Our Lady of the Assumption Parish
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Our Lady of the Assumption Parish 545 Stratfield Road Fairfield, CT 06825-1872 Tel. (203) 333-9065 Fax: (203) 333-2562 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.olaffld.org “Ad Jesum per Mariam” To Jesus through Mary. Clergy/Lay Leadership Rev. Peter A. Cipriani, Pastor Rev. Michael Flynn, Parochial Vicar Deacon Raymond John Chervenak Deacon Robert McLaughlin Michael Cooney, Director of Music Dr. Claire Paolini, Trustee Daniel Ford, Esq., Trustee Masses Saturday Vigil Mass: 4 PM Sunday Masses: 7:30 AM, 9 AM (Family, ex- cept in the Summer), 10:30 AM, and 12 PM Morning Daily Mass: (Mon.-Sat.) 7:30 AM Evening Daily Mass: (Mon.-Fri.) 5:30 PM Holy Days: See Bulletin for schedule Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturday: 3- 3:45 PM or by appointment. Every Tuesday: 7-8:00 PM Rosary 7 AM Monday-Saturday 9 AM Friday Morning Rosary (Except for the First Friday of the month) 8 AM First Saturday Rosary Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Anyone interested in becoming a Roman Catholic becomes a part of this First Friday of each month from 8 AM process, as can any adult Catholic who has not received all the Sacraments of Friday to 7:15 AM Saturday. To volunteer initiation. For further information contact the Religious Education office. please contact Grand Knight, Jeffrey Thompson at (203) 374-9262. Sacrament of Baptism This Sacrament is celebrated on Sundays at 1:00 PM. It is required that Miraculous Medal Novena parents participate in a Pre-Baptismal class. Classes are held on the third 8 AM. Monday mornings Saturday of the month. Registration is required by calling the parish office. Saint Joseph Novena 8 AM. Wednesday mornings Sacrament of Marriage Please contact the parish office as soon as possible so as to ensure a proper Parish Membership time and adequate preparation for this Sacrament. Pre-Cana or Engaged En- Our parish family invites all of its members counters are required. to participate fully in our spiritual and social life. Every family moving into the parish is Anointing of the Sick Ministry to the Sick and Elderly requested to register at the Rectory or go to This Sacrament of healing expresses the love of God and our Church for our our website for a registration form. If you sick, our shut-ins and the elderly, unable to come to Church. For the dying, move to another parish, or change your ad- please contact the Rectory immediately. For the confined, the elderly and dress, notify the Rectory. our shut-ins, whether at home, or in the hospital, please inform the Rectory. Page 2 From The Pastor’s Desk Advent and Daily Mass Each year the Catholic Church gives us an incredible opportunity for a powerful encounter with Jesus. The Church invites us during Advent to take a step back and look at who we are, what we are doing, and where Jesus fits into our lives. Jesus came into this world at that first Christmas for you, to bring meaning and deep satisfaction into your life, to fill you with lasting joy, and ultimately to bring you to eternal happiness with him in heaven. That’s what we cele- brate at Christmas. Will you be ready? Think about it this way. We prepare for everything we consider important in life. You wouldn’t show up to play in a football game and expect to win if you had not been training. You wouldn’t show up unprepared to give a big pres- entation at work and expect to get the project. We don’t expect to excel in exams if we have not studied. Consider the preparation that goes into hosting a barbecue, a dinner party, or a wedding. Now I don’t mean the typical Christmas preparations: Buying and wrapping presents, baking cookies, planning parties, putting up the lights, the tree, and other decorations. I mean preparing you. When was the last time you prepared your heart for Jesus’ coming at Christmas? Unbeknownst to many, Advent is a penitential season…which means that as during Lent, part of our preparation should be making some kind of sacrifice…perhaps giving up something and/or adding something. Time sacrifices are often big…so what better sacrifice of one’s time then