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MISSION STATEMENT We are a Jesuit Catholic parish that welcomes all to accompany one another in Christ, celebrate From the Pastor’s Desk God's love and transform lives.

PARISH CENTER Phone: (202) 337-2840 Fax: (202) 337-9048 One of the aspirations in our parish’s Mission Statement is the Emergencies Only: (202) 903-2817 phrase “to transform lives.” I was transformed when I heard Hours: Mon-Thurs: 8:30am-7:30pm; Fri recently two authors offer presentations of their new books. The 8:30am-4:30pm; Sat & Sun: Closed first transformative moment occurred when I listened to Carolyn Forche, a poet and a Georgetown University professor. To a JESUIT STAFF packed audience at GU’s Riggs Library, Forche read from her Pastor Kevin Gillespie, S.J. kgillespie@ highly acclaimed work, What You Have Heard Is True: A (202) 903-2800 trinity.org Memoir of Witness and Resistance. The book tells graphically what it was like to live in El Salvador during the time of the death Associate Pastor Paul Campbell, S.J. pcampbell@ squads between 1978-80, shortly before the start of the 12 year El (202) 903-2832 trinity.org Salvadoran civil war. The text is at times frightful, yet hopeful in Associate Pastor Pat Earl, S.J. pearl@ the author’s spirit and style. Among the stories she related was trinity.org her having lunch with Archbishop Romero in March of 1980, a week before he was assassinated. In describing what it was like Associate Pastor Ben Hawley, S.J. bhawley@ (202) 903-2814 trinity.org to be in the presence of a man, whom she already sensed was a saint, Forsche related: “Monsenor now had his bible on the table Associate Pastor William Kelley, S.J. wkelley@ before him. He was tapping it with fingertips again, and I saw (202) 903-2833 trinity.org the same soft light that I saw during the interview, silvery, coming from even his fingernails, an emulsion of light, such as PARISH DEPARTMENTS sanctity bestows his eyes, his skin.” Communications Karelia Pallán kpallan@ (202) 903-2837 trinity.org Another transformative moment happened when, along with some 80 parishioners and guests in Trinity Hall, I heard Facilities Dino Campagnari dcampagnari@ acclaimed journalist Austen Ivereigh discuss his new and (202) 903-2813 trinity.org noteworthy book, Wounded Shepherd: Pope Francis and His Faith Formation/ Judith Brusseau jbrusseau@ Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church. Having earlier penned Religious Ed. (202) 903-2807 trinity.org perhaps the best biography of Pope Francis in 2014 titled The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, Finance Chris Kehoe ckehoe@ Ivereigh expressed how in this latest book how he sought to (202) 903-2811 trinity.org describe the Holy Father not so much as a reformer but one Holy Trinity Kevin McShane principal@ calling for conversion. He spoke of his meeting with Pope Francis School (202) 337-2339 htsdc.org in which the Pope states that he seeks to put Jesus at the Center of the Church and when that happens the reforms will follow. Human Angela Grady agrady@ Resources (202) 903-2803 trinity.org One of the book’s most poignant passages occurs when Ivereigh summarizes his private meeting with the Pope: “Spending time Ignatian Retreats Martina O’Shea moshea@ with him, I found him to be smaller, older, more vulnerable, & Training (202) 903-2819 trinity.org more ordinary, than in the mind’s eye. I was meeting the Ignatian Catherine Heinhold cheinhold@ person, not the personality… I also met his holiness. I saw it in Spirituality (202) 903-2819 trinity.org the pauses, when he was listening to his heart, to those prompts of the Spirit that guide him. I saw it in his serenity, his peaceful Liturgy David Pennington dpennington@ freedom. It is his paradoxical quality: self effacing yet (202) 903-2804 trinity.org powerful; something you have but also give away (it left me Music Ministry Kathleen DeJardin kdejardin@ feeling loved, and free).” (202) 903-2805 trinity.org Yes, “feeling loved and free,” is a transformative grace to be Pastor’s Office/ Lisa Dittmeier parishlife@ prayed for, discerned and shared. The inspiring works of these Parish Life (202) 903-2801 trinity.org two authors offer an invitation to the reader to be transformed in love and freedom. I recommend these books as resources for Social Justice inspiration during the Advent Season. And yes one or both of them would be great Christmas gifts! Stewardship Rock Schuler rschuler@ (202) 903-2843 trinity.org