to make time to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass daily (or as often as you can during the week)? As we heard the Psalmist sing this first Advent Weekend: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. And that is what Church is…the House of the Lord…Heaven here on earth. For Jesus insists: “So too, you must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Well, why not beat our Lord to the punch so to speak…and have Him come to you or better yet you go to Him at a time you both expect…and that is either at 7:30 AM or 5:30 PM each day for Daily Mass. There is no greater more empowering way to get ready for Christ- mas than by attending Mass as often as you can besides Sunday. As we heard from the Prophet Isaiah: "Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths." Going to Mass we are instructed in the ways of God that we may walk the path of His Son Jesus Christ from this earth to Heaven. Blessed Advent to you all! See what a difference a few minutes a day can make! "I Am The Living Bread" - Jesus (In 6:47-57) "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." "When my strength begins to fail, it is Holy Com- "To make room in our life for the Eucharistic munion that will sustain me and give me strength. Lord, so that he can change our life into Indeed, I fear the day on which I would not his-is that asking too much?" receive Holy Communion. My soul draws -St. Edith Stein astonishing strength from Holy Communion." "I put before you the one great thing to -St. Maria Faustina Kowalska love on earth: The Blessed Sacrament. There you will find romance, glory, honor, "Christ will not deceive us. That is why our fidelity, and the true way of all your loves lives must be woven around the Eucharist. on earth more than that." -J.R.R. Tolkien The Christ who gives of himself to us under the appearance of bread and the Christ who “Jesus transforms a white particle into himself is hidden under the distressing disguise of the every day in order to communicate his life to poor is the same Jesus" you. What's more, with a love that is greater still, -St. Teresa of Calcutta he wants to transform you into himself." -St. Therese of Lisieux Jesus speaking to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska "But I want to tell you that eternal life must begin already here on earth through Holy Communion. Each Holy Communion makes you more capable of communing with God throughout eternity" Page 3 OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION First Sunday of Advent Mass Intentions December 1, 2019 Saturday, November 30th 4:00 p.m. Raymond & Cecelia Gallagher Parish Office Hours: Sunday, December 1st Monday-Thursday, 9 AM to 4 PM 7:30 a.m. Frank Blanch Friday, 9 AM to 12 PM 9:00 a.m. Angelina Lopiano Lupariello 10:30 a.m. Special Intention of Assumption Catholic School Mental Health Professionals Mr. Steven J Santoli, Principal - (203) 334-6271 12:00 p.m. William & Mary Acevedo Grades: Pre-K 3 through 8 Hours: 8:40 AM - 3 PM 5:30 p.m. Gloria DeVietro Before and After School Programs Available Weekday Masses (Before School program begins at 7:00 AM and After School Mon. 12/2 7:30 a.m. Tomislav Kolarich program ends 5:30 PM) 5:30 p.m. Souls in Purgatory Faith Formation Tues. 12/3 7:30 a.m. Candaleria Ramirez 5:30 p.m. Ralph Cipriani Mr. Frank Macari, Director - (203) 367-1108 Email address: [email protected] Weds. 12/4 7:30 a.m. Kayleigh Chamberlain Tuesday Classes For Grades 1-5 from 4-5 PM 5:30 p.m. Elena Gaffney For Grades 6-8 from 7-8 PM Thurs. 12/5 7:30 a.m. Habibe Azemi Office of Faith Formation Hours: Weekdays 10 AM - 3 PM 5:30 p.m. Special Intention of and Tuesdays 10 AM-5:30 PM Barbara Vetere Parish Finance Council Fri. 12/6 7:30 a.m. Reparation to the Our parish Finance Council is a consultative body of lay Sacred Heart of Jesus persons established to advise the pastor in matters pertain- 5:30 p.m. Stephen Ambrose ing to the financial affairs of the church. The chairman is Sat. 12/7 7:30 a.m. Reparation to the Ron Fiske, (203) 330-0375. Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Activities Saturday, December 7th American Heritage Girls Troop #4862: 4:00 p.m.