Youth Ministry Rebecca Hoesterey rhoesterey@ (202) 903-2846 trinity.org

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Daily Mass Intentions SACRAMENTS The parish community prays for all of the dead Mass Schedule (Check bulletin or website for Holy Days) Weekdays: 7am (Monday & Tuesday), 8am (Wednesday, every day at Mass. However, we encourage Thursday, Friday) & 5:30pm (in the Chapel on N St.) parishioners to mention specific persons by Note: Please see schedule for daily Mass times. name during the General Intercessions when Chapel is open on weekdays between Masses. Saturday: 8am — Chapel; 5:30pm Vigil — Church invited to do so by the presider. Sunday: 7:30am, 9:00am, 11:30am, 1:15pm & 5:30pm Parishioners may also request that a specific Sacrament of Reconciliation person be remembered by name at a particular Every Saturday from 4:30pm—5:15pm or by appointment weekday Mass by calling or visiting the Sacrament of the Sick receptionist’s desk in the Parish Center during Communal anointing is celebrated seasonally in the St. Ignatius Chapel. Call the parish to request the sacrament at home or in the hospital. normal office hours. Baptisms and Weddings: Names must be submitted one week in advance.  To schedule a Baptism or Wedding, contact Moira Duggan at Persons to be so remembered at weekday (202) 903-2806 or [email protected]. Masses this week are: Sacramental Preparation: Persons desiring to receive certain sacraments at Holy Trinity need to be registered parishioners and are expected to participate in a Week of December 2, 2019 preparation program. For more information or to register, contact the appropriate staff person: Monday 7:00am Wyatt Princen  Infant Baptism: [email protected], (202) 903-2808 5:30pm Ann O’Connor+  First Reconciliation: Judith Brusseau, (202) 903-2807  First Eucharist: Judith Brusseau, (202) 903-2807 Tuesday 7:00am Dawn Carpenter  Marriage Prep: [email protected], (202) 903-2808  Adult Initiation (RCIA): Anne Koester, (202) 337-2840 x128 5:30pm Mary Charlotte +  Children’s Initiation (RCIA): Judith Brusseau, (202) 903-2807 Wednesday 8:00am Edward Snyder+  Confirmation: Rebecca Hoesterey, (202) 903-2846 5:30pm Linda Pantsari+

Thursday 8:00am Jean Downey+ NEW PARISHIONER REGISTRATION Welcome to Holy Trinity! We invite you to join our parish. You may 5:30pm Kenneth & Delores Bellis+ register at www.trinity.org/register. Questions about registering can be directed to [email protected].

Friday 8:00am John Whelton+ New parishioner orientations are held several times throughout the 5:30pm Jane Lydon+ year. See the bulletin, eLetter and website for announcement of dates and times. Saturday 8:00am Howard Carter+ RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION

Pray for those who are sick: For those we The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process of hold in our hearts conversion and faith formation for individuals who are interested in living the Christian life in the Catholic tradition. Those who want to learn more about the possibility of becoming Catholic are Pray for those who are dead: For those we welcome to come to the Inquiry meetings held every Tuesday hold in our hearts evening at 7pm in the Faber Room, Holy Trinity Parish Center. Please contact Anne Koester [email protected] for more information or visit our website. Holy Trinity also offers RCIA adapted for Children for children and youth who are not baptized (ages 7 through high school). Please contact Judith Brusseau PRAYER REQUESTS at [email protected] for more information. To add a name to these prayer lists, please PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL (PPC) email [email protected] or call (202) 903- 2801. You must be an immediate relative of the PPC members share leadership responsibility with our pastor. As one to be remembered, or have express advisors to the pastor, PPC members assist the pastor in discerning, articulating and communicating to other parishioners the identity permission in order to add a name to these and mission of the parish, and they assist the pastor in assuring lists. The names on this prayer list will be fidelity to that identity and mission. mentioned aloud at Sunday Mass during the General Intercessions and will be published in President Chris Hannigan [email protected] the parish eLetter and bulletin. Vice President Jim Thessin [email protected]

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Tour the Sacred The Holy Trinity Iconography Guild will host its annual show on December 8 from 10am to 2pm in the Parish Center Chapel Gallery. The icon guild will exhibit their icons and works- in-progress. Come and meet the iconographers who wrote/painted Season of Advent Offerings the Holy Trinity Icon celebrating Pray in Sacred Space Holy Trinity’s 225th November 30, December 7, 14 & 21, 4pm, Chapel anniversary. You are invited to take one hour during each week of Advent to pray with Advent Scripture passages using the Shop for our Sister Parishes Advent Sacred Space books. All are welcome. The Coffee from Haiti and gifts from Maria Madre will be Sacred Space for Advent & Christmas Season prayer available for purchase on December 8 after morning books are available in the back of the Church and the Masses in McKenna Hall. 225th Anniversary items and Chapel. These books are made available through your crosses crafted from the salvaged pews will also be generous donations to the annual parish pledge. available for purchase.

Share Your Generosity: Giving Trees Carol in Georgetown All are welcome to carol throughout Georgetown on The Giving Trees are on display in the Church and December 10 from 6:30-9:30pm. Please meet in the Trinity Hall. Please consider taking a tag and returning Upper School Cafeteria. the gift by 1pm on December 15. Your gifts will support 13 organizations working with vulnerable families, men, Hear about the Birth of Jesus women and children. If you take a tag, please remember Children ages 3-5 years old are invited to our Children’s that it is the only gift the person may receive this Bible Story Hour on December 15 at 10:10am in the Christmas. Please return your gift wrapped and tagged. Lower School Library. Hear the story of the birth of Involve your children in this activity by letting them Jesus, sing songs and do an age-appropriate craft. No choose a tag or taking them shopping for the gift. pre-registration is needed.

Pray with the Women of Advent Begin a New Liturgical Year December 6, 6:30pm, McKenna Hall As we begin a new Liturgical year ( Year A) that will Many Holy Trinity parishioners have supported the focus on the Gospel of Matthew, Alan Mitchell, a Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) through donations of Professor of Scripture at Georgetown, will focus on the hospitality bags or shawls -- and the women who receive theme of "Jesus' Preaching on the Kingdom of God in them have expressed a desire to meet you! All Matthew's Gospel" on December 15 at 10:10am in the parishioners, whether you’ve previously participated or Chapel. All are welcome to come and renew not, are invited to join the ladies who participate in ISP acquaintance with the Gospel of Matthew. for Praying with the Women of Advent. This evening of Accompany Those in Need supper, fellowship, and prayer brings together Ignatian For two weeks over the Christmas holidays, Holy Trinity and 12-step traditions. A simple meal of soup and bread hosts the Georgetown Ministries Homeless Winter will be followed by prayer and discussion. ISP is a Jesuit Shelter for 11 adults. Volunteers have already ministry that seeks to end homelessness through offering generously filled all of the slots for the shelter’s meals. retreats in the Ignatian tradition. Your prayers for our brothers and sisters in need are Explore the Advent Season appreciated. December 8, 10:10am, Chapel David Pennington, our Pastoral Associate for Liturgy, Advent Family Prayer will explore the themes and meanings which fill the God of Love, Advent season and will make suggestions about how to Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us. engage the season both at church and at home. He is a sign of your love. Stock the Pantry Help us walk in that love during the weeks of Advent, Recommit to helping the hungry by donating non- As we wait and prepare for his coming. perishable food items to the Fr. McKenna Center. Please We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior. bring baked beans (18 oz or smaller), jelly (in 12 oz jars Amen. or smaller), soup, and canned fruit December 7 & 8 -Loyola Press and place them in the bins outside Church. For more advent resources, visit www.loyolapress. com

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Holy Trinity Tithe Program For 35 years Holy Trinity has addressed social justice concerns such as reducing homelessness, facilitating access to quality Catholic education, and promoting peace through its tithe grants. The tithe program seeks to address the root causes of social justice issues both locally and within the global community by committing 10% of parishioner’ regular collections. We accomplish this in collaboration with members of the parish through prayer and discernment and by giving our time, talents and resources to vulnerable communities. Recent programs that have been funded through the tithe include: Blessings!

Network for Victim Recovery of DC’s program to Blessings are flowing throughout our Parish and School!

th support its core crisis response, case management, legal We just celebrated our 225 Anniversary as a advocacy and outreach work. (2019) worshipping community, an occasion marked with joy

during our recent Founder’s Day. CAIR Coalition’s Immigration Impact Lab, a concerted appellate impact litigation project. (2018) The faithful departed will once again find rest in Holy

Friends in Solidarity received funds to support 8 Rood Cemetery as our long-held dream of creating a nursing students and midwives at its Catholic Health Columbarium there became a reality this past All Souls’

Day. Training Institute in South Sudan. (2018)

Bright Beginnings’ workforce development for homeless Our Capital Campaign is ending after having raised $12.5M and accomplishing all its goals, including Trinity parents program. (2017) Hall’s creation, the upgrading of our school’s educational So Others Might Eat (SOME) Center for Employment facilities, and the just completed and beautifully done Training, specifically its medical assistant and heating Church repairs and improvements. ventilation air conditioning programs. (2017) Holy Trinity School, fresh from its bicentennial Jesuit Refugee Service’s displaced Syrian children’s celebration, launched a strategic planning process to project. (2016) begin guiding its next 200 years and concluded a highly A Wider Circle’s establishment of a long-term presence successful Annual Campaign in which 92% of school in the Barry Farm community, the poorest and most families and 86% of staff (so far) participated! crime ridden neighborhood in the city. (2015) We were able, at several hundred thousand dollars, to Northwest Center expanded its services to low income repairs leaks coming through the Chapel Garden into our pregnant women of color through support of its basement offices, and then to wondrously restore the

Amharic and Spanish speaking families. (2015) Garden.

Many of these grants have led to ongoing partnerships Through all of this, God has been good to us as we between parishioners and the organization. Thank you continued the core ministries that define who we are in for your ongoing support of Holy Trinity’s Social Justice Christ: our Social Justice work and Ignatian Spirituality ministry. offerings, our multiple formation ministries for people of all ages and conditions, our newly launched LGBTQIA+ group, and all of the ongoing pastoral care, sacramental ANNOUNCEMENTS and worship experiences that fill with empowering grace

everything we do.

The beauty of blessings such as these is that they keep multiplying! There is so much more goodness in our midst – and so much more goodness to look forward to

– than we could ever know much less fully describe.

Yet one truth we do know – the blessings which flow Purchase a Niche at the Holy Trinity from Holy Trinity’s ministries are made possible by Columbarium at Holy Rood Cemetery faithful donors like you! You become a channel of God’s For more information or to make a purchase, please visit blessing when you support your parish’s ministries www.holytrinitycolumbarium.org. through the Parish Pledge. Thank you for making a

Please note that we will begin scheduling entombments Pledge today! after January 6. Entombments will be scheduled To make a 2020 pledge online, go to: www.trinity.org/ Monday-Friday at 1pm. For more information, email give. You may also contact Rock Schuler, Director of [email protected] or call (202) 903-2836. Stewardship, at [email protected] or (202) 903- 2843.

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Sunday, September 17

Sunday, December 1

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Please take a gift tag off of the Giving Trees!

Isaiah 2:1-5/Romans 13:11-14/Matthew 24:37-44

Monday, November 11

MONDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT 7:30 PM Separated, Widowed & Divorced Group Isaiah 4:2-6/Matthew 8:5-11 Neale Room

Tuesday, November 12

MEMORIAL OF SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER 7:00 PM RCIA Isaiah 11:1-10/Luke 10:21-24 McKenna Hall

Wednesday, December 4

WEDNESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT Isaiah 25:6-10a/Matthew 15:29-37 Thursday, December 5

THURSDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT 6:00 PM Christian Meditation St. Ignatius Chapel Isaiah 26:1-6/Matthew 7:21, 24-27 6:00 PM Iconography Guild Meeting Parish Center Library 6:30 PM Praying with the Women of Advent McKenna Hall 7:00 PM Young Adult Faith Sharing St. Ignatius Chapel 7:15 PM Book Discussion Group Neale Room

Friday, December 6

FRIDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT 4:30 PM First Friday Eucharistic Adoration Isaiah 29:17-24/Matthew 9:27-31 St. Ignatius Chapel

Saturday, December 7

MEMORIAL OF SAINT AMBROSE 7:30 AM Zen Meditation Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26/Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8 Parish Center Upper Room, [email protected] 9:30 AM First Reconciliation Church 4:00 PM Praying in Sacred Space St. Ignatius Chapel Sunday, December 8 SECOND SUNDY OF ADVENT 8:30 AM Shop for a Cause: Haiti, Maria Madre & Anniversary McKenna Hall (closes at 2:30pm) Isaiah 11:1-10/Romans 15:4-9/Matthew 3:1-12 10:00 AM Annual Icon Exhibit Parish Center Chapel Gallery 10:10 AM Religious Education Assigned Classrooms Monthly Food Collection for Fr. McKenna Center 7:15 PM YAC Café & Mass St. Ignatius Chapel & McKenna Hall

Daily Readings: For a complete list of events, visit: Coffee & Fellowship www.usccb.org/bible/readings www.trinity.org/calendar Sundays after 9am & 11:30am Masses